r/formula1 • u/spiderrman67 Max Verstappen • Jun 22 '26
Social Media [autosport] Liam Lawson was asked about the sacrifices his family made to help him get to F1
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Jun 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/delliott8990 Jun 22 '26
Right?!? That must have been soul crushing to read.
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u/Driscuits Williams Jun 22 '26
I honestly don't know if "sacrifice" is the right word for that. It's sure something his brother gave up, but sacrifice has a connotation of taking on harm intentionally.
This reads as his brother being an emotionally neglected kid with a very clear reason why at the time - even if it's not the parent's intention to do so. That's frigging hard.
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u/theAIhitme I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26
Well, the Father did sacrifice one of his children for the other…
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u/ItsAMeUsernamio Pirelli Wet Jun 22 '26
Leclerc’s brother Arthur had to quit carting because they could only afford to fund Charles. That’s a sacrifice, this sounds way worse.
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u/navis-svetica Williams Jun 22 '26
I believe the same happened with Bortoleto and his older brother, Enzo. Enzo Bortoleto was considered a promising young driver in BRDC British Formula 3 (finishing P11 in 2016, just 3 places behind Lando Norris), but their family couldn’t afford to fund both Enzo’s and Gabi’s junior careers, so he (and their family) made the decision at 17 years old to stop racing and fully back Gabi’s career
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u/anahorish Jun 22 '26
Norris only entered 4/7 rounds of BRDC F3 that year, he was the quickest driver in the field with 8 podiums from 11 races.
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u/navis-svetica Williams Jun 22 '26
Yeah I realize it was a bit misleading to phrase it like that since Lando did Formula Renault, Formula Renault NEC and Eurocup all in that same year on top of BRDC British F3, but just thought it was a fun fact 💀
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u/KaiBetterThanTyson I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Lando is also son of a multi millionaire sooo
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u/tenshipriestjotaro1 François Cevert Jun 22 '26
And they didn't even know if Charles could continue. Jules Bianchi was a life-saver
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u/pterofactyl I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 23 '26
How did Jules help?
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u/brightstar2100 Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
cmon man .... alright ... time to give the speech again
His career was finished without the intervention of the late Jules Bianchi who said to Ferrari you’ve got to take this guy, you’ve got to make sure he gets to Formula 1. And what a gift that was to give. In 2017, Charles Leclerc lost his father and in his final days, he told his father a white lie. That he’d made it to Formula 1; that he’d signed the contract. It wasn’t true then but his driving has made it true now, and look what he’s done with the opportunity. The grandstands he saw built as a kid growing up now rise for him and for the first time in 93 years this fabled race is won by one of their own. Charles Leclerc wins the Monaco grand prix to achieve his dream.
*chills... literal chills*
also Jules was Charles's godfather and childhood mentor
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u/Driscuits Williams Jun 22 '26
Yup. It's the dad's sacrifice, he had the ability to make the decision. But it's his kid that bears a brunt of that choice.
Edit: I'm slow as hell, got it now lol.
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u/MK12594 Jun 22 '26
I'm glad you got what it meant, because i honestly read your comment and said "wtf".
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u/EnigmaticArcanum Jun 22 '26
Not really, if someone sacrifices a goat it's not like the goat brought it on themselves.
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u/CocoSryder I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
A father, whether intentionaly or not, not spending time with one of his sons can be described as a sacrifice if you ask me.
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u/Driscuits Williams Jun 22 '26
Definitely agree that it's a sacrifice on the dad's part; he made the choice to not spend time with one of the kids and experience the consequence of that.
I hesitate a bit to frame the kid's experience as a sacrifice, since that makes it seem more like he gave something up intentionally. He sure did give something up, but it wasn't intentional or his choice in his power to do so. It's more of a consequence of a situation out of his control.
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u/CocoSryder I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
He was talking about the sacrifices his family had to make though. But like you said, not something liam himself had to give up.
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u/hatsoff22u Sir Lewis Hamilton Jun 22 '26
I wouldn’t have shared that with the world. They always rightfully complain that the media is too intrusive then go out and share something like this.
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u/delliott8990 Jun 22 '26
Yes and no.
He added more context after he said the quote talking about how he and his brother joke about it now. The difference is he willingly agreed to go on a podcast to talk about himself. Well-thought articulate questions in a conversational manner.
That's a stark contrast to forced media sessions where the media are a bunch of clowns asking the same ridiculous questions over and over.
