#did he cry after he lost the championship on the last race last lap last corner?

[softlysighing1804]

very personal thoughts but prema i REALLY need this duo to become new f2 teammates come on prema come on

[fangirl-dot-com]

Epilogue - Sign of the Times

Just stop your crying it’s the sign of the times… Welcome to the final show, I hope you’re wearing your best clothes… 

Here it was. The last lap of the 2025 season. Sweat pooled on your forehead as you kept pushing the car to its max. A car similar was right on your tail, and you wanted to keep him that way. You could see the finish line start to get closer. With an inhale and an exhale, you crossed the line with such speed. 

“FOR THE SECOND TIME IN HISTORY, THE POINTS WERE EQUALLED BEFORE THE FINAL RACE. IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS RACE, WE THOUGHT THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS GOING DUTCH ONCE AGAIN, BUT NOT IF Y/N L/N HAS ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT. SHE HAS FOUGHT BRILLIANTLY THIS SEASON AND CAN ONLY BE REWARDED WITH ONE THING! Y/N L/N IS CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!” 

You can’t bribe the door on your way to the sky… You look pretty good down here, you ain’t really good…

Your eyes flitted around your helmet as you finished your burnouts. Your heart was racing so quickly. Tears were pooling in your eyes. Was this it? Was what they were saying true? You wouldn’t believe it until you got out of the car. The “1” on the board in Parc Ferme seemed to stare at you as you climbed out. You looked at your team, who were all screaming and shaking the barrier. 

Like normal, you stood up on the car and raised a hand. Only this time, your pointer finger was out, as if you had counted to one and suddenly stopped. You stepped off the car and kneeled down next to a tyre. Your helmet rested for a moment against the cooling rubber. A hand lightly tugged you up and wrapped you in their arms. 

Oh yeah. 

You had beaten Max in the last two laps of the race, claiming the P1 spot at the end. The Dutchman was shaking you around, celebrating. But, he had lost. 

“KID, KID, YOU DID IT! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!” 

Your eyes were wide as you looked up at him. They quickly turned into half crescents as you smiled at him, starting to jump up and down with him. You never left his arms. 

“I’M A WORLD CHAMPION. OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH!” 

Max let you go as you turned around to jump to the team. You jumped so far in that you took the barrier down with you. Sobs left your lips as everyone wanted to get their hands on their new champion. Hugs, helmet kissed, and pats were tenfold. 

Later that evening, your flag was draped around your shoulders as you held your head high for your national anthem. You could remember how you were on this step just one year ago, third place in the championship.  However, this year, you stood on that top step as Champion of the World.

redbullracing has posted

redbullracing for the first time ever, Y/n L/n is Champion of the World!

liked by verstappen33, arthur_leclerc, lewishamilton, and 6,294,018 others

y/n.nation OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH 😱

y/n&co LETS GO LETS GO THAT'S MY DRIVER

box_box_express YOUNGEST AND FIRST FEMALE TO WIN THE WDC

y/n.89 I still think I'm dreaming

landonorris in that case bug, I'll GLADLY take the trophy

y/n.89 NO YOU WILL NOT BACK OFF 🤺

lestappenlove I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THIS DAY

If we never learn, we’ve been here before… Why are we always stuck and running from the bullets?  The bullets…

“CHARLIE!”

The Monegasque barely had any time to react as your body soon collided with his. He felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him for the second time that night. Your hands were on his shoulders, shaking him widely. It wasn’t long before Max joined you around Charles as well. Max had brought him into a bone crushing hug, while you waited to the side with Arthur, whose tears hadn’t stopped since the second to end lap. 

The fireworks in the Abu Dhabi night sky were blood red. The crowds around them mimicked their shine and color in devotion for the driver who stood in the middle of the crowd. 

When Max broke the hug, Arthur was the one to take his brother back in his arms. You and Max let the two have their moments. Among your jewelry that you were putting back on after the race was a pretty special ring. The Dutchman’s eyes widened as he saw you slip in onto your left hand’s fourth finger. You smiled up at him and winked. A groan left his lips. 

“Has Charles been teaching you how to wink? Or is that a Leclerc special that you pick up if you’re marrying one of them.” 

A giggle left your lips as Max’s whining, but it wasn’t long until he gave you a hug. His head rested on top of yours as you just stood there. 

For the 2026 season, Lewis and Charles had built a literal fighter jet. There was no way that yours and Max’s cars could ever keep up. With the new regulations, Newey just seemed a bit lost. However, he was understanding them little by little and promised a championship contending car for next year. 

But, you couldn’t even be sad about losing to Charles. And you had a feeling that Max felt the same way. The Monegasque deserved it, everything, and a little bit more. Lewis, in the bright red, stood next to him. He wore a proud smile for the teammate that he got so close to in the past two years. 

You stepped away from Max and made your way to the Briton. The man opened his arm and let you slip right in. A sigh left your lips as you watched Charles jump into the sea of red, thanking the team for finally loving him the right way. 

You sniffed, suddenly getting a bit emotional. And you knew why. 

You didn’t look up at Lewis as you spoke quietly. 

“You’re retiring right? I can feel it Lew, you don’t have to lie.” 

Just stop your crying it’s a sign of the times,  We gotta get away from here, we gotta get away from here 

Lewis’s chest rose, his breath slightly hitching, letting you know that you were correct. His grip only got tighter around your shoulders. A quiet “yeah” left his lips. You knew how heartbreaking it must have been to see you win in 2025 and then Charles in 2026, never giving Lewis a chance to get his 8th.

“I’m happy though. It’s been a long time coming. Fernando retired last year and has decided to just not come back, I guess it’s finally my time then.” 

Tears started to drip out of your eyes. If anyone saw, they might have guessed that you were crying for joy about your friend’s win. But they didn’t know that you’d be crying for your friend’s loss too. 

“Don’t cry sweetie. I’ll be around.” 

“I’ll miss you Lew.” 

“I know kid. I know. But I’m here if you ever need me.” 

Fireworks went off again, igniting the sky and bleeding it red. 

y/n.89 and arthur_leclerc have posted

y/n.89 the Leclercs 2027 🖤🤍

liked by maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc, olliebearman, and 7,295,097 others

y/n.nation WHAT IN TARNATION IS THIS??

rb4ever I THOUGHT I saw a ring on her finger during the post-race interviews!!

maxverstappen1 I will have people know that I was the first to know

charles_leclerc um, excuse me?? Arthur phoned me after 😌

landonorris who do you think took the pictures?? 🤨

olliebearman who do you think he brought to get the ring - I win

formulala_delulu a match made in the stars!!

Just stop your crying it’ll be alright  They told me that the end is near, we gotta get away from here  Just stop your crying, have the time of your life  Breaking through the atmosphere, and things are pretty good from here

The chilled air made goosebumps arise on your arms under your long sleeved dress. You huffed as you stood outside the area, waiting for the signal to start walking. But one person was missing. Your head violently turned left and right, mind getting worried that he was going to miss the cue. When a hand touched your arm, you knee he had finally made it. 

“Vito, you were making me sweat, and then you were going to make me cry if you missed this,” you whined out. 

The older man rolled his eyes. 

“I would never do that to you. And isn’t it bad if you cry on your wedding day?” 

A huff left your lips. You wanted to say something snarky, but soft piano music began to fill the area. You knew there was a brilliant white piano being played by a talented world champion right now, urging you to start walking. 

Your arm was wrapped around Vito’s bicep as you started walking down the white cloth that had been laid down earlier in the day. 

Arthur stood on the opposite end, a nice destination of where you’d end up. Charles smiled softly at the piano as he watched his brother’s exterior start to crumble at the sight of you in your white dress. Quite possibly, tears of his own began to fall on the baby grand. 

Christian stood near Arthur and gave the younger man a tissue. Arthur took it with no hesitation. Max stood a next to a little space where Charles would come back to stand once he was done playing. 

The Dutchman had been surprised when Arthur had asked him to be a groomsman. The two laughed when Arthur mentioned that if Max didn’t take his offer, you’d make him a bridesmaid and make him wear a dress. Max had never accepted something so quickly. Ollie stood next to Max, also crying at the sight of you. These were his best friends getting married, how was he supposed to stay calm. 

After what felt like an eternity to you and Arthur, the two of you were finally back in each other’s arms. 

You whispered a “hi” to him as he took your hands. 

Arthur just cried a bit more. 

The wedding was beautiful. The colors complimented everything so well in the Italian countryside where you and Arthur held the ceremony. Your estate would host the commencement activities. You had Arthur had talked about permanently moving in so that you two could start your new lives together. But, you’d still keep your Monaco house for visits to Max and the family. 

Speaking of, your eyes landed on Kelly in the crowd. You wanted her to be in your wedding so much, but the little baby in her arms made if just fine if she couldn’t stand with you. You remember crying when Max asked you to be the godmother of his son, Adriaan Daan Verstappen. Oh well, you’d get baby snuggles later. Max and Kelly’s wedding was planned for the 2028 summer break, hence why your wedding was in December of 2027. 

Max was back to being world champion, which was fine with you. You’d let him break his own record and then destroy it later on. 

The rest of the 2024 grid were also there, along with a lot of the past F2 boys that loved Arthur as their own. 

The vows were read and the ceremony ended shortly after. As you walked back down the aisle, finally known as Mrs. Y/n Leclerc, your eyes landed on an empty seat. A picture of Lorenzo sat there, reminding everyone about the man who loved you more than life itself. 

Last night, you had heard Arthur whispering out the window. Tears had welled when you understood his words. 

“I know that you love Y/n so much Enzo. I wish that you could have been here to see tomorrow, she looks so beautiful, even if I haven’t seen the dress. I just wanted to let you know that she’s doing ok. I am here to love her so much. I know I can never replace you, but I hope you can rest easier knowing that she finally has people who also love her so much.” 

We can meet again somewhere  Somewhere far away from here…

Arthur gave you a kiss on your cheek as he led you back down the aisle. 

“Hello wife,” he said, gathering you in his arms after you rounded the corner out of sight. 

You pressed a kiss to his lips. “Hello husband.” 

During the “after party,” you couldn’t stop giggling as you got ready to throw the bouquet. You knew what was going to happen right after, and you made sure to throw it in the direction of the certain bridesmaid. 

Charles had asked for your permission for this weeks and advance and you had happily accepted. You threw the bouquet, praying that it went in the right direction. Once you turned around, a smile grew on your lips as you saw that Alex had caught it. And right behind her was Charles on one knee. 

You couldn’t wait to gain a sister. 

y/n.89 and arthur_leclerc have posted

arthur_leclerc can't wait to spend forever with you 💍

liked by y/n.89, oscarpiastri, pascale_leclerc, and 7,943,857 others

y/nxarthur wow, I've legit had a front row seat to this entire relationship

maxiel_lover most of the drivers from 2024 where there 🥺

y/n.89 forever is too short

arthur_leclerc I'll love you in every universe and all of eternity

landonorris gag.

charles_leclerc get a fiancé and then we'll listen to you norizz

y/n.89 not on my wedding post please boys

landonorris yes ma'am

y/n.leclerc I will be sobbing forever

We never learn, we been here before Why are we always suck and running from the bullets?  The bullets…

You walked into the garage, a smile on your face as you watched Max take pole for the last time in Formula 1. The crew around you cheered once the final times were set. On the wall next to you read the names and years of yours and Max’s championships. 

The 2025 was yours, 2026 wasn’t on there, but 2027 to 2030 was all Max. He had finally broken the 7 championship record 2 races ago, winning his beloved 8th World Championship. You would have made him battle it out till the last race, but you couldn’t have done that since the 2028 season. Liam had done a good job in your car, keeping it warm until you could return. 

Max stepped into the garage, eyes still full of life at 33 year old. He was practically a baby still if you remember how old Lewis and Fernando were when they retired. His eyes lit up as they landed on you. Before he could say anything, a screech sounded in the garage. 

“MAXIE!” 

The two-year-old in your arms wiggled until you put her down. Her little legs took her to her favorite godfather, much to Charles’ chagrin of wanting to be the favorite uncle. Except Max didn’t need to know that Ferrari was Lottie’s favorite team. The Leclerc’s love for the Italian Prancing Horse was definitely written in their genetics. 

Charlotte Pascale Maxine Leclerc was born almost one year after yours and Arthur’s wedding. The announcement raised some eyebrows and you could see some adults calculating in their heads. But they ignored everything once she was born. Brown hair and bright hazel eyes were surely going to break hearts when she was older. She was a carbon copy of Arthur. 

With you getting pregnant, you’d have to miss at least 2 years of Formula 1. You also didn’t want to miss any of her firsts so you announced a semi-permanent retirement for the 2028, 2029, and 2030 seasons. You may have cried when Max said that he was going to retire while you weren’t racing. But, you knew why he was doing it.  

Penelope was 11 and Adriaan was 3. Max didn’t want to have to miss any more of their lives that he already had. 

The Dutchman bent down to pick the toddler up. 

“Hey kid.”

You knew he wasn’t talking to Lottie. You rolled your eyes as you approached him and gave him a hug. 

“I’m not a kid anymore Max. I have a kid. So it kind of cancels everything out.” 

Max only looked down at you with a smile. 

“You’ll always be my kid, no matter what.” 

“Sure Maximillian.” 

We never learn, we been here before 

Max this time did not roll his eyes or comment how that was not his name. He’s played this game before, and he’ll finally let you have it. 

“Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay one more season?” 

He put a hand on your shoulder. 

“I’ll be close by, don’t worry. I told you that I’d be here for all of it. I’m not breaking that promise.” 

y/n.89 has posted

y/n.89 Lottie insisted she watch Maxie drive the car with Adriaan 💙

liked by leclercfam, y/nsnumber1, kellypiquet, and 8,230,185 others

leclercfam STOP STOP STOP THEY'RE SO CUTIEEEE

rbxferrari I can't believe Lottie is turning 3 this year???

charles_leclerc still the favorite uncle 😚

maxverstappen1 not if Lottie has anything to say about it

charles_leclerc says the man whose son was in Ferrari merch earlier

y/n.89 max I fear Charles wins this time

charles_leclerc HA

maxverstappen1 you win ONE championship and your ego grows by 10 thousand

y/n4ever dare I say I'll miss them all like this?

