The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1

When this author was growing up in the early 2000s, Formula 1 was always a painfully niche sport. One likes to think that his early fandom hopefully exposed a few minds to its presence, at least, but it was always rare to meet anyone else who liked devoting their Sunday afternoons to sitting in front of a CRT television to watch gratuitously fast cars traverse around a race circuit at some far-flung location on the globe. It even had a terrestrial TV deal in the UK in those days, but stories about F1 in the mainstream news always felt so novel. 

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Now, it’s become hugely popular thanks to its appearance in the cultural zeitgeist, and F1 is a far broader church than it used to. This isn’t the hipster’s lament, by the way; this column will not unironically use the phrase “I liked it before it was cool”, but instead that popularity rather goes to parallel how a rock band’s small-but-faithful fanbase has swelled to sell out arena tours. As the fanbase grows, a tangibly greater element of partisan support appears at F1 races these days. These are the fans sinking $80 on an orange Max Verstappen t-shirt, or collecting the whole gamut of special-edition Lewis Hamilton Mercedes caps – but every driver has an increasingly passionate and vocal corner of their fanbases.  

That’s not a bad thing alone, but like-minded fans tend to seek each other and respect for other drivers tends to erode amid that echo chamber. Just note most interactions between Hamilton’s most vocal supporters and Verstappen’s; somewhere along the way, decorum between fanbases became a little more football-like. No particular fanbase, it must be said, can be blamed for that; it’s just the way that social media has distilled conversation into nuance-free pithy ripostes. We merely use the fanbases of those two drivers given their rivalry in recent years. 

Then, you arrive in Suzuka. It quickly becomes clear that partisanship barely exists in the stands or in the fanzones around the undulating figure-of-eight circuit. The home crowd might want Yuki Tsunoda, flying the flag for Japan, to do well – but at the same time, each fan in the crowd has a handful of favoured drivers that they’re more than happy to simultaneously express their support for. Everyone received support to some extent from the passionate Suzuka crowd, even safety car driver Bernd Maylander had his own banner in the stands along the start-finish straight.  

The home fans also enjoy dressing up for the occasion, with headwear so garish it makes the Royal Ascot’s dress code look positively conservative. DRS-actuated helmets and a group of fans with homemade T-cams were spotted around the paddock and in the stands, as were attendees dressed head to toe in driver overalls – ranging from the professionally made to hastily stitched together onesies. After all, football fans wear replica player shirts in the stands; instead of turning up in teamwear to look like a member of the PR team (sorry, comms officers), why can’t F1 fans dress up as the drivers themselves? Failing that, why not go as a dinosaur? Or in a hat depicting an F1 engine powered by beer? Or in traditional Japanese dress with a Ferrari theme? There's seemingly no limit to the Suzuka fans' creativity with their costume choices.

And then there’s the customary gift-giving that reaches new heights in Japan. It’s not uncommon at other rounds for fans to try to reach their favourite drivers with hand-made gifts but, at Suzuka, local primary schools sometimes take their students on a field trip to the track on the Thursday and Friday. The children are thus tasked with making something for their favourite driver before going to the track, which is both a) incredibly sweet and b) something that would cement a teacher’s reputation as an overwhelming legend. You didn’t get that in my school... 

Japanese fans always produce some of the finest fancy dress in F1

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Esteban Ocon, in attendance at the F1 Fan Festival in Tokyo, revealed that the fans in attendance had spoiled him rotten as he celebrated his birthday the week prior. 

“It was incredible! It was very busy, of course,” the Frenchman crooned. “But yes, so many fans, so many supporters that I've seen. A lot of French flags, a lot of goodies and presents that I got also for my birthday. Since I arrived at the airport, it's insane. So yeah. And I've shown them also my special helmet for this weekend, which means a lot to me, because Japan has a special place in my heart, will always have. And yeah, my favourite track also is here. So that's awesome.” 

Becoming enveloped in Suzuka’s atmosphere reminded us of what it means to be at an F1 circuit

Even the media got a warm reception from the supporters who positioned themselves at the entrance to the circuit. Cheers and flag-waving erupted as the bus carrying scribes from all corners of the globe turned in, with support for almost every single driver congregated on either side of the road. That appreciation for the whole field was the most apparent thing in the stands; Red Bull-dressed fans sat alongside those in scarlet Ferrari wear and black Mercedes gear, simply enjoying the spectacle of Formula 1 at one of the best circuits on the calendar. 

One fan, watching on from the Esses in a Fernando Alonso t-shirt, grinned like a Cheshire cat every time a car came through the sequence of left-right corners. It was infectious enthusiasm and, as Autosport walked trackside to complete the usual musings for the magazine, it was hard not to just sit and observe. In putting that column together, it’s easy to become blinkered by the observations of how the cars react to each corner, kerb, and bump as one tries to interpret every tiny micro-movement. 

Becoming enveloped in Suzuka’s atmosphere reminded us of what it means to be at an F1 circuit. Of course, we’re hugely lucky to do what we do for a living, but the pressures of deadlines, output, and the modern concept of endless content-generation sometimes restrict the base pleasure of ‘just watching cars go round in circles’. Stood between the Dunlop Curve, we simply stand, observe, and enjoy. 

What can other fans learn from Suzuka’s yearly faithful? It’s quite simple, and it’s a tenet that many have forgotten as they blindly defend their favourite drivers on whatever social media platform Elon Musk has decided to debase next. Ultimately, we’re all fans of Formula 1, the championship. We’re all fans of motorsport. Even if we prefer one driver over another, we should celebrate great racing and appreciate the achievements of all 20 racers on the grid – justified or not. 

To the fans at Suzuka, they’re all heroes – drivers, engineers, team principals; everybody is worthy of the crowd’s appreciation. And that’s how it should always be. 

Ferrari and Japanese culture - an unexpected match made in heaven

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images