Button: Why Hamilton should be confident of Silverstone victory chances

Lewis Hamilton will arrive at this weekend's British Grand Prix confident that he can win on home soil, according to his former team-mate Jenson Button.

The seven-time world champion has enjoyed a resurgence during the early stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with his first grand prix victory for Ferrari earlier this month in Barcelona launching a possible title tilt.

Hamilton was left frustrated during Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix as a lack of performance saw him drop back from third on the grid to fifth at the chequered flag, but Sky Sports F1 pundit Button doesn't expect that to dent his hopes of a record-extending 10th win at Silverstone.

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"Lewis is definitely arriving with confidence," 2009 world champion Button told Sky Sports News. "It didn't go his way in the last race, but it wasn't down to him. The package just wasn't there.

"Compare him to his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who's very well regarded, and Lewis came out on top again. He could make those tyres last a lot better at the start of the race, had the pace when his team-mate didn't.

"He won't be happy with the result, but he'll know he got the maximum out of it. And it's the old Lewis that we used to know, he's maximising everything, and it's really good to see.

"He'll be confident coming home to slightly lower temperatures. The Ferrari is pretty good aero-wise. Silverstone is primarily a power circuit, but you still got to carry the speed through the corners down the straight.

"I think I'll be confident coming in that he's got a chance for the victory."

Button spent three seasons as Hamilton's team-mate at McLaren from 2010 to 2012, and had the chance to see first-hand what has made the 41-year-old so successful around his home circuit.

"He's very good at driving a car that the setup is on the nose," Button added.

"You need that around Silverstone, you need to be able to carry the speed through high-speed parts of the track, but also to be able to handle changes of direction. That's a big part of it.

"I think that's where his strength is. The comparison I had with him was he could drive a car that was on the nose, which is the quickest car around there."

Russell win sets up 'epic' battle with Antonelli

Hamilton's former Mercedes team-mate George Russell got his own title hopes back on track by winning in Austria.

The victory was Russell's first since the opening round of the season in Australia, since which his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli has won five races to replace the Brit as the title favourite.

Button said: "It's good to see George take his first win for a long time. It's been a long time coming and I think it's mentally a big help for him.

"It's a confidence boost going into the British Grand Prix, which I love. We're going to have some very quick British drivers at the front of the field fighting for the podium."

Despite Button's excitement over Russell's chances of maintaining his momentum at Silverstone, he has warned that Antonelli's consistent speed will continue to pose a threat.

"I think when you look at Kimi's speed, just every race he is there," Button said. "And in Austria he was less than two seconds from the win in a race that really didn't go his way.

"His speed is undeniable, but then it's the consistency, whether he can be consistent with putting laps together and wheel-to-wheel combat.

"George is obviously the more experienced driver in that situation.

"It's good for us as fans, for the championship fight, that George got the win because it gives him confidence and it means that there's a proper fight between him and Kimi now, especially at the British Grand Prix. I think it's lining up to be a pretty epic weekend."

Next up in the 2026 Formula 1 season is the big one, a Sprint weekend at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix - live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky One with coverage from Thursday to Sunday's race at 3pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime