#its 1:30a

[dear-ao3]

it was the best of times. it was the worst of times. it was monza 2024. and i know ive said this before, but i don't think you guys are ready for this one.

its september 13, 2024 and here we goddamn go. lets jump into it.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by McLaren (@mclaren)

the race week started ordinarily. and by ordinarily i mean that haas was in fact allowed to leave the netherlands. their payment went through and they were officially free of the russians. and ferrari dropped quite possibly the ugliest race suits for this weekend.

and like. are they the ugliest race suits we've seen? no they are not. but the real crime here is that they didnt give them black fireproofs for underneath them (which they HAVE done before). people were really excited though that this possibly meant an all black livery for the car. the people (well except one person but we will get to that) would be incorrect)

so yeah. all was normal until about wednesday.

what happened on wednesday? well....

a moment of silence please for logan hunter sargeant. the florida man who could. who actually did, until he didnt.

now, i know what you are probably asking. did williams handle this well????

honey. baby. sweetheart. have you perhaps been paying attention????

no they did not

first they posted this

(we will get to the replacement in a minute please hold onto your hats and let me fucking cook)

and then they posted a photo of logan with this caption

which is just. why are we even bothering at this point.

and yes i Know i Try to keep myself unbiased in these but like COME ON WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS WILLIAMS

for context, this was the send off post that duracell, yes like the batteries, posted for logan (duracell is a williams sponsor)

im not even going to elaborate on the differences between these two because they are so upsetting. you have eyes. i implore you to use them.

logan himself also posted a statement on his app. this was later deleted with no explanation.

now we will return back to logan in a bit, but first, yes, he is alive and around. i think the people deduced he was in florida with his girlfriend and he was also golfing. i hope he found a boat and drank a beer and caught a fish.

but we will return to the fall of logan sargeant. for now, who the hell is his replacement?

well that would be franco colapinto.

"saph"

yes?

"didnt you outline all of the possible logan replacements in the last post?"

yes i did

"i dont remember seeing francos name there"

that is because it wasnt

you see. franco was an f2 driver. not only was he an f2 driver, he was in his very first season of f2. and i dont remember where he was in the standings, somewhere near the mid field i think. the whole issue with logan was that williams thought that he was underprepared and not performing well. this was, as we already know, williams's own fault because they only had him do one f1 season before signing him.

so their solution. to having an underprepared driver. was to replace him. mid season. before some of the most intense races of the season. with an even more underprepared. driver.

you cant make this shit up.

yes james vowels did give reasoning, yes it was ass reasoning , as with the rest of it, we will get to it later please be patient

i will say though that mick seemed pretty unbothered that he wasnt signed. thats because he went to texas roadhouse with his girlfriend in texas that very night (he was there for an endurance race, this will become important later)

in the meantime, who is franco besides an f2 driver?

well he was specifically a williams f2 driver. hes 21 and from argentina. he won the 2019 spanish f4 championship. after that, actually, fernando alonso started backing his racing career. hes also now the only driver from south america on the grid (yes checo is from mexico but that is central america (he is still big in south america tho)) and there was a lot of shit being stirred that oh he paid for a seat and people were using that as an excuse to be racist (i hope i dont need to tell you that this is bad.

look. without getting super into all the finer details of this. most people pay for a seat. f1 is a money sport. you have to be a good driver yes but whats also appealing is sponsors because sponsors bring in money and franco has sponsors and williams is lacking in money. now i didnt really research all of this cause im a busy girl but frankly i think the argument is stupid. no team is going to sign a shit driver because thats dumb. and, also things ive discussed before, lance is definitely just at aston cause his dad owns the team, lando's dad also paid for his seat all the way up until f2 and blah blah everyone pays for a seat pretty much some how. its stupid. dont be racist.

anyway.

regardless.

(spelled correctly this time just for you anon who asked me why i spell regardless wrong. its cause i cant fucking spell okay.)

while the circumstances in which franco getting signed were shit and like it doesnt really make sense that he got signed when you remember who the other options were, we dont want him to fail. this is entirely not his fault. or logans fault. its james vowels fault. and we will definitely get to him later.

in the meantime. it is still only wednesday and we have fuck ass pr to get through.

such as!!! grill the grid!!!

this episode was a guess the driver we are describing thing through a series of clues and by Far the most interesting part was at the end when lewis incorrectly guessed nico, as in rosberg, at the clue "doesnt like the media attention" and got it wrong because it was actually kimi raikkonen. lewis instantly turned around (probably in shame) (remember he never talks about nico ever) and ugh. the essays that could be written about brocedes. but alas i shall not. i shall restrain myself and move on to the birthday boys.

we had two birthdays this week. valtteri was first and zhou made him a birthday card.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team)

it was also carlos's birthday. but later in the week. his birthday was on the day of the race.

oh and this one is stupid but oasis, the band, got back together or something im not entirely sure. but mclaren took this opportunity to make this post:

which is undoubtedly a callback to this incredibly shit rendition of wonderwall that mclaren drivers jenson buttons and sir lewis hamilton (and friends) did back in the day (seriously watch at your own risk here)

and george russell also exposed himself as an oasis fan. worry not this is the least baffling thing that george did this week.

(sorry for the shit screenshot quality, it seems god is out for my ass this week)

and what else did i need to talk about....sorry everyone i usually keep a paper with everything that happens written on it for the week and this week i lost it so were kinda just free balling here and its really biting me in the ass so what the fuck was supposed to go here oh yes will buxton

will buxton is a sky sports (?) presenter (i dont exactly remember which channel hes on but hes here) and his opinions are usually either Hit or Miss or Meme (or a combination) and this week he had some absolute Miss opinions about daniel ricciardo and george russell

“He’s [Oscar Piastri] great. What I like about Oscar is he’s still so new to all of this that he’s not trying to play up to a preconception of who he needs to be. Like George is trying to be this weird Talented Mr Ripley-type person, right? I don’t know what George is…like George is trying to be this thing. Daniel is still trying to play up to being the 24, 25-year-old Daniel and it’s like, mate you’re in your 30s, calm down. Flipping the bird at the bit that he crashed at last year, come on mate. I think so many of them get caught up in who the media thinks they are that they play up to their personalities. Oscar doesn’t have that yet and so you just get this beautiful young freedom of personality. I love that.”

which is. not a great thing to say. especially because theyre supposed to theoretically be unbiased (lol)

alpine workers also are still protesting. and on account of the fact that it is Late im just copy and pasting okay sorry but also not sorry:

"Alpine employees at Renault's Viry-Châtillon will go on strike, with others set to protest the planned decision to forfeit its F1 works team status at the Italian Grand Prix. This follows the shock news from before the summer break that the French squad will opt to be supplied power units from 2026, as opposed to producing its own. This is according to French publication L'Equipe, which has obtained a press release from the employees. "Each group will display a banner with a clear and non-aggressive message, pleading the cause of maintaining a French engine in F1, all will be wearing a white T-shirt with the Alpine logo, the message #ViryOnTrack and a black armband," the statement says. No action will prevent track operations from taking place."

in essence, alpine is going to probably move to mercedes engines still, the employees making the current engines are mad and rightfully so that they are out of a job and now they are protesting. good for them

and now for a little bit of monza lore:

first we will get the serious one out of the way. in 2022 alex albon was diagnosed with appendicitis during the monza weekend (or it was slightly before and he missed the monza weekend?). this is a rather infamous event in f1. most things can be traced back to alex albon's appendix, somehow. i will not get into how cause its complex and we quite simply dont have the time for that. but! all you need to know is that it caused aparently a lot of people to get fired and nyck de vries subbed in for him which directly resulted in him getting an alpha tauri seat the following year only to be replaced mid season by daniel ricciardo. and now nyck i think is back in formula e and slaying.

anyway tho alex albon.

you might remember that carlos also had appendicitis this year and showed up at the paddock the literal next day.

the same was not the case for alex albon.

he very nearly died, actually. i dont Really know what happened Entirely and i dont feel like googling it (its 1:35am) but basically a lot went wrong, he ended up in a coma and on a ventilator and aparently alex's family called george russell (if you recall the two of them are besties) and told george hey yeah so theres a change he might not make it....

alex did though, worked his ass off for a week or two and then somehow managed to get in the car to race in i think the next one was singapore? that year? i dont know okay it was somewhere.

lewis hamilton also showed up to monza in 2015 with very bleached, very fried blonde hair. it was rather insane of him. i dont have room to show a picture of it, but please google it. this was exceptionally funny cause at this point he had spent years making fun of nico rosbergs blonde hair.

aside from That. there is also the fact that we are in monza and it is Italy. and as drive to survive would put it:

one religion is catholicism.

the other is ferrari.

the italians go insane for ferrari. i dont really know how to describe it other than that. they go insane. the last time ferrari won in italy was charles in 2019 and hoooo boy people went off the damn walls. so just. keep that in the back of your mind.

and with that it was suddenly media day. which brought up the great logan sargeant swap once again.

first of all.

as they built the garages, people noticed that logan was still on the second williams garage:

they changed it soon after to franco

but....erm.....

they spelled colapinto wrong.

cmon williams.

please give us something here!

unfortunately they didnt get the memo and continued to give us nothing. because james vowels started speaking on the swap.

he said a lot of things. heres some of the things:

first: "changing logan out mid season is a decision i hoped to never have to make in the team. there is no team principal on the grid that wants to make a change mid season because we are trying our best to invest in every single one of the individuals that are a a part of this team and logan was very much a part of that. its an absolute tough decision for a driver when they are in that circumstance. and its not because he didnt give all of his heart to all of you and everything that he had available to us. its just simply that we are in a circumstance where he has reached the limits of what he can achieve. and we have to now find a pathway forwards from that."

second: "mick (schumacher) isnt special, he would just be good." (this was in response to being asked why they went with franco instead of mick or someone else from mercedes, he said it was because they needed to go with their own guy (remember williams has no reserve drivers they use the mercedes ones because they were customers of mercedes) and they wanted to invest in someone from their own team and not from mercedes.

so. off to a great start here mr vowels.

he did also ask franco if he has an appendix. franco does have an appendix.

anyway. as you can imagine. many people had things to say about this.

first up we have oscar piastri, who was very close friends with logan throughout karting and the junior formula teams where they were briefly teammates. they also notably entered f1 in the same season. oscar has a tendency to tell it like it is and he in fact did just that:

“I sent him a text yesterday, and he seems OK,” Piastri said. “It was a little bit of a shock, obviously it wasn’t an easy time for him in F1. I think it was much more difficult for him than maybe I expected it to be, going into F1. For me, his potential was much greater than what was on show in F1, for whatever reason it might be. “But I know first-hand, being his teammate in the junior categories, racing him in basically everything, I know how quick he is. I don’t think the change was completely unexpected. Quite a bold move to put Franco in, I would say, but best of luck to him. “Just a shame that I think he probably had… For whatever reason he wasn’t able to show everything he’s got, because in the junior categories he was genuinely one of the quickest guys I went up against. So I think his potential is much greater than what some people see.”

alex albon was another driver who came to logans defense.

“I’m kind of focused on my own lane, so obviously more than anything, I know Logan personally. He’s a super guy and things didn’t work out, but I’m sure whatever he gets on and moves on to do, he’s going to be very good. I know the pace he has. “Clearly it was quite a late decision, so I didn’t hear so long before the announcement. Obviously, yes, I did speak with Logan, but I’ll keep that behind closed doors. A great guy, and we got on very well. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him. And yeah, I feel for him, for sure.”

alex notably had his own f1 contract for the following year pulled out from under him really late in the 2020 season by red bull and was off the grid for a whole year before replacing george russell at williams in 2022 (and mostly i think cause george kind of begged them to get alex on the team but im not totally sure about that), so he has experienced the fuckery of f1 before.

it was also through that that we found out that logan was told on tuesday that he was cut. he was told on tuesday that he wouldn't be at the race on sunday.

we also had toto wolff come to mick schumacher's defense.

toto said in response to james's statement that mick is not special that mick won pretty much everything prior to f1 that there was to win and even said "that was a statement that could have been avoided."

james later tried to apologize for this and somehow made it worse? he said that he was "not here to put mick down" and then went on to say that:

"Mick is in a world championship team who have chosen him as reserve driver. And there's good reason behind it. That is because he's an incredibly strong candidate. And the word special — I use it in the context of multiple world champions like Ayrton Senna fundamentally, Lewis (Hamilton) as well. Clearly that's a foolish thing to do, because that's the comparison. I've apologised to Mick as well. He didn't request anything, but it's important to me, because he's incredibly close to me, and it just came across entirely the wrong way. So more than anything else, I wanted that to be abundantly clear. Don't doubt his abilities, but we as Williams have to go with our Academy. It makes sense what we're doing."

i would like to again remind you all that mick's father is michael schumacher, the 7x world champion. this is essentially a shitty way of james saying that mick has not lived up to the family name (because he was in a shit car when he was in f1). which is. yikes.

now. as we know. mick first of all has driven in f1 before with haas. and yes he didnt do great but that is Not his fault it was because of haas.

if you will for a moment helmut marko. the technical cheif something or other or whatever at red bull (i dont remember his title and im not looking it up) the point though is that. red bull are a team that like to swap people. they are not an easy team to drive for because of all the politics. they are serious and insane and have a history of not treating people The Best (as evidenced earlier this season) so with All Of That in mind, here is what helmut marko had to say about mick:

"he deserves a seat at alpine or audi. he is one of the most polite and friendly people in the paddock, but he also has the disadvantage of carrying a big name. he won f3 and f2, and that made him interesting for formula 1. however at haas he was not treated properly by gunther Steiner."

now. when you have HELMUT MARKO who is usually running his mouth about everything possible to the press, making peoples lives slightly miserable and often has a lot of say in things like who is getting signed or swapped or doing testing or whatever at red bull saying THIS. well damn. its one of those like "awful. the worst person you know just made a good point" things.

and the second thing about mick is that he is, as his name would suggest, a schumacher. so people expected a lot from him and unfortunately he was at a shit team with an even more shit team principal and didnt get to show his potential.

ralf schumacher, micks uncle and michael schumachers brother, has said that he thinks that people would treat mick a little differently if michael was still around and present.

michael schumacher, as i have said before, is not dead. but he hasn't been in public in something like over ten years because he was in a skiing accident and had a traumatic brain injury. so hes not really around to kick james vowels's ass

but. there is someone else who is around to kick james vowels's ass.

and that someone is mrs. corinna schumacher.

micks mother and michaels wife.

now. corinnas been around for awhile. they met in 1991 (which im Pretty Sure is when michael debuted in f1) and got married in 1995. as far as wags go, she was pretty involved as far as i know. and michael called her his "guardian angel" so. do with all of that what you will.

she's also usually seen around with mick at various races throughout the year, both in the f1 paddock when hes doing his reserve duties for merc or in the WEC paddock when hes endurance racing.

so the monza race weekend coincided with the WEC race in texas, usa. but. mrs. corinna schumacher was seen entering the paddock in monza. i cannot express to you enough that she had positively no reason to be in monza. mick was literally on the other side of the world in texas. what the hell was she doing in monza???

well. i will tell you. as that is the whole point of this post.

and turns out that corinna showed up in monza, absolutely slaying, and chewed out james vowels in front of reporters on friday night after qualifying for the "not special" comment.

allow me to break this down one more time because i need you all to understand this with your whole soul.

corinna schumacher flies by herself all the way to italy. her son is racing on a different continent. she misses this race to go lay into james vowels, the williams team principal, who is actually a close family friend of the schumachers (he worked at mercedes for years and michael did race at mercedes for about 3 years and besides f1 is small, you know people), for essentially saying that her son is not as good as his father. and she did this all publicly. in front of reporters. in the middle of the paddock.

and she did it all while absolutely slaying

i have no idea what she said, i wish i did, but i can only imagine it was ruthless.

