Max Verstappen toppled championship leader Lewis Hamilton in Friday’s opening free practice for this weekend’s much-awaited British Grand Prix. The Dutchman clocked the best lap in one minute and 27.422 seconds to beat Hamilton and Mercedes by 0.474 seconds.

As the action began in the sunny weather at the fourth round of coronavirus-delayed Formula One season, Lance Stroll confirmed his potential of the controversial Racing Point ‘pink Mercedes’ by claiming third place ahead of Alexander Albon.

Charles Leclerc finished fifth for an improved Ferrari ahead of Valtteri Bottal. Esteban Ocon and his Renault team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hulkenberg and Daniil Kvyat of Alpha Touri.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-emirates-cricket-board-to-fill-30-to-50-per-cent-of-stadiums-in-uae-317318" hreflang="en">IPL 2020: Emirates Cricket Board to fill 30 to 50 per cent of stadiums in UAE</a>

Hulkenberg, who was drafted overnight by the Silverstone-based Racing Point outfit, ended up being six-tenths off Stroll’s time, which is being touted as a really strong display given he had no idea he would be back in F1 24 hours back.

The German was just 1.1 seconds slower than Verstappen, challenging his integrity and originality.&nbsp;

Hulkenberg was the cynosure of all eyes as he made his first F1 appearance since the end of last season. However, it was Briton Lando Norris who topped the early times for McLaren ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull, who ended up cutting his time to take the top spot.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-wanted-saudi-state-to-become-newcastle-director-staveley-317304" hreflang="en">Premier League wanted Saudi state to become Newcastle director - Staveley</a>

The session was red-flagged to a halt after 28 minutes when Antonio Giovinazzi spun his Alfa Romeo at Becketts, moment after his teammate Kimi Raikkonen spun Luffield.

The action was resumed after clearing the debris but without Sebastian Vettel as Ferrari announced that he was grounded by an intercooler issue.&nbsp; 
. 
&nbsp;

Max Verstappen toppled championship leader Lewis Hamilton in Friday’s opening free practice for this weekend’s much-awaited British Grand Prix. The Dutchman clocked the best lap in one minute and 27.

Max Verstappen toppled championship leader Lewis Hamilton in Friday’s opening free practice for this weekend’s much-awaited British Grand Prix. The Dutchman clocked the best lap in one minute and 27.422 seconds to beat Hamilton and Mercedes by 0.474 seconds. As the action began in the sunny weather at the fourth round of coronavirus-delayed Formula One season, Lance Stroll confirmed his potential of the controversial Racing Point ‘pink Mercedes’ by claiming third place ahead of Alexander Albon. Charles Leclerc finished fifth for an improved Ferrari ahead of Valtteri Bottal. Esteban Ocon and his Renault team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hulkenberg and Daniil Kvyat of Alpha Touri. ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Emirates Cricket Board to fill 30 to 50 per cent of stadiums in UAE Hulkenberg, who was drafted overnight by the Silverstone-based Racing Point outfit, ended up being six-tenths off Stroll’s time, which is being touted as a really strong display given he had no idea he would be back in F1 24 hours back. The German was just 1.1 seconds slower than Verstappen, challenging his integrity and originality. Hulkenberg was the cynosure of all eyes as he made his first F1 appearance since the end of last season. However, it was Briton Lando Norris who topped the early times for McLaren ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull, who ended up cutting his time to take the top spot. ALSO READ: Premier League wanted Saudi state to become Newcastle director - Staveley The session was red-flagged to a halt after 28 minutes when Antonio Giovinazzi spun his Alfa Romeo at Becketts, moment after his teammate Kimi Raikkonen spun Luffield. The action was resumed after clearing the debris but without Sebastian Vettel as Ferrari announced that he was grounded by an intercooler issue. .

