#redbull driver academy

[dedeinthewild]

pepe martì x reader, intrusive thoughts

~ from hand scribbles series (tell me an oddly specific situation/state of mind and I'll rec/write a fic about it)

"Oh—uh—sorry. Intrusive thoughts."

situation : do you ever think about how sweet and gentle the other person is when trying to match your height? and how much their neck just seems so kissable?

-Dos polos, por favor.-

The sun had been scorching all day, and although the beach wasn't noisy, there were a few kids playing with a ball, slapping the waves with bright, beautiful smiles. It was a special time in Barcelona, when most of the young people had gone on vacation elsewhere, and many families had decided to go to the mountains, leaving the beach almost empty, except for a few groups who kept the music low and spent the day enjoying each other's company.

She and Pepe had spread out a towel, dropping their things on the sand, quickly removing their shirts and shorts like people who had no other worries and diving into the water, holding their breath against the cooler September ocean.

The driver had come up with the idea to go to the beach when he brought her to Barcelona for one of the last Red Bull events he had to attend. She pretended not to love it, just to see the look on his face when he realized that she had actually enjoyed it—almost like it wasn’t clear under the sun how happy she was to watch him do his thing.

-Gracias,- he looked up from his popsicle wrapper, a half-step behind her, lingering on the warm smile the man behind the counter gave her as she tried speaking in their language—with those cheeks full of lightness Pepe dreamed of and those special eyes, tickled by the rebellious, salt-sprayed hair that fell over her shoulders.

-I may be envying your accent,- he teased with a gentle smile as they walked outside, the only sounds in the air, besides the distant music and the waves, being the crinkle of plastic as they tossed their wrappers into a trash bin, squinting at the sun that was starting to set, reminding them it was time for a snack.

-It’s the worst,- she laughed, standing beside him, the breeze from the ocean tugging her hair back, revealing her soft features.

-I think it’s cute, actually,- Pepe bit into his popsicle, careful not to let the sticky tropical flavor drip down onto his chin. It was his favorite flavor, one he’d loved since he was a child.

Pepe didn’t need to look at her. He had every detail of her memorized in his brown irises, and he knew exactly what was going through her mind at that moment. She had always been one of those people who cared deeply for the people around her, who felt most fulfilled when she could spend a simple, carefree day with them—talking about a childhood she could never get back and a future so close she could almost touch it. She was one of those people who craved moments, yet missed them while they were still happening. And there she was, standing, wrapped in a sarong around her waist—something she’d been insecure about many times, but with him, it was the last thing on her mind. She stood there, breathing softly, the breeze making the light fabric of her sarong dance, while the sunlight tinted her skin just a bit too much, making her think of how much she disliked the sun, but the smell of sunscreen made her feel at home.

He’d learned to appreciate that expression on her face, and it would always be magical to him. It was like the look on your mom’s face when you tell her about something amazing you’ve done, and she’s so proud of you it shows in every line of her face. Or the expression on your older sister’s face when you tell her you helped someone, and her pride radiates from her. It was like hearing a song too many times, but it always had the same effect on him.

-Say something in Spanish,- he told her, taking another bite of his popsicle.

-Why?- she asked, eating her popsicle slowly, trying not to make a mess with it.

-Because I like it,- he smiled, looking down at the little seashells at their feet, washed up by the ocean but left unbroken.

-Eres muy molesto, Pepe,- she laughed, looking up at him from the bottom of their significant height difference, making her already sweet face even cuter.

And she couldn’t say something like that to him, expecting him not to laugh at the obvious misunderstanding of the phrase in Spanish, which could easily be interpreted in a negative way.

-Pero te encanta, ¿a que sí?- he looked at her, with one of those laughs that made you want to laugh along, fixing his gaze on hers as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She had a little popsicle drip on her lips, looking so young.

-Tal vez,- she didn’t look away, biting the inside of her cheek to hide the smirk that was creeping up from her chest as she heard how Pepe’s voice dropped when he said that.

The air smelled like salt, and seafood from the nearby restaurants started to drift through the breeze, preparing for the evening’s service, while a group of boys a little farther down from them had grabbed a guitar and were strumming it, chewing on their popsicle sticks, improvising lyrics to a song they didn’t know by heart. And at that moment, she understood why the Spaniard felt at home there, why he loved coming here when he visited Barcelona. Because this place felt like youth. Like having too many worries, yet none at all. Like knowing what the future would bring, yet having no idea at the same time.

-Dilo otra vez,- he said.

-What, ‘maybe’?- she asked, as they continued walking, playfully nudging each other with their hands and feet, stumbling a little but laughing loudly in the middle of Barcelona.

-No. Anything. Just—keep talking,- he suggested, looking at the horizon, trying to let her know that he didn’t just like hearing her try to speak in his language. He loved hearing the way she finished her sentences with a slight question in her tone, almost as if asking for his approval, and the fact that it was her speaking made it even better.

She started saying something, looking down as she tied her hair with the elastic she’d kept in the crook of her elbow, her skin still warm from the sun, her voice growing more confident. But the ocean had other plans, and with the sound of a wave crashing against the pier, accompanied by the voices of the boys nearby, it stole her voice.

Pepe lowered himself slightly, bringing his face closer to hers so he could hear her better, with such a soft, disarming sweetness that it made her stop in her tracks for a moment, stealing her breath away with the minty scent of his skin. His slightly olive-toned skin highlighted his squared jaw, which wasn’t too prominent, and framed his face in harmony, along with his smooth, black hair that fell gently onto his pilot’s neck. The way he had crossed his arms behind his back, completely focused on her, letting go of the distance between them like there was nothing else but them at that moment.

And in that moment, it happened. Yes, it happened.

Her cold lips pressed just below his jaw, leaving a gentle, almost shy kiss on his skin. Without her thinking about it, dictated by the moment, and desired deeply.

-Did you just—?- Pepe froze, like a computer malfunctioning at the most crucial moment, the almost-finished popsicle stick in his hand, the sensation of cold still on his neck, making him lick his lips as he realized what had just happened.

-Oh—uh—sorry. Intrusive thoughts.-

She laughed, brushing away that tiny hint of shyness caused by the insecurity she’d always had.

Her eyes were happy, her body light, as though she wasn’t even touching the ground, while the breeze played with her sarong and the sunlight made her figure seem almost ethereal. She hadn’t thought about it. She hadn’t spent the last hour calculating the pros and cons, letting the fear of missing an opportunity hold her back. She had done it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Like walking. Like breathing. Like laughing.

