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Are you a team supporter or a driver supporter?


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Poll: Driver fans vs. team fans. (257 member(s) have cast votes)

Are you more of a team supporter or a driver supporter?

  1. Team supporter (91 votes [35.41%])

    Percentage of vote: 35.41%

  2. Driver supporter (166 votes [64.59%])

    Percentage of vote: 64.59%

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#101 ocp

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 11:19

It is not so simple.

I have prefferences which take a long time to explain( and long time to manifest)  but I will never be an outright supporter of anyone.


 



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#102 Collombin

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 16:03

Lotus (the real Lotus) is the only team I have supported irrespective of drivers, other than that it's always been about the drivers.

#103 STRFerrari4Ever

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 18:34

I'd say drivers for me. When I started watching F1, Michael caught my eye and that was it, yes he was iconic in the red car but I cared more about Schumacher than the team. STR for some reason just connected with me and that has stayed the same but I don't think I'll support a team as much as I support Vettel.

#104 drag

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 18:41

Neither , I just admire best drivers , their racing and F1 cars



#105 SwedeForceOne

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 20:02

Easy, driver. I'm not very interested in teamsports like fotball and hockey overall and seem to find individuals more interesting (yeah, I know that the car is more important than the driver). I guess I'm strange but I also find it hard to understand the concept of "we won" when people celebrate, say for example, the national fotball team winning against another nation. I've heard I have autistic tendencies.. :D



#106 Stallknecht

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 20:55

Driver. Big fan of Kevin Magnussen. Followed his career since karting. Before his entry in F1 it was Schumacher. I saw my interest in the sport decline in the years he was retired...



#107 bman

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Posted 01 March 2015 - 23:18

Mostly drivers. Started in '63, big fan of Jimmy Clark, and Lotus.  Saw in person twice at Indy.

Next fave was Mike Hailwood, ran F1 I think '71 to career ending crash in '73 for Surtees and Yardley McLaren.

Became a big Mansell fan in '85, followed him through his career, and also liked Williams in this period.

Was hoping for big things from Michael Andretti (I am from US). Never happened, at least in F1.

Been a fan of Kimi since maybe '05 to present.  2014 was painful.  Never liked Alonso when he came up, but now he is my second favorite.

Never liked Senna, Michael S., Lewis or Vettel, though I certainly respect all four.  They were usually rivals of others I liked better.  Never been a fan of McLaren since Teddy Mayer left, though I respect their results.



#108 Exb

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 02:21

Team - McLaren (and whoever drives for them)

(Although I do have a bit of a soft spot for Red Bull)

I have my favourite drivers as well though, but I wouldn't go as far as to say I support them, just tend to pay a bit more attention to how they are getting on and am happy if they do well. These usually include any that I have followed in the junior catagories (Kvyat/Nasr), drivers that have impressed me with their racing (eg Ricciardo/Bottas last year), and any ex-McLaren drivers (unless they drive for Ferrari :p)



#109 WOT

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 03:59

 
I started following Motor Racing in 1963 at the very early age of 12. Back then, a young farmer with a grin a mile wide showed such enthusiasm and passion for the sport, driving anything and everything. His style so economical and smooooth. I had found my hero. 
 
A few years prior to that, F1 was a Drivers Championship, so the above question, then, would have been a no-brainer. But since it was decided to give Constructors similar point as the Drivers, a Constructors Championship was born.
 
One morning in Feb 1965, in a grassy paddock known as the Warwick Farm pits, I met my hero in person. Such an amazing "gentleman". He took the time to chat to a very nervous 14 year old as he wandered around the pits and managed, in a very brief time, to make me feel completely at ease. My devotion to Jim Clark was cemented. It would not have mattered what team he drove for, to me he was what Motor Racing was all about. 
 
The more I learned about the sport and the mechanical side of things, the more I understood what an amazing freak Colin Chapman was. The combination of his incredible engineering skills and the talent of Jim Clark to carry Chapman's cars to victory was nothing short of astounding. A team. But as an individual and perhaps even more so, the talent and genius of Sir Jack Brabham. Never before and never again will such a talent bless this sport of ours.
 
