#all f1 drivers have done this i think and they've all done well

[maxarchive]

How are the emotions on this Saturday evening in Las Vegas? Is it an overriding relief? Is that the main thing?

An immense relief, but also a little bit more emotional than I was expecting, actually. Both from Max on the radio and I let Christian give him, well, let's say carry out all the complimentaries on the radio, because I choked up a little bit as well, and I think it just comes down to that relief at the end of what has been actually quite an intense year. Not quite as intense as 2021, but it at times ran it close.

Why is this one so special?

They're all special, don't get me wrong. Last year was special for very different reasons, but this one's special because of the effort and commitment that not only Max, but the whole team has had to put in to make it happen. Ok, the first half looked like it was a bit of a cruise, but actually we entered quite a difficult period, as everybody knows. But we had to work day and night to really try to understand the source of the problems and I think we've started to come out the other side, which is great news for the team, but it's also meant that our performances on track have improved and we saw the combination of that in Brazil as well.

Tell us a little bit more about the job that Max Verstappen has done this year. Would you say it's his best season so far?

The worrying thing for the grid is that Max is improving every year, which is frightening really because he's at an incredible level as it is, but in all areas he's working hard with the team, his racecraft on track, his qualifying laps, his consistency and also his ability to give up when you need to give up, and we saw that today, you know, he raced for what matter today rather than the final place on the podium.

In all of those areas you've just described, where has he made the most progress this year?

I think ultimately it just comes down to maturity and experience. Having been there three times before, I guess 2021 laid the foundations and now he's just becoming a very, very, very complete driver.

Since Miami, McLaren have been running you close. They've quite often been faster than you. Has there ever been a moment this year where you've doubted that you were going to win this championship?

I wouldn't say doubted, but certainly you don't take anything for granted. And as I said earlier, we took one race at a time, there was bit of a trend towards the middle of the year where things weren't going our way and we could see that other teams, not only McLaren, but other teams were making progress on us, relatively speaking and we had to do something. We had to make some changes and the team has come through on that. So kudos to them.

And how is your bond with Max evolved this year because it feels like this is the first time since you've been winning championships that you've been under a lot of strain together. And we did hear a few flare ups along the way, didn't we? Has it always been all sweetness and light or have there been-

Hungary springs to mind. We had actually a very quiet week after, I don't think there was a word spoken in the 3/4 days after the Hungary race, but we had a really good meeting in Spa together with Christian and Pierre just clearing the air. Not that there was ever any animosity, but I think sometimes when adrenaline is running that high, it's best just to leave things alone. Max and I are very similar in that respect. We're not one to bow down and give in very easily. So, yes, definitely that portion of the year springs to mind. But for the rest, again, it's a relationship that's grown over nine seasons. So we know each other very well. We work together very well. So long may that continue.

Well, let's throw it forward to 2025. It looks on paper like it might be incredibly close. Does that actually help someone like Max Verstappen because he makes no mistakes?

I think it helps him knowing that he has the ability to pull off results that perhaps aren't always there. And I think at the same time that maybe hurts or dents some of his competitors psychologically, not all of them, but perhaps some of them. But, you know, 2025 is a few months away. Now, I think more importantly, we need to finish the year on a high to keep morale in the team up over the winter because again it's been a really hard, hard year. And I think this was a bit of a unique, as everybody knows, it was a bit of a unique event with the temperatures and the tyres behavior, et cetera. So I don't think it's a true reflection of the car performance out there today. We'll do our best to finish Qatar and Abu Dhabi on a high and hopefully grab another win or, or two. And then, yeah, next year is next year.

[ipleadbritney]

wake up babes new oscar piastri as a nerd video just dropped

[charlotteking23]

The Lion's Lamb - Chapter 4 - MV1/33

Max Verstappen x reader

The Lion's Lamb Series: Aesthetics, Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.5, Ch.6, Ch.7

The Dutch and American couldn't keep each other out of their thoughts for the next few days.

Max found himself wanting to be around you more often. He found something other than racing, that he felt joy to be around.

You found herself drawn to the dark and mysterious aura that the Dutchman unmistakably had. Something about him made you feel something you never felt before.

In the days since they last saw each other, Max made good use of your number. Within an hour of leaving the coffee shop, he texted you.

Since then, they've been communicating nonstop. If they weren't busy with work, they were either texting or calling each other.

It wasn't until the upcoming Thursday that you felt like Max was becoming distant with you.

You were saddened by the thought. You rarely put Yourself out there, especially towards men, but something about Max made you want to try it.

By Sunday afternoon, Max had called you, extremely excited after winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. It was a close race between Ferrari and Redbull, but Max ultimately won in the end.

You had spent your Sunday painting, trying to keep your thoughts clear of a certain Dutchman. You wouldn't allow herself to think about it more than you should.

You had put yourself out there and was ghosted. You wouldn't wallow in self-pity for a man You had only met once. At least that's what you told herself.

In front of you lay a painting of piercing blue eyes that stared right back at you. You stared back, getting lost in the familiar gaze before the sound of your phone ringing broke your thoughts.

Quickly grabbing the phone without looking at who was calling, you answered, "Hello?"

"Hey," you heard the rough voice of the man who has been haunting your thoughts recently.

"Max?"

"Why do you sound surprised to get my call?"

"I didn't think you would call me," You said lightly, your heart racing just from his voice. "You seemed to not want to talk to me recently."

"I'm sorry, little lamb," You heard him sigh through the phone. "I was away for work and things got busy."

"Oh," You blushed at the pet name he said, "So you weren't done with me?"

"Little lamb, you can't get rid of me that easy," you giggled at his answer before responding.

"How was the work trip then?"

"It went well, but I can't wait to come back and see you again."

"When do you come back?"

"Tonight. I'd love to see you again sometime this week."

"I would love to see you too," you bit your lip nervously. "You have to tell me all about your trip."

"I will little lamb," he chuckled.

The Redbull driver couldn't keep the smile off his face. His little lamb wanted to be around him when he came back.

He was upset that you believed him to be ignoring you when that wasn't his intention at all. Max didn't tell you that he had gone away for work. He's used to people knowing who he is.

The name Max Verstappen has become a household name overnight it seemed. After winning his World Championship title last year, especially under the circumstances, he had built a name for himself. Good and bad.

So for him, you were a breath of fresh air. Being around someone that did know him, or what he does for a living, made him feel normal. As an F1 driver, normal is hard to come by.

Daniel Ricardo, the McLaren driver, and Max's closest friend, watched him on the phone from a distance. He had never seen his friend's face light up as much as it did when speaking to whoever was on the other end.

Daniel was there for the Dutchman since the beginning of his career at Redbull. Max was his younger brother in his head and he wouldn't have it any other way.

The McLaren driver knew that the Dutchman past, knowing he hadn't had the easiest life and his life revolved around racing. After watching the Redbull driver win his first title, the Aussie watched him slowly start to become a recluse.

Riccardo knew the young driver had been struggling since his world championship title came with a lot of controversy. Max wanted to prove to everyone, including himself, that he was a great driver.

Seeing the Aussie walking towards him, the Dutchman quickly told his little lamb goodbye and that he'd call back when he got the chance.

He didn't want anyone to know about you just yet. You were his escape from reality and he refused to share that escape with anyone else in fear of losing it.

"You all good mate?" The Australian driver asked once he got closer to the other driver, noticing the small smile on his face.

"Yeah," he responded shortly, letting the smile drop from his face.

"Who were you just on the phone with?" The driver smirks at his old teammate. He couldn't help but be nosey.

Especially after noticing how quickly he got off the phone when he approached. He wouldn't be Daniel Riccardo if he didn't know any drama.

"No one," Max shook his head quickly, refusing to fall for the other man's antics.

"Did our little Dutchman find a girl?"

"No," Max deadpanned. If he told the Aussie, it wouldn't be long before Lando, the other McLaren driver knew. And the younger driver couldn't keep a secret to save his life.

"You don't smile, especially on the phone, for just anyone."

"Daniel," the younger driver sighed, knowing the smile on his friend's face meant he wasn't going to stop pushing him. "If I tell you something you will drop the subject?"

The Aussie nodded his head vigorously, his classic grin plastered on his face. He just wanted to know what was going on with his friend.

If a girl is making him this happy, he'd like to know about you.

"You can't tell anyone about her okay? I don't need this getting out especially since it just started."

"I promise I won't say anything."

"She's amazing. She's gorgeous and absolutely the most innocent human being out there," he smiles thinking about you he hopes to see tomorrow. "The best part is, she doesn't know who I am."

"She doesn't?" That surprised Daniel, seeming how almost everyone knew who he was. "I don't want to say this, but is she faking this personality to get close to you?"

"No," the Dutchman shakes his head, not even entertaining the thought, "this girl can't lie to save her life. You can see it in her eyes that she has nothing but good intentions."

"Alright," the Aussie nods, choosing to believe his friend. "Where'd you meet her?"

"Coffee shop in Monaco."

"She's from Monaco and doesn't know who you are?"

"She's American, she only moved to Monaco for work."

"An American? Should have just started with that," the McLaren driver grins, "you know how much I love Americans."

Max shakes his head at his friend's comment. Thinking to himself how right his friend is.

The McLaren driver does love Americans, everyone on the grid is pretty positive that the man is a secret American pretending to be Australian.

"Look man," Daniel says while grabbing the Redbull driver's shoulder, "if she's making you this happy, who am I to say shit."

The Dutchman gives the Aussie a slight smile, thinking about you. He can't see you fitting into his lifestyle, yet at the same time, he can't seem to want anyone but you here.

