We’ll take Bull by horns... and fans will help

IT’LL BE CLUTCH AND GO... BUT LEWIS WILL HUNT VERSTAPPEN

LEWIS HAMILTON loves nothing better than winning at Silverstone – but he admitted the cards are stacked against him today.

The British ace cut a downbeat figure after the inaugural Sprint left him eating dirt after a wheel-spin at the start, allowing rival Max Verstappen to deliver what could prove a hammer blow to his title chances.

The Red Bull driver got a clear advantage by the first corner – and he didn’t relent for next 17 laps as Hamilton frantically called his Mercedes team for help.

“I’m giving it everything I’ve got,” he called out on the radio,

“...is there any more power?”

None was forthcoming and the 36-year-old was downcast, despite finishing second himself, as he faced the prospect of being schooled today by the young Dutchman.

Hamilton blamed problems with the car’s clutch as the lights changed to green, insisting he’d followed his team’s instructions.

He was lucky to reach the first corner, even behind Verstappen – although he was never remotely in danger of being caught by the rest of the field.

However, Hamilton has not forged his enviable reputation by accepting anything other than first – and did not sound a confident man post-race. He said: “That was pretty much the same as it has been during the past few races – following along behind Max.

“I had a terrible start. Red Bull’s starts have been really great this year and we have lost some performance on ours so we have to work harder to improve that because losing positions isn’t a good thing.” Asked what the problem was, Hamilton added: “We have a target position that we have to hit on our clutch. The goal is always to be on that target. And I was. “I did what I was supposed to but it didn’t deliver – for whatever reason – I don’t know why. I had a lot of wheel-spin and the rest is history.”

Hamilton is savvy enough to realise that without the proper tools, he is facing a difficult test. He said: “Max had a lot of pace in him. He wasn’t having to push too hard.

I was trying everything to get by. He was just too quick, too fast – they’ve done a great job with the engine.

“In the race, he was pulling away.

There was nothing

I could do to hold onto him.

“So we’ve really got to get in front somehow. If I can try to keep up with them, maybe we can apply pressure through strategy but we’re not going to be overtaking them, they’re just too fast. “Hopefully, we can play the long game. But it’s going to be tough.”

But with a 140,000 crowd expected for today’s race there might be some Silverstone magic to be conjured.

Fellow Brits Lando Norris (top left) and George Russell (left), will start in the top 10 on the grid, and Hamilton added: “Its going to be tough but just the support of the fans, even the parade lap, the roar of the crowd is just magnificent.

“I’ll recharge tonight, come back stronger. I’ll be giving it everything for everyone who turns up.”

The experiment of holding qualifying later at 6pm on Friday has certainly seen an improvement in viewing figures with F1 reporting a three-fold increase. There was a mixed reaction to the Sprint among the drivers themselves, but it was difficult to take a consensus with emotions still running high after the chequered flag. Verstappen (left) picked up three points, Hamilton landing two and Valterri Bottas adding one.