With the death of Jimmy in '68, I withdrew and found it hard to think about the sport. But the passion never really left. I no longer claimed a "hero", but preferred to enjoy the talent and the competition between all drivers and their constructors. In addition, I quite often would punt for the underdog. That maxim still applies today, although I am very patriotic, and hope that any Aussies out there will do well.
 
I have enormous respect for Sir Frank Williams, for his courage and commitment and sustained passion for the sport, so I am more than pleased when a Williams does well.
 
Overall, I want to see competition. I want to see every car on the grid have a chance to progress and put up a fight. Sadly, these days, that seems to have gone down the shitter. But I am the eternal optimist.
 
So where does that put me? Sorry, can't push any buttons - in the NEITHER/BOTH category.


#110 paulogman

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 04:35

Williams since 1980 I think.

#111 Rjpscr

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 04:55

Team

 

Been a Williams fan since I started watching F1 in 2001


Edited by Rjpscr, 02 March 2015 - 04:56.


#112 EarnardBeccelstone

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 05:08

I'm both.

 

I've supported Williams since 1997-1998, when I first really got into F1.

 

I was a Mark Webber fan through his time in F1 (so his time at Williams was simultaneously fantastic and terrible) and I've become a Daniel Ricciardo fan as well. But, I'm not a fan of Red Bull, so their success or failure was purely incidental to me.

 

I have distaste for the personalities and actions of some current drivers (Vettel, Maldonado, Hamilton, Alonso) but not a dislike, per se. I can admire then as drivers and still be happy for their successes, even if I think they're royal prats on or off a race track.



#113 tifosiMac

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 11:48

I have always been a 'Driver Supporter'. I can't see the point of limiting myself to supporting one team and especially if neither of their drivers excite me. There aren't many teams I dislike either.



#114 hamilton10000

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 11:50

A my username suggests, I am very much a driver supporter but I have always had a soft spot for McLaren



#115 skc

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 11:52

Driver.

 

Seb Vettel.

 

And recently Daniel Ricciardo has also stolen my heart.



#116 Mart280

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 11:53

I'm surprised, I thought there would be far more team than driver supporters, I started to take an interest in F1 after James Hunt won the title in 76, I was 12 years old then, but it was the early 80's when I became an avid F1 watcher and a Williams fan around the time they became Williams Honda.

#117 WilliamsF1Fan

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 11:56

I am a Williams fan first and foremost and have been for as long as I followed F1, but that was largely because a family member used to work for a sponsor (Rothmans) and so would give me some of their old merchandise (plastic wallet, very basic watch- not like today's branded ones!) and I ended up just following the team because of that.  I went through a 'dirty' period where I began to follow McLaren (around the Mika Häkkinen time) but quickly snapped out of it, although I do still hope they do okay, just not as okay as Williams.

 

I do have drivers I look out for, most notably Jenson Button and I have a soft spot for Kimi Raikkonen.



#118 A.Fant

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 12:23

It has been in flux over the years.

 

I started out as a Williams/Damon Hill fan in 1993 and when they split I stuck with Williams. But when Williams decided to paint their cars red and lost competitiveness I moved on to be a Hill/Coulthard fan instead (I was young).

 

When Schumacher, whom I intensely hated after 94/97, started to utterly dominate I completely lost interest in the sport despite Williams' rise to competitiveness with BMW. I think part of it was that I really disliked both Ralf and Montoya.

 

Interest re-emerged in 2005 when Ferrari no longer dominated and I rekindled my Williams support with Heidfeld being my new favourite (first races I watched that season was Monaco and Nürburgring). When they split  I found that Heidfeld had a slight edge over Williams in my support.

 

But when BMW fell back and Williams improved for 2009 my support was back at Williams and I found myself favouring Rosberg over Heidfeld. After that it has been 100% Williams. Since then my favourite drivers have been Rosberg and Button, but I have been rooting for Williams above them even when Williams decided to employ a psychopath and a turtle in 2012.

 

Now I am firmly a team fan and I support the Williams drivers even though I'm not especially fond of either of them, but I guess that is the mark of a true Williams fan - the drivers are never good enough!



#119 tifosiMac

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 12:30

I am a Williams fan first and foremost and have been for as long as I followed F1...

If I was a betting man then I would have lost a hell of a lot of money then!  :p   :)



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#120 RosannaG

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 12:37

My love story with F1 started long ago... Don't panic, I'll try to make it short...  :lol:

 

I became a Tifosa when I was little (blame my dad   ;) ). At that time, I did not care for drivers. When I grew up, I became a big fan of Lauda and Villeneuve. 

