#mclaren evolution

[shiftingh001]

Mclaren

[f1]

TECH ANALYSIS: Is it a case of evolution or revolution for McLarens new MCL60?

McLaren launched the MCL60 on Monday – but is their new car a complete revamp of last year’s MCL36 or simply a more cautious update? F1 technical expert Mark Hughes has a look at the differences... McLaren’s new MCL60 is essentially a further evolution of a car which, under its MCL36 guise, was quite heavily developed through last season. The team cautions that there is more to come in terms of significant changes but that the early-season car will look much like that which launched at the McLaren Technology Centre today. It is clear from all the 2023 cars so far launched that the major preoccupation of the teams is in enhancing the ground-effect underfloor performance. There is far more lap time to be found from this than the outer bodywork and wings. AS IT HAPPENED: Watch McLaren pull the covers off the new MCL60 Evolution of the McLaren sidepods in 2022 with significant upgrades coming in France (bottom) and Singapore (middle), both to enhance underfloor performance. The current sidepods are at the top of the comparison. Any changes to the external geometry of the cars is invariably just a function of attempts at working the underfloor better. So, we see that McLaren have created significant space at the lower front of the sidepod (probably by a rearrangement of the radiator layout) to give more space in which to fit the vaned inlets for the underfloor tunnels. Last year, the evolution of the McLaren, with its bodywork updates at the French and Singapore Grands Prix, was in paring away the front of the sidepods to create more area to change the geometry of the floor inlets. TECH ANALYSIS: Williams continue Red Bull-like trend with FW45 design This process has been continued for the MCL60 and it can be seen that the inlet vanes are in fact totally re-fashioned. The dimensional regulations permit quite a height range for where the inlet can be placed and in paring away the bottom corner of the sidepod it seems as if McLaren may have been able to change the angle of the inlet. The aim is to give the elusive combination of good downforce with consistent balance through the corner – a challenge which has proved very difficult under the ground effect regulations for many teams, not least McLaren. The McLaren MCL36 of last year (bottom) and the MCL60 (top) comparison shows how space has been created around the lower front of the sidepod, which is less chunky than before. This is all about enhancing the inlets for the ground effect underfloor. This development direction is consistent with Lando Norris’s feedback (and that of the out-going Daniel Ricciardo) about the limitations of previous cars. “I’ve been pushing what I needed from my side,” Norris said at the launch. “I spent a bit of time going through things with the engineers to give them an understanding of what we struggle with and some traits we have not changed too much over the last few years. There's been a bit more push on that this year. “Maybe this year's car can suit me more – but it’s not just that; it should also be a faster car. It's something Daniel and I both complained of a lot. If we can take a step forward on that [the drivers] can get more from the car.” ANALYSIS: Why AlphaTauri’s livery launch gave us some fascinating clues about the AT04 The vanes for the underfloor (last year’s car bottom, MCL60 top) have been heavily revised. The previous car’s front pullrod and rear pushrod suspension has been retained. The changes to the shaping of the upper surface of the sidepods is probably in response to the revised radiator layouts beneath, which in turn will have been to create the space at the lower front of the pods for the enhanced floor inlets. McLaren are targeting the top four in the championship but caution that they may not immediately be at that level as the next planned upgrade evolution will remain in the pipeline until a few races into the season. More technical analysis of the 2023 F1 cars via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[mxstellatayte]

Hi! So I lobe what you have been posting and really want one with either max or mick?

One where they don't realises that they are covered in hickey or scratches?

And it gets called out by either the fans or the press/other drivers?

Please do nsfw either a flashback or one afterwards with a bit of revenge towards our dear reader

Thank yoz and keep up the amazing work 🫶🫶

hey there! i absolutely love all the detail you've given me to work with <3 also i straight up had a physical reaction to this because RAAAAAARGH this is. so hot. also this takes place before singapore 2024 :)

taglist: @vivi-81 @irishmanwhore @lucycowr @benstormy @anat33-blog1

@xoscar03 @tremendousstarlighttragedy @nenamalenaa @champagneproblems17 @marknolee

@toby33b @soloqualcosa @sassyinchident808 @slutmeoutsworld @itsgrlalmghty

join my taglist here!

it was the flash of papaya among a sea of navy blue that snapped max out of the zoned-out daze he'd been in for the past few minutes. lando.

thank christ.

he reaches out his hand, clasping the mclaren driver's own and bringing him in for a brief hug before stepping back. thankfully, there isn't any media around right now, or max might just flip a table. he's getting real sick of putting up a wall of friendliness when all he wanted to do was escape to his driver's room and mentally prepare for the upcoming qualifying session.

they make small talk for a few moments, talking about the track evolution throughout the day, the brutal heat and humidity, the added drs zone, lap times...

"you get up to anything last night, mate?" lando quirks an eyebrow and sips from his black drinks bottle as he asks the question, leaning his hip against a random storage container.

you'd been wandering around the paddock with lily zneimer while max finished up in the post-practice press conference, doing anything you could to escape the absolutely brutal singaporean heat. however, it seemed that the moment max left you alone, any man within a ten kilometer radius immediately decided to flirt with you.

as soon as the press conference was over and max was released from any further duties, he began searching for you throughout the paddock. after fifteen unsuccessful minutes, though, he thankfully ran into someone who might have a vague idea as to where you may be.

"daniel, have you seen-"

"mclaren hospitality with zneimer."

"thanks."

as max approached the painfully orange building, he heard your voice, mood immediately lifting. what he heard, however, pissed him off beyond measure.

"-told you, i have a boyfriend. i'm not interested. now, if you could kindly fuck off, i'm trying to enjoy my lunch."

what the fuck?

when he rounded the corner, he saw who you were talking to, and... really? this guy thought he had a chance with you? if there was anything more about the situation that could piss max off even more, it's the fact that he's leaning in way too close for his- and your- comfort.

"hey, schatje. everything all good over here?" max rests a hand on your shoulder, deliberately placing himself between you and this creep who won't leave you alone.

"yeah, everything's good. how did the press conference go?" you tilt your head back, and max immediately understands, ducking down to kiss you quickly.

it's that moment that the man bothering you chooses to speak up, and he somehow says the one thing that wouldn't help his situation right now, embarrassing as it is already. "could've just said you had a boyfriend. fuckin' bitch." max's hand twitches on your shoulder and you bring your own up to rest on it, holding him in place. instead of any other reaction, max offers him a fake smile before he storms off, leaving the two of you to burst into laughter.

max sits down next to you, steals a bite of your croissant, and leans back in his chair, a cocky smirk on his face as he chews the flaky pastry. "i was eating that, thank you very much."

"i'll buy you another one," max replies nonchalantly as if he didn't just stare daggers into the heart of the man that was flirting with you. "it seems like you need something that tells people you're taken, though."

later that night, max's lips and teeth ghosted across the skin of your neck, breasts, and thighs as you squirmed beneath him, promising that the blues, purples, and yellows that mottled your skin would ensure that no one would even think about flirting with you.

"nah, nothing much," max lies. "just the team debrief, some sim work, checking over numbers with gp, that kind of stuff. what about you?"

"nah, nothing much," lando responds with a shrug, teeth still clamped around the bendy straw. "played some padel games with max but we were roasted by the end of it. fell dead asleep by nine."

"yeah, the heat always beats it out of me here. i'm probably going to sleep for thirteen hours straight after the race on sunday."

"i probably will, too, honestly, but mostly because i can't beat the jet lag here." max nods in agreement, taking a sip out of his own drinks bottle. "a little birdy told me that you got up to more than just racing review, last night, though."

max's eyebrows furrow in confusion, and he swallows the gulp of water he'd taken. "what do you mean?"

"your neck, mate."

max whined as his hips canted up into yours, his hands desperately grabbing at your arms. your tongue laved over your teeth marks, matching blues and purples littering the lower part of max's neck but coming high enough so that they'd be just visible over the high collar of his fireproofs and race suit. "fuck, schatje, feels so good."

"yeah? you like everyone knowing that you're mine?" all max can do is nod pathetically, biting down on his lower lip in order to muffle the sounds he so desperately wants to make. "use your words, max."

"love it, want everyone to know i'm yours. everyone needs to know."

