#2017/pre season testing

[press-f1-to-grieve]

mama's boy <3

[umseb]

sebastian vettel in the paddock during pre-season testing, barcelona, spain - february 27, 2017 📷 jens buettner / apimages.com

[sebtember5]

Sebastian Vettel - Preseason Testing in Barcelona 2017 -

[formulaheaders]

daniel ricciardo

◦ pre season testing 2017 ◦ like/reblog if you save or use and please don't repost ◦ © chicagoricc

[silliestgoobr]

Okay so with the resurgence of my street/ aphmau becoming more popular again with the new confirmed season of my street under way, the freaky little worms in my brain keep pestering me to make this post like this.

(Warnings: none really. Travis kinda freaky?? But not for serious. Also, one small mention of vlyad and the penjamin)

Rip (insert character) they would have loved (this thing)

Rip Kawaii Chan u would have loved booktok

Rip Cadenza u would have loved dress to impress

Rip Sasha u would have loved shoplifting from big corporations

Rip Garroth u would have loved being the little spoon

Rip Travis u would have loved Megan thee stallion

Rip Gene u would have loved 12$ bottomless margarita nights at Applebee's

Rip Genes liver u would have hated 12$ bottomless margarita nights at Applebee's

Rip Rylan u would have loved five nights at Freddy's monopoly

Rip Slyvana u would have loved life 360

Rip Ziana u would have loved BRAT 💚

Rip Blaze u would have loved pre work out

Rip Laurence u would have loved the newest season of love island

Rip Dante u would have loved young gravy

Rip aphmau you would have loved 2020 anime tiktok

Rip Zane u would have loved the unicorn cat from the Lego movie

Rip lucinda u would have loved Astrology Cafe

Rip Zenix u would have loved bitching about the new gen 4 monster high designs

Rip Katelyn u would have loved Drew Afualo

Rip Ein u would have loved shitty toxic alpha male podcasts

Rip Aaron u would have loved saying "no more Mr nice guy...😈🐺‼️"

Rip Dottie u would have loved early 2017 roblox tycoons

Rip Daniel u would have loved being a soft boy in 2020

Rip Vlyad u would have loved re chargeable cart batteries

Rip Teony u would have loved Chappel Roan

Rip Travis u would have loved taking the BDSM test at sleepovers

Rip Nicole u would have loved calling yourself a misandrist to make shitty men upset

Rip Eric u would have loved YouTube shorts

Okay guys sorry if I missed anyone but my brain is literal mush and I have no one to share my silly little aphmau headcannons with and it's driving me crazy so I'm posting it here lol!! Lmk if anyone wants more... I have so many Kawaii Chan/Nana/KC ones bc she's so :3

RELEASE ME FROM THE SHACKLES OF THE HYPERFIXATION I HAD IN 2016 I BEG!!1!1!1!!!

[dear-ao3]

okay i just got into f1 at the end of the last season. Can you explain some things to me- a hesitant Mclaren fan??

Basically why is the team so good this year and if Zak has proven the success of rookies, why don’t more teams follow suit? i’m so curious and also i wanna know everything abt Oscar and his war with Alpine?? Is Zak the team principle? why is he always there if not??

This one isn’t abt Mclaren and even tho i know it’s controversial i still don’t really understand but; What exactly happened in Abu Dhabi 2021??

alright so i typed up this whole thing once and then tumblr deleted it so now you’re getting the shorter and more annoyed version, apologies

here we go, more drama this time mclaren edition

zak brown is the ceo of mclaren racing. some ceos are also team principals (horner, i think toto?) but he is not. he’s also not an Owner i don’t think. but basically he’s the ceo of all branches of mclaren racing including f1, formula e, indycar, super e and esports. admittedly, he is a more involved team ceo. like he appears regularly on their social media pages and at the races and on the pit wall and all that, but he’s not the team principal. that’s andrea stella. andrea is in charge of the f1 team, zak is in charge of all the mclaren teams.

teams need three things to do well, good drivers, good car and good team. supposedly this year mclaren has all three.

lando and oscar get along and have proven they are both good drivers. they are on the younger side (lando is 24 and oscar is 22) and i think they’re the youngest driver pairing on the grid, but they have both proven they can do the job. they are also willing to work together, as in, none of them threw a fit if one had to pass the other and also they’re in it for the team first, personal success second. which is key. you can’t have your drivers feuding cause then they do stupid shit (ie nico rosberg and lewis hamilton)

oscar and lando have both driven the car at this point and they said it went well. but most people say the first test goes well. however, they started shit last year and then made upgrades to get better so the general hope this year is that they will start good and get better. i think lando said in one of his interviews that he was something along the lines of cautiously optimistic (he doesn’t like to say he’s confident because then it looks bad if they suck) but we will know more about the car at pre season testing this coming week.

as for rookies. not everyone signs them cause they’re a risk. and if you’re a big team with an good name and reputation then you might not want to risk it. this past year there were three rookies. nyck devries who failed to score a single point at alpha tauri and was swapped out mid season for daniel ricciardo. logan sargent who scored only one point and it was because two people in front of his dnfd. admittedly he was in a williams, but his teammate manages to score 20 something points so. and then oscar, who i think finished with 80 something points ans a few podiums. oscar was in the better car so he naturally did better, but also he still could have flopped tremendously. and that’s why a lot of the bigger teams like to have the new guys proven themselves first in a shit car cause then if they’re in a good car they’ll really do well. signing a rookie tho is a risk, as it’s been a rare occasion for them to win anything or even podium in their first season. and that’s not great if you’re trying to win a title.

when lando was signed to mclaren he had already been involved with the team for a few years. he was in f3 in 2017 when mclaren noticed him and then made him a test and reserve driver in 2018. now some people (haters) point out that Oh Lando Was A Pay Driver until he was in f1. (meaning, his dad is a millionaire and he basically backed him his whole racing career. so he didn’t have to get sponsors because he had his dad. this is basically what lance stroll does) but when he got into f1 he said he didn’t want to do that anymore because he doesn’t think that that’s what you should do in f1. some people think he only got his seat cause of this, but objectively, mclaren noticed his good performance, not the money part and in any case, his dad doesn’t sponsor him anymore. in any case tho, he had already driven mclaren cars in tests prior to getting his seat in 2019. he was also quite young. 18. but he also had a decent rookie year (not quite as good as oscar but also the car was more shit then than it was this past year).

the oscar piastri alpine drama is basically that he was alpines test and reserve driver for 2022, exactly like how lando was for mclaren. alpine was losing fernando alonso for 2023 cause he was going to aston martin and they were like oh this is fantastic we can sign oscar now and give him an f1 seat. oscar had been in the alpine drivers academy for a few years when he was in the junior leagues (which basically means that they sunk a lot of money into his career). however, aparently alpine announced that oscar was driving for them in 2023 before he had signed his contract. and oscar didn’t appreciate this.

mclaren had unexpectedly an open seat after daniel ricciardos contract was terminated early and i guess oscar had been in contract talks with them. because he tweeted this:

which is nothing short of iconic. then alpine tried and failed to sue him for 4M USD. he dodged a bullet by going to mclaren.

and then abu dhabi 2021. without getting into it too much cause that’s insane lewis hamilton and max verstappen went into the race with the same amount of points. it was the last race of the year so whoever won that race was going to win the world championship title. there a lot that happened at that race that was weird but among the weirdest thing was that towards the end of the race there was a yellow flag, and a safety car. which means that all the cars got close to eachotjer again. now, hamilton had a comfortable lead over max at this point because there were five lapped cars between them. basically, those five cars were a lap behind hamilton and verstappen. sometimes on safety cars they allow the lapped cars to unlap themselves (go around the safety car and back to the back of the grid so they’re in the correct order). and for some reason. they allowed only the five lapped cars between hamilton and verstappen to unlap themselves (which is weird and unfair) and thus verstappen ended up winning. the whole race was bonkers and batshit tho and i would highly reccomend watching that drive to survive episode because they actually show the bonkersness pretty well.

[fortheloveofaussiegrit]

@fortheloveofaussiegrit 's deep dive into Mark and his love of twinks...

Sebastian Vettel 

Where does one even start when trying to explain this... that's his twink of the past, present, and future— his forever. [first: debatable but the beginning of martian at the Fuji GP 2007 when Seb crashed into the back of Mark ruining both of their races, they were running 2nd and third. second: the day i lost my sanity, Abu Dhabi 2022]

Oscar Piastri

His twink of the present [i don't think i need to say anything... but photos above are from Mark's website from his blog post about Oscar winning the F2 championship and how Mark stayed in Abu Dhabi with Oscar after the GP for the young driver f1 test...]

Mitch Evans

Without Mitch we wouldn’t have got Oscar/Mark... (this is what oscarmark could’ve been but not sure i would’ve been able to handle oscar posting mark the way mitch did) Started in 2010, Mark then went on to manage him and Mitch even moved into Mark’s home in England, down the drive but point still stands [first: Mark Webber takes protege on birthday tour, 2010 (speedcafe.com) second: Mark embracing Mitch after he took maiden victory in Formula E, 2019 (📷Sam Bloxham) bottom two: from Mitch’s IG circa 2014] 

Daniel Ricciardo

i like that belt buckle mate [first/second: F1 Paddock 2013 (📷skysports.com) third: Mark & Daniel’s BBQ on the beach ahead of the Aus GP 2011 (📷flickr) fourth/fifth: Dutch GP 2022.]

