what women really want (to press the throttle) | mv33
pairing: max verstappen x aurora deneuve (oc)
tags: slowburn, female driver, humor, media exposure, use of strong language, swearing, mentions of sexisms and misogyny. not beta read. english is not my first nor my second language, so read with precautions. probably an inaccurate portrayal of F1.
summary: aurora deneuve finally gets her shot at F1 after surviving karting, f3 and f2. now, the media, her nerves, and nineteen other men would like a word.
author’s note: um so I guess the productivity had not returned to me, so here’s another chapter. after spending three consecutive days writing in english I officially forgot my mother tongue. yay.
2023 was going to be Max Verstappen’s greatest season yet. Winning the championship last year has been exhilarating – wheel-to-wheel battles with Charles and George making Max’s blood run faster than ever, every combat offering a mental and physical challenge for him. The victory has been sweet and hard-earned, every drop of sweat, tear and curses justified by the weight of the WDC trophy in his hands. But this year, after driving the RB19’s final prototype in the sim, Max knew that the title would likely come easier. The car was a beast, gliding through corners and straights like a jet beneath him. He finally understood why Russians referred to them as F1 pilots, not drivers. Because when Max was in RB19, he was flying. The moment the pre-season testing ended, his whole body buzzed with anticipation – eager to get on track again and put everyone behind him.
Max was still half-mesmerized by the car when he wandered over to where the Ferrari drivers were standing, their attention fixed on the track. One of the Alfa Romeo’s was running laps, and judging by Charles’s face, Max could tell that they were once again gossiping like schoolgirls. Which, Max really didn’t care. His focus was on RB19 sitting in the garage across the lane. God, if GP’s data was right, and Red Bull tweaked the front rear wing the way he wanted, Max could be half a second ahead of the grid. Five tenth, gone – just like that.
“She seems comfortable on the track,” Carlos said, his voice smooth as ever.
“Well, better than Haas at least…” Charles replied. “She battled with Piastri for the F2 title, no? I remember Arthur telling me about it.”
“Yes, Zhou too,” Carlos added. Their voices faded as Max drifted back into his own head, imagining himself flying around Yas Marina, the grid five tenth behind, everyone else scrapping for second place.
Then Carlos spoke again: “Aurora Deneuve. She has a pretty name. And pretty face. She is french, no? Are you two friends?”
Charles grimaced. “Mate, French-speaking drivers are not automatically friends, you know. I’ve never talked with her. And I am not going to – I don’t need another headline about me sleeping with a fellow driver just because I was standing too close to them. Mia is still pissed at me for Abu Dhabi. All I did was stand next to Max on the podium, and suddenly we’re lovers? I wasn’t even giggling!”
Carlos and Max both snorted at Charles’ indignation. The monegasque kept ranting about the weird mix of homoeroticism and homophobia in motorsport, his face growing redder with each word. Carlos tossed in quips now and then, only fueling the fire. True, Max had also been scolded by Gemma for putting his hands a little too tightly around Leclerc’s waist in the podium photo. But what was he supposed to do? He’d just won the WDC, his team and fans were roaring under the podium, and Max was happy. So he squeezed. So what? Besides, Gemma herself admitted the photo was a useful distraction from his public break up with Kelly. Max and Charles together never failed to break the internet. And everybody knew Max was, as Americans say, straight as an arrow. So. Whatever.
“How is she to you, Max?” Carlos cut in, pulling him out of his thoughts. Both Ferraris were watching him.
“Who? Kelly?” Max frowned, confused how they’d know what he’d been thinking about. Or had he said it out loud?
Charles blinked at him. “What? No. We were asking about Aurora.”
Aurora Deneuve. The new Alfa Romeo driver. The girl every camera lens had been tracking since day one of testing. Why would they ask him about her?
“How would I know? She’s not my friend.” Max shrugged. Both Charles and Carlos stared at him like he sprouted another head. Max tried not to react.
