#but Max just gave Daniel a chance for another podium
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does anyone know her dad? daniel ricciardo smau (part 1)
pairing: daniel ricciardo x toto's secret child!reader / daniel ricciardo x schumacher and wolff!reader
warnings: cursing and some general fandom hate wags get
note: first time doing this i dont know if this right but lets go!
part 2, part 3 and part 4
mickschumacher happy birthday to @ynquads !! sorry for crashing into the cake! mama said she'll make you another
liked by maxverstappen1, landonorris and 122 498 others
gina_schumacher thanks for almost cropping me out of the picture
mickschumacher it's about yn!!
ynquads i though i was you favourite cousin gigi :( why u being so mean to me :( i'll go tell my parents
micschumacher ill tell mama you're being mean to yn
username123 always love seeing mick and yn be annoying little siblings
maxverstappen1 congrats! is it enough to say it here or do i have to make my own post? ive given you a present
ynquads bring me cowboy boots from austin and you dont have to
username cute cute cute cute cute cute
username honestly schumacher genes dont even feel real anymore
username right!?!?! i want yn to win the figure skating grand prix but then i remember that video where she went karting with max
username like a billion drivers and a skater and the good looks in ONE family? god really does have favourites
lewishamilton happy birthday! it's been great seeing you grow up
username excuse me sir? what do you mean grow up?
ynquads visited japan for a wedding and now i'm all ready for skate america!! let's gooo cricket club!!
liked by maxverstappen1, landonorris, susie_wolff and 112 666 others
username YOU GOT INVITED TO YUZURU'S WEDDING
ynquads i even got to bring daniel🤭
danielricciardo it was a lovely wedding❤️❤️(ours is gonna be better)
username excuse what the fuck
lewishamilton actually you're not allowed to marry her without our permission
danielricciardo whose permission would i even ask?
lewishamilton every german speaking driver and like three team bosses good luck
username ARIANA (our queen & god susie wolff) WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE
maxverstappen1 daniel's being gross make him stop
danielricciardo am not!
ynquads lmao throw bread at him
danielricciardo all the love ive given you and this is how you repay me?
ynquads ooh i'll repay you 😏
maxverstappen1 dont be weird under my comment
username oh she has time to fly to japan but not go to a single race ever
username babes danny has not been in the since zandvoort. theres been no race to go see him
username they've been together for like three years and she's only been to less than ten races
username like seriously cant she ever be supportive
username you people do realize she's an athlete too?
ynquads we got silver!!!💪🥈🥈🥈congrats to kaori sakamoto 🥇 and isabeau levito🥉 (also thanks uncle lewis for dinner)
tagged: lewishamilton
liked by maxverstappen1 and 237 274 others
nicorosberg he gave you alcohol?
ynquads i have never actually drank alcohol at all in my entire life (also dad was there i was not even allowed to get food that had rum in the sauce)
maxverstappen1 oh yeah we did not at all just get drunk
ynquads shut up before nico goes to talk to my DAD
username are we all just gonna ignore that she calls lewis "uncle" like seriously how disrespectful is that
username calm the fuck down she calls him and all the older grid (especially sebastian) uncle so it is not new
danielricciardo why you holding your head like that? is it heavy from all the pretty? i can hold it for you
nicorosberg this is who you choose @ynquads
danielricciardo why are you bullying me too???
ynquads hes funny onkel nico (uncle)
username how is nico rosberg here dragging danny ric? you dont even follow him?
username EVERYBODY CALM DOWN THIS IS NOT A DRILL WE HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE YN WIN THIS YEAR'S GRAND PRIX PLEASE BE ON EVERY PODIUM
susie_wolff congrats honey! we're really proud!
username i still think it's so damn weird she just hangs out with the older grid. how does she even know then to go on dinners
username okay but when the hell did this even happen? i follow yn and she trains in toronto and during summer is in germany or england. she doesnt attend the races? how the fuck is she and DANIEL RICCIARDO together babes
username i bet my life that max introduced them i can feel it in my bones that he planned this
username "oh sorry i won by 30 secs and you have a shitbox to drive, wanna meet my friend she's great gf material? you have no chance without help"
ynquads i mean....
username OH MY GOD
username she's such a shit girlfriend honestly. she dates daniel for publicity and then drags lewis down too
username what the fuck are you smoking??
username how the FUCK did daniel ricciardo bag the talented pretty QUAD QUEEN MISS YN SCHUMACHER!!! thats my wife actually! what about our kids and three lambs??
f1wagsupdates paparazzi has released a video of mercedes team boss toto wolff exiting a restaurant and driving off with a young woman. even though she tried to cover herself, the woman was quicky identified as yn schumacher. she is a figure skater and 20+ years younger. in an interview from home yn can be seen walking around the wolff kitchen in little clothing. is this the ending to toto's perfect looking marriage with fellow motorsport boss susie wolff?
liked by 10 385
username if i dont read it, it doesnt exist. no one's cheating ever
username toto and susie's kid is like 5 how could he throw that away??
username its always the goddamn family men fucking over their wives and kids
username this is such bullshit. toto and susie have been together since like 2011 this is so horrible
username little clothing? she's wearing like pajamas
#formula 1#formula 1 x reader#daniel ricciardo x reader#daniel ricciardo insta au#formula 1 social media au#daniel ricciardo#toto wolff
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Lights out and together we go
Pairing: Max Verstappen x Girlfriend (or future wife)! reader
Warnings: max and reader getting deunk, mentions of sex and another stuffs
Summary: Where Max and y/n think it's a good idea to get married drunk in Vegas.
Y/n and I arrived in Vegas a day earlier than planned; she had never been there and wanted to explore the city. We were in the paddock now, and I was finishing adjusting my racing suit to get ready for the race. As I closed it, I felt someone hugging me from behind, and I knew it was my girlfriend.
"Hi, love," she whispered, and I smiled.
"Hi, love. Everything okay?" I turned around, and she smiled.
“Yes, just came to wish you good luck."
"Good thing you didn't forget." I smiled, bending down to her level. She smiled in the middle of the kiss.
"Good luck, and take care." She ran her hand through my hair and gave me another quick kiss before going to the spot where she would watch the race.
On the track, I got into the car and prepared for what could be the best or worst race of the year.
"MAX VERSTAPPEN, YOU ARE THE FIRST WINNER OF THE LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX," my engineer shouted on the radio, and I celebrated.
I stopped the car in the first position and got out, seeing the team and my girlfriend among them. She was much smaller than everyone, so she was hidden among the mechanics.
"You won," she said excitedly, hugging me.
"Yeah, after almost dying a few times." She slapped my arm, and I laughed, kissing her and then weighing in before heading to the podium.
...
Now, we were in a club celebrating the victory with the team. Y/n was chatting animatedly with Kika about something I wasn't paying attention to, and I had my arm around her waist as she stood in front of me.
"Do you wanna dance?" She asked in my ear, and even though I'm not a big fan, I knew how much she enjoyed it, so I agreed.
As the hours passed, we were more than drunk, still dancing together and completely sweaty.
"You know," she said, and I knew something crazy was coming. "There's a chapel nearby."
"You want to get married in Vegas?"
"Don't you?"
"Married to you, yes, but I never thought you'd want to do it here." I held her tighter and kissed her neck. "But I would never refuse to marry you, so..."
"Shall we?" I laughed and agreed.
[…]
I woke up with a throbbing headache and a persistent ringing in my ears. I opened my eyes, looked around and saw the ridiculous decoration of the hotel room that wasn't ours.
I looked at Y/n lying next to me, and under the red sheet, we were both naked. I searched for my phone and saw it lying on the floor with a cracked screen.
When I unlocked it, I noticed several missed calls from Christian and messages from Daniel. I replied to them and put it aside again.
I got up to go to the bathroom and laughed seeing that the bed was heart-shaped. I entered the bathroom and saw marks on my neck and back, and some flashes of the previous night came back as I smiled, remembering a bit.
"What the hell happened last night?" I murmured to myself. After going to the bathroom, I returned to the room, and my girlfriend was sitting on the bed with wide eyes, staring at the floor.
"What happened?" She didn't say anything, and I approached her, touching her shoulder, which brought her out of the trance. "Is everything okay?"
"We have a problem." She said, and I waited for her to continue. "Two problems, actually."
"What are they?"
"We're married." She said, and I widened my eyes.
"What?"
"We're married, Max." She lifted her hand, showing the ring.
It was the ring I had bought a while ago to propose, but I hadn't had the chance to do it, at least not in the way I felt was ideal.
I approached her and took her hand, looking at the ring that I was preparing to use for a proposal. It was now on her finger after apparently getting married drunk in Vegas.
"But that doesn't mean anything." I said nervously.
"What do you mean nothing? There's a ring on my finger, Max, it can only mean one thing." She said, raising only in her panties and grabbing my shirt from the floor.
"It could mean that we're just engaged." I said quickly, and she looked at me.
"And where did this ring come from then?"
"It's mine." I said, and she widened her eyes. "It's yours, actually. I bought it a few months ago because I had plans to propose to you, but I hadn't felt there was an ideal moment yet. Apparently, my drunk self thought it was the right time."
I felt on the bed completely outraged by my stupidity in ruining something important.
"Maxie," she said affectionately, and I felt her hand on my face as she sat on my lap. "You know I don't care about these big things."
"I know, but I wanted it to be something special, not us drunk and sweaty in Vegas." She smiled and gave me a peck. "Is everything okay?"
"It's okay." She kissed my forehead and hugged me. After a few minutes, she got up and grabbed her phone. "Max."
"Yeah?"
