One of the most difficult challenges a driver entering Formulol One faces is to get himself a fanbase. This is difficult at the best of times for new drivers who desperately need to make a good first impression in the F1 paddock. If you're just a regular dude, it can be damn near impossible to convince the world to cheer for you instead of one of the other guys on the grid. It's easy for some drivers, who may have a reputation before F1, but for those pilots who aren't fortunate enough to have Scottish flags on their helmets or the ability to cover up a lack of personality with a mountain of ice cream, they have to start from square one. They're brand new in F1 and whether they last ten races or ten seasons, they have to win the favor of fans of the sport. (Of course, they don't really have to do this, because a lot of fans seem to think they matter to the sport a hell of a lot more than they actually do, but your F1 career is going to go a lot more smoothly if everyone likes you). No one can deny it's in your best interests to be universally loved. And even if you get a large fanbase, it may not be the one you were after. You don't want to end up like Liberace, spending 40 years as a hero to old ladies and forever asking them if their grandsons were around.
So how does a new driver make everyone like him? In this here thread, we can discuss ways that new drivers can establish a fanbase and avoid being hated by the majority of the people who watch this sport. What can a driver do when no one knows his name? What can he do when no one likes him, but already people hate him because he's taking a spot on the grid away from someone they already like?
I've thought of one thing a driver could do to make the fans love him: play a character. Don't be a boring old PR robot, be an actual robot. Nevermind that petting the bull after you win ****, get out of your car and robot walk over to the podium. Trade your champagne bottle for a can of robot oil and give your post-race interview in a robot voice. Or if you're a villainous fiend of a driver, grow a twirly moustache and be shamelessly deceitful. Talk on the radio about how you'll fend off other drivers for your teammate, and then blow past him on the last corner to victory. Do it every race like it's a new thing and twirl your moustache whilst laughing madly on the podium. A lot of men in today's world fancy themselves white knights, so if you're a new driver looking to get some fans on your side, why not go and be an actual knight? Ride a horse around the paddock, saving pit babes from Niki Lauda. This would be perfect for Sergey Sirotkin next year, who could title himself Sir Rotkin, and gallop up and down the pit lane with a sword like someone out of Game of Thrones, fighting for justice and slaying Lannisters and FIA stewards for the good of the realm. He could even save a grid girl the villainous driver tied up and left on the start/finish line. Only a heartless communist wouldn't cheer for that guy. That is how you make a good first impression on F1 fans of the world.
So what would you tell new drivers to do? What would you do in your first season of F1 to get the fans on your side?