"Just relax, don’t do anything stupid," I thought to myself as I greeted 2014 Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez in the Red Bull Ring paddock.
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It was my first time interviewing a Formula 1 driver face to face, and what did I go and do? Knock over a vase full of water as I sat down. Great. Despite being mortified by my clumsiness, that moment will definitely be etched in my memory forever.
As cheesy and corny as it sounds, 2014 has undoubtedly been the best year of my life and a fantastic adventure. I set myself a lot of goals that I wanted to achieve, and fortunately I managed to complete most of them.
With 2015 edging closer, it is now the perfect time for me to reflect on what a truly amazing year it has been for my career. I made big steps forward and I’m really proud and pleased with how it all worked out.
The Autosport International Show in January was an early highlight from 2014. I had previously visited the event on several occasions as a fan, wandering through the halls of the NEC in Birmingham exploring all aspects of the motorsport and motoring world. However, this time I was there on the trade days for Richland F1.
I managed to do a decent amount of work, but the best part about the show was definitely the social side. I got to meet some new people and catch up with friends and colleagues. It was fairly relaxed and a good way to kick off the year.
My gap year was from June 2013 to September 2014 and I worked full time as a freelance journalist during that time. It was a lot tougher than it may sound and I was working constantly on numerous projects, particularly over the course of this season, but it was great fun and I am so glad I decided to take a year out.
Winter testing and the start of the 2014 F1 season was a particularly busy time, with car launches, on-track running and plenty of preview pieces to cover. Following the final winter test in Bahrain, I travelled to London to attend the private screening of Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham’s documentary ‘The Lost Orphan: A Home For Mirela’. It was incredibly moving and it was great to learn about the work of Natalie and Hope and Homes for Children.
I saw Natalie again a few days later for the Sky Sports F1 press day. Previous events had been held at swanky locations in London, with round table discussions about the season ahead. However, this one was very different. We went behind-the-scenes at Sky’s studios as the team filmed opening feature for the Australian Grand Prix.
The day consisted of watching David Croft, Natalie, Martin Brundle, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, Anthony Davidson and Simon Lazenby paint on giant white walls, throw paint on each other and deliver their thoughts on the season ahead to the camera. It was very different to the previous format.
The first few months of the year were quite busy, as I helped cover the opening seven races of the 2014 F1 season. We saw some great racing and on-track action, as well as some big talking points and stories. I was back in London at the start of May for the notaFOTA Forum, which was a great event for fans of the sport.
The next race took place in Austria, as F1 returned to the Red Bull Ring for the first time since 2003. That weekend was incredibly special for me, as I made my debut in the paddock for Richland F1. What a place to visit for my first race as part of the travelling circus. Austria is a truly beautiful country with stunning scenery.
The road trip to Graz (where I was staying) with Octane Photographic’s Leanne Boon and my Richland F1 boss Luke Smith - who is also NBC’s chief F1 writer – was long but completely worth it, as it was a truly incredible weekend. It was a frantic few days, with very little opportunity to stop and take it all in.
The facilities at the Red Bull Ring were top-notch and we had a fantastic view of the track from the media centre, which was located on top of the main grandstand opposite the pit lane. Walking through the paddock for the first time on Thursday was a very special moment and I quickly felt comfortable at the circuit.
Other highlights include my interviews with Gutierrez and Marcus Ericsson, as well as my tour of Red Bull’s garage and motorhome on Sunday morning, where I was introduced to Daniel Ricciardo, Christian Horner and David Coulthard. Overall, it was a successful return to the F1 schedule for Austria, with a good race and a brilliant turn out. I learned so, so much over that weekend and I was really pleased with the content I produced for Richland F1.
After returning to the United Kingdom, I then headed off on holiday with my family to the wonderful island of Kos. It was great to have some time to relax and unwind after a busy first half of the year. Once I was home, it was then time to travel to Silverstone. I didn’t attend the British Grand Prix as a journalist, but instead as a fan. It was my first time watching an F1 race from the grandstands. The atmosphere was incredible throughout the weekend and I had a great view from my seat at Woodcote.
Following Lewis Hamilton’s home triumph, it was time to get back to work. A few days later the road trip to the German Grand Prix kick started, with the Hockenheimring returning to the calendar after a year out. I immediately felt back at home in the media centre and I was pleased with the work that I did, although in hindsight I do wish I had produced a wider range of articles.
With just one week separating the 10th and 11th rounds of the 2014 season, we returned to Austria for a short break – which largely consisted of working – before heading to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix. It is definitely a stunning city and I’d love to go back there in the future.
