END GAME | Lewis Hamilton

Chapter 48: Champagne

From Japan it was a back to back weekend heading to Qatar. The second I stepped off the plane I could feel the same humidity that killed me in Singapore.

Oh great I thought.

I got there late Tuesday night and went to sleep straight away. In the morning I woke nice and early going to the hotel gym.

Lewis was arriving this afternoon, him and I were planning to spend the night with each other.

I did my legs and glutes following my training plan and afterwards Iris and I had planned brunch.

"I really hope I can make this weekend count." I said halfway through our plates, "On monday I'll only have 5 more races."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow, "It went so fast, I still remember your first race as if it were yesterday."

"It really does seem like but I'm really excited not be a rookie anymore."

She laughed at me, "Well technically you'll still be the newest next year."

I side eyed her, "That's not important."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Also I'm coming Texas and Vegas. In between your crazy hobby I actually have a job. I have to be in New York then LA for a few different shoots."

"Hmmm right your job." I nod.

We finished our brunch and headed out to explore a bit before our schedules got too hectic.

Later that afternoon, Lewis had arrived knocking on my hotel door. We decided to relax and catch up, enjoying the rare downtime we had together.

It was media day now and I had just finished my panel, making my way back to redbull when I was stopped, "Estelle!"

I look to my right and see Susie Wolff, "Hey!" I match her energy.

She had been a big help in my early days of F3 and F2 so I was keeping a close eye on the her  project, The F1 Academy.

"How are you going, I haven't been able to have a conversation with you in what feels like months." She held my shoulders.

"Busy as always," I replied with a smile. "But things are going well. How about you? How's the F1 Academy shaping up?"

Susie's eyes lit up. "It's going great! We've got some incredible talent coming through. I'm so excited for the future of these young drivers. It reminds me of when I first saw you race."

"That's fantastic to hear," I said. "I'm really proud of what you're doing. It's so important to give these opportunities to the next generation."

"Thank you," she said warmly. "And speaking of opportunities, I've heard some interesting rumors about you for next seasons."

I raised an eyebrow, laughing out of surprise, "And what might they be?"

"Well," She started, "Sauber is switching to Audi, that's now finalised. As well as that Porsche is nearing the end of their negotiations to the FIA. I also had a conversation with your father recently."

We chatted for a few more minutes before I had to head back to the Red Bull where I found Inez.

To finish the day Lewis and I had agreed on netflix and chill.

"So how was your day?" He asked as we settled in with our food.

"Good, busy," I said with a mouth full of food. "I ran into Susie Wolff. She mentioned some interesting things about Porsche and Audi."

"I see..." He hummed, "What are your thoughts on that?"

"I don't know if I would actually leave Red Bull, that's the thing."

"Do you want to win a championship?"

Him asking me this brought me back to watching Sebastian Vettel in his dominance era. His reaction every race was something that money could never buy and I wanted to feel the same.

"Of course I do," I say without hesitation.

"Then yeah I think you should leave red bull. I'm sorry to say this but you have zero chance there. You would be you getting the team orders to back off or let Max through."

Lewis had a point. As much as I loved being part of Red Bull, the reality of being overshadowed by Max was undeniable.

"Do you really think I have no chance at Red Bull?" I asked, needing to hear it again to let it fully sink in.

Lewis nodded slowly. "Red Bull is Max's team, and they've built everything around him. It's not impossible, but it's highly unlikely they'll give you equal status. If you want to be a champion, you need to be with a team that sees you as their number one driver."

I took a deep breath, looking out the window at the city lights of Doha. "What about 2016? You and Nico...?"

He looked surprised I had asked about Nico, we hadn't talked about him before. Lewis sighed, his expression thoughtful. "That was different. Nico and I were both at the peak of our careers, and Mercedes allowed us to fight it out. But even then, it was tense, and it took a toll on both of us. Not every team is willing to take that risk, and not every driver pairing can handle it."

"Do you feel like it was fair?" I asked biting my lip.

He took a deep breathe, "Looking back we were both given equal opportunities, and that led to a lot of tension and a mix of emotions. We both had so much at stake. It was exhausting, mentally and physically. But Mercedes was committed to letting us race, which isn't the case at Red Bull with Max."

I sighed, "I just can't imagine racing for another team though."

Lewis leaned forward, his expression serious but supportive. "I get it. Change is hard, especially when you've been with a team for so long. But sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is necessary to achieve your goals."

I held my temple for a seccond, "Ok, enough talking. I'm ordering a bottle of champagne. Will you drink?"

"Yeah, I'll drink to that." He rolled his eyes smiling. "Only a small glass though."

The next day I had managed myself pretty good coming P4 in practice then getting P5 for the start of the sprint.

It was saturday now and I was having a disappointing morning having crashed out of the sprint.

I was even more excited for qualifying knowing I had a 10 place grid penalty.

Adrian had come up to me as I was reviewing the strategy, "How are you holding up kid?"

"Well the grid penalty is a big hit you know... and after this morning let's just say I'm not feeling lucky."

Adrian nodded, "Well, better get some quick laps then."

Soon enough I was strapped into the car and on my hot lap I managed P4 going into Q2.

I unfortunately had a shocking time in Q2 getting P13.

"Did I make it through?" I radio out of breathe from the heat.

"Unfortunately not, P13. So you will be starting p20."

I breathed out in defeat, "Sorry guys."

The race was nothing good either.

Going into the first corner the mercedes had made contact with eachother and Lewis had spun out onto the gravel.

I managed to get a good enough start to put myself up to p13 for the 5th lap. That however wasn't enough for me to catch the front of the pack.

I crossed the line in P10 which made the weekend overall one I would like to forget.

Lewis felt the same way as after the race he had messaged; "There's still plenty of champagne left right?"