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vivwritesfics · 4 months

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please do a max and carlos love triangle i don’t care what the plot or theme is please i just need one 🙏

again, i'm so sorry this took so long

2016. Max Verstappen was just eighteen. It was his second year in Formula One, second year in the Red Bull junior team. Just the year before he'd broken so many records, giving the world a glimpse of what was to come.

2016. Carlos had spent years working his way up to F1 and he was finally there. He had two solid seasons with Toro Rosso, driving alongside Daniil Kvyat and Max across his career. He was twenty one, turning twenty two soon, and he knew his time with Red Bull was coming to a close.

2016. She was so determined to win the GP2 championship, and the only thing standing in her way was Pierre Gasly. She was the reserve driver for Ferrari, and got to attend all the F1 races she could.

That was where she met Carlos and Max. They watched as she walked across the track in her Ferrari racing overalls. It was one of the rare weekends where she got to drive a few laps for Ferrari during free practice.

They both wanted her, and but they'd never get a chance to speak to her. Not until the next year anyway.

In 2017 Carlos was still driving for Toro Rosso. It was going to be his last season with the team, whether he knew it or not.

With only two seasons with Toro Rosso under his belt, Max was promoted to Red Bull, to drive alongside Daniel Ricciardo.

Carlos and Max had been best friends during their Toro Rosso days together. But that had all ended.

It was such a stupid reason too. They rarely got to see her, only on those few weekends where she ended up driving for Ferrari, whether that was in free practice or an actual race.

But they'd invited her out to the club where they could, in the countries they could all legally drink in. Barely knowing the boys she'd accepted it, used it as an excuse to get to know the boys better.

On one night out she'd ended up kissing Max. But it was nothing. She moved on with her life without giving it another thought. Max didn't move on or forget it, but he didn't bring it up or mention it again.

On the next time they were in the club, she kissed Carlos. He was smug about it for weeks. Both of the boys were into her, and she maybe didn't realise it, but Carlos bragged. It was why Max swung for him once, why the relationship between them went sour.

In 2017, she was promoted to Sauber. A chance to show the world of Formula One what she could do. She was at the back of the grid, racing closer to Carlos than Max.

Of course, she still didn't notice the tension between the boys. The three of them were close now, actual work colleagues.

Things got tensed between the tree of them. Y/N didn't know why, of course, but it was undeniable. When Carlos was promoted to Ferrari and she to Mercedes, their fights on track became more frequent.

She didn't know they thought about their individual nights with her almost constantly. Well, not until they had her in the club between them, the three of them grinding up against each other as she and Max sloppily kissed and Carlos attached his lips to her neck.

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petit-papillion · 21 days

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These are the 296 GTS Carlos and Charles will be driving in Miami. As mentioned in the precious videos, Charles will drive the Azzurro La Plata and Carlos will be driving Azzurro Dino.

Wait, wait, wait, hold on. Did I miss something? They gonna drive them when? Some kind of a drivers parad or what?

My first thought was that these will be the cars they drive to and from the track every day. Like last year Charles drove a silver Ferrari and Lando captured this lovely video of him on the way to the track:

🎥 f1vero

But it really makes more sense that they would use them for the Drivers' Parade, because they've had some pretty cool Ferraris in Miami in the past. Here is Charles at the 2022 Miami GP in a Ferrari Monza GP2:

📸 reddit/mshorts

And last year Carlos had to join Charles in his Ferrari 348, because there was something wrong with Carlos's car:

📸 XPB Images, Mark Sutton

In case anyone missed it, here is the video where they talk about Charles and Carlos driving the blue 296 GTS's in Miami:

#those cars are going to look amazing on track #💙😍💙#charles leclerc #carlos sainz #miami gp drivers parade #ferrari monza gp2 #ferrari 348 #ferrari 296 gts #lando norris #anon ask

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blorbocedes · 2 months

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resharing riddle of rosberg by Will Buxton, because OP who originally posted it deactivated, and it's a very interesting read. since WB recently talked about how he didn't like Nico until they had a breakthrough moment and he realised that's his German sense of humour, this contextualises how people perceived Nico. Buxton wrote on Nico back in 2014, which covers his early GP2 career, the 2014 F1 season and provides a fascinating insight into Nico’s character. Highlights below:

I can’t recall the first time I met Nico Rosberg. All I remember is that I despised him, everything he was and all he represented: the cock-sure, entitled, bolshy son of a world champion. No grace, no humility. Wafting in, a blur of blonde hair and arrogance. A Formula BMW champion yes, but only a few F3 wins and just three years in single seaters gave what I held to be little foundation for such seeming conceit. I disliked him intensely. It got to the point where I held such disdain for him that I would actively seek for our paths to not cross… which was fairly hard given I was PRing the championship in which he was racing. I’d simply ask someone else to grab his quotes for me. They always seemed to be able to pull more out of him anyway.

Nico Rosberg had been quick from the outset, and watching his racecraft develop as the season went on became a growing point of emotional turmoil for me. He was so impressive; seemingly effortlessly rapid and blessed with a precision that was metronomic. But I just couldn’t like him. I wished he’d been a good guy, one I could get excited about. But instead I felt huge sadness that such a wonderful talent had been given to a guy who was apparently such a Class A prat.

I recall the low point only too well. He was breezing past on his way to dinner. His team-mate Alexandre Premat had topped qualifying, and I’d used the staggeringly unoriginal press release headline of “Premat Powers to Pole.”

“Why don’t I ever “power” to anything?” he pointedly sneered as he walked past.

I looked up, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Then it hit, and I wondered why he was being so petty. The headline was simple alliteration. I had probably or would probably use “Rosberg Reigns” at some point of the season on the back of one of his wins. It was just Nico being typical Nico.

“Dick!” I whispered under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

Later that night, I needed to talk to his then-PR guy Karsten Streng and hopped into the ART truck to find him.

“Karsten, can we have a chat?”

Out from behind his race overalls jumped Nico.

“Oh, so you don’t want to speak to me then? Huh? What’s that all about? You’d rather speak to Karsten than to me?”

I turned on my heels and walked out.

Karsten ran after me.

“Will, man, you can’t let that get to you. You know he’s only joking, right? Just fire it straight back at him. He’ll love it. He’s really a fun guy… honestly. But if you don’t give it back to him he’ll think he’s got the high ground. He loves a challenge.”

