One of the VIPs at Sunday’s Monster Energy Grand Prix de France was 2008 F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver exchanged helmets with current MotoGP™ World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and talked of impressive rookie Marc Marquez.

Hamilton, who resides in Monte Carlo, caught up with Valentino Rossi and Lorenzo in the Yamaha Factory Racing garage, swapping one of his yellow F1 helmets for the black of Lorenzo’s MotoGP equivalent.

"The atmosphere is incredible and it’s so great to see so many people here," Hamilton told motogp.com in an exclusive video interview. "This is my first time at a MotoGP race so I’m buzzing. I love racing all together, but I’ve been watching this sport for a long time so to be here at one of the races is just incredible. I’m a big fan of motorbikes and have a couple at home."

Hamilton also spoke of Repsol Honda Team newcomer Marquez, who has taken the establishment by storm much like he did in F1 with McLaren in 2007:

"You know, it’s a huge roller-coaster ride and that’s probably the same for him. He has come in, is up there with the big boys straight away and that is how it was for me. To do that is very surreal. All you have to do is just take it in your stride and enjoy every single moment of it."

Having watched Dani Pedrosa race to his second consecutive race victory, Hamilton himself will be back on-track in Monaco next weekend.