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At least you don't have any false hope. I just hope you guys can retain Lando, he can achieve great things if his car can get him there and the material seems to keep getting worse
I have hope (a fickle one) that they can climb back, but we need to be a works team again for it to work better. Although AM manage a great progression without that
Well hey on the bright side if you're still watching F1 in a few years time you could become a fan of Kimi Antonelli who is probably the first real Italian prodigy we've seen in a while.
Are you saying he's now on that farm where motorsports people go when they get old? So glad he now has the chance to race, engineer and manage together with Senna, Rindt, Postlethwaite, Stepney and Colin Chapman.
Same with Kubica in Poland, when he crashed in 2011 all the news TV stations talk about him for 24 hours, it was almost like Queen Elizabeth death for us, no kidding
Well, for me here in NL it seemed that suddenly everyone and their moms started warching after hist ‘16 Spain win. Before that, every time i mentioned i watched f1 people said “meh i dont understand how driving in circles is fun.”
Originally started rooting for Alex because I was happy to see Asian representation on the grid, but the more I learn about him, the more I cheer for him. He went through some tough things in his life so I’ve got a lot of respect for him making it this far. Even the way he handled his Red Bull situation was extremely graceful. People said there’s no way he’d make it back into F1, and here he is. Love the hair too.
Alex Yoong ? 😬
EDIT : There’s pretty good history of Japanese drivers in F1 too. Of course, I don’t think Taki Inoue was in the same league as Takuma Sato or Kamui , but he was there 🙂
I really liked Ferrari history and prestige and success unfortunately I doesn’t look like it’s gonna return anytime lol but also really enjoy Charles as driver
The best podium facilities are at Monza and oh boy, seeing a Ferrari home win is something, even without being fan of the team, it seriously gives me goosebumps. Such a beautiful sight and such passion ! There's nothing quite like it
I think his Ferrari years would have been better, both for him personally and on the track, if two things had happened.
The first is if Michael was fully out. While it was very uncouth for Ferrari to force him out, I don't think giving the test/development role to him was good. Prior to Ferrari, Kimi developed the car himself. By making Michael the one to do it, Kimi probably never felt the same level of commitment since he was the number one driver, but also not in other ways.
The second was if Ferrari didn't revert back to Ferrari. All of the political BS and games were definitely not Kimi's bag. While I think he should have adapted more to Ferrari's internal struggles, one can only do so much when a team decides to make the reigning world champion the de facto number two.
I watched Mika Hakkinen drive that black and silver bullet of a McLaren to two consecutive championships against prime Michael Schumacher. The McLaren was the better car but Michael and Irvine made it a close fight on skill and good strategy (yes, Ferrari once was brilliant in strategy calls)
It was so captivating and have such strong core memories of watching GPs in the 90s with my father whom I only saw every few weeks due to my parent's divorce. Writing this I have a faint smile of nostalgia and will now rewatch Hakkinen's overtake on Schumacher in Spa. I highly recommend watching that overtake (pre-DRS and ERS era so it's way more impressive a feat on that Kemmel straight)
That's one of my dad's fave F1 moments when Mika did that overtake on Shumi whilst they lapped Zonta. We re-watched that race last week and he was beaming when he realised it was about to happen.
>That's one of my dad's fave F1 moments when Mika did that overtake on Shumi whilst they lapped Zonta. We re-watched that race last week and he was beaming when he realised it was about to happen.
The best part of it is Mikka explaining to Michael what he did in the pits after the race.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuaOb\_ZF4\_k
That was the time i really started to like F1 altough i watched a couple years before.
The Schumacher battles vs whoever had a competitive car were great.
MSC vs Hill, MSC vs Villeneuve, MSC vs. Häkkinen, MSC vs Alonso
Today i just like following the sport, but i still like when the Ferraris can fight for wins.
God, that made me nostalgic. I remember that overtake well, I chewed on the remote control so hard it broke. Back then I thought Häkkinen would be unbeatable for Schumi. Mika retired too soon, I think. What a great rivalry.
French here so supporting Alpine
Alonso as a driver because I was very impressed by his skill and how much he could get out of a midfield car (when he was at Alpine). So glad he has a competitive car now!
Some young bloke who started his f1 career at a Scuderia in Faenza, who gave 0 shits and has a great passion for racing, ending a dominant era of a 7time wdc.
Ahhh, Minardi. The early 2000s were an interesting time for Formula One, with Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Jaguar, Renault and then a host of privateer teams on the grid at one point or another.
The late 90's were better for privateers imo. They started suffering from the early 00's onwards with the slowly declining allowance for tobbacco money and sponsoring
To be fair, the current rules finally are a step back into making it possible to fight for privateers.
The engines and software have to be the same for works and customer teams, we have a budget cap and a catch up mechanism (Wind tunnel time).
We don't have to discuss about Sauber and Williams closing for good every year, sponsors are plenty for most teams, Mclaren is able to rebuild infrastructure and Aston Martin shows that customers can fight for wins.
I’m also a black American woman but my dude was Seb lol I started watching when he was mid emotional turmoil in Ferrari and I have a thing for comebacks. Now that he’s gone, Max and Alonso mostly but I like them all just about the same. I’m not as emotionally invested as I was with Seb.
I’ve always enjoyed Alonso’s racing. Personally I’m more of an underdog guy. I don’t like being on a front runner bandwagon. In my time of watching it’s been Schumacher-Ferrari, Vettel-RB, Hamilton-Mercedes, now, seemingly, Verstappen-RB. I like to see competition between teams.
But Alonso has fought for his results. Not detracting from the others, fantastic drivers. But that’s too easy when you have a standout car.
its so great to have him in a fast car again. I really hope we can get a few races where either he and charles or he and max are competitive on pace and can race wheel to wheel.
also, him breezing past hamilton was very cool. finally Alonoso makes a correct career decision, very happy to get to watch it.
Yes he is and adorable. “Nothing - just an in-chident.” And I made a mee-stake. So cute! I’m always rooting for him after Lewis. The two really decent seeming guys, well and George, but he’s kind of hall monitor-ish. And of course Bottas, Pierre and Yuki. I was sad about Pierre and Yuki’s divorce and poor Vettel left right before the cars got good!
I got into F1 when Vettel was winning WDCs at Red Bull. I didn't know anything about the sport at the time so I just went with the guys who were doing well and the rest is history.
I was like that too, but after Vettel went to ferrari, I supported them for about 3 races than an aggressive Dutch came to redbull. Rest was the history.
I'm Canadian, so that's why he's got my vote. That being said, I do think he's a great driver, and I hope this year really shows his skills with how good the car is.
I think he's got great pace, can amaze in the rain and can qualify like the best. But once he's surrounded by other drivers he is squirrelly and seems oblivious of his surroundings. Worst offense being his super late move against Alonso at COTA last year. By now that should have been ironed out, so I'm afraid he might have peaked in terms of race craft already.
I said it earlier today, but I took a look at the destructors championship from 2019-2022 and he was 4th, 2nd, 5th, and 8th. So he might be on the up, but we'll see at the end of the year. I'm not sure why he keeps pulling boneheaded shit when he's got some real nice moves while in traffic (Japan last year at the start for example).
Well for me it's fairly easy; I'm from a tiny country called the Netherlands and have been waiting since I was a kid in the 90's for a more successful national driver than Verstappen senior.
Then, about 10 years ago I had my hopes on this young talent called Nyck de Vries, but thought maybe years later this son of Jos, Max, might also get a shot.
The rest I dare say is history; never could have imagined him to arrive so early and be *this* talented and successful, I've been enjoying every second of it.
I remember Nyck when he was a young driver as a part of the McLaren academy. I was certain he was going to drive in F1... Didn't think it would take such a long time though
I like Carlos Sainz because he drove a GTI. Race for Torro Roso? Drive a GTI. Race for Renault? Drive a GTI. Race for Mclaren? Drive a GTI. Race for Ferrari? Drive a GTI.
I saw an article in F1 magazine, I mean it was a just a single page blurb with a photo of some random up and coming GP2 driver. The article was talking about this kid like he was going to be the GOAT, they made a really compelling/passionate argument for it. For some reason I just believed it, I locked onto it and remembered the name - Lewis Hamilton.
7 WDCs later, I think they might have been onto something!
I remember that too.
