A || she/her, queer, old, nerdy
I needed a dedicated feral fandom space here on Tumblr. Find me also on the bird app at @_NotYourProf_ and AO3 at NotYourProfessor. Fanworks consumer and appreciator.
what if i was the prodigal son and you were the golden boy and we were only teammates for two years but in that time we irrevocably changed one another and and i had to leave (i'm always leaving) and you stayed and rooted yourself to the place where we met and still spoke positively of me while we were on separate teams because we each carved a niche for the other person that clearly only they could fill and that only became more obvious as we failed to recreate that dynamic with our replacements and that only cemented how our relationship came to be defined as non-standard, a fluke, the ultimate exception, and wasn't i always your exception? since you don't ever change your mind once you decide on something (tomato soup, beef carpaccio, oversteery cars, and me) and i even comment on it, how you haven't changed (max is max) because you're such a beacon when i look back and the stars you had in your eyes then are now reflected in mine because years later i'm overestimating how many times we shared a podium and valuing your victories like they're mine (if it's not me, i'm glad it's him) and even when it should have been over for us (baku) for me (abu dhabi) the rule of exceptions kicked in and i was the first to come back because despite it all this was my team first (still they call you daniel) and homecoming smells like two-stroke fuel and vanilla because you're the constant i'll always return to, the immovable object to my unstoppable force and we were both boys?
My entry for #MaxFest2024! Made to celebrate Max and all his various pairings (ft. a 20 second outro dedicated to Max's WAP because I kept finding filthy REAL LIFE quotes).
how many max pairs can you count in here? the list + something i like about them can be found under the cut:
***
Fernando: Fernando adopting a child when he first came into the paddock when everyone else was đȘđȘ. Also part of Max's old man collection
Charles: equally competitive equally deranged underneath the clothes they are the same
GP: that commanding voice + max listening so beautifully when push comes to shove. you can't convince me that isn't brat max. old(er) man #2
Lando: gen z streamers!!
Nico H: come on anyone calling Max "hot stuff", "honey", "little pancake" gets rights
Liam: No words just the heart-eyes Liam makes when he sees max
DC: of course he fucked that old man (#3)
the RBR garage: I still remember the glory days of the 2022 RBR g******* it's still an annual tradition now
Checo: sometimes cute sometimes fun sometimes strangely horny
George: there's a tension there. also winning mentality đ
Oscar: talented boys who collectively give no fucks
Lewis: can you forget the nipple piercing jokes the podium champagne spraying
Alex: i miss them hating on marketing together
Luke Crane: probably not the only person who has said he wants to make love to max to his face. on live stream. but may be the only guy max has offered to spank. on live stream.đ§
Team Redline: all the shenanigans, always chaos on stream
and of course Boy Car: the bestest boy out of all of them
***
If you've stayed this long, tell me who is your favourite max pair?
Many thanks to Jo and Jam for their patience in watching me learn how to edit on a new program just for this 1 minute long video. And to bean for organising the fest!
âa sexual awakening so intense it registered on the richter scaleâ is the single best and most accurate description I have ever heard.
pov: you're 16 years old and doing the final test for your super license ahead of joining f1 as the youngest ever driver. you expect the doubt and hate, and you know you can prove on track why you deserve to be there once you actually get in a car, but until then, you just have to be the subject of everyone's headlines and criticism for a factor you can't control.
then this guy comes along.
race winner who got himself to a top team and is beating his world champion teammate, a cool older handsome charismatic guy with a giant smile and big brown eyes, beloved and kind while still being fiercely talented, competitive, and hungry? the guy who you met in 2011 and who gave you the time of day before you were old enough to sniff at the f1 grid. he's not even going to be your actual teammate (yet), but he still takes the time to tell you he's looking forward to seeing you on the grid when so much of what you've heard is nonstop criticism.
he tells you good luck for your super license with a big grin meant just for you
and this is how it makes you feel.
this is live footage of daniel ricciardo becoming a permanent fixture in max's spank bank. it's one of those foundational crushes you have at a young age that sticks with you for life and unconsciously affects "your type" forever and never truly goes away.
also, i just think everyone should hear the way max very softly says "he's a really nice guy, yeah" with so much affection packed into every word.
