#I will do this for every country each F1 weekend I’m just early on this one

[vroomlesbianvroom]

Human Rights in Bahrain

Migrant Rights

Bahrain has a major problem with “stateless people” (known as Bedoon) who are descendants of Iranian’s who have lived in Bahrain for decades. Most of these people are Muslims, but some are Christians.

Stateless People Lack the Right to:

·      Hold legal residency,

·      Right to travel abroad,

·      Buy houses,

·      Hold government jobs,

·      Own land,

·      Start businesses,

·      Borrow loans,

·      Regulations have also been issued recently preventing children of stateless people from attending public schools and receiving free medical care.

Bahrain does have some rights protecting migrant workers, however, there are some basic protections that are not available, including bargaining and minimum wage.

Women’s Rights

Bahrain has very strict laws and societal restrictions women’s rights, a lot of these laws have roots in Islamic law which grants men and women unequal societal and legal rights.

·      72% of the students at Arabian Gulf University and 67% of the University of Bahrain were women (2007), however, only ¼ of Bahraini women hold jobs outside of the household due to societal pressures,

·      Women do have the right to vote (as of 2002) and consent to marriage (2009),

·      No laws exist to protect women from domestic violence,

·      No laws exist to protect women from spousal rape, and rapists may avoid punishment if they agree to marry their victims,

·      The age of consent in Bahrain is 21,

·      The minimum age for marriage is 16, however, girls can be married younger if approved by the Sharia Court (Bahrain has committed to end child and forced marriage by 2030),

·      Women cannot pass citizenship onto their children.

Gay Rights

·      There is no law criminalising homosexuality in Bahrain, however, authorities have used vague penal codes to target sexual and gender minorities,

·      Gay marriage is illegal,

·      There are no anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBTQ+ people,

·      Bahrain does have the legal right to change gender,

·      LGBTQ+ people cannot serve openly in the military,

·      Same-sex relationships are not recognised,

·      Conversion therapy is legal in Bahrain,

·      Homosexual males are allowed to give blood (it’s not explicitly banned).

Other Human Rights Issues

·      Torture and ill-treatment of prisoners (at least six prisoners were tortured during 2022),

·      Denial of medical care for prisoners

·      Authorities do imprison people for peacefully protesting (ten leaders of mass protesting during 2011 continue to be held in prison),

·      Bahrain has the third highest rates of carbon-dioxide emission per capita.

[russellius]

THE TIMES: The Formula One driver and his father, Steve, on failed driving tests and sleeping in horseboxes

George

My earliest memories are of living in a mobile home while my parents built a house in a field in the middle of nowhere, near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire. I rode a pedal tractor around the site, hurtling through corners and reversing with a trailer.

At 25 I am the youngest of three. Cara is 37 and works as my personal assistant. Benjy is 36 and caught the karting bug when he was just 11. He was a brilliant driver, becoming a national and world karting champion. Unfortunately, even starting at such a young age, it was already too late for him to have a professional career. I took up karting when I was six and he helped me a lot. Benjy was like a mentor. He eventually gave up racing at university, so Dad’s focus was on me.

I didn’t see much of Dad during the week. He got up early and came home late running a business selling seeds and pulses. As a kid you miss having your father around, but it’s only now that I appreciate he was doing it so I could race at the weekend. Dad didn’t come from a lot and did well to create a successful business. We weren’t poor but we weren’t wealthy like the families of some F1 racing drivers now.

After long hours at work Dad drove us in a camper van to racetracks around the country. It was very much a family affair. Dad was the mechanic, Mum did the cooking and collected data on my driving. When I drove well, there were celebrations and the mood was great but because everyone was so emotionally and financially invested, when I suffered a poor weekend the mood was bad.

Dad has always been hard on the ones he loves. As a young kid, that was difficult to deal with. The pressure didn’t just filter down to me, it affected the whole family. I felt the weight of failure and expectation. If I made a silly mistake and spun off the track, I can now understand why Dad might have thought, “What the hell am I doing this for?” He had to work his arse off to support my racing, so if I didn’t put in enough effort, it must have been hard.

I now live in the world of F1, where tens of millions of pounds are spoken about like peanuts. Even in Formula Two or Three, every driver has to find huge amounts of money to get on the grid — it’s just crazy. When I was 16 and moving up through the ranks, I realised Dad didn’t have that sort of capital. I thought, “Oh shit, if I can’t find that sort of sponsorship or get picked by a team, my F1 dream is gone.���

Winning the F2 championship in 2018 was a big moment but I’ll never forget the day I signed for Williams F1 in September 2018. I was racing in F2 in Sochi, Russia, when Claire Williams, the deputy team principal at the time, called me in and offered a deal. Mum and Dad were the first people I told and they both cried. I told them to save their tears for when I won a race.

I joined Mercedes for the 2022 season, alongside Lewis Hamilton. It was a huge opportunity for me to learn and grow in F1, as well as show what I’m capable of. It was not an easy season for Mercedes but I feel very fortunate to be in this position, plus Lewis is such an incredible bloke on and off the track. He is so experienced, whereas I’m a 25-year-old who is just totally focused on trying to be the best F1 driver I can be. I’m pretty inspired by what he has achieved.

Dad is a strong character but he has become more emotional since his children have left home. He’s also friendlier now and doesn’t mind making a fool of himself from time to time. My only regret is that F1 doesn’t leave much free space to see each other but we do speak on the phone all the time.

Of course he still watches the pennies and will only fly economy — he won’t let me pay for their flights either. I know my parents can afford to fly business but it’s the principle for them. I want to make sure I reach a position with my racing where I can afford to give them the best in their retirement. They totally deserve it.

Steve

The F1 guys are OK on the racetrack but they are never as good as their dads on normal roads. George is always telling me to slow down as we approach a junction, though his mum thinks it’s fantastic when he takes her out and drives quickly.

There was just one occasion when George didn’t put the full effort in and it caused quite a commotion. He failed his first driving test at 17 because he thought that being a great driver on the track was good enough. He came home fuming that the examiner was wrong. We had to go back to the test centre in King’s Lynn so George could confront him. That didn’t go down well.

George was a cheeky little boy, a bit of a comedian. I worked a lot but it’s strange that I can only remember the racing side of his life, not watching him grow up at home. We enjoyed a nice life but had to work hard for it. I came from a family of farm workers with very little money and wanted to get away from agriculture and better myself but I ended up owning a wholesale seed business.

My wife, Alison, and I knew George was going to be a racing driver at the age of two. He was born on the track, coming to races to watch his brother and help out in the garage. He had a toy tractor that he rode around the pit lane and collected stickers from each race to stick on his “George Russell Racing” tractor.

