Free Now- Lando Norris

4. Back to it

Lando had returned to Woking to attend some meetings at McLaren a couple of days later, and tried his absolute hardest to stay positive, but after five minutes back in the building he was well and truly back in that same deep dark hole he'd ended 2024 in.

Everyone around him was so incredibly upbeat, already moving on, their laser focus on doing better this year. But for Lando, he was still living in the past. Every waking hour, and a lot of the time he was asleep, were consumed with the thoughts of how he'd fucked up the year before and the thought that he might be about to repeat it again this year.

No matter how many times the team tried to tell him they were proud of it, no matter how many times people had patted him on the back and told him to keep his chin up, he didn't hear it. He only heard one thing... he hadn't won, and he'd let them all down.

The muscles in his face were actually starting to hurt from trying to force a smile by lunch time. His answers to people who had stopped to offer their condolences on missing out on the title had gotten shorter and shorter every time. He just desperately wanted the day to be over so he could get on the plane back to Monaco and not have to see any of them for another couple of weeks. Maybe it would be easier to deal by then.

He sat hidden away in the corner, picking at his lunch that he didn't really want, as he scrolled through his phone. It wasn't going to be too long before he could get on with his afternoon simulator session, and then he could finally get out of there.

The message from Lottie that popped up caught his attention. He hadn't said goodbye to her, leaving early before she'd made it out of bed, the early start meaning he needed to get on the road. He'd been meaning to text her but once he'd actually arrived at McLaren all thoughts of doing anything else had quickly been lost to a busy schedule and his sour mood.

Flo told me you snuck off early this morning  and then you're going back to Monaco? I hope it all goes okay today, and if it doesn't and you want to talk about it give me a call. You can give me some news from the outside world to entertain me if nothing else!

He hesitated for a moment, before hitting the button to call her. He just needed someone to talk to him and get him out of his own head for a bit, before he drove himself completely insane. And if there was one thing he'd learned Lottie was very good at, it was talking just enough to distract him.

"Hey!" He could hear the smile in her voice as she answered the phone on the second ring. "I wasn't expecting you to call so soon. I thought you'd be busy!"

"Oh... I uh... I can call you back later if you're busy." He offered quickly, suddenly feeling bad that he hadn't thought to check if she was free. He'd been so caught up in his own feelings, yet again.

"Lando." She laughed quietly. "Of course I'm free. I'm laying in bed watching more crap tv, you know it's literally the only way I can spend my day."

"Oh, right." He answered uncertainly, not really listening to what she was saying.

"Well you know, I did run a marathon this morning, then me and Flo went sky diving. Then I thought I'd go to the gym this afternoon." Lottie teased, realising he wasn't listening to a word she was saying.

"Yeah, sounds good." He was still staring off into the distance, watching as Zak made his way towards him and saying a quiet prayer that he might just be able to blend into the wall and not have to have this conversation that he'd been avoiding.

"Lando. You're not even listening to me. What's going on?" Lottie asked.

"I uh... sorry." He mumbled. "It's weird being back here."