It was undoubtedly one of the best races of the year and was a busy one to cover, with plenty to write about before the summer break. Ricciardo won it in style from Fernando Alonso and Hamilton, making it a very popular podium. Again, I was proud of the content that I posted on Richland F1, but like Germany it was missing a bit of variety.
The trip home was incredibly long. I wasn’t in the United Kingdom for long though, as I quickly headed off to France to visit family. It was another chance to relax and chill out after a frantic but incredible few weeks. F1 returned from the summer break with a bang in Belgium, with contact between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg leaving the door open for Ricciardo to take another victory.
Following the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, I packed up my things and moved from Norfolk to Harrow in North London to start my first year studying Journalism at the University of Westminster. I was so, so nervous about leaving home but I have so far loved the challenge of living independently. Juggling my studies and freelance work has been tough at times, but I have found a good balance.
The Japanese Grand Prix will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, following Jules Bianchi’s tragic accident. It was incredibly unfortunate and my thoughts continue to be with him and his family. The 29th December also marks one year since Michael Schumacher’s horrible skiing accident in the French Alps. As he continues to recover, my thoughts also continue to be with him.
It was a tough end to the season, with Bianchi remaining in the thoughts of the F1 community as Hamilton took the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi to win the final race of the year and take the 2014 title. The Englishman was the fastest driver throughout the season and thoroughly deserved his second world championship.
Now we look ahead to 2015. The regulations remain relatively stable, but we could still see a shake-up of the order and there are many question marks ready to be answered ahead of the new season. I’m hopeful that it will be a bigger and better year for my career and I can’t wait to see the 2015 F1 machines out on track at the first winter test.
Overall, 2014 has been an unbelievably incredible year and I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have been given. All my hard work was worth it and I reached a goal that I have wanted to achieve for quite some time. Firstly, a big thank you to Luke at Richland F1 for giving me the chance to attend three races for the site.
Secondly, thanks to Craig and Leanne Boon at Octane Photographic for providing my blog with stunning images and all the help that they gave me this year. 2014 was also my first full year writing for Car Throttle, and I still can’t believe I am even a small part of such a great team, so a big thanks to Adnan and everyone at #TeamCT for a great season.
Finally, thank you to all of the people who continue to visit my blog and read my posts. I really appreciate the support and interaction, hopefully you have enjoyed following my journey so far. I hope you all had a great Christmas and have an amazing 2015.
As cheesy and corny as it sounds, 2014 has undoubtedly been the best year of my life and a fantastic adventure. I set myself a lot of goals that I wanted to achieve, and fortunately I managed to complete most of them.
With 2015 edging closer, it is now the perfect time for me to reflect on what a truly amazing year it has been for my career. I made big steps forward and I’m really proud and pleased with how it all worked out.
The Autosport International Show in January was an early highlight from 2014. I had previously visited the event on several occasions as a fan, wandering through the halls of the NEC in Birmingham exploring all aspects of the motorsport and motoring world. However, this time I was there on the trade days for Richland F1.
I managed to do a decent amount of work, but the best part about the show was definitely the social side. I got to meet some new people and catch up with friends and colleagues. It was fairly relaxed and a good way to kick off the year.
My gap year was from June 2013 to September 2014 and I worked full time as a freelance journalist during that time. It was a lot tougher than it may sound and I was working constantly on numerous projects, particularly over the course of this season, but it was great fun and I am so glad I decided to take a year out.
Winter testing and the start of the 2014 F1 season was a particularly busy time, with car launches, on-track running and plenty of preview pieces to cover. Following the final winter test in Bahrain, I travelled to London to attend the private screening of Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham’s documentary ‘The Lost Orphan: A Home For Mirela’. It was incredibly moving and it was great to learn about the work of Natalie and Hope and Homes for Children.
I saw Natalie again a few days later for the Sky Sports F1 press day. Previous events had been held at swanky locations in London, with round table discussions about the season ahead. However, this one was very different. We went behind-the-scenes at Sky’s studios as the team filmed opening feature for the Australian Grand Prix.
The day consisted of watching David Croft, Natalie, Martin Brundle, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert, Anthony Davidson and Simon Lazenby paint on giant white walls, throw paint on each other and deliver their thoughts on the season ahead to the camera. It was very different to the previous format.
The first few months of the year were quite busy, as I helped cover the opening seven races of the 2014 F1 season. We saw some great racing and on-track action, as well as some big talking points and stories. I was back in London at the start of May for the notaFOTA Forum, which was a great event for fans of the sport.
