BBC Sport presenter Jennie Gow says the “supportive” Formula 1 atmosphere will help her as she returns to the paddock at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Gow, 46, suffered a serious stroke in December and has been raising awareness for stroke sufferers as part of her recovery.
She has not featured in the BBC’s F1 radio coverage so far this season.
“This weekend is just about taking each step as they come,” Gow told BBC Radio 5 Live Drive.
“If I can just be part of the weekend and contribute something, do a little bit of what I used to do, that would be amazing.
“Everything is a challenge. There might be days when I’m just too tired. Fatigue is one of the things I’m really battling.”
Gow made her first appearance at an F1 race since her stroke at the British Grand Prix in July as a guest of the sport and interviewed seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for 5 Live.
The race at Zandvoort will be her first in a work capacity as she takes a tentative approach towards returning to broadcasting, which she hopes will be “relatively soon”.
She will be supported by her husband, Jamie Coley, who works for Sky Sports, over the course of the weekend.
“I don’t know if it’s hard for Jamie to see me back at work, but I think he knows I need to at least try and do it. See what I can do.”
“F1 is a very friendly place and one that I have lived in for the last 12 years. It’s a supportive place, even though everyone is competitive and finding their own way.
“There are still moments that my voice doesn’t seem right to me, and obviously I have some gaps in my speech that I didn’t have before. I’m constantly struggling in my head to find the next word.
“But we’ve spent eight months working on this, for hours every day.”
Speaking to BBC Sport at Silverstone, Gow said she plans to shadow presenter Rosanna Tennant, who has filled the role of 5 Live pit-lane reporter this year.
Gow announced last week on X (formerly Twitter) that she would be heading to the Dutch Grand Prix as the season returns after the summer break.
She wrote: “My lovely therapists are supporting me and continue to remind me ‘I’m a work in progress and not the finished article.’
“I can’t wait to be back on your radio. I’ve missed it so much.”