"You didn't propose to me."
"What?"
"We're already married." She showed several pictures of us in the chapel set up in the paddock, both clearly drunk, being married by an Elvis.
"We're crazy." I said seriously, and she started laughing. "What are you laughing at?"
"Why are we making such a drama?"
"What do you mean?"
"We were happy; you already planned to propose to me, and I would have accepted." She said calmly. "I love you, and I would marry you any way, no matter where or how."
"Really?" She nodded, and I hugged her.
"Really." I gave her a peck, and we hugged.
"You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm very happy to be your husband, Mrs. Verstappen."
"And I'm also very happy to be your wife, Mr. Verstappen."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Maxie."
[…]
Since the race was on the Saturday night, today at Sunday night, we have dinner with all the drivers, organized by Charles to celebrate our first Vegas race. I was sitting on the bed looking at the photos of our "wedding," laughing at our pictures.
"How do I look?" She came out of the bathroom and ran her hands over her dress.
She was wearing a red strapless dress with glitter, and her hair was pulled back.
"WOW, you look beautiful." I said, getting up and going to her.
"Thank you, so do you." She said, adjusting the collar of my shirt.
"Can we go?" She agreed, and we went to the private room that Charles had rented. When we entered, everyone was already there.
"Good evening, everyone." She smiled and started greeting everyone. I went to where Charles, Carlos, and Lando were.
"I have a serious question." Lando said coming near me. "Look I get why you’re with her, I mean I have a soft spot for brunettes too. What I don’t get is why she likes you? I mean look at her."
"Haha very funny. But now you can stop fangirling my wife."
"Wait did you say wife?" Charles asked, and I cursed myself and my big mouth.
"Fuck." I said. "Look, Y/n and I agreed to keep this a secret so just pretend I didn’t tell you guys."
"Okay but tell us the story." Carlos asked.
"Well, we got drunk after celebrating my win, and then apparently we got married in the F1 chapel by some guy dressed as Elvis." They started laughing. "It’s not funny; I was pretending to propose to her the way she deserved and not just marrying in Vegas and fuck her after and not remembering later."
"Okay stop right now, we don’t need all the details of your night."
"Well, if you look at my back, you will imagine how it went." I said, showing them.
"Oh wow, now I’m interested.”
"Max." She said coming to me. "Hi, boys."
"Hello, Mrs. Ver..." I widened my eyes at Lando. "Actually, now that I've noticed, your eyes are blue."
"They are."
"They are beautiful." He said.
"You know I'm committed, right?" She said confused by his behavior.
"I know." He said nervously. "I'm going to get a drink."
"Is he okay?" She wondered turning to me.
"You know how he is, not used to drinking."
"Neither are we." She said laughing.
...
It's Monday and we're leaving Vegas after a hectic and crazy weekend. We're going to Abu Dhabi for the last race of the year.
"Did you see the news this morning?"
"That our marriage was revealed." She nodded. "Yes, I saw, I'm sorry."
"No need to feel sorry; I'm not ashamed that people know I married the love of my life," she said, giving me a kiss. "It's okay, don't worry."
"Okay." I said, kissing her forehead, and remembered something she said that morning.
"Remember you said we had two problems but got distracted by the marriage thing? What was the other one?"
"Oh my God, I had forgotten." She said nervously. "It's that we had sex without protection, and I'm in my fertile period."
"What? Is that serious?"
"Yes."
"My God, we're going to have a baby."
"Not necessarily, it doesn't mean I'll get pregnant."
"But what if you do?"
"We'll have a mini Verstappen in a few months."
"Okay, we won't come to Vegas ever again." She laughed, and we boarded the jet heading to Abu Dhabi.
Bonus scene!
Y/nverstappen Instagram stories
“Yes I’ve changed my user and now I’m Mrs. Verstappen”
#f1 imagine#f1 fanfic#f1 x you#f1#f1 instagram au#max verstappen headcanons#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen wallpaper#max verstappen one shot#max verstappen icons#max verstappen headers#max verstappen f1#max verstappen imagine#max verstappen fanfic#max verstappen smut#max verstappen#max verstappen x charles leclerc#max verstappen x daniel ricciardo#max verstappen x you#max verstappen angst#max verstappen au#max verstappen series#max verstappen social media au#max verstappen fluff#max verstappen drabble#max verstappen instagram au#max verstappen scenario#max verstappen edit#max verstappen lockscreens#max verstappen fanart
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Foggia makes Moto3 history at Misano
The Italian comes home ahead of Masia, with Guevara third and taking the points lead as Garcia crashes out.
Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) put in another stunner at Misano, the Italian taking his third win at the track and becoming the first Moto3™ rider to achieve the feat at one venue. Just beating Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) to the flag, Foggia and his fellow podium finishes made some big gains at the Gran Premio Gryfyn di San Marino a della Riviera di Rimini as former points leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) crashed out.
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) took the early lead from pole, but it remained a freight train in the first couple of laps. There was early drama for Austria winner Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) as he got caught out on Lap 1, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) was the next key faller, and then even more drama hit as former Championship leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) slid off. The number 11 gave teammate and closest challenger Guevara a huge chance to capitalise as the number 28 was already up into the lead, with Garcia rejoining but well down the order.
As the laps ticked down, four contenders emerged. Guevara was leading from Foggia, with Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Masia on the chase. Then there was a gap back to another group headed by former Misano winner Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) and Öncü, with ninth place marking the beginning of another freight train.
By eight laps to go, it was a sextet at the front with Foggia leading. Guevara was next with Masia and Holgado on his tail, and Suzuki and Öncü had cut the gap right down to battle it out for the podium. A lap later, the fuse was suddenly lit. Guevara attacked Foggia at la Quercia, and Masia slotted straight past both in s stylish two-for-one. Foggia hit back before Guevara followed him through, but it was now game on and Holgado and Suzuki started to get dropped from the group.
Guevara tried one move to take over and got shuffled back to fourth, with he and Öncü then hustling to find a way past on the penultimate lap. But they couldn't and Foggia led Masia led Öncü led Guevara onto the final lap.
Öncü went for an absolute divebomb on Masia and seemed tempted to try and take Foggia too, but the Turk slotted back into second as his KTM bucked under him. Masia and Guevara pounced, and Foggia had just enough breathing space at the front after the shuffle. Could he hold on? He could. The Italian becomes the first Moto3™ rider to win three times at the same venue, and both he and Masia, who came home second, gain some big points in the standings.
Guevara, however, takes over at the top. Holding onto third means he takes the Championship lead from Garcia, now 11 points clear as we head onto a track at which he's enjoyed some serious glory in the junior ranks...
Öncü will likely be frustrated with a fourth but rode through the pain barrier of his shoulder he hurt in training, and nearly pulled off the move of the race. Holgado was eventually fifth and just stayed ahead of Suzuki, ahead of another bigger group.
Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets - MSI) was at the head of that in P7, ahead of Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets - MSI). Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) had a lonelier ride to P14, with Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) taking the final point on home turf.
That's it from Misano and another twist in the tale. Tune in for Aragon in two weeks' time to see the lightweight class take on MotorLand as a crucial part of the Championship gets in gear!
Moto3™ PODIUM
1 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) - Honda - 39'21.864
2 Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) - KTM - +0.289
3 Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) - GASGAS - +0.334
Dennis Foggia: "It was incredible, man. Especially the last five laps, my tyre was completely done, but I’m really, really happy. To win again here in my home, third time in a row here, I’m really, really happy, so I would like to thank all my team, all my family that are here for me!"
For more Moto3 info checkout our dedicated Moto3 News page
Or visit the official MotoGP website motogp.com
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ᴛᴡɪɴ ꜰʟᴀᴍᴇ
Part 9/25
<<< Previous Part
Rating - Mature
Warnings - Alcohol, mentions of sex, explicit language, angst
********************
After Azerbaijan, things remained on the up for you - you were third in the Championship in your first ever season in Formula 1, Redbull were on their way to a Constructors win and your friendship with Dan was going from strength to strength. You’d decided that you’d wait until summer break before you confronted your feelings for him - you didn’t need a potential heartbreak to distract you from winning races. That felt like the smart thing to do and for once, it seemed like people agreed with you.
“Makes sense to me.” Max had said when you told him, he was suiting up for the current race. Silverstone - the second to last race before the break. He’d managed to beat Lewis in the sprint so was now starting on pole. “Put all your focus in getting us another 1-2 and then you can tell him. Don’t need you distracted for these last two races.”
“Thanks, now I’m not questioning my decision so much.” You sighed a breath of relief, the two of you made your way down to the garage. You hadn’t qualified overly well but the sprint race had put you back in a good position for a podium finish. Silverstone was one of your dream tracks to race as it was so iconic - you knew fans were going to be rooting for Lewis to win but it was still going to be amazing.
Unfortunately the race went shockingly for the team - Max and Lewis had a major crash and your car was acting up so you had to pit three times which put you completely out of the points. Daniel and Lando got 4th and 5th but it was hard to celebrate when it was your first race out of the points all season long. But you put on your brave face and spent the night with all of your friends, trying to bring up Max’s spirits.
“Ten second penalty is fucking ridiculous.” He said, frown etched on his face. “Did you see the state of my fucking car? He should’ve been disqualified.”
“He’s been getting desperate all season; he needs to stop pulling these stunts before someone gets really hurt.” You said, taking a sip of your drink, leaning back against the sofa - Dan’s tanned arm draped across it, the Australian gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“I know the pressure of wanting to win your home race but taking out your main rival is not the way to do it.”
“One more round and then we’re off to Mexico for two weeks! Let’s try and be positive!” Lando chirped. “It’s going to be epic.”
