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artificialqueens · 5 years

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Paper Hearts Chapter 5 (Branjie) -- meggie

A/N: I’ve changed to using male pronouns for Brooke and female for Vanjie because it felt more natural. I hope the switch isn’t distracting!

A huge thank you to Evan, my conspiracy partner in crime. I buy 100% of your theories and live for Nancy Drew nights, babe. Thank you for being you and for letting me borrow one of your theories. ;) Thank you to pinkgrapefruit for taking a look at this before anyone else and telling me I was on the right track and to writworm42 for giving it the final once-over.

This chapter is dedicated to all the beautiful souls on the Branjie Discord because every single one of you lights up my life on the daily. Who else can I geek out with about THAT LIVE at 11 p.m. and theorize with at 11 a.m. when I’m supposed to be teaching America’s youth? TL;DR: you guys are the best and I’m so glad we’ve made our little family.

And to all of you, for reading, liking, reblogging, and commenting. Let me know what you think either here or on my personal blog @artificialmeggie. My ask box is always open and I LOVE hearing from you. You make this otherwise useless hobby of mine worthwhile. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Enjoy Chapter Five: In which Brooke regrets telling Nina, asks Vanjie what it all means, and receives an offer he can’t refuse.

It’s halfway through Monday before Brooke starts to regret telling Nina.

He and Vanessa spend Saturday talking and kissing and “getting to know each other.” Production takes them to a movie on Sunday, so they hold hands under the cover of darkness in the theater and hidden under Vanjie’s hoodie in the van.

No one really seems to be any the wiser. Silky and Nina watch them with sidelong glances, Silky through narrowed, cynical eyes, and Nina with her Disney character smile and the excitement of a mother watching her child flourish and blossom for the first time.

Brooke guesses he can’t exactly hold that against her—Nina has been like a surrogate drag mother to him, and this is a pretty big step forward for Brooke Lynn, who until this point was pretty sure he was going to die alone in his apartment and be devoured by his cats.

He’s an optimist.

What he can and absolutely will hold against Nina is choosing both him and Vanessa to be on her team for the Diva Worship challenge.

(Although Brooke will never complain about working with Nina because he adores her. Just call him Delano.)

And Brooke isn’t mad about working with Vanjie, but they had decided (together. After many shared kisses and touches) that it may be better to keep things under wraps for now. They both know that eventually this thing between them—whatever it is—will have to be revealed to the other girls, but Brooke is hopeful they can get to the top seven or eight before it becomes an issue.

Not to mention that it’s probably best they keep their distance. It will be easier to keep their heads on straight that way. Easier to not get distracted. Just a better situation all around.

(If he’s being completely honest, he had said all this while Vanessa nibbled at his neck and run her hands under Brooke’s shirt and hummed her consent against Brooke’s lips.)

But before Vanjie had left for the night, Brooke paused and pulled away and said, “Seriously. We can’t let this get in the way.”

Vanessa had smirked a little, but nodded. “You right. When I beat you I want it to be because I beat you, not ‘cause you were distracted by all this.” Then she’d taken Brooke’s hands and run them down her body until they’d landed on her hips and they’d started kissing again, long and deep and languid.)

Ballet training is about discipline, and normally Brooke has that in spades. But when Vanessa is around, all bets are off. He wants to touch her, hug her, kiss her. He longs to pull her into his lap, press his mouth against the sensitive pulse point just under her ear, and suck gently, like he’d done countless times over the weekend after he’d discovered the way it made Vanjie’s breath hitch in her throat.

But Brooke is a Professional™, and no amount of animal magnetism that draws him to Vanessa will distract him from his main goal: the crown, the title, the $100,000 he has earmarked for charity. The knowledge that he actually fucking did it. That he won the biggest pageant of his life. That he’s worthy.

There are no second chances on Drag Race for girls like him, the polished, poised, and perfect ones, the ones who should win the first time around, and Brooke knows he has to get this right on the first go. No. Excuses.

No distractions.

So. He isn’t pressed about working with Vanjie, but he doesn’t think it’s fair that he’s essentially performing two challenges in the same go, even if it’s by his own making. Because fighting the temptation to touch Vanessa is proving to be one of the most difficult things he’s encountered so far. Even though he knows it’s for the best.

