Formula 1 Insight

Whatever Happened to Loyalty?
01/04/2009

I think it was on one of F1 Fanatic's recent posts that readers were asked to state which team they were supporting this year. I dutifully ticked the box for BMW and then had a look to see how the poll was going. And what struck me was that Brawn GP were way ahead of anyone else - I think the team were running at 44% at the time (BMW were doing particularly badly - perhaps the Poles had not arrived yet).

Nick Heidfeld
Nick Heidfeld

Now, we need to remember that Brawn is the team that was called Honda F1 last year, one of the most ridiculed and despised teams in the paddock. Toyota have always been the least popular of all the teams but I should imagine that, if a similar poll had been conducted late last year, Honda would have been vying for that dubious honor. It seems that a lot has changed in just a few short months.

In a way, I should not have been surprised. Everyone loves a winner, after all, and it looks as though Brawn GP is going to be the big winner this time around. Then there is the nationality factor, bringing in hordes of rejuvenated Button and Barrichello fans from their respective countries.

I say "rejuvenated" because many had lost faith in Button over his years of driving for uncompetitive teams and Barrichello has been expected to retire at any moment, thanks to his long service in the sport. It was clear that large numbers of ex-supporters had changed their minds again, now that the two had decent cars at last.

This all makes perfect sense but I was left with a question in my mind: whatever happened to good, old-fashioned loyalty? Maybe I have missed the point but I thought that, once you decided which driver or team appealed to you most, you stuck with them through thick and thin. I can see that years of disappointment might make a supporter give up and transfer affections elsewhere, but the sudden rise of Brawn GP in the popularity stakes does seem to indicate a fickleness amongst F1 fans that I had not suspected.

The most loyal fan that I can think of is Alianora la Canta, La Canta Magnifico indeed. A Jordan fan from the beginning, she has stuck with the team through name change after name change and is now the most staunch defender of Force India imaginable. Such loyalty is admirable and I can only applaud the fact that it looks as if her steadfastness will be rewarded in the next few years.

I am not quite so loyal myself. For many years I had no particular affection for any of the teams, perhaps mourning the demise of my beloved Brabham and still shaking my head over the defection of Gordon Murray to McLaren. Then, a couple of years ago, I noticed how pretty were the Saubers in their new BMW colors; I began to take more notice of them.

When Dr Mario Theissen squeezed out Jacques Villeneuve in favor of Kubica, I was at first disgusted, wanting one of the last flamboyant characters in the sport to remain. But time and Robert proved me wrong and I accepted the change quite quickly. The matter also made me more aware of Dr Mario and, as the months passed, he earned my respect with his realistic, sensible and efficient leadership of the team. By the end of the year I had to face the inevitable - I had become a BMW fan.

That made me look more closely too at Nick Heidfeld, a driver I had previously dismissed as competent but boring. In time I came to think of him as the most underrated driver on the grid, his excellence disguised by his quiet manner and driving that was smooth and undramatic - yet quick. He is not the type of driver I usually admire (I disliked Prost) but the efficiency of his overtaking moves and an uncanny ability to bring the car home won me over.

So I am stuck with BMW as my favorite and the amazing rise of Brawn GP has no effect on my loyalties whatsoever. I am happy for the team and my respect for Ross Brawn goes up another notch (I never doubted Button's and Barrichello's talents anyway) but I am not about to transfer my support to them. The Beemer boys are mine now and, whatever the future holds, they will remain so until they produce a car too ugly to look at.

And what of the fair weather friends Brawn GP has gathered so instantly? Will they still be there if the team fades away through the coming season and ends up in a disappointing third or fourth place in the Constructors Championship? Will Button be crucified in the press if he fails to become WDC, will Barrichello have his Brazilian passport withdrawn if he does not win at least one GP this year?

My present mood suggests that is exactly what will happen if Brawn, both team and man, do not produce the goods, having promised so much. Some supporters will remain, no doubt, those who can see beyond mere fleeting success to the hard work that creates it, but the majority will depart for other shores, won over by the suggestion that they can share in the glories elsewhere.

Everyone loves a winner, we say, but that is not the whole truth. Some of us root for the underdog and persist in our preferences whatever the weather. And, perhaps, there will come a day when we can grandly refrain from saying, "I told you so" as our favorite scoops the prize - for a part of our creed is to allow others to remember our loyalty, rather than point it out ourselves.

