AT&T Williams F1

Having been quick in practice and qualifying at the Hungaroring, I was a bit disappointed to finish seventh in Sunday's race. Don't get me wrong: it was great to score my first World Championship points since the Spanish Grand Prix, but I'd hoped to finish higher up after starting fourth on the grid.

The FW29 performed well in high downforce trim, as it did at Monaco earlier in the year, and I was on an aggressive three-stop strategy. The pit crew executed each pitstop perfectly, but I lost some time in the second stint due to tyre graining and that cost me the chance of a better finish.

Physically, the Hungaroring is a demanding track because there is no let-up for the driver. You're busy in the cockpit the whole time and with the ambient temperature nudging 31 degrees, as it was on raceday, it was tough. But that's why I train so hard and I arrived in Hungary feeling fit and fresh, having had the preceding week and a half to concentrate on my fitness routine.

Alex Wurz and I alternate testing duties for the team, and it was his turn to test at Jerez after the European Grand Prix. I'd like to do more testing, but that's the way it is this year with the restricted testing regulations.

I headed from the Nurburgring to my parents' farm in the South of France, where I did a lot of cycling, running, swimming and weights. It's unusual for me spend so much time in one place in the middle of the season.

But it wasn't all hard work. Some friends came to stay for a couple of days and we had a good party. I cooked T-bone steak on our electric barbecue, which was delicious! A couple of the guys complained about the meat being cooked on an electric barbie rather than a charcoal one, but my dad won't allow anything on the farm that constitutes a fire risk during the summer. It's been really dry recently and it would take only the smallest spark to create a bush fire.

My friends stayed for a couple of nights and we became a bit nocturnal. We took down the net on the tennis court to create a football pitch and one evening we played until 4am!

We're now in the midst of F1's three-week summer break. There's also a testing ban, so I hope everyone at Williams is able to enjoy a bit of time with their families so that we can attack the last six races of the year feeling fresh.

I'm heading to Ibiza, where my parents have a house. I love the island because I spent a lot of time there when I was growing up, so I know a lot of people and it feels like home. A few friends are meeting me there, so we'll have a good time playing sports and relaxing.

But I won't be able to relax too much because I want to continue with my fitness programme. The next circuit we visit, Istanbul Park, runs anti-clockwise so it will be a tough race and I want to be in the best possible shape for it.

Until next time,

Nico