Brit F1 drivers on why they love the British GP

By Tom Clarkson

Motor Shows

30 June 2008 12:03

There will be three British drivers on next weekend’s Silverstone grid. Between them – Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and David Coulthard – they’ve scored 20 GP victories and taken a total of 912 World Championship points. Here they tell us what they love about the British Grand Prix.

LEWIS HAMILTON (British GP starts: 1, best result: 3rd (’07), career wins: 6)
'Silverstone is the biggest race of the year for me and to win it would be a dream come true. I love the circuit because it’s so fast and we’re under quite heavy loadings for much of the lap, so it’s quite physical. The British motorsport fan is probably the most dedicated and knowledgeable in the world, and their support is amazing. Even at last week’s test session I got a real lift from seeing all the flags out there.'

JENSON BUTTON (British GP starts: 8, best result: 4th (’04), career wins: 1)
'I always look forward to Silverstone. I love the layout of the track because it’s very fast and flowing, and Becketts is my favourite combination of corners in the world. You have to be very precise with your line and when you get this section right, you come out with the biggest smile on your face. It’s great to have so much support in the grandstands, but it’s also a bit frustrating because I want to give the fans better results than is currently the case.'

DAVID COULTHARD (British GP starts: 14, best result: 1st (1999, ’00), career wins: 13)
'There’s something special about Silverstone because of where it sits in the history of the sport. The nature of the track is very high speed and the first half of the lap in incredibly challenging for the drivers. I think it’s right up there with the other great tracks of the world, such as Monaco, Spa and Suzuka. It’s one of the places where you stop beforehand, take a deep breath and think, right, here we go. It’s great.'

By Tom Clarkson