#'this is the best team dynamic on the whole grid!!'

[skitskatdacat63]

"Tell Lance my break balance suggestion, as I am now, I think it's a good help"

+ bonus, what comradery does to a man

[moonkkives]

- ( NEWSFLASH! )

pairing: max verstappen x fem!reader, charles leclerc x platonic fem!reader, driver!reader

summary: charles can’t tell what’s worse, having to deal with ferrari or having to see his two best friends pinning on each other.

warning: fluffy!, charles wingman this time <3, mentions of banging someone’s head against a metal door <3

word count: 635

them: sundress, zoo culture

author's note: daniel back in the grid? hello? <3 also can we please talk about how f1 official social media is ignoring nyck like he’s the plague?

also, send any requests/ideas for this story if you have any! these are my babies right here 😭

max had hit a new low, charles noticed.

like, he was never one to effectively hide his feelings for his teammate; but this was starting to become a problem.

in part for his well-being, because, to be honest, if he looked at max’s lovesick eyes filling you every move when you weren’t looking he was going to throw up.

both metaphorically and physically.

but also, it was slowly but surely starting to affect his racing career �� you just worked too well together. way too well.

it was one thing that red bull being an absolute rocket ship. it was another, however, when your connection to your teammate so deep that it was a huge task to be able to get past both of you on track.

you move in synchrony all of the time, easily switching between defending and attacking

your dynamic was pure magic, as david croft had mentioned many times in the past.

you were both aware, because, how could you not? terrorizing the rest of the gird had become your whole personality.

“better luck next time charles, hopefully!” “yeah, that ferrari is certainly— some thing else.”

pierre always laughed at charles’ face after.

and charles always pinched your arm in revenge.

but honestly, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t happy for you. he couldn’t think of anyone else more deserving to be in a top team at the moment.

similar to max, charles and you also went way back. only that you became best friends from the get go.

so, you can imagine how much charles has suffered for the past million years watching both of you blindly pin on each other.

you might we’re talented, but you sure are oblivious as fuck.

fast forward to today, he felt lando fake a gag right beside him as they were walking towards their cars to get ready for the pre-race driver’s parade.

“are you seeing that?” lando asked, “disgusting.”

charles chuckled, eyes setting on the pair that had undoubtedly catched the eyes of many people on track.

you were both walking ahead of the group, side by side and in your little own world. max was laughing at something you had said.

it probably wasn’t even that funny, but charles wasn’t going to go there.

max responded to your comment, making you let out a chuckle and softly push his arm. but a smile on his face, he took the chance and confidently wrapped his arm around your shoulder.

he heard lando let out a low teasing “ooh”.

they both watched as you trailed your fingers down his back, before wrapping it around his waist.

this time lando let out a surprised laugh, “ooh—“ he started, “that was cheeky.”

charles laughed, slapping his arm “mate, you’re being too loud!”

lando ignored him, eyes glued to both of your figures as you walked side by side, arms in arms. “she’s getting confident! did you see that little—“ he said, imitating your previous hand movement down max’s back “little thing. baby’s gonna get her man!”

he could now hear albon’s laugh coming from behind them, having now caught up on the gossip. albon pushed lando from behind.

charles shushed them both, however, his eyes were gleaming with amusement. “can you guys be any more obvious!”

lando groaned, “oh, come on! someone has to tell them!”

“absolutely not.” charles refuted, just like he had since day one, “they’ll figure it out themselves.

albon raised a brow at him, “how are you so sure?” he asked, now walking beside him and lando

charles chuckled, “because,” he started. “if they don’t, i’ll bang my head against a metal door.”

with his eyes still on you, charles couldn’t help but smile at the ways your arms were wrapped around each other, heads angling to meet in the middle and footsteps synchronized.

you were going to figure it out, charles thought, you had to. . . right?

[vettelsdarling]

𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

Lissie note… Here’s the winner of the poll (winner of this season as well)! Anyways, so sorry for my absence… hope this makes up for it❤️

Summary: Reader used to date George, as they’d been friends since birth. However, she takes a liking to someone he considers an enemy on the track: Max Verstappen. They do say revenge is best served cold… and who is colder than the star of Red Bull himself?

Things to note:

Reader is a year younger than Max (same age as George)

Reader made her break in Tennis

George and Reader are not on good terms (he cheated) (this is not a jab at George btw. My fav team is literally Mercedes)

The whole deal is pretty “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”.

Some of the fc is Emma Raducanu (my fav tennis player❤️)

Pairing: Max Verstappen x George’s ex gf!Fem!Reader

Warnings: none really

Taglist: @drugged-kitkat, @darleneslane, @allwaysallyway

Playlist Recommendations: 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟💗, 𝐌𝐕𝟏

yourusername

Liked by francisca.cgomes, charlottesiine, landonorris and 345,288 others

yourusername Stressful training all week. Ready to show off this weekend!🔥

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charlottesiine Yess! I’ll be watching! Btw, was he any good at tennis?

yourusername He wishes he was me. Should stick to racing.

user1 guys… the third pic…🧍‍♀️

user2 Didn’t George and her split like a few months ago?

user3 New guy? Who’s this🤨

user4 Her brother maybe?

user5 @ user4 Nah, did you see the comment Cha posted and the response to it? That’s def a new guy

user6 @ user5 it’s someone on the grid

user7 Ughhh I can’t wait for this weekend😩👏

user8 Is this the sound of my parasocial relationship crackling?

user9 WHO IS THAT?

user10 Ten bucks it’s Charles

user11 I’ll take that action. Ten it’s Lando

sportsgossip

26,468 likes

sportsgossip someone spotted a certain tennis player with a certain Red Bull driver… anonymous tip! Seems like someone is over George already…

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user1 Wtf WHEN WAS THIS?

user2 Her recent post…😭

user3 MAX? WHAT😃

user4 I kinda love that omg

maxverstappen1

Liked by yourusername, landonorris, charles_leclerc and 668,378 others

maxverstappen1 Just appreciating the view❤️

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yourusername Conveniently free this weekend

Liked by maxverstappen1

landonorris I’m living for this shade

Liked by maxverstappen1

user1 George is absolutely shitting himself rn I just know

user2 She traded a rookie for a world champion

user3 I respect it

user4 I love that Max is subtly hinting that George didn’t appreciate her as much as he does😭

user5 It’s honestly kinda cute

user6 Shade aside, it really is

user7 George is missing out

user8 Okay but she is GORGEOUS

user9 Can someone give some background info? Why did she and George break up?

