Far from embracing the cool demeanour of a world champion-elect, Jenson Button will be brimming with excitement on the starting grid at Silverstone this Sunday. So says Damon Hill, a former winner of the British Grand Prix who has revealed how nothing compares with the emotions welling inside a British driver when he goes into his home race as the hot favourite.

Having marvelled at Button's domination this season with six wins from seven races, a capacity crowd of 95,000 will expect their hero to leave his rivals trailing once again in the wake of a remarkably quick and nimble Brawn GP car.

Hill knows Button will be eager to please. "It's just like performing in front of your mum and dad," he said. "You are so desperate to show how good you are, you feel like shouting, 'Look at me, look at me! I can do it!'." Hill did it to the delight of his Silverstone supporters driving a Williams in 1994, two years before he emulated his father, the late Graham Hill, by becoming world champion. But he offered a warning to Button of the pressures of expectation.

Now president of the British Racing Drivers' Club who own Silverstone, Hill, 48, said: "You know that everyone around you so wants the winner to be you that you become desperate not to disappoint. That can be a constraint.

"In any other country you don't have that problem. You know you want to do well but you're not surrounded by home supporters constantly asking, 'So, are you going to do it then?'"

Button's first task on Saturday will be to stamp his authority on his rivals by claiming pole position. Hill cut it fine 15 years ago, relegating Michael Schumacher to second by three-thousandths of a second.

Nevertheless, coming so soon after the death at Imola of Williams team-mate Ayrton Senna, Hill's performance in qualifying was astounding. And even better was to come the next day as packed grandstands and spectator banks waved flags and cheered every lap as Hill took a poignant victory.

He hopes that Button will revel in the encouragement he receives from the crowd. He said: "George Harrison used to talk about chanting, that if enough people chanted for world peace then it would happen. I do think there is some sort of psychic force that comes into play when you get a lot of people wanting something to happen."

Hill insisted Button should thrive on the challenge now that he finally has a car that allows him to exploit his talents to the full. Having endured his own struggle with an uncompetitive Brabham before landing a seat with Williams in the early nineties, Hill can appreciate how Button feels now.

He explained: "Racing drivers want to be 'the man'. It's like being in the eye of a storm. The storm is going on all around you but where you are it's calm. It's a terrific feeling because you know that, finally, you have a car that gives you control over your own destiny. Once that car goes out of the pits, then everything is down to you."

Button is ready to grab the opportunity. He said: "The fans were so supportive in the difficult times that it was a little embarrassing. Now I have a quick car, hopefully I can repay them for all their support."

This weekend's venue will add to Button's sense of anticipation. He said: "The layout of Silverstone makes it one of the classic circuits. Every driver who races there loves the place as it's so fast. It's strange to think that this might be our last race at Silverstone and I can't imagine not having a British Grand Prix, so we'll have to put on a show."

There are fears for the race's future because it is moving to Donington next year and there are doubts whether an £80million redevelopment of the circuit will be completed in time.

Hill warned: "From what we've seen there are concerns as to whether or not the Donington project is viable."

Even if Donington is not ready, then Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone insists the grand prix will not return to Silverstone because he claims the BRDC have failed to invest sufficiently in facilities and infrastructure.

Unlike Ecclestone, Hill believes it is unrealistic to ask the government for financial support. Instead, he says Ecclestone should let Silverstone take a fairer share of revenue generated by the grand prix so that the scope of redevelopment can be extended.

He added: "The British Grand Prix is a crucial part of the mix of Formula One and Silverstone is part of the mythology of the sport."