I’m away two hundred and thirty-three days a year shooting Formula One. Last year, I took sixty-six flights, stayed in twenty hotels, seven Airbnbs, two safari camps, and visited twenty-seven different countries. Planning this level of travel is a huge exercise. In fact, I started planning for twenty twenty-five the moment the calendar was released, back in early twenty twenty-four.
This year, we have twenty-four races in twenty-one countries, and being based ninety minutes north of Perth in Western Australia means I do the most travel of just about anyone in Formula One. In twenty twenty-four, I was in the air for three hundred and forty hours, probably another hundred and twenty hours hanging around airports, and all of that has taught me plenty. Almost all of my travel is done by me and my wife.
With this much travel, there is a tremendous propensity to muck things up, and I’ll go through a couple of those cock-ups later in this post, but I’ve been pretty fortunate with my travels and haven’t had too many dramas.
Flights
Let’s start with flights. Sixty-six takeoffs, sixty-six landings last year, twenty-one different airlines, including Qantas, Qatar, Emirates, American, Singapore, and more. Typically, I’ll book business class. For long-haul flights, I’ll always look for a lie-flat seat, and it can’t be an angled flat seat. For shorter flights in Europe, it’s not uncommon to book economy flights, especially if I’m traveling with my son.
Airlines I choose to fly most often are Qantas, Qatar, and Emirates. Three great airlines, although I think Qantas has certainly slipped back over the last five years. When it comes to selecting flights, I’ll typically go to Google Flights as my first option. This typically opens up a whole lot of options I’d never considered, and once I find a flight and have a price off Google Flights, I’ll go to the airline, try direct, and sometimes even look at it on Expedia.
When it comes to flying, especially when races are back-to-back, I need to take the shortest possible option. If I’ve got spare time, opting for a routing that takes perhaps an extra six hours might save me a lot of money. I always check the aircraft we’re going on because I want to know what seat. For one flight this year, I had an option of Lufthansa, Swiss, and a couple of other carriers. I managed to find out that Lufthansa has a new suite coming out in business class called Allegris, and I was more than happy to book that knowing I get to review a brand new product.
Luggage
Now let’s talk luggage. I take a Samsonite Oyster, and I picked that because it’s light. I get thirty-two kilos of luggage allowance, and I don’t want to gobble up six or eight kilos with the suitcase. For my camera gear, I travel with a think tank bag, the biggest one that you’re legally allowed to carry as carry-on luggage. I’ve been very lucky; I’ve never had an incident, although there was once where they said I had to check that bag because it was too big.
All of my luggage, including the lens that I carry over my shoulder, have air tags on them, which has been vital for finding luggage. I can tell you that I was going through a skip hole a couple of years ago when my bag didn’t turn up on the carousel. I could see it was at the airport, and in the end, I put something up on my Instagram story saying, “I know where my bag is.” I got my bag thanks to a message from someone high up in the airport.
Frequent Flyer Points
I have quite a lot of points with Qantas, which I mainly use to go from Sydney to LA first class because my wife, being a Platinum One member, is higher than me. Coming up this year, I’m travelling with Singapore Airlines on the suite, courtesy of their frequent flyer program.
Best and Worst Flights of 2024
My favorite flight was Emirates first class from Dubai to Perth at the end of the season. Best business class easily goes to Qatar’s Q Suites. The best value business class flight I took this year was with Air Canada, Barcelona to Montreal return for ninety-nine US dollars an hour in the air. Worst flight? Didn’t have one, but the least impressive was probably Safari Link.
Hotels
I stayed in twenty hotels this year, and I normally book through hotels.com. I book cancellable in almost all instances. What do I look for in a hotel? I want it to be classy, reasonably close to the track, and have a social scene. The best hotel I stayed at this year was the Palácio Tangará in Brazil, São Paulo. The best service? The Mandarin Oriental in Miami.
Airbnbs are fantastic too. I did about six in twenty twenty-four. Sometimes I have stunning apartments right in the heart of the city. Some hotels I stay at are so close to the track, like De La Source, which is about a two-minute walk from turn one.
Rental Cars
Rental cars used to be the bane of my life, but now I use F42, who is a sponsor of my channel. I just love dealing with normal people who then have to go and deal with those at the car rental agencies. Sometimes, like in Singapore or other cities, I’ll use Lime scooters or Uber.
Insurance and Visas
Insurance is essential. I have two policies: one covers aggressive activities, and the main policy covers all my camera gear. Visas can be quite time-consuming, especially for places like China. The Middle East is finicky when it comes to documentation, particularly camera gear.
Credit Cards and Phones
I pay for everything on credit cards because I love the points and if there’s any drama, it’s easier to deal with the credit card company. I travel with several cards, including American Express and Bankwest Mastercard, to avoid foreign exchange fees. I also carry a spare iPhone in case I lose mine.
Final Thoughts
I hope I haven’t left anything out that you were curious about. Traveling this much means I get a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t. This is my eighth F1 season now, and I’m happy to share all of these secrets with you.
FAQ
- How do I find the best flights for F1 races?
Use Google Flights as your first option and compare prices directly with airlines. - What luggage should I take?
Choose lightweight luggage with enough allowance for your gear. - How can I save on F1 travel costs?
Look for return fares that are cheaper than one-way, and consider booking one-way business class and the return in economy. - What are the best hotels near F1 circuits?
Look for classy hotels close to the track and with a good social scene.