So here's to the underdog and may Quick Nick bring home that championship soon!

Clive

doctorvee
Any time I catch myself starting to like Brawn GP, I remind myself of Brawn's time at Ferrari...

In fairness, the Brawn GP story is quite a good one, having almost come back from the dead. It's not a mere re-branding of the Honda team. So I can see why they are a much more likeable team now.

I am another ex-supporter of Jordan, but as time went on I came to dislike Eddie Jordan more. When Midland took over the team, I found the outfit thoroughly unlikeable, and I have not counted myself as a supporter since then.

I wonder if any of Tyrrell's old fans are still following Brawn GP. ;)
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Mr Soap
Well, I've been a McLaren supporter for a fair while. Admittedly they've been one of the more succesful teams, so it's been an easier ride for me than some.

But the reason I started to support them wasn't that they were winning championships, but rather if we head back to 1992, where Mansell was winning pretty much every single race in his Williams. For whatever reason, I didn't particulary like Mansell, and so naturally wanted someone to beat him, and the only team that seemed likely to do so with any degree of success was McLaren With Senna.

I was somewhat conflicted when Mansell joined them, but that didn't last long.

With the Force India / Mclaren deal, I've started to support them too. But not Brawn, mainly due to Button and that I find him to be a fairly GP driver driver. It's fair to say I'm not loyal to my nationality. Never liked Hill either - Similary average and also found himself in by far the best car on the field.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Clive
Doctor Vee: It's true that there is a fairytale quality to Brawn GP's resurgence and I suppose I should give more credit to the drawing power of such things - the triumph of the underdog in the end! But it's not that I resent Brawn's sudden popularity; indeed, I hope they continue to do extremely well. It was just that they initiated the thought of loyalty in my mind and hence this post.

I have never heard anyone lay claim to have supported Tyrrell all the way through to its present incarnation but it's possible, I suppose. That must be the greatest test of loyalty, to remain true as a team changes hands from one owner to the next. When Stoddard bought Minardi, I almost gave up on it (had forgotten that I supported Minardi for so long) - it was so wonderfully Italian until then and didn't seem right for it to be owned by an Australian. But Webber's fourth place in Melbourne kept me hanging on until the sale to Mateschitz and the name change. For me, the last vestiges of Minardi died right then and there.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Clive
Mr Soap: Strangely enough, I didn't like McLaren until the spygate saga, even during the Senna years (and he was the greatest of them all). I think the dignity of Ron Dennis throughout the run up to the WMSC "trial" and afterwards made me forgive them their success and I can ignore it now. ;)

Mansell always struck me as the bravest of the brave but not a particularly gifted driver. I tried to like him (he was, after all, a fellow midlander) but his exaggerated opinion of himself always succeeded in putting me off. Damon I think was hampered by his own intelligence - he thought too deeply to be as convinced of his own greatness as so many of the drivers are. You had to like him as a man but his own doubts about his talent infected us all, I think. There were times when he drove well above what we thought him capable of.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Hezla
When I in '97 saw Michael Schumachers try to crash Jacques Villeneuve out, I quickly was an anti-fan of MS and Ferrari. And since then I have been "loyal" to that. I loved everybody there could win over MS. So I loved McLaren and Mika Häkinen and later it was Kimi. But I was not loyal to those, I also loved to see Fernando Alonso win and the same with J. P. Montoya.

So until the end of 2006, I saw GP's and cheers with those who could beat MS. 2007 turned things around MS retired and Kimi went to the "enemy". So I started the 2007 season as a McLaren and Fernando Allonso fan and I was not anti-fan of anybody.

As you know Lewis Hamilton became the biggest challenger to Fernando Alonso. So for me he is now the man to beat.
I am now anti-fan of Lewis Hamilton.

It is not because I can't see that Michael Schumacher was the best driver and I can also see the quality of Hamilton.

But for me he is the man to beat, so I follow the herd and party with Brawn GP


Date Added: 01/04/2009

verasaki
speaking only for myself i find myself cheering brawn gp because a. i've always like ross brawn b. there is something intoxicating about a former manufacturers team that had been doing dismally rising out of the ashes to kick the a**es of all the other manufacturers teams. it just feels good. it feels like f1.

on the loyalty front- i cheer everyone, just some more than others. and i am still a prost girl.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Clive
I had a similar reaction to Schumacher but my dislike of him began when he deserted Jordan for Benetton. Jordan had been the team that gave him his entry to F1 and I did not like the way Schumacher happily transferred to Benetton without any gratitude towards Eddie.

