#by george perez. if anyone is wondering

[girletho]

cleaourrrgh

[keerysfreckles]

powerless — MV1

pairing: max verstappen x horner!fem!reader

summary: in which y/n horner gets into a terrible crash during the 2025 bahrain grand prix

warnings: use of y/n and she/her pronouns, cursing, kissing, not proofread, rushed writing

a/n: first f1 fic im scared 😖😖

masterlist !

⋆ ˚ ｡ ⋆ ୨୧ ˚

it was one thing to be an f1 driver for redbull racing. it was a completely other thing to be the daughter of the manager of said f1 team.

to say y/n horner was born into her current position is an understatement. her father, cristian horner, was more than determined to get his eldest daughter into f1 racing. he signed her up as soon as possible for karting when she just turned 8. she excelled through f3 and f2, and now rightfully had an f1 seat alongside max verstappen.

y/n and max got along probably the best out of the entire grid. their interviews together were full of non-stop laugher and red faces, and the duo worked well on the race track. when needed, one would let the other pass to help the team, and vice versa.

today was no different as y/n and max knew their plan for the upcoming race. it was the second to last race of the 2025 season, and redbull racing needed to get a 1-2 podium in order to safely secure the second position in the constructor's championship.

before every race, y/n rushes to give her father a hug. christian kisses the top of her head and wishes her luck moments before she gets into her car. the bright red number 97 was a high contrast against the navy blue paint.

every driver took their starting positon from their quali results. max had gotten pole positon, with lewis hamilton in second, y/n's redbull was in third.

"it's lights out and away we go! we are racing in bahrain," one of the commentators spoke into his headset, his voice blaring over all the speakers.

all 20 cars sped off towards the first corner, without anyone getting into any crashes.

the roaring of engines and both commentator's voices filled the bustling area. fans cheering, and managers and crew members celebrating, at any victories for one's team.

33 laps into the race, and only two drivers have gotten out. george russell after his tires locked up during lap 14, as well as sergio perez after he had an engine failure right after lap 28.

max, lewis and y/n were still the top three drivers of the race, with max leading, only thousands of seconds ahead of lewis.

the three were coming up to a tight turn, making all three cars go tire to tire. max was lucky to get away from the outside. y/n on the other hand wasn't as fortunate.

lewis tried turning his car, trying to make y/n go behind him once again, but he turned gis wheel too hard too fast, crashing his car into the the right side of y/n.

"what the hell is he doing?" cristian wonders out loud, watching one of the many screens in front of him.

y/n loses control of her car, immediately turning into the gravel. her car only spins more before colliding harshly with the wall. her front tires are barely hanging onto her car, the front wing is damaged and the sides of her car are severly smashed in.

"y/n are you okay?" her advisor spoke into his microphone, watching as no movement comes from y/n's car.

christian only worries more as he watches her advisor get no response once again.

"shit, is y/n alright?" max's voice us filled with concern, noticing y/n's car wasn't anywhere on the track behind him.

"safety car is coming around," max's fear only eased slightly at his advisors words.

a red flag is waved at the starting point of the race, causing all cars to slow down immediately. the safety car is quick to go towards y/n, with other crew members running over as well.

once all the drivers were off the track, none of them could tear their eyes away from the screens displaying y/n's car.

max chewed on the edges of his fingernails. he was insanely worried about his teammate and best friend, and he was now regretting never telling her any of his conflicting feelings, because it looks as if she might not make it out of this one.

he kept watching the men in bright orange vests try to get y/n out of the car. he couldn't see if y/n was moving at all, but he could only pray more once he noticed dark smoke coming out of the back of her car.

out of the corner of his eye he saw christian speaking rapidly to everyone around him, worrying for his daughter.

christian stops however, once realizing his other driver is walking – no, running – in the direction of the crash.

"max! what the fuck are you doing?" he yells towards the driver, but max just keeps running.

he doesn't stop, even though his knees are burning and his ankles could barely hold his body up once the smoke turned into fire.

he didn't care at the protests from the crew members, and now two or three firefighters. he was going to get y/n out of that car.

y/n on the other hand, was finally gaining consciousness. her head hit the wall extremely hard, and now she felt nothing but dizzyness, as her eyes blurred and limbs burned.

she turned her head side to side, seeing all the crew members surrounding her smoking car. she signals to them that she's okay, for the most part. she tries helping them, wanting to get out of the hot car as soon as possible.

"i can't get out!" her voice is mumbled in her helmet.

she lifts her arms, but her legs are stuck, crushed in the plastic, rubber and metal.

y/n starts to panic, everything suddenly becomes so loud, and too bright. but one thing catches her eye in the chaos. a dark blue suit.

"max!" she yells, not caring if he truly heard her or not. her breath starts catching in her throat as sudden tears flood her vision.

y/n stops trying to get out of the car as she sits back down in her seat, for three seconds as she takes her helmet off. she throws it somehwere in front of her, and takes off her neck support, and balaclava.

max skids to a stop beside her, and is more than determined to get her out of the car. thankfully the fire has stopped, and now the only problem was how stuck y/n really was.

"max," y/n cries again, her words getting stuck in her throat. she simply grabs onto his arms, silently begging for help.

max tries his hardest to pull y/n out of the car. she assist as best as she can while trying to push with her legs. she moves a little, making other crew members grab her arms, and grab underneath her shoulders.

it's as if a weight is taken off christian horner's shoulders as he watches y/n finally get out of the car. he lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, still watching the screen.

max doesn't let y/n go even when both of her feet are on the ground. she can't let go of her teammate either, her nails digging into max's racing suit, but he couldn't care about that.

her legs felt as if they would fall off, and she can't help but fall into max. himself and another crew member lead y/n towards the safety car. the girl leans her head against max's shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent.

max starts to leave in the direction he came, wanting to give y/n some space once she was in the safety car. however his decision changed when he felt a hand grip his wrist.

"stay with me, please," y/n looks up at max, and he knows he can't say no to her, especially not when she was just getting out of a small panic attack.

max adjusts hinself so he's sat next to y/n, and his hand never leaves hers. she rests her head on his shoulder again, and closes her eyes, trying to forget about the immense pain in both of her legs.

once again, christian horner lets out a huge sigh of relief, seeing his daughter walk out of the safety car and slowly make her way towards him. christian holds y/n close to his chest, for as long as possible until two medic workers come by, asking to check on y/n's conditions.

—

y/n sighs once she's layed down onto the small medical bed. she halfway pays attention while one of the workers checked how her legs were, as well as her head. luckily she didn't get a concussion. the only problem was the multiple large bruises already starting to form on her legs. the worker told her it may take a few days until she feels comfortable walking without any assistance.

just as y/n's eyes start to close, she hears the door open. she turns her head, and just becomes confused once she sees max step into the room.

"max?" she tries sitting up, but groans after realizing how much her legs really hurt.

max helps her sit up, and sits on the bed next to her. he laughs slightly as she immediately rests her head on his shoulder for the third time today.

"wait don't you have to be racing right now?" y/n sits up now, facing max with furrowed eyebrows.

"you'd seriously want me to race after seeing what you went through?" max chuckles.

y/n nods, "well, yes! you absolutely love racing. i don't want to be the reason you can't win today's race."

