#I think there's a lot of areas where you can see the difference in Lewis' behaviour

[yesterdayiwrote]

I was reading @manykinsmen's lovely post about the parallels between Jenson and Nico and it reminded me of how there's also so many parallels between Jenson and George as Lewis' teammate.

They're both 'the new guy' coming on to a team where Lewis is settled. They're both stereotypically 'affable brits', and they both show up just as the team is hitting a rough patch.

There was a Sky bit back in 2021 where they asked Jenson (and Nico I believe) what advice they would give George about being Lewis' teammate, and the answer was basically "Integrate yourself with the garage because if they like you, you'll reap the benefits".

And in a similar fashion to what happened with Jenson, it has felt that George has done the courteous smiling and nodding through the pain of the team struggles and put on the positive face, whereas Lewis has, like last time, struggled to hide his disappointment and at times lashed out and said things that he probably should have kept to himself or at least behind closed doors. It feels like a carbon copy, even down to the new guy winning in the points stakes in year 1 and Lewis winning right back again in Year 2.

The only difference is now, Lewis is a better teammate and hasn't lashed out at his teammate in petty mindgames (although I think there's a fair argument that there's other people still fulfilling that role as surrogate even if he himself isn't engaging in it personally, but that's a different story). Although that being said, Lewis and Jenson were never really fractious, they always put a good face on whatever was going on behind closed doors and were genuinely pretty outwardly civil.

And the funniest thing is that although we don't know how this season will go, both George and Jenson's time as Lewis' teammate is going to end in the same way too. Lewis walking away from a team he considered family to take a punt on something new.

[sleepymccoy]

Per one single request (and that is all I need to carry on) here is an expansion of my tags on this post

What even is dementia?

Basically, it's an umbrella term. It describes a set of common symptoms, primarily worsening cognitive loss.

It's kind of like saying you have a cold. A cold is not a diagnosis, it's a grouping of different illnesses, like rhino virus (the most common), influenza, covid, the list goes on.

So, you can have dementia and Alzheimer's, but you wouldn't describe yourself as having both. You'd say "I have a type of dementia, Alzheimer's disease." In the same way you'd say, "I have a cold, I think it's just a rhino virus but it's a whopping my ass."

So why'd you pick Alzheimer's for that example?

Well, Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. It's where all the stereotypes you'd know about it come from. This is gonna be a text heavy post, so have a graph

University of Queensland

Before I talk about them in more detail though, what's a brain?

Your brain is made up of segments that control different specific bits of your body.

I always knew that if you hit the back of your head you might go blind, cos the eye and sight stuff happens at the back of the head. This is true.

I love a copyright warning on a photo. This post constitutes personal use

Alright! An important thing about dementia is that it moves through the brain steadily, going piece by piece. It doesn't do it all at once. So you have a starting spot, and a progressive loss of cognition as it kills your neurons. We figure out the dementia type by the symptoms, cos the brain is so defined

So if you hit the back of your head, the green occipital lobe in that picture, you mess with your sight. If you lose cognition in the back of your head your eyes are seeing fine, but your cognition loss makes you process that sight incorrectly. What you see can be completely different to what other people see. This is posterior cortical atrophy, and I bring it up because we know someone who died from it, this is Terry Pratchett's dementia subtype

It's not on the above graph cos it's quite a rare type

Where's Alzheimer's start?

In the kinda middle bit, the temporal lobe. Memory, ya know. And once it takes your memory it'll move on, but it's not always the same, so people living with Alzheimer's disease will developed varying symptoms as the disease progresses, which takes many years. Sometimes people get a diagnosis of mixed dementia cos it's doing a few lobes at once. Or they have another quite different type of dementia at the some time

I'm not gonna talk about Alzheimer's much cos if you know anything about how dementia goes, you probably know it from Alzheimer's disease.

Let's go through a few others

Vascular dementia is the next biggie!

It's a curious one, this is stroke related. So, when you get a stroke you often lose cognition in the affected area of the brain. That's not dementia, that's a stroke!

But if you get lots and lots of strokes, constantly, that's a type of dementia. Cos you're getting steadily cognitively worse

(this is a good time to remind people that dementia is not a diagnosis or even a type of illness like cancer, it is a descriptive umbrella of common symptoms. The underlying causes can be wildly different)

Vascular dementia doesn't follow our moves steadily though the brain model, cos the strokes can and do happen anywhere. It's rough

What am I talking about, they're all rough. It'll get rougher

Lewy bodies dementia

Often cross diagnosed with Parkinson's disease dementia, it just depends if you get the physical or cognitive symptoms first.

Lewy bodies doesn't tend to have any memory loss. I know, no one thinks that's possible! But this is a dementia without memory loss! Cognitive loss is not the same thing as memory loss, theres other cognitive thing you can lose. That's why they're different words I guess

Of course, in all dementias eventually everything goes. Cos it's progressive, it keeps progressing

Lewy bodies is more likely to cause physical impacts like shaking and shuffling gait. You'll also hallucinate, have delusion, sleep badly, and experience mood swings.

From a care perspective, the people living with Lewy bodies disease are vastly more likely to be violent than any other person living with dementia

Robin Williams had this one, but he never knew. They confirmed via autopsy. So I'm gonna add a fun gif of him cos he was lovely

There's a lot of other disease/illness induced dementias

Huntington's turns into dementia eventually. HIV too. If you have down syndrome you have an extra gene that will always turn into dementia if you live long enough (that's one of our few 100% rates). Alcohol related dementia. So on and so forth. There's a shit tonne of types

Anyway, thats enough about disease progression. I'll talk out a few more common misunderstandings and then post

Is dementia fatal?

Sure is. Most people will die of something else while they have dementia, cos age often comes with comorbidities, but if the only thing you have is Alzheimer's disease it will still kill you. It's taking out your brain cells, eventually you'll forget how to swallow and choke.

Honestly tho it's more likely you'll die 'by accident' due to doing something you didn't realise was dangerous, like going for a walk wearing nothing at night and developing hypothermia. That is a dementia-caused death, I think we can all see that, but it'll be written down as hypothermia. So reported deaths are lower than what's true

Alzheimer's takes 10 - 30 years for the neuron loss to be extreme enough to kill you outright. Lewy bodies is more like 5 - 7 years. There's a range and the ranges are poorly defined, quiz your GP if this ever comes up in your life

It's an old person disease, right?

Overwhelmingly yes. It's considered younger onset if you're less than 65. But from the graph above you can see that's a big enough proportion to get its own slot

But kids don't get it

Sure they do, childhood dementia is a whole thing. It's awful. People are born with it. Again, dementia isn't an illness type, it's a symptom grouping. Kids can be born with progressive, worsening cognitive loss. So while it's not Alzheimer's disease, it is dementia. It's like 1 in 3000 kids have some kind of childhood dementia, and most die before they reach adulthood.

It's untreatable

It is incurable (but they keep researching!) but we have treatments for the early stages. If you or a loved one is experiencing confusion and memory loss, get moving early and you might be able to delay the worsening of symptoms for a few years. It's not a cure, but it's better than nothing. And it's all we've got

How do you, op, know?

I have a master's degree in dementia, and I work in the field. Not naming my job cos I'm not speaking for them rn, I'm just presenting what I know personally

Gonna end the post there. Send me asks or questions or whatever, I'll try and answer. If I get enough asking the same thing I'll do another post expanding on that ❤️❤️❤️

[turn3tifosi]

Idk if you've seen but arvid linblad has said that Lewis is one of his inspirations being mixed race and that. So how abt arvid and reader where she is like Lewis's sister, daughter or goddaughter or smth and he's superscared to meet him or smth

never meet your heroes

arvid lindblad x lewis hamilton’s goddaughter!reader

masterlist

a/n: i was actually planning like this?? if i had a dollar for every time an anon request matched exactly with what i was planning, i'd have two dollars which isn't much, but it's weird it's happened twice

You’re practically bouncing with excitement as you grab Arvid’s hand and lead him through the busy corridors of the paddock. His grip on your hand is firm, but you can feel his nervous energy radiating off him in waves. 

