#2013 japanese grand prix

[avida-heidia-5]

“Itchy bum! Itchy bum!”

- Sebastian Vettel, 2013 Japanese GP

[lewisarchive]

Sir Lewis Hamilton with Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa at the Japanese Grand Prix (2013)

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.08.05] AERA x Yuzuru Hanyu: 24.8.12-19 No. 37

person in focus

"After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well."

A session with photographer Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year. In a long interview exclusive to this magazine, he talks about the ideals he pursues.

Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu

Born December 7, 1994 in Sendai. 2009 Won the Junior Grand Prix Final at age 14. 2010 Became the youngest Japanese male to win the World Junior Championships. 2011 While practicing at a rink in Sendai, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and he had to live in an evacuation shelter. The rink where he was training was temporarily closed. 2012 First participated in the World Championships, coming in third. 2013 Graduated from Tohoku High School. Enrolled in a correspondence course at the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, studying human informatics and cognitive sciences. Won his first Grand Prix Final. Won four consecutive titles thereafter. 2014 First Asian gold medal in men's figure skating at the Sochi Olympics. First World Championship win. 2017 Second World Championship win. 2018 Second gold medal in men's figure skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics. 2020 Won his first Four Continents Championship, becoming the first man to win all major international junior and senior competitions. 2022 Participated in the Beijing Olympics. In July, announced his professional career. The ice show "Prologue" was held in Yokohama in November and in Hachinohe in December. 2023 In February, the ice show "GIFT" was held at Tokyo Dome. In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In March and April, he appeared in the ice show "Stars on Ice" (Osaka, Iwate, Yokohama). In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Miyagi, Niigata, Kobe). In November, the ice show "RE_PRAY" tour began at Saitama Super Arena. The following year, it was held at SAGA Arena in Saga in January, Pia Arena MM in Yokohama in February, and Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi in April. 2024 In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Aichi). On September 15th, he will be performing in the "Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance Challenge" in Ishikawa Prefecture.

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It has been two years since he made a new start as a professional figure skater in the summer of 2022. In 2024, he led three successful ice shows: "RE_PRAY" (Saga, Yokohama, Miyagi performances), "notte stellata" and "Fantasy on Ice".

The shoot with Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year began with a cheerful greeting from each other, "Thank you for your continued support this year," and "Thank you." When she said to him, "You're still as young as ever!", Hanyu replied with a smile, a little embarrassed, "I'm almost 30."

"Move freely."

With those words, he made expressions and gestures as he pleased.

Various scenes were set up in the vast studio. Hanyu, who changed costumes and was photographed in each scene, moved and made expressions freely, sometimes under instructions and sometimes as if he was imagining (creating) a story himself. The people watching repeatedly let out gasps of amazement as the images were displayed one after another on the computer monitor. It was nothing short of amazing how he instantly exuded various moods - from boyish with a hint of innocence to cool and seductive.

His creativity was not limited to the way he behaved as a subject. When the BGM was played during the shoot, his body naturally responded to the music, and he also requested songs himself when he saw the costumes. There was also a moment when he saw a prop that had been set up and asked, "Do you have one more of these?" This revealed his high level of creative awareness.

The shooting has completed.

"Thank you very much," he said, and there was something light-hearted and cheerful about it. After a year, what he showed in the studio was a more mature and expressive side to him.

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Exclusive interview with this magazine

[In pursuit of a distant ideal]

He is now in his third year as a professional figure skater. Reflecting on his days of taking on unprecedented challenges, he spoke about what he has gained from them and what the future holds.

Photo: Mika Ninagawa    Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Yuzuru Hanyu, the journey continues

hair & make up: Noboru Tomizawa  styling: Masataka Hattori costume: NEEDLES    BED j.w. FORD    YUKI HASHIMOTO  prop styling: Ayumi Endo

Yuzuru Hanyu started out as a professional figure skater in 2022. In his first professional ice show, "Prologue," he performed the first solo ice show in history. He skated for nearly two hours, with a structure that richly conveyed his skating career. Following "Prologue," he then performed a solo show at the Tokyo Dome for the first time in history, "GIFT." The ice show filled the gigantic venue, which had never been seen before.  After "Prologue" and "GIFT," he held the performance "notte stellata" in March 2023, which was filled with thoughts and prayers for March 11. It has been a year since our interview last summer, following those three performances.

Changes in the "depth" of thinking

"When I was interviewed a year ago, it had just been a year since I turned professional. I had a desire to grow and learn more specialized things. In the year since then, I think that my technique, expression, and many other aspects have changed. Among them, I feel that I have had many more opportunities to think about expression. I have been thinking about expression even in my daily life. I think that the way I think about my show, the way I think about each program, the depth of those things has clearly changed." He talks about what triggered the change in the past year. "First of all, I had to spend more time thinking about writing a new ice story after GIFT and also about my own performance.” The new ice story was "RE_PRAY", under the title "ICE STORY 2nd".  It opened on November 4, 2023 at Saitama Super Arena. It was performed in Saitama for two days, on that day and the following day, and in the new year it was performed in Saga on January 12th and 14th, and in Yokohama on February 17th and 19th, for a total of six performances in three cities. After the premiere in Saitama on November 4th, Hanyu said the following. "First of all, I myself have learned from games, manga, novels, and various other sources, about what life is all about, how precious life is, and other similar things that everyone else roughly feels.

