#german gp 2007

[vintagef1]

nürburgring // july 22, 2007

[4lonso]

bmw seb is actually so important to me so full of hope with high aspirations

[sebnameyourcar]

wait would you u want to explain the context of multi 21?

MULTI-21: A HISTORY LESSON

MODERN ASSUMPTIONS:

it has been over a decade since the 2013 malaysian grand prix. as the years have gone on, people have forgotten, or smoothed out, the minutiae of it.

when people talk about multi-21 nowadays, it tends to fall under three headings:

• evil supervillain seb was addicted to winning and didn’t care about his team. selfish emotionless robot. got booed for a year and deserved it

• cunty brat seb was a disobedient child and refused to listen to his team and faced no consequences ever because he was red bulls special little boytoy

• poor mark webber was betrayed by his team as he had been for five years. the win was his and seb stole it

but of course, nothing is ever so simple

BACKGROUND

by 2013, sebastian and mark had been teammates for 5 years, and part of the extended red bull “family” for 7.

when they became teammates in 2009, mark was the older, more experienced head. seb was the young wunderkind who already had a race win under his belt, more than mark had.

(ironically, mark won his first race in germany in 2009. seb wouldn’t win his home GP until 2013. seb has since called mark’s 2009 german gp win as one of the most impressive drives he’s ever seen.)

anyway. let’s go back in time. it’s japan. it’s 2007. and it is raining. it’s lap 45, under the safety car after alonso crashed out. the rain is TORRENTIAL, and mark (red bull) is running in 2nd. he’s so sick that he’s vomiting in his helmet. seb (toro rosso baby. 20 years old) was 3rd. hamilton was leading, and braked quite dangerously. seb was caught out by this, and crashed into the back of mark. both of them had been running in the podium places, and both had to retire. mark called seb a kid without experience fucking it up. seb cried in his garage. this is the first time they crash. mark later referred to it as the first time they made love on track because he’s a freak

fast forward to turkey 2010. they are teammates now, and have been for over a year. fuji 2007 had largely been forgotten. water under the bridge. they are fighting for the championship against ferrari and mclaren. mark got pole, but around lap 40 seb had caught up to him as mark had to save fuel. they “merged towards each other” (generous). mark didn’t give seb enough space, seb was too over-eager. people will have different opinions. unless you’re helmut marko, who will always back seb, since seb is a product of the red bull academy whereas mark wasn’t. mark went on to finish on the podium, seb had to retire. seb was PISSED! (sexy). this is seen as the start of the “rivalry” by many.

britain 2010. aka the mark-webber-slams-water-on-desk moment. seb was given the new front wing from marks car for qualifying because he was a better qualifier because his had broken in fp3. he would ultimately get a puncture in the race, whilst webber with the old wing came first, and graced us with the “not bad for a no.2 driver” radio message.

so, where are we by summer 2010 and spring 2011? fuji was no one’s fault really, turkey was six of one half a dozen of the other, but mark felt the team favoured seb. britain made that feeling CONCRETE in marks mind. then seb won the title in 2010 after not leading until the final race of the season. in the press conference before abu dhabi 2010, seb kept getting asked if he’d let mark past it if would win mark the championship, and he kept evading the answer. see, mark had been ahead in the championship, but he qualified 7th while seb got pole and won. so, come 2011, webber was convinced the team favoured seb. however, seb was by far and away the better driver.

so. britain 2011. an underrated moment of the vettel webber rivalry. mark qualified on pole, with seb p2. seb quickly took the lead in the race. later on in the race after some botched pit stops and drama, mark was close to seb. red bull told mark NOT to pass seb.

mark ignored this team order. he tried to pass his teammate, but ultimately failed to do so. it’s often forgetting in vettel/webber rivalry lore that mark was the first of them to ignore a direct team order. the difference was he just wasn’t able to make the overtake. here are two interesting quotes from just after the race:

and now. brazil 2012. another forgotten multi-21 backstory. it was the last race of the season, and seb was fighting for his third straight championship, only alonso could possibly beat him. mark qualified 3rd, seb 4th, and alonso 8th. seb had a rocky start to the race, which resulted in him being hit from the back & spun around. he pulled off the mother of all recovery drives to win the championship. alls well that ends well right? wrong. horner admitted a few years ago that seb felt that mark was to blame for the rocky start by forcing seb into the wall. horner even went as far as to say that this lack of teamwork was directly in sebs mind when malaysia 2013 came around. that that was seb’s revenge.

conspiracy theorists will say that mark forced seb towards the wall because he wanted his mate alonso to win the championship over his teammate. definitely possible but not confirmed.

so. here we are. malaysia 2013. it’s been 5 years of crashes, ignored team orders (mark), favouritism (seb) and finally an almost championship-ruining shove towards a wall.

seb qualified on pole, mark 5th. but mark took the lead after the first round of pitstops. around lap 46, seb was gaining on mark, who was on old hard tyres. team orders came through for seb not to fight mark. multi 21 literally means that car no 2 should stay in position ahead of car no 1. just as mark ignored team orders in britain 2011, seb ignored them here. the only difference was seb actually got past. mark was furious (“yep that’s good teamwork!”) seb, a bad liar, was hilarious (“i was really scared… all of a sudden he was moving… i had to…”) horner was regretting most of his life choices (“this is silly seb come on.”)

seb won the race. the most awkward of all cool down rooms ensued (“multi 21 seb. yeah? multi 21”) seb chugged an entire bottle of water. poor lewis hamilton just trying to disappear into thin air. underrated moment is you can see a clip of seb trying to explain something to mark and neither of them are having a good time. on the podium interviews after mark said “seb will have protection from the team as always” - harkening back to his long-felt belief that the team favoured seb, yet ignoring his own history of ignoring team orders, and ignoring brazil 2012.

seb would later apologise.

