#(does this count as lestappen? i guess)

[maxcuntstappen]

checo spends more time than anyone with lestappen what with cooldown rooms interviews, barging into Max’s drivers room unannounced etc etc

So he just, accepts Charles presence as The Constant in the world. And So when lestappen can’t talk right away he actually finds himself in interesting strat convos with Charles. Leading to them talking abt random stuff until Max steals charles away once again

So recently, with Charles being gone. He’s a bit confused? like max is but slightly less. Like?? who’s he supposed to talk to now?? Max? All they’re gonna do is talk about Charles!!

Well, that doesn’t sound to bad actually. So they do. And whoever the third is just has to sit there and take the convo of the two red bulls lamenting about how they miss charles and charles should be here and charles is so cool and on and on

(idk also in my mind they go out for drinks after races sometimes :) for funsies)

"Sooo..." Checo starts, before awkwardly trailing off.

Max blinks at him, once, twice.

And then Checo needs to look away because there's only so much time a man can stare at Max's nearly-too-blue eyes without finding themself stuttering and stumbling.

Checo has had to learn this the hard way.

The race has only just finished. A Red Bull 1-2. A good day at the office.

There's just one thing missing.

The wrong colour race suit hovers around them.

Maybe Checo had begun taking Charles' presence for granted.

Relied on him being around too much, too often. Being way too comfortable with the other two doing the talking and socialising and letting it wash over him, chipping in if he wanted to.

But otherwise, just chilling out.

Neither Max nor him know what to do now.

Standing around in a loose circle, shuffling their feet, waiting for the interviews to begin.

The silence is anything but comfortable.

Checo needs to do something.

Needs to say something.

Now.

"So, Max, what about Charles' last lap overtake, huh?"

The effect is instant; blue eyes lighting up, hands taking flight.

"Mate," Max begins, and then he's off, talking a mile a minute.

And it's comfortable. Familiar. Checo cannot help but smile, relaxing into it.

If either of them had paused, or perhaps even cared, to notice. They would notice the third place man grumbling as he walked off, "You have to be fucking kidding me."

[matchtaco]

It's after 1:30 AM in my country, I should be sleeping because tomorrow (Thursday) not only do I have to go to my course, but I also have to go see "Barbie" at the cinema, but 1- I'm catching up with the fics for the lestappen wk (between today and Friday I feel that I can already advance to the third day, I hope!!), 2- I'm writing chapter six but I have started again because a scene came out sadder than what I thought I would like it lol and 3- I just had a damn idea for an OS that had NOTHING to do with 3316 at the beginning and without realizing it I put lestappen as a secondary couple bordering on being the main one (also this usually happen to you? or is it just me that I can't conceive of writing without somehow including lestappen??)

idk, I hope to finish everything soon

[thursdaythunder]

i need help

does anyone know the current @ of the AO3 author loveleclerc ? (prob best know for the fics "juicyfruit", "nowhere to run" or "the things you do")

i am pretty sure they used to go by the @/holacarlando but that is nowhere to be found,,, (I also tried finding them on tumblr by their AO3 name but no luck) so if anyone knows how and where to find them, it would be very appreciated if you'd let me know! much love

[xiaoluclair]

20. clumsy attempts at flirting for lestappen pretty please?

okay confession, i have no idea what clumsy flirting even is beyond accidentally knocking over an avalanche of canned jalapeños onto you and your crush in the middle of a bend and snap. so i have a feeling this probably is not quite clumsy flirting but also i did not want to let the flow get away from me so eeeeeeenjoy!(?)

clumsy flirting attempts // lestappen // [ rating: T ] word count: 2.5k . yeah. not beta read either or checked over very well 😁

Max opens his front door and steps on a green bean. It's lying a foot away from a litre Tupperware box of... Max squints. Green beans.

He gives the hallway a cursory glance, then hefts the box into the kitchen and shuts the window his sister must've opened before she left the evening before. Something about needing more fresh air. Whatever, thinks Max, and grabs a pen to tick get green beans off the to do list on the refrigerator. He's not trading pneumonia for a tablespoon of chilled plant piss.

"Hey." Dilara gives him a smile, little Jerry stood between her legs and intently jabbing at a Samsung screen. Some garbled trumpet plays whenever he presses it. "How much were the beans?"

"Beans?" asks Dilara. "Oh, for your shopping? Around nine euros for a pack from Vie Claire."

"And you had, what, nine hundred euros to spend?" laughs Max. "Can you text me your account details for money transfer? My mum would probably shunt my d— um, dining table if I let someone spend that much on me."

At first, Max thinks he is about to get a smack for nearly cursing a three year old's ears. Then Dilara says, "I think. I am not sure what you are talking about."

So Max paints the picture from this morning and little Jerry stops trying to break his mum's phone with his thumbs to listen too. "You were the only one I talked to about it," as the elevator doors open and the three of them spill out into the little lobby.

"Someone might have overheard?" offers Dilara.

"Piano has beans," little Jerry informs Max sagely and Max.

Max snaps his fingers and says, "Of course, thanks mate."

Because piano has beans. Duh.

Max does not so much forget the bean incident as have a million other things piled on top of it. And then it gets lost somewhere. Maybe under a cupboard, or shoved between the radiator and the wall.

"It is broken, I think," says Max. "And the plumber said he is not free until the twenty second, so I guess that is me in socks and coats for the next three days."

Peter makes a delighted sound, a very different reception to Max's earlier lamentings on the lack of cat food in stock. "Did I ever tell you how my wife and I met?"

"Yeah," says Max, "on Gwyneth Paltrow's second cousins's niece's friend's friend's yacht's coach."

"Really?" say Peter. "Wow, that must have been fun. But the other time we met was — can you guess?"

"No."

"When my plumbing broke, of course! She was my neighbor, said I could take the left side of her bed for sleeping because the guest room had a fresh coat of paint. Of course," his jaw makes a quaint leer, "there was not much sleeping at all."

"Lovely," says Max, "I am going to get more gin. Happy birthday again."

Cue the next evening, and the doorbell rings. The peephole shows a slightly stretched suit, slicked back brown hair into a dramatically wide ponytail. Max sets down the last of the bean casserole, opens the lock, loops out the chain.