-…Intrusive thoughts?- Pepe was failing to hold back his smile, still with a piece of his cheek between his teeth.

-Yeah! You know, like, sometimes your brain just—just tells you to do something, and you—- she gestured with her hands—and you do it before you can stop yourself? That. That’s what happened.-

-So just to clarify… your brain told you to kiss me and you just listened?- he asked, letting himself smile fully, not touching her as he wanted to, because everything he wanted to say to her was in his eyes, and the way they were looking at each other with such ease.

-Technically, I kissed your jaw,- she smiled, leaving a hint of her dimples on her expression, as she smiled genuinely, without worrying about having the right expression or holding back.

The driver shook his head, the guitar in the background strumming their soundtrack, as it captured both of them and wouldn’t let go so easily.

-I’m onto you,- he teased, while his mind replayed the image of her cool minty lips just under his jaw, so naturally that neither of them had realized what had happened.

-Oh yeah?-

-That’s so you,- he said, looking at her, trying to imprint on his mind the image of her on the shore, the sarong low on her waist, the black swimsuit hugging her in a way her usual clothes never did, and a few strands of hair tickling her forehead.

-So… do you get a lot of intrusive thoughts about kissing me?-

I do, actually. I mean, not with pepe, obviously, but he suited the situation I had in mind so well I could not let it go. I'm desperately longing to be loved, is that reflecting in my fics?

[aaron04jpg]

Chloe you will always be that girl

[n0vazsq]

just pics of hamda al qubaisi

i have more pics but i deleted them so let me just try to find them and add them back

deleted pics under this ::

and a silly moodboard i made for my fic!! (featuring hamda ofc) ::

[loganswdc]

every day i learn something new about logan sargeant and his racing career, not just about his performance in f1 but in f2 and previous series, too. and every day i end up so sad because he genuinely has so so much potential and can do so much but he keeps being give a poor hand of cards. this guy out qualified his teammate in f2 TEN TO FOUR. and who was his teammate?? liam lawson. liam joined redbull’s driver academy in february of 2019 while logan only got to join an f1 team’s driver academy in october of 2021. that team was williams. which, as we know, hasn't exactly been the best performing team in recent years. oscar piastri got to join an f1 team’s driver academy in january of 2020 (the renault sport academy, later rebranded as the alpine academy). liam and oscar both got the opportunity to do f1 tests for YEARS prior to their f1 debuts in 2023. liam had 4 and a half years of experience in f1 cars before 2023. oscar had 3 years of experience in f1 cars before 2023. even if it was just testing and practice sessions, it's still something.

what did logan get? one measly fp2 session, post-season testing, and then jumped right in to pre-season testing in 2023. he already had a seat in williams then, so with the experience from before the pre-season testing in 2023 he got to do maybe 800km of testing in an f1 car. the others — in this case i mean oscar, liam, and heck even nyck de vris — had opportunities to drive f1 cars and gain experience for YEARS before logan. if you look at nyck de vris: he got signed to the mclaren young driver programme in 2010. he joined the audi sport racing academy in 2016.  granted, he left the mclaren programme in before the 2019 season and left audi after the 2019 season, too. but he then went to mercedes as a reserve driver and tester for 2020 and afterwards. this means he got just about a DECADE AND A HALF of teams putting their time and energy into training him to join f1.

logan got a year. one. single. fucking year. that is entirely incomparable to the other rookies from 2023, who had so much more experience before hand. and yet logan was jumped into f1 and the expectations were so high for a guy who hasn't had the chance to train and learn and gain experience.

and yet when we look at the 2022 f2 season, logan sargeant, a rookie, was 1 point off from his teammate —the one and only liam lawson — scoring p4 in the championship. he outqualified his teammate 10 to 4. he was the first american to win an f2 race (that is, of course, following the rebrand from gp2 to f2, but regardless, that’s still an important thing to note and an achievement of his that should be celebrated).

logan sargeant has so much potential and if only williams would show him a little more faith unlike what they’ve been doing, if only they’d give him the same upgrades as alex, if only they wouldn’t force him to drive a car 15kg overweight from that of his teammate’s car, if only they wouldn’t force him to use outdated rear and front wings from the season prior. then perhaps he would have a chance to show what he can do. perhaps if he wasn’t stuck in a team with a crap car who have shown zero faith (which has been vehemently obvious since the circus in australia) in him and made him absolutely miserable, a shell of himself — which you can clearly see in recent interviews and photos of him — then maybe he’d be able to show how good he really is. and maybe if williams hadn’t been so adamant about taking him out of f2 so quickly and let him develop for one more year, we’d be seeing headlines that say “logan sargeant, first american f1 driver on the podium since michael andretti in 1993.” and perhaps we could even see him winning races.

no matter what someone says about his current f1 performances — though most base that solely off of where he ends up on the grid rather than looking at his actual driving and seeing how good he is as a driver considering the crap circumstances he’s in — logan sargeant is a better driver than what everyone says. he is trying so insanely hard to get a car that is miles off from the rest of the field to place as high as humanly possible. no one can say that if you put another driver in that car that logan is driving they'd be doing better than he is now. the fact is, they wouldn't be. he's been given an absolute tractor and is expected to score points when that car isn't built for getting in the points. and yet logan managed to get p10 in the miami sprint race — which should be recognized and commended. because he was in an awful car and he absolutely shined that day. that was just the start of showing what he could do. but he hasn't been given the same resources as alex, those being the upgrades, so what more can he do compared to what he's doing now?

and i am actually sitting here crying as i type this because this is a driver who is giving it his all even when the entire world is against him, even when his entire TEAM is against him, and he is persevering to the best of his abilities. and i know exactly what it’s like to sit here, wanting to reach for your dreams and show everyone how good you are, but to have only your closest friends and family on your side, rooting for you. what it’s like to look everywhere around you and see everyone calling you crap and saying you should quit and that you aren’t and never will be good enough. to look around and see your closest friends and family cheering for you, yet feeling like crap because you aren't doing as well as you would want, feeling inferior to everyone around you.

news flash: logan sargeant is and will always be good enough. he just needs the opportunity to show it, and williams is ruining that for him.

and yes, i will defend him with my life. people who try to say otherwise can try to do the same hours — the WEEKS — worth of research that i’ve done about logan and his career because he IS a good driver and HE DESERVES BETTER.

any hate comments towards logan will be deleted, because i have neither the time nor the energy to deal with that and argue with logan haters. i've said all of what i know and can remember about him and his career above, and will add what i can as time goes on and i remember something else or learn something new. if you have the time to hate on logan, you have the time to do your research and examine the fact that he has the potential to do well, but is not in a position for that because of the abhorrent circumstances he is currently in.

