Your First Season

[FB]

Not sure if we have done this before but I thought it worth revisiting - what was the first season you took a serious interest in F1?

As a boy I remember seeing seeing some of the BBC Grand Prix programs (including Gilles Villeneuve's 3 wheel exploits at Zandvoort) but my interest in Grand Prix racing was really captured watching the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch in 1980. The two blue Ligier's formation flying round the Hatch until they ran into trouble and Alan Jones coming through to take the chequered flag and the British crowd cheering him as if a Brit had won.

From that moment on I was hooked...

 

[Boyle]

I remember watching some races in 1997 but the bug really bit me in 1998 Spa. I don't need to remind you of that race. Since then there haven't been many races I have missed (work permitting!)

 

[MajorDanby]

Well, I started watching during the 94 season, or at least that the first season I watched regularly with my dad, the only clear memory I take from that season though is the tragic death of Senna, everything else tends to become a bit of a blur.

Still things get clearer and clearer from that point onwards, still I'm no very good at answering any of the quiz questions

Hats off to your experience FB

 

[Brogan]

I can barely remember what I had for lunch the day before these days never mind when I first started watching/became interested in F1

Honestly I can't remember when I did first start to like it or what the first season was I saw and I can't remember a time when I didn't watch it although I don't think it was as far back as 1980

Can I plead the 5th on this one?

 

[Bullfrog]

I'm told I used to watch with my dad as a tiny nipper but the first thing I remember clearly is Mansell and his puncture in 86 and I've missed as few races as I could manage ever since.

 

[siffert_fan]

I first became interested in 1963 (!!!), with my two favorite drivers being Clark and Gurney. The first race I attended was Watkins Glen in 1966 and I became addicted. The sounds and beauty of the pre-wing cars was incredible. Clark making the pig of a Lotus 43-BRM H-16 perform like a ballerina was a sight to behold.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

I absolutely haven't a clue what year I first became hooked on Formula One, but I do know that it would have involved the likes of Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Colin Chapman.

 

[Galahad]

It was my dad who really got me interested too, he took us all to Brands Hatch for the '82 GP and it all made quite an impression on me! I suppose anyone whose first season was as dramatic as that one was bound to become a life-long fan really. As a teenager and one naturally drawn to go against the grain (still am!) I ended up supporting Prost in his vain battle to get the yellow peril to the end of a race, when everyone else, given our family's Irish ancestors, was rooting for Wattie. In the end, of course, neither of us got our wish!

 

[teabagyokel]

I remember watching some races in 1997 but the bug really bit me in 1998 Spa. I don't need to remind you of that race. Since then there haven't been many races I have missed (work permitting!)

A similar story tbh.

 

[Speshal]

I think 84-85ish used to watch with my dad (still do sometimes) So I feel lucky to have seen the senna/prost/mansell era

 

[fat jez]

The first season that really sticks in my mind is 1994, for obvious reasons. Strangely, the death of Ratzenberger is something I remember more than Senna, not sure why. I know I'd have watched races before that, as my Father is an F1 fan.

 

[FB]

Thanks to all for their contributions so far. Great to see we have such a wide range of experiences from the people on here. Does anyone have photos from any of the races they have been to?

G - I was at Brands in 1982 I watched the whole race from Hailwood Hill then spent an hour getting out of the circuit and 4 hours trying to get out of the campsite. Happy days.

 

[Enja]

2007, because of Lewis. At first I was drawn to him because of his success, and around Bahrain/Spain time I started following F1 seriously, and I think the first race I watched in it's entirety was Monaco.

After a while I realised I was supporting someone not just successful, but someone in a car who had an easy swagger, an inherent self-confidence and an ability to dance and flick the car around like no-one else on the track was doing. That was what really brought me into F1, his flair and his car control, and his determination to succeed. Perhaps as a fan, we all do this, but it felt special to me at the time : whenever he needed to make the gap up, I genuinely believed he could do it. Why? I don't know, I just did. And still do.

During the rest of the season, watching a title fight like that was incredible. The dramas and the craziness of some races, the wheel to wheel with Alonso down the Indy straight, the incredible sight of seeing Raikkonen miss the pit lane at Nurburgring, watching the brilliance of Fuji and seeing Alonso's title hopes fade, the despair in China, and the frustration but still-believing enthrallment that was Brazil.

What an amazing season.

I was naive as an F1 fan then, I could barely believe my eyes at times. I was an-anti Alonso, a true believer in everything good about the sport and a willing follower of a new superstar.

While everything isn't always as rosy now - something that happens the further you delve into any sport - I think that, after the bizarre and underwhelming season of 2009, in 2010 I've found my roots again. When Hamilton has to close a gap, I feel the same support that I had in 2007, the same level of wanting him to do well and see him attack another car, to see him trump the field and throw the car around with reckless abandon (see his onboard laps at Turkey and Silverstone - incredible). Turkey this year was the best display of that, and that's why it's my favourite race of the year, the whole race was an overwhelming drug-like experience.

Oof.. I've strayed off the narrow track here..

 

[McZiderRed]

As I do not wish to repeat myself and draw attention to my age , here's my post in a similar thread, made earlier this year...
Vintage are you?