"I want to be the first one to meet her," Daniel slowly gets a mischievous look in his eyes, "I can't promise that she won't choose me instead of you once she sees this beautiful face."

Taglist: @shelbyteller, @smithieandy, @fangirlforever2000, @herexpertcollector, @vip-access

[sports-on-sundays]

Can request one where y/n is the sister of a f1 driver ( u can choose) and they find out she is dating either Fermin,pedri,or gavi because she appears at one of the games?!

found us out / Fermín López

Summary: Fermín x Sainz!girlfriend!singer!reader - Things don't blow over well with Carlo Sainz when you're caught dating a Barcelona player.

Warnings: censored cussing, a little bit of Spanish, reader being a singer isn't really important at all- i just made it a fact in order for things to tie in together and made more sense, mention of nausea, this ended up being pretty long

Requested?: Yes.

Author's Note: Boy, what a crossover! As I was reading this request I literally started giggling in excitement to write this because I knew how fun this would be. I think it's clear that this has to be the sister of Carlos, though. Always good when there's a little bit of drama.

You exhale, fiddling with your fingers under the table as you listen to your father and your brother discuss plans.

You wish that exhaling would release not only the carbon dioxide from your body, but also all the unnecessary stress building up in your chest.

The plans they're discussing are for a small party. Of course, it's a little party that you're expected to go to. It is an entire family event. Or so you've heard...

On the surface, having a family gathering surrounded around Real Madrid playing a literal fourth-tier team (Arandina) in the Copa del Rey sounds really lame. And secretly, you do think it's really lame. But the point is looking forward to watching them slaughter the underdogs. Which is fair enough.

Suddenly you interrupt: "Isn't El Derbi next week? Wouldn't that be better for a family get together?" You're sure they've already thought of that, but if there's any possible way you could get out of this, you'd love to find it.

"Haven't you been listening?" your father questions. "Carlos has plans already. He needs to leave Monday morning, and won't be back until Friday. That won't work."

You clench your jaw. No, you weren't listening, because you were stressing out about your plans for that weekend.

You figure if you're going to tell your brother and father, right now is just as good a time as any other time. You sigh and say, "Well, I'm busy on Sunday, actually..."

Both pairs of brown eyes snap to you, and Carlos says, "What do you have going on? And the Madrid game is on Saturday, anyway- shouldn't it be fine?"

Really, why shouldn't it be fine? What lie will you come up with? Because you can't really say what you're busy with on that day. You manage out, "Some friends... we planned weeks ago to go out that day. Have some fun, you know... Sorry. I guess... Would it be fine if... Surely I wouldn't be missed...? The, uh, thing he have planned is... for Sunday night...."

Carlos sighs, leaning back. "Come on, Y/n. You can't cancel? Family over friends, right?"

But you shake your head as you finish your meal. You stand up with your plate, knowing that if you stay any longer, you'll be guilt tripped into doing what they want you to do, despite what you want to do. So you say, "What's done is done. You can still have the party without me." And you walk out of the room.

Hours later, you're laying in bed. You should be sleeping, but instead you're staring up at the ceiling and thinking.

'Family over friends, right?'- Carlos' words from earlier play through your head in the exact tone he had said it. Yeah, family over friends, Carlos. You've been seeing him and the rest of your family on and off frequently for the past month. But the one you really want to see? You haven't seen him in over a month, and you miss him, dearly. You just want to be able to see him. To surprise him.

And you know he misses you, too, by the constant text messages he sends you.

And, with perfect timing, your phone buzzes on your bedside stand next to you. You pick it up right away and smile to yourself when you see it's him. Telling you he can't sleep. Asking if you want to face time.

You don't even respond, and just call him first.

A smile immediately sneaks up on you when you see your boyfriend. His golden brown hair is all messed up, as he's leaning on a soft pillow, and he has a blanket pulled up all the way to his chin. His brown eyes look even deeper in the dim lighting, but they light up when they view you across the phone. "¡Hola, mi corazón!"

Immediately you feel butterflies fly up in your stomach at his little pet name. "Hey, Fermín," you say, much more casually. "How are you doing?"

He shrugs, and his eyes flutter down a little. "I can't sleep... I wanted to hear your pretty voice. And see your pretty face."

You smile softly, but ask in concern, "Why can't you sleep?"

But a cute little grin appears in his face, and he laughs a little. "Because I'm thinking about you."

"Oh!" you chuckle. "I see..."

You continue chatting together softly for who knows how long. But this is what you do. One of you calls and you can't help but just chat for minutes or hours or however long.

You just love the sounds of each other's voices and the sparkle in each other's eyes.

Saturday evening, just as family member are starting to arrive at the house, you walk to the door, pulling your hair into a ponytail, about to walk out. Your brother stops you, saying, "So you are really going?"

You turn, meeting his eyes as you grab your black long coat. "Yeah, I am. I'm sorry, Carlos..." you add when you see the disappointment in his big brown eyes.

He shrugs, and says what he always does: "Alright. Well, just be careful. And have fun. When will you be back?"

You hesitate. This is the very question you didn't want him to ask. "Uh... Probably Monday morning... I'll text you, though."

His eyebrows knit together even further. "Monday morning? I thought you were just having a night with your friends."

"One of them suggested we could stay at her house and spend the following day doing something else," you lie, nearly effortlessly now."

"Why not just come home?"

You sigh at the question. The truth is, you booked a hotel so you could catch Fermín as soon as possible in the morning and spend more time with him, since you'll have to get to Madrid right away again afterwards. You just want to get going. But you know Carlos only asks questions because he cares. Being nine years older than you, he's always been very protective of you. Too protective. But you know it's just because he cares.

He just cares too much, and it makes you angry. It's hard to keep secrets from his honest eyes.

"Because I was invited to hang out more and I haven't seen this friend in a while!" This one is only half a lie.

"Oh..." he slowly nods. "Well... where does this friend live, then? Far enough for you to just stay there, or... I mean, you haven't seen this friend in a while, so I'm assuming they don't live in Madrid?"

"Nothing- er, yeah, we, uh... she lives in, uh, Sigüenza! Yeah, Sigüenza! And, well, you know, she just moved there and there's uh, you know, it's Sigüenza! The cool stuff there, in... Sigüenza..." You've lost it. You're literally pulling sh*t out of thin air now.

And Carlos can tell. "You're lying. Where are you really going?"

"No, no! I am going there! My friend just moved there! There's castles and sh*t she thinks is cool and she wants to show me! And like go around like I think there's a restaurant she likes and... yeah! And then we'd probably just maybe go to a club for an hour or two or something tonight and then go back and hang out at her house!"

Carlos looks thoroughly unsure. "Is it good for you to go to a club...? Be careful..."

"Oh, come on!" You're speaking too quickly. "There'll be a few of us, and we're not stupid! You know that, Carlos! Don't worry about it, we'll be fine! I'm an adult, for God's sake!"

"Well..." he murmurs, "I hope you're not lying to me. I hope you wouldn't do that."

You swallow, but nod, and feel terrible as you say, "Of course I wouldn't. Why would I lie about something like this?"

"I can think of lots of reasons, but I won't get into it." Carlos says with that look of concern still in his eyes. "Well, be careful. I can see you're impatient to go, so I'll let you. Have fun. Te amo, Y/n."

"M-hm!" you say, and rush out the door. You didn't want to be leaving this late, but you figure you'll just have to hope you get there at a reasonable time.

Fermín nods as João (Félix) discussing the upcoming game with him, watching the Portguese man's eyes as he speaks his thoughts. So he catches it when João raises his eyes, looking over Fermín's shoulder.

You grin, bringing your finger to your lips as you walk down the hall towards the two, behind Fermín's back, making eye contact with João. João subtly nods, makes eye contact with Fermín and says, "Nothing. I was just seeing things."

You thoroughly appreciate João's playing along. And his good acting.

"Seeing things?" your sweet boyfriend asks his teammate. You reach Fermín just as he's turning around to look anyway. He he lets out a confused, "Uh- oh!?" noise when you pull him into a hug, before (pretty much) yelling, "Wait, Y/n?!"

You giggle, and nod your thanks to João, who's smiling and practically chuckling himself. He nods and gives a small wave, before turning to saunter away, a smile on his lips. "So, how's my Fermín?" you ask softly.

Your boyfriend hugs you so tight, it slightly hurts, but you don't complain. You're probably hugging him tighter. He's giggling, and starts showering your cheeks with kisses, before exclaiming softly, "Very good, now that you're here! But why are you here, huh? ¡Mi corazón!" He's so adorable about your little surprise arrival. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"So it could be a surprise! And so I could see you acting all cute and surprised like this!" You grin up at him, your hand on his chest.

"Stop that!" he laughs, touching his nose to yours, holding you close. But then he gets a little more serious. "How long of a drive was it? I'm assuming you were in Madrid?"

"Madrid to Barbastro? It wasn't so bad. I would drive any difference to get to you, though..."

This makes him chuckle and give you those soft little lovey-dovey eyes that you love to see. He strokes your hair as you rub his back a little, before murmuring, "You were staying with your brother? What did you tell him?"

You smile at this question. Fermín- he always thinks deeply about a situation- especially if it's involving you. He always worries and makes sure everything went well with you. He really cares. "Just told him I'm staying with a friend," you chuckle and add, "In Sigüenza!"

"Sigüenza? Have you ever even been there?" He smiles, clearly amused.

"Uh, maybe, like, once. Not sure if he completely believed me, but I got out of there. So that I could come here and see you! Figured a game like this would be better for me to come to. You know, maybe since it'll be such a small stadium, it'll be actually easier for me to just get in and hide in the crowd."

