Hamilton on home comfort

LEWIS Hamilton has heaped pressure on F o r m u l a O n e ’s n e w owners by declaring the British Grand Prix as “the most important race of the year.”

The future of the race beyond 2019 is in serious doubt, with both the British Racing Drivers’ Club, which owns Silverstone, and the circuit organisers, determining whether to activate a break-out clause.

American company Liberty Media took over the sport in January and has staged talks with both the BRDC and Silverstone over its uncertain future.

But it is understood that Silverstone, which agreed a 17-year contract back in 2010, could give notice of its intent to exit the current deal in the hope of brokering a more financially-viable contract. Its decision is likely to be announced in the week leading up to this year’s British Grand Prix on July 16.

Such a decision would place a heavy burden on F1’s new owners, who would not want to risk losing an event — an ever-present in the sport for nearly 70 years — during the formative months of their reign.

Englishman Hamilton has won at Silverstone on four occasions, with a near sell-out 140,000-strong crowd watching him storm to victory last season.

“It’s the most important race of the year,” Hamilton said. “In terms of what the points represent it’s the same as every race, but just being in the beautiful countryside, and the support you get from the British fans, it’s an amazing event people love to come to.”

Lewis Hamilton