…

three days later seb would rescind that apology.

(“i was racing i was faster i passed him i won.”)

at this stage, seb had been the dominant driver for four years running and some crowds had grown annoyed at him, so used this as an excuse to boo him at basically every race for the summer swing of the season. seb spoke at the end of 2013 about how hard this was for him, and how he was thankful for the support of his family and girlfriend during the hard times. it’s important to remember that seb was only in his mid 20s when all this booing and controversy was happening. it’s a lot to shoulder, especially when you’re only doing what you’ve always done, what you’re being paid to do: winning.

mark would retire at the end of the 2013 season, though apparently he had already made up his mind before malaysia.

seb would stay at red bull for one more year before moving to ferrari.

when asked in 2022, seb said he wouldn’t change what he did in malaysia 2013. and in my opinion, he’s right.

unlike the mclaren clusterfuck of hungary 24, there was YEARS of history between vettel and webber before multi-21. grudges, crashes, hurts, pride, friendship, rivalry, championships lost and won. this was the cumulation of their entire careers to date, all of their mistakes and their motivations for better or for worse.

basically, it was never so simple as “seb ignored team orders because he was an arrogant brat” or “poor mark the team never liked him” it’s… well it’s all of the above. cheers for reading. fuck me i went on a bit

[heartysworld]

The Red Race Suit || Sebastian Vettel x Reader

Request: Let's say Mick actually managed to stay in F1 and is actually winning GPs (in a perfect universe) and this time he got P1 and Seb is P2 and during the press conference after the race a reporter asks Seb how he feels about someone else "stealing" P1 from him and instead of talking about that Seb says how he's proud of Mick for achieving such success and stuff like that! I'll leave the rest to you!

A/N: To whoever requested this, I hope your pillow is cold on both sides as that's the cutest thing I've ever written! The feelings were all over the place! I hope you enjoy this one and if you guys have any more requests feel free to send them in💝

You watched from the Ferrari garage as the post race conference was about to begin, your husband being there as well as he got P2 at his home race. On your lap sat your 3 year old son who excitedly bounced his arms as his big blue eyes registered his father's Ferrari red race suit.

"Dada!"

"Yes, my little love that's daddy there on the big screen." You said as you kissed his chubby rosy cheeks while the little boy in your arms let out an excited squeal.

"Following a spectacular FIA Formula 1 German Grand Prix we are joined by Max Verstappen in third place , Sebastian Vettel in second and our winner Mick Schumacher. Good job Mick, another spectacular race added to the long list of wins. How does it feel to get P1 once again, following your father's footsteps?" One of the many interviewers behind the camera asked.

"Yes, thank you. Of course it's very rewarding to see all of you hard work pay off. This was a hard race, the weather conditions were quite concerning at some point. To be able to go through with the whole race and get P1 is always an amazing feeling. I can only hope my family is proud and watching, I know my sister is somewhere here today." Mick said, a small smile gracing his lips as he thought about his big sister witnessing yet another of his wins.

"And Sebastian, what's the feeling of losing grasp of P1 during the last two laps? Surely that's something to talk about. Nobody expected such turn of events during the last few minutes of your home race!" The next question was addressed to Seb. Your husband smiled before answering.

" If it was any other situation I wouldn't be the happiest man out there. However, I couldn't be more proud of Mick here, seeing him achieve something he's worked so hard for. He's the godfather of my son, he's family at this point, probably the only one whom I don't mind being P1 instead of me." Sebastian asked, his answer making everyone in the room laugh.

There is not a person out there who's not aware of the bond between the two. Seb was to Mick was his father was for the once young an energetic Toro Rosso rookie in 2007.

When you found out you were pregnant with your first child three years ago, one of the first things your husband asked of you was to allow him to make Mick the godfather of your baby. Even though the Schumacher boy was just seventeen years old back then you didn't need to be asked twice if you agreed with your husband. You loved both Seb and Mick,and seeing them happy could only make your life better.

Your husband wasted no time finding you after all the interviews were over. By that time you and your son had moved to his motorhome as the little one had started to get cranky, demanding his naptime. The moment Seb saw his son's squished cheeks against the soft pillows a bright smile graced his face.

"Hey there, champion" you stood up from your spot on the bed beside your son, wasting no time in finding the comfort of your husband's embrace, nuzzling your face in his chest. "you need a shower, schatz, as soon as possible." You murmured against his chest. Your words were followed by a low laugh from your husband, careful not to wake up the sleeping toddler.

"Let me enjoy this moment a few more seconds, liebling. I don't get to have my wife and son at a race every other week." Sebastian said before placing a gentle kiss on your forehead.

"Hmm, that is correct. Our little man was so excited to see his papa in the red racing suit. The moment he recognized you he got so excited. I wouldn't change this for world of me." You said as your mind went back to an hour ago.

"Neither could I, liebling. Having you here makes me even more agitated to win." You husband answered, one of his hands coming up to your face and making you look up at him before kissing your lips softly.