As George progressed through the racing ranks it became more and more expensive. We invested in a motorhome to travel to races — before that I would sometimes sleep in a freezing horsebox. There were sacrifices. Alison and I didn’t go on our first holiday together until two years ago, on a trip to Lanzarote. By then we had been together for 38 years. People think that now George is in F1 we hang out with Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff, the Mercedes principal, every weekend in the sunshine, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Now Alison and I rarely go to races because we don’t want to interfere.

It was hard letting George fly the nest because we had been a close family, always doing our racing together. He is methodical and organised but his feet are firmly on the ground. There are plenty of people in the family to put him straight if needed.

There’s no magic wand to become an F1 driver — it takes hard work and dedication. It was only when I stood on the track with George before his first grand prix that I looked up at the enormous crowd and thought, “Oh my God, we’ve actually got here.”

[lucy90712]

Fabio Quartararo- Gasly sister part 1

A/n: I'm well aware that Monaco was the same weekend as Mugello but let's just ignore that fact

This will have two parts and the second part will be out in the next few days

Monaco is such a beautiful country and I love going there to see friends and to get away from home for a bit but somehow I have never been to the Monaco Grand Prix despite my brother having been in f1 since 2018. This year however I'm finally going to go and experience everything that people rave about for myself and I couldn't be more excited as it has been on my bucket list since Pierre started racing seriously and finally after all these years I get to tick it off. Other than university another main reason I've never been to the Monaco gp is because Pierre didn't want me going as he thought I was too young to be involved in all the parties seeing as I haven't long turned 21. As much as it was annoying at the time having heard stories about all the parties I understand his reasoning and honestly I agree that I probably wouldn't have coped well but this year I have really learned to handle myself and am not afraid to stand up to people which I think is why a Pierre is happy for me to go.

Since Monaco is just after Barcelona Pierre told me he was going to fly to Nice and then go on to Monaco and seeing as I live not too far he asked if I wanted to meet him and go together which is exactly what we did. We then spent a few days together in Monaco and then went to Cannes together which was so nice as we barely get to spend time together despite being super close as children and still being very close now. The biggest problem is that neither of us have time anymore as he's always away racing and I have been in university and have now got a job which is quite demanding but I always wish we could see more of each other so to get to be together for a few days was great. Over our few days in Monaco we have spent a lot of time on the water on a boat whether it be just us or with Charles and other friends and the rest of my time has been spent exploring by myself as I have only been to very specific parts of the country.

As much as the past few days have been fun now that it's Friday I'm even more excited as today is the start of track action which is always my favourite part of going to race weekends no matter how exciting the parties and everything seem I still have a passion for racing even if I don't race myself. Having grown up with racing being a big part of family life it is just part of my blood and although the thought of getting in a car myself is terrifying I will never get over the adrenaline rush of watching others race. My love of racing has also made me get into other forms of motorsport too like f2 and f3 as well as motogp, it also helps that Pierre is friends with loads of people so we have watched many races in those disciplines together.

I got to the track early as over time I have learnt it is best to try and arrive before the rush of people trying to get in and before there is loads of media about. Arriving early also means that I have time to talk with friends before I go to watch from the garage so I texted Charlotte to find out where she was but as soon as I did she walked over and brought me to the Ferrari hospitality with her so we could catch up. The two of us have been friends for a few years now but we don't get to see each other in person that often so whenever we do we like to spend some time catching up on life. Charlotte is great but every time I see her she tries to set me up with someone and most of the time I don't let her do it as the one time I did the date was awful. However today she has been going on and on about one of Pierre's friends she knows is coming to the race and telling me how we would be perfect for each other despite knowing Pierre would never let me date one of his friends. Just to shut her up I promised I would at least try and talk to the guy as there is no harm in getting to know someone plus that way it doesn't have to go anywhere if I don't want it to.

Before long practice was due to start and so I ran off to the Alpha Tauri garage to make sure I could wish Pierre good luck before the session as its something we have always done since we were kids whenever I'm at his races. Just as I made it to the garage Pierre was putting his helmet on but he stopped when he noticed me and we did our usual routine where I wish him luck and we did our handshake we have had since I was little before he actually put his helmet on and got ready to get in the car. Practice still hadn't officially started when I saw someone walk past me and wish Pierre luck before coming to sit next to me on the seats in the back corner of the garage. Only when he sat down did I get a look at the guys face and I almost choked on the water  I was drinking he was that attractive but I got myself together and swallowed my water while looking out the side of my eyes to study the guys face a little more. After a few seconds it hit me that this was the friend Charlotte was on about and it all made sense as to why she thought I'd like him because he really is my type.

Nerves bubbled up inside me as I wanted to talk to the guy and find out more about him but at the same time I was scared I was going to make a fool out of myself as I have been known to say silly things when talking to guys I like. I have also on many occasions managed to lose my voice or have my voice break when talking to attractive guys because my brain just forgets how to function for whatever reason and makes me look like an idiot. It is this exact reason that I don't have a boyfriend as every first date I go on I make a fool of myself and then never see the guy again. Thats when the more sensible part of my brain kicked in telling me that one this guy might not even like me the way I like him and two Pierre would never let anything happen so there was no need to be nervous about talking to him. Eventually I worked up the courage to introduce myself at the very least after Pierre went out for practice.

"Hey I'm y/n its nice to meet you" I said and immediately regretted it as it sounded so formal and not at all like me

"Hey I'm Fabio you must be Pierre's sister he's told me so much about you" he said

"Oh gosh I hate to think what he's said" I Joked

"Don't worry it was all good things" he smiled

After the initial introduction we settled into a conversation and started to talk about our lives which meant he asked me about my work and university and I found out that he is a motogp rider which made me have a lightbulb moment. I knew that I kind of recognised him and that the name sounded familiar but when he said that it all came flooding back and I remembered watching him in a few races when I get chance to watch motogp. Seeing as I've always been into motorsport it was really interesting to hear him talk about what riding is like as it is quite different to f1. We quickly moved on from work talk and just got to know more about each other and it turns out that we have quite a lot in common like we have some similar hobbies and the same taste in music which was great as we shared our playlists with each other so that we both had some new songs to listen to.

Talking with Fabio was so great that I barely noticed what was going on in practice and whenever Pierre came back in I only noticed if he came over to talk to us or a mechanic stood near by. Fabio was also super funny and constantly making me laugh to the point that my cheeks were hurting from smiling and laughing so much in fact I think it's the most fun I've had in a long time. Soon enough though practice was over though and Pierre came back so we both talked with him for a few minutes congratulating him on how well he did in practice before he had to go and talk to the mechanics. Since he was going to be busy for a while I planned to spend the break somewhere else and to start with I was about to just go by myself but then I realised I could bring Fabio with me so I asked if he wanted to join me and he was happy to.

