How Lewis Hamilton ‘leveled up’ in F1 shutdown break with Kim Kardashian

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he put aside his party-going summer traditions to focus on getting returning to the action in career-best condition at Zandvoort. 

Formula 1 returns to action this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix, and sees drivers sporting an assortment of suntans after spending some well-earned time away from the track. 

For seven-time champion Hamilton, who is currently second in the drivers' standings, this break was instead viewed as an opportunity to get the upper hand on his rivals, as he went about things a different way to usual. 

"This has been the most different summer break that I've ever had in all my championship seasons, and my career generally in Formula 1," he said. 

"Normally you go away and you spend like a week, take a week off or two weeks off. There's a bit of partying and all that sort of stuff. 

"I really took this as an opportunity to, to really level up. So, I trained for three weeks, and I've come back the fittest I've ever come back in summer in the 20 years or whatever that I've been here."

It hasn't been all work and no play for Hamilton, however, who shared a series of images on social media documenting his break, showing some downtime spent with friends, family, and his partner, Kim Kardashian.

"So, I'm really proud of that, the work that we put in with my trainer. [There was] a lot of analysis to look at where we have been, the things that we did well, the things that we leave behind, looking at schedule moving forwards, taking out things that don't ultimately get me to where I want to be.

"I come in really feeling definitely refreshed. It's a different sort of thing; rather than relaxed, I feel energised. It's a good feeling, feeling fit."