He’s not exactly your typical bundle of nerves, being a skilled F3 driver who’s faced plenty of pressure on the track, but this is different. This is personal. 

“Okay, so I’ve got great news!” you announce with a grin that’s probably too wide to be considered normal.

Arvid looks at you with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. “What’s up?”

“My godfather wants to meet you!” 

Arvid’s eyes light up. He’s already charmed your parents, and he’s pretty confident that he can win over anyone you care about. “That’s awesome! I’m excited. I’ve already met your parents, and they loved me. I’m sure your godfather will be the same.”

You nod enthusiastically. “He’s actually really excited to meet you too. I’m going to visit him in the F1 paddock during the F2 race, and you can come with me.”

Arvid’s expression shifts to confusion. “Wait, why would your godfather be in the F1 paddock?”

You laugh, the sound light and teasing. “Because he’s a racing driver too!”

Arvid blinks, processing the revelation. “What??”

You’re having a hard time containing your laughter now. “Yeah, remember the only reason we even met was because I was looking for him in the paddock, and I ended up bored and found you instead. It’s been such a funny coincidence, and now you’re meeting him!”

Arvid’s face goes pale, and you can almost see the gears turning in his head. “Wait… is it… could it be that your godfather is—”

“Yes, Arvid,” you confirm with a mischievous twinkle in your eye. “My godfather is Lewis Hamilton.”

Arvid’s mouth drops open, and he looks like he’s just seen a ghost. “No way. I can’t meet him. I mean… Lewis Hamilton? I’ve been a fan of his for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I can face him.”

You chuckle, squeezing his hand reassuringly. “Come on, don’t be silly. Lewis is just a normal person, like you and me. He’s going to love you!”

Despite your encouragement, Arvid’s nerves don’t seem to ease. “What if he doesn’t? What if I embarrass myself? This is Lewis Hamilton we’re talking about!”

Realizing that you might need to take a different approach, you decide to text Lewis. With a playful smirk, you type out: “Hey Lewis, don’t scare Arvid away. He’s scared because it’s YOU!”

You hit send and wait, and before long, Lewis replies with an enthusiastic, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he remembers this meeting!”

As you approach Lewis’s temporary garage in the paddock, you feel Arvid’s hand squeeze yours tightly. You try to give him an encouraging smile, but his apprehension is almost palpable.

“Just be yourself,” you tell him. “Lewis is going to be totally chill about this.”

As you open the door to Lewis’s area, you see him lounging on a chair, looking relaxed but with an unmistakable glint of mischief in his eyes. You wave cheerfully. “Hey, Lewis! Arvid, this is Lewis. Lewis, meet Arvid. I have to go say my hi’s to Bono and the rest of the team, so have fun!”

Lewis stands up, putting on a surprisingly stern expression that makes Arvid’s face go even whiter. He extends his hand for a handshake, but his gaze is intense. “Arvid. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Arvid shakes Lewis’s hand with a nervous grip. “H-hi. It’s really an honor to meet you, sir.”

Lewis’s face remains serious as he continues. “So, how long have you been seeing my goddaughter?”

Arvid swallows hard, clearly uncomfortable under the scrutiny. “Um, a few months.”

“Do you plan on being serious about this relationship?”

Arvid stammers, “Y-yes, absolutely.”

Lewis leans in closer, his voice dropping slightly. “What are your intentions with her?”

Arvid’s eyes widen, and he looks like he’s about to crumble. “I—I care about her a lot. I’m serious about us.”

Just as Lewis seems ready to continue his interrogation, you walk in with a cushion in your hand, eyes blazing with a mix of annoyance and amusement. “Lewis, what on earth are you doing?”

Lewis, still in his intimidating persona, raises an eyebrow. “Just making sure Arvid is up to the task.”

Without missing a beat, you toss the cushion at Lewis, hitting him squarely in the chest. “Knock it off! You’re scaring him.”

Lewis bursts into laughter, the stern facade vanishing in an instant. “Okay, okay. I was just having a bit of fun.”

You turn back to Arvid, who looks both relieved and embarrassed. “See? Nothing to worry about. Lewis is just being his usual self.”

Arvid lets out a shaky laugh, finally relaxing. “I’m glad to hear that.”

With the tension eased, Lewis wraps an arm around Arvid’s shoulder and gives him a friendly pat. “Seriously though, it’s great to meet you, Arvid. I’ve heard nothing but good things.”

You smile at both of them, happy that the meeting went well. “See? I told you everything would be fine.”

As the three of you chat and laugh, you can’t help but feel grateful for the supportive people in your life—and relieved that Arvid survived his first meeting with your legendary godfather.

[umlewis]

lewis hamilton is interviewed during the press conference on media day [part 2/2], brazil - october 31, 2024 (transcript under the cut)

Journalist #1: "Mara Sangiorgio, Sky Sport Italy. A question to Lewis: Lewis, you have, I think, the great honor to drive this weekend the Senna car. You were a McLaren driver. You won here your first title with them in 2008. Are you keeping an eye on the fight between McLaren and Ferrari for the constructors', and are you thinking that it's a big shame not be in the game with your team this year?" Lewis: "Of course that's what… We would have all loved to have been in the fight for the championship; that's what everyone works towards. We knew at the beginning of the year it was going to be tough, as soon as we hit the ground, and we didn't expect to also have some of the success we had. Obviously Silverstone, everyone worked so hard to get that result, which I'm so incredibly grateful to the team for. But yeah, it definitely… I know this team so well and I know that the result and the position we're in this year will just only fuel them even more to work harder to have a better car next year. And no, I'm not really watching much up ahead, unless I'm, like, in the battle or behind, like in the last race. I saw them for a second [laughs] and then they were gone. But yeah, I'm just focusing on trying to do the best job I can." Journalist #1: "You are interested in thinking about your future?" Lewis: "I'm very interested about my future, of course, and so in that respect, keeping an eye, yeah. Watching everything that happens." Interviewer: "Have you been very encouraged by the performances of Ferrari recently?" Lewis: "Of course. Through the year, at the beginning of the year, if you look at somewhere like maybe China already… But the Red Bull was, like, a second ahead, and it's been quite incredible to see the McLaren rise, and then the Ferrari in the last few races, to see their progress and just trying to keep an eye on everyone's car and what they're changing and what they're adding. And all the drivers, we all watch the onboard laps and we're always trying to see where we can gain time, and there's some cars that just react differently and better or worse in certain areas, and you're trying to figure out how you can find that within either your balance or get the team to develop the car in that direction." Interviewer: "Thanks, Lewis. Yep! Another one. Diego."

Journalist #2: Diego Mejia, Fox Sports Mexico. A question to Lewis: You had the chance to battle Franco back in Baku. I just wanted to get your view on what he has done so far and what you think about his chances for next year. I mean, how tough would it be to not have him on the grid next year?" Lewis: [laughs] "Well, he's done an incredible job, I think, to, last minute, be called upon and thrown into the deep end in this sport. The majority of us, if we're lucky to get in the sport, we have a bit of a run-up. If you look at young Kimi, for example, he's got a lot of test days before his first race. I think he will have over twenty days or something in the car, which is unprecedented. And as for this guy here, he didn't have that, so he just jumped straight in and he did a fantastic job. As I said in the race, it's always great to see young people and young talented individuals get the opportunity to come through and shine, and I think he did that in the first race. We had a great little battle and it was super safe, it was hard but fair, and I think he's earned his right to be here. There still is a seat available. And he's saying it's not for him to decide, but my advice would be to make sure that he's… I would be pushing, on my side, to make sure I was doing absolutely everything… And at the end of the day he's got to just continue to focus on doing his job every weekend, as he is. Hopefully he's got good people behind him who are doing the right job to make sure that he's here racing next year." Interviewer: "Thank you, Lewis. Right, any more from the broadcasters? Yes." Journalist #3: Hello. Margot Laffite, Canal Plus. Question for Lewis: Lewis, you've been battling for many world titles, strong from that experience. What are your thoughts about the battle between Lando and Max? Your opinion on their assets and their strengths, both of them?" Lewis: "Yeah, I mean, it's definitely… I think it's really exciting for the sport, firstly. The last couple of years, not necessarily so exciting, obviously, with Max just leading the way, and that sometimes happens. But I think it's been really exciting for the fans to see that it can go right down to the wire at the end of the year. There's still a possibility of Lando catching up. I read somewhere I think he's got to get eleven points more or something in each race or something over these next races, which is definitely possible with the performance they have. And yeah, I mean, we all know Max and his strengths, and can't really say too many weaknesses, if any. And you've got, obviously, Lando, who's really rose to the occasion and has been really leading the team. I haven't really spent too much time looking at how they're racing and how they're positioning the cars. Obviously everyone knows what happened in the last two races, but everyone will have an opinion on it. But at the end of the day, those two are the drivers. They know what they're doing. Yeah, I'm really excited to see what happens over these next races. I'm just hoping that I can at least have a good seat view to watch it all as they'll be ahead."