(mick, btw, did pretty damn well in his WEC race that weekend, he managed to drag the tractor of a car into the points and made up all the positions that his teammates lost, despite getting literally attacked by a wasp in the car during the qualifying session. so take that james vowels)

in any case. lets move on.

george russell decided that he didnt have enough revenge last weekend and decided to show up to the paddock wearing this:

the merc instagram account shit on this, saying that "milan fashion week is next month, george"

and this look became infinitely funnier when sir lewis hamilton was seen later sporting this:

so george was just. roasting his ass off in the name of fashion. mad respect tbh.

george though did wear a fuck ass team shirt later:

for you know. the mercedes amg petrona cr w strik team.

it is very comforting to know that millionaires also lose letters off of their shirts in the wash.

what else happened.

ah louis tomlinson was in the ferrari garage.

in case you dont know who that is, he was one of the five members of one direction. you know the boy band that had a chokehold on the teen girls about 10 years ago, then went on hiatus for like i dont remember how many months and theyre still on hiatus like 10 years later (dont kill me please directioner girlies i know these stats are inaccurate but alas im rusty on my directioner lore and besides this is an f1 post) ferrari also hinted that the two of them should collaborate with music. ferrari are correct.

among the other guests of note in the paddock this week was one kimi raikkonen, ex driver, 2007 world champion and man of complete and utter indifference. he once said that f1 was just a hobby for him. and he was hanging out in the sauber garage with none other than one mattia binotto, the disgraced ex ferrari team principal and quite possibly charles leclerc's mortal enemy.

and thee was another very welcome guest. but we will get there shortly.

oscar traded hats with someone for tim tams and took a bath with some rubber ducks that he names skippy, ice cube, and he didnt name the third one.

and with that. ive decided were moving onto the car part of the weekend because im tired of talking about the drama.

first. monza is the fastest track on the calendar. it also looks like the italian hand meme

its a track that you can overtake on because of all the straights. which means that sometimes this track gets spicy and people who dont usually win here have a shot at winning.

like pierre gasly in 2020 who won after red bull had swapped him down to alpha tauri after a disappointing first half to his 2019 season. this was a very exceptional fuck you to red bull because he managed to win in a fucking alpha tauri in the pre cost cap era so the top cars were decked out as Fuck and the alpha tauri was Not firstly and secondly after horner was like yeah we made the right decision were not swapping him back. his podium pictures are gorgeous from that race too

but anyway. its a fast track. and the track was recently resurfaced, so basically its a little more slippy than usual. and they changed the curbing on some of the track to make the curbs lower and flatter which according to one george russell means that "it's going to offer the opportunity for drivers to cut the corner" and that was a problem because the track (i think it was the track) did not talk to the f1 drivers union (GPDA) before doing this.

why do they need a union? well people are making insane decisions that can and have put their lives at stake. its there for their safety and well-being. george russell is in charge. you dont have to be in it but right now everyone is.

and well. the resurfacing and the curbing became a Problem.

before the practice sessions the safety car was doing a few test laps and managed to crash at the parabolica.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MissingTheApex (@missingtheapex_)

so already thats. not great.

but cest la vie, racing must go on.

and fp1 happened with none other than kimi antonelli at the wheel of george russel's car.

this was a much anticipated practice session for several reasons

kimis home race (hes italian)

we've never seen him drive an f1 car in a practice session before (hes done tests but not practice sessions)

it was highly speculated that they were announcing that he was getting signed to mercedes this weekend

toto hinted that this was a late birthday gift for kimi (?) (unsure how true this is, i got this fact from my mother and she asked me to include it so i did. hi mom. youre not reading this because you have class and common sense but hello nonetheless.)

in any case. kimi managed one absolute flyer of a lap before this happened:

yeah. not so great.

and the crash, interestingly, happened to be in the same spot as the safety car crash

george was less than pleased

toto though had some....interesting things to say about this

"we have a problem in slowing him down rather than making him faster." which is an odd way to word it, but regardless of that, his telemetry data in two of the corners, lesmo and ascari, he had the fastest time of any of the drivers throughout the session. lets all remember, this is kimi's first practice session, the track conditions were difficult at best, and everyone is expecting him to be the next max verstappen. so all in all, the kid did a pretty good job.

and toto also said about the crash that "he apologized. this is what you need to do when you bring a car back that looks a little bit like a lego box falling on the floor." and all in all it didnt really seem like anyone from mercedes was too pissed about george's car (aside from George's live garage reaction) (if anything this just fueled george's insanity this week)

and lewis hamilton greeted kimi back in the garage with a big hug and what was clearly some praise.

but! there was more!

during fp2 we had another crash! this time it was kevin magnussen he went off in a slightly different part of the track, but he still crashed. he was okay. but it was still. three crashes. a slippery track. and different curbs. an interesting set up going into saturday.

especially because we had the return of a much anticipated commentator to the paddock.

can you guess who????

if you guessed jenson button you would be wrong, he was racing in texas.

but if you guessed nico rosberg! you would be correct!

but first!!! an announcement!!!

now. this was hardly a surprise. at all whatsoever. we all kinda knew this was coming. but toto did say something interesting about it and that was that he knew about five minutes after lewis told him he had signed with ferrari that he was going to sign kimi.

which is very very interesting cause if you will in fact recall, toto spent an insane amount of time trying to get max to come to mercedes. for like several months.

reguardless. (spelled wrong just for you anon!) kimi antonelli is a mercedes racing driver next year, bringing us to a total of three! rookies for next year So Far! the last time we had three newbies on the grid was....well actually it was 2023 with oscar nyck and logan, but given oscar is the only one from that batch still standing the last last time we had three newcomers was in 2019 with the insane trio of george alex and lando.

lewis hamilton was very excited about this. here was what he had to say:

"ive known for ages, so....i knew it would be announced this morning. i definitely work up and it was very, very, very surreal to just have, at least officially confirmed, my seat is going that i held onto for so long."

this also means that there are only two seats left. audi/sauber/whatever you want to call them (nico hulkenberg has said, btw that he wants kevin magnuseen to be his teammate here because they work well together) and the visa cash app racing PayPal venmo racing dancing prancing bulls. (though jack doohan may have accidentally confirmed daniel has a seat in 2025, though we are Unsure) and maybe red bull. whos to really say.

i know who has things to say. and that is nico rosberg.

mr rosberg as usual was doing his standard one practice session with sky, commentary with sky italy and then bashing team principals on the post race show.

and lets just get a quick refresher on the last time nico was in the paddock. we were in hungary, oscar won his first gp after a terrible awful team call from mclaren that compromised oscars race and caused a near repeat of both multi 21 and severe brocedes lore. nico shouted at andrea stella (the mclaren team principal) for not having clear instructions for the drivers and sir lewis Hamilton winked at him in his post race interview.

but this is a new weekend and surely things will be different.....right??????????

idk. lets find out!

so practice 3.

and practice three had relatively little to do with the cars on the track and a whole lot to do with the drama and the speculations. we opened the session with ted speculating that red bull could potentially finish third in the constructors which was "not something that we would have predicted at the beginning of the season" and they were also talking about charles, "the darling of the tifosi" (who knows what the tifosi will do next year when they have ferrari, the italian team, and an italian driver, kimi, who is not at ferrari) and carlos. who was having his "last gp as a ferrari diver, unless something really weird happens."

which, the way this season has been going, i think anything might be possible at this point.

and then, in the middle of a riveting conversation about downforce, crofty said the magic words:

"nico rosberg has ambled his way over to the commentary box to see us"

"its a great pleasure to be here once again," nico said in return, gracing everyone with his geographically ambiguous european accent.

crofty as usual, was ready to provoke nico. "you look so stern saying that though. your eyebrows come together. its lovely to have you here. what do you prefer, less or more downforce?"

"well," nico said with all the grace he could manage when answering a likely stupid question. "you prefer more. just makes it easier to attack. but unfortunately sometimes less can be quicker. most of the time the simulation will be able to tell you. the best way around this trace track, but sometimes when battles come into play or the tires are overheating or things like that the computer can get it a bit wrong and you nd up in the wrong place and thats whey were seen ted spotting our there some people trying different things today."

and just like that, we were incredibly back. and nico of course had more opinions than just the downforce on the cars. notably, he decided to start yapping about aston martin.

"bit confusing that you do such a strong turn around but cant push things further," nico said about aston martin. "so a bit of head scratching there and not looking good at the moment."

and then, of course, he brought up the man of pretty much every hour, and every weekend.

no, not carlos, has already been signed. im talking about adrian newey.

crofty: i think we might hear something about his future next week nico: and what do you think that will be? crofty: no idea nico: yes you do crofty: impossible to say nico: you told me before crofty: well he had been linked heavily to aston matin, hasn't he? do astin martin need adrian newey? nico: everyone needs adrian newey, yes, as a, not like as a daily but like as a big picture consultant and overseeing the teams and major decision making, i think thats where hes absolutely brilliant, problem is that he comes with a substantial cost as well, but it seems aston would be able to afford that at the moment."

so....sounds like nico might have leaked that newey is going to aston. and if theres anyone to believe, its generally him.

a special aston martin guest in the paddock this weekend did post this, hinting at some official news, which i really implore you watch because its inane:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rick Astley (@officialrickastley)

nico also yapped about the red bull seat situation. in case you need a refresher:

red bull has two teams, red bull racing (the primary team the one that wins things) and visa cash app racing bulls (they dont win things but they exist to prepare drivers for red bull racing)

red bulls number 1 driver is max verstappen, he has a contract through 2028. his teammate, the number 2 driver, checo perez re signed a contract with red bull for next year. this was a surprise for everyone ebcause he had an abysmal end of the season last year and also hasn't been doing too great at all this season. at vcarb, yuki tsunoda was re signed for 2025 and the second seat remains open. daniel ricciardo is currently the other driver at vcarb but is towards the end of his career after a fantastical fall from grace because he used to be a red bull driver along with max verstappen until the end of 2018 when he chose for some ungodly reason to sign with renault now alpine and then left 2 years later for mclaren which was a disaster because mclaren treated him badly and he didnt finish out his contract there and lost his seat for about 6 months until he was called up by red bull to replace nyck devries at vcarb (then alpha tauri) mid season which he did until broke his hand a few races later and himself was replaced by reserve driver liam lawson and then he came back nd there was massive talk about swapping daniel with checo at the end of last season but it never panned out and then there was talk about swapping daniel with checo at the beginning of this season but that never panned out cause daniel wasnt doing too well and then there was talk that daniel was losing his seat altogether but he clearly has not yet.

so anyway, theres massive speculation that even though technically checo is signed at red bull for 2025 they are either swapping him with daniel for next year or they are getting rid of checo altogether and putting daniel in the red bull and signing liam lawson at vcarb.

no, it doesnt make sense. nothing at red bull ever does. but here is what mr rosberg had to say about it:

nico: "the problem is that daniel had been doin better and better as of late" (this is true) "so its...used to be the obvious choice that you had to give liam lawson his time to go, cause its about time and he (liam) deserves a go, but-" crofty: "is liam lawson going to get a go in this car? (the red bull)...could red bull bring in liam lawson at red bull next year...and would that mean that Daniel keeps his seat at rb (vcarb)?" nico: (he said something before this but unfortunately the broadcast cut out but i think that he said he supports daniel getting to keep his seat) "(red bull) are definitely committed to making it work with perez so...."

he dunked on the rumors that ferrari were going to run an all black livery:

"ferrari cant run a black livery in monza." (crofty: well they ran a yellow one) "yeah but, cmon. it needs to be red here"

crofty then went on to say that with the weight saving going on on the cars, it wouldn't have surprised him if the livery was red (carbon fiber weighs less than paint). though i dont know why he would have said this to nico rosberg, who famously stopped putting paint on his helmet to save weight to beat lewis Hamilton.

in case you needed a reminder why we like nico rosberg as a commentator so much (as if you havent seen that already from his yapping) here was him taking us though one of carlos's flying laps:

"okay here we go! so now he's reaching top speed of course, a little over 340 kph, and then he hits the braking point, you know 120 meters, you slam the break and once you slam the brake youre committed, hes made a mistake so he hits that first apex, you gotta hit that in the right place, second apex, and then straight line the car to get the traction down cause its so important to get the traction down to get back onto this long straight with maximum speed and very very smooth now here through this corner, you have to scrub minimum speed off and now youre adjusting the braking balance a little bit forward for the second part cause its a bit different on the braking, again, nailing that braking point, hitting the curb first on the right, all good, and running maximum to the outside and now you have these two lesmos where you do Light braking, Hug the inside and maximum on the power as quickly as possible! here, super short, boom! brake in, its like really like robotic inputs on that corner cause its so like sharp...again here down the straight now and this is so hard to see the braking point here cause you have shadows, you dont see the board very well, so you break at 110, slam the break , carry that speed over that inside curb and then youre dancing the rear across that middle part of the course, that corner of the rear is like stepping out and you need to keep it flat otherwise you loose too much time and then over the curb on that last part. parabolica! super difficult entry, you need to be so committed and then the rear steps out, you can see a little bit of corrections there on the steering wheel and then you need to use maximum amount of track all the way to the outside to really let the car flow and...thats fie tenths of a second behind max verstappen, with a soft (max was on a hard). which is not a good way to start a session."

crofty then said, dunking on carlos: "that lap commentary deserved a way better lap time to come from carlos sainz there, given that you got into monza at 3:30am last night, the energy there nico rosberg is just working us all, thank you very much indeed."

"but i just had a snooze in the commentary booth as you walked in!" nico said.

"i wasnt going to mention that," crofty said.

"did he kick you and wake you up?" karun asked.