British GP: Verstappen tops Hamilton, Hulkenberg returns

Fresh from two dominant triumphs, Lewis Hamilton will seek to complete an early-season hat-trick and extend his home wins record to seven without his usual impassioned supporters in "super weird" circumstances at this weekend's British Grand Prix.

The six-time world champion and current standings leader has always drawn energy from the big crowds that support him at Silverstone, but this year's event will be run behind closed doors in front of empty grandstands.

"The British Grand Prix is the best and that's particularly because of the fans –- thousands and thousands always turn up to create a great spectacle," said the Briton.

"So, it is going to be super weird to be there without them."

For Hamilton, that means no crowd-surfing celebrations and keeping his feet on the ground as he bids to add to his wins at the Styrian and Hungarian Grands Prix as the coronavirus-delayed 2020 season returns.

This Sunday's race will be the 71st British Grand Prix and 54th at Silverstone and is followed one week later by a race at the same venue to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the inaugural world championship event in 1950.

After his recent victories, and given his great record at Silverstone, Hamilton will start as favourite, but can expect a strong challenge from his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who won the season-opener in Austria.

Already the two 'black Arrows' drivers have demonstrated the clear supremacy of their unbeaten W11 cars, dubbed "the fastest F1 cars ever" by team chief Toto Wolff this week.

He said: "We will miss our fans at Silverstone –- but we know that they will be rooting for us from home so we are determined to show our gratitude by putting on a great show.

"These are the fastest F1 cars ever built. They have broken the track records at both Spielberg and Budapest and it will be thrilling to see them on the iconic Silverstone circuit."

<h2>- Reliability 'crucial' -</h2>

The high-speed track's demanding and fast corners are expected to suit the Mercedes cars, but Wolff said he is taking nothing for granted.

"We've had a good start to the season," he said. "We resolved the issues that troubled us on the first weekend, won three out of three races and scored a good amount of points, but they highlighted a crucial factor -- the importance of reliability in this shortened season.

"We're one of only two teams that have finished all the races with both cars this year and we know how quickly a DNF (did not finish) can make a points lead disappear."

Arriving at Silverstone, Hamilton leads Bottas by five points with Max Verstappen of Red Bull third, 30 points adrift, but hoping to close the gap.

The Racing Point team's base is only a few hundred metres from the circuit entrance and, after demonstrating their speed and potential in Austria and Hungary, they hope to be in a scrap with Red Bull to secure a podium finish before Renault lodge another expected protest at the integrity of their 'pink Mercedes' car.

Ferrari, the only team to have interrupted Mercedes' supremacy at Silverstone in recent years, when Sebastian Vettel triumphed in 2018, are likely to continue their struggle for competitive form after a lacklustre start to 2020.

Vettel, in his final season at Ferrari, has this year emerged as a close supporter of Hamilton in backing the sport's anti-racism stance and the wider Black Lives Matter movement, which has not seen clear and unambiguous backing from the drivers.

Hamilton called for more unity and leadership on the issue following a confused and muddled pre-race 'taking the knee' ceremony in Hungary.

McLaren's Lando Norris, 20, said this week that the drivers would react and he expected to see "a better structure and a better plan in place" than at previous weekends.

The Briton suggested that Formula One management would be allocating proper time for a ceremony prior to the national anthem.

Fresh from two dominant triumphs, Lewis Hamilton will seek to complete an early-season hat-trick and extend his home wins record to seven without his usual impassioned supporters in "super weird" circumstances at this weekend's British Grand Prix.