Why are we always stuck and running from the bullets?  The bullets…

“MAX EMILLIAN VERSTAPPEN AND CHARLES MARC HERVE PERCEVAL LECLERC! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU’RE BOTH DEAD!”  

Max and Charles looked over at Arthur with pleading eyes. 

“Help us.”

Your husband only looked at them with pity. 

“Shouldn’t have waited to tell her. Now she knows because of Instagram.” 

Both drivers, er well, a team principal and driver winced at the sound of your footsteps getting closer and closer. 

Charles immediately grabbed his son from Alex. 

“I have a baby Y/n! You can’t do anything.” 

Little Jules Herve Anthoine Leclerc looked up at his dad with big and round, green eyes, making cooing noises at everything, blissfully unaware that his aunt was about to try to kill his father. 

“But Max doesn’t!” 

Just stop your crying it’s a sign of the times  We gotta get away from here, we gotta get away from here 

Max slightly paled as he looked around for a child to grab, but Lottie was already in Arthur’s lap by the time you got down the stairs. He winced when you landed on the ground floor. You, Arthur, and Lottie had come to visit after Charles called that Alex had gone into labor. Your family of three hadn’t planned to stay this long, since it had been three weeks, but Lottie had insisted that she wanted to see Maxie, Pen, Adri, and Aunt Kelly. 

Your phone showed an Instagram post from Red Bull Racing. 

“Should I read this Max or do you just want to tell me?” you raised an eyebrow as you asked. Max winced again. This was the ultimate betrayal. 

Arthur, looking at Max with glee, asked you to read it. The Monegasque didn’t react when he felt the Dutchman’s glare on him. You only hummed as you began to read.

“Max Verstappen will officially return to the F1 paddock, not as a driver, but as the Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing. 

“We are also delighted to announced that Charles Leclerc will be racing alongside Y/n L/n, as she returns from her retirement in the 2031 season.” 

Max tried to give you a smile. 

“Surprise?”

You turned to Charles, who tried not to jump due to Jules falling asleep in his arms. Your eyes narrowed. 

“I’m going to be champion again this year. You can eat my dust for this.” 

Laughter erupted from the small group. Lottie had no clue what was going on, but she crawled off of Arthur lap and demanded that she be held in your arms. Her head rested on your chest as you rocked lightly back and forth. You hadn’t planned to have her so early at 25, but the little girl in your arms was your pride and joy. 

She tried to give her best stink eye to her uncle and godfather. She pointed her little finger at them. 

“Maman is going to be champion!” her little voice squeaked out. 

And Lottie was right. 

Maman was going to be champion from 2031 to 2034, adding another four to her one.

Only four more to go. 

Stop your crying, baby, it’ll be alright  They told me that the end is near, we gotta get away from here 

You looked up at Arthur with a smile. The now 36-year-old stood shirtless, with a small baby on his chest. The TV in the hospital room was playing the 2035 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Like they had back in 2026, the red fireworks lit up the night. 

You knew what was coming after Charles won this year. The promises of retirement hung over his head as you watched another one of your friends leave the sport. 

The only ones that remained from your fateful 2024 season were Lando and Oscar (still with McLaren), Logan and Lance (racing together for Aston Martin), George (who raced with Kimi for Mercedes), and then Yuki and Pierre (who found each other again in now back to Torro Rosso). 

Daniel retired the year before Max along with Valtteri, Kevin, and Nico. 

You looked up at your husband. 

“Are you ok if it’s just him and Lottie? I’d like to continue racing until I retire and I don’t think any more kids might be possible after?” 

Arthur looked at you with a smile. 

“That is more than ok chéri. I think Lottie will just enjoy little Lorenzo Oliver Alessandro Leclerc’s company.” 

You peered up at him. 

“You do not have to keep saying his full name, you know that right.” 

Arthur stepped over to the bed right as Charles was getting out of his car, finally a second time world champion. He gently put Enzo into your arms and gently rubbed over his head that was covered with blond hair. The same shade of eyes looked up into yours as your son took in the sight of you. If Lottie could be Arthur’s copy, Enzo was yours. 

Arthur sighed. 

“I can call him whatever I want. It’s not fair that he was named after Ollie and not his own father.” 

“Bebe, you said you were fine with it.” 

He knew you were teasing. 

“It is all jokes ma chéri.” 

Charles voice sounded in the room through the TV speaker. Arthur turned up the volume to hear his brother.  

“I am so thankful for this opportunity for one more championship. I have loved driving for Red Bull and previously for Ferrari. But, uh, I feel as though this is my closing chapter.” 

Mark Webber was the one to be interviewing Charles. 

The Australian asked, “So is this a retirement announcement?” 

The Monegasque gave a small smile. “It would seem so. I’ve given all that I can to the sport. It is time for me to continue my life with my family.” 

Mark clapped him on the shoulder. 

“I know I can speak for the entire Formula 1 world when I say that you will be missed.” 

y/n.89 and arthur_leclerc have posted

y/n.89 little Lorenzo Oliver Alessandro Leclerc, you're more cherished than you will ever know

liked by oliverbearman, logansargeant, y/n&fam, and 9,205,834 others

leclerc_family not all of their kids having multiple middle names💀

y/n.nation them naming little Enzo after Lorenzo - don't bother the tears 😭

landonorris so...when am I getting a kid named after me?

oscarpiastri and me?

logansargeant and me?????

olliebearman hoes mad - you're just not superior 😝

y/n.89 sorry boys, no more kids, I'll name the dog after you

iamred_iamyellow I just know that little Enzo and little Jules are going to be best of friends

We never learn, we been here before  Why are we always stuck and running from the bullets?  The bullets We never learn we been here before  Why are we always stuck and running from the bullets?  The bullets…

You sat back on a tyre of your car, looking out at the crowds. You could finally breathe easily for maybe the first time of the 2040 season. The battle was tough. All the rookies this year gave you a run for your money. 

But you had done it. Finally. 

Nine championships to your name. One of a kind feat. Probably never to be repeated until the end of time. 

You calmly walked over to the barrier. Arthur stood with your 13 year old daughter and 4 year old son. When had they gotten so much bigger? You were scared after Enzo was born, getting back into racing so quickly, unlike you had done with Lottie. But Arthur was with you every step of the way. So were Charles and Alex, and so were Max and Kelly. 

You gathered your family into your arms and let yourself cry. Tears of sadness for the sport you loved with every fiber of your being, and tears of joy of finally accomplishing your one dream. It had taken 17 years for you to finally get what you wanted. 

We don’t talk enough We should open up Before it’s all too much

At Milton Keynes, the years 2025, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, 2036, 2037, 2039, and then finally 2040 were hung in lights along the walls. You could have been done last year, but Lando had decided that he needed one championship in 2038. You were proud of the Papaya boy. All of his hard work finally paid off. And now he could have all the chances as he finished second this year. 

You had one request for this podium. You wanted everyone up there with you. Arthur made sure that everyone from the 2024 grid was there.

(Yes, even Esteban). 

The drivers you were close with when you were 20, watched as you were crowned World Champion for the ninth and last time ever. Max had red eyes the entire night. He made sure to splash you extra with the champagne. Your kids ran around squealing as their uncle Charles shot bits of bubbly at them. 

It felt like a dream, to be up there with all of your found family. After the first few times, you thought that celebrating a championship would get boring. But, you were wrong. Each time was even more special than the first. 

On the way back to the hotel, you looked to the back seat at your two kids. Both had fallen asleep the moment the car started moving. You blamed yourself and Arthur for driving them around as babies, and now car noise was the best way to put them to sleep. 

Arthur looked over at you, smiling softly as he watched you look at your children with such love. 

You whispered, breaking the silence, “I have more than I could have ever dreamed. And it makes me think that this is a dream, that I’m going to wake back up in 2023 in my drivers room and not be able to do anything.” 

A quick pinch was given to your leg. 

“Ouch Thur!” you whined as you rubbed the sore part. 

Arthur had that teasing glint in his eyes that you missed so dearly. 

“I don’t think it’s a dream chéri. You’re more awake than ever.” 

redbullracing has posted

redbullracing our golden girl in her golden year, for the ninth and last time, Y/n L/n is Champion of the World ⭐️

liked by maxverstappen1, logansargeant, y/n.nation, and 10,583,850 others

y/n.nation thank you Y/n for all that you have done! it's time for you to finally relax with your family!

formula1fan at first I was annoyed with the domination, but Y/n deserves it more than anyone - you will be missed champ

y/n.89 my team, I am so proud to have been your girl - let it be known I am the golden child of Red Bull

maxverstappen1 um, no, you're not the original

charles_leclerc I was the golden boy at Ferrari AND Red Bull

sebastianvettel sit down, the original golden child is here

redbullracing we love you all equally

y/n.89 ... I'm still the favorite tho

author it's the end of an era, thanks kid for everything - stay golden

Will we ever learn?  We’ve been here before It’s just what we know

At 42-years-old, you sat in a chair, looking over the estate watching Lottie and Enzo all play with Max’s family and Charles’s family. A drink was in your hand as you used the condensation to cool down from the hot Italian sun. 

Retirement from all motorsports had been your decision alone. 

Ollie and Dorian Pin had the two coveted Red Bull seats, however, Lando and Oscar were really duking it out for a world championship. You knew that the two would be fine. 

After Formula 1, you did two years of endurance racing, winning Le Mans twice and the Endurance championship once in the years of 2041 and 2042. 

In 2043, you tried out IndyCar, only wanting to win one race: The Indy500. Thankfully, you’d been able to do so in the only year you wanted to. 

Thus, becoming the second person in history to win the Triple Crown of Motorsports, and the only female. It felt nice, breaking yet another record, even if someone had done it before you. But, it didn’t feel as nice as it did right now. 

Arthur came out of the house behind you and sat on his chair that was built for him. When you had come back home, you wanted two seats in the backyard to be able to watch your children play for hours. 

Lorenzo had told you a story of your parents on year. It was about the time when they truly loved each other. They too had matching chairs outlooking their own backyard. You wished you could have such memories of you parents. But now, you rarely thought of them. 

Because in the end, you didn’t need them. 

A tear ran down your face as you continued to watch Penelope, Adriaan, Lottie, Jules, and Enzo play under the Italian sunset. 

“Why are you crying chéri?” 

Arthur’s hand had come to your face to wipe the single tear away. 

You didn’t look at him and kept watching the family that you built out of love and dreams.

“I’m happy, so happy.” 

Stop your crying, baby it’s a sign of the times…

TAG LIST: @fionaschicken @glitterquadricorn @laura-naruto-fan1998 @treehouse-mouse @sam-is-lost @kagatinkita @fangirl125reader @megatrilss1885 @myxticmoon @angsthology @cmleitora @fly-me-away @graciewrote @ashy-kit @slutofmultifandom @aexitizen-ln4 @sugarvibez @vellicora @thatgirlthatreadswattpad @33-81 @hoetel-manager @xcharlottemikaelsonx @jayda12 @ilove-tswizzle @justme2042 @itsjustkhaos @nikfigueiredo @stopeatread @cha-hot @sadg3 @iloveyou3000morgan @s4turnsl0ver @alessioayla @torchbearerkyle @leptitlu @awekbachira @shreks-sugar-daddy @v1naco @stan-josie @mellowarcadefun @badassturtle13 @beskardroids @callisposts @poppyalice2001 @juniper-july19 @lizzypiastri

[nicolesainz]

Win until you bleed (CL16)

Charles Leclerc x reader

Warnings: (my pure imagination of charles winning wdc) and a lot of fluff, maybe bad Italian and French translations

I’m so sorry if it’s short. I will repay you :)

“Verstappen’s right on his tail Crofty!” Martin Brundle exclaimed anxiously as we all saw the Red Bull going head to head with the Ferrari.

"There hasn't been a more intense battle for first place for god knows how long. So thrilling!"

Thrilling the viewers and fans say, but everyone at the Ferrari garage, including me, thought this was nail-bitting and extremely cut-throating.

I have witnessed the highs and lows of Charles. Whether from up close or from a small television. From karting victories, to European championships being lost and then being crowned as the F2 champion.

Dnf's and mistakes have come and gone during those six years in Formula one. I have seen him smile a lot, but also cry. Cheer and shout, but also angry and disappointed. A true emotional rollercoaster.

With only 3 laps to go, Max and Charles were separated by just 5 seconds and that gap needed to be kept alive, otherwise, the title battle would come to a disappointing end for Charles. He would have to see Max stand at the top of the podium again, with another championship under his belt.

"Come on Charles! Je t'aime trop pour te perdre" (I love you too much to lose you) I whispered softly, as I prayed for a positive result or for a miracle to happen.

I felt two bodies leaning beside me, only for them to be Isa's and Carlos's. Poor Carlos was unfortunate enough to suffer an engine blow. At the moment, he didn't care about himself. He only wanted Charles to win and bring to Ferrari, what would be the 16th Drivers Championship.

Championship number 16, for the driver carrying number 16.

"He will take it. I have no doubt" Isa tried to calm me down as much as she could. The couple knew how much Charles meant to me. Everyone knows me as his best friend and ultimate supporter, but that figured it out how my love for him, had altered into something bigger.

"Chiudete gli occhi e tra un minuto sarà incoronato campione del mondo." (Close your eyes and in a minute, he will be crowned world champion) Carlos uttered, equally anxious about his teammate, who was having the battle of his life out there.

"And last lap" Xavi, Chalres's race engineer said through the team radio.