THE REST ARE NOT SHOWN: Journalist #4: "Filip Cleeren, Motorsport.com. Lewis, we've had a lot of talk about driving standards and guidelines, and it seemed like in Mexico we had more and more people dive-bombing the apex because the guidelines seemed to allow it. Obviously you were on the receiving end of that here in turn four a few years ago, so are you expecting more of that this year?" Lewis: "I mean we're kind of… Performance-wise we've been a bit no man's land, so we're not really receiving too much from behind, or we're not really attacking too many at the front. No, I mean, the rules are still the same as they were back in 2021. So what we saw in 2021 with myself and Max is still happening today and will continue until perhaps they make a change. And also, the tracks, with all the run-off areas, don't help. If it was gravel or grass they wouldn't be going all the way out there, so it'll be interesting to see the development. Hopefully they'll make some changes for next year." Journalist #5: "Adam Cooper. Question for Lewis: We're going to Vegas in a couple of weeks. What did you make of it as an event last year? Did you enjoy all the showbiz stuff? Did any funny or unusual things happen to you that weekend?" Lewis: "One of the cool things is I feel like I maybe play a tiny role in these races that appear. It was something I'd always said. They'd say where do you want to have a race, and I always said Vegas, and all of a sudden some years later we had a race in Vegas. I think for our first race, naturally at any new circuit there's always going to be learnings and things that don't go perfectly well. So the weekend as a whole, I think what happened with the fans and I can't remember exactly, but it wasn't the smoothest of weekends. But the race was incredible. And so going back now, I think they would have made so many changes and it would be even better. But yeah, definitely dancing under the nightlights was just incredible. We didn't have the car to be at the front, particularly that weekend, and so the car wasn't the happiest on the track like that, but hopefully a bit better this year. And then also, I've been talking about Africa and we've got, potentially, Rwanda on the cards, which is amazing. So I just hope it comes in time before I'm gone. That's my biggest dream, is to make sure that I get to race there before I retire. Journalist #6: "Nigel Chiu, Sky Sports. Question for Lewis. Just going back to the racing, Lewis, we've seen over the last seventeen years… Or you've been in F1 for seventeen years, sorry. Do you think the racing has kind of changed during that time? Has it perhaps become more aggressive over the last ten years, do you think?" Lewis: "I don't think so. I mean, I've raced for a long, long time, so I've been karting, and I wouldn't say that Formula 1's got any more aggressive.

I mean, when I first got to Formula 1 I was racing with Fernando, who was very firm and tough to beat on track, and it was no different to now, I would say. I think the only difference is that the tracks now have these run-off areas. I think when I joined we didn't have these big run-off areas, so when you first get in you really had to build up to the limit. You couldn't go beyond it, go off track and come back on. And that's something I would say the thing I noticed the most when… So like for example, around maybe Max's time or maybe just before, where they started having these big run-off areas, where the younger drivers were able to come in and really abuse those areas and not put the car on grass, for example. And I think that gave them a real good cushion of bedding themselves into the sport and finding the limit. As where, let's say like from Fernando's time and before that, it was, you couldn't go beyond the limit. You're in the gravel. Pouhon, for example-turn ten in Spa-there used to be grass right beyond the kerb and gravel, which was definitely worrying when you used to go into a corner like that. So I would say that's been the biggest shift and it would be great to see the old school sort of way come back if possible. Gravel traps or something like that. Maybe not safe, but we'll see." Journalist #7: "Phil Duncan, PA. A question for Lewis and for anyone else to add to it: In Mexico Lando described Max's driving as dangerous, Lewis. And obviously, I know that's not your battle, but you've been there in ‘21 with him. Is that something you thought at the time, that his driving was dangerous? And do you think that's still the same now? Would you say he's a bit of a dangerous driver?" Lewis: "I know that's where you would go. I mean, all you have to do is just go and look back and listen to some of my radio comments back in the day. It's not really something I really want to tap into. It's nothing to do with me at the moment, so… Obviously if I was in the battle, it would be… I could lean in more into it, but these are the things you have to ask those two because they're the ones that it's affecting. But I don't think you're seeing much difference across the years from 2021 to now. It's pretty much the same."

[dozyisdead]

The RB16 was actually considered as one of the fastest cars on the grid in 2020, only behind *maybe* the Mercedes despite looking rocky at the beginning of the season. I found a little snippet of what Max said about the car:

Max and Alex both have the same preference of oversteer, but it's on different levels for them.

Look on this chart where Alex is more towards the N (neutral) while Max is more to the extreme side of oversteer! Alex has said before that some of the main reason why he had such a hard time in the car was because of the media attention and not having enough experience after being brought up so soon from Toro Rosso (doesn't that sound like a certain American currently in Williams...). He also was getting updates way later than Max, which while normal, definitely didn't help his case. I definitely do think though that if Alex got another year, he definitely could have done well!

Don't take me for sure on this, but I've seen people say that the more extreme you are in preference, the "faster" you'll be. It makes sense, but if you see Lewis on that chart, that claim seems rather stupid.

I honestly have no idea how good the Williams actually is. From our POV, it obviously looks slow and hard to drive (Logan's hands during some of these corners....) but I would say it's hard to tell how actually bad it is. For all we know, its a decent car that looks worse than it is because of that extra weight. Going back to Alex, I think that media pressure Logan's been getting is what's hurting him so much. I think he's scared to push the car, which is a reason why he's crashing so much.

To be frank, I know little to nothing about how drivers configure their set ups/cars, but I do agree that Logan has been massively improving since last year. He's definitely been crashing less, and that weight he put on during the beginning on the year seems to be doing well for him! I'm actually really excited to see if Logan will be able to start matching Alex by the end of the year in terms of pace/ points (?). I think some weight will finally be lifted off him not that he knows he's not fighting for his seat anymore.

I think it's kinda funny how so many teams have drivers that like opposite things. In Ferrari we had Charles (oversteer) and Carlos (understeer) and in Red bull we have Max (oversteer) and Checo (understeer). Carlos though, has shown that he can drive cars that don't exactly suit his preference. I'm pretty sure (I'm saying this because it's a struggle to keep up with Ferrari sometimes) that the car is more suited towards Charles this year and in 2021 (why some Ferrari fans said that the 2021 car was so "good") and both years Carlos has preformed very well. I'm pretty sure the Ferrari is also more closer to neutral than way too oversteery though (?). I don't know what Williams is cooking up, but their car has been more oversteer prone in the past few years.

Funny enough though, both Lance and Latifi (though he liked a more neutral setup) both prefere (d) a slightly more understeer car! George on the other hand, likes a more oversteery car.

