I travelled like an F1 DRIVER for an ENTIRE YEAR!

Overview: the scale of a season on the move

Photographing an entire F1 season meant serious travel: 64 flights, 38 airports, and roughly 260,000 kilometers logged.
I covered 24 races across 21 countries while being based in Perth, which added a lot of long haul sectors to the itinerary.
The mix of transport was interesting: one private flight, four first class, 58 business class, and a single economy leg.
Using points on three first class legs saved at least $30,000 on major routes.

Flight habits, aircraft and cost-per-hour math

Tracking flights with an app gave a revealing breakdown. I flew mostly on Mondays and Tuesdays, took 10 domestic and 54 international flights,
with 25 of those being long haul. My most commonly flown aircraft was the B777-300ER.
Total time in the air added up to just over 14 days. If you live in Europe those numbers would shrink dramatically; living in Australia means frequent return trips for business and family.

There are useful ways to judge value beyond ticket class. My best value flight was an Air Canada business class trip that worked out to about
$150 per hour in the air. By contrast, a short premium leg like Doha to Abu Dhabi would have been $930 per hour if booked in business class.
I flew that leg in economy, which still came to around $200 per hour. Points and route choice can dramatically change the effective hourly cost.

Routes, delays and the odd short hop

Shortest flight of the year: Bahrain to Doha at 149 kilometers. Longest: Miami to Doha, a 13 hour 20 minute stretch that became my longest single flight.
Across the whole year I surprisingly only lost about six hours to delays, had no cancellations, and did not miss any flights.
Those are small victories when you’re jumping between time zones week after week.

Accommodation highlights and a surprising winner

After hundreds of hotel nights, narrowing favourites to a top three was tough. Number three was the Fairmont in Doha, a visually impressive property with excellent lounge access and useful facilities for race week.
Number two was Palacio Tangara in São Paulo, a gorgeous hotel that doubles as an F1 social hub — drivers, team principals and managers often stay there.
My number one pick was not a hotel at all but a ship: Explorer 2 by Explorer Journeys. The cabin was compact but elegant, all food and drinks were included, and the walk to the Monaco paddock was eight minutes — impossible to beat for location.

Special mentions go to a lakeside hotel near Lake Como and a great property in Abu Dhabi that’s handy for paddock access. The Comfort Hotel in Suzuka earned a “not quite worst, but smallest rooms” mention — it’s functional, with great staff, and a short walk to one of my favourite bars of the year.

Food, cars and track highlights

Dining on the road is a mixed bag. I had three meals this year that rated 9.2 out of 10 and a few disappointments. The worst standout was a beef restaurant in Monaco that I scored 3 out of 10 — learned that lesson hard.
My favourite restaurant of the year was La Mome in Monaco, perched atop a hotel with stunning views and impeccable service.

Cars supplied by local fleets made the ground game more enjoyable. A Ford Raptor in Bahrain was sensational off the line, and a Lincoln Aviator in Abu Dhabi surprised me with a vast sunroof that we only discovered on the last day.
The favourite race for photography and atmosphere remains Monaco; shooting from a ship with the paddock a short walk away made it a standout.

My favourite long flight: Miami to Doha

The Miami to Doha leg was a full long-haul experience: 13 hours and 20 minutes. Suites with doors, dedicated crew service and decent meals make a long trip manageable.
Little details matter on melange flights: dry cabin air dries bread fast so eat it quickly, and small comforts — the right drink, a familiar snack, quality headphones — make a huge difference.

A practical tip I learned: if you arrive into a hub on a first class ticket and your next leg is business, you may still have access to first class arrival lounges.
That can be a surprisingly pleasant advantage for short transits.

Gear, losses and customs lessons

Years of travel means inevitable losses. This year I misplaced a hoodie, a road microphone, and a laptop twice — both times I got it back — along with an ever-growing collection of cables that seem to vanish into the airline ether.

A hard lesson: customs. Arriving into Mexico City with an extra camera resulted in a customs charge of about $350. The gear was taken in and then out, but the tax was enforced rather than a deposit.
Practical takeaway: avoid carrying more than two cameras into countries with unpredictable customs enforcement.

Practical advice for photographers and heavy travellers

Prioritize flexibility over perfection. Points and award bookings can transform the travel experience, especially on the longest sectors.
Track your routes with a reliable flight app so you can spot inefficiencies and plan rest days strategically.

Pack smart: keep essential camera gear in carry-on, label everything clearly, and consolidate cables into a single pouch. Have a short list of reliable restaurants and two backup hotels per race city — logistics change quickly during race weeks.

How many flights and countries did this itinerary include?

64 flights through 38 airports, covering 24 races in 21 countries and about 260,000 kilometers of travel.

How much flying time did this add up to?

Total flying time was just over 14 days in the air across the year.

What was the best value flight and how was value measured?

The best value flight was an Air Canada business class leg that worked out to about $150 per hour. Value was measured as cost per hour in the air, which helps compare short expensive hops to long comfortable sectors.

Any tips to save money on premium travel?

Use points on long premium legs, aim to book award seats on the most uncomfortable long sectors, and take advantage of arrival lounge access when available. Small changes in routing and timing can reduce effective hourly cost significantly.

What should photographers avoid when crossing borders?

Avoid traveling with more than two cameras where customs enforcement is unpredictable. Declare expensive equipment when required and keep receipts handy to avoid surprise taxes or delays.

Final note

Traveling a season like this is equal parts logistics and improvisation. The big wins come from planning—using points wisely, choosing the right accommodation for the week, and protecting gear—while the small wins come from knowing where to eat, where to rest, and how to make the transit hours count.
Keep the focus on reliable systems and flexible plans; that combination makes following an entire F1 season possible without burning out.