Clearly he missed half their conversation. Something about French, scandals, homoeroticism… none of which explained why they cared about a rookie. Before he could get lost in the puzzle, Carlos clarified: “I meant her driving, mate. How do you think Deneuve is doing today?” He nodded toward the track.
Max followed his gaze, and sure enough, the Alfa was finishing a lap, clean through Turn 3 but braking too late into Turn 4, drifting over the line. Rookie stuff. Too careful after the corner, as if she hadn’t adjusted to the sheer speed yet – still treating the car like it was F2. And she knew it, judging by the little swerve of frustration afterward. Feisty, maybe. But nothing special. Max couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. She was just another rookie. If people were hyped because she was a woman, that didn’t mean she could drive.
“Eh, a bit scrappy at the corners, yeah? Looks like any rookie to me,” he said, scratching the back of his head. Carlos hummed thoughtfully; Charles rolled his eyes like Max of all people didn’t get it. Max ignored him.
“I thought you would be more interested. She looked like your type,” Carlos teased, nodding towards the Alfa Romeo garage, where the rookie was climbing out of her car.
Helmet and balaclava off, she looked vaguely familiar – the way every F2 graduate did. Definitely not his type; Max usually went for the model look. This girl was too… French. Defined cheekbones, sharp jawline, aquiline nose. Messy chestnut-brown hair stuck damp to her forehead. Pale eyes under long lashes. Lips drawn down in small frown, not the cocky smirk he expected from another French driver. Probably annoyed with her lap time – which, from the monitor above the garages, was nothing impressive. That confirmed it. She wasn’t relevant to him. She wouldn’t touch his pole position. Not his problem. He shrugged again to Carlos, done with the conversation. Max really needed to stop spending so much time with these gossip girls, it made him aware of things he did not want to be aware of.
Max had long since trained himself not to notice people who didn’t matter. His father drilled it into him since karting: focus only on the track. No friends, no hobbies, no distractions. Eventually, it meant no Mom and no Victoria either. By now his brain blurred out anyone irrelevant. Journalists, sponsors, rivals – all background noise. After joining F1, the circle of people in focus was small: Lando, Daniel, Christian, GP, his team, Jos, the sim. Everything else registered only if it directly affected him – a safety car, a DNF, traffic. The rest of the paddock were just moving obstacles.
Max wondered if Deneuve would ever be anything more than a blur.
[Post-race interview transcript – Australian GP, April 2023 | Sky Sports F1]
Sky Sports: Aurora, congratulation on your first points on the board in only your third Grand Prix. It looked like a tough race for you out there. How are you feeling?
Aurora Deneuve: [exhales, pushes hair back] Sweaty. Exhausted. But mostly happy. It’s such an honor to bring home the first points of the season for the team – and for myself. I really needed that after Bahrain.
SS: You fought hard with your teammate Zhou and with Magnussen for P9. I’m sure after the Bahrain DNF, this must feel like a strong comeback. Can you talk us through your overtake?
AD: [eyes widen, laughs softly] Uh… I don’t know. Honestly, I thought Magnussen was going to squeeze me into the wall and that would be it. But luckily, I came out ahead and… yeah. With Zhou, you know, I had to be more careful – he is my teammate and you can’t go too rough. But, it’s… If I didn’t risk it, I knew Magnussen would, so I had to make the move first. I mean, it’s racing.
SS: [chuckles] Yes, exactly. And what does scoring your first point meant for you? I assume after the backlash in Bahrain and with the pit stop troubles in Jeddah, today must feel extra special?
AD: Uh… [smiles, self-deprecating] I mean, it’s just two points. On paper it’s small, but you know… Those two points are everything to me.
SS: Last one – any messages for your fans back home?
AD: Thank you for not giving up on me after Bahrain. I hope this weekend proves that we can fight for more. I will give my everything to earn my place in this sport – and I hope to make my country proud.
SS: Thank you, Aurora. Good luck.
