A lap of Monaco with Lewis Hamilton

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes arrives in the Principality of Monaco for the most glamorous dates on the Formula 1 calendar. The streets of Monte Carlo will host their 65th Grand Prix, with the proximity of the spectators to the circuit leading to a thrilling assault on the senses as 22 V8 engines reverberate around the shortest track of the year. Lewis Hamilton takes us for a ride on the spectacular street circuit of Monaco.

Lewis Hamilton "So first you have Turn One which is quite a bumpy corner; you are braking uphill and you can't really see, as there are a couple of trees hanging over the track, which creates a shadow as you come into the straight before coming into the sun. This is quite a slow corner and very, very tight, so if you get the car loose under braking and lose the back end you are going straight into the wall. As a result it can be quite difficult and you have to use a bit of the kerb.

Coming out of Turn One you go up into the long uphill Beau Rivage Straight which is really cool. Here you have a fast left and a fast right, and then you come round into Casino Bend, which just seems like it goes on forever. Coming around that bend the barrier isn't really a nice consistent curve, it sort of bulges, which you have to try and avoid, and it can surprise you each time you come round there. It is very tricky and if you hit that kerb it just spits you off into the wall and again it is very bumpy through there.

Then we come through Mirabeau, which again is very bumpy, and you can't really attack it; you just have to be quite easy through there. The car tends to slide all over the place as it is quite a slow part of the circuit. The two hairpins at Mirabeau and the Grand Hotel are the slowest part of the track. This is a good place to overtake but to get the speed you really need to use the entire road, which is extremely difficult because there is no downforce, as you are going so slow and it is pretty tight. To achieve this you have to use full lock and then you are on the power and unwinding the steering lock and the car is just all over the place.

Then you get to the most exciting part which is the tunnel, when you are coming through there it is just an amazing experience. It is very tight and very quick but driving through that tunnel in a racing car is something you always want to experience. I remember the first time I drove through there I just shouted in my helmet as I was so excited.

The Swimming Pool is a very, very fast chicane and is near enough flat-out. I can only assume in a Formula 1 car there is a slight lift on the way in. But it is very quick and again you have to ride both the kerbs and it can be quite harsh. If you hit them wrong then again you will be in the wall. Then you are braking down to a heavy chicane again and on to the Rascasse. This is quite a cool part of the circuit. You can't overtake but you run a lot of speed in and then you have to get the car stopped and really keep the minimum speed up the whole time and it is just about getting the right exit and carrying it on down through to the straight."