"yes," crofty laughed.

naps aside, the shenanigans continued for nico rosberg.

he dunked on red bull for loosing so much ground in the championship (mclaren has the chance to overtake them for first in the constructors championship this weekend, the first time someone other than red bull will have lead the championship since spain 2022) and praised mclarens development, attributing their success to the fact that the mclaren design is like the red bull design and their front wing is really helping them

and if youre wondering if he talked about lewis hamilton? worry not!

the camera cut to lewis absolutely munching on some curbs with his car and crofty and karun speculated about why but nico jumped right in with the answer:

"this is very interesting! so this is lewis trying to see if there is actually a completely different line that one could take through there, which we've never been able to try for the last 25 years, and he said hey, this curb is different lets give it a go, see where we get to"

and this next bit is not related to nico rosberg, but i would like you all to know that ted kravitz came on to tell us all that sauber, essentially, sucks, and then laughed at his own joke.

nico did also praise george russell:

"im very impressed with george russell, who we are just seeing now through this corner thats so difficult...whoa! a big snap on the exit there. very impressive because yesterday he only for like four push laps in total with all different curbs around this track, all different tarmac and everything and now this morning once again hes just completely on it and seems to be on the same level as lewis already, so again i think hes looking very strong on one lap"

this is a great compliment. but as we know, nico rosberg loves to curse people. so this could have also damned george's race. only time will tell.

they talked about kimi antonelli, which nico called a "brave choice" for toto to sign for next year but also the "right choice and the exciting choice because that guy (kimi) as i said, he was in my go karting team and he could easily be the best of the next generation and an f1 great with the talent he has." and he doubted the truth in toto's "i knew five minutes after lewis left that i wanted to sign kimi" statement.

when speculating about future mercedes line ups nico said "i doubt george russell is safe at all. because toto still wants max and he will try again for 2026 because give up does not appear in toto's vocabulary and so then its pretty much if max does become availoble and i do think its a possibility then it is a shoot off between george and kimi next year and its a lot of pressure on george because he has everything to loose next year because he should be the one ahead because kimi is 18 and completely new and in a full pressure situation. so its not an easy situation for george."

this of course, has spiced up, but we will save that for next week :)

when speaking about how young kimi is to be going into a top team (which has been a Hot topic of discussion as we know) nico said that "its extreme (the pressure) its obviously extreme and personally i wouldn't have been able to handle it at 18, that would have been for me personally too early but that doesnt mean that it would have been too early for him (i think nico started in f1 when he was 20). i hope hes a bit stronger mentally than i would have been at the time and that he can get it done and i believe he can."

but. the pies de resistance. the alpine drama. oh it was piping and it was hot and nico rosberg was definitely sharing absolute corporate secrets that he should Not have been

the scene was simple. crofty and ted were discussing the engine plant strike and the underperformance of the alpine engine in general in great detail and nico did give some input, saying that having a mercedes engine in an alpine "makes no sense to me" because it wouldn't work for marketing.

and lets remember the staffing changes. the abundance of staffing changes that have happened at alpine. the team seem to be literally falling apart and crofty said so himself, addressing the rumors that the team is for sale, despite the fact that they have said that they are Not for sale many times:

crofty: back to the rumors that the whole team are up for sale. nico: oh! its in my email :) i have a secondary opportunity in my email to buy part of alpine crofty: do you? nico: yeah, yeah :) karun: you cant just lob that into fp3 commentary! nico: yeah, yeah, yeah crofty: you were just sent an email saying would you like to buy a bit of alpine? nico: yes, yes! karun: are you buying it? nico: no! *everyone laughs* karun: how much? nico: i should have brought the details.... karun: well ints in your email, where's your phone? lets get it out! nico: well even alpine is highly profitable......of course that can all change.....you find this very interesting...? *general uproar from crofty and karun* crofty: ryan reynolds, patrick mahomes, travis kelce and nico rosberg, how many more superstar owners does this team need? you slept walked your way into this one nico: would you like to see the details? crofty: i would love to see the details nico: okay, well, we'll think about it :) crofty: we promise we wont take pictures and post it on social media later. right, while weve been talking about nicos next business opportunity, and as your new defacto business manager, i think you should do it, i really do, alex albon has put in the fastest lap with a 1:20.5........

and they jumped back into racing and max verstappen asking "is this mercedes just on the normal racing line?"

"yes max, fairly standard," his engineer gp said, much to max's general chagrin.

and nico also took an intermission to yap about lewis.

"this is also a lewis track because braking is so difficut in an f1 car you know its so short and there are split second reactions required in braking because youre breaking from 360 down to 80 in the span of, i dont even know how much it is, it must be like one second and all along youre so close to the edge."

and a second intermission to discuss mclaren and how they are on track to basically win the constructor's championship:

"i would have bet my house against that (mclaren winning) at the beginning of the season...well not that i- well actually i do have a house-"

and this led right back into our regularly scheduled programming: the alpine drama, part 2

nico: yeah, its pricy, alpine, uh....you wanna know how much? crofty: yeah! nico: no... i cant say :/ karun: oh. nico: no, im just kidding :D close to a billion crofty, taken aback: close to a billion??? nico: yeah crofty: for the value of the team? nico: yeah well, all of them are. its profitable! crofty: well, Ferrari are gonna be way more than that, mercedes et cetra....how much can you afford of it? nico: i could take the whole thing but i think it would be pushing things a little bit. crofty, laughing: a chance you never thought you'd have

well. you heard it here first. nico rosberg not only confirmed that alpine is for sale, he also told us how much and said that even though he could afford it, its basically a dumpster fire and not worth investing in.

dont you just love having him around?

and since i took about 11 billion years to go through literally everything that nico said during practice, y'all are getting the speed run version of qualifying.

in the second two practice sessions, there was only a tenth and a half separating the top 5. and this is the fastest track of the season and most of the races here have been won from pole, so things were fitting to get funky.

and get funky it did

in q1 the rb (i think) had upgrades but they were not working, yuki said "yeah mate, its so ridiculous, its so difficult to dive, its so ridiculous). lewis's seat was too hot. george was complaining about the tires. oscar had an unsafe release. lando was the only one who managed to break into the 1:19.00 range. k mags and franco both hit the gravel, but managed to not send it into the wall. they broke out some absolutely comical brooms at the end of the session to clean up the gravel as the bottom five (yuki, lance, franco, bottas and guanyu) made their way back to their garages

yea i know this is a bad picture. please deal with it okay.

onwards to q2

which was dealyed on account of the comical brooms

and as i had speculated earlier, yukis car was indeed upgraded, but not daniels i think...? idk my notes aren't very clear on that but i did also take these notes after a 11 hour workday at about midnight so i cant really blame myself here

crofty decided to use this moment to quote oasis: "dont look back in anger, well here we are in anger for the next several runs."

aside from that, there was a tenth and a half separating lando, oscar and max. except for when lewis went faster than all of them. then the ferraris appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, with a car that had real pace, or at least it looked like they did until charles came on the radio and said "car is not turning at all. again."

despite that though, charles made it through.

fernando, daniel, kevin, pierre and esteban were not so lucky.

kevin might have been the most not lucky, as he has not managed to make it to q3 at all this year.

it was q3 and there was a large debate. to slipstream or not to slipstream.

slipstream, for all who are curious, is when a team has one car go just far enough in front of their other car that they kill some of the air drag to make the behind car go slightly faster. and if thats not entirely accurate, well, its pretty much that so.

the issue with slipstream is that you end up kind of sacrificing one car to prioritize the other. and mercedes said that they would not slipstream.

but it was still wide fucking open for pole position. any of the top 4 teams could get it. and red bull was hungry for a pole. they hadn't gotten pole in monza since 2010 with sebastian vettel.

after everyone put in one lap it was very close

we had lando, oscar, george, lewis, carlos, charles, checo, max, nico and alex (yes, alex albon dragged the williams into q3)

and red bull really wanted a slipstream. specifically max wanted a slipstream. so they gave it to him. he has also out qualified checo at the last 32 races, so he very clearly is the number 1 driver.

but red bull was still having a bad time

"it doesnt look like a classic max pole position lap" the announcers said.

and indeed it was not. martin bundle was even affronted watching the lap, as max was sliding around left right and center. "what has happened to that car..." he said.

lando got pole.

he didnt realize it tho.

"im sorry," he said. "my bad."

"well mate," his race engineer, will, said. "your fuck up was good enough for pole"

"oh!" lando said, surprised. "your set up was amazing!"

and just to see how close everyone was, here were the top 10 times:

lando: 1:19.327 oscar: 1:19.436 george: 1:19.440 charles: 1:19.461 carlos: 1:19.467 lewis: 1:19.513 max: 1:20.022 checo: 1:20.062 alex: 1:20.299 nico: 1:20.339

just goes to show you. at monza it comes down to the driver and what the driver can do, not necessarily the car. though the car does help.

and oscar was excited. lando was excited for his fifth career pole, even though it was a bit of a surprise. and he got a fuck ass ring for it.

charles was filled with horrors

but george was excited and thought it was going to be a tight battle. but he told the reporters that he was having a "bit of pizza for some luck to make sure im not too light for tomorrow"

george also got so possessed by his p3 that he decided to be a paddock slut.

now i understand that that may sound offensive to some of you. but im not sure if theres another way to describe this:

and then there was also this that happened at the press conference, which really sent the whole internet into an absolute tizzy because, why the hell does it look like hes wearing a victorias secret bralette???

first off he has No fireproofs on under his race suit. and what lookes like something Red and Mesh on underneath. there is nothing red in the mercedes kit. not even remotely. what the hell george?

as you might have predicted, george did not give us an answer.

but he did crash the mclaren post qualifying interview with lando

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by McLaren (@mclaren)

and he invited a random reporter to go get pizza with him? but told him that he had to pay? i cant find that link right now you'll just have to trust me that it happened.

race day came and so did nico rosberg's instagram post:

the caption very simply said "lets go!" so unclear who he is cursing here.

but anyway, the race.

finally we are at the race.

its 9:47 pm on thursday btw. in case anyone cares. ive even writing this for over a week. presently everyone is actually in baku already prepping for the next race thats how behind i am. but best la vie you cant rush art ot at the very least whatever this absolute hell fire of a post is.

lando was on pole. as we know. "the pervious four pole sitters have all failed to win," crofty said. "dont tell lando."

well, lando managed to hold onto pole for once straight out of the gate, at least on turn one. oscar though snapped it up from him at the first chicane and while lando was still recovering fro that, he managed to get passed by charles as well. george, meanwhile, had gotten nudged off the track, ended up in the gravel. comically serpentined through some bollards, and rejoined in 7th.

by lap three, perez, who was running somewhere near george, said "george has a lot of damage, dangerous." it was his front wing that was fucked. the mercedes pit wall disagreed and said that "wing is running as it should and george is doing well"

there was also discussion of the mclaren team orders. and the fact that they were nonexistent.

"team orders?" crofty asked loudly. "what team orders? they were racing off the line!"

and it became clear throughout the race that mclaren had absolutely no team orders. they had something else that was far worse. but we will get there.

but enough of that. daniel caused a collision on lap 1 with nico hulkenberg and they kicked up a hell of a lot of dust. nico had to pit for a new front wing.

meanwhile, alex albon was somehow holding onto ninth.

and yuki tsunoda retired on lap 7 from damaged caused by nico hulkenberg.

he made a charles leclerc esque instagram post about this later, that said: "monza maybe one day you will love me back" (a la that one charles post from several years about mono where he said "monaco maybe one day you will love me back"

meanwhile, mclaren revealed their team orders. are you ready for it. i dont think youre ready for it.

PAPAYA RULES:

dont make life hard for eachother!

dont run into eachother

play nice!

have fun!

quite literally. i am not making this up. i wish it was! as many people pointed out, it sounds like some silly summer camp rules.

but alas. we have papaya rules.

imagine if ferrari was like horse rules! or red bull was like energy drink rules! or ..... fuck what else is there.... vcarb was like cash app rules! you need to pay your teammate back!

this is stupid

anyway, the race.

daniel got a 5s penalty for causing a collision. nico got a 10s penalty for causing a collision.

down at mercedes, they decided on lap 11 that george did in fact have front wing damage and boxed him for a new one, he came out in 16th

looks like someone got rosberg cursed!

"the tire whisperer will have to do it again!" commentary said, about george being able to pull off a one stop. "and hes had extra pizza this time."

on lap 14 lando was finally in spitting distance of charles, but he was told to back off and was pitted on lap 15 to undercut charles. and probably also oscar but no one knows because theres no real mclaren team orders.

oh. you might be wondering why the team orders matter so much.

well, lets take a brief intermission to look at the current drivers championship standings:

max: 295 lando: 225 charles: 192 oscar: 179

so lando's a very solid 70 points behind max. is that close? not really but its closer than anyones been to max in 2 years and he Can still win it. oscar is over 100 points behind, statistically he still can win it but its less likely. so mclaren Should be putting their money on lando to win the championship and having oscar help lando protect this. bit instead, for some reason, we have papaya rules.

(a disclaimer that i think this is hilarious, i support lando and oscars rights and wrongs but this is not about my opinion, its about the facts.)

and right now the next fact is that carlos decided to dunk on everyone (mostly lando and oscar) for pitting early, saying that "these guys will struggle to the end"

charles, who had pitted right after lando on lap 16, though was not so smug. "what was that?" he demanded. "why did we pit if we are undercut?"

once again, welcome back terrible ferrari strategy.

daniel got another penalty for failing to correctly serve his first penalty. because one of his mechanics thouched his car when he was supposed to be serving his penalty. he was really taking after kevin magnussen here.

meanwhile george had managed to get up to 11th

red bull had not pitted yet, pretty much all of the other top teams had. and this was not great for red bull because they were having a lot of tire wear and they needed to go much longer cause they started the race on hards. to go longer and get a 1 stop.

while red bull was sorting that out, mclaren was trying to decide if lando needed to protect oscars lead against the ferrari's. but then lando took fastest lap so the decision was kind of made for them. lando would not be protecting anything.

max then pitted for hards, which meant that he was on a two stop strategy, he came out 8th. and pierre caused a collision with kevin magnussen

lando's radio crackled to life. "you are allowed to race oscar, papaya rules."

this is a real sports team. thats worth billions of dollars.

with summer camp rules.

what the hell is this sport.

now might be a good time to remind you all that we have not had a safety car since canada. that was like. a long time ago.

george had gotten up to 8th, alex was in 11th and somewhere in there kevin magnussen managed to get a penalty for causing a collision.

things started to get interesting here because if mclaren and red bull could hold their positions to the end of the race, they would be perfectly tied in points in the constructors. mclaren were only 30 points behind red bull.

and our top three right now were oscar, and lando was 2.5s behind him and charles was 2.038 behind lando.

but franco managed to overtake pierre for 15th on lap 30, which i think was his first f1 overtake. pretty good when you remember hes only done 8 laps in an f1 car before this weekend.

but never mind that. lando was starting to struggle. and then he made a mistake on lap 32. and charles was on his ass.

meanwhile. george was trying to pass checo. he tried first and then went off, so he gave the position back. then he started to race checo again, which is allowed.

checo though was Not having it.

