#but to me it is the max daniel thesis

[blamemma]

daniel ricciardo and max verstappen, 2024 vs. 2016

[gratisdiamanten]

I saw u were also some1 who was picking apart Jos Verstappen like a rotisserie chicken brained. 1 part I feel like is underexplored is his old manager - Huub Rothengatter, who objectively sucked ASS at his job and is no longer cool w the josfam. What r ur thoughts on him

My fiancée @tenearthquakes did a post on this at one point I think, but he handled Jos so badly as to literally never give him maladjusted male chances at healing his trauma thru winning the way Max did. I don't get how he just let Jos be booted from Benneton and relegated to mediocrity and obscurity for the rest of time (until his son got good). Blah blah obvious disclaimer Jos is an abusive horrible man but like. The amount of talent there, it feels actually tragic that it never got properly cultivated and we never got to see more than periodic flashes of brilliance out of him. Huub was just a fucking obviously unqualified man and an absolute con who should not have been within 500 yards of a young driver's career

[eriwithpetalsandletters]

My Brain Registers Him As One Year Old, Eight Months

A chaotic return to the paddock, featuring diapers, data science, and an F1 driver named Kimi.

Disclaimer: This is a fictional story created purely for entertainment and imaginative purposes.

After four years off-grid studying data science—four years of thesis hell, bad sleep, hair fall, and emotionally bonding with her Python errors—Y/N L/N had finally returned to the paddock.

She didn’t roll in quietly.

She strolled back with a degree, a lanyard around her neck, an energy drink in her fist, and vengeance in her heart.

The moment she reappeared, every driver within ten feet reacted like they'd seen a pop-up boss battle.

Max tackled her in a hug. “You survived academia.”

Charles kissed her cheek. “Welcome back, mon chaos.”

Pierre offered her a protein bar and said, “It’s been weird without you.”

And then… she met Kimi Antonelli.

He was polite. Sweet. Talented. Basically a baby duck in race gear.

He smiled at her, nodded once, and said, “Hi. Nice to meet you properly.”

And she stared.

Openly.

Emotionally.

Publicly.

Finally, she blurted: “No. Nope. My brain refuses to register this man as 18 years old.”

Charles blinked.

“Kimi is 18,” George offered helpfully.

“I KNOW!” she shouted. “But my neurological system says ‘That is a baby. That is a very polite baby. Offer snacks and check for teething rash.’”

Lando, half-eating sour worms nearby, froze mid-bite.

The next day, the paddock buzzed with post-race tension and lingering interviews. George, Max, Charles, Lando, and Kimi happened to be gathered around a table near the media lounge—half discussing lap data, half trying to steal Lando’s gummies.

Then, like a comet of unfiltered energy, Y/N stormed in.

She practically launched herself toward them—bag swinging from one shoulder, sunglasses still perched on her head, and expression bordering on feral joy.

Without warning, she slammed the plastic bag onto the table with dramatic flourish. Snacks scattered across the surface like confetti: fruit pouches, granola bars, rainbow pretzels, gummy vitamins, and one very specific package labeled “For emotional support drivers only.”

“Okay,” she announced, hands on hips. “I need you all to know I have officially spiraled.”

“What just happened?”

Y/N turned to the group—and began ranting, arms flailing.

“Yesterday, I went shopping to buy snacks for you degenerates.” She pointed at each one like they were suspects in a clown lineup.

“As I was choosing gummy bears and granola bars, my feet carried me to the baby aisle. THE BABY AISLE. You know why?”

Kimi, sitting politely, smiled like this was his favorite show.

“Because my brain said: ‘We need to get something suitable for Kimi, the baby. Probably diapers.’ So I stood there—comparing absorbency. Wondering which brand was best for nighttime protection. FOR KIMI!”

Max leaned against his chair, wheezing.

Charles buried his face in his hands, “Oh mon dieu.”

Pierre said, “Please tell me you didn’t buy them.”

Y/N raised her hand like a victory flag. “I ABSOLUTELY PUT THEM IN MY CART.”

She continued.

“Then I walked back to the snack aisle. Feeling proud. Confident. Until I started hearing whispers—these sweet little grandmas going ‘She’s so young... but she has a baby.’” She held up her hands dramatically.

