#IAMSTORIES - Liam
As Aston Martin gets set to return to the Formula One grid for the first time in over 60 years, we’re bringing fans into the heart of the story. Your passion and support drives our team forward, and in this new series, we’re giving you a platform to share your I / AM Story.
For Liam, living in England, a childhood fascination grew into a life-long passion and an eventual love for Team Silverstone. Here, in his own words, Liam shares his I / AM Story.
My parents always watched Formula One when I was younger, so that was my first exposure to it. I remember going to testing at Silverstone when Damon Hill was driving for Jordan [in 1998 and 1999] - my mum was a massive fan! That test was in July 1998 and I remember watching Hill getting it wrong at the old Bridge section at Silverstone. I was lucky enough to meet Jean Alesi and Johnny Herbert too!
I was a bit too young then to fully appreciate Formula One, I couldn't watch a race without going into the garden and doing my own race. I think what did get my interest was the speed of the cars, the incredible sound and the thrill of overtaking. As I grew older, I started to appreciate technology and engineering. Even looking back now at the 2000s-era cars, it's incredible to look and trace the development through to the modern-day machines. Seeing close racing is always a thrill and now it's matched by amazing off-track social media content and the Formula One community online too.
But for me personally, Formula One also brings my family together. When we're all off work, it's something where myself, my sister and my parents sit down to watch, talking about everything, supporting our favourite drivers and just experiencing Formula One.
I've always been a massive Kimi Räikkönen fan and the highlight was him winning the title in 2007 but I'd become a true Force India fan by the end of the 2009 season once it was clear he was leaving Formula One. But that journey began initially at the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix. I remember Adrian Sutil doing an amazing job and being set for fourth until Räikkönen made contact with him. I was so frustrated for both drivers but I gained a soft spot for Force India.
I love Team Silverstone for the underdog spirit and how it battled resource issues to fight against the bigger teams, every double-points finish and fourth-place placing in the Constructors' Championship meant so much.
The arrival of Aston Martin means so much to me, it's awesome to see this team grow and put itself in a strong position.
Picking a favourite moment from my time following Formula One is very difficult, but I'd probably pick Sergio Perez winning the Sakhir Grand Prix last year. Lance Stroll also did an amazing job to get third place and make it a double podium. What a sign-off for the Racing Point era!
But there's also been so many other great moments, such as Lance's race in Turkey last year. It was a brilliant 32 laps and a 1-2 for Racing Point for so long. It was a shame it didn't finish that way, but it was such an achievement and a thrilling race.
There's always tough times too, whether it's a mistake, a DNF, or a moment of bad luck, but the way this team responds to setbacks and comes back stronger is one of the best parts of supporting Team Silverstone.
The arrival of Aston Martin means so much to me, it's awesome to see this team grow and to be able to put itself in a strong position for the new generation of Formula One in 2022.
I've felt a part of the incredible journey ever since the team started interacting with me on Twitter. I'm also very excited by the fact that our fanbase is growing. I've made some amazing friends on this ride and I want to give them a shoutout too! It's amazing to be able to say I'm a fan of the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team.
This team has always gone the extra mile for me. In 2019, I had a flag made up for two races I was attending and I asked for it to be signed by Sergio and Lance. The team took it all the way to Abu Dhabi and seeing Sergio post about it on Instagram was incredible.
"I want to say thank you to every member of the team who makes us all proud to support you. I will always support Team Silverstone and I'm excited about the future."
All entries have been edited for clarity.
