Hamilton warns of 'nerve-wracking' race in the rain

Lewis Hamilton has warned that showers of rain forecast during Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix could make the classic street circuit race 'even more nerve-wracking' than usual for him and his Mercedes team.

The seven-time world champion is one of a select group who have triumphed three times at Monte Carlo and his upgraded Mercedes has him on an upturn.

"The approach to a race always changes when it rains," he explained.

"It's more of a lottery, but there is also a lot more opportunity. The potential for failure is even greater - so it makes it even more nerve-wracking."

After finishing fifth, two places behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell in Spain last Sunday, Hamilton remains keen to confirm their progress and his own exceptional ability in street circuit and wet weather racing.

But he knows too that despite reduced 'porpoising' in his W13 car, the challenge of the narrow barrier-lined streets is greater than ever.

"Our cars are bigger than ever before, wider than ever before and the track is the same width that it has been forever," said Hamilton. "And we're faster than ever!"

"The percentage chance of overtaking is minuscule. The percentage chances of crashing are massive -- so qualifying position is everything."

All of which suggests that Saturday's high-speed scramble for grid positions will be dramatic and intense as drivers strive for glory in the sport's 'blue riband' event.

"Winning there in 2008, I felt like I was at the top of the highest mountain of the world," said Hamilton. "So many different things need to come together for that to happen, but it's a track where you just can't leave anything on the table."

Loved for its glamour and spectacle, Monte Carlo is respected as a unique mental and technical challenge by