“AND INSTEAD OF CORRECTING THEM, I PANICKED. So I yelled in public, 'WHAT SNACKS SHOULD I GIVE MY NEPHEW?' to cancel the rumor.”

George dropped his bottle. Lando sat on the floor. Daniel laughed so hard he slapped a wall.

Kimi just nodded solemnly. “It’s okay,” he said. “I like fruit pouches.”

The next morning, she arrived with a carefully labeled box.

Antonelli Snack Pack. Inside: apples, string cheese, raisins, mini juice boxes, and one size 4 diaper folded like origami with a sticky note that read:

"Just in case my brain short-circuits again. Love, Auntie Y/N."

Kimi opened the lid, blinked, then smiled softly.

“Thank you,” he said.

“You’re welcome, baby,” she replied, throwing a gummy bear in his direction.

Max leaned in. “You’re an actual menace.”

“And I’m proud.”

[transbrucewayne]

F1 but it’s ultra specific ship dynamics that I need in order to enjoy the ship:

Versainz: baby’s first situationship (literally pentaltyboxbox’s art is my versainz thesis. “Ay, Max, no. I am not gay and neither are you” 🤨) teammates who weren’t supposed to like each other reluctantly becoming friends and then being intricately connected for the rest of their careers. But totally not in a gay way. Of course.

Chestappen: repressed catholic and some guy who needs dilf pussy so bad he wants to kill himself (this is deeply important to me)

Strollonso: Brat princess Lance. Heros and anti-heroes. I’m on the dark side. Tell Lance not to worry I just want to build a gap with the cars behind. You’re my fucking hero.

Carlando: Baby’s first situationship pt.2?? Lando with a massive crush, first real boyfriend Carlos….i need there to be angst. Lando fell first AND harder, etc.

Britcedes/Gewis: George fumbling all over himself trying to impress Lewis, Lewis just thinking he’s cute no matter what. It’s the coolest man alive/weird little freak he’s obsessed with pairing of my dreams. George: this is my boyfriend he’s cooler than me and also he’s cooler than all of you.

Maxiel: first love married divorced remarried pining missing something that maybe was never there will they won’t they one big game of gay chicken healing from baby’s first situationship etc etc etc (I adore them)

Dando: trying to find solace in another, longing for someone you can’t get back, subversion of expected dynamics (controversial: I fully believe Lando tops in this one). But also. They need to have one brain cell. Lando blabbing on about god knows what. Daniel sweating and popping a vein bc of how much he needs to kiss him.

Twinklaren/Landoscar: third time’s the charm, oh you’re the one I’ve been waiting for, tender glances, young love, first teammate crush syndrome

Danterri: we had something weird in the past. “Find another weed guy I can’t fuck with you…uhhhmm nothing personal I can’t fall in love right now and youre Everything I love so if I ever see you again I’ll never let go of your hand sooo yeah” (we’ve all seen that one web weaving.) Are you dating the female version of me?

Lecciardo: WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED IN VEGAS. Charles needs dick from a guy with unstoppable charisma soooooo bad. Fueling each other’s impulsive sides, etc etc

Sebchal: baby’s first situationship (Charles’ version) (from the vault) I miss you so much I’m going to listen to breakup songs all night long. I still think of you every day. I named you twice in a list of drivers. You may even kiss. If it was the omegaverse Seb is so obviously an alpha.

Brocedes: if it doesn’t make me physically sick to my stomach with anguish I do not want it. I hope you die I hope we both die. Hand in unlovable hand. I still consider him my best friend in my heart. We’re not friends. Are they lovers? Worse.

Chewis (Charles/Lewis. I recognise this is also the name for Checo/Lewis. What is the Charles/Lewis name?) me and the bad bitch I pulled by being in violation of that one article section. You know the post. They suffer together. Kinship in joint pain. You’ve got a long future ahead of you. Praise kink.

Let me know if you want a part 2, if so, send ships you want!

[lune-moon-nuit]

I’ve seen the argument repeated many times: “Mike can’t break up with El—he would hurt her.” But aside from the fact that some of El’s most joyful, liberated moments were during her time with Max, particularly after she broke up with Mike in Season 3, I find it hard to understand why Mileven shippers seem incapable of imagining a world where El and Mike could simply remain friends.