Max had managed to close the gap to 3 seconds, inching closer to the car in front of him. To say that I didn't feel like throwing up my guts, would be an understatement. I always am scared whenever Chalres races but this time, I could barely open my eyes to watch the final lap, on the screen of the garage.

"Forza Charles! Puoi fare questo!" (Come on Charles. You can do this) the entire ferrari garage shouted as the last few corners were approaching

"This may be it everyone. Ferrari, after almost two decades, without being crowned champions, will give the Italians tonight, something to remember for a long long time to come" Crofty's voice echoed through my headset, sending a positive wave of energy.

"Y/N, open your eyes. This is it!" Isa and Carlos took my hands in theirs and held them very tight.

"After years of anticipation, the bells will ring again happily in the small village of Maranello. Tifosi, come out of your houses, take out your hats, flags, shirts and wave them. Because tonight, for the first time, after finishing six year in formula one and five years with ferrari, Charles Leclerc is finally, a world champion under the red!"

The screams of happiness almost shook down the garage. Tears of joy were running down my cheeks. The biggest smile was plastered on my face as I ran towards the fence and climbed it as high as possible, alongside with Carlos and the mechanics who were applauding pridefully.

"The fucker did it. He kept his promise and won! You should be proud. Because this, is just the beginning." The Spanish driver, who had managed to clinch P3 in the drivers championship, said whilst yelling for his friend and now world champion teammate.

"Molte congratulazioni Charles. Sei ufficialmente un campione del mondo, sotto il nome di Ferrari. Sei il nostro figliol prodigo. Grazie." (Many congratulations Charles. You are officially, a world champion, under the name of ferrari. You are our prodigal son. Thank you.) Fred said through the team radio, before Carlos asked him to say a few words as well

"Sono più che onorato di essere vostro compagno di squadra e amico. Oggi ci hai reso tutti molto orgogliosi. Che guida straordinaria! Sono senza parole. Goditi questo momento, perché ne stanno per arrivare molti altri. E non presentarti in ritardo sul podio, una donna speciale ti sta aspettando." (I am more than honoured to be your teammate and friend. You made us all very proud today. What an amazing drive! I am speechless. Enjoy this moment, because many more great ones are about to arrive. And don't show up late to the podium, a special lady is waiting for you.)

"Grazie a tutti per il duro lavoro svolto in questa stagione. Non posso essere più grato. Amo tantissimo questa squadra e spero di continuare a rendervi orgogliosi il più possibile. Carlos e Fred, grazie per avermi creduto e dato fiducia. Y/N, sei tutto ci�� che potrei mai chiedere a una persona. Tutti vorrebbero averti al proprio fianco, ma anche se sembra meschino, sono felice che tu sia solo mia." (Thank you everyone for the hard work you have put this season. I can't be more grateful. I love this team so much and I hope to keep on making you proud for as much as possible. Carlos and Fred, thank you for believing and trusting me. Y/N, you are all I could ever ask for in a person. Everyone would want to have you by their side, but even if this sounds mean, I am happy that you are only mine.)

“Tu as fait de moi la femme la plus heureuse du monde. Cette nuit est à toi et le championnat aussi. Je suis immensément fier de ce que tu as accompli. Je t'aime plus que les mots ne peuvent le décrire.” (You made me the happiest woman in the world. This night is yours and so is the championship. I am immensely proud of what you have achieved. I love you more than words can describe.)

The view of the podium, is one sight for sore eyes. A true beauty. My best friend, the man I love, standing at the very top. Being crowned world champions means so much to Charles and to me. I get to see him be the happiest version of himself.

When Charles got off the podium, before being wrapped to anyone else’s hug, he ran towards me and fell into my arms.

I’ve never felt my heart pounding so fast. His heavy breathing on my neck gave me tingles, which caused butterflies to crawl into my stomach.

Suddenly, his hands were free so he hugged me back, tighter and sweeter than ever before. He was mumbling something that I couldn’t really understand.

“I have to tell you something, but please, don’t freak out” Charles looked me deeply in the eyes, as if he was about to say something groundbreaking

“You’re scaring me. Are you alright?” I am full of worry and anxiety runs all over my body

“It’s a proposal. I need to ask you a very serious question-“

“Charles if there’s anything I can-“ I don’t even manage to finish my phrase when he blurts out

“Would you want to be my girlfriend? Honestly, there’s no other person I’d like to share my life with more than you. I see you more often than my own siblings and it’s up to the point I call you my family. I love you in all the ways you could possibly think and my heart breaks at the single thought of not having you close to me”

I fought the urge to not jump on him and wrap my body around his so hard, but unfortunately failed. The night became even better than it already was.

“I’d love more than anything else to be your girlfriend. No matter the circumstance, I will always love you Charles. Seeing you smile is my source of happiness and I wouldn’t change it.”

That night, was one, I’d never forget in my life. Nor I ever intend to. It’s the euphoria that keeps me sane and his love that runs in my veins.

[nieded]

I knew nothing about F1 until I read Sit Tight, Take Hold this year. Now I’m sad that Daniel Ricciaddo is retiring, and I’m dying to talk about it with F1 fans I know in real life. But I can’t because I don’t know how to explain that I like Daniel primarily because he was the teammate of a fictional driver in a gay fanfic based on a TV show they’ve probably never heard of like WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN

hello!

i'm honestly unwell about danny right now. i waited a bit to respond to this ask because i have been really struggling this weekend.

danny hasn't been performing up to par lately, but the way everything has been handled is so absurd and crazy. two months ago, people were talking about him being guaranteed that red bull seat. then suddenly it was 'liam lawson to replace him in 2025,' and within a week it turned into, 'he's fired after singapore.'

nobody actually knows if he's done or not. it may be likely, but rbr refuse to confirm or deny, just saying they have to look at their options. and we don't know actually know if anyone has told danny anything, but he basically found out from journalists that it was going to be his 'last weekend.'

so, there was no official goodbye. and zak brown is being shitty about him taking fastest lap (danny now holds the fastest lap record at singapore, btw. in a vcarb. how's that for getting fired?), and i have spent a good chunk of the weekend crying.

i love this sport in some ways, but there's a lot to hate or dislike. anytime i see someone say they now subscribe to f1tv because of #rr, i cringe because the governing body of the fia and liberty media does not deserve your money. #rr is the way it is because there's a lot i hate about reality, and i wanted to make it better, even if it was just fiction.

danny has been an ambassador for f1, and he's largely the reason why f1 has so many new fans over the years. with 257 races under his belt, he is now in the top ten of f1 drivers with the most race starts. he's won eight grand prixs when many drivers hope to win even just one. his decision-making has been questionable when it comes to career moves, but he has always been one of the most respected and respectful drivers on the grid. if this is the end, then i hope he takes some time off to heal, and then he can go on and do other great things. race elsewhere or focus more on his vineyard or start a farm or sleep in until noon. whatever the fuck he wants.

personally, i would like danny to come do indycar in the states because then i could actually afford to watch him race, but even this weekend he said that indy still scares him.

but i think we should be paying attention to how this is being handled because danny is in the crossfire, but he's not the real problem. the pr nightmare that is this dumpster fire of a weekend is symptomatic of a greater collapse at red bull. they have lost several key team members (another one was announced today) admist a power struggle within the organization, and it could very well be that no one knows if danny is staying or not publically because nobody knows internally either. even vcarb's team principal does not know, which is why they did a big send off for him post-race just in case.

rbr just lost the lead on the constructors championship and max might very well lose the drivers championship. christian horner was caught in a sex scandal, and their junior driver director spouts off horrifically racist shit all day long and loves to shit stir. helmut marko is probably the reason why yuki is not getting promoted to red bull racing despite outscoring danny this season and being on the junior team for four seasons, yet marko also will not release yuki from his contract. last year, yuki tried to find another seat for 2024 and rb blocked it. and with all the other bullshit about censorship this year and poor performance of red bull's car, max is even talking about retiring.

it's a mess right now and dr3 is a teeny tiny piece of this. this mismanagement of danny's retirement is just the biggest red flag we've seen all season (which is incredible because there have been so many red flags).

so yeah.

[f1]

Tsunoda left frustrated after being knocked out of the points late on in Saudi Arabia

Yuki Tsunoda endured a race of two halves in Saudi Arabia. But after finishing 11th for a second straight race, the Japanese driver could only sum up his Grand Prix with one word: “frustration.” Having qualified down the order in 16th in a very tightly-matched midfield, Tsunoda knew he had his work cut out to make it to the points, especially given he was on the same strategy as those around him. Nonetheless, he managed to extend his first stint on the mediums and wasn’t harried into an early pit stop when the window opened. Thus, he was able to take advantage by stopping under the Safety Car, in a move that catapulted him up the order into eighth. Although he lost out to the quicker Alpine cars, Tsunoda was able to hold onto P10 for much of the race, defending time and time again from Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. READ MORE: Magnussen ‘really happy’ after last-gasp pass on Tsunoda clinches point at Jeddah But it was to no avail, as the Dane managed to make his way past with the help of DRS with four laps to go, ending Tsunoda’s quest for a first point of the season, and leading to an anguished cry over team radio. “The team did a really great job, everything went perfectly,” he said. “The pace on the medium tyre was very strong and it improved compared to qualifying. I'm happy with what the team and I achieved together, but at the same time, I’m disappointed we didn’t reach the points in the end.” Two finishes just outside the points in races where there weren’t many retirees do point to the fact that the AlphaTauri has some latent speed, but Tsunoda and team mate Nyck de Vries both know they need to qualify further forward if they want to try and put that to better use and come home in the points. But there were plenty of positives to take from Saudi Arabia – while with upgrades incoming, Tsunoda was keen to look on the bright side once that frustration had simmered down. WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who thrived under the lights at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix? “We’ll come back stronger with updates in Melbourne, so we are already fully focused on the next race, where we will do our best to maximise our performance,” Tsunoda added. “We'll continue to work hard to be able to fight at the top of the midfield and start scoring points consistently." AlphaTauri are now just one of two teams yet to score in 2023 along with McLaren, and sit ninth in the constructors’ championship. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[adrena-dine]

Singapore GP 2022: a summary

F1 finally back there after two years 🥺

The yassification of helmets (special mention to Guanyu’s 😍😍)

Announcement of the 2023 calendar with 23 races and 6 sprint races 🥴

Lando going out of the plane and having a ride in Singapore’s wildest taxi, it’s the cultural shock for me ✋🏼

Just him going out of the taxi, jet lagged af and then FANCY LIGHTS NO BRAKES VODKA MUSIC

Btw @ lando.jpg saved my week. And my life. Lando i love u 🫶🏼

Guanyu was the man of the weekend

McLaren special livery is soooo beautiful 😵 black cars always differently

Guanyu and Yuki officially prolonged in their teams I am so happy

But Pierre is maybe leaving so now Yuki is giving him the silence treatment (the video of them getting bathed like lil babies added 10 years to my life)

AM and RB may have spent too much money 😅😅😅😅

While AM was saying nothing about it Christian and his team were crying screaming throwing up accusing everyone of lying 🤨🤨🤨🤨

But they still celebrated Max’s bday as nothing was going on

Daniel was just happy to be there and literally crashed into everyone’s interview and press schedule. Especially George’s.

Lewis’ nose ring drama back again

25000€ is kinda expensive for a little diamond isn’t it ?

RB messing up Max’s strategy. Oopsie doopsie.

CHARLES ON POLE

Alonso amazing quali

George p11 ?? What’s going on sweetheart ?

Lewis saw the light for once

Delayed start 💀

Sergio overtook him at the start. Ew.

Nicholas yeeting himself into Guanyu

Lewis loves Lando so much that he decided to put himself between him and max to save Lando’s position 🤪🤪🤪

Max, Seb and Lewis fighting for their dear lives during the last lap meaning that we witnessed 12 world championships fighting each other

So many safety cars that I lost count

Both alpine dnf 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

Esteban putting so much oil on track that we could make fries on it

SLICKS DO NOT WORK HERE

isn’t it george ?

Sergio behaving like a Parisian on the road and just trying to get the safety car out of the way

Yuki and Alex said « hello 👋🏼 » to the barriers

Not the Marshalls having to fight with Alex’s front rear to get it out

McLaren p4 and 5 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ congrats boys

Shoutout do Daniel that did p16 to p5. Man knows how to drive ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

Thé grandstands were shouting AUSSIE AUSSIES for Daniel, if you see someone crying in a corner it’s not me 🙃🙂

Charlotte stealing everyone’s heart during podium ceremony

Not the drivers doing a Joshua Hong and emptying entire bottles of water on their heads

Waiting for checo results will update (man might lose his victory)

[formula-what]

Brocedes time line for a very patient anon

Lewis quotes in orange, Nico quotes in pink, everyone else is blue.

okay first some background knowledge:

Nico is rich as fuck. only child, born in Germany, brought up in Monaco. son of world champion Keke Rosberg

Lewis was born on a council estate in Stevenage and his dad had to work multiple jobs for him to start karting

Honestly I think the difference in their backgrounds is one of the things that pushed them together, they were both isolated from the rest of the kids, but I’m keeping this purely facts rather than speculation.

2000

They’re both 15 years old and are karting teammates for MBB (Mercedes Benz McLaren) in Formula A

Robert Kubica: “there was always competition. But they didn’t fight. It was friendly competition. There was always laughing afterwards.” // “they would even have races to eat pizza”

They often shared hotel rooms at the races which was a “scene of many wrestling matches between them”

Dino Chiesa (their karting boss) – “many times I was called by reception about some problem in the room. It might be noise, or they might have broken something. They would never sleep so they were always tired the next morning”

“they both liked ice cream so much, particularly vanilla. During the night they wanted to eat ice cream always, so I had to go out everywhere to find some and keep them happy”

Lewis would often persuade Nico to buy him sweets

They would have competitions over LITERALLY EVERYTHING

Lewis: “we always had great competition whether on the racetrack or computer games or playing football”

“probably the first bit of competition we had was when Nico used to ride a unicycle everywhere so I thought, ‘I’ve got to learn how to ride this unicycle. Ive got to be better than him.’ I spent all my time outside the go-kart learning to ride this unicycle”

Apparently it only took Lewis 2 hours to teach himself how to do it

In maybe 2013 ish (when they were still friends) Lewis reflected with– “I have never laughed so much than when we were racing together. Nico was kicking everyone’s butt at that time. We had so great races together and built a great relationship”

“we were just arriving and enjoying go-karts and eating pizzas every weekend, fighting all the time and just having fun, whereas now it’s all business.”

many times they would talk about what they would do when they got to f1, made plans hoping to be teammates and become world champions together.