user10 Allegedly, George cheated on her with someone he met at a post-race party. She got an anonymous tip about it and they couldn’t seem to work things out I guess… but yeah. Everything is alleged.

user9 Oh okay thanks that’s helpful

yourusername

Liked by charlottesiine, francisca.cgomes, maxverstappen1 and 573,266 others

yourusername This week was just 🤍🤍🤍

Tagged: charlottesiine

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charlottesiine Must do this again🤍

yourusername Agreed🤍

francisca.cgomes Where was I in this🤨

Liked by yourusername

user1 Okay but these two are literally the best friend dynamic ever.

user2 Two pretty best friends… could never be us @ randomuser

user3 I’m genuinely so confused by her relationship status rn but the fact that her and Cha are still friends??? LOVE IT

user4 Here’s me wishing I was a wag or whatever…🧍‍♀️

user5 Relatable

user6 Can’t wait for her to post pics with Max👏

user7 I mean… it isn’t official though. Is it?

user8 I don’t think she will do that unless she also confirms her relationship with him

user6 @ user8 Max already posted her…

user9 I just know she’s friendly

user10 She is! I went to one of her opens and she signed my card of her and gave me a hug. She even offered to stay around for pictures and stuff.

wagsf1

12,289 likes

wagsf1 @ yourusername and @ maxverstappen after his race win🌸

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user1 I’m seriously just wondering HOW George is feeling about all this

user2 Whatever he feels abt it… he deserves it.

user3 George is probably crying in the garage

user4 They’re so cute though😭❤️

user5 They’re my new fav couple on the grid.

maxverstappen1

Liked by yourusername, landonorris, charles_leclerc and 637,389 others

maxverstappen1 I don’t think I could’ve been luckier than this❤️

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yourusername ❤️❤️❤️

Liked by maxverstappen1

user1 I’m happy she broke things off with George cause this is just so cute

user2 Maybe don’t bring it up in Max’s comments💀💀

user3 I love how he’s acting like they’ve been dating for years😭

user4 I mean… he has EVERY right to

user5 This is what I mean when I say I want to date

user6 Ik they recently started dating but I just know they’re going to last

user7 Max is so dedicated like wtaf😭 We did not see this from George

user8 We really didn’t💀

user9Max talked about her in the most recent post-race interview😭❤️

user10 This relationship is going to set unrealistic standards for me😭😭😭

yourusername

Liked by maxverstappen1, charlottesiine, francisca.cgomes and 738,267 others

yourusername Another win added to my collection🎾🔥 Kind of like you @ maxverstappen1

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charlottesiine I should have seen it live! You were amazing🤍

yourusername ugh I love you

user1 YESSS👏

user2 She’s an icon

user3 Fav wag and fav tennis player

user4 George is MISSING OUTTTT

user5 Wimbledon win upcoming🔥

user6 Manifesting it🙏

user7 Her and Max stacking up wins is a new form of couple goals I haven’t seen before. I love it.

user8 Literally

user9 She’s so pretty❤️

user10 Max is lucky

maxverstappen1 posted a new story

yourusername posted a new story

maxverstappen1

Liked by yourusername, landonorris, christianhorner and 587,399 others

maxverstappen1 Taking a break from reality❤️

Tagged: yourusername

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yourusername ❤️

landonorris Now I know who you’ve been ditching me for

yourusername know your place

landonorris @ yourusername 🤨🤨🤨

user1 So it’s official then

user2 I don’t know who I’d rather be😩

user3 We never saw this content with George🤡

user4 Max and her are the definition of a perfect couple omfg

user5 They’re so cute wtf

yourusername

Liked by maxverstappen1, charlottesiine, lilymhe and 573,295 others

yourusername Should I start curling my hair more often?✨

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charlottesiine You’re already gorgeous but that hair is so cute🥰

Liked by yourusername

maxverstappen1 You’re beautiful no matter what you do with your hair❤️

Liked by yourusername

user1 FABULOUS YET AGAIN😮‍💨

user2 I would leave my current relationship for her

user3 She’s so Lana coded and I love it

user4 She’s just so tennis coded and old money and I’m in loveeee

user5 The fact that SHE was cheated on?🧍‍♀️

user6 Puts things into perspective

user7 I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t matter how pretty you are anymore😭💀

user8 I’m literally buying tickets to her next game so I can shove marriage papers in her face

user9 I’ll beat you to it

user10 Why Max… why not me😐

𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻…

𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚!

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩! (𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙣, 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙙𝙢𝙨, 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙨: 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧(𝙨) 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚(𝙨) 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣.)

[stripedstarsblueflags]

goodbye to a world

reading between the lines of the various goodbyes and dismissals to logan sargeant

Pt. 3: Oscar (press conference)

full series

not a goodbye (in the traditional sense of the word) but a fucking statement. obviously. because piastri.

the loscar dynamic is absolutely FASCINATING. out of all the friendships in the grid, this one plays a special role: it reminds the audience that there’s so much more than formula 1, there’s so much more to f1 drivers than this stage of their career. most of us (spectators) have a broad conception of the “typical” driver backstory; rich kid with rich parents, got in a go kart at age 4, karting and then single-seater and junior series was their whole life and they climbed up the ranks like rungs on a ladder. i think a lot of people who only watch f1 (myself included) tend to focus so much more on the Pinnacle of MotorsportTM that everything else just seems like prep. even though most if not all of the drivers grew up either 1) racing each other 2) watching each other on tv, we don’t really think of these relationships beyond and BEFORE f1.

until loscar. because what draws them together? they’re not teammates. they’re not rivals. williams is so far behind that they’re not even competitors. in many way, logan is entirely “out of oscar’s league”.

and yet they have this endearing, sweet, playful friendship that’s exactly what it seems like: people who have known each other since they were kids, grown up together, watched each other become the person they are today. there’s a casual, domestic intimacy neither of them have with their teammates, even if those relationships are also going well, because there’s this history element.

which is recalled no more vividly than when oscar and logan are compared. as they are too often.

total polar opposites. f1 stories practically the inverse of each other. one was a promising young talent who f1 teams had been keeping an eye on for years that, once thrown in the car at that “wait! isn’t he just a kid??” age, immediately proved his worth as a future superstar. Future World Champion, to quote the official moniker. “look at him go! look at OSCAR PIASTRI!” he’s a prodigy, he’s a social enigma, he’s a raw force of pure and driven talent.

then you have the other promising young talent who one f1 team had been keeping a loose eye on for years. who’s never done any free practices or tests. who’s barely even dipped his toe into the waters of f2. who’s shown a lot of raw potential but more noticeably, glittering fancy sponsors. who gets chucked into a car as a last-minute, scrapping underprepared and thrown-together plan B after the previous f2 graduate fails to keep his seat. and, while oscar soared off into the stratosphere, logan flops IMMEDIATELY.

