The Surrogate

A Five Times World Champion

Sunday November 21st.

Holly can scarcely believe what she's witnessing. Fireworks are lighting up the night sky, their loud pops and bangs being just about drowned out by the noise of the fans in the stands across the track and of Seb's team who are all crowded around her where she's penned in at Parc Fermè. She's witnessed greatness today, she's witnessed another masterclass from Sebastian and now he's right in front of her, standing on his car, steering wheel held aloft in one hand and his infamous finger being up held in the air on his other hand.  He looks like a stunning masterpiece as he's illuminated from all angles, the fireworks and camera flashes glittering off of his helmet.

He's now a five times world champion.

The dream might not have been realised with Ferrari but he's achieved it here with a team who he's mightily close to and who love him just as much as he loves them.

To the side, close to the FIA garage, she can see Antti and Britta, who's already in floods of happy tears. They'll be among the first to congratulate him and she wishes she that was able to be over there with them. Next her though, Mikey flings an arm around her shoulders and then hands her a tissue. He's been quick to notice her shedding a few tears of her own.

Like several others in the team, he's not entirely sure what the status of Seb's relationship with this woman is. He doesn't know if they're together, just friends, if she really is here because she'll be having a baby for him or if it's something else. The only thing that's clear is that the five times world champion is smitten with Holly, that much is obvious from the way Seb looks at her - every single time. And so he's taken it upon himself to look after her now the race is over, at least until Seb will manage to get a moment to himself that he can spend with her.

She can't tear her eyes off of him as he jumps down from the sidepod of the car, his Honey Ryder. He's immediately congratulated by Lewis and the two share a hug before he's then swept up into a hug by his teammate who's managed to clinch third place and his sixth podium of the year.

He then reattaches the steering wheel before pulling off his HANS, his helmet and finally his balaclava. He looks shellshocked, like it hasn't sunk in yet that he's now a five times world champion, but also emotional, his eyes glassy with unshed tears as he turns to look back at the car again and then bends to give it an affectionate pat.

Around Holly, his team are all shouting his name, chanting and singing that he's a champion. Along with herself, everyone's got on t-shirts over their uniform, they're still green but with '2021 World Champion' printed on them in gold along with five gold stars that surround the Aston Martin and his SV5 logo. He doesn't see her at first as he runs over and flings himself into a sea of arms but she doesn't mind, this is a moment for him and his team, a perfect and hard earned reward as they approach the end of a long, tough season. This championship will be as much for them as it is him.

She lightly pats around her eyes to catch her tears as he hugs Chris and buries his face in the man's shoulder. His shoulders shake and she knows that it's hitting him that he's done it, that after a long wait he's finally got title number five - one step closer to his idol's tally of seven.

Then he lifts his head and his gorgeous, tearful blue eyes meet her own. She feels so fucking proud of him that she can't put it into words, all she knows is that she wants to hold him and never let go.

He stops in front of her and then flings his arms around her, burying his face into the crook of her neck and not caring who sees or what it looks like. To have her here for him is the best feeling ever, it's been a rare thing to have someone in Parc Fermè for him apart from his family or Britta and Antti and its something he wants to experience again and again. He clings onto her as an outpouring of emotion consumes him, he's fought for this moment for so many years, he's seen and heard the comments about how's he's done in F1 and how he'll never win again. He's had to brush off criticism from the media and the Tifosi in Italy when he's failed to bring them a title after carrying the weight of their expectation on his shoulders. But now in his first year in his new team, a team that have welcomed him with open arms and given him what feels like a new home, he's finally silenced all his critics. Next year he'll have the number one on his car.