Lewis Hamilton buoyant ahead of homecoming at British Grand Prix

Formula 1 title holder Lewis Hamilton is in good spirits ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with the current championship leader aiming to claim his third career victory when he takes to the track on home soil.

Double world champion Hamilton is the odds-on 4/7 favourite with Coral to triumph at the famous Silverstone circuit for a third time in his glittering career, and goes into the next Grand Prix with four wins out of eight so far this season.

“Silverstone is where you have the biggest turnout of support. For me and Jenson Button it is particularly special,” stated Hamilton.

“You have all of the British flags there and all the people who have literally only just turned up to support you.

“It’s the biggest buzz, definitely. I felt it for the first time when I got pole position in 2007. I was like ‘wow.’ I could see everyone but I couldn’t hear them. Then, watching the replay, I was really surprised.”

With a dominant 10-point lead in this season’s championship, Hamilton is confident of treating the British fans to yet another thrilling performance, after many fond memories of this testing circuit, and is 6/5 to steer to the fastest lap on home turf.

“My favourite British Grand Prix is still that win in the rain. I qualified fourth but then the heavens opened and I knew that it was my day. I got a great start and I just followed the lines that I took from my experience of Formula Renault days,” continued the reigning world champion.

“It was a great race and everybody was standing every single time I went through Abbey, in the pouring rain with umbrellas up. That was a really special time. I won by 68 seconds.”

The world champion’s fellow countryman Button has never earned a podium place at Silverstone but is 16/1 to claim a top six finish this time out, while the closest challenger to Hamilton could again be Nico Rosberg, who is 7/4 to secure victory and 12/5 for the fastest lap.