“Nico would say ‘when I’m in formula one’ and for me it was always ‘if I ever get to formula one’. Because obviously Nico’s dad was a formula 1 driver- he knew he was going to make it.”

F1

Nico joined f1 in 2006 with williams, Lewis 2007 with McLaren. And man I WISH I knew what went down with this two when Lewis nearly one his rookie season (missing out by one point to mr fernando alonso) and then WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP in his SECOND SEASON (again by one point thank you mr alonso)

2008 Australia

Nicos gets his first podium, and ofc Lewis is there (he won it) and they are jumping around in the cool down room. Just, two kids who are literally living the one thing they have spent their whole lives dreaming about together. Lewis won the championship that year and oh wow I can only imagine their celebrations together.

2013

They’re teammates in Mercedes!!!

Nico: “every other day there are moments or things that pop up and I can smirk and thing, ‘that’s exactly the same as it was 15 years ago’”

2013 Malaysian Grand Prix gets an honourable mention. This is the race with red bulls good old multi 21 but merc also had their own team orders, stopping nico from fighting for his first merc podium, but Lewis disagreed with it so it didn’t really spark that much tension between them- more the team.

2014

the start of the turbo-hybrid era so y’all know this was good in terms of performance.

2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

They were both fighting for the win and had a collision which prompted a “mock fight” in parc ferme after the race (which I really hope there’s a video of).

Turns out, Nico won because he had used engine modes banned by Mercedes to get a power advantage in the closing laps. which kinda pissed Lewis off

2014 Spanish Grand Prix

Lewis’ fourth win in a row and took lead in the championship. They were fighting till literally the last second and Lewis crossed the line 0.6 seconds ahead of Nico, who says he could have passed him with one more lap.

Lewis defended using the same banned engine modes that Nico had used in Bahrain. Yeah.

2014 Monaco Grand Prix

This is IT. This is peak petty bitch. This is the one people still cry about.

It’s the end of Q3, both of them are out on a lap, Nico ahead of lewis. Nico’s already on provisional pole but Lewis is pretty close.

And then,, Nico just,, parks his car?? He says he made a mistake but the guy doesn’t even crash he straight up just,, rolls to a stop into a slip road. So the yellow flags come out forcing Lewis to abort a lap that was in the makings of pole.

The stewards say it was a-okay but Lewis was convinced it was intentional (and let’s be honest, yeah it probably was) and he even claimed that merc’s data proved it. (low key surprised he didn’t just tweet out the telemetry but I guess he got a stern telling off from mclaren last time)

But *this* is when Lewis tells the world that they aren’t friends anymore. An iconic interview.

Nico then wins the race too, ending Lewis’s four win streak and putting Nico in the lead of the championship.

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix

Lewis has an engine failure in quali meaning he starts from the pit lane, but he does good to make his way up the pack but THEN there’s a safety car which puts him ahead of Nico but on a different strategy.

Nico asks if Lewis can let him past as he needs to pit again before the end of the race, which will give him the place back anyways. Lewis straight up refuses, he’s on a role here. He started from last, and Nico started from pole, why should he slow down to let his title rival through.

Mercedes strongly suggest that his blocking fucked up Nicos race but Niki Lauda is on Lewis’ side so he doesn’t get punished (We stan a supportive father figure) even though he did blatantly refuse to be a team player.

And guys, this is the last race before the summer break so you know Nico was left seething for four weeks.

2014 Belgian Grand Prix

Second lap, Nico attempts a clumsy move and there’s contact, giving Hamilton a puncture and knocking him out of the race.

There’s a lot of controversy but basically it turns out he crashed with him intentionally, not backing out of the corner to “prove a point”. Nico ended up finishing second but was punished by the team, forced to apologise, and even booed on the podium.

2014 Abu Dhabi

For some reason it ran for double points?? The first time in History??? But idk???

Lewis had a perfect start and went on to win it and take the title, Nico had a problem and was told to retire the car but he kept going anyway and finished 14th. Nico went into the cool down room to congratulate Lewis on the championship win, which. cute.

Lewis claimed his second championship. Which not only was huge because of the inter team rivalry, but also because of the large gap between his first win. This guy had lost out on winning the championship in his ROOKIE season by ONE POINT, and then WON it in his SECOND season, and then there was like a FIVE YEAR gap before he won it again.

2015

Damnnn this car was fiiiinneeeeeee.

They do more laps in testing than any other car AND do it on a single power unit. And then. Australia. They take a one-two THIRTY FOUR seconds ahead of the third place Ferrari.

2015 Chinese Grand Prix

Nico is second in a one-two but claims that Lewis kept backing him up into Seb, trying to compromise his race (and help out his boyfriend).

Lewis gave zero shits: "It's not my job to look after Nico's race, it's my job to manage the car and bring the car home as healthy and as fast as possible. That's what I did."

2015 U.S. Grand Prix

If Lewis wins here he could also claim the title with three races to spare (you have to remember back then the title fight often went up to the last race so this was pretty cool)

Lewis very aggressively forced Rosberg wide at Turn 1 to claim the lead, and then there was some sexy fighting between the Mercs and Redbull all race. Nico led in the closing stages but made a mistake, running deep into a corner and letting Lewis past with only a handful of laps to go.

Nico finished P2 and had not only lost the race but the championship title. Nico was fuming, saying Lewis’ move at the start was “one step too far”.

This is the infamous cap throw in the cool down room. Lewis throws Nico his P2 hat, Nico straight up yeets it back at him. I tear up just thinking about it. They grow up so fast.

2016

Nico had came so close to winning and I guess this was just, the last straw. All or nothing. This year he literally gave it everything he had. Lewis and him stopped speaking, Nico gave up literally the rest of his life and even stopped sleeping in the same bed as his wife and taking care of his kids, instead spending every moment trying to get into Lewis’ head. Honestly, I think he might be the only one that could beat Lewis. Just because he knew him *so well*. He literally threw away like 16 years of friendship. But also it’s like, he had to be world champion. He *had to*. His dad was champion and his whole life he’s been preparing to win it too. Tough luck that he raced in the same era as Mr. Best Driver The Sport Has Ever Seen.

Nico won the last few races of 2015, and the first four races of 2016. Lewis had a couple car problems and Nico had a good lead on him in the championship.

2016 Spanish Grand Prix

Gentlemen. A short view back to the past. Nico had made a switch error on the formation lap causing the car to go into the wrong engine mode. So he was running a lot slower than Lewis, who was fighting to claim back the lead.

Nico closed the door to keep him back, and Lewis lost control on the grass, and spins into Nico and taking them both out of the race in the first lap. This is probably one of the most iconic crashes. I’m pretty sure there’s a clip of this somewhere in black and white with the titanic music over the top.

Niki Lauda blamed this one on Lewis (I guess even a supportive dad has to be critical sometimes) "Lewis is too aggressive. It is stupid, we could've won this race".

2016 Austrian Grand Prix

Nico had been struggling with a brake issue all race but was still on the way to win it. But in the last lap Lewis had caught him up and gone in for the overtake.

Typical Nico not taking any shit, refusing to be the guy that backs out and they collide. Lewis took the win and a damaged Nico dropped to fourth. From first. In the last lap.

Both of them blamed each other and tired dad team boss Toto Wolff threatened team orders in future races.

The stewards blamed Nico for the incident, issuing him two penalty points for failing to allow "racing room" and causing a collision.

2016 Abu Dhabi

In the final laps of the race, Lewis ignored team-orders from his race engineer and the technical director.

He deliberately slowed and backed Nico into the pack hoping they overtake him, and there would be enough of a points difference to win the title.

Nico finished second and won the title by five points.

And then,,, Nico announced a surprise retirement during the FIA prize giving ceremony.

Lewis’ response:

"This is the first time he's won in 18 years, hence why it was not a surprise that he decided to stop.” (We stan a petty king)

“But he's also got a family to focus on and probably wants to have more children. Formula One takes up so much of your time."

“In terms of missing the rivalry, of course because we started karting when we were 13 and we would always talk about being champions. When I joined this team, Nico was there, which was something we spoke about when we were kids. So it's going to be very, very strange, and, for sure, it will be sad to not have him in the team next year."

And now they are kind of on speaking terms but not really, they are both pretty private but I think they are at the ‘awkward small talk when we run into each other at the supermarket’ stage of the break up.

[danielxricciardo]

Where do we go from here

Daniel Ricciardo x Reader

Chapters: 1/?

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 3,015

Playlist for the series

It was your fault when you agreed to go to Monaco. After what happened the last time, you swore you would never go back there. Because it fucked with your mind and soul. You were crushed and your best friend had to scrap you off the floor for weeks, he had to remind you to shower and to eat. Knowing he will be so pissed you chose to go back to him, you didn't tell him you were leaving for a week until you were on the plane. His reaction was everything you were expecting, he called you a bitch and he advised you not to get back to him with a broken heart to cry on his shoulder then he hung up on you. Sure, you both knew you will cry on his shoulder after this week.

The entire flight you were questioning your life choices. How did you get there? You wanted - you needed to know how you allowed yourself to become dependent on a piece of affection from Daniel. You were trying to figure out when you became a sucker for him but you couldn't, maybe because you always were.

You'd always been good friends, ever since he moved from Australia to Europe. You were his first non-Australian friend and he was always been grateful for you and your friendship. You were with him even when he didn't ask you to and even when he told you he wanted to be left alone. That was your first choice. You went with him to almost all the junior competitions, until he reached Formula 1, you cried with him when he had a bad race and you partied with him on a podium or a win. Fuck it, 9 years later, you were still with him. Red Bull Racing was the team that helped him discover himself as a driver and gave him confidence that he could get far. After only one year in the team, he finished third in the drivers' championship with 238 points and secured the first fastest lap of his Formula One career at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

But all this has consequences. The fact that he was so good and became so well known attracted many girls who wanted to meet him and be affiliated with him for increased media attention. The worst part was that he liked all the female attention. Who wouldn't like it? He could have a new girl every day and they would still not end. But Daniel was not the type to take such advantage of his name and his position in society, you thought at the time. But that was exactly what he did. At the end of the 2014 season, days would pass without hearing from him because he was too busy to enjoy the female attendance that crossed his threshold.

After a few months, you already had a pattern. For 5 days you would not hear from him and on Saturday morning he would call you with a guttural voice, asking you to come to his place. And you went there with some headache pills and for a few hours, you would listen to everything that had happened during the week with different girls. At first, it hurt a lot. To hear how your best friend and the person for whom you develop some romantic feelings, has fun, and fucks with different girls is not very ok, but over time the whole situation had become repetitive and you became immune.

But you didn't realize you became a regular girl in his bed too. The only difference between you and the tens, maybe the hundreds of girls before you, was that you warmed his bed on Saturday and Sunday. It was just you, all weekend, every weekend. You felt special. He gives you his full attention all weekend and you hope he doesn't need anyone but you, except that Monday was coming and you could see that to his right was another model looking for fame. But have you ever told him what bothers you? No. Because you'd rather share him with so many girls than not have him in your life at all.

So what happened when you ended up crying for weeks without eating or taking a shower? Daniel told you that he is done with all the girls and he wants to focus on his career. This is after in 2015 he finished the season in 9th place with only 92 points, without a victory, and only twice on the podium. Of course you were happy! Daniel was going to have only you in his life. But he told you that what was between you before, sex and everything else, must end as well. I mean, you had to go back to being just friends. But how do you go back to being just friends with the person you've shared the bed with so many times? Friends don't know the way you taste. Your luck was that you had to go for a visit to your parents for 2 weeks and you didn't have to see him. You had 2 weeks to lick your wounds and return to him without a broken heart. Troy, your best friend, was with you and he tried to put your heart back together. Just when he succeeded, you had to go back to Daniel as if nothing had happened. Broken heart? Who?

Making your own decisions makes you responsible for what comes out of that decision whether it was a positive move or not. Making your own decisions also allows you to make your own mistakes and learn from them. It was your decision to go back to Daniel, to your friend. It was hard to look at him and not want to kiss those fleshy lips but you could manage it.

"There she is!" you heard Daniel say as soon as the Nice Côte d'Azur airport gates opened. He was wearing his merch purple hoodie that you wore so many times before and a pair of black jeans. He had a pair of sunglasses on to keep him away from the press. You smiled. It's been 2 weeks since you've seen him and it's as if your heart has tightened in your chest. You really missed him. You ignored his calls because you didn't want to hear his voice and start crying on the phone and all the messages he sent you were deleted by Troy. You don't even know what he wrote to you.

"Hey, Daniel!" you said and hugged him. You were enveloped by the smell of his perfume and you smiled. He was your safe place. "Missed you."

He hugged you back and the force he put in that hug was enough to crush your bones. But it didn't hurt you. You wanted to be one with him, to be absorbed by him. Everything platonic, of course.

"Missed you too, Y/N."

The road to your house was not a long one but at that moment everyone seemed to be on the road at the same time as you so what needed to be a 45-minutes road trip was now more than an hour, and you were still in the car. The small talk already finished about your parents, your brother and your best friend, Troy, and about all the new things from your home town and at the moment in the car was an uncomfortable silence which none of you knew how to break.