In games, the concept of life is really light in a sense, and you can repeat it, so you can use characters to do all sorts of things and push forward with curiosity. If you apply that to the real world, you might be a person who has the drive to grab hold of dreams, or conversely, from a different perspective, you might be a very terrifying person. But if you could do it all over again, I'm sure people would try it."

24 hours a day, always skating

In this story with a game motif, the question of "choice" is often depicted. We make choices in our lives, even if we are not aware of it. What if you choose a different option than the one you originally chose? Or would you choose the same option? This story asks the audience, which serves as an opportunity to reexamine their way of life. Of course, just like "Prologue" and "GIFT," the fact that this story was completed and received with overwhelming acclaim was due to the performance of Hanyu, who was the sole performer. And even after six performances, he did not try to stay in the same place. He continued to evolve. There were many evidences of this growth at the final performance of the Yokohama show, for example. The movements in the performance of "Chicken, Snake and Pig" where he moved forward as if resisting the shackles. The performance of "Megalovania", following a silent performance without music with only the sound of his edges resonating, was more integrated with the music than in previous performances. Not only in the production aspects, but also in the details of Hanyu's performance itself, there were traces of refinement here and there. After the Saga performance, Hanyu spent his days preparing more rigorously for the Yokohama performance.  "Of course, I trained and restricted my diet. Well, how should I say it, there are 24 hours in a day, but I spent the entire time on nothing else but skating. In other words, skating was always present, 24 hours a day.” "That's right. To put it simply, it felt like I was spending every day just working on 'RE_PRAY'." The reason he spent all his time facing skating was because he had regrets about the Saga performance. "After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well." However, the standards of frustration have changed from when he was a competing athlete.

Still not enough

"Gradually, the focus is shifting from scores to an evaluation. If something technical that I had planned didn't go well, then my evaluation vector changes and my perspective shifts. I couldn't accomplish what I wanted to accomplish in Saga, so I was simply disappointed." After spending 24 hours focused on skating, the Yokohama performance came. After the final performance, he said, "I feel a sense of accomplishment like winning the Olympics." While he felt a sense of fulfillment, he wasn't completely satisfied. He also felt that his ability had not yet caught up with what he wanted to do. "So I feel like there are still things I need to study more. Of course, I think I'm evolving. I think I'm getting better. But I still feel like it's not enough. As I keep digging deeper and deeper, my ideals become higher, and the things I want to express are becoming more and more specific. The more my ideals become more concrete, the more I feel like I'm not catching up." He is aware that he still has areas where he needs to improve, especially in the finer details. This is something he realises now, which he didn't feel this way when he was competing in the sport. "It's impossible to realise this when you're a competitive athlete. After all, if you can jump, you win. To be honest, if you couldn’t jump, there was no point in talking about it, as the outcome of the competition was pretty much decided by how many types of quadruple jumps there are and where you put them in the program. For example, what memories do you have of this song, the background of this song, what is the story you want to express, how will the story and the song fit together, or what meaning is in the choreography, to be honest, there’s not much room to think about them. You have to complete all your technical elements in one go in the four minutes of a competition (free skate), so that's all you can focus on."

A world not in first place

Win the match. In a competition, that is set as a goal. "Since I had already achieved that, there was no way I could go any higher. If you think about it in the world of competition, I won first place, so even if I tried harder, I couldn't get any higher than first place. In other words, I just tried to see how long I could maintain that first place position.

But in the world I'm in right now, even if I think I'm in first place, it may not be. It’s a place where I can think, "I'm still at the bottom". When I look at the various works of art or technically excellent things from around the world, I feel that there are still many things I can't do, so I think that I still have a long way to go." When he moved from the world of competition, which was fixed in a sense, to a new world, it was no longer a confined space. However, whether one knows its vastness or not, whether one feels that there is an endlessly wide world out there, is up to the individual. So even though the world is infinite, some people only notice a limited space. Or, there are those who limit the space themselves.

Right now, Hanyu thinks, "I still have a long way to go." He feels like he's at the bottom. This is because he knows that the world is endlessly vast. The reason he feels this way is because he has the ambition to move forward without being content with the present. So instead of seeing the place he has arrived at as the end point, he knows that there is still space to go beyond that.

Ideals evolve

"I may have surpassed the ideal I had a year ago. But the sense of distance between me and my ideal is probably the same as it was a year ago. For example, if the distance between me and my ideal a year ago was 10 meters, it may be 10 meters, no, 11 meters now. That's how I feel. I'm living and experiencing life, I see information every day, and in the midst of that, my ideal evolves. My ideal gets further and further away. But at the same time, through what I have seen and experienced, I'm sure I’m also one step closer to my ideal." Then, after a short pause, he continued with a smile. "As long as I want to, I think I can continue for the rest of my life." The skater is still on his journey, striving towards the ideals he has built with his own will. 

Source: AERA issue 24.8.12-19 No.37, pg 9-15 Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0D89L6LS2

[phos-phorus]

Ok here’s the promised Simi ficlet

You can actually read this as platonic and romantic so I hope you guys like it.

I greatly appreciate any feedback and maybe even some prompts or requests if y’all want me to write more specific ficlets.

