Mercedes driver George Russell stresses how important the two-week compulsory break is for teams and employees and advocates a winter shutdown
No wheels are turning in Formula 1 at the moment and the factories are also at a standstill. Because during the summer break, which lasts until the Dutch Grand Prix (25-27 August), there are not only no races. Each team is also obliged to rest work in the factories for a fortnight.
The exact period for this “Shutdown” must be notified to the FIA in advance. Meanwhile, no work on development, i.e. no wind tunnel or CFD work, no production of car parts and also no work on design may take place.
Even with a packed calendar that includes another ten race weekends in the second half of the season, this mandatory break is more important than ever for the teams and their staff, insists Mercedes driver George Russell.
“I think the summer break is a really great thing for everyone in the sport. I think we’re all so motivated and determined. Everyone feels like a little warrior in their own way and just wants to hang in there. But I also think everyone realises how important this two-week break is,” the Brit explains.
“You can totally recover and regenerate, but also maybe get some new ideas on how to improve. It’s nice that as a sport we have that opportunity.”
That’s why the 25-year-old would also be in favour of a winter shutdown in perspective. “I think there are talks about that for the winter. Obviously that’s more for the engineers and designers in the factories. It’s a brutal sport, incredibly intense. I think that would probably be a good addition.”
After all, for factory staff, the winter months are often the most stressful time of the year; after all, preparations for the new season have to be brought to a conclusion before presentations and winter testing.
A winter shutdown, for example from Christmas to New Year, has therefore been discussed again and again for some time. At the beginning of the year, an agreement was reached on a corresponding measure. Details about the duration, however, have not yet been made public.
