What Formula 1 drivers have been up to over the festive holidays

Formula 1 drivers are a month into their well-earned winter break after a busy 2025 season – but where have they gone, and what have they been up to so far? F1.com provides a round-up with varied results…

Aussies(ish) at the Ashes

Cricket-loving Aussie Oscar Piastri was joined Down Under by the grid’s honorary Australian, Valtteri Bottas, to catch Australia take on England in the Ashes. Piastri even rubbed shoulders with the Australian team, all while looking like he could have slipped straight into the lineup – given his sharp outfit put together by mum Nicole, of course.

Bottas, as ever, fully embraced local culture, topping off the trip with a fresh mullet trim before spending his time in the crowds and greeting fans. The pair even had plenty to celebrate as Australia went on to retain the Ashes.

Adrenaline junkies

It’s been less than a month since the final chequered flag of 2025, but many of the drivers have been itching for excitement again – four wheels or otherwise!

After a successful year combining F1 and GT3 racing, the work didn’t finish in Abu Dhabi for Max Verstappen. The four-time World Champion headed to Portugal to test a Mercedes GT3, giving his new number 3 its first outing since his announcement that he was switching from his previous 33 – a break from F1 clearly takes many forms!

Also pushing the limit on four wheels was Fernando Alonso, jumping in his XC Cross car to rip up a dirt track – what can’t that man drive? Heading back to their roots, Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto headed down to their respective karting tracks for a nostalgic spin, while Kimi Antonelli set some searing pace in the wet, having sneaked into Daytona Milton Keynes under a fake name.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz went full support mode for his dad and rally legend Carlos Sainz Sr as he set off in January’s Dakar Rally for two weeks of epic racing. Having won the 2010, 2018, 2020, and 2024 editions, Sainz Sr will be looking for a strong result this year!

Anyone heading to the slopes this winter? The F1 grid certainly has. George Russell, Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll are among those who’ve been hopping on the skis over the festive period, with time in the mountains proving to be a driver’s favourite for mixing training up – whilst getting their high-speed fix.

Quality family time

A gruelling F1 season is tough on the drivers for many reasons, but time spent away from family might be the hardest for the grid to deal with – so it’s no surprise that the winter break is all about quality time at home. For Russell and Liam Lawson, uncle duties called, as the pair enjoyed hanging out with their nieces in the festive period.

Antonelli and Bortoleto wished us some happy holidays with posts of their family under their Christmas trees, while Stroll gave us a look at his Canadian break, featuring table tennis, snow, and more adorable family time – a nice change of pace for the paddock.

Holidays and adventures

Drivers get to travel the world as they make their way through the F1 calendar, but for some the travelling doesn’t stop during the break. The grid love an adventure, and if Leclerc’s Antarctica trip hadn’t been cancelled, they would have visited every continent between them.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton chose to give the Big Apple a visit, his “favourite city”, and even spent some time with Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan. Bortoleto found some time during his vacation to get in the gym in his native Brazil, while new Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad flew to Mumbai in India.

Thai driver Alex Albon relaxed in the country whom he races for, before exploring the stunning and remote Bhutan. Ocon got his fix of Marvel, spending Christmas in Disneyland Paris with partner Flavy Barla, while Mercedes’ Russell combined the cold mountain weather with some warm desert sun during his Kenyan safari – an impressive array of destinations all round.

At the awards

Winter also brings a chance to celebrate the highs of the year just gone. Newly crowned World Champion Lando Norris marked his triumph at the FIA Prize Giving in Uzbekistan, with the Brit sharing some behind-the-scenes glimpses of the evening on his socials for what he called “the night I’d waited for my whole life.”

Elsewhere, Gasly put the spotlight on giving back, attending the Make-A-Wish France gala, having spent the year as an ambassador for the charity. One of his helmets was auctioned for charity – a lovely way for the Frenchman to use his platform to help children in care.

Itching for the comeback

We reckon few drivers are counting down the hours to lights out in Melbourne quite like Bottas and Sergio Perez will be. After a year away from the grid, both are set to make their highly anticipated returns in 2026 with the brand-new Cadillac team – and they’re making sure to leave no stone unturned in their preparations.

While Bottas and Perez have clearly made the most of their “sabbaticals”, they’ve recently been sharing glimpses of the hard work going into what it takes to get race-ready again on their socials. Not long to wait guys!

A time for reflection

In classic December fashion, drivers have spent some time reminiscing over a life-changing past year, especially the 2025 rookies. Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman posted end-of-year recaps after their milestone years, and with such impressive maiden campaigns, we can’t wait to see what they will achieve in their sophomore seasons!