Formula One – My Childhood Passion

This weekend there is a F1 one race on the SPA track in Belgium. And I’m at home not going somewhere, that was usually the case in the past weekends. I catch up the news on the TV and was thinking

“Wow, for how long I haven’t watch a F1 race properly, from begging to end”.

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I started watching F1 from young age. I think somewhere around 10. Now it is weird for me now, when I’m 35, how did this happen. How I got interested in F1 at age of 10? Nobody around me was watching F1, to pass along the passion on me.

I guess some things are just there. I was very passionate about watching F1. Every weekend when there was a race, I watch it. And I was watching the whole thing. Not just the race in Sunday. But before that. The qualification in Saturday, and in Fridays there was the practicing. But they didn’t put this on TV, so I just followed the news, about the practice laps, and who did what.

And off course I was following all the news between the races.

I had a dedicated notebook to follow all the results. There was scoring table and notes. All the teams and their drivers where in there. At very early age the internet was not there, so all the info was coming from the TV. I wanted to have a permanent record on the drivers and teams’ standings. I was looking at the standings and was analysing who can make better standings, what can happen until the end of the season.

My favourite was Schumacher and Ferrari.

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I was huge Schumacher fan. I just liked how the man was wining over and over again. For some this was boring. But not for me. I enjoyed each win that he made. And boy he was enjoying to. After each of his wins, when he was steeping on the pedestal he was celebrating in a big way. No doubt the man enjoyed this. And off course he did. There is no chance to do what he has done without a passion for that.

Here some Wikipedia stats on him:

Schumacher is the only driver in history to win seven Formula One World Championships, five of which he won consecutively. The most successful driver in the history of the sport, Schumacher holds the records for the most World Championship titles (7), the most Grand Prix wins (91), the most fastest laps (77) and the most races won in a single season (13), and according to the official Formula One website (Formula1.com), Schumacher was "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen" at the time of his retirement from the sport.[

Impressive!
He will remain to be the best F1 driver for long time.

The sad story here for those who don’t know is that he got injured in ski accident in 2013 and is coma since then. There is no official statement of his health condition, so it is unknown is he awake or not. He is still alive, and I wish this great man to fight this and recover.

Now the main stars of the show are Hamilton, Vettel, Räikkönen. And some other guys that I don’t know, since sadly but I don’t follow F1 that much these days. I remain a Ferrari fan, and I like both of the drivers Vettel and Räikkönen.

Since both of them are quite long in F1 I know a lot for them.

Vettel is extremely talented, starting at very young age, and winning the championship with the Red Bull team. Now he has come to Ferrari. Ideal. Maybe the closest thing to Schumacher.

Räikkönen, aka the Ice Man, is very interesting personality. He is giving this dull statement after the races, without any changes in his voice. He is also known for some of his pub exhibitions, and some interesting situations with a lot of alcohol.

The race is starting in couple of hours. Will be watching this one.

All the best
@dalz