#i do feel in general that motogp just feels more like a generic sport these days

[batsplat]

what to think of motogp and wta's new logos

what to think indeed

I don't know anything about graphic design, so these are all extremely uninformed opinions. I thought this piece on the race was really helpful (to me, who again doesn't know shit) in explaining some of the practical reasons for the motogp rebrand - and I imagine some of the reasons are broadly applicable for the wta too. like, yeah this does make sense

which I don't feel like was. as much a problem with the old wta logo

idk man. I get the player adds a more cluttered visual element, but the atp logo also still as one of those. iirc this logo has also only been a thing since 2020, so it's not like in the motogp case where it's literally been around forever. you can detach both the text and the symbol and use them on their own. I kinda get why motogp needed a new one more than I do with the wta,, like okay, the wta is defo in a worse state than motogp but I'm not sure the REBRAND is gonna fix anything

setting aside the actual justification for the rebrand... I don't really like either of them. it just looks extremely generic! again, I think the piece from the race was good for explaining WHY this happens --

-- but the thing is, right, I am not a shareholder in motogp and don't actually need to care how commercially smart this change is. I think sometimes there's this thing where you dislike somebody and you then get told 'well you just don't know that there's industry-specific reasons for why it's Like That!!' and it's kinda. okay, that's good information to have, but I have taken in that information and I still don't like it. logos in general have been getting more generic and, sure, maybe that makes sense for commercial reasons, but sometimes you've got to free your mind from your inner capitalist and just. dislike stuff. I don't want all my sports to look like they're trying to sell me vegan soup

also, while I can claim no real nostalgia for either the wta or the motogp logos, to me this is still like. the intro I will always associate with motogp

the champions tower is one of the cooler branding things motogp has going for it, and the link with the chequered flag just makes it neat and distinctive and on-topic. idk, SURELY there was a way to just integrate this one visible design element into the new logo in a way that still makes it work for the internet age etc etc? I'm not a graphic designer (clearly) so I don't have any great suggestions, but even if you're just making the 'o' have a chequered flag or whatever idk. I don't like this trend

coming back to the wta, we do obviously have to address the elephant in the room - they've changed colours. idk man, the problem with the wta rebrand is I associate that logo with the wta even more than I did the old motogp one with motogp. and I do associate purple with the wta. idk WHY they've made the switch.... I do kindaaaa have time for the argument that 'men's tennis blue women's tennis purple' is maybe kinda dated colour coding. I'm a big fan of the colour purple in isolation, but also I don't necessarily hate moving away from that. that being said.... don't go GREEN, the atp challenger tour is GREEN. now I know they have also recently had a rebrand --

-- but in everybody's heads, that shit is still green!! I watch challenger events, plenty of tennis fans do and even if you don't you do still have a sort of... vague awareness of them. why green?? okay so you can't take blue because the atp's got that, no purple, I'm guessing no red on similar gender coding grounds. I personally would have gone for orange. and in general, obviously the larger issue is that announcing you're going to do a big change a RADICAL new step a huge overhaul and then it's a fucking COLOUR change is like. my brother we are in crisis mode here I think you're gonna have to do better than that

anyway. why does everything just need to look more boring nowadays

can we not at least keep the triangle 'a' with the tennis ball!! could we not have kept the 'a'!!

misc complaints:

what does 'rally the world' even mean

nobody is calling it 'mgp'

don't like that that's in the social media pfp's now... with the wta I do need a bit longer to see about how I feel about the graphics in practise. but also, at the end of the day, I don't care THAT strongly. I have zero real investment in motogp's long-term health, I DO have a lot of investment in women's tennis' future but also it's not going to live or die by this logo change. I will miss both of the old logos and broadly preferred them to what we have now

anyway.

[myrquez]

In Motogp there’s so much money involved, performance anxiety dominates and builds up barriers. Everyone retreats into their own pack, nothing is done together anymore. And I just adapt to it, according to the theory that it’s better to be alone than to be in a group full of fake smiles. But relationships among athletes aren’t only the ones made via some direct, classic form of communication. In sport you can actually enter into communication with someone through other ways that are more mediated but, in some cases, even more profound. With Márquez, for example, we aren’t technically friends. We think highly of each other, we respect each other, we smile to each other when one sees the other one, over the past year he’s been very fair to me, often defining me as an ideal opponent. I think it’s because he knows that I can race him very hard, but always within the rules. Which is, even if for many may not seem like it, exactly the same thing he always did while racing against me. Marc may look crazy, but he actually stands out from clichés and defies physics laws in good conscience. Unlike other riders — those reckless ones with no sense of limit, who after a crash often say “I don’t know why I crashed” — Márquez knows very well why he crashes. He often precisely crashes on purpose, just to explore that limit. He does some experiments first, then goes on to elaborate his theory. In a way, he’s an empiricist exactly like my dad was, when he purposely kept taking more and more steps forward on the track to teach me how and where to brake. It’s just that in this case, it’s the rider that does it. I like Marc. And I interpreted our famous duels in 2017 as a means to get to know each other better. In Austria and Japan we indeed were extreme, but not crazy. Adventures-seekers who like to push themselves to the limit, but not insane and neither unfair to each other […] Deep down, he isn’t irresponsible, even if he often looks for some maneuvers that have no rhyme or reason. Theoretically, and practically, they don’t make any sense. Yet I never get angry about it, not even that time in Zeltweg when it looked like I told him to fuck off. It surprises me, instead, to see what he tried to do to get a win, something like “I can’t believe it”, an amazed curiosity to see how he tried to move into this uncharted territory, the same one where, thanks to him, I consequently went into as the well. And it’s so cool. As if we both dug together a whole new vein of gold: we won’t share the prize, of course, because to keep the gold is my goal, but we still dug through it together as if we were pioneers. And this indeed does create a bond, whatever is it.

And it’s even more incredible because I exactly know what Marc is going to do in that last turn in Zeltweg. Theoretically, he doesn’t have any more weapons to attack me: at this point his Honda has less traction, worn-out tyres, less power; generally speaking, Honda is less suited to this track than Ducati. And yet he got this far, in the end […] I well know that to have Marc right behind you while going through the last corner is way too much of a problem, the worst thing it could happen to you: he’s going to try it anyway anywhere. So I’ll be there, waiting for him […] Even if we’re going at 200 km/h, I can feel upon my skin how meters get marked bit by bit. One after another. I force myself to focus on his engine’s sound to understand when and where he will attack. And when the noise is there, almost unbearable, I brake hard and leave him a bit of space on the inside line, to force him to exaggerate a bit and then overtake him in acceleration. It’s almost as if I just accepted his invite, just to deceive him later. It might look like it’s just a technical challenge, or a stunt one, but it’s actually about mind games, an hand in glove tied relationship in which our minds get connected. As in bull and bullfighter kind of way. Or, in a I know that you know that I know kind of way. To get a win in this way is a much more difficult thing to achieve, but it is much more cooler as well. When Marc gets on the inside Iine I just know that I made it, because he’s a champion, but he cannot overcome the laws of psychic. My plan gets fulfilled and the dissolving noise of his bike as he goes wide resonates with liberation. That’s when I make that gesture, automatically. Fuck off, you just got played! Real subtitle is: what did you make me do, you bastard? It’s my third win this year. It’s now clear that I am the one challenging Márquez for the title. But to me this doesn’t matter. Like it doesn’t matter that much how I just won against the one who is recognized as the hand-to-hand duels master […] What matters most is that this race has been a way to get to know each other better. Márquez, with his usual Joker smile, confesses that if he hadn’t tried to surpass me he wouldn’t have slept at all that night. That’s what perfectly defines what he is: as long as he is breathing, he will try to pass you even if he had to go through a wall.

In Motegi it isn’t that different. Here, as well, Márquez is struggling a bit more than me, but I am sure he is going to try it in the last corner. Why shouldn’t he? We’ve been “beating” each other as if there was no tomorrow for the last six laps, in some apocalyptic conditions: heavy rain, curling-like grip, no visibility at all […] Ten minutes ago I wouldn’t have thought we’d get to this point, but as soon as Márquez did a little mistake I got back on track and now we’re here, us again. Ehi, Marc, how are you doing? Our connection in Zeltweg has been restored on the other side of the world. It’s now clear that everything that is going to happen now would not be possible without the other’s collaboration. Like two alpinists in a rope team, we will get ‘till the last meter together. We overtake and we get overtaken. We give and we take. We sting like bees, fly like butterflies, and more than anything we hit like blacksmiths. At Turn 10, I change my trajectory: I’ve been studying Marc for quite a lot from behind and now I imitate him, going a bit wider. This allows me to get into Turn 11 very fast, ready for my strong suit: braking. That’s how I easily overtake him. The Ducati is very stable, everything is under control. I’d be sure to get a win at that point but an alarm goes off in my mind: I won’t give it to you this easily. Exactly. Last corner is on the right. Giving my position it’s obvious that there isn’t any physical space to get on the inside, but imagine if he does really give a damn. When I’m about to lean into the Turn, Marc abruptly arrives out of nowhere as gracefully as Hulk in a china shop. It’s not even a dirty try, more like a circus number: his engine’s noise getting closer echoes into my helmet like the drum rolls that comes just before a trapeze artist jumps. Ladies and gentlemen, Marc Márquez! Where the fuck do you want to go? You’re still sitting straight, I’m already leaning: don’t you see that we’re touching? I don’t know how, but I keep the bike in control. I suspend my maneuver for a millisecond, just enough to let him slide on the outside as I go on riding through the apex. At that point he’s way too wide, he pulls half of a miracle by leaning all on the right to keep his bike on track but has no margin for anything else. Farewell, bye, goodbye. I win today. Again. After the finish line, we stop near the track side by side. Our gloves touch. Contact. Knowledge of the other has deepened. Relationship was preserved. Despite everything, no one cut the rope and we got to the mountaintop together. It’s an awesome feeling. That’s exactly the sport that I would always like. Especially because I won. On TV I eventually admit that to win against Márquez in what he does best really excites me: this is the boost that I need for the climb to the championship, at only 11 points from the lead. Marc showers me with compliments and says that it’s awesome to battle with me for the title, the living proof that professionalism and hard work pay off. He calls me a good guy as well, and I forgive him. Actually, no. Why should I be ashamed [of being a good guy]? To pretend to be a bad guy is something that everybody can do. To actually be one when it’s needed, and to do it with a certain style, it’s something for the few.

— andrea dovizioso talking about his relationship and his duels with marc márquez in asfalto (2018)

[motocorsas]

here's my rundown of all the new 2027 tech regulations:

the most important news is the reduction in engine capacity. the pistons are going to be reduced from 1000cc to 800cc, meaning they generate less power with each stroke. the bore of the pistons is also going to be reduced, which is the width of the piston head. the wide bores that have been in use for some time deliver more power, so reducing bore size means less fuel and air will be used with each stroke. this makes the bike slower, but more fuel efficient.

fuel efficiency has also been taken into account with the new gas tank and fuel regulations. gas tanks are being reduced from 22 to 20 liters for full races and from 11 to 10 for the sprint. essentially, since dorna has reduced bike power, they've reduced fuel capacity as well, since less fuel is needed.

this is where the new sustainable fuel comes in: the new fuel will be a mix of biofuel and synthetic, both of which have a lower power storage by volume compared to gas fuel. this will also reduce power. are you seeing a pattern?

the last time 800cc bikes were used in MotoGP, they were absolutely hated by riders. from 2007 to 2012, engine capacity was reduced from 990cc to 800cc for similar reasons as today; concerns about safety and overtaking. but the bikes were considered some of the worst to ride, due to low torque and inconsistent power delivery, meaning the bike performed best a very narrow rpm and throttle range -- step on the gas for just a milisecond longer, and you'd get shot off the bike. that made highsides much more frequent. mat oxley explains here:

the title of the article is MotoGP 800s - Rot In Peace, which feels like a grim portent of the years to come.

attempts to mitigate the engine's problems with electronics also sacrificed power and overtaking.

sound familiar? right now, riders, stewards and engineers are all complaining about overdone electronics. this brings us to the next point revealed in the presentation, that holeshot and ride height devices will be banned.

these devices program the bike body to shift up and down under certain conditions, carrying momentum and reducing drag. holeshot devices specifically program the bike to start, resulting in the classic rocket-powered starts we see today. riders plant their feet, tuck their heads down, and let the bike do the rest. holeshot devices have their negatives, especially combined with heavy aero -- plenty of crashes occur in the first few corners of a race because the overpowered start combined with heavily engineered aero shoots a rider directly into another's rear tire. this is the sacrifice made for overtuning bikes so that they're perfectly optimized.

but notably, these changes don't mitigate crashes! despite claiming to prioritize safety, reducing power on its own does not reduce crashes. less torque = slower corner exit = riders prioritizing quicker roll speed and engineers seeking higher rpms. and less power = less braking = less overtakes.

none of this is to say that the original 800cc era was inexcusably terrible or that the new era will be as well. but i don't think liberty media or dorna understand what draws viewers to the sport. in the presentation, they justify most of these changes as making bikes more "road relevant", increasing mileage and sustainability. but world superbike already exists to fill that niche, making motogp obsolete in that sense. i'm all for safe and environmentally conscious racing, but as stated above, these new regulations don't make motogp more safe. they also don't make it more eco-friendly either; ethanol fuel is nice, but it's a drop in the ocean compared to the absurd emissions generated by transporting the entire traveling circus from racetrack to racetrack. if there's anything motogp can learn from wsbk, it's a reduced calendar. less travel means less emissions, and longer breaks gives riders time to recuperate from injuries.

in their attempts to make motogp a better entertainment product, liberty media are challenging the integrity of the sport. their unnecessary limitations ignore the true root of most problems -- overworked riders and teams and a bloated schedule -- and waste money in the process. constantly changing concessions and regulations forces manufacturers to spend more and more money developing new bikes; no wonder teams have been dropping out. these concessions don't help anyone but liberty, since they can claim they've "revolutionized" the sport and made it into a safe, sustainable overtake-fest. all they've really done is sanitize it.

