Lewis Hamilton looks to home advantage at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton is looking for a boost at Silverstone, and frankly, he needs one. After finishing fifth in Austria—a race he labeled a "reality check" for Ferrari—the seven-time World Champion is looking to his home crowd to find that extra bit of speed. It is a tall order, especially when you consider the machine is losing four tenths of a lap on the straights alone.

Silverstone is a place where Hamilton has tasted victory nine times, but he knows the technical reality of this weekend. With long straights awaiting the field, he expects the power deployment to be unprecedented. Still, he has been busy working with his engineers, steering them in what he hopes is the right direction for the car setup. With only one practice session before the fourth Sprint of the season, there is no room for error.

He isn't dwelling on the prospect of a 10th win, even if the history here runs 20 years deep. Instead, he is focused on executing the weekend perfectly and soaking up the atmosphere. As he put it: "I'm hoping that propels us and helps us close the gaps to those guys that are ahead."