Being a somewhat regular in the paddock I know exactly what it was like and how busy it can get so I knew it was best for Fabio and I to find somewhere quiet quickly or else we won't be able to move with the amount of people and I imagine he will be stopped by some reporters. So without thinking I grabbed Fabio's hand like I would do with anyone when its crowded and led him through all the people and to the Alpha Tauri hospitality as its usually quiet in there if you find the right place. It was only when we got inside that I realised I was holding Fabio's hand without asking him if it was ok first and I started to get anxious and I felt my cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Straight away I let go of his hand and just went upstairs with him following me until we found a place to sit that was out of the way which was when we both sat down opposite each other. I was a little awkward to start with because of the whole hand holding thing but with Fabio being so chill I quickly went back to being relaxed and conversation just flowed between us.

Once the break between sessions was over Fabio and I went to the little balcony to watch which was so much better than the garage as you could see so much more of the track and Monaco in general which was so cool. We continued to get to know each other for the entire session and even afterwards when the interviews were going ahead and honestly after talking for so long I really felt like I knew him quite well. Or at least I thought I did but as we were walking so that I could meet Pierre I did not expect him to stop me in the middle of the paddock to ask me something.

"Y/n I have to ask you something" he said

"Go ahead what is it?" I questioned

"Of course you don't have to but would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight just as friends?" He asked

