Lewis Hamilton says Formula 1 can be relentless, but says he missed his day job over the summer break.
The seven-time World Champion had a tough first half of the season, debuting at Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes.
Hamilton's only real success this season with his new team was his sprint race pole position and victory in China back in March.
The British driver has been open about his struggles this year, calling himself "absolutely useless" after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
But it seems as though time away could have benefitted the driver.
Speaking to media ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton said:
"When you’re in-season, it’s just relentless. The guys go from here on Sunday night and they’re at the factory on Monday morning. They just don’t take a break. That’s not healthy for anybody."
"It’s great this period of time where they get to be with their families and really create memories, because that’s the most important thing I think in life."
"Then it’s not too long, but long enough that you start to miss your job and you can’t wait to get back. I think that’s the beauty of our sport."
Hamilton documented his summer break on Instagram as he recharged and reflected over the season so far.
And he seems to have come back to the paddock with a refreshed sense of hope.
"I think right now, it’s just about calming some things down and focusing on getting back to enjoying my job."
"I love this sport, I always have. That’s why I got into it, and I’m going to drown out all of the noise and just get back to…this is a great restart moment for us."