#spanish gp 2013

[kwisatzworld]

David Emmett: “This is a question for everyone — it is quite a difficult question. Last week Jason Collins, an NBA player, admitted he was homosexual. Now there have been are no openly homosexual MotoGP riders. I want to hear your thoughts on why that is not the case. Are people afraid of coming out as gay, or are you all just more really interested in women?”

*laughter from the crowd*

Cal Crutchlow: “Should I go first?!”

*more laughter*

Cal Crutchlow: “Sorry David I’m off bounds — I’m nearly married. That’s all I have to say…I don’t know. I don’t think it matters, you know? I think this sport is about racing motorcycles. It’s never came out that anybody is gay. But maybe there are some, just hidden in the closet, I don’t know. Maybe I’m sat with one of them. I don’t know.”

Jorge Lorenzo: “For the people who ask me on Twitter, or whatever, if I am gay this is the time that they will know I’m not gay. I respect the gay people. Of course, there is no problem.”

Nick Harris: “Marc?”

*more laughter*

Marc Marquez: “I think it’s not a problem. I have a big respect for everybody, and everybody have a different personalities. Not a problem.”

Andrea Dovisioso: “I never thought about that, that some riders can be gay, but I think for everybody it would be not a problem. But, it is difficult to think. I don’t know why. But…”

Stefan Bradl: “Maybe if it makes faster we will think about it…”

*laughter from the entire room*

Stefan Bradl: “But so far I don’t have the experience. I’m not gay also. But for sure I respect the guys that are gay. They are also normal person.”

Scott Redding: “Yeah, same for me. I’ve been with a girlfriend for a long time now, and not really thought of going the other way so. Again, respect to everyone, and it is what it is.”

[umseb]

sebastian vettel, p3, in parc ferme after qualifying, spain - may 11, 2013 📷 sutton images / motorsport images

[racingliners]

F1 Re-Watch 2013: Round 5 - Spain

Okay slightly longer than usual opening ramble bc this is a really sentimental race for me. As mentioned in previous posts, I grew up watching F1 with my Dad but stopped when he passed away in 2007, then at some point in early 2013 I heard one of my friends in High School talking about F1, and I mentioned that I used to watch it, and she insisted on dragging me back in (10 years later, I am indeed still here).

Because of the TV rights deals in the UK at the time, the BBC only had rights to show half the races live, with the rest being extended highlights programmes. So when I invited my friends up for a sleepover, we planned it for a weekend that the BBC had a live race, which just so happened to be Spain, and that ended up being the first F1 race I’d seen since 2007 with my Dad.

I remember almost nothing from it, apart from Alonso winning, because my friend spent almost the entire race telling me who everyone was since there had been a lot of team and driver changes for me to get my head around. So I’m looking forward to actually paying attention to all the on-track action! 😅

not gonna lie, for the above reasons this is one of the races I was most looking forward to, so I really hope this race wasn’t a flop dvdhfvuhdf

Starting grid time!

or more appropriately starting grid whiplash bc MERC FRONT ROW?! With a Rosberg pole?! My dudes how did you bottle that

Seb P3 (🥳), Alonso P5, Dan and Jev 11th and 12th and Jenson 14th (😭)

tag yourself I’m Seb pulling his helmet visor down when he realised the cameras were on him divhdfsu

[Formation Lap]: lol that shot of the Mercs with their yellow helmets, it really was a challenge every Merc onboard to figure out which driver was which 

Tyres: Mediums and Hards were the compounds for this race.

“They’re [Mercs] going ridiculously slow again, tell them to hurry up” asuvhsduvah I really do miss bratty team radio Seb

and after all that the rest of the grid are taking their sweet time to line up on the grid

F1 is a Serious Sport™️

[Start/Lap 1]: Lights out and away we finally go

ohhhh Seb takes Lewis into turn 1!

...ouch and then Lewis loses P3 to Alonso in the next corner

and Jenson dropped from 14th to 17th 😭

F1 giveth and F1 taketh away

[Lap 3]: Okay we had a spicy first 4 corners and then nothing

DRS please save us

sjdvjvahvh not the camera shot of the massive queue behind Rosberg encompassing 1st to 6th 😭

[Lap 4]: Seb’s gaining but not by that much

[Lap 5]: gap now 8 tenths of a second

I know I’m only a tenth in but I fear this will be my shortest liveblog post ever

[Lap 6]: ...anyone care to do anything???

ah so Lewis has some kind of brake issues due to the double lock up at the start, great

there go my hopes of a Lewis podium :(

[Lap 7]: DRS trains be DRS training... no overtakes

I love how I hyped this up for sentimental value and I have this

2013 me was clearly won over by the sight of F1 cars and F1 cars alone sdjkvdfjvds

ugh Raikkonen passes Lewis.

[Lap 8]: oof Webber makes his first stop. Comms are talking about a potential 4 stop race.

Four pit stops

That is highkey insane ngl

Anyway, the gap between Seb and Rosberg is still around 7 to 8 tenths

And Lewis drops down to 6th 😭

[Lap 9]: oh now the gap between Seb and Rosberg just over a second. great.

aw no Grosjean’s car’s broke :(

“I can see a car that’s not going back out again” Ted please know that I adore you

[Lap 10]: Anyway, Alonso and Lewis make their first stops

[Lap 11]: as do Rosberg and Seb

rats, no position change at the stops

argh and Alonso jumped Seb bc of the undercut

[Lap 12]: vsdvhadvh Gutierrez leading the race bc he hasn’t stopped yet

Sauber literally stay winning, good for them

and we’re once again back on the Rosberg DRS train, there’s about a second and a bit between 2nd and 5th

[Lap 13]: And Alonso takes P2 going into turn 1 and takes the effective race lead

Seb tries it around the outside at turn 5, no dice

...but he takes P3 at the next corner 🥳🥳🥳

[Lap 14]: Gutierrez pits from the lead (a sentence I did not think I would be typing today)

lol I wasn’t even paying attention to tyre compounds. Rosberg is on the hards while the cars around him are on the mediums, which explains a part of the pace difference.

[Lap 15]: Massa is somehow in P3, I’m pretty sure he already stopped so it must have been early

[Lap 16]: Man it feels so wild to hear comms and Ted talking about a 3 stop race vs a 4 stop race bc even in 2014 that didn’t happen. Like if a driver had done a 4 stop race in the 2014 regs you knew they’d had a very shit time 

Anyway, long story short Pirelli make better tyres challenge

[Lap 17]: Anyway, Checo is chasing Webber down, he’s on fresher tyres and seemingly having a much better time of it judging by his race engineer.

[Lap 18]: Dan up to 9th from starting in 12th, noice

meanwhile Mercedes have gone from having 1-2 on the grid to running 5th and 10th... ouch

the regs change glow up they had really was something else

[Lap 20]: Oh the duality of Dan in the Toro Rosso chasing Perez in the McLaren for 7th place. Great for Dan, not great for Perez

[Lap 21]: I did not even notice that Alonso’s gap was up to 4 seconds. oof.

ah, and he makes his second stop and comes out in 4th

“Alonso committing to a four stop, could be five but I doubt it” That’s a totally normal sentence to say Ted

as interesting as it is not quite knowing how things will play out, it’s frustrating for it to be down to tyre life as opposed to the actual pace of the cars

[Lap 23]: And van der Garde brings his Caterham into the pits on 3 wheels 😳

this is a totally normal race

[Lap 24]: and Seb makes his second stop, onto another set of hards

[Lap 26]: Lewis just dropping down the field like a stone this does not spark joy

and he finally pits again, though he comes out in 14th

*sigh* at least Seb’s up to 4th

[Lap 27]: Make that third now that Raikkonen’s stopped

[Lap 28]: Starting to wonder what kind of hex Fernando put on the rest of the field bc he’s driving off mostly unbothered while hardly anyone else is having a great time with simply trying to manage their tyres

[Lap 29]: Oh it’s a Ferrari 1-2, I swear I keep forgetting that Massa’s there

[Lap 30]: Bono asking Lewis to look after his rear left and Lewis going “I can’t drive any slower” ...and to think they’ve gone on to win 6 titles together

(also wow I just made myself emo about that 🥺😭)

[Lap 32]: oh my god finally a battle!

...it’s Raikkonen trying to get third from Seb though

[Lap 33]: and he gets past coming out of turn 2

meh

In Merc news their simulations are currently saying that Lewis will manage to finish in 5th so... that’s certainly something

(are they delusional? we’ll find out very soon)

[Lap 35]: also we’re FINALLY past half race distance

I’m starting to see why my friend was so happy to explain shit to me at the time bc this race is definitely not it

“This is worse than anyone expected” I know Brundle’s talking about tyre wear but it could also be applied to the race

aaand replay of Hulkenberg and one of the Toro Rosso’s having beef in the pitlane 🤦‍♀️

it was Jev too... is2g

[Lap 37]: Anyway the Ferrari’s have pitted again, there was a big enough gap for them to safely double stack

[Lap 39]: And Alonso retakes the lead

not Jev having a rear tyre delamination 😭 why did F1 hate him so much?!

Pirelli I know it’s been 10 years but you can and will meet my fists

[Lap 40]: Seb pits again, back down to 4th

[Lap 41]: a positive!!! Jenson takes P7 from Gutierrez

oh Jenson’s yet to make his third stop never mind 😭

I’m pretty sure at the time that I was so excited to see that Jenson was still racing that I decided to support him anyway regardless of where he finished, 2013 me was committed to suffering as a sports fan before I knew what that meant

[Lap 44]: Despite the fact I keep forgetting about Massa he’s 8 seconds behind Raikkonen and lapping about a second and a bit per lap quicker

[Lap 49]: welp I zoned out but the only meaningful update was Raikkonen’s third and final stop, and he’s catching both Ferrari’s who sound like they’re going to stop again

[Lap 50]: and right on cue in comes Alonso, he comes out in the lead, so the win is his

and Lewis is still in P11 😭

[Lap 52]: Seb makes his final stop and he’s in 4th so likely no podium

[Lap 54]: Jev being called in to retire the car, this race has not aged well for me 😭

[Lap 58]: I hate to say it but... I’m bored 😭

there’s no racing no battles it’s just a procession I cannot remember much past the first lap

[Lap 61]: The only tangible stuff going on is Massa trying to catch Raikkonen and a potential Button v Perez round 2 electric boogaloo

[Lap 62]: 5 laps remaining, finally

[Lap 63]: dfvbjkdfvbd GP getting a bit shirty with di Resta about using his DRS

oh and the McLaren’s were told to hold positions, so no McLaren on McLaren violence today.

[Lap 65]: Okay the Rosberg v Di Resta battle is actually somewhat interesting viudhvu

both fighting for P6 and for the right to be the first Merc powered car across the finish line

              2013 🤝 2023 Team Silverstone vs Mercedes 

[Lap 66]: Final lap, at last 😭

“It’s not been a great race” Oh you can say that again

[Finish]: And Alonso wins, it’s so wild that this is still his most recent F1 win.

