I sogni diventano realtà – in Italian, this means ‘dreams come true’. What better way to start an experience blog about the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix than with a catchy local expression? After all, getting to Monza and experiencing the world of F1 up close for four days still feels unbelievable. And yet, I managed it.
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There’s an 8-year-old lad who’s just starting to discover the world and is captivated by Formula 1. Of course, at first he’s probably just taken with the fast racing cars, but somehow around this time the idea begins to take shape in his mind that one day he’ll be a sports journalist and wants to get up close to those cars…
Weekend after weekend, he follows the events; at first, he reads the news on teletext and keeps track of the results and the points standings in a notebook, then, as he explores the possibilities offered by the internet, he finds the news sites that interest him most. At the age of 10, he uses his own pocket money to buy a ticket for the Friday free practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, to which he then returns year after year, sometimes on Friday, sometimes on Saturday.
Meanwhile, he’s building his career from the ground up, making his way through other FIA-organised series, almost as if he had a media pass. He meets loads of people in the industry and finds others who share his enthusiasm for journalism, photography and travelling to races. All of this inspires him; he draws on this motivation to attend several FIA WEC races (which is the second-coolest FIA series) and seeks opportunities to make his dream come true and get to Formula 1 as well.
The opportunity presented itself this August, and he could hardly wait for the first Wednesday in September to arrive so that, after a 10-hour drive, he and Zoltan, the photographer, could reach the race circuit. There were still a few administrative tasks to sort out at the media centre that day. After checking in, we headed straight for the F1 paddock and could hardly believe we were actually there. We looked at the teams’ motorhomes and took our first photos. We made the most of the experience for ourselves that day.
We arrived in Monza early on Thursday morning, because we wanted to photograph the drivers as they arrived; the three hours flew by before everyone had arrived – but Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Norris and the others were just a few steps away from us. For the rest of the media day, our focus remained on taking portraits and writing a short introductory article based on what was said at the official drivers’ press conference.
Finally! We’re producing our own content from onsite!
We rounded off Thursday evening with a walk around the circuit, whilst discussing the plans for the weekend. As this was a high-profile weekend, we decided that every time an F1 car took to the track, we would write a summary: 3 free practice sessions, 1 qualifying session and 1 race report.
From Friday onwards, therefore – and in accordance with the accreditation regulations – we had to work separately. Zoltan was out and about at the corners as a photographer, whilst I tried to capture moments in the paddock and write articles from the media centre. I only saw about 15–20 minutes of the action on the track during FP2, when I sat up in the grandstand at the Ascari corner for a short while. Somehow, that was enough, and I didn’t feel like I’d missed out on anything.
Probably, because I got a different experience from the inside, up close. We both approached the weekend differently in terms of content – and that’s exactly what made it so varied. The Friday evening track session, however, was more nerve-wracking than finishing my own work…
I’d never been to a Sunday race as a spectator before, so it added a special twist to the weekend that I was following the action from the other side. Although we didn’t get access to the starting grid, we were able to watch and photograph the moments immediately after the finish up close once again.
The way Antonelli parks the car in the parc fermé, having driven it from 19th place to victory. The way he gets out and celebrates in the euphoria of victory at his home race. The way tens of thousands of Italian fans sing the national anthem for him. The way he raises the trophy and the Italian flag high into the air. Goosebumps.
We came for moments like these. For one of the most exciting races of this season.
On Sunday evening, as we left the circuit, I got goosebumps all over again. Or rather, the 8-year-old lad who, after 20 years of dreaming and watching 411 race weekends, has come close to the world of F1.
By now, he feels a unique connection to the familiar tunes of his favourite band. Kowalsky and Vega believe and play by the motto: ‘Nothing is impossible!’ And really, as long as there’s another day and your heart carries you on, it may be hard, but nothing is impossible. And of course, instead of foolish desires, this little lad had faith and strength. Deep down, he knows full well that the impossible is impossible. (Some rows from the Hungarian lyrics – editor.)
Grazie, Monza!