How long have you been following F1 for?

Jordan 199 · 07-02-2021 4:55am #1

I started watching a few races around 1994/1995 before taking it up seriously in 1996.

flazio · 07-02-2021 8:19am

Pretty much same, drifted away from it once Jordan faded away and RTÉ stopped showing it, despite having access to ITV/BBC throughout. Started taking interest again around 2015 when we got a deal with Setanta sports for something else.

rock22 · 07-02-2021 11:12am

Since 60's. BBC British GP. Not sure all races were televised then.

Inquitus · 07-02-2021 3:35pm

Since the early 80's as a kid. Murray Walker on the BBC every other Sunday throughout the Season, Qualifying on Saturdays as well, always live!

Zaph · 07-02-2021 3:47pm

Since 1980. Alan Jones was the first world champion I remember.

Inquitus · 07-02-2021 4:14pm

Zaph wrote: »

Since 1980. Alan Jones was the first world champion I remember.

I used to live in Monaco as a very young child from age 0 to about age 4, have a picture of me sitting on James Hunt's lap inside his McLaren!

antodeco · 07-02-2021 4:15pm

Jordan 199 wrote: »

I started watching a few races around 1994/1995 before taking it up seriously in 1996.

Same as myself. Drifted off around 2000 until about 2009 I think, and back in heavily since then. First race I went to was Valencia 2011

gsi300024v · 07-02-2021 10:40pm

Maybe 35 years, I don't watch it so much now, I've no TV and other car-related content is so available now on youtube. But I still enjoy F1. The 2020 season and of late seems to have worked the commentators hard. They've to work hard to get us to pause reality and think it won't be a Merc race win.

chopperbyrne · 08-02-2021 2:39am

I always liked Alain Prost as a kid (still do, one of the best ever), so I'm going to assume '89 was my first season watching, or at least paying attention.

The Royal Scam · 08-02-2021 3:05am

1986 for me. When I was 12. Used to record , practice Qual and race and rewatch all week. Cannot really afford it now. Still absolutely love it.

.anon. · 08-02-2021 3:25am

I never missed a race from the early '90s until it went behind a paywall to Sky. The most stupid thing they could possibly have done - the sheer arrogance of them thinking that such a niche sport would continue to attract new fans when it's hidden behind a paywall on channel four-hundred-and-something. It's dropped off my radar completely since then. There was a time when I'd be counting down the days until the start of the season, buying all the stupid magazines with their stupid fluff pieces about how this (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003...) will definitely be Coulthard's year, or their "Why this year is different for *insert average driver here*" features (nearly every F1 article begins with the word 'Why' because the paper needs ink).

I rarely even know that a Grand Prix has taken place now unless something newsworthy happens, like that car bursting into flames a few months ago.

donspeekinglesh · 08-02-2021 10:35am

Started watching a few races in 1996 and then everything from 1997 onward until 2011. Only missed watching a handful of races in that time. But once DRS came along I found myself losing interest and not paying attention when races were on. The introduction of double points for the last race of 2014 was the final straw - I didn't watch a race that season. I rarely watch a race since then (at most 3 or 4 a season (and a few extra last year to see the new tracks)).

I watch WEC now, but I still follow what's happening in F1.

ELM327 · 08-02-2021 10:35am

since 1995, few races in 94, religiously from 1996.

SureYWouldntYa · 08-02-2021 12:27pm

For me anyway, I got into it after watching Drive to Survive on Netflix

I remember watching races in 2004 on RTE 2, when it was how much will Schumacher win by not will he win

Other than that F1 was something I’d see the headlines of here and there but pass next to no heed on, same as we all do for a multitude of sports

Just loved the inside nature of the Netflix series, and I probably enjoyed season 2 more since I had more of an idea of the goings on of F1 but didnt follow it during the season, would have been towards the end of 2019 I’d have started properly following. Interested to see how much I enjoy season 3 since I know exactly what goes down week to week.

PukkaStukka · 08-02-2021 12:32pm

Since 82 / 83.

AMKC · 08-02-2021 2:04pm

Since the late nineties.

TheChrisD · 08-02-2021 4:15pm

96 is the earliest I can remember watching it.

afatbollix · 08-02-2021 11:10pm

First race was Spa 1998.