" The second place today says otherwise." You laugh as you watch his eyes crinkle as he laughs at your sarcasm while his hands come to press you even tighter to his body.

" Don't be mean, my love. As long as it's Mick or our son in 1st place one day I don't mind." Seb said smiling at the thought of his son following his footsteps one day.

"You're going to make go through the same stress levels with our son as the ones I'm dealing with right now as I watch you race? How thoughtful of you, Seb." You exclaimed whole your husband laughed at you.

"Don't worry, liebling. I'm going to give you more children who will take your mind off such things." You husband leaned closed, mumbling against your lips as he smiled before giving you a deeper kiss.

"Hmm, I'll have to think about this. Win me another world champion title and we might get to work on your request."

"You know better than to test what I'm capable of, darling. When I want something I achieve it. And when I do, I don't apologize for winning. So he careful what you wish for."

Reblogs and likes are deeply appreciated! 💝

[fortheloveofaussiegrit]

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

Sebastian Vettel 

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

Oscar Piastri

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

Mitch Evans

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

Daniel Ricciardo

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

 

Fernando Alonso

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

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

Lewis Hamilton

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

Nico Rosberg

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

Max Verstappen

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

Felipe Massa 

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

Brendon Hartley 

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

Jenson Button

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

[starafar]

The Schumacher Dragon: Michael

In August 2009, when Michael was working towards a comeback, it was reported in a Chinese newspaper that he had ordered 3 "Chinese style" helmets. The article reported that Michael had said, "When I first went to China, a newspaper drew a dragon as my symbol." Later that year, he also spoke about this helmet in the lead up to ROC, which was held in Beijing that year.

However, the first glimpse of the dragon logo appears to have been in July 2004. At the German GP, Michael was seen with a temporary tattoo on his right forearm with the logo.

He would win the 2004 WDC two races later, at Spa. Following that at the Italian GP in Monza, the dragon would appear as a logo for the first time, on the back of his baseball cap.

The week after that marked the occasion of the first Chinese GP in Shanghai. It was here that the dragon logo would appear on his helmet for the first time. It appeared on the top of the helmet, temporarily replacing his seven stars, as well as on either side of the helmet.

This initial iteration of the dragon logo had, in addition to the large “力”, the character for “strength”, four characters - "迈舒马赫", which roughly translates to "Mike Schumacher". This would later be removed.

The dragon would not be seen on his helmet throughout 2005, but Michael continued using it on his personal merchandise. It featured both on the back of his cap, and also on his drivers shoes.

This continued into 2006, where it again featured on his caps.

However, Michael also opted to subtly incorporate the dragon back into his helmet design for 2006. This new design featured two large dragons, as well as the names of his family in Chinese (Mick “米克” and Michael “米克尔” on the right, and Gina “吉娜” and Corinna “科琳娜” on the left).

A special version of this helmet was commissioned for his final race for Ferrari, and to mark his first retirement, this time with the dragon and his family’s names featured in gold. It also included a list of his race victories around the top of the helmet.

During his retirement in 2007-2008, Michael was still frequently seen around the track in his new capacity as an adviser to Ferrari. He continued featuring the dragon as part of his personal branding.

Michael also tested for Ferrari during both seasons to help with development. During at least one of these testing sessions, Ferrari had it placed on the engine cover.

As mentioned earlier, Michael was planning a return to F1 in 2009 to replace the injured Felipe Massa, though that was ultimately called off due to a neck injury suffered earlier that year. However, pictures from when he was karting in August 2009 showed the “Chinese style” helmet he had planned to use. It was very similar to the helmet design he last used in 2006, but with details in white instead.

Michael made a return to F1 with Mercedes, driving with them from 2010 to 2012. He used pretty much the same helmet design throughout this time, with 2010 featuring the more subtle red version of the helmet:

And 2011 featuring more or less the same design in silver:

2011 was also Michael’s 20th year in F1. For this, a specially designed gold-plated helmet was commissioned and used at the Belgian GP.

He returned to the silver dragon for the rest of his time in F1, with the exception of one more custom helmet made to commemorate his 300th F1 race at the Belgian GP in 2012:

Michael also continued to feature the dragon on both his shoes and gloves, seen here in 2010 and 2011:

You’ll notice that for a brief period of time, Michael went back to the original iteration of the logo featuring the additional four Chinese characters, "迈舒马赫", translating to his name.

Although Michael retired at the end of the 2012 season, that was not yet the end of the dragon in motorsport. Michael used it one last time on his race suit at the Race of Champions in 2012, which he and Sebastian Vettel won for Team Germany.

Apparently a post is limited to 30 images, so on to Part 2: Mick!

Part 1: Michael | Part 2: Mick

[bikefuckersoftheworldunite]

re: this post by @batsplat

so apart from being the main ducati sponsor, alice also was the main sponsor for several gps from 2005 to 2009. and in the interest of 👁 imagery here are the trophies at alice sponsored gps over the years.

2009: that’s definitely an eye alright!

Mugello 2009

Assen 2009

German GP 2009:

2008: no eye trophies that year. alice ones looked like a chupa-chup :((

2007 and 2006: this alice trophy strongly reminds me of sauron’s tower sgfhhjk. but hey that’s still an eye there!

2005 is the most in your face about it tho.since they just used the logo as is. like come on!!!

