#alex de large

[sharkaiju]

Viddy well, little brother... viddy well

Colored in version of my sketch of Vox as Alex DeLarge 🍊

[bungerbooey]

Alex de large is literally the peak of social engineering. He would be a pretty good social engineer.

Dim would specialize in Bruteforcing passwords/ credentials…

Georgie would definitely go into web application exploitation. along with doing reconnaissance on their targets .

Pete is the gangs programmer and the one that does scripts for them.

anyways this idea has been haunting me for weeks I had to spit it out.

[faggotfungus]

"Chair" by René De Carufel from the book Provocative Shots by Alex Larg (1999)

[partybarty]

[verstappensseatcushion]

✩°｡⋆ pas de deux, ln4 ⋆｡°✩pt 4

part one part two part three

pairing: lando norris x fem! ballerina! reader

[face claim: luna montana is largely used as faceclaim but some other pinterest girlies in there too]

summary: y/n is new to monaco and quickly finds herself dancing with mclaren driver lando norris despite all intentions she has of focusing on only her career

a/n: i did not proof read so im so sorry if there's spelling mistakes at all! hope everyone had a happy holiday

y/n.ballet posted on their story

⟡⟡⟡

"i think some of the other drivers should be here soon," alex, charles girlfriend, says loudly over the music.

you've been out with charles and his friends for a few hours now, meeting for drinks at someone's yacht and now at a club that you can't remember the name of. alex has quickly become the person you're clinging to, as one of the only other girls out.

"oh! i didn't know anyone else was coming," you yell back. she shrugs and gets up to pull you along with her to the dancefloor.

when you return to the booth in the corner there are more guys at the table, all laughing to themselves as they take a round of shots. charles being the first to notice yours and alex's return goes to introduce you to the new arrivals.

"everyone this is y/n," his words slur together a bit, he then points to everyone, even the ones you've met already, and reintroduces them. "and lastly we have lando."

he looks familiar, and not just from seeing him on tv or in advertisements around monaco, but it's like you've met before.

⟡⟡⟡

y/n.ballet posted on their story

⟡⟡⟡

it's been at least an hour, and a few more drinks, since the other drivers met you guys at the club. you, alex, lando, and charles are sitting in the booth after everyone else abandoned the group for dancing. you've been sitting quietly, giggling with alex, as charles and lando go back and forth telling stories about each other.

alex leans towards charles, whispering something into his ear. he nods and then announces that they're gonna leave soon.

"i should leave too, its getting late i think," looking at your phone you see it's nearly 2am. you go to crawl out of the booth and stumble a bit trying to gain your balance. a hand reaches and grabs your arm steadying you.

"is someone taking you home?" lando asks looking down at you, hand still on your arm.

"that's a bit forward isn't it?"

"wha-oh, not like that, i mean how are you getting home," he sighs, "you're clearly drunk y/n, and no one in their right mind would let you get home alone."

giggling you try to touch both your fingers to your nose (not entirely correctly but the thought was there), "see not drunk im fine! plus i dont live far im just going to walk back to my apartment,"

"let me walk you?" he asks, moving his hand to the small of your back as he guides you to the exit.

...

"and tulip fever is why I like tulips so much, it's honestly one of the best movies I've ever watched," it's been about 20 minutes of you blabbering non-stop, walking through the middle of the street as lando follows you, "oh my god I walked into you the other day that's where I know you from! je le savais! I was on my way to classes and completely walked into you, im so sorry by the way. I can be so out of it someti-"

"breathe," lando cuts you off laughing, "I don't think you've stopped talking once since we left."

you blush with embarrassment, "I'm so sor-"

"don't apologize it's cute, I like it," he cuts you off again, "do you know where you're going, or have you just been walking down random roads hoping your apartment appears?"

you point at the building on the corner, "it's this building! I know where I'm going!"

"are you sure? because this the second time we've been on this street."

"yes I'm sure," you laugh, swatting at his chest.

he follows you as you enter the door code and walk up the stairs to your apartment door, "you coming in?" you ask.

"not tonight, just making sure the pretty girl made it home safely," he smiles, giving a half wave as he goes back down the stairs.

"goodnight lando."

"goodnight y/n."

⟡⟡⟡

y/n.ballet

liked by ybfusername, landonorris and 4,019 others.

y/n.ballet à propos de la nuit dernière 🌷

ybfusername you better be prepared to explain those flowers missy

username5 where's the dress from?? 😍

username2 gorgeous smile

view 43 other comments

landonorris

liked by y/n.ballet, username3 and 320,872 others.

landonorris about last night 🕶

username1 that second pic omg

username3 DJ LANDOOOOO

view 4,274 other comments

[kathlare]

echoes of the crash

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Amelie is thrust into a maelstrom of emotions as she witnesses a chilling crash during the Las Vegas Grand Prix. While Lando emerges physically unscathed, the incident stirs buried feelings and memories of their complicated history.

Wordcount: 1.1 k

Warnings: just fluff

request over here!

November 19th, 2023 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Amelie paced back and forth in her Rio de Janeiro hotel suite, her heart pounding like the bass from the stadium she had just left. The city lights spilled through the large windows, casting a glow over the plush furniture, but Amelie was far from calm. It was just past midnight, and her second night opening for The Eras Tour had been electric, yet all the adrenaline from the show had drained from her body the moment she'd turned on the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The small group in her suite—Elysia, Alex Wolff, and a couple of crew members—had initially been buzzing with post-show excitement, beers and takeout scattered across the coffee table as they tuned into the race. Amelie had even cracked a few jokes about the chaos of the Vegas track, her voice light despite the exhaustion creeping in from her performance. But then, on the fourth lap, everything shifted.

The screen showed Lando’s McLaren spinning wildly at Turn 12. Her stomach sank as the car collided with the barriers, the impact sending debris flying. The sound of the crash was muted through the TV, but Amelie swore she could feel it in her chest.

—No, no, no,— she whispered, her hand flying to her mouth as she sat down abruptly on the edge of the couch.

The commentators' voices rose in urgency, and the room fell silent except for the broadcast. The camera cut to Lando sitting in his car, motionless for a moment before he moved to undo his harness.

—Fuck,— Alex muttered, leaning forward in his seat. —He’s okay, right?—

Amelie didn’t respond, her eyes glued to the screen. She watched as Lando climbed out of the car unaided, waving to the crowd to signal he was fine, but the tightness in her chest didn’t ease. It wasn’t just relief—it was the flood of emotions she had been trying to keep buried since they’d reconnected in Mexico.

—Amelie?— Elysia’s voice was gentle, her hand brushing Amelie’s shoulder. —He’s fine. Look at him, he’s walking.—

Amelie nodded absently, her eyes still fixed on the TV as if blinking would make her miss some vital detail. She barely registered Elysia’s reassuring touch or the murmurs of conversation resuming around her. She knew Lando was fine—he had walked away, waved to the crowd, and was likely already cracking jokes with his team in the medical center. But knowing he was physically okay did little to quiet the storm raging inside her.

—Yeah, he’s fine,— she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. But her voice cracked slightly, betraying the swirl of emotions she tried to suppress.

Elysia gave her a long look, her lips pressed into a thin line. Amelie didn’t need to say much for her sister to understand. Elysia always knew when something wasn’t right. She didn’t push, though, simply squeezing Amelie’s shoulder before retreating to her own seat.

Amelie stayed on the edge of the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as the race continued. Her thoughts, however, were miles away from the chaotic Las Vegas circuit.

She hadn’t let herself think about it—about him—this much since October. Since that night in Mexico when they’d both been reckless and drunk, seeking comfort in the familiarity of each other’s arms. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything, just a moment of weakness between two people who had once been everything to each other. But it hadn’t stopped there.

