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#1 OzzDB

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Posted 26 April 2013 - 23:22

Hello all, first post since 1998, when it was atlasF1, lurking since and had to sign up again. Just see a difference in the discussions nowadays. So many people feel the need to defend 'my driver' and 'my team'.

Iam a fan of the sport, my best moment on an F1 grandstand was Barcelona 2001 when after the race i saw a guy in Ferrari gear hugging a crying (yes, they dont show that on tv) Hakkinnen fan because Mika blew his engine in the last lap. The compassion was as real F1 fans are, with respect for other teams and drivers.

Am just wondering, what makes a fan for the sport as a whole? For the technique, the speed, the sound and politics as well? Respecting good drivers, willing to admit that some are just better then others? Or sometimes just luckier then others?

And if you are an outspoken fan for a certain driver or team, would you also like F1 without 'your' driver or team?


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#2 jj2728

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Posted 26 April 2013 - 23:41

Interesting topic. As a fan of the sport, I am first and foremost a Ferrari fan. Always have been, since the early 60s. Yet at the same time I am a fan of men who are capable of doing what I know I could never have done nor could ever do nor pretend that I could, drive a Grand Prix car at full speed at full throttle on the limit of adhesion for close to 2 hours or more. I am continually in awe of the men that can do this. They have that certain something that I do not have. It is a great sport, and I admire those that can do this. Those that say they are not athletes are ignorant in their assumptions, they are the bravest of the brave.

Edited by jj2728, 26 April 2013 - 23:51.


#3 Afterburner

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Posted 26 April 2013 - 23:55

Welcome back. :up:

Am just wondering, what makes a fan for the sport as a whole? For the technique, the speed, the sound and politics as well? Respecting good drivers, willing to admit that some are just better then others? Or sometimes just luckier then others?

All of this, really. If, when it's all said and done, you look back at a session/race/season/whatever and say, 'Even though my driver/team didn't do well, I'm just glad I got a chance to watch,' then I'd say you were a fan of the sport first and foremost.

I think a lot of us who end up debating with others on here just get sick of the thick-headedness and double-standards after a while, and we eventually end up choosing a target at which we direct our frustration. I know I do. I think the forum would be a nicer place if more people respected each others' opinions when commenting on stuff in general--after reading 'FIArrari favouritism' or 'Vettel is nothing without Newey' or 'Lewis only cares about being gangsta' a dozen times, you find your patience severely tested.

I'm not saying people shouldn't voice their opinions, I'm just saying it would be nice if people were more polite about it. There's a huge difference between projecting one's opinion as fact (e.g. 'Vettel can only win with a dominant car') and realising that one's view is only an opinion (e.g. 'it's fantastic that Vettel's won 3 WDCs, but I personally can't help but think that his cars are flattering him'). Sadly you see far more of the former around here and much less of the latter. As a fan of all kinds of racing I do my best to contribute as positively as possible, but I still find myself slipping every once in a while, unfortunately. :well:

In case you can't already tell, Vettel is one of the drivers I support--emphasis on 'support' rather than 'I am a fan of', as the latter implies fanaticism--and as such, I'm rather used to feeling like I have to 'defend' my driver because of the ill rapport he seems to have developed with most on here, for one reason or another. At the end of the day, though, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I would rather see my driver lose than not get to see him race at all. To quote Vettel himself, 'Nobody is unbeatable, and there will always be a time when you will find somebody kicking your ass.' :p My enjoyment of the sport is always my first priority.

In short, there's not a whole lot you can do other than try to lead by example, really. Glad to have you back and hopefully you'll find more of the cameraderie you mentioned in your opening post sooner rather than later. :)

Interesting topic. As a fan of the sport, I am first and foremost a Ferrari fan. Always have been, since the early 60s. Yet at the same time I am a fan of men who are capable of doing what I know I could never have done nor could ever do nor pretend that I could, drive a Grand Prix car at full speed at full throttle on the limit of adhesion for close to 2 hours or more. I am continually in awe of the men that can do this. They have that certain something that I do not have. It is a great sport, and I admire those that can do this. Those that say they are not athletes are ignorant inn their assumptions, they are the bravest of the brave.

Well said. :up: I can't help but feel that those who don't consider racing drivers as at least equal to other kinds of athletes don't fully understand racing.

#4 holiday

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 00:50

Hello all, first post since 1998, when it was atlasF1, lurking since and had to sign up again. Just see a difference in the discussions nowadays. So many people feel the need to defend 'my driver' and 'my team'.


