The Winner Takes It All

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"Max we need to tidy up sector 2 if we can slightly, there is still some time i think you find in 8 and 11." I said as Max completed his first Q3 lap, sending him 2nd in the timings, only a tenth behind Lewis.

"Copy that Sarge. How are these tyres looking for another lap now?" Max asked as i watched him come round turn 10 on the screen.

"Go for it, we have not much to lose." I shrugged and pressed off Max's radio button before pressing the FIA button, "Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, car 33 on a flying lap, blue flags please."

"Copy." I heard through the radio and then i saw Max fly past the pit wall.

""How's Checo doing? Q2 was a bit of a blow," I leaned back and called over to his engineer, realizing that I still didn't know his name.

"Don't know, shut himself in his room like a child. Was it Lance Stroll that knocked him?" the engineer replied.

"Looks like it," I said, glancing back at the screen. "Give me a second."

I pressed Max's radio button again, and he spoke through the other end.

"You know, this is quite peaceful. Should I go easy on this corner to help them catch up? Nahhhh. Neeeeooommm."

"Max, are you okay there?" I chuckled.

"If I make the noises, I go quicker. Also, I'm bored. The delta is saying I'm up a second, so I'm just chilling down the straight at the minute. Oh, there's a car off at 11. Come on, Max, quick before they wave some flags."

"Yep, there are yellows in Sector two. Slow pace," I said as the message came up on my screen.

"Ha, already out of there. Off I go, 14, 15. NEEEEOOOOOOOM."

"Holy shit, Max, can you not do that?" I said, clutching my ears.

"Boom, where are we at now?"

"Provisional pole, mate. The car behind is Bottas on a 1:29:586. You're almost six tenths up there. Cracking job."

"Woo, now let's see if I can get to the pits on these slippy boys."

He pulled into the pits, and by that time, the red flag had come out for the Aston Martin in the wall at turn 11. The session had only five minutes left, so the flying laps were rushed when the green light went.

I didn't send Max back out; it would be carnage, and he would have no clear air for a lap. There was no way he was improving, so I let him have an extra five minutes to cool down before interviews.

The two Mercs and Leclerc were the only ones to make it to the line, and I sat biting my nails as they went round the track. Lewis set a purple sector one and two, putting him two tenths up on Max. Valtteri wasn't improving, so he minded his own business off the line.

Max stood next to me, watching the screen as the mini sectors suddenly turned yellow.

"Has he lifted off?" Max said, his eyes fixed on another screen.

"No, just a really bad exit there. He's now only 0.016 up on you. I don't think he can do it," I sighed.

Lewis rounded the final corner, but his car twitched a bit on the exit, causing him to lose a little extra time. He crossed the line, and the time popped up on my screen.

1:29:385.

"Get in Max." I shouted and jumped off my stool to hug him jumping up and down, "We did it, pole bloody position!"

"Someone is a bit happy." He chuckled lifting me up and putting me back down.

"Just a tad." I said smiling and Christian tapped me on the shoulder.