how are you not to psychosexually imprint on him? one look at that video and max was ready to risk it all. he's been metaphorically tucking his hair, kicking his feet, and giggling since day one. he found a guy who he could race hard, who would challenge him on track, but who would still make the miserable pr days better for them, who was always laughing at max's jokes every time he did his little glance over to ensure it landed. max is so fiercely loyal to his people, and daniel has clearly earned that trust.
tldr: max verstappen is number one dirlie and if he were on f1blr, he would be writing long posts with onboards, data, and that âïžđ€ attitude of his explaining in detail why everyone is wrong about daniel, and i hope it haunts all the max fans who get their rocks off to calling daniel a washed asshole loser that max's porn folder is daniel late braking compilations.
Temporarily veering away from primer territory, because I'm rewatching DTS S1 (I'm about halfway through at this point) and having some FEELINGS and need to get them out somewhere:
Daniel's personality hasn't changed much but his attitude is SO different. He was so focused on winning and especially on winning a championship. I'm thankful he's in a much better place now! I know everyone wants to win a WDC but I think it's a much healthier attitude to go out and have fun driving and do the best you can do, because sometimes your car is a tractor and if you spend all of your time thinking about how you won't ever be WDC, that's miserable.
They don't show even half of the times it happened but gosh it really drives home how unreliable the Renault engines were. So many engine problems leading to retirements for Max and Daniel both. (I think it's telling that now in 2024 Renault isn't supplying engines to anyone but their own team (Alpine) anymore.)
There's so much more we know about Daniel going to Renault that isn't shown and I wish I knew better what was known at the time but not included by Netflix vs. what we have learned in the years since.
For example, Christian talking about how they'd offered Daniel plenty of money is hilarious, now that we know how much more he made at Renault.
Speaking of Christian, is the entire DTS team frantically scrambling this week to re-cut as much of S6 as they can? Sending them energy and focus and lots of good food and caffeine.
Daniel going to Renault meant Carlos was all of a sudden out of a seat. Sounds familiar...đ€
I am petty and will probably never forgive ZB for how he treated Daniel and I'm feeling very vindicated in that opinion because he's so unlikable even in S1.
Every time someone crashes, the first thing that happens is their race engineer/TP asks if they are okay. This is normal, this is what we are used to. It keeps reminding me of that time that, while at McL, Daniel crashed and the first thing he was asked was "Is the car okay?" (See previous bullet point.)
Also feeling vindicated about having the opinion that Checo is a kind of reckless driver, and has been for awhile.
Related, Max is such an aggressive driver and I just...hope he is in the lead most of the time again next year so I don't have to worry about him playing bumper cars at 200+ mph.
It's fun to hear GP talking to Max on the radio and know it's him, even though he isn't named.
The lack of Merc and Ferrari in this season is both funny and sad, but bless the producers for finding some good press conference footage of Kimi. I think Kimi might have annoyed me if I were watching his seasons in real time, but looking back, he cracks me up. I'm glad I never had to manage him, though!
Pierre so excited about going to Red Bull, oof.
But all of the Pierre and Charles being friends since they were tiny lore is adorable!
I'm going to miss GĂŒnther so much! (I used to think that someday I would go visit the Haas HQ in North Carolina and...that's no longer something I'm particularly interested in.)
I'm sure I'm not the first to point this out, but I didn't remember the 2018 Toro Rosso car well enough to make the connection, but look at the similarity in the liveries between the 2018 TR and the 2024 VCARB. Obviously not identical, but I like the return of the blue, the red accents, and the silver bull!
Anyways, that's it for now, I hope someone enjoyed this word vomit. It is really interesting going back and watching S1 knowing so much more about the sport, the season, and what's to come. Also interesting how much a lot of the drivers have matured since 2018. I'm sure that happens all the time with drivers who stick around for many years, but this is my first time seeing it.
Another round of Qs and As with Bernie & Lawrence! This one is somewhat technical, so read on if you want to learn about racing lines, tracks gaining grip, what the Paddock Club is (and how much it costs to get access), car design philosophies, and, most importantly for our little corner of the internet, the similarities between F1 drivers and pregnant people...
As before, feel free to use this information when writing fic, but also remember that you donât have to have all of your facts absolutely perfectly correct! Itâs called fiction for a reason!
