Stream Madness Pt. 4
stream madness pt. 4
Lando Norris x Y/N
Summary: Twitch streams, chaos during trivia, and one very soft Lando Norris. Whenever Y/N shows up on stream, fans get more than they bargained for. Between Max F's third-wheeling, and Lando's doting habits, the internet can't keep up.
Words: 5.3k
Warnings: swearing, mentions of period, pregnancy
Five star michelin
The stream blinked to life, revealing a familiar setting: the sleek, modern kitchen of Lando’s Monaco apartment. The camera was already rolling, capturing a countertop neatly prepped with ingredients, and a few pots and pans waiting on the stove like soldiers at attention. Cooking stream? Unheard of.
Lando appeared on screen, a little out of focus as he fiddled with something just off-camera. He leaned down toward a mic and gave it a couple of taps.
“Can you hear me now?” he asked, eyes darting toward the chat as it exploded with responses. A few seconds passed before he nodded, satisfied. “Nice.”
From somewhere off-camera, a familiar voice chimed in. “You ready?”
“Mmhmm.” Lando stepped back into frame and clapped his hands together, “So—”
A sudden laugh burst from off-screen, stopping him mid-sentence. He turned his head, smirking.
“What?”
Y/N finally stepped into view, her expression amused. She wore one of his Quadrant hoodies, her hair pulled back casually, looking completely at home. “You and Max always do that,” she teased.
“Do what?” he chuckled, reaching out to tug her gently closer until she was tucked beside him, shoulder brushing his.
“The clapping,” she said, gesturing at him with a knowing smile. “Every time you guys film something, you both do that little clap before talking. It’s like a reflex or something.”
Lando rolled his eyes with an exaggerated sigh. “Whatever, hater…”
He turned back to the camera, hands twitching like he was going to clap again. “Anyways, so—” He froze, caught himself mid-motion, and looked right at her. “...Fuck. I really do it, huh?”
Y/N doubled over laughing, lightly shoving him. “I told you! It’s your little pre-performance ritual.”
Lando laughed too, bumping her gently with his hip. “I feel attacked in my own kitchen.”
“You should,” she grinned. “Consider this an intervention.”
“Alright, alright,” Lando grinned, finally pulling it together. “No more claps. Let’s cook before I develop another weird habit.”
“Tell them what we’re doing,” Y/N says, grabbing two aprons from the counter and tossing one to Lando.
“Right!” he nods, slipping the apron over his head. “We’re making dinner. From scratch.”
“That’s right,” she grins, stepping behind him to tie his apron strings neatly at the back. “Steak and mashed potatoes today, quick and easy.”
Lando scans the kitchen setup with a slightly exaggerated frown, lips pressed together as he surveys the ingredients. Y/N catches the look and raises a brow.
“What’s wrong?”
He exhales a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m actually kind of nervous. Chat’s gonna see how rubbish I am at this.”
Y/N’s face softens as he gently spins her around to tie her apron too, the motion slow and familiar. She glances over her shoulder with a small smile. “That’s why I’m here, bub. We’ll work as a team.”
He gives her a playful pat on the bum, earning a surprised little laugh as he says, “Alright, boss. What’s first?”
Y/N grabs a bowl of unpeeled potatoes and hands it off to him along with a peeler. “Wash them, peel them, cut them into quarters.”
Lando blinks. “Huh?”
She stifles a laugh. “Wash. Peel. Cut. Into quarters,” she repeats with a teasing squeeze to his arm, before turning toward the fridge.
He looks down at the potatoes, then to chat, then back at the potatoes, sighing as he walks to the sink. “Do I like... scrub them or something?” he calls over his shoulder.
“No need,” she answers, rinsing some herbs at the counter. “We’re peeling them anyway.”
And so the chaos begins.
Y/N gets to work seasoning the steaks and prepping the herb butter, while Lando stands at the sink, holding a potato like it might explode. He finally begins peeling, very slowly, occasionally pausing to read the chat.
“Hey! I’m not slow!” he says, pointing the peeler accusingly at the camera, eyes squinting playfully. “I’m just taking my time.”
From behind him, Y/N chuckles, drying her hands. “You are doing it quite slow, my love.”
She walks over with a chopping board and a knife in hand, peeking into the bowl beside him. “I’ve already seasoned the meat, made the herb butter, and cleaned up. And you—” she pauses, looking over at his bowl of potatoes “—have peeled exactly… three potatoes.”
Lando gasps like she’s just betrayed him on live television. “I think I'm doing a mega job.”
She laughs, nudging him gently with her hip as she starts chopping the peeled ones. "And I'm so proud of you"
The chat explodes in laughter, messages flying in:
“3 potatoes in 20 minutes 💀” “Y/N carrying as usual” “He’s trying his best leave him alone 😭”
Y/N takes over the potato duties without much of a fight, Lando had peeled just enough for her to work with. She dumps the chunks into a pot of water and sets it to boil, giving it a quick stir before turning to check on her newly assigned sous-chef.
Lando is now standing in front of the stove like he’s guarding a priceless artifact. The pan on the burner is still very much empty, not even a drop of oil or butter in sight, but he’s watching it with intense focus.
“You do realize the pan’s still empty, right?” Y/N asks, sliding up beside him, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.
Without taking his eyes off the pan, Lando scoffs, “I’m aware, yes.”
She bites back a grin. “And you’re watching it like a hawk because…?”
“I’m waiting for it to heat up enough,” he replies, dead serious, hovering his hand just above the surface with surgical precision. “You said it has to be hot. Like hot hot.”
Y/N stares at him for a second, then laughs. “Okay, fair, but you could at least put some oil in while you’re doing your little steak meditation.”
Lando lets out a dramatic sigh like she’s asking him to do the impossible, but obliges, grabbing the olive oil and drizzling it into the pan with flair. “There. Happy?”
“Ecstatic,” she deadpans. “Now wait til it's smoking a bit.”
He narrows his eyes at the pan, nodding slowly. “Got it.”
From the corner of the room, her phone buzzes with notifications. Chat is thriving.
“Lando’s steak arc begins” “This man is doing yoga with a frying pan” “Protect the pan at all costs”
Lando peeks over her shoulder and squints. “I feel very attacked in this live stream.”
Y/N smirks. “Good. Means they care.”
Just then, the oil begins to ripple gently in the pan. She leans over, inspecting it.
“Alright, chef,” she says with a teasing salute. “You’re good to go.”
Lando straightens up dramatically, grabs the seasoned steak like it’s a sacred relic, and carefully lays it into the pan with a loud sizzle. He flinches slightly at the noise, glancing at her like, “Did I do that right?”
Y/N gives him a proud little nod. “That’s perfect.”
The satisfaction on Lando’s face is almost too much. He’s glowing like he just scored pole position.
“Yeah?” he says, biting his lip to hide the grin. “I mean… obviously.”
They both stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the stove, their expressions weirdly serious as they watched the steaks sizzle in the pan. The kitchen was quiet now, save for the soft bubbling from the potatoes and the satisfying sear of meat against hot oil.
Neither of them spoke. Just stood there. Staring.
Chat, however, was anything but silent.
“they’re both dissociating 😭” “brainrot live” “this is peak couple behaviour” “they’re literally the same person wtf”
Lando finally blinked out of it first. He glanced sideways and immediately burst into a quiet laugh, spotting the exact same zoned-out expression on Y/N’s face as she stared into the pan like it held the secrets of the universe.
She snapped out of it at the sound of his laugh, turning her head with a soft smile. “What?”
“You were giving me crap for staring at the pan,” he said, nudging her gently with his elbow. “You were literally dissociating watching the steak cook.”
Y/N blinked, then laughed, covering her face with one hand. “Oh my god. I was. I think the sizzle hypnotized me.”
Lando grinned, bumping her again. “Welcome to my world.”
She leaned her head briefly against his shoulder, still smiling. “Brain empty. Just meat noises.”
Chat was in shambles.
“JUST MEAT NOISES” “meat trance 🧠✨” “someone screenshot this, I need it framed”
Not much time had passed, and now the two stood on opposite ends of the kitchen island, heads down, tongues slightly poking out in focus as they carefully plated their food.
Each had been assigned their own plate, it had somehow turned into a competition. And of course, they’d agreed that chat would vote on whose presentation was better.
“Stop hogging all the broccoli, baby!” Lando cried dramatically, pointing an accusing finger at her side of the counter. “I’ve got no garnish.”
Y/N scoffed, not even looking up as she arranged a small floret just so. “You knob, we’ve literally both got five each!” she exclaimed, gesturing wildly to her plate like she was presenting evidence in court.
Lando leaned over with a squint. “Yeah, but you’ve got all the pretty pieces!”
She froze mid-mash, then turned to look at him, face twisted in utter disbelief. “They’re all broccoli, you muppet! What do you mean ‘pretty pieces’?!”
“The round ones!” Lando argued back, now clutching his plate like it was his child. “Yours are, like… cuter!”
“I cannot believe we’re arguing about broccoli aesthetics,” she muttered, laughing as she snatched one off his plate and swapped it with hers. “There. Happy?”
He paused, inspecting the trade like a jewel dealer. “...Yeah, that’s fair.”
Lando glanced over at his plate, then at hers. His brow furrowed.
“How’d you do that?” he asked, confused, staring like her food was some sort of black magic.
Y/N didn’t even look up, too focused on delicately arranging the slices of steak just right on her plate. “What now?”
“Your mash…” he said, drifting over behind her to peer over her shoulder. “How’d you make it look like that?”
She let out a loud, surprised laugh, trying to push him away with one arm. “Lando! We literally have the same stuff. Go back to your side!”
“But yours is nicer!” he whined, barely budging under her efforts, grinning down at her like a menace.
“Then make yours nicer” she shot back, trying to block his view with her body.
Lando laughed, finally backing off with a shake of his head. He grabbed a clean spoon and stood over his plate like he was defusing a bomb. Slowly, carefully, he swiped it through his mashed potatoes in a swooping motion, eyes narrowed in focus.
“Done!” Y/N announced triumphantly, tossing her hands in the air. She wiped her hands on her apron and sauntered over to Lando’s side with a mischievous grin.
“Hey!” Lando yelped, quickly shifting to block her path with his hip like a human kitchen gate. “Back to your side!”
“I just wanna peek!” she laughed, trying to sneak a look over his shoulder.
Without warning, Lando wrapped one arm around her waist, effortlessly scooping her up like she weighed nothing. Y/N squealed in surprise as he spun her around and plopped her down directly in front of the camera.
“Stay there,” he said, grinning as he planted a soft kiss on the top of her head. “Talk to chat while I finish my masterpiece.”
Y/N blinked at the camera, momentarily stunned, before bursting into laughter. “This man really picked me up like I was a rogue toddler.”
Lando finally walked over to show his plate toward the camera with a dramatic spin. “Voilà. Chef Norris’s Signature Steak Surprise.”
Y/N tilted her head, pretending to inspect. “Surprise being you didn’t burn it?” She teases as she holds up her own plate to show the camera
“Oi,” he huffed, nudging her gently with his hip again. “Time for the votes. Chat—choose wisely.”
He moved to stand beside her as the poll popped up on screen: Whose plate wins? 🍽 🧡 Lando’s Luxurious Lunch 💚 Y/N’s Superior Steak Situation
The votes flew in fast.
“I swear, if you win because of the mash swirl…” Y/N muttered, squinting at the poll.
Lando grinned. “That’s called technique, love.”
The timer ticked down.
Y/N – 62% Lando – 38%
“YESSS,” she cheered, throwing her arms up again. “Justice for the broccoli.”
Lando slumped against the counter dramatically. “This is rigged. I demand a recount.”
Y/N leaned in, pecking his cheek. “Better luck next dinner, chef.”
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Think fast
Being in a relationship with Y/N meant Lando had to stay constantly on his toes. In the early days, her endless pranks always managed to catch him off guard, whether it was the latest viral trend or some chaotic idea she came up with on a whim, he never stood a chance. These days, though, he liked to think he’d gotten better at spotting the signs, or at least bracing himself for whatever mischief she had up her sleeve.
“It’s not going to work.”
Y/N and Max Fewtrell strolled into the McLaren hospitality, phone in hand streaming live on twitch, making their way toward the back where Lando was supposed to meet them. He’d left the hotel a couple hours earlier for back-to-back meetings before free practice.
“When has he not fallen for one of your pranks?” Max asked, sipping his coffee with a knowing grin. “Just try it. Chat's going to love it”
Y/N shook her head, already laughing at the thought of Lando calling her out before she even made a move.
“The last two times, he shut me down before I even got the chance,” she said with a shrug. “He’s learning.”
They found an empty table tucked away from the crowd and sat down to wait. Max, ever the instigator, kept nudging her to try one of the latest pranks he’d seen trending on his feed, desperate for a dose of chaos and the chance to see his best friend publicly flustered.
The two sat like that for a while, answering a few questions every now and then. Before long, Lando’s voice rang out behind them.
“Oi! There you two are!”
Y/N glanced over her shoulder and grinned, standing up with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“You want your fix? Watch this,” she whispered to Max, stepping aside from the table just as Lando approached.
“Sorry, meeting ran long,” Lando said, pulling off his cap and tossing it onto the table.
Y/N didn’t miss a beat. “Think fast! I’m a random girl!”
Without warning, she lunged at him—arms outstretched, lips puckered dramatically, ready to play her role to perfection.
Lando’s reflexes kicked in fast. “Whoa!” he said, holding his palm out and catching her right in the forehead, effectively stopping her mid-charge.
“I’m happily taken, thank you very much,” he deadpanned, pushing her away gently but firmly, then wiped his hand on his pants with exaggerated disgust. “Please maintain a safe distance, stranger.”
Max burst out laughing while Y/N nodded proudly, even slow clapping.
“Mate,” Max wheezed through his laughter, practically spilling his coffee, “you’re like a trained puppy!”
“Proud of you, babe,” Y/N grinned, leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek.
“Hey!” Lando ducked away dramatically, throwing his hands up. “Lady! Please… I just told you—I have a beautiful girlfriend!”
Y/N smacked his arm, laughing. “You muppet.”
Lando chuckled, finally letting his act drop as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in. “Hello, my love. Trying to entertain Max and chat again, I see?”
“Someone’s gotta give them content,” she teased, and Max just shook his head, still grinning, proud to have captured the whole thing.
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Just cause
Lando had been on Twitch with Max for hours now, deep in a chaotic stream full of banter, games, and far too much shouting. Y/N had been missing in action the whole time, curled up in bed for a nap when the boys started, and clearly forgotten amidst the noise.
When she finally stirred awake, the first thing she heard was Lando’s muffled shouting through the walls. Headphones on, game volume cranked, completely unaware of how loud he was being. With a sleepy smile, she grabbed her phone and hopped onto Twitch, curiosity getting the best of her.
Instead of Lando’s stream, she tapped into Max’s—knowing full well she’d get the better view and more unfiltered commentary.
“Hi Maxie” she typed, the grin already growing on her face.
“Woah, is that Y/N?” Max’s voice rang out, loud and clear through Lando’s headset.
Lando glanced over his shoulder instinctively. “She’s asleep in the room, mate.”
Max let out a laugh. “No, mate—she just said hi in my chat. Hi Y/N!”
Lando’s brows lifted in surprise, just as the sound of her soft footsteps approached from behind. Moments later, she was there—turning his chair slightly before straddling his lap without a word, resting her chin on his shoulder.
“Oh—” Lando blinked, arms instinctively wrapping around her waist, one hand settling gently on her back. “Hi, baby. What’s wrong?”
She didn’t answer—just shook her head and nuzzled into his neck, clearly not in distress, just craving closeness.
The chat exploded.
“OMG STOP” “They’re so cute I’m gonna cry” “IM SO SINGLE” “Watch Max clown them in 3...2...1…”
“Ewww! Get a room, you two!” Max called out through his mic, laughing.
“Shut up, Max,” Lando chuckled, slipping off one side of his headset and muting his mic. He leaned back slightly, guiding her face away from his neck so he could see her.
“Baby… hey,” he said softly, concern laced through his voice as his arms held her close. “You alright, my love?”
She smiled gently, still sleepy-eyed. “Hi.”
“Well, hello,” Lando chuckled, amused by the unexpected visit. He reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb brushing her cheek. “What’s wrong? You don’t usually do this… not that I mind—I quite like it, actually.”
She only shook her head, letting out a quiet sigh as she settled her head back on his shoulder, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck.
Lando’s smile faded into a soft frown, now slightly worried. “You feeling okay? Are you sick?” His hand instinctively moved to her forehead, checking her temperature.
She laughed, lifting her head to meet his eyes. “I’m okay, silly. I just… missed you.”
That one sentence made something warm bloom in his chest. He smirked, his hands now tracing slow circles on her back, already forgetting the stream still running in the background.
“Yeah?”
She nodded, now suddenly a little bashful under his gaze.
“I can end the stream,” he offered gently. “We can hang out in the room, maybe order some food and watch a movie?”
She shook her head. “Maybe later? Go finish your game… I’ll just stay here for a bit.”
Lando smiled softly and guided her head back down to his shoulder, pressing a tender kiss to the side of her head. “Alright, my love. One more hour—then I’m all yours.”
He leaned forward and unmuted his mic, the grin already spreading on his face. “Sorry—boyfriend duties,” he said proudly, as Max groaned dramatically and the chat predictably exploded again.
“bf of the year!” “THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER 😭” “MAX IS GONNA LOSE HIS MIND I LOVE THIS” “THE BAR IS ON THE FLOOR AND LANDO JUST LAUNCHED OVER IT”
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Who knows me best?
The stream kicked off with the usual trio, but this time, they had a small whiteboard in hand. Lando sat center, eyes scanning his computer as he tweaked his Twitch setup.
“Ready?” he asked, giving his hair a final fluff before leaning back in his chair.
Max and Y/N finally set their phones aside, both nodding in sync with soft hums of agreement.
"So..." Lando clapped his hands to mark the start of the stream, prompting a chuckle from Y/N
“See? Told you he does that too,” Y/N said, leaning forward to look at Max.
Max grinned. “P said the exact same thing to me.”
“The clapping again?” Lando groaned, rubbing his cheek in mock frustration. “I swear I’ve been trying to stop. Someone tie me down already.”
“Y/N can do that tonight—like you two always do,” Max said with a cheeky smirk. “Right!” He punctuated the joke with a clap, then winced. “Ah, fuck. I did it too.”
That sent all three of them into a fit of laughter.
“We’re hopeless, mate,” Lando wheezed between laughs. “Alright, chat! We’re here for the ‘Best Friend vs. Girlfriend’ challenge—who knows me best?” He turned to Y/N with a playful look. “Or as she likes to call it…”
“‘Girlfriend versus Boyfriend,’” Y/N said, nodding seriously at the camera. “Because Max is my boyfriend’s boyfriend.”
“Oh, piss off,” Max laughed, shaking his head.
"I've started a poll, so you guys an vote on who you think will win" Lando says, handing each of them their own markers
“First question!” Lando grins, glancing between the two. “When and where was my Formula 1 debut?”
Max and Y/N immediately start scribbling on their boards, Lando casually jotting down his own answer with that signature smug smile.
Once they’re both done, Lando nods toward Max. “Alright, Max. You go first.”
Max flips his board with confidence. “2019, Australian Grand Prix.”
Lando chuckles and gives him a fist bump, flipping his board, revealing the same answer. “Point for Max.”
He turns to Y/N, who’s already rolling her eyes. “You got it wrong, didn’t you?”
“On the contrary,” Y/N says, flipping her board around with flair.
Lando and Max burst out laughing before she’s even finished reading.
“March 16, 2019. Australian Grand Prix. 3 PM local time,” she recites matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow.
“You’re fucking joking,” Max wheezes, clutching his stomach. “You gave her the questions beforehand, didn’t you?!” He shoots Lando an accusatory look.
“What?! No! I swear I didn’t!” Lando throws his hands up, still laughing.
“I’m just that good of a girlfriend,” Y/N shrugs, casually erasing her board and adding a neat little mark in the corner for the point she just earned.
“We weren’t even dating yet, baby,” Lando teases, wiping tears from his eyes.
“Yeah, but she definitely had a massive crush on you already,” Max adds with a smirk, wiping off his own board "Remember when you begged me to not tell him when I found out and you—"
"—Okay! That's enough from you Maxiepoo," she says clapping her hands trying to speed up the process "move on come on keep them coming!"
Lando chuckles and nods, reading another question off his phone, “Next one. What’s my worst habit?”
Both Max and Y/N immediately start writing without hesitation, clearly prepared.
Lando watches them suspiciously. “Why are you both so fast with that?”
Max flips his board first: “Biting his nails”
“Okay wow—” Lando starts.
But Y/N’s already turning hers around: “Saying ‘I’m fine’ when he’s clearly spiraling.” She underlines it twice for dramatic effect.
Lando throws his head back laughing. “Well fuck, I feel attacked.”
“You should,” Max says. “We’ve had an intervention, like, twice.”
“You ignored both,” Y/N adds, casually ticking her board again.
Lando just shakes his head. “You guys are supposed to be on my team.”
“No,” they say in unison. “We’re on the truth’s team.”
Chat? Loving it
"NOT THEM TEAMING UP ON LANDO" "Max and Y/N are so competitive with it" "lol i think they're playing who loves Lando more?" ------------------------------------------------
Mini Lando
It had been a two-week break between races, and Lando was soaking it all in, some sun, some sleep, and a whole lot of gaming with the boys back in Monaco.
Today was no different, Lando and Max were live on Twitch, lazily stacked in their usual setup, bantering, gaming, and occasionally getting completely distracted by chat. But there was one thing everyone in the comments couldn't stop talking about.
The clip had already gone semi-viral on F1 Twitter: Twitch stream, Max mid-sentence, Lando walking off-screen, only to pop back into frame quietly leaning over Y/N on the bean bag, hand resting softly on her stomach, the other brushing her hair away like some kind of soft boyfriend fever dream. That, paired with Y/N’s mysterious absence from this stream?
Yeah. The fanbase had collectively lost its mind.
“Where’s Y/N?” Lando reads aloud, scoffing with a half-smile as he leans back in his chair.
Max snickers but doesn't look up from his screen. “Mate, you’ve unleashed the internet. That clip’s everywhere.”
Lando chuckles. “I was literally just saying hi.”
“Sure,” Max says, dragging it out like he’s stirring something dangerous. “Saying hi with your hand on her stomach and playing with her hair like it’s a Nicholas Sparks movie.”
Lando defends, laughing now. “I was being a good boyfriend”
Chat explodes — everything from “we know what tired means” to “BABY LANDOOOOO??”
Lando shakes his head, clearly fed up with the stream chat spiraling out of control. With a sigh, he pulls out his phone and dials Y/N, holding it up on speaker for dramatic effect.
Almost instantly, her voice comes through, dry and familiar “You do know I’m in the bedroom, right?”
“Hi, my love,” Lando says sweetly, ignoring Max’s exaggerated eye roll. “Come here for a sec?”
Max doesn't miss a beat. “The tone shift is insane. Bro went from gamer rage to Shakespearean boyfriend in 0.2 seconds, someone study that.”
Lando reaches over and smacks his arm, earning a loud “Oi!” from Max.
“Lan,” Y/N groans on the other end, “I look like shit right now.”
“You always look beautiful, my love,” Lando says, dramatically and unapologetically simping. “Chat’s looking for you. And, apparently… baby Norris too.”
“Oh my Gosh,” she mutters, but the sound of movement comes through anyway.
Not a minute later, Y/N appears behind Lando’s chair, wrapped in a hoodie that definitely wasn't hers, her hair in a mess of clips and chaos. She leans down, placing a soft kiss to the top of Lando’s head.
“You called?” she murmurs.
Lando looks up at her like she hung the moon. “Hello, gorgeous.”
Max turns back around, still grinning. “Everyone thinks baby Norris is on the way.”
Y/N snorts. “We can’t even agree on getting a pet, and you guys think we’re having a child?”
Chat loses it. Lando’s smile widens as he reaches up and laces his fingers through hers.
“So that’s a no?” Max deadpans.
“That’s a hell no,” she says, laughing. “Not until he agrees to get a dog”
“Here we go again,” Lando groans, burying his face in her hand.
“I was just on my period, guys. Calm your T’s,” Y/N says casually, walking further into frame like she didn’t just drop a bomb on the chat.
Max chokes on his drink. “Okay then—!”
Lando just shrugs, grinning. “You wanted answers.”
Without missing a beat, Y/N walks over to the corner of the room and returns with a small basket cradled in her arms.
“Anyway,” she continues, unfazed by the hysteria in the comments, “look at the care package Lando got me.”
She plops down next to him and starts pulling items out like she’s hosting an unboxing video: a ridiculous amount of chocolates, sour gummies, a box of painkillers, a face mask, heating patches, and even a tiny plush dinosaur.
“For emotional support,” Lando adds, pointing at the dinosaur. "Tell everyone what you named him, baby"
“His name's Dino Ricciardo” Y/N says, nudging Lando with her shoulder. “He was just being a doting boyfriend, is all.”
Chat absolutely explodes — messages flooding “I’m crying real tears, this is PEAK boyfriend behavior”“CAN WE CLONE HIM?”“Dino Ricciardo world champ 2025”“Why am I single 😭”
Lando’s just grinning like an idiot while Max shakes his head. “Yeah, alright, you win. Everyone else can go home.”
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Cat gate
Lando and Max were lounging side by side in his gaming room, mid-break between rounds of Counter-Strike, when Lando’s phone lit up on the desk.
“Ooh, look who’s calling, chat,” he grinned, picking it up and flashing the screen toward the camera, a photo of Y/N, cheeks squished against his in a selfie. The chat instantly flooded with heart emojis.
“Probably misses me already,” he added smugly, answering with a teasing, “Hello, baby.”
“Yuck,” Max groaned beside him, visibly cringing as he read the chat explode with reactions to Lando’s soft tone. “Hate it here.”
“Hey, so, um… don’t be mad,” Y/N’s voice came through, the slightest bit hesitant.
Lando’s brows furrowed slightly. “That’s never a good start. What’s wrong, my love? You still out with Lily and Alex?”
“Yeah! We had such a good time—we played a little golf, got some lunch…” she said casually, but there was background noise now: distant music, a bit of wind, someone talking.
Lando glanced at Max, curious. “Sounds fun. You on your way back?”
“Almost home, yes. But okay, listen… there’s just this tiny thing.”
“Wait—" Lando cut in, scandalized. "You played golf without me? I’m actually offended.”
“Lan…”
“Traitor,” Max muttered, shaking his head at her through the mic. “She always says no when we ask.”
“Because Lily actually knows what she’s doing!” Y/N snapped back playfully, then sighed. “Anyway, that’s not the point—”
“You told him about the cat yet?” another voice chimed faintly in the background—Alex Albon, unmistakably.
Lando’s expression froze. “Cat? Did Alex just say cat? What cat?!”
Y/N laughed nervously, “Okay...you know what? We’ll talk about it later. We’re almost home. Ten minutes. Love you, bye!”
“Wait—we?” Lando sat up straighter, suddenly suspicious. “Baby, who’s we? Hello??”
The call had already ended.
Max burst out laughing. “Oh, you’re in trouble.”
Lando stared at the screen like it betrayed him. “What cat? Who is we?! Did she mean her and the cat?!”
Not long later, a soft knock echoed through the room.
Lando glanced at the door just as it creaked open, revealing Y/N’s head peeking in, her eyes wide with mischief and a grin tugging at her lips.
Max immediately leaned forward, laughing. “Oh, she’s definitely up to something. That’s the face of someone who’s just done something incredibly stupid… or incredibly amazing.”
Lando turned in his chair to face her, smiling despite himself. “Come in, baby. The stream’s on.”
She stepped fully into the room, and in her arms, curled up like a sleepy little angel, was a kitten. A tiny, soft-furred ball of fluff, blinking slowly and completely unfazed by the chaos around it.
“Before you say anything,” Y/N started quickly.
“Oh my god,” Max said, whipping his head toward Lando, his eyes wide with glee.
Lando just stared. “Baby… you didn’t.”
“We can’t. We’re barely even home,” he added, voice soft but edged with disbelief.
“I know,” she rushed out, walking toward him and gently placing the kitten in his lap. “Technically, she’s still Alex’s. One of their cats had a litter and I said we could foster one for a bit.”
Lando let out a breath as the kitten instantly curled into him, purring like a tiny engine. His hand instinctively began to stroke the soft fur.
“How am I even meant to carry a cat?” he muttered, spinning his chair a little to show the stream.
“Mate… what do you mean? You’re literally holding it,” Max deadpanned, watching in disbelief.
“So?” Y/N asked, bouncing slightly on her toes. “Can we keep her—for now? Alex said if you say no, that’s totally fine. We’ve got three months to decide.”
Lando looked up at her, caught somewhere between overwhelmed and completely smitten. “But I thought you wanted a dog?”
“I do!” she said, nodding eagerly. “But now they can be friends.”
Lando turned to Max for backup, but Max just shrugged. “Leave me out of this one, mate.”
Lando’s eyes flicked back to Y/N, a grin breaking across his face despite the chaos. He looked down at the kitten, now snoozing peacefully in his lap.
“What are we naming her?”
More Posts from Biblioteca-da-meia-noite and Others
The Queen of Romantasy and the Race Car Prince - Chapter 2
Pairing: Lando Norris x Elizabeth "Lizzie" Treshton (Original Character)
Summary:
Elizabeth Treshton—bestselling romantasy author, queen of fae heartbreak, and sworn devotee of a carefully structured routine—never expected her service dog to abandon protocol and diagnose a Formula 1 driver with something. But that’s exactly what happens when Mara the wonder-dog ditches Lizzie’s side to aggressively alert to none other than Lando Norris in the middle of a coffee shop.
