Lewis Hamilton has his sights firmly set on chalking up a record sixth victory in his home British Grand Prix on Sunday, with his Mercedes team once again expected to be favourites after their Austrian blip. The German marque was dealt its first defeat of the season two weeks ago at the Austrian Grand Prix. As Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen battled it out for the win, Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton trailed home a distant third and fifth. While that result came as welcome relief in a season in which Mercedes have otherwise won every race, the fast sweeps of Silverstone, confirmed as staying on the calendar until 2024, and the more forgiving English summer should see the silver cars back in their element.

That will make Hamilton, in the form of his life and driving a dominant car, hard to beat around a track that has proved somewhat of a happy hunting ground for him. The Briton, who leads the overall standings from team-mate Bottas by 31 points having won six of the this season's nine races, has won the British Grand Prix five times, each of those at Silverstone. Tied at the top for most British wins with Scottish legend Jim Clark and French four-time champion Alain Prost, a win on Sunday will make him the most successful driver on British soil outright. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, however, the 34-year-old though wasn't getting carried away by the milestones. "I'm not really one for records," said Hamilton, who was spun around by Kimi Raikkonen on the first lap of the race last year. "If it happens this weekend, it does, if it doesn't, it's no biggy for me, as I'm hoping to be here for a little bit longer!