It was hard being positive going into the summer break - Hungary was even more of a nightmare than Silverstone. Your second DNF of the season; the rain had turned the track into a bowling lane and an early crash caused you, Lando, Lance, Valterri and Charles to have to retire. It meant you had to sit on the sidelines while Max limped to the finish line after also being impacted by the crash, Lewis taking yet another podium. Putting him ahead of your teammate in the championship. It was frustrating as hell but now was time to put it to one side; there was the question to ask and whatever the outcome you were going to have the time of your life in Mexico.
You were going to meet the boys at the airport; using Max’s jet to get to Mexico. Dan was going to pick you up and you were going to take the opportunity to have your talk with him. He was going to be stuck in the car with you for nearly an hour and you didn’t want to trap him but you just needed to do it. You also didn’t know when you’d have a chance to be alone with him for the next two weeks; you were about to go on a holiday with a third of the grid and their partners and Dan, being the social butterfly he is, would be part of every conversation.
“Hey…” he whistled low as you approached the car, you were in one of his T-shirts and a pair of shorts, something comfy for the flight. “Love you in my clothing.”
You blushed dark as he helped you put your suitcase in the boot of the car. The weather had cleared up dramatically since the race, the sun was beaming and he looked good; sunglasses pushed into his hair, tank top showing off his muscles and his tattoos were peeking out of the bottom of his shorts. If he offered to take you in the back of his car right now, definitely wouldn’t say no. “You don’t look too bad yourself, babe.”
He opened the car door for you and you slid into the comfy seat. You could feel your heart in your throat as you watched him circle the car to get in beside you. How would you bring it up to him? Just blurt it out? Ask him how he felt?
“What’s bothering you? You look like you’re about to throw up.” He said, as he began to drive. It was hard to focus when he drove - there was something about this man behind the wheel of a car that was enough to drive you wild. Which was a bit of an issue considering one, your careers, and two, the fact you needed to focus on what you were going to say, instead of the way he drove.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about…” I’m gonna vomit. “Do you remember the night in Italy?”
“Still only up to where we kissed… and I remember leaving with Max but I don’t know why. I thought it was because you ended up choosing Lando instead.” He hummed, eyes on the road. He squeezed the wheel a little as if the thought of you and Lando together still bothered him despite your reassurance that the two of you were just friends.
“That’s not why you left. Pierre told you something and you said you were too drunk to process it and since then I’ve been wanting to tell you what it was but I’m terrified that you won’t be able to process it sober either. I’ve only just got you back and I-“
“Y/n” he chuckled softly. Move into his hand off the gear-stick onto your thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Breathe. There is nothing Pierre could’ve said that would make me leave you again.”
Just say it, coward. Just fucking tell him. He glanced over at you as you pulled up to a red light. It was worth the risk; how you felt when you were around him was overwhelming and regardless of the outcome it would feel good to get them out. If he didn’t feel the same then you could move on, if he did… oh god. What if he does.
“Y/n?” He snapped his fingers in front of your face with a soft laugh. “Are you still in there?”
You blushed. “Sorry, just considering my options. But I need to do this.”
“You’re starting to scare me a little. Just spit it out.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” He smiled softly, furrowing his brow. “What do you want to tell me?”
“N-no, Dan. I love you… I’m… I’m in love with you. I have been, the whole time, but never understood the feeling until recently.” Your voice was quiet, almost drowned out by the soft music playing in the car.
He pulled the car over suddenly, causing you to curse and grab onto the door as the cars behind you beeped at him. “You’re in love with me?”
“I-I… I don’t want it to ruin our friendship, I can move on I just need ti-“
Before you could get out another word, he undid his seatbelt and leant across the middle of the car to press his lips to yours. You sunk into it, letting your hand come up to rest on his cheek. He pulled back just enough to be able to look into your eyes and smiled softly, with a tenderness you’d never seen before.
“You’re an idiot.” He whispered.
“W-what?”
“I planned this moment for weeks. I was going to buy you flowers, take you out for your favourite food…” He kissed you softly. “Tell you that I was crazy about you…”
“Dan…”
“But instead, your impatient little arse decided to tell me in my car on a random road in Hungary.” He chuckled softly, making you smile. “I’m so in love with you. I’ve known it for a long time now but seeing you in that Redbull seat, it really made me realise just how much I wanted you with me.”
You wanted to cry. He loved you. Dan was in love with you. “We could’ve been snogging sober this whole time.”
“I almost told you that night after your win In Azerbaijan.. but I chickened out.” He blushed. “You just looked so beautiful and you had this glow from your win. I wanted you to be mine so badly.”
“So… what do we do now?” You asked, as he moved back to strap himself in - realising you still had a flight to catch.
“I think… We enjoy these 2 weeks together, making up for all the lost time. And if by the end we aren’t sick of each other… you let me be your boyfriend.”
“Let you?” You giggled softly. “Dan, I want you and I always will.”
“I know I know… but we’ve not explored anything more than friends. I want to take you out on dates and god, I want to fuck you sober.” He teased, a small smirk playing on his lips. “I just want to have fun with you before we put a label on it, just so we’re sure that we want to do this… we’ve been best friends for over 20 years, it’s a lot to risk.”
You nodded. He was right and you knew it. It would be a shame if you jumped right into a relationship, not knowing what you were like as a couple, and it went to shit. You wanted him in your life; that was the only thing that mattered… but he loves you and you couldn’t wipe the smile and blush from your cheeks even as he pulled into the cool airport car park.
“What do you wanna tell the others?” He asked, putting his sunglasses over his eyes and running a hand through his curls.
“…That we’re just having fun? That we’re two people who are in love that don’t want to jump into something?” You suggested. “I don’t really care what other people think. Only you.”
“You know they’re all super invested in us right?” He smiled softly. “The third thing Max asked me after he met you was ‘why aren’t you dating her?’”
“What were the first two?”
“…who’s your hot friend? And is she single?” He climbed out of the car and walked around to open the door for you. “Don’t you ever wonder why no one from the grid has ever asked you out?”
“Just didn’t think they were interested.” You blushed, grabbing your carry-on from the footwell.
“I was batting them off left, right and centre. Pierre was the only one who didn’t like that - he said as long as you were single then he was gonna take his chance with you.” The idea of Pierre refusing to back down made you blush; if you weren’t so obsessed with Dan, you probably would’ve made a move or two on the Frenchman. You weren’t stupid; Pierre was stunning but your heart belonged to Dan and in the back of your head before you even knew you loved Dan, you subconsciously didn’t want to ruin your chances with him.
The Australian held out his free hand for you and you linked your fingers together. He gave it a gentle squeeze before the two of you trekked into the airport to meet the others in the private lounge.
“Gasp! They’re holding hands!” Lando pointed at the two of you, as you came into the room - everyone turning to look at you. The Brit jumped up and down in excitement.
“What is this? Primary school, chill out Lando.” You playfully scolded, not letting your grip on Dan’s hand falter even for a moment. Dan pressed a chaste kiss to your temple.
“It’s cute though.” Charles smiled, he was sitting on one of the sofas with Charlotte beside him. It was nice to have a group of girls around - for once it wasn’t you and 19 men. Carmen lit up when she saw you and Dan holding hands and gave you a big hug.
“About time.” She whispered, giving you a private smile. “Happy for you.”
“Thank you, Carmen. Glad you could come.” You smiled back. “Nice to finally have some girls around!”
The girls cheered and the boys booed you; when Dan suggested the trip, you weren’t expecting quite so many of the grid to be up to it. It was the two of you, Max, Lando, George, Nicolas, Charles, Carlos and Pierre. Yuki wanted to come but went home to Japan instead. So that was 9 drivers and over half of them had partners so it definitely felt like quite the party.
“Oi, you love being around us!” Max protested. “Now, everyone, get your arses on the plane. We have Mexico waiting for us!”
Dan slipped his arm around your waist and you looked up at him fondly. He pressed a gentle kiss to your lips, making you feel weak on the knees. “I love you.”
“I love you too, so much.”
“Will never get tired of that.” He purred, stealing another quick kiss. “Let’s go have some fun!”
Two weeks in Mexico with the man of your dreams? What could possibly go wrong?
*************
Next Part >>
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Okay SO!! Here on my favorite Max moments from each race..please feel free to add🧡🧡
Bahrain- The Q3 lap…like Max did three fucking purple sectors…on his last flying lap like 2 purple sectors is amazing but 3?? Sexy as fuck.
Imola- That whole race…Max’s overtaking on the first lap was amazing!! And Max’s out-lap in the first pitstop to stop the undercut was beautiful!!
Portugal- Not a vibe really but Max’s overtake on Hamilton in lap 7 like he just goes all fucking in I loved it and overtaking Bottas!!! Once again the mans overtaking was phenomenal.
Barcelona- FIRST LAP FULL SEND AGAIN?!!! Like he just planted his car in the right space and it was fucking beautiful…no bullshit he just went for it.
Monaco- It would have been pole for the first time for Max…he was flying if not for Charles crashing. And then the race was just so fucking chill from Max…left no space for Bottas to get ahead and got his first win at Monaco.
Baku- Anothrr Ferrari in the wall along with Yuki didn’t help Max in Quali which was annoying cause his pace was good all weekend. The race until the tire blew was good!! Max got ahead of Lewis once again in the pits (shoutout to Red Bull mechanics).
France- POLE AND RACE WIN ON A MERC DOMINATED TRACK!!? Like that was sexy as FUCK…Max overtaking Lewis on the fucking last lap!! And pushing all fucking race showing such skill…loved it top 5 race.