P2 Raikkonen, P3 Massa, P4 Seb, P5 Webber, P6 Rosberg, P7 di Resta, P8 Jenson, P9 Perez, and Dan takes P10

Well, it’s interesting how time and sentimental attachment can change your view on things. When I watched this race at the time I was just so in awe to be watching F1 again and now I’m very, very non-plussed and can’t wait to go to bed jfvbfvhsh

Anyway, it was nice to see it again at least, for the above mentioned sentimental reasons. Next race - Monaco!

[iceman7raikkonen]

[leclucklerc]

Hard Carry CL16 - 04. Life of a Party

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x driver!reader

Summary: More fateful encounters happen and y/n attended a party where she accidentally met Ferrari's next golden boy

Word Count: 5.2K

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Drive to Survive season 1, episode 3

It’s all about Porsche

“2018, is an interesting year for Formula One,” started Will Buxton in the dark interview room. “After all, this year is the year where Lewis Hamilton can tie the race towards driver championship.”

A montage appeared after that, of Sebastian Vettel winning the championship from the year 2010 to 2012. Then, a montage of y/n winning the 2013, 2014, and 2017 championships was also played. The last montage to be played is of Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 and 2015 win.

“This year, there are many world champions racing in the grid,” continued the man as clips of all previous champions, such as Fernando and Kimi, played across the screen. “It’s a whole lot of talent, a whole lot of ego.”

Clips of crashes or swear words being yelled out across the driver’s radio could be seen.

“But amid such talented drivers, the three standouts that people think will win this year’s championship.”

A clip of Sebastian Vettel being interviewed appeared. The man is wearing the Ferrari team kit, completely bathed in red. 

“Sebastian,” asked the interviewer. “Do you think you will win this year’s driver championship?”

“Yes,” answered Sebastian Vettel.

Another clip of Lewis Hamilton being interviewed appeared. Same as Sebastian, he’s wearing a white Mercedes team kit.

“Lewis,” started the interviewer. “Do you think you will win this year’s driver championship?”

“Yes,” answered Lewis Hamilton.

And finally, a clip of y/n l/n being interviewed appeared. The woman is wearing Porsche’s team kit, bathed in black.

“Y/n,” said the interviewer. “Do you think you will win this year’s driver championship?”

Y/n stared at the camera. “Yes,” she answered, fully confident.

The screen turned towards Will Buxton in the darkroom once again. The man is staring straight at the camera, too, sounding fully convinced. “This year, the battle between the three world champions will be intense.”

Y/n is leading the driver’s championship, and yet Porsche is not leading the constructor championship.

How absurd, she sneered internally.

This circumstance almost makes sense, considering the crash that y/n and Henry did back in the Spanish GP, Mercedes managed to overthrow Porsche’s reign as the number one in the constructor championship. A sour feeling made its way into her mouth. It’s unfair to put a big expectation on a rookie driver who is still in the process of adjusting their way into Formula 1. It’s a bit unfair to have a too big expectation for a driver who is still doing their first season in Formula 1.

And yet, the female can’t help the annoyed huff that she lets out. At the start of the season, y/n had vowed to make Formula 1 a place where rookies can thrive. A place where drivers can continue to develop themselves without any oppressing external force. However, she really couldn’t help the annoyance that blossomed inside of her chest.

This year, Porsche has an amazing car. A really amazing one. It’s fast – faster than any other car on the grid.

So, it should be easy for Henry to at least stand in third place.

But no, the little shit is currently barely at the sixth place of the driver’s championship.

Truthfully, during the start of the season, the woman really doesn’t have any bad blood with the younger. While it’s true that she was a bit wary, considering how bad her past teammates were, she just saw him as a starry-eyed rookie driver. A young driver plucked straight out of F2.

He’s green. He’s naïve. It’s clear that his racing experience dwarfed by y/n’s. She was prepared to guide him throughout the season, hoping that she’d give Herman one less headache by finally managing to have a teammate who would last more than one season.

But no, the little shit just had to act like a little shit.

Fucker, she thought, as she closed her phone and continued her walk towards the meeting room.

Inside, Herman is already there, talking with someone through the phone. Henry and his manager, too, could also be seen talking about the papers in front of them. Not caring, y/n immediately announced her presence by opening the door to the meeting room loudly.

Glancing up, Herman murmured a goodbye before giving her a nod. “You’re here,” said the man. “Good.”

She laughed at that, “Am I late?”

“No,” replied the German, glancing at the clock. “We’re just early.”

Y/n knows that she’s 5 minutes late, but whatever.

“So,” said the team principal, turning towards where the two drivers were sitting. “We have Monaco next on the calendar,” said the man.

“Home sweet home,” whistled y/n. “You are thinking of moving to Monaco too?” she asked, turning her head towards where Henty sat.

Henry clearly didn’t expect that she would address him, the younger man flinched a bit in surprise. “Sorry? Ah- yeah, Monaco. The country,” He stuttered.

“Half the grid lives there,” said the woman. “You know, no taxes and shit.”

The man nodded at that. “Oh… yeah, I was thinking about it,” said the man. “I’m- well, we, me and manager – are going to look into some apartments a day before practice.”

Y/n nodded at that. “You know the good neighborhood already? I mean, it’s not a big country, but there are some places where the real estate prices are actually worth the money.”

Henry gave her a small nod at that. “I researched it already,” he answered. “And my manager came from Monaco, so I’ll put my faith in him.”

“Good for you, you got a hefty signing bonus, eh?” asked the woman playfully.

“Well-“

“As I was saying,” cut Herman, gaining both of their attention once again. What an attention whore. “Monaco is next on the calendar. I just want to remind the both of you that we didn’t have significant upgrades on both of your cars, considering the tight time frame.”

They both nodded.

“That’s why I expect the both of you to be already familiar with your cars during practice, especially you, Henry,” said the team principal, turning his head towards where the younger sat. “In Monaco, qualifying is important. Because of the narrow roads, almost no overtakes usually happen during the race, so I want you to gain a top-three finish in the qualifying.”

Henry balked a bit at that. “Top three? I-“

“No excuses,” said Herman, tapping his iPad. “We’re behind Mercedes right now. If we want to be number one in the constructor, we must gain as many points as we can immediately.”

The kid looks constipated. People like to point out that y/n is a bad teammate, that she’s the driver killer. The bitch who waved goodbye to all of her past teammates on top of her carefully built tower.

What they forgot to point out is, well, Herman, too, is a bastard.

Which makes sense, considering he is the team principal of Porsche, the team that always races for championships. The man needs to be a bit of a bastard sometimes. If it means that he has to put massive pressure on a rookie in order to win the constructor, Herman will absolutely do it.

What a unit they both have. The bitch and the bastard of Porsche.

“… yes,” said the kid, finally. His throat bobbed nervously. “I’ll- I’ll try my best-“

“No,” said Herman again. “I don’t want you to try, I want you to show your best,” said the man. 

The already chilly meeting room turns even more cold at that demand. She could see Henry’s eyes waver at that, going back from where Herman stood to where y/n sat. The woman merely gave him a shrug, not helping him the slightest. 

Said kid frowned at that, though he let out a nod.

“And as for you, Y/n,” said the team principal, addressing her. “I expect you to get pole.”

She grinned at that. “I’ll get pole then,” said the woman. “Just for you, babe.”

Herman rolled his eyes at that. “Please,” groaned the man. “And you’re leading the driver championship, good. The gap between you and Hamilton is big; please keep up with that. Also, please keep in mind that Hamilton, too, will vying to be number one, possibly to tie the number of world championships that the three of you have.”

Y/n nodded at that. Both y/n and Sebastian are tied at three world champions, while Lewis is trailing at two. There’s no doubt that the Mercedes driver desperately wants to tie that championship number. 

“Sebastian is pretty insistent, too,” muttered the female. “Ferrari is really fast this year.”

The older man nodded at that. “And I don’t think I can say this enough,” said the man. “But I don’t want what happened at the Spanish GP to happen again,” he said. “At all.”

“Yeah, yeah,” drawled out y/n. “You got that, Henry?”

“Y- yeah.”

“Good,” nodded the man. “Now I want to talk about some upgrades that had been installed on your cars-“

Y/n blanches at that.

Monaco is home.

While it’s true that she was born and raised in France, the moment she got her first real check from Formula One, y/n immediately bought an apartment in Monaco. She didn’t really have any reason to move to Monaco back then, there was just some kind of itch under her skin when she saw the sum of money that she got when she signed that Porsche contract.

Maybe it’s her desire for freedom, to finally leave her childhood home. Maybe it’s just her impulsiveness, not really caring where she lives somewhere in the world. All in all, it had been a correct decision back then, considering that, well, a lot of the drivers lived in Monaco. It’s also a tax haven, which helps considering the hefty sum she got from Porsche.

All in all, her decision to move to Monaco years ago is something that she will never regret. It’s a beautiful country with beautiful weather. She loves going to the sea, just sunbathing under the sun before walking around the shopping district, ready to spend an unfathomable amount of money on bags.

That’s why every time the Monaco GP comes around, she can’t contain her excitement.

After all, she’s finally home. She can sleep on her bed, work in her private gym, doesn’t have to see prissy drivers 24/7-

Y/n stopped on her jogging track.

“Charles?” she called out.

The male, also equally startled as her, stopped on his jog. “Y/n?” he said, almost choking on the water bottle that he was holding.

A smile appeared on her face. Charles is a nice guy, after all. He was a bit skittish, but he had been a sweet guy during their previous encounters. “Oh, you’re in Monaco already?” she asked, giving him a fist bump. “Didn’t expect anyone to arrive here this soon.”

“I live here,” he blurted out, eyes widening a bit before he added, “I mean, I’m Monegasque.”

She blinked. “For real?” she said. “I thought you were French.” The last part was spoken in French.

“I mean, I do speak French,” replied Charles, also in French. Y/n thinks that this is the first time that both are speaking in their mother tongue. “But I was born and raised here.”

“Oh my,” said the female as both fell into a light jog. She could see the sea beside them as they continued their path through the uphill. “It’s not every day that you’ll see someone that’s actually Monegasque.” 

Charles laughed at that. “There’s no way you’ve never met a Monegasque before. You lived here for a few years, no?” At this, he blinked before a flush overtook his face. “Wait- I’m not a stalker or anything, I just know that you’ve been living in Monaco because of some news articles- “

“Eh,” chuckled y/n, amusement evident on her face. “You’ve been following my career, huh?”

He didn’t answer that, though he did speed up, clearly way too embarrassed to answer that question. Y/n let out a laugh as she also tried to increase her pace. It flattered her, really. Most of the newer drivers don’t really wear their emotions on their sleeve like Charles is, so it’s a bit hard to tease them.