"what is he doing! he gave me the position and then he races me?" checo asked.

"yeah," crofty said, exasperated. "but he didnt pass you checo."

lando boxed. "i dont know why im killing my front left so much" he said.

george boxed to undercut red bull. and alex albon was doing well, but accusing williams of being indecisive again. no surprise there.

lando was somehwere behind max (i think) and max said over the radio, in all his polite cat glory: "when its possible, do you want me to race him?"

"yes please yes," gp said.

oscar pitted because it was very obvious that he couldnt one stop. he came pit 3rd. this left the grid in this order on lap 40:

lec sai pia ver nor ham mag rus per alb ric col alo oco zho str gas bot hul

and

hold on wait a Fucking Minute

where is the last page of my fucking NOTES

where the fuck did they go

i cant leave you all hanging like this

where the fuck are my notes

who took them

where did they GO

theres like 20 laps left where did my notes go

ok well this is unprecedented. i suppose we plow along.

just like charles leclerc did! when he managed to win the race! wooooo!!!!!! he won on a one-stop and were just going to ignore the last 20 laps because nothing interesting happened there anyway probably idk i dont remember!

he won in monaco! he wins in monza! charles leclerc wins the italian gp!

(unfortunately all of my notes on what he said in the car after winning is on my missing notes paper, but there were a lot of mama mias and a lot of screaming and a lot of passionate italian)

and since i dont have those notes, please take instead julien febreu's commentary on the last lap:

"Ferrari is leading. Ferrai prevailed 19 times in the past here, why not a 20th time today? It would be a second success for Charles Leclerc here on Italian soil. Incredible resistance, what a beautiful bet. Those tyres are almost coming back to life, they’re almost clean now. Ferrari was really exemplary today in terms of strategy. We’re going to vibrate here in Monza, we’re going to vibrate everywhere in Italy, in Maranello of course. The priest is already at the foot of the bell tower, ready to tug on the string of the bells to ring out that charismatic, so very emblematic sound, that of the victories of the Scuderia Ferrari, one that Charles is about to seize in an instant. There’s still the Parabolica to pass through for one last time and then that final acceleration which freed so many drivers in the past. There it is, the victory of the Scuderia Ferrari. Listen to the Temple in trance, Charles Leclerc wins, Ferrari wins today in Monza. […] Piastri ahead of Norris but ahead of everyone Charles Leclerc, the victory of the Scuderia Ferrari today here. This is Ferrari’s 246th victory. Carlos Sainz salutes Charles of course, he’ll leave the Scuderia at the end of the year, he contributed, in his own way of course and with his driving, to Charles Leclerc’s victory, Prince of Monaco, Emperor of Monza today."

nico rosberg did the post race interviews because of course he did. him in his powder blue suit.

charles started speaking in italian part way through cuase he was so overwhelmed and nico had to translate for him.

and really, the biggest takeaway here is that wathing charles win something in italy rally makes understand why medieval peasants flocked to the church. this man could start a cult if he wanted to.

and just in case you didnt know how crazy the vibes were, how insane all of italy goes for charles leclerc:

he even got to celebrate with leo!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1)

leo 500% did not understand what was happening, but he did manage to kiss both charles and alex (charles's girlfriend) at the same time

"dreams do repeat themselves!" charles said dramatically, several times, with life and hope in his eyes. because he won here in 2019 and it was an insane moment. and now hes done it again!

pierre, his bestie, came up to him at some point after and said, in french, "content per toi ma poule" which loosely translates to, im proud of you my chick/chicken but can also mean dear. and charles looked up with a big huge smile and eas like yeah thats what he calls me.

with this victory, charles is now the fourth person to win multiple races this year.

but lets hear from some others. like alex albon, who finished in the points:

"tough one," he said. "a strange race. had the jaws music from fernando behind. i used all my experience to save the front left tire and he (franco) did well"

franco finished in 12th. alex finished in 10th and fernando finished between the in 11th.

fernando later said that if he knew franco was the one behind him, he would have left him past so he could finish higher during his first race.

franco himself was pretty pleased. "it was challenging," he said. "most laps ive done before in a row was 8." he also said that he got a call on monday (MONDAY!) about f1! but that "williams has been very supportive"

there was one driver who was not pleased and it was max verstappen:

"i was really frustrates throughout the race," he said. "bad pit stop, strategy could have been better" and he had an engine issue. "before baku we have a lot of work to do and need to change the whole car."

and. we've talked about it before. but kevin magnussen. our favorite war criminal. well.

he managed to get two more penalty points from his minor scrap with pierre gasly, putting him to 12. meaning that he gets a race ban. meaning that he wouldn't get to race in baku. meaning someone else needs to sub in for him. (ollie bearman????)

he shit on this on instagram. with this caption:

"Good stuff: One point in Monza. Bad stuff: Race ban in Baku. See you in Singapore 🇮🇹 ⏩ 🇸🇬"

now you might be wondering about mclaren. what happened with their papa rules?

well. lando finished in third and oscar finished in second. both of them were slightly disappointed. lando said that he could take the positives but "cant be happy with a third starting from pole, pretty crappy day from my end" he also looked about on the verge of a crisis in the cooldown room.

meanwhile oscar said that its "very hard not to be disappointed." and "stroll was driving like he was in his first gokart race."

and mclaren finished still slightly behind red bull in the constructors points, mclaren now have 438 to red bulls 446. and lando managed to close the gap to max a little. he has 241 points and max has 303. max and lando are now both tied for number of podiums as well.

but its very clear that mclaren are bongling it. the still refuse to designate a number 1 driver, with zak brown even saying to NICO ROSBERG OF ALL PEOPLE "just like you and hamilton!" which is an Insane thing to say. but especially to nico rosberg.

anyway. two people had absolute Opinions about McLaren's lack of team orders. and one was will buxton:

(this is highly worth watching, he explains it really really well)

and the other, unsurprisingly, was nico rosberg

lets remember the last time nico rosberg was here mclaren was having an absolutely terrible time with team orders in Hungary. and not much has improved. nico also said in other interviews that “you need all the points you need and Oscar got between you”

(of course nico also gushed about lewis, calling his laps phenomenal, and calling him old and calling him the goat, but that is all fork found in kitchen, we want the Drama, and by god we got it)

so thus closes out another weekend. im sorry the end was mid, i cant believe a whole page of my notes just evaporated into the mist like that. its very upsetting. ill do better next time, i swear!

only 8 more races to go! what will happen! whos to say! i dont know!

see you in Azerbaijan!!

Sorry i tried to scroll past but, i know nothing about f1 other than max verstappen is fast, my dad doesnt like lewis hamilton, fast car goes in a loop and sometimes expodes. Could you give me a crash course in f1 drama? Im very intrigued. Whats the tea as it were?

a terribly loaded question, but i will do my best. i’ve talked about some of the drama before like the red bull second seat and the chronicles of haas but allow me to briefly try my hand at explaining the nightmare that is the upcoming silly season

under the cut we go

silly season is when the drivers go through contract renewals, extensions and switches. usually it’s confined to the first half of the season (march-july) but it has been known to extend all the way to the last race of the season and they like to switch people around at random sometimes. driver contracts are complex, there’s a lot of money involved and basically You Are The Face Of The Team so if you have a shit season then you make the team look bad. but at the same time you could have a shit season because you have a shit car. it’s sticky stuff.

so. there are only twenty seats in formula 1. 10 teams. each team gets two drivers. (there’s also reserve drivers but we’re not going to get into that). who ends up with a contract is largely up to the teams, they can pull the contract out from under people they can also cut you mid season. they’ve done it before.

of the 20 drivers on the grid, 14 of them have contracts expiring at the end of the year. yes. 14. you see how this could get complicated.

so let’s meet the teams.

red bull racing. they came first this year (and last year) in the championship. like aggressively first. like they won the championship by over 350 points. they are definitely the team to beat. but if you end up with a seat at red bull, you do have to deal with max verstappen being your teammate and he won all but three of the races last year. he’s the golden boy. red bull are also notoriously silly when it comes to contracts and famously swap people mid season who aren’t performing.

mercedes. merc is home to 7 time world champion lewis hamilton and they have won the championship a great many times, though not since 2021. they are kind of in their flop arc and their car the last 2 years has been pretty garbage, but they have still made it work because they were able to come in second last year.

ferrari. god help the poor little meow meows with a ferrari contract. ferrari is a notoriously great team and they’re trying to get back to the top again but their strategy every single time has fallen short. to the point where their drivers are the ones doing the strategy in their cars while driving. they came in third last year and have been decently consistent at getting first in qualifying and then getting beat by max verstappen on race day.

mclaren. they’ve definitely worked their way up over recent years. they ended fourth last year and have had some championship wins before but not nearly as many as say merc and ferrari. their team ceo (owner? director?) is a little interesting and their car started out a pile of flaming hot garbage at the beginning of the year but they did manage to get their shit together.

aston martin. they are owned by canadian billionaire lawrence stroll, father of lance stroll (one of the drivers for the team). they’ve undergone several name changes over the recent years (force india, racing point, etc). they positively slayed at the start of the season and then one day they sucked. they finished fifth in the championship.

alpine. the frenchest french team. they’re (i think?) still partially owned by the french government. both of their drivers are french. (their drivers also hate eachother but we’ll get to that. just know they’re in the middle of a modern french civil war). they had the opportunity to have a good rookie driver (oscar piastri) this past year but in a thrilling twitter battle, he publically flamed the shit out of them and went to mclaren instead (and slayed). they're usually solidly middle of the pack. they ended sixth in the championship.

williams. williams has been one of the back of the grid teams for the last many years but they have finally started to get their shit together and don’t quite suck as much as they used to. all of the points this year were scored by only one driver though (except one but we’ll get there). they came in seventh.

alpha tauri. they are the sister team of red bull. so technically redbull owns both teams (meaning they can swap drivers between teams. they like doing this.) they’ve just kind of been There for awhile but they did slay towards the end of the season when one of their drivers led the race for several laps. basically tho, this team is the gateway to redbull. they came in eighth.

alpha romeo. recently renamed to stake f1 team (but sometimes they are going to be called kick sauber. this is a whole other drama post and i’m not getting into it). they’re also just kind of there. generally unproblematic. seems that really great drivers who get ixed out of a contract for a younger driver end up here or young drivers who are in their early years are here before they go to a better team. they ended ninth this year.

haas. oh haas. goofy team. they suck. point blank they suck. they keep loosing sponsors because they suck, they don’t win ever (one time they came first in qualifying last year). they cursed themselves in australia in 2018 by not tightening their tires and its been downhill ever since. they came 10th. their team principle got let go (fired?) who’s to say today.

so those are the teams. it is important to note that:

-there is a cost cap. each team is allowed to spend no more than 135m per year.

-not all cars are equal. some things are standard. they all undergo the same testing. but the cars are all very different. so you can be a good driver but stuck in a shitty car. which makes it impressive if you are doing well in a shitty car.

let’s meet our drivers!!!

starting with the guys who’s contract is not ending in 2024:

max verstappen. 3 time world champion. 26 years old. general beast on the track. he dominated the whole season. he’s currently racing for red bull and has a contract with them through 2028.

lewis hamilton. 7 time world champion. 39 years old. he drives for mercedes. he will not leave mercedes until he retires. he really really wants to win an 8th world championship and is willing to stick it out a few more years as long as merc still believes in him. his contract expires in 2025.

george russell. the other merc driver. 26 years old. hes aggressively british and says thinks like blimey unironically. walking meme. got his merc seat in 2022 right when they entered their flop arc by getting his tractor of a williams to finish second in qualifying in the middle of a rainstorm. his contract expires in 2025.

lando norris. mclaren driver. 24 years old. he has notably never won a race in his five years of formula one (mostly because right when his car finally was good enough max verstappen was 20 seconds ahead of anyone) but he is regarded as Very Good. he has only ever driven for mclaren. and even though there is another year left on his contract there is mass speculation that he will not renew his contract with mclaren after it expires and he may move up to one of the top teams (red bull, merc, ferrari) (tho i think he doesnt hate himself quite enough to go to ferrari). his contract expires in 2025.

oscar piastri. the other mclaren driver. 22 years old. this was his rookie season and he positively slayed. like people compared his rookie season to lewis hamiltons rookie season. he also had the positively funniest start to his rookie year because alpine announced that he would be driving for them (he had been their reserve driver and in the alpine academy) and he posted a tweet that basically said yeah thats false i never singed anything with you and im going to race with mclaren instead (he dodged a bullet) and then alpine tried and failed to sue him for $4m USD. he signed a contract extension with mclaren this year and his contract expires in 2026.

lance stroll. aston martin driver and son of the aston martin owner. hes doing ok, tho there was conspiracy that he wanted to quit and have a tennis career awhile ago. but basically since his dad owns the team it seems that hes guaranteed a seat for as long as he wants one.

so now. moving onto the good shit. the people who have contracts expiring in 2024. hold onto your hats people.

charles leclerc. (everyones favorite slutty little soup can). 26 years old. he is currently at ferrari and he has been since 2019. notably, he was given the longest contract in the history of ferrari after a stellar rookie season at sauber (renamed to alpha romeo, renamed to stake f1) where he got the tractor of a car consistently into the points. having the longest contract in the history of ferrari was a flex at the time, but now its likely how he will introduce himself at therapy sessions. ferrari have fucked this man left right and center up the ass with a plastic lunchroom spork. hes talented, he can drive, and he can drive well. but the strategy that ferrari has absolutely sucks. either something is wrong with the car (see him blowing out his gear box on the formation lap in monaco, his car completely crapping out and spinning into the barrier in brazil before the race even started) or they fuck up his pit stops or put him on the wrong tires and honestly its just frustrating. but will he leave??? likely not. you'd have to pry ferrari out of his cold dead hands and at this rate that might be where this is headed though there has been some minor speculation of him going to another team like merc or red bull, but merc doesnt have any open seats and red bull is a whole other dumpster fire of drama. ferrari are going to have to pay him a boatload of money to make him stay.

carlos sainz. the smooth operator. 29 years old. ferrari driver. previously carlos was at toro rosso (renamed to alpha tauri), renault (renamed to alpine), and mclaren before signing with ferrari. he has been at ferrari since 2021 and has voiced that he would like to stay with them for however long he can. there is speculation that lando might replace him at ferrari (but landos contract is not up until 2025) and there is also some speculation that alex albon might replace him. while charles is clearly the golden boy at ferrari, carlos is slightly slower but also definitely consistent. he was THE ONLY non red bull driver to win a race this past year, in Singapore after max verstappedn was knocked out of qualifying by alpha tauri reserve driver liam lawson (more on him later) and because he basically came up with his own strategy in the car while he was driving.

