Aldu🦄🦄

"Every time someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place."- Captain Raymond Holt. 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷+20. She/Her. Eternal Procrastinator. Translator to be. AuADHD

[estebanbicon]

translators are so good yall

[powered-by-sparkles55]

Thanks for this post, @estebanbicon. I'm studying to become a translator and something like this warms my soul and gives me motivation to keep going because I'm not going to be replaced by AI yet.

I'm Argentinian myself, so, I understand the original quote perfectly because it is my same dialect of Spanish

[tracksidemongoose]

AOTA: Chapter 33. The Interviews

Pairing: Carlos Sainz Jr x OC (Elena Vasilakis)

Summary: When Sky Sports puts Cami in charge of the pre season interviews with the newly shaken up grid, it becomes a mishmash of finding chemistry and a rhythm.

Disclaimer: MDNI

Author Note: Haha so once again I put off my polish and assembly of the post. So here we are! Also it’s a bit of a weird experimental chapter this week. Different POV and scene split. Lmk what you think!

ENJOY!! Please comment and like! It makes me all excited for people to enjoy something as much as I do.

Preseason Testing, March 2021, Barhain

~Cami POV~

“Cami!"

The voice cut through the paddock noise, pulling Cami’s attention away from her gear. She turned to find a media coordinator waving from the edge of the center, an urgency to her gesture that made Cami’s pulse spike.

"We moved your slot up," the coordinator called out, her grin suggesting this was a win.

Cami shifted the weight of her equipment bag, trying to steady her breathing. "Good up or bad up?"

"Good up," the woman promised, beaming. "You got first pick."

First pick. The phrase landed with a weight that surprised her, grounding her to the spot. It wasn't just a scheduling change, it was a shift in the way she would live her life for the coming days. One year ago, she’d been clawing for a fifteen minute window with a reserve driver. Now, the schedule was rearranging itself for her. The thought followed her as she continued down the paddock.

A communications manager from Alpine stopped to say hello. A cameraman from Sky nodded as he passed. Someone from Ferrari's media team asked if she wanted the interview room set up differently than they usually did it.

Cami answered automatically, thanking people, making notes on her phone, checking her schedule.

Only when she reached the media pen did it really hit her. Nobody was asking who she was anymore. Nobody was checking credentials twice. Nobody was giving her the polite smile reserved for newcomers trying to break into Formula One.

They knew her.

"Cami!"

Another voice, this time it was one of the Sky producers.

"We've got approval."

"For what?"

"The feature piece for the first race of the season." The producer handed over a schedule sheet. Cami scanned it slightly, that would be a great start to the season. Get people acquainted with the teams.

People always watched the first race interviews, the preseason ones she was going to be filming today were a hit or miss. The producer smiled at her expression. "Nervous?"

Cami folded the schedule and tucked it into her notebook. "Terrified."

"Good." The producer laughed. "The best interviews usually start that way. Think of today as the test drive for the season. Preseason testing interviews are for testing out how we need to attack each team all season. Easy.”

˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩

McLaren

Cami barely settled down into her interview chair before she heard a rather familiar voice.

"Well, well, well." Daniel Ricciardo leaned against the counter, coffee in hand, wearing the grin of someone who had absolutely no business looking that aware so early in the morning.

"The celebrity journalist."

Cami laughed to herself and rolled her eyes, going over her morning schedule, "I think that's giving me far too much credit." McLaren was first on her grid interview call sheet, so Daniel showing up was right on time.

"I don't know." Daniel shrugged. "You've got the fancy set up now, no more chasing us around paddocks, we come to you l."

"It's the exact same questions."

"Yeah, but now it’s on a bigger stage, one that drivers can’t deny. You have stepped onto a bigger stage." He claimed stepping up onto the carpeted stage and giving a dramatic stage bow to camera before plopping down on the couch.

Before Cami could answer, another voice drifted over.

