It would seem that Lewis Hamilton has replaced Jenson Button as the British media's darling.

On a day when Button returned to the cockpit after a three month lay-off, the result of an injury incurred in a karting accident, part of his official Honda training programme, the Englishman hardly gets a look in as the mainstream media concentrates on events 750 miles away.

As Button unveiled the car with which he hopes to add further wins to his tally, having finally broken his duck at the Hungaroring last August, the British media chose to focus on his English rival, who was crashing into a tyre wall at Valencia, wrecking his car and compromising McLaren's final day of (private) testing.

According to who you believe, Hamilton crashed at anywhere between 165 and 185 mph, and while most follow the official McLaren line, stating that it is not known whether the accident was due to a mechanical failure or human error, a couple - just a couple - hint that the incident gives cause for concern.

Last year, while Button went 110, 111, 112... Grand Prix without that maiden win, the mainstream British press was already getting excited about Hamilton, who was running riot in GP2. Then came Hungary.

It would be easy to dismiss the fact that Button is largely ignored this morning, if it were not for the fact that the British mainstream is not only extremely fickle, it is incredibly powerful. If they like you, they like you, if they turn, you're finished.

Therefore, Button shouldn't feel too neglected this morning, indeed he can now focus on that next win, and maybe (in a hushed tone) a bid for the title.

Lewis, on the other hand, should be extremely worried, not merely by the wait until his team discovers the cause of the accident, but by the flirtatious approaches from the media hacks who clearly see him as the new darling of F1, its new golden boy. For now.

There has been talk of Ron Dennis keeping Hamilton away from the media - in the same way as he hopes to keep him away from drink, women, crisps and chocolate - in terms of the (British) media, this seems like a wise move by the McLaren boss.