#so hyped for lewis starting at ferrari i feel like this is very much the energy we put in this

[pumpkinnning]

wrote 1644 for the first time with @12romy it's been a blast working on it and got me hype for writing again after a long slump 🥰

your crown of thorns, your sword of ages is a Fantasy Renaissance arranged marriage AU with drama, intrigue, mind games, messed up kinky fantasy catholicism, and two very clever people trying to out-manipulate each other and instead catching feelings in the most unfortunate way possible ✨️✨️ ft. squire Franco, unhinged Oscar, dead wife Seb, sapphic assassins, magic duels and much much more 🌹👑⚔️

hope you enjoy <3

[lestappenforever]

Is it almost 2:30 AM rn? Yes

Am I still hyped for Max? Also yes and I guess here’s my post race analysis for this rollercoaster of a race that (not just the race, but the while weekend since Friday) almost gave me a heart attack but we won’t get to that

Let’s start with both teams that were the most heart broken today. Ferrari pulled a pre-2024 today and honestly all weekend. It was evident in Charles’ radio all throughout and his reactions post quali and race. From not giving either drivers the extra set of softs or enough time in q2 to do a proper run, to a strategy today that did not make any type of sense, especially for Charles, like I couldn’t understand how and why and what were they thinking when fitting slicks when rain (granted it started as some showers then the predictions showed it was possibly going to be heavy rain) when anyone on that wall or in Ferrari’s operation room would have heard that all teams are telling their drivers to stay on the current inters or when the safety car was deployed for Logan, to change to a new set of inters because of the rain, hell GP told Max they might go on full XWets because of the way they saw the rain coming. But Ferrari did pull a disaster class this weekend. And honestly started showing the cracks, from unclear radio messages that Charles got mad at Bryan for to tell him how much he’s loosing, to the PU issue that cost him the chance to race even, to the strategy and the ridiculously slow stops Ferrari pulled. And to top it all off, Carlos crashes into Alex, and knocks them both out, while knowing Checo retired, and Carlos being lose to points that would have put pressure on Red Bull. Ferrari were truly Ferrari-ing this weekend by cracking under pressure, and they have no one to blame but themselves

Williams however, is a very VERY different story. The team was on the right track, Logan pulling some insane times in Q3 to be right behind the Ferraris, Alex making it to Q3, both genuinely fighting fir points and the cars looking somewhat good, which we haven’t seen much of this year, to a slip off the race line got him in the wall, and contact with Carlos caused Alex to crash, which is heartbreaking on a whole different level than Ferrari, and honestly I hope they bounce back.

Honestly speaking, I don’t know or have the slightest clue what the Saubers are doing, they are still pointless, still the bottom of the pack, and honestly you can just feel like the they are waiting for Audi so bad, and are just kind of giving up.

Alpine is coming in HOT. That car is starting to show speed, and not be the tractor we all saw at the beginning of the season, fighting for points, now 2 consecutive points finished for Pierre and the first double points for them this year. You could feel like they’re trying to get by, and their hard work is showing. Also Esteban Masterclass from P18 to P20 to P10, man was ON FIREE (now has more points to prove to snatch himself a seat next season)

Haas were mixed today, that start on the XWets by Kevin, who gained like 10 places in less tab 10 laps and Nico who was also gaining A LOT(though not as Kevin). But their strategy didn’t work today and that pit stop for Kevin was a disaster. Though they are still a team to be reckoned with especially with finishing P11 and 12, just missing the points, and still in contention for that midfield fight

VCARB showed UP today. Speed, present, strategy, present, the really high chance of double points, extending their lead and chasing Aston Martin even more, also present. But luck was not on Yuki’s side in lap 66 when he lost the car and almost crashed. But he had a really REALLY good race till that lap and so did Daniel, who got 4 essential points for the team.

Astons are there, are getting closer to the top, and were really good today, with the fight between Lewis and Fernando, that ended with the slight edge Lewis had with his better car, and Lance really good, gaining positions, and finishing his home race yet again in points, they’re getting there for sure. Also we love hometown heroes scoring at home.

Mercedes, welcome back to the top, it’s been a while. That updated cars looks so good, with the speed, and just how well both George and Lewis looked in this car, and how confident they both felt in it. George was an absolute beast all weekend and definitely deserved that P3, and tbh you could see he was disappointed because he had hoped for a better finish, but granted he did give Mercedes their best finish of the year. Lewis from the very start with the fight with Fernando to the fight with Oscar, and getting him, then the fight with George as to who will get the podium, granted George was on a faster tyre and was a bit better. But Mercedes for sure are on a right foot. And it’s not something we hate to see.