Oh my god I love you (/p)

So we all agree the way that Alex was brought up through Red Bull was an absolute shit show and messed up what could have been an incredible entrance into F1? But it's really interesting how much a difference they have with how they like the cars set up! But actually, noticing that Max was on an extreme makes a lot of sense. Line I've said before, I am absolutely brain dead when it comes to the technical aspects of F1, but I notice things when it comes to how things react to their environments. I've seen the way the cars move as they go through turns and down straights, and Max really is on an extreme! And I saw it a bit with Fernando's older races before Alpine and Aston Martin, but I do see it with him in Aston right now. And Lewis too, I can see the difference in both driving styles and how the car handles certain areas in certain tracks compared to the Red Bull that Max drives in those same areas. And I know part of that has to do with how the cars are made differently, but there are still differences that can't be explained with that. Also, the fact that Alex is very neutral leaning makes a lot of sense, especially if you rewatch his overtake in Canada from this year! I really don't know how to explain it, but that moment shows it very well.

Yes, I think we don't have a huge well of knowledge on the status of each car because it's really relative to each driver, though I do agree with the bit about the corners from Logan's POV. It seemed so unwieldly! Like, my grandfather has an old while truck, it's one of the ones with a bench seat in the front, and it really is very old. I learned to initially drive in it, and it is so hard to deal with now compared to my parent's cars, which is what I'm learning to drive now (I'm a very late learner so it's just harder for me in general). I think it would be very interesting to have every driver on the grid try each other team's cars with the most basic configuration. I think that would be an amazing comparison!

Also, I'm so glad someone else noticed how much the pressure made logan so hesitant while driving! I heard a driver once say that hesitation on track was a one-way ticket to a crash or going off, so I agree with your point about his performance being affected by that pressure! Oh, and I am also so glad someone noticed the weight gain! It really shocked me how skinny Logan always seemed to be, and honestly, I was a bit concerned for a bit. I think there's a video on the Williams channel that is focused on Logan, and he mentions that he needed to focus on controlling how much he weighed because he was actually too skinny/underweight, and it could have affected his performance! Don't quote me on that, but it's either one of his training camp videos or is the team torque episode with him and his new trainer (Elias) and a football player. I think the weight he put on is great for him and I'm actually so happy! And as much as I hate to see it, I'm also thinking that part of his improvement is knowing he's basically out of the running for a seat and he's relieved he doesn't have to fight for one anymore. He knows he just has to give what is left his all, and he's willing to do that! I do really hope that he joins Prema in IndyCar, particularly because I can actually afford Indy tickets lol!

But I also agree that it's really funny that we see so many opposites within teams in regard to over vs. under steer preference! And now that we see that Williams has been more oversteer leaning, and we see that both Lance and Latifi prefer a more understeer leaning set up, it kind of explains their limited success at Williams, and why George did so well! We all know George put so much into Williams, and I am glad that it did him so well. It's going to be very interesting next year when we see how Carlos does, if Williams keeps on the oversteer leaning path!

You have been a delight to talk with and I am so glad you could give me so much information!

[wildshona]

A Swim and a Chat

I know my followers have been waiting for this post and it has taken me a while to put together not least cos there is chat in it and I had to really dig my memory out to get the sense of it – so this is a bit different to the usual but I can’t help that - it was what it was.

Amelia, Zoe and I turned up in an uber at Toni’s at about 2.30 on Saturday afternoon. Amelia look impressed when she saw the house but didn’t say anything. Zoe thought we had come to a palace. Well it does look impressive starting with gates in a six foot wall leading to a gravelled parking area.

Mrs Lewis, that’s the housekeeper, met us at the door and took coats and stuff and ushered us through the reception hall and the lounge into the garden and to the extension with the swimming pool where a naked Toni was already doing laps. When Mrs Lewis called to her she pulled herself out of the water like a goddess and came to greet us, a chaste kiss on the cheek for Amelia, a kiss on the lips for me (not so chaste) and a hello and a kiss on the top of the head for Zoe.

If Amelia was surprised by seeing her doctor naked she didn’t show it and instead commented on the beautiful house. I was concentrating on Toni’s beautiful body.

Old money, said Toni, if you think this is impressive you should see my brother’s. All started from exploiting the peasants and a few fortunate wars hundreds of years ago.

Are you a princess asked Zoe? She looked like one to me. I could feel myself getting wet and my nipples harden. No munchkin i’m just a doctor, which she said in a way that implied far more than that.

Sweetie, that was to me, show the ladies where they can change into their swimming things. Feel free to go sky clad if you want – a remark lost on Amelia but meant naked to me.

Zoe had a little one piece that had lots of polystyrene floats in pockets all round it so she could float and have her arms free. This is not my costume said Amelia looking in her bag. Heh, heh. When we went shopping Amelia had bought a boring one piece for herself – she hadn’t owned a swimming costume before. But I, knowing her size, had bought her a nice purple bikini which would have been very modest by my standards but was almost scandalous to Amelia. That was what she found in her bag.

I might as well be naked, she said. That’s OK, I’m going to be.

So out we went to the pool. Me sky clad, Amelia in the bikini looking self-conscious but, I have to admit beautiful, and Zoe like a rotund umpa lumpa.

We had a good time in the pool. Splashing and playing chase and Toni showing Zoe how to swim. And after there was ice cream which pleased Zoe.

Then we stretched out on loungers, Toni suggesting that Amelia at least lose the bikini top. I thought she looked tempted but didn’t. Zoe soon fell asleep. We chatted for a while until Mrs Lewis gave us a half hour warning for dinner.

Mrs Lewis showed Zoe and Toni to a bedroom where they could change and I was sent to my room where I found that Toni had left a loose red silk cocktail dress out for me. No bra, a very small thong and heels. When we all emerged it seemed that Toni had got Zoe and Amelia’s sizes from Chris. Amelia was wearing an outfit subtly different from mine. It was tighter, but had a bra so, unlike mine, the nipples were not evident. I suspected that her knickers were a bit more substantial to mine. Little Zoe was dressed in a princess like concoction in lace.

Amelia protested at the clothes. Not the style but that Toni had lavished such presents. Toni waved it away with Old Money and I thought it would be nice to dress for dinner. A dinner which was as good as always with a nice wine,  whilst Zoe had things cut into knight and princess shapes which she giggled over before biting their heads off.

After dinner we sat for a while and Amelia read to Zoe until she fell asleep and was placed on a sofa. I sat next to Toni who casually draped her arm round my shoulder and pushed her hand down my dress so that she could play with my breast and nipple. Amelia sat in an armchair looking demure. Years of watching me in all sorts of situations with daddy meant she wasn’t phased by Toni’s tit play.

At some stage Toni said something like; it’s funny how your father split your femininity. Tragic really. Amelia as the chaste wife and mother and Shona as the lustful whore. Yet they are both aspects of the same thing. A whore can be a wife and mother and the chaste wife can also be lustful and sensual as you are dear Amelia.

Amelia tried to explain daddy’s philosophy. Are you a Christian, asked Toni. Yes, Amelia replied. I knew she was pretty secure in that although she had not been to church since she had come back to England and I knew by now all about the cult like church she had been a member of in the States.

Did you know that the Catholic church invented the veneration of Mary because they could not prevent Christian women adhering to elements of Goddess worship? Toni asked. The church tried to suppress the cult of Mary at first – it was inconceivable to those dreadful misogynists in the priesthood that a woman could be elevated to almost equality and they had killed and tortured their way through thousands of women suppressing Goddess cults. In the end they recognised that the best way to deal with Goddess worship was to co-opt it by elevating Mary. She was hardly the first virgin goddess after all. She wasn’t even the first virgin mother figure.

But they had to keep to the denial of the wholeness of the Goddess and of Woman. Women had to pray to Mary to prevent themselves revealing their true natures as Eve the Corrupter who had to be thrown out of Eden because of the Original Sin.

Yet here you two are both different aspects of the Goddess, Shona finds it almost impossible to love and will likely never be able to have children but enjoys the pleasures of the flesh and is the perfect Goddess of Lust whilst Amelia loves and trusts and cares. A different aspect of the Goddess. If only we could give Shona the ability to love and you the ability to embrace your sexuality you would both be perfect.

