28 replies to this topic

[Smooth]

Just a thought: There is no American driver, so nationality plays no part. We also are not exposed through media (other than the 'net) to F1 news or stories. I would say this is BS, but have noticed a trend of posters who's opinion I pretty much respected suddenly have a serious slant towards a countryman.

Trust me: I am not trying to slag off any poster, or driver, just kinda thinking out loud.

[The Swerve]

C'mon Paste, say what you mean. Are the British posters happy about Button being in F1? If course we are but I can't see that being any different to being an enthusiastic Schumacher fan.

There are plenty of American Schuey fans.

[Smooth]

Well, I am NOT Paste, but.... it isn't just the Brits/Button. My thought was that I have seen posters who are usually well mannered, and articulate become nearly irrational, and ride that line of slagging other drivers / posters. Not a real deep question just a thought based on observation. I was curious if the media might have something to do with it. I am a Yank, I like Schuey, but certainly NOT because someone said I should. There was nobody in the states at that time to tell me who I should like, or who the 'villians' were, or anything about anyone. I was left to form my own opinion by watching a German feed (I don't speak German) in the early 90's from my dads satellite.

[Todd]

Swerve,

Newsflash. Michael Schumacher is not from the United States. What does the popularity of Schumacher in the US have to do with Finnish Hakkinen fans or British Herbert fans?

Indeed, the popularity of Schumacher in the US only proves our objectivity. We don't identify with him because he grew up in the next town, we admire him because he is the best.

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Forza Michael Schumacher,
Todd

[db7]

Since when has a fan (from the word fanatic)of anything been expected to be objective?

[The Swerve]

Smooth!! I'm so sorry! I have no idea why I called you Paste!?!? Brainfade I guess!

No one has told me to support JB but I will enjoy it if he does well because I have followed him since Karts. I see your point though, maybe back in the Mansell days things got a bit crazy and once the newspapers get hold of something...... The other thing is that Brits LOVE the underdog and Button is certainly that at the moment and so is Johnny Herbert

Any true F1 fan isn't a blind driver supporter anyway IMHO.

[Smooth]

the Swerve, no problem. I agree about being a 'blind' follower. The bad part about being a Schuey 'fan' is the negativity associated. In a lot of discussions I am immediatly pigenholed as 'One of those MS Fans'. I certainly admire the talents of most drivers on the grid, and most everyone follows someone. Just curious if media influences it.


-Smooth

[The Swerve]

I am not a Schumacher fan but I can totally appreciate his skill. Malaysia was amazing, he let Irvine though twice and it looked as if he was doing his best NOT to win!! Incredibly fast even after his accident .

He doesn't do it for me though. Partly I don't like his arrogance and also his disrespect for F1 history. When he made that comment (in France?) about that race being Ferrari's first 1-2 he just looked like a ****.

I tell you what though, I would hate for him to leave the sport. What a boring series this would be without him! I hope he stays around long enough to have to fight with his successor at the top of F1.

[SKL]

I must be in the minority, but I support a driver because of who he, or how he does, not because of where he's from. (Of course, we've had a lot of F1 and CART drivers from Iowa, USA)
My favourites have been from Switzerland (Siffert), USA (Donohue), and currently H2F. My kids love MS, and not because he's from Germany.

[JJP]

I think MS is popular in states because he has most success and by that is the best known driver. Hell, I know name like Jeff Gordon even though I've never watched a single Nascar race (not that I would want to watch one either...)

Being a Ferrari driver has something to do with it too.

[EVL29]

Wait a Minute...We(Americans) were Different,but now we've become like everyone else(i.e."slagging off"drivers)and this is a Bad Thing?
Perhaps others should have set a Better Example,eh?

[f1speed]

Also a minority here, I have no favorite driver, I love the race,the underdog, the backmarker coming up through the pack becomes my fovorite driver(if it ever happens),two drivers(any two) fighting for position makes my day. Go Gaston Mazzacane! What? Who was that masked man?

