How F1 stars spent their winter break

With over two months between the end-of-2014 Abu Double finale and the first 2015 test at Jerez, F1’s leading men can’t complain that they haven’t enjoyed a decent break over the winter.

But just how have the Formula 1 drivers been spending their time?

For many, of course, the season was elongated by their participation in the two-day Abu Dhabi test that followed the season’s conclusion and sit-fitting sessions back at their team’s headquarters. For Lewis Hamilton, a treadmill of media interviews and award ceremonies followed his title triumph, culminating in his official coronation at the FIA prizegiving ceremony in Doha at which Nico Rosberg and a photo-bombing Daniel Ricciardo were also recognised.

Hamilton’s holidays only began in earnest on December 15 when he flew to America after collecting the Sports Personality of the Year award in Scotland. Since then, the world champion has enjoyed an extended break in the mountains of Colorado where he has also started his pre-season training regime.

Hamilton’s winter holidays have also included a significant landmark with the Englishman turning 30 on January, prompting a cheeky – but charming – message from erstwhile rival Nico Rosberg:

Rosberg’s own training camp opened in early January in the rather milder climes of Ibiza.

Yet surely the most significant event to take place over the winter for any of the grid’s main men was the wedding of Jenson Button to long-time partner Jessica Michibata.

The pair wed over Christmas at a private - but reportedly lavish - ceremony in Hawaii. 

After what Jenson termed ‘an amazing holiday/training camp’, the newlyweds have returned Mrs Button’s native Japan, during which time the McLaren driver has also commemorated the first anniversary of his father’s death and visited the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.

Daniel Ricciardo, meanwhile, has been racking up the air miles, visiting the south of France, London and Qatar before returning home down under.

For Williams’ Valtteri Bottas, it’s been a somewhat chillier Christmas period after spending the Festive Period in his native Finland and a week’s training at the Pajulahti sports centre north of Helsinki. 

Marcus Ericsson, meanwhile, has kept busy since his appointment as a Sauber driver by driving their 2014 car for two days in Abu Dhabi before spending a week in Switzerland in mid-December familiarising himself with his new team. After Christmas and New Year’s ‘at home in Sweden’, Marcus flew to Thailand at the start of January to embark on a two-week training camp in Thailand.

There was little rest for Nico Hulkenberg either before Christmas as the Force India driver tested with Porsche for the first time ahead of his debut in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours race.

For Fernando Alonso, the highlight of the winter break has been confirmation of his return to McLaren, which was officially announced on December 11. Along with the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, the Spaniard has subsequently kept below the F1 radar, only breaking cover to confirm he was starting on his pre-season training on January 6 after an extended holiday.

But for sheer diversity, Romain Grosjean has perhaps had the most impressive winter break, competing in the Race of Champions before holidaying in the Caribbean and then spending the Christmas period in France and Switzerland. And in the first week of January, after flying back to England where he has a base close to Lotus' Enstone factory, the Frenchman also found time to enjoy a magic day out:

Yet the Lotus driver’s break hasn’t been without poignancy with Romain sending messages to both Jules Bianchi and Michael Schumacher before expressing his solidarity with his fellow Parisians in the wake of the Charlie Ebdo attacks.

The Sky Sports F1 Online team will be providing live commentary of all three winter tests, starting in Jerez on February 1, with live updates from trackside also on Sky Sports News HQ.