First F1 memory ?

Walker

Maybe it's best to post this here. What is your first memory of watching Formula 1 ?

I faintly remember season 1993. I was 10 years old then btw. JJ Lehto and Karl Wendlinger were driving the very first Sauber F1 car that season. I remember supporting JJ Lehto, he was the first Finn since Keke Rosberg driving in Formula 1.

1994 season I remember clearly because of the horrible accident's of Karl Wendlinger (in Monaco), Ratzenberger and Senna.

In 1995 I was a Forti fan :P
Those yellow cars were so cute.

Later (1996) I started supporting Minardi. Go Tarso !! :D

Biker

One of the most vivid early memories I have are from an enormous crash right after the start of some GP.
I don't know the year or the place but I know that Ronnie Peterson, a great driver in that days and because of the sound of his name(...) my favourite, was stuck in his demolished car as it caught fire.
A lot of other cars were also smashed and it seem to take ages until someone was able to get Peterson out of his car. He was taken away by a helicopter and died later in hospital. I believe there were more casualties that season, but I'm not sure of that.

Ste

Irvine winning in Australia 99 with hhf in third and the rather brittle but extremly fast Mclarens

Stan

Ack, the first thing I remember was my dad rushing me to the living room to come and see the Verstappen (sorry, I can't help it) pit-fire accident in the German grand prix of 1994. I didn't see much of the race, but then again, I was only seven years old back then.

[Edited on 29/8/2005 by Stan]

Jello_Biafra

Spa, 2002. Davidson's spin and a Honda blowing up. Come a long way since then..

steamdrivenhammer

My first F1 memory was of the Leyton House march retiring from the Brazil GP @ Rio in 1987. I was 6 at the time and i thought the Leyton House March looked pretty cool.

MCSF

I think the year was '74 - Brands hatch in the rain - some weekend broadcast on a local station. Very rare to have any F1 coverage EXCEPT for Monaco on Wide World of Sports which typically jumped from one sport to another throughout eh broadcast. i remember the Tyrells and he standing start on the banked section in the wet.

Hooked immmediately.

dst

..........The thrill of victory............and the agony of defeat!

I can still see that skier wiping on the intro. ABC's Wide World of Sports. Jackie Stewart calling the races. Me clutching my model of........... http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~xi3s-oosk/f1museum/gallery/p03j101.jpg

Cheering Mario and Jodie Scheckter on.

MCSF

What a great car - man those were great days. The next season tyrell was sponsored by Citigroup ... I think. It was the white and blue version. They (citi) used to have as their spokesman David Niven and at the end of the commercial , filmed in Monaco, he used said in a ripping brit accenbt that even Viges would die for "Lets go racing"

Still laugh at that to this day.

Homer

Suzuka 1999:

Häkkinen and Irvine are fighting for the WDC, Irvine would be champion if Schumacher wins the race and he (MS) is on pole. But he loses the start against the Fin and Häkkinen does a great start-finish-victory.

Higbid

getting up in the middle of the night to watch Schumacher V Hill in Adelaide. I was more excited than at Xmas!

First live memory - Barcelona 1999 first corner! Couldn't believe my ears or eyes. Got me hooked ever since, 22 GPs later!

Bantamtim

Suzuka 1996, Villeneuve going out, Hill winning and Murray Walker's "I've got a lump in my throat" speech.

Walker

What a great car - man those were great days. The next season tyrell was sponsored by Citigroup ... I think. It was the white and blue version. They (citi) used to have as their spokesman David Niven and at the end of the commercial , filmed in Monaco, he used said in a ripping brit accenbt that even Viges would die for "Lets go racing"

Still laugh at that to this day.

David Niven? Wasn't he acting as a James Bond in some parody ? It wasn't "official" Bond film but I've heard it's very good.

MCSF

Yes, the movie was called Casino Royale - had Peter Selers, Woody Allen, Orson Welles, Bill Holden and ...Ursula Andress.

It was made in '66 or '67

very funny and psychedelic

dst

Grand Prix enthusiasts may be worried by the amount of time it has taken me to get into this Lotus Formula Three. What they don't realize is, although Le Chiffre thinks he has a faster car than me, I am faster in my Lotus Formula Three. Hee Hee!

[Edited on 30/8/2005 by dst]

Telstar

I started watching F1 during the 1996 season, but not really hardcore until the 1997 season. First real F1 memory was going to Montreal in '97. Panis broke both legs thus shortening the race, Ralf crashed right in front of the stand I was in, and I learned that you shouldn't book a flight home the same day as the grand prix. Just barely made my flight, probably would not have made it had the race gone the full distance.

Brooksey

I recall watching some F1 races beforehand, but the one that sticks is Europe 1999. And since then i've never missed a GP.

At the time I was more of a motorcycle fan, and raced bikes competitively, but watching that race changed all that! I was hooked, seeing guys spin off, tyres fail, the rain, the Minardi's running as high as 4th and 5th, and Johnny Herbert taking the flag. I dont think i've seen as good a race since. :D :(

SuperRoo

Adelaide 1986, my first GP. Just arrived at the track on Thursday Morning. I was pit crewing for a friend who was racing a FF1600 in one of the support races for the GP weekend. Even though I had been to other tracks (Amaroo, Oran Park and Lakeside, for the Aussies), this was my first GP track.