As I’m currently reading @miwiheroes’ brilliant thesis—which I highly recommend to any Stranger Things fan—I found myself revisiting a question I’ve likely asked many times before: why do so many people, like Milevens, assume that two people who are unhappy in a romantic relationship cannot thrive as close friends instead? I’m genuinely curious and a little baffled by this refusal to even consider that possibility, especially since any adult, with enough life experience, would likely confirm that such a transformation is not only possible but often healthy and mature.

I even have a concrete, personal example. Back in the 1980s, my mother was in a long-term relationship with a man named Daniel. They were together for several years, deeply in love and incredibly complementary in many ways. But the relationship was still painful—mostly due to Daniel’s infidelities. My mother suffered tremendously from that, even though Daniel, despite his flaws, was (and still is) a genuinely kind and gentle person. His infidelity stemmed from his own insecurities and ego issues—not from a lack of affection. But love wasn’t enough to make the relationship functional, and eventually, after several breakups and reconciliations, my mother left him for good.

Not long after, she met my father at a party. Over the following weeks, they fell in love. But Daniel wasn’t ready to let go. For a while, my mother found herself torn between her unresolved history with Daniel and her new, growing love for my father. It was a messy, emotionally charged time—filled with confusion, fear, back-and-forth dynamics, and uncertainty.

At first, Daniel resented the fact that my mother was moving on. But over time, he matured. My parents chose not to hold any bitterness toward him, and they allowed time to do what it often does—heal and soften the past. Today, Daniel is one of our family’s closest friends. In fact, I affectionately call him my “Black dad” (a nickname he humorously insisted on claiming himself, just to be clear—before anyone accuses me of being racially insensitive, I want to be upfront about that because I know how easily things get taken out of context online). Sometimes, I even call him my “second dad.” My entire family—my mother, my father, my sisters, and I—are also very close to Daniel’s children. We support each other like family, even though we’re not bound by blood.

And all of that has unfolded within a completely platonic relationship between my mother and Daniel. That’s the point I want to make. As a child and teenager, whenever I told friends about Daniel’s role in our life, they would often be shocked or even disturbed: “I could never be friends with my ex!” or “Your dad must be incredibly secure!” And yes, my dad is incredibly secure—but more importantly, my mother always told me she didn’t regret her years with Daniel. Despite the pain caused by his betrayal, there were also moments of joy, laughter, and growth. And even if she was no longer in love with him—and even though they were clearly unhappy as a couple—she couldn’t imagine a life without him in it. He became a precious friend. As she put it, “We were ultimately meant to be friends, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

So I can’t help but ask—why are Mileven shippers so convinced that Mike and El can’t be anything other than a romantic couple? When, in truth, the majority of their genuinely joyful and authentic moments together occur when they are not in a romantic relationship—mostly in Season 1 (where even their first kiss felt more like mimicry than genuine romantic intent, especially considering Mike was emotionally disoriented), during their reunion in Season 2 (which was emotional but platonic), and throughout Seasons 3 and 4 whenever they’re not functioning as a couple.

Honestly, 90% of the scenes where Mike and El are in a relationship are filled with tension: lies, misunderstandings, performative affection, and a sense of pretending to be people they are not for each other. The remaining 10%? Soulless make-out sessions devoid of emotional depth or mutual interests. El shows no real care for Mike’s love of music or D&D, and Mike never stops to wonder what El truly enjoys beyond waffles.

And seriously—I think even a large portion of the general audience would agree, based on what I’ve observed both online and in real life: Mike and El work far better as friends. It’s no coincidence that their dynamic begins to fall apart the very moment they officially become a couple—and continues to unravel from there.