"i can't possibly race while you're in here hurting," max places his hand lightly over y/n's thigh and lightly runs his thumb up and down.

"yeah, but you never quit races," y/n tries again.

max shakes his head, "you're more important than a race y/n."

y/n can't help but feel her heart flutter at his words. she hates the flush feeling rising to her cheeks.

max leans forward and brings his hand to y/n's face, running his fingers lightly over her skin to brush away the few strands of hair that fell in front of her face.

"thank you," y/n's voice fills the silence, "thank you for getting me out of the car. i don't think i could thank you enough honestly."

max kisses y/n's forehead, "i would save you over and over again if it means i get to be next to you afterwards."

y/n smiles at his words, after grabbing his hand that's still on her thigh. she can't help the tears starting to blur her vision again, but max is quick to wipe them away with his thumb after they land on her red cheeks.

even after he wiped her tears, max kept his hand on her cheek. the air in the room suddenly shifted. y/n ran her fingers over max's, only stopping when max moved her face to face his.

before y/n can get any words out, max closes the gap between the two, pushing his lips against her own.

she was surprised at first, but kissed back. his lips felt soft against hers, and it started to deepend slightly before the girl pulled away.

y/n placed her hand against max's chest, "wait, you're not just kissing me because i'm all emotional, and i basically could've died today right?"

max chuckles at y/n's playful words, "no y/n, i'm not just kissing you because i'm youre savior."

"are you sure? bec–"

"stil liefde," shut up love max interrupts before kissing y/n again, and more passionate than before.

[28ms28]

Okay lights out and away we go!

Franco Colapinto emotional radio during formation lap

Vb thanking Ferrari engine(1st time anyone has ever done that)

Max "Turn 1" verstappen going for it and channelling his inner Ferrari boy and taking Oscar out(my favourite Ferrari boy mr max verstappen)

Vb and Sergio Perez making contact and Checo retires from what could be his last race for Redbull or last race in f1 ever

Pierre Gasly is somehow 3rd on the road

and Charles is umm *checks notes* P12 SOMEHOW MAKING UP 7 POSITIONS IN HALF A LAP

yuki had a shit start some clutch problem

And *checks notes again* oh and Charles Leclerc is p8 now lap 2 is not even over yet and he's p8 now he's gained 11 places. ELEVEN

KMAG has gained 7 places. Goat behaviour

Oscar is p19 and last(oof)

Alpine fighting and winning against mercedes(what the hell, sure)

Lando timing the vsc perfectly and running away from Carlos

Oscar hitting Franco and puncturing Franco's tyres(another oof moment for Oscar)(he'll get a pen for that)

Max and Oscar and Vb all get a 10 sec penalty

"move of a wdc that one"(Oscar you funny man)

"We are p8""woohoohoo"(charles you funny man)

It's so over for Mercedes(loosing against alpine)

"G.O.O.D."(Oscar stop)

Fernando Alonso makes his own track up for a while(that was so foul from Martin lmao)

Lewis making up a heap of places not so slowly but surely

Charles Leclerc 3rd track limit strike in span of 12 laps(bro was pushing hard i applaud)(kept in under control for the rest of the race)(i applaud again)

Kmag slow pitstop ruining his race(why does this always happen with Haas)

Alex Albon and Zhou Guanyu apparently being investigated for a false start

Zhou getting a 5sec penalty. Alex is freeee.

Yukierre having beautiful w2w

Charles undercuts George and Pierre and is effectively p3 now

It's a bird it's a plane it's Charles Leclerc overtaking everybody(wtf did he have for breakfast)

Vcarb going a vcarb and forgetting how to properly bolt a tyre and messing up Liam's race(it gets way worse later)

Forget that, it gets worse NOW they get 10 sec stop go for unsafe release on track. That's like 30 seconds.(Wdym it still gets worse later wdym)

Ferrari pitting Carlos and it's a fast stop(2.2). Wonderful

Mclaren pit Lando and holy shit that's even faster(2.0).

Franco retires from the race (goodbye Franco may heaven for Williams tortured drivers welcome you with open arms)

Carlos is pushing his tyres to get closer to Lando (gee I wonder if this will have future consequences on his fight with Lando for the wcc)

Alonso not putting up much of a fight with Max but doing so with Oscar(cinema)

Bono apparently has a plan that can result in Lewis being p3 (Gaslight gatekeep girlboss Bono)(they came close to p3 I'll give him that)

"Stupid idiots" lmao Max and Oscar being their own version of aggressive on the radio lol

Oh my god Valtteri and Kmag making contact. Unfortunate for both of them. One of those contacts you can't really blame on either of the drivers but yeah sucks.

Valtteri retires from the race he had too much damage(the lesson here is don't make emotional radios on the starting grid or you have a high likelihood of not finishing the race)

Kmag sets a fastest lap with a damaged car(goat behaviour)

Both Aston Martin cars committing war crimes against Oscar piastri's race all throughout their race(lol cannot make this shit up)

Ferrari are p2-p3 and both of their tyres are hanging on by thoughts and prayers

"Dou kan do dat": Toto wolff(idk why I put this here I just like making fun of him sometimes)

Martin bringing up Fernando's dark times around the abu dhabi circuit(what did nando do to you Martin let the man be omg)

Oscar almost binned it into the wall cause yuki's car upset his own(nice save tho)

"This😭is😭the😭rhythm": Charles Leclerc(says while barely hanging on to his tyres said rhythm)

Anthony:Carlos has a potential puncture and something has flown into his cockpit apparently. Crofty: ah ok 👍(the skyf1 comms are so unserious my god)

Liam's car realizes that it doesn't want to finish the race and decides to ends itself

Lewis gets that P4 on the last possible moment making a fantastic overtake

Lando wins the race and Oscar got P10 so McLaren win the constructors!!!(They have 666 points.)(This was just in spite against their rival catholic team)

Ferrari 2-3.(Next year will be out year guys Forza Ferrari)(*Shakes violently*)(also this next year will be our year can be heard on lando radio as well lol)

Alpine finished above Haas in the constructors (which a/c to me is baffling that these two teams were even fighting for p6 considering the start of their season)(but no all 4 drivers were on it the whole season)(such a shame for Haas tho at one point it looked like it was surely going to be them)

Max verstappen somehow made it to p6 WHICH IS HIS LOWEST FINISHING POSTION THIS SEASON.I REPEAT P6 IS HIS LOWEST FINISHING POSTION P6.(Goat behaviour).

Lewis and Zhou do donuts(different locations)

Charles leclerc got dod(deserved)

Max went to apologise to Oscar after that turn 1 incident(yes max verstappen apologised)(apparently he does that to the Leclercs)

Lando and team were celebrating very nice to see and then mbs showed up and ruined it(zak brown was there so it already was kind of ruined)(and then the two evils hugged each other...astronomical amounts of evilness was achieved)(the only thing that kind of saved that frame of them hugging was that Lando was hugging his dad in the background)

Charles was sulking even after that masterclass race and then mbs showed up and ruined it even more

Also Jannik Sinner was supposed to wave the chequered flag and he looked absolutely devastated to do that(it's okay Italian boy next year will be our year come back next year)

Cooldown room was carlando+homophobic charles(charles really said RPF is not fine)

Cooldown room was also where zak brown and mbs were(who let them in man)(justice for Andrea Stella)(Andrea left Ferrari for McLaren and when McLaren win he doesn't even get to be on the podium smh)(plus he's cooler than zak brown)

Charles the absolute evil man hehe'ed at Max and Oscar spinning (the only time he smiled after during all of this btw)(lestappies rise)

Podium was nice if you were anyone other than charles leclerc. You have zak brown being borderline animalistic and overjoyus being more happy than the entire team combined lol. Also Carlos's last podium in red♥️

pray for george russell and charles leclerc nothing wrong with them they had to stand on the podium with brad pitt and act like they weren't just sulking.

