#that cannot be said for a handful of the drivers on the grid who cannot process their emotions well at all

[tuxedomax]

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[5sospenguinqueen]

Talk About A Celebration | Franco Colapinto x Reader

Summary: Fans are endeared by your relationship with Franco. Although, it doesn’t take long to discover that his announcement to F1 had more exciting results for the long-term couple

Warnings: Fluff. Pregnancy. Suggesitve comments. Had to adjust the timeline slightly to make this work 

Requested: Yes by anon

F1 Masterlist

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AUG 2024

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williamsracing franco colapinto to race for the reminder of the 2024 season, alongside alex albon

20,234 comments

its_yn if anyone can hear screaming, yes, that is me

user1 i cannot wait for everyone to finally understand how great yn is 

→ user2 i can. i fear we need to gatekeep franco and yn

francolapinto thank you so much for this opportunity 

→ its_yn don’t pretend to be calm. you’re going to meet THE lewis hamilton. i know you’re freaking out inside

→ user3 who is this and why is she all over the post 

→ user4 oh dear. we have to deal with the f1 girlies not knowing who yn is 

alex_albon welcome to the team! 

user5 where have williams been hiding him?! 

user6 oh, well hello there

officialmpmotorsport they’re your problem now

→ user7 what does this mean?

→ its_yn rude 

user8 i was upset when i heard logan was being replaced but i think i might be able to forgive this

lilymhe @/its_yn i cannot wait to have another williams girl to gossip with 

→ its_yn i can’t wait to have a conversation with someone that isn’t about tyres

→ francolapinto you said you loved my tyre talk :(

user9 quick update for those who don’t follow f2. yn is franco’s girlfriend. has been since they were 15. no, she’s not a gold digger. no, she’s not with him because he’s an f1 driver. and the biggest no, he will not date you because he is down bad for his girl

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its_yn my baby is finally an f1 driver! i’m so proud of you, franco. this is everything you’ve dreamed of 🩵

9,789 comments

francolapinto i love you so much cariño

francolapinto i can’t wait to celebrate with you later ;) 

→ williamsracing we’re going to have to media train you, aren’t we?

→ user10 no! don’t take him away from us 

user11 not her posting the most boyfriend coded pics of him

dennis_hauger i’m just so glad it means i escape having pics of me taken whilst i nap

→ its_yn oh, hun. i will literally see you in monza

→ dennis_hauger crap

user12 i acc can’t wait to watch yn terrorise the f1 grid like she did the f2 grid 

→ its_yn i didn’t terrorise anyone. i was making friends

olliebearman i thought i was getting rid of you! why are you following me

→ francolapinto don’t be like that. i know you missed me

→ user13 i’ve seen enough. get this man a seat for 2025

alex_albon i’m not sure i want you in the garage anymore. it sounds like you terrorise teammates

→ lilymhe i’m so excited! 

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SEP 2024

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williamsracing scored his first ever points in formula 1, in only his second race. ladies and gentleman, franco colapinto

13,432 comments

user1 okay but the way he kissed yn and spun her around after he come out of parc ferme

user2 franco has been serving this weekend. both with boyfriend material and points

→ user3 yes! the way he’s had a hand on yn all weekend? we love a protective boyfriend 

its_yn what an amazing day for our williams boys! 

→ lilymhe my ears are still ringing from your screams

→ its_yn don’t act like you weren’t jumping up and down with me

→ francolapinto you were jumping?! you promised to rest

user4 i had my doubts but this little flirt has blown me away

user5 i’ve seen enough. franco colapinto for wdc 2025 liked by its_yn

alex_albon i’m still deeply hurt that you won’t come out and celebrate with us

→ francolapinto yes, but yn won’t be drinking tonight so we wouldn’t be much fun

→ its_yn oh yeah, blame me. i’m the fun sucker 

→ user6 i bet she’ll be sucking something tonight liked by francolapinto

user7 franco is so unhinged and i love him for it

user8 i can’t believe franco isn’t able to celebrate his points because his gf said so 

→ user9 actually, i don’t think she’s very well and franco is taking care of her, like a caring boyfriend does

→ user10 yeah apparently she was throwing up before the race 

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JAN 2025

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its_yn baby colapinto coming to a paddock near you in may 2025 

10,234 comments

user1 she is so iconic haha 

user2 omg she’s pregnant?! i just died 

user3 literal mother

williamsracing congratulations, you two! putting in a request for baby headphones right now

user4 every time these two post, i’m reminded of how chronically single i am

→ user5 because imagine falling in love at 15 and then being with that one person for life 

→ user6 poor girl has never had another dick

→ francolapinto and she never will! 

lilymhe this post has been up for two minutes and i’ve already bought 5 baby things

→ alex_albon she’s not joking

→ user7 alex and lily taking uncle/aunt role seriously 

user8 wait, if she’s due in may, that means she’s currently 5 months pregnant

→ user8 which means she got pregnant in august. what happened in august? colapinto’s f1 seat was announced! 

→ user9 aha it’s a celebration baby 

→ its_yn @/francolapinto i told you they’d figure it out. they put it together when kevin got pole 

user10 omg! franco is gonna be a dilf 

→ francolapinto @/its_yn pay up

→ its_yn you’re not hot enough to be a dilf

→ francolapinto that’s not what you said when i was getting you pregnant 

→ williamsracing you know, now that you’re with us for the 2025 season, we’re going to have to media train you

francolapinto just posted

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francolapinto not long now 

17,436 comments

alex_albon can’t believe it’s a boy. poor yn has to deal with two of you 

→ francolapinto if it isn’t broken, no need to fix it 

officialmpmotorsport what do you mean williams get to enjoy baby colapinto and we don’t? give him back! 

user1 the kiss with the blue background? cinematic masterpiece

→ its_yn thank you. i’ve been training him since he was 15. he’s still a work in progress though

→ francolapinto oi! 

user2 yn gives off such boy mom vibes

→ its_yn that’s because i’ve been trying to talk franco out of danger for years 

williamsracing cake? you’re supposed to be staying in shape! 

→ francolapinto i’ve been doing a lot of cardio 

→ user3 yeah, we all know what that means, sir

its_yn i’m still mad at you for scooping your cake out faster than i did

→ francolapinto i’m sorry! i got too excited and i moved as soon as you said go

→ user4 oh bless him. his super fast reaction time got him into trouble

→ its_yn his lack of super fast reaction time is what got me pregnant 

→ williamsracing we saw that! media training for you too

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its_yn just posted

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its_yn matias william colapinto

10,034 comments

alex_albon oh wow. are you sure that baby is half franco? he’s too cute 

→ its_yn well, i did all the work

user5 did franco pick his middle name?

→ its_yn yes -_-

→ williamsracing we approve

→ francolapinto come on, they are the reason we have the baby

user6 milf yn! 

→ its_yn finally! 

lewishamilton congratulations mum and dad. he’s adorable

→ its_yn @/francolapinto i heard you scream from the other side of the house

→ user7 i love how he’s been on the grid for months now and become a father but still hasn’t gotten over his awe for lewis 

user8 i sense a franco colapinto maiden win coming this year with his new lucky charm

→ user9 and with it another baby haha

→ its_yn no, thank you

→ francolapinto yes, please

user10 franco about to make his own f1 grid liked by francolapinto

→ its_yn franco! stop liking all these posts about more babies! 

→ francolapinto can we practice at least? 

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requests open! (but slow)

tag list

@peachiicherries @rosecentury @c-losur3 @heavy-vettel @evie-119 @raizelchrysanderoctavius @lilorose25 @sillyfreakfanparty

[azsazz]

Glitz, Glam & Grand Prix

Formula One!Azriel x Reader

Summary: Set at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, you, as Ferrari's team Media Trainer, struggle with keeping both drivers in line.

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 1,887

Notes: Back again with another F1 AU 💙 so obsessed with this trope tbh

Belongs to the Off Grid collection.

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“I am not wearing this,” Azriel says flatly, staring at the garment in his hand in horror. He’s holding the hanger hook between a pinched thumb and forefinger, like the newly designed sequined bomber jacket might jump off the holder and strangle him.

He might prefer that.

“Yes, you are,” you answer, distractedly. Your phone buzzes in your hand, another email coming through. Something about a calendar change with the scheduled interviews for the two drivers you’re in charge of for media training. “You’re going to put that jacket on, just like all of the other drivers are doing, and you’re going to march your ass over to the social media team and do what they ask without complaint.”

You cut your—secret—boyfriend a harsh look that matches your no-nonsense tone. He holds your look for all of four seconds before giving in, returning to his glower to the garment in his hand instead. It’s smart of him, choosing not to start with you while you’re in Media Training mode, not secret girlfriend mode where you shoot him teasing grins and cheeky glances behind everyone’s backs.

“Give it here, old man,” Dorian Havilliard says, swiping the coat from him. You cringe, offering Azriel an apologetic smile that looks more like a grimace when his hazel gaze swings wildly to meet yours. As if you can do something about the driver tasing him. Azriel looks like he’s about two seconds from trying to lay Dorian—Ferrari’s newest recruit—out flat.

“I’m not even that old,” Azriel mutters, giving up before the arguing can even begin. The drivers haven’t started off on a good foot, Azriel upset about the realization that he’s getting older in this sport, and the looming fear that the rookie is going to replace him for his Driver 1 spot. For Dorian, he’s too naive yet to understand that he can learn a thing or two from the veteran driver. “Can I fake a stomach bug to get out of this one, ba—(Y/N)?” Azriel stutters, quickly catching his mistake.

Your eyes widen, but thankfully, Dorian doesn’t seem to notice, too enraptured with the design on the back of the bomber. Three dice line the back in white sequins, and instead of regular pips, the black of the dice spells out the acronym F1LVGP: Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

It is pretty ugly, but you cannot wait to see your boyfriend in it.

Both drivers are set to shoot media in the very jackets that fans received with their purchase of tickets months ago. It’s going to be as gimmicky and cheesy as Azriel thinks it’s going to be, which is why you refrained from mentioning this specific part of the media tour to him this weekend.

“The fans are going to want to see you both in that jacket,” you explain, biting your lip at Dorian, who has zipped it up to his collarbones. It does look horrid, and there’s a part of you that wishes you could warn the social team about Azriel’s reluctant attitude. Hopefully, they don’t give him any props that might make him look even sillier. “It’s good for the team and the race. Plus, interaction gets us all paid, boys.”

Your phone pings with another important message, a call-in meeting with the Ferrari Public Relations team managers to develop key messages that align with the brand values, sponsor commitments, and team ethos.

With the two stubborn-minded drivers on your team, that part might prove to be difficult.

After that it’s crisis meetings with said drivers, training both Dorian and Azriel on how to efficiently deflect the potential damaging and sensitive questions about what happened in Brazil two weeks ago. Azriel is used to it, and as much as he hates the interview portion of his job, is trained well in answering these types of questions with tact and confidence.

Dorian, on the other hand, is still young and new to the team. The interviewers will no doubt single him out, sniffing out his fresh blood because he’s more likely to make a mistake. You already know that he’s a touch hot-headed when it comes to the obvious rift between the two Ferrari drivers, and if the interviewers pose a question that gives him room to get a word in about Azriel, you have no doubt that he’ll take it, even without realizing exactly how it could impact the team image.

You’re going to make sure that that doesn’t happen.

The rest of the weekend is planned out down to the minute. You’re not even sure you have a single free second to spend with Azriel.

Las Vegas is always exhausting.

“Hey, boss? When do we have some down time this weekend?” Dorian asks, as if he’s somehow reading your mind. You’re dreading this, having to tell a freshly turned twenty-one-year-old in Las Vegas for the first time that he’s not going to be able to go buck-wild. He’ll have to save that for a bye-week or a break. You’re here for business and racing this weekend, not strip-shows and high-hollers tables.

And while he may have an appearance at Omnia night club post-race on Sunday, you’ve tasked yourself with keeping an eye on the rookie, this weekend more so than during the rest of the races this season.

“Unlikely, Havilliard,” you answer, finally looking up from the calendar on your phone. He should really know by now how this all works—it’s race 22 for Mother’s sake—that everything is all work and no play until after the race, but as it’s Dorian’s first year in the big leagues, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

It’s been years since you worked with a rookie. You’ve been on Ferrari’s team for a while now, working with Azriel and veteran driver Rowan Whitethorn who accepted an offer from McLaren at the end of last season. It had been bliss, the both of them the most unproblematic drivers on the grid, letting their racing do the talking for them.

But it had been more difficult to get them to talk than you thought. The pair hadn’t been as personable to the world because of their stoic behavior, but when you were hired on, you whipped them into tip-top shape, both drivers the perfect media trained racers within all of Formula 1.