 

Fernando Alonso

again do i need to say anything? i think this sums it up (thank you to @seafoampearlygirl for the screen shot and your help too, much appreciated!!

and this... [Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella, Fernando Alonso & Mark Webber for Benetton Renault 2001 F1 launch]

Lewis Hamilton

If there's one thing about Mark that you need to know its his love of twinks with world championships... @mwebber​ has a post here on these two! Mark always loves talking about Lewis and the way they look at each other.. [first: Mark and Lewis during the post-qualy presser at the Spanish GP, 2010 (📷Sutton Images) second: during the pre-race presser at the Aus GP, 2013 (📷Hoch Zwei) third: Abu Dhabi GP, 2017 (📷James Moy)]

Nico Rosberg

from teammates at Williams to Mark snapping pics of the back of Nico in 2023… [first: Mark talking to test driver Nico Rosberg during the German GP, 2005 (📷Pakusch) second: Monaco ePrix 2023]

Max Verstappen

like i said... twinks with championships [first: ‘bumped into these two over easter and managed a few k on the trails’ Apr, 2018 (Mark’s FB) second: Hangar-7, 2019]

Felipe Massa 

yeah... [first: Brazil 2012, i think (📷sky-sports.com) second: Brazil 2013 (📷xpb images)]

Brendon Hartley 

he’s already featured a few times, but from rbr junior driver to teammate... yeah.. is there a pattern? [first: Spanish GP 2009 (📷DPPI Images) second: Brendon, Mark & Timo after winning the 6 hours of Bahrain and the WEC Drivers Championship 2015 (📷fiawec.com)]

Jenson Button

and finally we get to Jenson Button, who, yes, is younger than Mark so makes it onto the list... the ultimate twink on twink... you cannot tell me this wasnt a couples holidays covered up as ‘training’. you cannot tell me they were not fumbling around in their bedsheets at night. you cannot tell me— [redacted redacted redacted] — [pre-season training session in Lanzarote, Spain. 4 Jan 2001 📷Mark Thompson]

[lil-shiro]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ Ann || she/her || Canada || LS18 + YT22 enthusiast • RPF, NSFW, minors DNI • F1 — sometimes figure skating and hockey • check featured tags for more — back up blog: @vietnamgp

˗ˏˋ self promo • my fics || my edits || my gifs || my memes

˗ˏˋ questions or concerns? • pinned info / longer bio • send a DM/ask

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𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰. 𝘁𝗮𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲 F1 Newspost -> Articles, updates, news etc. F1 analysis -> F1 meta, data etc.  Media -> Videos, gifs, art, links F1 lore -> F1 history

[racingliners]

Hi as the area canon divergence and TRoS enthusiast I need to know how you came up with the initial premise of Merc strategist!Seb!! What was the thought process to this great idea :0

Dearest Erika I kid you not... I literally came up with the idea for TRoS while in the shower.

A line of what ended up being part of the pre-season testing chapter just waltzed into my head, and the rest came semi-fully formed immediately after. It literally stopped me while I was mid-lather.

TRoS is literally a hybrid of three of my favourite F1 things: Seb, Lewis, and the Mercedes engineers. While I was very quickly set on Seb being an ex-driver turned engineer thanks to his long rambly answers in press conferences that made them feel like post-race debriefs, it took me a little while to settle on what branch of engineering he'd be in.

I didn't want to make him Lewis' race engineer because that would mean breaking up Lewis and Bono. I did briefly toy with Seb being Lewis' performance engineer, but then I quickly realised that I didn't actually want to write out any of the other Merc engineers. So when I decided I wanted to set the fic in 2017, I came up with the idea of "what if Toto was so burnt out by the 2016 season that he wants less responsibility, makes James Vowles deputy TP, which allows Seb to come in and take the Chief Strategist's job".

Side note that I set TRoS in 2017 as it was 10 years after Seb's debut with Sauber, and I thought it would be both symbolic, and feel realistic enough that Seb would have had enough time to study at university and have had a good few years of an engineering career under his belt before joining Mercedes. I picked him being a strategist in endurance racing because I both love Le Mans, and when worldbuilding I wanted Seb to have some kind of equivalent to his 4 WDCs, so I gave him 4 Le Mans wins instead.

For me I thought it would be more interesting to have Seb be a member of the wider engineering team as opposed to just being on Lewis' side of the garage, just to give that extra conflict when I (finally) start writing about them catching feelings and how Seb and Lewis go about processing the italicised ohs of it all.

[dystini]

Indycar Driver Lore

Indycar Driver Lore Masterlist

Marcus John Armstrong

Birthdate: July 29, 2000 Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand Residence: London, UK/Indianapolis, indiana Height/Weight: 5’9”/130lbs

Rookie Year: 2023

Team: Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR)

Follow him on: Instagram Twitter

Career Stats

2023: Chip Ganassi Racing #11 (road and street courses only)

The Side Pod (with Callum Ilott) on You Tube Screaming Meals (with Clement Novalak and James Harvey Blair) on You Tube Screaming Meals on Twitch Screaming Meals on Instagram

Past Racing

2017: Italian Formula 4 - 1st overall ADAC Formula 4 - 2nd overall Toyota Racing Series - 4th overall

2018: FIA Formula 3 European Championship - Prema Theodore Racing -5th Overall Toyota Racing Series - 3rd overall

2019: FIA Formula 3 - Prema Racing - 2nd Overall Toyota Racing Series - 2nd overall

2020: FIA Formula 2 - ART Grand Prix - 13th overall

2021: FIA Formula 2 - DAMS - 13th overall

2022: FIA Formula 2 - Hitech Grand Prix - 13th overall

His father owns Armstrong's, a major car dealership chain in NZ

Has two older half-brothers, a younger sister, and a younger brother

Started karting in NZ at 10 years old, winning multiple national titles

Member of the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2017 - 2021

Finished second in the 2019 Formula 3 championship standings driving for Prema

Multiple race winner and podium sitter in Formula 2

Was Lundgaard's teammate in F2 in 2020

Pescatarian (and very vocal about it)

Drinks a lot of espresso

Has a video podcast called Screaming Meals co-hosted with his childhood friend James and F2 driver Clement Novalak, with an offshoot called The Sidepod that he hosts with Callum Ilott

Lived with Callum in Italy when they were both Ferrari Driver Academy members

Speaks Italian, but will only do so after a few drinks

Hobbies are going to the gym, listening to podcasts, going to restaurants, and watching American football

Used to be an avid cyclist, but gave it up due to it keeping his weight too low and causing problems with his ability to handle the car

Has a serious issue placing bets with his friends, to the extent that he had to pay to take fellow F2 driver Jehan Daruvala on vacation because he owed him so much money from lost bets

Scott Dixon was his childhood hero, and Kimi Räikkönen was his favorite F1 driver as a kid

Hates video games

Doesn’t like animals, but loves children

Iconic/memorable moments Indycar: Marcus Armstrong At IndyCar Spring Training New Indy Car Driver Marcus Armstrong about the Grand Prix of St Pete OVER THE WALL // ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH Marcus Armstrong Long Beach Preview Marcus Armstrong Post Qualifications Marcus Armstrong rocked up to Turn 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to see what 235mph looks like… Callum and Marcus chat during pre-season testing:

F2 and earlier: F2 Speed Date: Marcus Armstrong The Wet Head Challenge HOW TO BECOME A FERRARI DRIVER, A CONVERSATION WITH MARCUS ARMSTRONG F2 DRIVER | Sector 1 Marcus Armstrong Interview | Sky Speed Marcus Armstrong: All the way from New Zealand Keeping it cool at Prema “Michael Shakespeare”: Bullying from Callum and James: Marcus wins “best late lunge” award from F2: Marcus Armstrong Once Said…: Marcus absolutely annoying the shit out of Arthur Leclerc during a virtual GP: F2 Speed Date (2020): Marcus sings “Rocket Man”: Marcus attempting to be sweet with Callum, who is absolutely not having it:

Doing fast laps around Goodwood in his dad’s car: 16-year-old Marcus talks about leaving home to move to Europe alone: Clem Novalak loves Marcus: He likes pineapple on pizza: Interesting content:

Marcus is a self-proclaimed "lover not a fighter". He's known to be very friendly and approachable, with a significant portion of the Formula 2 grid mentioning that he was the driver they got on with best in the paddock during his time there. His results in F2 were mixed, moving teams in 3 successive years, as he sometimes had difficulty getting to grips with the F2 car and tyres, however it’s generally agreed that his midfield championship positions during his F2 tenure aren’t an accurate reflection of his genuine ability and talent. Multiple Ganassi team members (including the boss) have commented on how impressed they are by his raw speed, work ethic, and attitude since his arrival in IndyCar. Marcus himself has already talked about how much more enjoyable the Indy car is to drive and how much fun he’s having now after several years of struggling with the notoriously difficult F2 car. He also appears to be getting on well with his CGR teammates and in particular has talked about how much he likes Marcus Ericsson.