They’d tried to convince themselves it was casual, no strings attached, just two people falling into old habits. But Amelie wasn’t stupid. She knew her heart well enough to know that wasn’t true. She could feel it in the way her chest tightened every time he called her “Ames,” in the way her skin warmed when he looked at her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

And now, watching him crash—watching him walk away, thank God, but still feeling the panic linger—she couldn’t deny it anymore. She still cared. She still liked him. Maybe even more than she wanted to admit.

Her mind wandered back to the first time they’d met, years ago during the pandemic. Back when everything was simple and easy, when they were just two friends bonding over video games and late-night conversations. She remembered the way he made her laugh until her stomach hurt, how he always seemed to know exactly what to say to make her day better. Those memories felt like a lifetime ago, buried under the weight of everything that had happened since.

She’d let him in, completely and utterly, and he’d broken her heart. Not maliciously—Lando wasn’t cruel. But he was careless in the way that young and ambitious people often are. He had been too distracted by the whirlwind of his rising career, by the newness of someone else’s attention, to realize what he was losing. And she had been too proud to fight for him, too scared to show just how much he’d hurt her.

Amelie swallowed hard, blinking back the sting of tears. She hated feeling this way—vulnerable, exposed, like she was still the girl who had cried herself to sleep after they ended things. She wasn’t that girl anymore. She had grown, built a life for herself, achieved things she’d only ever dreamed of. She didn’t need him.

So why did the thought of losing him again make her chest ache like this?

Alex leaned back on the couch, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. —You okay, Ames? You’re really quiet.—

—Yeah,— she said quickly, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. —Just tired, I guess. Long night.—

Alex didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press. He knew better than anyone how hard she could be on herself, how fiercely she guarded her emotions.

The race ended with someone else standing on the podium, but Amelie barely registered the result. Her mind was still replaying the crash, the sound of the impact, the way her heart had stopped when she saw his car hit the barrier. She hated how much it affected her, how much he still affected her.

When the others finally filtered out of her suite, leaving her alone with her thoughts, she sank onto the bed with a sigh. The city buzzed outside her window, a stark contrast to the quiet chaos inside her head.

She reached for her phone almost instinctively, her thumb hovering over Lando’s name in her recent calls. She wanted to hear his voice, to know for certain that he was okay. But she stopped herself. What would she even say? That she was worried? That seeing him crash had made her realize she still cared about him more than she should?

No. She couldn’t go down that road again—not unless she was sure he felt the same way. And even then, the fear of getting hurt again was enough to keep her from hitting call.

Instead, she set the phone down and stared at the ceiling, the weight of her emotions pressing heavily on her chest. She liked him. She had never stopped. But liking him meant opening herself up to the possibility of heartbreak all over again, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

Not yet.

[wintfleur]

𓈒 ୭ৎ ˖˙ ᰋ ── JULIETTE LECLERC PROFILE !

au masterlist - everything for the AU is under #🍂 ͡ ꒱ Juliette Leclerc

ꪆ୧ BASICS .ᐟ

name: Juliette Celeste Leclerc 

nicknames:

Julie (everyone) 

Lettie (family and close friends) 

jules (everyone) 

ette (brothers( 

lilo (her best friends) 

juliebug (mat and quinn) 

birthday and zodiac: November 15th 1999, Scorpio

location: Monte Carlo, Monaco (birthplace, current) 

ꪆ୧ ABOUT  .ᐟ

personality: julie has a complex personality, some say it resembled an onion; you have to pull back the layers before truly understanding her. The media and new people assume that she's cold, and honestly a bitch just because they truly don't know her. But in reality, she's honestly a very sweet person, she is on the quiet side, she's very confident in herself and her beliefs. She is very charming, charismatic, and flirty! When she's around the people she's comfortable with, she can be a little bubbly and giggily (mostly with mat and quinn). She has a very dry humor but it honestly just makes people love her more! Can be very sarcastic at times, is witty 

good traits: determined, loyal, hard-working, honest and loyal, protective of her family and friends, trustful, doesn't take shit from anyone 

bad traits: very self critical, can be too bold, brutal at times, distances herself when she's overwhelmed or emotionally hurt, 

quirks: having a resting bitch face, intense eye contact, spaces out when bored, rolls eyes, smiles sarcastically, 

likes: rain, musicals, going to ballets, trying out new restaurants, ranch life, swimming, buying swimsuits, her yacht, spending time with family, hot tubs, sightseeing, 

dislikes: rude and invasive fans, the paparazzi, stalkers, people who disrespect her family or friends, most f1 media, drive to survive, traffic 

hobbies: singing, running, baking, dancing, riding horses, music, hockey, playing tennis and golf, reading, journaling 

fears: being a failure, dying alone 

strengths: how hard-working she is, she never gives up, confident, tactical and her strategy, how smart and witty she is, her quick thinking 

weaknesses: perfectionism, talking about her feelings, self critical, can have a short fuse at times, 

languages spoken: 100% French, 100% English, 100% Korean, 36% Spanish. 

occupation/profession: f1 driver for redbull, singer, model, actress 

ꪆ୧ CAREER !

Profession  f1 driver

Team   Red Bull Racing

Debut Australia 2019

Trainer  Gabriel Guerrero

Race engineer   Théo Beaufoy

Manager  Anya DuPont

Assistant  Beatrice Roux

World championships   1 (2022)

Sponsors  Gucci

ꪆ୧ RELATIONSHIPS  .ᐟ

parents:

Hervé Leclerc 

Pascale Leclerc 

sibling(s):

Lorenzo Leclerc 

Charles Leclerc 

Arthur Leclerc 

best friends: max verstappen. lando norris, george russell, alex albon, hailee steinfeld, shawn mendes, victoria de angelis, lily rose depp

friends: most of the f1 grid, most of quinn and mat’s teammates, jack and luke hughes, ross lynch, zendaya, tom holland, lewis pullman, and many more 

love interest: Mathew Barzal and Quinn hughes 

pet(s): none yet 

ꪆ୧ MORE .ᐟ

scent: she has a large collection of different fragrances, from brand deals, pr, etc. she prefers aromatic fragrances, so she uses mostly Chanel and Gucci perfumes, her most used one is Chanel number 2, it's one of her signature scents!

outfits: it really depends on what she's doing, if it’s a casual day she likes wearing low waisted jeans, corset vest tops, mini skirts, sweaters, sundresses, it really depends! She loves wearing black, reds, and earth tones! She likes adding fishnets, lace and tights to her outfits, long scarfs, jean or leather jackets, she likes wearing blazers, definitely has an office siren aesthetic! She has a lot of clothes and she's always wanting to try something new, and is definitely known for her fantastic outfits! here's a link to her closet! 

accessories:  she loves accessorizing, she loves anything involving fashion really!! She has a large collection of different types of bags and sunglasses(she loves collecting them), they are definitely her favorite thing + jewelry, to accessorize with. She also has quite a lot of hats, mostly ball caps, beanies and berets. She also really loves utilizing long and thin scarves when she's wearing a short skirt or shorts. She also occasionally will wear a headband, heavily inspired by Blair waldorf. In the colder weather she's almost always rocking ear muffs. She absolutely loves wearing bayonetta glasses, she has so many pairs. Honorable mentions are leg and arm warmers. 

jewelry: she's a silver girl!  She loves rings, she usually has about four on at a time, small ones, chunky ones, one with crystals or gems, any type of rings really.  She loves layering necklaces. She also occasionally wears anklets and waist chains, it really depends on her outfit. With bracelets she wears all different types, charm bracelets, friendship bracelets, cuff bracelets, again it really depends on her outfit. 

