Lewis Hamilton will be chasing a dream in the Monaco Grand Prix, the world's most prestigious motor race.

Ahead of today's opening practice session for the sixth round of the title chase, Hamilton said: "This is the one to win.

"You have history all around, you can just feel it, and the atmosphere is fantastic. It would be a dream to win here."

Last season, the 23-year-old McLaren driver finished second behind then team-mate Fernando Alonso, so he knows what it will take on Sunday to close the seven-point gap on Ferrari's defending champion Kimi Raikkonen.

"To be quick you need to use every centimetre of the circuit," said Hamilton. "This even includes touching the barriers at some points.

"You are hitting some corners at 180mph and as you are braking down you know there are no run-off areas, and you can't see the exit to the corner.

"All you can see is directly what's in front of you, probably no more than 50 metres ahead. In some corners you are almost guessing where the car should be, relying on instinct and memory."

Hamilton, who was pictured last week attending the Cannes Film Festival in the company of Miss World contestant Vivian Burkhardt, insisted the glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo will not be a distraction.

"I'm fully focused on getting the job done," he said. "Monaco weekend, more than any other, is about being 100 per cent in the zone."