"He's been waiting all morning to use that one.” Lando Norris wandered in, hands shoved into the pockets of his papaya hoodie.

Daniel pointed accusingly, his eyes shifting to Cami for a brief moment, "I have not."

"You absolutely have."

"I resent that statement, I came up with it ten seconds ago."

Lando looked at Cami as he settled down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other. "He did not."

She laughed, each new team pairing in a new year brought different dynamics. McLaren was known to be fun with Lando and Carlos but this just seemed so different but wonderful.

"So... are you two actually going to answer my questions this year?"

Daniel narrowed his eyes dramatically, "It depends."

"Oh?"

"Are you going to hide the answers inside activities again?"

Cami blinked for a few seconds, hiding answers? It was just an interview? "I’m sorry?"

"You know." Daniel gestured vaguely as if carrying on, "Like giving medicine to a dog."

Lando's face lit up immediately. "The peanut butter trick."

The fact they were only a month into being on the same team and were on the same wavelength already was borderline concerning.

Daniel snapped his fingers and pointed at him, "Exactly. See? He gets it.”

"I don't even know what interview you're talking about." Cami leaned forward so the tech coming up behind her could check the mic pack attached to her belt.

"The one where we had to build things while talking."

"That was Lego assembly challenge.”

"It was psychological warfare to force us to do that while drilling us with questions and trivia."

Lando nodded with complete sincerity, "Definitely chaotic, one of my tyres rolled off the table and no one noticed till I was stressfully 30 seconds behind Carlos’s building time."

"You all had fun during that, and it was engaging. More personality and activity driven, people love that."

Daniel looked offended at the concept of people liking those videos, as if he hadn’t just asked for more interviews in that style, “I had to think during that, I had to use my immense brain power."

"You always have to think."

"Not usually on camera, I’m just naturally good. But it was fun.”

Cami pulled her notebook from her bag. "Fine." She flipped to a blank page and scribbled down the request before backing up a page or two. "I've been pitching some new content ideas anyway, think semi grill the grid."

Daniel leaned forward immediately, coffee cup placed on the ground, then elbows on thighs, fingers pressed together like a super villian. “I'm listening."

"What if..." She pretended to think, as if she hadn’t just been staring at a list of ideas she had been writing down during break. "...a karting challenge."

"I'm in."

"I wasn't finished."

"I don't need the details."

Lando shrugged, "I'm in too."

"What if it's endurance karting?"

"Still in."

"What if it's a relay?"

Daniel nodded confidently. "I'll carry him."

Lando snorted. "You've never raced me in karting."

"Mate trust me."

Cami scribbled something onto her notepad after flipping back to the blank page.

"What are you writing?"

"'Daniel volunteers to embarrass himself on television.'"

Daniel looked delighted, "See? That’s the perfect headline. Millions of views already.”

She shook her head amused, "I also had a cooking challenge with-“

"I'm a phenomenal chef."

Lando looked at her, sitting up straighter on the couch as if trying to get more of her attention to interject, "He's lying."

"You have never seen me cook.”

"Earlier this week in hospitality I watched you eat cereal in water.”

Daniel frowned.

"...jail. I’m absolutely not putting you on a cooking challenge now." Cami scratched out the idea from the list in her orange color of her multi pen that she kept tucked in her bag.

Lando was already laughing as they argued about what Daniel defended was perfectly acceptable breakfast substitutions.

Cami watched them bicker back and forth without really needing to ask another question.

It wasn't forced. Daniel filled every silence with another joke. Lando fired back without hesitation. They meshed in with one another well. Then again… she was pretty certain Daniel could have chemistry with a plaster wall. It was hard to read his intensions sometimes.

Daniel caught her smiling down at the notebook in her lap. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Did you write down something else."

"I did."

"What?"

Cami clicked her pen closed.

"You'll have to show up to the interview on media day of the opener to find out."

