Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton ﷽has hailed Silverstone as “the ultimate race circuit” and has voꦍwed to fight for the future of the British Grand Prix.

This weekend’s race is the last scheduled event to take place in Silverstone’s current contract after the Northamptonshire circuit activated a break clause in 2017. Negotiations to strike🧜 a deal to retain the British Grand Prix from 2020 onwards are ongoing.

In a feature set to be shown as part of Sky Sports F🌄1’s coverage of the British Grand Prix, Hamilton said F1 would lose “so much of its essence” without Silverstone being on the calendar.

"[It's] the ultimate race cir♒cuit," Hamilton said, a five-time Silverstone winner. "This is a Grand Prix we can never lose. Formula 1 loses this and it lo🗹ses so much of its essence.

"It feels to me 'not while I'm ra⛦c🐭ing,'" Hamilton added.

"Not while I'm here, I'll fight for it. This has the biggest crowd of the whole year, this has the biggest attendance of the season, and there's no waꦆy I would allow that to happen. We have to fight for it."

Silverstone hosted the first F1 world championship race in 1950 and has been an ever-present on the calendar as the permanent home of the Brit🧔ish Grand Prix since 1987.

The Mercedes driver could make yet more history in the sport by claiming a sixth ꦏvictory at the race should he win tꦑhis weekend.

"It has become the most anticipated event of the yeꦦar for me and the one I enjoy the most," the five-time world cham🌞pion said.

"The fans are🍰 really what make the weekend and the atmo🍸sphere what it is."