What did you think of 2021 F1 season ending race in Abu Dhabi?
Oh boy, someone just found out I’m an F1 fan and has a question. It gives me goosebumps to have these types of conversations because I know what is coming next. Do they? Doubtful.
For a long time now I’ve wished others could see how oddly serious I take motorsports and F1, now they can, especially when they ask me F1 questions and witness me light up with passion. I know I’m a human, full of fallacy, but I’m very willing to be open about how I feel; especially about the sport I love to follow, support, and criticize from an American point of view.
The question is always phrased a little differently each time but revolves around the 2021 F1 season-ending race that took place in Abu Dhabi. A motorsports moment that has been forever been burned into many new fans’ memories; some good, some bad.
Now you should know I’m very calculated, maybe it’s the skeptic in me, but how I approach questions depends on the conversation; probably a fault I should work on. Regardless, if I see you’re genuinely interested I’ll put more thought and time into the answer; inserting my true opinion instead of providing a surface answer. Not that I won’t disappoint whoever is asking the question, but my line of thinking tends to revolve around, Do they deserve my best answer? Do I really need to take the time and showcase my knowledge of the situation, display my passion, and perhaps even change their perspective? Most of the time I’m a sucker, and provide a long-winded answer about the sport I love; especially for the new American fans of F1.
My first step, mostly out of curiosity and my own amusement, is to answer a question with a question. Something like, I would be curious to hear your opinion first. The funny thing is it also gives me insight into their F1 experience. Generally, they haven’t been watching the sport for very long, they saw “Drive to Survive” on Netflix, and based on how they phrased the question I already know how they feel about the motorsports moment they are asking about.
I think new American fans are great for F1, but I wonder if they truly appreciate the sport like myself. Maybe I’m jealous of their new love; it could be I don’t understand how a docuseries sparked that love. You see F1 used to be my corner of the world that very few in the US cared about. For years I’ve boasted about it, even putting the “hard sell” on to a few. I’ve highlighted elegance, raw power, speed, money, celebrities, sex appeal, and more to no end. No one listened.
Fast forward, now there are legions of new fans and even my friends are talking up the sport. The interesting part for me happened to be their questions. They were so basic. Sometimes I feel like a sports analyst explaining that one team needs to score more points than the opposing team to win the game; yeah, no shit sherlock.
So, what’s my answer?
F1 is entertainment & sport combined; this must be understood. Even Michael Masi said it best in his retort to Toto Wolf on that exact day, “Toto, it’s called a motor race. We went car racing.” All sport is Greek tragedy being scripted live in front of our eyes. It’s the original reality TV. F1 is merely reality TV at over 250 MPH.
What happened in Abu Dhabi was a once-in-a-generation motorsports moment. Yes, I feel sorry for all the new F1 fans. There is a very strong chance there will never be a championship season-ending race like that ever again. Even movie writers and Oscar winners are jealous of what took place. It was epic.
It was the greatest theater on the planet. You had the villain, the hero, conspiracy, drama, wheel-to-wheel action, politics, anger, joy, confusion, victors, spoils, and more wrapped up in a manner of minutes. This is why we watch motorsports. This is why I love F1.
This motorsports moment had me in tears of joy, jumping up and down like a teenager, and happily cheering on thousands of miles away. It was art meeting reality and I hope we get to see it again someday; the sooner, the better.
🏁Brent🏁