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Last weekend added a new chapter to the curse that seems to follow Lewis Hamilton in Monaco. Apart from his triumph in 2008, the two-time British champion has experienced nothing but disappointment on the streets of the Principality.
Monaco has become the circuit that most often forces Lewis Hamilton to confront the limits of his talent, his machine, and his rivals. In nine appearances, the Briton has won only once, endured weekends without a podium finish, and experienced moments that still cause him pain.
His debut in 2007 gave a glimpse of what he could have achieved. Aged 22, the McLaren-Mercedes rookie, paired with Fernando Alonso, had qualified well and was leading the race before a team order relegated him to second place behind his Spanish teammate. No one was happy with the result, and Hamilton's frustration was palpable on the streets of the Principality that evening. The following year, Hamilton claimed his only victory in Monte Carlo. Fresh from winning the 2008 championship, he dominated the race from start to finish despite changeable weather conditions, even after grazing a barrier, and lifted the trophy that had once crowned his idol Ayrton Senna. But the tide turned in 2009. Fresh from winning his first world championship, Hamilton crashed into a barrier during qualifying, resulting in a gearbox change and a penalty on the starting grid, forcing him to start at the back of the pack. He was only able to finish in 12th place, which was a stark contrast to the expectations surrounding him. From 2010 to 2012, while Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull dominated the sport, Hamilton's McLaren struggled to provide the pace and strategy needed to start on the front row or finish on the podium. This period saw no pole positions or victories in Monaco, highlighting the gap between his abilities and the equipment he was driving.
His move to Mercedes in 2013 was supposed to rewrite history, but a misjudged decision regarding the safety car early in the race allowed his teammate Nico Rosberg to take the win, leaving Hamilton on the sidelines. The following season, the rivalry intensified: Rosberg took pole position after a yellow flag interrupted Hamilton's comeback at the end of the session, but Hamilton turned that pole into a victory. However, this triumph was short-lived: a pit stop under the safety car, despite a comfortable lead, cost him the victory, and he had to settle for third place, with Rosberg taking the top step of the podium.
Every weekend in Monaco has added another layer to Hamilton's complex relationship with the street circuit: a mix of strategic errors, rivalry-fueled drama, and occasional moments of genius. Even the great Jim Clark never managed to win at Monaco, but Hamilton can at least claim the one victory that has eluded many of his contemporaries. The question now is whether his next visit will finally tip the scales in his favor.