That McLaren (as a Red Bull fan myself) gave me a heart attach, man they are quick. But you could see, for sure, that their strategy wasn’t there today. Pitting Lando late both for fresh inters and slicks, then blaming the safety car, yeah it was on them. No one to blame but themselves since clearly they were the fastest car on track and don’t convince me otherwise. Oscar did really REALLY good, and I won’t blame him for the Lewis overtake simply because Lewis was on fresher tyres, but his race was so good today, with his constant battles with George and a potential if a podium. He was impressive. I won’t go into what happened post race from that team, but I am upset, simply because that team and that driver has been defended non-stop since the start, yet now is disrespectful of the suppoter.

Now last but certainly and definitely not least. Red Bull. First, I’d like to say very very clearly that this team has been the source if my insomnia and my anxiety since Friday, and today’s win will definitely be one that won’t be forgotten for a while. Fridays was scary after the ERS on Max’s car failed, which therefore limited his dry running. Checo did have multiple runs Friday and Saturday, but these tracks with kerbs (Imola, Monaco, Canada) did show he wasn’t 100% confident with the car. His source of stress is now removed with the contract extension and we have a triple header of classic race tracks, and from what we’ve seen so far, he’s excelled on classic track with 4/4 podiums in RB20-suitable tracks, so he needs to wake up. As for today, yeah, loosing grip and shunting the rear into the wall was NOT something that should have happened especially after he saw Charles DNF and a chance at getting closer, while increasing the team’s gap. He just needs to find the form of the beginning if the season, that’s the most important thing. Now for the man, the myth, the legend himself, the goat, the number 1 in this damn grid for a damn reason. FP1 consisting of like 5 minutes of running, 4 laps in FP2 for an electronic issue, FP3 just the proper runs he had. No worries. Q1, Q2, Q3 anxiety attacks from all Max fans to then Match the pole, but start P2 because it was set later. No worries. Not the best start because if the rain, then gaining but no DRS enabled to then be overtaken on DRS, to then gaining the lead and winning the race with a strategy masterclass (I mean you could see that because the Red Bull representative was one of the Senior Strategy Engineers) and CLEAR communication with GP. Helmut Marko said it, tracks and races like this, when the car isn’t the fastest and it just doesn’t seem to work as well as for others, we can rely on the Max Factor. He is the best driver on this damn grid and no one could convince me otherwise. Also, the team is his family and you could tell from his reactions post race. Protect him at all costs.

But yeah, Canada was actually the best race of the season in terms of racing honestly and so much has happened in just 70 laps. To then end with Max being the youngest driver to reach 60 wins (Lewis was 32, Michael was 33 when they reached this number) and the fact that Max is the kindest in the grid. And Now GIVE ME THE CLASSICSSSS

Just leaving this here. 👏👏👏

[vro0m]

wow youre very right about that kraken thing. another parralel i can draw from that is that the social media accounts of the teams play into it??

like, the kraken team’s tiktok played into the booktok hype a bit.

now look at how ferrari tiktok for example makes these thirsttraps (esp with charles who is RPF’s favorite)

i mean as long as theyre comfortable with it thats fine but what if they aren’t? what if they start getting harassed by fans? what if dangerous situations arise in the paddocks?

as much as i love most drivers on the grid, i think we should take a step back and realize these aren’t blorbo’s from your show or your favorite fanfiction characters, they are real people who have feelings. and girlfriends or wives.

All the teams use their drivers' qualities and persona as marketing tools, so yeah. Thirst traps, fun videos, badass edits, etc. Imo all that is fine as long as the drivers agree to it and I can't talk for them on whether they do or not. And they already get harassed by fans to an extent. I mean there's a reason why Lewis has a bodyguard with him everywhere he goes and Charles had to tell people to stop showing up to his house.

But this isn't specific to fandom culture. It probably intensified with F1's growing popularity but neither that nor the teams' social media posts nor the fans being too eager is brought on specifically by the RPF/fandom. This has always existed to some extent. But the content of the posts might be ultimately influenced by the fans because they know what get views and the fans might get more eager because of fandom culture and RPF.

What I'm trying to say is : there's always been fans who took it too far + fandom and RPF aren't inherently evil, but it's important to note and be mindful of the intersection of these two things aka fandom and RPF can push more fans to take it too far.

In any case it's everyone's responsibility. It's the official socmed accounts' responsibility to enforce healthy boundaries within their fan following. It's the teams' responsibility to protect their drivers and not make content that might cause them harm. And it's also the fans' responsibility to be respectful AND to make it clear collectively to fans who cross the line that disrespecting boundaries is not accepted in our spaces.