She turned and kissed me then. A full blown on the mouth tongue kiss.

The conversation went on a while longer. I felt almost jealous that Toni was giving so much attention to Amelia just as I had been jealous that Amelia had escaped the full treatment that I had got when we were young. Jealous yes – but Toni was wrong. I do love Amelia.

We talked about aspects of the Goddess for longer. Amelia was surprisingly articulate in her arguments and explanations although why I was surprised I don’t know – she had been brilliant at school. (same as me).

In the end it was time to go and Zoe was scooped up still in her princess dress and we left with the invitation to use the pool any time just make the arrangements with Mrs Lewis.

Now I know that you men – and probably women – followers were hoping for some lesbian love fest and i am sorry to disappoint. I have thought this over and over and you can tell cos i lost my usual freewheeling style which is cos I have re-written and revised about half a dozen times.

It is what it is.

[heartsoftruth]

Lewis after FP1 and FP2 in Bahrain | 29.02.24 "This has been a crazy Friday (lol), I was late this morning! FP1, was very very windy this morning. Very difficult session for everyone . The track was so different to practice last week. It was feeling okay. We didn't really know where we were stood on the C2 tyres. We made some improvements over the session... Again, I don't understand... It's a shock to see us where we are, but we'll take it for now. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, we need to keep our heads down, keep working on the set up and try to extract more. I think our long run pace is nowhere near the Red Bulls, for example, and I think we’re a lot closer, so we got some work to do there.” Better this year? Yeah, I am much more happier with the car. My seat position is finally further rearwards... I've got a better feel for the car approaching the corners but there are other areas that have been fixed and improved. It feels like a race car for once. The last two cars didn’t feel like that so, it’s a really good platform for us to work on. We just gotta keep on chasing.”

Longruns? “with the new car you have new tools, everything’s been re-designed. You’re learning a whole new vocabulary when it comes to the car set up. We’ve tested some of them but not all of them because we’ve only had a day in a half.” “I hope we can make a step. I have got a bit of an idea but I don’t know how to achieve that yet with the set up changes without affecting the other side of things: single lap. So we’ll see.”

[charles-leclerc-official]

hi!! New fan here, i was wondering, how do you know which stats and data to look for in terms of fairly comparing the performances of drivers? and just in general tips on race analysis :') like figuring out if they did the right strategy, the data you need to look for, anything else you find significant? thank you so much! i'd like to be more objective tbh bc the emotions are vv strong during a race and they tend to overpower my rational side.

Well there is a lot that can go into this. Some of it is very much a learned skill that you get better at over time.

General good rules of thumb for comparison and analysis:

1.The same car/teammates: comparing teammates is usually very helpful in understanding a car and also where the two drivers differ. Since they are in the same machinery we can see what some general characteristics are of a specific car. And then we can also see where there are differences that can be attributed to a driver specifically. Comparing teammates is always useful, and helpful in understanding a team overall because you know that team is constantly comparing their driver's performances.

2. Max(or whoever is the current #1): having Max as a benchmark of the current top driver is always helpful because he's obviously the one to beat. Also since he is so good he delivers amazing data on tracks. So if I want to see where the SF-24 or Charles need to improve comparing to Max is a good way to do it. It would not be as helpful to compare Charles to say Fernando, who while a great driver, the car he's in and his standing right now just isn't going to offer many valuable insights.

3. Race strategy: this is a very complicated topic, it is way more like chess than people realize. Seeing who starts where, the places they can likely gain from there, the timing that needs to happen to gain those places etc. Those are all factors. You really get a sense of it after you watch for a while. This is an extremely complex area that is a constantly evolving logic problem (which is why teams are so focused during races) This is the area where I have the fewest tips because it is really one of those things that just comes from experience and observation. One thing to do would be read interviews about what your team is saying about their strategy and the thinking that went into it. Spatial reasoning and logic are a big part of race strategy, and then once the lights go out those things get affected by time and random events (ex a driver DNFing) So race strategy is a combination of spatial logic and being able to do it dynamically as time progresses over a race. So thinking of it like chess that changes every lap is a good way to think about it.

4. Race specific battles: pay attention during races who is really battling (ex Lewis and Oscar in Jeddah, or Lando and Carlos in Suzuka or Lando and Charles in Melbourne) then you can look at the data for some insights into why the battle played out the way it did. Another example would be if you wanted to understand why Mclaren made Oscar and Lando switch in Australia, you can go look at the data and the answer it pretty clear. So these kinds of comparisons can give a lot of insight into why a team made certain strategy calls.

5. DRS: DRS is always something I look at when talking about speed, because while it's great for speed it's more of a luck right place at the right time thing, and so if I want to be fair in pace or speed comparisons I try to find laps where either both drivers got DRS or neither did (sometimes this isn't possible but it's a good factor to keep in mind)

6. Same tyres: comparing pace and speed on tyres it's important to keep the compound in mind. Comparing a fast lap one driver did on a medium tyre to one another driver did on hards isn't really in good faith. Now sometimes doing cross compound comparison can be useful, (ex a driver setting the same times on hards as another driver on mediums is interesting and worth digging into) But if you are wanting to do a direct comparison and want to eliminate this as a variable always compare on the same compound (sometimes this isn't possible so keep that in mind) Comparing across compounds is helpful too, but you should be very clear about why and the logic behind it.

7. Field placement: Comparing a midfield car to a top car isn't super helpful. Max isn't Logan's competition, other midfield drivers are Logan's competition. So it's important to look at who is actually competing with who. You could do a Logan to Max comparison but it likely wouldn't offer much insight into either drivers' strengths or weaknesses. Comparing Logan to Alex(his teammate) or Zhou(someone else in the midfield) is going to be way more useful.

8. Weather/Temperature: this can be a massive compounding factor for performance and should always be considered. Was it raining? Was it windy? Was there notable heat? How was that affecting drivers? etc

9. Mechanical issues: always note them and take them into account, this sounds like a no-brainer but not everyone does this and it leads to a lot of bad faith representations of a driver or a race.

10. Team Radio: if you want to understand what a driver and a team were thinking during the race and want answers for why things played out the way they did (good or bad) then team radio usually has a lot of answers. A good example of this would be listening to Charles' radios in Suzuka, you can listen to him talking about which strategy to go with and then the team figuring that out with him. Radios are very informative. I always listen to Charles', so if you have a driver/team you are focused on I highly recommend doing that.

11. Sometimes there is no way to do a fair comparison: this is something that is important to keep in mind(and again a lot of people forget this). For example in Bahrain when Charles had that massive brake temperature imbalance issue, no one else had it. So we cannot really compare his pace or performance to anyone and account for that. We can still compare his say fastest lap to Carlos' to see what he was able to do in less than optimal circumstances. But this is another very important thing to remember. Sometimes conditions do not allow for a totally fair comparison, and that is always worth noting. This is a very important fallacy to be aware of, and it's a trap a lot of people fall into, making it appear as though there is a fair comparison in a situation when there is not. So always keep this in mind. Sometimes the fact no fair comparison can be made is informative in itself.

A lot of analysis is also what I feel like just falls under plain old common sense and logical reasoning. Races are big logical puzzles, so just like with any logic based game it takes practice to get the hang of it. This just comes with watching races and paying attention to the details.

Also analysis doesn't get rid of the emotional reactions(at least not for me) I watch live and have all kinds of emotions. I just do that in private and wait to look at the data. And that is totally normal for the record. This is why I recommend re-watching a race for analysis for 2 reasons. 1. You will probably catch a lot of things you didn't notice the first time, and 2. You won't be as emotional and will probably be able to view what happened more objectively.

Hopefully this answers your question <3

[wejustvibing]

VG: I spoke with somebody of your team saying sometimes when Lewis is leaving on the track, he's capable of doing something unimaginable, something so special. but he needs to feel that there is something achievable. is it true that sometimes these kinds of moments make the difference between very good driver and exceptional driver?

