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Monaco - The chummy rivalry between Formula 1 champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel could be tested at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix, an unforgiving circuit where drivers are often pushed to the limit.
After five races, four-time F1 champion Vettel is six points clear of three-time champion Hamilton. They have two wins each and are relishing what is, surprisingly, their first championship tussle.
When Vettel was dominating for Red Bull, winning his titles from 2010-13, Hamilton lagged behind with McLaren. As Hamilton started dominating for Mercedes the following year, Vettel struggled with Red Bull. After switching to Ferrari in 2015, the driver failed to significantly challenge Hamilton or his former Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg.
'I think we have a strong connection'
Although they share a total of 99 F1 wins, this is the first year Hamilton and Vettel have really gone head-to-head on track.
Vettel said: "You have to respect if other people do a good job. We're very different. But I think we have a very strong connection."
Hamilton has been equally praiseworthy: "To have that close battle with him, with a four-time champ, is awesome. This is what the sport needs to be every single race."
Fans are thrilled, and it is equally a relief for Hamilton to be challenging a driver he respects so much and, additionally, one from another team.
For the past three years, Hamilton was embroiled in a tense fight with Rosberg and their thorny relationship caused frictions within Mercedes.
'Massive fight with Ferrari'
An air of relief has swept through Mercedes since Rosberg retired after winning last year's title. Not because he was unpopular, but because the team no longer has to deal with an ongoing saga that the media feasted on.
Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes motorsport, said: "This season I have re-discovered why I love the sport. We are in a massive fight with Ferrari."
In other words, the fight has been taken outside of Mercedes itself and the rivalry with Vettel is more healthy.
However, an incident in Spain two weeks ago, where Hamilton won ahead of Vettel, suggested cracks could start appearing in the smooth facade of their relationship.
Vettel came perilously close to nudging Hamilton off the track as they fought for space heading into a turn. Hamilton had seemed somewhat irked by Vettel's aggression — although it was exactly the kind of in-your-face driving Hamilton revels in.
With the F1 title shaping into a two-way race, neither can afford a slip.
Monaco GP
That will heighten the pressure on both in glitzy Monaco, where F1 lovers mingle with millionaires, and which Wolff describes as "the crown jewel" of F1.
The smallest braking mistake on a tight and sinewy 3.4km circuit through the winding streets of Monte Carlo, past its famed casino and around its glittering, yacht-laden harbor, can send a distracted driver into the barriers.
"There is no such thing as a low risk lap in Monaco, it doesn't exist if you want to be fast," said Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who crashed in last year's race.
With overtaking notoriously difficult, pole position holds increased value. That makes qualifying crucial, where drivers juggle speed with not pushing the car too hard.
"It is a mentally exhausting weekend," Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas said. "One mistake will cost you."
But one advantage for drivers this year is that the Pirelli tires are far more durable, increasing time on track and limiting pit stops.
Still, that advantage is offset by another factor: the size of the cars.
F1 rule changes this year led to cars being made faster and wider. On a narrow track, this poses "a massive challenge" when pushing the car close to the limit, Hamilton said.
He said: "It'll be a real test of your awareness of where the car is. You need to be sharp and clear."