Lewis Hamilton backing Jenson Button to replace Fernando Alonso in Monaco

ByBen Snowball

Published 13/04/2017 at 16:06 GMT+1

Lewis Hamilton hopes to go wheel-to-wheel with Jenson Button at the Monaco Grand Prix after a race seat at McLaren became available following Fernando Alonso’s decision to race in the Indy 500.

Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton

Image credit: Reuters

Alonso will skip the most iconic race on the Formula 1 calendar to race in Indianapolis, with Button – who remains contracted to McLaren – the favourite to replace the Spaniard.

[Fernando Alonso to miss Monaco Grand Prix to race at Indy 500]

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"I hope Jenson comes back, it would be great for the sport to have Jenson back," said Hamilton, who was Button's team-mate at McLaren from 2010-12.

"I still think he is one of the best drivers, his calibre is very high, and he is experienced."

In a handout picture released by Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes on February 1, 2012 McLaren-Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton (L) and Jenson Button (R) of Britain talk as they sit on the newly unveiled McLaren MP4-27 Formula One car during McLaren's 2012 techn

Image credit: AFP

Button was replaced by Stoffel Vandoorne for the current season, but McLaren retain the option of promoting the 2009 world champion back into the cockpit in 2018.

The 37-year-old has done little to dampen speculation, tweeting “why do I have so many missed calls” after Alonso’s announcement.

Meanwhile, Mercedes frontman Hamilton has revealed his own ambitions of swapping motorsport codes – although he insists he would not skip an F1 race to do so.

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

Image credit: AFP

"Firstly it is great that a driver is able to do it, we should be allowed to do more than one series," he said.

"There was a time when drivers could do multiple series so it is pretty cool. I wouldn't want to miss out any races in F1, you need to do all the races.

"I would like to do MotoGP, I'd love to ride a MotoGP bike - or a NASCAR race, like the Daytona 500."

Hamilton is tied with Sebastian Vettel at the top of the drivers’ standings after the opening two races of 2017.

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