"there you go, baby." your hips resume their previous pattern, and you groan openly at the delicious slide of max's cock inside of you, filling you up so perfectly. he cries out when you shift your lips lower, taking his left nipple between your teeth gently, and you're able to pry one of his hands from your arm, bringing it to your own breast in hopes that he gets the memo.

he does.

max's hand immediately kneads at your breast, and you groan, your mouth shifting over to his other nipple and repeating the same ministrations, letting your teeth graze it ever so slightly between gentle licks and sucks. "mm, fuck, schatje, gonna cum, 'm gonna cum-"

"so cum for me, max." that's all max needs to hear before his head is thrown back and a beautiful moan rips itself from his throat, and you can't help but press your fingers into the bruises that litter his thick neck. the combination of the high-pitched wails that fill your ears and the feeling of max's cum filling you beyond full makes you fall over the edge, too, and you collapse onto his chest with a satisfied giggle.

max's hand immediately comes up to his neck and he tries not to wince at the flashes of pain that zip through his body, stemming from the lingering bite marks you'd left the night before, his eyes flashing wide. "that bad?"

"that bad," lando confirms with a nod and a smirk. "you might want to go find her and make her cover them up for you before qualifying."

[baby-alien11]

First Win (Lando Norris)

ngl, he's not one of my favorite drivers, but it's always amazing and emotional seeing a driver first win, so enjoy this

You and Lando met each other since you were toddlers because you were neighbors, practically growing up together and accompanying each other during your accomplishments, and during teenage years that evolved into a romantic relationship

Being with Lando since his days in karting and step into step to Formula 1 was a privilege because you were first in line to see his evolution as a driver, his ups and downs, his podiums, his crashes, etc

Going to the Miami Grand Prix this year, you felt a different feeling to the other races, feeling that you shared with Lando while helping him cure his nose after the injury on Amsterdam

"Miami feels different this year", you said cleaning his injury with alcohol

"Really? How?", Lando asked trying to stay quiet

"I don't know, I feel like McLaren is going to do well, you know, with the upgrades and that", you shrudded putting a bandaid on his nose, "Probaly a win"

"From Oscar or Bianca?"

"Or you"

Turns up, that your feeling was right, because not only Bianca got second place in the F1 Academy race, Lando was leading the race, which made you a wreck of nerves, especially because Max was chasing him

"Girl, I'm freaking out", you said to Bianca who was next to you, "I'm about to go hide in his drivers room and got out until the race is finished"

"You need to stay here", Bianca responded hugging you so you don't go, "It's only three laps to go"

Holding into her, both of you watched the race as the last lap started, at what the mechanics and engineers ran to the pit lane, at what you and Bianca also did but standing at the sides

When Lando crossed the checkered flag, you were the first to jump and scream for him, even crying of how proud you were of him, and your tears kept falling from your eyes when you saw his car stopping in the first place spot and seeing him celebrate with his team, until he saw you at the sides with your team supporting outfit you choose for the race, that he ran towards you hugging you and lifting you up from the floor, which caused you to circle his waist with your legs

"You did it! I'm so fucking proud of you", you said with your head in his neck

"You were so right about that feeling", Lando smiled kissing your temple, "I'm so happy that you're here with me"

"Do you think you can skip the parties tonight so we can have our own?", you asked him in his ear

"I see what I can do", Lando responded turning his face to kiss you

After practically being separated because of the podium ceremony, you watched with pride how he recieved his first place trophy with tears in your eyes, not noticing the F1 cameras filming your reaction, which ended up being viral on the internet

[boxboxblog]

F1 Break: In the Mean Time

Alrighty, so as we are all well aware the 2024 season has officially come to a close. This means we will not see cars on track until late February and no racing until mid-March.

If you are looking at the almost 3 month long break we have ahead of us and panicking over what to do with yourself (like I often do), I find Winter break is a great way to get a little deeper knowledge on F1 and it's history.

Shows or Movies:

Drive to Survive (Netflix): Controversial, but fun, this "docuseries" makes the behind the scenes of F1 into a real spectacle. As long as you take a lot of their insinuations about people with a grain of salt, it's good fun and helps get view into the politics of F1.

Rush (Prime or AppleTV): A rather dramatized version of the Lauda v Hunt rivalry, but good fun.

Hunt v Lauda (Prime): If you want a less Hollywood look at this rivalry, this documentary is great.

The Formula 1 Story (YouTube): Covers the creation and evolution of F1 and it's history.

Schumacher (Netflix): Documentary on the 7x WDC's life, career, and legacy.

A Life of Speed: The Juan Manuel Fangio Story (Netflix): Covers the story of Fangio and his championships wins.

Senna: No Fear, No Limits, No Equal (Netflix): Documentary about Ayrton Senna, has a habit of saintifying Senna but is quite informative.

Fernando (Prime): A documentary about Fernando Alonso during his time racing with IndyCar. Interesting view into another series with a familiar face.

Grand Prix Driver (Prime): A short series following McLaren during their 2017 pre-season. Great look into what teams do over the break and how they prepare.

Villeneuve Pironi: Racing's Untold Tragedy (Max): A look into the Villeneuve-Pironi rivalry and it's tragic end, seen from the perspective of both of their families.

One: Life on the Limit (AppleTV): Looks into safety throughout F1's history and the early risks involved in F1.

Science of F1 Design (YouTube): Mini-series that dives into the technical side of F1, on the official F1 channel.

Podcasts:

F1: Beyond the Grid: Official from F1, this showcases interviews with drivers, TPs, and other important figures in F1 history.

Bring Back V10s: a deep-dive into the V10 era from the 90s to the early 200s.

Missed Apex: Dives into more detailed and technical things. Can be a bit biased, but c'est la vie.

Parc Ferme: Goes into race strategies and regulations.

The Race F1: Race analysis, technical breakdowns, etc.

EngineBraking: The hosts worked as engineers in F1 and have great insight.

Shift+F1: Very beginner friendly look into F1, light and humerous.

Books:

How to Build a Car by Adrian Newey: If you are interested in the more technical aspects of F1, these insights from possibly the greatest F1 car engineer of all time would be a fascinating read.

The Mechanic by Marc Priestley: Stories from a McLaren mechanic about life inside the paddock.

The Winning Formula by Ross Brawn: Dives into strategies behind winning teams.

Life to the Limit by Jenson Button: A humorous look into Button's career, is pretty lighthearted and fun to read.

Survive.Drive.Win by Nick Fry: The story of Brawn GPs 2009 championship.

F1 Mavericks by Pete Biro: Dives into innovators in F1 throughout its history, from drivers to TPs to engineers.

The Death of Ayrton Senna by Richard Williams: A heavily researched look into Senna's career.

The Physics of Racing by Brian Beckman: A very scientific approach to understanding how F1 cars run.

F1: All The Races by Roger Smith: A detailed account of every single F1 race ever. Pretty hefty, but interesting.

Formula 1: The Champions by Maurice Hamilton: Profiles of every single F1 champion and a look into how they got there.

My Life in Formula 1 by Niki Lauda: A great insight into of of the F1 legends himself, goes through his career and his own personal viewing on his rivalry with James Hunt.

Popular YouTube Channels:

Chain Bear: Goes into F1 technical aspects in simple ways, such as what ground effect is and how the tires operate.

Driver61: Explains car performance, driving techniques, and race strategy from an ex-racing car driver.

CYMotorsport: Goes into F1 controversies, innovations, and strategies.

The Race: Dives into different controversies and different f1 happenings as well as race overviews.

F1 Reverse: Dives into different times in F1 history, as well as some gossip here and there.

Nico Rosberg: Info from the mouth of an F1 champion, does some race analysis and analysis of particular race tracks (I like his How to Master series the most)

All Time Great Races:

You can also rewatch some old races, especially if you have the F1TV subscription. I will list some super great races to watch.

1994 Australian GP

1996 Spanish GP

1998 Belgian GP

1998 European GP

2005 Japanse GP

2008 Brazilian GP

2011 Canadian GP

2014 Bahrain GP

2019 German GP

Other Motorsports:

Finally, diving into other motorsports during this time is super doable in my opinion. F1 is not alone in this massive world, and their are dozens of other very interesting series. MotoGP is one of my all time favorites, and is racing on two wheels instead of four. If you think F1 drivers are crazy for doing what they do, just wait until you see someone fall off a bike and skid across the pavement at 150 mph, then you will understand real crazy. IndyCar is also a blast, and although people tend to equate it to F1 it is very different. I will list some great documentaries/series that dive into other motorsports below.

MotoGP Unlimited (Prime): A look into the 2021 MotoGP season, follows riders and teams. Great first look into how that world works.

Fastest (Prime): A look into the MotoGP rivalry between Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo during the 2011 season.