Luckily Nina sees it fit to assign Brooke the role as her co-host and give Vanessa a role of her own, and Brooke sighs in relief. He’s more than happy to play second fiddle to Nina, feed off her energy, banter. That part will be easy. Finding ways to treat Vanessa like just a good Judy for the next twenty-four hours… That might not be so simple.

*****

Silky’s on their team too. Which is fine. Silky is good off the cuff. Silky will make the best of the challenge, even though she’s working with Ariel, and their relationship is more than strained after last week’s blow up. But they’re fine. They’ll be fine.

Brooke constantly feels eyes on him, and he knows they almost certainly belong to Dr. Ganache, watching him, judging him.

They fly through the challenge. He and Nina banter and it’s easy and wonderful; their years of friendship pay off again. Silky and Ariel sound great when they do their music number, any drama from last week cast aside in Britney’s name. And then there’s Vanjie…

Vanessa performs her exorcism on Yvie and Mercedes, and Brooke nearly ruins his makeup because he’s laughing so hard. And it’s that personality, the sense of humor, the sheer wit and ability to let go and be human (flawed and brilliant and totally, completely beautiful) that Brooke feels himself so attracted to.

“You messaged me,” Vanjie had said on Saturday when they were lying together in Brooke’s bed, the lengths of their bodies pressed together, her fingertips tracing the outlines of Brooke’s daisies with the lightest of touches. “Remember? Last year?”

Brooke had nodded. “When you were eliminated. I thought you should have stayed. I remember.”

“You were so nice.” Vanessa had kissed him then, soft and sweet. Innocent. Like (almost) all of their kisses had been over the weekend. “People were being nice to me because of the meme, but you were… I don’t know. It was different. Like you already saw Jose and not just Vanjie.”

“I’m surprised you remember,” Brooke had admitted, propping his head in his hands and looking down at Vanessa. “I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who messaged you.”

“No,” Vanjie had confessed. “But you were the only one that stood out.”

“Damn, I must be a better writer than I thought.”

“Sure…” She’d drawled. “Also I thought you were cute.”

“Then why didn’t you message me back?”

“I never said I was smart, Mary.” Vanjie had shrugged. “If I knew what kind of kisser you were, maybe I would have.”

Brooke had covered Vanessa’s body with his own after that, and slotted their mouths together, and time had slipped by while they kissed and caressed and whispered secrets into one another’s skin.

Brooke has just started on his third makeup wipe when Vanessa saunters up to him at the mirror. “You be lookin’ like Jinkx Monsoon in that red hair today, Miss Brooke.”

They bump hips playfully. “I was just channeling a winner,” Brooke says, carefully picking the Pros-Aide from his eyebrows with the wipe. “Don’t want a repeat of last week.”

“Mmm. Made me wanna kiss you real bad.” Vanjie’s voice is low, barely audible even to Brooke, and it sends shivers down his back and raises goosebumps on his arms.

Brooke pauses, face still half-smeared with makeup, and places his palms on the counter. Vanessa follows suit, twisting their pinkies together. He knows he’s imagining it, but to Brooke all the background noise of the Werk Room fades to nothing. Silky’s boisterous laugh disappears, Ariel’s incessant vocal runs dissipate… All he hears is the pounding of his heart in his ears and the rush of breath in and out of his lungs that burn for Vanjie with every inhale.

“Hey, guys!” Nina drops her own package of makeup remover wipes on the counter to Brooke’s right, shattering the moment and causing Vanessa to pull her hand away suddenly.

Brooke starts at the lack of contact, and he misses it immediately, but he sighs.

No distractions.

“Great work today,” Nina says sincerely. “Both of you. You were hilarious, Vanessa.”

Vanjie gives Nina a tight-lipped smile and turns to Brooke, pulling him into a hug. “Come to my room after dinner,” she whispers into his ear. “And don’t chicken out this time.”

Brooke nods and watches as Vanessa rejoins Silky and A’keria across the room. Then he sighs heavily and looks at Nina.

“Was it something I said?” Nina asks, concern painted over her features. “I really meant it! She was great!”

Brooke just laughs. “Girl, I love you, but you really do have the worst timing.”

*****

They have dinner together in the conference room (with Silky, A’keria, and Nina; totally innocent, even with Vanessa’s bare foot rubbing against Brooke’s ankle under the table), then Brooke brushes his teeth and waits the agreed-upon fifteen minutes before he ventures into the hall and knocks on Vanessa’s door.

