Lewis Hamilton is eagerly anticipating his second Monaco Grand Prix this coming weekend, even if he acknowledges it is the most 'unpredictable' outing on the Formula 1 calendar.

The McLaren-Mercedes star finished a frustrated second to then team-mate Fernando Alonso around the winding, tortuous streets of the Principality last year.

The normally PR-conscious Briton then let out an uncharacteristic post-race outburst that he was the number two in the team for being told to hold station behind the Spaniard, who ultimately pipped him to the chequered flag by just four seconds.

Hamilton does possess an impressive record around street circuits, however, with victory in the GP2 Series at Monaco in 2006 and triumphs at the similarly challenging Macau, Pau and the Norisring, the latter being the scene of his breakthrough F3 Euroseries success back in 2004. He is very much ready for the street fight, and clearly determined to avenge last year's 'defeat'.

"Monaco, my favourite race," the 23-year-old enthused. "You have the history all around - you can just feel it - and the atmosphere is fantastic. It is the grand prix that every driver wants to win.

"Being a street circuit it is very exciting to drive - there is no room for any error all weekend. You are on the limit the whole time; there are no long straights where you have a moment to think.

"It is so tight and narrow, and when you consider how quick you are driving it is unreal. To be quick you need to use every centimetre of the circuit; this even includes touching the barriers at some points.

"The set-up is quite a lot different. The primary requirement is fantastic traction, to ensure you can get out of the corners well. Because there are no straights, we put as much downforce as we can on the car as we don't need to - and aren't able to - reach the speeds of any other track.

"It is very difficult to describe how it feels in the car because you are so low. You are hitting some corners at 180mph; as you are braking down you know there is no run-off area, and you can't see the exit. All you can see is directly what is in front of you - probably about 50 metres. In some corners it is almost a guess; you are guessing where the car should be, hoping that you are in the right place, relying on your instinct and memory."

The memory of 2007 is one the Stevenage-born ace will clearly be keen to erase as he tackles the course for the second time in an F1 car, and he knows a strong result will be imperative if he is to further close the seven-point gap currently separating him from world championship leader Kimi Raikkonen in the drivers' title chase.

Last year McLaren-Mercedes comfortably had the legs of their scarlet rivals in Monaco, but Hamilton is unwilling to predict whether it will be the same story twelve months on.

"Unpredictable is the word that sums up Monaco from a performance perspective," he underlined. "It was a great race in Turkey [and] we know the performance is there, but at Monaco literally anything can happen.

"As with any race I am just fully focused on getting the job done. Monaco weekend more than any other is about being 100 per cent in the zone, so I just keep myself to myself."

Crash.net / Eurosport