Hi all, Anyway, as there is no races for another two weeks or so and only the Mugello test for discussion, I was wondering what drivers you support and additionally what teams you support? If you can give reasons why that will be even better. Cheers
It's only a week away now but I catch your drift. I pompously like to think I support all drivers because they're all doing something exceptional and any criticisms I make are in the context of comparisons with other drivers operating at equally high levels of excellence. That said, just as there are one or two drivers whose abilities and achievements remain questionable in my opinion, there are one or two whose highs and lows thrill or disappoint me more acutely than others'. Even within that category there are some whom I tend to disparage more than others but that's largely a response to their truculent and blinkered fans. If I had to pick one under duress, and assuming you present the question in the present tense for a reason, it would probably be Button. For all that Formula 1 represents technological innovation, competitiveness, skill and dedication, microscopic attention to detail, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and so on, in my opinion the one thing it encapsulates better than any other form of entertainment is drama and it does so because it displays it in such a wide variety of ways. Button came so close to being just a footnote on the pages of the 2000s, another underachiever like Brundle (ok, he had his 2006 Hungarian GP victory), having spent the best part of a decade driving midfield or rock bottom travesties. Given a solid opportunity in 2009 he raised his game and he's continued to raise his game ever since, providing me at least with some of the most intelligent and exciting racing of the past two years, often on par with Alonso (who, objectively speaking, is clearly the 'best' driver currently). Whatever the results, it's always the story of the GP or the season or the career that fascinates me and Button's is about the best and most positive story in the field at the moment. So, Button but there's not much to choose for me (apart from those damnable fans) between him, Alonso and Hamilton. Teams are a lot more complex. I never supported any teams until 2007. It never occurred to me to support a team. The bizarre punishment that McLaren received in 2007 for doing what any team would have done and what another team actually did in the same year, however, was quite beyond my comprehension. For that reason I've tended to root for McLaren more than other teams since then but it's wearing a bit thin now after a couple of years of giving their drivers decent cars and then hampering them with immutable strategies (and poor pit stops, it must be said, but that's largely just a part of the drama). I'm sure we've had this thread before, incidentally.
yar, we should be beyond that, but I know what you mean, it's hard not to at times. I like chargers, Hamilton should be a favourite, but, although I like to see him do well, some of his antics last year coupled with the aforementioned Hamelots, really turned me off him. Button I never really warmed to until Aus last season when he became Buttilton 2.0. Kamui is my favourite atm, I just want to see him with s strategy more suited to what I perceive as his driving style, as I don't think Saubers tyre conservation suits him as much as Perez. I like to see the new guys do well, Senna, as I think he's taken more undeserved flak than anyone, except maybe Hamilton. Alonso was a favourite until his 'half second' whine, although he seems to have matured a lot in the meantime as a person and a driver, arguably the best driver on the grid. I don't like drivers who have to whine and snipe at their team and team-mates all the time or blame everyone or anything for their failings, and I don't like seeing drivers who shouldn't be there (Karthikeyan, I'm staring at you)
I support who ever drives for Ferrari, at the moment I support Alonso and Massa. Schumacher will always be a special driver for me, after what he did in the Ferrari, so I woudl like him to do well too.
Drivers: Alonso - Ive liked him as a driver from his drive in F3000 and have been rewarded with stunning wins since. Kobayashi - Him coming in as a mediocre driver in lower rank motorsports filling in for Timo at Toyota and has provided very entertaining racing. I hope he gets a top drive one day. Senna - I wasnt a fan of his uncle being a Mansell fan back in the day but I just love the story of the struggle he has had to get into F1 and he has prooven he deserves a full time seat. Future prospects: Felipe Nasr - wowed me at silverstone a few years ago in Formula BMW and he is doing well in GP2 now. Teams: Lotus - Followed renault when they came back was previously a follower of Williams, Jordan and Minardi!
DRIVERS: Schumacher: Dedication, fitness and continuity. Raikkonen: Excitement from his driving and focus during a race weekend. Kovalainen: Personality and mindset. TEAM: Mercedes Sauber Caterham DISLIKE: Renault
Vettel - funny, as good as Button on tyre management, cool under pressure, good wheel to wheel racer, amazing qualifier, all round likable guy. Button - another very likable chap, top overtaker, excellent tyre management, very good in changing conditions, very mature. Senna - very quick qualifier, fast learner, very nice bloke in interviews, passionate racer. Alonso - all round one of the best drivers, determination second to none, work ethic very good, mentally tough. Raikonnen - funny ("I was doing a ****"), best overtaker/wheel to wheel racer in the field, very fast raw pace.
