While they were away - what F1 did this summer

As the drivers prepare to return to race action in Belgium this weekend, we bring you a social media round-up of what some of them have been doing during the F1 summer shutdown...

Lewis Hamilton

As well as hanging out with Roscoe, the three-time world champion also found time for sailing, racing off-road buggies, and doing some charity work in Cuba...

Day on the water! 🙌🏽🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/u3RZnAvZxo

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 17, 2017 Welcome to the Mega Zone... 🔥🔥🔥 #Blessed pic.twitter.com/VOag4Jgay4

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 2, 2017 Out in Cuba with @UNICEF to see their awesome work with children and the early development programmes 🇨🇺 #Unicef pic.twitter.com/xC8Enokt6L

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 19, 2017

Max Verstappen

For the young Dutchman it was a case of enjoying sunshine with friends, more off-roading, and meeting his fans at one of Red Bull's famous soap-box racing events...

Daniel Ricciardo

Red Bull hinted that he'd be off to the beach with team mate Verstappen, but the affable Aussie also made space for family and some fun on two wheels...

Jolyon Palmer

The Renault driver laid claim to one of the biggest achievements of the summer - travelling to Africa and scaling its highest peak...

Kevin Magnussen

The Dane proved as unpredictable as ever, mixing flying time and farm yards...

Lance Stroll

The Williams rookie didn't completely escape the sporting arena, swapping the race track for the golf course...

Marcus Ericsson

Sauber's Swedish star didn't escape the race track at all - that's brotherly love for you...

Romain Grosjean

The Frenchman was among several drivers to spend time on the water - none had his world turned upside down quite like this though...

Stoffel Vandoorne

It was a case of Montenegro meets Monaco for McLaren's Belgian star, all in the name of rest and relaxation...

Valtteri Bottas

There's no place like home, they say - hard to argue with a sunset snap like that from Mercedes' flying Finn...

Sergio Perez

The Force India driver matched Bottas in the sunset stakes, but definitely had him beaten in the 'big bubbles' department...

Daniil Kvyat

Boats, water, sunshine, beaches... are you starting to sense a theme here among F1 drivers? Kvyat also shared his break with girlfriend Kelly Piquet...

Pascal Wehrlein

The message from the Sauber driver suggests a strict regime for his summer break - the picture tells us it was either very tiring, or very relaxing...

Esteban Ocon

There was more of a party atmosphere for the Force India star's seaside break...

Fernando Alonso

The two-time world champion found time to check in with progress at his museum before heading to the scenic setting of Mikonos - even there, though, he couldn't resist a spot of training...

Footnote

He wasn't strictly on summer break, given his recent retirement from F1, but it was interesting to see that racing hasn't entirely left the blood of reigning world champion Nico Rosberg...