Who is going to be the driver you "support" and the team you'll be rooting for in 2005? For me it will be the Sauber team in F1. Pinning my hopes on Villeneuve.
I will always support the men in red. Second after them will be Mark Weber. I think he will do great things this year and will be on the top step several times. I also like Sauber and I think they will have a good package this year. I too will be rooting for JV! I will also be keeping an eye on Alonso. This may sound silly, but after he crashed out at the USGP last year, he was walking back to the pits on the grassy area between the track fence and the sidewalk for the stands. The crowd was clapping for him and he was waving. A couple of kids (and adults) came running up to the sidewalk fence and were calling to him and giving him the thumbs up. He walked over to the kids and gave them his driving gloves. It's these little things that impress me just as much as what someone does on the track. I think it shows alot about the guy and I came away with a new respect. I mean, the guy was running strong and a cut tire screwed up his day. He had every right to be pi$$ed for a week! Jim
It's funny, after so long without success in F1 I was ecstatic when Ferrari started winning, and the build up to winning the first Drivers Championship in 20 odd years made the moment feel really special. Now however, after several years of success, I can only manage a feeling of quiet satisfaction when Ferrari win a race. I will be supporting Jensen Button this year, but will not feel too bad if he comes second to Schumacher.
Since JPM, Barachello and Villeneuve are the only American drivers, I will have to root for one of them to win!
I'm going for Williams (if you already couldn't tell, lol) and JPM, but I don't want McLaren to win. How that will work out, I don't know, haha.
You might want Sauber driver Massa in this lineup, he is as American as Barichello is. Even more so, no Italian half heritage here, pure Brazilian. Lopealong: I perfectly understand your Alonso moment. I had precisely the opposite moment with JPM who ignored and even run away from his fans at Goodwood (of all places, where there is no stress). I think the guy is a prick, but I still like him for his track antics.
My feelings as well. I'll be pulling for Takuma Sato and the Honda team. I'm also going to be rooting for Toyota with Jarno Trulli.
MINARDI ALL THE WAY BABY!!!!!!!!! I'M SAYING THEY GET 10 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS THIS YEAR Now where can I get a Minardi outfit? LOL
Interesting 7 posts so far and no mention of Schumacher I would root for Kimi getting a good car and fighting Michael to the end...
Same here. Six titles were enough already. But hang on, the die hard MS fans will post here soon enough. In the past I was always concerned when Michael played soccer with his 2nd league club. If he'd break a leg, the season would be over. But now I'm not concerned anymore.
Even that may not be enough ... he could recover at home and show up in June and still wrap the title by the end of the year assuming he has a stellar year like 04 or 02
Okay, I'll be the first Schumi fan to go on record. Obviously I'll be pulling for him and Ferrari. But I'd love to see Button get his first win and I'm anxious to see Weber in good car. J. Grande, you used to be able to get Minardi stuff off there website. Heck, you could probably buy last years car, or are they still using it?
MS and RB of course, but Coulthard is my next favorite. Not a lot of optimism for success, but I will still cheer him on. Next - JV Next - KR
I will be rooting for Giancarlo Fisichella this year like I do every year. I finally got his autograph a month ago. Hopefully, it is authentic. Then J.V. I am hoping he returns to form with Sauber. After that I will root for Schumi. I just hope he has more competiton this year.
Here's my choices: #1 -> Michael (The guy is better than ever and is #1 in my book. I applaude him for his caring for his family to keep their lives private - I remember seeing his wife at the podium ceremonies only a handful of times (unlike whinney palbum). He supports great causes (at Magny-Cours last year he and Todt showed their support for the head or was it spinal injury research - unfortunately, I wasn't the lucky one that got do drive around the track with him, I just watched in envy ) The guy is just the best driver out there as his record exemplifies - why should he be chastisied for being what he is? #2 -> I would like to see Rubens with the Championship but obviously that won't occur with Michael in the game. But I really have much admiration for the man as he definitely a superb driver and does a wonderful job of knowing he's a second place driver and appears to be content with that (most people couldn't handle that) - but then Ferrari does him well. #3 -> I really like "Fred". He's going to be the one to watch again this year. His starts seem to have become his "trademark". Alonso IMO would be a good recruit for Ferrari in the coming years. Being a MB person too (have an SLK 350 & C 320C) - I would cheer for McLaren but I think that the first turn has the potential to be the demise of them in the races. I hope that if they survive the first turn, Kimi goes head and shoulders above his "teammate". Here's another idea - I think Villeneuve should be replaced with Jeff Gordon! If you saw "Trading Paint" - the guy is great. I like Jarno too - I hope he keeps his same hair-do this year But for me it is Ferrari ALL THE WAY!!! Carol
Anyone rooting for Toyota? I like the drivers line up :Ralf and Trulli. Is it too early to say Toyota will at least finish 2 or 3 times on the podium this season? I hope Ralf will be awake all season ....I would like to see him be the man bringing the points for the team.
MERCEDES MCLAREN!!!!!!!!!!! ALL THE WAY dont care much for JPM but kimi is great... im more of a team follower, rather than driver
Favourite Teams: BMW-Williams and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. Favourite Drivers: Mark Webber, Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen.
I have to go with Michael Shumacher. hes like the Peyton Manning of racing. Young and already heading for the hall of fame!.
I'm certainly going to be watching Massa, especially after he beat Schumi in the RoC. (But then the organizers DQ'd both Brazilians from their same round victories over both MS and Loeb. One problem with holding the RoC back in Paris is that if the champs get beat too soon, the crowd goes home early. ) Since F1 is traditionally a manufacturer's venue, I tend to root for the teams that (a) build road cars and (b) do the whole package themselves. In the past, that was Ferrari and nobody else. (Yes, I rooted for Ferrari even when they were losing.) This year, it looks like it'll be Ferrari, Toyota, and Renault --- Except that I'm hoping that Trulli kicks the pants off Briatore's team. Dumps Heidi Klum after she gets pregs, Dumps Trulli for getting passed by a Ferrari?. I wouldn't be taking any advice from someone with such a lousy 2004 record in judgment calls. And I'll be rooting for Schumacher. Despite five in a row, I'm still not tired of the absolute best (by a wide margin) winning. And Schumi is the best. You see it in the "boring" precision with which he gets the line right, corner after corner after corner, lap after lap. When the best is supposed to lose, it's time to stop calling it a sport, and start calling it "reality TV". And I'll be rooting for Rubins. Nice guys don't always finish last.