You also have the Ferrari and McLaren crew hugging each other in the pitlane.(No...fight fight!)(Jk jk no but it's really nice to see those two teams not hold toxic grudges)(The season is over focus on next year if you're a Ferrari fan) (this season is over focus on next year if you're a McLaren fan but celebrate first)

Oh also nico rosberg has been saying Lewis Hamilton is his friend and also the greatest driver of all time(idk what implications this has but I don't think the goat part should surprise you he has always put lewis above others)

We saw 24 drivers this season and 5 of them have not made it past 2024 with a full time race seat. Thank you for your services Kmag, Valtteri, Zhou, Logan and Daniel. History will not forget you and we might see you some other time in f1 nobody knows how this circus works! (also checo could be a part of this club pray for him i suppose)

[chussyracing]

Hi, I was wondering, and honestly this is for any cholar (Charles scholar) that wants to take a spin at dissecting this, but why is the Monaco Grand Prix an emotional experience for everyone (chirlies). I get that it is Charles’ home race and with his string of bad luck, incompetent cars and strategies, it has taken longer than expected for him to win his home race. But the same could be said for Pierre, Yuki, Lando, Zhou, Esteban, and George. They haven’t won their home races but no one seems to wax poetry about it. The only suitable parallel that comes to mind is when Senna, if I’m not mistaken, won his home Grand Prix after five years of bad luck and he was so tired that he couldn’t lift the trophy. Did that create an allure around winning on home soil or is it something more. I’m still trying to learn my F1 history, so I might have missed important details, facts or people. I’m sorry for that🫶

Thank you

Nah, don't apologise. It never occured to me but now that you said it like that, it's a relevant question anyone could be asking.

In short: 1. he is special 2. monaco is special 3. he was freaking close many times before. All details below the cut to avoid cluttering people's dash!

So first of all, there's a reason they call him il predestinato. You probably heard the story that it was given to him by Carlo Vanzini after pr training session where his teenage self bravely claimed that he doesn't need to train some situations and phrases, because there's no way any teammate of his could be better in equal machinery. It only really stuck around his win in Monza (because of the legendary commentary of his race win), but everyone suspected he was destined for bigger things much earlier than this. He was dominant in every sense of the word in F2, then he literally destroyed Marcus in Sauber despite being a rookie and had arguably the best rookie season since the time Lewis debuted. It's not a coincidence that he got offered the Ferrari seat so early on, so young and for such a long time (and the speculations about him getting it were here much sooner than that too). He got a seat of last Ferrari champion who was outperforming his teammate at that time too and (people used to be so mad at Charles for this) technically although not literally pushed out both Kimi and Seb with his performance, because Ferrari count on him long term.

Monaco is special. (I'm incredibly biased and on the contrary to many Charles fans who hate the circuit and want to drop it from the calendar from the future, I love it.) Every driver wants to win there, maybe even more than a home race. Don't hold me accountable on this but I think there's a real quote from a former champion that literally goes like "one win at monaco is worth two or three somewhere else". It's not a coincidence that the greatest drivers of history were the best in Monaco (Senna, Schumi, out of the drivers on the grid of course Lewis). Due to it's difficulty, it's a part of so called triple crown: monaco win, indy 500 win and 24 hours of le mans win. Everything has to be precise, the drivers are literally kissing the walls and being a centimeter off the line can have the worst consequences. It also has many exceptions in terms of how long the circuit is, how many laps are raced, how much they pay in hosting fees. It's been there since the first ever season of f1 with only slight changes. And of course, what people are often most concerned about are the celebrities, the glamour... and the famous celebrations. Idk if you watched and followed last season but I suggest looking up "2022 monaco sergio perez orgy rumours" or "Seb Lewis Charlene Monaco threesome" for funsies

He was SO SO close many times before. In F2 in the main race he started on pole (as usual) fell down - due to some bad team decisions with crashes during the race and safety cars - to p2 and then dnfed cca in the middle of the race due to technical problems. In the sprint, he got to p16/17 before dnfing again due to more technical issues. In Sauber he qualified p14 and dnfed due to a brake failure (also took Torro Rosso driver with him and got 5s penalty for speeding in the pit lane, not a great race). In 2019 there were high hopes but Ferrari fucked up his quali when they decided not to send him out to save tyres and he was out in Q1 - kinda poetic that he ended up p16. In the race (that was really something) he got up to p12, then spun, touched someone else and got a puncture. The damage was so bad that he was lapped before he came out again. Then he pitted again and after a lap Ferrari decide to retire the car, because it was too damaged (I think he was ironically the only one to retire the race despite some others crashing/spinning). The next year it was cancelled, because of the Covid pandemic. In 2021 he put it on the pole again (despite crashing at the last few minutes and red flagging the session). Then famously, Ferrari declared the gearbox is okay and Charles will start on pole. But he didn't, because they discovered an issue before the race they wouldn't be able to fix before the start. To be fair the issue was on the other side than where he crashed, but even in that case, it was a huge let down. And then last year he put it on the pole AGAIN and according to what the data showed, he would put it on the pole even if Perez didn't crash and red flag the session. In the race... I can give you my full written recap if you are wondering but it was a strategy disasterclass and Charles was a sitting duck falling to p4 and not even getting to the podium after yet another home race pole. It's an impressive record, because Monaco especially in modern era is known for little to no overtakes. I think the numbers says something like 8/9 out of 10 last gps were won from pole. If you get the pole the victory should be basically guaranteed. Some people started calling it a Charles curse, a Monaco race curse, home race curse, whatever. To be fair, I hate the narrative, because all it does every single year is him getting mocked and ridiculed all of Monaco race week. People left and right are joking about him dnfing or crashing and what not.

It's sad i'm not the "what if" kind of person, because if I was I'd count how many wins and/or podiums he would have at home by now. Because it's not just a normal circuit like Silverstone is for Lewis or Australia is for Daniel - it's literally his home, because he walked those streets, got his driving licence there, drives around his friends' and family's homes and his own too. The stress is more on home and less on race in his case of "home race". That's why this would mean more than a home race victory and why everyone wants to see it so bad. If F1 was raced on how much people deserve it, nobody would deserve to win Monaco more than Charles.

Sorry this got so long, I hope it helped understand you a bit more about why it's different than a normal race. (If we were discussing a home race for Charles, we can just as well consider it Monza. Monaco is just something more than just that).

