Valtteri Bottas is "impatient" to return to the cockpit of his Williams this weekend in Malaysia.
That is the news of the Finn’s manager Didier Coton, after his 25-year-old charge sat out the 2015 season opener because of a torn disc in his lower back.
Bottas travelled straight from Australia to Indonesia, where he posted on Twitter a couple of photographs of himself swimming.
"Progress is being made," he said, "and every day is a good step forward. Can’t wait for Malaysia!"
And the very latest news is from his manager Coton, who posted to social media a photo of Bottas doing weight work in the gym.
The driver is "impatient to go to Malaysia", Coton said, adding that Bottas "continues his hard work, even on Sunday! All good so far!"
Mika Hakkinen, who is also a member of Bottas’ management team, suggested that the driver’s seat may have contributed to the injury.
"In my own career," he told the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper, "I had a lot of seats made and each was slightly different to the other.
"It is not easy to find a completely perfect seat," said Hakkinen.
Rumours suggest that if Bottas does not race in Malaysia, he will be replaced by Pascal Wehrlein, who is the reserve driver for Williams’ engine supplier Mercedes.