Lewis Hamilton will begin his bid for a record-equalling seventh Formula One world title, feeling “lonely and uninspired”.
The 35-year-old Briton gets the season underway in Austria on July 5 after the world championship endured a pre-coronavirus shutdown false start in Australia in March.
However, strict health protocols mean that there will be no fans at the races, a factor that Hamilton understands but won’t particularly enjoy.
“Driving past empty stands is going to be not too inspiring, it’s going to be quite lonely,” he said in a video posted online by his Mercedes team.
“We are preparing the best way we can for what is going to be the most difficult season, I think, that Formula 1 and all us have experienced with the difficult times that were facing, and the changes that we have to make in order to operate.”
A message from the Champ ahead of ‘Lights Out’ in Austria! 🏁
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) June 25, 2020
Drop a ❤️ if you’ll be supporting from home! 👊 pic.twitter.com/3VHcMzTkG9
Hamilton needs one more world title to equal the record of seven set by Michael Schumacher.