He moved to London in early 2022 after spending several years living near Ferrari’s HQ in Maranello, Italy, and is known to enjoy city nightlife, being a big fan of wine. He’s a major foodie who likes taking photos of good food almost as much as he enjoys complaining about bad food. He is known to be determined to the point of stubbornness, causing himself permanent damage to his knee during a half-marathon due to refusing to stop when he was in pain. He had a low attendance record at school due to focusing on his racing career and moving to Europe at the age of 14, and as such, although he’s not unintelligent he’s known to be somewhat lacking in general knowledge (such as thinking Shakespeare’s first name was Michael). However, he has the characteristically Kiwi dry, sarcastic sense of humor and very much enjoys mutual teasing and banter with his close friends, something that’s often on display in the Screaming Meals podcasts.

Fanfic Lore

Usually paired with Callum Ilott, or F2 driver Clement Novalak due to their extremely close and physically affectionate friendship - was Clem’s teammate during their karting days, and has said that they talk every day while he’s in the US Likes to tease Callum and wind him up to his face, but often calls him his best mate and praises him when he’s not around. However Callum rarely (if ever) reciprocates the latter, probably due to his intense Britishness Good friends with multiple drivers from various series, including Juan Manuel Correa, Jüri Vips, Guanyu Zhou, Nick Cassidy, Max Fewtrell and Felipe Drugovich Also has a tendency to “adopt” younger drivers and refer to them as “little bro”, including Jak Crawford and Dino Beganovic Has said on several occasions that he doesn’t wear underwear, and also shaves his legs (and possibly elsewhere, having claimed that he is “hairless from the eyebrows down”) Claims he can’t tell the difference between someone being nice to him and someone flirting with him

credit for most of this post to @whitewindhowl and friends

[totowlff]

chapter thirty-three — take my breath

➝ is there a better birthday present than love?

➝ word count: 5,6k

➝ warnings: smut

➝ author’s notes: it took longer than it should have, but i think there's nothing more appropriate than posting the chapter about liesl's birthday on her birthday. enjoy!

FEBRUARY, 2017

Sitting in the Mercedes C-Class parked in the driveway, Elisabeth was silent, her head resting on the steering wheel. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and did her best to hold back the tears that felt inevitable. 

That day had been shit.

Pre-season had been a real headache. Preparations for the launch of the W08, the car of that season, were in full swing, she hadn't had a day off. To top it all off, the hasty negotiations with Valtteri to take over for Nico, who had decided to retire suddenly, without even letting Toto or Niki know, had taken up her limited time and patience, as Williams were not feeling overly charitable with Mercedes trying to recruit one of their contracted drivers.

They only managed to confirm the Finn just over a month before pre-season testing began. It took a few hours of talking with Sir Frank Williams and his daughter, Claire, for the team to release Valtteri. Elisabeth was sure that the affection they had for Toto, from when he was still an investor in the team, played a big role in the success of the negotiation.

However, solving that problem only brought on more. With a new set of regulations or that year, less than a fifth of the car was the same as the previous year. This meant hours of reviewing accounting, vendor budgets, employee rosters, and wind tunnel hours. By the end of each day, Elisabeth felt completely drained, with only enough strength to crawl into bed and sleep.

That Saturday was no different.

Elisabeth had woken up early, gotten ready, had a cup of espresso, and gone to the factory. As much as she wanted Toto's company, she didn't want to wake him. He was working just as much as she was — probably more. Rare were the nights when he didn't spend a few more hours at his home office, or even at the factory, holding meetings with sponsors. That had been the case from the night before. He’d been up late, talking with Petronas' Malaysia-based technical directors about the new fluids being developed for that year.

She had a busy morning, occupied almost entirely with a meeting to present the logistical plan designed for the season. During the afternoon, Elisabeth spoke with the marketing team about the strategies for the W08 launch. She’d also given a factory tour to Mark McLaughlin, one of Qualcomm's directors. After saying goodbye to the American and returning to her office, Elisabeth found a plate with a small chocolate cupcake, as well as a card that read “Happy Birthday, Elisabeth”, along with a picture of her holding one of the giant silver stars that the team used in celebrations.

It was her birthday.

She’d forgotten her own birthday.

— Fuck — she muttered, lifting her head from the steering wheel. Thinking about the messages she’d gotten earlier and ignored - from her parents, Lukas, and Claire, Elisabeth felt her heart tighten inside her chest. She always spent her birthday with her family in Vienna, having dinner at an Italian restaurant, reminiscing about their time in Modena. But that year, she had been too busy to even think about celebrating one more trip around the sun.

She picked up her cell phone that was lying on top of the passenger seat next to her purse, she stared at the lock screen. It was a picture of Toto, Ben, and Rosi, smiling for the camera as they posed in front of Ben’s birthday cake. Staring into Toto’s face, Elisabeth couldn't help but feel a twinge in her chest. Despite numerous congratulatory messages, there was nothing from him. The only time they had spoken that day, on the phone, was during lunch, when he told her that he would not be going to the factory in the afternoon.

“Did he forget it too?”, she wondered, uncertain. Of all of Toto’s strengths, memory was not one of them, after all. He tended to forget simple things, like dinners and meetings. She was always the one to remind him of those things. Him forgetting her birthday would not be out of the norm, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

In fact, knowing that her birthday was just another day on Toto's calendar made her heart ache even more.

Resigned, Elisabeth took the bag that was on the seat next to her and got out of the car, walking slowly towards the entrance hall, distracted by the notification that had just arrived on her phone. Typing a quick response to a question from Alison, from the Human Resources team, she walked into the living room, pausing to download an attachment from the message.

Until she heard someone clear their throat.

Lifting her head, Elisabeth found Toto standing there, holding a bouquet of lilies and white roses, an anxious smile on her lips. Her eyes flickering between the flowers and his face, she was visibly confused.

— What is this?

He looked at the bouquet, then at her.

— They're flowers, Liesl.

— Why?

Toto blinked.

— Today is your birthday. Or… did I get the date wrong?

Elisabeth gave a shy little smile.

— No, it's today.

— Oh, good — he smiled, approaching her — So, today is your birthday. And a special day like this deserves celebration.

Toto handed the flowers to her, and she felt her eyes fill with tears as she looked at them, noticing that there was a card placed between the roses and the lilies.

— Do you want to see the card? 

— Yes — she whispered.

Removing the envelope nestled in the middle of the bouquet, Toto opened it and withdrew a small note, written in his elegant handwriting.

— Read it to me — he asked.

Elisabeth cleared her throat to read. 

— “You know I don't like birthdays. I believe you deserve to be celebrated everyday. But if there's ever an ideal time to show you how much I appreciate you, it's today. Happy birthday, Liesl. I love you. From... your Toto”.

His name came out as a whisper from her lips, which were trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks. Elisabeth often felt unworthy of Toto's love. She saw herself as a difficult person with a lot of complexities. Sometimes, she even felt like she was broken in some way. However, that side of her had never scared him. After all, as Toto himself said, he was also broken, in a way. Even with that negative assessment, Elisabeth had been the one to fix him. He was determined to be the one to fix her, too.

Kissing her forehead, Toto smiled.

— You like it?

— I love it, honey — she replied, wrapping her free arm in a tight hug, her face buried in his chest. Inhaling his scent, Elisabeth felt her body relax. She was home.

A few seconds later, Toto lightly squeezed her waist, as a signal for her to lift her head.

— It's not just that, Liesl.

— What do you mean?

— I prepared the bathtub for you to take a relaxing bath. I put those bath salts you like in the water, the lemongrass-scented ones. Well, that's what I think you like, since every time I get in the tub with you, your skin smells like lemongrass.

Elisabeth smiled.

— Yes, it's lemongrass. But, you know you didn't have to do all of this, right?

— I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Especially after a busy day like today. As soon as you’re done with your bath, we're going to eat the pizzas I ordered from Gino's.

Her eyes sparkled. She loved the pizza from Gino's, a small restaurant in the center of Oxford. They were the closest thing to what she ate as a kid in Modena.

— Americana and Margherita? — Elisabeth asked, feeling her stomach rumble just thinking about the slices full of cheese and spicy salami.

— Of course, as usual. Now go upstairs and relax. I'll call you when they arrive, okay?

She nodded, before receiving a peck and having the flowers removed from her hands., Elisabeth went upstairs to the second floor, going quietly to their room. As she entered the bathroom, she smelled a distinct scent of vanilla in the air. It was soft and sweet, almost cozy. When she got to the bathroom, she discovered the source of the smell — a scented candle that was lit on top of the counter. Staring at the flame for a few seconds, Elisabeth smiled.

“He thought of everything”, she thought, as she undressed and tied up her hair so it wouldn't get wet.

As soon as she sat in the bathtub, with its warm, lemongrass-scented water, Elisabeth felt her body relax. The bathroom was silent, almost as if it were enveloped in a bubble of serenity and peace. It had been a long time since the last time she had felt like this.