The first few races of the season went exactly as Max predicted. The RB19 worked beautifully under his hands, the new rear wing update allowing him to glide down the straights with ease. He had lost his P1 to Checo in Jeddah and Azerbaijan – Jos has already berated him for that – but Max wasn’t not worried. He knows what kind of mistakes he made, and now that he’s locked in, the victory comes easily to him. Miami and Monaco both passed with a little to no struggle, the taste of champaign and the sound of Dutch national anthem still fresh in his mind.
Now Max is back in his office room, Zoom open on his laptop, listening to GP and Waché pick through the Monaco data.
Max zones out for the most part of it, only surfacing when he catches the keywords that mattered to him. He feels Jimmy winding around under the table, fur brushing against his calves, but all he does is nudge the cat with his foot. Jimmy doesn’t budge.
“The tyre undergoes high pressure through the entry to mid-fast off-camber corners, and I think Barcelona has two of those,” Rennie’s clipped voice comes through the speakers. “So I’d keep front suspension down on the setup.”
“Yeah, we won’t risk it,” Waché replies, smirking from pixelated square on the screen. “Not with the new regs. Don’t want us to pit early because of tyre failure. Let the rookies make those mistakes.”
Max nudges Jimmy again. The cat suddenly looks up at him with a gleam in his eye. Mischief. Oh no.
“I think the rookies this year are too good for that,” says Gianpiero, twirling his pen in front of the camera. “Alfa Romeo and McLaren were pretty consistent these past races.”
Jimmy curls his tail around Max’s leg, rubs his head against his shin – and then promptly sinks his teeth hard into Max’s Achilles. The scream that tore out of him bounces back through his headphones, and thank god he is on mute. This would have been really embarrassing.
GP is still off talking about Alfa Romeo’s good quali results – is the season really this easy if his race engineer is discussing midfield teams during briefing – but Max is not listening anymore. He scoops Jimmy up, ignores the hisses and yowls, marches to the bathroom, and locks him inside for the rest of the call.
Why couldn’t this cat be like his sister and hate affections or something? At least then he could get some work done in peace.
Sky Sports F1 Official @skysportsf1
Drivers line up for the pre-race press conference at the Spain GP: Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Aurora Deneuve, Lance Stroll, and Esteban Ocon. Watch live on the Sky Sports official site: https//skysports.com/live…
878 replies | 15K retweets | 16.1K likes
Jessca the F1 lover @/leewlewsi
@skysportsf1 If FIA doesn’t ban that disgusting journalist from the paddock I will personally riot
13 replies | 204 retweets | 311 likes
pies de satanássss @/glowsticksainz
@skysportsf1 “What do you usually wear under the race suit?” WHAT KIND OF TONE-DEAF PERSON ASKS THAT?! fucckkkkk im so mad, I want to beat that motherfuckers ass🤬🤬
7 replies | 31 retweets | 86 likes
DRS: Daniel Riccardio’s Smile @/andrefourk
@skysportsf1 *war flashbacks to Serena Williams’ press con* wow, they never learn, do they?⬅️😔➡️
12 replies | 2 retweets | 150 likes
the room where it happened @/californiadebora
@skysportsf1 @/lewishamilton sir, please stop spreading you thighs like that, next time I might just sit between them 🧎🏻♀️🦮
91 replies | 1,370 retweets | 1,001 likes
@skysportsf1 It’s actually quite disturbing how unaffected Thomas and the drivers looked, like??😀😀 They basically asked Aurora what color are her panties and no one said anything???? God, the look on Rora’s face😭😭 I want to wrap her in a blanket and feed her cookies. Baby please don’t mind these men, I will fight them for you!!!!❤️🩹❤️🩹
25 replies | 33 retweets | 298 likes
larry apologist @/codqueenofficial
@skysportsf1 @/cynthiabooktok Right?? Oscar was the only one who spoke up and told the journalist to check himself, and oh my god it was so hot??? I love when men stand up for women publicly, especially if they are one of my favssss☺️🫦
87 replies | 1,004 retweets | 305 likes
@skysportsf1 @/codqueenofficial not really surprising considering that osc and rora have been friends since f3! he was very protective of her following the Melbourne controversy in 2021 too!
