Why does so many drivers in Formula 1 need to have their daddies (or girl-friends for that matter) in the pit garages?
Moral support? They are grown-up men! This is not karting.

The image of F1 as serious business is fading.
It is turning into a freaking docusoap...

Anthony Hamilton is Lewis' manager though and Richard Goddard is John's best mate so that is John's influence there too

Friends and family have always been in and/or around the garages.

The only thing that is different, is, that TV has not.

Because they are close and like to have family with them? Maybe it's because they know that without them they wouldn't be where they are now. Can't for one moment see why it should be considered a problem.

what is wrong with wanting to have your family around? the drivers don't have a ton of spare time when not racing during the season, with pr duties, at team HQ...

True.

I think the question is really - why does the TV director think we want to see so much of them? The whole 'human interest' side has got out of hand IMO, before the action on track has even finished they cut to the garages.

Dads like to be there, and why not, it's a glam and exciting place to be and most of them have worked harder than their sons to get there. We just don't need the TV to cut to them all the time.

It may portray them as insecure needing a nanny.
The fathers will be portrayed as 'my son can pay my bills, so I don't need a job'.

That is a whole new kettle of fish though.

Maybe to you. I don't see that at all.

I wish my parents were still alive so that they could join me at those important times of my life.

Do I really need to post Nicole's video from Hungary to illustrate why directors think we want to see them?

Kidding


Seriously, it's what TV calls "human interest" ... you can't see expressions on the drivers or most of the mechanics (cause they have helmets on) family/hangers on are a decent approximation of whatever is going on on track. Look at Brazil 08 and the Hamilton/Massa clans, it was interesting to see how they were dealing with the last laps.

Made me laugh when they showed RB's kid "driving".

spot on that is so ANNOYING, horrible

it makes them (F1 drivers) look like they are not capable of independant life

imagine Fangio dragging his old man to the races, its is simply unimaginable

Well said.

Most of the Dads have been with their boys right through karting.

I'm sure they all really love motor racing, and would pay to be at an F1 race anyway.

If their boy is racing in F1, could there really be any other place to be?

The worst is with Hamilton. I cant think of a single race where they dont show Anthony or feel the need to show that brainless stick bouncing up and down.

My girlfriend when i was racing wasnt hot enough to be shown on tv. She never really turned up to the races either. I didnt get on with her at all.

does your mum escort you to your office and hangs by the coffe machine chatting with your colleagues while you are doing your daily work

If I was driving in F1 and clearing £Xm a year, you'd better believe my Dad wouldn't be doing his 9-5 job anymore and would get to attend the races in person. Not for moral support, but because I like him and he likes F1.

I would do that too, but I would buy him a ticket for tribune, garage is no place for guests IMO, guests are distracting IMO speaking

Yes it's really stupid. Couple of races per season seems reasonable but some drivers just need their daddy 247

If you cleared £Xm a year as a lawyer or CEO or whatever, would you bring your parents to your office?;)

But I think the problem might not be as new as it seems, it is just that we have some relatives now that seek more attention than they used to, papa Hamilton, papa Button for instance. They are not there only to support their sons, they have personal reasons. Are any of them still married by the way? They are the typical guys that have no real status and is therefore always happy to answer a reporters questions and the reporters always need someone to talk to to fill air-time.
It's not going to change.

what a stupid thread......why does it matter,if there are family in the garage????

Image. F1 is depending on it's image as a sport for brave men. Now they grow tinier and tinier and bring their whole family around. It is bad for business in the long run.

Exactly.

Heaps of these parents (like Anthony Hamilton and John Button) spend years driving their boys around kart tracks all over the UK, and bankrolling their son's racing.

I'm sure the same is true of Felipe Massa's dad, Kimi Raikkonen's dad etc etc.

Getting to F1 is the pinnacle, why can't the whole family enjoy it.

Interestingly though, Kazuki Nakajima makes his old man watch from the stands!

I think this comment says a lot more about you than it does about Massa's Dad and Rubens' wife and kids.

Yeah I find it odd but I can live with it, it's the behavious of the dad's that kills me. Hamilton and especially Button's old man look like big kids .... trying so desperately to be super mega cool in their late 40's and early 50's.

Compare that to Webber's old man, old man pants, old man jumper (sweater) ..... shy's from the camera .... make Button's old man look like a complete giblet.

That's not really fair.

It isn't as though Button or Hamilton go looking for the limelight.

The cameras find them because their boys do well, and because they come to every race.

Webber's old boy doesn't come to quite as many I don't think.

And the seniors Buttons and Hamiltons have just as much place in pitlane as any other person associated with a team.

I think they get a bad deal here because of profound jealousy.

Nail, head, hammer, hit.

Hey Anthony IS cool

And anyone that ruthless totally belongs in F1.

As for John Button, well he built kart engines didn't he? Put in the hours, now is his time.

