From sharing a taxi with Nyck De Vries to departing a plane with Romain Grosjean, anything can happen with a bit of luck and planning. Ever wondered how you can meet your favourite F1 driver? Well, as someone who has met Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton and others from the sport, here are some top tips to make sure you can get a picture with your favourite racing driver…
Keep an eye on promotional social media…
This was how I met Daniel Ricciardo earlier in 2022. Teams such as McLaren and Mercedes always do social media special events. Whether it’s awarding competition winners or participating in photo shoots, drivers are always involved in these kind of things for promotional purposes. These can happen anywhere, but if you are after specifics, when a race heads to a new nation, drivers and mechanics arrive in a country a few days before the Grand Prix. Whilst the flights are often immediate following a race, beforehand you might be lucky if you arrive on the Wednesday or Thursday. They have to emerge from the airport at some time, so this method requires patience but is rewarded with a guarantee of an encounter.
Go to a race…
Following on from the previous entry, this one seems more obvious. At a race, certain drivers are again involved with fans prior to a race, more often on the quieter Friday or Thursday afternoons or mornings. In Bahrain, for example, the Friday morning consisted of a meet and greet signing opportunity with all drivers, before a special Mercedes only event followed. Get yourself into the right places before the weekend begins and you’ll never be far away from your favourite racer. If money is not an issue, try some experiences F1 offer using the link below. Note, these are not free, however.
https://f1experiences.com/how-to-meet-drivers
Fancy a long weekend to Monaco?
Apart from the obvious method of going to a race, numerous F1 drivers can often be seen in and around Monaco. Therefore, if you plan a long weekend away during the off season, you should make it Monaco! With an eye cast on social media, you might just locate your favourite driver at a restaurant, sporting venue, gym or even out and about in a public space. This tip will obviously depend on who your favourite driver is…
Right place, at the right time…
Aside from a race, there are plenty of other places you can chance your arm to meet F1 personnel. Perhaps at the factory in the off-season, maybe attend events such as the annual Grand Prix Ball (as seen above). Eventually, you’ll bump into someone you recognise from Formula 1. You could even enroll in the lottery that is to message your favourite driver on social media. It’s by no means a guarantee, in fact it’s incredibly slim odds he’ll even read your message, but if you don’t try, you won’t ever know. For instance, I messaged Crofty and got an interview within a week. A bit of luck and a bit of timing it right, that’s all you need sometimes.
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 