Anthony, who attended all twenty-four Method 1 races in 2024, tells us how he deliberate the journey and shares his highs and lows from an epic 12 months of motorsport journey.
Pictures provided by Anthony
Anthony Riley hails from Sydney and has been following Method 1 for the reason that late Nineteen Nineties, when he supported Mika Häkkinen and have become a McLaren fan. Anthony works in monetary markets and paid for his epic journey by way of “financial savings, investments and a variety of laborious work.”
What made you resolve to attend each race on the 2024 Method 1 calendar?
You solely stay as soon as. I’ve been to each race on the V8 Supercars calendar a number of instances, so thought it was time to step it up a notch.
How did you intend your journey?
I began planning in late 2023, previous to all of the tickets occurring sale. This helped me get the seats I needed and likewise avoid wasting cash. I arrange a spreadsheet which I used to plan my 12 months. This included my flight particulars, the place I used to be staying, rental automobile info, race tickets and particulars of different actions I used to be planning in every place, plus the prices related to the whole lot. I made it a standard apply to at all times journey to every metropolis from Monday to Monday, guaranteeing that I may maximize the ambiance and pleasure of race week in each place.
Did you keep away the entire 12 months or did you come to Australia between races?
My 12 months was deliberate as three separate journeys. The primary included Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in addition to the Daytona 500 within the USA. Then I returned dwelling for a couple of weeks, which coincided with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The subsequent leg of my journey noticed me depart Australia for about six months. In between F1 races, I additionally attended different motorsport occasions throughout Europe. This included the Le Mans 24 Hours, Goodwood Competition of Velocity, Rally Finland, British touring automobiles and even a DTM race in Germany.
After the Singapore Grand Prix, I flew again to Australia for a few weeks whereas there was a niche within the F1 schedule. My last journey of the season took me to the Americas and the Center East. With Australia being so distant from the remainder of the world, it didn’t make sense to return too usually in the course of the 12 months and spend extra on airfares. I most popular to spend the cash on extra experiences while travelling.
How did you resolve which tickets to purchase for every race and the place did you purchase them?
I needed to purchase tickets in probably the most iconic grandstands or places for every race, reminiscent of overlooking Eau Rouge at Spa-Francorchamps and Flip 3 on the Crimson Bull Ring. I booked nearly all of my tickets by way of official websites, other than some ‘problematic’ races reminiscent of Brazil, China and Japan. I by no means purchased hospitality tickets, although I did attend the races in Azerbaijan and Qatar with F1 Experiences. I appreciated their actions, however generally the grandstand I needed to take a seat in was not out there by way of F1 Experiences
Did you keep in resorts or Airbnbs when you had been away? Did you camp at any races?
I primarily stayed in resorts and Airbnbs. Greater than as soon as although, I had points with Airbnb hosts cancelling my reserving within the weeks main as much as the race, which was an actual inconvenience. The one circuit the place I camped was at Spa-Francorchamps. We rented a motorhome in Frankfurt and acquired a campsite fairly near the monitor, which was an incredible expertise.
On race weekends, I primarily stayed in 2-4 star resorts. I used to be searching for the very best worth for cash, as costs are already closely inflated and I didn’t spend a variety of time in my room. What was essential for me was handy test in and take a look at instances, a safe room, protected space and proximity to public transport. I really stayed at a lot nicer locations in between race weekends as I had extra time to really benefit from the lodging.
Which airways did you fly with and the way did you get round on race weekends?
I exploit the Virgin frequent flyer program in Australia and I predominantly flew with their companions, which included ANA, United Airways, Air Canada, and Qatar Airways. On the bottom, I rented a automobile at a number of races (Imola, Miami Silverstone, Austin) however the remainder of the time I used native trains and buses, in addition to Uber or different experience sharing companies.
Any significantly good or unhealthy journey experiences in the course of the 12 months?
As I organized and booked the whole lot myself, many of the finest experiences occurred after I was doing issues I actually appreciated, reminiscent of visiting automotive museums and factories, and naturally assembly plenty of cool and fascinating individuals alongside the way in which.
Total, I didn’t have a variety of unhealthy journey experiences throughout the 12 months, although I at all times dreaded the queues and delays leaving the circuit after the race. It may simply take 2-3 hours to get again to my resort after some races. Loads of taxi drivers tried to tear me off, together with one man in Turkey who made me pay for tolls that didn’t exist. I additionally had a couple of unhealthy experiences with shady rental automobile corporations who disclosed obscene hidden fees after I was selecting up the automobile. I ended up cancelling these bookings, nevertheless it was nonetheless an inconvenience.
Which races did you most take pleasure in attending?
When it got here to an awesome celebration ambiance, Miami was a standout for me. Despite the fact that it was one of many costlier races to attend, the Individuals actually know tips on how to placed on a great present and hold the followers entertained all through the day. There was a lot to see and do across the monitor. I’m biased right here, nevertheless it was additionally nice to see Norris win for my staff, McLaren!
