Gridlocked Hearts

VII

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The sun was beating down on the boiling tarmac as Claude stepped out of the car onto hot Bahraini soil, ready for the upcoming season.

The final week of the training camp had been almost unbearable for him, as he had tried his best to avoid Noah at all costs. Collapsing on him was something that Claude would never live down. He hated looking weak, and his rival had seen him at his worst.

With the camp over, the two rivals had been thrown into a whirlwind of media attention. Journalists and experts alike were clamouring for any insight into their plans for the upcoming season. It was something that Claude had always hated, having grown up with media scrutiny due to his father. Noah, on the other hand, seemed to thrive in the atmosphere, even posting a photo dump of the training camp that included several candid shots of Claude that he had no idea had been taken. The media was quick to jump on the narrative of the two drivers becoming friends, much to Claude's dismay. Their rivalry was now a thing of the past and Claude hated it. He hated Noah getting attention, and he hated the media for not seeing through his act.

The resentment between the two drivers had only as the media circus continued. But at least the car looked impressive. During the launch event, Claude had to fight to suppress a gasp as he laid eyes on the sleek design. The car looked fast, really fast. Even the experts were in agreement, hailing it as the best-designed F1 car in years. And they hadn't even seen it on the racetrack yet.

He just hoped it would perform on the Bahrain International Circuit.

"If it isn't Claude Beaufort back from the dead!" Theo practically skipped towards the Frenchman. A huge smile was spread across his face. His orange racing suit was tied around his waist, and his dark hair was plastered to a sweaty forehead.

"Bonjour Theo! Did you miss me?" Claude said with a grin, happy to see a friendly and familiar face. His friend pulled him in for a tight hug.

"You have no idea, man. I've slowly been going crazy. I've always hated off-season," Theo confessed, shaking his head. Claude laughed, tilting his head towards the sky.

"Just be glad you weren't sent on a 'training retreat' with Noah Blanchett and without your phone," Claude replied sarcastically, still slightly bitter about being forced to spend an extended amount of time with his teammate.

"Yeah ok you win," Theo chuckled, tapping his friend on the back in solidarity. "I saw the launch event by the way. Your car looks... competitive," he nodded his head towards the sleek car behind Claude, proudly on display in the Ferrari garage.

"Anything is better than the shitbox you drive!" The frenchman joked, poking fun at Theo's car. The McLaren had been anything but reliable in the past few years, and it had become a running joke between all the drivers.

"You wound me Claudie boy!" Theo laughed, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. Claude rolled his eyes at his friend's antics, before his face turned serious.

"How are you feeling about testing?"

His friend sighed, and kicked some dirt in the grid box.

"Like shit. They seem to have somehow made the car LESS aerodynamic. I try not to read articles, but fuck Claude. They're tearing us apart. I might as well be driving a tractor," He grumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

"I thought the McLaren was already a tractor?" Claude replied, unable to resist taking another jab at his friend's car.

"Asshole!" Theo rolled his eyes, but Claude could tell he was secretly amused. "I can't even argue with you!"