They will turn out in their tens of thousands to see the Dream Team in action without knowing whether it will be the last time that Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton drive together for McLaren at the British Grand Prix.
McLaren’s colours will dominate the grandstands at Silverstone but the biggest drama involving Button and Hamilton may take place away from the razzmatazz of Britain’s biggest motor race and the 120,000 pairs of eyes that will be fixed on the old circuit on Sunday.
Speculation mounts that Hamilton wants to desert McLaren, the team who mentored him from childhood to multimillionaire superstar, while Button must decide within weeks whether he will also stay with the team.
It seems barely imaginable that McLaren, the most successful team in Formula One after Ferrari, should be fighting to cling on to their drivers, but that is suddenly the prospect.
The tension simmers in the giant McLaren motorhome, which will throw a long shadow over the new Silverstone paddock next weekend, and Martin Whitmarsh, the team principal, is forced into an almost weekly denial that Hamilton is on the verge of leaving.
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Even Button, usually the calmest man in Formula One, has been drawn in: McLaren have an option to keep him next season but there are suggestions that he is wanted by Ferrari. The Scuderia say they will not replace Felipe Massa next season, but the little Brazilian looks unhappy and Button offers the safest pair of hands in the Formula One paddock.
Yet Button refuses to be distracted by contract talks with Silverstone looming; he has not yet succeeded in taking even a podium place in his home race.
“This is the race I really want to win,” Button said. “Last year the whole of Silverstone seemed to be full of rocket-red caps. Seeing the support was unbelievable. Winning would be out of this world, but even being on the podium would be special.
“This is my twelfth year in F1 and it has flown by. Every interview I do now, people talk about how many more years I have left. But I am only 31. There is lots of life left in me and hopefully a few more British Grands Prix.”
There can be little doubt that McLaren are keen to make Button an offer as soon as they can to lock him into a new deal, especially while uncertainty surrounds his team-mate.
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Hamilton’s emotions this season could be best described as mercurial, his angst deepening as he has watched Sebastian Vettel carry all before him since taking over as Formula One’s youngest world champion.
Hamilton admitted after the European Grand Prix last month that his title chances were over, but the next day he signalled his determination to fight on.
A few days later, his mood became more reflective as he attempted to sort out in his own mind what he really thought, but the overtones were ominous.
“It’s definitely not easy for anyone to turn negatives into positives,” he said. “You make a list of what is negative and then take the positives and look to what improvements are coming, the strength in the team, and you are able to pull yourself around.
“I have put in a massive effort this year. I don’t believe any driver has done more. But this is the third year in a row we have not had the best car. It is over to Red Bull and Sebastian might get two or three world titles now.
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“We are only halfway [through the season] at Silverstone and there is still a long way to go. Somehow I still have this hope inside me that we find something and we win every bloody race and win the World Championship.
“But if we get to the next grand prix and don’t win, you think of the next and the next — and then you run out of opportunities.”
And opportunities to become a multiple champion are what Hamilton craves. The question is whether McLaren can satisfy that craving and keep the Dream Team together.
Low points for Lewis
April 10, Malaysia Hamilton penalised 20 seconds for blocking Fernando Alonso. Finishes eighth
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May 29, Monaco Hamilton is penalised three times by stewards, leading to the now infamous “Is it cos I is black” Ali G outburst
June 11, Canada Hamilton strides into Red Bull for talks with Christian Horner, the team principal. Rumours abound
June 26, Valencia Hamilton apparently gives up title after Vettel wins European Grand Prix
Words by Kevin Eason