Lewis Hamilton unrepentant for missing Formula 1 event days before home Grand Prix at Silverstone

The Brit decided to go on holiday to Greece rather than join the other 19 drivers at a London demonstration

Formula 1's owners were not impressed by Hamilton's decision (Getty)

Lewis Hamilton this afternoon found himself having to deal with the backlash generated by his absence from Liberty Media’s London Live event on the streets of the capital city on Wednesday.

The three-time champion cited a two-day break that he needed after the Austrian Grand Prix last Sunday, before he will be the focus of attention for many of the 340,000 fans who will flock through the gates of Silverstone circuit this weekend desperate to see him take his fourth British GP victory in a row.

But he has found himself under heavy fire from many quarters for his absence in his home town, and where his Baku Nemesis Sebastian Vettel was cheered on London’s streets, Hamilton was booed by some.

He said he knew nothing of the booing: “I genuinely haven’t been on my phone in the last few days, apart from to turn it on a couple of times to receive messages. Otherwise I’ve stayed away. And I don’t live here but back in Monaco, so I wouldn’t have been here anyway, and I fly a lot longer than to Greece for trips and still arrive fresh.

“I have been trying to prepare the best way I can in the last few days. I’m excited for this weekend, as always. This is the home of motorsport, my home Grand Prix, and always an incredibly intense weekend, a must-win for any British driver.

“Everyone has the right to make decisions for themselves, and for me I felt with the intensity of the season so far that I needed to prepare the best way I could for the battle this weekend. The season is the most important thing for me.

“I love this race, it’s been the event of the season for the last 10 years and it’s incredible that people save up all year to come to this Grand Prix. You’ve seen in previous years how much I appreciate that, and how I interact with the fans. I have received incredible love from the fans every single year I come here, so we’ll see.”

He refuted claims that his absence was due to a disagreement with the organisers over his image rights.

“I told them last week that I would not be going. I spoke with Toto [Mercedes boss Toto Wolff] when I informed the team, and they were understanding and respectful of my decision. That was not the problem.”

Pushed further with the suggestion that he had missed an opportunity to give something back to fans who could not afford to attend the race, he retorted: “I’ve said everything I want to say. I like think I do everything I can to connect with fans. I have the biggest followings on Twitter and Instagram in F1, the fans mean everything to me and always have. What I do outside the sport, visiting hospitals and kids who can’t come, that’s not reported on. That’s where I like to put my energy.

“You have to stand by your decisions and I feel proud of them. And I will try to raise the flag in the best way I can and drive in the best way I can for my home crowd. I’ve really fought for that for the last few years, and my determination to do that is greater than ever.”

While Hamilton came under attack, so did Silverstone itself, with the publication on Tuesday of its intention to invoke the break clause in its contract to run the British GP generally regarded as premature and provocative in F1 circles, especially in light of the London Live event and speculation that at least three venues further south are interested in investigating the possibility of running the race from 2020 when the contract between Formula One Management and the British Racing Drivers’ Club, which owns Silverstone, is now due to lapse.

The BRDC are adamant that they cannot afford the annual five per cent escalator in the price of the contract, but factions within Liberty Media questioned the announcement.

“I don’t understand what they are doing,” one insider said. “They think they are the only game in town, but they’re not. All the other Grand Prixs have increased their audiences, and my feeling is that they don’t understand the art of promotion. I don’t understand their tactics, if they want to forge a new deal with us. “

Lewis Hamilton insisted he gives plenty back to his fans (Getty)

The Circuit of Wales project has hit financial trouble and Donington Park are not believed to be interested in running another Grand Prix after making a big loss on their 1993 event. They are currently ironing out monopoly issues after Jonathan Palmer’s recent agreement to take over the running of the track.

F1 CEO Chase Carey has said on many occasions that Liberty Media are committed to running a Grand Prix in Britain, and reiterated that yesterday. "We're very proud of our British heritage. We're based in Britain, two-thirds of our teams are in Britain. It's certainly our plan, as long as we're running Formula 1, to have a race in the UK."

But while he has also expressed a desire to keep “heritage” events, named as Monaco, Monza, Silverstone and Spa, there is also a strong interest in holding events in destination cities.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan lost no time picking up that ball, and told Sky Sports News: "Clearly, if it's the case that talks have broken down with Silverstone, I'm happy to talk and listen to F1.

"There are some hurdles we'll have to overcome. I've met the new leadership of F1, they're a breath of fresh air, they're very exciting, they've got cracking ideas, and if they want to have a conversation with me, I'm really happy to talk, listen, and work with them to make it happen.

“We're good at organising events safely. I'm reassured we can make everyone safe in London and we're going to make sure events are successful. I'm sure F1, working with us, can in the future have an F1 race in London. Watch this space."

Last night it emerged that besides projects proposed for the Olympic Park in Stratford, or the Docklands, Khan might favour one on London streets.