British  fans  have  found  a  new  sporting  hero  in  Lewis  Hamilton  following  his  phenomenal success at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, where he took a podium finish in his first ever Formula One race. Silverstone, hosts of the FORMULA 1™ Santander British Grand Prix, on 6- 8 July, has seen ticket sales soar since Hamilton’s sensational debut, which has captured the imagination of the British public. The  Silverstone  call  centre  and  website  have  been  inundated  with enquiries since Hamilton’s success, with ticket sales over the last three days up by more than 200% compared with the equivalent three days leading up to last weekend’s F1 season opener. Having four British drivers racing in this year’s FORMULA 1™ World Championship, has already fuelled  interest  in  this  year’s  British  Grand  Prix  -  one  of  the  biggest  occasions  on  the  British sporting calendar – and Hamilton’s podium finish has taken this to an entirely new level. At  the  recent  launch  of  Silverstone’s  ‘Back  the  Brits’  campaign,  a  season-long  initiative  to generate support for all four British drivers, BRDC President and 1996 FORMULA 1™ World Champion  Damon  Hill  predicted  that  2007  would  be  an  exciting  year  for  all  four  drivers,  in particular Lewis Hamilton. Hill commented, “Lewis is with the right team at the right time and has every chance of going on to win Grands Prix this season. He can expect a fantastic reception at his home race and he would go down as a legend in the sport if he were to win the British Grand Prix in his first ever season.” Tickets for the 2007 FORMULA 1™ Santander British Grand Prix are available from £99 (£50 for Children). For further information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.silverstone.co.uk, or call 08704 588 300.