A summer break check in
So... what's everyone up to?
Silly season might not be silly season-ing, but summer break is certainly summer break-ing! Some drivers are on vacation, some have disappeared, teams are releasing videos to keep fans engaged, and Grill the Grid is back! With a lack of racing, I figured we could check in on them all together.
So many of these people are on vacation. I won’t be posting any paparazzi photos—they make me uncomfortable—but here’s a little rundown for you.
Max went to the beach (maybe St. Tropez?) with his family. Lots of pap photos of this, but when Kelly, his partner, posted a photo on her Instagram she got some… less that kind comments. Kelly is a very, very controversial figure so I’m going to stay out of this but guys… it’s brutal out there.
Charles also went to the beach, where he turned straight up Ferrari red. That man has no idea what sunscreen is, apparently? He also took photos on the rooftop of a bar and he and his brother Arthur did some hitchhiking. He’s having an adventure.
Pierre and his girlfriend Kika went to the beach as well, and hung out with Kika’s family some.
And yes, you’re seeing that right—Lance Stroll actually posted on Instagram!
Finally, George, his girlfriend Carmen, and their families also went on vacation.
As for who has disappeared? Well, let’s see.
Against all odds, Daniel Ricciardo is one of the missing. There’s been one picture of him with Martin Garrix (the Paddock WAG) in Ibiza and then… nothing. Everytime his story is updated I look and it’s just his ‘x3 Songs’ Beats collab.
KMag had his PR post a stock summer image on Insta, but other than that he’s been absent. Lewis Hamilton posted the same non-descript photo twice before quickly correcting that error.
The teams, of course, haven’t stopped pumping out content. In fact, there’s more content than usual over the break!
A-Z Race Winners Challenge! | Grill The Grid 2023
I’m just going to link the first one, but they’ll continue releasing without the break. Both out so far—the A to Z Race Winners challenge and the Youngest to Oldest Challenge—are fun, but the Youngest to Oldest is edited so strangely. My theory is that, since this was filmed in Bahrain, they had to edit it pretty thoroughly to remove all traces of Nyck De Vries. The guy’s name is on the cards they have to organize, but he’s not mentioned a single time…
Max Verstappen Learns How to Drift | Feat Mad Mike
You think Max Verstappen is good in an F1 car? Watch him hop in to a drift car and learn how to drift in a single day. This is one of the rare Max videos where he really, truly seems to enjoy what they have him doing.
Lando Norris RETURNS TO MOTO GP!
Hiiii Quadrant! Just because F1 is on break doesn’t mean other motorsports are. Lando takes the break as a chance to attend MotoGP’s Silverstone race. Quadrant videos are always high quality, and this is no exception.
Beat the Challenge with Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz of Scuderia Ferrari
Okay, oil company, give me Carlos and Charles playing little games. Thank you. The best thing to come from this video is Carlos quoting Charles’s iconic “I am schtupid” to his face.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri play British Summer Games
THE TWISTER VIDEO!!! Mclaren have been teasing us with pictures of Oscar and Lando playing twister for a full month, but it’s finally here. He and Oscar are so fun together.
The Whisper Challenge with Lewis and George! 🤣
I cannot believe they got Lewis to do this. End Tweet (or is it X now?)
Would You Rather?
If you want to watch two old men ask each other questions, then boy do I have the video for you!
Let’s see, I’m sure there’s some other things to mention…
Lily posted some iconic photos of her (and Alex, I guess) on vacation.
When asked whether Daniel’s return to F1 was linked to Perez’s struggles, instead of just saying “no” like a normal person (and like his PR rep was probably screaming), Horner said “I don’t think so.” What in the world…
And finally, P1 with Matt and Tommy and Will Buxton made their grid predictions and they were… well, let’s just say they’re getting them roasted. Do you have any hot takes on what to expect in 2026? Here’s my mockup, let me know yours!