The next race took place in Austria, as F1 returned to the Red Bull Ring for the first time since 2003. That weekend was incredibly special for me, as I made my debut in the paddock for Richland F1. What a place to visit for my first race as part of the travelling circus. Austria is a truly beautiful country with stunning scenery.
The road trip to Graz (where I was staying) with Octane Photographic’s Leanne Boon and my Richland F1 boss Luke Smith - who is also NBC’s chief F1 writer – was long but completely worth it, as it was a truly incredible weekend. It was a frantic few days, with very little opportunity to stop and take it all in.
The facilities at the Red Bull Ring were top-notch and we had a fantastic view of the track from the media centre, which was located on top of the main grandstand opposite the pit lane. Walking through the paddock for the first time on Thursday was a very special moment and I quickly felt comfortable at the circuit.
Other highlights include my interviews with Gutierrez and Marcus Ericsson, as well as my tour of Red Bull’s garage and motorhome on Sunday morning, where I was introduced to Daniel Ricciardo, Christian Horner and David Coulthard. Overall, it was a successful return to the F1 schedule for Austria, with a good race and a brilliant turn out. I learned so, so much over that weekend and I was really pleased with the content I produced for Richland F1.
After returning to the United Kingdom, I then headed off on holiday with my family to the wonderful island of Kos. It was great to have some time to relax and unwind after a busy first half of the year. Once I was home, it was then time to travel to Silverstone. I didn’t attend the British Grand Prix as a journalist, but instead as a fan. It was my first time watching an F1 race from the grandstands. The atmosphere was incredible throughout the weekend and I had a great view from my seat at Woodcote.
Following Lewis Hamilton’s home triumph, it was time to get back to work. A few days later the road trip to the German Grand Prix kick started, with the Hockenheimring returning to the calendar after a year out. I immediately felt back at home in the media centre and I was pleased with the work that I did, although in hindsight I do wish I had produced a wider range of articles.
With just one week separating the 10th and 11th rounds of the 2014 season, we returned to Austria for a short break – which largely consisted of working – before heading to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix. It is definitely a stunning city and I’d love to go back there in the future.
It was undoubtedly one of the best races of the year and was a busy one to cover, with plenty to write about before the summer break. Ricciardo won it in style from Fernando Alonso and Hamilton, making it a very popular podium. Again, I was proud of the content that I posted on Richland F1, but like Germany it was missing a bit of variety.
The trip home was incredibly long. I wasn’t in the United Kingdom for long though, as I quickly headed off to France to visit family. It was another chance to relax and chill out after a frantic but incredible few weeks. F1 returned from the summer break with a bang in Belgium, with contact between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg leaving the door open for Ricciardo to take another victory.
Following the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, I packed up my things and moved from Norfolk to Harrow in North London to start my first year studying Journalism at the University of Westminster. I was so, so nervous about leaving home but I have so far loved the challenge of living independently. Juggling my studies and freelance work has been tough at times, but I have found a good balance.
The Japanese Grand Prix will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, following Jules Bianchi’s tragic accident. It was incredibly unfortunate and my thoughts continue to be with him and his family. The 29th December also marks one year since Michael Schumacher’s horrible skiing accident in the French Alps. As he continues to recover, my thoughts also continue to be with him.
It was a tough end to the season, with Bianchi remaining in the thoughts of the F1 community as Hamilton took the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi to win the final race of the year and take the 2014 title. The Englishman was the fastest driver throughout the season and thoroughly deserved his second world championship.
Now we look ahead to 2015. The regulations remain relatively stable, but we could still see a shake-up of the order and there are many question marks ready to be answered ahead of the new season. I’m hopeful that it will be a bigger and better year for my career and I can’t wait to see the 2015 F1 machines out on track at the first winter test.
Overall, 2014 has been an unbelievably incredible year and I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have been given. All my hard work was worth it and I reached a goal that I have wanted to achieve for quite some time. Firstly, a big thank you to Luke at Richland F1 for giving me the chance to attend three races for the site.
Secondly, thanks to Craig and Leanne Boon at Octane Photographic for providing my blog with stunning images and all the help that they gave me this year. 2014 was also my first full year writing for Car Throttle, and I still can’t believe I am even a small part of such a great team, so a big thanks to Adnan and everyone at #TeamCT for a great season.
Finally, thank you to all of the people who continue to visit my blog and read my posts. I really appreciate the support and interaction, hopefully you have enjoyed following my journey so far. I hope you all had a great Christmas and have an amazing 2015.
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