Bandwagon.
It’s a word I’ve heard a million times as a female Formula One fan.
I love Formula One and have for about four years now. Sure, I like the popular teams but seriously, they’re popular for a reason.
If only liking the popular team was considered being on a bandwagon then everyone would be on a bandwagon.
Every time I talk about any of the teams I like to a guy, I just get made fun of when 90% of the time they like the same teams that I do.
“You like Ferrari because of Leclerc.” “You only like Norris; you don’t like McLaren.” “You just find the drivers attractive.”
What if I said that I don’t like McLaren because of the drivers’ looks but because their performance? What about Ferrari? Their performance isn’t always the greatest but I like the team because it has so much potential to be good again.
Just the other day I had a conversation with a guy about F1 and he asked who I liked, so I said my top three: McLaren, Ferrari and Redbull.
His actual response was, “Bandwagon.” Yet he also responded that McLaren was his favorite team. But it’s only bandwagon when it’s a woman’s favorite team, right?
According to thecurrent.com, 40% of Formula One fans are women, which is a significant increase. And the female audience is going to continue to grow.
I love that we have female representation in the F1 community, even if it means putting up with the name calling and hate.
According to racingnews365.com, there have only been five women to compete in a Grand Prix. While F1 academy is all female drivers, there are still no female F1 drivers.
It’s not always about being targeted with statements of finding drivers attractive or liking the popular teams, though.
It legitimately feels like if you don’t know what Ayrton Senna ate for breakfast before the Monaco Grand Prix, then you aren’t a real fan. OK, maybe I’m being a little overdramatic, but am I really?
It gets insanely annoying when I feel looked down upon by them when I’m just trying to enjoy and understand the same sport that they enjoy. However, it’s not the entire male audience that acts this way. Some are accepting.
Even if I’m still learning some things, there’s nothing wrong with that.
A majority of sports fans are male, however that doesn’t mean a woman can’t enjoy sports. Especially racing.
However, there are actual bandwagon female fans. It ruins the image of all the other female fans that actually enjoy and understand the sport. It makes us look bad and I feel like are the main reason us female fans aren’t taken seriously.
There is always going to be bandwagon fans in every sport no matter what. But why do guys care so much about females enjoying F1?
There are male fans in female sports but you don’t see females complaining, making fun or teasing them, do you.
I seriously don’t understand what the big deal is. I just want to be able to enjoy my favorite sport without feeling like I don’t belong just because I’m a woman.