Marc Marquez: All In (Prime): Story about MotoGP champion Marc Marquez and his return to racing after an intense injury.

100 Days to Indy (Netflix): Story about the drivers in IndyCar and their path to the Indy 500.

Nascar: Full Speed (Netflix): A documentary that follows a few teams and drivers as they take part in the championship.

NASCAR: The Rise of American Speed (Prime): Explores the history of this sport, super duper interesting especially with the similarities and differences to F1.

Alrighty, I hope this post is helpful! I will be doing some more series and posts throughout break, but if anyone has anything they wish to know about as always my asks are open!

Cheers,

-B

[vroomvroomcircuit]

The World did not end

(A/N): 'ello and welcome to my first F1 fic. I'm quite new here (not to fanfic or tumblr, I mean F1), but I want to give back to the F1 community, since you all helped me out tons during a really rough period these last couple of months.

Pairing: Lando Norris x platonic!reader

Warnings: mentions eating food, death of a loved family member, grief, it sounds sad, but it's actually pretty sweet and hopeful (it's based on a tiktok trend), English is not my first language btw

Wordcount: .7k (she is a shorty)

Masterlist ______________

Finding Mclaren’s reserve driver crying in the cafeteria wasn’t what Lando expected to stumble upon, when I went to check out where the repeating music came from. It sounded like a sad song that could land a high spot on his next Spotify wrapped.

“Uhm, (Y/N), what’s wrong?” he asks gently as he approaches the table. After a startle she turns off her phone, which has been playing the music. Frantically, she wipes her tears. It still does nothing against the fact that she has been crying and that her blood shot eyes are very visible.

Lando shakes his head. When people think Oscar is an introverted person, she is the masterclass of introvertedness. Like, the last stage of a pokémon evolution. That’s why seeing (Y/N) cry in a semi public place like the cafeteria calls for concern.

“There has to be something. The food here is not that bad. I mean, I have the same reaction when I see fish being served, too. But today I felt like the meals were rather good. So do tell. What’s bothering you?”

First she shrugs, the twenty year old not being able to find her voice immediately. “The- the world didn’t end when I was 13.” The tears are coming back again, restricting her voice once again.

Lando gathers her into his arms. even though he doesn’t understand what is happening at all. Does that matter right now, though?

The girl needs another minute or two until she is composed enough to explain the reason behind her crying. “There is this Tiktok trend going viral right now. It’s about people saying what mundane things they are able to do, or-or which things they have achieved, and all that because the world did not end when they were a certain age. They mean they got through some heavy event in their life. And because they got through this, they are able to do said things or achieve this.”

He nods, understanding the bittersweet and hopeful outlook this kind of videos can bring. “And something heavy happened to you at 13?” He probes while trying to keep a cautious tone, not wanting to overstep any boundary he doesn’t see.

“My, you see, when I was 13, my grandmother died. This was the first time I felt real grief. I wished for the world to end, because nothingness would have felt better than this immense amount of grief. And this led me to thinking of how many times I wished for the world to end. Because there were important and life changing events approaching me so quickly. When the world ends, I wouldn’t have to go through them, right?

And suddenly I’m 18, writing my final exams in school and it felt like the biggest task in my life. it felt like make or break. But the world did not end. I was able to graduate.

Then I got into the drivers academy, I am training, studying, and meeting people. I’m doing everything and anything. Because the world did not end when I was 13.

And it didn’t end when I was 16, overwhelmed with studying for school. It also did not happen when I was 19 and put under contract to be a reserve driver for Mclaren.

The world never ended. I begged and cried for all of this to stop. To have peace. Because I thought that I would only feel at peace, when nothing happens anymore. And the world didn’t end and now I sit here with you, talking about a tiktok trend.”

Lando understands her train of thought and sentiment immediately. “You know, I’m happy it didn’t end. These past couple of months with you here were pretty fun. Even Oscar admits it! With that true little smile, not in that monotone tone of his. These interviews and the media stuff is much more fun with these silly remarks of yours. And you are an amazing human being. I’m really glad that your world did not end, because meeting you made mine better.”

(Y/N) laughs, the tears being gone and cheeks heating up at that confession. “I’m glad too. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to ravish my way through the mountain of pasta minutes before you came in.” They giggle, knowing they share similar food preferences and have the culinary plate of a four year old toddler.

And all that, because the world did not end.

[superm4ks]

scared isn’t the right word for it but this season is truly giving changing of the guard like it’s no longer just max whose being foxy with it. - just a girl who hates change

I mean I get u as a Max fan the rb20 does not give me the confidence that rb19 did, not at all, even tho by all means and ik it doesn't look like it, but it IS an evolution of the project, and u can c it how Max is able to put together laps in some of f1s tightest quali sessions in recent memory, like I c the vision, I think maybe the design itself has hit somewhat of a plateau and everybody else is catching up. Thats like what's supposed to happen. It shud have happened sooner ‼️ but when u have powerhouses like Merc and Ferrari in their flop era it makes sense it took 2 years because Mclaren wasn't ready either. They left Verstappen alone at the front wid a moody, razor sharp car that needs some special neurodivergent attention, bro will be putting bitches into comas for 2 seasons because that's the Schumi, Hamilton special and those are his peers. So if u are getting that lil feeling in ur tummy throughout a grand prix for the first time in a while and u don't like it .. like I wanna tell u rn baddie. for both our sakes... Max Verstappen will always be foxy wid it. Whtvr change ur about to witness he wont be a passive bystander. Do yk what we saw in Imola? Like do u really know. On Saturday Max went out there wid a crooked setup and no quali sim. He had one chance to nail the tow and put together a good enough lap and keep rbr alive. He did. Not the car, him. That frankenstein setup that they created had no information on the hardest compound either. On Sunday Max created the gap at the start by once again nailing his launch and squeezing the blood of Jesus out of those mediums in the first stint, and he got a black and white flag in the process. He was on the limit because he had to be. Again, they had no idea how the hards wud perform. When later on the tires dropped out of temperature, its also a black and white situation. Once it happens theres no going back. The tires lose pressure, car becomes slower, cant turn as well. In the final laps Lando never managed to get into drs detention because 1) Max was surgical in how and where he chose to empty his battery and try to keep his car afloat against a faster car 2) right before drs detention he braked early which forced Lando to do the same and ruined his momentum. He did this so effectively he managed to actually gain a lil bit before the gap dropped to less than a second. With track limits, on dead tires. Mind u, none of this is the car. Its never been the car. The car is what Max makes of it, always has been. Max's dominance has been used to discredit his worth as a driver when the whole point is that its only been as dominant, as mind numbing, as historical, because its him. He's also a girl who hates change and trust that if nothing else, if not the car, if not the team, he will put his thumb on the scale

[umlewis]

lewis hamilton during the press conference on media day, miami - may 2, 2024 (transcript under the cut)

Interviewer: "Lewis, can I bring you in on this Adrian Newey news? He's a free agent this time next year. How much would you like to see him join you at Ferrari in 2025?" Lewis: "Very much." [long pause, laughs] Interviewer: "What do you think he would bring to Ferrari?" Lewis: "Well, I mean, Adrian's known for… He's got such a great history, track record, and he's obviously just done an amazing job through his career in engaging with teams and the knowledge that he has. I think he would be an amazing addition. I think they've already got a great team. They're already making huge progress and strides forwards. Their car's quicker this year. But yeah, it would be a privilege to work with him." Interviewer: "And on a personal level, how excited would you be to work with a man of his experience?" Lewis: "Very." [laughs] Interviewer: "Alright. Look, what about this weekend, Lewis? In China last time out it was a weekend of extremes for you. Do you think you're gonna find a little bit more consistency with the car this weekend?" Lewis: "Yes. The team have been working hard. We've got a small upgrade here this weekend, so excited to see developments coming through, and I think hopefully we'll have our car on a bit of a better working window. So no doubt it'll still be a challenge, but really excited to be here in the States. The weather's incredible. It's gonna be a challenge for temperatures and tire deg and all that sort of stuff, but yeah, we welcome it." Interviewer: "Alright." [time jump]

Journalist: "David Croft, Sky Sports F1. Lewis, let's come to you if we may. When you sat down with John Elkann and he said come and join Ferrari and persuaded you to come to Ferrari and said what would your wishlist be-if he did say what would your wishlist be-was Adrian Newey part of that? Did you ever think that there would be that possibility, and sitting here now, what do you think the chances are that you could partner with Adrian Newey in the future?" Lewis: "I mean, this is all private conversation stuff, so if I was to do a list of people that I'd love to work with, he would absolutely be at the top of it." Croft: "What are the chances, do you think?" Lewis: "I mean, I don't know. We'll see." Croft: [laughs] "That's a knowing smile." Interviewer: "Alright, thank you. Let's move on. Craig." Journalist: "Craig Slater, Sky Sports. Just picking up on that, Lewis, I mean, Adrian Newey's pretty much for all your career been in the opponent category for you. Could you sum up maybe how tough an opponent he's been, and even if he doesn't join another team, do you think him leaving Red Bull changes the competitive landscape?" Lewis: "Well, just from my perspective, when I joined McLaren I think it was an evolution of his car. I think I got there just after he left, so that car had evolved from a concept that he had worked on, so I felt privileged that I'd had the chance to touch something that he had worked on. Racing against a team that he's been so heavily a part of over the years has been, yeah, it's been a massive challenge, but I think we just always need to remember that there's a lot of people in the background and there is not one key person that… Or it's not one person. It's a whole team of people who do the job, so you can imagine of all the amazing experience that he brings to the team, the people that he works with will continue to do an amazing job and I don't anticipate Red Bull not continuing to build great cars, moving forwards. But any team would be fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him."

