Lewis Hamilton on Monaco Grand Prix win: I really was fighting with the spirit of Niki Lauda

Lewis Hamilton dedicated his tense Monaco Grand Prix win on Sunday to Niki Lauda, saying he was 'fighting with the spirit' of the late motorsport great.

It proved to be an emotional weekend on the streets of Monte Carlo, with the Formula One world paying a series of tributes to Lauda, the three-time champion and paddock mainstay who passed away on Monday, aged 70.

Hamilton himself sported a red helmet paying homage to the Austrian, while Mercedes, among other things, ran their cars with a special and distinctive red halo.

Hamilton spoke candidly about the loss of the team's non-executive chairman earlier this week, calling him a "bright light in my life" and dedicating his latest pole position to Lauda.

The 34-year-old was sorely tested by Max Verstappen during an entertaining Monaco race and afterwards spoke of the difficulty involved in such a win and how he was influenced by Lauda.

“That was probably the hardest race I’ve had,” he said.

“I really was fighting with the spirit of Niki. Niki’s been such an influential person in our team, helping to get us where we are.

"So I know he’ll be looking down and know he’d take his hat off today. I was trying to stay focused and trying to make him proud."