go fucking figure. it’s almost like people like max verstappen and lewis hamilton are exceptions to the rule, not the rule itself, and an underprepared rushed overwhelmed rookie is actually NOT in a position to achieve immediate stardom! in fact, maybe that’s the OPPOSITE of what they need! so, in loscar, we have the exception to the rule (oscar) and the rule (logan). but that’s not the solidified narrative; the story, how history will remember the two of them, is that logan was nothing but a pale and washed-out shadow. always. open and shut case.

what does oscar have to say about it, though?

this was said to gp blog (great website); the full quotes from him are:

I sent him a text yesterday. He seemed okay. Obviously a little bit of a shock. Obviously it wasn't an easy time for him in F1. It was much more difficult for him than maybe I expected it to be going into F1. I think for me, his potential was much greater than what was on show in F1, for whatever reason it might be.

I know firsthand, being his teammate in the junior categories, racing him in basically everything, I know how quick he is. I don't think the change was completely unexpected...

Best of luck to him. Just a shame that, for whatever reason, he wasn't able to show everything that he's got. Because in the junior categories, he was genuinely one of the quickest guys I went up against. I think his potential is much greater than what some people have seen.

first of all, some BEAUTIFUL toeing-the-line from oscar here. he’s even more subtle than alex in that none of his words imply any sort of passive aggression or ill intent; the only emotion that’s really conveyed, in understated tones, is a mild perplexity about logan’s career and failure in general as opposed to its gut-wrenching end in question. the implications in his wording imply nothing more than a personal opinion, but the ambiguity itself is some massive shade. let’s take a closer look:

much more difficult for him than maybe i expected it to be- this is masterful. “yeah, that’s right. i’m the next-gen prodigal superstar talent with my future as a world champion pretty much written for me, and i’ve shown the skill to back it up, and not only did i know logan before the catastrophe of f1 but i regarded him with so much respect that i had actual expectations. his skill had become such an intertwined part of his character in my eyes that i just assumed things would go so much better. because i believed in him.”

his potential was much greater than what was on show in f1…- toeing the line again. balance. acknowledging both the reality and all the roads not taken. “i’m not making false claims. i’m not making excuses for him. i’m not blaming the car or the team or the lack of support or the disgrace or the mistreatment and i’m not challenging the results. i’m not talking about what happened, i’m talking about what could’ve happened. potential. i’m talking about everything that wasn’t on show– and by not on show i mean that his potential, his skill, his pace, him as a person was not seen or understood or respected or prioritized by anyone. i’m not saying ‘oh, one point in 36 starts is all anyone could do with x/y/z excuse’ i’m saying ‘you guys missed the point’.”

for whatever reason that might be/just a shame that, for whatever reason- fucking hell, this is harsh. this is practically an attack. “i’m not gonna make excuses, but i’m gonna leave this open. i’m not gonna call this bad luck or the way it goes sometimes or a bad break, i’m saying that Whatever Reason This Happened is not what should have happened. not a matter of chance or objective misfortune; this situation could have and should have worked out better and whatever obstacle got in the way of that was a matter of misjudgment.”

I know firsthand, being his teammate in the junior categories, racing him in basically everything, I know how quick he is- alex said something similar, about pace. “raw speed” he calls it. and it’s really interesting that his teammates, who learn firsthand about him as a racer, his driving style, his strengths, his weaknesses (whether they’ve been teammates for months or years) identify a specific trait/skill about logan rather than just making the empty claim that “he’s good” or “he’s better than this”. and this is very interesting coming from oscar in particular given his current teammate. lando isn’t the best starter or the best defender or the most coordinated overtaker, but even with all the areas he needs to work on he can still compensate for it by being really fucking fast. his pace is his defense; he gets clean air and boom, he’s fucking gone. obviously that’s an oversimplification but oscar directly competing against that and observing/absorbing that and bringing up the same category of skill in logan– even in flashback– can’t be overlooked. in addition: “yeah, i’ve raced against him in basically everything. you’ve watched him on tv in a backmarker team for a season or so? i’ve known him for YEARS. i know. i don’t care what you’re seeing, i’m the expert on this and i know.”

I think his potential is much greater than what some people have seen- shit, this is as close to passive aggression as he gets, but it’s still done so precisely and subtly that it’s almost an art form. i mean, leave it to oscar piastri to use the phrase “some people” and NOT make it sound like a straight up, poorly-veiled callout. try to use that in a sentence without seeming like you’re shit-talking someone, potentially in the room. this is part of the lovely passive-aggression classic: “….unlike SOME people” (sometimes while staring at them directly, depending on how passive you want the passive aggression to really be. so, he’s (in unofficial terms) calling out who– anyone who hasn’t seen logan’s potential. who have underestimated him. who have invalidated his situation and him as an athlete. this could be any category of haters– negative fans, petty journalists, the horrid type of reports who will ask questions like “what does it feel like to be the slowest driver in formula 1…”. and that would make perfect sense. almost perfect. if we thought oscar piastri paid any attention to the haters, his own or anyone else’s. if it was ever on his mind. so, people who haven’t seen his potential… what, like, team principals? the ambiguity in itself is simultaneously a direct implication and oscar piastri’s intelligence needs to be studied because it is sometimes terrifying.

oscar doesn’t make a statement on social media, doesn’t bring it up further, doesn’t make any sort of personal goodbye available to the media– of course he wouldn’t, not just because that’s incredibly private but also because he’s oscar and he’s basically kimi raikkonen (in this analogy lando is sunshine boy seb but that’s an idea for another post). oscar’s whole public image is that he doesn’t want to have a public image. he doesn’t give the media any more parts of himself than he’s contractually obligated to. what he does give is concise, serious, the strongest points in the fewest words. and because of the enigmatic, tantalizing nature of that approach paired with the fact that he’s a fucking brilliant driver, people listen to what he has to say.

so oscar has a lot more weight to throw around than alex. alex’s image is that he’s a cuddly sunshiney cat dad who is a living anomaly in that he’s a good driver and a total sweetheart at once. whether or not what he says comes from the heart (it does. he’s alex) the reaction can always be “awww look at alex he’s such a nice guy :)” and the focus is on the kindness of the gesture/praise/respect itself rather than what alex is actually saying. so if alex says logan had more potential, that’s alex being alex.

if oscar says logan had more potential, that’s a fucking statement. and if the media wasn’t coming for JV’s head at this point, oscar just gave them a diagram for how to build a guillotine.

beautiful.

