#gates of renault

[cazzyf1]

Quotes about the 1982 Drivers Strike that I found funny/interesting (from a pdf of a book I accidentally downloaded)

So, if you haven't seen from my Twitter stream this morning when trying to research something about Niki Lauda for a friend, I came across a pdf link. Thinking it would just be a small article potentially with the answer I was looking for, I downloaded it. I did not notice the fact that it was 154 pages... to my surprise; it turned out to be a whole book about the 1982 season, specifically focusing on Keke Rosberg.

I've read through the chapter about the driver's strike and taken down some quotes that I found interesting. There isn't a lot of detail into what they all got up to that isn't already known, but there is a lot of useful information. Hope you enjoy :)

'You might imagine all this was just like every season, but 1982 was already very different. The Rat, you see, had smelt a rat.'

'Herr Andres Nikolaus Lauda of Vienna had furtive eyes which didn't miss much and a suspicious mind. On 24th December 1981, he sniffed the form from Paris the postman had just delivered and didn't like it at all.'

'The form was the product of events in 1981 when Prost, making his debut in Grand Prix racing with Mclaren, became convinced the car was not safe and refused to drive for the team again regardless of the fact he had a contract to do so. Prost told Teddy Mayer that, if necessary, he would simply walk away from motor sport altogether. Renault approached Prost, he joined them, and Mayer (by training a lawyer) discovered how problematic the law was if you tried to prevent someone from gaining their livelihood. The super licence form represented an attempt to prevent such situation recurring.'

'Lauda claims Pironi made phone calls and was able to prevent 'most of the other drivers' from signing, but in fact 24 did, leaving six refuseniks: Pironi himself, Lauda of course, Villeneuve - who had seen something similar in Canadian ice hockey and didn't like it - Arnoux, Giacomelli, and de Cesaris'

'I was just listening because Didier Pironi did all the talking,' Lauda would say. 'Didier completely unemotional. The important thing was to keep on talking.'

'At 7:00 on the Thursday morning a bus, arranged by GPDA secretary Trevor Rowe, drew up not far from the paddock entrance with Pironi and Lauda in it. Most of the drivers stayed at the nearby Kyalami Ranch Hotel and they'd be arriving early for a GPDA meeting before the hour-long practice session at 10:20. As each arrived they were invited to park their cars and get onto the bus. Mass didn't show up (He's always late' someone said) and Ickx refused. In fact, Mass had been staying with friends of his South African-born wife and so had been out of touch. He knew nothing about the bus but it wouldn't have made any difference.'

'The drivers were, as Lauda recounts is, going for a drive. With Lauda hanging out of the back waving, the bus set off, but as it left the bottom gate of the circuit John McDonald of the March team tried to block it. Laffite and some other drivers got out and pushed McDonald's car clear. Then the bus proceeded to the scenic route to Johannesburg some 15 miles away pursued by 'a whole convoy' of TV cameras, journalists and photographers. The bus went to the Sunnyside Park Hotel in the suburbs. It offered full amenities including a swimming pool.'

'At 10:19 the track opened for practice. The race organisers threatened to impound the cars if the race didn't happen and Ecclestone threatened the drivers that they would be sued for recompense if the cars were impounded. Throughout, Ecclestone adopted a hard line and at one point, in a remarkable interview questioned the value of drivers, "Nobody came up to me at Kyalami and asked where Jones or Andretti were. Already they're not missed. Why should any of the rest of them be missed? If it had suited Carlos not to come back, he wouldn't have given a stuff about F1 now, or whether the crowds came now or didn't. He couldn't give a dam if it suited him not to turn up. In the same way it suited Niki to walk out in the middle of a race. I think he said at the time 'I'm leaving because of policies, I just want to be a racing driver.' If you analyse it, the drivers just don't make any sense."'

'Pironi arrived from the circuit and explained that if they didn't return and drive immediately, they faced life bans. There seems to have been a distinctive mood at the hotel with very real concerns about what they were doing 'camouflaged by high jinks and laughter.' Lauda knew that the older drivers understood what the consequences might be. Ecclestone had already fired Piquet and Patrese. Lauda realised how difficult it was for the young drivers, facing the reaction of their sponsors. Lauda concluded that maintaining solidarity was crucial. Each driver had a great deal to lose.'

'At the Kyalami Ranch, during dinner, drivers' wives and girlfriends threw bread rolls and plates at Balestre.'

'The drivers in Hannesburg inhabited the conference room. "We ended up barricaded in it" Warwick says, "You know what was fantastic? I got to know my colleagues for the first time because, being a non-qualifier at the back of the grid, you don't get a chance to speak to the guys at the front. That was good. The other things that were massive when we were in that compound - we were there for 24 hours - was Bruno Giacomelli standing with a chart and dissecting an AK47 machine gun. He drew these magnificent drawings of how to take the gun to bits and so on. It was very, very funny because in the normal Bruno Giacomelli way he was very, very funny anyway. I think it was a big shock for everybody in authority because they thought they could control the drivers but, to be quite honest, I don't know that half of them in the room knew what we were striking for." Lauda kept their spirits up by telling jokes and, a piano brought, Villeneuve played light music and de Angelis classical pieces. "What really blew me away," Warwick says, "was that we had a piano in the room and Elio de Angelis started playing it. Apparently, he could have been a concert pianist and it astonished me - the other talents that some of these guys had. Then Gilles played Scott Joplin.'

