The Birth of F1 Ocean
Growing up, F1 always had a presence in our home. My dad and uncles are huge fans. It just hadn’t made its way into my heart yet. Naturally, because of our last name, and the team’s magical history, Williams was a popular F1 name I’d see on hats, shirts, and mugs around the house. I was aware of F1, but I was more interested in things like baseball and basketball and hitting wiffle balls off our neighbors’ roofs.
And then something happened in 2009. F1 ignited in my heart and hasn’t left since. My passion for F1 has grown more and more with each passing season. It’s hard to explain why, but for some reason I caught the F1 bug that season. I couldn’t get enough. If I remember right, Monaco was the first race I watched on TV. Jenson Button was dominating the season in his white, black, and neon green Brawn. Seb Vettel was just a young buck back then. You could tell he was going to be special. No one knew four titles were right around the corner though. And Hamilton took the top step on the podium just once that season in his McLaren. I had no idea how many top steps and titles were awaiting him.
Over these past twelve years, I wouldn’t miss a race. Often times, after our four kiddos are in bed at night, I’ll even rewatch practice and quali sessions. While I work every day as a full-time web designer, I listen to any and every F1 podcast I can get my hands on, and at night I’ll often catch up on all the F1 YouTube channels I subscribe to. I just can’t get enough. And to be honest, I never thought I’d get to attend an actual race for years to come.
Until this past season. My beautiful wife, Kelly, surprised me, and three of my best buddies, with a trip to the race in Austin for my 40th birthday gift. I literally passed out when she told me. This was truly a dream come true.
Watching F1 races on TV definitely gave me the sense that these cars were fast, but I never quite understood that raw pace till I was standing trackside at the S’s in Austin. I’ll never forget when the first car came into view and tore through the S’s with an absolute lightning vengeance, hugging the track in ways that didn’t seem possible at those speeds. It literally took my breath away. I’ll never forget that moment. It was like watching something magical that didn’t make any sense. It just didn’t add up how those cars could go that fast without taking flight.
I created F1 Ocean because I’m passionate about F1 and wanted to create a space for other fans to chat about and celebrate this beautiful sport we love. As a designer, I enjoy combining my passions for F1 and design, and hope it brings you some value. A thousand thanks for taking the time to read this. Many more of these to come. Now, it’s lights out and away we go!
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