She answers almost immediately and pulls him in by the collar of his hoodie and crashes their lips together in a rough greeting kiss.

“Hey, papi,” he says when she pulls away with a quiet moan.

“Hi,” she echoes, palms landing flat on his chest. “Bitch, I been wanting to do that all damn day.”

“I know. Me too.”

“You got me fucked up, Brock,” Vanessa says, running a hand through her short hair and turning towards the bed. “Okay so. So… Okay. We just can’t work together anymore.”

He nods. “I told you. It’s just better that way.”

She’s pacing the room, nervously rubbing her hands on her shorts, occasionally shaking her hands out when she starts to speak.

One of his favorite things about her, he’s noticed already, is the way she talks with her hands. He’d asked her once, in the middle of a diatribe, if she would still be able to speak if he held her arms behind her back.

She’d merely raised an eyebrow, told him she was kinky, and offered to let him find out. Which had made him blush and change the subject rather quickly because too many offers like that and he was going to take her up on it. And that kind of control, he can’t afford to lose right now.

“Whatever this is,” she mutters, waving her hands wildly, “we gotta keep it separate from the competition.”

“What is this,” he responds before he can stop himself. “Exactly?” He knows it’s asking a lot. It’s far too soon for them to have this conversation, but in the microcosm of Drag Race, everything seems to be moving at warp speed. Truth be told, nothing’s ever felt as firm as whatever this is between him and Vanessa. Putting a name on it, well… It just seems like that natural next step.

Plus that’s just how he operates. He’s an all-in kind of girl.

Vanessa stops pacing and looks at him. “It’s whatever you want it to be, baby.” She shrugs. “We can just fuck around and never speak after this, we can… Shit, I don’t know.”

“Is that what you want?”

“I don’t know what I want for breakfast most days.” Vanjie shakes her head and smiles a little. “But I know I like you… A lot. And I like kissing you a lot. You’ve made being here easier and I don’t want that to end any time soon so…” She shrugs. “Whatever that means to you, Mary.”

“I like you a lot, too,” he says and grips her chin and presses his lips to the corner of her mouth, testing the waters, waiting to see how she responds.

She melts into him, body folds like origami against his sturdiness, and he uses his other hand to catch her underneath her elbow as he probes deeper into the crevices of her mouth.

This is familiar now. After their weekend spent cuddling in bed, he knows every inch of her mouth, recognizes her taste. His lips are familiar with the way hers move against his (and what a spectacular way they move). Less familiar is he with the way she grips his back, fingernails digging into the muscle that ripples beneath his t-shirt, holding on for dear life; the way she moves to straddle his thigh, the semi-hardness of her already evident in her shorts.

They could… It’s just after nine. Room checks aren’t for another hour and a half…

Desire stirs in his stomach and he shifts and reaches for her thighs, lifting her in one swift motion so her legs are wrapped around his waist, and carries her backwards to the bed as she presses gentle, airsoft kisses into his jawline.

Brooke lowers them both down softly, careful to shift his weight onto his knees and not on her as he joins her in bed. “Is this okay? We can stop anytime. Just say the word. I’ll listen, all right?” he asks, desperate for her to confirm, to beg him to continue.

“If you don’t stop talking and kiss me, I swear to god, Brock…” As if to prove her point, she tilts her hips upwards, right into where he’s most sensitive and yearning for her, and his breath catches in his throat as she grips his neck and pulls his face down to hers.

He reaches for the drawstring on her shorts, finally ready to realize every dream he’s had for the past week, when there’s a knock at the door. Vanessa pulls away and glances at the door, confusion written across her delicate features.

“Vanj? You in there? It’s Silk. I got one of the PAs to go get some snacks from the Walmart!”

“Shit. Shit.” Vanjie scrambles out from under Brooke, tugging at her shorts to cover the obvious bulge, rubbing at her lips to diffuse the redness, both to no avail.

“Ignore her,” Brooke whispers.

“Nah, she won’t go away,” she replies, running a hand through her hair. “We just… Look, turn the TV on, okay? We were watching a movie.”

Brooke Lynn sits back against the headboard (and pulls a pillow into his lap) as he flips on the TV and watches Vanessa open the door to reveal Silky standing in the hall, holding a reusable shopping bag.