makeup: isn't really the biggest fan of makeup, she prefers her bare face! She has her own personal makeup artist who does her makeup for her when she goes to events etc. but when she does do her own makeup, she really only does her eyes and lips! She prefers darker eye makeup, red or nude tones for her lips, sharp eyeliner and highlighter! 

scars: none 

sexuality: bisexual 

Height: 5’7

piercing(s): 1 in each ear, bellybutton

tattoo(s): she has this one on her lower back, and this one on her left arm. She wants to get more! 

face claim: Dua Lipa 

ꪆ୧ FAVORITES .ᐟ

food(s): pasta, sweets, almonds, pomegranates, cherries, steak, macaroons

drink(s): cherry coke, water, redbull, hot chocolate, shirley temples 

color(s): black, reds, earth tones 

animal(s): horses, cats, sloths 

bands and artist: måneskin, rihanna, ciara, lady gaga, gwen stefani, the weekend 

show(s): gossip girl, supernatural, game of thrones, criminal minds 

movie(s): the devil wears prada, scooby doo, mamma mia, lotr, twilight, 

person: her mom and younger brother arthur 

ꪆ୧ BACKGROUND  .ᐟ

julie was born on a rainy day in monaco, on november 15th, 1999

julie was a very quiet child, her parents worried that she would have trouble making friends so they put her in ballet when she was 5. 

julie was naturally very talented at ballet and she enjoyed it very much

she started karting when she was 6, still also doing ballet

she started equestrian sports when she was 12 and stopped when she was 15. 

julie quit ballet when she was 17, giving karting/driving all her attention. 

she had her debut in in f1, in 2019 for the team mercedes 

It was a fantastic year, she got four wins and 326 points. 

but she left Mercedes after one year, signing with redbull. 

in 2020 she dropped her first single 

she created her youtube channel in 2020, she now has surpassed 10 million followers 

her modeling career started in 2022, and it instantly kicked off, becoming a very successful and sought after model 

ꪆ୧ FUN FACTS  .ᐟ

Juliette drove for Mercedes in her rookie year, she got four wins and 326 points . . . fans of course were not happy that a female was dominating her rookie year, so of course a nasty rumor was created. The rumor that spread like hot fire was that Juliette was having an inappropriate relationship with Toto Wolff.

Which was false, Toto was like a father figure to Juliette but the fans didn’t care, booing her and trending hate for her on Twitter.

Juliette drove for Redbull for the next season, and is still driving for Redbull.

Juliette is known for being one of the most influential drivers on the grid, for the wide range of her career.

Juliette has dropped a few albums, some singles and ep’s, she’s a model, an ambassador for Gucci, and she has a YouTube channel with over 10 million subscribers, where she posts all different kinds of content, she’s walked on runways.

The interviewers love her (besides a few) a lot of fans say she’s like seb with how she has the habit of flirting with the female interviewers.

She is quite the flirt, confident with herself

She’s a party girl, in a club or on a yacht, she loves her parties !!

A lot of people assume she’s a bitch because of her resting face, her confidence and the way she doesn’t take any shit, but she’s genuinely a sweetheart.

Besides Lewis she is the driver that has the most celebrity friends

No one is surviving eye contact with her, in the words of lando “she has a really strong gaze, very alluring — like a siren yeah”

The amount of dating rumors Lando and Juliette have is insane, but they are simply just best friends !!!

She loves swimming, she loves visiting tropical places

Everyone swears she’s a mermaid/siren for her love of the water

She has stated many times that her favorite sport besides f1 is hockey.

She has been seen coming to many hockey games, even having many friends that are hockey players.  (Trevor Zegras, Cole caufield and more)

She loves baking

She owns several houses all over the world

She is a major passenger princess

SHE IS THE IT GIRL

She hates coffee

She definitely loves going out and partying, but she also loves staying in.

She was such a daddy’s girl

She talks to her mom every single day

She loves and I mean loves running

No matter how hungover she is, she’s always having her morning run.

She loves and I mean loves horses !!

Her dream is to retire, buy her own ranch and just get a ton of horses to take care of and love, maybe her own vineyard.

Her most prized possession is her yacht . . .  That’s crazy to say omg.

She has kept all of her relationships a secret!

She loves doing collaborations

A character she’s most like is Blair waldorf

She’s a very strong woman, but sometimes things really get to her and she just needs space.

She has a bad habit of distancing herself from others when she’s hurt or upset

She’s been to 3 met galas

She will kick anyone’s ass in golf

‘The princess of Monaco’

She is very open about her crush on leighton meester

She’s a switch

She has a great relationship with everyone on the grid !

Her and Pierre have a love hate relationship

She has such a flirty personality, she loves making people flustered.

She’s a fantastic driver, and won’t let anyone tell her different just because she’s a girl.

She has said her grid son is ollie bearman

Yuki loves her sm! They are such a underrated duo

She loves hockey, but she’s a terrible skater

She hates drive to survive, they like to make her and max look like the villain.

She secretly can’t stand one driver on the grid.

She loves sleep sm

She’s genuinely such a family girl

She was the troublemaker of her family

She hates cold feet

Her brother’s friends have always had a crush on her and she loved teasing them about it.

She keeps her music taste a secret from the public

Lewis will always have her back no matter what, she’s his grid kid.

The public goes crazy for post race Juliette

She loves her team, she’s extremely close to all of them !!

She alternates from black to red hair a lot, but her hair is very healthy !!!

Doesn’t go anywhere without a pair of sunglasses

Macaroons are the way to her heart

A lot of people get surprised by how friendly she is

She loves game of thrones

She is not a lightweight

Is a really good dancer !! Did ballet for a long time

Low waisted pants are her best friend.

The only one who can rock Jorts

Always has red or black nails

She’s a silver girly

her instagram is @/JulietteLeclerc

Has a private Instagram ‘@/lettiesworld’

°. — taglist ( @cixrosie @toasttt11 @lovings4turn )

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( so this is the introduction to juliette !! I really hope you guys like her, omg I’m so excited for this AU !!! I didn’t mention Mat and Quinn because they will have their own profile !!! Oh I’m so excited, please let me know what you guys think !!! )

©️WINTFLEUR

[quiltofstars]

The Tarantula Nebula, C103 // Alex Jung

A treasure of the southern skies, the Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) is a chimerical structure nestled in the Large Magellanic Cloud located about 160,000 light years away in the constellation of Dorado, the Dolphinfish. Although it is located so far away, it is visible to the unaided eye and is a wonderful observing target in the beginning of the year. It was discovered by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille (1713-1761) in 1751.

[laurelwen]

Nigel's Book Details: Spread Two

Using the order in which each spread is presented in the scene where Alex finally reads through Nigel's book, this is the second spread.

Text

The text included at the top left of the page is illegible, sadly. However, the handwriting seen here leads me to believe that it is Nigel's own notes, rather than an excerpt cut or photocopied from another book. This becomes apparent when compared to a sample of his handwriting taken from one of his notebooks, as below.

Map

The left side of the page features a map larger than the page itself and thus folded over. This map clearly shows the Levant, presumably at the time of the Crusades since that is the focus of Nigel's mythology. The color of the paper and the style of the map suggest that this item was pulled out of a fairly old book. There are probably thousands of maps drawn of this area in this time period, and there is sadly no way to identify this specific map or where it came from.

Just to give an overview of what this map is presenting, here are a few other maps of the area in this time period. The fourth map included below is from my post regarding the Battle of Forbie.

The Knights: Brass Rubbings of Tomb Effigies

The right side of the page centers on one large, very clear image. These three figures are very clearly knights wearing armor and carrying weapons and shields. I recognized the imagery and was able to track down a great deal of information regarding this item.