 

Later on, Schumi caught my eye, he was driving for Benetton and I wanted him so badly for Ferrari. Finally, in 1996, my dream became true.  :p  

 

Then Kimi made his appearance... And some years later, he became a Ferrari driver... Another dream came true.  :p

 

I was so darn mad when he was replaced by Fernando that I decided to stop cheering for Ferrari.  :mad:

 

Meanwhile, Seb showed up... Perfect timing!  :up: And in 2010, I "changed colors", I went from red to blue...   ;)

 

Then Kimi came back with Lotus and last year, back to Ferrari. It was fine but not good enough...  :well:

 

Now I have my two favorites drivers in Ferrari and I'm back to where I belong.  :love:

 

Nevetheless, I must say  I still have a soft spot for RBR.  :p

 

The End.   ;)



#121 WilliamsF1Fan

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 12:53

If I was a betting man then I would have lost a hell of a lot of money then!  :p   :)

 

I know, I know, it is very hard to tell where my loyalties lay!  



#122 KTownDevil

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 12:57

Drivers

 

All German drivers 



#123 Radion

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 12:59

I will go back supporting McLaren once Rai retires. 



#124 GSiebert

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 15:12

Drivers (or athletes) only.

 

Teams don't mean anything, it's just a name, the people behind that name keep changing so I don't see the point of supporting a name, even if it's your hometown or whatever.



#125 PaulTodd

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 15:17

When I was a kid it was all about Ayrton and after 1994 I just kind of enjoyed the sport not supporting anyone until Alonso showed up.

 

I do now have a soft spot for Ferrari and that's why I feel strange about this season I want my driver to beat the team I have come to like  :rolleyes:



#126 Spillage

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 17:47

When I was growing up I used to think I was a Ferrari fan, but nowadays I'm all about the drivers. Take 2008 - the incredible image of Massa on the podium blinking back the tears, or the fantastic moment at Suzuka 2000 when Hakkinen congratulated Schumacher and Schuey lovingly called him a bastard... really, its all about the drivers for me.

#127 Henri Greuter

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Posted 02 March 2015 - 19:45

For me: Team.

 

I've made the mistake to be too emotionally attached to a favourite F1 driver and ever since he got killed, I'm still not over that entirely. It is nowhere near as bad as in the first years after his death but there is rarely a day in my life I don't think about him.

 

So, for F1, since 1982 I stuck with teams only.

Did have a favorite Indycar/CART driver since 1984 till the end of his career.

 

 

Difficulty is of course in a bastard/asshole driver drives for your favourite team.

I was saved for the worst I could imagine but my interest for F1 started to dwindle when `my` team hired drivers I didn't like at all.

 

 

Henri


Edited by Henri Greuter, 02 March 2015 - 19:46.


#128 Exar Kun

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 04:09

Team for me.  I've followed Williams for literally as long as I can remember.  Something about that '86 Adelaide tyre blowout and the Camel/Canon Williams colour scheme just stuck in my head so I stuck with them.  Slim pickings over the last decade but nice to see things coming good again.



#129 Rinehart

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 10:32

Over the years I have been a fan of Stewart, Villeneuve, Lauda, Senna, Mansell, Villeneuve, Montoya and Button, Danny Ric is growing on me. Liked many others, respected most. 

Teams are a secondary consideration for me, my support for them is mostly a function of one of my fav drivers peddling one of their cars.

With the exception of Williams who I just have an enormous soft spot for, everything about their history and character appeals to me (with the exception of Franks strong opposition towards customer cars). 



#130 KnucklesAgain

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 11:52

Both (independent of each other), and while at any one time one or the other may be my main focus, there where also times when I supported only a team and and no driver, or vice versa. So picking one of the available poll options makes no sense.


Edited by KnucklesAgain, 03 March 2015 - 11:53.


#131 Balnazzard

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 13:04

For me it has ALWAYS been about the drivers...and since Im Finn, about Finnish drivers ofcourse, thus supporting them and the teams they drive in, simple as that. But there has been some other drivers I've really liked, like Kubica for example, really a shame how things went for him.

