‘Ultimate dream’ of 24 F1 races on £20K and 28 days’ leave

On a budget of £20,000, is it possible to attend all 24 Grand Prix this season despite the pricey enough to attend just one Formula 1 race? One British fan believes it can be accomplished.

In March, Brandon Burgess, 29, embarked on an epic journey through 21 nations and five continents. He aims to inspire fans by allowing them to participate in what many consider to be a wealthy man’s game.

At the Dutch Grand Prix, Burgess, who has been a fan since she was two, tells BBC Sport, “It’s been my ultimate dream.”

It’s a commitment that I had to put in a good week of work. But then I realized, “I’ll never do it if I don’t do it right away.”

I don’t really have a lot of responsibilities because I’m young. I’m like, “If I don’t do it this year, then life changes and moves on.”

Burgess’ issue is that he only takes his annual 28 days of leave from his job at a tech company in London, which is another con.

Following the Budapest Grand Prix, which was round 14, Burgees’ total was £9,221, with 12 days of his typical annual vacation time still left.

He claims that the triple-headers and back-to-back grands prix are driven solely by adrenaline, and the following Italian Grand Prix will be held in Monza in a week.

Burgess chooses how many days to attend each event due to limited funds. For instance, he has chosen to participate in both Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race in the Netherlands.

Burgess is putting his savings to use to pay for his travels, and he is a youth. He is currently in good health and on course to finish his mission.

Although the campaign’s European leg has greatly helped, he cautions that “it’s going to be very tight.”

So, there are eight flyaways, two more Europe races, and Zandvoort, which are going to hurt the most. So I’m attempting to fill in the remaining space with the flyaways.

This is a tight time for the budget spreadsheet because, among others, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, and Las Vegas are still to come before the Abu Dhabi finale in December.

According to what I’ve booked, I’ve already done rough calculations in terms of the money. But I’m still not entirely familiar with food and transportation. It will be close to £20K, Burgess claims, “perhaps just under, maybe just over.”

Burgess has won money back at Zandvoort this weekend by forgoing a capsule hostel. His girlfriend’s attendance in Austria turned out to be a plus. The accommodation costs were split in half. He continues, “I did count it as half, not the entire cost.”

However, he was required to be in and out for the April Japanese Grand Prix to keep costs to a minimum.

He claims that “the Australian Grand Prix and China are related, which helped.” However, Japan actually had a long weekend. I spent three days in Japan before returning for another 20 hours of travel. That is probably the most bizarre so far.

Through his Instagram account, Burgess keeps track of the ups and downs of daily life on the road, which occasionally yields a bed for the night.

I’ve received some offers, but I’m trying to keep it as authentic as possible, he says. He has also become a popular travel advisor among other fans.

Burgess also needs to be strategic about juggling his professional life, with no days off in lieu of absence available at his job to add to his leave tally.

He chose not to fly home from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia in April to lower costs and completed his paid hours at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. After a tiring race return, he is grateful that his job allows him to work from home on some Mondays.

Aston Martin, who had invited Burgess to a garage and paddock tour in Saudi Arabia, saw his challenge. He claims that it was a dream that came true. Another highlight is getting to know other fans, especially if you’re traveling alone.

You have essentially friends from all over the world, Burgess claims. And some of the people I’ve met kept in touch with. So I still chat with some of the people I’ve met in Australia at the start of the season, which is really nice.

A Ferrari grand prix win, especially one for Charles Leclerc, would be a plus, he says, adding that he hasn’t changed since the Schumacher days.