#carlando asks

[ehcahache]

Hi, what did he say about Carlos in the podcast? I can’t listen yet but would appreciate if you can tell me 🤗 thanks!

For context, he was asked about what he thought about Juan Pablo Montoya saying he didn't understand how nowadays drivers can be friends and then fight on track.

Lando said that times have changed, the grid is not like it was ten or twenty years ago, that he can go out with Carlos and Max and that still won't affect his performance and their battles on track.

It was around minute 34 for anyone interested in watching the clip!

Funny how F1 had to use banners on the YouTube video saying that this was recorded before the Austrian GP, bc he mentions Max as an example of friendship on the grid, saying constantly that they don't speak everyday, they just share some flights, think similar in some things and play padel together

[phebess]

Phebes, you NEED to share your secret, how do you write that much? And everything you post is amazing, really how do you do it? I'm really jealous 🙃🙃

i have no idea i just write!!! I know this is probably so unhelpful, i just have it playing like a movie in my head and i write out as it plays out in my mind??

im so so happy you like my fics, ty! 🤍

[landinrris]

What’s the picture they’re talking about in that post?

I'm assuming you're talking about this post?

Only the most batshit and iconic photo he's ever posted, in my humble opinion:

Came off the back of Mexico 2022 and multiple posts on the jpg account that included bits of Caco and/or Rupert, yet never Carlos himself. And then this was randomly dropped on the Tuesday after Mexico.

It seemed to set off a month of crazy in my mind.

Right after this, came: -the Brazil villa 2022 edition (complete with some evidence that Lando might've flown with Carlos in the helicopter to the villa; x, xx, xxx, xxxx, xxxxx) -The post-dinner Abu Dhabi group pic featuring Carlos' wandering hand -Lando choosing to post this paddock walk coming into Abu Dhabi (wearing Carlos' glasses) -The two of them being more glued to each other than normal on that weekend's driver's parade (x, xx) -Lando going to Madrid for Caco's wedding and going out with Carlos beforehand (x, xx) -Being the only f1 driver at the wedding and then posting another insane dump (x, xx, xxx, xxxx, xxxxx) -Carlos and Lando joint posting from Caco's wedding -[jump cut to March] Sainz family golf outing in Bahrain

(Honorable mentions to "we talk about feelings now" from September and Lando's random ass pole congrats to Carlos in Austin)

Truly a whirlwind of insanity

[valyrfia]

I've been a F1 fan since 2005. I've first loved Kimi. Then Charles came. I've endured the Mercedes dominance and never thought about switching the TV off. Hell, even Max' season didn't annoy me.

But something about McLaren having the fastest car (especially with Norris, idc about Piastri tbh) makes me just want to switch the TV off. I don't know if it's the team or the driver. They just make me want to not watch and I hate that feeling because I love this sport so much and it has been my safe haven for many, many years. But I cannot stand Zak Brown and Lando Norris and these guys are tainting this sport for me and honestly I don't know how to cope.

Do you have any ideas how to get through this?

I think there's many factors pissing me off about McLaren dominance, the first is that their drivers are good but they're not WDC level and it's INFURIATING that the dual factors of them suddenly producing a rocketship seemingly out of thin air and Red Bull forgetting how to manufacture a car might give a WDC to someone who before the rocketship era has never shown the mentality nor driver skill needed to become world champion.

