#did this people watch max verstappen in toro rosso?

[cookie-mj]

I love how people are already saying that Carlos is the worst driver driving for ferrari in the last 20 years (I swear I've read this) for crashing in FP as if this means something 😂😂😂. Like, for how long were you watching F1, 2 days?

[imaginaryf1shots]

His Sister | Lewis Hamilton

WC: 4.6K

Lewis Hamilton X Verstappen!Reader

Max Verstappen X reader!Sister

Summery: You have always been there for your brother, giving up everything for him, so when you decide to date his rival, what will he do.

Warnings: age gap(age not specified) mention of abuse, Jos Verstappen is an a-hole, Max is also an ass, bad childhood, bad father, cursing, alusion to smut but no actual smut

AN: this had me in tears at some parts, I was going, why did he do this 😭 as if I didn't write it, lol

Hope you all enjoy

Masterlist

Lewis Masterlist

Part 2

Growing up, Verstappen wasn’t easy. Growing up with Jos Verstappen as your guardian and the one that has custody is hard. Being the oldest, Verstappen is damn near impossible. Could you have chosen to live with your mother? Yes, but that would’ve left Max alone with Jos, something you weren’t about to do. Admittedly you were young yourself, but even at a young age you knew that if Max was left with Jos alone it wouldn’t turn out good for your brother, you’ve always been motherly and have so much love in you that you just shared it with those around you and your siblings got the most of it. It made perfect sense to you as a young girl to leave your life with your mother and sister and go with your brother and father.

At one point you were the one Karting, you loved cars and karting since you were young, with both parents into motorsport it was hard not to, and even Jos couldn’t deny how good you were, but alas you’re a female and there’s no way you’d make it all the way to F1, something that Jos loves to remind you of. That’s the reason he stopped you from going once Max started winning in karting, and he wanted to focus on his child, who would achieve all his personal dreams and make it into F1. Maybe it’s your love for the sport that made it easier but you enjoyed every time you went to a track and watched the karts race, you dreaded after the races though, to Jos anything but first is a failure. On days like that, you’d follow your father and stand in his way, he’d shout at you and push you around, and you’d take it all in all in the hope that by the time he reached Max he wouldn’t be angry, or at least you’d take the blunt end of his anger. That didn’t always happen and on those days you’d just stay with your brother holding his hand, walking with him home in the cold, in the rain and in the heat of the sun, never letting him go through a punishment alone and never letting him go through your punishments.

It was all in the hope that Max would reach F1 one day, and he did, he’s in Formula 1 now, he’s been there since he was 17, he skipped so many steps and jumped into Formula 1, he went from Toro Rosso to RedBull in a record time and he was racing with legends and world champions before you had time to comprehend it. All whilst you watched him from the garage, as a family member and a part of his team, never missing a race. Driving him around when he didn’t have his driver’s licence, hugging him after each win and DNF, picking up the pieces after a scolding from Jos and tearing up when he got his first win. Always smiling and happy for him no matter what.

You’d think now that you’re all older, the talk from your father wouldn’t affect you, that you’d get used to his words, and they won’t affect you. But he’s your dad. It never gets easy.

So here you are standing at the back of the garage you’re both watching the screen, when the camera cuts to you, you smile a bit before it cuts off back to the race, with one pull you’re away from prying eyes of people in the garage. Only the few people at the back could see you.

“What?” You ask your dad with a frown. His grip on your bicep is like iron. You hold in a wince and look him in the eye.

”What was that?” He whisper shouted, you looked at him confused. “Don’t give me that stupid look. How many times have I told you, I don’t like that look.”

”I’m just confused, I don’t know what you mean.” You explain yourself and try to act normal, all while knowing it’s about to get worse, he’s in a mood, Max’s race hasn’t been going like he’d like, he’s currently in second with Checo in first, something bad in your dad’s books.

”Don’t play stupid, I know what you’re playing at.” Jos squeezes more, and you’re bound to have a bruise by tomorrow morning.

“I’m literally doing nothing.” You move trying to pull your arm out of his grip, and he lets go of you but leans down in your face.

”I saw that look you gave the camera, don’t ruin your brother’s image.” You close your eyes and bite your lip, and it takes you a few seconds before you neutralise your expression into blankness. “Don’t look like a slut, it could affect the sponsors.”

”But I wasn’t.” You mutter, but he just scoffs.

”Don’t. Play. Games. With. Me.” With each word through his fretted teeth, he poked/pushed you with his finger at your shoulder, having you move back every time.

”I’m not.” You insist. Thankfully, before he can reply, someone clears their throat, making you both look to the side to see Hemlut standing there. He doesn’t look amused.

”Keep your family affairs out of the garage, please.” Was all he said before he turned to look at the screen. It takes everything in you not to roll your eyes, giving your dad one last look you turn and go watch the race from a different spot in the garage as far away from him as you could get.

Max ended up winning the race, with Lewis second and Charles third. So all was good in the end, your brother won the race, your dad was back in his happy mode, and your day was ruined. You rushed with the crowd to congratulate Max on his win. Your brother comes to you for a hug. You kiss his cheek as you always do and pat his back.

”Congratulations Maxie.”

”Thanks.” He gives you a big smile before he’s rushed to get weighed, you look at Ferrari as they congratulate Charles, the sea of red eye catching, looking around you don’t see any Mercedes dressed personal in the vicinity. Your eyes then fell to the 7 times world champion, he’s sitting on the floor looking tired, his eyes swept over the teams looking for his own. You feel bad for him. His family must not be here today, and his team didn’t bother to show up for him.

Later that day, you found yourself pulled to a club to celebrate another Max win, you’re usually up for the celebration, but after what happened at the garage, you weren’t feeling up to it. However, you can never say no to Max when he asks you to do something all nice and loving, so that’s how you ended up here. In a random club, with a lot of Formula 1 workers from all teams and FIA, they’re all having the times of their lives as if they’re not rivals and hate each other, every other day of the week. You’ve sat down the moment you walked in and haven’t moved, drinks coming to you, but you’ve only been sipping light ones, not wanting to get drunk and deal with a headache in the morning.

An hour in, you head to the bar to order water or a soda, not in the mood to drink more. With a sigh, you lean on the bar and wait for the bartender to make his way to you, looking bored out of your life.

”You don’t look like you’re having fun.” Someone says, coming up to stand beside you, the accent familiar, but you couldn't pinpoint why before you turn and your eyes fall on a pair of brown eyes.

”Not really.” You say and shrug, turning so you’re both facing each other. “I mean you’re the first person to come up to talk to me in the last hour or something.”

”I don’t believe that, a beautiful woman like you.” Lewis gives you a small smile, and you chuckle, playfully rolling your eyes.

“I know, right, and here I dressed up, only for it not to work.” You say a tone of amusement lanced into your words, liking this banter going back and forth.

”I wouldn’t say it’s not working.” Lewis says and looks you up and down, you blush under his gaze but the smile doesn’t drop from your lips, the bartender comes up to you right then and asks you for your order, you ask for a glass of water and a soda, before he turns to Lewis who doesn’t ask for a drink. “You’re not drinking?”

”I had a couple of drinks, but I don’t feel like getting drunk.” You tell him, and he hums, you lean closer as if you’re going to say a secret. “Between you and me, I didn’t want to be here anyways.”

”Me neither, why are you here?” Lewis asks, you look around the club, and your eyes fall onto your brother having the time of his life with his friends.

”Because my brother wanted me to come.” You say not looking away from Max, who was smiling and enjoying himself, it brings a smile to your face seeing him carefree. Your favourite type of Max.

”You’re Max’s sister.” At Lewis’ words, you realise he didn’t know who you were, your head snaps to look at him and give him the smallest of smiles, a defeated look hiding behind your eyes. As if you’re expecting the worst.

”Yeah, is that a problem?” You ask him already knowing what he’ll say. Your brother is his biggest rival. There’s history between them, and it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Just because they have respect for each other doesn’t mean they love the other.

”No, you’re not Max.” This did surprise you, and it showed on your face, Lewis winked, and you shook your head. “Do you want to head out of here?”

”Sure.” With that, you and Lewis turn and head out. Everyone’s too drunk or too occupied to see your retreating figures.

Let’s just say that you enjoyed your night, Lewis isn’t just good at racing. He did convince you to stay the night after everything was said and done, with his eyes half lidded and you both breathing hard it was the easiest yes you’ve ever said.

You woke up alone with the shower going in the background, feeling lazy. You sat up in bed and looked out the window. The view from his room was beautiful. You’re so lost in thought you don’t realise when the water stopped running or when Lewis came in the room. He stood there looking at you, your back bare for him to see, your hair messy, the sun coming from the windows making you glow. Lewis, dressed in only his boxers, moves to the bed and slots himself behind you, his bare chest meeting your back as his arms sneak around your waist, pulling you back. You lean into his chest and take a deep breath, content with the moment. Lewis’ lips find their home where your neck meets your shoulder, placing soft feather-like kisses up and down the exposed skin, you move your head to the side giving him more room to do as he wants.

”Lewis.” You moan suddenly breathless, Lewis moves his hands up your arms lightly before you wince in pain, making him stop all movements and pull away from you. You freeze and close your eyes instantly, knowing why you were in pain.

”What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Lewis asks, feeling guilt for causing you pain. You shake your head no and sigh, still not looking at him.

”No, no, it’s not you.” Lewis looks at where his hands were and he sees the bruise on your bicep, his mind goes to last night and he thinks over his actions, did he hold your bicep, maybe squeezed a bit too hard. It definitely looks like hand marks. You stand up still naked and snatch Lewis’s shirt from the night before from the floor where you threw it and slip it on. The oversized shirt falls mid thigh, and the short sleeves come down to your elbows covering your bruise.

”Who the fuck did this to you?” Lewis follows you off the bed, you turn to look at him crossing your arms protectively, suddenly feeling self conscious, you refuse to meet his eyes and clear your throat but no words came out of your mouth. “y/n, just tell me what happened?”

”It’s nothing. He didn’t mean to.” You mutter and shake your head, your hair falling into your face.

“Who? Who did it?” Lewis pleaded with you and you closed your eyes and bit your lip to stop the tears, it wasn’t a secret how rough your father is especially in the RedBull garage but no one outside a few observant people(which don’t include Max) know how rough he is with you.

”My dad, but he was just angry. He’s not like that, not anymore.” You mumble the last part, but Lewis heard it loud and clear, and just like yesterday, he surprises you. Lewis pulls you in for a hug, his tattooed arms just pulling you close, and he holds you. He just holds you.

”Bloody hell, love, I’m sorry.” Lewis says in your hair, and you raise your head to look at him, but still staying in his hold.

”You have absolutely no reason to be sorry.” You tell him and your hands move up to his face, lightly touching his cheek, your eyes taking him in. “I don’t really care.”

“It still doesn’t make it right. You shouldn’t go through something like this.” Lewis says, and you shrug.

”Life isn’t really fair.” He felt that there’s more behind those words. You didn’t just mean what happened the day before. There’s more pain in your voice, in your past, and to him, it looked like no one took the time to talk to you about them to help you through those pains. Lewis finds himself wondering why, he’s known you for less than 24 hours and all he wants to do is get to know you, uncover all your secrets, help you where you need help, support you where you need support.

”Well, if you let me, I think I can make it a little more fair.” Lewis says, deciding that this isn’t the last time he’ll spend time with you. He pulls back and goes to his bedside table where his phone rests.

”What are you talking about?” You ask him confused.

”Give me your number, I’m taking you out next time we’re both free.” Lewis says and hands you his phone. You slowly take it and look up at him with wide eyes.

”You want to go out with me? like on a date?” You wanted to make sure you understood him correctly.

”I do.”

“Even though you know I come with baggage.” You want to make sure he understands it won’t be easy.

”I don’t think it’s baggage, but even if it was, I don’t care.” Lewis gives you one of his smiles that make you weak in your knees, and you don’t think twice and type in your number. Lewis instantly calls you, and your phone rings before he ends the call. “Now you also have my number, and if you ever need something, or someone or a place to just call me.”

”Thank you.”

”I haven’t done anything yet, love.”

”Oh you’ve already done a lot.” Most people would act as if nothing happened and they saw nothing, most wouldn’t want to go out with you knowing there’s a lot in your past that needs solving, most wouldn’t go out with their rival’s sister, but most aren’t Lewis Hamilton, and you’re glad he’s not like the most.

You and Lewis start texting, getting to know each other. You see a side to the Mercedes driver you’ve never seen before. He’s so easy to talk to. You feel like whatever you tell him is a secret he’ll take to the grave. In the couple weeks since you’ve started talking you’ve been more open with him than anyone else, not just about your past and growing up with Jos but about your feelings. He never judges and gives the best advice. He’s been supportive and understanding to a point you’ve asked yourself how he is real.

You asked him to keep your budding friendship (turing relationship) a secret and he agreed 100% with you, it’ll cause a lot of trouble when and if it comes out, and you’re not ready for that. And for the first time in forever you don’t spend your free time between races where Max is, you fly to wherever Lewis is, and so for a month you both find that time to get to know the other in a way that you’ve never done before, and you find yourself being Lewis’s girlfriend and it makes you the happiest thinking about it. He’s made you happier, and those closest to you have noticed you’re more smiley and happy those days.

Sneaking around like children, not two adults was part of the fun, but it also made it harder for you.

”What are you smiling at?” Kelly asks, leaning closer to you. You close your phone in an instant to the amusement of your brother’s girlfriend. Max was in a meeting or doing something for media, so you and Kelly were having lunch in the paddock.

“Nothing.” You say, and your face flushes red, making her laugh.

”Come on, I can tell you’re texting someone.” Kelly laughs and nudges you. You roll your eyes and take a sip from your drink. “Who is he?”

”Nonone.”

”So there’s someone.” Kelly raises her eyebrows, and you sigh and nod your head. Yes, Kelly squeals and looks like she’s ready for a gossip session.

“Kelly, you’re not getting more out of me.” You tell the female, and she pouts.

”Why? Even Max is wondering who you’re texting all the time.” Kelly is confused, and rightfully so, you’re very open with her and Max. Not the type to keep something like this a secret. Or so they thought, but how can they be 100% sure when you haven’t been with anyone for years or even shown interest in anyone.

