The McLaren DSQ discussion is completely moronic. Stella and Brown lobbying to remove/bend the skidwear rule is not only disregarding safety, it is disregarding the reason it was implemented to begin with: the death of Senna.
The fact that the plank wear was "a mistake" doesn't matter, and shouldn't even be discussed. All teams have to put up with this. Technical rules exist because you cannot prove intent. The simplicity of the rule keeps the sport and the people participating in it safe and sane.
The facts are that they were outside of the allotted limit, and the rules are black and white. Shouldn't matter if you're 1mm off or 10000m off: You. Are. Off.
According to McLaren, cheating/advantage is ok if it's only a little. And shame on them for standing by that. Shame on Stella, shame on Brown, shame on the FIA, and shame on anyone who stands by them. It is morally wrong to even consider such a change, and it puts the athletes putting their bodies on the line for them and us in danger.
source (x) also, important/interesting to note: Arrivabene was who Vettel had during his time with Ferrari...
And herein lies the problem (or one of them) with Ferrari, in my honest opinion. The last time Ferrari won the WDC was in ‘07 with Räikkönen, before that? ‘04 with Schumacher. The last time they won WCC was ‘08. Key difference? Back when Schumacher drove for them… they LISTENED to him. They developed the car WITH him. Lately?? The “Ferrari way” seems to be ego over success.
When you have John Elkann telling the drivers to “focus on driving and talk less” and then attitudes like Arrivabene’s around the team.. from the outside looking in it’s kind of clear that the drivers (Leclerc who is an exceptional and proven, resilient driver, and Hamilton who is one of the best in the sport, and has 7 wdc’s….) aren’t the problem here. Arrivabene was replaced by Elkann, who seems to inherited his arrogance and sense of culture within the team. Team culture is important. Listening to your drivers is important. It’s not even a gag to say that Ferrari destroys/burns out its drivers because we’ve seen it multiple times now- (notable WDC that came to Ferrari and “fell short” with them: Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton this season…) it’s not coincidence, it’s a pattern at this point. Your drivers are passionate and want to help develop the car— no one is saying drivers know more than engineers when it comes to the car; Engineers draw the picture and design the car based on data (yes, I understand it’s more complex than that- I’m purposely simplifying it for the sake of the discussion) and the drivers test it in real time. It’s ridiculous not to place value in their opinions and suggestions.
They want the same thing the team wants— to win. Listen to your goddamn drivers 📣📣📣📣
just read your post about how you like both george AND max which was so interesting, because as a hardcore george fan i'm just really not fond of max (also because of how max used to be and things he said) and i usually roll my eyes at the russtappen thing but i really liked your post!
Hi, anon! Thank you for liking my rambling post about them and I’m sorry that I’m using your ask to rant a bit, but I have to get it off my chest and don’t worry it’s not targeted at you or anyone specifically! Here’s just my take on a few things I’ve seen:
I just always find it deeply hypocritical when people bend themselves into knots defending their favourite driver while viciously tearing down another, as if any of these men exist outside the same system. They’re all beneficiaries of immense privilege: wealthy, powerful, insulated. And yes, that means most of them have, at some point, said or done things that are ableist, racist, misogynistic, or otherwise careless.
This fandom is simply not the place to seek moral high ground or sympathy points by pretending your driver is somehow exempt. When you defend one while hating another, it doesn’t read as principled; it reads as selective. And selective outrage is still hypocrisy. Yes, there is "worse" things than others, but I’d rather criticise and acknowledge it all at once.
The uncomfortable truth is that this sport is built on privileged millionaire men, and expecting them to embody ethical purity is a losing game. I’m not interested in defending them. Frankly, they’re assholes. All of them, in different ways, and that’s precisely why I don’t feel bad about engaging with them as fictional constructs.
This is a sandbox. I’m not here to protect their reputations or rehabilitate their morality. I’m here to play with the versions of them that exist in fandom! To turn them into outside versions of themselves, into dolls, into narrative tools. If we’re going to participate in this space honestly, we should at least stop pretending it’s about righteousness. It’s about fantasy, projection, and play. And that’s fine! Just don’t dress it up as virtue.
So yeah, I have my favourite drivers and some that I don’t really like. Also, because of problematic things they said or done but I’d never pretend my favorite drivers are angels.
Lando Norris, teenage fangirls and DTS - a thought about rampant misogyny
After Sunday's regrettable DNF, at least one person on Instagram has claimed to have had sent a message via Instagram DMs to FIA regarding possible sabotage of Lando's car by the team to improve Oscar's chances (might well be a hoax). Which is a ridiculous claim. But that's not why I got on the soapbox today:
I frequent Reddit threads about Formula 1. Both the serious ones and the more joking ones, filled with memes and satire. Aside from the obvious element in common, both subreddits seem to be convinced that Lando's fans are 99.99% teenage girls who only watch DTS and TikTok edits. Could be true, could be a total lie. The validity of this claim is secondary to its primary goal - an insult.