"I tried to talk to you these 2 weeks, you know?" Daniel said and you swallowed loudly. You knew that at some point he would ask about why you didn't talk to him for two weeks, but you hoped it would take some time until then - you hoped you had more time to think about a pretty good reason.

"Yeah, sorry, I just wanted to focus on my people there, you know?" you bit the inside of your cheek until you felt the metallic taste of blood. You hoped it would be a pretty convincing reason but you knew after so many years of friendship that Daniel is not the type to press you if you don't want to say something.

"Yeah, I get it, I'm the same when I'm down under, y'know?" you both laughed, and for the first time in a long time you felt good around him. You felt yourself, no labels and no shoes to fill.

In front of your apartment block, after Daniel took all your luggage out of the car trunk, he leaned against the car, his hands folded, and looked at you.

"Aren't you going to help me get them up to my apartment?"

"Yes, in a minute," he says, still looking at you. "Would you like to do something tonight?"

You shrugged. You weren't tired after the flight, so you could have done something but you had so many questions. Just the two of you? Was anyone else coming? Any friends of his? Some girl? But you couldn't ask him, even if you were friends, you didn't want to give him the feeling that you were jealous. Were you jealous? You didn't have a reason just yet but you could become one.

"Sure. Do you have something in mind?"

"Remember Jay? He just opened a nightclub. Actually, tonight is the opening, he asked me to swing by for a few hours, want to go?"

"Yeah, sure, sounds like fun."

Daniel took two suitcases and passed you to enter the block, but he walked with the wheels over your toes.

"Hey, idiot, watch where you're going!" you yelled at him and immediately laughed. Daniel turned to you, laughing too. You didn't realize when you said it, but that was the exact phrase you told him when you first met.

You got out of the cab in front of the restaurant and slammed the door shut, despite the pleading of the driver to be gentle with his darling car.

You arranged your dress on your body and put your hair behind your ear. You were ready for this blind date that Ellie, your co-worker, planned for you. Of course, there were better things for you to do on a Friday night, such as drinking a bottle of red wine watching a few episodes of your favorite show. But you were there, prepared for a shitshow. You took a few steps towards the big glass door until someone hit you hard and made you unbalance and break a heel.

"Hey, idiot, watch where you're going!" you yelled at the boy that hit you. A tall, dark guy that made you lose the little balance you still had. A small amount of his curly dark-haired was peaking out under the white hoodie he was wearing and his brown big eyes were looking at you like you were a statuette that broke.

"So sorry," he said and the thick accent made your legs soft. Whatever accent that was, you knew you wanted to hear him talk non-stop. "Was looking for an address, I'm fucking lost."

"That's fine, maybe I can help you," you smiled at the boy and you took off your heels. One was already broken so there was no point in wearing them at this point.

"Oh, no, it's fine, you look so elegant, you must be dining with your boyfriend or something," he laughed and then saw the broken heel. "Bloody, I just broke your shoes, I'm so sorry!"

You laughed even harder at the panicked boy in front of you.

"No boyfriend, just a blind date I didn't even want to go in the first place so you saved me, I'm the one that should say thank you. Where do you need to go to?"

He came closer to you with a map in his hand. He showed you where he had to go and you explained to him that he was in the wrong part of the city but you were more than happy to show him the right way. But after you stopped at a boutique to buy a 5 euro pair of sandals.

"This city is not so big that you get lost in it," you told the boy, whose name is Daniel Ricciardo, he told you so. "How long have you been here?"

"Ugh, just a day, and I thought it was a good idea to go out and see the city, I even took this stupid map, but I still got lost."

"Okay, but why did you go out by yourself in the evening and not in the morning or, at least, when is sunny, y'know?" you ask him and point to his left, where you had to go.

"I woke up two hours ago. I slept for eleven hours with the whole time zone, jet lag, and shit and when I woke up I was hungry. I went to get some food and to visit the surroundings because why not," he shrugged.

"But where did you come from?"

"Perth, Australia, baby!" he smiled and leaned back, pulling his chest forward. Anyone could see how proud he was of his hometown.

"This is you!" you announced when you arrived in front of the apartment building, his final destination. He smiled so wide and hugged you.

"Thank you so much, you saved me!"

"No biggie," you smiled at him and then waved. "Bye, Daniel Ricciardo."

"Hey, hey, let's meet tomorrow for a brekky!" he casually announced.

"For a what?"

"Oh, sorry!" he laughed. "Forgot for a second you're not Australian. For breakfast."

"Sure, I'll come here at 9 so you won't get lost again. Bye, Daniel Ricciardo!"

"Bye, Y/N Y/L/N!"

"I'll come and pick you up at about 10 o'clock, ok?" Daniel announced just as he was about to leave your apartment after he got up all your luggage. "Sounds good?"

"Yep. All good."

"And wear something sexy!" he yelled as he was closing the front door. Something sexy? Why would he request a sexy outfit for a night out from you? His best friend. Sometimes Daniel made your head spin, that was one of those occasions, you didn't pay much attention to it, you just went to grab a shower.

The night had come too fast. Sure, you had enough time to put on makeup and do your hair, but you had no idea what to wear. You were sitting in front of the bed in your underwear, with three dresses lying on the bed when the clock struck 10 o'clock. You heard the front door open and close but you did not hurry to put something on yourself so that Daniel would not see you in your underwear; he saw you even worse than that.

"Hey, are you ready? Whoah!" he says and turns his back on you, with his hand covering his eyes. "You should have told me you were naked!"

You scoffed at him.

"Cut the crap and come help me pick a dress for tonight, Ricciardo."

Daniel removed his hand from the eyes and looked at you and swallowed hard. The underwear you were wearing was almost a silky one, black, that hugged your curves just right. He couldn't take his eyes off you and you loved all the attention.

"Stop drooling and come help me. Do you want to go to this club or not?"

Daniel came near you, his eyes were now on the push-up bra that lifted your breasts, making them fuller and bigger than they really were, and at that moment Daniel wanted nothing more than to touch them and play with them. But he remembered who was in front of him. He told his best friend that the sex games were now over because he was focusing on his Formula 1 career. That was not a lie at the time, but he just wanted to throw her in bed and make her forget the words he said that evening. He coughed a few times to regain his voice and then looked at the three dresses lying on the bed.

"That one," says the brunette and points to the short black dress that fits perfectly on your body. You would have chosen that one too.

"Ok, I'll be ready in a few minutes," you said and went to the bathroom to put the dress on. You adjusted your make-up and grabbed the bag and you were ready for a night out with Daniel. Or so you thought.

No one can see the dance floor, it's wall-to-wall people dancing to the club music. There's no room for any more but somehow Daniel was pulling my hand to where he knew Jay was sitting. The music vibrated in your ears and you were tempted to move to its rhythm, but you had to follow Daniel. After going through the whole room you reached your friend, the owner of the club. He told you that the drink for you was on the house and wished you a good time. Daniel announces that he is going to have a drink for both of you and leaves you alone among hundreds of strangers, driven by the same inner desire to get rid of inhibitions for a few hours that night.

The DJ moves everybody in ways no one has ever done before. Mixing the loud music on the turntables to the beat you desire to hear, the DJ watches the half-naked bodies of young men and women dancing around as if something has possessed their bodies. Men are wearing an undershirt, or no shirt at all, and pants. They eye the women who strut around in tank tops and tight dance pants or skirts, and who are smiling, and letting all their worries go away. A smile appeared on your face and look at the line at the bar for Daniel and you were pleasantly surprised to see that he was already looking at you. When you saw his smile you realized that the night will not end with you two still being just friends.

��———————————————————————————

To be notified when a new chapter is posted, just respond to this post and I’ll tag you when the next chapter is up!

[armysantiny]

Reckless - DSC

Pairing: Sicheng (Winwin) x female reader || WayV

Genre: fluff, angst, comfort

Includes: motocross racer reader, tournaments, established relationship, crashes, head injury, broken arm, Mark mention, news headline, hospital visit, overnight stay, falling unconscious, concussion, Renjun mention, Donghyuck mention, Jeno mention, hot chocolate, eating breakfast together, teasing, domestic fluff

Word count: 3.31k

Warning: hospital, injury, concussion, broken arm

Rating: 12

Networks:@kwritersworld, @kdiarynet, @kpopscape, @ultkpopnetwork, @kpopficsnetwork, @kpopcontentcreatorsclub, @k-dinernet, @lovesick-net, @whipped-kpop-creators, @prism-nw, @k-library, @neoswitchnet, @nct-writers, @nctcreations

Tagging: @teeztheflag, @intokook, @cherry-hyejin

Summary: : After ending her tournament on a high, y/n takes Sicheng to the practice track for a few spins on her bike. Opting to watch her instead, he warns y/n not to injure herself; she does need to rest after her race. Promising to try and be as careful as she can, y/n takes her bike on a few laps of the track. When she takes her eyes off the track for just a moment, she sends the bike and herself flying into the ground.

An: My first collab fic! (I’m kinda ehh about this tho-)

Champagne, cameras, crowds; winning the national championship - y/n had done it. As she ran into Sicheng’s arms in front of the cameras, he spun her around. Setting his girlfriend down, he pulled her in for a soft kiss. A kiss that held a thousand meanings; longing, congratulations, you did it, I’m proud of you, well done, y/n. Pulling away and seeing the stars in each other’s eyes, the couple stayed like that, the cameras capturing their moment - as if they were the only ones in the world at that moment.

“Shall we get out of here? I think I’ve seen enough cameras to last a lifetime.”

Sicheng couldn’t describe just how proud he was of y/n; seeing her win a tournament after she had returned from a dip in motivation felt like a scene out of a drama. Except it wasn’t a drama: this was y/n, this was real. His hand intertwined with hers, the couple walked through the streets of Seoul and simply enjoyed each other’s company. As they stopped to cross the street, a cheeky grin made its way onto his face as he quickly pressed a kiss to y/n’s cheek. When she looked to Sicheng, he turned away immediately, a bashful series of giggles falling from him as he walked across the crosswalk with y/n. With the blush on her face dying down, y/n scoffed to herself, shaking her head. Gosh, he was endearing. 

Somehow, they ended up at the race track not that far from their shared apartment, and y/n was already eying the practice bikes they kept in the shed. Sicheng knew that look in her eyes all too well, and it already seemed like a bad idea in his head. Didn’t y/n just come back from a race tournament? It wasn’t that he wanted her away from what made her happy, but he missed her dearly. A little quiet time together before she hit the tracks again would be more than ideal.

“Baby...you only just returned home today, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to get back in your gear tomorrow.” An effort to persuade y/n was made, but it wasn’t strong enough, because with nothing more than a pout, some aegyo and ‘please baby~’, Sicheng’s resolve crumbled. He was whipped for y/n, and it showed. A lot. With a sigh, he ruffled her hair and nodded, a smile finding its way onto his face. Giggling, y/n kissed her boyfriend on the cheek and took her long coat off, asking Sicheng to hold it as she went over to the garage. Picking out a bike that she used frequently, y/n changed into gear and pushed the bike out to the track.

As Sicheng took a seat by a bench, his phone rang whilst he was watching y/n, making sure that was safe. Looking at the caller, he chuckled to himself. 

“Mark! How are you?” The younger male across the line was bouncing with excitement, the news article on his computer. Being the couple’s mutual younger friend, he was practically treated like a little brother.

“Hyung! Oh my gosh - have you seen the article?! Your relationship is viral!” He exclaimed, the article in question running with the headline; ‘Motocross champion in a loving relationship. How long has this been going on?’. As far as tabloid news articles went, it was definitely a much kinder title than what could’ve been developed. Listening to Mark ramble on while y/n drove a few laps around the track, Sicheng burst out laughing at Mark’s impression of some of their friends. And this caught y/n’s attention, for better or for worse. To her detriment, y/n turned her head towards her boyfriend as she approached a corner, however, she failed to control her bike. Before the professional racer knew what was going on, she was sent flying off of her bike and into the metal chairs - that had been stacked up and stored under a shelter -  her bike getting caught on the barriers. The sound of the crash itself was by no means quiet, as multiple chairs collapsed and fell on top of y/n.

As the crash happened, Sicheng’s gaze was ripped from the sky towards the fallen bike, and soon the chairs. A panicked horror fell on his face and he immediately hung up on the younger friend, running down towards the track and to the mess of chairs that had covered y/n.

“Y/n! Oh dear God… I told you to be careful!” His heart dropped out of his chest when y/n  didn’t respond for a few seconds - although it felt like an eternity - and Sicheng feared the worst. As the adrenaline flooded his veins, the 23-year-old started pulling the chairs away, discarding them every-which-way as he tried to find y/n. Once a majority of the chairs were out of the way, he pulled her to his chest, cradling her unconscious - but thankfully alive - body. Hands still trembling, he fumbled with his phone as he dialled 119. His voice trembled as he described his situation, a shaky sigh of relief when help was confirmed. Putting the call on speaker and leaving it next to him, Sicheng held y/n’s face in his hands. 

He didn’t like this. He didn’t like any of it.

He hated seeing her like this.

The tremble in his voice turned to whimpers as he ran his hand through her hair. But something felt off. Pulling his hand away, a stifled cry fell from him when his hand came back stained red. Blood. Y/N was bleeding from the back of her head. How hard did she hit her head..? Sicheng’s eyes warmed with tears as he brushed his girlfriend’s hair out of her face, a thumb tracing over her shut eyes. Soon, he could feel the tears drip down his face and he made no attempt to wipe them away, simply letting them stain his cheeks. If only he hadn’t distracted her, then she wouldn’t be unconscious. Then y/n wouldn’t be laying in his arms, bleeding from her head.