"Hello," he greets politely.

The woman with, actually, a normal sized ponytail gives him a grin. "Broken radiator?" She picks up the handyman's box of utensils next to her foot. G. MANNI, reads the orange block along the side. "I've got you covered."

"Are you a friend of Peter's?" asks Max.

"Who?" she says.

"Just a— never mind." Max waves her in.

What a bewildering scenario, he thinks later as he tugs off the three pairs of socks from his feet.

The radiator scenario would probably have suffered the same fate as the beans if Max did not, only the next morning, find 7kg of cat food waiting on his doorstep.

"Like angels dancing on my eardrums," Arnaav is saying when Max goes to wish them. "I asked him to record me a song as a present as a joke and he actually said I could listen to a demo."

"Wow," says Gertrude, "you lucky thing, you."

"Arnaav," says Max, "congratulations."

Arnaav beams. "Thank you."

"What was it, three years? Four?"

"Five actually. Masters with industrial placement. A dockyard up in Andora, lots of very ripped Italian men."

Max grins. "That sounds very lovely."

"Of course," continues Arnaav, "it seems like very ripped men are closer to home than I remember."

Gertrude giggles at that. Max feels his eyebrows arch together.

Arnaav gestures them both to follow into the kitchen. "Seriously," they say as they pass Frankie tying up a bright blue sausage balloon into a bright blue sausage dog to little Jerry's delight, "do you think I should shoot a shot? There is no way a guy like that is single though."

They are looking at Max imploringly. Max says, "Go for it." Then, "Who are we talking about?"

Gertrude chokes mid-chew on a bite of grape and gouda. "Gamer boys," she sighs, "always stuck in their computers."

"For once, I agree." Arnaav shakes their head. "I would point him out, but he's at his brother's for the weekend."

Dilara and Mag come laughing in then. "Mag," says Gertrude urgently, "Max does not know about the new tenant."

Which is how Max finds out, in the following five minutes, that the hottest man on the planet (Dilara's words, not his) has apparently been living two floors down from him since early November.

"Always fingering his music into late hours of the night," says Mag with a flushed sigh. "Have you ever wanted to be music so bad."

"Okay," says Max, and he takes the bottle of vodka and chugs for a little while.

The scenarios keep scenarioing. Max finds a wheel of cheese and two pounds of tomatoes in the mail. A couple days later, thirteen rolls of cat-patterned wrapping paper to replenish his dwindling stock. Then a stack of coupons for free petrol refills at any Shell in France.

It comes to an apex when he gets called down to the lobby to pick up an €800 gaming headset. Max takes it back up to his apartment and leaves it by the couch while he unlocks his phone.

Whoever keeps buying me things, it is very kind but please stop.

It is pretty late, so Max does not expect any replies. Does this have anything to do with the beans? says Gertrude barely a minute after he has sent it.

I think so, says Max.

amx is being sent things? asks Peter. *max.

Do not be jealous peter, says Dilara, I am sure we can find you your own courter.

Max blinks. Courter?

Person who courts someone else. Gives them presents to woo them that sort of thing.

I do not have a courter.

Sure you don't ;D

I don't.

HEY, Arnaav comes barrelling in, SHUTU P AND LET ME ENJPY THE MISIC.

its very lovely, agrees Peter.

Hey, has anyone added Charles? asks Mag.

Max, who does not particularly care for any person named Charles at the moment, least of all whether or not they've been added or deleted, whacks up the heating on his way to bed. He is about to turn off the light when a smack sounds from the balcony. Sassy makes a petulant expression when Max turns on the outside light.

"Idiot cat," he tells her, then slides opens the door. Immediately, the lethargic sound of piano floods into his ears. Sassy slinks inside as Max blinks.

His phone buzzes again. Mag: God I want him to play me like that.

So apparently Max's entire apartment complex spends their nights having a massive orgy to the new guy playing the piano. Charles, he gathers, playing the piano.

Charles gets added to the WhatsApp group too, renamed JDM GC (NOT FOR THIRSTING). His profile picture is black and white and contains three people, none of whom Max has seen before. He thinks they must be brothers.

not for thirsting? is the first thing Charles says. is this an inside joke i need to beg to be updated on? 😂. Max sees Mag is typing... pop up then disappear.

A few minutes later, he finds himself in a new WhatsApp group. JDM GC (FOR THIRSTING). Charles is not in this one. I'd make him beg, says Arnaav into it.

Same, says Mag, 💧.

Max thinks the exclusion is probably for the best.

He flies back in from iRacing contract negotiations a day before the Christmas Party. In the time left, he unpacks, laments to Dilara on the lack of green beans in store (“Christmas time,” she sympathizes), streams until two in the morning. Periodically checks his doorstep just in case. 

Everything is fine. Then he returns from another green–beanless escapade and on his mat, is a parcel. Inside the parcel, is a dark blue wooly sweater with an outrageously bright design of red and green animals and a manger on the front, yellow sheen emitting from the neck hole.

There is a note.

Merry Christmas x.

Max takes it in, puts it on. Stares at himself in the mirror. Takes it off, wraps it up, and leaves it on the torn parcel paper to return later. He can give the money to the New Year's party.

When he takes the elevator down to Dilara's apartment, he is immediately accosted by Gertrude and slightly less accosted by little Jerry. "Max!"

Mistletoe hangs from the ceiling. Max takes the kiss she plants on his mouth with his hands on her arms to make sure it does not turn into Human Bowling, then blows out a breath. "Do you know who keeps giving me shit?"

Gertrude's brow furrows. "The beans?"

"The same person, yeah." Max rubs his temple. "It is starting to piss me off. I asked them to stop and they have not."

"Maybe it is someone not in the building?"

"Unless they bugged the place, no." Max sighs. "It was always ridiculous but now it is even more ridiculous. The whole 'courting thing' too is just stupid."

Litter Jerry looks up, Samsung held slightly precariously in his chubby fingers. "What about—"

"Charles!" erupts Gertrude brightly, looking into the distance. Max twists on the spot but there's just empty hallway. The stairwell door swings a little. Gertrude sways on the spot slightly.

