#and seeing how ferrari doesn't seem to know how to find their way back to consistently winning.......... one fear

[leqclerc]

Deep down I would still really love seeing charles winning in ferrari instead of changing teams, but it doesn't feel like there's any hope honestly.

like, before was "next year is our year" but now even next year already seems doomed

https://twitter.com/FUnoAT/status/1667556319463702533?t=W3fsCNE2itVZqVKqw1AGbg&s=19

Oh no gang 🤐 I remember seeing a tweet or something saying June is likely going to be crunch time at Ferrari when it comes to preparation for 2024. I know Fred's been trying to poach staff where he can, especially engineers, and I know some of them have been released/are due to finish their gardening period soon, but there have also been setbacks, and ultimately I don't think he ended up getting the guys he was after, certainly not all of them. I'm really hoping next year's project is a step in the right direction, but there's no denying they're in a difficult place right now so it could really go either way. With how strong (and most importantly stable) Red Bull's situation looks, with Aston's facilities and upgrade packages, and with Mercedes seemingly starting to steer the ship in the right direction once again, Ferrari are definitely on the back foot.

Also, being in the middle of a little nostalgia fest right now and looking back at content from 2019, particularly the interviews and longer feature docus centered around Charles... a lot of the magic of the time stemmed from the fact that he was so young and on the rise. I mean, his second year in F1 overall and his debut season in Ferrari and he already showed so much promise and talent and determination. I think he was really this injection of new youthful energy into the team, into the Tifosi as a whole (even Seb called this "new beginning" with Charles joining the team one of the best moments of his Ferrari career, which is huge). Up to that point Ferrari had generally banked on established drivers, often champions. And here's a young hotshot who doesn't yet know the taste of winning and has this fervent desire to experience it in red. He had a clear goal in sight and he pursued it relentlessly, even if it meant getting caught up in questionable on-track situations. There was maybe a bit of naivety in that, but also a lot of boldness and tenacity that can only come from being young and wanting to prove yourself. Add to that a dash of his penchant for self-criticism, and you can totally see why the world was so swept up in the rookie Ferrari driver's story, why he became the main subject of character study fics at the time. It was fascinating. Like, sometimes, more than anything, I would just love to be able to go back and experience all of that again, just live in that brief moment in time when it really seemed like the only way is up and things can only get better.

But now we're halfway through 2023. 2019 was, somehow, unbelievably, already four years ago. And the story that was supposed to be filled with success and victories has been marred by misfortune and subpar machinery. Now he's no longer a 21-year old sensation winning in Monza, but just another title-less driver in their 20s trying to do the best with what they've got. His career has pretty much stalled and he's being increasingly criticized more than he's being praised (not that he escaped criticism in 2019-20, far from it, but there's a little bit of leniency to be found when someone's young and starting out, or when they can respond to this criticism with a win because the facilities are there). From being called the "Vettel Slayer" or whatever, to being ranked on par with or even below Carlos. What was once an engrossing clash of young generational talents (Silverstone 2019, anyone?) has become a completely unfair, skewed comparison that is ultimately used to portray Charles in a negative light. So the whole thing has lost its shine a bit, and what started out as a journey full of hope and potential is now increasingly turning into a drawn-out tragicomedy.

And obviously the disappointing, frustrating thing is that it's largely down to circumstance and whatever the hell is going on internally within that team that's preventing them from performing at their best. The stats are bleak, and it's so frustrating to know that the results table on Wikipedia or any other site aren't a genuine reflection of his talent and abilities, but they're ultimately what people remember and choose to base their perception of a driver on. Objectively he's still young and he can still go far, but equally, this sport can be ruthless and cruel and success is hard to reach if the stars don't align. Statistically speaking, he's got about ten years left in his career as a full-time driver, give or take. Fernando's more of an exception than the rule, and there's even less Lewises out there (having his most successful run in his 30s, so in the back half of his career.) Then again, even if the Mercedes stint had completely not worked out for him, he still wouldn't be going home empty-handed, because he was already crowned champion once before he joined. I think that frees you up, mentally and otherwise, to focus on other pursuits. Crossing that threshold and getting your first championship is always the hardest step. The thought of Charles never finding out what that feels like and being left to wonder what could have been is really hard to take. :/

[irisintheafterglow]

smoke his ass! (pro racer!gojo x you)

cw/tags: a lot of swearing lol, established relationship, banter and dialogue driven

note: didn't think this would get too long, but i liked writing this a lot! hope you enjoy :)

likes, reblogs, and replies are always appreciated <3

"that fucker in the ford is going to get smited if he doesn't stop being the ass-est human to ever exist."

"is it smited or smote? smot?" your pit lead shoots you a smirk, absolutely certain of who the 'fucker in the ford' was that was making your driver so infuriated. "i'm not sure smited is a word," suguru whispers through your mic.

"you're gonna be next, suguru geto. burnt to a crisp that would make hell jealous."

"geez, satoru," you mutter, praying that a convenient line of static or the sound of the wheels revving distorted his threats on any live feeds of his pov. "what's got you so worked up?"

"he needs to take me to dinner first before he rides my ass!" the last three words of his declaration blare in your headphones and you wince, already aware of the hearing loss you must experience from being around deafening engines all the time. the engine temperature spikes as satoru flicks the lever up a gear and makes a narrow pass around the second-place porsche. with the ford and the porsche eating his dust, he was able to regain some momentum with such an unexpected maneuver. he's quick to rein in the flare in his temper, though, and he can already predict your protests to pushing the car at an unnecessary time. "i know, i know. that pass was untimely, but i'm mad as hell right now."

"you're about to be madder," you say with no ounce of remorse and automatically tune out the groan of frustration crackling through the line. "i'm pitting you for new wheels and i wanna check your windscreen. that mcclaren crash during lap four probably threw some bad debris your way." his silence speaks volumes, his irritation obvious. yes, the stop may force satoru to work harder on his way back to the podium, but it was necessary to keep him safe for the remainder of the race. his car swerves unceremoniously into the pit lane and suguru's crew make quick work of replacing the tires. you meet his eyes through the window and find them seething, his gloves holding the wheel in a white-knuckle grip. before you could blink, he was zooming away again, adamant on showing the ford driver what the honored one is truly capable of. "you with me, satoru?"

"loud and clear. can i get a 'who's who' on that ford?"

"magic word?"

"i'm in shambles for you," he replies without missing a beat.

"look, you're climbing back to second and he's in fourth, satoru. he doesn't matter-"

"he plays dirty, so he does matter if he keeps trying to flip me into fucking oblivion," he counters and you sigh, defeated. you double-check the roster and see a name you weren't familiar with, someone who must have flown under the radar from the lower circuits.

"fushiguro. fushiguro toji." you watch the ferrari icon next to satoru's name steadily climb the leaderboard as he returns to his spot in third, with the porsche in front of him and the ford on his tail.

"new?"

"to these races, yeah, but it seems that he's dealt with drivers like you before."

"what do you mean, 'drivers like me?'"

"i mean that we've found a more reckless driver than you." the ford cuts a hard left to come parallel with the driver's side, barely missing one of satoru's back wheel wells. "case in point."

"then i think it's time he learned his place," satoru snarls. within seconds, he throws the car into a higher gear and swings wide on the following right turn, accelerating at the peak of his centripetal force and slamming on the gas at the straightaway. "how's that for reckless driving, asshole?"

"take a breath, hotshot," you chuckle and hear him click his tongue in defiance. you're slightly in awe of his move, but you weren't going to tell him that over comms. "you've still got a few more laps to go and you can easily burn out if you're not careful," you remind him but feel in your bones that he's found his way back into his groove, his own little pocket of racing that was created when it was only you on the line, him on the track, and a podium finish in sight.

"stay on the line?"

"i'm not going anywhere, sweetheart." you can hear him smile at the rare slip of affection, something you're very cautious about when you were both in professional settings. while your relationship with satoru was no secret, you tried to keep public reminders to a minimum to avoid overshadowing his racing career. you knew which story the press would choose first between his love life and his titles. "just get back faster."

"i'm trying, but this mercedes is giving me a rough time." you fight the urge to laugh, having seen this sequence play out numerous times in the past. towards the end of races where something threw him off, he tended to lose morale during the last few laps. however, since you became his lead engineer, you've developed the uncanny skill of saying the three magic words to fire him up again.

"you're in a ferrari, gojo satoru," you say. "smoke his ass." like clockwork, the words register in his mind and he finds a new sense of determination, rocketing past the mercedes and over the checkered line for another first-place finish on his shelf. "there you go, there's my speed demon boyfriend," you murmur in his ear when he tugs off his helmet and gloves and holds you close.

"sorry for getting pissy about the ford," he says quietly so that only you can hear it. "i hope i didn't hurt your ears too badly."

"they're still ringing," you joke, "but i'll be fine as long as you aren't arrested for assault on fushiguro toji." a dangerous glint catches in satoru's bright blue eyes, one that makes the corner of your mouth turn down in a scolding frown.

"i'm not doing anything," he sings innocently while you make your way up the stairs to the winners' stage. "not yet, at least. and, for the record, i'm elated that he didn't make podium." before he leaves, he's quick to give you a peck on the cheek that makes your face heat. "and, i love you a lot. i'm gonna go get our trophy now, so wait here."

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[cutielando]

comfort | c.l.

synopsis: in which you comfort him because of Ferrari

my masterlist

Ferrari had done it again.

Yet another failed strategy, yet another shitty race.

You couldn't even keep count of these anymore.  Weekend after weekend, race after race, everything seemed to be going against your boyfriend. 

From failed hydraulics, to bad-times pit stops, to bad strategies, to crashes. You name it, Ferrari did it. You knew how much the team mattered to Charles, but it was getting out of hand and ridiculous.

When it was time for the Brazilian Grand Prix, you had hoped that it would be different this time. That maybe, just maybe, the team wouldn't mess this one up.

But of course, you had been wrong once again.

The hydraulics had failed, leaving your boyfriend out of the race in the Formation Lap.