[inaissante]

instagram au pt.2 🏎

A look into the insta life of the only female pilot on the grid !

warnings: reader is racing for red bull?

requested: yes/no

part 1

part 3

my masterlist

--------------------------------------------

lando.jpg

Liked by pierregasly, your.username and 412,885 others

lando.jpg a photo of my dearest friend on the paddock that i never really got to post ❄️

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your.username you could've just said "a photo dump"

lando.jpg just posted you on my page and you're still petty about it 🙄

your.username 😝

user23 we really missed seeing y/n on lando's page 😔

charles_leclerc ❤️

user35 pretty girl

Liked by lando.jpg

user45 FINALLY Y/N

your.username

Liked by pecco63, maxverstappen1 and 1,963,790 others

your.username motogp next?

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motogp 🏍?

pierregasly wouldn't be very surprised

user66 imagine the power ong

marcmarquez93 it's never too late;)

Liked by your.username

fernandoalo_official so less competition in f1? 😎

user35 the female valentino rossi on her way 💨

f1wags.updates

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f1wags.updates y/n l/n, charlotte sine and lily muni (from left to right) partying together in bahrain (y/n's story)

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user55 three pretty bestfriends 🥰

user18 i love how the wags either absolutely LOVE her or absolutely HATE her lol

user36 my girls 🩷

your.username MY girls 🩷

user69 y/n's comment 🥺

your.username

Liked by vogueitalia, sebastianvettel and 1,876,214 others

your.username thank you @/vogueitalia

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alex_albon wow 👌

vogueitalia il piacere è stato nostro 🙌 [the pleasure was ours 🙌]

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user88 purple suits her so much

mickschumacher 💜🩷

redbullracing we can't wait to see the whole shoot

user39 the paddock princess 👸

user56 i love it already

your.username

Liked by redbullracing, mickschumacher and 1,264,612 others

your.username shout-out to the best red bull girls 🔧⚙️

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user09 i just love it when women support women ❤️

redbullracing girls power 💫

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lewishamilton 😁

user32 i love their friendship

user77 and that's on great team dynamics

[itsblasttothepast]

Do we have any info about Max and Checo before they were teammates? I remember Checo being one of the only people who was nice to Max when he joined F1. Do we have any idea about their dynamic back then? I’m super curious- thank you!

Not so much info, but those who were F1 followers like me remember many things from their dynamic since Max started in F1.

First of all, the whole 'letting a kid join the big leagues' thing. Not many teams/drivers were in agreement of Max, with only 17 years, joining F1, which led to the 'Verstappen rule', meaning: drivers could get their superlicense until they were 18 (Toto Wolff managed to change that this year so Kimi Antonelli could join Mercedes in 2025, but as an anon mentioned it, it was only so he could join pratices, as Kimi turns 18 in august).

So Max joining F1 was controversial, and to be honest, most of the old grid were kind of assholes, and also the reporters didn't help, as they kept asking if they would be 'mentors' or 'give Max advice', which most drivers said NO. They mostly ignored Max, seeing him like a kid (well, he was the youngest), but Alonso and Checo always said nice things, Checo was happy for him (he said this in many interviews, as Max was the hot topic back then) and he wished him the best. He was really nice to Max, and Max usually tended to join Checo and Nico's during the drivers parade or the paddock.

This could be also because Max's teammate in his Toro Rosso era was Carlos Sainz; Carlos and Checo were in friendly terms, as both were hispanic (they are not anymore though, such a shame), and that kind of made easier for Checo and Max to interact.

When Max was promoted to RBR and Carlos went to another team, Max and Checo mantained a nice relationship, even friendly. Something I kept noticing in several interviews around the paddock was that Max seemed to always look around for Checo (these are more my deluded impressions, but I've seen a few edits where I'm proven sort of right) and they kept laughing and having fun, so I'm pretty sure their dynamic was friendly and positive before they became teammates, and then they became boyfriends, divorced, took couple's counseling and now here we are!

I'm asking permission from a girl who makes the BEST edits in FB, so I can share them here, those will prove my point even more.

But until then, here I leave a few pictures to show how amazing their chemistry is:

Look, Maxie next to Checo, instead of his teammate! ⬆️

Here when Nico and Checo completed their 100 races, and celebrated, Maxie was next to Checo but Daniil Kvyat kind of got in the way.

Sorry if this one has watermarks, but I had to share it, look at their smiles! So adorable!

Like this one!

And I have many more, but I'm saving them for my ENOURMUS rant about Chestappen that an anon asked me like two weeks ago. Anon, I haven't forgotten, but I have so many rants, pictures and theories, that it's taking me a while.

[777bae]

can i request one for the paddock princess series where y/n is like really like protective of yuki and will like defend him to the death (maybe even going as far as trying to learn Japanese so he has someone to talk to in his language) and at first people assume she has a crush on him but really its because he reminds her of an old friend of hers or like a family member she really misses. any length is fine but the longer the fic the better <3

MY LITTLE BRO

PAIRING… f1 x driver!reader | WC… 0.8k | Masterlist

You have a large range of different dynamics with the drivers on the grid, many consisting of father-daughter like relationships as well as sibling like love.

Many fans have constantly pointed out the fact that you treat Yuki as if he were your younger brother, despite him being older than you.

Unfortunately, other fans believe that you have feelings for the boy, stating that the way you act around him ‘shows’ that you love him. You obviously found this ridiculous and chose to ignore the rumours, already pointing out that you, in fact, have a boyfriend but still decide to not respond and make the whole situation worse.

He’s always talked about how you were the first driver to properly greet him during his first F1 race and how kind you were to him. You had initially found him adorable, especially due to the fact that he was pretty much your height and so this love consequently spiralled into you treating him as you treat your own little brother.

You obviously miss your own little bro, travelling around the world constantly meant you could only see your family a few times a year, mainly during your breaks. This would probably explain why you have such familial relationships with many of the drivers, to which they also love.

Lot’s of moments have been shared with the boy. Like when you finally got pole in quali, or when he opened up to you on how secluded he felt from the other drivers, mainly due to his heritage. That quickly lead you to try and learn Japanese to help him feel included.

Another moment would be when you invited him over to your house to finally meet your family and he was forever grateful for you letting him have another home he could always come back to.

Many found your actual brother and substitute brother’s interactions to be quite amusing, the constant arguments between the two, trying to prove that they were your favourite. Of course, your blood brother was your favourite, Yuki knew that, he just loved to rile up your brother to get a reaction.