"Let's get you inside," says Max and herds her back into the celebrations. At the jerk of his head, little Jerry sighs a great sigh and ducks under his arm, back into the loud apartment.

Nothing. Max opens the door: nothing. Max enters the lobby: nothing. Max gets his mail: nothing.

Max gets on with his life. Nothing.

Max sits on the balcony at night and listens to the silence. He checks the messages on his phone. Maybe he broke his hands, muses Dilara.

both of them at the same time? says Peter.

I just saw him, reports Mag, in the elevator. His hands are fine. Really really fine.

Back in JDM GC (NOT FOR THIRSTING), Charles simply says he has taken a break due to 'lack of inspiration'.

I will gladly inspire him, says Arnaav in JDM GC (FOR THIRSTING).

Not if I inspire him first, replies Mag.

Max keeps out of that one. Max keeps out of most of it, and: Nothing. The little Merry Christmas note stays in his nightstand and Max just. Forgets to take it out every single night. Whatever.

By the time Peter's New Year's party rolls around, life has settled and Max starts the year off drunk, happy, and listening to little Jerry toot Anaconda on the trumpet while next to him, Peter makes out with his new fiancée as of three seconds ago. Max has never seen her in his life.

The next morning is a slow one. For one, it is already eleven when Max cracks open his eyes. He rolls over. A chilled breeze stirs the hair on his arms.

He blames the alcohol for accepting that as he does. Getting out of bed, taking the wrong door to the bathroom and finding a closet instead. Taking the right door to the bathroom and the Palmolive soap has been replaced by a pot of L’Oreal Paris hair mask. 

Then the cold wind comes back again and Max peers past his headache to see the window cracked wide open. He looks back to the mirror. He is naked. 

“Shit,” says Max, with feeling.

A snore comes from the bedroom. Apparently Max bypassed an entire human being too. Stupid, useless alcohol. He’s going to go back to his place, take his stash of gin, chug it to forget this ever happened.

For now, he puts on his clothes. Rumpled, clearly discarded without much care. But on. Then he takes a look around. Lots of red. A centerpiece of fake roses sits atop an electric piano. The front door is the same as his. A shelf of photos over the TV contains the same three recurring men. In the corner of the kitchen, there is a large cardboard box held shut by a loaf of 50/50. Max moves it off and takes a peak. Inside is roughly two hundred bags of green beans.

The mop of brown hair forms a person eventually. Max has found an OralB tube by then and used his finger as a makeshift brush. 

"Morning," says Max when they arise.

Charles takes one look at him before falling back onto his pillow. "Shit."

Max spends the first afternoon of 2024 swallowing Aspirin and slightly burnt Eggos. Suffice to say, Charles is a terrible host. And yet Max is still here. Pretty privilege. Hottest man on the planet, remembers Max. Yeah, okay. 

He swallows, nods to the box in the corner and its counterpart bread loaf. “So were you the one stalking me?” 

Charles chokes on his protein smoothie, glowers. “I was not— stalking, I was just. Courting.”

“Courting,” echoes Max. “Dilara’s going to have a fit.”

Charles stares at him. He was not in the WhatsApp group at that point so he wouldn’t know. Real funny, Max thinks to the universe. Great planning. 

“So you, what,” he says, “bugged the building?”

“I just overheard sometimes,” says Charles. His cheeks are a vibrant, sick red. Fucking fresh air lovers. 

Max thumbs his own temple. “What do I owe you?”

“What?” asks Charles, stupidly handsome and stupidly stupid. His fingers wrapped around the bottle are messing up Max’s already messed up mind. 

“For all the shit you got me. If you say anything less than a thousand, I will know you’re lying so what do I owe you?”

A moment passes in which Charles blinks at him, Max realizes Jimmy and Sassy are probably upending the microwave, and Charles blinks some more. Then: “A date?”

“You are the worst flirter I have ever met in my life,” Max tells him sincerely. He slides off the stool and kisses him on the mouth. Charles drops the protein smoothie. The bottle breaks all over the floor. 

Max buys him sixteen more.

[1425fivefive]

Fic Writer Interview 💕

tagged by @lovelylotusf1 & @foggieststars tysm for the tags 💕

How many works do you have on AO3?

9, which is a surprise to me. I swear I can only remember 3 things I've written at any given time. Every other fic does not exist to me.

What's your total AO3 word count?

126,149. I don't wanna talk about how much time I've spent writing this year (I haven't finished a book since July 🙃)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Don't Want Your Sympathy, Just Your Company (1,259)

Sexy to Someone (Is All I Really Want) (631)

Be Sweet for Me (Only Me) (631)

Feline Fever (575)

I Wouldn't Ask You (To Take Care of Me) (496)

To this day, I'm so surprised by how popular Sexy to Someone is (my first completed fic, featuring Carcar). Like the fact that it has equal kudo to my most popular Lestappen fic shocks me every time.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, always! I'm always so stunned and grateful someone's taken the time to leave a comment about my writing that like ... it would make me so sad not responding to them.

Sometimes it takes me longer, especially when they're comments on older fics, just because I don't really remember fics after I've written them (object permanence issues I guess) and I have to go back and reread a bit of it, especially if the comment is engaging with something specific about the fic

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Lmao as if I could write an angsty ending. Maybe Sexy to Someone, because it's sort of ambiguous what Oscar and Carlos's relationship is at the end of the fic (even though the sequel makes it clear these two bitches are certainly mutually obsessed and made for each other). But I just need people to be happy. I didn't realize I was such a romantic until I started writing fic

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Don't Want Your Sympathy. Oscar asking Lando, "I'm hoping to have you forever, if you'll let me," and Lando saying, "Forever sounds pretty good to me"?? This is the closest I will ever get to writing engagement or marriage in any of my fics

Do you write crossovers?

No!

