Grand Prix Rejects

Just thought I'd bring this up because I don't for the life of me know most people's favoured drivers/teams here (apart from CarlosFerriera, Shinji, MinardiFan, and CaptainHammer!)

For me:
Favourite current drivers: I'd have to say Lewis Hamilton. I'll always favour British drivers. Although count me as a fan of Sutil, Kobayashi, and Massa also.
Favourite previous drivers: Katayama, Sato, Montoya, Verstappen, Alesi, Irvine (can I get away with that?), Ide, and definitely HWNSBNM
Favourite team: Any reject team. Other than that the only teams that I've continuously liked have been Williams, Jordan, and Minardi.

Other than Nakanananakanakanakanakanakanak, I'm a Cowboy fan, probably Vettel for a front-running driver, but Schumacher will take that place next season. I got interested in F1 in 2001, so for 5 years I was a Schumi fanboy. I may regress a bit next year, so forgive me if I do.

I don't really think anyone here (not even Captain Hammer really) is like a lot of F1 'fans' on the internet in that they support a driver like a football team and nearly turn off if they retire or aren't doing well. We watch the sport and like to see certain teams or drivers do well.

Well, for me I think it's obvious who I support. Tho, you can count him as a former driver now.

As for current drivers, I really don't have a favorite outside Kobayashi-san, though Bruno Senna's success intrigues me greatly. As for teams, I really don't "support" a team per say, until Lewisteria I was a big McLaren fan, but got very much turned off by spygate, liegate etc.

For Former Drivers I got two names above all else: Räikkönen and my childhood idol Häkkinen.
For Former Teams, I fancied Tyrrell for a long, long time, mainly due to their association with Salo.

Yes, I am a very, very patriotic person!

I'm a Button fan, have been since he came into F1, and have been cheering him on since... His champ this year was a relief for me as much as it was for him probably, seeing such a good driver get shafted by crappy cars year on year.... I also like Lewis a lot, as well as Nico Rosberg (I like both these drivers' flamboyant driving style...)

I love a good trier, but there has to be underlying talent...

It's just Williams, I'm afraid. I'm actually tipping Hulkenberg and Barrichello FTW in 2010, just as I've tipped Rosberg and KazNak FTW these last few years. They could come into a GP on segways, I'd believe they were going to win; it's that bad.

Apart from that, I respect every driver on the grid (every time they show footage from inside the cars, I almost weep). I like and support any driver except the one leading the Championship. Have a big thing for the unassuming, humble and struggling underdog; if Damon Hill were to return to Williams tomorrow, I'd go out and put money on him for the WDC.

Favourite current drivers: Jenson Button (I've been a fan of him since I started becoming a serious F1 fan in 2004), Mark Webber, Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld (Providing he gets a seat), Kamui Kobayashi as well I guess. Giancarlo Fisichella as he won for Jordan.

Favourite past drivers: Damon Hill, David Coulthard (The last gentleman driver of F1), Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya and Heinz Harald Frentzen. Oh and HWNSNBM of course.

Favourite teams: Jordan as they were the greatest team who ever existed, Minardi, Sauber and Williams.

Favourite current drivers: Robert Kubica and Mark Webber are my favourites, as well as Jenson Button, Kamui Kobayashi, Adrian Sutil, and Sebastien Vettel, though generally I pull for anyone who isn't Lewis Hamilton. Michael Schumacher used to be my favourite, but that's really died down since he's retired.
Favourite previous drivers: Kimi Raikkonen, and Olivier Panis.
Favourite team: Red Bull and Force India. I also quite like Sauber, but I'm not really sure why.

Well, my favorite current drivers are Alonso, of course, and the Vettel/Webber pair, as well as Kubica. As for previous drivers, Ayrton Senna all the way, and Juan Manuel Fangio, James Hunt (he was da man), Eddie Irvine (he was da man #2), and Mario Andretti. For favorite teams, Lotus especially, and also McLaren, even with the events of 2007.

I don't want to distinguish between current and former drivers, because drivers can, you know, like, retire and un-retire.

