our time - lestappen

startled

Canadian GP

Charles Leclerc

Unknown:
Try and slam another door in my face and you'll live to regret it.
I won't be in Canada but I have an acquaintance or two that will be.
Keep trying to run. I promise you, it won't work.

You would think that being an F1 driver means that I could stop this from happening.

It doesn't.

Eliot has power. He's famous too. Even the sphere of F1 can't protect me from the measures that I fully believe he will go to in order to get what he wants. And that, that very thought, is what scares the fuck out of me.

A voice snaps me from my thoughts. A voice that beings me sanity when I feel like I'm spinning out of control. "Oh my god, Charlie, I've been running around the paddock like a madman trying to find you."

"Max, I- what are you doing in our garage?"

"Told them I needed to ask you about something. Media commitment that I didn't know where it was being held."

As he walks over to me, I can't help but look at him in shock.

"And you, schat? What's got you stressed?" As I open my mouth to speak, I feel his lips on mine and his gentle touch on my cheek. As risky as I know this is, kissing in a hallway of the Ferrari paddock garage, I can't resist Max. I just can't.

I flip the phone around so he can see it. As expected, his face darkens and he scowls at the screen. Angry Max is really not someone you want to deal with, but I just don't think there's anything he can do to help this situation. I wish there was and I know he does too. 

"It's okay. I'm being careful, it's just scary. Now tell me what the real reason you're here is, my love."

"Just needed to see you. Checo is being an ass as he said I impeded him in the practice this morning but I went through the videos, I wasn't even near him. Charles I'm going to be completely honest here and I haven't told anyone this but I don't like Checo as a teammate. He's a fine person and I have no issues with him but he complains about things that aren't even my fault and refuses to play a team game even when I already have a much better shot at the championship than he does. It's just frustrating."

I slowly start to walk to my driver's room to afford us some privacy.

"And what has Christian said about the situation? I know you haven't told him but for sure he sees this, no?"

"What can he do? He's told Checo before that he needs to play the team game and that he needs to listen to the instructions that his race engineer gives him but what more can he do? He's Checo's boss, not his dad."

"Yeah I guess."

"You should come to Redbull. Checo's contract expires after next year, and Christian would be dumb to say no to you."

"Max, I- I can't do that. Ferrari already wants to extend my contract past 2024."

"And? Just say no."

"Just the pressure from outside, I don't want to be the person to do something controversial and then regret it later."

Max stops to think for a second.

"So even though it would be the most controversial thing to ever happen in F1, you wouldn't be willing to go public about us being in a relationship?"

"Sunshine, I said I don't want to do something that I would regret. You will never be something I regret, ever." I pause to look at him and brace myself for impact before asking him a question that's been on my mind a lot lately.