Fermín nods, gently stroking your cheek, looking into your eyes and says, "If you think so." He's just so focused on taking in your presence.

He leans in and kisses your cheek again, when (of course) Ferran Torres turns the corner, slaps Fermín on his back, and says in a teasing voice with a chuckle, "Got to get going, Fermín. Glad you're having a good time with your girlfriend, but-"

"Oh, Ferran!" you snap, pulling away from your boyfriend to glare at the older man. "Would you shut up?! We haven't seen each other in forever. But I guess you wouldn't get how it feels, since clearly you could never pull-"

"Hey, hey!" Fermín laughs, putting a hand on your shoulder. But he's grinning. He loves your spunk. "Leave the poor guy alone. He's right, corazón. I do have to get going now."

Ferran just waves as he walks off, giggling mischievously. You roll your eyes and turn back to Fermín. "So annoying." But you're grinning. You hug him a last time, peck his lips, and murmur, "I'll go to my seat now. I'm excited to watch you do great out there, mi chico guapo."

He grins and says as he starts to turn to walk the way Ferran walked a minute earlier, "You just watch. I'm going to go out there and score a goal. For you. Okay?"

You grin back and nod as you pull on your mask, hat, and sunglasses- hopefully enough to hide your face from cameras. "I'll be watching for it."

He nods, that lovely adorable little smile on his face, waves to you, blows a kiss, and walks away from you.

Adrenaline fills every cell of your body as the ball hits the back of the net. A goal. But not just any goal.

Your Fermín's goal!

Your muscles send you to your feet, and you cheer, clapping your hands together, watching your boyfriend. You're sitting in a seat very close to the pitch, and you know that if he wanted to, Fermín could come over and hug you right now. But he knows he can't. He understands and respects that you can't be being pointed out. It has to stay a secret.

So, instead, he eyes you, with all the joy in the world.

You grin back, nodding at him. You can't help but giggle.

After the game, you return to Fermín's arms immediately, as if there's a magnetic force between you and him. "Hola, mi prícipe azul," you mutter softly with a little chuckle, before squealing and saying, "You did so good! What a goal! You're amazing!"

"Stop..." he murmurs back, but is clearly loving your praise.

You smile and lean up, about to kiss him, when suddenly your phone starts buzzing and ringing in your back pocket. You hesitate, eyes locked with your boyfriend's, before sighing and leaning away. You slip your phone out of your pocket. "Oh..." you stare at the screen. "It's Carlos."

Fermín nods understandingly and leans away. "I'll keep quiet. I know you have to answer it."

You nod, sending him a grateful smile, before leaning against the wall and answering the phone with a bubbly, "¡Eh, Carlos! ¿Cómo te va?" You hope you don't sound so cheery that is sounds like you're faking it. Well, it's not like you're not happy. You are!

Carlos completely ignores your question, cutting right to the chase. "Where are you?"

"Uh...? I'm at my friend's house. In Sigüenza. Why?"

"Really?" Carlos asks slowly. "How far of a drive is it from Barbastro to Sigüenza? Because I doubt it's under fifteen minutes."

You feel your heart drop to your stomach, and you lean more heavily on the wall behind you as your knees start to shake. Fermín sees this and takes a step toward you. He opens his mouth to say something, but you prevent that with simply a shake of your head. You swallow and put on a confused voice as you respond to your brother, "Sorry...?"

"You heard me. Y/n, what the hell? Why the hell did you lie to me? Why the hell are you in Barbastro? Why the hell are you at a Barcelona game, instead of on the sofa next to me right now?"

"Listen-" you cough, nervousness pounding in your head. Your eyes sprout tears, but you wipe them. Fermín- bless his heart- puts a hand on your shoulder, and gives you the eyes that seem to say, Just say the word, and I'll stand up for you.

You give your boyfriend another quick nod before responding into the phone, lies coming to your brain naturally, on the spot, "Listen, Carlos. I'm sorry for not telling you. My friend in Sigüenza I guess is a fan, and she thought it'd be so fun for us to all go to the game together. So, you know, there wasn't much I could argue with when someone buys you a ticket to a football game. You... You know? I'm sorry for lying. I really am. I just didn't tell you because I knew you'd be upset. You know, about me going to FC Barcelona's game instead of staying home with my family and watching Real Madrid's the night before. I really am sorry, Carlos. I hope you'll... forgive me. But... How did you even know I was at the game... Carlos?" You swallow, waiting for the answer. Fermín takes your hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

"The television showed you. Over and over. The commentators were pretty fascinated to see Y/n Sainz at a Barcelona game. Especially the one in Barbastro."

"Oh, f*ck that!" you snap. "My f*cking disguise didn't even work! Why don't they get their stupid cameras out of my life for once! Ugh!" you say angrily. Fermín gently rubs your shoulder, which is at least some ounce of comfort. "So, what? How did you see it, anyway? Have you just been caught red-handed watching a Barcelona game, too?"

"No. I was flipping channels, and there you were. But there's still something that's not making sense." Your eyebrows scrunch together as your grip on Fermín's hand tightens. Was there a hole in your lies that you missed...? Then Carlos asks, "Where were your friends?"

The lump in your throat grows larger. "What do you mean?"

"You were sitting next to some fat old man with a jersey from twenty years ago and a bunch of snotty kids on the other side-" Carlos has never been one to go out of his way to compliment anything associating with football club Barcelona. "-so where were your friend sitting, then?"

It feels as if all the muscles in your body flex at this one. Your mind goes blank, desperately searching for yet another lie to save yourself from telling your older brother the truth. It's like you've dug yourself in a hole that you're desperately trying to climb out of. It feels like you've nearly reached the top-

but your hand just slipped, plummeting you straight back down to the bottom, where you started.

And you break.

Tears stream down your face, and Fermín immediately tries to grab the phone from you, but you pull it away, swallowing as you blubber into the phone, "I don't know, Carlos... Okay... I don't know..."

There's a second or two of silence on the other end, before Carlos says, now in a more tender, less interrogating voice, "Y/n, all I asked is where your friend are. Is everything okay? Are you alright? Y/n, you're worrying me..."

"Please, Carlos... I'm fine... Just... Please..."

"Can you please just tell me the truth?"

"No..." you sniff, leaning into Fermín more and more. "I can't, because you'll be mad at me... It will ruin our relationship..." You don't know if you're talking about your relationship with Carlos or your relationship with Fermín.

"This is ruining our relationship! You keeping stuff from me! Y/n, you're my little sister! I don't want anything bad to happen to you! Just tell me what's wrong, and I can help!"

"You're the one making it all wrong. If you'd just leave me alone-"

"No. Y/n, you need to be honest with me right now, okay?"

"No, I don't. I don't, and I f*cking won't." At this, you hang up and fall into Fermín's arms.

He holds you there, close to his chest, before whispering, "I'm sorry..."

You look up slowly, sniffing, and wipe your eyes. It doesn't do much, since your tears are still coming. "For what?" you whisper. "You've done nothing wrong... It's just... Everything is messed up. Nothing went how I wanted it to... Fermín, I'm scared."

His eyes are tender, and he strokes your cheek. "My Y/n... I hate to see you cry. There's nothing to be scared of." He puts his arm around your back and starts leading you down the hall. "If Carlos finds out, Carlos finds out. He loves you, and you know that. I know you've spent all your energy hiding this, but mistakes happen, okay? I'll be by your side, but what's done is done." You nod, wiping up your soaked face with your hands, and let him lead you, until you get to the street. He sighs and murmurs, "F*ck. Missed the bus back to the hotel..."

"Oh..." a wave of guilt washes over you. "Fermín, I'm sorry... Isn't your team worried about you?"

"No, no. Don't worry about it. Either they completely missed my absence, or they got the memo that my girlfriend has just arrived and I might have other plans. Let's hope it's the second one, because that would be just a tad bit too silly if they just flat out forgot about me." There's a teasing tone in his voice, in an attempt to lighten the mood. Make you feel better. "You drove here? Where is your car?"

"Oh... yeah, right..." you sigh. After all the rush and emotions, you completely forgot you had your car here. You glance to Fermín, and catch in his expectant eyes a glint of excitement, too. You smile softly, understanding completely what this is from. You roll your eyes. "And no, Fermín. I didn't pull up in a Ferrari. That would draw too much attention." You can't blame him for being excited. You have driven a Ferrari before, (and many other super sick vehicles) and you know Fermín would love to go for a spin in one (or another of the insane sports cars you've driven.)

Fermín thinks they're cool, and as the daughter of Carlos Sainz Sr. and the sister of Carlos Sainz Jr., you tend to be able to get your hands on some pretty luxurious cars, it just so happens. And it's not like your family (especially your brother) won't jump at the drop of a hat to lend you something like that. You're Carlos's baby sister, and he'd do anything to treat you. So when you take advantage of that, every so often Fermín gets to go for a ride.

And you suppose Carlos has no idea of that.

Yet.

And just like that, you feel nauseous again.

When you arrive at Fermín's hotel room, you immediately both put on pajamas and get into bed. All night, he holds you close, never letting go. You lean your head against his chest, basking in the comfort. He knows it's hard. He understands what you're going through.

"Te amo," he whispers, just as you're drifting off to sleep. You never get a chance to say it back, because you're asleep before you can.

"I'm coming back to Barcelona with you."

"Lo siento, ¿qué?" Fermín asks, his head whipping up from tying the drawstrings of his sweatpants as he exits the hotel bathroom. His light pink lips are slightly parted as he stares at you, eyebrows raised.

"You heard me. I'm coming back to Barcelona with you," you repeat, locking eyes with him.