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Never, probably because I lock all my fics. I only receive hate for the opinions about drivers that people project onto me lmao

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I recently posted about how I feel like I should only write smut, so. Yes. I genuinely tried writing a fic without any smut (my Landoscar genie fic which is only 1,000 words away from being finished) but I got so bored and fed up I had to shelve it. I just. Love writing about sex and desire and shame and wanting someone so badly it makes you kind of wretched and pathetic. I would describe most of my smut as dealing with the mortifying ordeal of being known. Like the terrifying intensity of finding someone who fully matches your freak

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

This is so insane, but my friend and I in uni wrote joke fanfic about ... our lives starring like vaguely fictional versions of ourselves and people we had crushes on. We only shared it with each other and honestly like ... lock us up. She wrote me a fic for my birthday about me having a threesome with Aubrey Plaza and Adam Brody. Like we were really unwell

What's your all-time favorite ship?

All-time ship for me for years was Veronica and Logan from Veronica Mars, and it probably still is if I manage to completely ignore season 4. Within F1, my favorite ship to read is probably Galex or Maxiel (the quality of fic is just so high in those ships), but my favorite to write is Landoscar. I just think Landoscar are kind of pathetic losers (affectionate) around each other and it suits so many different tones in fics. A rich canon to draw from etc. etc.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Too many. Probably my Lestappen exes-to-lovers vacation fic. I realized it was just like ... too much work for a fic I wasn't that invested in. I might condense it and turn it into a oneshot with a few flashbacks interspersed.

What are your writing strengths?

Characterization and smut. Like I truly find writing sex so easy. And characterization (for most people, I find Charles weirdly hard) comes pretty easily just because I watch a lot of videos and like imagining how people would respond to different situations

What are your writing weaknesses?

Plot plot plot. I hate planning fics. I have vibes and ideas and scenes and themes, but I despise figuring out how to get from point A to point B. Especially because I'll be writing a fic and think, "He would not fucking say that," but I need him to say it to make the plot work. So then I end up scrapping the plot because I can't bear to have people act out of character

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Lmao I get such secondhand embarrassment when I read my Carcar fics. Why was I having Carlos say those things? (My excuse is that my partner speaks Spanish and uses a lot of those nicknames for me so ... write what you know and all that)

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Star Trek Next Generation. I wrote a full screenplay of an episode when I was like nine where the ship computer became sentient and took over the ship

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

Norstappen. I need it. I need to write it so bad. I just wrote a scene between Lando and Max in Learned Behavior (my current wip) and ... oh my god their dynamic is so awful and weird and delicious to me

What's your favorite fic you've written?

Don't Want Your Sympathy is the easy pick, just because it was so much work and I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, but so many people love that fic and reading it back I realized I also really like it, even if I felt an insane compulsion to edit it.

But my secret pick is Feline Fever. Like the porn in that is literally all of my kinks, and it was my first truly rarer pair to write and I felt like I was trying to dig for treasure with no map. It was so freeing to realize I could just do whatever I wanted with them because people didn't really know what to expect!

No pressure tagging @disarmd, @wedriftlikelonelyplanets, @utopiastri, and @beensinning if you all are interested!!

[slythereen]

also off the top of my head i’m pretty sure drivers don’t usually clap for each other when they get handed the trophy?? maybe for like super significant podiums but i don’t think it’s usual?? i have a bad memory though so take this with a grain of salt for sure

you 🤝 me

horrendous memory for details

anyway by popular demand (my own) (i am the only one asking for this) i decided to do some investigative journalistic research (rewatched some banger podiums).

my final conclusion: idk they seem to run on vibes. like. it's definitely not a Every Time Absolutely, Have Manners™ type of situation. but at least a little clapping each podium, not necessarily limited to p1. there does not appear to be an upwards trend or anything, chronologically. it seems to vary (though i might say that they do it reflexively if the clapping starts earlier and thus clap more for those podiums... hmmm).

choosing the narrative i want where science has failed me to say max and lewis did it for charlie<3

baku gp 2023

charles interestingly is clapping for max as he walks out

max claps for checo as he walks out; charles fixes his hat and then starts clapping too (i get you charlie)

can't see max and charles for the first part of checo's trophy, but they are not clapping for the end of it (and charles is fixing his bracelet so i don't think he was before)

neither max nor charles clap for the medal

all three clap for the rbr mechanic (charles joins a lil late but it's okay that's not his team... yet)

can't see charles and checo for the trophy lift, but by the time you see them when max sets his down they are not clapping (there is a slight tiny smidge of movement to the left as he is handed it that makes me think checo claps. but not firm enough evidence)

you can only see checo for charles' trophy and he is clapping animatedly (as is the rbr mechanic)

conclusion: errrr... they clap when they remember to. rbr mechanic domination. also, checo is kind of a sweetheart with his animated clapping on podiums thus far.* (*this says thus far bc i actually watched out of order)

austria gp 2023

max, checo, and the rbr mechanic clap after the anthem, charles does not (he's busy fixing his hat okay it's important) (this isn't part of my stats i just thought it was funny)

charles and checo clap when max lifts the trophy (you can see checo clapping at the end of the shot. charles is out of frame BUT you can see his arm/elbow moving as he claps presumably so i'm taking it)

checo claps for the medal; charles does not

you can't see the drivers for the rbr mechanic's trophy (except checo at the end, clapping)

you can't see the drivers for charles' trophy

you can't see the drivers until checo is putting his trophy down, they are not clapping then but they might have already stopped. counting it as a negative bc of the hands on the hips / no evidence to support a positive (the rbr mechanic is still clapping at this point)

conclusion: p1 gets some claps?

belgium gp 2023

can't quite see charles when checo initially walks out, but by the time he is in his spot charles is not clapping / is fixing his hat (i sense a theme, charlie)

checo and charles both clap for max walking out

all three clap for the anthem

charles claps for max's trophy lift (checo is shaking hands with the presenter but also does not start clapping for the end of it)

can't see charles for the medal; checo does not appear to clap but is busy leaning in to tease max about something

max claps for the rbr mechanic (can't see charles and checo for the whole time but they weren't at the start/end)

max claps for checo's trophy (can't see charles until very end, movements too ambiguous to guess if he was or not) (rbr mechanic claps too)

max claps for charles' trophy (can't see checo)

conclusion: max emilian is something of a consistent clapper. lestappen consistently clap for one another (not enough data on checo, so they might all three be on par with one another).