”That’s why I can’t tell you.”

”What? you can trust me, I won’t tell him if you don't want to.” Kelly felt offended that you didn’t trust her to keep a secret. She’s close to you. Anyone close to Max is close to you. His friends are your friends.

”I wouldn't do that to you, if he found out you knew and didn’t tell him he’ll get mad.” You explain to her, wanting her to understand where you’re coming from.

”No he wouldn't.” Kelly replies, and you give her a look making her sigh, Max is protective, and no one is good enough for you in his eyes. “Okay maybe he will be, but who could you be dating for you to be so sure he’ll get mad, anyways.”

“I love you, Kells, but I can’t tell you.” You both sat in silence for a bit, Kelly was thinking of any possible men you might’ve come across the last month, she started crossing some out of the list she made in her mind that you wouldn’t like, before her eyes went wide.

”It’s a driver!” She shouts, and a few eyes snapped to look at you both. You choke on your drink and cough a few times. “Sorry.”

”What the fuck Kelly, you want to tell the whole world?” You whisper shout and she looks apologetically muttering sorry.

”It’s a driver then.” She whispered and you reluctantly nod, who knew this lunch would cause you so much. “I’m not going to push you for more… yet.”

”Well thank god for that.” You mutter, but know that she’ll look and analyse every single interaction you have with any driver. Kelly went over the 19 drivers, crossing out those in a relationship. Nico, Kevin, Valtteri, Daniel, Checo, Carlos, Pierre, Alex, Esteban, Charles, Oscar, and George are all in a relationship. That narrows it down, but it’s still a bit, but a few are still single. Fernando, Lewis, Lance, Zhou, Lando, Yuki and Logan that left her with 7 drivers that are single, and you’re at the age that dating someone older would raise a few eyebrows and so would dating some of the younger drivers, but it wouldn’t be totally out of the box. Lance is the one closest to you in age, but she doesn’t think he’s your type.

After the Austin Grand Prix, Lewis makes it to your room, and a few teams booked their rooms at the same hotel, something that you’ve come to appreciate. Your room isn’t as big as Lewis’s but it just happened that he made it to your room, the brit, and you decided to chill and have a lazy night. The TV was on, but you both weren’t focused on it, each having a glass of Almave in hand, the non alcoholic drink your new favourite and it looked like you’d never run out of it.

You just finished telling Lewis about something that happened when you were younger and still karting, telling him about all the drama that happened then and how silly it is. His arm was on the back of the sofa beides your head, your legs over his lap, and his other hand was on your thigh rubbing softly at the skin visible from your bunched up shorts.

”Why did you stop karting?” Lewis asked, your smile from laughing wasn’t all gone yet, but it did falter a bit. You suck in your lips and run your tongue over them.

”My dad said that there’s no place for women in motorsport and that Max will carry the family name in Formula 1.” You shrug, your head dropping a little. The hand besides your head moves to your face making you raise your head and look at him, Lewis felt bad for you but he tried not to be obvious about it, he knew you wouldn't want him to.

“I know for a fact then if you continued, you’d be kicking all out asses on track.” Lewis said softly, and you gave him a tight-lipped smile.

”You haven’t even seen me karting.” You tell him softly and find that your breath hits his face from how close you’ve gotten.

”Next time we meet up, we’ll do that.” Lewis said and gave your thigh a squeeze. You hum and lean closer, your lips meeting his. His lips were warm and soft, his hand moving from your cheek to the back of your head. And as always, his lips made a spark ignite inside you and left you warm and fuzzy. Soft sighs left your lips as your lips moved, Lewis’s hand moved up your thigh and over your butt, tugging you so you’d move with him until you’re standing him. You pull back just a little, your breath mingling with his, his eyes looking at you and making you fall in love with him.

”Lewis.” Just the way you said his name left him breathless and needy, he pulled you down for your lips to meet again.

You’re both disturbed when Lewis’s phone rings, you move from on top of him and he reaches over to get his phone, seeing the caller ID he gives you an apologetic look and answers the phone. You sigh sadly, feeling a bit irritated to be interrupted, but Lewis is a busy man, and she understands this.

“I’m sorry, love, but I have to go.” Lewis leans over to kiss your head before hastily gathering his things. “It’s an emergency meeting, I’ll text you when I’m done and come back.”

”Okay, I’ll wait for you.” You say and lay back on the sofa taking out your phone to scroll through the TV is still going. Around half an hour later, your door is opened, making you raise your head and frown when you see Max walking in.

”How did you get in?”

”I have a card.” Max shows you the door card that had your room number on it.

”Why?” You ask him confused. He also relieved that he hadn’t come in when Lewis was still here.

”You’ve been losing yours a lot lately, so I thought to just ask for one.” Max shrugged as if it’s normal, he sat down in the chair by your legs so you could look at him, you rolled your eyes at his words, not needing to ask how the front desk gave it to him. You haven’t been losing your cards. You’ve been asking for an extra one to give to Lewis.

“What’s that?” Max asks, and you don’t bother looking up from your phone.

”What’s what?”

“That.” You sigh and sit up, looking to where your brother is pointing, your heart drops. Lewis forgot his watch, and it’s laying there on the side table that had a lamp on it, and it’s so very obvious not yours. The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ‘Lewis Hamilton’ Edition IW503002 is a beauty, but no way can it be yours. You curse Lewis in your mind for taking it off when he first came in. You open your mouth and close it a couple of times, trying to find words to say but coming up empty. “I’ve seen this before.”

”I don’t think so.” You say nervously, chuckling. Max frowns in thought as he tries to remember where he had seen the watch before.

”No I’ve seen it, I remember the red.” Max mumbles, and the moment he remembers you can tell, his face says it all. “L-Lewis? That’s who you’ve been seeing behind my back.”

”Max-“

”No you had your chance to tell me, but you didn’t.” Max stands up, and you follow suit. His voice is angry and irritated, a bit of betrayal in there as well. “How could you date Lewis and not tell me how could you even date him, I can’t believe you’d do something like this!”

”I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d get angry, and I didn’t want you to be angry.” You try to explain to him your reason, but he’s having none of that.

”Because I’m calm now.” Max says sarcastically.

”Max, this is why I didn’t tell you.” Your hands move in frustration, one of your legs shake in anxiety, and you whisper. “I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

”What is there to understand? You’re sleeping with my rival.” Max shouts, it breaks you. Max may have this image as the villain in public but he’s not like that with you, he’s always been nice and loving, you’re the best thing about his childhood, the warm hug he had, the person he relayed on, the person that could always make him smile. Seeing the look in his eyes makes tears gather in yours. “y/n, I can’t believe you. After everything you’re just, what? Selling yourself to Lewis-“

”Max.”

”-Do you have any idea-“

”Max.”

”-how this can affect my image-“

”Max, please.”

”-I thought I could count on you not to do something like this-“

”I didn’t.”

”-Dad was right.”

”Wh-what?” This just breaks you in two, completely shatters you.

”He said that you’re an attention who-“

”Okay enough.” You say and raise your hands in the air to stop him, tears leaving your eyes freely. “Please leave, I can’t hear you anymore, I can’t.”

Max fights the need to say sorry and hug you. He’s too in his emotions, and he’s too stubborn and hardheaded to say anything.

”Just leave, please.” Max turns and leaves your room. The quality time he wanted to spend with you is ruined. The moment the door closes, he feels like his relationship with you is forever changed. It cracked, and he curses himself for being so careless with his words.

Part 2

[russellsppttemplates]

Never letting you go (Max Verstappen)

There was nothing stopping you and Max now

Note: english is not my first language. This is the first Max big piece to sort of introduce their arc, let me know what you think! ✨️

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Tw: mentions Jos forbidding Max and reader of dating, curse words

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog

"What do you mean you're going to the Grand Prix?", you quirked your brow as your friend Cara sipped her coffee, "I thought you said you'd never be caught dead one of those", you chuckled.

"Matthew's company got a bunch of passes because they got a deal with one of the sponsors - I think? - I don't know much about it, all I know is that he brought three home because he thought you'd like to join us", she offered.

You never hid how much you enjoyed watching Formula One, even if watching it, especially in the last couple of years, often brought emotionally heavy memories back.

"That's nice, count me in! What type of passes are they?", you questioned, taking a bite from the cake on your plate.

"I don't know, he was talking all about them and I must admit I zoned out", she admitted, "but he said they were really good! He was very surprised at what the passes had, but his boss is very cheap so I don't know how great they actually are considering the possible comparison", she smiled as you nodded, "count me in, though. It's been a while since I stepped foot on one of them", you recalled.

The last race you attended was when Max was in Formula Three still. The paddock was so big and crowded with so many people, you doubted you'd bump into him. It wouldn't do you any good, would it?

"How did you get hospitality passes?", you gasped as Matthew handed you the lanyard, "they've invested a lot of money so I guess the sponsors didn't mind loosening the belt", he shrugged, putting his own around his neck after scanning it.

"Thank you for this, by the way", you flashed him a smile, "no worries, Y/N, the only way I could convince her to come was if you joined us, and I don't mind actually spending the weekend with someone who also knows a little about the sport", he chuckled as Cara laced her arms with her fiancé, "I'm glad he has you to talk to as well, there's only so much feigned interest I can muster up", she rolled her eyes.

Scuderia Alpha Tauri had been Toro Rosso, but despite the name change, as soon as you walked in, some faces were still familiar from the pictures you got sent from Max on gia first season with them.

"Why did you get interested in Formula One anyway?", Matthew asked you while you sipped on a latte, "I always loved the idea of the cars going very very fast, and then when I actually had the knowledge to understand how they worked, they really intrigued me", you offered, "I also had a friend who was very into it, so he also escalated my interest in it".

"He didn't pull you enough to work on motor sport though?", Matt wondered.

"I didn't enjoy the competitiveness of all of it", you admitted, "it's very strict, and if you want to be successful, it takes the good things away - your family, your friends", you opened your heart to him, thankfully noticing it and sorting the heartfelt confession seemingly about a job, "they travel a lot and they're really competitive that is, I'd never be able to do that for a job", you smiled, hoping you saved yourself from further questions.

"That's why you did mechanical engineering, then?", he asked, "for the most part, yes", you replied, "Oh, they're starting free practice", you smiled, looking over to the track from the balcony seats.

Sophie walked into the RedBull hospitality, looking for her family. Because it was Monaco, they felt safe enough to bring the Lio and Luka to the paddock, knowing they would be close to home in case things didn't go well as planned.

"Grandma!", the oldest boy called her from his spot on his father's lap, his brother sleeping on his mother's chest.

"Hey, my dears", she greeted, "You won't believe who I found on my way here", Sophie began, "I'm surprised Max didn't tell me he invited Y/N. It's a shame she isn't here with us, though", she commented.

The first indicator of surprise should be the way the blond woman looked at her mother, "what do you mean Y/N is here?", she whisper-yelled.

"I just saw her in the Alpha Tauri hospitality, I was walking with Helmut and he was headed there, that's when I noticed her. Max didn't tell you?", she quirked an eyebrow just as her son sat down next to them.

"What didn't I tell who?", Max spoke, setting his plate of food down on the table.

"Why didn't you tell us you invited Y/N for this weekend?", Victoria was the first to scold him, hitting his arm in a sisterly manner, "and in Alpha Tauri of all places? I'm sure they would've bent the rules a little and give you a pass so she could be a RedBull guest!".

Max thought he heard incorrectly. Y/N, his Y/N was in the paddock, in the sister team of the one he now drove for.

"I, I didn't offer her anything", Max said, his brother in-law looking at him weirdly as well, "I don't know how or why she is here, but I had nothing to do with it. We haven't spoken in a while", he mumbled. A while, three years, same thing, he supposes.

"Well, I just saw her. You should go say hi, I'm sure she would love to but she can't exactly find you where she is, it has to be the other way around", Sophie offered.

"What makes you believe she would?", Max questioned, both himself and his mother and sister.

"Because the way you never forgot her, she never forgot you", Victoria sterned, "don't you think she deserves your attention? She was in it for the long run, Max, and maybe she has moved on, maybe even has someone", the thought alone made Max loose his cool, "but she was your friend, the person you trusted most in the world and you let her slip".

"Don't sugar coat it, please", Max sarcastically replied.

"It's true, Max, and you know it", Sophie said, sensing her son didn't want to talk about the topic, but not allowing him to leave the table without a piece of her mind as well.

Max needed to put on his suit again, ready for qualifying, walking along the corridor until he found his door.

"Hey, before you go", Victoria called her brother as he was about to go into his driver's room, "Lio is really fussy, so we're just going back to your place, I'm sorry", she said.

"It's fine, whatever you feel the most comfortable with", he said, waving at his nephews and brother in-law.

"We will be supporting you from home, then", she said, kissing his cheek, "And Max? I know you're not used to it, but follow your heart", she smiled.

"Can I do that now?", he softly bit back, smiling and blushing at his words.

"What's stopping you?", Victoria said as she walked back to her family.

"Who is that?", Jos asked as Max asked him if he could invite you over for dinner before the season began.

The conversations with Toro Rosso were getting serious and the opportunity for a seat in Formula One was right there, up for him to grab if he worked enough.

"She's my friend, you know Y/N", Max tried to reason with his father.

"For this to work, Max, I think you need to distance yourself from home", Jos advised, ignoring his mention of you and carrying on with his lecture, "I'm talking no parties, no trips to come and see friends and family - I really think those are just getting in the way between you and the career you deserve".

The statement was clear, and Max knew better than to question it.

"I've spoken to your mother - she wasn't the biggest fan -, but you really need to focus on this", Jos reiterated, "no friends, much less girlfriends", he chuckled.

The dinner ended up being just Jos, Max and Victoria, the thought of having you there quickly erased in his head.

When Max met up with you before he left for the season, he was antsy. Just a week before, you had stolen innocent kisses from eachother's lips and revelled in the feeling of being in eachother's embrace without a care in the world. And it felt good, so good, like the piece that was missing in Max's life finally completed the puzzle.

"Hey", you greeted, kissing the corner of his lips and allowing him to pull you down to sit on the sofa.

"I spoke to my dad, I'm leaving in a few days", Max said, "there's some testing they want me to do still", he mumbled, lacing your fingers in his.