“We’re here for work. You’ll have some time after practice and the race, but Saturday night you’re not to be spotted in any clubs or casinos too late,” you explain, shoving your phone into your back pocket to give him your full attention when you say this. You watch your words settle within Dorian, his shoulders falling more and more as you continue. “You’re not to go overboard. That means no drinking, no gambling, no—”

“Fun?”

You sigh at his disheartened look. Maybe it would be alright if he spent some time with some of the veteran drivers, maneuvering Las Vegas along with them. He’ll find that he can still find fun in moderation. Too bad you know Azriel will cut that idea off at the neck.

“I know it sounds boring, Dorian,” you try easily, giving the young driver a sympathetic look. “It’s your first time in Las Vegas and that’s very exciting, but you really need to think hard about what you’re doing here because there are temptations, but there are so many cameras and eyes on you. If you can handle how things might be construed, you don’t have my blessing, but I can’t force you to sit in your hotel all weekend.”

Something sparks in those deep blue eyes at your hidden message. You’ve warned him and you’re not flat-out telling him that you’ll look the other way, that you’ll clean up a mess for him if he makes it, but he should get to live a little, at least.

You know that he’s unlikely to listen to you anyway, friends with a lot of the other young drivers who are just as excited to be in Las Vegas as Dorian is; Ruhn Danaan, Ithan Holstrom, and Tharion Ketos to name a few, with veteran driver Cassian Bailey taking them all under their wing.

That tiny detail means that you’re going to have your work cut out for you this season.

“You got it, boss,” Dorian salutes, shooting you the most innocent look he can muster.

Behind him, Azriel rolls his eyes, and you’re pretty sure you hear him mutter, “Kiss ass,” under his breath, which both you and Dorian effectively ignore.

You’re proud, he’s already learning.

“Alright, Dorian. You’re up first for bomber jacket media, I have something to talk about with Azriel, but we’ll be down soon. You know where you’re going?” You ask, even though his security detail is awaiting him in the hall outside of the suite.

“Of course,” Dorian nods, passing you with his phone already out in his hand. You give him all of three seconds before he begins posting Instagram stories about the hotel. “Thank you for everything, (Y/N).”

“My pleasure,” you answer, waiting until the door shuts behind him before spinning towards your boyfriend and pinning him with a stern look. “You need to stop being so negative, Az. Dorian is on your team and he’s here to stay, at least for the next two seasons until your contract ends. If you want Ferrari to keep you, the both of you will have to start getting along sooner rather than later, and Dorian is a sweetheart.”

“Not you too,” Azriel groans. “Come on, babe, no one can be that charming.”

You hum, stepping into your boyfriend’s warm body. If this is all the time you’re allowed this weekend, you’re going to take advantage of it. Azriel’s hands find your hips easily, a firm, comforting weight against your skin. “I seem to remember someone else that was quite charming when we met,” you tease, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him into a kiss that makes your heart race faster than the speed of his car.

“I was pretty charming, wasn’t I?” Azriel grins, waggling his eyebrows, and you love looking at him like this, happy, when his eyes crinkle in the corners with his smile, the slight dimple in his cheek deepening. He’s so handsome. “Want to go down to the Little White Chapel later and make this official?” Azriel teases and your heart fucking soars, even if he is only poking fun.

Someday the man in your arms won’t be a secret anymore. You’ll be able to flaunt him all over the world, build a life with him, love him not just in the shadows.

“Without a ring?” You joke right back, pinching his side. “I don’t think so, Az.”

“Baby, I’ll get you the biggest ring I can find,” Azriel’s words are husky, his breath hot against the shell of your ear as he dips his chin. “I’ll give you the whole damn world, (Y/N). I love you.”

“I love you too,” you respond breathlessly, and begin rethinking your refusal to marry him on the strip in Las Vegas without a ring. You’ll take him now, hell, you’ll even marry him in the sequined bomber jacket, you don’t care.

You just want to be his, not in secret anymore.

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Tagging people from the last F1 fic. If you don't want to be tagged just lmk 🥰

@iambored24601 @secretlyhers @kylaisra @daily-dose-of-sass @moosemahboi @devilsfoodcake22 @blackthorngirl @brieflyclassymortal @starsdoulikedem @cami26cami @justasillylittlegoofyguy @milswrites @navyblue-eternity @kennedy-brooke @mimsie95 @shadowsingersmate24 @piceous21 @skyjasper @soulessjourney @despoinasstuff @weasleyreidstyles @marrass @favfantasyreads @fairywriter-oracle @georgiastars13 @blueblondi @namelesssav @tothestarsandwhateverend @brekkershadowsinger

[drvscarlett]

About You Pt 18

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.

A/N: and we are here, one more chapter to go. any ideas? any thoughts? I hope you enjoyed this ride because i surely do! listen to ocean and engines by niki to feel this chapter a little more. alsooooo, i'm hinting a new series with the close of this one with our favorite second lead.

About You Series

2014, Sochi Autodrom

It was the first Formula 1 race in Russia and everyone expected fanfares about it yet the reality is far different. It was rare that the whole grid was so quiet. The grid was always buzzing with reporters trying to get a scoop to photographers capturing every single interaction to fans clamoring to get signature from their favorite driver. Today, the whole paddock seems to be walking on eggshells.

Well what does everyone expect when it has just been four days since that awful tragedy in Japan. It felt like it was so wrong in many levels that the drivers are back on track when one of their own is currently fighting for his life.

The doctors told them that there is a possibility for recovery but all can only be determined when he regains consciousness. It was hard to hold on to false hope so the feeling of grief sits heavy on their shoulders.

There were drivers who are angry. Checo Perez was in a screaming match with one of the FIA officials during media day. He demanded how is it possible with all the safety precautions that has been implemented, a tragedy such as this still exist. Jenson, although a little more calmer in his tone, asked for someone to be accountable for what happened to Jules.

Some were emotional. It cannot be denied that those closest with Jules couldn't keep their tears in. Max Chilton, his teammate, was crying the minute he saw that their garage only has one car. He was so used to seeing Jules greeting him and having him on track that it felt unreal that he may never see him again. Another one struggling is Daniel, who has been Jules' bestfriend. Ever since Suzuka, his eyes were red from crying and his usual happy self was gone. It has deeply affected his race performance but he couldn't hide how he feels.

Then there were those who are driven with guilt. Lewis should have felt like in cloud nine after gaining the driver's championship yet he felt empty. No celebrations for that because how could he be happy when Jules is still unconscious. Adrian Sutil founds himself in a battle with guilt even if no one was blaming him. He witnessed the whole thing in front of him and it all happened so fast.

For Sebastian, it wasn't an option to be emotional, angry, or guilty. He has to be rational and if possible hide his feelings as much as possible. He takes it upon himself to look after the whole grid, it was the least that he could do for everyone.

But then in rare moments where he is in his driver's room, an hour away from the race, he lets his guard down.

"Seb, I'm just dropping these oranges"Y/N wheeled in "Seb?"

The distress signals were calling Y/N with how Sebastian stayed with his back turned. His heavy breathing and the shaking hands were a dead giveaway that he has been crying.

"I'm okay, I'm okay" Sebastian repeated like a mantra.

He knows that Y/N has her own fair share of emotions to deal with Jules' tragedy. It mirrored her own a few months ago and she would spend night sleepless after being tormented by the memories of the accident. He needs to show that he is someone strong that Y/N can lean on so he cannot afford to show her that he is crying.

"Please seb, you can talk to me"Y/N begged, inching closer.

"I'm okay, I'm okay"

"Please Seb, I'm just trying to help you"Y/N explained "Please don't shut me out"

"I said I'm fine."

The tone was harsher than what Sebastian has intended. Even he was shocked by his voice and he couldn't help but face her to apologize. A very wrong decision on his part because he saw how equally shocked Y/N has been.

"I'm sorry, I just" Sebastian was lost for words "I'm just honestly so tired and you have been pressing me for something...but I'm still really sorry"

Y/N nodded her head. She was with Sebastian with the past few days and this has been a common occurrence. A part of her hurts that Sebastian seems to be shutting her out but there was the rational part of her brain that tells her that this is just a normal response from the accident. She bits back some of her words and lets out a heavy sigh.

"I'm really sorry" Sebastian embraced her.

She nods reluctantly, there was nothing she could do if Sebastian doesn't want to say anything. For all the years she knew Sebastian, he could be stubborn when he wants to.

Y/N reached out for an orange and handed it to Sebastian.

"Can you peel one?"Y/N asked "Just like our old traditions?"

A small smile appeared on his face and it felt like they were back to the good old days. It seems like it was just yesterday when they were sharing their first oranges and thinking that it brought some kind of luck during Sunday races.

Both of them wish that they were just back to much simpler times. When Sebastian was still a young reckless driver, who wants to prove himself and Y/N was still Mark's assistant. When the problems that they faced were still menial and nothing is as complicated like how they are right now.

They spent some time in silence eating their oranges until the clock starts ticking closer to the start of the race. The buzz of the door outside is getting a bit louder and both of them wished that they can just disappear inside the driver's room forever.

"You come back safe to me Seb" Y/N wistfully stated. The tender smile that they both shared knows how much this sentence weighs right now.

"I'm always coming back for you"

2014, Circuit of the America

Plenty of emails have remained unread ever since Y/N took her leave from the office. Although, it was not part of her job description, Jenson trusted her to sort his emails. Her replacement is someone competent but she is not someone that Jenson could trust yet, hence the pile up.

It was now time to open up the emails and delete the unnecessary ones as it takes up a lot of space. Jenson places himself at the hotel cafe, ready with a cup of coffee to keep himself awake.

"How does she do this every single day"Jenson mutters under his breath.

His respect raised somewhat higher after looking at 10 emails. Most of them were brand deals or an invitation to join a shady business deals. Jenson sorted out the mails into junk or those he would check on with his manager.

Ping.

Jenson almost groans upon realizing that there was a new email that has just been sent. He was ready to say forget it and let it have its turn to be waited upon. But then the subject of the email was written in all caps and bold, emphasizing the gravity of it all.

'WEBBER RESIGNATION LETTER'

The document attached to the email was plain and simple. It discusses how her accident has caused her incapable of fulfilling her duties and that she needed time off to recover completely. She stated how it was one of the best years to be able to work in McLaren and it was unfortunate how it has to end this way.

On another hand, the email itself was a personal letter to Jenson.

"Dear Jenson,

First of all, I apologize since I didn't have the courage to tell you all of this in person. This is an incredibly tough decision to make and I wasn't even sure if I was actually doing this until I hit the sent button. I'm really sorry that I'm emailing something because I'm too scared to face you right now.

Second, I wanted to thank you for everything. You have been the person that I have spent a lot of good and bad days with. You also let me see the different variations of you. The media may always paint you as a cheeky guy who was lucky to win a championship but I see more than that. You are a good person who cares a lot. You love rarely but its genuine. You push yourself to the limits even when you have a shit car or even teammate.

Lastly, I hope that my resignation will bring you peace. I know that you keep blaming yourself for my accident and you still think that you should have been the one driving the car. It pains me that you blame yourself for what happened to me. It wasn't your fault Jenson. I will keep repeating it a hundred times over until you get it through your thick skull. Learn how to forgive yourself and not be too harsh on yourself.

Jenson, I wish I could tell you how much I wanted to stay in this world. Motorsports is the only thing that I know but I have to take some time off. I have to heal myself physically, mentally and maybe even spiritually. Everything has been really draining and it is taking a toll on me. I know you may hate me for my decision but I hope you could understand this one day.

Always with you Jenson, Y/N.

The laptop's mousepad was slippery due to the tears that have fallen from Jenson. He felt a wave of embarrassment after realizing that he was in a public place and it would have made big headlines if someone caught him crying like this.

"Are you okay Mr Button?" a small voice tugged Jenson's jacket.

Jenson saw a young boy in buzzcut wearing a pajama set. He seems to be no less than 10 years old. Jenson immediately fixes his face to greet him.

"Yeah, I'm okay kiddo" Jenson tries to force a smile.

"My sister says its not nice to lie" the boy pointed out "however sometimes my sister lies sometimes pretend things are better than it seems. She says those lies are happy lies"

The ability of children to see through people should be discussed. Jenson finds himself tearing up a bit more after being confronted by a child.

"Here is my hanky"the boy pushed his blue handkerchief towards Jenson "I think you need this today Mr. Button"

Jenson smiles gratefully, he wanted to ask the name of the boy and thank him when someone else approached the table.

"You're Jenson Button? Can we take a photo?"

"Yeah sure"Jenson agreed.

The giddy McLaren fans immediately went next to him. He smiled the best he could and he hoped that his crying wasn't that all visible. After all is said and done, the fans thanked him.

