Senna's Daughter - Carlos Sainz/ Lewis Hamilton

Chapter 19 - Want me to spell it out for you?

Carlos Sainz' POV:

We woke up and had breakfast with Lance, Lawrence, Chloe and Gabi. The atmosphere was light, but beneath the surface, my mind was still wrestling with the words Gabi had uttered in her drunken state on the yacht a couple of days ago. Who was she referring to?

As Lance and I made our way to the paddock, leaving Chloe to show Gabi around Montreal with, I couldn't shake off the lingering questions. Now, reclined on my massage bed in my driver's room, staring blankly at the ceiling, I found myself lost in thought. 

Who was she talking about? Dominic? It seemed unlikely, given that it was a chapter from years ago. Why would she compare me to him? Was it about something more recent? Had she encountered an ex in Monaco? But, she said she told me everything about her dating life. I know that she would not lie about it. 

Before I could dwell further, Lando and Caco barged into the room, interrupting my reverie.

"What's on your mind, Romeo?" Lando joked.

"A conversation between me and Gabi," I answered.

"Is there something wrong?" Caco asked.

"No, no. I mean... hope not." I said and told them everything that she said to me that night.

"Well, first of all... strange," Lando remarked, echoing my sentiments.

"Yeah, why would she talk about him now?" Caco agreed to the strangeness of the situation.

"I don't know. But I don't want to pry. I don't want to seem like I'm dwelling on her past or doubting her. I also don't want to seem like the pathologically jealous boyfriend," I confessed, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.

Lando offered reassurance, advising against pressing the issue further. With a heavy sigh, I decided to shelve the matter, focusing instead on the tasks at hand.

"Yes, anyway. I should leave this topic at that. Let's go do some interviews." I said and jumped out the bed. 

For a couple of hours, we did the interviews, shot some content, and signed some autographs and team merch. Then, I met with Lance at the exit and we made our way home.

As we reunited with Gabi and Chloe their animated accounts of their day contrasted sharply with our mundane press conference experiences. Then, we went to a restaurant that Lance claimed to be the best in Montreal. He was right. It's worth the hype. Returning home, we lounged in the garden, the cozy atmosphere punctuated by Chloe and Scotty's affectionate display, and the quiet intimacy between Gabi and me. It was a moment of respite amidst the chaos of race weekend, grounding us in the warmth of companionship and shared laughter.

The next day we had two practice 1 and 2. I was determined to make the most of them. In the first one, I came P7 a decent start but with room for improvement. However, Practice 2 proved to be more satisfying as I secured P4. It was a result that filled me with genuine joy and boosted my confidence for the upcoming qualifying session.

Gathering for the team meeting afterward, Zak's words of praise were both encouraging and motivating. "Carlos, you did an amazing job, man! We are really, really happy and motivated for tomorrow's quali," he commended, his words resonating with me as I glanced proudly at my team.

"Yeah. It is incredible. I am also very happy and thank you, team." I said

As the focus shifted to Lando, there was a palpable sense of concern in the air. "So, Lando, what do you think was the problem with your car?" Zak inquired, aiming to pinpoint the source of Lando's struggle to deliver competitive lap times.