Hamilton ready to roll if England reaches World Cup final!

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If ever England reaches the final of the World Cup next week, Lewis Hamilton has already made contingency plans to travel to Russia to support his home country.

England is enjoying a good run in the tournament so far, with its quarter-final match set for Saturday against Sweden, just after the conclusion of British Grand Prix qualifying.

Hamilton hasn't missed any of the action so far and believes the national squad can reach its first final since its epic win against Germany at Wembley in 1966.

"The passion is crazy for everyone that's watching their country play," Hamilton told Sky Sports News' Craig Slater.

"It's like it's in your DNA - it's crazy, and it's so exciting.

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"[The final] is next Sunday and I've booked that day off, kept it free, because I want to be in Russia that day supporting them!

"I've booked my ticket - I'm ready to go!"

Reaching the final will be a tall order for England however. Beating Sweden will be no easy feat on Saturday but if it does England would then have to dispose of either Croatia or Russia. Eventually playing and beating the latter - the organizing country - will require pulling out all the stops, and then some…

Hamilton is a believer however.

"I can only imagine the boys are definitely on a high at the moment," he said.

"I hope they're sleeping well, I hope they're eating well because that's a large part of it, and ultimately just going out and enjoying themselves.

"There's so much pressure on them, obviously with it being the World Cup, but there's so much support for them. England have such excited fans, there's so much passion in England for sport."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.