#sauber junior team

[sharlleclercc]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME🥳

#f1 #essere ferrari #f1 memes #scuderia ferrari #charles leclerc #formula 1 #prancinghorse #followme #ferrari #alfa romeo sauber #formula one meme #formula one #formula 1 meme #f1 life #carlos sainz junior #mclaren #aston martin cognizant f1 #aston martin cognizant formula one team #aston martin f1 #carlos sainz jr

[cheriladycl01]

Goodbye NewYork - Grid and Daniel Ricciardo x Sunshine Driver! Reader

Plot: Y/N constantly jokes about the fact that she would take a bullet for any of the guys on the grid... however in 2026 when the FIA decide to make a New York track, with it not being policed as well as they have in the past Y/N turns those jokes into a reality.

A/N: Yes i know its dramatic ... but that's why you all are here! You love the fluff and the angst and the drama.

Warnings: Violence w/ Guns

Credit to leatherman-love for the GIF

2017 Rookie season Interview Age 22:

Interviewer - So, how has it been driving for Mclaren Honda alongside a world champion like Fernando Alonso.

Y/N - Oh wow its been a fever dream. He's taught me so much, and excited not only to be racing with him next year but with Renault as our engine manufacturer!

Interviewer - And who would you say have you become friends with this year?

Y/N - I think obviously i would consider Nando and I very close, you know we've travelled together and he even invited me back to Spain with him in the summer break. Other than that I've found myself close to Pierre, Daniel and Carlos, I've known Pierre for a long time back since karting days, same with Max and Charles who will be joining us next year in Sauber.

Interviewer - Thank you Y/N we really loved watching you drive this year and we can wait for next year!

2018 First Full Season Interview Age 23:

Interviewer - Hello again Y/N how are you!

Y/N - I am good and yourself?

Interviewer - Yes, obviously you've had a great year in Mclaren but they've decided against continuing with you and Fernando next year. This leaves you moving to Toro Rosso alongside Rookie Alex Albon. You said at the end of last year you'd made fast friends with him, Carlos and Daniel. Do they still stand where Carlos is taking over the Mclaren seat.

Y/N - Of course I'm really happy for Carlos, I performed well in Mclaren this year, but i think Lando Norris is a promising rookie and Carlos is an excellent driver. It didn't shock me when the Red Bull Junior team reached out to me as I was a junior driver for Red Bull. Obviously I'm gutted I wont be racing with Pierre this year but I've met Alex and we get on well!

Interviewer - Any new friends?

Y/N - Erm not really new no. Charles joined us this year and has driven fantastically and is going to Ferrari next year. I cannot wait to see what he can bring in a competitive car

Interviewer - Still friends with Daniel?

Y/N - Of course, the honey badger and i are closer than ever, he had some big decisions to make going in 2019 and he needed someone to support him. He's just a ball of sunshine and I'm not being dramatic when i say i would die for that man

Interviewer - Ah your so funny Y/N its always a pleasure to talk to you. Well i wish you all the best for this year to come and hopefully 2019 we can see a P1 finish!

2019 Season Interview Age 24:

Interviewer - Ah and here we have my absolute fave to interview at the end of the year it is Y/N Y/L/N!

Y/N - Hello!

Interviewer - Woah may i say what a year its been for you, this time last year and we will roll the clip here, you said you were gutted to not be racing alongside Pierre but here we are at the end of the 2019 season and you've raced the last half of the season with him when Red Bull switched out drivers

Y/N - Alex is a very promising driver, you know he proved that he was a good driver in Toro Rosso and i think he is proving that in Red Bull, its a shame that Pierre had to go because i think he was just getting used to a car that is clearly built for Max's driving technique which is very different from the rest of ours. The pressure isn't easy to be the second driver in Red Bull

Interviewer - Is that why you turned down Christians offer to take Pierre's place and they went with Alex?

Y/N - Not completely no, I think I've pushed my car to the limit this year and we've learnt a lot as a team so we will come back bigger and better next year with some major changes to the team. I think I would do well in Red Bull but I want to prove myself first

Interviewer - Incredible, really and your friends how's that going?

Y/N - It's amazing, each year i get closer and closer to these guys and i genuinely can call most of them my friends, I've enjoyed getting to know the rookies over this year I'm really close to Alex, Lando and George. You know me and Lewis have shared some really funny moments this year, me and Seb went fishing in March... its been a fantastic year both on and off track.

Interviewer - How important are these boys to you.

Y/N - Oh they are most important to me, my whole heart goes out to them.

2020 Season Interview Age 25:

Interviewer - What a year its been with this pandemic, but we are finally here back in Abu Dhabi, and weve just completed the last race of the 2020 season and there's some exciting changes for you next year!

Y/N - Yes it was sooner than i was hoping for, but I was told that my seat was being taken by Yuki Tsunoda who will be a rookie on the 2021 Season. Where it was so late in the year, i wouldnt have had a seat and I think as a woman i would have struggled to get that seat back. So i grabbed at the Red Bull offer.

Interviewer - That's amazing news for you, has it however affected any of your friendships?

Y/N - Everyone, even Alex told me i would be stupid not to go for it so i did. I'm very thankful to Christian for this opportunity. I know there were other people who were thinking it would be there seat, but I'm in F1 to win.

Interview - There's also been some... rumors about you and a certain Australian going around the paddock.

Y/N - Yes Daniel and i started dating this year, it was actually really funny. I joke to him how I'm only dating him due to my Stockholm Syndrome of being in lockdown with him.

Interviewer - You were with Daniel throughout lockdown?

Y/N - Yes we were at the Australian GP when we heard about it, my flight got cancelled and then they shut down all air control and i was basically stuck in Australia, with the risk as well it wasn't worth it so i got tested and then Daniel offered me to stay with him. Obviously was longer than expected but yeah we came out as a couple.

Interviewer - Amazing honestly, who do you see having a good come back next year?

Y/N - Oh i think Mercedes will be strong, same with AlphaTauri, I think Ferrari also have a fantastic line up with Carlos Sainz moving there. Obviously my boyfriend is going to Mclaren and i couldn't be happier that he's keeping his seat and working with someone as great a driver as Lando

Interviewer - And how does that work, tension wise with him being ex Red Bull and you now being a driver in what was his seat only 3 seasons prior

Y/N - Obviously i know that with Max Verstappen being as good a driver as he is the pressure is insane in that second Red Bull seat and you are very much that ... a second. So I've talked to the team and said that you know, if I'm the stronger car and the better driver that I don't want Golden Boy to be prioritized. He really helped me make my decision in the end.

Interviewer - Amazing thank you for your time Y/N.

2021 Interview Age 26:

Y/N - Hello lovely people its so nice to see you without masks on!

Interviewer - Yes we agree! Congrats on some fantastic driving this year it really showed how quickly you can learn a car. You really rivalled Max Verstappen and Hamilton this year. 2022 will be your year. It's amazing how you helped steal that Constructors title from Mercedes. I bet Christian is very happy with your performance i mean we can tell he is from that long 2024 contract extension...

Y/N - Yeah its been a really amazing year of racing. Max has been an amazing team mate, you know he's really supported by move to Red Bull and we've had an amazing year with a really good lineup, a really good car and i cant wait for next year.

Interviewer - So, to the questions we really have to ask, obviously you and Daniel have been dating for 2 years now, and someone found a clip from when you were friends jokingly saying you'd die for him. Is that still the case now that he's progressed to boyfriend.

Y/N - Honestly i wasn't joking I would lay my life down on the tarmac and let someone run we over at 300mph if it meant anyone on the current grid was happy. They have each given me something so special and so close to my heart, whether that be a gift, or a life lesson, or a hug, or advise... they honestly most of them have saved me on my darkest days when i considered leaving the sport.

Interviewer - And how do you feel about Albon's return as he joins Williams Racing in 2022

Y/N - I mean i kept in contact with Alex for the whole season, I invited him to some of the races with my passes and yeah we've hung out with Lily his girlfriend who i get on with really well. So I'm extremely happy to be racing against him again.

2022 Season Interview Age 27:

Y/N - I'm really sorry but I'm gonna have to make this quick, because my plane will leave soon and I have to grab my things from the hotel.

Interviewer - Of course no problem. It's been a fabulous year with you coming Third in the Drivers Championship, just a few points behind Charles Leclerc... and having the second win for Constructors... how do you feel.

Y/N - Yeah there was some really close moments where it could have been me, Max or Charles. We started of the season a little rocky and some miscommunication but then Ferrari's strategy got worse while ours improved which meant Max and I were getting those crucial points.

Interviewer - Leaning away from the racing ... how are you and Danny Ricciardo now that he wont be in the 2023 season...

Y/N - We've come to an agreement with Red Bull that he will come to every race with me to be my race engineer ...

Y/N - I'm kidding but he will still be attending with me as he's gonna be a reserve driver so he'll be a quick standby option.

Interviewer - Amazing thank you for your time

2023 Season Interview Age 28:

Interviewer - Another win from Max Y/N, he's a three time World Champ now and you were close coming in second again. How are you feeling confident for 2024, or worried you loose your seat.

Y/N - Holy shit, you sound so cryptic and me and Christian have already been talking about a contract extension. I'm happy in Red Bull and he believes I'm driving on par with Max and I'd like to see a lengthy future with them.

Interview - So are we hearing 2024 will be your year?

Y/N - Yes i think working with Max has led me to learn the way he drives very well, I'm able to anticipate what he's going to do, and I can out maneuver him easier than most. I'm excited to see what 2024 will bring us.

Interviewer - And of course, I have to ask now that you've been with Mr Ricciardo for 4 years now, going strong and you have some amazing bonds with your fellow drivers on the grid are we going to see and F1 wedding anytime soon?

Y/N - Oooo i mean Y/N Ricciardo does sound nice, I think where he is coming back onto the grid this year, the timing wouldn't make sense but ... you know I think anything can happen.

Interviewer - Oh she's so cheeky with that wink ... Hello Charles how are you feeling.

