This whole thing started because I looked up F1 races on a whim and realized the Hungarian Grand Prix lined up with dates we were flexible on. So we booked flights to Budapest. Did a bunch of research and decided grandstand seats were worth the money over general admission. Pricey for two adult tickets, but we grabbed cheaper kids tickets which made it a little more bearable. And honestly, sitting where we ended up? No regrets. We could see the start/finish line and all the pit stops. Bathrooms without line ups. Water refill stations. The seats were incredible.

We took public transit out at 9 to get there for 10:30. The race wasn't until 3, so we had hours to wander the fan zones, do some shopping, soak it all in. Picked up some buns, cold cuts, and cheese from Aldi for snacks. And of course we bought some gear like a real F1 fam.

The Race

I'm having a hard time articulating it. The fan experience, the lead up to the start, everything was so amazing. The sounds can't be explained. It's a feeling you have to feel for yourself. We each picked a driver to cheer for. Sofie picked Norris. Lukas picked Max. I was cheering for Antonelli. And Chad went with Lewis Hamilton. The finishing order? Norris won, Max came second, Antonelli third, Hamilton fourth. Top four in the exact order we picked them. Sofie was losing it. We watched the podium ceremony right from our seats.

Getting Out

Leaving the venue was chaos. Getting there had been super simple, about an hour. Subway, train, free shuttle. The way out? The line for the shuttle was insane. Imagine a ski hill lined up in a zigzag all the way to the top. We started walking and ended up beating the shuttle buses that passed us. They all sat in traffic. We walked 2km to a train station, cut up the side of a hill as a shortcut while everyone else waited in line. Waited about 10 minutes, got on the first train that pulled up. First ones off, walked to the subway and caught the one that was just leaving. At one point we asked how much for a taxi back. 150 euro. No thanks. We left the venue at 5:15 and got home at 7. Not too shabby.

I'll be honest, I'm a big sports guy but I've never really watched or kept up with F1. I think that has changed now.

Around noon we hit the road toward Budapest. About an hour into the drive we crossed the Slovakia border, and maybe half an hour after that we were into Hungary. Three countries in under two hours. Pretty simple drive, honestly. We also grabbed a few burgers from a place called Pickle before leaving Brno, which held us over nicely.

Dropped off the rental car and got to the Airbnb. Very, very Hungarian. Huge apartment decorated like your old Hungarian grandmother's place, lol. A bit out of style but super clean, which is really all we care about. Perfect location too. Groceries store right downstairs, three coffee shops close by, everything walkable. Kristin has been crushing the travel details and this one was no exception.

Langos and Late Night Walks

After chilling for a bit we went out for our first langos. Fried dough with sour cream and cheese. We got a Hungarian one with bacon bits and another with chicken paprikash. Yum. Delicious.

Later we went out for a late night chimney cake and gelato. One of the hotels nearby has an F1 racer staying there, so there were crowds gathered outside looking for autographs. Headed back to the apartment to try to catch up on the CrossFit Games. We're still two days behind.

Tomorrow is a big day. Our first ever F1 race.