Ah. James (s)Hunt. what a playboy. Live hard. die young. What a waste. they say he was sh*tting himself before the race - but you wouldn't have known.
I've probably been watching from about 96-97, as I can just about remember Hill's title winning season. (I'd have been about 4, so its a little hazy). I think I probably watched it younger, but just can't remember it, so I've sort of grown up watching F1. My first favourite driver was Jonny Herbert, then David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen at the same time around 98 and onwards until that partnership ended. I was a Coulthard fan until he retired, and Raikkonen at Mclaren was another driver I liked. More recently I'm a fan of Kubica, Webber, Kobayashi, Button and Kovalainen. My favourite team now is probably Team Lotus, but still like Mclaren.
I've been watching from around 2000, so I'm pretty new to it by most peoples standards. Not sure what made me started watching it, I just flicked over one day, enjoyed the race and it went from there lol. Always supported McLaren, from Hakkinen in his last couple of years to Raikkonen and Lewis.
Miggins: I want to say thankyou. Thankyou for such a great read. Very sorry to hear of your karting's ultimate demise: that really is very sad. (By the way, you're in good company: 'fast' and 'crazy' are very closely related - Gilles Villeneuve being the clearest example). Thanks also to Ernie for his scaffolding memories (very advanced: top man!) and thanks to Bergkamp (not so advanced but also top man) for his milk crates. What a great thread this has turned into!
We were so enthusiastic in those days that we actually fabricated a tubular steel section high level 6 seater bench that could easily look over the heads, by about two foot of those in front, and it was painted black with stick on gold stripes, John Player Team Lotus colours. Fittipaldi, De Angelis, Peterson, Andretti were all in full uninterupted view from our lofty perch. Later years we could afford stand seats but it was not the same. Complete with under seat section to hold cooler boxes with enough liquid supplies to last an entire day. Stowe was the favored spot at Silverstone and Clearways at Brands, which I preffered to Silverstone
there is nothing like being yards from the action, with the smell of burning castrol R wafting through the air. Always been a fan of Brands (and not just because it's fairly close) I think it's a more 'old school' track more a test of nerve and skill than Silverstone, and far closer specator-wise (at least the last time I went). Most of my youth was spent at either grass-track meetings or the odd trip to lydden Hill (it's close between F1 & Rally-cross as to which is my favourite, watching Martin Schanche schooling everyone had the same effect on me as Prost had pre suzuka 89), where you could be close to any of the action if you wanted, I did some Marshalling once, until a banger car hit the bank infront of me, launched itself what appearred to be 10ft in the air, and proceded to attempt to land on top of me, I had a very good view of it's underside before I dove out of the way. I had to retrieve my red flag from under the car to stop the race, I didn't do it again after that meeting, lol, there's close to the action and there's too close to the action. I often wonder, when watching old races, how more spectators weren't killed, sometimes they are mere inches from racing cars, sitting or standing on the bales of hay used for 'safety', the speeds on the straights not all that much slower than they are today, taking photos from almost the middle of the track as cars passed by at 190mph. that must've been so exhilarating, i'm slightly jealous of your stories, they must've been fantastic days as a child Ern
In them days The John Player girls 'Christ they were beautiful girls' dressed in black satin hot pants, used to give out free ***s, I used to smoke about 60 a day then, Iv'e given up for thirty years, but I can still see those ladies, I tried to marry one or two but they wouldn't have me ! I remember one was a posh bird called Caroline, I'm still in love with her after all this time. Acually Miggins I was a promiscious child about 24 years old around that time. You have every right to be jealous !
Hot pants or kaftans zipped from neck to !!! Cor. thats got me all howsyerfather. Nothin' like quick release gear in those days.
It might have been OK in the 60s, but I got married just before the 70s - and that put a rather abrupt end to playing away.
I hated F1 with a passion during my early childhood; it took up the telly and I wasn't able to watch what I wanted to watch on Sunday afternoons! But the first race I actually watched was Monaco, either 2006 or 2007. Ever since then, I've been hooked. I am a Tifoso, and my most enduring memory of watching a Grand Prix is last summer in Italy, in my aunt's house. My grandad was extremely ill with cancer, and could hardly walk. However, he got up for the whole GP, and had a whale of a time. He died a few months later, but that will be my enduring memory of him.
Heroic. I am pleased to see his immortality increased - through your passion. I hope that for ever more you will watch F1 without a second thought; and happy that your Grandad enjoyed moments like this. If life is not about passion, I declare that I make no sense of it at all…
I watched it since the 70's though I had no idea what was going on back then, and probably still don't now in truth!!
Berg: I eventually got married in the late 70s to a crazy red head irish babe, promptly got divorced about 85, now remarried to a much younger blonde with expensive tastes, life is good.
Ernie, you couldn't keep up with the craic eh? Moved on from Guinness to bubbly? I'm still with bossy-boots.
Yea, she was too much for me mate, crazy lady, great fun but ! Current Mrs Becclestone not got to bossy stage yet
Hi and welcome. I started watching F1 in 1996 on and off when i was 6. I starting watching every race i could in 1998 and remember the Belgian GP and also Mike Hakkinen winning the title later that year. I started watching because my stepdad does and have loved it ever since!
Always been aware of it for as long as I can remember but started following more closely in 05. Support has always been simple, British Drivers and British Teams!
Anyone remember Raymond Baxter commentating on F1 races shown in 'monochrome' politically correct for 'black and white' TV sometime from mid 50s to mid 60s, very well spoken with a distinctive voice, he was also a rally driver who competed in several Monte Carlo events and he was an accomplished airman and crewed in the New Zealand air race in 1953. I remember watching Moss, Hawthorn, and some unknown called Clark with my dad, god rest his soul