"Of course that sounds great" I replied

As much as it kind of hurt to be going out as just friends because my initial attraction to Fabio had only grown into an actual crush I was glad that we could at least be friends and enjoy some time together not having to shout to communicate. I was also super nervous about it as I don't often go out with anyone let alone someone I have a slight crush on but at the same time I'm really excited to go and just have some fun and relax with someone I get on with who isn't a family member.

~~~~~~~~~~

Straight away I headed back to the hotel with Pierre telling him I was going out but not who I was going with as I'm not ready for him to get mad at me or lecture me about how I shouldn't date any drivers or in this case riders because he knows what they are like just yet. He seemed slightly suspicious when I told him I was just meeting a friend but he dropped it when I said that we had caught up today during the break as he seemed to believe that which was great. We talked a little bit more about practice for the rest of our journey but I wasn't really listening as I was texting Fabio after he sent me a few pictures we took together today which I saved to keep them as memories. Part of me felt bad that I was lying to Pierre and doing things behind his back as we always like to tell each other everything but I know he's only going to get mad at me or it will ruin his friendship with Fabio and while we are just friends I think its for the best to not tell him.

Finally we made it back to the hotel and I said goodbye before running off to my hotel room to start getting ready as it was just over an hour until I was meeting Fabio. First off I headed into the shower to wash my hair and shave as I hadn't thought about needing to look my best until I met Fabio and my brain decided I needed to look nice to impress him. After getting out the shower I took some pictures of outfit options and text them to Charlotte and got her to choose which one I should wear while also avoiding as many questions as possible and only telling her I was going out with a friend. The outfit she picked was a casual floral dress in a light blue colour that wasn't too form fitting but showed off just the right amount which luckily is what I wanted to wear as it isn't too formal but I think it will look good on. After I got dressed I touched up the makeup I already had on to make sure it covered what I wanted it to and added a bit of eyeshadow to spice things up a little bit.

By the time I was ready it was about 5 minutes until I was supposed to meet Fabio so I grabbed my shoes putting them on before grabbing the rest of my things and heading to the lobby. Usually I would use the lift but it can be so slow at time so this time I headed straight to the stairs  and made my way down to the lobby which is when my nerves started to creep in just a little bit. There was no need for me to be so nervous as it is just dinner with a friend but I can't help but be a little nervous seeing as I wish it would be more. I know I shouldn't be thinking like that but I can't help it Fabio just happens to be the only guy I've ever felt this much attraction to in such a short amount of time and I would love to see where that could go but I have to accept that he just wants to be friends.

I just about managed to get myself together by the time I found Fabio and the second I did he pulled me into a hug which made any slight nerves still coursing through me dissipate in a second. Together we left the hotel and walked for a few minutes down the street until we reached a little restaurant that luckily didn't seem too fancy like everything else in Monaco and wasn't too busy which was great as it meant we could chat properly. Fabio opened the door to the restaurant for me and then pulled out my chair once we got to our table before I could even get the chance. We both sat down and a waiter came over to take our orders almost right away which was great as it meant we didn't have anyone coming over to us in the middle of our conversation.

Just like earlier in the day the conversation flowed very naturally and we continued to get to know each other but on more of a deeper level this time. We both shared some more details about our lives like memories from childhood or other things that have shaped us to be the way we are now. I loved hearing his stories about how he started racing and how he moved to Spain at such a young age just to have a chance at his dream, it made me remember the times like that with Pierre when I was made to travel to all sorts of countries so that he could work towards where he is now. We also shared pictures with each other from when we were little although his were much more interesting than mine as he was actually racing and I was just there watching however I do have a few pictures of me karting which made Fabio laugh as they were all me crashing or Pierre being much better than me.

At some point the conversation switched and we ended up talking about our past relationships and also flirting with each other a little bit which is not where I expected this to go. In fact I'm not really sure how we ended up flirting but we did and I'm definitely not complaining although my attempt at flirting was definitely not as good as Fabio's but he didn't seem to care. Innocent compliments also quickly turned into proper flirting which had me blushing like crazy which only made Fabio flirt more to see how red I would go to which the answer was very. Our flirting only ramped up the longer we were at the restaurant until eventually we decided to leave but not before Fabio paid even though I tried to make him split the bill with me he insisted that he pay as he asked me to go. After paying we left the restaurant to walk back to the hotel and as soon as we left the restaurant Fabio gave me a look before grabbing my hand to which I smiled and just continued to walk trying to pretend that I wasn't freaking out on the inside even though I absolutely was.

"I know this was supposed to be us going out as just friends but clearly its taken a turn so would you be ok with calling it a real date?" Fabio asked

"I'm more than ok with that" I said smiling

"I actually wanted this to be a date from the start but I was nervous you wouldn't want that so I held back but its just impossible not to flirt with you" he admitted

"Well you'll be glad to know I was kind of wishing this would end up as a date" I said

"But we can't tell Pierre at least not yet as he will kill me because he doesn't like the idea of me dating and one in the motorsport world" I added

"I'm sure he wouldn't kill you he's more likely to kill me but we can keep it quiet if thats what you want love" he said

We joked about how Pierre would react for the rest of the way back to the hotel which was funny but it really was playing through the back of my mind as I know how he has reacted before to other guys I've dated and he has hated every single one of them and if it hasn't already not worked out he has chased them away. I really don't want that to happen this time which is why I want to be careful and keep this a secret for a bit so that when I do tell Pierre he might not be so mad. Those thoughts went away when we got back to the hotel though as Fabio walked me up to my room and before leaving hugged me and kissed my cheek which is then all I could think about for the rest of the night.

Part 2 will be up in the next few days

[edie-baby]

Les Fleurs du Mal Chapter 1| Pierre Gasly

Summary: Sava Dvorakova had big dreams for Formula One. An opportunity of a lifetime comes around, so she takes it and runs. She proved just about everyone wrong, and is awarded a very controversial seat on the F1 grid. There’s smiles and grins, hugs and kisses, love and laughter. There’s tears and sobs, fights and break ups. There’s evil where you least expect it, hidden in the garden of eden. The Flowers of Evil.

Warnings: a lot of swearing, shitty parents (they’re a recurring theme), sexism, i ignored a lot of actual f1 rules because i couldn’t be bothered writing it into the story tbh, yuki is fcking adorable, a lot of smut eventually, like a lot.

There were hundreds, thousands, maybe even a million girls who have dreamed of making it into Formula One. It is the pinnacle of motorsport, the highest calibre and the most competitive of its many engine-based counterparts. Many women over the years have tried to make their way into the sport, but as each season becomes more competitive, it seems as though the women of motorsport keep slipping through the cracks. Perhaps it’s a timing thing - they weren’t in the right place at the right time - or perhaps it’s a sexism thing, or maybe the female drivers just simply are not at the same level that a lot of the men are at.

Sava Dvorakova feared being one of those women. One that would try their hardest, but were still unable to make their mark on a sport they had very clear passion for. The seventeen year old had been karting since her fifth birthday, progressing through the levels the Czech Republic had to offer before she moved onto European championships. Nearly every weekend of the year, Sava was in her kart, racing against boys three years her senior and thrashing them each time. However, she didn’t get the opportunity to progress into single-seaters for many years.

It was September 2020, just like any other race weekend when it happened, Sava piled into her kart as the marshalling for her heat was called. Her uncle patted the top of her helmet for good luck, a tradition the two had kept for about twelve years at this point, and she made it out onto her starting place - pole position as usual. Sava pulled clean moves the entire race, defended her position without being reckless or desperate, and had perfect pace. As she pulled back into the pits under her team’s marquee, she spotted her uncle speaking with an older man in a button up and slacks, something quite odd for a normal karting weekend. Sava hopped out, practically ripping her helmet and balaclava off as her footsteps increased in pace to get to her uncle. He scooped her up into a hug, spinning the girl a few times and congratulating her on another victory for the season.

