F1: six things you need to know about the British Grand Prix

With a record crowd of 350,000 people expected at Silverstone over the course of the weekend, the pressure on the drivers to deliver an entertaining race will be as great as ever.

Mercedes look dominant again, although Williams could ask questions of Ferrari on a track which is suited to their setup. Valtteri Bottas has said that Williams expect to be especially quick through fast corners, so Copse, Maggots and Becketts will be right up their alley.

There might be closer contests lower down the grid, as Force India and Lotus look to build on the recent performance gains that are propelling them further into the points.

The fans will be able to cheer on three British drivers as well, although McLaren's Jenson Button and Manor-Marussia's Will Stevens are unlikely to be challenging for podium spots. It's not the winning...

At last some good news for the Finn, who has had to endure weeks of intense speculation about his future in the sport after suffering a dip in form for Ferrari.

The announcement of the findings from the GPDA's fan survey confirmed the 2007 world champion as F1's favourite, with Fernando Alonso finishing second and Jenson Button third.

"I think it's a good thing," said Kimi. "I would rather take the fans than not having them. Maybe I was lucky that they were ones that answered the survey, but I'm happy to have fans and obviously that's a good thing."

With the only podium finish he's likely to get this season, Jenson didn't seem to think too much about his third spot. "We knew that anyway, didn't we?" responded the Brit.

As F1 bigwigs attempt to make improvements to the sport, Mercedes driver Hamilton has chipped in with his own suggestion: better prizes for those on the podium.

"At go kart level, it was really bad," said Lewis this week. "Formula Renault was just little boxes with a car in the middle. Formula Three was good, and at the beginning of my Formula One career the trophies were really good.

"But now they are just terrible, man. They are so bad. I told Bernie and he got the trophy guy in the room."

Someone should probably remind Lewis that at least he gets the chance to win what's on offer...

The FIA has decided to ease some of the engine restrictions that have been hampering McLaren-Honda. But only slightly.

An official statement reads: "It was agreed to allow an extra power unit per driver in the first year to any new manufacturer entering the championship and, for the sake of fairness, the measure will apply retroactively to Honda for the 2015 season."

It's hard to see what difference this will make to the Woking outfit's season, as McLaren already used their original allocation of engines in just eight races.

It seems the change will only postpone an inevitable five-place grid penalty, with hefty sanctions still in place for swapping other parts.

Despite scoring consecutive points in the last two races, the Lotus driver's ability is under question once again after it was suggested that he hire a ‘coach' to improve his performances.

"It's very difficult to have someone who is not driving, who doesn't know the conditions and how the car itself feels," said the Venezuelan.

"We've been driving for many years, we know what to do when dealing with a championship or team strategies."

The criticism seems rather unfair given that Maldonado has bounced back from his disastrous start to the season, which saw him register five retirements in the opening six races.

However, it's his teammate Romain Grosjean who has looked more uncomfortable of late, the Frenchman recording an early ‘off' at Silverstone, causing a red flag in free practice.

With Red Bull struggling for performance, and the team's owner making noises about leaving the sport, this may come as no great shock.

The Aussie made his frustration clear, saying: "We are not in a position to win, and as a driver that is the only thing I want, at least in this point of my career when I am still young and hungry, and I feel I have still have a lot of potential in me."

Valtteri Bottas has previously been tipped as the frontrunner for a drive at Ferrari should the Scuderia decide to part company with Kimi Raikkonen, although it would appear that they're keeping their options open.

However, provided Red Bull remain on the grid, Daniel believes he will most likely be staying put.

"With contracts, it is not as easy as saying, 'Yeah, I will go to Ferrari and that is that'," explained 'D-Ric'. "There are things in place, and right now it would be, from my understanding of contracts, it is not likely that I can get out."