So, my favourite driver at the moment, and the man I most want to win the world championship next season (don't laugh) is Rubens Barrichello. I have always liked him and I was so heartbroken when he didn't win the championship last year (yes, 2009 is now last year!) so I want him to finally get lucky. I also have a fondness for Felipe Massa, and want him to beat Alonso (whom I don't really like, though I think he's a great driver). Of course one of my all-time favourite drivers of all time is also MICHAEL SCHUMACHER. He was the one I supported most since I started following F1 as an 8 year old. I also have lots of sympathy for Jacques Villeneuve (whom I'm rooting for to get a seat in F1), Takuma Sato, Kamui Kobayashi (basically any Japanese driver, because they're just awesome) and Giancarlo Fisichella, though I won't be sad if he doesn't get a seat next year. Oh, and Adrian Sutil, but that's only really because he drives for Force India (I'll get to that later). Other favourites include Mika Häkkinen, Gerhard Berger, Ronnie Peterson, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Mark Webber, Alan Jones, Jos Verstappen, Tiago Monteiro, Riccardo Patrese and probably many others, but I'm too lazy to think of any more. And of course it goes without saying that I'm a big fan of Ayrton Senna, and of HWNSNBM (but HWNSNBM doesn't need fans). And because of Ayrton, I support Bruno as well, but he seems to be a mighty good driver in his own right.

My all-time favourite team (forgive me) is Ferrari, because Schumacher drove for them when I started following F1, so I naturally supported him. When Räikkönen moved from McLaren to Ferrari, it felt somewhat weird to support him at first, because McLaren is Ferrari's natural nemesis and as such I feel slightly antagonistic to them (though, don't get me wrong, they are a great team, and if I would've started following F1 when Senna was driving for them, I would probably support them most). It'll be interesting to see how I will support Alonso (another 'rival'), but luckily we have Massinha who makes me happy. I also liked Brawn a lot, but now that they've turned into Mercedes this will be harder. Furthermore, I love Force India and all its previous incarnations (except Midland, whom I only lacklusterly supported because Tiago Monteiro drove for them). I have a lots of sympathy also for Toro Rosso, especially when they were Minardi, and I used to think Red Bull were cool and I still do, but other teams have passed them on my favourites list. I also like Williams, which I didn't back when they were winning, but since they started becoming unlucky I have supported them. But my most favourite team of the past recent years without question has to be SUPER AGURI. Seeing them race was always a joy for me and I think it's sad that they left. Other favourites include Tyrrell, March, Ligier, and to a greater or lesser extent all the reject teams from the website, but some of them like Andrea Moda and Life aren't really favourites but more teams that were so bad they're likeable (I'm sure you'll all understand me). I have the feeling I'm forgetting a couple, but meh.

Whew, this has become a long post.

Oddly, although there are some who get very fired up when their favourite is criticised, I am pretty laid back about supporting drivers. After all, whilst there may be drivers who's personality I dislike, I still admire their skill behind the wheel. Perhaps it's because those formative early years were whilst Murray Walker was still commentating, with his desire to try to find the best side in each driver.

But, I suppose that out of the current drivers, I would say that I like Button and Vettel, mainly because they are the sort of guys who you could go to the pub with afterwards and have a drink and a laugh with - they want to win, but they want to have fun as well.
And whilst I ended up watching F1 during the Schumacher era, and watched him being downtrodden at Ferrari, Rubens is another driver I like, especially because of the emotion when he won his first race, which he - and most of the paddock - had been waiting so long for. So Waris, you're not the only one with a soft spot for Rubinho.

As for the former drivers, well, I'll go with Phoenix's suggestion of James Hunt for his demeanour (also for his turn in the commentary box besides Murray Walker) for a start. Montoya was always worth watching, and Hakkinen has to go there for some of the fights he had with Schumacher. David Coulthard can be added to the list, because he is never short of a wisecrack or two (particularly when Eddie Jordan was around this season) - and, for the old romantics out there, Jim Clark and Graham Hill - and Moss for good measure (the real gentlemen racers) - for having the guts to drive the cars of that era.