mexico gp 2023

charles and lewis do not initially clap for max getting the trophy, but do after the handshakes with the presenter / when he lifts it (no claps for the medal)

charles and max clap for the rbr mechanic lifting the trophy after the handshakes

i can't tell for lewis - f1 rudely cut to toto clapping like a proud dad so didn't see max or charles for the trophy 🤨

max starts clapping for charles before the presenter even hands him the trophy. casual.

we know lewis started clapping fairly quickly too from the side angle video but he wasn't in frame for the f1tv broadcast

conclusion: more or less clapping at least 66% of the time.

for some comparative analysis...

monza gp 2023 (tears in my eyes)

no one claps for the walk outs

checo and carlos both clap for max's trophy lift

no one claps for the medal

can't see the drivers for checo's trophy

max claps for carlos; checo joins in belatedly

(i forgot how awkward it is that carlos had to hype the crowd... at monza)

singapore gp 2023 (i'm suffering for the people)

lewis doesn't clap on lando's walkout

it looks like lando clapped a bit for carlos' walkout

lewis and lando clap for carlos' trophy (lando joins a little late)

lando claps for the medal

lando and lewis clap for fred (carlos is doing something with the trophy it looks like)

lewis claps for lando... carlos doesn't (🤨)

can't see the drivers for lewis' trophy lift but it looks like carlos gave a clap or two at the end

(oh carlos hyped the crowd in singapore too... maybe that's just his thing)

conclusion: sir lewis hamilton is a gentleman. lando is also a consistent clapper. carlos is roughly 50%. not really a super strong correlation between p1 and guaranteed claps.

[toppamplemousse]

fic writer interview (ty @formulaocean for the tag!)

taken literally forever to get around to this but can never resist the opportunity to yap. below the cut <3

How many works do you have on ao3?

10 public and 6 anonymous hehe

What’s your total word count?

201,602 -- an INSANE amount. also considering that 1 fic makes up 100k of that, and all the other 15 are the other 100k. lol.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

there you'll stand (next to me) -- duh. this has 3x the amount of kudos as the next one LOL

bottle episode

temp get to you

La Rentrée

and then this one oop

i usually have them sorted by hits, but this is NO surprise. bottle ep and temp get to you were almost tied for kudos

Do you respond to comments? Why/ why not?

we try to all the time -- but its harder on the older fics. i genuinely try to respond to as many as possible but it just isn't feasible. but we are so so so so grateful for all of them

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

OBVIOUSLY my beloved neither do you. its the only unhappy ending and BOY is it unhappy

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

hmmm they all really have "happy endings" i suppose. some of the smut is less happy i guess LOL. probably there you'll stand because its happy AND you get to read about it. i usually love to end once they get together so you never get to see them actually like, in love etc.

Do you write crossovers?

not really!! its either canon or just. normal au

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

no :( obviously i dont want hate but i did think stepdad sebchal might have elicited SOME haters.....alas. just means i need to make it worse.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

HELL YEA!!!!!! any kind. the more rancid the better

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i hope not (re: the plagiarism scandal -- id be honored that someone felt a fic was worth stealing. and then id kill them with hammers)

Have you ever had a fic translated?

no lol. not crazy abt it sorry - too protective.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

THESIS OF THE ACCT. all of the fics are written by the two of us running this account. some more than others but there's always always been input for every single fic from both of us. except the anonymous ones. thats just me (charlie). sorry.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

we are first and foremost larry stylinson girls. always. but for f1 its lestappen DUH and then sebchal.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

sigh....... i'd love to think all the wips will get finished. but there's a landoscar spinoff of tys(ntm) that i doubt will ever get finished because we are now more anti-lando lol than we were when we started. so its hard to continue. also because i'm too interested in writing new things, not wanting to go back to that universe.

What are your writing strengths?

hmmm. tricky. i think we do angst quite well - it's much easier for me to make them Suffer than it is to write them happy and in love i think. like the emotions and torment just come a lot more natural. and i do think sometimes our smut does eat. personally.

What are your writing weaknesses?

DIALOGUEEEEEE. this is charlie speaking saying em basically wrote all dialogue for TYS(NTM). and genuienly like. most of the KILLER lines were not me. i just can never think about what someone would say or how they would communicate if not blunt honesty. you can tell if i wrote the majority of a fic because it's just descriptions.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

occasional words -- fine. anything else, i don't necessarily agree with. there's usually errors and/or it just doesnt make sense for the intended audience.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

f1 babey!!!!

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

like lets be fr, we are only writing f1. ship..... there's a maxiel/chestappen wip in the brain. i am not writing for the ship though. i am writing because the idea plagues me. but its always gonna be lestappen or sebchal. wait also. 4433 in the works.

What's your favourite fic you've written?

it always always has to be tys <3 but la rentree was the most fun to write for sure. and bottle episode. those 3 i think. but tys ... i cannot describe what it was like to spend 3 months writing this and editing and so many facetime calls and google doc comments and etc etc

tagging @gayferrari @bumblewyn @charleslelurk and (shooting my shot here) @chubbydino <3 and anyone else!!!!! MWAH

[its-all-papaya]

FIC WRITER INTERVIEW

ty for the tag @bright-and-burning booping u like a tumblr cat paw

How many works do you have on AO3?

uhhhh six if you count the lestappen i put on anon and the comp thing that's just a collection of kiss prompt fills that did not become their own fics

What's your total AO3 word count?

