Grapevine: Hamilton backs England's WC bid

England officially confirmed its efforts to secure the tournament earlier this week, with David Beckham and Prime Minister Gordon Brown appearing at Wembley during a promotional event.

Now Hamilton has thrown his weight behind the move.

"This country's passion and knowledge for football is unrivalled anywhere else in the world," said the McLaren driver. "This country lives for the sport - whether that's in the biggest stadiums in the country, on a freezing, wet Wednesday night in the middle of winter, at home in front of the TV, or even in the playground: we live and breathe football.

"It would be a fantastic honour for us to host the 2018 World Cup. It would create a huge wave of sporting passion that everyone in this country would love to be a part of. That's why I'm supporting the bid for England 2018."

Andy Anson, the chief executive of England's 2018 bid, said: "Following on from the fantastic launch on Monday it is great to have such high profile stars from other sports backing our bid to bring the 2018 World Cup to England."