To all F1 Fans...?

Question

I just want to know, What do you love about F1 so much? What drives you to be a diehard F1 fans, like us diehard NASCAR fans? I've watched F1 a handful of times (probably 8-10) and have so-so enjoyed it. Whether I was bored or not I will say this, driving one of those F1 cars looks like a HANDFUL and THEN SOME. They are some of the worlds most talented drivers... So, Just what do you love about F1 so much?

Answer 1

I enjoy many things with F1... there is the game that starts before the race, and sometimes runs in circles that has nothing to do directly with racing. The way in which the smarter teams approach FIA, or the way they will hold knowledge to reveal it at the time to best benefit them (or cause the most trouble to a competitor). The ever evolving formula means that the race is always going, even then the race is over or yet to begin.

I like the drivers. In some cases I've followed the drivers for some period before they've reached F1, others only when they've reached F1 as test drivers or third drivers. In any case, they represent in many ways the best drivers in motorsport to have reached that level, and most display that ability consistently during the races.

I like the circuits. Spa and Monza and Monte Carlo - classic circuits! Watching cars run through Eu Rogue never gets old... and a splash of unexpected rain only makes it a wilder ride.

I like that teams act as teams. This has become a focal point for many of what's wrong with F1, but it's not anything new and has a long history in the sport. The fact that drivers can compete against each other, but work together to better the team just adds another element to the competition that most other series simply ignore.

I like the racing. It's very different than NASCAR, and maybe it's more akin to a pitcher's duel in baseball where much of the action comes in the move/countermove back and forth. Watching a driver pursue, and work to set up a pass is amazing no matter if the pass is ever made. The race is the process of trying to make it work, and do the right thing at the right time to maximize your fuel strategy and qualifying position.

I like the cars. They represent the best in technological development even if they are often very limited in terms of what they are allowed to do. So many key develeopments for all cars have come from F1 over the last 50 years and this looks likely to continue. Plus, the cars simply sound amazing. And the speed at which they change direction must be seen to be truely appreciated.

And I guess I also like the grid girls! Wish more US series had this :)

Answer 2

There's just so much to every race, I could never write down everything I love about F1.

But the biggest things for me are:

* The speed and car control. The way some of the drivers get the cars through a corner is just breath-taking. There's no sight in sport as beautiful as a Raikkonen or Alonso, right on the edge, with no margin for error... but still getting the car around the track.

* The tactics. Why is driver X faster than Driver Y? How much faster does Driver Z have to go? What tyres are they on, how is their tyre choice affecting their lap times. Who has too much wing, should they have gone for a wet set-up just in case? Working out the tactics, and wondering why those tactics have been used, and how they'll affect the outcome, is a big part of it for me.

Those are the big things for me when watching at home. But when I'm there are the races, the sound and atmosphere is in another league.

Answer 3

When I was a child I got to go to the Adelaide Grand Prix. The thing that intoxicated me then was the NOISE! The sound of these cars at full throttle is absolutely amazing. I still go to the Australian Grand Prix every year. I think what the really stand out thing about these cars is the mid corner speed. It is hard to believe that the car, not to mention the driver, is capable of achieving this.

To me F1 drivers are about the greatest athletes on the planet. When I was a bit younger I used to race go carts and a little later on F3000's. People really underestimate the physical strain that is placed on the driver. The heart rate of an F1 driver sits at about 160 BPM and under high braking and lateral strain can peak as high 210 beats per minute. Imagine this strain on your body and then having to drive inch perfect lap after lap after lap.

I think what I like most though is the relentless pursuit of perfection in F1. It developes so much faster than any other engineering field. You design something and test it and within a month or two it is built and working. The cars at the beginning of the year are different to the cars at the end. I guess it is this spirit and pursuit of the unattainable that really draws me to the sport.

On NASCAR though, I used to think it was a little on the c*ap side until I was lucky enough to go to a race at Daytona with my cousin. I was impressed. Oval racing is an art in its own right. I never realised how early these drivers have to commit to the corner, and how much the car moves around. I have to say my view on the sport changed immesuarably

Answer 4

I love it all.

The technology. These cars are the pinnacle of the automotive world - and always have been. Disc brakes? Fuel injection? Overhead cams? Multiple valves per cylinder? These all came from F1 over the years.

The teams - Ferrari, McLaren, Honda, Renault, BMW, Williams, Mercedes. In the old days - Alfa Romeo, Masarati, Cosworth, Brabham, Arrows. Some of these names have been remembered for 50 years and more since they last raced.

The team strategies - who can "read" the race best, decide on the best time to pit, the ideal fuel load for the car, the best compromise of aerodynamics and mechanical grip - and the last moment changes to those strategies as the race unfolds.

Don't forget the weather - racing in the rain as well as on sunny days. Thrilling to watch, even if the speeds are lower.

The standing start. 16,000+ horsepower hitting the track at the same time as 22 cars try to use all the available traction to its maximum. Almost no-one does this anymore.

The way the tracks turn left and right, tight hairpins and gentle curves, up hill and down, slow and fast. Different corners. Eau Rouge at Spa-Francorchamps (in Belgium), the 130R at Suzuka - both very fast, both can be taken flat out (if you're feeling VERY brave), but both very different.

Threshold braking (no ABS on these cars) from 200 mph down to 80 mph for a corner, downshifting 4 times in half a second, while fighting the guy behind, the guy in front, and the car squirming beneath you.

The skill and precision of a well thought-out and executed passing maneuver, setting it up for the ideal part of the track, then making the attempt, knowing that the other driver is ready for your attempt, and is prepared to try to stop you.

The fact that the whole world can and does compete - it's not isolated to one country. Otherwise it would imply that they were scared of being seen as uncompetitive if they let everyone else try.

Even the behind-the-scenes bickering and politics, as the teams jockey for sponsorship and favourable regulation rulings.

As a spectacle, F1 is hard to beat. It is much more brutal than Indy or NASCAR (5g under braking, 3g on corners), yet the cars seem so light and delicate, as though they would blow away in a strong wind. The sounds! 20,000 rpm from a V10 at full song was incredible! It really needs to be seen live to get the full experience.

Answer 5

I watch F1 and IRL. I LOVE IT-especially IRL. I'm not a Nascar fan though. I think I would like NASCAR more it wasn't like a soap opera constantly. The things I like about Open wheeled racing are

the speed. It is incredible...the cars go three and four wide at times traveling so fast

the talent of the drivers.

the lack of drama (as stated above)...in IRL, very seldom do you hear of any big contoversy...it's just about racing

the cars..they are just so cool

the ability for fans to be closer to the drivers. I was at the Indy 500 and met Mario Andretti, Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick, Al Unser and Danica Patrick. It was crazy!

Answer 6

i watch F1 because i know im watching the worlds best drivers. also the cars are the best, the sound of the cars is comparable to nothing, and because there is so much hype in F1. the cars look amazing.

Answer 7

As im a car lover , the first thing I like about F1 is the Cutting Edge technology which makes this sports a knowledgeable and interesting one.....

Secondly, the speed which increases my heart beat......
Thirdly, I love Schumi, the Great F1 driver ever....
Fourthly, There are lots of my favourite Car makers participating in it....
Fifthly, The talented drivers.....

I just love this game and it is my fantasy,,,,,,,,,,,,,NMN

Answer 8

Its pretty cool and even watching them race those cars is awesome. F1 is a loved sport and it thrills.