December 2024 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Lando was lying in the medical center, the doctor going over his recovery plan with him when the race ended. He'd cried, after Arabella had left he let himself cry for a few minutes. Let him feel the heartbreak of loosing the championship and closing the door on his life with Arabella forever.
He was lying there when his assistant walked in with tears in her eyes. Lando gave her a confused look, but he didn't get a chance to ask what was going on because behind her Zac Brown came barreling into the space.
"Have you heard?" He demanded, glancing at the turned off television, then he turned back to his assistant who shook her head.
"Heard what? What's going on?" Zac looked for the television remote. "Is the race over?"
"Not yet." His assistant managed.
"Then what's going on?" He turned to Zac who had found the remote and turned on the television. The race was still going. Lap 54 of 58. It took him a second, but then he shot up in the bed and leaned forward trying to get a better look. "Where's Max?" He asked, noticing the Ferrari of his good friend Carlos in the lead.
"Twelfth." Lando's gaze snapped to Zac's. He may not have paid attention to the results that would have landed Lando on top at the end of the race, but Max earning no points was a sure-fire way to make sure that Lando won the championship.
"What happened?"
"Front wing damage." Zac admitted. "His pit stop was long, and then they slapped him with a ten second penalty." Lando's eyebrows rose at that. "Horner's definitely going to argue and take it to the stewards at the end of the race. But even if he was only slapped with a 5 second penalty. He needs to place sixth to get the points needed to take the championship, and he's seven seconds away."
His mind was racing, trying to process the information as Zac was saying it.
"So that means..." he leaned back in his bed. Disbeleif taking over him.
"It means, that in," he glanced at the television again, "3 laps kid, the championship is yours." Lando turned back to the television, needed to figure it out on his own.
Everything Zac said was right, Max was seven seconds away from sixth, which would give him the 8 points he needed to take the lead of the championship. By one point, but still, it would give him the championship.
Except no one could make up seven seconds in 4 laps, especially not behind all that traffic. Even the great Max Verstappen. And in the off chance that Horner and Red Bull got his penalty taken down to five seconds, which was unheard of, he would still only land in eighth.
All three of them watched the screen as the laps tick down.
3 laps to go.
Verstappen up to eleventh and then tenth.
2 laps to go.
The doctor came in to patch him up. He had a minor fracture in his upper arm, and a strain in his shoulder. He'd need a sling for a few days, and he was on concussion protocol, but for the most part Lando wasn't listening. Thankfully his assistant was.
Final lap.
He held his breath, watching as Max tried his best. There was no chance he was making it. Still, he didn't let his breath out until he crossed the finish line.
In ninth.
Outside the medical center cheers erupted, but inside the room was silent. The doctor continued his work wrapping Lando's shoulder, his assistant had gone in search of a t-shirt and Zac was on the phone just outside the curtain. No doubt getting the celebration ready or figuring out where Lando needed to be in the next few minutes.
YOU ARE READING
The Teammate
Fanfiction**There will be some edits over the next few months** Arabella Van Dijk is a well-known Dutch snowboarder, especially after taking her place on the podium at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. As a Red Bull sponsored athlete no less. After her...
