Hamilton gets a challenge from his Mercedes W08

Lewis Hamilton is a bit at odds with his Silver Arrows, conceding that Mercedes' new-spec car is at times a handful to drive.

The Brit has won two races so far this year, and so has Sebastian Vettel, forcing himself and Mercedes to work overtime to try and fend off Ferrari's new-found momentum.

But it's all hard work behind the wheel of a W08 which Hamilton is finding sometimes difficult to master in terms of set-up and balance.

"I quite like that the car is difficult to drive," he said on Wednesday.

"It's like you watch people get on the bull, jump on the bull and try to tame the bull, try to tame a horse. It's the same kind of feeling you get in this car, when it's not easy, when it's a challenge.

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"There are cars I've had in the past which have been beautiful to drive and very easy, a lot easier to set up. I like that this is a challenge, it really puts myself and my engineers on the edge.

"And it really makes us have to be a lot more meticulous with the decisions we make, the direction in which we go, and how I also have to work a lot harder to balance the car. You saw obviously over the radio in the last race. That's the fight of it.

"Over the year the car will continue [to improve], as we understand it more and more, understand the tyres and understand the tools that we have, we'll refine them and the car will get easier to drive for sure."

The Mercedes' longer wheelbase is also a subject of concern in the German camp, as Monaco with its twisty and tight lay-out rather caters to a shorter more nimble car which can better exploit its tyres.

"The very tight section in the middle section is going to be where the car is difficult to turn, I would imagine," he said.

"It may not be the case. But being longer, it's harder to rotate all the car.

"This weekend's going to be tough, I don't know if our car...we were very good in the last sector of the last race, in the slow section.

"Does that mean we'll be good here, being that it's mostly a slow section - or being that we have a long car, does that mean we'll struggle?

"Ferrari generally are able to switch their tyres on a little bit easier than us, does that mean that we are in trouble this weekend or not? I'll find out tomorrow."

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