“It’s not a lot,” the larger queen says as she barrels into the room, “But I got gummy bears and Pringles and—Oh. Hey, Brooke Lynn.” Silky pauses halfway between the door and the bed and glances between Vanessa and Brooke a few times.

Vanjie shifts uncomfortably from her left to right a few times and offers Silky the chair against the wall. “Brooke and I were watching a movie.”

Silky’s eyes narrow and she glances at the TV. “Yeah? Which one?”

Brooke hadn’t been paying that much attention to the TV when he turned it on, so he presses the info button on the remote and can hardly believe their luck. He clears his throat. “Umm. Deep Impact.”

Silky nods. “Should I come back?”

“No!” Vanjie says quickly and guides her to the chair. “No. No, you can definitely stay and hang with us and watch…” She glances at Brooke, “Deep Impact with us, right, Brooke?”

Brooke offers a sort of half-salute, but he feels his cheeks burn with shame. Five minutes ago, he thought he was about to get laid. Now he’s watching a bad sci-fi movie with Silky and Vanessa.

After procuring a bag of gummy bears from Silky, Vanjie crawls back in bed and situates herself underneath Brooke’s arm. She looks up at him and grins.

It’s not what he had in mind, but he guesses it isn’t the worst thing he could be doing.

*****

Ten-thirty rolls around much more quickly than anticipated when he’s spending time laughing and snuggling and sneaking kisses when Silky’s head is turned to A’keria or Nina or Yvie, filling them in on the latest gossip from the Werk Room.

But soon the head Production Assistant—Maya—raps on Vanessa’s door and tells the girls it’s almost time for room checks. So Brooke waits until everyone else has filtered out of Vanjie’s room before he lands his lips on hers and kisses her goodnight.

“Sorry our plans got derailed,” she says quietly, pulling on his hoodie. “I didn’t know she was coming.”

He shrugs. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

“Until we don’t.”

“You’re not going anywhere anytime soon, okay?” Brooke kisses her again, harder this time, to convince her just how confident in her he is already. “Especially not this week, Miss I-Thanked-Myself Vanjie.”

Vanessa closes her eyes and rests their foreheads together. “See you tomorrow, mami.”

“Good night,” he whispers and closes the door behind him.

Maya is waiting in the hallway, back against the wall between their hotel room doors.

“Hey, Brooke,” she says softly. “I’d like to talk to you for a moment. Can I come in?”

He doesn’t really think that’s a question he can say no to, so he swipes his key card, holds out his arms, and welcomes the woman into his room.

Maya is all business—clutching a clipboard to her chest, earpiece firmly in place, walkie-talkie permanently connected to her hip—and Brooke’s stomach drops because surely this can only mean one thing: they’ve been found out and he and Vanjie are both about to be sent packing. A double disqualification. They’ll make Willam’s ordeal look like child’s play.

He swallows hard and tries to smile as Maya eases herself into the chair against the wall. “What’s up?”

“First of all, you aren’t in any trouble.” Maya smiles up at Brooke, who feels the weight of the world lift off her shoulders. He’s safe. But Vanjie… “Secondly, we’ve noticed that you and Miss Mateo seem to be growing close.”

Brooke freezes,tries to carefully control his features so as not to give anything away. Maya had said he wasn’t in trouble. And there’s nothing in the contract that says relationships are forbidden… Still, at this point, it’s probably best to play things close to the chest. For everyone involved.

“We’re good friends,” Brooke finally settles on. “I like her a lot.”

Maya grins. “I know that our rules here at the hotel can seem a bit… strict, especially when it comes to keeping you girls separated at night. I know there are times this ten-thirty room check seems a bit much because I realize there are certainly nights when you’d like to stay up to chat with each other.” She raises an eyebrow. “Or engage in other activities with each other.”

Brooke can’t help it; he blushes furiously, like a 12-year-old girl caught admitting her crush.

“I’ll be blunt, Brooke,” Maya continues. “This is the eleventh season of Drag Race, and we’ve yet to have a romance despite Ru’s wish that there be one. I’m not going to ask you to force feelings if they aren’t there… But if they are developing naturally as I believe them to be, production would be willing to overlook certain rules as far as you and Vanessa are concerned.”

At first, Brooke doesn’t know if he should be offended that they want to use him and Vanessa for ratings or be grateful that they’re being given this opportunity to get to know each other more intimately.