With all that said, you were absolutely ecstatic for the boy when he finished the recent season with his highest finish yet. Of course it helped that you had become the World Champion for that season, managing to pull a hand on Red Bull and just finishing above Max, which he was not too happy about.

You were both so proud of each other, enclasping yourselves into a tight hug.

After the podium celebration, you brought to the interview section, the welcoming smile of the reporters already calming down your nerves.

“First off Y/n, congratulations on the win and newfound title!” The interviewer exclaimed, earning a large smile from you.

“Thank you.”

“How are you feeling?” He asks.

“Well, I’m ecstatic to say the least. This moment just feels so unreal, to be able to say that I’m a World Champion is something I always dreamed of but I never believed would actually come true.” You ramble, unable to continue from the excitement.

“Many have loved watching your celebrations with both your team, and fellow drivers. Could we just ask about the hug you shared with Tsunoda after the race?” You nod your head lightly.

“The hug we shared was our way of congratulating each other. He’s like my little brother and so I was so proud of him as he achieved his best finish this season. Of course there have been a lot of questions but he’s basically like family, just like how Seb, Lewis, and many of the other drivers are.” You conclude before bidding goodbye and moving on. Yuki was quick to fill in your place, ready to answer the questions.

“To start off, congratulations on the great finish.” He says.

“Thank you.” Yuki responds.

“There have been many celebrations today and so we’d like to know how you’ll spend the rest of the evening.”

“Well, I’ll probably party with other drivers.” The boy giggles. “I’ll also call my family.”

“We saw you congratulating the new World Champion after the race, how proud are you?” The interviewer asks.

“I’m so proud of her, I’ve watched her grow throughout the season and to see her finally achieve her dreams was nice.” Yuki answers, smiling.

“How would you describe your relationship with Y/n?”

“I’d describe it as special. She’s been there for me from my first race and she’s done so much for me. She even tried learning Japanese for me so I could feel more included. She’s basically like an older sister.” Yuki finishes, reminiscing the moments he’s shared with you thus far.

You all eventually finish up the interviews and decide to go out together, celebrating the many achievements from today’s race as well as the finishing up of the season.

You had made sure to give Yuki yet another massive hug as you had witnessed his interview, loving the fact that he also pictures you as an older sister.

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[rb19]

as the norstappen url holder TO ME current norstappen dynamics is SYMPATHY IS A KNIFE by charli

we know lando cares very deeply about how fans/media view their friendship. he felt he had to clear up he didn't race max hard in 2023 bc there's no point duh max was in rocketship, he could not compete, didnt make sense for his own result to put up a fight, it's not bc he is max's mate!!!! stop saying that PLEASEEE!!!!! went far to say that "we're not best friends." and i get that. just bc max doesn't let fans/media opinion get to him, it doesn't mean it's easy for lando to do the same.

max considers lando his best friend from the grid bc lando was the first driver who had the same interests as him back in 2019. finally someone from the grid understood max's sim racing obsession. lando didn't make fun of max's love for video games bc he also loved to play them. their iracing/COD streams back in 2019/2020 were fun and the reason they got close. as lando moved to monaco they started hanging out together, max loves a good party and so does lando now so to sass cafe we go. lando couldn't get max into golf god bless but they love to play padel. etc.

lando was very much a fan of max when he first got into f1. once i was stalking this inactive max fan page on instagram and noticed lando liked a bunch of posts back in 2018 😭 he saw max winning the big titles in karting. i think a few max fans are annoyed by some of lando's actions/interviews right now but they forget how he was/is always very complimentary of max as a driver/person in interviews. how he asked in the 2020 70th anniversary gp who won the race and his reaction to race engineer saying max was "legend." how he was team max throughout the whole 2021 season. how even last year he asked british fans to not boo max in silverstone. etc. and max was always there backing up lando too. stating he believes lando has what it takes to be a world champion in the future, that he made the right choice by staying in mclaren and having faith in the project.

IN 2024 they both have a fast car and they can compete against each other. max is a three time world champion, he aint got nothing else to prove. he has beaten lewis fucking hamilton. lando is the one who has everything to prove. he has to prove he can fight max hard now and back up his words. the pressure is all on lando. so how lando talks about max in race weekends, how he reacts to max's performances on track is going to change naturally. those max fans have to accept that. but things won't change for max, because max has been winning for so long now. max knows how to take losses. how to quickly recover from mistakes.

and ofc max being happy for lando in miami was ok, it was first win, everyone was happy for him. but lando doesn't want to see max happy anymore. i just beat you to pole and you come up to me to gossip about leclerc's lack of penalty??? who the fuck cares, can't you be at least a bit mad? lando will sulk after a race he feels he should've won, while max will quickly get over a p2 in miami even if he got fucked over by a SC. lando will entertain hypotheticals bc it helps knowing he was close to a win again, while max dgaf he could've won miami, he's all praises for lando.

lando does not have the self confidence max has. lando will question himself. it's normal. lando will feel conflicted. he doesn't want max to play nice with him, he doesn't want max's sympathy after he just lost a race. sympathy is just a knife. he knows it's sincere coming from max, and especially bc it's sincere he feels belittled by it. it's silly and he doesn't even want to feel that way. is he not worthy of being max's RIVAL? he doesn't want max to explain to him after the race how his aggressive move opened up the door to george overtake them both. he doesn't want max to be laughing at him in the press con. can max take me seriously for a sec?

next chapter: austria.

[neptunescore]

how about mark x jenson or butter? this one is an unusual ship, but they liked to tease each other lol.

Ngl, apart from that one interview that Mark and David had with jenson when he was retiring, I have consumed no butter content😭 Gonna go and do a little bit of info searching on them and then I shall decide based on what I see🙂‍↔️.

OKAY, BACK AFTER CONSUMING CONTENT ABT THEM!!😤😤 AND:

Nonnie u were so right abt them liking to tease each other🤭, and they're so funny and smug abt it too. Also, I feel like Mark was just fruity af with everyone on the grid back then💀 bc tell my why one of the first vids I saw when I searched them up was him pinching and touching Jenson's ass😭

Not to mention the fact that he was once asked abt how it'd be having jenson as a teammate, and this man went on and proceeded to talk abt jense for a whole minute, talking abt how blessed he'd be and how amazing the team dynamics would be if that happened🤠✋🏽. Anyway, I see them more as best bros, but in the "kissing the homies good night ain't gay" way😭😭.

I honestly wouldn't mind reading a fic abt them if it has a good plot, but I wouldn't go like search for a fic specifically abt them.💗😝

I found some really cute pics of them🤗

Nav

[vro0m]

Very very curious to know your honest opinion on the whole sargeant/vowels dynamic, would you mind sharing with us?

