Same but... different (Lestappen and Carlando)

Chapter 50

Sorry this is an invented weekend, as there actually wasn't a Canadian GP in 21 🥲

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POV: Max

Finally done with the media, I go back to the hotel and sigh heavily. It wasn't easy to pretend all Thursday long to be excited for the race. With all their dumb questions, always the same, leaving me as bored as a human can be.

But I wasn't only tired of the interviews, I was also petrified by the thought that maybe my father would go to this race. And I still am. I just can't wait to hop in the car tomorrow, and leave every thought outside, focusing on just going fast. This is probably my favourite part of racing, with winning of course.

Nothing extraordinary happens this night, and I have to be satisfied with just a call from my boyfriend, as we can't really take any more risks. We may share the same hotel, but sleeping in the same room every night would just be like exposing our relationship to the world.

Thinking about my favourite Monegasque, I smile as I remember the mark he left on me, my hand quickly covering the spot on my neck. This man really had me wearing the most covering shirt I could find in Redbull merch, making me look a bit strange compared to some other drivers wearing so little.

But I like the reminder though, I can't really say the memories it brings back are bad. Smirking, I manage to go to sleep quite quickly, already thinking about tomorrow.

*** ellipsis of Friday (practice)***

POV: Carlos

Yesterday was practice, and it went well. I mean, Charles and I were a bit surprised that the car seemed to work so differently from last GP, but in the end we finished 2nd and 4th at the end of FP2. It was really good, especially considering Redbull and Mercedes' cars. I couldn't really complain, whereas Lando... It wasn't looking so great, definitely.

But overall no one crashed, and I guess every team got the data they wanted, the rain appearing here and there like often on this track, this morning. Now just remains the qualifications, something my teammate always excelled at.

I hop in the car, now entirely focused on my job. I would lie if I said I don't care a bit about Lando on track, because it's impossible, but I definitely focus more on myself. Everything goes relatively well, although an error in strategy almost makes me miss Q3. I'm still trying to calm down when we have to get back on track, and I smile noticing that Lando also made it.

My smile soon turns into a frown though, because now the Brit is right in front of me while I'm on a fast lap, probably the only one I'll have before rain comes down. And although he tries to get out of the way, it doesn't really work because I still lose maybe 2 or 3 tenths.

As I drive quite slowly to get back to the pits, fairly upset of how things turned out, my engineer suddenly tells me about a fast car behind, and the blue flag appears on my steering wheel. But it's late, and I just have time to start turning before a speedy McLaren flashes by, without me able to see who it is.

As expected, the rain comes down violently after, putting an end to the session, and leaving me in 6th place. Not so bad considering that both Mercedes and both Redbulls are in front, but if I hadn't been caught in traffic earlier... It's only upsetting me more that Charles managed to grab P2 with the same car, I could have done so much more.

Trying to not let out too much of my anger in the interviews post-quali I calm down, noticing from the corner of my eye the upset face of my boyfriend. I hear the commentators telling the order from afar, only managing to hear the first ten positions.