Lewis Hamilton is bidding for a repeat show of his British Grand Prix heroics as he bids to head into Formula One's summer break in charge of the title race.
Hamilton is six points ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg after winning in Hungary last weekend.
Indeed, it is the first time the defending champion has been ahead of Rosberg in a year which has been fraught with a number of mechanical issues.
But while Hamilton does not believe a potential fourth title will rest on the outcome of Sunday's German Grand Prix, he hopes to emulate his display at Silverstone earlier this month in which he claimed pole before winning for a third consecutive time.
"People are asking how its feeling this weekend leading the championship on points, and it doesn't feel any different," said Hamilton, who knows a looming engine penalty means he will start at least one of the remaining 10 races from the back of the pack.
"I want to win just as much as last weekend, and if anything I want to win more because last weekend was pretty s*** in terms of performance.
"I want to improve on that, and know I can because I did at Silverstone and previous races. That's my goal this weekend and I feel I am still chasing because I have less engines so I've got a steep hill up ahead of me."
Hamilton was slower than home favourite Rosberg in both practice sessions in Hockenheim on Friday, and the Briton knows he must improve to prevent Rosberg from claiming pole.
"I hope I can get my act together tomorrow,'' said Hamilton. ``It was just not a great lap, so I am not particularly worried.
"FP2 didn't feel very good. It got worse and worse with some balance issues, but I will rectify it.
"We should be in a good position and it should be close as Nico is pretty quick here. He is feeling quite confident and calm in the car.''
Meanwhile, Jenson Button was given the all-clear to participate in the remainder of this week's action after he was taken to a nearby hospital with an eye complaint.
"I was driving down the pit straight when I got something in my eye," Button explained. "It wasn't stuck in my eye, but it was a foreign body, which the hospital washed out and removed.
"It scratched my eye, so I've been given some eyedrops, but all is good."
Source: PA