thank you for coming to my ted talk. edit: i'd also really recommend reading this twitter thread!! it goes into some more depth on logan and his f2 / f1 career, and even a little bit about his f3 career. it's very informative and articulates much of logan's career and why he is a better driver than many believe very well. https://x.com/herrocult/status/1795747913588761027

[chanelnumbermine]

2024 f2 boys when you’re on your period | f2 grid picks! x afab!reader

i tried to keep is as gender neutral as possible, i hope you enjoy! i’m still not over this season tbh, so this is me celebrating all the wonderful we made watching f2 this year! most iconic podiums, best battles and the most amazing lineup. it was a pleasure to enjoy this ride with all of you

pairing(s): ollie bearman x afab!reader, kimi antonelli x afab!reader, zane maloney x afab!reader, paul aron x afab!reader, pepe marti x afab!reader, luke browning x afab!reader;

warning(s): mentions of blood?, periods in general, maybe innuendo?

ollie bearman | prema—> haas f1

surprisingly shy about it!

doesn’t want to hurt you in any way, since you’re so sensitive and sore all over

figures its better to not say anything when you’re having an outburst

just watches you with puppy dog eyes and whisperes “can i do anything for you?”

you either burst into tears or scream at him for being so clueless and then also cry into his chest

so he just makes tea

he doesn't really know how to cook, but the british upbringing made him an excellent tea brewer

or so he tells you, knowing it makes you roll your eyes and chuckle

kimi antonelli | prema —> mercedes amg petronas

so so eager to do anything for you!

but kimi might be quite confused about things, especially if you have some weird cravings lol

he’s going to joke about those brownies or steaks, even if you get mad with him, he doesn’t understand he overstepped until you’re really upset with him

so desperate to get you to forgive him

my boy is panicking

turns into a real-life teddy bear

too scared to say anything and trusts that physical contact with do the talking for him

would put on your favourite movie and press kisses all over your cute face until you pout

"please don't pout, tesoro. can i do anything to make you smile again?"

zane maloney | rodin —> formula e

takes this time as an opportunity to get to know you even better

long talks when you can’t sleep bc of cramps and soreness

makes it a point to ask about everything and anything you might need during this time

absolutely ridiculously in love with you, this guy, i swear

has a list of things to do before you get your period

"why would you have a period tracker on your phone?"

he's totally unfazed if you scream at him, which angers you even more and then burst into tears, because why is he so??

he would kiss belly, especially if you're ticklish, just to make you smile a little

paul aron | hitech —> bwt alpine reserve driver

actually enjoys this immensely

he feels useful and that makes him feel good about himself and your relationship

snack run? watch him storm out of the apartment in seconds

blood stain? more than glad to wash your covers

takes this opportunity to bring more blankets and tuck you in

would go absolutely feral if you're particularly sensitive during this time

has to touch you all the time, just to make sure nothing bad happens to you

right? hm, sure. totally not bc he wants to see you squirm a little, nope

pepe marti | campos, redbull academy

resident boyfriend material

but so so smug about it!!!

would be disgustingly overprepared and proud of himself, bragging about what a great partner he is

especially if you get emotional about it (hormones can be rough ugh)

stops yapping once he realises you’re serious and in need some comfort

you’re in his lap in seconds, his warm arms hugging your frame

i would picture him shirtless, trying to give you as much warmth as he can as you cuddle into the late hours of the night

luke browning | hitech —> f2

that’s, my friends, a classic gentleman

he’s quite known for being close with his family, very down to earth, and mature

so i think that attitude would extend to taking care of you during those few difficult days

i picture him calling his mum to ask how to be there for you

he's very perceptive, any gaps in his knowledge are quickly filled by his keen observations and eagerness to learn

would search the internet for cramp remedies and end up with some oddly specific ridiculous one

it's either a miracle or a total disaster, but he manages to bring a smile to your face every time, so he's satisfied

let me know if you'd like more content like that or any drivers you'd like me to write for

masterlist

[willowsnook]

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live (MV)

Max verstappen x exdriver!reader

request from @jaematthews15 book quote prompts here

—------------------------------------------------

5 seconds.

That’s all it took for it all to be over. 

Years of hard work, relentless training, being told you weren’t good enough. The glory, the fame. It was all over. 

Two years later, you still had never gotten back into a racing car, and the memories of your last race still haunted you during long nights. The crash was similar to one Grosjean had had a year prior, and it was a miracle that you were alive. You were tired of hearing that, though—that you were lucky to be alive. 

You didn’t feel lucky. On those long sleepless nights, plagued by the what could have beens, you found yourself wishing that you would have just never opened your eyes. 

Per your manager’s suggestion, before he eventually dropped you, you took a sabbatical from work. Really, it was a sabbatical from life and it was still going strong even now, much to your family’s irritation. 

“This would be good for you,” your sister begged. You stared blankly at her from across the kitchen island, sipping on a smoothie you had made for breakfast. 

“I’m not interested,” you said firmly, to which she sighed. Susie Wolff was looking for someone to manage one of her Academy drivers for RedBull and had sent an inquiry to see if you would be interested. 

You knew your sister had been in contact with Toto's wife, and you suspected that Susie had only reached out because she felt sorry for you.

"Y/N, please," your sister pleaded, leaning across the counter. "You can't just keep hiding away in this apartment forever. It's been two years. You need to rejoin the world."

"I'm not hiding," you muttered defensively, though you both knew it was a lie. The blinds in your apartment hadn't been fully opened in months.

Your sister sighed, pushing her hair back in frustration. "Look, I know the crash was traumatic. I know you lost something that was important to you. But this—" she gestured around your sparsely decorated apartment, "—this isn't living."

The words stung because they echoed what you already knew. You set your smoothie down, suddenly not hungry.

“You want me to go watch someone else live my dream?” You asked harshly. “I’ll pass.” 

“For fuck’s sake,” your sister snapped, bringing her hand hard down on the counter causing you to flinch. She was the calmer of the two of you so this outburst was a surprise. “I’m done coddling you because clearly that isn’t working. You’re right, your dream is dead! It’s gone, and you aren’t ever going to get it back. And that fucking sucks and my heart breaks for you everyday, but it’s over. It’s time for a new dream.” 

It was silent once she was done; you were frozen to the spot. 

“Get out,” you seethed, and her shoulders slumped. She picked up her purse and headed towards the door, stopping to look at you over her shoulder. 