'Many remember the performance by de Angelis. "Believe it or not," Derek Daly says, "the most vivid memory I have of being stuck in the hotel was Elio de Angelis playing the piano like a concert pianist. Remarkable. Definitely, definitely that was a gift, a talent of his.' Jarier points out that "it was a big room and Elio de Angelis played classical music and Gilles played. Very sympa. In that era virtually all the drivers stayed in the same hotels - Kyalami Ranch in South America, the Glen Motorhome in Watkins Glen and so on. A formula one team was 15, 20 people. There were far few journalists, far fewer television people and everybody knew each other." In other words, many of the drivers in the big room were not strangers to each other, however much those at the back of the grid had to be. Alex Hawkridge arrived to try and reach Fabi and Warwick. Fabi was easy to reach because, as it seems, he was already staying in the hotel and had his own room. "Teo we didn't threaten as such, we told him he was contracted to drive. He came out and I was able to speak to him. We reminded him he had signed a contract to drive, and the idea of solidarity wouldn't help him if he was without a drive and think where his best interest lay. Elio was playing the piano - astonishing - and I could hear him. He was a proper concert pianist.'

'The room was barricaded. An associate of mine pushed the door open and shouted their names, "Come and talk to us and we'll resolve this" Of course, as happens when you do that, someone pushed the other way and there was a bit of a pushing and shoving session - by a friend of mine called Douglas Norden, who is known to be a little aggressive when challenged. He was nothing to do with the team, just a friend along trying to help and it turned into a bit of a scuffle, the the door shut." Niki and the others saw it as a further restriction on the drivers' power and they wanted to stop it, and that is always the difficulty with change, isn't it? We were to have another example at Imola when the FOCA went on strike against the FIA. Through the history of human struggle there have been instances involving union. Lauda made sure the piano blocked the door so there would be no further scuffles, giving the police reason to enter. Mo Nunn at the Ensign tried to get Guerrero to come out by taking his girlfriend. When they saw each other they dissolved into tears and Lauda allowed him out to see her providing he - Lauda - came too. Jean Sage of Renault tried to get Prost and Arnoux but was beaten off.'

'The drivers ordered a room big enough to put 30 mattresses onto the carpet - that provoked prolonged ribaldry. At 11:00 pm they moved from the conference room to this dormitory and settled down for the night, having worked out an elaborate way of getting to the toilet across the hallway. It was conducted on the honour system with a key on a plate in the middle of the room. Lauda would remember, "I was sharing a bed with Patrese, someone next to Rosberg was snoring until Villeneuve put a blanket over him in the middle of the night, but all the time we stood together." Warwick would remember, "The drivers spent time with me and we spent a lot of time together - I was sleeping with them, exactly, yes! I haven't slept on the same mattress as Carlos Reutemann ever since, mind you..." To which Derek Daly says, "The funny thing is think I was on the other side because I have a picture of me beside Reutemann. I don't know if he snored. I do think he was still dressed in his driver's suit." Pironi said at the time, "We will see it through, FISA had too much to lose to let the Grand Prix be called off. I'm confident they will relent." "We'd had a lot of pressure because you had people like Jackie Oliver and Alex Hawkridge coming to the hotel," Warwick says, "We were threatened with our jobs if you don't get back there and that, of course, if why Fabi crawled out of the toilet window. He was the only one who broke ranks. He did the dirty on me. Everybody said they understood if I had to go back, I was explaining to people like Lauda, 'It's okay for you guys, you're going to have a job , you're some of the best drivers around but I'm the new kid on the block, my team mate's just jumped ship and I am very vulnerable' and every one of them said, 'We guarantee you will not be fired' In other words, if one is fired everyone goes. That gave me a little bit more confidence to stay there."'

'"It wasn't the strike which made me say, I don't want Formula One," Tambay says, "I enjoyed the strike! It was the best time I ever had with all my friends, although it was a very costly reunion with them. WHat I didn't like was Teo Fabi sneaking out behind our backs to try and get back into the car, and what I didn't like was that I knew we had been screwed - they (Balestre & co) had said "Come back out to the circuit and everything's going to be all right" and I knew we were all screwed"'

'And there, grinning broadly (he usually did), stood the strong, square figure of Brian Henton - available for selection as of this second, Jackie Oliver gave Henton the Tambay drive, but that morning, Henton became embroiled in a tug-of-war between the arrows management and Herr Lauda. Arrows 'were bollocking me saying "Get in the car" and all the rest of it' Henton remembers, 'And I am just about to go out for practice and they needed my signature on their petition. I'd got the team shouting in one ear "Get in that car and get out there" and, just as I am sitting Niki Lauda - who been massaging me all the time and I'd been saying "No, no, no" - rushes up with this petition, he 'hit' me at the right time, "Just sign this, sign it, sign it" I thought I only want to get out onto the track.'

'Lauda records how, throughout the weekend, there had been rumours that once the drivers reached the airport to fly home they would be arrested, although on what grounds it is difficult to say, what happened was quite different. During the race the stewards issued a statement given to each team, saying the drivers Super Licences were being suspended. Three drivers, Fabi, Mass and Henton - were spared: Fabi because he'd gone to the track prepared to drive, Mass because he had driven, and Henton because he got the Arrows drive after Tambay withdrew following the strike. Francis Tucker, steward of the South African Grand Prix, said, "For the purpose of running a race, a temporary truce, was called in the disagreement between the drivers and the officials. The truce lasted until the end of the race. At the end of the race, the truce agreement position was terminated. This means that the position which existed prior to the agreement is effectively reinstated.' The drivers were suspended immediately and each paid 300 Rand to appeal the decision. Fisa said they supported the suspensions and Executive Committee would meet in Paris on the following Thursday, January 27.'

-

And that is all that I took down about the Driver's Strike of 1982. I hope that it was an enjoyable read for everyone!