[attached image: collage of Oscar Piastri and Aurora Deneuve sharing podiums and vacationing in Monaco with friends]
129 replies | 400 retweets | 969 likes
it’ll fit @/sgaheadcanons
@skysportsf1 That woman literally went from P17 to P9 in MONACO – the circuit famous for extremely difficult and hard to pull off overtakes – SHE DID THATT and you want to ask her about her underwear? wtf is wrng w you.
(Btw the journalists name is Matteo Bobbi. He was previously suspended from paddock for referring to his colleague as “sex worker” on live TV: https://www.theguardian.com/media…)
20 replies | 313 retweets | 199 likes
Canada and Austria fly by without a hitch, days blurring into one long mess of data, interviews, parties, and champagne. Five consecutive wins almost lull Max into a false sense of security, but he knows he won’t relax until the third WDC trophy is in his hands. Still, he eases up enough to let Lando drag him to a local supermarket at two in the morning. Max grumbles, but not much.
Lando makes him take million photos of him in front of the refrigerator stacked with Monster cans, holding the drinks in both hands and pulling faces he insists are adorable. He thinks that the Brit looks like an idiot.
Max really hopes nobody catches them. Gemma and Horner will both strangle him if words get around that Max was hanging around energy drinks that were not Red Bull in some godforsaken Austrian store.
Satisfied with his photoshoot, Lando heads to the candy aisle and Max, now feeling sleepy and irritated, trudges after him. It isn’t until they reach the checkout that something finally registers. On the conveyer belt, mixed in with Lando’s usual pile of Kinder Buenos, are a few packs of Kinder milk-slices.
Max frowns. Lando hates those. And he didn’t grab them for Max either – Max only eats the plain, boring ones.
“Mate, what the hell? Since when do you like milk slices?” Max slurs, half-asleep.
Lando frowns back, defensive. “What? Aurora likes them. I thought I’d bring her some.”
That wakes Max up. His brain stutters through the list of all the Auroras he knows – which isn’t too many. Two, maybe. And unless Lando is bribing the tattooed Italian grandmother who owns a nightclub in Monaco, with two bodyguards at her side, that leaves only one option.
“What?! Aurora Deneuve? The rookie? Since when are you close with her?”
“She’s a friend of Oscar. It’s not weird! She’s cool, and you would know that if you ever came down to the lobby once in a while. Honestly, at this point I wonder if our friendship even--” Lando keeps talking, but Max is already walking towards the car. His mind is at ease now that he solved the mystery.
Lando’s obsession with his teammate has always been a bit pathetic, but apparently it’s spreading to Oscar’s friends too. Buying candy to get in good with them? Ugh, Lando.
Maybe Max should spend more time with Lando and Oscar, just to keep his best friend from making a fool of himself.
“And I know you think I have a crush on Oscar, which I don’t!” Lando joggs after him, arms full of snacks. “He has a girlfriend, and I’m straight, and Lily is actually very sweet. Did you know they’ve been together since high school? They are practically married, I have no chance. Which I’m totally fine with, because I do not have a crush on Oscar, Max! Max?”
God, if Lando ever listened to himself, Max’s life would be so much easier.
[Aurora Deneuve interview: On being the first female driver in Formula 1, Alfa Romeo leaving the sport, and her junior series years with Zhou Guanyu and Oscar Piastri]
[By Melina Freuer, July 8, 2023]
This winter the Formula 1 grid welcomed it’s first ever woman driver Aurora Deneuve, and it got a lot of attention from everyone. The 22-year old French rookie joined Zhou Guanyu, and her arrival brought with it a wave of anticipation, curiosity, and of course skepticism. But halfway through the 2023 season, after a string of steady results and a recent P5 in Silverstone quailfying, Deneuve is starting to prove that her seat is no gimmick. Our outlet was lucky enough to have a conversation with her, despite the busy schedule and Aurora’s known dislike for “unnecessary” interviews.