[formula-fun]

please do tell the max yuki thesis I BEG

this whole thing was borne out of anatomy of a champion, max's docuseries from 2022 which goes into his relationships with his family and also features a lot of yontent (yuki content). honestly i opened it to check that the scene i was thinking of was still there but got sidetracked for like an hour. there were obstacles to my research. but anyway

so max and yuki are honestly kinda similar people and they tend to balance each other out a lot better than anyone gives them credit for! they both like to laugh, they have kinda crass childish senses of humor, and they spend a lot of time together doing media for red bull, often without their teammates. i think we were all blinded by yukierre when yuki first joined the team because their dynamic was so strong, but ever since pierre left it's been more and more often yuki max. it's fun and people like it: they both like roughhousing and swearing and playing around with weird cars, and it's just generally good tv.

in 2022 pierre was out of alphatauri, yuki was partnered with nyck de vries (remember nyck de vries?) and max was shooting anatomy of a champion. 2022 was also the year yuki was sent to mandatory anger management class, and aoac brings this up multiple times to 1. show how stupid all the drivers but particularly max think it is, 2. point out that max has gotten a similar reputation for being violently angry when all he really wants to do is drive, and 3. segue into the fact that jos has an extremely well documented bad temper and has acted violently toward many people throughout the course of his life, including his son.

you'd expect the scenes between yuki and max in this to be kinda fun and silly, and they sort of are? but there are also these weirdly heavy introspective moments where yuki is watching jos come out to greet max or max is staring unblinking into the middle distance while yuki talks about his anger management classes. and again i read into EVERYTHING but you can kind of see where the comparison is drawn, that there's a recognition between their two situations. they're both so similar to one another and so different to their shared reputations that it's a shock anyone got it so wrong

but yeah anyway

yuki is now in his 5th year at red bull. he's been in the family with max literally a few months less than daniel and max were in it together, which is wild. in a way he and max have had kind of similar journeys here: they both were welcomed in by an older teammate who they were extremely close with but who then left, and they've been eating the replacements alive ever since. they travel a lot together, they do a lot of media together (and sometimes it seems like they put max with yuki just to get him to crack a smile or two), and they've both grown and changed a lot since yuki joined in 2021. they've seen the team's most dominant era, and they've also seen it enter the tailspin that's brought us to where we are now. i think it's easy to see max as the one who's outlasted all his teammates, the only one who can survive in that environment, the golden boy etc etc but. yuki's been in the red bull family too, this entire time. he's seen all the same shit max has and he's dealt with the team's racism and control on top of it.

there's just something about it, idk. compels me

[adimouze]

I think ricnation on twitter should stop and accept max's interview, it may be his pr or his real thoughts, we should just let it go because we know max and daniel are very special to each other and if checo's fans are happy with that then we should just ignore them and stop bothering them. I'm being honest some people are too fussy about little things like this. For me seeing checo fail every race is the ultimate victory because it's too ridiculous if we take every word these drivers say to heart.

lmao true true also like max wasn't posting post race helicopter videos with anyone else was he hehe. anyways i think nearly a decade of good maxiel shit can handle a little bit of teasing from the other side. (i do get why people get pissed tho, some checo fans are ruthless) daniel obviously is very comfortable enough to know what max is actually thinking, and if max's teammate was so close to him he would have been offered to write that thesis/love letter. But who did actually write that?? hehe.

honestly i think it's because the qualifying was so shit and daniel is always so popular (and that gets engagement on twitter) that even his little cuntiel shitstirrer comments are now main news.

[thearchercore]

Hello, hello. It's my first time writing you something but I can't help after skipping (don't blame me, I'm not the biggest fan) Dts. It is very clear that Dts favours some drivers (like Lando, Carlos and Daniel), while others do not even have 2 minutes of screentime (even if you are the WC winner). I also realised that some drivers who had more screentime in earlier seasons like Charles or Checo did not get as much this year. And now I can not help thinking about your thesis with drivers who fall into "media drivers" and "racing drivers". It is very clear who is all for racing and who is not. Sorry for this long as post, but this was on my mind.

(And Netflix, where the hell is the "Charlie" moment? I know you have it!!!)

yeah! @valyrfia pretty much clocked it in her grid dynamics essay

truth be told, drive to survive is a show and each show (even unscripted) will have protagonists, main characters, and manipulated storylines. for DTS, they will always push individuals like daniel and gunther, so it's no surprise. also the ferrari episode was really funny because charles can't pretend to save his life so the dinner with fred and carlos was just a badly acted out convo in 4k lol.

