Lewis Hamilton admits to a "very odd" and "lonely" feeling due to the lack of fans at this year's British Grand Prix.
Usually, Silverstone and the surrounding area is packed for all three days of action but, due to Covid-19, that buzz is largely missing with the stunning countryside making Formula 1 feel even more isolated from the rest of the world.
"It felt very odd driving up here because normally you are aware of that [the fans], and you know when you get here because that's what you notice first," said Hamilton.
"Not seeing anybody in the grandstands is going to be odd. We drove here in February, and when we arrived here it was like that day back then. There was no crowd here, obviously.
"And when you drive around these corners there is not a split second when you don't get to see the crowd beyond the corner, and not seeing the flags, so it's definitely going to be a lonely weekend without their energy."
Even so, there is still serious business to attend to, and after dominating the past two races, Hamilton admits the W11 is likely to be a delight around Silverstone.
"It's pretty strong. No, at the moment, not off the top of my head are their major issues," he said of the 2020 Mercedes.
"It should be pretty strong here. There's no warp in the track here, it's pretty flat, smooth, so the car should be beautiful here."
On Friday, extreme heat saw the team based in nearby Brackley take it easy with Lewis only fifth fastest, but cooler temperatures should better suit them on Saturday and Sunday.
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