How drivers and teams recharge during the summer break

The F1 2025 mid-season summer shutdown is a crucial two-week FIA-mandated factory closure, providing a vital reset for drivers and teams. Designed for cost control, fairness, and well-being, it allows everyone to recharge physically and mentally. Drivers blend rest with light training, engage in diverse hobbies like padel or free-diving, and prioritize mental switch-offs, often embracing mindfulness. Teams halt car development, giving engineers and staff a much-needed break. This essential pause, described by Mercedes as "one of the best rules," ensures a level playing field and prepares the entire paddock for the intensified championship battle resuming at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.