Formula One Oneshots

A Private Conversation

There had been a quiet party going on in the Schumacher household, as only few selected guests had been invited to celebrate Micheal's 53rd birthday. They hadn't said anything about it to the outside world, to prevent negative attraction - such as the press - swarming the house and bombarding the guests with personal questions, and also questions about Micheal's condition.

Most of the invited were people who had been involved in Micheal's racing career, some of them from Ferrari, others from other teams, such as former rivals. And then there was Sebastian Vettel, a four time world champion, who had been mentored by Micheal, who had repaid the favour by doing the same for Mick when he entered F1 in 2021. All of the guests were trusted people, who could keep things private when necessary.

//

It had been two hours since the quiet celebrations began, but Mick could start to feel his nerves. The nerves of being in F1, the pressure his surname brought, the fans, living up to his father's name, and so much more. He decided to make a quiet exit, deciding to go to the balcony, from which there was a peaceful view of Lake Geneva and the snow-capped mountains surrounding it.

He exhaled. The sun was setting in the background, highlighting the mountains as it sank lower and lower. He could barely notice the cold pricking his skin, the sunset warming him slightly. It was then that he heard footsteps. He turned to face the door, to see his father's old rival standing in the doorway, the one he had amazing battles with on the track, while keeping it clean.

"Hi Mika." Mick greeted, his voice heavy.

"Is it okay if I join you?" the Finn asked, a little concerned.

"Yeah, it's fine."

The older man stepped out onto the balcony, standing next to Mick.

"You seem deep in thought. What's going on inside that mind?" he then tried to start a conversation.

"It's just.." Mick sighed loudly "It's just the pressure. Everybody expects me to live up to my dad's name, and it's hard. I knew the team would be focusing on the 2022 regulations, but that doesn't take the pressure away. In fact, if the team does show up with a good car, it's going to make the pressure even worse."

A short silence fell over the two.

"You shouldn't focus on that pressure too much." Mika stated. "You should focus on yourself and what you want to do. It's not your dad's career we're talking about, it's yours. People should stop putting that pressure on you, because in that sense, you are very different from your dad. You need a bit more time to learn, and that's okay. Everybody is different. Nobody's the same. But I do believe that you can do great things in the future, Mick. Given the right car and a good team to back you up, I think you can win a few championships. Maybe not as many as your dad, but you will reach the top step of the podium on a lot of occasions."

Mick looked out to the Alps again. "I guess you could say that. Thanks for having so much faith in me, at least I know someone outside of the team who believes in me-"

"I'm very sure everybody in this household supports you." Mika cut the young F1 driver off. "As do your dad's fans, as your fans do."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." the double world champion replied, gently placing a hand on Mick's shoulder. "Take as much time as you need to adjust. We're all behind you."

Mick sighed for the third time that evening. "I miss him. It's hard, knowing your own dad can't be there with you, it's hard knowing I can't talk to him about motorsports. I'm lucky I have Seb, and all of you guys who I can talk to about the regulations, and all kinds of F1-related topics. But, I admit, it still feels different." the Haas driver's voice cracked.

"It's hard for all of us." the Finn replied. "I'm a bit lost too, to be honest. The last time such a situation played up in my life was after that qualifying session in Adelaide 1995, and that time it was my life on the line. I was lucky that the medical team was stationed at that corner, and that the hospital was no further than 200 metres away, otherwise I may not have been so lucky..."

Mick said nothing, just meeting the Finn's eyes for a brief moment. He was at a loss of words. He just didn't know what to say, so he chose the best option to not say anything at all. After a long silence between the former, and the current driver, the latter turned to face the other slightly and quietly sighed.

"Th- thanks Mika. I really needed that one.." Mick moved over slightly, enjoying the comfort that his dad's former rival gave him.

Mika looked over towards the 22 year old driver, gently pulling him closer. He would always be available if Mick needed him. He would try to understand where Mick would come from if it was F1 talk, and he knew his experience would help him.

"If you ever need me, just say so. I will try my absolute best to help you." Mika stated, voice barely above whisper tone. "Just so you know."

"A- again, thanks..." Mick's voice cracked as a silent tear rolled down his cheek.

The double world champion simply squeezed the young adult's shoulder in response, not knowing what to say.

After a long moment of silence, Mick decided to break it and head back inside as the sun had now set completely, and the chill had settled in. Mika followed him, deciding to rejoin the party as well.

When they got back into the living room, where the main party was held, Corinna hurried over to the duo.

"Everything alright?" she asked, gaze switching from the older to the younger.

"Yeah, everything's alright, Corrina." the former F1 driver replied.

"I'm alright, mom." Mick met his mother's gaze

"You sure?" she pressed on a little, wanting to be assured her son was okay.

"Yes, mom. I'm going to find Seb now." and he left the older pair alone, searching for his mentor.

"What happened, Mika?" she then asked the older man.

"It's nothing to worry about," Mika replied, "We just had a small conversation, that's all."

"Hm." Corinna frowned, but said nothing.

//

Mick found Seb chatting to one of his dad's former Ferrari teammates, and headed over, standing almost next to the Aston Martin driver.

"Oh hi Mick," Seb greeted, ruffling the younger's hair.

"Hi Seb." Mick replied, shooting Seb a playful look as the older messed with his hair.

//

After that private conversation, Mick felt he could enjoy the party more, knowing everybody in the household, and a lot of others supported him throughout his journey in Formula One.

A.N: I decided to write this because my brain's random. Hope you enjoyed. An interpretation of events.