F1 Explains â 2 November 2023
Quick-fire questions with Bernie Collins & Lawrence Barretto
Q: What is the racing line? How do the drivers know what it is? Is there more than one [on a given track]? Does it change at all? How important is it that the drivers stick to it?Â
A: Essentially, the racing line is the fastest route around a track. You can often see it develop as rubber is laid down during practices etc. because it will look darker than the surrounding asphalt. There can be slight variations in the race line based on if drivers take corners with more of a U shape or more of a V shape, and drivers will often purposely leave the race line to set up for an overtake. Usually itâs best to stick to the race line, except during wet conditions because then the rubber that has already been laid down is pretty slippery.
Q: How do race courses gain grip throughout practice sessions and during a race? Are the courses swept or otherwise cleaned before race weekend and between sessions during a weekend?
A: This varies a lot depending on the track. Street circuits like Monaco donât have any inherent grip levels built up, theyâre cleaned throughout the year by road sweepers, sometimes they are even opened back up during the race weekend for civilian traffic. Depending on the weekend, if there are other race series happening (e.g. F2, F1 Academy, etc.) that can help build up the grip on the roads. A little bit of discussion in here about what âlaying rubber downâ means. Some tracks are just swept of major debris, some are cleaned more abrasively. Some dedicated race tracks host many types of races throughout the year (e.g. COTA) whereas others (e.g. Baku) only ever have the F1 race weekend each year.
Q: Why do the drivers drink from the long bendy straws?
A: The long bendy straws are necessary for the drivers to be able to drink when they have their helmets on, and itâs more efficient to just use the same drinks container the whole time. This also helps the trainers monitor exactly how much of the hydration drinks the drivers are drinking without worrying about evaporation or spills, and helps keep the drinks at the correct temperatures. There is also an actual discussion of how these are very similar to the large water jugs with long straws that hospitals (at least in the US) give to folks who are about to/have just given birth. One of the co-hosts says, of the drivers, âso itâs easier for them to drink with those bendy straws, and they might be pregnant,â and âthere are more similarities, when you think about it, between Formula 1 drivers and pregnant people, than you might thinkâŠâ DO WITH THAT AS YOU WISH, FIC WRITERS.
Q: What actually goes on in the hospitality suites? What is the food like? How do you pay? Whoâs in there?
A: The F1 Paddock Club is the highest-end suite and entry costs between $5000 - $9000 per person. Thereâs another level below that which is slightly cheaper. Each team also has their own hospitality suite. In all of them, thereâs an endless supply of very nice food and drinks (sometimes even dedicated pastry chefs), and you donât pay per item, itâs all covered by your entry. There are lots of special guests as well as clients, potential future partners/sponsors, etc. Sometimes press are invited in as well. The catering teams also look after the crew of their team, most of whom eat all of their meals at the track all weekend.
Q: How can one get a job as an F1 Strategist? Do teams offer internships?
 A: Most strategists have done a mathematics- or engineering-related degree. All of the teams do internships and a lot of them have graduate schemes for folks who have just graduated. Most teams have 50-60 people working on strategy.
Q: Whatâs the deal with #1 and #2 drivers?
A: Teams often donât like to admit they have a #1 and #2 driver unless itâs the best strategy to win races or the championships, by having the second driver help out the first driver. A lot of times it is just a matter of which driver performs better over the season. Usually, the best way to get the best out of both drivers is to let them try to outrace their teammate. Whichever driver is ahead after qualifying or the first stint in the race will usually get priority for pit stops, etc. The teams are fundamentally only concerned with team points, not individual driver points. Drivers have agreed to the teamâs rules about priorities in advance, even if they do end up arguing about strategy on the radio during the race.
Q: How does the extra point for fastest lap work?
A: A driver can only get that extra point for the fastest lap if they finish in the top ten of the race. There can be some strategy in this as well, e.g. if a driver wants to show their team they do in fact have good pace and should be allowed to pass their teammate. Or, if two drivers are in a close battle for the WDC, and one driver knows they arenât going to finish in the top ten, they might still pit for fresh tires right at the end of the race and attempt to set the fastest lap, knowing that even though they wonât get the point for it, they will keep their competition from getting that extra point.
Q: How much technology/research from one yearâs car can be brought from one year to the next?