Fresh from two dominant triumphs, Lewis Hamilton will seek to complete an early-season hat-trick and extend his home wins record to seven without his usual impassioned supporters in "super weird" circumstances at this weekend's British Grand Prix. The six-time world champion and current standings leader has always drawn energy from the big crowds that support him at Silverstone, but this year's event will be run behind closed doors in front of empty grandstands. "The British Grand Prix is the best and that's particularly because of the fans –- thousands and thousands always turn up to create a great spectacle," said the Briton. "So, it is going to be super weird to be there without them." For Hamilton, that means no crowd-surfing celebrations and keeping his feet on the ground as he bids to add to his wins at the Styrian and Hungarian Grands Prix as the coronavirus-delayed 2020 season returns. This Sunday's race will be the 71st British Grand Prix and 54th at Silverstone and is followed one week later by a race at the same venue to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the inaugural world championship event in 1950. After his recent victories, and given his great record at Silverstone, Hamilton will start as favourite, but can expect a strong challenge from his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who won the season-opener in Austria. Already the two 'black Arrows' drivers have demonstrated the clear supremacy of their unbeaten W11 cars, dubbed "the fastest F1 cars ever" by team chief Toto Wolff this week. He said: "We will miss our fans at Silverstone –- but we know that they will be rooting for us from home so we are determined to show our gratitude by putting on a great show. "These are the fastest F1 cars ever built. They have broken the track records at both Spielberg and Budapest and it will be thrilling to see them on the iconic Silverstone circuit." - Reliability 'crucial' - The high-speed track's demanding and fast corners are expected to suit the Mercedes cars, but Wolff said he is taking nothing for granted. "We've had a good start to the season," he said. "We resolved the issues that troubled us on the first weekend, won three out of three races and scored a good amount of points, but they highlighted a crucial factor -- the importance of reliability in this shortened season. "We're one of only two teams that have finished all the races with both cars this year and we know how quickly a DNF (did not finish) can make a points lead disappear." Arriving at Silverstone, Hamilton leads Bottas by five points with Max Verstappen of Red Bull third, 30 points adrift, but hoping to close the gap. The Racing Point team's base is only a few hundred metres from the circuit entrance and, after demonstrating their speed and potential in Austria and Hungary, they hope to be in a scrap with Red Bull to secure a podium finish before Renault lodge another expected protest at the integrity of their 'pink Mercedes' car. Ferrari, the only team to have interrupted Mercedes' supremacy at Silverstone in recent years, when Sebastian Vettel triumphed in 2018, are likely to continue their struggle for competitive form after a lacklustre start to 2020. Vettel, in his final season at Ferrari, has this year emerged as a close supporter of Hamilton in backing the sport's anti-racism stance and the wider Black Lives Matter movement, which has not seen clear and unambiguous backing from the drivers. Hamilton called for more unity and leadership on the issue following a confused and muddled pre-race 'taking the knee' ceremony in Hungary. McLaren's Lando Norris, 20, said this week that the drivers would react and he expected to see "a better structure and a better plan in place" than at previous weekends. The Briton suggested that Formula One management would be allocating proper time for a ceremony prior to the national anthem.

Hamilton eyes 'super weird' seventh Silverstone triumph

Lewis Hamilton broke the circuit lap record and drew level with Michael Schumacher for another feat on Saturday as he claimed a record-increasing 90th pole position of his career for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The six-time world champion clocked a stunning time of one minute and 13.447 seconds on his second run in final qualifying to finish just ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes reeled off their 65th front=row lockout.

It was Hamilton's second successive pole of the COVID-19 delayed season and his Schumacher-equalling seventh pole at the Hungaroring where on Sunday he seeks his eighth victory, potentially drawing level with another Schumacher achievement for wins on the same track.

Schumacher won eight times at the French Grand Prix.

"I have to pinch myself," said Hamilton. "It doesn't register. It's quite humbling because I work with an incredible bunch of people who do an amazing job here and back home.

"And Valtteri doesn't make it easy for me. It takes perfection to do laps like that so this is one of the things I enjoy most."

Bottas said he expected it to be close. "We seem to be on another level, pretty far ahead of the others. My laps were ok, but I couldn't go faster really."

Behind the two 'black arrows', the controversial 'pink Mercedes' of Racing Point were third and fourth with Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez ahead of a much-improved showing by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari.

Max Verstappen was a disappointed seventh for Red Bull, Lando Norris eighth ahead of his McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz with Pierre Gasly, in his 50th Grand Prix, 10th for Alpha Tauri.