The second is that McLaren as a team are smug, smarmy, and manipulative in a way that makes me want to burn Woking as a concept to the ground. Their PR strategy carefully manufactures a parasocial relationship to a degree rarely seen. Them and their little army of fans want you to believe that you fundamentally are a bad person if you dislike them or their drivers. and if they face any large-scale meaningful criticism they're so happy to roll out "omg Carlando! omg Landoscar! yay we're all friends look how much our drivers might want to fuck each other!" or Lando's own personal mental health struggles without batting an eye, essentially changing the narrative and going 'you just are just a terrible person because you're criticising us and look how openly Lando is admitting to being depressed and anxious!'. It's very uncomfortable to watch. The truth is that F1 teams are brutal and cut-throat and all of them are a nightmare to work for, but Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari all embrace it to a certain degree whereas McLaren try to be on a high horse and pretend they're morally better than the other teams. They also have a tendency EVEN NOW to try and fully pretend they're the underdog to farms aws and gain some sort of sympathy, but I will say that this strategy seems to be backfiring somewhat. I've never seen such a huge backlash a team and a driver as I've seen against McLaren and Lando in recent months for stuff that doesn't even happen on track and frankly I hope it continues because it's ridiculous how little class that team has shown since they've started dominating. They've not been just gleeful, they've been vindictive and catty but when criticism comes in they're quick to call critics morally bad people.

[palalabu]

"The easy one is to say red bull. He should've gone there."

😔

[artemispt]

[aaltilis]

Lando: I wanna ask a question-

Carlos: Yes, I still love you.

Carlos: Yes, I would cry if you died.

Carlos: Yes, I would still love you if you were a worm.

Carlos: Which one do you want to ask?

Lando:

Lando: Thanks :)

[gayferrari]

Carlos dating Isa for so long on the dl (as is his right) that tons of people actually didn't know he was in a relationship, and some of those people being the comms for the Brazilian stream and them commenting on how Carlos had hooked up with a Brazilian ( not the cheating) is one of my favourite moments of all time. Of all time because they weren't trying to be super messy it seems like they had no clue he wasn't single. Brazilian comms will live forever (and like this whole situation is overall more funny than dramatic or terrible. Millionaire athlete cheated will never be opening news, sucked for Isa ofc but overall funny) as I was writing this I was failing to see why I thought it was so funny and then I remembered!!!! He brought lando along!!! Why????? What was that!!!!

POETIC CINEMA THAT'S WHAT IT WAS. it's a testament to Elon Muskʼs terrible everything that it took me like 15 mins to unearth this immortal twitter thread

I learned the word “fofoqueiro” from this... RIP Brazilian twitter you will forever be missed.

[talksaboutracing]

[x]

[fairylando]

pookie thinks he's slick... he was literally looking at the ferrari driver in question💀

[wisteriagoesvroom]

alright. it's time.

pls reblog, your vote matters etc etc

[ehcahache]

There’s no way to actually know if the picture was taken today (which obviously would mean Carlos is still in Brazil), but I’m choosing to believeeee

I mean, the man who posted it, posted them in an Instagram story... 👀

[phebess]

I agree with anon about continuing fics!! Definitely would love to read another chapter for slicks 👀

noted 👀👀👀👀👀👀

[landinrris]

do you have any carlando fic recs?

Do I have carlando fic recs? always. There's a somewhat recency bias to the individual recs, so if you're wanting a more comprehensive look, I would definitely utilize the resources above this "read more." But also the individual fics are 🥰

First off, I'm gonna humbly present my catalog 😅

I also have some authors (in no particular order) that I would recommend anything Carlando-related they've written: -Phebes (@phebess) -Pitmewithyourbeststop -Magnificentbirb (@magnificentbirb) -Charleslelurk (@charleslelurk) -Madlyiephasetwo -Tiredtiredsharl (@wolfiemcwolferson)

My general fic rec tag is a great place when I come across tumblr links/snippets (also contains other rec lists: x, xx)

My public bookmarks on Ao3 is also a good indication of my fave fics (because some things are between me and god)

I'll shove some individual fics (in no particular order) below the read more so I don't clog people's dashes

Someone Who Can Stand in Your Storm by The_in_between_honey (@the-in-between-honey) (Rating: M)

Like most drivers, Lando has always worn scent blockers - like, always. He’s not ashamed of being an omega, it's just not anyone else's business. Besides, who wants to get into the politics of alphas vs omegas vs betas in F1? He doesn't buy into any of that, just like he doesn't buy into the idea of a "soulmate." No one asks, and he doesn’t tell anyone. Not even Carlos.