A: Even if there are no major regulation changes, teams spend a lot of the year (not just the off-season) working on improving their car. A lot of work is done over the off-season break, though, and sometimes one team will make a massive leap forward in just that off-season development, whereas other teams have to spend the first half of the season still working and bringing upgrades to attempt to catch up. Also, there are often changes from year to year, especially when it comes to the tire compounds that Pirelli provides for that year. (And sometimes there are major regulation changes that must be incorporated into the next yearâs car.) Teams can also choose different philosophies in how they design their cars, e.g. whether they want them to be more âslipperyâ and better on long straights vs. have more downforce which makes them better (faster) at circuits with a lot of corners.
Vainly reblogging myself because I unintentionally posted this right as the Lewis to Ferrari news was breaking and I don't think many people saw it, which normally would be okay, but I just want more people to appreciate the discussion about the similarities between drivers and pregnant people, okay? đ€·đŒââïžđ
Another round of Qs and As with Bernie & Lawrence! This one is somewhat technical, so read on if you want to learn about racing lines, tracks gaining grip, what the Paddock Club is (and how much it costs to get access), car design philosophies, and, most importantly for our little corner of the internet, the similarities between F1 drivers and pregnant people...
As before, feel free to use this information when writing fic, but also remember that you donât have to have all of your facts absolutely perfectly correct! Itâs called fiction for a reason!
F1 Explains â 2 November 2023
Quick-fire questions with Bernie Collins & Lawrence Barretto
Q: What is the racing line? How do the drivers know what it is? Is there more than one [on a given track]? Does it change at all? How important is it that the drivers stick to it?Â
A: Essentially, the racing line is the fastest route around a track. You can often see it develop as rubber is laid down during practices etc. because it will look darker than the surrounding asphalt. There can be slight variations in the race line based on if drivers take corners with more of a U shape or more of a V shape, and drivers will often purposely leave the race line to set up for an overtake. Usually itâs best to stick to the race line, except during wet conditions because then the rubber that has already been laid down is pretty slippery.
Q: How do race courses gain grip throughout practice sessions and during a race? Are the courses swept or otherwise cleaned before race weekend and between sessions during a weekend?
A: This varies a lot depending on the track. Street circuits like Monaco donât have any inherent grip levels built up, theyâre cleaned throughout the year by road sweepers, sometimes they are even opened back up during the race weekend for civilian traffic. Depending on the weekend, if there are other race series happening (e.g. F2, F1 Academy, etc.) that can help build up the grip on the roads. A little bit of discussion in here about what âlaying rubber downâ means. Some tracks are just swept of major debris, some are cleaned more abrasively. Some dedicated race tracks host many types of races throughout the year (e.g. COTA) whereas others (e.g. Baku) only ever have the F1 race weekend each year.
Q: Why do the drivers drink from the long bendy straws?
A: The long bendy straws are necessary for the drivers to be able to drink when they have their helmets on, and itâs more efficient to just use the same drinks container the whole time. This also helps the trainers monitor exactly how much of the hydration drinks the drivers are drinking without worrying about evaporation or spills, and helps keep the drinks at the correct temperatures. There is also an actual discussion of how these are very similar to the large water jugs with long straws that hospitals (at least in the US) give to folks who are about to/have just given birth. One of the co-hosts says, of the drivers, âso itâs easier for them to drink with those bendy straws, and they might be pregnant,â and âthere are more similarities, when you think about it, between Formula 1 drivers and pregnant people, than you might thinkâŠâ DO WITH THAT AS YOU WISH, FIC WRITERS.
Q: What actually goes on in the hospitality suites? What is the food like? How do you pay? Whoâs in there?
A: The F1 Paddock Club is the highest-end suite and entry costs between $5000 - $9000 per person. Thereâs another level below that which is slightly cheaper. Each team also has their own hospitality suite. In all of them, thereâs an endless supply of very nice food and drinks (sometimes even dedicated pastry chefs), and you donât pay per item, itâs all covered by your entry. There are lots of special guests as well as clients, potential future partners/sponsors, etc. Sometimes press are invited in as well. The catering teams also look after the crew of their team, most of whom eat all of their meals at the track all weekend.
Q: How can one get a job as an F1 Strategist? Do teams offer internships?