The next day Nico sent some pithy comment my way, so I turned around, flipped him the bird and winked. “Fuck you Rosberg.”

He looked taken aback. I broke out in a cold sweat. This was not behavior becoming of the championship’s press officer. Had I just managed to ruin any relationship I might have had with the man destined to be our first champion?

A smile broke across his face, and we never had a cross word again. Indeed, we started to get on really well. At the end of the season I received a package to my home, from Monaco. In it was an ART team shirt, signed by Nico, thanking me for my support. I had it framed, and it remains one of my most treasured pieces of memorabilia from my career in racing.

Nico was the most savvy driver I ever worked with. Stepping down from the podium after winning the GP2 title, he spoke to the awaiting press in turn, each in their own language. I’d only ever seen him in individual language press briefings, and to see him utilise such cool and calm intelligence so soon after the elation of what was at the time the most meaningful moment of his career left me astounded.

But therein lies the deepest issue with Nico Rosberg. He isn’t just smart. He’s the sort of smart that makes the rest of us question if we’re quite as clever as we thought we were. And at times it can be his undoing.

I’d seen his intelligence and need for the high ground cause him trouble time and time again in interviews, even in the GP2 days. The interviewer would sit down, all smiles, ready to start the conversation. But Nico, fearful of being on the back foot, would fire retorts and wrestle control of the interview back into his own hands. He would put the interviewer at ill ease in order to make himself feel more comfortable with the situation. What resulted was a terrible interview, and the prevailing opinion of Rosberg being precisely the one I’d drawn when first we met: that he was cocky and arrogant. When I came back to journalism in 2008 I had booked a sit down with him at Williams and for the first 2 minutes of the interview, that’s exactly how he was: back against the wall, stand-offish, arrogant, unlikable. I switched off the Dictaphone and asked him if he was going to carry on being a prick or if we could do this properly. He looked sheepish, apologised, and we picked back up with what ended up being a great interview.

All of which led to a question often asked: is Nico Rosberg too smart for his own good?

It’s a question that has come back again this year.

Many will point to Monaco as a stand-out point of the season. I always felt Rosberg was smart enough to pull off that stunt in qualifying, but I never believed he was that cynical or cold. To be a world champion takes more than intelligence and speed. As I argued over Multi-21 last year, while we may hate to admit it, what marks the champions out from the also-rans is the ability to be a complete bastard when the moment arrives. In Monaco, Nico was the bastard and turned that qualifying controversy into a race win that had the ability to completely shift the tide of the season.

That it didn’t, however, is his own doing.

Lewis Hamilton is widely regarded as one of the best qualifiers in modern Formula 1. And yet, with a dominantly fast car at his disposal, he has lost the Pole Trophy to Nico Rosberg, the German amassing 10 poles to Hamilton’s seven. That metronomic precision has played into the Rosberg’s hands on many occasions this season, and more often than not it has given him the upper hand going into the race. On Saturdays at least, Rosberg has proved beyond doubt that he has the pace. But he hasn’t turned that Saturday pace on regularly enough in Sunday’s race.

Mentally, what happened in Budapest was also a tremendous shock. Hungary should never have affected him as much as it did. Perhaps it all comes down to how much brain capacity we consider Nico Rosberg as having, but that August break should have been used to move on from what he perceived as injustice, and start the second half of the season fresh and with total clarity of mind. Rosberg used all of that mindfulness, however, to focus on the negatives and came back to Spa with it still playing on his mind.

That incident on lap 2 of the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix has been poured over to frankly ridiculous degrees. To me, it was a nothing moment. Rosberg could have backed out, Hamilton could have given more room. That both went into it so pathetically ultimately resulted in the damage it did. If Rosberg had truly wanted to teach Hamilton a lesson then he should have gone in hard. That he didn’t is the only reason that Hamilton’s tyre was sliced. Any intent, and Rosberg would have snapped his front wing, bouncing it off the side of the Briton’s tyre. Hamilton would have stormed off into the distance while Rosberg was forced to switch his wing.

I argued at the time that Rosberg needed to embrace one side or the other. He needed to be a hero or a villain, because if he was neither, he risked becoming nothing. And so it emerged after the race that he had told Hamiton he had allowed the impact to happen. A step towards becoming that villain? Perhaps, but it wasn’t enough. And that’s the big sadness of his season. He has been so fast and so consistent, but his inability to pick a side and his attempts at being all things to all people has led to him being left wide open to attack from all sides.

The way he interacts with broadcast crews is an incredible illustration of this. In Monza, in speaking with me on American television he spoke in confident and unashamed tones despite his apparent dressing down by the team over Spa. With the Germans he was the same… almost bullish. And then to the British TV and radio crews, his shoulders slumped forward, his head bowed down, his tone was full of contrition and regret. What he was saying was no different to what he had told the German or international crews, but the way it was said was at total odds with how he had been just 10 seconds before.

Just as in Bahrain at that GP2 finale 10 years ago, I stood in awe. So savvy, so intelligent to his audience… but perhaps, in this instance, a reflection of him trying to be just that little bit too smart.

The thing is, he can be so charming too. He has a dry and sarcastic wit, which can sometimes be played out with a deft finesse. In America and Brazil, he started to have a very subtle jab at his championship rival by adopting Lewis Hamilton’s apparent mot du jour. In almost every interview, Rosberg would drop in a little comment about how “blessed” he felt. Shrewd. Subtle. At times, however, he can be a total child. In Hungary this year I was running from my commentary position to the GP3 podium to conduct the post race interviews. Time is tight at the best of times, but when I arrived at the swipe gates I felt an arm around my waist pulling me back. At first I thought it was an over-zealous security guard. But no. It was Nico, giggling away with a huge grin plastered across his face.

Should he be crowned 2014 Formula 1 world champion, be it through double points or, let’s hope, a barn-storming wheel-to-wheel thriller, some will still argue that Nico Rosberg does not deserve to be world champion. With them, however, I would disagree. Lest we forget, this is the only man who, over the course of a full Formula 1 season, finished ahead of Michael Schumacher as a team-mate. As if to reinforce the point, Rosberg achieved this giant toppling feat not once, but thrice.