"And where do we end up?", you asked the million euro question. Truthfully, you entertained the thought. Even though being away from Max for most of the year would be a challenge, the love you felt for him was too big, too great for you to forgo that challenge. You were his and he would be yours.

"It's not going to work, Y/N. I need to focus on racing", he stated blankly despite how much it hurt him to utter those words out to you as the conversation with his father resonated with him.

"Max your focus is getting a Formula One seat", his father sterned, "do you know how hard it is? How much effort and work you have to put in? There can't be any distractions!"

"But Y/N isn't a distraction!", Max reasoned. If anything, you were the one keeping him humble and with both feet on the ground at all times. You cared for him, not because of his racing, who he was or who he could become, but because you loved eachother.

You'd never do anything to ruin his career, Max thought as he worked up the courage to tell you all of it. He couldn't get distracted, not now. He couldn't afford making mistakes because he had a girlfriend back at home waiting on him.

Your understanding, however, wasn't aligned with his expectations. He hoped you'd fight, at least, but you swalled your tears and nodded, "okay, Max. I hope you get your seat, you deserve it so much, I know it will happen".

Max put in on pole, leaving you to smile and snap a picture of the moment, wondering if you'd have the courage to send it to him.

"So, does this mean it's over?", Cara asked, "Because I could do with going home, actually", she nudged.

"Let's go, then!", you smiled, putting your phone in your bag and looking for the way out, ending up following the other guests into the paddock.

"Y/N, dear!", you heard someone call your name, and on cue, you looked for the voice despite the fact that it wad unlikely someone recognised you there.

Sophie didn't age, you thought, as you looked at the source of the voice that called you.

"I'm not going to hold you up, guys, you can go!", you smiled, waving at Matthew and Cara once you assured them you would be fine.

"I'm sorry, Sophie - they're my friends, and he was the one who got the passes from his office", you apologised for leaving her to wait a little for you.

"It's alright, dear. It's been so long since I've seen you", she nudged, "I'm sure Max would love to see you, too!", she jumped straight in.

"Would he, though?", you squinted your eyes.

"He would, Y/N", Sophie said earnestly, "I saw you this morning - at Alpha Tauri -, and he knows you're here", she smiled, "I'm assuming you're watching the race, too. Pay him a visit, okay?", she rubbed your shoulder and left a kiss on your cheek, "He's also my ride home, so I need to go look for him! Bye, Y/N!".

Race day meant rush everywhere, so you got to the paddock just in time before everyone rushed inside, finding the perfect spot to watch the race.

"I need to take this call, one second", you said to Cara, recognising Max's contact on your phone.

"Y/N, hi! I didn't think you'd pick up actually", you could hear the nervousness on his voice, "thanks for the picture, by the way, it was very... nice".

"It's no problem really, I thought it would be a good memory to keep", you smiled, "are you ready for the race? Or do you want me to give you a pep talk?", you chuckled. Back in the day, whenever he didn't feel too confident about a race, you had the power to help him out his head in the right place and bring his winning mentality to light.

"I'm fine, actually", he smiled, "I- I was wondering if you'd like to meet up later", he gulped, "I'd like to talk to you, but it's difficult until the race finishes, and then debriefs and media and all that".

"Sure, text me when you're done then", you stated boldly, "have a good race Max, you know I'm supporting you".

"Even if you're with Alpha Tauri?", he joked.

"I never stopped supporting you, it's not going to be a guest pass that's going to change it", you said as he bid you goodbye, ending the call and finding your friends.

When Max won, you clapped unashamedly as everyone else seemed to join you in your excitement, and after the race celebrations were done with, you waited patiently for the text to get to your phone.

"So you're staying back?", Cara asked, "I am, I'm meeting a friend", you explained. At her curious stare, you furthered, "do you remember the guy I told you about when you tried to set up that double date?", she nodded, "yes, the guy you were friends with, and when you both wanted to take a step forward, he had this big shot as his dream career and his father wouldn't allow him to date anyone", she said as she realized, "my goodness, he's here? Y/N, go for it!", she encouraged, "I know you still have feelings for him, who knows? Maybe this is your chance to reconnect", she rubbed your shoulder.

After you bid goodbye to Cara and Matthew, a text go through to your phone.

From: Max

Mum is waiting for you at the door :)

Approaching the hospitality, you quickly spotted Sophie, "c'mon in, dear! Max wanted me to get you myself, he was afraid no one would ler you in", she chuckled, guiding you through until you were in their dining area.

"Y/N!", Max beamed, setting down the crayons he was drawing with at the table with Luka and walking up to you.

"Hey everyone!", you waved at Victoria, putting a pin the two little boys' curious stares as they looked at you so you could hug Max.

"Congratulations, Max, I knew you could do it", you whispered into his skin, his arms hugging you so tightly against him.

"Thank you, Y/N", he spoke, "I missed you so much, I missed this so much", he squeezed you one more time before allowing you to greet the rest of his family.

"This is Tom, and that's Lio and Luka", Victoria said after she hugged you tighlty, "say hi, guys!", she encouraged as the two little copies of Max waved back at you.

"We're going to head home, it was great seeing you, Y/N!", Sophie announced, "I'm sure we'll see eachother a lot more from now on", Victoria complimented, helping her husband pack up the kids' belongings and toys so they could retire to Max's apartment.

"I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner sometime this week", he jumped straight forward, "I'm having dinner with the team today and then the rest of the grid want to go to the club, so I wouldn't be able to spend that much time with you, and I want to be able to just focus on you", he smiled.

"That's fine by me, I appreciate the thought", you smiled as he led you to one of the tables, asking one of the caffé staff for something to drink for the two of you.

“Listen, I think, I think we found each again for a reason", he began boldly, not sure if this was the way to go after not having spoken to you in a couple of years. Still, it wasn't a lie.

"Define found, considering we've been iving in the same city for nearly a year", you smiled, "although you don't spend much time here anyway, so I guess that's a nice enough excuse", you teased, your foot tapping his shin playfully under the table.

"So, Monaco, hm?", Max started, "I didn't expect you to live here out of all places", he nudged, wanting to know more about your move but afraid he was stepping in vulnerable territory.

"I did it because of my earnings for sure. I've got to save as much as I can on tax on the fortune I make as a female engineer", you sternly said as he looked the most surprised you'd ever seen him, "I'm joking - not all of us move to Monaco so our million euro salaries have better taxes", you teased.

"Why did you do it, then?", he asked, smiling at how familiar it all seemed. Just like old times, he thought.

"The company I work for was the one that needed the tax benefits", you clicked your tongue, "and they wanted people to move here. Only one of my colleagues moved here with her whole family, as they expected, so they ended up calling the ones that weren't attached to anything or anyone in particular, and I was one of them", you shrugged your shoulders, "I moved to a new country with a different language, the only people I knew were my work colleagues, so I had no one to complain about them to, but I make it work - at least I like to think I do", you smiled.

Not attached to anyone, he recalled, humming at your response, "it's not such a bad place to live, right? Granted I don't spend much time year, but still enough to appreciate it", Max spoke.

"How about you, Mr World Champion", you nudged, "how does it feel?".

"Obviously it's great, and everything that I worked for", he added, knowing the underlying topic in the conversation, "I get to drive fast cars and I travel the world, there's not much left for it to be the complete dream", he said, gingerly touching your fingers over the table and accepting your hold when you laced them together.

Conversation was flowing easily until one of the employees told Max that he would have to go and get ready for the dinner, meaning you would have to part ways.

"Does Tuesday work for you? I'm not sure how well I'll be tomorrow", he chuckled, "yes, that's fine by me, just text me the address and the time", you smiled, getting up and kissing his cheek, "have a good time, Max, but be careful with the alcohol, I'd hate to have to pick you up again", you reminded him of the time he got way too drunk and he insisted he would only go home if you came to pick him up.

.

Dinner was great and Max invited you back to his place, hoping you'd be able to talk properly about the elephant in the room in a more private and comfortable place.

"You're struggling there, aren't you? Even with your itty bitty small hands?", Max teased as your pinky just about stretched enough for you to not lose everything by dumping the contents of your bag on the sidewalk.

As you and Max left the restaurant, you fiddled with your wallet in your bag, hoping to keep the card the waiter gave you safe for the next time you wanted to visit the place.

"I do not have itty bitty small hands!", you argued, shaking your bag a little to make sure everything was safely in place.

"We need to have the same starting line - like", you rearranged them so your wrists would be touching. Still, it didn't make much of a difference on your end. It looked like it even highlighted a few more differences, "yours is much bigger, I give up", you giggled.

"See?", Max said as he held your hand out against his, "these are the size of fairy hands! Tinkerbell probably has bigger hands than yours!", he exclaimed as you noticed how much bigger his hand was compared to yours. His fingers were a little bit thicker than yours and his palm covered all of your hand almost completely.

Now or never, Max thought as he laced your fingers in his once you let your arms drop and rest by your side. His thumb rubbed your skin and warmed you up, "was this your plan all along?", you wondered, feeling the bravery around you two and choosing to act on it.

"Lacing my hand in yours or proving to you that my biggest mistake was letting you go all of those years ago?", Max stated as he looked deeply into your eyes.

"We should talk about this inside", you bit your lip, allowing him to guide you through the apartment complex he lived in.

His living room was decorated in classy tones, probably with the help of him mother and sister, as you sat down on the sofa and face eachother.

"I know I apologised at the time, but I'm still sorry, Y/N", Max said, "at the time it was the dream and I didn't have much room for my own decisions. Still, I should've fought", he concluded.

"You didn't blatantly acknowledge it and decided we couldn't be together, Max", you conforted despite the hurt you felt at the time, "it hurt, - like a bitch actually -, but not because you were following your dream. I never wanted to pull you back and get in the way of your achievements", you gulped, "but I would be lying if I said I wouldn't like to give this a go, to give us a chance", you smiled.

"I know I have crazy schedules - I am barely here during the season -, but you were always the one I thought about. When I first raced in F1, when I got my first podium, my first win, my bad races - I wanted you there", he admitted, blue eyes looking into yours, "I can't promise that it will be easy, but I'll never risk you or our relationship, that's non negotiable", he stated.

Moving closer to him, you cupped his cheek with your palm, the slight stubble tickling your skin, "I'm in, Max", you smiled, taking the plunge and kissing his mouth, lips moving in sync as his hands pulled you into his lap.

The blissful moment was interrupted by a meow, Jimmy and Sassy walking into the living room, "Oh, guys", Max held you close to him as the cats sniffled you, "this is Jimmy and Sassy, my cats, took then long enough to leave the guest bedroom", he smiled as you tried to pet them, "cute, they seem nice enough - for cats anyway".

[blorbocedes]

In his own words: Christian Horner on world champion Max Verstappen

Verstappen won another world title on Saturday.

written by: Christian Horner, originally published on The Independent, 08, October 2023 [x]

I remember raising it to Helmut Marko – Red Bull’s motorsport consultant – that this kid looks the real deal. Helmut watched him at the Norisring in Germany and he was convinced.

There was interest from Niki Lauda and Mercedes, but Red Bull could take him to Formula One immediately. So, he came to us a very young age. He was 16. And I remember in his very first outing for us – a demonstration run in Rotterdam – he took the front wing off the car! But you could tell in the seat fitting the confidence he had for a young guy was exceptional.

All of the drivers that came through the junior categories learned their trade out of the spotlight, but Max became the youngest driver in Formula One ever. He was only 17. Every move and every mistake he made was scrutinised.

Jean Todt, who was the FIA president at the time, changed the regulations to ensure someone as young and inexperienced as Max could not enter F1. There will never be a driver that moves so rapidly from karting to F1 again. But the way he dealt with it mentally made him a standout character.

It was obvious in his first full F1 season when he drove for Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso, that he was an emerging talent, and at the beginning of 2016 he was performing beyond the capability of the car.

Daniil Kvyat was struggling, and there was a lot of interest in Max. We made the decision to move him to Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Mercedes did their thing when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed into each other on the first lap and Max, who started fourth which was already stunning, made the one-stop strategy work to win in his first Grand Prix with the team. He became the sport’s youngest ever winner, aged 18. It was a fairytale. Max had arrived.

He won races in 2017 and 2018, and in 2019 he became the team leader following Daniel Ricciardo’s departure to Renault. He grew up, and it was a transformative year for him.

In 2021 we had a car and an engine that could take the fight to Mercedes, and that season will go down as one of the most competitive sporting duels the sport has ever had.

From the first race in Bahrain through to Abu Dhabi, Max and Lewis were like two heavyweights going up against each other. Max was a dog with a bone. He wouldn’t let it go. And you couldn’t script that they would head to the final race tied on points.

Max was very cool. He put the car on pole, and we took our opportunity under the final safety car. Max had one lap to get the job done. I don’t think Lewis expected Max to attack in the corner that he did, and people overlook that he still had to beat Lewis. He still had to win the race. It wasn’t about two unlapped backmarkers. It was about Max reacting to the circumstances and getting the job done. And under the most intense pressure he did just that. He sent it down the inside and the whole place went bananas.

To see him and his father, Jos, celebrate was a very special moment because it was the culmination of all the effort that his father had put into him at a very young age. Max achieved his goal, and anything after that was the icing on the cake, because for him, it was all about becoming a world champion.

Max has still got all the tenacity he had when he got in the car as a 17-year-old, but he now marries that with experience. Outside of the car, he is a normal guy, too. He has his feet on the ground and he hasn’t had his head turned by fame and fortune. He still loves racing, and he has got good, grounded principals.

He is competitive and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is very honest. He will give you everything, but he expects everything in return.

He can go on to achieve so much more. We are riding a wave at the moment, and we want to continue riding that wave for as long as we can.

Will Max be in Formula One for a long, long time? I don’t think so. He has ambitions beyond F1 and beyond racing. And at 26, 36 seems a long way away.

We have a long-term agreement with him until 2028, and he has always said he will be happy to start and end his career here, but motivation will be a crucial factor.

[graveltrapping]

Female Max Verstappen/Daniel Ricciardo | Reintroductions

People had told Daniel a lot of things about Max before they reintroduced them after her sudden move up to the Senior Team.

They told him that she was young.

They told him she was a good driver.

