Britain will be expecting Lewis Hamilton to win his home grand prix on Sunday and end a depressing run of two races without a point.
Yet the youngster, who took a storming pole position in front of his home crowd in his rookie season last year before finishing third, has played down the soaring expectations.
He has also been at pains to calm fears that the title may be slipping away from him, with Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa now 10 points clear coming up to the halfway point of the season.
As well as looking to emulate Raikkonen’s performance in Sunday’s race, Hamilton is also looking to follow the Finn and produce a come-from-behind championship triumph.
“Kimi was 17 points behind with two races to go last year, the fact that he not only came back but also won the title tells you a lot about how unpredictable this sport can be,” added Hamilton, currently lying fourth in the championship.
“You can never take anything for granted and that is why I’m still confident and focused. We’ve got 10 races remaining, 100 points—it’s all to play for and I’m ready for it.”
Hamilton will certainly need to capitalise on any potential home advantage if he is to outgun the two Ferrari drivers who between them have won five of this season’s eight races.
“I want to win the first race of the season, I want to win Monte Carlo - which I did for the first time this year - and I want to win my home grand prix.
“Those are my goals and I’m ready for the challenge at Silverstone this weekend.” Hamilton said.
“There’s just something about racing in your home country that definitely affects you. You can’t really say what it is, but there’s something about the constant support of the crowd that gives you a boost. It’s not something you experience anywhere else, but it does make you that bit more determined to succeed.”
“Winning your home race is something that every driver wants,” he added.
Raikkonen is currently third in the title race, three points behind BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica and a further two adrift of Massa.
“I always like coming back to Silverstone,” said Raikkonen. “It is a great track and it has always been working out for me since the beginning of my career.
“Winning at Silverstone gives you a great feeling, because to get there you have to do everything perfectly. It is one of the fastest and most difficult tracks on the race calendar. I don’t know why, but I’m a bit nostalgic every time I come back.”
| 
|