His out-and-out pace in qualifying this year has been insurmountable. That he has won the inaugural Pole Trophy is evidence of that. So we know he has the pace, we know he has the temperament to win races, and we know that on occasion he can embrace his inner bastard and drive with the ruthlessness that sets world champions apart.

Nico Rosberg has shown repeatedly in 2014 that he possesses the attributes shared by the best of the best. We should not deny him his glory should he be confirmed as such on Sunday.

#will buxton straight up was writing how nico is a manic pixie dream girl #essential read for nicologists #nico rosberg #will buxton #nicology #longform article

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umlewis · 3 months

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lewis hamilton during the press conference on day three of pre-season testing, bahrain - february 23, 2024 (transcript under the cut)

Journalist: "What changed between the summer and the decision to make the call for Ferrari?" Lewis: "Obviously in summer we signed and obviously I, at that time, saw my future with Mercedes, but an opportunity came up in the new year and I decided to take it. It was obviously the hardest decision I think I've ever had to make. Obviously I've been with Mercedes for… I think it's, like, 26 years they've supported me, and we've had an absolutely incredible journey together. We've created history within the sport, and it's something I take a lot of pride in. I'm very proud of what we've achieved. But I think ultimately I'm writing my story, and I felt like it was time to start a new chapter." [time jump] Lewis: "For every driver, I think, growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up and you see the driver in the red cockpit and you wonder what it'd be like to be surrounded by the red. You go to the Italian Grand Prix and you see the sea of red, of Ferrari fans, and you can only stand in awe of that, and it's a team that's not had huge success, really, since… Mostly, obviously, from Michael's days, but since 2007, and I saw it as a huge challenge, and without a doubt… Even as a kid, I used to play on GP2 as Michael in that car, so it definitely is a dream and I'm really, really excited about it." Interviewer: "Lewis, have you ever been to Maranello? Lewis: "I have not. I bought my first Ferrari in 2010, I think. That was my first present to myself. I don't have it anymore, but I didn't get to go during that time. Being with Mercedes, I didn't think it was a good look to go, at the time." Journalist: "Are you on Duolingo already? Are you planning to have lessons? What's the game plan with that? Thank you." Lewis: "In all these years, I've not managed to learn any other languages, so… But of course I will definitely try. I do remember when I was karting in Italy and I was able to pick up a few lines, and so hopefully that will come back to me pretty quickly. But just to go back to, just about the new chapter… This chapter's still not finished. I'm still 100% focused on delivering for this team this year and trying to finish on a high. That's a big, big goal for me and the team, and I have absolute faith in everyone in the team and, what we've done so far, I think it's great, so I really hope that we are somehow able to close the gap to the Red Bulls, somehow." Journalist: "Can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with Fred? How important was he in your decision? Was he the only guy that could have convinced you to go there?" Lewis: "I've got a great relationship with Fred. Obviously I raced with him in Formula 3, and we had amazing success in Formula 3 and also in GP2, and that's really where the foundation of our relationship started, and we just always remained in touch. And I thought that he was gonna be an amazing team manager at some stage and progress to Formula 1, but at the time he wasn't interested in that, and it was really cool to see him step into the Alfa team, and then when he got the job at Ferrari I was just so happy for him. And I think just the stars aligned. It really wouldn't have happened without him, so I'm really grateful and really excited about the work that he's doing there and… Yeah."

#lewis hamilton #f1 #formula 1 #fic ref #fic ref 2024 #not a race #2024 not a race #pre-season #pre-season 2024 #testing #testing 2024 #bahrain #lando norris #valtteri bottas #lance stroll #esteban ocon #logan sargeant

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37sommz · 13 days

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✼. THRU SPACE 'N TIME | GRID DYNAMICS.

NOW PLAYING: michaela's grid dynamics. ✼. view:⠀masterlist⠀⸻⠀join the taglist⠀⸻⠀request.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀ALEXANDER ALBON.

Bonding over their mutual dry sarcasm, Alex and Michaela are another underrated pairing on the grid. Though not exceptionally close when compared to their other grid friendships, there is a lighthearted respect for one another that underscores all of their interactions. Michaela regularly voiced her missing Alex’s presence on the grid during his brief hiatus from the track and Alex claims Michaela was the first driver to congratulate him upon his return. As regulars on each other’s personal Instagram profiles, they’ve subtly played into fans’ expectations of a monthly Albon dump on Michaela’s secondary page.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀FERNANDO ALONSO.

Fernando is admittedly one of Michaela’s racing heroes. Aside from his clear talent, Michaela has been vocally in support of his “villain” approach to racing, though she admits she doesn’t have half the courage needed to pull off some of his stunts. On Fernando’s end, he has always identified Michaela as a blossoming force on the grid who would be capable of domination if given the right team behind her.

It’s a little-known fact that Michaela’s signing with Aston Martin was actively encouraged by Alonso who insisted the team allow the two drivers to compete against each other for points. In his view, the two would flourish in an environment where they were encouraged to outplace each other. To Fernando’s credit, his approach has worked pretty well for the team in its development of a more competitive reputation on the grid, for which Michaela has repeatedly thanked him.

As teammates, the two spend a considerable amount of time together having grown quite comfortable in each other's presence. From the occasional humorous quip during press conferences to their iconic tiktoks, Fernando and Michaela's partnership has been her most successful at the Formula One level.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀PIERRE GASLY.

Of all the drivers on the grid, Michaela shares the most extensive history with the Frenchman. As her first teammate after joining Prema to race in the GP2 series in 2016, Michaela has not been shy about expressing how thankful she was for Pierre’s consistent inclusion of her in a sport that had been continuously unwelcoming. Though their beginnings were an awkward mix of pubescent introversion, by the end of their season together Michaela was a regular guest with Pierre’s family when her own family could not make the flight from Australia. Accordingly, Michaela is quite close with Pierre’s mother, Pascale, who is never seen without a #37 pin on race weekends.

The next three years of their friendship would be strained by Pierre’s move to Super Formula in 2017 while Michaela remained at the Formula Two level. Their friendship would recover, however, after Michaela was selected for the 2019 grid as a driver for Alfa Romeo. Since then, Pierre has continued to be one of Michaela’s most vocal supporters, regularly extending cheers her way through passive comments during press conferences.

