FRANCORCHAMPS, Stavelot, Belgium – Yep, here we are, back from the summer break and raring to go. Formula One kicks off again this week, and rather than a gentle warm up to get back into the rhythm of things, we're straight off to the Belgian Grand Prix at the fearsome Spa-Francorchamps – where anything can happen.

The summer shutdown has been an F1 fixture for the last couple of years. Everything stops: The factories are locked, email servers shutdown, work computers turned off. Work phones left uncharged. There's no way to physically stop people thinking about work, but everyone is definitely encouraged to try. It's wonderful having passionate, committed people threaded through the team, but all work and no play just isn't healthy.

But now we're back. Eager to go, noticeably more tanned and perhaps just a fraction more relaxed. The second half of the season promises to be a snorter.

We went into the summer break off the back of a fine win in Budapest for Daniel and a race that will be talked about for years to come, but we're under no illusions about the races ahead. If we're to win more this year, everyone's going to have to work their socks off – which is how it should be. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport; you don't get anything for free.

The last three months of the season are pretty intense. We've got eight races to pack in: Spa and Monza in Europe and then a hectic sequence of six fly aways on the bounce. We'll be going to the night race in Singapore, then wonderful Suzuka, unknown Sochi, reassuringly weird Austin, wild and crazy Interlagos and, finally, Yas Marina, where we've had a couple of very satisfying season-ending races in the past.

It's going to be exciting; it might be memorable. This is turning into a brilliant season for Formula One, it could be an all-time great. We hope you stick with us and see how it plays out.