The Fan Factor
The Fan Factor
Introducing our very first fan to share his views on Formula in Pitlane… Meet Richard who can be found on twitter at @richardbrunning.
Richard supports Williams F1 but follows lots of different motorsport series including IndyCar, NASCAR, DTM, BTCC, MotoGP, WRC and of course Formula One. He has been following F1 since around 1980 and his favourite quote is “Racing is life, anything that happens before or after is just waiting.”
But what are his views on F1? Let’s find out.
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Hi Richard, Since the last issue of Pitlane was released we have seen the Italian and Singapore GP take place. First came the Italian GP and a win for Hamilton. What did you make of the GP and the podium reaction by the fans?
I was disappointed by the reaction of the Tifosi at the Italian GP. I have huge respect for the fanatical Italian fans, but the abuse of Hamilton by a small minority of race goers was surprising and totally out of order.
After a short break the F1 circus arrived at Singapore with lots of drama taking place on the track. What were your overall thoughts on the race and the penalties that ensued for certain drivers?
It was only the safety car periods that livened it up really. The penalties were pretty fair I thought. Schumacher deserved his 10 place drop for falling asleep, perhaps the old man missed his nap time…. Gutted for Maldonado and Williams, he showed great pace after a dodgy start and to come away with nothing after a stellar quali must have been heart breaking. I was disappointed for Hamilton too, did nothing wrong and perhaps handed the Championship momentum to Vettel and Alonso.
Seeing that there are just six races remaining in the current season of F1 who do you think will eventually take the title and is this driver different to who you thought would win the title at the beginning of the season?
I think it’s going to be Alonso still. I was betting on Vettel at the start of the year, especially after the pig on stilts that Ferrari produced, but damn can the Spaniard drive. Fair play to him.
With the silly season in full swing now until the end of the season what is your opinion on the Schumacher contracts, Hamilton contracts and Ferrari rumours?
I hope Schumi retires - again. Hamilton would be mad to leave McLaren. Ferrari should hire Perez despite what LDM (Luca Di Montezemolo) says.
Talking of Schumacher and the previous eras of F1 which driver/era most fascinates you within F1 before the recent crop of drivers?
Well, I grew up with the Turbo era in full swing so that’s the zenith as far as cars goes for me - mental horsepower, supremely talented and brave drivers.
The evolution of F1 has been fundamental to the success of the sport but which part of F1 that has evolved do you think is most crucial in its’ success?
After the horrible weekend on Imola in 1994, it’s safety that’s been the overwhelming success of F1. Can you imagine Robert Kubica walking away from his Canada shunt just 5 years earlier? Probably not. What continues to amaze me though is the designers extracting ever more performance from ever more restrictive rules. Those guys are absolutely fantastic. Also, the reliability of the cars is immense now.
Finally as we look forward to the Japanese GP who would you place a bet on to win the race? Hamilton.
The Fan Factor is all about sharing the worldwide differences between Formula One Fans and if you too would like to share your views on F1 through the Fan Factor please contact me on twitter at @GraceF1Fanatic.