2024 Season Interview Age 29:

Interviewer - Oh Y/N what an awful year this has been, i bet you and Max cant wait to say goodbye to this car. P4 in the constructers... what happened.

Y/N - I think Max and I struggled driving this car, which was both a skill issue on our half and a team issue of Red Bull's half, we had lost of changes of team members throughout the year, lots of miscommunication but I promise 2025 we will come back bigger and better. I'm so happy for Charles getting his World Championship finally and I'm incredibly proud of two of my sons getting their Maiden race wins... Lando and Oscar congrats. And on my other son, for getting his first Maiden podium and proving everyone wrong and having an amazing second season in Williams, well done Logan. Well done to Ferrari, Mclaren and Mercedes for Constructors Top 3, but watch out for us next year.

Interviewer - Amazing, its so nice to see how proud and close you are too the other drivers.

Y/N - Yes, i would change none of that.

2025 Season Interview Age 30:

Interviewer - And here we are with the first ever Female World Champion of Formula One, Y/N you've hit some amazing achievements this year. You've become a WDC, you got engaged to you soulmate, you hit 30 years old, you had such a great car and great races. How are you feeling.

Y/N - I have no words for this year, you know I was starting to think maybe my time is up. But my contract in Red Bull lasts till 2028 to match Max contract and you know I'm happy, still driving well clearly and yeah I've loved every moment of this year.

Interviewer - And do you think 2028 would be your retirement year?

Y/N - Oh i don't know about that ... I love racing and you know, Daniel and I are happy and obviously the F1 wedding will be soon. We've said we are happy to wait a while for kids, so we'll see how it goes...

Halfway through the 2026 Season.

BBC News:

And we bring some shocking news to you tonight. F1 Driver Y/N Ricciardo is in critical condition after being shot on race weekend here in New York City. It was reported that the drivers were all celebrating her recent wedding to fellow F1 Driver Daniel Riccardo last month in Australia. The race according to the FIA and surrounding authorities wasn't well protected and put a lot of the drivers in danger. Y/N celebrated a first place podium the same day she was shot, with fellow drivers Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. More Updates will be shared at 10 tonight.

F1 Instagram:

Y/N Ricciardo, in critical condition after altercation at New York Grand Prix.

We are sending our thoughts to her family and the people affected at this time...

Comments -

landorizlover02 - omg this is so scary, the videos on twitter of them all celebrating in the paddock and then the screams

f149 - sources say Y/N actually saw the person before anyone else and pushed Daniel, Lando and Oscar out the way before stepping closer to the man so he would aim for her and not the others. Talk about fight or flight!

kimiisfoine - she is literally a hero ... I'm in shock.

carloschili - I've seen the video, and her face when she realizes something isn't right and then she literally pulls Lando behind her and pushes Daniel and Oscar away.

The drivers tweets -

@PierreGASLY - I'm deeply upset by the lack of protection at the New York GP, I hope that this teaches, the FIA when we are on street circuits like this extra security measures are needed. I wish Y/N a full recovery <3

@Charles_Leclerc - Y/N saved my life tonight and I will never forget that. Alex and I are sat here shaking in shock, i wish for her full recovery and send my prayers to Daniel and her family.

@RGrosjean - Y/N was one of the best people I've ever met on the grid, having scary crashes is part of the job. Never did i think that this would ever be possible. Wishing Y/N to get better!

@KevinMagnuessen - I wasn't there, but hearing the panic and lockdown annoucement is never something I want to experience again. #dobetterf1

@Carlossainz55 - Y/N is one of my best friends and the fact that his has happened to such a happy and bright individual is so sad. I hope to see Y/N soon and am staying in New York until i no longer can in hopes to see her.

@LandoNorris - I never thought I'd be standing behind someone who has acted like my older sister in this sport, who has become a true friend as she takes a bullet to save me from an evil individual. I am in the hospital with Daniel now, awaiting news on her.

@LewisHamilton - Y/N has been an exceptional individual both on and off track, I hope the FIA do better in the future to protect us as drivers.

@OscarPiastri - I have no words for what occurred tonight... no words.

.... more loading

"Y/N baby please" Daniel says as he looks at you, you'd just got out of surgery to remove the bullets. The doctors said that you were lucky that Max and the Mclaren pitstop worker had acted as quickly as possible to get the gun away from the man. Daniel held you as you fell to the ground from the pian holding the wound that was bleeding out.

"How is she?" Lando asks coming into the room with two coffees. Handing one over to Daniel.

"There was a lots of strain on her body, so they don't know if she'll wake up..." Daniel breathes slowly.

"When she wakes up, man... When. She's the strongest person I know" Lando sighs tears in his eyes.

"I fucking froze, I watched a she pulled me behind her after she pushed you and Osc away..." Lando cries a little.

"And I do it again Lan" a course and strained voice breathes out.

"Y/N! Hunny oh my god" Daniel cries smiling at you.

"Hey darling" you smile a little strained.

"I'll go get the doctor!" Lando says rushing out to grab a nurse.

"I love you so much, you are without a doubt the strongest woman I know!" he says kissing your forehead and cheek.

"I love you to baby"

"When do you recon i can race again" you ask after a silent moment making him cry out a laugh tears still falling from his eyes wondering how you can be thinking about that already.

"My little racer, huh" he sighs looking over at you.

"I love you, never ever do that again!" he says.

"I'd do it a million times over if it means you are sat where you are right now..."

A/N: This feels borderline social media au... and i kinda want to get into it... but I love writing out the angst and tumblr still confuses me with picture sizing and stuff so I'm not sure...

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle

#f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula 1 x you #formula 1 #formula one #formula one fanfiction #charles leclerc #lewis hamilton #daniel ricciardo #daniel ricciardo x reader #daniel ricciardo imagine #daniel ricciardo x you #daniel ricciardo fanfic #daniel ricciardo fluff #daniel ricciardo f1 #lando norris #oscar piastri f1 #oscar piastri

[vivwritesfics]

please do a max and carlos love triangle i don’t care what the plot or theme is please i just need one 🙏

again, i'm so sorry this took so long

2016. Max Verstappen was just eighteen. It was his second year in Formula One, second year in the Red Bull junior team. Just the year before he'd broken so many records, giving the world a glimpse of what was to come.

2016. Carlos had spent years working his way up to F1 and he was finally there. He had two solid seasons with Toro Rosso, driving alongside Daniil Kvyat and Max across his career. He was twenty one, turning twenty two soon, and he knew his time with Red Bull was coming to a close.

2016. She was so determined to win the GP2 championship, and the only thing standing in her way was Pierre Gasly. She was the reserve driver for Ferrari, and got to attend all the F1 races she could.

That was where she met Carlos and Max. They watched as she walked across the track in her Ferrari racing overalls. It was one of the rare weekends where she got to drive a few laps for Ferrari during free practice.

They both wanted her, and but they'd never get a chance to speak to her. Not until the next year anyway.

In 2017 Carlos was still driving for Toro Rosso. It was going to be his last season with the team, whether he knew it or not.

With only two seasons with Toro Rosso under his belt, Max was promoted to Red Bull, to drive alongside Daniel Ricciardo.

Carlos and Max had been best friends during their Toro Rosso days together. But that had all ended.

It was such a stupid reason too. They rarely got to see her, only on those few weekends where she ended up driving for Ferrari, whether that was in free practice or an actual race.

But they'd invited her out to the club where they could, in the countries they could all legally drink in. Barely knowing the boys she'd accepted it, used it as an excuse to get to know the boys better.

On one night out she'd ended up kissing Max. But it was nothing. She moved on with her life without giving it another thought. Max didn't move on or forget it, but he didn't bring it up or mention it again.

On the next time they were in the club, she kissed Carlos. He was smug about it for weeks. Both of the boys were into her, and she maybe didn't realise it, but Carlos bragged. It was why Max swung for him once, why the relationship between them went sour.

In 2017, she was promoted to Sauber. A chance to show the world of Formula One what she could do. She was at the back of the grid, racing closer to Carlos than Max.

Of course, she still didn't notice the tension between the boys. The three of them were close now, actual work colleagues.

Things got tensed between the tree of them. Y/N didn't know why, of course, but it was undeniable. When Carlos was promoted to Ferrari and she to Mercedes, their fights on track became more frequent.

She didn't know they thought about their individual nights with her almost constantly. Well, not until they had her in the club between them, the three of them grinding up against each other as she and Max sloppily kissed and Carlos attached his lips to her neck.

#carlos sainz #carlos sainz imagine #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz fluff #carlos sainz smut #carlos sainz x reader smut #max verstappen #max verstappen imagine #max verstappen x reader #max verstappen fluff #max verstappen smut #max verstappen x reader smut #f1 #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula one #formula one imagine #formula one x reader #formula 1 #formula 1 imagine #formula 1 x reader #cs55 #cs55 imagine #cs55 x reader #mv1 #mv1 imagine #mv1 x reader #mv33 #mv33 imagine #mv33 x reader

[thef155]

Excerpts from a lovely article in The Athletic by The New York Times: “Ferrari’s prestige lured Lewis Hamilton – and cost Carlos Sainz his seat”

Part 2/2: “The Next Chapter”

In F1, consistency is critical. Sainz brings that to the table; a zero-point weekend is rare. The two-time grand prix winner is more than capable of racing for a top team and is one of the most complete drivers. He shows flashes of wise moves like what fans saw in Singapore. Remember the dummy move in Australia that truly showed his nickname, ‘Smooth Operator?’ And he’s calm under pressure, like when he secured pole position at Monza.

With what’s expected to be a hot drivers market looming for 2025, options are open but are they appealing, particularly given Sainz’s caliber?

A slew of teams are believed to have slots opening, like Sauber (which will become Audi in 2026), Alpine (who he drove for when it was known as Renault), Red Bull (though Daniel Ricciardo is in the picture) and Williams, to name a few. Mercedes could engage in a seat swap — Andrea Kimi Antonelli is rising through the junior ranks, but it would be a big ask to slide an 18-year-old into Hamilton’s spot.

