Unbroken hopes|| Charles Leclerc x Max Verstappen(lestappen)Wildest dreams book2

The last battle begins

Abu Dhabi. The scene of so many championship finales, and now it was the center of the most intense, personal fight between two men who shared a home, a life, and their hearts. But on this Saturday evening, all that was pushed aside as they prepared for the final showdown of the season. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen—husbands, yes, but also the fiercest of competitors—were locked in a battle for the Formula 1 World Championship.

It had been a week filled with tension, both at the track and at home. They had tried to shut out the noise, to focus on themselves, but now it was Saturday. The day that would set the stage for the final race of the season. There were only two points separating them, and every lap, every millisecond, could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

The sun was beginning to set over Yas Marina Circuit, casting long shadows across the track. In the Red Bull garage, Max was strapped into his car, his mind calm, his focus razor-sharp. Across the paddock, in the Ferrari garage, Charles was doing the same. They had traded blows all weekend, topping practice sessions, each one taking turns being fastest. The balance between them was so fine that it seemed no one could call who would come out on top in qualifying.

As the cars rolled out for Q1, the tension in the air was palpable. The fans, the teams, and even the media knew they were witnessing something special—a battle that had been brewing all season, and now it had come down to this.

Max set the fastest time in Q1, narrowly edging out Charles. But in Q2, Charles responded by going quickest, putting his Ferrari on top of the timesheets and sending a message to everyone, including Max. They both knew that Q3 was what really mattered. The final session. The ultimate test.

As the cars lined up in the pit lane for the final shootout, the seconds ticked away on the clock. Both teams, Red Bull and Ferrari, were waiting for the right moment, calculating the perfect time to send their drivers out to make the most of the track conditions. The tension was so thick you could almost feel it pressing against your chest.

Max was the first to go out. His banker lap was solid, enough to put him on provisional pole. But the times were close—too close. Charles followed, delivering a blistering lap that put him just behind Max. It wasn't enough yet, but the gap between them was a hair's breadth, and it was clear Charles had more to give.

The minutes ticked down. Max and Red Bull made the call to go out for the final push lap with two minutes left on the clock. Charles and Ferrari waited, watching the data, finding every inch of the track where they could improve. When the time was right, Charles was sent out last, determined to snatch pole away from his husband.

Max was already flying through his lap when Charles exited the pits. Sector one went purple for Max—he was pushing to the limit. But as Charles attacked his lap, it was clear he was giving everything. The first sector turned purple for him too. He was faster. The mini sectors in the second sector started to go purple as well, and Charles could feel it—*this was it*. His car was hooked up, every corner precise, every throttle input perfect. He could almost feel pole position within his grasp.

But then, suddenly—yellow flags. Double yellow.

"*No, no, no!*" Charles screamed into his helmet as he was forced to lift, his dream lap evaporating before his eyes. He slammed his fist into the steering wheel, his frustration boiling over. He knew what this meant. His shot at pole was gone.

"Fuck!" he shouted, his voice filled with a mix of anger and despair. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Not today.

His race engineer, Brian, tried to console him. "P6, Charles. You're P6. I'm sorry, mate. There was nothing you could do."

Charles took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, though his heart was racing. He thanked his team through gritted teeth, apologizing that the result wasn't a reflection of the fantastic car they had given him.