Journalist: "Yair Rodriguez from DAZN Spain. Question to Lewis: Watching your records that are amazing, I would love to know where you find your motivation. Where are you focused to?" Lewis: "Thank you. I think it's the idea that you can always improve. It's the idea that there's always something better, or there's better days up ahead. I genuinely really love working with people and having that human interaction, the collaboration. The emotional rollercoaster you go on with a group of people is quite extraordinary, and when you have the highs, you experience it all together. It's not just an individual sport. So it's those, and then I genuinely love what I do. I've loved it since I was a kid. It still remains a dream. I'm still very conscious of how fortunate I am to be here. There's only twenty of us that have a role here driving in this sport and it is a real privilege for us. And I'm conscious of how hard my family worked for it, so I'm trying to make sure I do them proud, always, and yeah…" [time jump] Journalist: "Tim Hauraney, TSN. Question for Lewis: Lewis, obviously you have your obligations with Mercedes, but off-track are you monitoring a lot what's going on with Ferrari and what they're doing, or are you in constant communication with the team?" Lewis: "I mean, I continue to have a good relationship with John and Fred, so we speak regularly, but no, I'm not actually in touch with the team, and of course I observe from afar, but the full focus is on how can we beat them right now, [laughs] how can we win, so that's where all my energy's going." Interviewer: "Thank you. Another one?" Journalist: "Hello. Margot Laffite from Canal Plus. Question for Lewis, but I would be delighted if other drivers want to answer, if we have enough time. Lewis, we're doing footage on how to deal with celebrity and I was wondering how it impacted your day-to-day life, your day-to-day activities. Recently, Kylian Mbappe said he was losing spontaneity in his life. Is that something you feel? Is that something that impacts you?" Lewis: "Mm… No, I'm pretty spontaneous. It's an interesting journey that you… It's definitely not all you thought it would be, and as a kid when you see people on TV and you're like oh it must be cool, this must happen and this must happen, having money, all these different things, but it's not all great and I think over time you just learn how to handle it. And I think ultimately at some stage you realize that it's not really about you. It's a platform to do good, and so if you just have the right intentions, you can actually have a real positive impact, and I think that's really what it's mostly for."

[nayziiz]

Team Dynamics | LN4

Summary: To celebrate the launch of their 2024 car for the upcoming F1 season, McLaren hosts a masquerade gala event that sees two souls connect and lead to a whirlwind romance. Unfortunately, the pair realise soon after that they are to work together quite closely after they agreed it would only be a one-night thing.

Warnings: Smut, alcohol, one night stand, unprotected sex

Pairing: Gemma (I don't like writing with Y/N or reader) x Lando Norris

Series Masterlist

In the aftermath of Gemma's brief hospitalisation due to food poisoning, Lando's devotion and care for her took centre stage. Their connection, already profound, deepened as he steadfastly remained by her side throughout the recovery process. Lando's presence was a constant source of comfort, offering both emotional and practical support. From the moment Gemma opened her eyes to the sterile hospital room surroundings, Lando was there, a reassuring figure ensuring that she was not alone in facing the aftermath of the illness.

As they navigated the challenges of her recuperation together, their conversations became more intimate, revealing layers of themselves that had remained hidden before. Gemma's feelings for Lando, already present, intensified unexpectedly. The shared vulnerability of the hospital room created a unique space where emotions simmered to the surface. The way he seamlessly balanced taking care of her practical needs with offering emotional support made her realise the depth of her affection for him. The constant companionship and his willingness to put her well-being above all else brought a heightened sense of closeness.

In those moments when Lando briefly stepped away to attend to necessary errands, Gemma found herself eagerly awaiting his return, aching for the comfort his presence provided. The simple act of him bringing food or fresh clothes became symbolic of a burgeoning connection that surpassed friendship. Gemma, surprised by the intensity of her emotions, began to acknowledge the profound impact Lando had on her heart. The hospital stay, though challenging, served as a catalyst for an unexpected but welcomed evolution in their relationship, leaving Gemma with a realisation that her feelings for Lando had deepened into something more significant than she could have anticipated.

The tension in the McLaren pit is palpable as the team eagerly anticipates the qualifying results at Silverstone, their home race. The pressure is especially intense for Lando, with fans and the team hopeful for his first-ever win.

Gemma, seated at the pit wall, monitors the proceedings with a focused gaze. As the McLaren drivers head out for qualifying, she watches them navigate down the pitlane before turning her attention to the data screens in front of her. Oscar's car showcases promise after recent upgrades, securing a provisional second fastest lap time within the first ten minutes of the session.

However, Gemma's attention shifts to Lando's data, and a sense of concern creeps in as she notices his car is not performing as expected.

“I have zero pace.” Lando's mumbled voice breaks the radio silence, expressing his frustration.

“Copy, we’re investigating.” Andrea confirms.

The team mobilises to analyse the data and identify the issues affecting Lando's performance. The high stakes of the home race amplify the pressure on the team, leaving Gemma and her colleagues on the edge of their seats as they work to address the challenges and support their drivers. Harry, perplexed by the discrepancies, calls over one of his fellow analysts for a fresh perspective.

“I don’t understand.” Harry tells Andrea over their radio. “Everything looks good on this side.”

“Lando, continue with your slow lap. We’re still looking into it.” Andrea tells Lando who simply grunts in response. “Gemma, would you mind having a look too.”

As Gemma delves into the analysis alongside Harry and the team, the urgency in the pit grows. The collaborative effort intensifies, with each member working diligently to uncover the root cause of Lando's unexpected performance issues, aiming to rectify the situation before the crucial qualifying session concludes.

“Can I speak to Lando?” Gemma inquires.

“Go ahead.” Andrea confirms. “Channel is clear for comms.”

“Lando, it’s Gemma.” She informs him.

“Gem. What’s happening with the car?” Lando asks her.

“What’s the highest gear you can get?” She implores.

“Can’t get higher than fifth on the straights.” Lando informs her.

“Copy. Hang tight, Lando, we’re taking a closer look.” She assures him.

“Gemma? What do you think the issue is?” Andrea asks.

“It seems to be a hydraulic issue. Very minor, but enough to affect his acceleration.” Gemma explains.

“Should we retire the car?” Andrea asks.

“Preferably. We’re at risk of causing more damage if he keeps pushing.” Gemma agrees.

“Lando, please retire the car. Box, box.” Andrea radios Lando.

“Copy.” Lando responds.

He returns to the pitlane on his next outlap, parks the car outside the McLaren garage, and climbs out. With visible disappointment, he walks over to the pitwall, where Gemma and the team await, collectively processing the challenges faced during the home race qualifying session at Silverstone.

“Can they fix it before the race tomorrow?” He asks Andrea.

“We should be ready to go for the race.” Andrea confirms. “Starting P15 tomorrow, though, sorry about that.”

“Good thing Gemma caught the issue early enough.” Lando states, appreciating the efforts of the team and Gemma in particular, finding a silver lining in the situation.

He smiles, acknowledging Gemma's keen observation that prevented potential complications during the upcoming race. Lando, seeking a moment of respite, retreats into the garage as the crew wraps up the remaining tasks associated with the qualifying session. The familiar hum of activity surrounds him as mechanics work diligently to prepare the cars for the upcoming race.

