Hamilton eager to improve on previous Monaco result
Wednesday, 21 May 2008 21:29
Hamilton is eager to go one better in this year's race
McLaren diver Lewis Hamilton is eager to improve on his result at last year's Monaco grand prix and win the race in the principality this weekend.
Hamilton came second to, then team-mate, Fernando Alonso last year but felt throughout the race that the Spaniard had been holding him up.
The argument escalated into one of the biggest rivalries in the sport and Alonso left the team claiming they had been favouring Hamilton over him.
Looking back at last year's race Hamilton admits he did not appreciate the fortunate position he had been in, coming second in his first race at Monaco, but despite this he remains determined to go one better this weekend.
He said: "At the time I wanted to win because it is one of the most special races there is. Looking back, the team did the right thing, but I don't have any regrets with regard to what I did or said last year."
The Briton feels that his experiences last year will help him be quicker this weekend as he has learnt a lot about the tricky street circuit.
"At the end of the day I learned how to keep the car on the track, and throughout the race you improve," explained Hamilton.
"You also learn more and more about the circuit, so coming here I should hopefully be in a better position."
Meanwhile, Alonso admits McLaren should be one of the main contenders in Monaco and feels the Surrey-based outfit ought to be able to end Ferrari's recent dominance.
"Regarding how McLaren performed here last year, I think they are clearly the favourites," the Spaniard said.
However, he refused to be enthusiastic about Hamilton's chances of victory. He claimed: "I don't know, I don't care."