Daniel groaned dramatically, slumping back against the couch head and arms tilted back to take up as much space as possible "I hate journalists."

"You love journalists."

"I love me on television." Daniel spread his arms with mock humility. "You know, it’s hard being this naturally gifted."

"In what?"

"Everything."

Lando didn't even look up from his phone which he had produced from his pocket a few moments ago. "Confidence, racing, games, take your pick he’s probably claimed it."

Daniel pointed at him, lifting his ankle to rest over his left knee, "See? He gets me."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"I choose to hear it that way."

Cami laughed, "I'll keep your natural talent in mind Danny. Now how about we channel it towards the interview? Inquiring minds want to know.”

As the red light started to blink down from three Cami took a moment to compose herself, before she started her first interview of the day.

˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩

Ferarri

Ferrari's media team was much less… chaotic than McLaren. They were focused. Clearly had a lot going on, because they came in and set up in a rush before either of the drivers even settled onto the couch.

Cami adjusted the microphone clipped to her jacket as a producer counted down into the next interview.

"Rolling in three..."

Carlos and Charles wore matching team polos across from her on the couch. Clearly unity was a major part of the Ferrari team. Charles folded his hands neatly in his lap, meanwhile Carlos leaned back like he'd already forgotten there were cameras.

"...Two..."

Cami smiled as the producer pointed to her cuing her in. "And we're here with Ferrari's newest driver pairing-"

Charles immediately looked toward her, alert, ready, prepared, professional in a way she could only assume wearing the Ferrari red could make someone.

Carlos held up a hand. "Whoa."

Charles blinked, looking at the producer for a note then to Carlos, "What?"

Carlos looked at him with mock disbelief. "You do not even say hello?"

Charles frowned, confused as his eyes shifted around, how was this his fault? "...She already did."

"No, you say hello."

"Why?"

Carlos gestured toward the camera. "Good television."

Charles stared at him for a beat before giving the camera an awkward little wave. "...Hello."

Carlos nodded approvingly, "See?” He turned his attention back to the interviewer as if giving the floor back to her to pick back up where she left off.

Cami was already laughing. "Perfect. Now we can officially begin."

Charles sighed dramatically. "I was trying."

"I know, we can still work on it." Carlos patted him on the shoulder playfully.

Cami glanced down at her notes. "So, Carlos... what's it been like joining Ferrari?"

Carlos opened his mouth to answer. He was always good at giving real but polished answers. Ones that felt like they were unrehearsed, but fit all the guidelines.

Charles beat him to it, "He keeps stealing my food."

Carlos looked horrified, holding up a finger as if asking the interview to pause briefly, before turning to Charles, "That was One time."

"It was my sandwich."

"It looked abandoned."

"You watched me put it down."

"I thought you'd changed your mind." Carlos quickly moved on before it escalated, "It has been a challenge, but good so far. Though I have been competing in more than just simulations.”

Charles nodded, “We tied the first C Squared challenge of the season. Which is going to be on the Ferrari socials.”

Carlos pointed off screen to one of the Ferrari social admin to check the truthfulness of the statement. To which she nodded. "We will not be tied for long, I am planning to win which means..."

Charles immediately knew where this was going. "...Don't."

"If I win the seasons C squared overall..."

"Carlos."

"...he jumps into the ocean in Abu Dhabi."

Charles pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why did I agree to that?"

"You were confident."

"I was."

"And now you're less confident." Carlos smiled innocently before glancing to Cami then the camera “The deal is on tape.l

Cami looked between them. She'd expected carefully measured answers. Instead they were arguing over YouTube challenges before she'd even asked a second question.

"So..." she said, trying not to laugh at the increasing lunacy of her days interviews so far. "...Should I assume the competition is healthy?"

Charles answered first. "I'd like to win."

Carlos followed up by placing a finger in the air as if pausing Charles, “so would I. Not so easy for you.”