“Bunny, this is Doctor Helmut Marko, he’s the director of Red Bull Racing. He’d like to speak with you about a driving opportunity.” Sebastian, her uncle, stated clearly, his excitement spilling into his eyes as he stared at his seventeen year old niece. Her dyed-pink hair sat matted to her forehead, the majority of it spun into Dutch braids down her back that would be tucked into the back of her race suit before the next race, her cheeks were flushed red, and her bottom lip was cracked in places from how much the Czech nibbled on it on and off track. Sebastian almost laughed at the situation she had ended up in.

“Dr Marko, it’s lovely to meet you. I have an hour until my next heat, so if you would like to speak urgently, there is a small cafe about a hundred metres from the track. If you’d like less of a time constraint, I will be completely free after 4pm today.” Sava told the man in front of her, Czech accent so thick the Austrian could barely understand her.

“It should only take about 10 minutes, so if you’d like, I can buy you and your uncle a coffee at the cafe while we speak.” Dr Marko offered. Sava nodded calmly, her uncle much more vocal about his excitement. Sava excused herself to change into less sweaty clothes, returning in a halter-neck singlet and a pair of ripped skinny jeans. Her trusty combat boots stepped over all of the tools, debris, and shit that was scattered around the pits as she made it back to the two men.

“So, Sava, what is your goal in karting?” Dr Marko began almost immediately after the trio had sat down in the cafe.

“To make it into formula one and win multiple world championships.” Sava responded confidently, barely a second between the question and her reply as it was something she had thought about for a very long time.

“So why aren’t you already driving in single seaters?” Dr Marko questioned further, and from the corner of her eye, Sava could see her uncle tense up.

“Because no one’s willing to give me a chance in the big leagues because they know I’ll do a lot better than half the boys on the grid.” The seventeen year old replied. Helmut seemed impressed with the rapid fire, confidence laden responses he was receiving.

“Well, I’m willing to. Jehan Daruvala, a Red Bull junior currently driving for Carlin in formula two is unable to attend the last three races of the season because of health issues. I want you to take his seat for those races, and if you’re as good in a single seater as you are in that kart, I’ll make sure you have a seat for next year.” Helmut laid out, and Sebastian audibly choked. Sava smirked at her uncle’s reaction, and stared into the eyes of the man offering her a fast track to her dreams.

“I’d love to. When and where is the next race?” Sava chuckled, her uncle’s recovery from his choking fit was slow, and Helmut looked on in amusement. He had seen many similar reactions from the drivers he was propositioning, but it seemed as though this duo had reversed the normal roles.

“The weekend begins on Thursday in Italy. You’ll be racing in Mugello.” Helmut told the pair dryly. Sebastian began coughing once again, Sava simply rubbing his back soothingly while she nodded.

“I’ll need to make arrangements with my school, but I presume you’ll make travel and accommodation arrangements from Prague to Mugello?” Sava continued her calm conversation, though she could feel her natural bubbliness and excitement ready to burst through.

“Yes. There will be a Carlin race suit and boots in Mugello when you arrive, as well as a helmet and teamwear. You’ll have a personal assistant for the time you’re in Jehan’s seat, to keep up with the media and to navigate the paddock. I’ll have all of the relevant information forwarded to you tonight, and there will be a contract for you to sign upon your arrival in Italy.”

“Then I’ll see you there, sir. I best be on my way, I’ll need time to change back into my race suit before my heat is called in about half an hour. It was lovely to meet you, and I look forward to meeting and exceeding your expectations.” Sava concluded, standing up to give her new boss a handshake before she turned on her heels and practically sprinted out of the cafe. She speed walked back to the track and into the changing rooms before letting out the ear splitting squeal she had been holding in since she won her race forty five minutes ago.

It was easy enough to sort out her absence with her school, as there were no assessments due and Sava was already miles ahead of the rest of her peers, so her teachers had no qualms with letting their champion out to represent the country.

The issue however, was with her parents. Her father, a man she had been emancipated from for over a year, decided he would give her grief for throwing away her education to take someone’s spot for a few weeks before they would inevitably drop her once they realised how bad she was. Her mother wasn’t much better. As her legal guardian, she technically did have the right to stop her daughter from going into the F2 seat, but after a gruelling discussion and many threats from Sava to emancipate from her mother as well, she conceded.

So, on a very sunny, very early Thursday morning in September, Sava hopped onto a plane with an overnight bag to begin catching her dreams. Unfortunately, Sebastian had work during the week, but would be flying out to Italy on Friday night to watch his niece’s races on Saturday and Sunday. But, Sava arrived in Italy as bubbly and excitable as ever. Her pink hair was split into her iconic high pigtails, a white crop top, and pastel pink pleated skirt and trusted combat boots covered her form, black duffel bag thrown over her shoulder with some clothes for the weekend, and all of her travel documents. The PA standing with her name printed on a sign was very confused when a very small, very pink teenage girl bumbled over to her and said ‘Hi, I’m Sava. But everyone calls me Bunny’.

“I’m sorry, I expected someone a little more gritty.” The twenty-something woman spoke, her blonde hair in a high ponytail with a Carlin shirt and dark wash jeans. Sava guessed the PA expected someone who looked more like herself.

“It’s okay, I get that a lot. Most people don’t recognise me out of my race suit, so I definitely don’t expect someone who’s never seen me to anticipate my looks. What’s your name?” Sava’s Czech accent, combined with her hyperactivity meant she talked extremely fast, and often it was all nonsense, and she simply spoke for the sake of speaking. The PA took a few seconds to process the words Sava had spoken before finally replying with a simple ‘Amelia’. The two made it to the car that was waiting and travelled to the track in silence, Sava taking in the sights, and Amelia tapping away at her phone. When they got out, Amelia handed Sava a paddock pass, explaining the importance of it and demonstrating how to use it at the gates. They walked through to the Carlin garage, one half working away excitedly, while the other side seemed rather dead.

“Everyone, can I have your attention please? This is Sava Dvorakova, she’s our reserve driver for the rest of the season. Make her comfortable, and make sure she feels welcome!” Amelia yelled, very quickly causing silence to spread over the entire garage.

“Hi! I’m Sava, but most people call me Bunny, so feel free to do either! Or if you’d like, Dvorakova works just as well, but it’s a bit of a mouthful so I understand if you mispronounce it. I’ll also probably respond to ‘hey you’ so anything works. I’m really looking forward to working with you all and giving you some good results this weekend!” Sava giggled at the end, her fists clenched in front of her chest as she gave a small cheer with her hands and the entire garage remained silent for a few moments before breaking out into whispers, their eyes trailing over the teenager’s body. The anxiety in Sava’s belly bubbled, and she began playing with her hands until she was approached by a boy who was a little taller than her with a friendly smile on his face.

“Hi, I’m Yuki. I drive the other Carlin. It’s nice to meet you Bunny.” Yuki introduced with a smile and fist bump. He was unbelievably pleased to meet a driver who was smaller than him, though he supposed that her being a girl wouldn’t ease all of the teasing he got from other drivers on the grid. The two chatted about their background in racing, and Yuki gave Sava a few pointers on handling the car she was about to drive for the first time ever.

“Sava, I have all of your race gear to try on, and later on you’ll need to do a seat fitting as the mechanics are just going to modify one of Yuki’s seats since you two are similar height.” Amelia stated, breaking up the conversation between the two youngsters. Sava apologised to her new friend before practically skipping behind Amelia. She received a few weird looks from others in the paddock, including a few F1 drivers she recognised from TV and her Instagram feed. She wasn’t sure why they were in this paddock, but supposed a few of the younger guys had only recently come out of F2.

When she got into a Carlin motorhome, race overalls and her flame-retardant undersuit were thrust into her hands by Amelia, and then pointed toward a tiny bathroom within the motorhome while the PA continued scrolling through emails, updating social media, and answering calls. Sava pulled the suits on excitedly, and though it was a bit tight in the hips, thighs and chest, she thought it looked pretty damn good.

“So, I think this was definitely made for a guy with less boobs and smaller hips, but the fit is still really good.” Sava joked to Amelia when she stepped out, only to see Helmut Marko standing alongside her new assistant. She went red instantly, her shoulders tensing and sliding up toward her head.