I feel a bit bad that I accidentally got a free copy of this book, given that the author I've read other books from and it one that I like a lot, and that when looking the book up, it is rather expensive. But these things accidentally happen, and anyone could accidentally look up this exact search on google: Niki Lauda "snored" - and then see the first link that is a pdf of 154 pages titled 1982, which then they could click and get the full copy of the book. These accidents happen. And it is always good to have a virus scanner to check any file you download just in case, my phone seems safe but it's better safe than sorry.

Enjoy :)

[race-week]

I've been pondering the Hulkenberg to Sauber move for a bit, and I'm not sure I totally get it. Is there something about him beyond being experienced and what he's shown in the Haas that they wanted to have? It's not that I haven't been impressed with his Haas performance, I just keep thinking about Renault and how underwhelming I found him there and am not sure how to reconcile those two different teams/perceptions of him as a driver with whatever Sauber is going for by signing him.

The thing is Hulkenbergs whole F1 career is kind of sad and if somethings had been a little different he likely would have podiums and even wins.

In 2013 if Hamilton had rejected Mercedes offer, their second choice was Hulkenberg (confirmed by Ross Brawn)

He was in contention for the Ferrari seat for the 2014 season but was eventually told over text message that they went with another driver (Raikkonen)

Mercedes wanted him to replace Rosberg after his retirement in 2016, but Renault wouldn’t release Hulkenberg from his contract.

He was also said to have been a strong contender to replace Albon in the Red Bull for the 2021 season (the team decided on Perez instead)

Thing is, despite the lack of accolades, Hulkenberg is actually quite highly rated by those within the sport. He’s very consistent and for a team that’s going to be getting up to speed this will be very much needed. Audi aren’t likely to be competitive out of the gates.

It definitely helps that Audi likely wanted a German driver in the team but I also think that Hulkenberg has shown with his consistency (and his adaptability) that he is a good choice and isn’t a hire based solely on his nationality.

[estebanocon]

Another Singapore GP, another selfie dump.

[1] Nico Rosberg - 2016 WDC gave us a jump scare when he showed up, shoutout to my friend who's a big fan of his who he remembered and was probably the reason why he turned around to smile for this pic because I was so sure he was just going to keep moving down the line. 🥲

[2] Alex Albon - my fellow March Aries: always kind, always obliging and generous with his time, also came prepared with his own marker!! A true professional.

[3] Nico Hulkenberg - I've seen this man every year since 2017 and he's ignored me every single time and I was just going to accept that he was never going to give me the time of day when finally, this year he deigned to take a picture with me. 💀

[4] Franco Colapinto - this man could not be less interested in taking this photo BUT Y'KNOW WHAT? I give him major props for doing it anyway when he could have just ignored me.

[5] James Vowles - the last selfie I took at the Singapore GP! Luckily there weren't a lot of people where I was, so he kindly stopped for a second to take this before going on his way.

[6] Mick Schumacher - another fellow March Aries: most of the time he just signs stuff but that particular day he decided to take pictures with fans as well, which I'm so glad he did. 🥺

[7] Ayao Komatsu - we almost didn't recognise him because he was dressed in civvies on race day?? Anyway, please take good care of Esteban. 🙏

[8] Maya Heug - the only F1 Academy driver I asked for a picture and gotta be honest, I was just stalling so I could ask Rene as well. 🫠

[9] Rene Rosin - after we took this he immediately roasted me for not waiting until they left the paddock because "the picture will be nicer without the gate". 🤡

[10] David Croft aka Crofty - another one for the "I see them every year but I finally got their attention" folder. He always has earphones in so I had to wave my entire arm for him to notice.

[11] Martin Brundle - see above, except he doesn't have earphones in and usually just zips past us.

[12] Simon Lazenby - I just missed him in 2022 so it was good to catch him this time!

[13] Jamie Chadwick - I was surprised that nobody else seemed to recognise her this year but maybe it was because she's not driving? Anw, a nice surprise to see her again!

[14] Anthony Davidson - a friend of mine is a big fan so I've seen him a lot but this was the first time I asked for a pic. 😬

[15] Tom Clarkson - aka the guy who had to tell Max to mind his language during the Thursday press conference. 🙊 I know him as the host of Beyond the Grid and got to tell him I love the podcast, and he thanked me for listening.

[16] Lee McKenzie - Lee, Rosanna Tennant (who was also around!) and Ruth Buscombe (who I saw multiple times but the timing was never right 😭) are probably my favourite track-side reporters. This was my first time seeing Lee in person and I was so glad she took the time to stop for this pic!

[17] Aurélie Donzelot - I've been a fan of her work for years, since she was at Renault/Alpine literally changing the motorsport social media game. She's independent now and I still love following her work spotlighting women in motorsport on her podcast "Racing Lives" as well as her stories on Substack.

[18] Susie Wolff (featuring Jennifer the marshal) - I felt bad at first because my friends also wanted a photo with her and we could have taken a group photo but she was in a rush and only stopped for me. Later that night she saw us again and asked security to step aside so she could take pictures with my friends, which was very kind of her. 🫶

[ more of my F1 experiences ]

[morpheusfiction]

You never set out to be a hero. You just wanted to survive. Play as the Guardian of Oscaire, newly named hero of the war. You fought in the war, uniting your companions to infiltrate enemy lines and open the gates to end the siege, killing the King of Avlijaan in the process. Now you're returning back to Serna to the acclaim of your countrymen. You just want to go home, to your small hovel where you lived in peace. Instead, you've been raised to nobility, invited to live in the palace as the Queen's advisor. You've been triumphant in war, but are you prepared for life in the dangerous court of Queen Aureya? With it’s backstabbing, cutthroat politics, it seems even more lethal than the battlefield. Make enemies. Earn allies. Change the course of the country's fate. And do your best to stay alive.

Play as The Guardian, a hero of war and the Queen’s newest advisor.