“Whenever you’ve decided to rejoin the world of the living, call me.” 

—-----------------------------------------

Your sister’s words echoed through your mind for the next week, and they were starting to eat at you because you knew she was right. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you dialed an old number, one that used to be the only person you ever turned to for advice. 

“Y/n,” Daniel answered. “What a nice surprise.” 

“Hi Danny,” you said softly., 

“It’s good to hear your voice,” he said and you felt tears filling your eyes. 

The next hour went by in a blink, Danny filled you in on his last season in F1 and you brought up the offer from F1 Academy. 

“Any of those drivers would be lucky to have you in their garage,” he said and you sighed. 

“I just don’t know,” you said. “I haven’t even been on a track since that day.” 

"Maybe that's exactly what you need," Daniel's voice was gentle but firm. "Sometimes facing your demons is the only way past them."

You traced the rim of your coffee mug with your finger. "What if I can't do it? What if I freeze up the moment I step into the paddock?"

"Then you call me, and I'll talk you through it. Or you leave and try again another day. But Y/N, you have to try."

The silence stretched between you, comfortable despite the years and distance.

"I miss it," you finally admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "Not just the driving. All of it. The people, the energy."

"They miss you too," Daniel said. "More than you know."

After hanging up, you stared at your phone for a long time before texting your sister.

Tell Susie I’ll do it.

—----------------------------------------------

A couple weeks later, you were in Milton Keynes, standing outside of headquarters, eyes locked on that car out for display that you could see clearly through the windows. This was just the first hurdle, it wasn’t even a track so it should be fine. But you still found yourself hesitating at the door. 

“Are you going to go in or what?” An amused voice said from behind you and you spun around, narrowing your eyes. Max Verstappen’s eyes widened in recognition but the easy smirk didn’t leave his face. “Ah y/n y/l/n, I heard you would be here.” 

“Max Verstappen,” you drawled. “I would say I missed you, but I don’t like to lie.” 

His smirk broke into a full-blown smile at your comment, “good thing the fire in you never went out.” 

You rolled your eyes and moved aside for him to pass through but his arm shot out as he did, dragging you through the entrance. “Max!”

“Don’t want to be late now, do we?” 

“What do you mean we?” You asked after you had yanked your arm back, but sticking close to his side. 

“I’m helping out with the Academy as a mentor of sorts,” he said. 

"Of course you are," you muttered under your breath, following him through the sleek hallways of Red Bull headquarters.

Your heart pounded as you passed the trophy cases, each gleaming award a reminder of everything you'd lost. You averted your eyes, focusing instead on Max's back as he led the way. He moved with the easy confidence of someone who belonged here, who had earned his place.

"So," Max said, slowing his pace to walk beside you. "How long has it been since you've been in a garage?"

“Two years,” you answered shortly. 

“What have you been up to since then?” He asked and you felt your cheeks redden, not even wanting to admit the truth. 

“Absolutely nothing,” you said, deciding to hold your head high. “This is step one of trying to move on with my life.” 

“I’m impressed. I would have taken another five years,” he said nonchalantly and you stopped walking, starting at him with wide eyes. “What?”

“Nothing,” you murmured before walking again. This was the first time anyone validated what you had done after your time was over. The first time you felt like someone could understand. 

Everything the media had said about the man next to you was true, he was a yapper which you appreciated going into this meeting. You didn’t even have time to think about being sad or scared because he filled the silence by bringing you up to speed on the technical aspects of racing that had changed. 

"...so they've changed the fuel mixture regulations again," Max was saying as you approached a sleek conference room. "It's all about efficiency now, which—" He stopped, noticing your expression. "Am I boring you?"

"No," you admitted, surprising yourself with the honesty. "It's actually helping. Keeps my mind occupied."

A small smile played on his lips. "Good. That's what teammates do."

"We're not teammates," you reminded him, but there was no bite to your words.

The corridor opened into a large conference room where several people were already gathered. Your steps faltered when you recognized Susie Wolff at the head of the table. She looked up and her face brightened.

"Y/N! Perfect timing." She crossed the room to greet you with a warm handshake. "Thank you for coming. I know this can't be easy."

You swallowed hard. "Let's just say I'm taking it one step at a time."

"That's all anyone can ask," she said, and the genuine understanding in her voice loosened something tight in your chest.

Max had drifted away to chat with one of the engineers and you felt yourself already missing his presence; he was a good foundation. As the meeting went on, you got more comfortable and met the driver you would be managing, Ava. It was nerve-wracking to meet her, all you could think of was how disappointed she must be, getting a manager who was a failed racer, but that was not even close to being true. 

“Oh my god,” she squealed. “I was so excited when I heard you agreed! I watched every Indy race you were in, literally every one. I'm pretty sure I still have your poster on my wall at home.” 

You were stunned for a second before smiling softly, muttering a thanks. 

“Seriously, I hit the jackpot getting you as my manager,” she said and you felt a wave of your old friend insecurity washing over you.

“But I never won a title,” you said meekly and she waved you off. 

“Dude, you were the only female IndyCar racer I had to look up to,” she said. “I wanted to be like you so badly, still do.” 

You nodded at her, overcome with emotion. She took your hand and squeezed it before leaving to go find Susie. Max was watching you from across the room, a small smile on his face.

—------------------------------------------------

Your first time back in the paddock was very difficult. It felt like your heart beat accelerated the second you were dropped off outside the gates, your breath shortening. Your palms were sweaty as you gripped your paddock pass, knuckles turning white. You tried to focus on your breathing, the way your therapist had taught you, but the sounds—the roaring engines, the squeal of tires, the mechanical symphony that once felt like home—now threatened to drown you.

"You're okay," you whispered to yourself, frozen at the entrance. "You can do this."

But your legs wouldn't move. Your vision began to tunnel, the edges darkening as memories of flames and twisted metal flashed before your eyes. Just as you were about to turn and flee, a hand landed firmly on your shoulder.

"First step's always the hardest," Max said, his voice cutting through your panic. He didn't ask if you were okay—you both knew you weren't—and you appreciated that more than any platitude.

"I don't think I can," you practically whimpered and Max turned you around so that you were facing him. His hands were rested on your shoulders as he stared into your eyes.

“This sport has already taken so much from you, it’s time you took some of it back,” he said, and you found yourself nodding. He slipped his hand through yours, and you felt your face heat from the action, but he didn’t say anything else, just started pulling you to the garage with him. 

