Against You

Recentre

Lando POV

I invite my team out to dinner in Woking to thank them for thier hard work, and because the meeting with Zak Brown has rattled me right down to my core. Oscar ruined our strategy in Bahrain, he's humiliated me in every media session we've done together, he spiked my drinks at Top Golf and almost killed me in a steam room, and I'm called into his disciplinary? It reeks of unfairness.

After a couple of weeks collecting myself and rebuilding, it's become clear I have to make a change. I've been too closed off this season, not at all like before. I've blown up at my team when actually everything has been stupid Oscar's fault. I need to recentre myself. I need to reconnect with my team.

I turn up at the cosy restaurant early to check our private table and order some drinks at the bar. Jon and Leah arrive first, smiling yet clearly confused on what this is all about.

"I wanted to say sorry for my performances this year. I know you've all been working really hard and my finishing positions haven't been up to standard."

"Aww, Lando," Leah gives me a one-armed hug. "It's okay. It can't be easy for you."

"It's not easy, but I'm supposed to be a professional."

The rest of the team arrive one by one and we talk about normal things in between bites of our Thai curries and spring rolls. I don't really like spicy food, I just know most of my team would appreciate this restaurant.

"I went climbing yesterday," Jon says to a chorus of oohs and aahs. "And I didn't injure myself this time, which is progress."

"It's all that gym work strengthening your joints," I laugh.

"Speaking of the gym, you've been in there a lot lately too," Will grins. "Trying to impress someone?"

Leah giggles and I roll my eyes before looking down at the menu. "I just have a lot of steam I need to let off."

"I bet," Jon nods. Mercifully the topic dies there.

We order food and I try to keep the conversation away from racing as much as possible. I know it's our passion and for some of us it's all we have in common, but I want to build a better bond with my team than that. I want to learn their likes and dislikes and get right down the to hearts behind the overalls.

Dinner is drawing to a close when it all starts unravelling.

"Why didn't you invite Grace?" Tom asks.

"Yeah, I don't like being the only girl," Leah says.

I furrow my brow and look around them. "Why would I invite her? She isn't part of our garage crew."

"I thought you two got on pretty well."

"We get on fine," I say, "but there's nothing going on, if that's what you're thinking. She just understands when I'm down about something Oscar has done."

"That's weird," Will frowns, leaning back in his chair. "I thought I overheard her talking with Oscar the other day about how much she hates you."

The people around the table laugh, and I chuckle too. We all know Grace hates the Australian almost as much as I do.

"Speaking of Oscar," Leah says, twirling her last spaghetti round and round her fork. "I heard you both got called in for a secret meeting a couple of weeks ago. What was all that about?"

"Oh, yeah... It was just about how we don't get on and how it's affecting the team."

"Did Zak Brown give you an ultimatum?"

"Kind of. He said neither of our seats are safe."

Will gasps and pulls a face. "That's ridiculous, I don't think you've done anything wrong!"

"Me neither," I sigh. "But apparently it takes two to tango."

We finish our meals and one by one my team leave to go home. I feel better for having spoken to them, it's reminded my about the most important thing in all of this: Papaya team spirit. I can't stop thinking about the meeting with Zak Brown, through. I've never been spoken to like that, like a criminal.

As I pull on my coat and head to the car to make my own way home, I realise that little rat Oscar has turned everyone against me: the media, the fans, the team. I was a leader, and now I'm being treated as an outcast. Maybe it's time to get back at Oscar Piastri. Maybe if I'm already being treated like a villain, I may as well become one.

Oscar POV

My breath comes in gasps. I drag the bar down centimetre by centimetre, feeling every fibre in my arms burn and tear. My body shakes as it nears my chest, I raise my chin and force myself to ignore the flaring pain in my fingers, the strain in my biceps and triceps and lats. One more centimetre, and then I drop.

New personal best: 100kg. A grin spreads slowly across my face. I stand up and stretch my fingers, skipping from foot to foot. I'd like to see Lando Norris beat that.

"Nice one, Oscar," my trainer, Thomas, pats me on the back. "A few more kilometres on the treadmill and I'll let you go to lunch."

It's mornings like this that keep me going. Being in the gym, challenging myself every day, tracking my improvements and breaking my limits again and again and again. It's the perfect way to make sure I don't forget how good I am. A lack of focus has been hampering me. Lando Norris has been a distraction for far too long.

I turn on my gym playlist as I adjust the speed on the treadmill. I made a promise to myself after Zak Brown threatened to fire me. No more pranks. No more taunts. From now on I don't even think about Lando, I don't acknowledge him, I don't watch how he races, I don't wonder how he feels. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the only driver on this team. And I will bring back a first place trophy before the season is out.

I am the best racing driver who ever lived. I have more potential than anyone in Formula One. I'm going to win a race this season.

The next few weeks fly by in a blur of gym sessions and racing. Every week I'm getting closer and closer to my goal, but I can never reach it. One race it's a puncture. The next race it's bad strategy from my engineers. Then rain during qualifying.

Every time something gets in my way, I come back stronger. No more news articles about fighting and drama, now they only compare our performances on the track.

Lando is winning races.

It started in Monaco. He lead from pole position while I had to fight my way up to finish third. Then he won in Canada and Austria back to back, and he should have won at Silverstone too only Russell overtook him on the final lap.

It makes my blood boil, so I try not to think about it. I just lift my weights, run my laps, and make dents in the punchbag. I'm fully focussed for the second half of the season. Nothing is going to get in my way, and nothing is more important than getting my first win.