You’re a lucky man…

“You can say that again! It's been pretty incredible so far this year.”

What made you want to attend every single race of the season? 

“It’s been on my bucket list since I was a teenager, but I never thought it was really possible. I’d only been to five races before last year but every time I went to one, I loved sitting in the grandstands with other fans and hearing the cars. They have that goosebumps element when they're all revving engines at the start of the race. 

“I started doing some calculations and I figured out that if I used a massive chunk of my savings – which ended up being £20,500 – and combined my annual leave with a bit of remote working, I could do it – so I thought: if I don't do it now, maybe I never will.”

You started to blog about your experiences too…

“Yes. I wanted to document my year but I also wanted to try to show that going to races is not as unattainable as some people think. In my videos, I reviewed how it was to attend each of the Grands Prix and I've had feedback from people who booked trips because of the videos. That’s really rewarding.”

What were your most memorable moments last year?

“In Monaco, I was in the general admission area on the hill when I got a message. There was a guy who had been watching my videos in one of the yachts down in the harbour and he contacted me to say: ‘we've got a spare space on our boat; do you want to join us?’ So, an hour later, I was there watching from the yacht! It was absolutely incredible!

“I had a similar situation in Canada. I was sat on the lawn eating some poutine and two guys came up to me with a spare ticket for the main grandstand. They didn't watch my videos so they didn't know what I was doing, but they just asked me if I wanted to join them. I ended up about four rows back from Kimi Antonelli on the grid!”

How did you end up getting the Heineken F1 Season Ticket?

“Heineken saw what I was doing last year and reached out in September with the Season Ticket concept. I couldn't quite believe it. I thought it was a prank call! I had to keep my cool – I was saying ‘oh yeah, that sounds interesting’ while screaming internally!

"I was given the ticket by Max Verstappen in Mexico and he was genuinely a really nice, down-to-earth guy. It was very surreal standing there talking to a four-time F1 world champion like two friends chatting! He was really interested in what I was doing last year and asked me loads of questions. It was awesome and will live long in my memory.”

How did the Heineken ticket change your life? 

“Well, I quit my job – although that wasn't a requirement, of course! I decided that when an opportunity like that comes around, I wanted to make the most of it. It's allowed me to make more videos and share more around the F1 community, but also the experience of attending the races with Heineken is very different to what I experienced last year. 

“Although general admission is actually very good in a lot of the circuits, being able to sit in the main grandstand and look into the pits and have that extra access that I didn't have before has made this year pretty incredible so far.”

You’re allowed to bring a ‘plus one’ – who has that been? 

“I’m taking different people every time and it went through a bit of a priority list – I asked my girlfriend where she wanted to go to first, then it went to my parents and on to friends and family. Everyone who is coming with me is also an F1 fan – but some haven't ever been to a race before, so being able to share that with them is amazing.”

What's been the highlight so far this year? 

“I’ve been doing meet-ups with other fans at a lot of the races and that’s often my highlight of the weekend – just a big group of people that love chatting about F1, getting together and talking about the weekend, previous travels and experiences. I’ve made some fantastic new friends and connections through that.

“The second highlight – which is a one-off – was in Barcelona, where I did a giveaway for the plus one. I actually took someone who watches my videos and she had never been to a Grand Prix before. She had an absolutely great time and, thanks to Heineken, we actually managed to arrange a paddock tour, too!

How easy is it to meet fans and just get chatting at circuits? 

“So easy – the kindness of F1 fans has blown me away. F1 isn't as tribal as many other sports, it doesn't really matter who you support, so if you meet someone in F1 merch, you can easily start a conversation because you know you both love chatting about the sport!”

What’s been your favourite destination?

“The events are all so good nowadays and the culture of the different countries really filters into each race, so it's actually hard to pick a favourite. I always change my mind but I normally get stuck between Austria and Japan. Austria is by far the most scenic, but the culture in Japan is just so different from everywhere else.”

You’re now getting ready to choose the next Heineken F1 Season Ticket holder – that must be exciting, but also a bit sad?!

“Yes, it’s going to be hard to give it up and there’s quite a lot of pressure choosing who’s next! Anyone can enter from anywhere in the world, just by sending in a video to show why they should be chosen. The key thing I'll be looking for is the passion for F1 – because it's one of the most awesome prizes for a true fan.”

What one piece of advice would you give to next year's winner?

“Just throw yourself in at the deep end and make the most of your opportunities. The racing is obviously the thing we all love, but the off-track stuff is so great too. Being there all three days of every single Grand Prix weekend, you'll meet so many other people, make so many new connections and experience so much. 

“Make sure you take it all in. Even if you're tired, power through it and enjoy every second because you'll look back and the experiences will be pretty mind-blowing when you get to the end of the year.”

Fancy becoming the next Heineken F1 Season Ticket holder in 2027? Head here to enter.

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- The Autosport.com Team