With the opening nine races of the Formula One season cancelled, keeping fans entertained at home has become a top priority.
In a sport that travels the world for nine months of the year, sitting around at home with little to do is a concept that most drivers are not used to.
In normal circumstances, the season would be four races deep by now with Australia, Bahrain, Vietnam and China behind it. Nevertheless, the year been more at home than at home straight.
From driving tractors on a Perth farm to navigating the frozen hills in Finland, here’s what a few F1 drivers have been up to during the lockdown.
Lewis Hamilton is the name pursed on most people’s lips when it comes to F1, the man expected to match Michael Schumacher’s haul of seven world titles this year.
Generally active on social media, the Briton has been quiet during the lockdown period, posting positive messages, praise for the NHS, and even a sneak peek of his simulator.
This, in contrast, to the gym selfies we are normally accustomed to seeing from the 35-year-old during the active race season.
With no action on track, it is Daniel Ricciardo who has been keeping fans entertained on social media.
The Renault star decided to stay at his family home in Perth after the postponed Australia Grand Prix.
Away from his daily training routine, the 30-year-old has been taking fun to a new level, from driving tractors around the farm to doing parkour, and even embarking on a series of online challenges against cricketer Marcus Stoinis and snowboarder Scotty James.
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has been social distancing at his home in Nastola, Finland with girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell.
With temperatures as low as zero degrees, the pair have not let the cold weather derail their active lifestyles. Instead, they have been out cycling, walking, hiking and even fishing daily.
One of the most popular names on the grid, Charles Leclerc has been lighting up virtual grand prix races from his Monaco apartment.
The 22-year-old notched his second victory on Sunday after taking the chequered flag on the Shanghai track.
Practicing five hours a day has filled a void during these uncertain times as drivers come to terms with no races for the foreseeable future.
Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel has been balancing family life with training at his home in Heppenheim, Germany.
The four-time world champion is the only driver with no social media presence. And he must have been really bored to agree to doing a rare Q and A on the Scuderia’s social media channels.
In the five-minute chat, there were no big revelations, just advice for fans to stay at home.
Hi Guys! Here are Seb’s answers to your questions 📝 😊
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 28, 2020
Enjoy the full version on IGtv: https://t.co/cGogpy4NVi#essereFerrari 🔴 pic.twitter.com/NwOSAmAEL4
Of the Red Bull contingent, Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon have been flat out on their simulators, as well as maintaining their fitness levels daily.
My way to #StayHome 🏎️ pic.twitter.com/jmG5oy7CDe
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 10, 2020
Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, has been using the lockdown period to focus on his conditioning with trainer Pyry Salmela.
The Frenchman planned to stay in Dubai between the Australian and Bahrain Grands Prix. And when the lockdown began, he chose to remain in the UAE, rather than return home to his apartment in Milan.
When Gasly rests after a day of hard training, he has been watching Ozark on Netflix and playing Call of Duty and FIFA on Playstation.
Carlos Sainz has been educating himself in a different way, picking the brains of his engineer Tom Stallard in a bid to improve his knowledge of the technical side of Formula 1.
His McLaren teammate Lando Norris has kept a smile on racing fans’ faces during the lockdown, posting funny videos on his Instagram stories and training in his garden in Somerset.
Williams driver George Russell has swapped his West London apartment to self-isolate in the spacious surroundings of Cambridgeshire.
Away from the simulator work, the Englishman has been cycling indoors, doing weights, reading, cutting the grass and even shaving his trainer Aleix Casanovas’ hair.
Esteban Ocon has been doing three hours of simulator racing on Gran Turismo daily in Normandy, France, before training to fill another gap for the day.
During these uncertain times, it is difficult to make any predictions as to when the season will resume.
For now, all the drivers can do is keep training and continue to test their mettle on the simulator in the hope that things will change in the not too distant future.
With drivers finding new ways to keep themselves occupied in the interim, the fans aren’t really complaining.