“Yes, well, we can certainly fix that before the next race, but right now, I believe you’re needed for fittings in the garage, so throw on your helmet and get down there.” Helmut ordered. Sava quickly snatched up her balaclava and helmet, threading the two onto her arm as she began undoing the pigtails to braid them on her way back to the Carlin garage while Amelia and Helmut stayed behind to talk.

If Sava thought she was getting weird looks on her way to the motorhome, she was getting even weirder ones on the way back from it. From what she could tell, it seemed more like mechanics, engineers and other personnel from other teams and she couldn’t see any drivers she recognised before she slipped into the Carlin garage, one braid half finished, and her helmet banging against her head every time she moved her arm. Yuki laughed at her struggles, ambling over to thread the helmet and balaclava off her arm while she held the half finished braid precariously. Sava thanked him with a quick smile and continued braiding, her tongue occasionally poking out the side of her mouth in concentration. One she was finished, and the long braids were tucked into the back of her suit, she pulled on the balaclava and helmet in record speed, and then was ushered into the F2 car to begin the tedious process of trying and changing one of Yuki’s seats to suit her height and posture. 

After about an hour of fiddling, she was allowed to take the helmet off, and was beginning to doze off in the cockpit while a few of the employees debated different ways of measuring and fixing the seat nearby. Amelia came into the garage to find the new driver fully asleep in her car with everyone still talking around her. She took a photo and uploaded it to Carlin’s Instagram story, tagging the driver and writing a quick word about the reserve driver they hadn’t officially announced yet. She giggled slightly, and when two of the mechanics came back over to lift the seat out of the car, they accidentally lifted the driver out with it. Amelia took more photos of the seventeen year old comfortably in her race suit, curled in her seat while two mechanics held the entire ensemble up above the car.

Suffice to say, Carlin’s Instragram was flooded with adoring new fans, angered stans, and a few cheeky formula one drivers on private accounts. 

[donaidk]

Lance Stroll - A special holiday

Thank you for requesting! Sorry for taking so long, I had to take a bit more off from writing than I thought before my last exam. I also tried to learn a bit about Hanukkah as I sadly didn’t know much of it before. Hope I didn’t mess anything up as my mind felt a bit mush while researching the answers to the questions that came up during writing. I hope you will like it, and happy friday 🧡

Photo source

Masterlist | Taglist/Queue | Request

Celebrating Hanukkah, while living by the F1 schedule was never really easy. Some years we got lucky, meaning we could spend all the holiday days together at home, without having to travel or celebrate in a foreign country. Still, even when it wasn’t the case, we always made it work. Usually either by me travelling to him or him coming home as soon as possible, so we could spend the maximum amount of days together. It wasn’t the best solution, but the only way to do it, without disrupting Lance’s career every year when our holiday and his races lined up awkwardly. No one would have been happy with him, if he always missed a race or two. Not even himself. He had too much passion for the sport to just give up chances because of his religion. He rather found a way to fit everything into his schedule.

This year we were quite lucky, having 5 days of the holiday free for Lance and also me being able to travel with him to Abu Dhabi. We also flew out both of our families, so we could celebrate together and wouldn’t have to spend days travelling back to Canada and getting over the jetlag. It was the easier solution from the two, and I could see how happy Lance was that his family was there for the last race, cheering him on and then also taking part in all the rituals. We had everything needed with us, set up in the hotel room just as we would have had it at home. It wasn’t perfect, but enough to be worth not travelling after the race immediately. He was tired after getting out of the car anyways, falling asleep almost as soon as we got back to our room, making me get ready for bed with a smile on my face. I really couldn’t ask for more than falling asleep and waking up next to him, getting on with all our plans for the remainder of the holiday the next morning.

The first time I woke up to the bed and blankets moving I thought it was still quite early, not even opening my eyes and just making sure I got back to the dream I was pulled out of harshly. Although I fell back asleep, the little sounds, soft music and delicious aroma coming from the kitchen did not let me stay in my slumber for a lot longer. Hearing the sizzling of the oil in the pan and smelling the mouthwatering scents flowing around the room made me sit up with a sigh, giving up on my plan of sleeping in. Still, I couldn’t stay mad for long, my lips curling into a smile as soon as I spotted Lance standing next to the stove. I knew that he was making our favourite, even though it wasn’t usually a breakfast food.

“ Morning! ” I mumbled into his back as I stepped behind him, hugging his middle with both of my arms. “ I was missing latkes for breakfast in the last few days. ” I added, the smile turning to a grin that I hid into his skin when his hand landed on mine, which were resting on his stomach.

“ I know. That's why we’re having it. ” He let out a laugh although first shuddered a little from how cold my fingers were against his skin. He was always like a heater compared to my usual body temperature. “ Although I’m pretty sure we won’t be eating anything else for the next few days. ” He let out a laugh, leaning his head on mine as I rested my chin on his shoulder. I had to be on my tiptoes, but it was too comfortable to make me stand normally.

“ Your mum does it best. I can’t wait to get back home twice my usual size. ” I let out a content sigh, imagining all the food we’re gonna have in the upcoming days. “ I could never say no to our family recipes. ” A sigh ran out of me at the speed of light, making me close my eyes and going back to standing normally. I just rested my forehead on his shoulder blade until he was done and we could sit down to eat.

After our meal we packed the remaining clothes and things into our suitcases, so we could leave the hotel for the little beachside house we rented for the holiday we decided to spend in Abu Dhabi. It was easier to spend time with family in a house rather than three separate hotel rooms. We would also have more room to cook and take part in our usual activities. We also made sure to get a house that had a pool, so we could relax a bit in the water without having to go to the crowded beach. That usually ended with someone recognising Lance, making it impossible to relax and enjoy our time there. It was quite inevitable right after a race weekend, with most of the fans who flew out for the event staying for a few days longer and touring the city. I couldn’t fault them though, we did the same just a bit more discreetly, without looking for celebrities everywhere.

The was just a 10 minutes taxi ride away from the hotel, getting us there just minutes before Lance’s parents and Chloe arrived. My family was a bit later, only arriving for lunch as they wanted to have a look around Abu Dhabi, which we already did prior to the weekend. They arrived in time to help us set the table and finish the last steps of getting the food done too. With everyone there it was a meal spent with constant chatter, leaving all of us tired and easily slipping into a content food coma. All the spots on the couches were taken up, as soon as the dishes were done and we could just sit around, watching something on TV. I was just tapping away on my phone, absentmindedly going through my instagram feed and liking a photo here and there, mostly from friends or colleagues, not really paying attention to anything happening around us.

“ I found some fairy lights and candles in one of the closets. We could maybe set them up for dinner? It would look even fancier. ” Lance tapped my legs, which were resting on his thighs as my body was turned towards him. I looked up immediately from the screen, debating his idea for a second. “ Or I can, if you’re too lazy. ” He rolled his eyes, making me shake my head as I pinched the skin on his arm.

“ We can. Maybe on the balcony? We could have dinner there if the temperature goes down a bit. ” I offered back, loving how his idea sounded. The balcony had a fantastic view of the beach that was lit up thanks to all the cafes, bars and clubs every night. It would look perfect with a background like that. “ But not now. I’m too full to move. ” I added, resting my head back, my next blink lasting longer than usual, as my eyes just stayed closed.

When I woke up it was the only me on the couch now lying down and with a thin blanket over my body. I could hear their voices from different spots in the house, making me stretch before truly getting up. Massaging the remnants of sleep out of my eyes I joined them outside. I was surprised to see all the lights already set up around, wrapped over the wooden fence and a few posts that were on the balcony. I heard as they suddenly stopped talking, both Lance and our dads turning to me before Lawrence and Dad rather walked back inside, leaving us alone. I was confused for a second, but didn’t pay much mind to the situation and rather just walked up next to my boyfriend.