Good to see you back. I've been around since 2001 and, short and crisp, it has always been like this. No good old days, I am afraid, the name of the game has not changed over time, only users did.


#5 Sin

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 01:18

I don't know why discussions in this board get so firey either, not that I can call myself innocent, but it is just a little bit of a war sometimes it feels... I remember in real when I was a teen and watching F1 around 1999, my friend was a great Schumi fan, who I didn't like so much, I was a great Frentzen fan.... and still I was happy for him when Schumi won :o... could need a little more of this nowadays sometimes I guess....

#6 Ravenak

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 01:27

I'm having a hard time following a sport if I don't have someone to support.

And that sums up it pretty much.

#7 ardbeg

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 03:42

Hard to love a team nowadays, it's too much politics and business and key people going from team to team. In the end there is just the name. Drivers are flesh and blood, they appear, they peak, they fade away. There will never be anyone exactly the same.

Edited by ardbeg, 27 April 2013 - 03:43.


#8 bourbon

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 03:52

If Porsche had a team, I would follow a team. But otherwise I follow drivers. I like to pick um young and stick with um till the nitty gritty.

#9 JaredS

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 08:50

I like to pick um young and stick with um till the nitty gritty.


:p

#10 MarileneRiddle

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 08:59

Am just wondering, what makes a fan for the sport as a whole? For the technique, the speed, the sound and politics as well? Respecting good drivers, willing to admit that some are just better then others? Or sometimes just luckier then others?

And if you are an outspoken fan for a certain driver or team, would you also like F1 without 'your' driver or team?

I guess what Afterburner says is true - if you can maintain a liking for a sport despite your favourites not doing well, that shows it is the sport that attracts you, not just the players. That said, I fully admit I wouldn't care for F1 at all if both Sebastian and Kimi are gone from the sport and I find no one else to support (might occasionally tune in for Ferrari, though). The sports I truly love are football and tennis.

With regards to respecting good drivers, I think every fan should be able to do so (whether you are a fan or a sport or a driver). What these people have achieved deserves respect, regardless of whether you like them or not. It is unfortunate that not everyone does so.

So I am definitely an outspoken fan for Sebastian/Kimi :wave: , I might just like (and not love) F1 if they leave, and I think every driver (even Karthikeyan though it pains me to say so) deserves our respect.

#11 rasul

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 09:57

For the time being, I'm a pretty neutral F1 fan. Yes, I'm a Ferrari fan--I've been a Ferrari fan for nearly twenty years, but I don't like the team's present lineup anymore, so I find it difficult to support Alonso and Massa, no matter how hard I try. I don't even find them interesting and don't believe in them any longer. Truth be told, Ferrari's lineup bores me. I still want Ferrari to have the best car and win WCC, and I would be happy if Massa finally wins a race or two, but it's not the same. There is a driver I like and support (Lewis), but I'm far from being a fanatic, especially since he's not a Ferrari driver. There are a few other drivers I find interesting (Vettel, Hulk, and perhaps Kimi), but I don't exactly get upset when they have a bad race, so for the time being--until Ferrari changes its lineup--I consider myself a fan of the sport as a whole(granted, with a bias toward Ferrari).

I can say that when you strongly support the team/driver, watching F1 is more interesting--and more stressful. On the other hand, when you don't strongly support anyone, you enjoy good racing by all drivers more and you don't get much upset no matter who wins, which is a great thing.

That said, I miss the times when a Ferrari win made me happy as hell and put me in a good mood for a week. Those were good times.

#12 Sin

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 10:06

I was wondering too if I would still watch F1 if my favorites were gone... maybe... I'm not sure... I am not a great sports fan F1 is basically the only thing I like...

Back in the days I started watching F1 because I had so much fun playing Indycar Racing & Need for Speed... since F1 was the only motorsport shown on TV. Back then I saw yellow cars.... and immediatly decided that they are my favorite team, because yellow was my favorite colour. When I found out they had a german driver I was even more delighted... and became fan of him. I didn't follow F1 as intense as I do now back then.... but when I watched it I was always cheering for the Jordans and Frentzen in particular. Then they threw him out.... and that basically killed my intrest for F1 back then...

Today it's different than back then, today I know who all drivers are (and not just a handful of them), today I buy F1-Magazines, today I have several favorite drivers and a favorite team that I will possibly stick to, even tho their cars aren't yellow but Anthrazit with a white and a red stripe. So I got several more reasons to keep watching F1. I don't know if I would watch it for the sport itself.... probably would take out a little excitement. I mean 2012 Brazil I was shivering cause I was so damn excited about that championship battle and wishing Seb the best.... in China 2013 I was shivering cause of the stuff that went down in Malaysia and I wanted Seb to show them all....