You focused on Max as you walked through the paddock, trying to steady your breathing. By the time you reached the garage, you felt a lot calmer and almost excited. Almost. 

Ava was already in the garage, bright-eyed and eager in her racing suit. When she spotted you, her face lit up, and she waved enthusiastically. You managed a small smile in return, feeling like an imposter despite the warmth of her welcome.

"I was worried you wouldn't make it," she admitted as you approached. "First race day and all."

"I almost didn't," you confessed, glancing at Max who had released your hand but remained close by. "But I had some help."

The familiar rhythm of pre-race preparations began to unfold around you. Mechanics making final adjustments, engineers reviewing data, the controlled chaos that once felt like second nature. You found yourself falling into old patterns, checking tire pressures, reviewing strategy notes, discussing track conditions with Ava.

"The third corner's going to be tricky with this wind," you told her, surprising yourself at how naturally this was all coming back to you. “I’ll be on the radio with your engineers so stay calm and trust yourself. Your skill is why you’re here.” 

She reminded you of a younger version of yourself, you thought, as you watched her head into the final stretch of the race. Daring but calm, eager to take risks but never push it too far. As she crossed the line in second, you couldn’t help but feel a wave of pride washing over you. 

As the team erupted in celebration around you, your eyes found Max again across the garage. He wasn’t clapping like the others—he was just watching you, that same small smile from earlier still tugging at the corner of his lips.

It hit you, then. How present he'd been since you walked through the door at HQ. How patient. How… safe he made you feel. And something your sister had said came floating back:

“It’s time for a new dream.”

Maybe that dream wasn’t about trophies or checkered flags. Maybe it was just about choosing to live again. To risk something again.

Ava was being pulled in every direction for interviews and team photos, and as you stepped out of the crowd and into the quiet hallway beside the garage, you turned to see Max following you. He leaned casually against the wall, hands tucked in his pockets, like he hadn’t just helped pull you back from the edge for the second time today.

“You know,” you said slowly, brushing your hair out of your face and trying not to sound like your heart was sprinting ahead of you, “you’ve been kind of great.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Only kind of?”

You rolled your eyes, a smile playing at your lips. “Don’t push it, Verstappen.”

He chuckled. “So… what’s next for you?”

You looked down the hallway, toward the paddock entrance. The same path that had nearly sent you running hours ago. Then you looked back at him.

“I think,” you said, stepping a little closer, “it’s time I started living again.”

Max tilted his head slightly, eyes scanning your face like he wasn’t quite sure what you were getting at—until you looked him dead in the eyes and said:

“So… would you maybe want to go out with me sometime?”

His jaw actually dropped. The double world champion, flustered.

“You’re asking me out?” he asked, almost laughing in disbelief.

“Unless you’re saying no,” you teased, suddenly aware of how fast your heart was thumping.

Max shook his head, grinning. “No way. You can’t take it back now. You asked, I’m in.”

“Well,” you said, smirking as you started to walk away. “Good. Pick me up at eight.”

“Wait, tonight?”

“Max,” you said over your shoulder, throwing him a wink, “it’s time I started living. No time like the present.”

And just like that, you turned a corner—figuratively and literally—feeling lighter than you had in years.

Yeah. A new dream didn’t sound so bad after all.

[macknshift]

sadie rhode mackintosh . . . formula 1 driver dr.

THE BEST PART ABOUT SADIE MACKINTOSH IS THAT YOU'LL NEVER SEE HER COMING.

the then 21-year-old's second f1 win after fans believed she wouldn't even make it the rest of the season? in abysmal conditions in são paolo, brazil in 2024. the announcement that she would be the next red bull f1 driver? at the back-end of a season when we believed max verstappen would stay at red bull forever. that's her talent. a true star is born in formula 1 once in a millenium it feels like - the american did it in 2 seasons.

BORN TO INFAMOUS FERRARI ENGINEER jon and DAUGHTER OF FERRARI LEGEND CHARLES BELL marie, sadie mackintosh is TWO THINGS - born for this and ready for this.

driver for scuderia alphatauri, rookie class of '23, #29. 5 foot 10, darling of fashion house miu miu, part-time runway model. 20, only child, aquarius. monaco-based, austin-grown.

soundtrack of my life . . . 2 hands , tate mcrae. circus , britney spears. oh no! , marina. kiss it better , rihanna. vroom vroom , charli xcx. shut up and drive , rihanna.

STATS & THINGS . . .

scuderia alphatauri driver in 2023, oracle redbull driver in 2024-26, scuderia ferrari driver from 2027 forward.

winner of her first f2 season in 2022 with prema, sponsored by the redbull driver academy.

nicknamed 'speedy' for her aggressive attempts in overtaking & abnormal lack of hesitation. her other nickname, given first by will buxton 'drive to survive' is 'britney jr.' in her parallels with formula 1 champion and now monaco-based youtuber nico rosberg, (it's mainly the gorgeous locks lmfaoooo) as well as her apparent love for popstar britney spears.

races under #29, her grandfather, former f1 driver charles bell's old racing number. she is the only of his 5 grandchildren to race in any motorsport.

has been in 3 crashes as of the end of the 2024 season - twice in 2023 (saudi arabia w/ leo dempsey (#99, aston martin) & dutch gp w/ oscar piastri (#81, mclaren) and once in 2024 (silverstone w/ george russell (#63, mercedes))

as of the end of the 2024 season she has won 4 grand prix - united states (austin), brazilian, las vegas, and abu dhabi, all in 2024 within the last four races of the season.

is rumored to be in a relationship with aston martin driver leo dempsey. (allegedly they married after sadie's las vegas gp win.)

she has graced the cover of american vogue and modelled for several high fashion brands including miu miu (whom which she is an ambassador of), vivienne westwood, chanel, and most recently yves saint laurant. she is also the face of victoria's secret pink and has been gifted angel wings as a vs angel.

she and fellow f1 driver anna jones, as well as current head of f1 academy susie wolff, have received collector's barbie dolls as apart of the 'barbies in sports' collection by mattel (and none for danica nasty ass bitch)

⊹ ࣪ ˖₊˚⊹⋆ hiiiiiiiii (can y'all tell i love this dr) this is essentially my f1 dr intro!! i'm shifting to the beginning of 2023, right before my first f1 season begins! *side note if anyone wants the 'my first day' f1 template lmk! send me a dm or an ask and i'll gladly post it!* yes i stole hailey bieber's middle name. i thought being an f1 driver and having the middle name rhode would get me some aura points!!!! sue me!!!! the inspo to make this post obvi comes from tate mcrae's new song sports car (i looove tate & i actually scripted that i'm the stunt driver in her '2 hands' mv lol)

[thearchercore]

vcarb redbull academy drivers in the second row ready to take out lando to please christian horner and secure that red bull seat

[81pastrys]

The Other Verstappen

Part 9 / 10

Summary— She calls two people for help, but when the wrong person answers she decides then and there.