That I would have forgiven him but then he began to display an unlikable ruthlessness in such incidents as his deliberate collision with Damon, the Villeneuve incident and so many others. I ended up like you, Hezla, cheering for anyone who could take him down.

Both Hamilton and Alonso I regard as amongst the most talented drivers of this generation but I do not support them beyond enjoyment at the display of their skills. I might cheer when Hamilton wins but I'd cheer louder if Heidfeld or Kubica did it. ;)
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Clive
Vera: Ah, so you're really a Ross Brawn fan with a side helping of underdogitis. :D

Fair enough, I can understand, having been a fan of Gordon Murray's for so long. But Prost? Oh well, I suppose someone has to like him... ;)
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Hezla
I forgot as a Dane, I was a big fan of Jan Magnussen and later Niklas Kiesa. And of course the biggest Dane of them all in motorsport, Tom Kristensen.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

rob ijbema
i'm a brawn fan 'cos i always supported Tyrrell...lol
only kidding ofcourse,
i don't think any of these stars need my support...

Date Added: 01/04/2009

Clive
Hah, good point, Rob!
Date Added: 01/04/2009

marc
You've made me feel fickle, but I think I can justify my vacillating loyalties.

I liked Hamilton when it looked like he could take Alonso and was being held back. He was a sort of underdog in a great team. However, the next year, the charm and natural humility were waning, and now I find him barely tolerable when he is in front of a microphone. I hated Alonso during his tenure with McLaren, but his skill is so undeniable that I find myself pulling for him.

I have loved the tenacity and quiet determination of BMW but I can't put my finger on the 'real' Kubica. Is he the guy in the interviews who is fighting for wins and driving his heart out when it really matters, or is he the guy who is rumored to only be looking out for himself, caring little for his team? Either way, I find BMW, as a whole, a great outfit.

When Brawn went to Honda I wanted him to succeed. When he couldn't seem to do anything with the old Honda chassis, I started to lose faith... But WOW! He really showed us what he's made of with the debut of Brawn GP. I can't help but hope for more.

Ferrari has enough support from the FIA. I love the cars and the heritage, but the team just doesn't need any more defenders or supporters. Nothing about them begs for hope or need. With the resources they have, you can't help but hope that somebody else can show them up.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

yeah
I dont really become a fan of teams much, however there has always been space in my heart for one or two at a time.

Since Toyota entered F1, I have said "watch these guys, one day...". Im still waiting for them to prove me right, and maybe this year they are able to do that. However over all these years I have grown tired of all the disapointment, and slowly moved away from being a hard core toyota supporter.

My main satisfaction for the last 15 or so years earner has been by following the drivers who I think have what it takes. I remember looking at Alonso when he entered F1, and telling my son to keep his eyes on Alonso in the coming years. I duno, something about Alonso's driving had me hooked (in fact I think it was his smile, that reminds me of my father). Alonso then went on to win WRC.

I also became a fan of kimi while he was in Maclaren. I dont remember the track, but he came from almost last, to win the race. Absolutely amazing. He aswell, went on to win a WRC. Although these days I think he has lost that spark speed. I still feel joy when he wins.

I have always gunned for the underdogs. This year in preseason BrawnGP looked good, and might have a shot at winning. Then after there 1 - 2, I started to hate them. Im not sure why, but they are becoming the enemy. Perhaps its because they are preventing Alonso and Toyota from winning... but who knows?

My thoughts for this year however are rather critical. Toyota need to do well, they need to win. If they dont, then they wont be here next year, which is not good seeing as they are probably the most reserved and quiet team out there. I pray to god that they are with us next year still.

Alonso needs a car thats faster. He is, in my opinion the full package. Extremely fast, technical and he gives the engineers great feedback. From what I can tell, he is better than Lewis, and all others on the track. His car is slow, thats all. I think he proved this last year, with the slower Renault (not to mention his 2 WRC).

Hamilton is my host hated driver on the track. He is always smiling, and is always so positive. He is just so perfect. He is never mad, never emotional, and he is never crazy. If I wanted to watch a robot race, I would go to JAPAN.