"A teenage girl's idol" is used in a derogatory way towards Lando. It's meant to show that he's somehow below other drivers, he's not as good or as serious about the sport. He's on the same level as Kpop male idols, which (in some people's minds) is unworthy of motorsport fans' attention.
[I don't think the BTS guys care while living in mansions and driving expensive cars.]
Insulting a person you know nothing about is the Internet's favourite pastime, although quite an immature one. It's like people forget that the persona you see on the TV is probably fabricated; tailored to the media's tastes. But it's been happening ever since World Wide Web actually became worldwide. Another thing that has always existed is rampant misogyny in male-dominated areas.
Why is it so bad if someone's fandom was mostly adolescent women? Would it be better if those adolescents were men? If you're insulting the entire fandom, why is their gender so important? What does it change?
Not to compare apples to oranges but can you recall other famous people whose fandom was predominantly young women? I can: The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald. Musicians, now regarded as important cultural phenomena, used to be dismissed and treated as less artistic or serious simply because their fans were predominantly women. Some occupations are socially regarded as "less prestigious" because they're female-dominated (think about it: pre-K teachers are usually women, while the pre-K owners/principals are usually men). Musicians gain their worth when men decide they like them. The music doesn't change. The artist doesn't change. Only the audience.
I can't speak on the topic of TikTok F1 spaces because I don't frequent them. I can, however, talk about DTS. Yes, I'm one of those people who watched it. A horror! Only after joining other F1 Internet spaces did I learn how fake that show is. I mean, how was I supposed to know? I knew nothing about the drivers or motorsports aside from seeing that one clip of a kid yelling "Charles Leclerc" and almost spitting out his lungs. There was nothing about the show that could have made me go "something isn't right". After joining other Internet spaces, mostly Reddit, I learnt the truth and was glad to do so. Now I can enjoy the sport with a much clearer view of certain situations. The Internet, however, isn't so easy to forgive and forget. Somehow, people who saw DTS are magically tainted. It's like the "OF detected, opinion rejected" trend all over again (which was also misogyny). If we want newcomers to know the truth and not trust scripted, fake drama, treating them as outcasts is not the way to go. How else are they supposed to learn? Would you rather they walk around repeating the lies perpetrated by a mockumentary posing as a documentary?
I was in a situation where two men assumed, from my McLaren hoodie, that I MUST be a DTS fan who saw Lando Norris and decided to be his fan because "he's so pretty" (their words, not mine). Mind you, we were strangers. I have never met these guys before. They knew nothing about me. Because they were speaking a different language that is dominant in this country, I simply waited for them to finish and asked "you guys know I can hear you, right?". To which they replied, "Yes, it was on purpose". I'm sure they didn't expect me to say anything because, as I said, they spoke a language most people around here maybe know conversationally.
That situation made me realize that the problem wasn't the fact that I had a McLaren hoodie. It wasn't the fact that I maybe supported a different team than them. No, the problem was the fact that I am a woman. If I was a man, they wouldn't have said that. Maybe they would have struck up a conversation about F1. We could have had a conversation like that but they chose not to do so. The fact that I am a woman, supporting a certain team, immediately made me a seasonal fan who just wants drama and pretty boys.
Because women don't have interests outside of that. Women can't like something that isn't revolved around men or catering to them.
Okay I need to get something off as a both Daniel and Yuki Fan
Before you come for me: Personally i root a little bit more for Daniel than for Yuki, non the less i wish BOTH! the best: points, podiums, wins, championships.
Before even the 2024 season started regarding silly season I came to the conclusion:
- I want to see Yuki Tsunoda in the second seat for Red Bull Racing besides Max Verstappen -
- I want Daniel Ricciardo to keep the seat at VCARB and Liam Lawson to become his teammate"
And here is why:
1. Daniel is a better asset for the Faenza Team than for Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes
2. Red Bull Racing need to face the problem in case they loose Max Verstappen and their future in the sport
3. For years Yuki has been overlooked as canditate for the second seat at Red Bull Racing although he is outperforming his car since atleast the beginning of 2023
4. They loose the purpose of the Faenza Team if they choose drivers outside the Red Bull Family yet again
+
5. If that doesn't work out with Yuki and they need an expierenced driver because the competition found a way to beat Red Bull - they still can swap out Yuki for Daniel when needed
Welcome to my Ted Talk
1. Daniel is a better asset for the Faenza Team than for Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes
When you listen to the interviews from Peter Bayer, Laurent Mekies and Franz Tost (last year), everyone always said & still say that Daniel is a great asset in term of developing and setting up the car
To quote Franz "He has an incredible feel for the car" and Peter "With his feel and developement advises he is also helping Yuki"
They were so happy last year that Daniel was there in Singapore to help setting up the car tho he himself couldn't drive, even claiming the he was an additional factor to why Liam got points in that race (i could talk hours about singapore23 trust me)
Red Bull Racing dont need someone for developing because of the current state of them dominating and being miles ahead their competiors and be able to create a car for Max smashing the whole grid
And wouldn't it be awesome to see VCARB podiums and wins like Pierre Gasly did with this Team in 2019 - 2021 ...
