Live Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton, Britain’s most successful Formula One driver, has won six out of the last seven British Grands Prix. This year, though, things may be different and not merely because the capacity crowd of 140,000 will be the largest attendance at any UK sporting event since the first lockdown.

Reigning champion Hamilton has won just two races in a season bedevilled by technical troubles and, more unusually, driver error. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has never raced better and, with the rest of the field trailing, the Dutchman looks on course for his first title. However, Hamilton’s special bond with the Silverstone track and crowd ought not to be under-estimated: victory here could galvanise a difficult year.