84 replies to this topic

[Rasputin]

For me it began in 1972 with the CanAm M20 taking on the Porsche turbos, then came Gordon Coppuck's M23.

 

Been there ever since.

[amppatel]

Because Hamilton was there.

 

Not been there since 2013 (or halfway through 2012).

 

 

Just realized, I still need to change my avatar.

Edited by amppatel, 07 June 2015 - 06:23.

[ViMaMo]

Fernando.

[Mat13]

Hamilton. I came back to F1 after not watching since 2004 to see a British driver qualified third(?) for the Melbourne Grand Prix.

[northell]

Mika Häkkinen.

[velgajski1]

Mika.

[nosecone]

Kimi Räikkönnen. I became a McLaren during the time Kimi drove for McLaren. When Kimi went to Ferrari i was still McLaren fan because Ferrari was the evil in my eyes.

 

This is how it started. And it will never end, no matter how bad McLaren is doing.

[wrcva]

Mika 

[Man of the race]

Beryllium, wet weather tyre changes, all those neweymobiles, Honda 2015, driver catfights, Senna, Prost, Andretti, Hakkinen, DC, Raikkonen, Monty, Hamilton, Alonso, the whole Ronzo package ...how not to like what they bring to the sport. The team with epic successes and epic fails.

[Atreiu]

Because of Senna.

[dave34m]

I'm a Kiwi and its illegal to not be a McLaren fan over here.

[Ev0d3vil]

Because LH. watched him in 2008 and was a fan. But switched my allegiance to Mercedes !

[learningtobelost]

Started watching the sport in 1991 as an 8 year old, and was rather unmoved by Mclaren/Senna until Monaco 1992.  The bug bit hard at that moment!

[Vesuvius]

Since Senna and Mika 1993

[Brother Fox]

I'm a masochist, and the Washington Generals were becoming too successful for my liking

[Lister of Smeg]

Followed Keke Rosberg from Williams to McLaren though Mika Häkkinen is the biggest reason I stayed with McLaren.

[kerum gp]

Red and white car, yellow helmet, eighties.

[Beamer]

Don't know yet. Hasn't happened yet. ;-)

[Nova]

I bought a Honda motorcycle at 16, I'm now 43, and followed Honda in all things motorsport. That would be around 1998? I at least remember Senna and Prost in McLarens crashed in Suzuka, so before that at least. I'm not good with years.

 

I stopped watching F1 the year Schumacher and Irvine were the only two in contention for the WDC, and Irvine having to let Schui through. Austria?

 

I now read about McLaren Honda, more as a memorabilia, but F1 are to messed up to care enough to watch. As I'm interested in the engine, watching a series where you can't even develop a dog of an engine without tokens are really not a sport at all.

[Heisenberg]

Don't know yet. Hasn't happened yet. ;-)

Same here haha (although I am a Senna fan!), I don't know what's with all this hype for McLaren, really...

[BRK]

In an alternate reality, where MS won five titles in a row for McLaren. Those were the days..

[PayasYouRace]

When I was very little it was because they were red and white.

 

Then later because with Mika and DC they battled against the evil Schumacher.

 

Now because their OCD culture seems to fit with my own personality.

[Lotus53B]

In 1973, I was 8 years old, wandering round the Paddock at the British GP, and a driver dunked me down on a Yardley McLaren for a photo (which I still have somewhere).  Ever since then McLaren has been synonymous with F1 for me

 

EDIT:  And about 7 years later I started wearing Yardley Black Label aftershave, so sponsorship works folks

Edited by Lotus53B, 07 June 2015 - 08:23.

[Jamiednm]

Originally a Williams fan in the mid-90s as a kid, then started noticing McLaren more in the late 90s with DC and Mika. Missed most of the 2000s due to Uni/weekend job and started watching again properly in 2007 - instant LH fan, so defacto McLaren fan until 2013, now a Merc fan.

[string158]

Mika 

[Mc_Silver]

Mika.

[Ricciardo2014]

Funnily enough I never did.

Being one of the most devoted Senna fans, I myself even find that a little strange    

Some of the drivers and cars over the years have been in a class of their own, but I just never took to the team as a whole.