sergio perez. aka checo. red bull driver. 33 years old. and oh boy here's where we open the can of worms. checo was previously at racing point (renamed aston martin) and it was very near the end of the 2020 (?) season and he was out of a contract. he had a bonkers race where he was knocked to the back of the grid and then overtook everyone and somehow ended up winning (there is more to that story but just trust me) and christian horner, red bull team principle, mr ginger spice and definite disney villain called him and said congrats sir you have a seat at red bull! well. fast forward. hes been causing problems. problems as in crashing a lot, generally not doing great and pissing the crap out of red bull. it is basically guaranteed at this point that he will not be getting a contract extension. there was actually talk this year of him losing his seat mid season to one of the alpha tauri drivers, because remember, red bull owns both teams and they can switch them whenever they want to (and they have!) but ultimately this did not happen. even though checo has a seat at red bull until the end of 2024, its mass speculated that he is going to get switched with an alpha tauri driver, probably daniel ricciardo (more on him shortly) mid season because there is a speculated clause in daniels contract that says that if checo isn't performing well in the first few races daniel is getting his seat.

daniel ricciardo. 34 years old. alpha tauri driver. man oh man what a guy. outside of being the prankster of the paddock, he has one of the most batshit careers of anyone currently on the grid. he started out at red bull and was showing real talent and skill and was on track to win things (and was!) and was there until the end of 2018 when max verstappen (his teammate) started getting preferential treatment and also red bull started having a lot of problems with their engines (which were being outsourced from Renault (now alpine) and another team on the grid) and well very very long story short he made the surprise move of the century and decided to sign with Renault (which makes no sense they're the one with the engine problems) and was there for 2 years before moving again to mclaren where he was reportedly not treated very well and had a hard time driving the car so they mutually ended his contract with them early and he basically retired at the end of the 2022 season and became a red bull reserve driver. then halfway through the 2023 season alpha tauri ixed one of their drivers, nyck de vries, because he wasnt doing well and promoted daniel back up to a full time driver at alpha tauri (which we know is only a step down from red bull) but then he broke his hand in a crash in zanvort (?) and then he was replaced for a few races by formula 2 driver liam lawson (who we will also talk about) and then he came back to finish out the season in alpha tauri after he was cleared. daniel has admitted openly that he never should have left red bull and he was given bad advice to do so. hes towards the end of his career at this point and its well known that he Really Really wants to finish out his career at red bull again. he and max have already been teammates before and they do work well together and daniel is great driver (see his comeback in texas (or maybe it was brazil?) this year). so. Pretty Sure that daniels going to get either an extension at alpha tauri or go up to red bull. thats what we all want. get this man in a red bull we need him there biblically.

liam lawson. now technically liam is not actually a formula 1 driver. hes a formula 2 driver, but he was daniels replacement for five races and there has been some speculation and some confirmed news about him so hes getting included. when he was racing for f1 he was at alpha tauri. hes 21 and looks like he belongs in the movie grease. no one was expecting him to slay in formula 1 and he positively knocked everyones socks off. the scene: Singapore. which, if you'll recall, is the one race that a not red bull driver won. this was largely because liam lawson slayed the absolute game in qualifying. the qualifying part of racing determines what order the cars start in on the grid for the race and theres three parts, the first two parts the bottom 5 drivers each time get knocked out and then the top 10 complete for the last 10 spots. liam lawson knocked BOTH max verstappen and checo perez out of qualifying in the second round by going very slightly faster than them, effectively fucking up red bulls race and allowing carlos to win. and he also scored points in that race, which no one was expecting. now thats all fine and dandy, but here's the speculation: hemlut marko (im pretty sure) (who is somehow decently involved in the decision making at red bull though i couldn't tell you how) said that he thinks that liam lawson will be in an f1 seat no later than 2025. meaning that he will probably get offered a contract this year. and hes already raced for alpha tauri. red bull have sunk a good amount of money into him. they clearly want him. so if he gets offered an alpha tauri seat in 2025, that means theres a good chance danny rics is going to red bull. do you SEE how the plot here is THICKENED

yuki tsunoda. age 23. currently at alpha tauri. and fun fact, the only alpha tauri driver to race there the whole year. he had three separate team mates. he is slaying and hes often slept on. he has a bit of a temper and likes to shout on the radio and also hates working out (they had to force him to move to italy or something to work out, long story) but hes been kinda killing it. he led several laps in the abu dhabi race this year and hes decently consistent. people think theres possibility that he could get moved up to red bull on account of the fact that he is younger than daniel and clearly has more years in him,, but there is also possibility that he might not because red bull like to make stupid decisions. and if he doesnt get moved up to rebel, will he stay with alpha tauri? we don't know.

alex albon. age 27. currently a williams driver. alex albon is another one with a batshit career. he started out his rookie year in 2019 at alpha tauri then got moved up to red bull halfway through the year when red bull decided that pierre gasley wasnt doing a good enough job (more on him later) and stayed with red bull for a solid year and a half until he lost his seat in 2021 to checo. he has been with williams for the last two years and is basically carrying the team. like. williams as a team scored 28 points this year. and alex albon scored 27 of those 28 points. and as we know, williams is still kind of in their shit arc (though they are doing much better. they didnt score any points for a solid 2 (?) years. so this is an improvement.) and if you can get a shit car to perform you catch the eye of bigger teams. now, alex has already been a red bull driver. and he was on the cusp of podiuming two separate times when lewis hamilton ran into him. this (among a few other things) basically killed his chances at getting resigned at red bull because he wasnt ""performing"" and red bull are bitches who love to win. but some people think that red bull should give him another shot. like daniel, hes already been max's teammate and he can definitely drive. but theres also talk he might go to ferrari because ferrari think that he might compliment charles's driving style (or something). but going to ferrari at this point is kind of suicide. so.

logan sergeant. age 23. the only american on the grid. the other williams driver. he just finished his rookie year. he scored a grand total of one single point this season, in texas, and it was because charles leclerc and lewis hamilton both got disqualified because the floor of their car had more wear (by literally less than millimeters) than it was allowed to, bumping him up from 12th to 10th. he has never done better than alex albon. he was also the very last driver to get a contract for 2024, with williams waiting until i think december of 2023 to announce his contract extension. clearly, hes on thin ice. but people have also said that he needs time to get used to formula 1 (other people have pointed out that oscar piastri slayed his rookie season this year and this statement about needing time is largely false). where logan ends up next year though will largely depend on how well the 2024 season goes for him.

fernando alonso. 42 years old. many people like to point out that oscar piastri is actually younger than fernando's racing career. he won tiktok creator of the year (somehow) and is also a 2 time world champion. he retired a few years ago, just to show back up again and slay. during the first half of the season when aston martin had a zoom zoom car he killed it, and then they had problems on top of problems and he didnt do well. except for that one race in brazil where he came in third, beating checo by literally .05 seconds. he hasn't really made any hints about retiring a second time and he is kind of carrying aston Martin right now (he scored 205 points this season, coming in 4th and tying in points with charles leclerc, lance stroll only scored 74 points this year.) and they did have their best year yet this year. (though they are relatively new).

pierre gasley. 27 years old. french. drives for alpine. the french team. previously he raced with toro rosso (now alpha tauri), then got promoted to a red bull driver in 2019, then halfway through the season they decided he wasnt doing a good enough job and he got demoted back down to alpha tauri. then he won a race with alpha tauri just to stick it to red bull. after the great oscar piastri contract twitter war, he was signed as alpines second driver, with Esteban ocon being the other driver (more on him soon). estie bestie and pierre (both french) were childhood friends and now hate each other for unknown reasons and basically feuded on the track for most of the season. french civil war at alpine. he scored 62 points in 2023 and came in 11th. not really sure where he will end up, it is possible that he will stick it out at alpine.

esteban ocon. 27 years old. also french. currently driving for alpine. another one with a silly bonkers career. he started out at force india and had a baller few seasons there but his teammate at the time was checo, and checo didnt really cooperate with him too much and caused some drama that cost estie bestie some places and some points. max verstappen also beat him up in the garage once. thats not really relevant but it did happen. anyway, after the owner of force india was arrested for .... i don't remember what maybe it was embezzlement or bankruptcy or something money related, the team was backed by lawrence stroll and became racing point. but all of that happened mid season and lawrence was basically like look ill back you guys for now but next year my son gets a seat (lance) so one of you two (checo and estie bestie) have to go. and ultimately they let estie bestie go even though he was more consistent because checo had more sponsors and they needed money. so he was out of formula 1 for a few years (but was a merc reserve driver) and then went to Renault, which then became alpine. he did come in 12th though overall this season, just behind pierre. so. will alpine keep both him and pierre and keep the civil war going? whos to say.

nico hulkenberg. 36 years old. haas driver. in his 200+ f1 races he has never been on the podium and he really really wants to be on the podium. unfortunately this will never happen in a haas because haas fucking sucks. and everyone knows it. he is getting towards the end of his career though. though! stake f1 will become the mario Andretti and audi team in 2026 (don't question it) and they have supposedly voiced interest in nico. so we will see if he hangs on that long to end up at audi. for now tough, hes definitely hating it at haas. though, haas are going to have a different team principle next year so maybe that will change things. i have a sneaky feeling through that haas will probably end up with another 2 rookie drivers because everyone else is smart enough to not race for them.

kevin magnussen. 31 years old. haas driver. hes another deeply interesting character. he has had one podium. in his rookie season. in his first race. and none since. kevin started at haas in 2017 and then left at then end of 2020 when he basically got kicked off because the team needed money and they wanted to bring in drivers with more sponsorships. these drivers were mick schumacher and nikita mazepin. so kevin basically was forced to retire after the 2020 season. this went decently well for haas. until russia invaded ukraine right before the start of the 2022 season and, well, nikita was Russian and it was never distinctly proven that his dads company (who was sponsoring the team) wasnt also funding the invasion. so nikita got fired and they were literally like 2 weeks out from the start of the season, down a driver. who are you gonna call? kevin magnussen! and hes been back ever since. but hes clearly getting annoyed with haas. there was one great clip from this year where his car caught on fire and he kind of just stared into to, clearly hoping it would burn for a long time. so the likelihood of him extending his contract is looking slim.

valtteri bottas. 34 years old. currently a driver for stake f1 (alpha romeo, kick sauber, whatever you wanna call it). previously, he was a mercedes driver and notoriously helped lewis hamilton win a great many championships, until he lost his seat to george russell in 2022. there was a rather awkward part of the 2021 season where valtteri knew that he was out of a merc seat the following year and kind of just chose violence. he slayed. then he went to alpha romeo, grew a mullet and made a calendar of his ass. quite the glow up if you ask me. hes also very interested in cycling. honestly though, i have my own personal speculation that hes going to retire at the end of this year.

zhou guanyu. 24 years old. driver for stake f1 (alpha romeo/kick sauber, etc etc). hes doing alright. he just finished his second season, in his first season he was majorly out qualified by valtteri but this past season he managed to out qualify him a good 6 times. which is decently good for the tractor of a car hes driving. its possible that he could get a contract extension, but like logan, its probably going to depend on how the 2024 season goes for him.

and thats all the drivers. theres also a few others i didnt talk about, like some other f2 drivers who want seats and mick schumacher, who is currently a merc reserve driver, all of which could be contenders for f1 seats. but one things for sure. this is going to be the silliest fucking silly season.

feel free to add on and peer review me

[hermitarchive]

SAVE THE DATE: MARRIED LIFE LIVE

On Saturday December 28 2024, at 9:30p GMT / 4:30p EST / 1:30 PM PST | Sunday 29, at 8:30a AEST, the Red Feather cast will be streaming a live reading of Interlude From Another Reality: Married Life on the podfic youtube to celebrate the main series reaching its conclusion.

We've mixed our cast around, and it's going to be a very silly, lighthearted time! Please join us live, and if you can't, the vod will remain up forever.

Married Life: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45184501

[ivegotwetbones]

I just watched nimona, ive never seen it before today and its about 1:30a, but i’m on the verge of tears over it, this was a cinematic masterpiece, this was the greatest movie i’ve ever seen

[nikoniclove]

Finding out about your life through asks is kind of like when your professor goes "yeah so my partner and i have three dogs. anyway you're all dismissed" and youre sitting there going WAIT. PAUSE. GO BACK TO THAT.

also i just woke up. its 6 am (im going back to bed rn i just cant help checking my phone) and you're on my dash. genuinely do you ever sleep?

Haha I appreciate that.

I think I was up around 5 my time. Now it’s 8, but I went to sleep around 1:30a - 2a. I honestly don’t sleep a lot. I don’t recommend it.

[vividracing]

New Post has been published on https://www.vividracing.com/blog/2024-tacoma-trd-baja-designs-x-spdo-pro-grille-kit/

2024 Tacoma TRD Baja Designs x sPDO Pro Grille Kit

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma features a bold new design and enhanced performance. To elevate its appearance and safety, Baja Designs offers various LED lighting solutions. Including fog pocket replacements, ditch lights, and reverse lights; all designed for a seamless fit. These lights improve visibility and driving enjoyment, whether on desert roads or forest trails. Each kit ensures a clean installation and is supported by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and a limited lifetime warranty for added peace of mind. 

The sPOD BantamX HD Vehicle-Specific Kit for the 2024+ Toyota Tacoma is designed to seamlessly integrate the sPOD HD control panel into the vehicle’s cabin, providing a centralized and convenient location for accessory controls. This kit is compatible with all Toyota Tacoma trim models, ensuring that controls are always within arm’s reach. It features the BantamX power module, which offers eight power circuits, each supporting 30A per channel and a total of 100A. 

Additionally, the kit includes sPODConnect Bluetooth technology, allowing users to program and control their accessories from any iOS or Android device via the sPOD app. It also features integrated LVCO low-voltage cutoff battery protection, which monitors and protects the vehicle’s electrical system to ensure reliability. 

Below are some of the many options that Baja Designs has recently released for 2024 Toyota Tacoma owners to elevate their ride from stock to shocking! Check it out below and don’t forget to shop through our website for the best deals on all 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Deals! 

BantamX Upfitter Power Management Vehicle Kit 

Specifically engineered to combine the factory upfitter switches and aftermarket capability. Offering 8 power circuits to deliver adequate power. With additional control from the touch of your fingertips that allows you to dim, strobe, flash, and many other options for lights for you to ride worry-free and take control!

Key Features: 

Use your OEM upfitter switches to trigger the BantamX

Increase amp rating across OEM switches to 30A

Gain five extra switches 

Bluetooth functionality 

5-year manufacturer warranty 

Shop Here! 

HD/BantamX Power Management Vehicle Kit

The sPOD BantamX HD vehicle-specific kit is designed seamlessly for the new Tacoma. Easy access to accessory controls from the cabin allows the driver to feel in control of each power circuit. This product also has scalability options to expand up to 32 channels controlled by a single unit. 

Key Features: 

Installs effortlessly 

8 circuits to power accessories 

Bluetooth connectivity 

Programming options (dimming, strobing, flashing, memory, switch linking, and more) 

Battery protection 

Backlighting 

Multi-controller compatibility 

Shop Here!

