Your first-ever Formula One grand prix to watch on Television was?

[strad]

First televised race I remember was Monaco on ABCs Wide World of Sports.. somewhere in the 60s.
edit: according to wiki it musta been 1962 and it was so cool after only being able to read articles.

[Just_a_fan]

Raymond Baxter

I first remember RB's broadcast of the (1960) Belgian GP starting with the 2 bad crashes (British drivers) in practice
(and 2 crashed fatally in the race)

then at the French GP RB showed us Chapman delaying the starter (a works Lotus was being rewelded on the grid)

Wiki tells us that the 1960 Belgian GP was 36 laps 316 miles (not the usual 24 laps) .... and that ....
Graham Hill retired his BRM in the pits after 35 laps - had he pushed over the line he would have been classified 3rd

That's the guy, couldn't remember his name.
From what I recall it was mostly watching trees or the same stretch over and over. Still more than we saw at the track though

Ah, Raymond Baxter. Flew Spitfires (and Mustangs) in WW2 and was "mentioned in dispatches" on a number of occasions. Was one of the voices of British TV for many years, doing the big stuff such as HM Q's coronation, Churchill's funeral etc. and was Mr Tomorrow's World for many years. Definitely one of the old school, with a long and varied career, and much missed by those who remember his style and delivery. I can hear him now.

Actually, here he is at the end of his career in the late 90s (he died in 2006) doing a commentary on the 1958 F1 season. Some nice bits of historic footage in it.

[feni_remmen]

Side stepping the questionable reliability of the story we tell ourselves, I’ve concluded that the first TV Grand Prix I focused real attention on is long beach 82. A Saturday arvo highlights package one week after the event. Easter school holidays. I know the room I sat in. The 126C2 LOOKED AMAZING. I’m sure I’d seen bits and pieces before then. I want to say it might be Jarama 81 or even Monaco 79 but they seem like wistful dreams with nothing firm to grasp on to.

[nzjrs]

I remember Hakkinen crying beside Imola in 1999 but my first memory should have been a few years earlier than that.

Ive no memory of senna however.

[SiLo]

The one that sticks out was the 1996 German Grand Prix. I can just remember my dad shouting at the TV when Bergers engine blew. I'm sure I watched earlier ones even in 1995, but that one is the TV one that I can actually remember.

[Big Tea]

The thing in UK was that only home and one or two specials like Monaco were usually covered, and it was included as part of 'grandstand' which was 99% football and cricket focused with 0.5% boxing. It covered the start sometimes, which showed the cars driving toward the camera, then often just skipped to something else with the commentator coming on ad giving news updates.
Such as, X was leading by 20 seconds from Y, but has had to pit with a puncture. He is back out in 5th place 95 seconds behind and gaining. It would then show some 'stock footage' of said driver, and back to football. at that time I was young and Saturday was usually to valuable to watch TV. No recordings then, you watched or missed it.
Even when the coverage improved I recall being very irate when something like Monaco GP was on and and local coverage switched to watch rain falling on a deserted cricket field for half hour or people on tennis courts under umbrellas chatting to each other about what they did a month ago.

Some hate Bernie, but we can thank him for the way we see F1 now

[jjn9128]

For me it would have been 93ish though probably from birth. I remember bits of 94/95 like Senna and Hakkinens accidents and the Schumacher/Hill clashes. 96 was the first season I sat to watch in its entirety.

The thing in UK was that only home and one or two specials like Monaco were usually covered, and it was included as part of 'grandstand' which was 99% football and cricket focused with 0.5% boxing. It covered the start sometimes, which showed the cars driving toward the camera, then often just skipped to something else with the commentator coming on ad giving news updates.
Such as, X was leading by 20 seconds from Y, but has had to pit with a puncture. He is back out in 5th place 95 seconds behind and gaining. It would then show some 'stock footage' of said driver, and back to football. at that time I was young and Saturday was usually to valuable to watch TV. No recordings then, you watched or missed it.
Even when the coverage improved I recall being very irate when something like Monaco GP was on and and local coverage switched to watch rain falling on a deserted cricket field for half hour or people on tennis courts under umbrellas chatting to each other about what they did a month ago.

