Visiting a Grand Prix is an unforgettable experience for an F1 fan, but attending all 24 races in a season – within a specified budget and around a full-time job – may seem like something of an impossible dream. One Formula 1 enthusiast, however, is embarking on this very challenge.
British fan Brandon Burgess kickstarted his mission to visit every Grand Prix in the 2025 season when the campaign got underway in Australia back in March, with the 29-year-old setting a budget of £20,000 for the whole season as well as aiming to complete the task using just his 28 days of annual leave from his job in London.
Along the way, he has been charting his journey online via social media under his ‘Full Time Formula’ account, capturing his experiences at each race weekend whilst also sharing budget updates, travel insights and more with fellow fans.
“It’s always been my dream to start off with,” Burgess tells F1.com of his challenge as we catch up during his latest stop at the Italian Grand Prix. “I always thought I’d have to be retired or have to win the lottery [to do it].
“And then summer last year, I started to think, ‘I’ve got a free year in 2025 – could it be possible if I used all of my holiday at my job, and also use a big chunk of my savings?’ Then it was probably September time where I decided to pull the trigger and say, ‘Yeah, let’s do it’. That’s when I started looking things up, and ever since it’s been amazing.”
When asked just how much planning went into such a feat, Burgess laughs: “So much! Pretty much between September and January, I’d say almost every evening and weekend I was doing some sort of planning, whether it be hotels, flights, tickets, or even logistics.
“I tried to do as much of it as I could before the season started because obviously, once the season is underway, it’s quite chaotic and because I’m making videos and documenting it all as well, I don’t really have a huge amount of time. But it’s a good few months, that’s for sure.”
Burgess’ passion for Formula 1 started at a young age, having been following the sport since he was “two or three years old”. He recalls: “I used to love Michael Schumacher out front in the red Ferrari. I used to dress up in his overalls as a kid. Schumacher was essentially my hero.
“I’ve loved F1 ever since I was a kid and I still do now. It’s just the adrenaline of it, the excitement of the racing, the noise of the cars… Motorsport is just by far and away my favourite sport, and I’m very lucky to be doing what I’m doing this year.”
Having now completed two-thirds of his challenge, there has been plenty of on-track action for Burgess to enjoy so far. But, alongside this, he admits that one of his key highlights has been getting to connect with fellow fans of the sport.
“To be honest, the biggest highlight has been meeting other F1 fans,” he responds. “Because I’ve been putting it all online and gained a bit of a following, it’s meant that other people have reached out and said, ‘I’m going to this race’ or ‘I’m going to this race’.
“I’ve travelled to a lot of them solo, so it’s meant that the races I have travelled to solo, I’ve met up with other F1 fans, spent the day with them, chatted to them briefly. I still talk to them now, a lot of people I’ve met, which is really, really nice and probably my favourite part.”
And when it comes to the main challenges of the task, Burgess admits that “just trying to keep awake at times” is one of them, adding: “The relentless nature of travel, being at the track, then as soon as I get back home, logging on for my nine to five, and then after in the evenings making videos about the experiences as well – it’s sort of like there’s not really a time to rest this year.
“But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve absolutely loved it, and I’m very lucky that people online seem to be enjoying the content because it’s meant that I’ve experienced stuff like this today, so I’m really grateful for that.”
Another task has been adapting to the changing weather conditions posed by the calendar’s different locations. As demonstrated in a recent social media video showing what he packs for a Grand Prix, Burgess admits that he has to be prepared for all eventualities – but concedes that an unpredictable forecast can also bring with it some exciting moments on track.
“That’s definitely been one of the challenges – it’s been a lot of checking the weather forecast,” he explains as we speak on a scorching day at the Italian Grand Prix. “There’s been a poncho needed at a few races. It’s definitely more fun when it’s like it is today in Monza, nice and sunny.
“But the rain has caused some really exciting races this year – like Silverstone when it rained, it ended up being a fantastic race, so a bit of mixed conditions can also be a lot of fun.”
With eight more races remaining, Burgess is excited to have his parents join him in Austin for the United States Grand Prix, whilst another aspect he is looking forward to is continuing to visit the different countries on the calendar.
“People have said to me, ‘Surely by now, you’ll get bored of it or you’ll get a bit fed up of it’, but I can genuinely say that every weekend I’m just so excited to get back to the track again,” he admits. “So I just can’t wait to visit all the remaining circuits and experience what it’s like to be there as a fan.”
In terms of whether he will manage to remain under budget for the rest of the challenge, Burgess concedes that it is “going to be really tight”, while he acknowledges that there is also a possibility of needing to take some unpaid days off work alongside using his annual leave.
However, when asked if he would recommend the challenge to other fans, Burgess has no hesitation in responding: “100 per cent. I ummed and ahhed for a long time whether to do it, because obviously it’s a lot of money and it’s a big commitment, but it’s honestly been the best thing I’ve ever done.
“This year has blown me away and, like I said, I’m very lucky with certain things happening and picking up a following online, which has helped with that. But even without that, just the experiences at the circuits and the people I’ve met, it’s been incredible. If anyone has the chance, I would say 100 per cent go for it. It’s been amazing.”
While he isn’t planning to repeat the feat next year given the budget required – though he says he would “definitely” do it again in the future – Burgess hopes to continue creating content around the sport. For now, though, his focus is on enjoying the remainder of his epic 2025 challenge.
“To be honest, it’s just made me love live sport and live Formula 1 even more, so I’ll definitely be attending races next year,” he smiles. “How many yet, I don’t know.
“I’ve got some cool ideas for different videos and different races next year, but I’m just going to try and enjoy the remaining races as much as I can and soak it all in this season, because it’s a bit of a once in a lifetime bucket list moment for me to do this.”
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