Customize your character — choose your gender (female, male, and non-binary), pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them), and appearance (height, weight, skin color, hair color, scars, tattoos, & piercings).

Five Romance options & two optional romantic encounters.

And be careful — your decisions will change the fate of the country of Venyre.

— Lukiana Vioras — the princess

— Leonzio Vioras — the prince

— Josefine Silvestri — the rebel

— Kieryn Raethe — the ambassador

— Nasir Shafiq — the apprentice

— Aureya Vioras — the queen

— Felix Renault — the general

[ricracing]

Cyril was invited on a French podcast about motorsports. It's almost 2 hours long but he shares a lot about the RBR/Renault negociations and contracts throughout the years, as well as crash gate or how the teams reacted to Liberty Media buying F1. I am halfway through and he hasn't spoken about Daniel yet but it is really worth a listen if you speak french!

He mentions for example how during the 2015 season, Horner and Marko thought they were going to get Mercedes engines (because of a lunch they had with some Mercedes people) and wanted to terminate their deal with Renault. I just can't imagine what Daniel's 2016 season would've been if they had actually had the Mercedes PU.

I'll write down the main points about Daniel once I've finished listening to the episode.

[charles-leclerc-official]

If we had dragon racing (I'm assuming you are talking about HOTD) Daemon would have the advantage of Caraxes being a noodleboi and having a long neck to cross the chequered flag first. (I'm not complaining).

You are literally talking to the biggest Daemon Targaryen fan!

I'd support him, because Caraxes is the Ferrari of the HOTD dragons, he is even RED. He also has more refined aero elements like the extra webbing on his legs.

Adrian Newey would be leading the dragon breeding program trying to create a bloodline of insanely fast dragons.

FIA constantly changing whether or not dragonfire is allowed to be used for overtaking.

Ferrari of course have the oldest most esteemed dragon lineages traced back the the beginning of the sport.

Tracks are created using natural features, like forests, rock formations and the lick, to create the need for 3D awareness. The most challenging track weaves through a series of narrow slot canyons in the south.

Riders must train to join teams, but the final test is they must be accepted by the dragon themselves.

Max rides a dragon with a distinctive set of bull like horns.

Charles of course has a slender red dragon(not unlike Caraxes)

The Mclaren dragons are a tropical species that have a very annoying high pitched cry.

Mercedes dragons have unique star patterns on their scales.

The bones of Michael Schumacher's Ferrari dragon are in a marble tomb beneath Maranello.

One time Fernando's Renault dragon accidentally bred with a Williams dragon and this was known as "Egg gate"

The two current dragons at Alpine have gorgeous pink scales, but they have temperament issues that they've been unable to tame and often try to fight each other during races.

I have more but you have made me start spilling the lore for the F1 dragon rider AU that lives in my head

[dailyanarchistposts]

May 13th: From Renault to the streets of Paris

Monday 13 May

6:15am, Avenue Yves Kermen. A clear, cloudless day. Crowds begin to gather outside the pates of the giant Renault works at Boulogne Billancourt. The main trade union ‘centrales’ (CGT, CFDT and FO) have called a one day general strike, They are protesting against police violence in the Latin Quarter and in support of long-neglected claims concerning wages, hours, the age of retirement and trade union rights in the plants.

The factory gales are wide open. Not a cop or supervisor in sight, The workers stream in. A loud hailer tells them to proceed to their respective shops, to refuse to start work and to proceed, at 8am, to their traditional meeting place, an enormous shed-like structure in the middle of the Ile Seguin (an island in the Seine entirely covered by parts of the Renault plant).

As each worker goes through the gated, the pickets give him a leaflet, jointly produced be the three unions.Leaflets in Spanish are also distributed (over 2000 Spanish workers are employed at Renault). French and Spanish orators succeed one another, in shod spells, at the microphone. Although all the unions are supporting the one-day strike, all the orators seem to belong to the CGT. it’s their loudspeaker...

6:45am, Hundreds of workers are now streaming in. Many look as if they had corpse to work rather than to participate in mass meetings at the plant. The decision to call the strike was only taken on the Saturday afternoon, after many of the men had already dispersed for the weekend. Many seem unaware of what it’s all about. l am struck by the number of Algerian and black workers. There are only’ a few posters at the gate, again mainly those of the CGT. Some pickets carry CF DT posters. There isn’t an FO poster in sight. The road and walls outside the factory have been well covered with slogans: ‘One day strike on Monday’; ‘Unity in defence of our claims” ‘NO to the monopolies’.

The little café near the gales is packed. People seem unusually wide awake and communicative for so early an hour, A newspaper kiosk is selling about three copies of l’Humanité for every copy of anything else. The local branch of the Communist Party is distributing a leaflet calling for ‘resolution, calm, vigilance and unity’ and warning against ‘provocateurs’.

The pickets make no attempt to argue with those pouring in. No-one seems to know whether they will obey the strike call or not. Less than 25% of Renault workers belong to any union at all. This is the biggest car factory in Europe. The loud hailer hammers home its message: The CRS have recently assaulted peasants at Quimper, and workers at Caen, Lyon and Dassault. Now they are turning on the students. The regime will not tolerate opposition. It will not modernize the country. It will not grant us our basic wage demands. Our one day strike will show both Government and employers our determination. We must compel them to retreat.” The message is repeated again and again, like a gramophone record. I wonder whether the speaker believes what he says, whether he even senses what lies ahead.

