cursed with the fangirl gene

I feel like there's so much focus on Lando not giving the place back immediately, like that was something he did in a vacuum and it's not reasonable that he needed to think about it.

But there's so much context missing from that: he was in a title fight with Max Verstappen, and all he was hearing every day from every direction—commentators, social media, Netflix, podcasts, everywhere—was that he'd never be a world champion because he wasn't ruthless enough, he couldn't be Max, he didn't have the mentality.

But he gave up that win anyway, knowing that he was proving them all right. He knew exactly what they'd all say: "Max never would have done that."

mclaren boys hunting kimi

I've loved the openness they've been able to have after 2025 about how the healthiness and strength of their relationship is not just something they acknowledge as crucial to their individual success and team's success, but also that it's the deliberate result of their shared effort !! and they take pride in them both being so dedicated to it !! and that it would be so easy to not have that relationship and simply stay focused on their own success while making . I remember a lot of us theorizing about this in 2023 and part of 2024 that Oscar arrived wanting to focus on the teammate relationship with Lando over the buddy bromance thing (and with their mutual friends and similarities it would've been so easy) and it's been rly interesting to get confirmation that they grew closer as people off track very naturally over time BUT that their priority was every decision to make their relationship as teammates stronger. they locked into each other's success SO early on and formed that level of trust to the point where they both believe none of the championships would've been possible without it and ??? that is so ??? they truly look at each other and say you are why I have achieved what I have and vice versa oh my GODDDDD - and that trust has

carried them through Hungary 2024, and they BOTH say how milestone moments like that or the 2025 title fight could've completely destroyed everything and like ! I do not think they get nearly enough credit in fandom or even the media for the quietly totally unique and rare thing they've cultivated and maintained !!

and admittedly a big part of that is down to them not pushing their non-work relationship publicly and in 2024 asking to dial back on the bromance marketing content McLaren had done for years. you have to serrrrriously pay close attention to know that they do in fact socialize and that all of Lando's closest friends love Oscar and that the dads have been tight from day one etc etc etc. (most people kind of get it now just thru the twinning/mirroring and the warmth they show each other when they're relaxed on camera) and in both these interviews you can hear the way they always bristle when media starts trying to prod them about their relationship off track. and it's something we've heard before from both of them: Oscar never wanting to share much about his non work life and Lando saying the same thing after regretting sharing too much of his non work life. the fact that it's not just the teammate relationship they're protecting but the WHOLE of their relationship I think is one of those things they mention as already being in agreement about. it makes their lives and their jobs so much more comfortable and easy to keep the public and the media at a very stern distance and to simply laugh or easily undermine rumors the way they do.

they both bring up how game playing/hiding things/mind games is an easy default for most teammates in their situation and that it was something they both acknowledged as a pitfall AND consistently agreed never to do. that they choose to own up to anything that's directly their fault or to simply accept that mistakes happen in racing and not to get hung up on it. and the biggest instance of that was when the media speculated that their famous open door policy between garages would be shut for the final three races last year and it still never happened !!

the way they bring up the marketing stuff (and have both said they share a dislike of forced PR content) as a proof that their relationship hadn't degraded due to the title fight - bc otherwise those days would have either been absolutely awful or they'd have had to do things entirely separately. which means that the way they giggled and managed to enjoy them the way they did was absolutely authentic and not just them trying to cover for anything. it's also why I do laugh a bit when ppl think that any content in 2026 is yaoi to compensate for the car being bad bc not only is this a hilariously small amount of PR compared to other teams' marketing but it's also the exact same amount as last season!

I loved Lando saying that the idea of them having some kind of "man to man" locker room talk about AD25 would've had them laughing over how awkward and Not Them that would be - and Oscar saying how they both already knew what they'd be facing at the end of that season and simply didn't make a big deal out of it like… their sense of perspective and not wanting the mythos of Winning and Losing to bleed into their relationship - I truly think that is unique to them ?? they each came in with that ability to balance relationships with competitors as People as well as the childhood dream of wanting to win and be The Best and they simply… understood each other. in so many ways it's never as deep or dark with these two as the media or fans want to think.

I know that them being the absolute opposite of expectation for perfectly matched teammates who've competed for wins and championships at the same age would be more of a headline if they did more PR or if they developed an on camera 'yes and' image but also I feel like this fits in perfectly with what they both say is important to them and the fact that they're so completely aligned and quietly strong and powerful together. but also I love how they'd both find it corny and funny and weird to try and dramatize their relationship for the general public and that straight up never lose sight of the fact that they're doing a fantasy "job" and while yes it's necessary to be passionate and focus on winning on track it is not worth ruining a relationship or an entire team over. as someone who still fully expects there to be coldness or some open fuming at SOME point between them bc it's just human and normal, like in all fairness they still keep me waiting on that alsfgsajlfgas

and lastly the immense pride they have together in having made this era of McLaren what it is !! from Lando saying he felt so inferior to older experienced Carlos and wondering if he was truly meant for Formula 1 and Oscar knowing he had to win everything leading up to Formula 1 but still not knowing if the money would come through or if he'd even get a seat - both often having been the youngest and smallest in their series - and both having always been capable of staying friends with teammates/competitors even after tensions or battles (including some crucial moments requiring special grace) - and them finding each other as teammates with all those similarities and priorities - and then taking on the mutual burden of an entire team that was in the backmarkers and bringing them to back to back championships like holy shit. I love them SO. MUCH.

AND THEY WANT TO STAY. FOREVER IF THEY CAN. THIS IS THEIR HOME AND THEIR FAMILY.