I remember chatting to my mate about James Hunt becoming World Champion in 1976. As I was only six, I didn't really know a lot about it! So I relied on my older friend for information. Unfortunately, he was only seven, so he didn't know anything either and just made it up! After a few minutes discussing something neither of us knew, we probably went off to play hide & seek or something.

It wasn't until the mid eighties, when I had my first portable TV in my bedroom, that I became interested in F1. I used to watch the occasional coverage on the BBC wondering why the races were on so late. It was watching those races, or rather Nigel Mansell, that got me hooked.

And then in the nineties I had the "privilege" of paying for Sky TV, in the house where I rented a room. The only thing worth watching on it was the motor racing. Indycar on Eurosport, WSB on Sky sports and of course F1 on BBC/ITV. I even watched the Paris/Dakar rally.

After watching so much motor racing on TV, I suppose I should really get around to going to a few race events...

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

My first season was 1994, when i was about 5 or 6

Don't think i watched the that race where Senna made his tragic exit. but then i didn't really understand death, or understand who Senna was, Which is a little bit of a shame. I really wish i could of watched some of his races live, fortunately with the advent of modern technology i have seen a lot of old classic races quite a few with him involved and see his immense talent with my own eyes. but its just not the same.

I remember at 5/6 just being totally amazed although i cannot remember individual events, it seemed like they were something from outta space, the shape of the cars - never seen anything like it before, the speed of them, the maneuvers the drivers made on each other i was really awestruck by them. I still get the same buzz now, seeing the direction change of the cars (sliverstones maggots, beckets section still takes my breath away at times). The duels which perhaps happen a little too often before this season.

I began to garner an understand of F1 about 96, the move to ITV and the better coverage it got, really i think really kept me interested and helped make me become passionate about this sport.

The rest they say is history, because i found F1, i then moved onto BTCC, Motorbikes, WRC, and all the great events motorsport has to offer. Now im an F1 nerd, an motorsport nerd, My mate was brought up on bikes and MotoGP its funny how i keep correcting him on stuff thats happened in the past in the MotoGP.

Now I have only missed one race since Brazil 97, weather by watching it live, a re-run of the early races, or recording it, Not missed a lap. all apart from Brazil 09 lol, where button took the title. Still grates with me lol, has i knew it could be the title decider and in the end was a great race.

Sorry proberly gone on a bit, but thats my first season lol.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Andrea_Moda_Rules said:
Now I have only missed one race since Brazil 97, weather by watching it live, a re-run of the early races, or recording it, Not missed a lap.

Really? Have you got videos of all the races showing the missing bits during the ITV era during which we the TV viewers missed, on average, 20% of each race due to adverts (that's 12 laps of a 60 lap race like Silverstone, or over their whole tenure the equivalent of about 31 races)? I'd love to see it, especially the one at Imola where they missed the end of the race.

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

Fine! be like that

was feeling quite proud that in my 21 year life, i haven't missed a GP in half of it, im gunna sit and sulk now.

Only Joking, In the ITV years, it wasn't so bad, less adverts and shorter too, problem came with a changein policy in 04 or something, to rake the money in.

And infact i do believe i have I have that imola race on tape, although still with the blooming Ad on the final lap. I hope the person who made that mistake paid with there job.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Andrea_Moda_Rules:

Yes, no offence meant by the way.

I just get hot under the collar, even now , when I think of all the action we missed back then. And you're right, it did get worse towards the latter stages.

Still, the main thing is nowadays we can enjoy every lap of every race. And more important still, the sport we love is in great shape.

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

Andrea_Moda_Rules:

Yes, no offence meant by the way.

I just get hot under the collar, even now , when I think of all the action we missed back then. And you're right, it did get worse towards the latter stages.

Still, the main thing is nowadays we can enjoy every lap of every race. And more important still, the sport we love is in great shape.

Lol none taken,
tbh was never bothered with the ads in the ITV early ears, got too much in the end, proberly the era i grew up in lol, have to admit, ITV's coverage did take it up a notch or 3 from the BBC, and now BBc have done the same i think now they got the rights back,

 

[GeoffP]

I'm never really sure when I got into F1 - It gradually absorbed more of my summer Sundays over a period of time until 1981 when I went to my first race at Silverstone. Piquet hit the barrier about12 feet in front of us and I travelled home under the side of his car - my friend had "armalat 5" munted at the back of his garage for a decade or so afterwards.

Loved visiting Brands! OK, it was harder to get to and the roads weren't great, but the atmosphere was just superb! I went on a Page & Moy GP tour in 1982 going to Germany and then to watch my Hero Elio win at Austria, where I knocked Nikki Lauda over in the pits, shortly before being thrown out for getting in to the Brabham garage and trying to take a photo of their new BMW engine.

Last race I went to was 1985 as I moved to the other side of the country from the friend I used to go with, went beck this year - Wow you really forget that buzz... don't you!

Trying to organise next years booking, for all you F1 race virgins out there - you have to try to go. You see less of the race than on TV, your seat is less comfy, the loos are disgusting and the food is bizarrely over-priced, but football, rugby, rowing, nothing I've ever been to before gives you that buzz!