Speedrun through F1 1981-present (Intro)
2017 was the first season I watched, and with the 2022 season start just a week away, I’m more excited than ever. Despite being an active fanatic for 5 years I have managed to catch up and consume more than 30 years of f1.
As word spread that the start of the 2020 season would be postponed indefinitely, the “Awwww”’s sounded in each room of every f1 fan across the world in utter disappointment. As the same sound faded from my own room, I panicked at the thought of going yet another long stretch without any new f1. As I was already a member of the f1 TV subscription in preparation for the 2020 season, I searched for any new f1 content video or otherwise. That is when I stumbled on the Archive. In fear of sounding like some endorsement, I was pleased to find extended highlights if not the actual full race for each race from 1981 onwards.
As the 2020 season wasn’t starting anytime soon, I soon decided to start watching the 2016 season, as a prequel to my start in f1. I was now very familiar with each of the teams and drivers, so, to get an idea of where they were before I started, was exciting. Making my way through the season, my intentions began to shift, and my train of thought was something like the following:
Me: That’d be cool to see hamilton coming in as the young buck and see what kind of impact he had on the sport when he first started.
Me: Actually, to see Alonso come in on the scene dethroning Schumacher that will then lead to Hamilton’s arrival would provide some good context.
Me: Maybe i should go back to When Schumacher started, to get the full impact of Alonso coming in to dethrone him.
Me: Well, If I’m going back that far, Might as well go to when Senna started, to preface Schumacher’s arrival.
Me: Shoot, I’m already going back to 1984, and this Archive only goes back to 1981, so I guess I’m going all the way back.
I Ultimately decided that during the f1 summer break of the 2016 season, I would go back to watch all seasons from 1981 back up to 2016 and pick up after summer break 2016. So, from march 2020 to just a few weeks ago, Feb 2022, I managed to watch all reviews, highlights and full races from 1981 to 2017.
The similarities and differences of f1 back then to now are sincerely astounding. Hearing Murray Walker in 1981 refer to F1 critics who say there isn’t enough overtaking to seeing drivers lose control of their cars due to exhaustion.
It was these moments that astonished me into sharing my findings. While there are many F1 fan sites that provide the history, stats, names and numbers, my aim is to provide concise depictions of each race while highlighting moments which I thought were critical in making F1 what it is today.
Join me in my “speedrun through F1” series as I post race-by-race rundowns of each race from 1981 to present, exploring the metagame, safety evolutions and the things that never seem to change in the world of formula one.