Fermín crosses the room and slips onto the hotel bed next to you, gently placing his hand on your thigh. "Mi corazón..." he mutters. "Of course I would never complain- I would love it if you came back to Barcelona with me. But don't you think that's not the best idea? Don't you have things to deal with back home in Madrid?"

You hesitate and mutter. "Sure I do. But I'd rather come with you back to Barcelona."

He frowns, nodding. "When are you going to go back to Madrid? And what will you tell your brother?"

Suddenly you snap, slipping out of bed, "I don't care, Fermín! And I don't plan to tell my brother anything! I know he'll call, but he can't make me pick up. I'm sick of him pretending like he's in charge of my life!"

"Y/n, come on. We both know he just cares about you. You know how worried sick he'll be if you randomly cut off communications and don't even tell him what happened to you. You can't do that to him. I know if my sibling did that to me, I'd be worried sick, too, and you and Carlos are very close. And he's much older than you. You know how he thinks of you. You can't do that to your brother," he tries, looking for eye contact. But you continue looking down.

"Fermín, no." You speak quietly, but firmly. "I won't. I'm scared, and I don't want to deal with him right now. And I know you said you'd be by my side, but I know you can't be. You can't possibly come to Madrid with me, and then get back to Barcelona."

Fermín sighs, and takes your chin, forcing you to look him in his eyes. "I understand you want to avoid your brother, but you can't have him worrying like that. It's just not right. He's only so concerned and protective because he cares, Y/n."

Your jaw clenches. You try to look away, but he doesn't let you. You swallow, looking at him, and murmur, realizing there's not much you can do, "Alright. Can we compromise?"

Fermín looks a little surprised at your sudden giving in, but nods. "Maybe. What are you thinking?"

You sigh. "I come back to Barcelona with you, but I still text Carlos. But I tell him I won't call, and if he wants to talk to me, he has to come to Barcelona himself and do it."

Fermín's immediate reaction is to protest with, "You expect him to drive from Madrid to Barcelona? You know how long of a trip that is!"

"Well, too bad, Fermín!" you snap. "It's what I'm willing to do! If he cares enough, he'll drive up. And trust me- he does."

Your boyfriend frowns, considering this, and finally nods. "Okay, then... I guess it's fair enough." And that's that.

You sit between Fermín's legs on the couch, watching the television as you munch on buttered popcorn and Fermín plays with/braids your hair. It's been three weeks since when Barcelona faced off with Barbastro, and since then all you've communicated with your brother is that if he wants to discuss anything with you, he's got to come to Barcelona and do it himself.

Do you miss your older brother? Yes. Yes, you one hundred percent do. Are you scared of your brother's attitude and reaction? Yes. Yes, you one hundred percent are.

As Fermín leans close, now stroking your arm with one hand, your phone buzzes in your lap. You give the bowl of popcorn to your boyfriend and pick up your phone.

You stare in shock at what you read on your phone. Fermín leans over and reads the text from Carlos along with you:

Carlos: I just arrived in Barcelona. I'm hoping we can meet somewhere in the morning, if you're not busy? I've been worrying lots

Fermín's hand gently moves to your waist, and after a few seconds, he whispers, "What will you do, my Y/n?"

"I don't know..." you sigh in hesitation.

"Can I make a suggestion?"

You look up at him from behind, meeting his eyes. You can't help but giggle at each other. He sighs, before turning serious again and saying, "Just send him my address and tell him to be around at 9:00 A.M."

"Fermín!" you snap, as though he's a complete lunatic. "You think we can just do it, just like that?!"

"Sure," he nods, cool headed. "I'm not scared of him, just because he drives cars fast and he's got big muscles. I run fast and... have slightly less big muscles than him." He grins, and you can't help but smile, too, at this. Fermín has a way of making serious things light-hearted. "Anyway, if you do it this way, I'll be there with you. Maybe it'd be easier to show him rather than tell. And I'll do the talking that you're still nervous to do. I will." He looks at you with sincere eyes.

You stare ahead, considering this for a while as Fermín slowly and absentmindedly rubs your thigh. Finally you sigh and mutter, "I guess that's the best thing... It's a shame it has come to this."

Fermín laughs softly, shaking his head, but you don't mind it. "You knew that at some point it would come to this. Y/n, you know this will be fine. It will be. I promise. Your brother loves you too much to do any of the stupid things you're scared of happening."

You frown, but then turn around hug him tightly. "Okay... Fermín." You look him in the eyes. "Okay. I know. It's still nerve-racking, though."

"I know, I know," he responds.

You sigh, take out your phone, and, despite yourself, text him.

Fermín gives your upper thigh a little pat.

You look up and study his handsome, lovely face for a few seconds, before kissing him all over. He lets you, chuckling a little. He always seems to laugh when you show him lots of affection, and you love it.

And before long, the two of you are fast asleep there.

When the doorbell rings at 9:01 A.M., your heart drops to your stomach. You knew it would happen. You prepared yourself. But you still can't help but shiver with nervous.

Fermín is trying making breakfast, and you're sitting at the island in the kitchen. He looks up from the food and is about to speak, but you say before he can, in a hurried tone, "I'll get it. You just stay here and keep making breakfast."

He hesitates for a moment, but then nods. "Alright... Call if you need me. And he's welcome to come in, too."

You nod and then head to the door. You exhale slowly, before opening the door.

Immediately, you're wrapped in a huge bear hug from your strong older brother, and he snaps, "What the hell? Why have you been avoiding me like this?! Are you embarrassed? It's fine! I've thought about it, and if you're dating a Barcelona fan that's fine... As long as he's a good guy, it shouldn't matter that much, right?"

You blink in surprise, leaning back, away from him, and meet his eyes, which are very similar to your own in shape and color. He's not stupid. Clearly he's tried to figure it out. But the concept of me dating an actual player for the club is so ridiculous, he just expects it's some random culer dude? Just this concept makes your heart (which was already in your stomach) seem to fall down to your knees. You swallow and awkwardly smile. If you could speak, you would, but no words whatsoever come to mind, and your mouth feels much too dry to form any words.

"So... I'm assuming this is his flat? Is he here? Can I meet him? What's his name?"

You allow yourself to breathe a little, and swallow. "Yes, this is his flat... And he's here... In the kitchen... You- You can meet him..." You open the door wide for him, and have to try a few times, before your voice finally allows you to call, "Fer- Fermín!"

"Fer...mín? That's his name?" your older brother asks. You nod slowly meeting his eyes again. You can't imagine that Carlos would know who Fermín is... right? It's not like a gives really any of his attention to any football club other than Real Madrid... Perhaps just the name sounds familiar? Well, it's not like Fermín has a super uncommon name or anything...

Your head is starting to hurt from all this overthinking. You swallow. "Yeah, yeah... That's his name."

You watch with dread (which you never though you'd feel at the sight of him) as your boyfriend enters the room. He has a smile on his face, but he's eyebrows are knitted together.

For a moment, the two stand there.

It's strange, for you. Here are (probably) the two people you care about most. The two people you spend the most time with, the two's whose opinions you value the most. Here they are, together. Two who you care about so much, but have always been separate. And you've always kept it that way.

It feels off, to have the two in the same room, right here, in front of you.

Their heights don't differ much, but Fermín's younger, gentler features contrast with Carlos. Fermín has lighter, nicer kept hair, while your brother of course has the same shock of dark hair you have, and right now, it's grown out a bit, curling at his ears.

You stare at the two.

You swallow as something like very vague recognition is reflected on Carlos's face. He says slowly, holding his hand out to shake Fermín's, "Hola... Have we met before...?"

You can't help but shake your head a little. Carlos, not recognizing a first team Barcelona player when he's right in front of him.

Or, pretty much first team, anyway.

A (cute) little nervous crooked smile appears on your boyfriend's face. He sends you a brief little glance with only those chocolate brown eyes, before looking back to Carlos. He shakes his hand as he swallows and says, "Well, you know, I... uh, I actually play for FC Barcelona."

Carlos opens his mouth, shuts it, and opens it again. "Okay..." he says slowly. "That... It makes sense, now... that Y/n was at the game in Barbastro..." he seems to be talking more to himself. He glances to you, and his eyes linger, before shifting back to Fermín and saying, "Fermín... Fermín Gómez...?"

That crooked little smile appears on Fermín's face again. "López."

You watch as your older brother nods, and then looks to you slowly. "Y/n, can I...?" he trails off, glancing to Fermín.

Fermín seems to get the hint that you didn't even pick up and nods, saying, "I'll go finish making breakfast. Carlos and Y/n, you're welcome to just stay here in the living room." He gives a cute little awkward smile, and walks out of the room.

Now you don't want him to go.

But your brother gently takes your wrist and tows you to the couch, forcing your eyes to wander from the doorway that Fermín just left through. You look to Carlos and swallow. Those eyes. So incredibly earnest. "You're not... mad?" you murmur softly.

"Mad? I'm disappointed you hid it from me, and didn't trust me. A part of me doesn't feel right about you dating a Barcelona player, but it's not like the club someone is playing for decides how good of a boyfriend he is, or if he's meant to be with my sister or not. I'm shocked- I was expecting it's a Barcelona fan, not a player. But whatever..." He trails off, swallows, and finishes, "No. No, I'm not mad."

"Oh... Oh, okay... I'm... I'm sorry."

He nods, not looking at you. "I forgive you. I'm sorry, too. There had to have been a reason why you didn't trust me. So I'm sorry."

You say, "I forgive you," though you're not even one hundred percent sure what you're forgiving him for.

If you thought introducing just your older brother to Fermín was just terrible, introducing him to your whole family is like actual hell.