Vanessa had been handsy over the weekend, grabbing Brooke’s ass over his shorts and running her hands under Brooke’s shirt along the broad expanses of his chest and stomach, but Brooke was hesitant to push things too far. It was too fresh, too new. And, if production caught them, who knew what would happen then?

So Brooke had to pull away and look down at Vanessa and tell her to stop, even though what he really wanted to say was, “More more more.” Like tonight. Just like tonight.

Brooke looks up at Maya. “So all we have to do is what exactly?”

“Exactly what you’re doing now,” Maya says with a shrug, “but more in front of the cameras. No need to hide the beginning of something beautiful, am I right?”

“And what exactly do we get out of it?” Brooke isn’t convinced.

“Well, nothing officially. But we’d be willing to…” Maya chews her lip, carefully choosing her words. “Overlook it if certain rules were broken. Say if one of you were in the other’s room at room checks and had an inclination to stay there�� We would probably be willing to turn a blind eye.”

Brooke studies Maya’s face carefully. He’s always played things by the book, afraid to bend, let alone outright break, a rule. But here’s the lead PA practically telling him it would be okay. Still, Brooke isn’t a fool. She understands how easy it would be for production to rescind their offer if he or Vanessa made a misstep.

He remembers Vanessa’s lips leaving trails of fire down his neck and her fingertips brushing against the black outlines of the daisies on his arm. He thinks about running his tongue over Vanjie’s cat tattoo, like it was put there just for him, a beacon calling him home, signaling him to where he’s truly supposed to be.

We have plenty of time, he’d told her and meant it, confident in both their abilities to last in the competition.

Until we don’t.

Then they just can’t misstep.

“Can I talk it over with Vanessa?” Brooke says quietly, still not completely believing that he’s considering this, that it could be real, that he’s fallen into something so deep.

Maya shrugs and pushes herself to her feet. “Sure. Or don’t. Either way, I was never here. But we’ll be watching the two of you very carefully.” She pauses by the door with a hand on the frame. “Have a good night, Brooke.”

Brooke nods and watches as Maya flashes him a brilliant smile and leaves the room, walkie-talkie flashing green on her hip.

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #branjie #canon compliant #submission #meggie #paper hearts

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f1chronicle · 3 years

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The 2021 F1 Calendar: Here’s What To Expect

It’s fair to say that the 2020 campaign has been an odd one with just one thing painfully predictable, Lewis Hamilton winning. Will next year be the same?

In some ways, it most likely will be but in other things could look very different. Either way, we’re looking at what to expect from the 2021 F1 calendar.

What To Expect From The 2021 F1 Calendar

Financial limits

Yep, that’s right, when the next season gets underway it will do so with new financial rules in place with the sole intention of levelling the playing field – or at least reducing how drastically different it is.

Some people hate the idea of a cost cap being introduced but it’s hardly an innovative step in the sports world with the big American leagues such as the NBA and NFL having used versions of them for a while.

Where F1 is concerned, the rules only apply to investment into the cars themselves. Even then it’s got to be deemed as carrying an on-track benefit so teams will still be able to go out and pay huge wages to attract – or keep – the best drivers and support team.

Will it make a huge impact in 2021? Possibly not. Fast forward a few years though and we suspect changes will be felt.

Limiting upgrades and bespoke parts

Don’t worry, not all of our article is going to be about limits being put in place. This section, however, is another rule tweak that aims to metaphorically condense the racing pack.

Current regulations allow teams to make substantial changes throughout the season that are believed to favour certain bigger teams. That margin of benefit will squeeze in 2021.

The changes don’t appear enormous on the surface but, if you’re more in tune with the mechanics behind F1 you will appreciate the impact they’ll bring.

Key vehicle parts such as fuel pumps will need to meet a standard requirement whilst other car parts that suffer natural wear and tear during a race weekend won’t be open to unlimited replacements.

Aston Martin are back

It has been 60 years since they last entered a Grand Prix but the wait is nearly over for Aston Martin with Racing Point to be no more.

Lawrence Stroll, who has a net worth of $2.6bn, has coughed up a hefty investment and his direct communication style has seen Sergio Perez announce he’ll be moving on with four time Champion Sebastian Vettel to arrive as the number one driver.

The second driver for the new boys will be current Racing Point man and son of team investor, Lance Stroll. He’s not just there to make up the numbers though with the 22-year-old having captured his first pole position and second podium finish of his career this season.

