Last weekend was the Super Bowl, and while I do not quite share the passion for that sport that unites so many people, I do understand it in a broader sense. I began watching F1 in September of 2023, and shortly after I read a post summarizing the importance of sports and why they reach such far corners of the Earth. I, of course, dismissed it almost immediately because I still had a very narrow minded view of what sports were. Growing up as a girl in a generally non-athletic household, I saw most of it as a competition of brute force. None of which appealed to me.
But, then, I began an interest in the world of racing, and my opinion on all of this rapidly changed. Through my interest in racing, it also garnered a level of community, both online and in person. I made friends across the world, simply because of this interest in racing. It brought me closer with my parents as well, which I did not think was possible. I realized something. For me it was racing, and for plenty others too, but it was also football or baseball or wrestling. Sports get a bad wrap. I am not saying that sports are for everyone, I am however saying that even if you don’t think you like sports, you might pick one up and give it a try.
For me, Formula One is synonymous with family. Sure relatives fight, people take things too far , too serious, or even stop talking to each other. But ultimately love prevails, friendships are mended, and all the guilt and anger is driven away. You can feel it too, when you are watching these races. Whether it be at 6am by yourself in the dark or staying up until midnight with your family because of the timezones. There is something beautiful about it. When you just know, when you can feel hundreds of thousands of other people crossing their fingers with you. Hoping, cheerin, crying along with you. That's the beauty of it all. Experiencing something with an exorbitant amount of people , whom you've never met , though you know they are just as excited as you are. When I say Formula 1 is a family I mean it. Through and through it is filled to the brim with familial love.
From grandstands to your living room.