The official sessions begin with Free Practice 1 and 2 for the 2020 British Grand Prix . Remember that the race is being held again next week at Silverstone, so the teams won't be leaving this circuit in this unusual season marked by SARS-CoV-2. And speaking of the pandemic, one of the most notable news stories has been Sergio Pérez's positive test result in one of the tests that Formula 1 personnel undergo for safety reasons.
The Mexican driver has tested positive and hasn't been able to race. So that's one of the most shocking pieces of news: a driver has tested positive and will miss this race and, almost certainly, the next one or more. I imagine he won't be allowed to participate until he tests negative in future tests. After an initial inconclusive test, it was later officially confirmed in an FIA document. The driver himself sent a video to the fans explaining what happened. Furthermore, shortly afterward, his replacement was confirmed: Nico Hülkenberg…
The news has taken everyone by surprise ; in fact, Nico didn't even have a racing suit to replace Checo. He had to borrow one from Lance Stroll to participate.
On the track, the first session showed a very strong Red Bull on this circuit. Mercedes announced before arriving that they would have to perform exceptionally well to be at the front here, and that they might not be. The truth is, their car is the fastest, and it's very likely just a statement to mislead their rivals and relieve some pressure. But if it were true, Red Bull could do very well here. However, given what we saw in Hungary, where they were also expected to be at the front, it's probable they won't be here either.
In the first session, Max set the fastest time, while the Mercedes seemed somewhat hidden. The second session also saw some changes in the top positions, with Stroll setting the fastest time , followed by Albon and then Bottas. That is to say, a Racing Point (or that pink Mercedes) followed again by a Red Bull. So we'll see if there are any surprises tomorrow in qualifying if those doubts about Mercedes are confirmed…
Free practice results 1
| Position | Piloto | Team | Time |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1'27 "422 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes Benz | 1'27 "896 |
| 3 | Lance stroll | Racing Point | 1'28 "004 |
| 4 | Alexander albon | Red Bull | 1'28 "129 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Classic Ferrari for sale | 1'28 "221 |
| 6 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes Benz | 1'28 "519 |
| 7 | Esteban Ocon | Renault | 1'28 "559 |
| 8 | Daniel Ricciardo | Renault | 1'28 "575 |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg | Racing Point | 1'28 "592 |
| 10 | Daniil Kvyat | Alpha tauri | 1'28 "868 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpha tauri | 1'28 "909 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | McLaren | 1'28 "988 |
| 13 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1'28 "990 |
| 14 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1'29 "532 |
| 15 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 1'29 "746 |
| 16 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo | 1'29 "746 |
| 17 | George Russell | Williams | 1'29 "899 |
| 18 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1'29 "925 |
| 19 | Nicholas latifi | Williams | 1'30 "703 |
| 20 | Sebastian Vettel | Classic Ferrari for sale |
Free practice results 2
| Position | Piloto | Team | Time |
| 1 | Lance stroll | Racing Point | 1'27 "274 |
| 2 | Alexander albon | Red Bull | 1'27 "364 |
| 3 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes Benz | 1'27 "431 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Classic Ferrari for sale | 1'27 "570 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes Benz | 1'27 "581 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz | McLaren | 1'27 "820 |
| 7 | Nico Hulkenberg | Racing Point | 1'27 "910 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Alpha tauri | 1'27 "997 |
| 9 | Daniel Ricciardo | Renault | 1'28 "112 |
| 10 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo | 1'28 "159 |
| 11 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1'28 "169 |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Renault | 1'28 "219 |
| 13 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1'28 "256 |
| 14 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1'28 "390 |
| 15 | Daniil Kvyat | Alpha tauri | 1'28 "426 |
| 16 | Romain Grosjean | Haas | 1'28 "564 |
| 17 | George Russell | Williams | 1'28 "771 |
| 18 | Sebastian Vettel | Classic Ferrari for sale | 1'28 "860 |
| 19 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1'28 "898 |
| 20 | Nicholas latifi | Williams | 1'29 "958 |
More tomorrow with the times from Free Practice 3 and qualifying . We'll also let you know if anything unusual happened in the paddock.