Anyway here’s Kimi being a gentle sweetheart and wiping away our golden puppy’s tears

Please ignore any spelling or grammar mistakes or dm me if they are too annoying lmao

In 2010, Vettel’s rise was meteoric. His sheer talent and the prowess of the Red Bull Racing team created a formidable combination. The first championship was a dream come true. Yet, even then, whispers of criticism began to surface. Some questioned whether his success was due to the car rather than his skill. The phrase “a champion built by engineers” started making rounds in the press.

By 2011, the whispers had grown louder. Journalists began to dissect every aspect of Vettel’s driving. “Does Vettel really have the racing intelligence of a true champion?” one headline questioned. Every maneuver, every decision on the track was analyzed with a fine-tooth comb. If he won, it was expected. If he faltered, it was headline news.

The 2012 season was perhaps the most grueling. The competition was fiercer, and Vettel’s dominance was no longer a given. Media outlets latched onto any sign of vulnerability. “Is the pressure getting to Vettel?” they asked after a rare mistake at the Malaysian Grand Prix. The relentless questions about his mental fortitude began to chip away at his once unshakeable confidence.

By 2013, despite securing his fourth championship, Vettel was exhausted. The constant barrage from journalists was relentless. At every press conference, the questions were sharper, the critiques more pointed. “Does Vettel’s dominance signal a lack of real competition in F1?” and “Is Vettel ruining the sport’s unpredictability?” were common refrains. It wasn’t just about his driving anymore; it was about his very presence in the sport.

In private, the toll was evident. Vettel, once full of vigor and passion, found himself questioning his own abilities. The joy of racing was being overshadowed by the fear of making mistakes that would be ruthlessly dissected. His team noticed the change, often finding him deep in thought, a shadow of the exuberant driver they once knew.

One particularly grueling press conference after the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix became a turning point. Despite securing yet another victory, the press conference that followed was anything but celebratory.

The room was filled with journalists, eager to ask their questions. However, this time, the tone was more aggressive and personal. One after another, they peppered Sebastian with questions that implied his success was hollow. The atmosphere was charged with a palpable tension, and it wasn’t long before the questioning turned hostile.

“Sebastian, do you think your success is more about Adrian Newey’s car than your driving skills? Do you think you’ve had an unfair advantage with the car?” one reporter asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.

“How do you respond to claims that your championships are less valuable than those of past legends because you never had real competition?” another chimed in, eyes narrowing.

His voice, usually steady and confident, wavered. “I have always given my best, on and off the track,” he said, his frustration palpable. “I respect the history of this sport and the champions who came before me. If you think my achievements are less because of the car I drive, then you underestimate the effort it takes to win consistently. This isn’t just about me; it’s about the entire team. We work hard for every single victory.”

The questions were thinly veiled accusations, each one more cutting than the last.

Vettel’s usual composed demeanor began to crack

“Do you think your dominance is ruining the sport’s excitement?”

“Isn’t it true that without the best car, you wouldn’t even be a contender?”

The relentless barrage of accusations and doubts hammered at Vettel’s psyche. He tried to maintain his composure, but the weight of the criticism was overwhelming. His answers became shorter, his voice strained. The room seemed to close in on him, the once supportive walls now echoing with doubt and disdain.

Finally, a particularly harsh question broke him. “Sebastian, do you think you’ll ever be as respected as drivers like Schumacher or Senna, given that your success is seen as less earned?”

Vettel’s eyes glossed over with a mix of frustration and hurt. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the words caught in his throat. “I… I think that’s enough for today,” he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. “Excuse me.”

He stood up abruptly, leaving the room in a hushed silence. The journalists, momentarily stunned, watched as he walked out, his shoulders slumped under the weight of their words.

Sebastian sank onto a bench, his head in his hands. The tears came unbidden, hot and silent, as he fought to keep his sobs from escaping. The weight of the season, the constant scrutiny, and the relentless pressure finally broke through his defenses. He felt small, overwhelmed, and terribly alone.

“Seb?”

The voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but it cut through the fog of Sebastian’s misery. He looked up to see Kimi standing a few feet away, his expression as unreadable as ever. Kimi had always been an enigma, a man of few words, but there was something in his eyes now—a depth of understanding that Sebastian hadn’t expected.

“Are you okay?” Kimi’s voice was gentle, devoid of the usual sarcasm and aloofness.

Sebastian tried to muster a response, but the words caught in his throat. He shook his head, his shoulders trembling with the effort to hold back his tears. Kimi’s presence was both comforting and disconcerting; the Finnish driver had never been one for emotional displays, and Sebastian didn’t know what to expect.

Kimi took a step closer, then another, until he was standing right beside Sebastian. Without a word, he sat down on the bench, his arm reaching out to rest gently on Sebastian’s back. The gesture was simple, but it carried a world of meaning. It was an offer of solace, a reminder that he wasn’t alone in this moment of vulnerability.

After a moment of silence Sebastian lifted his head, his eyes red-rimmed and filled with unshed tears. “I can’t do this anymore, Kimi. They keep tearing me down. No matter what I do, it’s never enough.”

Kimi pulled him into a hug, strong and reassuring. “Listen to me, Seb. You are an incredible driver. You’ve proven it time and again. The media… they don’t understand. They don’t see the hard work, the dedication. They only see the results, and they twist them to fit their narrative.”