Jenson turned to look for the kid but he was long gone. The existence of their interaction only existed with the blue handkerchief which has the name RJ.

Maybe someday he will meet that RJ kid again to thank him.

2014, Interlagos

When Y/N suggested that they have something to talk about during dinner, Sebastian took it as a sign to make it up for her. He knows how difficult he has been the past few weeks and it took him a while to revert back to his old self. He also knows that this has been a difficult season for Y/N with the accident, Michael, Jules, and every fiasco. They deserve a night out.

And like a poetic justice, he wanted to replace the horrible memory of the restaurant in Brazil last year.

He went all out with the whole preparation. He was dressed in some nice polo, a beautiful dress sent to Y/N, and a gorgeous flower arrangement. He planned to make this evening something memorable and a far better ending than last year.

But the candlelit dinner seems to be lacking its romantic aura with the way that their food has been half-eaten and their wines untouched. It doesn't take a genius to guess that this evening might not go well.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Sebastian spoke up "You don't like the food?"

"It's fine, I'm just not hungry" her voice was almost a whisper.

In Y/N's head, she felt extremely guilty. She wanted a simple dinner with Sebastian to talk to him about her plans to take time off F1 and take a break. But seeing how Sebastian prepared so much for the dinner date, she felt like she couldn't find a perfect timing to break the news to him.

"You don't have to keep hiding, you could talk to me"Sebastian urged her to open up.

There was no point in prolonging the agony, might as well rip the bandages out.

She sucked in air as she delivers the news, "I'm resigning as Jenson's PR"

The fork that Sebastian was holding clatters down his plate. Surprise was evident on his face since he didn't expect this at all. There must be another team offering her a job that's why she resigned.

"Did Ferrari offer you a job?" Sebastian was trying to be optimistic. "Or did Nico finally poach you to join Mercedes-"

"No other teams, I'm just resigning"

His eyes were looking at her trying to see if there is any bluff or whatsoever, "Can I ask why?"

"There has just been a lot going on"Y/N admitted "I needed to heal and get back on my feet. I need to focus on getting better so I don't have to trouble you lot"

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Sebastian pressed “If that’s the only thing bothering you then you don’t have to worry about a thing. I can always fly to Monaco during weekends which are not race weekends and-“

Sebastian stops upon seeing the sad smile that she has on her face. Her hands pushed the set of keys that he entrusted to her. There was a moment of silence between the two of them and its like they could hear both their hearts pounding in this impending moment of confrontation.

“I have to go on my own Seb”Y/N explained “All the stuffs that I have to relearn, I need time to recover from everything that happened”

‘Then I’ll be by your side,’ Sebastian wanted to protest. But he felt lost for words.

“This whole situation is far from healthy and I cannot burden you any longer when you are also struggling to cope with the losses that we have experienced”

Slumping back at his seat, Sebastian could just recount the several events that happened in the past few months. Everything was a whirlwind for the two of them and at the back of his mind, he knows that Y/N is being reasonable. She needed time to recover from the tragedies and Sebastian also needed to cope healthily rather than pushing people away.

He gazed at her and he seems to notice for the first time how its taking a toll on her. It was a far different cry from that girl who he first met but Sebastian couldn’t help his feelings.

“But I love you” Sebastian managed to say something at last. He loves Y/N so much and the pang of pain in her eyes shows how Y/N loves him as well.

“And I do love you Seb”her voice cracking “But this isn’t a right time for us since we’re both broken and we will end up hurting each other if we stay together”

It wasn’t unlike Sebastian to give up in a fight. He was born to be competitive and fight for what he wants. However, how could he continue to fight when the white flag is already waved and its only waiting for his peaceful retreat.

“So what now..”he wondered.

“I’ll try to find myself”she answered bravely but tears were stinging her eyes “And I wish we could both recover and we can find happiness again”

He could only scoff at that, “That’s impossible for me to do”

“Seb please..”

“You can’t just ask me to let go of you and leave you alone when all I wanted to do is be by your side” Sebastian continues “I love you Y/N and isn’t love just enough to keep us going through things together?”

The woman in front of him started laughing bitterly. He could hear the laughter taunting him but at the same time the tears were falling down her cheeks. It was a whiplash of emotions.

“I wish love was enough that it could help me walk again. I wish love was strong enough that Jules is awake. I fucking wish love was enough that you don’t have to push me away when I was trying to ask you what’s going on.”

Both of them stared at each other like they were trying to figure out who was the stranger sitting in front of them. They both didn’t know how it suddenly escalated and turned into this kind of situation.

“All I ever wanted was a clean break”Y/N pointed “I was trying to take care of you Seb”

“No”Seb rejected “You’re running away from your problems”

Wiping her tears away, Y/N sent a message to Mark. It was a good thing that Mark insisted on being nearby so that if the whole thing goes south then he could pick her up right away.

“I’m leaving now. This is goodbye”

Y/N struggled to wheel herself out but she would not ask Sebastian for any help. She managed to turn her back from Sebastian and she felt hurt that Sebastian was not doing anything to stop her from leaving.

“Did you love me?”

The question stings Y/N and she halts. If she didn’t love Sebastian then she would be selfish and stayed with Sebastian to burden him with her troubles. She loves him so much to the point that she refuses that he was a getting a broken version of herself. She loves him to the point that he recognizes that she didn’t want to hurt Sebastian in the long run that’s why she chooses to recover and heal.

“It don’t care if you don’t”Sebastian declared “Because I love you and I’ll love you enough for the both of us. I will wait for you until you feel better, until you feel okay. I’ll be here”

Those words were something that she badly want to hear. It almost made her abandon the idea of leaving everything behind, she wanted to be so selfish. But she kept going and tried to not look back.

“Goodbye Sebastian”

[donewiththisshitplsstop]

No bcs I just went on twitter and its blowing my mind how time and time again people will bring up Lewis (the only black driver on the grid) to absolve their privileged white guy.

Lewis shaking hands with Putin in Russia had to happen because you cannot insult Putin in Russia without repercussions. Not when people have been thrown in jail and suspiciously been killed for disrespecting him.

Lando shaking hands with Trump and then talking about how he respects him is because he wanted to say it. That is what he thinks, there was no threat of jail or murder. That is a 24 year old man who has the ability to think and has the ability to decide not to say he respects a horrible man.

Also, since we're all here. Lewis saying boys shouldn't wear dresses is a horrible thing. BUT M*x using ableist slurs is also a horrible thing. You can not use what Lewis said to make Max's use of slurs TWICE not too horrible. Also, Lewis literally apologised and acted on his apology by advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, and M*x said that it was 'not my problem' that people were offended.

You have GOT to stop using Lewis to absolve these people when they mess up. Because if you really think about it, using all your brainpower what does it say about you and your driver that you have to use a Black man who has been vilified (and still is) to protect your driver because your driver messed up THAT bad. Do you guys not realise the message you're sending about yourself and the drivers you defend using Lewis.

[bellezaycafe]

Get Your Shit Together

genre: I don’t know

pairing: none?

warnings: swearing

context: Sadie volunteered for the 2024 Melbourne GP during a gap year away from uni. She is 20.

comments: i don’t know what this is

Sadie had to force a deep breath through her system. The drivers were not going to like the news she had.

“Alright, listen up!” She called, feeling a bit like she was talking to a random sports club team. “The FIA has finalised the penalties and we have two drivers dropping down.”

There was a chorus of “what?”, “no!” and “fuck me,” in different languages.

“Lance Stroll, you have been given two 5-second penalties for track limits. I’m told that you were only informed about one.” Sadie tried to give him a gentle smile.

It might not have come across that way as she braced herself for the next one.

“Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly, you were both given a 10-second penalty for overtaking under yellow flag conditions.” A small cry of outrage came from Charles Leclerc. “This was decided during your last lap and was not conveyed to your engineers in time for them to tell you.”

Max Verstappen’s face pulled into a glare of fury, while Pierre buried his face in his hands.

“What do you mean, 10-second penalty?”

Sadie hoped he didn’t explode at her during the next piece of news. She looked down at the iPad in her hands and read the standings.

“Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc were all under ten seconds behind you, so you will now be P4.”

“What?! Are you serious?!” The world champion did explode. “Pierre overtook me and I was just taking it back!”

It had been a long weekend for Sadie. She had never been to an F1 race before, let alone volunteered at one; she knew she would be busy but she hadn’t expected to be thrust into learning the hard way at 7 am. And again at 10. Again at 2. And now again at 5:20 pm.

“I understand that, Max-“ She held up a placating hand, reining in a scathing reply.

“Obviously you don’t if you are giving me a penalty for -“

Sadie cut him off with a sharp laugh. “Who do you think I am, Verstappen? Huh?”

He stopped leaning towards her, something he hadn’t noticed himself doing.

She took advantage of his hesitation. “I am a volunteer. What power do you think I have to change this for you?” she spat.

A scowl appeared on his face as he began to lean in again. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sadie saw Lewis start forward. She put a hand out to stop him.

“I know who I am talking to. You are a three time world champion who will survive coming P4, just this once. You are Max Verstappen the reigning Champion, not Max Verstappen the upset child! Get your shit together!”

He stopped at that. All of the drivers did. Several looked ready to jump forward and restrain him, Lewis included.

Sadie saw the anger leave his eyes and said to everyone, “if you’re all sick of the FIA imposing these penalties just before interviews, maybe you should all say something. Together, as the drivers.”

It was Carlos who shrugged. “If something happens in the final laps, it is fair for it to reach us after the race.”

“Yea,” Lewis agreed. “But not half an hour after the checkered flag.”

All the drivers conceded that.

“I’m going to read out your standings and you’re going to stand in that spot. Do not“ -Sadie glared at Max- “complain to me, I cannot help you.”

And read them out she did. Charles had won, Oscar had come a close second and Lando an even closer third.

Max silently simmered in his P4 position and Daniel Riccardo smiled at Sadie from P5. Lewis, in P6, held a fist out for a fist bump.

The rest of the grid lined up in their order. They went out one by one and did their interviews.

Sadie sighed once they were all gone. At least, she’d thought they were all gone. Carlos Sainz, who had crashed out in lap 4, hadn’t gone out for his interviews yet.

“I don’t know if that was brave or stupid.”

Sadie jumped and shook her head. “I don’t know either and to be honest, I’m too tired to care. He was angry, I understand that, but my patience has been worn very thin.”

Carlos hummed thoughtfully as he left with a soft wave.

Sadie pulled in a deep breath. Her last job for the day was done. She’d be back in the morning to help pack down the equipment.

She needed some time to contemplate how she’d just yelled at Max fucking Verstappen.

——$——

If you want to see more of Sadie interacting with the grid, let me know! - Belle

Masterlist

[twinklarentruther]

Okay folks I’m officially clowning with the whole Thèo Pourchaire/Arrow McLaren IndyCar situation here are my general thoughts:

- It’s stupid that they announced and then dropped him so quickly/casually if he was just filling in the whole time, don’t officially announce him

- good for Nolan Siegel, no hate to him

Things to note:

- in the press release they said Nolan Siegel will drive for them for the remainder of this season AND BEYOND

- the press release also stated that they will release their 2025 lineup “in due course”

- this is during the middle of F1 silly season (thanks to Sir Hamilton silly season is early this year)

- they did not need to mention 2025, a lot of teams haven’t released lineup AND David Malukas signed with Meyer Shank so there was never any question that there’s an open seat.

🤡🤡🤡:

The wording sounds like maybe Pato/Rossi are in question, so just as fun speculation here’s my theory. There’s no way Rossi is going anywhere he’s Mclaren grid dad who is still performing so I expect he’s going to firmly plant himself with Arrow McLaren.

Pato on the other hand is obviously very loyal BUT we cannot forget that he is also the McLaren F1 reserve driver. Pato came up in the euro circuit with F1 dreams NOT Indy. Both Williams and Merc have a seat available and share reserve drivers with McLaren. Its most likely Antonelli will get one of those seats but there’s still the other, are we getting Pato in F1 finally!?