There wasn't an edge to it. Good hearted entertaining competition for a non racing related game. After years of working in a paddock, Cami had discovered that it wasn’t just competitive spirits on the track, every good driver had competitive drive in their bones.

She glanced briefly toward her producer, and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod. Keep going. This was working.

For the next fifteen minutes she barely had to steer the conversation. Every answer naturally bounced between them. Carlos told a story, then Charles corrected one detail. Carlos insisted his version was better and Charles rolled his eyes.

Neither seemed particularly interested in "winning" the interview. They were just… Comfortable. Already.

"That's a wrap."

The red tally light blinked off. Almost immediately, Charles reached for the bottle of water sitting beside his chair.

"I talked too much."

Carlos looked at him with an eyebrow raised, "You completed a volley which is good in conversation, natural flow."

Charles laughed, "You know I am media trained, right?"

"You'll thank me later."

As Charles wandered toward the center doors, Carlos stayed behind while Cami changed her microphone batteries out.

"Congratulations, by the way."

She looked up, a bit startled, not having realized Carlos had stuck around. "For what?"

He shrugged like it was obvious. "Sky finally realizing they've got a good reporter on their hands. And letting you do what you do best."

For a second she just stared at him. Months ago she'd been chasing interviews, and 7 years ago during her internship at DAMS, she was lucky to be doing hair and makeup for the drivers media. During the space between, Cami had put everything towards her goal, late nights, early mornings, writing extra questions, fighting media crowds. Sometimes she didn’t know if it was going to pay off.

Now one of her oldest friends was saying it out loud.

"They noticed, the work is finally starting to pay off and put me right where I want to be," she admitted quietly.

Carlos smiled. "Lo sé, has llegado a donde querías estar.” He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before walking towards the door, in hopes of catching up with Charles before he got to the garage again.

Cami watched him disappear through the doors before looking down at the notebook in her hands. The interview had gone exactly the opposite of how she'd expected. And somehow, that made for the best content.

˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩

Alpha Tauri

"...having Pierre as a teammate has made the transition a lot easier." Yuki nodded once, looking every bit the composed Formula One rookie.

Cami nodded, a warm smile on her face as she tapped the book in her lap, "That's actually a perfect lead into my last question."

Yuki straightened in his chair, clearly trying to come across professional and ready.

"What's been the biggest surprise since becoming a Formula One driver?"

For half a second he looked like he was preparing another carefully rehearsed answer. Then he blinked, as if his mind went blank and he was being forced to speak just as himself.

"...Everything."

Pierre laughed beside him.

"I'm serious!" Yuki insisted.

"The apartment is different. The travel is different from f2. The simulator is crazy. The schedule..." He threw his hands into the air. "The food changes every week. Sometimes I don't even know what country I'm waking up in."

Pierre nodded sympathetically. "That part doesn't really change, or get better..."

"And everyone speaks so many languages!" Yuki continued. "Someone starts talking and I'm trying to figure out if they're talking to me or someone behind me."

Cami smiled watching the energy increase throughout his answer, "So it's been..."

"A lot."

"But good?"

Yuki grinned, "The best. I couldn’t be more pleased with the opportunity I’ve been given.”

Pierre glanced at him then leaned forward slightly, "Ask him again after the triple header. The answer may change.”

Yuki groaned at the notion of that many races in a row in diffrent parts of the world.

"You'll survive."

"I know." He sighed dramatically.

"...Probably."

Cami smiled toward the camera. "I think that's the perfect place to end it. Thank you both."

The cameras stopped rolling and Yuki immediately relaxed. Slouching into the couch some and shrinking, making him look even smaller. "Was that okay?"

"You were great," Cami assured him as the PA’s crossed over to get both mics from the drivers.

"Really?"

"Really."

He smiled to himself as if the hardest part of his day was finally over with, "Good." He turned and confidently walked away leaving Pierre and Cami on the set.

"...That way, Yuki."