we have to remember, drive to survive will aim for drama, not racing. they will show moments in the races just to support the narrative they're trying to push. that explains why max had like 5 minutes of screentime & was only shown winning abu dhabi. why we spent 2 episodes of tensions in alpine and did not see anything from qatar or the triple header (except for checo's crash)

seems like they're perhaps trying to push a storyline of charles being the ferrari beloved, so when lewis comes in he can have the underdog storyline but who knows, i wouldnt take it too seriously lol

[onboardsorasora]

https://www.tumblr.com/onboardsorasora/760887271328301056/formularicciardo-daniels-intro-at-the-us-gp

Max just standing there with his hands on his hips and waiting for Daniel to come always makes me laugh

Lmao I don't think I ever noticed him just standing there enjoying Daniel's excitement loool maxiel thesis

[blamemma]

he made a post to make max giggle from the other end of the planet and then allowed only max's comment as proof. max is his number one guy fr

excuse me oriopal i need to go find the ocean and sit down and clench sand in my hands and scream. its the thesis really isnt it. daniel making max laugh beam and giggle. hasn't be able to do it in a little while, maybe because he himself hasn't been laughing beaming and giggling but also because he hasn't seen max in a while. maybe he felt good today, and wanted to spread that laughing beaming and giggling wider and so reached out to max on a public forum hoping to entice his daniel smile out from thousands of miles away

[f0point5]

Uhhh tell me why you think Daniel is Down Bad coded. I see him more as a The Prophecy kinda guy

Oh have I been WAITING for this question because I will die on this hill (also the prophecy is so Charles)

✨Daniel Ricciardo x Down Bad - A Thesis✨

“Did you really beam me up?

In a cloud of sparkling dust,

Just to do experiments on,

Tell me I was the chosen one”

Daniel to RB. They chose him when they were coming off this period of being unbeatable, chose him when they had their pick of drivers. Chose him to drive alongside their golden boy like he could be their next one.

“Then sent me back where I came from,

For a moment I knew cosmic love”

How when the real golden boy came they started to relegate him to second driver. Right after he had become their number one after Vettel. Right when he'd had a taste of what he wanted, they started to take it away.

“Now I'm down bad crying at the gym,

Everything comes out teenage petulance,

"What if I can't have him"

I might just die, it would make no difference,"

From the moment he realised that it was Max they were really betting on, he started acting out, seeing slights everywhere (eg. how he talked about how he felt him being even partially blamed for Baku 2018 was unfair and evidence of favouritism to Max), throwing his toys out of the pram, “teenage petulance”, because nothing felt fair anymore. The attitude of, "well if I can't be him, if I can't be number one here then I don'twant to be here at all. Would they even care if I left?"

“In a field in my same old town,

That somehow seems so hollow now”

The Red Bull second seat was where he'd started but it didn't feel good enough anymore. What was once an honour now felt like mocking.

“They'll say I'm nuts if I talk about the existence of you,

For a moment I was heaven struck”

History will not remember him as a Red Bull golden boy. They'll talk about Max followed Vettel and how Daniel bridged the gap. But he knows that for a moment he was dipped in gold

“How dare you think it's romantic,

Leaving me safe and stranded”

They never wanted him to leave, but it felt unfair that they would think he could stay. Sure, he was safe, he was what they wanted him to be, but he wasn't what he wanted to be. How could they think he could accept that?

In conclusion, for me that song fits his relationship with Red Bull most, Down Bad and Loml.

[herohimbowhore]

Smile by Maisie Peters can be used to explain Daniel Ricciardo from 2018 to the end of 2020, as well as Red Bull's search for someone to replace Daniel and fill the hole he left within the team.

By now, we've all grown aware of how unexpected Daniel leaving Red Bull was and the rapid driver change-ups that followed in his wake.

I think it's evident that Red Bull was not prepared to replace Daniel. From everything that we've learned about contract negotiations, Red Bull was expecting to re-sign Daniel.

Got bridges to burn and places to run

Yeah, this smile is a loaded gun

There was an hour-long private meeting with Dietrich Mateschitz, after which both Dietrich and Daniel came back smiling and it was thought that the contract was all but signed. During the meeting, Dietrich offered Daniel a matching salary to Max and reaffirmed it after learning what they were paying Max.

