What age did you start following F1?

I was 20 years old, so that would put the year at 1972. Attended my first F1 race in 1977, Long Beach Grand Prix.

 

Ah, I love that question: My goal is to go to a different GP every year, but that's timingwise and financially not realistic for me. So I had a lot of repeats: 2xHockenheim, 2xMonaco, 3xCanada and every USGP we had recently (was that 5 or 6?, lost count).

Anyhow, the objectif remains to go to different places if possible. I was all set to go to the last Argentinian GP (travel booked and all) and then they cancelled it. Really bummed me out.

 

For me I was 8 or 9 years old when my father would wake me up early on Sunday's to watch F1.

 

Can't really say when, I used to watch F1 races with my dad ever since I can remember. He rooted for Ferrari and so did I.

I remember very vividly the Sunday after GV was killed. I was 8, we got the news on the morning paper.

Attended my first race at the 1986 Mexican GP, first ever win of Gerhard Berger. Ferrari sucked that year but we supported Alboreto and Johanson.

 

I began following F-1 from Birth... literaly... My parents used to take me to the US GP ever since I was born... So I was there in 1968 all the way thru 1980 at Watking Glen... by then we used to go to Long Beach, Detroit, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Indy... the only one I missed was Dallas.

Over the years I've been to : Montreal, Mexico, Monaco, Monza, Brands, Silverstone, Paul Ricard, Hockenheim, Spa, Hungry, suzuka, Jerez, Estoril, Imola ... I think that's about it... the most memorable are Monza, Spa, Detroit, and Monaco... (but not because of the racing)... best place to stand was at Eau Rouge... Spa circa 1990... the sound was amazing, and the air would vibrate as they went past.

Some of my best memories are from the kendal tech center when I was a kid... the Ferrari mechanics almost lost Lauda's car off the truck & I helped save it!... long story, but I like to think that I helped him win the 77 championship, but keeping his car from falling off the transporter truck on thursday afternoon! F-1 has been in my blood from birth! that's why I'm so disapointed with the way its been going ... its just no where near what it used to be, when you go live to a race you cant see the cars up close, never see the drivers, even if you are in the Paddock club, its too Hollywood. No passion any more.

 

I had to be about 14 or so. I was big into Indy Cars or Cart as it was known then and since I subscribed to Autoweek. I started reading about F1 as well as IMSA GTP, some Nascar and all forms of motorsport really. Cable wasn't allowed where I lived, so watching F1 was limited to the Monaco GP that was on ABC or having a cousin tape a race or two here and there. We finally got cable and I got to watch my first full season, it was 1994.......

 

GS, my first race live too.

 

When I was 11 years old, my family relocated to London and I started following F1 racing, Jimmy Clark being my hero.This is my first post here, I have been watching as they say for some time.
Thanks
GV27TIFOSI

 

I remember being at my grandpa's house in Tennessee when I stumbled upon the British Grand Prix in the early morning hours. I loved Ferraris and was shocked that I was looking at them racing, and the camera angle from copse corner where the cars go straight and then seem to turn directly right like it was nothing stuck in my head, especially since the big Ferrari shield was on the side of the car. That was in 2004. I didn't get SPEED Channel until 06, when I was 14. The first race I watched live after that Silverstone race was Spain. Followed it ever since, even though I lost SPEED Channel after last year's British GP.

 

We could watch only one race a year on TV and that was Monaco in black & white on Wide World of Sports with Jim McKay. I was hooked as early as '62 and have followed it ever since. The one thing I remember most from those days is seeing this happen then going to a party that night and nobody had even heard of F1 or Bandini when I brought it up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjT4Q4Cz8Pg

 

About 6 watching the Beeb and Stirling Moss chase "The Great One" Fangio. Oh, and Collins/Hawthorne et al. heroes like you'll never see to appreciate.

Worked in it from 75 thru 82.

Watch it always, no favourites. See the lads every now and then for a natter, not the same. Some people who I would not hire back in the day are now running some of the teams. Shows my judgement huh? Lost a lot of friends, some tragically, some through aging, some from illness.

 

About 9. Again, Jim McKay and JYS in Wide World of Sports...

 

Have followed it on and off over the years, but my first GP was at the Glen in 65.

 

i started following in 1960. my first race was 1963 watkins glen. camping out next to my cousin's bug eye sprite in the cold. cheering for my hero, lorenzo bandini. seeing jim clark and graham hill. so long ago it feels like i saw it in a movie.

 

Who did you work for? I spent some time in the late 80's doing photography work with my dad.... and did a couple of deals with Allsport & McNally.... then got out. I agree there are some real idiots running things....

 

As I said, my first experience was seeing "Grand Prix" in 1967. Because I was living in Puerto Rico at the time, the movie didn't arrive there until well into the year. Shortly after seeing the movie, Monaco was on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Not long after having seen (fictional) Ferrari driver Sarti get killed, the same thing happened for real to Bandini. It reminded me of one of Sarti's quotes from the movie, in the Monza pits, the day before his last race:

"You have to grasp the mind of Sr. Manetta, my darling. If a driver can be reached by those tactics, it means he probably will fear for his place on the team. That is exactly what Manetta wants, because that driver will try all the harder to win. He will perhaps take a risk which he would ordinarily avoid. And risks are always risks."

I think Bandini was trying too hard when he misjudged the chicane and crashed. This passion that willed Ferrari drivers to win at all costs is probably what made me a fan of the marque ever since.....

 

i was around 13 when i started following F1 full time! My first GP The Australian GP in 97 i been to majority of them Apart from when i was in Europe and went to Monaco last year! realistically one day i would love to follow the f1 for the year

 

Whoever said it was an inherited gene I would have to disagree. I started following F1 right after the 05 season and I was 19. Dad wasn't every really into cars so I dunno where I got the petrol bug from. Haven't been to a live race yet, but it's on my list of things to do once I have a steady income and have graduated.

 

to be honest, just last year. so 22-23 for me. got into it late!

more of a motogp person -- been following that for the last 5 years or so.

 

I believe i was about 14 yo

 

Kyle, meant in my case. Father and three older brothers...

 

i too watched that race on tv as bandini was my favorite ferrari pilot. i still remember the horror as bandini burned in the car. he was well portrayed as barlini in the movie. he did like the girls. a true f1 classic.

 

I was around age 7 . My father had already purchased since my birth,1973,the italian magazin "Autosprint" and so we could follow all the F1 info's/reports. Then F1 becomes more popular on the TV and we could watch every race..
My first race that i saw at the track was Monza 1985,and many more follows in the last years.

regards
ivo

 

12, when Mark Donohue used to give me rides home after testing sessions. I'd wander out to the track on my bike, and he or a crewman would throw my bike in the rental car and give me a lift after it was too dark to safely ride home. That would never happen today, that's for sure.

 

At the tail-end of the Schumacher Era and those glorious, hypnotic v10's... 2004 (23) -- but since the advent of youtube, I must admit those Jean Alesi v12's sounded unbelievable!