#that’s George’s protective but antagonised older Williams sibling!

[russilton]

I always wanted to see more Val & George their dynamic is so interesting to meee . We need more of them

YEAHHHH fuck I ADORE Val and George and their fans are usually very polarised groups so you don’t tend to see much talk about them- but they are deep and compelling to ME and that alone means I will ramble about them for hours.

I mean George has been with Mercedes as long as Valtteri- that’s not hyperbole, George was in the garage on the night of AD 2016 (there is a reason he doesnt like Nico and if y’all keep saying he should use Nico as a mentor im going to start slapping heads), and was signed as merc’s official junior in 2017 at the same time as Val became Merc’s second driver- while George’s first few years were obviously split between his junior catagory work and becoming more and more integrated into mercs testing structure and engineering meetings- he was there, the whole time, to witness Val doing what he dreamed of some day, and it gave him some small chance follow an older drivers lead in settling into such an imposing team.

In every way Val was George’s unintentional role model, Williams to Merc - but you would struggle to hear him admit it because they spent 2021 practically at each others throats for the seat george would kill for and Val wasn’t even sure he wanted anymore… but George is still the same guy who would make posts on Instagram just to congratulate Val on getting re-signed. Yes Lewis was who George idolised, but Val was within reach, and they acted like siblings. Siblings in the true, struggle to get along but would kill for each other way that strict parenting cultures.

Imola is a prime example to me, it’s why so many people think they hate each other- fair enough but what I see instead is proof of that bond in its most strained state- George made a move that was risky and needed the other driver not to react the way Val did- he TRUSTED Val not to do that to him- but George didn’t account for the rain and the added difficulty and that’s what made them collide. I genuinely think that’s why George is so much angrier than normal- to him its not JUST him being taken out of a chance to show up Val (though it is also that, George isn’t a saint and all drivers are ego monsters), it was that Val reacted in a way he hadn’t accounted for and George felt betrayed and stupid for it. That’s why he slaps at Val after let’s remember, checking valtteri was okay. He checks on Val and when he gets the okay confirmation, the anger bubbles over and he slaps out like a child.

It’s petty, childish and dumb, but that’s what siblings are. They squabbled, George mouthed off, got a smack from his psuedo parent, and went to apologise- which Val promptly left on read and ignored and they went back to working.

The fight for the merc seat had them praying for each others downfall that year, but by the next, they were finding each other in drivers parades to chat, repairing that conversational lapse, and staring after Lewis together. Val had the unique experience of being teammates with The Lewis Hamilton and George clearly looked to him slightly on how to do this right, how to be a good teammate. Off track they were better to each other (it probably helped Val that George got humbled a couple times and reined himself in) and on track… I’ve talked about this before but George used to drive against Val differently to anyone other than maybe max but for whole different reasons- with Val it was about beating someone he could tease, but having the trust that Val would pull it off if he failed even after imola. I STILL think about Georges failed overtake in Singapore 22 when he breaks late and misses the corner trying to overtake val, and val just swerves round him. It was such a dumbass move! But thats George and Val!

On track George is desperate to be a little better, to show hes just as good as him, and off track he still seeks him out as a friend. George wants to beat val because he does at his core admire him- and thats why I fucking love them.

#asks #lesi’s tag #whoops someone let mark off leash to talk about George and val my beloved #that’s George’s protective but antagonised older Williams sibling! #maybe i wrote them fucking once- i should finish that fic i was funny for it #mark’s driver meta