[moonshynecybin]

*whispering like we're at a sleepover and everyone else is askeep* hey. Do you. Do you ever think about Dani Pedrosa. Like. Part of the aliens but never won a Motogp chapionship. Always second, first to loose. First teammate of generational talent Marc Marquez. Eclipsed by him. And yet, still his friend. Also. The position he is in. Stuck between Marc and Vake in their not-divorce because he is friends with both. And Sepang 2015. Front seat to that entire nuclear falling out. Does he feel for Marc for being crucified by his idol, for being kicked off his bike, for being torn to pieces by the bloodhungry pack of wolves that is Italy at 22. Or does he agree with Vale, that Marc is too agressive, too overeager, that he too feels the breath of the younger and ambitious riders in his neck and that feels in his bone that these years will be his last dance. How does he feel about Jorge, who is now also one of the two public ennemies nr 1, simply because he had the gall to race well and consistently so, when Vale was in contention for a 10th title. Because he dared to deserve the title just as much as Vale. Who wasn't always Danis best friend but they don't hate each other anymore. How does he feel. Who does he agree with more. His young teammate and friend whose great fault it was to be so so talented and the future of the sport the next great thing, of being irreverent on the race track. His friend and the embodiment of the sport who deserves the title but has grown weary and frazzled and paranoid and who is lashing out. Or his ennemy turned it's complicated but it is much better, the one he knows best, the last one of their generation to get to win the title (but they don't know it yet). Do you ever think about Dani Pedrosa and his relationship with these three after Sepang. How he remained untouched, unblemished by the falling out. Do you.

been staring at this for literally days trying to come up with a worthy response and i cant. this slays

[useless-catalanfacts]

HI! Love your blog a lot!!💛❤️

I have a peculiar rant to make!

There are many motorsport events happening in Barcelona during the year, and they are often called "Spanish Grand Prix", and they are portrayed as the "home races" of people usually from other parts of Spain (most times these people are rich blokes from Madrid with links to Vox). I'm not Catalan, but that makes me so mad. It's once again the erasure of an entire history and culture. English-speaking media don't even make an effort to understand where they are, they are just happy to call it Spain and wonder why they're playing two anthems before the actual races.

But anyway, visca Catalunya i bona diada dels Països Catalans!

Thank you very much!

Yes, I completely agree with you that it's annoying. It's a way for the Spanish state (and every other state, because this happens to other occupied nations as well) to use the sports for propaganda and to cement the association "Catalonia=Spain" in the minds of everyone from around the world who's watching.

If I may, I will answer to your rant with another rant of my own. In general, most sports tend to be very state-centered. For example, for most sports you can't be a professional athlete unless you sign up for a specific state to represent it, wear its flag on your clothes while you compete, play their anthem if you win, the teams must be organized according to people who come from the same state, etc. And if you don't have one, then, bad luck, you either do it for the state that occupies your homeland or you don't get to become a professional sportsperson at all. But even if you have your own independent country that you identify with, still... why so much focus on it? Why is where these people come from so important that it becomes even more important that the person? Imagine if people did this with any other aspect of the athlete's background or identities: "Twilight fans won 5 gold medals this year, and Marvel fans went down to only 3". Or imagine if we did it by sexual orientation, conservatives would be so mad saying "why do you have to wave it in everyone's faces!?". All of those would be ridiculous, so why isn't this strong focus on what state they come from also ridiculous? It would seem more logical to focus on person, school/trainer, or teams that they could choose according to how they view the sport or how they think training works better or work better together. But we seem to just accept that the state (not even culture or nation, just a geographical-political administration unit) is the most defining trait.

That's why I personally never liked the Olympic games or world cups, it feels like it's more about nationalism than about sports. I used to follow them when I was young but I always felt like the gymnasts themselves weren't recognized enough because all the media was focused on "how many people from our country won", or "this sport was won by [country]". And Spanish media does this a lot, to the point that I think they are disrespectful to the sportsperson. Why do all Spanish people have to feel proud or like they won the games because someone from their state achieved something, but not when someone from another state did the same, even when someone from a state might be geographically closer to some parts of their neighbour state than other parts of their own? It's not like the random citizen who is supposed to feel like he himself won the games did, maybe he spent the whole competition eating chips at the sofa (that's me btw). It just never made sense to me. And even less for team achievements like F1 or MotoGP, where they play the anthem of the state that the pilot is a citizen of, but so much of that victory is owed to the rest of the team who worked on making and improving the car/motorbike, so it's a team effort but the anthem of the state of only one of them is chosen to be given the victory to. It makes no sense!

And if you're hosting on a city, it's the same. What does a state's anthem even have to do with an F1 racing? Why is it even there? Show the city and the area around it if you must show something, after all that's the people whose taxes are going to pay for that sport and whose lives are going to be inconvenienced by it.

Because that's another thing, events like the F1 race inside Barcelona (not on the actual track, when they made them fake-race on the street Passeig de Gràcia, afaik they were not even actually racing because the velocity limit was too low), the America Cup, etc contribute so much to worsening the worst problems of the city (touristic massification, gentrification, poverty, and pollution). For the America Cup, the neighbours of the Barceloneta quarter have to use cards that identify them as residents to be allowed in their own neighbourhood because that whole neighbourhood has been kidnapped by the America Cup people. And the F1 fake race thing in one of the busiest avenues of the city was very annoying to the citizens, too. It meant cutting a significant amount of the city's traffic, including public buses, and collapsing part of the metro system as a result. Some of my co-workers had difficulties arriving to our workplace that day because of it. Just so that cars can show off inside the city and pollute it, skipping the city's laws that aim to reduce air pollution by banning people whose cars pollute more than a certain amount (which in practise means old cars, the ones that poorer people are more likely to have). We can't use our cars in the city unless we can afford a green model, but they can cut off a whole avenue in the very centre of the city, asphalt it new just for them, and race there when they already have a track made for them to race in.

It's all part of the capitalist obsession with uncontrolled growth, they want everything to happen here for more and more people to come. Not just with sports events, but anything that will be used as an advertising for the city. Like the Louis Vuitton catwalk that was happening this month in Park Güell (a UNESCO World Heritage Site btw) and which damaged part of the architecture. Until now, the hotel lobby was the main promoter of many of these events because they wanted more tourists, but even the hotel owners are now saying that this has gone too far and the tourism monoculture model has become absolutely unsustainable and is ruining the city.

Don't get me wrong, sports are important and we need to support them and promote people practise sports, and it's good for entertainment purposes and we have to support people having fun (that's what life's about!). But the model that professional competitive sports use needs to be completely rethinked. I think every city that has gone through the devastating experience of hosting Olympic Games will agree with this.

Anyway, that's just my opinion and what you pointed out is definitely more offensive, but when I stop to think of it I can't but see how it's all.... not great. Sorry for getting out of topic but I have been personally very annoyed by these sports and fashion events this month.

Thank you for your message and your understanding, I read it on the Sant Joan but I'm answering late. I hope you had a good diada dels Països Catalans and that you're having a great beginning of summer 🌞

[boxboxblog]

A Quick Look at the FIA and F1 Rules

Hi everyone, glad people seemed to like my more technical posts. I thought it would be helpful to take a look at the FIA and some of the most important rules and regulations in F1. I won't get to every rule, there are far too many, but I will cover the most important ones.

To understand the rules one must first understand the governing body, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). The FIA is the organization that started F1, but is in fact in charge of all motorsports worldwide. So endurance racing is overseen by the FIA and so is MotoGP for example. This means that most rules are pretty streamlined across the different types. It also means that the FIA has somewhat of a monopoly over motorsports.

Some people think of the FIA like its a big room of people sitting around a table and making decisions, but this isn't the case at all. Rather, the FIA is made up of various national motoring associations and is spread all over the world. Most members don't even meet, and it feels less like a body sometimes and more like a union of allies. It is led by a president who is elected by FIA members, and has a variety of vice presidents who cover certain divisions (safety commission, F1 commission, etc).

The major duties of the FIA are to create rules, oversee races, discipline rule breakers, oversee technology, and ensure safety of drivers and fans. In truth, they have a very complex job to do over such a wide berth. And every single year there are new rules an regulations that the FIA creates or even is forced to create. It enforces these rules through the judicial system (namely the stewards, race directors, and International Court of Appeals) and acts essentially as any other government would work. While all members vote on certain issues, the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) is the ultimate decision maker (a lot like the US's congress) and covers all motorsports around the world, not just F1.

Alright, so that is just a quick look at those guys. Let's dive into some major rules.

Power Unit Regulations

Power Units are majorly regulated in F1. They have to be a specific type in modern F1, namely a hybrid power unit. The rule that requires hybrid power units was put in place in 2014 in order to encourage teams to innovate in engine recovery, and ultimately be more sustainable. Another rule around power units is the power unit limit. Cars are limited to a certain amount of replacement components (ICE, MGU-K, MGU-H, etc) during the season, and if they go over they incur a grid penalty. For example, in Spa this year Yuki Tsunoda took multiple power units over the limit and received a 60 place grid penalty. This rule is in place to make sure that wealthy teams who can afford to replace their parts often do not get an unfair advantage.

2. The Spending Cap

Introduced in 2019 or 2020 I believe, the spending cap is one of the newer big rules in F1. It was created (after pressure from some smaller teams) to make sure that the wealthier teams weren't spending an excessive amount. For example, before the cap a team like Ferrari would spend something like $400M or more on their car, but a team like Williams would only be able to afford around $250M. The FIA felt this gave the big teams a massive advantage (it did) and thus the cap was created to level the playing field more. The cap excludes driver salaries and other such costs.

3. Aerodynamic Restrictions

There are many regulations surrounding the aerodynamics on a car. These limit the sizes of things like the wings and diffusers, but also limits the design. For example, on the rear wing, the DRS flap must have a certain level of stiffness in order to pass regulation. One of the new regulations surrounding aerodynamics was the introduction of ground effect in 2022. This is a complex array of tunnels and pipes in the floor of the car that generates more downforce. This was created and declared legal in order to increase the rate of overtakes and ensure more close races.

4. Tire Regulations

Like aerodynamics there are a lot of rules around tires. The major one is the race day tire allocation. On the day of a race, teams are limited to choosing only three compounds of tires to have ready. On top of that, during the race they must use at least two different types of compounds. So a team can't stay on mediums the whole race. If they start out on mediums they must switch to a hard or soft eventually. Another rule, this time meant for safety, is the wet weather rule. If there is rain during the race, teams must switch to inters or full wets. If they don't they can receive a major penalty, financial or on the grid.

5. Qualifying Rules

Qualifying has its own set of rules that must be followed. The major one is of course the sessions formatting (Q1, Q2, and Q3). They also must pay attention to the clock. If they do not start their flying lap before time is over, they are out of luck. One big rule is the yellow flag rule. If a driver is on flying lap, but a yellow flag comes out, they must slow down and abort their lap. If they don't, they risk a grid penalty or deleted quali time. We saw this recently in Singapore, when Max Verstappen's first Q3 time was deleted after he ignored a yellow flag. Speaking of deleted times, track limits are also very important in quali. This rule states that during a flying lap, drivers must remain inside the white line or have their time deleted. This rule is in place to ensure they don't get an unfair advantage. We saw this also in Singapore, when Charles Leclerc's time was deleted and bumped him down to P9. The last quali rule I will discuss is the impeding rule. This rule states that if you are on an outlap or inlap and a car doing their flying comes behind you, you are required to move out of the way. If you don't that's a penalty, often a grid penalty, and is called impeding. I lied, actually the last rule I will discuss is parc ferme. When drivers park their cars in parc ferme after quali, absolutely no changes to the car are allowed. This is a big one, and teams have been fined millions for not complying.

