What Are We Like?
In the past many people have asked me what F1 fans are like, whether they support a particular team or a particular driver and what they are like at the circuit... When I tell them we can support both team and/or driver and we have a level of respect not seen in many other sports, some have found that hard to believe! When you tell them you can support multiple drivers and/or teams, that just seems crazy! Then... Try & I tell them that Ferrari fans will pat you on the back in Monza if your team did better than theirs... Some will just find that insane!
Well, that insane world is that of Formula 1 - us fans are just one big family, regardless of who we support. OK, not every fan in F1 shares the same views, and I’ll go into that later… but most of us do!
In the years I've followed the sport, I've been amazed by how incredible the fans are. Not only are they so passionate, but also so knowledgeable. The atmosphere fans give off at circuits is electric. It's enough to give you goosebumps. You can't beat it! This sport is unique in so many ways...
My Support
For me, I became a big fan of the sport back in 2007, the year Lewis Hamilton joined. His driving style excited me, to a point where I just had to sit down and watch him work his magic around the track. I'd watched F1 before, but not to this extent. The guy was amazing! I was mesmerised by his talent.
As my knowledge and understanding for the sport grew, the first team I followed were McLaren, as it was not only the team Lewis was a part of, but it was the team my other half followed. It just seemed natural to follow them. I'd never picked a team to support before, in any type of sport! As the years went by, I became incredibly passionate for F1 in general & in 2010, we attended our first GP at Silverstone. It wasn't unusual for me to wave a #BelieveInMcLaren banner & cheer for the team. Around the same time, I joined Twitter. Before I knew it, I'd been sucked in to this crazy little world & found myself becoming a part of this growing online #F1Family. It was amazing!
In many ways, being an F1 fan is similar to being a fan of other sports. You're going to experience up's and downs, highs and lows, frustration and excitement. That's what happens - especially in motorsport! Let's just say as Lewis' time at McLaren drew to a close, there were more lows than highs and as a fan, that's incredibly frustrating. But that's just the nature of the sport.
I'll never forget a few years ago, whilst at work, I was having a discussion with one of my colleagues about our dream team mate line-ups in F1. We both agreed that Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg would be the perfect match. Little did we know that would become a reality in 2013...
Team Switch
September 2012… The month that Hamilton announced he was off to Mercedes. I was on the bus on my way to work when the news broke. At first, I was so confused. My favourite driver was leaving the team I’d supported since he came into F1. For anyone who’s experienced this before, they will know it’s an incredibly confusing situation to be in. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I'd only got into F1 a few years ago, what is a fan meant to do?!
Lewis needed change, we all knew that & I'd still support him as a driver, wherever he went! As the day went on I began to realize that this was an incredibly wise move for the 2008 champ. He was off to a new team, partnering with my other favourite driver. Things were looking good! I wanted to be a part of that journey as a fan...
The Power of Social Media
Nowadays, social media is such a powerful tool and when used right, it's amazing. The one thing I noticed with Mercedes from the outset, compared to all the other teams, was how incredibly interactive they were with their fans on Twitter! I got chatting with them, got replies and even a follow! This was just fantastic! Before I knew it, I'd got incredibly attached to this team. Not only were both Lewis & Nico there, but I found that the team's approach to fan interaction was just second to none. I instantly bonded & felt so valued… I felt heard as a fan! I couldn't not support these guys!
The truth is, I found myself fully supporting Mercedes before the 2013 season began.
I'll never forget the when I bought my first Mercedes cap and shirt, then decorated a banner with the words 'HAMILTON' and 'ROSBERG' on it - I felt so excited, it felt like a fresh start for me too! Onwards and upwards they say! In all honesty, I’d never found myself fully supportive of two drivers in the same team before.
Unfortunately, not everyone can understand how you can switch from one team to the next. In a lot of cases, fans don't change who they support... But speak to an F1 fan who's loved the sport for many years & many will tell you that they've supported more than just the one driver and/or team. That's what makes this sport unique! That kind of 'thing is allowed.' However, not everyone could see that. I'll never forget some of the comments I got from people online. Not all of them mentioned me, but I knew they were directed at me…
“OMG, some people are not true F1 fans!”