Styria- Another pole and win for Max…Max was just in a league of his own all weekend. AND THE BURNOUTS LIKE DONT SLOW DOWN LIKE THAT AGAIN.
Austria- 3rd pole position and third win…another dominating display from Max…and no burn out.
Silverstone- Shit race but Max in the sprint race over taking Lewis with his brakes ON FIRE?! And the wreath was adorable. Only good part of the weekend (and seeing Merc annoyed lol)
Hungary- Max driving and getting in the points in a car that was almost undrivable and having some fun battles with Daniel and Mick…he never gave up just kept going and those two points at the end mattered
Spa- The quali lap from Max was honestly amazing…like it isn’t talked about enough but he left no room for error and drove so well to get pole…and he won another home GP
Zandvoort- Absolutely iconic!!! Pole and win at his first home race!! And his quali lap was once again so good and his just pulled out 2 seconds on Lewis on the first 2 laps…amazing weekend
Monza- ‘That’s what happens when you don’t leave the space’
Russia- P20-p2…no more to say
Turkey- White suit and white car…beautiful
Austin- Pole and win for the first time in Austin!! Those last few laps with Lewis BREATHING DOWN HIS NECK HE MADE ZERO MISTAKES!! Like he drove so so fucking well…left Lewis no room to overtake by placing his car PERFECTLY. Sexy race
Mexico- THE FIRST CORNER OVERTAKE!!! That was the best overtake of the season!!! He went full send…and just shown how fucking good he is about reading the gaps he is left (Checo’s Dad was amazing too xx)
Brazil- ‘Yeah perfect say hi’
Qatar- ‘Mate let’s have a bit of fun!! We are gonna be second anyways so let’s push!!’…‘Good Evening!!’
Jedda- That quali lap up until the end was fucking amazing…he was flying and pushing (a little too much) around the track. His overtaking after the second red flag…p3-p1 was sexy. HIS POST RACE RADIO ‘ Luckily the fans have a clear mind about racing’…‘This is not Formal 1 but at least the fans enjoyed it’ HIM WALKING OFF THE PODIUM (as he should fuck Merc they didn’t deserve him up there)
Abu Dhabi- POLE POSITION AGAIN!!! And that last lap WITH A CRAMP!! Post race celebrations😭boring as fuck race until the last lap…and he made it count. And also like the man ligit knew how that was his ONLY chance and he just gave it his all…like he left it all on the track and you could see how fucking much skill the boy has when it counts.
#f1#max verstappen#formula 1#rambles#this was fun#his radios are hilarious#his quali laps were phenomenal#his overtaking was BEAUTIFUL#he was the best driver this season
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Russian Grand Prix Review
What is 2021 coming too, when even a track like Sochi can give us a great race, full of overtakes, strategy and heartbreak. The only thing to top this, would be a monsoon at Abu Dhabi!
Hamilton ended up maximising his weekend by taking the win, his 100th in the sport, after not starting the race very well. However, a combination of good strategy and strong pace from Lewis, allowed him to claw his way to the front, and be right behind Norris. If it hadn’t been for the wet period, he probably wouldn’t have won, but Mercedes and Hamilton showed their experience in those conditions, as they outsmarted McLaren to take the win. It was a rewarding way to get a century of wins, as he continues to show his prowess in Motorsport. Given what happened with Max, it wasn’t an ideal weekend for the team, and Lewis may still need to take an engine penalty, so there are many more twists and turns to come!
It was a rather topsy turvy race for Verstappen, who flew through the field early on, to be only a few seconds behind Lewis at the half race point. Yet, just like Hamilton had in the first stint, Max then got stuck behind Ricciardo, and whilst protecting his softer tyres, fell back slightly behind Alonso. He was saved by the rain, as both his skills in the wet, and pitting at the right time, meant he climbed right up to second. They have to be ecstatic with that result, as they have barely lost anything despite taking an engine penalty. From now on, Red Bull need to be flawless, and pressurize Mercedes, if they want to win the title.
Much like Max, Carlos too had an up and down day, as he led the early stages of the race, until the Ferrari once again suffered with graining, like we saw at France, and was forced to pit early, which severely compromised his race. He was holding on to 3rd somehow on very old hard’s, and pitted with Verstappen for inters, to get another podium for Ferrari. On a power hungry track like this, it was a great day for Ferrari, especially as the new engine in Leclerc’s car performed very well.
Ricciardo was on roadblock duty all race as I mentioned before, although his pace was pretty good on the whole. It was the stint behind Russell that cost him compared to his teammate, and then with Sainz too towards the end. It is good to see that he is about where he should be in that car, and his experience meant he knew when to pit in the wet period, which gained him a few places. Bottas is a lucky man, as before the rain he was down in 14th, doing nothing at all. He initially made good progress, but it seems that once Max passed him, he just gave up, and even fell back from midfield drivers. Even motivation from the Mercedes team didn’t work, until he was the first to pit for inters, which shot him up to 5th.
Alonso used all his skill and cunning to claw back some points against Aston Martin, including practicing the runoff area at Turn 2, which worked well on Lap 1. His pace was comparable to those around him, and so 6th is a great result for the team. Looking at where his teammate was all day, it shows how good he still is, despite his age, and the time he had out of the sport.
What can you say about Norris and McLaren this weekend! They were perfect all race, and made the right call in going long on the first stint, to give them fresh tyres when Hamilton charged at the end. Without the rain, I do think he could have held him off, as Lewis had stalled out behind him for a few laps. At the start of the rain period, Lando was actually pulling away from Lewis, which is rather incredible to see. So, who made the mistake on the call not to pit? Obviously, we don’t hear all the radio communications, but from what I heard, both the team and Norris could have handled it better. The team should have been clearer on what the forecast was, and what their view was on the situation, as the driver can’t see everything. Then, Lando was a bit too stubborn in staying out, which is understandable, given it was his first chance at victory. Overall, I would put it more on the team’s handling of the situation, as you need to support the driver more in those scenarios. Hopefully, Lando can come back from this stronger, as he was brilliant for most of the race, and has a great future ahead of him.
Unnoticed by anyone, Raikkonen managed to bag some more points for Alfa Romeo, as he was another to dive in for the inters. It is a nice way for him to return to racing, as he nears towards retirement. Unlike Bottas, Perez was doing all he could to help Red Bull, as he climbed up, to be right behind Lewis in the 1st stint, which meant he couldn’t fully focus on passing Daniel. Also, if Red Bull had nailed the pit stop, he could have put on a late charge, to try and pass Hamilton, and possibly even get the win. As it was though, he fell into the pack with Max, and pitted a lap too late for inters, dropping him almost out of the points.
It is funny how sport works, in that a few months ago, points for Williams were nothing more than a dream, and now we are used to it, and aren’t surprised that Russell finished 10th. As expected, he didn’t have the pace for a podium, and held up the pack to begin with, but was able to fall in line, on the edge of the points before the rain came. A good decision of when to pit, netted him another point for the team, in an unbelievable year for them.
It could have been an equal or better points day for Aston Martin, compared to Alpine, as Stroll was right up front for most of the race. However, a mixture of being on the wrong tyres, and incidents both between the two Aston’s and Gasly, meant it wasn’t to be in the end. Gasly himself was unlucky to be caught up in it with Stroll, although he wasn’t on course for a lot of points anyway. Leclerc, apart from Norris, was the biggest loser from the rain, as he stayed out with Lando, and lost out on a top 5 result. His pace was stellar all day, as he could stay with Verstappen, suggesting that the new engine is rather good for that car. Could Ferrari still put pressure on McLaren for 3rd in the constructors?
Despite not winning the race, you have to say that Red Bull, with Max at least, were the biggest winners from the race. Whereas teams like Ferrari and McLaren, have some lessons to learn, on why they weren’t able to win the race, in the extraordinary circumstances we saw!
-M
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Would love to hear your full take on Pierre,,,
Sorry this took me a few days to get to, I meant to answer it immediately but never found the motivation :( Anyways, onto Pierre.
I believe you are commenting on a post of mine where I stated my fear that the Middle Generation of drivers (Charles, Carlos, Pierre and Max specifically) have/are going to miss out on opportunities and will never reach their full potential in F1. This is similar to what happened to the “Lost Generation” which is comprised of drivers such as Daniel, Kevin, Nico and Checo. To reiterate something that another asker was confused about: it has nothing to do with talent. The generations are not lumped together based on talent but based on their similar ages/entrance into F1 and I am speaking on the wasted potential that this group never got to achieve. (For example, Nico’s full potential was podiums--he never got here. And Daniel’s full potential was a championship--which he’ll never get.)
I am not going to waste your time and state what I said briefly about Charles, Carlos and Max but I will go into depth more so about what I hardly touched upon with Pierre. As I said, Pierre is a phenomenal talent. As much as his podium and race win may have proven it to the world, many still call him a “luck driver” who is not good enough for a higher team. This is, obviously, because of his time at Red Bull dramatically overshadowed his career.
I started following Pierre around 2017 when I first got interested in F1 because of the history. In 2017 he wasn’t racing in Europe but in Super Formula so I took the time to catch up on his career thus far (I will go into depth on this in a moment). I didn’t start watching F1 until 2018 and the only driver (non-historical) I really was attached to was Pierre (others would comes later). Obviously, if you remember, Pierre ended up taking P5 in qualifying and P4 in a Toro Rosso in front of the whole world in only a few races at Bahrain. It was absolutely incredible and for the rest of the season until his Red Bull announcement, Pierre was dishing points place after points place after points place in only his first full season in F1. Therefore, while it was only his FIRST FULL SEASON, the jump to Red Bull ultimately felt justified.
