Who is popular today?

Lap-by-lap updates from the race starting at 2.10pm BST
Hamilton hopes paddock can be united in protest
Get in touch! Email John or tweet @JohnBrewin_

1.09pm BST
From the archive: David Coulthard on driving Silverstone.
There is no faster sequence anywhere in the world than the run through Copse, Maggotts and Becketts. You have to have the bit between your teeth in order to get hooked up and drive quickly. It all starts at the very first corner of the lap and it pays to watch the cars going through Copse and appreciate their speed. Even for me as a driver, when I take a moment to watch, I think, ‘Fuck, that’s impressive.’ There aren’t many corners like Copse in the world. And Silverstone has four.
You approach Copse at 180mph in seventh gear. The only reason you come off the power is to get the deceleration necessary to accept sixth. The corner itself would be seventh gear, but the reduction of speed through the actual cornering forces means you would be too low on revs on exit if you stayed in seventh. That’s one of the difficulties for the driver.
Related: David Coulthard: A driver's guide to Silverstone
1.04pm BST
Sky Sports talking of having the fans back at Silverstone next year. Does that seem hopeful? A little at this stage but let’s hope they are right. Some nice footage of Nigel Mansell with the fans in any case. Those who couldn’t make it this year can at least rest their eardrums. Continue reading...