Why Pre-Season Hope Is So Powerful

Alright, let me set the scene. It's the end of the season. Your team did not do that great, but it's okay, we can go enjoy the holidays now. This is a great break for you - and your mental health- and for the teams as well. Life goes on, and all of a sudden the liveries are starting to be released. You can feel, 2026 is going to be OUR year, your team will do AMAZING, you say "We will be World Champions". Sounds familiar?

So it's that magical time of the year again. The cars are looking shiny, the liveries are slaying, new suits, new gears and the drivers are feeling confident. Everyone thinks this could be THEIR season. Girly, welcome to pre-season hope, the most delusional, but also beautiful part of every F1 season. Because, let's be honest for a sec, there is no optimism quite like F1 optimism in January and February.

Pre-season is the only time of the year when everyone starts as equals. Zero points, zero DNFs, no fucked up strategy calls that ruin your Sunday. The championship standings are empty and we are just SO EXCITED. Your favirote driver hasn't been robbed by a bad safety car moment, no one said "we'll review it". Everything feels possible now. It's kinda giving the same energy as "new year, new me", but instead of buying another planner, we convinced ourselves that this is the year our team finally gets their shit together. And honestly, that hope hits every time.

Pre-season testing is where hope hits the hardest. One purple sector and we are planning podiums. If the car is slow, it's obviously the fuel load, if it's fast, it's real pace. Sandbagging becomes our favorite word, you know - they're just hiding their real speed. Of course, social media doesn't help. I am no better, don't get me wrong. One clip, one optimistic interview and I'm asking myself - WAIT, is this actually happening? Let my team cook for once. Are we wrong every year? Possibly. Do we learn? Nope.

Pre-season is also when every driver has a new, fresh main character energy. The rookies are the new found talents, the driver who struggled last year will be in their villain era, my team made a bald decision but no worries it's part of the plan. TRUST THE PROCESS. Before the first race, no one has done anything yet. This is when we emotionally invest super hard. We see potential and growth. We can see podiums in front of our eyes, and you know what, that's kinda beautiful. Reality will show up eventully, usually around race 3, but for now? Let us dream. Like honestly, please leave me alone.

Of course, deep down, every F1 fan knows the hard truth. Someone will dominte, someone will disappoint and we will say nevermind, next year is our year. I know I will be staring at the TV wondering why I choose this fuck ass team, and how was I so stupid? Again. And yet, every season we do it anyway. Because hope is not about being realistic, it's about believing just for a second that things will go our way. Pre-season is the calm before the storm, more like the calm before the emotional damage tha I am willingly do every season. I love it.

Pre-season hope is so pure. The fandom is at its softest and most unhinged self. We are delusional together, we share memes, rankings, hot takes that we will deny ever making by mid-season. But we are optimistic together. It just happened today with me and Caroline, I saw that the FIA will look into the Ferrari car, because appearantly we are too fast. Are you kidding me? We are so good that even FIA is like the fuck? We are so back. World Championship. But that's what makes F1 fun.

So yeah honestly, I can not tell you anything else diva, other than believe in the testing times. Trust the vibes, fall in love with the new liveries, convince yourself this is THE year. Why? Because pre-season hope isn't stupid, it's a tradition for every F1 fan. And if your dreams are crashed by GP 4, well, that's a problem for the future....