Yes, there are more questions than answers on what’s next for Sainz, but he will be a prime player on the market given his track record. He thrives off of stability, so he’ll likely seek a multi-year contract. This never was a matter of a lack of talent.

See Part 1: “A ‘Smooth Operator’”

#I largely wanted to share this bc I still see 55 fans saying they’re scared Carlos won’t have a seat #and I think this article actually sums up a general consensus of opinion on his talent #don’t listen to the haters on social bc they aren’t the ones offering the contracts #we are in a social media bubble #carlos sainz jr #carlos sainz

[georgegraphys]

George Russell's teaching CV:

Logan Sargeant

Frederik Vesti

Jack Wolff (NEW)

Red Bull Junior Academy? Ferrari Driver Academy? Williams Development Program? Sauber Academy? Alpine Junior? McLaren Driver Development Program? Mercedes Junior Team? Bunch of flops.

GOATED drivers go to GEORGE RUSSELL JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY

#george russell #gr63 #logan sargeant #ls2 #frederik vesti #jack wolff

[nottonyharrison]

Sawtooth - COMPLETE

Max Verstappen/Charles Leclerc | E | 40k words

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 + Epilogue

In another universe, Max rejected karting at the age of fifteen, no longer prepared to be a proxy for his father’s dream. He moved back to Belgium to live with his mum and sister, excelled at school, and eventually went on to complete a Masters of Mechanical Engineering.

Now 27, after four years working for Alfa Romeo and Sauber, first as a junior performance engineer and then on the pit wall for Zhou Guanyu, he’s put forward for a job with Ferrari when Carlos Sainz is left without a race engineer thanks to the increasingly hectic F1 schedule.

The problem is, Max has a crush on Carlos’ teammate. A huge, obvious, embarrassing crush that leaves him stumbling for words, face burning every time he’s within six feet of the guy.

What makes it even worse is that sometimes he’s sure that Charles is looking right back.

Well that's it team. After a month and just over 40,000 words, I have finally finished the longest story I've managed to write the last words of.

Thanks so much to everyone who's been following along. To those who commented, shared, bookmared, kudosed, subscribed, or even just read and enjoyed this story. I have never received such a response to one of my fics, and it's been an absolute joy sharing it.

#lestappen #charles/max #charles leclerc #max verstappen #f1 rpf #f1 fanfic

[wisteriagoesvroom]

manifesting chaos in the 2024 f1 season (wiz edition)

kudos to @keepthedelta for starting this idea way back when, theirs were hilarious

- jos verstappen and carlos sainz snr have an actual fistfight, but agree to do it on pay per view TV for maximal profit and impact. carlos snr wins only because he still has good core strength from driving endurance races and also he definitely does yogilates

- forced to get more sponsorship money, kick stake sauber drivers have to do an embarrassingly slutty ad for vitamin water. turns out valtteri and guan yu is very game for it and it actually goes super viral, but only in china

- FIA announces seoul gp 2026 and do an embarrassing eGames tie up as well as get nct's most junior division (most of them are 10 years old) to promote it for some reason. 2025 Charles leclerc finally makes his debut on MDC singing an slow-fi hip hop song with lots of air horns. it’s the one he co-wrote with lewis hamilton as an anthem for the ferrari team

- no more grill the grid. liberty media takes things to the next level and makes all the drivers do elimination games from squid game. drivers may be injured or perish. however as per FIA regs they are still expected to recover well enough to drive by the following sunday

- seb vettel returns but only for one race to drive a literal tractor across a field in austria to promote saving the bees

- alex albon is told he gets to move to red bull again except alex albon was busy taking some proper off time with his girlfriend during the summer so he misses the email and the tweets. by the time he catches up with the rumours, red bull have already musical chaired first liam lawson and then daniel ricciardo in the seat only to immediately take it back and give it to a fifteen year old who’s currently taking a nap in the rb junior academy room somewhere

- zak brown starts a new tie up with an aerospace company and andrea accidentally builds a rocket ship that blasts the papaya boys into space. lando and oscar do a livestream in the MCL38 parked on the side of an asteroid

- nico rosberg appears on a sky broadcast in a t-shirt that people swear lewis hamilton once wore, and it in fact may be the exact same one. neither of them comments on it at all

- otmar somehow returns and spends half his time instructing his drivers to try and chase / destroy that orange twink… i mean, car. somehow he will manage to run a team more embarrassingly than haas.

#f1 #f1 predictions #f1 memes #f1blr #the way i wrote this pre-bahrain and forgot about it in the drafts #the Liberty Media one is shockingly accurate tho lmao #in light of the announcement that teams are supposed to lessen their marketing content so Liberty can push their own #anyway i found this while searching for something else so like-- enjoy #still fully believe jos and carlos snr might fight each other cus we're only in april rn #what i did not anticipate pre-bahrain was how much Alpine truly would be in the trenches #one one hand: poor them #one the other: kind of incredible that haas is not the laggard rn

[f0point5]

I think that people are more mad about how the mentality isn’t there. Because to be the best, you have to think that you’re the best and be willing to go up against the best.

There’s so many examples of drivers going up against the best, thinking they’re the best, etc.

Charles going to Ferrari to team up with Sebastian after only 1 year in F1. George taking on the task of being Lewis’ teammate. Lewis coming in and showing up Fernando in 2007.

And in my opinion the more relevant example: Daniel going to RB in 2014 when Sebastian was one of their first junior drivers to make it to the main team and get them their first wins for both teams, first wdc, first wcc, and all that. Despite being from the junior program as well, the team was Sebastian’s at that point because he’d won them 4 consecutive titles. But Daniel went in there and showed up Sebastian. If you’re good enough or fast enough, RB will back you (just look at Sebastian taking control from Mark Webber).

All of these drivers took the risk of teaming up with world champions much earlier into their careers and were confident in their own abilities.

You have to be somewhat delusional about your own abilities because why else are you there if you don’t think that you can beat the other 19 drivers.

To be fair though, Lando didn’t say he didn’t want to go against Max. He just said he wanted to battle Max in a McLaren, not a Red Bull. Now, I don’t think Lando’s mentality is there in general, but what he said there isn’t the reason. He’s right that moving from a team where you are comfortable, prioritised, and where you have the loyalty of those around you, to a team that is loyal to the other driver, who also happens to be one of the greatest drivers ever…is a brain dead move. It’s not the same for someone like George, or Carlos, they have nothing to lose because even if their teams have a championship car they won’t be the champion, but Lando would be at McLaren. And he never would be at Red Bull.

The difference to me with Charles, Lewis, etc., is that they were still on the rise. They were still looking to make that in-road to a top team where they could get comfortable. Charles wasn’t going to get comfortable and stay at Sauber. Lewis didn’t really have a choice to go anywhere but McLaren. Those were upward moves for them, that happened to be alongside champions and they proved themselves. Lando going from a team that he thinks has championship potential and prioritises him, to a winning team that will not support him right away wouldn’t even be a lateral move, it would be a step down imo.

And yes, RB will back the fastest driver, but that won’t happen in one or two races. Lando would have to convincingly beat Max over a whole season for him to even approach equal footing. Lando doesn’t have a season to waste getting the team to believe in him, especially when he has a team that already does.

I think the other drivers were going for the best opportunity for them, they weren’t chasing a fight with the world champions, it came to them because of the team they were in. For Lando to go to RB would be chasing a fight he doesn’t need, with the odds stacked against him. I don’t think it’s a weak mentality to acknowledge that and say, better the devil you know.

BUT. I do also agree that Lando knows he wouldn’t beat Max over a season regardless of what team he was in. Because Lando can read a data sheet, he knows who didn’t make mistakes and he knows he did. I also think he knows Max is a better driver. I do think he is nowhere near tough enough for a title fight, but I don’t think this instance is what showed that.

#f1 #formula 1 #max verstappen #lando norris

[youjustwaitsunshine]

Very Long 2010 pre-season Seb Post

Under the cut you will find posts from the sebsite which include:

The RB6 car launch + RB6 specs

Seb's test days in Jerez

Test days in Barcelona (original in german + my english translation)

a short blurb on the name of the car

some pictures

masterpost // pre-season 2010

10 | 02 | 10

2010 Car Launch

Sebastian Vettel | Driver – Car 5

Sebastian Vettel’s first foray into Formula One saw him fined for speeding in the pitlane during the first ten seconds of his debut. It’s fair to say he hasn’t slowed down much since.

Fame and fortune hasn’t made any discernable impact on Seb (“What fortune?” he asks, bewildered). He still gives his cars girl’s names, argues that there are more exciting things in life than driving Formula One cars (but not many) and is proud of being taller than Rubens Barrichello. He loathes being referred as ‘the new Schumacher,’ and so is relieved to see his Race of Champions team-mate returning to F1.

Born 3 July 1987 in the town of Heppenheim, Germany, Sebastian enjoyed a successful career in karting before making an immediate impression the moment he came into open-wheel racing. Starting the 2003 season aged 15, he won five of 19 races in his debut Formula BMW year, finishing second in the German Championship. The next year he took the title, winning 18 of the 20 races (he finished on the podium in the other two but doesn’t like to talk about them).

It marked Vettel as one to watch and he duly tested F1 cars for Williams and BMW-Sauber, while moving up through the junior ranks, impressing in Formula 3 and the World Series by Renault. Vettel’s chance in F1 came when he replaced Robert Kubica as BMW-Sauber’s third driver in the second half of the 2006 season. In addition to incurring the Stewards’ wrath, Vettel’s debut during Friday practice for the Turkish Grand Prix also saw him finish the day top of the timesheets.

While the performance on track was impressive, everyone was equally knocked out by the confidence and effervescence with which the teenage Seb dealt with the garage and Paddock. The authority with which he spoke and the evident self-deprecating wit stood him out as much as the blistering pace.