"Why am I so unlucky?" your heart broke when you heard the broken voice of your boyfriend on the radio.

You could feel, even from just hearing his voice, how hurt and disappointed he was that he found himself, once again, out of the race before he could prove himself.

You waited impatiently for him to get back to the Ferrari garage, knowing he was going to be in a foul mood and you would have to figure out a way to cheer him up and make him feel better about himself and the situation.

Seeing his car being hauled towards the garage and him slowly stomping after it made your heart hurt for him.

The moment he looked up and noticed you waiting for him there, he sped up and crashed into your arms, letting his helmet fall to the ground.

"You're okay, baby. I'm here, it's okay" you whispered in his ear, running your hand through his hair softly.

"Let's go" he mumbled in your ear before he pulled away, took your hand and started leading you to his driver's room.

You followed him in silence, knowing it was best to let him come to you and talk whenever he was ready. Pushing him did nothing but worsen his current state.

After you had made it to his room, he locked the door behind you before collapsing on his couch with his face buried in the pillow, grunting.

You slowly walked up to him and sat down on the edge of the couch, your hands slowly starting to massage his back and his shoulder.

He moaned at the feeling, his hand finding your knee and gently rubbing his hand over it.

As you worked on his back and shoulders, you could feel the tense knots slowly dissipate, his muscled finally starting to relax after hours and hours of soliciting. 

"How are you feeling?" you had asked him after several minutes of silence, your hands now only dragging your nails up and down his back like you knew he liked.

He sighed, leaning into your touch. 

"Like shit" he mumbled, his thick Monegasque accent rippling through.

"I know, baby" you comforted him, continuing to run your hands up and down his back.

"I just don't understand why this keeps happening" he began, turning around on his side so he was facing you. "Every single race, something has to go wrong for me, but never for Carlos. It's always be that's out, always me who has car problems, always me who crashes, me every single time. I'm starting to think they're doing it on purpose" your heart broke hearing him talk like this about the team he had dreamt of being a part of since he was a little child.

"Hey, hey, don't think like that. I know it's incredibly frustrating, and you've had a tough year, but that doesn't mean that things aren't going to get better. You just need to have faith in yourself and in the team" you tried to comfort him, despite knowing that no words could make him feel better about the situation.

He nodded but didn't say anything, just closing his eyes in hopes to escape the world and everything around him.

♡♡♡♡♡

You had hoped it would be different now. The car was looking good, he was flying in qualifying, securing his spot in pole, everything seemed to be going perfectly.

Until it didn't.

Chaos in the garage preparing for a pit stop and a bad strategic decision later, Charles found himself out of the race, once again. 

You couldn't watch the screen where your boyfriend was retiring his car, feeling furious beyond words.

The amount of sweat, tears and pain that Charles had poured into the team, the loyalty he had for Ferrari even when everything proved against the team, and still they failed him every time he needed them.

You stormed out of the garage, making your way to Charles' room where you knew he would appear as soon as he got out of the car.

In times like this, you knew the last thing he wanted was to linger in the garage with his team, angry as he was, not wanting to cause a scene where everyone could see and hear.

True to your word, not even 10 minutes had passed by until the door opened and in came Charles, looking sadder than you had ever seen him.

When his eyes met yours, he couldn't hold in the tears that started running down his cheeks. You pouted and quickly got up, enveloping him in your arms and squeezing him tightly.

Charles hugged you back just as tightly, burying his face in the crook of your neck and letting out sobs that chipped away little bits of your heart at a time. 

You stayed like that for a good 10 minutes, letting him get everything out of his system while kissing every inch of his body that you could reach and whispering sweet reassurances in his ear. 

Once he started calming down and his tears were no longer flowing down his cheeks, he slowly lifted his head from your neck, his beautiful eyes now swollen and red.

"Oh, my sweet love" you whispered, giving him a gentle smile before pecking his lips and cradling his face in your hands.

"I'm sick of this" he said, his voice hoarse and croaky.

"I know, I know" you nodded and brought him in for another hug, making sure he could feel your love and support in his time of need.

Despite being once again disappointed by Ferrari, in that moment, Charles couldn't help but smile a little, knowing that despite everything, he had you by his side.

And you were all he needed.

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[libraryofloveletters]

Always You

Carlos Sainz Jr x Fem!Reader

Warnings: childhood crush, alcohol and the consumption of, carlos is ever so chivalrous, confession of a crush, slightly nervous carlos cause he probably lacks rizz as the kids say these days.

Word Count: 929

Author's Note: childhood crush always fits carlos, you can't tell me otherwise.

--

The infamous Sainz Christmas party. Every year your parents dragged you along and you only went to see one person. Your motives for going haven’t strayed despite growing up. 

The Sainz Christmas Party; every year for as long as you can remember, you'd find yourself in their living room on Christmas evening.

Your parents were friends with the Sainz family, which left you to fend for yourself when you were there. You knew their children, Ana, Blanca and Carlos.

You were closest to Carlos in age, the two of you only being 3 years apart but you never really spoke. It was a hello and how are you as he passed by on his way to his friends.

As much as you hated the whole affair and your parents offered to let you stay home, you didn't.

One person in particular held your attention; Carlos - the same guy who barely gave you the time of day.

Over the years, you became quite fond of him, admiring him from afar. You knew of each other, you were friendly but you weren’t friends or anything like that. You keep up with his career and you two are grown now.

Carlos had recently turned 30 and you were 27 this year - he was at Ferrari and you had found yourself a job as an editor, the exact thing you wanted to do.

Despite your grown age, your parents brought you along to the Sainz Christmas party; not that you minded.

It was well underway at this point, dinner was had and now the drinks and conversation was flowing. You did enjoy it to some degree, Reyes out did herself with the decorations each year. A new theme for a new chapter of their lives, different colours and designs carefully thought out and placed around the massive house.

A habit you developed over the years, as long as you had a glass of something in your hand, people would leave you alone. Your glass was empty and you find your way to refill it before someone pulls you into a conversation you did not want to have.

"Looking for something?" The voice comes from behind you, you hadn't seen anyone in the kitchen when you stepped in but you turned to find Carlos behind you.

"Just some wine."

Carlos nods, picking up the bottle and walking over to you. You half expected him to hand you the bottle and leave but he refills your glass, then his own before setting the bottle down. "Would you like to take a walk with me?" He offers out of the blue.

"Uh, sure."

He gestures for you to step out of the open that was cracked open, leading out into the dark yard. Carlos's hand rests on your lower back gently, as if to guide you - he does exactly that.

Just because you were outside doesn't mean there was an exception to the decorations. The trees were lined with lights, wreaths hung on each door that you passed.

Carlos stops in front of a bench and you take that as your cue to sit. You do, the chill breeze sends a shiver down your spine.

A sip of your wine was taken in hopes of warming you out but there wasn't much hope there.

He seems to notice your shivering, setting his glass down before slipping off his jacket. Carlos carefully slips it over your shoulders.

"You didn't-" "I can't sit by and let you freeze, my mother raised me better than that."

You hum, thanking him quietly as you two drank your wine in silence. It was you that broke the silence; "you were fantastic this year."

"Thank you," he smiles, his cheeks flushed red the tiniest bit but the chilled air and wine to be blamed for that. "I didn't know you watched."

"I try too, I keep up when I'm not busy with work." You tell him, looking around the yard.

Carlos takes that moment to look at you; red dress that suited your complexion and body as if it was made for you and you only, your makeup and hair done to a T - something he always admired about you, all tied together with the black bow that held up half of your hair.

"Y/n," he whispers into the silence.

Glancing at the man, you jut your chin towards him. "Hm?"

"You look beautiful."

Now your cheeks have flushed red and you both know it's not the wine nor the cold wind blowing around the yard. "Thank you." You whispered.

"It's my favourite look, y'know."

Head cocked to the side, you looked over at him. "What is?"

"When you get all red and quiet, it's sweet. You look so.. innocent."

You can't help the giggle, shaking your head. "You almost sound nervous there, Carlos."

"I am," he chuckles, chewing at his bottom lip for a moment.

"No way," you laughed, nudging his shoulder with yours. "You ? Nervous? No way."

Carlos nods, smiling at you. It falls quiet between the two of you, the bells from the cathedral ring, signalling that evening mass was over. His hand rested next to yours on the bench, his pinky brushing against yours. You take the soft touch as a cue to interlock your fingers with his.

He squeezes your hand gently, smiling at you.

"¡Carlos! ¿Dónde estás?" (carlos! where are you?) You can hear Reyes shout from around the corner, her voice carrying through the silence.

Carlos takes that as his cue to head in, his hand still interlocked with yours as he stands. He leans down, his lips pressed to yours for a quick kiss.

Your cheeks are as red as the lipstick that was faint against his lips.

"Feliz Navidad, y/n."

[vividwritinglove]

Hello I have a request, if you don’t mind✨🤍 I hope you like my idea🫶🏼

Carlos x reader trying to have a baby, but after some failure, during the summer break with all of his family in Mallorca they got the big news (baby Carlos is comingg). After a year they come back to the summer house, as a parents, dealing with baby Carlos, with his sister and his mother🤍

I’m very curious to see Carlos as a dad🥹🫶🏼

Omg - I had to do this request! Carlos (in my mind) is the sweetest Dad and so supporting during the pregnancy and the labor.

I wanna give a TRIGGER WARNING on this one, not for pregnancy loss, but for not getting pregnant instantly and the frustration and stress it comes with. You’ve been advised. Hope you enjoy anyways.

————————————————————————

"It will work next time, mi vida." murmurs Carlos against your temple and then presses a loving kiss on the same spot. This gesture passes you by. Dejectedly, you look at the negative pregnancy test you are holding in your hands. It is already the fifth practice cycle and it just won't work. The initial anticipation you and Carlos felt when you decided to have a baby six months ago is almost gone. You know that you have to give yourself and your body time. But on the one hand, you also put yourself under endless pressure, which is absolutely not beneficial to become pregnant.