Warnings and Notes:
Mention of epilepsy, seizures and service animals. I don't myself suffer from epilepsy, so I asked my IRL friend, who thankfully was nice enough to let me ask her all the questions I could come up with. The rest I asked Reddit. So everything that's wrong...that's totally my fault and not on purpose.
As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble
By the time Lizzie heard the knock on her door, she was almost regretting inviting Lando over.
Not because she didn’t want to see him—she did. But because she was still exhausted, her limbs felt like lead, and she hadn’t had the energy to change into anything more presentable than this.
Which was how she found herself standing in front of her door, dressed in sweatpants and a vintage Ferrari hoodie that was older than both of them, trying to summon the will to care.
She pulled the door open, and there he was—Lando Norris, grinning at her like she hadn’t texted him less than 6 hours ago to say, Hey, I had a seizure, so can we not do the fancy restaurant thing?
“Hey,” he said, then his eyes dropped to her hoodie. His expression morphed into pure betrayal. “You—Lizzie.” He pointed. “Is that—is that a Ferrari hoodie?”
She crossed her arms, ignoring the amusement bubbling in her chest. “It was my dad’s.”
“That doesn’t make it better,” Lando said, still staring at it like it personally offended him. “It makes it worse. It’s, like, vintage blasphemy.”
Lizzie rolled her eyes and stepped aside to let him in. “You’re in my apartment. You don’t get to insult my clothes.”
“I absolutely do.”
“You really don’t.”
"You literally live in Woking," Lando said darkly as he stepped into her apartment. "A stone throw away from the MTC!"
Lizzie rolled her eyes once more, closing the door behind him. "And I'm still a Ferrari girl at heart."
Lando groaned, shaking his head. "You're breaking my heart here, you know that?"
"Is now the time to mention that Mara is also named after Ferrari?" she asked with a grin, as he followed her into the kitchen and sat down a grocery bag on the counter.
Lando blinked. "How is Mara named after Ferrari?" he asked her.
"Well, Mara is short for Maranello," Lizzie said brightly.
Lando's mouth fell open. "You have got to be kidding me," he said, staring at her. "Your dog is named after Ferrari headquarters?"
Lizzie just smiled, not even trying to hold back her amusement. "Yep," she said, popping the p on the word.
"First the hoodie, then the dog... what's next, a Vettel tattoo?" Lando asked her with a sigh.
"I mean, I was considering it," Lizzie said, completely deadpan.
For a moment, Lando actually looked worried. "You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking."
Lizzie cackled, a deep, full-belly laugh. "Relax, Lando. I'm kidding."
His shoulders sagged. "You're an evil woman. An actual evil woman."
"What is even in there?" she asked with a nod to the grocery bags.
Lando smirked. “Backup nuggets.”
Lizzie frowned. “Backup nuggets?”
“In case yours suck.”
Lizzie snorted. “Wow. True trust issues.”
Lando grinned, but there was something softer behind it. She felt it when he looked at her for just a second too long.
She shoved the nuggets into the oven before he could say anything annoying about it.
"I also brought ice cream. I didn't know what you like..."
"Vanilla," she said immediately.
"Vanilla it is," he agreed. "Where's Mara by the way?"
Lizzie's eyes darted down the hallway. "She's probably passed out in the living room, honestly," she said. "Dad said she barely left my side last night, poor thing. Probably wore herself out."
Lando winced. "I can imagine. Must've been pretty freaked out, huh?"
Lizzie nodded. "She kept licking my face. Apparently they do that to wake you up when you have a seizure."
For a moment, his gaze softened, and he looked at her thoughtfully. "You don't get hurt, right? When you have a seizure, I mean."
"Generally, no," Lizzie said, "I might accidentally bite my tongue, and I'm usually sore and tired after, but I don't get hurt."
Lando nodded, but she could see the concern still lingering on his face. "But you're okay now?" he asked quietly.
Lizzie managed to bite back her smile. "I'm fine, Lando. I promise. This really is normal for me."
His head dipped. "You're sure?"
She softened, touched by the worry in his voice. "I'm sure," she said gently. "No need to look so serious, pretty boy."
“Excuse me, I’m not pretty.” He objected with a disgusted expression.
Lizzie snorted. “Yeah, you aren’t if you pull a face like that.” She shot back immediately.
“Excuse me, that’s not very nice!”
“Mate, make up your mind,” Lizzie said with a snort. “I say you are pretty, you disagree. I say you aren’t, you also disagree. What are you then?”
“I am ruggedly handsome,” he told her seriously.
She could only stare at him.
“If you somehow manage to grow a beard, then, maybe. But with that clean-shaven look you have going on right now? Not in a million years. You’re pretty, and that’s that.”
Lando's eyes widened, taken aback. "Did you just—" he spluttered. "Did you just insult my ability to grow facial hair and then go and call me pretty in the same breath?"
"I absolutely did," Lizzie said, barely able to hold back her grin. "What are you gonna do about it, pretty boy?"
What she hadn't expected was for him to advance and corner her against her kitchen counter.
She froze, eyes wide, her heart suddenly thumping in her chest. Lando planted one hand on either side of the counter, caging her in.
He leaned in, his face inches from hers, expression still tinged with faux offense.
And his eyes...she could spent a whole book describing their colour and Lizzie was quite sure that it was going to fall short. Even in the dim light of her kitchen, they shifted from blue to green and back.
The intensity of his gaze was almost unbearable. Lizzie's mind went completely blank, and she found herself staring at him, a flutter of nervous energy coursing through her like electricity.
Lando was so close now that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. She was suddenly hyper-aware of every nerve in her body, like this new, intimate proximity had set her senses on fire.
Lizzie wasn't even sure who moved first.
All she knew was that suddenly, his lips were on hers. The kiss started gently, almost tentatively. But something shifted in an instant.
It became hungrier, more desperate, like a dam had burst. Lizzie couldn't help herself; her arms wrapped around Lando's shoulders and pulled him closer, every part of her body pressed against his.
One of his hands threaded into her hair, angling her head to get better access, and she made a small, needy sound in the back of her throat. Her fingers curled into the soft cotton of his shirt, clutching at it as she kissed him back, dizzy with the feel of him.
Oh.
Oh.
Lando groaned, the sound reverberating through her. His free hand slid beneath her hoodie, seeking out the bare skin of her waist.
Her own hands moved over his back, desperate and urgent. The kiss turned hotter, less controlled as her world narrowed to this, to him, to the intoxicating feeling of his body against hers.
And then the sound of the oven timer beeped. Loudly. She jerked in his grasp, managing to make one of her cookbooks clatter down onto the floor.
A second later, Mara was barelling into the room, clearly thinking that she had had a seizure and destroyed her house.
Lizzie and Lando sprung apart, both of them flushed and more than a little breathless.
Lizzie couldn’t help it; she burst into a fit of giggles, watching Mara skid across the linoleum.
"I'm fine, Mara," she said through her laughter. Her dog whined, clearly not convinced.
Lando was looking like a deer in headlights, his cheeks flushed and his hair messed up from her fingers. He stared at her as if he'd never seen her before, and she bit her lip to keep herself from grinning like an idiot.
"We should rescue the dino nuggets," Lizzie suggested.
Lando still looked stunned. "Right - yeah - nuggets-" he said, blinking.
Lizzie chuckled and knelt down to pat Mara to reassure her. The dog was practically whining with worry, licking her face and nudging her. Lizzie gently pushed her back in an attempt to give herself some space.
"I think you traumatized my dog," she said, looking up at him with a smirk.
He scratched the back of his head, still endearingly awkward. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I wasn't exactly...thinking when..."
She just shook her head, grinning. "Maybe we should focus on rescuing those dino nuggets, don't you think, pretty boy?"
He swallowed, glancing at her briefly before nodding. "Yeah. Nuggets."
Lizzie pushed herself off the floor, giving Mara's head a final pat before she headed over to the oven. Lando joined her in the kitchen, his gaze flickering to her every other second. Lizzie took the plate from the oven, setting it down on the stove top.
"They look fine," she said, inspecting the slightly-singed edges of the nuggets. "All things considered."
Lando leaned against the counter beside her. "Great," he said, but his voice was still a little unsteady.
She shot him a sideways glance, amused by the way his gaze kept dropping to her mouth.
"Was that..." he trailed off and she watched to see a slight blush cover his cheeks.
"What?" she asked, hiding a smile. He was even more adorable when he was embarrassed.
He cleared his throat, looking vaguely flustered. "That was okay, right?"
And just like that, her own cheeks grew warm. They'd just made out in her kitchen, and now he was asking her if... if it was okay?
She studied him, taking in the pink hue on his face. There was something so vulnerable about the way he was looking at her. It was like he couldn't believe it had happened, and now he was scared he had overstepped.
"It was..." she began, only stopping to consider her words."...pretty incredible."
Relief flickered across Lando's face. "Yeah?" he said, a hint of the cocky demeanor returning. "You liked it, then?"
In response, Lizzie just rolled her eyes, pushing the plate of dino nuggets towards him to end the conversation before he could say anything else.
"Try a damn nugget."
Lando raised an eyebrow, but his smile grew even wider as he picked up a nugget from the plate. "Bossy."
She just rolled her eyes again, biting back a laugh. "Eat your nugget before I regret telling you that I liked it."
He chuckled and popped the nugget into his mouth. "Not bad," he said, still grinning.
Lizzie found herself returning the smile. He was impossible.
But then again, she thought as she looked at him, she supposed she wouldn't want him any other way.
"Let's take this to the living room," she suggested.
"So is there even more Ferrari merch there?" Lando asked her. She just rolled her eyes.
"Not Ferrari merch, no," she said drily. “I keep that in the bedroom.” Lando gave a squawk in response. She just laughed.
Did her living room kinda look like the set of a fantasy movie had thrown up all over it? Yes.
She had a near life size portrait of Astrid and Ciaran, the main characters of her book series hung over her fireplace, which an amazingly talented fan artist had painted and she had purchased.
Lando was staring at the portrait with something close to amusement. He turned to her, eyebrow raised. "Okay, so who is that guy, and why does he have bat wings?"
Lizzie sighed, taking a seat on the large couch that dominated the room. "That would be Ciaran. Bat wings and all."
Lando took a seat beside her, still eyeing the portrait suspiciously. "And who exactly is Ciaran supposed to be?"
"He is the Dark Prince...The Heir to the throne of the land of Kasharia," she said with a wave of her hand. "He's the love interest in the Seasons of Fate Series."
Lando's eyebrows shot up, turning back to the portrait, studying it with more interest this time. "And the Wings are his thing, I'm guessing? Makes him the 'Dark Prince'?"
Lizzie bit her lip to keep a laugh from escaping. "Basically."
"Right, right." He was nodding now. "What about the woman, then? Blondie with the dagger?"
Lizzie found herself smiling, remembering the story behind that particular piece of art. "That would be Astrid," she said.
Lando looked like he was starting to put pieces together. He leaned back on the couch, eyes on the portrait once more. "And Astrid is, what? The princess or something?"
"She's a handmaiden of the Princess of another kingdom he's supposed to marry," she explained with a wave of her hand. "She ends up married to Ciaran instead."
Lando was nodding along as Lizzie described it, a look of fascination on his face. "Oh, so it's like one of those forbidden romance deals, huh?" he asked, sounding surprisingly invested.
"In a sense, yeah," she agreed, finding herself amused by his interest. "You seem surprisingly interested in this, considering you thought the wings were over the top a minute ago."
Lando shot her a look, his eyes twinkling. "Hey, I can appreciate a good love story, can't I? Besides, million of people adore your books. There must be something pretty special about them."
Lizzie felt a surge of warmth in her chest at his words. It still surprised her, at times, how much her books meant to people.
Lizzie felt a surge of warmth in her chest at his words. It still surprised her, at times, how much her books meant to people.
"I don't know about that, but people seem to enjoy them," she said lightly. "Still thinking you are going to pick one up?" she teased him with a grin.
"It’s probably gonna take me two months to get through the first book, between my schedule and my dyslexia, but the bat wings have totally sold it," Lando told her seriously.
She couldn't help but laugh at that, the sound bubbling up uncontrollably. The idea of Lando, who was about as far from a fantasy fan as you could get, actually trying to read one of her books was too absurd. "You are absolutely not going to read one of my books," she said, grinning.
"Hey, I could!" he objected with mock offense. "Don't underestimate me."
Lizzie shook her head, still laughing. "I'm not underestimating you. But let's be honest, you've got better things to do with your time than read about bat winged princes and handmaiden."
"Don't you have better things to do than too watch 20 men in their cars drive around in wobbly circles?" he shot right back. "You created these books. You poured your time and energy into them. I don't think there are many things that are more important than that."
Lizzie fell silent, taken off guard by his words. He had a point, she thought.
"I suppose you have a point there," she admitted quietly.
Lando seemed pleased with himself, his cocky demeanor falling back into place. "See? I do have some smarts in there."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the smile off her face. "You are insufferable, you know that? Besides, what's with your job," she teased him. "Isn't Miami coming up?"
Lando just snorted. "Yeah, we are all looking forward to hear the Dutch national anthem. Again."
Lizzie chuckled, picturing the familiar sight of the podium at a Grand Prix - the winning driver and the Dutch and Austrian anthems playing. "You are so dramatic. Maybe you'll win in Miami."
He gave her a look, his expression clearly communicating that he thought her words were ridiculous. "Uh-huh. You obviously don't know my luck. Second place is basically my second name."
Lizzie laughed, finding his complaining endearing despite herself. "You sound like Mara when I have a treat, but don't give it to her. Stop whining. Second place is still impressive as all hell, you know that right?"
Mara perked up at the mention of her name and took that moment to jump up on the couch, and once again, not caring at all about personal space, just drape herself all over Lando.
Lando looked startled, his gaze flying down to where Mara was settling onto his lap. "Uh..." he said, his voice full of confusion.
Lizzie tried not to crack a smile at the way he looked like he'd never encountered a dog before. Mara, meanwhile, looked incredibly pleased with herself.
Lando looked up at Lizzie, his expression a comical mix of disbelief and alarm. "What...what is she doing?" he asked, clearly bewildered.
Lizzie couldn't help herself; she burst out laughing. "She likes you," she managed to say through her mirth. "Clearly a woman of excellent taste."
Lando gave her a dubious look, clearly not sure if he was being insulted or not. Then Mara shifted in his lap and let out a happy sigh, and he looked back down at her. Lizzie could see the exact moment he melted. No man was immune to dogs.
"I'll go against my core beliefs and root for the ugly orange car with your number on it if you promise me that you'll believe that you have a chance of winning."
Lando shot her a look, a little surprised at her request. Then his familiar cocky smirk spread across his face.
"You'll root for papaya? Over Ferrari?"
Lizzie just nodded. "As long as that big ego of yours lets you believe you can win," she said dryly.
Masterlist
Anything crossed out is in my drafts
Formula 1
《《Various drivers x reader》》
12 descriptions of a lover masterlist
♡Charles Leclerc x reader♡
Ocean eyes couple (social media au)
Comfort drabble (student!reader)
Summer love (social media au)
Protective girl (social media au)
A Broken House (daughter!reader)
••LECLERC!SIBLING!READER (NO DRIVER PAIRING)••
Her mommy era (social media au)
Answered ask; a glance at Arthur and Yn's relationship
Request: under the weather (sick fic)
Request: the three big bad wolves (toddler!yn)
Request: how to undo (toddler!yn)
The Royal Way (Oldest!leclerc!reader x prince of monaco!oc)
pt1 // pt2 // pt3
♤Lando Norris x reader♤
Our wedding menu
••Lando Norris x leclerc! Reader••
If she's around
series
1. What's a soft launch?
2. The brothers' reactions
3. The surprise guest (that had to be protected by the host)
4. The hardest launch known to mankind (social media au)
5. The grid's reaction
6. That went well?
7. Request: goofy duo (wisdom tooth surgery)
◇Daniel Ricciardo x reader◇
The trophy boyfriend▪︎series (social media fic)
pt1 》》 pt2》》 pt3》》 pt4》》 pt5
♧Max Verstappen x reader♧
The Lost Keychain
The surprising match (soulmate au; social media au)
pt1》》 pt2
Vigilante Shit (social media au)
pt1》》 pt2》》
Starstruck (idol!reader; social media au)
Prologue
••Verstappen!reader x tomdaya••
The people's sweethearts (soulmate au)
ch.I // ch.II // ch.III
♤Oscar Piastri x reader♤
The Twitter Marriage (driver!reader, smau)
○Sebastian Vettel x reader○
Emotional Support Parents (leclerc!reader, social media au)
■Toto Wolff x reader■
Nobel prize winning wife (social media au)
pt1 》》 pt2
☆Carlos Sainz x reader☆
Free stay all year round (social media au)
Cliche love story
The Spaniard's wife (social media au)
□Lance Stroll x reader□
2 tropes in 1 story (social media au)
¤Kimi Raikkonen x reader¤
How would that keep us safe?
Formula 2
♡Arthur Leclerc x reader♡
Arthur Leclerc and the little bear (social media au)
Football
◇MESSI!READER◇
Messi family x daughter drabble
▪︎▪︎MESSI! KPOP IDOL! READER▪︎▪︎
Profile series masterlist
□Neymar Jr x reader□
The Tattoo Sleeve ▪︎▪︎ series (soulmate au)
Prologue》》 ch1》》 ch2》》 ch3》》 ch4》》 ch5》》tbd
Requested: Neymar x Messi! Daughter! Reader
Kpop & Kdrama
♡Wooga Squad x OC♡
In the soop: Getaway ▪︎▪︎ series (soulmate au)
overview》》 ch1》》 tbd
Actors
¤Cillian Murphy x reader¤
Am I a yn fan or a cillian fan
pt1》》 pt2
▪︎tomdaya x reader▪︎
The People's sweethearts (soulmate au, verstappen!reader)
ch.I // ch.II
♡ come home with me - LN 4 ♡
Summary: what will happen when lando is finally in the same room as his crush? Will he play his cards right as a mastermind or will he fumble the deck?
Authors Note: this is my first fic in a month so bear with the shit as I try to relearn lol
WC: 1840
CW: Lando being tipsy, lando slightly panicking, fluff, I think that’s it
Everyone knew who Lando's crush was. The boy couldn’t make it any more obvious. Anywhere he went, all he could do was talk about you. He was always praising you for the work you did and how down to earth you were. Lando would also be caught practically drooling over any picture of you whether it was you on a billboard in the middle of the city or a photo on his feed.
Oscar is pretty sure there’s footage from a Mclaren video shoot where Lando spotted a poster of you on a wall and asked Oscar to take a photo of him next to it. The boy had the cheesiest smile on his face as crinkles appeared near his eyes.
Lando was often teased for being so down bad for you. A lot of the guys in the garage would joke about how he would probably faint if he ever got to meet you, or even be in the same room as you. However, the boy always insisted that he would remain calm and collected if that day ever came, claiming that he would pretend to not know you and play the role of the dark and mysterious guy that would intrigue you to the point where he would be all you thought about.
One day, Zak Brown got the idea to make a bet with Lando. There was an event coming up soon where all the F1 drivers and their teams would be in attendance to raise money for a few charities. Many celebrities were invited to bolster the event, you being one of them.
Zak had bet Lando that if you ended up making an appearance, that Lando would be a fumbling mess and would not be able to get your number. Lando being Lando took on the bet. With a firm handshake and $1,000 on the line, the deal was set.
The day of the event comes up and Lando is absolutely shitting bricks. He’s getting ready in the hotel room and losing his mind about the rumors that you’ll actually be at the event.
“Mate, they’re saying she’s actually coming. Even this fan account said it and whenever they post something, it’s true! Oh my god, Max. I might meet her today!” Lando all but yells as he drops his phone in disbelief.
“Listen, mate. Breathe. You assigned me the role of wingman for tonight so it’ll be okay. Right?” Max states calmly, trying to get his best friend to tone it down for a second.
“Right. How does my hair look? Is it okay? Does it look shit? Fuck, I knew I should’ve had it cut ages ago. What if she thinks I don’t clean up?! What if she thinks I’m a mess?! Fuuuuuck! It’s over. I’ve already fucked it.”
“You haven’t fucked it…yet.”
Lando scoffs and pulls a face at Max’s words.
“I’m kidding you muppet. Your hair is fine-”
“Fine?! Just fine?! This is Y/n we’re talking about. Not just some random person. Y/n deserves the best. I have to be the best.”
“Okay… Your hair is amazing. Literally the best it’s ever looked. She is goin-”
“I don't appreciate your sarcasm…”
“I’m no-” Max tries to argue but quickly gives up. Instead opting to pinch the bridge of his nose and take some breaths himself, “Just put your shoes on. We’re leaving in 5 minutes.” he says as he turns his back to Lando and walks towards the bathroom.
“Wait but-”
“5 minutes!” Max says with his back still towards Lando, raising 5 fingers above his head just to give Lando a visual representation of how long he has.
-=+=-
The boys hadn’t even been at the event for an hour and Lando was already quite tipsy. To calm his nerves, Lando decided to have a drink… or 4… This whole time, Lando stood in a corner with a drink in one hand and his phone in the other, constantly checking his feed to see if you’d arrived yet. As time passed, he began to wonder if you were really gonna show.
Lando was about to give up and leave the event when an echo of screams could be heard from a distance. The boy immediately pulled out his phone and checked social media, refreshing the page over and over again until he saw it. At the top of his feed was a blurry video of you walking through the doors of the building he was currently standing in.
“Max! Max! MAX!” Lando yelled, trying to get his friends' attention.
“What? What? WHAT?!” Max yelled back.
“Y/n just walked into the building!”
“Oh yeah. I know.”
“... You know?”
“Yeah. I was talking to Zak earlier and he said that she was on her way.”
“You knew and you didn’t tell me?!”
Max giggled “Yeah. Wanted to see your reaction when she walked through the doors after you moped around for an hour.”
“I was not moping.” Lando frowned.
“You were and you-” Max’s voice drifted into silence as Lando’s gaze shifted to the main entrance. He watched as you walked through the doors and it was like time stopped. You were enchanting. Lando watched your beauty in real time, breath slowing as he tried to process.
You were wearing a blush pink dress that hugged your figure perfectly, flowing down to your feet with a slit on the side. Your skin glowed in the dim light, sparkles appearing in your eyes as you smiled at everyone around you. It was like you were the only girl in the world, at least that’s how it seemed to Lando. It was like you took all the air in the room and replaced it with a feeling that was so overwhelming yet so gratifying.
Lando was stuck in place as you elegantly wandered through the room, sharing smiles with strangers as Lando wished he was one of them. Just for a moment. He wished that he could be one of those strangers, even if it meant he only got a small moment with you, knowing it may never lead to anything more.
He was only able to escape your enchantment when he watched your silhouette make its way towards him. Lando shook his head and panicked, quickly chugging the rest of his drink and turning to place it on the table behind him.
“Don’t come on too strong.” Max had leaned over and whispered into Lando’s ear as you approached.
In the blink of an eye, you were standing in front of Lando and it was as if he had the air knocked out of him. He couldn’t believe that you were in front of him. That you had walked over to him… on purpose.
You smiled with rosy cheeks as you opened your mouth to speak “Hi, I’m-”
“Come home with me.” Lando had blurted out.
“Sorry?” you asked, confusion spread across your face.
“I’m the man who’s gonna marry you.” Lando gulped, “I’m Lando.”
Your eyes moved to look at Max as you asked “Is he always like this?”
With a tight smile, Max replied “Yes”
“I’m Y/n.”
Lando smiled “Your name is like a melody.”
“Are you a musician or?” you asked. You had known of Lando. People often tagged you in videos or photos of him and your friends loved to send you any video of him where he fawned over you. You weren’t gonna lie, you did think he was cute. To be completely honest, he was the main reason you even came to this event. You always tried to avoid attending events like this to avoid unnecessary headlines of “who was y/n with at this party?!”. But, you made an exception tonight.
“I drive cars… and I like to play video games.”
“Oh a driver and a player. I’ve met a lot of guys like you.” you tease.
“No, wait. I’m not like that.” Lando says, panic lacing his face as he fears he’s already messed up his chance.
Max watches as Lando begins to throw himself in the deep end and decides to butt in for a moment, “He’s not like any man you’ve met.”
“How so?” you question, raising an eyebrow at Lando.
“I’m not perfect by any means. And I can’t promise that, if given the chance, being with me will be easy and happy all the time. I mess up a lot. But I can promise to do everything in my power to make all the time with me worth it. I’ll take any broken pieces and make them whole, well, as whole as they can be. We could be something and make something so beautiful that the world seems in tune.” he smiles before it drops and he panics again, “I’M NOT SAYING ANYTHING LIKE BABIES. I MEAN I WANT THEM ONE DAY BUT NOT SOON. I DON’T WANNA PRESSURE YOU. FUCK! Okay, just- All I’ll say is all the flowers will bloom when you become my wife.”
“Oh! He’s crazy.” you joke and spare a look at Max, “Why would I become his wife?”
“Maybe because he’ll make you feel alive.” Max states matter of factly.
“Alive? That’s worth a lot, ya know. What else ya got?” you excitingly ask Lando.
“Uhm, I won’t make you relate to ‘All Too Well’ by Taylor Swift?”
“That sounds good, Mr. Norris. I’ll be in touch.” you say whilst trying to stifle a laugh, turning your back to the two boys and making your way to mingle with some of your colleagues and friends.
Watching you walk away, Lando lets out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding and basks in the fact that he shot his shot and now he’s one step closer to achieving his dream. Also not to mention that Zak now owes him $1,000. Maybe Zak will tattoo today’s date as well.
After a moment, Lando felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He goes to grab it and stills when he sees the most recent notification.
“HOLY FUCK!!” you heard from a distance, “SHE JUST FOLLOWED ME BACK! HOLY FUCK! OH MY GOD! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!.... FUCK WINNING MIAMI! THIS IS MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT!... wait… how did she-”
“She probably gave the go ahead to her social media manager.” Max mentions.
All of a sudden, Lando felt a hard smack land on the back of his head, turning to look at Max.
“What the hell?!”
“You’re lucky you’re rich and handsome. Who the fuck says “come home with me” to someone they’ve never spoken to?! If you were just a random man, you would’ve ended up with a restraining order and not an instagram follow.”
“Well, I never said I was smart.”
“Yeah. We know.” Max says as he pats Lando on the back and drapes his arm over the boys shoulders, “Let’s get you back to the hotel, mate. Before you’re too drunk to walk and I have to carry you.”
“Drunk off joy.” Lando smiles.
White Horse - Chapter 21: June 2024 - Part 2
Pairing: Max Verstappen x Isabelle Leclerc (Original Character)
Summary:
Max Verstappen is a World Champion. Isabelle Leclerc is invisible.
She watched her family give up everything for Charles’ career—Arthur’s karting, their father’s savings, even her childhood horse. She understood. She never asked for more.
But Max does. He notices the things no one else does, listens when no one else will, and puts her first in ways she never imagined. With him, she isn’t an afterthought—she’s a choice. And for the first time, she realizes she doesn’t have to be invisible.
Warnings and Notes:
we have now moved on from Charles bashing to bashing his whole family, Discussions of toxic past relationships, talk about loosing a childhood pet, toxic families, mention of the loss of a parent. Apparently I am once again messing up my chapter numbering on Tumblr. 21 is correct according to AO3 and Wattpad though. No, you didn't miss anything, I promise.
As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble
Meanwhile on Twitter:
@/F1GossipQueen: DID CHARLES JUST REALIZE MID-INTERVIEW THAT HE FORGOT HIS OWN SISTER’S BIRTHDAY??? HELP LMAO
@/monacosfinest: "Wait… we forgot." Nah, Charles, YOU forgot. The whole damn family forgot. How do you ALL forget???
@/f1tea:The way Charles’ whole face DROPPED when he put the dates together… This is cinema.
@/isabellesimpgc: This man just short-circuited ON CAMERA realizing he forgot his little sister’s birthday. I would be in hiding.
@/horsegirlupdates: ISABELLE WAS AT THE MONACO GP. SHE CELEBRATED WITH THEM. SHE SAID NOTHING. SHE JUST LET THEM ALL FORGET. I’M SICK.
@/f1trolls:Charles: "Do you have my phone? I need to fix this." Bro, there is no fixing this.
@/girlinthepaddock: The fact that Isabelle hasn’t posted ANYTHING since Monaco…
@/charlesleclercfans:Charles, buddy, you’re not getting out of this one 💀
@/f1chaos:Charles really went from “living his childhood dream” to “realizing he was the worst brother in real-time” in under five seconds. Iconic.
@/monacoprincess:The way he literally STOPPED TALKING, STARED INTO THE VOID, and then went, "Wait… we forgot." BRO. YOU FORGOT. YOU.
@/paddockgirlies:Isabelle spent her whole life supporting her brothers and they couldn’t even remember her birthday??? She didn’t even TELL them they forgot, she just let them be happy while she suffered in silence. I’M SICK.
@/girlwhocriessports: Okay but imagine being Charles and realizing ON LIVE TV that you forgot your sister’s birthday while the entire world watches. This is worse than any DNF he’s ever had.
@/ferrariwoes: Charles, in Monaco: "This is the best day of my life!"Charles, two weeks later in Canada: "Oh my god, I forgot my sister’s birthday."
@/isabellesimp: She just kept quiet and let them all forget. She didn’t even correct them. She probably just went home alone and cried. Do you understand how HEARTBREAKING that is????
@/paddockinsider: Ferrari’s biggest strategy blunder this year wasn’t even on the track—it was the entire Leclerc family forgetting Isabelle’s birthday.