[mgu-h]

Excuse the sudden yap but I know this is an ln4 safe space and I would like to see what other people think haha: Why why why whyyyyy of all 20 drivers on the grid did I have to immediately adopt the most cringefail loser (/aff) of them allllllll. Like Lando….. please…. the other kids are bulling me again cause you said something that was slightly more cringy than it should have been bro I cannot keep defending you /j Jokes aside I hope this season teaches a LOT to Lando and I’m excited to see what 2025 brings to both him and Oscar. And I also hope that indeed he learns that yes, you can be okay with someone outside the track bc him being so sad that Max was racing him like that was indeed kinda funny but also Lando…. Pls……. you’re racing of course he’s not going to be clean on the track he’s Max and you were awfully close in points 😭

The thing is... ok hear me out. I think Lando is actually a bit more intelligent and media savvy than people think he is. He obviously messes up when he's tired and upset, and says things without enough clarity that they can be misinterpreted in bad faith, but... I think the way he was presenting himself this season as the "novice front runner" and the "one who follows the rules of fair racing" was claiming a kind of moral high ground and sympathetic narrative position for journalists to use, as Max is already the "even if it's reckless and dirty all that matters is the result" guy. They talked past each other for months, each able to frame events in a way that was more flattering to their perspective without ever really directly fighting in the press. He fully expected Max's behavior on track, though reacting to it in the heat of the moment is a skill he is only now getting better at (Max is a living legend ok it's not easy to race him and people who think otherwise are just wrong)... I just think it was a bit more calculated to be vulnerable than people think it is. It was a choice and a tactic, and the way he tried to ward off criticism by openly admitting his faults may not work with a lot of people, they think it makes him weak, but it does change the narrative from "he's messed up" to "he's too honest about his self-doubt." I do also think his framing of their incidents was fairly successful at keeping the narrative loud around Max being Max and not entirely focused on Lando failing to deliver, as he was still learning and coming from an impossible deficit to even get close to catching up. People wanted him to suddenly become a Max clone, a results at all costs willing to shunt kind of driver... but that is a non starter because Lando simply is not Max. His path to a WDC will always come from teamwork and cleaner racing, if such a path exists, and Lando knows that. So viewing him through that lens, he is much less cringe to me. He's playing the hand he's dealt with as much grace as he can, even if it's doomed to failure and ridicule. He'll say it a million times... he's doing his best, one race at a time.

[vamos-chilli]

it’s almost the 8th so happy international women’s day to the major resurgence of absolute sexism and misogyny that the recent situation with christian horner has brought to the female fans and employees of f1 .

regardless of where you stand on the sketchy af handlings of the horner issues the potential of a false claim from a female employee has provided an excuse for male fans to harass and degrade female fans expressing their discomfort with the situation and the treatment of the women involved- particularly in the doxxing and bullying of the woman who initially submitted the claim before the investigation had even ended. Women across tumblr, twitter, tiktok and all have been pushed into retracting their feelings, deleting their posts and videos on the situation from the sheer scale of hate and harassment at the hands of misogynistic fans because ‘allegations ruins men’s lives’. Completely ignorant are they to the fact that they are active participants in the ruining of a potential victims life by exposing and sharing her personal details, and continuing create environments where women are unable to speak about their experiences with sexual harassment and assault .

Ignorant are they to the fact that they are maintaining patriarchal standards that they claim are non existent to ensure that women understand their issues are not important . the 2% chance that an allegation is false is by far the greater are more believable problem than a woman experiencing sexual misconduct at the hands of her employer . not to mention that the majority of sexual assault and rape cases do not revive a sentencing . that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen or that the victim lied. just that the board saw the evidence as inconclusive or not enough to support prosecution . sa and rape have the lowest prosecution rates of violent crimes . also quickly a reminder he was never cleared. huge complaint was dismissed. the word innocent was never used and the lack of transparency on the investigation doesn’t tell us anything of his innocence .

the responses from drivers again go on to validate misogynistic men’s feelings by labelling the potential sexual misconduct of a team principle as ‘noise and distractions’ or that it doesn’t matter to them . it’s irrelevant. and yes i understand that they mean they don’t want to comment on the situation because of its personal nature but that’s not what they’re saying . by trivialising matters of sexual misconduct as mere chatter and sympathising with a potential abuser it’s speaking to your female fans that you are not an advocate for their safety . it says they don’t take sexual harassment seriously .

what they could have said was ‘the matter is not something i’m personally involved in so i can’t provide insight or comment other than my hopes for it to be resolved quickly and fairly with full transparency’ . instead their responses directly downplayed the situation at hand, ignorantly dismissing the weight of the situation its its affect on women across formula 1 by essentially saying ‘who cares’ and provide pathway for misogynistic fans to follow suit .

formula 1 is a sport which in recent years has leaned into welcoming women into the sport, and this is seen by the rotated dynamic of women in f1 from ‘something good to look at before the race’ as comments regarding the grid girls would have it to a grid of 16 cars fully backed by all f1 teams for women to compete in their own formula racing series . this has welcomed a lot more women into the space. however, it cannot force attitudes to change . the only way we will see real change in f1 is to encourage personal growth for both fans and employees wether they be drivers, mechanics whoever . the work needs to be done to truly welcome women into the space that is currently occupied by them in motorsport . and they can start by taking us seriously .

[bunnytalksf1]

What is happening at Red Bull?

I've talked about this before, and recently, but new info has come to light so I think it's prediction time.

So, according to racingnews365 (not sure how reliable this is, but the info seems reasonable) the specifics of Perez's performance clauses are:

He cannot be more than 100 points behind Max in the championship (the gap is 119 now) by the Belgian GP.

He cannot be more than five places behind him in the standings.

I think most people expected performance clauses to be a pretty big thing in a contract that long, but these are clauses in the contract signed last year, allowing RBR to make a driver swap mid-season.

Based on performance, the driver that would be logical to promote would be Tsunoda. I don't think that will happen. They seem to be actively ignoring his performances. CH said that if Ricciardo continues his upward trend, he could replace Perez after summer break.

The truth is that RBR is wholly unprepared to make a driver swap, whether that driver is Ricciardo or Tsunoda. Ricciardo is not the driver he once was, and is being outperformed by Tsunoda, let alone Verstappen. He'd likely be an upgrade on Perez, but that's a low bar. Ricciardo and Verstappen have been teammates before, and it didn't end well, but it's a different story now.

And then there's Tsunoda. Because of their resolve to not promote him or even consider him as an option, continually renewing him on one-year contracts, they haven't tested him in a red bull. For context, Liam Lawson is getting that privelege soon, and he's driven a handful of races for alpha tauri. Yuki has been in the team since 2021. Throwing him into that redbull now, which is famously one of the most difficult cars on the grid to drive, would be setting him up for failure. Of course, I think he deserves the opportunity, but a mid-season swap with a ton of pressure with a driver with very little testing experience... hm. Where have we seen this happen before? Albon in 2019, which famously ended VERY well.

Regardless, it will probably be Ricciardo to replace Perez if they make a swap, and then they'll bring in Lawson alongside Tsunoda again.

Then there's Hadjar, who now leads the F2 championship. Will they ship him to super formula if he wins? Probably.

The whole thing is a mess. RBR has narrowed its options, and as a result they have the choice between a notorious underperformer, an ageing driver who may or may not be slightly better, and a young talent who is remarkably consistent but is woefully underprepared.

They can't rely on Max Verstappen and other teams being a joke for much longer, though. McLaren and Mercedes are fast. So, there will likely be a swap this season. I would tentatively predict Ricciardo, based on Horner's biases.

Funny that RBR still haven't truly replaced Ricciardo since 2018. Even funnier that he might end up replacing himself.

[blueberry-obsessed]

Thank you to @saviour-of-lord and @marieshyperf1xations for the tag!!

Who is your favourite driver?

Charles and Max hands down (I am indecisive, please don't make me choose)

Do you have any other favourite drivers?

I'm assuming this includes everyone and not just current drivers on the grid. So, Oscar, Lando and Mark Webber

Who is your least favourite driver?

Don't really have a least favourite driver. Honestly, the minute things get even slightly heated, I start hating on everyone who I don't absolute adore, so make of that what you will.

Do you pull for drivers or do you like teams as well?

Definitely drivers now. I would have said teams in 2023, but Ferrari Ferrari-ed a little too hard and Red Bull is just falling the fuck apart so.

If you like teams, what team do you pull for?

Ferrari but only because I physically cannot stop. I swear, I wouldn't put myself through this shit if I could stop it.

How long have you been into f1?

I got into it properly at the start of 2023. I had been an off-and-on viewer since 2022, though and I'd known about the sport my whole life before hand because I loved racing games.

How did you get into f1?

Like I said, I had known about it for forever so I decided to watch a proper race one day and the rest just happened. I don't know honestly, this shit just spawned into my life, really.

Do you enjoy fanfic/rpf?

Wtf, no. *burns all the wips and fics*

How do you view new fans?

I don't think I hate myself, no.

If you could take over as team principal for any team, who would it be and why?

I fully believe I'll be able to fix the shit going on at Red Bull. I'm not working on aerospace engineering for nothing, after all.

Are your friends and family into f1 as well?

One of my bestfriends is just as into F1 as I am, and then our other bestfriend has to put of with our shit. My boyfriend too!

Are you open to talking to other fans/making friends?

Definitely! My asks are always open, even if it is something non-f1 related. I'd love to chat about just about anything!!

No pressure tags<3 @nyoooooom-dot-com @lestappencrumblers @leclover and literally anyone else who wants to join!

[lightningmickqueen]

f1 drivers as underrated and/or unreleased taylor swift songs that altered my brain chemistry

george russell: "i'd lie" because listen "he tells a joke, i fake a smile" he's the least funny person ever but i'd still laugh and also i definitely lie when people ask if i love him (i do but i refuse to admit it publicly if you tell anyone i said this i will lie!!!)

lando norris: "thug story" because of the second hand embarrassment but also i wouldn't be surprised if he knew every word

yuki tsunoda: "today was a fairytale" but unfortunately today was not a fairytale!!! maybe one day he will live to fairytale again but til then he's still feeling this magic in the air though i have faith and i believe

alex albon: "crazier" because listen this is like THE slow dance rom com song from the iconic masterpiece rom com the hannah montana movie and if that doesn't describe alex albon idk what does

nico hulkenberg: "lucky you" ok i love taylor and i know she was like 12 when she wrote this but this song is mid just like hulk <3 however unlike hulk , taylor is no longer mid !!!

lewis hamilton: "superman" i don't know if i need to explain this one i think it makes sense this is just him he'll save the world or go to work it's the same thing idk

pierre gasly: "we were happy" ah a song about young love. love when you're young. love when you were friends and you were young and in love . and then it stopped . no longer friends and young and in love. i wonder why that makes me think of pierre gasly.

esteban ocon: "i heart ?" because listen . "another mess i didn't plan, and i'll bet you thought you beat me" listen!!! not only is that esteban coded but also he's definitely blasting this in his driver room at alpine to piss off his childhood best friend turned rival turned roommate turned ???? aka a certain pierre gasly

logan sargeant: "who i've always been" listen u cannot deny that logan can drive and that's what he's here to do !! the easy ride was never his ambition

oscar piastri: "welcome distraction" SOLELY for the bit where she's like "gone and spilled my coffee trying to get the phone because i thought it might be you" because that is the most oscar piastri thing ever it's so adorably awkward

max verstappen: "beautiful eyes" listen his eyes are SO pretty they're actually illegal in 197 countries if you dont see the vision go to specsavers

charles leclerc: "sweeter than fiction" aka the reason i made this post. this song is SO charles coded and you know what ? ?? ? i will be there time and again and in that perfect weather it'll be like we don't remember the rain we thought would last forever and ever and there'll he'll stand ten feet tall i will say "I KNEW IT ALL ALONG"

lance stroll: "point of view" because from his point of view he's doing GREAT the grass is really green on his side of the street or maybe that's his car. who knows who's right but he thinks he's doing great so

carlos sainz: : "love they haven't thought of yet" it's very cute and honestly very 16 year old taylor but there is something just sooooo carlos about a song about not wanting what's normal but wanting the best and a fairytale even when it doesn't and can't exist <3

zhou guanyu: "superstar" he is literally too powerful for the f1 grid this man is the most well rounded well dressed mfer there and everyone else is no one special theyre invisible

sergio perez: "stupid boy" he is SO. literally any time you expect something decent or good he does the opposite. his most consistent trait. ugh

kevin magnussen: "R-E-V-E-N-G-E" it's on his list of things to do this week he's gonna make SOMEONE feel sorry. not sure who yet but it'll happen

valtteri bottas: "matches" but it's his attitude towards mercedes also "i gave you space you took my place and gave it to her" he may be besties with lewis but he will never like george <3 that's ok tho he looks great w a mullet and he's gonna burn it down

mick schumacher: i don't want to lose his face i don't want to wake up one day and not remember what time erased and i don't want to turn around because i'm not scared of what love gave me and took away and i don't want to lose his face

sebastian vettel: "just south of knowing why" listen it's about driving all night searching for something you'll never find he's definitely done that irl and also he doesn't have a plan he doesn't have a map he doesn't even know if he's ever going back

fernando alonso: "only the young" i know you're doubting me but this is about winning and overcoming the odds and also only the young can run (from him)

[chusspaper]

The 2025 driver lineups ranked

Here is my personal 2025 driver lineups pairing with short explanation.