“Oh, are you a fan?” she said. “I remember Herman did say that you asked to meet me during the pre-season testing- “

“Okay!” Yelled Charles, face red. “I am a fan! Stop embarrassing me- “

Y/n laughed at that, putting her arm around Charles’ shoulder in a friendly gesture. The man is taller than her, so it’s a bit of a struggle, but she still manages to do it. “Aw, that’s sweet,” the woman crooned. “Want an autograph?”

She didn’t think that Charles’s face could be any redder, but the man spluttered before he, once again, tried to jog past her. It soon became a little game of tag, where Charles tried to speed off, and y/n caught up to him with an easy grin on her face.

What was supposed to be a light jogging session became a full-blown one as both she and Charles wanted to be the first ones who backed off. During their mini-game of tag, she could feel some fellow joggers raising their eyebrows and staring at them. Confused why two adults would chase each other on a hill in Monaco.

The game ended when y/n finally caught up to the male, slinging an arm around his shoulder once again to make sure that the man didn’t run off again.

“Fuck,” she wheezed out as her hair stuck towards her forehead. Y/n feels sticky. The woman certainly didn’t expect the light jog that she intended to become a full-blown marathon in the hills of Monaco. “I win.”

Charles, also panting, doubled forward as he regained his breathing with his hands on his knees. The motion almost made y/n stumbled, though she managed to regain her footing at the last minute.

“Yeah,” he said between his labored breathing. “I think we should stop.”

At this, they caught each other’s eyes as silence fell between them. However, it soon was replaced with the sound of loud laughter from both.

She can’t believe this. It’s been years since she did a game of tag – something that she didn’t even do during her childhood years, considering how busy she was with karting and everything – and she just played it with someone that she barely knows.

It was a bit odd how Charles could bring out her lighthearted side.

They decided to sit near the edge of the hill overlooking Monte Carlo. Charles did offer her his bottle of water, something that she was grateful for, considering that she forgot to bring her own.

“So, it’s been a few months,” she started, handing the bottle back to Charles. “How is F1 so far?”

“Great,” replied the man before also chugging down the water. Y/n took note of the indirect kiss, though she didn’t make a fuss about it. She’s not in middle school anymore, after all. “It’s all I’ve been dreaming of.”

Y/n hummed. “So far, you had a pretty great season, I’m glad,” she answered. “Still in Sauber next year?”

Charles tilted his head at that. “Well, that’s the plan, yeah,” he answered. “But it’s still early in the season. Who knows what will happen.”

“Ah, you’re expecting other teams to reach out?” she asked. When she said that Charles had a great season, she was not lying. After all, from her observation, Charles managed to maximize the hell out of Sauber’s car – even outperforming his much more experienced teammates.

She knows that the bigger teams have started to set their eyes on Charles’ potential. Porsche included.

Y/n had seen the way Herman watched Charles’ performance. She knows that the man is considering all kinds of possibilities for the better of the team. She knows that a talented rookie driver – still naïve, doesn’t have a strong personality, talented as hell – is practically equal to gold in Herman’s eyes.

Charles Leclerc is one hell of a driver.

An image of Charles in Porsche’s driver’s suit appeared on her head. Hm, she thought. That’s not a bad look.

“I’m not expecting,” answered Charles. “I know they will.”

A bark of laughter appeared in her throat. “You’re really confident, huh?” she said, grinning. 

“I think a Formula One driver has to be confident,” replied the man. “I’ve tried to show the teams my best. I can only hope that it’s good enough for them.”

“I see,” she said. “And you think it’s good enough?”

“Well, it’s only the start of the season,” shrugged the man. “But so far, it has been growing great.”

She laughed at that. “That’s nice,” said the woman, leaning back on her hand. Her gaze dropped towards the view of Monte Carlo in front of them. “I hope we can share podiums soon.”

There is silence between them after that as y/n continues to watch the sight before her, and Charles falls silent. Before long, she could hear a soft sound of laughter from the rookie driver.

It’s a nice sound, she idly thought.

“Yeah,” said Charles. “I, too, hope that day will come soon enough.”

Podium with Charles Leclerc. That doesn’t sound bad at all. 

Y/n had always thought that love was not something for her.

Maybe it’s the way she grew up and watched all the women who came and went from her father’s bed. Maybe it’s the fact that she never knew her mom, which makes her not know how love or marriage works. Or maybe it’s more of her fear of long-term commitment.

The media or maybe Formula One fans would call her a hypocrite if they heard that, considering her pretty extensive dating history throughout her career. 

Still, the thought of having to spend the rest of her life shackled with only one person is a bit terrifying. She can’t imagine loving someone so much that she decided to make him a constant presence in her life. To have someone to share her personal space with.

While it’s true that she has her own flings and short-lived relationships, love had not been something that she put much effort into. Finding someone to share her bed with had always been way too easy. Finding someone who wants to have a long-term relationship with?

Yeah.

No.

With her busy schedule and the fact that she was flying to a different country every week, love had never been her priority. Why should she be focusing on something like love when she can be productive? Why should she be focusing on something like love when there’s a race to win and other shit tons of things to do?

That’s why she found herself a bit shocked that she accepted Max’s invitation to a party in Monaco.

Well, it’s not like Max invited her per se. More like begs her. 

“You’re so friendless,” said the woman, crossing her arms together.

The man merely glared at her.

Contrary to popular belief, she and Max are actually pretty good friends. After all, both of them have plenty of things to connect with. They’re Formula One drivers; they were thrust into the sport at a really young age, and they practically carry their teams on their backs, yada yada.

(Daniel would probably kill her if he heard her saying that, but whatever.)

It’s a friendship that she was a bit surprised with but welcomed, nonetheless.

“If I could, I wouldn’t even be here,” growled the man. “But it’s for one of our sponsors.”

Y/n blinked.

“Our?”

“They’re planning to sponsor Porsche next season,” answered Max. “Maybe you would know if you actually checked all of the emails that Herman sent you.”

The female waved him off, “I have a personal assistant that does that kind of thing,” she replied. “But ah, now that I think about it, Dad did say something about a new sponsor.”

“It’s an investment company; they’re trying to gain “Whatever Max was about to say was cut off as the man suddenly stopped his sentence, staring at one point of the room pointedly.

Raising an eyebrow, y/n asked, “What did you say- “She, too, stopped, staring at the same spot as Max.

Charles Leclerc stares at both. Eyes wide in surprise.

“Ah,” said them both.

“Ah…,” said Charles, though she could only see his mouth move.

Max immediately turned his head towards her, eyes widening in horror as he grasped her arm. “Y/n, don’t you dare- “

“Char!” she greeted with a wave of her hand. “Fancy meeting you here!”

The said man flinched, clearly, he didn’t expect y/n’s loud greeting. Taking a hesitant step, the younger man approached the both of them cautiously. She could see that he was a bit nervous as his eyes darted everywhere in the room.

“Y/n! and… Max,” he said after a slight pause. “I didn’t expect to see you guys here together.” There’s something strained about his tone; maybe it’s because of his past rivalry with Max? she remembers reading something like that about them.

“Max dragged me here,” she replied. “What about you?”

“The company holding this party is looking to invest in Sauber next year, one of the drivers was asked to participate,” he explained.

Damn, Red Bull, Porsche, and Sauber? Are they going to invest in the entire grid? But then again, the company probably heard their deal with Netflix and concluded that there will be a whole lot of exposure regarding F1 next year.

“You’re not drinking?” asked the woman, staring pointedly at Charles’ empty hand.

“Ah, tomorrow is the media day so…,”

“You shouldn’t be drinking either,” said Max, snatching the glass of alcohol that she managed to grab earlier. “You’ll be completely wasted by tomorrow morning.”

Huffing, she glared at the Red Bull driver, “I was not going to drink that, you know?” she said. “It’s all about the appearances, as if I’m enjoying this party.”

Max rolled his eyes as if he didn’t believe her.

In front of them, Charles silently stared at their interaction. “… Are you guys like… together, together?”

Both y/n and Max turned their heads so fast towards where Charles stood, eyes wide and complete shock painted across their face.

“What!?” she screeched out. “No- we’re not together!”

“Yes,” hissed out Max. “We’re not together, Leclerc.”

Charles blinked; tension seemed to seep out of his shoulder. “Oh, I thought because you attended this party together- “

“The company is also looking to sponsor both Red Bull and Porsche,” replied Max, cutting Charles as if he didn’t want to listen to his explanation. Which, honestly, is valid because y/n had never been more horrified before, too. “I just thought that it would be logical for us to attend together.”

“Yes,” replied y/n with a nod. “And Max here is friendless so-“

“I’m not!”

Just the thought of dating someone on the grid terrifies her. After all, ever since her debut, that’s the one accusation that keeps appearing under her name.

Truthfully, it’s something that should’ve been expected, considering she’s the first female F1 driver in years. She’s the first F1 female world champion. Considering all of her achievements in the sport, she thought that the baseless accusations of her sleeping with the entire grid should’ve been gone by no.

But no.

Despite everything. Despite her already proving her worth to the entire world, that specific accusation keeps haunting her.

Whore.

Slut.

She will sleep with the entire grid.

Horrible fuckers, she thought. She hopes they all will choke and die. 

“I see,” said Charles with a nod before a smile bloomed on his face. “I’ll hang out with you guys then; I don’t know anyone here.”

Max rolled his eyes at that. “Y/n here knows everyone,” replied the driver. “So, if you want to make connections, you should stick by her.”

“And Max here doesn’t know anyone,” added y/n.

“Shut the fuck up.”

Y/n laughed at that, slightly leaning towards the table beside her. “Come on, Char, I’ll introduce you to everyone,” she said. Despite her reluctance to go to the party, Max was actually right. She knows a lot of the people here.

There’s a lot of people from the entertainment circle as well as sports. Mainly F1, but she can see some other athletes from different sports. 

“Go ahead,” said Max. “I’ll wait here.”

“Boo, boring.”

Going around the room with Charles was quite easy. Unlike Max and his tendency to stay quiet, Charles was a really sociable guy. He’s very friendly, always finding topics to talk about, as well as knowing the appropriate cues to laugh or not. He looks as if he had been media-trained for years.

Knowing Sauber and their budget, the guy probably never did any media training. So, all of this is his natural charisma.

He’ll be good for PR. FIA probably will do something with him later on.

So far, everyone that she had introduced to Charles had been positively charmed by him. Some even asked for his phone number or social media. He had looked unsure initially, though y/n gave him a small nudge and loudly claimed that Charles would love to give them his Instagram.

Giving strangers your personal phone number sounds icky, but Instagram should be okay, right? He should built connections for the future in this party after all.

They’ve been talking with the other guest for a couple of hours when she can feel her phone buzzing.

Glancing at it, she sees that it’s a text from Max.

‘Got called for an emergency meeting for tomorrow. I’m going home first.’

Fuck, she thought. This asshole.

“What’s wrong?” asked Charles as they separated from the small group with a laugh and a small wave.