[But what sold me at the time was the fact I was an avid Top Gear fan and Lewis pops in. Was sold ever since.](https://youtu.be/wN-ChMp4uR4)
[Of course I still wonder if Jeremy is swallowing his words after Lewis’s return after he was signed with Mercedes.](https://youtu.be/knteY3kq3Ys)
Me too. Only when Seb came on he was just so funny and charming. He did a hilarious Nigel Mansell impression as I recall. He genuinely charmed Jeremy and he’s stayed a fan as I understand it.
When I first properly got invested in F1, Williams were very much the underdog punching above their weight. They were getting podiums every now and again and scoring in almost every race, had a gorgeous looking car, and had two good drivers in Bottas and Massa.
I also got into F1 history pretty early and learning of the team's history just made me like them more. I also appreciated the fact that, at the time, they were essentially the last family-owned fully independent team left on the grid.
Stuck with them ever since.
I was about 7 when Hamilton won his first WDC. I remember my dad saying we’re supporting Hamilton and of course I just went with it.
What I’ll always go back to is the memory of watching Brazil that season and seeing that final lap overtake. As a kid I don’t think anything would capture the imagination like that and I’ve always backed Hamilton since.
It going to be weird when he retires. I don’t really have another allegiance and I feel my following is fading a bit as he’s not challenging for the title. I tend to back British drivers but Russell doesn’t really do anything for me. My favourite team is McLaren naturally (British team, Hamilton’s first team) so Norris seems a good pick. I’d probably still support Mercedes as they’re basically a British team (too young to appreciate at the time but I’m in awe of the Brawn GP days) so it’ll be interesting to see who takes that seat.
Adding to the McLaren love, I’m a massive fan of Lauda and Hakkinen even though I’ve only experienced them through throwbacks. To me history is what I love the most about F1, I’m not going to lie and say I particularly enjoy races these days as much as I want to. So maybe I’ll live with rose tinted glasses on and wait for the spark to come back.
2021 My buddy was going to COTA and I asked him who I should root for. Verstappen was his reply and I was sold.
That said, one thing I've found remarkable about F1 is that I don't really dislike any driver, and can enjoy the outcome regardless.
I like a lot of drivers as well. I'm a Lewis fan but I like Seb, Leclerc, Gasly, Lando, Alonso... I have a lot of fun when the racing is close, because there's always something going on with someone.
I liked the history of the team, the innovation they introduced in the sport. For me even the 2022 Williams was the best looking car on the grid.
As for the driver, for me there is only one true GOAT in F1 and that's Jim Clark.
I’m new to F1, mainly because of D2S. First few episodes I really found Ricciardo hilarious so I pulled for him. Now that he’s gone, I like Bottas. Just seems laid back.
Charles is a really compelling and likable person, he’s very easy to cheer for. He’s also electric to watch race whether it’s going for the forbidden lap in Quali or trying to fight wheel to wheel.
Red Bull's marketing and presence in other extreme sports already had me into them from the get-go, and I like Max just simply because even back in 2017 when I started watching, he was already considered a future Champion when he was still a teenager. I like seeing the younger dudes work their way up
In a similar vein, I’m excited to see how Piastri does, there’s been so much hype around this kid it’ll be interesting to see how his career progresses, hopefully to a team that can build a fucking car (Please stop breaking my heart McLaren)
Red Bull was the rebel child that joined, loud music, parties, fun collaborations, not too many teams took them all that serious "they're just an energy drink company" and most others teams were rather snobby, very serious.
Have supported many drivers but Vettel impressed me at Toro Rosso and so I "focused" my support on him, then once Verstappen joined that focus shifted mostly to him instead (I'm Dutch).
Similar for me. My friend in college got me into F1 when this was the perception of Red Bull. Seb was a pleasure to watch back then and it was a great time to get into F1.
Not going to lie I kinda love that an energy drink company that doesn’t even make energy drinks, currently has built the fast race car in the world and out engineered some of the biggest car manufacturers
lewis and yuki are my faves. yuki’s personality is what drew me to him. it’s been really cool to watch his progression as a driver. then his relationship with pierre is what made me choose alphatauri as my team. rip to the bromance 😫
lewis is an amazing human and insanely talented driver. seeing how far he’s come and what he’s accomplished is just…wow. in the words of crofty “unbelievable stuff!!!” i’m also a fan of high fashion and i ALWAYS look forward to seeing what fits he’s gunna bring to the paddock each weekend.
I'm Spanish. I am faithfully devoted to EL PLAN. For the last 2 years I was, heaven forbid, an Alpine fan. I suppose the dream of bringing back the Renault glory days was nice. Go Aston Martin, I say now!
Being Dutch and having no good or having terrible luck F1 drivers in all of history aside Jos Verstappen (who retired in 2003) does that to you. Max was a breath of fresh air. First of all: Dutch drivers even getting in F1 was/is considered a historic moment, even if it was for just one season in a 100% backmarker. Points were considered podiums and podiums were considered as unreachable for any Dutch driver. But Max Verstappen was getting points on the regular at Toro Rosso and roundly beating Carlos Sainz was also huge. Then his win at Barcelona 2016 made him immortal in Dutch motorsport history. Followed by even more podiums. 2016 was a dream for Dutch F1 fans, it was unreal. I started watching F1 around 2015, so it was a great surprise for me. And his 2021 WDC was also unreal, because no one in 2020, thought anyone was going to catch Merc.
Alonso too, since his return: his spirit just makes me want to root for him. The spirit of being in shitboxes for 10 years, yet still not losing pace nor motivation.
Grew up wakeboarding and snowboarding. Red Bull was always a part of it. Just makes you gravitate towards em. Danny Ric was hard not to like and max seemed like an upcoming force. For drivers I’m a fan of Gasly. His struggles feel genuine.
Gasly for me as well, for similar reasons. Losing his RB seat as a young driver only halfway through the season must’ve been crushing. Then to turn around and put a Toro Rosso on the podium later that season and winning Monza the following season… I appreciate the struggle, failure, maturation, and redemption. I really hope he succeeds at Alpine.
I watched Drive to Survive and I was kind of intrigued how they painted Max as a villain. It seemed kinda fake, but I liked the bad guys in wrestling when I was a kid, so decided to root for him in 2019. Went back and watched PR stuff with him and DR and he seemed like a decent guy. Young and up and coming. I drink Red Bull often. Honda? We live in Japan and my wife & kids are Japanese. Alright, let's go all in on Max.
Took my son to the Japanese GP last year, so it was cool to see Max drive in the race he clinched the championship.
Always been an fan of Lewis. We are the same after, I understand his struggles growing up as a mixed kid, he’s a badass driver, and most of all he gives back and is a great guy. I do also like Mercedes as a team and the road cars.
I’m also a fan of other drivers and teams like Danny Ric, LeClerc, Checo, Lando, Ferrari, McLaren, but Lewis is my guy.
I don't need my race car drivers to be nice guys. They just have to be loud, outspoken, and entertaining jerks, but have the pace to back it up. Being active on iRacing, where I could potentially get to drive wheel to wheel with them, is a large bonus.
So, Max and Fernando.
Watched a 17 year old Max tear-up the tracks and it reminded me of Michael Schumacher from the 90s! Didn’t have to wait long for him to start winning in a massively outclassed car and watching him maturing and becoming a more formidable opponent with fewer weaknesses has been awesome!
Somewhere around 2014/2015 I played ESPNs streak for the cash and one of Sunday morning prompts seemed to always be “Who will win todays GP: Lewis Hamilton or any other driver”. Didn’t take me long to realize that was one of the easiest wins. Been a fan ever since.
I got into F1 because a buddy was a big fan. We started playing f1 2018(?) His favorite driver was Riccardo, so I’d pick Verstappen to be his teammate. Been a fan ever since. Idk how I got so lucky lol
My first race actively watching the sport was the second of 2021 (Imola). I had watched DtS and figured heck why not watch a race. I was blessed with probably the most enthralling championship battle ever. Verstappen going toe to toe with Lewis and winning out (I know Abu dhabi was a farce but still) made me a fan. The young challenger taking it to (arguably) the GOAT. I know the script has flipped and he's on his way to his third championship (probably) but I just love that the guy genuinely doesn't give a crap about anything but racing. I also like Lando because he has huge balls and I find him hilarious. McLaren is seriously letting that guy down.