The one with the huge crash with everyone involved. Like I mean what a first race to watch and then the Irish team Jordan winning.

kksaints · 08-02-2021 11:19pm

95 was the first season that I can recall watching a race in. I can remember Schumacher crashing in Imola. 97 is the first season that I can remember watching all of the races in and from then until 2005 I didn't miss too many races. Didn't see any in 2005 after RTE lost the rights and didn't follow the season either. I only saw the Japanese Grand Prix in 2006 but I did follow the results and news more. Didn't see too many in 2007, 2008 and 2009 either (can recall watching the 2009 British Grand Prix, dreadful race).
Since 2010 I'd generally watch a fair number of races per season although I'd skip the early morning starts and some of the more boring tracks except for this season where I saw every race except Abu Dhabi.

mickdw · 08-02-2021 11:26pm

1994 would be my first year.
No access to it before then.
Not really missed a race on tv since.
Lots of memorable moments all watched live.

08-02-2021 11:33pm

Mid 90s...for some reason didn’t follow as much from mid 2000s started getting back into it properly 2016...have followed each season closely since

17larsson · 08-02-2021 11:41pm

Early nineties. I loved when Hill won in '96 and then I became obsessed with Jordan. It was so brilliant to have an Irish presence on the grid and the cars were beautiful.
Getting up for the Melbourne GP in those years are some of my favourite sporting memories

Charlie-Bravo · 09-02-2021 1:15am

1996, met this young lady while at college who was into F1 so naturally had to spend time watching races to be in her company. She's long gone now, but my love for F1 shines on!

quokula · 09-02-2021 2:32am

It was always on in my house growing up and I have various memories going back as far as 88 or 89, but the race I remember really getting into the sport with was Monaco 93, I was already a fan of the young up and coming driver Schumacher, and I distinctly remember all the build up coverage to that race being about Prost and Senna until the lights went green on Sunday and Michael took off like a rocket and left the field for dust for half the race... until his engine blew and Senna ultimately took victory. But it was still an extremely memorable performance, one of the first of very many.

I followed the rest of that season and then followed every full season in detail from 1994 onwards, though it's a struggle to keep up the same level of interest with the hybrid era.

recyclebin · 10-02-2021 6:23pm

I think it was 1995. Whenever RTE started showing it as we only had the two channels at the time! I remember Coulthard crashing in the pits! I used to get up for all the early races and watch qualifying and races religiously for a good few years. I tend to only watch the races live now and don't get up for the early ones. Have been to four different grand prix over the years.

duploelabs · 10-02-2021 6:57pm

Since around '81 I think

Keyzer · 11-02-2021 10:40am

I remember casually flicking through the stations when I was about 12, bored out of my mind on a Sunday afternoon.

There was a car race on in this place that looked super glamorous. I vividly remember picking out this little red and white car. Driven by an absolute lunatic. Lap after lap he was literally flying around the circuit until, finally, it was over and he won.

The year was 1989, the race was the Monaco Grand Prix, the lunatic driving was Ayrton Senna and the car was the Mclaren MP4 (or 5, not sure).

I was hooked and, as ridiculous as it might sound, I felt a love for this man even at the age of 12. I didn't know him, never met him and never would but he became my idol, my god, my hero.

After his death, I turned my attention to the new stars of F1. The rivalry between Hakkinen and Schumacher was fantastic to watch.

Nowadays, I don't really watch F1 that much.

I've turned my attention to WEC events. There's something romantic about endurance racing at Le Mans, Spa and Nordschleife. LMP's and GT3 cars tearing around a track for hours on end.

11-02-2021 10:45am

I’ve been watching since the 80s on the BBC.

When and why did they stop putting laurels around the winners neck?

Zaph · 11-02-2021 11:03am

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

When and why did they stop putting laurels around the winners neck?

According to this they stopped in 1985 because sponsors were complaining about their logos being obscured by the laurel wreaths.

PhilOssophy · 11-02-2021 11:10am

Started in 1995, kept an interest until Jordan was sold and have hardly watched it since.
Hate the new cars. Would love to see them go back to manual driving instead of it being like a computer game.
I am also time poor at the moment and with GAA and football interests, it has been pushed into the "I might watch the highlights" category.

Rawr · 11-02-2021 11:15am

Got into it in the 90's and became a massive Jordan F1 fan.
Once they disappeared, my interest alas also evaporated. The remaining teams felt somewhat soul-less compared to Eddie's crew.