She showed him the message. “Max already went home.”

“Ah,” said Charles, glancing at his watch. “It is already pretty late. Do you want to go home, too?”

“Sure,” answered y/n. Tomorrow is the media day, after all. She needs a good night’s sleep. “I’ll call my PA first to pick me up.”

Charles tilted his head. “PA?” he asked as she began dialing the numbers.

A minute passed, and her PA didn’t answer her phone. Glancing at the time, she internally cursed. She’s probably asleep by now, considering she will have to wake up early to prepare for the media day.

“Is she not answering?” asked Charles as they walked near the entrance.

“She’s probably asleep,” answered y/n with a frown.

“Do you have a car?”

“I went here with Max’s car,” she muttered in irritation. It’s a bad call on her part. She should’ve used her car instead of Max’s, knowing the other driver’s personality.  “But it’s okay, Monaco is a small country. I’ll just take the cab or walk-“

“I have a car,” cut Charles, though he immediately looks embarrassed. “I mean- I went here with my own car. I can drive you home.”

Y/n stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s not a ploy so that I’ll know your address, I swear I’m not creepy!” he begins rambling. At this point, he’s looking downright panicked. “It’s just that- it’s already late at night, and it’s dangerous for a woman to be alone during the night! And- uh- calling your PA probably takes time, and tomorrow is media day, so it’s better for you to go home early-“

“Charles,” she said before the man could continue her ramble.

He immediately shuts up.

With a tilt of her head, she asked, “Is it really okay for you to drive me home?” glancing at the party that was still happening in full swing, she turned her attention back to the driver again. “If you still want to stay, it’s okay. I’ll figure everything out by myself.”

“Of course!” replied Charles hurriedly. “It’s- it’s not like I know anyone there without you, and well, tomorrow is the media day, I guess it’s time for me to go home, too.”

She pondered the answer for a bit. Really, if Charles still wants to stay, she’s okay with it. It’s easy to call a cab or just ask someone from the party for a ride to her apartment.

But the look that Charles is wearing – the determination – is pretty endearing to look at. It’s cute, she thinks. He still has all of that empty chivalry that men his age usually have. The determination to always protect and accompany a woman to safety.

Not that she’s complaining.

Finally, she let a grin appear on her face. “Well, take me home then, Romeo.”

If it’s possible, Charles’ face had gone redder. However, the Sauber driver lets out a nod and begins escorting her to where he parks his car.

It’s a bit odd to see someone in Monaco not using the valet, but considering he has lived here since he was born, he probably knows every spot this country has to offer. They walked together for a small distance, making a small chatter here and there. Charles still looks a bit nervous, it’s funny.

“Sorry, it’s a bit small,” he said, stopping by a white FIAT 500 that was parked on the side of the road. “I didn’t think that I would bring anyone.”

“It’s cute,” replied y/n with a smile as she entered the car.

The car is a bit cramped, something she should’ve expected, considering how small the car is from the outside. This is actually the first time for her to ride on a car this small – besides a kart, if that actually counts.

“Any preference for music?” he muttered as he fiddled with the stereo.

“Nah, let’s just talk,” she replied, grabbing his arm to stop him. “So, why did you go to the party alone?”

“Ah,” replied the man as he began driving. “I was supposed to go with my older brother. He’s also my manager, but he got sick.”

“You have a brother?” asked y/n. Outside, she could see the night view of Monaco blurring past them. “How many siblings do you have?”

“Two,” he replied. “I’m a middle child.”

She laughed. “Middle child? Have you ever experienced the middle child syndrome?”

Charles raised an eyebrow at that. “Middle child syndrome? What’s that?”

“You know, feeling as if you’re forgotten, left out, stuff like that,” she said with a hum. “I’m an only child, so I never experienced something like that.”

Furrowing his eyebrow, Charles seems to be thinking about his answer. “No, I never felt anything like that,” he finally replied. “Instead, I think my family put me as their priority sometimes.”

Another bark of laughter escaped her. “How can I forget? You’re the prodigious F1 driver, after all.”

Charles’ face reddened at that. “No, I’m not,” he said, sounding embarrassed. “But I think my parents never did anything like that. They love me and my brothers equally.”

They continued their small chatter throughout the drive, and before long, they arrived at y/n’s apartment.

Stopping at the lobby, she turned towards Charles. “Thanks for the ride,” she said, smiling. “It was nice of you.”

“It was my pleasure, actually,” he replied with a small grin.

Stepping out of the car, she stared at the smiling Charles in the driver’s seat. Hm, she thought. It would be a bit of a shame to let him go home now.

However, they do have the media day tomorrow. It’s best for them to immediately go rest because they will obviously have a long day ahead of them. But still-

Well.

“Want to come up?” asked y/n, leaning towards the small window of Charles’ car.

Charles spluttered.

taglist!

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[drvscarlett]

About You Pt 12

Sebastian Vettel x Webber!Reader

Summary: Everyone knows about the history of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. But there's a well kept story within the paddock about Sebastian Vettel and another Webber. This is that story.

About You Series

A/N: and its here everyone. Any thoughts about this?

Taglist: @spideybv28@randomcuboidshape @mehrmonga @casperlikej @cliosunshine @honethatty12 @randomgirlnumber-13 @sugyomama @ririyulife @skywalker1dream @vicurious28 @khaylin27 @0710khj @its-elias-world @vizzzashley @allisonwoods @taytaylala12 @miarabanana @ceciii-b @lindsayjoy444 @mploopssek @snakelore @toldyouitwasamelodrama @lordpercevalcharles

2013, Circuit de Monaco

"Happy Birthday sister!"Mark greeted on the other line "Am I the last one to greet you?"

Despite the afternoon horizons outside the window of Y/N, she was still in her bed. Usually she doesn't like waking up with calls but Mark's greeting was something that she can tolerate today.

"You are the first, I just woke up"Y/N replied.

"Woke up? Are you back in London?"Mark's confusion was evident.

"I'm actually here in Monaco"Y/N clarified "I had a late flight so I was a bit tired so I woke up here at around.. oh its 4 in the afternoon"

In hindsight, she should have set an alarm so she didn't miss out a huge chunk of hours sleeping. However, she was exhausted from packing and taking care of things before she left Spain. She wanted a complete break for her birthday that's why she overworked herself to ensure everything can function without her.

"How long are you staying there?"Mark wondered.

"Till the Monaco GP so I have 2 weeks to enjoy Monaco's waters"

"You have a good one there sis"

"Thanks Mark"

"Happy Birthday again, I wish you all the best" Mark added "And if you want to buy anything, just tell me and I'll pay for it"

"Mark, you didn't have to do that"

There was a sigh on the other line. Mark knows how much Y/N values to work for the money that she spends that's why she doesn't like spending money that she didn't own.

"Just let me be Y/N, I missed a huge part of your life because I was immature"Mark explains "Just let me do this for you, okay?"

The whole brother-sister relationship is still mending. It was already one of the best gifts that Y/N could have asked. These moments are just some instances that they tried to make up with each other.

"Okay, I won't buy anything expensive though"Y/N compromises.

"That's tough in Monaco"

It earned a shared laughter between the two. It was obviously common knowledge that Monaco's cost of living and the items displayed on the store could cost a month's worth of fortune.

"You take care okay? I'll call you later when I still have time"Mark said

"Thanks big bro"

When Y/N ended the call, there were several messages from different people. She felt inclined to thank them for their greetings and for remembering her birthday so she spent the next few minutes texting them back.

She already had a voicemail from Mick, a painfully long message from Jenson, even some Team Principals sent a message to her. Their greetings made her feel so loved.

However, there is this void feeling upon realizing that there is someone missing.

Y/N: Hey goodmorning! Are you okay? I'm leaving tonight for Monaco maybe we could grab some lunch later? Away from the media and everything. Miss you a lot x Y/N: Heyyyy so I heard from Britta you had a night out so maybe you are suffering a hangover. Let's just resched lunch? Y/N: Btw I gave her some hangover medicines that Jenson claims to be magic when he is hung over. I hope everything is alright xx

The messages from yesterday remains unread by Sebastian. It was a bit disappointing that she wasn't able to talk to Sebastian at all during the Spanish GP. She knew how it must have been difficult weekend for him.

I'm sure he will call, Y/N assures herself.

The grumbling in her stomach caused her to remember that she hasn't eaten yet. Y/N opened her luggages and decided to get dressed to get her first meal of the day.

There was a perfect cafe spot that was just right the corner of her hotel. It also has a perfect view of the yachts parked in Monaco, Y/N couldn't think of another perfect place to eat.

She was enjoying herself when all of a sudden someone called out her name.

"Y/N?" for a moment, Y/N wanted to think that it was Sebastian calling her.

But she knew that this voice was a little bit too different to be Sebastian. Sebastian has a certain kind of accent that pronounces her name in a certain tone regardless of his emotions.

"Jules?"she recognized the driver.

It was not often that she have interacted with Jules a lot but he was a friendly face in the paddock. He has always been a gentleman to women and he is one of those drivers that isn't a PR nightmare.

Jules made a beeline to Y/N, he was followed by a younger boy with a mop of brown hair.

"I thought it was you"Jules smiles "And I was right. What are you doing in Monaco?"

"Oh, I'm celebrating my birthday today"Y/N replied

"Wow, I didn't know that. Happy Birthday then Y/N" Jules greeted.

"Thanks, how about you why are you in Monaco? It's a bit too early for the GP"Y/N joked.

"Oh I'm here with my godson"Jules gestured to the young boy "Y/N meet Charles, Charles meet Y/N. Y/N here is from McLaren and is the one in charge of Jenson"

Y/N handed out her hand and Charles shyly picked it up to shake it.

"I'm Charles Leclerc, its nice to meet you Miss Y/N" he greeted back.

The boy had a certain smile that if Y/N was not informed earlier then she would have mistaken him as his younger brother. She could tell that if Charles gets a little bit older then he might looks strikingly similar to Jules.

"That's a very polite boy, you two look very much alike"Y/N noticed.

"Yeah-"

Jules phone starts ringing and he seems troubled to see the caller ID.

"Is it alright if you could look after Charles for a while"Jules asked "I have this really important call and it might take a while"

"Yeah sure!"Y/N agrees.

"Thanks, you are an angel! Be good Charles, I'll try to make this quick"

Jules stepped out of a cafe and began speaking to the one of the phone. Charles and Y/N were left at the cafe, the boy looks a bit lost in Y/N's opinion.

"You can sit there and you can tell me about yourself"Y/N offered.

He nods and he immediately took the chair next to her.

"Would you like something to drink or something to eat?"Y/N asked.

"I can't eat much, I have to be lightweight to be able to drive faster"Charles responded.

"You race too?"

"I kart around here and there, Jules has been teaching me a lot"Charles confirmed.