They told him her dad liked to hang around a lot. (He was apparently nastier than she was)

Mostly, they told Daniel that Max was a little funny looking and a little mean. Angry and aggressive, thoughtless energy and pent up frustration directed at people who so much as looked at her wrong or said something she didn't like, lots of bark with a nasty bite.

He kind of gets what they're saying when they're finally face to face.

She's sitting in a chair in the back of the room, heels resting on the edge of the seat so her knees are pressed to her chest, arms wrapped around her calves. Her hands, big with long and slim fingers, dig into her own forearms that are covered by an oversized Red Bull hoody to keep her legs in place so she can balance her chin on her knees. Her chin is spotty, pink fleshy bumps rising over her jaw with a couple angry red ones dotted along her temples and forehead that the shaggy blonde hair sticking out from under her cap can't hide.

Her nose is hawkish, a rigid straight line compared to the roundness of her cheek, still full of baby fat she can't seem to shake. Her eyes are squinted despite being shaded by the flat brim of her cap, and sit a little far apart but Daniel can't help but find it strangely charming. Makes her look slightly like a cat. A little odd looking, not fully grown into herself yet, body still a little out of proportion, she looks like the teenager she is.

None of that nastiness people whispered about.

If anything she looked relaxed.

Melting into herself as she basked in the sun that came through the freshly polished window, blue eyes fluttering closed. Daniel cant help but smile when her cheek squished up as she rested it against her own bicep, eyes going crinkly.

He had seen Max around before. A scowl had seemed to have been carved into her face the moment she stepped into the paddock, brows pulled together tightly with her lips nearly curling into a snarl. Shoulders hunched, back rigid, face cold and blank.

She looked softer now.

Daniel wondered if her meanness would melt away in the sun as well, if she would smile a him the way she did when they first officially met at a karting event all those years ago. She had been smaller then, barely reaching his shoulder, where now she was a couple centimetres taller with a broadness to her shoulders that was intimidating.

"You ready to say hi?" Christian hummed as he stepped up to Daniels side.

Christian had always liked Max, lobbied for her again and again and again despite the backlash of wanting to put an 'angry little girl' in a car with enough horse power to tear up tarmac and shred metal. He had followed her through the feeder series, steadfast in the decision of her skipping F2, and watched her closely through every race in the Toro Rosso.

Danile grinned "Hell yeah"

At the sound of their footsteps, Max's eyes flicker open and squint cutely against the light. They widen when she sees them coming closer, feet dropping down clumsily to the floor as so fast her sneakers squeaking against the linoleum, while her hands rub across her denim clad thigh nervously. He can see a mottled blush being to rise over her pimpled cheeks. Agin, bathed in the sun and drowning in a hoody a few sizes too big, she looked as sweet as sugar. She shifted nervously. Weight swaying from one foot to the other, blue eyes shimmering with something like excitement. The corners of her mouth began to twitch upwards.

Instead it purses and draws tighter when her dad suddenly steps up beside her. A hand, big and branding, lands on her shoulder.

Daniel says hi to her, grinning and laying the compliment on thick, sweet like sunshine and as soft as butter. He amps up his charm to 100 and lets Christian do all the 'political' schmoozing, boasting about her accomplishment as if she wasn't the one the lived them while bragging about the team she was moving up too and how everyone was so excited to have her around. The whizkid, the rookie, the golden girl.

Max doesn't so much as smile.

The hand on her shoulder looks heavy.

[fernandopiastri28]

i bet on losing dogs

Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, Racing Bulls. Each one just doesn't fit for Daniel. It doesn't matter how hard he tries- he finds himself in an endless pit of a lack of self worth and doubt. After losing his McLaren seat to Oscar for the 2023 season- he believed that would be it for his f1 career. Until the divine intervention of each and every occurence of Nyck's rookie year landed him a spot at Alpha Tauri. Now, it was just a matter of time until he fucked that up to.

orginally posted to my ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fernandopiastri28/works

Shit shit shit.

The car feels so fucking bad, all janky and undrivable around the 34 year old’s worn out body. No matter how hard Daniel tries to focus on trying to keep the car from crashing into the wall, understeer is getting the best of him and he feels control slipping away further from him.

It's pure betrayal. The racing bulls had been so good in preseason testing, him and Yuki had been getting podium placements throughout- now he’s barely managing to take p17, swiftly avoiding DNFs. Of all races for this to be happening, it's in his own home race. He has thousands of devoted Australian fans out in the crowd watching him, watching him screw up and bring shame to his own country.

Yet, it hardly even feels like his home race. Ever since Oscar joined the year prior- essentially ‘taking’ his seat from underneath him, Oscar is the Australian in formula 1. Daniel is just the smiley guy who ‘deserves’ a seat, until he gets one and suddenly Liam deserves it more instead.

He doesn’t hear the end of it, blaring over and over in his ears that he’s ‘washed up’ and ‘undeserving’ of a spot. It’s such a drastic flip on the narrative he’d been force fed ever since his end of contract with McLaren had been announced at the end of 2021, that he ‘deserved the second seat at Redbull more than Checo’, that Oscar would be a ‘hopeless addition to the sport’, that he would ‘fail drastically,’. But due to how sheerly impressive oscars rookie year was, that ideal had been quickly discarded and the pure want for ricciardo in the sport was beginning to fade.

He’d spent the first time in a while feeling wanted when that was all going on. People from all over the world who loved the sport flocked together to support him- lest it was at the expense of a young talent entering the sport- a kid that Daniel was supposed to protect and support. He did so, showing Oscar the utmost respect and encouragement whenever seemed fitting.

It had been particularly impressive when the boy had scored his maiden formula 1 points at this very track only the year before, and now he was looking well onto securing a third podium position for his career. God, Daniel hadn’t gotten his first podium until his fourth year in f1 in 2014- at 25 years old then, he was looking far less impressive than the younger Australian.

His radio crackles in his ear, his engineer murmuring about how his former teammate and current world champion, Max Verstappen, had been forced to withdraw from the race three laps in. Daniel hissed into where his helmet squeezed against his chin, if even Max couldn’t complete this race- how would he?

The following laps were agonising, not a single overtake was performed or even attempted by the curly haired man. With Max retiring hardly into the race, Hamilton following with a power unit failure, and Russell crashing on turn 6 in the final lap, he already had three drivers below him. Poor Sargeant had had his seat taken away during fp2 after Alex crashed out his own car, the American being forced to give up his race weekend for his teammate. That was formula 1 though, giving up your spot- your hard worked for and deserved place in the sport- because you do what you’re told. Because of his complete lack of appearance, there were only 19 drivers to start with at the beginning of the race.

Both Kick Saubers and Alpines are behind him, Gasly creeping up onto his car’s rear. His current p12 grid placement is hardly impressive for a driver who had the potential to be a world champion only a few years prior.

Maybe if he’d stayed at Red Bull.

He pulls his car to a halt, his boney fingers wrapping around the sweat crusted handles of his steering wheel. His joints click awkwardly as he removes his hands from inside the car, too tense from the race. He tugs at his gloves, bunching them up into the palm of his right hand. Once he's out of the RB, he heads over to get weighed post race, his silver red bull emblazoned helmet in his opposing hands to his gloves.

He sees Yuki celebrating the four points he’s earned for the team, his old teammate Lando with race winner Carlos Sainz- the pair’s second double podium together- Oscar bringing spirit and celebration to the awaiting and patriotic crowd, the name ‘Piastri’ chanted throughout the rows and rows of grandstands.

Not a single murmur for Ricciardo.

The jealousy is still there, the weight of pressure and disappointment weighing down on his forever weakening body- still not quite the man he was before McLaren. The younger boy is relishing in the glory of his home race, all the attention he usually despises, while Daniel forces a weak smile, somewhat proud of what Oscar has to come for him, what he’ll achieve that Daniel couldn’t.

Daniel queues up behind Fernando to be weighed, scratching at the scruff of facial hair decorating over his cheek as he waits for his turn. He looks upward, ignoring the number on the scale that almost taunts him. Once that's done, he heads over to the media paddock, trying to get over and done with any painful interviews and questions he’s bound to receive.

He passes by Max, giving the man who had once raced alongside him a comforting pat on the back. The dutch hardly looks up at him, his sharp blue eyes softening as they look into warm honey brown ones, his bitten and bloody lips twisting up into a halfway smile from a grimace. “You were good, Daniel,” Max’s accent is thick and almost gluey, twinged with anger and disappointment. It’s the highest of compliments from the rawest talent on the grid currently, but Daniel can’t help but notice the weight of pity behind his words.

“You too,” Daniel squeezes over his friend's shoulder, watching his resolve fade slightly at the first sense of comfort since his retirement over an hour ago. The two men stay there in solace for a few moments despite the hectic surroundings enclosing them. It’s a part of the sport- learning how to find peace when there isn’t a single calm moment from the moment you enter racing, and it even continues years after you leave.

“Interviews,” Max’s voice interjects Daniel’s thoughts, his attention being brought to reality means he realises that Max is now standing up, hovering over Daniel just ever so slightly with a mere inch between the two of them. Daniel looks to the side where there’s a clump of drivers mingling in the media pen, microphones and cameras shoved into their sweaty faces, capturing their worn out expressions.

“Interviews,” He nods, wiping a hand over the back of his neck, sweat gathering in the gaps between his fingers. He smears it off down against his fireproofs before hooking two fingers around where the tight fabric wraps around his thick neck, pulling it out to regain the ability to properly breath. Max smushes his close cropped hair down under a navy blue cap just as a female interviewer ropes him into a conversation, Daniel left to his own devices.

He plasters his signature grin over his face as an interviewer, hardly looking old enough to be out of school yet, approaches him. His face muscles twitch and struggle to keep that phoney smile as he reflects back on the events of the disappointing home race. By the end, he feels weak and empty, letting the false cheerful expression slip back to a neutral cover up of harsh self critique. In order to mask his dissolving ‘happiness’, he directs the straw of his drink to his mouth, suckling on the scarce remaining drops inside the metal bottle.

When he’s alone once again, Daniel cards a hand through his once full head of thick curls, grimacing at the noticeable thinning of it. A mix of stress and lack of taking care of himself has led to this, all self inflicted. He smooths it back down, trying to get rid of the almost static look it had gained from the slightly fiddling.

As he’s making his way through the paddock, head down and inside of his cheek roughened by the scraping of teeth, he feels a hand against the small of his back. It belongs to the short Japanese driver he drives alongside, often now against recently. “Sorry mate,” The younger pilot gives him a curt smile, “I think you don’t deserve that,” He gives a sympathetic look which Daniel shrugs off, politely and half heartedly.

“Ah, it happens. Not every race can be a podium,” Daniel shakes his head, a million thoughts contrasting those very words swelling up inside his overworked mind. He doesn’t believe what he’s saying, and it doesn’t look like Yuki does either- meeting him with an expression of confusion, eyebrows strung tight together and lips slightly pursed.

“Not the race…” The Japanese man itches at the short black hair on the back of his neck. “About Liam,” He frowns, walking off as he leaves Daniel to unpuzzle his cryptic and vague words. Sure, Liam had filled in for Daniel after a collision with Oscar that had left him injured mid last year, but that was hardly relevant at a moment like this.

He reached the RB garage, heading inside to where his belongings remained from before the race. He checks his phone, messages from his mother, Heidi and Scotty sitting unread on his lock screen. The top notification however is from the F1 app- the names ‘Helmut Marko’, ‘Daniel Ricciardo’, and ‘Liam Lawson’ twist in between all the different ways to say replace.

Oh god.

Fuck fuck fuck.

He opens his phone, scrolling through the brief article. According to it, he has two races to show his potential and prove that he deserves the racing bulls seat until his contract will break and be given to the 21 year old driver from New Zealand. He has Japan and China to show that he deserves this, notoriously two tracks that aren’t easy for him as a driver, nor for the team. He’d won in China in 2018 by the skin on his teeth, barely making it through to the end. To be able to do that again, or even just get a mildly impressive result seemed like a far fetched dream.

He slides down against the wall, his knees tucking up to his chest as he reads through the article again. And again. And again. He reads it over and over until he’s sure he could repeat it from heart, then reads it again. Surely he’s reading it wrong- it had to be fake news. But if that’s true, what on earth did Yuki mean about the ‘Liam thing’? He swipes off the website, searching his name followed by Liam’s into his search bar and clicking on the first link that appears. Different wording, the same exact content. ‘Replaced if Ricciardo’s performance doesn’t improve,’.

His head drops into his hand, strangled and choked back tears spilling into his knuckles as his hand tenses into a fist. He sounds like an idiot, crying on the floor of a garage when he’s sure fans could likely hear him if they were close enough. He’s a disappointment once again, just like he’d been in 2021 at McLaren, just like he’d been at Renault, just like he’d been in his last year at Red Bull. He’s mastered the art of letting everyone around him down, and they’ve perfected not putting faith into him.

As salty tears spill down his tanned cheeks, an arm wraps around his torso, squeezing him into the other person as a head finds its way to settle into the junction of his neck and shoulder. “It’s okay, Daniel,” That all too familiar Dutch accent, the way the voice pronounces his name like ‘Dan-Yell’. “You did it once, you’ll come back,” Max’s breath is hot against where Daniel’s fireproof shirt is scratching into his skin, the all enclosing tight fabric squeezing him into physical numbness.

“I won’t,” Daniel shakes his head, embarrassed by the fact that someone almost 8 years younger than him is being the one to be mature and comforting. Far from the angsty teenage boy who’d stepped into that red bull at 17 almost a decade ago. He was a better driver than Daniel back then, and he still is now, also now a better person. “No one thinks I belong here,” He intentionally deepens his voice, painstakingly aware of how unintentionally vulnerable he’s being

“I believe you do, isn’t that enough?” That gets Daniel to look up from his wrist, meeting those ocean blue eyes he’s encountered too many times when Max has been in his very own position and Daniel’s been in his. He rubs his nose against the sleeve of his race suit that's otherwise been resting on the concrete floor next to him. “I think you’re a superior driver to me,” Max gives him a tight smile, not receiving once in response.

“We both know that’s not true,” Daniel looks back down at the floor in front of himself, his arms crossed over his knees. Max gingerly rests a hand over one of Daniels, one of his fingers prodding into the dorsal side of Daniel’s limp fist.

