When and how did you get into F1?

[TotalF1-Wez 0]

I think it would be great to get an idea of when and how everyone started watching F1.

I remember when I was a kid, my dad used to wake me up late and night (F1 is on late in Australia...) to watch F1 races and the Indianapolis 500.

[Kingly 0]

I only started F1 watching in 2000, and that was through a work mate who had a F1 mag on his desk.

Dunno what it was, but after reading the mag from cover to cover I was hooked...

[December 0]

Good Grief, I don't remember when I first started watching, but I distinctly remember thinking that Ayrton Senna was God in disguise!

And nothing beat looking at that beautiful black JPS car with its gold trim!

After Ayrton died, I couldn't face F1 again for over 2 years, and am now a Schuey fan.

There is something so sexy about the cars, the sport, the drivers and the speed.

And the commentary! I am gonna miss Murray...no one will be able to replace him.

[TotalF1-Wez 0]

I have to agree with you there.

Murray Walker will be sadly missed, even people who dont follow the sport know who he is...

[Triggman 0]

I got started as a child watching the US Grand Prix and the Indy 500. Although as an American getting news on the sport has been tough over the years (THANK GOD FOR THIS SITE!). I have always been a fan. Ever since having a JPS on my slot car track as a kid!

[avalencia 0]

Hello Wez, friends,

I am an electronics engineer turned astronomer in my retirement that has been following F-1 for maybe 30 years now.

I really started my interest when I learned that Ayrton Senna, a young Brazilian driver that two of my friends knew from Go-Cart racing, was helping the poor people there.

[ATB F1 0]

(Edited by ATB F1 at 10:46 pm on Mar. 13, 2001)

[ATB F1 0]

[Copa2 0]

Well,I think I got the bug by watching the Rally cars going by in my Hometown,this was quite a while ago,after that I started liking cars and then I heard about F1 and watched a Formula 1 race on TV and that was that,hooked,I have watched every race that I could since then,on TV and Live when possible but I am sorry to say that the last one that I saw live was the last one they raced in Detroit.There's a chance that I can make it for Indianapolis this year but I am just going to keep my fingers crossed.

[laverda 0]

I got interested in F1 when Gilles Villeneuve became a Formula one driver. My father used to sell auto parts and he brought racing posters home. My automotive teacher did some quarter mile drag racing and I eventually went to some competitions which then led to my attending my first F1 race live in Montreal some 600 miles away from my home town. Racing wasn't on tv then only in the late 80's I guess I started watching the races when we got some sport channels that carried the races.

[vegasf1fan 0]

I have a friend that was in the U.S. Sports Car Club (SCCA).  We met while in college.  He attended high school in Europe (his dad was in the U.S. Air Force), so he was exposed to F1 more than I was in the western U.S.  Through the SCCA, we were able to work F1 races at Long Beach and Las Vegas in the 80's. I've been following the series for over 20 years.  Now if I can just find some TV coverage (no Speedvision on  our cable), I would be happy.

[Zac 0]

I first saw a F1 race at a friends place in 97 and have been hooked ever since.We went to the Melbourne GP in 98 with a few of our friends and had a ball.My girlfriend is also a fan and things get quite heated around race time as she is a Ferrari fan (boo hiss!!) and I like Mclaren( this is your year DC).Good job Wez.Keep it up.Where abouts are you in Oz?

[TotalF1-Wez 0]

Hi Zac

I live in Perth.  

I lived in Melbounre for a few years when I was very young wen my dad had a job over there, but I am a born and bred sand groper (Thats a West Australian for the non Aussies here)

[liam f1 mad 0]

Hi all!!!

Well I am now only 14 and i started watching when I was about 9 i think.

I used to be an early riser and i got up for the 1995 Aus GP and I have never missed a race live (except for US GP 2000 those in the UK will know it wasnt my fault - THANX ITV!)

F1 is my life and I wouldnt miss F1 for anything!

[darkroam 0]

I first became interested in F1 when the local touring cars seemed to be looking sluggish.  I watched a combination of CART and F1 back in 91/92 I think, and was amazed at the feats of Prost and Senna and Mansell, particularly so by Mansell crossing over to CART which has been done successfully previously but not so since (either way).  I remember being astounded at some young bloke that everyone was in an uproar about changing teams called Schumacher that was managing to give everyone a run for their money, including if I may say so to the Great Ayrton Senna.  I have followed Schuey since and am now very relieved that he has won his third world title-I can follow the rest of the sport in peace instead of being consumed by anxiety!