Of course, this did not end up being the case. Our joy over Pierre getting to be in a higher team made us completely and utterly forget the track record Red Bull has left with its second drivers. For those of you who are new to F1 (either coming in 2019, mid-2019 or 2020) you missed out on Pierre’s debut season which was fantastic for the car he was given. Furthermore, if you came in during mid-2019 or 2020 and you think that the treatment RB gave to Alex is horrible--you are hardly touching the surface. The treatment that RB is giving Alex versus Pierre is like taking your sons on summer vacation and then having one of them sleep on the comfy twin bed with two blankets and the other kid on the floor without so much as PJs. We haven’t even touched upon Daniil. Daniil would be like the parents leaving the kid outside to sleep.
Let’s move on. It is very easy to look at Pierre’s season and tout only negative things. It was not his best moment and, yes, he certainly could’ve done better. However, with what he was given? Are we even sure about that? For example, Pierre become open with the media following his demotion. Not only did RB leave it to the very last moment but they also would:
1) Use Pierre’s car and car parts to test Max.
2) When Pierre requested a more experienced engineer, he was denied. However, when Alex requested the same thing, he was given it.
3) RB consistently spoke horribly of him in front of the media. They constantly spoke that he needed to do better and never tried to build him up.
4) Emotionally pressured Pierre to his breaking limit.
Now the difference between RB and many other teams is that when the going gets tough for their drivers, many teams choose to build their drivers up to set them up for success. RB’s method is to tear their drivers down and hope that they can pick up their own pieces once they become annoyed with humiliation. The demotion was far, far too quick. Think of Alex--he has been getting worse and worse and worse with a year and half of time at Red Bull. Pierre managed half a season before they gave him the boot. The boot was also without warning even despite Pierre getting better and better each race.
This is all information you probably already know, I said earlier I would touch upon his younger career and how this has been overshadowed and forgotten due to his time at RB. Here are some facts/statistics that will be important for my point later:
Finished 3rd in the French F4 championship with four wins, two poles and seven podiums over the course of only fourteen races despite having three retirements (the 2nd placer had 0 and the 1st placer only had 1).
In his first season at Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 he finished 10th of 51 different racers and every person but one who finished before him in the championship was older than him. Pierre was only 16 when Stoffel V was 20, Daniil K was 18, Oliver R was 20, Norman N was 20, Nyck V was 17, Paul L was 21, Oscar T was 16, Melville M was 18 and Alex R was 18.
In his second season of Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 he finished first in front of the likes of Esteban Ocon, Oliver Rowland, Jake Dennis, Nyck de Vries, Luca Ghitto and Alexander Albon.
Finished 6th in the 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps Series despite missing half of the season and there being 42 competitors total (everyone ahead of him completed the full season).
Finished 2nd of 28 competitors in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series and lost to none other than Carlos Sainz Jr.
Finished 1st in his second full season of GP2 (now formally classified as F2).
The GP2 race he won in Silverstone happened right after a huge roadcar accident in which his mother ended up in the hospital. Pierre himself fractured his vertebrae and still went on to win the race while his mother was in the hospital and he had a broken bone.
Was called in to replace a Renault edams driver in Formula E. He was jet lagged, tired and got only a few hours in the sims. He still managed to secure P4 in qualifying and then was set for a P3 finish but he crashed into the wall on the last corner of the last lap and came home in P4. THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME EVER IN AN FE RACE OR AN FE CAR.
Finished second in Super Formula in 2017 but lost by only half a point. One of the races in the season was abandoned when he was set to win because of flooding and storm. Had it not been abandoned he would’ve finished first at the end of the season.
All this pretty much brings you up to speed to when he entered into F1 (which all his amazing stuff you should be familiar with). Moving more onto my “take” regarding Pierre. I have shown evidence for why he is an incredible driver, however, now we’re moving onto the not so great bit. I suppose I must answer one question before I move on.
Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to get consistent podiums if given the proper car? Absolutely. Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to get consistent wins if given the proper car? Absolutely. Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to fight/win a championship one day if given the proper car? This I firmly believe is possible (other thing I’ll get into if someone wants).
The reason I worry and am distressed about Pierre is because I don’t believe he’ll ever get a go at a higher team again. RB really put a shadow over his career, a shadow that is going to worry other teams from placing him into their cars. He has ultimately proven himself with podiums and, of course, the race win. However, seeing as there is so much young talent coming into F1, I don't see there being a place for him.
Mercedes is set to most likely be Max and George when Lewis retires. Red Bull would never dare to put him in that seat again. Ferrari has their “golden generation” of Charles and Mick to look after. And those are the seemingly “top teams” (if you can even all Ferrari that). Let’s look at the others. Racing Point is going to be Lance and Seb until Seb retires. I don’t see Pierre ever going to Alpha Romeo. And McLaren is set up for the next few years with Lando and Daniel. Haas--I don’t think so. This is ultimately dangerous for Pierre’s career because RB likes to keep fresh meat in their B team car (or if you trust Horner it’s their “sister team” lol). Pierre’s best chance is the escape the RB family. AND I UNDERSTAND that the regulations could make things VERY different in F1 for the future. These are just my hypothesis and guesses--all is subjective and up to interpretation so @ anybody reading this--relax, buddy. So where does Pierre fit in in the future? These are some scenarios I have conjured up.
1) Mercedes. Let’s say that, possibly. Max never ends up moving into that second Merc seat and instead remains at RB wasting away until they can get him a better car for the rest of his career (ooo burn sorry it’s for the scenario don’t hate me). This would open up a place at Merc for Pierre to truly shine his potential. Most likely, he would play second fiddle to George but hey--it’s still a seat where can utilize that potential.
2) Red Bull. This would be if they get desperate. I don’t think if given a second chance, Pierre would say no. If Max were still in the team, he would be second fiddle. I can see Pierre going to RB if Max leaves for Merc in the next few years and they want him to lead Yuki or if Yuki doesn’t shine in AT and they end up dropping him they are going to be slim Pickens... I don’t know if being at RB will give him a place where he can utilize his potential but it’s a possibility.
3) Ferrari. This would be only a chance if Mick doesn’t do great in Alpha Romeo and they need someone to fill the seat of their obvious place holder Carlos. He would be alongside Charles. Other than that.... Ferrari seems pretty set and there isn’t any space.
4) McLaren. This I don’t see as very possible? I would love to see him in orange but they seem pretty set with Daniel and Lando. I think Daniel is probably going to ride out the end of his career there. Lando seems very integrated into the team and I can’t see him leaving unless he got a better offer like Merc. If Max didn’t end up taking the second Merc seat in the future and remains at RB then Lando might be given an offer which would open up a place that Pierre could possibly take. Do I count this as realistic? Not really, but it could happen. At McLaren I could see Pierre utilizing his potential.
5) Renault. This is one of the options that seems most realistic to me. They're set with Fernando for the next few years. If they decided, after 2021, to give the boot to Esteban, that would open up a place for Pierre in a French team that would love a French driver (they already have one but Pierre is a FRENCH WINNER). You know that teams loves their nationalism.... Anyways. Or, possibly, Fernando retires after two years (again lol) which would open up a seat for Pierre to take along Esteban. However, I don’t really see Esteban staying long term because Renault probably needs to put one of their Renault babies like Guanyu or Christian in there.
6) Williams. Lol. No.
7) Haas. I don’t see it happening really??? I have my reasons but my gut just says... Au revoir.
8) Racing Point. THIS. This I see as 100% 100% a possibility. Let’s say that Seb retires after two years--this would open up a seat. Pierre is a strong, consistent and stable driver who doesn’t make mistakes. Here he could really use his potential!! #PierreInGreen!!
9) Alpha Romeo. As I said... I really don’t see it. They seem pretty busy with all their young guys.
So to conclude, the future for Pierre lies at either Renault or Racing Point (less chance but possible includes Merc to McLaren). To not take up any more of your time, this is what I mean by Pierre being an incredible talent who may or may not get a chance at a higher team. He deserves to have more and to have a second chance. He has really proven himself and is pulling the absolutely maximum out of himself. I really want to see him with more, like he deserves.
Even Charles wanted him as his teammate at Ferrari back in April... that’s saying even more. Everyone on the grid except Esteban rate him highly as a person and as a driver. His potential deserves smth better. He has proven himself time and time again against everyone who told him he wasn't good enough and who still say it was all just luck. There exists luck. But firmer than luck, there exists skill.
Pierre Gasly is a race winner in an Alpha Tauri. Do not forget that.
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2020 Belgian Grand-Prix
Well I think we can safely say that 2020 was not a vintage year for the Belgian Grand Prix. One of the world’s greatest racetracks just didn’t deliver this time round (though I’m certainly not complaining – any racing is good racing in the time of Corona!). Not only were we looking forward to the track itself, but the promise of rain had given extra cause for excitement. Now, I’ve learnt not to be too optimistic when the possibility of a wet weather race is mentioned, and to secretly and silently wish for a downpour rather than voicing my hopes out loud for fear of jinxing it. But with the forecast stating a 100% CHANCE OF RAIN for Sunday, I foolishly allowed myself to believe that we may have a classic race akin to 1998, or at least a mix of tyre strategies necessitated by changing conditions across the track. Alas, it was not to be (though it did of course rain after the race!)
