Formula 1 | One Shots

Lucky Charm Part 1 | Charles Leclerc

Author's Note: Another Charles story bc he just won his home race hehe

Side Note: This is JUST a story, not based on anything real.

Part 1 of 2. 
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I drowned out the background noise and voices in the paddock club. I was anxiously playing with my rings while watching the screen. 3 more laps. 3 more laps and the Monaco Grand Prix would come to an end. Charles was in the lead, but I knew nothing was guaranteed until the end. 3 more laps would decide if all of Charles' hard work over the weekend was worth it. 

Oscar was still far enough to not overtake, while Carlos was doing a great job of defending off the others behind him. It was all left up to Charles' skill. 2 more laps, I watched as Mbappe grabbed the checkered flag and moved towards the finish line, ready to wave it for the winner.

1 more lap. This is it, my boyfriend of 2 years was about to win his home race for the first time. This is everything he had ever wanted. The "Monaco Curse" would be no more. I turned to Pascale and Lorenzo, both glued to the screens. Jacques voice commentary came over the speakers:

"In 2017, Charles Leclerc lost his father and in his final days, he told his father a white lie. That he'd made it to Formula 1; that he'd signed the contract. It wasn't true then but his driving has made it true now, and look what he's done with the opportunity. The grandstands he saw built as a kid growing up now rise for him and for the first time in 93 years this fabled race is won by one of their own. Charles Leclerc wins the Monaco Grand Prix to achieve his dream."

We were all hysterically cheering. We all hugged each other, tears spilling everywhere. It was such an emotional race. I engulfed Pascale in a hug, knowing how much this must have meant to her. She had sacrificed so much for Charles to be in F1, and seeing him win in the streets where he grew up must have been very overwhelming. She leaned her head on my shoulder, "My Charlie boy, he did it." I rubbed my hands up and down her arms to console her. This was her win just as much as it was his.

The big screen was showing the camera going through the crowd and rather than focus on the Ferrari team or Charles's family, his ex girlfriend suddenly appeared in the camera view, waving to the crowd. She had tears running down her face, and she made a heart with her hands lifting it to the sky. My stomach knotted up watching it happen, but I kept my cool and continued to smile and cheer. Lorenzo squeezed my arm, comforting me after Monica's face appeared. 

We all quickly grabbed our things to run off to the podium area. We wanted to ensure we were front row so Charles could see us. Arthur was able to join the engineers at Park Femme, and I was glad Charles had him. I quickly put the image of Monica to the back of my head, as I had more important things to focus on. My mind wandered to how Charles and I first met while we were waiting for the podium to begin.

When my cousin Pierre invited me to their annual ski trip in the Dolomites over the 2022 winter break, I hesitated. I wasn't much of a skier, but Pierre was persistent, and he promised it would be a break I desperately needed. Little did I know that this trip would change my life in ways I could never have imagined.

I had heard of Charles Leclerc, of course. He was good friend with Pierre over the years, but we hadn't interacted much. I would always see him on TV smiling big and full of excitement, but the man I met was a shadow of that image. He was quiet, withdrawn, and carried sadness. Pierre had mentioned in passing that Charles had had a tough year, but he didn't go into details. I soon learned why.

Charles had suffered through a heartbreaking season in 2022. His dreams of winning the championship had been shattered, and to make matters worse, his girlfriend had left him right after his loss. She had been more interested in the fame and glory. Charles was heartbroken because he had thought she was the one. They were young sweethearts and she was just as loved by the Monegasque people as he was. Their fanbase went wild when news of their breakup surfaced. Charles was very respectful and kept the true details of their breakup hidden, so she wouldn't face any backlash.