These are reproductions (rubbings) of monumental brass, "a type of engraved sepulchral memorial once found through Western Europe, which in the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood. Made of hard latten or sheet brass, let into the pavement, and thus forming no obstruction in the space required for the services of the church, they speedily came into general use, and continued to be a favourite style of sepulchral memorial for three centuries." There are possibly around 4000 of these effigies remaining in English churches in the present day. The practice of recording brasses through a process of rubbing originates from the Victorian Gothic Revival.

Knight 1: Sir Roger de Trumpington, d. 1289

He is in the cross-legged position found on the earliest brasses and in three-dimensional recumbent statues. This may allude to a knight's participation in a crusade, since the Knights Templar were often represented in effigies with their legs crossed in honor of the cross. Others believe the position means the person was a benefactor of the church. In 1270, he accompanied Prince Edward, Henry III's heir, on the seventh Crusade to free the Holy Land. eight years later the prince, now King Edward I, drew up a list of 38 knights to take part in a tournament at Windsor Park; one participant was Sir Roger de Trumpington. Sir Roger thus used the tilting helmet seen on his brass---indeed, the helmet has a staple on top to hold his crest or a lady's kerchief. He is the only known Crusader to be represented in a brass in England.

Knight 2: Sir Robert de Setvans(or Septvans), d. 1306

From a brass in St Mary's Church, Chartham, Kent. Sir Robert was custodian of Rochester Castle during the reign of Edward I and fought during the wars against the Scots. He died in 1306.  In chain mail armour. His surcoat, ailettes and shield charged with winnowing fans, his armorial device. His name means seven fans. Father of Joan de Cobham.

Knight 3: Sir John Daubernon, d. 1277

The earliest brass now extant is that of 1277 at Stoke d’Abernon. The figure of Sir John Daubernon shows the armour which had been worn for the last three centuries. He is in chain mail with coif de mailles, hawberk and chausses complete, but the junctions of these are not distinct. Single-pointed prickspurs are buckled round the ankles. The only sign of the coming change to plate armour are the genowilléres, which protect the knees and are adorned with a fine pattern. They were probably at first made of leather, but later were of plate. Over the mail is a linen surcoat, drawn tight round the waist by a cord. Suspended upon his left shoulder is his shield, small and heater-shaped, charged with his arms: azure, a chevron or. The ground of the shield is in actual enamel—an almost unique feature. The cross-handled sword is attached to a broad belt and hangs in front of the body. This is the only brass which shows the lance. His feet rest on a lion, which is said to signify that he fell in battle. His legs are not crossed, unlike the other knights of the Surcoat Period.

The indents in the marble surrounding his brass form the letters of his inscription, now lost since all the brass letters sunk into the indents are missing. It reads as follows: SIR: JOHAN: DAUBERNOUN: CHIVALER: GIST: ICY: DEU: DE: SA: ALME: EYT: MERCY. (Sir John D'Aubernoun, knight, lies here. God have mercy on his soul.") A Roger D'Aubernoun came over from Normandy to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. His name probably derived from the river Aube in Picardy and Burgundy. Gilbert D'Aubernoun, Sir John's father, died in 1236 when his son was still a minor. Sir John became sheriff for the shires (counties) of Surrey and Sussex in 1264 and again in 1266. In 1253, he gained the rights to Albury Manor, as well as judicial authority in his village of Stoke D'Aubernoun. He died before 1278, the year his son, John, received his father's lands.

The Crossed Legs

From an abstract for a journal article regarding this topic:

Since the sixteenth century, both scholarly and popular readings of tomb monuments have assigned a series of interpretations to medieval effigies with crossed legs. These have included the beliefs that the effigies dated from before the Norman Conquest; that they commemorated crusaders, or those who had taken crusading vows; and that they commemorated Knights Templar. The ‘crusader’ theory has proved particularly tenacious, and, although largely discredited by scholars, continues to flourish in folk wisdom.

It would seem that recent scholarship has debunked this connection, but due to the paywall gatekeeping bullshit of Academia, I haven't been able to find the exact scholarship in question. Since the idea remains persistent, we can assume that Nigel thought of the knights depicted as being connected to the Templars and therefore worthy of inclusion in his bible. To go one step further into speculation, perhaps he even had personal reasons for including these three, such as common ancestry.

Further Reading:

Brasses, by J.S.M. Ward, 1912 (public domain book on archive.org)

Antiquarian Attitudes: Crossed Legs, Crusaders and the Evolution of an Idea (paywalled journal article)

Brass Rubbings at the V&A Museum website

Brass Rubbings: Catalogue of Rubbings of Brasses and Incised Slabs. Victoria & Albert Museum. by Muriel Clayton (1969-02-01), featuring Sir Roger and Sir Robert on the cover. It is my suspicion that the prop makers pulled their images from this book:

[Nigel's Book Details: Spread One] [Like Minds Masterpost]

[should-know-better]

Thinking about Bad Habits

Have we ever properly considered the lyrics to Bad Habits? I mean, we know the story about how the song came about from the Zane Lowe interview:

Miles: Al had that bass line.

Zane: Hell of a bass line

Alex: I played that for about 45 minutes and he did the thing that ends up being the song; and probably didn’t repeat himself at all… Bad Habits, Large Rabbits,

Miles: Blue Door [laughing]

Alex: He could have done that for like 72 hours…

And then James helped them to edit it down to make the song. But when you actually look at what they used - whew 😳 (!)

I have googled some of the definitions to double check the expressions and I don’t believe for one second that naughty Miles wasn’t aware of these alternative meanings.

“Bad habits” - okay, this is a negative behaviour

“Sick puppy” - in my naivety I originally pictured a poorly dog, but this isn’t a bad habit. It is actually ‘a person who is crazy, cruel or disgusting’ so yes, it fits.

“Thigh high” - if you’re kneeling in front of someone and they’re standing, where would you be looking?

“Knee deep” - part of the phrase ‘knee deep in trouble’ which if repeated could be a bad habit (and also ties in with the previous line)

Skipping to:

“Deep trouble” - see knee deep.

“Red lollipop” - could be a sexual connotation for sucking cock

“Pale faces” - this line had me most confused. I would have thought flushed faces made more sense. Could refer to our Northern boys having pale skin that doesn’t tan. You can become pale from fear or worry, but this doesn’t really fit. Urban Dictionary says it’s ejaculating in the hand, then slapping with that hand!!! Make of that what you will!

“Delicious” - refer back to Red lollipop (!)

I personally think that the lines:

“Should have known little girl that you’d do me wrong / Should have known by the way you were showing off”

were added later to make it more in line with record company policy, ie heterosexual.

Then we’re left with Alex singing, “c’est sur le bout de ma langue” (translated to ‘it’s on the tip of my tongue’) - which again could refer back to the ‘red lollipop.’

Finally,

“Do you want to hold hands? / Should we get back down? / Do you want a slow dance?”

These lines may or may not have been part of Miles’ original freestyling, we’ll never know, but in other words, ‘do you want to do something romantic or shall we carry on having sex?’

So there you have it. Two blokey mates are together creating a song, and Miles thinks about these images and sings them to Alex. Not gay at all. And these are the bits they use! Imagine how filthy the rest of the 45 minutes could have been; Alex has said Miles is no innocent! Obviously the lyrics could be about sex with a girlfriend but hmmmm - why is that then a bad habit?

Apologies if this is just me interpreting the lyrics this way with a dirty mind. Also apologies if I’m stating the obvious 😉. Any alternative thoughts are welcome. x

[sharkaiju]

"It'll sharpen you up and get you ready for a little of the old ultra violence."

Vox as Alex DeLarge because reasons

[bungerbooey]

RAHHHHH ALEX DE LARGE JUMPSCARE !!!!!