Elisabeth's life after joining the Mercedes operation had become complete chaos. Her time was filled with trips, races and engagements. It was a hard, inconsistent and particularly tiring routine, which not only affected her, but also her relationships with friends and family.

But it was during moments like this that she was grateful to have Toto to share the madness with. He was more than just a boyfriend or sexual partner, he was her best friend. The two of them understood, supported, and cared for each other. Each was the other's home, as Toto liked to say. She was sure of it every time she laid down in bed with him, snuggled in his arms, sleeping to the quiet beat of his heart.

With her eyes still closed, Elisabeth heard footsteps coming from the bedroom to the bathroom. She had no idea how long she had been there, but she could stay there for the rest of her life, that bathtub was so good.

— Liesl?

She opened her eyes and looked to the side to find Toto standing beside her, a smile on his lips.

— Yes?

— Is everything okay?

— Yeah, everything is great.

He crouched down beside her, leaning on the edge of the tub.

— Is your bath okay? Would you like anything? 

— I'd love for you to come in with me — she whispered, a small smile on her face. Toto returned the smile, bringing a hand to her cheek and stroking the damp skin.

— I'd like that too, baby, but that would mean letting the pizza get cold downstairs, and if I know you, you wouldn't eat it cold.

— Oh, is dinner here?

— Yes, it’s downstairs, waiting for us. Are you coming?

— Of course — she replied, leaning on the edge of the tub to lift herself out of the water. As soon as Elisabeth stepped onto the rug, Toto handed her a towel to dry off, before leaving the bathroom and asking her what she wanted to wear. A few minutes later, the two of them went downstairs together, hand in hand, with her wearing one of his old T-shirts and baggy pajama pants, towards the kitchen, where the table was meticulously prepared, with the flowers Toto had given her decorating the environment.

Between laughs, sips of wine and stories of other disastrous birthday parties, the two ate a few slices of pizza apiece. However, Elisabeth couldn't help noticing that Toto looked a little uneasy, especially when the two of them were silent. “He's hiding something”, she thought, as he got up to take the dishes to the sink.

With everything organized and the two of them in the living room drinking what was left of the wine in the bottle, she stared at Toto for a few seconds.

— Are you okay, my love?

— Yes, I’m perfect. Why the question?

— You seem… Uneasy. Like you’re anxious.

He looked at her for a few seconds before smiling.

— I'm thinking about your present.

Elisabeth pressed her lips together, serious.

— My present? Toto, you know that…

— I don't need to give you anything, I know — he cut her off — But I want to, Liesl.

— Torger — she muttered seriously.

— Come with me, baby — Toto whispered, getting up from the sofa and placing his glass of wine on the coffee table. Placing her own glass next to his, Elisabeth felt his hand wrap around hers, leading her through the house.

  She just didn't know what to expect from Toto, especially on an occasion when she knew it was no use telling him he didn't need to give her a gift. The team principal always made a point of spoiling her with something of exorbitant value, but that would barely tickle his bank account.

“You deserve the whole world, Liesl”, he always told her, as soon as she asserted that she didn't deserve to be spoiled like that. And Elisabeth knew that Toto would be able to deliver it into her hand if she wanted to. All she had to do was ask.

He led her up the stairs to their bedroom, holding her fingers gently. With her heart racing, she felt the anxiety rising within her. The two entered the suite in silence, hand in hand. Leading her towards the bed, he looked down at her with a smirk.

— Baby, can you sit on the bed for me?

She let go of Toto's hand and walked over to the mattress, settling down on it. However, instead of approaching her, he went to the mirrored closet doors and slid them open, entering the cubicle. In the silence of the room, Elisabeth felt her pulse roaring louder and louder in her ears, tension building in her muscles.

“What the hell is he up to?”, she wondered.

A few moments later, he emerged again with a small white bag in his hand. Slowly approaching her, Toto reached out, handing the package to her. As she looked at it more closely, she noticed that there was a letter ‘F’ printed on the surface, as well as the words ‘Fleur du Mal’. “What kind of store is that?”, Elisabeth wondered, staring at the bag in silence.

— What is it? — she asked, looking up at him.

— Open it — Toto just said.

Tearing off the seal, Elisabeth opened the bag and reached inside, pulling out a long piece of black satin, with something embroidered on it. Running her thumb over the fabric, she looked up.

— A piece of cloth?

Toto smiled.

— Not just any piece of cloth.

— No?

— It's a blindfold.

Elisabeth felt a lurch in her stomach.

— When I was looking for your gift, I happened to come across an article that I thought was interesting…

— An article?

— Yeah. About female pleasure.

She raised an eyebrow, feeling her heart beat harder in her chest.

— Female pleasure — Elisabeth repeated.

— Yes — he continued, taking the blindfold from her hands — I've read that many men don't know when a woman has an orgasm. That they don't know exactly what their partners like in bed. In general, there’s a… gap.

— But you’ve made me come before… so many times  — she replied softly, trying not to blush. 

A smug smile appeared on his face.

— Yes. And I know exactly when you're having an orgasm, so I don't think I'm part of that statistic. But, reading that article, I felt like… I could learn more.

She blinked.

— So I started researching more about how to improve, how to make our intimacy even more — he paused, winding the silken sash around his hand — pleasurable.

— Why? — Elisabeth asked quietly.

He smiled.

— Because your pleasure gives me pleasure, Liesl. In fact, making you come is more pleasurable to me than anything else. Watching you orgasm and knowing I'm the one who made you feel that way is… Wonderful. Hearing the sounds you make, feeling your muscles tense under my hands, the taste of your come… That turns me on more than anything. And I wanted to make it even better for you. And I found that one way to do that is by using… different things.

— You mean… toys? — she asked directly.

— Not necessarily — Toto replied, removing the cloth that had wrapped around his hand — There are many possibilities we can explore aside from that. Although, the idea of watching you squirm in pleasure while I use one on you seems tempting.

Heat rose in Elisabeth's cheeks.

— The point is, your birthday present isn't a thing, or an object. It's an experience. Something good, relaxing — he approached, bringing one of his hands to her cheek — In fact, you're already living that experience. I prepared the environment, bought the flowers, organized dinner and the bath, everything for you to feel like you deserve.

— Like I deserve...

— Good. Relaxed. Happy — he replied in a low voice, his thumb brushing her skin, his eyes locked with hers. She felt like she was being hypnotized — Now I want to make you feel even better. But, I need you to want it.

— Want…

— Do you want it, Elisabeth?

— Want what? — she asked, as if she had just woken up from a trance. Toto leaned in front of her, resting his hands on the mattress beside her thighs. He wasn't even touching her, but it felt like his fingers were burning her skin, the tingling in her belly almost unbearable.

— Do you want your gift?

— My gift?

— Do you want to have the most pleasurable night of your life, Elisabeth?

She swallowed hard.

The offer was tempting.

With the words stuck in her throat, Elisabeth just nodded her head. A shadow of a smile appeared on Toto's face.

— Words, baby. I want to hear from you.

— Yes — she whispered — I do.

A smile crept onto his face as his brown eyes seemed to darken further. Taking one of her hands, Toto lifted his torso and, pulling gently, he got Elisabeth back to her feet, not without difficulty, as her legs felt like they were made of jelly. When she managed to regain her balance, she looked at him, who was watching her curiously.

— For starters, I need you to take off your clothes.

Automatically, she brought her hands up to the shirt she was wearing, pulling it over her head carelessly. Then, she slid her pajama bottoms down her legs. With her clothes  thrown into a corner, Elisabeth put her arms at her sides, the cold air making her skin prickle. Then, she looked up at Toto, who was staring at her with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

— I meant.. all of your clothes, Liesl — he said, his voice low.

Glancing down, she found his finger gliding gently across the elastic of the panties she was wearing. They were just basic white panties, far from the sexiest pair she owned. But Toto didn't care. He had never cared about what she was wearing when they were going to have sex, whether or not she was wearing luxurious lingerie or comfortable cotton panties, as long as when she took them off, her pussy was there, wet and ready for him to do whatever he desired. 

— Take it off for me — Elisabeth whispered.

Toto tilted his head, looking at her.

— I'd love to, Liesl, but tonight I'm in control — he said, in a serious tone — And you are the one taking your panties off.

She pressed her lips together, trying to ignore the heat coursing through her skin.

— As you wish, Mr. Wolff.

Sliding the panties down her legs, Elisabeth stifled a gasp as cool air made contact with the wetness between her thighs. After kicking the garment to the corner along with the T-shirt and pants, she found herself naked in front of Toto. His eyes roamed over her skin with curiosity, which made her desire grow.

However, that wasn’t the only thing exciting her. The stark contrast between the two of them made Elisabeth's anticipation ever more present. He was still fully dressed while she was completely naked. It was a clear game of power and control, and it was all new to her. After all, Toto had never been the dominating type, and she wasn’t very good at being submissive — she just didn’t have the personality for it.

At that moment, naked and at Toto’s disposal to do whatever he wanted with her body, she didn't feel vulnerable or fragile, as Elisabeth thought she would if she was ever in this situation. To her surprise, she felt confident. Powerful. Beautiful.