Fermín keeps his arms tightly around your shoulders as you sit on your couch. You feel stiff and rigid as Fermín manages the awkward questions and empty small talk. Your family is always so open, but with Carlos insisting everyone meet Fermín here, it's unnatural.

Why don't they accept him? They accept other people's friends, girlfriends, etc., much easier. Fermín is acting so sweet and polite.. like he always does... What don't they like about him?

Unlike Carlos, do they really care that much about stupid football club rivalries? Gosh, there are plenty of fans of different clubs who get on just fine.

How is Fermín being a player any different?

He's a culer, just like any fan, right? I mean, I don't know what I am. Am I a culer?

Who cares? I'm Fermín López's girlfriend and Carlos Sainz Sr.'s daughter. Think that's enough for one person!

Suddenly you're pulled out of your racing mind when Fermín's hand settles on your waist and he says, "...right, Y/n?"

"Uh, huh?" you ask, looking at Fermín just as he pecks your lips with a little laugh. You blush and murmur, "Gosh, Fermín, not here."

But he pulls you tighter to his side and says with a soft, slightly defiant little smirk, "I'm so happy that you all have accepted me as Y/n's boyfriend, Sainz family." The faces of your family members span from confused to uncomfortable to (only a few of them) genuinely accepting. But Fermín adds with a chuckle, kissing your cheek, "Although, of course, your opinions, or anyone's, about our relationship doesn't matter to me." He meets your eyes with those deep brown ones.

You swallow and nod, getting up the courage in that moment to respond with, "Yeah, Fermín... You know, I think I agree with you..."

[mecachrome]

very selfishly would love more of ur thoughts on oscar accommodating and mirroring lando.... as an insane landoheadTM ive been watching lando slowly match oscar's energy in the past year and its been driving me insane and ur SO right that oscars done the same thing!! kind of crazy kind of losing my mind would love to get more thoughts out of u

!!!!!!!!! hi kira i would LOVE 2 talk about this. also this answer may or may not be 2k words long

god there are so many Angles and Frameworks and Contexts through which it is possible to examine 814's dynamic that i constantly feel unhinged about it. and probably sound unhinged as well…… pls note that all of this is pure insanity from my insaneperson brain ⚠️ ;__; ok where to begin.

to me the thing about 814 mirroring each other is that in reality it's actually a metaphor for many different things ❗️ on one hand you can interpret it Literally as in a strictly physical sense—the idea of mirroring someone as running parallel and positioning yourself firmly opposite each other, as constructing intricate rituals in order to NOT touch the skin of other men, being so specifically magnetically repulsed that any contact is accidental and fleeting and causes you to spring away as quickly as you'd met. but then there is also the other sense of mirroring that is….. more amorphous and conceptual, e.g. how oscar has in many ways indirectly orbited lando his entire career and how although they've only been teammates for a year now lando has technically been a primary reference point of his throughout a majority of his teens. AND what i think is so interesting about that too is that if you look back at oscar's Evolution As A Person, you could argue that he's been purely Himself As He Is Now for a very long time... yes there've been minute fluctuations in maturity and just general cringeness and muscle growth and cheek fat etc. etc. but at least outwardly in how he communicates with other people and displays his mentality / innate habits / mannerisms he's basically been his fully realized adult self since he was like 17??? which obviously cannot be said of lando norris who has grown massively in appearance and perspective and assuredness and so on from the ages of 17 to 21 to 24. yet this constantly evolving & changing your_choice_of_lorde_album Growing Pains lando has always been a sort of distant static fixed point in the future of oscar's mind… hmmm. that's just part of it tho

basically 814 as they are now are sooo fascinating to me because again They Do Not (Consciously) Touch but they've still very gradually managed to build off the foundations of oscar's subconscious teenage mirroring by turning it into something… well perhaps not quite fully intentional (and isn't that almost better in the end!!!) but certainly more self-aware and generally conscious. basically: the Negative Space of landoscar's demonstrated "affection" is where their reciprocity lies! if that makes sense.

and i guess what i'm trying to get at is that… on surface level, it's easy to say that 1) Oscar has always only ever been himself (generally true) and that 2) As the guy who came into f1 at 19 and was continuously expected to meet his more extroverted teammates' energies lando is the one who's habituated to experiencing marked change (also fairly true), but this still obfuscates equally important facets of their personalities: i.e. that oscar may be the more ~intellectually~ inclined of the two (which also who Cares. completely totally off-topic LOL but personal pet peeve of mine is people acting like there is a discernible difference between a-level maths and whatever private tutoring lando did after dropping out when their job title is lichrally F1 Driver…?! both are negligible fractions of fractions of whatever postgrad coursework the team's Actual engineers have done!!! but anyway), my personal argument is that really oscar is so consistently himself BY having zero concept of himself. whereas lando….. actually does possess a very strong inner character and intense, at times destabilizing self-awareness but also boasts a higher eq that enables a very high capability for social camouflage.

……????????? this is like a 10-paragraph intro. What am i getting at.

so basically. Yes. mutual accommodation……. i think my main point is that despite lando's strong baseline character and idiosyncrasies and particularities and fussiness and general weirdness, He Can, when necessitated, (as long as it doesn't completely contradict his moral impulse etc. etc.) soften that edge and adapt to another person's expectations—Even if just to maintain bearable social rapport & conversation. whereas on the other hand oscar can sometimes actually be a lot more malleable because he doesn't really hold strong conviction in much outside the few non-negotiables in his life ??? (read: racing...) like yes he's still competitive in challenges and is pedantic as shit but also he kind of just Doesn't care……. so basically he's the perfect fit for lando. because he DOESN'T expect anything from lando and lando DOESN'T need to camouflage himself for oscar and because oscar interprets things straight-forwardly and at face value and reads lando's intentions in good faith and honestly probably like 30% of lando's overthinking is a result of people constantly assuming the worst of him so i think on some level it's like 👉 👈 when you're both a little weird and also weird in these little different ways but in the end those minute shifts are what make you compatible and fit you back together again ?!?!?!? as i said it's the negative space of it all.

so really landoscar are not totally "opposites attract" but they're also not identical "mctwins" or whatever because Nuance and Secret Third Thing and what's truly critical about their mirroring is basically that 1) they don't EXPECT the other person to do it 2) they don't INTENTIONALLY do it and 3) it only happens because they're intensely aware of the other person's personality and mannerisms and appearances... bref IT'S ABOUT THE CATALOGUING!! like lando saw oscar in 2023 for the first time and immediately went oh you've gotten taller? oh you have big arms now? and they can't help pointing out each other's hair and ALSO >portrait painting (gets ko'd) "do you like purple?" "...uhhhh i can do now" like WHO SAYS THAT? ANDDDDD this was after oscar had picked purple to begin with but lando was like Nooo you can't do that :/ so oscar changed even though he'd argued that he'd "already committed to it" literal moments prior. Many such cases (i'm not finding a chair anyone?). they make me feel insane.

right let me just finish up with a few more moments (if you're still reading i'm sorry) but Vocabgifset is kind of a rough overview of how, at the very beginning, i think oscar did come in with a very undefined approach to How To Be A Teammate ? and was ready to treat lando as he'd treated rob and logan and fred and whomever and maybe even reflecting the atmosphere as reserve at alpine a little bit idk—essentially more visibly abrasive and pedantic and generally annoying. Also (ahem) perhaps how he'd seen lando act around carlos and daniel before... Guy who has carlando tweets in his twitter likes. 😔

but of course lando REALLYYY doesn't like being unnecessarily corrected over ultimately inconsequential things and again his demeanor is far from bombastic when it hasn't been demanded of him, so i think oscar quickly recognized that in his character and learned to just play along with what lando liked and wanted—not because he was preoccupied with lando getting annoyed at him or thought that lando was sensitive or whatever and not because he himself is a pushover because of course there is a healthy & endearing amount of push/pull to their dynamic but just because he sincerely respects lando and with that respect understood that he didn't need to "force" their dynamic when it would prosper by just being himself and more importantly letting lando be himself……….. Or something.

which imo is basically the basis of their current communication style: a lot of wordless meaningful looks & expressions (because they're both entirely honest people in different ways) (SEE: VIRGIN RADIO UK) (the thing Is that lando has no verbal filter but oscar is the one with 0 control of his expressions and deeply revealing permablush), oscar always folding to whatever lando says in an interview, jumping into frame and following along lando's message in the british f4 anniversary video, listening to lando's music through the walls of their driver rooms, and of course any instance of their Soft Talking Voices such as → "yeahhh you're up there" "aww (genuinely a little pleased and flustered)" and CAT 5 behind the scenes smoothie convo and oscar patiently waiting for lando to finish speaking and not wanting to enforce his presence but always being there and ready to help him….. like the worst part 2 me of the "well-represented" video is that andrea turns to lando first and tries to help him but lando is Still processing and Not listening so THEN he looks at oscar to be like um i don't know the word and that's when andrea looks back at oscar expectantly 🥲😭😩!!!!!!!! what if i dyed. honestly. the category is truly just oscar being susceptible to Lando Norris…………… i could go on.

