Hill backs Hamilton to win F1 crown

Damon Hill is convinced Lewis Hamilton is ready to follow in his footsteps and become the next British Formula One world champion.

It is 11 years since British Racing Drivers’ Club president Hill captured his world title with Williams, with further home-grown success now long overdue.

Promoting a ’Back the Brits’ campaign at Silverstone today as the new year sees four British drivers on the grid for the first time in five seasons, there is one who has Hill’s unequivocal backing – Hamilton.

In front of a giant poster sporting Hamilton, Jenson Button, David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson standing with Union Jack flag, it is the rising 22-year-old McLaren star who catches Hill’s eye.

The backdrop was perfectly complemented by the fact that as Hill spoke, Hamilton was performing a shakedown in his silver MP4-22.

Rather than Button, who finally won his first grand prix last year, it is Hamilton who gets Hill’s backing to become world champion.

When asked as to who would achieve such a feat out of the British quartet, Hill replied: “There’s a pattern that develops in grand prix racing, one that you recognise.

“At the moment it has to be Lewis Hamilton. He fits the template, although I know Jenson won’t take that lying down.

“Obviously, David during his time carried a lot of hopes with him, while Jenson is still very much a shining light.

“A lot of people have invested a lot of hope in him that he will pull it off.

“We know Jenson can win grands prix now, while Honda are always knocking on the door.

“But now we have Lewis. He is in the right place, with the right team at the right time, with his only obstacle being the two Ferraris and his team-mate (Fernando Alonso).”

Hill is also confident Hamilton will pip Button to a grand prix win this year, even though the youngster has so far conducted only test sessions for the team.

But Hamilton, who was only confirmed in the race seat last year after a decade under the guidance of McLaren team principal Ron Dennis, has certainly looked impressive, while Button and Honda have been off the pace.

Hill feels Button may have blown his chance after poor management decisions early in his career that have led to setbacks from which he has never fully recovered.

“Ron has advised and guided Lewis, and he has avoided many of the pitfalls other drivers have fallen into without a good adviser,” added Hill.

“It may well be we will look back at Jenson’s career – and he may look back on it too – and say it was screwed up at the beginning because he was wrongly advised or with the wrong team.”

Whether Hamilton, Button or any other British driver is racing in a British Grand Prix beyond 2009 is currently up in the air.

Silverstone’s contract to host the event expires after the race that year, and with so many other countries vying to stage a grand prix, the traditional European venues face being squeezed off the calendar.

The Northamptonshire circuit is one of those in jeopardy from the 2010 season onwards.

“We are going to be negotiating what happens beyond 2009, but I would say it is hanging in the balance,” stated Hill.

One possible solution is for Briton to alternate its place on the calendar with another European circuit.

“We should remain open to all sorts of plans,” added Hill.

“It would be a last resort because we want to keep Britain in the frame every year.

“It has had a presence in the championship since 1950, and we’d like to keep that going.

“But we are in competition now with countries we would never have considered not so long ago.”