However, their close comfort with one another is often mistaken for a bitter rivalry. especially after a particularly tense moment at the 2022 Monaco GP where Pierre pulled off a choppy overtake with Michaela calling him a “cunt” over the radio. The swirl of rivalry rumors never seems to fully go away with their limited interactions on race weekends, but their dual-family dinners tell the full story.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀LEWIS HAMILTON.

As the two black drivers on the grid, the two have always been silently protective of one another. In a similar vein to her admiration of Fernando, Lewis has always been Michaela’s greatest motivation in believing that she was capable of reaching Formula One despite the matters of her race and gender. Accordingly, Lewis was the first of the senior drivers to pass his personal number to the driver in her rookie season.

To this day, the two conduct quiet check-ins with each other whether grabbing a gourmet lunch in Monaco or sitting front row at Fashion Week. One of the more underrated pairings, the other drivers recognize the unique bond the two have and marvel at Michaela’s ability to chip away at Lewis’ guarded exterior.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀CHARLES LECLERC.

Another set of former teammates, Michaela and Charles were admittedly not very close during their time at Prema in Formula Two. The running joke of “Sommers falls just short behind Leclerc” rings uncomfortably true for the Australian who first experienced a taste of Il Predestinato’s reign after finishing 2nd in the Formula Two Championship. Though that simple fact never bothered her much, the media storm that continues to cloud over any semblance of tension between the two bothers her to no end.

As the two have matured past that tense 2017 season, they’ve found common ground in the issues that frustrate them within their careers. Similar to the sense of pressure she shares with Max, Michaela shares a passionate frustration with Charles in the face of a less-than-beneficial strategy. In particular, Michaela’s second season at McLaren and Charles’ 2022 season with Ferrari brought the two almost infinitely closer as they bonded over not the nicest words vented about their respective teams. In fact, Charles was the one to convince Michaela to take a risk in signing with Aston Martin after the 2022 season, a decision he never lets her forget turned out quite nicely for her driving style.

Aside from their shared tempers, Michaela and Charles spend quite a bit of time together privately, frequently attending tennis matches alongside their partners—and Pierre. Their friendship is a fan favorite though the two rarely publicly outside of Instagram comment sections and press conference giggling.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀LANDO NORRIS.

Though Lando and Michaela have known each other since 2014 when they both competed in the Ginetta Junior Championships, it wasn’t until their rookie Formula One season that the two exchanged their first words. While Lando fervently claims that Michaela was quite removed from the other drivers in the championship, they both know the hidden truth of Lando’s bashful shyness in the face of the then taller, more competitive Australian. Despite the rocky start to their friendship, their first two seasons in Formula One were marked by a noticeable growth in recurring bits and shared inside jokes.

That growth was initially spelled out to be a dream pairing for McLaren after they signed Michaela to a two-year contract in 2021. Placing two extraordinarily talented drivers with a rare competitive respect for one another seemed to be the right choice for the papaya team until the two actually began racing during the 2021 season. Disaster for the two drivers quietly drew closer throughout the bulk of their first season as teammates with glimpses of the future lying in terse shoulder checks after particularly competitive races.

The discord between the two McLaren drivers became clearer in 2022 after Michaela publicly voiced her frustration with their overwhelming support of Lando despite her outperformance of the British driver in all but two races in those two long years. The tension between Michaela and the rest of the team came to a head in Sao Paulo when she was ordered to give way for Lando to pass her into 3rd place so she could defend against Carlos in 5th. Despite begrudgingly following the orders, Lando would collide with Leclerc to receive a penalty and be forced to retire later on with gearbox failure. With a new order to compete for points, Michaela would win the race but be left to celebrate on her own with the rest of the team retiring early to discuss adjustments with Lando.

After the season closer in Abu Dhabi, Michaela would sign a joint statement with McLaren stating she would not be pursuing another contract with them and would instead be joining Aston Martin. The disastrous season for the Australian only stifled her friendship with Lando who found himself less than happy with the grudge she would hold against him for their entire tenure as teammates. In the two seasons since then, the two have spoken on short occasions in attempts to repair their friendship. Though they seem to be on less bitter terms with one another, their interactions are kept brief in public between tight-lipped smiles and the very rare return of an old joke.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀DANIEL RICCIARDO.

As the only Australians on the grid until Oscar’s promotion in 2023, Michaela and Daniel bonded over their mutual distaste for English cuisine and endless homesickness. Admittedly a bad influence, Daniel brings out Michaela’s wild side often dragging her along into his X-rated jokes and late-night adventures in the cities they visit.

Though their vibrant friendship is frequently exploited for PR purposes on Drive to Survive and Formula One promotional content on YouTube, the two prefer being matched up together due to their similar energies. Michaela’s image, carefully crafted by her Press Officer Beata, always comes tumbling down as she giggles at Daniel’s shenanigans, letting out the off-color expression with the ease of a wide smile adorning her face.

The normal tense in her shoulders naturally relaxes whenever Daniel enters the room who is more than aware of his calming effect on the younger Australian. Most recently, the two have attempted to indoctrinate Oscar in their more extroverted ways. Michaela in particular has taken Oscar under her wing at press conferences in her own way of simulating the state of ease Daniel places her in.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀CARLOS SAINZ.

Before 2023, the extent of Carlos and Michaela’s interactions was limited to shared eye rolls across the press conference room and a rare Sommers-faulted crash at the 2021 Canadian Grand Prix. Though fans mourned the lack of interaction between the two favorites, their friendship suddenly burst onto the public radar after Michaela appeared in one of Carlos’ vlogs in early 2024.

Since that surprise appearance, they’ve been somewhat unsuccessful at hiding their shared camaraderie in the public eye. Giving into the public demand for their interactions, Carlos and Michaela have slowly opened up about their friendship, giving the occasional insight through seemingly empty comments. Though not much is known about just how close the two are, it’s frequently pointed out that Michaela was a guest at Carlos’ sister’s wedding despite not being publicly announced as one.