[faggotfungus]

"Kiss" by René De Carufel from the book Provocative Shots by Alex Larg (1999)

[usafphantom2]

The Story Of The Soviet Pilot Who Defected To Japan With A Secretive MiG-25 Foxbat

September 6, 2016 Military Aviation, Military History, Russia, Troubled Areas

Image credit: Alex Beltyukov

OTD in 1976, Viktor Belenko, “stole” a MiG-25 and landed in Japan.

The then Lieutenant Belenko was a pilot with the 513th Fighter Regiment, 11th Air Army, based in Chuguyevka, Primorsky Krai, in the east of the country. When he brought his MiG-25 “Foxbat” to Hakodate he gave the Western intelligence officers the opportunity to give a first close look at one of the most secretive airplanes of those years: a supersonic interceptor featuring a powerful radar, four air-to-air missiles and a top speed above Mach 3.

In order to assist the American experts in evaluating the aircraft, Belenko brought with him the pilot’s manual for the MiG-25 “Foxbat”, expecting to assist American pilots in evaluating and testing the aircraft. Even if the Japanese government didn’t originally give full access to the plane, the Americans were later invited to examine the aircraft extensively: the MiG was dismantled for such purpose and later returned to the Soviet Union.

In his “MiG pilot” book (1983) John Barron claims that Viktor Belenko’s defection was completely voluntary and was the result of Belenko’s distrust on communist regime.

The MiG was delivered to Japan without the missiles, which were to be introduced in the Belenko’s training later on. The mission was launched earlier than initially planned, because the KGB was about to stop Viktor Ivanovich Belenko from defection.

Although pilot defections during the Cold War were not a rarity, what made Belenko’s defection unique was the fact that the MiG-25 was largely unknown in the West. This is the main point to bear in mind when thinking about Belenko and, unfortunately, this fact is often forgotten.

The ideological background for the events which took place in 1976 is deeply rooted in the beginnings of the post-war period. As the Cold War was in progress there were many incidents and crises which closely led to a confrontation between the two superpowers. One of these events was Francis Gary Powers’s U-2 spy flight on of May 1, 1960.

Power’s U-2 took off from USAF Peshawar Air Base in Pakistan for a GRAND SLAM mission, to investigate the Soviet missile and plutonium production plants. Targets were Sverdlovsk, Plesetsk (ICBM sites) and Mayak – a plutonium plant.

The U-2 was a plane designed to fly well above the Soviet air defense Surface to Air Missile systems. Its operational ceiling was out of the range of the Soviet interceptors and missiles but Powers’ flight was expected, all of the units and surface-to-air defenses were put on alert. The MiG pilots were ordered to ram the aircraft if necessary. The U-2 was eventually shot down by an S-75 Dvina missile near Degtayrsk in the Ural region. Because of high g-force Powers had no chance of reaching the airplane’s self-destruction button and had to eject.

What is interesting is the fact that SAM crews did not know that the plane had already been shot down because the MiGs’ IFF transponders were not updated (May 1st is a national holiday), therefore several Soviet aircraft were also shot down by S-75 rockets.

The political consequences of the spy flight were severe.

Shortly after the incident the Americans created a cover up story for Powers’ failure. NASA had announced in a very specific press release that the pilot, having lost consciousness due to the problems with the oxygen equipment, had strayed into the Soviet territory with his autopilot engaged while carrying out a weather flight.

On May 7, Khrushchev announced that Powers had survived the crash and, nine days later, on May 16, 1960, during a Four Powers Paris Summit meeting with Harald MacMillan, Charles de Gaulle and Dwight Eisenhower he called the U-2 incident an act of a “deliberate aggression.”

Eisenhower refused to apologize for the incident, claiming that the U-2 flight was not of aggressive nature, having only a purpose of ensuring US safety. The meeting collapsed. At the time, Eisenhower was a proponent of so-called Open-Sky Policy, according to which both sides would allow for reciprocal reconnaissance flights over their territories. Khrushchev did not agree. Powers was sentenced to 7 years of hard labor in a Gulag, but he was exchanged for a Russian spy Rudolf Abel on the famous Glinecke Bridge in Potsdam, connecting West and East Germany.

Gary Powers incident sparked the development of the American Oxcart programme, with the goal to design the SR-71 spy plane, which in addition to flying high, also flew very fast, out of the range of the Soviet missiles’ operational envelope.

What is more, a D-21 drone reconnaissance system was developed, to be carried by SR-71 as a parasite. The drone would be dropped, fly over the Soviet Union, return over the Pacific and drop the reconnaissance materials on a parachute.

Both these designs led to the development of a Soviet countermeasure – the MiG-25, known in NATO code as the Foxbat.

MiG-25 take off

The main reason for the importance of Belenko‘s defection cannot be understood without going deeper in the aviation context of the event. The Cold War was the time when both sides used the nuclear armament as a psychological weapon. Therefore ways to deliver warheads were some of the priorities in the development in the field of military industry.

One of the ways to deliver warhead to its target was to use the strategic bomber. The bombers in the US – the B-52s – were subsonic, and could have been easily intercepted by the MiG-21, which was capable of reaching speeds of Mach number up to Mach 2 and altitudes of 60,000 feet.

Problems began to emerge when the B-58 Hustler was designed. This plane was capable of flying with the same level of performance as any MiG-21, which for the Soviet designers meant they had to look for a better countermeasure.

The Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force at the time was into creating a nuclear-powered bomber of infinite range. The project had been dropped in 1964 when North American aviation announced that it could build a bomber capable of attaining speeds of Mach 3 throughout the entire length of its mission.

Secondly, after the failure of U-2 spy plane, launched the Oxcart program, which lead to the development of Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, SR-71.

That put the Moscow designers on alert, and an assignment was given to the design bureaus of MiG (Mikoyan and Gurevich) and Sukhoi to develop a countermeasure.

The surface-to-air missiles were considered insufficient. The aim was to develop a single-seat interceptor capable of attaining extremely high speeds and altitudes.

New problems for the Soviet scientists emerged, such as thermodynamic heating, leading to immense development of the Moscow research institute, TsAGI – transliteration of the Russian abbreviation which stands for Центра́льный аэрогидродинами́ческий институ́т (ЦАГИ) – Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute. Mikhail Gurevich was the leader of the MiG-25 project.

According to Discovery Channel’s TV series Wings of the Red Star many Western experts argue that the Foxbat was inspired by the North American Aviation A-5 Vigilante. The design programme for MiG-25 was founded in 1958. The basic design of E-155 which later became MiG-25 was the work of Artion Mikoyan.

The E-155, the prototype of what was to become Foxbat was propelled by two large turbojet engines designed by Tumansky. The prototype itself was designed in the period of 1961-1962.

No aluminum, so popular in the West at the time, was used for construction. Steel and nickel alloys were used instead, with limited use of titanium on leading edges and places where heat loads were expected to be high.

The aircraft had to be light, to that extent that weight was traded for strength. The G-load it could withstand was only 5 g, two times less than other fighters which were designed to fight in close combat.

The maiden flight of E-155 was made by famous MiG test pilot, Alexander Fedotov on May 1, 1964.

The MiG-25’s mission as an interceptor required development of fire control system which would be able to work at the speeds the plane could reach.

The radar on the plane, RP-25 Smerch, designated in the NATO nomenclature as Foxfire, 1,100 pounds in weight, was the largest device of this type at the time. According to Barron, the radar was very powerful (600 kilowatts), as

“[Belenko] also dared not touch the radar switch because the impulses from the MiG-25 radar were so powerful, they could kill a rabbit at a thousand meters. Hence, it was a crime to activate the radar on the ground.”

Its purpose was to burn through any jamming systems known at the time and to provide a stable lock-on allowing the pilot to use the air-to-air missiles that Foxbat was carrying.