Y/N takes a sip of her hot chocolate as she smiles. When they started talking about racing, Charles certainly changed his attitude. Aspirers like Charles are quite exciting to watch because she knows that with their determination then she might end up seeing him in the grid in a couple of years.

"My brother drives too, his name is Mark"Y/N shares.

Charles' eyes widen in recognition. He went closer to Y/N with an excited smile.

"Mark as in Mark Webber? The teammate of current world champion Sebastian Vettel"Charles enumerates excitedly.

"You know your Grand Prix winners"Y/N notes.

"I think I know more about them than school"

This made Y/N laugh. It was not uncommon that F1 drivers drop out early of school so they could race. For this reason, they don't seem to have a life outside of the sports. Sebastian is a good example of how the man has been a walking encyclopedia of Formula 1. You could ask him the Grand Prix winner of 1978 and he could tell you it was Andretti without missing a beat. But ask him about the current president of America and he won't give you any answers.

"Sebastian is one of my idols, I wish he is still there when I drive in F1"Charles wishful thinking.

The thought of Sebastian crosses her mind again, her smile obviously falters upon checking her phone for the umpteenth time today.

"You seem to be sad today" Charles noticed "Shouldn't you be happy that its your birthday?"

She forces a smile.

"Its nothing, I'm just waiting for someone's birthday greeting"Y/N brushes it off.

"Is it your bestfriend?"Charles pressed "If my bestfriend forgot my birthday then I would be very upset as well"

Bestfriends? Soon lovers? The relationship is a bit complicated but either way Y/N understands Charles statement that its indeed upsetting when a special someone forgets. However, due to Y/N's closeness with Sebastian she is willing to make up excuses for his forgetfulness.

"He must have been busy, work hasn't been quite easy for him lately"Y/N reasons out.

As if on cue, Charles rolled his eyes. Gone was the shy boy from a while ago as he leaned closer to the table.

"You shouldn't make work as an excuse"Charles rebutted "Jules said that even if you have a bad race or a bad day, you should never take that out to the people important to you"

It was a good advice that Jules has given Charles. Y/N was sure that one day, Charles will be able to give himself a perfect work-life balance in the future.

"Believe me Charles, he is not usually like that"Y/N defends again "Maybe he is just caught up in some stuffs"

"Suit yourself but just remember that if he wanted to then he definitely would"

The words lingered in Y/N's mind even after Jules picked up Charles and the two said goodbye. It was something that kept repeating in her mind as she mindlessly walked the streets of Monaco and watched the skyline go dark.

Sebastian must have a reason for forgetting her birthday, didn't he?

2013, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve

As a driver, they should not stay up late the night before the race. They must have a clear head so that they can focus on the task ahead. Any sort of pressure or stress may be detrimental to their performance.

Lately, Sebastian has been feeling all sorts of pressure. A lot has happened lately.

"You look like you had a lot of things going on"Jenson walks next to him.

"Aren't you supposed to avoid me at all cost?"Sebastian questioned.

"I mean we're not going to get caught if you don't tell anyone"Jenson grins "So what's on your mind?"

The heavy sigh that Sebastian has been keeping in finally gets out in the open. He doesn't even know where to begin with his story. Should he be completely honest or is this something that he has to sugarcoat to lessen the blow?

"A lot of things"Sebastian stated.

Jenson opened his arms wide and gestured that he is a person that Sebastian could confide him.

"Come on Sebastian, I'd like to think we're friends. Come on, lay it out on me"Jenson encourages.

The thing that Jenson doesn't understand is that Sebastian is wary of the information he gives out to him. He still doesn't know how to deal with Y/N and Jenson may say the wrong thing and it falls all over from Sebastian.

"I made several mistakes" that was one way of putting it lightly.

"Mistakes can be fixed"

"But I fear this mistake can't be fixed"Sebastian argued "No sorrys can fix this thing"

"Hey if this is about you missing out on Y/N's birthday then don't worry. I'm sure you could say that you have been preoccupied and she would understand that. You know she doesn't even make a big of a deal that we miss out her birthday-"Jenson was explaining.

Then it hits Sebastian. It was June.

"Oh fuck"

If Sebastian could just hit himself all over the wall then he would have done it all night long. He can't believe that he forgot about her birthday. He did not just forgot the birth date but even the birth month. He felt extremely stupid.

"You mean to tell me that forgetting her birthday is not the mistake were talking about?"Jenson pieced out the puzzle.

"Fuck, I am so fucking stupid"Sebastian lamented.

"What else did you do then?"Jenson inquired.

"Just something stupid"

Sebastian is at a lost of words before on how to explain his situation but with this new dilemma then its even more stressful. How can he tell her that he was so drunk that he slept with someone else that night in Spain. He couldn't tell the worst part that it was with someone that the both of them know. That the whole reason why he was occupied and forgot her birthday because he was trying to keep the situation quiet.

The comforting pat on the back from Jenson brought Sebastian out of his thoughts.

"You just got to be honest with her, I'm sure Y/N will understand"Jenson assures.

There was a voice in Sebastian's head that is telling him that this was something that any woman cannot understand.

"Y/N loves you a lot. You have to trust that her love is strong to understand you"Jenson stated.

Sebastian could just give a weak smile. The guilty feeling is eating him up more than ever. What did he ever do to deserve her love?

"Tell you what, I'll make some arrangements in the next Grand Prix. I'll make sure to keep McLaren occupied and you two could go spend time with each other"Jenson added.

"You would do that?"

"Of course, anything for Y/N"Jenson replied "Just don't make her cry, I hate seeing her cry"

Too overwhelmed by emotions and planning what to do next week, Sebastian failed to notice the smile that Jenson had on his face. If he paid attention then he would notice that Jenson was also as troubled with thoughts for a certain girl.

With a heavy sigh, Jenson keeps his true feelings at bay.

2013, Silverstone Circuit

It was already midnight when she arrived at her flat. Y/N was a bit tired and she was so glad that the race was happening in Silverstone so she has a few days in the comforts of her home. She was ready to hit the bed when she heard noises coming inside her apartment.

'Did I forget to lock the doors when I left?' she wondered in her head.

She quickly armed herself up by putting up her bag in a defensive manner and her phone hovering to the emergency number.

"Mein Gott! Why is this so difficult to do?"the voice from inside the apartment shouted.

She knows that voice a little too well. But Y/N couldn't believe that he would be here waiting for her.

"Sebastian? What are you-"

Seeing Sebastian Vettel in the kitchen with an apron was the least shocking thing that Y/N saw in her flat. The living room decorated by some balloons and a bouquet of flowers was placed there. Sebastian was tending over a cake that seems to be in the process of being coated with icing. The table was filled with some food that seems to be homemade.

"Hey, I know I have been a jerk recently but I'm here to apologize"Sebastian explains "Jenson stole your duplicate key and I prepared these little welcome dinner and I hope to get back to your good graces"

Something so domestic about the whole thing that Y/N's weeks of sadness immediately disappeared into thin air. She went to give him the biggest hug and she felt like the pieces are being glued back together.

"I missed you so much"she admitted.

"Its been a while"

"I really missed you"she confirms again "Please don't leave me like that again"

The way that Sebastian gazed at her and gave her a gentle forehead kiss seems to be a promise that he won't go away again.

There were a lot of questions that remained unanswered but Y/N is too distracted to ruin the whole thing by asking those. She is just happy to have him back and she wants to savor every moment with him.

2013, Nürburgring

"She seems to fit right in the family" Norbert told his son "Any progress?"

Sebastian was in a lovestruck smile as he gazed his attention to the garden where his mother and Y/N were conversing together. It wasn't the first time that his parents met Y/N but this was the first time that he brought her to his childhood home.

"I'm working on things"Sebastian replied.

"She is a wonderful girl. You treasure her and you don't make her cry alright?"Norbert reminded.

"Papa, its like you are handing me out for marriage already"Sebastian snickered.

"Isn't that the main point of dating? To get married eventually"

The word marriage seems to be foreign in the conversation between the couple. They both know and understand that they have to settle the score between their respective jobs to ensure that there is no conflict. Then the team mate thing has to be resolved as well. On top of that, they both have careers and dreams that they want to achieve.

But making Y/N a Vettel is something in the plans.

"You seem to be talking about us"Mrs Vettel called their attention out and Y/N's turned her head.

"Anything you want to share Seb?"Y/N wondered.

Sebastian just went forward to wrap an arm around Y/N. There was pure bliss in his eyes that everyone is getting along in the household. If he would make her a Vettel then she would be a happy addition to the family.

"What are you and Mama talking about?" Sebastian diverts the topic.

"Oh I'm just showing Y/N your childhood photos"Mrs Vettel gleefuly answered.

"Mama no"Sebastian groaned.

The albums from the past is filled with lots of photos of Sebastian that would be horrifying to show to the public. It includes his early track days, snotty seasons, and even some nerdy photos from school.

"You look adorable Seb"Y/N comforts "Look here Seb, this looks so cute. Is this you on your first day of school?"

The photo had a younger Sebastian holding hands with a blonde haired girl. They have their backpacks on and they seem to be giggling at the camera. Frankly, Sebastian have no memory of what they are talking about but they seem to have been caught conversing when the photo was taken

"Oh that's his first day of school with his friend Hanna"Mrs Vettel recognized.

"Hanna as in Hanna Prater?"Y/N inquired.

The mere mention of the name caused Sebastian's stomach to churn as if he swallowed a rock. The day have already been perfect but the name caused all of his worries to come back.

"You know Hanna?"the elder male Vettel asked.

"Yeah, I met her in some Grand Prix"Y/N answered "She was super sweet and she seems like a very supportive friend to Sebastian"

The way that Y/N talks about Hanna makes Sebastian feel more guilty about what transpired weeks ago. He couldn't have the heart to tell Y/N the truth about them. The first one in Brazil was an accident and could be something forgivable but what happened in Spain was something he was not sure of.

"Hey you seem pale? Are you alright?"Y/N voiced out her concern.

"I'm alright"

"You must be starving already, let's get you two some food"Mrs Vettel immediately got up from her seat.

"Mama you don't have to"Sebastian begs.

"Nonsense, you should get a plate or two before you go for the race weekend"Mrs Vettel argues.

It was useless to argue with his mother. Sebastian just raised his hands in surrender as his mother went off to the kitchen to prepare some meals for them to eat. She has also grabbed Mr Vettel and instructs him to set the table.

The couple was left alone and Y/N seems to be concerned with Sebastian.

"You can tell me anything that's bothering you" Y/N repeated

"I know"Sebastian sighs "But I'm not sure that I'm able to tell you this yet"

Her hands touched his face. It was a gentle caress meant to soothe Sebastian.

"I trust you, whenever you feel like talking then"Y/N smiles.

Those comforting words seems to be digging deeper wounds for Sebastian as the bile rises up in his throat. He wanted to tell her the truth of what happened but she is scared that in doing so that he might end up losing her.

He allows himself to be selfish for a little bit more time.