[lightningmickqueen]

f1 drivers as underrated and/or unreleased taylor swift songs that altered my brain chemistry

george russell: "i'd lie" because listen "he tells a joke, i fake a smile" he's the least funny person ever but i'd still laugh and also i definitely lie when people ask if i love him (i do but i refuse to admit it publicly if you tell anyone i said this i will lie!!!)

lando norris: "thug story" because of the second hand embarrassment but also i wouldn't be surprised if he knew every word

yuki tsunoda: "today was a fairytale" but unfortunately today was not a fairytale!!! maybe one day he will live to fairytale again but til then he's still feeling this magic in the air though i have faith and i believe

alex albon: "crazier" because listen this is like THE slow dance rom com song from the iconic masterpiece rom com the hannah montana movie and if that doesn't describe alex albon idk what does

nico hulkenberg: "lucky you" ok i love taylor and i know she was like 12 when she wrote this but this song is mid just like hulk <3 however unlike hulk , taylor is no longer mid !!!

lewis hamilton: "superman" i don't know if i need to explain this one i think it makes sense this is just him he'll save the world or go to work it's the same thing idk

pierre gasly: "we were happy" ah a song about young love. love when you're young. love when you were friends and you were young and in love . and then it stopped . no longer friends and young and in love. i wonder why that makes me think of pierre gasly.

esteban ocon: "i heart ?" because listen . "another mess i didn't plan, and i'll bet you thought you beat me" listen!!! not only is that esteban coded but also he's definitely blasting this in his driver room at alpine to piss off his childhood best friend turned rival turned roommate turned ???? aka a certain pierre gasly

logan sargeant: "who i've always been" listen u cannot deny that logan can drive and that's what he's here to do !! the easy ride was never his ambition

oscar piastri: "welcome distraction" SOLELY for the bit where she's like "gone and spilled my coffee trying to get the phone because i thought it might be you" because that is the most oscar piastri thing ever it's so adorably awkward

max verstappen: "beautiful eyes" listen his eyes are SO pretty they're actually illegal in 197 countries if you dont see the vision go to specsavers

charles leclerc: "sweeter than fiction" aka the reason i made this post. this song is SO charles coded and you know what ? ?? ? i will be there time and again and in that perfect weather it'll be like we don't remember the rain we thought would last forever and ever and there'll he'll stand ten feet tall i will say "I KNEW IT ALL ALONG"

lance stroll: "point of view" because from his point of view he's doing GREAT the grass is really green on his side of the street or maybe that's his car. who knows who's right but he thinks he's doing great so

carlos sainz: : "love they haven't thought of yet" it's very cute and honestly very 16 year old taylor but there is something just sooooo carlos about a song about not wanting what's normal but wanting the best and a fairytale even when it doesn't and can't exist <3

zhou guanyu: "superstar" he is literally too powerful for the f1 grid this man is the most well rounded well dressed mfer there and everyone else is no one special theyre invisible

sergio perez: "stupid boy" he is SO. literally any time you expect something decent or good he does the opposite. his most consistent trait. ugh

kevin magnussen: "R-E-V-E-N-G-E" it's on his list of things to do this week he's gonna make SOMEONE feel sorry. not sure who yet but it'll happen

valtteri bottas: "matches" but it's his attitude towards mercedes also "i gave you space you took my place and gave it to her" he may be besties with lewis but he will never like george <3 that's ok tho he looks great w a mullet and he's gonna burn it down

mick schumacher: i don't want to lose his face i don't want to wake up one day and not remember what time erased and i don't want to turn around because i'm not scared of what love gave me and took away and i don't want to lose his face

sebastian vettel: "just south of knowing why" listen it's about driving all night searching for something you'll never find he's definitely done that irl and also he doesn't have a plan he doesn't have a map he doesn't even know if he's ever going back

fernando alonso: "only the young" i know you're doubting me but this is about winning and overcoming the odds and also only the young can run (from him)

[andthebubbles]

okay i said i'd do this at the end of the season and here we are, at the end of the season, and i haven't yet written this out yet

but i must say, i think it was after brazil when i was like, omgggg can't wait for the season to be over (in hindsight i think it was because the entire brazil weekend was exhausting; first we had the sprint stuff iirc, then quali was delayed delayed delayed, then moved to sunday, so sunday was already packed, and then the race was EVENTFUL, so afterwards i was just ughhhh too much). but now i'm like, DAMMIT the season is over

okay so this is just where i go through every driver and give my very biased subjective unimportant opinion on them. it might include what i think of their driving. tl;dr i don't really like anyone on the grid atm, it's more like ~who do i hate the least, lol

(i'll just go by WDC standings since i happen to have that kinda open on the next tab)

verstappen: hmmmnnn. i mean, he's good, but i don't admire his dirty racing. if i had been still properly watching when he first showed up, i would've hated him. now i'm kinda neutral towards him. i was rooting against him when lando was kinda (never lol) in the WDC hunt, mainly because i didn't want him to win another championship, but as it turns out, lando wasn't good enough, which leads me to.......

lando: lmao i wasn't impressed with him after the 'name all the past WDCs in reverse order' video, but after watching about half of the races this year, he's the one i'm closest to liking >.> halp. he does seem to lack the cutthroat-ness that's common in world champions, but does he really need it to win one. anyway the first race i watched this year (apart from fucking monaco for some reason) was hungary, and i was soooo disappointed when he obeyed team orders halp skfjgkfjng. but yeah i do like that he's fast, he seems to be learning, it kiiiiiiiiiiiiiinda reminds me of 2009!seb. and i have noticed that he is also widely hated (on reddit esp), like rbr!seb was. do i have a type lmao

leclerc: i will never like him. he's a good driver though. and that stuff with his bro in abu dhabi was very sweet. kinda was inspo for a&b haha

pastry: <- affectionate. yeah i like him? he's funny. he's just not very fast and i don't see him getting faster, so i guess mark webber gave us another number 2 driver

carlos: is there for carlandoooooooooooooo. i notice that tumblr hates him more than reddit... because he won't follow team orders? i mean, i didn't like his whining to keep leclerc behind him (like, instant whining... okay maybe not whining but geez he was fast on the radio to say he wanted him to hold position). i just like teammates to be free to race fairly. this whole ~super helping each other~ thing is... not new anymore (i noticed it already in... hungary 2017 iirc), but as i barely followed f1 from 2015-2016ish, not at all from 2017ish-2020 and then somewhat sporadically from 2021-2022, not at all in 2023, and half of 2024, it feels 'new' to me. anyway, shame that he's getting kicked out of ferrari. (i enjoyed the mclaren vids of him and lando where they made pterodactyl noises at each other)

george russell: I WANT TO SEE THIS MAN IN A REGENCY/VICTORIAN OUTFIT. BOTH, IF POSSIBLE. he just looks like an uber twink????????? HE WOULD LOOK SO GOOD IN A TOP HAT AND CRAVAT AND SPLENDID VELVET JACKET AND SITTING IN SOMEONE'S LAP????????????? okay anyway, weird thirst aside, i think he's a pretty good driver, and i'm nooooooooot sure which side to take in the gax divorce as i can't tell who's lying/exaggerating things. but anyway

ham: meh towards him. ironic since i started watching f1 because i liked his top gear interview (the first race i watched was abu dhabi 2011 (but then i discovered seb over the break and then it was all over for me haha))

perez: we share the exact same birthday and he had good drives in the past but uhhh this year? huh?? anyway i wonder if he'll lose his seat

alonso: haha nah. why is he still on the grid. anyone else would've been booted if their last win was spain 2013. but alonso's always been very good at talking himself up, and blaming the team/anyone but himself when he doesn't do so well

gasly: i know fuck-all about him but he seems to be a good driver

the hulk: hmmm. i like him. i don't think he's a top driver who just somehow kept missing out on being in a good car. i think his various errors this year--if it had been done by anyone else--would've had him castrated by the keyboard warriors/reddit people

yuki: i don't know anything about him but tumblr seems to like him and reddit thinks he's a hothead. but anyway i think he should have a go at the rbr seat... it'd be weird if lawson got it over him. (how long will rbr be at the top though?)