LH: I'm not sure I understand fully. that feels like someone just made something up *laughs* I feel like there's definitely been times where it's felt so magical, it's definitely felt like something special is channeling through you and all the stars are aligned and it's an incredible moment when that happens. you can't always get it but I genuinely feel like I've got the ability to do lots of different things and, particularly on the track, I feel like there's not really a limit to what I can do. but I'm always working on improving. there's always areas you can be better.

there's so many different areas of a racing driver, not just driving. so I'm trying to always level up and really focus on the weaknesses that I have 'cause I know what my strengths are, keeping those strong but then lifting up those weaknesses and just being real. like "I suck at this. how do I get better?" so those are the things I'm constantly asking my team and trying to focus on. I think I recovered a lot of those things, particularly this year, that's why you're starting to see a lot of the consistency, which is great. now my goal is to get on the top of that step somehow. we'll see whether we can get there.

[wily-one24]

6, 9, 14

Hey, @the-silence-in-between, great questions, you really made me think. Let's go!

End of Year Asks - meme

6. Episode of tv or webisode that defined the year for you?

Well, I would say that... not necessarily an episode, but a series of episodes, and that would be the William Lewis arc of S15 in Law & Order: SVU.

Mostly because, of course, that a great portion of this year was devoted to writing the mammoth fic Deep Deep Down Where the Darkness Dwells. I spent a lot of time and a lot of energy on that fic, it pretty much defined me this year.

9. Best Month for you this year?

Hm. I'm going to say December.

Not necessarily because it's the most recent and the freshest in my mind. But because it redefined my sense of self a little.

At the end of November, I was made redundant from my job with a company I had been with for nine years. It was a bit of a surprise. My team went from 9 people down to 4. The person that they kept for my area is... well... probably not as dedicated to actually doing the job as i had proven to be. But they're friends with the big boss, so I wasn't totally surprised (and I have since heard from friends still working there that they're already floundering in the position, which... they got who they wanted not my business, i suppose).

I did get a fairly hefty redundancy payout, which was nice. By the end of the whole process, I was ready to leave and it was actually a kind of relief that I no longer had to work there.

HOWEVER, I had visions of having to stretch the redundancy payment well into next year. (With a pretty tight budget, I could probably have stretched it out for six months or more).

You hear stories and nightmares of job hunting for ages, so many rejections and failed interviews and I was prepared for that.

That said, I got short listed pretty quickly for four different jobs and was invited to do online assessments and questionnaires to move to the next stage. Two of the jobs looked really good.

On the second week of no work, I was contacted by a fifth company, interviewed, and hired within the space of three days.

Less than two weeks out of work and I had already secured another job.

I started the following week, worked for two days and was miserable. I am too old to make myself deliberately miserable long term. And on the first day was offered an interview for one of the jobs I really wanted. So I spoke to the manager and we agreed I was not the right fit.

I interviewed for the good job and was hired. I start that job in January.

I was hired for two jobs within three weeks of leaving my old job.

This really opened my eyes. Because, while i know I can *do* the work and am quite capable, I don't always play the political or social games and this (while it shouldn't, realistically it does) can hold me back and rub people the wrong way.

I am not used to OTHER people seeing my worth. I feel quite validated.

And I can put the majority of the redundancy package in my saving account. I have never really had much of a savings. Any time I build anything, something comes up with the house (we need a new toilet, a new fridge, my heater dies, etc). Any savings I've ever had have been small and temporary.

Now? Now I'm going to HAVE savings. I'll probably need them when I have my transplant, because I can imagine I'll have a lot of time off for that. But I was saving my Long Service Leave for that and that formed part of my payment, so it's been put aside. Excellent.

14. Favorite book you read this year?

I haven't actually read a lot of books. I know. I am shamed. I have been busy with work, with writing, with just being present in my life.

Does fic count? I'm going to be that person and say I have read and reread my own fic several times. I guess that would count as my favourite.

However, other than that, you have Principal Decisions, who was written by one of my close friends. It was actually really good (even if I did have to buy my own copy, because said friend has held my promised signed copy hostage and still hasn't sent it yet.... YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE 😠, 😉).

You know, if you're into lesbian BDSM erotica.

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

spirit blossom verse??? You’re working on one??

I am looking respectfully

Yes! I am actually designing a spirit blossom verse for Robin to exist in! I've had a few conversations with @wolvensden regarding this and I found immense inspiration in the idea that Robin, given his own lore, would take on the title as The Spirit of Longing.

I am designing him currently and going through a few different iterations involving different patterns of feathers, as I really wanted to dive into bird aesthetics, particularly that of cranes for their symbolism revolving around loyalty, peace, happiness and longevity. I also wanted to heavily focus on feathers as they fit perfectly with my other ideas for the design.

I plan to have the design heavily inspired by "Komorebi" which is the  term used to describe the appearance of sunbeams shining through the leaves in a wooded area. It also is used to describe longing to be near a person or a place too far away for you to easily visit, and a strong desire especially for something unattainable. I also want the design and spirit's LESSON to reflect "Natsukashii" is a Japanese word used when something evokes a fond memory from your past--similar to Nostalgia but....Natsukashii is a little different. It is a reminder that you are fortunate to have had the experiences you’ve had in life. The fact that you cannot return to those experiences makes them all the more beautiful.

This longing within the spirit would not pertain to any specific thing or relationship, I want it to reflect how we, as humans, blindly chase after what we had in the past. Even if it may destroy us and make us miserable in our present. The lesson this spirit teaches is to be grateful for the memories, that the beauty existed and even though it has faded from the present experience--it is a part of us. Where the beauty around you becomes the same beauty you see in yourself; it helped to sculpt you. To be enveloped by that scattering, beautiful light, yet at the same time, to shine with it.

"We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words — to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it. C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory".

Perhaps that is why I can see him interacting so beautifully with Spirit Blossom Sett, who is searching for something long past. Retribution, after all, does not fill the void within us--it is something that we cannot fix through vengeance. And I think Sett would be able to learn quite a lot from Robin, granted it isn't a lesson easily learned...but it is one that will bring true peace to anyone wondering what could have been and longing for that time from their past. You can't heal under a mask of anger and hate. Wounds need air--they need to breathe in the warm summer days, and feel the sunlight peeking through the tree leaves. Only then will those wounds ever truly close.

And that isn't to say that the Spirit of Challenge would not offer anything to Robin either, hard times stimulate growth in a way that good times don't. Facing challenges and navigating through them builds resilience so when those tough times return, you can rise above them because you can say "I've survived this before, I can do it again." Challenges inspire confidence and the ability to bounce back when things go sour--given Robin's past and lore, I can't imagine this could ever prove negative for him. I just feel like these two would have such a wonderful effect on eachother.

I rambled. I'll stop for now but--!!! I've put a lot of thought into this. Plus Robin being smothered in wolverines is an adorable thought.