“You don’t know that,” He murmurs, both men now looking away from each other's eyes and focusing on where their hands are barely intertwined. “You’ve got years of experience over me, more teams and teammates. You’re funnier than me, and you’ve got that 'Daniel Ricciardo' smile.” He grins, finally getting one out of Daniel this time, a genuine one too.

“Pretty easy when you are Daniel Ricciardo,” He knows that’s not what Max means by it. Max rolls his eyes, nudging his elbow into the older man’s chest.

“I’ll always root for you Dan, you know that,” The promise is appreciated, but Daniel struggles to find comfort in it when Max is the only person who does. He no longer even finds the ability to believe in someone who will always lose.

[stsainz]

CHICO ROSADO

4.1k words

ship: charlos

side ship: maxiel

characters: carlos sainz, charles leclerc, max verstappen, daniel ricciardo

tags: charlos , car kissing , the car sex comes later , 22 y/o toro rosso carlos is cocky and it’s hot , charles leclerc is babygirl , maxiel is cute , eventual part 2 , eventual nsfw

summary: while in different ranks of formula racing, charles and carlos manage to have their paths cross at a business event. having enjoyed charles’ company, carlos goes out of his way to spend more time with the younger boy. meanwhile, promiscuous articles about carlos are circulating around the formula racing world, and as they spend more time together, charles confronts him about the rumors.

* disclaimer: while based on real life people and events, every instance that occurs in this story is entirely fictitious, and the dates do not accurately reflect real life. i have taken the liberty as author to bend reality and change teams and pairings and the general timeline of formula 1 racing and all related occurrences. this story will be best enjoyed if the reader suspends their disbelief a little <3 enjoy!

*made for mobile reading*

saint sainz presente:

CHICO ROSADO

16 september 2017 radio interview recording room

carlos sweeps a few fingers through the thick of his dark hair, sitting pliantly in a cushy chair with little attention to the commotion of a tech crew around him. he settles his cap back atop his head and finally puts on a pair of large black headphones.

across the table sits an interviewer and a co-host. the three are cozied up in a rather soundproof room. this is carlos’ first radio interview, but it all still feels familiar— in a good way, carlos decides.

he remains demure even though there are no cameras watching him. he fiddles with his hands in his lap, twists the headphone wire, and sinks into his chair as he and the interviewers have a surprisingly unfiltered conversation.

…

interviewer 1: so, the car you drive off the track is… what did you say it was?

carlos: a golf gti, one my parents bought for me.

ah, i see. so not too much luxury outside of racing?

i wouldn’t say that [laughs]. i’m still interested in cars, i love them.

interviewer 2: and he still wants to impress people when he’s not racing [laughs]

does your volkswagen get you any attention from the ladies?

[laughs] i mean…

well, are you in a relationship?

i was, but recently no. i’ve become single in the past few years.

ah, shame to hear it.

was it good while it lasted?

yes, it was good.

was it good in the volkswagen?

[laughs]

[laughs] can you even lay someone in there? is it even big enough? [laughs]

no, no, you can! i mean, it’s possible—

oh, the confidence!

he’s done it.

he has definitely done it. carlos, have you done it in your modest volkswagen gti?

no, you can’t ask that!

[laughs]

i won’t say.

that’s basically a yes!

now i think i know why you’re recently single [laughs]

oh god— were you only treating her to car sex?

[laughs] [pauses] you can’t be asking this live on air, no?

of course we can, it’s our show!

no, no i still won’t answer [laughs]

no answer is an answer, carlos.

19 september 2017 red bull lounge

“carlos, there’s press going around about you having car sex.”

“what?”

max poorly stifles a laugh, his grin radiating even from behind his hand. he passes his phone to carlos; it’s open to an article with his name written in bold.

‘carlos sainz: busy in cars on and off the track!

it was in a recent radio show interview where the formula 1 driver for toro rosso teased his promiscuity around his car— a volkswagen golf gti.

the interviewers egged sainz on with alluding questions, such as “can you even lay someone in there?”, and while sainz portrayed hesitance to confirm anything otherwise, he did confidently press the fact that yes, you can lay a body down in a golf gti.

“you can— i mean, it’s possible,” sainz had told his interviewers. he denied answering explicitly wether or not he has done “it” in his car with his now ex-girlfriend, but listeners are sure that the race-car driver would have been seen blushing had there also been cameras to record the interview.’

carlos tosses max’s phone back to him. there’s a carefree quirk in his eyebrow, and his laugh is smooth and unconcerned.

28 september 2017 carlos’ hotel room

another article.

‘formula 1 driver carlos sainz car sex scandal’

really, it’s a scandal now?

‘…so we all can’t help but wonder— can you have sex in a formula 1 race-car?’

no, not unless you tried hard enough. and even then…

it’s better to start somewhere easier, to try something a bit more spacious. something like: a volkswagen golf gti.

29 september 2017 red bull lounge

“who is the lucky lady laying down in carlos sainz’s VW golf gti?”

“mate,” carlos sighs. “they cannot be serious, these news articles.”

“eh, this one only has a couple hundred reads,” max says.

“so what, you’re just looking for these articles for fun now?”

“yes,” max laughs. “i am. but you know it’s funny, too.”

carlos raises an eyebrow.

“who’s the lucky lady?”

there’s a suspicious pause from max, then, the two boys are snickering and nodding amongst themselves.

7 october 2017 formula 1 & 2 press meet and greet

there’s a reserved look on carlos’ face as he idles next to his fellow competitors. stuffed into a small room, they all waddle a bit like penguins to shake the hands of their younger counterparts— the talented formula 2 drivers.

with greetings to be shared and questions to be both asked and answered, carlos meanders quietly in the background. not avoiding, and not exactly aloof, but perhaps a sweet mixture of both. he has no intent to come across as better-than, and he has enough pride to not wither away in the background.

that must be why he is able to easily linger towards an open seat on a small leather couch, and go comfortably unnoticed by the masses.

but, he is still recognized by one.

“leclerc,” a boy sat next to carlos says, and reaches for carlos’s hand. “charles leclerc. i’m for prema racing.”

carlos shakes his hand. it feels delicate, soft. he knows this boy.

“right, f2’s golden boy, chico de oro.”

“is that what they’re calling me?”

carlos finds it cute, the way charles expresses so confidently but still has the shy dimples of a young boy. he’s an interesting mix, and has been to carlos for some time now.

“it is in the articles, yes. i’ve seen you race. you do good.”

“thank you. i’m a fan of yours as well, it’s nice to meet you.”

carlos didn’t say he was a fan. he contemplates teasing the younger boy with that, hanging it over his head that he admitted to being a fan of carlos first, so easily.

but he’s so earnest, carlos thinks. those dimples and that blush can’t be faked.

“you look a bit red, mate.”

“oh,” charles goes quiet.

“did i do that?” carlos asks, so bluntly and so quietly. (he had leaned in to mutter it softly to charles.)

“it’s warm in here,” charles wipes his palms on his thighs. he’s dressed in his racing suit, his helmet and gloves on the floor between his feet.

carlos has his team jersey on, the material tight but breathable. and of course, his red bull cap sits backwards on his head. he adjusts it and reclines on the couch, pleased with charles’ blush and the quiet hum of voices all around him.

“okay, chico rosado.”

10 october 2017 red bull lounge, post japanese grand prix

a wave of people crowds around max, and carlos is pushed to the edge of the shore. he sits with his trainer, and a few other red bull crew members, at a table near the edge of the lounge. he’s glad for max, but jealous for himself.

last place would have been better than a dnf.

“be grateful that you get to race at all,” his father would say.

daniel comes to sit with him, but doesn’t say much. carlos contemplates his congratulations for max, discusses what went wrong and what went right, and wonders how charles is doing in the lower ranks.

hours later, that same night:

los toros groupchat 10:33 pm

carlos sainz > i think we should party

max v 33 > say more?

dr3 > say less > i’m in

max v 33 > where are we partying?

carlos sainz > we’re in japan. anywhere.

dr3 > i actually know a place, i think

max v 33 > of course you do

dr3 > i think you mean ‘thank you’ babe

carlos sainz > okay 333, i’ll see you guys in 30. > send the location daniel?

dr3 [dr3 shared a location with you.]

carlos sainz > gracias

10:57 pm

carlos sainz > by the way, i’m inviting charles

max v 33 > who?

carlos sainz > el chico de oro de f2. > golden boy leclerc.

one hour later, that same night

daniel has, in daniel fashion, walked his friends into a car meet and promptly abandoned them for drinks and a good time with max. they wander under twinkling stars and flashing neon lights, all mostly out-shined by the iridescent mix of headlights by their feet.

“bit romantic isn’t it? all the headlights acting as stars that we can touch.”

“you know you can’t touch the cars dan,” max says, as if he has said this sentence one hundred times before.

“alright fine. but i do know a star i can touch,” daniel winks at his boyfriend.

they stroll hand in hand down the blocked off road, past rows of sports cars, convertibles, race-cars.

max asks daniel about carlos’ friend. “he’s in formula 2, no?”

“yeah, some ankle biter.”

“he looks my age, dan.”

“what, and you’re not an ankle biter?”

max shoves daniel in the side, chasing his attack with a kiss on the cheek.

“yeah,” daniel continues. “looks like they’re friends now. i dunno, i think the little one might have a bit of a crush on our carlos.”

max silently ponders the possibilities.

laughter erupts all around them, the soundscape joyous but still somewhat promiscuous. a scandalous beat slips out of speakers in the back of some silver mercedes, and max and daniel surely aren’t the only couple to find their kissing to match the rhythm.

charles wonders if carlos will kiss him.

he won’t.

it would be too soon, for no reason other than carlos likes to tease. and, some self restraint is always good to practice.

carlos doesn’t even touch charles this night. they walk side by side, carlos ogling the cars, charles ogling carlos. this type of flashiness has never been introduced to charles. he is used to a more refined, look-but-don’t-touch type of extravagance.

that’s why charles enjoys himself so much. what a new and wonderful experience it is, to go out with a cute boy and have him explain to you the odds and ends of every decked out car you walk by. like a breath of fresh air in a familiar field. charles smells the friendly breeze of gasoline and asphalt, but the flowers carry a different fragrance.

“do you do street racing ever, charles?”

“ah, no. i’ve never found the time to.”

“oh, but you want to?”

charles quirks an eyebrow.

“to find the time?” carlos clarifies.

charles ponders for a moment. “i’m not so sure,” he begins. “i only just recently got my first car, i don’t want to ruin it or anything by racing with it.”

“only now you got your own car?” carlos asks, suddenly working out some math in his head. “and how old are you?”

“well, i am only nineteen, but i have a birthday in a week.”

“really, in a week?”

it’s hard to explain why for charles, but he feels so exposed in front of carlos, now that he knows his birthday. is that such an intimate thing, to know the date that someone came into this world? or perhaps, is charles shying away from carlos’ glance simply because he seems interested in knowing anything about him at all?

“you’ll have to do something then. maybe you can celebrate with a little racing.”

charles glances over to carlos. he’s got such a relaxed face on, and that nonchalant smile… charles can’t help but wonder if it means anything. or maybe the younger is just reading into it... but oh, that look; like carlos has a secret and he doesn’t care if you know it or not.

“when is your birthday?” charles asks, an awkward break of the silence. carlos does laugh at this, but kindly, quietly.

“it was in september.”

“oh! so you just turned…”

“twenty-two. the first of the month.”

“well, happy late birthday, carlos.” charles let’s out a thoughtful hum as he glances at the street food vendors around them. “shall i buy you a present?”

charles’ laugh is light and airy, but the glance carlos passes to him is the opposite.

“i think i already have all that i want.”

13 october 2017 the streets of madrid, spain

the days feel different when carlos is back home in madrid. maybe the air has changed, perhaps the sun shines brighter, the water glistens a little shinier. there is an aura in his home that he quickly finds comfort and strength in.

it’s something like being reawakened. especially now, as he sits with an attentive foot on the pedal of his car.

he’s racing an old friend in front of a shaggy crowd, just a few kids his age eagerly waiting to see the cars peel out. some time has passed since he has done this, and it almost feels even better because of that.

the road is just under 1 kilometer long. carlos wins the race by a second.

15 october 2017 carlos’ bedroom

text message 3:45 pm

unknown > hello carlos :) > i am vacationing in madrid before the race in portugal. no pressure to reply, but i was wondering if you have any places you recommend i visit :)

4:06 pm

unknown > this is charles, by the way > leclerc > :)

4:13 pm

carlos sainz > hola charles. don’t you have a birthday tomorrow?

chico rosado > yes, it is tomorrow

carlos sainz > you won’t be spending it with family then, if you’re here in madrid?

chico rosado > my younger brother is here on vacation with me :)

carlos sainz > i see

4:25 pm

carlos sainz > if you find yourself alone, here’s a good place to hangout. > especially after 9, when la poli are sleepy. [carlos sainz shared a location.]

16 october 2017 the streets of madrid, spain

it’s half past ten, and charles squints through the darkness to find himself amongst a crowd of rowdy people. heavy bass music bumps from behind him, and he weaves through all these unfamiliar bodies, trying to find the one he came here for.

no face in the crowd looks familiar. no words shouted out are really understandable to charles.

he catches a few familiar ones, though, and importantly, he understands when one woman calls out, “el final! están aquí!”

charles steadies his wandering and turns to face the same direction as everyone else. six glowing dots appear on the horizon line, fuzzy and rapidly approaching the crowd of people charles is crammed into.

it becomes clear quickly what they’re all sticking their necks out to see, and charles feels that familiar tug in his stomach the moment he hears the incoming hum and rev of the engines.

it’s unfair to compare them to that of his own race-car, but charles still gets goosebumps at the sight of the three cars barreling down the street as fast as they can. one red, one gray, one black.

they torpedo down the road. he can feel the kiss of a breeze across his face. the finish line is marked in bright orange spray paint. the gray car’s tires roll over it first. then red, then black.

charles cheers, despite being clueless as to who just won. all that he knows is someone won, and that in itself is exciting enough for the young boy. he wishes he had someone to shout with. to shout to, maybe.

he should find carlos.

charles makes his way towards the three cars. the competition seems friendly enough, hugs and high-fives and handshakes are passed around the people closest to the vehicles.

there’s even someone with a beat up megaphone announcing with vigor the results of the race.

in spanish, he calls out, “third place, román gil! in second, emilio maradiaga! and the winner of first place… our chili!”

applause and cheers fill the night air, as do flashing lights and bouncy music. the fanfare dies down rather quickly, but only as it is replaced with groups of people crowding around the cars to see the hype up-close.

charles weaves through the tightening web of people, to where he can stand with some breathing room off to the side. even with all the commotion, a space soon clears up, and grants him a beautiful view.

carlos leans against the hood of the gray car. his gray car. the volkswagen golf gti.

his arms are crossed as he laughs with some friends. he’s in some old gray jeans and a black t-shirt, but charles’ heart still stutters when he sees that nonchalant smile carlos does so well.

charles shoves his hands into the pocket of his hoodie, concealing the nervous fiddling of his fingers. he makes his way towards carlos, his eyes locked on the familiar handsome face.

he hoped it wouldn’t be, but it is awkward at first. the crowd has dwindled down to just four or five people, but charles struggles to find a space to slot himself into nicely. he taps a man on the back, tries to introduce himself, but the language barrier creates friction between them.