The sound of sirens brought the 23-year-old back to reality and Sicheng raised an arm up to grab the paramedics’ attention. Surrounded by paramedics, they brought y/n onto a stretcher and into the ambulance that had accompanied them. Still trembling as he tried to explain what had just happened, Sicheng was brought to the ambulance afterwards and given a glass of water to drink as the doors closed and they were driven to the hospital. His leg bounced as he grew more and more panicked, eyes blurring up with tears again as he looked over to y/n. The irony was painful, and it still didn’t register to Sicheng that only a few hours ago y/n was awake and joking around with him.

A few hours later, Sicheng was sitting in y/n’s room, on a chair close to her bed. Her hand enclosed in his, he rubbed his thumb over her palm subconsciously while he replayed the crash in his head over and over again. Getting up to walk off the anxiety, he turned to the door when he heard a series of knocks. Walking to open the door, he was met by a panicking Mark, who looked like he’d seen a ghost. Seeing y/n laid on the bed, his face fell. Lying unconscious in a hospital bed didn’t suit the motocross racer at all. He looked at Sicheng and his eyes said more than he could ever say with words. A hand on the older male’s shoulder, Mark sighed before he spoke.

“Hyung, why don’t we go outside for a bit? Y/n’s still going to be right here.” He suggested, hoping that Sicheng would agree and go to the courtyard with him. Fresh air would do them both some good. Nodding, Sicheng exhaled and grabbed his coat, which had been draped over the chair he was sitting on. With one last look at y/n, the older of the two opened the hospital room door and they left the room, making their way to the courtyard.

Handing Sicheng an iced caramel latte, Mark sat down on the bench and took a sip of his own drink. Neither of them knew what to say, but they both knew that they had to stay positive about it. Sicheng was the first to bring his attention away from the floor, looking at Mark.

“Do you think she’ll actually take a break after she recovers?” He asked, his features softening.

“She definitely won’t want to, but Noona really should take a break. A few weeks away from her bikes won’t kill her.” The brunet responded, a conviction in his voice. Y/n was brave, but sometimes too reckless for her own good and today proved that effortlessly. They both had a lingering feeling that they’d have to force y/n to take a break.  Staying like that for the meantime, both were lost in thought until Mark’s phone rang; he was needed back in his apartment. Renjun was seconds from beating Donghyuck up and Jeno did not want to be the one in between it. Although, he did agree to film if anything did happen. 

“Hyung, I’m sorry - I gotta go. Renjun’s going to beat Hyuck’s ass-”

“Go on, and send me the video later.” Sicheng chuckled, patting Mark’s shoulder in the reassurance that he’d be okay. A quick goodbye, and soon Mark was making his way out of the hospital, getting a taxi and heading to his shared apartment before he would be greeted by a screaming Donghyuck. Watching the younger male leave with an amused smile, Sicheng hummed to himself before he figured it was time he headed back to y/n.

Returning to his girlfriend’s hospital room, he sat back in his chair, his hand holding hers once again. The sun had started setting outside as his eyes felt heavy, and Sicheng could tell he’d most likely end up spending the night in the hospital. Pulling his chair closer to y/n’s bedside, he laid his head on the mattress, facing his girlfriend as he let the urge to sleep take over. A nurse who happened to be passing by peeked inside the room and smiled gently, almost parent-like. Going into the storage room, they picked out a pillow and blanket for Sicheng as he slept through the night shift.

By morning light, the sunlight had just started to fall on y/n’s face, and the motocross racer’s skin glowed in the early morning rays. Eyes opening with a low groan, she looked around at her surroundings, a brow raised in confusion. Why exactly was she in the hospital? Wasn’t she riding her motorbike when- oh right…

She crashed. Headfirst. That was why she was lying in a hospital bed, dazed and with a throbbing headache. Wonderful. A soft smile on her face when she saw Sicheng asleep, y/n sat herself up - albeit slowly and with a lot of effort - and reached forward to lace her fingers through his hair. Stopping when the sleeping brunet started opening his eyes, y/n’s hand stayed in her boyfriend’s hair. Yawning as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Sicheng’s eyes formed into an ‘ㅇ’ when he noticed the pillow and blanket.

“Oh? One of the nurses must have-” words getting caught in his throat when he ran his hands through his hair and ended up feeling y/n’s own hand in his hair. Turning to face y/n in hopes that he wasn’t simply just imagining things, his eyes almost didn’t process what he was seeing until Y/N smiled, amused by the shock on his face. It was cute, she had to admit.

“Y-y/n, you’re…”

“Awake?” She answered, her voice a tad hoarse.  Reacting immediately and pulling her into a hug, Sicheng exhaled, content with staying like that for a few minutes - in hope that y/n being awake wasn’t a dream. Releasing her from the hug, Sicheng held her hands in his, stars in his eyes.

“How, how do you feel?... You scared me, you know?” Sicheng asked, peacefully admiring how his girlfriend looked in the morning - despite the bandages, IV and cute but unruly bed hair. Throat still dry, y/n shrugged.

“My head’s killing me, that’s for sure. Uh - what, what did the doctors say?” She asked, curious as to exactly how bad her injury was. The way Sicheng grimaced before answering wasn’t helping either. Preparing for the worst, y/n braced herself for the news. What if she couldn’t ride bikes again from that point on? Her career couldn’t be over that quick-

“Well, you got a pretty bad concussion, and they want to see if you’ve broken anything.” Sicheng explained with a sigh, indicating her elevated arm. Y/n had gotten away with concussions before - it was nothing new. Workplace incidents, that sort of thing. But if she had broken a bone, there was no way she’d be allowed to go anywhere near a motorbike until she was fully healed. Which would be a minimum of a month off the tracks, at least.

“I hope it isn’t broken.”

Getting the x-ray done was the easy bit; keeping her arm in place, letting the doctors do what they had to do, simple. It was the waiting for the results that was the hard part. Although it was only a few hours, y/n’s train of thought wasn’t letting up. The worry was eating away at her. Distracting herself by staring out of the window, even that was proving to be of little help. Biting at her lip as she went through what she’d do in the event that she did break her arm, y/n hadn’t noticed the nurse walking up to her bedside until Sicheng had repeatedly tapped her leg, an amused grin on his face after he had gotten a cup of water for the both of them. Shaking her head and turning to the nurse, y/n waited for the news.

“How bad is it?” Y/n asked, a blend of hesitation and hope in her voice.

“You’re quite lucky, Miss L/n, you had a pretty nasty crash. Apart from your concussion, you’ve sustained a mild fracture in your right arm.” The nurse answered, a polite smile on their face as they broke the news as best they could. As y/n took in the news that she’d ended up with a broken arm, she exhaled, thanking the nurse for letting her know. There was a pause in the room as the couple were left alone, an amused realisation and chuckle coming from the professional bike racer.

“Well, isn’t that wonderful?”

Holding y/n’s free hand as the couple left the hospital, Sicheng reached over and ruffled his injured girlfriend’s hair, a grin on his face at y/n shaking his hand off with a sulky downturn to her lips. They’d been on the phone with her manager, and it was confirmed that she’d be taking the required time off to recover, and an extra two weeks to actually take some time away from the track. Lips pursed as she observed her arm sling, y/n turned to her boyfriend - who had been calling a cab while she was zoned out in her own world. If she was going to be taking time off, the idea of spending as much of that time with Sicheng was quite appealing, to say the least.

“Sicheng, can you stay the night? I wanna spend more time with you,”

“Sure~ I’m free for next week. I’m all yours y/n-ah~” 

Entering the apartment together, y/n sighed, taking a seat on the sofa and resting her head as she stared up at the ceiling. Hanging up his coat, Sicheng joined her, taking the same position and giggling when y/n turned to him in confusion. She knew why she was staring at the uninteresting ceiling, but why did he have to? His giggles turning into snickers, Sicheng excused himself into the kitchen before y/n could ask the question that was on her mind. Returning to the living room with two mugs of hot chocolate in hand, Sicheng set y/n’s down and took a sip of his own, an amused grin remaining on his face. Still more or less not in the mood to talk, y/n leaned over and pressed a kiss to her boyfriend’s cheek as she picked up the other mug with her unbandaged hand. The couple stayed like that, enjoying their drinks and the silence. 

As the evening drew closer, and both y/n and Sicheng were feeling their eyelids grew heavy, a yawn from the motocross racer in the room signaled to them both that it would be best for the couple to get some sleep. 

“Baby, I don’t know about you, but I’m seconds away from passing out on this sofa,” Y/n joked as she pulled herself up and helped Sicheng to his feet. Wincing a tad when her ankle collided with the corner of the table, y/n rolled her eyes with a shake of her head and a smile when Sicheng started giggling.

“Y/n-ah, are - are you okay?”

“Well, I’m glad you’re entertained,” y/n sassed, walking into their bedroom with Sicheng trailing after, a grin still on his face, “I’m fine, just so you know~” 

The next day, y/n had woken up with a groan. Although she had spent ten minutes trying to find the best way to sleep, she had tossed and turned - and now her arm was starting to ache. Pushing herself to sit up and get out of bed, y/n tried managing as best she could, gently massaging her arm every so often. She’d take some painkillers after she ate breakfast. Heading to the kitchen to try and make herself something to eat, y/n stopped and looked down, a flustered smile on her face as she turned to see Sicheng with his head buried in her shoulders.

“Good morning you~ could I interest you in some breakfast~?” Y/n laughed, kissing the still half asleep man’s cheek. Muttering something about making it himself, Sicheng unwinded his hands and dragged his feet around the kitchen floor as he made himself something to eat, his girlfriend watching him as she leaned against the dining table, sipping on a fruit smoothie.

“How do you manage to get up so early? I’m exhausted.” Sicheng asked, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Prone to working afternoons himself, waking up early morning was definitely something he wasn’t used to. Giggling as she ate, y/n shrugged, a playful smile on her face. Waking up early was the norm for the motocross racer; arriving at the tracks at unforgiving times to practice.

“Oh I don’t know~? Motocross perhaps?” She asked, teasing the man in front of her. His unamused face turning into a smile that screamed ‘I love her so much’, Sicheng rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he watched the pleased grin on y/n’s face.

“Y/n-ah, do you know how much I love you?”

“Do I?”

“I- come here you-” Walking over to y/n and pulling her out of the chair and into his arms, the couple stood there for a moment, lost in each other's eyes...Until y/n started wincing.

“Baby? What’s wrong? Did, did I hurt you, I’m so-” Sicheng pouted in concern as he started checking y/n’s arm, looking back up in confusion when she started laughing. “What? What is it?”

“Got you~”

“Y/n! You scared me! Seriously, you’ve got to be less reckless next time” 

“Love you too baby~”

[f1chronicle]

Hello and welcome to F1 News Today with Tillie!  Let’s take a look at what’s making news in the world of Formula 1 today… 1) Lando Norris Looks To Put Russian Disappointment In Rearview Mirror 2) Fernando Alonso Returns To Happy Hunting Ground In Turkey 3) Alfa Romeo Hoping For Turkish Delight 4) Pierre Gasly Set To Make up For Lost Russian Opportunities We’re powered by the F1 Chronicle, make sure you visit f1chronicle.com for more news, and subscribe to the F1 Chronicle YouTube channel so you never miss an episode of F1 News Today.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit the Grid Talk store ►  https://ift.tt/3ljWC2A Subscribe ► https://www.youtube.com/c/Formula1GridTalk  Follow ► Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/F1ChronicleOfficial/  Twitter – https://twitter.com/F1Chronicle  Tumblr – https://f1chronicle.tumblr.com/  Artwork ► Avatar by Chereverie Twitter: @mewdokas Tumblr: chereverie Instagram: chereverie.art ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transcription ► Hello and welcome to F1 News Today with Tillie!  Right, let’s take a look at what’s making news in the world of Formula 1 today… I know I’ve spoken a lot about Lando lately, but well, it’s my podcast and I’ll cry if I want to…  After two weeks to stew on his Russian disappointment, Lando Norris is set to put that weekend in his rearview mirror and use it as motivation as the F1 paddock heads to Turkey this weekend. Speaking before the weekend, Norris said… “I’m looking forward to getting back to the track after a disappointing end to the last grand prix! “Since then I’ve been spending a lot of time in the simulator, learning from the experience in Russia, and I’m ready to go again... “The Turkish circuit is a real driver’s track and I’m glad we’re heading back there again after an exciting race last year! “The fans out there are really passionate too, so it’ll be great to see them all again!  “As always, we’ll be working hard to keep up the fight in both Championships...  “We know how important every race between now and the end of the season is, so we’ll be pushing hard to score as many points as possible!" That’s my boy, we believe in you Lando! Fernando Alonso could be forgiven for getting all nostalgic this weekend as he returns to Turkey, the scene of his famous 2006 battle with 7-Time World Champion Michael Schumacher... Although Schumacher’s Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa took the win, all eyes were on the battle for second, as Alonso just managed to hold off Schumacher in a pivotal moment in their battle for the 2006 World Championship! Speaking about his return to Turkey, Alonso said… “I have some nice memories of the Turkish Grand Prix! “It’s a circuit with a good mix of high-speed corners and overtaking opportunities...  “Turn 8 is a unique challenge and I look forward to tackling this corner in a modern-day Formula 1 car!  “I had a fun battle with Michael Schumacher there in 2006!  “He was right behind my gearbox exiting the final corner on the last lap...  “That was just one of a number of on track battles we had that season...  “We’ve had some good races this year and importantly we’ve been consistent! “We need to keep up this consistency and score more points for the team to finish the season on a high! After scoring points in Russia. Alfa Romeo are hoping for a Turkish Delight this weekend! Yes, I went there, deal with it… Ahead of the weekend team boss Frédéric Vasseur said… “Scoring points in Russia was a big confidence boost, finally bringing home a reward for all the hard work of the team! “We were able to make the most of the circumstances in the closing laps of the race...  ‘The conditions were difficult, but we achieved a good result!  ‘Now we have to keep up this level of performance, ready to make the most of the chances we may get! ‘Last year we did really well in qualifying in Istanbul, that will be a basis on which to build as we return to Turkey aiming to have another positive race...” Can they bring home the chocolates?  Boom tish, oh yeah baby, I’ll be here all week… That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with more news ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix... We’re powered by the F1 Chronicle! Make sure you visit f1chronicle dot com for more news... and subscribe to the F1 Chronicle YouTube channel so you never miss an episode of F1 News Today! See you tomorrow for the next update!  #F1NewsToday #F1News #Formula1Podcast by Formula 1 Grid Talk

[thefinalcinderella]

DIVE!! Book 3 Chapter 4-NEXT STAGE COMING

This translation isn’t dead

Fun fact: the title was misspelled with “comming” in the book.

