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Hamilton looks for 4th win of season at Monaco
Sitting alone: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain sits alone on the drivers truck for the drivers parade before the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco in Monaco on Sunday
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Sitting alone: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain sits alone on the drivers truck for the drivers parade before the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco in Monaco on Sunday. (AP/Gero Breloer) (AP/Gero Breloer)
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span class="inline inline-center">Sitting alone: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain sits alone on the drivers truck for the drivers parade before the Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco in Monaco on Sunday. (AP/Gero Breloer)
There's a simple reason why Lewis Hamilton is the favorite for this year's Monaco Grand Prix, aside from the fact that he's the F1 championship leader: he's in pole position.
The tight, sinewy nature of Monaco's 3.34-kilometer street circuit makes it extremely difficult to overtake, and the past six winners and nine of the past 10 have won from pole.
That means Hamilton has a good chance to earn his fourth win of the season and extend his 20-point lead over Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.
Rosberg closed the gap somewhat at the Spanish GP two weeks ago, when he ended a run of just one win in 15 races.
But the momentum is still very much with Hamilton, who recently signed a new three-year deal with Mercedes.
His remarkable consistency has seen him reach the podium in 21 of the past 24 races since the beginning of last season, with 14 wins, five second-place finishes and two third places.
With the Cannes Film Festival a short drive away, celebrity spotting has always been easy at the Monaco Grand Prix.
In the 1960s, it was film stars like Swedish actress Britt Ekland and British actor Peter Sellers who turned up. In more recent years, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio have all attended the glamorous event.
This year, Michael Fassbender was spotted shortly before Sunday's race, while Real Madrid's soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo turned up with British fashion model Cara Delevingne.
While Ronaldo chatted to Formula One driver Fernando Alonso ' who is a huge soccer fan ' in the pit lane, Delevingne sat on a McLaren car wheel.
Liam Payne of pop band One Direction was also seen strolling around the paddock area, and former world ski champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany also attended.
Glitz and glamour are part of any Formula One race, but never more so than at the Monaco Grand Prix, its showcase event where movie stars bump shoulders with royalty and sports celebrities ' and hopefully take in some top-class racing as well.
As always, fans have flocked to the picturesque Principality to soak up the atmosphere at the most unique event in F1, a street-circuit race which sees drivers go past the Monte Carlo casino, famous boutiques and some of the most expensive real estate in the world.
Raucous crowds gather around the glittering harbor, while others prefer to seek a good vantage point in the surrounding hills perched just underneath Prince Albert's huge palace.
More privileged spectators have a free view while drinking champagne on their luxury yachts.
In this rich playground, it's a case of the haves and the have yachts. (*****)
