How far would you travel for your first Grand Prix? We caught up with a pair of passionate fans who were driven by their love of the sport to fly all the way from Chicago to see Formula One take to the streets of Monaco.
Tommy Barrow and Demetrius 'DJ' Johnson, both 24, made the bold decision to embark on a 13-hour flight to Monaco for the 70th edition of the Grand Prix.
"We're from Chicago and took the long flight to get out here," said Tommy, who hails from North Side. "It's definitely worth it. This is amazing."
"It's our first F1 race, so why not do Monaco?" said DJ, a resident of Chicago's Hyde Park. "Why not go all in?"
Tommy shared his enthusiasm: "It's a crazy event to begin with, so why not do something crazy for it? It's for the love of the sport. We're huge F1 fans. I've always wanted to do it, so why not do it big?"
Travelling across continents for F1, Tommy and DJ's experience is an example of the sport's ability to connect with and unite fans on a global scale.
Tommy's journey as an F1 fan started around 2019, but it was Netflix's Drive to Survive that really ignited his passion: "Drive to Survive is what amplified it. The 'Man on Fire' episode is what made me go crazy for it."
DJ, who works in pharmaceutical sales and is also a content creator, was introduced to F1 by Tommy: "Tommy put me onto F1 in about 2022. A little later than most, but it's growing in the United States, and I love the increased popularity. I wish I had found out about it sooner. I fell in love ever since he showed me.
"I'm so happy to be here. I am ecstatic."
DJ and Tommy tell their story
We caught up with DJ and Tommy, two fans who flew all the way from Chicago for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Thank you to Tommy and DJ for sharing their story with us – a story that underlines the bonds that a love for our sport can create, and its power to connect us and take us to new places on our journey.
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