“ This already looks perfect. ” I looked around, as I leant on the fence next to him.  “ The candles will just be the cherry on top. ” My head turned in his way but he looked quite out of it. He was looking down at me, but from his eyes I knew his mind was really somewhere else. I bumped our shoulders, making him shake a little before focusing back on me.

“ Yeah, I don’t even know if we need them or not. Maybe we can just leave it like this. ” He looked around still a bit confused, but I didn’t really want to ask about it. I knew he would bring anything important up to me. “ Maybe we can just see and decide before dinner. ” He added, pulling me to him and circling his arms around me when I rested back into his chest.

“ That can work. It doesn’t take long to set up some candles. ” I shrugged a little, watching our families walk around the house, engaging in short conversations, before they would join us outside. “ Pool? ” I asked him when I saw some of them have changed into bathing suits and shorts, letting us know what their ideas were.

“ Yes. It’s still too warm for me here. ” He let out a laugh, letting go of me but following behind as we entered through the sliding door.

Just ten minutes later we were already all in the pool, sitting around the edge just talking about whatever came up. I was always grateful that our families connected this well. It would have been a lot harder to spend time and travel together if they didn’t like each other as much as they did. But we had nothing to fear, as their personalities clicked quite quickly, and they liked the other from the first second. I would say it was usually picture perfect whenever they met up. Couldn’t have asked for more, truly. 

When I started to resemble a crinkled up foil sheet both Chloe and I decided to start preparing dinner, while the others stayed outside. After quickly toweling off and changing clothes, we were already in the kitchen, getting everything ready. It took them a while to crawl out of the pool, helping us cook and set the table when every part of the stove was turned off. Thanks to the Abu Dhabi weather we didn’t have to fear catching a cold and most of us just chose thin clothing. I myself had a short sundress that I took with myself and decided tonight was the right time to finally whip it out. It was perfect for the still warm night air and I knew Lance would love it too, as it was in his favourite colour. When I saw his eyes scanning me from top to bottom, I knew I succeeded.

Dinner was delicious again and really fun with the music playing lowly in the background. The sun already set when we got the dessert out of the fridge, and onto the table. It was while we devoured the donuts that I caught all of them staring at me, at different occasions, but they were always quick to look away, making furrow my brows. Still, I stayed silent, deciding it must be a coincidence as I couldn’t spot anything that would explain their staring in any way. I could just hope it wasn’t something serious I just didn’t know about yet.

“ We should take a family picture. It’s too well decorated to let it go to waste. ” Lawrence offered, standing up immediately to get his phone. We all gladly went with his idea, standing next to each other.

We waited for him to set up the phone at the right height and set a timer on it. He still had time to get back to us and step behind Chloe, who was standing next to me. I felt Lance move around a bit, his hand leaving my waist but I only looked at him after the photo was taken. What I saw was something I never really thought would happen that day. He was already on one knee, a little box in his hand. There was a huge smile on his lips, but I saw he was anxious, hif fingers moving around the box.

“ Y/N, we have been celebrating and getting through everything together for several years now. It’s impossible for me to imagine my life without you and I don’t even want to try it. I want you there always, whatever I’m doing and whatever’s gonna happen in the future. ” Lance started, our families stepping back a little and making it feel like it was only the two of us there. “ Will you marry me? ” He asked in the end, opening the box, and I could feel the first tears roll down my cheeks.

“ Yes. ” I nodded without a second thought as I knew for years what my answer would be. It wasn’t really a question for me after being there for eachother for several years now.

I could feel him push the band onto my finger gently, before enveloping me into a hug. I hid my face to his neck, the applause around us hitting my ears immediately. In that exact second, I understood our dads talking with him, and everyone staring at me during dinner. They all knew about it and still managed to keep it all a secret, not even giving me the chance to suspect anything. We had to retake the photo but I really couldn’t mind. I was too over the moon with the breathtaking jewelry on my finger, which held so much promise for our future, that I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I needed a few days to fully realise what this all meant, and I couldn’t get time to pass quick enough so we could start another chapter in our journey.

[someone-worth-racing-for]

Hey there!

I am quite new here and I was wondering how you got into this fandom. Specially the carlandofandom :)

Also, when did you start writing? I saw your posts the other day about not being able to write all of it, so it somehow triggered me to write some stuff myself (some requests were just too cute).

Havent been properly writing for ages though and I am not quite sure if anybody wants to read my stuff...any advice? Im so indecisive...

Thanks for all your great stories and have nice day :)

Hey you, anonym and especially – welcome to the fandom! 🤗❤️

Oh my God, believe me – you actually don’t want to know how I got to this fandom, it’s such a long story.. You better grab yourself some Coke and popcorn, because this will be a longer one.. 🥤🍿

But alright, everything has begun with that the TWD (The Walking Dead) fandom has started to annoy/boring me, also because the show has become pretty bad and I wanted to leave the sinking ship before it will be too late. That must have been around autumn/winter 2018. During the winter months I really, really love to watch ski jumping, also because it’s pretty popular in my country (Austria). I was already a fan of it since many, many years, but I only became a real fan at that time. I always say I love this sport so much, because those jumps are always so “quickly over” – meaning that I don’t have to wait for too long to find out the results. Yeah, the competition itself isn't that short, but the individual jumps of each athlete are. That’s why I actually “hate” F1 so much, because I have to wait freaking two hours of pure stress, several mental breakdowns and heart attacks later to finally find out who will win, and also because so much can happen during a race, while those ski jumpers are practicing individual – does that make any sense!? However, so I got pretty deep into the ski jumping fandom over that time, especially also here on Tumblr, where I have met a pretty nice girl back then, who had been as thrilled about the fandom as me. But you know, during the summer there aren’t any competitions, so it had been pretty boring in the ski jumping fandom and then suddenly that girl came up with F1.

The first thing I have thought was ‘NO WAY! NEVER EVER!’ – you have to know, I have really hated F1 with a passion before August 2019. I was always making fun of my boyfriend watching those cars driving in circles for two hours. I just couldn’t understand it how someone can watch that voluntary (I sometimes still can’t..😅) and I really, really hated it with everything I had. My boyfriend even was at the Austrian GP in 2019 and back then my biggest nightmare would have been if he would have forced me to come with him (he got there with his father in the end – today I would give everything to get there!)

I remember, we have been on vacation during the beginning of August 2019. We were in a theme park, when my boyfriend said at one point that he will get over to that bench in the shadow under the tree now and watch the qualifying. I have really thought he was kidding me, because I couldn’t understand how the hell someone would watch something so stupid like F1, while being in a freaking theme park. Well, today I would be the one sitting there on the bench, while my boyfriend would probably urge me to please finally stand up so we could go on 😅

That was at the beginning of August 2019 – so I must have slowly but sure fallen for the fandom around 15th of August. And if you believe me or not, but I have neither fallen for Lando nor for Carlos at the first place. It was actually Max, also because he was one of the less drivers I have known next to Lewis, Sebastian, Valtteri (I always had to think about Harry Potter because of Bottas..😂) and probably Nico. But I have actually began to “stalk” when I have got to know about that Max has a little sister and I have found those sweet pics of him with her together (Do you know which pics I mean? You should really check them out – they are so cute). And somehow Lando came into the play as well and so my first story for this fandom resulted. Back then I have really, really thought it would be the first and also last story I will ever publish for this fandom. Well, that didn’t aged well..😅 Somehow my interest grew and grew with every more day stalking the internet for content and by the time of the first race after the summer break, I was already a fan. Spa 2019 has been the first F1 race I have ever watched from the start till the end and I have to say that this weekend has broken me (literally). Of course, because of Anthoine, but also because this time of the year is since 2017 never easy for me and on that weekend also Carlando finally came into the play. Check out this post from a few weeks ago – Carlos’ birthday on Sunday and that Lando has supposedly hugged Carlos after his DNF has really, really touched my heart and since that day these two boys own my heart and I remember, that the next day after the race I have got up at five in the morning to write “Tomorrow will be kinder” – because writing is sometimes my only way to deal with things, so I just had to write my thoughts/feelings down and it was the beginning of something beautiful actually.

