HECTIC WEEKEND: ELMS AND THE JAPANESE GP
How to deal with the subsequent emotional hangover of the best weekend of my life
If I hated waking up extra early on a Sunday, imagine my mood after the Japanese GP. Seriously, though, I could’ve used at least a couple more hours of sleep before heading to the ELMS. Was it worth it? Probably not.
Would I do it any time? Absolutely.
This past weekend felt like a lot. I am still trying to organize the emotional turmoil that it brought - so let’s unpack it event by event. The European Le Mans lasted just two days, I could talk about it all day. And of course, we have to dissect the Japanese Grand Prix.
First things first: ELMS
To be honest, it is my second year going to the opening race of the endurance competition, and I still have no idea how it works. The only thing I know is that I won’t let the opportunity to walk through the paddock and meet several drivers pass. Lucky for me, this year I got the chance to meet one of my all-time favorite drivers ever, Clément Novalak, and that completely made my weekend. You can’t imagine how happy I was when I saw him on the second step of the podium, too! Getting a glimpse of how it might feel like to be on the paddock during a race made me feel, in some way, accomplished.
My next goal? Getting a pass to be in a box in Portimão.
The downside of the weekend
As excited as I was for the ELMS, I can’t say the same about the Japanese GP. Waking up on a Sunday, after spending the whole Saturday walking around until I couldn’t feel my feet, just see Max Verstappen obliterate the McLarens was not on my to-do list.
And I’m not even surprised.
Just when speculation starts about Red Bull struggling, Max goes and puts that car on pole with a stellar lap. Max Verstappen is always there to deliver when needed.
But I am slightly concerned about the WDC (yes, I know, it is way too early). As I see it, McLaren can’t afford another Verstappen win - but they don’t seem to have noticed that, yet. And it’s not for lack of dedication; Norris went through the grass in a poor attempt to overtake Max at the pit lane exit, and Piastri was glued to the rear of his teammate’s car. The dedication is there, just… not the strategy.
Apart from that, Suzuka wasn’t the most entertaining race on the calendar, and I would have advised those who woke up to, in fact, not wake up. No overtakes, no wheel-to-wheel, no nothing. And this is not a personal opinion (though, yes) - even the drivers expressed their boredom.
BEING SO HAPPY WITH SO LITTLE
This weekend, I realized a thing that might be obvious to many but so foreign to me lately. Thinking back about it, I think I have never been more happy and fulfilled in years than I am right now. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy. Or so I thought.
Spending quality time with my family and friends, hanging out and about, going on express trips, all of that makes me happy, and I cherish those memories, but I miss the butterflies. I miss feeling my cheeks hurt because I can’t stop smiling even if I want to. I miss this overwhelming happiness that doesn’t let you eat anything and almost makes you feel sick, but in a good way. I miss the sentiment of belonging, of knowing that you belong.
Back at the racetrack, it felt so much like home that I couldn’t help myself thinking about when I would be back, and how I could make it back there and stay there. And it’s funny because that’s not at all like me. Me who needs to know everything and everyone, me who needs to have absolute control of the place where I was walking into, but that me wasn’t there. I had no idea how the European Le Mans work, nor half the grid. Funny enough, I ended up there last year for the first time because of my anxiety of not knowing how to make it to the circuit - I wanted to prepare myself for the Spanish GP 2024 - and I fell in love with the vibe. I felt so connected and got so drunk on the overwhelming happiness, that I ended up chasing that feeling again.
I was starved for a whole year. A year, and I finally found THE place I am not letting that go any time soon. When was the last time you felt that kind of happiness?
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