F1 – A Formula One fan from France who has attended every grand prix so far this season – after also visiting Bahrain in February for F1 pre-season testing – has expressed her delight in being a part of the historic weekend at the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026.
Paris native Elsa has travelled all over the world following the F1 circus in support of Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, and is documenting her journey on social media.
The 25-year-old, who works as an art director, recalls how it all began in the kingdom at the tests and was saddened when Bahrain’s race in April was called off due to the extraordinary circumstances that have been impacting the whole world.
But she is now elated to be at Sepang International Circuit (SIC) for this weekend’s grand prix spectacle – albeit at a completely different setting from Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir – and is once again cheering Hamilton on in the 16th stop of the 2026 FIA F1 World Championship.
“This is country number 16 this year for me and it’s been incredible to be able to follow F1 and discover all these new places to make my dream of going to every grand prix come true,” Elsa told the GDN yesterday in the SIC paddock.
“It feels kind of weird to be attending Bahrain’s grand prix in Malaysia, but it’s also great because everything here looks like how it is in Bahrain – the decorations, the activations, and so much more stuff.
“We really loved it in Bahrain so it’s nice to see all of those things here, and I’m really excited for 2027 to be back there for the first race of next season and for pre-season testing again.
“I fell in love with Bahrain at first sight because of everything there – the night race, the people, the elements of Bahrain – and it has really become one of my favourite places to go.”
Of her experience during this year’s pre-season at BIC, Elsa said: “It was absolutely insane! I loved it! The atmosphere was so relaxed and you can really see and do everything.
“The pit lane walk was such a surprise and it made me even happier. Everyone in Bahrain was so passionate and you meet so many amazing people – it was such a special experience.
“It was also my first F1 test, so I realised that it’s such an incredible experience for fans. It’s more financially accessible than a grand prix but it gave me exactly the same excitement and sparkle in my eyes.”
Elsa shares that meeting Hamilton for the first time at testing and later seeing him claim a sensational victory in Barcelona last June are the fantastic moments that have stood out the most so far this F1 campaign.
“There are a lot of highlights, but of course seeing Lewis for the first time and then watching him win in Barcelona are my best moments,” Elsa explained. “When I began my journey this year, apart from wanting to do every race of the season, I also really wanted to see Lewis win, and that happened in Spain.”
Elsa highlights that because of her growing online presence – which includes nearly 35,000 followers on Instagram, more than 32,000 on TikTok, and nearly a thousand on YouTube – companies from around the world have approached her offering to host her at certain race weekends.
“Because of my project and everything I’ve been doing on social media, brands have reached out and people have been really kind, asking if I wanted to come into the paddock and that they can arrange that,” said Elsa, whose Instagram handle is @gpwithelsa, from where her other social media accounts can be found.
“For this weekend, I was invited by BIC, and it’s always a great experience to be amongst all the F1 teams.”
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))