Last year, I was a fan of 19 drivers. Lewis was not one of them. Preventing lewis from winning is the goal.

Its a lot like here in South Africa in regards to the elections. We dont care who you vote for, as long as its not the ANC! hahaha
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Clive
Marc: That doesn't sound like vacillating loyalties - more like weighing things before making up your mind. And I agree that Kubica has us guessing at the moment. At first, he seemed like a nice guy with loads of talent, then last year he began to moan about the car and the team and hasn't seemed enthusiastic about them since. So we wait to see whether he has enough talent to justify all that.

Good point about Ferrari, too - they have more than enough rabid fans as it is.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Clive
Yeah: Seems to me you're a classic underdog supporter - always supporting the underdog until they start to win. I suffer from that syndrome as well and might have to pick another team once BMW have won a couple of championships!

I agree with you about Alonso. We are really seeing the best of him now he is in a less competitive car - it forces him to drive at the limit and we can see how talented he is.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

aracerdude
I have always followed and been loyal to Ferrari.

But, you know hat they say about us Americans? We love the underdogs. Problem with that is they come and they go in F1. Tyrell, Lotus, Jordan, original Sauber, and many more have come and gone through the years.

Who can forget Jean Alesi driving a Tryell (Raised nose)in the US Grand Prix taking it to Aryton Senna in the McLaren?.....priceless!

Or Michael Schumacher qualifying 7th(?) at Spa in a Jordon?

Moments like that is what I watch F1 for. It's hard to be loyal to the small teams some times.
Date Added: 01/04/2009

Pink Peril
Well, my loyalties will certainly be tested next year if the rumours are to be beleived. As I am numero uno Alonso fan, but hate Ferrari with an equal passion, what will I do?

Do I stay loyal to Nando if he is driving for the enemy? I just hope he spares me the choice and stays with Renault or goes to BMW-Sauber or someone. Cos I'm sure thats the forefront of Nando's decision which team to drive for - not upsetting me:)


Date Added: 02/04/2009

verasaki
heh, heh. yes, no accounting for taste i'm afraid.

in so much as the post concerns brawn gp, can i say that while i know you aren't an "i told you so" person that it must be tempting to point out to us all that you did say several times that you thought honda was pulling out too soon? in fact that they were making a big mistake?

interesting dilemma isn't it, pink peril? i've been wondering the same thing. but, since i doubt alonso will get lazy or lose his edge (but i'm not convinced he'll be happy) i doubt i'll feel much different about him. maybe we can cheer the driver's championship and hope someone else wins the constructor's?

i've never really hated any team but, some have tested my limits from time to time, ferrari being the master. i managed to cheer most of their drivers, alesi and berger and prost (you know, he's the guy who told them their precious red menace drove like a truck) and irvine, yes even schumacher and a whole lotta others in spite of it. maybe the bizarre lie to your face without actually lying nature of corporate america has taught me one thing- the politics and hooey at the top have nothing to do with most of the people who work under them.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Steven Roy
Pink,

I think you are safe. Both Kimi and Massa have contracts for next year.

I have never really supported a team or driver I prefer to just enjoy the racing and not worry too much about who is involved. Obviously you find people you like more than others. I started off with Lotus as my favourite team and it was a sad day when they declined and died. Like Pink I detest Ferrari for so many reasons it would take me all night to list them.

I seem to spend a lot of time defending Lewis Hamilton nowadays because he gets so much unfair criticism and he is clearly the best driver on the grid.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Clive
Aracer: I was a Minardi fan from the moment they entered F1 until the day they disappeared into the team known as Toro Rosso. Oh, yes, I know how hard it is to support the little teams! ;)

It impresses me that you, as a Ferrari fan, are still with me, however. I do try to be objective but there are times I fail when Ferrari is concerned, I know. Admirable restraint on your part, Aracer
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Clive
Peril: I had a similar problem when Kimi went to Ferrari (everyone loves Kimi). But he seemed to lose interest in racing at the same time and that made it easier for me to stop hoping he'd win all the the time. Nowadays I think it was the chemistry between Kimi and McLaren that made him so great - and Ferrari doesn't know how to wake him up again.