Warnings— plot twist ; Jos mention ; she makes Jos look like an idiot 🙂‍↕️

A/N— this is the plot twist we needed

Series List

Dividers @bernardsbendystraws

RedBull. McLaren. Pros. Cons. Neither weigh on her right. She listened to Charles, looked further into the teams. McLaren is screaming her name. She calls Max for a second opinion.

“I want to sign with McLaren.” She starts the call off. Max hadn’t had time to warn her that she was on speaker and Jos was present.

“McLaren?” She heard the voice. “What a disappointment.” The words seep through her skin. He spews more insults and words before she realizes, she can just hang up. She calls Lando, this time saying the opposite.

“I want to sign for RedBull.” Lando stays quiet a for minute before he hesitantly starts talking.

“Yeah? You thought everything over?” He wanted to make sure she knew what it entitled. “Either team will be ecstatic to have you, but I want you to be comfortable in your choice love.” Now was not the time for pet names.

“I don’t know if I can go a year without driving and watch you or Oscar throw your career away for me.” Her voice breaking on the other line. Lando let her words sink in. He knew it would never be him.

“If you don’t sign for McLaren they’ll find someone else, so either way we will be fighting.” He mentioned. “You can pick your poison, but I do believe you might regret going to RedBull.” She sighed and ended the call. She called her manager and told them her decision.

The next race weekend was all about her new contract signing. Call it propaganda, or lying, but they were all wrong when they guessed where she would go. The tip they all had gotten wasn’t exactly false information, but it wasn’t right.

During media she was all smiles and excited to talk about her move of teams. “Verstappen, you signed a new contract, what led to your decision?”

“Well when I weighed all my options, RedBull just seemed right. The car is made for a Verstappen so I think it’ll work out well.” She responded.

Congratulations were in order from other drivers and her team started planning a farewell party for the end of the season. The headlines reading ‘two Verstappen’s will drive for RedBull next season’ was a sight to see.

Lando wasn’t disappointed, but when he looked further into all the workers he thought RedBull would be more misogynistic towards her, disregarding that his own team didn’t like the academy drivers they had.

She had consulted with Daniel over the matter and he gave her a rundown of both teams. The main words she kept with her were ‘McLaren dismisses a lot of females’ and ‘Red Bull would have a full female team if they could’

Max was super happy for her, Lando too, he just didn’t show it as much as Max. Jos was absolutely baffled. He told the media she had signed with McLaren and now looked like a fucking joke.

“We’re glad to have both Verstappen’s on our team.” Christian had been saying all day. “I mean if one Verstappen is successful what happens when you put both in same car, you know?”

Ouuuuuu

@il0vereadingstuff @charlesgirl16 @angelluv16 @pandabiiissh @kallanfiona @itznotsophia @widow-cevans

[renarots]

You’re in a who loves lando more contest and you’re up against redbull

redbull wants lando norris so bad…they’re just like me fr

[dedeinthewild]

pepe martí x reader, botched haircut

~ from hand scribbles series (tell me an oddly specific situation/state of mind and I'll rec/write a fic about it)

"I have steady hands"

situation : she gets a botched haircut and wants to stay at home for months as she thinks it's the worst she's ever looked

When Pepe stepped out of his morning shower, the last thing he expected to see was her—sitting in her favorite armchair with a dejected expression, her hair, or rather, what was left of it, framing her soft features.

Her arms rested limply on her thighs as she stared at her phone, her full lips set in a pout, completely devoid of the smile she always had when they were in Spain together. The same smile that usually greeted him with the smell of pancakes when she didn’t sleep in late.

For weeks, she had been complaining about how her front layers had grown too long, saying she needed to trim them to feel like herself again, to feel even just a little pretty—because she wasn’t the kind of girl with untouchable confidence.

Pepe had been looking forward to the moment she’d come back from the salon beaming, twirling in front of him as she recounted everything that had happened while they were apart. But now, that vision felt far from reality.

“You’re back,” he said, leaning a shoulder against the wall of their Barcelona apartment, letting the towel slip from his hands as he finished drying his dark hair. He had spent the morning biking with an old friend, completing his daily training session.

“Guapa, hey,” he called again, nudging her shoulder playfully with two fingers. She looked up at him with the cutest pout he had ever seen, knowing full well how much she loved it when he called her that.

“Do you have a beanie in that pile of Red Bull merch you own?” she asked, biting the inside of her cheek, trying to keep a straight face as he studied her—his dark eyes, always so perceptive, already catching onto the way she was deflecting with humor.

“I think so, why?” Pepe asked, setting the towel down on the table in front of them.

She motioned toward her hair with a long, defeated sigh, bracing herself for him to either burst out laughing or—worse—tell her it was her own fault for being too picky and dramatic, like her mom often did without realizing.

But he didn’t do either.

Instead, he just smiled, stepping closer as he unwrapped one of their favorite candies and popped it into his mouth.

“What about that?” he asked, towering over her, looking at her the same way he always did—as if he didn’t see a lopsided mess of layers and botched bangs.

“Pepe…” she sighed. “Say something.”

He paused for a moment, rolling the candy from one side of his mouth to the other, hands on his hips, his usual infuriating kindness making her even more aware of the fact that her hair looked like something straight out of a Stanley Kubrick costume department.

“It’s different from usual, but it’s not that bad,” he shrugged.

“Then why does your face say something completely different?” she stood up, looking him in the eyes as he smirked, half-disappointed that she wasn’t glowing with post-salon confidence like those girls who walked out feeling beautiful enough to take over the world, but also entertained by how she was handling it.

“I’m not stepping outside that door for the next two months,” she declared, collapsing back into the armchair, throwing her head back dramatically.

“I won’t complain,” he chuckled, imagining how chaotic it would be to have her stuck inside with him for two whole months. “But I swear, it’s not the worst.”

“Yes, it is,” she groaned, throwing a pillow at him as he leaned against the coffee table, arms crossed.

“I look like I got stuck in a ceiling fan.”

Pepe couldn’t hold it in anymore. The way she said it, combined with the utterly defeated expression on her face, made him snort before he even realized what he had done.

