British Grand Prix 'not a given' even without spectators, Silverstone chief says

Formula One plans to start the season with two races behind closed doors in Austria in early July

ON THE GRID FOR 2020 SEASON: Nicholas Latifi (CAN) - Williams. Car: 6; age: 24; starts: 0. The Canadian rookie is partnered with George Russell after Robert Kubica was dropped just one season into his comeback year. AFP

George Russell (GBR) - Williams. Car: 63; age: 22; starts: 21; wins: 0. Surely it cannot get any worse for Williams? Despite being able to boast 16 combined drivers' and team titles, the British team finished rooted to the foot of the championship last year after scoring just one point. Reuters

Kevin Magnussen (DEN) - Haas. Car: 20; age: 27; starts: 102; wins: 0. Having previously established themselves as solid midfield runners, the American team will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2019 campaign where they finished ninth. AFP

Romain Grosjean (FRA) - Haas. Car: 8; age: 33; starts: 164; wins: 0. Grosjean will be joined once more by Magnussen - their fourth year together as teammates. Reuters

Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA) - Alfa Romeo. Car: 99; age: 26; starts: 23; wins: 0. Italian Giovinazzi has been retained by Alfa Romeo for a second season. EPA

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) - Alfa Romeo. Car: 7; age: 40; starts: 312; wins: 21; championships: 1 (2007). Former world champion Raikkonen will this year become the most-capped F1 driver. The veteran Finn is just 10 races shy of Rubens Barrichello's record of 322 starts. EPA

Lance Stroll (CAN) - Racing Point. Car: 18; age: 21; starts: 62; wins: 0. Canadian Stroll starts his second campaign at Racing Point. EPA

Sergio Perez (MEX) - Racing Point. Car: 11; age: 30; starts: 176; wins: 0. Following a rather underwhelming campaign, Racing Point proved to be one of the major talking points at testing after their new car resembled a carbon-copy of last year's title-winning Mercedes. Mexican driver Perez has been with the team since 2014. Reuters

Daniil Kvyat (RUS) - Alphatauri. Car: 26; age: 25; starts: 93; wins: 0. The Russian was retained for a second straight year of his yo-yo career. EPA

Pierre Gasly (FRA) - Alphatauri. Car: 10; age: 24; starts: 47; wins: 0. A new season and a new name for Red Bull's junior team with Toro Rosso re-branded as AlphaTauri for the forthcoming campaign. Gasly, dropped by Red Bull midway through last season, drives alongside Kvyat. EPA

Esteban Ocon (FRA) - Renault. Car: 31; age: 23; starts: 50; wins: 0. Ocon spent last season on the sidelines after losing his seat to Lance Stroll at Racing Point. Reuters

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) - Renault. Car: 3; age: 30; starts: 171; wins: 7. Ricciardo is joined by Ocon as Renault bid to bounce back from a disappointing 2019. EPA

Lando Norris (GBR) - McLaren. Car: 4; age: 20; starts : 21; wins: 0. After an impressive rookie campaign, British driver Norris is set for his second season in F1. AFP

Carlos Sainz (ESP) - McLaren. Car: 55; age: 25; starts: 102; wins: 0. McLaren emerged from the doldrums last season with their best performance in years as they finished fourth in the constructors' table. Sainz also scored McLaren's first podium since 2012 when he was promoted to third in Brazil. EPA

Alexander Albon (THA) - Red Bull. Car: 23; age: 23; starts: 21; wins: 0. London-born Albon is set for just his second season in F1 and his first full campaign as a Red Bull driver after he was promoted from Toro Rosso following last year's summer break. EPA

Max Verstappen (NED) - Red Bull. Car: 33; age: 22; starts: 102; wins: 7. Verstappen was one of the stars of last year after he finished third in the championship behind Lewis Hamilton and Bottas. Verstappen, 22, could prove Hamilton's closest challenger if Red Bull can build on a package which fired the Dutchman to three victories last season. Reuters

Charles Leclerc (MON) - Ferrari. Car: 16; age: 22; starts: 42; wins: 2. Last year, Leclerc finished ahead of Vettel in the championship, scoring a greater number of pole positions and victories than his four-time world championship-winning teammate. Reuters

Sebastian Vettel (GER) - Ferrari. Car: 5; age: 32; starts: 240; wins: 53; championships: 4 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). Vettel and Leclerc will lock horns for a second season in what is the sport's fiercest team rivalry. Their combustible relationship spilled over in Brazil when they collided, forcing both drivers out of the race. Ferrari have not celebrated a drivers' champion since 2007, and after a mixed pre-season campaign, the Italian team fear they will start this year on the back foot. EPA

Valtteri Bottas (FIN) - Mercedes. Car: 77; age: 30; starts: 139; wins: 7. Bottas partners world champion Lewis Hamilton for a fourth straight season. Reuters

Lewis Hamilton (GBR) - Mercedes. Car: 44; age: 35; starts: 250; wins: 84; championships: 6 (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). Mercedes have been the dominant team in Formula One since 2014, winning a record six consecutive drivers' and constructors' championships. Hamilton has been the driving force behind their success and the British driver will start the new campaign as the favourite to win his sixth world championship in seven years to equal Michael Schumacher's overall record. Reuters

Stuart Pringle, the managing director at Silverstone, has admitted that hosting the Formula One British Grand "is not a given" even after signalling hopes of hosting the race without spectators.

Formula One plans to start the season, put on hold by the Covid-19 pandemic, with two races behind closed doors in Austria in early July before potentially two more at Silverstone.

Any races will need government approval, with countries in various stages of lockdown with restrictions on movement and mass events.

Silverstone is keen to help the sport back on track but announced this week any race could only go ahead without spectators.

"The end of April for us was if we had to start putting up temporary infrastructure for hospitality and dealing with the public and stuff," Pringle told Reuters. "We are only working on fixed infrastructure (now) so it’s an awful lot less.

"I’m confident we could operate well within F1’s decision-making cycle," he said of any new deadline. "I think they are the ones who have got to make the decision."

Formula One's managing director Ross Brawn said the sport wanted to create a "kind of biosphere" at circuits.

That would involve getting everyone who entered the circuit tested and cleared for the coronavirus and then keeping them in a controlled environment.

"Austria fits that bill very well. It's got a local airport right next to the circuit, where people can charter planes into. It's not too close to a metropolis, it has a great infrastructure around it," Brawn told an F1 podcast.

"There will be no motorhomes, but there will be a full catering facility laid on that the circuit has."

Formula One insiders have spoken of teams staying at secure hotels with no interaction with local residents and no media access.

Pringle said Silverstone, a home race for seven of the 10 teams, could offer security.

"In the discussions within sport, about restarting in the UK, there’s been talk about the need for sites to be a bit like an island. To be controlled. We can achieve that," he said.

"We have all the facilities we need inside the circuit with the exception of a complete hotel. We have a half-built hotel, if that helps anyone."