I've been a massive fan of Formula One racing since the age of nine with my very first experience of F1 motor racing happening with my grandfather, a moment which I'll always fondly remember. Over the years I've seen the sport evolve, the ups and downs and massive highs such as a team or driver's triumph over adversity and lows such as the death of drivers on the track, Ayrton Senna, Jules Bianchi, Roland Ratzenberger, Elio de Angelis, Gilles Villeneuve, Ronnie Peterson and others...motor racing, pushes the limits of man and machine and is a dangerous business.
I love the sport though, the politics, intrigue, cutting edge technology, incredible talents both on and off the track and the way so many people have to come together all at the same time and in perfect synergy to win.
I'm not really a one-eyed supporter of a particular team or driver but have my favourites. I guess I just like to see a great race, a good show, and over the years there's been some incredible races, some I've watched on TV and others I've attended personally. Having said that, I like to keep an eye on the Australian drivers because I'm proudly Australian and I know just how difficult it is for a driver from here to make it into Formula One and what it takes to be successful.
In my time of watching F1 racing I've watched six Australian drivers compete in the F1 World Championship although there's been a total of eighteen of them since the championship began in 1950 including three time world champion Sir Jack Brabham. Only two Australian drivers have won the world championship being Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones (who I have met personally while I was at a Grand Prix race weekend).
What I've never seen is three Australian drivers on the grid at the same time and there's a chance that this exact thing could happen in 2025.
Currently, there's two Australian drivers in Daniel Ricciardo (Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren Racing). Next year Jack Doohan (Son of Motorcycle world champion Mick) will join the grid (BWT Alpine F1 Team) which would make three Australian drivers out of the twenty drivers on the grid. Of course, F1 is fickle and with Daniel Ricciardo not performing at his peak this season there's a chance he'll lose his seat. I hope he doesn't as I think it'll be cool to see the three of them on the grid but F1 can be brutal and sub-optimal performance is not rewarded.
There's still nine races to go in this year's world championship, the longest season ever with twenty four races in total held all over the world, so anything could happen and all will be revealed in due course; I have my fingers crossed for the three Aussies on the grid in 2025 though, even if just for the cool-factor.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
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Here's hoping all three drivers stay in the race. Three of twenty gives alot better odds of bringing home a championship for Australia. Plus, as you say, it would be a first for you.
Oscar Piastri probably has a chance of a championship, not this year but maybe next, possibly. The other two...Daniel Ricciardo is probably in his twilight days, or it's just fucken night time already, and Jack Doohan is an unknown. Let's see how it all goes.
This year, Piastri has made a tremendous leap in quality; the McLarens are now flying. It will be an exciting finish for the Drivers' Championship. Ricciardo is one of the most charismatic drivers in the paddock; I hope he can stay, although there are promising drivers pushing in.
F1 is already a global phenomenon, but I’m envious (in a good way) that you’ve seen so many seasons of F1. Many of the names you mentioned, I've only seen in documentaries, and in the future, I hope to attend a GP. It must feel incredible, right?
Do you think Verstappen will lose the championship?
Yeah, Piasyri is going ok but overshadowed by Norris currently. It's only his second season though and it took Norris some time to come good so I think, with the McLaren's being so fast now, Piastri will follow.
I think McLaren has a good chance at the constructors title but Verstappen has a decent lead in the drivers championship. I think the gap will close a little though and it will come down to the last races. I'd like to see someone else win it though and Norris is the only one who can challenge at the moment.
And yeah, GP weekend's are really cool, so much fun. I hope you get to one someday.
This year, it feels good to see other drivers in the fight with Max, to see other teams moving forward; even Williams has improved a lot.
Speaking of drivers, a few days ago a series premiered (I think it was on Disney+, not sure at all) about Checo, and it’s pretty decent, especially to see the rise of the Mexican from childhood; getting to F1 is not easy at all.
Also, I want to recommend Race for Glory from this year, which covers the rivalry between Audi and Lancia in Rally racing. I know you’re always on the lookout for automotive material (although you may have already seen them)
I've seen every F1 show, movie or documentary known to mankind...But not the Perez one. I'm not a fan of that chap, never have been, although I acknowledge and respect the effort that it takes to get to where he has.
I love motor racing and have spent my life delving into all aspects of it, live, TV, shows, books and so on. I love it.
During my time here, we've talked about the love for cars and the sport of speed; we share that.
A few months ago, I remember you mentioned the Ferrari movie, and that's why you might like 'Race for Glory' and it has a meaning beyond the sport itself, but I won't say more, or I'll end up telling you the whole movie, and that's not funny at all 😅
It's weekend over there, right? Busy weekend? Hope you have a great weekend, Mate!
I've seen Race for Glory and liked it a lot.
Yeah, Saturday 10:45am. Not mu h planned this weekend. Wanted to go hiking but it's very windy although still sunny. Meant to rain later. I'll do some reading later, deep I to a good book, and tonight I'm making dinner then the P3 and qualifying is on for the Italian F1 GP. Yay!
What are you up to on the weekend?
I loved watching F1 back in Michael days. I stopped because when the Greek crisis started they stopped broadcasting F1 probably because of the cost ? Or the luxury behind it ? Not sure but I won’t to attend a Grand Prix soon. Fun fact , if you visit Dubai you can drive an F1 with 4000$
I love it a lot, the racing, the technology, intrigue, politics and all. I find it very entertaining. I've been to a few around the place too, here and overseas...love race weekends!