Inside the garage, Lando takes the opportunity to refuel both physically and mentally. He grabs something to eat and drink, allowing himself a brief pause to recharge before diving back into the intense atmosphere of race weekend preparations. As the sounds of the pitlane echo outside, Lando takes a moment of solitude, gathering his thoughts and preparing for the challenges that await him on the race day at Silverstone.

“Great job today, Osc.” Gemma congratulates Oscar when she passes him in the garage.

“I heard you saved Lando’s race tomorrow.” Oscar comments as he glances at the mechanics working on Lando’s car. “He better celebrate that win with you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him that.” Gemma chuckles as she retreats to the hospitality suite to get herself some water and a snack.

Gemma spots Lando chatting to some fans as she walks up behind him. The one girl is particularly handsy with the driver who attempts to step back, but she’s persistent. A sudden rage fills Gemma as she approaches the small group. Without hesitation, Gemma intervenes, stepping between Lando and the overzealous fan. Her expression is firm, and her tone carries a no-nonsense authority as she addresses the situation.

“Lando, the boys want to take a photo in the garage before the photographers leave for the day.” Gemma asserts as she shields Lando and glances at the fans. “Sorry, girls.”

Lando, still wearing a grateful smile for the fans, complies with Gemma's lead as she guides him into the garage. Recognizing the need for privacy, Gemma redirects him towards his driver's room, and as they step inside, she firmly shuts the door behind them.

The quiet confines of the driver's room offer a sanctuary away from the bustling activities in the garage. Gemma, concerned for Lando's well-being, addresses the incident with a protective edge in her voice.

"You okay?" She asks, ensuring that the intrusion from the fan didn't leave any lasting impact on him. Lando, appreciating Gemma's concern, nods with a genuine smile.

“They just did not want to let me go, thanks.”  Lando breathes, his hand resting on his chest.

“Poor girl wouldn’t stop touching you.” Gemma sighs as she watches Lando strip off his fireproof top leaving him bare chested.

“You just keep saving my ass today, huh?” Lando counters.

“I mean, who else?” Gemma teases.

“You’re kinda hot when you get all jealous.” Lando retorts.

“Me? Jealous? I think you’re mistaking me for someone else.” Gemma smirks, shaking her head.

“Yeah, you. Can’t share?” Lando teases her.

“Oh, no. Would you share your car with anyone?” Gemma asks as she rolls her eyes at him while he takes a step closer to her.

“Mmh, you make a good point.” Lando agrees. “We both don’t like sharing things we can ride.”

“Ew, stop.” Gemma laughs as she pushes her hand against his bare chest.

“You’re so sexy when you’re flustered.” He tells her as his hands land on her hips. “And, so turned on out of jealousy and all for me.”

“You’re the only one that makes me feel this way.” Gemma finally admits.

“Good.” Lando mumbles before he places a sweet kiss against her lips.

They kiss for a few minutes before Lando shuffles her over to the massage bed and lifts her up so she’s sitting on the bed.

“I have waited so long to kiss you again.” He whispers into her neck. “It’s been torture.”

Her fingers crawl into his hair and grip onto his curls as he continues to kiss down her neck. His hands travel up her thighs and under skirt.

“Consider yourself set free.” Gemma informs him and he pulls away from her, eyes wide. “Whatever you’ve been wanting, whatever you hoped for, I’m happy to give it a chance.”

“You serious?” Lando asks, his eyes glistening with hope.

“You’re all I ever think about, Lando.” She tells him as she cups his face in her hands. “I’ve just been too scared to admit it to myself, because I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“What changed your mind?” Lando wonders.

“No matter what, you’re always choosing me. You chose to stick around. You carried me to safety in the middle of the freaking woods. You could have let that girl flirt with you, yet you chose to come back inside with me. No one has ever chosen me or prioritised me the way you have and done it so patiently and confidently.” Gemma explains to him.

“God, I am so very much in love with you, Gem.” Lando admits, immediately sparking the blush in her cheeks once again. “From the second you told me that stupid refrigerator joke, I was done for.”

“Thank you for not giving up on me.” Gemma continues and sweetly kisses him again.

The following day during the race, Lando is able to move up from P15 to P3 and charges after Leclerc in P2 with only five laps left. Gemma’s eyes shift between the data streaming in on Oscar’s car and the race footage above it as she watches Lando driving. The mechanics found the issue with his hydraulic system and fixed it before the race started. He was driving brilliantly, but like a man possessed, determined to win his home race.

Gemma bites her nails as the anticipation becomes palpable around her as Lando takes second place from Leclerc with Max not far ahead. Four laps left.

“Head down and keep pushing.” Andrea radios Lando.

Three laps left and Lando is almost within DRS range. Two laps left and Lando has DRS. Lando and Max go wheel-to-wheel with Lando taking the lead coming into the Wellington straight and pulling away from Max. The McLaren crew starts cheering in the garage and the pitwall starts buzzing with chatter. One lap left. Lando still has a lead over Max. This is his race to win. Lando comes around Stowe and the crew rush to the pitwall as the chequered flag comes out. Lando sees the chequered flag first and roars over the finish line, winning his first ever F1 race at his home circuit.

The pit wall crew embrace each other as they cheer and celebrate Lando’s win. Tears well up in Gemma's eyes as she watches his onboard cool down lap before he pulls up against the P1 board. He gets out of the car and throws his hands up in victory. The crew envelope him and sing his praises and jump around. They eventually let him go as he looks up and spots Gemma proudly smiling, her hands clasped in front of her mouth. He jogs over to her and picks her up and spins her around.

“This is for you, baby!” He exclaims. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I’m so proud of you.” She tells him as she grips his helmet in her hands.

[f1-ferraero]

(Credit to @fdataanalysis )

Leclerc was on average only 0.11 off the pace set by Norris in the HEAVILY updated McLaren, despite running in dirty air for the majority of the race and having the oldest tyres of the top drivers (and he was only 0.04 seconds off Verstappen). With Sainz about a tenth slower at +0.19, this made Ferrari the fastest team this race (by an absolutely tiny margin, and keep in mind that Piastri only had 50% of the McLaren updates and that RBR was struggling more than we've seen before this season)

With this in mind:

McLaren have brought their big update this race, but haven't had the opportunity to gather much data on it. With both drivers having the full package in Imola they will need a couple of races to fully understand how the new car behaves before they can bring further improvements.

I'm very curious about this actually. The new McLaren seemed Very temperamental this weekend, as shown by Norris's issues in qualifying (most likely caused by huge shifts in balance depending on the tyre compound). Likely it will take them another 5-7 races before they can bring any new substantial upgrades.

RedBull brought their big upgrade to Japan, (although it wasn't as big as McLaren's) and haven't announced any new date for any major new upgrades (to my knowledge, but please correct me on this if I have missed something!).

The improvement made by McLaren is difficult to calculate because there are a lot of factors to consider, like strategy and potential traffic (also it's currently 2am and I'm too tired. But it should be mostly accurate), but if you look at the average race pace difference between the fastest RedBull and McLaren since RBR brought their upgrades (also conveniently excludes Australia as there were no true representative times set by the RedBulls):

Japan: Norris +0.54

China sprint: Norris +1.08

China: Norris +0.88

Miami: Verstappen +0.07

This gives us an average pace difference of 0.83 before MCL upgrades and technically show an improvement of 0.9 seconds in Miami (but of course this time is affected by RBR having a very good pace in China and an unusually bad pace in Miami, so take this with a couple of grains of salt. On a more regular weekend the improvement is most likely closer to 0.3-0.5 which would put them slightly behind or on par with RBR)

((EDIT: realised when I woke up that a comparison between McLaren and Ferrari would provide more accuracy for the estimated pace improvement, because of both a bigger example size and fewer outliers. This comparison also allows us to consider every race so far this season, bar the Miami sprint (no representative times for the updated MCL) and potentially the Chinese gp as Ferrari lost a lot of time due to lack of tyre temperature. Excluding outliers we get an average pace difference of 0.22 (in Ferrari's favour) meaning the MCL updates gave Norris a gain of 0.33 seconds. This shows that my previous estimate of 0.3-0.5 depending on track is most likely accurate.))