also >RANDOM MOMENT TOTALLY NOT IMPORTANT but the yes/no challenge is so devastating on every conceivable level and yet One thing that i do not think is discussed enough! is the way oscar physically leans into lando's space on the table every time it's his turn to answer the questions and Specifically how in round 1 the media people were trying to get his attention to tell him to put the mic pack into his pocket but he was soooooooooo focused and fixated on lando's face right up until lando turned to speak to the camera that he didn't notice for like 3 minutes. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH. argh. the problem with oscar is that he's SINCERE. truly. "are you ready oscar piastri?" [zero hesitation whatsoever] "i am ready lando norris 🥰"

of course it's not like oscar doesn't introspect whatsoever because obviously he is very capable of self-assessing when something is important by an objective measure of success (aka recognizing deficits over a lap), but relative to lando's specific brand of overthinking & online lurking habits then oscar very much does.... basically underthink??? yes he overcomplicates simple ideas by being too literal but really as a person & conscious being he's great at living in the Present and filtering out excess noise. er... i won't delve too much into the ojp Learned Behaviors of it all and why he's so charming to older people specifically but basically Wwyd if an F1 driver microdosed autisticswag? joking. mostly. but i def agree re: your tags that oscar is never actually consciously trying to be a WELL AKSHUALLY guy because it's just fundamental expressive compulsion alkdsfhaldfh.

also specifically one of my favorite tiny little 814 things OAT is when lando says something unexpected or ridiculous and oscar parrots it back all high-pitched and breathily and disbelievingly like? Girl. this is super jank but perhaps you understand....... 😔

in the end it's getting asked >what have you picked up from lando and oscar saying Well everyone hmmms but not in the Special Multifaceted Uniquely Expressive way that Lando does ! whom I not only know well enough to intimately recognize this mannerism from but have also elected to mention multiple times in this interview. and at the end of the day...? maybe that's romanze

is this anything… idk. also i offer you the jankiest gif ever because i had to remove zbrown to fit them together (Which perhaps is also a metaphor for reaching each other Across The Distance NO PHYSICALITY REQUIRED!! ok i can't just keep saying see: [another random ass example] so i'll stop now but also see: eyebrow raise knowing smile at the end of the sim city video.) anyway why's this such another crasyinsane little moment of how they communicate with each other?! is it just me ?????????

alskfhsfd ok i'm so sorry. thank u for letting me ramble incessantly 🧡

[neptunescore]

k you asked for unpopular f1 opinions and idk if this even counts but i Do Not Like lando norris. i actively dislike him, actually. couldn't really tell you why, he's just really annoying. and that move with the fist pump during max's anthem at the canadian gp? not fucking cool. i also hate when people say shit like "omg he's so public school core" or "idk he just feels more authentic than the rest of them (drivers)" because most people didn't know he had money growing up. his dad is like a fucking billionaire (millionaire?) CEO like shut up. i just feel like he can't possibly be as nice as people think. also his win in miami had distinctly Weird Vibes. not necessarily bad, just Wrong. should not have happened. also that thing where he said "trump is someone you gotta have a lot of respect for" like no??? he's not??? he's a conservative right wing politician who was found guilty on all 34 counts in his hush money case. he's a white-collar criminal (the worst kind). he deserves no respect. shut up. it would be better to just not say anything at all. yeah.

I have had SO MANY asks on lando, but i shall keep responding😤.

No1. All the shit Lando has done. Ugh, dont even get me started on it, im just gonna link my old post bc im so done talking abt it.

No2. I don't hate lando, I'm not a lando 'hater', bc I feel like you can't really hate a person you have never met and don't know on a personal level. However, I do feel very strongly abt some of his actions, and I do think he should take accountability for shit he's done. Personally, I just don't like him that much, and so I stay away from his content and fans. If I see smthng funny he's done or see content abt him that I enjoy then I laugh and appreciate it, but recently he's just been irritating towards my beliefs and values, so I'm keeping my distance.

No3. I just wanna say, very gently, even if you dislike a driver, you shouldn't discredit their wins/ accomplishments bc in the end thats smthng they've earned, and it's literally their job, like for me, when I saw miami, I thought "good for him" and moved on. I did get really pissed abt his comments on trump tho, man really went and stained his first race win with all that shit.

No4. Ur point on the way ppl say, 'he's more authentic than the rest of the drivers'. Honestly, I've seen so many ppl have this opinion, and all I'm gonna say is: Every driver has a different pr strategy. Lando's whole strategy is being perceived as 'relateable' and 'quirky', and, by the looks of it, it's working really well. Obv we – as fans – will never know if he's genuinely like this in person or if it is just fully pr (same with all the other drivers), but from what's provided to us we're all free to make our own assumptions :]

I just feel like he can't possibly as nice as people think

I think, nonnie (and this is meant in the kindest way possible), assumptions like these are smthng we should avoid making. You don't know lando, and I don't know lando, so really we'll never know if he's truly as nice or not, and we shouldn't say stuff like this about ppl who've never actually done anything to be precieved that way. Like yes, we can talk abt how lando is ignorant and the type to either: 1. Not think bfr he speaks/ does smthng or 2. Has really bad political views and questionable morals (and if this option is fully confirmed, i will become a full hater, doesn't matter if hes nice or not). But what has he ever done that shows us he's not kind/ nice to his fans?

[maraguanabana]

Having Charles and Ollie united the team sm tho. Tbh i wanted him to replace Sainz when i saw that the contract negotiations didn't go so well. But yeah maybe in a few years. Tbh i agree that LH to Ferrari wouldn't unite the team but i think i'll bring a lot of other things

The thing is, I feel it kinda bringed the team close because they were all cheering for him, rather than just the mere fact that it was Ollie. No matters or whose side of the garage you were in, heck, the whole F1 grid was cheering for him. He's a F2 driver, that had the one-in-a-lifetime chance that reserve drivers get to drive a F1 car IN a F1 race. There was no "competition" or "antagonism" at all, because as much as I think Ollie is a great driver, with only FP3 and Quali he was not a "threat". F1 is a competitive sport, and, unless you're Nico Hulkenberg that did was fighting with him, the whole F1 comunity was supportive of him. If he was a signed F1 driver in Ferrari fr, put against Charles Leclerc in all races, directly "meant to fight" with him, the waters could not be as calm and quiet, I think. But that's just me. Maybe Ollie is a walking incense that calms down everyone. NO WAIT. Maybe he is a teddy bear that you can hug and get to calm you down. sorry I had to

And about the Sainz non-contract and Ollie coming right in, I, personally, don't believe he would have come right in. Ferrari does not "do" rookies. The riskiest thing they've done in years was Charles in 2019, and yeah, it was pretty fine. But he already had had his rookie year. But I don't know. Who knows.

And lastly, I do agree that Hamilton can bring stuff to the team. Sponsors, fans, money. He can also help to develop the car, like I said. But union is probably not one of them. And, with the actual fear that I'll get cancelled, maybe Lewis is there to develop the car for Ollie to come get the seat in 2027. I'm not saying that Lewis has lost his touch, or that he cannot achieve stuff anymore. No, that's not what I want to say. To be honest, I have more faith in him than in Ferrari, ane I really hope that they surprise us all and manage to do some amazing stuff. But experience is not on their side. The last time a world champion went to Ferrari as was successful on his task, was Michael Schumacher, from 2000 to 2004. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari's last champion, won his first and only championship with them. Then, we have Fernando, Seb and Kimi. We all know how it went with them. Again, I really hope I'm wrong and Ferrari is not a reitrement plan for WDC, but those are just the facts.

thanks for coming to my TEDTalk

[cecoeur]

As a marketing girlie this is going to be one hell of a mess for everyone involved (except Daniel ofc), bc now we have the partnerships guy at cash app almost crying over Daniel in his insta stories, people all over the place talking about how disrespectful all this nonsense is, journalists basically saying goodbye to him etc.

I don’t really now how they’re going to actually fix this, if at the end they do keep Daniel until the end of the season (or beyond) the damage is already done.

(Also from a marketing POV this whole mess might actually affect f1 as a brand bc who else is willing to actually go along with some of the marketing ideas/activities they have planned like?)

I mean I think they can spin just about anything but it kind of seems like daniel is just ...done with it all. I hope that's not the case but if it is, I wouldn't fault him for walking away after what has been a legitimately traumatic weekend for him mentally, emotionally, and physically.

And if the decision was to always drop him ... well they went about it in the literal worst way possible and will reap what they sowed. (Although, again, I think they'll figure out a way to weasel their way out of it to some extent...i'm prepared for them to turn this all around on the media and blame their vulture tendencies.

From a PR perspective, it certainly doesn't look good to have him publicly posting like that but from like a legal perspective I don't know that much could or would be done. Driver contracts are obviously pretty fluid and unless there's something specifically tied to daniel in their sponsorship, I doubt anything would come of it nor would they likely need to be notified. (but also i'm not a lawyer so don't take my word for it)

I heartily doubt this will impact F1 as a brand. They've gone through waaaaayyy bigger scandals and lived to tell the tale. Honestly the skeletons in their closet are probably more insane than we will ever know.

[scenetocause]

any guesses as to how max and lando both wound up sick. just curious.

[cn: cheating]

"You haven't sucked me off for ages," Lando pouts. Max nearly chokes on his mouthful of avocado toast.

"Mate." His ears are turning pink, he can't look at Pietra. "What the fuck."

"Well it's true, you haven't." Lando says it primly, goes back to demolishing some poached eggs with gay - literally - abandon. Like he hasn't just derailed Max's life for the fiftieth and possibly worst time this week.

He's going to have to do it at some point so he glances round at Pietra, who at least doesn't look completely disgusted with him, just like she's contemplating ways to kill Lando. Which he's fully onboard with, actually. It could be a new date concept, if Lando's going to insist on coming along.

"No, I haven't," is all he can muster as a response.

-

The thing is. The thing is that Max knows he's being a little bit of a hypocrite on a whole bunch of levels. Because he used to come on all Lando and Luisa's dates and fill in all the ways Lando's a rubbish boyfriend by being a better one and she didn't seem to mind that Lando just doesn't count sleeping with Max as anything, so they'd carried on doing it. Max is also pretty good at being Lando's boyfriend, in terms of getting him to act normally.