Sebastian finally got his chance to race a year later, standing in for the injured Kubica at the United States Grand Prix. Still only 19, he qualified seventh and finished eighth, becoming the youngest man to score a Championship point. Later in the 2007 season he moved to a permanent seat at Scuderia Toro Rosso. He made a lasting impression on future team-mate Mark Webber (and the rear of his car) during the monsoon-hit Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji before bouncing back a week later to secure fourth place at an equally waterlogged Chinese Grand Prix.

Confirmed for 2008, Vettel didn’t have the best start to his first full season and crashed out of the first four races, mostly as a result of being dragged into other drivers’ accidents. Fortunately the crash-magnet curse was soon lifted and Vettel scored points at Monaco, Montreal, Hockenheim, Valencia, Spa, Singapore, Fuji and Interlagos – though the only race anyone properly remembers is the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

On the back of a strong fifth place in Belgium, Vettel and Scuderia Toro Rosso went to Italy in good form. Torrential rain over the weekend failed to dampen their pace and Vettel duly became, first, the youngest driver to take pole position in Formula One history, and then the youngest race winner, having utterly dominated the race in which a rudder may have been of more use than a steering wheel.

Elevated to the senior Red Bull team for 2009, Vettel won his second, and Red Bull Racing’s first, victory at the third race of the year. He followed it with a string of podium and solid points-scoring finishes and established himself as a firm championship contender with a second, commanding victory in the British Grand Prix. He finished the season strongly with further victories in Japan and Abu Dhabi that, together with four other podium finishes, took him to second place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Definitely a follower of the ‘second is first of the losers’ philosophy, Sebastian has loftier ambitions for 2010. He lists his lifetime ambitions as winning the Formula One World Championship and beating Kimi Räikkönen at badminton.

RB6 – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Chassis: Composite monocoque structure, designed and built in-house, carrying the Renault V8 engine as fully stressed member

Transmission: Seven-speed gearbox, longitudinally mounted with hydraulic system for power shift and clutch operation. AP Racing clutch

Wheels: OZ Racing, Front: 12.0in x 13in diam., Rear: 13.7in x 13in diam.

Tyres: Bridgestone

Suspension: Front: Aluminium alloy uprights, carbon-composite double wishbone with springs and anti-roll bar, Multimatic dampers

Rear: Aluminium alloy uprights, carbon-composite double wishbone with springs and anti-roll bar, Multimatic dampers

Brakes: Brembo calipers, Brembo carbon discs and pads

Electronics: FIA (MESL) standard control unit

Fuel: Total Group

Renault Engine RS27 – 2010

Number of cylinders: 8

Capacity: 2400cc

Max rpm: 18,000rpm

Number of valves: 32

Vee angle: 90 degrees

Power output: Not disclosed

Engine construction: Cylinder block in cast aluminium

Engine management: FIA (MESL) standard control unit TAG310B

Oil: Total Group

Weight: FIA minimum weight of 95kg

important: the picture on the left is - on the sebsite - called 'sebi-vettel'

10 | 02 | 10

Sebastian and the RB6

It was windy, it was cold - rain was just a matter of time. Sebastian‘s face was nearly covered by his Beanie cap, but despite the dark clouds he was in really good mood. The reason why? It was the moment when his new car was unveiled. Sebastian laughs: „Finally we are back on the track - the winter break was far too long."

Sebastian stands in front of his car and proudly he gives a short version explanation: „We were lucky to have the best of all cars during the second half of the season. That means we had a very good base right from the beginning, so we just had to develop the car. In contrast some of the opponents had to develop completely new designed cars."

The only real new part: „I got a new seat, it‘s like having a new chair. Beside that in general all the more than thousand parts of a Formula One car have been optimised. "I have a feeling I can reach my target"… So far I have not made a decision regarding the car‘s name. So ideas are welcomed.More next Friday: Today and tomorrow my team mate Mark will do the shake down and the first laps.

On Friday it will be my turn and so on Friday evening I will able to give you further information, about how the RB6´s handling qualities.

------------

Jerez Test

12 | 02 | 10

JEREZ TEST – Day Three

Driver: Sebastian Vettel

Car: RB6 – 01

Laps: 59

Best time: 1.21.783

Circuit length: 4.423 km

Fastest lap: J. Alguersuari – 1:19.919

Sebastian Vettel drove Red Bull Racing’s 2010 championship challenger, the RB6, for the first time today, as he took over from Mark Webber on day three of the current four-day test in Jerez.

After an initial run on dry tyres, Sebastian was forced to use intermediate and extremes for the rest of the day as wet weather set in from 0945hrs. The team’s plan was to focus on aero-testing, but progress was hampered by deteriorating weather. By 1615hrs, conditions were so wet on track that Red Bull Racing, in line with the other Formula One teams testing in Jerez, decided to end the session early. Despite the weather, the car ran without any problems today.

Sebastian Vettel commented; “After three months, it was good to come back and drive the car – it felt okay and we didn’t have any big issues. Obviously the weather is not ideal for us to find out more about the car, but we knew the rain was coming so we didn’t mess around this morning and went straight out to do some laps. It then rained all day, but you could face these conditions in a grand prix, so it’s important to do laps in the wet. Overall, we didn’t do enough because of the weather, but I’m pretty happy.”

Sebastian will be driving the RB6 again tomorrow for the last day of this current preseason F1 test at the Jerez Circuit.

2010 Rider on the Storm

Sebastian Vettel | Driver – Car 5

"You can't influence the weather, we have seen that today. After a three month break, I was finally able to sit in the car today and it was good fun, I am still able to drive and the car feels good. This morning I did some (a few) laps in the dry the car went well straight away, but then it started raining and I had to park the car for some time in the garage. For sure it's a shame that it wasn't dry all day but also its possible to have rain in a race and so you have to learn to keep up with diffrent weather conditions. At the moment its still very difficult to give an idea of where everybody stands due to the new rules and the big tanks. The teams are driving with diffrent fuel levels and this also keeps changing. I hope it continues raining over night so that nothing is left for tomorrow and I can speed though all day, but as I said we have to see as we can't tell mother nature what to do..."

13 | 02 | 10

JEREZ TEST – Day Four

Driver: Sebastian Vettel

Car: RB6 – 01

Laps: 90

Best time: 1.21.203

Circuit length: 4.423 km

Fastest lap: L. Hamilton – 1.19.583

Sebastian Vettel was at the wheel of Red Bull Racing’s RB6 today for the final day of the current Jerez test. It was his second day of testing, as Mark Webber had driven on days one and two.

The team’s plan was to focus on set-up work and aero testing, although the weather once again played a part and damp conditions in the morning meant Sebastian began the day on intermediate tyres.

Conditions dried by lunchtime, but a fuel pump failure in the afternoon cost the team around three hours of dry running time. Sebastian ended the day with a final long run on dry tyres.

At the end of the RB6’s first test, Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering said: “It’s been a productive first week with the RB6, despite the weather and lack of dry conditions. We’re pleased with the car overall, it’s showing a lot of promise.” The next test will take place at the Jerez Circuit, starting on Wednesday 17 February.

-------

Barcelona Test

26 | 02 | 10

Barcelona Test - Tag 2 (english version below)

Sebastian Vettel | Fahrer – RB6-01

Auto: RB6-01

Runden: 125

Bestzeit: 1.21,258 Min.

Streckenlänge: 4,655 km

Tagesschnellster: N. Hülkenberg (1.20,614 Min.)

Das Team fuhr seine zweite Rennwochenend-Simulation, und am Ende des Tages hatte Sebastian 125 Runden zurückgelegt.

Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, sagte: „Heute erlebten wir in etwa eine Wiederholung der Renn-Simulation, die Mark gestern gefahren war. Alles lief mehr oder weniger nach Plan. Erneut stoppten wir das Auto während der Renn-Simulation. Dabei handelte es sich um eine Vorsichtsmaßnahme, um einige Dinge kontrollieren zu können. Es ging um ein kleines Problem, und wir konnten schon wenig später weiterfahren. Sebastian konnte die Simulation vor Ende des Testtages in voller Länge beenden. Wir drehten viele Runden und sind recht happy, was das Auto angeht."

Sebastian Vettel meinte: „Das war ein guter Tag - größere Probleme traten nicht auf. Im Verlauf des Nachmittags mussten wir wegen einer Kleinigkeit unterbrechen, aber bei Testfahrten ist das ziemlich normal. Während der Tests will man keine Schäden riskieren. Aus diesem Grund ist es am besten, das Auto abzustellen, sobald es im Hintergrund Alarmsignale gibt. Weil es in Jerez oft regnete, haben wir an den beiden kommenden Tagen noch viel Arbeit vor uns. Beispielsweise müssen wir mehr über die Reifen herausfinden und einige Abstimmungsarbeiten erledigen."

Sebastian Vettel wird morgen erneut zum Einsatz kommen, bevor Mark das Cockpit am Sonntag, dem letzten Testtag, wieder übernehmen wird.

Barcelona Test - Day 2

Driver: Sebastian Vettel

Car: RB6 – 01

Laps: 125

Best time: 1.21.285

Circuit length: 4.655 km

Fastest lap: N. Hülkenberg – 1:20.614

The team drove its second race simulation, and at the end of the day Sebastian had completed 125 laps.

Ian Morgen, Head of Race Engineering said; “Today we experienced about a repeat of the race simulation that Mark drove yesterday. Everything went more or less according to plan. We again stopped the car during the simulation. This was a safety measure to control a few things. It was a small problem and we could continue soon after. Sebastian could finish the race simulation in full length before end of the test day. We ran many laps and are quite happy about the car.”

Sebastian Vettel said: “This was a good day – no large problems showed up. During the course of the afternoon we had to take a break due to a small thing, but that’s pretty normal with testing drives. On test days you don’t want to risk damage. For that reason it’s best to stop the car once there’s alarms in the background. Because it rained a lot in Jerez, we have a lot of work to do in the coming few days. For example we have to find out more about the tires and do a bit of coordination work.”

Sebastian Vettel will take the wheel again tomorrow before passing it back again to Mark on Sunday, the last test day.

Barcelona Test - Tag 3 (english below)

Sebastian Vettel | Fahrer – RB6-02

Auto: RB6-02

Runden: 44

Bestzeit: 1.23,123 Min.