I see a lot of logiebear stans clutching at straws anytime anyone says something even close to neutral about james vowels instead of demonizing the man and it makes me wonder if they realize the logan situation is the result of money talking and not jv (or at least not just him). Logan got shoved into f1 because the team owners are us based with multiple us sponsors who wanted an american on the grid. He got his superlicense *after* being announced as a driver. He was nowhere near ready, neither to perform as a driver nor it seems to effectively and quickly improve. How is any of this jv's fault? He's the head of a broke ass team, he simply can't talk back to those who pay his bills and sign his checks. He's stuck with a driver who needs what they can't provide. And while his management/leadership choices have been questionable at best at times, i think i too would eventually let all of these demands and requirements and pressures get to me in one way or another.

Anyways, #LoganToPremaIndy2025. What do you think of all this?

Okay let me preface by saying I don't feel invested in it at all.

I think everybody here is just trying to do their job. People just LOVE hating TPs, but like I once said these teams are workplaces, not families. These are employers managing employees, period. Sure there are ways of doing that but overall don't expect from these teams what you wouldn't expect from your own boss. Everybody there is here to make money at the end of the day, they've all signed contracts, they all know what the deal is. Nobody was blindsided. Sargeant knew this could happen.

Is it sad for him? Sure. Dude got his try at F1, it didn't work out well, his employer is unhappy with his performance, it's hard mentally to go through this.

Is Vowles the bad guy? No. He's doing his job just like Sargeant is, and it just so happens that Sargeant is not performing well enough.

This has happened many times before and will happen many times again. These seats are rare and expensive, so you either perform or you're out. It is what it is.

[shovson]

Okay I'm gonna start the ask game because I have not stopped thinking about the Wolffilson fic

shout out to my favourite old man fucker thalia @shovlison for showing me the way

Listen, I've just started this journey so maybe I don't have the whole picture yet. But I mean, there's something really amazing about the way they kind of complete each other, I guess? A lot of the things they lack can be fulfilled by the other. Something something, Jallison could be Toto's right hand man.

I find their relationship really comforting. A lot of reassuring and communication between Toto and James. As said before, filling the gaps the other lacks. Just the respect they have for each other...I'm thinking about the quote Jallison said when he signed a contract extension...

“F1 has brought me a lot of good fortune, but none greater than answering Toto’s call to join Mercedes in 2017,” James said.

Like insane that James has had such a long ass career in this point and highlights THIS in particular. Like okay. Alright. Following that,

Allison says he is in debt to Mercedes and team principal Toto Wolff for providing him with a chance to perform with the team. “I am lucky to have Toto as my boss” “I didn’t know what the right thing to do was, at the time most of me wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again,” he said. “But Toto gave me this opportunity and I hoped that as time passed that I would start to feel like I would want to reengage with the world and by the time I was walking in the factory gates at Brackley I was feeling a little stronger and a little more useful."

THIS IS CRAZY...OKAY WHATEVER. DEVOTION. The way James describes Toto helping him makes me crazy. And then Toto talking about James oh lord...

“Since joining in 2017, he has been a key ally and sparring partner for me personally. We can challenge each other openly and honestly; an embodiment of the ‘tough love’ culture of the team that is vital in helping us all perform at our very best. “Most importantly though, James is a true friend you can rely on, not only in times of success but in difficult moments too. It has been a pleasure to work with him over the past seven years and I look forward to doing so for many more to come.”

I feel so sick and dizzy. THEY CHALLENGE EACH OTHER. They both want to win. They just both want to be good. While Thalia and I were talking, she brought up Shov on the F1 Nation podcast and he goes into detail about their dynamic as well. (And thank her for the transcript).

"...he works well with Toto because Toto desperately wants to win and James is good at being that link between team principal who is fantastic, but can be inpatient because we are not performing and a team that’s working hard to bring performance and bring that car up the grid. It’s good that James in that position can balance that well.”

But going back to listen to the podcast, Shov brings up that James is really good at motivating teams. It made me think about I think JV also brought up how charismatic Toto as well. I'd like to imagine that they both bring a certain charm that can boost morale within the team, namely Toto's people skills and Jallison's more technical skills kind of meshing in a way. Again, something something they slot together very nicely.

Anyway, that's just my two cents. I also think Jallison could domesticate Toto in a way, which should be insanely compelling to some.

tumblr user shovson tells you why xyz (ship/person) is cool and compelling

[just-a-ghost00]

Tarot spread suggestion (3)

The compatibility grid

This spread is used to figure out how you and a person connect romantically and see if you could be satisfied with the dynamic of such a connection. Just like in previous posts like this one, I will use my situation as an example. To simplify the reading I will refer to myself as A and to the other as B.

A’s perception of love | 6 The Lovers B’s perception of love | 6 of pentacles How the perceptions connect | 0 The Fool

Here we see that even without the bridging card there is a similarity in how both view love with the repetition of the number six. Both individuals value partnership and equity in that aspect. While A sees love as a dialogue between two souls with a reciprocity in terms of communication and spiritual wave lengths, B sees love as a journey between two companions that equally give and take in order to reach their destination. Both agree on the fact that it takes two to tango but they value different spheres of the partnership. Basically it’s a heart vs mind situation. A is in the mental realm whereas B is in the heart realm. The connecting energy is one of acceptance and faith, of curiosity and renewal. So both view love as an adventure, a new canvas or chapter that needs to be created together.

What A needs from a partner | Black Numen What B needs from a partner | King of wands Connecting energy | 7 Chariot

A needs depth. A deep sense of transformation and a feeling of overcoming their shadows, triumphing over their demons. Utter loyalty and support even through the darkest of times. A needs raw passion. A love that is so powerful it cannot be tamed nor questioned. A needs to see that they are adored beyond sanity. That their partner needs them just as much as they need their partner. A is very demanding in love and asks for complete devotion in a partnership. If they do not feel loved as they desire, A can tend to sabotage the connection or be extremely harsh on themselves.

B needs a whole lot of passion and drive. A huge amount of trust and thrill. B wants a partner that will follow them in whatever decision they male and be confident about their ability to succeed. B asks for devotion as well. But contrary to A, B can survive without their partner’s trust as they have enough confidence in themselves. B also asks for a partner that can take the lead and reassure them when they are not at their best. B asks for an equal whereas A may be needing a savior or a healer.