“Well it’s clear some people were never McLaren fans”
Whilst 99% of the F1 fans I know and speak to understood my situation, there was that 1% who just didn’t get it. People made the assumption that all of a sudden, I hated McLaren, which was stupid! I will always like that team. Parts of me will always #BelieveInMcLaren but I bonded with a new team, a team that I CHOSE to support. End of story.
Do people really think that mechanics, drivers, engineers etc, that move around shouldn't be allowed to support their new teams? Absolute rubbish! Also... Why should who I support affect anyone else? No one should have to justify themselves – but I felt the need to, unfortunately.
2013
Barcelona pre-season testing, 2013... A new season, a new start. I headed out there with no idea what was going to happen. Little did I know I was about to have one of the greatest weekends of my life so far. A few of us headed out to Spain to support our teams & drivers. My attachment to Mercedes had grown hugely, to the point where I didn't look back. Did I feel bad about it? Yes a little... At first. I knew I'd always like & respect McLaren, like all the teams in F1. But there was just something about Mercedes that was extremely likeable. And it wasn't just because Lewis was there. I guess I hadn't really opened my eyes to other teams before, until now.
That weekend was so special. Mercedes invited me and my other half into the garage to watch the team at work and even arranged for us to meet Lewis & Nico. Wow… Just WOW… This team was special. I’d never met either driver before, so to say I was a bit emotional by the end of the day was an understatement. I couldn't quite believe what they did for us. We weren't the only ones who were lucky. A couple of friends who I speak to on Twitter got to meet Lewis too, thanks to the team.
After an amazing first year supporting Mercedes, along came 2014, starting with January... To say thank you for all the support, the team invited me and my other half to see their latest title challenger, the Mercedes W05, before the media & the rest of the world. I couldn't believe it and I'll never be able to thank the team enough for what they did.
In all honesty, I've don't think I've ever been so enthusiastic and passionate for a team before. Still to this day I get giddy every time I get a tweet from them.
Months back, my other half actually turned around to me and said:
“Those days you supported McLaren, I’ve come to realise that you did that because of Lewis & also because of me. It seemed natural for you to support them.”
He was right!
“I think you've found YOUR team now."
Again… He was right. I had found my team. Regardless of what happens to my favourite drivers, I’ll never be able to turn my back on Mercedes – they’re incredible with their fans and are simply a joy to support. I'm a #SilverArrowsSupporter now for life - regardless of what happens. And of course, I'll always be a part of #TeamLH.
Thank You Twitter
I'm just going to put this out there... If it wasn't for Twitter, I'd probably feel a little lost as an F1 fan. Not many of my friends follow the sport, which is unfortunate. Over the past few years, I've noticed this ever growing F1 fan community develop more and more online...
That's our little #F1Family.
We share our GP experiences together, build up huge data bills (I won't say how much my phone bill was when I got back from Abu Dhabi) and get involved in discussions I wouldn't be able to with anyone else. I'm so grateful for that. For any of you reading this... You guys absolutely ROCK!
Thanks to social media, myself & many others have been fortunate enough to develop so many fantastic friendships from it. It was only last week a bunch of us were at Mercedes-Benz World cheering on the Mercedes team. In a couple of weeks I'll be heading to London to watch the Canadian GP with a few friends. None of this would have been possible without Twitter and our #F1Family.
#F1Family
What makes this sport unique is that it doesn't matter if you're wearing a Ferrari shirt, a McLaren cap, a Lotus lanyard or a pair Mercedes trainers, we all have one thing in common... We all support Formula 1 for what it is. There's disagreements, like in many sports, but F1 has a level of respect that you don't see in many others.
Let's just hope it forever stays that way.
Anyway... Onto the next race, bring on Monaco!