thinking about Daniels Renault time in 2020 and feeling that he was the asset that helped their performance jump between 2019 and 2020
2. Red Bull Racing need to face the problem in case they loose Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing needs to look into how they will proceed to be on to top in the case when Max leaves the sport (or to another team which i doubt) (which could be quite soon on how often Max already talked about retirement)
For that you need young talented drivers to make the step up because they can still develope themselves into a better driver and they also prob stay longer than driver who already drove over 10 years
Alonso and Hamilton are exceptions in their field and as we know WDCs usually stay longer in the sport as just race winners or podium getter or point bringers. Formula 1 also has the problem that they are almost either affraid of bringing in rookies because they are more likely to make mistakes or love to hold onto their old (washed) drivers
Too many young drivers were really good coming through the ranks of F4 F3 and F2 but never got a chance in F1. The case of Oscar Piastri who smashed everthing in F2 in 2021 still had to wait and fight to get that McLaren seat or it was moreover Mark Webber, who had to fight. Most drivers dont have a well known Manager to get those deals.
So i totally understand why Marko said that Liam Lawson WILL HAVE A SEAT IN 2025.
But I feel like Liam still has to proof his worth for some years in the VCARB before stepping up to Red Bull Racing.
3. For years Yuki has been overlooked as canditate for the second seat at Red Bull Racing although he is outperforming his car since atleast the beginning of 2023
Red Bull Racing themselfs prob still have PTSD from 2019 and 2020 with Gasly and Albon. That years showed that the big team doesn't have the patience to develope a rookie like Lawson. They also had luck with Max in that term but also had to go through a lot of crashes and imperfections back then.
Yuki Fan expierence this bias against Yuki far to long. To me in my mind come how the media shitted on Yuki in Mexico for his mistake when he was trying to overtake Oscar. The media shitted in Yuki more than on Checo Perez who took himself out.
As recap: Yuki on that day started from the back bc he got a new gearbox which was 1 aditional change to max allowed gearbox changes of the season. He started from the back and made up places, he got into the points and with his mistake he fell out of the points. You also have to understand that he was stuck behind Piastri for multiple laps to try to find an opening to overtake and prob got frustrated
Besides of that happening Yuki showed a very good race craft and teamwork in qualifying that weekend.
But regarding the Red Bull Racing seat - they barely name him, though he had very very good 2023 season regarding the car he was given
In the beginning of 2023 it was often said in the Media that Nyck De Vries was a possible candidate for the RBR seat and that Nyck will be the teamleader of AT because of his expierence and age according to Helmut Marko
And Yuki smashed that Media say with beating Nyck last year ... kinda similar how he is beating Daniel right now and the fuss about Daniel taking the
Or how Yuki Fans say: All voices that rise against Yuki shall fall
In that and also considering the precious point I am really annoyed about the fact that Checo Perez only has to do the bare minimum to keep his seat and drivers in less good cars work their ass off to get nothing out of it. Ofcourse rn he looks like he is handeling the car this years RB20 better than the RB19 .. as we saw last year that can change midseason with the increase of competion and car developements
Again - the idea of Yuki (and Daniel) may be closer to Max in quali and race pace than Checo overall but we dont know because they dont sit in the same car
4. They loose the purpose of the Faenza Team if they choose drivers outside the Red Bull Family yet again
This point is regarding the rumor about that maybe Sainz or Alonso are targeted for the second seat at Red Bull Racing if Perez doesnt perform.
If they take someone outside the family 2 current drivers have to go. There are already 3 drivers for 2 seats since Helmut Marko already sees Liam Lawson in the VCARB (they could have signed the contract already).
I see that they maybe eye Sainz (als a Carlos Sainz Fan too) as a possibility since him also being an ex-Red Bull Junior ... but i think i remember Marko saying that the mood the Torro Rosso 2015 wasn't ideal bc the drivers, mechanic and especially the DADS competing directly (Franz Tost enjoyed it according to his interview end of last year and i too would watch Papa Sainz and Jos battle it out)
Marko too said last year he'd loved to have Norris, but Lando dedicated his life to McLaren. Charles dedicated his to Ferrari and I also see how Alex Albon future is within Williams since Red Bull never really apprechiated him when he was there in 2019 & 2020
There is no reason to look outside the family if you have enough good drivers to sign and resign within the family
+
5. If that doesn't work out with Yuki and they need an expierenced driver because the competition found a way to beat Red Bull - they still can swap out Yuki for Daniel when needed
This is a lead back to the first point.