[st4rg1rl-16]

━━ ✶✶˖° 𝗪𝗜𝗞𝗜𝗣𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗘 | 𝗡𝟰𝗦.

𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴(𝘀) ━ 2019 to 2023!f1 grid x driver!female oc

𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 ━ english is not my first language, I know I already said it but just in case hshshsh also I know there are some things that may not be accurate but let’s pretend they are for the sake of the fic 😙👌🏻

𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 ━ @namgification @burberryfilms

ARABELLA TORRES GONZÁLEZ

Spanish racing driver

Arabella Torres González (born May 26 2000) is a spanish racing driver. In 2016 and 2018 she won the Formula Two championship. In 2019 she acquired a place in Formula One with Scuderia Ferrari, in 2021 she signed an eight-year contract with Mercedes.

Name                  Arabella Torres González

Nickname(s)     La diabla, Bella Donna, Speedy

Born          26 may 2000 (age 21) Leganés, Madrid, Spain

Nationality 🇪🇸 Spanish

Relatives Oliver Torres (brother)

Teams                 Ferrari, Mercedes

Active years      2019 —

Car number 9

Wins              18

Podiums              41

Career Points    859

Pole positions 13

Fastest laps      8

First entry 2019 Australia Grand Prix

First win 2019 Spanish Grand Prix

Last win 2021 Turkish Grand Prix

2021 position        2nd (393)

Website arabellatorres.com

She is known for being the only woman to be an official Formula One driver since Giovanna Amati in 1992 and the second female driver with points since Lella Lombardi in 1976, thus creating history in the world of motorsport. At the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix she took her first victory, becoming the first woman in history to win a grand prix.

After a competition against Valtteri Bottas with whom she remained tied in terms of points during the last three races of the 2019 season, she won the title of sub champion in the drivers' world championship giving Ferrari the second place in the constructors' world championship.

In 2020 she suffered a horrible accident that made her unable to finish the Tuscan Grand Prix, after that race her results during the last eight races went down.

In the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix she returned to the podium (and in the championship) in second position after a close competition against Max Verstappen due to losing control of her car causing both of them to almost collide, but she managed to regain control and finish the race without no harm.

Her younger brother, Oliver Torres, is a Moto GP driver for Yamaha Motor Racing.

𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗬 ↓

Arabella was born in Leganés, a Madrid’s municipality, on 26 may 2000, as the eldest of two siblings: she and her little brother, Oliver Torres. Since she was a little girl she grew up with Formula 1 at home, as her father was a big fan and never missed a race although she was not too interested in the motor world of until one of her uncles gifted her brother a mini kart for christmas that she ended up using it, which sparked her curiosity about cars.

Her interest in cars began to grow, she began to watch Formula 1 with her father and her uncle, she noticed car brands and models and was passionate about car movies. She has mentioned several times that the Fast And Furious saga is one of her favorites.

From December 2018 to December 2020 she resided in Monte Carlo, Monaco. In 2021 she bought an apartment in London, England with her partner, the spanish football player Hector Bellerin. She currently lives between Monte Carlo and London.

𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥 ↓

Torres began her racing career in karting at the young age of 9, competing in different categories. She won the Spanish Championship in the novice category in 2009, won the cadet category in 2010 and two more consecutive times. In 2013, in the KF3 European Championship she had a horrible accident when she reached second place, thus being the only race that she has not finished, a tire on her car burst causing her to fly several meters until she crashed into a fence in front of the stands. She had several spinal injuries and had to undergo surgery several times so she had to retire for a year, losing the opportunity to be signed by the Red Bull Junior Team.

At the age of 14, a year after her accident she returned to the world of motorsport in Formula 3 with Prema PowerTeam, finishing in sixth position in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, in 2015 she finished on the podium in second position.

In 2016 she signed with the Ferrari Driver Academy and entered Formula 2 where she won first place in the 2016 and 2018 seasons.

Two years later, in 2019, she was announced as a driver for Scuderia Ferrari for Formula 1 alongside Charles Leclerc. During her contract with Ferrari she raced 38 races of which she won 9 and came second in the 2019 drivers' championship.

On December 13 2020, during the race in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari announced that Torres would not be part of the team for the following season and a week later it was announced that she would be replaced by Carlos Sainz Jr. On March 2 2022 during the presentation of their new car Mercedes announced, after almost three months of confusion about Arabella's future in Formula 1, that the driver had signed a contract with them for a duration of eight years, that is, until 2029.

𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 ↓

𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗦 ↓

𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 ↓

𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗦 ↓

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 ↓

𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦 ↓

𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 ↓

𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗦 ↓

[boxboxblog]

Driver Profiles: Max Verstappen

Updated December 2024

Name: Max Emilian Verstappen

Age: 27

Nationality: Dutch (grew up in Belgium)

Years in F1: 9 (Toro Rosso 2015-May 2016, Red Bull May 2016-Present)

Number: 1 (as reigning champion) and 33

WDCs: 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024

Driving Style: Aggressive, and fearless, Verstappen is known for his strong understanding and control of his car. Famously, drivers have stated that when Verstappen is behind them, its not about if he will overtake it is about when. He is also know for his late-braking on corners and the absolute trust he seems to have with the car to keep him safe, enabling him to take bold manuvers. Other drivers who have been in the same car as him have described his style of car as being highly reactive and 'sharp' in response to movement. This gives us a glimpse of how Verstappen races, as his preferred car shows he has precise handling and pushes to the limit. He does not drive well when he feels the car is not responding precisely to his instructions.

History: Son of F1 driver Jos Verstappen, Verstappen grew up in the public eye. He started karting when he was four and started competing when he was just seven years old. He dominated his national karting stages between 2005 and 2009, winning his home provinces championship, VAS championship, the Rotax Max Challenge, the Belgian Cadet Championship, and more. He was known to be a prodigy from a young age, and reportedly during races his father would tweak something about the cart to help him learn how changes feel. This helped develop a strong intuition for his future F1 cars.

(Verstappen, around 2010)

In 2010 he entered into the international karting scene, and finished second at his first KF3 World Cup after Alex Albon, but won the WSK World Series. In 2011, Verstappen won the WSK Euro Series. In the following year, Verstappen won the WSK Master Series in the KF2 class, and the South Garda Winter Cup in the KF2 class. He was the youngest driver taking part in the World Championship in KF1 class and finished eighth. In 2012 He finished second at the World Cup in the KF2 class. 2013 was his biggest year however, having progressed to the senior level KZ and KF categories. He was fifteen when he won three CIK-FIA championships in a single season: two European Championships and a World Championship, an unprecedented feat. He went only to only lose one of seven championships that year.

(Verstappen when he started single-seaters)

He debuted in single seaters in 2014, driving for the Florida Winter Series. He went on to drive in F3 that year for Van Amersfoort Racing, and at age 16 placed third in his first real single seater championship.

When he was seventeen, he drew the attention of F1, and drove his first F1 car during a practice session for Toro Rosso. In 2014 he officially joined the Red Bull Junior Program, and was signed for Toro Rosso's 2015 season. He became the youngest person to ever start an F1 Grand Prix at seventeen. He had an extremely successful first season, becoming the youngest person to score points, and regularly finishing in the top 10.

(Verstappen in his first year with Toro Rosso)

In 2016, Verstappen started out in Toro Rosso but by May he had been pulled up to replace Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat due to Kvyats poor performance. His first race with Red Bull was the Spanish GP, and astoundingly it was Verstappen's first win as well. This would set the tone for Verstappen's career going forward.

He had increasingly successful seasons as time went on, already fighting for the championship by 2019. But it was in 2021 that he won his first WDC, in a controversial race held in Abu Dhabi. After that Verstappen dominated F1, winning both 2022 and 2023. In 2023 he had perhaps the most dominant season aa driver ever had, and amazingly won almost every single race. In 2024, he started the season strong but midway his car seemed to lose its pace. While Verstappen is still winning the championship, it is possible there could be a major title fight in the last few races.

Key Races:

2016 Spanish GP - His first win and first race with Red Bull.

2016 Brazilian GP - A race in the wet, it is considered one of the best drive sin modern F1. He dropped down the order after a pit mistake, but through intense rain and dangerous conditions was able to take a podium place. Hailed as one of the most masterful rain races anyone has ever seen

2019 Austrian GP - Famous for a late-race move on Charles Leclerc that is often seen as controversial, this was his first win in 2019. It highlighted his uncompromising attitude toward racing and pure aggression.

2021 Monaco GP - Considered the turn around in Verstappen's 2021 season, he drove a flawless race and took the championship lead

2021 Abu Dhabi - Another controversial race, with Verstappen finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton and clinching his first WDC. Controversial due to safety car in last few laps.

Any 2023 Race but Singapore, Baku, and Jeddah - Verstappen won 19 out of 22 race this season, an excessively dominant display. he lost only to his teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz

Brazil 2024 - Perhaps the most masterful wet race in F1 history, Verstappen drove from P17 to win the race in incredibly tense and dangerous conditions. His overtakes were brilliant, his pace was stellar. No words.

Cheers,

-B

[umseb]

sebastian vettel in parc ferme after qualifying 👀, barcelona, spain - may 11, 2013 📷 sutton images / motorsport images

[fortheloveofaussiegrit]

@fortheloveofaussiegrit 's deep dive into Mark and his love of twinks...

Sebastian Vettel 

Where does one even start when trying to explain this... that's his twink of the past, present, and future— his forever. [first: debatable but the beginning of martian at the Fuji GP 2007 when Seb crashed into the back of Mark ruining both of their races, they were running 2nd and third. second: the day i lost my sanity, Abu Dhabi 2022]

Oscar Piastri

His twink of the present [i don't think i need to say anything... but photos above are from Mark's website from his blog post about Oscar winning the F2 championship and how Mark stayed in Abu Dhabi with Oscar after the GP for the young driver f1 test...]

Mitch Evans

Without Mitch we wouldn’t have got Oscar/Mark... (this is what oscarmark could’ve been but not sure i would’ve been able to handle oscar posting mark the way mitch did) Started in 2010, Mark then went on to manage him and Mitch even moved into Mark’s home in England, down the drive but point still stands [first: Mark Webber takes protege on birthday tour, 2010 (speedcafe.com) second: Mark embracing Mitch after he took maiden victory in Formula E, 2019 (📷Sam Bloxham) bottom two: from Mitch’s IG circa 2014] 

Daniel Ricciardo

i like that belt buckle mate [first/second: F1 Paddock 2013 (📷skysports.com) third: Mark & Daniel’s BBQ on the beach ahead of the Aus GP 2011 (📷flickr) fourth/fifth: Dutch GP 2022.]

