- Kiwi in the running for free trips to 2027 F1 races.
- Global video-submission competition has come down to 6 entries.
- Winner to be decided by public vote, deadline October 19.
An Auckland-based Formula 1 fan has found himself in the final six of a global competition to win the "2027 Heineken F1 Season Ticket", an official F1 prize that will transport the winner around the world with guest passes to see 2027 race events.
Dale McCarter's 90-submission video submission, explaining why he should win, has been chosen as a finalist for the big prize, which will be decided next week.
The winner will be chosen by public vote via the official F1 website. You can do that here. It closes at midnight Monday October 19 BST (that's midday Tuesday on the Kiwi clock). You'll need to be a member of the F1 Unlocked fan database to do so, but it's free to sign up.
Once you're in you can see all six contender videos (if sheer patriotism is not enough to give Dale your vote...).
Dale, who works in customer and marketing insights (his entry is a personal one, though), admits he got a lot of the way through luck: 50 video submissions were chosen at random for the competition, but from there some heavy hitters got involved, including 4-time world champion Max Verstappen, F1TV presenter Laura Winter and inaugural Season Ticket holder Brandon Burgess.
Although he remembers watching occasional races and playing Formula 1 games growing up, Dale says his current fascination with F1 was reignited by Netflix's Drive to Survive series in 2024.
Since then, he has become "accustomed to late-night race viewing", visited Ferrari’s home in Maranello on a family holiday, and attended his first live Grand Prix in Melbourne in 2026.
“I really like Lando Norris and Liam Lawson. Having Liam representing NZ in F1 is pretty special, and I love seeing him do well. But I’m not particularly tribal. There are drivers and teams across the grid I enjoy following, and so many different stories happening at once.
“Every Grand Prix has its own world. Its people, its culture and its fans. I’d love the chance to experience more of those different sides of Formula 1 for myself."