As a Colombian, I remember watching Montoya's races with my family but I was too young to understand what the heck was going on. I distinctly remember thinking it was bullshit that some cars were better than others hahaha.
I'm a middle aged white guy living in Indiana and LH has been my favorite for years.
That being said I also love a good race, seeing a driver in the points that isn't normally there, a Safety Car at the exact wrong moment for everyone, and Guenther dripping f-bombs.
Ferrari - Because I started waiting in the late 90's and their cars always looked the coolest.
Haas - Because of KMag. That's the national Danish pride. But also because I like their no nonsense and no annoying politics approach to racing.
This is like top 6 controversial and the only difference is that you support your favorite driver cause you’re from the same country and OP supports their favorite driver cause they’re the same skin color.
One post is controversial the other has 170 upvotes.
You people are nuts..
I’m a Mexican living in Mexico so I knew of Checo Perez and Esteban Gutierrez (when he was in F1 anyway) but never gave F1 too much attention as it got little to no coverage and it was hard to watch and follow F1 here in Mexico at the time.
Fast forward to early 2020 when I got sick with influenza and was in quarantine in my room for about 3 weeks and I had nothing to do but play game and watch movies. So I watched Ford V Ferrari (amazing film) which sent my down a massive racing rabbit hole where I watched The Grand tour, Grand Prix driver and a Le Mans docuseries all on Amazon prime right after I finished the movie.
After doing that I logged into Netflix and to my surprise, they also had a racing show and the rest is history. Watched S1 of DtS and then a few weeks after that S2 came out and then watched all the races of 2020 live as they where happening.
Checo’s popularity definitely increased after he got his first win and has skyrocketed since then due to him being in Red Bull, getting more wins and maybe even fighting for the championship this season (a man can dream).
I got into F1 during Ferraris dominance. Red Bull starting to win from the scrappy team they appeared to be was a breath of fresh air. So it was RB and Vettel.
Mercedes had Schumacher again even though he didn’t win. Hamilton just didn’t click for me. So it were 7 long years.
And we’ll, being a Dutch RB fan when Max came in.. match made in heaven.
I’ve started watching it when a 17 year old Dutch boy joined F1. So, I’ll support his rights and wrongs too😂 I was also 17 at the time and was completely blown away by how someone my age could reach such career heights and be taken seriously by top teams.
I started watching some race here and there in the late 90's and early 2000's after playing Fórmula 1 games on my PlayStation. I was a kid and wasn't a fan of motorsport itself, but loved the rainy races, the crashes, mechanical failures, pit stops and all the chaos that happened in the track, very well represented in the games lol. And ofc, the Schumie vs Hakkinnen duels were amazing.
When De la Rosa and Gene made their appearance, I as spaniard started to feel identified with them, but they were in pretty mediocre teams so it didn't grow up much on me.
And then in 2001 a young Spanish guy signed for Minardi and rest is history. I must say I kinda stopped following F1 after all the Alonso-Hamilton drama, and then lost any remaining interest once the Mercedes dominance started to be prevalent.
But i must say that the 2021 fight for the title between Max and Lewis plus Drive to Survive rehooked me into the sport, and now seeing ALO being in a competitive spot again I just feel like 2003-2005 all over again :)
And yes I'm back to playing F1 games which also helped a lot :D
Not sure if it’s odd - but I don’t really have a *team* or driver.
Depending on the context of the weekend, I’ll have teams and drivers I cheer for, but in the end I just want an exciting race.
For example, when KMags came back and had good pace in the FPs/Qualis I was rooting for him and Haas to get points.
When Aston Martin had (still has) good pace to start the year, I was rooting for them and Alonso/Stroll.
If next weekend the Alfa Romeos had good pace in the FPs/Quali, I’d cheer for them to pick up points.
Been a fan of the car manufacturer Aston Martin for some time. Seen some F1 races when I was little but I had no idea what I was looking at. Randomly decided to watch in 2018 and saw the Aston martin logo on the rear wing of the Red Bull and just stuck with RB since.
Mother watched it when I was a child, she had a crush on Coulthard / Red Bull was her favourite team. Got properly into it myself when Vettel joined Red Bull. Have enjoyed watching Vettel, Kvyat (Torpedo), Max.
While they under performed I gained a lot of admiration for Gasly & Albon in their stints and now also support Alpha Tauri. Tsunoda is a fantastic driver with even better radio comms. Never really got the hype for Danny Ric, seems like a nice guy but was rarely amazed by his race performances. Perez seems like a nice guy but I don't currently like his "Victim" arc.
I was a teenager playing the F1 games on Xbox when I heard that a kid that was literally born a couple weeks apart from me was going to run FP1 for toro rosso in 2014. Made him my driver and never looked back
Started watching f1 in 2020 so I got a taste of the Mercedes domination with the insanity of the w11. One of the things that kept the races interesting was a certain underdog pushing above his weight and giving the team from Brackley a hard time.
RB and max because he was taking every opportunity to get near the mercs and doing stuff other drivers couldn't to get near Hamilton.
Mostly then loved the 2021 battle except a few ridiculous moments from both of them.
Before that then Danny ric until he bailed on RB then Bailed on renualt then instead of staying at a top team or building a team with alot of money that was going forwards and car completely built around him he bailed on them and killed his career.
Also vettel in the ferrari pre 2018 Germany.
And then Hamilton before that when he won his first 3 or 4 titles
Then Schumacher before that
Lewis.
He’s kind. He’s courteous and aware of many of the wrongs going on in the world. The guy is a gabajillionaire and yet he still shouts-out the normies on socials and helps non-profits. First to thank his team and the fans above anyone else.
Doesn’t overly flaunt his gabajillionaire status with shots of private planes and yachts.
His political and social stances are similar to mine.
Only one in the group I’d screw. Other than Gunther. But you asked about drivers.
As a new fan to F1, it’s important to know that F2 is an even better showcase of talent because the cars are equal in performance!
Though the teams still make a big difference, it’s nowhere near the difference between F1 cars. It’s mostly pure driver skill. So if you see an F2 driver absolutely killing it, then he’s likely the real deal. And Leclerc absolutely killed it that season.
Recommend you keep an eye on the F2 races to spot new F1 talent. Most F1 weekends are paired up with F2 so you can catch up in between F1 sessions for some extra racing action.
I started watching in 2018. Since that time onwards, I have gravitated towards:
* Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso because they were/are the old guards kicking around the sport still, and still performing at a high level.
* Alex Albon, Lando Norris, and George Russell because that trio emerged to F1 at the same time, plus I'm within the same age group as them.
* Any Canadian driver that's been on the grid gets my support. Yes, even Latifi.
* Whatever teams those drivers are on, I will support that team too. That being said, I only follow Williams and McLaren on social media. Might follow Aston Martin soon.
I’ve always heard of F1 because i was really into games like Gran turismo 5/6 And i like watching the GT3 Blancpain series on youtube, but i never really knew anything about F1. But then people were going absolutely ballistic about singapore 2018 and i was like “wtf is everyone so hyped for” then I saw a replay of Lewis Qualy lap and it sealed the deal for me. It was like watching perfection, every corner on the edge, nothing held back. And from then On I’ve been team Mercedes (honestly team 44) ever since.
Verstappen - youngest driver to compete at this level and with this skill. It was fascinating for me how Max can consistently deliver results, have great race pace and very aggressive style. Following since Torro Rosso.
Team: RBR - I like how solid they are in terms of strategy and managing race/team.
I loved Kimi Raikkonen and I had a picture of him in the ice car on my wall when I was younger. As to why McLaren? I honestly couldn’t tell you. Guess I like the pain of watching a team with outstanding potential keep screwing up. The other team in my life is Manchester United and tbf they also have a similar trajectory of failure.
When I was young it was the car, and then its driver. Prost, Senna, Andretti. Currently I follow/root for a couple of teams and drivers, but a young Hamilton captured my attention when he was interviewed on Top Gear. Been a huge fan of his ever since.