Also in May of 1964 the XB-70 aircraft was made a research airplane, and presented to the public in Palmdale, California, after being canceled three times (in 1959, 1960 and in 1961). At same time, the U-2 missions were still a danger, so as the SR-71, US Air Force ultimate Mach 3 spy plane. For these reasons the development of Foxbat was not canceled.

Mikoyan left his design bureau in March 1964 for health reasons. Never had he an opportunity to see the MiG-25 enter service dying in December from the heart attack.

In March 1965 the first public announcements of the plane’s performance were made, which was that it completed 150 kilometers closed circuit flight at the speed of 1,400 miles per hour.

The Foxbat made its first public appearance at the airshow organized in connection with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution on Jul. 9, 1967 on the Domodedovo airfield. When three MiG-25s appeared in the sky the show announcer referred to them as “Interceptors capable of Mach 3”.

Both the Western experts and Russians were puzzled, as even in the Soviet Russia there was almost no information about the MiG-25 available to the public whatsoever, up until 1972.

Mig-25 side takeoff

Besides being an interceptor, the Mig-25 was also a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. It was operated in the conditions of direct radio communication with the ground and was capable of taking photographs of whole United Kingdom within one flight.

The West had an opportunity to see what the aircraft was capable of in a proxy war between Israel and Egypt.

Four MiGs, referred to as X-500, were shipped to Egypt in fall 1971. The Egyptians were forbidden to come close to them, and even though the aircraft had Egyptian markings, they were flown by Soviet pilots and serviced by Soviet crews.

When one of the Israeli F-4 Phantom fighters tried to intercept the MiG reconnaissance aircraft at Mach 2,5, the MiG simply accelerated to Mach 3.2 and disappeared.

The MiG-25 engines were capable of producing 12,500 kG each. The design assumptions of the construction were not to create a good close combat fighter, but to propel it throughout the airspace as fast as possible.

In the late 1960s the USA developed the F-15 which was a fruit of the vague understanding of what MiG-25 was. That understanding was based on the speed and altitude records Foxbat had broken (see below).

The Western experts assumed that it was faster in straight line than expected. They also thought that it was made of lightweight, modern composite materials and that it was powered by modern turbofan engines. It was also believed to have a long-range and good close air combat capabilities.

As a result of that, American engineers designed the ultimate fighter jet, which was very complex, and due to that – quite costly. In the beginning of its existence it broke many of the climb records established earlier by hte Foxbat.

It was late 1972 when F-15 entered service, and it was long until 1976 for the MiG to remain a mystery.

On Sept. 6, 1976, when Viktor Belenko defected taking off from the Sokolovka airbase and landing in Japan, the Western perception of Foxbat changed.

It turned out that the airplane was heavier and simpler in construction than expected, hence it had shorter range. It was far from being a close combat jet with its rugged construction. It also had very poor low-speed capabilities.

As Peter Ustinov of the Wings of the Red Star TV series summarizes: “MiG-25 was indeed an extraordinary machine, but not the one the West had imagined.”

Nevertheless the simplicity of Foxbat could not stop it from breaking many world records, nor could the Americans at the time.

MiG-25 front left

The prototypes were made lighter and their purpose was to break several records. As it is stated in the classification of FAI (International Aeronautical Federation), Foxbat belonged to the category C1 (III) which specifies jet powered aircraft with unlimited take-off weight.

The records broken by Foxbat were of various nature.

They included: speed record on a 1,000 km circuit by chief MiG test pilot Alexander Fedotov: 2319,12 km/h on Mar. 16, 1965; the Foxbat broke several time-to-height records, for example climbing to 20,000 m in 2 minutes 49,8 seconds. The MiG-25 also set several absolute world records that still stand. Absolute world altitude records with 1,000 kg payload, and without payload: 35,230 m and 36,240 m respectively were also set.

Air-to-air_left_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat-E_aircraft

As already explained, the West had almost no knowledge of MiG-25 whatsoever until 1971, and very poor knowledge by September 1976 when Belenko defected.

It was a great surprise, and present for the Western experts when Belenko flew a brand new MiG-25 to a Japanese airfield.

At first the Soviet officers at Sokolovka airbase, where Belenko was stationed, thought that it was navigation systems problem that occurred and lead to the event. The defection, however, was preplanned and premeditated.

Several authors say that Belenko, had been an aviation enthusiast from his earliest childhood.

He received his flight training in order to become a flying instructor and devoted most of his time to learning and perfecting his flying craftsmanship.

He got a job as an instructor in Amarvir Pilot School, flying Sukhoi Su-15 planes, always being a top notch airman. It was in the beginning of the 1970s when he heard about a MiG-25 for the first time.

Almost immediately, wanting to learn about the new plane, he asked for transfer to flight training on Foxbat in 1972. The unit he applied to was Rostov, near Iran, but he was soon moved to the far east, to Sokolovka, the 530th Fighter Regiment.

The permission for transfer given by the commander being an exception in those times was justified with the Belenko’s great interest in the modern air technology. His records were flawless, so he was selected, and he was appointed a party secretary of the squadron.

Belenko’s training program progressed without any trouble. After the individual flights program ended the group flights began. The group flights started at the end of August and were to be conducted for one month.

On Sept. 6, 1976 Belenko walked his child to the kindergarten and went to the base to fly.

The weather conditions were good for flying – the cloudiness was of about 7/10 with the lower cloud surface at 1,500-2,000 meters and upper at 5,000 meters. Take-off was to take place at 12:50.

Soon after the take-off Belenko reported engine problems and separated from the group. He dropped to an altitude of 50 m above the sea, so no problems that usually occur in a low-level flight were present. He was flying low, so the radars could not track him. The direction the plane was going was eastward. Directly towards the Japanese archipelago.

Getting closer to the shore Belenko climbed to 6,700 m, waiting for the reaction of the Japanese air defense.

370 kilometers from the island he was finally spotted by the radars. The Japanese at Chitose airbase scrambled a pair F-4J fighters to intercept him. Knowing that he had been detected he descended again but he soon entered the clouds, experiencing difficulties in navigation.

At 13:52 he spotted an airfield and attempted a landing, but had to abort it and go around because of a Boeing 727 airliner taking off. According to his assessment, the airstrip was a bit shorter from what he had seen on military airfields. He made a long landing, overshooting the runway and rolling about 240 meters beyond the threshold.

After getting out of the cockpit he spotted the name of the airfield. Unfortunately it was not a military base, but civilian Hoktado strip. Nevertheless, Belenko was in Japan, which was his main objective. Just after getting out of the cockpit he made a warning shot and warned the Japanese not to come close to the plane because it was secured with explosives (at the time the Soviet Air Force used to secure the MiG-25 from getting into the Western hands by using explosives and self-destruction system).

He also asked the personnel to cover the aircraft in such a way that the Soviet markings were not visible. Then, he asked to be put in contact with the US Air Force representation. The airfield was closed down for five hours. Belenko asked for a political asylum.

The time between the afternoon of September 6th and 7th was very eventful.

The media showed a large interest in the incident and disseminated the news all across the Western world. Aeroflot sent a delegation, but they were not allowed to see nor to come close to the Foxbat.

Diplomacy was a major problem. In order to justify keeping the pilot and plane on the Japanese territory the authorities accused Belenko of illegal border trespassing.

The plane was moved to a hangar and afterwards was transported to military airbase in Hyakuri, located 80km north from Tokyo. On Sept. 19 a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane was brought from the US in order to transport the MiG-25; eleven experts from Wright-Patterson AFB were brought in order to examine the aircraft.

Also 64 Japanese experts took part in the examination. The aircraft was partially dismantled and transported in escort of F-4J and F-104J fighters.

The examination included infra-red photos of Foxbat with the engines working at full military power. It was essential for western air-to-air missiles designers to know the heat spectrum of the engines, so that they could develop missile guidance systems according to the characteristics of the Foxbat engines.