Sebastian shuddered, hot tears slowly rolling down his cheeks and Kimi leaned back just enough to be able to look into Seb’s glassy eyes and wipe away the tears while he spoke, his voice a soothing murmur in the quiet room.

“You’ve achieved so much. Four World Championships, countless won races. Don’t let them take that away from you. Remember why you started racing. The love for the sport, the thrill of the race. That’s what matters.”

As Kimi held him, he reached up to stroke a stray curl out of Sebastian’s face, the gesture so gentle and innocent that it broke through Sebastian’s defenses. A sob escaped his lips, and he buried his face in Kimi’s chest, his body shaking with the force of his emotions. Kimi continued to whisper soothing words, his hands stroking Sebastian’s back in a steady, comforting rhythm.

The room was quiet, save for the sound of Sebastian’s muffled sobs and Kimi’s calming whispers. Sebastian clung to Kimi, drawing strength from the Fins unwavering support. He felt the knots of tension slowly begin to unwind, replaced by a sense of warmth and security.

“You are a champion, Seb, my champion” Kimi continued, his voice steady and reassuring. “Don’t let their words define you. You define yourself by your actions, by your passion.”

Sebastian nodded against Kimi’s chest, the tears still flowing but the anguish beginning to ebb.

For a long time, they sat there in silence, the noise of the outside world fading into the background. Kimi’s arms remained a steady anchor, his silent support speaking volumes. When Sebastian finally lifted his head, he saw a small, understanding smile on Kimi’s face.

“Thank you, Kimi,” he whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Kimi’s embrace tightening around Sebastian. “You don’t have to do anything without me. We’re in this together. And no matter what happens, I’ll always have your back.”

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

ISU released an article about Shoma

Two-time ISU World Champion and three-time Olympic medalist Shoma Uno of Japan has announced his retirement from competitive skating after a long and distinguished career and is ready to open a new chapter in his life.

“I have decided to retire from active competition,” Uno wrote on Instagram. “I am very grateful to have been able to continue skating for 21 years since I was 5 years old, and to have had a wonderful athletic life.”

The Japanese star will talk in more detail about his retirement and future plans in a press conference scheduled for May 14.

The 26-year-old looks back at a career with many highlights and also difficult times, but he always came back, proving his talent and showing resilience. When five-year-old Shoma went to the ice rink in his hometown of Nagoya with his father to have fun, he had no idea that he would become a World Champion, Olympic medalist and super star of the sport. He only knew that the enjoyed skating and kept coming back to the rink, taking lessons. He trained with Machiko Yamada, the coach of Japanese skating icon Midori Ito and also with Mihoko Higuchi for many years and worked his way up in the skating world.

Uno debuted in the ISU Junior Grand Prix in 2011 and was so tiny that he was unable to look over the boards. He won a few medals on the Junior circuit but his breakthrough came in what was his last Junior season in 2014/15 when he qualified for the first time for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final where he claimed gold. Shoma went on to take the ISU World Junior title in 2015, in what was his fourth and final appearance at the event (climbing from 10th in 2012, 7th in 2013 and 5th in 2014).

Once at the senior level, Uno quickly became one of the top Skaters in the World. In his World debut in 2016 he placed 7th but then the next year won silver, his first of a total of four World medals. In his first Olympic Winter Games in 2018, Shoma skated off with the silver medal and returned on to the Olympic podium four years later, earning the bronze. In 2022 and 2023 Uno crowned himself ISU World Champion.

However, in between there was a time of struggle. In the 2019/20 season, for the first (and only) time in his career, Uno finished off the podium in the ISU Grand Prix Series. He had left his coaches since childhood and struggled with confidence.

“At first, to be honest, I was thinking about finishing my career,“ he said in an interview at Skate America 2021 about this time.

“I did not know how much longer I would keep going. But imaging the end (I thought) maybe I'll enjoy the rest of this career as an athlete.“

Uno started to work with two-time World Champion Stéphane Lambiel as his coach and choreographer in fall 2019 and soon came back strong. He grew as an athlete and a performer with beautiful programs that highlighted his versatility: “Turandot” (Free Skating 2017/18), “Great Spirit” (Short Program 2020/21), “Bolero” (Free Skating 2021/22) and “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Free Skating 2023/24) to name a few.

At the same time, the Japanese star always pushed the limits technically and made history by becoming the first Skater to perform a quadruple flip in competition in 2016.

“When I train and want to become better, it's not good for me to work on what I can already do. If I'm satisfied with just giving 80 per cent, I'm not good. The right training for me is to push my limits,” Uno said in an interview.

The Japanese Skater has an independent mind and a fun personality. He has a Youtube Channel where you can meet his three toy poodles Emma, Baron and Toro.

“When I am on the ice, I am totally focused on my sport, but when I'm off the ice, I am sure most people know I am just a lazy slacker, but I thought that would be a good way to show to the people how I am off the ice, but still this is Shoma Uno,” he explained.

When asked who inspires him the most, Shoma’s surprising answer was:

"Myself. Of course, I think I am inspired by many people and heard some good words from everyone, too, but in the end when you break it down, I do feel that it is myself that inspires me and sadly, I don't listen to anyone. Sometimes I listen, but mostly I go with my own mind,” he added.