:)
@SilverArrowsHAM
In the past many people have asked me what F1 fans are like, whether they support a particular team or a particular driver and what they are like at the circuit... When I tell them we can support both team and/or driver and we have a level of respect not seen in many other sports, some have found that hard to believe! When you tell them you can support multiple drivers and/or teams, that just seems crazy! Then... Try & I tell them that Ferrari fans will pat you on the back in Monza if your team did better than theirs... Some will just find that insane!
Well, that insane world is that of Formula 1 - us fans are just one big family, regardless of who we support. OK, not every fan in F1 shares the same views, and I’ll go into that later… but most of us do!
In the years I've followed the sport, I've been amazed by how incredible the fans are. Not only are they so passionate, but also so knowledgeable. The atmosphere fans give off at circuits is electric. It's enough to give you goosebumps. You can't beat it! This sport is unique in so many ways...
My Support
For me, I became a big fan of the sport back in 2007, the year Lewis Hamilton joined. His driving style excited me, to a point where I just had to sit down and watch him work his magic around the track. I'd watched F1 before, but not to this extent. The guy was amazing! I was mesmerised by his talent.
As my knowledge and understanding for the sport grew, the first team I followed were McLaren, as it was not only the team Lewis was a part of, but it was the team my other half followed. It just seemed natural to follow them. I'd never picked a team to support before, in any type of sport! As the years went by, I became incredibly passionate for F1 in general & in 2010, we attended our first GP at Silverstone. It wasn't unusual for me to wave a #BelieveInMcLaren banner & cheer for the team. Around the same time, I joined Twitter. Before I knew it, I'd been sucked in to this crazy little world & found myself becoming a part of this growing online #F1Family. It was amazing!
In many ways, being an F1 fan is similar to being a fan of other sports. You're going to experience up's and downs, highs and lows, frustration and excitement. That's what happens - especially in motorsport! Let's just say as Lewis' time at McLaren drew to a close, there were more lows than highs and as a fan, that's incredibly frustrating. But that's just the nature of the sport.
I'll never forget a few years ago, whilst at work, I was having a discussion with one of my colleagues about our dream team mate line-ups in F1. We both agreed that Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg would be the perfect match. Little did we know that would become a reality in 2013...
Team Switch
September 2012… The month that Hamilton announced he was off to Mercedes. I was on the bus on my way to work when the news broke. At first, I was so confused. My favourite driver was leaving the team I’d supported since he came into F1. For anyone who’s experienced this before, they will know it’s an incredibly confusing situation to be in. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I'd only got into F1 a few years ago, what is a fan meant to do?!
Lewis needed change, we all knew that & I'd still support him as a driver, wherever he went! As the day went on I began to realize that this was an incredibly wise move for the 2008 champ. He was off to a new team, partnering with my other favourite driver. Things were looking good! I wanted to be a part of that journey as a fan...
The Power of Social Media
Nowadays, social media is such a powerful tool and when used right, it's amazing. The one thing I noticed with Mercedes from the outset, compared to all the other teams, was how incredibly interactive they were with their fans on Twitter! I got chatting with them, got replies and even a follow! This was just fantastic! Before I knew it, I'd got incredibly attached to this team. Not only were both Lewis & Nico there, but I found that the team's approach to fan interaction was just second to none. I instantly bonded & felt so valued… I felt heard as a fan! I couldn't not support these guys!
The truth is, I found myself fully supporting Mercedes before the 2013 season began.
I'll never forget the when I bought my first Mercedes cap and shirt, then decorated a banner with the words 'HAMILTON' and 'ROSBERG' on it - I felt so excited, it felt like a fresh start for me too! Onwards and upwards they say! In all honesty, I’d never found myself fully supportive of two drivers in the same team before.
Unfortunately, not everyone can understand how you can switch from one team to the next. In a lot of cases, fans don't change who they support... But speak to an F1 fan who's loved the sport for many years & many will tell you that they've supported more than just the one driver and/or team. That's what makes this sport unique! That kind of 'thing is allowed.' However, not everyone could see that. I'll never forget some of the comments I got from people online. Not all of them mentioned me, but I knew they were directed at me…
“OMG, some people are not true F1 fans!”