He stopped, looked around and then “…ah." Without missing a beat, he pivoted one hundred and eighty degrees. "Yes. Garage is that way.”

Pierre watched him disappear before looking back at Cami. "...He's going to be just fine."

Cami couldn't help but smile. “Oh yeah, absolutely."

˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩

Williams

"Nicholas as a teammate has been really valuable. We push each other every training session." George glanced toward Latifi, who gave a small nod.

Cami smiled, allowing the boys to expand if they wanted to before she cut in, "You've both spoken a lot about maximizing every opportunity this season."

George nodded, "In Formula One, you have to."

She flipped to the last page of her notes."So... last question."

George folded his hands together, waiting.

"What's the goal this year?"

He didn't answer immediately, but it wasn’t because he didn't know. It was because he was choosing the right words. Which George always took so very seriously. "To be ready."

"Ready for what?" Cami tilted her head, prodding just slightly for the answer she was looking for. Being best friends with a top engineer of a team that Williams was a feeder for came with its perks. Every conversation and complaint about work came with interview question material.

George smiled slightly. "Whatever comes next." There was no hesitation in the way he answered, no wink thrown in to be cheeky, no implications that things were in the works, just a certain preparedness.

Cami decided to push once more, reaching for the gossip her and Elena had been speculating on since Toto and James asked Elena to start learning Mercedes as a system. George was in the works. "You think your opportunity is coming?"

George's smile didn't change. "I think opportunities come to people who are prepared."

Nicholas glanced over at him with the smallest eye roll and then smile, like he'd heard that answer before.

"And until then?"

George shrugged, "You keep working. Making every car you drive faster, communicate with your team, improve.” It wasn't flashy or dramatically cocky in a way some drivers were, just secure in his belief that something was coming.

The cameras stopped rolling and the PA’s swarmed the set, "Thank you, both."

Nicholas stood first, offering a quick thanks before heading toward the Williams garage.

George unclipped his microphone, lingering for a moment, "Good questions."

"Good answers," Cami replied, trying to keep her mouth shut from blurting something, anything that her and Elena had spoken about involving George.

He smiled politely. "I'll try to keep giving them." With that, he turned and disappeared into the paddock, already checking something on his phone.

Cami watched him go. Most drivers who got interviewed talked about this weekend, the season, or the session. George always sounded like he was preparing for the next five years.

˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩˚ ༘ 🎞️ ｡𖦹 ° 🎥 ...✩

Red Bull

The camera wasn't even set up yet when Max dropped onto the couch across from her.

For whatever reason, Sky Sports had dubbed him a solo interview. Whether it was because Checo was preoccupied, or unwilling Cami was not told, but when she saw just Max on her sheet she knew it would be a short interview. Most interviews with Max were, it was rare that people got an enthusiastic reaction from him.

He looked over the assembled lights before settling his eyes on Cami. "Sky couldn't find anybody else?"

She didn't even look up from checking her audio levels. "You keep giving me good interviews for whatever reason."

"Sounds like your problem."

"It keeps getting me sent back. I’m starting to think you actually like answering my questions Verstappen."

"Hmm." He shrugged, "I should probably stop then."

"You won't."

"No, yours are at least intelligible."

A producer called out from behind the camera. "Alright prepare for tape."

Max reached for the microphone waiting on the table, clipping it onto the collar of his Red Bull polo with practiced efficiency.

"You've done this before."

"Once or twice." He snorted.

The producer counted them in. "...Three..."

The familiar ease between them disappeared, not because it was gone, but because both of them knew it was time to work.

"...Two..."

"...One."

The tally light turned red.

"We're here with Max Verstappen ahead of the opening race of the 2021 season." Cami smiled for the camera before turning to the driver, "Max, you've spent the last few seasons watching Red Bull close the gap."

He nodded, folding his hands on his lap, fiddling with his thumbs.

"This year... what are your expectations?"

