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Can Lewis Leave His Demons Behind Him?
By Emma Aitken July 3 2008
Silverstone is completely sold out this weekend. Everyone wants to see Lewis in action. A catalogue of disasters have seen him slide off the pedestal the press had put him on, a position Lewis isn't enjoying. Can he make amends here this weekend? I am sure with the crowds behind him he will certainly give it his all.

So, the race all we Brits have been waiting for with baited breath and eager anticipation is finally upon us. This weekend Formula 1 comes to a sold out Silverstone. Lewis Hamilton; your nation awaits you!

 What can the boy from Stevenage do here? A catalogue of disasters has seen Hamilton fall back to fourth in the driver’s championship. The pressure would be well and truly on for him to do well in the next race regardless of whereabouts in the world it was being held. But just to add fuel to the fire, this is his home Grand Prix and the crowds will be looking for a victory from the Golden Boy. His somewhat petulant demeanour in front of the British press is not helping matters either. Willing to bask in his own glory last year when he could do no wrong, it seems Lewis is not very capable of taking the rough with the smooth. When the headlines turned slightly sour towards him as a result of his poor performances in the previous few races he didn’t exactly take it on the chin. So a home win would help his slightly damaged relationship with the press and give him less to worry (and complain) about. The question is; can he win here?

 Both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are on top form at the moment. Massa seems to have finally got it together to look good enough to rival his team mate. Kimi, on the other hand, loves it here, regardless of who he is driving for. Last year’s winner has made visits to the Silverstone podium for the last five years in a row. The Ferrari’s are on form and Kimi is taking advantage of his one free engine change for this weekend so they are going to be very strong here. The Ferrari’s enjoy the fast sweeps of Silverstone far more than the McLarens do.

 Kubica and his BMW were very much off the pace in Magny-Cours. Fresh from his victory in Montreal everyone was expecting great things from the BMW team that just seem to be getting stronger and stronger, including Kubica himself who see that drivers title within his grasp. France was a big disappointment then and they will be looking to show the world that Magny-Cours was the one-off, and not the win at Montreal. 

The other British drivers out on the track at the weekend are unlikely to claim a home win this weekend. Jenson Button will probably be satisfied to actually complete the race. The Honda team have pretty much written off this season and are turning their focus to 2009 for marked improvements on their dismal performance of late.

 David Coulthard has every right of expect to finish in the points on Sunday but I doubt, unless the forecast of rain really mixes up the field, that we shall be cheering the Scotsman on to the podium. 

Yet again I turn to Heikki Kovalainen and yet again I claim that a podium place is long overdue to the fantastic Finn, and much deserved. If he can hold it together in qualifying and start at the front of the grid then there is a great chance he can do very well in the next race. He’s a passionate fighter and his car is looking very racy.

Both McLarens look well. With true grit and determination both MP4-23’s should be extremely competitive. There isn’t much scope at all for overtaking at the high speed track at Silverstone so this race needs to be dealt with in qualifying. If Lewis can leave his demons behind him, he is more than capable of putting in another cheeky lap of blistering pace to claim pole position. With a sell out crowd cheering him on a win could be very much on the cards. Pesky rain is forecast though. Who knows what that might do to the pack? One thing’s for sure, I can hardly wait to get there!

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