Adrenaline: A Lestappen Story

𝟏𝟒 - 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧

Before the qualifying session, Max received news from his chief engineer that his words had been followed through. Rumors of Ferrari's chief strategist abruptly resigning began circulating through the paddock and media outlets. It became challenging for Max to focus properly as he contemplated how lost Charles would feel with the sudden news, unaware that the strategist had been a mole.

Despite the distractions, Max anticipated seeing Charles at the qualifying podium with him by the end of the last session. He hoped the brunette would overcome the emotional hurdles and either secure pole position or place directly under him. After all, Charles consistently delivered exceptional times in qualifying, a common tendency that Max had grown to appreciate.

However, the blond's expectations were shattered when he saw yellow flags being waved during his session, which were swiftly changed to red flags.

"Guys, there is a problem with my gearbox," Charles conveyed over the radio just before entering a turn, which demanded much more effort than usual and caused him to drop to eighth.

"There is a problem with my gearbox," he repeated, hoping for some form of clarification before the next corner approached.

"Copy. We will get back to you," Xavi's voice came through on the other line. Charles mentally cursed him out, frustrated by the lack of helpful information.

As Charles navigated the corner, his entire focus on making it through without losing more time, he failed to notice a split-second failure in his engine. When he pressed forward, the slight delay proved enough to send him spiraling, hitting the wall so hard that the world went dark. Charles, exhausted and overwhelmed, simply allowed the darkness to consume him.

"It's Charles Leclerc, he crashed on turn five," Max heard over the radio. His eyes widened, and immediately, the blonde pressed the radio button on his wheel to inquire about Charles's well-being. To his relief, the response indicated that the other driver seemed to be okay.

Returning to the pits, the camera focused directly on Max, but fortunately, none could discern the worry that consumed him beneath the helmet. After a fifteen-minute wait, the end of qualifying was announced, leaving him in second position. Max drove his car to the designated spot, disembarking to congratulate Lando Norris on his first place, with Lewis Hamilton in third.

The crowds erupted in cheers for the English drivers, allowing Max to discreetly slip away after the podium photo, leaving the two other drivers to their own celebrations. Racing across the paddock, he directed himself to the paddock hospital at the end of the track. Capitalizing on the attention focused on the other drivers, Max easily maneuvered through most of the crowds. Unfortunately, Kelly caught up to him halfway through his path.

Despite her pleas to know where he was going, Max offered no answers. With cables still hanging out of his suit, he walked into the room to catch a glimpse of some members of the Ferrari team and finally, Charles, emerging from the ambulance with the aid of paramedics.

Charles didn't recall much of the journey between his car and ending up in the ambulance. The injuries were minor, but the overwhelming stress and the literal crash had led to a brief loss of consciousness. He didn't resist it, enjoying the temporary escape from everything.

Apart from the momentary loss of awareness, Charles only had a few scrapes and bruises, with the knowledge that the latter would form later in the day. Initially, most faces blurred, but once he was allowed to sit up, he could better recognize everyone. He assured them that he was okay, followed by apologies for his poor performance. They insisted it wasn't his fault, but Charles turned it down every time they said it because he knew it was. His emotional lapse had diverted his focus from the track, leading to a starting position from the back of the grid. Now, Ferrari's hopes for a win rested on his teammate.