There wasn't even a pause before he answered, "To win."

It was simple, matter of fact, confident.

She held his gaze, a little taken aback by the boldness of the answer, Cami blinked rapidly thinking of a follow up but only managed, "The drivers championship?"

A small smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "That's the goal."

Cami glanced at her notes before asking the next question. "Does that change how you approach a race weekend?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the work is the same." His answer came as quickly as the first. "You prepare." His hands moved as he spoke, like he was over explaining and showing the steps, "You execute."

Max let a silent moment linger before he shook his head, deciding he needed to explain it farther, “during every race, the target is different. Target being the track. But the process isn’t. It stays the same.”

For a moment neither of them spoke. It wasn't awkward, just... complete. Cami didn’t push Max like she did other drivers, some days he was talkative and Maxplained, as coined by the fans, and some days you got this, quick, fufilling answers.

The producer gave her a subtle nod, it was satisfactory. She smiled toward the camera. "Max, thank you for your time, and best of luck this season."

"Thank you."

The red light clicked off. Almost immediately, Max reached up to unclip his microphone.

"So," Cami said as she gathered her cue cards, "same time next month?"

"If you're still asking decent questions."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should."

Once Max had walked away her producer closed in next to her, “That was one of the better interviews we’ve gotten from Max this year. That’s why we pay you the big bucks.” He joked taking her notebook from her to place on a table so the technicians could help her get all unhooked from mics for the day.

[midesastremanifiesto]

Hey! He didn't catch fire! Progress.

[powered-by-sparkles55]

Damn. Carlos' car died

[fuckandreastella]

I finished this term with a very high note: 10/10

woohoo congratulations!!!

[powered-by-sparkles55]

Thank you!!

[tracksidemongoose]

AOTA: SMAU. 32

Pairing: Carlos Sainz Jr x OC (Elena Vasilakis)

Summary: A big move and starting over, not quite Monaco like she was originally planning, but close enough for Alex to show up at her door and demand a little walk around town. Along with a run-in with a suspicious friend aswell.

Author Note: The way I create my SMAU's is they will usually give a deeper insight to a characters motivations, more than what was just given in the chapter! If you have any additional types of media you think could be good down the line feel free to DM or Comment! Along with the website I should use to make said fake media screen shots.

See the masterlist for AOTA.

[tracksidemongoose]

AOTA: Chapter 32. Sun Exposure

Pairing: Carlos Sainz Jr x OC (Elena Vasilakis)

Summary: A big move and starting over, not quite Monaco like she was originally planning, but close enough for Alex to show up at her door and demand a little walk around town. Along with a run-in with a suspicious friend aswell.

Disclaimer: Charles being suspicious, Alex talking about being taken off the grid

Author Note: I did not get to do my usual second readthrough of this chapter, as I did my first edit review last night. (I also wrote it on my phone so its a little choppy.) My apologies if there are any issues, lmk if there are any glaring ones.

See the masterlist for AOTA here.

ENJOY!! Please comment and like! It makes me all excited for people to enjoy something as much as I do.

January 2021, Monaco

One of the first things Elena learned when she got to Monaco was that a four month old Maine Coon kitten could fit inside a small dog harness.

The second thing she learned was that Toro considered this a privilege.

"Get down."

Toro ignored her, pawing at some loose packing tape.

"Toro."

The kitten perched proudly on top of a half unpacked moving box, tail flicking as he surveyed his  brand new kingdom. One they had been in for hardly a couple days. His kingdom currently consisted of one couch, three lamps, two hundred cardboard boxes, and Elena sitting cross-legged on the floor trying to figure out where she'd packed her coffee maker as she fought the late afternoon sleepiness.

The apartment was beautiful. After doing some research she had decided, that despite all her drivers encouraging her to be in the country, that for as much as she’d be traveling it was not worth paying half her income in rent every month. She could manage, but Elena wanted to be able to retire someday. So instead, she found a perfect location in Cap-d’Ail. About a 10 minute walk from the Princess Grace gardens in Fontvieille, perfect distance from everything. 