Whether the team can compete at the top of the field remains to be seen but there will be lots of eyes on them when things get started.

Car changes

People do like to get carried away when news of car changes emerge but, as has been proven by Romain Grosjean’s recent crash, sometimes you should reserve judgement.

That said, the changes being made for 2021 shouldn’t create any controversy because the alterations will likely lead to an all-round improved race experience.

For starters, the spectators have been carefully considered with several small tweaks being made to bring ‘sex appeal’ to the cars themselves whilst the more detailed changes will alter how the cars race. How? It’s all in the science.

Essentially, the current model of cars place an invisible drag on those in close proximity behind them making the prospect of overtaking much harder.

That’s going to change in 2021 meaning you can expect cars to get closer to one another with races likely to see many more overtakes – even on notoriously tighter tracks.

Lewis Hamilton to be a standalone record holder

We’ve just thrown out several reasons why the 2021 calendar might be the hardest Championship to call in years and yet it’s still tough to see past Lewis Hamilton reigning supreme once again.

The Brit stands head and shoulders above most in the sports history with his latest achievement pulling level with Michael Schumacher’s seven world titles. To put it in comparison for people who are not familiar with F1, let’s say Hamilton is LeBron and Schumacher is Michael Jordan.

LeBron has already placed his name in the Top 5 Los Angeles Lakers of All-Time and won NBA rings with three different teams. Still, even though James keeps breaking records, comparing him to Jordan still raises a few eyebrows.

It’s exactly the same with Lewis Hamilton: saying that the Brit might be the best F1 racer of all time – and he has enough records to prove it – keeps sparkling some discussions with the conservative nostalgia fond fans, that miss Schumacher, Senna and all the other past greats.

Hamilton, who will miss this weekend’s race with Covid-19, has previously allowed for rumours of a retirement announcement to swell but everything points to Mercedes doing whatever it takes to keep hold of the biggest name in F1.

The latest reports suggest Hamilton wants north of $50m to pen a new deal but, truth be known, it will probably prove a snip. He’s just that good and it will be a brave person that bets against him making it title number eight next year.

There you have it, five things to expect from the 2021 F1 calendar. What else did we miss?

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#Formula 1 news

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Max Verstappen, park the insults and show Lewis Hamilton some respect

Maybe Max Verstappen Now you know what greatness defines on a motorcycle race track. He arrived at speed in his rearview mirror at the Hungaroring, a second faster per circuit over the last 19 laps. It was on stage above him. It leads the championship again with an unstoppable margin.

In all likelihood, Verstappen will ever be where Lewis Hamilton is now, but for the moment a little respect is due. Certainly more respect than the young man showed in the run-up to Hamilton's last, remarkable Grand Prix victory.

& # 39; Lewis has won many championships, but that is not great, & # 39; said Verstappen. & # 39; He is undoubtedly one of the best, but to say the best of his generation – maybe it's Fernando Alonso? He could have won seven, eight world titles had been on the right team. & # 39; Well, he could certainly have won a few more.

Max Verstappen (left) must park the insults and Lewis Hamilton a show a little more respect

He could have won the drivers' championship in 2007 when he finished one point behind Kimi Raikkonen, level in second place with his McLaren teammate, a young man from Stevenage in his first F1 season. Alonso was so ready for that internal fight that he left the team, and Hamilton won the championship in a McLaren the following season. Verstappen made it sound like he was lucky.

So do it. If it's that easy, do it. Hamilton did that in 2008 because McLaren did not win the constructors' championship that year. It went to Ferrari, meaning it was the best driver, but not in the best car. That is a rare achievement. Michael Schumacher never did it, nor did Ayrton Senna.

Three drivers have achieved this in the past 33 seasons, and none this century. So if Verstappen implies that the Hamilton & # 39; s cars make him great, he should be reminded why he gets them.

One day Verstappen will be where Hamilton is now. He is a brilliant, exciting talent who will have a choice of teams. And this is because it has been worthy of prov. His performances for Red Bull have shown the great talent on the inside. If Hamilton was tired of the competition and retired, Mercedes would immediately focus on Verstappen as his replacement.

He has proven to be capable of inferior machines and that is how a driver ends up with a good one. What is strange is that this argument must even be strengthened. Verstappen's father, Jos, was an F1 driver. Max was the youngest in F1 history. He is steeped in sport. He knows how it works.