[alianoralacanta]

Names (Same First Name and Team-Mate) (22-08-2007)

Context: My last post was weighty and serious. This one was not. Someone asked in a forum (I think it was the F1 Rejects forum, but sadly it no longer exists to check) if anyone had been in the same team as someone with the same first name. It turns out that not only did this happen, but 8 different names and 17 drivers have experienced this situation in the 74 years F1 has been a championship. F1 Reject status was accorded by the F1 Rejects website to any racing driver who had competed in F1 without scoring at least 3 points on the 1960-2003 systems. In other words, F1 drivers who had never scored 4th place (or higher), and either scored a single 5th place but never 6th, or scored two sixth places but never anything higher. The site did profiles of such drivers' careers and considered giving them credit for their achievements to be part of its purpose. Drivers on today's grid who qualify for F1 Reject status as of the eve of the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix (if any of them finishes in the top 4, or Yuki finishes 5th, please feel free to laugh at my presumption): - Logan Sargeant (highest position in F1 - 10th) - Zhou Guanyu (highest position in F1 - 8th) - Oliver Bearman (highest position in F1 - 7th) - Yuki Tsunoda (highest position in F1 - 1 x 6th place) We may have to wait a while for the first F1 team with two Alianoras, or even one :D

André *492 Milhoux, André 1 1956 *561 Pilette, André 14 1951, 1953 - 1954, 1956, 1961, 1963 - 1964

Andrés Milhoux (Bressoux, Belgium) and Pilette (Paris, France) shared a Gordini T32 at the 1956 German GP. They qualified in 21st position, but retired from the race. It was André Milhoux's only race, thereby qualifying him for F1 Reject status. André Pillete was somewhat more successful, competing in 14 races between 1951 and 1954. He secured a 5th place and three 6th places. That said, he did also fail to qualify four times, so he had his ups and downs as well.

David *509 Murray, David 5 1950 - 1952 *327 Hampshire, David 2 1950

Davids Hampshire (Mickleover, England - 27 miles from my house!) and Murray (British) were team-mates at Scuderia Ambrosiana for one race at the British GP in 1950. David Hampshire was 9th, 6 laps behind the winner (he qualified 16th). David Murray had an engine failure on lap 44 after qualifying 18th. David Hampshire only did one other race, which ended in a DNF. David Murray had a five-race career where he finished precisely 0 races. Both are eligible for F1 Reject status.

Jack *97 Brabham, Jack 128 1955 - 1970 *235 Fairman, Jack 13 1953, 1955 - 1961

Jacks Brabham (Hurstville, Australia) and Fairman (Surrey, Britain) were team-mates at the 1958 Moroccan GP. Jack Brabham became the first person to get two 19th qualifying places in a season, and then trailed to 11th at the finish. Jack Fairman came 11th in qualifying and 8th in the race. Neither is eligible for F1 Reject status.

Jo *87 Bonnier, Jo 108 1956 - 1971 *669 Siffert, Jo 100 1962 - 1971

Jos Bonnier (Djurgеrden, Sweden) and Siffert (Fribourg, Switzerland) did 12 races together in 1964 and 1965 for the RRC Walker Racing Team. Neither are candidates for F1 Rejectdom.

Ken *211 Downing, Ken 2 1952 *477 McAlpine, Ken 7 1952 - 1953, 1955

Kens Downing (Chesterton, England) and McAlpine (Cobham, England) were in the Connaught team for the 1952 British GP. Ken Downing qualified in 5th, McAlpine in a more modest 17th. Ken Downing then fell down the order to finish 9th. That said, Ken McAlpine finished 16th, 6 laps behind the winner and 3 laps behind his namesake team-mate. Astonishingly, Downing only got one more race (from which he retired), yet McAlpine had a seven-race career. Both qualify for F1 Reject status.

Louis *148 Chiron, Louis 19 1950 - 1951, 1953, 1955 - 1956, 1958 *617 Rosier, Louis 38 1950 - 1956

Louis Chiron (Monte Carlo, Monaco) and Rosier (Chapdes-Beaufort, France) did six races as team-mates at Talbot in 1951. Neither qualify for F1 Reject status.

Luigi *510 Musso, Luigi 25 1953 - 1958 *746 Villoresi, Luigi 33 1950 - 1956

Luigis Musso (Rome, Italy) and Villoresi (Milan, Italy) were team-mates for one race in the 1954 Italian GP for Maserati. Luigi Villoresi celebrated his 25th race entry by qualifying 6th - Musso was back in 14th. Neither finished the race. Neither qualify for F1 Reject status.

*563 Piotti, Luigi 9 1955 - 1958

Luigi Villoresi then went on to share a car with Luigi Piotti (Milan, Italy) in the 1956 German GP (this was the same race as the two Andrés shared a car). This race ended in engine failure. Luigi Piotti is eligible for F1 Reject status. This is the only race where two drivers from the same city and the same first name shared a car.

Stefan *60 Bellof, Stefan 22 1984 - 1985 *376 Johansson, Stefan 103 1980, 1983 - 1991

Stefans Johansson (Vaxjo, Sweden) and Bellof (Giessen, Germany) were team-mates at Tyrrell for three races in 1984 (the British, German and Austrian GPs). Neither could be classified as F1 Rejects.

[goatseb]

Hi there, quick question for you.

What would you say were Sebastian's best races? Doesn't matter if he won or not but what would you say were his best and showed who he is as a driver the most and you'd recommend them to someone who is just now looking into him?