Ferrari

As already mentioned, Leclerc and Hamilton create one of the strongest lineups in recent history that can only be rivaled by Vettel and Raikkonen or Hamilton and Rosberg.

Charles is getting closer and closer to winning his first championship and he won all head to head battles until this point (with the exception of one figure in 2021 where Carlos ended up with more points). He is the Ferrari golden boy who has been part of the team since 2019 and part of the broader family since 2016.

On the other hand, Lewis is still hungry and he knows how to adapt to a new team quickly.

Charles and Carlos, more or less, smoothed out the conflicts between them. Same cannot be said about Charles and Lewis since none of us know how that relationship will go.

There is a clear worry that the pairing can backfire and instead of working towards the same goal, they might take points off each other.

One thing’s for sure, they will both be under pressure. Charles is under pressure to show he can compare to a 7 times world champion. Lewis is under pressure to show he can beat Charles who is said to have maybe the biggest raw speed on the grid, especially in qualification.

McLaren

McLaren has two fast drivers and there is no denying that.

Both are good in qualification (Lando more than Oscar but they are both fast).

They had a few times when they came together on the track this year and it often ended up in memes on social media.

It’s a question whether they can smooth out those battles and work together. If they do and if the car is as dominant as it was for the part of 2024 season, then they have a chance to win both the drivers and the constructors championships.

Mercedes

George’s season was up and down and it is a question how much of it can be contributed to his own performance and how much is up to the car he had.

He was definitely doing much better on Saturdays than Sundays but when the top drivers came together, he was usually the one to capitalize on it.

Kimi has been excellent in junior series, until he came into F2. Again, some of it is due to the car he had, because like we saw for Ollie, Prema made a few mistakes for the new generation of cars in F2.

Besides the question mark about how Kimi will do in a new car, there is another one: how will the relationship between Kimi and George go, especially if one of them starts winning, then we could see a similar situation to McLaren in 2024.

Red Bull

With all due respect towards Sergio Perez, Verstappen has been the one carrying the team, proven by the fact that Max finished as a world champion while Checo ended up in p8 in the standings at the end of the season.

I have no doubt that Max will do his standard season again, sometimes perhaps outperforming the car.

The situation will be much more interesting on the other side of the garage, where Liam will be under pressure not just from within the team but also from the junior team with Yuki and Isack ready to step up in his place if he ever stops performing on the level Helmut Marko and Christian Horner expect from him.

It will be interesting to see if they manage to turn around the tendency to lose to other teams in the development battle like we saw for the second half of 2024.

Alpine

Alpine has to continue with the raising tendency like they have towards the end of the season in 2024.

They made a few changes during the season and they made a few changes now – notably they signed Ryo Hirakawa and Franco Colapinto as their reserve and test drivers to partner Paul Aron who was already signed as a junior driver earlier.

All of the young drivers put Jack Doohan under pressure and there are already rumours piling up that his contract is only for the first 5 races of the season.

The performance of the whole year depends on how the relationship between Pierre and Jack will go and whether the team makes driver changes mid season.

Haas

The new driver line up with Esteban and Ollie could be strong, possibly even stronger than Kevin and Nico were.

The problem is that both the drivers will be new in the team and they will need time to get used to all processes and get up to speed.

Haas scored more points last year than they did in all previous years in F1 combined.

If Esteban and Ollie work towards the same goal and get used to the machinery quickly, I can easily see them beating both Racing Bulls and Aston Martin.

Racing Bulls

Yuki has already proven he can be quick in the car although they were losing the development battle with other midfielders and at the end had no chance to reach the p6 in the constructor’s that Haas and Alpine also fought for.

Isack Hadjar showed a bit of temper in the F2 title fight and it is a question of whether he can keep it under the lid for his F1 debut season.

There is another looming shaddow over them and that is the second seat in Red Bull that currently belongs to Liam Lawson and nobody knows how long he will be able to keep it.

If the seat opens and Liam gets swapped, it can all change quickly in the terms of performance.

Aston Martin

According to my predictions, Aston Martin will continue with the worsening results, at least in the first half of the season.

Adrian Newey is their secret weapon except his influence will only come into the team’s performance for the end of the season or even for the new regulations in 2026.

Lance will not be on the level of Fernando, although the comparison is a bit unfair between a winless driver and a two times WDC.

Fernando also admitted to expecting 2026 season being his last one in Formula 1 and we know if he is not motivated, his results can mirror that.

Williams

The pairing definitely got stronger with Carlos Sainz behind the wheel in place of Logan Sargeant or Franco Colapinto.

I expect both drivers to be very close to each other in terms of performance, both with some experience from good and bad teams alike.

The big looming cloud above the team is the influence of the crashes in 2024. This could lead to less finances being used on the current car, especially if they are building a long term project like James Vowles talked about and want to focus a part of the team towards the new regulations in 2026 as well.

Sauber

Unless Audi starts investing into the team immediately, there is no way they will leapfrog any of their rivals this season.

They are dividing the funds between the current team and future investments into the team structure and perhaps even marketing to get new sponsors and more money. This is hurting them badly.

Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto can create an interesting driver pairing, there is definitely both stability and the experience, on the other hand unless they also have the machine, there is only as much they can do.

[novemberdevils]

Im glad you enjoyed my ramblings and best believe that I will be annoying you every day because I will reread every day until I have everything memorised.

and for the quali times believe me when I say it’s much appreciated by me, this might be tmi and a bit weird but I have a notebook that I started to write in back in 2017 for each Ferrari driver session-fp, quali, fastest and slowest lap of the race and then I added the sprints- and now I have a spreadsheet of Nico and Jack quali and I eat it every time when they are so close to each other.

AND YES THE MEDIA THERE IS INSANE and I cannot thank you enough for capturing it, like do they actually think if they asked them oh why are you not close to your teammate they would get them tea and gossip? Like come on now.

ALSO THANK YOU FOR MAKING NICO THE CUNTY ONE, like not even talking about their personalities but the team they drive for, for Ferrari you have to be perfect because anytime you are less than you would receive backlash, and we have seen a million times no one is exempt from the heavy burden that is Ferrari image; and for Jack it’s extra because he is one of their own rather than a driver who they singed simply because they are good addition to the team, Jack IS the one they believe would bring them back so he is heavily scrutinised for everything he would do and say, and him being an American is not helping his case, people think Americans do not belong in f1 and we have actually seen it happen recently so it’s not insane for that to be a plot vs Nico being in redbull, redbull is a drink company not a car company; so their image isn’t in danger if they don’t perform and they let their drivers race rather than playing a game of politics, redbull is also clear on who is the second fiddle is and they will not hesitate to use that to their advantage, Nico isn’t outcasted in the grid simply because he is Swiss. So the idea of Jack being the one who worries about his image is 100% valid for a number of reasons, I cannot wait for the imola and monza gp to arrive so I could see Jack being half way through a mental breakdown from the stress -also what is the reaction of the italian fans of Jack being the one who they believe would bring them a wdc and wcc? Are there scepticism of him being and American or is he adored by them?-

I like that you also added indy to the fic rather than having it be just f1, I could see the headlines for when Jack go and visit Trevor -if he would do it- being like yeah he should stay there because that where he belongs but the reality is he doesn’t belong in any grid because of his nationality-f1 because it is mainly European and in indy he might feel like an outcast because he choose to travel far away to race in f1 we all see the headlines for when a driver fails to perform in f1 and makes the switch to indy and how they get torn to shreds-, I also wanted to ask what is Jack’s deal w NASCAR? Because I remember when Quinn told him that he might have some NASCAR in him after all and Jack was upset that he said that.

I hope you enjoy my commentary and best believe that I will be rereading and coming here every time I see something I want to scream about -it would be a lot I hope you are ready-

!!! i will never be mad at these rambling asks in my inbox. a highlight of my day forreal. ik i already said it but i love talking about this fic so much (anyone who follows me on twitter can probably tell lol) and i love hearing what other people have to say about it, and this both lets me hears your thoughts and lets me yap! so i love

honestly i respect it. quali times are soooo they are just so. sometimes (mostly for q1/q2 esp with some of the drivers lower in the top 10) i am spamming random numbers but sometimes i make them like a tenth or something off each other on purpose. or make one of them lead q1 and q2 then just not get pole in q3. mwahaha. too much power in my hands. i did used to write f1 rpf and obv you Can make up an entire season for the plot over there but i never did, and i am having entirely too much fun making up the entire season. oh for reference i am following the 2025 season schedule (sans sprints, as advertised lol) so that part is not made up. but half the grid is and the 2025 season has obv not happened yet. but that's the race schedule it's following - same applies for f2 and indy

YES EXACTLY THIS like if i had gone the other way around nico would've been the ferrari driver, but i like jack as the ferrari driver better for The Narrative. and yes the only american narrative... a lot of expectations coming from a lot of different directions all kind of sitting on top of him, which he is definitely coping well with (lie). and i definitely need to go more into the italian fans' opinion of him! thank you for bringing that up... i do like to think it's pretty split - some people (ferrari fans in general) just really want to see them do well, and if jack is going to be the driver who brings them good results then they'll support him for it, but there are some who are mad at him on the principle that he's an american. and i am actively writing the imola gp right now and let me tell you. Uhm. it's kind of growing legs and running away from me

and just bc i mentioned the social media stuff i will say i have too much fun writing those bits, even if i hate coding the html so bad. like all of these fake twitter people i made up i have headcanons for and some of their opinions idk how much has been revealed via their tweets... but i was on f1twt for a little while (and i still see a lot from it) and it is. wild over there. so i couldn't not include it

yeah i was always really interested in the differences between f1 and indy as someone who watched both - yes, they're both open-wheel racing series, but they're really not all that similar to each other outside of that. the regulations and the cars and everything is totally different, and some drivers do really only find success in one or the other. i was about to make a comment about something that i realized is from a chapter i haven't posted yet... so nevermind. but jack does kind of contribute to the whole "oh my god just go to indycar" shit in his own way, as much as he hates people telling him that. he doesn't want to move to indycar, and people aren't telling him to because they think he would be better or even good over there, but just because they want him to "stay in his lane" as an american driver. which is part of why he wants that damn championship so bad. maybe then they'd leave him alone

okay and the NASCAR thing. maybe i go into it more when they're in miami? i can't remember now lmao BUT - even tho most of the shit jack gets is about going to indycar, there is also a sector of people who think he should fuck off to NASCAR, or just some US-based racing series, whatever it is. and quinn is a retired NASCAR driver, so there are some people who are like. well why didn't they just ALL do NASCAR. only quinn did - jack and luke both went to/stayed in europe (quinn did move to europe w them initially then he moved back to the US bc he missed people too much and didn't really want to try for the whole f1 thing). it's implied luke also gets some flack for being in the feeder series, but he's on a smaller stage so not nearly as much as jack does. so it pisses jack off when quinn says things about how well he would do in NASCAR because jack hates people saying things like that to him - he would feel the same about quinn saying similar things about indy, but quinn is more inclined to comment on NASCAR because he used to drive in that series

and if anyone is going to get the reference that is quinn being a retired NASCAR driver maybe it will be you anon...

love the commentary! i hope my responses aren't too long/too much lol i get distracted

[yayroos]

behold. the story of Sakhir 2020.

Let me set the scene. It's late in the 2020 season, Sir Lewis Hamilton (not technically a Sir yet but shhhh) has already won the drivers championship, Mercedes, the team he drives for alongside Valterri Bottas, has already won the constructors championship. It's been a weird season because we lost the first half of it to lockdown and a bunch of drivers started streaming on twitch because they were bored.

Because it's 2020, we've had a couple of drivers get covid over the course of the season, and have to miss out races. Arrangements for who drives their cars have been varied. The obvious choice in most cases is the team's reserve driver, who exists primarily for this purpose. But it's a silly nonsense sport so other options are always on the table.

The weekend before, Bahrain (they ran two races there in a row, with different track layouts, because that means less travel so less trouble with covid stuff) a couple of things happen. Thing one is one of the worst crashes in recent times, in which Romain Grojean's car goes into a barrier and then up in a massive fireball. He gets out of it ok, burns on his hands but not much else. He's not expected back for the rest of the season, so his team, Haas, put their reserve driver in for the last few races. Romain is now off doing quite well for himself in the indycar I think, if anyone's curious.

The other thing that happens is that the day after the race, Lewis Hamilton tests positive for covid and has to immediately go into isolation and won't be able to race the Skahir grand prix. So, who do Mercedes put in their car, absolutely the fastest car on the grid, an incredible opportunity for whoever is going to get to drive it to demonstrate their skills right at the front of the field.