Streckenlänge: 4,655 km

Tagesschnellster: N. Rosberg (1.20,686 km)

Sebastian Vettel absolvierte in Barcelona beim letzten Test vor Saisonbeginn seinen zweiten Testtag. Der Tag wurde durch Regen beeinträchtigt. Morgens wurden wegen eines Mix aus Regenschauern und technischen Problemen nur wenige Runden gefahren. Der Nachmittag erwies sich als wertvoller, denn das Team arbeitete an der Abstimmung für das erste Rennen der Saison in Bahrain. Seine Bestzeit erreichte Sebastian während seiner letzten Runde des Tages. Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, sagte: „Nach den nächtlichen Umbauarbeiten mit Blick auf das für heute geplante Programm waren wir morgens wegen einiger technischer Probleme spät dran. Nachdem wir nachmittags richtig zum Fahren kamen, gelangen uns drei, vier Tests bezüglich der Abstimmungsrichtung für das Rennen in Bahrain. Sie brachten uns klare Resultate. Entsprechend beendeten wir den Tag in deutlich besserer Form." Am morgigen letzten Testtag werden sich Sebastian und Mark Webber das Auto teilen.

Barcelona Test - Day 3

Driver: Sebastian Vettel

Car: RB6 – 01

Laps: 44

Best time: 1:23.123

Circuit length: 4.655 km

Fastest lap: N. Rosberg – 1:20.686

Sebastian Vettel finished his second test day in Barcelona at the last test before the start of the season. The day was affected by rain. In the morning only few laps were run due to a mix of rain showers and technical problems. The afternoon showed to be more useful because the team worked on the race setup for the first race of the season in Bahrain. Sebastian reached his best time during the last lap of the day. Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering said; “After the nightly work in view of the program planned for the day we were late due to a few technical problems in the morning. After we got to driving in the afternoon, we managed to do three, four setup tests for the race in Bahrain. Those brought us clear results. Accordingly we finished the day in much better form.“ Tomorrow, on the last test day, Sebastian and Mark Webber will be sharing the car.

28 | 02 | 10

Barcelona Test - Tag 4 (english below)

Sebastian Vettel | Fahrer – RB6-02

Eigentlich wären meine Tests am Samstag abgeschlossen gewesen, aber durch die schlechten Wetterverhältnisse bin ich nicht auf meine gewünschten Kilometer gekommen.

Deswegen haben wir uns darauf geeinigt, dass ich am Sonntagvormittag nochmal ins Auto steige.

Am Freitag haben wir eine Rennsimulation gemacht, das verlief mehr oder weniger alles nach Plan. Jetzt muessen wir das erste Rennen in Bahrain abwarten, heute in 14 Tagen, wo alle die Hosen runterlassen... Wir müssen bis Bahrain noch etwas an unserem Topspeed arbeiten, aber insgesamt bin ich ganz zufrieden mit meinem Auto. Übrigens: Einen Namen habe ich auch schon, aber den werde ich erst am Montag vor dem GP in Bahrain auf meiner Website bekanntgeben...

Fahrer: Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber

Auto: RB6-02

Runden: 137 (Vettel – 76; Webber – 61)

Bestzeit: Vettel: 1.20,667 Min.

Streckenlänge: 4,655 km

Tagesschnellster: L. Hamilton (1.20,472 Min.)

Nachdem er gestern auf der Piste weniger Zeit als erwartet verbracht hatte, kam Sebastian vormittags zum Einsatz, während Mark unsere Vorbereitungen auf die neue Saison nachmittags beendete. Die beiden Fahrer standen vor ähnlichen Programmen, die das Team erfolgreich bewältigte. Die vorläufig endgültigen Abstimmungen für unterschiedliche Tankfüllungen beim Saisonbeginn wurden gefunden.

Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, sagte: „Weil wir gestern etwas Zeit verloren hatten, konnten wir mit Seb nicht alles abhaken, was wir uns vorgenommen hatten. Aus diesem Grund erledigten wir heute mehr oder weniger das Pensum von eineinhalb Testtagen, weshalb wir auf insgesamt 137 Runden kamen. Das war ein ziemlicher Wirbel, aber wir haben viel geschafft.

Der letzte Test verlief gut für uns. Nach eingeschränkten Testmöglichkeiten auf trockenem Asphalt während der beiden Tests in Jerez, hatten hier die fast komplett trockenen vier Testtage zur Folge, dass wir wieder auf Kurs kamen. Im Verlauf der Woche machten wir große Fortschritte. Das waren sehr gute Testfahrten."

Zwei Wochen trennen uns nun noch vom ersten WM-Lauf der Saison, dem Grand Prix von Bahrain.

Barcelona Test - Day 4

Usually, my Tests would have concluded on Saturday, but due to the bad weather conditions I did not get to the distance I wanted. Because of that we agreed that I’d get back into the car Sunday morning. On Friday we did a race simulation where everything went more or less according to plan. Now we need to wait for the first race in Bahrain, today in two weeks, where everyone will drop their pants… We’ll have to work on our top speed until then, but all in all I’m rather happy with the car. By the way: I have a name already, but I’ll only share that one on my website the Monday before the GP…

Drivers: Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber

Car: RB6-02

Laps: 137 (Vettel – 76; Webber – 61)

Best time: Vettel: 1:20.667

Circuit length: 4,655 km

Fastest lap: L. Hamilton – 1:20.472

After he spent less time on the track than expected, Sebastian was in the car in the morning, while Mark finished our preparations for the new season in the afternoon. Both drivers followed similar programs that the team successfully completed. The provisionally final setups for different tank fillings were found.

Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, said; ”Because we lost some time yesterday, we couldn’t finish everything we set out to do with Seb. For that reason we went over more or less one and a half test days worth of work, which got us to 137 laps. That was a lot of turmoil but we managed to do a lot.

The last test went well for us. After limited testing opportunities on dry track during the tests in Jerez, the almost fully dry four days of testing here let us get back on course. During the course of the week we took great steps. These were very good test drives.”

Two weeks still separate us from the first World Championship race, the Bahrain GP.

05 | 03 | 10

In diesem Jahr nenne ich sie Luscious Liz

Einige von Ihnen wissen vermutlich schon, dass ich meinen Formel 1-Rennwagen Namen gebe.

In der vorigen Saison fuhr ich zwei Autos, die ich auf die Namen Kate und Kates dirty Sister taufte.

In diesem Jahr nenne ich sie Luscious Liz!

This year I’m calling her Luscious Liz

A few of you probably already know that I give names to my F1 cars. In the last season I drove two cars who I christened Kate and Kates dirty Sister.

This year I’m calling her Luscious Liz!

back to the masterpost

the pre-season in general

#sebastian vettel #f1 #return to the 2010 season #i think it's fascinating that they already favored seb in the preseason testing #like they took half of marks day because sebby didn't get enough run time on his day? mark must have been soooooo pissed

[chibrary]

“Brrrrrr!” says Charles Leclerc, on a chilly late afternoon in a São Paulo that’s enveloped in grey and pendulous cloud.

Cruelly denied a coat by our photographer, Charles hastens from the back of the Sauber garage to the welcoming environs of the team unit as soon as his duties are concluded. Glenn, our snapper, replaces a lens cap and shakes his head ruefully. “You can’t treat ‘em like kids,” he says. “Otherwise it starts with you letting them wear a coat and ends with you having to take all the blue M&MS out of the bowl…”

Perhaps in some cases, but Charles Leclerc is emphatically not cut from junior diva cloth. Though F1 starwrangler Nicolas Todt has steered his career, Leclerc’s talent and singular determination has provided the momentum. There is not a hint of the silver spoon about his rise to prominence, and that comes across in the respectful politesse with which he unfailingly conducts himself.

Now seated and beginning to thaw, Charles holds the question deck between finger and thumb and regards it with genuine surprise. “All these are from fans?” he asks, agog at how an F1 rookie could possibly generate so much interest.

Well, there’s a reason for that… [...]

source: gp racing (uk) series: 2018, f1

What does the underside of Alonso's car look like? David Foulston, UK CL: The underside? What's the underside? [The penny drops] Ah! Yes, when he went flying over me [at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix]. I tell you, it happened so fast that I could barely see anything. I certainly wasn't going to analyse it [technically]. It was definitely black, but that's the only thing I can say.

F1 Racing: Surely, given their relative position in the championship, Sauber don't have much to learn from Mclaren at the moment any- way… CL: Ah… [He glances in the direction of team PR Mia, who responds in startled fashion to F1R'S cheeky query. Charles giggles, though whether this is at the question or its effect on his colleague is un- clear]

In your company car, have you beaten the best commute times from Monaco to Modena set by Gilles Villeneuve and Jody Scheckter? Phil Darby, UK CL: [Laughs again] Errrrr… no! I'm not so quick on the road. F1R: In your position, you need to be responsible. CL: Definitely.

F1R: Were you aware there was a record each of them tried to break? CL: To get to the grand prix? F1R: To get to the Ferrari factory when Enzo rang up. They'd say, "Okay, be there in five minutes…" CL: [Laughs] For sure, I could never get to the factory that quickly. I'm not really racing on the road.

Is there any circuit you would love to see added to the F1 calendar? Matt Lloyd, UK CL: Laguna Seca. Even though it's very… yeah, I don't think F1 could go there in reality.

F1R: The run-off at the Corkscrew isn't very wide, and there's a cliff on the other side.

CL: Yeah? That would make it more, er, challenging… F1R: According to folklore, the corner is how it is because they were driving the bulldozer along, got to the edge of the drop, and then just turned left. CL: Nice story. But is it true?

What is your biggest fear? Severine Covens, UK

CL: Oh, snakes. F1R: Is it the creepy dryness of the scales, or their rasping forked tongues that creep you out? CL: I don't really know - I'm just not liking these animals. F1R: Have you ever actually encountered a snake? CL: I did, in Australia. Haven't you seen the pictures? I have it all round my neck. [He shudders at the memory] You'll have to ask the Sauber people why they did it…

What was the first car you drove? Kamil Zaotkowski, Poland CL: I really shouldn't say, because I was quite young!

