Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were swamped with the kind of Brit fever that made Sebastian Vettel wish he was English after a win to savour.

There were no triumphant scenes of patriotic jubilation at Sunday's British Grand Prix as witnessed a year ago when Hamilton swept to a stunning 68-second victory en route to the world title.

"It is only my second time here at Silverstone, but I enjoyed it so much," said Vettel with his characteristically charming smile. "When I looked left and right in the last two laps the people were standing up and clapping and cheering. It was fantastic. The emotions then, and especially as I crossed the chequered flag. I regret a little bit I'm not an Englishman because the fans were fantastic."

There had been expectation from the majority of a sell-out 120,000 Silverstone crowd following Button's majestic start to the season with six wins from the opening seven races.

History beckoned as only one man throughout the 60 years of Formula One, Michael Schumacher in 2004, had succeeded in winning seven of the first eight grands prix.

But it was not to be as Button was forced to settle for sixth, 46 seconds adrift of Vettel who strolled to his third victory of his career, second this year and first in the dry.

He added: "At the time I wanted to wave and say thank you, but then I thought to myself 'no'. There have been stories in the past where it didn't look so good with drivers doing it.

"So I have to thank now every single person in the grandstands. The atmosphere was great.

"This is what I was dreaming of when I saw the first grands prix here at Silverstone in the era of Mansell and so on.

"It is kind of unreal now to think I am here and I have made it. I have won this grand prix, so I am very, very happy."