@/F1TeaSpiller: Not Charles Leclerc realizing DURING AN INTERVIEW that he forgot his own sister’s birthday… and then Arthur and Lorenzo probably finding out THROUGH HIM. This family is actually unbelievable.
🔗 Clip attached
@/GridGossip:So let me get this straight:
Isabelle was in Monaco the entire weekend.
She celebrated Charles’ win with him.
She didn’t say a word about her own birthday.
And not a single one of her brothers remembered.
They really just treat her like she doesn’t exist, huh?
@/TifosiDrama:Not a single post. Not a single mention. She was right there, and they STILL forgot. I don’t blame her for ignoring them now.
@/OversteerObsessed: So you’re telling me Isabelle’s birthday was on the same day as Charles winning Monaco for the first time ever, and they were so caught up in the win that they just… forgot about her?? I’m actually speechless.
@/FormulaShady: The Leclerc brothers are about to have the worst sibling PR disaster in F1 history. Isabelle is LITERALLY the forgotten Leclerc.
@/WheelyFastWAGs: Isabelle spent years supporting her brothers—showing up to races whenever she could, celebrating their successes—and they can’t even remember her BIRTHDAY?!
@/TyreDegAndDrama: No, but let’s really sit with this: she was literally there. Not far away. Not off somewhere else. She was in Monaco, with them, and not one person thought, “Oh hey, it’s Isabelle’s birthday.”
@/OvercutOverload: Charles’ brain loading like an old Windows XP computer when the journalist asked about winning on his sister’s birthday.
@/Lap1Carnage: I need you all to understand how humiliating this is. You are a public figure. You win Monaco. A journalist gives you the perfect setup to say something nice about your sister. And instead, you find out ON LIVE TV that you forgot her birthday.
@/TifosiTears: I would like to formally apologize to Isabelle for ever associating her with the rest of them. She deserved better.
@/ChaosMode: The fact that fans remembered her birthday but her own brothers didn’t… Yeah, I’d be ignoring them too.
@/PaddockClownery: Imagine your family finally realizing they forgot your birthday WEEKS LATER because a journalist had to remind them. The bar is in hell.
@/F1BurnerAccount: The way he didn’t even tried to play it off like “Oh yeah, we celebrated privately” or something. Just full, raw realization on live TV.
@/F1Shambles: The fact that Isabelle has been radio silent on social media ever since Charles’ Monaco win is crazy. Not a single like, comment, or post. Just pure, calculated silence.
@/F1Shambles: The worst part? She did congratulate Charles. She literally posted on her story, “So proud of you, Charles!” right after the race, and then? Poof. She disappeared.
@/TifosiTears: No, because the fact that Isabelle still took the time to post a congrats for Charles, even after they forgot her birthday, and then just vanished is so much worse.
@/Lap1Carnage: So you’re telling me she remembered her brother’s biggest moment, but not a single one of them remembered her birthday? Yeah, no, that’s insane.
@/PaddockDrama: She posted for Charles, probably waited the whole day for someone to remember, and then dipped. That’s actually heartbreaking.
@/FrontWingDamage: Okay, but like… does anyone know if she had people around her that day? Like, friends? A boyfriend? Someone who did remember?
@/TyreDegAndDrama: I need to believe that someone in her life actually gave her the love she deserved that day, because if she spent it completely alone while celebrating Charles?? I will LOSE IT.
@/LightsOutDrama: It’s actually insane that her whole family was busy celebrating Charles, and not one of them was like, “Oh wait, isn’t today also Isabelle’s birthday?”
@/PaddockGossip: At this point, I’m praying she has some secret friend group or a boyfriend who treated her like a queen that day, because her family really did nothing.
@/ChaosMode: We need a national investigation into Isabelle Leclerc’s inner circle. I refuse to believe that nobody took care of her that day.
@/WDCworthy: What if she’s actually in a happy, secret relationship and her boyfriend was the only one who celebrated her? Imagine the plot twist.
@/PaddockMess: I swear if she had to spend her birthday alone, while her whole family was out celebrating Charles, I’m gonna start swinging.
@/OvercutOverload: The fact that she stayed silent instead of calling them out makes it so much worse. She didn’t even fight them on it. She just… left.
@/TyreWhisperer: This whole thing is giving “quietly heartbroken but won’t let it show” energy, and I hate it here.
@/PaddockBanter: Honestly, I don’t even need her to forgive them. I just want her to be happy with people who actually appreciate her.
@/LightsOutSlander: Praying she has a secret billionaire boyfriend who flies her around on private jets and showers her in designer gifts, because her family clearly isn’t doing their job.
@/PaddockRoyalty: This woman is literally giving “soft-spoken princess energy.” I need her to have a rich, older boyfriend who treats her like absolute royalty.
@/IsabelleLeclercFanclub: Forget the Leclerc brothers. We’re officially in our Protect Isabelle at All Costs era.
***
Text Messages: Belle Verstappen & Charles Leclerc
Charles: I just realised. I just—I can’t believe I forgot. Your birthday. Monaco. You were there. And we didn’t say a word. I didn’t say a word.
Charles:You smiled at me. You waved. And I didn’t even remember it was your day. I’m so, so sorry.
Charles: Please call me. Please. I need to talk to you.
Charles: I didn’t mean to forget. I swear. I didn’t— God, Isabelle. Please just pick up.
[Incoming Call: Charles Leclerc → Belle Verstappen] Status: No answer. Call forwarded to voicemail.
Charles (Voicemail): Isabelle, it’s me. Please pick up. I know I don’t deserve that right now but I… I need to hear your voice. I need to know you’re okay. We messed up. I messed up. I forgot the one day I shouldn’t have. And I didn’t even notice. I don’t know how I let that happen. I love you. Please… just call me back. Please.
***
Text Messages: Emilie Abadie & Max Verstappen
Emilie: He finally realized. Charles. The birthday. Belle. It hit him. Live. On camera. Mid-interview. It was honestly Oscar-worthy.
Max: wait what
Max: CHARLES REALISED??
Emilie: Karun Chandhok brought it up during the post-race interview and you could see the panic download into his brain in real time. I watched it happen. It was magnificent.
Max:Since when are you watching press conferences?? You once told me F1 was “cars doing ring-around-the-rosy with ego problems.”
Emilie: I still stand by that! But I had a feeling someone was going to slip. And I was right.
Max: Belle hasn’t texted me yet.
Emilie: Same. I tried calling. Went straight to voicemail. I’m going over. She might not answer the door but I’m staying the night either way.
Max: Thank you. Really
Emilie: She’s my best friend. You think I’d leave her to spiral alone while the entire Leclerc clan is just now realizing they’ve been garbage?
Max: I’m so pissed, Emilie. They made her feel invisible. And now they’re shocked she walked away?
Emilie: They don’t get to play the concerned family card after a year of not seeing her. After missing her birthday.
Max: She was right there. In the garage. She waved at Charles.
Emilie: And he smiled right through her. I’ve never wanted to throw an expensive shoe at someone more.
Max: you should’ve I would’ve paid the fine
Emilie: Consider it noted for next time.
Max: Let me know when you’re with her Tell her I love her Tell her I am coming straight home.
Emilie: I’ll tell her.
***
Leclerc Family Group Chat
(Members: Arthur, Isabelle, Charles, Pascale)
Charles: guys GUYS we forgot Belle’s birthday
Charles: we forgot her birthday it was TWO WEEKS AGO she was IN THE GARAGE IN MONACO
Arthur: wait what …wait WHAT
Pascale: Charles, what are you talking about? We didn’t— … Oh mon dieu.
Charles: she didn’t say anything she just stood there and none of us said a word
Arthur: okay wait has anyone spoken to her since then?
Charles: I texted her about Canada no reply
Pascale: She hasn’t answered me either.
Arthur: I haven’t heard from her since I asked if she was coming to the factory visit. That was like… the week after Monaco?
Charles: she hasn’t answered ANY of us?? FOR TWO WEEKS??
Lorenzo: I just caught up. I’m going to her apartment. Right now.
Charles: please tell her I’m sorry tell her I didn’t mean to forget I didn’t—
Arthur: we all did, Charles don’t make it sound like it’s just you
Pascale: This isn’t about blame. It’s about fixing it.
Lorenzo: I’ll message when I get there. Don’t blow up her phone. Let me check she’s okay.
Charles: okay thank you
Arthur: tell her we love her please
Lorenzo: I’ll handle it. Let me talk to her. Just… give her space. Don’t crowd her all at once.
Charles: Okay. Please let us know when you get there.
***
Call & Message Log – Belle Verstappen’s Phone
(Missed Calls and Messages – All timestamps in Monaco Time)
Incoming Calls:
Charles Leclerc (19:02) – Missed Call → Voicemail Left
Arthur Leclerc (19:15) – Missed Call
Emilie Abadie (19:20) - Missed Call
Pascale Leclerc (19:27) – Missed Call
Arthur Leclerc (19:39) – Missed Call
Pascale Leclerc (20:01) – Missed Call → No voicemail
Arthur Leclerc: 19:17
Belle, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise either. I don’t even know how we missed it. Please text me back. I’m freaking out a little.
19:22
Are you okay? Please just say something. Anything.
20:03
I’m so sorry. We were idiots.
Pascale Leclerc: 19:25
Ma chérie… I didn’t realise. I thought I messaged you, but I sent it to Charles by mistake. That’s not an excuse. You deserved more. Always. Please let me come see you. I miss you.
20:12
We didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t mean to forget. I love you, mon ange.
***
The sun had dipped low behind the Monaco rooftops, casting the living room in honeyed gold. The windows were cracked open, letting in the hum of the sea and the occasional passing scooter. The only sound inside the apartment was the faint, rhythmic purr of cats.
Belle was asleep on the couch, curled sideways with a throw blanket tangled around her legs. One of Max’s hoodies was pulled over her tank top, far too big on her and smelling faintly of motor oil and cedarwood. Sassy was curled on her feet, Lilly sprawled along her hip like a guard, and Jimmy had claimed the pillow beside her head, face pressed dramatically into her hair like he paid rent.
She hadn’t meant to fall asleep. She’d only meant to rest her eyes.
But the last few days had caught up with her: the tension, the silence, the weight of being both forgotten and known too well.
The buzz of the apartment buzzer stirred her cats but not her. Only when Emilie let herself in—quietly, using the key Belle had given her months ago—did Sassy finally stretch and jump down, tail flicking as if to say you’re late.
Emilie padded through the flat on socked feet, arms full of a canvas tote bag stuffed with snacks, a fuzzy blanket she’d stolen from Belle’s apartment once and never returned, and a bottle of overpriced juice she insisted helped with “emotional hydration.”
She spotted Belle still asleep, cats half-glued to her like warm, fuzzy armor, and her heart cracked open.
Of course Belle had fallen asleep like this. Of course she hadn’t answered her phone.
Emilie set the tote on the coffee table and sank to her knees beside the couch, brushing a strand of hair from Belle’s face.
“Hey,” she said softly. “Sleeping Beauty.”
Belle blinked slowly. Her voice, when it came, was husky and quiet.
“Mm. What time is it?”
“Almost eight.” Emilie smiled gently. “You missed Max’s win.”
Belle sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes as Lilly gave a sleepy grumble and re-settled herself in her lap.
“He won?”
Emilie nodded. “Dominated. It was very on-brand. I texted him back for you. Said congrats and that you were passed out under a pile of cats.”
Belle huffed a breath of a laugh. “Thanks.”
“He asked if you were okay.”
“I’m…” Belle paused. “Better, now.”
Emilie hesitated, then sat down beside her fully, the cushions dipping slightly. “Charles realised.”
Belle’s body stilled.
“During the post-race interview. Karun Chandhok mentioned Monaco. Said something about your birthday being the same day as his win. And you could see it—click. Like his brain got punched in the face.” Emilie’s voice was flat. “He didn’t realise, Belle. Not until someone reminded him you exist.”
Belle exhaled slowly, hands curled in the fabric of the hoodie. “And now he’s spiraling?”
“Of course. Called you. Texted you. Voicemails. I think Arthur’s panicking too. Pascale’s probably mid-emotional breakdown.”
Belle looked over, finally meeting her best friend’s eyes. “You’re watching press conferences now?”
Emilie shrugged, suddenly sheepish. “Lando made a joke on Twitch last week that press media days are ‘elite chaos.’ I got curious. Stayed for the spectacle. Didn’t expect it to turn into a soap opera starring your brother.”
Belle blinked. Then grinned—softly, genuinely—for the first time in days. “You’re watching F1 now because of Lando Norris?”
Emilie lifted her chin. “It’s not serious. It’s anthropological.”
Belle laughed, the sound cracking slightly at the edges, but real.
“I’m also staying here tonight,” Emilie added, pulling a blanket from the tote and draping it over them both. “Because I love you. And because Max will kill me if I leave you alone.”
Belle rested her head against Emilie’s shoulder, voice small. “You don’t have to fix it.”
“I’m not here to fix it,” Emilie murmured. “I’m here so you don’t have to carry it by yourself.”
Belle closed her eyes again.
The texts from Charles buzzed softly on the coffee table. She didn’t reach for them. She didn’t need to.
Not tonight.
She had Emilie. She had Max. She had a stuffed lion upstairs and cats who loved her without question. And when she was ready—on her terms—she would decide if the rest of them deserved her again.
But for now?
She ignored the buzzing.
And let herself be held.
***
Group Chat: HELP ME
(Members: Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz Jr., George Russell, Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, David Coulthard, Sergio Pérez, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Zhou Guanyu, Logan Sergeant, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas)
Oscar: He figured it out. CHARLES FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT.
Lando: WAIT WHAT SOMEONE PLEASE CONFIRM
Daniel: Karun said it was Belle’s birthday during the Monaco win and you could see Charles’ soul leave his body in real time. It was glorious
Carlos: He needed the right trigger (also I am still mad)
Lewis: He was fully smiling at first Then hit the mental brick wall of oh no
George Russell: The smile-drop was cinematic. Might’ve been the most emotional acting we’ve seen all season.
Alex: Does anyone have the clip? For science?
Nico H.: I have it bookmarked.
Sebastian: He really didn’t realise until that exact moment? Not even a whisper before?
Zhou: I still can’t believe it took someone else saying her name for him to remember she has a birthday.
Logan: No, no, let’s all take a moment: He had an entire win In Monaco In front of his family And forgot his sister’s birthday
Oscar: SHE WAVED AT HIM.
Carlos: IN THE GARAGE IN FERRARI RED
Fernando: Imagine forgetting a sister who treats you like that.
Lance: My jaw is still on the floor. He spiraled like he was trapped in a washing machine
David: Live PR disaster. I actually winced.
Sergio Pérez: Dios mío. Max is going to be furious
Nico R.: Max doesn’t need to say a word. His existence is already revenge enough
George: Speaking of Max: Has anyone checked if he’s okay?
Oscar: He’s not. But he’ll be home soon.
Valtteri: This chat is giving Drive to Survive a run for its money
Lando: IMAGINE BEING BELLE Standing there. Birthday. Monaco. Forgotten. AND secretly married to Max Verstappen???
Daniel: Plot twist: she should dropped the wedding photos on Charles’ birthday Just for symmetry
Carlos: Don’t give me ideas I will do it
Oscar: He didn’t remember Until someone else reminded him she existed.
George: True.
Lewis Hamilton: Justice for Belle.
Daniel Ricciardo: Justice. And snacks. And ten thousand cats. She deserves it all.
Fernando: And peace. Away from that chaos.
Kimi: Took him long enough.
***
Lorenzo stood at the foot of Isabelle’s old apartment building, staring up at the cream-colored stone façade like it might blink back at him. The shutters were open on the third floor—her floor—but nothing inside looked familiar. No string lights. No potted herbs on the windowsill. No pale curtains drifting in the breeze the way they used to when she’d leave the balcony door cracked open for the sea air.
He buzzed the door anyway.
Once. Then again.
No response.
The hallway was quieter than he remembered. Less lived-in. The echoes of memory were louder than the footsteps on the stairs as he climbed, more out of muscle memory than belief. He reached her old door and knocked.
No answer.
He stood there, unsure of what to do. His hands itched to call someone—Charles, Pascale, anyone—but that wouldn’t fix this. Not yet.
Then the door across the hall creaked open.
“Looking for Isabelle?” a warm, vaguely amused voice asked.
Lorenzo turned. An older woman stood in the doorway, wearing a robe and holding a mug of tea. Madame Fortier. He remembered her vaguely—Belle used to bring her pastries sometimes when she baked too much.
“Yes,” he said, suddenly unsure of his voice. “Is she home?”
The woman smiled, kind but surprised.
“Darling, she moved out almost a year ago.”
Lorenzo froze.
“What?”
Madame Fortier nodded. “Lovely girl. Packed everything very neatly. She left a plant on my windowsill as a thank-you.”
A beat passed. Lorenzo’s pulse ticked strangely in his throat.
“Where did she go?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
The woman sipped her tea, then tilted her head thoughtfully.
“Oh, she moved in with her boyfriend,” Madame Fortier said, smiling warmly. “Lovely man. Very polite. Treated her well, from what I saw. Always held the door. Picked her up in that fancy little car. She seemed happy.”
Lorenzo’s stomach dropped.
Moved in with her boyfriend.
A year ago.
And none of them knew.
“Right,” he said, the word catching slightly in his throat. “Thank you.”
He walked back down the hallway slowly, like his legs were moving through water.
Outside again, the sunlight felt harsher than it had minutes ago.
Belle had always been the quiet one. The background Leclerc. Never the loudest voice at the table, never the one asking for attention. But she'd been the glue. The calm. The one who remembered birthdays. Who showed up at Arthur’s karting meets with water bottles and quiet encouragement.
Who texted Lorenzo before his exams just to say you’ve got this.
And she hadn’t told them.
Not about the move.
Not about the boyfriend.
Not about… any of it.
It wasn’t just out of character. It was completely, utterly un-Belle.
She didn’t let people she loved run into walls like this. She didn’t let them go blind into guilt and panic. Unless—
Unless she’d stopped expecting them to see her at all.
Lorenzo felt that thought like a punch to the chest.
Had they really made her feel that invisible?
And someone else—some quiet, polite boyfriend in a fancy car—had known her better than any of them did.
***
Leclerc Family Group Chat
(Members: Arthur, Isabelle, Charles, Pascale)
Lorenzo: Update. She doesn’t live at her old apartment anymore.
Arthur: what?
Pascale: What do you mean she doesn’t live there anymore??
Charles: Lorenzo please tell me that’s not what it sounds like
Lorenzo: Her neighbor says she moved out. Almost a year ago. Moved in with her boyfriend.
Arthur: SHE HAS A WHAT
Charles: SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND??
Pascale: Since when?! She never said anything! She never brought anyone to dinner—did you meet him??
Lorenzo: No. None of us did, clearly.
Arthur: what if he’s the reason she’s not answering what if something happened
Charles: don’t say that don’t even think that she’s just mad at us right?
Arthur: no but— think about it she hasn’t answered in two weeks. she didn’t say a word about moving. not a single thing about this guy. what if she’s not okay?
Pascale: She would’ve told us. She always told us if she was scared. Or uncomfortable.
Lorenzo: Not if she doesn’t trust us anymore. Not if she thinks we stopped listening.
Charles: no. no. no no no. I saw her in the garage. She smiled. She waved.
Arthur: people smile when they’re drowning, Charles
Pascale: I’m calling her again. Right now.
Charles: Already did. Straight to voicemail. I’ve texted. I’ve DMed. Nothing.
Arthur: what if something happened
Lorenzo: We don’t know that. Don’t spiral. But we do need to find her.
Charles: I can ask someone at Ferrari. Maybe they know where she’s been.
Pascale: No. No more waiting for her to come to us. We go to her.
Arthur: but we don’t know where she is
Charles: She has a boyfriend we didn’t even know about She moved out a year ago She’s not answering She’s not talking to any of us
Lorenzo: Then we find someone who has seen her recently.
Charles: Who? Because it’s clearly not us.
***
Charles sat by the window, motionless. The clouds blurred past beneath them, soft and ghostlike, but he didn’t see any of it. His phone rested in his hand, screen black, battery threatening to die with a solemn 9% glaring up at him. He hadn’t put it down since they’d left the tarmac.
No new messages. No calls. No Belle.
He’d left voicemail after voicemail. Texts that felt like fragments of apology and panic, all swallowed into silence.
Across the aisle, Nicolas Todt had his laptop open and his phone pressed to his ear, murmuring in rapid-fire French. Every few minutes, he would pause, pinch the bridge of his nose, and mutter something like “catastrophe” or “this is a PR disaster.”
Which, to be fair, it was.
“No, non, it wasn’t intentional,” Nicolas said sharply into the phone. “Yes, we’re working on a statement. No, she hasn’t responded.”
Belle’s name had been trending since the post-race interview. Not because she’d done anything. But because Charles had forgotten her. On her birthday. In Monaco. While she stood right there in the garage, smiling like she didn’t want to be seen and knowing no one had remembered.
Charles swallowed the lump rising in his throat.
Across the cabin, Arthur sat slumped beside Alexandra. His arms were crossed tightly, mouth drawn into a hard line. He hadn’t said much since boarding. But his silence didn’t feel defensive. It felt heavy. Like guilt.
Alexandra was the only one not pretending to be calm.
“You forgot her birthday,” she said. Again. Quietly, but without softening the blow.
“I know,” Charles rasped, eyes fixed on nothing.
“No,” she said sharply, “you don’t. You forgot, Charles. All of you did. She was there. In the garage. And no one even looked at her properly.”
Arthur flinched beside her, but didn’t respond.
From the aisle, Joris Trouche—normally calm, endlessly competent, the kind of man who could manage a logistics meltdown without raising his voice—was pacing with thinly veiled fury. He’d tried sitting down twice. Failed both times.
And now, he stopped in front of them, tone clipped. Controlled. But barely.
“I’ve known Isabelle since she was thirteen,” Joris said, staring them down. “She sent me homemade cinnamon cookies when I was stuck in the hospital with a stress fracture. She used to ask how my mum was doing.”
He turned to Charles. “And you—she waved at you in Monaco. On her birthday. And you smiled like she was anyone.”
Charles opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Joris’s voice wavered—angry, but undercut by something else. Something personal.
“I’m angry at you,” he said quietly. “But I’m angry at myself too. I should’ve remembered.”
In the front cabin, Joris was pacing. He’d been quiet since takeoff, but now his temper was burning through the thin layer of professionalism that usually cloaked him like armor.
“I should’ve remembered,” Joris said suddenly, sharply. “I should have reminded you. I always remind you. And I—I forgot too.”
Arthur stirred. “We didn’t mean to hurt her.”
Joris snapped his gaze toward him. “You don’t have to mean it. You did it anyway. You only noticed her absence when it became public embarrassment. That’s not love, that’s damage control.”
Nicolas finally ended his call and shut the laptop with a soft but definitive click. “If anyone has a prayer of salvaging this, it’s not through spin,” he said. “It’s through action. Apologies. Honesty. Real words. Not just statements.”
Charles didn’t answer. Couldn’t.
Because Belle hadn’t responded to a single one of his messages. She hadn’t returned his call. She hadn’t even opened them.
And she always used to answer. Even when she was mad. Even when he didn’t deserve it.
He stared out at the clouds, jaw clenched, fists curled against his thighs.
He’d won in Monaco.
And lost the only sister he’d ever had.
***
Group Chat: GRID 2024
Members: Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hülkenberg, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Pérez, Esteban Ocon, Zhou Guanyu, Logan Sargeant, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda
Charles:Where is my sister? Does anyone know where Isabelle is???
Charles: I’ve called. I’ve texted. She’s not answering. She’s not at her apartment. Her neighbor says she MOVED OUT A YEAR AGO. She’s GONE and I don’t know where she is!!!
George: Charles. Deep breath.
Carlos: She’s safe.
Charles: YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS???
Carlos: Yes. She’s not missing. She’s just not talking to you.
Charles: And YOU KNEW THAT?? You ALL knew she moved out and didn’t say anything???
Carlos: You forgot her birthday, Charles. You don’t get to have an opinion.
Charles: You KNEW?! You KNEW and you didn’t tell me?? You remembered her birthday and let me humiliate myself in front of the world?!
Carlos: She told me not to say anything because she didn’t want pity cupcakes. Her words. She asked for one thing. I respected that.
Charles: SHE’S MY SISTER.
Carlos: Then maybe you should have treated her like that.
Oscar: Charles. Stop.
Charles: No, Oscar, he LET me forget!
Oscar: No. You forgot. YOU. He just respected her boundaries. She didn’t want a spotlight apology. She wanted to be seen before she disappeared. And none of you did.
Oscar: Belle asked Carlos not to tell you. Because she knew you’d make it about yourself.
Charles: Excuse me??
Oscar: YOU forgot her birthday. You smiled right through her in Monaco. You didn’t notice she moved out. You didn’t notice she disappeared. And now you’re mad at Carlos for respecting her boundaries?
Charles: I have a right to be upset!
Oscar: Belle has a right to protect herself. You’re upset because you’re losing control. She’s not missing, Charles. She’s finally choosing herself. And you can’t stand that it wasn’t you who got to decide when or how.
Lando: ...wow
Daniel: Oscar just cleared the entire grid.
George: No survivors.
Charles: Wait. Wait—how do you ALL know where she is?
Charles: Wait. WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME
Pierre: wait why does this chat feel like everyone’s in on something except me
Lando: She’s fine. She’s not alone. She’s safe. That’s all that matters.
Charles: HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT??
Oscar: Because she’s home.
Charles: What does that mean??
George: ...not our story to tell
Carlos: Exactly.
Yuki: What is happening. I feel like I skipped an episode.
Lando: Welcome to Drive to Survive: Emotional Damage Edition.
Oscar: Charles, stop texting. Start listening.
Charles: I need to fix it.
Carlos: Then don’t make this about you.
Lewis: And maybe… for once… Try earning your sister’s forgiveness instead of assuming you’re entitled to it.
Daniel: All I’m gonna say is… maybe next time don’t wait until post-race interviews to remember the people standing in your corner.
Lewis: And maybe sit with this one for a while before demanding answers. Sometimes silence is the only language people have left.
Charles: … I just want to fix it.
Oscar: Then stop trying to own her pain. And start listening.
***
Group Chat: HELP ME
(Members: Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz Jr., George Russell, Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, David Coulthard, Sergio Pérez, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Zhou Guanyu, Logan Sergeant, Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll)
Oscar: I might’ve gone too hard. But also I really don’t think I did.
Lewis: Nope. You didn’t. You said what needed to be said.
Carlos: I’ve been biting my tongue for two weeks. Thank you for saying it out loud.
George: You cleared him so thoroughly I think I need to book you for emotional landscaping.
Lando: You had him pacing like a dad who just realized he missed Parent-Teacher Night. It was glorious.
Daniel: Honestly? That was better than Spa 2021. You lapped him emotionally.
Alex: Did you see Pierre and Yuki’s confusion?? They looked like they opened Netflix halfway through season 3.
Oscar: They’re still trying to figure out why we all suddenly act like Max Verstappen is Belle’s guard dog husband.
Zhou: Wait. Should we add Pierre and Yuki to this chat? Like a prep class before the meltdown?
Logan: Absolutely not. They’ll trigger Charles into another “WHERE IS MY SISTER??” monologue and I’m emotionally out of snacks.
Esteban: Pierre would tell Charles.
Mark: Back to the point—Oscar, you did good. He needed the mirror held up. Guilt isn’t the same as accountability.
David: And accountability isn’t the same as entitlement. He forgot that. You reminded him.
Sebastian: You all know what gets me? She didn’t even leave angry. She left quietly. And that says more than shouting ever could.
Carlos: That’s what kills me. She still doesn’t want us to fight over her. She just wanted to be seen.
Lewis: And now she finally is. By the one person who actually looked before it was too late.
George: Max is probably already privately planning to change his will and tattoo her name on his chest.
Lando: He's in full "mine" mode. He’ll probably growl at anybody that comes close to her for the remainder of the week.
Daniel Ricciardo: Wait until Charles finds out. About the wedding. About the “Mr. and Mrs. Verstappen” monogrammed towels.
Oscar: He doesn’t deserve to even have a fucking opinion about it. And he doesn’t get to drag Belle through more of his guilt spiral.
Lewis: And if he does?
Oscar: Then we remind him. She’s not invisible anymore. And she never has to be again.
Sebastian: Long live Belle Verstappen. She deserves peace.
Carlos: And we’re making damn sure she keeps it.
***
Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Victoria Verstappen
Victoria: I just saw the clip. Charles finally realized, didn’t he?
Victoria: I want to throw my phone through a wall. How did it take a live interview for it to click??
Victoria: Is Belle okay? Please tell me she’s okay. Tell me you’re with her.
Max: I’m flying back tonight. Emilie’s with her now. She’s safe. Quiet. But… not okay. Not yet.
Victoria: Of course she’s not. She was standing there in the garage and smiled at him, and he didn’t remember. I don’t know how she held it together.
Max: Because that’s what she’s always done. Hold it in. Make it easier for everyone else.
Victoria: Not anymore. She doesn’t owe them that. She never did. And if Charles tries to guilt her into “moving on,” I swear to God.
Max: He won’t get the chance.
Victoria: Good. And when you get home—hold her tight, okay?
Max: Always. I’ve got her, Vic. She’s not alone anymore.
Victoria: She better not be. Because if any of them make her feel small again, I will drive to Monaco and handle it myself.
Max: You’ll have to get in line behind me.
***
Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Jos Verstappen
Jos: Just saw the clip. The post-race interview.
Max: He only realized because Karun mentioned it. Didn’t even remember on his own.
