McLaren: Formula One - and football

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will on Saturday put vital pre-race plans on hold to cheer on England in their opening World Cup game.

The qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix finishes half an hour prior to kick-off of England's Group C clash with the United States in Rustenberg's Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

With the majority of the personnel who work for McLaren of English origin, the team's post-qualifying debrief will likely be held over for a couple of hours, allowing Hamilton and Button the opportunity to catch the match.

"Absolutely I'm going to watch it," Hamilton told Press Association Sport.

"When we sit down with the engineers it will be linked up in their room, but I don't think we'll be able to do the debrief until after the game."

Button added: "We don't know where we're going to be, but hopefully we will be able to watch the game.

"Possibly the engineering debrief will go out of the window for a couple of hours because it's mostly English involved.

"Obviously, the most important thing for us this weekend is the race, but second to that will be watching the game.

"I don't think it will be as easy as some people believe."

Neither can claim to be ardent football fans, although Button does have a soft spot for Arsenal, however, they have both at least been gripped by World Cup fever.

"I'm very patriotic and I'll always support my country. I get very excited by international sport, so I'm looking forward to it," added Button.

"It's an amazing sport when it comes to the World Cup because the whole world will be watching, and everyone becomes so competitive and so patriotic, I love it.

"It's such an important thing, and I'm sure the whole of England at the moment is going crazy with excitement.

"Hopefully the boys won't be too nervous, but they know what they are doing. It's like us when it comes to racing."

Unlike Button, Hamilton believes Fabio Capello's boys will start off their campaign in a comfortable fashion.

"I don't feel we're going to have problems in the first game, but I don't think the guys should take it easy either," advised Hamilton.

He then joked: "They should at least pace themselves and then bring it 100% for Brazil in the semi-finals."

The 2008 World Champion, though, concedes now the World Cup has finally arrived, he is just as excited as any other England fan.

"I think everyone is excited to watch the World Cup, to really see how we do," added Hamilton.

"But I've definitely got football fever. It's already kicked in, but I need to go and get a shirt."

Button may yet go one better than Hamilton as he has been offered the opportunity to head out to South Africa and take in a game - personal schedule and England's form permitting.

"A couple of people have asked me to go, and they'll sort me out and look after me, which would be wow, amazing," said Button.

"I'm not sure if I'm free yet, but I'm going to try my best to get out there.

"It would be a wonderful opportunity because I've never been to watch a game at that level. It would be very special.

"Hopefully England are going to be in the tournament for quite a while so I would then get a chance to go and watch them.

"But I'm just very lucky I have friends who can help me out when I get there, so I'm looking forward to it."

As Button rightly points out, though, the priority is the race and the opportunity to build on their one-two finish in Turkey 12 days ago and enhance their title hopes at a circuit many feel will serve them well.

"I hope it will play to our strengths because there aren't any high-speed corners, so they (Red Bull) won't have that advantage," said Button of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

"They're still going to be quick, so we can't forget about them as they're going to be at the front. We're not going to be alone.

"But this is a circuit that should work for us quite well."

Source: Planet F1