During the first 3 months you were still relaxed. But when Carlo's sister Blanca happily announced that she was already 12 weeks pregnant and Carlo's parents were so excited about their first grandchild, your inner clock started ticking. Up until that point, no one knew that Carlos and you were trying to get pregnant too and you both decided not to tell anyone. The last thing you wanted to do was to squeeze Blanca's joy with your gloom.

You are happy for her, even for Carlos, who will be the world's best uncle to his niece or nephew. You will never forget the sparkle in his eyes when his sister announced the good news. That's how much you wish you could give him the greatest gift on earth yourself. Even though Carlos would never admit it in front of you, he suffered just like you. But he wants to be strong, for you. To catch you and comfort you if the next test is negative again.

The next cycles come and you are again not pregnant. In the meantime it is getting to your psyche. Everyone around you seems to get pregnant easily or you are confronted with babies in any way. You read out about a different diet, tried true remedies for natural conception and even look up for artificial insemination. You withdraw yourself more and more from the public, accompany Carlos less or not at all on his race weekends and generally don't want to go out or see anyone anymore.

Carlos is worried. Really worried. He's never seen you like this before, and he doesn't want to see you like this. After a hard weekend of racing, he comes home to find you in bed in the darkened bedroom, as you've been doing so often lately.

"Mi amor?"

"Hmm..." you grumble in response without turning to him.

He lies down in bed next to you. For a few minutes you lie next to each other in silence, until Carlos finally breaks his silence.

"I needed you..."

"Carlos, I can't."

He quickly sits up and turns you to face him. You're a little startled by his brash manner and look at him expectantly. Tears start to form in his eyes. Your heart breaks, and only now do you realize that you are not the only one suffering.

His breathing is faster, you feel his frustration. He has so much on his mind right now, your relationship, which should not be ruined by this, and then the pressure to deliver good results at Ferrari. And of course the great desire to become a father himself. You hug each other tightly and cry together. Long, certainly over half an hour, but it’s good for both of you. You finally release a lot of the pressure and negativity that has built up in the two of you over the last few months.

After a while you look around the room, "I hate this room!"

Carlos looks at you questioningly. It wasn't that long ago that you two moved into this new apartment in Madrid.

"I want to remodel it!"

"Whatever makes you happy!" agrees Carlos.

The very next day, your new project begins and it takes in all your time. You order paints for the furniture. You buy new lamps, bedding, pillows, decorations and a comfortable armchair. You don't let anyone help you, you want to design everything on your own to just be distracted and productive. After the bedroom, you also get to work on your office and the guest room. It helps you to find yourself again in the few weeks of renovation. Carlos also notices your positive change of mood, which makes him feel happy.

Your sex life revives. It's no longer a must, just passion. Like it used to be. You let the cycle calendar be a calendar and only pursue your desire and lust. Just switching off your heads. The last races before the summer break you accompany Carlos again on the weekends and the races are going increasingly better for him. He got back on the podium and even managed to take his 2nd race win. This was so enormously important for him and brought him back his necessary self-confidence. It is only incidental to mention that you two have multiple uninhibited and passionate sex that night.

Like every summer, you'll be spending your summer break in Mallorca with Carlo's family. You are looking forward to it, as you love Carlo's family more than anything, but at the same time you are very nervous, as Carlo's sister recently gave birth and will of course take her newborn daughter with her. You are excited to meet her, but it will bring you back to the fact that you are still not pregnant.

You are in the kitchen with Carlo's mother, preparing dinner, when the new little family enters the living area. Reyes immediately drops everything to greet her daughter Blanca and granddaughter joyfully and warmly.

By now, Carlo's family knows about the attempts of you to get pregnant. They also noticed your changes and Carlos finally told his mother about it. Everyone is very understanding, however, you did not want the joy of the newest Sainz family member to be squeezed. Blanca looks at you immediately as her mother takes the little one from her. You smile at her and approach her with open arms. She hugs you gratefully and you congratulate her again on her beautiful daughter.

For the time being, cooking was out of the question. Everyone is enchanted by the sweet little babygirl. She is literally passed around, until it was quiet and everyone looked at you. Only and alone the baby was crying.

"Would you like to hold her?" Blanca asks timidly, hoping not to hurt you.

You swallow hard, but then smile slightly, "I'd love to."

As you take the little girl in your arms, she immediately calms down and stops crying. She fixes your big and bright eyes and you get lost in hers too. You put your index finger in her little hand and she immediately squeezes. At this contact all your dams break and tears run down your cheeks. Carlos puts his arm around your shoulder and leans his head against yours. Carlos' mother also sits down next to you and strokes your back. You quickly calm down and hand the baby back to Carlos' sister.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad." Blanca apologizes to you as she joins you in the kitchen to help you prepare dinner.

"I have to apologize. I just can't control myself lately and I don't know what's wrong with me." you mumble to yourself as you chop the vegetables, "I'm so emotional and I start crying at everything. On top of that I'm so tired and for the past few days my boobs have been hurting so bad."

"Querida." Blanca holds you by the arm, stopping your cutting motion, "When was the last time you had your period?"

You look up from the cutting board and start calculating in your head. You shake your head and reach for your phone,

"According to the calendar, last week. I didn't came though." you say almost in disbelief and look up at Blanca who is already grinning widely and jumping a little on the spot. After the fallout, you've cursed this app and didn’t used it for several months to track your period properly.

"There should be a pregnancy test upstairs in the bathroom," she says, grabbing your arm and together you sprint off to the upstairs bathroom.

The test is found quickly. Fortunately, the test is still durable and you go through the instructions. Even though you have done countless tests before, you were so nervous that only Blanca's presence could calm you down. She lets you do the test alone and gets Carlos in the meantime. There was no way he was going to miss this moment.

"Mi Amor, what's wrong?" asks Carlos in surprise as he enters the bathroom. Your gaze wanders to the sink and now he also recognizes the test. "It still needs 1 more minute." you say, showing him the timer on your phone.

You both sit down on the edge of the bathtub and Carlos reaches for your hand, "If it's not, then..“

"Then we'll just try it again, without pressure and stress!" you finish your sentence and give him a passionate kiss on the mouth, "We can take care of your niece and practice with her first on how to be parents.“

You both smile into another kiss and are interrupted by your timer. You take a deep breath, squeeze Carlo's hand again, put your phone aside and reach for the pregnancy test. And then there they are, 2 bright lines. Carlos looks back and forth between you and the test. You're in a state of shock. He is confused.

"What does that mean?" he asks excitedly and reaches frantically for the package, "What do 2 lines mean? It usually says pregnant or not pregnant!!!"

You cheer and scream and now Carlos also understands that the test result is positive. You fall happily around each other's necks and Blanca also rushes into the bathroom and hugs you both tightly. The commotion upstairs is not hidden from the rest of the family for long. In the meantime, Carlos' younger sister Ana has also arrived and is more or less greeted with the news. Reyes and Carlos Sr. are falling from all clouds and warmly embrace you and their son.

"I can't believe we're going to spend next summer here with two little grandbabies," Reyes says overjoyed, showering you and Carlos with kisses.

1 year later

It’s the morning you arrive on Mallorca at the vacation home of the Sainz family. This time you travel with more luggage than usual. More than half of it, belongs neither to Carlos nor to you, but to your son Antonio, who is currently taking his nap on top of you.

This bundle of joy saw the light of day 3 months ago and has since turned Carlos and your life upside down in a positive sense. He looks just like his dad, thick dark hair and those dark beady eyes. He is the most beautiful human being you have ever seen and are so thankful to be his mommy.

"Can I get you something to drink, querida?" asks Reyes softly as she approaches your cot, gently stroking your son's mop of hair.

You nod and smile gratefully at her, "Let’s get inside. I'm sure he'll be hungry in a minute."

As softly as you say it, this was Antonio's cue. He wanted his milk, and he'd best have it now. As soon as you enter the kitchen to warm the breast milk in the bottle for you, Carlos jogs toward you and takes Antonio from you, "Let me feed him, mamichula!"

Carlos wants to spend every free minute with his son. Especially during the stressful race weekends, he sees him far too less. It makes you so extremely happy to see him like this with Antonio and you are grateful for the greatest partner at your side and the best father of your child. You hand him the bottle and contentedly your son drinks the milk. You sit down next to Carlos on the sofa and rest your head on his shoulder.

"It's so good to be back," you murmur dreamily, kissing his shoulder.

Before Carlos could answer, he is interrupted by his niece, who will celebrates her first birthday tomorrow. The little girl with the brown curls, climbs up the couch and wants to get on your lap to see her little cousin. You pick her up and immediately her eyes are on your son. She puts a hand on the bottle and together they feed Antonio.

[charles-leclerc-official]

I feel like you're the only person on here rn who gets me in my desire for Charles to stay at Ferrari. How can people wish him away :( He IS Ferrari

I agree 100% I find it hard to imagine him at any other team.

But I will add that for people thinking it would be smart for him to move teams, you need to think long term. With the 2026 regulations coming it's becoming clear that you want to either be in a Ferrari or a Mercedes powered car. Red Bull is likely not going to be as strong 2026 and onward(I may be wrong but everything is pointing to a weaker Red Bull in 2026) Leaving just for 2025 would be a very bad move career wise.

A lot of people have been talking about what Charles should do for his career, for his legacy. You think he doesn't know that he likely could have had championships by now if he had gone to a different team at some point? He knows, I assure you he knows. He has spent a lot more time thinking about this, and know more than we do. He knows all this and went through it all and he chose to stay. You can disagree with his choice, but it's his career and his goals.

I do not think that any of what has happened is "leave the team worthy" no one is happy right now, but things will cool down, and things will bounce back.

I think the only way he'd leave would be if Ferrari massively dropped the ball on the 2026 regs and it didn't look like there was going to be a championship car for the rest of his career. He has exit clauses for that very possibility.