lance stroll: job security like no other. does he even enjoy being an f1 driver. (at least he was hilarious during the formation lap at brazil)

ocon: i know nothing about him. actually i think it's harsh when they boot people whilst the season is still on. i don't remember teams doing that in 2012-2013 but i could be wrong

kmag: all i remember of him is getting 2nd place? in his first race with mclaren in the australian gp 2014. then i paid him no attention, and i came back this year to find out he's a menace (affectionate?) who got 12 penalty points and therefore a race ban skjfngk. and now he's retiring?

albon: yeah he's all right huh. idk anything about him

ollie bearman: ????

colapinto: i hear he's a yapper and he hasn't gotten the PR training beaten into him hahah. anyway he seems/seemed somewhat promising. maybe he'll be on the grid next year, or maybe not

zhou: ???? all right i suppose

liam lawson: dude has a malfoy-ish expression about his mouth, or at least in the photo they always use to show the grid and stuff. anyway is he a dick? is he not? who knows~

bottas: nothing to say. i think he's fine

jack doohan: ??? well i will say that he doesn't seem to have been instantly amazing like colapinto was (iirc??? could be wrong). idk. that's not necessarily a bad thing

[wonderencyclopedia]

Name: Henry Cobb Armbuster First Appearance: Wonder Woman #15 (1988) Creators: George Perez and Len Wein Abilities: Vast wealth. Advanced cybernetic technologies. Loyal minions who would kill and die by his command.

Backstory: Multi millionaire industrialist and kingpin of the criminal underworld. Henry Cobb Armbuster was the owner of Armbuster Industries and numerous subsideries such as Toi-Choi Industries.

Using his wealth to push for a monopoly into technological sectors, Armbuster would finance research into highly advanced technologies to further his stranglehold on the industry. Arming his own private army with the armaments created by his own company to further grow his empire by carving out a niche in the criminal underworld through weapon sales and the drug trade.

Branching out into cybernetics to create powerful cyborgs. On top of state of the art geneticists who have cracked the secrets of the metahuman gene, with which he could unlock and manipulate the powers of anyone he wished.

Leaving the details to his lackey/steward/butler/millionaire minion Choi, Henry Armbuster looked only at the bigger picture. Wishing to amass wealth and power with no concern for anyones life but his own.

[giftsforus]

Dc Celebrates George Perez Birthday Hawaiian Shirt

DC Comics is celebrating the legendary artist George Perez's birthday in style with a limited-edition Hawaiian shirt for men and women. This unique and fashionable shirt is not only a great way to pay tribute to an iconic artist but also serves as a perfect gift for comic book enthusiasts and fans alike. George Perez is widely regarded as one of the most influential and talented artists in the comic book industry. His contributions to DC Comics, particularly his work on titles like "Wonder Woman," "The New Teen Titans," and "Crisis on Infinite Earths," have left an indelible mark on the medium. As a way to honor his remarkable career, DC Comics has decided to release a special edition Hawaiian shirt. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, this Hawaiian shirt features stunning artwork inspired by George Perez's iconic illustrations. The vibrant colors and dynamic patterns capture the essence of his distinctive style, making it a must-have for any comic book fan. Whether you're attending a convention or simply want to express your love for the medium, this shirt is the perfect way to showcase your admiration for the legendary artist. Available in both men's and women's sizes, this Hawaiian shirt is designed to suit a variety of body types. The loose fit and lightweight fabric make it comfortable to wear in any season. The breathable material ensures that it can be worn for extended periods without feeling stifled or restricted. Apart from being a fashion statement, this Hawaiian shirt also serves as a versatile gift option. Whether you're looking to surprise a friend, family member, or even yourself, this limited-edition shirt is sure to be a hit. Comic book enthusiasts of all ages will appreciate the thoughtfulness behind such a unique and nostalgic gift. Additionally, this Hawaiian shirt can be worn on various occasions, adding a touch of geek-chic to any outfit. Pair it with jeans or shorts for a casual look, or dress it up with a blazer for a more formal event. The possibilities are endless, making it a versatile addition to anyone's wardrobe. In conclusion, the DC Celebrates George Perez Birthday Hawaiian Shirt for men and women is a fantastic tribute to the iconic artist and a thoughtful gift for all comic book enthusiasts. Its impeccable design, comfortable fit, and versatility make it a must-have for any fan. Whether you're attending a comic convention, hanging out with friends, or simply expressing your love for the medium, this Hawaiian shirt is the perfect choice. Show your admiration for George Perez's remarkable career and style with this limited-edition shirt that will undoubtedly become a cherished addition to any collector's wardrobe.

Get it here : Dc Celebrates George Perez Birthday Hawaiian Shirt

Home Page : tshirtslowprice.com

Related : https://giftsforus.tumblr.com/post/722008440612978688/chipmunks-chip-dale-all-over-print-pinstripe

[slightlyloomingone]

23 Books for 2023

Oh, that's a lot of books. I have delayed posting after @herslowness tagged me because I wasn't sure I had 23 books in my list (and also because I have been very slow at making my way through my tbr list), but I will try to add some comic books/graphic novels and short stories, and hope for the best. Here we go. Striked = books I've finished (🥲)

1. A Sétima Onda - Juan Julian

2. A Psalm For The Wild-Built - Becky Chambers

3. A Comunidade Secreta - Phillip Pullman (I believe the original name is The Secret Commonwealth)

4. Entrelace: Antologia Semana da Visibilidade Assexual 2020 - Various Authors

5. Entre a Coroa e a Flecha - Arthur Cavalcante

6. Filhos de Sangue e Osso - Tomi Adeyemi (Children of Blood and Bone)

7. Far Sector - N.K. Jemisin

8. Hunger Pangs - Joy Demorra

9. Justiça Anciliar - Ann Leckle (Ancillary Justice)

10. Making Money - Terry Pratchett

11. Maremoto - Eduardo Leite

12. O Filho da Noite Estrelada - Juan Julian

13. O bebê de tarlatana rosa - João do Rio

14. Passos de Liberdade - Lívia Ferreira

15. Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg

16. Shadow of the Batgirl - Sarah Kuhn, Nicole Goux

17. The Empress of Salt and Fortune - Nghi Vo

18. Território Lovecraft - Matt Ruff (Lovecraft Country)

19. Um Conto de Natal - China Miéville (I think the title in English is 'Tis the Season)

20. Unseen Academicals - Terry Pratchett

21. Witchmark - C. L. Polk

22. Wonder Woman - George Perez (actually more than one book but yeah)

23. Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons - Kelly Sue DeConnick

I'm not tagging anyone, but please consider yourself tagged if you feel like playing!