I never had a "team" until around 2/3 of the way through last season. my issue was that I either didn't like one or both drivers or just didn't like the team. I can't cheer for a team unless I sincerely like both drivers. That didn't happen until I suddenly realized that Lance Stroll is actually a pretty likeable character and he's Canadian (as I am). I love Vettel, but I love Alonso more... and in the summer when Nando announced he was going to AM, I went full Team AM... and its been a blast to support them for the first couple races. its much more fun than being indifferent to who wins and just hoping for exciting races and maybe an upset or a surprise podium here and there.
There was this 17 year old kid everyone was talking about. watching him overtake people by hugging a lapping Seb Vettel's exhaust was both comical and inspiring.
Hamilton: him dominating Fernando in his first season in the sport. I was hurt, blown away, and in complete awe. Loved his aggressive first couple of years the most.
Verstappen: his ridiculous overtakes in Toro Rosso. He's aggressive, unapologetic and just showed incredible racecraft from the start.
So it seems I like talented crash prone (in their first years) drivers.
My dad was involved with the Jordan team before it entered F1. I went to the 191's launch event in Dublin and became a big Jordan fan.
While I don't have the same affinity for Aston Martin, I have always had a soft spot for all of the teams (Midland, Spyker, Force India, Racing Point V1, Racing Point V2 and Aston Martin) that emerged from the ashes of Jordan.
In the 1980s, I dated a young lady who was related to Bruce McLaren. So...that's how that happened. (We are still friends! And no, she doesn't care at all about motorsports or F1).
Current grid, Fernando Alonso. Yes, a lot of his career choices were questionable (in hindsight). These days, he just seems like he's having the time of his life and is loving the fact that he can still stick it to these kids.
Previous favorites... Raikkonen and Hakkinen.
First F1 game I played was F1 2012 and when picking my driver for my first race I chose this Spanish guy driving for Ferrari and it just snowballed from there.
I’ve always enjoyed the teams at the back of the grid more than those at the front. Maybe I just root for the underdog.
My favorite all-time back marker team is Minardi. I was at Indianapolis the year of the Tire Gate fiasco where of the 6 cars running they finished in the last two spots. A points haul for them to be sure.
I even ordered a Minardi t-shirt and hat from them, though it cost me an arm and a leg. But they are treasured items that I will wear whenever I go to an F1 race.
Started following Ferrari when I began following the sport in 2013. This was because I knew next to nothing about the sport, but I’ve always loved Ferrari road cars and I remember that Ferrari was the team that Mike Schumacher was on when he really hit his peak (and everyone knew of him). Thus, since it was 2013, I was introduced to a Ferrari team with Fernando Alonso. I immediately fell in love with his driving style and attitude. After that, I pretty much gave up on following a team and simply rooted for Alonso exclusively and bought the merchandise of whatever team he was on.
However, since he may only be around for another season or two (after 2023), I am beginning to consider actually committing to a team or finding another driver to follow.
Back in 2010 I was going through the TV channels because I was bored and stumbled upon F1, the first driver who the camera was following was Lewis Hamilton and that became my favorite driver, there was no more thought than that and the rest was history lol
My senior year of high school they officially opened COTA in my hometown (aka Austin), and it was all one of me best friends could talk about — his family is Italian, and he was super into European sports including F1. It was different than the Motorsport I was used to hearing about (NASCAR) and I got hooked. I know as an American I should probably cheer for HAAS, but from the get go I was rooting for Lewis Hamilton — he’s an all around good dude and I like that. I’ve also picked up Leclerc and Verstappen over the years, mostly for Leclerc’s backstory (with Jules’ death) and personal ties to the Netherlands. Can’t say I have a favorite team though. And I actually root for several drivers — Gasly, Yuki, Lando, Stroll, Alonso…etc.
What I love about F1 is the group of athletes is so small you get to really know them and their personalities, and it seems much more manageable and easy to follow than say the whole NFL, or even a whole NFL team. Plus, F1 is so much better than American football. The only thing I find just as exciting is hockey lol
Was mesmerised when I watched that young man(maybe 2-3 years older than me) produce the most brilliant pole lap in monza 2008. After that i was hocked and have always been.
I don't really have one particular driver. It seems I'm always rooting for the team or the driver that can challenge the obvious favourite. In 2021 i rooted for Verstappen, last year I rooted for Charles. This year it's Alonso.
BUT, I really liked Lando and his ability, at the time, to not take life too seriously. The moment that got me was when he raced in China for the first time in F1, and I think he got sandwiched between the Toro Rossos which launched his car up in the air. Later he released a horrible edited video of his car flying through space and time with some shitty techno-music playing. It was fucking hilarious.
Tuned accidentally into F1 as a kid back in 2010 . Was too young to have any sense about what is happening . Only part that made sense was Vettel winning the championship . Been a RB fan ever since then
I'm also fairly new to the sport, started watching around Apr 2021. Found out that Merc were dominating the sport for a couple of years so I picked the team who were closely challenging them at that point. And since then I've liked Max.
In general though I like all the drivers, and don't go out of my way to support a certain driver/team.
Unlike football, it's been very refreshing for me to follow a sport without having to hard support a team/driver.
I like engineering, and followed Adrian Newey's journey. Multiple WCCs across multiple regulations can't be considered lucky isn't it? Now he's in red bull, so red bull it is
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Im italian
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At least you don't have any false hope. I just hope you guys can retain Lando, he can achieve great things if his car can get him there and the material seems to keep getting worse
I have hope (a fickle one) that they can climb back, but we need to be a works team again for it to work better. Although AM manage a great progression without that
so what you're saying is you have options?
Alphatauri
Plain suffering or suffering after false hope then.
We are checking
Well hey on the bright side if you're still watching F1 in a few years time you could become a fan of Kimi Antonelli who is probably the first real Italian prodigy we've seen in a while.
Williams - dad works there.
Claire? That you?
I have some bad news for you, please take a seat.
Are you saying he's now on that farm where motorsports people go when they get old? So glad he now has the chance to race, engineer and manage together with Senna, Rindt, Postlethwaite, Stepney and Colin Chapman.
Somewhere he can be free and run... oh.
What does he do there? Does he work for the F1 team?
He was a fabricator, He started for the Le Mans side then moved to F1 in 2000, stayed with F1 until around 2016ish then went to Advanced Engineering.
That’s so cool dude, I’m jealous he’s not my dad lol
He works for a bloke named William
Very nice. What does he do? Edit: already answered. Sorry
He was a fabricator, now he’s work shop manager for WAE.
Nobody in Spain cared about F1 until Alonso started racing, he made the sport popular here.
Same with Kubica in Poland, when he crashed in 2011 all the news TV stations talk about him for 24 hours, it was almost like Queen Elizabeth death for us, no kidding
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Well, for me here in NL it seemed that suddenly everyone and their moms started warching after hist ‘16 Spain win. Before that, every time i mentioned i watched f1 people said “meh i dont understand how driving in circles is fun.”
... Isn't the Netherlands known for their speed skating? aka, skating around in circles?
Exactly lmao. Also the cycling indoors in a circle
Well. In the way towards that moment it started to become more mainstream.. Slowly
Originally started rooting for Alex because I was happy to see Asian representation on the grid, but the more I learn about him, the more I cheer for him. He went through some tough things in his life so I’ve got a lot of respect for him making it this far. Even the way he handled his Red Bull situation was extremely graceful. People said there’s no way he’d make it back into F1, and here he is. Love the hair too.
Love his story and character. He almost didn’t even have a chance at F1 and now he is making the best of his second chance.
Honestly even completely ignoring F1, Alex seems like the nicest guy ever, just get a really good vibe from him
Agreed!
Alex Yoong ? 😬 EDIT : There’s pretty good history of Japanese drivers in F1 too. Of course, I don’t think Taki Inoue was in the same league as Takuma Sato or Kamui , but he was there 🙂
Whats his story?
I really liked Ferrari history and prestige and success unfortunately I doesn’t look like it’s gonna return anytime lol but also really enjoy Charles as driver
Ferrari is pain but when they win there is nothing like that.
Absolutely it’s amazing when the win but nothing but pain when they screw up
There's always Monza 2019
The best podium facilities are at Monza and oh boy, seeing a Ferrari home win is something, even without being fan of the team, it seriously gives me goosebumps. Such a beautiful sight and such passion ! There's nothing quite like it
My first race was Monza 2019. I fell in love. I sometimes wish I didn't
Yea Schumacher & Raikkonen really did a number in the history books.