[presdestigatto]

Hey how long have you been following f1? I started following in 2023 and I honestly got so shocked about lewis coming to ferrari. I didn't even thought this would be a real possibility.

It made me pretty upset in general, because I kind of feel charles was cheated lmao. He is there working hard to make them succeed and now they just bring Lewis out of nowhere, paying huge amounts of money to him and making him the ambassador of ferrari.

And like I saw in some of your posts now everyone is already giving lewis the credit for all the changes. I even saw someone on twitter say that maybe they brought Vasseur already thinking on bringing Lewis, since they also worked together in the past. Like Oh of course who cares about chuck. In their minds its like these.

So even if ferrari gets better in the next years everything will be attributed to him.

This is why I kind of hope he doesn't win the wdc. Honestly, maybe its because i'm new in f1 but I don't understand the hype about him getting the 8?? Like he already have 7!!! Thats a lot. I would much rather see the young generarion getting titles. I know he wants to break Schumacher records, but it doesnt seem like such an important think to me? Feels more like an ego trip. And even if you break the record, its not like Schumacher its going to be less than an icon. Senna, Proust, Lauda nobody cares if they have less championships, they are icons. And who knows, a few years later another driver might break this record, so then what? (Kind of hope for max to be the one breaking just for the funsies, since he doesn't seem to care that much about status)

So yeah I think i'm a bit angry with this lol. Like Lewis got his time in dominant mercedes winning titles with Bottas as second driver. Max is having this right now with Checo as second. I wish charles could have this, not have another first driver fighting for priority in the team. And who knows if they're going to develop the car more to his liking than charles. Since they're giving him such a fortune

anon you come into my inbox with such bold and controversial words you are going to get me cancelled /j

i started following f1 in 2023 as well actually!! i was similarly shocked, but i’m chronically online and have family members who were in this longer than me so hopefully im caught up enough to respond to this properly. i don’t quite agree with the parts on Lewis and i’ll explain more below the cut

first, honestly i think its very fair to be upset for charles. in terms of public perception, the move does not currently reflect well on him and i’ve seen incredible amounts of slander, though that’s also on me for not blocking and muting enough, lol. the timing, after we all assumed the first driver war was over with the 4lyfe contract extension could actually not be worse and i believe that’s a big reason for the dismayed response. there are like ten thousand opinions on whether this is good or bad, im more inclined towards it being beneficial eventually because i believe charles can beat a 40yo lewis. i doubt i can add something that hasn’t already been said by countless others haha, this piece here is especially good. ultimately, the team dynamics of a ferrari 1644 pairing will be decided with their on track performance, so it comes down to having faith in Charles’ ability.

now onto Lewis, i’m actually quite invested in him getting his eighth, which is why i, personally, wanted to cry when i first heard the news. as for why fans want that eighth title for him so desperately- uhm. AD21.

additionally, we’ve talked a lot about the ferrari mythos, but Lewis’ personal brand also cannot be understated. for many, many people, Lewis himself is a dream. a black man from a working class background who uses his platform and prestige to advance inclusivity, having his name etched in history as the most successful f1 driver of all time is to me the best thing to ever come out of this racing series. i know its irritating to see Charles be dismissed like his past 5 years at ferrari is nothing, but that’s a fan response, likely not what’s happening behind the scenes, and it’s honestly very difficult to begrudge fans of a driver for wanting their driver to win more titles.

tbh, the hype toward Lewis’ move is in large part because of how successful his sudden jump to mercedes in 2013 was. there’s a belief that he can spot a competitive package before it presents itself, and i believe in it too. this also is a good thing for Charles. i think recency bias with regards to his bad luck and the frankly bizarre media favouritism shown to Carlos has made most people who don’t follow Charles like we do underestimate him.

lastly, no comments for the redbull situation and Max lol, but historically it isn’t true that a championship winning team needs to have a strong first driver and weaker second. one example would be Seb and Mark Webber in redbull. Mark Webber gets overshadowed a lot because of the 2010-2013 Seb dominance but he was a strong driver who helped redbull dominate those years. the other examples are actually all Lewis pairings, i think it’s recency bias again driving this narrative that Lewis had an easy time with his teammates. Lewis’ teammates have been like, incredibly stacked? let’s not engage in Nico Rosberg erasure even though he’s currently pretending like he has absolutely no stake in what’s probably the biggest move in Lewis’ career. there’s this post going around about how 1644 isn’t even a top3 Lewis pairing and unfortunately until Charlie wins that championship with ferrari i am objectively unable to disagree. before Lewis got Valterri as a teammate he was partnered with Alonso, Jenson Button and Nico R. he pretty much had incredible teammates for his first decade in f1. and we all know he rates Charles highly, so all respect to him for deciding to throw himself into a new challenge w ferrari.

