As expected, Lewis Hamilton was the centre of attention at today's press conference, as the media sought the driver's explanation of why he missed the first significant promotion of the sport under its new ownership, especially as the celebration was on the streets of the capital of his homeland.

Indeed, such was the media's obvious anger at the Briton for his non-appearance on Wednesday's event, the first part of the press conference, which was attended by Valtteri Bottas, Romain Grosjean, Jolyon Palmer and Lance Stroll, saw the quartet asked how they felt about the Briton's no-show.

However, when it came to his turn in the spotlight, Hamilton robustly defended himself.

"Everyone has the right to make their own decision," he said. "For me I felt that it has been a pretty intense season so far and, for me, I needed to prepare the best way I could for this weekend. The season is the most important thing for me and that's it."

Asked how he felt about fans at the event booing when his name was mentioned on Wednesday evening, he said: "I genuinely haven't been on my phone the last couple of days. I've tried to switch off mostly. I've turned it on a couple of times to receive a message but I tried to stay away from it.

"Personally, I feel I've prepared the best way I could this weekend and that's really all I can do," he continued. "Of course, people are going to have opinions about it but I'm trying to prepare the best way I can for the battle ahead of me and other people will have different ways of doing so.

"I love this grand prix and I love this race, and I don't feel that yesterday personally plays any role in how great this weekend is for me. Every season for the last ten years it's been incredible and growing every year.

"You get people who have saved up through the year to come to this grand prix and you will have seen the previous years how much I have appreciated and respected that and try to give and enjoy the weekend with the fans, and that doesn't change."

Asked if in missing Wednesday's event meant he had lost out on a golden opportunity to connect with fans away from the track, he said: "I like to think I do everything I can to connect with the fans and I do have the biggest following in Formula One and I communicate with them as much as I can.

"The fans mean everything to me," he continued, "they always have, and I make no secret of that and I think hopefully my commitment to the sport over the last ten years and what I do outside the sport... things that perhaps you don't comment on, such as when I go to visit a hospital and spend time with young kids who can't come to a grand prix. That's not something you potentially report on, but that's something that is very important to me and that's where I feel I like to put my energy mostly.

"Ultimately we have decisions to make and you have to stand firm with the decisions you make and feel proud of the decisions you make," he insisted. "I personally do, and coming here this weekend I'm coming here to do everything I can to shine as much light and raise the flag in the best way I can, proudly, and drive the best I can.

"The goal is to win the British Grand Prix for my home crowd and I've been really fortunate the last three years to do that and the yearning and the will to want to do that again is greater than ever."

Check out our Thursday gallery from Silverstone, here.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by -ape-, 14/07/2017 9:42

"The haters know it , but do not want to admit that Lewis is the Lord of F1.
Without him, F1 is dead."

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2. Posted by Hardliner, 14/07/2017 8:27

"I'd like to think that this was in fact a silent protest against the way F1 is developing [not], another loose brick in the wall right next to the 'BRDC to withdraw Silverstone from Liberty' brick. But I suspect that my hopes will be in vain, that with Hamilton 'It's all about me'. I'm actually a fan of motor racing, not of any particular team or driver, but one individual on the F1 grid somehow always makes me a non-fan of him. If I had to sit between any of them at dinner it would be Vettel, for his wonderful sense of humour, and Ricciardo for his wonderful sense of life. We could talk about F1 too if they wish"

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3. Posted by Tweek, 14/07/2017 7:59

"Winnie Harlow should feel special. "

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4. Posted by FormerF1Fan, 13/07/2017 19:34

"Hamilton clearly thinks that his success is due to superior genes, talent and mentality. We all know that it isn't. It's all about being in the right car at the right time. And even when he was, his team-mate still won the World Chamionship. "

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5. Posted by F One, 13/07/2017 19:25

"He's just a big headed idiot.
Too vain and pathetic to share the limelight with his fellow drivers and to payback the fans he clearly doesn't care about in the slightest."

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6. Posted by nonickname, 13/07/2017 17:42

"And Toto said 'I deserve better""

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Hamilton defends London no-show

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