Lewis Hamilton has achieved two of his three goals this year after winning the season-opener at Melbourne and the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix. Now he has set his sights on a home victory in front of his British fans.
Hamilton, who started from pole position last year only to drop back to third after going the wrong way with his car setup, is hoping to get his championship back on track at Silverstone next week after a disastrous few weeks in the press following his disappointment in Canada in France.
The British ace, who started from pole position last year only to drop back to third after going the wrong way with his car setup, says he wants nothing more than to win on home soil: “Of course, winning your home race is something that every driver wants to achieve,” he said.
“People talk of winning the ‘big four’: Silverstone, Monaco, Monza and Spa, but it’s more straightforward for me.”
“I want to win the first race of the season, I want to win Monte Carlo – which I did for the first time this year – and I want to win my home grand prix. Those are my goals and I’m ready for the challenge at Silverstone this weekend.”
In deference to Nigel Mansell’s claim that racing in front of your home crowd yields as much as a second in lap time, Hamilton is expecting his partisan supporters to be a monumental factor next week.
“There’s something about racing in your home country that definitely affects you,” explains Hamilton.
“You can’t really say what it is, but there’s something about the familiarity of your surroundings and the constant support of the crowd that gives you a boost throughout the whole weekend.”
“It’s not something you experience anywhere else but it does make you that bit more determined to succeed.”