i think actually the fact that pundits and reporters are suggesting this could be a all time great pairing is a sign of how highly Charles is rated even though he’s not a world champion yet.

at the end of this Lewis and Charles would have shared the rare experience of having multiple, multiple wdcs as teammates and that’s incredible. let’s not forget that Lewis named Charles as the young driver he sees the most of himself in. honestly, if i had to pick a world champ for Charles’ career to resemble, i’d rather it be Lewis who has come out on top of so many strong teammates than Max.

[pickingupmymercedes]

About the drivers in São Paulo, I don't know how it'll go with all of them but just to kinda correct you in some stuff.

Charles last year attended a few fans who were at the door of some restaurant he was in, also in the airport, it was so packed but he signed and took photos with everyone he could and he looked very tired, but was nice to people, so I don't know this fame about him not acknowledging the fans, he's one of the best in that regard.

What I heard about Ferrari drivers is that they don't attend fans in hotel, but to be honest, I agree with them is not the place, I appreciate Charles for attending in the restaurant, that I also think is wrong.

Also George, he doesn't do much but there were some fans at the entrance of their hotel and he got out of the car in the rain to take photos, so he's good too. Also, there was a group of girls from a project about girls in motorsport sort of stuff and all of them said he was very nice and funny.

About Lance, there's a bit of a situation, some Drugovich fans think he's impending Drugo to get a chance in F1, so there's some tension, the tv commentators even kinda trash Lance during the races, is truly disrespectful and unprofessional, last year he even got booed by some dumb people that kept screaming Drugo at him, so he might not be too keen to be part of it.

But seriously, I don't blame the ones that travel back just after the race, is the end of a triple header, they must be knackered and just wanting their own bed, F1 team doesn't know how to plan that calendar, we'll have a month break in sep-oct but two triple headers after.

Anyway, with the rest I agree, if Max participates it'll be a very awkward situation. But finally some action for São Paulo GP, it never had events on or off track and is one of the biggest fanbases of F1 that truly likes the sport for what it really is: a sport, not like US, for example.

Ah, in my last ask I forgot to mention Alonso, well he's only well liked by the old ones, Lewis fans, the majority in Brasil, don't like him, also last year he commented about the track not being F1 level because there were some screws in it, apparently,but doesn't complain about Las Vegas having uncovered manholes, for example. You know how we brazilians are, so some people are very annoyed with him, so idk how that might go.

Hii, so I'll start with YES! finally SPGP is getting events that are f1 related off track. It was due. And brazilians have been ongoingly getting the gp decently full through the last 20/30 years?! It still baffles me that newer circuits get so much more hype and attention?! (Maybe it's my bias showing)

As for the drivers, see I have a bit of a different view on that because I experienced f1 in the 2010's as well, before the last big boom, and also because f1 is not the only motorsports category I follow/have attended races.

I completely agree with there being boundaries (specially at hotels - and the likes of people booking rooms just to get access to the drivers?!).

But the 'fame' of drivers being in and out and not paying much attention is not only from last year, or from when Interlagos fell as the last race to a triple header. (Btw stopping to say hi or taking photos with fans that paid to get into the paddock is not what I was referring to)

Again, maybe I'm being biased because I actually got to meet Seb, Kimi, Alonso and Lewis outside the track, on normal settings (not waiting for them at restaurants/hotels). And some older family friends have met Niki/Hill/Raikkonen at bars in São Paulo and Schumacher running in Ibirapuera (Lewis used to run there as well in the 2010's).

And I know the profile of the average f1 fan has changed, a lot, and that includes how fans and drivers interact, but from people I know that have attended the races in the past years, there seems to be a common feeling of f1 personal not being as open to the fans in Brazil as they are in other places (bit of a change to how it was in the past).

Now, as for Drugovich, I really thought it was a given that people knew he never had a chance at that Aston seat?! Specially with all the investments into the team for their future years. Like, Lance has absolutely nothing to do with him not getting a seat in f1. (also, if there's ever a chance for Brazil to get another driver in f1 it'll be with Bortoleto).