What is your favourite childhood memory with Jules Bianchi? Chloe Hewitt, UK CL: Probably every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at his track. [Jules Bianchi's father managed the kart circuit at Brignoles] That and his birthdays in Saint-tropez. All the races we did together in karting. Fun times. F1R: Did you get to go to his party after he finished in the points in the Monaco Grand Prix? CL: No, I was too young, and in Monaco they're quite strict with things like that.

#series:f1 #format:interview #year:2018

[manykinsmen]

What the grid might look like in 2025

so i've had my thinking hat on about this and i wanted to come up with a semi-realistic hypothetical, based on what i know about the teams and what i would do in their shoes. i'll try to give solid justifications of why and how sure i am, as well as a few options if multiple seem possible.

so we already know what a few teams will look like, short of any broken and bought out contracts (i'm listing drivers alphabetically by surname, i don't want to speculate on any first/second driver deals):

ferrari: lewis hamilton, charles leclerc

mclaren: lando norris, oscar piastri

this is a given, there's a small chance that norris or piastri coul be bought out but i don't think any team would feel the need to do that. lets start with some that i think might keep the same lineup.

aston martin: fernando alonso, lance stroll

as much as the alonso to mercedes rumours are entertaining, i doubt there's much reality to them. mercedes is obviously backsliding and alonso's age means that he can't be a long-term solution. likewise, toto wolff is a control freak and fernando alonso is not someone he can control. alonso seems happy at aston martin, which is steadily improving as a team. stroll's contract will run until he personally is done with f1, and i can imagine alonso going the same way. the only danger here is one of them getting bored and retiring or moving to a different series.

sauber (i'm not calling it that): valtteri bottas, zhou guanyu.

this might seem weird but sauber's not looking to do much but stay afloat until audi takes over in 2026. changing the lineup to get a bigger name would mean spending money, which i imagine they really don't want to do. changing the lineup to bring in a rookie would risk the results that they have, and in any case, their major issue is vehicle reliability. bottas and zhou both score pretty well for the vehicle they have, zhou seems to be steadily improving under bottas' mentorship, they get along well and are a stable, reliable pair. they also are both pretty decently sponsored and unlikely to be poached by another team. even if a bigger name came calling (which feels unlikely), they'd probably want more money than sauber are willing to spend. i'd call this pretty likely for 2025, but 2026 onwards is anyone's guess.

so this is where it starts to get a little funky.

mercedes: alex albon, george russell OR george russell, carlos sainz jr

i'm 50-50 on this one. we know russell is a done deal pretty much and mercedes aren't the kind of team to swap both drivers at the same time. looking around at who is available to fill the hole left by hamilton, i'm pretty convinced that they're only serious options are albon or sainz. we've already ruled out alonso. bottas is a very distant possibility, but it would be pride-wounding for toto wolff to go back to him, especially knowing he would be forced to offer bottas a multi-year contract if he really wants him. ocon has a history with mercedes, but hasn't really been providing results with alpine, and seems to be slowly falling out of favour. likewise mick schumacher's been out of the car for a year after failing to impress at haas (and seems to be falling out of love with f1 himself). the team is slowly backsliding and needs someone that they know can deliver results.

if it were me, i'd be picking sainz. he's the only non-verstappen driver to win a race in the last season and has driven a front-running car recently. they'll probably even get him for cheaper than his actual value given he'll be desperate for a decent seat. however, as we've said earlier, toto wolff is a control freak. albon comes from unofficial mercedes junior team williams, meaning we're less sure of his capabilities, although he has impressed there. he has a very good relationship with russell, which gives him a serious advocate. there's a possibility that red bull might try to poach him, but he already has a very strained relationship with them.

if i have to choose, i'd suggest albon is slightly more likely. but it's going to be a photo-finish.

red bull: alex albon, max verstappen OR carlos sainz jr, max verstappen

sorry to all the ricciardo fans out there, but i reckon whoever's not at mercedes is gonna end up at red bull. red bull have been in a bit of a quandry over their second driver for a while and i'm not 100% certain that perez is even going to last the entirety of 2024. i can't imagine perez will have many teams desperate to scoop him up either, given just how much he's underperformed in the best vehicle on the grid, that he's one of the oldest on the grid, and the fact that he's already driven for so many of them. there's always a possibility of somewhere like haas having a go, but there's about to be a lot of seat shuffling, and i can see perez losing out entirely unless he pulls out something spectacular in 2024.

red bull are also experiencing something of an internal power struggle. as much as christian horner is slowly removing power from helmut marko, that process is not yet complete. horner clearly was teeing up ricciardo for promotion back to red bull in 2025 but there are two big problems with this: helmut marko isn't enthused and also, all of that rested on the assumption that the lineups at the front-running teams wouldn't change until 2026. oops. red bull might be top dog now, but that can't always be the case and they are right to frightened of a hamilton/leclerc pairing at ferrari. i would have expected them to attempt to poach norris or piastri, but mclaren's managed to lock that down. russell poaching is about as likely as san marino winning the football world cup. alonso would be too much for them to handle. what options does that leave them with?

well. if it were me, by the rules of engagement of the red bull driver's academy, i'd be promoting tsunoda, who's been holding the junior team together for a while now, but they've shown exactly zero interest in doing that. there's also ricciardo, who is something of an unknown quantity with his age and injured hand, though he was decent in the past and is well-liked. sainz is now unexpectedly available, and though he has something of a turbulent history with the team, it's not as recent or as insurmountable as albon's history. there's going to be something of a weird bidding war that happens here. unless ricciardo can really truly impress in 2024, i'd say he's unlikely to remain the favourite. based on my feeling that it will be albon at mercedes in 2025, i'd have to say i think sainz is most likely here.

williams: logan sargeant, frederik vesti

so, i think the person that's going to be luckiest out of the seat disaster dominos that we're currently witnessing is actually logan sargeant. why? well, sargeant had a pretty terrible start in his rookie season of f1 and very nearly lost his seat to fred vesti. before all of this began, sargeant new he was really going to have to deliver in 2024 or face being out on his ear. now, some of that pressure is off. it seems pretty certain that either mercedes or red bull will snap up sargeant's teammate albon, creating a space at williams. teams are usually pretty reluctant to replace both drivers at the same time unless they absolutely have to (it's a better the devil you know, controlling the variables conundrum). changing drivers at all is always a risk, especially promoting a rookie given how steep the f1 learning curve is. williams is a rookie pipeline team, meaning they're far more likely to promote a rookie than take on a driver from elsewhere on the grid. the favourite to replace sargeant was vesti, ergo, sargeant gets a stay of execution and vesti gets his seat.

potential alternatives? well, if logan sargeant has an absolute clanger of a second year, he will lose his seat and there won't be anyone looking to take him off williams' hands. there's always the possibility of a new f2 hero usurping vesti as favourite, or being promoted alongside him in a rare-double rookie event (assuming sargeant performs poorly). there's also the possibility of williams snapping up a backsliding driver, which they have a history of doing. if that were the case, i'd be looking at ocon or gasly from alpine as likely candidates. difficult to call it a backslide, but picking up yuki tsunoda is also not beyond the realms of possibility

toro rosso (i am not calling it that): daniel ricciardo, liam lawson

controversial here, but i think a driver will be leaving this team at the end of 2024 and it may not be who you think it is. with all the chaos at the front of the grid, i think daniel ricciardo might be the big loser, short of the people that will lose a seat entirely. which is just his luck lately. i've explained why i don't think he'll be getting the red bull seat above (short of having an incredible season in 2024). i also don't really think there's anywhere else for him to go. he's swallowed his pride enough to come back to red bull, he'll swallow his pride enough not to rage quit the entirety of f1, probably. in any case, helmut marko has suggested that ricciardo has got a long-term contract.

if i were yuki tsunoda, i'd be looking for an out. red bull's about to have a too many drivers, not enough seats conundrum. they've really wanted to promote liam lawson since he did so well subbing in for ricciardo last season and thought they had the perfect set up. now things have changed. red bull have shown no real interest in yuki's career - he's not being teed up for that red bull seat and there's no real future for him with them. he's in real danger if ricciardo doesn't get that promotion. where do i think he's going to, well, fortunately, i think he'll have options, which we'll talk about below.

alpine: pierre gasly, yuki tsunoda OR jack doohan, esteban ocon

oh boy oh howdy this team is not looking good. if the rumours are to be believed, nobody's happy with the current lineup at alpine. gasly and ocon hate each other and the management hate that they have to deal with it and everyone hates the results. something has to give in this team.

as we've said though, teams hate changing too many variables at once. the management at alpine is in constant crisis, so they'll probably be looking to retain one of their current drivers. but who? well, gasly did achieve better results in 2023, but only by four points and while the car had lots of reliability issues, ocon wound up retiring because of them more often. they were both on the podium once. gasly might have more grace as the new boy, but ocon has had longer to cultivate friendships. it's really even stevens and will come down to results in 2024 and relationships with team personnel behind closed doors. we don't have that information at the moment so this one is officially too close to call. i'd be worried if i were either though, because neither really impressed the grid last year and seats are scarce.

who do they bring in to fill the gap though? well, as discussed above, if i were tsunoda i'd be looking to move. if gasly is the driver retained, tsunoda would have an advocate in the team and be a safe bet for not causing inter-team drama. if ocon is the driver retained, the tsunoda move would seem unlikely. alpine will probably look to promote a rookie (like they wanted to do with piastri) and the best option in their driver's academy is jack doohan, who as rumour has it has been garnering a lot of good will in the team by doing the vitally important job of stopping gasly and ocon from killing each other. there's an outside option of poaching a visibly frustrated theo pouchaire from the ferrari academy, but pourchaire is developing a reputation as a drama queen, the last thing alpine needs.