Full list of translations here

Previously on DIVE!!: Youichi gets flowers.

As it turned out, Youichi skipped practice for only one week, not because his headache was completely cured, not because Tomoki gave him moth orchids, not even because the fortunes of Leos had sharply increased.

“You probably have your own plans for yourself. But, stop here.”

The morning on the day when it had been a week since he first started skipping, Keisuke finally got impatient.

Youichi thought that somewhere in his head, he had been waiting for this day. Will he explode, or will he guilt-trip me by crying? But Keisuke spoke as the head coach of the MDC to the last, starting off with a request.

“From my standpoint, I cannot overlook you skipping practice any longer. You don’t even know how out of shape you will be if you neglect muscle training for even one day, and how much time you will need to recover it. Besides, it is now the time when you must adjust for your next competition.”

“Next competition?”

“The JASF has invited four divers to the Sino-Japanese Goodwill Competition that will take place in November. There was an official announcement yesterday.”

Keisuke and Youichi watched each other’s expressions over the breakfast table.

Keisuke still hadn’t dealt all of his cards yet. Having that hunch, Youichi waited for him to continue without changing his expression.

“So…”

Just as he thought, Keisuke turned over his next card.

“So, based on the results of the Sino-Japanese Goodwill Competition, the JASF plans to publicize yours and Teramoto Kenichirou’s Olympic representative decisions after the competition.”

“Based on the results of the competition? How the…I still haven’t done it yet, so there’s no way they can know my results, right?”

“Oh, they don’t know. But they can predict them. President Maebara judged that you can do it. This time, the four Chinese divers that Coach Sun is bringing along are still young rookies, so Teramoto’s certain to win the championship. Now that Kaneda and Kurauchi are out, it would be hard to threaten your second place unless there was a very large upset. Even if you did make a mistake, you can remain at third or fourth place. After that there is only the hope that your career and future prospects will carry you through.”

Keisuke’s tone could be taken as irresponsible, and he pinched the wrinkles between his brows with his fingertips.

“What…”

Ever since he had been informed of the representative decision, something cold had been building up within Youichi. It was like ice, like glass, freezing up a part of him again.

One could not simply think that adults were filthy and children were pure. Up to now he had participated in various diving events, and Youichi had been made aware many times of how adults operated politically, how they worried about their appearances in society and conducted themselves cunningly, and how they used random stopgaps as soon as they thought of them. That might be what it meant to live as a real human being, and even Youichi flew off the stage that they had prepared. But…

“What if I lose? If I lose to a Japanese diver other than Teramoto-san, then what would happen to my right to represent at the Olympics?”

Keisuke’s fingers, still pinching his brow, stiffened to Youichi’s sharp gaze.

“Your selection has been decided. The problem for the JASF is when and how to announce it smoothly. Because there were no formal qualifying trials this time, honestly, the timing of the announcement was difficult. Then Coach Sun suggested a good time would be after the Sino-Japanese Goodwill Competition.”

“So, what if I lost the competition?”

“Therefore, your selection has already been decided.”

The intensity of their locked gazes grew.

“Even if a Japanese diver other than Teramoto beat you at the competition, it is obvious from your overall results up until now that you are better. It is not difficult to infer that you were nominated based on your career, as long as you won within six places.”

“What if I couldn’t win? What if I keep messing up there? Are they still going to push through my selection? What are the other divers at the competition for?”

His voice cracked from being overly agitated. The water in his glass shook, and when he looked he found that it was his own arms that were shaking the table. I want you to race to the top in that usual cool way of yours, he remembered Reiji saying. I came back to dive with you again, he remembered Shibuki saying. He remembered the moth orchids that Tomoki gave him—

“So, shouldn’t they have used that Sino-Japanese Goodwil Competition as the Olympic qualifying trials instead?” Youichi practically gasped out, and Keisuke tilted his head back, then slowly shook his head.

“You might also make a big impression, but you don’t know what will happen at a diving competition. The favorite to win might fall all the way to the bottom, and a no-name newcomer might sweep first place. President Maebara, who is cautious for the sake of winning medals, does not want to take the risk of deciding on the representatives in just one meet…probably. Truthfully, I also don’t know what the organization is doing.”

He sighed, looking tired, but then continued talking as though he was rousing himself up.

“There is just one thing that I know for sure. You…Fujitani Youichi, will never mess up at an important competition.”

Keisuke steadied Youichi’s wobbling focus.

“How do you know that?”

“Your faultless, steady performances. It is your greatest weapon, after all.”

He wasn’t being praised. Those words were by no means compliments. Youichi knew that Keisuke preferred Okitsu Shibuki-style dives, where the soul shone in their wildness, fully exposed, rather than stable dives. But, he still only got the sense that his father was entrusting something to his “faultless, steady performances.”

“If you fully display that weapon, you will win the Sino-Japanese Goodwill Competition and go to Sydney without a doubt. The survival of the MDC is riding on your participation in the Olympics. The futures of the little divers toddling around the poolside are at stake.”

Before his father who was only protecting one thing from only one angle, Youichi said, “Understood,” while enduring the waves of headache pain that had been gradually pressing onto him.

Understood. I had understood that for a long time. That’s why even when I’m talking about whatever, I’ll still return to practice in the end. Even if I’m not fully satisfied with the selection of the representatives, there’s nothing more to dig up, right…?  

Thus, the curtain closed on the modest rebellion, and after school on that day, Youichi went to the Sakuragi High School diving club and Tatsumi’s swimming pool. Youichi, who hadn’t shown up once since the practice spot was moved to Tatsumi’s indoor pool after Sakuragi’s outdoor pool closed, had arrived at Tatsumi for the first time since July’s Asia Joint Training Camp qualifying trials almost a month ago.

He had a sullen-looking face as he walked towards the poolside, but right then, he felt like he had betrayed his body, which had refused to practice so much, too easily.

He breathed in the smell of the water for the first time in a long while.

The special, steamy chemical odor peculiar to indoor pools.

Just as Shibuki, raised at the sea, flourished in the scent of salt water, for Youichi, raised at the pool, the scent of his hometown was the artificial chemical odor. His whole body lost its stability after his long absence, and his skin buzzed with the desire to feel the familiar sensation of water. Youichi, his heart lifted like a traveler who discovered an oasis in the desert under a blazing hot sun, swam a few laps in the main pool to cooldown so he wouldn’t risk the danger of standing on the diving platform in that excited state. Then he began his regular practice.

In addition to belonging to the MDC, Youichi was also part of the Sakuragi High School diving club. Usually, he practiced at the pool with the diving club, and did dryland training with the MDC. There were those who suspected that having his father as a coach was hard to deal with, but Youichi simply doubted Keisuke’s coaching. Keisuke, who always said that the most important thing was spirit, turned all failures and setbacks into issues of feelings. Coach Abe of the diving club was still young, and she just said whatever was in the manual, but Youichi chose her bias- and compulsion-free coaching.

On this day also, he performed warm-up exercises according to Coach Abe’s instructions, and when they finished thorough flexibility exercises in pairs, Youichi performed “starting entries” by the poolside several times, before finally climbing the steps of the diving tower.

For the first time in a long time, he looked up at the concrete dragon that was his natural enemy, as well as old friend. From overhead illuminated by the ceiling lights, Tomoki, Reiji and the others had already begun to dive, but it was still too early to join that line.

First, from the three-meter springboard.

Next was the five-meter platform.

Then it was the seven-meter.

And then finally, the ten-meter.

Youichi diligently followed that sequence.  That was how much he carefully, steadily ascertained his own condition. Keisuke often said things like, “Be like a bird” and “Dance with the soul,” but if a good performance could be done with such things, nobody would go to practice everyday.

Diving was a precise collaboration between the mind and body. The chest muscles. The springs of the feet. The sharpness of the rotations. The rhythm that controlled the movements from takeoff to entry. They changed everyday as if they were living creatures, disorienting Youichi. When those hard-to-deal-with creatures were bent to his force of will, when he was able to accomplish a performance where everything was perfectly harmonized, he was able to get intoxicated from the ecstasy of the victory that controlled him. It was somewhat similar to the piano tuner tuning the sound of the piano and bringing about a beautiful harmony.

However, this day was a series of dissonances. His mind and body were out of sync, and nothing moved according to his directions. His body grew dull over that one-week break, and he couldn’t prevent the mistakes that he could usually prevent with his strength. The timings of his entries were off, as though his very diving intuition had gone completely out of whack.

Don’t get flustered. You’ll destroy yourself if you do that here. Youichi told himself those things while trying twenty, thirty basic dives, but his intuition never returned, and in the end failed terribly as he violently hit the water.

A shock like lightning ran through his body, numbing him at first, then transforming into pain.

It had been a long time since he had felt this pain—.

While coughing out the water that flowed to the back of his throat, Youichi dragged his confused body onto the poolside, pushing his red-stained body up from the water.

“I never thought that even Fujitani-kun could get struck by the water.”

As he laid completely exhausted on the poolside, Coach Abe came over, looking like she just saw a monkey fall from a tree. (1)

“When I was struck by the water for the first time, I thought about quitting diving, but even now I still think that, the moment I was struck by the water.”

Coach Abe smiled as Youichi grumbled.

“Everyone is like that, only at that moment. But, do you want to think about the reasons for your failure in a constructive way?”

“The rhythm of my takeoff was bad. Because my jump was messed up, I felt like that had an impact on my rotations and entry.”

“That’s the correct answer. But, the normal Fujitani-kun would have been able to fix the jump in midair, even if it was messed up…the cost of one week was too much after all. Well, let’s get you back to form slowly.”

As Coach Abe left, Youichi’s eyes suddenly went to the opposite side of the pool, meeting the eyes of Keisuke, who had his whistle hanging from his neck. Despite Youichi returning to practice like he wanted, he had a bitter look on his face, perhaps because he saw his earlier failure. He might have been thinking that that happened because he hadn’t been thinking like a bird enough, or that his soul wasn’t struggling, or something like that…

Youichi exhaled loudly, his eyes diverting from Keisuke to roam over the pool.

And for the first time, he noticed that Shibuki and Asaki Kayoko weren’t anywhere to be found.

“Oh, Shibuki went with Coach Asaki to do electrotherapy for his back today, and then he’s going to ballet lessons.” Ooshima, Shibuki’s roommate, said that immediately when Youichi asked for Shibuki’s whereabouts during break time.

“What, ballet lessons?”

Youichi was hooked, and was on the verge of letting him going on, but a strange feeling was left behind in his ear, and he was a little late to being surprised.

“Ballet…like ‘un, deux, trois’ ballet?”

“Ah, that’s right. Not the ‘serve, receive, attack’ volleyball. (2) Well, of course he’s still only in the beginner’s class.”

“But why…is he going to be a ballerina?”

“No, you dummy. He’s just incorporating it as a part of training.”

“Oh.”

Now that he said it, that was probably the case.

Although it was not heard of much in Japan, all Russian divers learned ballet from childhood, and even the Chinese have actively taken bar lessons and the such. In the United States, there were also diving clubs that include classical ballet into practice every day. Ballet lessons were effective for improving balance, toe extension, instantaneous muscle usage, and other skills when in midair, as well as useful for cultivating the delicate expressiveness of the fingers.

“But, even so…”

That Okitsu Shibuki was doing classical ballet!

Won’t that be like an elephant doing tap dance, a tiger playing the ocarina, or an orangutan learning to use natural dyes?

“Of course, it was Coach Asaki who suggested it, and thought that Shibuki would hate it. But surprisingly, he easily agreed to it.”

As Ooshima said that, he placed his hand on Youichi’s shoulder. “Your body’s a bit cold,” he said, and prompted him to go to the Jacuzzi baths.

“Oh, now he looks like he’s been put through the wringer and he still looks dejected at every lesson, but Coach Asaki is enthusiastic. Because he can’t do new dives with that back of his, he has to make a painful plan to strengthen his expressiveness and polish the skills that he already has.”

When Ooshima opened the door to the bubble baths, the elementary schoolers who were crammed in the tubs during their break all pointed at Youichi and shouted, “It’s Fujitani Youichi!” “It’s the Olympic athlete!” It looked the number of applicants who wished to join had really increased, as his eyes rested on several unfamiliar faces.

“He’s not a panda! Hey, get back to practice now!”

The elementary schoolers scattered in a flash at Ooshima’s scolding, and the two of them submerged themselves into the hot bath, shoulder to shoulder.

“So really, Coach Asaki and Shibuki are doing very well. But honestly, I’d love to see what’ll happen when the art of ballet is added to Shibuki’s dynamism. I’m looking forward to the Sino-Japanese Goodwill Competition in November.”

“The Sino-Japanese Goodwill Competition? Is he going to participate in it?”

“Ah, yes.”

“But, that competition is…”

That competition was for Teramoto Kenichirou and Youichi. No matter how much effort he put forth there, the right to represent at the Olympics will never come around to Shibuki.

“I know what you want to say.”

Hot water flew from Ooshima’s fingers onto Youichi’s bewildered face.

“Even Shibuki knows that. Tomo and Reiji are also aware of that, and are willing to go to that competition.”

“Aren’t they…frustrated?”

“It’s because they are frustrated that they are going. At the competition, they want to show off their strengths in front of those self-important blockheads from the JASF. The energy from that anger isn’t stupid, and recently Tomo and Reiji have been practicing like crazy. Tomo in particular has been shockingly fired up. I think he dived as many as two-hundred times last Sunday.”