 

It was Williams that grabbed me back in 1978, but I have huge respect for Macca and what they've accomplished.

 

Here's hoping they can repeat the glory of the old Honda days 

[Bouet]

Mika Hakkinen. Started to watching Formula 1 in 1998. But today im a Kimi fan, so now it´s Ferrari  But will always be a McLaren fan deep inside

[redraven9]

Never been a McLaren fan... not especially in the last couple of years. And not especially after how they treated Alonso back in 2007. But now in 2015 the went into overdrive mode, trying a radical approach for ending the Merc domination, and seems rather commited. I can't help but support them, especially with two of my favorite drivers on the grid are in the team.

[GoldenColt]

Hamilton. I came back to F1 after not watching since 2004 to see a British driver qualified third(?) for the Melbourne Grand Prix.

4th. 

[Paincake]

Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton. My interest in McLaren diminished completely after Hamilton's departure. That said, I do really hope Button and Alonso can challenge the Mercs, but its merely a dream and I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Edited by Paincake, 07 June 2015 - 09:32.

[Gilles4Ever]

Never really a big fan, supported them at the start of project 4 up until the end of the TAG/Porsche era, admired them after that, their success and the ability to bounce back was admirable although that has all but disappeared in the last decade. I would like the Honda project to succeed but that is more to do with Alonso and Vandoorn than McLaren. 

[klyster]

Bruce is an inspiration to me.

[TheRacingElf]

Became a fan when Montoya came over from Williams in 2005. That MP4-20 was such a fast and beautiful car, unfortunately it had the tendency to break down almost all the time though. That's where I was introduced to the McLaren swingometer and have never let it go since.

[vowcartaGP]

They had this young quick kid once called Kimi Raikkonen. (Whatever happened to him?) He perked my interest in McLaren but I was a Williams guy mainly. Then my driver Juan Pablo Montoya joined and the balance swung from there.

Edited by vowcartaGP, 07 June 2015 - 10:19.

[Otaku]

Certain yellow/green helmet from the mid 80s

[pdac]

Mika for me too.

[Mat13]

4th.

Ta muchly.

[f1supreme]

lewis.f1 needed something to spark it back into life,and lewis was that spark.but im more of a merc fan now tbh.it would be good to see mclaren competing for wins again tho.

[Hyatt]

Since I'm a genetically predisposed Merc fan, F1 became interesting to me when Merc joined. The Sauber years were just a warm up for becoming a die hard McMerc fan for the coming ~ 20 years ....

[BlackCat]

since Bruce and Denny. (but it was 2nd best for me after Lotus.) suspended being fan just for the Prost-Senna period.

[Amin]

I was a fan during the Raikkonen years but went completely off them during 2007.

[MirNyet]

The MP4/8 - Politics at Williams shifted my focus and then Newey moving to McLaren sealed the deal.

[EthanM]

I think McLaren is probably the only team I could never be a fan off ... I think it's the Ron effect and the whole clinical 80s super corporate outward image thy portray, I don't know it just rubs me the wrong way. Which meant I was a very confused camper in the late 90s, I really wanted to support Mika, but kept thinking 'if only he didn't drive for Ron'. I was actually warming up to them over the Whitmarsh years, strange as it may sound.

[SR388]

Because Hamilton was there.

Not been there since 2013 (or halfway through 2012).


Just realized, my avatar is awesome.

[SophieB]

Despite the flaws, maybe at times even because of the flaws, this is my reason:
 

[DeKnyff]

For me it began in 1972 with the CanAm M20 taking on the Porsche turbos, then came Gordon Coppuck's M23.

 

Been there ever since.

 

More or less for the same reasons: I had an 1:43 Can-Am bright orange, early 70's, McLaren model and then my hero Fittipaldi went to drive the M23.

 

Still a fan and still convinced they will bounce back. In the short term. 

[DutchQuicksilver]

Hakkinen and later Raikkonen driving for them. Lost interest a bit after Hamilton left.

[JacnGille]

1970... Road Atlanta...Orange Elephants...

[Garndell]

Senna & the MP4/4 at the 1988 British GP won me over completely.  Been a fan of McLaren ever since, 1988 was the first time I went to a GP, now I try to get to at least 2 a year while wearing McLaren gear.