Raging Bulls || Max Verstappen MV

12. Checkmate

"So cry me a river till you drown in the lake

'Cause you may think you're winning but 

checkmate."

⁂

The crowd roared as I emerged from my seat. My team stood there waiting. And she was nowhere to be seen...P10 I think? My own victorious yell echoed through the helmet but got lost in the cheers. Her flaming red helmet was probably being flung across the garage like a toddler with a toy as I approached the reporter. Luckily, Lissie Mackintosh wasn't waiting with a microphone so I wouldn't have to deal with her probing. I recounted the story of my engine failing out of nowhere and made sure to sell my hope that the team was going to be able to find a fix. I knew the crowd ate the whole thing up as the cheering grew louder and I exited the frame.

The garage was buzzing with energy. Most excited for my first position but since my teammate hadn't started outside the top positions, her crew was anxious to see what these uncharted waters held. Christian emerged and shook my hand and offered his congratulations. Then the temperature in the garage spiked.

"Mati, that was a tough one. But points aren't scored on Saturday, we're going to figure this out." Christian approached my teammate for a handshake. Her eyes were glued to me and I held the gaze.

Here we go.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Her tone was controlled and her head tilted like a predator stalking prey. The voices in the garage hushed awaiting my response.

"Max Verstappen, two-time world champion..." I turned to find her gaze fixed on me and filled with hatred. I flicked my gaze to her new race engineer. He moved slightly away as if afraid of what was going to leave my teammate's mouth next.

"Where do you get off binning into the wall like that?" Although her head had to crane in order to stare at me, she didn't back down.

"I don't know what you're talking about. My engine failed and I had to pull off for safety reasons." Christian tensed next to me as her breaths grew deeper.

"I was faster in the first two sectors, then you just have a technical failure? But not bad enough to where you trash the car?" She spat the words out, still quieter than I'd imagined.

"Look, there was nothing I could've done." My small smirk betrayed the innocent act I was putting on.

Suddenly, she was within arms length and heat radiated from her. The way she raged...it was like watching a building go up in flames.

"You're a selfish bastard."

Her voice rose slightly as a small crowd had begun to form outside the garage. Their camera lenses were trained on the commotion and my teammate had no idea they were there. Glancing at Christian again I dumped gasoline on the inferno,

"Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?" Suddenly she was reaching for me. I almost flinched...almost, as Sebastian Vettel had to haul her up with both arms. All I could do was grin as she hurled insults at me in German, Italian and some Swiss.

Her blue eyes found mine as she spit, "I'd tell you to go to hell but I don't want to see you there!"

"Good one." I rolled my eyes and watched as Sebastian carried her outside. My teammate's new race engineer yelled at the reporters but it was too late...they'd filmed the whole thing. Slowly, her head turned and our gazes locked once more. I reveled in the anger that had taken residence there. Sebastian tried to get her attention but every bit of rage was fixed on me. A burning crept across my skin as we stayed locked in this battle of wills. Finally with a quick turn, she walked away, heading anywhere but this garage I assumed. But, she wouldn't find a place in the paddock to hide now...not even in the McLaren or Williams garages with those friends of hers.