6. Race Rules

Buckle up. There are a lot of race rules. The ones that viewers probably notice the most surround giving overtakers space. Essentially, when you are driving and about to get overtaken, you must leave room for the other to come through. That doesn't mean to not defend, but if them getting past is inevitable you cannot push them out. Contact in general is frowned upon, and if two cars hit, it will be investigated to see who is at fault. If no one was, it is ruled as a racing incident. If one driver is at fault, they will receive a time penalty. Many drivers break these rules. This also goes hand in hand with the rule that states that a driver cannot overtake if they are off the track. So in a race if two cars are battling, one goes off track and gets ahead, they must give the position back. Again, drivers break this rule all the time.

More rules that drivers must bow to during the race include rules about adhering to flags, safety car rules, and DRS rules. For the flags, no matter what drivers must follow the rules. If its yellow, slow down. If its red, race is over. If its blue, you are getting lapped and must let them by. Under the yellow flag a safety car usually comes out as well. When the safety car is out, overtakes are not available and speed is limited. Rule breakers are severely punished. For DRS the major rule states that it can only be used in DRS zones around tracks and when your car is within 1 second of the car in front of you. I have never seen a driver break this rule, but I assume the punishment is severe. There are a lot more race rules I could say, but these are the most normal ones to see enforced.

7. Pit Rules

During quali and the race, the pit lane has its own set of intense rules. the first one I will discuss is the pit speed limit. This limit forces drivers to slow down to about 50 MPH while they are driving through the pit lane (terribly slow for an F1 car) and was created for safety purposes. Those who break it during quali might receive a fine or a grid penalty if it was bad. Those who break it mid race will receive a time penalty. Another important rule is the safe release rule. This rule states that before releasing the car from the pit box or garage, they must ensure the lane is clear. If they don't and almost cause an incident (like two cars crashing) then a driver will be charged with a unsafe release and incur a penalty. The final rule I will discuss is the pit penalty rule. if a driver during the race receives a time penalty, they often serve it when they pit. What happens is the driver will pull up like normal, and then however long they have been penalized, they must sit there. The Pit Crew is not allowed to touch the car until the penalty is served. If they do, they incur another more aggressive penalty and often have to serve the first one again.

8. Super License

I'm sure you have heard of a Super License before. Essentially, all F1 drivers must hold a valid FIA Super License. It requires them to accumulate a certain amount of points in junior categories before they can drive an F1 car. This ensures that all drivers have sufficient experience to avoid accidents.

9. Car Development

There are strict regulations of the F1 cars. The dimensions must be within a certain limit, the weight must be over a certain limit, and other such rules. The biggest rule, in my opinion, is the rule around car development. Shortly, a team must design their car themselves. So they cannot copy another teams designs, or purchase major parts from last year car. The whole point of being a constructor is that you construct, so the FIA set these rules to make sure no unfair advantages were being taken. Certain parts can be bought from other teams as long as they are un-listed by the FIA however, so small teams like Haas often purchase simple parts.

10. Protests and Appeals

During the season, teams have the right to protest other teams if they believe their actions/cars are illegal and can also protest any decisions made by the racing director during a race. If it is investigated and the car was declared illegal or the decision was declared incorrect, there will be retroactive action, like removing a penalty or disqualifying a team from the protested races. if the hearing is held and a team is charged, that team can appeal the hearing and present new evidence in an attempt to reverse the decision.

Alright that is all the major rules! If there are any I forgot or ones you need clarification on, please let me know.

As always, cheers!

-B

[unhinged-motogp-confessions]

I see a lot of talk about the motogp community on here lately so I decided to get some thoughts off my chest - I’m a mummified oldie in this space (had motorsports tumblr accs for f1 and motogp for ages, left 2020, came back this year for motogp) and I have feelings. Maybe no one will agree with me but okay…

I feel like the space has changed a lot. It’s lovely to see the influx of new people bringing fresh blood into the sport and fandom, but on the other hand it feels more isolated than before, even though there’s more people. Nowadays I feel it’s hard to connect with people on here. Many stick exclusively to their fave. Many are here exclusively for one ship and many leave soon. I do not see many discussing in general the sport, diff riders, all with respect and while still being fans of their faves. And I feel like motogp tumblr is heading where f1 tumblr went a year or two ago (take this as good or bad however you want to see it).

What I also feel declined a bit is: (in volume not quality!) artwork and writing - I feel like a few years ago there were more people on here doing art and writing than there are now. There are still amazing artists around and if you look for them you’ll find absolute gems, but it just feels like that area of the fandom died down.

Of course, there is still talent and blogs that do all of the above but they feel like islands nowadays and it just feels like everyone is struggling to build a community or just be a part of one.

Maybe it’s just me feeling like this and maybe it’s just me struggling to find my way around and my community on here after my return but … - this is what I observed in the last few months that I’ve been lurking around.

.

[autumnapricot]

Heyy, i think that someone maybe asked this already? But because i want to be special and get my own answer ill ask again: how on earth do i get into MotoGP? Understanding F1 was easy and i managed to get into brocedes lore too but how do i get into MotoGP😭?

i did answer this once already, yeah, but no prob! 🤍

it‘s just a little hard for me to answer because i‘ve been watching motogp for such a long time that i‘m a bit at loss at how to give you advice on how to get into it from a fresh start basically, so i apologize if it‘s not helpful! 😅

i don‘t think getting into motogp is that much more complicated than f1, tho? but idk hahah maybe it is

my best guess or advice would be to kind of tune in to the race weekends and get a bit of a feel for it. unfortunately i don‘t even know where you can stream it live (and costless, i totally understand not wanting to pay for any membership especially in the beginning!) because i‘m blessed with servustv and their great comms too, but it‘s the german tv, so.

what i linked for the other anon too are these season primer posts that a lovely lovely user takes the time to create for motogp! i think these are super helpful for someone who doesn‘t know anything about the sport and how it works. totally recommend having a look these to get some info before diving into anything else!

motogp season primer 2025

motogp season primer 2024

further sources you can have a look at can be:

motogp: unlimited > a documentary series on on the 2021 season, available on amazon prime, not the best in terms of explaining any technicalities but it is entertaining and shines lights on the different characters

there can only be one > a series on youtube that follows the championship episode for episode on the races, there are a lot of looks of the behind the scenes

motogp‘s youtube channel in general, they post a lot of race highlights, they also used to make pretty cool summary videos (example 2019 recap series) but i think they don‘t do that anymore. (probs because there’s there can only be one) but there are also full races to watch online there and loads of other things!

hitting the apex > also a documentary from the 2010‘s

in general i might want to add that motogp is still very different to f1.

i personally enjoy the racing in motogp much more than f1, although dorna/ motogp try hard to push motogp to be „f1 on two wheels“ (we all hate dorna in the motogp household as do we hate the fim stewards but,,different topic) and in these past years, the bikes have vastly changed with loads of added aerodynamics and electronics etc that are frankly too much and take away from the racing itself because there‘s so many devices to activate at all time, there‘s the entire aspect of the (fuckass) tire pressure regulations that has resulted in drama one too many times etc etc etc. anyway, in 2027 a lot of the devices and shit will be banned with new regulations and we hope for more pure racing action again!

there is also a lot less media training from the riders (which i for one enjoy) and also most of the riders speak in their native languages (italian or spanish…) and their english isn’t the most fluent, so most interviews and even in the documentary series are spoken in their native language (with english subtitles/translations added)

so long story short, motogp is considered the pinnacle of motorcycle racing as much as f1 is the pinnacle of motorsport/ car racing, but they‘re both still different.

this is already too much probably oops

my motogp user is @fastianini but in warning i am a marc marquez girlie through and through so, ehm. if you don‘t like marc following me is not a good idea i would say. hehe.

you can always hit me up with questions on here tho and lmk how your motogp journey goes!

toodaloos! 💗

[42bakery]

I know F1 is like the dominant series but them getting more of a say when it makes another series more dangerous is mind-blowing. Like obviously I don't want to disregard the dangers of F1 but I feel like crashing, in general, with a bike might be much more dangerous. Also, tracks for motogp should have walls further away, right? While F1 literally runs on the streets sometimes so I don't get why some spaces are shared.

Hi again anon 👋👋👋

At the end of the day, it's all about money. Which sport gives more views and revenue? F1, so they just tend to do what the FIA wants that what DORNA and FIM wants. And to be honest, I'm surprised that the Red Bull Ring keep his promise of taking the gravel traps out after F1 (or before the MotoGP race), or that Qatar stood their hold and keep the Misano pianos.

It's also about the prestige, every track and city wants to hold an F1 race, but few do want bikes because they don't sell as much.

I do understand what you want to say. In MotoGP each crash or even a slide could be a broken bone, while in F1, they are the just uncommon. Like in the Dutch GP. when Ricciardo broke his hand everyone was in panic, when if that would have been a MotoGP rider, we knew it was surgery, rehab and in maybe 1 (or 1 to 3 weeks) back to the bike. Bikes are really more dangerous because is just their body and the airbag (if deployed because in slides it doesn't always deploy) versus the world. In F1 they have the tight cockpit and all the crash test and a bunch pf protections. Even if their crashes are worse (54G or 56G was Ocon's and Verstappen (I think) versus at maximum 32G (again I think) in case of Marc in Jerez 2020), they are protected and rarely get injured.

There's also a factor, gravel traps are designed to slow down objects, but the angle at which the things enter the gravel trap influence a lot. Thanks to all the aero, what we see is that the bikes start to tumble around and get speed, which is the dangerous part. Yes I know all of this didn't happen when aero wasn't in the game, but gravel trap still injured riders. There's this history about Ángel Nieto crashing ang getting injured (broken hand) and then escaping the hospital bleeding because he had another race to take part (yes that man was canonically insane, but also one of the biggest advocates for safety on his time too). We are talking mid 60s to mid 80s when Nieto was racing, so gravel traps had always been an issue. It just got 100 times worse.

You are right, the modern MotoGP bikes requires the walls to be pulled away, or in their defect, the addition of air fences, that we see brea a lot in recent years) due to the insane speeds the bikes reach. I have already talk about that in the past, but it's all consequence of the aero that allows bikes to be quicker, which also means more space to declare after a crash. This is one of the reason I'm okay with MotoGP going from 1000cc to 800cc because it would mean less top speed, although ideally it would be a permanent ban on aero. And I can't justify why F1 is going for street track, with the exception of crashes and red flag as the main factor for spectacles. MotoGP at their start also used street tracks, but where proven unsafe. Currently there's one, the Isle of Man, and is one of the most dangerous races ever.

Also fun fact, MotoGP at their start didn't run in between walls, it was in between block of hay and people. The hay was supposed to be the barriers and people jumped them. Apparently you needed to touch them (the hay) to be quicker, and is not as soft as it seems.

To answer you question, why they share space? Money baby. The tracks pays a lot to host F1 races because they know it will give them a lot. F1 means quick cash, while MotoGP is more of an investment that can not return the money you put into it.