I never knew I was looking for all of my tomorrows by Anonymous (Rating: E)

They’d joked about it sometimes, what it would be like if one of them were a girl, if they would cross that line they already tiptoed around. “Would you break up with your girlfriend for me?” Lando teased once, pushing it ever closer to the edge they teetered on. “Lando,” Carlos had said in that warning voice of his, but he hadn’t said no, and now there’s no girlfriend either…

Across The Never by ShankySpork (Rating: M *Rated with MCD but not permanent)

Benny Goodman once wrote a song, ‘Where Or When’. It goes as follows; “It seems we stood and talked like this, before//We looked at each other in the same way then, But I can’t remember where, or when//The cloths you are wearing, are the cloths you wore//The smile you are smiling, you were smiling then//But I can’t remember where, Or when//Some things that happened for the first time//Seem to be happening again//And so it seems//That we’ve met before//And laughed before//And loved before//But who knows//Where or When” And truly, nothing could summarize this story better.

you lit a fire (and left no mark) by slapshot (Rating: E)

Lando doesn’t really drink or do drugs. So when he collects his things and dresses himself and leaves the room, fighting back tears and muffling his sobs behind his hands, Lando remembers everything. ~*~ the carlando accompaniment to salad days.

Count-Back by nottonyharrison (Rating: E)

Lando’s career progression up to the age of nineteen can be summarised by one word: Hustle. Lando learned the fine art early on in her racing career. It’s not always been successful, sometimes it’s blown up in her face, and sometimes her smart mouth gets her in trouble. But, on balance, things have worked out pretty damn well. The one fly in the ointment now though, is her teammate. Carlos Sainz is a whole lot of things Lando’s not. He’s confident in an old-money, sophisticated sort of way. He’s intelligent and well spoken. He’s goddamn gorgeous. Most annoyingly, he’s better than she is.

i’ll race you for pinks by cazio (@chubbydino) (Rating: M)

Heist!AU. Carlos Sainz Jr. is heading a heist operation based out of New York, following his father’s footsteps as a criminal mastermind. Max Verstappen, the most feared mercenary in the business, is his second in command. Daniel Ricciardo is the deadly charmer that gets them whatever they need, from whoever they need it from. Lando Norris is the mystery. Carlos has never met him in person, but he knows Lando will be perfect for the job. But Lando is not exactly what Carlos envisioned a computer nerd to be. In fact, he is very, very hot.

 fall and fixture by heroics (@restacks) (Rating: E)

Lando’s already had a very poor time of it this morning. First there was no real milk in the break room refrigerator, so he had to put almond milk in his tea, disgusting. Then he caused a panic in the explosives lab by knocking over someone’s project. Now he’s faced with Carlos Sainz Jr., Foreign Operative #055.

If the Love is Pure by loveleclerc (@holacarlando) (Rating: E)

After being attacked in the middle of the night by an unknown Alpha, Lando flees to Spain for protection from the Sainz Pack while his fathers search for a way to keep him safe in England. He never asked to be a male Omega, a designation rare beyond belief and sought after by Alphas around the world, but fleeing into the care of Carlos Sainz Jr. may just be the solution to all of his fears… and dreams.

and all of my wildest dreams (they just end up with you and me) by choripan (@7msc) (Rating: E)

“What time did you go to sleep last night, cabrón?” The 7AM light hitting Carlos made his Disney Prince dark hair look like a halo, his features softer in the morning. He was frowning a little bit, but in a way that made him look worried instead of angry. “Uhhhhhhhh…” “Landooooooo…” OR: the one where Lando is slowly girlrotting away and Carlos just wants to help.

i love you forever, not maybe (you’re my one true love) by mtchmrnr (Rated: E) 

Lando is starting to suspect that off-camera, he’s quite the soft and gentle guy. What did he say once in an interview? He protects love? I’d love to be protected, Lando thinks. or: the one where Lando is a student, Carlos is a F1 driver, and they go through a lot before they get their happy ending

[valyrfia]

hi i came here from thearchercore where they said that you think there seem to be friendship cliques forming around the paddock as of late like carlando vs. lestappen. i've seen these divides between fans but what makes you think there's also that divide between drivers?