 A: Most strategists have done a mathematics- or engineering-related degree. All of the teams do internships and a lot of them have graduate schemes for folks who have just graduated. Most teams have 50-60 people working on strategy.
Q: Whatâs the deal with #1 and #2 drivers?
A: Teams often donât like to admit they have a #1 and #2 driver unless itâs the best strategy to win races or the championships, by having the second driver help out the first driver. A lot of times it is just a matter of which driver performs better over the season. Usually, the best way to get the best out of both drivers is to let them try to outrace their teammate. Whichever driver is ahead after qualifying or the first stint in the race will usually get priority for pit stops, etc. The teams are fundamentally only concerned with team points, not individual driver points. Drivers have agreed to the teamâs rules about priorities in advance, even if they do end up arguing about strategy on the radio during the race.
Q: How does the extra point for fastest lap work?
A: A driver can only get that extra point for the fastest lap if they finish in the top ten of the race. There can be some strategy in this as well, e.g. if a driver wants to show their team they do in fact have good pace and should be allowed to pass their teammate. Or, if two drivers are in a close battle for the WDC, and one driver knows they arenât going to finish in the top ten, they might still pit for fresh tires right at the end of the race and attempt to set the fastest lap, knowing that even though they wonât get the point for it, they will keep their competition from getting that extra point.
Q: How much technology/research from one yearâs car can be brought from one year to the next?
A: Even if there are no major regulation changes, teams spend a lot of the year (not just the off-season) working on improving their car. A lot of work is done over the off-season break, though, and sometimes one team will make a massive leap forward in just that off-season development, whereas other teams have to spend the first half of the season still working and bringing upgrades to attempt to catch up. Also, there are often changes from year to year, especially when it comes to the tire compounds that Pirelli provides for that year. (And sometimes there are major regulation changes that must be incorporated into the next yearâs car.) Teams can also choose different philosophies in how they design their cars, e.g. whether they want them to be more âslipperyâ and better on long straights vs. have more downforce which makes them better (faster) at circuits with a lot of corners.
I realized there's a lot of us who don't know all of Daniel's little business ventures that he's quietly been working on. So I've put this together- I too wanted to know if there was anything I had forgotten about. (I'm not sure if someone has done this before? I haven't seen it come across my dash.) Also good for fic purposes- I liberally used Blue Coast and DR3 Wines in one of my last stories
*Edited to add Lafayette and Goods Way, thank you Laila!
Blue Coast Brewing Co.
Started in 2017, its a brewery owned by Daniel Ricciardo, Jenson Button, Natalie Pinkham, Karen Minier Couthard, Tiffany Cromwell, Eugene Laverty, Thor Hushovd, Andreas Mikkelson, and Noah Wyle. They call themselves the Original Bluecoasters.
Their brews have won awards.
Ricciardo Kart
Started in 2015. They provide karts for 6 different categories.
Which goes hand in hand with the Daniel Ricciardo Series or DRS that kicked off in 2019.
The series runs for 8 weekends around the UK throughout the summer and they crown a champion at the end of the series.
DR3 Wines x St Hugo
I was surprised to find out that the first DR3xSt Hugo blend was from 2014. He'd said in an interview that he didn't want to just put his name on something- he wanted to be a part of the whole process.
Enchante.co
We all know about Ric3 turned Enchante.
Goods Way and Lafayette
Goods Way is a bar/speakeasy owned by Ben Lovett from Mumford & Sons and Lafayette is the live music venue attached to the bar. Lafayette is owned by both Daniel and Ben
Daniel has also spoken about being an executive producer on a potential 'Entourage' style F1 Hulu series. There was also talks about him acting- which I'm sure has since been tabled since he's back on the grid.
Outside of his ventures, he has a fair bit of personal sponsors; OKX, Optus, SeaDoo, GoPro, Beats by Dre, EA Sports and Thorne.
