2025 F1

[Dopplemax]

Who is ready for Formula 1 to be back? Predictions? Passions? Pet peeves?

 

[Shopkeep]

Bring it on, will be there in magnificent Melbourne Friday to Sunday!

Pet peeves: the whole Drive to Survive Insta crowd that go to the track to take pictures of themselves and then spend the entire race staring at their phones and not the cars. Gives me the sheets, bring back the 3.0 litre NA V10s and the fans who were actually interested in the sport.

 

[Dopplemax]

Bring it on, will be there in magnificent Melbourne Friday to Sunday!

Pet peeves: the whole Drive to Survive Insta crowd that go to the track to take pictures of themselves and then spend the entire race staring at their phones and not the cars. Gives me the sheets, bring back the 3.0 litre NA V10s and the fans who were actually interested in the sport.

100%. I swore off Miami and Vegas ever again for the same reason.

 

[Dopplemax]

100%. I swore off Miami and Vegas ever again for the same reason.

Ready for an amazing season!

 

[Shopkeep]

100%. I swore off Miami and Vegas ever again for the same reason.

The change in crowd demographic and size has been amazing, ten years ago it was a sausage fest of mostly hard core motorsport fans and corporate junket beneficiaries and now its like going to a Taylor Swift concert. I have a niece who prior to 2019 had no interest whatsoever in F1 or motorsport but now has been consumed by the personality cult forming around drivers. She spends a ship load on merchandise, is at the track every day before dawn to get a spot on Melbourne Walk and stays at Crown to try to get closer to the drivers.

 

[Dopplemax]

The change in crowd demographic and size has been amazing, ten years ago it was a sausage fest of mostly hard core motorsport fans and corporate junket beneficiaries and now its like going to a Taylor Swift concert. I have a niece who prior to 2019 had no interest whatsoever in F1 or motorsport but now has been consumed by the personality cult forming around drivers. She spends a ship load on merchandise, is at the track every day before dawn to get a spot on Melbourne Walk and stays at Crown to try to get closer to the drivers.

I appreciate the new interest but there is a distinct lack of interest in fundamentals for sure.

 

[Shopkeep]

I appreciate the new interest but there is a distinct lack of interest in fundamentals for sure.

Hopefully someone can take it up to Max and give him a run for his money!

 

[DaveB]

Bring it on, will be there in magnificent Melbourne Friday to Sunday!

Pet peeves: the whole Drive to Survive Insta crowd that go to the track to take pictures of themselves and then spend the entire race staring at their phones and not the cars. Gives me the sheets, bring back the 3.0 litre NA V10s and the fans who were actually interested in the sport.

Drive to survive got my wife involved in watching it and that in turn got her to watch all the qualifying and races on TV with me.
She also wants to go to a race in Europe with me so I think that is a great result.

Stupidly I booked a flight from Brisbane to Perth Sunday afternoon when the race is on.
I will be checking into my hotel, walking across to the bottle shop and Thai takeaway on arrival.
Then sitting down to watch the race.

 

[Dopplemax]

Hopefully someone can take it up to Max and give him a run for his money!

Will be good to see how McLaren come out, Ferrari fare and what Merc does without Lewis.

 

[TheDocAUS]

My friend (Tony Stott) went to Monaco many years ago, by boat from Australia. Back then he was taking photos on the sidewalk and getting up close with the drivers. As a tribute to Tony (after he passed) I put up some of his images up on my blog. You do not get this type of access any more, except the privileged few.

Monaco GP

Tony Stott – Part 1: F1 Monaco

A good friend, Tony Stott, recently passed away after a long illness. I will be posting images over the coming weeks in memory of Tony. I meet Tony through the NSW WRX Club over 20 years ago. We sh…

thedocaus.com

F1 drivers

Tony Stott – Part 4: F1 drivers

Not only did Tony photograph the F1 cars, he has several images of F1 drivers. A few of which later died on the track, so Tony told me. The image with Tony speaking to the driver was a photo I foun…

thedocaus.com

Jacki Iykx
This is an image of Tony interviewing Jacki Ickx - a young Tony on the left.