35,045

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

even if it ends (460)

anybody, nowhere (319)

the devil in me (310)

gentle with the ache (236) i am this fic's deadbeat dad like i'm not going to pretend i didn't write it but you can only interact with it if ur gonna be nice bc it makes me want to scream cry & throw up

the hollow hereafter (217)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i literally respond to every single comment ! if i don't know what to say i will think of something ! comments literally keep me alive. like i joke about writing for attention but genuinely the thought of receiving comments and reblog tags is what keeps me going on my wip's. i have the biggest praise kink that has EVER existed and god knows nobody is praising me for anything ever in my real life, so i gotta take what i can get. it's insane that real people read my words and have enough thoughts about them to like... type those thoughts out. so i must thank every individual person with a heart and a virtual kiss on their head.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

even if it ends for suuuure. i had people threatening self-harm in the ao3 bookmarks of that one in a loving way, and that's without even knowing about the rich inner life that i didn't expand on the way i originally planned to. in my brain, oscar has already decided to leave mclaren by the time the events of that fic happen bc their teammateship has gotten so self-destructive, so lando's "you can't stay" and oscar's "i know, but i want to anyway" is so much more knife-to-the-heart than y'all even realize.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

uh. i don't really want to count the kiss prompts because they don't really exist to me as fic, so... anybody, nowhere i guess? the devil in me is not NOT happy. can i cheat and say dad lando even though it doesn't actually exist yet?

Do you write crossovers?

no jesus christ i can barely write characters outside of oscar and lando (and apparently max fewtrell according to like two people). adding in even MORE variables is making me nauseous just thinking about it.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

"hate" is a strong word but there is a reason that my lestappen is on anon now.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i do write it sometimes, but not very successfully (glaring at u lestappen garbage). i have two landoscar wip's that are basically pwp, but i just don't really think i'm good at smut, so idk if they'll ever go anywhere for real. the pacing is simply so impossible to me. like how soon is too soon to have an orgasm. also like 90% of my writing is just knockoff versions of my own emotions from various points, and so as someone who only hooks up with people for reasons not really related to actually getting off, i find it really really hard to write the build-up and come-down from smut WHILE ALSO really struggling with the actual acts. like what are normal people's brains doing before during and after making someone come? bc i guarantee it is not what my brain does. it just doesn't really compute unfortunately.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don't think my fics have existed long enough to be stolen tbh.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

no

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no but i wrote literally millions of words while roleplaying in any number of ships back in the day.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

i think probably steve/bucky of the marvel universe? i don't really fw it much at this exact moment because endgame literally ruined my life for a bit, but that's probably the ship i've enjoyed the most over the years.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

honestly all of my wip's outside of dad lando and that nutcracker thing i'm definitely not writing shhh. I will fight shave fic eventually i think. the wip that's absolutely never getting finished the most securely is the fake dating thing based on that kiss prompt i filled in like july. like it's a 50k concept that i have like 5k worth of motivation for.

What are your writing strengths?

um. i think just, like. prose that sounds nice? i think i did a good job putting readers inside of lando's head in anybody, nowhere, so i'd say i'm occasionally good at translating emotion/headspace too. actually i'll go ahead and say that about all of my published landoscar, because i think that's even if it ends' strength too. dad lando is less that way, but it has other things going for it.

What are your writing weaknesses?

i'm really really mean to myself, so it's hard to pick just one. i'm bad at writing characters distinctly i think. like i just make them do things based on what feels good in my brain and just hope that y'all don't think they're OOC, but whenever i stop to think "what would oscar say here?" it's like... blank. bc i don't know. and it's really MUCH worse with everyone outside of landoscar. i also don't think my pacing is very good and i get hung up on details people won't care about and also i have a compulsive need to make EVERYTHING a metaphor. i'm going to stop there bc insecurity isn't very cute but i also over-edit and introduce too many threads and i could literally go on all night

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

i don't honestly see the point? because either you provide a translation, which defeats the purpose, or you don't, which makes it a secret for some readers but NOT the ones who speak the language in question. i'm spoiled by native-english-speakers landoscar as my primary ship, but i think if i ever wanted to write a convo between like. charles and pierre, ig, i would just write it in english and be like "they said in french" afterwards of smthn, idk. i think the only time i've written in not-english is that lestappen "after a long wait" kiss prompt and it was like a language device (haha) and not dialogue.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

i've only ever published on ao3 for F1. way way back i used to fill prompts on tumblr for one direction, which was the first fandom content of any kind that i wrote. the first actual fanfic i ever typed into a word document was finnpoe from the star wars sequel trilogy. so depends how you wanna define!

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

i got really really spooked by my lestappen adventure because it actually broke my brain for a bit, so now i'm scared to write anything but landoscar. i think the most likely non-landoscar ship i'd write is maxiel, probably? i saw them across the bar and loved their vibe. daniel feels kind of impossible for me to write though so idk if i ever will.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

anybody, nowhere i think, because i think it's the most complete thing i've done. i also really love how even if it ends turned out too, which is crazy bc i haaaaated it mid-writing process. i think it feels really like... i don't know. gritty? messy in a way that makes it authentic? idk how to describe. i think even if it ends has my favorite characterizations i've written for both lando AND oscar. but anybody, nowhere is my firstborn and i treasure her, so. yeah. tie, maybe.

tagging @fear8not1 (i know ur like. not on tumblr. but in case u would like to) and @volantium !!

[lestappenforever]

Hi. I just wanted to say I love how rational you are. Your answers to asks are so well thought out and thoughtful as well as kind. So keep being amazing.

As for Lestappen going mainstream, there are two sides to it. One is that Max haters want Max to be a villain so badly. They want everyone to hate him and especially the F1 prince (he’s a princess but to each their own I guess) but what they don’t know is Charles loves Max and vice versa. They are the same, they see themselves in each other. Two, Lestappies are also scared because we have a bubble here on tumblr and Ao3 (X doesn’t count because that place is toxic AF) People don’t want that bubble bursted because once it is and Max/Charles get a whiff or any negativity they might start hiding their interactions. But the thing is, of course they know people ship them, just about any celebrity knows people ship them with whatever other person out there, the problem would be breaking the fourth wall and just being outright insane about wanting them to be together or harassing them and their partners about this.

Do people really think if both Max and Charles were not happy about it they’d allow their teams to post about them with the actual ship name??

Also, we have Carlando. Everyone and their grandmother knows about Carlando. Both Carlos and Lando use that ship name. So does Carlos’ dad, F1 commentators etc. So why should Lestappen be any different? Yes there are people out there with no value for basic human decency and lack of common sense but if we are all respectful, I don’t see why Lestappen can’t be as fun as Carlando and even way better. So if some people think they are doing the nasty behind their gfs backs that’s on them, but keep it to yourself or fandom spaces don’t go to Max and Charles or their partners with that bs and that includes their comments or tagging them in whatever. We don’t know the extent of their relationship whatever they are to each other makes them happy and we should be happy for them too.

