First off, I've been following F1 since the end of the 2007 season/ start of the 2008 season.
What really got me into it was the McLaren team of that year, i.e. Alonso/Hamilton duel. Hamilton was my favourite, and ever since then I've been a Hamilton/McLaren supporter and hooked on F1.
Now he's left McL, I still want him to do well, and would love to see him win another title (not that I think he will this year). McL on the other hand I care less for, although I would still like for them to win the title, over Ferrari and Red Bull.
My question to you is, do you have a favourite driver who you follow, or do you follow a team, no matter who the drivers are?
I'm intrigued to see how other F1 fans follow the sport, as I know very few people that actually follow the sport...
Cheers!
I have a question
posted on 21/1/13
good evening RR
i think most F1 fans if they are honest with themselves have a favourite driver as opposed to a favourite team ,
my addiction started in the early 80s with the JPS lotus and was a big fan of a driver called elio de angelis who drove for said team and was a very good driver but was never going to be a real great ,
i must admit when senna came on the scene in 1984 it was clear he was something very very special and i closely followed his career until his demise 10 yrs later ,
to be honest F1 will never see his like ever again as the good lord broke the mold when he created senna - suffice to say along with millions of others i count myself very lucky to have witnessed the career of one with gifts that were not of this planet --
posted on 21/1/13
F1 fans fall into different categories. Some follow a particular manufacturer irrespective of the drivers employed. An example would be the Ferrari fans known as the “Tifosi”. Some fans are drawn to a particular driver. Some follow F1 as a result of their interest in engineering or aerodynamics etc. Most F1 fans just enjoy the sport irrespective of the nationality of the drivers or teams.
I like to watch good British drivers (not any British driver) in any car and have enjoyed following their careers since the days of Jim Clark. I now follow Lewis Hamilton as I find him to be the most exciting driver to enter F1 whilst I have been watching it.
I suggest that you seek out a book on the history of the sport. My personal recommendation would be “Burning Rubber: The Extraordinary Story of Formula One”.
posted on 22/1/13
Thanks for the comments.
WTCBU i also think Hamilton is the most exciting driver on the grid, he drove superbly last year and was very unfortunate with team errors.
Martial Artist, I wish I could of seen Senna in action, I watched the documentary of the same name which was very enlightening... What were your thoughts on Prost at the time? Seemed like a great driver, but a bit of a t!t as a man, as most top class sportsman tend to be.
Thanks for the book recommendation WTCBU, I'll check it out...
What are your thoughts for the season, in terms of WDC and WCC?
posted on 22/1/13
red rhym
to answer your question about prost red -
prost was a brilliant driver of the absolute highest order , incredibly quick ,incredibly smooth , incredibly intelligent in and out of the car , a tactical master in every respect from the very top drawer ,
since his retirement at the end of 93 there has been nobody that has come remotely close to him in all aspects of being a F1 driver -- it is only alonso from the current crop that can hold a candle to him when you look at the overall complete package -
must admit the senna film did not paint a very rosy picture of prost the man , i personally thought prost was a coward for running away from senna at the end of 89 at mclaren and then refusing to have senna as a team mate at williams --- but prost the driver was something else completely -
as to who will win the 2013 honours -
if ferrari get there act together and dont suffer the same wind tunnel correlation problems they had during 2012 alonso as the most complete driver on the grid will take alot of stopping ,
however red bull for 2013 will not be disadvantaged by the rule changes as they were in 2012 so will have a very competitive car from the word go and vettel will feel he is invincible with a good car -
for me it has to be alonso or vettel for the WDC and very likely red bull or ferrari for the WCC -
posted on 23/1/13
2013 should be very exciting because we will have 5 teams capable of winning races.
Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull all have cars and drivers that will win races.
I predict that Alonso and Ferrari will win both WDC and WCC. Alonso is as good as Hamilton and the Ferrari is reliable. The best two drivers are Hamilton and Alonso.
Prost was a brilliant driver. He was poor in the wet but very few races are rain effected. He won 4 WDC's but his performance in races would have seen him win 7 if the current point system applied.
Senna was reckless and dangerous. He simply did not care about any other driver because he thought he was God. Then in a desperate attempt to beat Schumacher he went off and met the real thing.
posted on 23/1/13
As an Italian it's bred into us to follow the Scuderia. was born in 1979 so had to wait until my 21st birthday to see us gain a world title
as for drivers loved Schumi,Patrese,Fiscichella,Kimi, even Irvine
would love to see Fernando win another title and have hopes Massa can do well this year.
my biggest wish however, is for an Italian world champion that said an Italian on the grid would be a start
posted on 23/1/13
I used to be a member of the tifosi as well (I'm half itlaian) but got disillusioned with ferrari for a variety of reasons.
I like a variety of drivers on the current grid like; Hamilton, Alonso, Kimi and want them to do well.
I'm not a fan of the fizzy drinks company's car or their driver lineup
posted on 23/1/13
I was offered a drive for redbull on F1 2012 but even on a game I turned it down and stayed with Sauber
posted on 24/1/13
I've been a big fan of Alonso since his Renault days. Still follow him mainly these days but obviously look out for the British boys. Think Lewis will struggle at Mercedes but I guess it was time for a change. Also like Kobayashi because I got the impression there was a part going on in his head while he was racing.
posted on 31/1/13
I've tended to follow drivers rather than teams, but have had a soft spot for certain teams.
I started watching formula one in the early 90s and supported Jean Alesi, Senna, Ferrari and Tyrrell.
Nowadays I support Raikkonen.
Btw in reply to an earlier comment that Senna didnt care about other drivers. Senna was the most genuinely 'human' driver of his era. Profoundly effected by Martin Donnelly's terrible accident, the only driver to stop and assist Eric Comas after his potentially fatal shunt, and with an Austrian flag in his Williams to display at the end of the San Marino GP that he tragically never finished.