Ferrari however, is bringing their new package to Imola, and it is reportedly as big if not bigger than what McLaren brought — SF-24 EVO (for evolution). This is an upgrade package that Ferrari are Very optimistic about, and it's said to be a radical version of the sf-24. The focus going into this season was to make sure they had a good baseline that they understood properly, and good tyre degradation. This led to the car being quite simple in its design, but as we've seen so far this season Ferrari has achieved these goals. The Imola upgrades will build on this very solid base to improve speed and adjust it towards more oversteer (although we'll have to wait and see if this is successful)

Anyway, average pace difference:

Japan: Sainz +0.42

China sprint: Leclerc +0.74

China: Leclerc +1.19

Miami sprint: +0.17

Miami: Leclerc +0.04

This gives us an average pace difference of 0.5 (0.78 if we were to consider Miami an outlier, and probably less than 0.5 if we consider RBR's rocket pace in China another outlier). With MCL and RBR not likely to take any big steps forward other than what can be achieved through set up and track characteristics, and with Ferrari only needing to find about 0.3-0.5 seconds on average with their sf-24 evolution (which is what MCL did), Imola and the rest of the European races will be very very interesting. My prediction (only slightly biased) is that the top 3 teams are going to be very close depending on the track, but that Ferrari might have an edge if their upgrades work. Ultimately McLaren will probably stay the 3rd fastest team, but no one will have the same level of dominance as we've seen so far.

If Ferrari does have an edge, well Leclerc is only 3pts behind Perez, and only 38pts behind Verstappen with 18 races to go. We might still have a title fight on our hands... At the very least for the constructors and the vice-championship.

Also if I've made any errors, huge or small, please tell me because I am Sleep Deprived and the text is now blurry

[landoom]

How do you think Lando and Oscar should/will handle their relationship going forward? They don't seem to want to be baited into brocedes.

Personally, I think they need to work on their personal relationship in order to help each other on track, but neither seems willing to do that?

i get the impression that right now, Lando WANTS Oscar to help him, but he doesn't want to outright ask, or 'beg'. He thinks Oscar just should.

And Oscar would rather fight it out and doesn't feel obligated to help Lando unless he is asked, or unless Lando closes the gap to Max by beating him fair and square, in which then in the last few races, he will help him.

I think they are truly friends and really do get along, but probably don't have much to do with each other off track, and maybe that should change if Lando does want him to help, and they don't want a silver war 2.0

Its a super delicate situation for both of them and they have 2 more years!

Thanks for this question.

For me it's a hard one to answer because we don't actually know what Lando and Oscar's relationship was/is and the depths of their personalities. So everything said after needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

First, I think the Brocedes comparison is useless. Nico and Lewis had a story before and it made everything more complicated.

Secondly, I think it's important to note, like you more or less said, that Lando and Oscar AREN'T friends outside of the track. From what we know, they get along well and work quite well together but they don't have many interests in common and we've never seen them together outside of work-related events.

So they are at most friendly colleagues. Meaning, there isn't much at stake regarding personal feelings, unlike Nico and Lewis.

Back to the evolution of the situation... As said in this post, Lando's history with the team means he has the "team player" idea ingrained in his mentality way more than Oscar. (I'm not saying one is better than the other, though).

So yes, he was probably expecting something else from Oscar. And that means he might be a bit disappointed but will also need to reevaluate his views on the situation (not only on Oscar).

Will that mean their relationship will change? Not necessarily and if it does, not in a wrong way.

I know we all love drama (especially if we are into RPF and fanfics) but ordeals can also strengthen a relationship, bring a deeper understanding of each other, and create a stronger base.

And I don't agree with you that they aren't willing to do so. Because you are mostly basing your observation on some post-race content with high adrenaline. We saw in Hungary that they were able to go on once the high of the race was behind them! Of course, I'm not saying that they will patch things up indefinitely but I'm also convinced that the frustration they showed after the race was more about the results than the turn 4 drama!

Another important element is that being at a turning point in their careers in terms of success, neither of them would take advantage of the situation turning sour. They are meant to stay teammates for at least 2 more years (I say this because moving before the end of 2026 with the new regs would be a HUGE risk, not because of actual contrast as we know those can be broken).

If they start to fight at the first inconvenience, 2025 and 2026 will be hell! And I think Lando values his mental health too much for that. And Oscar is too smart and too well-advised for that.

In conclusion, I think the actual situation is not going to lead them to a breakdown, and they can talk and overcome the tensions, perhaps for the better even.

That being said, McLaren better get their shit together, though!

[lewisinho]

✨lewis hamilton’s most underrated mclaren drives ✨

(with special dedication to: @l8tof1 & @sirlew44)

did a lil’ rewatch over the break and wanted to do a post about some of lewis’ most underrated wins/drives in f1 over the years; i realise that there are a lot of them and so i decided to split and do a post for his mclaren days and another one for his mercedes years.

a few words of introduction:

the thing about watching mclaren lewis and why it’s just such a privilege, is that this boy is special; babyfaced rookie picked from the crèche by ron dennis and who was told he’d be half a second off nando’s pace and that he shouldn’t worry, wasn’t just hungry he had something to prove, he will nawt be a second driver even if it’s to the reigning 2x world champion who has just come from beating THE michael schumacher, basically babes wasn’t having it and he put the fear of god into these drivers…and ron dennis (say what you want about that that man, but you can’t deny, he really girlbossed that one thing; giving lewis a car that was capable of winning, was a choice™️, but a very good one and we thank him for that); mclaren lewis is special because he’s hungry, he’s raw and fast, very fast, sometimes too fast and too reckless, but he’s learning, and when you watch these races and these seasons you see him learn and grow and change; all these seasons are different, but those mclaren years are just as important for the lore and who he is now and to witness the evolution of both the driver and the man is truly special; so this small collection of drives is a bit of a crème-de-la-crème if you will of those races that i think aren’t as mentioned in the pantheon of great lewis drives as much as i think they should, so let us begin:

fuji 2007 🇯🇵 aka the first rain dance of og bald baby mclazza rookie lewis, stunting on hoes since ‘07

people keep talking about silvo 2008 (and rightly so) but this one is a bit of a forgotten wet-weather masterpiece; talk about artistic sublimity, this is the racing sublimity of one 22-year-old rookie lewis hamilton; baby lewis was holding off his reigning world champion of a teammate absolutely majestically in torrential conditions, and executing the race and the restarts to perfection (race is also chaos personified so brilliant to rewatch). baby lew became a bit of a headache for the establishment™️ and one fernando alonso and it’s fun to watch.

germany 2008 🇩🇪aka mclaren pitwall terrorising baby lewis (the horrors started way before merc)

a race overshadowed by his brilliance in silverstone two weeks earlier (suffering from success and having consecutive masterclasses amirite), but it’s nearly as brilliant; this is lewis vs massa + the mclaren pitwall deciding to gamble with some fuckass strategy and leaving lewis out for a safety car restart, lewis having to pull massive gaps, driving the wheels of that mp4-23 and then overtake from p5 to take the lead; some brilliant overtakes and lewis displaying incredible race pace; this drive is the lewis hamilton special that massa had no answer for 

singapore 2009 🇸🇬 aka lewis decided to serve cunt

to truly appreciate the sheer extent of said cunt serving, you have to watch both quali and the race; mind you, the 2009 mclaren was nawt it, the post-updates mp4-24 was still dogshit compared to lil’ sister mp4-23 and very much an underperforming and unreliable shitbox; the updates also came too late for lewis to put up a proper championship fight; however this did not stop from lewis from putting 2 whole ass seconds on his teammate, take pole ahead of the red bulls and the brawns and then dominate the race, with brilliant tyre management and race pace (40 secs ahead of kova, nearly 10 secs ahead of timo glock in p2 in a truly fuckass mclaren)

brazil 2009 🇧🇷 aka the road to legend is long and twisted and the brazilian racing gods clearly have a plan 

p17 to p3; and no you may think this is one of those checo-esque recovery drives where you qualify terribly but have a rocketship so you overtake cars easily and finish the race in a position you should have started the race in; well, the mp4-24 actually qualified terribly in the wet (even post-upgrades, it was also set up for the dry) and was still very much mid on a sunday; lewis however babes was on yet another mission, overtaking cars *mwah* like please watch it; the brazilian racing gods truly picked a chosen one and his name is lewis hamilton i do not make the rules; his lil’ fist punching the air when he crossed the line says everything you need to know about what that drive meant to lewis (also like that boy was starving for a win around interlagos and to think the first one came only in 2016 jeez) the racing gods really wanted to make that man suffer biblically in true chosen one fashion before offering any type of redemption; you see interlagos and lewis is a special narrative, it’s about a boy achieving immortality in his hero’s homeland, and it goes all the way from 2007 to 2021 and beyond, and there are chapters in between, like 2009, that are worth mentioning, because the man is desperate for a win here and he’s getting so so close, hungry mclaren lewis you mean so much to me, he would eat anything and anyone and well,,,interlagos is lewis’ yearning personified