Jos: I want to drive to Maranello and punch something.
Jos: You tell me—right now—is she okay?
Max: Emilie’s with her. She says Belle’s sleeping. Quiet. She hasn’t messaged me yet. But I’m heading home.
Jos: Good. Don’t leave her alone with that silence. She’ll pretend she’s fine. She’ll say it doesn’t matter. But this? This hurt her. You can see it in the way she vanished.
Jos: Belle doesn’t demand space. She disappears when she feels like no one wants her in the room.
Max: I know. She doesn’t have to say it for me to hear it.
Jos: I’m proud of her. She stood up for herself the only way she knew how. By walking away.
Jos: But I swear to God, if that brother of hers ever makes her feel like that again— I don’t care if he’s a Leclerc. I will make sure he never forgets who she is again.
Max: You’ll have to beat me to it. I’m not letting them near her until she says she’s ready. If she ever is.
Jos: That’s my boy. You take care of her. And tell her this family—the one she chose—has her back. Always.
***
Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Sophie Kumpen
Sophie: I just watched the interview.
Sophie: Max… he forgot her birthday. She was standing in the garage. She smiled at him. And he didn’t even blink. Like she was nobody.
Max: He remembered live on camera. Karun said something about Monaco and her birthday, and it hit him mid-answer. You could see it crash into him.
Sophie: God, I hope it crushes him.
Sophie: How is Belle? Have you spoken to her?
Max: Emilie’s with her. She says she’s safe. Sleeping. Quiet.
Sophie: She’s always quiet when she’s hurting. Always. You remember that, Max. The softer she gets, the harder she’s holding herself together.
Max: I know. That’s why I’m coming home.
Sophie: Good. She needs you. Not the Max who wins races. You. The one who holds her hand when she’s anxious. The one who brings her tulips on Thursdays because she mentioned liking them once.
Sophie: Because the people who were supposed to protect her? They failed her.
Max: I’ll never let her feel like that again.
Sophie: I know you won’t. Because you see her. And that’s the most anyone can give someone who’s spent their whole life being overlooked.
Sophie: You tell her I’m coming by next week. No pressure. Just lunch. And she can sit on the balcony and not say a word if that’s all she wants. I’ll just be there.
Max: She’ll love that. She loves you.
Sophie: I love her. And if her family can’t act like it, she’s more than welcome in ours.
***
Max sat in his seat, elbow propped against the armrest, forehead resting against his knuckles as the private jet hummed through the night. The win from earlier that day already felt like a lifetime ago. He hadn’t celebrated. Not really. He’d shaken hands, answered the questions, smiled on the podium because it was muscle memory now.
But the second the press conference ended, the weight had dropped onto his chest.
Charles had realized. Finally.
Live. On camera. Because someone else—Karun, of all people—had mentioned Belle’s birthday.
It had taken that long. Two weeks.
Max had replayed the press clip on his phone once—watched Charles’ face shift in slow motion from charm to dawning horror. Watched him falter, then spiral. And Max hadn’t felt a drop of pity.
Because Belle had stood in that garage. She’d smiled. She’d waved. And her own brother had looked through her.
Across the aisle, Lando was sprawled in his seat with a blanket half-pulled over his face, earbuds in, legs stretched into Oscar’s personal space. Oscar had given up fighting it and was half-asleep against the window. Daniel was flipping through something on his iPad, likely pretending not to watch Max out of the corner of his eye.
The silence was comfortable. Familiar. But Max’s mind was anything but.
Daniel had commandeered the seat across Max and was watching the proceedings like a therapist in a sitcom.
Finally, Lando broke the silence.
“Sooo…” he said slowly, cautiously, “how’s Belle?”
Max didn’t even look up. “Emilie’s with her. She said she’s okay. Belle was sleeping. Under the cats. Emilie said she looked peaceful.”
Lando hesitated. “Right. So… you know… she’s safe?”
“Yeah.”
“But you’re still brooding.”
“I’m not brooding,” Max muttered.
Daniel leaned over the seat, grinning. “Oh, you are. Brooding with intensity. I haven’t seen this level of moody since Lando ran out of oat milk last week.”
“Hey,” Lando protested, “that was a crisis. And also—can we talk about how terrifying Emilie is?”
Daniel burst out laughing. “So your crush is confirmed.”
Lando went pink. “I do not have a crush.”
Oscar stretched, deadpan: “You stalked her on instagram and accidentally liked a post from 2019.”
“That was admiration! That’s different.”
Max finally glanced over, managing a small smirk despite the pressure in his chest. “You are a brave man,” he told Lando sagely, who glared at him.
Lando groaned, pulling his hoodie over his head. “Why did I say that out loud?”
Daniel looked way too delighted. “Because you’re into emotionally terrifying women with sharp cheekbones and moral clarity. Honestly? Taste.”
Oscar nodded solemnly. “Elite taste.”
“I hate all of you.”
“You love us,” Oscar yawned.
Max’s smile faded again as he looked back at his phone. The moment passed, quiet settling again like dust.
Lando, quieter now, asked, “Do you think Belle’s okay?”
Max didn’t answer right away. He was thinking of her curled on the couch. Of Emilie sitting beside her. Of their cats acting like tiny sentinels. He thought of the unopened texts, the unreturned calls.
“I think,” he said eventually, “she’s tired. Of being forgotten. Of being an afterthought. Of being quiet and still never heard.”
The other three fell silent. Even Daniel looked serious now.
Max looked down at the screen. Still nothing.
“But she’s not alone,” he added. “Not this time.”
Oscar nodded. “You’ll be home soon.”
Max’s voice was soft but certain. “Yeah. And when I get there, I’m staying. No more paddock games. No more silence. She doesn’t have to carry any of it alone anymore.”
Lando peeked out from his hoodie. “You’re like… scarily romantic for someone who once said feelings were ‘a distraction’.”
Max huffed a laugh. “Turns out she’s the only distraction I want.”
Daniel wiped an imaginary tear. “Beautiful. Print that on a mug.”
Oscar: “Tattoo it on your neck.”
Lando: “Put it on team merch. Limited edition.”
Max smiled faintly, then leaned back, still clutching his phone.
Let them joke.
Because the second they landed, he was going home. To her.
And this time, he wasn’t letting anyone—not a team, not a calendar, not even her family—make her feel invisible again.
***
Text Messages: Alexandra Saint-Mleux & Belle Verstappen
Alexandra: Hey, Isabelle. I know it’s late. I just… I wanted to say I’m thinking about you.
Alexandra: Charles realized during the post-race interview. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so gutted. I wish it hadn’t taken that for him to see what he missed.
Alexandra: I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I’m sure a lot of people already have. But you didn’t deserve to be forgotten. You never have. And I’m sorry.
***
Text Messages: Alexandra Saint-Mleux & Charlotte Di Pietro
Alexandra: Hey. Just a heads-up before it hits you through someone else: We forgot Belle’s birthday.
Charlotte: …what?
Alexandra: All of us. Her entire family.
Charlotte: No. No way. It was during Monaco, wasn’t it?
Alexandra: Yes. She was in the garage, Char. Waved at Charles. Smiled at all of us. And not one of us remembered.
Charlotte: Oh my god.
Alexandra: Charles realized during a post-race interview today. The interviewer mentioned her birthday and I watched it hit him like a truck.
Charlotte: Is Isabelle okay?
Alexandra: She hasn’t answered anyone. Not even Pascale.
Charlotte: That’s not “okay.” That’s Isabelle shutting the world out.
Alexandra: Exactly. And the worst part? She didn’t say anything. She let us all forget. She didn’t expect us to remember.
Charlotte: Because we’ve done it before. Not like this. But still. God.
Alexandra: I texted her. No reply. She might answer you if you try. You’ve always been gentle with her.
Charlotte: I will. Thank you for telling me. And for not pretending it’s less awful than it is.
Alexandra: She deserves more than silence and spin. She always has.
Charlotte: I’ll try to reach her tomorrow. Even if she doesn’t answer… she’ll know someone tried.
Alexandra: That’s all we can do now. Try. And mean it.
***
The apartment was quiet when Max stepped inside.
Soft light filtered in through the curtains, casting golden stripes across the hardwood. The cats didn’t rush to greet him—they were already curled up in their usual spots, half-asleep and full of judgment. Sassy lifted her head briefly from the back of the couch, flicked her tail in acknowledgment, and went right back to sleep.
Max dropped his duffel gently by the door, kicked off his shoes without a sound, and padded into the hallway. Every step closer to the bedroom felt heavier. Not with dread. But with something deeper. Something like relief tied up in knots of worry.
He pushed the door open quietly.
There she was.
Belle, curled on his side of the bed, her frame barely a ripple beneath the duvet. One of his old shirts hung off her shoulder, too big and soft and completely hers now. Her hair was a mess, her breathing slow and steady.
He’d spent days missing her. And now, seeing her like this—peaceful, untouched by the storm her family had just realized they created—he nearly broke.
Max crossed the room slowly, sliding into bed behind her without a word. His hand found her waist beneath the blanket, fingers curling gently. His nose tucked into her shoulder, lips brushing against the skin just below her ear.
She stirred.
“Mm?” she murmured sleepily, voice raspy and warm. “Max?”
“Hey,” he whispered. “I’m home.”
Belle rolled toward him without hesitation, arms winding around his middle, burying her face in his chest like she hadn’t seen him in months. He held her tighter. One hand cradling the back of her head, the other tracing slow, soothing lines down her spine.
“Did Emilie let you in?” she mumbled.
“No. She left me a note that said ‘fridge is stocked, don’t screw it up.’” He paused. “Also, she stole my last protein bar.”
Belle huffed a sleepy breath of laughter. Then: “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” Max said softly. “I’ve missed you.”
She pulled back just enough to look up at him. Her eyes were puffy, tired—but clearer than he expected. The ache he saw in them was quieter now. Calmer. He reached up, brushing his thumb gently beneath one eye.
“They all texted,” she said.
He nodded. “I know.”
“And called. Voicemails. Messages. Even Alexandra, I think.” Her voice was neutral, but her fingers had curled into his shirt. “I shut off my phone. I just… I can’t deal with them right now.”
“You don’t have to.”
She exhaled slowly. “They forgot, Max. Not just my birthday. Me. And now they’re panicking, but not because they miss me. Because they feel guilty. It’s not the same.”
Max didn’t rush to fill the silence. He let it settle between them, warm and safe and honest.
“They’ll say sorry,” he said eventually. “But that doesn’t mean you have to forgive them all at once. Or at all. That’s your call.”
Belle swallowed. “I just… I don’t know if I want to let them back in. Not after this. Not when it took two weeks and an interview for them to notice.”
Max leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Then don’t. You don’t owe them anything.”
She closed her eyes, breathing him in. His presence. His steadiness. The way he never told her what she should feel—just made space for what she did.
“You always see me,” she whispered.
“Always,” Max said. “Every day. Every version of you. Even the one who hides under a blanket and ghosts her whole bloodline.”
Belle laughed, watery and real. “I love you.”
Max smiled, burying his face in her hair. “I love you more.”
They stayed there, wrapped in warmth and honesty and quiet defiance.
Her family could wait. The texts could sit unread. The apologies could pile up.
Right now, she had Max. And that was enough.
***
Text Messages: Max Fewtrell & Lando Norris
Max Fewtrell: BRO. You saw it, right?? Charles fully crashed his soul mid-interview??
Lando: Unfortunately, yes. It was like watching someone remember they left the oven on... and also their sister.
Max Fewtrell: Iconic. Karun was like “her birthday, right?” And Charles just downloaded a full panic attack.
Max Fewtrell: I screamed. Like—out loud. In public.
Lando Norris: It was kind of beautiful tbh. Like watching karma arrive with a mic and a production crew.
Max Fewtrell: Is his sister okay though? Do we know? Does she have a burner Twitter? I feel like she would.
Lando Norris: She’s fine. Emilie’s with her.
Max Fewtrell: Who’s Emilie?
Lando Norris: ... She's Belle’s best friend. Sharp. Dangerous. Possibly psychic. Says terrifyingly accurate things about my emotional state and then walks away in heels
Lando: She’s terrifying. Also brilliant. And she’s like…scarily beautiful.
Max Fewtrell: You have a crush on her, don’t you.
Lando: …I didn’t say that.
Max Fewtrell: YOU ABSOLUTELY DO OH MY GOD YOU DO This is the best gossip of the day and Charles had a meltdown on live TV
Lando: Shut up Also can we go back to Charles??
Max Fewtrell: No Because now I want to know why you know where Belle is And how you know Emilie’s with her And why you’re being so weirdly calm
Lando: …because I went to the wedding?
Max Fewtrell: THE WHAT
Lando: ...
Max Fewtrell: LAN THE WEDDING
Lando: Yeah. Belle and Max Verstappen. They got married. I was invited. Very small. City Hall. No media. Emilie picked the flowers
Max Fewtrell: MAX. VERSTAPPEN?!
Lando: Yes
Max Fewtrell: YOU MEAN TO TELL ME CHARLES IS HAVING A BREAKDOWN ABOUT FORGETTING HIS SISTER’S BIRTHDAY AND DOESN’T EVEN KNOW SHE’S MARRIED TO HIS RIVAL???
Lando: Correct
Max Fewtrell: I need to lie down. And then I need popcorn And possibly therapy But also more of this
Lando: Same. Group chat is chaos Do not ask to be added It’s war in there
Max Fewtrell: This is better than Drive to Survive You’ve been sitting on this gossip for HOW LONG?
Lando: Long enough to know I value my life And Max Verstappen would kill me if I leaked it before they were ready
Max Fewtrell: Fair
Lando: You think Charles is spiraling now… Wait until he finds out Max is family now
Max Fewtrell: My god. This is better than Netflix.
***
Lorenzo had barely slept.
After learning Isabelle hadn’t lived in her old apartment for nearly a year, he’d paced half the night in his kitchen, replaying every memory, every text, every moment he should have noticed and didn’t. His phone was full of unanswered group chat pings and hollow apologies.
By morning, he couldn’t sit still anymore.
He needed answers.
So he went to the one place he knew she would be at 8 am on a Monday morning.
Her job.
Atelier Renard Architects.
Clean glass facade, minimalist signage, nestled on the edge of the marina like it had always been there. Isabelle used to say she loved that building more than half her portfolio—it knows exactly what it is and makes no apologies for it.
The receptionist didn’t recognize him at first. He introduced himself politely—Lorenzo Leclerc, Isabelle’s brother—and tried not to notice the pause.
Then the woman gave a hesitant smile. “Oh… Isabelle. Yes, of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—”
“I just wanted to stop by,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. “She’s not answering her phone. I thought maybe she was working, or—”
“Oh.” The woman’s expression faltered. “She doesn’t work here anymore.”
Lorenzo blinked. “What?”
“She… quit. Months ago. November, I think? Maybe early December. It was quiet. No big announcement. She just cleared out her office in one evening.”
Lorenzo’s stomach dropped. “Did she say why?”
The receptionist grimaced. “There were some internal issues. She seemed calm. Almost… relieved.”
Lorenzo stepped back slightly, reeling.
Quit.
She’d quit the one job she had fought tooth and nail for. The one thing she always lit up talking about.
And no one in her family had noticed.
Not one of them.
“I’m sorry,” the receptionist said gently. “I assumed you knew.”
Lorenzo nodded stiffly. “No, thank you. You’ve been kind.”
He left quickly. Didn’t wait for anything more.
Outside, he leaned against the edge of a planter and braced both hands on the cool stone, breath catching.
Isabelle hadn’t just moved.
She hadn’t just gone quiet.
She’d walked away from everything they thought they knew about her.
And no one—not a single one of them—had been close enough to notice it happening.
She’d untethered herself from them all.
And now?
Now they had no idea where she stood.
If she was hurt. If she was gone.
For the first time in years, panic didn’t just flicker in Lorenzo’s chest—it bloomed, wide and wild.
He pulled out his phone. Called her again. Straight to voicemail.
***
Text Messages: Alexandra Saint Mleux & Emilie Abadie
Alexandra: Hey Emilie. I just wanted to check in. Do you know how Isabelle is doing?
Emilie: She’s resting. She’s emotionally exhausted. And no, she’s not answering anyone right now.
Alexandra: I figured. I wasn’t going to ask you to make her talk, I just… Wanted to make sure she’s okay. Truly.
Emilie: You all want to make sure she’s “okay” now. Where was that energy six months ago? Or a year ago? Or on her birthday?
Alexandra: I know. You’re right. We failed her. I’m not pretending we didn’t. I’m just trying not to make the same mistake twice.
Emilie: Then don’t turn this into your redemption arc. Belle is not your apology vessel. She doesn’t owe anyone grace she hasn’t given herself yet.
Alexandra: …Okay. That’s fair. I’m not trying to earn points. Just… trying.
Emilie: Trying is good. But don’t expect updates or access. She gets to choose who gets that now. And when.
Alexandra: Of course. Is she alone?
Emilie: No. Her boyfriend’s with her. He’s been looking after her. And he likes taking care of her.
***
Max blinked his eyes open just as Belle shifted in his arms and pushed herself up slightly, hair tousled and sweater slipping off one shoulder. Her eyes were tired, but calmer now. Clearer.
“Hi,” she whispered, voice rough with sleep.
“Hi,” he murmured back, brushing her hair behind her ear. “How are you feeling?”
She hesitated. “Better. Now that you’re here.”
He kissed her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Belle sat up a little more, folding her legs under her. Max followed, still close, watching her carefully.
There was something in the way she looked at him now. Like she was on the edge of a cliff, heart in her throat, trying to trust the air would catch her.
“I have to tell you something,” she said softly, her fingers playing with the hem of her sleeve.
Max stilled. “Okay.”
“I was going to wait,” she said. “I didn’t want to do it over the phone, or in the middle of all the… noise. But you’re here now, and I don’t want to keep it from you.”
“Belle,” he said gently, “you can tell me anything.”
“I have something for you.”
Max blinked. “Is this a surprise-I- am-mad-at-you gift or a I-love-you-so-here’s-something-cute gift?”
Belle rolled her eyes, but her lips curved slightly. “The second one.”
“Good,” he said. “I was going to guess that anyway.”
She opened the drawer of her bedside table and pulled something out of it, only to placed it gently in his lap.
A lion plush.
Max looked down at it, brows drawing together. It was small, soft, slightly chubby around the middle with a fuzzy, mane and button eyes. Not something he’d seen before.
He ran a hand over its head slowly, confused but already fond of it. “Where did this come from?”
“I bought it the day after you left for Canada,” Belle said quietly. “I was shopping for a gift for Victoria’s baby, and I saw him. And I couldn’t put him back.”
Max looked at her, then back at the lion, frowning slightly in thought. “For Victoria’s baby?”
She shook her head. Her voice was soft, but steady. Belle’s eyes met his.
“For ours.”
The words hit him like a gear shift in slow motion. He blinked, heart thudding, mouth parting, but no sound coming out. He looked at her, really looked at her—at the hoodie draped over her shoulders, at the hand resting on her stomach without thinking, at the way her eyes shimmered but didn’t waver.
“You’re—” His voice cracked. “You’re pregnant?”
Belle nodded. “Twelve weeks, now. I thought it was the anemia at first. I went in for a check-up and they… they did an ultrasound.”
Max’s hand found hers without hesitation, fingers lacing tightly. “And everything’s okay?”
She nodded again, breath catching this time. “There was a heartbeat. A strong one. I saw it.”
He stared at her in awe, overwhelmed, his brain scrambling to keep up while his heart surged forward.
The plush lion sat between them on the bed, quiet and steady.
Max looked down at it, then back at her. “You’re serious?”
Belle’s voice cracked then, just a little. “I didn’t want to tell you over the phone. I wanted it to be here. With you. Home.”
And Max—Max didn’t even realize he was crying until she touched his cheek, brushing the tears away with the gentlest smile.
“You’re having our baby,” he said, the words tumbling out of him like something sacred.
Belle’s breath caught.
And then Max let out a shaky laugh—half in disbelief, half in awe. “You’re having our baby.”
She bit her lip. “Is that… okay?”
“Belle,” he said, looking at her like she’d just given him the universe, “it’s perfect.”
He looked down, then up at her again.
“Twelve weeks?” he said. “So that means…”
“December,” Belle murmured. “Right before the new season.”
His grin was slow, bright, and stunned. “A Verstappen off-season baby. We’re so on-brand.”
Belle laughed, soft and teary.
Max reached past her, picked up the lion, and pressed it to her stomach with gentle reverence.
“Hey, little one,” he said quietly. “I can’t wait to meet you.”
***
White Horse - Chapter 9: November 2023 - Part 2
Pairing: Max Verstappen x Isabelle Leclerc (Original Character)
Summary:
Max Verstappen is a World Champion. Isabelle Leclerc is invisible.
She watched her family give up everything for Charles’ career—Arthur’s karting, their father’s savings, even her childhood horse. She understood. She never asked for more.
But Max does. He notices the things no one else does, listens when no one else will, and puts her first in ways she never imagined. With him, she isn’t an afterthought—she’s a choice. And for the first time, she realizes she doesn’t have to be invisible.
Warnings and Notes:
we have now moved on from Charles bashing to bashing his whole family, Discussions of toxic past relationships, talk about loosing a childhood pet, toxic families, Jos Verstappen for once not being the bad guys.
Part 2 of November.
As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble
Text Messages: Isabelle Leclerc & Victoria Verstappen
Isabelle: Hey Vic! Hope you are doing well!
Isabelle: I have a question: Do you happen to remember the breeder Max got Sassy and Jimmy from?
Victoria: Hi!! 🐱 I do! Why? Thinking about getting one?
Isabelle: Maybe… I was thinking about surprising Max for Christmas.
Victoria: 🥹🥹🥹
Victoria: That is the cutest thing I’ve heard all day.
Victoria: He’s going to melt.
Isabelle: Please don't tell him 🥺
Victoria: My lips are sealed!
Victoria: Also yes, I have the breeder’s number, she’s lovely
Victoria: She always has litters around winter!
Isabelle: perfect 🥹
Victoria: Max is going to lose his mind. I hope you're ready for him to cry about it and pretend he’s not crying.
Isabelle: I am emotionally prepared 😂
Victoria: Speaking of surprises
Victoria: I heard you quit your job???
Isabelle: Yeah.
Isabelle: A couple days ago. I just… couldn’t do it anymore.
Isabelle: I was miserable. They didn’t take me seriously.
Victoria: I had no idea, Belle.
Victoria: I’m proud of you.
Isabelle: Thank you. I’m kind of… floating now. Max calls it my “trophy wife sabbatical”.
Victoria: Well, if anybody deserves a Trophy Wife Sabbatical, it’s you 😂 And I bet my brother is thriving in your trophy wife era, don’t let him lie.
Isabelle: I love him so much it’s disgusting.
Victoria: You should
Victoria: He’s a better version of himself with you (Still dramatic, but better)
Isabelle: He’s been so patient
Isabelle: Like he never doubts I’ll figure it out
Isabelle: Even when I do
Victoria: You’ll figure it out, Belle. I don’t doubt that at all.
***
Leclerc Sibling Group Chat
(Members: Arthur, Isabelle, Charles and Lorenzo)
Isabelle: Hey
Isabelle: Just letting you know I’m coming to Abu Dhabi.
Isabelle: Got my flight booked and hotel sorted.
Charles: nice!
Charles: see you there
Arthur: cool
Lorenzo: Safe flight!
***
The hum of the engines was steady, the cabin was dim, and Max was… well, Max.
Lando shifted restlessly in his seat across the aisle, flipping a bottle cap between his fingers., trying not to go completely insane with boredom.
Max, for his part, sat slouched across from him, hoodie pulled low over his face, legs stretched out like he owned the plane. Which he technically did.
They had been flying forever.
Vegas was a chaotic blur.
Abu Dhabi felt years away.
“Still alive?” Lando asked.
Max made a noncommittal grunt under his hoodie.
The jet bumped onto the runway in Nice for refueling, smooth as ever, and Max finally sat up, stretching.
"We're not getting off, are we?" Lando asked, yawning.
"Nope," Max said, pocketing his phone. "Just refueling."
Lando nodded, already thinking about maybe finding a Red Bull in the mini-fridge when the jet rolled to a stop.
Then the cabin door clicked.
And she stepped in.
Isabelle.
Dressed casually—jeans, sneakers, a soft pink sweater that somehow looked expensive without trying.
Her hair was loose. She carried a small overnight bag in one hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear with the other.
Lando’s brain broke.
"You’re joking," he blurted, sitting bolt upright.
Isabelle smiled, calm and bright. "Hi, Lando."
Max didn't even react. He stood up casually, took her bag, and tucked it into the overhead like it was the most normal thing in the world.
“You’re—what—you’re coming to Abu Dhabi?” Lando stammered.
Isabelle raised an eyebrow, amused. “I’m watching my brother race. Isn’t that what family does?”
Lando opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
Because sure, technically that was a logical answer, except for the very large fact that she was coming to watch her brother race while secretly dating his biggest rival.
And Charles didn’t know.
Max dropped into the seat next to Isabelle like nothing was wrong, slinging his arm along the back of her seat, brushing her shoulder without thinking.
Lando stared.
This—
This was the first time he had really seen them.
Max and Isabelle.
Max and Isabelle.
Now that he knew, it was obvious.
The way Max’s entire body shifted when she was near — looser, softer, grounded.
The way Isabelle leaned subtly toward him without realizing it — like orbiting Max was the most natural thing in the world.
It wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t flashy.
It wasn’t the kind of relationship you noticed if you weren’t looking closely.
But now Lando could see it everywhere.
Max’s hand brushed her knuckles lightly, and Isabelle tilted her head toward him in that soft, familiar way, smiling just for him.
Lando felt like he’d been let in on the world’s most terrifying and beautiful secret.
He groaned loudly, dropping his head back against the seat.
"Charles is going to kill me when he finds out I knew," he said to no one in particular.
Max smirked, absolutely unbothered. "We’ll all be dead eventually. Might as well enjoy the flight."
Isabelle covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Lando glared at them both. "You’re so chill about this!"
Isabelle leaned back in her seat, folding her arms. "Because there’s nothing to be not chill about."
"You say that now," Lando muttered. "Wait until your brother explodes."
Isabelle shrugged, a little more steel underneath her calm. "He’ll get over it."
Max smiled lazily beside her. "He’ll have to."
And for a moment, watching them — Isabelle with her quiet resolve, Max with his immovable certainty — Lando realized:
Maybe they weren’t reckless.
Maybe they weren’t hiding out of fear.
Maybe they were just... keeping something for themselves.
Private. Fierce. Unshakable.
Lando sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face.
"If I end up collateral damage in your little love story," he said darkly, "I'm haunting you both."
Max just chuckled, settling back with Isabelle tucked under his arm like it was second nature.
"Deal," Max said. "And thanks for flying Air Max."
Lando groaned into his hands. "I'm going to have an ulcer before we even land."
Max laughed.
Isabelle just smiled and leaned into Max's side without thinking, his hand slipping instinctively to her knee.
And Lando, sitting across from them, realized grimly:
He was not surviving this weekend.
***
Group Chat: HELP ME
(Members: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and Daniel Ricciardo)
Lando: she’s on the plane
Lando: she’s. on. the. plane.
Oscar: who
Daniel: oh god
Daniel: which “she” are we talking about
Daniel: please not the vegas bartender again
Lando: NO
Lando: Isabelle
Oscar: WHAT
Daniel: OH MY GOD
Oscar: LIKE
Oscar: THE Isabelle
Oscar: Charles’ sister Isabelle
Oscar: Max’s secret girlfriend Isabelle
Oscar: The one we’re all pretending not to know about Isabelle???
Lando: YES
Lando: she just got on the jet in NICE
Lando: she’s flying with us to ABU DHABI
Lando: I AM GOING TO DIE
Daniel: did max know she was coming??
Lando: he helped her with her bag and everything
Lando: like it was a normal day
Lando: like he didn’t just invite a LECLERC onto his PRIVATE JET
Lando: while secretly DATING HER
Oscar: we are all going to die
Daniel: please tell me you said something
Lando: she told me she’s just “watching her brother race”
Lando: like that’s not the most emotionally loaded thing anyone has ever said on a private jet
Oscar: I’m sweating
Oscar: Are you sweating?
Oscar: I feel like we should all be sweating
Daniel: what’s the plan??
Daniel: are we pretending we don’t know??
Daniel: are we spies now???
Lando: there is no plan
Lando: there’s only vibes
Lando: and the vibes are “Charles is going to murder us in cold blood”
Oscar: Max seems chill about it?
Lando: He’s so chill it’s terrifying
Lando: She sat down next to him and he just put his arm around her
Lando: Like she’s not the nuclear secret of the entire paddock
Daniel: He’s going to soft launch her in the paddock isn’t he
Daniel: you’re going to be THERE when it happens
Daniel: you’re IN the launch window
Lando: I didn’t sign up for this
Lando: I signed up for sim races and chaos memes
Lando: Not for hiding the Verstappen-Leclerc love story from a ticking Charles-shaped time bomb
Oscar: They’re so subtle though
Oscar: Like you wouldn’t even notice unless you KNOW
Daniel: And now you know
Daniel: And now you’re cursed
Lando: i literally said if i become collateral damage i’m haunting them both
Oscar: haunting Max would be so easy
Oscar: he already thinks every weird noise in his apartment is one of the cats
Daniel: tell Isabelle i want to be invited to the wedding if we survive this
Lando: i hate you both
Lando: they just shared a look across the cabin
Lando: i think they’re telepathic
Oscar: you’re already too deep
Oscar: we can’t help you now
Daniel: thoughts and prayers, mate
Daniel: and maybe wear orange so Charles hesitates when he comes for you
Lando: i’m gonna need more than orange
Lando: i’m gonna need a will
***
Oscar liked to think of himself as a calm guy.