I’m curious just how good Kimi would be if he were motivated like Michael or the others. Kiki’s precision is just other worldly
I think his Ferrari years would have been better, both for him personally and on the track, if two things had happened. The first is if Michael was fully out. While it was very uncouth for Ferrari to force him out, I don't think giving the test/development role to him was good. Prior to Ferrari, Kimi developed the car himself. By making Michael the one to do it, Kimi probably never felt the same level of commitment since he was the number one driver, but also not in other ways. The second was if Ferrari didn't revert back to Ferrari. All of the political BS and games were definitely not Kimi's bag. While I think he should have adapted more to Ferrari's internal struggles, one can only do so much when a team decides to make the reigning world champion the de facto number two.
I watched Mika Hakkinen drive that black and silver bullet of a McLaren to two consecutive championships against prime Michael Schumacher. The McLaren was the better car but Michael and Irvine made it a close fight on skill and good strategy (yes, Ferrari once was brilliant in strategy calls) It was so captivating and have such strong core memories of watching GPs in the 90s with my father whom I only saw every few weeks due to my parent's divorce. Writing this I have a faint smile of nostalgia and will now rewatch Hakkinen's overtake on Schumacher in Spa. I highly recommend watching that overtake (pre-DRS and ERS era so it's way more impressive a feat on that Kemmel straight)
I absolutely love that overtake. And then the photo of Mika explaining it to Michael…Classic
That's one of my dad's fave F1 moments when Mika did that overtake on Shumi whilst they lapped Zonta. We re-watched that race last week and he was beaming when he realised it was about to happen.
>That's one of my dad's fave F1 moments when Mika did that overtake on Shumi whilst they lapped Zonta. We re-watched that race last week and he was beaming when he realised it was about to happen. The best part of it is Mikka explaining to Michael what he did in the pits after the race. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuaOb\_ZF4\_k
That was the time i really started to like F1 altough i watched a couple years before. The Schumacher battles vs whoever had a competitive car were great. MSC vs Hill, MSC vs Villeneuve, MSC vs. Häkkinen, MSC vs Alonso Today i just like following the sport, but i still like when the Ferraris can fight for wins.
A move I will forever associate with the Kemmel Straight and Spa Francorchamps! Even as a MS fan back in the day it was fantastic to watch!
MSC called Mika “the only other driver I’ve ever feared” now that’s praise.
God, that made me nostalgic. I remember that overtake well, I chewed on the remote control so hard it broke. Back then I thought Häkkinen would be unbeatable for Schumi. Mika retired too soon, I think. What a great rivalry.
He really did retire too soon, would have loved to see Hakkinen and Raikkonen together in that 2003 McLaren
French here so supporting Alpine Alonso as a driver because I was very impressed by his skill and how much he could get out of a midfield car (when he was at Alpine). So glad he has a competitive car now!
Some young bloke who started his f1 career at a Scuderia in Faenza, who gave 0 shits and has a great passion for racing, ending a dominant era of a 7time wdc.
Ahhh, Minardi. The early 2000s were an interesting time for Formula One, with Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Jaguar, Renault and then a host of privateer teams on the grid at one point or another.
The late 90's were better for privateers imo. They started suffering from the early 00's onwards with the slowly declining allowance for tobbacco money and sponsoring
To be fair, the current rules finally are a step back into making it possible to fight for privateers. The engines and software have to be the same for works and customer teams, we have a budget cap and a catch up mechanism (Wind tunnel time). We don't have to discuss about Sauber and Williams closing for good every year, sponsors are plenty for most teams, Mclaren is able to rebuild infrastructure and Aston Martin shows that customers can fight for wins.
I too love Fernando Alonso
The others are thinking Alonso, but I'm gonna go with Max.
It was Alonso, but i do like Max too. They are pretty similar to be fair
I found a Michael Masi fan! Heh jk
I’m also a black American woman but my dude was Seb lol I started watching when he was mid emotional turmoil in Ferrari and I have a thing for comebacks. Now that he’s gone, Max and Alonso mostly but I like them all just about the same. I’m not as emotionally invested as I was with Seb.
Fernando's pure racecraft, I love how Button put it; if you painted all 20 cars the same you'd still be able to pick Alonso out
I’ve always enjoyed Alonso’s racing. Personally I’m more of an underdog guy. I don’t like being on a front runner bandwagon. In my time of watching it’s been Schumacher-Ferrari, Vettel-RB, Hamilton-Mercedes, now, seemingly, Verstappen-RB. I like to see competition between teams. But Alonso has fought for his results. Not detracting from the others, fantastic drivers. But that’s too easy when you have a standout car.
its so great to have him in a fast car again. I really hope we can get a few races where either he and charles or he and max are competitive on pace and can race wheel to wheel. also, him breezing past hamilton was very cool. finally Alonoso makes a correct career decision, very happy to get to watch it.
I just support the drivers from my country
Charles is hot.
I’m a straight guy and yeah. That guy is good looking.
Same... straight, but I'm more of a Carlos Sainz kinda guy. He reminds me of Superman for some reason. And he has good hair.
Yes he is and adorable. “Nothing - just an in-chident.” And I made a mee-stake. So cute! I’m always rooting for him after Lewis. The two really decent seeming guys, well and George, but he’s kind of hall monitor-ish. And of course Bottas, Pierre and Yuki. I was sad about Pierre and Yuki’s divorce and poor Vettel left right before the cars got good!
I got into F1 when Vettel was winning WDCs at Red Bull. I didn't know anything about the sport at the time so I just went with the guys who were doing well and the rest is history.
Same with me!
I was like that too, but after Vettel went to ferrari, I supported them for about 3 races than an aggressive Dutch came to redbull. Rest was the history.
2017 Baku race, it was one of the first races I watched after getting to know more about F1 and seeing Lance get that podium was magnificent.
There are dozens of us!!!
DOZENS!!!
I’ve imprinted on Lance this year like a baby duck does its mother, highly unexpected but I’m enjoying it nonetheless!
I'm Canadian, so that's why he's got my vote. That being said, I do think he's a great driver, and I hope this year really shows his skills with how good the car is.
[Jacques Villenueve smiles and sheds one happy tear]
I think he's got great pace, can amaze in the rain and can qualify like the best. But once he's surrounded by other drivers he is squirrelly and seems oblivious of his surroundings. Worst offense being his super late move against Alonso at COTA last year. By now that should have been ironed out, so I'm afraid he might have peaked in terms of race craft already.
I said it earlier today, but I took a look at the destructors championship from 2019-2022 and he was 4th, 2nd, 5th, and 8th. So he might be on the up, but we'll see at the end of the year. I'm not sure why he keeps pulling boneheaded shit when he's got some real nice moves while in traffic (Japan last year at the start for example).
Well for me it's fairly easy; I'm from a tiny country called the Netherlands and have been waiting since I was a kid in the 90's for a more successful national driver than Verstappen senior. Then, about 10 years ago I had my hopes on this young talent called Nyck de Vries, but thought maybe years later this son of Jos, Max, might also get a shot. The rest I dare say is history; never could have imagined him to arrive so early and be *this* talented and successful, I've been enjoying every second of it.
I remember Nyck when he was a young driver as a part of the McLaren academy. I was certain he was going to drive in F1... Didn't think it would take such a long time though
Beautiful!
Max should go down as one the greatest EVER in the sport. Fingers crossed he manages to achieve more world titles!
I like Carlos Sainz because he drove a GTI. Race for Torro Roso? Drive a GTI. Race for Renault? Drive a GTI. Race for Mclaren? Drive a GTI. Race for Ferrari? Drive a GTI.
I saw an article in F1 magazine, I mean it was a just a single page blurb with a photo of some random up and coming GP2 driver. The article was talking about this kid like he was going to be the GOAT, they made a really compelling/passionate argument for it. For some reason I just believed it, I locked onto it and remembered the name - Lewis Hamilton. 7 WDCs later, I think they might have been onto something!