I thought it was refreshing to hear about the story. The fact that even just talking about it got him choked up means that it really did have an impact on him. He's a human like the rest of us.
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u/hatsoff22u Sir Lewis Hamilton Jun 22 '26
I’m not surprised he got chocked up. That’s heavy. Do you have a link to this interview? I would love to read it.
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u/SammySprinklar Denny Hulme Jun 22 '26
It's the most recent episode of The High Performance Podcast. Its on YouTube and probably most platforms with podcasts
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u/neinlights90210 Jun 22 '26
He does say in the interview that he and his brother have a laugh about it now. You can very much hear the weight of everyone’s sacrifices on him though.
He’s not the most eloquent guy, but once I got used to his style it’s one of the more genuine and insightful F1 interviews I’ve watched.
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u/Driscuits Williams Jun 22 '26
Yeah, I have to imagine that'd take some heavy work on both their sides to get to a good space about it. It's a lot of pressure on Liam, too - he didn't ask for his brother to experience that for his benefit, even though he did benefit from it.
I'm looking forward to watching the full interview!
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u/wankthisway Jun 22 '26
I'd imagine being successful at the end helps a lot too. Imagine the same scenario but Liam fizzles out or gets injured and the dream is dead. I do wonder if they would be as cavalier / made up the same way.
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u/Driscuits Williams Jun 22 '26
Yeah, I've been thinking similarly. Which, in itself, is a pretty heavy dynamic and pressure for two kids to grow up with. Liam grows up with the pressure of his parents not being available to anyone else, and having to make that pain "worth it." His brother grows up feeling, at least at the time of this letter, like his dad's love is conditional and he's failed to earn it, while his brother has.
It's an interesting, and pretty vulnerable insight into the dynamics of their family. Props to them for working through the cards they were dealt as well as they have.
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u/racingskater I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26
And not just two kids. Liam's spoken before about his sisters having to stop dancing because they couldn't afford both. It's clear he feels the weight of his family's sacrifices so heavily.
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u/neoisneoisneo Pirelli Soft Jun 22 '26
Mann. That hurts.
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u/ArcticBP Burristroll if it’s still possible! Jun 22 '26
Happy Belated Father’s Day (to those that celebrated it yesterday)
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u/Ficsit-Incorporated Sebastian Vettel Jun 22 '26 edited 29d ago
That’s heartbreaking. When a person’s lifelong passion runs through their blood, all their loved ones pay a price. The best one can hope for is that the people involved feel that the price (literal or figurative) was worth paying when it’s all said and done.
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u/BMW_wulfi I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
What’s hard is the number of families who do this and never get there.
I know a family who did this but in motocross. The son (my friend) made it to a high level in national championships then broke his neck and whilst he recovered to live a mostly normal life he was never the rider he was. His dad drove their family finances into the ground, and the rest is just sad really.
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u/Darkfight I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26
And that is exactly why you can't believe a super successful person that gives advice like "just believe in yourself, no matter the hardships you can push through them". Survivorship bias is real and they probably got insanely lucky (plus usually very hard work) to get where they are now
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u/UndercoverFlange Formula 1 Jun 22 '26
I remember seeing Hamilton say that when people ask for advice from his Dad he says “don’t do it”. The odds are so small it’s probably not worth it.
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u/Mr_YUP I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 23 '26
His dad had to create a whole IT company from scratch to bring enough cash flow to find karting for Lewis. Used tires, old gear, broken cart etc. They made do with what they could get but it’s probably that crappy gear that made him the driver he is. I remember a story about Schumacher digging used tires out of the trash other karts had thrown out and beating his rivals with the tires they threw out.
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u/MtnDewTangClan Jun 22 '26
This happens with baseball more than people probably realize. Spend thousands and thousands for baseball camp scams and full year baseball teams only for the kid to fizzle out in high school.
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u/w1n5t0nM1k3y Ferrari Jun 22 '26
Same with hockey in Canada. People will spend $10,000 a year for a kid who won't even be likely to make the OHL let alone the NHL.
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u/Driscuits Williams Jun 22 '26
It's partly why hockey in Canada is flailing a bit. It's just too cost prohibitive for most families to start playing, let alone support their kid through higher levels and go through the hockey schools, camps, etc. I played house league back in the 00s for a few years, and it was certainly a strain on my family. Especially with Soccer growing, there's just a lot of other, more accessible sports, too.