S8 10-inch / S2 Pro Grille Light Kit 

With some slight trimming, you can be the new grille master of your neighborhood! Baja Designs is now introducing the Grille Light Kit that features both clear or amber lights. The dual wiring harnesses allow separate control for optimal zone illumination. 

Key Features: 

Powerful lighting 

Dual functionality 

Wide coverage 

Amber backlight

Easy installation 

uService Technology to swap out lenses and adjust beam patterns without voiding warranty

Shop Here!

There are so many more upgrades that Baja Designs has carefully and strategically manufactured to make the best upgrade for your 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD! The time is now to build out your truck! With more upgrades including a reverse kit, llinkable roof kit, pillar kit, and more! Shop all these great modifications and more at www.vividracing.com ! 

[bodybeautifulbymills]

Fenty

"WE DONT BELIEVE IN EXCLUDING ANYONE"

“That's been our message from day one and it's not going to change now because everyone is having that realization.”

There aren’t many brands that have done a better job with diversity and inclusion than Rihanna’s Fenty brand. Whether it’s Savage X Fenty or Fenty Skin or Fenty Beauty she has done what many retailers have struggled to do, make products that appeal to everyone. Her focus on inclusivity is striking a cord with consumers because it’s authentic. 

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Introducing The New Culture of Skincare | Fenty Skin. [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/aP0IYMwOZ8U?si=Zgb3dfDCwTDlyUZM [Accessed 18 Sep. 2023].

‌Rihanna’s product lines are hugely successfully and in many ways she is showing other brands how to properly cater to a diverse society. Take a look at how Fenty is winning over consumers by catering to their needs in four critical areas.

When Rihanna launched her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty in 2018 it was inclusive from the very beginning. Her collection features bras in sizes ranging from 30A to 46DDD and XS to 4X in underwear. “When I imagine something, I imagine everyone I know and love being a part of it. I want to make stuff I can see on the people I know, and they come in all different shapes, sizes, races, and religions,” says Rihanna speaking about her Savage X Fenty brand. “I didn’t think it would be such a talking point after the fact; the only thing I could think about was including everyone.”

The brand was very successful, passing $1 billion in sales after only a year due to its inclusive size range, XS-4X for women, S-3X for men and XS-XXL for kids.

FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA (@fentybeauty) • Instagram photos and videos

What Rihanna has done is called revolutionary and it is given the current state of the retail sector but her strategy is quite simple. She is creating products for everyone. Who says only 20-year-olds want to buy lingerie? Not Rihanna. In one of Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie shows Demi Moore modelled lingerie alongside Bella Hadid. Moore is 59 and Hadid is 25. 

Rihanna did not stop there, that fashion show also featured transgender model Indya Moore. It shows how far Fenty has taken us. As recent as four years ago, in 2018, when discussing criticism facing Victoria’s Secret’s fashion shows Ed Razek, Victoria’s Secret’s chief marketing officer at the time said this: “shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.”

[inlovewithaspiderguy]

WE FOUND THE SEQUEL TO BURNING STAR WHAT THE FUCK

THE FIC THAT REWROTE MY ENTIRE BRAIN FOR YEARS!!! OP NEVER POSTED THE SEQUEL THEY TEASED ON AO3 BUT THEY DID ON FFNET HOLY SHIT

ITS 01:30A I CANT READ IT NOW AND THE NEXT TWO DAYS IM GONNA BE SUPER BUSY BUT BABY IM HAVING A LONG NG CAR RIDE ON TUESDAY NIGHT IM GONNA BURN THROUGH THIS BITCH AT LIGHT SPEED

I CANT BELIEVE THIS I THOUGHT THIS FIC DIDNT EXIST OH MY GOD.

EDIT: THERES A PREQUELT OO?!! !!

[the-life-of-a-wandering-mind]

May ‘25

One of the men I’ve been talking to lives just over an hour away from me. We were talking g the other night, he said he was on his way home from having drinks at his buddy’s house, and that he would text me when he made it back. Our relationship is just casual texts & snaps, (with some spiciness) so i was surprised he said that and had low expectations for the reality of it.

Well about twenty minutes later i get a message “just got home” and as soon as i read it my phone lights up with an incoming face time call from him… what?!? It was like midnight, my whole house was in bed/ asleep, and i was so taken aback that I didn’t pick up. Immediately after the call disappeared from the screen i put my headphones in and called back. I pick up, say hi & he goes “hey i just wanted to call you because i said i would let you know when i hot home, and I’m home now”….

homeboy WHAT?!?! is this medium-distance, casual, sext buddy, weed farmer ass man going to help me redefine how much effort i expect?! (lol not really because he also just straight up doesn’t text at all for days at a time) How wild would that be?

So we chat for a bit, just kinda shoot the shit and talk about whatever comes up. He said something about having to be up for work at 7 so i joked that “the other guy had to be up at 6”. We start talking about rosters and body counts and things like that, which of course means that I got to tell him that my body count is 1. His reaction surprised me a bit. He started with the classic disbelief and then asked me if it was with an old boyfriend or fwb or hookup so i told him all about it. I think he literally congratulated me, made some joke about how that explains why i ghosted him one night (in reality i fell asleep), it didn’t feel fake or forced to me like a lot of reactions I’d gotten had. I just really like the way it felt talking to him about it.

I was playing games on my laptop while we talked so I’m not paying super close attention to whats happening on his end. At some point though, I glance down at him & I realize he’s like cutting lines. He literally does coke while we’re on face time together, several times. Bro, what?! I mean, I did know that he does come sometimes because its come up before in snaps or conversation, but I wasn’t expecting to watch him do it. Literally wild.

I don’t know if it was on facetime or over text but at some point he asked what the chance would be for me to let him do coke off my tits (i think my answer was medium/low).

Now, one may think that that is unacceptable behavior, but apparently I don’t think that. I learn new things about myself all the time. For example, I’ve always thought that I prefer texting for communication, but after a chain reaction of talking stages (long story / thread of interactions (fire1, fire2, FL, Bay)) I realized how much it means to me that someone will spend time talking on the phone.

We ended up talking on face time for like an hour and a half, texted some more after hanging up, I was awake until like 5:30a.

I don’t know, something about this whole thing feels like it should be sobering or provide a reality check but it hasn’t. He & I are still in contact (week gaps between the occasional days of conversations), and honestly after talking to him on the phone I’m more attracted to him than I was before, which I am choosing to attribute to the conversation rather than a toxic attraction to his less virtuous habits.

[brennanbrownflorida]

Brennan Logan Brown Shares 7 Tips for Sustainable Business Growth

Brennan Logan Brown, a forward-thinking entrepreneur based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, understands that in today’s business landscape, success isn’t just about moving fast; it’s about moving with intention. Brennan Logan Brown says that Sustainable business growth is no longer a niche concept; it’s a necessity. Customers, investors, and employees now expect companies to operate responsibly, prioritize long-term value, and show a genuine commitment to environmental and social impact. With a strong background in finance and a passion for innovation, Brennan Brown 30A believes businesses can grow without compromising on integrity, purpose, or sustainability. In this post, she shares seven key tips for founders and business leaders who want to build companies that not only scale but truly last and lead with impact.

1. Define a Purpose That Goes Beyond Profit

Revenue is necessary for any business, but it is insufficient to maintain it over time. A meaningful and well-defined purpose provides your business with direction that goes beyond metrics. It directs decision-making, helps mould culture, and draws in the best clients and employees. People become more involved and devoted when they feel that they are part of something greater than just goods or services. Because they represent a cause that people care about, companies that lead with purpose frequently have an advantage. Everything from your operations to your branding should be merged with the goal.

2. Focus on Long-Term Strategy, Not Just Short-Term Gains

Many businesses fall into the trap of chasing quick wins. They look for fast revenue boosts or growth hacks that don’t hold up over time. Sustainable growth requires a long view. It’s about building systems, teams, and strategies that support stability and resilience. This might mean turning down flashy opportunities that don't align with your core mission. It’s about knowing that steady, thoughtful progress will outlast explosive growth that lacks direction. A long-term mindset leads to deeper impact, fewer setbacks, and a clearer path forward.

3. Keep Your Financial Foundation Strong

Brennan Logan Brown states that insufficient financial management is one of the main obstacles to long-term, sustainable growth. If a company's finances are not managed properly, even those with high demand may fail. She encourages company executives to comprehend all of their financial data, including expenses and cash flow. Being financially disciplined means making intentional financial decisions rather than being extremely cautious. Being in charge of your financial information enables you to react to market changes, take calculated risks, and create true stability. Without sacrificing the foundation of your business, financial stability promotes innovation and supports creative freedom.

4. Make Innovation a Daily Practice

Sustainable businesses don’t just innovate once; they build a culture of ongoing creativity and improvement. Innovation isn’t only about big ideas or new products. It’s about constantly asking how things can be done better. This could mean streamlining your supply chain, using more efficient technologies, or improving the customer experience. Making small, consistent changes adds up over time and keeps your company relevant in a changing market. Encourage your team to bring new ideas forward and give them space to experiment. Growth happens where curiosity and action meet.

5. Surround Yourself With Smart, Diverse Thinkers

The core of any business is its people. Your vision will either advance or hold up based on the team you gather. Your decision-making is strengthened when you surround yourself with people who have a wide range of experiences, abilities, and viewpoints. Seek out individuals who question your beliefs and broaden your perspective rather than those who merely agree with you. Innovation is driven by collaboration, and peaceful disputes can lead to better solutions. Brennan Logan Brown highlights how crucial it is to surround yourself with individuals who hold you responsible and support your development as a leader and as a business.

6. Prioritize Regeneration Over Mere Sustainability

Sustainability is often seen as doing less harm, but the future belongs to businesses that aim to do more good. Regenerative thinking pushes us to ask: how can this business restore, renew, or improve what it touches? That could mean improving the environment, uplifting a community, or rethinking how products are sourced and created. Growth that gives back earns trust and loyalty. It also opens doors to partnerships, markets, and funding that prioritize positive impact. A regenerative approach creates value that isn’t just measurable, but meaningful.

7. Be Transparent and Consistent in Your Communication

Honesty and consistency are the building blocks of trust. Although people don't expect businesses to be perfect, they do expect them to be real. Brennan Logan Brown asserts that a company's voice is among its strongest instruments. Building a relationship requires being open about your objectives, difficulties, and advancements. Transparent communication increases credibility, whether you're addressing investors, clients, or staff. Present your work, ask for feedback, and share your values. This transparency eventually creates an active brand community that encourages and supports your growth.

Final Thoughts

Sustainable business growth doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all formula. But with the right mindset and values, it becomes not only possible it becomes powerful. These seven tips reflect a deeper philosophy: growth should lift everyone it touches. It should be thoughtful, intentional, and resilient.

Brennan Logan Brown’s approach to business is a refreshing reminder that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of our values or the planet. By focusing on purpose, people, and long-term thinking, any business, no matter the industry, can grow in a way that’s both responsible and remarkable.

Sustainable growth is the future. The sooner we embrace it, the brighter our businesses and our world will become.

[neurohopes]

Balance & Coordination Training- Neuro Hopes

What is Balance and Coordination Training?

Balance and Coordination Training involves exercises and activities designed to improve an individual’s ability to maintain stability and move efficiently. This type of training is crucial for enhancing physical performance, preventing injuries, and promoting overall well-being.

Core Principles of Balance and Coordination Training

Stability: Focusing on exercises that enhance the ability to maintain control of body movements.

Functional Movement: Training that improves movement patterns used in daily activities and sports.

Progressive Difficulty: Gradually increasing the complexity and intensity of exercises to continually challenge and improve balance and coordination.

Safety: Ensuring exercises are performed correctly to prevent falls and injuries.

Click here: https://neurohopes.com/services2/balance-coordination-training/

Who Can Benefit from Balance and Coordination Training?

Balance and coordination training can benefit individuals of all ages, including:

Athletes looking to improve performance

Seniors aiming to prevent falls and maintain independence

Individuals recovering from injuries or surgeries

People with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis

Children with developmental coordination disorders

Common Areas of Focus in Balance and Coordination Training

Postural Control: Enhancing the ability to maintain proper posture during various activities.

Dynamic Balance: Improving stability during movement, such as walking or running.

Reaction Time: Training to respond quickly and appropriately to changes in the environment.

Muscle Strength and Endurance: Building the strength and endurance necessary to support stable and coordinated movements.

Motor Skills: Refining fine and gross motor skills for better overall coordination.

Key Interventions in Balance and Coordination Training

Balance Exercises: Activities like standing on one leg, heel-to-toe walking, and using balance boards.

Coordination Drills: Exercises that improve hand-eye coordination, such as catching and throwing balls or using agility ladders.

Proprioceptive Training: Activities that enhance the body’s ability to sense its position in space, like yoga or Pilates.

Strength Training: Resistance exercises targeting core muscles and lower body strength to support balance.

Functional Training: Exercises that mimic daily activities or sports-specific movements to improve practical balance and coordination.

Vestibular Training: Techniques to improve the function of the inner ear, which helps control balance.

Settings for Balance and Coordination Training

Balance and coordination training can be conducted in various settings, including:

Physical therapy clinics

Sports training facilities

Community fitness centers

Schools and educational institutions

Home exercise programs

Online and virtual training sessions

Becoming a Balance and Coordination Trainer

To become a balance and coordination trainer, individuals typically need:

A degree in physical therapy, exercise science, kinesiology, or a related field

Certification from recognized fitness or therapy organizations

Practical experience through internships or supervised practice

Continuing education to stay updated with best practices and new techniques

The Impact of Balance and Coordination Training

Balance and coordination training can dramatically improve an individual’s ability to move confidently and efficiently. By enhancing stability, strength, and motor skills, this training helps prevent falls, boosts athletic performance, and contributes to better overall physical health. It plays a critical role in rehabilitation, fitness, and everyday functional activities.

About Us

At Neuro Hopes, we are dedicated to transforming lives through specialized therapy and intervention for children with developmental, behavioral, and learning challenges.

Contact us LGF2–30A, Rajhans Plaza,  Ahinsa Khand-1 Ghaziabad,  Uttar Pradesh India Email: drritikkumar01@gmail.com Website: https://neurohopes.com

[thepadawancollector]

The Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) was first released in 1980 for the Empire Strikes back line of toys by Kenner on wave 1 of the 31A Cardbacks in the USA and the 30A Palitoy backs for UK.  This figure comes with the blue Imperial Hoth Rifle.  This figure would get released on the ROTJ cardbacks but not on the POTF. Although the POTF coin was released as a random mail-in offer or only issued in small amounts to Kenner employees in 1985. A variant to look out for comes in the eye visor with versions having a single visor or a separated visor. 

