Hamilton heads for Silverstone with mixed feelings

Lewis Hamilton cannot decide whether he is happy or afraid to be heading to Silverstone for this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

On the one hand, McLaren star Hamilton is thrilled to be racing on home soil for the first time as a Formula One driver.

But on the other, there is a sense of trepidation at the adulation certain to come his way in the wake of the impact he has made in his debut season.

After just eight races and at the age of 22, Hamilton is breaking all sorts of records – although in truth, there is only one that really matters.

If Hamilton maintains the form that currently sees him leading the drivers’ standings, the Tewin tyro will become the first rookie to win the Formula One world championship.

Ahead of the race at Silverstone, Hamilton has a 14-point cushion to team-mate Fernando Alonso following yesterday’s French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours.

That was despite finishing third – his lowest placing since his debut in Australia at the start of the season.

Regardless, Hamilton is guaranteed a hero’s welcome from what is certain to be a legion of fans eager to see him become the first British winner of the event since David Coulthard in 2000.

But when asked whether he is happy or afraid to go to Silverstone, a wary Hamilton said: “Most people would say they are happy, some people would say they are afraid – I’m a bit in between.

“I’m really excited to be back in the UK because to race in your own country is a great thing, and to have the support a real buzz.

“If anything it will be a confidence boost, but then knowing how to control the attention, that will be another experience for me.

“I had a taster at the Goodwood Festival of Speed event recently where there were 65,000 people, and there was a lot of tension there.

“It’s how you control it and deal with it, but I’m sure they (the fans) are going to be great.

“They’re very polite, very enthusiastic fans, so I’m more looking forward to it.”

For all of McLaren’s preparation and meticulous detail, though, it appears the one area where they have failed to groom Hamilton has been in how to handle the bright lights and fame.

All the attention has undoubtedly caught Hamilton off guard, with people coming up to him in the street and at petrol stations, and he readily concedes to having had “some interesting experiences” in his debut season.

“It’s been crazy, but there are always positives,” insisted Hamilton.

“The thing is it’s one of those things you can’t prepare yourself for, not like you can for a race, or a season of F1 because it’s such a real unknown factor.

“When you are preparing for a race you know what sort of thing you have to prepare for, and you have other people’s experiences and the team’s experiences to fall back on.

“You have guidelines of where you need to go and the steps forward you need to take.

“But with the outside world and all the attention, everyone has their own way of dealing with it.

“It’s not as if I can take somebody else’s experience and use that, and it’s not as if I have any kind of routine either.

“Every driver has a way of getting themselves into the zone and then switching off. I just have to find my own way.”

Crucial for Hamilton is surrounding himself with positivity, and primarily that means his family and friends.

Father Anthony has attended every race, while younger brother Nick – who has cerebral palsy – has only missed a couple.

They are crucial to Hamilton, who added: “I make sure I spend plenty of time with my family, my friends, people I enjoy being around.

“I try not to spend time with people I don’t enjoy being around because it’s a waste of your energy.

“I try to always be in a good atmosphere and have good fun. That is what it is all about at the end of the day.”