— Lie on your back for me — Toto finally said, after a few seconds of silence. She obeyed almost immediately, facing the bed. Then Elisabeth felt him approach — Close your eyes, Liesl.

Again she obeyed, feeling the silk of the black cloth he held in his hand slide across her face, stopping right in front of her eyelids, completely obscuring her vision.

— Are you comfortable, Liesl?

— Yes — she replied in a low voice. After answering, she felt Toto's hands land on her waist, their heat causing a wave of excitement to run over Elisabeth's skin. He gently rotated her back to her starting position.

— See anything, baby? — she heard Toto ask from somewhere in front of her.

— No.

— Are you sure?

— Absolutely, Toto.

— Good — he said. She could practically hear his smile in his voice — Now, I'm going to help you to bed, okay?

Elisabeth nodded and felt Toto take her hands and gently push her back, making her take a step, then another, until she was resting the backs of her thighs against the mattress. Elisabeth first sat on the bed, feeling the fabric of the comforter that covered the bed against her skin, the softness of it taking her by surprise. She had never realized how soft the texture was.

After hearing Toto direct her to move further back so that she would be in the middle of the bed, she laid down on the mattress with a sigh, her heart pounding in her chest. Without being able to see anything, every other one of her senses were in overdrive to compensate. Elisabeth could smell the aroma of the vanilla scented candle that had escaped from the bathroom present in the air, and she could hear the sound of Toto's footsteps as he walked around the bed. Imagining him pacing back and forth, scrutinizing her like a feast served just for him made her squeeze her tights together.

— Is there a problem, Elisabeth? — he asked somewhere at her feet, in a serious tone.

— No — she replied.

One of his hands landed on her ankle, fingers gliding lightly over her skin. Elisabeth swallowed hard, her lips pursed and heat coursing through her body in waves. She just couldn't understand how that simple touch had so much power over her.

— None at all?

— No, none.

— You're wondering what I'm doing, aren't you? — he murmured, pulling his fingers away — Imagining what I'm planning to do with you tonight.

Elisabeth didn't answer, too focused on the tingling growing between her legs. Until she felt the bed sink in on her right side, as if he were settling down with her on the mattress, one of his hands resting on her belly, just above her navel.

— Tell me what you're imagining, Liesl — Toto whispered, his thumb tracing lazy circles on her skin — I want to hear what you're thinking.

— I'm not… thinking about…

— You are, I can tell by the way your cheeks are red. Come on, tell me. Or I'm going to have to leave you like this for the rest of the night.

— You wouldn't do that — Elisabeth said. She couldn’t help but sound a little indignant.

— Don't doubt me, Miss Lauda — he murmured — I'm capable of a lot, especially when it comes to you.

— Oh, yes? What exactly are you capable of?

Toto laughed, pulling his hand away from her body.

— My love, I'm the one asking the questions here. And, you didn't answer the question I asked earlier.

She pressed her lips together, a little annoyed.

— I was thinking about you walking around the bed, looking at me like a feast.

— So you see yourself as a feast, Elisabeth?

— You see me as a feast, Torger — she shot back, making him laugh again.

— Is this your way of telling me to eat you?

Elisabeth didn't answer, too distracted by the image of his face between her legs causing a new wave of heat to run through her skin. And she was sure her own body had betrayed her when she felt a warm breath against her ear.

— Tell me what you want me to do, baby — Toto whispered, his hand caressing her belly again — Tell me what's on your mind.

— I'm thinking about the first time we had sex, in Sochi — Elisabeth said softly — I'm thinking about the way you touched me, asking what I liked. I'm thinking about how you slid your lips down my body, kissing my skin, until you reached my…

In the middle of her explanation, a groan escaped her lips. The hand that was on her stomach slid down as she spoke, his middle finger finding her clit and drawing small circles, slowly. If that was already pleasurable under normal circumstances, now, deprived of her sight, it was much better. 

— You can go on, I'm listening.

— I…I can't — she stammered lightly before letting out a high, high-pitched moan.

— Care for me to stop so you can talk? — Toto asked, his finger stopping to move between her legs.

— No, no, please continue — Elisabeth whimpered, her hips moving in search of more friction. However, he did exactly the opposite of what she had asked.

— I want to hear from you. Finish your thought first, then I'll continue.

Elisabeth let out a frustrated grunt, one hand groping blindly down his arm, trying to get him to move, to no avail.

— Toto...

— Tell me what you were thinking — he said, his tone more like an order than a request. Completely vulnerable in that bed, Elisabeth didn't dare disobey him.

— I was thinking about your mouth on my pussy, sucking and licking me with such passion I felt like I'd just died and gone to heaven. No man had ever fucked me the way you fucked me that night and every other night since. I love your mouth, your tongue and the way you combine every element. 

— Do you want me to use my mouth, then?

Elisabeth just nodded, a whimpering sound escaping her lips. Removing his hand from her pussy, Toto got up from the bed without saying a word. 

— Toto? Are you there?!

Silence. Her heart was pounding in her chest, the adrenaline of pleasure and the anxiety of being possibly alone and completely vulnerable had her reaching for her satin blindfold.

— Don't even think about taking your blindfold off, Elisabeth — Toto said from somewhere at the foot of the bed.

— But…

— I'm here — he said, resting his hands on her ankles, slowly pulling them apart — And I'm not going anywhere.

She felt the mattress sink between her legs, as if Toto was settling into that space. His hands repositioned her feet so they were planted on the bed and her knees bent. Elisabeth was completely exposed to him, anticipation making something in her belly tingle.

— You know, Liesl — he began, a finger idly running down her thigh — I've imagined that night in Sochi many times. I always thought about what it would be like when I finally had you all to myself. I imagined thousands of scenarios. I imagined from the most romantic scenes to the dirtiest. I imagined everything from a simple goodnight kiss after dinner to pulling you into the tire room at the Nurburgring and letting you angry-fuck me for taking you on that lap. In the end, you chose the exact scenario that I had never thought of.

— In a hotel? — she whispered.

— No. With you taking the initiative — Toto replied, planting a kiss on the side of her knee. “He's between my legs”, Elisabeth thought — You always seemed so shy, so delicate. I thought it was going to be up to me to take the first step. And then you showed up in my room, you took off your dress, and I knew you were mine. Finally mine.

His lips slowly slid over her skin, placing kisses along the way to the spot between her legs. When he was getting to where she most wanted him to touch her, Toto stopped and walked back the same way. He was teasing her.

— I didn't even know where to start when I put you in my bed. I wanted to do it all at once. I wanted to feel your taste, your heat, your touch, but I knew that, more important than me at that moment, it was you — he murmured, giving attention to the other leg — So, I decided to start by touching you, getting to know you, finding out what turned you on. Seeing you come for the first time is my favorite memory.

Hearing him say those things while touching her gently made her feel like she was melting under his fingers. 

— Please — she whimpered softly.

— What do you want?

— Please, I need you.

— What do you want me to do for you?

— Anything, just make me come, please.

Elisabeth heard a low, almost devilish giggle.

— As you wish, baby — he replied, taking one long lick to spread her wetness across her pussy, a loud moan escaping her lips as her hands gripped the bed’s comforter. His ministrations were slow and patient, as if he wanted to understand what each movement, each rhythm, each direction provoked in her body and face. It was the kind of delicious torture only he knew how to do, the way it left her legs shaking and her heart racing.

Alternating between soft touches with her tongue and vigorous sucks, Elisabeth began to feel a familiar sensation in her belly, as if it were a balloon being inflated little by little. And she knew that the moment it popped, it would be something breathtaking.

— Toto — she whimpered as she felt him descend, his tongue playing at her entrance, teasing her.

— Want my fingers to help you, baby? — he murmured against her body, the vibration of his voice making her gasp.

— Yes — Elisabeth choked out.

She was so wet that Toto’s fingers slipped inside of her easily, bending to find the right spot inside her. The spot he knew would make her back arch and the dirtiest words leave her lips.

— Fuck — she moaned, bringing a hand to his head, fingers clenching in his hair — This, yes!

The balloon continued to inflate in her abdomen, her hips moving erratically against Toto's face, trying to seek out more friction. Combined with his fingers and tongue, Elisabeth felt every second closer to orgasm.

— Yes, yes, yes, this, yes — she murmured, her breathing labored and the muscles in her body completely tense. She was almost there — Don't stop, please, please, please...

Then, the balloon popped.

Elisabeth let out a moan so loud the neighbors would probably have heard it, her body shaking with the waves of pleasure that ran through her skin. Orgasms in general were great, but Toto's were completely different. There was an extra ingredient in the mix that made them more ravishing.

It was his sweetness, his affection, his dedication to her that made her believe that, contrary to what she thought, she did deserve to be loved the way he loved her. And feeling that love in the small gestures, in the way Toto took care of her and made a point of making her feel good, made her feel filled with something she had never felt before meeting him.

Happiness.