Privately, Carlos is possibly Michaela’s closest friend on the grid with Carlos Sr. even musing that he had hoped the two would get together, much to their mutual genuine distaste for the idea. In Michaela’s own words, Carlos is the only driver she trusts with her precious puppy Tilly. Carlos has casually echoed that sentiment claiming that the two push each other to continue to be at the top of their performance, encouraging each other through the roughest of times in both their career and personal lives.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀YUKI TSUNODA.

When Yuki first entered Formula One, there was an unspoken expectation that he would get on quite well with Michaela. Paradoxically, the two bring out the absolute worst in each other. Amongst the glaring jabs thrown at each other in press conferences, there lies an animosity that both intrigues and bewilders everyone in and around the Formula One world.

The discord between the two shortest drivers was placed center-stage through a screaming match in the pits after Yuki spun out of a turn, taking Michaela with him and handing them both a DNF in a critical race for the Australian. Since then, the two racers have done their best to exchange as few words as possible, keeping the strife cold for the sake of their teams’ best interests.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀MAX VERSTAPPEN.

If you asked the other drivers if they thought Max and Michaela would have gotten along, they all would have responded with resounding dissent. Despite the odds, however, the two have only become parters-in-crime through their time competing against each other. As two naturally ultra-competitive people Michaela and Max have bonded over the pressure they both feel to deliver—admittedly in different ways—every weekend. Though most of that pressure is relieved in late-night rants over the phone, they do find levity in making fun of the press every chance they get. As such, the two are rarely placed next to each other in press conferences unless they’ve finished with a very familiar Verstappen-Sommers podium.

Max is another driver who’s particularly vocal about his support of Michaela’s “trailblazing”. Though the media frequently attempts to bait him into forced high praise of the Australian driver, he makes it a point to call out journalists who center her gender in a less than well-meaning way. One of the more iconic Mickey and Maxie moments came after Max shut down a reporter fishing for an unflattering story while ignoring her glorious winning finish.

Off duty, the two spend quite a bit of time together whenever Michaela finds herself in Monaco. Joining him for simulation streams and being pictured spilling their secrets over drinks has led to an abundance of deranged shippers and secret romance rumors. The two find the fun in the rumors, playing up their dynamics when they become aware of fan presence during their private outings. However, they’ve both been more than clear that their friendship is nothing more than that, leaving no room for their partners to be harassed by crazed fans.

✼. taglist:⠀@evie-119 @lavisenri @doodlehunz @thearchieves @pamacs-macs @hwalllllllelujah @d3kstar @thewannabewriter @vogueprincess @cha-hot @certifiedlesbianbaddie @nichmeddar @bxdbxtxh

✼. note:⠀if you are listed here but are not receiving notifs, pls let me know!

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ef-1 · 7 months

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WHERE is the AD18 post you liar 🤕 jk ilysm pls take your time I'm just curious

sorRY I FORGOT OKAY

let me preface this by saying that there really wasn't anything notable about AD18 (Fernando was "retiring" but we knew that for months in advance, Charles was replacing Kimi at Ferrari but we knew that for months in advance, it was Daniel's last race at RB but we also knew that for months in advance etc) most of what I feel about that weekend is probably nostalgia but. It was the ✨️vibe✨️ the vibe was so immaculate. Drivers used to say that the last race of the season feels like the last day of school but 2018 really just captured that sentiment, no one wanted to be there but in the best way possible you know?

Formative event for me personally was Sebastian and Lewis trading helmets. I think what makes #sewis compelling now is how far they've come. But how far they've come also has the added disadvantage of neutering and sanitising what Seb and Lewis were back in the day. I mean 2018 literally started in Aus with Lewis telling Seb he wanted to wipe the smile off his face. At the beginning of 2018 Lewis was a 4 time champion, tied with Seb. Seb said again and again and again that he had a vested interest in Lewis not winning anymore championships, for his sake and for the sake of protecting Michael Schumacher's record. Anyway it was like. WILD and heart-warming and a very big deal

Re: Fernando retiring. So like. At that point, his last race of his career*, Fernando had already shat on McLaren in literally every fucking conceivable way, calling the engine an f2 engine (gp2), when asked about the very expensive updates on his car he replied "feels good. Much slower than before. Amazing". And ofc in AD18 he couldn't leave without one last jab, his race engineer was trying to gas him up to fight for p10 and he's like "you can fight for that 1 point ☝️ Fernando🔥🔥 1 point is on the table💯" to which he replied "👹I HAVE 1 THOUSAND AND 8 HUNDRED POINTS⁉️👹"

Re: re Alonso retiring, they painted him an ugly ass mural (support artists pls but it looked funny) in the driver's meeting room and during the important drivers debrief while Carlos was giving a lecture about safety or something Daniel lost it and Fernando filmed him losing it

nothing will ever go harder than this im afraid + obvi it was the champions sending Fernando off with 🍩 but fate is a fan of aesthetics so Kimi who was supposed to do donuts with them retired from the race (I think it would have thrown off the composition of the photo with 2 red cars so I'm glad)

Lewis offering Seb a Monster and Seb replying "I prefer Red Bull" (<-I Died that day)

During the last Team Principal conference of the year, of course they sat Christian and Cyril next to eachother. And of course they asked him about losing Daniel and the renault engine, to which Christian decided the best way to answer that question is to remind Cyril that while they're both basically the same age, when Christian was the youngest TP in F1, Cyril was working in the kitchen 😭

In conclusion it was chaos and I loved it so much and it will forever hold a v special place in my heart

#2018 was very very VERY painful but AD was beautiful and iconic and bitter-sweet and for the history books #f1 #daniel ricciardo #lewis hamilton #sebastian vettel #fernando alonso #Christian Horner

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thissying · 3 months

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📷: Frits van Eldik NOS Sport

'At his first introduction to autosport, Max already went like a comet.'

A rainy day in the summer of 2013, somewhere deep in Wales. Jos and Max Verstappen arrive at the Pembrey Race Track in complete secrecy. The youngest Verstappen - 16 years old at the time - reports to Dutch GP2 team MP Motorsport, which has been active in (international) motorsport for 20 years. Team boss Sander Dorsman meets him. Max Verstappen is introduced to motorsport for the first time among the sheep and birds. “He immediately went like a comet.”