For sure Uno will follow his own ideas in the years to come but you can certainly expect to see him gracing the ice in shows for a while.

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Yuzuru Hanyu Through the Years MasterPost (senior)

Yuzuru Hanyu's first and last* senior competition figure skating costumes, White Legend (SP) & Ten to Chi to (FS)

*Technically the last costume is the Haru Yo Koi gala costume, but I'm focusing on the competition itself

1) Olympics Through the Years (2014; 2018; 2022)

2) Grand Prix Series Through the Years (2010-2019)

3) Japanese Nationals Through the Years (2010-2015; 2019-2021)

4) Four Continents Through the Years (2011; 2013; 2017; 2020)

5) World Championships Through the Years (2012-2017; 2019; 2021)

6) World Team Trophy Through the Years (2015; 2017; 2021)

7) World record-breaking reactions Through the Years

___________________________________________________________

This concludes the summary of Yuzuru Hanyu's senior competitive years.

After turning pro on 19th July 2022, Yuzu has continued breaking "world records", this time related to what ice shows look like and what can be done within an ice show.

[askneftis-sam]

I made Sam’s original wardrobe in 2013, and after so many years I decided to update it, especially the ones I felt weren’t so in tune with the series’ fashion style (ya know, 90’s - early 20’s). And at last I decided to update her Battle City outfit ;; so here’s her updated wardrobe!. Some details: -School uniform: Sam joins Domino High School after the other Yugi and Anzu meet with Ishizu at the museum (Sam was there as well). Once Kaiba announces battle city and she parts ways with Anzu and Yugi, she phones Otogi and tells him she's in Domino (they became good friends when Otogi was visiting Pegasus' castle), Otogi is the one who gives her the idea of joining their school. She’s reading Japanese classical literature and having a hard time with some of the old kanji. -Battle City: Sam likes wearing high heels :B, she uses a belt for her deck. I have many more outfits for Sam through battle city and will post them soon, this is the main one. -Doma Arc: This is the outfit I modified the most. Sam is kidnapped by Doma to reach Pegasus at Industrial Illusions (Mai simply appearing in the highest floor out of nowhere always felt so weird haha) Mai uses Sam to threaten the staff and to force Pegasus to duel her. Sam was packing her things to travel with the gang when she’s taken, so she was wearing the pants and an Industrial illusions tshirt (4th image). Doma waited until she took the pendant off (to change into her pijamas) to attack. After Pegasus’s soul is taken Doma wanted to capture Iris’ soul so they gave Sam the millenium pendant back, Sam loses her cool and challenges Mai. While dueling she takes off the pendant so Iris would stop trying to calm her down, and loses. The next day, after Valon interrups Mai and Jonouchi’s duel, they find Sam’s souless body in Pegasus’ office, Yugi puts the millenium pendant on Sam’s body and Iris possesses it. Since she had no luggage with her, she takes Pegasus’ jacket and a scarf before leaving (thus why it looks a bit big on her).

-Kc Grand Prix: After the Doma arc, Sam goes back to Industrial Illusions with her father and retrieves some of her clothes, though they’re all pretty formal outfits. Anzu lends her the stockings and Yugi offers her one of his belts to store her deck for the tournament. -Millenium World: She’s crying while Atem leaves for the after life, she could also see Neftis briefly when the door to the underworld opened. I wanna thank my friend Natz from dA for helping me create these outfits! Here her sketch.

[coimbrabertone]

Suzuka in April Feels Wrong

So, this weekend F1 will race at Suzuka. Suzuka is an amazing circuit, the esses at the beginning of the lap, trying to take Degner 1 as fast as possible but knowing the gravel trap is right there at the edge of the circuit, and then hard on the brakes for Degner 2, under the bridge, and up and to the right into the hairpin where Kamui Kobayashi seemed to overtake just about everyone in 2012. Spoon curve, the infamous 130R, and the Casio triangle at the end of the lap, Suzuka really is something special.

The only problem is, Raikkonen's 2005 charge (admittedly I was too young to properly enjoy that but it's literally the back to front challenge meme in real life), Kamui's 2012 podium as a Japanese driver, even Vettel's heartbreaking sparkplug failure in 2017, not to mention the historic Prost and Senna collisions...all of those happened at the end of the season, or close enough to it anyway. This year, Suzuka is in April, the fourth round of the 2024 Formula One season.

Now of course, there's a reason for this - the geography of an increasingly bloated F1 calendar - but first, let's just establish why the Japanese Grand Prix being at the end of the season is so important.

The first Japanese Grand Prix, held in 1976 and 1977, marked the first time a world championship race was held in Asia, and it was the finale too, the place where the championship would be decided. The 1976 race in particular, covered in the excellent 2013 movie Rush, saw Niki Lauda pull into the pits in dangerously wet conditions - this was the same year as his Nürburgring crash - which allowed James Hunt to charge up the field and seal his only world title.

