F1 Gossip: '10 COVID-19 cases wouldn’t cancel an F1 race'

In the latest F1 gossip, the FIA is confident it can now handle a paddock outbreak of COVID-19, Mercedes and Daimler at odds over Vettel and Leclerc set to make film debut...

- FIA medical commission chairman Gerard Saillant says F1 will not be forced to call off grands prix when the season returns even if multiple paddock members test positive for coronavirus (Sky) 

- Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and the Daimler board are at a crossroads over Sebastian Vettel, with Daimler pushing for the four-time world champion’s signature for 2021, according to reports in Italy (EssentiallySports) 

- Hockenheim is looking increasingly likely to step in to host a pair of F1 races this season if Silverstone’s hopes of staging the British Grand Prix are curtailed by the UK’s new quarantine restrictions on international arrivals (AutoBild) 

- Motorsport UK chairman David Richards has called on the government to ensure that F1 is spared from its new quarantine laws so that Silverstone’s two races can go ahead as planned (The Telegraph) 

- Mercedes boss Wolff says he has “never seen so much opportunism and manipulation” in F1 politics as he has witnessed in the past six months (ESPN) 

- AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost says “life without racing is boring” and hopes F1 can successfully restart the 2020 season in Austria in July (Formula 1) 

- Lando Norris says he is excited by the prospect of seven-time grand prix winner Daniel Ricciardo joining McLaren in 2021 (RACER) 

- Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is set to make his first foray into acting by staring in a new film directed by French director Claude Lelouch, with filming expected to start this Sunday (Corriere dello Sport) 

- Renault’s Esteban Ocon will make his debut in F1’s official Virtual Grand Prix series in this weekend’s race at Monaco

Driver announcement!

Overalls Helmet … Simulator

As confirmed on V.IP (@TeamVitality) with @Orange_France this evening, we’re excited to reveal @OconEsteban will race in this weekend’s @F1 Virtual Monaco Grand Prix!#RSspirit #VforVictory pic.twitter.com/aT83yC8UZ8

— Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) May 20, 2020