F1 — F is for family

An extremely popular Formula 1 media company recently posted a freelance Formula 1 writing position and asked that people submit 300 words in addition to a CV. I found out I was not selected to be that freelance writer for this media company, which got me a little dejected, so I decided that I would post those words here.

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Sunday mornings, since I was younger, were made for soaking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the race track. If not in person, on the small TV in the corner of a typical Italian-American sitting room that barely received any American channels but could somehow pull in Italian TV.

There we would watch the race cars in Europe go around the tracks, and we’d cheer loudly for Alesi, Prost, Berger, and later, Schumacher.

It was a family experience even though it was really my uncle that spearheaded the enthusiasm.

As I got older, we’d attend races. Growing up in Connecticut, we regularly took trips to Lime Rock Park for Ferrari and Porsche days.

We’d go karting while mimicking our favorites. (Senna remains my favorite even as a tifoso)

Ironically, we never took pictures. We soaked in the moment and enjoyed the time together. And the best photos are still in my mind.

One could say F1 is about rich guys driving around in circles in some of the most beautiful places in the world — and they’d be right. But for me, it’s only half the story. It’s synonymous with passion.

F1 is synonymous with the good times.

F1 is synonymous with family.

These days, Sunday mornings again are about family, but it’s me passing down the passion and knowledge of the sport I love to my daughter.

Bianca was born in April 2022 during the Australian Grand Prix. As I held her during her first moments of life, we watched as our beloved Scuderia Ferrari took P1. (Ok, so she just laid in my arms while I tried to control my emotions, but for the sake of the story, she watched it with me.)

She’ll turn 1 just before the Miami Grand Prix next year, and I’m thinking to myself “what kind of father would I be if I didn’t take her?”

But there’s also Vegas, Monza, and Imola (which we want to attend with her cousin to be born in Italy in early 2023)

As you can see, in our house the F in F1 stands for family.

What does F1 mean to you?