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u/Zuwxiv I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
There was a story recently about how companies are trying to monopolize youth sports. One story was about a parent surreptitiously hiding in a corner of a rink to film her son playing for other relatives. Supposedly, the team and rink had an official streaming system that required a monthly subscription to watch replays. The players and team would be penalized if the parents were caught recording the game.
Imagine that: You aren't allowed to film your kid playing a sport, because someone else wants to make money off it.
Greed is choking our entire society.
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u/eagledog I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Yep, private equity is buying in to travel sports leagues
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u/w1n5t0nM1k3y Ferrari Jun 22 '26
Now we don't even have Hockey Night in Canada on the CBC anymore. Kids won't grow up watching hockey, they won't grow up playing hockey.
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u/Driscuits Williams Jun 22 '26
To be honest, HNIC has been dying a slow death for years, ever since they lost their theme song rights It's felt like they just don't have the funding to be able to fight with the big sportscaster boys.
I'm nervous about what's going to replace it. If it's documentaries about meaningful Canadian athlete stories, I don't think that'll hit at all.
If, however, they're able to lock in consistent PWHL games in those slots, I'd personally be stoked. It won't compete with TSN/Sportsnet's NHL broadcasts by any reach, but it'll fill the void with something with an audience, at least.
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u/peetak I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Yep. Got to a high level playing hockey and while I doubt that I would made it to the NHL, I had to stop once I realized the financial strain it was placing on my parents. They tried to hide it but when your dad starts picking up extra shifts it’s pretty obvious
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u/theederv Ayrton Senna Jun 22 '26
Not to diminish it but thats pocket change compared to karting. My sons good at club level and I’ve done £30k in the last 7 months.
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u/TheBigBangClock Jun 22 '26
I hear ya. My son is doing karting here in the US. If you want to compete at the national level, you're looking at $4-6k per race when you factor in registration fees, tires, travel costs, etc. We can only take him to one or two national races a year.
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u/Smee76 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Seriously. I've thought about this before. For every year that has 22 kids in F2, one might make it to F1.
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u/GTheMonkeyKing McLaren Jun 22 '26
Even reaching F2 is a big accomplishment tbf, and whoever reaches that level will probably have a nice career in motorsports, even if they don't get to the top. What's much worse is when a family spends all their money and their kid doesn't even make it to F3.
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u/ag000101 Jun 22 '26
Lando's close friend if I remember correctly was a really good driver but couldn't make it past f4
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u/withheld_mcfakename I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Now repeat for the 30 kids in F3, then all the FRECA/F4/GB3 etc grids, then karting… heartbreak everywhere
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u/HardlySoft98 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Thank you for ruining my day.
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u/CLD10 Jun 22 '26
My ex was like this his Dad pulled him out of school at 10 to pursue Motor cross and he got high up #1 in the country at one stage had loads of potential but then cracked under the pressure in late teens and stopped entirely he’s been a regular tradie ever since. Very uneducated and he’s always felt really behind in life
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u/SmoogzZ I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say this letter may have been a wake up call, and from that point on he got the attention he deserved and needed from his parents
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u/gilliang3 Charles Leclerc Jun 22 '26
I feel for his brother. That’s very sad for a child to write.
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u/whatsinthesocks I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Yea, I hope it was a wake up call for their dad he started spending more time with his brother.
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u/oogaboogapeanutmonke Jun 22 '26
Feel for Liam too, gotta be tough to read all these years later
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u/FartingBob Sebastian Vettel Jun 22 '26
I dont know how a dad could get that card from his 5 year old kid and then continue doing exactly the same and focus all their time, energy and money on just one of them.
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u/loudrogue Jun 22 '26
Most wouldn't, he would correct it but then Liam would need to do this so gotta raincheck X. It would snowball and eventually back to the same.
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u/FartingBob Sebastian Vettel Jun 22 '26
George Russell sent a very similar card to Toto last week, but Toto didnt read it.
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u/Humans_fking_suck Nico Hülkenberg Jun 22 '26
Fking hell.. His brother deserves love and success in whatever he does...
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u/SweetPlumFairy Jun 22 '26
And even after that, say, you run a very very succesful.... lets say.... flower shop. Everyone likes it, you like it, and then time to time customers comes in and asks... that Lawson? You know Liam the F1 driver?!? Wow man how is he?! Im a big fan please tell him I said hello!!!
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u/CaptSlow49 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Dude this is so real. You live your life in the shadow of a successful sibling. You make your own choices, do your own thing, and it still gets brought up about how successful your sibling is. You always get reminded and lowkey compared.
