I find that one of the biggest factors that determines which team I support, aside from who drives for them, is who is in charge of the team itself. The people who run the team.

Naturally, I can get a little turned off by certain teams when their team bosses or managers make questionable moves frequently (Toro Rosso comes to mind). However, when I find that the people running a team seem like good and honest people, I tend to lean towards that team and support them a bit.

In your opinion, which team (or teams) has the most likeable staff?

Despite the fact that I'm a Ferrari fan (proudly wearing my Ferrari cap and sunglasses every single day), I find that the people running the team itself are just slightly weird. I suppose that I like Luca di Montezemolo, despite how at times he only seems to be looking out for Ferrari. Other times, he seems like one of the best guys involved in the sport, and it's good to see a team's president working so closely with the racing team itself all the time. However, Ferrari as a whole does not strike me as the most friendly or honest environment.

So, what does? Post-Dennis McLaren. Martin Whitmarsh, for example, seems like a genuinely likeable guy, really down to earth. I suppose that I would feel this way about almost anyone after Ron Dennis, but Martin Whitmarsh really does seem like a good guy, in my opinion. And then on the Mercedes front, there is Norbert Haug. He's a bit of an interesting character, because he has that whole "big teddy bear" image going on while also saying some pretty interesting things to the press. I like Haug, he seems like a very decent guy. I would definitely trust Mercedes on my side if Haug came with the deal.

The Sauber team, if they return, is another outfit I admire for being so likeable. I can't really give any great reasons why, other than saying that it's probably only because of Peter Sauber. The man just wants to race, race, race, and he seems like one of the "most human" team bosses to grace F1 in many years. I'd really like to see him and his team back on the grid. Campos and Williams can shove it, for all I care.

I like BMW.

Mario Theissen appears to be a straight forward, logical and unpretentious guy.

The rest of the team appear to be a bunch of jolly Germans and Swiss.

I like.

This is probably the worst answer since Crashgate but I always liked the staff of Renault, specially when they where winning, reminded me a bit of the old Brabham. More a feeling then what I can put down in facts or quotes.

He tried to get Mclaren-Mercedes banned during the liegate. The guy just likes digging holes to bury himself and Mclaren into. He's an idiot and the biggest danger to Mclaren in Formula One.

I don't take F1 personally, so the 'likeability' of F1 personnel is not a big concern. As with any large group of people, you get a huge spectrum of personalities. And in any case the projected personality might not be the real self for most people, particularly those who have to work under intense media scrutiny.

I always felt the same way. Somehow, Renault under Pat Symonds felt more down to earth than the other teams. Ferrari and McLaren somehow seemed too pretentious to be taken seriously, telling blatant lies to shield engine providers or disguise mistakes. Everything was done to project a bland corporate image.

Symonds had a "tell it like it is" vibe and Renault would have engineers provide news from the inside.

Williams also has a strong "bullshit free" zone. Although few people would call Frank the knife or Head likeable. Hardheaded bastards screwing over their drivers would be a more likely comment....

Perhaps the "nicest" teams are the small teams who seem to genuinely enjoy any success they get. The grandees seem to consider it their due.

I hate that fat beefburger at Ferrari.

You all know the one.

Fat beefburger

My favourite is Kimi's race engineer at Ferrari.

"we a think thesea tyresa can do 2 lapsa,, maybe 3 lapsa, but definitely 2 lapsa"

I've always judged a team by it's owners/managers simply beacuse the rest of the team is so transient. It's strange to have an allegance to a team name no matter who's running it because all you're supporting is a brand.

When i started following F1 in 89 i loved Ferrari, continued to do so up until 97 but under todt/schumacher i came to despise it. Domenicalli is running the pace (on the surface) much more cleanly and i'm starting to warm to them again.

I used to love tyrrell with a passion, Ken had the best attitude towards F1 pf all bosses, he had Williams bullshit free mentality but with a more fun loving lightness. Minardi were good under stoddart too.

After that i'd go for williams, no spin, no bull just good hard racing.

I think Red Bull, they are serious about their racing and professional out on the track but they seem to have a good atmosphere there and the Red Bulletin and Eric Silbermann's top quality race previews always raised a smile with me so they seem hard racers but with a sense of fun

All Stoddart did was whine whine whine and complain.

he was shafted by a few people in the sport whilst fighting for survival so he had reasonable grounds to complain but what he did on a shoestring budget was impressive. He also gave alonson and webber their big breaks so he had an eye for talent.

I used to really like Honda's staff, the car was crap, the livery was a joke, the uniforms were ugly, but they looked happy.

speaking of staff has anyone seen on the f1.com videos area, on the 2008 brazil race it shows the mechanic telling felipes dad he's not won, then punching out the glass inside the garage? doubt any of the mclaren mechanics would get away with that!

Eddie Jordan. The coolest cat ever in F1.