As a child, Lewis Hamilton dreamt about being Ayrton Senna and winning the greatest grand prix of all, the mad dash around the harbour in Monte Carlo. Nothing would please him more than to repeat Senna's feat tomorrow.

The legendary Brazilian won the Monaco Grand Prix six times and all the signs are that, if Hamilton is to score his first victory in the principality this weekend, he will have to do it in the wet. Showers are predicted during qualifying today and rain for the race tomorrow.

“Ayrton won here time and time again and it would be great to emulate that, at least to get a win here,” Hamilton said in the McLaren Mercedes motorhome on the harbourside yesterday. “To have my sixth win here, it would be very, very emotional.”

The possibility that he may have to drive his car in the wet, which turns the streets of Monte Carlo into an ice rink, does not seem to be worrying the young man who was hailed as a new “rainmaster” after driving to victory in a downpour at last year's Japanese Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway.

“Winning the wet races, as Ayrton did, is all part of the challenge,” Hamilton said. “He proved he was the best by destroying everyone. And that's what I did in Japan. Doing it here is even harder. This track does bring out the true driver and the best drivers do rise to the top.” Hamilton's critics like to flay him for having the gall to mention Senna's name in the same context as his own, but the 23-year-old British driver has a proper sense of history and has nothing but respect for the “greats”, such as Senna and Michael Schumacher. In fact, even well into his second season in the sport, Hamilton still pinches himself every time he climbs into the cockpit of his car, ready to race on the same circuits as his heroes.

After two sessions of practice on Thursday, when Hamilton was second fastest in the first run and then fastest in the second, his confidence that he can make his dream come true on what he regards as the greatest track in motor racing does not look misplaced. The first thing he must do, though, is to secure pole position on a circuit on which it is difficult to overtake. Then he needs an exhibition of speed, precision and total concentration tomorrow to take the chequered flag.

Hamilton is not alone in believing that he can achieve such tasks this weekend. Sir Stirling Moss predicts that Hamilton's sublime driving skills will come to the fore tomorrow. “Hopefully, it will suit McLaren, but also the driving expertise of a guy like Lewis,” Moss said. “Lewis is a hell of a good driver and you need more precision here than in most places.”

Bruno Senna, the nephew of Ayrton, celebrated an emotional debut win in Monaco yesterday after a dramatic race in the GP2 Series.