[indiangp-moved]

I got fucking addicted to watching MotoGP this year and now I feel I've lost interest in F1 almost entirely I even missed a few races and didn't bother watching them in their entirety after they ended which is something I would have not seen myself doing last year😭 MotoGP is so much fun to watch... more overtakes, less toxic fans (atleast from what I've seen so far) and the races are generally shorter. The fans from what I've seen so far (I barely used Tumblr this year before late November) love almost everyone, F1 fans always have some drivers they hate with their whole being (some of the drivers are openly horrible people so understandable) yeah. It's 4 am I don't know if this makes sense but I barely see any fics or edits or whatever of motogp even the posts I see bloggers reblgging are old as hell compared to the constant fresh ass posts in F1 I just want to see some brainnumbing edits like people make for charles or something there is nothing here I know it's a good thing like thank God, In the case of motogp are no annoying people like in f1 who solely watch DTS and say they are F1 fans and people are actually here for the sport but fawk if it isnt dry as hell sometimes okay goodnight this doesn't make sense I should have slept earlier now I have to get up in 2 hrs

Is it bad to say that i hate that people like F1 more than MotoGP 😭 I search for something like wallpapers on Pinterest and some F1 drivers like Oscar or Lando show up. I look up motogp on ao3 I barely have to scroll to come across fics from literally 2013 ITS ALL DRY IM STARVED if I go on Instagram to watch edits or something during break, I don't even have to scroll in my feed to come across one for F1 but I'll have to hunt for an hour to find a low quality edit made in twentyfucking eighteen or something for motogp

[moonshynecybin]

other than rosquez and bezz and cele who comples u the most from the current (or past) grid?

okay so i am truly a baby motogp fan so im still feeling it out but!!

im interested in the pedrenzo lore but dont know enough about it! i just enjoy when men hate each other comma weirdly. so someone evangelize me about it

but the bulk of my braincrazy this weeks has been regarding casey stoner. he compels me sooo much i love a hater. more detailed under the cut but i get personal~ so read at your own risk i guess

actually so. hmm. VULNERABILITY ALERT: the thing is. i do somewhat. relate to casey in lots of ways. like looking at a person like marc marquez its easy to call him crazy (and even easy to call less reckless riders crazy) because its a very dangerous sport with lots of injuries but i do kind of get it. because i know a LOT of people like marc and the other riders. like my entire family is like that lol. family motto is "but did you die?" and like sometimes its close!! adrenaline junkies allllll of them

basically! i was heavily involved in a very niche extreme sport (whitewater kayaking) from a young age bc my parents (and brother) were/are very very good kayakers. some of the best in the world for a bit there. like for context: i know multiple olympians and did a few clinics with people who are now olympians when i was a kid/young teen before i quit. and my dad really wanted me to be an elite kayaker bc i was a little better than my brother. not as intense as some dad/coaches but its like. hard to articulate how integral to the fabric of our family this sport is. and how many people i know who have drowned/been permanently injured from it and how everyone i know loves the sport despite that, in ways that are really hard to understand from outside of it. like yes they are crazy (and marc is crazy) but if any one of us was away from a river for more than a month at a time we WILL go insane including myself.... theres photos of me being conerningly young in the cockpit of a kayak that i look at now and im like. who let me do that lol.

so its interesting for me to get into motogp with all these kids staring way too young and knowing each other and coming up in the sport and sacrificing their safety at the alter of a death sport they love so, so much because. hey i lived that! people i love still live that! im involved in the industry still! i cant let whitewater go, even if i do a less dangerous version of it now!

but i quit! because i was battling anxiety. which is an already alienating experience but ESPECIALLY when your entire life is dominated by a sport that is exclusively for people with maladaptive adrenaline responses lol. and when i was reading stuff that casey said about his retirement and how he would lie in his motorhome wanting to die before a race and then just. tell himself to suck it up bc he couldnt let people around him down.... well. same! i would literally cry before every kayak clinic or river trip for years until i had enough and fucking quit! and then i grew up, got an anxiety medication prescription, and started doing forms of the sport that didnt rely on me being strapped in to a vehicle under water and freaking out all the time and im generally in a much better place with it. but its kind of an impossible thing to explain to my peers who kayaked as kids who have the OPPOSITE of an anxiety disorder, who are also the only people who have that specific experience as being a kid raised in the sport bc the sport is sooo small. and i imagine casey deals with something similar.

so this has been DISGUSTINGLY vulnerable but its casey. he gets me i get him. we are holding hands

[mverstappen]

I really like the vibe the motogp tumblr has . I watch a lot of motorsport ( f1 and motogp included ) but my blog isn't related to them because I cant really stand the drama and truth be told the f1 fandom loves it . I mean despite the fans and their obsessions , the sport itself is a drama generator and uses this drama to gain more attention and popularity. Sometimes I wish things in f1 were as easy going as in motogp.

“the sport itself is a drama generator and uses this drama to gain more attention and popularity“ you are so right about that, and honestly kudos to you for being able to resist creating a motorsport blog! but yeah i agree fully with the f1 fandom thing, there is a lot wrong, and it feels like a minefield, but i will not elaborate 😳 motogp is too filled with drama and i haven’t been here in 2015, but ever since i joined it’s just so nice and chill, i mean we absolutely do lose our shit every weekend , but we’re still here to enjoy it, have fun, get along with each other and not see it as a job where we have to analyse everything that is wrong and that’s why i love the motogp fandom 💛 and we’re quite small so you always see the same people around and they are all so kind and sweet and funny and talented !! tl;dr i love you guys 🥺

[motogpfanpage]

« SOY UN CAMPEON »

Time flies so fast it feels like it was Yesterday this one was fake playing the guitar in the gravels celebrating one of his 250cc wins. Yet here we are, years laters his final weekend is over and he is now an officially retired professional rider.

Of course we could all praise his incredible records in detail (5 world titles, 68 victories, 69 poles, more than 150 podiums and almost 300 races). Yet they’re just numbers and even though they don’t lie and make him one of the highest profile in the spanish motorcycling world and one of the most prolific rider in the history of MotoGP, they’re not the reason my heart was heavier last weekend than it was at some other times.

To understand why so many of us are painfully crying to see Lorenzo leave we first gotta explain you what it feels like to see him ride.

One of the defining characteristics of Jorge Lorenzo’s style is his precision in all circumstances. Like a surgeon with a scalpel in hand, he’s been going further and further, pushing in the never ending quest of improvement but always keeping in mind he had to be with in the limit of what’s humanely possible as going too far and crossing that line could end up being deadly. This precision in all time ended up being the now famous « hammer time » or as he calls it in spanish: « martillo ».

The second word that everybody uses to describe his riding style is of course : smooth. If Dani Pedrosa’s riding style was elegance in it’s purest form, Lorenzo’s goes even further than that. His quick and minimal changes of position on the bike makes it feel like he is one with the bike, his arms being the prolongation of the handlebars, his legs blending in with the bike’s fairing. Everything in between just moving along following the bike’s every movements. He is gracefully sliding on track like a skater on ice.

That one in a million style is what most of us will miss the most. I believe there’s nothing better than watch someone express his greatness and his art and to think we won’t ever be able to see Jorge’s metronomic self do his things on a two wheels beast breaks my heart. Many have called it boring to see him get the holeshot and running away until the chequered flag, but there was not a minute or a second when i wasn’t in awe seeing him ride the way only him does.

I remember being incredibly sad when Casey left having that feeling that he had never been appreciated enough. I also remember that the word « sad » could not even begin to describe what i was feeling when Nicky left, the very first of my boys. Last year, it was with an heavy nostalgic heart that i had to see Dani go away. Today, there’s sadness, and heartbreaks, and nostalgia, and a huge void that’s been open as i let go of the last rider i can call myself a fan of.

But there’s also proudness, happiness and a feeling of accomplishment. I’ve been following passionately this sport, missing as little action as possible, for 14 years. Knowing i’m 29 means MotoGP has basically been half my Life. 14 years just for a few incredibly talented Riders. I’ve been cheering, screaming, crying, (fangirling, YES) and acting like an overprotective mum when someone dared criticized one of my Boys.

Now that they’ve all left and that thanks to them i’ve got some of the best friend someone can ask for, i feel like i can hand over the baton to a new generation of passionate fans and, even though i’ll still keep up with the racing, move on to a new chapter.

I could speak about JL all day long but i’ll keep that only for my dearest Team 99. All i can say now is thank you for the memories Jorge. They won’t fade away.

You’re leaving as the true Campeon you’ve always been. And we know that, with the right tools, you can still beat the hell out of anyone on this grid.

You’re not just a great rider, nor just one of the best Champion of the motorcycle history. You’re one of it’s Living Legend.

#SiempreMiCampeonyAhoraUnaLeyenda

[strandedhaze]

ONE : MEET NAOMI

FULL NAME: naomi june cheng-bradshaw. PREFERRED NAME: naomi. NICKNAME(S): most people call her nomi, noms, nao, nai and similar variations, elijah calls her nana. DATE OF BIRTH: may 3rd, 1994. GENDER: cis female. PREFERRED PRONOUNS: she/her/hers. ORIENTATION: heterosexual. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single in main verse. RELIGION: she’s not a particularly religious person. OCCUPATION: press manager for honda racing corporation. CURRENT RESIDENCE: madrid, spain ; she owns a house in the prestigious la finca neighbourhood.

TWO : NAOMI’S BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: marina bay, singapore. NATIONALITY: singaporean. LINGUISTICS: english is her native language but, asides from it, she speaks spanish, portuguese, italian, french, mandarin chinese and japanese. in some languages, she’s more proficient than others. for instance, she speaks spanish just as well as she speaks english. her spoken japanese is nearly flawless and though she can read and comprehend the language, she can’t write. she’s still getting around to dive deeper into mandarin chinese.  EDUCATION: she attended the massachusetts institute of technology - also known as MIT - and she has a double degree in business analytics and management. CRIMINAL RECORD: clean. BIRTH ORDER: first. FATHER: charles bradshaw was born on february 23rd, 1971 in windsor, england. he is an investment banker who resides in between hong kong and dubai.   MOTHER: sonoya cheng was born on july 5th, 1971 in sentosa island, singapore. she is a real estate tycoon who resides in between toronto, abu dhabi and singapore.  SISTER(S): none. BROTHER(S): edward cheng-bradshaw was born on january 15th, 1997 in marina bay, singapore. he is a software developer manager and resides in san francisco, california. OTHER RELEVANT FAMILY: constance mizuno, sister-in-law. SIGNIFICANT OTHER: naomi is single. CHILDREN: none so far. FRIENDS: to be done. EXES: andrea pagani, marco ricci and aleix martin. PETS: none so far.

THREE : GET UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

HEIGHT: 5′7″ ( 174 cm ). WEIGHT: her weight oscillates between 127 lbs ( 57.6 kg ) and 134 lbs ( 61 kg ). BODY TYPE AND BUILD: she is naturally slim - courtesy of genetics and her fast metabolism - but, despite that fact, she still has a willowy frame. by no means, does she have a hourglass shape with a big bust, tiny waist and thick thighs but with a good, healthy diet and a workout plan ( that she, often, forgets to follow ) consisting of some weight training and fun classes, naomi has still managed to achieve a shape she’s comfortable with. she has particularly long legs and, thanks to all the hot yoga and pilates classes, she holds a rather toned overall body. EYE COLOR: brown. EYESIGHT: she has perfect eyesight though when the work load increases, you’ll find her reaching for her glasses in order to give her eyes a break. she also wears blue light blocking glasses whenever she’s working on a computer. HAIR COLOR: dark brown. HAIR STYLE: her hair is, has always been - and will always be, according to her - long, hitting the middle of her back, at worst, when she goes for a trim to keep its healthy condition and it has a natural wavy texture which naomi has learned to love. styling wise, it rarely gets too eventful... during the season, she’ll throw it on a ponytail or a bun for the race weekends and allow it to dry into its natural texture on the remaining work days. if she’s attending an event of sorts or going out to celebrate, she’ll straighten it or go for a nice blowout. DOMINANT HAND: right. NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: her lips or, possibly, their plumpness, her legs that often seem endless, her tan complexion and how it makes her dark eyes and hair standout, and for the rare occasions when it makes an appearance, her smile. SCARS AND MARKS: nothing outstanding - she has your average scars and marks here and there. TATTOOS: she has a lotus mandala on the inside of her right wrist, a symbol of enlightenment for her, as well as a way to symbolize all the growth she achieved throughout her life.  PIERCINGS: regular lobes. VOICECLAIM: nicole elise. ACCENT AND INTENSITY: having moved out and grown up in london, naomi developed a thick london accent which she never knew how intense it was up until she found herself in massachusetts. the four years spent there, softened the intensity of the british accent and the nearly six years in spain also played a part when washing away what once was a proper londoner accent so, these days, it’s hard to identify what accent she has exactly. it’s more of a mixture than anything specific.  ALLERGIES: cherries and insect stings, particularly bee stings. PHOBIAS AND FEARS: extremely deep waters and though it’s not a phobia, she gets really nervous when she’s driving over bridges. MENTAL ILLNESSES: none so far. PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: none so far. SCENT THEY WEAR: it varies depending on a lot of factors, such as season of the year, time of the day, occasion and, above all, her personal mood. during summer, you’ll often catch her wearing soleil blanc by tom ford or replica beach walk by maison margiela, and during summer nights, she'll wear sundaze by byredo. for fancy events, her go-to is bewitching yasmine by penhaligon’s, same way her go-to for nights out with friends is slow dance by byredo. whenever she has an important business meeting, she’ll wear cuir celeste by ex nihilo, simply because in naomi’s opinion, the scent is the definition of boss bitch and throughout race weekends, she’ll go for rose of no man’s land by byredo. le labo’s patchouli 24 and maison margiela’s replica by the fireplace are generally the scents she wears through winter. for date nights where she actually cares to put some effort in and is actually interested in the person, she’ll specifically wear reine de nuit by byredo or santal 33 by le labo. ALCOHOL USE: socially, she does. SMOKING: she doesn’t smoke. OTHER NARCOTICS USE: no. INDULGENT FOOD: she prefers to eat healthy but there’s no denying that every once in a while, she needs to indulge in some soul food.  SPLURGE SPENDING: it happens every now and again, but she’s mostly a responsible buyer. GAMBLING: no. ADDICTIONS AND VICES: none.