She was still recovering when she felt Toto's lips move up her body, placing kisses on her sensitive skin, until they reached her mouth. Savoring her own pleasure on his tongue, Elisabeth brought her hands to the back of his neck, caressing it. Then he pulled away and, with one hand, removed the blindfold that covered her eyes.

After a few seconds of trying to get used to the brightness of the room, Elisabeth found Toto staring at her with a look of concern.

— Are you okay?

— I'm fine — she replied, her fingers stroking the back of his head — Why?

— You're crying.

Elisabeth blinked, feeling her eyes wet. She hadn't felt the tears run down her skin, perhaps because of the blindfold. But, now that he had spoken, she realized that, in fact, she was crying. But inside her, there was no hint of sadness or anguish.

— I'm fine — Elisabeth repeated, more to herself than Toto.

— Did I hurt you? — he asked softly, almost as if he was feeling guilty for making her orgasm.

— No, no, you didn't hurt me — she said, watching his expression. At that moment, looking at his face brought a new wave of emotion, her eyes filling with more tears. Elisabeth only felt love. Pure, raw and simple.

— Then why are you crying?

— Because I love you — she whispered.

Toto raised an eyebrow.

— You’re crying because you love me?

— I'm crying because you showed me what happiness is. You showed me what it's like to be truly happy. You made me blossom when I thought I was just a barren stump, Torger. And I love you for it.

He smiled, leaning his forehead against hers.

— I love you too, Elisabeth. More than I can put on words.

After a few seconds of silence, Elisabeth brought her hand to his face.

— Can you lay down with me? — she whispered — I wanna feel you close to me.

— Of course, baby — Toto answered, settling down next to her on the bed, placing a kiss on her forehead. Wrapped in her embrace, Toto’s arms resting on her waist, Elisabeth felt completely safe.

She was at home.

[milflewis]

ok this is a little under 3k words of lewis and valtteri at pre season testing throughout the years. starting with 2017 and ending in 2023. @lewishamil10n naila you asked for happy and soft so i hope you like it. i love you and you deserve the happiest of birthdays

2017

Sebastian grins at him, blond and bold and all decked out in red, and jerks his head, eyebrows raised. He looks five seconds away from making a come hither gesture with his fingers. Valtteri takes the silent invitation for all that he’d have rather stayed away.

Lewis’s cap is backwards and his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, wrists bare. He moves easily with Sebastian’s elbow jostle, barely raising his eyebrows at the other man in his space. Kimi is on the other side of him, leaning back against the railing, eyes closed. Valtteri isn’t exactly sure if he is awake or not. 

“Hi,” he says when he’s reached them, squeezing past Perez. Lewis looks away from Sebastian and smiles, tight and polite and camera perfect. He looks nothing at all like the guy that celebrated that podium with Valtteri when he was back in Williams. Valtteri wonders what it’ll take for Lewis to look at him like that again.

“Hey,” Lewis says and when he reaches out a fist, Valtteri taps it with his. Sebastian watches them, still grinning. For the first time since Valtteri signed that contract naming him the other Mercedes driver, he is starting to feel like he doesn’t fully understand what he is getting into.

“So,” Sebastian says, dragging out the o, obnoxious and vaguely endearing. “Your car looks nice – I thought I should try to see it now.”

Lewis rolls his eyes, visibly thawing. “Why? You’ll be seeing the back of it all season.”

Kimi huffs a laugh beside them and Valtteri watches as Lewis’s smile grows smug, Sebastian laughing, reaching out to push at his shoulder. 

“Ah, but see, this is where you are wrong.” Lewis cuts a glance at Valtteri, dramatically incredulous, and Valtteri grins, fingers tingling at the tips. Sebastian ignores them, continuing, “All is too many. We expect to only lap you, maybe, half of the races?”

Lewis laughs then, his whole body shaking, hand pressed into his stomach. Valtteri joins in a split second later and they are set off again when Kimi opens his eyes and rolls them at the three of them.

2018

“So.” 

Valtteri looks away from the Ferrari before him and up at the giant yawn of blue sky. He counts to ten. When he looks to his side again, Daniel is still standing there. He raises his eyebrows.

Daniel grins, shuffling closer, curls messy and long. He ruffles them even further, tanned biceps flexing in his short sleeves. “Good break?”

Valtteri shrugs, hands going to his pockets. “Fine.”

Daniel’s smile widens. “So was mine!” 

Valtteri nods. Daniel is close enough now that all Valtteri can smell is his expensive cologne that is unfortunately both more familiar and more comforting than Valtteri would like.

Daniel falters then when the silence stretches on and Valtteri tries not to smile. It’s easier when Daniel, strangely at a loss for something to say, goes with, “And, uh, how is Lewis? Treating you well?”

Valtteri narrows his eyes at him. He had thought Lewis and Daniel were friends. “Of course. It’s Lewis.” 

It comes out snappish and defensive and too quick and Valtteri knows better. His cheeks heat at Daniel’s stare and slow smile. 

“Yeah,” he says, delighted, like he’s discovered something he didn’t even know to look for. “He is Lewis. I know just how you mean.”

2019

“Here.” 

Lewis turns, grinning when he sees who it is. Valtteri tries not to read too much into it. He takes the bottle Valtteri is holding out. “Thanks, man.”

Valtteri shrugs, sipping at his. He had noticed it left by Lewis’s things in the garage as he was leaving. Bono had looked up when he saw Valtteri grabbing it, rolling his eyes in a what is he like? It is strange, Valtteri is noticing more and more, how he is becoming included in Lewis’s group of people. “It’s no problem.”

Lewis hums, shifting so his shoulder presses up against Valtteri’s, a long line of heat and muscle. He has bulked up since Valtteri has last seen him. “What do you think?” Lewis asks, nodding at the cars before them, chewing on his straw. 

Valtteri blinks at his mouth, wet and pink, and then looks at the cars, head buzzing with static. “The Ferrari looks illegal.” It’s the first thing that comes to mind and he’s just glad there are no microphones nearby.

Lewis chokes on a laugh, head tilting back, god is love stretching long and thin. “It always does. I think it’s the red, you know? To distract you from looking closer.”

Valtteri smiles, shaking his head.

“What do you think then?” Valtteri asks and the space between Lewis’s eyebrows furrows, focused and deliberating. Valtteri is faintly surprised by the flash of fondness noticing it brings. 

“I think we will run rings around all of them.” Lewis grins and it doesn’t even sound like a lie, all Lewis Hamilton surety and solid. Valtteri’s life would probably be easier if he hated him but he’s fairly sure it wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

2020

Valtteri can see the moment when Lewis spots him, face lighting up. Valtteri smiles, raising a hand, waving. He’s over at the Williams car by the time Lewis catches up with him, leaving a glowering Pierre Gasly behind him. Valtteri resists sticking his tongue out at him. 

“What’s up, VB?”

Valtteri watches Lewis peer into the car, mouth pursing. He squints at Valtteri when he straightens up, waiting for a response.

“VB?” is all Valtteri says.

Lewis falters, blinking. Valtteri can literally see him replaying his previous words over in his head before his face does something complicated. “Uh, sorry,” he winces, closing one eye, and smiles. “You don’t like?”

Valtteri chews at the inside of his cheek. “No,” he replies eventually. “No, I like.”

Lewis grins, nose stud glinting in the sun. “So do I.”

2021

“Would you –”

Lewis fiddles with his sunglasses that are hooked on his collar, shirt pulling down. The hollow of his throat is damp with sweat. One of his hands comes up to touch his face and hits his mask, fluttering back down. Valtteri steps closer, ignoring the bubble rule. Its not like they’re not going to break it at some point this year anyway. 

“Would you, uh, you know,” he gestures at himself, more nervous than Valtteri has ever seen him. His hand waves between them and he stops talking.

“Lewis.” Valtteri catches his eyes and smiles, watching, detached and in a strange kind of awe, Lewis smile almost helplessly back, eyes crinkling above the cloth. “Would I what?”

Lewis half winces, smile turning sheepish. He glances over Valtteri’s, running an hand over his hair. Sebastian looks over at them, standing off to the side by his green Aston Martin, Mick chatting at his elbow, and must see something on Lewis’s face that he recognises because his eyes go very wide and then he grins, ducking his head away as he laughs. Lewis breathes in deep, shoulders rising. 

“Are you doing anything for the winter break?”

Valtteri blinks at him. He didn’t know what he was expecting Lewis to say but this was not it. “The winter break?”

Lewis shrugs, awkward and clumsy in a way that Valtteri hadn’t seen on him before. “Yeah. I know it’s a while away and anything can happen between now and then, but, like, potentially, maybe, are you free sometime?”

Valtteri presses his lips together, stomach swopping low and hot. “Yes. I think I could be free sometime.” He is grateful for the mask over most of his face. Judging from the growing volume of Sebastian’s laughter, what little of his face that can be seen is bad enough.

The lines around Lewis’s eyes crease further, framing his face. “Cool. That’s – cool. We should do something then. If you want.”

If he wants. Sometimes, Valtteri thinks, all he does is want.

“I do,” Valtteri says and Lewis’s shoulders lower, exhaling. Fuck it. “It’s a date.”