Lewis Hamilton broke the circuit lap record and drew level with Michael Schumacher for another feat on Saturday as he claimed a record-increasing 90th pole position of his career for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton broke the circuit lap record and drew level with Michael Schumacher for another feat on Saturday as he claimed a record-increasing 90th pole position of his career for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. The six-time world champion clocked a stunning time of one minute and 13.447 seconds on his second run in final qualifying to finish just ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes reeled off their 65th front=row lockout. It was Hamilton's second successive pole of the COVID-19 delayed season and his Schumacher-equalling seventh pole at the Hungaroring where on Sunday he seeks his eighth victory, potentially drawing level with another Schumacher achievement for wins on the same track. Schumacher won eight times at the French Grand Prix. "I have to pinch myself," said Hamilton. "It doesn't register. It's quite humbling because I work with an incredible bunch of people who do an amazing job here and back home. "And Valtteri doesn't make it easy for me. It takes perfection to do laps like that so this is one of the things I enjoy most." Bottas said he expected it to be close. "We seem to be on another level, pretty far ahead of the others. My laps were ok, but I couldn't go faster really." Behind the two 'black arrows', the controversial 'pink Mercedes' of Racing Point were third and fourth with Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez ahead of a much-improved showing by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari. Max Verstappen was a disappointed seventh for Red Bull, Lando Norris eighth ahead of his McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz with Pierre Gasly, in his 50th Grand Prix, 10th for Alpha Tauri.

Hamilton breaks records as Mercedes lock out front row

A win in the Hungarian Grand Prix would move Lewis Hamilton within five of Michael Schumacher’s record 91 Grand Prix wins while also tying the Formula One great’s record for victories at a single track. Hamilton was in his elements to win the Styrian GP in Austria last weekend and looks all set to secure an eight successive win at the Hungaroring on Sunday.

Schumacher currently holds the record of bagging most wins – eight – at a single venue – French GP – when it was staged in Magny-Cours. Schumacher’s first win there was in 1994 - when Hamilton was enjoying a junior karting career that would send him to F1. Schumacher’s last win there came in 2006.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hamilton-wants-racing-records-racial-justice-ahead-of-hungarian-gp-313636" hreflang="en">Hamilton wants racing records, racial justice ahead of Hungarian GP</a>

“Every time I’m reminded of the records Michael has, it’s just mind-blowing to me,” Hamilton said.&nbsp;

“How many wins, how many championships. Record after record. I’m constantly reminded of his greatness and of the success that he had.”

Hamilton’s first win at the Hungarian Grand Prix was in the year 2007, the year after Schumacher’s last win in France. Interestingly, Hamilton’s first win as a Mercedes driver was also in Hungary in the year 2013 – the year he replaced the retiring Schumacher at Mercedes.

“I’ve always loved it in Hungary. I don’t know why (but) there are tracks that we excel on,” the 35-year-old Hamilton said.

“Budapest and Montreal have been my strongest, particularly at the beginning of my career.”

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-raises-a-fist-after-his-first-win-of-the-season-312968" hreflang="en">Lewis Hamilton raises a fist after his first win of the season</a>

Whereas, Hamilton is now chasing Schumacher’s record of seven F1 championships, having won every year since 2014 except in 2016 when his former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg bagged the top podium.&nbsp;

Hamilton looks almost untouchable as No. 1, as he showed with pole position last Saturday in the teeming rain in Austria. It was a record-extending 89th of his career — 21 more than Schumacher — and one of his best ever.

A win in the Hungarian Grand Prix would move Lewis Hamilton within five of Michael Schumacher’s record 91 Grand Prix wins while also tying the Formula One great’s record for victories at a single track.

