Formula One is back! The 2020 season is finally underway as Lewis Hamilton and Co are given the green light to take part in first practice at the Austrian Grand Prix following 16-week absence
- The 2020 Formula One season is underway following a long 16-week absence
- The drivers have begun their preparations for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix
- Lewis Hamilton and Co took to the track at the Red Bull Ring for first practice
Formula One has made its long-awaited return to our television screens with the first practice session ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix – 16 weeks to the day since the 2020 campaign was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Lewis Hamilton took to the track on Friday morning in Mercedes’ brand new black car, with the world champion one of the last drivers to leave the garage for the initial practice session.
The first driver to post a lap at the Red Bull Ring was Lando Norris in the McLaren – who were the first team out of the pits to kick-off the new season.
Lewis Hamilton takes to the track at the Red Bull Ring for first practice ahead of the Austria GP
McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris was the first to post a lap time during first practice
But all eyes were on Hamilton and his stunning all-black Mercedes, which was designed by the six-time world champion to carry the fight against racism.
And it wasn’t just the Mercedes that had changed following the start of the new season, with the sport set to make several adjustments following the outbreak of Covid-19.
One of the more obvious changes will be that there are no fans present during race weekends, with F1 following in the footsteps of other sports that have resumed behind closed doors.
Fans would usually line the stands at the Red Bull Ring on race weekend but were empty on Friday as the drivers began to post lap times during the first practice session.
Pierre Gasly makes his way around the track in his Scuderia AlphaTauri on Friday morning
Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Russian driver Daniil Kvyat leaves the team garage for practice
Another tradition that will be dropped for the Austrian GP and future races will be that there are no podium ceremonies, with F1 officials determined to stick to new health and safety measures surrounding the coronavirus.
The will be no grid walk for media personnel to conduct pre-race interviews while the media’s presence will be reduced as a whole.
Drivers and any personnel at races will now adhere to strict testing for Covid-19, where they will be tested before travelling to an event.
Following this they are then tested at five-day intervals, with any signs of symptoms of the virus leading to additional testing.
Should a positive test be recorded the person in question is isolated before those they have been in close contact with are also tested and isolated pending results.
A ‘End Racism’ message is put up in a show of support for the Black Lives Matter movement
Teams will then be isolated away from each other in their own little bubbles in a bid to reduce any risk of the virus from spreading, should it become present.
Face masks are now mandatory for all involved on race weekends while each team has reduced its personnel. This means only 80 members (down from 130) from each team will be allowed at the circuit, with the limit also capping those working on the car – known as operational personnel limited to 60.
The pre-race build-up will also be shortened, with the pit-lane now open just 30 minutes before the start of the race and each team will have a limit of just 40 people allowed on the grid. Drivers will also not be allowed to stand together while observing national anthems.