There I was standing in pit lane with a stop watch standing in front of the F1 garages (no secret screens like today). The F1 mechanics busily building the cars. Then like a chorus of angels, some of the F1 engines came to life. The noise just blew me away. I thought, fuck, now THAT'S an engine. TV just doesn't do the noise justice.

Even though I watched GP's from the late seventies on TV with my dad (Ferrari fan, oh well) there's no substitute to being there. Fortunate now to have been to about 16 GP's, and Murph, not a single decent photo.

viges

Watching Villeneuve, Jones, Prost and Piquet with my Dad. Can't recall a specific GP but I do remember he always fell asleep. I guess I just missed out on Hunt the Shunt but I enjoyed his later commentary for the BBC.

As the boys have said, TV is reductive. You HAVE to be there (with a view of a big screen).

Ger

Way to long ago to remember it all but as a 7yr old I my Dad took me to Indy to see Jim Clarke win the 500 same year I got my first electric race car track (Scalelectric?) I was hooked on Lotus since then. My first actual GP was Adelaide in 1988(the year of the McLaren) standing on the balcony of the Stag Hotel. Prost won but Berger should have cruised only for Arnoux's crazyness. Great race and the last of the Turbo era.

Dr_Spin

Saw Stirling Moss in the Mazerati win the '56 Australian GP at Albert Park.

Followed a few of the Brabham Moss scraps at Phillip Island.

My former boss Tim Marcus Clarke set up the first Adelaide GPs, but I didn't get to see them as I'd moved on to Sydney by then. I've seen all the Malaysian GPs, most of the recent Melbourne GPs, and Austria, also Suzuka but not F1.

Just been reading the July Motorsport which has some great history. Maserati 250F, Honda Ra300s, 1955 Mille Miglia, etc.

Spin

MCSF

Austria? The real Austria with the Bosce curve etc? Man I wish I could have seen a race at that track.

MarkIII

Watched suzuka 96, but not into F1 then, checked on 1 in 97 to see how Hill was doing in the Arrows (hmm).

First F1 memory of a proper race in action was Austria 97, seeing Jarno Trulli lead (unusual) in a Prost (very unusual!), thanks to Bridgestone tyres getting the upper hand over Goodyears.

1997 was an odd season, to be honest. Schumacher and Villeneuve never finsihed together on the podium, for starters.

Watched all races in 1998, and confused by Coulthard pulling over for Hakkinen. Since 1998 the only races I've missed have been France and Austria 1999 (was away at other things), Suzuka 2002 (bored as hell of the whole thing) and Hungary 2004 (ditto).

Murph

except for the good Doctor...lots of young pups here........

I remember Moss but didn't get into f1 until I followed Gurney, Clark, et all in the mid-60's....started to read DSJ in MOTOR SPORT and was hooked....... first GP that I attended was the 1972 Canadian GP at Mosport Park....was 25 at the time. Nothing like the sound Chris Amon's Matra V12 that fall.

Dr_Spin

Watched all races in 1998, and confused by Coulthard pulling over for Hakkinen. .....

I was with a bunch in Melbourne when that happened and all those with money on Coulthard couldn't believe it!

There was an outrage from Sports crazy Melbournites.

Of course the usual stuff about it being a team sport (?) (Team Business really) was trotted out.

I was in Austria when Barricello was ordered to do the same for Multiiple Swervosis who had the better contract. Again an outrage and again the usual pronouncements about team sport and panaioa from Ferrari about how they had to do it or they might not win the WDC and WCC.

The teams are being a bit more subtle now.

Spin

viges

I was in Austria for that one too, Doc. 2001 when Rubens was told to cede second place and DC won. Ribens was much angrier that year than giving up first place the following year.

Clown

I've been watching F1 since years before, but the first I can actually remember is Adelaide 91, when I was 7 years old.
The rest of the family went out swimming and I stayed home with my grandfather so I could watch the race.
Fell asleep half way through..... some things never change :hehe:

forzaminardi

Must have been Berger's win at Monza in 1988. I can vaguely remember some earlier episodes with Lauda but I can't place them. Monza 1988 is the first race I remember. Got fully hooked at Hockenheim 1994 which must have been the best race I've ever seen.

Turning Hockenheim into what it is now was a crime that could only be topped by the absense of Minardi. I think I did actually shed a tear when I saw Jean Alesi test a DTM at the new Hockenheimring. Bastards! Well I guess Monza, Monaco and Spa are still there.

Jello_Biafra

I hate to further depress you RJ but it's my opinion that F1 has outgrown Monaco. :(

salvo

my first memory... the clearest one is Pironi's accident in Hockenheim, 1982, I was 7. Strange, but I don't remember villeneuve's death, that was very close to that.
I remember Giacomell'i's Alfa Romeo, manfred Whinkelok, I remember so many things... The first season I remember perfectly is 1984.

minardirule

My first memory is from the 1988 seasonbut how early I'm not sure I remember Bergers win at Monza like RJ and there were rumours before Spa just after Enzo died that the Ferrari's would run with black livery.

Also San Marino that year was Sandro Nannini's first points for Benneton who were my team at the time and my route to Minardi:D

First live action was Silverstone '89 which was truly unbelievable when I was 12