Level-headed.
Mature.
Good under pressure.
But apparently, all that went out the window the second he spotted Isabelle Leclerc wandering through the paddock.
Because he knew.
He knew.
And she knew that he knew.
And he knew that she knew that he knew.
And now every single step he took felt like it was being broadcast on national television.
Oscar straightened his posture unnecessarily, like standing up straighter would make him less suspicious.
Isabelle was across the walkway, wearing a sundress, her paddock pass and a small, polite smile for every mechanic and engineer who said hello.
Completely casual.
Completely effortless.
Completely dating Max Verstappen and somehow nobody else knew.
Oscar stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to look casual.
He would not be the one to blow their cover.
He would not be the guy who accidentally made eye contact and triggered a Red Bull-Charles Leclerc paddock war.
He focused on walking normally.
Breathing normally.
Existing normally.
It was fine.
Everything was fine.
He passed within a few meters of her, gave a small, casual nod.
The kind of nod that said "hey, I know you" without saying "hey, I know your secret relationship with Max Verstappen."
Isabelle caught his eye for a second — and her mouth twitched into the smallest, most knowing smile.
Oscar almost tripped over his own feet.
He coughed, pretended to check his watch even though he wasn’t wearing one, and kept moving like nothing happened.
Be normal, he told himself.
You’re a Formula 1 driver.
You drive at 300 kph for a living.
You can survive seeing Max’s secret girlfriend without spontaneously combusting.
Behind him, he swore he heard a soft laugh — hers, light and amused — and he decided he was never speaking of this again.
Not until it was safe.
Not until he was 5,000 miles away and absolutely certain Charles wouldn’t shank him with a champagne bottle.
Oscar made a sharp left turn toward the McLaren hospitality, muttering under his breath:
"Stay in your lane, Piastri. Stay alive."
***
The sun was sinking low, throwing long shadows across the paddock. Carlos leaned back against a concrete wall near the Ferrari motorhome, helmet balanced beside him, sipping slowly from a bottle of water as Charles scrolled aimlessly through his phone.
It was rare to get these moments—quiet, easy, just them.
But something had been itching at the back of Carlos’ mind lately.
A conversation with Lando.
Observations that were getting harder to ignore.
Something had been gnawing at Carlos for weeks now.
So Carlos spoke.
“Your sister’s been doing some pretty cool work lately,” he said casually.
Charles didn’t look up. “Yeah?”
“Architectural stuff. Monaco interiors. Heard she’s doing well.”
Charles gave a vague shrug. “I guess.”
Carlos waited for more. It didn’t come.
“She designed Max’s penthouse, right?” he pushed.
Charles made a noncommittal noise. “She helped with it or something. Picked out the furniture.”
Carlos blinked. “That’s it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean—she didn’t just decorate. She designed it. Layouts. Custom interiors. Lighting plans. All of it.”
Charles frowned like he genuinely didn’t understand. “Okay…? So?”
Carlos stared at him. “So… that’s a big deal, mate.”
Charles tilted his head. “She’s always been good at decorating.”
Carlos was quiet for a second too long.
Decorating.
“Dios mio,” he muttered, rubbing a hand across his jaw. “You really don’t get it.”
“Get what?” Charles asked, clearly confused now. “She’s got a job, she likes it, I’m happy for her. What’s your point?”
“My point,” Carlos said, carefully measured, “is that you’re acting like she spent an afternoon picking paint colors. She designed that place. From scratch. Layouts. Architecture. Interior. Everything.”
Charles looked nonplussed. “She’s good at that stuff. ”
Carlos stared at him for a second.
Waiting for the punchline.
It didn’t come.
“You’re kidding,” Carlos said flatly.
Charles glanced over, frowning. “What?”
Carlos shook his head slowly. “That’s your sister, mate. Show a little respect. You talk about Isabelle like she’s some bored little sister playing pretend. Like her work isn’t real.”
Charles blinked. “That’s not what I said.”
“It’s exactly what you said,” Carlos snapped. “You talk about what she does like it’s picking curtains. Like she’s not out there building a career people actually respect. You know how many people would kill to design a place like Max’s penthouse?”
Charles looked blank. “It’s just a flat.”
Carlos let out a quiet, humorless laugh. “No. It’s not. It’s a statement. A place Max trusted someone to shape. And your sister did that.”
Charles shrugged, still defensive. “Okay, well, good for her.”
Carlos gave him a look. “Good for her?”
“Yeah, I mean—I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Carlos exhaled, eyes narrowing slightly. “I want you to realize that she’s more than ‘my sister who’s good at decorating.’ I want you to see her. Because everyone else seems to.”
***
Text Messages: Lando Norris & Carlos Sainz Jr.
Carlos: What the hell.
Lando: oh no
Lando: what did I do.
Carlos: I talked to Charles.
Carlos: Charles talks about his sister like she’s some intern playing with paint samples
Carlos: She’s out here designing penthouses and he’s like “yeah she’s good at decorating”
Lando: oh my god 💀
Carlos: I wanted to shake him
Carlos: how do you not SEE your own sister
Carlos: She’s killing it
Carlos: She’s literally a better architect than half the guys building million dollar places in Monaco.
Lando: yeah
Lando: max definitely sees it lol
Carlos: Yeah, well, at least Max appreciates good work
Lando: not just her work, mate 😬
Carlos: What does that mean?
Lando: uh
Lando: nvm
Lando: forget i said anything
Carlos: LANDO.
Lando: max and isabelle are a thing okay!!!
Lando: they’ve been a thing for months!!
Carlos: Are you saying
Carlos: Max Verstappen
Carlos: Is dating Isabelle Leclerc?!
Lando: 😬😬😬😬😬
Carlos: dios mio
Carlos: does CHARLES know
Lando: oh absolutely not
Lando: zero clue
Lando: brain empty
Lando: we’re all going to die when he finds out
***
Group Chat: HELP ME
(Members: Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz Jr.)
Carlos: What is this?
Oscar: Oh no
Carlos: Lando, why am I here?
Carlos: Why do you keep dragging me deeper into this
Daniel: WELCOME CARLOS!!
Daniel: You’ve joined an elite group of people who are 😬 aware 😬
Oscar: This is a safe space for those who are emotionally compromised by Max dating Isabelle
Carlos: Are you people insane?
Lando: yes
Carlos: I just found out like 7 minutes ago.
Carlos: I’m still processing the fact that Max is dating Charles’ SISTER
Carlos: and that apparently EVERYONE BUT CHARLES KNOWS
Oscar: that’s the part that really gets you huh
Carlos: YES, OSCAR
Carlos: how has CHARLES not noticed his own sister is dating his rival
Daniel: Love is the greatest camouflage
Lando: bro what
Daniel: idk it sounded poetic
Carlos: I can’t believe you all kept this to yourselves
Oscar: I found out in the cheese aisle of a supermarket. He knew her jam preferences. And then he smiled at her. like softly
Lando: Max in love is terrifying
Lando: he’s… emotionally functional
Daniel: I personally love this era for him
Daniel: boyfriend max is my favorite max
Daniel: max 2.0: will fight you and then bring you tea
Carlos: I can’t be part of this
Carlos: i’m not stable enough
Carlos: i just yelled at charles for not respecting her work and NOW I KNOW SHE’S DESIGNING MAX’S APARTMENT BECAUSE THEY’RE TOGETHER
Carlos: I AM HIS TEAMMATE.
Oscar: oh no
Lando: oh my god
Daniel: this is my favorite plot twist
Carlos: I’m going to lie down in the garage and never get up
Lando: welcome to the group
Lando: you’ll get used to the emotional whiplash
Oscar: We’re all just waiting for the day Charles finds out and the world ends
Daniel: we should get matching t-shirts
Daniel: i survived the verstappen-leclerc revelation and all i got was anxiety
***
The paddock was a flurry of noise—engine whines, media chatter— and Isabelle Leclerc was sipping iced water and trying not to sweat through her linen dress. One of Max’s linen shirts—stolen and knotted over her waist—was shielding her from the worst of the heat, and her sunglasses were perched high in her hair.
She smiled politely when people passed, waved when engineers greeted her, and genuinely lit up when Gianpiero Lambiase came to say hello.
“Hey,” GP said, clearly mid-break between meetings. “I heard you have opinions.”
Isabelle tilted her head. “About?”
“Backsplash tiles,” he said, completely serious. “Kitchen remodel. My wife thinks I’m hopeless.”
Isabelle laughed, genuinely delighted. “I do have opinions. And Pinterest boards, if you’re interested.”
GP looked genuinely relieved. “Bless you. She keeps saying she wants something that feels 'European farmhouse meets modern desert' and I have no idea what that means.”
“It means she wants matte finish tiles, not glossy,” Isabelle said immediately. “And don’t pick anything with faux distressing. It always looks cheap.”
GP raised both eyebrows, intrigued. “Okay. I’ll tell her I consulted an expert.”
They chatted for a few more minutes—about grout colors, countertop edges, the horrors of open shelving—before GP was called away to a strategy meeting.
Isabelle turned back to her water and tried to will the heat away.
And then—
“Can I talk to you?”
She looked up.
Charles. Sunglasses on, jaw tight, expression unreadable.
“Sure,” she said cautiously, standing. “Everything okay?”
He didn’t answer. Just jerked his chin in the direction of the quieter walkway near the back of the paddock. She followed, unease creeping up her spine.
When they reached the shaded area, Charles turned on her sharply.
“Seriously, Isabelle?”
She blinked. “I—what?”
“GP?” he snapped.
Her eyebrows flew up. “What about him?”
“You’re flirting with Max’s engineer now?”
Isabelle just… stared.
“Are you serious right now?” she asked.
Charles crossed his arms. “He’s married, Isa.”
“Oh my god,” she said, incredulous. “You think I’m flirting with him?”
Charles didn’t respond, which was answer enough.
Isabelle took a step back. “You think I’m—what, exactly? A homewrecker? Some desperate little paddock groupie trying to sleep her way around Red Bull?”
“I didn’t say that,” he bit out, but his tone said otherwise.
“You didn’t have to!” she snapped. “You said it with your face. And your judgmental little ‘big brother’ voice.”
Charles looked uncomfortable for the first time, but didn’t back down. “It’s not about judging you. It’s about how it looks.”
“Oh, how it looks?” Isabelle laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You’re really going to lecture me on appearances? You—whose own dating history has been very well documented—are suddenly the morality police?”
“That’s different,” he muttered.
“No, it’s not.” She stepped in close, her voice lower now. “I wasn’t flirting. GP and I were talking about backsplash tiles. For his kitchen remodel. With his wife. Because, surprise, I have a degree and actual taste and people ask for my opinion.”
Charles blinked.
“I cannot believe you think so little of me,” she said, voice shaking. “Do you really think I’d put myself in that position? That I’d disrespect someone’s marriage like that?”
His jaw clenched, guilt flickering behind his eyes. “I just—saw you. Laughing. And I assumed—”
“Well maybe stop assuming, Charles.” Her voice broke, and she quickly looked away. “You assume the worst. You assume I’m… what? Naive? Reckless? Looking for attention? You never give me the benefit of the doubt.”
Charles swallowed. “I’m just trying to look out for you.”
“By calling me a homewrecker?”
He winced.
Isabelle stepped back, the chill in the air suddenly sharper. “I don’t need your protection, Charles. I need your respect.”
They stood in silence for a long moment, the weight of her words settling between them like dust.
“I came to support you,” she said softly. “ And now I wish I’d stayed home.”
“And for the record,” Isabelle said, stepping past him, “if I was flirting with someone, I wouldn’t be flirting with a guy, who is holding a ‘World’s Best Dad’ travel mug and has a wedding band on his finger.”
***
The door clicked softly behind him as Max stepped into the suite, pulling his cap off and running a hand through his hair.
It had been a long, sticky day at the track — race prep, debriefs, heat clinging to everything — and all he wanted was to see her.
"Belle?" he called gently.
No answer.
He frowned, dropping his keys and phone onto the entry table, kicking off his shoes. The suite was mostly dark, save for the dim bedside lamp glowing through the half-closed bedroom door.
Max pushed it open carefully.
And there she was.
Isabelle sat curled up on the edge of the bed, still wearing her soft linen dress, her head bowed low.
Her shoulders were shaking.
Max’s heart dropped.
"Belle," he said immediately, voice low and sharp with concern, crossing the room in three quick strides. "Hey. Hey, what’s wrong?"
She shook her head, wiping at her face furiously with the sleeve of his shirt, like she was trying to erase the evidence.
It didn’t work.
Her cheeks were flushed, eyes red-rimmed, mouth trembling in that way that always gutted him.
Max sat down beside her, close but not crowding her, careful.
He knew her well enough to know she needed a second before he touched her.
Isabelle dragged in a shaky breath. "It’s stupid."
"Nothing that makes you cry is stupid," Max said firmly.
She let out a broken laugh. "Tell that to your future brother-in-law."
Max’s jaw clenched instantly. "Charles?"
Isabelle nodded miserably.
Max didn’t even try to temper the fury that flared in his chest.
"What did he say?" His voice was low, dangerous.
She shook her head again, sniffling. "He—he saw me talking to GP and he thought I was flirting with him."
Max blinked.
And then, against every better instinct, he let out a short, incredulous laugh.
Because seriously?
"Gianpiero Lambiase? My Race Engineer?!" Max said, completely baffled. "He thought you were flirting with GP?"
Isabelle let out a choked noise — somewhere between a sob and a laugh — and Max immediately reached out, pulling her carefully into his chest.
She came willingly, curling into him like she always did, her fists bunching into his shirt.
Max rested his chin on top of her head, his arms wrapped tight around her.
"You were talking about tile grout and kitchen backsplash colors," he muttered into her hair, still half-laughing, half-furious, because GP had told him all about that. And how Isabelle had apparently solved the tile dilemma in the Lambiase Household. "And Charles thought you were seducing a man who literally carries a ‘World’s Best Dad’ mug everywhere?"
Isabelle gave a miserable little laugh through her tears, burying her face in her hands. "I feel horrible. Like I besmirched GP’s honor."
Max full-on laughed this time, wrapping an arm gently around her shoulders and tugging her into his chest.
"Belle," he said, shaking his head against her hair, "you didn’t besmirch anything. You didn’t do anything wrong."
She gave a tiny groan of despair. "His poor wife. I owe her an apology email. And a free kitchen consultation."
Max kissed the top of her head. "His wife’s will probably be crying laughing when she hears this story. She knows what she married — a man who brings spreadsheet printouts to pick out a dishwasher."
That finally coaxed a watery chuckle from her.
"Charles said it looked bad," Isabelle whispered miserably. "Like I was being careless."
Max closed his eyes for a second, breathing through the anger pulsing hot under his skin.
Careless.
Isabelle — who second-guessed every step she took, every word she said.
Isabelle — who bent over backwards to never make anyone uncomfortable.
Isabelle — who had spent years shrinking herself so no one could accuse her of taking up too much space.
Careless.
It made him want to throw something.
"You," Max said, pulling back just enough to look her in the eye, "are the least careless person I have ever met."
She gave him a watery little smile.
"And for the record," Max added, thumb brushing under her damp cheekbone, "if you were actually trying to flirt with someone, it wouldn’t be a married engineer who spends his lunch break arguing about countertop materials and backsplash tiles."
Isabelle laughed properly then, the sound soft and real against his chest.
"There’s my girl," Max murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair.
He rocked them gently for a second, grounding her, feeling the last of the tension bleed out of her body.
"You know what?" he said after a beat, voice lighter. "Next time Charles wants to accuse you of something, make it worth it."
She sniffed, laughing again. "Like what?"
Max shrugged, grinning. "Next time? Flirt with me in the garage. Right in front of him. Really traumatize him."
Isabelle snorted against his chest. "You’re evil."
"Only for you," Max said, kissing the side of her head again. "And besides, you’re much better at flirting than you think."
She lifted her head slightly, giving him a skeptical look.
Max smirked, leaning in until their noses brushed. "You got me, didn’t you?"
And Isabelle, finally smiling for real, kissed him — slow, lingering — like she was remembering exactly how.
Max kissed her back just as fiercely, every slow sweep of his mouth saying what he couldn’t put into words:
I see you. I trust you. I love you.
And he swore, next time anyone made her cry — even Charles — they’d have to go through him first.
And Max Verstappen didn’t lose.
****
Text Messages: Isabelle Leclerc & Emilie Abadie
Isabelle: Remind me again why I came to this race
Emilie: oh no. What happened? Do i need bail money?
Isabelle: I had a fight with Charles. He thought I was flirting with GP. Because we were talking about backsplash tiles for his KITCHEN with his WIFE.
Emilie: I’m going to set something on fire
Isabelle: Please don’t. Max already looks like he wants to fight him.
Emilie: Good.
Emilie: honestly give me 20 minutes and a sharp object
Isabelle: Em
Emilie: No because it’s insane
Emilie: He sees you laughing once and thinks you’re a scandal
Emilie: But when Arthur was publicly dating 13 supermodels a year it’s “boys will be boys”.
Isabelle: I know. It’s just exhausting
Emilie: He’s exhausting. You’re a ray of sunshine. He’s lucky to breathe the same air as you.
Isabelle: You’re very dramatic
Emilie: And you love me for it
Isabelle: I do
Isabelle: Max was perfect about it
Emilie: Of course he was. He worships the ground you walk on
Emilie: Stay strong, stay hydrated and if Charles says anything else dumb, just smile and picture me flipping him off from 5000 miles away
Isabelle: That actually helps
Emilie: Good. Love you.
Isabelle: love you too.
***
Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Gianpiero Lambiase.
Max: You homewrecker
GP: What???
Max: Charles thinks you’re trying to steal my girlfriend 😂
GP: WHAT
GP: MAX WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT
Max: He thought Belle was flirting with you in the paddock
GP: WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BACKSPLASH TILES
GP: AND GROUT COLORS
Max: I know
Max: Belle told me
Max: I’m still laughing
Max: apparently "matte finish" is code for seduction now
GP: MAX
GP: SHE CRITIQUED MY TILE SAMPLE CHOICES
GP: I TOOK NOTES
GP: I SAID THE WORD “NEUTRAL GROUT”
Max: Dangerous game you’re playing, mate
Max: Luring innocent women with your opinions on subway tile.
GP: I’m MARRIED
GP: HAPPILY
GP: FOR FIFTEEN YEARS
GP: I WAS ASKING FOR DESIGN HELP BECAUSE MY WIFE SAID I HAVE “DAD BRAIN” AND NO TASTE
Max: Well now you’ve been accused of seducing my girlfriend with your “dad brain”
Max: big scandal, very dramatic
GP: I just wanted help choosing tile
Max: It gets better
Max: Belle is mortified
Max: She keeps saying she “besmirched your honour” and brought shame upon your grout consultation
GP: ...oh my god
GP: please tell her she did no such thing
GP: she saved me
GP: her recommendation singlehandedly ended a three-week argument with my wife
Max: She will be delighted to hear that
Max: She was preparing to write a formal apology email. And offer to design your whole kitchen free of charge.
GP: Tell her I am in awe
GP: and also a little afraid
GP: She is frighteningly good at backsplash logic
Max: She is.
Max: That’s one of the many, many reasons why I love her.
GP: Next time can we please avoid dragging me into romantic drama over interior finishes
Max: No promises
Max: You’re too charming when you talk grout
**
Text Messages: Gianpiero Lambiase & Eloisa Lambiase
GP: You are not going to believe what happened today
Eloisa: Did Max accidentally make another engineer cry?
GP: No, worse
GP: I have been accused of seducing Max’s girlfriend
Eloisa: I— what
GP: CHARLES LECLERC
GP: thought i was FLIRTING
GP: with HIS SISTER
GP: BECAUSE I ASKED FOR BACKSPLASH TILE ADVICE
Eloisa: I’M SORRY WHAT
Eloisa: YOU SEDUCED ISABELLE LECLERC???
GP: I DIDN’T SEDUCE ANYONE
GP: I was just asking for backsplash advice!
Eloisa: YOU GOT ACCUSED OF FLIRTING DURING A BACKSPLASH CHAT???
GP: It was in the paddock
GP: Charles saw us talking
GP: Apparently Isabelle laughed at something I said
GP: Now she’s a homewrecker and I tried to seduce her.
Eloisa: OH MY GOD I’M CRYING
GP: Max thinks it’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened
GP: He called me "dangerous" and said I was “seducing her by talking about matte finish tiles”
GP: I want to resign
Eloisa: NO
Eloisa: YOU’RE FAMOUS NOW
Eloisa: YOU’RE THE F1 PADDOCK’S MOST DESIRED MAN
GP: Please stop
GP: I was holding my “World’s Best Dad” mug
GP: She was giving professional recommendations
Eloisa: You WERE
Eloisa: and apparently it was HOT
GP: I’m blocking you
Eloisa: No you’re not
Eloisa: You’re my husband, you sexy kitchen-reno Casanova
GP: Max said Isabelle feels terrible and thinks she “besmirched my honour”
Eloisa: please tell her she SAVED us
Eloisa: your choices were horrifying before she stepped in
Eloisa: She’s invited to all future home improvement debates
Eloisa: I trust her judgement more than yours
GP: Apparently she offered to redesign our entire kitchen as an apology.
Eloisa: DO NOT LET HER TAKE THAT BACK
Eloisa: TAKE THE FREE DESIGN WORK
Eloisa: SHE HAS TASTE AND I AM TIRED OF ARGUING ABOUT SUBWAY TILE
GP: I feel like I’ve lost control of my life
Eloisa: You did the moment you started saying “grout lines” like it was sexy
GP: …you used to find that sexy
Eloisa: I still do
Eloisa: Now let the nice woman redesign our kitchen and stop making Max cry with your effortless charm
Eloisa: We’ll have STUNNING countertops.
***
Text Messages: Max Verstappen & Jos Verstappen
Max: Can you do me a favor tomorrow?
Jos: Depends what it is.
Max: Keep an eye on Belle in the paddock for me
Max: I’ll be busy with Race prep and I don't want her stuck alone with the circus.
Jos: Something happen?
Max: Charles was an idiot. Made her cry. Thought she was flirting with GP.
Jos: ...what?
Max: They were talking about backsplash tiles. Tiles, dad
Max: And Charles thought she was seducing him
Max: GP has a wife and a mug that says "world’s best dad".
Max: Belle is mortified and doesn’t want to make a scene but I’d feel better if someone was around.
Jos: Charles is lucky she’s your girlfriend and not mine or i’d have knocked him into next week.
Max: Thanks, dad.
Max: So, you’ll be around?
Jos: Yeah.
Jos: I like her
Max: you do?
Jos: Yes.
Jos: She’s calm
Jos: Doesn’t care about the attention.
Jos: Treats you like a person, not a trophy.
Jos: And she’s polite to everyone.
Jos: You need that, especially with this life
Jos: and she reminds me of your mother.
Jos: The good parts.
Max: Thanks.
Jos: Don’t thank me
Jos: If her brother opens his mouth again, I won’t be as diplomatic as you
Max: Copy that
Jos: Go to sleep. You have a race tomorrow.
***
The sun was barely high enough to cast proper shadows across the paddock yet, but already the place was humming — engines firing up in garages, cameras being unpacked, people moving with that sharp, coiled energy that only came on race days.
Isabelle kept her head down as she crossed toward the Ferrari motorhome, clutching her coffee cup like a lifeline.
She had barely slept.
It wasn’t Charles’ words from yesterday that lingered — it was the old, familiar sting they brought back.
The feeling of being out of place.
Not enough.
Too much.
She was rounding a corner when a voice cut across her path.
"Belle."
She froze.
Turned slowly.
Jos Verstappen stood there.
Arms crossed.
Expression like granite.
For a wild second, Isabelle panicked.
Had she done something wrong?
Was this about... something?
Everything?
Jos jerked his chin toward the side of the hospitality tent.
"Come."
Not a request.
Heart thudding, she followed him.
They walked in silence along the quieter edge of the paddock, boots scuffing against the concrete, the buzz of early morning preparations filling the air around them.
Finally, Jos stopped near a low concrete wall, leaned one elbow on it, and looked at her.
Not soft.
Not kind.
Just... assessing.
"You’re not weak," he said, voice blunt.
Isabelle blinked. "I—thank you?"
Jos grunted. "Don’t let them treat you like you are."
Isabelle opened her mouth, but he held up a hand to cut her off.
"Doesn’t matter what your brother says. Doesn’t matter what anyone sees. You know who you are. You know who you stand next to."
She swallowed hard.
Jos squinted at her, like checking if she understood.
"You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone," he said. "Not even family."
He straightened then, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve like the conversation wasn’t weighing the air between them.
"And if anyone gives you trouble today," Jos added, voice low and deliberate, "tell them they can answer to me."
Isabelle stared at him.
Jos Verstappen — who scared half the paddock with a look — had just offered to fight her battles.
Or at least stand behind her, silent and immovable, like a wall no one could knock down.
Her throat tightened unexpectedly.
Jos shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the lingering emotions.
"You’re good for him," he said roughly. "Better than he deserves, maybe."
Isabelle pressed her lips together hard.
Jos glanced away toward the garages, then back at her.
"Head up," he said. "Eyes forward. You’re a Verstappen now."
And with a short nod — like it was settled, permanent, not up for discussion — he turned and walked off, leaving her standing there, stunned, the weight of his words hitting harder than any podium speech or paddock rumor ever could.
A Verstappen.
She let out a shaky breath, squaring her shoulders.
Head up. Eyes forward.
She could do that.
***
Post Race Press Conference -Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023
Moderator: Congratulations, gentlemen. Max, let’s start with you — your 19th win of the season, an incredible dominant performance. How does it feel wrapping up the year on such a high?
Max Verstappen: It feels good. The team did an amazing job, as always. Car was strong all weekend. I’m happy to end the season this way.
Moderator: Charles, a strong second place today. How would you summarize your season?
Charles: (smiling, relaxed) It’s been a challenging year, but I think we made good progress toward the end. P2 today was the maximum. Happy to finish like this, and looking forward to building next season.
Moderator: George, third place for you today — and second for Mercedes in the Constructors'. Happy with that result?
George: (nods) Yeah, definitely. We knew coming into this weekend it would be tight, so I’m proud of the whole team. Good momentum heading into the winter break.
Moderator: For all three — with it being the last race of the season, a lot of families and friends are here this weekend. How much does it mean to have that kind of support?
Charles: (nodding) It’s always special. Seeing familiar faces after the race, sharing the moment — it makes all the difference.
George: (agreeing quickly) Yeah, it’s important. The season’s so long — having people show up and stick by you is massive.
Max: (voice sharp, no smile) It’s nice. Really nice when the people you care about show up. And I think that is something we need appreciate more and shouldn’t take for granted. It makes you realize who's paying attention — and who’s not.
(Charles stiffens slightly, casting a sidelong glance at Max, visibly confused. George starts tapping his fingers quietly against his knee like he’s trying to physically distract himself.)
Moderator: Moving on—Charles, you mentioned building for next season. Where do you think Ferrari needs to improve to challenge Red Bull more consistently?
Charles: I think we’ve made steps forward with race pace. But qualifying is still critical. We have to start stronger next year.
(Max’s mouth twitches — not quite a smile.)
Moderator: George, same question for you regarding Mercedes?
George: (relieved to be asked something normal) Yeah, similar. We’re closing the gap, but there’s still work to do. Everyone’s going to push hard over the winter.
Moderator: Charles, what was the most challenging part of your race today?
Charles: Uh, tire management, probably. We tried a different strategy and it wasn’t perfect. But we’ll learn from it and come back stronger next year.
Max: (flatly, without looking at him) Learning is important. Assuming you recognize the problem.
(George visibly bites his cheek to keep from reacting.)
Moderator: (to George, desperate for a less icy subject) George, what does the off-season look like for you?
George: (relieved) Um—sleep. Lots of sleep. Definitely time with family and friends. Just recharge and come back ready.
Moderator: And Charles?
Charles: (smiling automatically) Spending time with family and friends. Relaxing. Recharging.
Max: (calm, but brutal) Spending time with people who actually care about you. (pause) Quality over quantity.
(Dead silence in the room.)
(George stares at the floor like it might swallow him.)
(Charles looks genuinely confused.)
Moderator: (quickly) Alright, thank you, gentlemen. That’s all for today.
***
Meanwhile on Twitter:
@/f1oversteer: Why was Max looking at charles like he wanted to fistfight him during the press conference???
@/paddocktea: not to be dramatic but Max verstappen’s post-race energy was "say one more word and i'll launch you into the sun" and it was entirely directed at charles leclerc. what is going ON
@/racingincircles: ok but the way Max said "the people who actually show up" while STARING at charles... 😭😭😭 what did he mean by that
@/gp2engine: did charles and Max have a secret fistfight behind the garages or something why is the vibe so violent
@/monaco_mafia: george sitting in the middle of Max and charles looking like a victorian child watching his parents argue at dinner
@/f1clownery: i know charles is confused but the rest of us are confused too king WHO UPSET MAX
@/wheelsextension: i’m sorry but charles leclerc’s energy today was so "what did i do" and Max’s was "you know exactly what you did"... except i don't think he does and neither do we… i need answers
@pitlanepettiness: sources (vibes) are saying something WILD is going down behind the scenes and i for one am ready for the netflix edit
@fastlanefreaks: you could feel the beef through the screen. i am eating it up but also terrified.
