My Race to Formula One
F1 was right under my nose but I didn’t care to notice.
Formula 1 is my favourite sport. But, I haven’t been a fan for all that long.
When I was a teenager, I was actually a huge NBA fan. My love for basketball was immeasurable and what I thought was eternal. But one day I stopped watching and I can’t even remember why.
I honestly never thought I could love anything more than basketball. But after indulging in F1, I now know that I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Although I haven’t been a fan since birth, Formula 1 has always been a part of my life through my father.
My dad started watching F1 when Williams was the team to beat and when Martin Brundle was still a driver. So, it truly has been a long time!
Since his journey began in the mid-90s, he has made it his mission to never miss a race. While I’m sure his streak isn’t perfect, I can guarantee that the number of missed races is certainly few.
As a kid born into a motorsport household in the early 2000s, I used to wake up on Sunday mornings to the sound of the V10s, and eventually, the V8s, blaring from the TV speakers in the living room. I remember jolting to consciousness from the sound of my dad screaming and cheering for his favourite drivers.
I grew up hearing the names of Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, and one of my dad’s all-time favourites, Kimi Räikkönen.
“Who are you cheering for?” I remember asking him as I took a seat next to him on the sofa.
With his eyes glued to the screen, he replied, “Kimi.”
I found it strange that my father — my very talkative father — did not elaborate on his choice any further. But now that I know who Kimi is, I wonder if my dad’s one-word answer was an attempt to emulate the Iceman himself!
That’s quite poetic if you ask me!
Over the decades, my dad has also collected a lot of merchandise — some of which he wears but most of which he keeps unworn in plastic coverings.
One outfit I vividly remember seeing him wear to Sunday mass was his Renault crew shirt from Alonso’s glory days paired with his matching blue and yellow Puma shoes.
As the years went on, Vettel became the new star of the grid, and that’s when my dad started to sport Red Bull gear. To this day, he still reps the Bulls. So, in the wintertime, you will always see him wearing an old Vettel beanie or one of his Red Bull jackets.
Luckily for my dad, all his friends were F1 fans too. So on one weekend of every year, I would wave goodbye to my dad before he and all his buddies ventured off to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix.
My dad got to hear the screaming Renault R31 and he got to live memorable races like Hamilton’s maiden win.
Needless to say, I will forever be jealous.
When I look back at our old photos I can’t help but notice all the little F1 easter eggs that have been lying around in my life — almost as if they were foreshadowing my deep-rooted passion for Formula 1.
From my old Scuderia Ferrari tee to my McLaren shirt — each of these gifts from my dad meant nothing to me before but they mean everything to me now.
Vettel’s 2012 championship T-shirt, for instance, was a top I used to wear carelessly and mindlessly around the house. Now that I know who Vettel is, that shirt has become my most prized possession. I love it so much that I had to force myself to stop wearing it to preserve the print!
Being a fan now and knowing what I could’ve witnessed makes me a tad bit angry at my father for not trying to show me the beauty of this sport when I was younger! But, at the same time, I had so many opportunities to sit and watch the races with him, and the reality was I just never did.
That was until two years ago…
It all began on Sunday, June 19, 2022 — Father’s Day for us Canadians and the day of the Canadian Grand Prix.
I remember calling my dad the week before asking if he wanted to go out on Father’s Day. Initially, he agreed, but a few days later he called me and said,
“There is a race.”
I knew those four words all too well. It was code for “I can’t.”
If I learned anything from my childhood it is that you don’t mess with race day. So, without question or hesitation, I cancelled our plans.
My dad knew I was disappointed, so he proposed a compromise:
“Instead of going out, let’s grab takeout so that we can still eat together while I watch the race.”
And that’s exactly what we did.
I had no intention of watching the race. I was just going to eat my food, scroll through TikTok, and maybe glance up at the TV every now and then. But when I looked up from my phone and saw 70 laps on the screen, my eyes widened.
I turned to my dad in disbelief and asked him the most stereotypical thing a non-motorsport fan could ask:
“You are going to watch cars go around in circles for 70 laps?!”
My dad tried to cure my ignorance by explaining the many elements of racing that make it fun and not as boring as many people might think. He talked about strategies like the overcut and the undercut, then he mentioned tyres and pit stops and then explained the possibility of a safety car.
Suddenly, I was interested.
Although much of what he was saying made no sense to me at the time, I began to ask him more questions like: “What do all those numbers beside their names mean?”, “What does ‘box box’ mean?” and “Who do you want to win?” To the latter he replied:
“Verstappen.”
