The summer shutdown is under way, as we hit pause on the Formula 1 season after an eventful 14 rounds of action.There will now be a break of almost a month for Logan to relax and recuperate, before we return in late August for the Dutch Grand Prix.But what exactly is F1’s annual summer hiatus?Essentially, it is a mandated period of rest for drivers and staff, to ensure that no team loses any competitive advantage by taking a break.Though the gap between race weekends is 25 days long, work at the sport’s various factories only needs to stop for two weeks during that period. Administrative staff are also allowed to remain operational, as long as their tasks don’t have any impact on the cars themselves.While there are exceptions to the above rules — teams can carry out repairs on severely damaged cars with FIA approval, for example — work is fundamentally due to stop in the weeks ahead.The season will continue apace once we’re back in action, though, with trips to the Netherlands, Italy, Azerbaijan and Singapore coming in quick succession after the summer shutdown.