Emptied a suitcase this morning and found receipts from three countries I had to think about to name. Last working day before the F1 summer break. Since January: 34 flights, 22 airports, 88,059 kilometres. Two and a bit laps of the planet, five and a half days of it spent in the air. People assume the travelling is the glamorous part. It is mostly 04:30 alarms at airport hotels, laundry in small Airbnbs between race weekends and writing until the media centre lights go out. And then there is Thursday morning. You walk through the paddock gate before the crowds arrive, the pit lane is almost quiet, and you remember why you wanted this long before anyone was paying you for it. Two weeks off. Then back at it. 📸 michaelpottsf1 #f1 #formula1 #motorsport #paddock #f1journalist