Lewis Hamilton is not relishing racing in front of empty stands, but says people have messaged him about how much they are missing watching sport.
F1 without a crowd leaves Hamilton with an empty feeling
SHOWS: SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - FEBRUARY 14, 2020) (MERCEDES VNR - NO RESALES) 1.
SIX-TIME FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION LEWIS HAMILTON LOOKING AT HIS MERCEDES CAR WITH AN ENGINEER 2.
HAMILTON PUTTING ON CRASH HELMET 3.
HAMILTON SITTING IN THE CAR 4.
HAMILTON DRIVING OFF UNKNOWN LOCATION (RECENT) (MERCEDES VNR - NO RESALES) 5.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SIX-TIME FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION, LEWIS HAMILTON, SAYING: "It gave me a really empty feeling, because the fans really make that race.
You know, around the world, all the races we go to, the more fans there the more atmosphere you have, that's why you have places like Silverstone and Monza and so, it's going to be very empty.
But, you know, what's great is, I'm getting messages from people around the world who are struggling during this period because they're not getting to watch sports, and it just shows how significant sport is in people's lives.
You know, it's such a, it brings us all together and it's so exciting and captivating and so, I don't know how exciting it's going to be for people watching on TV, but it's going to be better than nothing.
But as I said, for us it's just going to be like a test day.
Probably even worse than a test day in the sense where you, on a test day there's not a huge amount of people in Barcelona that come to watch but there are still some.
Whereas here you're going to have nobody in the crowd and you're just going to see empty seats as you're driving down." SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - FEBRUARY 14, 2020) (MERCEDES VNR - NO RESALES) 6.
VIEW OF HAMILTON IN COCKPIT DRIVING 7.
VARIOUS OF HAMILTON DRIVING UNKNOWN LOCATION (RECENT) (MERCEDES VNR - NO RESALES) 8.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SIX-TIME FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION, LEWIS HAMILTON, SAYING: "I really, really do miss it (driving), and as I've said, this has been, it's almost a blessing on one side because, you know, it gives you even more appreciation for the things that you love and the things that you do.
This has given me more energy and inspiration and determination to keep delivering and keep working with this great team." SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - FEBRUARY 22, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9.
HAMILTON (SECOND FROM RIGHT), MERCEDES TEAMMATE VALTTERI BOTTAS (SECOND FROM LEFT), MERCEDES TEAM CEO TOTO WOLFF (CENTRE), MANAGING DIRECTOR - MERCEDES AMG ANDY COWELL (FAR RIGHT) AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR JAMES ALLISON (FAR LEFT) STANDING BEHIND CAR AT THE 2018 MODEL'S LAUNCH 10.
HAMILTON SMILING FOR CAMERAS 11.
BOTTAS, WOLFF AND HAMILTON STANDING BEHIND CAR UNKNOWN LOCATION (RECENT) (MERCEDES VNR - NO RESALES) 12.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SIX-TIME FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION, LEWIS HAMILTON, SAYING: "This is actually probably the first, this is the first time that I can remember that I've been in one place for a long, you know, six weeks.
It's very, very unusual." SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - MARCH 6, 2020) (UK POOL - ACCESS ALL) 13.
VARIOUS OF HAMILTON AND FORMER DUKE OF SUSSEX, PRINCE HARRY LOOKING AT A VINTAGE SPORTS CAR DURING A TOUR AT THE OPENING OF A MOTORSPORTS MUSUEM MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (OCTOBER 23, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 14.
HAMILTON POSING FOR PHOTOS AT PROMOTIONAL EVENT BEFORE LEAVING UNKNOWN LOCATION (RECENT) (MERCEDES VNR - NO RESALES) 15.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SIX-TIME FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION, LEWIS HAMILTON, SAYING: "I've always wanted to learn a language and I still don't know any other languages.
It's embarrassing I feel when people ask.
You know, I think it's probably similar for many people who only speak one language.
I aced French at school, it's the only thing I aced and so going on this online course and the thing is the course that I have is like a six-week course and you're supposed to do half an hour a day and I, when I do things I just do it to an extreme.
So, I sit down and I do a week in two hours basically.
Just do one week a day." SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - FEBRUARY 22, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 16.
VARIOUS OF HAMILTON DRIVING 2018 CAR AROUND SILVERSTONE TRACK STORY: Six-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton says the prospect of a home British Grand Prix without spectators leaves him empty inside but he is still raring to get going after months of waiting.
None of the drivers have raced since December, with the season stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are plans to start up behind closed doors in Austria and then Silverstone in July.
"It gave me a really empty feeling, because the fans really make that race," Hamilton -- a record six-times winner on home soil -- said in a video interview released on Saturday (May 9) by his Mercedes team.
"Around the world, the more fans there the more atmosphere you have, that's why you have places like Silverstone and Monza.
So it's going to be very empty.
"I don't know how exciting it's going to be for people watching on TV but it's going to be better than nothing," added the Briton, 35.
"For us it's going to be like a test day, probably even worse than a test day in the sense that at a test day there's not a huge amount of people in Barcelona that come to watch but there are still some." The champion, who has homes in Monaco and the United States and enjoyed a busy lifestyle before the crisis, did not disclose his location.
He said he was enjoying the downtime and described himself as a generally quiet, if workaholic, person.
"I'm great.
This is the first time that I can remember that I've been in one place for six weeks," he said.
"I really do miss it.
This has been almost a blessing on one side because it gives you more appreciation for the things that you love and do.
"This has given me more energy and inspiration and determination to keep delivering and keep working with this great team." Hamilton said his weight had stayed the same and he was focusing on areas of weakness in training, such as calf exercises he normally found boring but recognised were important.
He had also done some gaming and signed up for a six-week online course.
"I've always wanted to learn a language and I still don't know any other languages.
It's embarrassing I feel when people ask," he said.
"I aced French at school, it was the only thing I aced.
"When I do things I just do it to the extreme so I sit down and do it in two hours basically," Hamilton added.
"I just do one week a day." (Production: Stefan Haskins)