@motorsportmess: Max smiling tightly while charles is visibly sweating and george is trying to disappear into the floorboards... academy award winning drama
@/griddyforgp: Max throwing shade like it's personal and charles sitting there looking like he just got accused of murder
@/ferrarifangirl: charles: 😐 Max: 🙂🔪 george: 👀👟💨
@/f1sillyseason: petition for someone to tell us the FULL tea immediately i am not surviving the offseason otherwise
@/maxstappen44: someone check the abu dhabi paddock for the body bc Max BURIED charles during that conference and no one even noticed at first
@/charlesupportgroup: me watching Max roast my boy alive while he looks increasingly confused 👁️👄👁️
@/f1updates: sources in the paddock say “everyone’s being normal” but the vibes are off like someone’s about to get unfollowed on instagram levels of off
@/abudhabidrama: you are telling me Max verstappen and charles leclerc are beefing and i don't even get a backstory??? this is abuse
@/f1wagsleaks: what the actual hell is going on between Max and charles?? Max had BEEF ENERGY in that press conference and charles looked like he had no idea why i’m obsessed
@/formulachaos: MAX: “It’s nice when the people in your life actually show up to support you :)” stares directly at Charles CHARLES: 🧍♂️ GEORGE: 👀🚪
@/postracegossip: this is officially the most tense podium press conference i’ve ever seen someone bring popcorn and possibly a referee
@/notdutchjustfast: someone explain to me like I’m five: Why is Max acting like Charles ran over his cat and why is Charles acting like he doesn’t remember what a cat is
@/f1girliesunite: this has nothing to do with racing and everything to do with a woman, I feel it
@/danriccsmilez:George Russell is the human equivalent of the “I do not see it” meme rn He saw whatever drama that was and said “not my circus, not my millionaires”
@/mclarenshadowstalker: Lando. speak now. We know you know TELL US
@/chaosandcheckered: Next year’s Drive to Survive is going to need a trigger warning
***
Text Messages: George Russell & Alex Albon
George: Mate, do you know what’s going on between max and charles
Alex: what Alex: no Alex: why
George: Press conference was WEIRD George: Max basically roasted him alive George: Charles looked like he didn’t even know why
Alex: lol Alex: no idea Alex: i wasn’t even paying attentio
George: alex George: seriously George: it was tense
Alex: how tense are we talking Alex: like Alex: mild paddock gossip tense Alex: or Alex: security might need to intervene tense
George: somewhere in the middle George: like "passive aggressive christmas dinner" levels of tense
Alex: oof Alex: hate that
George: i swear max was this close to throwing a chair
Alex: charles wouldn’t survive that Alex: he’d just start apologizing and not know why
George: that’s the problem George: he looked genuinely confused
Alex: 😂😂 Alex: classic
George: seriously George: if you hear anything George: tell me George: i don’t want to get blindsided if they start swinging in parc fermé
Alex: lmao Alex: will keep ears open Alex: but rn all i know is Alex: max is mad Alex: charles is confused Alex: george is stressed
George: useless
Alex: you knew that when you texted me 🫶
***
Text Messages: George Russell & Lando Norris
George: Mate George: What’s going on with max and charles
Lando: Uh Lando: what do you mean
George: don’t play dumb George: press conference was insane George: max basically called him fake to his face
Lando: 👀 Lando: i mean Lando: uh Lando: i didn’t really notice anything
George: lando
Lando: maybe max’s just tired?? Lando: long season Lando: lots of emotions you know 😅
George: he looked ready to rip someone’s head off
Lando: 😬 Lando: well Lando: maybe he just really cares about honesty and support and…stuff
George: what do you know
Lando: nothing
George: lando.
Lando: i don’t know anything i can legally say
George: what does that even mean
Lando: listen mate Lando: for your own safety Lando: stay out of it
George: out of what??
Lando: THE VORTEX
George: what vortex
Lando: the verstappen-leclerc vortex Lando: you don’t want to get sucked in
George: lando. George: what did max do George: what did charles do
Lando: max didn’t do anything Lando: charles didn’t do anything Lando: everyone’s innocent Lando: and i’m especially innocent
George: you’re being very suspicious
Lando: i’m being ALIVE Lando: which is what you should focus on
George: so i should be worried
Lando: VERY worried Lando: but not about you Lando: about your proximity to the drama
George: brilliant George: great George: fantastic
Lando: good chat 😌
George: remind me to never trust you again
Lando: you never should’ve started
***
Fernando Alonso liked to think he was good at reading people.
Came with the territory — two decades in Formula 1, countless teammates, politics thicker than engine oil. You survived by knowing who was lying, who was hiding something, who was seconds from setting fire to their own garage.
And today? Today, something was off.
He was leaning casually against the Aston Martin hospitality wall, sipping a tiny, bitter espresso, when he saw it.
Max Verstappen. Walking through the paddock. Not alone.
Isabelle Leclerc, right beside him.
Nothing scandalous. No hand-holding, no grand gestures. Just two people walking.
But Max — Max, who barely let people breathe the same air as him — was walking close. Protective. Easy. Like it wasn’t new. Like it wasn’t a secret.
Fernando narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses.
Interesting.
He watched them — Max steering her casually through the chaos with a light touch at the small of her back, Isabelle laughing at something he said, bright and unbothered.
Fernando turned slightly, caught a glimpse of Charles Leclerc a few garages down — not noticing any of this.
More interesting.
Later, during media rounds, he saw Lando Norris visibly flinch when someone mentioned Isabelle's name near a microphone.
And Fernando — two-time world champion, professional paddock gossip connoisseur — put it all together.
After all, he hadn’t survived in this sport for nothing.
He caught Max alone for a moment near the Red Bull hospitality, standing with that casual, lazy posture that fooled no one.
Fernando strolled up, espresso in hand.
"Congratulations," Fernando said smoothly. "On the race. And... other things."
Max raised an eyebrow, cool as ever. "Thanks."
Fernando sipped his coffee, studying him over the rim of the cup. "You think Charles is going to kill you when he finds out?"
Max’s mouth twitched. "Eventually."
Fernando chuckled, low and pleased. "Good. It was getting boring around here."
Max just smirked, entirely unbothered.
Fernando shook his head, amused beyond measure. "You know," he said, stepping back, "I always knew you were a reckless bastard. Just didn’t think you'd go for family drama reckless."
Max tipped his head slightly, as if accepting the compliment.
"And her?" Fernando asked, almost curiously. "Isabelle?"
Max’s smirk faded, just a little, replaced by something quieter. Steadier.
Fernando recognized it immediately — the rare thing that made even champions stupid.
Real.
Not for show. Not for the cameras. Not for PR.
Max shrugged one shoulder, casual but firm. "She’s worth it."
Fernando barked a short laugh, clapped Max on the shoulder once. "Good," he said. "Make it worth it."
Then he tossed back the rest of his espresso, tossed the cup into a bin without looking, and strolled away — whistling under his breath.
Because finally, finally, the paddock was interesting again.
***
The roar of celebration had faded behind them. No club lights, no champagne-soaked chaos, no loud music or podium flashbacks playing on screens.
Just altitude, quiet, and the steady hum of the jet engines as they cut through the darkness above the Gulf.
Isabelle curled into the wide leather seat, legs tucked beneath her, Max’s hoodie swallowed around her frame. Across from her, Max sat slouched with one arm thrown over the back of the seat, utterly at ease. The cap was gone, curls slightly messy. His race suit was half-unzipped and swapped for a black t-shirt. He looked tired. Soft around the edges.
He’d insisted they skip the party. Said he’d had enough noise. Said he just wanted to go home. Said she was home.
She hadn’t argued.
Now, with the cabin lights dimmed and the stars beyond the windows flickering against the black, Isabelle found herself staring at him — at his calm, unreadable profile — and feeling something enormous pressing against her chest.
"Your dad found me this morning," she said, voice quiet, almost lost in the hum.
Max turned to her immediately, alert in that subtle way he always was when it came to her. "Yeah?"
She nodded, gaze dropping to the thin gold ring around her thumb — one he’d bought her in Tokyo because she’d paused in front of a shop window for half a second.
"He pulled me aside. Said some things."
Max’s brows lifted. "Bad things?"
She shook her head. "No. Just... direct."
Max’s mouth twitched. "So, my father."
Isabelle smiled faintly. "He told me I wasn’t weak. That I didn’t have to explain myself to anyone. That I was a Verstappen now."
That made Max still. Not alarmed. Not tense. Just still. Like the words had rooted somewhere deep.
"He said if anyone gave me trouble, they’d have to answer to him," she added, voice softer now. "Then just walked off like he hadn’t made me want to cry in the middle of the paddock."
Max leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, elbows propped. Watching her.
"I didn’t ask him to say that," he said, measured. "I only asked him to look out for you."
"I know," she murmured.
"And?" he asked, eyes searching hers. "Did it help?"
She let out a slow breath. "Yeah. It helped. It was... grounding. A little terrifying. But grounding."
Max smiled, small and real. "He likes you."
"Scary way of showing it," she said wryly.
Max shrugged. "He doesn’t know how to be soft. But loyalty? That’s his version of love."
She nodded slowly. Let the words sink in.
After a moment, she added, quieter still: "It meant something. Hearing that. Being told I belonged."
Max reached across the space between them and took her hand, threading their fingers together.
"In every way that matters," he said, voice low, steady, fierce, "you already are."
Her eyes flicked up to his.
"You’re mine," Max added, thumb brushing along the curve of her knuckle. "My partner. My person. My home."
She swallowed thickly. His hand was warm, steady. Unmoving.
"And if you want your passport to match someday..."
He smiled, just a little — not teasing, not even hinting.
Promise.
"We’ll make that happen too."
Isabelle’s breath hitched.
There was no rush.
No pressure.
But it was there — quiet and solid and waiting.
The life they were building.
She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, leaning across the aisle until her forehead rested against his.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I know," Max murmured. "I love you more."
And the hum of the engines, the silence of the sky, the softness of this stolen moment — it all folded in around them like a secret the world hadn’t figured out yet.
But soon.
Soon, they wouldn’t be hiding anymore.
And Isabelle — steady and ready — would meet it all head-on. Head up. Eyes forward.
Like a Verstappen.
***
Instagram Story: @/isabelleleclerc
***
Meanwhile on Twitter:
@/gridgossip: Isabelle ending her q&a by thanking people for asking about HER and not her brothers... I'm crying in the club actually
@/monacoprincess: no bc imagine living your whole life in the shadow of your brothers and finally being like "thank you for seeing me". this girl deserves the world
@/paddocktalk: her just wanting to exist as HERSELF not "charles' sister" not "leclerc family member #3" just isabelle i’m going to start swinging
@/f1girlie: the worst part is you can TELL she didn’t expect people to care about her and she still answered so kindly and openly… protect her at all costs
@/undercutqueen: me watching isabelle leclerc quietly exist without demanding attention and somehow being the most interesting person in the paddock [insert emotional damage meme]
@/rbrsunshine: no bc the amount of grace and patience isabelle must have to live in the leclerc orbit and STILL be this soft and sweet… i would have gone feral YEARS ago
@/paddocktea: the fact that this was her first Q&A ever and she was genuinely shocked people asked about her and not charles/arthur??? we failed her as a society
@/tifosimama: you know what? isabelle leclerc appreciation post. talented. stylish. kind. strong. soft-spoken but powerful. this is an isabelle stan account now.
@/f1girlies: when isabelle said "everyone should have an emilie" about emilie…i just. i need to go lie down.
@/mclarenmischief: also her talking about victoria verstappen??? saying "not a lot of people can understand what it’s like” like no wonder they’re close. It’s a whole different kind of fear
@/ferrarifangirl: THE WAY ISABELLE AND VICTORIA UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO EXPLAIN IT… that hit way harder than i expected
@/gridgossip: isabelle casually saying "everyone deserves one friend like emilie" has me SOBBING at 3pm on a Monday
@/gridgossip: new theory: what if she’s been cat-sitting Max’s cats this whole time and we’ve just been clowns not seeing it
@/p1princess: what if the cats always knew…what if sassy and jimmy were the REAL first ones to approve of belle
@/redbullracingwives: charles not letting isabelle borrow his cars is both hilarious and the most big brother energy imaginable
@/honeybadgerenergy: ISABELLE LECLERC DRIVES A VOLVO
not a ferrari
not a lamborghini
a VOLVO
she's actually mothering the entire paddock i fear
@/gridgossip: isabelle leclerc posting a literal MOODBOARD during a casual q&a and it’s everything i want my future house to be
she’s unreal
@/mclarenmischief: her caption was literally "be nice" and then she dropped the most perfect moodboard like it was NOTHING
I don't know if you're accepting writing requests, but I thought about it just now.
I don't know if you know that people are talking about Sebastian's “possible return” in 2025 with Mercedes. So I thought you could write part 3 of "a shared story"? Sort of like if the two of them came back, their son appeared. Anyway, it's up to you to write, that's all that came to mind.
A SHARED HISTORY: THE RETURN| S.VETTEL
Pairing; Sebastian Vettel x Wife!driver!reader
Summary; With the news of Lewis moving to Ferrari in 2025, the formula one world is in chaos and Mercedes is left to find a driver, why not ask their for their best to return?
Warnings; Lewis is perceived as a bit of a dick.
F1 Master List , Part 1, Part 2
When something was a constant in your life for so long it was hard to part with the routines that came with it which is why Y/N found herself in her and Seb’s home gym at five in the morning even over a year after retiring and only a few months after having a baby.
It was working well in her favour though because with the addition of the working out she did during her pregnancy she pretty much had her body back the way it was pre-baby.
She was scrolling through her phone to try and find a song to start her workout with when she got a notification from her f1 app and her face dropped as she clicked on it.
LEWIS HAMILTON TO JOIN FERRARI IN 2025
The message filled her screen as she simply stared in shock.
Workout forgotten, Y/N turned around and ran up the stairs. "Seb."
She jumped on their bed and aggressively shook him, "Sebastian, wake up!" She whisper shouted, not wanting to wake the baby. "Sebastian!"
He turned his head over to look up at her with half-closed eyes, "what time is it?" He muttered.
"Who cares? Lewis is moving to Ferrari."
That woke him right up, he pulled the top half of his body into a sitting position and forced his eyes fully open, looking at Y/N in disbelief. "What?"
"It’s everywhere, he’s driving for them in 2025."
Seb continued to look at her in shock, "Is he okay? How could he be so stupid?"
His words struck something within Y/N, knowing how rough her husbands time at Ferrari had been, how she had watched his demeanour shrink throughout the years he spent there, how guilty she felt winning near enough every race whilst the love of her life felt like he was getting nowhere.
It also caused her to think about Lewis himself and the things he had said about his team last season, as though Mercedes hadn’t made him who he was and now he was leaving after one particularly rough season. "Apparently he only told the team two days ago," she muttered.
"No," Seb uttered, not believing that Lewis would tell the team only two days before the entire world knew. "Poor Carlos," he added, knowing how Ferrari treated their drivers when they had found a replacement for them.
"You’d think Lewis wouldn’t have taken that seat considering he knows how toxic that environment is, I hope he doesn’t think he’ll be number one driver just because of his experience," Y/N thought aloud.
"He’ll be very disappointed if that’s what he does think," Seb scoffed, the resentment he felt towards Ferrari breaking through, it was hard not to with not only the way they treated him but the way the fans did too. Their refusal to accept that he was in fact not the problem but it’s in fact the poor communication and leadership within the team.
"I think I’ll ring Toto later, it’s four am in England right now, I doubt he’d be impressed if I rang him now." Y/N smirked.
Sebastian smiled "He’ll probably be up with the news being released."
Y/N hummed in agreement before reaching up to push Seb’s hair back from his forehead, "I’m going to go start this workout before Ansel wakes up, you can go back to sleep, sorry for waking you," she leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips.
"It’s okay, liebe." Sebastian laid back down and watched Y/N walk out the their bedroom, there was no chance he was going back to sleep now that she’d woken him up but she didn’t have to know that.
Later in the day.
"Hi, baby!" Y/N cooed to her son who she held in up in the air, loving the loud uncontrollable giggles that he let out. In the past two and a half months he hasn’t lost those beautiful blonde curls he got from Sebastian, bright white coils sprouted in every direction and with his bright blue eyes, baby Ansel would no doubt be a heartbreaker when he was older.
She laid him back down on the floor and tickled his belly, enticing another round of laughter to burst from him. "God I love you so much, you’re so cute."
"Liebe?" Seb walked into the living room with her phone in his hand.
"Yeah, who is it?" Y/N paused her tickling and allowed Ansel to catch his breath.
"Toto," her brows shot up in surprise at Sebastian’s response, she didn’t have to give him a call after all. "I’ll watch him whilst you speak to him," Seb handed her the phone before picking Ansel up from the floor with an over dramatic grunt and leaving the room.
Y/N places the phone against her ear, "Hello?"
"Y/N! Hi, how are you doing?" Toto’s thick Austrian accent sounded through the phone.
"I’m doing amazing, I’d ask you the same question but I’ve seen the news and I can’t imagine you’re doing great," she sympathised.
"It’s been chaotic to say the least," Toto replied honestly, "I only found out two days ago and I was surprised if I’m being honest."
"He only told you two days ago as well?" Y/N was surprised. "I saw that he told the team two days ago but I thought he would’ve told you sooner."
"I thought he would have too but he didn’t, I’m going to be straight with you, Y/N, I am calling for a particular reason."
Y/N stared at the blank wall in front of her, curious as to what he might’ve called for. "Go on…"
"Have you done much training or simulator work since retiring?" Toto asked absentmindedly.
His question shocked her into silence for a moment before replying. "I trained all throughout my pregnancy and I’ve still been training, I’ve cut back on the neck training but other than that it’s remained the same really and I’ve done a bit of simulator work but not much, I haven’t really found the time to keep that up."
"I understand, you’ve probably been very busy with a newborn, it can be hard," Toto said understandingly.
"I think we’ve been lucky to be honest, Ansel’s quite calm."
"I’m going to be blunt here," Toto told her, "what do you think of becoming a seven time world champion?"
Y/N froze completely at his question.
She knew what he was asking but she just couldn’t allow that idea to simmer in her mind, not when it had taken her so long to become content without racing in her life. "I have a son to take off."
"I know," Toto responded, "and I would never ask you to give that up, I understand completely how he is your number one priority, you have a family to take care of and I don’t expect you to put racing above your family but Y/N, you are the best driver Mercedes has ever had and I don’t believe you’ve accomplished everything you could."
"That’s a very big ask, Toto," Y/N released a heavy breath.
"It’s for 2025, you can sit on it until half way through the season but I can promise you if you agree, it will be a championship winning car." The confidence in Toto’s voice was impossible to miss.
"You’ve already started designing it, haven’t you?" She mused.
"Yes, we aren’t taking any chances of losing in 2025, we want you back Y/N, we didn’t want you to leave in the first place. George is a great driver but he’s only been with us one season and he is not number 1 driver ready yet."
"I’ll think about it but I am not promising anything," she iterated, wanting him to acknowledge that the chances of her returning were very very slim.
"I’m glad you’re at least considering it, take as long as you need," Toto repeated his earlier words and Y/N ensured she would be taking all of the time she was given before they bid their goodbyes.
As the call ended, Y/N felt a heavy wait in her chest, the idea of returning to formula one hadn’t even crossed her mind because she never thought the opportunity would even arise and her and Seb were making their family, the family they always wanted.
She pushed the idea out of her mind and pulled herself up from the floor, she walked into the kitchen and began looking through the fridge for ideas on what to make her and Seb for lunch.
"What did he want?"
Y/N jumped and snapped her head to the doorway where Seb was stood, holding a sleeping Ansel against his chest. He frowned at her reaction because she wasn’t one to be easily frightened.
"Uhm," Y/N cleared her throat and closed the fridge. "He was just asking how we were and telling me about the whole Lewis situation, the parts the media didn’t know."
Her response set off alarm bells in Sebastian’s mind that made him thing there was something else, something she hadn’t been anticipating. "Anything else?" He asked,
Y/N swallowed and looked down at the floor, she could never lie to him about anything but especially not something this big. "He, uhm, he asked me to come back. He wants me to drive for Mercedes again."
Sebastian’s hands subconsciously tightened around Ansel’s body at the news, he stood frozen in the doorway with a blank face as he processed what that could mean. "Wow," it was the only word that expressed what he was feeling right now.
Y/N scoffed out a laugh and nodded. "Yeah."
The lost look on her face tugged at Seb’s heart and he stepped across the threshold into the kitchen and walked closer to her. "Would you want to?" He asked in an almost whisper.
Y/N shrugged weakly. "I have no idea," she replied honestly. "When I retired, I felt lost and I thought that feeling would never leave and I convinced myself I had made the worst mistake I could ever make. I had everything, I was still at the height of my career and to suddenly not be racing anymore…. It was hard, you know that, but then Ansel was born and this new life we have made it all worth it to me. I accepted I wouldn’t be going back but now Toto is literally holding out that seat in the palm of his hand and i don’t know what to do."
Sebastian adjusted Ansel so he was holding him in one arm and wrapped the other around Y/N’s shoulder, pulling her into his body. She rested her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around her boys, smiling as Seb pressed a kiss to her head. "How long do you have before you need to make a decision?" He asked.
"Until about halfway through the season, I told him I’d probably need every bit of that time," Y/N muttered before looking up at him. "Can I ask you a question?"
Sebastian smirked, "you just did," he teased causing her to roll her eyes. "Go on." He added seriously this time.
"Would you be okay with it if I did say yes? I’m not saying I want to but I definitely wouldn’t if you want things to stay how they are, without all of the travelling."
It was one of the things that truly made their marriage work, they both understood that it was in fact a partnership and would never agree to something that the other person wasn’t a hundred percent on board with.
He thought about her question for a moment before answering. "I didn’t retire because of the travelling, I retired because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I wasn’t meant to be a midfield or back of the field driver and that’s the only place I ended up. If you find that you do want to return then Ansel and I will follow you."
The two of them left the conversation there, not speaking of it anymore for the next couple of weeks as Y/N didn’t want to stress herself with feeling the need to make a decision as quick as possible.
February 2024
"OH FUCK OFF!" Y/N groaned loudly the minute she saw Danica Patrick appear on the screen.
Sebastian tilted his head back against the sofa and laughed at her reaction.
They weren’t even half way through the first episode before she showed up onto the screen and YN wasn’t impressed to say the least. "Why the fuck is she here?"
"She wants to tell everyone what the mindset of an f1 driver is like," Sebastian teased and YN scoffed.
"Oh yes please, let this woman who knows nothing about f1 tell me how I felt when I was in that car for fifteen years. I mean, if they want a woman, ask Susie!"
"I doubt she’d say yes after last year." Sebastian snorted.
"Yeah, that’s true," YN agreed, reaching for the remote to skip until Danica was no longer on the screen.
2nd March 2024
In case Y/N did choose to return to formula one in 2025 she had returned to her full training and diet so that she would have as much preparation as possible which was why the coffee table was filled with healthy snacks, much to Seb’s dismay, as the pair of them snuggled up on the sofa with a now four month old Ansel between them, ready to watch the first race of the season.
The entire weekend her eyes hadn’t left the W15, it hadn’t surprised her that they had incorporated part of the iconic silver design that Mercedes was famous for since it was Lewis’ last season. She had watched the launch of the car and it felt awkward for her, knowing that Lewis was leaving made it feel tense but that could’ve just been her imagination.
The RedBull was a rocket which wasn’t surprising after their success last season, she doubted they had changed much, they hadn’t needed to but what was fascinating was how the W15 didn’t seem so bad in comparison, George was driving that car as if they were one.
Now being able to see the improvement from last year, the confidence she heard in Toto’s voice for next year made sense to her. She believed him in his promise that next years car would be capable of earning her a seventh title and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t now tempted.
"It’s looking good," Sebastian commented lightly, subtly side eying her.
"Yeah it is," She replied, her eyes not leaving the tv screen as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
A month later
Sebastian apprehensively walked into the living room, smiling at the sight of Y/N lying on the sofa with Ansel asleep against her chest, her hands resting on his back protectively.
She looked up at the sound of his light footsteps and smiled before noticing the wary expression on his face. "Hey, are you okay?"
Sebastian swallowed thickly. "You’re not going to believe this…."
Y/N rose a challenging brow, "yeah? Try me."
"Christian just called."
"Horner?"
Sebastian nodded, walking over and sitting on the sofa by Y/N’s feet. "He isn’t resigning Perez next year, he’s offered me a seat."
If it wasn’t for the seriousness of the conversation, the look of shock on Y/N’s face would’ve been laughable. "Seriously!?"
Sebastian nodded and Y/N let out a small laugh, "Wow," she whispered. "Do you want it?"
"I don’t know," he replied honestly. "I understand the pressure you feel under now, to make a decision. I asked if I could think it through, I also have till mid season to give an answer."
His words caused her to smile as a memory flickered through her mind.
"Seb and I entered formula one together and it feels right to leave it together too, it's great knowing that we quite literally went through the entire thing with each other"
The pair of them had never driven in formula one without the other, if they both returned then that connection between the two of them would remain too. It was a beautiful connection that meant a lot to Y/N for a reason she couldn’t really think of.
She didn’t want to lose that.
That one flicker of a memory had solidified her decision in a mere second.
"If you were in that RedBull would it return your drive and passion for racing?" She asked softly.
Seb set his eyes on his sleeping son for a moment as he thought about her question before returning his gaze to hers. "I think it would."
"Would it ignite a hunger for a fifth title?"
"Yes," Sebastian answered immediately and Y/N smiled.
RedBull was an important part of their careers, it was where she had started out and won her first title and it was where Seb had achieved all of his records and titles.
"I think you have your answer, Seb. You just haven’t convinced yourself it’s real."
Three months later, Austria 🇦🇹 (30th June 2024)
Sebastian and Y/N walked through the Spielberg paddock, a seven month old Ansel was attached to Sebastian’s chest in a baby carrier, his face covered from the cameras with a hat.
They waved to the fans as they walked by but didn’t stop to speak or take photos because they had places to be, they entered the pits and walked past eight team garages, parting once they reached the Mercedes garage, Sebastian continued towards RedBull.
Toto Wolff, the man she was looking for, was standing in the entrance and seemingly waiting for her.
Y/N walked up to him with a cheeky smile on her face and stood beside him in silence, the pair of them looking inside of the garage to where the mechanics were working on the car.
"You weren’t lying to me," she eventually spoke, keeping her voice quiet from prying ears.
Toto looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, not understanding what she meant.
"The car," she explained. "It’s going to be worthy of a title, isn’t it?"
She wasn’t talking about the car in front of her, she was talking about the W16, the one that hadn’t been built yet.
"Yes," he responded surely.
"Okay," she nodded, only now removing her eyes from the car to look him in the eyes. "Well, I want to look over your numbers and speak to the designers because I will not be driving a car that looks like a four year old picked it out and I get to choose how the news is released."
She watched as the realisation slowly took over his features, the shock that riddled his face would forever be ingrained into her mind. "Seriously?" He asked, voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and hope.
"Unless you’ve found someone else?" She asked teasingly, knowing he most certainly hadn’t and even if he had, he wanted her more.
Toto quickly shook his head as a smile grew on his face, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Y/N’s waist, lifting her feet from the floor as he took her into a bear hug, the pair of them laughed as he spun her round once in utter joy before setting her back down.
No doubt the media would soon be filled with suspicions and theories about what their conversation had been about and what she had said that had caused Toto’s overly happy reaction.
Just over a month later (beginning of August 2024)
With both Sebastian and YN now giving Toto and Christian the verbal agreement that they would drive for Mercedes and RedBull in 2025, it caused for both them and Ansel to make the move back to their property in England.
The summer break had now begun so it was the perfect time for them to sign their contracts and go through all of the necessary things to get prepared for next season and to get back into the swing of things.
This included deciding on when to announce the information of their return.
Both Sebastian and Y/N had given Christian and Toto the conditions that they wanted the news of their return to be together which meant a combined photoshoot and social media post from both Mercedes and RedBull teams.
It also meant that the two team principals and their heads of social media needed to work together to come to a compromise that everyone was happy with for the release.
They weren’t very happy having to work so close together but both were eager for their star drivers back that they pushed through.
It also meant that both teams were holding a shared secret about the other team.
As of right now the only people that knew Sebastian and Y/N Vettel were returning to Formula One were Christian, Toto and each teams head of social media, and family of course.
As neither team principal wanted to step into enemy territory, it left the announcement photoshoot to happen in the Vettel household.
The pair of them were stood in their living room in front of a black backdrop with their race suits on and since they didn’t have their 2025 helmets yet, they used the helmets they retired with.
Both their visors were up as they rested their foreheads against each other and stared into each other’s eyes with serious looks on their faces, preparing to show to the world that they were back and they weren’t playing around.
"Just cause you have your good luck charm back doesn’t mean you’ll be able to catch up to us."
Y/N and Seb rolled their eyes simultaneously,
"You’ve gotten very cocky after a short lucky streak, get to seven in a row and then we’ll start talking." Toto didn’t hesitate in replying.
"How about instead of comparing cock sizes, you two can figure out a date that we launch this news because you still haven’t came to an agreement." Y/N smiled sarcastically causing Sebastian to laugh at the way they promptly shut up.
"Great. If I have to listen to you two go at it next year then I will whip both your arses, got it?"
The two team principles nodded at her words so she turned back to Sebastian, who was looking at her in amusement, so that they could continue with the photos.
November 2024
It was Ansel’s first birthday today and you and Seb were refusing anything formula one today, the entire day was for your son and you both would give him every bit of your attention.
You and Seb were still 100% serious that he came above everything else and you both would remain stern on that, both Christian and Toto understood that yours and Sebastian’s conditions were that your son came first and that was the only reason you agreed to return.