Lewis laughs, that delighted surprised look on his face that he gets sometimes around Valtteri, which never fails to make him feel like he’s winning at something he didn’t realise was even a competition. He hasn’t seen it in a while. 

“Yeah.” Lewis’s voice is low, a secret just between them despite all the cameras. “It is.”

2022

“Hello.”

Lewis’s hair is pulled back, blond running through it, and what part of his face isn’t covered by his mask is hidden by his sunglasses. Something in his shoulder relaxes when he turns in Valtteri’s direction. “Hey, man.”

He smiles then, skin around the edges of his glasses shifting. He sounds tired.

“How are you doing?”

Lewis shrugs, one hand going up to fiddle with his ear, pulling at his earring. A camera goes off behind them, the shutter click loud, and Valtteri shifts on his feet so they capture more of his back and less of Lewis, holding out a fist.

“I’m good, yeah.” Lewis taps his knuckles against his, skin warm. No new tattoos. Lewis’s fingers are tight around the lip of his helmet. “You?”

They have not talked much over the break. Valtteri had wanted to give him space. He had wanted not to push. He had wanted not to be yet another thing that Lewis had to deal with on top of everything.

(And for all that he is happy to leave Mercedes and go to Alfa Romeo and the sheer bone deep relief of a multi-year contract, it had been easier to step away without the constant reminder that he is no longer Lewis’s, and Lewis is no longer his.)

“I’m okay. Busy”

Lewis’s mask twitches. Valtteri is kind of starting to hate them. “Yeah, always is this time of year.”

“Yeah.”

It’s been a long time since Valtteri hasn’t been able to talk to Lewis. He isn’t sure how to ask Lewis if he’s feeling the same without making it a problem. It’s been months and he still isn’t sure if he can ask about last year’s testing and Lewis’s not-quite-question and Valtteri’s not-quite-answer.

Lewis slips his hands into his pockets, rocking forward on his toes and back on his heels. “We still on for Monday?”

Valtteri smiles, something in his chest loosening. He tilts his head, blinking against the sun. “Still good,” he says and Lewis’s mask moves again but this time Valtteri knows he’s smiling.

“Roscoe misses you, you know,” Lewis says, taking off his mask, grinning. The gap between his teeth knocks the breath out of him. Valtteri laughs.

“Yeah? Well, tell Roscoe I miss him too.” His voice comes out softer than he meant it too. Too quiet for the wide open space they’re in. Valtteri can hear Sebastian laughing at something behind them. Lewis doesn’t seem to mind, smile growing bigger. Valtteri wonders if he’ll ever be able to tell him or if he’ll have to stick to speaking through a dog that probably lives better than he does.

Lewis exhales, stepping in, and their elbows brush. “He knows.”

2023

The afternoon sun catches the metal on either side of Lewis’s nose as he scrunches up his face, laughing. His hair is pulled back, no longer blond. Valtteri absently misses it. He’s wearing sunglasses, giant and dark and fuck off, but Valtteri has spent years learning how to read Lewis when he’s in a completely different car, hidden away behind a helmet, a pair of sunglasses doesn’t stop him.

They talked more over this break than they did over the last which was to be expected. 2021 was. It was. Last year wasn’t much better but it was something. Whatever Lewis did over the holidays, it worked. His face is looser now, shoulders broader. He looks good.

“What?”

There’s a freckle on the side of Lewis’s mouth, tiny, nearly unnoticeable. Valtteri leans back against the railing. He’s too close if he can see it and there’s cameras around. Lewis’s eyebrows are raised.

“What’s with the face?” He gestures vaguely with one hand.

Valtteri opens his mouth to say nothing, to say Lewis should get his eyes checked, old man, to say any number of things. He closes it.

Fernando is chatting to someone who Valtteri doesn’t recognise a few metres down. The green looks strange on him. Valtteri can’t bring himself to like it. He can’t bring himself to do many things he doesn’t feel like doing these days.

“I think,” he starts, looking back at Lewis. There are new tattoos on his hands. Valtteri is struck, suddenly and awfully, with the want to trace them with his mouth. He is used to wanting with more strength than his body allows. He is a racer after all. And a second driver at that. “I think I might be in love with you.”

He does not mean to say it. Doesn’t mean to say it at all — not here especially, at testing, surrounded by cameras and people and the tense hopeful dread of the new season. Lewis’s chin tilts up slightly, and Valtteri knows he’s doing the thing where he’s blinking slowly to give himself time to react.

Fernando is now being interviewed. If Valtteri went up to him and asked what it’s like driving Sebastian’s leftovers and how is Mark Webber he thinks that Fernando might actually kill him on the spot. Then Lewis would never have to let him down slowly.

Lewis is smiling though, impossibly and brilliantly smiling. He keeps pressing his lips together as if he’s trying to stop it, biting his cheek.

“You do?”

Valtteri exhales, diaphragm deflating, spine coming undone. It is very warm here. Maybe he could blame heatstroke. “Yeah. I do.” He tries not to wince. He’s not sure he succeeds. Someday he should learn how to lie to Lewis, how to say no to him off the track.

Lewis hums, mouth pursing. He’s fooling no one, eyes smiling wide. Fernando has seen them now, all eyebrows and frown and teeth. It’s been a long time since Valtteri has seen him that annoyed.

“It’s a pity,” Lewis starts and he sounds like he’s about to tell a joke but isn’t quite sure how it’ll land, nervously delighted with himself. “I would’ve hoped that the guy I love would sound a little happier when he’s professing his, apparently requited, love to me.”

Valtteri starts rolling his eyes in anticipation of the laughter before —

before.

“What.”

Lewis is grinning fully now, obnoxious and big and not half smug. “What what,” he says like he doesn’t know exactly what Valtteri means.

“You,” Valtteri stops, hand coming up to dig his knuckles into the bridge of his nose. “You, and, and me? You — really? Are, are you sure?”

Lewis’s smile folds into something quieter and smaller but no less devastating. “Am I sure?” He takes off his sunglasses, hooking them on his collar, hands curling around the railing. Valtteri wants him to reach out. There are cameras everywhere. He couldn’t have picked a worse moment.

“Of course, I’m sure.” He’s got the same steadiness to him now, the same bone deep surety, that Valtteri has watched for years, that he has seen the team follow time after time. He used to want it before he found out that he isn’t built like that and wanted it even after he realised that he could never have it. I’ve got you, Lewis had told him, two years ago. If you want, I got you.

Valtteri hadn’t wanted it. Not what Lewis was offering. And Lewis had known that. Had only offered so Valtteri knew the offer was there but this. This Valtteri wants more than anything.

“Okay,” he says and his voice does not sound like his own. “Okay, cool.”

Lewis laughs, giddy, and Valtteri smiles back. “Just okay?”

Valtteri shrugs, stretching out his arm on the railing. Their fingers don’t touch but they could. “I don’t know. Maybe we’re not compatible yet.” He stares at Lewis’s mouth for a few seconds too long before watching his eyes go a little wide. “Will have to make a decision then.”

“Hmm. Sounds smart. Couldn’t have you making a wrong decision.”

“No,” Valtteri murmurs. The laugh lines around Lewis’s mouth deepen and Valtteri wants. “Couldn’t have that.”

[russellius]

Hi!

I want to organise my tumbrl better for the season to come and you tags system seems really interesting!

Would you be okay to explain it a bit? So I can take inspiration from it?

It's okay if you don't, of course!

hello!! i would, gladly! i'm/it's not *that* organized unfortunately, i'm always like... "i should have a tag for that", and then.. i never do it 😭 but i have sort of settled on a system at least for the races, that i can follow.

on race weekends i use three tags, one for the location (eg. #hungary, #spain), one for the year ofc (eg. #24) and a combined one, so i can track that one specific race weekend (eg. #hun24, #esp24). this way if i want to search stuff from silverstone, spain etc, i can do it and it'll bring up everything from that place, regardless of the year. and same for the year, if i want to see stuff from say 2021, i'll just search #21.

(into the main tags, so year and location i put the more.. proper posts, while the specific race weekend tags tend to have more random posts in them as well.. it's just. the vibes from my side, whether i will use all three tags or not 😭)

edit: i just remembered that during the grand prix i also use the tumblr tag of the gp. so for instance during the spanish gp, that'd be #spanish gp 2024.

all years have a tag, but for the childhood years, which i consider until the end of the karting years (so in george's case that's 2013) i mostly use #ch. 2018 and 2017 are the only ones where i use the full year, because if you use #18 and #17 as tags the post won't show up in the search system...

i have some other tags too, for this winter break i was using #wb23 and #wb24, for the summer break i had #sb23. now for the pre-season, starting with today i settled on #prs24. for the pre-season test in bahrain, i will use both #testing and #testing24. i've been tempted to use a non-race weekend tag, or a tag for official photoshoots, so... maybe starting with this season i'll do that too! i'm lazy tho, because i always think that through the archive i will find everything i want to 😭...

some other tags that i have are #*m (any "major" post made my be) and #*p (proper photos), but these are more just for myself. looking back on things it'd have been easier to start tagging reblogs, instead of my own posts, but it kinda stuck from my previous blog... for my gifs, edits i use #*mine. i have some other tags too, #q for quotes and interviews, #j for the occasional memes, and #r for any random posts from my side.

i also made separate tags for george's firsts, so first win, podium, pole, williams point :')

it's a bit of a mess probably from the outside, but i'll be honest, i never really expect people to browse these tags a lot. it'd be cool if they would tho :)...

so yeah, i hope i could help a little bit! 🤍 i think you just gotta pick a system you like and then if you want to tag something specific, don't think much about it, just start tagging it right away, because you'll regret it later, that you've put it off for so long

[corinneecrivaine]

When streaming killed cinema

When streaming killed cinema,

John Kasdan had promised a season 2, indicating that Willow was not canceled but hatus. He even wanted to bring back Val Kilmer. Now he agree to remove the series from Disney+. What are we to make of this ?