[ladyloveandjustice]

I don't think that was like, on purpose, or means they didn't like him. Disney didn't seem to have a ton of interest in establishing its main characters personalities back then in general, it's always the side characters who have more of one because they're allowed to not be perfect ideals of womanhood and manhood and get to do some comic relief. The dwarves in Snow White, the mice in Cinderella, the fairies...

And tbh, Philip has more going on than his predecessor Princes, he has this line that gives him a spark of playfulness and personality:

Prince Philip very notably gets to do things and make decisions and slay dragons-who-are-also-witches and save princesses because that's What Princes Do while they give Aurora nothing. Disney presenting princes are active, going after what they want, fighting for what they want, while princesses get to be passive-- Sleeping Beauty is the clearest example of that. Again, Utena tried to save us, it tried to point out this divide kind of sucks for girls, and how stories like sleeping beauty set up this dichotemy for girls--you can either be passive and beautiful and loved, or you can be a woman who makes choices, is allowed to be cunning and angry and powerful, but is the witch who must be defeated by the prince. It's clearly the princess the girls are supposed to aspire to, not the fairies, and the witch is there to represent scary, bad womanhood. This is the point Utena made!

Both Snow White and Cinderella at least allow their main characters to make significant choices (Cinderella in particular actively wanting to go to the party and enjoy herself as she navigates abuse being something a lot of people relate to) Aurora really has it the worst out of all of them.

"it doesn't like the guys either/anyone" is a common response for these, and like, I get it, but that's not the point imo. "Does it like women" is pretty clearly 'does it give women the same consideration as men. Are the women restricted in ways men aren't. Is there gender bias." And there absolutely is in Sleeping Beauty. The fairies can help rescue Aurora, but Philip is the star who gets the exciting fight and awakens the princess. The fairies actually have way more of a loving connection to Aurora, but Phillip doesn't need that because we all know romance is what's important, he's a prince and she's a princess so he's the one who wakes her up. The kings may be idiots, but they get to be the ones in power regardless because they're men, that's never questioned, and the queen doesn't get any real characterization...

The movie spells it out for us as clearly as it can! Aurora is bestowed the gift of beauty and song. The movie spells out that these are the most important traits for a young girl to have--beauty being THE most important trait as it's given first. Like it couldn't be clearer that it's important for girls to look good, to be skilled in song because you know, that's always been an acceptable thing for women to do, it adds to their elegance, they can entertain guests--wisdom is not important. bravery is not important. resilience is not important.

Do you think the fairies would have given a baby boy the gifts of beauty and song? No, of course not, he'd get bravery and cleverness and likely no focus on its looks.

(funny sidenote I was thinking 'wait doesn't she throw in 'not just beauty in looks but a beautiful heart as well" and went back and no she doesn't the song makes it very clear it's just about looking good, and then I realized I'd confused Flora with Aphrodite's speech about her gift to Wonder Woman as a baby from the George Perez comics lmao. It's Aphrodite who says "beauty of the soul" Sleeping Beauty was not ready to even acknowledge kindness might be something worth mentioning)

Anyway yeah, it likes Aurora less than Philip, and it doesn't particularly like women, it gives little girls a very narrow idea of what being a girl is.

there's a tag in the sleeping beauty thing that's like "when was the last time we had a movie starring three old women! with a female antagonist even" and leaving aside the fairies not being the actual stars, the 'with a female antagonist' baffles me as a point in the movie's favor because uh. The evil witch tormenting the pure princess is most old school disney movies. Also disney isn't like. short on female antagonists. Neither are fairytales. Female antagonists in both are supposed to contrast with the purity of the heroine. In Disney's case it presents the proper kind of femininity- and in this movie's case the femininity is sweet, pretty, passive--and the dark, improper feminity--active, commanding, powerful...that's not feminist lmao. what world are we living in. And again, the fairies are "good" because they are mother figures, it isn't a groundbreaking role for a woman to be in.

I can't believe we've gotten to the point where we get "isn't it FEMINIST and SO RARE that the evil witch everyone hates is the villain trying to ruin the life of the young ingenue princess who doesn't get to have any agency" c'mon guys. I love maleficent we all do but c'mon.

[moonlightduelist]

me: i’m going to read comics again!!!

me: *reads comics from 1980’s or something*

[teentitansheadcanons]

I’m in love with your Blog!!! I got into Comic Books by watching the teen Titans animated series , I recently stated reading “The New Teen Titans” by Marv Wolfman & George Perez. Raven obviously is a very different character in the 1980s comics compared to the 2003 animated series. I was just wondering if you have a head canon on her voice in the comics? Her word/speed bubbles are different to the other characters, what do you think her voice would sound like?

This one’s a bit old, apologies for missing it until now. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the blog! And I hope you’re enjoying NTT too, because it IS very different, but also very good in its own, different ways!

Oh my gosh, I have thought about Raven’s voice in the comics extensively. (I don’t have a voiceclaim actor for her because I’ve never heard anyone that I think sounds Right for her, though.)

I imagine her voice is normally, well, as it’s narrated: “cold as an Arctic wind.” Distant, unemotional, sounding steady and unmoved. I imagine it’s a little bit deep, like an alto’s voice. She probably speaks slowly, at least at first, because she’s not used to speaking to people much when she first gets out of Azarath.

It’s very even-keel, kind of like her voice in the cartoon tone-wise, but in a less scathing/critical way and instead it’s a softer, more gentle way. Especially when she’s healing someone and reassuring them that she’ll save them, the kind of calm that a nurse with good bedside manner has. The kind of deep, steady calm that would be infectious even without her ability to take your fear away. I imagine she doesn’t sound super sappy and cooing, but her voice softens around the edges, gets a little bit quieter and just the SLIGHTEST bit softer and affected.

But I also headcanon that when she screams, like when she wakes up from the nightmare at the start of her origin issue, it’s LOUD and full and with her whole chest. It probably rasps, because her throat isn’t being used to make such loud sounds.

I imagine when she’s speaking with panic, she does sound moved, but only half of what you’d expect-- it’s still more even and controlled than it would be for someone who Doesn’t Have to Control Their Emotions. Almost would sound more like she’s being impatient than being scared, because she can’t LET herself get too scared.

And when she’s flustered, I imagine THAT’S when her voice changes the most! Especially when someone’s being kind to her and she doesn’t know how to react. Because she’s so incredibly shy and contained and restrained in the comics, she wouldn’t know how to react to it. It always comes across to me like she’d start speaking quickly, her voice losing its steady cadence and getting rockier, more jagged, as she gets nervous and uncomfortable and hurriedly makes her exit.

And when she’s crying? I break my own heart every time I read that sequence shortly before Terror of Trigon, where Joey comes to check on her, and at first she’s like “GO AWAY”-- I imagine at that moment her voice is sharp and flinty and louder than normal in her fear/desperation-- but then she realizes It’s Him, and you can see her dialogue change with her posture. I imagine then her voice gets a lot quieter, and even though she’s crying a few panels later, curled up against the door, I imagine she doesn’t sound as agonized as she is. She’s vulnerable and afraid, she even sounds resigned, but her voice is still calmer than it should be, calmer than Joey knows she’s feeling, because she’s still, you know... Raven.

(Wow, hey, that got Long, but 80′s Raven is probably my favorite version of her. And like I said... I’ve thought about it A Lot.)