The options are as follows: Nico Hulkenberg. For whatever reason he's already come out of 'retirement' to fill in for other drivers whove had covid, so his name is on the list. (His adventures filling in gained him the nickname 'the super-sub' which... I don't think the commentary guys thought through before they said it but that's F1 for you)

Stoffel Vandorne. The contracted reserve driver for Mercedes that season. At this time he's been out for a few years after being in F1 in 2017 and 18. He's the on paper obvious choice seeing as how that's a massive part of his job as reserve driver.

George Russell. George is, at this point, in his 2nd season in F1 after appearing as basically the golden boy next big thing in a lot of his junior career. He's in the Williams, which is without a question or shadow of a doubt the worst car on the grid. He's doing very well considering the absolute tractor he has to drive. He's also contracted as a Mercedes development driver, which means eventually they'll probably put him in the Mercedes, which at this point is the seat everyone is coveting. And wouldn't it be nice if maybe he and the team could give it a shot in a season where both championships are already wrapped up and nobody needs to commit to it for a whole year yet. And wouldn't it be nice for Mercedes to see if George can pull it off at the front.

They pick George. This is incredible news, and he's very excited and so are all the media and whatnot because what a story, the golden child who's been stuck waiting and suddenly gets a perfect chance in the strongest car on the grid and wouldn't it be incredible if his first points were a win in the merc?

Williams, for their part, put their reserve driver Jack Aitken, in George's usual car. Jack is in the f2 and the obvious choice for them.

We get into the weekend and first up are all the press conferences and such, where George, in his new Mercedes team gear, seems confident and keen but downplays the chances of a win. Says he's just happy to have the chance in the Mercedes and that he's not that concerned. Nobody really believes this because he's a racing driver and they cannot be convinced not to look for a win.

The race weekend has 5 sessions. 3 practice sessions, then qualifying, then the race.

Practice 1, Friday. Fastest time: George Russell.

Practice 2, Friday. Fastest time: George Russell.

Everyone is starting to think maybe this can actually happen.

Practice 3, Saturday: George is further down the timing chart this session, but afterwards we hear that he was trying out some setup changes, and it'll all be reverted for Qualifying.

Qualifying, Saturday.

Pole Position, Valterri Bottas - Lap time 53.377

Second, George Russell - Lap time 53.403

That's 0.026 of a second between Valterri, who has been driving the car all year long and regularly coming in the top three, and George Russell who has to wear shoes a size too small to fit into the car properly because it's not made to fit him.

Race day. Everyone is buzzing, He could do it. He really really could.

Lights out and away we go!

Off the line George makes a better getaway than Valterri, and overtakes into turn 1, to take the lead in F1 for the first time. This in itself is a hell of a thing to achieve.

A couple of corners later, there's an incident invloving the three cars behind the Mercedes. Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez, and Max Verstappen. Perez is spun and ends up a long long way down, but keeps going. Charles and Max wind up out of the race. This makes the George win situation all the more possible, because Charles and Max are really the only two non Mercedes drivers with what you'd call a good chance of beating the Mercs. So now all he has to do, on paper, is not screw it up, and keep ahead of Valterri. The incident causes a Safety Car, and the whole grid trundles around for a few laps while the two stuck cars are recovered.

The safety car comes in, and racing resumes. Perez makes his way back up into the points, while George pulls away from Valterri in the lead. The first round of pit stops come off without any particular drama, and George is still leading after everyone has pitted.

(A side point you have to understand here: each car is required to do at least one pit stop to change their tyres during the course of a race. This is for Reasons. At least partially because it can make things Interesting. When you go in for a pit stop, you have to go along the pit lane, which is long and has a speed limit. You usually lose about 20 seconds in a pit stop compared to the drivers still on track. It is ideal then, to do a pit stop under a Safety Car if you can manage it, because the drivers still on track have to go slower, so you lose less relative time. There is lots of strategy about when to stop and what tyres to put on and it's a whole thing. Also they change all 4 wheels in less than 3 seconds total most of the time.)

At lap 54 there is an incident with oil on the track, and a Virtual Safety Car is triggered. Everyone has to slow down but in theory nobody should get any closer to each other. A few drivers pit, but it doesn't last long.

At lap 61, Jack Aitken, who you may recall is in George's usual car for the weekend, spins out and clips the wall and triggers a full Safety Car. This is in the window where it makes sense for those who didn't pit under the previous VSC would like to pit and get the cheap stop.

People who try this include Mercedes. Unfortunately, since they're 1 and 2, they have to come in at the same time, which is called double stacking, and is a bit dangerous. But this is Mercedes, they're at the top of their game and they know what they're doing. It'll be fine. Right?

Right?

Disaster. There's a miscommunication between the guys who are supposed to bring the tyres out. They change George's in and out easy peasy, then Valterri pulls in and suddenly it's obvious something has gone very wrong. A significant amount of time later, he goes back out on the same tyres he came in on, and George gets told over the team radio that he needs to come straight back in. They accidentally put Valterri's tyres on George's car. This is grounds for penalties up to and including disqualification if they don't have a damn good explanation for the stewards. He comes in and gets a set of his correct tyres, and comes back out in 5th, still very much recoverable on fresh tyres and with the pace the Mercedes car has. Perez has now inherited the lead of the race.

The Safety Car ends and George is the only one in the top 5 with fresh tyres, so he makes a charge. Makes a really beautiful overtake on Valterri, picks up Stroll and Ocon, and on lap 73 is on his way to chase down Perez and make this win something he really earned.

Now we're watching thinking 'this is still possible. He can still do this. He can still pull it off.

Lap 78, both the lead and the end of the race (87 laps) are in sight.

George gets a puncture in his rear left tyre.

He has to pit again.

He comes back out in 14th place. There's not enough time to chase the whole way back up the field. But fuck if he doesn't make his best attempt at it.

He makes it to 9th in the end, with the fastest lap (worth an extra championship point), and if anyone had told you a week before that George Russell's first points in Formula 1 would be this heartbreaking, they would not have believed you.

So ends the story of that time George got to drive the Mercedes. It took an entire season more before Mercedes would actually sign him on for real, and at that point the Merc sucked real bad and the whole thing hurts even more. But they're getting their shit together again now, so George and Lewis are fighting for things worth fighting for now.

(This is my own personal speculation but I have to wonder what could have caused the puncture if not a leftover shard of carbon fiber from Jack Aitken's front wing, which was very much shredded up in his crash. Because George's usual Williams car couldn't just let him take a win.)

go on. explain the drama. edge of my SEAT.

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I GOT 45 MINUTES INTO TYING THIS AND THEN TUMBLR DELETED IT SO WITH THAT BEING SAID here we fucking go AGAIN

The Curse Of The Second Red Bull Seat

so there are 10 f1 teams, they range from good to bad to mid. one of the teams that is doing outstandingly well right now is red bull. and they have a driver named max verstappen. he’s dutch, and a cat dad. he’s winning pretty much everything at the moment. if everyone’s job is car go fast his job is car go so fast it practically flies.

but all f1 teams have 2 drivers. and f1 has two championships, the drivers championship for the individual drivers and the constructors championship for the teams. each driver gets points when the finish 10 or higher in a race and those points determine who wins the drivers championship and then the two drivers points get added together for the constructors championship. hence, very important to have two strong drivers.

the red bull curse starts all the way back in 2018. at the time the drivers were max verstappen and daniel ricciardo. max was signed to red bull in 2016 and daniel was signed in 2014. max was not on his absolute winning spree yet and he was still quite young, through red bull were still doing decently well.

daniel ricciardos contract with red bull was up at the end of 2018. danny rics is australian, a goof ball, paddock prankster, once sang a song about touching his scrotum and tickling his nutsack (tho perhaps is was the other way around)

he was doing well at red bull (he won in monaco!) and had several podiums and wins with them. but there was something that he didn’t like about them and that was the engine. now every year each team builds a new car to race either brand new or they modify an old one (within certain specs). red bull is not a car company, they are an energy drink company so they don’t have the luxury of being able to go to their factor and individually making all the parts for their cars the way mercedes and ferrari etc do. teams are allowed to outsource parts and redbull was outsourcing their engine from renault (a french brand which happened to also be another f1 team at the time) (they are currently called alpine) and the engines were not doing so great. they kept overheating and causing problems and costing danny rics wins.

enter christian horner, red bull team principle, disney villain and husband of ginger spice. he is very unhappy with the engine as well (and he made some funny comments to renault team principle at the time, cyril, about it) and he wanted to keep daniel as a driver. so red bull announces halfway through the 2018 season that for the 2019 season they would be partnering with honda for their engine. honda had never appeared in f1 before so this was new territory and some people thought this was a risky move.

one of these people was daniel ricciardo. tho, christian horner and everyone else was convinced that daniel was going to stay, they gave him a contract with everything he wanted but he absolutely shocked the world by announcing that he was leaving red bull and signing with renault for 2019.

this was weird for a few reasons, 1. renault made and used the vey engine he was having problems with at red bull and 2. they were not as competitive if a car as red bull. but he still went there and raced for renault for 2019 and 2020 before announcing at the start of the 2020 season that he was signing with renaults rival, mclaren for 2021. re raced with mclaren for 2021 and 2022 and flopped there before mutually terminating his contract a year early and half retired and was a third driver for testing and pr for red bull in 2023 before getting put in the alpha tauri(red bulls less cool sister team) to replace nyck devries over the summer then broke his hand in a crash and was out for several races. this weekend is his third weekend back. this will be come relevant later.

it’s worth noting that in 2019 when danny rics left red bull and max specifically started doing a whole lot better, had no more engine problems and had a fighting chance at winning.

after losing daniel ricciardo red bull signed pierre gasley, a french guy with interesting hair. he was going but red bull was confident in him. at this point they were still trying to beat mercedes and sir lewis hamilton in the drivers and constructors championship so they needed to be on their a game. pierre was in for half a season before they decided that he didn’t have what it took as he kept falling further down the grid and getting less points.

halfway through the season red bull made the choice to swap him with alex albon, who was racing for alpha tauri (the team may have still been called toro rosso) at the time. so halfway through the season alex, who is half british half thai, part cat and just made a silly cereve commercial in his hotel room with his golfer girlfriend, was in. albon did well, he took awhile to get the hang of it but he did score decent points for red bull. he almost placed on the podium twice before getting knocked off track by lewis hamilton.

worth noting that there was speculation that christian horner may have regretted the swap between gasley and albon. pierre went on to win the race in monza in 2020 in the alpha tauri (a medium shit mid field car which is much slower than the red bull). he’s now racing for alpine (previously called renault)

so 2020 was an interesting year, especially towards the end. and especially for sergio (aka checo) perez. checo at the time was racing for racing point which had been previously called force india before the team owner was arrested for money sillies and it went up for sale. it was bought by lawrence stroll, a canadian billionaire whose son, lance stroll was racing for williams at the time. (williams is a whole separate post but all you need to know now is that they were shit at this time). lawrence bought force india with the caveat that his son would be taking ine of the seats, kicking out esteban ocon. they left checo cause he had more sponsors and they needed money.

though for the 2021 season lawrence had announced that he was rebranding the team to aston martin and signing four time world champion sebastian vettel, leaving checo without a seat.

f1 only has 20 seats so if you find yourself without a contract you either retire, become a reserve driver or go back to f2. checo was going to retire if he didn’t have a seat.

he raced his little heart out tho in bahrain and after getting knocked to the back of the grid fought his way up to first and won the race. christian horner called him after and told him that he was being signed to red bull for 2021, replacing alex albon. alex now drives for williams.

checo arrived right at the start of the max doinancd. max won his first drivers championship in 2021 and also in 2022 and 2023, red bull won the 2022 and 2023 constructors championships, so perez did help them get good points but he was lacking a little.

this year has been weird for him. he’s been not finishing a lot of races due to damages and crashes or ending up further down then they want. and remember, he needs to be keeping up with max which is already a tall order.

in suzuka this year checo bumped into hamilton on the first lap and pitted to replace a few parts then went back out after getting a five second time penalty for the accident. he ended up crashing into kevin magnussen at the hairpin on lap 15 and retired his car. he got another penalty to serve at the next race because he wasn’t finishing that one. red bull then decided to instead give him another car to go out in to serve the penalty in and he went out for a few laps then retired that car. he also crashed on the first lap of his home race in mexico, outraging the entire country.

perez is currently about 20 ish points head of lewis hamilton in the debra championship. he’s in second place. while checo has a contract for 2024, there have been rumors that if he can’t hold onto second in the championship (keep in mind there are 3 races left) he will be getting replaced for 2024. this is not confirmed. not even remotely. but, if he does there are three theories as to who is getting the seat. so let’s get into the theories.

daniel ricciardo.

he has already raced for red bull and raced with max on the same team. he is currently in the alpha tauri and red bull have been knows to swap drivers like that before as seen with pierre and alex. it is known that he wants to be in a red bull again before he retires for real. however, he is slightly older which is a risk. he has appeared in a lot of content with max recently and qualified (and i think finished?) above perez in austin.

