Every Two Sundays: A Grand Prix Fan's Perspective (Part 1)

With a long wait between Grands Prix for the Summer break, I thought now might be the best time to test out an article which is about my experiences as a Grand Prix fan.

The aim here is to see how people's opinions differ from event to event and time to time and to share with people how I enjoy and experience Formula One.

I realise the danger of just writing about myself here but again, the aim is to share with people my experience and to see how other people deal with and enjoy our favourite sport.

An Introduction to Formula One

The 1990s was a difficult time to be coming into racing as an interest. The sport was a fast-moving one by this time, and all manner of gadgets and gizmos were being invented and then banned.

I remember watching racing in chunks with my Dad since he never missed it then. For the first half of the '90s, I remember only brief glimpses of very colourful cars which meant nothing to me and the ever-excitable Murray Walker wailing through the TV.

My first real memory of watching F1 was unfortunately the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna's crash seemed like nothing at the time to me; I didn't fully understand. But when my Dad later explained he had been killed, he told me about other drivers. Dangerous stuff.

1994 wasn't a season I took too much interest in; Formula One was still a little too complex and required a little too much commitment of time for a 10-year-old boy. I tuned in occasionally, but enjoyed it more and more and even remembered some of the teams and drivers. I was a journeyman fair-weather fan I suppose, supporting Damon Hill, because he was winning and he was British.

It was around 6 o'clock on a Sunday morning at the end of the season and my Dad was already up. The Grand Prix was on, the final race of the season apparently. I sat down to watch it and that was when it happened.

Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill, the two championship rivals were together on the circuit and Schumacher's colourful Benetton had been forced into a mistake, damaging the Benetton. I was loving it until he cheated blatantly, pulling across the circuit and knocking off Damon Hill. We know how it went down.

That was it: a fun race and I watched more racing the next season. The other thing to come out of that for me was that I did not like Michael Schumacher. He was a cheater.

I wasn't old enough or informed enough to have a favourite team yet. So to begin with, I was a passing anti-fan of Michael Schumacher.

Growing Interest

1995 and 1996 were both seasons I followed, but not very closely. I did at least now know which cars were which even, if I didn't know all of the drivers.

With Damon Hill still challenging for the championship in both years, I even had friends who were on the bandwagon to talk about it with me. My interest in Formula One was nurtured by that. As a kid, I think that's how sports become your interest.

I must admit remembering less about 1995, except that I felt quite peeved that Schumacher had won again. 1996 though, especially towards the end of the year, was when F1 became MY sport.

I had never liked Football so much; it was all right, but it didn't suit me. I had no passion for it. Racing was different.

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