McLaren's Lewis Hamilton [Images] said on Wednesday that Monaco's metal barriers would be the only limits to his bravery in chasing a boyhood dream at this weekend's Grand Prix.

"Everyone knows that at this track the driver has more of an influence, and the driver can get more out of it by being more on the edge," the 23-year-old Briton told reporters in the Mediterranean principality.

• Formula One statistics for Monaco Grand Prix

"At every circuit we go to, the driver can make a difference. Here it can mean a much bigger difference because it is so narrow, so tight," he added.

"It's about the driver with the biggest balls who can get closest to the barriers.

"It's difficult to stay out of the barriers. You try your hardest to stay off them. But I remember the race last year, on exiting the swimming pool [complex] I touched the barrier nearly every lap with my front wing or my tyre chasing down [former team mate] Fernando [Alonso]," said Hamilton.

"I do feel to be on the limit, to get pole position, to be out front, to be the fastest, you have to use every inch of the road.

"Some people might be a foot or two feet away, but I'm not. So fingers crossed it will work this weekend."

The title contender won in Monaco while working his way through the junior categories to Formula One and felt he could have won last year had the team given him free rein to attack double world champion Alonso.

MCLAREN FAVOURITES

With the Spaniard now back at Renault, a team without a win since 2006, Hamilton and Finnish team mate Heikki Kovalainen will be favourites on Sunday.

The Briton won the Australian season-opener and is seven points adrift of Ferrari's [Images] world champion Kimi Raikkonen [Images] after five races.

"This is the race to win, and one of the races I've always wanted to win," said Hamilton, whose boyhood hero was the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna.

"It would be a dream to win here, for me especially," he continued.

"For me, growing up, I was focused on this race.

"This is the one. Ayrton won here all the time and Michael [Schumacher] scored consecutive wins here, as did Alain Prost. So it's one of those [races] where a driver can come down and prove he is the best."

Hamilton said he is older and wiser than last year and recognised with the benefit of hindsight that the team had taken the right decisions to ensure the one-two in that controversial race.

"At the time I wanted to win because it is one of the most special races there is," he said.

"Looking back, I don't have any regrets, and the team did the right thing.

"I don't regret what I did or said last year, but looking back on it as a team player, at the end of the day we finished one-two and scored some points," he added.

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