The thing about the team right now is that we are undergoing a big restructuring. People think the timer started for a championship fight when he joined in 2019. Unfortunately we lost a lot of time to Binotto. The timer actually started in 2023 when Fred took over. It takes a long time to bring these changes. This is the first year Fred has been in proper control and he is still assembling the team. Cardile leaving was a good sign that things are changing for the better.

I need you all to imagine how it would feel if in the next 5 years Ferrari managed a championship worthy car/team and Charles had left. That isn't really a reality I want to live in, and I don't think he does either. And the thing is that it will become clear sooner than that. If it seems like it's not possible going into 2026, fair enough.

I see a lot of posts talking about what Charles should do, and what they want to see. You can share your opinion, but at the end of the day the only thing that matters is Charles' goals and his choices to move toward those goals.

"I just want Charles to be in a good car": okay, we all want that.

"I don't think Ferrari can give it [a championship car] to him": we will have to see about that, the team is changing a lot on the technical side at the moment. I personally still believe it's possible within the next 5 years.

"I am tired of waiting": I don't know what to tell you, no one is holding a gun to your head to be a fan of a specific driver or team.

"We found out who are the Charles fans and who are the Ferrari fans": You can still be both. And begging Charles to leave for his own good does not really show you support him more than anyone else. And again, our opinions on what he should do don't matter.

"Ferrari have had so much time and still haven't produced a championship car": Again, we are 1 year into a change at the team that is still clearly for the better. I don't know what to tell you, if you don't want to stick around and see if they and Charles can do it no one is forcing you.

"How can you want him to stay at a team that is treating him like this?": I want better and am expecting better from the team on this front. Me wanting Charles to stay at Ferrari does not mean I like/support the way things have been handled for him and that I want them to keep happening.

And you are entitled to your opinion. That is fair enough.

I am trying to be as realistic as I can be. I am not asking you to agree with me or even support Ferrari. This is how I see things right now, and I don't like the current narratives telling people how they should feel. You can feel positively or negatively about the situation, both are understandable. Toxic positivity and toxic negativity are both unpleasant pitfalls. I try my best to avoid both.

No one take this as me defending Ferrari at the moment. I am not happy with the performance of the team and the way things have been handled with Charles. It was not a good look and Fred and the team need to do better.

I say all this to point out that there is more logic to it than just blindly wanting him to stay at Ferrari. People are reacting to a small stretch of time and failing to consider the big picture. The multi-year future.

Driving for Ferrari and attempting the mad goal of a championship with them is Charles' goal. If that changes he'll let us know. But I support him in this completely.

And to the people saying they want him to go to Mclaren, STRAIGHT TO JAIL I BETTER NOT CATCH YOU

[antimonyandthyme]

please tell me 5 hc-s about sebmick bodyguard au

Bodyguard au :(((((

Sebastian introduces himself to Mick by saying I was your father's not out of a misplaced sense of loyalty but genuinely because that's how he sees himself. He's theirs, that's all there is to it. That's the basis of this entire au.

HC 1: Michael recruits Sebastian in a Bruce Wayne/Terry Mcginnis kind of way. Michael catches Sebastian jacking his car; the rims of his Ferrari do be gleaming. In two seconds Michael throws Sebastian (who at this point is still all limbs) to the ground. "Fight me fairly," Sebastian demands in a fit of desperation. "Fairly?" Michael goes. "Alright then, we race."

Michael beats Sebastian. But barely.

Oh, this one's mine.

Anyway, instead of turning Sebastian over to the police, Michael hires him and trains him not necessarily in the ways of a bodyguard but in all manner of life, he makes sure Sebastian keeps his grades up while teaching him how to box and instructs him in the matters of his business. I think it is Sebastian's own decision to fashion himself as the protector, because it's his way of repaying Michael.

HC 2: When Mick is forced into assuming the role as head of the business abruptly, Sebastian decides that he will alleviate Mick's burden in anyway possible, so he oversees Mick's schedule, he sits in meetings with business partners, he cooks (because Mick only ever wants to eat his cooking, it seems), he guards, as he always does, all the while ensuring that his own skills are sharpened like a knife because all the sharks around them are smelling blood in this transitory period.

Anyway, every Friday night Seb boxes with Mark and over the thud of his fists hitting solid mass he finds it easier to haltingly spill that he might be in love with his employer (and in way over his head). He was a street punk. He shouldn't be helping to run the mafia. He most definitely shouldn't be in love with the mafia.

Mark rolls his eyes and asks Sebastian why he chooses to make life difficult for himself. And then delivers an uppercut that clips Sebastian on the chin.

Mick is furious and insists on applying ointment on Sebastian himself.

HC 3: Mick kisses Sebastian first. He's fallen asleep over the numbers he's been poring over for the last few hours, and is shaken awake by a gentle hand on his shoulder. Sebastian's beloved face swims into view.

"I made you tea," Sebastian says softly. "Let's get you to bed—"

Mick grabs Sebastian by the collar and pulls him down into a kiss. He's wanted this for so long. There's the soft gasp from Sebastian that Mick inwardly crows at eliciting and he's wondering how else would Sebastian sound like, if Mick pushed in tenderly—

Sebastian stumbles back. "Mick," he says breathless, "we, we can't."

Except this Mick knows how to take.

"You said you were mine," Mick says. "Didn't you?" And Sebastian can't argue. He kisses back this time.

HC 4: Sebastian gets injured in a shootout protecting Mick. It's an injury that ensures that he will never run as far or jump as high or react as fast in situations where he's required to insert himself in front of a bullet ever again.

Mick's first reaction is to demolish the people responsible and scorch the earth. His second reaction is to fumble over himself when Sebastian is in physical therapy to make tea or cook or do whatever he can to make Sebastian's life easier. His third reaction is to ban Sebastian from accompanying him on dangerous meetings.

That doesn't go down well.

HC 5: Mick and Sebastian spend a torturous six months not talking. Sebastian sits down to pen his resignation letter (because what good is he, if he can't be a shield for the person he cares most about) but he stares at the piece of paper and the fountain pen that Michael gave him ten years ago trembles in his grip. I wish to tender my... and the words fail him.

On the other hand Mick is worrying himself sick wondering where Sebastian is if Sebastian would just come back Mick would let him take any job he wanted, he could stay in their residences with no responsibility attached he could do anything, but Sebastian doesn't call.

There's a business meeting with one of the Schumacher's greatest competitors. Mick crosses his tees and dots his eyes and goes into it not quite nervous, but still unsettled. And with good reason. The buyers have decided to rid themselves of the suppliers, and Mick finds himself in a hail of gunfire, and despite being well guarded there's only so much a human body can do in the wake of bullets. Except there's a sudden explosion that shakes the building's foundation and throws up a column of smoke and even more confusion into the mix.

There's a hand on his elbow and Mick blindly throws a punch and catches someone on his cheek.

"I've taught you well," Sebastian says, massaging his face. Mick knows it'll bruise. He wants to cry. The smoke stinging his eyes makes it easy. "Could you hit me later? When I've gotten you out of here? I promise I'll give you a free swing."

"I'm not going to hit you," Mick says, voice thick. His hand is tight around Sebastian's wrist as Sebastian guides them out of the collapsing building.

"You should," Sebastian says, and Mick doesn't argue because they're out of the rubble and squinting in the sunlight.

[wanderingblindly]

20 questions for fic writers - from the ever incredible @like-pilot-lights!!!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

12! Although I've purged this account multiple times, so god only knows how many there used to be.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

84,147!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently just Formula 1, but my history is... questionable. (Dan and Phil, The Amazing Spiderman, Visual Kei)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? -

Is It Gay to Watch Your Teammate on Tiktok? (Landoscar) - genuinely had no idea this would garner so much interest?????

Middle Child Syndrome (Lestappen) - with love, this fic is the bane of my existence. Pacing whomst? Embarrassing to read tbh.

Rules of Engagement (Lestappen) - domestic fluff, my beloved!

Second Time's the Charm (Lestappen) - idiots in love, my beloved!

All The Stars We Cannot See (Lestappen) - this holds a fond place in my heart

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Always! The neglected youngest child in me craves validation like no other lol. Plus, I like the feeling of community it gives, especially when I see the same people in multiple works ^^

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I am a spineless worm and cannot write angst :)))))

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uhhhhhh I'd say they're all similar? Ish? Love a "getting together" trope, man.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, and I've never seen hate on any F1 fic I've read! Thank god

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No, but -- according to my old fic archives -- FIFTEEN YEAR OLD LIQUID THOUGHT SHE COULD???? WHY????

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't! Though my gf and I have a running joke of a Yuri on Ice!!! x F1 crossover

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No one's had bad enough taste to claim mine as theirs lol

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes!!! It's still on my AO3 lol, but someone translated one of my Amazing Spiderman fics into Mandarin (it haunts me)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? no, although

Not formally, but @like-pilot-lights and I basically spam each other in chat until we find the plot so... she's basically my co-author on everything lmao

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Sebchal was my first F1 love, and therefore will always have a special place in my heart. That said, I think it would be a tie between sebson and sewis? Sebastian is the common denominator, as always, and there's something about... them seeing him grow from red bull to ferrari, the trust and respect? I can't articulate it but god I love them.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

oop the sequel to Second Time's the Charm has been in my drafts for.... ages.... and for some reason just won't come to me. I'll never say I won't finish it though, the idea could hit at any time!

I've also had a lestappen twitch streamer AU in my drafts for ages, but I can't seem to nail down the tone? The characterization, maybe.

16. What are your writing strengths?

If I'm honest, I'm not entirely sure? I don't think I'm consistent enough in my writing to have any strengths. I guess my writing occasionally has a pretty specific style to it, so maybe 'stylizing'? If that's a strength?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I :) cannot :) shut :) up :)

Probably pacing as a result of my obsessive exposition dumping. I also frequently get arrested by the "he wouldn't fucking say that" police tbh.

