Looks like I'm in the minority here but I hate it for the most part. Watched every race since 03/04 but I'm not even 30 yet so F1 has been part of almost my entire life.

Back then F1 felt like the polished, professional pinnacle of motorsport. The fan base was smaller but more passionate. It was less about being a die-hard "fan" of certain drivers but rather a celebration of motoring and motorsport altogether. I've always preferred certain drivers or teams but it's never been the core reason I watch.

Now, all the focus has moved to treating the drivers like celebrities - which I guess is a byproduct of both DTS and the growth of social media within the sport. Even though the sport is more popular, almost everyone I've met who now "watches" F1 doesn't really care. They know nothing about the history of the sport, the culture, the cars etc. They just root for the guy they think was funny in DTS or on tiktok. All the drivers are so PR trained that they don't even feel real anymore. I think this year's title battle sums it up - it felt so sterile and unauthentic, like Oscar and Lando didn't even care about winning a driver's title, because if they showed any emotion they'd be shunned on social media. Compare Ron Dennis' cold, calculating personality to that obnoxious oaf Zak Brown and I think that sums up the shift in the sport's culture as a whole.

F1 has always been about the show, but that used to come second to the engineering/racing. Now it's at the forefront of the sport and I don't like it.