It’s not often that a team finishing 13th and 14th on pace is the major talking point following a grand prix. But when that team is the (once) mighty Ferrari, things are slightly different. How on earth did they go from easily the most dominant car around the circuit last year to one of the slowest? How were they the only car to be slower (1.317 secs to be precise) in FP2 this year than last year? Hmm, well it’s looking more and more like it might have something to do with the 2019 Scuderia engine not being 100% legal. The other Ferrari powered cars suffered too last weekend, yet Raikkonen managed to finish ahead of both of the works team cars, an achievement he was characteristically nonplussed about. But to fall so monumentally from grace to behind the Alfa suggests other issues also – their chassis is far from perfect and the fraught internal politics of the team at the moment can hardly be helping them out. Add to that a team of strategists seemingly incapable of making strategy calls and you have the perfect storm.
A team who have made considerable gains since last year are Renault. It seems like since they gave up protesting the pink Mercedes and started to focus on their own car they have really found their form! Ricciardo though has attributed their good fortunes to a set-up improvement; shall we just call it a combo of the two? In all seriousness though, it seems the team are experiencing the breakthrough they needed, not only with Danny Ric showing the skill and talent we all know he possesses, but also through Esteban Ocon really starting to show up at the last few races. Though we would have all loved to see a Max vs Daniel battle, and admittedly we did for about 15 seconds, Cyril Abiteboul will be very happy with the Australian’s second consecutive 4th place finish and extra point for fastest lap. With their haul of 23 points being the team’s greatest ever at a grand prix weekend, they will surely be feeling positive about their chances in the extremely tight midfield battle, where only 9 points separate McLaren in 3rd and Renault in 6th.
Whilst Ricciardo was a strong contender for driver of the day, that honour went deservedly to Pierre Gasly, whose performance so far this year has been consistently impressive, reminding everyone why he was promoted to Red Bull in the first place. Taking the risk to start the race from 12th on the hard tyres, he stormed through the field, passing cars left, right and centre who were on the speedier soft compound. A highlight of his charge, and a highlight of the race itself, was his sensational pass on Perez through Eau Rouge. Having been mightily squeezed by the Mexican he stuck to his guns and pulled off the overtake of the race. His strategy was sadly hampered by the safety car coming out on lap 11, but he still managed to fight his way through the pack after a late pit stop to finish a very respectable p8. It must have been an unbearably difficult weekend for Gasly at times, with the memory of the tragic accident that took the life of Anthoine Hubert, one of his best friends, still fresh. The Frenchman was honoured respectfully and with heart across the F2 and F1 paddocks, and it brought more than a few tears to my eyes to see Juan Manuel Correa return to Spa to remember his fellow racer. Gasly was driving with his dear friend in mind, putting on a performance that Anthoine would have loved and that was a wonderful tribute to an amazing talent and human being gone far too soon.
Come the chequered flag, the top three positions were occupied by… you guessed it! Hamilton, Bottas and Verstappen, the 1st and 3rd place drivers bemoaning the lack of excitement the race provided, both for themselves and the fans. This is shaping up to be Max’s best season yet. With a top three result in every race he’s finished this season he has hardly put a foot wrong, and though the gap between him and Valterri in the drivers championship is only 3 points (the Dutchman in 2nd, the Finn in 3rd), it’s increasingly looking like he’s the only driver Hamilton has cause to worry about. Elsewhere in the race, a heart stopping crash involving Giovinazzi and Russell fortunately resulted in no injuries. Russell was a sitting duck and there was nothing he could have done to avoid colliding with the wall as he swerved out of the way of Giovinazzi’s wheel. What could have been a very nasty incident indeed was yet another example of how impressive the sport’s safety measures have become (though we have seen a few too many wheels detaching from cars this season). Finally, I strongly recommend you check out the Racing Point social media channels. Whilst they might not have been as strong as they hoped on track in Belgium, they are killing it online, an absolute highlight being the adorable cartoon posters they have created for each race so far. The details on the Spa one were too good, ranging from Roscoe Hamilton at the wheel of his dad’s car, the bright yellow overalls of the two Jordan drivers standing out on the podium, and Sebastian and Daniel enjoying a game of ping-pong! 10/10.
What did you think of the 2020 Belgian Gran Prix? Who impressed you and who disappointed? And what are your predictions for this weekend’s first of three visits to Italy? Let me know!
#f1#formula 1#formula one#spa#belgian grand prix#belgian gp 2020#lewis hamilton#max verstappen#sebastian vettel#charles leclerc#pierre gasly#anthoine hubert#racing for anthoine#ah19#daniel ricciardo#esteban ocon#valterri bottas#george russell#sergio perez#motorsport
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How another Aussie champion helped Ricciardo recover from horror start with Renault
As beginnings go, it was less than auspicious. Mere seconds into the first race of his high-profile Formula One move to Renault, Daniel Ricciardo's 2019 Australian Grand Prix disintegrated into a shower of broken carbon fibre, the front wing of his car smashed to smithereens after he ran off the side of the Albert Park circuit and clipped a trackside ditch.
Things didn't get a lot better in the early races of 2019 for Ricciardo who, so accustomed to fighting at the front with his former team, had to sate his hunger with occasional crumbs dropped by the Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull outfits that annexed the available podium places. Top-10 qualifying efforts were rare, decent race finishes largely out of reach. He couldn't recapture the feeling on the brakes in his new Renault that had made audacious, last-gasp passes his trademark at Red Bull, and he knew he was over-driving to make up for the performance of his car and his own frustrations, determination to fix one mistake inevitably leading only to another.
Ricciardo's signature smile was still there, but those who know him best could see the grin's wattage was dimmed. Ricciardo knew something needed to change – and another high-profile Australian athlete unexpectedly provided the impetus.
"It was April last year, the season hadn't been going all that well for me, and I was spending some time with [Australian snowboarder] Scotty James," Ricciardo tells The Age.
"Scotty's a good friend. He writes a daily journal, and he was telling me about how much it helped him focus on his goals, what he wanted to achieve, and how regularly writing things down for yourself forces you to be honest and accountable.
"I started one myself to see if it would make a difference, and it definitely has. I'm being honest with myself and it's for my thoughts and my eyes only, and it's something I look back on. It could be something as simple as 'how did I feel today?', 'how did I feel how I felt about that race?' and so on, and then going back and trying to understand why.
"It's just me and my thoughts, and it has definitely given me some clarity. I never sit down with a plan of what to write, but in the writing process you answer questions you may have about something, and that's really useful for me."
Ricciardo's season eventually recovered to some degree from its stuttering start, and while ninth place in the championship didn't get his pulse racing after a pair of top-three finishes with Red Bull in 2014 and 2016, he comprehensively out-performed the driver in the sister Renault, German Nico Hulkenberg, and achieved the team's best result with a storming drive to fourth in Italy in September.
A strong finish to the year gave the 30-year-old reason to be optimistic about the 2020 campaign set to start in Melbourne next weekend, but it's a season he realises comes with questions he can, so far, only take an educated guess at answering.
Ricciardo's knowns for 2020 are few, yet indisputable. One, he's in the second and final year of a deal with Renault that hasn't yet delivered on its considerable promise. And two, there's little chance the West Australian will see the view from any step of a Formula One podium given drivers from Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari have annexed the top three positions in all but six races over the past four years.
Can Renault show enough progress that he'd consider re-signing? Might Mercedes or Ferrari, both of whom have driver vacancies next year, remember Ricciardo's recent past in a race-winning team and come calling? And what of 2021, where a significant shake-up of F1's rulebook could completely change the sport's pecking order, as Ricciardo discovered the hard way the last time the regulations were rebooted seven years ago?
"This year definitely carries more weight than most," Ricciardo admits.
"The chaos that surrounded my move from Red Bull to Renault, I don't expect it to be anything like that. But there's a lot happening. I'm 30, so whatever I do, it's a case of 'how many more contracts will I sign?'
"The easiest decision would be that if my year is going well [at Renault], then I'd feel like we were only going to get better and I wouldn't even think about the what-ifs or maybes elsewhere. Even though next year is going to be a new car, I think if we were able to make some big gains this year with Renault, that would give me enough confidence that whatever happens in the future would be good, but you never know how these things will play out.
"I certainly see myself in the sport for at least five more years, but every year I'm one step closer to when my career might end. You're not thinking like a 20-year-old anymore."
While Renault's preference is to retain their combination of an established race-winner in Ricciardo and French youngster Esteban Ocon for the first season of F1's rule reset, chances to drive for Mercedes, the dominant team of the past six seasons, and Ferrari, still the sport's biggest name despite not winning a drivers' title since 2007, are rare.
When the lights go out at Albert Park, Charles Leclerc will be the only driver among the sport's two biggest teams to have a contract beyond this year, the 22-year-old Monegasque inking a deal with Ferrari until 2024.
Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton's retention by Mercedes appears a formality, but the futures of 2019 Australian Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) are murkier, particularly with Ferrari banking its future on Leclerc with such a long-term investment.
Ricciardo openly expresses his admiration for what Mercedes, who won a record sixth consecutive constructors' championship last season, have achieved since the advent of the sport's V6 turbo hybrid engine era in 2014, which brought down the curtain on a reign of dominance by a Vettel-led Red Bull as Ricciardo joined the team that same season.
Mercedes debuted a revolutionary dual-axis steering (DAS) system at February's first pre-season test in Barcelona, a hydraulically powered innovation that allows their drivers to adjust the angle of the front wheels to gain lap time by pushing or pulling the steering wheel while the car is in motion.
Rival outfits were blindsided by the DAS concept when it was unveiled, Renault's sporting director Alan Permane commenting the team was "wide-eyed" about something Mercedes admitted they had been hatching in secret for a year, but Ricciardo says Mercedes' relentless pursuit of progress should be lauded.