Some hate Bernie, but we can thank him for the way we see F1 now

The grandstand coverage might be why I only recall bits pre-96. I think that was the first year the BBC did full coverage?

Bernie through the 80s and 90s was great. I think towards the end though the money went to his head and he lost sight of fans involvement. Just look at "social" media interaction since.

[hUirEYExbN]

.... snip ....

The grandstand coverage might be why I only recall bits pre-96. I think that was the first year the BBC did full coverage?

Bernie through the 80s and 90s was great. I think towards the end though the money went to his head and he lost sight of fans involvement. Just look at "social" media interaction since.

I remember full grand prix and season coverage from 92 onwards on the BBC. I think that's the year I started watching with intent rather than just catching highlights and news.

[Just_a_fan]

.... snip ....

The grandstand coverage might be why I only recall bits pre-96. I think that was the first year the BBC did full coverage?

Bernie through the 80s and 90s was great. I think towards the end though the money went to his head and he lost sight of fans involvement. Just look at "social" media interaction since.

I remember full grand prix and season coverage from 92 onwards on the BBC. I think that's the year I started watching with intent rather than just catching highlights and news.

92 was Mansell's year, of course, and the interest in a possible British champion made getting the coverage on TV so much easier. Before then, it was often niche, as already mentioned, although I do remember 86 and the Adelaide tyre failure. But that was likely because it was the race at which people expected Mansell would take the title that year.

[Sieper]

F1 was televized in our sunday evening "Studio Sport" broadcasts here in NL in the 80s (when I was a small kid). Next to Billiards, cross country cycling, cycling, dress horse events athletics. Football was the main star of the show offcourse. It wasn't super extensive but the did show all the critical moments of a race. Then in 1994 I watched the whole season. Rooted for Jos Verstappen (and Michael ofcourse). But the years after that I followed it more via magazines and the occasional race. Then it was back to watching Studio Sport where again the race synopsis were being shown, Mightily impressed by Lewis, not so much by Vettel somehow (whilst it was just the small synopsis anyway). The other Dutch drivers struggling for a seat could never capture my attention but since Max bursted on to the scene I am watching every sliver of material I can see. Fan again.

[jjn9128]

I remember full grand prix and season coverage from 92 onwards on the BBC. I think that's the year I started watching with intent rather than just catching highlights and news.

According to Wikipedia European races live from 90s with highlights of other races, the first full season was 95, races and quali in 96. Before itv took over. I do remember occasional interruptions during the races for Steve Rider or Des Lynam to summarise some football or cricket result.

[NathanOlder]

I remember Hakkinen crying beside Imola in 1999 but my first memory should have been a few years earlier than that.

Ive no memory of senna however.

Looks like your memory is slightyly out, as it wasnt Imola

[saviour stivala]

I remember Hakkinen crying beside Imola in 1999 but my first memory should have been a few years earlier than that.

Ive no memory of senna however.

Yes. It was 1999 but ItalianGP Monza prima variate. (Hkkenen: real men never cry). At that time many thought it as unfair for TV camera to film him when he had obviously tried to find somewhere quite to be alone. I did feel for him when he was shown throwing-up and crying behind the bushes.

[Manoah2u]

Well though I don't really know for sure, since my father always watched F1,
but i'm pretty sure around the season of 1989 F1 began 'installing' on me, with one of the most handsome looking f1 cars, the Lotus 101 in Camel Yellow.
Mansell, Piquet, Prost, Senna. Names I already knew by then and Senna and Mansell were my favourite picks with Senna the absolute legend.

Offcourse the death of Senna has been marked in my mind, as a child slightly traumatized as he was my absolute hero somehow,
and probably because of that I remember Senna most in his Williams overall and car, despite full well knowing and remembering his Mclaren battles with Prost.