Our little Money Badger is doing well for himself
I'm sure this list isn't exhaustive because he seems to like to have his little bitten cuticle fingers (adorably affectionate) in a bunch of things. So I'll update as more ventures get released I guess
I love this! Also, I didnât know about the Daniel Ricciardo Series until today so I went to their website and watched some of their videos, and an extremely cool thing they are doing is the new âArrive N Driveâ program. Basically what that means is that kids can get involved in competitive karting without their families having to buy a kart for them! They have to have a race suit and crash helmet and pay to participate in each race, but itâs on the order of ÂŁ200 - ÂŁ300 instead of the thousands of pounds it costs to purchase a cart, not to mention maintenance, etc. They also have a program to help the kids get the racing license they need and will have some mentorship available as well. It seems like it really opens up opportunities for more kids to be able to get involved that wouldnât have been able to before, and gives them a chance to try it out on a competitive level to see if they even like it before their families have to make a major investment. So cool!
When Em @powerful-owl first put out her call for primers (what feels like a hundred years ago now), I swore I had just recently listened to a description of what a race weekend was like for drivers on one of my podcasts, almost certainly F1 Explains. I listened back to the two episodes I thought it might be on, and figured Iâd go ahead and take and share some notes on everything, in case there is some useful info in there for others. It turns out I had mis-remembered, because the discussion was about what a race weekend is like for media folks, not drivers, but I think itâs still useful because it does give information about what the driversâ media obligations are.
In general, I highly recommend the F1 Explains podcast (previously called Formula Why), especially to new F1 fans who want to learn more details about the sport. Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill co-host it, and on most episodes they pick a single topic (e.g. racing in the rain, street circuits, driver training regimens, etc.) and do a deep dive with a few different experts. But they also do semi-regular âquick-fireâ episodes where they cover a bunch of questions that maybe donât need a full episode to answer. Former Aston Martin strategist and current F1 + Sky Sports strategy analyst Bernie (Bernadette) Collins is a regular guest expert on the quick-fire episodes. (Sheâs also a regular in MY HEART, because she is amazing and wonderful and has the best Irish accent.) There are a few other rotating experts as well, usually from the F1/Sky Sports family.
Anyways, here is my write-up of the answer to the question about what a race weekend is like for media, which was on the episode from 9 November 2023:
Q: What are race weekends like for media and broadcasters? Are there dedicated times the media can speak to drivers?
A: F1 is one of the sports where media actually get the most availability of drivers for the media. Thursday is Media Day. Each team puts out a list of times, usually a 5-20 minute window, where TV or print media can come along and ask questions. For TV itâs called a âscrumâ where the media are in a sort of arc around the driver with all of their cameras pointed at the driver and they take turns asking questions. Written media is similar. If the driver misses that time for whatever reason, there usually arenât any backup times. Media can also request one-to-one interviews at a separate time, but that is negotiated and set weeks and weeks in advance. Each team puts aside one hour for media time on a Thursday that includes the TV and written media scrums as well as any one-to-one interviews. Additionally, every weekend there are two press conferences held by the FIA on Media Day. Ten drivers do the press conference with written media where the drivers are all sat together at a desk or on couches answering questions. The other ten drivers do the TV pen, which is a U-shape with all of the TV crews standing around the outside and each driver works their way around the U talking to each TV crew. Each crew gets a maximum of two questions per driver. After each practice session, qualifying, and the race itself, the drivers will do the TV pen again and speak to written media. The top three finishers also do the post-race press conference.
So feel free to use this information when writing fic, but also remember that you donât have to have all of your facts absolutely perfectly correct! Itâs called fiction for a reason!
There were a lot of other interesting questions and answers in the episode, which I also took notes on, and I will put those below the cut. (Read on to find out which driver has Strong Feelings about the roundabouts near Milton Keynes, and which world champions have accidentally pulled into the wrong pit boxes before, LOL.)
Is this the kind of thing that is interesting and useful? I have a summary written up already for the 2 November 2023 episode, because I thought the "what is race weekend like" question might be in that one, but this is already super long. Should I post the notes on that episode in a different post? I can do notes/summaries for other episodes if that's something people are interested in, but I have a bad history of spending a lot of time documenting things in fandom that no one else ever uses or looks at, so I'm trying to...better allocate my limited spare time.
F1 Explains â 9 November 2023
Quick-fire questions with Bernie Collins & Lawrence Barretto
First, a sidenote: Daniel Ricciardo once did a shoey from one of Lawrence Barettoâs shoes. Daniel signed it and Lawrence has it on desk now.
Q: What construction and logistics have to go into a new street circuit, and how to teams prepare for a brand new track?