[meaningofmotorsport]

Monaco Grand Prix Review

Even after all the hype and excitement for the return to Monaco, this race really was hard to watch you must admit, as there were barely any overtakes. That being said, we still have a lot to talk about, as the race has left the title fight right in the balance!

Red Bull needed this weekend, after not having an ideal start to the season, at least compared to what we hoped! Circumstances may not have been perfect on Saturday, however they were able to bring home a great result for the team, to lead both championships for the first time since 2013! This has been a tough track for Max in the past, often due to him over driving the car, however this year, despite his anger in Q3, he drove maturely to bring home his first win in Monaco. He and the team need to cash in on this momentum at Baku, where their flexy wings may aid them. If they can do that, Mercedes really do have a challenge on their hands! Brilliant pace and strategy on Sunday, really masked a poor qualifying for Perez, who was at the bottom of the top 10 on the grid. So, to get 4th, crucially jumping Lewis using the overcut, proves that his issues are more on one lap pace, than in the race!

Bittersweet day for Ferrari really! Starting with the tough bit, you do have to feel for Leclerc, to have his day end like that before the race even began! However, he has no one to blame but himself, as if he hadn’t crashed in Q3, there would have been no gearbox drama! This really is becoming a theme, of him overdriving the car and making mistakes, which he needs to tune out of him quickly, as Sainz is closing on him! Part of me is sceptical, about the explanation that Ferrari has given about the failure, they may just be covering themselves by saying it wasn’t the gearbox, as we have seen before Gearbox issues be hidden until the car goes on track! Even if that is the case, you can’t blame the team much for taking the risk, as starting 6th or worse would have ruined his day, so it was worth the risk. As for Sainz, he really showed what he could do on Sunday, as he put Bottas under pressure in the first stint, until he had his issue, before then chasing Verstappen, although he never had a chance at the win! With what happened to his teammate, this race will be a boost for his position in the team I feel. So, can Ferrari stay in the fight this year?

We thought that qualifying was bad for Mercedes, with them only 3rd and 7th, and assumed it would get a little better on Sunday! But no, instead both cars effectively went backwards, as Bottas, who was not looking too bad before his stop, was struck with more bad luck, as his front right wheel nut was rounded in the stop, so they could not get it off, which ended his race! That is truly galling, as this was his chance to show his worth in the team, and possibly get nearer the title fight, I hope he can bounce back soon! Then for Lewis, he was stuck behind Gasly for the entire race, because when they tried to undercut him, the tyre warm up didn’t allow him to get ahead of the Alpha Tauri. This was compounded, as Vettel and Perez could then lap faster then those two, and perform perfect overcuts, which left us with some entertaining Hamilton radio! I am still surprised how far off they were here in Monaco, at least with Lewis, it will be crucial for them to bounce back in Baku!

Norris had another solid drive, simply taking advantage of others misfortune, to get a podium in Monaco! There was some pressure late on from Sergio, however around that track, it would have taken a big mistake, to give the Mexican a chance! The threat posed by Ferrari for 3rd in the constructors is very real, and they should be well aware that the upward trend by the Maranello team, is faster than theirs! It is clear to see, that on power hungry tracks, the Mercedes in the McLaren has the edge, yet on slow speed tracks, the Ferrari chassis is better! Looking at the other side of the garage, Ricciardo did not need this weekend, after the promise we saw in Spain, let’s just hope this was a one off, as you would expect in Monaco!

Yet again, Aston Martin has done a brilliant job in the race, with 2 perfect strategies, to get Lance into the points, and Vettel right up towards the front! The battle between Vettel and Gasly was tight, and great to see, if we had seen it live! It does seem as though the low rake concept didn’t hurt them here, as it is lower speed and more chassis dependent, which allowed them to be in the fight! Will it be a similar story next time out?

At last, Gasly could convert his Saturday performance, on Sunday! It wasn’t easy either, as he had an angry Lewis all over him during the race. The car wasn’t super-fast, as it could be overcut by some cars, but this has brought them into the mix with Alpine and Aston Martin! Talking of Alpine, they have lacked pace all weekend, possibly struggling with the tyres like Mercedes did. Yet Ocon was able to find something, to nab a few points once again for the team. Unfortunately, they just cannot match many other teams around them, which is not good enough for a team of their size!

I will admit that I questioned the decision to keep Giovinazzi in Alfa Romeo for 2021, however he has shown his worth, beating Kimi, and getting the teams first points of the year. His move around Ocon was rather impressive, and somehow, we weren’t shown it during a dull race! Haas and Williams were back in their usual places, with George reaching Q2, but not being able to use it! Well done to Mazepin, who not only didn’t crash like his teammate, but also beat him in the race!

