Thursday's summary: Pressure on Verstappen and Hamilton, Capito absent

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have two more Grands Prix to fight for the world title. Although the Dutchman has a safe lead of eight points, a lot is still possible in the next two races. What happened on Thursday in Saudi Arabia?

Verstappen and Hamilton put the pressure on each other

The two leaders in the world championship know better than anyone how to keep the attention off themselves. At the press conference prior to the Saudi Arabian GP, the Dutchman and Briton said they did not feel any pressure towards the final battle. Whereas Hamilton gained confidence during the past races, Verstappen seems to want to break the series of the Mercedes driver.

Honda expects tough Formula 1 weekend

As usual the Japanese engine supplier look ahead to the important race on Sunday. According to Toyoharu Tanabe, Red Bull Racing will have a hard time beating Mercedes again, although the Austrian team has shown they can surprise more often this season. Verstappen will want to do everything possible to keep the lead over Hamilton at least equal.

Team boss Williams gets coronavirus

George Russell and Nicholas Latifi will have to cope without a team boss during the Saudi-Arabia GP. Williams announced on Thursday that Jost Capito has contracted the coronavirus, meaning he will not be able to attend the race weekend. This coincides with the farewell to the late Frank Williams that is scheduled for this weekend.