"Hats off to them because they have been dominant this whole turbo era, yet they are still the ones pushing everyone else," he says.
"They're not getting complacent, and I think that's why they've been so dominant. They're setting an example right now and as a competitor, I certainly respect that."
Further clouding any picture Ricciardo paints of what 2021 may look like are rule changes that will make the grid that appears for next year's race in Melbourne almost unrecognisable from next Sunday's starting line-up. The next generation of cars will feature significantly different bodywork and low-profile tyres on larger, 18-inch wheels, while a cost cap, set at US$175 million ($A263 million) per team per annum, will halve the budgets of the sport's biggest spenders at the flip of a calendar, creating, in theory, a more level playing field.
The sweeping changes have the potential to make more of an impact than the implementation of the current iteration of rules in 2014, which propelled Mercedes from the midfield to a team that has won more than 80 per cent of grands prix since.
Pre-season testing threw up enough clues to suggest Mercedes, who never really showed their true pace in Barcelona, may just demolish the field again from Melbourne onwards. Should that happen, and with little carryover between this year's rules and next, expect their rivals to switch their focus to 2021 early.
Driver market intrigue, short of Leclerc and Max Verstappen, who is contracted to Red Bull until 2023, will be the narrative of the season, and Ricciardo will be in the middle of it.
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Turkish GP: What Makes Turkey A Worthy Contender For The Best F1 Race Of 2020?
In an interrupted yet thrilling season, could the Turkish GP be the race to top them all? Monza gave served a sheer thriller, a contest that upheld the triumph of the underdog, and above all – a hero in Pierre Gasly. Mugello gave us multiple red flags, sheer carnage, innumerable race-retirements, and a maiden podium for Alexnder Albon before serving us a reminder why Hammertime is not a product of FORMULA 1 jingoism that shines on social media; but a philosophy only Lewis Hamilton can epitomise.
Then came the daunting Nurburgring, ending rather enterprisingly with a Daniel Ricciardo smile as against fears of ‘what-might’ have happened given the venue’s dangerous past.
And soon after, Imola, marking the triumph of Senna’s biggest fan, amid the overwhelming emotions of racing where the unquestionable great of the sport breathed his last.
All of these contests have, at different intervals, enjoyed the status of being called the best F1 race of 2020.
Truly speaking, in a year where it once seemed a ten-race calendar was probable – if not more – may just have been enough given the season was truncated by the pandemic, having multiple contenders for the best F1 race of 2020 has been simply brilliant.
And guess what?
As the Turkish Grand Prix of 2020, that returned to the calendar, after missing out for nearly a decade (9 years to be precise), gave us a race that prompts the question rather than makes us reconfigure our choices:
Was the Turkish GP the best F1 race of 2020?
For starters, FORMULA 1 fans love wet races. You instantly think of the dominance of greats like Schumacher, Senna at events like the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix, Donnington Park, and the 1993 European Grand Prix, respectively.
The rains, the imposing challenge of mastering the wet and the thrill that comes along at expecting the unexpected.
The modern conception of FORMULA 1 has given us events like the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix where one truly saw Verstappen unfurl a Mad-Max run.
So while the Turkish Grand Prix of 2020 wasn’t fought amid blinding rains, it was nonetheless, an event that was contested amid unpredictable conditions and needless to mention, a sheer lack of grip for the drivers.
Moreover, anyone who saw one of 2020’s most exciting races in entirety could well slice it into two sequences, none of which had any particular bearing on the finality of the result.
For the first 36-laps, Lance Stroll, who had gathered a day ago, his maiden FORMULA 1 podium, led the proceedings.
Driving a controlled race with excellent tyre and pace management at the front, wasn’t this going to be the triumph of the youngsters, everyone wondered?
But that in the end, the now-famous remainder of the contest, saw Lewis Hamilton, who began from a lowly, even uncharacteristic sixth, win, made Turkey a strong contender for the best F1 race of 2020.
With a little over 20 laps remaining, Istanbul Park witnessed a dramatic change in the narrative that would, until the last lap crawled upon us like an unpredictable snake, altered the course of the Grand Prix.
Alex Albon, for starters became the more prominent Red Bull driver, not Max Verstappen.
Vettel, who had from the start shown himself to be the world champion material we’ve known him as continued to defend brilliantly from Hamilton, the eventual race-winner.
For a mighty fine surprise, Car #5 was holding well the hard-earned P4.
Leclerc, all this while, was fighting from the backend of the midfield into the higher end of the grid, showing pace and a desire to overtake.
Stroll, who had fallen back down to Ninth, having led for 36 laps was nowhere in sight of a place among the podiums, let alone a win.
But one man, through the course of it all, having at first failed to pass Sebastian Vettel for no fewer than 15-20 laps, kept fighting.
You know him as Lewis Carl Hamilton. Some call him the greatest driver on the sport. Some, despite his accomplishing a brilliant rarity- 7 world titles, derive fun from reviling him.
Many others hail the man from whom it seems loud and clear, every time he says: “Stil I Rise!”
It’s also the time to make a frank confession.
Perhaps no F1 pundit watching live proceedings seated atop the cozy comfort of the commentary box might have predicted Instanbul’s race-winner.
Hamilton?
Was there even a chance?
At the initial failure to get past Sebastian Vettel’s staunch defences, the likes of which we hadn’t seen all year around, Hamilton even complained over team radio, “the front brakes are dying!”
Surely, predicting that Max Verstappen would end up somber, as the Dutchman went for the highly unlikely, and eventually self-capitulating dive on the inside of Perez (then P2) with just a handful of laps to go, was possible.
But anyone watching a struggling Lewis Hamilton, who was only just hanging on 5th and 6th for the better part of the race, may surely have never imagined the Mercedes driver with the win, an outcome that took the iconic driver to his #94th in the sport.
Equally unpredictable was the sheer margin with which Hamilton roared supreme in the end, akin to a valiant Khalifa who wins much to the delight of a kingdom comprising devotees.
A 31-second gap to second-placed Perez, who earned his best-race finish in 2020, was just the icing on the cake that Hamilton had the biggest piece of.
But make no mistake.
At the returning Turkish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton made his own desert and had it too, but not before demonstrating excellent tyre management and race pace.
His move over the Mexican in the closing stages was impressive. But what was superb and perhaps the headlining material of Istanbul was the decision to not gor for that extra stop when he had all the time on his hands.
He was certain of what might have been a missed opportunity, circa 2007 World Championship.
But what truly makes Turkey a worthy contender for the best F1 race of 2020 is the fact that it returned another of the sport’s greats; a much-loved son to where he belongs: the front-end of the grid.
How heartening was Sebastian Vettel’s P3 in the end?
Perhaps just as strikingly good as the frame where, in the event of the race’s end, the German rushed to congratulate Lewis Hamilton, a worthy opponent and more than that, the man who bullied Ferrari but with sheer on-track brilliance minus shenanigans in the sport’s turbo-charged era!
That the Istanbul City Park became a garden of two titans, standing together victorious on the podium, Lewis the race winner and Vettel, with his defiant third lifted what may just have been another contest to a sublime one.
Even that’s not all.
After no fewer than fourteen Grands Prix, did Ferrari experience the magic of doing what was so treacherously taken away from the fans and the famous Italian team: the simple pleasures of seeing both drivers inside the points.
Vettel, with his P3, garnered 15 hard-fought points, while Leclerc, his younger teammate, who in the fighting final seconds saw his near-certain podium become a fourth in the end, grabbed 12.
But the tireless Monegasque, sad that hey may have been, took it, whilst Ferrari bagged 27 worthy points.
And with it, can you believe it, stand on 130 points; that’s 24 shy of Racing Point in third, 19 behind McLaren and only six behind Renault, who’re stacked on fifth.
For all this and more- wasn’t Turkey a truly unforgettable race?
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#F1 Bottas holds off Vettel to win in Austria with Ricciardo 3rd; REPORT
SPIELBERG, Austria — Valtteri Bottas held off a late charge from Sebastian Vettel to win the Austrian Grand Prix by just 0.6s, while Daniel Ricciardo pipped Lewis Hamilton to the final spot on the podium in third.
The first 68 laps had been a drab affair, but the race came to life in the closing stages as Bottas’ lead came under threat from Vettel. The championship leader was within DRS range for the final two laps, but Bottas managed to resist the pressure and keep the lead — which he had held for all but a handful of laps after his only pit stop.
Bottas had made a perfect start from pole position — so good in fact that Vettel alongside him remained convinced that it was jump start after the race. It was understandable given that the Finn’s reaction time was recorded at just 0.21s, but it set Bottas up perfectly to build a solid lead right from the opening lap. That lead remained comfortable for the majority of the race before coming under threat in the closing stages as a series of blisters opened up on the left rear tyre of car 77. Vettel smelled blood and closed within a second of the Mercedes’ gearbox, only to end up just shy of a proper passing opportunity into the two main overtaking spots at Turns 3 and 4.
Ricciardo had an even tougher challenge keeping Hamilton at bay for third as the Mercedes driver looked to salvage as much as possible from a weekend defined by a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. Ricciardo had to block the Mercedes into Turn 4 on the penultimate lap as Hamilton got a better run out of Turn 3 and attempted to use the DRS to pass on the outside. But with Hamilton on a set of heavily blistered ultra-soft tyres, the Mercedes driver only got one chance before the rear of his car slipped out of shape in Turn 6 and Ricciardo pulled an insurmountable gap ahead of the final lap.