Hamilton hunted the Dutchman Verstappen to win the Hungarian Grand Prix of Sunday

Maybe this was just a bad timing. The world waits head-to-head for a Hamilton-Verstappen. That should only happen a few days after some rather outspoken remarks, and that Hamilton should triumph so dramatically would only increase the feeling of a given lesson.

Hamilton has the best car, yes. Which means he has to win. And the tactical decision of James Vowles, Mercedes' main strategist, was nothing short of brilliant. Hamilton left would not have replaced the tires in Hungary for the second time.

The pit stop left him 19 seconds behind on Verstappen with 20 laps to go. "I didn't think this was a genius, no," Hamilton said later.

But when Verstappen speaks greatness, this is important. Vowles could not have made that change with another driver and guaranteed that result. Few drivers throughout history.

The progress of Verstappen was initially blocked by slower cars, but once he was through that part of the field, Red Bull felt he had more than enough to get home.

Hamilton now has the best car, but he Not when he won the driver champions in 2008

That Hamilton pursued him second, second, round by lap, proves that greatness is not only bestowed by in sit a cockpit and sweep a switch.

It is courage, technical skill, the mind to execute strategy, all the attributes that distinguish Hamilton from the day he started the sport.

Verstappen too. Whether Hamilton was aware of the earlier comments, he was generous in the win. Asked to mark his season so far, he gave himself a high eight, and when Verstappen didn't play with the same question, he gave his rival to nine or high nine for his most recent races.

be fooled. He knows what is coming and who is coming for him. But for now, Hamilton is the biggest racing driver of this generation. Respect is due.

IT IS NOT AN ERROR IF HARRY IS NOT A GRAVE

No doubt if Harry Maguire does not appear at £ 80 million defender in Manchester United The debt of Ed Woodward again.

But what should he do then? If United had paid a little less than the best money, had offered a cent below the best wage, Maguire would have gone to Manchester City.

So Woodward secured a player who, according to rights, should not have signed for Manchester United. Just like he did with Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, Fred – all very expensive recruits who have not yet been ignored.

Woodward is said to be not good at his work. At the moment, he seems pretty successful with the only weapon he has. It is the players who are underperforming.

Ed Woodward will shoulder the blame if Harry Magurie is not a hit, but it will not be all his fault

DRINKING WATER IS AT THE END

Danny Drinking Water played not a minute at Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri. He could suffer the same fate this season, with Frank Lampard disconcerted. Drinking water (below) remained at home when Chelsea traveled to Germany this week – but again there is little interest in this window.

In the past, moving to an elite club had a safety net. The chance and the money were of course great attractions, but association with a Champions League club was considered sufficient to secure the next lucrative move, even if the first one failed.

Drinking water, however, seems bewildered. He does not play, so he cannot catch the eye, but his wages would repel any club outside the elite. Once excluded from the team, an elite club is increasingly becoming a dead end. Vincent Janssen, formerly from Tottenham, arrived in Mexico; Manchester City is struggling to give Eliakim Mangala away; and how long was Daniel Sturridge looking for a new direction in Liverpool?

It is more and more reason to look beyond the zeros before the jump is made.

Danny Drinking water appears to be stranded with Frank Lampard not under the impression and no clubs interested

In 2008, Liverpool Liverpool became the Liverpool European cultural city – & # 39; which was a surprise to the mayor of Florence & # 39 ;, as Jimmy Tarbuck had.

Similar thoughts could greet the revelation that the European City of Sport for 2019 is Coventry, where the football team is so well fed that they have started their League A program with a home game against Southend fully played elsewhere . Birmingham, that must be me.

It is assumed that cities apply for European recognition. How one of the managers of Coventry had the gall to write that letter is the real mystery.

SHE IS GOOD, BUT SUPER CUP TOO MUCH, TOO SOON

There were 22 references used in Ligue 1 last in France season and the busiest pair, Antony Gautier and Benoit Bastien, each took 21 competitions in hands.

Another two played 40 games between them, a group of six took 19 games, another five 18, three referred to 17, and The 21st most recalled official game, Jeremy Stinat, took control of 12 teams

None of these officials will refer to the UEFA & # 39; s Super Cup next week. For that role, UEFA has chosen an official who played two games in Ligue 1 last season, and none before – but because Stephanie Frappart is a woman and a pioneer, this decision was made almost without comment. Just as it would be if UEFA gave the job to, for example, Premier League official Andy Madley – Robert's older brother – who also referred to two top flying competitions in 2018-19.