Perhaps a warning for Fernando...
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Clive
Vera: Did I say that about Honda? My memory isn't what it used to be, you know... ;)

Great to be reminded of Prost's description of the Ferrari he was asked to drive, however. Now that was something to like about him!
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Clive
Steven: And the snipers are out for Hamilton again - the stewards have decided to look again at their decision on the Trulli overtaking under yellow penalty. They're "interviewing" Lewis tomorrow.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Lee
It is a little strange I suppose as I am a football supporter and I support Birmingham City through thick and thin and there is never a moment when I contemplate supporting another team (although like any true football supporter I can like and appreciate other teams). With F1 I have never really supported a particular team througout, possibly due to there not being a particular local link and also the teams do change completely unlike in football. However I have always like Williams, Mclaren and more recently Brawn. I have however pretty much always disliked Ferrari as they have always seemed to be a team willing to do anything to win a race (even by making sure they protest to disallow other teams form competing like in Indianapolis). I know other teams do these sort of things to from time to time, but it seems to be built in to ferrari. Driver wise, I appreciate great drivers and Senna, Prost and Mansell were at the top of my list for some time (Especially as Mansell was a fellow Brummie). I did like Schumacher up until the damon hill incident, at which point I lost every bit of respect i ever had for him. This then deteriorated even further with other incidents with Villeneuve etc. The fact that he then also went to Ferrari just enhanced my dislike for him. Currently I am a big fan of Hamilton due to his amazing driving skill (possibly the best since senna if it was possible to directly compare different generations of drivers). Watching him slide the car around Monaco is a joy and I often wish for rain just to see how quick he can go. Alonso is a great driver too but again the Mclaren incident caused me to loose a lot of respect for him. Button too is a fine driver and I hope the Brawn allows him to finally show what he can do when he is not having a internal punchup with the car he is driving. I am also growing to like Vettel more with every race as he is proving to be a very good driver too.

Mainly I am just a fan of racing, the brave overtaking manouvers, the skill at keeping a car on a flooded track and the madness of taking a corner at close to full speed. Sadly I am not sure we will ever see anything like the Epic battles between Mansell, Senna and Prost again as the FIA seem to be doing their best to screw over anyone that wants to actually race.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Alianora La Canta
The interview did not go well. Hamilton's been excluded from the Australia results - but that's a story for another blog entry, I think. What I will say is that happy as I am about Adrian scoring Force India's first points since Spyker became Force India (subject to how the stewards deal with Trulli's position now), this has happened the wrong way. It's no fault of Force India's, but the success doesn't shine for me the way it should do. Points should be won by skill, courage, intelligence and teamwork, not through a highly questionable act of officialdom.

Regarding loyalty, I suppose being loyal is easy if you can still sense what it is that made you loyal in the first place. This may well explain why so many football fans stick to one team all their lives - their point of loyalty is proximity to birthplace (or the social circles forged in childhood) and those things never change.

As for my own support for Jordan/Midland/Spyker/Force India, it is from one angle amusing because for the first two-and-a-half years that I supported F1 (and Damon Hill) I didn't even know it was possible to support a team (my thinking was eventually corrected when I read a 1996 season preview from the BBC with a feature on supporter's travels). The seeds of the Jordan support were sown when Damon Hill joined Jordan. Being a DH supporter, I was bound to pay attention to his new team. Still, it took me by surprise when, on lap 55 of the Spanish Grand Prix, I found myself thinking very loudly in my head, "Come on Ralf Schumacher!"

Now I knew virtually nothing about Ralf except that he was Michael's brother and Damon's team-mate, and a few minutes of careful thought after the race established that I had not suddenly become a Ralf supporter. Rather, Damon's engine had broken down ten laps beforehand and Ralf, as Jordan's sole representative on track, had got my attention. Which logically meant that I'd become a Jordan supporter. Somewhere between EJ's charm, the high-energy, giant-killing attitude, the refusal to bow to adversity, the positivism and the refusal to mistreat Damon (as opposed to Williams dumping him without telling him until several months later and Tom Walkinshaw's general disrespect for him), my heart had started supporting Jordan without going to the bother of telling my brain (something that hasn't happened before or since).

After that, Jordan stayed true to itself while Eddie stayed on board. I didn't expect perfection - nobody's perfect and Jordan's flaws often accentuated the good stuff about it - but Jordan's rising and falling only kept me interested. The one thing you could never call Jordan Grand Prix was boring.