“uh, carlos… es mi amigo…” charles tries.

the man shrugs, but let’s him squeeze in any way. carlos notices him instantly.

“you came,” he says.

“i did,” is all charles can seem to say. his eyes linger on carlos’ face; his lips, his nose, his sparkling brown eyes. he’s sure an eternity passes before carlos speaks again.

“did you manage to see the race?”

“just the end of it. but i saw you cross the finish line first, yes.” charles smiles. carlos is rather fond of his sweet dimples. he’d like to see them more often.

it’s not hard to have the crowd of friends around him disperse, so carlos waves them away and makes some excuse that he has to show his friend around. on cue the cars next to his light up, and the commotion is drawn away from carlos and his car.

soon enough, it’s just him and charles.

“come on,” carlos nods his head towards his car, and says nothing further. he makes his way to the passenger side, and waits with his hand on the door handle, as if he and charles do this frequently.

charles rushes to his side, and blushes when carlos opens the door for him, his eyes following charles’ every move into the vehicle.

he wonders where carlos will take him (if anywhere), but mostly he wonders if carlos is happy that he came. he must be, if he invited charles, no? that text message, it was an invitation, right? carlos does want him here? he’s in carlos’ car now, and that can’t be for no reason.

charles twirls his hoodie strings around his finger. carlos starts the car and puts his hand on the back of charles’ seat.

“i’m going to take you somewhere i think you’ll like, charles.”

later, that same night

carlos’ car— his volkswagen golf gti — sits parked on a half sandy, half rocky shore of a secluded swimming pond. the two boys remain seated in the car, the moonlight bouncing off the water giving them enough light to feel safe, and enough darkness to be comfortable.

“seems like this is a good car for street racing,” charles offers, desperate to hear carlos’ voice again. the silence is comfortable, but not what he wants.

“mhm. it’s a good car all around,” carlos says. his fingers trace the steering wheel, the dashboard, the center console. charles has to catch his breath when carlos lands his hand on the gear shift, squeezing it. “it’s versatile.”

a silent moment passes. charles watches as carlos rubs his thumb back and forth on the nob. his blush is coming back.

“i saw that article, by the way,” charles starts, but he’s too shy to say more.

carlos looks at him blankly at first, then with the hint of a smile.

“the one claiming i had a lot of car sex in here?”

charles’ eyes widen. “yes, um… that one.”

“so?” carlos asks.

charles fails to understand. carlos’ smile grows a bit when he sees the way the younger boy’s eyebrows curve into two confused squiggles.

“what do you think?” carlos asks.

“oh… it’s a nice car. i like it.” charles takes his turn to run his fingers along the interior.

“that’s not what i meant, but thank you.”

“what did you mean, then?” charles stares at the gear shift, at carlos’ hand.

“what do you think about me having lots of sex in here, chico rosado?”

charles freezes, the pit of his stomach clenching and sending heat throughout him. god, is he that easy? he has to play it cool.

“you keep calling me that name, but i’m not sure what it means.”

“chico rosado?” carlos repeats. charles nods his head, shyly looking up at the older boy.

carlos smiles. he lifts his hand from the gear shift, and boldly rests it on charle’s face. his thumb strokes over his cheek. “it means… pink boy. i call you that, instead of golden boy, because of this color right here.”

the spot carlos refers to is charles’ soft cheek, but with his forwardness and big hand touching charles’ skin, the blush rapidly spreads to his neck and ears.

“and,” carlos begins. and although it’s small, perhaps only a fraction of a second long, carlos shows his first sign of hesitance. he pauses, then swipes his thumb over charles’ glossy lower lip. “you’re pink right here, too.”

while charles’ heart rate may spike, the way time moves around him suddenly feels as if it has slowed. the night sky is pitch black and still. carlos’ fingers move a millimeter a second across his lip. so slow it nearly tickles.

chico rosado. pink boy, not golden.

charles turns away from carlos.

“so you’re teasing me, then?” he asks.

“i never said it was a bad thing, charles.”

“it’s not something i can help,” charles’ voice is nearing the volume of a whisper. his attempt to remove carlos’ hand from him has failed, rendering him staring sadly at his feet while carlos keeps his hand on charle’s shoulder.

some crickets sing outside of the car. the moonlight dances over the water, over both of their faces. charles sighs. was he too naive? was he foolish, to think all of this might have been something else?

“growing up, i’ve always been teased for it,”

“charles—“

“i was called girly for it. and that’s not even a bad thing, but they all meant it bad.”

carlos doesn’t remove his hand from charles’ shoulder. in fact, the younger boy feels it gently creep up to his neck.

“i know it was all meaningless teasing, but it still stuck with me.”

“i’m sorry they bullied you like that.”

“it’s fine. i just thought… i’m just sad it’s happening again. i thought—“

“charles, i’m not teasing you. i’m flirting with you.”

carlos would like to keep the look on charles’ face framed and on his wall. his mouth so pink and pouty, eyes glossy from his emotions but widened from carlos’ clearly stunning words.

“could you really not tell?” carlos asks.

“i thought so, at some moments, but… i second guessed myself.”

“were you not, too? when we met at that press meet and greet?”

“only a little.”

“i thought you were sweet. i liked how you introduced yourself to me, and called yourself a fan of mine.”

carlos manages to replace his hand on charles’ cheek. soft and gentle, just how charles needs to be handled.

“and i liked how you blushed. you’re quite pretty, charles.”

the still air around them slowly swells into a breeze. a fragrance of autumn blows by their faces, through the partly open windows of carlos’ car. it’s quiet, and it’s comforting— it’s them.

“can i kiss you?” carlos whispers.

“please.”

for continuity’s sake, and for his own pleasure, carlos leans in slower than charles thinks he can bear. it’s the same craving he has had for weeks now, and charles is nearly salivating now that he’s about to have a taste.

for a moment, he thinks it might be too much— too sweet, too delicious, too good to handle. for a moment his heart jumps into his throat, and if it weren’t stuck right in his adam’s apple, charles might shout out a weak, half-hearted wait!

instead, carlos catches the tail end of a gasp from charles in his own mouth.

he kisses him, gentle and slow and steady, right on his pink lips. his hand still cupping charles’ face, his fingers teasing his blush up to the surface. carlos kisses charles, once and then twice, the second longer than the first.

and when he pulls away, he sees exactly what he wants to see; his chico rosado, blushing for him, smiling.

“joyeux anniversaire, charles.”

“gracias, carlos.”

“i’ll have more gifts for you later, when the time is right.”

carlos caresses charles’ face, hooking his fingers beneath the younger boy’s chin. he uses the leverage to pull him in closer, and with a teasing haste, carlos kisses charles for the last time that night.

⭒

thank you so much for reading my story! i hope you enjoyed it <3 keep an eye out for part 2!

[imthebadguyyy]

I mean, you're pretty damn gorgeous.

You're Max's teammate, and the only female driver to come so far in Formula 1. Having first signed with Toro Rosso, it wasn't long before your incredible talent had you promoted to RedBull, alongside Max. But God, why had no one prepared him for how gorgeous you were ?

Max Verstappen X Reader.

A/N - lowkey inspired by the christmas video with Alex.

Christmas was one of the most wonderful times of the year. Families reuniting, children receiving presents, carols being sung and memories being made. It was also a time for people to relax and make merry, taking time off of their jobs. The same rule applied to F1 drivers. Christmas was a time they all spent together with their families. It was also the time to film Christmas videos and share presents with each other, which was why Max found himself in Christian's office, with Y/N sitting in a chair opposite him, as they talked about something and chuckled.

Seeing Y/N throw her head back and laugh made butterflies appear in his belly, feeling his legs go weak as she flashed him a bright smile. "Hi Max! Are you excited for Christmas?" She asked, practically radiating giddy happiness. "Yes I am, although I'm sure I'll spend time on the Simulator" he replied, watching as the girl rolled her eyes at him, and turned to face Christian again, saying, "See, I told you he'd say that" Laughing, Christian gestured to the empty chair in front of him, and shook his head at the Dutchman.

"She did tell me you'd just hop onto the simulator the minute you were home. Turns out she was right"

"I'm always right" was all Y/N said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, earning a gentle punch from Max. Giggling, she rested her head on his shoulder for a second, completely oblivious to how Max's breath hitched, and eyes lingered a second to long on her h/c hair, inhaling the soft strawberry scent of her shampoo, before she turned to their boss, "So you had something to tell us Christian?" "Yes I did, we're going to film some Christmas secret santa type videos with the other drivers, and then the two of you will have a gifting video with each other, like you and Daniel did last year, Max. So go get some presents for each other"

"Okay ! When are we filming ?" Y/N asked, eyes shining with excitement, as she leaned forward softly,hand subconsciously moving to rest on Max's thigh. If she had been paying attention, she would have seen how his muscles tightened, and breath hitched again, eyes glued to where her hand rested on his jeans clad thigh. He didn't hear Christian's response, far too focused on containing the feeling of nerves that were filling his stomach, threatening to spill every single word he had longed to tell you since you had first said hello to him, words containing the deepest of feelings he harbored for you.

Max Verstappen didn't get nervous. Max Verstappen was a tough, analytical, effective driver. Max Verstappen was a tough, hardened young man. So why did Max Verstappen feel his legs turn to jelly when you entered a room? Why did Max Verstappen feel his heart stop and then start an alarming pace when you smiled at him ? Why did Max Verstappen want to bury his head in the crook of your neck, and tell you how painfully in love he was with you, and have you hold him forever ? Why was Max Verstappen feeling this way ? Because Max Verstappen was in love with Y/N. And the worst part was he was painfully aware of it.

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Pacing himself for the next hour or so of the filming he would have to do, Max walked around in the space of his Driver's Room, trying desperately to think about anything but Y/N. But of course, his mind could only concentrate on the scent of her hair, and how close she had been to his body, heck, she had her head on his body. Her fingers had grazed his thigh, but his imagination pictured her soft fingers trailing all over his body, imagined whispering soft nothings as he ran his fingers through her soft locks and peppered kisses all over her soft skin.

God, did it hurt to love someone who didn't know it. But Max knew he'd rather love you and not tell you, but remain your best friend, rather than tell you and lose you. He wasn't comfortable with being scared or nervous. Fear was something Jos Verstappen had pushed out of him as a child, unaware of the consequences it would have had on his son as an adult. In fact, the first time Max had fallen in love with Y/N was when she noticed his nerves before a race

He was anxious. He hadn't had a win in a while. His dad was watching on. So was his sister. Christian had expectations. He was scared he wasn't living up to them. Before he knew it, his stomach was churning, and the room seemed to spin. Max was scared. He didnt know what was happening to him. He couldn't be scared. His dad never let him be scared. God, please, he couldn't be scared. Suddenly consumed in a cycle of nerves, anxiety and fear, he hadn't even realized how hard he was clenching his fists together before a pair of soft hands took his tightened fists in their hands. Forcing himself to focus on a spot behind Y/N's head, he tried to ignore how her fingers softly pried his fists open, massaging his palms and fingers to circulate the blood flow. Then she pressed her lips to his palm. And wrapped her arms around his neck. And before he knew it, he was hugging her back. In the quiet, she communicated through her embrace. You are enough. You can do it. I believe in you.

Snapping back to reality, he picked up the two presents he had bought for you, and made his way to the Christmas set. There you were, in a red sweater with an image of a Christmas tree, and bells hanging from the tips of the tree. You were also wearing a pair of rainbow reindeer antlers on your head, laughing with Gemma, your trainer/best friend. The set had two armchairs, with a set of cards and two presents on a table between the two. Max walked forward and placed his two presents on the table and made his way over to you. Greeting him with a smile, you made small talk with each other, shifting closer to him with every comment you made. And you didn't even know, it, he was just your comfort blanket, and when you felt in need of comfort and warmth, your body gravitated towards him. Blissfully unaware of how hard his heart was pounding against his chest, you leaned in to rest your head on his shoulder, sending all his emotions into overdrive, you were so damn close to his body, and the smell of your perfume was flooding his senses. He had never understood how petite your body looked next to his own, and it filled him with a feeling he couldn't quite explain. Just as he lifted his arm to wrap around Y/N's shoulders, the camera crew called out, " time to start filming, places if you please" and the moment was over.

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"Oh my god what the hell is that ?" Y/N asked giggling so hard she nearly fell off of her chair. "It's a unicorn toy. I thought you'd like it" Max replied, extremely captivated by the laughter. "I do like it but oh-" her words were cut off when the toy began to repeat your words, in its highly mechanical robotic voice. When it stopped, Max looked at Y/N, who looked right back, and the two burst into laughter. "D-did you know it could do that ?!" She asked, looking at him in between laughing fits. "No, but I'm so glad it does!" He replied, doubling over with laughter.

It had been nearly 15 minutes since the video shooting had begun, and Max had already opened one of the presents you had got for him. It was a lovely cologne set, with his name engraved on the leather box. He had given you a tight hug, and then you had opened his present, to find the toy unicorn. Still laughing, Max looked at the toy, and said loudly,"RRRRRRRRRRRR", and waited for the toy to imitate it.