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"If you think you can or if you think you can't, your right" Henry Ford

[desmo]

I have noticed, particularly in tennis, which is a sport I follow closely, that Americans (from the USA) are the least nationalistic crowds. They are almost as likely to favor a player from another country as one of their own. The Americans and Aussies are the most polite at the Davis Cup matches of the ones I've seen. The only exception I can think of is the dolts at the Olympics incessantly screaming USA USA ad nauseum. I am no sociologist, but my hip shot analysis is that nationalism arises from insecurity and people in the most powerful nation in the world are less apt to be insecure about their nationality.

[EVL29]

Have too agree with you there Desmo.
I'm also a Big tennis fan and cheered for Graf since the mid-Eighties.Never mattered to me where she was from.And the fact that her new "Boyfriend" is an American would have Zero effect on my support if she were still playing.
I don't think I need to be "Familiar" with someone,or to have "Something in Common" with a Driver(or player) to Appreciate their skills.
My Two favorite Drivers are(were)Canadians,Villeneuve and Moore(RIP).
But I also support Athletes such Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne(Go Ducks!),Pernilla Wiberg and Kimiko Date(since retired also,grrrr )and they aren't Yanks either.
BTW,I DO support Sampras and Davenport,but their Nationality isn't Important to me,just their Skill and work ethic.

P.S. Nascar if full of Americans and I couldn't possibly care any Less than I do Know.

[This message has been edited by EVL29 (edited 03-08-2000).]

[cjs f1]

...that or they might have seen "Rocky IV" too many times

[cjs f1]

(that was meant for Demso)

[f1nut]

I have to agree with f1speed. I also have many favourite drivers. Some drivers I don't like their attitudes at times but I respect all of their abilities and talents. I like to see a good race first and foremost. I particularly love seeing a racer get his first win. Usually a well deserved accomplishment where you get to share the driver's emotion at reaching that elusive goal.

[Yohbi]

I agree with f1nut. I watch F1 and hope for a goood race.

I get tired of people waving the flag of nationalism in the name of sport. I could care less what country the driver comes from. does it really matter?

[Garagiste]

How refreshing!
I clicked on this thread with a sense of dread (please excuse unintentional poetry).
I was expecting yet another NG style WW2 slanging match. So far so absent, thank the Lord.
Smooth, perhaps you have something with the media point - Murray sreaming that a Brit has moved up to 11th place may taint us after 18 years or so. The States (operative word) is a mighty big place, and that may also have an effect on the lack of nationalism on your side of the pond. We in the UK do have an excuse about getting patriotic about motorsport, because it's almost the only thing we are any good at.
(Before anybody refutes me on this point, we have more WDC's & WCC's than anywhere else, and build all the good cars except the red ones, not only in F1, but also CART, IRL etc.)
So we get whipped in every sport invented here, but excel in one invented by the French.
Swerve - totally agree with your comments about MS. Probably the best driver, but he's not a *FAN* is he?

I'm not a xenophobe, I wish Alesi would win again, I hope Wurtz sorts his stuff out, and I'm really rooting for Trulli (even if his team pretends not to be British ;) ;D )

Oh yeah,
Sempre Minardi.

Ciao.

[mono-posto]

I've often wondered this myself.
It seems that most Germans throw their support behind Michael. But Ralf and Heinz-Harold are also German. As is Mercedes and BMW. So it would be tough to pick based on nationalism. But it seems the Germans choose a German driver over a German "constructor" (well engine anyway).
On the flip side, the Italians almost all support Ferrari. Even if there is an Italian driver in a non-Italian car. They would prefer their 'home-town' constructor over a driver. The British have a number of constructors at least from the United Kingdom. McLaren, Williams, Jaguar, Jordan etc.. Yet it seems the British get more excited about a British driver than any of the above mentioned teams. British drivers with a British team must seem orgasmic then.
The French....I don't know. It would seem that some may cheer on Alesi in any capacity but I would think that the majority would cheer on Prost. Well now the decision is easy.

