Lewis Hamilton has declared he will fight to keep the British Grand Prix at Silverstone while he is part of the Formula 1 grid.
This weekend’s race is likely to be dominated by talk of its future at least in the build-up, with 2019 the final year of the current contract after the BRDC activated a release clause.
It is widely expected a deal will be made despite tough talk between the organisers and Liberty Media, with even new reports on Monday suggesting an agreement is in place and will be announced this week.
However, while that isn’t confirmed, Hamilton insists he will not see the venue for F1’s first race in 1950 fall off the calendar.
“[It’s] the ultimate race circuit. This is a Grand Prix we can never lose. Formula 1 loses this and it loses so much of its essence,” he told Sky Sports.
“It feels to me ‘not while I’m racing’. Not while I’m here, I’ll fight for it.
“This has the biggest crowd of the whole year, this has the biggest attendance of the season and there’s no way I would allow that to happen. We have to fight for it.”
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Hamilton has won his home race five times, including four in a row between 2014-2017 and stated he still gets the same buzz from racing at Silverstone.
“It has become the most anticipated event of the year for me and the one I enjoy the most,” the Mercedes driver said.
“The fans are really what make the weekend and the atmosphere what it is.”