Oh, and I'm trying to break the habit of writing in a way that sounds good in my very specific mental inflection, which often doesn't translate well when someone else reads it. That's a hard habit to break.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't mind it if it has a thematic purpose, but just for funsies? I don't see the value add

19. First fandom you wrote for?

... Visual Kei ... the GazettE had content on livejournal back in the day

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Although I don't think it's my best fic, I have a soft spot for The Sum of Our Parts (sebchal). It was my second fic in the fandom, and it was the piece where I felt like I found my personal tone.

It was also the moment where I proved to myself that I could write more than one fic, that I could still come up with ideas like when I was younger. It was a very... solidifying experience, if that makes sense?

I'm thankful to that fic, despite all its flaws.

I think everyone I know has been tagged? Throwing a few people out there though, zero stress if you don't wanna do it <333 @felixsaysstuff @jennarations @f1-giuki @lattesqueeze

[wolfiemcwolferson]

psst. trick or treat. hit me with whatever you’ve got.

I will give you another Piarles fic I will never write. This is MCD, but that's because the whole fic is about the afterlife!

Pierre is in F1 and he's 27 and he dies. He's kind of pissed because he wasn't even in the car. He was at some party in some club and the roof caved in and so he shows up in the afterlife and he's fucking pissed about it.

He eventually moves on and he starts to make friends with the other souls. No one really understands what they're doing here. Sometimes people leave, but it's all set up so that when people do move on, the people left in this waiting room don't really remember them. They don't remember the things they told them about their lives before and so everyone assumes that in order to move on, you have to make peace with something that happened in your life.

For Pierre he assumes that it's his death, but then that doesn't work and so he thinks maybe it's that he doesn't have a legacy in motorsports.

That doesn't work and so he's thinking and thinking and he realizes that he's been very stupid and it's likely that he never fully accepted who he was.

He's gay.

But then that doesn't work either and he's getting very frustrated and so he decides to give up.

And that's when this new guy shows up. His name is Charles. He looks vaguely familiar to Pierre, but Pierre can't really place him, and he's also 27.

He's got a boyfriend and a dog and he's devastated by his death and because they're the same age and because Pierre thinks maybe he remembers another person moving on when another soul was brought to their little afterlife town, he is going to befriend him - help him.

That doesn't work.

Charles accepts his death fairly quickly and he is easy. He's funny and he seems very patient and he doesn't seem at all to be in a rush and Pierre finds himself falling for him.

And then the dreams start - or maybe they're visions. Pierre doesn't know.

He sees himself as a child, but Charles is there too.

He is racing in a single seater and he steps out and Charles is with his parents waiting for him.

Charles is having them too.

Pierre with him at his Papa's funeral.

Charles in a red Ferrari suit which he finds very funny because he has never touched a kart in his life, but Pierre asks him one day, "Do you think they mean something?"

"Yes," Charles says, "I think that is the way our lives were meant to be. Perhaps if my parents would have gotten married or if I had spent summers in Monaco like I was meant to or maybe if you had quit racing when your family ran out of money, I do not know, but I think we were meant to be there for each other always."

Pierre starts to cry. "I wish we could have had that in life."

"I think we can. I think if we choose, we can go back and we can have the life we were supposed to have. We can be best friends until you kiss me underneath the Italian sky and we are happy. I think that's how we move on from this place."

And then Charles kisses him and Pierre forgets.

The epilogue is child Pierre Gasly introducing himself to a tiny Charles Leclerc and saying, "You look familiar."

[harrysrealbo]

Chapter 3

word count: 1138

cross posted on wattpad

warnings: badly translated french

4

"But it's not just any orange, Ames; it's papaya. You can't sit with McLaren and keep calling it orange." Lando scrunches his nose, taking in the look on my face. "And don't look at me like it doesn't matter; I swear it does. They're my papayas."

"Right, papaya," I say absentmindedly, my eyes wandering and drinking in every bit of my surroundings as we stand outside his driver's room. Lando's sticky fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling my attention to him. "You okay, Ames?"

I offer a small smile, trying to push away the swirl of conflicting emotions within me. "Yeah, just taking it all in. It's been a while."

Lando nods understandingly, "It's a lot, especially after staying away for so long. But you're doing great. Everyone's thrilled to have you back." Lando grins, giving my wrist a playful squeeze.

His words warm my heart, and I appreciate the reassurance. "Thanks, Lando. It means a lot."

He grins, ruffling my hair in a playful manner. "Now, let's get going. We've got a night to celebrate."

As Lando heads into the driver's room to freshen up, I decide to take a stroll through the paddock. The air is electric with the victory and the celebration that follows. Charles's win is a triumph for Ferrari, and I can't help but feel a sense of pride despite the complexities of our past.

Before I could drift too far into my thoughts, a familiar voice interrupted my reverie. "Amelia, how have you been?"

I turned to find Pierre Gasly, his easy smile and friendly demeanor a comforting presence. "Pierre, I was actually on the way to see Kika" I greeted him warmly, "I've been well, thank you. And congratulations on a great race."

He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "It's been too long, you know? We've all missed you.."

I arched an eyebrow, intrigued by the hint in his words. "Missed me, huh? How could that be?"

Pierre smirked, a playful glint in his eyes. "The energy, the support—it's different when you're not around. Let's just say everyone seems to perform a little better with you here." There's an unspoken acknowledgment of Charles, a glance towards the Ferrari garage, and I can feel the weight of his presence even before I catch his eyes. 

Pierre caught his eye nodding a little as the monégasque man made his wat towards us , he offered an apologetic smile. "I'll grab Kika for you. Give you two some space."

“Oh you ass!” I curse shaking my head watching Pierre slip into the business of the paddock

"Amelia," Charles greets me, his voice carrying a mix of formality and an undercurrent of something more profound he nods “He is a bit of an ass eh?”

"Charles," I respond, nodding curtly “Probably a bigger ass than you in this moment, give me an hour and I’m sure my response won’t be the same.”

“Atleast I am a successful ass.” he tuts stepping closer to me 

"Congratulations," I offer, “Can’t help but to be proud of you for bringing the win home to Monaco. ‘M sure that your family is proud.”

His eyes hold a flicker of something more, a silent acknowledgment of the shared history that has shaped us. "Thank you, Amelia. It means a lot."

"You've been successful too," he remarked, his tone carrying a mix of admiration and nostalgia "Living in Italy, finishing your degree."

"How did you know?"

He shrugged, a casual gesture that didn't quite match the intensity in his eyes. "Lando told me."

"You've been keeping up with me through Lando?" A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I shook my head

He met my gaze, unflinching. "How else was I supposed to? You shut me out."

"You broke my heart, Charles," I said, the words slipping out with a raw honesty that hung in the air. "The only way I was getting over it was getting away from you."

The admission seemed to hang between us, the weight of our shared history pressing down on the present. Charles's jaw tensed, a silent acknowledgment of the pain we had both endured. The pain of that moment, the abrupt end to a ten-year relationship, had etched itself into my soul. He claimed he needed to focus on racing, that it was for the best - he got with my childhood bestfriend not even three months later. Sharing the apartment we shared, the bed we had bought together with the same girl whos mother was at my home with my family more often than I was. I waas devastated and I’d be lying if I said I was okay now. 

He nodded, the tension between us refusing to dissipate. "I just... I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," I replied, my tone sharper than intended. "I've been fine."

Charles reached out, attempting to pull me into a hug, but I instinctively stepped away. The unspoken tension crackled between us, a magnetic pull that defied logic. "Amelia," he murmured, his gaze searching mine for a sign of something he perhaps hoped was still there.

Before the silence could stretch into awkwardness, Pierre returned with Kika. "Found her!" he announced with a cheerful grin.

"Amelia!" Kika exclaimed, pulling me into a warm hug. "They were right! You are the good luck charm."

Charles watched the exchange, his brow furrowed. "Who is they?"

Kika hummed, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Well, you're the one that started it; everyone's just picked it up. Twitter is all over the place about our good luck charm." She laughed, kissing my cheek.

I chuckled, trying to dispel the notion. "I am not a good luck charm; it's just a coincidence."

Charles nodded softly, his gaze steady. "You'll come to the next one then? To show it's just a coincidence."

I glared at him. "I wasn't planning on it."

Lando wrapped his arms around my shoulders, his proximity drawing a sharp look from Charles. "It's the perfect excuse to come, Ames."

Charles's eyes bore into us, a visible annoyance flickering across his features as he watched the two of us. 

"Charles, why don't you join us? We're heading out," Pierre invited, his eyes moving from Lando and I to Charles.

"I think I'll have to take you up on that offer, mate. After all, the first win of the season, and it's my home race." He nodded, his eyes never straying from mine 

Lando grinned. "We'll see you at MK then, man."

I shook my head, feeling annoyed as I cut my eyes at Lando. Mumbling under my breath as I pulled away from the younger boy, "Des conneries, c'est juste des conneries," a mix of frustration and unspoken emotions lingered in the air as I separated from the group, finding solace in the car.

[vro0m]

i'm curious to know which ranking you agree with more, the drivers' or the team principals'? the drivers' is much more aligned with how i would've rated everyone's season. who do you think is more accurate and why? there's a few big discrepancies between the lists. certain biases from the drivers and principals both are definitely coming into play but i'm not sure i can pin down the motives behind those biases.

Hello Anon! Let's talk about the rankings.

I'd like to start by pointing out three questions that came to me when I saw them and that I don't have an answer for but think are worth mentioning :

Is there an actual point to this besides creating headlines off-season?

Why do we have points totals for the TPs ranking and not the drivers' one?

Why are there so many ties in the drivers' ranking and none in the TPs' one?

Now let's take a look at the rankings and also add the WDC standings for reference.

The rankings actually aren't that different. Here's my analysis:

No surprises when it comes to Max and Charles.

Sergio Perez is ranked lower than his WDC result by both groups and especially the drivers. It seems to mean they think he's not actually as good as his car allows him to be, I guess. Must hurt. Carlos Sainz is in a similar situation although the difference is less steep. Still, in both cases, I feel like it shows that TPs and drivers consider them both as second drivers rather than big contenders.