haas: oh god this is complicated

things are up in the air with haas in a big way, for multiple reasons. firstly steiner got the boot, secondly there's rumours that andretti will attempt to buy out haas given that f1 has turned down their application for a team, thirdly, gene haas absolutely will not invest in this team in a way that allows it to achieve anything.

firstly, and i'm sad to be saying it because i love him,i think magnussen will be leaving f1 at the end of 2024. there's a few reasons: magnussen is not exactly hot property and he's been at haas a long while. his biggest advocate in steiner is now gone and the team is going to be desperate for sponsor money, which magnussen does not provide oodles of. some more positive reasons: magnussen has two small daughters that he is worried about missing pivotal moments with (and the eldest of which will be starting school in 2025, so won't be as easy to travel with) and has expressed interest in other series which are less demanding in terms of the number of races and amount of travelling. i'm very sad about it because i've always thought magnussen deserved better and didn't get his fair shot, but also i think he'll be leaving with a smile because there are other things in his life that are more important and worthwhile to him now.

hulkenberg is more of a questionmark. he also has a child of the same age, but has been less vocal about the difficulties of parenting and racing simultaneously. however, he is also older than magnussen and as much as teams typically hate the double driver swap when it isn't absolutely necessary, haas have shown themselves as willing to do it, and although it's a baby out with the bathwater move in my opinion, it would be very much in keeping with gene haas's attitude. i wouldn't be surprised if hulkenberg also looses out.

who will replace them? good. fucking. question. if andretti swoop in and buy the team, almost certainly colton herta, an indycar driver who's been linked to the andretti f1 project repeatedly. if not? your guess is as good as mine. they'll probably sweep up the leftovers. if gasly, ocon or tsunoda find themselves out of a seat, there will almost certainly be space for them at haas, maybe even perez. of these, if pourchaire can't find an opening elsewhere, there's probably also space for him at haas, along with any number of promising rookies. the only person i'm confident it won't be is mick schumacher. of these, gasly would be very much appreciated at haas with his delicious crypto sponsors.

#f1 #f1 2025 #whole grid tag

[ummick]

Mick Schumacher: Toto Wolff says F1 teams 'missing out' as Mercedes boss praises reserve driver's impact

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says other F1 teams are "missing out" on Mick Schumacher as the German driver struggles to find a full-time seat for the 2024 season.

Schumacher is Mercedes' reserve driver this season after being replaced by Nico Hulkenberg at Haas at the end of 2022 following two difficult seasons with the American team. Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael, was criticised by Guenther Steiner for a series of expensive crashes last season, with the Haas team boss revealing in his book that Schumacher had cost in excess of £1.6m from big crashes in Saudi Arabia, Monaco and Japan. Wolff, though, feels Schumacher was not in an environment to thrive at Haas and would expect him to perform well at the next team that signs him. "I think teams are missing out, to be honest. I think he was burned last year," Wolff said at the Canadian Grand Prix. "You need to give and provide an environment and framework that is different to every driver, we are all different human beings. And whoever gets him will have a very good pilot." Schumacher's hopes of returning to the grid full-time in 2024 are looking slim with limited openings available. A promotion at Mercedes will not happen as George Russell has extended his contract and Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of signing his own extension. As things stand, the only openings in 2024 are at Alfa Romeo/Sauber, Williams, AlphaTauri and Haas - with a return to the latter almost certainly out of the question. Wolff also says he cannot make a Mercedes customer team - Williams, McLaren and Aston Martin - take on Schumacher. "I'm not even sure that we can facilitate [a seat], because every time we speak highly of him, somebody feels to say something negative," Wolff said. "Wherever I can speak highly and praise Mick, that's what I'm doing. But at the end, it's every team's authority to decide on their drivers and I very much respect that. Our contracts with the teams were never 'you have to take our junior driver', 'you have to take our reserve driver', because when I was at Williams, I also wanted to have my own choice."

Wolff: Schumacher giving Mercedes tremendous advantage

Wolff also hailed the impact Schumacher is having in his role as reserve driver with Mercedes. Hamilton and Russell praised the work the 24-year-old had done in the simulator on the Friday night of the Spanish GP which helped the team unlock more pace in the W14 and culminated in a double podium finish on the Sunday. Wolff says having Schumacher's experience to do simulator work on race weekends at European grands prix gives Mercedes a big advantage and reiterated he would have no hesitation in having Schumacher step up to cover should Russell or Hamilton be unavailable for a race. "It's great to have a mature, successful and experienced Formula 1 driver supporting us," Wolff said. "In the simulator with his feedback, that is a tremendous advantage on some of the European grands prix, having him in the sim overnight and providing data for the Saturday is a super advantage for us. "And on the other side is that, if George or Lewis were to have fish poisoning - well, Lewis can't have fish poisoning, it would be avocado poisoning - then we know we have a super guy that would drive the car well. And as much as I like the situation for the benefit of the team, I would every day of the week prefer that Mick sits in a cockpit and actually races."

#mick schumacher #f1 #formula 1 #fic ref #fic ref 2023 #not a race #2023 not a race #between canada and austria 2023 #with george #with lewis

[dear-ao3]

A different anon but as someone deeply fascinated by Esteban Ocon and the redbull musical chairs here are some extra notes:

Estie bestie is currently at Alpine formerly Renault since 2020. And back in 2018 (ie when he was in Racing Point) there were rumors linking him to the Renault seat Daniel would take in 2019 so that’s possibly why his and Lances friendship survived

Unrelated but Alpine/Renault is currently the Frenchest team to ever French. It is (or at least was) partly owned by the French government through their stake in Renault (Alpine got renamed cause Alpine is the sports car brand of Renault. Not that they make any sports cars I believe they made maybe one in 2017). The current two Alpine drivers are the aforementioned Estie bestie and Pierre Gasly (both French. Also childhood friends to enemies to they have to tolerate each other now) and while their current reserve driver is an Australian, he will hopefully for his own good take a page out of his countryman’s Oscar Piastris book and hightail it out of there for his own good. The most likely replacement for him would be Victor Martins. Also French. The Alpine factories are in Enstone (UK) and Viry (France) so that’s the least French part of that team

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming of rbr 2nd seat:

So rbr started by buying the Jaguar team in mid 2000s after afaik getting fed up by Sauber who they used to sponsor. Also at that time Sauber was sponsored by Petronas, Mercedes’ current title sponsor. Fun fact

The two drivers that they started with was David Coulthard who no one cares about in this story and Mark Webber, Australian, first victim of rbr 2nd seat shenanigans

At some point (for the 2009 season I think?) Seb Vettel, German, certifiable little shit at that time, replaces Coulthard

Insert a highlight reel of Seb Vettels warcrimes between ~2010 - 2013, which culminate in Multi-21 Mark Webber retiring after the 2013 season. He gets replaced by Toro Rosso driver/Red Bull junior Daniel Ricciardo, Australian, happy go lucky guy and our next victim in a couple of years

2014 brings new regs for the cars and Red Bull struggles to adapt. For context Seb went from a 9 win streak at the end of 2013 to no podiums in 2014. Yeah. So he runs away to Ferrari for 2015 to become a victim of Italian incompetence instead

He gets replaced by Daniil Kvyat, Russian, the most forgettable man in this story. Also he is pretty new into F1, it’s his second or third year there

2015 is sorta meh for rbr but the two Daniels are sorta even. And then 2016 happens

Here’s the thing; Daniil decides to play bumper cars in Russia and China right off the bat at the beginning of the season, one of the victims being former rbr golden child Seb. Now there’s more lore that I don’t remember but it culminates in him being replaced for Spain 2016 by Max Verstappen, Dutch, aged like 18 at that time

Max goes on to win his first race with Red Bull because Mercedes (the best team on the grid) is in the throes of a civil war and their drivers take each other out. There could be novels written about those two drivers btw

The next two and half years are a slow process of the garage slowly going from preferring Danny Ric to preferring Max. Highlights include Baku 2018 and then Dans redemption win in Monaco the same year. There could be novels about this as well but we culminate in Dan leaving for Renault

And then we get to the real musical chairs. He gets replaced by Pierre Gasly, French, third victim of rbr 2nd seat

He has a shite start to the season and ends up getting replaced by Alex Albon, Thai, a rookie that year, midway through the season after Christian Horner, Mr Ginger spice, swore up and down he won’t

Intermission: Toro Rosso liked playing musical chairs as well and Pierre Gasly only got an F1 seat at the last few races for 2017, Alex got told he’s racing in 2019 (his first season) days before preseason testing. With no experience in an F1 car. And there’s a world of difference between a shit car (Toro Rosso) and a good car (Red Bull). Yeah they were ultimately victims of rbrs shitty management, especially Alex since he does wonders in a Williams now

Rbr decides to drop Alex after 2020. Except they usually promote Toro Rosso drivers and the two Toro Rosso drivers right now? Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat. Yeah

So they end up hiring Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez, Mexican, who knows if he will be racing next year. Idk if he got an extension or if they hired him for four years, either way his contract is supposed to last until end of 2024 season but right now how Mr Ginger spice is acting… yeah

Also, Daniel just came back to rbr as a driver for Alpha Tauri (former Toro Rosso) after a mid season swap that was widely regarded as shittily done so there are very little contract issues that would stop Red Bull from hiring him, a marketing departments golden boy, a good friend of Max, as the second driver to maybe finally have a good team

(Red Bull has never ended 1-2 in drivers standings. Checo is currently second but Sir Lewis Hamilton can do wonders sometimes)

So to reiterate the seat movements:

It’s Webber -> Ricciardo -> Gasly -> Albon -> Perez in that metaphorical seat which when rb had a clear first and second drivers it was usually second drivers seat

And (Coulthard ->) Vettel -> Kvyat -> Verstappen for that other seat. The one that if rb had a clear first and second drivers was usually first (Vettel, Verstappen after ~2018)

Bonus fun fact about Liam Lawson, one of the threats for Checos seat:

He is born in 2002. He’s younger than Fernando Alonso’s career by several months, upwards to a year

He is the guy that knocked Verstappen out of quali in Q2 in Singapore and consequently broke the several year long streak of at least one car always in Q3 that Red Bull has been holding

There is always a debate if he has a guaranteed seat from rbr or not at some point. There were rumors of a guaranteed for 2025 a while ago but who knows…

Sorry for rambling so much I have thoughts haha

forgot i’ve been sitting on this ask for a month lol but yes. red bull second seat drama is indeed fascinating. and now there is aparently another rumor that arthur leclerc might come up to f1 through racing bulls (alpha tauri) which would disrupt the process again.