“Did you just—did you just laugh?!” she gasped, throwing her arms up as if she had officially given up, resigning herself to looking like a complete disaster until her hair grew out. One thing was for sure—she was never going back to that hairdresser, who clearly missed their true calling as a construction worker.

Pepe tried to deny it, shaking his head, but the laughter was already bubbling up in his throat, his shoulders shaking, making it impossible to argue his innocence.

“Pepe, are you serious?” she tried to sound offended, but she was already on the verge of laughing, too.

“Listen, I’m so, so sorry, but the way you said ceiling fan was—” he lost it again, burying his face in his large hands, muffling another laugh as she glared at him.

“God, I can’t,” she muttered, hiding behind a pillow before Pepe pushed it aside, slipping between her knees and running his fingers through her hair as she pouted up at him, fully expecting him to take a photo and send it to Christian so they could turn it into a sticker for their group chat.

“We can always fix it,” he suggested.

“We? Fix it?”

He nodded, flashing that easy, confident smile, the one that made it clear he had all the time in the world for her. It was the relaxed, happy version of him—the one who wasn’t rushing to catch a flight or stressing over his next race. The one who let himself indulge in too many churros and spent time with the people who mattered.

“Pepe, you drive cars, not handle scissors.”

“I have steady hands,” he argued. “Precision. Good reflexes.”

“It’s not even nearly the same,” she scoffed, but she could see it in his dark eyes—that quiet, stubborn desire to see her smile, to make her feel pretty again.

“It won’t get worse, ojitos,” he murmured, wetting his lips as he twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers, noting how much lighter it felt—probably because half of it had been hacked off by someone in the middle of an artistic crisis.

“You say that, and I don’t quite believe you.”

“I’ve seen a lot of videos. I’ve practiced, too,” he assured her, trying to mask the bit of performance anxiety creeping in at the idea of actually following through.

“Fine. But if you ruin it—” she warned, pulling off her sweater so it wouldn’t get covered in stray hairs as he rummaged through the kitchen drawer for an old pair of scissors.

“I won’t.”

“If you do—”

“I won’t.”

“Pepe, listen to me. If you ruin my hair—”

“We’ll both get a buzzcut,” he declared, setting up a stool in front of the bathroom mirror.

“Are you crazy?”

“I won’t mess up, don’t worry,” he grinned, gesturing for her to sit down before dramatically mimicking a poor impression of Edward Scissorhands. It earned him exactly what he wanted—one of those smiles.

The kind that puffed up her cheeks and made the faintest hint of dimples appear, the kind that made her whole face light up.

Pepe circled her, assessing the damage. The hairdresser—or rather, the criminal—had attempted to give her layers, then suddenly decided to chop her front pieces into a thick, uneven fringe that made her face look rounder than it was.

“Ready?” he asked, running his fingers lightly along the nape of her neck, making her shiver.

“You’re literally just moving my hair around.”

“I got this,” he said, completely sure of himself.

And before she could fully grasp that he had started, she heard the sharp snip of the scissors, a chunk of hair falling away.

“What the hell did you just do?”

“Nothing… nothing bad,” Pepe said, eyeing his next move.

“Nothing bad is exactly what someone says before something very bad happens.”

She watched him through the mirror as he moved, noticing how he leaned in for better precision, how he brushed through her hair between each cut with a tenderness that almost made her forget to be nervous. It was just so him—the boy who always had a smile, who wanted the people around him to have one too.

“When my mom got older,” he started, setting the scissors down and picking up the hairdryer and a round brush, “and she wanted to go out, I always did her hair.”

He smiled, remembering all the times he had experimented on his mother’s blonde curls.

“She would sit down and let me do it, and even if nothing really changed, she was always so proud.”

It was so easy to get lost in the way he talked about his family, always with that deep, unwavering affection. Every time his fingers brushed against her skin—her neck, her cheek, her forehead—his touch was featherlight, as if he was handling something fragile.

And honestly? She wouldn’t mind if he always did this for her.

He was so focused, so dedicated, as if there were team principals from the most prestigious F1 teams watching his every move, as if he were in the middle of the most important lap of his life.

“Done,” he finally said, smiling.

She had been facing away from the mirror for the finishing touches, so he gently turned her toward it. Her hair was slightly tousled, just the way she liked it.

“Did I mess up?” he asked.

The layers were perfect—soft, voluminous, straight out of a Pinterest board. The bangs, while still short, were lighter, more flattering.

And there it was.

That beautiful smile—the one he always wanted to see.

The one that said, maybe I am pretty.

“Pepe Martí, you’re the eighth wonder of the world,” she said, running her fingers through her hair.

He stepped closer, resting his hands on her shoulders and pressing a sweet kiss to her cheek, heart full at the sight of her happiness.

“I just wanted to see you smile,” he murmured.

“Still want that beanie?”

When I said oddly specific situation, this is what I meant. Two days ago I went to the hairdresser and she decided, without asking me prior to the cut, that I would look good with obnoxiously dense bangs. The result? I don’t wanna go out for at least two months…

[aaron04jpg]

CHLOE CHAMBERS POLE POSITION

[silentreigns]

So now that Japanese media is reporting what we have been speculating, I need people to stop blowing smoke up Yuki fans' asses. Yuki never had a shot at RedBull and he knew this the whole time. The second Liam stepped into that car in COTA, he knew he was getting that RedBull seat in 2025.

The media were trying to sell that his aggressive and reckless driving during COTA and Mexico's weekend was a good thing. "Oh he can race against the best that's why he should be in RedBull next year". Well his racecraft is still shit regardless. Alonso and Checo have both went on interview to say that Liam was going about his driving the wrong way. I know some people have their opinions on drivers, but when they openly call someone out you should take their words seriously, because they don't really do that as often. They know a lot more about what's going on in interviews but don't go into details because it's really none of our business.

During the early phase of the season, who was the midfielder after Alonso with the most points? Yuki. And he had the most points during the time where all the teams were negotiating their lineups for next year. So yeah teams were interested in signing him. Yuki probably got very far in contract negotiations too. But there was just one problem: RedBull didn't want to release him. I've been seeing a lot of people question why didn't RedBull release Yuki if they didn't have plans to the promote him. My hypothesis on why this is very simple: RedBull wanted money. That's usually the answer to why things go the way that they do. RedBull wanted a midfield team with less resources and money to pay them generously for Yuki. Because cash is king. Now we do not know how much money RedBull was asking for to release Yuki, but we can guess that it was a lot. And there's about to be a new set or regulations implemented in 2026. Teams cannot afford to spend an excessive amount of money because they have invest that towards developing the cars for the upcoming year. If a team had bought Yuki out, they may not have enough money leftover for a competitive car. It's not a risk worth taking if they have drivers in their academies who could take the seat for a cheaper price.