It's my party, my body, my business

It's my town and my crown and my hitlist

It's my world and you're just living in it

Daniel left Red Bull when no one expected him to, and in hindsight, yeah it was a bad decision. However, given the information available at the time, it didn't seem like the worst decision ever. Like, yes, Renault had its issues, but they were offering to build a team around him and were giving him a very nice contract.

Leaving Renault after 2020 seemed like a questionable decision after all that they had promised him. However, in hindsight, it was a decent decision because Alpine is a disaster and a half on a good day and to be honest there's not been many good days recently. Their 100 race plan is more like a 100 ways to not have a team.

No more Mrs. Sweet and Miss Nice

No more Mrs. Fuckin' Polite

Time for Mrs. Takin' What's Mine

You don't need him

Daniel since he has returned to the Red Bull ecosystem and started to love the sport again has made it very clear that he wants Checo's seat. There are several articles, interviews, and podcast appearances in which Daniel continues to confirm that he is indeed trying for that Red Bull seat. And despite what people may think, he has put in the results that would begin the conversations about moving to the main team, especially after the awful year that Checo has had. The pace that Daniel has shown in the AlphaTauri is not insignificant, while it didn't translate to points finishes as much as he may have liked, it shows what Daniel Ricciardo can do when you give him the car.

If he tries to control me, he's finished

Won't be crying, there's plenty of fishes

And I, and I, and I'm fishin'

You should know that you won't find another

I think Will Buxton has said it best: "And I think Red Bull has probably come to the realization that the only driver who can replace Daniel, is Daniel." Will Buxton goes on to say that if they can bring the Daniel of old back, then Red Bull will stick him back in the car to drive alongside Max because the Daniel/Max driver lineup was one of the best that Red Bull has had. Red Bull, since 2019, has been trying to fill the space Daniel left and for a time they've done so with Checo. However, after the disastrous 2023 season, there are so many questions about whether Checo is the person for that seat. Especially if the other teams do close the gap and don't drop the ball like they did this year.

______

Just a short analysis from my drafts that I thought I would post in celebration of submitting my Master's Thesis. Just two more final papers and I'll be done with grad school.

[amphibiangeorgerussel]

it's wip wednesday-sunday 😋

may i introduce my maxiel thesis that literally nobody asked for. she's about 80% done so keep your eyes on a certain ao3 account 👀

“You should come out tonight,” Daniel leans back against a control board and hopes he doesn’t accidentally press anything important with his elbow, “There’s gotta be a decent club around here.” “I’m not good in clubs,” Max says, which doesn’t surprise Daniel. Max looks like he’s spent all eighteen years of his life planted firmly in a cockpit and nowhere else. “Come on. I’ll school you," Daniel grins, “We’ll find you a girl. They’ll be all over you now, Maxy,” He says before he can stop himself - that definitely counts as an HR violation. “Everyone wants a race winner.” Why hasn’t he stopped talking? Max blushes impossibly further. Daniel winks, just to make matters worse. “The drinks are on you, of course, gotta pay the team back somehow.” That makes Max laugh again, loud and obnoxious. “Fine, Daniel,” Max rolls his eyes, “You can wine and dine me.”

[f1oatingaway]

Malaysia 2016: crofty and brundle completely writing off daniel from the win would piss me tf off if I didn’t know the result :)

max and daniel’s wheel to wheel racing though mmmwaaaah👌

Pierre!! Baby Pierre in the red bull garage is so cute, not yet touched by the horrors 🥲

oh nooo Lewis’ engine, I was wondering how the race was going to evolve

The double stack!!! idc daniel deserved this

As sad as lewis’ interview is I wanted to hear daniel being happy and relieved on the radio 😒

max’s classic ‘yank him in’ hug goddd I miss them

jenson and Felipe congratulating Daniel 🥹 Nico hugging him too 🥹

skskfjdksks daniel nearly fell off the podium during the anthem

the mechanics shaking their shoes at him!!!! I want to fucking cry!!!!!

Nico pointed out max to do the shoey sdlflfglkf, him shaking his head at first but then folding so easily… a thesis

who fucking else could convince so many different people to literally drink from his shoe, everyone cheering and the fucking crypt keeper smiling when Nico does the shoey gets to me Jesus

[123pixieaod]

hi don’t know if you are still active but are gonna finish the amnesia fic?