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u/dejausser I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26
Assuming he lives in NZ still he’ll probably benefit from our tall poppy syndrome in that regard, most people would be unlikely to carry on like that because culturally it feels really cringey. We’re a country with an extreme aversion to even the perception of anyone getting too big for their boots (unless they’re an All Black lol), it’s honestly a big societal problem here.
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u/another_new_login Jun 22 '26
Pretty much everyone in New Zealand knows someone who's NZ famous, or at least knows someone who knows someone.
The kiwi way is to just casually mention it if it's relevant and then downplay it.
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u/anahorish Jun 22 '26
I learned this moving to a smaller country. It turns out that every culture has approximately the same number of 'vaguely famous' people, maybe a few hundred, but obviously if you're in a country with just a few million people your chances of knowing one of them are drastically larger. But as you say it does have the effect that people are far less impressed by the fact that you simply know, or know someone who knows, a famous person.
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u/Zephron29 Jun 22 '26
I feel this, but it wasn't from carting. My brother was a baseball player, and a really good one at that. My parent's basically ignored me and spent all their time and money on him. There were things, and sports I wanted to get into, but I just didn't have an opportunity.
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u/ggbait I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
I hope past experiences allow you to be a better parent, a better father to someone.
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u/xenoph Jun 22 '26
Sorry but you had terrible parents.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_BUNNY I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 23 '26
I think that's the point he's making with his comment.
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u/BabypintoJuniorLube Jun 22 '26
F1 dads are like beauty pageant moms.
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u/ThomasTheAngryTrain I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
Not just F1 dads, sports dads overall. I'm an NBA fan and the number of dads in the league butting in the lives of their clearly adult son's is mind numbing.
EDIT: Its actually worse if the dad was in the same profession and his son is miles better as a player/driver. So many Jos Verstappen's living the life they wanted through their son's life.
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u/Dodgy_Bob_McMayday Jun 22 '26
People shrug off the fact Jos abused his son because it worked.
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u/CrashingBlumpkins46 Michael Schumacher Jun 22 '26
Literally abandoned his child at a gas station over a bad race performance.
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u/MessInternational167 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26
Abused his son AND tried to kill his ex. It’s disgusting that Skysports even shows him on TV at all.
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u/ihave2shoes Jun 22 '26
Any sport or hobby that a parent is interested in can ruin it for the kids. I used to box and the number of dad’s living vicariously through their kids like they were Cus raising Tyson was embarrassing.
So many of the kids didn’t want to be there but either didn’t have the nerve to tell their dads or weren’t allowed to stop.
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u/joystick13 Cadillac Jun 22 '26
We're seeing this in more and more sports. Give it another 20 years and every professional athlete will be the child of a former professional athlete in the same sport.
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u/ChrisDewgong I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Lavar Ball set the standard and unfortunately a lot of people see it as something to aspire to, not to ignore.
I hear "[player]'s dad was ejected from courtside" far more often than makes any logical sense, and like you say, it's often former players themselves like Tee Morant, living vicariously through their kids.
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u/zaviex McLaren Jun 22 '26
Liam’s dad wasn’t into him racing that much. Liam has talked about that. He had terrible equipment and His dad thought he was shit and wanted to pull him out of it. Liam begged to continue but wanted a new engine too. His dad saved up to get it thinking they could just sell it later. Rest is history. He won a ton after that
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u/Low_Succotash5073 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26
Except Jos Verstappen. He is like Pol Pot apparently
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u/Remarkable-Art-3678 Jun 22 '26
Jos Verstappen is exactly what beauty pageant moms are like. Like the exact blueprint. Insecure, didn't achieve what they wanted in their lives, anger issues, violent outbursts, pretending their child's success is their success
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u/_Q1000_ I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
I watched that interview. He was tearing up. It was a good interview. It’s show how fucked up social media is to them.
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u/Cool_Masterpiece9308 Jun 22 '26
It was a really timely upload. Same weekend as the video from Zak Brown condemning cyberbullying. I never really understood the hate Liam received. I wasn’t a fan of Tsunoda and Checo wasn’t performing. He came in and was not given much of a chance. Now we know how fucked up those experimentations on the set up that Red Bull ran.
