Damon Hill: "We need all the support we can get"

THE battle to ensure Silverstone remains the home of the British Grand Prix is gathering support.

Damon Hill, the last British F1 champion in 1996 and now president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) who control Silverstone, said: “I don’t think you can underestimate the effect the grand prix has on the environment, industries, employment and the country.

“We very much hope we can move forward to make Silverstone a place we can be really proud of, not just for the BRDC but also for the UK to beam motorsport and our event around the world. We need all the support we can get. ”

Fernando Alonso warns rivals ahead of North American double-header

Having claimed the 1-2 in Monaco, which saw Alonso and team-mate Lewis Hamilton lap all the runners except third-placed Felipe Massa, Alonso's confidence is at an all-time high.

And the Spaniard firmly believes that, combined with McLaren's continuous development programme, his Monaco win has given him the advantage ahead of the next race in Canada.

"We have a great momentum in the team right now after such a fantastic result in Monaco, which is a positive way to be going into the North American double-header," he said.