The Galactic Empire's cold weather assault-class of stormtrooper was a descendant of the clone cold assault troopers, who had fought in the Clone Wars in frigid environments such as Orto Plutonia, Rhen Var, and Toola. Specialized types of snowtroopers included Snowtrooper Scouts, Heavy Snowtroopers, and Arctic Jumptroopers.

———————

Item Shown: Very nice 1980 Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth Battle Gear) on its debut ESB 31A-Back. Free shipping. Always check out all the pics and read description before buying.

————————

LINK TO BUY this exact item using my eBay affiliate link: https://ebay.us/9YcJ0v

I make commissions on qualified purchases with no added cost to you. It supports my channel and allows me to keep making content for you, so thank you!

[poolequipmentparts]

Intermatic ET90115C 30A Astronomic 365days Indoor Timer 120/277V SPDT

The Intermatic ET90115C Astronomic 365-Day 1-Circuit Electronic Control is a versatile and reliable time switch designed for precise control of electrical circuits, making it an ideal choice for various HVAC applications. This device operates on 120/277V and supports a power consumption of up to 30A, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. With 365-day programming and the ability to schedule up to 4,000 events, this control offers unparalleled flexibility in managing HVAC equipment, such as air handlers, exhaust fans, and lighting systems. The ET90115C features a digital display with manual override capability, allowing for easy adjustments and real-time control. Its NEMA 1 enclosure ensures durability and protection in indoor settings, making it suitable for commercial and residential installations. Weighing just 3.47 lbs, it is lightweight and easy to install, reducing setup time and maintenance costs.

Improve your pool system with the Intermatic 30A Astronomic 365days Indoor Timer for reliable performance and efficiency.

[storyloze01]

BLUETTI AC200L: Quality Portable Charging Station with a Capacity of 2048Wh

Introduction

In an era where portable power solutions are becoming essential, the BLUETTI AC200L stands out as a versatile and reliable power station. With an impressive 2048Wh capacity, it is designed to meet a wide range of energy needs, from camping and road trips to emergency power backup and off-grid applications. Featuring advanced technology, multiple output options, and high efficiency, the AC200L is a premium choice for those seeking a dependable energy solution.

This article delves into the features, specifications, performance, and applications of the BLUETTI AC200L, highlighting why it is a top-tier choice in the world of portable power stations.

Key Features of BLUETTI AC200L

1. High-Capacity Power Storage

The 2048Wh battery capacity of the AC200L makes it a powerhouse for various energy needs. It can efficiently charge multiple devices, run small appliances, and provide backup power during blackouts. With a robust lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, it ensures longevity and reliability, lasting up to 3,500 charge cycles before reaching 80% capacity.

2. Multiple Charging Options

One of the AC200L’s strengths is its ability to be charged through different methods:

Solar Charging: Supports up to 1200W solar input, making it an excellent choice for off-grid energy solutions.

AC Charging: Charges via a standard wall outlet, supporting up to 2400W input for rapid charging.

Car Charging: Can be charged using a 12V/24V car socket, allowing convenient recharging during road trips.

Generator Charging: Can be recharged using a gas or diesel generator in case of an emergency.

With its fast-charging capability, the AC200L can be recharged in as little as 1.5 hours when using AC and solar charging simultaneously.

3. Diverse Output Options

The AC200L is equipped with multiple output ports, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices:

6 AC outlets (2,400W rated, 4,800W surge) for running household appliances

2 USB-C PD 100W ports for fast charging laptops and smartphones

4 USB-A ports for standard device charging

2 12V DC ports for automotive accessories

1 12V/30A RV port for campers and RV enthusiasts

2 Wireless charging pads (15W each) for Qi-compatible devices

4. Intelligent Battery Management System (BMS)

BLUETTI has incorporated an advanced Battery Management System (BMS) to enhance safety and efficiency. The BMS protects against overcharging, overheating, short circuits, and voltage fluctuations, ensuring optimal performance and extended battery lifespan.

5. Expandability and Modular Design

For users who require more energy, the AC200L offers expandability options. It is compatible with additional battery modules such as:

B230 (2,048Wh extra capacity)

B300 (3,072Wh extra capacity)

By connecting external batteries, users can scale up the capacity significantly, making it a scalable power solution for various applications.

6. Smart App Control

The BLUETTI AC200L is integrated with smart app control, allowing users to monitor battery status, input/output levels, and control settings remotely via Bluetooth connectivity. This feature enhances user convenience, especially for remote or off-grid usage.

Performance and Efficiency

1. High Power Output for Versatile Use

With a continuous 2,400W AC output and a 4,800W surge capacity, the AC200L can run essential household appliances, including:

Refrigerators

Microwaves

Coffee makers

Electric grills

Power tools

This makes it an excellent backup power source during power outages and emergencies.

2. Fast and Efficient Charging

The AC200L supports dual charging (AC + solar), enabling a rapid recharge time of around 1.5 hours. The highly efficient MPPT solar charge controller ensures that the maximum solar input is utilized, making it a sustainable and eco-friendly option.

3. Silent Operation and Eco-Friendliness

Unlike traditional gas generators, the BLUETTI AC200L operates silently, making it ideal for indoor use, camping, and van life. Additionally, with zero emissions, it is an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel-based generators.

Use Cases

1. Emergency Backup Power

The AC200L is a perfect home backup power station. During power outages, it can keep essential appliances running, including lights, Wi-Fi routers, medical devices, and refrigerators. With its large battery capacity, it provides hours or even days of emergency power, depending on usage.

2. Outdoor Adventures and Camping

For outdoor enthusiasts, the AC200L is a game-changer. Whether you’re camping, RVing, or tailgating, it can power your devices, including:

Portable refrigerators

Electric grills

Drones and cameras

Electric coolers

Its solar charging capability makes it a sustainable power source for extended trips in remote locations.

3. Off-Grid Living and RV Power Solution

For individuals living off-grid or traveling in RVs, the AC200L provides a reliable energy source. Its 12V/30A RV port ensures seamless integration with RV electrical systems, and with solar panel support, it enables a completely off-grid lifestyle.

4. Professional and Worksite Applications

For professionals working on remote job sites, the AC200L can power tools, laptops, and other essential equipment. Its rugged design and high power output make it a suitable option for construction sites, filmmaking crews, and outdoor events.

Comparison with Other Portable Power Stations

When compared to competitors like the EcoFlow Delta Pro and Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro, the BLUETTI AC200L stands out due to its:

Higher battery cycle life (3,500 cycles)

Faster charging speed (1.5 hours with dual input)

Expandable battery options

Comprehensive output options (including RV and wireless charging)

Its balance of performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness makes it a preferred choice for many users.

Conclusion

The BLUETTI AC200L is a top-tier portable power station with 2048Wh capacity, making it an exceptional choice for home backup, outdoor adventures, and off-grid living. With its high power output, multiple charging options, smart features, and expandability, it offers unmatched reliability and performance. Whether you're preparing for emergencies, embarking on outdoor adventures, or seeking a reliable off-grid power solution, the AC200L is an investment worth considering.

As the demand for sustainable and portable energy solutions grows, BLUETTI continues to innovate, delivering high-quality power stations that meet the needs of modern users. The AC200L is a testament to their commitment to quality and innovation in portable power technology.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Today, I’m sharing another listicle. This time, we’ll look at 10 Style Mistakes That Make You Look Older (and how to fix them). I’m all about aging with grace, strength, and beauty, but staying modern, fresh, and relevant is also important. Aging is a privilege, but looking frumpy is optional! Style is meant to evolve with us, not work against us. Yet, some common fashion mistakes can add years instead of enhancing our natural beauty. The good news? Simple tweaks can modernize your look and give you a fresh, youthful edge—without chasing trends. Happy Sunday, gang! The first week of February is in the books, and we’re onto Valentine’s Day. Last week, we shared 10 Luxurious Self-Care Ideas, Pretty in Pink, and 10 Must-Have Wardrobe Staples. I had a weekend getaway to 30A this weekend, so stay tuned to what I packed, which will be in a blog post shortly. If you’re interested in Packing Lists, Curated Reading Lists, or more in-depth content (I have a video series about The Foundations of Ageless Style), please check out our Exclusive Membership, which includes ad-free blog posts. Its never been easier to Become A Member. If you want to look polished and elegant without aging yourself, here are 10 style mistakes that make you look older and the simple solutions to fix them. 1. Wearing Clothes That Are Too Baggy While we all love comfort, drowning in oversized clothing can make you look shapeless and older than you are. Baggy silhouettes lack structure, and instead of hiding problem areas, they often exaggerate them. ✅ Fix It: Opt for tailored pieces that skim—not squeeze—your body. A structured blazer, high-waisted trousers, or a cinched waist dress can add instant polish without sacrificing comfort. This is key if we want to avoid 10 style mistakes that make you look older. 1. Structured Blazer: ASOS DESIGN Cinch Blazer in Black: This tailored blazer features a cinched waist, offering a flattering silhouette that accentuates your curves. Quince or J.Crew also carry excellent blazers. 2. High-Waisted Trousers: ZARA Belted Straight Leg Pants: These high-waisted trousers come with a belt to define the waist and straight legs for a sleek, elongated look. Ann Taylor is an all-time favorite of mine, specifically for pants. They just get a woman’s body. 3. Tuckernuck Cinched Waist Dress: With a scoop neckline and self-belt, this dress will take you to a number of places. ANTHROPOLOGIE Dresses Collection: Explore a variety of dresses for weddings, vacations, and a casual day out. 2. Sticking to All Black, All the Time Black is slimming and chic, but head-to-toe black can wash you out as your skin tone changes over time. It can emphasize shadows and make your complexion look dull. ✅ Fix It: If you love black, balance it with softer neutrals like camel, navy, or gray. Add a pop of color near your face with a silk scarf, bold earrings, or a soft-colored blouse to brighten. 1. Silk Scarf: Patterned Silk Square Scarf: This vibrant-patterned silk scarf adds a pop of color to any ensemble. Its luxurious texture and design make it a versatile accessory for various outfits. 2. Bold Earrings: Chunky Drop Chain Link Earrings: These statement earrings feature a bold chain link design, perfect for adding a modern touch to your look. Their versatile style complements both casual and formal attire. 3. Soft-Colored Blouse: Willa Silk Blouse: Crafted from silk crêpe de chine, this blouse showcases a delicate scarf print in soft hues. Its slim, boxy silhouette and tie cuffs offer a blend of comfort and elegance. 3. Wearing Dated Denim Coming in at number 3 out of 10 style mistakes that make you look older is denim. If your jeans are still low-rise, overly distressed, or boxy and shapeless, they might be aging you. Styles that were trendy decades ago can look out of place today. ✅ Fix It: Upgrade to modern, structured denim with a slight stretch for comfort. High-waisted, straight-leg, or ankle-length jeans are universally flattering and effortlessly stylish. 1. High-Waisted Straight-Leg Ankle-Length Jeans: MOTHER The Tomcat High Waist Straight Leg Ankle Jeans: These jeans feature a high-rise waist with a straight-leg cut that hits at the ankle, offering a classic yet contemporary look. 2. Barrel Jeans: Old Navy High-Waisted Barrel Ankle Jeans: These high-waisted jeans have a relaxed fit through the hip and thigh with a tapered leg, creating a flattering barrel silhouette that hits at the ankle. 3. AGOLDE 90s Pinch Waist Straight Leg – A vintage-inspired, structured fit. 4. Ignoring the Power of Accessories Minimalism is chic, but skipping accessories altogether can leave you looking unfinished. On the flip side, overdoing statement jewelry can feel outdated. ✅ Fix It: Keep it balanced and intentional—a classic leather handbag, a sleek belt, or delicate gold jewelry can add instant sophistication without overwhelming your look. 1. Classic Leather Handbag: Kate Spade Reegan Shoulder Bag: This elegant and minimalist bag is versatile enough for both formal and casual events. Made from durable Saffiano leather, it features a main zipper compartment, an interior pocket, and a decorative flap with a magnetic snap. Available in three colors—Meringue, Black, and Orange Cream. 2. Leather Belt: Gucci Leather Belt with Interlocking G Buckle: A timeless piece from Gucci, this black leather belt features the iconic interlocking G buckle in gold-tone hardware, adding a touch of luxury to any outfit. 3. Delicate Gold Jewelry: 14K Gold Teardrop Necklace: This dainty necklace features a simple teardrop pendant on a delicate chain, offering a subtle yet elegant touch to your ensemble. Square-toe pumps from the ’90s or clunky orthopedic-looking shoes can date your entire outfit. While comfort is a must, style doesn’t have to be sacrificed. ✅ Fix It: Invest in modern yet comfortable shoes like pointed-toe flats, sleek loafers, or block-heel ankle boots. A classic white sneaker can also add a youthful edge to casual looks. 1. Pointed-Toe Flats: Vivaia Aria 5° Pointed-Toe Ballet Flats: These flats feature a sleek pointed toe and are made from sustainable materials. They offer a comfortable fit with a cushioned insole and are water-repellent, making them suitable for various weather conditions. 2. Sleek Loafers: Birdies The Starling Loafers: Combining the elegance of a loafer with the comfort of a slipper, these loafers feature a sleek design with a soft quilted insole for added comfort. Quince Italian Leather Loafer is a great alternative. 3. Block Heel Ankle Boots: Dr. Martens 2976 Chelsea Boots: These classic Chelsea boots feature a sturdy block heel and are known for their durability and timeless style. 4. White Sneakers: Vionic Kimmie Slip-On Sneakers: Praised by Oprah Winfrey, these sneakers offer both style and comfort with podiatrist-approved support, making them ideal for everyday wear. 6. Neglecting Your Eyewear Eyeglasses are a necessity for many of us, but outdated frames can instantly add years to your appearance. ✅ Fix It: Swap out old, heavy frames for lighter, more modern styles. Think sleek tortoiseshell, oversized yet refined shapes, or rimless designs that enhance your features instead of overwhelming them. 1. Oversized Shield Sunglasses: Make a bold statement with oversized shield sunglasses, a trend highlighted in Luar’s spring 2025 runway show. These frames offer a futuristic look while providing ample protection. 2. Vintage-Inspired Round Frames: Embrace a retro vibe with round frames reminiscent of the 70s, updated with modern materials and colors. This style offers a playful yet sophisticated touch to any outfit. 3. Cat-Eye Sunglasses: Add a touch of glamour with cat-eye sunglasses, a timeless shape that continues to captivate. Modern iterations feature sleek lines and contemporary details, making them a versatile choice. 4. Sustainable Frames: For the eco-conscious fashionista, consider sunglasses made from recycled or bio-based materials. Brands are increasingly offering stylish options that are both chic and environmentally friendly. 5. Statement Aviators: Aviator sunglasses have been reimagined with bold frames and tinted lenses, offering a fresh take on a classic style. These statement pieces can elevate your look effortlessly. 7. Wearing Too Much or Too Little Makeup Caking on foundation or skipping makeup altogether can both age you in different ways. Thick makeup settles into fine lines, while bare skin can look tired without a little enhancement. ✅ Fix It: Aim for a natural, radiant look. A light-reflecting foundation, a swipe of cream blush, defined brows, and a hydrating lip color can work wonders. 1. Foundation: Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation: This foundation offers a natural finish with buildable coverage, suitable for various skin types. It’s praised for its inclusive shade range and skin-friendly ingredients. 2. Cream Blush: Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder: This cream blush provides a natural, long-lasting flush with a lightweight, blendable formula. It’s designed to blur imperfections and control shine. 3. Brow Gel: Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Brow Gel: This water-based gel sculpts and smooths brows for a brushed-up look. It’s buildable and provides a flexible hold without stiffness. 4. Hydrating Lipstick: Urban Decay Vice Hydrating Lipstick: This lipstick offers rich pigmentation with a hydrating formula, ensuring comfortable wear throughout the day. Available in a variety of shades to suit different preferences. 8. Sticking to One Hairstyle for Decades Your hairstyle should evolve with you! If you’ve had the same cut and color for 20+ years, it may not be the most flattering for your face shape and hair texture anymore. ✅ Fix It: Consider soft layers, volume-enhancing cuts, and subtle highlights to brighten your look. A modern, well-maintained hairstyle makes a world of difference. 9. Ignoring Proper Fit & Proportion Wearing clothes that are either too tight or too loose can be equally unflattering. The wrong proportions—like long tunics over wide-leg pants—can overwhelm your frame. ✅ Fix It: Focus on balance. If you wear wide-leg pants, pair them with a more fitted top. If you love flowy blouses, tuck them into structured trousers or skirts to create shape. 10. Dressing “Too Young” Instead of Youthful There’s a fine line between looking modern and chasing every single trend. Whether it’s the naked dress, crop tops, or low-rise jeans, there are some trends that highlight your age rather than making you look youthful. ✅ Fix It: Instead of dressing for a different decade, focus on timeless pieces with a modern twist. A structured blazer with tailored jeans, a chic midi dress, or classic loafers with a trendy handbag strike the perfect balance between sophisticated and current. The key is subtle updates—incorporating trend-forward accessories or silhouettes without veering into teen territory. 1. Tailored Blazer: Theory Single-Button Blazer: This classic black blazer offers a sleek, tailored fit, making it a versatile addition to any wardrobe. 2. Tailored Jeans: AGOLDE 90’s Pinch Waist High Rise Straight Jeans: These high-rise, straight-leg jeans provide a flattering, tailored silhouette, combining a vintage-inspired look with modern comfort. 3. Chic Midi Dress: Veronica Beard Midi Dress: This elegant midi dress features a timeless and flattering fit, suitable for various occasions. 4. Classic Loafers: G.H. Bass & Co. Whitney Weejuns: These classic penny loafers offer a polished look with timeless appeal, perfect for both casual and formal outfits. 5. Trendy Handbag: Kate Spade Reegan Shoulder Bag: This elegant and minimalist bag is versatile enough for both formal and casual events, adding a contemporary touch to your ensemble. Closing Thoughts Looking youthful isn’t about trying to be younger—it’s about being the best version of yourself today. By making these small adjustments, you’ll feel more confident, polished, and effortlessly chic at any age. Yes, it’s possible to avoid 10 Style Mistakes that Make You Look Older. What’s a style mistake you’ve learned to avoid? Share your thoughts in the comments! About The Author Beth Djalali is the Founder and CEO of Style at a Certain Age. She writes Sundays-Fridays on all topics ranging from fashion, health, wellness, home design and more. She’s 66, 5’8, and size 8. Source link