 

[Reducs]

I attended Austin from 2012 until 2022 and the last couple of years were actually busier than the inaugural year of 2012, I'm sure because of DtS. Very crowded. Uncomfortably crowded. And the price had gone up considerably. It's still a bargain compared to Miami or Vegas, but man those early years were nice.

I miss refueling and the NA engines, but I didn't get a vote. I'd kind of like them to force everyone to use all 3 compounds just to increase pit stops, but at the same time one of my biggest pet peeves is allowing tire changes under red. Hate that!

Regardless... IT'S RACE WEEK!

 

[Shopkeep]

Here is my tenuous link to F1: Sebastian Vettel was provided a 1971 911E to drive to the track by Porsche Melbourne (a factory owned dealership) during the 50th anniversary of 911, I subsequently purchased this car.

 

[DenisM]

A "real" 911

 

[LabRat]

Can't wait!!!
Hoping we don't hear the Dutch national anthem as much as in 2023. Williams return to glory with the Smooth Operator behind a wheel. And Forza Ferrari!!

 

[Dopplemax]

My friend (Tony Stott) went to Monaco many years ago, by boat from Australia. Back then he was taking photos on the sidewalk and getting up close with the drivers. As a tribute to Tony (after he passed) I put up some of his images up on my blog. You do not get this type of access any more, except the privileged few.

Monaco GP

Tony Stott – Part 1: F1 Monaco

A good friend, Tony Stott, recently passed away after a long illness. I will be posting images over the coming weeks in memory of Tony. I meet Tony through the NSW WRX Club over 20 years ago. We sh…

thedocaus.com

F1 drivers

Tony Stott – Part 4: F1 drivers

Not only did Tony photograph the F1 cars, he has several images of F1 drivers. A few of which later died on the track, so Tony told me. The image with Tony speaking to the driver was a photo I foun…

thedocaus.com

Jacki Iykx
This is an image of Tony interviewing Jacki Ickx - a young Tony on the left.

Monaco was awesome last year! It was amazing to be there for LeClerc's win.

 

[DaveB]

I was at the Adelaide F1 in 1989 in a corporate box and Sir Stirling Moss and his wife came in to join us.
He went to sit down and as he did his wife pulled the chair out and he landed on the floor.
Purely an accident and his wife was horrified, he made a joke about his wife always pulling school classroom pranks on him.

In 2002 I was a guest in the Mercedes corporate box in Melbourne.
I met David Coulthard, Kimi Raikkonen & Alex Wurz.

 

[Deleted member 9046080]

First race was 1975 - supporting the Hesketh Racing 308 and Texaco-Marlboro McLaren M23 driven by James Hunt. Watched James in his championship winning season in 1976 at Brands and Silverstone. He had an epic start at Brands and the rest is history in 1976.

Other circuits visited in the seventies, Spa and Zandvort. Fantastic years and not stupidly priced.

Was at Silverstone in1976 during the Friday pre-qualifying, which didn't cost a penny. I witnessed David Purley in his Lec Refrigeration Racing Cosworth powered car crash heavily, recording and surviving the highest g-force ever recorded: 179.8G stopping from 108 mph to zero in 26 inches.

Work got in the way for the next 10 years. Managed to see Senna in the rain, race at Donington Park, UK in 1993.

Stopped going to F1 as the prices escalated (albeit had a couple of corporate Fridays) and began watched WEC instead, but still follow F1, supporting McLaren and Williams.

Watched WEC at Silverstone, 24LM, Spa, Monza and Sebring (3 times at Sebring).

 

[bigleonski]

I stopped watching years ago when the winner of the race was usually determined by the outcome of the first corner.

I’d rather watch the bikes, and I do miss the 500cc two strokes.

 

[Reducs]

I stopped watching years ago when the winner of the race was usually determined by the outcome of the first corner.

I’d rather watch the bikes, and I do miss the 500cc two strokes.

All things being equal, I preferred MotoGP to F1 in Austin; more competitive, and they sound better!

 

[LabRat]

All things being equal, I preferred MotoGP to F1 in Austin; more competitive, and they sound better!

Being an Indian guy, I enjoy the King of the Baggers races