At 7am a dozen Trotskyists of the FER (Fédération des Etudiants Révolutionaires) turn up to sell their paper Revoltes. They wear large red and white buttons proclaiming their identity. A little later another group arrives to sell Voix Ouvriere. The loudspeaker immediately switches from an attack on the Gaullist government and its CRS to an attack on”‘provocateurs” and “disruptive elements, alien to the working class”. The Stalinist speaker hints that the sellers are in the pay of the government, As they are here, “the police must be lurking in the neighbourhood”. Heated arguments break out between sellers and CGT officials. The CFDT pickets are refused the use of the loudhailer. They shout “dèmocratie ouvriêre” and defend the right of the ‘disruptive elements’ to sell their stuff. A rather abstract right, as not a sheet is sold. The front page of Revoltes carries an esoteric article on Eastern Europe.

Much invective (but no blows) are exchanged. In the course of an argument I hear Bro. Trigon (delegate to the second electoral ‘college’ at Renault) describe Danny Cohn-Bandit as “un agent du pouvoir” (an agent of the authorities). A student takes him up on this point. The Trots don’t. Shortly before 8am they walk off, their ‘act of presence’ accomplished and duly recorded for history.

At about the same time, hundreds of workers who had entered the factory leave their shops and assemble in the sunshine in an open space a few hundred yards inside the main gate. From there they amble towards Ile Seguin, crossing one arm of the river Seine on the way. Other processions heave other points of the factory and converge on the same area. The metallic ceiling is nearly 200 feet above our heads, Enormous stocks of components are piled up high right and left. Far away to the right an assembly line is still working, lifting what looks like rear car seats, complete with attached springs, from the ground to first floor level.

Some 10,000 workers are soon assembled in the shed. The orators address them through a loudspeaker from a narrow platform some 40 feet up. The platform runs in front of what looks like an elevated inspection post but which I am told is a union office inside the factor. The CGT speaker deals with various sectional wage claims. He denounces the resistance of the government “in the hands of the monopolies”, He produces facts and figures dealing with the wage structure, Many highly skilled men are not getting enough. A CFDT speaker follows him. He deals with the steady speed-up, with the worsening of working conditions, with accidents and with the fate of man in production. “What kind of life is this? Are we always to remain puppets, carrying out every whim of the management?” He advocates uniform wage increases for all (‘augmentations non-hiérarchisées’), An FO speaker follows. He is technically the most competent, but says the least. In flowery rhetoric he talks of 1936, but omits all reference to Léon Blum. The record of FO is bad in the factory and the speaker is heckled from time to time, The CGT speakers then ask the workers to participate en masse in the big rally planned for that afternoon. As the last speaker finishes, the crowd spontaneously breaks out into a rousing ‘Internationale’, The older men seem to know most of the words. The younger workers only know the chorus. A friend nearby assures me that in 20 years this is the first time he has heard the song sung inside Renault (he has attended dozens of mass meetings in the lle Seguin). There is an atmosphere of excitement, particularly among the younger workers.

The crowd then breaks up into several sections. Some walk back over the bridge and out of the factory. Others proceed systematically through the shops where a few hundred blokes are still at work. Some of tees: men argue but most seem only too glad for an excuse to stop and join in the procession. Gangs weave their way, joking and singing, amid the giant presses and tanks. Those remaining at work are ironically cheered, clapped or exhaled to “step on it” or “work harder”. Occasional foremen look on helplessly, as One assembly line after another is brought to a halt.

Many of the lathes have coloured pictures plastered over them: pin-ups and green fields, sex and sunshine. Anyone still working is exhorted to get out into the daylight, not just to dream about it, in the main plant, over half a mile long, hardly 12 men remain in their overalls. Not an angry voice can be heard. There is much good humoured banter. By 1l am thousands of workers have poured out into the warmth of a morning in May. An open-air beer and sandwich stall, outside the gate, is doing a roaring trade.

[vro0m]

2015 season summary

FINALLY! Sorry this took so long, but as you know I was drowning in classes and thesis writing. Now that it’s done let’s get back to it, starting with the 2015 season summary.

Winning his second title really put Lewis at ease at Mercedes. He’s relaxed, he’s comfortable, he’s confident. He turned 30 during the break. His relationship with Nicole finally ended for good. He talks about growing up, enjoying every day. He’s doing even more beside racing than before (and yes, it starts discourse again). In particular in the first half of the season there’s also a recurrent theme of him wanting to be a team leader (but maybe he also means first driver, he is out of a contract at the end of the year after all).

Lewis is maturing for sure, but he’s not fully grown yet. There’s no big drama during the year, though. Nico is unhappy with Lewis in China and then there’s a couple of arguably aggressive starts in Japan and in the USA. Things are pretty chill overall. Mercedes is dominating (except for that horrible mistake in Monaco and the struggle in Singapore) although Ferrari comes through here and there. And in the team, Lewis is on top. Easily. 11 poles, 10 wins.

But 2015 might just be the eye of the storm between two spicy seasons. Nico is on pole for the last 6 races, and although he’s only able to convert them into wins once Lewis has won his third title, the shift is palpable. As soon as he feels it, Lewis' attitude changes as well. He’s less positive, more defensive. As I was saying he’s not there yet. Maybe he just can’t be wise in the face of Nico. Maybe these two just bring the worst out of each other and that’s all there can be. (After all Nico also showed he can’t take the high road either with cap gate.) At the end of the year, Lewis shields himself from the questions with his third title (“I think being world champion sounds a lot better than winning the race.”), but that won’t work anymore once the next season starts 👀

Other important events of 2015 are the RBR - Renault engine issue, and also Max’s F1 debuts. Everybody is already adamant he’ll win a championship someday and indeed, he is very impressive.

Now let’s see if the storm indeed resumed in 2016 (but yes. yes it did. we all know it did.)

Let’s talk numbers : so far, I’ve completed 52.5% of my rewatch. In total, I’ve made 1,558 GIFs to illustrate it.