The connecting energy shows that despite their different needs both need a partner that works with them and not against them. Both need to see that they and their person are moving in the same direction, looking at the same goals and progressing at the same pace. Both need a fair exchange and a feeling of being on the same level, being on the same team despite their contradictions. Both need space as well as trust and the opportunity to explore within the connection.

How A expresses love | Ace of Swords How B expresses love | 15 The Devil Connecting energy | 8 of pentacles

A expresses love mainly through words of affirmation. They constantly feel the need to talk it out. They are the kind to tell their partner straight to their face that they love them. They are also the kind to text regularly, to write letters and leave post it notes on their lover’s desk to remind them of how perfect they are. A is very communicative and demonstrative. They are very cerebral so they put a lot of thought into the ways they show love. They are very versatile and can switch their way of expressing love depending on their partner’s style but at the end of the day, they will always mainly remain vocal. They may also show affection through physical touch or gift giving as this will prove how thoughtful they can be.

B on the other hand is more practical and grounded, sensual. B will tend to show love through acts of services and gift giving. B is not the touchy feely type. Their reserved nature calls for a more discreet demonstration of affection. B thinks that words disappear but actions remain a solid proof of their love. If B says something, they want to make sure they have what it takes. So rather than telling, they want to embody love. B will be the kind to anticipate their partner’s needs and complete tasks for them without being asked to do so. B will take on more responsibilities to ensure their partner doesn’t have to. That would typically show on a financial level. B would spoil their partner, give massages, cook for them and bring breakfast in bed. B would not only embody love but also make love. B is all about tangible things that cannot be ignored.

If both have a very different love language, they bond over the desire to work hard in connections to ensure the longevity of it. Both are very giving and generous with their time and energy, mature enough to get to work and improve should it be needed. Both are very adamant on taking the time and space to include their partner in their life and make the connection a priority. Both are very dedicated lovers who at the end of the day only wish to love and be loved in return. A and B are connected by their grounded approach and perseverance in love.

[arkhammaid]

I really love your f1 fics! I was wondering, if your fem!max, fem!charles & fem!oscar existed in the same universe, what would their dynamic be with each other?

first of all, thank you 🫶🫶

hmm, honestly a good question. i feel like fem!charles and fem!max would get closer sooner, both knowing the struggles of being a woman in motorsport. but it still takes some time, because max is technically the 'first' (staying for a longer time, winning a gp, etc.) and she has a completely different approach than charles. i feel like max would first see charles as weak, for bending like this, trying to maintain a pr image of a saintess. that is until monza 2019 happens and max finally sees what charles has been building. max is unapologetically herself, receiving much hate, while charles is the charming princess of ferrari... the media obviously tries to pit them against each other or spin stories of being best friend, while neither is true

with the years, they definitely grow closer, they both respect each other (they're also very gay for each other but that's another thing), and they have the most fun when they're racing each other

so when fem!oscar actually joins the grid, years later, both of them make actually effort to get to know oscar. they can't wait for her to have a proper car to race them hard (oh boy, qatar was definitely a weekend)

and with max and charles kinda bringing in oscar into the fold, the rest of the grid follows. because max brings in daniel, checo, yuki, and lando, while charles brings in pierre, alex and by that also george. so i feel thanks to that, oscar finds a place amongst the grid much faster (while also still being close to logan, due to this, he also gets a bit closer but is still kinda forgotten like the haasbands lol)

it's not really... taking oscar beneath their wings, it's more like, they're the older female wise friends, smth like the best friends of your older sister. do you get what i mean? max and charles have been in this sport for years, they both drive for giant teams, they know how to be a woman in motorsport, an athlete in a high risk sport, they know what it is like. and while they're all racers and adrenaline junkies, something they have common with the whole grid, they're also women and that's just something different

[myimaginarywonderland]

The actual lore and potential ships that some of you are missing out by not being a Lance fan is insane.

Checo and Lance were such great teammates and once again Lance got himself another grid dad that clearly adored him. The videos of them are genuinely funny and I will forever remember that Pianata moment.

Max and Lance used to compete against each other and seemed really close in 2014 when they both drove in the Florida Winter Series. They also seem close even after they came together. I could imagine they did a bit of racing against each other and they are also some of the guys who have been on the grid together the longest.

Lewis and Lance have this sweet dynamic since the beginning of Lance F1 career. Lance has always stood alongside Lewis in his own quiet way.

Lance and George used to have this fierce beef because George believed Lance was gifted his F3 title. They also raced against each other at some point. The whole beef lore with them is so fascinating and genuinely intruiging especially now that you don't see them beefing anymore.

Lance used to watch Nando race and cheer him on in the garage. Not to mention his father was insanely close to Nando as well? I think Lance has said before that Nando was one of his heroes or people that he looked up to most. Their story goes back to like Lance first season. Not to mention how close they are now with Esteban being like Nando's nemesis.

I am not certain about this but I feel like I have also seen pics of Lawrence and Carlos dad? And it seems like after this weekend they are also close together.

Lando and Lance had beef but now it seems like they are getting along? The beef came mostly from one race and Lando discrediting Lance. I also know Lando used to joke about Lance in some streams so I feel like they should be on good terms?

Esteban and Lance have been besties since their F3 days and they are literally inseparable. When Este lost his seat and Lance got it, Esteban made sure to post a statement where he said he didn't blame Lance and that they are great friends. They literally consider themselves each others best friend on the current grid.

I do not know how exactly how well they know each other but Charles has multiple times said that Lance is one of the nicest drivers on the grid.

Pierre and Lance had beef because of racing at some point leading us to the famous "Parking lot fight" memes.

I know Alex and Lance used to also race each other at some point but I have no idea how close they are.

Oscar and Logan are fairly new so I can't judge their relationship to Lance yet.

Lance and Daniel have such a strange relationship. Daniel shared Lance first podium with him and they are technically somehow connected through Scotty. (Who actually got set up by Lance. Chloe said that Lance basically told her "You will marry this dude" and apparently did the magic of setting them up.) Yet we rarely see them interact and it almost seems like they don't like each other? Yet they seemed fairly close at the wedding? This entire dynamic is so intruiging.

I have no idea if Lance is close to Yuki or Zhou but I think there's not really any lore here.

I know that Lance is seen by the Haas drivers as nice because on the grill the grids they have both I think guessed him as giving them their gifts. Another thing to add because the entire grid guesses Lance if those gifts are nice or personal and some are suprised when they are. Seems like Lance is seen as a thoughtful gift giver.