china 2011 🇨🇳 aka he WILL have his win and he will bite and claw his way towards it 

hungry lewis starving for a win with a car that is half-decent is dangerous; this race is *chefs kiss* oh my god, please watch it, baby mclaren lewis on a mission, babes after the race said he doesn’t remember when he last won a race, like wdym it’s only been like 8 months my guy (we’re on two years now); drama starts before the race even begins, because he’s got a fuel problem and is literally mere seconds away from a pit-lane start but no that team and that man were on a mission: three-stopper, overtaking both seb and jb, terrifying race pace! he also gets a bit emotional in the cool down room and hugs seb 🥹

germany 2011 🇩🇪 aka vintage lewis special 

another one where you have to watch both quali and the race, because baby goat was pulling quali laps out of his ass (imo probably one of his best non pole laps): he split the bulls and was only half a tenth from pole (also 1.2 secs ahead of his teammate); bear in mind we’re in the domination era of kinky kylie (rb-7) which took 12/19 victories and all but one pole position, which interestingly albeit unsurprisingly went to lewis in korea): that man was putting his entire lewpussy into those quali laps; now the race, ladies and gents (gn) this is where it gets tasty and spicy and if you want a three-car fight for the win this delivers on all fronts and provides lewis at his very best this is it;

a small (but important) tangent: i do find it slightly disappointing when people overlook lewis’ 2011 season entirely because of his getting outscored by jb; yes, it wasn’t a clean season from him, he made a lot of errors in the races and it’s quite a frustrating watch in general as a lewis fan, but he also had some absolutely brilliant races (i also can’t help but point out a similar trend that has happened with his 2022 season);

but anyway, this is lewis vs webber vs fernando, mclaren vs red bull vs ferrari for the entire race; overcut and undercut strategies happening simultaneously, lewis’ racecraft and defence on webber!!!!, and featuring a great overtake on nando!

+ honourable mention: australia 2009 🇦🇺 aka icarus flew too close to the sun 

you’re prolly wondering why i’m including australia 2009, which is rather infamously known for ‘liegate’; but lewis’ (and mclaren’s) post-race shenanigans overshadow an actually brilliant drive from p18 to 4th (momentarily 3rd bc trulli got DSQ’d which was then reversed lmao; it’s a bit all over the place) in an actually dogshit mclaren that had no right fighting even for top 5; this is pre-upgrades wheelbarrow mp4-24, this is the stuff that makes the w13 look like a prima ballerina, well guess what lewis was the prima ballerina and was putting that mclaren in positions it really did not deserve to even bear witness to; and then there was a bit of a kerfuffle at the fia office (please read up on liegate it’s acc really funny, mclaren spectacularly shooting themselves in the foot 🙄), someone got fired, lewis disqualified, but oh well, shits and giggles innit (hindsight's a wonderful thing)

hope you enjoyed and i also hope this provided some inspiration for a rewatch :) 💜🏎️

[underatedwords]

notes from fp1 - baku

upgrades

aston reprofiled their rear corner to modify the flowfield at the rear of their car

redbull revised the geometry of their floor body to improve local and downstream flow

mclaren are running alternate rear wings, lando has less downforce on his

mercedes have reverted back to an older floor spec - the one that won silverstone

track action

ollie bearman in for kevin magnussen who has a one race ban

very mixed up session, w three red flags -> 21mins lost in total

track evolution is high, lap times will get much quicker as dust and leaves are cleared

lewis almost immediately reporting that his seat is hot, same issue they had in monza

lance reporting 'this is not a car right now' - clearly very unhappy

charles wide and over the kerbs at t16

red flag 12mins in, small piece of debris on track, perhaps from franco colapinto's car

esteban reporting no power, pulls in to pits and retires from session w/ a hydraulics issue

carlos off at t7, uses runoff to reverse back onto track

red flag 26mins in, charles into the wall at t15, too much speed on entry and clipped dust on inside of corner

red flag 41mins in, franco into wall at exit of t4 lost the rear on entry -> rear left took most of the impact, so potential for gearbox damage

yellow flag, alex straight on to the runoff at t4, similar to franco but he managed to bail out and avoid a crash

lewis locked up and went straight on to the runoff at t1 - lingering speed from the main straight

yuki complaining his car is 'bouncing like hell'

ollie bearman finished the session 0.162s ahead of hulkenberg

alpine used only mediums and hards -> all others used mediums and softs

six different teams in the top 10

most laps - daniel and ollie w/ 23

least laps - lance w/ 15, franco w/ 12, charles w/ 11 and esteban w/ 3

[lousycapy]

Where do we think Williams will end up in the pecking order for 2026? I’ll be honest they’re making me reallyyyy nervous right now 😅

The amount of crashes they’ve had in 2024 and the proportion of the budget they’ve had to spend repairing the cars is pretty scary. Not only because of the possibility they could’ve ended up over budget which is terrible considering that would entail a reduction in time of development of the next car (yk, just the reason why Vowles was ok with scraficing 2024 and 2025 so they could focus on 2026), but also because they need every second available to understand these new regulations now that they can work on them to have a chance this cycle.

Also, considering how much each driver ended up crashing I think it is fair to assume the car design isn’t necessarily the most stable and easy to control. That’s not reassuring at all for 2025 since by sacrificing 2024 and 2025 for 2026, changes on the car should be minimal leading to once again a difficult car to drive this season. And Carlos joining wouldn’t logically reduce the amount of crashes by the Williams drivers, because he also tends to be towards the top of the destructor’s championships. So car development budget goes poof 😬

Even if Mercedes pops off with their engine, Mercedes themselves as well as McLaren should undoubtedly stay ahead, and seeing Alpine’s evolution late this season (as well as their light spendings on car repair allowing more car development) I’d see them ending up ahead in 2026. All in all, I’m sadly not very hopeful for the Williams comeback 😔

I’d put them 8th in 2026. What about you?

[paddockanalysis]

🏆 2024 - Fourth Time's the Charm

Main post! 2020 2021 2022 2023

By 2024, Max Verstappen had firmly established himself as the benchmark in Formula 1, consistently outperforming his rivals and teammates. The season reflected Red Bull Racing’s continued excellence with the RB20, an evolution of the team’s already dominant platform. Let’s break down Verstappen’s success and its context in the wider competition.

Team Comparisons

Red Bull (Verstappen vs. Pérez) Verstappen’s superior adaptability to the RB20 was evident. While Sergio Pérez had moments of brilliance, his inability to match Verstappen’s consistency—particularly on high-speed circuits—left him as a supporting player rather than a challenger. Verstappen extracted peak performance from the RB20 in all conditions, benefiting from its improved aerodynamics and unmatched rear stability.

McLaren McLaren emerged as Red Bull’s closest competitor, thanks to major mid-season updates to the MCL60 that improved its cornering speed and tire degradation. Lando Norris displayed remarkable pace, particularly at the British and Singapore GPs, where his high-pressure battles with Verstappen proved thrilling. However, McLaren’s car lacked the versatility of the RB20, making them competitive only on certain tracks.

Ferrari Ferrari began the season with high hopes, but the SF-24 struggled with race pace and tire management, especially on high-degradation tracks. Charles Leclerc, while quick over one lap, couldn’t consistently challenge Verstappen on Sundays. Ferrari’s strategy missteps, reminiscent of past seasons, further compounded their struggles.

Mercedes Mercedes found itself grappling with an inconsistent W15. George Russell showed flashes of competitiveness, while Lewis Hamilton’s vast experience allowed him to extract results from a sub-optimal car. Despite their collective efforts, neither driver posed a serious threat to Verstappen.

Driver Comparisons and Defining Races

Saudi Arabian GP Verstappen’s victory in Jeddah demonstrated his tactical acumen and ability to withstand pressure. Facing stiff challenges from Norris and Leclerc, Verstappen’s precise defensive driving and superior race pace were critical.

British GP Lando Norris pushed Verstappen to the limit in a wheel-to-wheel battle at Silverstone. Verstappen’s ability to maintain composure under relentless pressure highlighted his mental resilience and racecraft.

Singapore GP Starting outside the top 10 due to a rare qualifying mishap, Verstappen climbed through the field to secure a podium. This race exemplified his calculated aggression and Red Bull’s race-day adaptability.