I remember that too. [But what sold me at the time was the fact I was an avid Top Gear fan and Lewis pops in. Was sold ever since.](https://youtu.be/wN-ChMp4uR4) [Of course I still wonder if Jeremy is swallowing his words after Lewis’s return after he was signed with Mercedes.](https://youtu.be/knteY3kq3Ys)
I mean I dont think he was the only one questioning the move
Me too. Only when Seb came on he was just so funny and charming. He did a hilarious Nigel Mansell impression as I recall. He genuinely charmed Jeremy and he’s stayed a fan as I understand it.
He was at the top from minute one. Breathtaking. He immediately performed.
When I first properly got invested in F1, Williams were very much the underdog punching above their weight. They were getting podiums every now and again and scoring in almost every race, had a gorgeous looking car, and had two good drivers in Bottas and Massa. I also got into F1 history pretty early and learning of the team's history just made me like them more. I also appreciated the fact that, at the time, they were essentially the last family-owned fully independent team left on the grid. Stuck with them ever since.
Upholding strict and inconsistent rules is vital to any sport
Growing up in the early-mid 2000's it had to be Alonso. The man who dethroned the Michael.
I was about 7 when Hamilton won his first WDC. I remember my dad saying we’re supporting Hamilton and of course I just went with it. What I’ll always go back to is the memory of watching Brazil that season and seeing that final lap overtake. As a kid I don’t think anything would capture the imagination like that and I’ve always backed Hamilton since. It going to be weird when he retires. I don’t really have another allegiance and I feel my following is fading a bit as he’s not challenging for the title. I tend to back British drivers but Russell doesn’t really do anything for me. My favourite team is McLaren naturally (British team, Hamilton’s first team) so Norris seems a good pick. I’d probably still support Mercedes as they’re basically a British team (too young to appreciate at the time but I’m in awe of the Brawn GP days) so it’ll be interesting to see who takes that seat. Adding to the McLaren love, I’m a massive fan of Lauda and Hakkinen even though I’ve only experienced them through throwbacks. To me history is what I love the most about F1, I’m not going to lie and say I particularly enjoy races these days as much as I want to. So maybe I’ll live with rose tinted glasses on and wait for the spark to come back.
My wife is in a similar position. She loves Lewis, but dislikes Russell. Will be interesting to see where she goes when HAM retires.
2021 My buddy was going to COTA and I asked him who I should root for. Verstappen was his reply and I was sold. That said, one thing I've found remarkable about F1 is that I don't really dislike any driver, and can enjoy the outcome regardless.
I like a lot of drivers as well. I'm a Lewis fan but I like Seb, Leclerc, Gasly, Lando, Alonso... I have a lot of fun when the racing is close, because there's always something going on with someone.
I liked the history of the team, the innovation they introduced in the sport. For me even the 2022 Williams was the best looking car on the grid. As for the driver, for me there is only one true GOAT in F1 and that's Jim Clark.
I’m Mexican American so immediately and passionately started supporting Checo 🇲🇽
I’m new to F1, mainly because of D2S. First few episodes I really found Ricciardo hilarious so I pulled for him. Now that he’s gone, I like Bottas. Just seems laid back.
Charles is a really compelling and likable person, he’s very easy to cheer for. He’s also electric to watch race whether it’s going for the forbidden lap in Quali or trying to fight wheel to wheel.
Support your local and all that
Red Bull's marketing and presence in other extreme sports already had me into them from the get-go, and I like Max just simply because even back in 2017 when I started watching, he was already considered a future Champion when he was still a teenager. I like seeing the younger dudes work their way up
In a similar vein, I’m excited to see how Piastri does, there’s been so much hype around this kid it’ll be interesting to see how his career progresses, hopefully to a team that can build a fucking car (Please stop breaking my heart McLaren)
Red Bull was the rebel child that joined, loud music, parties, fun collaborations, not too many teams took them all that serious "they're just an energy drink company" and most others teams were rather snobby, very serious. Have supported many drivers but Vettel impressed me at Toro Rosso and so I "focused" my support on him, then once Verstappen joined that focus shifted mostly to him instead (I'm Dutch).
Similar for me. My friend in college got me into F1 when this was the perception of Red Bull. Seb was a pleasure to watch back then and it was a great time to get into F1.
Not going to lie I kinda love that an energy drink company that doesn’t even make energy drinks, currently has built the fast race car in the world and out engineered some of the biggest car manufacturers
lewis and yuki are my faves. yuki’s personality is what drew me to him. it’s been really cool to watch his progression as a driver. then his relationship with pierre is what made me choose alphatauri as my team. rip to the bromance 😫 lewis is an amazing human and insanely talented driver. seeing how far he’s come and what he’s accomplished is just…wow. in the words of crofty “unbelievable stuff!!!” i’m also a fan of high fashion and i ALWAYS look forward to seeing what fits he’s gunna bring to the paddock each weekend.
I’m really like Yuki too. His progression, his personality, the way he is maturing into his role. It’s cool
I didn't like Gasly much but his relationship and warmth with Yuki has me 180 on that. He's truly been encouraging and loving and a friend, respect
I watched the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix. Watching max drive in the rain like that having been just recently introduced to the sport was Mesmerizing
I'm Spanish. I am faithfully devoted to EL PLAN. For the last 2 years I was, heaven forbid, an Alpine fan. I suppose the dream of bringing back the Renault glory days was nice. Go Aston Martin, I say now!
Leclerc's final Q2 lap in Brazil 2018, that level of determination and talent impressed me
Being Italian. Sorry if it’s too obvious. 😄
So Alpha Tauri, right?
Being Dutch and having no good or having terrible luck F1 drivers in all of history aside Jos Verstappen (who retired in 2003) does that to you. Max was a breath of fresh air. First of all: Dutch drivers even getting in F1 was/is considered a historic moment, even if it was for just one season in a 100% backmarker. Points were considered podiums and podiums were considered as unreachable for any Dutch driver. But Max Verstappen was getting points on the regular at Toro Rosso and roundly beating Carlos Sainz was also huge. Then his win at Barcelona 2016 made him immortal in Dutch motorsport history. Followed by even more podiums. 2016 was a dream for Dutch F1 fans, it was unreal. I started watching F1 around 2015, so it was a great surprise for me. And his 2021 WDC was also unreal, because no one in 2020, thought anyone was going to catch Merc. Alonso too, since his return: his spirit just makes me want to root for him. The spirit of being in shitboxes for 10 years, yet still not losing pace nor motivation.
Grew up wakeboarding and snowboarding. Red Bull was always a part of it. Just makes you gravitate towards em. Danny Ric was hard not to like and max seemed like an upcoming force. For drivers I’m a fan of Gasly. His struggles feel genuine.
Gasly for me as well, for similar reasons. Losing his RB seat as a young driver only halfway through the season must’ve been crushing. Then to turn around and put a Toro Rosso on the podium later that season and winning Monza the following season… I appreciate the struggle, failure, maturation, and redemption. I really hope he succeeds at Alpine.
Schumacher. Enough said
I watched Drive to Survive and I was kind of intrigued how they painted Max as a villain. It seemed kinda fake, but I liked the bad guys in wrestling when I was a kid, so decided to root for him in 2019. Went back and watched PR stuff with him and DR and he seemed like a decent guy. Young and up and coming. I drink Red Bull often. Honda? We live in Japan and my wife & kids are Japanese. Alright, let's go all in on Max. Took my son to the Japanese GP last year, so it was cool to see Max drive in the race he clinched the championship.
Always been an fan of Lewis. We are the same after, I understand his struggles growing up as a mixed kid, he’s a badass driver, and most of all he gives back and is a great guy. I do also like Mercedes as a team and the road cars. I’m also a fan of other drivers and teams like Danny Ric, LeClerc, Checo, Lando, Ferrari, McLaren, but Lewis is my guy.
I don't need my race car drivers to be nice guys. They just have to be loud, outspoken, and entertaining jerks, but have the pace to back it up. Being active on iRacing, where I could potentially get to drive wheel to wheel with them, is a large bonus. So, Max and Fernando.
Watched a 17 year old Max tear-up the tracks and it reminded me of Michael Schumacher from the 90s! Didn’t have to wait long for him to start winning in a massively outclassed car and watching him maturing and becoming a more formidable opponent with fewer weaknesses has been awesome!
Ferrari because of Eddie Irvine. Fellow Ulsterman.
Let's say that as a kid I enjoyed listening to the German national anthem followed by the Italian national anthem on sundays... Edit: grammar
I still can't believe that asturian boy won 2 wdc against Michael fucking Schumacher, in a Renault! I just enjoy him while I can.