FOUR : DIG DEEPER

CAN THEY DRIVE? yes, she can drive. CAN THEY COOK AND BAKE? yes and yes. CAN THEY CHANGE A FLAT TIRE? yes. CAN THEY TIE A TIE? yes. CAN THEY SWIM? yes. CAN THEY RIDE A BICYCLE? yes. CAN THEY JUMP START A CAR? yes. CAN THEY BRAID HAIR? yes. CAN THEY PICK A LOCK? yes. EXTROVERTED OR INTROVERTED? extroverted. DISORGANIZED OR ORGANIZED? organized, and she hates when things get messy. CLOSE OR OPEN MINDED? open minded. CALM OR ANXIOUS? calm. PATIENT OR IMPATIENT? healthy in-between and always depends on the situation. OUTSPOKEN OR RESERVED? outspoken. LEADER OR FOLLOWER? she's a leader, all through and through. OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC? optimistic, mostly. TRADITIONAL OR MODERN? modern. HARD-WORKING OR LAZY? hard-working. CULTURED OR UNCULTURED? cultured. LOYAL OR DISLOYAL? loyal. FAITHFUL OR UNFAITHFUL? faithful. NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? honestly, it all depends on the time of the year. HEAVY OR LIGHT SLEEPER? light sleeper. COFFEE OR TEA? tea over coffee, these days. DAY OR NIGHT? night. TAKING BATHS OR SHOWERS? baths. COCA COLA OR PEPSI? none. CATS OR DOGS? both. NETFLIX OR CINEMA? netflix. SHOWS OR MOVIES? both. LAPTOP OR GAMING CONSOLE? laptop. HEALTHY OR JUNK FOOD? healthy. ICE CREAM OR FROZEN YOGURT? ice cream. PIZZA OR HAMBURGER? pizza. LOLLIPOPS OR GUMMY WORMS? gummy worms. BEACH OR POOL? beach. SNOWBALLS FIGHTING OR ICESKATING? iceskating. LITERATURE OR SCIENCE? science. HISTORY OR ART? art. CHOCOLATE BARS OR COTTON CANDY? chocolate bars. XBOX OR PLAYSTATION? playstation. FACE-TO-FACE OR PHONE INTERACTIONS? face-to-face interactions. DRAMA OR SCI-FI? sci-fi. HORROR OR COMEDY? horror.

FIVE : NAOMI’S LIKES & DISLIKES

FAVORITE ACTIVITY: yoga. FAVORITE ANIMAL: giraffe. FAVORITE BOOK: everything i know about love by dolly alderton. FAVORITE QUOTE: ❝ when you’re tired, go slowly. go quietly. go timidly. but do not stop. ❞ — heidi priebe. FAVORITE COLOR(S): it’s a very specific beige/tan colour, a champagne type of shade.  FAVORITE DESIGNER: maison christian dior and acne studios. FAVORITE CUISINE: singaporean cuisine, all through and through. there are little things she’s more passionate about than her national cuisine, she often says no one does food like singapore.  FAVORITE DISH(ES): hainanese chicken rice, laksa, hokkien fried mee and dumplings. FAVORITE DRINK: matcha ginger latte and bubble tea.  FAVORITE FLOWER(S): lotus flower. FAVORITE GEM: diamond. FAVORITE HOLIDAY: new years. FAVORITE MOVIE: currently, it must be parasite by bong joon-ho.  FAVORITE MUSIC GENRE: she doesn’t have a favorite music genre. naomi listens to a little bit of everything because for her, it’s more about the songs and artists than the genre itself. FAVORITE SONG(S): xo by beyoncé. GO TO KARAOKE SONG: kiss it better by rihanna. FAVORITE SCENT(S): the scent of gasoline, melting chocolate and freshly baked goods. FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOW(S): la casa de papel. FAVORITE SPORTS: motogp, formula1 and football. SPORTS TEAM THEY SUPPORT: real madrid. FAVORITE EMOJI: probably the 💅🏽 though it’s not what she uses the most. FAVORITE WEATHER: she likes that type of weather at the end of a summer day, when it’s warm but not too much and you walk around the beach feeling that soft breeze of air hitting you, and the day is settling down and all that remains is a wash of what the weather was throughout the day. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR: summer. FAVORITE PLACE(S): a close tie between her childhood home in marina bay, singapore and her current home in madrid. she loves the memories and how much singapore grounds her, how it freshens up her ties to the culture and reminds her of better days. at the same time, she also loves madrid. the people, the culture and everything in between. both bring her a sense of peace she’s very fond of. SUPERPOWER THEY WISH THEY HAD: teleportation.  VACATION DESTINATION: if she was forced to choose, coppenhagen or amsterdam for a solo, self-reflection trip and anywhere in japan or thailand just to unwind.

[rumowrites]

Knight in Shining Armour

Here is the first One-Shot of the Dragon Prince Motorcycle Race Au!

Since the main story is still missing, here are the main characters and a little personal info:

Runaan is a 27 y/o engineer who owns his own company and is a MotoGP racer. His bike is called Moonshadow. He's currently leading the international scores. His sponsors are a pain in the ass.

Sol/Tinker is 25 y/o and an engineering college drop out due to financial reasons. He works as Runaan's only mechanic after the other met him in a diner he'd been working at in the middle of the night and hired him right away.

Lujannne is 45 y/o and Runaan's personal assistant, head secretary and responsible for media presence. With out her, the whole company would be a burning pile of chaos. Yes, she gets paid enough for this shit.

Warnings: very mild sexual content

Enjoy! And remember the AU is open for everybody to create in if you like! I will post character sheets if anyone is interested:)

~ ◇ ~ ◇ ~ ◇ ~ ◇ ~ ◇ ~

Sol looked up from the blueprints of the Moonshadow he'd been going over in silence for the past hour and stepped closer to the hydraulic bench where his boss was currently laying under said motorcycle. There had been some irregularities in the past test run and neither knew where it came from. “Hey, I think I found it.” He exclaimed, pointing at the folder in his hand.

The sudden sound apparently startled the other because Runaan jerked away, kicking a stack of crates in the process that immediately started to tip over. “Shit” barley a whisper left his lips as he frantically tried to free his hands from the engine block. Sol instinctively reached for the two falling crates, dropping the folder. He cringed a little under the weight of the spare parts but held them securely in his grasp.

When he glanced down, he was faced with a very startled engineer, eyes as big as saucers and hands still stuck between the parts he'd been working on. “T-thank you.” From his position on the floor, he had a great view on Sol's admittedly impressive biceps and he suddenly felt his mouth going dry. Runaan then busied himself with freeing his hands to hide the slight blush on his face while the mechanic placed the two crates on the ground beside them, offering a hand to pull him up. “Impressive catch. Those are heavy, I would know, I put them there.” A chuckle escaped his lips and he added “Thanks for the safe. Broken Ribs so close to the season would have been pretty inconvenient.” Sol rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, tousling the messy dark hair in the process. “No problem, I sometimes work as a blacksmith on Ren fairs, there is a lot of heavy lifting involved.” That sparked his interest, Renaissance Fairs and Medieval Markets were among his favourite things to visit. Primarily because the people going there would never recognize him. “Really? I used to do European sword fighting and archery in college.” Sol beamed, apparently pleased that they had something more to talk about than just their mutual interest in work. “Yeah, they paid pretty well for a broke college student and I enjoy the work on the forge. Besides the people are really nice.” Runaan nodded, recalling memories of past camps with the people in his Re-enactment group. “Will you do it again this year?” maybe he should dig out his old Tabard and sword to go and visit the other on a fair. It would clearly be a delight to get to know a little about the work of a smith. The image of Sol working on a forge flitted through his mind, but he quickly shook it off. Not the time to have those thoughts. The other had meanwhile picked up the folder and searched for the page he'd been on. “I suppose I will do one or two this year should I have the time. I don't need the money anymore, but I think I'd miss it.” Runaan hummed looking at the space his mechanic pointed at. “You think we moved that too far up the last time?” Sol nodded “Yeah it's one of the few things we did change, and the rest was pretty minor.” He shrugged looking over at his bike that was still propped up on the stand “Well it's worth a shot.”

That evening, the racer pulled out his phone and searched through the contacts. After a few rings, a deep voice answered. “I didn't think to hear from you again since you got that racing thing going on now.” Runaan had to smirk, his instructor hadn't changed one bit in the last three years. “Are you still giving private lessons?”

The first training session turned out to be very humiliating on his part. He hadn't expected to be as good as three years ago of course but the change in exercise since then wasn't exactly contributing to his swordsmanship. Sure, it kept him on the weight and general fitness level required by his sponsors, but he missed the familiar rush of adrenaline of a sport he actually enjoyed. Safe for Racing of course.

Despite being kicked around his private gym for three hours, he hadn't enjoyed anything as much as the training with Max in the last few weeks. His fitness tracker also informed him of an exceptional high caloric consumption, and they agreed to meet again the next day and the weeks after that. The impromptu Archery session he'd started afterwards went a lot better. Apparently, it proved to be skill you didn’t loose. Like riding a bike, the muscle memory was strong. Even though he hit less bull’s-eyes than he used to, it only took a few rounds to get back into it. Lujanne watched him re-organise his home gym with barley concealed amusement as soon as the targets he'd ordered arrived. “I thought you were supposed to stick to your training schedule?” of course he was but he'd checked the stats of the last few days and his chosen training was much more effective. “I'm sure you've checked the data from my tracker. It works so let me at least choose how I slave away for the sponsors. You know that my motivation to exercise would be way higher if I actually enjoyed it.” She rolled her eyes but didn't object, knowing that it would be useless anyways. Her boss could be very adamant once he'd set his mind on something.

Since his overall mood improved considerably during the weeks after changing the training schedule the personal assistant figured it was for the best.

When Sol entered the garage that day, he found his employer in a broody mood, nibbling on a carrot while he tapped away on one of the tablets to review the changes they'd made the day before. The Ashtray which was normally placed outside in the front yard was now filled with cigarette stubs and perched on the table next to him. His boss had the habit of stress-smoking when he was unnerved, and Sol didn’t like that particular trait at all. It was not that he minded the smell but something inside of him wanted to ensure the other’s wellbeing. However, he knew that the racer would forget about it as soon as they started working. It was more of a coping mechanism for left-over energy, really.

“Hey what's got you in such a sour mood?” usually Runaan was always at least a little bit excited when they worked together. The look he got in return was more than pained. As if the carrot was the object of his misery, he looked at it in disdain and then back to Sol. “They put me on a diet.” Even the tone in his voice was miserable. He couldn't within but wince in sympathy. In the past he'd come to know the other's love for food especially since the racer had to follow a certain meal plan already. “I'm sorry. Might I ask why? You look normal enough to me.” Again, the pained look. “Thanks? I only gained about 2 and half pounds but they want me to loose it before the next race so only vegetables for me.“ as if to prove his point, he took a bite off the carrot and rolled his eyes. “You know what the worst thing is? I'd have understood if they wanted me to drop fat, but the two I gained are muscle. Do you know how hard it is to loose them again?” he would've laughed at the tragedy in front of him if it wasn't so sad. He could basically feel the grief of every missed meal in the future hanging in the air in front of him. “I mean I worked hard for those two pounds. Why am I not allowed to keep them?” now he really had to chuckle. “Come on it's not that bad. You'll have them gone in no time. Let's start working so you can think of something else.” Runaan groaned but obeyed as soon as he pulled over a chair and opened the other stats from the day before. Work was something that always managed to capture the engineer's interest.

When he returned the next day, his boss had a salad bowl full of cucumber pieces next to him. “What the hell is that?” these must’ve been more than six cucumbers to fill that thing. “Cucumbers?” he rolled his eyes at the reply. “I can see that. But how many did you slaughter for this?”

“Hey, cut me some slack, they are mostly water, so I can eat them. And I intend to do that if I’m not supposed to turn into the hangriest person you'll ever witness. And it were eight.” Were? So, he'd already consumed about two? “Don't they get boring after number four?” Sol couldn't help but tease him a bit. It was way too entertaining not to. “I haven't had anything besides raw vegetables for two days so, yes. But if I don't eat anything, I will crawl those walls in no time.” During the following week it turned out that hungry Runaan was, as he’d promised, absolutely no fun to be around. He was extra grateful for the times Lujanne came around and occupied both of them with other things. She apparently knew how to handle the situation and brought some food that was low in calories but still relatively substantial.