Let's clarify one thing immediately. Women can organize men's competitions. Many have and very successful. The presence of a female assistant referee at the Premier League match is no longer a problem. Nobody makes grim old jokes about not knowing the offside rule anymore – not even if the Cameroonian team clearly didn't know during the Women's World Cup this summer. The game has evolved. Experience at elite level? That is another matter.

Stephanie Frappart is a good referee, but she should not be in charge of the UEFA Super Cup

It is unusual to have a referee, male or female, with two games of elite men's football experience who is responsible for a European final. Frappart (below) is clearly an exceptional official because she has remained on the Ligue 1 list this season, the first woman to make that move.

She is also a very experienced referee in the women's game and recently took charge of the World Cup Final in Lyon. Yet this is a definitive prestige between Liverpool and Chelsea, which is handled by a referee whose experience with what is comparable to a comparable standard, certainly physically, amounts to two games.

. Given the difference in speed of the game and the players, the background of Frappart in women's football is comparable to that of Madley in competitions outside the Premier League. However, he would not be eligible for the UEFA Super Cup performance, regardless of how many championship matches he had collected.

An undisputed sports convention is that elite judges, referees or referrals must gain experience in elite competitions. When Madley took charge of Cardiff's match against Watford last December, Neil Warnock Andre Marriner held a well-off position as fourth official, leaving the match in the hands of a & # 39; trainee & # 39 ;. This week in Edgbaston, The wisdom of having the least experienced ICC referee, Joel Wilson, who mentions one of Cricket's greatest occasions, has been relentlessly exposed.

Andy Madley has similar top flight experience as Frappart, but he would & # 39 ; is considered

And UEFA seems to have attached importance to experience in the past. The Super Cup final of last season was settled by the Polish Szymon Marciniak whose c.v. including 23 Champions League matches, 18 Europa League matches, nine World Cup matches and seven European championship matches. He was the referee when Juventus Barcelona played in the quarterfinals of the Champions League 2017; he took the lead over Germany against Sweden at the World Cup in Russia.

He was not a rookie and under no additional pressure as an appointment in the left field.

Frappart & two matches in Ligue 1 last year, resulting in an average of 4.5 yellow cards per game, the highest total of an official in that season. Were her competitions particularly lawless? Did she not take nonsense or did she compensate too much? Her bosses must be happy because she is back, but also to get one of only three UEFA club finals this season is not a logical next step. Frappart was a good referee at the Women's World Cup and there is no reason to believe that she will not be back in Istanbul next week. Yet, as Madley was with Cardiff, she is new. And if Madley had received the call from UEFA, it would certainly not have succeeded without comment.

AT LEAST PREMIER LEAGUE IS A TWO-HORSE RACE

Some neutrals seem a bit despondent after seeing the Community Shield, thinking that the title race will be played again between Manchester City and Liverpool. Maybe so, but is that so bad?

These are two excellent teams that have even breathed life into what can be a dying season opener. And there is no guarantee that competition will not come from elsewhere.

Tottenham has improved and was already on the point of contention; maybe Manchester United also gets a song from their new acquisitions. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Celtic opened their campaign with a 7-0 win over St Johnstone, which ended comfortably at the mid-table last season. Now that is daunting.

CRICKET DOES NOT NEED MP'S ADVICE

ECB President Colin Graves and Chief Executive Tom Harrison are questioned by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on how they intend to build on the success of the Cricket World Cup. Expect the usual guff over free-to-air television from bandwagon jumpers such as President Damian Collins.

Undoubtedly, the committee will have a long list of clever ideas about how the ECB will compensate for the huge investment shortage if they are forced to reject Sky.

British parliamentarians are known for their sharp minds, that is why Brexit has such a breeze to solve. What is special is why someone is totally in favor of appearing before DCMS committees, given that Dominic Cummings (below) has said so well that during a referendum campaign they are full of fake news research, and now one of the most powerful is men in the country as prime minister's advisor.

Given that England has won the World Cup, it can certainly be said that Graves and Harrison have fulfilled their duties in recent years with considerably more success than the parliament.

Dominic Cummings instructed the DCMS committee to investigate false stories

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