The Canadian Lance Stroll walking the Silverstone Circuit in the company of a member of the team Racing Point, July 30.
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July 30, 2020 21h47
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New appointment for the F1 at Silverstone, without the fans
Jean-Louis Doublet
Agence France-Presse
SILVERSTONE — Formula 1 has an appointment this weekend at Silverstone (Great Britain) for the 4th Grand Prix of the season, but the famous lovers who flock to practice on the circuit will be absent this year because of the sars coronavirus.
Always enthusiastic, especially when a british driver wins, the many and colourful, they will be absent, as in the three previous races in Austria and in Hungary.
The country child’s Lewis Hamilton is still in a good place to add a 7th home win. It is already the most successful in the history of this Grand Prix in front of his countryman Jim Clark and france’s Alain Prost with 5 each.
“I would like to see supporters. It will be weird not to see any people in the stands, (…) not to see any flag. This is going to be a weekend a little lonely without their energy,” said the british driver on Thursday.
The winner of the last two races, the six-time world champion has 5 points lead over his team-mate at Mercedes, the Finnish Valtteri Bottas and seems to be in good road to the conquest of a 7th world title which would make it the equal of Michael Schumacher.
But Toto Wolff, the head of the team Mercedes, remains cautious: “We’re only one of two teams that both cars have finished all the races this year, but we know how a dropout can cost a lot of points,” he says.
The trials and tribulations of Ferrari
He can still see it coming. The most immediate threat is Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 30 points of Hamilton and the Ferrari are very far, with 18 points only to Charles Leclerc and 9 for Sebastian Vettel.
The setbacks of the Scuderia may also prevent it from coming to threaten the Mercedes anytime soon. The car aligned this year, “is not competitive,” acknowledged John Elkann, president of Fiat group with Chrysler, which owns the prancing horse brand. According to him it is “in particular because of a series of errors of the design of the car” in relation to both the aerodynamics as the engine.
The powertrain, Ferrari in particular lost a bunch of horses after having had to put in rules to the terms of an agreement with the international automobile Federation (FIA) and the details of which are kept secret.
“We need to be honest in difficult times and this is not easy, it will take a lot of work to get back to where we want to be but we are not there for the moment,” conceded Charles Leclerc on Thursday.
This is not the only problem for the Italian team. The announced departure of Sebastian Vettel, who will be replaced by Carlos Sainz for next year, hit some of the atmosphere. Especially as the German made spur-free way by his team mate Charles Leclerc during the second race in Austria, forcing both cars to retire.
The rumors are rife about the next signing of Sebastian Vettel, four-time world champion when he was at Red Bull, at Racing Point, which will be called next year, Aston Martin.
Where is Vettel ?
“I have nothing to say for the moment. I tell you if I knew it, but this is not the case. This could take up to two weeks, maybe more… I’m not in a hurry”, he stated during a press conference Thursday.
Because the Racing Point, have the wind in their sails at this time after excellent qualifications and a good result in Hungary.
Powered by a Mercedes engine, they are inspired by a lot of the car that led Lewis Hamilton to the world title last year. A little too much according to their rival Renault, which accuses the team owned by billionaire canadian Lawrence Stroll, the father of a Lance, to have purely and simply copied certain parts. The complaint filed by the team in French is always “to the statement” with the FIA.
At Red Bull, Max Verstappen is currently 3rd in the championship but his car is far from Mercedes.
“Of course, it can rain at Silverstone, even if it is summer in England”, he says ironically. “I love these conditions, and rain could redistribute the cards”,-he hoped. Only problem, the rain isn’t expected until… Monday.
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SERGIO PÉREZ POSITIVE COVID-19
The driver of the mexican Formula 1 Sergio Pérez has been tested positive to the COVID-19, and is package for the Grand Prix of Great Britain this weekend, announced Thursday the organizers and his team, Racing Point.
The driver of the mexican Formula 1 Sergio Perez will not take part in the Grand Prix of Great Britain.
Archives Tracey Nearmy
“Sergio is physically well and in good spirits, but it will have to stay confined according to the directives of the authorities of public health authorities, the security being the priority for the team and the sport,” said the british team.
The Mexican is the first F1 driver to be tested positive to the COVID-19 since the start of this season completely turned upside down, the 5 of July in Austria.
He had already been placed in solitary confinement after a first test “inconclusive” on the eve of the first free practice of the 4th Grand Prix of the season at the circuit of Silvestone.
According to his team, Perez is not returned to his country since the Hungarian Grand Prix ten days ago.
His teammate, canadian Lance Stroll was the only driver of the Racing team Point present at the press conference on Thursday.
Since the introduction of screening tests at the end of June, only two cases were found positive and were employees of the circuit of Hungary.
The director general of Formula One, Chase Carey, said before the first Grand Prix that no races would be cancelled in the event of the discovery of a positive case.
The protocol for anti-coronavirus was first introduced by Formula One, the championship organiser, expects that the entire staff of the F1 is tested before each Grand Prix and all the five days. To date, more than 15,000 tests have been performed.
30-year-old Sergi Pérez is expected to be replaced by his team-mate and compatriot Esteban Gutierrez, or by the Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne for the race on Sunday.
After the first three races (Austria, Styria, and Hungary), played behind closed doors, Pérez occupies the sixth place in the drivers ‘ standings. AFP
