¡Hola Primos!
It currently is Wednesday night and I am determined to get this letter out to y’all. Let’s just dive in because honestly it has taken me at least six tries over the last two weeks to type this out.
It Took Them All Of Two Weeks…
It took Red Bull all of two weeks to create some of the most insane drama and add fuel to a million memes. There’s actually real life lessons that we can learn from the events that are happening in Formula 1.
Two weeks ago 5 rookies joined the lineup of 20 drivers in the first Formula 1 race of the 2025 season. The course was wet from downpour of rain and even the most experienced of drivers can find that tricky to navigate.
Before the race can start the drivers do a lap around the track to warm up their tires. This is incredibly important. Unfortunately, Isack made a mistake that ended his race before it started. He was caught on camera crying and of course the internet was anything but sympathetic. Comments ranging from “Go back to karting” and calling him a toddler sprinkled in with support for this young 20 year old.
What happened next did not surprise me but honestly was disgraceful. Helmut Marko, advisor and head of driver development, said Isack’s crying was embarrassing.
I have a load of unsavory comments to throw at Helmut. I had to work incredibly hard to make sure my personal instagram didnt become a “Helmut hate account” but it was tricky. So what’s the lesson here? Compassion goes a LONG way. Above is an image of Anthony Hamilton walking and he would eventually hug Isack and give him an encouraging word. It’s pretty easy to be a keyboard warrior and tell someone to go back to karting (okay Kevin, hows that ticket you got for making an illegal turn treating you?) but it takes a brave person to intercede and just be present. In a world of Helmut Marko’s be an Anthony Hamilton.
Which then brings me to Liam Lawson. This poor kid. Redbull so far has done a smashing job of creating an absolute mess of their drivers lives. I don’t care if it’s his job to work under pressure, no one deserves to have a crappy work environment.
The rumor mill has been put forth that Yuki Tsunoda will be switching places with Liam Lawson in Japan. Red Bull has yet to confirm this so I’m watching Daniel Ricciardo media circus 2.0 play out closely. What’s the lesson here? Nature versus Nurture really does matter. It has become apparent through Mercedes/Toto and Haas/Ayao that nurturing your rookies yields a better result and more confidence. Whereas the pressure and blame setting from RedBull and Flavio Briatore/Alpine is yielding drivers who lack confidence, continually make mistakes, and has zapped the life out of them.
How we talk to people younger or even less experienced than us matters. It doesn’t mean that we have to dismiss mistakes. Ayao has been very clear with Ollie Bearman about his mistakes. But it was spoken in a way to teach him. Grow him.
I’m actually really sad to see my son watching this all play out. He will encounter “villains” in the world but I hate that he’s watching it pan out at someone else’s expense.
In the defense of Liam Lawson, brings me to this next lesson we can learn. Liam simply wanted to drive. He didn’t say where or in what seat. Just that he needed to do it. Redbull then makes the decision to put a rookie. A ROOKIE in the seat opposite of Max Verstappen. I have a laundry list of reasons and speculations as to why it happened this way, but that’s not important.
The fact is, Redbull made a mistake. A BIG mistake. Liam wasn’t ready for the car in real time races. He just doesn’t have the experience to handle the car. I don’t know if the solution was to put Yuki or Danny back in the seat but it wasn’t to put Liam in the seat forsure.
What’s the lesson? When you make a mistake. Own it. And not in a total canoe kind of way. Redbull has done everything but acknowledge that it is on them. This is Liam’s fault. Nah, we ain’t buying it. It’s on the superiors that are in that Paddock. The greater portion of social media sees it. How we respond to mistakes doesn’t make us weak, and if you saw Liam’s face last week during an interview you would know, he is feeling defeated. Because the weight is on him. Don’t. Be. A. Canoe.
What Am I Watching/Reading/Listening to?
Coming Up Rosie By Courtney Walsh: This book comes out this summer. I am really enjoying this one! The main character, Rosie is set on being an actor but she isn’t getting any jobs until she is offered a job in a senior community and develops an interest for the resident physical therapist/handyman Booker. I’m only 30% in but I reach for it often.
The Dick Van Dyke Show: When my husband was away at college I found solace in the Dick Van Dyke show. It was funny and lighthearted. When I was pregnant with my two kids, I would rewatch the show because it was so wholesome and cheesy. They just don’t quite make comedies in the same vein anymore.
Viva La Vida by Coldplay: I love this album. It’s one of the albums that I can listen to from start to finish easily because it tells a story. It feels complete. I often reach for this album when I’m in the mood to be creative but need to stay awake. It’s something we’re trying to show our oldest that music tells a story even in how an album is arranged. It’s one thing to listen to your favorites, but to get the full breadth of an album in a sitting: that’s rare these days.
Okay hopefully I’ll be back sooner this time.
Until Japan
Winnie