Hello, this is such an interesting ask!! He's won so many, I feel like a lot of his other incredible races aren't acknowledged as much, so!

2007 Chinese gp - a masterclass from him in a toro rosso

2008 Monaco gp - overtaking on a track where it's basically impossible to overtake

2008 Italian gp - the best race ever actually

2009 Chinese gp - everyone else struggling in the rain (similar to italy 2008)

2012 Abu Dhabi gp - overtaking in places where it shouldn't be possible

2012 Brazilian gp - my personal favourite

2019 German gp - basically everyone struggling except for him

In order to not make this to long, some other impressive ones are Singapore 2013, Canada 2015, Singapore 2016, Malaysia 2017, Azerbaijan 2021. Also despite this last year not being great, I also want to point out the 2022 Japanese and US gp . Incredible overtakes, and dragging that car places it shouldn't be.

If you want to see him win though, then watch any race from 2013 basically

[charlenasaxen]

Favorite Quotes - Total Competition by Ross Brawn

“come up against the powerful new Ferrari organization which includes Michael Schumacher and a new technical team led by Brawn”

“theoretically that, at that speed, they could drive along upside down and stick to the ceiling”

“an F1 driver who lifts his foot off the throttle will decelerate as quickly as a Porsche 911 driver doing an emergency brake”

“If anyone can claim to have created and mastered ‘Total Formula One’, it is Ross Brawn”

“Imagine if you are the fifth fastest runner in the world and someone comes up with the idea of cloning Usain Bolt a few times”

“the first race win for Williams since 2004 and coinciding with Frank Williams’ 70th birthday.”

“then at Benetton in the mid-1990s, Ferrari through the early 2000s and finally with his own team, Brawn GP, in 2009. So, Ross has won 24 Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles”

“sure enough, the team he put together has been untouchable since”

“With the notable exception of Adrian Newey, other technical directors and Team Principals have not been able to keep up as well”

“I thought I would do a year in motor racing and see how it goes.”

“and I said, ‘Well, it’s more professional than putting the ratios in wrong.”

“It was a great year, Monaco, Austria, Monza, plus the British championship. It was pretty busy”

“we got married in that year. She came to some of the races. Great fun.”

“I went back, saw Jean and calmed down and then ended up staying for seven years.”

“A Not bad. Has anyone done better?

R I don’t know. I never added them up.”

“rode a horse and cart through the rules and came up with a car that was three or four seconds quicker”

“In ’91 we’d been very aware of this hot little German driver who we were battling with”

“he was the only one who ever gave us any trouble. So Tom and I knew Michael Schumacher very well.”

“because Michael was our boy.”

“We had this complete commitment to Michael winning the championship. We considered him to be our best opportunity and that proved to be the case.”

“Luca, Ross’s poodle, who is of course named after Luca di Montezemolo”

“Michael was extremely well rewarded because he was the best at what he did, but I’m convinced he would have done it for a fraction of what he was being paid”

“I remember when Jos Verstappen, Max’s dad, was the hot number in Formula One”

“We told Flavio that we were not going to accept his deal. So Flavio backed off and we went into battle”

“Michael had a blind spot, he was so competitive he didn’t see things the way you or I would”

“And I said, ‘Calm down Michael and have a look at the TV.’ And he calmed down and had a look”

“If you were racing Michael Schumacher, you knew you’ve got no quarter. If he saw a gap, if you left an inch, he would take a foot”

“And he said, ‘No, it wasn’t too close because he got through.”

“’95 was the year Michael announced he was leaving. That was a pretty bitter blow to me. I had been very close to Michael”

“I didn’t speak to Tom for quite a long time after that. It wasn’t until he was very ill, before he died”

“they had had some quality issues so they had taken the head of quality control from Fiat and put him in”

“We really established what could be done with a Formula One car. We had, I think, 53 consecutive podiums.”

“Years ago, if Ferrari won, I would be out on the town, celebrating with my friends. Now you’ve made it normal.”

“For five years we won every race and it was predictable”

“Michael charged up the field, because he was so much faster than anyone else…he set off from the pits, and unlapped himself from everyone, and he finished fourth”

“they included the 2007 car, because they said very graciously that it was mine.”

“our mindset was not to have much sympathy when the perpetrators of the one-race tyre had a problem”

“There are three religions in Italy, of which football and Ferrari are two”

“When I went back in 2014, Luca put on a royal tour for all my friends. There were tears flowing and fabulous memories.”

“And I said, ‘Richard, our relationship has just taken a step back.’ ‘Who’s that?’ he said. ‘It’s Ross, I’m here.”

“they are the ones for whom the battle was so easy that no one even remembers them”

“I would ring Michael up and say, ‘Can you be here tomorrow?’ ‘Yep. What time?’ Never any hesitation”

“And Michael was in the lead and he was setting the fastest times, lap after lap”

“it was like the two of you were in a couple of armchairs in front of the fire just chatting. Meanwhile, he is driving at a level that most people couldn’t imagine. Purple, purple, purple.”

“It didn’t really physically strain him. We would be having a conversation the same way that we are now”

“they would be very breathless, trying to get the words out in between pants of breath. He never did that. He also never seemed to sweat that much”

“you would go on the podium and there would be two drivers there almost unable to stand up and Michael would be jumping around”

“God, what on earth is this creature we’re competing with?”