Motorsport commentator Allard Kalff approached MP Motorsport in 2013 at the request of Jos Verstappen. If they want to participate in a car test for Max. It must remain secret. It can not happen in the Netherlands and prying eyes are unwanted. The Verstappens do not want any publicity. Son Max is still a world class driver in karting at that time. There shouldn't be any pressure when he gets into a racing car.

The location for the secret test in Wales is chosen because MP Motorsport engineer Tony Shaw had previously been there with two young lads: the current Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and former world champion Kimi Räikkönen. The landscape is mainly dominated by sheep and birds. "Tony Shaw said after the first test day: Max handled it better than Lewis and Kimi did," Dorsman remembers Verstappen's first appearance in a racing car.

Track record “The first day of the test was quite difficult,” Dorsman continues. "It rained a lot. Max picked it up fantastically. The next day it was drier. He immediately smashed the track record. That was also impressive. And for us it was nice that exactly a year and a day after the test in Wales he won his Formula 1 contract. For everyone who worked with him, that was of course great. So young and already that good. Things can happen quickly."

Birds hit In the anniversary book about twenty years of MP Motorsport, Verstappen himself writes that, mainly, he was nervous. "I didn't know what to expect at all. There were sheep and birds everywhere. I think I also hit a lot of birds. I felt like the car sounded very loud."

Dorsman: "Looking back, they were just two very special days. The way I remember it, he didn't seem nervous at all. When he arrived, we walked around the circuit. We also drove around the circuit in his father's car. Everything to prepare him well. You start from scratch with a boy like that. It went well, very well."

Dorsman now also sees Verstappen on the circuits surrounding the Formula 1 races. The GP2 class is the gateway to the premier class in motorsport. The team boss has seen many drivers come and go in recent years. Max Verstappen is going to make himself heard a lot more, in his opinion.

"He has had a fantastic debut season and now has to follow through. His strength this season will be that he has much more experience in Formula 1. He can benefit from that." According to Dorsman, it is easy to explain that the 18-year-old Verstappen sets the bar high for himself in his second year. "That's a family trait. He got that from his father. Max gives 100 percent to everything."

Future In his second year at Toro Rosso, Verstappen is being watched by all the major teams. The question is what the Dutchman will do after this season. "There is pressure on him to continue to perform. However, that applies to every top athlete. And Max is familiar with that feeling from his time in karting. He had to improve there every season, too. If he can achieve his goal of 100 world championship points and a podium place, that is great. In any case, he will continue to surprise everyone," Dorsman is sure.

#f1 #max verstappen #max lore #my post

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chibrary · 8 months

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The Chrimer: 2015, F3.

Everyone loves a good rivalry.

Charles and Max's karting history could-- and probably will-- be their own primer, but for Charles' 2015 season only one part really matters: Max jumps from F3 to F1. This casts a long shadow on Charles as his childhood karting rival.

Charles spends most of the year getting asked about seeing Max compete at the highest level of motorsport, like in this segment from a South China Morning Post article about the 2015 Macau Grand Prix:

For his part, however, Leclerc is keeping the focus on what’s right in front of him, rather than on what the horizon might offer as he sets out to tackle the tricky Guia circuit for the first time, knowing, of course, the greats of racing who have gone out there before him and still with comparisons to former VAR – and current Formula One – star Max Verstappen ringing in his ears. “I am taking things step by step,” says Leclerc. “I want to arrive in Formula One when I am more than ready and Formula 3 is a good choice in that I can learn and develop. And I raced Max all through my karting years and we fought each other at the finish, so I have always had the comparisons with him and I am okay with them.”

The jump to F3 is a last minute surprise: Charles had originally been tipped for a full-time Eurocup spot. Eurocup would have been more of the Formula Renault 2.0 level of competition Charles had experienced the previous year; F3 was considered a promotion.

In an interview, Charles was asked why he decided on F3 instead of Eurocup:

"After the season of last year, my manager and I thought that it would be better to jump to F3! Firstly, there are 3 races per weekend and 11 weekends so we drive a lot and so we gain a lot of experience! Then loads of drivers were planning to do it! And I felt really good in the car and the tests went well."

Surprisingly, Charles picks to race for Dutch team Van Amersfoort in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship like Max did the previous year. He essentially steps into his former rival's spot, replacing Max as team leader and taking his former engineer. This was allegedly on Jos Verstappen's suggestion, but there isn't much reference to that connection out there that I could find.

This doesn't help the comparisons.

Formula Scout-- in their 2015 Driver Profile of Charles-- would write:

Leclerc marked himself out as a real prospect in karting – so much so he topped our 2012 ‘karters to watch‘ feature, ahead of Verstappen. But it’s never a foregone conclusion that a successful karter will make a successful car racer. [...] Those performances suggested he would be capable of stepping up to F3, particularly as his old rival Verstappen had made it look easy and didn’t have the benefit of a year of car racing experience. And so he has proven to be. It’s still early days, but Leclerc has so far been the class of a large crop of rookies and taken the fight to proven F3 winners with multiple years of experience already under their belt. His early performances are on a par with what last year’s star rookies Esteban Ocon and Verstappen were doing – in fact, his record of two wins and five podiums from the first six races replicates the 2014 champion’s start. If he keeps it up, he will deserve to be held in the same high esteem as them a few months down the line.

They would ultimately summarize Charles' future as so:

While he’s got plenty in common with his old karting rival and Van Amersfoort F3 predecessor Verstappen, a lesser reputation and sensible management mean he’s unlikely to be making the jump straight up to F1 next year. He will therefore need to sustain this impressive form into an intermediate category like GP2 in order to make the grade.

Even with the comparisons to Esteban and Max, Charles still appears to be able to joke with both at the beginning of the season.

This lightheartedness would be needed, especially when Max was the special F1 driver guest for one of Charles' podiums:

Charles would start the season strong. As a rookie, Charles would top the morning running at the pre-event test of the opening round weekend by nearly half a second.

In true Charles fashion, he's unable to take the W:

"A good day," said Leclerc at the end of the test, after reviewing the results and drawing conclusions. “We have learned a lot, both about the set-up for qualifying and for the race. However, this does not mean that I am automatically one of the leading drivers this weekend as well, testing and racing are two different things. But needless to say, it's my goal to do it."

He would bring this momentum into winning in Silverstone, Hockenheim, Spa-Francorchamps and Nuremberg. I find the races themselves a little dull to break down race-by-race, but if you're interested.. an anon has provided video of every race here.