 

Fernando Alonso

again do i need to say anything? i think this sums it up (thank you to @seafoampearlygirl for the screen shot and your help too, much appreciated!!

and this... [Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella, Fernando Alonso & Mark Webber for Benetton Renault 2001 F1 launch]

Lewis Hamilton

If there's one thing about Mark that you need to know its his love of twinks with world championships... @mwebber​ has a post here on these two! Mark always loves talking about Lewis and the way they look at each other.. [first: Mark and Lewis during the post-qualy presser at the Spanish GP, 2010 (📷Sutton Images) second: during the pre-race presser at the Aus GP, 2013 (📷Hoch Zwei) third: Abu Dhabi GP, 2017 (📷James Moy)]

Nico Rosberg

from teammates at Williams to Mark snapping pics of the back of Nico in 2023… [first: Mark talking to test driver Nico Rosberg during the German GP, 2005 (📷Pakusch) second: Monaco ePrix 2023]

Max Verstappen

like i said... twinks with championships [first: ‘bumped into these two over easter and managed a few k on the trails’ Apr, 2018 (Mark’s FB) second: Hangar-7, 2019]

Felipe Massa 

yeah... [first: Brazil 2012, i think (📷sky-sports.com) second: Brazil 2013 (📷xpb images)]

Brendon Hartley 

he’s already featured a few times, but from rbr junior driver to teammate... yeah.. is there a pattern? [first: Spanish GP 2009 (📷DPPI Images) second: Brendon, Mark & Timo after winning the 6 hours of Bahrain and the WEC Drivers Championship 2015 (📷fiawec.com)]

Jenson Button

and finally we get to Jenson Button, who, yes, is younger than Mark so makes it onto the list... the ultimate twink on twink... you cannot tell me this wasnt a couples holidays covered up as ‘training’. you cannot tell me they were not fumbling around in their bedsheets at night. you cannot tell me— [redacted redacted redacted] — [pre-season training session in Lanzarote, Spain. 4 Jan 2001 📷Mark Thompson]

[iceman7raikkonen]

[gaiassecretsportsdiary]

Brocedes: What is it? Part 3

{Just a note that this will be a multi-part series 💛}

Read part 1 here & part 2 here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2006-2008

In 2006 Nico joins F1, signing with Williams & in 2007 Lewis joins F1 with McLaren. Which was a big season for Lewis because he nearly won his rookie season but he missed out by one point to Fernando Alonso but during his second season he won the championship again by one point.

2008 Australia is big for the both of them because Nico gets his first podium & Lewis wins the GP, which gave us the lovely clip below of the two of them celebrating each others wins.

2013

This is brocedes reunited!

Nico:

"every other day there are moments or things that pop up and I can smirk and think, 'that's exactly the same as it was 15 years ago' "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2014

At the Bahrain GP Nico & Lewis were fighting for the win & had a collision which sparked a "fight" which I put that way because it was a fake fight, it wasn't real, but they were having a "fight" in parc ferme after the race. But it turns out Nico won the race due to his advantage with an engine mode that gave him a power advantage, which would upset Lewis.

At the Spanish GP, this is now Lewis' fourth win in a row & he has the lead in the championship, Lewis & Nico were fighting till the last lap & Lewis gets across the finish line 0.6 seconds ahead of Nico, who had reportedly said he could have passed Lewis if there was another lap.

It was said Lewis used the same engine mode that Nico used at the Bahrain GP.

Monaco GP is peak pettiness. Nico & Lewis are both on an outlap, Nico is ahead or Lewis, Nico is on provisional pole & Lewis is not far behind. When out of nowhere Nico just stops his car. He claims he made a mistake but there was no crash, no lock up, nothing that could have marked a mistake, and no issues reported by the team with the car, Nico just rolls to a stop on a slip road. Which then causes yellow flags to be waved & therefore forcing Lewis to abort his lap that was in makings of a pole.

Stewards from this GP say that Nico's move was okay & not intentional, but Lewis on the other hand, was convinced that Nico's actions were completely intentional, even claiming that Mercedes had the data to prove it, but said proof was never revealed.

After this comes the interview where Lewis says to the world, that him & Nico are no longer friends.

Nico goes on to win this race, which also ends Lewis' four win streak & puts Nico in the lead for the championship.

[gryphon1232]

DRS Universe Info Post

Hey all! This is going to be a long post, and it's going to break down a lot of my work on the universe!

🛑What is the DRS Universe?

The DRS Universe is a connected fictional Formula One-centric universe. The history of the sport generally follows the real world counterpart, and for the most part, the world is kept as similar to the real world as possible, but things such as sponsors, drivers, teams, wins and events throughout the history of the sport are brand new.

🛑General Info/Q&A:

🛑Why does the DRS Universe Exist? I'm a very big fan of F1 and of Writing, and I wanted to mix those things together and write an F1-Based novel. I'm also a fan of creating OC's and having more control over what I write, so it was only natural that I'd make my own teams and drivers. That expanded to stuff like sponsors and some brands and companies in the universe, etc. I tried to keep the broader strokes of the sports history accurate to the real world as well, but I made new, fictional historic drivers, events, dates, etc. 🛑What is the current season? The current season as of the novel I'm currently working on (shunted) is 2023! 🛑What is Shunted about? Shunted focuses Lance Adams and Alexandre Lareaux, enemies-and-rivals turned teammates. It follows them as they navigate the 2023 season, and even worse for both of them depending on how you look at it, their newfound friendship and possible romance. 🛑Why are there 11 teams? Because more teams + more drivers + more cars on track = more fun. Also, because I wanted 11 teams, and it's my universe.

🛑What are the teams?

(This is a list based vaguely on each teams' performance throughout the 2022 season.)

Delphi Voltage Racing

Aurelia ABM F1 Team

Scuderia Rossetti

McGrath Racing

Hayworth Moore F1 Team

Cautiline-Aimé

Reinvoire GP

Pearsons Racing

Scuderia AltairShock

Modena-Roth

Hurst F1 Team

🛑Who are the drivers for the 2023 season?

(Drivers names are listed, followed by their driver number, nationality, age, birthdate, height, and first season in F1. If something hasn't been decided yet, there will be a "TBD" in that section, if a driver has won a WDC, there will be an "🏆" following their name.)

Delphi Voltage Racing:

Felix Akerson 20 • Swedish • 23 • TBD • TBD • 2020 Kennedy Grant 14 • American • 20 • TBD • TBD • 2023

Aurelia ABM F1 Team:

Annika Becker 🏆 33 • German • 37 • TBD • TBD • 2006 Émilien Rousseau 6 • French • 41 • TBD • TBD • 2001

Scuderia Rossetti:

Alexandre Lareaux 11 • Monégasque • 25 • 8/26/1998 • 5'9 • 2017 Lance Adams - 🏆 5 • British • 25 • 12/29/1998 • 5'11 • 2016

McGrath Racing:

Noah Landvin 8 • Belgian • 23 • 6/4/2000 • 5'7 • 2019 Jack Palmer 47 • Kiwi • 21 • TBD • TBD • 2022

Hayworth Moore F1 Team

Scarlette LaRosa 50 • Spanish • 22 • TBD • TBD • 2022 Beatrice Camelio 88 • Italian • 21 • TBD • TBD • 2022

Cautiline-Aimé

Connor O’Riley 77 • Irish • 26 • TBD • TBD • 2016 Owen Lancaster 76 • American • 20 • TBD • TBD • 2023

Reinvoire GP

Benjamin Accardi 4 • Australian • 32 • 5/24/1991 • 6'0 • 2013 Mateo Vassallo 44 • Mexican • 24 • 5/17/1999 • 5'8 • 2017

Pearsons Racing

Giang Mai Linh 99 • Vietnamese • 25 • TBD • TBD • 2018 Vincent Fortin 28 • Canadian • 25 • TBD • TBD • 2017

Scuderia AltairShock

Matthew Coleman 16 • British • 19 • TBD • TBD • 2022 Toru Kajima 81 • Japanese • 18 • TBD • TBD • 2023

Modena-Roth

Cláudio Amaral - 🏆 21 • Brazilian • 43 • 8/17/1980 • 5'7 • 2000 Marco De Caro 61 • Italian • 24 • 1/19/1999 • 6'0 • 2018

Hurst F1 Team

Martijn Van Hall 24 • Dutch • 36 • TBD • TBD • 2009 Charles Stafford 58 • British • 42 • TBD • TBD • 2001

🛑What about some of the drivers not on the 2023 F1 Grid in DRS?

Well I definitely have plenty of them too! (Drivers will be grouped by their Racing Series. Their names will be listed, followed by their nationality, age, birthdate, height, and Team. If something hasn't been decided yet, there will be a "TBD" in that section.)

Formula Two:

Willem Van Hall Dutch • 19 • TBD • TBD • Van Eyck Racing Theo Vermund Danish • 17 • TBD • TBD • Corsa Vesuvio Dante Elia Bianco Sammarinese • 18 • 7/28/2005 • 5'7 • Corsa Vesuvio Andreas Castellanos Greek • 20 • TBD • TBD • Gladiolus Motorsport Paige Rosenberg American • 21 • 10/8/2002 • 5'4 • Apex Astra Ronan Fitzgerald American • 19 • 6/15/2004 • 5'8 • Apricus Racing

F1 Academy:

Natalie Durand French • 22 • TBD • TBD • TBD Ava Martin American • 18 • TBD • TBD • TBD Leora Stavriani Greek • 20 • TBD • TBD • TBD

Formula E:

Colin Tremblay Canadian • 31 • TBD • TBD • TBD Carlos Vergara Ecuadorian • 25 • TBD • TBD • TBD

IndyCar:

Daniel Aimé American • 29 • TBD • TBD • Aimé Motorsports Michael Lancaster American • 22 • TBD • TBD • Aimé Motorsports Diego Rivera Mexican • 25 • TBD • TBD • TBD Oscar Elgaard Danish • 27 • TBD • TBD • TBD

I leave you with this little piece of art/graphic design I did to introduce my drivers!

The Results of the 2023 Formula 1 Chronex Australian Grand Prix:

[offender42085]

Post 1370

Christopher Ponce, Florida inmate T96991, born 1990, incarceration intake February 2013 at age 27, scheduled for release April 2029

DUI Manslaughter

In January 2018, Christopher Ponce was finally sentenced to prison. It was justice delayed. In 2013, Ponce had cut off a court-ordered electronic monitor and fled the United States.

Captured in Spain in 2016, Ponce was finally back in a Hillsborough County courtroom where aJudge sentenced him to 15 years in prison for DUI manslaughter.

Ponce initially pleaded no contest to the charges against him. But in the midst of an afternoon hearing, in which the testimony of relatives effected by his actions, he requested and was granted a change to plead guilty instead.

His admission of guilt could potentially affect the outcome of a set of lawsuits that have been filed against Ponce for the 2012 crash. That prompted words of caution from the Judge before he accepted Ponce's plea.

Ponce was drunk in the early morning of July 19, 2012, when he drove a 2012 Ford Fusion south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 275, near the I-4 interchange. He slammed head-on into a 2000 Ford Mustang carrying three friends.