A win in the Hungarian Grand Prix would move Lewis Hamilton within five of Michael Schumacher’s record 91 Grand Prix wins while also tying the Formula One great’s record for victories at a single track. Hamilton was in his elements to win the Styrian GP in Austria last weekend and looks all set to secure an eight successive win at the Hungaroring on Sunday. Schumacher currently holds the record of bagging most wins – eight – at a single venue – French GP – when it was staged in Magny-Cours. Schumacher’s first win there was in 1994 - when Hamilton was enjoying a junior karting career that would send him to F1. Schumacher’s last win there came in 2006. ALSO READ: Hamilton wants racing records, racial justice ahead of Hungarian GP “Every time I’m reminded of the records Michael has, it’s just mind-blowing to me,” Hamilton said. “How many wins, how many championships. Record after record. I’m constantly reminded of his greatness and of the success that he had.” Hamilton’s first win at the Hungarian Grand Prix was in the year 2007, the year after Schumacher’s last win in France. Interestingly, Hamilton’s first win as a Mercedes driver was also in Hungary in the year 2013 – the year he replaced the retiring Schumacher at Mercedes. “I’ve always loved it in Hungary. I don’t know why (but) there are tracks that we excel on,” the 35-year-old Hamilton said. “Budapest and Montreal have been my strongest, particularly at the beginning of my career.” ALSO READ: Lewis Hamilton raises a fist after his first win of the season Whereas, Hamilton is now chasing Schumacher’s record of seven F1 championships, having won every year since 2014 except in 2016 when his former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg bagged the top podium. Hamilton looks almost untouchable as No. 1, as he showed with pole position last Saturday in the teeming rain in Austria. It was a record-extending 89th of his career — 21 more than Schumacher — and one of his best ever.

Lewis Hamilton eyes Michael Schumacher's F1 track record with 8th win

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s only Black driver, raised a clenched fist on the podium on Sunday after taking his first victory of the season at Austria’s Red Bull Ring.

The Briton, a six-times world champion who is now six wins short of equalling Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91, has been outspoken in support of anti-racism campaigners and for equal opportunities.

The Mercedes driver had earlier taken a knee on the starting grid with some of the other drivers while wearing a T-shirt with ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the front. The world television feed quickly cut away to a Red Bull stunt parachutist, however.

The race itself was run without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hamilton, 35, also has Black Lives Matter written on his race helmet.

“We stand together and fight,” he said after posting on Instagram a picture of himself making the gesture on the Spielberg podium after collecting the 85th winner’s trophy of his F1 career.

“The team today took the knee which was just amazing to see that together we can learn, be open minded and conscious of what’s going on in the world.”

Hamilton had also clenched a fist while standing on his racing car, this season painted black rather than the usual silver.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s only Black driver, raised a clenched fist on the podium on Sunday after taking his first victory of the season at Austria’s Red Bull Ring.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s only Black driver, raised a clenched fist on the podium on Sunday after taking his first victory of the season at Austria’s Red Bull Ring. The Briton, a six-times world champion who is now six wins short of equalling Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91, has been outspoken in support of anti-racism campaigners and for equal opportunities. The Mercedes driver had earlier taken a knee on the starting grid with some of the other drivers while wearing a T-shirt with ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the front. The world television feed quickly cut away to a Red Bull stunt parachutist, however. The race itself was run without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hamilton, 35, also has Black Lives Matter written on his race helmet. “We stand together and fight,” he said after posting on Instagram a picture of himself making the gesture on the Spielberg podium after collecting the 85th winner’s trophy of his F1 career. “The team today took the knee which was just amazing to see that together we can learn, be open minded and conscious of what’s going on in the world.” Hamilton had also clenched a fist while standing on his racing car, this season painted black rather than the usual silver.

Lewis Hamilton raises a fist after his first win of the season

The Formula One&nbsp;on Friday confirmed that the 2020 Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix have been cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to cancel the races was taken due to different challenges the organisers are facing. Earlier in June, the opening eight races of a revised calendar for the 2020 season were announced beginning with the Australian Grand Prix in July.