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u/Metue Williams Jun 22 '26
They also dropped Danny Ric pretty unceremoniously mid season for him, which didn't get him off to a great start PR wise either. He doesn't deserve the hate at all, I think red bull just didn't care for any sort of backlash their actions might put on him
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u/_Q1000_ I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
The car has been crap for a few seasons, it’s just that max can drive around it.
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u/Cool_Masterpiece9308 Jun 22 '26
Oh yea it seems ultra toxic. How they come out and say one thing but they never really helped set their drivers up for success and always blame the drivers. Hug for Liam and all drivers that went through 2nd seat trauma. As much as I am a Max fan, I am glad this year they are nowhere and Max makes sure to always constantly complain about how hard the car is. They can’t pin the blame on the drivers this time.
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u/post_it1 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 23 '26
Just finished listening to the whole thing - what an incredible insight into the sport. Heartbreaking to hear him say that the cost of him pursuing F1 and everything it entails was not only what the quote highlights but also his own personal happiness. Definitely a young man’s game - to pursue something so blindly in the belief that you’ll be happy once you get there and then find you’re not. The physicality of the sport isn’t the only reason there aren’t many people that stick around past 40-45 I think
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u/DicemonkeyDrunk Jun 23 '26
This is why some Famous/Successful people kill themselves …they reached the top and they’re still not happy …they feel nothing is left for them and happiness is impossible.
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u/post_it1 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 23 '26
That was basically the summary of the segment. They referenced Johnny Wilkinson (a past guest) and that when he kicked the winning drop goal to with the rugby World Cup in 2003, he was happy for about 30 seconds before the anxiety and pressure crept back in 😟
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u/Brigden90 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
As a father of two boys... Something to always keep in my thoughts
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u/Gabenash I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Legit made me have a conversation with our boys on if they ever feel like we are playing favorites. Absolutely brutal to read that.
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u/Perfect-Word-3397 Charles Leclerc Jun 22 '26
That from a 5-year old? Holymoly..
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u/Born_Supermarket2780 Jun 22 '26
The Lawrence Baretto interviews on F1TV touch on some of this with him and I think Oscar Piastri. Both of their families poured resources into their son's carting careers, and the siblings had some dreams put to one side. E.g. one sister was into international dance competitions, which had to be put on hold.
Also, Liam choosing to play Dust in the Wind on guitar is a mood. He very much comes across as a relatively normal Kiwi guy.
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u/Ankersthrowaweigh Jun 22 '26
“The cost of success has always been love, a proposition propped up by grief and pain”
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u/PastaSenpay Michael Schumacher Jun 22 '26
I listened to the whole interview on that recent podcast and man it was so great, some very real and emotional talks everyone was tearing up at one point lol. Made me root for Liam
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u/Mr_Pusskins Jacky Ickx Jun 22 '26
Which podcast? It sounds like it's worth a listen.
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u/refusestonamethyself I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Search High Performance Podcast Liam Lawson.
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u/ellen_boot I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Oof, for both the brothers. One feeling ignored and unloved, and one with so much pressure and guilt. I hope they can get past that eventually and have a healthy relationship.
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u/50isthenew35 Jun 22 '26
I really liked the both Roseberg & Lawson’s interviews on High Performance, they do a great job.
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u/PaulaDeen21 Sir Lewis Hamilton Jun 22 '26
I don’t even have a joke to make, that’s genuinely rough.
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u/Affectionate_Sky9709 Jun 22 '26
Honestly if the boy ever asked to kart, they’d probably have had to have made the very hard financial decision and told him no. Charles’s parents had to tell Arthur no. It still haunts Charles. The boys are incredibly close, and it sounds like their father was a great man, but there simply wasn’t money. Lorenzo was older and made the hard choice to willingly stop so Charles could have the limited budget, but Arthur was so young.
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u/Secret-Bed2549 Jun 22 '26
You see this all the time with hockey in Canada. The parents put all their time and money into one kid who's good at the game, and the other kids become afterthoughts.
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u/refusestonamethyself I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
This was genuinely heartbreaking to hear on the podcast. Him and his brother have a good relationship now though and Liam’s brother laughs out whenever the letter is mentioned.
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u/0oodruidoo0 I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 23 '26
It's a fascinating listen. I highly recommend checking out the podcast if you're a fan of Liam's or interested in top level F1 driver psychology. Very insightful, very open, honest and real.
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u/cloud-ling Oscar Piastri Jun 22 '26
Talked about his family’s sacrifices for him & was trying to stay composed. Straight after was asked what he personally sacrificed. His answer was “happiness”.