The ambiance was additionally incredible at Zandvoort. They’d trackside DJs to get everybody excited, there was a variety of on-track motion and excessive ranges of fan participation. It simply led to a extremely enjoyable ambiance. The Japanese followers at Suzuka had been the friendliest. Their love and keenness for Method 1 is unimaginable, and it made it a pleasure to attend.
For trackside views, the very best race for me was the Belgian Grand Prix. The views from the Gold 3 grandstand on the high of the hill close to Eau Rouge had been unimaginable. I positively wasn’t a fan of the cost system at Spa, however the grandstand views (and trackside tenting) made up for that.
By way of race amenities, I might say that Yas Marina Circuit provided the very best expertise. The grandstands had been spacious and provided actually good views and loads of facilities. The grandstands had been shaded, and also you had a great unobstructed view of the motion even from the entrance rows. It was good to not have 10-feet excessive fences blocking your view, which is nice should you wish to take pictures of the automobiles.
Which races had been the very best and worst organized?
For me the very best organized occasion was Zandvoort. The trains had been continuous after the race, that means that regardless that queues had been large everybody was in a position to exit the venue in a good period of time. There was additionally so much to see and do between the station and the monitor, and contained in the circuit, the toilet and meals state of affairs was very properly sorted! I did nonetheless just like the see by way of baggage that American occasions suggest because it makes the entry course of rather more seamless when the gates open.
I appreciated the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix total, however the group must be improved. There was an actual lack of signage for the entry gates and the employees working on the race weren’t a lot assist. I used to be significantly disenchanted concerning the pit lane stroll. Nobody working on the monitor was in a position to inform me the place the doorway was and I ended up lacking out on this expertise utterly.
Monza was additionally very poorly organized, and for me, probably the most overrated occasion on the calendar. The ticketing and bag searches when getting into the monitor took too lengthy, and the buying course of for food and drinks was extraordinarily inefficient. All of this made the fan expertise poor, particularly contemplating the excessive price of grandstand seats at this occasion.
What had been the very best non-F1 locations you visited between races?
Two locations actually stood out for me, Daytona Seashore in Florida and Finland. The Daytona 500 was an superior occasion and I cherished the cool, chilled out vibes at Daytona Seashore. I additionally went to Finland for the World Rally Championship (WRC) in the course of the F1 summer time break and cherished it there. The individuals are cool, the tradition was fascinating and attending my first WRC occasion couldn’t have been extra totally different to F1.
What had been your favourite and least favourite F1 cities?
Imola was incredible. The monitor is true subsequent to the city and the ambiance after the racing completed every day was superior. There’s stunning Italian structure, nice meals and many cool issues occurring within the piazza on race weekend.
I wouldn’t wish to single out one place as my least favourite. Some cities weren’t as clear and protected as others. Some cities had plenty of F1 occasions occurring throughout race weekend, others you wouldn’t even know that F1 was occurring. Locations have their good and unhealthy sides, however I’m of the opinion that it is best to at all times go to in every single place at the very least as soon as.
Did you ever really feel unsafe anyplace?
I wouldn’t say I felt unsafe in São Paulo, however the excessive focus of police and safety guards in every single place made it really feel prefer it was an unsafe place. You positively must be in your guard in sure locations the place F1 visits, however I by no means felt like I used to be in a very harmful space or state of affairs. Petty theft is extra widespread in locations like Spain, Mexico and Brazil, particularly on public transport, however I had no points.
Which races would you most wish to return to and why?
I at all times go to my dwelling race in Australia, and I’ll be there once more this 12 months. I’m biased, however I believe the worth for cash and on-track motion at Albert Park is phenomenal. We normally have between 4 and 6 world-class help classes, plus bigger and higher fan activations than most different races. Outdoors of Australia, I actually loved Japan and Belgium. I are inclined to want conventional circuits moderately than avenue circuits, regardless that the latter are extra simply accessible. The trackside views of the automobiles are simply higher at conventional circuits.
How a lot did all the journey price you?
For the F1 tickets, resorts and flights alone it was round $80,000 AUD ($50,000 USD). With the whole lot else I skilled and purchased, the whole was properly over $100,000 AUD ($62,000 USD).
Are you continue to planning to maintain attending F1 races?
I’ll be going to the Australian Grand Prix this 12 months, and perhaps yet another. However I’m additionally inquisitive about attending some bucket-list motorsport occasions for the primary time. The Pikes Peak hill climb, Indy 500, Macau Grand Prix, Rally Japan, Knoxville Nationals, and an entire bunch extra are at the moment on my listing!
What’s your recommendation for individuals contemplating attending each race in a season?
Begin planning early and know what you wish to get out of the expertise. Save up so you are able to do it proper. That is subjective, however I might a lot moderately spend extra to get the race tickets I would like moderately than a barely nicer resort. Don’t anticipate the whole lot to go precisely as you deliberate. Issues will go mistaken, however being as ready as you’ll be able to helps so much. Get some snug, water-proof sneakers and at all times pack a rain poncho as you by no means know when the climate forecast will likely be mistaken. Stay within the second and luxuriate in it!