Here’s a list of the 2015 GPs with a quick summary and the link to the actual recap if you wanna read it or take a look at the GIFs I made :

1. Australian GP : 2015 season context. First season at Ferrari for Seb and Alonso went back to McLaren. Also Max’s first season. Loads of messy stuff happening in the pre-season / first GP weekend. Lewis interview. Lewis pole. Lewis win. Extremely boring race. Seb making fun of Nico.

2. Malaysian GP : Race n°150! Wet quali + controversy. Lewis pole. Natural vs. analytical driver rant. Lewis P2. (Bonus : “good boy, good boy” - the famous sewis podium moment - pegging Hamilton)

3. Chinese GP : Lewis pole again. Eventful race. Lewis win. Brocedes drama. (Bonus : Lewis and Nico’s postrace interviews)

4. Bahrain GP : Lewis pole. Nico interview. Lewis win. Stressful ending. Baseball celebration. (Bonus I found later on : joint Sewis interview)

5. Spanish GP : There’s a whole “Lewis is too distracted” thing again ugh. Bad race start. Bad pit stop. Moody Lewis. Several pit stop dramas. Lewis P2, his 75th podium.

6. Monaco GP : Lewis pole. Hill has to swallow his words about him being too distracted. Great Lewis x Thierry Henry segment. Big crash then terrible strategy decision. P3.

7. Canadian GP : Lewis pole. Boring first half then slightly less. Lewis win. Bono lost his dad.

8. Austrian GP : Lewis pole. Bad start. A terrible scary crash. Some stupid mistake. P2.

9. British GP : Lewis pole (yes, still). Lewis drifting with Johnny segment. Horrible start but good race. Lewis win. He is absolutely buzzing.

10. Hungarian GP : Lewis pole. Minute of silence for Jules. Terrible start. Suspenseful but bad race. Lewis P6. (Bonus : “you’re very quiet Bono”)

11. Belgian GP : Lewis pole, for a change. Lewis win. The crowd chanting his name. Talking about retirement. Finally admits he might win the title again.

12. Italian GP : Bleached blond Lewis! And guess what? On pole. Lewis interview. Rowing competition. Weird, weird end. Lewis win. Nice cooldown room / podium.

13. Singapore GP : Lewis surprisingly not on pole! Mercedes is struggling. DNF. Also someone is walking on the track? (Bonus : Seb being a flirt)

14. Japanese GP : Nico pole + interview. Aggressive start. Alonso’s “GP2 engine!” Kinda boring race. Lewis win. Matches Senna’s record. Nice sewis podium.

15. Russian GP : Nico pole. Briatore talking about Lewis. Crash start. Another bad crash. Lewis is a good man. Lewins win. Gayest sewis scene I’ve seen so far. Ferraris getting strong. It finally truly dawns on him he might win a title again. Controversial WCC decider. 

16. US GP (part 1 - part 2 - part 3) : Wet quali, Nico pole. Starting on inters. Aggressive start again. Loads of issues. Good race! WDC decider! Famous cap controversy. Nice Niki interview and hug. “Hopefully he’s proud.”

17. Mexican GP : Nico pole again. Rock star racing driver. Mansell x Lewis interview. Lewis not happy with decisions. Lewis P2.

18. Brazilian GP : Nico pole. Alonso meme weekend. Nico interview, some stuff about their rivalry. Boring af. Lewis P2. Different strategy discourse.

19. Abu Dhabi GP : And another Nico pole. Lewis interview. Max interview. Max VS. Lewis debut rant. Slight engine modes controversy. Lewis P2. Lovely podium moment with the Merc rep. Weird press conference. Weird Lewis fancam.

[onboardsorasora]

https://www.tumblr.com/onboardsorasora/744947832405032960/okay-but-what-about-harem-baby-bump-gate-daniel

Now I’m just thinking of different Daniel variants going switching places with reclamation Daniel and seeing Jules

Adore you Daniel seeing reclamation Jules 😢😢😢

OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Bestie what if we cry??????

He'd been in hiding for months now, Guilia and her family helped him pack up the house and he thinks he can head back to Monaco, sneak back maybe. He was waiting on Charles to tell him the plan worked, that Renault's hit was done.

But he couldn't wait anymore. He was tired. It was like dangling a carrot in front of a horse but never actually giving it to him. He just wanted his life back. Max was gone, Max wanted him for Red Bull. He just wanted to be where he felt safe, fuck everything else.

He pulled into his building, heading straight for the secondary parking at the back of the lot like always. So far so good. He grabbed his smallest bag- if it all went to shit then he wouldn't need to repack. If it worked out then he'd have time to unpack.

He sagged against the wall in the elevator, it was 8pm, he was exhausted. All he wanted was a shower and bed. It took him a minute to remember the code to his door, salvation was almost at hand. His bag dropped off of his shoulder as he used one foot to step out of his shoes, then vice versa. fuck his shoelaces right now- they didn't matter.

He zombie walked past the entryway, before stopping dead.

"You're back quick. They didn't have you waiting for fuck ever this time." A jovial voice welcomed him in Italian. Daniel scrubbed his hand over his eyes.

His mouth dropped open in shock and he blinked a few times. This had to be a hallucination. He'd been awake for close to 36 hours with only energy drinks to sustain him. it had to be a hallucination.

Jules looked back at him curious, his smile lessening at Daniel's behaviour.

"Are you really here?" Daniel's voice cracked as he whispered, before shaking his head fiercly. "Of course not. Fuck, I really should have taken that nap five hours ago. Fuck." He rubbed his hands down his face and cracked his neck before walking further into the space, walking around where he was 'seeing' Jules.

"Mate, are you for real right now? What did they give you?" Jules' quirked a brow and reached out to grab Daniel's shoulder. Daniel whirled on him and pulled him into a chokehold before letting him go just and quickly and stepping back as if burned.