As for the teams, perhaps the old Lotus and Tyrrell teams stand out, along with Williams, for the spirit of experimentation and innovation.

mario wrote:Montoya was always worth watching

D'oh, I knew I had forgotten someone. I loved Montoya, for his personality and on-track aggression, even though he was often daft and too hot-headed.

Waris wrote:

mario wrote:Montoya was always worth watching

D'oh, I knew I had forgotten someone. I loved Montoya, for his personality and on-track aggression, even though he was often daft and too hot-headed.

You like almost every driver from what I saw in the last post.

Hells's buckets. I go back along way so.....Peter Collins, Stirling, Jimmy, Jochen, Ronnie, Gilles & Ayrton.
There have also been a huge No. of drivers that I followed, way too many to list. (Eg Gurney, de Angelis).
No current favourites but I expect I shall be watching Schumi next year. I kind of supported him in the past without actually being a fan. Of the current crop I think Vettel & Alonso are the best (ex Schumi) & I would like Felipe to do well in 2010. I tend to like most drivers with one or two who I actively dislike (Hunt, Mansell).
Some I don't like but respect, Prost, Stewart, & sometimes Schumi.
Whoever wins a race/the title I'm usually pleased for them.
Favourite team prob Ferrari. Just sheer longevity. They've always been there & they've mainly been red.
Lotus in the Chapman days. Think how many developments he introduced. Williams without Mansell. & I always look for the little teams to do well (Minardi, Osella etc.)

redbulljack14 wrote:

Waris wrote:

mario wrote:Montoya was always worth watching

D'oh, I knew I had forgotten someone. I loved Montoya, for his personality and on-track aggression, even though he was often daft and too hot-headed.

You like almost every driver from what I saw in the last post.

List of drivers I don't particularly like
Button
Hamilton
Räikkönen
Alonso
K. Nakajima
Buemi
Alguersuari

List of drivers I dislike more or less
Piquet (both)
R. Schumacher
Bernoldi
Albers

But when a driver is boring, I am quick to say I dislike them, even though there's not really anything particularly annoying about them.

I sort of like all the current (2009) crop of drivers - don't have anything in particular against any of them.

Retired Drivers (WDC): I like Stewart and Lauda.

Retired drivers (non WDC): My favorite drivers of all time are Gilles Villeneuve, and Pedro Rodrigues. They both passed on very early, but even in that short time they demonstrated a level of mechanical connection with the car (and they drove in many different types of cars) that I believe would surpass even the Prosts, Sennas, and Clarks of the world. This is not to take away anything from any WDC - I like them all. In terms of personality, I like James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Eddie Irvine, Stefan Bellof, and Alan Jones.

Current Teams: I like Brawn GP and Williams. I also like Ferrari and Red Bull.
Ex - teams: I love Fondmetal, due mainly to their colors, and the fact that they once sent my colleagues and myself some pretty cool carbon fibre models (we did CFD and EFMC work for a prototype they were working on). I've always liked the cool ideas Williams came up with, ditto Brabham.

eagleash wrote:Some I don't like but respect, Prost, Stewart, & sometimes Schumi.

I think Stewart has to be respected for his relentless pursuit of safety measures (and ability to run a half decent team).

Fan of (in order of preference):

Jordan. I loved those yellow cars so much. I cried when Frentzen retired from the '99 Euro GP. By extension I have an affinity for most of their drivers not mentioned here.
Damon Hill. First driver I ever got behind.
Schumacher the Elder. When it came down to Schumacher vs. Villeneuve in 1997, I backed Schumacher because I had more respect for his ability, and he grew on me from there.
Takuma Sato. Not exactly WDC material, but what a fun guy.
Robert Kubica. There was a certain something about his drives in 2007 and 2008 that drew me to him. I so wanted him to surprise everyone and swipe the Championship out from under Lewis' nose last season, but BMW had other (bad) ideas.
Felipe Massa. Schumacher's apprentice.
Sebastien Vettel. Schumacher's successor?