Despite a lacklustre race, Monaco does have a place on the F1 calendar I feel, as qualifying is the spectacle of the weekend! It really has been a crazy weekend, with so many storylines going on over the weekend, so I can’t wait to see what will happen next!

-M

[junker-town]

‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ is a perfect intro to the best soap opera in sports

The second season of the acclaimed Neflix show sets the stage for F1 racing’s future.

The second season of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive dropped on Feb. 28, and it’s just as good as the extremely well-received first season. Like any good Millennial, I watched the entire series in a couple of days, even though the new Formula 1 season doesn’t start until March 15. The ten half-hour episodes are extremely bingeable.

Eight teams get significant air time over the show’s 10 episodes. The big teams sat out last year’s show, but after seeing how successful it was, they decided they wanted in on the action. Ferrari and Mercedes feature, but just like Season 1, the really good stuff comes from struggling teams like Williams and Haas.

Notably absent from the show are Racing Point and Alfa Romeo, who almost exactly met expectations last season, and return the same drivers for 2020. The producers opted not to force any drama for those teams. Fans of teenage shitposter/Twitch streamer/McLaren driver Lando Norris will also be disappointed to see that he’s barely mentioned.

What’s missing is much less important than what’s in the show, however. Drive to Survive is still amazing, and a perfect introduction to the best soap opera in sports. Minor spoilers below.

Is it a reality show? Is it a documentary? I don’t know, it’s just really good

I’m not really sure how you would classify Drive to Survive. It’s definitely more documentary than reality television, though the interviews feel very reality TV-influenced.

No matter what you call it, the show is made by the level of access that the producers are granted. Because the teams are promised that the show won’t air until the season ends and the driver lineup for the following season is set, they’re free to be themselves. It doesn’t feel like any of the teams’ drivers or principals are guarded in any way. The result is a show that does a brilliant job promoting what makes F1: Off-the-track drama.

Formula 1 is basically WWE for rich Europeans. The races are hit or miss, but the politics and promos are the really engrossing stuff. If you watch an F1 race without any knowledge of its inner workings, it might not seem that interesting. But when you understand the behind-the-scenes ramifications of a result, a pass for 10th place can feel as important as a pass for first.

The show’s format lets viewers into this world by focusing on the narrative arcs of individual characters and teams, rather than telling a chronological story. And though the show jumps around the calendar, it isn’t misleading or confusing. I imagine this was a difficult choice for the producers, but they got it right.

Most importantly for the show’s purposes, F1 is also involved in the production, so it also works as an advertisement. Viewers are left with an understanding of multiple storylines and who to root for in 2020. I think it would be hard to come away from the show without wanting to follow a team or driver in the upcoming season.

It’s so painful when you know what’s coming

If you did not follow the 2019 F1 season, you will have a different experience watching this show than I did. But if you did follow along last season, you’ll find yourself saying “oh noooo” at the screen several times just before the big reveals.

The results of storylines involving drivers like Pierre Gasly and Niko Hulkeberg, and teams like Haas and Williams, are foreshadowed well in advance. The portions covering the deaths of Niki Lauda and Anthoine Hubert are probably more serious tearjerkers when you see them coming.

If you didn’t follow F1 last year and watch the show, let me know if the foreshadowing was obvious to you. I’m very curious.

Guenther Steiner is once again the best character

The breakout star of the first season of Drive to Survive was Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, a hilarious character who curses at his drivers and staff in ways that American football coaches would envy. English is not his first language, but he’s an artist with the f-word.

Steiner’s home life is presented in stark contrast to the way he acts on the track. He’s very calm and kind with his wife and daughter, and is presented as a loving husband and father.

But then he has to go to work and deal with the mistake-riddled work of his engineers and drivers.

“This is not a fucking kindergarten here,” Steiner says to his staff at one point. Following a collision between Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, Steiner delivers the best line of the series.

“Gene spends 100 fucking million dollars a year of his own fucking money,” Steiner says to his drivers, referring to team owner Gene Haas, “and wants to pull the plug and let everybody down because of two fucking idiots.”

Haas never really got better after that, but Steiner still has his job, as do Grosjean and Magnussen. Their owner has not pulled the plug, though he was unable to recruit a title sponsor to replace the ill-fated Rich Energy.

I have no idea how Haas will do in 2020, but I do know that Steiner will likely be the best character in Season 3 of the show, too.