"What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck????" Daniel's breathing quickened, as if he was having a panic attack. Jules coughed before holding his neck gingerly.

"Daniel are you tripping or something? Fuck, if you're relapsing I'm calling Seb." Jules muttered, watching his friend warily.

"This isn't real, this is not fucking real. woosaah, fuck. wooosaaaah." Daniel muttered to himself while trying to regain control of his breathing. He slid down against the wall, sitting on the floor. Yes the floor sounded lovely right now. The floor was stable and close. The floor wouldn't lie to him like his senses. The floor was safe.

"Daniel?" Jules' voice was worried, he moved to squat infront of Daniel but froze the moment he saw his best friend tense as if waiting for a blow.

"You're not real. You're not real. You're just a figment of my brain breaking. woosaahhh I'm just having a tiny menty-b from being awake for so long. thats all. wooosah. Jules is not here Danny, Jules is not here." Daniel closed his eyes and dropped his head backwards towards the wall.

"Mate... I'm legit right here. What the fuck?" Jules' whispered. Whatever was happening with Daniel right now was not good. This was maybe one of the worse relapses he's ever seen.

"Jules is not here. Jules has been dead for 3 years. Jules is not here. Jules is not here-"

"Mate what the fuck? This isn't funny anymore bro." Jules knew his voice was hysterical.

"Why won't you go away.." Daniel whined, tapping his head forcefully against the wall. Jules rushed forward and pulled him into a hug, clutching Daniel into his chest. Daniel shuddered in his hold.

"This isn't real. This isn't real. Please." Daniel's voice sounded ragged and Jules felt his eyes tear up at the anguish his friend was going through. What the fuck happened at his appointment?

"Danny, I'm real! I'm here. I'm here for you. God y.ou're scaring me." Jules clutched Daniel as his sobs got harder- shaking them both.

"I miss you so much. Every fucking day I miss you. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry we went to that stupid bar. I'm sorry I dragged you there. I-" Daniel hiccupped before continuing his litany of sins. Jules was still so confused but he'll let Daniel get this out, let him tell him what he thinks he needs to get off his chest, what he needs forgiveness for. He'll absolve Daniel of whatever wrongs he thinks he's committed.

some more

[alovelywaytospendanevening]

They had come to the tall yews by the gate; it was very old, and flakes of paint and rust came away as he touched it. He had said the sensible thing and it would be wise to leave it there. The huge bulk of the yew-trees was like dark-veined malachite against the bronze-gold sky. He was filled with a vast sense of the momentous, of unknown mysteries. He did not know what he should demand of himself, nor did it seem to matter, for he had not chosen this music he moved to, it had chosen him. "But for me," he said, "I think it would spoil it more to go back." He smiled at Andrew in the shadow of the yews. They looking back, all th' eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late their happy seat, Wav'd over by that flaming Brand, the Gate With dreadful Faces throng'd and fiery Arms… Andrew put his hands on the top of the gate and swung it open. His face had a solemn improvising look. He said, …They hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way. Laurie went through the gate, out into the lane. Two great horses, ringing with idle brass, were being led home, their coats steaming in the cool. He felt absolute, filled; he could have died then content, empty-handed and free. All gifts he had ever wished for seemed only traps, now, to dim him and make him less. This, he thought with perfect certainty, this after all is to be young, it is for this. Now we have the strength to make our memories, out of hard stuff, out of steel and crystal; now we can be run through and remember for ever the flash and temper of the blade. The steam of the horses, a good strong russet smell, hung on the air. Sailing in a deep inlet of sky off the black coast of an elm-tree, the first star appeared, flickering like a riding-light in a fresh wind. Andrew walked beside him silently. An eddy of air in the quiet lane brought back like an echo the stamp and jingle of the horses, a shake of the bridle and a snort. …Let us, say, then, that the soul resembles the joined powers of a pair of winged horses and a charioteer. Now the horses and drivers of the gods are of equal temper and breed, but with men it is otherwise…

Another memorable passage. I remember reading it again and again. It has an idyllic, dreamy quality that is hard to match. Mary Renault at her best.

[danthropologie]

After pondering the AT idea, I think it might actually make sense from RBR's perspective. First, they get an experienced driver who will have spent a year hanging out with Adrian Newey to give feedback on the car. Second, they can benchmark Yuki next to a driver they actually rate (which was obviously not neccessary the case with Pierre). Third, they get Daniel's marketing presence and easy access to AT/RBR crossovers, which will keep Max happy. And finally, it's just one more thing to hold over Checo.

plus, to add another thing to your list, i think it could actually be smart in that it gives daniel a little time to get his feet wet before being thrown directly in the deep end. obviously we don't know that he needs that, he's always been pretty damn good straight out of the gate (rbr 2014 season, renault 2020 season, even monza 2021), but i don't think it would hurt either way 🤷‍♀️

but anyways yes exactly!!! and in that sense it's actually pretty similar to his role this year, in that overall it's pretty low stakes for them. it's a step further, cause they ARE giving him a seat and they ARE going to need him to bring home results, but it's not the full headliner rbr seat, so if he ends up not giving them what they want, there's still time to pull the plug and go a different direction, but if he DOES give them what they want (or more 🥰), all the better for everyone involved!!

[race-week]

Can you explain the whole Massa thing please

Okay so it stems from Crashgate which happened in 2008 at the Singapore GP.

Felipe Massa was leading the race, Nelson Piquet Jr crashes brings out safety car this plays into Alonso’s (Piquet Jr’s teammate) hands as he conveniently pitted just before the SC came out. During this time the pitlane was closed until the SC bunched all the cars together so pitting just before a SC was an advantage.