 

But as for teams, I do wish especially historical teams like Ferrari, Williams and Mclaren doing well and all of them be there at the front for fighting championships...also wishing all the best for the midfield/backmarker teams all the best, but ye, Im not particual fan of any team.


Edited by Balnazzard, 03 March 2015 - 13:05.


#132 anneomoly

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 13:54

Drivers, I guess, first and foremost. Sort of. Berger, DC, Webber, Vettel (yes, I know, both of them, it's only possible if you're willing to admit that your favourite drivers can be arses)

 

Also teams, though, not only because I like the way they go racing (Williams) but also because certain teams are hugely iconic in the sport and it hurts to see epic parts of history do badly (Williams), and from a personal point of view seeing a driver from your country win a WDC with them (Williams).

 

But I think I like the sport best when the holy historical trinity of Williams/Ferrari/McLaren are all strong and fighting, so even if I'm not a Ferrari, Kimi or Alonso fan I didn't like to see them do badly last year. And I've always cheered for any underdog team doing better than they ought to, any underdog driver who does unexpectedly well and I guess, anything with a good comeback story.



#133 August

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 15:40

75% team, 25% driver.

 

Only a massive d**k can make me not to cheer for my favorite teams.

 

On the other hand, Räikkönen/Vettel is such a nice driver line-up that I'm cheering for Ferrari, a team I usually dislike.



#134 HeadFirst

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 18:44

I have been following F1 for over 50 years, so my preference for drivers seems to be contrary to the expectations of some. I do not like to see one driver dominate however, even if he/she is a current fav. The WDC battles of 2007 (Kimi) and 2008 (Lewis) have given me the most enjoyment, not only because they were my favourite drivers, but also because of the challenges they faced in winning. Although I like most of the current drivers, I currently support Fernando A and Kimi R most. I also enjoy seeing Jenson B, Nico R., and Daniel R on the podium and I am hoping to see a first win for Grosjean this year.



#135 cutting42

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Posted 03 March 2015 - 19:16

A good topic to drag me out of long lurks between posts.

 

I voted driver as it is the driver that is probably our best connection to the sport. It is the person that attracted me as a young lad in the late 70's and early 80's always looking for the British driver as a bright eyed 12 year old. It was Mansell  who caught my eye and despite his shortcomings - that only became clear to me in later years. From his Williams years I grew an appreciation of what the team could bring and will forever be a Williams fan regardless of the driver although Pastor did make it hard.

 

I found it hard to support Ferrari when Mansell was there as they have always been the enemy to me. All their behaviours in the 90's and noughties cemented that and if a fav driver ever joins them again I will really struggle to cheer for them. Schumacher made me a kind of anti fan, ie I supported any driver who took the battle to him so I had a period of being a Kimi and Alonso fan but my heart was not really in it. I liked Damon as a person and cheered him all the way and ina similar way really enjoyed Buttons sucess but never found a driver to support like Mansell until Lewis came along. I did not like him being at McLaren as they were the enemy as well (Senna/Mansell remember) but put up with them and was happy to see him leave for Mercedes.

 

Lewis at Williams with Honda would be my dream combination.


Edited by cutting42, 03 March 2015 - 19:17.


#136 CoolBreeze

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Posted 05 March 2015 - 07:03

Both. I'm not and never an Alonso supporter. I'm a Ferrari supporter first and foremost. 



#137 David Lightman

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Posted 05 March 2015 - 07:58

Never really understood how you can follow a team, if they sign two drivers you can't stand what are you supposed to do??



#138 Henri Greuter

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Posted 05 March 2015 - 08:25

Never really understood how you can follow a team, if they sign two drivers you can't stand what are you supposed to do??

 

 

It has happened to me that what I considered to be my team signed up two drivers I didn't like at all and that really helped to loose interest for the team in particular. It was even that bad that I was happy they remained winless that year, I was happy  because thoose jerks didn't win.

Other factors contributed to the fact that from then on I lost interest for the team ever since..

 

 

Another intersting observation: what to do if a driver you like goes to a team you dislike. I have had that happen within Indycars. I was a big fan of Greg Moore and didn't like Penske at all at that time (respect yes, liking no!!!!), And then Penske signed up Greg.

But fate interfered to find out how I was to handle that situation and I still regret that I"ve not been able to find that out.

 

Henri