Empty stands, empty feeling

LONDON • Six-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted the prospect of a home British Grand Prix without spectators leaves him empty inside.

The season has yet to get under way, with 10 races either cancelled or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, although there are plans to start behind closed doors in Austria and then Silverstone in July.

A series of back-to-back races at an empty Red Bull Ring in Spielberg and Silverstone respectively would be unprecedented for F1, and while Hamilton is far from enthused at the prospect of an anaemic atmosphere, he conceded "it's going to be better than nothing".

"It gave me a really empty feeling, because the fans really make that race (the British Grand Prix)," he said in a video interview released on Saturday night by his Mercedes team.

"Around the world, the more fans there, the more atmosphere you have, that's why you have places like Silverstone and Monza. So it's going to be very empty.

"I don't know how exciting it's going to be for people watching on TV... For us, it's going to be like a (pre-season) test day, probably even worse than a test day in the sense that at a test day, there is not a huge amount of people in Barcelona that come to watch, but there are still some (who do)."

The Briton, known for his jet-setting lifestyle, has hunkered down like most people owing to global travel restrictions during the Covid-19 crisis.

While he did not disclose his current location, the Briton said he was enjoying the downtime, describing himself as a quiet, if workaholic person, but was still looking forward to returning to the track.

"I'm great. This is the first time I can remember that I've been in one place for six weeks," he added.

"I'm excited to get back in (the cockpit), I really do miss it. This has been almost a blessing on one side because it gives you more appreciation for the things that you love and do.

"This has given me more energy and inspiration and determination to keep delivering and keep working with this great team."

On how he was keeping busy amid worldwide lockdown measures that have shuttered community places like gyms, Hamilton revealed he had managed to maintain his weight, focusing on areas of weakness in training, such as calf exercises.

Aside from playing video games, the 35-year-old has also signed up for a six-week online language course.

"I've always wanted to learn a language and I still don't know any other languages. It's embarrassing, I feel, when people ask," he said.

"I aced French at school, it was the only thing I aced. When I do things, I just do it to the extreme so I sit down and do it in two hours basically. I just do one week a day."

He may not be a fan of a crowd-free grand prix, but Daniel Ricciardo still feels the drivers can fulfil a condensed calendar that is full of thrills, spills and "some form of chaos".

Claiming his peers were eager to let loose, the Renault driver told the BBC: "There is going to be so much rust, a combination of emotion, excitement, eagerness.

"Everyone is going to be ready to go. You are going to get some guys who perform on that level of adrenaline and others who might not.

"So you're going to get some bold overtakes, some miscalculated ones. You're going to see a bit of everything."

His former boss at Red Bull, Christian Horner, agreed with the Australian, telling The Guardian that the usual starting grid could be shaken up, which would be good for TV viewers, given that drivers have been out of action since the Australian season-opener was called off before morning practice in March.

"This is probably the longest time all the drivers have been out of a seat," he said. "That could be healthy in a way. If we begin again in July, they will all be rusty as hell and there will be some incidents."

REUTERS