[umgeorge]

george russell is interviewed after fp2, austraila - march 31, 2023 (transcription under the cut)

Interviewer: "George, P9 this morning. P4, though, in quite a rain-effected FP2. How would you sum it all up?" George: "Yeah, I mean, FP2 was obviously a little bit frustrating for everybody, with the weather coming in; a little bit surprising. But it was a reasonable session for us. Definitely made a step from FP1, which is a good thing. Let's see what tomorrow brings, with the weather, because I don't think... There was a bit of rain in the area but it came in quite suddenly and I know there's a bit of rain tomorrow, as well, so it'll be happy for things to be spiced up." Interviewer: "Yeah, we'll see. There's kind of four seasons in one day, here in Melbourne, it seems. You say you took a step. In which direction is that step going? How is that effecting the car?" George: "We just made a lot of setup changes over the break. We've been doing some good steps, recently. We've been changing quite a few things and getting the car into a nice window as the weekend progresses, so that's quite satisfying, from sat in the driver's seat, knowing that the car feels better and, as a team, we've contributed toward that. We need to see how it translates into tomorrow, but, definitely, FP1, I wasn't very happy with the car and FP2 I was pretty happy, so... Yeah. Not too bad." Interviewer: "How does that feeling compare to, certainly, Saudi Arabia, a track similar to this in street-like circuit and also, of course, the fact you got P4 there, as well. How's the car feeling, comparatively?" George: "Yeah, I think similar circuit; similar tarmac, as well. It's something that maybe-I dunno if the fans watching know too much about the difference in tarmacs from the different races we go to-has a real substantial effect on the car and the feeling. Saudi and Melbourne have a similar tarmac, so you can really push the tires hard and you see you're able to do one, two, three laps on the soft tire, which is unique, in a way. I think, you know, in qualifying we're going to be doing lots and lots of laps, so that's different to the norm, so I guess that's exciting." Interviewer: "Lewis sort of predicted that around P5 would be possible in qualifying. What do you predict?" George: "Yeah, I'd say that's a fair assessment. I think if we really pull everything together, the third row-probably between P5 and P8-I think is where we're looking, at the moment. So obviously not where we wanna be, as a team. We know we've got more to come in a couple races' time, but we just need to maximize our chances, try and have a similar weekend to what we had in Jeddah, where we exceeded the potential of the car, and just keep trying our best."

[lord-leclerc]

Hi thanks for answering :)

I agree on all your points on Carlando especially the last one (I had forgotten about that one) and it's just amazing I can't describe how I feel about them... The fact that they talk a lot in private is so cool. If you think back to Miami where they went on a golf weekend together with Zak. Like they must be conversing so much and and I don't know of any other drivers pairing which is so close like Carlando. Or like in Melbourne they arrived early so they could spend to whole days together. :) They're not even from the same team. But I guess there's no rule for them to not hangout with eachother so they do it bc they can. That's so wholesome! Also the moment when Carlos listed all the teammates he had had and forgot Lando and said Charles first. And then Charles noticed and pointed it out to him. I think they don't even realise they're work-buddies anymore but actually just see eachother as friends who meet up every weekend. They seem so close and I imagine Lando will be invited to Carlos' and Isa's wedding (if it happens - hopefully).

They mean everything to me! <3

About Lestappen: Absolutely! I adore their history with eachother. It may be a rivalry but the respect between them makes it beautiful. It's so different from Brocedes where they went from bff's to haters to "yeah we can talk again but we're not friends". It's childhood enemies to "yeah we can talk but we're not friends" to work-buddies (or friends? but they still don't follow eachother on insta...). I love how everyone calls them emotional support rivals. Like that's literally the perfect term for them. What do you think about them being rbr teammates? Do you think it would work out well for Charles? In terms of racing. And what do you think would it do to their friendship?

don't apologies I'm happy to hear your opinion! 😊

exactly, in f1 even teammates don't spend time together outside of work usually but carlando always finding a way to spend time in any way possible-like playing golf in augusta or u said Melbourne, it's very brotherly. however I dont think we would be seeing lando or anyone for that matter in carlos and isa's wedding. they've broken up bestie😭

as for lestappen, so true. i think even seb and lewis had their disrespect moments where they were enemies at some point but with lestappen its quite respectful. for example, when charles crashed in miami and ruined max's only chance of flying lap, max just sighed on the team radio and later during the media pen he said it could've happened to anyone and that he was prone to errors too in that area. could you imagine if it were anyone else? there'd be a rainbow of words coming out of him right there and then and he could very well hold charles accountable for that incident, but he didn't. and again thats something u don't get to see a lot. like come on, even your own teammates blame you but coming this from a rival must've meant a lot.

as for rbr teammates,I think it would be a disaster for the team . ofc both of them would get equal machinery and opportunity and there would be cut throat competition, which can be good for racing but that may lead to unhealthy rivalry if you know what i mean. it would even affect their friendship in an adverse manner ofc. so i think them being in different teams is a better option because neither of them would back out and it could prove to be bad for the team.

[mclwcc]

I think the disproportion in show of affection from lando and carlos comes from the age difference, lando is young, and soaks up attention so he’s being pass around between djs, streamers and close knit friends and just has so many ppls around that for him it’s (just may be) like whtvr, yeah carlos is my friend like many other friends I have.

Carlos being more mature now and centered, more low key, seems to cherish and take care of the ppl he considers close to him, respect is a really big thing to him and so if he respects you, you automatically have a place in his life and would get out of his way (as much as he can) to help I somehow.

Also in the interview he does say that he saw the mercs getting closer and that if they passed lando who has similar tire wear to him, they would def pass him so he decided to help lando and in doing so help himself. I’m not saying that the one behind him being lando didn’t absolutely contribute but he’s also not that consumed by emotion.

oh yea sorry if it sounded if i implied carlos's emotionality clouds his judgement in the car - hes one of the drivers where ive genuinely never seen that happen (and we've all witnessed it with others). its just that i do actually rly like to hear drivers admitting that the way they think inside the car is slightly different to the macho tough utra-rational mentalities a driver is usually expected to present. carlos saying he does treat lando and fernando slightly more gently, lewis in 2018(?) saying he engages w max more carefully during wheel-to-wheels, lando often explicitly mentioning how scared he is in certain situations or at certain tracks (singapore and monaco specifically), etc. i find it refreshing, relatable, and like also very true in a delightful way

aside from that - i did see that interview, and im aware 99% of carlos's strategy was dictated by the circumstances that happened to b behind him, and i do believe he wouldve done that with whoever else wouldve been in p2 if lando wasnt there. that said, i do ALSO believe he thinks its nicer or more special bc lando was the one in p2. thats what i was trying to say

and yea i deffo think carlos and lando treat friendships differently - maybe its stages in life, or personalities, or a combination of the two. carlos has always been big into respect, & i rly think he respects lando a whole bunch, and thats deffo never left him. meanwhile lando - "he’s being pass around between djs, streamers and close knit friends" is v funny and also quite true. i think after the pandemic left him like, quite lonely, and maybe in a bit of a panic abt how lonely he was, he made an effort to solidify an old and trusted group of friends around him, which he's basically now settled into. and now he's in a phase where he's kind of exploring his boundaries beyond that, going on vacations w martin garrix n his friends or whatever. also like, lando is very gen z in ways carlos clearly isnt, and that means a lot of his socialising is done online (to the point where when he was living w max they sometimes texted more than actually talking to each other). so that inherently means that sometimes the friends who have access to landos time and energy arent those he chooses to prioritise, but like those who happen to be online on discord - whether that be angryginge or filly or matt gallagher or bankai or whoever, ykwim (and max) (usually max lmao). which means carlos will naturally have a disconnect w lando in that area

but yea i get what u mean for sure. its also like, 2019-2020, carlos and lando's interactions were not only v much facilitated by them being teammates, but also in huge part filmed or televised, which means that we had so much more of a grasp on what they were like w each other. now its genuinely just guesswork, ykwim

[umlewis]

lewis hamilton, p2, is interviewed during the post-sprint press conference, china - april 20, 2024 (transcript under the cut)