It's just a question of how much airtime the producer gives them, a bit less wouldn't hurt for sure.

OK pot! Now I'm positive that we might even know eachother, because that rediculuous information could have been heard on only one place, and that place isnt crowded. So if you heard it, it means that you are who I think you are.

check you PM

They definitely look for limelight and there is plenty of people that goes to every race, most of them have a lot more knowledge about things than papas Button & Hamilton but chose to stay away from the cameras as much as they can.

It doesn't matter. It's absolutely fine with me. And I won't be bothered if they are not there. Either way is fine for me. But I do like to see them.

And I think it happens much less nowadays than it did in the past.

Basically because they can afford to drag them around and have no reason not to.

It was on the BBC on Friday...

How do these 'good' mums and dads stay in the garage but away from the cameras? Do they have an invisibility shield or something?

They could sit there and watch, instead they get right into it up to their armpits with the team and hardly shy from the camera. They love the spotlight.

Because TV does not bother. I hadn't seend JB's father up to this seano, and I guess he has been there for long time.

If I would have a son in F1, I would be in the frigging pit wall all the time, smiling to the cameras, naturarly

My mom is dead. I am retired. Know it all asshole...

If I was a professional driver I'd be tickled to have both my parents (both dead) in the paddock with me. No doubt they would have sacrificed much if I had gotten that far in racing. And my parents would never seek any attention.

F1 drivers aren't stone cold cave men (thankfully).
They're real, social, people, with real relationships, who support them.

Only fools complain about family members of F1 drivers, who follow them around the world and keep them company, is somehow wrong in the eyes of many. They also foolishly complain, why TV camera's point their lenses at them from time to time. They are such half-wits, they fail to understand these family members have no control of what images the director of the day, decides to show on the F1 feed, that gets broadcast around the world. Considering all their failings, these idiots should be laughed at and ridiculed. If I was a F1 driver, if my father was my manager, he would be neglecting his duty, if he did not accompany me around the world looking after my interests, and in the case of Massa et al, their will be times I would want family members around, just for the sake of my own sanity and to keep my feet on the ground. Kind of keeping it real. Those who complain about family, do not understand the concept of family and what a tight-knit entourage can do for the pysche.

This is nothing NEW at all. Some of the teams allow it and some restrict how many people you can bring. The only real problem I have with it is when they cut from something important on track, to show you Ms Arm Trophy! That pisses me off.

Well if you were at the circuit and had the choice, would you go and sit in the stands or be in the garage with the airguns, tyres, telemetry, gps system, radio .... ?

Bearing in mind that the dads are quite likely to be raging F1 fans to start with.

As someone whose husband works in the racing biz (on the two-wheeled side)--everyone loves to have their family around them at the race track, and not just the riders/drivers. Heck, when I go with my husband to the track, I get more hugs and kisses than I can count! They love it when family members show up and are enthusiastic about what they do--the racing community is one big family. I've heard that word tossed around at the many corporate jobs I've held, but the motor racing world really *is* that way. Despite the fierce rivalries on track, the community itself is very close and tight-knit.

This is a tough game to make a living in--you're never at home, remember, so if you can take "home" with you when you're away so much, why wouldn't you? I can't imagine why anyone would think this is odd or problematic, also keeping in mind that these guys can be badly injured or killed doing their jobs.

Saying that, though, I agree that the TV directors don't need to spend so much time focusing on family members in the garages. We tune in to watch the racing, thank you!

Seriously.

The pit lane is the most exciting place on the freaking planet--if one has the chance to be there, why wouldn't they? Are you kidding me?

I was lucky enough to have hot pit access for the WSBK round at Miller. I still get chills thinking about it--it was one of the best weekends of my life!

I never said sit int he stands, you can sit int he garage keeping abreast of what is going on without being FRONT AND CENTRE, LOOKA T ME LOOK AT ME IN MY SUPER COOL SHADES OR TOO TIGHT PINK SHIRT.

You are completely correct about the racing fraternity being one huge family, whether it be on a professional level or just club.

The thing is, we see more of the action on TV, even though they do cut to the family, than we ever see sat/stood at the side of a circuit.

It is a special experience to be in the pit lane.

I don't mind it or them but the TV cuts there a bit too much for my taste. Doubt they'll change it cause people who have a casual interest in sports love this stuff. However this is of all times, at least I seem to remember seeing Erja's face once every minute in the 98, 99' seasons.

Exactly, this is not normal behaviour among adults, needing nanny fathers around.

A visit by them to the pits once or twice a year would be more normal.

My Dad likes F1, he doesn't like high powered meetings watching me surf t'internet.

Mmm well they have the same problem in MotoGP, the garages are only so big after all, if they want to watch the monitors. Here's a wife trailing round with hubby and getting in the way...



when we just wanted to see Casey, obviously .