British pair gear up for Silverstone

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are suited and booted to take on Sebastian Vettel at the British Grand Prix.

Button Hamilton
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Button will be fighting for his second Grand Prix victory in front of his home fans at Silverstone [GALLO/GETTY]

Being the only drivers on the grid to have beaten Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel this season, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton carry the hopes of all those who will be cheering for a home winner.

The 2009 champion Button has never finished higher than fourth at Silverstone and, with his 200th race approaching this month, yearns to go at least one step higher in his 12th British Grand Prix.

“I haven’t even got on the podium here before in an F1 car. That will be my first aim,” he said.

“It is one you would love to win, your home grand prix. We all want to fight for a World Championship and I think we all want to win Monaco and I think we would love to win our home grand prix.”

“It is the one I haven’t achieved yet so that is something I will be fighting for and this is a pretty special race for us as Brits. We get a lot of support from the public.”

Button’s teammate Lewis Hamilton will also be looking forward to the British Grand Prix which he won in his title winning 2008 season. Hamilton will be keen to prove his critics wrong who have suggested his attacking driving is dangerous to other racers. 

Seb “on the way”

However, seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher told reporters at Silverstone he believes compatriot Sebastian Vettel is around for the long haul.

Vettel’s domination has drawn obvious comparisons with that of Schumacher in 2004, when the older German won a record 13 races.

“Records are there to be broken by whoever, and Sebastian is on the way,” observed Schumacher of the youngster whose early career drew the moniker ‘Baby-Schumi’.

“I just have good feelings about this,” he added of Vettel’s phenomenal run of success.

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  Fans have wondered why Schumacher didn’t quit at the top but he still lives to race [GALLO/GETTY]

“Seeing him, how he has developed, it relates to the story of how I made Formula One popular in Germany, increasing the interest for the motor industry that has supported these young kids to get their chance.”

“He took his, has learned from everything he could, and it is great to watch that.”

Schumacher said he will race on next season despite being eclipsed by the younger racers of McLaren and Red Bull.

“I’ve always had the option to stop at any moment I wanted,” the 42-year-old said.

“I’m here for a fixed target, a three-year programme, and that is what it is.”

Schumacher is in the second season of his comeback with Mercedes after ending three years in retirement that began when he left Ferrari in 2006.

The German has yet to stand on the podium since he returned and has watched Red Bull’s Vettel take last year’s drivers’ title and win six of the eight races so far in 2011.

Source: News Agencies