After the dust settles on another rip-roaring F1 season, the drivers face a four-month break before the start of the next championship. Pre-season training starts in earnest in January, but before that there's no shortage of exciting events and occupational responsibilities to help the drivers blow-off steam. From award ceremonies to jet-setting holidays, contract negotiations to luxury casinos, here's what some of our favourite drivers get up to in the off-season!
Nico Hulkenberg
For some drivers, the allure of the track is too strong to resist. In the 2015 winter break, Nico Hulkenberg became the first active F1 driver to win Le Mans for 24 years, beating out the Australian Mark Webber. Hulkenberg's victory in the 24-hour race has reignited interest in Le Mans amongst F1 drivers, and proves that for some drivers, racing is simply in their blood.
Nico Rosberg and Max Verstappen
For the most successful drivers, the off-season starts with the FIA Prize-Giving Gala. After his stunning championship victory over teammate Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg was officially crowned the 2016 F1 world champion at a ceremony in the historic Hofburg Palace, Vienna. Having announced his retirement from the sport just hours before, the award was a fitting end to Rosberg's racing career, who joins his father, Keke Rosberg, as an F1 world champion. Rosberg wasn't the only winner on the night, as teenager Max Verstappen scooped the Action of the Year prize for his stunning move on the world champion in Brazil, as well as the Personality of the Year prize, his second in successive seasons.
Jenson Button
After the season ended Jenson Button went back to school, receiving an honorary degree as a Doctor of Engineering from the University of Bath. The 2009 world champion was honoured as a "perfect role model for any up and coming sportsman" in a touching oration by Dr. Geraint Owen, kick starting his off-season in style before he goes back to racing as a reserve driver for McLaren. Button isn't the first racing driver to receive an honorary degree, joining the likes of Sir Jackie Stewart and Nigel Mansell CBE as highly decorated racing drivers.
Kevin Magnussen and Esteban Ocon
Business doesn't stop just because the season ends, and many F1 drivers use the off-season to move teams and renegotiate their contracts. Kevin Magnussen moved from Renault to Haas at the end of the 2016 season, whilst Esteban Ocon joined Force India. Formula One generates as much as £1.1bn per year in revenue, and most F1 teams need to wait until the winter break to calculate their finances, so its unsurprising that much of the contract-wrangling, big money deals and commercial business takes place throughout the off-season months.
Daniel Ricciardo, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel
Plenty of drivers like to relax and rest up before the grueling pre-season training starts. Daniel Ricciardo is no exception, spending his Christmas in glorious sunshine back in his native Australia. Given how jam-packed the regular season schedule is for F1 drivers, the winter break is the best opportunity many drivers have to catch up on their family lives. Fernando Alonso relaxed with his sons, whilst Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a quiet Christmas with his young family.
Lewis Hamilton
As the 49th top-earning celebrity of 2016 with $46 million according to Forbes, Lewis Hamilton has plenty of money to burn. No stranger to the casino, as his recent tiff with Skycity Casino in Auckland shows, Hamilton, as well as many other F1 drivers, like to spend their winter break in luxury. The off-season provides the perfect time for drivers to unwind away from the scrutiny of the intense racing months, and the casino is one of the most popular venues in which to do so. Hamilton also enjoys more prosaic winter break pursuits. Every winter, he's reported to spend time skiing and playing Call of Duty with his friends in Aspen, Colorado, which might be what led to his starring role in the most recent installment of the series!
There's plenty of ways you can live like a driver too! Get down to your local go-karting circuit for some hands on action, or why not join an F1 fan club to share your tips, thoughts and opinions with like-minded fans. You could visit an online gambling platform such as Mr. Smith Casino for some luxury gambling action like Lewis Hamilton, or even sign up for an F1 driving day experience and get behind the wheel of a real F1 car. You can stay up-to-date on all the latest off-season F1 developments at Pitpass, as you can see, there's plenty still going on!
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