Take an onboard lap of Hanoi with Esteban Gutierrez

©Mercedes

Formula 1 was scheduled to make its grand debut in Vietnam this weekend, but with the sport in lockdown mode amid the coronavirus crisis, Hanoi's curtain-raiser will likely need to wait until next year.

However, F1 teams had added the new street circuit designed by Grand Prix racing's resident architect, Tilke Engineers & Architects, to their simulator programs to prepare for the inaugural event.

Mercedes AMG F1 has released a video on Youtube of reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez tackling the new course which offers an interesting variety of technical corners and tricky challenges.

The track's sequence of direction-changing tight corners requires good traction while hard braking qualities are also the norm, especially as the hairpin that follows the long back straight.

Check out Gutierrez's hot lap around Hanoi.

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