It's all set up nicely for Monaco. If the evidence of Barcelona is reliable the McLaren is catching the Red Bull. Pole position is all in the Principality. Hamilton knows how to win here, having done so in GP2 and Formula One. Indeed he gave one of his great displays in the wet here in his world championship winning year, 2008. He needs a repeat on Sunday to put the brakes on Sebastian Vettel, who managed to keep Hamilton behind over a dramatic closing few laps in Barcelona.

The rapid, sweeping corners and long straights that pervade the purpose built circuits are less of a factor in Monaco, thus reducing Red Bull's big advantage. That car is still quick, but as we saw inSpain the difference to the field is shrinking. Hamilton remains the man most likely to get between Vettel and the chequered flag. He is the only driver other than Vettel to win a race this season, and is arguably driving as well as ever.

The season needs a blood transfusion. Predictability sucks the life out of any sport, and F1 is more susceptible than most. Though Monaco does not promote overtaking, the random joker that is the safety car often produces the unexpected. In recent years we have seen Michael Schumacher emerging from the tunnel with his wheels buckled after a collision with Juan Pablo Montoya behind the safety car. In 2005 Schumacher took his Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello on the last lap, through the chicane after the tunnel. He then shoved his brother Ralf within a fraction of the wall heading to the finish line in pursuit of the extra point. Ralf dismissed his brother as a mad man for pulling a stunt like that. For Michael two points are better than one.

Hamilton shares some of Schumacher's pathological hunger for wringing the maximum from a race. On his Monaco F1 debut in 2007 he lit a bonfire under the McLaren love-in with Fernando Alonso saying he had not come to F1 to be a no.2 driver. Hamilton was outraged at being told to back off while second to Alonso with half the race to go. There will be no such instruction on Sunday.

Good luck to those watching from the Red Eye luxury yacht, Element. You are in position A between the chicane and Tabac. Watching the cars blast out of the tunnel is a privilege you will never forget. Don't forget your ear plugs.