Oh the Lance and Valtteri lore is some of my favourite. They were going to be teammates and we were robbed of that all because of "It's Britney bitch" making an exit and pushing the Mercedes team to get Val earlier than planned. I know they are close and they genuinely seem to get along with many conversations between them in the drivers parade. They also had their little joke about catching someone on the last line because Val took second place from Lance when he got his first podium only for Lance to take a place of Val this season the same way.

Lance is also widely considered as an alcoholic by the paddock apparently because they keep gifting him stuff like Tequilla.

[roscoehamiltons]

ship ask game -> 3344, britcedes, and valewis?

(send me a ship and i will tell you if it makes sense and if i find it compelling!)

answers are under the cut because i ended up writing a lot!

max/lewis -> makes sense, does not compel me

i get it on a theoretical level... two generational talents pitted against each other in one of the biggest showdowns of the sport? rivalry ships (when it comes to f1 at least) always make sense to me lol and i understand why people would want to explore their dynamic in a fictional setting. however, the whole way that 2021 unfolded and the subsequent fall out (which includes max defending nelson piquet re: what he said about lewis) has it in the notp category for me. the racism aspect is too big for me to be able to overlook it, even in fanfic and fanart, where the harsh realities of the world can be somewhat removed.

britcedes -> does not make sense, does not compel me

ngl i actually went back and forth on whether to put it as makes sense or doesn't make sense... on the one hand, i think all teammate ships make sense because well, they're teammates lol and most of the one-on-one interactions that happen on the grid are with their teammates. on the other hand, britcedes just gives off major coworker vibes to me lol like i just don't see or get it tbh even with them being teammates. but i am extremely biased bc i don't particularly like or vibe w george lol especially in the current mercedes dynamic/ecosystem.

(ngl there's some fantastic fanart of them, which i have reblogged and will reblog in the future, but it's still like... why them lol idgi!! sorry lol i know there's a decent number of britcedes shippers/likers that are following me and that i also follow. hopefully despite our differences we can still be friends)

valewis -> makes sense, compels me

theeeee number one otp of my heart 🫶 i love them and eat up every interaction they have, every fan art and fanfic that i see of them, every post that i come across on the internet. part of it is bias i suppose, because i love them both, they've been in my top 3 since the beginning and i like shipping my blorbos together lol, whether or not it makes sense.

but they do actually make sense to me even if i think the pairing itself is kind of unexpected. like if they weren't teammates, they probably wouldn't interact with each other at all lol let alone be friends. i love exploring their teammate dynamic, their rivalry, and i think it's an aspect that gets overlooked with valewis. people talk a lot about how lewis was closed off because of the fall out from brocedes, but i think valtteri was also initially closed off from forming a relationship lewis because of his role as the second driver. teammate dynamics are so interesting to me, especially when there is some kind of tension between them, and the tension of the first/second driver dynamic is so compelling to me!! there's so much untapped angsty potential to explore with both of them as teammates and how their dynamics within the team affected their relationship!!

i mentioned in my brocedes post that they're kind of the antithesis of brocedes for me, they're what brocedes is not. nothing can be a repeat of brocedes of course, but. it could've been a toxic and resentful dynamic in many ways yet it wasn't. they ended up growing and evolving together as not only teammates but also human beings. i love how their relationship started out tentatively and then blossomed into something solid despite whatever doubts they had about each other. i love that they're able to be themselves around each other and that they encourage each other to be their best selves. i love that they amplify each others' goofiness. there's nothing more that i love than to see people i love being happy and authentic with each other and that's what valewis is to me!

[batsplat]

i don’t think marc’s struggles with qualifying rn is a marc on a ducati thing, but rather a marc on gp23 issue. zarco struggled in time attack last year on the machine, a one lap wonder jorge martin only post catalan gp has been able to start taking poles and consistently qualifying on the front row, otherwise the start of the year his grid positions was like 5th or 10th, gp23 absolutely destroyed both bastianini, who qualifies actually pretty well on the latest version of the bike, even though everybody talks about how he isn’t the best qualifier, and bez, who can’t get the bike to turn. yes, marc has done somethings like pressing the wrong button (lol grandpa) and other mistakes, however, him and his crew chief have been more focused on the race pace setups and also lack any sort of data on marc on any given track, so when they arrive to the new place, compared to some other ducatis, they are at a disadvantage. so, i think he’ll be blindingly quick next year, like, i wish he was washed, it’d be more entertaining, but he is just not budging 😭 however, pecco might ask for something in the development of the next bike to introduce gremlins that only he can really conquer (it seems like only he immediately gelled with gp23, no problem), but i don’t think he is smart enough to figure out how to hamstring marc!!!

wellllll I don't doubt there's specific characteristics of the gp23 that can make it tricky to handle, but I'm not entirely sure you can definitively call it a poor bike on a single lap. pecco's grid positions from the start of last year wouldn't really suggest that. jorge's results in general were a lot shakier in the first half of 2023 than the second, though you're right he did also have some qualifying gremlins. zarco's kinda been having issues with qualifying throughout his ducati career (mind u he used to be lethal on the yamaha) and bastianini... I mean he was just bad overall, we're talking average grid of 12.6 vs average finish of 10.15, and his whole gimmick is being a poor qualifier but having late race pace. idk, I don't necessarily think it's going to be a lingering problem, but I do think it is an issue (and I'm aware marc was just being an idiot today, but two other gp23's did outperform him on their first flying laps which was historically quite rare). I do know they're at a disadvantage on a track-to-track level! I just think it's interesting it's more of a qualifying issue, because that isn't actually guaranteed, and 'well we were just focusing more race pace' doesn't quite do it for me as an explanation. again, I think he'll be fine, I just think it's a problem right now and I'm curious whether he'll ever get back to quite some of the ridiculous quali numbers he was posting in some of his prime years (the other reason why this is less likely is that the margins have gotten slimmer since then)

that being said! pecco wouldn't and couldn't be doing that kind of 10d bike development chess. first of all while you can obviously attempt to develop a bike more to your own liking than your teammate's liking, if you start attempting to deliberately introduce gremlins you will just like. be fucking yourself over. secondly ducati aren't idiots and pecco doesn't have that kind of internal sway to engage in this kind of gamesmanship when it's clearly not in the team's advantage. also while he is the 'lead rider', my sense of that dynamic has always been it was more about training up a rider to ride that bike than having a bike be developed in line with a rider's style. in general I reckon pecco will try to just keep to himself, not get involved in any of this kind of thing with marc, just focus on what he's doing. I imagine that's broadly the advice he's been receiving from his mentor too. all this drama and bike development silliness is really marc's wheelhouse, not pecco's, the less attention pecco pays to marc during their teammate stint the better. far from easy, but that's got to be the goal