BACK TO WORK: 10 days where F1 preparations moved up a gear in preparation for July's restart

The last 10 days have been busy, reassuringly so, as the Formula 1 drivers have got back to their respective factories – some of them even taking to the track – in preparation for the season's restart on the weekend of July 3. From Charles Leclerc's ride through the streets of Maranello to the McLaren duo's Formula 3 test, here's how the drivers have got back to work.

Hamilton and Bottas take the 2018 W09 for a spin

The first team to hit the track after the coronavirus lockdown were Mercedes, in their 2018 W08 F1 car, at Silverstone. Lewis Hamilton's running was on a greasy surface while Valtteri Bottas was given the luxury of a dry surface on the British Grand Prix venue. And they absolutely loved it...

Hamilton and Bottas back behind the wheel

Charles Leclerc wakes up Maranello in the Ferrari SF1000

Maranello was roused up by the sound of Charles Leclerc tearing through the town's streets in a Ferrari SF1000 as part of their filming day. This wasn't a trip to the shops – he was on his way to Fiorano, Ferrari's test track.

Norris and Sainz take F3 machines to the limit

McLaren's Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz got back to speed with Carlin Formula 3 cars, of a similar spec to that which Norris took to the 2017 FIA F3 Championship. Not quite Formula 1, but every little helps...

Oh, and Norris clearly couldn't get enough of the Carlin F3 challenger... He was back in the very next day! It's proper wet work, though.

Ocon and Ricciardo make an early trip to Austria

Esteban Ocon took the 2018 R.S.18 to the Red Bull Ring – venue for the first 2020 Grand Prix – to complete double race distance in a filming day. That's 143 laps – while Daniel Ricciardo managed 115 the day before.

Ricciardo was pretty nonchalant about his on-track appearance, however. Though his comments on the F1 Nation podcast showed that he was in great spirits after testing the 2018 Renault.

Click to watch Ricciardo's Instagram post after he tested at the Red Bull Ring

Albon and Verstappen back at the Red Bull factory

They haven't yet sat in a Formula 1 car since the coronavirus lockdown, but Alex Albon and Max Verstappen have been busy at work this week. Albon, sporting a fetching mask, was back at their facility. And his lids look the part too...

Verstappen meanwhile has been pumping iron as he prepares for the onslaught of G-forces once more...

Stroll takes on Silverstone in the RP20

Racing Point put Lance Stroll in their 2020 RP20 F1 car at Silverstone in a filming day. The circuit is just across the road from the team's factory, and the day was part of Racing Point's allocation of two for the season.

Lance Stroll, Racing Point RP20, leaves the garage

Lance Stroll tests the 2020 Racing Point RP20 at Silverstone

Lance Stroll, Racing Point, prepares in the garage

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Lance Stroll, Racing Point RP20, leaves the garage

Gasly and Kvyat get comfy in the AT01

AlphaTauri have been doing a seat-fit with Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat, making sure they fit snugly in the AT01...

Russell goes back to basics

Karting has been George Russell's method of getting back into the driving seat, as he hit the track with his father! The Virtual Grand Prix champion should be raring to go at the Red Bull Ring.

Latifi was back at the factory this week, having spent a whopping three hours in the simulator. He also got tested for COVID-19. Here's what he wrote in a blog post.

My first day back at the office was a busy one. As soon as I arrived I had a Covid-19 test to make sure I don’t have the virus right now. I then need to be tested again at the end of this month before heading to the Red Bull Ring. The test itself was fine – certainly not as invasive and uncomfortable as I thought it might be! The rest of my day was taken up with some sim work and media duties. We did a lot of correlation work against our previous running in the sim and we also continued the general prep work for Austria and Budapest. I drove for a total of three hours in the sim.

Alfa Romeo get the wheelguns whirring

It's been practice pitstops this week at Alfa Romeo's Hinwil headquarters, and that sound is as sweet as we remember.

Grosjean swaps two wheels for four

Haas driver Romain Grosjean has been cycling to keep himself fit for the restart, while Kevin Magnussen has been karting – with some fancy footage to boot.