It took about one and a half weeks until the nutritionist came around for a visit. It was the first time Sol had seen the man and he was immediately annoyed by this person. The guy was dressed like a suburban dad and looked the way. However he cleared the racer and left him a new meal plan including a box of premade meals for the week before vanishing again. The look on his employer’s face as he pulled the first one out of the microwave was priceless. Lujanne even snickered at the sheer worship with which he handled the fried rice with brussels sprouts and grilled chicken. “Don't laugh Janne! You have no idea how it feels like to survive on nothing but plant turned water for twelve days.” She just rolled her eyes and playfully hit the back of his head. “Remember you got that race in a few days so stick to the plan.” He nodded absently, inhaling the scent of his first real meal in days with watery eyes. “Are you about to cry over food?” Sol was still perched on one of the barstools and now munched on an apple with a shit eating grin on his face. “Maybe?” he took the plate and flopped down on a stool next to the mechanic with a deep sigh. “I will absolutely raid a steakhouse as soon as the last two races are over.” The short haired man had to laugh at the way his eyes rolled back in his skull once he took the first bite. “Happy?” a muffled groan seemed to answer his question. “Oh god yes, you have no idea. I was short of killing someone for real food.” Sol shook his head “Yeah, I noticed.” The next time this happened he was so going to take a vacation. Next to him he could see Runaan wince “Sorry about that. I know I'm not good company when I'm hungry.” Now he had to grin “That's the understatement of the century but don't worry I don't take it personally.” His boss started to laugh. “I'm glad.” To his astonishment, the whole food had already disappeared. With newfound energy, the racer hopped down from the barstool “Come on, let's get to work!” He rolled his eyes but followed down into the garage, nonetheless.

Sol turned the glinting piece of metal he'd been working on in the fire, waiting for it to reach the right temperature. Once it was glowing a soft yellow, he placed it on the anvil and began shaping it. Despite the relatively early hour there were already some people standing around his tent, watching him work. He smiled at the kids who looked at the forge with awe and walked over to them once he'd returned the metal to the embers to answer their questions. He'd missed the Fairs and was happy to be able to participate in one now that the racing season was officially over.

Lujanne grinned wolfishly as soon as her boss came down from his bedroom, dressed for the Renaissance Fair she knew the mechanic was currently working at. She’d just dropped by to deliver some reports from the science department and was immediately happy that she was able to witness this. Runaan was dressed in wide dark blue linen pants that were tucked into knee-high leather boots and a slightly dirty sleeveless white linen shirt under a dark blue leather vest. Both articles were only done halfway, giving her a good view on the crescent tattoo on his chest. The personal assistant watched as he fastened the sword belt around his hips and reached for the quiver laying on the kitchen counter, slinging it over his shoulder in one swift movement. “Fancy” she smirked “I like the braids, you should wear them more often.” He had his long white hair braided away on the sides of his head, creating the illusion of an undercut. The top part was slightly teased upwards in a mohawk fashion. Silver beads and rings were worked into the braids and little clasps held them together. The engineer let a hand wander up to feel the entwined strands he'd created in the same manner he used to wear in his Re-enactment group. “Thank you. Is there anything that needs my immediate attention? Otherwise I got a cab waiting outside.” She shook her head and followed him to the door instead. “No. Have fun with the handsome mechanic.”

Immediately, Runaan could feel his face heat up. “I have no Idea what you are talking about.” She only laughed and clapped him on the back “Yes, you do. You need to get laid.” In that moment he was sure his entire skin resembled a tomato. “Lujanne!” he exclaimed but the older woman was already inside her car. The engineer contemplated not going just to proove a point but quickly decided against it. She could think whatever she liked.

The Fair was just like he remembered it to be. Filled with people dressed in various styles of different eras and lined with stands selling crafts and food. He was glad how well he blended in despite his slightly eccentric outfit. Especially the hair. But he'd always been a bit particular about it, keeping it that long and all. Here at least nobody judged. He'd even applied some coal and eyeliner around his eyes for good measure. The Market was fairly large, and it took Runaan a considerable amount of time until he found his employees tent. He may have also taken his time to get there not entirely sure how Sol would react to his visit.

When he finally spotted a familiar figure repeatedly swinging a hammer down onto the anvil in front of him, his mouth went completely dry. The other was clad in nothing but dirty red linen pants and a leather apron, skin already glistering with sweat and streaks of ash from the fire. This was so much better than he'd imagined. He tracked the movement of Sol's muscles as the smith shaped the glinting metal in front of him with practiced ease and was subconsciously drawn closer. More people were gathered around, watching the work and suddenly Runaan found himself standing among them. He kept to the back of the crowd until Sol had answered everyone's questions and announced a short lunch break before he'd continue the work. The engineer waited for the other people to leave before stepping closer.

Sol was currently stowing his tools and peeled his skin from the leather apron as he sensed movement behind him. Maybe another visitor? He turned, only to stop dead in his tracks. There, against the tent pole leaned Runaan. His boss was clad in the fashion of a rouge and had a sword at his side such as a bow and a quiver full of arrows slung across his back. He looked very much attractive, the long white hair done in a set of intricate braids. And was that eyeliner? For a second he thought he imagined the whole scene but then, the other smirked “Hey, I hope you don't mind me dropping by. It's been far too long since my last fair.” His brain was still adjusting to the unusual sight as he looked around for a shirt. “Ah, n-no not at all.” Sol desperately tried to focus on Runaan's face and not the way most of his admittedly very defined chest was exposed by the outfit he wore. “I can show you around if you like.” The engineer smiled and nodded “Sure, if you don't mind.” when one of the girls from the food stand across the path came running by. “Hey Tink, have you finished the clasp, yet?” he'd known her for a few years since her family often came to the same Fairs. “Ah, Mina yes just a moment.” He turned to get it as her attention fell on the tall stranger standing by the tent. “Hi, who are you? I haven't seen you around before.” Sol could hear the familiar sound of a smile in the melodic voice as he answered. “My name is Runaan, pleased to make your acquaintance M'lady .” The white haired man even performed a bow and kissed her hand. Mina giggled with delight at the curtesy and pointed at his long hair. “Did you bleach it?” count on that girl to always ask the strangest questions. The other didn't seem bothered by it though and gave her a smile. “No it's a gene defect. It's always been this way.” She gasped in awe, pulling Sol's sleeve. “It's really pretty don't you think?” he nodded in agreement “Yeah it is. Here is your clasp.” The girl ran her hand over the simple Celtic design before jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck for a hug. “It's really beautiful. Thank you, Tink.” He laughed at her enthusiasm and gently ruffled her hair once she was back on the ground. “Your welcome.”

Her gaze flicked between them a few times before she turned to Runaan again. “How do you know each other?”

“He's my boss.” Sol supplied as a warning for her to stop prodding. He might have told her of his crush the evening bevor after a little bit too much of her self-made honey mead. Mina, thank the stars, immediately understood and threw him a knowing glance before turning to leave. “Have fun then, and see you around!” she was gone as fast as she'd appeared in the first place. “So Tink, huh?” Runaan grinned at his involuntary groan, still leaning against the pole. “It's, um, it's kind of my nickname? People started calling me Tinker after I fixed some of their things and it kind of got stuck.” The other simply smiled in response “I like it. Suits you.” It caused a warm feeling to spread in his stomach, replacing the nervousness he'd felt before. “Thanks. Come on, I know where we can get the best smoked meat sandwiches.” The mention of food got his boss to perk up and he had to laugh at the eager reaction. “Did they let you off the seasons meal plan, yet?” the next race wasn't for another four months after all. “Yes and I intend to use that to my advantage while I still can.” Sol found his enthusiasm towards any kind of food adorable. At the same time he felt sorry his job didn't allow him to exploit that particular interest.

True to his word, the sandwiches, which were actually a loaf of freshly baked bread filled with beef and bbq sauce, were fantastic and he had to smile seeing the heart-eyes Runaan made at his food after the first bite. “Oh my god-“ he mumbled “-what kind of drug did they put in here?” that made even the woman behind the stand laugh “Glad you enjoy it so much, lad.” Apparently unaware that he'd voiced his thoughts out loud, the engineer turned a shade pinker and hid behind the bread in his hands. “Don't mind him, he's still recovering from a diet.” Sol pulled him along to a few trees where they could sit down in the shade, the woman's hearty laughter following them. After finishing their lunch, he showed Runaan his favourite places of the Fair before returning to his tent to continue working. His boss wandered off after a couple minutes to find a few targets to shoot and he was glad for the chance to order his thoughts.

Until now, his crush had been securely contained but the object of said crush suddenly turning up dressed like a mix between fighter and sex god didn't help his situation at all. There weren't any people around, most of them eating, and he wasn't sure if he'd been able to deal with any should some show up. Mina came around as soon as she realized he was alone again. “You chose a hot one.” The girl stated as she hopped onto the work table, dangling her legs. “I know” it sounded a lot more whining than he cared to admit. “I think he likes you, too.” That got his attention “Really?” she nodded, expression sincere. “I saw him staring at you when he arrived. And nobody dresses like that if they don't want to impress someone, knowingly or not.” Her words sparked some hope in his heart. Maybe he could carefully test the waters? Drop a few unsuspicious hints? Mina seemed to read his silence correctly because she hopped down again, encouragingly clapping his arm. “Go get him, tiger.” And she was gone again. Sometimes he wasn't sure if he only imagined her presence.

He busied himself with work when a familiar figure approached his tent. “Garret, I really don't want to talk to you.” His ex was the last person he wanted to see today. “Come on, I just want to say hi.” He sighed and turned towards the broad-shouldered man in chainmail. “Please leave. I've told you we're through.” Sol turned back to the anvil then, continuing his work, determined to ignore the other's presence. His ex however had different plans and rounded the workspace to stand in front of him. “Give me another chance, Tink. I told you I'm sorry.” How dared he? Anger flared up in his chest and he shoved the glinting iron in the other's face, forcing him to take a few steps back. “You cheated on me, repeatedly. I will warn you one last time, don't come near me again.” He could see the familiar fury rise in Garrets eyes and prepared for a fight when another figure stepped up besides him, flanking his right side. “Is there a problem?” Runaan looked calm enough but held his hand on the pommel of the sword strapped to his side, ready to draw. “That's none of your business.” Garret’s voice was now filled with venom and he stepped closer again. “We have some private business to conduct here.” In that moment, Sol wondered once more why he'd ever bared with the guy in the first place. “No, we don't. Garret, leave.” He underlined the statement with a pointed look at the tent flap but apparently the other didn't receive the message and took a step forward instead.

To his surprise, Sol was suddenly faced with a face full of white hair as his boss stepped between them, seizing the other up as if to determine whether he'd be able to win a fight. “It is my business when someone threatens my employees. Especially if said employee is the best mechanic we've ever had. Please leave.” His voice was calm and commanding but he could hear the faint note of a threat swing with it. Still amazed that Runaan would stand up for him even though he didn't know what for, he reacted too late as his Ex lashed out. The punch was poorly aimed and collided heavily with the long-haired's crossed forearms. His boss however didn't budge an inch but also made no move for a counter attack. He simply stood his ground, staring the larger man down. “I will ask you one last time to leave Sol alone.” This time, he could hear barley concealed anger welling off of him. Garret took another step closer, so he could stare down on both of them. “You want to fight for the little shit? Fine. Let's take this outside.” This time, Runaan laughed “Oh, I'm sure he could easily fight for himself but if you insist.” Before storming off, his ex turned one last time. “At the show fight pit in ten minutes, don't pussy out.”

Once he was gone Sol shook the other's shoulders violently “That's a really bad idea. He's pretty good at the fighting. Please don't do that.” Runaan simply smirked, stilling the hands on his arms “I'll be fine. Don't worry. What's his problem with you anyways?” a deep sigh escaped his lips. He'd tried to avoid them meeting. “He's my Ex. He cheated on me, I left him about a year ago. I don't know what I saw in him in the first place to be honest.” The white haired man winced in sympathy. “From my limited experience with this person I would guess you're better off without him.” Sol had to laugh “Yeah, you don't say.” But the thought of them fighting had him immediately back in an anxious mood. “You know, I meant it. You shouldn't fight him. I don't want you to get hurt on my account.” After a moment he realized how that had sounded and quickly added “Besides Lujanne would have my head if I bring you back with a broken arm.”

However Runaan was having none of it. “I appreciate your concern but I am going to be fine. I will face Janne's wrath afterwards.” Tink sighed, he knew that face. It was the same one he made when insisting to try some reckless stunt on the track and meant his mind was set on it. “Don't you dare complain about a broken bone afterwards. I warned you.”

When they arrived at the show fight pit, Garret was already waiting there with a few of his friends, now without the chainmaille. At least he had the decency to not fight in full armour against someone clad in linen. Runaan took off the quiver and handed it to him together with the black recurve bow. “Watch over Luna, will you?” Of course he would have named the bow. Sol shook his head a little in amusement and also took the leather vest, tucking the things under his arm. “Wait!” he exclaimed before his boss could enter the pit. He pulled him back and whispered “He's got a weak defence on his lower right and his left ankle gives out under too much pressure.” With a smirk, the other nodded. “Thanks”

As soon as he’d jumped the fence of the pit Mina appeared at Sol's side slightly panicked. “Please tell me it's not what I think it is? Garret has been telling everyone he'd be wiping the floor with your new boyfriend.” He massaged his temples with one hand, grimacing “Sadly it is.” She paled a little “Should I alert the medics?” but he shook his head, determined to put at least a little trust in his boss. “No not yet, I want to see how it goes first. Maybe it will be fine.” Mina scoffed “Yeah sure. Garret's got at least a eighty pounds on him.” But she obediently stayed by his side, snuggling a bit closer as the pair in the pit began to circle each other. A little crowd of visitors and vendors alike had gathered, sensing this wouldn't be a regular show-fight.

