He's my teammate

28 - Safe Haven

November 2023 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

If Lando had picked a single word to describe how he was feeling, it would be devastation. It could have been dramatic, in fact it probably was, but as he pulled his car around for the cooling lap he felt a world of weight crashing down on his shoulders. He felt his entire teams' dreams, all their hopes, he felt them all crushing down on his shoulders. They'll tell him it was a good fight, Lando took him to the last race. Gave him a real fight. One that Max hadn't had in a long time.

But, Max Verstappen had won the championship. Again.

Exhaustion seeped into every molecule of his body. Every muscle fibre felt like it was on the brink of rupture. There was a part of him that was relieved the season was over, relieved that his body would get a break. He also felt like he wanted to pull the car over and cry because the season was over, and his time was up. Let the emotions take over, let the feeling of utter and complete failure take over him.

Except he had a team to face. A team of mechanics, engineers and support staff, a massive team. A team that he had let down with this loss. With this failure. He knew they would act happy and proud, and on a certain level they meant it. They'll tell him it was a good fight, Lando took him to the last race. Gave him a real fight. One that Max hadn't had in a long time. Max in a Red Bull was just unbeatable, something that Lando himself already knew since he had spent a year racing in the same car as him.

Still, somehow, he believed he could have beaten him.

Lando forced himself to take deep breaths as he pulled his car into the paddock, taking his place in the spot in front of the third-place marker. Slowly he unbuckled himself, taking enough time to gather himself, but not too much time knowing that there were millions of eyes on him. The last thing he wanted to do was give them something to talk about. McLaren had surpassed everyone's expectations, except for his own.

It had been a long shot that Lando would take the title from Max, but it had still been a shot.

When he finally pulled himself free, the world around him came into focus all at once. As if removing himself from the cockpit of his car somehow broke the barrier between him and the rest of the world. People were cheering, singing Max's song, and waving Dutch flags. Engineers and mechanics lined the barricades waiting to congratulate their driver. The Red Bull team was practically breaking down the barrier in front of them they were so rowdy. McLaren was excited, their energy almost matching that of the Red Bull team, but beside Red Bull Lando found their show of excitement almost depressing.

He saw it in their eyes before he had gotten in the car, they had wanted a championship. They had wanted to be the ones to knock Max Verstappen off the top spot. McLaren had produced champions for other teams, but they hadn't won a driver's championship for themselves in 15 years.

There was only one person standing at the front of the barrier who didn't look the slightest bit disappointed in the team's result. She didn't look disappointed in him at all, instead she looked happy. Her eyes were swollen with pride and her smile brought him out of the clouds of emotion that was swarming him. In that moment, where he felt like he had failed hundreds of his teammates, she looked at him like she had given her the world.

"I'm so proud of you." Arabella said as Lando reached her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Come here." He said, his voice barely audible underneath his helmet, but Arabella heard, or understood by his movements, but she jumped up as Lando grabbed her bringing her over the barrier and crushing her against him.

People chuckled, some whistled, but he didn't care. Lifting her had left him breathless and for a moment he thought he'd drop her he was so exhausted, but he didn't care. He gripped her like she was the answer to all his questions, like she was water, and he was on the verge of dying from dehydration.