“two fingers up to the other drivers. ‘Not only am I testing, I am going in the gym at night and working out.”

“I would be lucky if Ralf and Juan Pablo spend together as much time in a gym in a week as Michael does in a day.’”

“very few of them actually push it to the level that Schumacher did”

“eventually all the holes line up somewhere and the arrow shoots through them”

“the intention of the regulation and the application of the regulation may be different things”

“I would think, ‘Great, how are we going to take advantage of this?”

“The perception from the outside is that with Jean, Rory, Michael, you had a bulletproof team”

“It is not your name on the tin because you aren’t there – which is very galling”

“I met them together to have it out with them. And they both pointed to each other . . .”

“Now they are suing each other.”

“Yes. At least we didn’t get to that!”

“if you want to be ultimately successful you have to build trusting relationships”

“however everyone felt, people would have known that you were the architect”

“Going for a meal with Niki and Toto was good fun. Then knowing that you couldn’t trust them, you couldn’t lean on them, was a problem.”

“But one is the alliances that you described. I had a reputation for being close to the FIA”

“Was it intelligence or instinct? I was stunned that anyone has the capacity to decide that they are going to park their car during qualifying in Monaco”

“we were pretty straight up with him: ‘Bernie, we don’t want to work for you.’”

“Dead simple to get round it. Instead, Dieter got Niki Lauda involved because Bernie suggested Niki.”

“But neither Niki nor Bodo had much of an idea what to do. So they would keep leaving the meeting and ringing me.”

“Bernie never imagined in a million years that Mercedes would earn it – but they achieved it”

“He will go and meet his maker one day, but no one has managed to depose him. There is no higher authority.”

“I couldn’t feel comfortable not to at least raise it. When it was raised everyone said, ‘Up yours.’ I thought, ‘Thank God for that.”

“you have a track record of getting out there and quietly doing it.”

“if we’d all said, ‘Right, you can have half an hour in my garage’, it would be a lot more efficient”

“Toyota had the double diffuser. Would they have won that case if they were fighting it by themselves?”

“You want a highly paid technical guy working on the car, not trying to figure out how to get his furniture from Italy”

“just that process of sitting down with everyone on a regular basis helped to drive things along.”

“one of the greatest gifts I could give someone was to ask them to represent the team on the podium”

“The only one I ever wanted to definitely do for myself in latter years was Monaco in my last year”

“I knew I was leaving by then. It was a special race with Nico. I’d been there when his dad had won it with Williams”

“To enjoy success with people. To enjoy it as a team meant much more to me than individual success”

“Michael Schumacher was very much the same. He wanted to enjoy that victory as a group.”

“even extended to him organizing football matches on a Thursday night, a five-a-side game with all the team”

“you all know Matt, we’ve all relied on him for years. He’s made one mistake. Support him while he gets over it”

“Pat wouldn’t have done that just for the sake of winning a race. It’s not worth it. So there must have been other circumstances”

“after Michael and I won our first race together”

“He was very good with the drivers. He was very close to Michael.”

“Tom and I had a serious fallout, but we made up in the end. Jean Todt would never have spoken to Tom for the rest of his life.”

“I wouldn’t use a calculator, I would just ask Jean what XYZ × B was, and he would give me an answer”

“Jean was very successful at Ferrari, because he was determined to get the best people. He got Michael for a start.”

“He would come to me and say, ‘You know, Michael’s a little bit upset about this”

“And I would think at first, ‘Why didn’t Michael tell me?’ But then you realize that sometimes people find it difficult”

“the various elements, all the subterfuge in the teams – it’s just a great cocktail.”

“The men choose their machines. They have put themselves in a position to win”

“Put it into Formula One and five months later they have got an answer.”

“or (on one occasion) a helicopter flight from Nice airport to Monte Carlo. Ross just made the effort to be friendly and good company.”

“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death”

“not to pursue quantity at the expense of quality. Scale creates additional challenges.”

“Intelligence is the ability to shape the world around us and strategy is how we go about it”

“Total competition requires a complete, integrated and inclusive process”

“Michael Schumacher is a very special person to me on a professional and human level. We pray for his recovery.”

[interlagostrack]

I still remember the day, many years ago, that I was watching the Friday free practice for Hungarian GP while doing some homework and this new guy Sebastian Vettel showed up out of the blue and set the fastest time.

I had no idea who he was so I Googled him and I immediately liked the guy. For one he was German like Schumi, my biggest idol in F1. And his F1 hero was also Schumacher, so yeah, we had that in common, too. Also, he was cute! (I was 14, give me a break!) But the best part about this new Vettel guy was that he was different from the other drivers. He was young and cool and he seemed so carefree. I decided that day to follow his career.

Next year, in 2007, he was racing and ok, he was a bit wild and I loved that too. He was cheeky off track and very fast in it.

And then it was 2008 and the Italian grand prix happened and fuck, that was when I knew it. He was truly special. That win was beautiful. It was not only about being fast or being lucky. He showed every one he was super intelligent and technical when he needed to be.

The Red Bull era was a dream. Seb was a bitch, yeah. But he was so passionate, so fast and so smart, it made me love F1 more than ever. I cried with him at every single one of his titles and to this day, that image of him worshipping his car in 2013 gives me chills. It's one of the most beautiful moments I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

I was never sure Ferrari was a good option but as a Schumacher fan I knew what it meant to him so I was super pleased. I believed he could make it happen. Needless to say it was a huge disappointment.