I empathize so much with Claire Williams

Williams Formula One has won seven drivers’ world championships and nine constructors’ championships under the leadership of legendary founder Frank Williams. But their last honors came in 1997, and Frank’s daughter Claire has been tasked with turning the team around. Thus far, she has failed — Williams was by far the worst team on the grid in 2019 — and it’s impossible to tell if it’s because she can’t hack it, or because of circumstances beyond her control.

In the trailer for Season 1, Claire Williams said something that has stuck with me ever since I heard it: “Every day I break out in a cold sweat thinking, ‘do I have the skillset to do this?’”

This is something that I think a lot of women have felt at work. Plenty of men too, but this is disproportionately a female experience.

In Williams’ case specifically, she has reached the highest position of any woman in F1, an organization that has historically been outrageously chauvinistic. Her detractors will argue that she only has her job because of her father, and her supporters will argue that the most qualified and experienced team principal in the world couldn’t turn around Williams on F1’s lowest budget.

The show follows the Williams team as it fails to finish its car in time for preseason testing. Claire’s rage at director of engineering Paddy Lowe can be felt through the screen, even if she never raises her voice.

I’m not sure if she holds back because that’s not her personality, or because she feels like it would be deemed unacceptable for a woman to do so. When Steiner blows up and calls his subordinates “fucking idiots,” we all have a good laugh. I feel like the reaction would be a bit different if Claire Williams did the same.

“I don’t want to disgrace the Williams name,” Claire says in an interview. “I don’t want Williams to fall apart under my watch.” I wonder how often she feels powerless to prevent that from happening, even though she’s ostensibly in charge?

Leclerc vs. Vettel is the story in F1

In 2020, all eyes are going to be on Ferrari.

Last season, youngster Charles Leclerc signed on to represent F1’s most iconic brand. He knew he’d be a clear No. 2 driver behind four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. But as the season wore on, the pecking order got a lot less clear. As it turns out, Leclerc might be the better driver.

Vettel’s last world championship was in 2013, with Red Bull. He left for Ferrari when he felt like his old team was falling miles behind Mercedes, but he hasn’t been able to recapture his championship form in the famous red car. Following a couple of second-place finishes and preseason hype that he could challenge Lewis Hamilton, Vettel disappointed in 2019, finishing fifth.

Leclerc, meanwhile, exceeded expectations in his first year with Ferrari. Despite Vettel being given preferential strategy in multiple races — a huge point of contention that’s explored on the show — Leclerc outperformed his teammate. His win in Ferrari’s home race at the Italian Grand Prix was arguably the feel-good moment of the year, and he out-qualified Vettel on a regular basis. His fourth-place finish in the drivers’ championship, ahead of Vettel, suggests he should not have to defer to the veteran anymore.

But F1 is not just about who is better at driving. It is a competition that is equal parts skill, engineering and politics. And though Leclerc may be a better driver than Vettel, he’s no politician. Whenever he complains about fairness on the show, Vettel finds a way to take advantage of Leclerc’s naiveté.

However, that’s the only thing Vettel did better than Leclerc in 2019. If all things are equal, Ferrari is going to start siding with the younger driver sooner rather than later.

Drive to Survive sets up 2020 perfectly as the end of an era

This upcoming season is the last with unlimited spending, and most of the drivers will be out of a contract at the end of the campaign. There will be new car requirements for 2021 as well. For this reason, a lot of teams are treading water this season, putting their money into new facilities and preparing for when they are finally able to compete with Mercedes, the runaway leaders, in 2021.

It feels likely that this season will be a ceremonial victory lap for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes before things get tough in 2021. If the two championships are the only things that interest you, I regret to inform you that this F1 campaign is unlikely to be compelling. But in terms of long-term storylines and interpersonal drama, this is going to be one of the wildest seasons in the sport’s history.

Everyone is fighting for their livelihoods. No one’s job is secure. A great midfield performance could position a driver for world championship contention next season. George Russell will struggle to score a single point for Williams, but he’s still trying to prove he’s ready to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps at Mercedes.

The drivers’ and constructors’ championships might not be up for grabs in 2020, but the future of the sport is.

[meaningofmotorsport]

Portuguese Grand Prix Review

Once again, we got a race full of overtaking, with the DRS zones being the right length this year, leading to many close moments into Turn 1. However, it was tyre warm up which was so crucial in the race, and helped to shape how the race would finish!

