The Observer

Damon Hill was on good form on Tuesday at Silverstone. He was meeting the press to launch a new campaign, 'Back the Brits', an initiative designed to show off the circuit's support for the home nation's Formula One quartet and promote this year's British Grand Prix at the same time.

Since he accepted his nomination as the president of the BRDC last year, Hill has made it very clear he is back in love with motorsport. When he retired from F1 at the end of 1999, he couldn't wait to get away. But time heals, and the 1996 world champion is reborn as a simple, enthusiastic racing fan - albeit one with a touch of firsthand experience to draw on!

And the thing that has really fired Hill's enthusiasm is the retirement of his old nemesis.

"I think for the first time in a very long time it is a much more open playing field," he said of the new post-Schumacher era. "There are going to be more opportunities without Michael Schumacher. He dominated so much. I don't know the statistics, but he must have won half the races during the past six or seven years."

Naturally, given the reason he was meeting the British media, Hill spent most of his time talking about the quartet that everyone at Silverstone is hoping might deliver a glorious home win on July 8. And at first he was politically correct, careful to be nothing but optimistic for the chances of all four.

Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Anthony Davidson, David Coulthard © Silverstone Circuits Ltd.

"I think, with all due respect, it is fair to say Anthony Davidson is a long shot, but there is no reason why it can't happen," Hill said charitably.

"David Coulthard - well, Red Bull has invested a lot and he has got the experience to do it again. We know Jenson can win Grands Prix now and Honda is always knocking on the door at least for a podium.

"But Lewis Hamilton is in the right team, in the right place at the right time. I watched him in the GP2 race here last year and from that you certainly can't discount him from being a future Grand Prix winner."

It was on the subject of Hamilton and Button, the only two of the four who are likely to have any realistic hope of a Silverstone win, that Hill really began to warm. The optimistic platitudes were replaced by some well-observed stark truths.

"Lewis has got a clean sheet of paper," he said of McLaren's young rookie, on whom so much expectation rests. "There will be a window of opportunity for him. It is a fact of the sport that the guys who have gone on to be on another level put in a drive early in their career which ensures they are never underestimated again. Senna at Monaco in the Toleman is one example, then there's Michael Schumacher at Spa.

"Everyone wants to give Lewis a break - he's new to F1, he's teamed with a double world champion who beat Michael Schumacher. But that's not the way it goes! He is going to get a period of grace, but then it's going to be 'when's it going to happen?' England expects. I seem to remember that from somewhere!"

Hill clearly understands what Hamilton is facing right now, just over a week from his Grand Prix debut. Okay, so Hill was not a rookie when he faced his first race for Williams in 1993, but he might as well have been. Two starts in the awful Brabham BT60 during '92 hardly counts.

As with Hamilton before he secured his race seat, the nation had been hoping that Hill would land the drive he so deserved. The apprenticeship had been served and now the best drive in F1 was awaiting him. The pressure on Hill was enormous, as his devastation at spinning out of his first race, in South Africa, showed only too clearly.

If anything, Hamilton will be in a more comfortable environment in Melbourne. McLaren is clearly going to be one of the top teams this year. But in 1993, Williams was indisputably the top team. There was nowhere for Hill to hide; he knew the "period of grace" he speaks about Lewis enjoying would be extremely short for him.

Damon Hill (Williams FW15C Renault) 1993 Grand Prix of Portugal at Estoril © LAT

If Hill hadn't got results early (two second places in the next couple of races sorted that one), Frank Williams would have replaced him. Ron Dennis is certainly no softer than Williams, but given his mentoring relationship with Hamilton he is likely to be more forgiving of mistakes.

Lewis will probably fly anyway. If he doesn't straight away, he will be nurtured.

Hill knows that, and when we spoke after the official press conference he made it clear to me that he has a lot more concern for Jenson Button's position than Lewis Hamilton's.

"Honda as a team have yet to establish themselves in the same way as, say, Renault," he said. "It's not fair to compare them to McLaren because they have been around a lot longer. I think the signs are good for McLaren, by the way testing has been going. I would say Lewis is in the stronger position already than Jenson.

"Testing has shown Honda has got more work to do - again."

So are you worried for Jenson, I asked.

"I think Jenson this year is going to have to think long and hard about what he does next," Hill replied. "I don't know what his contract is with Honda, but I think the clock is ticking.

"He certainly hasn't missed the boat, he certainly isn't too old. He's got the talent and the determination, and he has got experience. But every year that goes by without being a regular title contender his stock is going down. He does from a career point of view need to see where he goes next. He can't wait around for Honda to produce the magic."

The reality for Button is, of course, that he has a cast-iron contract with Honda that would be almost impossible to escape from, even if he does want to take Hill's advice.

Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen © LAT

And let's be brutal: who would want him? Actually, I should say who, that could offer him more than Honda, would want him? A switch to, say, BMW might be progressive if they deliver on the promise they have shown this winter - but then again, it might turn out to be another sideways move. Can Button afford the risk of a messy divorce and another fresh start, especially with his unfortunate track record of squeezing out of contracts?

The only moves that would as good as guarantee him a more competitive car would be to Renault, Ferrari or McLaren. Now, he's got history with Renault and Flavio Briatore, who is hardly his biggest fan. The same could be said for Ron Dennis, who has Alonso and Hamilton anyway. So what about Ferrari? Perhaps. But surely only if the Kimi marriage turns sour - which is, of course, possible, as Hill discussed.

"Massa has really engaged that team," said Damon, who is tipping the Brazilian as his favourite to win in Australia. "I think that's going to be an interesting story, watching Kimi at Ferrari. It can't be easy being paid that much money if he doesn't deliver the results! That wouldn't be a very comfortable place to be."

Ten years ago, Hill was preparing to begin his world title defence (in an Arrows-Yamaha of all things!). Now he's joined the rest of us, fired by the possibility that anything can happen, happy to observe from the sidelines.

I can't wait for Melbourne - and incredibly, for a man who became so sick of F1, neither can Hill. Bring it on.