Garret struck first but his opponent evaded the blow without even blocking it, sword cutting trough the air uselessly. Furious at the miss, the larger man attacked again, missing another time. They repeated the charade a few times until Garret was fuming. “Stay still you coward!” his boss chuckled but kept his distance, continuing to dance around the other. Somehow Sol was not surprised. The bastard sword in his hands looked used and had probably seen his fair share of fights. A little weight lifted off of him seeing Runaan wasn't already laying face down in the dirt as he’d expected.

A minute or two passed until the white haired man decided he'd evaded enough and started to actually fight. His style was different than what he'd seen before, more fluent. “Finally decided to fight me?” Garret huffed out between two breaths and suddenly Sol understood what the other had been doing. Tiring his opponent out was smart. Especially when the other had the strength advantage. They clashed swords repeatedly and even though both of them used dulled blades, he could imagine the pain they'd cause should they actually hit one another. Meanwhile, a larger crowd had gathered around them, seemingly interested in the fight. “He's actually pretty good.” Mina whispered beside him, pulling the mechanic out of his daydreams. “Yeah, I still worry.” She scooted a little closer squeezing his shoulder. It turned out he worried rightfully when Garret managed to get hold of his opponents neck somehow. He didn't see how exactly it happened but Runaan must have not been fast enough for once. Sol could see the realization on his boss' face as the pommel of Garret's sword neared his face and caught him right across the forehead. Unable to evade it, he just managed to stop some of the force with his free left hand. When the bigger man let go of his neck and pushed him to the floor, he dropped to his knees and Sol was just short of jumping the fence and running towards if Mina hadn't grabbed his hand. “Wait.” In front of them Runaan looked up to meet Sol's eyes before flicking his gaze further up at Garret with a grin. He wiped away the blood running down his nose and slowly stood up while his opponent came walking towards him, twirling the sword in his right hand. “Haven't you had enough?” his ex also dropped back into a fighting stance. “I'm still standing aren’t I?” the question was delivered with a surprisingly fast attack. Apparently Runaan had decided it was time to go into the offensive. The fight was more intense this time, people even started cheering like in a pub brawl. This time, the engineer clearly kept the upper hand. He moved faster, putting his whole Energy in speed, and made sure to stay out of the other's reach when he wasn't attacking. Somehow it even increased Sol's anxiety. By now, both of the fighters were covered in new bruises and scrapes but neither seemed inclined to yield. He quickly noticed that Runaan always hit with the flat side of his sword, decreasing the amount of damage he dealt. Still, he managed to get Garret on his back four times in a row, always giving him time to get up again. Evidentially both were keen to stick to the rules in that perspective. “Yield already!” the larger man huffed, starting a new attack that only found air. “Oh please after you.” Even though also breathing heavily by now, his boss seemed more energetic. He'd remind him of that the next time he complained about cardio, Tink thought a small smile creeping on his face. It took another ten minutes until he'd worn Garret down enough to disarm him every time he tried to attack. After four futile attempts, the other gave in and held up his hands. “Fine, you win.” He spat, leaving the field “Have fun with that looser.”

It turned out that had been the wrong thing to say because Runaan was by his side in an instant, swiping his legs and pushing the larger man to the ground with his knee on the other's chest. “If I see you bothering him again, I will find you and then you'd wish you'd broken both my arms when you had the chance.” It was quiet enough for only Garret to hear but the anger in his eyes reached Sol before he let go of him again, turning to walk away.

Tink wondered what he'd said to the other but he doubted it was something pleasant. The crowd made way for the white haired man as he vaulted over the fence, making his way towards Sol and Mina. The girl disappeared again with the promise to find some water and a few tissues for his face and left the pair to themselves. “You are hurt.” The mechanic tried his best to sound displeased even though he was glad of the relatively good outcome of the fight. Runaan's grin was tinted a light red that indicated he'd probably also bit his tongue during the exchange. “I’m fine it's just a little blood.” He shook his head, grabbing the other's arm to lead him back to his tent. “A little blood my ass. I’m pretty sure you are also concussed.” His boss chuckled but let himself being led away without struggle. “Calm down, you are worse than Lujanne.” Sol huffed “And you are reckless as hell. But then, we already knew that.” He grumbled searching through his stuff for a clean towel. Thankfully Mina appeared soon enough with a bowl of water and a washcloth, handing them to Tink. He pointed to a chair “Sit” Runaan obeyed and watched him wet the cloth, not twitching away when he moved to dab it at his nose. “Do you think it's broken?” he asked, eyeing the blood that was still trickling down his face suspiciously. The engineer shook his head slightly “No that feels differently.”

Sol stopped “How do you-“ but then shook his head “You know what? Never mind.” The other raised a shaped white eyebrow but chose to remain silent in favour of the cloth dabbing away the blood on his face.

Runaan had to look away from his employees concentrated expression when the urge to just grab and kiss him got too strong. After all, he still didn't know whether he was interested or not and there was no way he would jeopardize their friendship for that. At Sol's insistence, he stayed by the forge, perched on an unused spot of the worktable with his legs drawn up. “There is no way I let you get out there again when Garret and his friends are still there.” He didn't object as it gave him the opportunity to drink in the sight of a very hot smith working shirtless on the forge. For hours. Mina came around occasionally to see if they were both still okay and every once in a while a visitor would either ask or buy something. But otherwise they were alone. Sometimes, Tink would explain what he was doing and he’d ask questions about either technique or functionality of the finished products. It was a nice change from work and Runaan enjoyed being the one without any knowledge, eager to learn what fascinated the other in the work he was doing.

Eventually, dawn neared and soon, the fire was the only thing lighting up the tent as the sun slowly set between the trees. “The people working at the camp usually gather around the fires in the yard once the visitors have left, would you like to come with?” Sol suddenly asked “If, um, if you don’t have to be anywhere that is.” He checked his phone but besides two messages from Lujanne asking if he’d scored the mechanic, yet there was nothing of importance, so he shook his head. “No, they will survive a day without me, I think. I would love to come.” A warm feeling spread in his chest at the beaming smile Sol regarded him with in response. “Great, let me just get the forge down to a safe temperature.” He watched him close some of the air vents until the fire died down to a soft glint.

When they arrived in the yard, dozes of little fires were already burning and almost the whole staff had gathered around to enjoy the evening. Runaan recognized the people he’d shot a few targets with earlier and walked over when the smith excused himself to get something to drink for them. “Hey man are you okay? We saw the fight earlier. Garret is such a dick I’m glad he already left.” One of them greeted. “Yeah, I’m fine. Though I would prefer to let that stay a one-time experience. I’ve had more fun fights.” He other two nodded solemnly “He deserved it. Especially after the shit he pulled with our favourite smith last year it was bold of him to turn up here again.” Runaan furrowed his brows “It’s not really my place to ask but what happened? Sol seemed pretty upset.” the girl on his right shook her head “Nah, it’s really no secret around here. That Dickhead cheated on Tink with two guys at the same time. I mean that’s just shitty. And he wouldn’t leave him alone when he ended things. We even had to throw him out of the camp.” Multiple grim nods in their immediate surrounding confirmed her statement. “Now I kind of wish I hit him harder.” Runaan mumbled, still angry at the guy he hardly knew. How dared he do that to such a nice person? Someone patted his back and the group erupted in laughter. “Trust me you bruised his ego enough. How long have you two been together?” every drop of blood in his body immediately froze. “How long have we- What?” he repeated, choking on the words tumbling out of his mouth. The girl who’d spoken earlier looked confused. “We thought you were an item. Aren’t you?” He shook his head frantically, a violent blush spreading up until it even covered his ears. “N-no. We, um, we work together. I’m kind of his boss?” At the mention of work, the group exchanged knowing glances. “So, you are the mysterious employer of the mysterious job he isn’t allowed to talk about? What do you even work as? All we know is that he’s a mechanic.” She prodded, asking what everyone wanted to know. He hesitated for a moment but eventually decided it would do no harm if a group of Re-enactors knew his face. “I’m a MotoGP racer. Sol is my fist and only mechanic. He also helps me in development for my company. I’m an engineer when I don’t race.” They all stared at him for a second seemingly trying to connect the slightly dirty guy in sweat-stained linen clothes to one of the famous racers. “Wait!” one of them said “Your name was Runaan right?” he nodded “So you’re the owner of Moonshadow inc? And built the fastest bike on the track at the moment?” Great, why would one of the medieval nerds be interested in racing? “Yes, why?” he already prepared himself for a series of questions, but the guy only shrugged. “I would have pictured you older.” Relief washed over him, being spared the unwanted attention. “Thanks?” The conversation steered back to Archery after that and he was glad about the change of topic that allowed him to regain some of his composure before Sol returned, handing him a cup of steaming honey mead.

He let himself get pulled away by the short haired man and they sat down with Mina by one of the fires. The group exchanged stories of past Fairs and Runaan was contend listening to all of them. It made him happy to see Sol talk so feely with the other Re-enactors and how well everybody seemed to like the smith. When nobody forced him to interact, big groups of people weren’t that bad. He found the men and women around him to be exceptional easy company in comparison to the high society snobs he usually had to deal with. It reminded him of his old Re-enactment club during college. He was pulled from his musings as Sol tapped his shoulder and offered him a glazed apple. Apparently, his expression must have been really funny since multiple people in his immediate surrounding laughed as he took the precious treat. The smith only smiled at him and shushed the rest with a chuckle “Don’t be mean. He usually isn’t allowed to eat sweets.” They all fell silent with expressions of sympathy and then continued their previous conversations. Runaan really admired the acceptance among the group even though they hardly even knew him. “I’m pretty sure you earned that after the fight you delivered earlier.” Sol bit into a glazed apple, himself and motioned for him to do the same. “Go on, they are really good.” A little reluctantly, the engineer took the first bite and was immediately in food heaven. The sweetness of the sugar worked well with the general sour taste of the fruit. “Oh my god.” He exclaimed “I forgot how they taste like.” The other smiled at the expression of pure glee. “Careful Tink, you might break him.” Someone shouted but Runaan couldn’t find himself bothered by it. He was glad to finally be able to meet Sol’s friends but also a little sad that he couldn’t offer him the same.

The night went on and soon everybody was positively tipsy. Some people even started to sing and dance around one of the bigger fires. He surveyed the scene when someone suddenly brushed his back. Turning around, he found Sol’s gaze who had wrapped a thick wool blanket around both their shoulders, his face slightly flushed from the alcohol. It had turned cold somewhere during the last hour and Runaan realized just now that he was shivering. “Thank you.” He smiled and scooted a little closer, surprised by the other’s radiant body heat. The smith simply shrugged but returned his smile “You seemed cold.” He nodded, drawing the tip of the blanket up in front of him. “How come you aren’t?” another shrug “I guess my internal heating system works a little too well?” he hummed in agreement, contend in the pocket of warmth created around them.

Even though he greatly enjoyed the company he was in, it got too much at some point. Too many different snippets of conversation found their way into his brain and it grew harder to blend them out. “I’m going to take a walk.” He informed Sol before stealthily distancing himself from the group of people. The clear night air calmed him immediately and he wandered the camp until he found a nice place under a tree to sit. Far enough from the other’s to be quiet and largely shielded from view. Runaan leaned his head back against the tree trunk, admiring the stars that appeared in he night sky. He wasn’t sure how long he’d sat there but after a while he heard soft footsteps coming closer. Sol sat down next to him, wrapping them once again in the blanket he’d brought. He’d began to shiver again. “Sorry I ditched you. I’m not good with many people.” He tried to explain but the excuse sounded hollow in his ears. The mechanic regarded him with a warm smile nevertheless “It’s okay. They can be a bit much.” That was not what he’d meant to say. “N-no, they are great, really. I just struggle when I’m around too many unfamiliar people for a long time.” Now that he thought about it, Runaan found it pretty pathetic on his part. They had all been so nice and he still wasn’t able to stick around for longer than a few hours. “That’s fine. I’m glad you still decided to stay as long as you did. I think I haven’t thanked you yet for helping out with Garret.” The engineer shook his head “Don’t mention it. From what I heard he had it coming.” Tink nodded a little sadly “Yeah. However, thanks to you he will probably stay away for good this time.”

