Meet Dino, a karting champion from South Africa who has been working in Formula 1 since 2022 and is currently part of the Expert Hosts team.
- Images supplied by Dino
Where are you from and where do you live?
I’m from Cape Town in South Africa but I currently live in Barcelona with my best friend, Christine GZ, who is a presenter for DAZN TV and a rally driver.
How long have you been working in Formula 1?
I’ve been working in F1 since 2022. I started out as a server in the Paddock Club and then through networking and building connections I was able to change roles and become an Expert Host in 2023, which is a better fit for me because of my knowledge and passion for the sport.
Describe your Formula 1 role. What do you do at the track throughout the weekend?
I’m an expert host, working mainly with guests from the Paddock Club and F1 Experiences. I take groups of guests on guided tours of the F1 Paddock, explaining how everything works and what happens in the paddock. I also do track tours (on the truck normally used for the F1 drivers’ parade), which is a lot of fun. We talk about the circuit and describe each corner. I also do grid walks, tours of the F2 and F3 garages, and driver interviews.
Tell us more about what the Expert Hosts team do at the track
We are a team of racing drivers from around the world that have a lot of knowledge about motorsport and Formula 1. The Expert Hosts team organizes a lot of activities on Formula 1 race weekends, like I’ve just described, as well as photo safaris (where guests are taken to internal parts of the circuit for a closer look during live F1 sessions) and driver interviews in the Formula 1 Paddock Club.
How did you get your Formula 1 job?
My journey to Formula 1 was quite unique and unexpected. I started watching F1 on TV in 2005 as a small kid. The first race I remember was the German Grand Prix, where Michael Schumacher was fighting Fernando Alonso for the lead. My Dad was a big Ferrari supporter and I’m half Italian, so I was following Ferrari as well. I remember my Mum teasing me because Alonso got the better of Michael and I was not happy!
From 2008, I began watching Formula 1 religiously. My passion and knowledge for the sport grew so much over the years that I knew I wanted to be a part of it somehow in the future. I started karting late, in 2014. I won my first national championship in 2015 and then went on to win a few more titles over the years. I got offered a Formula 4 contract to race in Europe but it was way too much money for my parents to afford. I knew I wouldn’t be able to advance in racing and that I would need to find something else to do.
I studied hospitality business management for three years and got my degree. During this time, I pursued F1 hospitality internships and jobs, but nothing materialized. I made some connections and got some advice from insiders, but then Covid hit and many people in F1 hospitality lost their jobs. Thinking my dream of getting into Formula 1 was not going to happen, I took a gap year in 2021. I completed some yachting courses and in 2022, flew to the south of France to work on yachts.
Only a few weeks later, I saw a job offer on LinkedIn for hospitality staff in the Paddock Club. I completed an interview and got the job! I moved to Milan as I thought it would be a better base for traveling to the races. But I didn’t enjoy it there. I worked eight races as a Paddock Club server in 2022, but it wasn’t the job for me. Luckily, through networking at races, I was able to find the Expert Hosts.
We are a small team but we are really close, and I love that I’m able to use my knowledge and passion for Formula 1 at every race I attend.
Towards the end of 2023, I met Christine at a race and she overheard me saying how much I disliked living in Milan. She told me her flatmate in Barcelona was moving out and asked If I’d like to take the room. I’m now living my best life In Barcelona whilst traveling to all the races!
What’s your favorite and least favorite part of the job?
I would say the driver interviews and track tours are best, because they feel most rewarding and I enjoy them the most out of everything we do! Least favorite is the 6am flights home! Waking up at 3:30 isn’t fun but it’s part of the job.
Any races you haven’t worked that you really want to?
Singapore! I’d love to be at that track, it’s such an OG circuit and a beautiful country and I love working at night races.
Do you have any favorite F1 circuits or destinations?
My favorite circuit is definitely Silverstone. I think it’s designed so well and is made for great racing. It’s always a good race. But my favorite race to work at is Monaco, I love the vibe there, the atmosphere, the sunshine, the yachts and the celebs! Monaco is great for parties and I also get to see my friends who work on the yachts there. It’s just an all rounder for me.
What about your least favorite F1 circuits and destinations?
I wouldn’t say I have a least favorite circuit but the race I enjoyed the least last year was Qatar, and that was only because it was 45 degrees everyday! It was really difficult to work in these conditions. If it weren’t for the hot weather then I wouldn’t have an issue, but Qatar was just too hot.
Do you ever get the chance to spend some time during your F1 trips as a tourist?
Yes, absolutely! We go out for dinner most nights. When we arrive on Wednesday, we usually have some time in the afternoon and evening to explore the city. But it also depends on the race. We don’t go out at all during the British Grand Prix weekend, for example, as it’s one of the biggest and busiest races for us and it’s important to get good sleep and rest.
But in places like Hungary and Canada we tend to go for dinners most nights and tour the city especially if we arrive early in the country. Sunday when the race is finished we go out but it’s all very race dependent. Silverstone doesn’t have anywhere nice to go out really so we won’t really do anything but races like Austin and Hungary, which are well-known ‘party races’, we will go out. If we have a late flight back home on Monday we will head out for breakfast that morning and go for a walk around the city. So yes we do normally get a bit of time to be a tourist for the day but like I said it’s very race dependent!
Any favorite bars or restaurants on the F1 calendar you can recommend?
There’s this deli that Ruth Buscombe took me to in Montreal and it’s absolutely amazing. The food was so good. We had lunch together on Monday after the race. It’s called Schwartz’s Deli! 10/10 recommended.
Where do you normally stay when working at F1?
We usually stay at a hotel or an Airbnb. My favorite hotel was probably the one in Qatar last year. The breakfast was amazing and the rooms were really big. We also made a lot of use of the plunge pool!