My favourites are: Alonso, in my first few races that i watched, he impressed me the most. Button, I like the underrated achievers. Perez, best up and coming "new driver". Rosberg, see Button. Vettel to an extent, naturally good. Raikkonen, lazy and has similar personality to me and can race well. Dislike: Hamilton, too big for his own shoes.. Webber, the moaniest person alive, if something doesnt go his way, it's Vettel's fault. Senna, doesnt live up to the hype Hulkenberg, see above. Teams: Renault. (i'm not calling them Lotus) Sauber. Force India, although the drivers arent exactly to my liking.
Button- The main driver i support. Seems a genuinely nice guy who was underrated for a long time. The way he has risen since 2009 has been one of the sports best storys. The maturity he has had around him the last few years has also helped me to admire him. Senna- Fist noticed him because of the name (obviously) but its not why i support him. I thought he was unlucky not to get the brawn drive, so was happy to see him at Hispania. Then really started to support him when he was (and still is) getting alot of unfair criticism. Then found at more about how his career was disrupted at an early age and started following him. Like Button he also comes across well in interviews. Kobayashi- Proud supporter since his first practice session for Toyota. No idea why. Was then impressed like everyone else at his two 2009 races and have stuck with him since (even in those early-too mid 2010 days when everyone said he was being found out). Never really consciously make a decision about them and had never really thought about it. Now writing this i do see some patterns. It cant be coincidence that they are all quite laid back, but probably more important is that they've all built their current careers out of far from promising situations.
I support Button and Hamilton, and also McLaren. This means when things go wrong then its a double whammy, but if things go well its twice as good for me. I like Hamilton because of his willingness to push even if he's having to drive round problems. He's one of the best out there and he's also so close to being even better. I know some people are put off by his attitude but I imagine he's not to dissimilar to many other drivers, just far worse at hiding it, which often drops him in it. Others are put off by his fans, this has always confused me because I support him, not some random people I don't know Button is a vastly different person to Hamilton, but thinking back he used to have a different public persona, how things have changed both in perceived personality and results. I've still got my Button/Williams cap on a shelf and from the start I always thought he had more to show. He can "fight" with the best of them when needed, but is also what I'd call an intelligent driver, working out when is best to attack, change strategy etc. A mix off fast and intelligent, now all I need is for McLaren to stop mucking up Some of my points should be taken as relative btw
bit of an emotive topic there naz , got time for most of the teams as without them there would be no F1 , must admit i lost a bit of respect for mclaren for there 07 and 09 loss of ethics , there constant blubbering to the FIA about the legality of the 2010 red bull never really endeared me to them either , but i cant help but admire the brilliant car ( mclaren )they built for 2011 and this years mclaren has been over all the class of the field for this year , as for the drivers , have allways got time for the more intelligent tactically aware drivers in the current generation , vettel and alonso not to mention schumacher clearly have alot of smarts compared to some of the others --
Teams: Caterham - they're based only a few miles from my home, and I drive past the factory when going to my girlfriends, so they're my local team. I often see the trucks leaving and arriving at stupid times of the night, and regularly see staff in the village buying lunch, and they're all nice guys and more than happy to have a conversation. I also got a free Team Lotus shirt from them last year, for nothing more than asking nicely, so they won my support there! Mclaren - The first team I supported from when I was only a few years old and DC and Mika were at the wheel. I sent them some fan-mail aged about 6 and got signed photos back of both drivers, a technical spec for the current car, and other PR stuff. I don't know if other teams would have done the same thing, but it won me over as a child. Not as keen a supporter nowadays, but of the front running teams they are the one I like to see do well. Drivers: Kovalainen- He's driven for Mclaren and Caterham, which is a good start, and always comes across as a nice guy, has a great attitude to the sport and seems to be genuiunely outperforming his car. And he gets on with it all with little complaints that he's so far back. Raikkonen-Mainly for his attitude and his speed. Button- Always seems to be a nice guy, and I like the intelligent approach to racing.
I guess Caterham are my closest team also. Though I think they went the wrong way about bringing the Lotus name back to F1.... I had a weird thought the other day if Fernandes bought out Group Lotus. Wouldnt that be Hilarious?
Yea, I'll go along with that, Caterham are about the closest we can get to Lotus at the moment, Renault are certainly nothing to do with Lotus and in my mind will remain Renault. Always been a massive Lotus fan since about mid 60s and a few years later started to support McLaren, never ever been a Ferrari fan, I think because Niki Lauda tried to push and shove his way past me in the pits in 1974, I thought ignorant short arsed bastard, I think I uttered some words at the time and he wasn't pleased as I stood on his foot.