Ansel didn’t at all understand the purpose of a birthday or opening presents so it left you and Seb to open his gifts but he did have the time of his life playing with all of his new toys.
Y/N still couldn’t believe this was her life. Sebastian and Ansel were her everything and to think if Christian Horner out of all people hadn’t taken a chance on her that she wouldn’t be where she is now is crazy and now she had been given the opportunity to return to the sport that had young drivers lining up to be a part of, she knew how lucky she was and she would never take it for granted.
December 2024, Abu Dhabi
If there was one thing that Christian and Toto had in common it was their flare for dramatics, both wished for the news of the Vettel’s returning to take the world by storm and so they were announcing it the day of the last race of the season which was in two days.
Barely any of the team even knew, George now did which he was thrilled about but Toto didn’t want to tell Lewis the news, Y/N thought he was feeling a bit petty and still a bit hurt from how long it took Lewis to tell him about him moving to Ferrari and just wanted to maybe get one up on the driver.
In the meantime, Y/N was going to take George’s car out for a couple of laps today before free practice and none of the team knew it yet but that was about to change.
The garage privacy barriers were up as the team watched in shock and building excitement as Y/N got into George’s car. She smiled as an immediate feeling of content mixed with anticipation built within her, her body knowing this is exactly where she belonged.
She had her 2022 helmet on so if anyone looked carefully they would definitely know that it was not George inside the car.
"Can you hear me, Marcus?"
"I can hear you loud and clear, Y/N. It’s good to have you back."
"Let’s do this then." She put a thumbs up towards one of the team members to move the barriers, gave a nod to Toto who was watching her with a blank expression on his face, (she thought he might be worried that she’d change her mind after giving this apparent shit box a drive) before she pressed down on the accelerator and left the garage.
Leaving the pits, Y/N grinned as best as she could beneath her helmet as she pressed down further on the throttle, smoothing through the gears as she increased her speed.
As she got onto the straight after turn 5, she heard Marcus in her ear. "How are you feeling, Y/N?"
"Great! Just like riding a bike." She replied, the tone of her voice making it clear that she had a large smile on her face.
"Nice to know you’ve still got it, we never doubted you for a second." Marcus told her before cutting the connection.
Up in the commentary box where David Croft and Martin Brundle were setting up for the weekend, they both looked out onto the track in confusion at the sight of the Mercedes, they hooked up their microphones before speaking.
"And that’s the Mercedes of George Russel on the track, free practise hasn’t started yet so I’m not sure if they’re allowed to be doing that…." Crofty’s voice sounded through the track speakers.
"That Mercedes seems to be driving better than it has all season, they haven’t put any updates on for the final race, have they? Is that even allowed?" Martin Brundle continued.
"Let’s see, are we able to take a closer look at that?" Crofty asked, followed by the screens on the grandstand zooming in on the car as it drove on the track. "…..that is not George Russell’s helmet…."
"Isn’t it? Who’s driving his car?" Martin questioned.
"I’m not sure, I’m also not sure this is actually allowed."
"I don’t think Mercedes actually care at this point- sorry, I’ll rephrase that actually. I don’t think Toto Wolff even cares what is allowed at this point."
"Okay, Y/N, if you could bring it into the pits now, we’re going to keep you in the car until the barriers are back up." Marcus instructed.
"Copy," Y/N replied.
The mechanics wheeled her into the garage and put the shutters down so that no one could see inside as she got out of the car.
As soon as her feet hit the ground she was embraced with pats on the back by happy team members.
George approached her with a smile on his face and was shaking his head at her. "I’m not sure how I feel about this anymore, you’d have managed to put that shit box on the second row with that second lap time." His tone made it clear that he was just joking and he was actually more than looking forward to have her as a team mate.
"I’ve still got it then, that’s good."
"It’s great," Toto’s voice from behind her made her jump and then around. "You think we should tell the team?"
"Now?" Y/N asked in surprise and Toto nodded, gesturing that she could do the honours.
Y/N gave him a toothy smile before stepping forward and climbing on top of George’s car, standing just in front of the halo, drawing the attention of everyone in the garage.
"Hey everyone! I know this season has been quite rough on you all, not just with the lack of results the team is used to but also with the fact that we all know Lewis has made the decision to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari which was as much of a surprise to me as I’m sure it was to you guys and it’s honestly been hard for me to see a lot of you feel a bit lost as to how the team can make a comeback and be on top but I do hope that next year you’ll all be able to see just how great Mercedes is and to hopefully regain that hunger because I know I’m hungry for a seventh title and I have every bit of faith that this team can help me achieve that when I come back and drive for you next year…."
The garage filled with a series of gasps followed by cheers that would definitely be heard from outside.
"…this is a finalised decision, Toto and I have been speaking all year and we’ve both signed the contract and I do hope you’re happy to have me back."
The team clapped and the garage was filled with whistles and cheers again as she finished and climbed down from the car.
"The news is going to be released Sunday morning so if you could all keep it on the down low until then it would be greatly appreciated!" She finalised before turning to Toto and George with a raised eyebrow. "There you go, no turning back now."
And for the rest of the weekend, the entire paddock could see the change in the Mercedes team, it seemed every member had a spring in their step as they walked through the track and they all seemed to have a permanent smile on their faces.
When asked about it they all seemed to give generic answers like ‘they were just happy to be here’ but no one believed it, not even Lewis who was left in the dark and when he asked about it he just got the same response.
But as Sunday morning came, both Mercedes and RedBull was filled with anticipation as the news of the Vettel’s return to the sport was shared across four Instagram accounts; RedBull, Mercedes, Y/N’s and Sebastian’s.
The world was taken by storm that morning, not only by the news of the return but also the fact that both teams had seemingly worked together to keep it under wraps.
Seb, Y/N, Christian and Toto entered the track together that morning and were bombarded with cameras and questions making both Vettel’s glad they had left Ansel at the hotel with Fabian who was going to bring him later in the day.
"Seb! Y/N! When did you decide to rejoin formula 1?"
"Christian, did you boot Perez before signing Sebastian or did tell him you were terminating his contract after you had already asked Sebastian to return?"
"Toto, did you ask Y/N to come back to get back at Lewis for leaving Mercedes?"
"Lewis said he had no idea of Y/N taking his seat, is there a reason you told the team but kept him in the dark?"
The four ignored the questions and continued their way into the track, not batting an eye at the other teams who watched as they walked by, astounded to see the four of them together.
"Feels good, doesn’t it? Success…." Christian smirked arrogantly causing Y/N, Seb and Toto to roll their eyes.
"I’d even go as far as saying we make a good team, us four." Toto added and Y/N scoffed.
"Please, this would’ve been a complete disaster had Seb and I not mediated the last year. The pair of you are a ticking time bomb."
Both team principals sent her affronted looks at her words which she ignored, once they reached the Mercedes garage, Seb leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Y/N’s temple. "I’ll come and get you later before the race and we’ll watch it together."
Y/N nodded with a smile and bid him goodbye.
Both her and Toto walked into the Mercedes garage and were met with whoops and cheers from the team causing her to laugh at their dramatics but she soon stopped at the sight of Lewis.
He was approaching her and he looked quite disgruntled.
"Both of you returning?" He asked.
Y/N shrugged. "Toto asked me and then Christian asked Seb a month later, it was purely a coincidence."
He didn’t look like he believed her but it didn’t bother her too much. "I thought it would’ve been off the cards now that you have a child."
Y/N looked at him in confusion. She thought it was a bit rude that he was bringing her son into a conversation that they were clearing having because he felt left out of the news.
"I wouldn’t have returned if Seb didn’t get approached by Christian, we’ve always been in F1 together and as soon as he was offered I knew that I wanted to come back."
"When was this?"
"I got asked in January, after your move was confirmed." Y/N replied honestly.
"You’ve kept that under wraps for a while then." He said in a tone that could only be described as bitter.
"Because we weren’t sure that we were actually going to return. It was a shock to us as well but it felt right and so we accepted. Toto and Christian agreed to wait until closer to the end of the season for the release so that the press would focus on this season and not next."
Which in her opinion is what he should’ve done.
"The team already knew." He stated.
Y/N nodded. "I told them on Friday that I would be driving for them, it’s really upped their motivation for 2025."
"Why didn’t I know?" He eventually just came out and asked.
Y/N looked at him strangely. "Because you chose to leave the team, Lewis. After today, you have to accept that Mercedes is no longer your team and whatever concerns them is no longer your business either. The teams plans for 2025 have no impact on you whatsoever."
Lewis bit his lip and nodded before walking away, nothing else to say.
Y/N watched after him for a moment. They had been teammates for eight years and had an amazing friendship through that but for some reason she had a feeling that was about to end since she was driving for Mercedes.
Had he really thought Toto wasn’t going to find a driver to replace him?
Just before the race.
Seb and Y/N were standing between the first two rows on the grid so they could be nearby Max and George as they got ready as Martin Brundle approached them for his grid walk.
"Sebastian! Y/N! Could I have a quick word?"
"Go on then," Y/N nodded.
"So, you’ve surprised us all this morning by announcing that you’ll both be returning next season, Sebastian you’re going to RedBull and Y/N you’re returning to Mercedes. We want to know something, anything about the process cause nobody was expecting this."
Sebastian smiled. "It’s nothing exciting. After the news of Lewis going to Ferrari, Toto wondered if there was a chance for Y/N to return and then about a month later Christian also called and asked me if I would be willing to come back."
Martin nodded before turning to Y/N. "After Mercedes’ rough two year since you left, do you think they’ll be able to get back on top next year."
Y/N smirked. "I wouldn’t be returning if there wasn’t a chance for me to become a seven time world champion, Martin."
He seemed to be delighted by the news and nodded, thanking the two of them before walking away to hopefully find some of the drivers.
Sebastian wrapped his arm around Y/N as they started walking back towards the garages. "Where do you want to watch it from?"
Y/N thought for a moment. "We’ll watch it from RedBull."
2025
"Okay, state your name, occupation and your team." The woman behind the camera instructed.
Y/N smiled at the camera and began speaking. "I’m Y/N Vettel and I’m a Formula One driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team."
She then leaned forward and stared directly into the lens. "I’M BACCKKKKKK!"
Bahrain. 🇧🇭
"Okay, Y/N, are you ready to become a seven time world champion?" Bono asked over the radio.
"You bet I am." She replied confidentially.
"Are you going to become a five time world champion, sunshine?" Hugh asked Sebastian, using the nickname from when Seb won his first all those years ago.
Seb smiled. "That depends on how nice Y/N is feeling."
Y/N kept her gaze on the lights as each one appeared and as soon as they disappeared she let up off the break and slammed her foot down onto the accelerator, both her and Seb driving along side each other as they approached the first corner.
2025 was certainly going to be an interesting season.
꒰꒰ ‧₊˚𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐖𝐄 𝐁𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄? ─ 𝐋𝐍𝟒 ˚₊· ꒱꒱
─ summary . . . ❨ a singer and a driver, best friends from different worlds yet so in love but it seems that they are they only ones that can't tell ❩ ─ pairing . . . ❨ lando norris x fem! bestfriend! singer! reader ❩ ─ genre . . . ❨ social media file ❩ ─ author note . . . ❨ been awhile since I wrote for mr norris tbh so here we are and had to do my babe sabrina as the fc cuz she a queen so enjoy! ❩
❨ taglist | masterlist ❩
YOUTUBE CLIPS → LANDO AND Y/N ON MAX'S STREAM
yourinstagram
liked by landonorris taylorswift13 32,469,672 others
yourinstagram something is cooking in the studio
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user def writing a love song about lando 😭
user Y/N IN THE STUDIO I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL Y/N IS IN THE STUDIO COOKIN 🔥🔥
user new music soon? liked by yourinstagram
user I'm on my knees in the 7/11 car park
user I just KNOW this song is gonna be a BANGER 😌
user good day to be a Y/N fan ☺️
user god she's so hot even in black and white ⤷ landonorris I know right? ⤷ user he's one of us
user I'm so ready
user girl you and lando are in love with each other u don't even need to lie about it any more 😭
user just take my money already🥹
user mami 🥵
user okay but the fact that she is dropping a song while on tour... ⤷ user that's why she THE GOAT 🐐
user girly stop dating these dumb amercian boys and date a hot brit who happens to be your best friend 🙄😤
user I JUST WOKE UP AND THIS IS WHAT I MISSED 😭
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lando.jpg
liked by yourinstagram oscarpiastri 40,787,259 others
lando.jpg my song, my girl (key word: MINE)
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user HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING WHEN HE POSTED THIS 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
user my guy really said she's mine what are u gonna do about it
user U BETTER TREAT MOTHER RIGHT 😤
user can't belive this silly goody man inspired one of the most beautiful songs of all time 😭 ⤷ lando.jpg hey... ⤷ oscarpiastri it's true 🙄 ⤷ user oscar 💀
user okay but the way he looked at the camera after kissing and smiled 🥵 ⤷ user he basically said "I bet you wish you were me rn" without saying a word 😌🤭💅
user finally took you guys long enough to say something 😭😭
user okay but the caption 🥵
user HARD LAUNCH HARD LAUNCH
user lando "heart eyes" norris strikes again 😍😭
user SHE LOVES HIM😭HE LOVES HER😭
mclaren our favorite power couple!
user AS A LANDO X Y/N TRUTHER SINCE DAY ONE THE FEELING OF BEING RIGHT ABOUT THESE TWO FEELS BETTER THAN SEX
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─ requested by . . .
@sarah-thatstings-ann ─ 3k followers?!?! Congratulations honey 💙💙 I'd like to make a request if that's alright. SMAU with either charles or lando (your choice) where their best friend is a famous singer. There's interviews/questions with them of them and the fans are convinced they're in love just in denial (or afraid of rejection) So F1 driver goes to readers concert and she debuts a new song (be more - stephen Sanchez) and they kiss, fans and media go crazy. Twitter has a meltdown. Thank you honey. Absolutely love your work 💙💙
This was supposed to be a silly little blurb about giving Seb a blowjob, I don’t know how it got this out of hand.
Warnings: all of them. All the warnings.
Jk but there is sooo much in this fic. A bit of underage (but over 16), blowjobs, oral, p in v sex, rawdogging, rough sex, possessive Seb, a tad of subspace?, threesomes (if you don't want spoilers on the special guests don't look in the tags), voyeurism, undernegotiated dom/sub dynamics all over the place, infidelity (his IRL wife is included), smidge of angst but it’s really not the point of the fic lmao, mention of drugs and alcohol, I don’t condone anything I’ve written here guys. Although the warnings make it sound worse than it is tbh.
July 2007
I suppose you could say it all started when you were 13 and Sebastian had just been transferred to Toro Rosso.
Obviously nothing happened between you two given that he himself was 20 years old at the time. Although your childish crush on him had started way before that.
No, what happened at 13 was an embarrassing moment that got the ball rolling between you and Seb.
That night he was over at your parents’ house for a celebratory meal, for you, it was your birthday, for Sebastian Vettel, it was the beginning of a long and illustrious career.
Your father and him were good friends, Seb helped a lot with your brother's career in karting and you’d always been around the handsome blonde man. At various karting events with your brother, a gala here and there, and even at a couple of f1 races he had driven for BMW. By this time your crush was well and truly established, and subtlety not being your thing, your family knew all about it. And teased you relentlessly. And apparently now invited your crush to your birthday dinner... great.
Seb and your father were in the kitchen having a drink and helping your mother with the food when you heard your fathers voice drifting through the house.
“Man, think of all the blowies you’re gonna get!”
After a sharp scolding from your mother, the two burst out laughing and that was that. But the damage had been done.
At 13 years old, you had no idea what that meant. So you asked, at dinner, in front of your family, and your crush, what a blowie was.
Yeah, that went down well (pun intended, and note the sarcasm).
Your (15 year old) brother choked on his mouthful and shrieked in laughter, spraying your mother, who then slapped your father who was laughing maniacally beside her. Seb just went incredibly red and grinned “You’ll find out when you’re older, sunshine”
Okay, maybe the nickname should also be explained, after all it is the result of a previous embarrassing moment of your childhood.
It was at a karting track before a race and you were hanging out with your brother, some of his friends, and Seb. Or more accurately, you were following Seb around like a lost puppy. At this point you were 9, your brother 11 and Seb 16.
Someone had heard a dirty joke from the older boys at the track that went something like this:
“What is big, makes no noise, yet wakes us up every morning?”
And with your very innocent, very smart 9 year old brain you replied “the sunshine” which was supposed to be the right answer, but boys will be boys.
16 year old Seb thought that answer was hilarious.
“That is so adorable” he was wheezing “from now on I am calling you sunshine”
You were so embarrassed at not understanding the joke that you ran back to your father and told him about it, and he told the boys off sternly.
So anyway, there you were, a few years later, at dinner with your parents reliving that in your head, and living through yet another mortifying moment in front of Seb, who looked at you sympathetically from across the table, and kept sending you winks all throughout the evening, to try and make you feel better.
That night you looked up “blowie” online (of course a few days later the browser history conversation happened with your mother) and you were never the same again. You couldn’t stop imagining Seb getting blowjobs from all the girls he was indeed going to get, and it gnawed at you. For years. Of course, you knew you were too young for him, but it didn’t stop the fantasies from getting rather... wild.
2010
You were 16, and Sebastian was about to win his first championship, you were sure of it. You were all in Abu Dhabi to support him (and the others of course) and you found yourself wandering into his drivers’ room just as he was putting his fireproofs on. You had expected his girlfriend Hanna to attend, but luckily for you she was busy, and you were going to make the most of that fact. You ogled his body for a second before he noticed you staring and grinned at you as he put his top on.
“There’s my sunshine!” You jumped into his arms like you’d done so many times before. “I was wondering if I’d get to see you before the race”
‘Of course! I'd consider myself a bad friend if I didn’t come to wish you good luck”
He put you down and dramatically threw himself on the sofa.
“Yeah! I’m going to need it”
“Oh, come on Seb I’m sure you’ll do great” You sat down next to him and put your hand on his knee, squeezing slightly. “If you want... I could give you a good luck present” you slid your hand slowly up his thigh and his leg jolted slightly “If you know what I mean”.
He glanced at your hand before looking back into your eyes, you could tell his mind was racing, obviously going in the right direction. “No, I don’t know what you mean” He gulped as your hand went higher and you batted your eyelashes at him.
“You know, I’m not the innocent kid who didn’t know what a blowie was anymore, I’ve learned a lot since then”.
Seb’s pupils were wide, and you could feel his fireproofs tenting under your hand. “I could show you if you’d like”.
You squeezed his cock over the fabric, and he grabbed your hand “Fuck sunshine, I can’t let you do this, you’re sixteen for fuck’s sake”
“Don’t act like you don’t fuck girls on the daily, Seb” You jumped up off the sofa and into his lap, straddling him.
“Yes, but I’ve known you since you were a baby, and you’re still a minor, Fuck-” Your hand had slithered its way into his fireproofs and was squeezing around him like a vice.
“I’m past the age of consent, Seb, you know that. And I know you’ve thought about it. About me. You’re not as quiet as you think you are when you come round to our house, you know.” You trailed sloppy kisses down his neck and chest, over his fireproofs as your hands got rid of the bottom half.
“Shit, aaah-” He hissed, and his resolve crumbled under your touch. “Fuck”
“Please Seb, please let me suck your cock for good luck” You purred, and he let his hands grip onto your hair as you nosed up the length of his now exposed cock.
He was staring into your eyes, guilt written all over his face as he nibbled nervously on his lip. “Fuck, sunshine what are you doing to me”.
Instead of answering, you took half of him into your mouth and sucked. He cried out and bucked his hips involuntarily, making you choke slightly.
“Shit sorry!” His concern was adorable, but unnecessary.
“Don’t worry Sebby, I trained myself out of a gag reflex, just for you” and before he could say anything else you sank down on him to the base and the noise he let out was inhuman. His head fell back, and his eyes rolled into his skull.
Yeah, you’d definitely been practising. And you were unbelievable.
He did end up winning the race, and the championship. And you grinned at him when he looked down at you from the podium, shaking his head and laughing before almost getting drowned in champagne by Lewis and Jenson.
2011
The next year you showed up in his driver’ room at the Japanese Grand prix, per his request. You knew this was the race that would potentially secure him his second championship win so you strutted in, pushed him onto his little bed in the corner and kissed him senseless as your hands started undressing him immediately.
“Tell me, Seb-” You got his shirt open and trailed kisses down his chest. “Do you think you’re capable of winning the championship on your own this year?” Off went his trousers “Orrrr…” then went his underwear “Would you like a blowie, for good luck?” You grinned at him, mouth hovering inches away from his rapidly hardening cock.
He grinned back at you, slightly breathless. “I think-” he sat up and pulled you in for a quick kiss “you can never say no to a good blowie”. He lay back down, arms behind his head, and that was all you needed to get to work.
He did in fact win the race, and the championship.
You couldn’t make it to Abu Dhabi however, and he got a puncture on the first lap.
Figures.
2012
You celebrated your 18th birthday with Sebastian, one on one. He took you out to dinner during the summer break. You had finally finished school and were moving on to other things. You had no idea what those things would be, but you were excited none the less. He’d managed to convince Hanna he was on a business trip to meet a sponsor, but you didn’t think for a second that she bought any of it.
Sebastian told you all about the intense race for the Championship, given you weren’t able to attend any of the races before the summer. He had apparently taken to relieving stress by fucking anything that moved, and that included some of the other drivers. You couldn’t help but imagine him being bent over his massage table, reduced to a begging mess by his teammate. Everything Seb told you about Mark got you riled up before dessert had even been served, and you couldn’t help but wonder if that was his goal all along.
When you got back to his hotel, the real birthday celebration started. And it lasted all bloody night.
All the things Seb had thought about doing to you since the very first time you’d asked what a blowie was, he did to you that night. All the tension accumulated over the years finally boiled over, as he brought you over the edge so many times you lost count, with his mouth, his hands, his cock. He was going to ruin you for anyone else.
“Nobody can have you like this, can they?”
“No Seb just you- Fuck!” You panted as he pounded into you from behind, pressing you against the massive hotel windows, facing the city lights.
It was almost romantic. Almost.
“You think anyone can see you from down there? All those people that don’t know how good you’re being for me.” The thought of being seen made you even wetter and you whined. He only chuckled.
“I’m sure if Mark were walking past, he would love to know what is happening up here. Would you like that? Would you like Webber to watch you come undone on my cock?”
You didn’t even need to answer, you cried out in pure extasy as you came for the umpteenth time that night and then slumped against the cool glass. The only thing holding you up being Seb’s arm around your waist and his other one propping your leg up as he trapped you against the window, grinding into you as he came inside you with a groan.
“Well sunshine, I guess that’s a ‘yes’ then, hmm?” He whispered in your ear before pecking you on the cheek. He lifted you up, carried you to the bed and went to get a cloth to clean you up with.
You giggled when he came back “You know Seb, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re so obsessed with Mark that you want to show me off to him. Is it because you want him to approve of me? Or be jealous? Or do you just want to flaunt your amazing skills in bed that I’m suuure are better than his?” You were obviously just trying to rile him up.
He laughed dryly as he wiped you down but didn’t reply. Perhaps you’d struck a nerve. He didn’t mention Mark for a long time after that.
You couldn’t make the race in COTA, so it was critical for you to be at Interlagos with Seb. You got a plane ticket several days before and gave him a good luck blowjob every single night, for good measure.
He won, of course.
2013
2013 got real weird, real quick.
For starters, you were 19 with no job and no idea what you were going to do with your life, but you spent all your time around older millionaire formula 1 drivers. You were basically an honorary member of the team by now and had a free paddock pass for every race you could attend.
Then, there was the issue of Seb living with his girlfriend, so you couldn’t stay at his place anymore, and in the rare instances where you and Hanna saw each other, the other drivers became exceptionally awkward around the both of you.
The last thing was, Mark didn’t win a single race all season, and Seb was a huge dick about it. He strutted around Mark in the paddock like a peacock. And he took you to every other GP to fuck you in his drivers’ room when he knew Mark could hear you from next door, just to drive him crazy.
It all came to a head in India. The race that secured Seb his fourth consecutive championship.
He was fucking you in his drivers’ room (more like railing the absolute shit out of you) on the long sofa that lined the wall. Face down, ass up, you were being loud, no longer caring about Mark hearing you.
Then, his phone started buzzing, Mark’s name flashed across the screen, along with an unflattering photo.
Seb answered it, put him on speaker and set the phone down next to your head.
“Would you two keep it down, the whole bloody garage can hear you!” Mark hissed.
“Yeah?” Seb answered “Hear that, sunshine? Everyone can hear how good I’m fucking you” His hips kept slapping against yours obscenely.
You moaned and Mark scoffed “Sounds like she’s faking Sebby, I guess those championships must be compensating for something...”
“Why don’t you come in here and say that to my face then Webber” Seb spat before hanging up.
You gasped as he grabbed your hair and pounded into you harder. “Seb! What-”
“You like having an audience, admit it.” He growled “You’d like nothing more than if Webber stormed in here and-”
He hadn’t even finished his sentence before Mark did just that. He was standing at the door, flushed, as if he’d sprinted over.
You turned your head to look at him but before you could say anything, Seb slowed down to a hard grind inside you, making your eyes roll back and you let out a shaky moan.
Mark’s eyes were scanning you and Seb, checking you both out. And obviously enjoying the view if the tent that was forming in his fireproofs was any indication.
From his angle he could see where Seb’s cock was buried inside you, where you were literally dripping down your thighs and onto the sofa and he let out a gasp. “Fuck Seb, she’s so wet”
“I guess she’s not faking then” Seb said smugly, picking up the pace again.
A lack of response from Mark prompted Seb to sigh and beckon him over.
“Don’t just stand there, come sit down, this will take a while”.
“What?” Utterly fucked out, you twisted your upper body to look at him, the confusion on your face matching Mark’s.
Seb smirked at you. “We’re going to play a little game, okay sunshine? I’m going to make you feel good, and Mark is going to watch. But you cannot come until he does, understand?”
Your jaw dropped, and he gave a hard thrust. “Understand, baby?” He repeated and you nodded quickly.
He turned to Mark “Well? You don’t want to be the reason she can't come, do you? Get to work.”
“Shit” Mark looked half murderous, half ridiculously turned on as he slowly lowered his suit and freed himself, starting to work his dry hand up and down his cock slowly and Seb chuckled “Put you hand out”.
Mark did as he was told, confused, and he almost combusted on the spot as you spat on his hand.
“Wow, she’s such a good girl, isn’t she?”
Seb groaned, as if Mark was talking to him. The older man’s presence was finally getting to him.
Mark’s hand inched towards your face, but Seb slapped it away. “No touching, she is mine”.
You tightened around him, about to come when he abruptly pulled out. You whined and squirmed as your orgasm faded, but he just shushed you and turned you over onto your back roughly, almost knocking the wind out of you. “Shhh baby, remember the rules?” He was rubbing your hips soothingly as he spoke “Mark has to come first, I’m not the one you should be begging”.
You turned to the other man.
“Please Mark, please, please come. I need to come so bad, Mark, please, fuck I need it...” You were almost babbling at this point, and Mark melted.
Sebastian swiftly slid back into you as Mark’s hand picked up the pace on his own cock, glancing at your writhing body and at Seb. You tightened around him as you felt yourself get closer to the edge again. The two men were grunting and looking straight at each other as they moved, almost as if they were trying to get each other off. Their weird power play was tipping back and forth, and you were caught in the middle. Not that you were complaining.
Mark came all over himself and you felt Seb throbbing inside you as he started rubbing your clit to get you off faster, the sight of his teammate was affecting his self-control, and he was getting closer by the second. You came together, and he slumped over you, his legs and arms giving out.
Mark was panting and you looked at each other, having a silent conversation while Seb was recovering. He got up to go and get cleaned up in the small adjacent bathroom.
While he was gone, you stroked up and down Seb’s back and whispered in his ear “You okay, Seb?”
He sniffled into your neck before replying “Yes, I’m just a bit overwhelmed.” He lifted his head to kiss you before flashing you his signature grin. “I’m a four-time formula 1 world champion!”
The two of you giggled and he dropped his head back down and sighed contentedly, planting lazy kisses on your shoulder.
Mark came out of the bathroom and laughed silently at Sebastian behind his back. You scowled and the two of you argued with your eyes again. ‘Congratulate him you prick!’ Your eyes said. He rolled his before walking up to your entangled bodies and put a hand on Seb’s shoulder, making the younger man shiver. “Congrats on the title, mate. But there’s a few races left, I could still beat you.”
Seb snorted “Sure, if you say so. Now you can fuck off”.
You smirked at Mark, and he slinked out of the room without another word.
Well needless to say he did not beat Sebastian. And he promptly retired.
2014
It was a shit year for Redbull, Seb DNF’d in Australia, Monaco, and Austria. He didn’t win a single race, but his new teammate Daniel did, and that was a sore subject. You lost count of the amount of pity blowjobs you gave him that year. He came to visit you often to lift his spirits, but you could always tell the season wasn’t going great, and it was taking a toll on him.
The one good thing to come out of that season was that you travelled around with him a lot, Hanna not being particularly interested in attending races. He was certainly rich enough to pay for your flights and hotels (not that you needed separate rooms most of the time).
You were the first person to know about his transfer to Ferrari. And you were both very excited about it. New team, new start, hopefully new championship wins.
Unbeknownst to you however, Seb had added an extra condition when he negotiated his new contract...
2015
During winter break, just before Christmas, Seb came to see you in at your parents’ house. That’s how you found out that he had gotten you a job at Ferrari, as part of his contract.