The other attractive feature is the commentary antics of Murray Walker and his sidekicks of the day.  They all seem to take pleasure in rebukeing him for saying something that is wrong but Murray's the guy that is always there for the next race (bar one).  Well done Murray.

To know that there is SO much competition just to get a seat in an F1 car goes to show that there is enormous talent in each and every driver that makes it to a race.  But hey.....Schuey's the best and Mika's the worst!  Just kidding!  

Cheers

[GeoffandSandy 0]

Sandy & I were in Monaco in the late 60's & the F1 took place outside our pensione balcony.

Until then F1 seemed to be only something jet setters were involved in. How wrong we were!

As small time race & rally drivers ourselves we loved motor racing but this was something on another level entirely.

Since then we have been to a lot of F1 events throughout the world & think it is one of only a few truly honest sports.

Keep up the good work.

G&S

[Father Mulcahey 0]

I used to watch F1 on and off from the late 80s till the early 90s, but got really hooked about 94 and never miss it. My lasting moment in F1 was Sennas death. Most people remember that ok? I didnt know about it for 6 weeks. I was in a coma from a car wreck and when I woke up, I was viewing the news on TV in intensive care and they had a tribute to Senna 6 weeks after his death. I sat there stunned, I didnt know whether I was hallucinating due to the drugs or what. I couldnt ask anyone due to being strapped down on the bed and having a tracheotomy down my throat. So I just freaked for ages. It was so bizarre Im telling you. I used to like Mansell a lot, I thought he was a throw back to the old times, last of the real bloke racers.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Well this you wont believe but Austria 1999 was the first full race I watched! I had glanced at F1 before for a few minutes but didnt really care, but Austria 1999 when Coulthard bumped Hakkinen off I really got into it, I remember shouting at the Tv saying Coulthard you stupid ****! I ended up watching the rest of the race, watching Mika catch the field with ease.

Since then I have been addicted and have not missed a race, until Malaysia last week. Unfortunately my cable operaot doesnt carry Speedvision (which shows F1 in US) yet but I am on an official complain/ask campaign.

[Claire 0]

I started to watch back in 85. The year Prost won his first WDC.  I finished that season, as a big Williams fan, and have stayed that way ever since.

My dad got be interested, he used to shout at the TV every fortnight, and I was curious to know, what he was shouting at.  I was hooked straight away.

Claire

[MViper 0]

####.. i'm almost in every discussion right now

i must be addicted or something with F1 lol

well.. the first time a saw F1 was back in 1990 when i saw all this fast cars.. my dad was watching just for a joke..

when i saw "renault" signs on the williams team.. dad said

"look, it's renault!!" he had around 30 renault's in his life.. so.. i started to watch and watch the sunday races and sometimes DTM and that's how i've became addicted.. i'm studying in Austria now, altough i'm from Slovenia, and i'm studying aerodynamics throu exams, coz i'm in wheelchair.. i've sent mail just for a joke some day back in 96 to the Williams.. and thay wrote me back.. so..we started to correspond each other.. then i've sent them some of my solution sketches of F1 cars.. and i had a friend in UK (i'm almost every 2 months in UK).. so.. somehow i've managed to involve with the team and i am with them on some races now as a student..

Take care guys

[Gilles Villeneuve 0]

I watched my first race live in 1978 at  ile Notre Dame now Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, and seen my hero win his first race in front of his fans . I've been a Gilles Fan from day one and still am today even after all these years , no one has even come close to the talent this man had at car control, and not to mention his talent in rain.

So I have been a F1 fan for a while now , I was 15 at my first race and this year i will be 38 at this years GP, I have missed only 2 races since 78, The year with the strike and of course the race in 82, I couldn't attend ,it was only 3 weeks after Gilles death, and then see on TV Pallete lose his life at the start, yes 82 was a very sad year in racing , as was 1994 .

[TotalF1-Wez 0]

with a handle like that who could have guessed you would be a huge Gilles fan

How do you rate his son?

[Gilles Villeneuve 0]

My son Jacques is very talented. His first year in CART he won Rokkie of the year , the next year he was CART champion . He was Rookie of the year in his first F1 season and then F1 world champion the next. So I did pass on my genes to him, he is talented, but i feel that he got my wifes (Joanne) genes when it comes to racing in wet weather...LOL

(Edited by Gilles Villeneuve at 12:58 pm on Mar. 29, 2001)