So if you see me tweaking out about this potentially being Yuki's last full year on the grid, please understand my thought process. If teams didn't want to spend a lot to buy his contract out this year, I doubt they would do it next year. I need to make another post why I think the "Yuki to Aston Martin" thing has little to no chance of happening. Because I think people haven't really thought this situation through and are just parroting what they've read online.

[papaya-queen]

Soo I was looking at the future line up possibility for Prema… I thought I could share my thoughts.

Ollie Bearman – Announced to drive for Haas F1. Pretty predictable after his performance in Jeddah. Baky confirmed that he is ready for F1 and for the car he’s gonna get.

Kimi Antonelli – Announced to drive for Mercedes F1. It was almost certain with Toto pushing him. I’m kinda worried we’ll end up with a Logan type of situation but I’m still confident in his skills.

Arvid Lindblad – Announced to drive for Campos F2. It appears that Redbull Junior team and Campos have some sorts of arrangements so it’s a logical thing.

PREMA 2025 LINE-UP

F2

Gabriele Mini – Remarkable drive this season, I’m still gutted about the championship. Prema will likely keep him.

Dino Beganovic – I know it’s unlikely, the streets are saying that he’s going to less expensive team because of a lack of fund. But Prema might still try to keep him since they don’t have anyone else to sign in F2. (I’m trying to manifest it)

F3

Rafael Camara – He is absolutely crashing the FRECA championship so it’s just a logical step up for him. Plus, the Ferrati Driver Academy seems to be close with Prema.

James Wharton – He is in a really good position in the FRECA championship and has already made his F3 debut.

Alex Powell/Freddie Slater – Okay so this the complicated part. Freddie is MaxVerstappen2023-ing the Italian F4 championship and should go directly to F3. But he doesn’t have an academy backing… I think it’s by choice and good for him but without an academy backing him, trying to skip a level might be hard. So, my second guess is Alex Powell. Mercedes junior since a long time, he made his debut in single seater this year in Italian f4 and has shown really good results. He has multiple podiums in overall championship, several rookie wins, he is now leader of the rookie championship and 5th in overall. For comparison, Arvid Lindblad had 8 rookie wins, 4 pole positions and 6 wins in the whole season. Right now, with still two rounds left, Alex has 8 rookie wins, 5 podiums and 1 pole position. My other argument is that Mercedes might not want two drivers in the same championship which leads me to the next point.

FRECA

Rashid Al Dhaheri/Kean Nakamura Berta – Rashid had a good performance from him in F4. Good contender for a freca seat. Kean also had a really good performance especially for a rookie and with the help of Alpine he might go up.

This is where it gets complicated again.

Doriane Pin and Maya Weug could continue F1A since they are only in their first season. But they both had FRECA experience (Doriane currently, Maya in 2023 plus a round this year), and looking at their results in F1A this year, they could manage a transition towards FRECA. Doriane is likely to do so, continuing with Iron Dames or maybe switching to Prema. Maya could maybe transition with PREMA also.

And this where my point from earlier could take place. If Doriane continues in FRECA, Alex might not be on the FRECA line up especially if she continues with PREMA. Mercedes might not want two drivers in the same championship.

So third seat, either Alex Powell/Freddie Slater– So for the first two it’s the same argument as before. Freddie might not be able to jump directly to F3 and Alex might go here if Freddie get the seat.

F4

Honestly here guys, I have no idea. Tomass is likely to stay maybe with Kean and Dion. Prema might do the same as they did recently with Oleksandr Bondarev and bring Luna Fluxa in after she turn 15.

F1 Academy

Tina Haussman – Likely to stay for a second season. She hasn’t had the best luck in this season so she couldn’t prove her talent.

Nina Gademan – she’s likely to take a seat in F1A after her impressive debut.

??

So yeah, that was my little rant about Prema. Feel free to reblog or comment to add your opinion.

[blorbocedes]

nico saying toto should pump the brakes on the antonelli train is interesting to me, because when max arrived at 17 after 1 year in single seaters, his direct quote was “it’s very young, but i think we will be ok”

i think the change in attitude can be attributed to nico becoming a father and the retirement giving an outsiders’ perspective

or, alternatively, nico is under the delusion that merc is still a front runner, not a midfielder team, and believes that kimi shouldn’t go and develop there, because merc is too good 💀 (i have not forgotten when he said that there are 2 legendary teams everyone wants to driver for: ferrari and mercedes)

I also think it's because nico knows exactly the pressure that's going to be on kimi. his bench mark is max verstappen. max verstappen who won his very first race the second he got in a top midfield car

when max came on the grid, it was very much a surprise but he was signed to toro rosso, at the back of the grid. the drivers were reacting to the novelty of having someone so young on the grid, not the expectation that this is going to be a serious contender in a single year.

when nico tested for williams he was 17 too, and at that time the youngest ever driver to ever drive in an f1 car. so it's not like he's against young drivers on principle.

the question is not should a teenager be in an f1 car, which it was in 2015. we already had 18 year old Ollie Bearman in the Ferrari, and he's being angled for a seat in Haas.

the question for kimi antonelli is, is he the next Max Verstappen. I will be the first to tell you that Merc isn't a championship contender team anymore, but the Redbull of 2016 is comparable to the current Merc -- and verstappen won the very first race he got in that car (after he got a year's worth of practice in toro rosso, which is why nico also suggested kimi goes to williams instead of directly to merc). that is a VERY steep mountain, to replicate the results of a generational talent. Nico knows personally when you're put on the grid with that much hype behind you -- being a son of a world champion it's sink or swim. that's a lot of pressure on a kid, esp one nico has known since he was a literal child in his karting academy

and yes, I'm sure being a dad has also shifted in perspective in the what the hell a 17 year old is a CHILD direction.

as for the legendary teams comment, he's a born ferrariboo and he won his championship with merc so of course he has the worlds rosiest coloured lens there

[cecoeur]

it's honestly poetic how daniel and max were helmut's last successful juniors lol

But I don’t think you can really even count max in that. He wasn’t part of their academy and they got lucky because they had an F1 seat to offer when Mercedes was also interested. He was a Redbull “junior” for like a week in 2014 before they announced he’d replace JEV in Toro Rosso for 2015.

Daniel is probably the last driver their junior program produced who had success in the senior team.