The diplomatic struggle went on. The official statement of the Japanese was that the plane would be returned to the Soviets but no sooner than Oct. 5, 1976. Due to the fact that samples of materials were taken from the wings the Foxbat could not go back by air.

It was dismantled again and sent back on a container ship in parts, in 13 containers. The Japanese secured the containers so that the Soviet personnel would not do the review of the plane in the daylight.

But the Russian methodology was unknown to the Japanese. The personnel had opened the containers with crowbars and it turned out that some equipment was still in the hands of the West. The Soviets asked the West to pay for the missing aircraft instrumentation and avionics. The Japanese in a reply asked the Russians to pay for transport and formalities.

Belenko’s family was detained and KGB started an investigation. A personal diary in which fuel calculations were carried out was found in Belenko’s flat.

It was also found out that the pilot was in Moscow a week prior to the deception.

All these factors suggested that the incident was a long preplanned operation of the American intelligence as Belenko could have met a US agent in Moscow.

What is more, the Soviet pilot very often used the confidential library of the airbase, more often than other pilots. It was supposed that he might have been taking photos of the MiG-25 manual.

After Belenko arrived he was isolated from the third parties.

He got a political asylum in the USA, where he started working in an aviation company. Afterwards, in many interviews, like in one for Full Context magazine, he said that the main reason behind the defection was to get away from the communism.

He received American citizenship and opened his own company. He got married to an American woman, with whom he had 3 children. According to Barron’s book his family life in USSR was going towards a bitter end – a divorce – so he fled to the US.

After publishing this article we received an email from one of our readers who provided some more behind the scenes details. Here’s what he’s written to us:

Actually, they did, and Russia was totally unaware of it. It was rolled into a hangar, dismantled, and flown to Area 51 by C-5A Galaxy, where it was totally examined, taken apart, reassembled, and flown by Victor Belenko against our first line fighters of the time. It was then disassembled, crated, loaded back onto the C-5, and flown back to Japan, where it was placed on the dock to await a Russian freighter’s pick-up.

We expected to find high tech alloys used for the wings, but the rust through the paint revealed they were steel. Where we expected high tech electronics, we found vacuum tube electronics.

You must remember that Russia builds for durability, and survival under war-time conditions. Just like their AK-47 Automatic rifle…bullet proof, easy to manufacture, and repair under war conditions. Which is easier to construct, and repair during wartime..high tech, or low-tech items? You’ll find the inside of Antanov’s giant aircraft made the same way, especially loading ramps, which are hollow, with an aluminum thin covering and internal ribs, with a reverse dimple texture. Hydraulics actually glass jars !!

Area 51 was the site of many Russian MiG tests, obtained from many different sources. we had a number of pilots versed in, and trained in MiG operations and evaluations.

Yes, Japan DID allow the removal, and testing, by us, of Belenko’s MiG 25..but it was highly secret.

About Jacek Siminski

Standing contributor for TheAviationist. Aviation photojournalist. Co-Founder of DefensePhoto.com. Expert in linguistics, Cold War discourse, Cold War history and policy and media communications.

@TheAviationist.co

[barbieaemond]

Apparently this needs some clarifying because in this fandom you have to clarify every single word about fictional people in a fantasy show with dragons.

I never said we should stan Gwayne because he was racist and classist towards Criston. I dare you to find a single post where I praised him for it. On the contrary, I reblogged posts and gifs calling him out.

I simply said stan because he’s cunty and pretty. That is all. The eww in my post was related to him criticising Cole’s position as new Hand as he eloquently explains himself in his showering praise about his father being hand to three Kings. Nothing else.

Loving a character does not mean condone his flaws, also because I don’t think there is such a thing as a flawless character. Loving the Joker does not mean you condone his crazy shit, loving Alex de Large does not mean you condone serial raping. Don’t read into everything for the sole purpose of stir shit up.

[dozyisdead]

Carlos -> Williams: My Thoughts

So, I will be attempting to separate this into sections to keep it less like a ramble and more coherent! The (attempted) sections will be as follows: 

Logan and his treatment at Williams and how that has changed their image

Alex and Logan’s Relationship (as I have seen)

Alex’s Position within the team

Carlos’s impact as a Driver and his connections

Alex and Carlos’s positions within the team.

1.Logan and Williams

   To start this off: Williams, after leaving the original family’s hands, has done better. That does not mean they’re doing good, but they’re doing better. That being said, Williams has been cultivating this “Lovable Underdog” image for a long time, but we’ve seen how that’s been far from the truth. I mean, looking back historically, look at how they treated Valtteri! Now, we see how they treated Logan. Yes, I agree that it was an amazing thing that Williams sponsored Logan, and they’ve given drivers like Alex great opportunities to get into/stay in the sport, but they are NOT what they present themselves as.

    Logan was plucked from F2 a year too early, like we saw with Nick De Vries, and that impacted how he got into the sport. F2 vs. F1 in a large gap, especially compared to the F4/F3/F2 jumps. It’s just not the same. Yet, they put a world of pressure on their drivers to perform in tractors. Alex has done so well because he himself is an incredible driver, but Logan was not on the same level. I think he’s improved tremendously and is definitely doing a lot better, but to put it simply he is not Alex, and Alex is not Logan.

   Now, onto how the team has treated Logan specifically. Logan has never been given the same upgrades as Alex at the same time. And yes I understand that funding and the cost of upgrading is a big part of that, especially in lower field teams, but it’s still an insane thought. After nearly 1 ½ years, they finally get the same upgrades at the same time, and you can visibly see how excited Logan was! But my main point in this is that Alex is treated better, beyond the scope of Drivers 1 & 2. It feels closer to Driver 1 & The Reserve. Not to mention the fact that Williams gave Alex Logan’s car after ALEX shunted his own car, then proceeded to shunt Logan’s car as well. And, though I might be wrong about this, Logan received Alex’s repaired chassis and parts from 2023. Again, I might be wrong but I've seen somewhere that that was the case.

   All of this is to say that Williams is lying, blatantly, to our faces. I understand that being at the level that you are in Formula One means that you have to think in the bigger picture, but the fact that they try to cover up all their bad actions and stick to the lovable underdog image despite evidence being everywhere really makes me despise them. I don’t hate Alex, or Carlos for that matter, but I hate their team.

2.Alex And Logan

   Alex and Logan seem to get along very well, and I believe that is due to the both of them being very down to earth and humble as people. Logan is incredibly sweet, he’s nice, and genuine in his actions. Alex is the same! He is very thoughtful, such as him going to Ferrari and teaching Carlos what to do after his appendix surgery. Alex is also so ready to speak to someone no matter what. I am a fan of the Korean Englishmen on YouTube, and they did an episode with Alex that I loved! He is genuine and just very connective with fans, and you can see how much he cares for his friends when it comes to being around them.

   Logan has been somewhat apart from the rest of the grid, and I think that’s due to what seems to be a slightly more introverted personality! I understand that, I can be the same at times, but Alex has really brought him out of his shell and I love that. Their relationship is a good one, even with all the bullshit that Williams does that could break that. Logan speaks well of his, and Alex supports Logan. I think Alex remembers what it’s like to be a rookie and be pushed aside a bit, kind of what happened to Logan, and saw someone he could help.

   Their relationship in general is one I love, and I’m not 100% sure how Alex and Carlos are going to get along, with Carlo’s personality. I will explain my thoughts on that more in a moment.

