Former F1 driver Vitaly Petrov, who was due to act as race steward for the Portuguese Grand Prix, was withdrawn on Saturday after his father was reportedly gunned down at his home in Russia. Petrov, 36, will be replaced for Sunday's race by Portugal's Bruno Correia.

The FIA said only that Petrov had left for Russia due to "a personal bereavement." Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Alexander Petrov was shot dead at his home in Vyborg, 80 miles north-west of St Petersburg. Petrov was appointed as a race steward at this weekend's race despite his expression of controversial views on racism and gay rights.