Hitting the links, movie premieres and two-wheel racing – what F1 drivers have been up to during the summer break

After a busy first half of the season, the F1 teams and drivers have been enjoying their well-deserved rest. Whilst many choose to go entirely off-grid during this time in order to relax to the fullest, some drivers have been documenting their summer antics.

From walking the red carpet at a movie premiere, to spending precious time delighting in their hobbies or relaxing, and even getting back on track – the drivers have certainly been enjoying themselves. Here’s what the grid has been getting up to during the summer break...

Ocon on the red carpet

F1's resident Marvel superfan Esteban Ocon’s summer break might have peaked as soon as it began – as the Haas driver was invited to walk the red carpet at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere in London alongside his partner Flavy.

It’s already been a Spidey-filled few weeks for the Frenchman. Ocon not only fronted an official collaboration with the comicbook franchise, sporting a bespoke Spider-Man helmet in Belgium and Hungary, but also teamed up with Tom Holland — Spider-Man himself — to unveil it.

In one final flex, Ocon took the helmet to the premiere as a unique accessory. It’s a work of art in every universe! We'll be waiting for an Estie cameo in future...

Albon’s pit stop in South Africa

F1 drivers are used to tight turnarounds in countries for double- and triple-header race weeks — but a 10-hour dash is a whole other level! Whilst most other drivers were likely heading home and catching up on well-deserved rest, Alex Albon made a brief visit to South Africa for a fan appearance with Williams.

Albon squeezed a lot into this trip, including meeting South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, talking to thousands of fans at a Williams partner event, and trying some South African cuisine.

With this short trip, Albon became the first active Williams driver to visit South Africa since Alain Prost won the South African Grand Prix in 1993. Something tells us he’ll want to come back — maybe for a little longer next time.

Bottas back racing... on two wheels

You can take the racer out of the F1 car, but you can't stop him scratching that itch! Valtteri Bottas spent the first part of his summer break competing at the UCI Gravel World Series in Hlinsko. Not only did he finish fifth in his age group against some seasoned pros over 131km — the multi-talented Finn also qualified for the World Championships

His partner Tiffany Cromwell also finished seventh in her category — congrats to both of these cycling superstars!

Just in case you were worried that Bottas is incapable of winding down, he will be rested by the time the season restarts at the end of August. The Cadillac driver has also been spending time in the sauna, swimming in open water, and kicking back with a drink — after all, life is all about balance.

On the green...

Would it be a break from racing if there weren’t drivers hitting the golf course? You’d be hard stretched to find a member of the current grid who doesn’t enjoy a spot of golf, with the calm nature allowing them to decompress during the break, whilst simultaneously providing them an opportunity to work on their mental strength and concentration.

The drivers are also pretty competitive when it comes to sharing and comparing their handicaps, so it comes as no surprise that some of them are after tips from the best in the business. Lewis Hamilton caught up with Australian PGA golfer Min Woo Lee out on the course — perhaps we’ll see a link-up between the pair on track too?

With F1 being such a technical sport, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the drivers also want to ensure they have the best equipment on the golf course too. After McLaren announcing their venture into golf earlier this year, Oscar Piastri looks like he's been trying to make his way onto their pro team alongside Justin Rose — we'd love to see that pairing!

...and in the water

Another favourite pastime over the summer break is heading out to sea. Whether it’s a trip to the beach or quality time on a boat, you can almost guarantee that the drivers will be spending more time in and around the water than on dry land.

Don’t just take our word for it. Kimi Antonelli shared his summer break morning routine to his socials as the Italian hit the waves. While Piastri’s summer plans on the water seem slightly more tranquil, we can’t blame drivers for already missing the thrill of racing.

Another driver enjoying his time offshore was George Russell. It didn’t take long for the Mercedes man to put the disappointment of Hungary behind him and get down to some summer break antics. He started his break by enjoying some time on a jet ski — posted with the James Bond theme music, of course.

The franchise is currently on the hunt for a new actor to play the iconic role — Bond, George Bond, anyone?

Quality time with loved ones

The summer and winter breaks are rare opportunities for the drivers to spend quality time with their friends and families away from the mayhem of race weeks, so they understandably make the most of it.

Gabriel Bortoleto enjoyed some time by the sea with his friends and partner Isabella, whilst Ocon also played tourist for a few days after his Spider-Man movie premiere adventure.

Testing laps, laps and more laps

Not everyone made a clean break from the paddock once the racing in Hungary was over. Take Franco Colapinto, who remained at the Hungaroring for a few days to complete crucial laps as part of the Pirelli tyre testing.

He was joined by Bortoleto and Jak Crawford, Aston Martin’s reserve driver — all three completing a series of screening runs on various C3 tyre options. Following this, there were plenty of long runs to find the most promising performance and degradation characteristics to be assessed.

It may not be downtime, but it’s no surprise that the drivers are game for more driving — and Colapinto also enjoyed his social media exploits over these days.