3.Alex in Williams

   We can all somewhat agree that Alex is Williams’ “Golden Boy” the way Max is to Red Bull and Charles is to Ferrari, but I don’t know if it’s that strong. I’m not sure how long Alex has signed with Williams, but I want to say he is with them for 2025v and 2026. That’s a long time, especially for F1. I mean, we’ve seen drivers be replaced mid season before, so 2+ year contract extensions is long in the grand scheme of things. I believe there’s a quote out there regarding Alex’s feelings about a potential dip in performance for one year if it meant an even better run for the year after that. And yes, I acknowledge that Gorge had a large part to do with Alex getting the Williams seat, but to keep a seat is heavily based on the driver, 99% of the time. (I’m looking at you Red Bull, demoting drivers mid season like it’s a hobby. And Williams, James begging for Esteban to come over and the only reason he didn’t and Logan didn’t lose his seat mid season was because Alpine blocked it.)

   Alex has received preferential treatment at Williams. And, I can understand it in a business sense. He had already raced for Williams for since 2022, so he had a year on Logan, not to mention he was at Red Bull and replaced Pierre, so he had a lot more experience and a win under his belt at DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters), and as a test/reserve driver for RBRH (Red Bull) and SAT (AlphaTauri) in the 2021 season. All of this is to say he had experience. More than what Logan had, which was none when it came to F1. I mean, even Oscar had half a year’s worth of experience at Alpine, despite the sinking ship that the team was. 

   Alex was viewed as a driver with potential because he has a lot of it. He is an excellent driver. His overtake at Montreal this year was amazing, and I've watched clips back multiple times of his driving. He genuinely has skill, and a lot more than he’s given credit for. From a purely business perspective, Alex is an amazing investment. But, like I mentioned earlier, Williams takes it to a ridiculous level. I mean, giving Logan’s car to Alex? When we all know that cars are tailored to specific drivers? It already wasn’t looking good in that aspect.

4.Carlos’s Impact as a Driver and his connections

   To put it simply, Carlos Sainz Jr. is a nepo baby. And before anyone gets offended, I do not necessarily view him badly because of that. It is just an aspect of his life that we cannot ignore. Carlos grew up with money and his last name has backing behind it that cannot be brushed over! No, he is not technically a Legacy driver because his father didn’t race in Formula One like Mick or Max’s fathers did, but he knows racing. He knows power and influence. And, as unfortunate as it is, people who grow up like that often interact with others differently.

   Carlos is very competitive and stubborn. It’s his personality, and we’ve seen that with the way he has interacted with other drivers on and off the track. Take him and Oscar’s relationship for example. I do not know exactly what happened, but I believe the incident was labeled exactly that, a racing incident. But, that didn’t matter to Carlos. There is a level of entitlement that all humans have, and the way you are brought up can change how much of it you feel you deserve. Carlos has a higher level due to his upbringing. But, there is no place for that on a track. I mean, look at Latifi. He didn’t seem to be very entitled, even with his family being the main sponsor behind Williams, but his family and money could not save his seat. Even Mazaspin’s backing couldn’t save his seat from that absurd and shitty personality and performance. I feel like the obvious exception to this has been Lance Stroll and Aston Martin, but Lawrence Stroll fucking partially owns the team. That’s a bit different than being a main sponsor.

   Within all of this, I have mentioned one thing that is the main driver behind F1: MONEY.

You cannot get a seat without money, unless you are the perfect amalgamation of all of the F1 greats and can outrace everyone on a goddamn Zamboni. Carlos Sainz Jr. brings money, and sponsors, which is something that Williams is in desperate need of. I mean, maybe not as much as Haas did in 2021/2022 and even now, but they need it. Upgrades are expensive, crashes are expensive, F1 is fucking expensive. So, his sponsors coming to the table has a big impact. I mean, again this is from a purely business standpoint, I would be begging him to join a team too. Mans has his own burger joint line. He’s got money to spare, and Williams is holding out it’s cup begging.

5.Alex and Carlos’s positions within the team

   With me mentioning before that Alex is the closest thing to William’s golden boy that we have, I absolutely have to address the issue of positions within the team shifting (or not) now that Carlos is joining next year. We all know that Alex has stated that he’s willing to sacrifice one season if that means the next one is infinitely better, and I respect that. That, along with the team’s visible backing of him, really makes it seem like he’s their version of Charles, just maybe not on such an insane level (Ferrari is a cult and Charles is both the LeaderTM and the SacrificeTM). With that being said, Carlos is also an impressive driver in his own regard. My earlier comments regarding his personality do not mean to discredit his skills as a driver, as he is an incredible one, but Alex is also rather impressive. Again, I would like to mention that the main comparisons that we have for Alex are Logan Sargeant in a Tractor And Old Parts, Nicholas Latifi (iykyk) and Max “The Dutch Lion/Super Max” Verstappen. That’s three very obvious extremes. Not to mention that the cars are different and that is an Important Point when it comes to comparisons. 

   Now, this is going to go back to Logan’s treatment at Williams. We see him being treated second to Alex in terms of upgrades. Alex got everything first, and even a new fucking car because he crashed his own. He was fully pushed into the 2nd driver seat. With their relationship, it was easy to do that because Logan didn’t have a huge name backing him, and Alex had experience and proved his skills. The issue coming up for 2025 is that Carlos is decidedly not Logan. He has a name behind him, has more experience behind him, and has definitely proved himself a worthy driver despite the absolute circus that is Ferrari. Like the man was more of an acrobat than a clown on a unicycle in regards to Ferrari, he made do with what he had. My main concern is are we going to see a repeat of Alex and Logan with the positions switched and Carlos becoming the golden boy, or is this going to be Carlos fighting the team and the rest of the grid. Or, alternatively, are we going to see Williams get their head out of their ass and rally around both drivers to give them a somewhat equal playing field. As much as that would be interesting to watch, I seriously don’t think that’s going to happen. I think it’s going to be shit show either way. As much as I wish Alex hadn’t been treated better, I do not want to see anyone else go through what Logan went through. If we see a shift to Carlos becoming the golden boy, I think that’s going to cause much more controversy for Williams, especially since we already know the team’s (and James’s) tendency to sacrifice. And yes I know every team does it (Looking at you McLaren) but that does not mean I am happy with it at all, in any way shape or form.

   The big point I’m trying to make is that Williams is going to have to make some major changes or face hell from either side. With Alex, his fanbase, which includes a bit of Lando’s and George’s as well, absolutely rioting at the slightest hint of bad treatment of the like that Logan received. Then, Carlos’s fanbase and family (again he’s a nepo baby with a family name), who despite a good portion being Tifosi (Yes I know that a lot of the hate that he gets is ironically also Tifosi, but they're specifically Lecfosi so it’s a bit different), will still love their Spainaird till death. Once a Ferrari driver, always a Ferrari driver, or something like that. Carlos is not one to back down as we have seen before, so it's hell either way. Williams just has a storm coming and I’m excited to see how they handle it (by excited I mean I’m hogging the door and letting James drown even if there’s plenty of space).

8/9/24 Edit: **With every goddamn new bit of information I learn about James Vowels I more and more wish I never knew who he was. What do you mean Mrs.Vowels and Rebbecca wished there were cameras? “I have a wave of emotion that floods my body. I cannot express how thankful I am that he’s here” You’re obsessed with him I hope you know that. Quoting someone online, “Everything I learn about James Vowels is involuntary.” You sir give me the creeps. Also HE'S BEEN LOOKING FOR THE PAST 8-9 MONTHS FOR SOMEONE NEW?? James I hope you step on and break every charger you own, I hope your pillows are always too warm and your bed too soft, I hope you get divebombed by Magpies the moment you step in Australia, I hope the geese chase you around the canadian paddock, I hope there’s seagulls holding your car hostage in Miami. I could go on and on.**

I would like everyone to keep in mind that I am in no way super knowledgeable about the sport, as I actually only truly joined right before Monaco 2024. I had yet to watch a full race or dive super deep into it, but I've learned a lot more. These are just my thoughts put in a way that is most organized to me!