So, what did Team Principal Mike Krack do on his holiday? Of course, he went karting and watched a lot of sport, but that's behind us now, as the Dutch Grand Prix occupies everyone's attention.
With an F1 team pass stuck to your windscreen, you are one of the privileged few that can drive into Circuit Zandvoort – but it's nice to not take up that option. This is a great place to approach on foot or by bike, with a huge crowd heading out to the dunes to watch the modern iteration of an F1 classic.
Despite the new banking, this is the most old-school of old-school venues: narrow; fast; bumpy; with wind and sand a constant threat. It's also one of the most cheerful Grands Prix on the calendar that feels like one huge party.
Back from the summer break, Team Principal Mike Krack looks ahead to the Dutch Grand Prix, but also reflects on how he's spent the last two weeks trying to relax.
This is Mike on...
What I did on my holidays
"Having some time off has been fantastic, though I couldn't cut the cord to motorsport entirely: I went karting, both at home in Germany and then while on holiday in Mallorca. And it seems I wasn't the only one behind the wheel over the summer break, Fernando spent a chunk of shutdown karting too!
"Other than that, like I suspect everyone else, I watched a lot of the Olympics. The highlight for me was Armand Duplantis setting a new world record in the pole vault. I was glued to the TV with my family for that one. Everyone else is out at 5.95 metres, and he does 6.25 metres. I was blown away. There's a lot of fuss around the marquee events but he was the hero for me."
Getting back into the swing of things
"It's a little bit of a shock when everyone comes back in at the start of this week because the team goes from 0-100 in no time at all on Monday morning. No time to ease back into things, it's intense preperation to go straight into the double-header. Lance was straight into the simulator to get ready for Zandvoort, the AMR Technology Campus was working at full speed. It's good. There's a real eagerness to get back to it."
The value of the summer break
"The break is important. People should get away and relax. These final 10 races of the year require a huge amount of effort, and going into it well rested will be important. Of course, not everyone is good at resting. At our final team meeting before the shutdown, I suggested that anyone in a reflective frame of mind could think about how they've been working so far this year, and think about the little improvements that might make things better.
"I've certainly done that and come up with a few ideas for how I'll do things differently going forwards. For me, mostly it's too long and too boring to go into detail! One thing, which feels more like a New Year's resolution, is that I'm going to stop eating lunch in my office. We have the new restaurant opening in our Technology Campus and I can't wait to enjoy it with the rest of the team."
The car for Zandvoort
"The AMR24 for Zandvoort is similar to what we had in Budapest. We do have more developments coming this year but for the moment it's all about maximising what we have. We've learnt a lot with the car at the final two races before the break, which gives us a good chance of getting the most from the package."
F1 Academy
"We also have F1 Academy back this weekend after a fairly long hiatus. Tina is getting better prepared with every race and I'm convinced she'll go well. As I've said before, it's important to finish, to accumulate the laps, to learn from every lap how the tyres are behaving. This is the middle of the season for them, so plenty of time to develop and push on."
Looking to the skies
"The Dutch Grand Prix is one where the weather always plays a role. Last year in terrible conditions, we had a fantastic result with Fernando finishing second. This weekend, we're looking at very high winds and potential showers. It means there's a good chance of a chaotic Qualifying and race, and it's on days like this where getting absolutely everything right that's in your control can really pay off."
A fabulous circuit
"Zandvoort is a great circuit. It's a very fluid, very narrow, quite old-fashioned sort of place. Fast corners, not very long, so all sorts of traffic management issues. The banking brings challenges with it, as does the location.
"Being out on the dunes, there's plenty of sand flying around – which F1 cars don't really like – and often a strong breeze coming in off the sea. Some parts of the track are sheltered, others are very exposed, and that makes it a tough place to put together a good lap, which makes Qualifying fraught. Given how difficult it is to overtake, doing well in Qualifying is vital. Margins will be tight; no room for mistakes ."
Joining the party
"Away from the technical aspects of racing at Zandvoort, I really like this place. When the tide's out, you can run on the beach! There's a lot of history but the way the modern race works makes it very special. It's a walk-in event, with cars banned. So, everyone turns up on foot – or by bicycle. That creates a special atmosphere with everyone talking and meeting people as they arrive at the circuit.
"And when they are here, it's a big party from start to finish. It's a very small venue which generates a lot of atmosphere, and it reminds me of Après-ski – possibly because it's the same sort of music playing! I'm looking forward to it – a good race for the first one back ."
Duking it out among the dunesDuking it out among the dunes
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