#aloo rambles

hey okay I usually don't do this but I'm really tired soo I'm putting this out there and taking a step back for a few days. hate anons are nothing new and I usually wouldn't bother with them but yesterday wasn't okay.

on 27th October, 2013 Sebastian Vettel won his fourth consecutive world driver's championship title at the Buddh International Circuit in what was then the Indian Grand Prix. I was 10yrs old at the time and my father was the biggest f1 fan I knew, even though I knew jackshit about the sport. my house was always adorned in ferrari red, from our car to the decor on the wall. there were schumi's model cars lining the counter, with ferrari merch everywhere I looked. I grew up with scarlet red being the only colour to exist.

I can't quite remember why but even though my father had been to atleast 6 other GP's without me, even the 2012 Indian one, this time he insisted I come with him. reluctantly I went, clad in a red shirt with a red hat! it was loud and pretty much a blur, I would barely remember anything. ferrari were 5th and 8th at the end but all eyes, including my father's was on the german guy out in front. he had won and was kneeling in front of his car, bowing down to it and I was confused?! I saw his face on the big screens as he kissed his trophy with the biggest and brightest smile, and remember thinking he looked like a small baby. on our way back home I remember telling my dad that "he's my favourite cause he's a winner" and I was sad he didn't race for our team. he didn't say anything, just smiled and again I was confused?!

skip to 2017, seb comes to ferrari. we saw him win in red, kissing those trophies and being as passionate as us about the team. I continued to love him but when Charles came into the team I divided my love. but my father didn't care, he still clung onto Seb. he didn't hate Charles but he definitely had a much softer spot for seb. in 2020, when it was announced that Seb would leave our team, it was the first time I saw my father broken over a sport since schumi's retirement. "he's the closest to schumi we'll get, in class, personality and conduct. love him while he's still here, when he's gone you'll see", he had said.

I thought he was being too sentimental getting sad over schumi's retirement but hearing him say that about seb really struck me. no matter his disdain for other team drivers, he never talked shit about Seb, he never told me to not follow Seb (though he did tell me to stay tf away from rbr). Seb was always the exception and that day I finally understood why.

my dad's stopped watching f1 now but I'm his source of info. with the ferarri news, he always asks about Seb. my father would and still does get annoyed when I like any non-ferrari driver but with Seb, it was different. he told me to remember that there are things greater than being a driver, like being a good person. Seb was the embodiment of that. I'm old enough to know and understand what a great person Seb is now but his character and personality while he was covered in cheap champagne and confetti is what made him a champion to remember.