"RRRRRRRRRRR" The sound came clearly from the unicorn toy, as it jumped up and down from the floor, the sound sending Max into a fit of laughter once more. "I think you should keep the present Maxie, since you like it so much" Y/N said, shaking her head fondly. "Time for your second presents people" the producer yelled behind the camera. "Me first!' Y/N said, passing Max a rectangular wrapped present, with a red note on top. The note read -

To Maxie, in hopes that we take more pictures together, stand on more podiums together, and you achieve all your dreams. Lots of love, Y/N/N

P.S - i know you're gonna be a world champion one day ♡

Looking at the note, Max couldn't help but smile at how sweet it was, and tucked it into his pocket. Then he unwrapped his present, and his breath caught in his throat. It was a picture of the two of them in Baku a few years ago, when they had both scored a RedBull 1-2 and had celebrated by partying all night. In the picture, Max was standing in front of an infinity pool, a drink in hand, and Y/N was standing right next to him, her arms around his torso, and head resting on his shoulder. It was the first ever picture of the two that had caused rumors of them dating to spread through the F1 community, with some journalists having the gall to ask him straight to his face if they were dating. It was a special picture. And she had had it framed, to give it to him as a present. Finding himself rendered speechless, he simply stood up and wrapped his arms around her, putting all his emotions into the hug. She hugged back, standing on her tippy toes to hug him back properly. Clearing his throat softly, he whispered a soft,"thank you" into her hair, and she responded with a soft, "you're welcome"

Sitting back down, he handed her a small box, wrapped in silver wrapping paper with a black note on top, with the words-

So your life is always full of sparkles and happiness. Much love, Max.

Opening it, Y/N felt her eyes well up with tears. It wad a jewelery box, and inside was a necklace. But it wasn't just any necklace. In her second season racing for RedBull, she had lost her grandma. And her grandma had always had a very special necklace, one of pure silver, with a ruby butterfly dangling off as a pendant. Before her grandma had died, someone had stolen the necklace, and when she passed away, and it was discovered that she had left the necklace for Y/N, she had sobbed for hours. When they had arrived at Singapore, she had seen a necklace exactly like the one her grandma had worn, but she hadn't had the time to go and buy it. But here it was, the same necklace, in all its glory, shining softly against the purple velvet cushion in the box. Too overwhelmed to say anything, she stood back up and buried her face in his neck, tears rolling down her cheeks. Unknown to the two of them, the camera crew called cut, and the clip was uploaded to the RedBullRacingHonda instagram page.

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@RedBullRacingHonda - an emotional day at the office for @maxverstappen and @y/n/l/n 🥺 we need a relationship like theirs in our lives

@maxverstappenfans22- okay they're definitely dating !

@f1rulesallthesports- how sweet of max! And how sweet of Y/N

@maxverstappen - anything for my girl ❤

@maxverstappenandynln- 'my girl' I'm soft 🥺

@Y/N/L/N - thanks @maxverstappen ❤ you're the best

@ Y/n/l/nisaqueen- such sweethearts! I hope they're dating

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Back in his hotel room, Max was pulling on his tie for the FIA Christmas Gala that was supposed to take place in half an hour. Y/N was in the bathroom, getting ready herself, when a slight "oof" caught his attention. "You okay back there?" He asked, looking towards the bathroom door. "Umm, I may need your help here" a soft voice replied. "Okay I'm coming in and my eyes are closed" "okay"

"I'm opening my eyes now"

"Okay"

"-wow"

Blushing furiously, you turned towards the wall so your back was facing him, and he could see the problem. "Its the zip. I can't close it" "oh, umm, I can help you with it" "thats why I called you, Sherlock. Now please zip me up"

Walking forward Max could feel hid palms getting sweaty. The dress you were wearing was a dark orange, and covered in shimmer. It was very figure hugging, and clung tightly onto your very well toned figure. His gaze traveled from the back of your neck, to your back, and lingered on your ass for a second longer than necessary, before traveling down to your legs.

"Right, um the zip" "yes. The zip"

He reached towards the tiny zip, hand brushing your back in the process, causing goosebumps to break onto the surface of your skin, and a soft shiver to run down your spine. "Sorry" "It's okay" He pulled the zip higher, hand moving to brush your hair out of the way, as he pretended not to hear the sharp intake of air from your end. Finally he pulled the zip all the way up, but his hands still lingered on your back. "I-um, thank you" you managed to say, voice soft, and on the edge of breaking. "You're welcome"

For a minute, you stood like that, until you turned, and he took a step towards you, so your body was locked in between the mirror and his body. His breath was warm, and inches away from your lips, and his eyes kept flickering from your lips to your eyes. The tension in the room thickened, up to a point where the mirror behind you began to cloud up. When it reached a peak, you leaned forward, firmly pressing your lips onto his, and it was like turning on a switch to his animalistic side.

In an instant, his hands were all over, feeling your back, and reaching down to give your ass a sharp squeeze, causing a moan to slip past your lips. The moment your mouth opened, his tongue was slipping past your lips, while your hands reached down to unbuckle his belt.

His hand slid up to the zip once again, but this time, he pulled in down, shoving your dress down in the process, as you unbuckled his belt and threw it down onto the floor. His eyes looked up into your heavily hooded ones, and when he spoke, his voice was octaves lower and rougher" Christian is going to be mad. But it looks like we're going to be late"

~♡~

[thisdaynews]

Brazilian GP practice & debate

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/brazilian-gp-practice-debate/

Brazilian GP practice & debate

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Play audio Brazilian Grand Prix 2nd Practice from BBC Radio 5 liveBrazilian Grand Prix 2nd Practice

17:5517:55

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Live Reporting

By Niamh Lewis

All times stated are UK

Andrew Benson

BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer at Interlagos

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Alexander Albon arrived in Brazil fresh from confirmation that he will be a Red Bull driver in 2020, and it’s fair to say he is still finding it a little hard to come to terms with the dramatic changes in his career in the last 12 months. It’s not much more than a year since the Anglo-Thai was consigned to a career in Formula E, but then Red Bull came calling, he got a Toro Rosso seat, and the place in F1 he thought had passed him by, and now he’s in a Red Bull.

“It’s crazy, really,” Albon said on Thursday. “I say it a lot, but I truly mean it when I say it. To get the call-up originally after Hungary, it was quite a daunting prospect, really. But I felt like I could do something. To be honest the races that I’ve had, I been I’ve been pretty happy with. And yes, of course, to get that final call to tell me that I’m staying for next year, it feels really good. Really good.”

Team-mate Max Verstappen said it was the “smartest decision”. “He’s a nice guy and I think for him the last 12 months has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Of course he’s very laid-back, very relaxed. And people like him in the team. He’s easygoing, which I think helps. And he’s quick, he’s doing his job, he’s getting the points. So I think it was the smartest way of continuing.”

Posted at 15:0315:03

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Get Involved #BBCF1

Which drivers would you like to see in a celebrity grudge match?

Shaun: Trulli v Sutil

It’s been ten years since the weigh in, so I’d like to see the actual fight now.

Will the shorter, fiery Italian send one up the inside and punt him off the canvas, or will the taller Sutil keep him just outside the DRS zone and take it on points?

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Full story.

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Posted at 15:0115:01

Post update

Max Verstappen looks like he’s loving life in the garage chatting away to the team. He’s set an install lap, but no laptimes from either of the Red Bulls yet.

And if you missed it, Red Bull have announced their second driver for 2020.

Posted at 14:5914:59

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Stranger things have happened Karen

Karen: Will Williams ever get a driver on the podium again?

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Posted at 14:5914:59

Radio message – Sainz

CS: “How’s the weather looking for in FP2?”

“Lower chance of rain.”

Posted at 14:5614:56

Post update

Ricciardo says the track is drying and the inters are no good anymore. Back to the pits for him.

Nobody has come out on slicks yet.

Posted at 14:5514:55

Hamilton – Brazilian Grand Prix 2008

The 2008 world championship went down to the wire in the last race of the season.

Hamilton made a last lap overtake on Timo Glock to edge Felipe Massa to the title by one point in Brazil.

Ferrari thought they had won, and Massa’s family and friends were caught on camera celebrating… until they heard that actually Hamilton has beaten him by one point.

But they did have something to celebrate as Massa won the race from pole, and took the fastest lap.

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Alonso: ‘stop the world, I want to get off’Image caption: Alonso: ‘stop the world, I want to get off’

Posted at 14:5214:52

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Which drivers would you like to see in a fight?

Jacob:Main Event: Lewis vs Vettel Undercard: Magnussen vs Hulkenberg Grosjean vs Kvyat Gasly vs Albon Max vs Ocon Piquet Sr vs Salazar

Andrew Benson

BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer at Interlagos

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Rumbled by Red Bull?Image caption: Rumbled by Red Bull?

At Ferrari, the focus this weekend will be on proving that their dip in performance in Austin last time out was a one-off – and, particularly, that it was not related to the rule clarification on operation of an engine’s hybrid system that was issued on Saturday morning in Texas.

Rivals – privately, if not publicly – linked Ferrari’s first failure to win pole for seven races, and the clear reduction of their straight-line advantage visible on telemetry, directly to the FIA’s ruling.

The row has rumbled on to Brazil, stoked by another clarification earlier this week, this time confirming the that adding coolant to the combustion chamber is illegal. If Ferrari are concerned about all this, they are doing a good job of hiding it. “We all know what we are doing,” Charles Leclerc said.

“We know there is absolutely nothing wrong. And I feel confident things will come back to normal here.”

Leclerc has a new engine for this weekend, following a failure in Austin practice, and there will be a lot of attention on the red cars’ speed up the long hill from Juncão corner to the start-finish line once things start hotting up this weekend.

Posted at 14:4014:40

Raikkonen – Brazilian Grand Prix 2007

One year many of you will remember… it was a three way battle for the title, with Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari, and the two McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Raikkonen took the championship by one point over Hamilton who was in his rookie year, and his two-time world champion team-mate Alonso.

In the race, Hamilton had a poor start and tried to make an overtake on Alonso which made him go off wide and drop to eighth. Then things went from bad to worse as the Brit had gearbox issues. Raikkonen assumed the lead of the race and McLaren’s strategy calls were not enough to beat Ferrari, so Kimi took his first and only world championship.

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Posted at 14:3914:39

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Kayleigh:easy peasy- Max vs Ocon. Because of their shoving match after the race last year.

Also William Storey of Rich Energy fame vs Guenther Steiner. Because I think they just need to get it out their system probs

Here’s a video of Max v Esteban last year if you missed it…

Posted at 14:3714:37

Post update

Looks fancy… where’s Ian Fergusson?

Posted at 14:3614:36

Post update

Posted at 14:3614:36

Post update

Charles Leclerc is the second driver to set a laptime, a 1:21.971.

There is still plenty of spray behind the cars, but it looks like the track is drying out.

Posted at 14:3514:35

Post update

Read More

[mistressemmedi]

When the wraps came off Toro Rosso’s 2017 car, its looks and livery drew near universal praise. Sadly it then completed fewer laps than any rival in the first pre-season test. So are the new F1 regulations really a chance for the Italian team to jump clear of the midfield? And is the STR13 the car to make it happen? We spoke exclusively with team principal Franz Tost about this year’s changes, what they mean for those at the wheel, and for those watching on…                    

Q: Franz, is this a return to ‘the good old days’: roaring engines, massive tyres and superfast cars? And will fans appreciate it?

Franz Tost: I can imagine so, as the new cars look super cool - very aggressive with the wider tyres and the much bigger front and rear wings. And the higher speed in the corners... I think fans will love it. Now we have to see how the racing is going to be - how the overtaking will work with these kinds of cars. Fans want to see fights between the drivers - that’s why they are coming to the races and watch TV.

Q: The wider cars might be an issue at some tracks…

FT: Probably it will be even trickier in Monaco and Singapore - and qualifying will become even more important there. Fact is that the cars are much faster and that is good news. We are back on track to demonstrate again that we are the peak of motorsports. Q: And will 2017 be the start of a golden age for Toro Rosso? The opinion is that your car has what it takes to make a splash…

FT: Yes, we look super aggressive - partly also because our livery looks really sharp. When you look at the overall picture we should have all the ingredients to have a great season. I assume our car is competitive - with Renault we have a good engine; we have competitive drivers; and the team has had stability in recent years. But in the end nobody really knows their position in the pecking order at this very moment. Four days’ running are simply not enough to have a final judgement. Q: It’s now the third season in a row that you have raced with a different engine. How difficult is it for a smaller team to deal with such a situation?

FT: It is very difficult, as you are permanently confronted with new parameters. The advantage for this season was that we knew about the change early in 2016, so we could react in time and the level of grief was much lower than in the previous years, as we had to design a new car anyway. (Laughs)

Q: On the personnel side, we have seen significant changes at many other teams, but Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso have remained constant. Is that a plus - and down to good management or watertight contracts?

FT: Both! (Laughs) Overall I would say that people like to work for Toro Rosso, as well as Red Bull Racing. But, of course, we also have contracts. Stability is one of the keys to being successful in the longer term. In Formula One, solutions are never black or white - there are many shades in between. So it is quite important that the engineers know each other well, so as to understand what shade of grey his colleague means. Q: On the engine side it’s Renault for Toro Rosso again. They also power their own team and Red Bull Racing. Whereabouts in the supply chain are you?

FT: I hope we are all equals. We should receive the same parts and the same software. I am sure Renault will be fair enough to provide us with the same material the two other teams are using. Q: You had suggested freezing the Mercedes engine. Do you fear that they will again be untouchable?

FT: Yes, it’s true that I have said that the power unit that is on top should be frozen - in this case it is Mercedes. With the current regulations the development is totally free, which means that the costs for the power units will increase, because what makes it so costly is research and development. Currently we pay a high percentage of our budget for the power unit - and I think this should change in the future. I can imagine that we could go the same route as we did with the V8.

But, of course, if there is a difference between the suppliers, those who are behind should be given the opportunity to close the gap. And if there is relative harmony, the whole development should be frozen. Right now we are on high level on the cost side and we should never forget that the cars and power units are just fabricated for a race on Sunday afternoon. So we should stay in reasonable limits on the cost side and work on the show, with sizzling fights among many different teams and great overtaking. In the long term it is not healthy if one team is so far ahead of the others.

Q: When Nico Rosberg called it quits your driver Carlos Sainz was among the names mentioned as a potential replacement. What were your thoughts on that?

