"F1 saved me" – from an online meeting to lifelong friends

Fadia and Justine's shared passion for Formula One connected them online. As we celebrate the places fans call home and the communities and connections they build, we brought Fadia and Justine together to meet for the first time in person at the AMR Technology Campus. This is their story.

FADIA

"F1 came into my life in 2021, and it was an instant love. I became a fan the same year that Aston Martin Aramco was created. The reason I think Aston Martin Aramco is special is because of the care for the fans. I became a fan of Sebastian Vettel because he's a good guy who cares about things, from the environment to equality. If the team was supporting a driver that cared, the team had to care too.

"The team has shown that they care multiple times, whether it's through fan initiatives, like with the matcha and nail gel at last year's British Grand Prix and the Aston Martin Aramco Creator Collective. Every piece of content makes you feel like you're comfortable and you belong. I've never felt that in any other space.

"TikTok is definitely my home when it comes to F1. It's where I have found who I am, as cheesy as that sounds. TikTok isn't about the views. For me, community is everything, and the TikTok community has become my community. To know that I've left an impact and created friendships, that's what life is about.

"I don't hide that I've got troubles with mental health and confidence. And actually, as a result of social media and messaging, someone from ELEMIS sent me a card that I have in my house. It says, 'Don't forget, you always belong' and that's framed, and it's treasured.

"F1 in its fandom and community is so varied. It has an audience as young as my nephew, who is seven years old now. He and his friends are wearing their little merch caps on the playground. My dad's starting to watch F1, and I'm trying to get my niece into it. It's for everybody. I'm a minority in the sport. If I can inspire one South Asian female to watch F1, then that would be a job well done for me.

"20 years ago, F1 had one audience, and that demographic is not the demographic that's there now. 42 per cent of all fans are female, and I think people have learned that with fandom – and female fandom in particular – there comes so many forms of self-expression, whether that's through friendship bracelets or crafting. I think that inspires people to be themselves, and if women are bringing fandom with them, they're completely changing what the F1 and TikTok community is about, and for me that's why I think I belong."

JUSTINE

"My love for Formula One started in the height of the global pandemic. I'd been put on bed rest through an injury, and the season had started later that year. At the time, my mum was battling cancer, and when I was visiting her in the hospital, it was something different to talk about, rather than talking about treatments and appointments. Unfortunately, she passed away in the October.

"F1 gave me something to focus on, a routine at a weekend. It saved me from going down into a deep grief. It gave me something to look forward, and it gave me something to smile about and enjoy. F1 saved me.

"I started supporting Aston Martin Aramco on TikTok. The way the team communicates and interacts with fans makes you feel part of their journey. They've even replied to my TikToks. I believe, to enjoy the highs and the good achievements and the winning, you've also got to be part of a team to be there for the lows and the hard times, and then that when the good times do come, you enjoy them more, because you've been there through the hard times.

"I've always struggled standing up in front of people and talking to them. Making TikToks and posting them online and having people interact with me has built my confidence up. I feel I belong in the F1 community. It's nice to know that there are other people that feel the same way you do and enjoy the same things you do. They become part of your community, and you can always rely on them.

"Now, if I see somebody in Aston Martin Aramco gear, I'm more than confident to introduce myself. On the way to the London Marathon to the bag drop off, I spoke to two people in Aston Martin Racing Green. I had my Aston Martin Aramco cap on, which I'd worn an all through my training as my good luck charm, and it turned out the gentleman worked for Aston Martin Aramco, and his son was taking part in the marathon. They said they would keep an eye out for me and cheer me on.

The moment they finally met

Fadia: "I met Justine through F1 TikTok. It was the summer of 2022 or 2023. We became connected through a little community of British people. After that, a group chat was set up with five of us who talk every single day. We'll talk about anything and everything, even serious issues, what's going on with family life or jobs.

"Justine was one of the people I spoke to when I was going through my career transition just now and trying to find new jobs. It's crazy to think that we started off talking to each other because of F1. We've been friends for three years, and we've never met in person.

Justine: "We speak every single day. We support each other's milestones. We're not just F1 fans; we are genuine friends. I can't believe that she's a real person. She's just a little face on a phone, and now there's a full body.

"Our community is a safe space for me, and I know no matter what's I'm going on, what's going on in my life, or what I'm going through, I can always rely on these guys for their support, their input, and to have them back.

Fadia: "I'd echo that. Our little F1 community is my support system. It's my place that I go to, to vent, to rant. It is a home that isn't a building. My home sits in my phone; it sits with these guys.

"All of my friends that I know now, bar three, I've met through F1 social media, and that is massive, because these are the people I talk to day in, day out. I'm a full-time carer for my mom, and these people keep me going through tough times. The F1 community isn't just F1 for me, it literally is my community.

Justine: "The friendships I have made, the people I would probably never meet in normal life – they're people who live miles and miles away, but they're some of the best friends I've ever had, and we'll be friends for life.

"The home of F1 for me is being surrounded by my family and friends watching it, as well as being online and meeting people like Fadia.

Fadia: "For me, home is when I'm watching the race. It's wherever I am in person, whether that's at a watch party or in my house, but importantly, it's also when the group chat is popping off on a Sunday, reacting to the races. I'm 30 seconds ahead of these guys, and I'm having to wait for them to react. We all support different teams, we all have different views, and we're ripping each other to shreds. To me, that is home."

Feels Like Home