Following the race there was some murmurs in the paddock about race fixing but they were dismissed with people believing that no team would ever be so desperate for a win so as to have a driver throw their car into the wall.

Then about a year later it was determined that it was a case of race fixing and Renault were given a suspended disqualification (i.e. if they had a similar incident within the next two years they would be banned from F1)

Now about a month ago Bernie Ecclestone did an interview where he said that him and Max Mosley knew that crash gate was intentional during the 2008 season and decided to keep it hush so as to not have another controversy following the 2007 Spygate scandal. 

By the letter of the rulebook for 2008, the results of the Singapore GP should be nullified i.e. the result from that race should not have affected the 2008 world championship. If what he says is true that himself (Bernie Ecclestone) and Max Mosley knew of crash gate and the race fixing before the end of the 2008 season the results from the 2008 Singapore GP shouldn’t count. 

I don’t believe that Massa is after the title itself, and I don’t even think that’s possible to be honest, but instead, I believe that he is seeking retribution of some sort whether that’s an official apology from F1 and the FIA or financial incentives because he lost out on probably a considerable sum of money that would’ve come from sponsors, and from Ferrari, if he had won the championship 

[sims4cars-breezemotors]

“A very unique design”

2003 Renault Megane II 🇫🇷

The 2nd generation Renault Megane made its debut at the Paris Salon in 2002. The new design for this C segment Megane created by designer Patrick Le Quement, who headed Renault design, had a very unique style. The Megane II was praised for its unique style, with its vertical rear window and bulging rear gate panel, moving away from the typical 2 box style common to FF hatchbacks.

Available exclusively for “No Limits” and “All Inclusive” tiers.

Model with HQ interior and functional light.

Go and join my Patreon!

[f1cha0s]

Flavio is Nando’s #1, who else will break all the rules just for you to be happy and get a win???? That’s a ride or die fr lol//

I’m the biggest Flavio/Nando fan but he didn’t do the whole crash gate for Nando to win. He did it to keep him and mainly the sponsors. Renault was doing bad that season and Nando has exit clause in his contract. Sponsors are also putting pressure on them. Renault was at risk losing both their star driver and sponsors. I don’t think Nando really cares if he can get a victory that season cuz everyone knows he is eventually going to Ferrari, just sooner or later. And funny enough, I heard it’s Nelson Jr first came up with the idea to crash on purpose.

During 2008 season, Redbull invited him to drive for them as well as Brawn. Horner said Flavio was trying to get him stay at Renault for 2009. Imagine he went to Brawn GP in 2009 and stayed there until the Merc domination time. Or he went to Redbull for 2010-2013.

So Flavio is actually the one to blame for Fernando not having a competitive car for years???? Just imagine Fernando and Seb as teammates 🥺 they would had killed each other my little darlings🥺

[dwellordream]

Far below me I saw streets and walls, the Attic plain stretching to the sea and hills; and on the hilltops the violet hues of evening, like a crown of purple and gold. Before me was the upper gate of the Citadel; the lintel-stone was pained with bands of blue and crimson, and with the royal device, a serpent twined round an olive tree. The late sunlight was like yellow crystal, brilliant and clear. The place overawed me. Though I had heard tell of it, I had pictured only a hill such as any king or chief will build on. I had not dreamed my father the master of this mighty stronghold. Now I saw why he had held out so long against his enemies; it might be kept, I thought, against all the world in arms.

Mary Renault, The King Must Die

[artificidel]

👪 FAMILY - what is their family like? what is your character's relationship to them? does your character have any siblings? (*banging table* morph lore morph lore)

Also asked by @viridescent-lance

For someone who wasn't born, he oddly has a lot of family

Nergal: Creator. God. Father-like figure.

Ephidel's entire reason for being. The man who made him and the purpose behind everything he does. Quote from Canas/Renault support:

Renault: He has no care for his creations... He merely brought them into this world to serve him. His only interest is himself. Those...things...that he discards... They lose their way... and wander. And he cares not. Morphs...are the mere fact of existence...once meaning has been stripped away.

Without Nergal, Ephidel is now this "mere fact of existence." He is grabbing at anything to give him purpose again.

Other Morphs: Lowly. Competition. Beings like him. Sibling-like.

There are hundreds of morphs, many not even given a name, only a number. These he probably views as animal or robot like. Mindless or weak creations.

Of the named morphs, Kishuna was probably sent away before Ephidel was created. Denning he probably views as rudimentary and simple like most unnamed morphs. Sonia I think he loathes. She's too willful and humanlike and squanders the missions given to her. Limstella I think he is jealous of, they're the strongest and favorite morph and Ephidel was passed in favor when Limstella was created.

Despite all this, I think Ephidel does still value other morphs and his relationship to them, because they are the only beings like him. He can't relate to humans. So the shared and kinda fucked up existence he has with other morphs is still important.

Ninian and Nils: Powerful. Wily. The ultimate goal.

Going with the theory that Aenir was Nergal's wife, thus Ninian and Nils are his children, and the morphs were modeled after Aenir, Erica and I have headcanoned that they are also kinda weird fucked up siblings. I don't think either party would really be cognizant of any of this. Maybe just an odd familiarity. Ephidel in particular seems tasked with capturing the dragon children, so he is slightly more familiar with them. But he mostly just sees them as the key to unlocking the dragon's gate.

The Reeds: Unknown. Pawns to leverage. Strong and not to be underestimated.

Sonia adopted Nino and married Brendan Reed, so the Reeds would be Ephidel's in-laws lmao. Prior to toa, Ephidel only knows of them and hasn't met them directly. But now he's met Nino and Lloyd. He sees great strength and potential in both of them, and is trying to get into their good graces as a form of silent power. He does not have anything against them personally and could genuinely have a nice relationship with them. He also just thinks they're too useful to kill.