not ten, not fifty. one hundred grands prix wearing the silver arrows race suit, doing the heavy lifting through a painful rebuild since 2022, and delivering some absolutely absurd consistency. and what does George get in return today? a monumental P2 that tastes like pure injustice, and a garage that looked like a fucking wake after the DNF.
"so you're not happy about George's podium?" of course i am. but i’ve been thinking about how bizarre and deeply frustrating this whole feeling is. because on one hand, there's this immense pride in seeing George finally back where he was born to be, shutting up everyone who spends their whole lives doubting his ability, and nailing an undeniable podium. on the other hand, it’s downright gut-wrenching to see just how blatant the difference in treatment is within that damn team.
and look, you don’t need to be an F1 pundit to know that the technical analysis of this weekend doesn't lie. George didn’t just stumble into this P2 through chaos. it was a proper build-up of pace, consistency in every single stint, and flawless race reading. actually, a bit too flawless, given he has to do his job at 300 km/h while playing pit wall engineer at the same time (honestly, it was embarrassing watching George spot the strategy of the cars around him and Lewis’s pace before Marcus even clocked it). and not to mention that while the Mercedes engineering team seemed completely frozen or running on an inexplicable delay, George’s mental telemetry was sharp as ever. so he simply doesn’t have the luxury of just driving the car like he’s on a sunday stroll with a clear head, just receiving info like certain others do lol; he manages the tyres, predicts pit windows, corrects his own team, and even with that massive overload, maintains a lap pace that borders on perfection... so yeah. it’s a fucking joke.
but just when you think it can’t get any worse, well, you remember mercedes exists and that their next step is always their worst. the "golden boy", the team's new "prodigy", retires from the race. is it a shame? yeah. is it part of motorsport? sure. but the reaction from mercedes, and from Torger especially, is enough to make my blood boil. they literally seem to have forgotten who actually finished the race, scored massive points, and fought tooth and nail for that P2 on top of putting in a masterful pole lap and setting the pace in EVERY single free practice session (and no, Kimi wouldn't have won the race even if he hadn't taken the DNF).
so yeah, the image of George celebrating a milestone podium in his career virtually alone, without that massive crowd of staff cheering at the pit wall fence, without the energy of a team that actually values the driver bringing home the results, says absolutely everything about mercedes’ internal politics right now (and i’m not saying it has to be like that, but mate, let’s be real, there was ZERO visible celebration or support outside of those ridiculous social media posts where they pretend they’ve got his back). and Torger’s reaction? ooh, give me a break. it’s always that same clinical apathy whenever George shines, a massive contrast to the sheer euphoria or over-the-top drama that happens on the other side of the garage. George’s effort has become an invisible obligation; the new ''star'' glimpse of pace is divine genius. funny, isn't it?
honestly, it’s exhausting being a George fan and watching this. he has to do twice the work to get half the applause and public recognition from his own damn management. he held the fort during the car’s worst years, and now that he delivers one of his most mature, cerebral performances, the garage energy is absolute bin fire because their eyes are always on tomorrow, never on the incredible driver who is saving their asses today.
anyway, disappointed but never surprised.
i know the team won't do it for him, but i hope he knows that we will. so, congratulations on your 100th race, George. you deserve a team that celebrates your podiums with the same intensity you use to carry them on your back.
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