I hope you get to go to one soon, I'm sure you'll reconnect with your previous passion for it.
I'm not a huge fan of Formula 1, but it brings back a lot of memories of my grandfather who I adored and the racing is great.
It would be super cool if you could see three Aussies together there and you could enjoy that. There is still a chance! So be it!
You're bonkers.
hahahahahaha yes I am!
I was a fan of F1 during the Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen time. Their rivalry was solid and it was always a lot of fun to watch. I have been looking at the highlights and races of the F1 today, and Verstappen seems to be dominating continuously.
Two legit drivers and yeah, great rivalry. I am pleased to say I've seen both of them racing in person and enjoyed it but so many times on TV as well. Great champions.
Verstappen isn't dominating anymore, not won a race for five races now. Looks like it's a legit title fight.
Oh, I haven't been up to date lately, but I think that's good for the sport. I just checked now, and he still has a good lead in the points. But yeah, with 9 races left, anything can still happen.
His lead is diminishing, so it's getting interesting.
Hi Galen, I hope you enjoy the rest of the F1 championship. Perosnally I have been away from F1 since I was 6 or 7 years old, after the arrival in Spain. In Switzerland an Italian friend of my parents was an auto body mechanic, and besides fixing crashed cars to resell them, he raced as an amateur.
In his workshop I spent a lot of time as a child, I think that for a child there is nothing more fun than helping a mechanic stained with grease and paint to turn some metal corpses into luxury cars. And in this mechanic's workshop I learned that there was an exceptional driver who aroused passions: Ragazzoni.
And I was a fan of Ragazzoni out of sympathy for a few years. When I arrived in Spain, tastes were different and F1 was not televised.
Although I am not passionate about it nowadays, I understand very well the passion for this sport. I'm buried, as I started I hope you enjoy this end of the season and I wish success to the Australian drivers.
The sport has a lot of history I guess, so many amazing stores and so many of abject failure. I think that's what I like about it, the complexity and how, for success to come, every element of a F1 team has to come together at the same time. It's a team sport.
Anyway, some like it and some don't...I'm the former.
Sorry to get back to you so late, I am down with a stomach virus and have lost regularity of sleep, I should be asleep now, yet I am awake and have spent the afternoon in bed. I fully understand that you can like Formula 1, to achieve a goal you need many elements to coincide in a positive way: good equipment, technology, design, strategy and driving.
Although I don't live it with the passion of my five or six years. What I keep from those years is my admiration for the design of the cars of the sixties and seventies.
I wish you a great Friday.
Sorry to hear you're not well, I hope you start to feel better quickly.
I am with you on the 60's and 70's but love the development and evolution in race cars since the very early days. What they do now, compared to where it all started, is incredible.
Anyway, feel better soon.
Thanks Galen, I'm getting my strength back. Have a great weekend
That's pretty exciting if all three of them can make it all at the same time. I honestly don't know a ton about Formula 1 beyond what I have read here on HIVE from various authors. I used to watch Indy and NASCAR with my dad when I was younger, but I kind of lost interest as I got older. I did see an interesting story the other day about how they used to time the starting light. That was kind of cool.
With all the sports out there it's difficult to know about everything and it pays to focus on what one is interested in or has closer to hand. Many don't see Formula One because it's not televised in their country or is not on free to air.
I think that last part definitely applies to us, but it is growing. Plus it isn't too hard to find world wide sports via the Internet these days if you are really devoted.
I have tried to follow the F1 championship many times, but I never warmed up enough to follow the F1 caravan.
Maybe because I've never been involved in racing, I've never sat in a kart or gone out on a track...
Somehow the races in the Moto GP championship are much more interesting to me. Fewer laps are driven, the race is much more dynamic...
But I also understand F1 fans. My father-in-law must watch every race for the starting position and the final race. He often fits other weekend commitments in order to be in front of the big TV when the races are held 🙂
I watch MotoGP too, I ride sports bikes so find it very interesting.
I'm glad we don't all have to like the same thing ! 😄
I'm not so in to watching sports in general and cars driving round in a circle over and over .... well.... it hasn't been something I could happily get into.
I understand many love racing of many kinds though. Here, there are many folks into NASCAR.....although I don't know if it's following is as huge as it used to be.
Lol..."cars driving in a circle." Heard that before. I get it though, I mean, I think netball is the dumbest sport known to mankind (except maybe for golf) and nothing anyome could say would change my mind...bot some love those sports.
It takes all sorts of people and likes and dislikes though huh?
Yes.... all sorts, that is for sure.
There just needs to be something more happening to keep my attention or entertain me.
I have always said I was a great one to invite to a Super Bowl party or something, because I'm a good one to fetch more snacks for everyone or the such, because I don't care what I miss on the game. LOL ...you know, like a designated driver for drinking people, a designated snack fetcher, drink refiller for game day. It should be a thing !
Snack fetcher...you're invited to my next Super Bowl barbeque and if you're not doing anything Sunday night there's a Formula One race on TV live from Monza, Italy...I'll need snacks! 😁
Ok, but I may need some ear plugs for all that insane noise. 😄
I'm a shooter, I've got ear plugs and muffs aplenty! 😊
👍
Yeah.. even our president watched the f1 race despite having concerns in our country. 😊 sport with politics.
Interesting.
It does.😄
Racing against time! 🏎☄️