They seem to also agree that Lewis' WDC performance doesn't reflect his actual abilities, but the other way around. That is not surprising. What I find interesting is that the TPs ranked him lower than George. George is very very good, that's not the point, I'm not surprised he's ranked high. Rather I think it reflects the fact that some TPs think Lewis has been lacking motivation (we've read such things during the year) and/or they might think he's past his peak. I think it's also noteworthy that there isn't a big difference between them as with the Ferrari and RBR pairs. It shows that nobody is quite clear on the hierarchy between them, we're all waiting to see how next year will go, performance-wise and relationship-wise.

Ngl, and I mean no shade whatsoever, but Lando has never stood out to me. I guess I should pay more attention as he's ranking quite well in all three standings and I know he's often considered as a future champion or whatever but in all honesty I've not seen it from him just yet. I also genuinely wonder if it would have changed something to his ranking if Daniel had had a better time at McLaren.

Alonso is such an interesting case. However much we like to hate on him, and no matter his lack of result for a good number of years, he's still consistently recognized as an extremely good driver by everybody involved in the sport. It's not a surprise to find him there. It's also interesting that although Seb is also in the rankings, he's rated lower and has not benefited from such consistently high opinions throughout his career. I'm not sure if I agree with that or not.

I was surprised at first that Valtteri did not show up in the drivers' top 10 because he's a very, very good driver, as both the TPs recognize and the WDC shows. At the same time, it's not easy to choose a driver in their top 10 that should not be there to make room for him and he did have a bad time in the second part of the season. I wonder if he’s been rated more severely because of expectations based on his time at Mercedes rather than adjusted expectations now that he’s in a less competitive car. Or maybe I’m biased because I’m currently watching past seasons in which he managed to be very competitive in a Williams lol.

I find it sweet that the drivers ranked Alex so high. I like him a lot, but tbh I wonder if it's really based on his performance this year or if it's also at least in part based on them just being happy for him to be back, because his results weren't great. He finished in the points two times more than his teammate in a bad car, sure, and he was coming back from a year out, sure, but then what about Magnussen, 13th in the WDC with twice as many points as Mick after not one but two years out and no time to train for the season? And didn't Esteban do a good job of outranking his very competitive and revered teammate? I guess it just depends on everybody's criteria.

What are your thoughts about it?

[navs-bhat]

I posted 2,735 times in 2022

That's 1,090 more posts than 2021!

6 posts created (0%)

2,729 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@robiinbuckley

@foreverindreamlandd

@darling-i-read-it

@itstheghostofmypast

@youreobsessedwithtoomanyfandoms

I tagged 42 of my posts in 2022

#marvel - 7 posts

#bucky x reader - 5 posts

#sebastian stan - 5 posts

#mcu - 5 posts

#bucky - 4 posts

#bucky barnes - 4 posts

#marvel fic - 3 posts

#bridgerton - 3 posts

#anthony bridgerton x reader - 3 posts

#anthony bridgerton - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 95 characters

#no offense but literally hes just a man hes not a hero hes just a man who had to sing this song

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

11 notes - Posted May 10, 2022

#4

Okay so I was reading this enemies to lovers bucky barnes one shot and well my phone switched off and I've lost it

So basically it goes like Tony and Steve send the reader and bucky for some time to Tony's winter cabin and well there's not enough food there and one bed and the couch dissapears and the rules are they can't say no

So bucky makes the reader call the pizza place but the reader tells him they'll only do it if he excepts that the last mission was his fault and then since he says that won't ever happen

The reader tells him to call the pizza place

"I want a cheezy pizza with extra cheese"

"Shut up"

Help me find it ahhh

11 notes - Posted February 13, 2022

#3

Student Of The Year Rewatch Thoughts? Idk reallly know what this is yet lmao

I hope this reaches my target audience

Firstly, it's been too long since I've rewatched this I used to watch it whenever it came on tv and I'd find it while surfing

Secondly, I still enjoy this movie I think lmao

Let's see

-okay so to start with the kukkad song

-I never realised that the lyric says " ainu vekhe de munde to kehnde Oh My God" I always thought it was kudiye both times

-kinda gay tbh jk jk

-Abhi is in the wrong tbh like this guy is parking a bike in a car park and then is like who said this is an entitled rich boy's parking LIKE WHY ITS A CAR PARK NOT A BIKE PARK

I STILL DONT KNOW HOW I HADN'T REALISED IT TILL NOW

-then he goes and ruins a beautiful Ferrari😭

-one big question I have is how can Abhi even have thee audacity to get into physical fights with rich boy on what seems to be his first day

-this man is here on a scholarship he can't afford to do all this on his first day bro

-I always loved Siddharth Malhotra more than Varun Dhawan while there were many dying over varun

-I remember the whole thing was just as big as Team Edward or Team Jacob here okay

-Rohan is too mean too Jeet

-ALSO why was even Shanaya still with Rohan like according to her first few lines he definately has a habit of flirting with other girls while he calls her his girlfriend LIKE GIRL YOU COULD DO BETTER

-Rohan's dad and brother are too mean yikes

-no wonder rohan hates his dad the way he does

-why is the dean so weirdly gay its too funny but at the same time CRINGE

-it's sad to see Rishi Kapoor now :(

-all the parents are so weird

-THE WHOLE CONVO ABOUT PUSHUP BRA AND FLIRTY DMS BETWEEN TANYA AND HER MOTHER DBCBFUFBGUEFGHFOIUHKEFJBSJK

-SHE SUGGESTS SURGERY?????!?!?!?!?

-Sumo is so sweet actually

-Dean massaging the coach 😭😭😭

-DID BOMAN IRANI JUST SPANK RISHI KAPOOR IN THE FLASHBACK SCENE WHAT IS HAPPENINGCJNUDKBKJ

-hes so gay its gay

-BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING

-TOO BIG FAT MAN

See the full post

30 notes - Posted May 3, 2022

#2

HI

I lost this fic I was reading

Help

It was basically an Anthony Bridgerton x reader and the first half was just reader chatting with Colin Benedict and Eloise where Colin pulls the readers leg about being unmarried and the reader snips back and takes Eloise's hand

Uh she has a gossipy mother

The reader and Anthony share this passionate look and the reader goes to the lemonade stand to look around and spot Anthony but she doesn't find him instead this other guy I forgot his name shows up and starts talking to her she decides to ask him about his trip to Italy to keep him talking while she ignores him

Eventually Anthony takes her away from tha guy and they are in the garden and he's jealous and she teases him by asking him why he hasn't kissed her yet

AND THATS ALL I READ BEFORE TUMBLR RANDOMLY REFRESHED

SO HELP

40 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Okay so I went to the page cause someone said they missed the book sucking scene and others said thank god its not there

Bur anyway the whole kate having a horseback accident reminds me of this one x reader fanfiction I read here

It was the same basic plot but the reader and Anthony were married and she was going to look for Anthony himself

I'm assuming it was inspired by the books but I love this

60 notes - Posted March 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[formula-1-otp]

Stuck in French

Summary : " Pierre you okay? " Yuki could hear the worry in Charles's voice.

"Charles, it's Yuki, something’s wrong with Pierre, but he won't answer me in English,"

————————————————————————
Pierre gets a migraine Yuki doesn't know what to do so he calls Charles.

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

A/N : Hello! Finally wrote something that doesn't torture Liam or Logan haha! There is some French in this story translations will be in notes at the end!

French is my second language and it’s been a while so please excuse any grammar mistakes! Find me on Archive of our own under Mintaza!

Requests are OPEN

Charles knew the weekend would be a bit rough, but he was ready for the challenge. Charles got out of the Ferrari, pulling off his helmet. He was proud of himself for a decent qualifying time He looked to the chart, trying to find his friend's name.

Pierre was disappointed, qualifying 15th was not ideal, Yuki at least made it to Q2 placing 8th for his start tomorrow. Pierre Signed, he was tired. He knew he had been working too much. The slight throbbing behind his eyes, he knew that wasn't a good sign. Pierre rubbed his eyes.

Charles walked towards the Alpine garage. He was worried about his friend. The lap times Pierre had been running were not normal for the Frenchmen. It didn't take long for Charles to arrive at his destination. Charles saw Pierre from across the garage.

"Bonjour, you okay?” Charles was concerned, as Pierre didn't look too good.

"Oui, je ne me sens pas bien," Pierre replied Pierre couldn't lie to Chares, the monogaste

had that effect on the younger boy.

Charles couldn't help but be worried about his friend.

"That qualifying sucked" Pierre admitted,

Charles would've missed the words spoken had he not been on high alert.

"I know mon ami" Charles knew there was an issue.

"I have to do debrief, I'll see you after,” Pierre didn't want to sit through the meetings. His head was fuzzy. He sat in his garage ready for whatever the team nao to say.

The meeting seemed to drag. Pierre couldn’t focus. He tried to read his engineer's lips to try to make any sense of what they were talking about. Pierre was having a hard time, he couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Pierre, you okay?" Yuki had finished his

debrief, he saw the Frenchman looking dazed.

“Il y a une problème." Pierre didn’t even notice he had slipped into his native tongue. Pierre brought his hands to his head trying to relieve any of his symptoms.

Yuki didn’t know what to do he had never seen his teammate that way, and he was worried.

"Pierre, what's happening?" Yuki was trying to get Pierre to say anything, anything in English.

“Ma tête" Yuki Still wasn’t sure what the older man was saying. Yuki racked his brain, who could he call, Yuki had a lightbulb moment. He didn't have the man’s number he was thinking of.

"Pierre, I need your phone,” Pierre was trying to listen but with his head pounding, his vision blurring, the only word he made at was phone. Pierre reached into his pocket and grabbed the slim device from his pocket he couldn’t see whoever was talking to him.

Yuki was lucky to Know Perre's password, so he started going through the contacts. He has panic scrolling. Yuki finally found the name, he had been looking for. Yuki held the phone to his ear, listening to the ringing.

" Pierre you okay? " Yuki could hear the worry in Charles's voice.

