Chapter Forty-Four

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It's kinda short but it's some media stuff and Pierre's POV so yeah :) hope you enjoy!

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Alpha Tauri and Red Bull teams respond to harassment of employees
Following the events of the Dutch Grand Prix, Red Bull and Alpha Tauri F1 teams have made a plea to the public to stop the online harassment of their employees, claiming that many are experiencing severe abuse on social media. Most notably the driver for Alpha Tauri, Yuki Tsunoda, whose retirement worked in the favour of the Italian teams' 'sister' driver Max Verstappen. Tsunoda has reported severe racially focused bullying and threats on line and Red Bull also claim that their head strategist Hannah Schmitz has suffered extreme sexual threats an harassment as people claim that Tsunoda's bizarre retirement was a master plan of the uniquely linked teams.
The most outrageous specific person brought into the theories is actually the Alpha Tauri team photographer Jamie Mathers who has reportedly also seen an extreme increase in the abuse she receives online. Alpha Tauri notes that she has been receiving abuse for some time due to speculation regarding her relationship to the other Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly, but said that after she was pictured talking to the Red Bull strategist Schmitz that weekend that it has worsened significantly in the severity and number of the threats she receives.
The two teams have urged fans to remember that these are just people doing their jobs and that the conspiracy theory is entirely unfounded however no further statements have been issued.

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Pierre's POV

"Mate! How are you?" Charles asks as he comes to sit down in front of me, the two of us having agreed to meet up in Singapore for a meal before the next triple header kicks off. The last couple of weeks between the triple headers had been nice, albeit kinda of lonely with Jamie gone for a week with Lando but I was more than happy to oblige when Charles messaged and said that I owed him a meal for his birthday and he claimed that he needed a serious distraction from the season and I wanted to celebrate the Alpine contract I had just signed with the only other person on the grid who knew - that I liked anyway.

I smile as I give him a high five and settle in as we quickly catch-up and bitch about different things both on and off the grid as we eat and have a drink, Charles only having one as he had driven here whereas I had just walked in the end after a rather tense afternoon.

"Where is the beautiful Jamie tonight?" Charles asks cautiously as we start on the mains and I stiffen in my seat slightly, jaw tensing as I look out to the street as though I'm not bothered but my right hand being clenched gives me away even if everything else didn't. "Mate..."

"It's fine Charles...she's just exploring the city. She's out with Chiara - always wanted to come here she said," I say shortly, aware that I'm not masking my emotions at all as I draw a tired hand over my face in frustration after the words are said with more tension than I had intended, resting my head on my hand as I looked back at him.

"I'm saying this because we are friends...yes?" Charles says slowly and quietly, eyes looking around the restaurant to make sure we have our privacy as my heart sinks. Jamie wouldn't do anything but why was he so...anxious? I nod, watching him closely and nervously, waiting for him to say whatever he's about to say. "Is she okay? Because she doesn't seem so good and I've heard some things..." he says quietly and I feel the weight come off my chest, relief flooding over me when he doesn't say that she's cheated on me before a frown comes over my face as I replay his words in my head, taking the punch of his words the second time around.

"Yeah? I mean...I think so? She's been a bit quieter than usual recently but I think she's just tired from work - she was working with Lando during the break between races...working with me during the summer break. It's just been a lot I think," I tell him the words she told me. The ones that rattle around my head every time I look at her when she doesn't notice me watching. When she looks tired...no, she looks exhausted. Not just physically but mentally as well...

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