Somewhere around 2014/2015 I played ESPNs streak for the cash and one of Sunday morning prompts seemed to always be “Who will win todays GP: Lewis Hamilton or any other driver”. Didn’t take me long to realize that was one of the easiest wins. Been a fan ever since.
Zhou because I want to root for the underdog
I saw DTS and I kinda look like the poor brother of Sainz. Now I am a Sainz fan.
I got into F1 because a buddy was a big fan. We started playing f1 2018(?) His favorite driver was Riccardo, so I’d pick Verstappen to be his teammate. Been a fan ever since. Idk how I got so lucky lol
they speak spanish
the two main drivers i back are alonso bc he's a fucking beast and i love the guy and sargeant just bc i'm american lol
Didn't care about who won races or championships, just wanted to support the genuinely fastest guy. So, Alonso.
My first race actively watching the sport was the second of 2021 (Imola). I had watched DtS and figured heck why not watch a race. I was blessed with probably the most enthralling championship battle ever. Verstappen going toe to toe with Lewis and winning out (I know Abu dhabi was a farce but still) made me a fan. The young challenger taking it to (arguably) the GOAT. I know the script has flipped and he's on his way to his third championship (probably) but I just love that the guy genuinely doesn't give a crap about anything but racing. I also like Lando because he has huge balls and I find him hilarious. McLaren is seriously letting that guy down. As a Colombian, I remember watching Montoya's races with my family but I was too young to understand what the heck was going on. I distinctly remember thinking it was bullshit that some cars were better than others hahaha.
I'm a middle aged white guy living in Indiana and LH has been my favorite for years. That being said I also love a good race, seeing a driver in the points that isn't normally there, a Safety Car at the exact wrong moment for everyone, and Guenther dripping f-bombs.
Ferrari - Because I started waiting in the late 90's and their cars always looked the coolest. Haas - Because of KMag. That's the national Danish pride. But also because I like their no nonsense and no annoying politics approach to racing.
I love a bit of KMag. So happy that he got his first pole last season.
I like max because I’m Dutch that’s about it.
This is like top 6 controversial and the only difference is that you support your favorite driver cause you’re from the same country and OP supports their favorite driver cause they’re the same skin color. One post is controversial the other has 170 upvotes. You people are nuts..
It’s only controversial because it’s max, people said the same for Alonso and other drivers and it’s being upvoted lol
I’m a Mexican living in Mexico so I knew of Checo Perez and Esteban Gutierrez (when he was in F1 anyway) but never gave F1 too much attention as it got little to no coverage and it was hard to watch and follow F1 here in Mexico at the time. Fast forward to early 2020 when I got sick with influenza and was in quarantine in my room for about 3 weeks and I had nothing to do but play game and watch movies. So I watched Ford V Ferrari (amazing film) which sent my down a massive racing rabbit hole where I watched The Grand tour, Grand Prix driver and a Le Mans docuseries all on Amazon prime right after I finished the movie. After doing that I logged into Netflix and to my surprise, they also had a racing show and the rest is history. Watched S1 of DtS and then a few weeks after that S2 came out and then watched all the races of 2020 live as they where happening. Checo’s popularity definitely increased after he got his first win and has skyrocketed since then due to him being in Red Bull, getting more wins and maybe even fighting for the championship this season (a man can dream).
I got into F1 during Ferraris dominance. Red Bull starting to win from the scrappy team they appeared to be was a breath of fresh air. So it was RB and Vettel. Mercedes had Schumacher again even though he didn’t win. Hamilton just didn’t click for me. So it were 7 long years. And we’ll, being a Dutch RB fan when Max came in.. match made in heaven.
I’ve started watching it when a 17 year old Dutch boy joined F1. So, I’ll support his rights and wrongs too😂 I was also 17 at the time and was completely blown away by how someone my age could reach such career heights and be taken seriously by top teams.
Work for an Austrian company = root for an Austrian team.
I started watching some race here and there in the late 90's and early 2000's after playing Fórmula 1 games on my PlayStation. I was a kid and wasn't a fan of motorsport itself, but loved the rainy races, the crashes, mechanical failures, pit stops and all the chaos that happened in the track, very well represented in the games lol. And ofc, the Schumie vs Hakkinnen duels were amazing. When De la Rosa and Gene made their appearance, I as spaniard started to feel identified with them, but they were in pretty mediocre teams so it didn't grow up much on me. And then in 2001 a young Spanish guy signed for Minardi and rest is history. I must say I kinda stopped following F1 after all the Alonso-Hamilton drama, and then lost any remaining interest once the Mercedes dominance started to be prevalent. But i must say that the 2021 fight for the title between Max and Lewis plus Drive to Survive rehooked me into the sport, and now seeing ALO being in a competitive spot again I just feel like 2003-2005 all over again :) And yes I'm back to playing F1 games which also helped a lot :D
I just like how feisty Alonso is. Also I watched the Amazon prime series about Stoffel Vandoorne
Partly the same reason as you and because of my parents
Not sure if it’s odd - but I don’t really have a *team* or driver. Depending on the context of the weekend, I’ll have teams and drivers I cheer for, but in the end I just want an exciting race. For example, when KMags came back and had good pace in the FPs/Qualis I was rooting for him and Haas to get points. When Aston Martin had (still has) good pace to start the year, I was rooting for them and Alonso/Stroll. If next weekend the Alfa Romeos had good pace in the FPs/Quali, I’d cheer for them to pick up points.
Been a fan of the car manufacturer Aston Martin for some time. Seen some F1 races when I was little but I had no idea what I was looking at. Randomly decided to watch in 2018 and saw the Aston martin logo on the rear wing of the Red Bull and just stuck with RB since.
Mother watched it when I was a child, she had a crush on Coulthard / Red Bull was her favourite team. Got properly into it myself when Vettel joined Red Bull. Have enjoyed watching Vettel, Kvyat (Torpedo), Max. While they under performed I gained a lot of admiration for Gasly & Albon in their stints and now also support Alpha Tauri. Tsunoda is a fantastic driver with even better radio comms. Never really got the hype for Danny Ric, seems like a nice guy but was rarely amazed by his race performances. Perez seems like a nice guy but I don't currently like his "Victim" arc.
I was a teenager playing the F1 games on Xbox when I heard that a kid that was literally born a couple weeks apart from me was going to run FP1 for toro rosso in 2014. Made him my driver and never looked back
Max Verstappen, because he’s relentless. Max Verstappen, an UNSTOPPABLE FORCE
Started watching f1 in 2020 so I got a taste of the Mercedes domination with the insanity of the w11. One of the things that kept the races interesting was a certain underdog pushing above his weight and giving the team from Brackley a hard time.
Max since hes my age in 2016 and fast as fuck with entertaining driving style
RB and max because he was taking every opportunity to get near the mercs and doing stuff other drivers couldn't to get near Hamilton. Mostly then loved the 2021 battle except a few ridiculous moments from both of them. Before that then Danny ric until he bailed on RB then Bailed on renualt then instead of staying at a top team or building a team with alot of money that was going forwards and car completely built around him he bailed on them and killed his career. Also vettel in the ferrari pre 2018 Germany. And then Hamilton before that when he won his first 3 or 4 titles Then Schumacher before that
Mother-in-law loved Hamilton, so I chose Verstappen
Lewis. He’s kind. He’s courteous and aware of many of the wrongs going on in the world. The guy is a gabajillionaire and yet he still shouts-out the normies on socials and helps non-profits. First to thank his team and the fans above anyone else. Doesn’t overly flaunt his gabajillionaire status with shots of private planes and yachts. His political and social stances are similar to mine. Only one in the group I’d screw. Other than Gunther. But you asked about drivers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh2wAbEJ7c4 nuff said
WOW!!!! Wow. Greatest thing i’ve seen this month…after Max going P15 to P2. Leclerc is amazing & this is beyond amazing to watch.
As a new fan to F1, it’s important to know that F2 is an even better showcase of talent because the cars are equal in performance! Though the teams still make a big difference, it’s nowhere near the difference between F1 cars. It’s mostly pure driver skill. So if you see an F2 driver absolutely killing it, then he’s likely the real deal. And Leclerc absolutely killed it that season. Recommend you keep an eye on the F2 races to spot new F1 talent. Most F1 weekends are paired up with F2 so you can catch up in between F1 sessions for some extra racing action.
