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Throwing snowballs, flying planes and getting lost in the desert – How F1 drivers have spent the winter break so far
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Formula 1 drivers have been enjoying a well-earned break over the winter after a busy 2024 season – but where have they gone and what have they been up to? F1.com provides a round-up with varied results…
Lando Norris
Following his most successful season in F1 to date, McLaren driver Norris has enjoyed a combination of sun and snow during the last couple of months, hopping into a dune buggy in the Dubai desert and hitting the ski slopes.
Oscar Piastri
Piastri made a trip back home to Australia for Christmas and New Year, watching cricket where he grew up in Melbourne, taking in some special views and spending time with family and friends.
Charles Leclerc
While Piastri went home, Leclerc flew far away from Monaco with a family trip to Mexico, where plenty of golf was played. More recently, he kicked off a training camp in the Dolomite Mountains of northeastern Italy.
READ MORE: Leclerc lists areas where Sainz has helped him improve as he hails ‘incredible team mate’
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton was another driver to hit the slopes with a spot of snowboarding, but attention soon turned to the seven-time World Champion’s headline Ferrari move. In mid-January, the milestone moment arrived when he appeared in red and drove one of the Scuderia’s cars for the first time.
Max Verstappen
Reigning World Champion Verstappen could not be kept away from a race track himself as he got some extra winter laps in, but there was also time to switch off as he posed for an end-of-year photo with pregnant partner Kelly Piquet.
Liam Lawson
Lawson received a dream Christmas present from Red Bull with the news that he will step up to the senior team alongside Verstappen in 2025. The youngster celebrated back home in New Zealand, which included meeting the newest addition to the family: niece Poppy.
George Russell
Russell sampled the snow in two very different ways with his first time skiing and an eventful drive on some frozen Swedish lakes. There was also a chance to spend a few days chilling out in his eponymous town on the Cayman Islands...
END OF YEAR REPORT: Mercedes – An inconsistent season and a bittersweet farewell for Hamilton
Kimi Antonelli
Russell’s new Mercedes team mate Antonelli combined time off with his loved ones and a slice of winter sun over Christmas, as the Italian teenager gears up to debut in the sport for the Silver Arrows.
Fernando Alonso
Like Verstappen, Alonso could not help but complete a few laps of a circuit over the winter, this time in a different kind of Aston Martin, and like Leclerc, the Spaniard started his pre-season preparations in the Dolomites.
Lance Stroll
Stroll added to the list of F1 drivers in action on the slopes over the last couple of months, with the Canadian sharing a video of himself snowboarding through some picturesque mountains.
END OF YEAR REPORT: Aston Martin – A season below expectations but with key high-profile arrivals
Pierre Gasly
Gasly kept his fans updated throughout the winter break, posting a range of photos and videos that included time with his dog Simba, an unforgettable virtual flying experience and a new pre-season haircut.
Jack Doohan
Doohan followed fellow Australian Piastri home for the winter, which it’s worth pointing out is the summer Down Under. Fresh from watching tennis and getting some all-important training in, he returned to the UK and Alpine’s factory to celebrate his 22nd birthday.
Esteban Ocon
Ocon stayed in the Middle East after the final two rounds of the 2024 season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, before getting into the Christmas spirit with his pet cat and then settling into his new surroundings at Haas.
Oliver Bearman
Having recharged the batteries after a whirlwind campaign, Bearman kicked off the New Year with a trip to Autosport International and, as touched on above, a pre-season test alongside new team mate Ocon.
READ MORE: Haas reveal when 2025 challenger will take to the track for the first time
Yuki Tsunoda
Having missed out on a Red Bull promotion to Lawson, Tsunoda travelled home to Japan and caught up with friends and family, while continuing the ‘White Christmas’ theme as he tried to stay warm in the snow.
ANALYSIS: Why Red Bull chose Lawson instead of Tsunoda as Perez’s replacement
Isack Hadjar
F2 runner-up Hadjar was the final driver to be confirmed on the 2025 grid, making that a good place to start on his social channels, with the Frenchman also posting a few photos of himself relaxing and training.
Carlos Sainz
Sainz started the break with an emotional farewell to Ferrari, which included one last test run and his father also being given the chance to drive one of his F1 cars. Since then he’s been holidaying in the Maldives, training hard and jumping into his new life at Williams.
Alex Albon
Sainz and new team mate Albon are already showing signs of being in sync, thanks to both drivers choosing the Maldives as their winter holiday destination. Albon has also come up with an inspired nickname for the pair...
Nico Hulkenberg
Hulkenberg makes it three out of three on the Maldives front, as he took time off with his family to reflect on a successful final season at Haas and look forward to a new chapter at Kick Sauber/Audi.
Gabriel Bortoleto
The other rookie on the 2025 grid, F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto enjoyed Christmas and the New Year with his family before – like Leclerc and Alonso (whose management company looks after the Brazilian) – picking up training in the Dolomites.
INSIGHT: Behind the scenes at Gabriel Bortoleto’s first F1 test with Kick Sauber
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