Eyes Don't Lie | Charles Leclerc

Part 9 | An Unsmooth Operation

July 2022

*Flashback*

There I sat in my position on the grid, helmet on, heart pounding. Silverstone. A race that meant so much to the team, to the fans, and to me. A historical track. Today was supposed to be my day, my chance to close the gap to Max in the championship. We had a plan. The team had assured me of it. Mattia had looked me in the eye and promised. I was confidently sitting in P1, snagging pole position during qualifying, Carlos making up the rest of the front row in P2. The strategy was easy, Carlos defends while I avoid sharp corners. 

The lights went out, and instinct took over. My start was solid, better than Carlos'. I slipped past him and the others into turn two, holding my line, focusing on my race. Everything was going to plan. I was pulling away, lap by lap, feeling the most confident I had in a while, the championship not completely out of my grasp.

But then, in the final fifteen laps, something changed.

Carlos was pushing harder than usual, and I could hear the tension in Xavi's over the radio. 

"Xavi, what the fuck? Why is Carlos trying to push me off? Why isn't he defending Max who is creeping up into P3?"

"We're checking...."

I waited and nothing. They weren't telling him to back off. They weren't telling him to stick to the strategy. Instead, they let him race me—harder and more aggressively than we'd agreed.

I tried to keep my composure, but it wasn't easy. Every time I looked in my mirrors, Carlos was there, pushing the limits, taking risks I wouldn't have taken. My tires were screaming for relief, but I couldn't let up. I couldn't let him through. Not when we had an agreement. Not when I was so close to gaining ground on Max in the points.

Lap after lap, Carlos' attacks became more erratic, he nearly clipped my rear tire. My pulse spiked, but I managed to stay ahead. My mind was racing just as fast as the car. Why wasn't the team stepping in? Why were they letting this happen?

Then, on lap 48, the call came through from Xavi. "Charles, box box."

I couldn't believe it. It didn't make sense. The tires could hold for a few more laps, and I was leading. But I followed orders, trusting Mattia had a reason. Trusting him blindly, like always.

When I rejoined the track, Carlos was ahead. The pit stop had been a few seconds too long, and I was now chasing him down. I pushed, closing the gap, but every corner felt like an eternity. Carlos was driving as if his life depended on it, and I knew he could taste his first victory.

As the final few laps came, it became clear that I wasn't going to catch him. My frustration turned into anger. Not at Carlos, he was doing what any of us would have done in his position. But at Mattia, at the team that had betrayed my trust. They had promised me a strategy to win, and they had given me nothing but chaos.

Carlos crossed the line first, his maiden win. The crowd roared, and I crossed the line seconds later. I forced a smile, a genuine one. For Carlos, not for the team. He deserved it. We'd been through so much together, and to see him win was special, even if it came at my expense. A Ferrari 1-2 at Silverstone was enough to make the Tifosi go wild, even if I wasn't the one sitting in P1.

In the cool-down room, I congratulated him, and I meant it. But inside, the anger burned brighter. By the time I reached Mattia, the smile was gone.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice calm...too calm.

He avoided my eyes, muttering something about strategy and unforeseen circumstances. But I knew the truth. They had changed the plan, changed my race, without telling me. I could see the discomfort in his eyes, the way he tried to justify the decision, the same way he always did when something went wrong. But no words could erase what had just happened.

I walked away, needing space, needing air. The cheers for Carlos echoed around the paddock, and I smiled for the cameras, waved to the fans. But inside, I was replaying every decision, every corner, every moment where things could have been different.

This wasn't just a race. It was a turning point. I had always believed in the team, in the strategy, in Mattia. I have given my blood, sweat and tears for Ferrari. But today, that belief had been shattered. They had cost me points, cost me momentum in the championship, and worst of all, they had lied to me. Race after race, this was the final straw. 

Carlos was enjoying his win, and he deserved to. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed today. Not just in the standings, but in my relationship with the team. From now on, I knew I couldn't just trust the strategy. I would have to take control of my own actions, on the track.

Because in this sport, you only get so many chances. And today, they had taken one from me. Back to my room I went, to lay up with the most comforting thing in my life at the moment, a stiff drink. 

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Author's Note: FYI not every race result or the timeline will be accurate, I'm changing things to fit my story better. Appreciate you all reading! ❤️