He offered a smile, subconsciously shuffling closer to the other “I that case, I’m glad I could be of service.” Their faces were awfully close now. So close that Runaan could see the stars reflected in Sol’s enticing eyes. His throat went dry as he instinctively bit his lip to keep himself from doing something he’d regret. There were little freckles on the other’s cheeks, partially covered by smears of coal and dirt. Some of the dark hair had fallen down, obstructing part of the view. He knew he was staring but couldn’t for the love of god pull his eyes away from the beautiful man in front of him. Green-gold orbs with barley dilated pupils stared back at him and when he flicked his gaze down to the smith’s lips, he found them slightly parted, a small puff of hot breath appearing in the cold air. Said air suddenly got trapped inside his lungs as his rapidly beating heart drowned out all other sound. Runaan licked his bottom lip, slowly closing the distance without his brain having any say in it. Sparks erupted behind his closed eyes when Sol met him halfway, reaching up cup his face carefully as if he has afraid to break him.

Deepening the kiss and desperate to get closer to the object of his desire, the engineer sank his hand in-between the dark curls and pulled him forward until Sol was placed in his lap. Warm hands started to roam his chest, tracing the pattern of his tattoo. He grinned against Sol’s lips. Getting a hold of the hem of his shirt, he slipped his nimble fingers under it, caressing the soft warm skin underneath. “Mhmn” the smith seemed to agree with his plan and wiggled a little closer, burying his face in Runaan’s neck and letting butterfly kisses trail along his collarbone and up again to claim his mouth.

Every thought of doubt was erased from his mind as he struggled to get as close as humanly possible to Tink. By now, their chests were touching and the dark haired man had his knees placed on either side of him so he was straddling his hips, hands still roaming over the skin exposed by the front of his shirt. Eventually, they had to break apart to breathe, both of them panting slightly from the unexpected outcome of this evening. “Tent?” Sol asked, struggling to his feet. “Oh god, yes.” His own voice a low growl, Runaan let himself being pulled up by the other and together they raced through the campsite, keen to avoid anyone else. As soon as the dark red tent came into view, he felt the mechanic quickening his pace, grabbing his hand to drag him along. Once inside, Sol fumbled with a few knots which held up one of the side panels, hands trembling. When he finally managed to get them to fall down, only the soft red of the fire illuminated the inside of the tent, tinting the other’s hair a flaming orange.

Slowly, tentatively, Runaan stepped up in his personal space, giving him plenty of time to change his mind before hoisting him up in his arms. “Are you sure?” it sounded uncertain, voice a low rumble heavy with emotion. He nodded “Mmmhm” their second kiss was soft and caring while the engineer carried him over to the mattress and heap of blankets he’d placed in a secluded part of the tent. Runaan carefully set him down, supporting his own weight with hands braced on either side of his head. The white hair was tousled by now, some strands falling out of the braids and into Sol’s face. In that moment, he swore he’d never seen anyone as beautiful. Dark turquoise eyes sparkled above him, scanning his every move with dilated pupils. “God you are perfect.” The other murmured, leaning down for another kiss. Instinctively, Tink wrapped his hands around his neck and forced Runaan down on his forearms, closing the distance between their bodies. The taller man let out a soft yelp at the sudden loss of balance but caught himself quickly enough without crushing him. “Sorry” he whispered against his lips, drawing a chuckle out that vibrated through both their bodies. “Don’t apologize.” It was something Runaan thought Sol did too often. “You should never apologize.”

On a relatively clear moment, he turned and reached over to the tracker on his wrist, activating the pre-installed private mode. “Aren’t you gonna take it off?” Tink cringed a little at the thought of someone getting hold of that data. “No way, do you know how many calories I intend to burn?” he couldn’t supress the full out laughter that bubbled up his throat at the sincere tone. “Don’t worry it doesn’t transmit anything this way.” Runaan breathed into his ear, gently nipping at his earlobe in the process. Sol had to bite down on his fist to stifle an involuntary groan. They were in a tent after all and tents had zero to none soundproofing. “Y-you are, Hnhhggnn, you are crazy.” He managed, reaching out pull the other further down to return the favour. “So, Aaaah, so I’ve been t-told.”

Something bright shone into his eyes, uncomfortable even through the closed eyelids. Runaan moved his hand to block it, blinking slowly until his eyes adjusted to the light. He was in a tent. Pushing himself up, the engineer let his gaze wander around the space and shivered a little at the cold air tickling his skin. Looking down at himself, he came to another realisation. He was naked. He was in a tent and naked. Suddenly the events from last night came flooding back into his memory. The fight, the fire, the kiss- the kiss.... “Shit” he breathed, running a shaky hand through the remnants of his once braided hair. How could he have done that? Runaan prayed his actions hadn't cost him their friendship. Sol wasn't here after all and that was a bad sign in his experience. Manly because he was usually the one to leave and knew exactly what that meant. A glance on his tracker made him stop again. 11:23am. How long had he been sleeping? He tapped away on the little screen, pulling up the chart displaying his sleep time. Seven hours? He never managed to sleep that much in a row, much less undisturbed by insomnia.

Just now he realized that there were people moving about outside, their chatter seeping through the thick tent cloth. The back of the tent he was currently occupying was secluded from the rest by a curtain, effectively blocking his sight on the outside world and vice versa. Grateful for at least a little bit of privacy in his flustered state, Runaan slowly stood up to collect his clothing. He found his pants and underwear easily enough, them being the closest items to the mattress on the floor. The engineer felt immediately better after pulling them on, now at least able to preserve his modesty should someone enter. After a few minutes of rummaging, he also produced one of his boots and the sword belt Sol had been so eager to get off of him last night. He pushed the memory back when he felt warmth pooling in his stomach area, still able to recall the feeling of the others fingers on his hips and- ‘No' he scolded himself. That was not the kind of thought he needed right now.

Despite turning over every item in his surrounding, Runaan wasn't able to find his shirt nor the missing second boot. With a sigh, he used the little mirror fastened to one of the tent poles to at least fix his white hair from ‘I just had sex' to ‘It's meant to be this way'.

The engineer soon realized he would have to leave the tent eventually and if only to find his missing clothes. Barefoot, he tapped over to the curtain and carefully peeked through it. Sol was talking to three elderly women but otherwise the coast seemed clear. Spotting his belt pouch that most likely contained his phone and some cigarettes, god did he want one right now, he sneaked outside to get it. A cab would be his saving grace.

However one of the Ladies made his plan disappear into thin air when she gasped and pointed at him. “Sir there is a man in your tent.” Shit, so much for making a quiet escape. Sol was surprisingly unfazed and didn't even turn around. “Ah, yes that's Runaan. Runaan, say hi to these lovely ladies.” His voice was warm, affectionate and completely caught the engineer off guard. “Uh, um Hi?” he tried, wincing at the gravelly sound. The trio returned the greeting reluctantly, still suspicious of his presence.

Sol chose that moment to grab a cup that was placed near the fire to keep it warm and walk up to him, placing a soft kiss on his lips as he pushed it into Runaan's hands. “Good morning sleepy head, I got you some coffee.” Both himself and the three ladies seemed equally shocked by the gesture. He opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut again. Busying himself with the coffee instead. What did just happen? The smith returned to tend to his customers, leaving his boss? Lover? Boyfriend? alone again. Just then, Mina spotted him from across the path and waved enthusiastically. Without even realizing he tentatively waved back, still certain to be caught in a dream.

He needed a smoke. Now. Placing the empty coffee cup on the worktable, he reached for his pouch with trembling hands and pulled out the box of cigarettes. Runaan lighted one on the glowing embers and leaned back against the table, taking a long, deep pull. It needed longer than usual for the calming effect to set in and he was already lighting the second one on the glinting stub of the first when the trio finished their purchase. They smiled as Sol bid them goodbye and one of them even waved at him. The engineer raised his hand in acknowledgement still bewildered by the surreal calm. Nobody was kicking him out. That was a first.

“Hey, are you okay?” the smith suddenly appeared in front of him, grimacing as the smoke reached his nose. “Um, yeah, I'm fine.” The frown on the other's face only deepened. “You look troubled and-“ he pointed at the now third cigarette between his fingers “-you stress smoke.” Runaan sighed, keeping it perched on his lips despite the disapproving look it earned him. “I expected you to kick me out.” Bewilderment flickered over Sol's beautiful face “Why would I do that?” he shrugged, drawing almost the whole cigarette in one to gain some courage. “I don't know? Maybe you would’ve regretted last night?” the confusion in the other's eyes only intensified. “Why would I regret it? Do you?” Runaan found that he did, in fact, not regret a thing. Also a first. “N-no.” He stuttered, letting go of the cigarette butt as it burned his hand. He subconsciously reached for the pack to get another one but Sol was faster. “I will be taking these.” He announced despite his involuntary whine. “So why would you think I'd regret it.” The smith was awfully close now, close enough to smell the distinct note of fire on his skin. “I, um. You, well, you weren't there when I woke up and I thought-I thought you might’ve ditched me and-“ he didn't get any further because suddenly, their lips were clashing and Sol chased the taste of nicotine off his tongue with coffee and something distinctively him. “I would never just ditch you.” The other said after pulling away again. Runaan swallowed “So we're good?” he dared to ask tentatively. A nod in confirmation lifted a boulder the size of this entire state off his heart. “Of course we are. As long as you still want this?” he nodded immediately, blurting out a “Yes!” before he could even think about it.

Sol beamed in return and pecked his lips again “Great! I will get us something to eat.” And dashed out of the tent. He busied himself with observing the passing people and noticed that the members of Tink's Re-enactment group all smiled when they saw him. He waved and smiled back. Maybe this wasn't so bad.

[autumnapricot]

do we…have the same exact dad actually anon? 😂 mine too was the reason i started both f1 and motogp because when i was a kid, on sundays he would always have the tv on for the race during lunch time lol. i still drive home to my parents place every sunday to watch motogp with my dad—best tradition in the world ☺️ i feel like it‘s a kinda universal experience atp and i love it!//

aww haha! that's also what happened to me, but with dinner! because i live approximately 6 hours forward from CET.

and i'm so happy to see that you're still bonding with your dad by watching motogp every sunday! my dad just stopped watching f1 & motogp sadly. i asked why, but with f1 he said that the drivers are getting younger and younger (and it's true, half of the 2025 grid are much younger than me, and i'm the youngest kid in the family) and he doesn't feel that it's going to be interesting anymore. and my dad stopped watching motogp when rossi retired.

when i see the pictures of marc, damn, he's still as handsome as i remembered him when i was still a kid lol. his toothy smile, i'm sorry? that's one of the most gorgeous smiles i've ever seen. and i love the teasing glint from his eyes too.

he and carlos seem to vibe together. i'd be not surprised if they were closer in private. they're both racers, hailing from spain, they're close in age, and i love that both marc and carlos are that kind of playful, easygoing people.

but i think carlos isn't sponsored by estrella galicia anymore? that's why estrella moved back to mclaren after sponsoring ferrari, and peroni stepped up? but i might be wrong though!

but with marc joining ducati, maybe (a lil part in me hoping this) there'll be a joint ad for lenovo with either oscar or lando? i very hope so lol.

hihii like i said, universal experience atp!!💓💗

ohh true yeah i feel like a lot of the elder generation feel like that? my dad too stopped watching f1 (and i actively don‘t watch it anymore either tbh *fake fan exposed* because i just felt like there‘s so many stupid ass rules implemented nowadays, for the dumbest, most idiotic things ever (fuck you fia) and it‘s kind of lost the whole racing spark to me? motogp has lately also been going down that road far too much imo like let these mfers race!! i‘m happy to see some things going in 2027. wtfdym drop one position for a little elbow rub? give me war gimme them kicking each other idc *to be read with a grain of sarcasm) anyway i think it‘s kind of sad actually🥲 maybe you can convince your dad to watch either sport again for a race☺️

i personally think marc has only been getting more handsome with the years, i find him more attractive now even than when he was younger (sometimes he was too perfect like a barbie doll haha, i like me some character on the face, some smile lines, some little fine lines, some frown lines, some dark undereyes….maybe i just like older man oh) but yes, that‘s one gorgeous smile, and that little sparkle in his dark eyes that i think he‘s recently been gaining again after such hard years. yeah. that‘s a man.

i think carlos once mentioned that marc and him meet up for lunch whenever carlos is in madrid so i do think they are friends in private too or at least close acquaintances! which is lovely 🥰 tbh yeah i think carlos is not sponsored by estrella galicia anymore…. :((

ohhh now i‘m imagining marc with lando and/or oscar…i fear it would be the tiniest bit awkward lmao because lando may come off as stand-offish and oscar is his endearingly calm slightly awkward self, and marc‘s more reserved perhaps…but now that i think of it there was a video of oscar with marc from last year at philip island (..i believe…) i would dig seeing some more of them! 💕