“Two hundred times?”

Youichi couldn’t believe his ears.

Certainly, it seemed that before there was a time where increasing the number of times jumping from the diving platform during practice was regarded as good, but nowadays great importance was placed on reasonable numbers, and it was stressed that how one dived is what should be concentrated on. It varied between individuals, but the number of dives that a person could do one day was probably at most a hundred. Even in the hardest adjustment period, one hundred and fifty dives were done at most, so two hundred could be said to qualify as a superhuman amount of practice. He climbed up those tall steps two hundred times, and dived from them two hundred times.

“That’s the strength of Tomo’s competitive spirit.” Ooshima murmured, then turned to face Youichi.

“Tomo is still fourteen years old. If your representative decision provoked him to work so hard like this now, who knows what kind of monster he’ll turn into five years from now. You shouldn’t be shutting yourself up at home, either.”

He grinned, and stood up with a splash.

“If Shibuki knew you came back, he’d definitely be happy. Don’t make your rivals so lonely, okay?”

When Ooshima went back to coaching the elementary schoolers, Youichi, as if to confirm what he had heard just a moment ago, went towards the area where the full view of the diving platform could be seen.

The poolside separated the main pool used for swimming and the diving pool. From that position, where potted plants lined up at even intervals, the towering concrete dragon could be seen directly from the front. When Youichi looked up, Tomoki had just appeared at the tip of the ten-meter.

Ever since Asaki Kayoko took the job as coach seven months ago, that boy, who had no achievements or ambition, had accomplished an astonishing change, and a stability and dignity could be seen in his standing posture as well. His somewhat unreliable body had tightened, and he seemed to have gained some more muscle in these several weeks.

Tomoki’s well-built body floated into the air, and he approached the surface of the water quickly as he traced his usual light circles.

The forward 3½ somersault in tuck position.

Tomoki had already made a skill that he had just mastered this summer completely his own. The speed at which he vigorously absorbed everything was amazing.

As Youichi held his breath and looked on, his body, which should have done 3½ somersaults, made too many extra movements, and Tomoki missed the timing of his entry as he fell at a bad angle.

Failed.

Nevertheless, it was an odd way to fail. He didn’t think that Tomoki had cat-like reflexes when it came to moving in midair.

Before Youichi’s puzzled eyes, Tomoki got out of the water and, without resting for even a moment, went towards the diving tower, ascending the steps untiringly again. There was no wastefulness in that series of movements, and a determination to dive as many times as he could within his limited practice time, where even one minute was long and even one dive was a lot, could be felt. Youichi also got like that when he was extremely focused. He couldn’t see anything. He couldn’t hear anything. Only himself and the dragon and the water. Because Tomoki was in this condition today, he didn’t seem to have noticed that Youichi showed up to practice a long time ago.

However, when Tomoki appeared on the tip of the ten-meter again after waiting for the other divers to go, despite concentrating just as much, he made the same mistake again with the forward 3½ somersault in tuck position. The reason was still the excessive movements just before entry.

What’s going on?

Though Youichi puzzled over it, Tomoki single-mindedly headed for the diving tower without thinking about the reason for his failures, as though he was possessed.

It was when he saw Tomoki enter the water the same way for the third time that he realized what he was doing.

“No way, is he doing 4½…”

The forward 4½ somersault in tuck position—.

Those extra movements after the 3½ somersaults. Those were meant to be an attempt to do an unprecedented final somersault, weren’t they?

As soon as he realized that, even though Youichi already had the right to represent at the Olympics in his hands, somehow, he felt like Tomoki left him behind.

Translation Notes

1. “Monkey that fell from a tree” is also a Japanese idiom that means “person who has lost something they used to rely on,” so there’s a double meaning here

2. Ballet in Japanese is “バレエ” and volleyball here is written as “バリボール,” which is a bit unusual as it’s usually written as “バレーボール”

Next time on DIVE!!: Pretty sure this is the origin of those Youichi/Kayoko fanfics on Pixiv

[noble-pro]

GB Mountain Running Champs

I have struggled with my running since the ON Snowdonia Trail Marathon. It was probably the best opportunity for me to qualify to run for GB, but I blew it. I wrote an honest blog about it (read here), hoping it would give me closure, and it kind of did. But also kind of didn’t. I had gone into a deep dark place up on Mount Doom (Snowdon) that day. I had to wring my brain that day. I promised myself all kinds of things to just finish that race. I called myself all kinds of names. I had to bend my will and my body to just keep going, rather than just give up, collapse and transform into a blob of steaming hot dung. I got off the mountain, uninjured, unhurt, my family still loved me, the sun was shining. But as my muscle soreness healed, my mind soreness didn’t. I found it hard to commit to training, hard to withstand any sort of pain. I dropped out of Ladywell 10,000m cos it was hurting a bit. My training was sporadic and quite unfocused. I had tried to pick myself up, get motivated, YES! I am back! Then I would sleep-in the next morning. I get the email confirming I have been selected to run for Wales in the GB Mountain Running Championships, I am scared to do it. I had poured my heart into the Trail Marathon, and wound up 10th. Here is a race I hadn’t been training for at all, against the best mountain runners in the country, I could really embarrass myself. The race is in Snowdonia, I have done the course before, it is a stunning route. I moved here to do races like this. To be running for Wales, injury and illness free, it should be the most amazing opportunity ever. I can’t turn this down due to fear. I resolve not to think about it. Not to focus on it, just to roll with it.

Race day is beautiful sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. I’m not that nervous, training has been going a bit more consistently, and although I haven’t done anything on the mountains, I am looking forward to it. It is a hot day, and windy. Watching the juniors finish is like something out of Apocalypse Now. One lad falls on his bum and can’t make it 10 meters to the finish. Runners are lying in the field crying, and some have collapsed with heat exhaustion on the mountain. The seniors line up. We are told that the top 2 are picked automatically for the World Champs in Argentina, with 2 more discretionary places. We set off. I am feeling pretty bad almost immediately. I hang on with the 2nd group, but it’s hurting and we haven’t even left the tarmac yet. By the time we get up onto the fells, I am all wrong. I have to really practise my ascending, it does not come naturally. I have not been practising. It is NOT coming naturally.

  The climb up to the first peak, Eilio, is a long hard slog. I am hurting. Every time someone overtakes me, it feels like I gain a stone in weight. I had been secretly hoping to come in the top 10 here, and be first Welsh Man home. I am now slipping down into the 20s, and am the 4th Welsh man, the field pulling away with every step. I have totally lost my head. I want to quit. I am trying to think of an excuse. I can’t. I am in a Welsh vest. I already quit my last race. I have given myself total permission to just go out and enjoy this one. There are no excuses here. Then Emma Collinge comes past. A very fast woman who I saw finish 2nd in the World Championships a few years ago. It shocks me. I am angry with myself. I want to quit again. How can I compete with the fastest men if I can’t beat the fastest women?

It’s a bad day. So what am I going to do? Drop out because it’s hurting? Because I’m getting beaten by a woman? Let's draw the line now. No more talk of dropping out. Finish the fucking race. I manage to tag onto Emma, and, gradually, sort my head out. The pain subsides and I get my breathing back. It is windy and Emma tries to wave me infront to take some of the load. I refuse. I am giving Emma my total respect here, and therefore we are in a race against each other and I’m not interested in helping her one bit. I wouldn’t shield a guy from the wind either. I stay behind, I can feel myself coming out of the hole. I know that once I get to the top of Eilio, everything should swing in my favour. I just have to believe it. That’s exactly what happens. I launch off just before the top, and am instantly gaining on the field. The visibility is perfect and I can see everyone stretched out infront of me. From thinking ‘when will this ever end?’, to now ‘I hope I have enough time’. The ridge is a wonderful rollercoaster of ups and downs. I’m flying past people on the downs, and grinding past them on the ups. Two guys in front of me stop for a second to get some water off a spectator, I forgo the water so I can pass them both cleanly. Dyfed at Track Tuesday, has advised me to jump one particular stile instead of the next, I do it, it gets me past Max Nichols (excellent mountain runner), Dyfed is right there cheering! My confidence is soaring. I have pulled myself near to top 10, and am now the 2nd Welsh man. I have so much support on the mountain it is brilliant. Everyone roaring that I am looking better than the guys in front. A few guys even shout that I could make it onto the plane. I just focus on the next guy, and the next guy. We leave the ridge and now there is just one long gentle downhill all the way home. It is perfect running for me and I am trying trying trying. I zoom past runners like they are not moving. I’m getting hot, my thighs are burning, my feet are on fire, I don’t care, I wish there was more road. I can see flashes of Math Robert’s red vest impossibly far ahead. I am closing him down, meter by meter, he is looking behind, I am about 10 seconds away. I can’t get there. I finish 8th. I am enormously happy with that. Maybe my best ever performance on the mountains. I beat lots of excellent mountain and road runners. Ofcourse now I wish I had specialised a bit more, done a few more hill sessions. But, more than the result, I’m thrilled with my awesome self for clawing out of a hole. I turned the momentum around and got a very unlikely result, top 10 in the country.

Great run from Math and a royal battle. We are having the rematch next weekend at Newborough parkrun if anyone fancies a go! Thanks loads to everyone who came out to support, Welsh Athletics and the team, and to Arwel for picking me! Great photos as always from the guys at SportPictures.Cymru 16/09/2019 AM PM Monday 10 REST Drive to Wales Tuesday REST 2 miles in 10.50. 5 laps, 4 laps, 3 laps, 2 laps, 1 lap, 200m, 100m (lap jog rest). 6.05, 4.47, 3.33, 2.19, 65. 10 miles total perfect weather for track and great group Wednesday 5tm 10 Thursday 5tm 10min @20kmph tm. 8 miles road. 10 miles total 10min effort feels good, doable! Friday REST 5tm Saturday 5 @7min miling GB Mountain Running Champs. 10 miles total 8th place. Very happy Sunday 18 miles @6.10min miling. 23 miles total REST morning run with Tom and Cal Rawlinson, great little long run TOTAL: 93 miles tm = treadmill Non-Running Related Highlight of the Month Straight after Mountain Race on Saturday, knock back a chocolate milk and walk up Moelwyn Mawr with my dad. Epic day.

Thing I’m Digging This Week: Just love Lana Del Rey. This music video, the effortlessly cool style, the lyrics; “Fuck it, I Love You” – genius. Best Thing On The Internet This Week: Latest episode as Kipchoge trains to break 2hr marathon. A gold mine of useful stuff here. Love the way he finishes mammoth track session, few high fives, and chill on infield, no yelling, no prostrating on the track, no theatre. Job done, go home. Read the full article

[f1]

FP1: Leclerc beats Verstappen to fastest time in opening French GP practice

Charles Leclerc’s French Grand Prix weekend got off to a strong start as he beat championship rival Max Verstappen to the fastest time in opening practice at Circuit Paul Ricard. The Ferrari driver clocked a 1m 33.930s on the soft tyre to finish just 0.091s ahead of the Red Bull, however Verstappen lost around two tenths of a second running wide at Turn 11 on his best lap. Carlos Sainz was more than 0.3s off the pace in third, the Spaniard facing a tricky weekend ahead after Ferrari fitted a new control electronics to his F1-75 that triggers a 10-place grid penalty. READ MORE: Sainz set for 10-place grid penalty in France after taking new engine component All three tyre compounds were on show in the opening 60-minute session of the weekend, as teams evaluated how the Pirelli rubber coped with the heatwave cruising across Europe right now. Track temperatures hit 58 degrees Celsius. 1 Charles Leclerc LEC Ferrari 1:33.930 2 Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Racing +0.091s 3 Carlos Sainz SAI Ferrari +0.338s 4 George Russell RUS Mercedes +0.951s 5 Pierre Gasly GAS AlphaTauri +1.049s Mercedes, who have brought updates to France, were inside a second of the fastest time, courtesy of George Russell, with the team’s reserve Nyck de Vries borrowing Lewis Hamilton’s car for FP1 and ending up ninth, half a second further back. This was the first time in Hamilton’s career – which hits 300 Grand Prix weekends in France – that he has given up his car for an FP1 session. The rules mandate each driver must do so at least once this season and the seven-time world champion, who watched the action from the Mercedes garage alongside boss Toto Wolff, chose this weekend to step aside. AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the French Grand Prix AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda have been crying out for upgrades, having last received new parts back at race four in Imola, and they have been rewarded at Paul Ricard. The early signs are positive, with Pierre Gasly just a second off the pace in fifth in his home race – however Tsunoda was down in 18th, more than two seconds off the ultimate pace. Sergio Perez had a little spin down at Turn 4 before continuing, the Mexican sixth, ahead of the leading McLaren of Lando Norris, whose team have brought more new parts than any other for this weekend. 2022 French GP FP1: Pérez flat spots his tyres in big Turn 4 spin The Briton wasn’t running them in FP1, though, as McLaren did some back-to-back testing with Daniel Ricciardo – who ended up 10th – getting the chance to give them a try. Alex Albon was a fine eighth for Williams, more than 1.5s ahead of team mate Nicholas Latifi, who was running the new upgrade package for the first time but ended up 20th overall. Zhou Guanyu was the leading Alfa Romeo in 11th, ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and home favourite Esteban Ocon in the Alpine, with Sebastian Vettel – who took a 100-year-old Aston Martin for a spin around Circuit Paul Ricard on Thursday – 14th. Double world champion Fernando Alonso was 15th, ahead of the Haas duo of Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen, who are still awaiting their first updates of the season, with Robert Kubica – borrowing Valtteri Bottas’s car for FP1 – 19th. Who's going to score in the 2022 French Grand Prix? Pick your dream team before qualifying and take on the world to win huge prizes with the Official Formula 1 Fantasy game. Sign up, join leagues and manage your squad here. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com