Interviewer: "Lewis, coming to you now. Very well done to you. How encouraging was this performance, and how sweet was it to be leading, as well?" Lewis: "Yeah, I forgot what it felt like to be up ahead, and it felt good for the short while that I had it, but I was grateful for the moment and… Yeah, really fortunate, obviously, wiht the rain yesterday, to have been able to capitalize on that. I think our out-and-out true pace was not strong enough to qualify up as high as that, but I made the most of it. Great start, and then just managed to hold off Fernando for a while and bridged a bit of a gap, but lots of deg today. But honestly I found out a lot about the car today, so not that it's telling us how to fix it, but at least give us lots of direction and things we need to improve. Fortunately we can make a few changes in the next couple of hours, so I will try and improve the car for qualifying today. But yeah, so happy to be up here, honestly. Just feel really grateful." Interviewer: "If there's one area where you think you /can/ improve the car ahead of qualifying, where is it? Is it low-speed?" Lewis: "Yeah, the low-speed is where we are struggling the most; medium and low. So Fernando was all over me through most of the low-speed corners, and I think I could about hold my own through the high. But yeah, losing a lot in the medium and low, and then obviously these guys are [laughs] in a different league, but he was also killing me in the low speed. So if there's a way to improve it, we'll try to. I think that's probably characteristics of the car that we need to actually work on through the rest of the year." Interviewer: "Lewis, can you just talk us through your battle with Lando Norris at turn one, as well? It looked like you hung him out to dry a little bit?" Lewis: "No. I mean, I obviously got a great start. I was obviously on the inside line. He tried to hold the outside line and we were both just pushing to the maximum to… I used, obviously, everything to try and hold position, and eventually I think he just ended up on the dirty bits on the outside and then lost it. There's a point where you go a bit too far, then there's no grip out there, and I think that's what he eventually found. In that scenario he should've just conceded and just parked up behind me. Probably would have had the pace to overtake me, 'cause the McLaren is very quick, but I know he lost a lot of ground there, but that's racing." Interviewer: "Alright. Very well done to you." [time jump]

Journalist: "Jon Noble, Motorsport.com. To Lewis, how much is this kind of result so far this weekend a sign of the genuine progress you've made since Japan, and how much down a little bit to circumstance that you had grid position that you perhaps wouldn't have in a dry session, and the benefits of clear air as against battling in a pack and looking after tires?" Lewis: "I think it's over ninety percent due to the scenario of the rain yesterday, if I'm really honest. We've not made really a step from the last race. The car is exactly the same, and we're battling the same issues that we had in the last race, and I think position-wise we are probably, pace-wise, in the similar position. I think today is gonna be interesting, to see if we can wing it a little bit and try and get as close to the top five, but we're currently not top five qualifiers, and so just getting into Q3 will be important today. Fortunately I've got extra tires, so if I can utilize that today I'll try and maximize it." [time jump]

Journalist: "Joe Cash from Reuters. Yesterday Pirelli said that when they'd been analyzing the track, the new surface made as though it might be difficult to find other lines. Lewis, in particular, do you feel that that was a factor in your overtake around Lando into turn one, that it's difficult to find grip outside the racing line?" Lewis: "No. This track has always been one of those circuits that's quite wide on a lot of the corners and provides lots of different lines. There are other circuits where you can't do other lines, but I think this is why it's such a great racetrack, and honestly I don't think the track surface has really made much of a difference at all, in that respect. I mean, you could see Fernando behind me on a much different line to me and he was catching in certain places and losing in others, so yeah, that's the bit I love about this track." [time jump]

Journalist: "Question for all three: We've got the sprint part of the weekend out of the way now. Have you been able to enjoy more with the revised format?" Lewis: "I've always generally enjoyed the sprint format. I think there's a lot of time wasted on these weekends and we could either, one, shorten the weekends, or pack the days more so that the fans have more of an xperience. There's at least ten hours wasted during the day where we could be entertaining the fans on track, and of course sustainability has to come into that, but… And otherwise I think also with the ability to be able to make a change right now and potentially try and close the gap to the Red Bulls, or at least to whoever's up ahead of us tomorrow, I think is great for the race weekend, as where before if you were just stuck in it right now, you would already absolutely know the end race result, but today we've got something new and exciting."

Journalist: "Hi. Henry Clark with the Daily Mail. A question for Lewis: Obviously a big smile on your face out there after a strong performance. Even for a driver of your pedigree and experience, how significant was that performance, of the confidence boost for you to help lift your spirits? Obviously it's been a difficult start to the season, and even beyond that, I guess." Lewis: "I mean, any time you have a good result is always a confidence boost. That's the way of life, and you have a good day and it lifts your spirits, for sure. I think, as I said, the circumstances are special with the rain yesterday, but obviously had to do the job yesterday and put that lap in. And then today, to be on the front row, don't remember having that view for a long time, or it feels like a really long time. I don't know if we've had it in the last couple years, but… And to be able to fight into turn one for the lead just reminded me of why I love what I do and what we do, and I know we've got to work incredibly hard to get back to a more consistent placing like this. But you saw Max, I didn't even put up a fight for Max because he was coming at us, serious pace advantage that I knew he would get me and I really wanted to make sure I didn't lose time to tthe guys further behind so I could retain second. So yeah. Grateful for it."

[mossyquill02]

Definitely some valid points, but I can provide answers to some of these questions as someone who grew up in a “town” that was legally classified as a village.

> Why is there a Walmart?….How much land was the grandfather hoarding?

There’s always a Walmart. The area I lived in was in extremely rural and bordered on an Amish settlement that my grandparents frequently sold to (animal nutrition) and was a few hours from an indigenous reservation. We had a Walmart, a Kmart, a Blockbuster, two major banks (and a credit union), DollarTree, Dollar General, etc… Even in an area where some schools had a “drive your tractor to school” day, where kids missed school to help on their family farms, we still had major chain stores.

This is because, as much as farmers markets are great, farmers can’t afford to spend their time or the time of their helpers/family just sitting at a booth selling a pick up truck’s worth of produce. They wouldn’t be able to make ends meet. So they sell in bulk to chain stores, and in smaller quantities to friends and neighbours, and then they still need somewhere to buy the rest. So Walmart and the other chain stores still have plenty of business to stay open with (very) minimal staff and high profit margins.

In the case of Stardew, I always kind of assumed that the NPCs we meet and are able to interact with are like the role of friends and direct neighbours/small interpersonal communities that form in villages and small towns—not a representation of the entire population of the area. I think the one thing in game that best supports this idea is the map itself, which has several regions—farm, woods, beach, mountains, etc. In an actual rural area, especially one with this level of different environments, the land space would be massive and everyone would be car/bike dependent. Walking just to your closest neighbour’s house would take upwards of 10 minutes (at a minimum—often further). In order to make the game a playable scale, only the player’s farm is left at a “normal” scale, while the land area for every other area is reduced, including the number of houses and people within that land area. If you scaled things back up, everyone would have a greater amount of land/space and the PC’s land wouldn’t seem so out of proportion. There would also be a lot more people and families, probably enough to qualify as a village.

> How was there enough money for Lewis to embezzle?

I’d say this is connected to several things. One, the population scale. More people = more income = more taxes to embezzle. Two, the shut down of public institutions—the community center, the bus, and any schools. And three, if there ever WAS a gold rush, or even a solid mining boom, then that would have brought in a lot of money.

> What happened to the mine? Where are the miners?

So, when you first start the game, the mine is actually closed off due to a cave-in of some sort that blocked access, which Joja deals with. I don’t believe it ever says how LONG that blockage was there for. Miners also don’t usually own land (or at least not much) and from Penny’s family we can see that there IS an acceptable area for people with mobile/trailer homes to live. Putting those together, it is possible that the line had been naturally closed off for a while before Joja showed up, causing the miners to pack up and leave since they couldn’t make any money without access to the mine—and especially without any land ownership to tie them down.

> No school??

Yeah…uh…that’s real. Even a decade ago, before I left the area, there were schools getting shut down and merged, causing kids from County A (smaller population) to have to be bused out to the County B school, causing overcrowding and conflict over tax allocation/school funding. A lot of smaller communities (including the village where I lived) have a small and very much aging population—those who wanted more, or to start a family, left the area. So there were fewer and fewer young families and even fewer children. This has created an economic strain that my grandparents are still dealing with while living there.

Many people in this situation decide that home school is a better option (aka childcare with Penny). The kids get taught the family business, help out on the farm, and that’s about it. Many get taught the basic addition/subtraction from books and online resources, but don’t go much further.

Honestly, the most “unrealistic” thing to me is definitely the bus, but only because the US sucks at public transit.

Stardew Valley but the town is a real town which makes sense