2. fernando alonso.

fernando is a spanish two time champion, oldest driver on the grid. he’s currently racing for aston martin but there have been rumors that lawrence stroll is selling aston martin because they didn’t do enough of a good job providing a car for his son. if he sells aston martin fernando wants out. and fernando had the talent that red bull needs.

3. charles leclerc

charles is currently a ferrari driver and he’s very good but he’s getting fucked left right and center up the ass with a spork by the ferrari strategy. he does have a seat with ferrari for 2024 but at the mexico gp last weekend he came in third (after running into checho during the first lap) and christian horner of all people defended him in that accident saying there was nowhere for him to go. this is odd because christian horner is an absolute ass who never does this at all ever. ferrari did not aparently show up to celebrate charles podium win and he went to the after party with red bull. he has also appeared in the red bull ig posts recently. ferrari aparently does want to keep him tho and there is a rumor that they are signing alex albon when his williams contract is over in 2025 so be charles teammate.

also there was a tweet from an f1 journalist last week saying that he didn’t want to believe the rumor that he had heard in the paddock and then he said nothing else. people think he is talking about the red bull seat.

so what will happen to the second red bull seat? no one knows.

[shes-homeward-bound]

Crash and Burn | Chapter 3

Summary: You’re the first female driver to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship in decades and it's your second year of navigating through a male-dominated sport. Your talent and drive to prove yourself made you vicious on the grid. Your seemingly unshakeable confidence was never questioned- until a certain Ferrari driver made you crash and burn.

Pairing: Carlos Sainz Jr. x Reader

Chapters: 3/11

Warnings: swearing, anxiety

Word Count: 5.4k

masterlist

A/N: hello everyone! university has been kicking my ass which is why it took me forever to update. I hope you all like it!

Chapter 3:

The sway of the palm trees in the distance indicated a strong breeze and you lifted your arms in anticipation. Bahrain was hot and the sun beating down on you in a shadeless golf course already had you sweating. You and the boys were originally supposed to do Topgolf but Lando insisted that you get the real experience of playing golf on a golf course. Which was why you found yourself dressed in the cutest little white and navy blue golf outfit while lugging the clubs you rented onto the back of your and Mick’s golf cart. 

Despite the heat, the boys were buzzing with excitement as they started driving to the teeing area. You had Mick re-explain the rules of the match play as you followed the carts ahead of you. There were two teams and the first team consisted of you, Lando, Charles, and Mick. The second team was Carlos, George, Yuki, and Pierre. Max texted the group chat that he had a Red Bull event he couldn’t get out of so you were the only rookie player amongst them. But, your natural athleticism helped you adapt to new sports. You looked around to see Carlos expertly taking a few practice swings and saw the other boys do the same and you realized you had no idea what to do. You looked at Lando expectedly and with a laugh, he came over to you and helped you pick a club. You watched him demonstrate how to position your body and swing the club. He had you swing and after a few tries, he gave you a nod of approval.

The game started and you carefully analyzed how they moved because Lando's impromptu crash course was barely helpful, you felt awkward whenever you swung the club. You paid extra attention to Carlos because out of all the drivers here, he was probably the most experienced. When it was your turn to hit the ball, the boys promised they would let you have multiple tries just in case you didn’t hit the ball on the first shot. Taking a deep breath, you slowly approached the ball and with measured movements, you lifted the club and swung hard. You swung so hard that you missed the golf ball and dug a mini crater on the perfectly manicured grass. You gasped as you stared at the damage you made and the boys couldn’t help laughing.

Lando was about to step up and help you but Carlos uses his golf club to block him. “Lando don’t move.” he gestured to his teammates. With humor in his voice, he said “Team, I am sorry but I cannot take this any longer. Lando is a bad teacher and she must learn from someone who knows what they’re doing.” 

“I’m a perfectly fine teacher. She’s just brand new, ” said Lando as the other drivers started teasing him.

You grimaced as he approached you. “I’m sorry. Maybe we should’ve done Topgolf instead and I wouldn’t have ruined the grass,” you said as you tried fixing the hole with your foot. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll teach you.”

As Carlos was showing you his way of holding the club and positioning his body, you were having trouble concentrating as Carlos got closer and closer to you. He had you practice a swing again and he asked if he could move your arms to show you how to do it properly. He hovered behind you and placed his arms over yours. As his large hands covered your smaller hands, the sight itself made your heart accelerate.

“Now I'm going to show you how far back you want to bring the club and swing.” You stiffened as you realized his mouth was right by your ear. You suddenly felt everything from his chest softly touching your back to the scratch of Carlos’s leg on your outer thigh. His breath was hot and you could feel him exhale through his nose. You couldn’t bring yourself to talk so you just nodded. 

Holding your hands, he gently helped you through the movements and you were fighting the blush that was creeping up your neck. You were trying so hard to concentrate but he was so close and you could smell him. He smelled clean, like soap and sandalwood with a touch of citrus and you were resisting the feminine urge to inhale deeply. You went through the movements a couple more times before he released you. 

You turned to him and you were surprised to see his face that close. He hadn’t moved and now you were both even closer than before, gazing into each other’s eyes. You never noticed how dark brown they were. Catching himself, he clears his throat and takes a step back. His face was flushed and you didn’t know if it was because of how close you were or if the weather was taking a toll on him. It’s probably the sun you thought. 

“Thanks, Carlos,” you said carefully, making sure your voice didn’t waver.

“You’re welcome. I think you’re ready to hit your first golf ball,” said Carlos as he gestured to the tee. 

What you didn’t notice was Charles and Lando staring at you two in shock. The other boys were engaged in their conversion but not the Ferrari and McLaren driver. As the both of them watched the scene unfold, Charles sidled up to Lando.

“Well, that’s new…. I thought he was scared of her,” whispered Charles. 

Lando grinned. “He is scared of her. But like I told him, behind intimidation is great admiration.”

Charles was still gawking at the pair who finally separated. “This season just got more interesting.”

You loosened up your shoulders and you carefully positioned your body to what Carlos had suggested. As you lifted your arms, you could almost feel his skin grazing you. With a hard swing, the club hit the ball with a satisfying snap and the ball sailed through the air. It was magnificent and the boys immediately erupted in cheers. You jumped up and down in celebration. You high-fived Carlos and not long after that, he got into Lando’s face boasting about how good a teacher he was. 

The game continued and to your surprise, you were getting a hang of the sport, you might've developed a new appreciation for it. Even with your new opinions of the game, you still thought the game was dragging so you took it upon yourself to photograph anything and everything. 

You posted a video on your story of Mick driving and flipped the camera around to reveal you smiling and the little caravan of golf carts behind you. You couldn’t stop smiling as you looked around. There were moments when it hit you that you’re living the life you always wanted and you couldn’t be more grateful for everything you achieved.

It was the last hole and Lando was pouting like a little kid. Although the game was close, your lack of inexperience was what led the team to lose the game. Pierre, Yuki, Carlos, and George celebrated and you were just glad the 4-hour game had come to an end. Not forgetting about the bet, the winning team posed for a picture and the losing team had to fulfill the bet. You tagged the drivers and captioned it with: 

4 little boys who are good at golfing (can’t say the same for their driving skills tho)

You wanted to remember this day so you had the boys gather together for one last group photo. You propped your phone on the cart and set up the timer to take a couple of pictures. You hurried over and squeezed yourself in the middle which happened to be between Pierre and Carlos. Pierre lightly placed his arm over your shoulders but what made me blush was the large hand splayed on your back. It wasn’t suggestive or anything like that but you knew whose hand it belonged to, it was searing yet comforting. You weren’t sure why but long after the group photo was taken, you couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

You were on your way back to the hotel when you scrolled through your photo gallery looking for more pictures to post. The group photo was beautiful, the sun was setting and you were all sweaty but each of you looked happy. Your breath hitched when you saw the last picture of the timer photos. It was you radiating sunshine and Carlos who was looking down at you with a tender smile. 

*******

The Aston Martin team was in chaos. Sebastian wasn’t feeling too well and came up with a positive Covid test. The entire team got tested and by some miracle only two others on the marketing team tested positive. You were feeling anxious when the team contacted the other drivers to make sure they got tested. You were great about wearing your mask around the paddock but tended to forget about it when you were around friends. You thought of how close Carlos was to you and you shook your head trying not to think about it again. You were able to relax when the boys and yourself came up negative, even Daniel who was out sick last week was able to come back to the grid. 

The team was quick to fly Nico Hulkenberg, the reserve driver to Bahrain. You greeted him with the iconic “NICO HUUULKENBERG” and he just laughed saying that the Danny Ric comparisons were true. You were currently in a conference room with Nico, Sebastian on a video call, engineers, and the team principal. Everyone was on board trying to help Nico get up to speed with the car. He had driven it once in Barcelona but since then, the engineers have made changes. You spent the entire day looking at data and video feed from the practices, you also collaborated with the race strategist to see what you should test out during the Friday practice.

You were sitting with Anna eating dinner at the hospitality on the paddock while discussing what kind of workout sessions you’d have before the practice sessions. Anna looked up to see the Ferrari drivers with their trainers Rupert and Andre make their way to the outdoor dining area with food in their hands.

“Andre!” called Anna as she beckoned them to sit at your table. 

As they made their way, you gave her a death glare which she ignored as she made space for the newcomers. You told Anna about your little moment with Carlos and she just laughed saying your plan to befriend him was working too well. She didn’t understand the gravity of the situation but how could she? You were afraid to tell her about how you were feeling, you weren’t sure what you were feeling but you knew that Carlos was affecting you.

You haven’t seen Carlos since you went golfing and you counted on not having to interact with him until tomorrow's practice. You didn’t know how you would act around him after his little move made you feel butterflies. The picture of him looking at you made it even worse because you found yourself wondering what Carlos was thinking. That gut feeling you felt back in Mallorca was growing and you wanted to smother it to death. It wasn’t a good idea for you to have any sort of romantic affection for your fellow drivers, yet here you were hoping you wouldn’t feel the flutters in your stomach.

All the hope that you had was thrown out the window as Carlos placed his food next to yours. Wearing his Ferrari polo and a backward cap with hair sticking out was a typical look but it was like you were seeing him from a new perspective. You found yourself wanting to study the man in front of you and you resisted. The goal was to be friends with Carlos, not start drooling over him. 

You greet the boys as they hungrily dug into their food. Conversation at the table was light-hearted and full of jokes as your trainers compared how they prepared their driver in the off-season. According to Rupert, Carlos was the worst person to interact with during morning workouts. It wasn’t long before everyone split off into their discussions and you and Carlos started talking. You and Carlos talked about your dogs to what you’ve been up to in the past couple of days, there was no mention of your golf outing and you were thankful. You didn’t need to relive that intimate moment especially when the man was sitting right next to you. The conversation took a deeper route as you both started talking about what you wanted to achieve in F1. 

You were so enraptured in your discussion that you didn’t even notice that the sky had darkened. Anna, Charles, Rupert, and Andre had decided to head back to their hotels, but you and Carlos weren’t ready to part ways. It was like you had forgotten you had reservations about Carlos, now you wanted to get to know him. 

The paddock was well lit and still buzzing with people so you and Carlos decided to walk around. You had asked him how he was feeling for race day and he admitted that he was feeling good but didn’t want to get ahead of himself. 

“I like to take things one step at a time,” he said. “First, I have to get a good qualification time and then that’s when I can focus on worrying about the race.”

You laughed. “That’s such a good and clinical way to think about race day. I’m usually a big ball of nerves on race weekend, and I stay like that up until I'm sitting in the car with my helmet on.

Carlos looked at you in shock. “Really? I would have never guessed you were that anxious on race days. You’re always running around the paddock talking to the other teams.”

“There’s a reason why I’m always running around, if I keep my mind and body occupied, I won’t have the chance to develop an anxiety attack. I know that being a driver at the top of your sport isn’t easy for any of us but I honestly think I feel a different pressure than you guys.”

“What do you mean?”

“I feel this immense pressure to do well because the minute I make mistakes, people start questioning my seat in F1 whether it's the teams AND the public. Some think I'm only here to fit some diversity quota but, I know that’s not true. Interviewers are already asking me if I thought my successful rookie year was just beginner's luck.” you said as you started to fidget with your hands. “Every driver on the grid can turn off their emotions and get into racing mode. I can do that with no problem but a couple of hours before the race are horrible for me. The bright side is my anxieties do not affect my driving, I refuse to let that happen. I’ve worked too hard to let that be my downfall.”