A: The streets used for the race track have to be re-laid with new tarmac, there has to be coordination with street opening and closing, hotels and other businesses around the circuit, etc. There is a full episode on racetrack design. To prepare for a new track, teams look closely at historical weather data (including temperatures and wind). Theyâll load 2D and sometimes 3D scans of the track into their simulators, although often there isnât full information yet because the final track hasnât been finished. Lots of simulations and calculations in an attempt to get as much data as they can in advance. Thereâs also a full episode about how simulators work.
Q: How important is the engine manufacturer? Are they a glorified sponsor that provides an F1-approved generic engine or are there real technical differences between the engines from different suppliers?
A: There are differences between power units from different manufacturers. It also gives them a chance to really stretch themselves and bring in expertise from all around the company (e.g. if they also manufacture jet engines) and to hopefully get some good PR that will lead to more people buying their street cars. In 2023 for the first time, each engine manufacturer showed their engine off to the press to show the differences between each unit. 2023 engine manufacturers were Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes, and Honda. In 2026, Ford and Audi will join as new manufacturers.
Q: Why do drivers and engineers do track walks? Do all teams and drivers do this?
A: Not all drivers do it, some of them will do a run or go out on a scooter. Reasons to do it include looking for changes from last year (new bumps, changes to gravel or curbs (kerbs), etc.) as well as having a bit of uninterrupted time for drivers and their race engineers to talk to each other. Also can be helpful to the commentators/presenters. Helps everyone build/remember their muscle memory of the track if theyâve been there before.
Q: Is F1 using AI? Could it be used for race strategy?
A:Â Yes, most teams are already doing machine learning in calculations and simulations, but for now human input is still required (and probably always will be).
(Repeating this here because this is where it was in the episode)
Q: What are race weekends like for media and broadcasters? Are there dedicated times the media can speak to drivers?
A: F1 is one of the sports where media actually get the most availability of drivers for the media. Thursday is Media Day. Each team puts out a list of times, usually a 5-20 minute window, where TV or print media can come along and ask questions. For TV itâs called a âscrumâ where the media are in a sort of arc around the driver with all of their cameras pointed at the driver and they take turns asking questions. Written media is similar. If the driver misses that time for whatever reason, there usually arenât any backup times. Media can also request one-to-one interviews at a separate time, but that is negotiated and set weeks and weeks in advance. Each team puts aside one hour for media time on a Thursday that includes the TV and written media scrums as well as any one-to-one interviews. Additionally, every weekend there are two press conferences held by the FIA on Media Day. Ten drivers do the press conference with written media where the drivers are all sat together at a desk or on couches answering questions. The other ten drivers do the TV pen, which is a U-shape with all of the TV crews standing around the outside and each driver works their way around the U talking to each TV crew. Each crew gets a maximum of two questions per driver. After each practice session, qualifying, and the race itself, the drivers will do the TV pen again and speak to written media. The top three finishers also do the post-race press conference.
Q: How much interaction is there between broadcasting teams from different countries?
A: A lot. They all see each other regularly so they get to know each other, and they often chat amongst themselves to communicate about what drivers have said to their home broadcasters, because they usually give longer/more detailed answers when theyâre speaking in their native language.
Q: How does breaking news get shared with everyone?
A: Press releases used to be printed out on paper and handed out in the Media Center. Now each F1 team has a WhatsApp group specifically for media so they send info that way (e.g. about driver availability for interviews or problems with the cars) in addition to email and social media.
Q: Is there a dedicated space for journalists to write up their race reports?
A: Yes, itâs called the Media Center, there are desks, TV screens, food, and drinks (especially coffee!). The press conference room is in the Media Center as well, adjacent to the work area where journalists can sit and write.
Q: Has Bernie ever had a debrief delayed [when she was a team strategist] due to media interviews running long?
A: Many of the debriefs have been delayed by drivers, and blaming it on the media is an easy out when maybe it was actually the driver who stopped to get a coffee or whatever. Each F1 driver has their own press officer who helps them meet all of their press responsibilities. Often the drivers will talk longer than they are supposed to; Alex Albon and Oscar Piastri are specifically named as drivers who are very good at going off on tangents and talking to the media for too long. One time, Alex spent a good amount of time ranting about the roundabouts in Milton Keynes near the Red Bull factory is based.