The first Fuji trip would only last two years, but in 1987, F1 would find its home in Suzuka. It was the penultimate race - Adelaide, Australia was now the finale - but nevertheless, Suzuka was still the place where titles were decided. In 1988, Senna came from behind in the wet to beat Prost, in 1989 Prost would close the door on a charging Senna in the Casio triangle on lap 47, taking Prost out. Senna cut the chicane rejoining the track, got disqualified, and handed the title to Prost. In 1990, Prost now in a Ferrari, got a better start than Senna's polesitting McLaren, but Senna's wouldn't give an inch, and they didn't even make it past the first corner this time. Senna would seal the 1990 title. And it continued, Senna over Mansell in 1991, Hill over Villeneuve in 1996, Hakkinen over Schumacher in 1998...it was the track where history was made.

That being said, it's position in the calendar started to change as F1 expanded its Asia-Pacific presence from just Suzuka. From 1987-1995, it was paired with the Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide, in 1999 and 2000, it was paired with Malaysia, and from 2004-2008, it was paired with China. After that, the calendar more or less formed two flyaway blocks, with Australia-Malaysia-China-Bahrain at the beginning of the season, and a Singapore and Suzuka towards the end, paired with an everchanging host of flyaway races that included Abu Dhabi, Brazil, South Korea, and India. In 2009, Suzuka was the third to last race, come 2011, it was fifth to last.

The real blow to Suzuka as an end of season race, however, was the emergence of an American block of races late in the season. It started with Austin in 2012, and by 2015, we had Austin and Mexico back-to-back followed by Brazil, making for three western hemisphere races in a row. Las Vegas in 2023 made a fourth, with Abu Dhabi having long ago bought the season finale slot. All of this means that, in 2023, there were a whole two months of racing after Suzuka.

Thus, figuring that history is dead, F1 has decided to move Suzuka to April, so that, much like 2004-2008, it's back-to-back with the Chinese Grand Prix. Which means F1 will now have Baku and Singapore as a doubleheader in 2024...yeah.

For something meant to cut down on F1's travel related CO2 emissions, they really did just decide to make the entire circus fly over the entirety of the Asian continent in a week. Good job.

What the race does succeed in, however, is reminding us of the last time F1 raced in Japan in April, the 1994 and 1995 Pacific Grand Prix. A rare moment of two races in the same country for F1, when in addition to the end of season trip to Suzuka, there was an early season trip to the T1 Circuit in Okayama. It's a pretty neat track, I've raced it on Ride 4, probably better for bikes than cars though.

So yeah, not much for the environment, but it does remind us of an obscure race nobody has ever heard of, so there is that.

[umseb]

sebastian vettel at a sponsor event in yokahama ahead of the japanese grand prix - october 9, 2013

[rabidline]

2023 ONE PIECE ON ICE: THE CAST (SO FAR) - ALABASTA KINGDOM ARC

SHOMA UNO as MONKEY D. LUFFY 2018 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2022 Olympic Bronze Medalist 2022, 2023 World Champion 2019 Four Continents Champion, 2022 Grand Prix Final Champion Japanese National Champion (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022) NOBUNARI ODA as USOPP 2006 Four Continents Champion, 2008 Japanese National Champion Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist (2009, 2010), Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist (2006, 2013) RINKA WATANABE as TONY TONY CHOPPER 2022 Skate Canada Gold Medalist, 2022 CS Lombardia Trophy Gold Medalist 2022 Grand Prix Final 4th Place, 2023 Worlds 10th Place MARIN HONDA as PRINCESS NEFELTARI VIVI 2016 World Junior Champion, 2017 World Junior Silver Medalist KAZUKI TOMONO as KOZA 2022 Four Continents Silver Medalist, 2018 Worlds 5th Place 2022, 2023 Worlds 6th Place 2022 Japanese National Bronze Medalist TAKAHITO MURA as SIR CROCODILE 2014 Four Continents Champion, 2011 Asian Winter Games Silver Medalist Japanese National Bronze Medalist (2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017) RIKA HONGO as MR. 2 BON CLAY 2015, 2016 Four Continents Bronze Medalist, 2014 Rostelecom Cup Gold Medalist 2014 Japanese National Silver Medalist PRINCE ICE WORLD TEAM

[umlewis]

Hamilton: Ferrari F1 Switch Doesn't Need "Vindicating"

Lewis Hamilton says his decision to join Ferrari in Formula 1 doesn't need "vindicating," as he expressed ongoing annoyance at people continuing to "talk shit" about it.

The seven-time world champion announced at the start of February that he would be switching to Ferrari in 2025 after electing to activate an exit clause in a deal he had originally signed with Mercedes, and while the ongoing competitive differences between Mercedes and Ferrari have prompted onlookers to debate about whether or not he has made the right move, he says what others think is irrelevant. Instead, he says the only thing that matters is being happy with the decision, himself, as he was when he joined Mercedes in 2013 despite plenty of people questioning it. Asked ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix if Mercedes' current struggles had confirmed he had made the right choice in moving to Ferrari, Hamilton said: "Well, I don't feel like I need my decision vindicating. I think I know what's right for me, and that hasn't changed since the moment that I made the decision. There's not been a moment where I've questioned it, and I'm not swayed by other people's comments. Even today there's people continuing to talk shit, and it will continue on for the rest of the year, and I'll have to just do what I did in the previous time. Only you can know what was right for you, and it will be an exciting time for me." At the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton expressed some annoyance to a journalist who asked about whether he was happy to be going to Ferrari because they were 'better.' "Do you have any better questions," demanded Hamilton before the interview ended. Hamilton is clear that he sees his switch to Ferrari as a long-term project, which could see him racing on in F1 into his mid-40s, like Fernando Alonso is. "I am going to be racing for quite some time still," he declared, "so it's definitely good that he's still around. I hope that he keeps going for a little bit longer, as well." He added: "I never thought that I'd be racing into my 40s. I'm pretty sure I said I wouldn't go into my 40s racing, but I think it's such a crazy trip, life, that I don't feel like I'm nearly 40 years old. I feel really young, still."