When the move to Aston Martin happened I think we all knew it was the beginning of the end. But at least it was good to see him so happy again.

But in the past few years, even more than his racing career, we all started to see another side of him. Seb started to admit more and more to his mistakes and apologize for them. He became outspoken about issues important to him. On track he was still fast and aggressive but he was more gentle and caring at the same time. It was such a great pleasure to watch that teen grow into this man that he is today. The dad (on and off track) that is caring, just and fun. That knows when to speak up and when to say I'm sorry and when to yell. The guy that cares so much about the others. I thought I couldn't be more proud of him, but I was wrong.

And now we've reached the end of this F1 journey. I'm so glad I've had the pleasure to be here since day 1. I'm so glad I could watch all his achievements, all his glories and set backs. I'm proud of the kid he was and the man he became. I'm so proud of Sebastian Vettel and I'm going to miss him so much.

It's never easy to say goodbye when one of your idols leave the sport. When Schumi left he took part of my love for F1 with him. Seb is taking a big part of it with him too. Formula 1, to me, won't be the same without him, but at the same time, I know that this sport I love is better because of him.

So I just wish him the best and all the happiness in the world in this next step of his journey, it’s been an honour of a lifetime ♥

danke seb!

[umseb]

Navigating This Blog:

Firstly, please remember that my tagging system is for my use. I'm very happy when my blogs help people find stuff! But their first function is to help me find stuff. <3 1. If you’re looking for a specific race, the tag format is [location] [year]. For example, #hungary 2016 or #usa 2019. -> Azerbaijan is listed as Baku. -> Countries with multiple races will be tagged as both the country and track (for example, Spain and Valencia/Jerez/Barcelona, Germany and Hockenheim/Nurburg). -> European GP content is tagged as both European and the name of the track, either Valencia or Baku. -> Where possible, days are also tagged. So, for example, #monaco 2019 thursday. 2. If you’re looking for just a specific year, the format is either #flashback fic ref [year] or #fic ref [year]. #flashback fic ref is any year before 2021. #fic ref is for 2021 onward. 3. If you’re looking for just a specific track, that’s tagged too! Just search the country. 4. On a quest for other racing-related content but not from F1 race weekends, you say? -> Pre-season and post-season tags! For example, #pre-season 2012 or #post-season 2009. -> Testing, specifically, is also tagged! The format is testing [year], like #testing 2018. -> Race of Champions? Goes by year, and is listed under both “roc” and “race of champions”. For example, #roc 2008 or #race of champions 2011. 5. Things he does in his capacity as an F1 driver, but not strictly racing-related? -> The FIA gala is listed under both “fia gala” and “fia prize giving”. Examples: #fia gala 2018 or #fia prize giving 2011. -> Autosport Awards / Laureus World Sports Awards / German Sportspersonality of the Year -> Charity soccer games: Partita del Cuore / Kick Fur Kinder / Champions For Charity 6. And, of course, non-racing-related content: -> The format is [year] not a race. For example, #2007 not a race. -> If you’d like a specific time period during a season, it’s separated by what races it fell between. For example, #between japan and usa 2018. -> Summer break 2022! 7. Feeder series! -> Formula BMW ADAC (all) / Formula BMW ADAC 2003 / Formula BMW ADAC 2004 -> Formula 3 (all) / Formula 3 2005 / Formula 3 2006 -> Formula Renault 3.5 8. All under-18 content is tagged as #childhood photos. 9. Relationships (not taking requests to add to this): -> Sewis -> Smick / With Mick (underage) -> George Russell -> Michael Schumacher 10. Important! On the website version of Tumblr, you can combine search items. This is immensely helpful for finding specific things! -> So, for example, if you open search and type in "hungary 2022, smick" it’ll only pull up Smick content from the Hungarian GP. :) -> Or “flashback fic ref 2011, autosport awards” -> Or “testing 2013, jerez” 11. Trigger tags I commonly use: * These are either for my use or by request and are not up for discussion or debate. If you need something added, please drop me a dm or ask to let me know. 💚 -> #tw max (verstappen) -> #tw transphobe (webber) -> #tw nico (rosberg) -> #tw kimi (raikkonen) -> #tw bernie ecclestone -> #tw helmut marko -> #tw christian horner -> #tw dietrich mateschitz -> #tw crash -> #tw death -> #tw body perception -> #tw food / #cw food This is a pretty exhaustive list, but if you need help or are confused, feel free to contact me! <3

[formulagrafica]

Sebastian Vettel - Farewell The day has come that almost no one would have wanted, but like every cycle in life, it has to end. Sebastian Vettel has completed his 299th race in F1, it has been 16 years where Seb has made a turning point among all the champions that Formula 1 has had, being one of the youngest in history, and from then on, several champions after him have achieved this with almost the age that Vettel was when he did it in 2010 The German has belonged to 5 teams since his debut in 2007, and in each of them he left a legacy that all those teams will be able to remember about him. Seb won 4 drivers' championships, all with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, we are talking about an era where the dominance of the energy drink brand was overwhelming, and Sebastian was a key part of it. Vettel in this last stage in F1 with Aston Martin, has been involved in actions in favor of environmental conservation and other social causes, each helmet he wore in the races contained an important message to raise awareness of the current situation we’re experiencing, our planet or specifically the country where F1 disputed the GP's. Sebastian has been a empathetic, friendly and supportive guy who has been very close to the young fans off the track, and many of these actions are the ones that we will remember the most from the German in this definitive retirement from motorsport. He will be missed, more than for being a driver who gave his maximum effort in each car that he competed in these 16 years, and his 4 championships, a living legend who was able to achieve everything in a short period of time. Formula 1 has many legends, and Vettel is part of that select list, along with the other 33 drivers that he memorized perfectly in that "Grill the Grid" last year. Danke Seb. Danke für alles. 🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣🇩🇪5️⃣