Carlos nods his head in sympathy. Now he understands that your excessive friendliness before races was to hide the fact that you were anxious. It was normal to be nervous before a race but from what you described, what you felt was stronger than that. You were anxious about how you were perceived and how you performed. If you didn’t do well, the repercussions were awful. It was something other teams could use to their advantage, racing was mentally and physically demanding. This new information made Carlos look at you differently, it added more depth to the person who until recently, intimidated the man. 

Panic shot through you as you realized how much you revealed to Carlos. You were amazed that you even told him, you didn’t like to show your competition that you had a weakness. 

You abruptly stopped walking and turned to him. “Pinky swear to me that you won’t tell anyone what I just told you!” 

“Pinky swear? How old are you?” teased Carlos.

“Pinky swear! No one but Anna knows about how I feel. Promise me!” you said as you lifted your hand and stuck out your pinky.

Carlos couldn’t help but smile at the lady in front of him. The usually polished Aston Martin driver stood before him intensely looking at him and hair wildly blowing in the breeze. He lifted his hand and hooked his pinky with yours.

"I promise." 

You visibly relaxed and continued walking down the paddock.

 “Can I offer you some advice?” said Carlos.

You nod.

“Don’t search your name on the internet, especially on social media. It’s tempting to see what the critics say but it’s not worth it. Those people don’t understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. These journalists will write anything about you, they love to talk about our failures more than our accomplishments. Do your own thing and prove to yourself and the world that you belong here.” 

You hummed in agreement, carefully taking in his words. He was more insightful than you would have thought.

Activity in the paddock was finally dwindling down and you both needed to get sleep for free practice in the morning. Since Anna had taken the company car with her, Carlos drove you over to the hotel you were staying at. The car ride was comfortably silent despite both of you being nervous to be completely alone with each other. No fans stopping by to take a picture or staff members coming by to have a quick chat, it was just you and Carlos. Soft pop music was playing in the background, you were looking at the city lights but once in a while, you’d sneak a quick look at the driver. His dark eyes focused on the road ahead of him and you noticed how distinct his nose was and how he bit his lip whenever he turned a corner. What you didn’t notice was how he’d also steal a glance when you weren’t looking. The lighting under the city lights brought new dimensions to your face that Carlos never noticed before. He couldn’t help but look at the curve of your lips and how you naturally had a small smile even when relaxed. Carlos always thought you were beautiful but seeing you like this with your hair tousled and perfectly framing your face left him in awe.

Once you arrived at the hotel, you thanked Carlos, and just before you opened the door, you felt his hand on your arm. You turned to find that he was incredibly close, his eyes gentle as he spoke softly.

“Y/n, whenever you feel anxious or just want to talk, know that you can come to me.” 

You felt the fluttering in your stomach again. You smiled and placed your hand over his and squeezed. “Thank you, Carlos. Know that I'll be there for you too.”

You bid him goodnight leaving Carlos with a look of wonder on his face, you walked to your room trying to calm yourself but it was useless. You flopped onto your bed and stared at the ceiling still giddy from the interaction. The more you thought about Carlos, a sense of dread washed over you as you finally admitted to yourself that you were starting to have feelings for him. You groaned at the realization that you just made your life more complicated by liking your competition.

“What am I going to do?” you whispered to yourself.

*******

The practice sessions went by smoothly with you having a decent pace and only having a slight overheating problem with your car. You were bouncing on the balls of your feet dressed in your full race gear while waiting outside your car as the mechanics did some last-minute adjustments before Qualifying started. Your trainer Anna put a hand on your shoulder reminding you that you needed to save energy. You stopped bouncing and made a beeline towards the pit crew to wish them luck. The pit crew adored you and loved how nice you were to them. This year they made a little pact within themselves to try to give you the fastest pitstop in every race. 

You fit your helmet over your head and clambered inside the car using the halo as support. You did a radio check with your race engineer Ben and in no time, Q1 started. You zig-zagged on the track trying to warm up the tires, looking at the rear view mirror you see an Alpha Tauri following your example. After a few laps, Ben informed you that it was now time to start your flying lap and you stepped on the throttle as hard as you could, your body pressing onto the back of the seat as the car lurched forward. With your eyebrows furrowed in concentration, you drove as fast as you could trying to go faster and faster on each timed lap. Your race engineer Ben radios in that you got P14. You sighed in relief, you had barely scraped by to qualify for Q2. 

With you parked in the garage, the engineer presents your data and your eyebrows scrunched in frustration. Your pace wasn’t great compared to the Red Bulls and Ferrari’s. You found yourself looking over at Carlos’ data multiple times, he was P3 and it annoyed you that he was faster. You already had feelings for him, you couldn’t let the man have another thing over you. 

Q2 was a shit show as you were forced to slow down due to traffic during a timed lap. On your last try, you went wide on a turn which resulted in you losing your pace, qualifying for  P15 which meant you were to start at the P15 on the grid. You were pissed, bad luck and an awful turn placed you at the back of the grid and it was not ideal. You wanted to prove that you haven’t lost your momentum but it was hard to do that when you had 14 drivers to overtake. What matters was race day and you were determined to lay it all out on the track tomorrow. 

*******

The driver's parade was always an event that you enjoyed, it allowed you to relax, socialize, and wave to fans before the race. It was the perfect distraction for the nerves you were feeling. You and Daniel were goofing around when you noticed an interviewer and camera crew hop on the bus parade. You and Daniel both groaned as you both spotted the camera crew getting closer. You looked at Daniel confused only to realize that you’ve been so caught up with your qualifying pace that you forgot your friend would start even lower on the grid. As the interviewer thrust the microphone towards Daniel, you whispered a quick “Goodluck” before you stepped aside.

Waiting your turn, you leaned against the rail waving at the fans as the driver's parade slowly made its way around the track. It wasn’t long before you caught the eye of the Ferrari drivers who were making their way towards you.

“Y/N! Are you ready to kick ass today?” said Charles.

“I’m always ready to overtake you,” you joked back. 

You said a quick “Hello” to Carlos before continuing your banter with the Monegasque. As you talked to Charles, you constantly felt Carlos’ presence, sneaking glances at him whenever Charles got distracted by fans or other drivers. It pleased you that Carlos chose to lean on the railing next to you, he was chatting with Pierre but his close proximity made you feel giddy. You were still incredibly wary of the feelings you were developing for Carlos but the way he made you feel was exhilarating. Your career was a never ending adrenaline rush and the butterflies you felt just added to the chaos. 

Your chat with Charles was interrupted when the interviewer finally made her way to you. You both exchange pleasantries and she congratulates you for being the first woman to start a 2nd year in Formula One. The interview was laid back until she hit you with a question you were dreading. 

“You had a fantastic rookie year finishing 11th in the drivers standings. Do you think you can carry that momentum from last season despite starting P15 on the grid today?” 

With a smile, you said, “Absolutely, it’s the first race of the season and I’m going to fight like hell today. I’m ready to hunt these other drivers down, pick them off one by one.”

Your comment garnered a few chuckles at the drivers who overheard you. You shot a cheeky wink at Charles who in return, gave you the finger. 

The interviewer laughed as she was loving the content she was getting from you. “I’m glad you’ve got that fighting spirit, you’ll need it to impress Aston Martin or other teams to ensure a multi-year contract.”

Your smile almost faltered. “As I said, I’m going to fight like hell.” 

The interviewer finally moved on to another driver and you let out a large exhale. She had just reminded you of what was at stake, your future in F1. You were so lost in your thoughts that it took you a while to notice someone had placed their hand on the small of your back. You gasped and looked to see that it was Carlos who was currently looking concerned. 

“Are you okay?” said Carlos.

“Ummm… I think so.”

It was taking you a while to register your thoughts. You were already anxious but Carlos trying to console you was making your brain go haywire. The more you struggled to find your words, the more worried Carlos got. His concern grew as he watched you stammer, your breath quickening as you looked around at the other drivers. He remembered the conversation you both had about keeping your anxiety a secret from the public. 

Carlos sprung into action, he moved in front of you effectively putting you into a corner while using his back to block you from the interviewer's camera and the other drivers. You realized what he was doing and somewhere between the shallow breaths, you managed to thank him. 

“You’re going to be just fine. I want you to breathe with me okay? Follow me.”

Carlos then makes a show of placing his hand on his belly and starts to slowly inhale, hold, and slowly exhale. You follow him and after 10 breaths, you finally feel like the world has stopped caving in. The entire time you and Carlos held eye contact, you felt like you were floating away and he was the tether that was keeping you here. His eyes were gentle as he searched for any signs of you faltering. You almost sagged into him but you kept a firm grip on the railing, you nod at him gratefully. 

The spell between you was broken as Lando came by and slapped Carlos on the back on his way out of the parade bus. The both of you looked around startled to find that the parade was over and had stopped at the pitlane to drop the drivers off. You look at each other with wide eyes and a small giggle escapes your lips.

“Carlos, I don’t know what to say. You really helped me there, thank you so much,” you said.

He smiled down at you, glad to see the color had come back to your face. “I told you I’d be there to help you.” 

As the two of you parted ways, he looked back to watch you walk into the Aston Martin garage. The night you confided in Carlos was the night where he searched up ways to help people when they have panic attacks. Carlos wanted to protect you the moment you told him to keep your secret. He was upset that you felt the need to hide your anxiety but he understood why. The scrutiny you faced was much harsher than what he had to go through. 

*******

The Bahrain national anthem echoed throughout the circuit as the drivers stood in respect. You hid a smile as you spotted Daniel bop to the national anthem, only Dani Ric could get away with doing that. You were itching to get in your car and start the race, you were nervous again but this time it was manageable. Your eyes drifted from Daniel to Carlos who was standing tall with eyes focused ahead. You thought of what he did for you at the parade and you were grateful, it wasn’t a full-blown panic attack but you never wanted the other drivers to see you like that. The way Carlos took control and the look of genuine care in his eyes was something you wouldn’t easily forget. 

The anthem stopped playing and the drivers dispersed as they made their way to their cars on the grid. You were on your way to the back of the grid with Lando and Daniel when you heard someone call your name. You look and it was Carlos next to his car in P3. You walk over to him and he gives you an encouraging smile. 

“Carlos! Good luck in the race, I hope to see you on the podium tonight!” 

 He steps closer to you. “Drive fast today, I wouldn’t mind a fight with an Aston Martin,” said Carlos.

“Ha! That would mean a sufficient driver and car.”

“Stop that, no one ever won a race thinking that way. Promise me you’ll fight hard today,” said Carlos.

You rolled your eyes. “I was joking Carlos. Of course, I'm going to fight hard today, I wasn’t lying when I said I couldn’t wait to pick you guys off, one by one.”

Carlos grinned at you. “Just promise me.” he said as he stuck his pinky finger out. 

You laughed, surprised that he remembered this little quirk of yours. You hooked your pinky with his, giving it a little shake. 

“I promise.”

*******

The moment the lights went off, you were racing hard and fast. You were careful to not push the car and tires too hard, you were playing the long game and it paid off. You were overtaking multiple cars and you could hear the cheers from your team every time your race engineer updated you on your new position. You went from P15 to P7 and you only had 5 laps to do, you were drenched in sweat and heavily defending your position from Yuki. It took all your energy and focus but you finally crossed the checkered flag with Yuki a second behind you. You yelled into the radio celebrating and thanking the team for all their hard work. After parking the car and climbing out, you went straight to Yuki to hug him. You gave him shit about riding your ass for the last 10 laps and congratulated him for the great race. 

You make your way to the front while fist bumping every driver you come across. You see Lewis first and you run to him, you grab his shoulders and jump up and down. 

“You got a podium! I love this for you!” you said close to tears. You thanked the universe you still had your helmet on ensuring no one would see you cry. Lewis just laughs and gives you a hug.

You see Charles and Carlos celebrating with their team and you fling yourself towards the Monegasque. Tears freely falling out of happiness for your friend.

“Charles! Congratulations mate, I knew you could do it!” you said as you gave him a bear hug. 

He squeezes you back and your attention gets caught by Carlos who was lingering behind Charles. Still high in adrenaline and excitement, you stepped away from Charles and wrapped your arms around Carlos. You felt his arms around your waist and just held you, you both had your helmets on making it a little uncomfortable but you didn’t care. Realizing what was happening and the amount of people looking at you and Carlos, you let go of him. 

Once again, you were thankful for the helmet that was hiding the blush on your cheeks. You cleared your throat, “That was an amazing race, Carlos. I’m sorry you didn’t get that fight you wanted.”

“There’s always the next race plus, you should be celebrating P7,” said Carlos. 

Before you could respond, he was pulled away to get ready for the podium ceremony. You were flattered by what he just told you. Carlos had just finished second place and still found the time to check in on how your race went. It meant that he cared about you, and that alone was enough to make your heart pound. 

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