Is Formula 1 racing a redneck sport in Europe?

[Zetona]

In America Nascar (our equivalent to Formula 1 i guess) is considered a "redneck" sport. Basically its biggest fans are under-educated, lower class, rural country folk. Most "intelligent" people consider a fondness for it to be a "lower class" pastime. Is it the same in the UK or Europe in general? Do upper-middle class snobs look down on it?

I don't think the primary draw to an F1 event is the crashes.

At least NASCAR lets drivers pass each other. (I watch both series religiously.)

It always pisses me off to hear that NASCAR is a backwards, dumb sport that's all about the crashes. I hear this a lot since I live in a liberal New England town, the sort that loves their American football (a sport I don't care much for.) From what I've read in recent weeks about American football, there is a surprising emphasis on the hard hits that have recently become outlawed. It seems to me that American football fans have no right to say "NASCAR is all about the crashes", but they do anyway, the hypocrites.

To answer the OP: If you're watching NASCAR for the crashes, you're watching it wrong. I think the whole "redneck" view came about because the sport originated in the South and has a Southern fanbase. What eventually became Formula 1 started in France, but the French have done so badly in the sport that there's not really a goofy cheese-eating platoon of French drivers and fans to make fun of. And the F1 fanbase has no identifiable "center" other than Europe and Brazil. It's hard to stereotype such a diverse group.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Nope. In fact, it's more elite than anything. It's not really about the driving, more about the engine and the pits. Takes incredible patience to watch, but with proper commentary it's fantastic.

So, no. Not by a long shot.

Think of it less as "racing" and more "competative engineering"

Well, you know, if that were the case Kubica and Petrov, Rosberg and Schumacher, Alonso and Massa would've all been equal.

And they're not.

So there's still some racing to be found.

 

[hudsonzero]

Does Europe have rednecks, or are they called something else? I don't mean people who are called imbeciles and what-not. Perhaps some term that isn't used in the States?

well in England it depends on where your closer to scottland or dover on who you insult

Is the term redneck used? My ignorance led me to believe it was an American term not used by others.

no we don't use the term "redneck" the closest term we use varies from county to county. but the most common one is chav

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

At least NASCAR lets drivers pass each other. (I watch both series religiously.)

Is that a subtle poke at the Schumacher-Alonso incident at Monaco this year or just an outright comment on Monaco and Singapore every year?

 

[ThePantomimeThief]

No, Formula 1 isn't redneck or lower class, in fact it's pretty high society in places (the Monaco Grand Prix for instance is seen as one of the classic races, and that's pretty much as decadent as you can get). It's also bloody expensive to go see as well.

As for Rednecks, there isn't really a British thing similar. The closest we have is the pikey gypsy community I guess, but even then it's very different and an extremely contentious topic. Can't speak for the rest of Europe though, because we're all extremely different in terms of our social groups and I don't really know enough about it.

I think football is probably the closest in terms of a working class sport, but then again it's massive for everyone regardless of class or social identity, it's one of the reasons why football is so amazing. Some fans are bloody mental, though, and I've learnt to avoid any derby game (rival teams from the same city or area), ever.

 

[GrinningManiac]

Nope. In fact, it's more elite than anything. It's not really about the driving, more about the engine and the pits. Takes incredible patience to watch, but with proper commentary it's fantastic.

So, no. Not by a long shot.

Think of it less as "racing" and more "competative engineering"

Well, you know, if that were the case Kubica and Petrov, Rosberg and Schumacher, Alonso and Massa would've all been equal.

And they're not.

So there's still some racing to be found.

Naturally. Hence why I put 'less as "racing" and more "competative engineering"' rather than 'not "racing", but "competative engineering"

The racing is ever-present, but not the sole aspect, unlike NASCAR (though I'd guess the car would have SOME importance even then)

 

[Rblade]

Closest thing to a european redneck would probably be people living in trailer parks. which can be found in some places. But you have to understand that europe is a more diverse place then the US, not in any kind of bad way but countries in europe are more different then states are in the US.

Soccer is regarded as mostly lower class, probably. although it draws fans from every layer of society but it's pretty cheap to do.

people in trailer parks would probably go to, i don't know, dirt bike racing.

if you had to devide sports by socialclass we pretty much just have upper class and 'the rest'

upper class being field hockey, golf(although it's getting more mainstream), tennis(to a degree) and ofcourse the ridiculously expensive stuff like polo.


and more specificly about the F1. Yes, it's very big on the engineering. these cars cost millions and millions. they are specificly attuned before every race depending on track, weather conditions. Tactics are based around the amount of gas at the start, number of pitstops, type of tiers. Ofcourse the, who corners best and has the most guts behind the wheel is a part but engineering is defenitly a big slice

 

[Babitz]

Not really. All kinds of folk like F1. Well, at least in Croatia.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Naturally. Hence why I put 'less as "racing" and more "competative engineering"' rather than 'not "racing", but "competative engineering"

The racing is ever-present, but not the sole aspect, unlike NASCAR (though I'd guess the car would have SOME importance even then)

I thought Nascar was very pit-dependent. Haven't seen any races in years.

 

[Jonluw]

As far as sports go, I think Formula 1 is considered quite sofisticated. If the "rednecks" of Europe were to watch one motorsport, it would probably be motor cross, rally or touring cars.

As for our version of rednecks... I wouldn't know any ones the English use, but here in Norway, we normally use "molbo"(a person from a specific part of Denmark) as a derogative term. The word is rather outdated now though: I haven't seen it used in ages.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well you wont find a direct equivalent of rednecks (religious fanaticism, ignorance, intolerance, incest, ...), but there is no shortage of mentally challenged monkeys.
These are mostly found midst the hordes of football fans (football -> the game where they kick the ball with your foot, which in America translates to soccer...).
But these fans aren't much different from random bar thugs, they will only come to an event looking for a fight, the "fan" part only serves as an excuse to provoke the opponent and go ape sh*t crazy.

 

[llamaquest101]

Formula 1 isn't even an equivelant to nascar as nascar is only really liked in some parts of america where as F1 is liked worldwide. like american football and soccer or baseball and cricket.

 

[Fozza]

It's not a redneck sport I suppose. In sweden it's not very popular however, or that is, as far as I know. You see it regularly on the T.V but no one actually seem to watch it.

 

[Samuel Cook]

I've always known F1 to be quite an upper-class sport. Going to see it costs loads, and everyone I know who watches it is very comfortable.

 

[Snowalker]

Wasn't the point of that fucking South Park episode that the sport isn't a redneck sport? and that people who think it is are actually the stupid one? Or am I did I miss the point?

 

[GrinningManiac]

Naturally. Hence why I put 'less as "racing" and more "competative engineering"' rather than 'not "racing", but "competative engineering"

The racing is ever-present, but not the sole aspect, unlike NASCAR (though I'd guess the car would have SOME importance even then)

I thought Nascar was very pit-dependent. Haven't seen any races in years.

I don't claim to know much about the sport

If I'm actually honest, I found out most of what I know about NASCAR in the Pixar film "Cars"

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

I don't claim to know much about the sport

If I'm actually honest, I found out most of what I know about NASCAR in the Pixar film "Cars"

I totally can't relate to that.

[small]I totally can.[/small]

But, they did pit there and it was quite important.

 

[WanderingFool]

I dont care for NASCAR because its the same fucking thing for several hours, perfect described in a Jeff Dunham bit. I dont think of it as a Redneck sport though.

*Edit*

Wasn't the point of that fucking South Park episode that the sport isn't a redneck sport? and that people who think it is are actually the stupid one? Or am I did I miss the point?

There was a South Park about it? Damn, I need to start watching that show again...