Yeah there's quite a few of us. Although I have to roll my eyes at some of the fake drama they add on Netflix I'm happy it's bringing people to the sport
I increasingly appreciate sports that are easily watchable from a time commitment standpoint. 4 hrs early saturday and sunday mornings about every 2 weeks? Yes please.
UFC/MMA probably even tops that, but haven’t quite gone there yet.
I’ve had 3 people in the last week want to talk F1 when they saw me wearing F1 gear. All were under the age of 25. That’s not something I ever would have predicted 5 years ago.
This being the most (only) exciting season in the last decade sure helps.
I was a big fan when I was younger, then got out of it over the years. But watching the Netflix series got me back into it, and it is highly entertaining this year.
I’ve always wanted to get to an F1 race in person, and now I’m starting to really think about where and when I’ll do it in the next year or 2.
The Following User Says Thank You to Ryan Coke For This Useful Post:
We're planning on a family trip to attend the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix, but I'm personally still quite green when it comes to the sport.
I drove as near as I could the course in Monaco in a Fiat Punto. It wasn't quite as fast(about 6 minutes), and you can't access every section, but I had a huge smile on my face the entire time. My wife humoured me for it. If you can, go see the royal car collection(much cooler than the palace tour).
I've been to Montreal, Spa and the Nurburgring tracks as well, but not for races. I'd probably target Montreal for convenience, but Mexico looks like a tonne of fun too.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Fuzz For This Useful Post:
Yesssss, been following F1 for years casually thanks to a coworker who was obsessed with it. I liked the change in perspective DtS added to some of it, even if contrived. What it did do was make my wife and parents interested enough to watch, so that's fun.
Saw that DTS increased F1 viewership in the USA by ~40%. That is a massive increase. Funnily enough I've had a few neighbors stop to chat about F1 when I've been wearing my gear out walking our dog.
For those that haven't, I'd definitely try and get too a race. I've been to 4 F1 races...and they are definitely worth it.
Montreal: Awesome night life and great atmosphere. Track is right beside Old Montreal and easy access. Sit by Champions corner if you can.
Austin: Track is far and PITA to get too, but Austin also has a great live music + bbq scene.
Paul Ricard: Boring race and track lacks a bit of character. But the Marseilles/Provence area has some very cool things to do (Roman aqueducts etc).
Red Bull Ring: Easily the best race track (~20 in various series) and race I've been too. Super nice setting ~1hr from Vienna. Had a 1 hour air show with planes from WW1 onwards. Can see most of the track from the T1 - T3 grandstands. HIGHLY recommend. I"d go to this race every year if I could.
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to FLAMESRULE For This Useful Post:
I don't participate in the thread on here, but I've been watching for about 5 years now (the season Rosberg won). Funnily enough I just found out on the weekend that my brother and his wife are big fans since discovering the Netflix show last season. They make a big deal out of it with a bottle of prosecco (they're GMT) and finger food every race, booing Hamilton and cheering Verstappen.
We grew up 30 minutes from Zandvoort, and my brothers and I used to attend the Sunday club races with our dad. My dad would go watch the F1 races too and we really wanted to go but we were a bit too young for a full-on GP experience. The Dutch GP was a madhouse even then. We did go to one of the Dutch GP qualies one year, back when it was just a timed free practice. That tells you how far back this was, btw :-) I remember the days when Murray Walker (RIP) still made sense.
I've followed it off and on (mostly on) ever since. The racing has not always been too exciting, but once in a while your get a race (or season) that just makes your jaw drop. DtS shows a bit of the circus that surrounds the sport, which is entertaining in its own right, and the sense of globalism that is in the sports DNA. You can talk to fans from all over the world, and we share that passion.
I also now mentor a Robotics team which competes in a "gamified engineering" competition. And, as I like to show my students, that is exactly what F1 is. The amount of technical expertise, mechanics, physics, data science, coding, simulation, and plain old problem solving that is involved is inspiring!
PS: Yes, I lurk in the Other Sports F1 thread, and really should join the annual competition.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to HHW For This Useful Post:
We grew up 30 minutes from Zandvoort, and my brothers and I used to attend the Sunday club races with our dad. My dad would go watch the F1 races too and we really wanted to go but we were a bit too young for a full-on GP experience. The Dutch GP was a madhouse even then. We did go to one of the Dutch GP qualies one year, back when it was just a timed free practice. That tells you how far back this was, btw :-) I remember the days when Murray Walker (RIP) still made sense.
I've followed it off and on (mostly on) ever since. The racing has not always been too exciting, but once in a while your get a race (or season) that just makes your jaw drop. DtS shows a bit of the circus that surrounds the sport, which is entertaining in its own right, and the sense of globalism that is in the sports DNA. You can talk to fans from all over the world, and we share that passion.
I also now mentor a Robotics team which competes in a "gamified engineering" competition. And, as I like to show my students, that is exactly what F1 is. The amount of technical expertise, mechanics, physics, data science, coding, simulation, and plain old problem solving that is involved is inspiring!
PS: Yes, I lurk in the Other Sports F1 thread, and really should join the annual competition.
Awesome work on mentoring a Robotics team, lots of options that can lead into motorsport. There simulators are incredible, puts my home racing sim rig to shame.
I forgot to add that if they're at the UofC, get them to check out the Formula SAE team there. I was on it from 98-01 and we put a very good friend into F1 (lead integration eng for Alpha Tauri) and I worked a season in Grand-Am.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to FLAMESRULE For This Useful Post:
Any F1 Fans in the house?
