2017 British GP: Sebastian Vettel receives warm welcome at F1 Live London. Sebastian received the biggest cheer at the inaugural F1 Live London event at Trafalgar Square.

Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel received the biggest cheer at the inaugural F1 Live London event at Trafalgar Square as build-up to the British Grand Prix continued on Wednesday. All the Formula One teams gathered at London’s Trafalgar Square in the afternoon for a new F1 Live London show in order to celebrate British history in the sport as part of the build-up to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which will take place this weekend at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire in England.

The demonstration run saw cars take to the city streets, as speculation built around a potential London street race after the British Drivers’ Racing Club’s decision to use a contract clause and thus break out of its current deal to host the British Grand Prix, as Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo received the biggest cheers after impressing with a series of donuts and burnouts.

Home favourite Lewis Hamilton was surprisingly the only active Formula One driver which did not take part in the event after being given permission by his team Mercedes to take days off due to “the intense battle in the title race”, as suggested by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff earlier today. Fears of Sebastian Vettel receiving a backlash from the British fans after his controversial clash with Lewis Hamilton at the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix were calmed as the German driver impressed during the demonstration and thanked the crowds for turning out in large numbers:

“It has been really, really special. They shut down central London which is nice and we left some marks which was also great. It is great fun going so close to the people and you can see them cheering and waving.” – Scuderia Ferrari’s German driver said, as reported by the Italian media. Earlier in the day an Education and Innovation Showcase was held with invited London schools taking part in initiatives such as F1 in Schools and Formula Student. Children enjoyed simulator work, pit stop challenges, Slot Car races and chances to design their own cars.

It was followed by a Live Show which give fans the chance to see the current F1 drivers and their cars, with the addition of live music acts Bastille, Little Mix and Kaiser Chiefs in the evening. The 2017 British Grand Prix will be held at Silverstone on the 13th-16th July, as Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton continue their close battle for the Formula One world championship title.