Hamilton plays down wet race fears

There is currently a 90 percent chance of rain for race day and, with the absence of driver aids like traction control and engine braking, there have been fears about rain making things too difficult for the drivers.

But Hamilton is not worried about the safety implications and, although conceding things will be more dangerous, he said he would have no qualms about racing in the rain.

"I think if it does rain it will be very tricky on the track especially without traction control and the aids we had last year that helped reduce the rear wheels locking, but that is part of the game," said Hamilton during an appearance at an event for McLaren sponsor Johnnie Walker in Monaco on Friday.

"In the past years they have had races here in the wet and Monaco is the best track -whether it is wet or dry. For sure it will be a little bit more dangerous in the wet, but that is exciting for me."

Hamilton's ease at the possibility of rain has been backed by Jenson Button, who claims he too would relish the prospect of competing in the wet.

"It's always exiting driving in the wet and in difficult conditions, that's what I enjoy because you can make differences with your driving," he said. "But it is also pretty crazy here in the wet, and I've never driven in the wet here without traction control.

"I'm sure we'll get used to it, we're all very good."

However, Button agreed that Monaco would be especially dangerous because of the road markings on the track.

"We don't have traction control, and with the white lines going up to the Casino, if you touch one then you've a big chance of putting your car in the wall. That's exactly what Nigel (Mansell) did back in the early '80s.

"So it's going to be pretty intense, and we just hope we get some practice in before the race. We don't want to be barrelling into Casino with no practice in the wet in these cars."

He added: "If you are driving around a normal circuit and you lock up a front in the wet, you can run wide, but here there is no run-off area, so you are going to hit a wall.

"And in the wet you take different lines. You brake deeper into a corner and run on the outside, so if you get it a millimetre wrong then you are in the wall.

"It's going to be pretty crazy if it's wet, but hopefully we'll get some practice in on Saturday."