Not a fan of:
McLaren. Just never liked them. Can't exactly pin down why though...
Hamilton. To be fair this is more Lewisteria's fault that his personally. I've gained a bit of respect for him this season when he had to do his time in a shite car though.
Button. Similar to Hamilton, in a way. Plus his habit of wrecking Jordans in 2001 permanently put me off the guy.
Coulthard. Again, bigged up by the UK media, without having the talent of the above two. Plus, braking on the racing line in Belgium in 98.

You'll never guess who I want to see fail next season.

Favorite drivers: Michael Schumacher, Adrian Sutil
Favorite former drivers: Mario Andretti, Takuma Sato, Eddie Irvine, Jean Alesi
Favorite teams: Ferrari, Super Aguri, Minardi


Antifavorite drivers: Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso
Antifavorite former drivers: Mika Hakkinen, Jacques Villeneuve
Antifavorite teams: McLaren, (Benneton)-Renault

Enforcer wrote:Button. Similar to Hamilton, in a way. Plus his habit of wrecking Jordans in 2001 permanently put me off the guy.

Button drove for Jordan?

Anyways my current favourite drivers are Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg. Favourite former drivers are Juan Pablo Montoya (You broke my bathplugging head ) and Takuma Sato.

Favourite team is currently Williams and former favourite teams are BMW Sauber and Super Aguri

Schumacher here. But there are a lot of drivers who I appreciate (Senna, Fangio and Stewart spring to my mind)

I hate jingoism though which has put me off a lot of British drivers. On saying that, since the 2nd half of 2009, I respect Hamilton.

Suppose my favourate teams are the likes of Minardi and Super Aguri, just cos you have to like the triers.

Collieafc wrote:I hate jingoism though which has put me off a lot of British drivers. On saying that, since the 2nd half of 2009, I respect Hamilton.

That's probably what most people here think about British Drivers. Join the club

Favorite driver: Jenson Button. Has been since 2004 and 2009 was a huge year in terms of motorsport for me. Apart from that perhaps Timo Glock but I'd also love to see Senna or di Grassi doing well.
Favorite team: Used to be BAR / Honda / Brawn. But I don't like Mercedes so Virgin is about to take their place. I enjoy their appearance with leather jackets and stuff, it looks different and brings a more fun side to the sport.
Favorite former driver: For some reason I always liked Olivier Panis, even though I can't give an actual reason. And Jacques Villeneuve. And Perry McCarthy as I've just finished reading his book.

Easier to explain my favourite drivers if I start with my favourite teams. I started getting into F1 in around 1993-4 when Williams were doing somewhat well... And have supported them through thick and thin since, and became keen on any English drivers they had, even after they left the team for pastures new (thus I have supported Mansell, Hill and Button more so than Coulthard, and why I like Button more than Hamilton). Other teams I have got behind are Simtek (first team to enter the sport that had a livery that I liked), Lola, Lotus in 1994 and, for this coming year, perhaps Virgin (or USF1 for their sheer Rejectfulness). And in the future? STEFAN GP!!!!!!!

Other than the drivers already mentioned, I have never really supported any drivers in particular, although there are drivers I prefer each season that tends to vary according to taste and level of underdog-ability. So my prefered outcome for the 2010 season? Button to win again, closely followed by Barrichello and the Hulk, with Schumacher for ROTY.

Favorite drivers: KOBAYASHI! Button (never rated him until this year, he really won me over) Vettel
Favorite former drivers: Sato, Ide, Mansell
Favorite teams: SUPER AGURI! Williams

Favorite active drivers:

by emphaty: Sebastian Vettel (has the maturity, the humour and the humility), Robert Kubica (always found him humble & good racer), Adrian Sutil (well, we all love unlucky guys here), Nick Heidfled (a man recovered from his own ashes when he fell in disgrace at Jordan, that has it's own value.), Trulli, charming guy.

by talent: Vettel (again), Hamilton (not precisely in the other list), Kubica (again).