And as far as American...
We do not have an American team.
We do not have an American driver.
We did not even have an American GP.
F1 fans in America are looked upon as aliens to most other race fans. So how do we draw an allegiance? By lottery. It's true. We put the names of all the teams and drivers into a hat and then all 33 of us get together at the beginning of the season and pick out of the hat. 1 driver or 1 team for each of us. It's the only way to do it. I swear it true!!

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"If I had to live my life over again, I'd be a plumber."
-Albert Einstien

[FerrariFanInTexas]

I notice something odd here. Everyone is talking about drivers. But what if you don't really root for drivers. I'm an Amrican, but I have no "favorite" driver.

I root for whoever drives the red car (see my sign-in name!). It's led to some interesting problems in my life as an F-1 fan.

I hated Arnoux and Prost when they drove for Renault, back in the beginning of the turbo era. Hated that their stupid little 1.5 liter engines had so much more power than my 12-cylinder Ferraris. I was happy each and every time one of those little blown engines would let go! But over the years, they both went to Ferrari (at different times), and I had to root for them.

Same with Mansell. Couldn't stand him when he drove for Williams. I locked onto every personality flaw and deemd him evil. But when he stepped into the Ferrari, he could do no wrong.

Hell, I used to hate Schumacher, but for the past four-five years, he is The Man. I'm actually sorry EI left the team this year, he now goes onto the list of evil drivers. But I certainly welcome Rubinho.

Otherwise, I try to be objective and acknowledge the skill of the other drivers. I can admire Hakkinen's coolness under pressure. I loved the way Damon Hill could get out in front of a race and just disaapear. But I don't root for them. I'm happier if they don't win.

I guess I'm only irrationally passionate about the drivers for Enzo's team.

[Keith Steele]

FFIT, I used to be that way about American football until this year. If you left the Vikings you were a trader. But I was rooting for Brad Johnson to do well at Washington this year. My favorite F1 team is probably Jordan, simply because I like Eddie. But I'd much much much rather see JV do well than to see the Jordan suceed.

[IRISH]

I must that I,(and I think I am sepaking for the other Irish posters), have a bias for our national team ;) Jordan,so u are probably right inyour statement Smooth.
slan.

[Daemon]

I have to second IRISH on that. I'm an Aussie, but my mums Irish so I also lean towards to Jordan and Eddie Irvine. Although Irvines probably more due to his attitude and the way he is identifiable over here and has an almost Aussie sense of humor.

My following Schuey has nothing to do with nationalism, just that my old man brought me back a Bennetton/Schumacher cap from Silverstone '92 and i've been following him ever since.

[f1speed]

Well it makes a little sense to me now because even though I have no fovorite driver or car, I live in Alabama and if by some crazy twist we had a driver or engine in F1, I would like to see it do well. But no sweat there because only three people in this state know what F1 is.

[Nomad]

In answer to the original question is a general NO.
People of all nationalities are different.
ie The US has some narrow-minded people and some broad-minded people, as does Brazil, Australia, Japan, the UK, India etc.
This board consists of some very dedicated F1 fans (you have to be to have time to read half the threads). Each has a vast number of reasons for supporting their favourite driver, (the style of driving they prefer,who was in the first race they saw, they like to support winners, they like to support the underdog, yes where they are from or their family heritage)
These are all valid and all subjective.
There is no OBJECTIVE view of F1 it is a sport of human endeavour in terms of driving and engineering and everyone is biased towards some aspect.

[speedy]

Nomad,

you hit the nail - I haven't noticed a single person on this BB without any kind of bias. If such a miracle is found, I guess F1 is totally indifferent to such a person.;)

[Laphroaig]

Hehe I'm Dutch.. and err... yeah.. Verstappen...
The Dutch are weird, one half supports the Dutch teams 100% (whether it's verstappen, or soccer, or volleyball.. whatever) The other part wants all national teams to fail misserably )
As for me? No, I'm not a 'fan' of anyone in particular...

[SKL]

F1speed- you're probably the only person in Alabama that knows what Formula 1 is... they probably ask if it's something your kid eats. I think there's 3 of us in Iowa...