I don't watch it any more - apart from, maybe, Monaco and Spa. The rest of it, I'm utterly ambivalent to, which is a shame, as I was (and remain) a huge Ayrton fan .........
Could never get myself to find Ayrton Senna an attractive personality to become a fan of when I watched Formula One. He was too clinical and calculating. A fantastic driver, but a forerunner to today's calculating machines. I liked most British drivers, for obvious reasons, particularly Mansell. I hated Murray Walker's description of him being gritty, because he was actually extremely skilled. But Mansell was a bit boring, even if his driving wasn't. F1 drivers have always been a bit like cyphers to me. They tend not to be extroverted. The one exception being James Hunt, of course. Marc Webber's an OK bloke. Loves his motorbike racing. In contrast, motorcycle racers are pretty much everyone's buddy. Even the most boring of them have personalities. Some of them, like Valentino, Crutchlow, and of course that northern road racer, Mr Guy Martin, are positively entertaining. That's part of the difference. Because the bike racers have personalties, they help get you to care about the outcome. Of course, if you have no interest in two wheeled racing then that isn't going to help either. Spa is still a good track. Wish the bikes would go there still. Monaco has always bored the pants off me, even when I used to watch it in more exciting times.
Not something that I'd ever really thought about doing, but when I was in Tanzania last year I decided that floating silently above the Serengeti would be a pretty cool experience, and something I shouldn't miss out on. (It also made a welcome change to traveling around the tracks by road, bumpy is an understatement, charmingly coined an 'African Massage', but more akin to throwing a brick in a washing machine, turning it on, and sitting on top). Anyway, here's a photo I took that morning. I'd encourage anyone to give it a go once, given an interesting landscape to travel over. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
I can certainly see the attraction of ballooning there. However, one could come down amongst a herd of something horned and hooved.! How big is the basket.?
My grandad used to play at that bowls club back in the 80s. Usually the only deaths they get there are the old folk keeling over on the grass whilst playing, not from people dropping out of the sky.
We came down near a herd of buffalo, it was great! Once we'd landed, we hopped out of the basket had some champagne. We were then driven to a breakfast spot... just out there in the Serengeti, no fences or anything. There were zebras about 150metres away! One of the better breakfast views I've had. Casting my mind back, think it took 13 people. The basket was separated into 4 smaller areas with 3 in each, the 'pilot' in the middle. please log in to view this image This is the only photo I can find that sorta shows the basket layout please log in to view this image Here's the bizarre breakfast location
of course, it might have had something to do with the middle being the location of the burner engines
Certainly wasn't Valentino, that's for sure. Nigel was never downright nasty, more dour than anything else. A bit like Cal Crutchlow, but with the usual F1 drivers perceived lack of enthusiasm. I'm certain F1 drivers are enthusiastic, but they seem to have to put over an almost astronaut-like calmness, only they do it so well the excitement appears to be totally absent, not just buried.
Mmm. Mansell was a bit of an arsehole sadly, from bits I'd heard at the time. Have you never listened to Vettel? Certainly doesn't fit into your description above. What about Daniel Ricciardo - massive personality. Verstappen has huge enthusiasm when he talks about racing and drives like it. Even Hamilton (who I don't like) doesn't fit what you said as he is often out spoken. I get that you don't like the sport, that's fine and it isn't particularly exciting at the moment (and previous years) but your comments about the drivers now lead me to think you just want to knock it for knocking its sake. If you don't watch it, as you don't like it, how do you know so much about the current drivers personalities?
The guys you mention are waaaaaay after I lost interest. It's not a thing I shall be going back to. The racing itself just makes me want to fall asleep now. Once a year or so I'll watch half a race. It's always just as much a snorefest as when I left it. And believe me, I was patient. And before anyone defends F1 because they like it, I'll just say each to their own. I'm not knocking it. I just liked it a few decades ago.
One for TSS Ever sail here or can you work out where it is. Breakfast view this morning before driving to catch the ferry home. [
Yet you made a derogatory comment about the drivers in the present tense and failed to point out you meant the ones from many years ago. Should maybe have been clearer. There are lots of drivers with lots of personality - good and bad. F1 shouldn't be defended really as it's lost it's way as an entertainment, I agree.