[avida-heidia-5]

Sebtember Challenge #23:

Success at Suzuka

Did you know Sebastian Vettel has won in Japan 4 times, all of which were with Red Bull? He won in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.

🇯🇵🏆🏆🏆🏆

The other times he’d won 4 races were in Malaysia (2010, 2011, 2013, 2015) and Bahrain (2012, 2013, 2017, 2018).

[herohimbowhore]

On This Day in F1: Masterlist

On This Day in F1 takes a look back into time at events that occurred on days relevant to the 2024 Formula 1 Season. Posts will have a brief description of the current day's events and then take a look into Formula 1 history.

_______

Feb. 1: Lewis Hamilton Signs with Ferrari + 2011

Feb. 2: Haas Car Launch + 2007

Feb. 5: Williams and Sauber Car Launches + 2015

Feb. 7: Alpine Car Launch + 1960

Feb. 8: Visa Cash App RB Car Launch + 2006

Feb. 12: Aston Martin Car Launch + 2020

Feb. 13: Ferrari Car Launch + 1995

Feb. 14: Mercedes and McLaren Car Launches + 2013

Feb. 15: Red Bull Car Launch + 1929

Feb. 21: Testing Day 1 + 1975

Feb. 22: Testing Day 2 + 2012

Feb. 23: Testing Day 3 and DTS Season 6 + 1958

Feb. 29: Bahrain Day 1 + 1932

Mar. 1: Bahrain Day 2 + 1992

Mar. 2: Bahrain Grand Prix + 2010

Mar. 7: Saudi Arabia Day 1 + 2004

Mar. 8: Saudi Arabia Day 2

Mar. 9: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Mar. 22: Australia Day 1

Mar. 23: Australia Day 2 + 2016

Mar. 24: Australian Grand Prix + 2013

Apr. 5: Japan Day 1 + 2009

Apr. 6: Japan Day 2 + 1930

Apr. 7: Japanese Grand Prix

Apr. 19: China Day 1

Apr. 20: China Day 2

Apr. 21: Chinese Grand Prix

May 3: Miami Day 1

May 4: Miami Day 2

May 5: Miami Grand Prix

May 17: Imola Day 1

May 18: Imola Day 2

May 19: Imola Grand Prix

May 24: Monaco Day 1

May 25: Monaco Day 2

May 26: Monaco Grand Prix

Jun. 7: Canada Day 1

Jun. 8: Canada Day 2 + 2014

Jun. 9: Canada Grand Prix

_____________________________

More dates to be added as the season goes on

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.29 (after 1920)

1920 – Construction of the Link River Dam begins as part of the Klamath Reclamation Project. 1921 – Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party. 1932 – Great Depression: In Washington, D.C., troops disperse the last of the "Bonus Army" of World War I veterans. 1937 – Tongzhou mutiny: In Tongzhou, China, the East Hebei Army attacks Japanese troops and civilians. 1945 – The BBC Light Programme radio station is launched for mainstream light entertainment and music. 1948 – Olympic Games: The Games of the XIV Olympiad: After a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, open in London. 1950 – Korean War: After four days, the No Gun Ri Massacre ends when the US Army 7th Cavalry Regiment is withdrawn. 1957 – The International Atomic Energy Agency is established. 1957 – Tonight Starring Jack Paar premieres on NBC with Jack Paar beginning the modern day talk show. 1958 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 1959 – First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union. 1965 – Vietnam War: The first 4,000 101st Airborne Division paratroopers arrive in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay. 1967 – Vietnam War: Off the coast of North Vietnam the USS Forrestal catches on fire in the worst U.S. naval disaster since World War II, killing 134. 1967 – During the fourth day of celebrating its 400th anniversary, the city of Caracas, Venezuela is shaken by an earthquake, leaving approximately 500 dead. 1973 – Greeks vote to abolish the monarchy, beginning the first period of the Metapolitefsi. 1973 – Driver Roger Williamson is killed during the Dutch Grand Prix, after a suspected tire failure causes his car to pitch into the barriers at high speed. 1976 – In New York City, David Berkowitz (a.k.a. the "Son of Sam") kills one person and seriously wounds another in the first of a series of attacks. 1980 – Iran adopts a new "holy" flag after the Islamic Revolution. 1981 – A worldwide television audience of around 750 million people watch the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London. 1981 – After impeachment on June 21, Abolhassan Banisadr flees with Massoud Rajavi to Paris, in an Iranian Air Force Boeing 707, piloted by Colonel Behzad Moezzi, to form the National Council of Resistance of Iran. 1987 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President of France François Mitterrand sign the agreement to build a tunnel under the English Channel (Eurotunnel). 1987 – Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and President of Sri Lanka J. R. Jayewardene sign the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord on ethnic issues. 1993 – The Supreme Court of Israel acquits alleged Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk of all charges and he is set free. 1996 – The child protection portion of the Communications Decency Act is struck down by a U.S. federal court as too broad. 2005 – Astronomers announce their discovery of the dwarf planet Eris. 2010 – An overloaded passenger ferry capsizes on the Kasai River in Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in at least 80 deaths. 2013 – Two passenger trains collide in the Swiss municipality of Granges-près-Marnand near Lausanne injuring 25 people. 2015 – The first piece of suspected debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is discovered on Réunion Island. 2019 – The 2019 Altamira prison riot between rival Brazilian drug gangs leaves 62 dead. 2021 – The International Space Station temporarily spins out of control, moving the ISS 45 degrees out of attitude, following an engine malfunction of Russian module Nauka.

