As the 2024 F1 season came to a close, Girls Across the Grid groups around the world gathered for their final race watch of the year. Here's a glimpse into what three groups got up to for the season finale and why these meets are such a special part of the GATG community.
The Italian GATG community close the season out at Imola
Aurora, who supports the Italian GATG community, shares an unforgettable day with the Italian GATG community at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola.
The Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit is a location that is very close to the Italian GATG group's heart, and a very fitting place to have their last official race meet of the season!
"The day began in a light-hearted and cheerful way, a chance for those attending to enjoy some Italian Christmas traditions together. Before lunchtime, we played F1-themed tombola, adapting the classic Italian Christmas game to include our love of F1. We'd managed to secure some prizes, including Pirelli caps, which made the game even more fun and engaging.
"After a group favourite lunch of Sushi, we returned to the circuit to soak up the unique atmosphere and watch the race. Many of our group are die-hard Ferrari fans, and throughout the race, we experienced hope and moments of suspense, waiting to see if Ferrari could take the Constructors' Championship. You can see some of our emotions in the video below from the first lap of the race!"
"The race kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very end, but more important than the sporting result was the shared thrill of experiencing the highs and lows together as a group.
After the race, we gathered to celebrate not only the end of the season but also the arrival of Christmas. We shared a pandoro (a sweet Italian Christmas bread), which brought a perfect close to a day filled with emotions and laughter."
East Midlands Celebrates with Bingo, Cheers, and Tears!
Beth, co-organises the East-midlands UK GATG group with Catriona and shares how they have celebrated this season and the final race.
"Wow! What a final race that was! The 2024 season has been absolutely amazing and so competitive—it’s only fitting that the final race delivered everything and more. For the big finale, Catriona and I decided to throw a party. We decorated our private room at BOX Nottingham, played games, and handed out gift bags to the girls (they contained some much-needed tissues!). After the race, we hosted a quiz, which GATG member Bryony won! She walked away with some great prizes, including a Red Bull notebook, a poster, and Mercedes driver cards. After this, we then locked and loaded our 2025 Predictions. We can’t wait to see how right (or hilariously wrong) we are in a year’s time!
"Our biggest highlights of the race included cheering on Lando Norris as he not only won the race but also clinched the WCC for McLaren—their first since 1998! And of course, we were all in bits watching Hamilton’s donuts as he crossed the line in his final Grand Prix with the Silver Arrows family. Spoiler alert: there were plenty of tears, and we ended up hugging each other a lot.
The East Midlands group shared predictions, cheers, and a fair amount of tears!
"When Catriona and I became ambassadors for the East Midlands chat, we brainstormed ways to make our race meets more interactive for members attending in person and those joining from home. That’s when the idea of Race Bingo was born! It started as a one-off during our meet for Imola, but was such a hit that it became a permanent tradition.
"Now, without fail, every F1 Sunday, the group sends in their bingo predictions, and we chat about what we got right—and the surprises we didn’t see coming—after the race. It’s been played at race meets, on race tracks when members have attended Grand Prix weekends (not easy—trust me!), and even at Silvegas. It’s a little thing, but it’s brought our group so much closer together."
Over and out, F1 2024! It’s been a blast.
The Belgium GATG group celebrate a year of building traditions and friendship
Jess, our Belgium GATG group moderator, gives an insight into what one of the newer GATG communities have done whilst celebrating their first year together!
"GATG Belgium is almost a year old now, and we’ve packed so much into that time—going to ELMS in Spa, karting, Nascar, and even having virtual meetups for races. It’s been a whirlwind!
GATG Belgium has been flying the GATG flag this year!
"We’ve built some fun and silly traditions into our group, like playing Stewardle daily, doing a guessing game before every race, and changing our group picture after each Grand Prix. For the last Grand Prix, we made the experience extra special - watching in the VIP room of the sports bar we go to. As well as the girls from our community, Leary the mascot was right there with us, adding even more fun to the celebration! Afterwards, we got into the festive spirit and went to the Christmas markets.
GATG Belguim (and mascot Leary!) celebrating the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix together!
"We've built a great community of girls in our Belgium group, with members describing the community as f(1)amily, welcoming, 'simply lovely' and chaos! We're looking forward to continuing to grow!"
Want to join in next year? Of course you do!
As we wrap up the 2024 season, it’s clear that Girls Across the Grid is more than just a group of fans - it’s a community. Whether we're celebrating at race meets, sharing traditions, or supporting each other through the highs and lows of the F1 season, there's always room for more to join in! If you're looking for a place where you can connect with other motorsport-loving women, make lasting memories, and be part of something special, GATG is the place for you. Come be a part of the fun, the chaos, and the passion that makes this community so unique. We can’t wait to see you at the next race!
A huge thank you to Jess, Beth and Aurora for their contributions to this blog!
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