FT: Ha, I was not worried because he has a Red Bull contract. Do I think he would be good enough to survive alongside Hamilton? Yes. Carlos is a very skilled driver who on a couple of occasions was faster than Max (Verstappen). Carlos has a very high natural speed. He will shine if we are able to give him the right car. Q: You are renowned for nurturing young driver talent. This year three drivers start their first full F1 season: Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Stoffel Vandoorne. Who will be top among them?

FT: Vandoorne and Ocon are very highly skilled drivers. And Lance did a great job in Formula Three. I would say that all three deserve to be in F1. Q: How will your two drivers show this year?

FT: I want them to compete well. And it is up to us to make it happen because Carlos and Daniil (Kvyat) have huge potential.

[junker-town]

F1 2017 season preview: What to expect, driver changes, schedule, and how to watch in United States

The Formula 1 season is here. Will Ferrari compete with Mercedes? Will McLaren’s car stop catching fire? We walk you through what to expect.

The 2017 Formula 1 season is just about here, and once again many believe Mercedes will be the dominant team. Their power unit has been far and away the best in the sport for consecutive seasons, though last year they were pushed at times by Ferrari and Red Bull Racing.

There have been major, sweeping changes around the sport — from several new changes in the driver lineup, to altered technical and sporting regulations, to a new ownership group for Formula 1 proper.

On top of all of that, last year’s winner of the Drivers’ Championship, Nico Rosberg, elected to retire and call it a career after narrowly defeating Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the honor. His retirement prompted a scramble by Mercedes to fill an empty seat.

An empty seat that was surely coveted. Mercedes knew early who it wanted, though, and managed to broker a deal that allowed it to poach Valtteri Bottas from Williams Martini Racing to fill the seat opposite Hamilton. Bottas is considered an up-and-comer in the sport, and he was to be the lead driver at Williams due to the retirement of long-time veteran Felipe Massa.

As part of the deal that allowed Bottas to go to Mercedes, Massa came right back out of retirement to regain his seat at Williams. Lance Stroll, the 2016 European Formula 3 champion, was already brought in to replace Massa, but now will race as his teammate for 2017.

Those are the changes for the top teams, with Ferrari and Red Bull led by drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen for the former, and Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen for the latter. Ferrari has impressed big-time in preseason testing, with many thinking they will have a steady lead over Red Bull and might be able to push Mercedes.

McLaren Honda is a much different story. McLaren has been a top team in years past, but last year opted to go with Honda engines and it went ... poorly. It secured Fernando Alonso from Ferrari and added veteran Jenson Button to field the most-seasoned team on the grid, but the car was simply bad and they were never competitive.

Now Button is retired and Alonso, while committed to McLaren, is still faced with the potential of racing for a terrible team. McLaren’s issues with its Honda engines have not improved this offseason, and though it brought on young up-and-comer Stoffel Vandoorne to pair with Alonso, things are looking bleak.

McLaren has suffered mechanical failure after mechanical failure in preseason testing, and things are not at all looking like they might improve. It was reported in recent weeks that McLaren has met with Mercedes to discuss potentially acquiring its engines for use in the future.

Formula 1 has a new rule this season that gives engine manufacturers an “obligation to supply” to other teams unable to reach satisfactory agreements prior to the start of the season. It’s unclear if this rule would apply to Mercedes and McLaren, however.

Alonso still thinks McLaren can be competitive this season, but it’s less likely it’ll be racing Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Williams, and more likely it’ll be mixing it up with the likes of Sauber, who in 2017 will use year-old Ferrari engines. It’s a similar situation that Toro Rosso was in last year, when it used 2015 Ferrari engines.

Fortunately, this year Toro Rosso will use Renault power units, after the TAG Heuer-branded Renaults in the Red Bulls performed better than expected last year. Toro Rosso could certainly be mixing it up with the top teams, with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Dany Kvyat returning as drivers.

For Kvyat, he’s likely just looking to put the past behind him. He was demoted by Red Bull in favor of Verstappen last season, which means he was sent down to Toro Rosso. It seemed like Kvyat just could not catch a break a season ago, and many feel an offseason of stability would do him some good.

The American-owned Haas F1 Team will continue in its second year of operation. Haas managed to get a few points last season right off the bat. Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez were the drivers last season, but Haas made a move by signing Kevin Magnussen, formerly of Renault.

Gutierrez will not be part of the Formula 1 grid this season. Renault brought in Nico Hulkenberg to fill Magnussen’s spot. Hulkenberg thus vacated his spot with Force India, which was taken by Esteban Ocon, who left the now-defunct Manor Racing Team. Pascal Wehrlein, the other Manor driver, moved to Sauber, where he replaces Felipe Nasr.

Non-driver changes

There are various changes to the body requirements for the cars, which can be found in our big Formula 1 changes primer right here. The token system put in place to manage engine development — the one that most people believed was too complicated — has been done away with. Power units are now cheaper by a fair margin, and teams are now restricted to four power units per season, regardless of the number of Grands Prix.

In non-technical regulation changes, the grid penalty system has been revamped. Teams can no longer stockpile part changes and then unload them all in a single race, serving a massive grid penalty that did not transfer to the following race. Now teams will only be able to use one new component over their quota per race, with any additional components incurring further penalties.

Another regulation change alters the way races are started and resumed under extreme wet conditions. Previously, races would start under a safety car until they were deemed safe, at which point cars would begin racing as soon as the safety car went in, same as they would under a normal caution. Now, when the safety car pulls into the pit lane, the grid will line up for a standing start regardless of what lap they are on when the track is finally deemed safe.

The new ownership

Liberty Media purchased a minority stake in the sport in September 2016. Bernie Ecclestone, the longtime chief executive of Formula One Group, was ousted after 40 years in the role. The new ownership wants to adopt a business model similar to some of the major sports organizations in the United States, with teams being entitled to purchase a stake in the sport.

There has been a lot of restructuring behind the scenes, and actual changes to rules and regulations should be steadily coming in the next few years. The new ownership also has a goal of reducing overall cost to participate in the sport, something that has been a consistent issue for a long time.

Ecclestone has done a lot for the sport, more than perhaps anybody else in history, but over the last decade or so he has been repeatedly called out of touch and close-minded. It’s seemed for some time like a change was in order, and now that change has been made.

Full schedule of races

There will be 20 Grands Prix this year, with no German Grand Prix and the 2016 European Grand Prix being renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for its second year at the Baku City Circuit. The only other notable change saw the Chinese and Bahrain Grands Prix swapping places on the schedule.

Coverage of Formula 1 in the United States is carried by NBC and its networks. The races can air at odd times due to the international nature of the sport, with some beginning as early as 1 a.m. ET, though many wind up starting at or around 8 a.m.

Television coverage will be carried by NBCSN, NBC, and CNBC throughout the season. A live stream of all races will be available via NBC Sports Live regardless of which NBC channel the race airs on. Some of those races will require login credentials from a cable or satellite provider.

Below is a full look at the races, their TV channels, and time. All times Eastern.

Live timing and other tracking measures can be found at the official Formula 1 website.

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My F1 2017 Predictions

2017 is here people, I wish you a happy new year!

So we are 51 days away from the first pre-season test at Barcelona. Three teams have made their launch dates public with Force India, Mercedes and Ferrari launching their cars on February 22, 23 and 24 respectively. But what will be the pecking order this season? There are many speculations around. Here is a brief note about every team and what I expect from them this season. 

Mercedes AMG Petronas: The Defending Champions

Image Source: Wikipedia

Mercedes has been the dominant force in F1 ever since the last regulation revamp in 2014. But will that be the case this time around? If one listens to Christian Horner, the Red Bull boss, Mercedes will still be the team to beat in 2017. But with Paddy Lowe set for a Williams move and Nico Rosberg leaving the team, things might not be completely stable at Brackley. With a new driver line-up this season, Valterri Bottas probably moving to Mercedes to replace Nico Rosberg, Mercedes would try and hold onto their championship titles in 2017.

But I still think that Red Bull will give the Mercedes team a run for their money in 2017. Things won’t be easy for the Silver Arrows this season.

Red Bull Racing: The Challenger

Image Source: Wikipedia

The Red Bull team according to most pundits will be the team that will takeover the throne yet again next season. Everyone knows that Adrian Newey is a genius as far as chassis development is concerned. The Red Bull team showed their ability to take the fight to Mercedes in 2016 and are regarded as the the biggest challenger to the defending champions this season. Red Bull always brings the best chassis to the grid and in a year when aerodynamics will take the driving seat, Red Bull will be pushing for glory yet again with their dynamic drivers in the name of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo. With the Renault engine improving with every next upgrade and considering that they are going to bring an all new engine this season in their bid to have the best engine in 2018, things look very optimistic for the Milton Keynes outfit.

Ferrari: Another Push

Image Source: Wikipedia 

The Prancing Horses suffered yet another winless season in 2016. While the Scuderia looked like a serious challenger at the beginning of 2016, things started to change soon and they fall down the order to 3rd. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will try yet again in 2017 with a refreshed Ferrari side who last won a championship in 2007 with Raikkonen. The frustration was pretty obvious for one of the most iconic names in the sport. Will Ferrari finally reach the level at which they deserve to be, or will we see another frustrating season for the Maranello based squad?

McLaren: The Resurgent Force

Image Source: Wikipedia

The Woking based squad has had a tough reunion with Honda but the results have started to improve. The McLaren team was probably the most improved team of 2016 with immense improvement even over the course of the season. A statement which can be backed by the fact that they scored 72 points, 45 more that last year, a 166% increase, also Fernando Alonso finished 10th in the driver’s championship with 54 points.

With the token system abolished, many are of the opinion that  the engine manufacturer to gain the most out of this change will be Honda. With McLaren waiting for a win for 4 years now, the team will be desperate to get back to the top as the second most successful team in Formula1 definitely doesn’t belong in the midfield. With Fernando Alosno’s services and also Vandoorne’s, McLaren would like to get back to winnng ways this season. And my predictions are, they probably will. They might not be able to fight for the championship but as the season will progress, McLaren will get stronger.

Renault: Rebuilding Continues

Image Source: Logopedia

When I say, rebuilding continues, it doesn’t mean I’m expecting to see them in the lower half of the midfield. As already stated plenty of times by people and also their newly signed drivers, last year’s Renault was nothing more than a Lotus 2015 B-spec car. While their engine improved as the season progressed, they remained in the lower half of the midfield.

But all this will change in 2017. While already stated above that Renault will bring an all new engine next season, what is also worth considering is that Renault is a manufacturer and started working on their 2017 challenger earlier than most of the teams on the grid. Renault knows how to win and while they have stated that they will only be able to push for a championship in 2019 or 2020, I think anything can happen especially after considering the regulation revamp. Yeah, of course they won’t win races on regular basis this season, I’m not ruling out a few podiums and even a surprise win this season.

And it seems they have found the perfect driver in Nico Hulkenberg, a hungry 29 year old who has finally found himself driving for a manufacturer. Though he has set very conservative goals for this season, I’m sure Renault will provide a lot more!

Force India: The Dark Horses?

Image Source: Logopedia

For me, the team to watch out for this season is Force India. Yeah, they don’t have enough money as the grandees or the facilities but the Silverstone based squad is the team which beats most odds and still shine. I’m not really sure about them. On one side, they are not at the level of a constructor, but on the other hand, they have proved their mettle in 2016. On one hand, they don’t posses any big names in the aero department, but on the other hand, they gave us the nostril-nose! It’s clear that there are some pretty creative people back at the factory. And remember what Newey said a few days ago, “Whenever there is a regulation change, some teams read the regulations better than others. Typically the big teams, who have bigger resources, read them better, but when we had the last big regulation change in 2009 that wasn’t the case, it was Brawn and ourselves who read them better correctly, and the grandees, then Ferrari and McLaren, who struggled a bit.” Remember, Brawn won in 2009!

So anything is possible, can they do it with a seasoned campaigner and an almost rookie? Let’s see.

Williams: Rise or Fall?

Image Source: Logopedia

Williams dropped to 5th this season after finishing 3rd in ‘15 and ‘14. I’m pretty sure they will stay in the midfield for at least this year even though Paddy Lowe is going to move to the Grove based squad. But one can always surprise, right? I don’t think so. Had they been able to keep Bottas, maybe. But now with Lance Stroll and possibly Felipe Massa, I don’t see that happening. Hey. don’t get me wrong, Massa is a good driver, but he isn’t what he was once. So Williams will probably stay where they are at the moment, The Midfield.

Haas F1 Team: Regular Midfield Competitor

Image Source: PlanetF1

Haas had a dream start to the 2016 season but the rookie coundn’t keep up the momentum, something everyone expexted to see. Haas did a great job and another push to climb up the ladder to get into a fight with Williams and maybe Force India as this season progresses isn’t out of question. And with Kevin Magnussen in the side now, the team will be more experienced and stronger than 2016.

Toro Rosso: The Wild Card

Image Source: Formula1

The best chassis in the midfield is possesed by the Toro Rosso team. With the new 2017-spec Renault engine and drivers like Carlos Sainz and Danil Kvyat, the Toro Rosso side can definitely surprise at some events. The team scored only 13 points less than McLaren even after using a ‘15-spec Ferrari engine. The Toro Rosso squad will definitely be a force in the midfield come 2017 season. Watch out!

Manor: Improving Evermore

Image Source: Logopedia

The Manor team with their young drivers impressed everyone and earned respect throughout the grid, With rumors around about a takeover of the team, I expect the money will be used efficiently by the team as it tries to improve furthemore in 2017. But we still don’t know about the driver lineup next season and still many drivers are in the run including as SkySports suggested, the young Ferrari backed Antonio Giovinazzi. I would like to see him in 2017.

Sauber: Another Tough Season

Image Source: Logopedia

Yes. Another tough season is on the cards for Sauber. The team has decided to run the 2016-spec Ferrari engine so that they can concentrate more on the chassis development. It’s like a stone thrown in the dark, who knows, maybe it will hit and maybe just like Toro Rosso this season, with a superior chassis, they can get some important points at the beginning of the season. Their driver lineup consists of Marcus Ericsson and probably Pascal Wehrlien. 

So thank you! For reading and I hope that you will agree with all the points I have made. Till next time, Bye!