Favorite former drivers:

by a mixture of empathy & talent (but mostly the first): King without a crown HH Frentzen, Ivan Capelli, Stefano Modena, The great, the one, the only Oscar "The Popi" Larrauri, Jos the Boss (if only for the show), Alex Zanardi (provided by this site article), Roberto Moreno and Gabriele Tarquini, Nigel Mansell & a bit for Patresse; Carlos Reutemman is a forced one, but also liked Lauda, Villeneuve & Stewart.


Favorite teams: March/Leyton House, Jordan (it's first years), Sauber (most of it's campaign), BMW, Benetton in late 80s, by all means Minardi is in and, Sooopah Aguri!


Antifavorite drivers:

By Simphaty: Mark Webber for his "pre Vettel" arrogance, Hamilon (just because of his commentaries on himself), Raikkonen for of his "I´m the diva here" attitude, Rubens Barrichello for his incapability for understanding the paradigm of cause-effect, Fernando Alonso (hate "I'm first driver or nothing" attitudes).

Antifavorite former drivers: The master of cheaters and rule bending and the most overvalued by his titles made most of them by an awful combination of anti-sportive attitudes, political shenanigans, and cars that were lightyears away, and the person who after Jerez 97 should have been banned for yeas (pass me the bucket) Michael Schumacher; his less talented brother, Both Piquets (the father was a miserable person too), Ayrton Senna (sorry guys, but, alive, was a complex guy to feel some kind of empathy for)

Antifavorite teams: Williams, Ferrari, Williams, McLaren distant third, Benetton 94-96.

Popi_Larrauri wrote:Ayrton Senna (sorry guys, but, alive, was a complex guy to feel some kind of empathy for)

Funny anyone should say that. I've felt the same thing often, and have often been told to bugger off for saying so (no here, though).

CarlosFerreira wrote:

Popi_Larrauri wrote:Ayrton Senna (sorry guys, but, alive, was a complex guy to feel some kind of empathy for)

Funny anyone should say that. I've felt the same thing often, and have often been told to bugger off for saying so (no here, though).

Always been afraid to say it, glad I'm not the only one to think it. I always prefered Prost to Senna.

dr-baker wrote:

CarlosFerreira wrote:

Popi_Larrauri wrote:Ayrton Senna (sorry guys, but, alive, was a complex guy to feel some kind of empathy for)

Funny anyone should say that. I've felt the same thing often, and have often been told to bugger off for saying so (no here, though).

Always been afraid to say it, glad I'm not the only one to think it. I always prefered Prost to Senna.

If I'd been alive at the time I'd have felt the same way.

OMG, everyone's coming out of the closet!
Huh...

Wizzie wrote:

Enforcer wrote:Button. Similar to Hamilton, in a way. Plus his habit of wrecking Jordans in 2001 permanently put me off the guy.

Button drove for Jordan?

I was referring to the fact that he ran Trulli off the road about 3 races in 4 mid season (such is my recollection anyway).

CarlosFerreira wrote:OMG, everyone's coming out of the closet!
Huh...

Yes, there is probably a torrent of repressed emotion for those who want to be able to admit that they didn't like Senna as an individual. Mind you, Prost wasn't exactly overflowing with sympathy for others either, and was happy to turn to underhand tactics to get his way (such as, whilst at Ferrari, bribing his mechanics to nick all the best bits off Mansell's car).
But, then again, many of those who were/are successful are also pretty difficult people to deal with - I suppose that when you are that driven to achieve that crowning glory, there will be those who bend the rules and ethics to breaking point, and beyond.

CarlosFerreira wrote:OMG, everyone's coming out of the closet!
Huh...

My brethren!

mario wrote:

CarlosFerreira wrote:OMG, everyone's coming out of the closet!
Huh...

Yes, there is probably a torrent of repressed emotion for those who want to be able to admit that they didn't like Senna as an individual. Mind you, Prost wasn't exactly overflowing with sympathy for others either, and was happy to turn to underhand tactics to get his way (such as, whilst at Ferrari, bribing his mechanics to nick all the best bits off Mansell's car).
But, then again, many of those who were/are successful are also pretty difficult people to deal with - I suppose that when you are that driven to achieve that crowning glory, there will be those who bend the rules and ethics to breaking point, and beyond.