Then came Colin Kolles and the Midland brigade. Storm and stress! I have to admit my support of Jordan became seriously tested then because the Russian contingent simply didn't get it. Jordan being the sort of team where if you had to ask what "it" was, you would never know. However, I hung on, as much out of wanting the best from the many staff members who were staying through everything as for the team I remembered. Besides, part of the attraction of Jordan was its refusal to bow to adversity - how could I do the same when I'd enjoyed the same trait in Jordan-soon-to-be-Midland?

Despite what it looked like at the time, 90% of the staff who were there at the start of 2005 were still there at the end - the newcomers were, as a rule, added to the team and the ones who left were nearly all high-profile or from the PR department (the latter was a mistake so bad that Midland admitted it at the start of 2006).

2006 offered some green shoots of recovery. During 2005, I'd become a member of a Jordan-specific forum and Midland tentatively, then enthusiastically, reached out to the forum. While its PR elsewhere was never particularly good, at least I could sense it was trying. The fact that it was trying from a low point it had reached on its own account was irrelevant - mistakes happen and the important thing is to strive to improve no matter what.

After that, it's been uphill all the way. More and more of the virtues that made Jordan shine for me that sunny day in Spain have come through. It's shown its daring, it's become more fan-friendly and it's become more positive. And now comes the proof of the rebirth. It's been a pleasure and an honour to support them through it and I expect I will be continuing to do so for a long time to come.

While I will grant that I've never felt the need to break a support of a driver once granted (I've supported Fisichella since just before Monaco 2001 and Button and Hamilton since their respective debuts), I do have my limits. It's just that the sorts of drivers who are likely to act in ways I will find unacceptable reveal signs of them early on, long before any connection has established. (Apart from Damon Hill, there's always been a gap between me noticing a driver and supporting them - in the case of Button, it took about two months and I'd first noticed Hamilton over a year before I decided to support him).

Thank you for your sweet words, Clive - I'm not sure about me being the most loyal supporter I've ever met, but loyalty is something I'd like to believe I have.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Alianora La Canta
On the other side of the debate, my dad has been a Ferrari supporter for many years. I knew his support for them has gradually waned over the seven years or so, but I didn't realise how low that support had dwindled until I logged onto the internet to watch Australia's first practise session through his computer and spotted he'd put a Brawn GP wallpaper on the desktop.

That Brawn GP sure knows how to attract support. It will be interesting to see how it deals with the influx of enthusiasts who believe in it.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Pootle
Really enjoyed reading this post, was really interesting. As always in sport winners always enjoy the attention and the limelight until it fades, it's just the way it is.

I'd like to think I've stuck with my favourite driver preferences over the years, I'm still a massive Fisichella and Raikkonen fan (Raikkonen for champion 09) however as for teams I haven't particularly supported a team until Minardi dropped out of the spot a few years back. I always did love Minardi and to see them disappear was a great shame.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Clive
Lee: When it comes to football, it has to be Coventry for me - it's all about roots. ;)

I agree with you about being a fan of racing but I think it adds a little excitement to support a driver and/or team. It involves one a bit more, makes results matter in a way that they don't when it's just the race one is watching.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Clive
Alianora: Loyal indeed. And a great history of the Jordan team in all its guises!

If Brawn GP are picking up fans from Ferrari, they are a phenomenon. Must be the power of fairy tales. ;)
Date Added: 02/04/2009

Clive
Pootle: Thanks, glad you liked the post. I remember when you first started supporting Raikkonen and Fisichella and it's true that you have remained loyal to them. Poor Fizzy gets a lot of flak these days and it shows real perseverance to still root for him.

Great race in Oz, wasn't it? Pity about all the politics that followed it.
Date Added: 02/04/2009

themark
What a great series of comments so far. No fan knows adversity quite so much as a Villeneuve adherent. I was a fan of JV when he was in Indy cars (back when the field was a who's who of great drivers in NA) and of course followed him wherever he went, through thick and thin (and there was PLENTY) of thin. The countless times I've had to justify that faith against overwhelmingly frothing hatred has made the effort tiresome at the best of times, but I always end with the same statement:

A fan is someone who cheers for you, even when you're NOT winning.

And leave it at that.
Date Added: 03/04/2009

Albert
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Date Added: 09/07/2009

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