The tanned and bloated Formula One teams are slowly returning to work after their summer break, with a number of factories re-opening on Monday this week after the enforced two week shutdown following the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The summer shutdown is part of the ongoing cost-cutting measures that feature in the sport, with teams forced to completely close down their factories for two weeks during the four week gap between the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix.
Four teams were able to reopen their factories at the stroke of midnight on Monday morning this week, with McLaren, Mercedes GP, Williams and Sauber all having closed down immediately after the Hungaroring race.
McLaren, desperate for some strides forward with their MP4-25 after a rotten run of form that has seen them drop behind both Red Bull and Ferrari in the pecking order, wasted no time in getting test driver Gary Paffett back into their simulator on Monday.
Paffett will resume his simulation runs on Tuesday.
The other teams were slightly more tardy in closing down after Hungary. Hispania Racing will continue whatever it is they do in their factory on Wednesday this week, and are reported to be the only other team to be resuming work before the weekend.
Ferrari and Toro Rosso are set to resume their working life next Monday having closed their doors the Sunday after the Hungarian race, while Red Bull, Renault and Force India will all remain closed until next Tuesday, just three days before the start of Friday practice at Spa-Francorchamps.
It is unclear when Virgin Racing and Lotus will resume their own work after their two week shutdowns.
The Belgian event marks the resumption of the 2010 season, and the start of the title run-in, with seven races to go this season.
The title battle looks set to go to the wire, with Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso covered by just 20 points in the drivers standings.
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