When asked about her season so far, Aurora is characteristically calm and deliberate with her words. “I wouldn’t call it perfect, I definitely make some really… rookie mistakes, but I’m proud,” she says. “Our car doesn’t always have the pace to fight at the front with Red Bull and Mercedes, but we’re consistent. That’s the most important.”
Her modesty doesn’t hide the fact that she has impressed the grid with her adaptability, and perhaps her beauty, taking into account the recent video of Aurora being encircled by the Ferrari, AlphaTauri and Alpine drivers after the Free Practice session this Friday surfacing on all the platforms. Aurora is quick to point out that her popularity among the paddock is nothing more than a basic curiosity. “Formula 1 hasn’t had a woman on the grid before, so people want to see what that looks like. And also…” she pauses, smirking, “...well, you are always curious about the person that beats you on track, so I think it was just them checking out the competition.” She laughs softly before steering the conversation back to racing. “I like to think of it that way. I want to make a name for myself for driving flawlessly on the track, and not for my face.”
Aurora is close with Zhou Guanyu, her Alfa Romeo teammate, as well as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with whom she spent several formative years battling in Formula 2. “We grew up racing each other, pushing each other. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. There’s comfort in seeing familiar faces in F1, because the step is so big. I think a lot of people expected me to be enemies with Oscar, since our rivalry during 2021 season was intense, what with me losing to him for half a point, but you know. Relationship on and off track are two different things.”
But her deepest friendship was forged elsewhere, with fellow female drivers in junior series. “You know, my best friends Jamie [Chadwick] and Chloe [Chambers]… the were my safe space,” she says warmly. “With them I didn’t have to prove that I belonged, they shared the same mindset as me: we believe with everything we’ve got that we are worthy of being among the best. We shared the doubts, the wins, the ugly moments, the feelings. I think that’s what I miss the most in F1, the dynamic here is really different from F2, a lot machoism and hyper-politics.”
When asked about the physical aside of competing in Formula 1, Aurora doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenges. “It’s not that women can’t handle the G-force. We do. Luckily, my uncle trained me for it since I was a little. The real issue is that the cars weren’t designed with women in mind. The steering wheels are fatter than they need to be, the pedals are wider – and when you’re smaller, those tiny differences matter. You adapt, but it takes energy away from focusing on the race itself. My hope is that, as more women enter, the sport will evolve too.”
Aurora credits her early karting days with her physical foundation she needs. “If it wasn’t for my uncle Nicolas [de Vere, former Ferrari engineer from 1999 to 2003] and his insistence on me pursuing karting, I wouldn’t be here. He used to drive me to the track at four in the morning so I could practice before the other kids arrived. He made sure I trained my body properly, not just my mind. Pousse ton corps aux limites (Push your body to the limits), as he would say.”
The conversation inevitably turns to the news that Alfa Romeo will leave Formula 1 after the 2023 season. Aurora remains measured but optimistic. “It’s sad, of course. They gave me my chance. And I hope my career doesn’t end here. I really want to keep proving myself, week after week. But we’ll see. I would definitely miss my snarky remarks with Phillip on the radio.”
Finally, she reflects on her role as a trailblazer. “I know young girls are watching. I hear from them every week. That’s why I can’t afford to get angry at every bad question or unfair penalty. If I make a fool of myself, it’s not just me who suffers – it’s them, too. So I try to keep my head, to be an example. My hope is that one day, me being here won’t be a novelty anymore. It’ll just be normal.”
Aurora smiles, her tone confident and challenging. “But I won’t be satisfied until I win the championship.”
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Thereafter follows an unprecedented month of absolute boredom.
If someone had told Max three years prior that he’d eventually feel bored of winning, he… well, honestly, he would have believed them. He’s always been aware of his own talent and skill, but he definitely wouldn’t have expected the boredom to feel this bad. All the victories are starting to blur into other: Monza feels the same as Silverstone feels the same as Hungary. The loss of challenge gnaws at him, but he won’t slow down for the sake of battles – he’s not crazy. So he just endures it. As always.