Charles would explain that:

“We arrived at the first race quite confident but obviously there were still had doubts from some people who didn’t know me when I arrived for testing. We were really fast from the first race which was a bit of a surprise because I was a rookie among all these experienced drivers so they didn’t really expect me. But from another point of view we were prepared, we worked hard and after testing it wasn’t that much of a surprise for us, how we went. We were quite confident.”

However... Charles' season would become inconsistent after a crash in Zandvoort with Lance Stroll would damage his chassis in a way that could never be correctly repaired.

Jules would pass the next week.

Charles would only podium once more during the remaining season, five months later in Macau.

He is quoted as saying:

“It is a good result, but I am never happy when I'm not first. Since I was a child I was never happy when I wasn't first. So, it is the still the same.”

Charles would end up finishing the season in fourth place behind Felix Rosenquist, Antonio Giovinazzi, and Jake Dennis. He'd still have 4 wins, 13 podiums, 3 pole positions and 6 fastest laps, making him the rookie champion over future F1 competitors George Russell, Lance Stroll and Alexander Albon.

Formula Scout would summarize his season:

VAR, like most, couldn’t keep up with Prema in the later part of the season but Leclerc seemed to lose some individual sparkle too. That’s forgivable for a teenage rookie though, particularly with the early-season highs becoming impossible to match. And no young racer should have to say goodbye to a life-long friend and mentor mid-season. Leclerc might not have been champion but he was F3’s standout talent in 2015.

Even with the issues in the later half of the season, he was still tapped to go into GP3 with Todt's team, ART Grand Prix. And he had some lighthearted moments:

(Behind the scenes footage here.)

One of the most lasting legacies of this season, though, is how it would set up the rest of Charles' career.

Charles did go into 2015 with very few sponsors outside of Todt. In a pre-season assessment, Formula Scout summarizes his off-track relationships:

No doubt assisted by the Bianchis’ tutelage, Leclerc signed with Todt Jr’s All Road Management firm in 2011. At present, Leclerc has no ties to F1 teams, but through his work with Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado and Bianchi, Todt has dealt with most of them and will be very well-placed to get his protege a role when the time comes. A potential stumbling point is that most F1 teams are already overflowing with some serious sub-F1 prospects, but if he continues to impress as he’s doing at the moment, they could begin falling over each other to find a space for him. Funding-wise, Leclerc benefits from partners usually tied to Todt’s projects, and watch maker Richard Mille (currently a sponsor of the Lotus F1 team) is his loyal main backer. And you’d imagine that being billed as a future F1 star from Monaco could well tempt some further future investment.

Lance Stroll would spend most of his single-seaters career against Charles as the Ferrari-backed driver until 2015, when he left to take a development driver role with Williams.

By this point, the Ferrari Driver Academy was heavily scrutinized to the point where it was speculated that they would do away with the initiative entirely. While Red Bull's junior program had brought Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kyvat to its senior team, no driver from the FDA had successfully made the jump. At the end of 2015, Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene decided to appoint a new head and restructure the program entirely.

Charles was rumored to be the next addition to the Ferrari Driver Academy in November 2015 as part of these changes; by December, articles were already talking as if the signing was inevitable.

In 2020, Charles would talk about visiting Maranello for the first time-- not as a friend of Jules'-- that year with his father:

I went with my father to Maranello (the home of Ferrari). I was 17 years young and extremely shy. I was scared because I didn't know if I was good enough to be included in the programme.

He was. He would end up impressing Ferrari in his two days of testing.

They would announce Charles as a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016, setting up both his next year and the rest of his career.

#year:2015 #vgp:topic #series:f3euro

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distantlaughter · 6 months

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Rising Rosberg primed to emerge from old friend's slipstream

Originally written 22 March 2008 by Alan Henry for The Guardian (x)

German's podium finish last week showed he is ready to resume a decade-long rivalry.

It was the most touching moment of the Australian grand prix weekend. Lewis Hamilton was wiping away the perspiration of victory behind the podium when he spotted his old friend Nico Rosberg, similarly flushed after an impressive run to third place, his best finish in formula one.

Suddenly Hamilton leaped forward and gave Rosberg a big hug and the two of them jumped up and down in frantic delight. For a brief moment they were no longer young professionals in their early 20s, racing in big-time formula one, but the young karting drivers they had been a decade earlier.

"It's great to see Nico up here with me for the first time since our karting days," said Hamilton enthusiastically after showering his old rival with champagne. But Hamilton's memory was clearly playing tricks. "I didn't like to say it at the time," said Rosberg, "but he had forgotten the 2004 formula three Bahrain international in which Lewis and I finished first and second. I then went on to compete in GP2 the following season while he did another year in formula three before moving up into GP2 in 2006."

Rosberg has a matchless pedigree. The son of the 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg, only the second driver to take the title at the wheel of a Williams, Nico was born four days after his father won the 1985 US grand prix in Detroit in a Williams-Honda. Nico recalled that he always had a really good relationship with his father, even though Keke could be very critical "although in a constructive way…"

"But my father helped me a lot and didn't intervene when I took the decision to pass up the opportunity to come to study at Imperial College in London for a degree in aerodynamic engineering," he said. "I think he could see that by then I'd made my mind up to pursue my racing career and I realised that I couldn't do both because I'd lose too much momentum if I went to university. So my father didn't say anything and just sat back and let me make my decision for myself. I think in the end he was just pleased that I'd come to a conclusion by myself."

The younger Rosberg started competing in 1996 at the age of 11, winning the Cote d'Azur mini-kart championship. He continued racing karts to the end of 2001 then switched to cars, winning the ADAC formula BMW championship with nine race wins. Many formula one insiders now regard Rosberg as among the most promising emergent stars of what some already call "the Lewis generation".

"Nico [and] probably Sebastian Vettel are the two drivers most likely to get in Hamilton's way to prevent him winning seven straight world championships," said the pundit Martin Brundle, not altogether seriously, in the Sepang paddock yesterday. Yet the point was well made.

After Fernando Alonso left McLaren last season, Rosberg was at the top of their wanted list as a new team-mate for Hamilton. But Frank Williams was not interested, rejecting a substantial offer from McLaren to buy out Rosberg's contract and rewarding the young German driver with an extension to his existing contract to the end of 2010.