~ mod Temples

[jupitermelichios]

I'm supposed to be working but instead i'm going to tell you which early christian heresies different superheroes would be into

so early christian heresies come in 2 flavours - "absolutely buck-fucking wild" and "unless you have the special 3d glasses they give you when you finish a theology course you will not be able to spot the differences between these two pictures". obviously i'm only going for the fun ones.

Mysterio - he isn't a hero, but he is definitely into docetism, because docetism said that jesus was a hologram and thats his whole deal

Shazam - clearly adoptionism, the belief that jesus was just some rando who God picked to be the chosen one because he liked the cut of his gib. No word if JC could yell 'jesus fucking christ' into the sky to turn back into a normal carpenter, but i like the possibilities for shennanigans that offers so yes he could

The Leader - another bad guy, but i couldn't just leave out the main man of Apollinarism, which is the belief that jesus's body and soul were human but his mind was divine. jesus had a literal galaxy brain.

Elongated man - he's the original DC comics wifeguy, and that's why he's real into Collyridianism, the belief that the holy trinity consisted of god jesus and mary, and also god and mary were married

Constantine - the patripassians believed there was no jesus, it was straight up god who died on the cross and god is therefore capable of dying, and i can't think of anyone who wants to kill god more than Johnny boy

Spider-man - his defining characterist is that he's just some dude, and the psilanthropists believed JC was not even slightly divine, not even in his brain, and therefore that he was also.... just some dude

Reed Richards - i wasn't going to get into gnosticism but the sethians believed that the snake in the garden of eden was a good dude just doing humanity a solid by giving them knowledge, and reed richards would also think getting kicked out of his house and loosing his powers in exchange for learning one interesting fact was totally worth it

The entire serpent society - so the ophites were like the sethians except that they just straight up worshipped the snake and thought god was a dick, and nothing says defying god for your love of snakes like bushmaster getting his whole-ass torso just grafted onto a robot snake body

Iron Man - the antinomianists thought that since god would forgive you they were therefore bound by no moral code whatsoever and could just do whatever the fuck they wanted, much like billionnaires

the entire new teen titans rosta - the ballorats held all things in common including wives, by which i mean they were swingers, and probably also had amazing george perez hair

superman - christians see him as christian and jews see him as jewish and that's why he's out there repping for the ebionites

Dial H for Hero - yeah this one's a deep cut but trust me, the montanists believed any visions they had while high were more true and important than the actual bible, so you get a new flavour every day with these guys, just like with the H dial

Wonder Woman - she does not want or need help from any god and the pelagianists thought humans didn't need gods help to get into heaven we could do it just fine on our own thanks all the same

And finally, one medieval heresy just as a treat

Batman - is totally a triclavianist, who's only heresy was believing jesus was nailed to the cross using 4 nails instead of 3, because that's exactly the kind of petty bullshit bruce would care about

[meara-eldestofthemall]

George Perez creation of Tim as a tiny Boy Wonder was such a hit that a lot of fans have been in love with the character ever since.

Initially, Tim being smaller than Bruce, Dick or just about anyone else in the Bat's tightly woven world is a central part of the character.

Tim's role as the "relatable Robin" is enhanced when he's surrounded by massive muscle men like Bruce and Jason or physical prodigies such as Dick and Damian. Tim comes across more like the average reader. He has certain gifts that set him apart but they're more cerebral than physical. Tim being tiny has even carried over into Rebirth cannon.

Tim being small (and being seen as a child) even made it into Wayne Family Adventures.

I hope DC never lets Tim get too big. After all, good things come in small packages.

IMPORTANT

Tim Drake being Tiny in Group Shot Panels of the Batfamily is a Must. That’s one of his key things that makes him so charming and unique in his own way as a Robin

His small sized compared to the rest of the Bats and their allies helps make his feats and moments of Kickbutt in fighting criminals and bad guys all the more impressive.

Bonus Points if he’s also the short guy among his YJ Core Four buddies

A great example of what I am talking about can be found with this excellent panel by the late great George Perez

(Sure it’s slanted but hopefully it conveys the height difference)

TD;LR Tiny Tim is the Best Tim

[formula365]

The race of fairytales - Sakhir GP review

We have a tendency to see ourselves as the heroes in our life’s story. It’s only natural, after all: we can see things only through our own eyes, no matter how empathetic we are to other people’s struggles. And we always hope our life’s story will be like one of the fairytales we are told as children growing up. We want to be the hero that slays the dragon and saves the princess. This is how we see ourselves.

It never occurs to us that we might just be supporting characters in someone else’s fairytale.

In fairness to George Russell, anyone in the situation he found himself this weekend would have seen themselves at the centre of the story. After toiling at the back of the grid in one of the slowest cars in F1, the young Brit was thrust into the multiple world champions embrace, in what surely must have felt like a dream. And as the weekend progressed and he saw himself first fighting with Bottas for pole, and then comfortably leading the race, he could see that fairytale ending ahead of him: a maiden win on his debut for Mercedes.

It could not have occurred to him in that moment that this would, in the end, not be his fairytale, and he was just a member of the supporting cast in someone else’s dream weekend. We should have all seen it coming when he admitted he had to wear boots one size too small in order to fit in the car. After all, if the shoe didn’t fit, Russell could not be Cinderella.

In the end, it turned out to be a day - another one - for the man without a job for next year. Sergio Perez has a knack for snatching podiums when others fall apart around him. Like an opportunistic striker praying on any mistake by the defenders, he seemed to always be the guy to clinch an unexpected spot on the rostrum when the big teams couldn’t keep it together. With two thirds of the race done on Sunday, it looked like this would be the case again, as Verstappen had crashed on lap one, and Albon couldn’t match the pace of those ahead of him.

But then, the fairytale began. In a twist worthy of a Hollywood movie, it was the driver who replaced George Russell at Williams who set about changing the course of history and deny the 22-year-old his happy end. Jack Aitken crashed, the safety car came in and Mercedes screwed up big time in the pit lane. All of a sudden, Checo was no longer on course for a podium; he was leading the Grand Prix.

Russell, as any hero in any story, took this adversity as a challenge and set about righting this perceived wrong. He made mince meat of Bottas, Stroll and Ocon and started pushing hard in pursuit of the Mexican, who had built a cushy gap to those behind. But fate, taking the form of a puncture, denied us the final battle between the two heroes; and so it was that the man who was last on the first lap ended up first on the last lap.

You would be hard pressed to find any F1 fan begrudge Perez his maiden win, even amongst Russell supporters. The Mexican is one of the nicest people on the paddock, and has worked hard all his career in midfield cars to achieve an impressive trophy cabinet. For someone who never had a truly front-of-the-grid car, his results have always been above average. And now that, for once, he was given a truly competitive car, he has made the most of it. He will be best of the rest in the championship even after missing two races.

And he will be doing that after being ousted from the team that he helped save just a year and a half ago. Just before the Mugello weekend, he was told he wouldn’t be racing for them anymore. Many drivers would have been gutted by such news, but he refused to feel sorry for himself. That announcement marked a turning point for him, with results going onwards and upwards ever since.