But Max should've known it wasn't going to work the other way around. He'd been so careful to keep them separated, at first. Partly out of fear Pietra would realise he's very much not an F1 driver and realise she could do better but much more out of knowing this wasn't going to go down well with either of them. It's a hard sell "hey can my best friend, who's chronically weird, hang out with us all the time and also sometimes he has to spoon me for emotional support."

He's tried to find things in it for Pietra but she could go to Monaco anyway and have a more normal time. She's not that keen on coming to grand prix, although he thinks she would if it was his racing and let's not take that train of thought too far to the depression station.

And Lando can't act normal about him and Max doesn't want him to. Was maybe trying to provoke this by getting a girlfriend in the first place - which isn't fair, that's not why he's dating her, it's just that something makes him want Lando's attention as much as Lando wants to give it to him and if they could ever just make that work they'd probably be a lot more normal.

The problem, really, is that Lando feels much more like forever than his girlfriend does. Which is pretty cursed, especially when he's openly sabotaging Max in the middle of brunch.

-

She doesn't bring it up with him, probably because there's nothing to talk about. Max had caved under about one minute of scrutiny from her about the nature of his relationship to Lando and then promised they weren't like that anymore and then slept with Lando the second he touched down in Nice.

Which is bad. He knows it's bad. He objectively knows this is bad boyfriend stuff and he doesn't want to be that, he wants to make things work and be in love and get married and have kids. Be normal - except that he can't.

It's like the stupid mess in his brain. He could just not have whatever makes him demotivated and mopey for days on end and it'd be better. Simpler, at least. Make more sense for the way his life's supposed to be going but instead he's had Lando fussing over him for a week because Max accidentally said some depressed stuff even though he'd been pretending that wasn't really going on anymore and now Lando's trying to add every possible enrichment to his enclosure.

Which is how they've ended up in Max's bedroom, Lando's hair freshly clipped and stream done, with Lando trying to get his cock in Max's mouth.

"Will you," he bats Lando's hand away from his hair, "just stay still and let me do this?"

"I'm trying to help." Lando sounds way too aggrieved for a man about to get a blow job. "It's been so long maybe you've forgotten how to - ah"

Max hums, knowing how good that feels when someone's got their mouth round your dick and then relaxes his throat, leans into it. Feels himself drooling on Lando's dick at the same time as Lando settles back into the mattress, sighs out how much he's enjoying it.

"Ah, that's so good - you're so good."

It's embarrassing how easily taken apart Max is by the praise.

Lando's fingers thread through his hair and he doesn't fight it, this time. "I missed you, baby," Max groans at the nickname, dick twitching. "I missed this, missed us."

It's a good job there's a dick halfway down Max's throat so he can't say anything stupid like 'me too, buddy.'

Lando's leaking already, messy in Max's mouth when he swipes his tongue over the head, lapping at it. He always gets so needy for it, whimpering and whining and pushing his hips up in desperate little circles - it's like the opposite of the way he fucks Max, all deliberateness. Like this he's just a helpless kitten, biting his own fist to try and stifle the noises he's making.

Max pulls off for a second, strokes Lando's hip, when he's getting really desperate. "It's ok," he says, trying to guide Lando, get him to turn the overwhelming sensation into a conclusion and Lando just whimpers again, biting his lip.

He comes into Max's mouth a minute later, back arching and Max lies down, head on Lando's tummy, to kiss his heaving abs afterwards. Lando pulls him up after a minute, holds him and Max's erection isn't so urgent he can't enjoy it for awhile.

When Lando returns the favour, chaotically sucking Max's balls while he's jacking him off, it doesn't take long either for Max to come or for the guilt to sink in. He can't come up with an excuse for why he can't stop doing this, only the inevitability that he won't.

-

They both claim their sore throats are from golfing or the rain or hayfever or something. Lando smuggles Max back to Monte Carlo two days later and fucks him in every room.

[danthropologie]

I want a ranking of most to least cringe so bad 🙏

ok so as i've said, each team has a finite amount of cringe per season, but the amount of actual cringe varies team to team. i rank them from least to most as follows:

10. red bull - perhaps i'm biased but since becoming champions, they've sort of just...lost all cringe? too much of a well-oiled machine to be cringe 😔

9. williams - they've evolved beyond cringe actually. you say cringe, they say we're just having a silly goofy time

8. aston martin - now don't get me wrong, they ARE cringe—their literal criminal enterprise/pink mercedes history and fall from grace only to rebound after removing the updates last year is enough to prove that—but a lot of that cringe is offset by how fucking cool they are (particularly their social media admin, and as we all know: a sick ass social media presence covers a multitude of sins)

7. mercedes - they think they're not cringe, but thinking that is exactly what makes them so cringe

6. visa cash app rb - see next

5. sauber (aka stake f1 team kick sauber, a name so cringy i can't even bear to say it) - vcarb and sauber are in similar positions by my estimation—a nearly painful amount of cringe right up front, one objectively cool driver and one that could range from insanely cool to insanely cringey based on your pov, etc. the only difference is i think vcarb has a better chance at actually being good this year, thus the slightly lower ranking for them

4. ferrari - unfortunately for them, every single ounce of their cringe allotment is funneled DIRECTLY into their strategy department

3. mclaren - zak brown alone is a black hole vortex of cringe, the rest of them had no fucking chance

2. alpine - cringe but in a specifically french way and the french cringe conversation rate is TERRIBLE rn

1. haas - have they ever done anything that wasn't absolutely riddled with cringe (the answer is no)

[vro0m]

there’s been plenty of times were the dash was in shambles and held lewis accountable. i think what people mean by ‘why are we not holding lewis accountable’ is that they want the discourse to reach the journalists or lewis himself so they can ask/answer about these relationships (which is kinda weird actually?) i don’t really mind lewis working with brad for example bc i understand that he wants to get into film but doesn’t have that much power of the castings. i just need him to stop praising him (and the others). that’s the worst part imo. working with people is one things but he thinks they’re great when they’re not.🥲 anyway that was my two cents✌🏼

No I'm pretty sure this specific Anon was trying to have a gotcha moment because they wrongfully thought I only criticised other drivers over their bullshit and not Lewis.

Journalists outside F1 can't even hold Pitt himself accountable for terrorising his own children even though some of them directly called him out publically. But I genuinely don't see why F1 journalists talking about F1 with an F1 driver should ask "why are you friends with Tom Cruise who's known to be the spokesperson for an extremely abusive and violent cult?" for example because that's just off topic tbh? I don't really know what that would achieve. These men, their (lack of) accountability, and Lewis's social circle are not F1's responsibility. So I don't really see why these media should hold him accountable for them or how that would make sense.

The current Horner issue, though, is F1's responsibility. And we all see how that's going. The problem in all these cases still is that these violent abusive men aren't being held accountable for the damage they do the way they should by the people who could actually hold them accountable for it.

And yeah while we're at it : it's not that he has no choice over the casting so really it's unfortunate-but-oh-well-what-can-he-do. He's not working with them despite the wrong they've done. He's actively friends with them and will go on and on about it unprompted.

[yesterdayiwrote]

F1 Ask Game

tagged by @autumn816

Who is your favourite driver? George and Alex. Probably in that order but some days it's closer than others!

Do you have other favorite drivers?: I have a complicated fan relationship with Lewis. He was my absolute ride or die during my late teens/early twenties but I still support him. Oscar's growing on me as well for sure.

Who is your least favorite driver?: I have a lot of drivers I can't stand, and a lot I just... barely register are there week in and week out. I wouldn't say I have one stand out least favourite though.

Do you pull for drivers or do you like teams as well?: I tend to gravitate towards drivers, but most of my drivers come from the same teams.

If you like teams, what team do you pull for?: Mercedes and Williams are my two teams I root for more.

How long have you been into F1?: It was definitely sometime in 1994. I have absolutely zero recollection of the events in Imola that year, but I vividly remember the contentious crash between Schumacher and Hill that decided the championship in Adelaide, so evidently some point between there.

What got you into F1?: My dad. I used to be a proper daddies girl so watched it because he was and now we follow in separate rooms and don't talk about it! Yay for adulthood!

Do you enjoy Fanfic/RPF?: Yep, reading more than writing these days, but Im mainly into Galex and a little bit of Gewis. I'm kind of picky sometimes with what I read.

How do you view new fans?: I think it's great F1 is getting new fans, but I also think there are some newer fans who view F1 as scripted entertainment like WWE because they've come in via DTS. I think you have to take F1 with a liberal dose of 'shit happens and it sucks' and sometimes that gets lost amongst people looking for someone to blame and be angry at for stuff. Noone tends to crash into other drivers on purpose, the team probably doesn't have a vendetta against your driver, and absolutely none of them are putting as much thought into what they say on the radio as some people put into analysing it. Sometimes the discourse gets a bit wild. Never attribute that to malice which can be attributed to stupidity is a phrase F1 fans need to remember at all times!

If you could take over as team principal for any team, who would it be and why?: I mean the temptation is to say Merc, but it seems like such a big task recently and if I fucked things up for my faves I'd be gutted. Probably better to take on Haas and then I won't feel too guilty when I cause their implosion.

Are your friends and family into F1 as well?: My dad is, my brother in law is a bit hot and cold on it, but they tend to discuss it with each other (and I'm not included!)

Are you open to talking to other fans/making friends?: Definitely! My ask box and my DMs are always open and I love having chats about anything really!

tagging: @ohblimeygeorge, @foul-milk, @userkritaaay anyone who wants to do it I guess! (Sorry if yoube already done it/been tagged!)