Likewise Mansell in the blue Williams with the red 5, despite having driving in other teams. Also, I remember Prost more in Ferrari red, than in Mclaren colours.
Same for Berger and Alesi, imprinted to me in Ferrari. Piquet in Benetton. Schumacher a bit more Ferrari, but also a lot of Benetton in my mind.
Hill @ Williams, Villeneuve @ Williams. Hakkinen in West Mclaren colours. Jos Verstappen in Red-Blue Arrows Footwork.
Guys like Letho I believe in a White and blue Tyrrell. Frentzen in a very dark blue Sauber with RedBull logo.
Herbert in a Benetton. Ratzenberger in the Simtek. Panis in a dark blue Ligier.
And the hugely failed Prost F1 team.

stuff like that is how my memory serves 'classic' F1 to me.

If you'd ask me how I memorize current F1?

Good question.

Vettel @ RedBull.
Alonso @ Ferrari.
Hamilton vs Rosberg @ Mercedes.
Button @ Mclaren.
Failed Williams.
Pink Force India.

I have far more 'precious' memories of 'classic' F1 than current F1.

That said, there are some golden memories. Button with Mclaren @ Canada 2011. Button winning the championship with BrawnGP.
Hamilton winning the championship over Massa.

Oddly enough, despite thinking Verstappen is one of the most promising and exciting drivers in the current f1 generation,
there is little impact on me yet. Likewise LeClerc.
For example, Bianchi was one of the drivers I was looking forward to a lot. More so than LeClerc and even Max.
Ricciardo despite being fantastic is fading a bit in my memories.

What I really do hope is that we're going to get more exciting F1 as of 2022.
As much as I respect Hamilton for his dominance, it's really getting boring.
Same with Schumacher in his Ferrari days. It was absolutely glorious, but at some point it got a bit bland and predictable.

What i'm saying is i think it's hard to decypher your 'first' f1 experience/memory.
I think it's much more how you memorize or what your earliest memories of F1 are, whether correct or not,
it shows how F1 has been imprinted on somebody.

It's interesting though to see how 'new' F1 fans are experiencing this right now.

[Stu]

For me it would have been 93ish though probably from birth. I remember bits of 94/95 like Senna and Hakkinens accidents and the Schumacher/Hill clashes. 96 was the first season I sat to watch in its entirety.

The thing in UK was that only home and one or two specials like Monaco were usually covered, and it was included as part of 'grandstand' which was 99% football and cricket focused with 0.5% boxing. It covered the start sometimes, which showed the cars driving toward the camera, then often just skipped to something else with the commentator coming on ad giving news updates.
Such as, X was leading by 20 seconds from Y, but has had to pit with a puncture. He is back out in 5th place 95 seconds behind and gaining. It would then show some 'stock footage' of said driver, and back to football. at that time I was young and Saturday was usually to valuable to watch TV. No recordings then, you watched or missed it.
Even when the coverage improved I recall being very irate when something like Monaco GP was on and and local coverage switched to watch rain falling on a deserted cricket field for half hour or people on tennis courts under umbrellas chatting to each other about what they did a month ago.

Some hate Bernie, but we can thank him for the way we see F1 now

The grandstand coverage might be why I only recall bits pre-96. I think that was the first year the BBC did full coverage?

Bernie through the 80s and 90s was great. I think towards the end though the money went to his head and he lost sight of fans involvement. Just look at "social" media interaction since.

It would certainly explain my earliest memories of seeing it (1978 on), if asked I would have been certain that (even as a part of Grandstand) there was decent coverage before 1992, I can recall knowing about later ground effect cars (post skirt ban), turbos on the rise (Mansell mania part 1), the final years of Brabham (as a winning team), Senna at Lotus, Maclaren domination. I wouldn’t have been aware via written media (only had enough disposable income for mags, etc from 1988 so must have been watching on TV. The Murray and James show....