“Well it’s clear some people were never McLaren fans”
Whilst 99% of the F1 fans I know and speak to understood my situation, there was that 1% who just didn’t get it. People made the assumption that all of a sudden, I hated McLaren, which was stupid! I will always like that team. Parts of me will always #BelieveInMcLaren but I bonded with a new team, a team that I CHOSE to support. End of story.
Do people really think that mechanics, drivers, engineers etc, that move around shouldn't be allowed to support their new teams? Absolute rubbish! Also... Why should who I support affect anyone else? No one should have to justify themselves – but I felt the need to, unfortunately.
2013
Barcelona pre-season testing, 2013... A new season, a new start. I headed out there with no idea what was going to happen. Little did I know I was about to have one of the greatest weekends of my life so far. A few of us headed out to Spain to support our teams & drivers. My attachment to Mercedes had grown hugely, to the point where I didn't look back. Did I feel bad about it? Yes a little... At first. I knew I'd always like & respect McLaren, like all the teams in F1. But there was just something about Mercedes that was extremely likeable. And it wasn't just because Lewis was there. I guess I hadn't really opened my eyes to other teams before, until now.
That weekend was so special. Mercedes invited me and my other half into the garage to watch the team at work and even arranged for us to meet Lewis & Nico. Wow… Just WOW… This team was special. I’d never met either driver before, so to say I was a bit emotional by the end of the day was an understatement. I couldn't quite believe what they did for us. We weren't the only ones who were lucky. A couple of friends who I speak to on Twitter got to meet Lewis too, thanks to the team.
After an amazing first year supporting Mercedes, along came 2014, starting with January... To say thank you for all the support, the team invited me and my other half to see their latest title challenger, the Mercedes W05, before the media & the rest of the world. I couldn't believe it and I'll never be able to thank the team enough for what they did.
In all honesty, I've don't think I've ever been so enthusiastic and passionate for a team before. Still to this day I get giddy every time I get a tweet from them.
Months back, my other half actually turned around to me and said:
“Those days you supported McLaren, I’ve come to realise that you did that because of Lewis & also because of me. It seemed natural for you to support them.”
He was right!
“I think you've found YOUR team now."
Again… He was right. I had found my team. Regardless of what happens to my favourite drivers, I’ll never be able to turn my back on Mercedes – they’re incredible with their fans and are simply a joy to support. I'm a #SilverArrowsSupporter now for life - regardless of what happens. And of course, I'll always be a part of #TeamLH.
Thank You Twitter
I'm just going to put this out there... If it wasn't for Twitter, I'd probably feel a little lost as an F1 fan. Not many of my friends follow the sport, which is unfortunate. Over the past few years, I've noticed this ever growing F1 fan community develop more and more online...
That's our little #F1Family.
We share our GP experiences together, build up huge data bills (I won't say how much my phone bill was when I got back from Abu Dhabi) and get involved in discussions I wouldn't be able to with anyone else. I'm so grateful for that. For any of you reading this... You guys absolutely ROCK!
Thanks to social media, myself & many others have been fortunate enough to develop so many fantastic friendships from it. It was only last week a bunch of us were at Mercedes-Benz World cheering on the Mercedes team. In a couple of weeks I'll be heading to London to watch the Canadian GP with a few friends. None of this would have been possible without Twitter and our #F1Family.
#F1Family
What makes this sport unique is that it doesn't matter if you're wearing a Ferrari shirt, a McLaren cap, a Lotus lanyard or a pair Mercedes trainers, we all have one thing in common... We all support Formula 1 for what it is. There's disagreements, like in many sports, but F1 has a level of respect that you don't see in many others.
Let's just hope it forever stays that way.
Anyway... Onto the next race, bring on Monaco!
:)
@SilverArrowsHAM