Q: How is the order of the garages in the pit lane decided? Are there advantages to being in certain positions and does it play into race strategy?
A: At most tracks, the garages are in order based on how the teams finished in the constructorâs championship the previous year, so over a given season, the garages on either side of your teams donât change. Sometimes the previous champions are right at the pit lane entry, sometimes near the exit, that depends on the track. If youâre right at the entry, itâs easier to come in and pit (i.e. there arenât any other teamâs mechanics in your way), but more difficult to get back out on track. Near the pit exit, the opposite is true (harder to get in, easier to get out). Depending on the track, it can be helpful to be right near the pit exit (e.g. if you want to get right out on track with clear air in front of you, Bernie mentions Monaco) or further back (e.g. if itâs better to have some other cars go first in qualifying, Bernie mentions Monza). The only exception to the rule of âgarages are in order of last yearâs championship standingsâ is Silverstone, where the pit lane is at about the same height as the track in the middle but at either end the pit lane is lower than the track so visibility is impaired. Because of this, the garages in the center (with a good view of the track) are considered most desirable and are thus taken by the top teams.
Christian Hewgill points out how surprising/impressive it is that drivers donât pull into the wrong pit box more often. For example, at the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix, Jenson Button accidentally parked in the wrong garage and it cost him the lead in the race to Sebastian Vettel. Bernie points out that teams have done a lot of things to help drivers get to the correct pit lanes. It often happens when drivers switch teams (e.g. Lewis Hamilton once went into the McLaren pit when he had just moved to Mercedes, Sebastian Vettel went to the Ferrari pit once after he had switched to Aston Martin).
Q: What is an anti-stall? How is it different from a regular stall?
A: (Note that I am basically quoting Bernie verbatim here because Iâve never driven a manual/stick-shift car and donât understand the details of how they work!) An anti-stall is very similar to a normal stall, but F1 have come up with clever ways to make sure the car engines donât actually stall. In a regular manual car, if you were to let the clutch out too much or not give it enough throttle and the car stalled, the engine would cut out. At the starting grid, the driver might do the same thing (e.g. not give it enough throttle) and the car might stall, but the engine doesnât actually cut out. (Another note: itâs not explicitly stated, but I think this is a safety thing so that even if the car stalls and doesnât get a super fast start, the driver will be able to accelerate pretty quickly after, instead of sitting on the grid unable to move while the cars behind start crashing into the stalled car.)
Q: Why do F1 teams change names?
A: OK I started writing this in a way that makes sense beyond the short answers given on the podcast, but it really needs to be a separate post. The short answer to âwhy do teams change names?â is money. (Shocker!)Â
Sometimes a team that also makes something else wants to promote one of their brands, e.g. Renault rebranding to Alpine, which is Renaultâs sports car brand, or Toro Rosso rebranding to AlphaTauri, which is Red Bullâs clothing line.Â
Sometimes a team will have a sponsor who pays enough money to be a title sponsor, e.g. Oracle Red Bull Racing or the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, where Oracle and Petronas are completely separate companies that pay a lot of money in addition to providing relevant expertise to their teams.Â
(In the other post, Iâll get into Sauber/Alfa Romeo/Stake/Kick, donât worry. đ)
Q: How is the number of laps in a Grand Prix determined?
A: The number of laps for a given circuit is however many laps are needed to get to a 305 km (~190 mi) race distance. The exception is Monaco where the distance is 260 km (~162 mi).
Thank you @yesloulou for adding this info in your tags! Reblogging it here so I can find it easily:
#a side note for anti-stall is that it allows drivers to possibly re-join a session after spinning out #(by keeping the engine running thus able to restart unassisted quickly. otherwise f1 cars are started by mechanics using external starters) #and ofc itâs always a good idea for drivers to be able to mobilize after unexpectedly becoming stationary on or near a live track
And thanks y'all in general for the positive response to this! I'm hoping to get my notes for the other episode I mentioned proof-read, formatted, and posted this weekend. Hopefully I'll finish my team names primer soon as well (especially seeing as how we may in fact have the new team name for the team fka Alpha Tauri). It also explains what a works (or factory) team is, if you've heard that term bandied around and wondered about it.
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