It only makes sense to sign Daniel Ricciardo for the Red Bull Racing seat if Red Bull Racing needs him in that seat.
If Perez can't give Max and the Team the teamplay or the performance they need from him, Red Bull has to make changes. Currently Yuki - a young and good driver - looks like the better and more long term replacement option out of both VCARB drivers. If Yuki fails too, then i would give the seat to Daniel and hope for the best.
Because if there is 1 thing we all know is that Daniel can be a beast in the Red Bull Racing car. That car (according to himself at the red bull interview with is race engineer) has still the characteristic that he (and Max) loves about that car and the Red Bull Racing Team know what kind of car Daniel wants and needs to perform and the kind of car in that Daniel can show his beast (honey badger) in him.
------
The season only just started and we barely had 3 race ... McLaren achieve a total overturn midseason last year ... lets watch and see what happens
The fact you think someone who's most recent DNFs were crashing in the last lap through driver error is better than Lewis is hilarous. Not to mention Mercedes are experimenting their tractor on Lewis, like they did in 2022 when everyone also thought Russell was better when he wasn't. Literally as soon as the announcement to Ferrari happened, everyone said knew that Lewis would suddenly be 'struggling' when he was best of the rest last year. Because think about it, it's in Mercedes' interest for Lewis to look washed. He dumped them in a humiliating way, they don't care about anymore.
Just say you don't like him? Or don't understand his value? Signing him is similar to the decision Williams made with switching Sargeant for Albon, harsh but a no-brainer. This is for any team in F1, including Red Bull. Because of one thing - hype. No other driver generates as much hype as him, and that's something that can't be replicated with any other driver. This isn't to say he isn't one of the top drivers talent wise, he is. But as we've seen with Bearman and Sainz, put any driver in a good car and they'll perform well. Ferrari's barrier to the championship is the car, not the drivers. If they have a championship winning car next year, they'd win it with both the current drivers and with next year's drivers. The only difference is that the story will be much bigger with Lewis instead of Carlos. And one more thing, this is the last opportunity for Ferrari to have Lewis in their car. I know there's lots of talk that the veterans should retire, but trust me, Fernando and Lewis are still at the top of the game, and when they're gone they will be greatly missed in F1. Instead of questioning why he's been given someone else's seat you should appreciate him while he's here, appreciate that the legendary names of Ferrari and Hamilton have in fact joined together when for so long most people thought it's impossible. Please do more research because you clearly don't understand F1.
One thing first: I never really made a secret about the fact that I'm not a big fan of Lewis Hamilton, I once wrote that in a post already, but I also always said that he is one of the best drivers ever in F1 history and I respect his accomplisments and performances.
I'm also a bit of a fan of Fernando, so it's not that I just don't speak for the drivers that are a bit older, I actually like the idea of Alonso becoming a champion again, 20 years after his last championship, if he should get a top car next year.
Oliver Bearman did a very good job at the Saudi Arabian GP, but he surely wasn't on the level of Charles and probably Carlos, that's for sure. So that wasn't really a good example. But no one was thinking that he would be as good as both of them, because of the circumstances that it was his first ever race and he has never driven the car before.
Lewis is surely still a good driver, but is he still the same that he was in the 2010 years? I really don't think so. And what reason would Mercedes have to let him be worse than he could be? It would only harm Mercedes, because they would get less points and bad publications in the media. Also it wouldn't make Ferrari or Lewis slower next year.
It's true that Ferrari hasn't the car to win the championship, no one except for Red Bull has it right n ow. But I think no one thinks that they'll drive for the championship this year. So it's still about the performances of the two drivers, which are pretty much very close to each other.
It's just my own opinion and how I see it, for me there are these minimal signs that (at least recently) Carlos would be the better decision. Maybe Charles can prove me wrong, then I'd be the last one not t say that I was wrong and Ferrari did the right thing (especially if Lewis will perform great next year.
The hype about Lewis is actually the only big reason for me to sign Lewis to Ferrari, but as Ferrari, a team that is the most famous, even without signing one of the biggest stars on the grid, that demands from itself to drive for the championship, I don't think it should just be the media hype that decides who will drive for them. And no, I'm still not saying Lewis is a bad driver, I'm just saying he isn't at the same level anymore that he had when he was winning one championship after another.
A thing iI want to let you all know, is that I will deactivate the anonymous questions, because i get many reactions that aren't very friendly or objective/impersonal, and I won't answer such stuff, because I want this to be a friendly discussion about the F1 amongst F1 fans who can also respect the opinions of others and don't feel personally attacked if someone does say something that they don't like to hear about a specific driver or team.