"Charles, it's Yuki, something’s wrong with Pierre, but he won't answer me in English," Yuki was rubbing Pierre’s back trying to comfort the boy.

Charles didn't like what he was hearing.

"Where are you guys ?" Charles, who was in his hotel threw his hoodie on.

" Alpine Garage, please come quick" Charles could hear how worried Yuki was. The monogast jumped into his Ferrari.

It didn’t take long for Charles to arrive back at the paddock. He almost forgot to put his car in park before he was sprinting to the Alpine Garage.

Yuki couldn’t help but feel relieved to see the brunette.

Charles gave Yuki a sad smile, the young Japanese man looked ready to cry. He knelt in front of the Frenchman.

“Pierre?” Charles spoke softly as he wasn’t sure what was going on.

"Pouvez-vous m'entendre?” Charles watched Pierre's head slowly rise from his hands giving a small nod to the man in front of him.

“Qu’est-ce que pass?” Charles was trying to keep his composure but he had never seen Pierre act like this in all their friendship.

"Mal à la tête," Pierre grabbed at his head trying to get any sort of relief.

"Je ne peux pas pas voire." Pierre tried to explain but all he could focus on was the pain exploding behind his eyes.

“Oh Pierre," Charles hugged the Frenchman

and Pierre couldn't stop himself from crying into Charles's chest.

"Je pense que tu a une migraine," Charles hadn't had a lot of migraines in his life but he had had a handful over the years and knew how painful they could be.

Pierre just whimpered in response. Charles tightened his grip on the other man. Charles would never admit that he had had a crush on the Frenchman and seeing Pierre like this broke his heart.

"Voulez-Vous retourner à l'hôtel?" Charles was whispering trying not to cause the other man more pain. He felt the nod of the Frenchman. Charles was brought back to reality seeing Yuki a bit distanced.

" He’ll be okay, Yuki, just a migraine, Thank

you for calling me," the relief was evident on Yuki’s face. They said their goodbyes, and Yuki wished Pierre well before heading out.

Charles managed to get Pierre back to the hotel. Unfortunately, as soon as they entered Pierre's room the Frenchman was Sprinting to the bathroom to empty his stomach contents into the porcelain.

Pierre felt Charles beside him instantly, rubbing his back and giving him some comfort. When Pierre finally felt like he had a few seconds before the next round he slumped back against Charles.

Charles pulled out his phone. Pierre needed meds and Charles wasn't going to leave the other boy anytime soon. He scrolled till he found George's number. He knew the Brit got migraines often so he had to have something to help.

Charles :

Hey George, sorry to bother you but Pierre has a migraine any chance you have anything then that could help

George :

Oh no! Of course, what's his room number I'll bring meds.

Chares gave him the number before focusing back on Pierre, who looked exhausted and couldn't stop emptying his stomach.

It didn't take long for the Brit to bring the meds, Charles thanked George before returning to help Pierre to the bed since he seemed to stop throwing up.

"Here take this, George said it should help," Charles handed the other man the pill and a water bottle. Pierre took it gladly willing to try anything.

“Get some sleep mon ami" Charles thought Pierre was already asleep so he turned to leave when Pierre grabbed his hand making

Charles blush.

"Stay... Please," Charles looked into Pierre's eyes. He could see the desperate look on his face. He must be somewhat back in his right mind, Charles thought realizing the language switch for Pierre.

"Gladly" Charles sat back in the armchair.

"There's room over here," Charles's eyes darted to the Frenchman. He couldn't believe what he just heard.

"A-Are you sure you want me in bed with you?" Charles couldn't help the small stutter, his heart was fluttering in his chest. If he knew Pierre wouldn't worry he would've thrown up right there.

Pierre wasn't sure if it was the fact his brain was exploding in his head or how exhausted he was, but he was word vomiting.

"Please Charlie," Pierre gave the other boy a small smile. Charles smiled before climbing into bed with the Frenchman.

"Now I can sleep," Pierre quietly said cuddling into the montegast. Charles wrapped his arms around the older boy.

"S'endormir je serai ici quand tu te reveille," Charles couldn't help Switching sometimes it it just happened, he figured it would be easier for Pierre to speak in his native tongue.

"Charlie, je t'aime," Charles blushed at Pierre's words. He wasn't expecting that but he couldn't help but not feel too surprised. He felt he and Pierre had been dancing around their feeling for so long, they just needed something to push them together.

"Je t'aime aussi mon amour" Charles kissed

Pierre's hair before closing his eyes to also get some much-needed sleep.

Luckily after a goodnights Sleep and the medicine George had given him, he woke Up Feeling much better. He was even happier to have the love of his life in his bed.

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

French Translations

Bonjour - Hello

Mon ami - my Friend

Il y a une problème - there’s a problem

Ma tête - my head

Pouvez-vous m'entendre - can you hear me

Qu’est-ce que pass - what’s happening

Mal à la tête - head hurts

Je ne peux pas pas voire - I can’t see

Je pense que tu a une migraine - I think you have a migraine

Voulez-Vous retourner à l'hôtel - do you want to go back to the hotel

S'endormir je serai ici quand tu te reveille - go to bed I’ll be here when you wake up

Je t’aime - I love you

Je t’aime aussi mon amour - I love you too my love

[melis-writes]

"Don't leave me" michael

"Don't let me" victoria

🤧

Angst is on the menu for tonight, you guys. 👀😭

Don't Let Me Go.

"I'm tired, Michael." You gaze back at Michael with tear filled eyes, weakly crossing your arms. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I've already had enough heartache for two lifetimes and yet we still find ourselves in the same place every single time."

"I don't see it that way." Michael speaks in a quiet tone, looking back at you in disbelief. "I'm trying, Victoria."

"Trying for what?" Your voice breaks as you gesture around you. "I knew the moment my brother would succeed my father that I would never hear the last of this, and now if it doesn't have something to do with the family business, its to do with your absences getting longer and longer--"

"Victoria--" Michael attempts to cut in but you don't let him.

"Or Senator Geary's new eyecandy who can't keep her hands to herself or last a moment without your attention over her," tears begin to stream down your cheeks. "And before that, it was constant lies, held back half-truths and Rita Duvall, a-and Kay and Apollonia--"

"That's all in our past." Michael interrupts you sharply. "All of it. It means nothing to me, Victoria. You and our family are all that matters to me. Don't you know that? Don't you know me?"

"What are you doing, Michael?" You swallow hard, standing coldly as Michael takes a step to approach you. "I mean really, just what have you been trying to do all these years?"

"What I do, I do for the family." Michael places his hands on your hips. "I never willingly hold anything back from you and I would never lie to you. I know it may have not seemed that way in the past, but I need you to trust me on this Victoria."

"I don't know anymore, Michael." Your bottom lip trembles as you inhale shakily. "You say you do this for the family but we never see each other anymore. My family doesn't even want to see us or the children anymore. We're going in circles and again, don't you see that?"

"What are you trying to say?" Michael's eyes flicker with emotion for what seems like the first time in an eternity. "I'm trying to make this work for us, Victoria, for our family. I'm aware of what happened to us, but I'm not going to give up on us. You're my wife. You're the mother of my children. You know I care about you more than anything."

"But you said this the last time too!" You burst out into sobs, shaking your head. "W-we come back to this every single time, Michael! Again and again--nothing's working!"

"Victoria, I'm trying. I'm trying for you." Michael frowns, taking your hands into his. "My family begins and ends with you. You're the woman I've spent the past ten years married to. All I ask is for you to be patient with me. Give me your trust and your faith and I'll change. I'll make this all go away. I'll change, I will--for us and for the family. I swear I'll make it up to you. I will."

"Michael," you let out a shaky breath--hesitancy growing in your eyes.

You want to believe every word Michael's said to you badly. Your heart aches in your chest and you yearn to be in his arms again, but Michael's empty promises and words sting at you knowing you've felt this exact same way time and time again throughout the past decade.

"Victoria, don't leave me."

"Don't let me." You hiccup through your sobs, knowing it means nothing and that you've come to the end of your marriage regardless.

Your family life is falling apart. Your brothers refuse to see or the children and have completely disregarded you as a Ferrari. Your father disapproves of every business decision you've made with Michael and Vito refused to get involved.

The very ties and bonds that brought you and Michael together in marriage remain broken, and the children are much too used to spending time with just one parent rather than with the entire family.

Holidays are spent with just a few members of the family. Fredo's death hit Carmela and Vito harder than Michael had expected, causing his mother to go into a state of depression and Connie to permanently move out of Nevada with Leonardo.

Kay left a grueling scar on your side from where she attempted and succeeded in taking the growing life inside of you. You miscarried your third child with Michael--a son you would have named Vincent, and life saving surgery proved to be a struggle to conceive again.

Tragedy after tragedy has shaken not only you but the twins. Every decision Michael made has alienated his family around him and caused a rift to grow inbetween the two of you without you both being aware of it until it was too late.

The love you have for Michael is real, tender, and forever, but it's simply not enough. Without trust, without patience, without care, it can mean nothing and do nothing for you and the children.

"Don't look at me like that, Victoria." You can sense unrest in Michael's tone. "I've seen that look in your eyes before. Don't do this."

