|Love 4 Apex| Lando Norris

🏎 6 - Through Lando's Eyes

The race had been intense, but for Lando, everything changed the moment he saw Rose's car spin out in front of him. He had been pushing for P3, right on Max's tail, when Max made that reckless dive. Time seemed to slow as Lando saw it unfold—Max clipping the rear tire of Rose's car, sending her spinning out of control.

He watched in horror as Rose's car careened off the track. The violent impact with the curb launched her into the air, the car flipping repeatedly before slamming into the barriers with a sickening force. The sound of the impact echoed in his ears, and for a moment, all the noise from the track faded into a haunting silence.

"Rose!" Lando shouted instinctively over the radio, his voice raw with panic.

As he sped past the wreckage, his stomach twisted. The Mercedes was crumpled against the barriers, motionless, pieces of debris scattered across the track. His breath hitched in his throat, heart pounding with fear. He had seen Rose in dangerous situations before, but nothing like this. This was different. This was terrifying.

Lando gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his hands began to tremble. For a split second, he didn't care about the race, the points, or the positions. All he cared about was Rose. He knew F1 cars were built to withstand crashes, but seeing her car in that state, knowing how violent the impact had been—it made his blood run cold. The thought raced through his mind: was she okay? Could she survive this?

"Is she okay? Tell me she's okay!" Lando barked into the radio, desperate for answers.

But there was no immediate response. His team didn't have any information yet, and every second felt like an eternity. The medical team was already rushing to the scene, but from where he sat, all he could see was the mangled wreckage and Rose's car, still and silent.

He watched as the medics carefully extricated Rose from the car. His hands shook on the wheel as he struggled to stay in control. Every second dragged on unbearably, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. What if she was seriously hurt? What if...

No. He couldn't go there.

"Rose is being taken to the medical center," the team finally said over the radio. "She lost consciousness but she's alive."

Alive. Relief hit him, but it wasn't enough to settle his nerves. She wasn't awake yet. The image of her car flipping, smashing into the barriers, replayed in his mind on an endless loop.

The race was red-flagged, and Lando pulled into the Paddock, immediately ripping off his helmet and gloves. Without waiting for anyone, he stormed toward the garage to watch the replay of the crash. His heart pounded as the footage played, and the severity of the crash hit him all over again.

Max's dive for the gap had been reckless, desperate. Rose had no space to maneuver, no way to avoid the collision. Watching her car fly through the air, rolling violently, left a hollow feeling in his chest. It was every driver's nightmare—seeing someone they cared about in that kind of danger.

As he watched, Max stood off to the side, watching the same footage. Lando clenched his fists and marched over, the tension between them thick and palpable.

Max looked up as Lando approached, his face full of regret. "Lando... I'm really sorry, mate," Max said quietly. "I messed up. I misjudged it. She didn't have space, and that's on me."

Lando's jaw tightened. Part of him wanted to punch Max, to blame him entirely. But another part of him knew that accidents happened in racing, that Max didn't intend this. Still, this was Rose.

"Yeah, it's on you," Lando muttered, his voice sharp. "She's in the medical center because of you."

Max's eyes dropped to the ground. "I know. I'll talk to her when I can. I'm... I'm sorry."