With a little bit more luck, he would have been on the podium in the last four races. Even if the results didn’t always reflect his performance (that P7 in Portugal does not do him justice) he made clear on track that he deserved more. After overcoming one of the biggest adversities he could face - losing his dream job - he rose even stronger and fought back. Just like a hero in a fairytale.

Talking points * For a couple of the drivers, they must have felt they were living the opposite of a fairytale. Bottas, in particular, had a dreadful Sunday. Beaten by his young teammate off the line, he was not capable of matching his pace at any point and after the tyre mix-up start falling down the order. Even with older tyres, though, he should have been able to defend against much slower cars. This was a poor performance, and Russell’s incredible race only sheds light on how poor Bottas’ was. He must feel his place at Mercedes will be at risk, at least for 2022. The other driver with a reverse fairytale was Albon. Yes, he improved from P12 on the grid to P6 at the flag, but four of those places were due to crashes and the Mercedes shenanigans in the pit lane. Worse than that, Perez’ blitzing drive from the back exposed how little progress the Thai driver made through the race. The Mexican did exactly what Red Bull expects from their second driver: picking up the pieces when the Mercedes are not in contention. * George Russell might not have had the fairytale ending he was dreaming of, but he nevertheless made clear he is made of star stuff. He couldn’t have hoped for a better stake on a 2022 seat at Mercedes, and one has to wonder if Toto Wolff will have been secretly happy that he has made such a statement. After all, it might make what otherwise would be a very difficult decision much, much easier. * Russell might not have gotten his maiden podium, but there was another debutant there. Esteban Ocon didn’t have the most remarkable of races, but made the most of the opportunity. He couldn’t hold Perez or Russell behind, but did just enough to cling at the front, and when other frontrunners had problems, he was there to take advantage. It must have been a relief for him after such an inconsistent year, marked by multiple mechanical failures. It gives him a much needed confidence boost for 2021. * With the Frenchman, there have now been 13 different drivers on the rostrum, in just 16 races. And all it took was for one of the front three teams to have a bad car for the opportunities to open up. * Lance Stroll was also up there, but felt that, just like in Monza, P3 should have maybe been P1. He certainly put in the hard work, having done half of the race in a set of softs, when everybody else didn’t risk running more than 15 laps or so on similar tyres. His second stint, however, was not strong enough to compete with his teammate or even to get close to Ocon in what should be a slower car. The Canadian has shown some good pace at times but is still missing the killer instinct to turn these opportunities into wins. * Daniil Kvyat is definitely making the most of the (probably) last races of his F1 career. The Russian had another strong weekend, and although he admitted he could have finished higher than P7, he was still clear of his teammate in P11. A strong end of the season will go some way in helping him find a future outside of F1. * The rookies did ok. Aitken qualified pretty close to his teammate and was on course to finishing ahead of Raikkonnen when he had his crash, but still recovered to beat the other rookie. Fittipaldi was never close to matching Magnussen and didn’t have the race pace to compete with anyone, but for someone who hadn’t race in over a year, he did reasonably well. The Brazilian is sure of having another shot in Abu Dhabi, and it will be interesting to see if he can get closer to the rest of the field after his first outing this weekend.

[weraceasone]

Hi Elle, question:

Which driver do you think will suprise us in a good way and which driver will suprise us in a not so good way (I’m talking about performance during the race).

Something else what has me wondering; someone on twitter said that Perez said "I can see why not every driver can adapt. I can already spot that with the timing I need, to know exactly how to set-up the car" - So... If even he can see why some drivers might find the car difficult why is Red Bull not considering to maybe change the car? To make it more drivable for everyone and not only a certain driver?

I hope my question is somewhat clear! Have a nice and sunny day (at least over here in monaco it is). Reallly realllllllyyyy love your blog btw. I think it’s amazing how you’re taking the time to answers every question 😭✨

hey Anon! first of all, thank you so much for the compliment!! it makes me really happy to know you appreciate my answers🧡.

what driver do I think will surprise us in a good way? honestly, I think Fernando will show us that he’s still an incredible driver. I saw a lot of people saying that he’s too old, that his time has passed, but I don’t believe a two-time world champion will suddenly be a lot worse than most of the grid. I honestly think Fernando is going to surprise us with how good and fast he still is (didn’t he do really well during the ‘young’ drivers test too? I’m not sure). Daniel. I know lots of people are critical of him and his choices and I even saw that they said on Ziggo Sport that he “doesn’t have it anymore”. I personally think Daniel is an incredible, incredible driver and I saw slivers of that during the past two seasons (e.g. his overtakes), but of course, due to the car he was driving he did not get the results he was hoping for. I have really high hopes for the McLaren this year and it honestly would not surprise me if we would see Daniel win a race. Daniel’s teammate: Lando. I personally think Lando showed a lot of improvement between his rookie year and last year and I fully expect him to continue that upward trend (if he doesn’t, I will definitely be disappointed, lol). I think driving next to a multiple-race winner like Daniel will greatly benefit Lando. I’m honestly really excited to see what McLaren will bring us this year, but I expect good things!!  what driver do I think will surprise us in a not so good way? maybe it’s an open door, but definitely Mazepin. he’s just not that good. that’s all. I fully expect him to be at the bottom of the grid every week (where, let’s be honest, he belongs). Mick. it pains me to say this, but I don’t think we should expect that much from him this year. I think many people have high expectations because of his dad, but I think we should all be aware that Mick is his own person, it’s his first year in F1 and the car he’s going to drive is just not that great. he will need some to adapt and develop and I think we should all give him the space and time to do so. honestly, I think it will not be Valtteri’s year. this sounds harsh, but I personally think he has been doing less and less well in recent years. I’ve noticed how his performance seems to get worse as the season progresses and that’s not what you want to see in a driver (and Toto also mentioned how he wasn’t happy with this!). I think Valtteri is increasingly suffering under the pressure from driving next to, statistically speaking, the greatest driver of all time (I don’t blame him for that though), while everyone keeps saying “everyone can win in a Mercedes”. I think he also feels pressure from the fact that he could be replaced with George in the near future. I honestly expect the same performance from Valtteri as what he’s shown us last year, which is not the level of driving you want to see from a Mercedes driver.

and then onto why the Red Bull doesn’t change their car to make it more adaptable: well, it almost pains me to say this, but because of Max. and in particular: Max’ driving style. he has an interesting driving style to watch, because he likes his car with quite a lot of oversteer, which is quite unique. this has actually been a recurring thing with many past world champions, for example; Michael Schumacher liked his car in exactly the same way. the downside to this is that it makes the car almost impossible to drive for anyone who isn’t either a world champion or a future world champion. the problem is that the car needs to be exactly the same for both drivers, so if they were to change the car to make it easier to drive for ‘normal’ drivers, then Max wouldn’t do as well. Red Bull has clearly chosen to keep the car so it fits Max’ driving style, which basically greatly disadvantages the second drivers that are driving next to Max. I’ve seen many discussions on Reddit about whether it’s the second drivers fault or not that they are not getting the results Red Bull wants and personally I do think a huge part of the problem is that the car is basically made for Max only, but I encourage everyone to form their own opinion on that. I hope this explains everything well, Anon. thank you again for the sweet compliment and I’m glad you’re enjoying some time in the sun!! here the sun is also shining, which has really improved my mood over the past few days. I hope you’re having a good day! 🧡