Track time, red Cannes carpets and flag-waving – what F1 drivers have been up to before Canada

After a fortnight away, Formula 1 is back in North America as we head to Montreal for another exciting Canadian Grand Prix. But don’t let the short turnaround fool you into thinking that the drivers have been taking it easy!

From red-carpet appearances and MotoGP paddocks to photoshoots and plenty of workouts, the grid has packed an impressive amount into a brief window. Here’s what the drivers have been up to before travelling to Montreal for race week...

Carlos and Charles at Cannes

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc both got suited and booted to walk the prestigious Cannes Film Festival red carpet in the South of France – on different nights, but both certainly looking the part alongside their partners Rebecca Donaldson and Alexandra Leclerc.

Cannes has become a popular stop for F1 drivers in recent years, with Pierre Gasly, Franco Colapinto and Esteban Ocon also making appearances last year – and who can blame them? An enjoyable evening for our very own movie stars!

Flag-waving duties for Hadjar

The MotoGP race at Le Mans had a very special guest last weekend, as Isack Hadjar made the most of his home event, swapping helmets with championship contender Jorge Martin and Frenchman Fabio Quartararo. Martin went on to win the sprint race and the Grand Prix – he was even waved home by Hadjar on Sunday as the Red Bull driver enjoyed his chequered flag-waving duties.

Historic French Grand Prix

Even over a short break from racing, you just can’t keep these guys out of race cars! Hadjar, Gasly, and Ocon headed to the Circuit Paul Ricard for the Historic French GP event, and judging by their social media, they had a great time. With the likes of Alain Prost and Jean Alesi among those in attendance alongside the current crop of French challengers, it was a proper celebration of the country’s rich motorsport heritage.

The highlight for Ocon was surely getting behind the wheel of Jean Alesi’s 1995 Ferrari 412T2, the very car in which Alesi took his famous victory in Montreal.

Meanwhile, Gasly hopped into the Renault RS10 – the car that Jean-Pierre Jabouille drove to victory at the 1979 French Grand Prix – and Hadjar took to the road to show off his RB22. All in all, a memorable day out at home for the French contingent in front of an adoring crowd.

Racers going to race

Three drivers fancied a racing throwback during the break, as Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto and Alex Albon took part in some friendly karting competition before travelling to Canada – we wonder who came out on top...

Elsewhere, Max Verstappen continued his exploits racing GT cars as he took part in this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours. The Dutchman showed off his skills with some mighty stints in his team’s Mercedes-AMG GT3, but a driveshaft failure with just over three hours to go ruined his chances of a debut victory.

Working hard

Staying fit and ready is a non-negotiable during time off, and although George Russell found some time to watch his Mercedes team take the win at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, the Briton has also been hard at work in the gym before Montreal. His team mate and championship rival Kimi Antonelli has also been busy before Canada, spending time in the simulator, training his neck, and enjoying plenty of swimming back in San Marino. No time off for the top two!

Valtteri Bottas needs no excuse to test his physical limits, as he spent another weekend competing on the bike. His gravel cycling races certainly keep him in good shape during the long F1 season, but this week, the Finn even claimed victory in his age group at the event in Nannup, Australia. A winning weekend for Bottas and his partner Tiffany Cromwell, who also won her elite category!

Monaco meet up

F1 is only a few weeks away from its annual return to one of the most prestigious races on the calendar – and for those drivers who call Monaco home, the wait to go racing again was made a little easier by the Formula E weekend right on their doorstep.

Lando Norris, Bortoleto, Nico Hulkenberg, and Sainz were all spotted at the Monaco E-Prix, mingling with the drivers and taking in more motorsport action. Watching from the sidelines will only have made them more eager to do battle round the streets of the Principality in a few weeks’ time.

Maiden Madring run

There was only one man up to the task of testing out F1’s newest circuit – the Spaniard and Madrid native Sainz. The Madring combines public roads and permanent sections of track, with Sainz clearly enjoying the unique ‘La Monumental’ turn, which features a 24% banking gradient – September can’t come soon enough for Sainz!

Cover star Arvid

Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad is the latest F1 driver to land a magazine cover, and just a few races into the new season he’s wasted no time in making himself known beyond the racetrack.

The Briton posed with a skateboard for the Esses front cover – reflecting one of his other passions away from racing – giving fans a glimpse into his personality. In just his first season of F1, something tells us this won’t be his last front cover...