"Everytime I race here I think about the 19 year old" - Lewis Hamilton talks about the ‘amazing’ Monaco GP

Ahead of the 2024 Grand Prix of Monaco, seven-time Formula 1, champion Lewis Hamilton has shared a heartfelt post on his Instagram page. The Mercedes-AMG F1 driver went back in time to share the feelings of his first outing at the iconic street circuit.

The young British driver won his first race at the Mediterranean Principality in 2008. Qualifying in P3 behind Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, Hamilton managed to jump the 2007 F1 Champion from Finland at the race start. Even with rain making it difficult to drive on the street circuit, the #44 managed to clinch a win there. His next win at Monaco came in 2016, when Red Bull Racing messed up Daniel Ricarddo's pitstop.

However, 2019 became one of his most memorable and hard-fought victories at the micro-state. Even after starting on pole, Hamilton felt pressure mounting up from Red Bull's challenger Max Verstappen. Close on the heels of the British racer, the #33 Dutch driver pushed lap after lap. Hamilton managed a good defensive drive the entire race, holding the young challenger at bay on highly deteriorated tires. In the end, Verstappen finished in second place but was demoted to fourth after receiving a five-second penalty for unsafe release during his pit stop.

Since then, Hamilton has now managed to reach the top podium spot in Monaco. Now, ahead of starting his 340th race at the Principality, Hamilton has shared his memories of the Monaco GP on an Instagram post, captioned:

"Monaco always takes me back. I raced here for the first time when I was 19, in Formula 3, and I couldn’t believe I was finally here. Had the best weekend of my life, too. Won my race and went on the F1 grid. It’s amazing to still be here and I don’t take it lightly. Every time we race here I think about that 19 year old, he said."

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Lewis Hamilton is set to join Ferrari in 2025 season

Lewis Hamilton is set to join the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team in 2025, replacing Carlos Sainz Jr. This move was announced before the start of the 2024 season, shocking the entire F1 community.

After spending over 11 years with the Silver Arrow, Hamilton decided to join his dream team. This also marks the first time that the British racer will not be driving a Mercedes-powered race car.

Now, with Hamilton joining the Maranello-based team, fans are hoping to see the Scarlet Red outfit on the podium more often.