Formula 1 returns to Circuit Zandvoort after the summer shutdown, with the drivers bringing stories of Sardinian holidays, a new puppy, an engagement and one very unwelcome burglary back to the grid.
The Formula 1 summer break is over. As the paddock reconvenes at Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands, the grid returns to the rhythm of race weekends after a few weeks away from the pressure of qualifying, strategy calls and Sunday afternoons measured in tenths.
The break offered drivers a chance to step away from the garage and share selected glimpses of life away from racing. Posts on Instagram and other social platforms showed a very different side of the people who spend most of the year travelling between circuits.
For some, the shutdown meant time with family and friends in the Mediterranean. For others, it brought personal milestones or an unfortunate interruption to a holiday. Now the historic Dutch circuit marks the return to competition and the start of the second half of the season.
Here is what the drivers shared during the pause before the lights go out again at Zandvoort.
Sardinia: the holiday hotspot
Max Verstappen spent his summer break in Sardinia, where he crossed paths with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff for the second consecutive year. Kelly Piquet and Susie Wolff also joined them on the Italian island, bringing together familiar faces from different sides of the F1 paddock away from the circuit.
Verstappen was pictured enjoying the water with Piquet, riding an electric hydrofoil board and boarding a luxury yacht. The images offered a relaxed contrast to the intensity of a Grand Prix weekend, with the Red Bull driver making the most of the time away from racing before the season resumed.
Kimi Antonelli followed Verstappen to Sardinia and spent time there with Mercedes team principal Wolff and his wife Susie. Antonelli’s father Marco also joined the group, making the island a particularly familiar destination for the Mercedes youngster during his first full season at the front of the championship.
Charles Leclerc also chose Sardinia for his break. The Ferrari driver spent time in Italy with his wife Alexandra, family and friends, sharing holiday pictures on social media. The couple’s fan-favourite dachshund Leo joined the Sardinian getaway, adding another recognisable face to Leclerc’s snapshots from the island.
Lewis Hamilton's break and new puppy Halo
Lewis Hamilton offered followers glimpses of his holidays through a series of social media posts. Among the pictures were his first photos with Halo, the new golden retriever puppy who was flown to Los Angeles a couple of weeks earlier.
Halo will have the same trainer as Hamilton’s other dogs, Roscoe and Coco: Kirsten McMillan. Hamilton also spent time with partner Kim Kardashian during the break as he continued to enjoy time away before the Formula 1 season resumed.
George Russell's engagement announcement
George Russell used the summer break to announce his engagement to longtime partner Carmen Mundt. The news was met with congratulations from across the F1 paddock, with Mercedes and several of Russell’s fellow drivers reacting to the announcement on social media.
Russell and Mundt have been together since 2020, after first meeting through a mutual friend in London. Carmen has since become a regular presence at Grand Prix events, supporting Russell throughout his Mercedes career and sharing the journey that has taken him to the front of the F1 grid.
Franco Colapinto's unfortunate burglary incident
Franco Colapinto’s break was considerably less relaxing. The Alpine driver was the victim of a burglary while holidaying on Lake Como in Italy, with the apartment where he was staying broken into and several belongings stolen while he was at the lake.
Colapinto revealed the incident on social media but chose to make light of what happened. He joked about the irony of a Latino having everything stolen by Europeans and sarcastically wished the thieves well with their new belongings. In a later update, he explained that his suitcases, clothes and personal items had all disappeared.
Looking ahead to Zandvoort
The return to Circuit Zandvoort brings the summer break to its official close. The historic and much-loved Dutch circuit is ready to welcome Formula 1 back, and its fast, flowing layout will provide the first answer to how the teams have used the shutdown and how refreshed the drivers feel.
From Sardinian water sports and family holidays to a new puppy, an engagement and an unfortunate burglary, the grid has returned with plenty to talk about. The focus now shifts back to lap time as the drivers bring that refreshed energy to Zandvoort and the second half of the season begins in earnest.