Lewis Hamilton has defended his busy off-track schedule and his decision not to live in the UK after some distasteful questioning.

The Briton is always the centre of attention at Silverstone and is mostly welcomed by his home crowd, however, his critics also take the opportunity to bring up some aspects of his character which may not sit so well with fans.

Predominantly mentioned is his celebrity lifestyle, which sees him attending fashion events all around the world between races, which his former teammate Nico Rosberg claimed would distract him from his racing.

However, Hamilton responded to that claim, pointing to the success he has had.

"I do have five world titles and they didn't come on their own. My preparation comes first and I've felt fantastic all weekend," he said after missing out on pole by 0.006s in qualifying.

"The pressure's quite high here being a home Grand Prix. I prepare the best I can but I do what I want, I don't do what you think I should do or anyone else thinks I should do, and that's what has led me to five world titles."

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Then came a more sensationalist question from the Guardian newspaper which queried if Hamilton's love/hate appeal was linked to his decision to live in Monaco and because "your accent maybe isn't as British as others".

"I don't think I have an answer to that," he said somewhat politely.

"It is crazy because every driver I watched growing up, I remember watching Jenson Button, and all the youngsters come through and everyone lives in Monaco and nobody ever says anything.

"No matter how often you go aboard or elsewhere in the world you come back to the UK and see the beautiful countryside, the history of Formula 1 as a sport here and I see all my family who are also here and this, of course, feels where my heart is.

"I feel fully British and also I still like to honour my family heritage... I don't know. People have a right to their opinions but if you look around there is a lot of Team LH caps, the support that I've had has been incredible and it has grown over the years.

"I go to all these races and wear the British flag proudly and there is no one else who has raised it so high. For most that might not be enough but I'll keep looking to see what else I can do. For those that do follow me I really do appreciate their support."