He has always said loud and clear that Willow was a childhood dream and that he was determined to finish its 3 seasons and even make it into a movie. He started working on this project in 2017. He wrote the character of Jade for Erin Kellyman when they met on the set of the film: Solo A Star Wars Story. A film he directed with his father.

Willow, the series, was full of hope for an entire community and for many other people. It doesn't matter what community we belong to. It's a series full of positive messages. For the first time, we discover a queer princess. A princess unlike any Disney princess to date. We discover courageous, strong female characters who learn to discover and love each other awkwardly. For the first time, we discover a queer romance that's not sexualized, but romantic, that emerges as the story unfolds, and that everyone accepts and doesn't judge. Unlike all Disney tales, here it's not a prince who saves a princess, but the other way around.

Willow joins all those series whose end we'll never know: The romance between Kit and Jade, the romance between Elora and Grayon, Graydon's past and childhood. Will Airk live up to his father's legacy? Will Madmartigan find his daughter Kit? Is Dark Elora Elora, torn between good and evil, or is she the new Crone? So many unanswered questions. And leave wounded fans with an emptiness in their hearts.

When, in 2020, the whole world came to a standstill and we all found ourselves trapped in our own homes, deprived of our freedom and our loved ones because of COVID, streaming platforms exploded. Taking over the film market, but destroying it in the process. Production after production, quantity without quality. Responding to strong online demand. Making promise after promise. Such was their power that even the great actors signed up with Netflix and Disney to produce their films, which were no longer shown in cinemas, and continued to work in this way afterwards. Real cinema as we had known it began to die out step by step.

The world began to go out again, to live, but everything had changed, both the people and society. Step by step, we returned to the theaters, in search of the cinema of the pre-Covid era.

The platforms continued to want to own everything, like Disney, buying LucasFilms, Marvels and exploiting again and again a franchise that everyone adored, including an audience that grew up with it. Today, this franchise has lost its soul.

Productions have continued, but audiences have grown tired of the overexposure. Nowadays, platforms have become the "kings" of the film industry, calling the shots. Denigrating and destroying the work of an entire crew.

The entire Willow team spent 9 months filming in Wales. It was a tiring and testing shoot. They all gave their all to their roles. Not to mention the month-long boot camp. The costumers, who made beautiful costumes representative of each character. The sets, Kenneth, the fights, the special effects…

Today, nothing is respected any more, whether it's the work of an entire crew, the actors, the scriptwriters (without them, there'd be no story, no films and no series), or, most importantly, the subscribers, the fans. Who are left with the emptiness of losing their favorite characters, their story and living their adventures with them. It's like having a piece of their soul ripped away. But the stories will continue through everyone's fan fiction.

Many people expected this series, this romance, to see Warwick Davis back in the role of a lifetime.

Let's not forget, before they're actors, they're human beings.

No one should have to fight to be represented, listened to and continue to see their favorite series.

Today's cinema is not representative of society. It's shaped by money-hungry financiers.

If cinema were run by people who acted with their heart and soul, then many great stories would continue to exist and be created

[f1]

FACTS AND STATS: Red Bull end a long wait for success in Bahrain as does Alonso

Max Verstappen blazed to victory under the Bahrain lights in the opening race of the 2023 F1 season, in which Red Bull took a one-two to begin their season in style, and Fernando Alonso turned heads with a brilliant podium finish. The 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix offered up some very interesting facts and stats, as well... The winner of the opening race has been the championship runner-up every season since 2017. Max Verstappen has never previously won the opening race of the season. He won the Bahrain Grand Prix for the first time on his ninth attempt. READ MORE: Verstappen leads 1-2 in Bahrain season opener as Leclerc retires and Alonso takes final podium place in style Red Bull have only previous won the opening race once (Australia 2011), and have never finished one-two in the first race before. Red Bull have not won in Bahrain for 10 years (Sebastian Vettel in the last daylight race here in 2013). Red Bull qualify one-two and finish one-two in a race for the first time since the 2013 Abu Dhabi GP. Max Verstappen won the Bahrain GP on his ninth attempt, and won in Bahrain on his 10th visit in Formula 1 (counting the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix) Fernando Alonso scores Aston Martin's second podium finish in the marque's 50th Grand Prix start. Alonso scores only his second podium finish in his last 122 Grands Prix, and his first since Qatar 2021. Alonso is 41 years, 219 days old today. Only one older driver has been on the podium in the last 37 years (Michael Schumacher was 43 at Valencia 2012). Yesterday was the 22nd anniversary of Alonso's F1 debut (Australia 2001). Sunday was Aston Martin's 50th Grand Prix start – and Alonso took P3 Carlos Sainz took P4, having finished in the same position at the final race of the 2022 season. Lewis Hamilton's fifth place was his worst finish in Bahrain since he was fifth in the 2013 race. Lance Stroll in P6 matches his best result from the 2022 season (sixth in Singapore). Stroll finished in the top six despite not driving the car in pre-season testing. With Russell in seventh, the two Mercedes cars finished 51 and 56 seconds respectively behind the race winner. Eighth-placed Valtteri Bottas scored points in Bahrain for the 10th consecutive time. From 2014 to now, Bottas has scored points in Bahrain Ninth-placed Pierre Gasly of Alpine scores points from last on the grid for the second time in his career (finished 10th in Mexico City, 2018). Williams scored in Bahrain for the first time since 2017, when Felipe Massa was sixth, thanks to Alex Albon's P10. Zhou Guanyu finished 16th but took fastest lap for the second time in his career, having done so in Japan 2022. Lando Norris finished 17th having made six pit stops. Sunday was his second-straight non-scoring Bahrain Grand Prix. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[umlewis]

Navigating This Blog:

Firstly, please remember that my tagging system is for my use. I'm very happy when my blogs help people find stuff! But their first function is to help me find stuff. <3 1. If you’re looking for a specific race, the tag format is [location] [year]. For example, #hungary 2019 or #mexico 2016. -> Azerbaijan is listed as Baku. -> Countries with multiple races will be tagged as both the country and track (for example, Spain and Valencia/Jerez/Barcelona, Germany and Hockenheim/Nurburg). -> European GP content is tagged as both European and the name of the track, either Valencia or Baku. -> Where possible, days are also tagged. So, for example, #canada 2022 saturday. 2. If you’re looking for just a specific year, the format is either #flashback fic ref [year] or #fic ref [year]. #flashback fic ref is any year before 2021. #fic ref is for 2021 onward. 3. If you’re looking for just a specific track, that’s tagged too! Just search the country. 4. On a quest for other racing-related content but not from F1 race weekends, you say? -> Pre-season and post-season tags! For example, #pre-season 2014 or #post-season 2017. -> Testing, specifically, is also tagged! The format is testing [year], like #testing 2021. 5. Things he does in his capacity as an F1 driver, but not strictly racing-related? -> The FIA gala is listed under both “fia gala” and “fia prize giving”. Examples: #fia gala 2018 or #fia prize giving 2014. 6. And, of course, non-racing-related content: -> The format is [year] not a race. For example, #2007 not a race. -> If you’d like a specific time period during a season, it’s separated by what races it fell between. For example, #between japan and usa 2022. -> The Met Gala tag format is met gala [year]. For example, #met gala 2018. -> Summer break 2021 / Summer break 2022 7. Feeder series! -> Formula 3 -> GP2 8. All under-18 content is tagged as #childhood photos. 9. Relationships (not taking requests to add to this): -> Sewis -> George Russell -> Mick Schumacher 10. Important! On the website version of Tumblr, you can combine search items. This is immensely helpful for finding specific things! -> So, for example, if you open search and type in "hungary 2022, sewis" it’ll only pull up Sewis content from the Hungarian GP. :) -> Or “testing 2022, barcelona” 11. Trigger tags I commonly use: * These are either for my use or by request and are not up for discussion or debate. If you need something added, please drop me a dm or ask to let me know. 💜 -> #tw max (verstappen) -> #tw transphobe (webber) -> #tw nico (rosberg) -> #tw kimi (raikkonen) -> #tw bernie ecclestone -> #tw helmut marko -> #tw christian horner -> #tw dietrich mateschitz -> #tw crash -> #tw death -> #tw body perception -> #tw food / #cw food This is a pretty exhaustive list, but if you need help or are confused, feel free to contact me! <3