Looking forward to today’s podium (Lestappen 1-2) and their honeymoon in Las Vegas as per F1 Las Vegas suggested 😉

Good evening, my darling anon! Thank you so much for your kind words. I love getting asks, and this fandom makes me so happy, so I'm very glad to hear that you think that’s reflected in the way I answer asks. ❤️

And you are absolutely right, with everything you've said. Max haters will make Max out to be the villain he isn’t no matter what, and that’s never going to change. But they will be free to live in their delusion because there is no denying that not only do Max and Charles respect each other, they also like each other. Genuinely. The people who can’t deal with that are going to keep trying to convince themselves of a reality that doesn’t exist, which is fine. What isn’t fine is trying to force their narrative on people who clearly disagree with it.

As for them being aware of people shipping them: Oh, absolutely. Shipping is everywhere, and if they were truly uncomfortable with the concept of Lestappen, their teams would not be posting about it on main. It’s that simple. But keeping certain parts of shipping, like fanfics, far away from the people of the ship is a given anywhere, with any ship, in any fandom. That’s something that’s meant to be fun for fans, and nobody should be pushing those things onto the people involved, their partners, their families etc., in any capacity. That’s simply a matter of common decency, and being a reasonable human being.

Shipping is supposed to be fun, and if you take it to the real world and the real people involved, it stops being fun and starts being incredibly uncomfortable for everyone involved. Let’s stay in our little bubble and be happy here, and take the Lestappen content we get on main with open arms.

Oh, babe, me too. I'm manifesting a Lestappen podium with everything I have, and I am so excited for this race.

I absolutely love your take on this whole thing, anon, and your logic is flawless. I love you. ❤️

[linewire]

🏎️💨 THE FORMULA 1 TAG GAME! 🏎️💨:

thank you for tagging me @wisteria-wisteria <3 (holding your hand in the liminal space that is the asian timezone on tumblr)

1. Who or what got you into F1?

This fic by greenstuff on ao3. Such a good fic, so good that it made me look into F1 more so I could understand it better. Then I watched the first season of DTS and got WAY too attached to Max because I love a villain. After I started reading Lestappen fics, I knew I was in this thing for the long haul.

2. Who was the very first F1 driver you supported? Do you support them now? Have your opinions on them differed or stayed the same since then?

I was a Red Bull girlie from the start because of that fic, and I guess I was a Danny fan for a couple minutes before Max appeared on screen.

Still a Red Bull girlie but not so much a Daniel fan anymore.

3. Who’s your current favourite F1 driver?

Max and Charles. Max slightly more but not by much. Hoping, praying, manifesting an actual championship battle between them, like idc who wins, I just need to see them fighting like they're always meant to.

Truly do not hate any other driver, just mostly indifferent to a lot of them.

4. Is there a driver pairing or pairings you support? What made you attracted to that pairing in the first place?

Lestappen is my ride or die. For all the typical reasons. *Insert that Mr Knightley quote about how if I loved them less, I might be able to talk about them more.*

5. Do your parents, siblings or relatives have a favourite team and/or favourite driver(s)?

My dad's a Schumacher girl, like as in he only watched F1 for him then stopped when he left. I sorta got him back into it because I started talking to him about my interest. My mom and my step dad are Mercedes/Hamilton fans, though I think she only likes him because he also has a bulldog.

6. Do you have any favourite races? Are there any that stand out to you the most?

Monaco 23 was the first race I watched live so that holds a special place in my heart. Singapore 23 and Mexico 23 also stand out to me because those are the ones I watched live with my friends uwu.

7. Do you have a favourite circuit? Can be from the past or from the current calendar.

Honestly, kinda basic but I do like Monaco even though its place on the calendar is kinda contentious. Purely for aesthetics, not necessarily for the race quality. Hopefully Charles can win it before it gets taken off the calendar (though idk if that's gonna happen).

Still trying to learn what my actual fav is for quality of races, though. All the classic non street circuits are good for that I guess.

8. Have you ever been to an F1 race in real life? Feel free to tell us your experience going to one if you like.

I live in a country where the nearest track is a whole plane flight away so no. I don't even know if I'd like to go because the footage I've seen from races looks kinda underwhelming LMAO. Though I wouldn't say no if someone invited me. Especially if it's to Monaco or Zandvoort.

This completely doesn't count but the old place where my step dad worked was one of McLaren's sponsors back in the day and got tickets to Sepang. I just thought it was a cool story.

9. Have you ever met an F1 driver in real life?

No and thank god. I couldn't bare to look Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc in the eye after writing them fucking nasty for all of you. I think I'd pass out if I was in the same room as Max though, like my body would just shut down.

10. Do you have a favourite F1 car? If so, what is it?

He <3

I also like the old Marlboro liveries and I think tobacco companies should be allowed to sponsor teams just so we can get cunty liveries. Like can you imagine a Red Bull Marlboro Blue sponsorship?

11. Do you have a favourite one win wonder?

Oscar? Does winning a sprint count?

12. Do you have any favourite quotes from the F1 world? This can either be inspirational or hilarious.

Max has some great one liners, like "Maybe God is with Hamilton but he is not god," and that thing about sucking on an egg (king of duality <3). I also really like the quote of Charles talking about how his grandmother would sew little crosses on his race suits.

Tagging anyone that wants to participate but specifically @carronyaflowers @itshoneywhatever and @amarynas

[nyoomfruits]

the moon’s never seen me before

pairing: max verstappen/charles leclrec word count: 800+ a/n: uuuh so i recently fell down the lestappen hole and then did what i do whenever i have a new obsession: i wrote a fic about it  the prompt was ‘"Can you imagine us being together?" "Pfft, nightmare material."’ taken from this list. set somewhere after the abu dhabi gp. 

It takes Charles a few tries to find a door that actually leads outside, and when he finally does he takes a deep breath in the chilly night air, the anxious feeling that’s been sitting in his stomach all night finally dissipating a little.

