McLaren are hopeful of being able to take the chequered flag in front of home fans at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.
Both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton spoke of their determination to take the win in front of their home crowd, with Button saying that he ‘could not think of anything better’:
“Racing in front of your home crowd is one of the biggest buzzes for any racing driver. And racing at Silverstone is always an exceptional experience – the crowds are huge throughout the weekend, everybody absolutely knows their stuff, and the motivation and support you get is like nowhere else on earth. I love it. Even though I came to Silverstone last year as the championship leader, I still haven’t won this race. I’m second this year, and I can think of nothing better than being able to take a win in front of my home crowd – that would be amazing.”
Jenson Button
Lewis Hamilton said that he has to ‘repay his fans’ for their unwavering support during the British Grands Prix of 2007 and 2008:
“To be leading the world championship going into my home race is a fantastic feeling – I know very well the effect of people-power around here – in 2007, when I got pole position, I vividly remember driving around on my slowing-down lap and I could hear the noise of the crowd over the engine. And in 2008, in those terrible, wet conditions, nobody lost heart or faith, and they kept waving their flags and banners for me on every single lap. When you see that kind of dedication, you know you’ve got to repay it. And that’s why I go to Silverstone absolutely determined to get a great result; to make 100,000 people proud of our team and our country.”
Lewis Hamilton
The drivers also approved of the new Silverstone circuit layout, which will be used for a Formula 1 Grand Prix for the first time ever next Sunday:
“Of course, the big unknown for this year is the new track configuration. On paper, it looks to have kept most of the classic corners, which is important. We’ve lost Bridge, but we’ve still got Copse, Becketts and Stowe, which is great. There’s no substitute for actually driving it though, and a new circuit is always great fun to try out and get to grips with, so I can’t wait for Friday morning.”
Jenson Button
“We haven’t raced on this Silverstone configuration before – I’ve looked at the track map, and I’ve seen some onboard footage, and I like what I’ve seen. It still looks fast and sweeping – even the new corners look medium- to high-speed, which is what you want around here. The Santander British Grand Prix is one of the best races of the year – it’s going to be a brilliant weekend. Bring it on.”
Lewis Hamilton