Sao Paulo Outlier

Alpine’s 2024 season exemplified the extremes of Formula 1 performance variability. Despite a largely disappointing year, the team achieved a remarkable breakthrough in one standout event—widely referred to as the “Sao Paulo outlier.” This race showcased a perfect storm of favorable conditions, from strategic brilliance to driver execution, allowing Alpine to capitalize on the unique circumstances. The event highlighted flaws in the Constructors' Championship structure, where a single exceptional result could disproportionately affect standings. This anomaly has reignited debates on the fairness and consistency of F1’s points system, with calls for revisions to better reflect team performance across an entire season.

Williams Fiasco

Logan Sargeant’s struggles at Williams culminated in his mid-season replacement by Franco Colapinto, an Argentine driver making history as the first from his country to compete in F1 since Gastón Mazzacane. Sargeant’s inconsistent performances, particularly in race craft and qualifying, left Williams seeking a more reliable talent. Colapinto, highly rated for his feeder series successes, brought renewed energy to the team and quickly demonstrated his potential with solid results. This transition symbolized the high-stakes nature of F1, where even slight underperformance can lead to drastic career changes.

📈 The Formula for Success

What changed after 2020? Red Bull and Verstappen identified their weaknesses and turned them into strengths. The cars became more reliable, faster, and easier to handle across varying conditions. Verstappen matured as a driver, evolving from a hot-headed talent into a calculated and relentless competitor. Perhaps most crucially, Red Bull’s strategic brilliance on the pit wall often outmanoeuvred competitors, ensuring they made the most of their opportunities. Max Verstappen’s dominance is a testament to hard work, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. His story continues to inspire and redefine what it means to be a Formula 1 champion.

Max Verstappen’s 2024 season was the culmination of talent, engineering excellence, and strategic mastery. By continuously evolving and learning from past challenges, Verstappen and Red Bull set a new standard in modern Formula 1.

Future changes may be made to this post depending on how Qatar and AbuDhabi GPs turn out.

Please don’t copy my work🙏

[f1crecs]

Fic Rec List - Our Favourite Fics

if your fic is on this list and you don’t want it to be, please let me know and we will remove it immediately, no questions asked. we have contacted most of the authors on this list, but sometimes people fall through the gaps - just pop us a message🤍

have a pairing you want me to do next? please read the faqs and then head to the inbox.

don’t forget to give the authors featured on this list some love in the form of kudos, bookmarks, and comments!

thank you to @talictries for this lovely, lovely ask - and for letting us share our little slices of fandom happiness!

I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce the new blog team. I hope you'll join me in showering them with lots of love! 🤍🤍🤍

Mark/Seb

nsfw: I Heard You're a Player, So Let's Play a Game by Tianvette | E | 88.8k @boxboxbrioche's favourite fic. Mark and Seb are teammates, navigating a complicated relationship. This fic is absolutely stunning! There are parts of this fic that are haunting, that I still think of often, a year after reading it for the first time. The evolution of Mark and Seb's relationship is, although messy and difficult, so natural and so well written. I come back to this fic so often - I must be on my fifth or sixth read. It's captivating.

'Turning twenty-three clearly hasn’t made any difference to Seb’s infuriating cheekiness but surprisingly, he finds his chest growing warm with something like affection, his annoyance melting away like snow in sunshine'

Lando/Lewis

1999, heroes by @lilcrickee | M | 36k @ocontraire's favourite fic Top gun au that explores power dynamics, both in the context of age difference and in the more rigid structure of the military. The dynamics between friends and rivals keep me coming back to re-read this one, as well as the messy, lovely unfolding of the main relationship

'And just like that, Lando feels the wind get snatched from his sails. His chest deflates like a balloon that’s been popped unexpectedly. The easy camaraderie that he and Lewis had shared most of the night feels like it’s been reset. Lewis is his superior officer. Lewis is 14 years older than him. Lewis is someone bright and unattainable and Lando should tell his heart to get a fucking grip.'

Charles/Pierre

Name It The Blood by @effervescentdragon | Not Rated | 23.5k @singsweetmelodies' favourite fic. Charles and George are nobility, and Pierre and Alex are their respective childhood best friends who love them - until Pierre and Alex both run away from the lives planned for them to become pirates. They reunite just before Charles is set to be married. This fic just has absolutely everything, from complex worldbuilding to pining (so much pining and longing!) to not-quite-doomed period romance to pirate shenanigans to heartwarming friendship moments, and it is all so so beautifully written! I reread this fic almost monthly, and there are many lines from it that I can quote by heart. It still makes me tear up a little, no matter how many times I've read it. Just an absolutely stunning fic, from start to finish.

“Tell me, Pierrot,” he says lowly. “What am I to you?” Everything, every part of Pierre screams instinctively. You are everything to me, the sun and the stars, the air I breathe, the beauty in every flower I see for the first time, the rage in every sea storm, the one I would get on my knees for and worship like a God, the reason for my existence, the love of my life, the best friend I’ve ever had. You are everything.'

Daniel/George

nsfw: my temple will be beautiful too by @notthehardtyres | E | 6.3k @lydia-petze's favourite fic. Daniel, in his second year at McLaren, is in crisis over gender and body dysphoria issues that have pushed their way to the fore. He finds somewhere to have a breakdown over it, which happens to be an empty meeting room belonging to Mercedes. George finds him there, and eventually reveals that he himself is trans. Narrowing down all the F1 RPF I've loved to ONE seemed like an impossible task, but when I laid out my favourites to make the attempt, this is the one I kept returning to. It's stunningly good. The language around bodies, and physical reality, and not feeling comfortable in one's own is evocative and visceral - as physical as the selves it is describing. There is a recurring motif of light and refraction, and how much it can change the way we see something, or someone. George's support of Daniel is quiet and steadfast. His decision to reveal his own body is based in compassion, empathy and deep trust. .

'They don’t hear George move, either—only the sound of his deep, regular breaths. Daniel matches that rhythm for a while until their heart rate evens out and the anxious nausea recedes. The one time that they lift their head just far enough to see, George looks stoic and serene, staring at the opposite wall. He hasn’t even gotten his phone out to pass the time. What faint light diffuses through the window blinds has a cool bluish tint, and Daniel imagines that they’re somewhere under the ocean, pressed pleasantly down by the weight of the water.'

Charles/Max

nsfw: objects in mirror by @drivestraight | E | 87.8k @blueballsracing's favourite fic. A series, in which Charles Leclerc decidedly moves to Red Bull Racing and copes with the effects of having Max Verstappen as a teammate, all while he's trying to win his first maiden World Championship. This series is one I constantly reread, because of the characterization and beautifully written moments of what having a rival and a lover is like. It's my favorite fic in the fandom, and I suggest reading the entire series.

“Max looks—his eyes are slits, and his hand is still firm on Charles’ waist. “What are you looking for?” There are a lot of answers to that question. A championship. Forever and always. A gap to overtake. The racing line. My brothers, to hold my hand. Papa, sometimes, when I’m standing up on the top step of the podium, looking out into the crowd and praying for a miracle.”

nsfw: breathe you in (like a vapor) by @fabbyf1 | E | 53.3k @frickinsweet's favourite fic. An enemies-to-lovers story of Max and Charles falling in love over winter break 2022. Choosing a favourite fic was such a challenge (it felt a bit like choosing a favourite child) – but since I could only choose one it had to be this one. Firstly, Fabby is a fantastic writer and I would rec every one of her fics if I could but this one is my comfort fic that I keep coming back to.

This fic has it all: misunderstandings, a Max that is a little bit obsessed with and unbelivably fond of Charles, a Charles having a bad time and in denial about his feelings, petnames, Charles being called pretty multiple times, bickering as foreplay – you name it, this fic has got it. Most of all I love the charactherizations, especially Max who is sort of a weirdo who cant read a room for the life of him but also refreshingly honest and unashamed about his feelings. When I first read this I was new to F1 and definitely not sold on Max/Charles but this fic showed me the light! Also the smut is superhot 🤭.

Charles suddenly snapped back into the present when Max asked, “Were you guys finished for the day? Or did you want to play doubles with us?” Charles turned to look at Arthur, giving him a look that only a fellow Leclerc brother could understand. He didn’t need to use his words. It was obvious that he was telling him: we are absolutely not going to play tennis with Max Verstappen. Arthur tilted his head at him, his eyes locked on Charles before he gave him a slight nod. Because he totally understood. It was so nice to have such a solid, strong bond with his brother. Leclercs were basically psychic! “We’d love to play doubles,” Arthur said, turning back towards Max and Brad. Charles wished he was an only child.