At the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, reigning World Champion Max Verstappen has one goal: domination. With Red Bull gunning for perfection and legacy cementation on the line, there's no room for distractions. Then Gianpiero Lambiase - Max's long-time race engineer and the only person he's ever trusted behind a headset - goes on paternity leave. Red Bull scrambles. Their solution? Poach Sasha Langley from Mercedes. Once groomed to be Bono's successor, Sasha is brilliant, calculating, and cold as carbon fiber. She's also the last person Max wants in his garage. He makes that clear. But Formula 1 doesn't care about feelings. Just results. And Sasha? She delivers. Thrown together under the blistering lights of the paddock, they clash - publicly, professionally, intimately. But hate has always been a close cousin of something far more dangerous. In a world where fractions define legacies and trust is earned in milliseconds, what begins as a war of wills may just become the one thing neither of them planned for: Something real.

Book 2: Driver Her Insane Series __ F1 AU __ A sequel to Lock-Up. Carlos' decision to leave Ferrari has not been working out well. Ever since the 2024 season, Carlos' career has been in a downward spiral. Now the 2026 season is coming up and Carlos' contract is about to end with Red Bull racing. Christian warns him that he either performs or he loses the seat. After a series of non-serious relationships and poor habits , Carlos' father decided to help straighten the driver up by arranging a marriage for him that he cannot refuse. A marriage to the daughter of his main sponsor. ______ Salomé Rivera is the daughter of the CEO of Hijos de Rivera brewery, the famous manufacturer of Estrella Galicia beer that sponsors Carlos Sainz Jr. In F1. She has fallen from grace after tabloids spread of her more than lewd behaviour in various clubs around Europe, her failed attempt at studying in university, a broken engagement with a sought-after heir to a winery, and continued unemployment. Determined to change Salomé's poor media presence, her father sets her up to marry an F1 driver who's had an equal fall from graces: Carlos Sainz Jr. The first problem is...Carlos is the guy that her best friend, Esme, has been seeing. The other problem is, the more time she spends around Carlos, the less irritated she gets at him. How is she going to get out of this mess? Especially when she has deep rooted secrets that will destroy everything.

Anastasia Cardulo is the scandalous youngest heir of the APEX Industries dynasty. Filthy rich and fiercely rebellious, she spends her days drowning in champagne and nights chasing trouble. But behind the headlines and whispered gossip lies the truth: Anastasia was born to take over the family empire. Until her father stripped it all away. Now, forced to watch her older brother Xavier helm a corrupt empire she swore to change, Anastasia has perfected the art of rebellion-drinking, partying, and breaking every rule to escape the shadow of her family's betrayal. Enter Carlos Sainz, the Formula 1 driver with a scandalous reputation to match hers. When a series of PR disasters threaten his career, Carlos is thrown into Anastasia's orbit as her unlikely fake boyfriend-part of a desperate deal between APEX and Ferrari to salvage their images. But keeping her in line turns out to be the most dangerous race of his life. As lies unravel and long-buried secrets rise to the surface, the walls of APEX begin to crumble. Ana and Carlos must navigate a world where loyalty is deadly, love is a liability, and everyone has something to hide. An empire built on lies is about to fall-and Anastasia might burn with it.

❝Falling for him wasn't falling at all. It was walking into a house and suddenly knowing you're home.❞ Alexandra Heroux has spent her life chasing the spotlight, but nothing has quite prepared her for her return to the world of Formula 1. After years in Hollywood, she's cast in a role that could launch her career to new heights-a biographical film about the sport that defined her childhood. But as the cameras roll and the world watches, everything she's worked for begins to crumble around her. Enter Charles Leclerc: Ferrari's golden boy, the embodiment of warmth, kindness, and raw talent. To Alexandra, he's the sun-a force of purity in a world that often feels dark and cold. But as they draw closer, she begins to realize that his light might be the only thing keeping her from falling apart. Beneath the glitz and glamour of her career lies a family history shrouded in scandal, and secrets that have always lingered just out of reach. A sinister gossip blog is poised to tear apart everything Alexandra holds dear, and her connection to key figures within the F1 world feels more like a curse than fate. With every moment of happiness slipping through her fingers, Alexandra wonders how much longer she can withstand the pressure of the spotlight-and whether Charles's warmth will be enough to save her from the storm that's closing in. In a world of fame, fortune, and fierce competition, sometimes the greatest victory is simply surviving. Because in the end, she's just as human as anyone else.

❝They call him the Dutch Lion.❞ ❝Yeah? To be honest, I think he's more like Scar from The Lion King, but whatever.❞ In the high-pressure world of Formula 1, Red Bull Racing is crumbling. Half the team has quit, morale is at an all-time low, and Max Verstappen-the reigning champion-is battling not just a losing season but a mountain of frustration, anger, and self-hatred. Known for his icy demeanor and explosive temper, Max feels more isolated than ever, unwilling to accept the changes around him. The last thing he wants is a new Personal Assistant. Enter Emilia "Emmy" Jones, a vibrant redhead who seems to radiate sunshine wherever she goes. She's everything Max despises in this moment of chaos-optimistic, talkative, and insufferably cheerful. To Max, she's a storm he didn't see coming, and no amount of biting sarcasm or coldness can drive her away. Emmy is determined to do her job, even if it means braving the tempest that is Max Verstappen. What Max doesn't realize is that Emmy isn't just some cheerful distraction. Beneath her bright smiles and playful energy, she's hiding her own storm. She's not the unshakable beam of positivity he assumes-she's a force of nature battling scars of her own. And while Max can't stand her constant happiness at first, it doesn't take long for him to see that Emmy isn't just sunshine. She's a hurricane-wild, fierce, and unpredictable. And she might just be what Red Bull, and Max, need to survive. Because sometimes, it's the storms that reshape everything.

❝They hate each other.❞ ❝No, they don't. Not really.❞ Aurora Prince is no stranger to the relentless world of Formula 1, but 2025 marks her first season behind the wheel for Porsche-a chance she's fought tooth and nail to earn. On the surface, Aurora is the perfect image of determination, but behind closed doors, she's still mourning Ezra McAllister, her boyfriend who's been left braindead after a horrific F2 crash. The world believes he's gone, but Aurora carries the weight of his memory, a fire in her heart that fuels every lap she takes. Enter Charles Leclerc: Ferrari's golden boy, haunted by his own failures and fueled by the fear of falling short yet again. Their rivalry is instant, a clash of wills that lights up the track and sets the media ablaze. Aurora's sharp edges meet Charles's unyielding pride, and neither is willing to back down. But beneath the tension, there's an unspoken understanding-two souls fighting battles no one else can see. As Aurora's grief threatens to consume her and Charles's pressure mounts to unbearable heights, they find an unlikely anchor in one another. Aurora's unwavering determination shows Charles the courage to face his own demons, while Charles reminds her that even in the deepest darkness, there's still a flicker of light. They don't see it at first-the way their broken pieces fit together-but love has a way of sneaking in, even when it feels impossible. They'll come to know each other fully, completely, and fiercely: Heart and soul, skin and bones.