The headlines may say that Lewis won comfortably, but there is so much more to the race than that, this was a race he really fought for, although he did have the fastest car! He may have let Max through at the restart, due to being distracted, yet he was able to put pressure on him, pass him, and then chase after his teammate, who sadly could not keep the pace up from Saturday. It was probably best not to pit Hamilton for the fastest lap, as whilst he has lost out on what could be a crucial point, it could have gone so wrong! His second win of the year does put him safely up front in the title race, however the threat from Red Bull is still clear, and he will need to keep on top form to hold them back! You do have to feel for Bottas slightly, he is trying his best, but he just can’t match the two drivers, who are easily up there as greats of this era!

They may not have had the fastest car in the race, however when you look at the progression from 2020, where Mercedes were dominant here, the improvements are clear to see! Obviously, they would have wanted to win, but as we head to circuits later in the year where the gap last year was more marginal, they could be fastest! Verstappen did all he could in the race, made the most of the restart, yet a small mistake as he tried to stay with Bottas, let Hamilton get a run on him, and he couldn’t fight back from there. The undercut on Bottas worked brilliantly, as would have the pitstop for fastest lap, but once again this weekend, he couldn’t keep it on the track! Considering their lack of straight line speed, Perez had an incredible race, as holding off those behind on both the start and restart was impossible on mediums, and with Lando’s Mercedes engine, he didn’t have much chance. Once he did get past though, he matched the leaders for pace, and only lost time when they undercut him, whilst he stayed out hoping for a Safety Car, and to hold up Lewis, otherwise it was really solid, and should build confidence in the car for him!

Yet again, Norris maximised his race, even when he was left out on mediums for so long, which teams like Ferrari really struggled on. I must say he was lucky though, to not be told to give the position back to Checo after the restart, as he went wide out of Turn 4, which you can argue allowed him to carry more speed and pass the Red Bull, but it didn’t matter much in the end. He really is one of the best drivers this year, close to Lewis and Max, given their mistakes! Ricciardo probably did all he could today, grabbing some points for the team, as he grows with them, and settles into the car. At this point, and I hope I don’t jinx them, it would be a disaster almost, if they didn’t finish third in the constructors!

It was a race of two halves for Leclerc, as on the mediums he couldn’t make much progress, and stayed near the bottom of the top 10. We were surprised that he pitted so early, but now looking back it was smart, as he was instantly gaining on his teammate, and then kept Lando under pressure for the rest of the race, adding to the team’s points tally. It was the same story for Sainz, with the halves switched around. However, because the second stint was longer, it really hurt him, and he dropped out of the top 10. This if anything speaks more as to how good Norris drove, to keep the tyres under him, especially as Carlos was chasing him early on! Nevertheless, Ferrari should be pleased with the pace, as attention has already turned for them to 2022!

When I said that Alpine looked good in practice, I was doubtful that it would translate into anything when it mattered, for qualifying or the race. However, I was proved wrong, as one car reached Q3, and both were storming through the field at the end of the race, especially Alonso. This was very much needed, after they struggled to get many points up until now, only helped by other people’s penalties! Their pace turnaround is a mystery to the paddock, but apparently good straight-line speed helped, which could be useful down the line. Once again though it is Ocon on top in the team, which I am sure Fernando is not used to!

Alpha Tauri were struggling all weekend, obviously the unusual conditions here did not suit their car, which after all the preseason hype, has not really delivered on the potential it has. It will come for them though I am sure! Tsunoda, after starting the year really well does seem to be struggling a bit, which can’t be surprising, given his lack of experience! Gasly did well to get some points, but 5 points does not show the pace they have!

With a more normal race, compared to the chaos at Imola, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo did not have much of a chance of scoring points! Although for Giovinazzi to beat both Astons’, really shows the gains they have made, as well as the step back for the Silverstone based team. Vettel is getting used to the car now seemingly, and apparently with updates coming, there could be light at the end of the tunnel for them! Kimi’s mistake of crashing into Antonio was clumsy, although with the complexity of the modern steering wheels, you can’t blame him much!

The ‘peaky’ car at Williams was not seeing many heights on Sunday, as Russell said it was horrible in dirty air, which caused him to drop like a stone in the early part of the race, from his amazing starting spot! So, it was a tough day for the team, however with the form they showed at Imola, there is at least hope of points this year! Haas should be pleased with the pace that Mick showed, as he held on to the pack pretty well, and was able to pass Latifi late on in the race. He is doing so well currently in that car, and given how he usually struggles in the first year in a new series, we could see even better things in the future!

This weekend has shown that Mercedes are not as bad as they claimed to be this year, and it will be all about making the most of opportunities that come each team’s way, as a couple of points could be crucial come Abu Dhabi! This means that points for fastest lap and sprint races, cannot be underestimated, in the longest season in F1 history!

-M