Verstappen tops at Belgian GP practice

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped the practice timesheets for the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix on Friday, ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo and championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

The Dutchman, third fastest in the first of Friday’s two 90-minute sessions, vaulted to the top in the afternoon with a time of one minute, 43.744 seconds. That put him a mere 0.048 seconds clear of Ricciardo with Hamilton also hot on his heels just 0.096 seconds behind.

FANS COULD BE ALLOWED AT ITALY GP

MILAN: An upcoming Formula One race in Italy could be open to 3,000 fans. Tuscany region president Enrico Rossi says local health authorities have approved limited spectators for the Tuscan Grand Prix on 13 September. Rossi tells the Gazzetta dello Sport “the circuit contains three big tribunes that are well spaced apart so the limit of 1,000 people per the national rules on public events can reasonably be considered as the capacity limit for each tribune.”

Official government approval is expected by Saturday.

Fans will have their temperature taken upon arrival and be asked to observe social distancing procedures and wear masks if it is approved.

The only spectators at the Italian GP in Monza a week earlier will be 250 specially invited health workers.

SHORTENED LAYOUT FOR SAKHIR GP

BAHRAIN: Formula One will hold the second of its two Bahrain races around a shortened, fast layout that will take cars less than 55 seconds to lap in qualifying, the sport said in a statement on Friday.

At 3.543 km, the 11-corner layout which makes up the ‘outer circuit’ of Bahrain’s Sakhir desert track, will be the secondshortest in Formula One behind Monaco, which will not be raced this year.

Simulations showed cars will be able to lap the layout in less than a minute during the race, which will feature the highest number of laps at 87. Branded the Sakhir GP, the second race in the Gulf island kingdom will take place on Dec. 6, a week after the country’s Bahrain Gpwhich will be run around the longer 5.4km ‘international layout’.