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 1.17 (after 1945)

1945 – World War II: The Vistula–Oder Offensive forces German troops out of Warsaw. 1945 – The SS-Totenkopfverbände begin the evacuation of the Auschwitz concentration camp as the Red Army closes in. 1945 – Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg is taken into Soviet custody while in Hungary; he is never publicly seen again. 1946 – The UN Security Council holds its first session. 1948 – The Renville Agreement between the Netherlands and Indonesia is ratified. 1950 – The Great Brink's Robbery: Eleven thieves steal more than $2 million from an armored car company's offices in Boston. 1950 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 79 relating to arms control is adopted. 1961 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the "military–industrial complex" as well as the dangers of massive spending, especially deficit spending. 1961 – Former Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba is murdered in circumstances suggesting the support and complicity of the governments of Belgium and the United States. 1966 – Palomares incident: A B-52 bomber collides with a KC-135 Stratotanker over Spain, killing seven airmen, and dropping three 70-kiloton nuclear bombs near the town of Palomares and another one into the sea. 1969 – Black Panther Party members Bunchy Carter and John Huggins are killed during a meeting in Campbell Hall on the campus of UCLA. 1977 – Capital punishment in the United States resumes after a ten-year hiatus, as convicted murderer Gary Gilmore is executed by firing squad in Utah. 1981 – President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos lifts martial law eight years and five months after declaring it. 1991 – Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins early in the morning as aircraft strike positions across Iraq, it is also the first major combat sortie for the F-117. LCDR Scott Speicher's F/A-18C Hornet from VFA-81 is shot down by a Mig-25 and is the first American casualty of the War. Iraq fires eight Scud missiles into Israel in an unsuccessful bid to provoke Israeli retaliation. 1991 – Crown Prince Harald of Norway becomes King Harald V, following the death of his father, King Olav V. 1992 – During a visit to South Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa apologizes for forcing Korean women into sexual slavery during World War II. 1994 – The 6.7 Mw  Northridge earthquake shakes the Greater Los Angeles Area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving 57 people dead and more than 8,700 injured. 1995 – The 6.9 Mw  Great Hanshin earthquake shakes the southern Hyōgo Prefecture with a maximum Shindo of VII, leaving 5,502–6,434 people dead, and 251,301–310,000 displaced. 1996 – The Czech Republic applies for membership in the European Union. 1997 – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station: A Delta II carrying the GPS IIR-1 satellite explodes 13 seconds after launch, dropping 250 tons of burning rocket remains around the launch pad. 1998 – Clinton–Lewinsky scandal: Matt Drudge breaks the story of the Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky affair on his Drudge Report website. 2002 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing an estimated 400,000 people. 2007 – The Doomsday Clock is set to five minutes to midnight in response to North Korea's nuclear testing. 2008 – British Airways Flight 38 crashes short of the runway at Heathrow Airport, injuring 47. 2010 – Rioting begins between Muslim and Christian groups in Jos, Nigeria, results in at least 200 deaths. 2013 – Former cyclist Lance Armstrong confesses to his doping in an airing of Oprah's Next Chapter. 2013 – Shahzad Luqman is murdered by members of Golden Dawn in Petralona, Athens, leading the creation of new measures to combat race-based attacks in Greece. 2016 – President Barack Obama announces the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 2017 – The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is announced to be suspended. 2023 – An avalanche strikes Nyingchi, Tibet, killing 28 people.

[f1]

BEYOND THE GRID: Mario Theissen on heading up BMWs F1 efforts working with a young Vettel and Saubers Montreal 1-2

Another week means another episode of the Beyond The Grid podcast, and this time it’s former BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen who joins host Tom Clarkson for a fascinating, wide-ranging chat about his time in F1… BMW have been in and out of the sport since the World Championship was formed in 1950, but Theissen oversaw their most recent stint at the turn of the 21st century – the German manufacturer initially powering Williams and then Sauber. THIS WEEK IN F1: 10 quiz questions on the latest F1 news after the Miami Grand Prix While a five-year partnership with Williams brought a handful of race wins via Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, it ultimately failed to yield a world title and, amid rising tensions between the two parties, BMW moved over to rival team Sauber for 2006. It was at Sauber that Theissen took on the Team Principal role, which led to him giving a young Sebastian Vettel his F1 debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix after Robert Kubica’s horrifying crash at the previous round in Canada. Theissen also looks back on the squad’s spectacular one-two result at Montreal in 2008, why he and Kubica had a dispute as the Pole attempted to mount a season-long title bid, why BMW’s latest decision to leave F1 came as a surprise and how the once divisive double diffuser played a part in their destiny. F1 NATION: All the chat and analysis from the Hard Rock Stadium paddock – it’s our Miami GP review To hear Theissen’s captivating Beyond The Grid interview, hit go in the player above, or head here to catch it on your preferred platform. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com