Kym Illman Newsletter – August 2025

What have I been up to?

After three solid months on the move, I’ve finally returned to Western Australia, albeit briefly and I’m making the most of the mid-season break. The Hungarian GP was my final stop before heading home, and now I’m enjoying some well-earned downtime in Lancelin. But before I get to my West Australian winter activities, let’s rewind a little…
On my journey back, I treated myself to what may just be the best experience I’ve ever had in the sky — the Singapore Airlines Suites. Absolutely sensational. And what a trip it capped off. Over the past three months, I’ve been cruising in Monaco for the first time, devouring schnitzels in Austria, catching the new F1 movie, road-tripping through Canada, and much more.

A big chunk of my time was spent in Paris, staying in a glorious apartment with my family. Paris was all about walking, exploring, and — most importantly — eating! But it wasn’t all croissants and café culture. One day, while I was out, there was an attempted break-in at the apartment. Thankfully, my eldest son Tyler was there, and his presence seemed to scare off the would-be intruders.

A few days later, I had a run-in with a group of scammers at the famous Trocadéro. They didn’t take kindly to me filming their operation and one of them even confronted me, tried to grab my phone, and spat on me.
Still, there were plenty of highlights, including watching the Paris Olympics’ balloon rise near the Louvre and picking up a rather snazzy pair of Formula 1-themed shoes that ended up featured in my Shoes of the Paddock segment from Hungary.

From Paris, Jayce and I boarded the Eurostar to attend the Belgian Grand Prix, one of my absolute favourite events on the F1 calendar. While in Spa, I attended a dinner party at the historic Le Bains de Spa hotel — an extravagant and breathtaking property that ranks among the most impressive I’ve ever seen. Its walls have witnessed centuries of history, having hosted some of the world’s greats, from Mozart to David Bowie.
Now back in Lancelin, I’m embracing the West Australian winter. I recently landed a 12kg dhufish off the shore — grilled it the same night — and I’ve just started construction on my new Lego Red Bull car.

I’ve got three other Lego cars at home with the sidepods signed by the drivers of that year’s car, but this one will be a bit trickier to get signed once it’s completed because Sergio Pérez isn’t currently racing in Formula 1. Maybe I’ll see him at Cadillac in 2026?

I’ll remain in Lancelin for another two weeks before heading off to Zandvoort, with my son Jayce joining me once again.

Thanks for following along, and as always… STAY PASSIONATE!