You were elated. It meant you would be around each other a lot more, and you could start pulling your own weight, feeling a little guilty that Seb had sort of been your sugar daddy for the past few years, not that he minded of course. And it also meant no more sneaking around and avoiding cameras at races to not alert Hanna to your presence at Seb’s side most of the time, not that it was really a secret anymore, you two weren’t discreet around the other drivers, and the drivers were all fucking each other as well anyway so no one cared.
As tradition dictated, you gave Seb an obligatory blowie to celebrate his Ferrari contract and your new job. And then, your parents being out of town, you had wild passionate nasty sex on every surface, as you wouldn’t be seeing each other for a few months, until the season started.
Needless to say, there would be no Championship win celebration blow job in Abu Dhabi, that year.
2017
It was your 3rd year working on the media team at Ferrari. It was a blast, you were severely overpaid, and you got to spend most of your time with the man you were having intimate relations with. Who could ask for more?
In Silverstone, Seb made a bet with Kimi. They were high (not on adrenaline, just high) and decided to wager on who would finish on top in the race. Kimi got a podium while Seb only got p7, but Kimi not being a man with a huge imagination, he had no idea what favour he wanted. So, it dragged on for months, until one day you were filming a promo video in Singapore with them, and his mind suddenly came up with the answer.
“Her” He pointed at you from across the room. Seb feigned innocence, pretending not to know what Kimi was inferring.
“What about her?” he asked tentatively.
Kimi smirked devilishly. “I want her. For the bet, you know. I want to watch you. To see how disappointing you are in bed”
He was only teasing, but he knew exactly how to get under Seb’s skin. So he agreed, and he asked you, and you agreed. Great. Kimi Räikkönen was going to watch you have sex, no biggie. After all, you’d done it before with Mark, this would be fine.
After a frustrating double DNF, you all went out to karaoke. You didn’t think Kimi was the type, but he showed up to the bar already three sheets to the wind, so you figured he wasn’t really there for the singing anyway.
Kimi was giving you sultry looks all night, which sent shivers down your spine. You’d never considered the man to be the epitome of hotness, but you couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to spend a night with Kimi. Was he passionate? Or was he just as ice cold as always?
You would soon find out as the three of you piled into a taxi back to the hotel, both Seb and Kimi’s wandering hands distracting you from trying to give the driver the address.
On the way, you’d ended up with Seb’s mouth on you neck and Kimi’s hand up your skirt, gently teasing you over the pathetic peace of fabric you called underwear.
By the time you were up into someone’s room, who’s room it was was impossible to say, your senses were engulfed by the two men. Kimi was behind you, trailing his mouth over your neck and shoulders and holding you up, while Seb was on his knees between your legs, one of them hooked over his shoulder, tongue eagerly working itself over your needy pussy as his fingers worked over that special spot deep inside you.
You came like that, then Seb stood back up and asked, “How was that, sunshine?”
You scoffed in disbelief at the question “It was amazing as always, baby. Are you going to fuck me now?”
He raised his eyebrows at Kimi, like ‘disappointing huh? I think not’ then pointed to the chair in the corner to signal to Kimi to sit in it, and led you over to the bed and put you on all fours.
He was halfway through railing you into next week, one hand holding your arms behind your back and the other around your neck, when Kimi piped up from the cuck chair.
“Can I come on her tits?”
Seb paused mid thrust and you whined “What do you think, sunshine? You want him to come all over your pretty tits, baby?”
“Yes, Seb, anything just keep going please!” You begged, but he didn’t move.
“Ah, ah, sunshine, be a good girl and tell Kimi what you want him to do to you”.
You huffed and looked at Kimi, who was observing you with hooded eyes and his mouth slightly open as he pumped his cock leisurely, waiting for an answer.
“Yes Kimi, please come all over my tits, I’ll be a good girl for you”.
The two men groaned in unison, and Seb picked up the pace again. He wasn’t going to last long, and neither were you, so he flipped you over onto your back and slid back into you quickly, beckoning Kimi over. He circled your clit expertly and you both came together fairly quicly, while Kimi watched and pumped his cock furiously, not far off as well.
“Go on then Kimi, give it to me” you gasped, sticking your tongue out for him, and that was it for the Finnish man.
He came in spurts over your chest, face, and mouth as he let out a shaky groan, finishing himself off before finding his pants and leaving with a simple “You two looked good” and winked at you. Truly a man of many words.
You and Seb laughed together, the adrenaline coming down as you both cleaned up and snuggled up under the covers.
“Weirdly, that wasn’t horrible” You giggled, and Seb acquiesced.
“You know, I think I like sharing you.” Seb kissed your temple, and you hummed, sleep almost taking you before he added “How do you feel about David Coulthard?”
You gasped and slapped his shoulder lightly “Oh my god he’s ancient!” and Seb scoffed, offended but let it go, sleep overtaking you both.
But he didn’t forget.
2019
All Sebastian could talk about for months was the eager twink Ferrari had dumped in his lap. So of course you had to have a taste. Or rather...
“My goodness Charles, you have got to taste her”.
Charles looked at you for permission before diving in. Even though he was younger than you, he obviously had experience as he brought you to the edge in no time. He got you wet and shaking before Seb had even finished taking his clothes off. You gasped as the waves of pleasure washed over you and Charles continued his assault on your weeping pussy. Seb only yanked him up by the hair after your second orgasm, and he looked absolutely wrecked. Face covered in your wetness, lips swollen, and eyes completely glazed over. Sebastian leaned in close to speak softly in his ear, making the younger man shiver.
“You want to fuck her Charlie? You want to fill her up properly while I fuck her pretty little mouth?” He said, while maintaining eye contact with you. Charles nodded a bit too enthusiastically and you both laughed at him.
Lucky for you, Charles’ cock was thick, and he stretched you out wonderfully while Sebastian fucked gently into your mouth. You were on your hands and knees, shaking through your 3rd orgasm when Charles finally came inside you, filling you to the brim.
While he cleaned himself up in the hotel bathroom, Seb turned you over onto your back and slipped inside you with ease. He started a maddeningly slow rhythm as he wrapped his arms around you possessively, and you tried to cling onto him, but your arms were useless at this point.
When Charles came back out, Seb didn’t even look at him as he told him he could go, so he didn’t push his luck and scarpered.
“Only I can have you like this” you preened under his touch, his hands gliding over your body, pinching your skin, and then soothing it as you went completely mad underneath him.
“Please Seb” You babbled mindlessly “I’ll be good, please, please just- “. Your eyes closed of their own volition and your head rolled to the side, losing all motor skills as he continued hitting that spot deep inside you. He grabbed your jaw and made you look back at him “You’re mine, aren’t you? Only I can make you beg like this, right sunshine?”
You wailed as you came around him, your final orgasm of the night taking its toll on you, rendering you completely boneless. And you didn’t move at all while he slipped out and got up to get you cleaned up. And you barely registered the bed shifting as settled under the covers with you, holding you gently, like you were the most precious thing in his world.
That year, Seb got married to his childhood sweetheart.
2022
The next time you saw him outside of the paddock was at his retirement party. The whole grid was there, plus his family, his friends, your family, and a bunch of other people. And his wife.
It was a proper retirement bash, and most people were at least tipsy within an hour of their arrival, Seb insisting on everyone getting shit faced to celebrate.
You snuck up to his bedroom and sat on the bed. You sighed longingly, it was surely the last time you would get to do this.
Seb came up a few minutes after you, after making sure someone was occupying Hanna.
He opened you up on his fingers, mouth mapping out your body, as if trying to imprint the feeling of it on his tongue. Once he slid inside you, it took you both an embarrassingly short amount of time to reach your peaks, but you did so together, your foreheads pressed together, breathing in each other’s air, hands scrambling for purchase on each other’s bodies. Then staying wrapped in each other’s arms for far longer than was necessary.
It was bittersweet. The end of an era.
Once you were both decent, you went back down and ensured that only good memories would be had of this party, lighting up the dance floor, lighting up the bar (you made flaming cocktails, which someone *cough*Charles*cough* spilled on the bar), all the while laughing, and crying a bit, with some of Seb’s soon to be ex-fellow drivers.
Epilogue:
It was Suzuka 2023, and you’d been waiting for this moment for months.
Seb’s bee house project was great for the bees and all, but it was even better for you.
The evening of his arrival at the paddock, you were buzzing (pun intended) with excitement.
When you spotted him, you shrieked, scaring a couple of engineers nearby, and ran towards him. It was a bit unprofessional given that you were still very much an FIA employee, but you couldn’t help it, you jumped into his waiting arms, like you’d done so many times before, and squeezed the life out of him.
“Sunshine!” Seb smiled as he lowered you back down.
“Old man!” You said and he rolled his eyes.
“I’m not that old”
“You’re retired, and I have work to do!” you said, as you started walking away.
“Doesn’t mean I’m old, means I had a successful career!” he shouted at your retreating figure.
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Grandpa!”
Cut to a few hours later in his hotel room.
“Are you sure it’s okay for old people to get blowies?” You mocked as you got down on your knees between Sebastian’s legs “Like, you’re not going to have a heart attack are you?”
“I think.” He gripped your hair, bringing your mouth to his cock.
“You can never say no to a good blowie”.
The end.
loml - Max Verstappen
: Max Verstappen x Singer!reader
: Max and Y/n’s relationship was legendary…but it also was momentary
: Series Masterlist
: Main Masterlist
: Author's Note - After every fic i feel like wow this is the longest fic i have ever written...ya this! is probably the longest fic i have ever written!!
…
(set in 2018)
Yourname added to their story!
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| maxverstappen1 replied to your story
-> 💙
*liked by Yourname*
maxverstappen1 added to their story!
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| Yourname replied to your story
-> P1 Lesgoooooo 🙌🏻
| User34 replied to your story
-> it’s so nice to see you get the recognition you deserve <3
*liked by maxverstappen1*
Y/n was standing near the Red Bull garage when she spotted Max returning for his interviews. Without a second thought, she launched herself into his arms.
“Ahhhhh, I’m so proud of you!!! I feel like I haven’t said that enough,” she smiled as she pulled away from him. “You have, but it’s okay. I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that,” Max said as he looked at her as if her eyes held all the stars in the sky.
Max was aware that by now they would have cameras on them; the Red Bull team loved to capture any interaction between the couple. Ignoring all of that, Max pulled her close and kissed her.
For Y/n, all of this was very new; her last relationship hadn't been this public. The privacy of it all was something that was exciting at first, but after a while, it felt suffocating. When she met Max, she felt aglow like she had never felt before. It was only a matter of time before she knew that Max was the one for her.
And it wasn't easy; they were both slowly gaining more recognition, and people were ready to pick them apart. But as she watched Max celebrate his first Grand Prix win of the season in Austria, all the struggles felt worth the effort.
maxverstappen1 added to their story!
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"I have a story to tell you regarding the last song of the night," said Y/n as the crowd erupted in cheers. She smiled brightly before continuing, "A few years ago, I did not believe in love, not in the way I do now. Have you guys ever met someone who feels so right that all you want is to be close to him forever and ever?"
"Being with them feels like breathing, like something you've done your whole life. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Lover," Y/n said as she made eye contact with Max. Slowly, the intro starts playing, but all Max could look at was Y/n, in all her element, looking back at him.
If the world were to end tomorrow, Max would have died a happy man. Lost in their little universe, the two failed to notice all the fans that captured this beautiful moment between the couple. Racing can take up a lot of Max's time, and he's not proud of the fact that a lot of times it comes at the stake of their relationship. But right here, right now, all he could focus on was Y/n.
Yourname added to their story!
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| maxverstappen1 replied to your story
-> 💕
Yourname: I'm so happy that you were able to make it!! thank you so much for coming, it means a lot to me Max <3
-> Ofc Liefde, I had some time off thought I'd drop by
| User55 replied to your story
-> it is so nice to see Max at your concert!!! your entire face lit up when you saw him, i hope you guys stay like this forever ✨
*liked by Yourname*
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👤: maxverstappen1
Yourname: So proud of how far we’ve come, Maxiee!!! From being just a bunch of kids who wanted to make a name for themselves and achieve their goals to finally living their dream life, I couldn’t have done it without you by my side 💖
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maxverstappen1: Couldn't have done it without you as well Schat 💙
*liked by Yourname*
bffname: Cuties!!! Can't wait to meet you guys <3
*liked by Yourname, maxverstappen1*
The entire party, all Y/n could do was check her phone. She felt guilty; it was bffname's day, and it was supposed to be special, yet here she was feeling sad for herself. From the corner of her eye, bffname could see Y/n in the corner of the room, nursing her 4th drink of the night.
"You can leave, you know. I won't feel bad," said bffname. Y/n looked up from her phone immediately, as if she were caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "No, no, it's not like that. I want to be here; it's your 23rd birthday; I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Y/n. "You know you can fool anyone you want, but you can never fool me. I know you like the back of my hand," said bffname. "If you want to go to Max, it's okay; you being able to make it was more than enough."
Y/n felt her eyes tearing up a little; even after being a horrible friend, bffname was still understanding. "I'm so sorry; I have been a shitty friend, and yet you are here checking on me rather than celebrating," Y/n said as she finally felt a few droplets stream down her face.
"See, I know that you and Max haven't been in the best place, but it's okay. I know it's scary; you have been with him for so long that even the idea of losing him is scary," bffname said as she wiped a few tears off of Y/n's face. "Just don't lose yourself while trying to save your relationship."
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👤: maxverstappen1, Yourname
F1gossip: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and singer/songwriter Y/n L/n were seen fighting outside by some of the paps. It was noticed that Verstappen had come to pick up L/n from a party (Bffname Bfflastname's birthday celebration). The two were seen arguing, and it is even believed that L/n was under the influence of alcohol. Verstappen was seen comforting L/n, but much to his attempts, L/n was not budging. Later on, Verstappen was seen shouting at L/n. It ended with Verstappen getting in the car and storming off, leaving a teary-eyed L/n behind. It is believed that the couple might have called it quits after dating for 2 years. This news has not been confirmed by either Verstappen or L/n. Check out our website for more updates on the Verstappen-L/n fight.
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User75: Nooo whyyyy???? they were so happy tho...
-> User09: ikrrr bffname had commented on yourname's post too! She was so excited to meet them. What happened?
User20: I'm not believing any of this until I see either of them confirm the breakup. They are happily dating, and this never happened ^^
-> User11: @/User20 check twt
(set in 2019)
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👤: maxverstappen1, Yourname
F1gossip: 6 months after their breakup, Max Verstappen and Y/n L/n were spotted together in Miami. The two seemed to be having a good time at the beach under the warm Miami sun. A close source to Verstappen reveals that the two have been seeing each other for a few months now. This is the first time the pair were spotted together after their public breakup. Both Verstappen and L/n have been doing well in their career paths ever since their breakup. Verstappen has won 2 Grand Prix so far and has seen a massive improvement in this performance as compared to last year, whereas L/n has recently released her 3rd studio album, with all the songs making it into the Billboard Hot 100. Only time will tell whether the two are in it for the long run or whether they call it quits again.
view all 43,894 comments
User02: I'M NO LONGER A CHILD OF DIVORCE 🙌🏻
-> User59: I just hope they make it work this time!!!
User76: Not to be like that, but this will either give us the best love song of the summer or the most gut-wrenching song ever to exist
Y/n smiled as she put her phone down and looked back at Max. Both of them had decided to take a quick trip to Miami. "Do you think we'll have kids?" Max asked so nonchalantly that Y/n had to ask again to make sure she heard him right, "What?" "Do you think we'll have kids later on in life?" Max repeated. "I think I would like to have a girl," Max continued as he looked out at the sea. Amused, Y/n asked, "Oh, really? and why is that?" "I feel like a girl is easy to manage; you know, there are less chances that she'll end up like me," Max said before adding, "Plus, she'll look like you, so you know she is gonna have everyone wrapped around her little finger."
Max looked back at Y/n with a cheeky smile to see her already looking back at him with a look that conveyed nothing but pure love. "I think you'd be a great dad; even if we have a son, and if he becomes even half the man you are, then we did a great job raising him," Y/n said as she ran her hands through Max's hair. "I've not had the best example growing up; I mean, I know my dad wasn't the best, but had he not made all the sacrifices he did back then, I would not have been here. 'Max Verstappen, Star of Red Bull' I would have been a loser," Max said as he closed his eyes, soaking in his surroundings. It felt nice, peaceful even, being away from everything.
"A loser who I'd still love," Y/n said as she pulled Max closer. "Even if you do not have anything with you, you will always have me," she added. "Oh, don't you worry about that; I plan on keeping you by my side forever," Max said. "You just wait till I put a ring on that finger; after that, you can't leave me, even if you wanted to," he added. "I wouldn't dream of it," Y/n said before getting up and running towards the water. Their laughter filled the air as Max got up and chased after her, pulling her into the water with him.
Yourname added to their story!
(Cat's out of the bag I guess 🤭)
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| maxverstappen1 replied to your story
-> 💙
*liked by Yourname*
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-> 💪🏻💪🏻
*liked by redbullracing*
Max should be happy; he should feel all the joy in the world; he finished 3rd in the standings after all, yet the smile did not reach his eyes. He looked around the party thrown to celebrate his and the team's victory and saw Y/n talking to one of the engineers. Max couldn't help but let the bittersweet thought take over his mind. He hated himself for thinking these things, but ever since he got back with Y/n, his season hasn't been goin- "She seems nice, Y/n, I mean," breaking his chain of thoughts, Max looked at his father. "Huh, oh ya," said Max as he took a sip of his drink.
"But she's not right for you; before you got back with her, everything was going in your favor, and look at you now; you're 3rd on the list. You can do better, Max," said Jos as he went to talk to other people at the party. Max hated his father for being critical about his relationship, but he hated himself more because he himself had thought about this.
So one cancelled date becomes two, and before Max knew it, he was constantly blowing off Y/n. In fact, if he comes to think of it, this is probably the first time the two have been out together in a month. So lost in his thought, Max did not notice a sad Y/n slipping from the party.
liked by User90 and 63,493 others
👤: Yourname, maxverstappen1
F1gossip: Is it finally over between Verstappen and L/n? Y/n L/n was seen leaving the Red Bull celebration a little early. The singer seemed to be upset as she left the building. One of the workers at the party informed us that the two did not spend much time together. Verstappen and L/n, who have not been spotted out in public in a month, were seen entering the party together a few hours ago, and that was the last of it. We got information from a close source to the couple that things have been rocky between the two. According to the source, Verstappen considers his relationship with L/n a distraction, which led to him not performing to the best of his abilities after the summer break. Verstappen has only won one Grand Prix ever since L/n confirmed that the two were back together via an Instagram Story. It seems like it is finally time to bury the hatchet in the Verstappen-L/n love story.
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User23: Honestly their constant on and off is annoying at this point, like make up your mind already ffs
User99: I mean, it's not like Max is wrong...ever since they got back together, he hasn't been doing his best, and that is pretty evident
(set in 2020)
Y/n knew that this was wrong. She knows that she can't keep running back to Max after he shows up, making the same promises again and again. At this point, Y/n can probably narrate it in her sleep: "I promise I'll change," "We are meant to be," "You're the love of my life; I can't lose you." Yet she believed him every single time. How could she not? They have been through so much together. How could she let go of all this history because things have been rocky between them?
Lost in her trail of thoughts, Y/n did not realize that she had reached the venue. It was when she felt her side of the door open that she looked up to find a dazzling Max looking back at her. He was glowing; having just won the 70th anniversary GP, Max looked like he would burst from happiness. Y/n couldn't help but match his smile.
They both slowly made their way through the red carpet, posing for pictures. As they reached the entrance, she felt Max fidgeting. "What's wrong?" she asked as she reached for his hand. Max laced his finger with her before saying, "Nothing; it's just that this is my first win of the season. I thought that this year would have been my year, but would you look at how it all turned out to be?" Y/n nodded at Max to continue, "I never thought I would spend so much time at home because of the pandemic, and I never thought that all that time alone would make me realize how much I have missed you," Max said before looking at Y/n. "Every second without you feels like I'm suffocating; you're like a breath of fresh air. Every time I look at you, I feel like all the stars in the sky are nothing compared to you," said Max as he caressed Y/n's cheek.
Y/n didn't know how to describe this feeling. Standing in front of her was a boy she had known for a long time, a boy who always wanted to prove his worth to his father, a boy who sacrificed so much to achieve his dreams, a boy who was simply madly in love with her.
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👤: maxverstappen1
Yourname: ...and at every table, I'll save you a seat 💙
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maxverstappen1: I love you
-> Yourname: I love you too Max
User77: Y/n I love you sweetheart, but noooo why are you back with Max
-> User62: shut up! you're just jealous of what they have
-> User77: tf no, I am concerned about her! Every time they get back together, I feel like Y/n looks less and less happy
-> User22: can we stop all of this and just appreciate how hot they both look 🔥
liked by User71 and 72,391 others
👤: maxverstappen1, redbullracing
F1: Max Verstappen out of the Sakhir Grand Prix on lap 1. Trying to avoid Sergio Perez, who was hit by Charles Leclerc at turn 4, Verstappen ended up on the gravel, crashing into the tire barrier. This is the 4th time this season Verstappen has not been able to finish a race. With one race left, Verstappen's chances of winning the world championship seem a little out of reach at the moment. We can only hope for the best for the Dutchman.
view all 68,523 comments
User71: Then you guys say that him getting back with Y/n has nothing to do with his performance!!
-> User04: Shut up that has got nothing to do with Y/n
-> User71: whatever you say 🤷🏻♀️ the evidence is right there but okay ignorance is bliss i guess
liked by User22 and 90,272 others
👤: Yourname, maxverstappen1
F1gossip: All's well that ends well, but not for Y/n L/n. It seems like Max Verstappen has finally ended things for good between the both of them. This news comes after L/n was seen leaving their shared apartment with boxes of her belongings. The two have also since unfollowed each other on Instagram. Although many members of the Red Bull team, including team principal Christian Horner and wife Geri Halliwell, still continue to follow the singer, it is safe to say that their ship has officially sailed. Check out our website to see their entire relationship timeline.
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User22: Not the admin using lyrics from Lover
-> User48: I was thinking the same thing, like, "All's well that ends well to end up with you" i- 😀
User01: FINALLYYY I'm telling you all next year is gonna be Max's year!! I CAN FEEL IT!!!!
(set in 2021)
liked by maxverstappen1 and 892,620 others
👤: maxverstappen1, kellypiquet
redbullracing: OUR CHAMPION!!! LET'S GO MAX 🦁🏆
view all 231,494 comments
User01: I TOLD YOU ALL IT WAS GONNA BE MAX'S YEAR!!! HE FINALLY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP 🏆🏆
*liked by redbullracing*
User11: I'm really happy for Max, but did he just confirm his relationship with Kelly Piquet!!! who, may I add, has a CHILD!!!!!!!
-> User67: Ikrrrrr like I'm sorry, but he was with Y/n for such a long time, and now he has a new girl and a child in his life??? This was supposed to be him and Y/n!!!!
liked by User88 and 89,638 others
👤: Yourname, maxverstappen1
F1gossip: Y/n L/n was spotted outside for the first time since the news of Max Verstappen dating Brazilian model Kelly Piquet came out. L/n was seen sitting alone in a park, drinking beer. It is believed that this park was one that Verstappen and L/n used to visit a lot with Verstappen's cats. Many bystanders have said that the singer looked lost in her thoughts as she continued sipping her drink. It seems that everyone had believed the two would be back together by the end of the season when pictures of Verstappen with a mysterious woman surfaced, but much to everyone's surprise, the woman in the pictures is now believed to be Piquet. I guess we can say with certainty that Verstappen-L/n has officially come to an end.
view all 68,938 comments
User03: Why are you so obsessed with Y/n? it's so annoying. They broke up; let her be!!
User56: Ofc she's salty now that Max has a good woman by his side. She'll just do about anything to get his attention, wouldn't she?
liked by bffname and 165,872 others
Yourname: I had taken some time off from everything - my music, my fans, my friends, even my family. I was at a place where I felt something I had never felt before. People tell you that there will come a time in everyone's life where you will feel absolutely lost, like you don't know what to do with your life now, and it is very easy to say that with time you'll get through it and find your way again. What everyone fails to mention is how lonely this time will feel. You have people who love you and want the best for you, yet you can't seem to get out of this hole you have dug up for yourself. Taking a break and going back to where I started my journey made me realize why I do what I do. I have never needed songwriting more than I did during this period of time. As I write this, I finally realize that this chapter of my life is over. I have no wounds that I need to heal, no bridges that I want to burn. As of today, I set this song free. It was mine once, and it's yours now. loml out at midnight.
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User55: Y/n wtffffff I was not prepared for this!!!!! Girl it's 2 PM YOU CAN'T JUST DROP THIS AND EXPECT ME TO BE FINE!!
bffname: I am so proud of you!!! words can't sum up how much I adore the person you have become 💕
*liked by Yourname*
User91: waitttt is this about her situation with Max???
-> User40: I mean must be! who else would she be referring to as love of my life??
-> User91: true
liked by bffname and 201,826 others
Yourname: I would like to thank all of my fans for the immense support they have shown me. Your kind words mean the world to me. Thank you for always accepting me the way I am and sticking with me, for better and for worse. I had the time of my life playing for you guys. I can't wait for more shows in the future 🩵
view all 121,455 comments
User32: I still can't get over loml!!! what do you mean by "A con-man sells a fool a get-love-quick scheme"
-> User13: Are we gonna ignore "What we thought was for all time was momentary"!!!!!!!! I feel like someone stabbed me in my gallbladder and then poured detergent over it 🫨
User40: What do you mean by loml - love loss of my life 💔
User28: "Our field of dreams, engulfed in fire. Your arson's match, your somber eyes And I'll still see it until I die" that is because that dream is dead now :(
-> User13: They talked about having kids one day!!! and now he gets to live that life with someone else 🥲
-> User66: Y/n I hate the fact that you had to go through this. My ex passed away before we could start a life together. It sucks when you plan your entire future with someone and then they're just not there. And now it's just you, alone, in the house of your dreams that you both built for yourselves. I wish you all the strength and happiness that there is in this world!! 🤍
•·.·''·.·• F1 MASTER LIST •·.·''·.·•
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
S E B A S T I A N V E T T E L
•·.·''·.·• A shared History , Part 2 , Part 3•·.·''·.·•
(fluff)
Moments that Sebastian Vettel and Y/N have shared throughout their careers together both on and off track. Sebastian Vettel x fem!driver!reader
•·.·''·.·• Looking at her •·.·''·.·•
(fluff, suggestive at the end)
Reader has grown to love the feeling of Sebastian’s eyes on her but not everyone understands. Sebastian Vettel x shy!girlfriend!reader
•·.·''·.·• Come back to me •·.·''·.·•
(angst, fluff)
Sebastian’s world is turned upside down when he finds out the reason behind the red flag, the aftermath is just as torturous as the moment he got the news.Sebastian Vettel x wife!driver!reader
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
K I M I R Ä I K K Ö N E N
•·.·''·.·• The Icebreaker •·.·''·.·•
(fluff)
It never fails to amaze the formula one community just how much of a difference there is in Kimi’s attitude whenever his wife is around. Kimi Räikkönen x Fem!Wife!Reader
•·.·''·.·• Silent Admiration , Part 2 •·.·''·.·•
(Implied age gap, fluff)
Kimi’s got some deep feelings for the reader but plans to do what he does best, keep silent. Until, Sebastian manages to persuade him that maybe melting his icy exterior might work in his favour. Kimi Räikkönen x Fem!Driver!Reader.
•·.·''·.·• Protective Shield •·.·''·.·•
(fluff, mistreatment of women)
You always have a smile on your face, even through the struggles of being the only female driver but when it feels like the entire media is against you it’s hard to keep that smile on your face but Kimi won’t allow it to disappear, he’s always there protecting you. Protective!Kimi x Sunshine!driver!reader
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J E N S O N B U T T O N
Pending….
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M A R K W E B B E R
Pending….
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M A X V E R S T A P P E N
Pending….
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C H A R L E S L E C L E R C
Pending….
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C A R L O S S A I N Z
Pending….
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O S C A R P I A S T R I
Pending….
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L A N D O N O R R I S
Pending….
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F E R N A N D O A L O N S O
Pending….
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G E O R G E R U S S E L L
Pending….
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T O T O W O L F F
•·.·''·.·• No longer his •·.·''·.·•
(angst, heartbreak)
Toto now has to face the consequences of his actions that tore your family apart. Toto Wolff x Ex!wife!reader
•·.·''·.·• Tame the Wolff •·.·''·.·•
(angry Toto)
A few scenarios in which Toto is angry and frustrated and you’re there to calm him down and save his poor team from his wrath. Angry!Toto Wolff x Calm!Wife!reader
•·.·''·.·• Broken Decisions , Part 2•·.·''·.·•
(angst, light smut, heartbreak, pregnancy trope)
The news of Toto Wolff divorcing from Susie has just hit the media and you, Michael Schumacher’s eldest daughter and George Russel’s race engineer, are beyond shocked, even more so as your relationship with your boss begins to evolve. Divorced!Toto Wolff x fem!engineer!Schumacher!reader
•·.·''·.·• Take it easy •·.·''·.·•
(fluff)
Your stubbornness to admit you may be feeling unwell might just be your downfall one day but your husband will always be there to catch you, as will your son. Toto Wolff x Wife!reader
•·.·''·.·• Clingy Boys •·.·''·.·•
(fluff)
It’s both yours and Toto’s day off but both your boys are sick and wanting your attention. Clingy!Sick!Toto Wolff x Wife!reader
•·.·''·.·• Caught In the Act •·.·''·.·•
(fluff, teasing)
The stresses of work have your mind running a million miles an hour but your husband knows how to slow it down.
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