My dad proceeded to share how the reigning champion was not only his desired winner but that he was going to win.
Because I was oblivious to the young Dutchman’s speed in his RB18, I was unconvinced by my father’s confidence. Instead, I decided to make my own prediction — a superficial hope at best. So I scanned the names on the leaderboard and settled for some random guy named Sainz.
“I want Sainz to win because he has a cool name.”
The race ended and unfortunately, my dad was right. Verstappen won and Sainz didn’t.
Even though I wasn’t watching 100% of the time, my questions were far from over. On the 30-minute drive back to my mom’s house, all we talked about was F1. I asked him questions and he answered them.
At one point, I remember asking him about F1 history and who he thought was the best of all time.
“Ayrton Senna,” he said. “I didn’t get to watch him race but he was fast. He had a big crash and died, though. Go search it up on YouTube, you will find it.”
I gasped when I watched Senna hit the barrier. And when the helicopter cam panned above him in his FW16, I was left with a weird feeling inside. I was sad but, at the same time, intrigued.
I wanted to know what made this man so special. What makes Schumacher, Hamilton, and every driver who has graced that grid special enough that people like my dad, would dedicate every odd Sunday to watch?
What makes F1 so special?
It was these questions that sparked a journey I never saw coming. I saw myself become deeply fascinated by sports history — a feeling I didn’t really have when I was into basketball. I watched Senna’s documentary and eventually Schumacher’s and I finished both with puffy eyes and an empty box of tissues.
I saw myself become attracted to the principles that made these cars so incredibly fast. From the aerodynamics right down to the engines, I wanted to know it all. Because I had no prior interest in learning about any of these things, it felt like I was discovering a new version of myself and at times even questioning who I was.
But besides the racing, history, and cutting-edge technology, one of the reasons why I continue to watch this sport is because of the drivers. They truly are a fascinating bunch and their life stories and experiences are all the more inspiring.
I desperately wanted to watch the next race but the British Grand Prix just so happened to fall on the date and time of my best friend’s birthday lunch.
I remember checking my phone at the restaurant to see who won the race and, boy oh boy, was I ecstatic.
“Oh my gosh! Carlos! Carlos won the race today!”
I was devastated that I didn’t witness his first win, but I was proud that the first F1 driver I ever cheered for lived up to my hopes (even if it was two weeks too late)!
I never wanted to miss out on a special race like that ever again.
And since then, I haven’t.
Unfortunately for Carlos Sainz, it was his teammate, Charles Leclerc, who earned most of my support for the remainder of the season. Since Leclerc was the closest in points to Verstappen at the time, I decided to cheer for him because he was the underdog without a championship. Little did I know, being a Ferrari fan would be so depressing…
Despite all the hardships from both 2022 and 2023, my loyalty to the Monegasque has yet to fade.
In 2022, I also grew fond of George Russell. Although it was only his first season with Mercedes, he was fast and consistent despite being paired with a 7-time world champion and a troublesome W13.
I loved Russell so much that I went into every race weekend hoping that he would get his first win. As you can imagine, I was beyond elated when he won in Brazil! Even during the sprint race I was at the edge of my bed cheering for Russell to pass Verstappen. When he finally succeeded in making the move, I jumped and screamed at the top of my lungs just like my dad would on those early Sunday mornings growing up. I honestly forgot most of what happened that season but that race weekend is one I’ll never forget.
Although a lot has happened since then, that about sums up how my love for F1 came to be.
And that brings us to today.
Although I don’t spend every waking moment consuming F1 content like I used to, the love is still very much alive and well. I occasionally listen to F1 podcasts on my commutes to school and I also enjoy watching documentaries and old seasons when I get the chance.
In May of last year, I was so incredibly lucky to snag last-minute tickets to the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. It was an incredible experience that I will cherish forever and a story that I will tell in due time.
Although I love this sport with every morsel of my being, my fleeting interest in basketball makes me wonder if I will lose my F1 seat someday too. Even though F1 is embedded in my lifestyle, you just never know what could happen. And so, in the wise words of Sebastian Vettel,
“We have to remember these days because there’s no guarantee that they will last forever.”
Regardless of what the future holds — whether I remain a fan till death or switch to football in 3 years — I want to remember these days while I’m still living it. That’s why I decided to tell my story: to ensure that I always have a record of my wonderful and unexpected journey to Formula 1.
What’s your story?
