Some loves arrive in our lives through the back door, almost by accident. My love for Formula 1 is one of them.

It began in college, thanks to a friend Pranava. One day he showed up wearing a pair of Ferrari-branded shoes that cost around ₹8000. I still remember the jolt of disbelief. Back then, I was wearing shoes that cost ₹150, buying five pairs for ₹800. To me, those Ferrari shoes felt almost mythical, a symbol of a world I had never even imagined.

That moment lit a spark of curiosity in me: What was so special about Ferrari? Why would someone spend so much for that logo? I started searching. I found highlights of Formula 1 races on YouTube, the bright red of the Ferrari livery slicing through tracks all over the world.

Pranava then suggested I watch the movie Rush (2013). I still remember how that film shook me the rivalry, the speed, the sheer human drama. But above all, what amazed me was the engineering. Formula 1 is, quite simply, an engineering masterpiece. Every single part of those cars is designed and refined to perfection a living, breathing symphony of mechanical brilliance. As an engineer, I was hooked.

I couldn’t believe how deeply I fell in love with F1 after that. It combined everything I respected: precision, creativity, performance, courage. It was, in a way, the perfect engineering cake baked with fire, forged through speed, and decorated with pure human passion.

Since then, Formula 1 has become a part of my identity. I became a huge fan of Checo Pérez and Max Verstappen, their driving style, their attitude, the way they take on challenges without flinching. And I will never forget the 2021 season that final showdown in Abu Dhabi was nothing short of god level. The last lap deciding the world champion was the kind of drama no scriptwriter could invent.

To me, F1 is more than a sport. It is a living testament to how far human beings can push the limits of engineering. It is a reminder of how science and courage can dance together on the edge of what is possible.

Even as I grow older, my love for F1 will stay. Because every time I see those machines fly down a straight, or dance through a perfect corner, it reminds me why I chose to be an engineer in the first place: to chase perfection, to respect precision, and to be in awe of the impossible.

F1 will always have a place in my heart a roaring, red, unstoppable place because it taught me that even speed can be an art, and engineering can be poetry on wheels.