Oh, yeah. The fact I didn't quite like Senna does not mean I ever liked Prost much, except in 1994. It's not one over the other; it's just I didn't sympathise with Senna much. It's the fact him and Prost were always brilliant and, as I said, I always support anyone who isn't leading the Championship.

Popi_Larrauri wrote:

CarlosFerreira wrote:OMG, everyone's coming out of the closet!
Huh...

My brethren!

That F1Rejects for you!

I started watching in 1994 when catching a glimpse of the Pacific Grand Prix. Little did I know the first full race I'd see was on the Black Weekend of Imola '94. I won't go picking drivers from before I started watching, so here we go with the F1-only lists:

1. Favorite Current Drivers: Adrian Sutil, Kamui Kobayashi
2. Favorite Unemployed/Retired: Any of the hard trying drivers and cabooses. (For religious purposes as our god and overlord, HWNSNBM)
3. Favorite Current Teams: Red Bull, Toro Rosso. Red Bull gives you wings!
4. Favorite Former Teams: Jordan, Sauber, Tyrrell, and the backmarking teams: Minardi, Forti, Pacific, and the brief shot of Lola in qualifying.

The "Let's hope they drown" categories

1. Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton
2. Nelsinho Piquet
3. Ferrari (I liked them pre-Spygate)

CarlosFerreira wrote:OMG, everyone's coming out of the closet!
Huh...

O hai gaith... how'th it goin'?

thehemogoblin wrote:

CarlosFerreira wrote:OMG, everyone's coming out of the closet!
Huh...

O hai gaith... how'th it goin'?

I never realised that lisps could be put in to writing.

I started following F1 in the early 90s when my age was still in single digits, which scarily makes me one of the older posters here it seems. I'm an all around car nut; I tend to be able to watch any type of racing that as long as it's not in a straight line or on an oval. I know the technical aspects of cars pretty well; I started and led a Baja SAE team in college and majored in mechanical engineering with a concentration in vehicle design. I also do a lot of recreation driving as for now my RX-8 sees most of its miles on mountain roads and racetracks. I do all the maintenance work on my cars and in fact have designed some custom pieces for my RX-8 to improve its performance.

As for F1, my current favorite drivers are Michael Schumacher and Kamui Kobayashi, so yes I watched most of 2008 with a detached interest as there really wasn't anyone I liked. Of the no longer active drivers, I am a big Takuma Sato fan.

I don't really have a favorite team, but I do dislike McLaren. I also dislike Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, so I'm chuffed to bits that this upcoming season will unite that axis of evil, allowing me to cheer wholeheartedly against one entity. I'm really looking forward to 2010 and hope it lives up to its hype.

On a sidenote I also love the WRC and am a big Petter Solberg fan. In fact I might be slightly more of a WRC fan than a F1 fan in terms of watching the cars go round, but the soap opera of F1 makes it a more fun series to follow.

shinji wrote:

thehemogoblin wrote:

CarlosFerreira wrote:OMG, everyone's coming out of the closet!
Huh...

O hai gaith... how'th it goin'?

I never realised that lisps could be put in to writing.

On another forum I frequent, one of the guys lost a bet with another guy and had to type with a lisp for months.

He said it got so bad that he ended up developing a lisp in real life.

thehemogoblin wrote:
On another forum I frequent, one of the guys lost a bet with another guy and had to type with a lisp for months.

He said it got so bad that he ended up developing a lisp in real life.

Funny how Internet stuff can pass over in to real life.

My English teacher thinks I'm in some sort of cult after I mentioned HWNSNBM once in class.

shinji wrote:

thehemogoblin wrote:On another forum I frequent, one of the guys lost a bet with another guy and had to type with a lisp for months.

He said it got so bad that he ended up developing a lisp in real life.

Funny how Internet stuff can pass over in to real life.

My English teacher thinks I'm in some sort of cult after I mentioned HWNSNBM once in class.

You are in some sort of cult.