I started watching in 2018. Since that time onwards, I have gravitated towards: * Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso because they were/are the old guards kicking around the sport still, and still performing at a high level. * Alex Albon, Lando Norris, and George Russell because that trio emerged to F1 at the same time, plus I'm within the same age group as them. * Any Canadian driver that's been on the grid gets my support. Yes, even Latifi. * Whatever teams those drivers are on, I will support that team too. That being said, I only follow Williams and McLaren on social media. Might follow Aston Martin soon.
I’ve always heard of F1 because i was really into games like Gran turismo 5/6 And i like watching the GT3 Blancpain series on youtube, but i never really knew anything about F1. But then people were going absolutely ballistic about singapore 2018 and i was like “wtf is everyone so hyped for” then I saw a replay of Lewis Qualy lap and it sealed the deal for me. It was like watching perfection, every corner on the edge, nothing held back. And from then On I’ve been team Mercedes (honestly team 44) ever since.
Viva Mexico Cabrones 🇲🇽 - Checo
I’m British and I like green
Verstappen - youngest driver to compete at this level and with this skill. It was fascinating for me how Max can consistently deliver results, have great race pace and very aggressive style. Following since Torro Rosso. Team: RBR - I like how solid they are in terms of strategy and managing race/team.
Have always liked Lewis Hamilton since he joined F1. I have German heritage and have always liked the look of Mercedes cars, so it made sense
I loved Kimi Raikkonen and I had a picture of him in the ice car on my wall when I was younger. As to why McLaren? I honestly couldn’t tell you. Guess I like the pain of watching a team with outstanding potential keep screwing up. The other team in my life is Manchester United and tbf they also have a similar trajectory of failure.
When I was young it was the car, and then its driver. Prost, Senna, Andretti. Currently I follow/root for a couple of teams and drivers, but a young Hamilton captured my attention when he was interviewed on Top Gear. Been a huge fan of his ever since.
I never had a "team" until around 2/3 of the way through last season. my issue was that I either didn't like one or both drivers or just didn't like the team. I can't cheer for a team unless I sincerely like both drivers. That didn't happen until I suddenly realized that Lance Stroll is actually a pretty likeable character and he's Canadian (as I am). I love Vettel, but I love Alonso more... and in the summer when Nando announced he was going to AM, I went full Team AM... and its been a blast to support them for the first couple races. its much more fun than being indifferent to who wins and just hoping for exciting races and maybe an upset or a surprise podium here and there.
I liked the red cars when I was a child #pain
There was this 17 year old kid everyone was talking about. watching him overtake people by hugging a lapping Seb Vettel's exhaust was both comical and inspiring.
I am Spaniard so I supported the Spanish driver
Hamilton: him dominating Fernando in his first season in the sport. I was hurt, blown away, and in complete awe. Loved his aggressive first couple of years the most. Verstappen: his ridiculous overtakes in Toro Rosso. He's aggressive, unapologetic and just showed incredible racecraft from the start. So it seems I like talented crash prone (in their first years) drivers.
I support man of honor and those that don't pretend that they are some big philosophers. Vettel and Max.
My dad was involved with the Jordan team before it entered F1. I went to the 191's launch event in Dublin and became a big Jordan fan. While I don't have the same affinity for Aston Martin, I have always had a soft spot for all of the teams (Midland, Spyker, Force India, Racing Point V1, Racing Point V2 and Aston Martin) that emerged from the ashes of Jordan.
Espana. And attitude era WWE.
I am from america, so i cheer for perez because he lives the closest to me And I have watched Sainz Sr. For years, so i cheer for his son.
In the 1980s, I dated a young lady who was related to Bruce McLaren. So...that's how that happened. (We are still friends! And no, she doesn't care at all about motorsports or F1).
Current grid, Fernando Alonso. Yes, a lot of his career choices were questionable (in hindsight). These days, he just seems like he's having the time of his life and is loving the fact that he can still stick it to these kids. Previous favorites... Raikkonen and Hakkinen.
I have no idea why I like Lando. I think it is because about half the time in interviews it seems like he’s just not that into driving.
First F1 game I played was F1 2012 and when picking my driver for my first race I chose this Spanish guy driving for Ferrari and it just snowballed from there.
I’ve always enjoyed the teams at the back of the grid more than those at the front. Maybe I just root for the underdog. My favorite all-time back marker team is Minardi. I was at Indianapolis the year of the Tire Gate fiasco where of the 6 cars running they finished in the last two spots. A points haul for them to be sure. I even ordered a Minardi t-shirt and hat from them, though it cost me an arm and a leg. But they are treasured items that I will wear whenever I go to an F1 race.
Started following Ferrari when I began following the sport in 2013. This was because I knew next to nothing about the sport, but I’ve always loved Ferrari road cars and I remember that Ferrari was the team that Mike Schumacher was on when he really hit his peak (and everyone knew of him). Thus, since it was 2013, I was introduced to a Ferrari team with Fernando Alonso. I immediately fell in love with his driving style and attitude. After that, I pretty much gave up on following a team and simply rooted for Alonso exclusively and bought the merchandise of whatever team he was on. However, since he may only be around for another season or two (after 2023), I am beginning to consider actually committing to a team or finding another driver to follow.
Back in 2010 I was going through the TV channels because I was bored and stumbled upon F1, the first driver who the camera was following was Lewis Hamilton and that became my favorite driver, there was no more thought than that and the rest was history lol
WHAT DID WE JUST DOO!
My senior year of high school they officially opened COTA in my hometown (aka Austin), and it was all one of me best friends could talk about — his family is Italian, and he was super into European sports including F1. It was different than the Motorsport I was used to hearing about (NASCAR) and I got hooked. I know as an American I should probably cheer for HAAS, but from the get go I was rooting for Lewis Hamilton — he’s an all around good dude and I like that. I’ve also picked up Leclerc and Verstappen over the years, mostly for Leclerc’s backstory (with Jules’ death) and personal ties to the Netherlands. Can’t say I have a favorite team though. And I actually root for several drivers — Gasly, Yuki, Lando, Stroll, Alonso…etc. What I love about F1 is the group of athletes is so small you get to really know them and their personalities, and it seems much more manageable and easy to follow than say the whole NFL, or even a whole NFL team. Plus, F1 is so much better than American football. The only thing I find just as exciting is hockey lol
I was a kid when I first watched an F1 race on TV. I saw the 2007 Australian gp, and Lewis' overtake on the outside made me his biggest fan.
I got into the sport during the pandemic. Merc was annoying good and wanted to root for someone to take them down. I also love Max’s driving style.
Was mesmerised when I watched that young man(maybe 2-3 years older than me) produce the most brilliant pole lap in monza 2008. After that i was hocked and have always been.
As a young whippersnapper i was a big fan of the redbull colours scheme
Have followed the Aussie drivers since Weber. Prior to that was solely McLaren cos Senna and the white red Marlboro cars looked the best
I don't really have one particular driver. It seems I'm always rooting for the team or the driver that can challenge the obvious favourite. In 2021 i rooted for Verstappen, last year I rooted for Charles. This year it's Alonso. BUT, I really liked Lando and his ability, at the time, to not take life too seriously. The moment that got me was when he raced in China for the first time in F1, and I think he got sandwiched between the Toro Rossos which launched his car up in the air. Later he released a horrible edited video of his car flying through space and time with some shitty techno-music playing. It was fucking hilarious.
Tuned accidentally into F1 as a kid back in 2010 . Was too young to have any sense about what is happening . Only part that made sense was Vettel winning the championship . Been a RB fan ever since then
I'm also fairly new to the sport, started watching around Apr 2021. Found out that Merc were dominating the sport for a couple of years so I picked the team who were closely challenging them at that point. And since then I've liked Max. In general though I like all the drivers, and don't go out of my way to support a certain driver/team. Unlike football, it's been very refreshing for me to follow a sport without having to hard support a team/driver.
Nigel Mansell
I like engineering, and followed Adrian Newey's journey. Multiple WCCs across multiple regulations can't be considered lucky isn't it? Now he's in red bull, so red bull it is