Hamilton won't allow F1 to drop Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton says he will not allow Formula 1 to lose the British Grand Prix, at least while he is still performing.

Silverstone's future in F1 remains up in the air after the circuit's owners, the British Racing Drivers' Club (of which Hamilton is a member), enacted a break clause in the deal with F1, which comes into effect at the end of this year.

Multiple reports have suggested that the race will remain both on the calendar and at Silverstone in the future, with Barcelona, Hockenheim and Mexico City thought to be most under threat as Liberty Media look to balance the 2020 calendar amid new events in Vietnam and the Netherlands.

Hamilton has won his home event five times and will go for a record sixth this week. He says it should not be allowed that 2019 is his last chance to add to his Silverstone collection.

"The ultimate race circuit," Hamilton told Sky Sports. "This is a grand prix we can never lose.

"Formula 1 loses this and it loses so much of its essence."

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?”Not while I’m here, I’ll fight for it” @lewishamilton won’t let Silverstone leave the F1 calendar without a fight. A special piece to look out for on Sky Sports F1 at the 2019 British Grand Prix. #everyracelive #lewishamilton #f1 #silverstone

A post shared by SkySportsF1 (@skysportsf1) on Jul 5, 2019 at 9:48am PDT

Asked how he felt about the prospect of losing his home race, Hamilton said: "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, the biggest attendance of the season, and there's no way I would allow that to happen. We have to fight for it.

"It has become the most anticipated event of the year for me and the one I enjoy the most.

"The fans are really what make the weekend and the atmosphere what it is."

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