"Finishing on the rostrum for the first time is an important milestone in every driver's career," said Rosberg, reflecting on his performance in Melbourne. "It's right up there with your first front-row start, scoring your first championship points and, of course, your first win, which I have still to achieve."

The Williams management consider Rosberg to be a chip off the old block, with many of the qualities that made his father so popular. The team have not won a grand prix since Juan Pablo Montoya triumphed in Brazil in 2004, and Jacques Villeneuve won their last world championship in 1997. "It's probably a bit much to expect Nico to have anything more than an outside chance of winning a race this year," said a team insider, "but Frank has great faith in him."

Rosberg agreed: "We are under no illusions as to where we are in the overall pecking order. To be honest, I don't see this as a launch pad from which we can make a bid for race wins. Not yet, anyway. We can't get over-confident just because we got a podium. The fact is we are still the fourth best team behind McLaren, Ferrari and BMW, so the best place we can finish realistically is seventh.

"That's our reality, as bad as it sounds. So we need to be careful and not be disappointed if we're suddenly running in seventh. And we also need to be careful because the teams behind us are very close - Renault, Toyota, Red Bull. It is not an easy situation."

#nico rosberg #nicology

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siiiiiiilvia · 2 years

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Sebchal from 2016 to 2022

Text for the vid

-If you could pick any former/current Ferrari driver to be your teammate who would it be?

-Sebastian Vettel as I could learn a lot from him.

——Charles Leclerc in 2016

I think he has proven enough. His speed in GP2 (actually F2) has been quite incredible.

——Sebastian Vettel in 2017

-Do you expect him to be your Ferrari teammate in the coming season?

-I don't see why not.

——Sebastian Vettel in 2018

When I sat in the simulator for Ferrari, Sebastian always sent me a text message and thanked me for my work.

——Charles Leclerc in 2018

Charles is very fast.I even told his mother when I met her: "Your son is a nice lad and a good driver."

——Sebastian Vettel in 2019

In these days, having a driver like him at my side has already allowed me to grasp some of his strengths.

——Charles Leclerc in 2019

You are the most talented driver I came across in 15 years of F1. Don't waste it.

——Sebastian Vettel in 2020

Thank you for being who you are. I really, really enjoyed being your teammate for two years. Top driver and a Top Man.

——Charles Leclerc in 2020

I congratulated to Charles that he made such a great lap. I told him that he should look in his rare mirrors because I am coming.（Spoke in German but was translated into English)

——Sebastian Vettel in 2021

Seb has always had nice words for me. We just had a very good relationship.

——Charles Leclerc in 2021

So hopefully the car would be good enough for him to fight the title this year until the end.

——Sebastian Vettel in 2022

If I became the driver I am, it is also thanks to what Seb taught me.

——Charles Leclerc in 2022

#Sebchal #archive for my vid #text and pics #still can’t imagine that there is no more Sebchal next year…

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blorbocedes · 3 months

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Did your Fernando should win anon skip his McHonda and later Alpine days? That mans love to bitch about the shit cars he drove. 😭

didn't he famously say his mchonda would be faster on a gp2 engine 😭😭😭

I don't mind Fernando's whining because he's circling dante's inferno and it's very funny

#blorbocedes ask

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umlewis · 3 months

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lewis hamilton is interviewed after his first f1 qualifying session, australia - march 17, 2007 (transcription under the cut)

Lewis: "I was fairly relaxed. I think I probably surprised myself, how relaxed I was. There is a lot of pressure on me from the outside, the world, and from everyone in here, from the team, but at the end of the day I put more pressure on myself to succeed. I wanna win in this business. I'm not here to finish second, and so… But there's a certain way you have to do it. You can't go in all guns blazing, wanting to qualify on pole in your first qualifying session. You need to go step by step, and I think fourth, you've got a good pit strategy. We are quite ready, and so I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Interviewer: "Are you starting to feel at all the pressure of all that extra expectation?" Lewis: "Probably the biggest shock is just how much attention you get. When I leave the paddock or when I'm in the paddock, everyone's looking, and it's obviously just trying to just have tunnel vision and try not to make too much eye contact and get distracted." Interviewer: "What was the first exchange you had with Fernando Alonso after that session finished?" Lewis: "Immediately. When we finished we were on the weighing scales, and he was just behind me, and he tapped me on the back and said congratulations, and same for him. He did a great job. I think we've both done the best job we probably could do for the team, and I think we've both, again, got good strategy, so we're in good step." Interviewer: "What is gonna be the approach? What is gonna be the mindset? We're all familiar with your GP2 style of competing and racing. Do you carry that sort of style into Formula 1?" Lewis: "I think so. At the end of the day that is my style, but it's a lot harder to overtake in Formula 1, let me assure you that. So all these people said, there's no overtaking in Formula 1. It's extremely tough. You lose so much downforce, and the thing is when you're able to carry so much speed through corners, you just lose that aero balance and you're almost tiptoeing when you're beind someone, and it's so easy to come off and make a mistake." Interviewer: "You've dreamt about the day, you've dreamt about the opportunity. What do you expect the first few laps, certainly, to be like?" Lewis: "I hope it's similar to what I've expected before in GP2. I'm pretty sure… No. I'm sure that all the drivers are extremely professional, as they were in GP2, and so there should be quite a steady first lap. Hopefully we get a good start, but it's all about having a clean first lap, and then carrying that on and just keep on pushing. I'll be pushing 110% all the way." Interviewer: "Well it's the best qualifying performance by a British rookie driver on his Formula 1 debut in well over fifty years, so that's one target achieved. What is the target for the race?" Lewis: "Target for the race is obviously to score as many points as possible, but… I'm trying to take things step by step, so scoring as many points as possible. Whether that means a podium or not, we don't know, but if I'm out of the top three, still, if I get points that'd be great. But a podium, then a win. It's got to move on from that way." Interviewer: "It's going great so far. We wish you the best." Lewis: "Thank you very much."

#lewis hamilton #f1 #formula 1 #australian gp 2007 #flashback fic ref #flashback fic ref 2007 #australia #australia 2007 #australia 2007 saturday

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