[formulalex]

Sebastian Vettel's Unbeatable Record

Sebastian Vettel has hung up his F1 racing gloves at the end of 2022. And for a man who began his career with an-off appearance at the 2007 US grand prix ended with 53 wins in 290 starts four World Titles he is a modern f1 legend. 

Originally posted by elfynevans

So how did it happen…?

It all began on the 25thof August 2013, and the drivers were heading in to Round 11. It was the first race after the summer break at Spa and Sebastian Vettel was already leading the championship. At the time he already had 4 wins out of 10 races and a 38-point lead over Kimi Raikkonen in the drivers’ standings. As for the race Vettel made a clean getaway at the beginning but overtook Lewis Hamilton on the straight to gain 1stplace, finishing there at the end of the race. 

Next up, was Monza, and Vettel started the race on pole, followed closely by his teammate Mark Webber and Felipe Massa, however, he held them off with ease and gained his second win in a row. 

We headed now to Korea, and although Vettel had Lewis Hamilton close behind, he was able to secure another comfortable victory despite the craziness going on behind him. He secured his 4thconsecutive win. 

Now it was Round 15, just one week later and it was the Japanese Grand Prix. Vettel did not take pole in qualifying, which had him fall to P3 at the start. However, this didn’t stop Vettel and he ended up winning the race adding his 5thwin to his now growing record. 

India 2013, came next, and I mentioned this earlier in my must watch races posts. Vettel started the race on brand new softs and therefore had to pit early, which resulted in him coming out of the pits in P17 but quickly made his way up to P2. He subsequently won the race and not only did Vettel secure his 6thconsecutive win but his 4thconsecutive world championship. 

Round 17 took F1 to Abu Dhabi, and even though he had won the championship, Vettel did not give up on wanting those race wins. He took absolutely no prisoners this race and finished 30 seconds above his teammate Mark Webber in P2. He now had his 7thconsecutive win.

Getting closer to the win record, Formula 1 raced in the United States for Round 18. Vettel started the race from pole, and well, the rest was history. He had an easy win and secured his 8thwin in a row, this race broke Ascari and Schumacher’s previous record of 7 consecutive wins. 

True F1 brilliance came for Sebastian Vettel that season and is one of the reasons I am such a huge fan. It’s sad to see him retire but his memory will live on through all the amazing records he made and the statistics he has.  

Let me know, what is your favourite Sebastian Vettel Moment?

[rikeijo]

Today's translation #143

Kikan Esu, 2017/07

Sayo Yamamoto interview

Part 1.

Interviewer: Before we start the topic of "Yuri!!! on ICE" (hereinafter called "Yuri!!!" for short), I would like to ask you about your love for figure skating, or in other words, I felt that all animes you have been working on in recent years are about figure skating, isn't that right? You have also done a few openings and endings with figure skating elements included. In "Shingeki no Bahamut GENESIS" it was maybe a dance, though?

Yamamoto: Yes, that's right. I tried to draw the storyboard while imagining how it would look like if Lori Nichol [figure skating choreographer] created a floor dance choreography… [Figure skating] is sprinkled across many different works of mine. Even in "Lupin the THIRD ~The woman called Fujiko Mine~" (hereinafter called "Lupin" for short), in the first episode, I made Lupin do a spiral, for example (laugh).

I: In opening to "Persona 5", it's just figure skating, even though [the characters wear] normal shoes. Has the Yuri!!! project started so many years before, that you were working on these two projects at the same time?

Yamamoto: Since the time I was working on Lupin in 2012, I have been thinking that: "I want to do figure skating anime next!". The Yuri!!! project started for real in 2014.

I: So you created "Persona 5" opening, while working on Yuri!!! project.

Yamamoto: I have always been working on multiple projects at the same time. The order for "Persona 5" came in 2012, and I was working on it 2013~2014. While working on "Persona 5", I have watched a lot of very dramatic competitions... Trophee Eric Bompard, Grand Prix Final, Japanese Nationals and Sochi Olympics... and the influence of those competitions is very well-visible there. After "Lupin", I have got a few other job offers as a director, so every time I've been told that: "You can do whatever you want", I answered: "Figure skating!". And what we see is the result of that.

[Notes: Another looong interview! This time with just Sayo.

This one is very interesting, because, I believe, it's the only interview in which she spoke so much about the actual story in Yuri!!! (although the next few parts will be about production). Reading her interviews/comments, you can notice that usually she is trying to avoid doing that as much as possible, and instead talks about her sources of inspiration, about technical side of the production etc...

I think it's also the last published interview she has ever given about Yuri!!!]