Hamilton’s fourth place finish rounded off a disappointing weekend for the three-time world champion, which was hamstrung from the moment Mercedes detected an issue on his race gearbox following the previous race in Baku. Rather than risk a failure in Austria, the team opted to put a new gearbox in his car on Saturday and in doing so incurred a five-place grid drop that left Hamilton eighth on Sunday’s grid.
Car 44 fought back in the early stages of the race with passing moves on Sergio Perez at Turn 3 for sixth and around the outside of Romain Grosjean at Turn 4 for fifth. He then managed to leapfrog Kimi Raikkonen with a relatively early pit stop from super-softs to ultra-softs on lap 31 that gave him track position over the Ferrari but also also the challenge of making Pirelli’s softest compound last 40 laps. Despite several radio exchanges about the state of his rear tyres, he was equal to the task albeit just short of making that final passing move on Ricciardo for a podium.
Raikkonen finished fifth after dropping two places from his third place starting position. He lost one place to Ricciardo at the start and then dropped another when he was undercut by Hamilton’s pit stop strategy. Ferrari then tried to retaliate by keeping Raikkonen out on a 44-lap stint to give him fresher tyres at the end of the race, but the Finn simply didn’t have the pace to make it work.
Grosjean kept out of trouble to finish where his Haas started in sixth. At one stage on the opening lap he was as high as fourth, but his car was no match for the Ferrari and Mercedes that ultimately finished in front of him. He crossed the line with a 10 second advantage over the two Force Indias of Sergio Perez in seventh and Esteban Ocon in eighth, while Williams managed to turn an awful qualifying day on Saturday into two points finishes on Sunday, with Felipe Massa ninth and Lance Stroll tenth.
Max Verstappen, who started fifth, was taken out in a first corner collision triggered by Daniil Kvyat leaving his braking too late and tipping Fernando Alonso’s McLaren into a spin. Both Verstappen and Alonso were out on the spot, while Kvyat was issued with a drive-through penalty that ruined his race and left him last on the road in 16th at the finish.
Source: Valtteri Bottas holds off Sebastian Vettel to win in Austria
from #F1 Bottas holds off Vettel to win in Austria with Ricciardo 3rd; REPORT
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5 Big Moments From The Maiden Tuscan GP!
Not always does one see a race so saddled by accidents as determined by pure race. The ninth round of the 2020 Formula 1 season saw the contingent arrive at the land of Renaissance, as Italy gave us yet another contest to remember, albeit not one that could, in any way, have been predicted.
As one saw yet another triple-header, but one that ended with a Lewis Hamilton win, the ninetieth of the stalwart’s racing career, Mugello might have produced a Mercedes victory, but ensured that key highlights belonged to moments beyond the speculations of any racing pundit.
Such as both Ferrari’s ending inside points in the struggling team’s 1000th Grand Prix, Max retiring for the third time this season albeit bringing up his first back-to-back DNF (starting Monza), or for that matter, Daniel Ricciardo notching up the drive of the day, even as he failed to re-catch the valiant Alex Albon.
But a race that was just as thrilling in the end with Hamilton first coming under pressure from Bottas, whom he’d defy by over 4 points in the end, was equally thrilling from the start, with several retirements occurring inside the opening lap.
Nano-seconds after Lewis Hamilton, who clawed his way to a sensational 95th pole on Saturday, lost his place to a charging Valtteri Bottas (even before turn 1), the back of the field came to tangle in the run down to the first chicane.
It was mayhem at the start, one that would eventually result in several eventual retirements, Verstappen, Grosjean, Sainz, Raikkonen, Vettel, and Gasly all collecting damage as part of a strange skirmish in this twisty track.
But what moments, thereafter, defined the context and fortune of the maiden Tuscan GP?
Source: Espn
No fewer than 8 retirements
Not that safety car deployments fail to make a contest a level-playing field. But what followed the imposition of the first safety car at Mugello was in no way funny and left a rather scary after-thought for there was yet more drama to follow immediately.
As if the shocking retirement of Verstappen, who took a big hit in the gearbox wasn’t enough, the period after the Safety car went out was marked by yet more action reminiscent of a John Wick gun-slinging motion picture.
Max and last week’s winner Gasly had already retired, leaving 18 cars on the grid.
On Lap 6, with much of the grid weaving deliberately to kick in some temperature in the tyres, there was absolute chaos owing to an unforeseeable and utterly weird string of crashes that took place in the midfield.
Kevin Magunussen apparently too slow at the restart, possibly due to Bottas, out in the lead taking his own sweet time to get going, prompted the Alfa Romeo of Antonio Giovinazzi to run into the Haas’ rear. Even as Nicholas Latifi took immediate corrective action, avoiding Magnussen by a split-second as he shunted his Williams onto the left, he’d be collected by the crashing Alfa Romeo. Three more drivers consumed at the re-start.
But was that all?
As a result of the sudden bump in fortunes of several drivers, the man who emerged P2 at Monza too, found himself dragged into the unanticipated tussle. What was scary was to see Sainz emerging with a shaky right-hand. Had the incident been any more serious and we could’ve seen something gross at Formula 1’s maiden run at Mugello.
The entire drama prompted the race to be red-flagged, for the second time in a row this season.
But finally, as the action again got underway on Lap 10, it was business-as-usual for Lewis Hamilton, who’d retake the lead, going wide outside of Bottas on Turn 1, storming to the track position exhibiting unfettered authority out in the lead.
With Bottas in second and Ricciardo looking ever so resilient, it was going to be a cracker of 49 laps. And so it was.
Although, Renault lost Ocon in the red-flag period owing to a mechanical malfunction.
Yet so close, yet so far for George Russell
George Russell finished eleventh (P11) in the race, his first-ever taste of going racing at the land of Tuscan wines, which, one reckons, he must get some measure of having driven yet another commanding race, where he started the race from eighteenth on the grid.
Even though he couldn’t make to his first points in Formula 1, having looked at one stage so capable of getting there, as he positioned himself on ninth upon the second restart, Russell drove a race to remember.
The sentimental favorite of the day, the young British driver, didn’t have the race pace to challenge the Alfa Romeos and struggled against Vettel in the en
But his fans may surely have loved that bold move on the outside of Grosjean on the straights to execute a clean overtake, one of the defining moments of the 2020 Tuscan GP.
A driver who, they say, may soon find himself in Bottas’ seat, seeing that determination and consistency, George Russell’s best days are clearly in front of him.
The saving grace for Ferrari
The 1000th Grand Prix is quite a massive occasion for any team, and obviously calls for something massive when it concerns the most popular marquee in Formula 1’s checkered history.
And even though, Ferrari didn’t quite experience a massive moment, none of the drivers managing to collect a podium, having known the team’s woes this season, it was quite a relief to finally spot both Leclerc and Vettel inside the top ten.
While on his part, Leclerc, who stormed to a memorable fifth in Qualifying a day earlier would feel a chance lost given his eventual race position (P8), it wasn’t too atrocious for Sebastian Vettel, who claimed a tenth (P10).
But this was not before Vettel losing a part of his front wing of the SF 1000 early on after which he’d find a way to soldier on until the end.
Leclerc, on the other hand, found himself in business, breaking into the top-three all thanks to sensational acrobatics around the outside of Verstappen inside Lap 1.
But the fine race-pace with fresh tyres at the start would soon wither away, the Ferrari driver pitting twice even before half-way time to explain just some of his difficulties.
But emerging on top of his teammate, yet again, shouldn’t hurt so much- right?
Raikkonen finally gets off the mark
Going point-less in eight Grands Prix before he arrived at the very venue where he’d first tested an F1 car (back in 2000), Kimi Raikkonen finally scored some this season this weekend.
And what a mighty long wait it has been for the oldest man on the grid to finally get underway?
But once again, the only Alfa Romeo running in contention of scoring points, it didn’t take long for Kimi to prove why he’s still got it; moving up on George Russell upon the second restart, but not before he emerged unscathed despite losing some bodywork in the opening lap scramble.
source: racefans.net
The latter half of the incident-marred Grand Prix saw a quicker, more resolute Raikkonen, who despite finding himself strapped with a 5-second time penalty owing to making his way to the pits when the window wasn’t open, wasn’t going to yield.
Much better on the daunting Mugello straights than he’d been at Monza, Kimi sandwiched the two Ferraris in the end, and emerged ahead of his former Ferrari teammate.
At one point it did seem the Alfa Remeo was all set to get Daniil Kvyat’s Alpha Tauri but the Russian Torpedo held on well to defy Kimi with only a few laps to go.
Nonetheless, the unflustered Iceman would see the Tuscan GP drive as a win-win and shall now even see the remainder of the season at scoring some more points, his qualifying pace supporting his talent and endeavor.
A day Alexander Albon shall never forget
Alexander Albon arrived at the maiden Tuscan GP with a mighty fine qualifying performance where he claimed a strong fourth (P4) in qualifying, landing himself just behind teammate Max Verstappen.
But in the latter part of the race, as more and more drama and thrill livened up the Mugello contest, Albon raised his game, vying eventually for that podium spot.
His awesome move over third-placed Daniel Ricciardo with the Thai-British driver going wide outside the Aussie saw the Red Bull driver claim the third spot on the grid, a position which he’d tightly hold onto as if his life depended on it and truth be told, in the context of his Red Bull future, it even did.
But while glory belonged to Lewis Hamilton, who claimed the Grand Slam of this entertaining Grand Prix, the most glorious moment, it could be said, belonged to Albon for his brave third, his patience finally rewarded in the end.
Lest it is forgotten, this was the second race where Albon’s was the only Red Bull that finished the race, Max retiring. Does that tell us something about Albon being a dependable driver- not too hard to guess, right?
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