But there is one more little story I have to tell you about my F1 past – this story right here is actually one of @hurtsprincess favourite ones. Because back in 2015, when F1 was finally back in Austria again, I was there by the race as probably the biggest F1-hater under all of them. Half of our town and so also most of our friends has got there, so it was kind of peer pressure, why I have finally joined them as well. We had to stand up really, really early – actually it was still in the middle of the night (I think it was three in the morning or so) and got to Spielberg with the bus. It was one of the hottest day of the year back then and after watching “the race of generations” with Niki Lauda, Gerhard Berger and some others and then following also the F3 and F2 races (Me, back in 2015: What do you mean there are races before the actual race? What the hell is F3 and F2?) and because we were so damn tired after standing up so early, most of us, including myself, were sleeping in the meadow during the F1 race. So I have missed over half of the race and I really can’t even remember anymore who has won 😅 But it had still been a funny day for my as a F1-hater, but believe me - if I should ever get to a GP again, this won’t ever happen to me again! 😅 I promise! 🤞🏼

Wow, this has turned out longer than you have actually wanted it, right anonym?! 

Your first question about how I have got into the Carlando fandom is probably answered now and also half of your second question. But I have actually started writing fanfictions back in autumn 2016 for the TWD fandom. I have written overall 16 stories for that fandom and 4 stories in German for the ski jumping fandom, but as much as I have already loved to write fanfictions back then, it only really became my passion and biggest hobby with Carlando. I just can’t stop writing about them, also because they make me so happy and for me so easy with those dorks just being them 😊

Yeah, I’m still very sorry about that I just can’t write stories to all of these great requests, even tho I would really, really like to do - but if you have got inspired by one of these, you should give it a try!

But if you are really that indecisive and shy, you could use the anonymity of the internet for your favor (in this case this posibilty is a good thing - as long as you use your anonymity not for spreading hate/attacking/bullying someone) You know what I mean? I actually did/do that as well. Only three people here on Tumblr know who I really am. Some of you may know from where I am (because I don’t make a secret out of it) and some here even know my name, but that’s it. I don’t share any more personal things about my identity, because I also prefer to stay anonymous here, especially because only my boyfriend, my best friend and my mother know about that I’m writing fanfictions. All those other people I call “friends” don’t know about it or me having this account here and I also don’t want them to know, because they simply wouldn’t understand it.

What I’m trying to say here - if it makes you feel better and also more secure, you could upload your story on AO3 without telling anyone it’s you. Or if you don’t want to post it on AO3 and you also don’t want to post it on your Tumblr account, I offer you to send me your story anonymous. I would post it in your “name” aka anonym, saying that this story isn't mine and you could watch/read the reactions.

You don’t have to lose anything, anonym 😉 I would really, really like to read your story, no matter if you will decide to publish it with your name or anonymous. Because there won’t ever be enough writers out there, blessing us with their great stories. Also because I am as much a passionate reader than a writer. And I’m also pretty sure about that you are talented and also about that your story would be more than just worth reading it 😊

Thank you so much for your message, anonym and I’m sorry my answer turned out to be so long 😅 but I really hope my words have helped you in some way, because I’m pretty sure about that you actually don’t have to have a reason to be that shy and indecisive 😉 Just give it a try, as long as it makes you happy 🤗❤️

[mickstart]

I've been thinking about watching formula e. What are the best things about it?

Hi I love FE!!! There’s a lot of good primers you can read so I’ll try not to re-tread those and just give my opinion of what I enjoy the most in formula e! I’m literally just getting into it so this is gonna be broad / early impressions!

1. The innovation! 

Technology and development is fascinating in F1 but in formula e it’s even MORE compelling to hear about imo because it’s like... in F1, innovation will stay largely within F1! In FE some of this is literally the technology of the future that will one day be adapted into our everyday lives being developed in front of our eyes. Like I am FASCINATED by the flood lights in Diriyah this weekend being powered by vegetable oil! 

I started watching season 1 onward to get into FE ahead of this new season and it is just so utterly compelling and fascinating to see how far electric car technology has come in almost 7 years! F1 has been fairly stable for a long time now but watching FE you can see constant growth in its size and capabilities. Like obviously the jump from having to swap cars halfway through the race to only needing one car, but also stuff like the podium ceremony, the structure of a weekend, fan engagement, introducing attack mode! The gen 2 cars look incredible compared to the gen 1 cars! Being able to see how much FE can pull off without aggressively hurting the environment is lowkey inspiring. 

2. The chaos!

I think this is a pretty big one for everyone coming into FE from F1 - especially with merc dominance in F1 making it at least SOMEWHAT predictable - but I never have any idea who’s going to win a Formula E race. Pretty much half the grid are Up There at any point, and because the technology is so new the innovation race is extremely tight. Anything can happen, and fan boost / attack mode / the qualifying system only make that more true! I’ve only been watching old races so apologies for the outdated example, but I was watching race 2 of season 2 the other day and like... the third place driver (Robin, my beloved) was basically drifting the car permanently bc the suspension was broken and he had to turn right just to go straight. 

That’s another thing, you see a LOT more of the flag warning a driver they have to pit for repairs or they’ll be disqualified in FE. Formula 1 cars break if you sneeze on them, FE cars will hit a wall and keep going. 

3. The vibe!

The found family vibe of the grid is so wholesome tbh they’re all quite open and supportive with each other and it’s!!! So nice!!! And then you have drivers like jev who were treated like rubbish in other series that come to FE and really come into their own in a supportive environment. I’ve been watching season 2 and the drivers just chat together and vibe before the podium and give each other hugs before the race and it’s so good??? If you enjoyed Pierre Redemption Arc at Monza then here’s a whole grid of Pierre At Monza for you to love. This is less common now plenty of drivers are just coming into FE like “right what’s all this then” bc it’s established itself as a tight contest in its own right! Which only means the chaos is gonna get even more intense!

Also tho sfdhfsdjhfsd when they Kick Off they Kick Off and it’s so funny they are all so dramatic. If Jev could lean out of the car and slap another driver mid-race he would.

ALSO I mean just, the aesthetic of the cars themselves? FE liveries are diverse and the cars look futuristic as hell. The light up halos and glow in the dark helmets this weekend especially are making me weak.

4. The Locations

FE races almost exclusively on street circuits which means they 1) avoid the environmental costs that come with a purpose built circuit and 2) have some of the most beautiful venues to race in. The scenery in FE is so good at every track!

5. The commentary team!

I literally can’t do this without saying how much I love jack, dario, and nicki they are SUCH a good team. Jack is impartial without being boring and always has a positive stat or fact about any driver and just- jack creates such an insightful, welcoming environment. Also he gets more hyper than a hamster that’s been drinking red bull laced coffee and it’s endearing as fuck.

Dario is an AMAZING co-commentator bc he’s -looks directly at brundle as I say this- a genuinely successful driver who brings that insight in only when it’s relevant or he’s asked about it. He’s also great mainly because he’s hysterical and he balances out Jack’s energy so well. He’s calmer and completely unafraid to say when someone has been a clown. You can sum up dario and jack’s energy best by something that happened in a race I was watching the other day. One of the drivers had a little (literally it was like a tap) contact with another driver. Jack went “oh my goodness!” alarmed as Dario started laughing evilly at them for being clowns. 

NICKI is AMAZING she’s such a good interviewer she’s so?? Clever with her questions tbh? I was watching Berlin season 2 the other day and god not only does she always ask the right questions and get a good answer but she’s very good about knowing how much she should/shouldn’t say about what the broadcast has picked up. She’s sneaky she’ll get you in a lie. Also Dario and Nicki’s pit lane looks always slap.

6. The Accessibility 

This may vary depending on what country you’re in but for me all old FE races are available to watch on youtube which I think is just AMAZING and what all motorsport should do.