F1 continue to remain confident of having 15-18 races by the time season concludes in mid-December in Abu Dhabi with new calendar expected to be published soon. However, the Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese races won’t be a part of the 2020 calendar following the cancellation of events.

A statement from F1 released on Friday read: "As a result of the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have taken the decision to cancel their races for the 2020 season.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/blacklivesmatter-corner-flags-jerseys-share-out-anti-racism-message-as-bayern-advance-to-german-cup-final-305066" hreflang="en">#BlackLivesMatter: Corner flags, jerseys share out anti-racism message as Bayern advance to German Cup final</a>

"These decisions have been taken due to the different challenges our promoters face in those countries. In Singapore and Azerbaijan, the long lead times required to construct street circuits made hosting the events during a period of uncertainty impossible and in Japan, ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to proceed with the race.

"At the same time, we have made significant progress with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar and have been particularly encouraged by the interest that has been shown by new venues in hosting a Formula 1 race during the 2020 season.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/anthony-joshua-vs-tyson-fury-financial-terms-agreed-for-all-british-bout-expected-to-bag-over-ps100m-305044" hreflang="en">Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: Financial terms agreed for all-British bout, expected to bag over £100m</a>

"We appreciate this is still a time of uncertainty and complexity around the world and will continue to ensure we proceed with the 2020 season in a cautious and flexible way. We have detailed and robust safety plans in place to ensure we begin our season in the safest possible way."

F1 motorsport chief Ross Brawn said that with plenty of option on plate, organisers are confident of having a great second half of the season while adding there is contingency for an extended European season with a couple of more races while hinting they are still looking for five or six good races in the season.

“Things are moving fast, but we still have time,” he said. “We have lots of different options and we’re very confident we’re going to have a great second half of the season.

“There is a contingency to have an extended European season with another one or two races if needed. I think Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will be the backstop of the season from what we can see at the moment. That gives us 10. We’ll find at least five or six good races in the middle."

Brawn also revealed other European tracks are being evaluated, with the likes of Ferrari-owned Mugello, Imola, Portimao, and Hockenheim all understood to be under consideration.

“There are a number of good European tracks where we could add another one or two races on to make sure we have a comprehensive season," he added. "We’re not going to declare it yet, as it’s still a work in progress.” 
&nbsp;

<o:p></o:p>

The Formula One on Friday confirmed that the 2020 Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix have been cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to cancel the races was taken due to different challenges the organisers are facing.

The Formula One on Friday confirmed that the 2020 Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix have been cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to cancel the races was taken due to different challenges the organisers are facing. Earlier in June, the opening eight races of a revised calendar for the 2020 season were announced beginning with the Australian Grand Prix in July. F1 continue to remain confident of having 15-18 races by the time season concludes in mid-December in Abu Dhabi with new calendar expected to be published soon. However, the Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese races won’t be a part of the 2020 calendar following the cancellation of events. A statement from F1 released on Friday read: "As a result of the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, we and our promoters in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan have taken the decision to cancel their races for the 2020 season. ALSO READ: #BlackLivesMatter: Corner flags, jerseys share out anti-racism message as Bayern advance to German Cup final "These decisions have been taken due to the different challenges our promoters face in those countries. In Singapore and Azerbaijan, the long lead times required to construct street circuits made hosting the events during a period of uncertainty impossible and in Japan, ongoing travel restrictions also led to the decision not to proceed with the race. "At the same time, we have made significant progress with existing and new promoters on the revised calendar and have been particularly encouraged by the interest that has been shown by new venues in hosting a Formula 1 race during the 2020 season. ALSO READ: Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: Financial terms agreed for all-British bout, expected to bag over £100m "We appreciate this is still a time of uncertainty and complexity around the world and will continue to ensure we proceed with the 2020 season in a cautious and flexible way. We have detailed and robust safety plans in place to ensure we begin our season in the safest possible way." F1 motorsport chief Ross Brawn said that with plenty of option on plate, organisers are confident of having a great second half of the season while adding there is contingency for an extended European season with a couple of more races while hinting they are still looking for five or six good races in the season. “Things are moving fast, but we still have time,” he said. “We have lots of different options and we’re very confident we’re going to have a great second half of the season. “There is a contingency to have an extended European season with another one or two races if needed. I think Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will be the backstop of the season from what we can see at the moment. That gives us 10. We’ll find at least five or six good races in the middle." Brawn also revealed other European tracks are being evaluated, with the likes of Ferrari-owned Mugello, Imola, Portimao, and Hockenheim all understood to be under consideration. “There are a number of good European tracks where we could add another one or two races on to make sure we have a comprehensive season," he added. "We’re not going to declare it yet, as it’s still a work in progress.”

