Maybe in another life-formula 1

Sky Sports

Red Bull had all the attention going into the Monaco Grand Prix, having had a completely dominant start to the season. The relentless spotlight stressed Angelus out, especially with Christian Horner and Adrian Newey singing his praises at every opportunity.

He had seen this film before, and he didn't like how it ended. The extra attention didn't help; it only made the weight of expectations heavier.

He found himself looking through data constantly, ensuring that both cars were in peak performance. Yet, no matter how hard he worked with the team, he couldn't shake the feeling that the whole world was waiting for him to fail. Because this wasn't Angelus's life. Things don't go right and if they do they don't stay right for long.

Since taking the position at Red Bull, Angelus knew that he was a bit of a hot topic. He could tell from the phones that were often pointed at him and the flashes of cameras going off in the paddock that he tried to ignore. The microphones followed him as he tried to get to the garage. But his philosophy was that as far as all of it was non-direct, he could ignore it.

But Liz from marketing had been following him all over the Monaco paddock trying to convince him to do a couple of interviews, and he wanted no part of it. Angelus was busy as he was already preparing for free practice and looking over the data sent to him by the team. So the idea of someone digging into his old wounds before the race weekend was just something he wasn't in the mood for.

"Liz, seriously, please go away," he said, not looking up from his screens.

"Come on, Reyes. It's just a couple of interviews. Be your serious, boring self, and they won't want to talk to you again, I promise. Do you know how much money you would make if you stopped saying no to all the campaigns I've offered you the past couple of weeks?" Liz's tone was a mix of exasperation and pleading.

Angelus sighed, finally turning to face her. "Look, Liz, for the last time, I am not a driver. I am not a model. I am not any sort of influencer. I am not interested in more attention, please."

"Angelus, I said you would do it. Please, I know I shouldn't have, but I did. Please, just do the Sky Sports interview," she sighed, her face worried.

Liz was a young graduate, reminding him of Marlena. Despite his reluctance, Angelus swallowed his anxiety and complied.

He watched as her face lit up with a weak smile on his own. "You are actually the best," she squealed, jumping slightly before rushing away.

Max turned his head at the sudden sound from the corner of the garage. He saw Angelus sitting with one of the marketing team. Max watched as she threw her hands in the air and skipped off. He watched as Angelus turned back to his data screen.

Beside Max, Christian sighed and ran his hand over his face. "What's that about?" Max asked as he walked into hospitality. Christian only waved his hand dismissively.

"They want him to do more media. Seems like the new hire finally convinced him."

Max frowned. "Is it not just quick press ones? Why is that a problem?"

"Yeah, not the quick press ones. They want him to do a proper sit-down one... Sky Sports, and now apparently Drive to Survive wants in as well."

Max looked up, studying Christian's face. "Angelus is under a lot of pressure at the moment. He shows up in a sport he should have raced in, is now an engineer in a top team, and has helped create an extremely dominant car... He is good-looking and young, not to mention his history in the sport. Every media outlet wants their piece of the old 'Predestinado.'"

Max shivered upon hearing the old name, the name Ferrari used to describe Angelus, the legacy they wanted to create with him. The name is now used for Charles, who wears the rosso corsa as a badge of honor. The red was once worn by Seb and Kimi, now by Carlos and Charles. But to Max, it will always look better on Angelus.