It’s Belgian GP. Right before summer break. His eighth consecutive win.
The media pen is crowded – drivers, press officers and cameras, all background static to Max. A journalist congratulates him, asks the same questions as always, nothing changes.
Max tries not to sigh as he repeats the script: tricky start, unlucky DRS train with Lewis and Charles, but good pace in the rest of the race, pit call to slicks was perfect, pushed a little, done.
The journalist nods, moves on, Checo steps in. Max slides behind Gemma, waiting for her to nudge him toward the next outlet.
But Gemma isn’t nudging. She’s staring intently across the pen, plotting something. Max pokes her in the ribs – hard - the way she hates.
“Stop that!” Gemma hisses, then proceeds to grab him by his fireproofs and drags him toward the far end of the pen, where Alfa Romeo and Alpine people are clustered. “Go. Walk up to Aurora and congratulate her on her finish. Mention the save on Eau Rouge. Go.”
Max blinks… the hell? “Why would I do that?”
“Because, you’re the only driver on the grid who hasn’t been seen talking to her. People are talking, Max. And if anyone starts whispering that Max Verstappen hates women and refuses to support his female colleagues just because you can’t be bothered to socialize, I swear, I will personally kick you in the nuts with your own WDC trophy.” Her stare is unblinking, feral. Max caves – not because she’s right, but because Gemma on a good day terrifies him.
He takes a step forward. And in that moment, the blur in the periphery sharpens into focus. Aurora. He realizes it’s the first time he’s properly looked at her since pre-season testings, and definitely the first time up close.
She’s in front of the interviewer, black-and-red fireproofs clinging to her in the way they always do after a race. Her hair is messy from the balaclava, mid-length waves sticking to her neck, the shorter baby hairs plastered to her sweaty forehead. A faint crease marks her left cheek from the fabric. Her face flushed, full lips moving quickly, Italian flowing smoothly from her mouth. She’s fluent? That’s new. Not that he cares. Max jerks his head half to the side, catching himself before the camera records him looking stupid. He just stands there, half-cocked, staring.
Aurora glances his way mid-answer. Just a flick of pale hazel eyes between interviewer and Max, and suddenly he’s rooted. Captivated.
Her lashes sweep shadows across her cheeks; she licks her lips; Max’s throat dries out. And then – she’s back to the reporter, smiling faintly as she answers. The moment’s gone.
The next second, Lewis appears, bright grin in place, arms open. He hugs the rookie warmly, hand snug at her waist, praising her save against Stroll. Max’s jaw clenches. That was his line. Whatever. He didn’t want to say it anyway.
“Well, seems like Lewis beat me to it. Guess I’ll prove my love for women some other time, Gemmje,” Max mutters, already turning away, mentally plotting the quickest path back to hospitality. Gemma says something behind him, but Max is too busy forcing Aurora’s image back into a blur where it belongs to pay proper attention.
His eye twitches all the way to the drivers’ room.
LEWIS HAMILTON HUGGING AURORA DENEUVE AFTER BELGIAN GP THIS IS NOT A DRILL I REPEAT LEWIS HUGGING RORA IN THE MEDIA PEN🚨🚨
[gif of Aurora mid-interview, Lewis sliding into frame to side-hug her. Both of them are beaming.]
This is so wholesome, I love how Lewis is so supportive of her, she really needed that after the Hungarian GP🥹🥹
I think this is the first time she smiled that genuinely all season!!🌸
guys why is max standing behind them looking like that? babes, your inner checo is showing😃
[attached: infamous pic of Sergio Perez during 2017 drivers briefing in Malaysia]
They literally caught Max discovering the concept of “veterans supporting the rookies” in real life..
#never letting you guys forget how you all treated max in his rookie years #that boy is TRAUMATiZED #anyway yeah look at my favs interacting #lewis nation are we ready to adopt rora yet #grid dad lewis at it again #formula one
tag list: @anunstablefangirl
authors note: please guys, don’t be mad at max, he’s a little stupid, but I swear they both will have a character growth later on😔😔
