OXFORDSHIRE’S Formula 1 teams are setting up camp at Silverstone for back-to-back home races.

The circuit, just over the border in Northamptonshire, is hosting rounds four and five of a season drastically rearranged by the coronavirus pandemic.

Although conditions mean no fans can attend over the next ten days, the teams are getting ready to enjoy racing on familiar tarmac.

Grove’s Williams are still searching for their first point of the campaign, but have shown encouraging signs they have moved forward from a dreadful 2019.

George Russell qualified 12th last time out in Hungary, although the British driver cautioned against thinking it will be repeated on a very different track.

He said: “I am incredibly excited to go driving again at one of the best circuits of the year though, as it is always a joy to drive around Silverstone and I will be giving it everything I have got.

“I think our pace won’t be quite as strong as we saw in Budapest.

“In Hungary we well and truly exceeded expectations, and things were working really well for us in qualifying.

“I expect us to go back to our reality which is probably a more similar pace to what we saw in the first week of Austria.”

Canadian teammate Nicholas Latifi is ready to go again after a weekend off.

He said: “The break we have had from the last triple header to now has been good and given me time to analyse the first few races, where I did well and more importantly where I can improve.

“I’m looking forward to keeping the momentum going and seeing where we can improve altogether as a team.”

The Enstone-based Renault team have had an eighth-place finish in each of the three races so far and will be looking to kick on.

Daniel Ricciardo said: “I love racing at Silverstone.

“It’s a special one for me, especially as it’s where I first raced a Formula 1 car back in 2011.

“Silverstone is a great track, it’s quite epic at full whack with a nice flow to it.”

Esteban Ocon added: “There are a few overtaking spots there, so I’m sure there will be some great racing and we’ll be aiming to be fighting for those points places.”

Haas, who have a factory in Banbury, got off the mark for the season in Hungary with Kevin Magnussen’s tenth-place finish.

But team principal Guenther Steiner believes this weekend will be tough to strike the right set-up for their car.

He said: “Normally our car was pretty good on high-speed corners, this year I think it’s a little bit different.

“We’re just not fast enough on the corners.

“We just have to try to find the balance between medium-speed downforce and not losing out too much on the high-speed parts of the track.”