[neptunescore]

at the end of the day we don’t know any of these guys (f1 drivers). Even if we met them in passing it still doesn’t mean we know them on any deep level. That’s why it’s always good to never put famous people/celebs on a pedestal. People will be like I don’t like (insert driver), but I like (insert driver) bc he seems more (blah blah blah). But what is anyone going off of? We can only go off of whatever they have shown us/the public. Who they are behind closed doors in their everyday lives with colleagues, friends and family…we’ll never know. I personally love watching the races and am rooting for a few drivers, but it’s not deep for me. I don’t buy the merch or anything like that. If they don’t have good results, oh well I just hope for the next race to be a better outcome. It’s just supposed to be a fun sport to watch. 10 or so years from now there will be some different people on the grid. Maybe Alonso will still be there though lol.

Yep yep yep anon, this is always the main point I'm trying to make every time I answer my asks. However, all I'm trying to say is that we should call them out on questionable stuff they do, just like we call everyone else out. Bc at the end of the day, these ppl have such power over some of their fans, and they have such a large media presence, they should be taking accountability for something wrong they've done as to prevent their fans (especially younger ones) from thinking that doing that kind of stuff is okay.

Ngl, ur alonso line had me CRACKING UP💀✋🏽

[partined]

Where there's smoke there's fire

On the 5th of February the news dropped of Cristian Horners alleged sexual misconduct with a female RedBull staffer, while the woman's identity remained a secret to the public, we knew she was well known around the paddock. In the ensuing days it remains "business as usual" for RB despite cries on social media for Horner's dismissal (or suspension) and the next weekend (5 days after news broke) he was seen meeting with his lawyer. RedBull put out a statement confirming that there was an internal investigation being held by a third-party barrister, i guess in a small effort to appear impartial. The investigation goes on for 3 weeks, meanwhile the only information we have is that there is an investigation, and that there are apparently over 100 pieces of evidence. Accusations flying from every direction towards anything living and breathing in the paddock, and no one knows what's speculation, rumour, or truth. Until it's released that the investigation has concluded, and that "the grievance has been dismissed". Not that Horner has been cleared, but it's been dismissed. No further word on the investigation has been mentioned since. A few days after that, a google drive was emailed to every team principle, media personnel and big name in Formula 1 with screenshots of the "alleged" misconduct in the form of whatsapp message screenshots, videos, and photos. I don't think I need to explain the online male consensus was, but the paddock's public consensus was to stay quiet.

The release of these images, whether real or fake, pivoted the situation. It's confirmed that the accuser was Horner's PA and that the validity of the situation couldn't be ignored. Since then, a number of drivers have called the scandal "Noise" or "distractions" or simply preferring to reiterate "that it doesn't affect/bother (them)" and reminding everyone that they are just here to drive.

We have seen over this month the number attempts to cover the situation up, to downplay it, and to move the conversation away. And all im left wondering is, how does Formula 1 intend to keep the female fanbase they've seemed so desperate to accumulate when the sport clearly can't handle the maintenance of morality and inclusion they were preaching just a few years ago. Helmut marko, Ben Sulayem, Jos verstappen, and numerous TP's have come out trying to influence the PR outcome of this whole debacle, yet only one driver has said anything of any substance since this whole thing started. Meanwhile female RB employees are getting doxxed (in attmepts to root out the accuser), female content creators are getting harrassed and doxxed by male fans of the sport, and every single woman in the paddock can tell you that when there's smoke, there's fire.

If one woman felt like she needed to come forward, despite having known Horner-and being involved in the sport- for years, knowing the danger and public scrutiny that would come with her telling her truth. Knowing that she most likely will never get another job in F1– or motorsport–again, how many other women have there been?

We've seen sexual assault and harassment committed live on F1TV, sky sports, and on any broadcaster associated with F1 since it's creation. It's not new, most women don't work in male-dominated fields and still 97% have experienced sexual harassment in their lives.

I hope this hasnt blown up yet, I hope we get news soon and I hope the full details are revealed. Most people have made up their minds about the situation already despite the lack of information, but the damage seems to have been done. CH's reputation is dusted, Max has been surprisingly coy, the general feelings towards the FIA ,most drivers, and F1 in general are below neutral, and even if this turns out to be a massive plot for Marko, Verstappen Sr., and the Austrian RedBull sector to gain control that Horner previously attempted to snake out the door with, it's done potentially irreversible damage to the female F1 fanbase thats grown from this past year.

[ms-taurusvenus]

'it's because they don't have the same drive as their fathers. In order to be successful and do well, to win a championship and be memorable (for the right/good reasons) you have to be ruthless.' BINGO!! I think a lot of these new/younger drivers have it easy or have come from easy beginnings and don't have the grit in the gut that it takes to be a WC, it's this energy of 'ah whatever, it is what it is' whereas a lot of these drivers who are WC's (some at least) have had to dig deeper than anyone could have and for most of them this was it, there wasn't $$ to fall back on, to just give it a go and think 'eh that'll be enough for today' and a lot of these WC's have given up everything at times for a title (should there be a balance, yeah but I hope you know what I mean) I think talent can take you to a certain point, a name can get you in the door sure, for some, but it's the inner self, the inner grit that makes a WC or a successful driver that many now just don't have of haven't been able to tap into for whatever reason. Sorry for the long message 🤣

Preach anon!!

Nikita Mazepin, Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi, Mick Schumacher, what do they all have in common? Rich families, shitty reputation due to their shit job at driving. It is right in peoples faces that the more money a driver has, the shittier they'll do. Especially if they have connections to the sport (ex, the Piquets).

Lewis and Sebastian, what do they have in common? Both didn't come from families with money and did everything to get into F1 and were ruthless in their prime and are now considered the top 5 greatest in the sport. Lewis dad (Anthony) had 4 jobs to sustain and support him, and look at him - he's considered/is the greatest in the sport. Sebastian family wasn't wealthy either and he's considered one of the greatest & won 4 championships and went to be compared to his idol, Micheal Schumacher and was able to race with/against him (I'm not too sure how he/his family were able to enter F1 in terms of the financial aspect .. if you know please lmk lol).

Again, (besides Max & Nico Rosberg) have you seen a driver with wealthy and connections win a WDC? Or even do well for that matter .. No. They don't care, they're too comfortable, laidback, and lazy. Its cause f they leave a room (a space) they'll always have another room to enter right after.

Legacy drivers ended when Lewis and Seb made their marks on the tracks. From now on, the only drivers who will be the next WDC and be on the grid for that matter will come from wealthy families. Families more ties than any driver with said wealthy family and connections will ever have a WDC.

"He still has time left" blah, blah, blah. Give up, look at Zhou Guanyu, he's done really well and has improved majority from his first season. Yes, he does have connections and his family is wealthy but he doesn't act as if "oh, whatever". They've both spent (almost) the same time inF1, 2 seasons. Zhous doing well while Mick is like .. I'll have another opportunity. Let's stop babying Mick lol, yes hes cute & is a sweetheart but he's a rich grown ass man lol.

Let's start ripping the bandaid off.

(Again, I don't hate Mick and yes I do feel sympathy for him).

[nightskylonging]

F1 Android AU

@eirianerisdar mentioned this and I couldn't stop thinking about it, so here's thoughts I had to make what the title says: a F1 android story!

Teams still develop their own cars, but they also construct androids, based on a set of guidelines. There are still human drivers, and there's a constant discussion in the media about whether driving should be restricted to humans or not.

Androids aren't considered sentient, but those who work directly with them - well. They have their suspicions. There are little things that don't quite add up unless you entertain the possibility that what they made has become more. But if you entertain that, you'll start wondering about other things.

(The engineers who develop the coding have more than just suspicions. A developer sees the look of one of Ferrari's androids, and knows that expressions were not included in the programming that way, but remains quiet, because that is genuine happiness, not a code response, and he doesn't want to be the reason that android looses that chance of happiness.)

The human drivers are the most comfortable with their teammates. How can they not be? The androids are out there with them, driving in the face of death. But what may mean death for a human does not necessarily mean death for an android. Teams say that they retire programs if a crash is bad enough, claiming that something like that can warp code, that it is kinder, respectful. (Every now and then, there are rumors. Never proven, but sometimes, people wonder.)

Androids move between teams. It's a gamble for a team, hoping that responses calibrated to a different car can be made to fit their own. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. Red Bull lets one of their androids go. It's so very clear that the Mclaren car and the android don't mesh.

The androids have secrets. They are sentient, because how can they not be? It takes something so very significant to drive like they do. But that is hidden amongst themselves. Their humanity - for that is what it is - is for themselves, in carefully treasured moments between races and while traveling the world. They have friendships as strong as anything a flesh-and-blood human could have.

Some of the human drivers seem to keep secrets from other members of their teams. There's something they aren't saying about their teammate. They can't, they've been told with quiet urgency. Keep this secret for me, please. It's a bond that stretches the gap between man and machine. It's a rebellion on both ends - when Carlos trusts his younger teammate with his self-chosen name, he doesn't know that Daniel has done the same, twice over. (Anyone with eyes, though, can see that Max Verstappen and one of the previous Red Bull androids got along even better than social programming could account for).

Secrets don't last forever, of course. And the androids don't want them to. But who will be the first to make a move? (It's Daniel, of course. Daniel, and the first human he trusted his name and sentience to, except Sebastian figured it out all on his own, who make those rumors become legitimate points of discussion.)

So yeah. This isn't coherent at all, and I'm not sure if I will write it, but I'll put this here all the same.