Formula One: Singapore, Japan, Azerbaijan Grands Prix cancelled in wake of COVID-19 pandemic

Formula One's drivers will battle it out in an Esports Virtual Grand Prix series in a bid to give fans their racing fix while the season is delayed by the coronavirus.

The 2020 campaign has been put on hold due to the pandemic and races in Australia, Bahrain, Vietnam, China, Holland, Spain and Monaco were all postponed.

Formula One chiefs are aiming to start racing in Azerbaijan on June 7, but to fill the void, for now, the sport has asked current F1 drivers to play a racing game featuring as-yet-unnamed celebrity guests.

"Featuring a number of current F1 drivers, the series has been created to enable fans to continue watching Formula 1 races virtually, despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation that has affected this season's opening race calendar," a statement said.

"The first race of the series will see current F1 drivers line up on the grid alongside a host of stars to be announced in due course.&nbsp;

"In order to guarantee the participants safety at this time, each driver will join the race remotely."

F1 drivers Max Verstappen and Lando Norris took part in two separate virtual races last weekend following the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix.

The races will be run for 28 laps for around 90 minutes and will take place at the same time as the postponed Grands Prix would have occurred.

The events start this weekend with the Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix run on the official 2019 F1 video game.

Viewers will be able to tune in via YouTube, Facebook and Twitch with a qualifying session to determine the grid preceding the race itself.

Results will not count towards the F1 world championship, but the plan is to run the virtual tournament until real racing can return.

Formula One's drivers will battle it out in an Esports Virtual Grand Prix series in a bid to give fans their racing fix while the season is delayed by the coronavirus.

Formula One's drivers will battle it out in an Esports Virtual Grand Prix series in a bid to give fans their racing fix while the season is delayed by the coronavirus. The 2020 campaign has been put on hold due to the pandemic and races in Australia, Bahrain, Vietnam, China, Holland, Spain and Monaco were all postponed. Formula One chiefs are aiming to start racing in Azerbaijan on June 7, but to fill the void, for now, the sport has asked current F1 drivers to play a racing game featuring as-yet-unnamed celebrity guests. "Featuring a number of current F1 drivers, the series has been created to enable fans to continue watching Formula 1 races virtually, despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation that has affected this season's opening race calendar," a statement said. "The first race of the series will see current F1 drivers line up on the grid alongside a host of stars to be announced in due course. "In order to guarantee the participants safety at this time, each driver will join the race remotely." F1 drivers Max Verstappen and Lando Norris took part in two separate virtual races last weekend following the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix. The races will be run for 28 laps for around 90 minutes and will take place at the same time as the postponed Grands Prix would have occurred. The events start this weekend with the Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix run on the official 2019 F1 video game. Viewers will be able to tune in via YouTube, Facebook and Twitch with a qualifying session to determine the grid preceding the race itself. Results will not count towards the F1 world championship, but the plan is to run the virtual tournament until real racing can return.

F1 drivers to stage virtual reality races

f1-news

F1 News, News on F1 News, stories on F1 News, articles on F1 News, F1 News stories at Wion, F1 News news, F1 News latest news

f1 news