Kenyans Travel to Watch Formula 1 Races

Are you the type that is courageous enough to go against your siblings? Well, that is exactly what Nyawira Gichuki did when she fell in love with Formula One (F1), one the most technical motor sports which none of her siblings cares about.

Nyawira's love for Formula One began at the office eight years ago. She is a techie and her male colleagues were always talking about races and the Formula One technical jargon.

Those conversations sparked her curiosity and she started learning all about Formula One.

The 'boys' took her in and Nyawira soaked in what the sport is all about and began following the races religiously. Last year, together with her husband and a couple of friends, she travelled to United Arab Emirates to watch the race of the year, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

“It's one of those things that you need to do in your lifetime,” says Nyawira, whose adoration for the sport has taken her down a path of isolation from her girlfriends on race days.

A conversation with a girlfriend on a race day could end up with the question, “You're watching this 'thing' again?” which she is now used to.

Sh300,000

The love for Formula 1 in Kenya has developed largely by the young and savvy fans who want to travel and experience the glamorous and high-tech Formula One first-hand.

And as demand among fans grows albeit slowly, Nyawira says the reason why most women have not taken a liking for such sports is because they have nobody to explain to them what the rules are.

“They get bored watching F1 because they don’t understand the rules of the game. It’s not just cars going around the track,” says Nyawira, who can now easily explain what “DRS” or “DNF” mean, without breaking a sweat.

Another ardent Formula One fan is Florence Kamaitha. Last year, she also travelled to Abu Dhabi to watch a Formula One race live at the famed Yas Marina Circuit.

“I used to date someone who enjoyed all kinds of sports and he would take time to explain the technicalities of each. I found myself drawn to Formula One and golf,” says Kamaitha, as she is known in the F1 circles.

In Kenya, Formula One is still an odd fit for a country that prefers football, rugby and athletics. The few F1 platforms has also failed to draw new crowds.

“We still don't have a lot of places where Kenyans can get to experience the sport both on the ground and on television. Local stations don't focus on F1. To watch it, you have to own a DStv decoder which a lot of people don't have access to,” says Florence.

As more Kenyans pay attention, there are those ardent fans who are organising trips to watch Formula One races. An all-inclusive package which is flight, transfers, meals, tickets to watch the game and accommodation goes for between Sh250,000 to Sh300,000.

The cost varies depending on the flight tickets to the destination and how early or late one is purchasing them.

Kenneth Makau, one of the owners of The Paddock Experience, a company which organises such trips is also deep into Formula One.

His love for the racetrack stretches back almost two decades. Since 2011, he has not failed to watch at least one Formula One race live every year. He has been to the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, the Autodromo Internazionale di Monza, Italy and Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

“I never get tired of it,” says Kenneth.

I am curious to find out what sets the live races apart from watching on television.

“What you're not prepared for is the really loud racing. I stood up and froze. When an F1 car passes, the ground shakes,” says Kenneth, sentiments which are echoed by Nyawira. “It's really, really loud, so when you see people behind the racetracks wearing earplugs and you wonder, why are those guys wearing these things? When you get there, you understand, and you promptly buy yours and you put them on.”

Loud racing

The unnerving speeds is a spectacle that makes sense for people who get a thrill watching really fast, really loud racing.

“This is a sport where the fastest cars with the most elite engineering, the most precise and talented drivers get to compete on who is really the fastest,” says Kamaitha.

Being the most technical sport, Formula One combines highly specialised driver skills with teamwork that is as seamless as it is monumental. Formula One cars are deemed by some as 'road-hugging jets' given the level of engineering required to keep them on the ground at very high speeds. “Downforce” is a common term used, and it is the difference between 'gaining wings' and remaining rooted to the ground. Seeing the drivers is magical.

“To be told that the brakes glow red hot, and you're there seeing them, there's no feeling like that,” says Kenneth.

“Once you experience it once, it's very addictive. It's like a drug, it sucks you in so be careful, you will get addicted,” he adds.

Organisers are also making the trips more exciting to draw more fans.

“When you watch F1 live, it's a four-day affair filled with festivals, concerts and interaction with fans from different parts of the world,” says Kamaitha.

Besides an opportunity to shop, travellers also get to watch international A-list stars who perform at concerts after the races. There are also other secondary races in the build-up to the main race on Sunday.

The atmosphere at the grandstands is electric. With just a t-shirt or a cap indicating allegiance to a particular team, fans also gain new friends and the memories of the races remain engraved in one's memory permanently.

According to Kenneth, “what you don't see is the support infrastructure that builds up towards the race.”From the meticulous roll-out of products and services that make the main race a spectacular to the Formula One's bosses and senior government officials that make one feel that they got their money's worth.

For newbies, planning to go watch a race live requires one to detach themselves from the familiar Kenyan habit of doing things at the last minute.

Nyawira advises that “the earlier you book, the cheaper it becomes.” Kenneth says that a good Formula One outing is best planned a year in advance.

SportsPesa in Formula One

Even as the season this year kicks off on March 17, tickets for some races are sold out months in advance.

Teams are currently unveiling their livery and betting firm SportPesa has put money into Force India and the team will now be called SportPesa Racing Point.

Formula One is a rich man’s game and SportPesa has entered into a three-year deal which will see it give Sh800 million this year, Sh1 billion next year and Sh1.2 billion in 2021. The sponsorship deal is still on the lower spectrum of what it takes to be the title sponsor of a top team in the sport.

If you think Formula One is just another 'flat' sport and you are wondering where the thrill factor stems from, Nyawira says, “Give it a try. Understand the basic rules and watch one or two races. You might like it like I did.”

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