He takes another deep breath and looks around, realizing that he’s on a tiny balcony overlooking the city and that he’s not alone.

Max is leaning against the railing, bottle of beer dangling from his hand as he raises an eyebrow in Charles direction.

“Ah,” Charles says, “my apologies. I wasn’t aware this rooftop was taken. I will,” he makes an aborted move towards the door, but Max stops him.

“It’s fine,” he says, turning his back to Charles to look back over the city.

Charles, who isn’t really looking forward to going back inside to rejoin the party, figures that’s good enough, and joins Max at the railing.

A silence falls over them, and it’s both comfortable and unsettling all at once. It makes Charles realize that even though they talk now, are on good terms, might even be something close to friends, they are hardly ever alone together. There’s always other drivers around, or press, or team members.

Now it’s just them, Charles finds himself at a loss as to what to say.

“Congrats,” Max eventually says, toying with the label of his beer bottle. “On your P2. You deserved better.”

“Thanks,” Charles says. “You too. Congrats, I mean.”

Max hums noncommittally. They’re right next to each other, arms leaning on the railing, close enough to touch.

Charles figures it’s as good a time as any to ask the question he’s been dying to ask since he stepped out here to find Max already there. “Shouldn’t you be inside? Celebrating?”

Max looks at him, and there’s the little twinkle in his eyes that always makes Charles’s stomach feel like it’s floating inside of his body. “Shouldn’t you?” He raises an eyebrow, challenging, and Charles snorts.

“I’m not the world champion.”

Max makes a dismissive motion with his hand. “Meh, been there done that.”

“Oh, you asshole,” Charles says, punching him the shoulder as Max laughs loudly. During their interaction they've somehow impossibly moved closer, so their forearms graze together with every small movement.

“Feels overwhelming, sometimes,” Max says, suddenly a lot more serious, a lot more vulnerable. “All eyes on you, all the pictures, the questions, the expectations. Suffocating.”

Charles, who still feels the ghost of the anxiety that made him search out this balcony in the first place, nods in understanding. “Yeah, same, I guess.”

Max looks at him, and it almost startles Charles how close their faces are. The soft light from the moon illuminates Max, makes his eyes stand out even more, and he’s looking at Charles with an almost disarmingly honest expression on his face.

Charles opens his mouth, to say something, anything, to break the weird tension that seems to suddenly be simmering between them, when the door swings open.

The boys turn around in unison, panicked looks on their faces, as an elderly woman in a beautiful red gown steps onto the balcony. She startles when she sees Charles and Max and looks them over, clearly coming to the completely wrong conclusion when her confused look turns into a knowing smile and she winks at them as she says, “I’m so sorry, boys. Carry on.” Before disappearing back inside.

There’s a second of silence, but then Charles and Max look at each other and burst out in slightly uncomfortable laughter. “God, I think she thought we were making out up here or something,” Max says, as their laughter dies down a little.

“Can you imagine?” Charles says, still chuckling a little. “Us being together?”

“Pfft, nightmare material,” Max says, bumping their shoulders together. Neither of them mention how they haven’t moved an inch since the woman showed up, how they are still pressed so close together their forearms are touching, how when they turn their faces towards each other, their noses almost touch.

“You wish you were so lucky,” Charles says, smiling softly at Max.

“Oh, definitely,” Max says, and Charles is pretty sure he’s joking, but there’s that twinkle in his eye, that goddamn twinkle, and Charles breath hitches for a second. Their faces are still only inches apart, and for a second Charles can’t help but think it would be so easy to just lean over and kiss him.

The moment is broken when Max turns to look back over the city. Charles can’t tear his eyes away just yet, glancing at Max’s profile illuminated in the moon light. He knows this should scare him, this whatever they have going on right now, but it’s the first moment all night all his feelings of anxiety seem to have completely disappeared.

So instead, he lets himself have this moment, this quiet little moment where it’s just the two of them, and joins Max in staring out over the city. Max says nothing, just gently bumps their shoulders together, and Charles knows he understands.

It’s a long time before either of them rejoins the party.

[matchtaco]

CRUMBS but it's something, you won't hear me complain

[matchtaco]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers (ू•‧̫•ू⑅)♡

ohhh I just saw this <3, well I don't think I can do the last part since I don't talk to many people on tumblr because I'm embarrassed and I don't want to bother anyone lol but five things that make me happy mmm:

1- Writing, I know I'm not the best writer, I admit it myself haha, I was always very insecure with my writing, but being able to create universes where my ship (3316) meets and falls in love is something incredible, plus it helps me get out of a bit my head.

2- makeup and skincare, I have studied for both (make-up artist and cosmetologist) and I love it.

3- coffee and tea, specifically matcha (lol).

4- Williams, Charles, Max and Lestappen, I could also add Pierre, George and Alex, but in itself there is nothing that makes me as happy as a good race by Williams, a lestappen moment, Charles competing for podiums etc.

5- here I could include the friends I made thanks to formula 1, as well as the lestappie community on tumblr, tumblr is by far the closest I have to a safe place, and it is the space where I feel most comfortable to be me same, so thank you.

Bono jajaja: mi país, en general, desde la comida hasta la selección nacional de fútbol, hay un "algo" que incluso cuando las cosas van mal, podemos salir adelante, es como un espíritu indomable que no importa cuán cruel sea la situación, amo todo lo que tiene mi país excepto sus políticos.

[matchtaco]

And if... and if I upload another fic about the AU university prompt? It's just that something just occurred to me and... I don't know what time I would post it lol

[matchtaco]

okay wtf, that was a beating, there was no chance haha, you know: the other idea will also appear, even if it's not the main thing, it will also be there as a background (or I'll see how haha), I hope to meet expectations (I only have two fics focused on Max, this will be a challenge), maybe go up a preview tomorrow!! thanks for up voting and not ignoring me, i'll do my best to make that abo better than my last fics lol 🤠 🫂

[matchtaco]

i'm still not used to having two accs, i'm still giving heart to publications with my @lestappenficssearch acc haha, so surely you have seen me twice in your notifications with your amazing post cl / mv ​​excuse me, i'm going to get used to it i swear lol 🤠👍🏽