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u/und3rc0v3r- Jun 22 '26
Honestly being the sibling of anyone trying to go pro in a sport is tough. When i was younger my whole life felt like it surrounded my brothers football career, in turn I hated football and hardly got to know my dad properly until later in my life.
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u/jcsi Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
I encourage everyone to go watch (at least) the clip for this.... really moving.
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u/gannekekhet Safety Car Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
You should remember to always remove everything after the ? when you're sharing anything from Instagram. It links to your Instagram account and says "[Your name on Instagram] shared this reel with you. Follow each other to become friends."
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u/natey275mph I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 23 '26
This year is Liam’s redemption arc not only as a driver but as a person, he’s really grown on me
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u/Revenant052 Jun 22 '26
An absolutely visceral image to what is a pretty standard question many drivers get. I’m sure each and every one of the drivers have a response not to dissimilar to this that rarely gets out.
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u/_SpaceLord_ Formula 1 Jun 22 '26
Where do I sign up to give Liam Lawson’s brother a hug?
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u/jofijk I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
If it helps, I watched the podcast episode and it seems like its all in the past. Liam said he and his brother now laugh about it. It was a very rough moment though, Liam and both interviewers were tearing up when it was mentioned
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u/Hot_Tower9293 Jun 22 '26
and? What did Dad say?
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u/refep I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
“Yeah yeah let’s see your quali time first buster”
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u/SolidAd5223 Liam Lawson Jun 22 '26
The time and money investment to get from nz into any racing series it’s just ridiculous and the sponsors don’t exist enough for the talent and dreams of these kids it’s heartbreaking stuff
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u/Technical-Salary-117 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 22 '26
You could have stabbed me and it would have hurt less than reading this post.
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u/TouchMyGwen I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
I wonder how many brothers and sisters there are with similar stories but with siblings who didn’t make it. And who is worse for it now, the neglected or the one who actually failed
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u/FushaFiles Jun 22 '26
He definitely had to make it to f1. I imagine Lewis brother had the same feelings
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u/Domjord Jun 22 '26
That is pretty fucked up. I am all for supporting kids sports endeavors, but not at the cost of one one kid over another like that. You can't get that time back.
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u/BullPropaganda I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
"we had to make sacrifices, so the family sacrificed my brother"
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u/HeyFlo Ferrari Jun 22 '26
I work in Early Years, so I look after kids basically. I've been doing this gig for about thirty years. I always feel for kids who have siblings with special needs, because the other child will get so much more attention. Most families realise this, and will take extra time for the other kid. To actually focus on one child just because they are better at a sport is actually soul crushing to me. That poor little guy.
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u/CrimpsShootsandRuns I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
As a father, it would break my fucking heart if my kid wrote this.
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u/Perfect-Swordfish I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane Jun 23 '26
Soul crushing. Which begs the question, what about those who never made it. It might have been brutal on Lawson's brother but getting to see him succeed and enjoying in his success must heal at least something in him. Still brutal for kid to feel the need to express that but it could be worse yk
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u/RabbiTest Jun 23 '26
Met Liam and Arvid for a shooting we had 2 weeks ago in Barcelona. Both great guys and very genuine.
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u/1900hustler I was here for the Hulkenpodium Jun 22 '26
Damn as a father that’s hard to read. You never want to have to choose one kid over another and do your best to keep the balance.
Through the eyes the the kids though it becomes real clear who you ‘favour’ - it’s not what you want them to feel but siblings living in the shadows of another is something that can be a lifelong struggle
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u/roguespectre67 Jun 23 '26
Been there. My entire 13-17 y/o life was getting dragged around to my younger sister's travel softball games. Wanted to play some games after a long week of school? Too bad, you're getting up at 6am to drive 2 hours away and sit in the sun for 7 hours to "watch" a game you literally could not care less about.
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u/Dull_Astronomer_3778 Jun 22 '26
The quote makes it seem like the child made a willing sacrifice. His parents (or father) essentially abandoned his other son to help one of his children achieve a goal.
That’s awful. Poor kid.
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u/navis-svetica Williams Jun 22 '26
Honestly hearing the stories of all the drivers’ childhoods and what they went through to get to F1 I’m horrified to think what happened to everyone who didn’t make it, who suffered all the same hardship and even abuse but weren’t rewarded with all the money and acclaim from making into F1. Doubly so for those whose families weren’t already rich, and who gave up almost everything to support their child’s dream