Thanks to Norris

part 43- qualy

Later that evening, you scrolled through your phone and saw the fan jokes about the "curse" you supposedly put on Lando by calling him by his first name.

Almost immediately, your phone buzzed with a message from Lando.

Lando: "Hey, so I hear I'm cursed now? Thanks for that." followed by a laughing emoji.

You typed back quickly, a sharp edge in your words.

You: "Maybe if you spent less time joking and more time driving, you wouldn't be in this mess."

There was a brief pause before Lando replied.

Lando: "Ouch. Didn't realize we were back to rivals already."

You smirked, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

You: "Don't mistake kindness for weakness. Out there, I'm racing you—not your mate."

The banter was a little colder now, reminding both of you that while off-track moments could be light, on track it was war.

Saturday – FP3

The paddock was already buzzing as the sun rose over the circuit. You arrived early, headphones in, blocking out the noise, focused only on the task ahead. FP3—the final practice before qualifying—was your chance to fine-tune everything.

Your car felt dialed in from the first out lap. Turn-in was sharp, the grip was consistent, and every sector flowed. You put together a strong run early, consistently placing in the top five while barely breaking a sweat. The engineers' voices in your ears were calm and confident.

Engineer: "Great pace. You're purple in Sector 2—again. Let's box, adjust front wing, and go for one more push."

Meanwhile, across the garage, it was a different story.

You passed the timing screen during a cool-down lap and saw Lando's name stuck in P13... then P12... finally clawing up to P10. But even that looked like a stretch. You noticed him braking too late into Turn 5, fighting with the car mid-corner, missing apexes—not like him.

When you came back into the garage, helmet off and satisfied with your run, you caught sight of him through the divider. Sitting in the cockpit, helmet still on, fists resting on the wheel, motionless. Frustrated.

He hadn't even gotten out yet.

One of your engineers leaned toward you and whispered just loud enough:

Engineer: "Norris can't seem to get it hooked up this weekend. You've got him covered."

You gave a small nod, sipping your water bottle.

You: "Let's keep it that way."

Though you'd been cold to him yesterday, part of you couldn't help but watch him for just a second longer. For all the jokes and tension, you knew what it felt like to be stuck in your head, fighting the car and yourself at the same time.

But this wasn't the time for sympathy. Not today.

Between runs in FP3 and later during downtime ahead of qualifying, you found yourself chatting with a few of the other drivers in the hospitality areas and the garage corridors.

First was Carlos Sainz, leaning casually against a barrier near the paddock coffee station.

Carlos: "Mate, you're flying out there. What's in that setup of yours?"