Eyes Don't Lie | Charles Leclerc

Epilogue 1

Battle For The Championship 
November 2023

The final race of the 2023 Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi was about to start and the tension in the Ferrari garage was so thick you could almost feel it. Charles sat in his Ferrari, hands gripping the wheel, his face forward, determination in his eyes. In the Red Bull fairly next to him, Max remained calm, yet everyone in the paddock knew this was a battle they'd been building up to all season. Ferrari vs Red Bull. Leclerc vs Verstappen. Rival vs rival. And the world championship title hanging in the balance.

In the Ferrari garage, Aria watched the screens with her heart pounding in her chest. She'd spent the entire season supporting Charles through every high and low and she could feel the weight of everything he'd been through coming to this moment. Next to her Arthur and Lorenzo, wore tense expressions, both gripping their Ferrari headsets as they watched their brother on the grid.

"Here we go..." Aria whispered, unable to tear her eyes from the screen. The Sky Sports commentary was loud as Ted Kravitz's voice echoed.

"And here we are, ladies and gentlemen, the final showdown of the 2023 season. Two champions. One race. It all comes down to this moment in Abu Dhabi. Charles Leclerc, the determined Monegasque, faces Max Verstappen, defending World Champion in the Red Bull. This race will decide who walks away as the world champion!"

In his seat, Charles took a deep breath, listening to his Xavi's final instructions, blocking out everything but the countdown of the lights ahead of him.

Five lights.

"Everything you've worked for," he said under his breath, so quiet only he could hear it.

Four lights.

Aria felt her breath catch, holding her hands together. Arthur and Lorenzo were just as frozen, practically leaning forward, waiting for the lights to go out.

Three lights.

Max took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders back, completely focused, calm, as if he could already feel the victory in his hands.

Two lights.

The world seemed to hold its breath, millions of eyes locked onto the screen. In the garage, Aria whispered a small prayer.

One light.

The lights went out.

Both cars launched off the line, Charles and Max taking off in a blur of red and blue. Charles had a strong start, pulling slightly ahead, but Max was right on his tail, holding position as they charged into the first corner. The crowd screamed and the commentary was filled with excitement.

"And it's Leclerc with the slight edge into turn one! But Verstappen is right there, he's not letting go!"

As they flew through the circuit, Charles held his ground, his movements sharp and controlled. He had the lead, but Max was relentlessly behind him, diving into every possible opening, pushing Charles to the absolute limit.

Inside the Ferrari garage, Arthur pumped his fist, cheering for his brother, while Lorenzo watched with an intense focus, murmuring, "Come on, Charles, you've got this..."

Just as Charles was beginning to feel a bit more confident, an accident unfolded on the track behind them. Checo's car clipped the barrier, causing debris to fly all across the track.

"Yellow flag! Yellow flag!" Xavi's voice rang in Charles's ear.

The Sky Sports commentary jumped in, "Oh, and we've got a crash further back in the pack! That'll bring out the safety car! Leclerc's lead will end in seconds as the field bunches back up."