Dopamine | Adrenaline Book Two

27- My Turn To Speak

The only difference between a hero and a villain is who's telling the story.

It's my turn.

The tension in the Red Bull pits was clear. Max's anger was evident, and the mechanics who were responsible for the pit stop incident avoided him not out of fear, but due to their deep embarrassment. Failing to meet the expectations of the reigning World Champion was the last thing they desired, especially during such a critical phase of the championship.

During the post-race briefing an initial silence filled the room. Everyone anticipated Max's inevitable outburst over their race-day loss, but to their surprise, he remained unusually quiet throughout the meeting. The blond carried himself with little to no words, a behavior that was very unlike his own character.

After the briefing was over, Cristian Horner requested a private meeting with Max. The experienced team principal had picked up on the driver's strange behavior and wanted to access it personally like he had the custom to.

"Feeling a little quiet today?" Cristian asked as they entered his private office.

"I didn't have anything to say," Max commented, taking a seat across from Cristian's table.

"Your father called me," Cristian nervously chuckled. "He sounded pretty upset about the pit stop situation. I assured him that whoever was responsible for the mistake would be appropriately punished."

Max stared silently at one of the posters on the wall, a life-size image of himself with Carlos Sainz. It seemed he was barely paying attention to Cristian's words.

"We still have a grip on the championship, but we need to win in Brazil. We need to focus on that, Max," the older man said, trying to capture the blonde's attention, which seemed to be elsewhere. "Max?" he called after another long silent pause.

"Do you think Ferrari is going to re-sign Charles for next season?" Max asked, looking back at Cristian.

"Max," Cristian chuckled, waiting for Max to indicate it was a joke, but he remained serious. "I don't know. That's not what I'm trying to talk to you about, Max. Why is it important?"

"We should offer him a contract," Max suggested.

"Max..." Cristian started, but Max quickly interrupted him, anticipating the older man would steer the conversation back to the main topic. "He is good. I think they are wasting so much of his potential," Max pointed out again.

"Max," Cristian said, his voice becoming more stern. "That's not something you need to worry about. You're not a talent scout, you're a driver. The championship should be your primary concern."

The blond clenched his jaw at the implication of an impending scolding for his behavior. "If anything, this internal conflict at Ferrari might be one of the best things for us right now. And I definitely don't want that at Red Bull. We've been through that before, and it's better this way," Cristian stated firmly, confident in his opinion.

"We have you, Max. That's all we need, and that's all I'm focused on right now," he added, setting his hand on the table.

Silence.

"Invite Jos to the next race," Cristian suggested, adjusting his posture.

"What?" Max frowned, looking back at him, surprised.

"I feel like you're unmotivated, Max. I need you back on your feet. Your father knows how to do that," Cristian stated, staring at the blond. He knew it was a provocative suggestion given Max's publicly difficult relationship with his own father. "If you don't do it, then I will, Max. I need the best out of you for the next race."