Old F1 - Blog Posts

F1 sleepover protest lore:

South African Grand Prix - 1982

Involved: all drivers

In 1982 all drivers locked themselves into one shared hotel room and refused to drive at the South African GP as a protest against clauses on their super licence contracts.

Not even their teams managed to get them to leave the room, only one photographer was allowed inside.

There are photos of Alain Prost sharing a mattress with Gilles Villeneuve, and Patrick Tambay saying “If those two have kids after this tonight I might as well retire now.”

Elio de Angelis played the piano.

Niki Lauda was sharing a bed with Patrese

Someone next to Rosberg was snoring until Villeneuve put a blanket over him.

They were just having fun.

In the end Balestre and Exclestone (the people in power) agreed to all the changes they wanted and it was enough for the drivers to head back to the track

Kidnapped Fangio lore:

Cuban Grand Prix - 1958

involved: Juan Manuel Fangio

In the 1950s, Juan Manuel Fangio, also known as “El Maestro,” was dominating the Formula 1 scene.

However, just before the Cuban Grand Prix, he was kidnapped by a group of Cuban revolutionaries.

The revolutionaries were looking to make a political statement and thought that taking the world’s best driver hostage would bring them the attention they needed. (and you are telling me that I’m an attention seeker)

Surprisingly Fangio was treated nicely during his captivity. He was respected and even allowed to listen to the race on the radio.

Fangio later reported that he had friendly chats with his captors (Fangio’s new besties) and was never harmed.

His kidnappers (new besties) released him unharmed after the race. Fangio never held any grudge against them and in fact, described the experience as “uncomfortable but not frightening.” (bro was just unbothered)

Btw: I’m serious when I say he befriended some of his captors, who were, I quote “just young men passionate about their cause”.

Jim Clark had a fight with a policeman and got arrested during the Dutch Grand Prix in 1963.

Thank you and good night.

The iconic F1 DNQ, DNF and DSQ lore:

German Grand Prix - 1977

involved: Hans Heyer

Hans Heyer in 1977 failed to qualify for the German Grand Prix.

However, Heyer was well known by the marshals who looked the other way on lap 1 when he pulled out of the pit lane and joined the race.

The stewards had no idea that he had joined the race until the local crowd erupted after seeing him drive by.

Hans retired from the race on lap 9 with a gearbox problem and then was disqualified leaving him with a DNQ, a DNF AND a DSQ in single Grand Prix. that’s just impressive at this point

Okay we all know about Max’s Maxplaining but what about Ayrton’s Sennaplaining ayrtonplaining? Idk

Frogs and cheese incident lore:

Australia - 1990

involved: A.Senna & G.Berger

This takes place during a holiday stay in Australia with Senna, Berger, McLaren boss Ron Dennis and then-wife Lisa.

One evening when Berger went on a run there was this golf course with some “big things jumping around” (frogs/toads) so he decided to prepare a nice friendly surprise for his good friend Senna.

He went to the concierge and gave him 100$ and told the concierge to “bring him some”.

The concierge then proceeded to give Berger a full bag of about 50 frogs (or toads god knows what it was) so Berger asked Lisa Dennis to help him with this little project.

When they had dinner Berger picked up Ayrton’s room key and together with Lisa went to his room and put those bloody frogs everywhere.

The next morning furious Senna confronted Berger about the situation to which Berger replied “Where did you find the snake?”

To this situation Senna responded with buying the most disgusting and strong smelling cheese and stuck it into Berger’s AC unit and turned it on full blast.

The briefcase incident lore:

Monza - 1991

involved: A.Senna & G.Berger

When Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger were flying in a helicopter to the Italian GrandPrix, Ayrton had a briefcase with him.

He claimed that the briefcase is indestructible because it’s made out of carbon fibre so Berger decided to test that theory.

When they were flying above the Monza track he literally threw out the briefcase (it had McLaren contract inside) out of the helicopter and watched it fall from the height of about 150m and hit the ground.

Ayrton had no idea that that happened because he was sitting in the front of the helicopter with the pilot and with a headset on (Mr. Important).

But after they landed a marshall came running towards them with Ayrton’s briefcase in hands.

At that moment Senna turned toward Berger and said “You didn’t do it”

Happy New Year!!!

"Por Sepuesto"

(De Angelis Fem!oc/Fernando Alonso,2001)

Fanfic by Mariaesrs, on Ao3.

A determined girl chasing her biggest dream, a talented young driver fighting to prove his worth... two completely different worlds on a collision course. Will they ever find common ground?

Link here

More about ⬇️

After a devastating accident that almost ended her career for good, Alexandra is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to chase her ultimate dream: competing in Formula 1. The daughter of the late driver Elio de Angelis, Alex grew up under the weight of high expectations and made a promise to herself to do whatever it took to honor her father’s legacy. However, the road to success in the most prestigious motorsport category would be anything but easy.

Fernando Alonso, a young Spanish driver brimming with potential, is also embarking on his rookie season. Coming from a humble background, he’s learned that perseverance and sharp instincts are essential to achieving his goals—and he’s determined to make a lasting impression in his debut year in Formula 1.

When Alex and Fernando’s paths collide, sparks fly, and the animosity between them is immediate. But as both are signed to race for the small and scrappy Minardi team, they must strike a balance between rivalry and teamwork to avoid turning the season into a complete disaster.

Alex knew this year would be unpredictable and a turning point in her life… but she never could have imagined just how much.

"The Last Interview"

A François Cevért short-fic, by Mariaesrs.

"A renowned documentary director, a three-time Formula 1 champion... the most revealing interview about someone very close to them both—a young man who met his tragic fate doing what he loved most: racing."

Remember: not all love stories have a happy ending, no matter how platonic and incredible they may be, but that doesn’t mean they should be forgotten.

Chapter ⅓ on Ao3 (🇬🇧)

História completa no Wattpad (🇧🇷)

Good news, everyone! I finally managed to register on Ao3. I can't wait to learn how to use the site and publish my writings!

Username: @Mariaesrs.

I saw this photo of Gilles and i thought it looked very similar to a film i like. So...

"Memento" (2002, by Christopher Nolan)

Keep thinking about his angeleyes... i keep thinking.

— ABBA

I wonder how these three would play pool together 👀

First photo: [Michelle Alboreto 27], on Instagram.

Hmm, now i know why this photo of Lole Reutemann looked so familiar...

thought i'd share this playlist since i've been super obsessed with classic/retro f1