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Lewis Hamilton's Monaco GP woes: Where has it gone wrong?

Crashes, miscalculations and a "frickin' joke", Hamilton is without a win in Monaco since 2008. This Sunday's race is live on Sky Sports F1 at 1pm

Lewis Hamilton describes the Monaco Grand Prix as his "Achilles heel" and it's easy to see why. Nine attempts, one victory - and that was eight years ago.

"I'm definitely not weak round there but I've won once and I've had the car to win the last three years," the world champion tells Sky F1's Martin Brundle. "I'm keen to go back there and do some surgery."

So, as Hamilton prepares for another shot at glory in the principality this weekend, where has it all gone wrong over the years?

2007 Monaco GP
Grid: 2nd; Race: 2nd

Young Lewis entered his first Monaco GP with a two-point lead in the championship and a fearsome record around the streets of Monte Carlo, winning in GP2 and F3.

In Formula 1, he had to settle for second best behind McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso - though the world champion's victory was shrouded in controversy.

How Hamilton lost Monaco 2015
How Hamilton lost Monaco 2015

How Lewis Hamilton's infamous pit-stop lost him the 2015 race

The FIA launched an investigation of McLaren for giving out team orders after Hamilton revealed he had been asked to ease off. Ron Dennis insisted that while he wouldn't allow his two drivers to race and risk a comfortable one-two, this was team strategy rather than the banned orders.

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McLaren were later cleared of any wrongdoing and Hamilton, who had now been joined on 38 points by Alonso, said: "He has No 1 on his car and I have No 2. I am the second driver and so I must accept that and respect that for the team."

2008 Monaco GP
Grid: 3rd; Race: 1st

Though Ferrari had started the 2008 edition as overwhelming favourites, Hamilton produced one of the defining drives of his career so far to take the chequered flag in an incident-packed grand prix.

The Englishman, starting third in the torrential rain, snuck up the inside of Kimi Raikkonen at Turn One but an error around Tabac soon after saw him puncture a rear tyre. The crash eventually worked in Hamilton's favour, however, with McLaren's refuelling allowing him to come in for his final pit-stop six laps after his main rivals, by which point the dry tyre was perfect for the improving conditions.

When's the Monaco GP on Sky?
When's the Monaco GP on Sky?

F1's showpiece event is live and exclusive on Sky Sports

Overtaking was almost impossible on the river of a track but it was Hamilton's race-craft and tactical savvy in the most unforgiving of environments that earned him the plaudits.

"At his age, Lewis can win this race many times," Jackie Stewart said, as reported by The Times. "This is the first, I hope, of many victories for him in Monaco so that he can join the greats of Formula 1."

2009 Monaco GP
Grid: 19th; Race: 12th

Just six months after sealing his first F1 crown in the most dramatic of circumstances, Hamilton only had nine points ahead of round six of the 2009 season.

And despite impressing in practice, a disastrous mistake in Q1 ruined the world champion's weekend as he broke the rear suspension of his McLaren after smashing into the Mirabeau tyre wall. He qualified in 16th but started the race in front of only Timo Glock due to a penalty for a gearbox change, and was never in contention.

What a difference a year makes.

2010 Monaco GP
Grid: 5th; Race: 5th

With world champion Jenson Button joining him at McLaren and leading the championship heading to Monaco, the pressure was on Hamilton to perform.

However, his team struggled with reliability issues all weekend. Button had to retire after a cover was left in his air cooling system while Hamilton could only qualify and finish fifth.

At one point a clearly frustrated Lewis, who eventually held off the charging Alonso, asked his team: "What the hell? Do you want me to race these guys or look after the car?"

2011 Monaco GP
Grid: 9th; Race: 6th

A weekend to forget for an extremely crash-happy Hamilton. Coming into the grand prix 41 points behind Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton could only manage ninth on the grid after having his final Q3 time docked for cutting a chicane.

His feud with Felipe Massa was ongoing and the pair collided twice come race day, once at the hairpin before the Brazilian's race was ended after an ambitious high-speed move from Hamilton through the tunnel. The Brit was given a drive-through penalty for the first of those incidents, and was later penalised again for ending Pastor Maldonado's race.

Throw in an accident involving Hamilton, Jaime Alguersuari, Adrian Sutil, and Vitaly Petrov and his nightmare was complete, his only solace being the eight points gathered.

Hamilton criticised the stewards after the race, telling the BBC: "Out of six races, I've been to the stewards five times. It's a joke, it's an absolute frickin' joke."

2012 Monaco GP
Grid: 3rd; Race: 5th

His last Monaco GP as a McLaren driver, Hamilton started the race from third after Michael Schumacher's grid penalty, and was able to maintain his position for much of the afternoon.

But Lewis and his team were out-thought and out-paced, first by Ferrari and Alonso, who watched his rivals pit before putting in the two fastest sectors of the race, and then by Red Bull and Vettel. Both would rejoin the track ahead of Hamilton.

Only four seconds separated race winner Mark Webber and Hamilton at the chequered flag.

2013 Monaco GP
Grid: 2nd; Race: 4th

Qualifying on the front row behind Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, things were finally looking up for Hamilton in the principality.

But after a crash from Massa at Saint Devote led to a Safety Car, Hamilton dropped two places as he was forced to pit on the same lap as Rosberg. He slowed down too much upon entry and was never able to catch the Red Bulls.

"It wasn't the team's fault, it was my mistake today," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. "I just wasn't good enough."

2014 Monaco GP
Grid: 2nd; Race: 2nd

It's fair to say the tension between the Mercedes pair was high prior to this race. First, there was Hamilton using an unauthorised engine mode to hold off Rosberg at the previous grand prix in Spain. Then, in Monaco's Q3, Rosberg ruined his team-mate's final flying lap after causing yellow flags for reversing back onto the track following a mistake at Mirabeau.

Sunday's events proved to be slightly less dramatic, with Rosberg leading from start to finish around the street circuit. Still, Hamilton's anger was clear over radio at his team's failure to give him a better chance at victory with a riskier pit strategy.

Hamilton then suffered more frustration - and irritation - when he complained of visibility problems with his left eye in the closing stages, only just holding off Daniel Ricciardo.

The ill-feeling in the Mercedes camp was evident on the podium afterwards with Rosberg and Hamilton failing to acknowledge each other.

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Hamilton was left speechless as a pit stop during the safety car cost him victory in Monaco

2015 Monaco GP
Grid: 1st; Race: 3rd

The biggest calamity of them all. Having just signed a new contract at Mercedes, Hamilton duly dominated proceedings in Monaco, opening up a 24-second gap to Rosberg in the race after comfortably securing pole.

But after Max Verstappen's crash forced a Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car a nervous Hamilton, of the view that his rivals would be fitting the option tyre, asked Mercedes to bring him in. His team dallied and later agreed, believing they would be able to pit the race leader and return him back in first. What a miscalculation it was.

Lewis Hamilton at the Monaco GP

Year Grid Race
2007 2nd 2nd
2008 3rd 1st
2009 19th 12th
2010 5th 5th
2011 9th 6th
2012 3rd 5th
2013 2nd 4th
2014 2nd 2nd
2015 1st 3rd

Both Rosberg and Vettel hadn't stopped and Hamilton immediately knew upon rejoining in third that he would be made to wait another year.

"What's happened guys? Guys, what's happened?" he frantically said over team radio. "I've lost this race, haven't I?"

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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff explains why the wrong call was made when the team pitted Hamilton

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