I wouldn't call them friendship cliques. More....workplace alliances regarding the way F1 is going and the way F1 should go.

(Full disclaimer. This is a theory of grid dynamics that's been brewing for a little while in my head and I've only really bounced it off people in dms so far, so feel free to critique or refine it.)

Now, why would these two camps clash? Apart from interpersonal reasons (power struggles at any of the teams for example, I think any of the drivers listed racing or PR would resent being labelled as the team's n2 driver), F1 itself as a sport is at a crossroads. We're seeing the obvious effect of DTS in popularising the sport and making these athletes world-famous. In the past, only the world champions really became world-renowned. Now, most drivers are massive social media stars, or even proper A-list celebrities in their own right (Daniel at the Met Gala, for example). This one one hand is brilliant for the sport, because it brings more attention and eyes, and F1 becomes far more popular than it ever has been in the past. Liberty media especially is fond of this, as it brings in more profit for them.

However, in a lot of ways quintessential aspects of racing are lost via appealing to the masses. We see this in the removal of traditional purpose-built tracks in the calendar to make way for street races, in team line ups prioritising the PR-friendliness of a driver much more than before. The question of can the individual personalities of these drivers be sold is now a much bigger factor when considering a line up now than it was even ten years ago.

Since the question of racing vs. PR is raging in F1 in general right now, I think there's natural battle lines being drawn up in the paddock at the moment, that seem to fall along drivers which prioritise racing results over PR, and drivers that rely on PR/sponsors to boost their image without the racing results to necessarily back it up. Let's call them the racing clique vs. the PR clique for simplification.

Furthermore, I think these battlelines are drawn between teammates more often than not. So for example, I'd say Oscar tends to fall into the racing clique, Lando the PR clique (because let's be frank, his level of hype in British media especially WITHOUT a grand prix win is a little ridiculous). Likewise, if we consider our once and future RBR teammate pair, Max is the racing, Daniel the PR.

Ferrari is a little trickier because Charles is a PR mastermind and plays the PR game well in order to manipulate public perception about him. However, I will say that above all Charles has a fair estimation of his own abilities, an incredible racing IQ, and a sharp hunger to win that shines through despite the scrupulous Ferrari PR training (lest we forget the origin of the Il Predestinato name). For this reason, I think I place him in the racing camp. Considering the way that the Sainz camp uses leaks, well-timed sympathy posts, and Carlando to boost the public perception of Carlos's racing ability, I would place Carlos in the PR camp.

There are also other natural flash tensions between these people, but from Lando and Daniel distancing themselves from Max post his Vegas derogatory comments (@tsarinablogs has written some good thinkpieces on this), to the Ferrari civil war (as currently being chronicled by @thearchercore, along with some pretty good evidence as to McLaren trying to copy Ferrari's contract renewal hype, which further puts Lando and Charles into conflict). I don't think the happy go lucky Landoscar dynamic will survive McLaren being a competitive car, especially if Oscar wins a grand prix before Oscar.

There are faultlines and flashpoints forming in the paddock, and I think that especially with the incoming silly season, this question of PR vs. racing when picking drivers will be thrown into haut relief and that'll serve to only heighten the natural and/or pre-existing tensions between these two different groups of people.

[sainzinnorris]

somedays im okay. the other days i remember that interview clip of lando calling daniel ric “ carlos ” and how daniel goes about to say “ their friendship was a little more than friendship ” , lando agreeing to that statement. and when the interviewer goes like “ a proper bromance, it was cute. 🤭” , lando norris has the nerve to correct her and say “ a lot more actually ”....and i'm spiralling to watch carlando compilations all over again.