[safetycar-restart]

hellooooo lemon here!! turns out i still have a lot of thoughts on past d/s seb pitch i think ill even make it two separate asks

so first of all, YES to him leaning into you like he can't help it and getting exhausted really easily after you start scening, but i feel like there is another layer to it. i mean, sure, his body is totally like 'pikachu i choose you' and just drops when he's in your care but his mind isnt necessarily there yet? less in terms of trust, he does get very comfortable in his relationship with you very quickly, but more in terms of how much he actually needs and how much of your time he ends up occupying bc of it.

because, look, he is a very responsible and thoughtful guy. stellar work ethic. has been aggressively self-sufficient (even if not necessarily by choice) to the point of bones cracking for the past several years.

so first off, it would completely blindside him how much care and downtime and just full-on recovery he actually needs, because he wouldnt have a good awareness of it at any point before it is actually safe enough to just drop and stay down. and at first, this is all thats happening: the moment his body recognises you as safe and just goes 'yup great im your problem now' he really is just that--all yours. he is leaning into you, he is seeking you out, he makes a beeline to you every time he sees you in the motorhome even if all he has time for is to say hi and get a very brief hug, he is squeezing everything out of whatever time he can get with you like a man in a desert offered a cup of water.

the thing is, as soon as his needs get at least remotely met, his brains kick back on, and he suddenly has so many problems with his own behaviour, because:

a) his body seems to just give out on him, which is fair, bc it snapped out of survival mode and refuses to be shoved back into it, but is still scary as fuck

b) he is suddenly not self-reliant at all, if something happens and your support gets pulled out from under him he'd just crumble like a house of cards, which is even worse, and

c) yes, your job is to take care of him, but its a job. how much of your 'office hours' does he end up occupying? how much of what's supposed to be your actual downtime? can he be sure he doesn't pull the blanket towards himself so much it affects how much energy you have on lance, who is equally in your care? his relationship with the ferrari dom arent an example, so he has no frame of reference as to how much of your time and energy he can expect to get in a balanced dynamic, and because to him the amount of support he suddenly needs feels overwhelming (in reality, it is quite a bit, but nowhere near actual disaster scale, especially after what he's been through), he becomes convinced he is way to much and you just dont have the heart to tell him to back off. and the last thing he wants is to cause you problems, because you are so, so good to him.

so he starts limiting himself. withdrawing. he doesn't seek you out nearly as often--he is still leaning into you if you happen to be around, he would gladly grab a lunch with you if you offer, he is never late to your sessions despite being late pretty much for everything else, but outside of scening he sort of... disappears.

you do find it odd when it starts to happen, but decide to wait and see how it plays out instead of confronting him right away: you know its important to him to feel competent and independent, so maybe now that he's healed at least a bit he wants to put some distance between you, see how he can fair without your hand-holding him so much. it goes pretty well at first, but then he starts leaving together with lance whenever youd scene with both of them, and that--that is more than just odd.

the problem is, while lance needs his aftercare to be more active (you ruffling his hair, talking to him, that sort of thing), seb needs it long. it doesnt have to be very engaged, he is good simply cuddling up to you and just laying there, he doesnt need too much attention, just some touch and time to feel safe and undisturbed, and maybe a little nap in your lap--because while scening does have huge benefits for him, it is also always intense emotionally if not physically and takes the last crumbs of energy out of him, what with how exhausted he is already.

so when at lance's 'i think im gonna head out' seb starts to jump up and get ready to go too, it sets off all sorts of alarm bells.

you let it slide, once, but when he tries to pull the same shit the next time, even though he is clearly not ready to leave, you tell him to stay. and he is so--he just tenses up, immediately, and looks like he expects you to be mad at him, to punish him, and your heart clenches, because... you just wish he would let you take care of him, but instead he feels broken for needing it in the first place.

and i feel like this is going to be a problem thats gonna arise a few more times, because while he desperately wants to believe that youre ready to and genuinely want to take care of him, he is so unused to being in this position the thought just has trouble sticking

this is a mile long again and i dont really know how to resolve it (do you schedule extra time with him so he doesnt feel like he's crashing on you after hours? do you turn your lunches into hand feeding him? i cant seem to find a good solution :c ) so can i please leave it in your tender care?

- Lemon 💜🍋

Ok everyone strap this is gonna be a long one because every point made here is IMMACULATE and I have so much to say. Lemon has once again outdone themselves holy fuck.

I fully agree that his mind takes a long time to catch up with his body, physically he's napping on your chest and leaning against you and seeking constant support, but mentally? He has no fucking idea where he is.

You can see that of course, so I think there would be a very fein line between helping and hurting and you often struggle to tell. Because, he needs the help and support, that much is clear. But he's also not in the right headspace for a lot of what you're offering?

You want to offer him a safe space, but you need to have some type of engagement with you, some communication so you know what he needs and can help him heal. Because you know he'll never actually heal unless he can engage with what happened to him and what he needs now.

Except if you push him, he might break and stop trusting you. So you really can't be asking too much of him, because the risk of him not trusting you anymore is far too great.

And of course while you're struggling with all of this, Sebastian is going through his own difficulties. He slowly begins to understand what's happening to him, what has happened to him and where he is now.

And yeah, he doesn't take it well.

Firstly, it's absolutely terrifying how Sebastian can't even manage to do things on his own anymore. I think, more than just struggling with the pressures of being a racing driver, he'd struggle even more with being alone?

His worst hours are when he's alone, when he must make his own dinners, do his own workouts, put himself to bed.

And that's why he spends so much time with you? Because when he's with you, you do those things for him. You help him make all his decisions, give him a safe harbour where he doesn't have to think about a single thing.

But the fact that he needs that is fucking terrifying. The fact that he can't put himself to bed... can't choose what to eat... can't do anything besides wait and hope he sees you soon.

I think it would take him a while to have the realisation that this is your job, that you're here because you're being paid.

And I actually think it will be something very small that does it? Maybe he's talking to his assistant about his schedule and she says, "Do you want an extra scene scheduled?" and of course he says yes, so his assistant says, "No problem, I'll let the finance guys know to add an extra scene to your Dom's payments"

That's when he realises. You're being paid to be here. Which he's known the whole time, but hearing it so casually...

He actually nearly breakdowns over that? Because it's never been professional to him. He's never been just a client. But has he... has he been just a client to you?

Which makes him wonder, are you being paid overtime? He thinks of how you always come to his room with him after scenes, how he seeks you out at lunches and dinners, how you call him during off weekends, how he's seeking more, needing more.

Which is when he starts distancing himself, because he thinks he's essentially been asking for too much for too long.

Only... it doesn't go well. He struggles so much. And I also think it would hurt him even more to pull away from you than all the scenes with his old Dom at Ferrari.

Because now, now he's choosing this. He's choosing to move away from the one thing that has helped him.

You notice, of course, but you leave it at first because you know it's important to respect Sebastian's decisions. Sebastian has had his own decisions undermined for so long, and you don't want to do the same.

But you know something is very wrong once he tries to leave after a scene the same time lance does. Because he can't do that. You know he can't do that. He won't be able to function.

Maybe he drops? Goes fully into subdrop? You notice it the next day, from the way he refuses to meet your eyes, can't seem to sit still, can stay focused or calm.

And the moment you get close enough, he just throws himself into your arms and begs for forgiveness. Promising you that he'll never do that again, never be so ungrateful again.

I actually think you might need to punish him for this. Which I know is very counterintuitive because usually you know you can't punish Sebastian or else he'll panic.

But this time, this time you need him to know that he actually has done something wrong.

He didn't trust you. He tried to make decisions about what he needs himself. That isn't his job, that is your job, his job is to be your good boy and do whatever you tell him.

It's not harsh punishment.

You spank him ten times. Making him count each one and comforting him the entire him, promising him it all he forgiven when he reaches ten, that he can forgive himself too, that the two of you will move forward, that you know he'll never do something like this again.

[maxemilianverstappen]

omg your "analysis" of charles' one sided hatred towards max back when they were kids is exactly the impression i had too! like for example this year, when max said in a press conference that they could now laugh about it (the incidents they had etc) and george mentioned that sharl was still not laughing... 😭 im convinced he's still traumatised from the many sleepless nights he had to endure after ruined races while max was probably (most likely) over it after an hour at most lmao

Max's mentality must be like "I prepare fully beforehand, give my all during it, learn from it, and then put it past me. Because I can't change what happened." He accepts the outcomes of stuff quicker and thus saves himself from a load of heartache and headache. He seems like someone who is ready and willing to let past sourness/disappoitments/hard feelings go as long as the other party also looks willing to forgive and forget. This doesn't mean he is any less passionate or hungry for more success. He just knows the moment when shit is out of his hands and puts it aside to look what's before him. Max is what I aspire to be like, but it is a hard mentality to learn/adopt after you grow up as someone like Charles.

Charles on the other hand looks like the type who holds onto grudges, never forgets/forgives past mistakes and possibly reexperiences them with equal emotional reaction when he remembers them. Though he is said to have a very strong mental fortitude, too, I think their strenghts stem from different things. Like, Max's comes from knowing when to let go of shit and Charles' comes from holding onto shit adamantly.

I am no psychologist, but I think Max's approach is more positive on the long run.

Max's general approach to stuff is almost always positive. He steps into situations with good faith and openly. And if he thinks his rage is required, he rages.

Charles is very cautious. He steps into situations on guard and it is so obvious that he restrains himself much more than Max if he finds his rage is provoked.

Their personalities are quite different. Their personalities fit to their teams' images to a t, too.

Ferrari is the aristocrat of the racing scene and expects a certain degree of decorum and tactileness from its drivers to fit in with their "eliteness", while Redbull is like the hot blooded hotshot ruling the streets, wild, fun and spontaneous.

I have been watching how max and Charles are talking about each other in interviews closely and they both look on a different page about their shared past.

Charles has been bringing up how they were both angry at each other, hated each other so much, it is interestingly enough the first thing he mentions. It feels like he is still holding onto those emotions to some extent. But now Max must be finding their karting days rivalry shenanigans hilarious and childish meanwhile acknowledging how the circumstances had made them feel like that during those years.

Look, you can see the way Max is much more ready to get on well with people from his recent comments about Lewis, too. He said he had no hard feelings about his Silverstone accident, that he has no problems with him. He asked about his back, he tried to boost his morale about Mercedes' struggles... That boy is a very good egg.

I am on the fence about his relationship with Charles even though I like their shipping scene a lot. Max loses quite gracefully and has always looked genuinely happy for Charles, always approached him, always initiating their talks. I want to see the reverse of this situation, too, but I doubt it. And it is okay, I am just ONE person out of the whole fandom who is seeing them like this possibly. That's why I'm not writing fics for them, because i think I'm alone in my personal headcanons about them.