PopePalpatine · 11-02-2021 8:09pm

Ah come on now, nothing says soul like "Midland"! :pac:

I remember getting the F1 2000 yearbook when I was just 6 and spending hours reading it cover-to-cover trying to make sense of all the bar charts. That said, I don't remember watching any races live before 2002, but I was a total Schumi fanboy from then on. I still try to catch all of the races live, even despite Merc's dominance and David Croft's insipid utterings.

Fa810 · 11-02-2021 9:42pm

Me, since 1998. It gets a bit boring these days, but still loving it.

Jordan 199 · 12-02-2021 2:23am

Rawr wrote: »

Got into it in the 90's and became a massive Jordan F1 fan.
Once they disappeared, my interest alas also evaporated. The remaining teams felt somewhat soul-less compared to Eddie's crew.

Not seeing Eddie on the pitwall at the opening race of the 2005 season was a big kick in the nuts for me. While the Jordan name was still used that year, I didn't follow the team.

tenry · 12-02-2021 12:53pm

I've been following F1 since the early 2000s, when Schumacher and Barrichello were Ferrari drivers, competing (dominating) Raikkonen's McLaren.
I was rooting for Kimi because I didn't like the Ferarri domination.

timeToLive · 12-02-2021 8:04pm

about 18 years today

Ohmeha · 14-02-2021 7:27pm

By total chance the first grand prix I ever watched was Imola 1994 and have been following F1 with various levels of attention since then. I was young kid flicking through the TV channels on that Sunday afternoon looking for something to watch, got to BBC2 to see the grand prix about to start so decided to watch it and then the massive crash on the grid involving Lamy/Lehto caught my attention and sadly we all know what happened not too long after that

I'd vaguely had heard of Senna before that race and didn't know what to make of it as a young kid watching a serious incident unfold but I kept watching the race when it restarted. I ended up watching most races in that dramatic season and became a huge Damon Hill fan for his performances that year taking the title to the wire and was hooked on F1 until about 2001 when Jordan, Hakkinen/McLaren started to falter and Schumacher/Ferrari started to dominate

Uriel. · 14-02-2021 8:04pm

1991 for me and loved it for about 2 decades.
The arrival of DRS and Boost along with the rise of Mercedes has killed it for me though and haven't watched it much in about 7 or 8 years.
Its disappointing in a big sense, as I was a huge fan, had lots of gear, went to a few races and remember when there was a store in liffey Street and later Blanchardstown selling gear.

Loved Villeneuve (will never forget Jerez 1997), Montoya and Alex Zannardi

Gwynplaine · 19-02-2021 12:05pm

96. Was a huge fan til maybe 2006 or 2007. Even used to stay up for the Australian gp. Just a passing interest in it now.

Pen Rua · 20-02-2021 4:16pm

I used to watch it with my family as a kid (early-mid 2000s) when Jordan was in the sport and it was on free-to-air on RTE.

Fell out of interest for years.

Somehow renewed my interest in 2014 (really can't remember why) and started following it more closely following the 2014 Monaco GP (Marussia points).

Landed on McLaren as my team and have been following it properly since.

ednwireland · 22-02-2021 9:25pm

about 1978 i remember ronnie petersons death at imola

definitely watch a lot less these days

H3llR4iser · 25-02-2021 11:41am

Definitely mid 1980s, I think the first proper race I watched (with my dad) on TV was in 1985; I have this vague memory of Alboreto being in the hunt for the WDC. First season I remember properly, watching all races and so on, was 1989 (although my parents wouldn't allow me to stay up late to watch the second half of races in the USA and Mexico

). Back then, the last two races in Japan and Australia were the big kicker, happening at times like 4.00am - usually when the championship was decided.

Haven't faltered through the years - maybe during the Ferrari/Schumacher domination era I was a bit less interested. Today...issue isn't Mercedes, or Hamilton, nor DRS or the tires. It's the sterile, flattening technology at play (an issue that spans much, much, much further than F1).

vincenzolorenzo · 02-03-2021 1:35pm

Since 1st May 1994. I'd say I could count on one hand the number of races I missed over the following 10 years. I'd miss the odd race since but still follow it closely. Nowadays as its behind the paywall I only watch the highlights on C4 and find them very good actually, don't feel like I'm missing too much by not seeing the full race. Since I started racing myself I'm often not around to watch them live anyway.

cherryghost · 02-03-2021 8:59pm

92/93, when I was 6 or 7, remember Mansell winning. Good times with my Dad. Did not miss a race for many many years.

How long have you been following F1 for?

Comments