[norajworld]

Today, I’m sharing another listicle. This time, we’ll look at 10 Style Mistakes That Make You Look Older (and how to fix them). I’m all about aging with grace, strength, and beauty, but staying modern, fresh, and relevant is also important. Aging is a privilege, but looking frumpy is optional! Style is meant to evolve with us, not work against us. Yet, some common fashion mistakes can add years instead of enhancing our natural beauty. The good news? Simple tweaks can modernize your look and give you a fresh, youthful edge—without chasing trends. Happy Sunday, gang! The first week of February is in the books, and we’re onto Valentine’s Day. Last week, we shared 10 Luxurious Self-Care Ideas, Pretty in Pink, and 10 Must-Have Wardrobe Staples. I had a weekend getaway to 30A this weekend, so stay tuned to what I packed, which will be in a blog post shortly. If you’re interested in Packing Lists, Curated Reading Lists, or more in-depth content (I have a video series about The Foundations of Ageless Style), please check out our Exclusive Membership, which includes ad-free blog posts. Its never been easier to Become A Member. If you want to look polished and elegant without aging yourself, here are 10 style mistakes that make you look older and the simple solutions to fix them. 1. Wearing Clothes That Are Too Baggy While we all love comfort, drowning in oversized clothing can make you look shapeless and older than you are. Baggy silhouettes lack structure, and instead of hiding problem areas, they often exaggerate them. ✅ Fix It: Opt for tailored pieces that skim—not squeeze—your body. A structured blazer, high-waisted trousers, or a cinched waist dress can add instant polish without sacrificing comfort. This is key if we want to avoid 10 style mistakes that make you look older. 1. Structured Blazer: ASOS DESIGN Cinch Blazer in Black: This tailored blazer features a cinched waist, offering a flattering silhouette that accentuates your curves. Quince or J.Crew also carry excellent blazers. 2. High-Waisted Trousers: ZARA Belted Straight Leg Pants: These high-waisted trousers come with a belt to define the waist and straight legs for a sleek, elongated look. Ann Taylor is an all-time favorite of mine, specifically for pants. They just get a woman’s body. 3. Tuckernuck Cinched Waist Dress: With a scoop neckline and self-belt, this dress will take you to a number of places. ANTHROPOLOGIE Dresses Collection: Explore a variety of dresses for weddings, vacations, and a casual day out. 2. Sticking to All Black, All the Time Black is slimming and chic, but head-to-toe black can wash you out as your skin tone changes over time. It can emphasize shadows and make your complexion look dull. ✅ Fix It: If you love black, balance it with softer neutrals like camel, navy, or gray. Add a pop of color near your face with a silk scarf, bold earrings, or a soft-colored blouse to brighten. 1. Silk Scarf: Patterned Silk Square Scarf: This vibrant-patterned silk scarf adds a pop of color to any ensemble. Its luxurious texture and design make it a versatile accessory for various outfits. 2. Bold Earrings: Chunky Drop Chain Link Earrings: These statement earrings feature a bold chain link design, perfect for adding a modern touch to your look. Their versatile style complements both casual and formal attire. 3. Soft-Colored Blouse: Willa Silk Blouse: Crafted from silk crêpe de chine, this blouse showcases a delicate scarf print in soft hues. Its slim, boxy silhouette and tie cuffs offer a blend of comfort and elegance. 3. Wearing Dated Denim Coming in at number 3 out of 10 style mistakes that make you look older is denim. If your jeans are still low-rise, overly distressed, or boxy and shapeless, they might be aging you. Styles that were trendy decades ago can look out of place today. ✅ Fix It: Upgrade to modern, structured denim with a slight stretch for comfort. High-waisted, straight-leg, or ankle-length jeans are universally flattering and effortlessly stylish. 1. High-Waisted Straight-Leg Ankle-Length Jeans: MOTHER The Tomcat High Waist Straight Leg Ankle Jeans: These jeans feature a high-rise waist with a straight-leg cut that hits at the ankle, offering a classic yet contemporary look. 2. Barrel Jeans: Old Navy High-Waisted Barrel Ankle Jeans: These high-waisted jeans have a relaxed fit through the hip and thigh with a tapered leg, creating a flattering barrel silhouette that hits at the ankle. 3. AGOLDE 90s Pinch Waist Straight Leg – A vintage-inspired, structured fit. 4. Ignoring the Power of Accessories Minimalism is chic, but skipping accessories altogether can leave you looking unfinished. On the flip side, overdoing statement jewelry can feel outdated. ✅ Fix It: Keep it balanced and intentional—a classic leather handbag, a sleek belt, or delicate gold jewelry can add instant sophistication without overwhelming your look. 1. Classic Leather Handbag: Kate Spade Reegan Shoulder Bag: This elegant and minimalist bag is versatile enough for both formal and casual events. Made from durable Saffiano leather, it features a main zipper compartment, an interior pocket, and a decorative flap with a magnetic snap. Available in three colors—Meringue, Black, and Orange Cream. 2. Leather Belt: Gucci Leather Belt with Interlocking G Buckle: A timeless piece from Gucci, this black leather belt features the iconic interlocking G buckle in gold-tone hardware, adding a touch of luxury to any outfit. 3. Delicate Gold Jewelry: 14K Gold Teardrop Necklace: This dainty necklace features a simple teardrop pendant on a delicate chain, offering a subtle yet elegant touch to your ensemble. Square-toe pumps from the ’90s or clunky orthopedic-looking shoes can date your entire outfit. While comfort is a must, style doesn’t have to be sacrificed. ✅ Fix It: Invest in modern yet comfortable shoes like pointed-toe flats, sleek loafers, or block-heel ankle boots. A classic white sneaker can also add a youthful edge to casual looks. 1. Pointed-Toe Flats: Vivaia Aria 5° Pointed-Toe Ballet Flats: These flats feature a sleek pointed toe and are made from sustainable materials. They offer a comfortable fit with a cushioned insole and are water-repellent, making them suitable for various weather conditions. 2. Sleek Loafers: Birdies The Starling Loafers: Combining the elegance of a loafer with the comfort of a slipper, these loafers feature a sleek design with a soft quilted insole for added comfort. Quince Italian Leather Loafer is a great alternative. 3. Block Heel Ankle Boots: Dr. Martens 2976 Chelsea Boots: These classic Chelsea boots feature a sturdy block heel and are known for their durability and timeless style. 4. White Sneakers: Vionic Kimmie Slip-On Sneakers: Praised by Oprah Winfrey, these sneakers offer both style and comfort with podiatrist-approved support, making them ideal for everyday wear. 6. Neglecting Your Eyewear Eyeglasses are a necessity for many of us, but outdated frames can instantly add years to your appearance. ✅ Fix It: Swap out old, heavy frames for lighter, more modern styles. Think sleek tortoiseshell, oversized yet refined shapes, or rimless designs that enhance your features instead of overwhelming them. 1. Oversized Shield Sunglasses: Make a bold statement with oversized shield sunglasses, a trend highlighted in Luar’s spring 2025 runway show. These frames offer a futuristic look while providing ample protection. 2. Vintage-Inspired Round Frames: Embrace a retro vibe with round frames reminiscent of the 70s, updated with modern materials and colors. This style offers a playful yet sophisticated touch to any outfit. 3. Cat-Eye Sunglasses: Add a touch of glamour with cat-eye sunglasses, a timeless shape that continues to captivate. Modern iterations feature sleek lines and contemporary details, making them a versatile choice. 4. Sustainable Frames: For the eco-conscious fashionista, consider sunglasses made from recycled or bio-based materials. Brands are increasingly offering stylish options that are both chic and environmentally friendly. 5. Statement Aviators: Aviator sunglasses have been reimagined with bold frames and tinted lenses, offering a fresh take on a classic style. These statement pieces can elevate your look effortlessly. 7. Wearing Too Much or Too Little Makeup Caking on foundation or skipping makeup altogether can both age you in different ways. Thick makeup settles into fine lines, while bare skin can look tired without a little enhancement. ✅ Fix It: Aim for a natural, radiant look. A light-reflecting foundation, a swipe of cream blush, defined brows, and a hydrating lip color can work wonders. 1. Foundation: Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation: This foundation offers a natural finish with buildable coverage, suitable for various skin types. It’s praised for its inclusive shade range and skin-friendly ingredients. 2. Cream Blush: Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder: This cream blush provides a natural, long-lasting flush with a lightweight, blendable formula. It’s designed to blur imperfections and control shine. 3. Brow Gel: Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Brow Gel: This water-based gel sculpts and smooths brows for a brushed-up look. It’s buildable and provides a flexible hold without stiffness. 4. Hydrating Lipstick: Urban Decay Vice Hydrating Lipstick: This lipstick offers rich pigmentation with a hydrating formula, ensuring comfortable wear throughout the day. Available in a variety of shades to suit different preferences. 8. Sticking to One Hairstyle for Decades Your hairstyle should evolve with you! If you’ve had the same cut and color for 20+ years, it may not be the most flattering for your face shape and hair texture anymore. ✅ Fix It: Consider soft layers, volume-enhancing cuts, and subtle highlights to brighten your look. A modern, well-maintained hairstyle makes a world of difference. 9. Ignoring Proper Fit & Proportion Wearing clothes that are either too tight or too loose can be equally unflattering. The wrong proportions—like long tunics over wide-leg pants—can overwhelm your frame. ✅ Fix It: Focus on balance. If you wear wide-leg pants, pair them with a more fitted top. If you love flowy blouses, tuck them into structured trousers or skirts to create shape. 10. Dressing “Too Young” Instead of Youthful There’s a fine line between looking modern and chasing every single trend. Whether it’s the naked dress, crop tops, or low-rise jeans, there are some trends that highlight your age rather than making you look youthful. ✅ Fix It: Instead of dressing for a different decade, focus on timeless pieces with a modern twist. A structured blazer with tailored jeans, a chic midi dress, or classic loafers with a trendy handbag strike the perfect balance between sophisticated and current. The key is subtle updates—incorporating trend-forward accessories or silhouettes without veering into teen territory. 1. Tailored Blazer: Theory Single-Button Blazer: This classic black blazer offers a sleek, tailored fit, making it a versatile addition to any wardrobe. 2. Tailored Jeans: AGOLDE 90’s Pinch Waist High Rise Straight Jeans: These high-rise, straight-leg jeans provide a flattering, tailored silhouette, combining a vintage-inspired look with modern comfort. 3. Chic Midi Dress: Veronica Beard Midi Dress: This elegant midi dress features a timeless and flattering fit, suitable for various occasions. 4. Classic Loafers: G.H. Bass & Co. Whitney Weejuns: These classic penny loafers offer a polished look with timeless appeal, perfect for both casual and formal outfits. 5. Trendy Handbag: Kate Spade Reegan Shoulder Bag: This elegant and minimalist bag is versatile enough for both formal and casual events, adding a contemporary touch to your ensemble. Closing Thoughts Looking youthful isn’t about trying to be younger—it’s about being the best version of yourself today. By making these small adjustments, you’ll feel more confident, polished, and effortlessly chic at any age. Yes, it’s possible to avoid 10 Style Mistakes that Make You Look Older. What’s a style mistake you’ve learned to avoid? Share your thoughts in the comments! About The Author Beth Djalali is the Founder and CEO of Style at a Certain Age. She writes Sundays-Fridays on all topics ranging from fashion, health, wellness, home design and more. She’s 66, 5’8, and size 8. Source link