#i love watching the red bull team in shock horror #i don’t always like them but they provide good entertainment #not a tag #from saph #f1

[evilscuderia]

Out of all the drivers that have passed through the Sauber junior stable through the years, Zehnder points to Charles Leclerc as "the most perfect" that he has worked with. Zehnder credits Leclerc for his eagerness to learn in those early races with the team, rating him the highest in F1 at the moment.

"Charles for me is a huge talent and probably the most perfect driver I've worked with," says Zehnder. "Looking at his eagerness to understand the sport, the technical side, questioning himself - probably every now and then a little bit too much - he's got a very healthy portion of self criticism."

Leclerc has often been heard over team radio giving himself a brutal assessment: "I'm so stupid" when he crashed at Baku during qualifying springs to mind. While these outbursts can be the subject of internet memes, Zehnder believes this self introspection is a key trait that can make a difference at the pinnacle. Zehnder continued: "This is for me makes a difference to a lot of drivers, not blaming someone else it's first blaming yourself."

– Beat Zehnder (who has worked at Sauber for 30 years) talking about Charles Leclerc on Racing News 365

#charles leclerc #about charles

[valyrfia]

And if I say Liam to RB, Oscar to Red Bull and Carlos back to Mclaren then what

Why would you wish that upon Oscar.

I think Oscar is happy at McLaren and likely will stick around until at least his contract is up. The most likely way I see silly season going is Liam-> RB (by Miami), and then Alonso -> Red Bull, Yuki -> Aston Martin with the Honda engine deal, Kimi Antonelli -> Merc, Ollie Bearman -> Haas. I could also see RB trying to pinch one of either Kimi or Ollie. I don't know enough about the Red Bull or Williams junior teams to say who else could fill the empty RB seat, or Logan's Williams seat. Carlos -> Sauber soon to be Audi, but I could also see Carlos getting snapped up by Merc for a couple of years if Kimi underperforms in F2 this year, or Red Bull if Christian Horner is a terrible manager (likely) and is doubling down on the bad vibes at his team (definitely). There's also the whole Alpine mess, I have no clue what is going to happen there.

But to return to your ask: I would pay to see Carlando pt. 2 at McLaren, just because I think the vibes would be absolutely rancid. That is Lando's team now, and I don't think that Carlos trying to come in to regain that team leader position would be much appreciated...

#i actually need carlando at mclaren pt. 2 for my mental health thank you for enlightening me anon #horrible vibes all round i'm so seated #asks #anon #silly season 2024

[chibrary]

source: motorsport-magazin series: f1, 2018

Charles Leclerc showed an impressive rookie year in 2019. The Ferrari junior lived up to his early praise in the Sauber. Before the season finale in Abu Dhabi, he is just two points behind Romain Grosjean in Haas with 33 points. Enough to oust Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari in 2019. The young Monegasque and the Iceman swap cockpits. Questions about Ferrari’s future and about his future teammate Sebastian Vettel were not allowed in the interview. Motorsport-Magazin.com and Leclerc still had plenty to talk about.

If you do well, this will be our last interview. So you’re under pressure! Charles Leclerc: Why?

Because Ferrari drivers usually don’t have to speak 1:1 to writing media from Germany. Charles Leclerc: Oh, okay.

I don’t know if you remember our first interview. Last year in Abu Dhabi when you were driving F2. Charles Leclerc: Wasn’t that earlier? After an FP1 outing with Haas maybe?

You seem to have a good memory. I didn’t count the media rounds, just the interviews. Charles Leclerc: Then it’s true!

In Abu Dhabi it wasn’t quite sure whether you would drive for Sauber in 2018. The only thing that was certain was that you wouldn’t have a chance to drive victories in your rookie year in Formula 1. Back then you said it would be the same as with Alonso with Minardi. Do you think you’ve achieved something similar to what Alonso did this season? Charles Leclerc: Puuuuh… I’m honestly really bad at history [laughs].I can’t really remember what people thought of him back then. But I’m happy with my season. I don’t want to compare it to anyone else’s season. It would strike me as rather arrogant to say that it was similar to Alonso’s. But yes, I’m satisfied and I can definitely say: I never expected that we would be so strong and that the progress over the year would be so big.

Without comparing yourself to anyone else in the field, do you feel that you and the team have achieved something extraordinary this season? Charles Leclerc: I think it was a special season. If we look at where the team has been over the last year and where we are now - it sure impressed some people in the paddock. Formula 1 is a tough sport and the level of competition is very high. All teams work at a very high level. To see the progress we’ve made over the season is impressive.

We have a driver ranking, one by the users and one by us. You’re currently in fifth place… Charles Leclerc: Who are the four in front of me?

Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen and Raikkonen. Charles Leclerc: Yes, I saw it. I check a lot of media [laughs].

You secured your place in the last few races in particular. At the beginning of the season things weren’t going so well. What was the issue? Charles Leclerc: I didn’t have much experience, I didn’t do much testing. So I had to learn everything during the race weekends. It was not easy. For me that is clearly the reason for the problems at the beginning of the season. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted from the car and gave the engineers the wrong direction. That was bad, but together with the engineers we finally found the right way. As soon as we implemented that in the car in Baku, we made a big step forward.

It seems to be a pattern in your career. You were anything but confident at last year’s Formula 2 tests, and at the start of this Formula 1 season too. Need some time to get started, but then you really get going? Charles Leclerc: I think one of my real strengths is understanding what the problems are and then improving them, whether it takes time or not. Of course, at the beginning of the season I had the three bad races, that felt like a lot. But then, looking back, three races doesn’t feel like much for a car that’s so different. So I don’t really know. You can probably judge it better from the outside. From the outside it’s clearer if it’s fast or too slow. But in the end I’m happy with my season.

What was the biggest difference for you compared to all the junior series? Charles Leclerc: Definitely the power and the downforce, that’s very different. It’s like a jump from two, three junior categories. Quite large. Then all the systems in Formula 1 that you can control via the steering wheel. In the smaller categories you can change these systems, but after a session. You come back to the pits and talk to the engineers. In Formula 1 you have to do everything yourself, corner by corner.

Did you know that your teammate Marcus Ericsson is a career killer? Kobayashi, Nasr, Wehrlein… Charles Leclerc: [grins] I saw that a few times in the media too. Every teammate of Marcus… yes, but I don’t believe stories like that.

So you weren’t afraid you only got one chance? Charles Leclerc: Oh no, never. Never.

Because you’re so confident? Every racer somehow thinks of himself as the fastest, right? Charles Leclerc: I wouldn’t say that. At least not in my case.I never thought about ranking the drivers and determining who is the fastest. I honestly believe that anyone can be the best driver in the field. For me, the one who has understood best how to maximize his potential is the best. That’s the most important thing for me. Sure, some riders have more talent, but in the end someone who works hard can get there.

I think it’s more about understanding how to reach your own limit. This is particularly important. So ranking is very difficult. I think you can do it for a season, but ranking a rider as a whole is very difficult. Every driver can be as good as anyone else if he finds his limit. The only thing that counts is how long you ride at this level. So I don’t really focus on the others. I just focus on myself and try to get the maximum potential out of myself.

How much of your potential have you already shown? Charles Leclerc: There is definitely a lot more to do. There is always more that you can use. But for the first season, apart from the first three races, I’m pretty happy.

What was the key for you this season? Charles Leclerc: [thinking] Probably managing a whole weekend, with FP1, FP2, FP3, qualifying, Q1, Q2, Q3, and then the race. This is very different compared to what you are used to from the other categories. It’s a weekend that builds up very slowly and it’s very important to work your way through all these sessions to be at the top at exactly the right time - in qualifying.

Is there a single scene that you remember in particular? A real key moment? Charles Leclerc: Probably the call from Maurizio that I will be driving a Ferrari next year. That’s something I’ll always remember.

And on the route? Charles Leclerc: Hard to say. But in any case, the duels with Fernando taught me a lot about racing.

As a driver, you learned a lot in 2018. Would you say that you have also learned a lot as a person? You seem to have a decent standing in Formula 1 for a rookie, for example when you heavily criticized Kevin Magnussen. Charles Leclerc: Maybe it’s the image I’m giving. But the most important thing I think is that I’m honest with myself. With what I think I prefer being like this to saying things in front of the media when I’m actually thinking something else. I’m not really like that. I just say what I think. It comes across as a bit direct to the media at times, but that’s my personality .I prefer to be like this.

That’s good for us! Charles Leclerc: [laughs]

Is there any weakness that you still see in yourself? Charles Leclerc: Of course. You always have weaknesses. To name one … what do I take … clearly experience, I’m still missing something, but I wouldn’t call that a weakness. But just overall as a flaw. Every time I have a problem I focus on it to get better. There is always something you can get better at.

We thought about it in the editorial office. The only obvious mistakes we remembered were spins in the rain. So you’re not a rain god yet? Charles Leclerc: [laughs] No, I think riding in the rain is my forte, which sounds strange. Just not yet in Formula 1. But I’m working very hard on it. It’s a very different feeling with the power steering compared to Formula 2 and GP3. There, or rather in all junior categories, the steering wheel is directly connected to the wheels, there is no power steering, so you feel everything. It’s different in Formula 1 and different teams also use different power steering. It really depends on the team. To be honest, in the rain I don’t have full confidence in the power steering that we have here. That’s why I had most of the problems - and I definitely had problems. But in all other series I was always strong in the rain. I just have to keep working and find that feeling in Formula 1 again. A few more kilometers and I’m sure I’ll find it again.

#series:f1 #format:interview #year:2018