When I was six years old, I played with my American Girl dolls while my dad and his friends watched NASCAR races. I would have never expected that over a decade later I would be walking along the canals of Venice, Italy with my friends while studying abroad, desperately hoping my cell connection would stay strong enough to stream the first Formula One (F1) race of the 2024 season. I went from not caring about racing at all, to planning my time around it, reshaping how I view not just sports, but also media and global culture as a whole.
Adjusting to a Global Schedule
Becoming an F1 fan early in my college experience meant many late nights and early mornings watching races from across the globe. I got used to staying up past midnight to watch races that were happening in the middle of the day in Australia or Japan, setting alarms for 6 or 7 a.m. to watch race qualifying sessions in Europe and waking at 5 a.m. on Sundays to catch the opening laps in Azerbaijan or Abu Dhabi.
At first, the scheduling felt like a challenge but, over time, it changed the way I thought about the media I consume, from sports to TV shows and music. I adjusted to follow a global schedule rather than expecting my interests to fit into my day, as they often do with other sports leagues like the NFL, MLB or Major League Soccer. It made me more aware that media is experienced differently depending on location and that the same event can look vastly different across time zones.
At a time when most content is available on demand, following F1 required more intention. I could not rely on convenience or passive viewing. Instead I had to plan when and how I watched. It forced me to let go of the conveniences of life that I had become accustomed to and become more intentional about the media I seek out.
Connecting Through Shared Experience
As I continued following the sport, my routine shifted when I began studying abroad in Spain in the spring of 2024. I found myself watching a race in a crowded bar in the middle of the afternoon, a stark contrast to the nights I had spent watching alone in my bed. I was used to being a fan in the United States, where F1 is growing in popularity but still experiences limited support in comparison to other U.S.-based sports leagues. In St. Louis, I was watching races alone, or with friends who I had introduced the sport to. Seeing F1 fans in different countries while I traveled helped me to understand just how vast the support for F1 is and the dedication that fans like me have for their favorite teams and drivers.
In these spaces abroad, I was welcomed and accepted as a fellow fan, even without speaking the same language. Cheers, groans and excitement transcended language, and I realized that the emotions I felt watching a race were universal. What had once been a solitary experience in my room became a shared one, connecting me to a global community of fans and allowing me to participate in a larger cultural experience that crossed language barriers, time zones and personal routines.
Media and Perspective Beyond Sports
Developing a deeper understanding of the context, culture and shared experience of global media impacted my perspective on media as a whole. I have always been a fan of foreign television, including “La Casa De Papel” and “Lupin” as well as international musicians like Bad Bunny and Stromae. Through F1, I developed a greater appreciation for how sports, television and music can unify people across cultures. I learned firsthand that stories and passions are universal, even when the setting and languages are different. Whether it is a race, television show or a song, the core experience remains the same, even as cultural context shapes how it is expressed. My experience showed me that these types of media are not merely content to consume, but a better way to understand people and cultures beyond my own.
I am thankful I found F1, not just because of the community of fans I have been privileged to join, but because it taught me a lesson that changed the way I engage with the world around me. F1 has become a conduit for learning about intentional media consumption and gaining global awareness. For me, F1 is a clear example of how changing the way you watch something can shape the way you think.