Pool days, proposals and paddock preparations – what F1 drivers have been up to ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix

With the summer break slowly drawing to a close and the Dutch Grand Prix now on the horizon, the F1 drivers are beginning to swap beaches, boats and bikes for training sessions and race preparations. But before the paddock reconvenes, the grid have made sure their time away has been well spent.

From a romantic proposal and sun-soaked holidays to karting sessions, mountain adventures and even a solar eclipse, there has been plenty going on away from the race track. Here’s what the drivers have been up to during their summer break...

Russell puts a ring on it

It has been a particularly memorable summer for George Russell, who announced his engagement to long-time partner Carmen Montero Mundt.

The Mercedes driver popped the question during an intimate candlelit dinner on the beach, with the couple sharing the happy news on Instagram shortly afterwards. Together since 2020, the pair were quickly met with well wishes from across the F1 paddock.

A very special summer for the two of them – congratulations to the happy couple!

Recharging by the sea

Few things say summer break quite like sunshine and the sea, and plenty of the grid have taken full advantage.

Charles Leclerc has been enjoying some quality time with partner Alexandra, his family and, naturally, Leo. Between picturesque views, days by the water and plenty of time to relax, the Ferrari driver looks to have fully embraced life away from the paddock.

Pierre Gasly has been following a similar formula, sharing pictures with partner Kika Gomes and friends as they swam, relaxed by the pool and even found some time for a game of tennis.

Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, has been living the Sardinian life with friends. Yacht trips, surfing and diving filled his days before the teenager swapped time on the water for nights accompanied by music and DJs. Not a bad way to spend a few weeks away from racing!

Oscar Piastri has also been enjoying a classic European summer, sharing his “annual European summer dump” filled with sunset views, seaside dinners and some time exploring on two wheels – although a mid-ride mechanical issue appeared to provide an unexpected pit stop.

And if relaxing on the water sounds a little too peaceful, Esteban Ocon found another way to get his speed fix. The Haas driver took a new personalised SportsJet 520 from Williams Jet Tenders out across Lake Geneva while spending some downtime with partner Flavy Barla.

Who said the summer break had to be slow?

Friends, family and the usual suspects

The summer and winter breaks offer a rare chance for drivers to spend extended periods with the people closest to them, and there has been plenty of quality time across the grid.

Lance Stroll has been catching up with friends, sharing pictures from dinners and nights out as well as a sunny drive with the roof down.

And apparently spending almost every Grand Prix weekend together still is not enough for Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto. The Audi team mates extended their time together into the summer break, joining friends for pool days, group lunches and a trip surrounded by some spectacular mountain scenery.

You can take the drivers out of the paddock, but separating the team mates is apparently another matter.

Arvid Lindblad has also been embracing “summa”, as he put it, with the Racing Bulls rookie celebrating his 19th birthday during the break before sharing a holiday dump filled with cooking attempts, time on the water and dinners with friends by the sea. He even offered up some summer wisdom along the way: “Life is better when nobody knows what you are doing.”

His Racing Bulls team mate Liam Lawson appears to have taken a rather different approach to switching off. Captioning his summer update simply “Touch grass”, the New Zealander packed in everything from motocross riding and uncle duties to a dinner with Lindblad – before somehow ending up behind the controls of a digger in the middle of the night.

We are not entirely sure how those activities ended up on the same holiday itinerary, but Lawson certainly cannot be accused of wasting his time off.

Elsewhere, his former team mate Isack Hadjar was spending his break with “the usual suspects” in Spain, where games of UNO, dinners and plenty of sunshine were on the agenda. He could not escape the gym entirely, though, squeezing in a training session as the return to racing edged closer.

For Carlos Sainz, the break has also offered some precious family time. The Spaniard shared a sweet picture alongside his father and nephew, giving us three generations of smooth operators in one shot.

Into the great outdoors

Not everyone made a beeline for the nearest beach. Alex Albon and fiancée Lily Muni He headed for the mountains, documenting a trip filled with hiking, lakes, food stops and plenty of typically unserious commentary.

Having triumphantly “found a mountain”, the pair went on to declare themselves “lazy hikers”, found a lake and eventually made their way to the sea. There were apparently a few cash flow issues along the way too, but nothing that could stop the adventure.

Valtteri Bottas hardly needs an excuse to head outdoors, spending part of his break back on two wheels through the woods and mountains of Montana with partner Tiffany Cromwell before the pair continued their American adventure in Yellowstone.

There, Bottas finally traded his cycling shoes for hiking boots as they explored the national park and its spectacular geothermal landscapes. It turns out even Bottas occasionally gives the bike a rest.

Franco Colapinto also kept active during his time away, heading out cycling and spending time with friends before witnessing one particularly impressive sight in the sky – a solar eclipse.

But it sounds like the Alpine driver has now had enough relaxing. Declaring that “the partying is over”, Colapinto told his followers that everything was ready and he could not wait to get racing again.

We suspect he will not be the only one itching to get back in the car...

Summer style

The break has not only been about holidays, with Piastri and Leclerc both finding time to step in front of the camera for their latest collections.

Piastri swapped his race suit for something considerably more relaxed as he modelled pieces from his new OP81 range. And really, who better to front the campaign than the man whose initials are on the clothes?

Leclerc has been brushing up on his modelling credentials too, taking to the water for the launch of his own summer collection.

The Monegasque posed in a selection of relaxed hoodies and co-ords aboard a yacht, with Leo naturally making another appearance, before swapping the photoshoot for a spot of wakeboarding.

No rest for Lewis and Ocon

While Colapinto might have declared the partying over, Lewis Hamilton appears to have been in work mode for some time already.

The seven-time World Champion has been sharing glimpses of his preparations for the return to racing, putting himself through sessions featuring core work, upper-body exercises and plenty of demanding bodyweight drills.

Ocon has been putting in the work too, sharing an update from his training camp as he tackled strength exercises and some all-important neck work with resistance bands.

“Training camp going well,” he wrote, and with the first race back fast approaching, the Frenchman looks more than ready to get behind the wheel again.

Can’t stay away from racing

Of course, some could not even make it through the summer break without finding something to drive.

Back home in Brazil, Bortoleto returned to his roots for a karting session, joking that a trip home simply would not be complete without getting back in a kart.

The Audi driver shared pictures from his training session, and judging by the full race gear, he was taking those summer laps pretty seriously.

Piastri opted for a rather different discipline. Instead of heading to a circuit, the Australian fired up his simulator and tried his hand at rallying from home.

There were some impressive moments and a few rather less successful ones along the way, so perhaps an F1 car remains the safer bet for now.

Dankjewel Zandvoort

As the summer break draws to a close, there is an added significance to the return to racing for Max Verstappen.

The four-time World Champion unveiled a special helmet for his final home Grand Prix at Zandvoort, with the Dutch race set to leave the calendar after 2026. The striking blue-and-white design features plenty of nods to his home country.

With the holidays almost over and the drivers steadily swapping beaches, mountains and gym sessions for race preparations, all eyes now turn to Zandvoort as Formula 1 gets ready to go racing once again.