The driver, 20-year-old William Angel, was killed. Jay Davis, then 20, was hurled through the Ford's windshield, landing atop the hot engine. Robert Newberry, then 22, was also severely injured.

Ponce was hospitalized, then arrested on a charge of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. He was later released from jail after agreeing to wear an electronic GPS ankle monitor. A year later, he cut it off and fled.

Spanish police arrested Ponce three years later in 2016 as he tried to board a bus in the city of Almería, on the Mediterranean coast. He was carrying a fake Mexican passport.

Upon his release from prison, Ponce will serve 10 years' probation. He will be barred from driving for life.

4d

[danilovefest]

from: Box Repsol Blog

Dani Pedrosa’s passion for Japanese culture will blow your mind!

Hi, Dani! It’s well known that your nickname is baby samurai. Do you think your love of Japan chose you, or did you choose it?

Not sure which came first but I have always been fascinated by Samurai and the Japanese culture. I don’t know who picked who but it’s been a perfect match for me for sure.

Do you have anything that reminds you of Japan in your day-to-day life?

Well of course I have the ‘Little Samurai’ as my logo so I see that a lot in my day to day life! Obviously spending all my career with Honda, I have received many trinkets and gifts from Japanese fans and colleagues which I keep and always remind me of Japan. I have strong roots with Japan and the Japanese, they have played a huge part in my life!

We know that the Japanese GP is one of your favourites. What is it like to stay in Japan during a GP?

Honestly it’s a shame that we don’t get to see so much since the race weekend is so busy and we stay at the circuit hotel. So we only see the race track and hotel and then usually we have to leave for the next race.

Have you been on holiday to Japan? Would you like to go back? What did you most like about your visit?

I’ve never had the chance to holiday there but I’ve often thought that when I retire I’d like to go and spend a few months in Japan and travel around. Experience the temples and traditional Japanese ways of life and study some meditation techniques and learn more about it. I do know the people are very friendly and hospitable and it’s a fascinating culture that should be experienced for sure.

What would you like to bring home from Japan? And what Spanish things would you like to take there? Apart from Spanish jamón of course hahaha…

I don’t really take anything to Japan as I like to embrace their culture when I’m there… but I would like to bring home some Samurai swords to hang in my house.

Do you like karaoke? How is your singing voice? Have you ever sung karaoke in Japan?

Haha, not really and my singing voice is terrible! It depends where I am and who I’m with! I’m quite shy so this isn’t really something I would get up and do in a group of strangers or in public, but maybe with a few friends in a small environment. I did do it once in Japan in 2013, after the Motegi race a lot of the paddock goes to The Cage in Narita – close to the airport – and we all had a lot of fun partying there with the team and singing we had a good time.

There are some expressions in the Japanese language that are unforgettable and transmit the culture. Could you tell us two phrases that really had an impact on you?

Not really any sayings but there are some traditions that my team have taught me which I really value. One is the Darumu doll which is seen as a talisman of good luck for the Japanese. At first, the figure’s eyes are both blank white. Then you choose your goal or wish and paint in one of the figure’s two eyes. Once the desired goal is achieved, then you can draw in the second eye.

Do you like Japanese food? What are your favourite dishes? Do you like to cook sushi, tempura, and other traditional Japanese dishes?

I really like teppanyaki and sushi, also the noodles are good! I’m not a very good cook so probably better I leave it to the experts!

Do you like martial arts? Is there one that you especially like because of its philosophy?

Yes, very much, in particular I like the art form of Aikido. This uses circular rather than linear movements, with the defender moving out of the line of attack and then using his opponent’s own momentum to overcome him. The defender does not attempt to block his opponent’s blows or in any way to clash with his opponent’s force. With my size, I find this the most interesting as you only defend and use your opponent’s energy against them.

Do you know any Japanese? Can you say three sentences in Japanese one after the other? You can send us a video to prove it 

I can say some basic greetings, like ‘Hello, I’m Dani Pedrosa, nice to meet you. See you later!”… haha.

Have you tried out any other traditional Japanese arts? Flower arrangement, calligraphy, cooking, painting…?

Not really, but I would like to learn more about the art of Japanese archery – Kyudo. This is a kind of meditation, finding your ‘Zen’, to become more aware of the present without looking back to the past or into the future. Only then can you reach your highest potential and find inner harmony. It is learnt with mind and intellect, but you work towards practicing it without either and to let go of the intellect and to try and stand with the bow fully drawn, not feeling the need to hit the target. This way you can practice in a way which focuses on the proper breathing, proper mindset and proper body movements, not on hitting the target. If done correctly, you can hit the target—potentially with your eyes shut. Potentially, that is. But in order to even get close to that you would have to practice for many, many years, and perhaps never reach it. But with kuydo, as with all other “Ways”, they try to focus on the journey, not the goal.

You recently told us in #AskMarcDani2017 that you’d like to learn more about zen and meditation. What do you know about Eastern philosophy?

Zen is the Japanese word for meditation and all I know is that it’s a very powerful, ancient, meditation practice. It demands high self-control and involves techniques and ideals to promote relaxation, build your energy within and develop feelings of compassion and patience.

Ninjas or samurai, who would win in a fight?

It doesn’t matter who wins, what is important is the attitude and I prefer the attitude of the Samurai.

[boxboxblog]

Driver Profiles: Carlos Sainz

Updated December 2024

Name: Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro

Age: 30

Nationality: Spanish

Years in F1: 9 ( Toro Rosso 2015- Oct 2017, Renault Oct 2017-2018, Mclaren 2019-2020, Ferrari 2021-2024, Williams 2025)

Number: 55

WDCs: N/A

Driving Style: Sainz is most well known for his strategy more than anything. Regularly during races it is his suggestions on strat that are chosen, and most often they yield positive results. Beyond strategy, he has a calm and effective tire management and calculate decision making skills. All of this together leads to very intelligent driver, and allows him to be one of the smoothest drivers on the track. While he can be aggressive when needed, it is tempered by his patience (similar to teammate Charles Leclerc). The negatives about Sainz is that he tends to overthink in races. This is mostly due to his strategic and cautious way of racing, but it does not let him make split-second decisions very easily. He tends to not rely on his instinct very much.

History:

Sainz is the son of Rally World Champion Carlos Sainz Sr., and with his fathers racing fame came pressure at a young age. Sainz started his career in karting in 2006, after participating in smaller series in Spain. In 2008, he won the Asia-Pacific KF3 title, as well as finishing runner-up in the Spanish Championship In 2009, he also won the Junior Monaco Kart Cup, and was runner-up in the European KF3 Championship. In 2010 at age 16 Sainz raced in Formula BMW, and was added to the Red Bull Junior Program. He finished his season in Formula BMW in 4th place.

(Young Sainz sitting in Fernando Alonso's Renault)

During 2012, Sainz raced in both the Euro Series and British F3 Championships. He did well in both series, gaining multiple pole positions and podiums, but did not get particularly close to winning the championships.

In 2013 Sainz signed with a GP3 team to compete in that years championship. He was a midfielder during this time, and his highest finish was P7. He then competed in Formula Renault 3.5 the same year, and had a difficult year there as well.

In 2015 Sainz was brought up to Formula 1 to drive for Toro Rosso, Red Bull's junior team, opposite Max Verstappen. His time with Toro Rosso was difficult for Sainz, regularly experiencing mechanical problems and crashes. His first season with them he would find himself 15th in the championship. 2016 would see Sainz get his best career finish of P6, but still is counted as a rather negative year for the Spainard. 2017 was Sainz's best year with Toro Rosso, finishing at the Singapore GP in 4th place. Shortly before this race it was announced Sainz would be on loan to Renualt for the last 4 races and the 2018 season. Sainz stated it was unlikely he would return to Toro Ross. He never did.

(Sainz with teammate Verstappen)

The 2018 season with Renault saw Sainz have significantly more positive results. He qualified in the top ten for the beginning races, and finished in the points for all but one. For the next races, he would consistently score points. however, this was not enough for Renault and he was replace by Daniel Riccardo for the 2019 season. Happily for Sainz, he was able to sign a contract with Mclaren to replace his one with Renault.

(Sainz when he was with Renault)

The 2019 season and his first year with Mclaren saw Sainz achieve even better results. While his first three races were unfortunate, after he consistently scored high points right behind the top 3 teams and finished above his teammate, Lando Norris. He would go on to get his maiden podium at the Brazilian GP after Lewis Hamilton received a post race time penalty. Unfortunately the rest of the season was rather negative for Sainz, encountering engine problems, pit problems, and other things that made him DNF multiple races. 2020 was a more positive year, which saw him achieve more podiums and finish 6th in the championship.

(Sainz in his Mclaren)

In 2021 Sainz joined Ferrari opposite Charles Leclerc, by the far the most successful team he has been a part of. While he had some issues during the year, he also had a majority of his highest results, finishing the season in fifth and ahead of his teammate. 2022 saw his maiden win at the British GP. Won in a difficult rain race, he showed that he had the chops to keep up with his Championship battling teammate, and had a variety of positive results that year. He ended in fifth in the championship that year, this time behind his teammate. 2023 was a rough year for every team but Red Bull, however Sainz was the only non-Redbull winner that year at the Singapore GP, which was a mark of honor that year.

(Sainz after securing maiden win)

2024 Sainz had a relatively positive year, with a few standout performances and a few terrible results. Notably he crashed out of both Baku and Brazil. However, he won in Australia and Mexico, so kind of a mixed bag. He finished 5th in the standings.

He is set to join Williams for the 2025 season.

(Sainz getting champagne poured on his head by teammate Charles Leclerc at the 2024 Australian GP)

Major Races:

2019 Brazilian GP - Sainz first podium finish, he achieved it after Lewis Hamilton received a time penalty post race. Regardless, he has a strong race and was able to compete with top teams ina. midfield car.

2020 Italian GP - Driving withe Mclaren, he achieved a P2 finish, his highest at the time. Again, we see Sainz has a talent for pulling the maximum out of his car.

2021 Monaco GP - His first podium with Ferrari, the Monaco GP is a prestigious and difficult race. On top of that, it is an early race, and displayed how fast Sainz adapted to the Ferrari car.

2022 British GP - His first win, this race was a wet one which saw multiple DNF's from other drivers. His skill in wet weather allowed him to battle with top drivers like Hamilton and take the win.

2023 Singapore GP - As the only non-Red Bull winner that year, this race result will always show how strong his race craft is. Whiel he held the lead for most of the race, a late safety car threatened his position. In a spur of genius he used Mclaren driver Lando Norris as a buffer to the attacking cars behind, keeping Norris within DRS range but not allowing him by. By far the most impressive use of DRS I have seen from a front car.

2024 Australian GP - Shortly after his appendix surgery, Sainz won through pure race skill, and got Ferrari there first 1-2 of the season, giving them a major lead in the championships.

Cheers!

-B