Hellooo, I'm so sorry for some reason I stopped getting Tumblr notification for asks?? So I'm only seeing this now😭 Yes I will definitely get back to it! It's probably the most fic which matters most to me, and so if I do nothing else I will see it through haha. I'm sorry for the long delay in updates, I'm currently battling my masters dissertation, and really can't face editing heavy!sad!amnesia chapters alongside editing heavy!sad!history paper, but I fully intend to throw myself back into uploads once I finally am finished the thesis.

Also, I wanted to include the beginning of the next chapter, but honestly it hasn't been written yet, so this is the beginning of a few chapters down the line.

-

There is a party. Ironically, all the time Daniel was just a mid-driver with Mclaren, he craved these after-racing parties, yearned for the opening to just drink himself into his own little oblivion.

And now he’s the winner. He’s the one who should be shouting loudest, celebrating largest. He should be happy.

He just wants to go home.

He sits with George and a few interns they got on well with. George is telling some story about a snowbording accident he got into when he went to the Alps with his girlfriend. Everyone laughs at something. Daniel smiles, a fraction too late.

He’s not here. He’s not listening. He’s just watching Max. Max at another booth, smiling. Rolling his glass methodically, the rim balanced on the sticky table’s surface. Charles and Carlos are seated beside him. Carlos is saying something, his hands animated with Hispanic flair. The other two are listening. Charles is sat between them. His side is against Max’s.

-

It took him a criminally long time to see how Max acted around Charles. But once he did, he couldn’t stop noticing it. The way Max listened to Charles, so intent and focused, the way Max smiled when he saw the other man, the way Max wrapped an arm around Charles’ waist, standing side by side as they both smiled from the podium.

It would make sense. A lot more than him and Max. Charles was younger, for a start. Pretty much Max’s age exactly - no weird, mildly dubious age gap to have to navigate. But beyond that, he was successful. He was young and upcoming, a star not only in the making but already burning iridescently bright. Already it was clear that he and Max were destined to be each other’s biggest rivals, the next Lewis and Sebastian, Hunt and Lauda.

Charles is, also objectively, one of the most handsome men alive. Daniel is not exactly self-deprecating, but even he can appreciate how good Charles looks, how effortlessly he outshines anyone in his periphery. And he can tell Max appreciates it too.

[sysakiddo]

first I'd like to say that I adoreeee the diplomacy au to bitsss (gives me hope for my future<33) I am wodering if you're using like your own experiences for inspo/ basing it off the way it kinda works for whatever country you're from or its mostly imaginary? as a fellow IR survivor and current victim of embassy internships, it's soooo different from what I have seen (ofc this is a work of fiction but like where I've interned it was so rare to speak with the Ambassador 1on1 bcz you're just some random kid, to let alone go on vacation with him) so I'm like curious if it's maybe different where you're from or you're just playing it up for the sake of entertainment? sorry for the long ask lmao <333

heyyy!! thank you SO MUCH for this ask and I feel absolutely giddy about the fact that a fellow IR survivor reads my shit 🧡 (and also scared I'm going to write something incredibly lame) So, I originally started writing from my Parisian experience. But of course, you are totally right about the reality of being an intern - I've rarely ever seen our ambassador and our communication mostly consisted of the cringiest mails one can imagine (from HIS side). However, as I said here, my supervisor was the loveliest woman who really pushed me to do my best and gave me a lot of lessons about being a woman in the diplomatic world. We often had lunch/dinner together + with her husband (who was our economic diplomat and the funniest lad) and kept in touch after I left and she helped me a lot with my thesis. So it wasn't the ambassador directly but a diplomat nonetheless who took me under their wing and guided me through what definitely was the worst year of my life so far. BUT I heard some crazy stories from smaller (like 5 staff members small) embassies where the ambassadors are all buddy buddy with the interns and frequently take them out etc. just because they are so bored in their designated countries lmao. (my country is small and has some small-ass embassies, mainly in Africa) So yes, Anne/Max thingy is all made up and only here for the plot lmao. In this story, it's Daniel's situation (he has no idea if there are any interns at his embassy at the moment) which is the og real one. How is your internship going??? I need the gossip bestie 👀

thank you so much for this ask and I hope I answered coherently enough!! if you have any more questions feel free to ask 🧡🧡