#13 zachary2142

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 10:19

Am just wondering, what makes a fan for the sport as a whole? For the technique, the speed, the sound and politics as well? Respecting good drivers, willing to admit that some are just better then others? Or sometimes just luckier then others?


I just enjoy racing and I believe F1 has the best racing drivers - admittedly recent technical changes (coughtirescough) make it a bit more difficult to race.

And if you are an outspoken fan for a certain driver or team, would you also like F1 without 'your' driver or team?


I had that last question answered after Kubica's accident and surprisingly, I began to enjoy the sport MORE. Before it was pretty much only Kubica for me, but later I began to appreciate all the drivers and teams and I began to learn more about the sport - it's history and technical aspects.

#14 undersquare

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 12:44

I don't believe things were any different back when ye were yooong.

OP sounds like just another forum claim for status, sorry, with the obviously rhetorical question. There are always people claiming to be older, better, more genuine fan, watched F1 since 2,000 BC, other members are fanbois etc etc.

People follow F1 for all kinds of reasons, starting last race or 1953, all valid afaic. Some of the worst posters are old, some of the best are young, I don't see a pattern.

#15 noikeee

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 13:30

Sport is always a bit more fun if you take sides. However if "taking sides" involves being blinded to the point everything your side does is angelical, everything the other side does is pure evil, and you cannot enjoy anything of the sport out of the scope of side-taking, then you're not a fan of the sport, you're a silly celebrity groupie.

Mind you I do understand this thing a little more if it's for example being attached to a football club, as those institutions stay with the same identity all your life, whereas in F1/motorsport teams leave and join and get rebranded every year. Drivers whilst a lot more important than individual football players (hence why they get bigger, more stable fanbases than individual players), constantly move as well.

I certainly wouldn't go hug someone who was crying because Hakkinen's engine went off, that's not fairplay that's supporting an obsession.

Edited by noikeee, 27 April 2013 - 13:31.


#16 Skinnyguy

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Posted 27 April 2013 - 13:34

To be fair my enjoyment didn´t drop at all the seasons my favourite driver was doing something else. Still couldn´t afford to miss a race, still shouted to the TV for no reason. The series is way bigger than any driver or team for me.

#17 ApexMouse

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Posted 28 April 2013 - 12:26

I don't believe things were any different back when ye were yooong.

OP sounds like just another forum claim for status, sorry, with the obviously rhetorical question. There are always people claiming to be older, better, more genuine fan, watched F1 since 2,000 BC, other members are fanbois etc etc.

People follow F1 for all kinds of reasons, starting last race or 1953, all valid afaic. Some of the worst posters are old, some of the best are young, I don't see a pattern.


You mean the nostalgia forum I take it? :lol:

And what a very sensible all encompassing judgement to make based on one post. I admire your faculties.

#18 jj2728

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Posted 28 April 2013 - 12:52

Some of the worst posters are old, some of the best are young, I don't see a pattern.


Going by what you said, I'd say your labelling a bit of a pattern.

#19 karne

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Posted 28 April 2013 - 13:36

I could never love a team. Too much angst. I know people who were screaming and crying when Craig Lowndes left Holden for Ford. What's the point? Is Lowndsey a worse driver just because he changed teams?

(Likewise, it would take someone very special to make me love a favourite's teammate again. I tried that. Turkey shattered it.)

Anyway, I enjoy motorsport for the thrill of it, not just because of Mark or Dan or Marcos or Craig or any of the others. The only time where I've had trouble "getting back" into something has been this year's MotoGP. I've never been more disinterested in the bikes in my life. I suspect that was a double-whammy situation - first Simoncelli's death then Stoner's retirement. Simoncelli was my backup plan for MotoGP but I figured I wouldn't need him for years.

Probably I'm emotionally over-invested in my sports - I remember sitting behind the goalposts at Canberra Stadium sobbing when the fulltime siren went and it became apparent the Raiders' season was over in 2010. I considered that an exceptional circumstance however considering we had gone on a 10-match winning streak to go from cellar-dwellars to top-eight and then home semi-final...

On the flipside, I always thought I'd cry when Mark finally won his first GP...but I didn't. I think it was too overwhelming.

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#20 Buttoneer

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Posted 28 April 2013 - 17:17

Forum is for the discussion of motorsport, not forum posters.