Carlos Sainz traditionally spends the Formula 1 summer break in the Balearic Islands—with family, training, and a 30-year-old tradition taking center stage
For Formula 1 drivers, the traditional summer break begins after the Hungarian Grand Prix. As in previous years, Carlos Sainz will spend it in the Balearic Islands, where he’ll combine relaxation with targeted preparation for the season’s final stretch.
The Williams driver looks back on a difficult race weekend in Budapest. Sainz finished only 18th and crossed the finish line two laps down. In addition, the Spaniard received a five-second penalty following a collision with Oscar Piastri while lapping him.
In the drivers’ standings, the 31-year-old is in 15th place with six points, just ahead of his teammate Alex Albon. Williams also dropped to ninth place in the constructors’ standings after the Hungarian weekend.
Summer in Mallorca: A Family Tradition
In the podcast “The Fast And The Curious,” Sainz explained that he would once again be spending the Formula 1 break with his family.
“I usually spend my summer in the Balearic Islands,” said the Spaniard. “I’ll be spending most of my time in Mallorca. My parents have a summer house there. My whole family is there for almost a month. They set up camp there, and I join them for a few weeks just to spend time with the people I love.”
Training ahead of the season’s restart
Despite the break, Sainz has a structured fitness program planned for this year as well. Together with friends, he’s using the last few days of the summer break to prepare for the remaining races.
“Sometimes my group of friends joins me toward the end, and we do a sort of training camp before I fly to Zandvoort,” Sainz reveals. “Then I head to Ibiza and Menorca—just by boat—to visit other friends I have on the islands. To be honest, I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and that’s all I do in the summer.”
After the summer break, the Formula 1 season will resume at the end of August with the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. According to Williams, the team is planning more extensive car upgrades later in the season, which are expected to be introduced around the time of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.