She had a small balcony that overlooked the streets below, not much of a view but there were charms, if she leaned over the railing and looked down the road she could see a park and being rather high up, it meant the sun came in nicely for an hour or so every afternoon before disappearing behind the next row of buildings. 

The interior was nice, a two bedroom one bath, but the second bedroom was just a loft upstairs that overlooked her living room. She was planning on making that her office and sim space. 

It was perfect, and also a disaster. She had been unpacking for nearly three days and yet every time she turned around the boxes seemed to multiply. It was January, pre season testing didn’t start until early march. She spared a glance at the calendar she pinned to the wall in the kitchen. Important dates scribbled along the side for the next couple months. March 12th. She’d go back to work in a few weeks and start preparing for the new season.

Toro launched himself from the moving box to the couch. Then in a single bound he was sliding onto and across the glass coffee table, and in a last ditch effort to save himself, he flung himself up and into another box. The crash echoed through the rest of the apartment. 

Elena sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You know, this isn’t a china shop.” A twitch of her lip curled up at her own joke. “You are so lucky that you are cute.” 

A buzz came from the door panel and Toro lept from the box and sprinted towards the sound. The cat loved guests, she was convinced if someone broke into her apartment he would give her up for a couple head scratches and a treat. 

Traitor. 

Elena pushed herself to her feet and stepped around a stack of kitchen boxes.

Alex stood outside wearing a pair of sunglasses perched on top of his head. Holding a bag of what Elena could only assume was some sort of food, probably because she had mentioned to him earlier that day she couldn’t remember where she packed her pots and pans. 

"You look terrible."

She stared at him with her lips pressed into a firm line, "You could have started with hello."

"I figured honesty was more useful." He squeezed past her into the apartment, careful to not let the cat make a mad dash out. Instead he placed the bag on the counter and bent down to pet the furball. "So, I brought some basics, and a small pan since you packed like a whirlwind.” 

“Thank You Alex”

"You're welcome."

Alex glanced over her shoulder into the apartment, then down at Toro, then back at the apartment.

"Wow."

"It's not that bad."

"It looks like a natural disaster."

Toro chose that moment to sprint down the hallway carrying what appeared to be a roll of packing tape. Alex watched him disappear into her bedroom

"Well at least you won’t be needing the tape for a while."

“He’s building a treasure trove of all my moving supplies. Earlier he took my labels too.” Toro reappeared in the hallway and trotted back towards them, strutting like this apartment was his, and he had signed the lease. 

Alex scratched behind Toros ears then looked up from his spot on the floor.  "So."

"So?"

"You're done unpacking for today."

She laughed, it was an absurd concept, she’d be packing half way into the night. "I'm absolutely not."

"You are."

"Alex-"

"You moved to…” Gestured to the window. “Basically Psudo Monaco. I live in Monaco. It's my civic duty to show you around."

"You have civic duties?"

"No."

"Thought so."

Alex stood and scooped Toro up effortlessly and went for the little harnass that was hanging on a hook by the door.

"Come on. Sunlight will do you good."

"You're kidnapping my cat."

"He likes me."

Toro immediately started purring as he got into the harnass. Walks were his favorite part of the day, Elena usually took him on one in the morning, so an afternoon one was a treat.

Elena looked betrayed as her cat was placed down and trotted out the door on his leash the second the door opened. 

"Fine."

"Great."

Alex headed for the elevator and Elena, after quickly slipping on her trainers, followed him. The boxes would still be there later. Unfortunately.

The weather outside was simply perfect. Which felt deeply unfair considering how much of her life currently was in chaos. Monaco (and her little border of France) seemed determined to be beautiful at all times.

Alex led them through narrow streets and winding slopes that Elena was convinced she would never remember.

"Coffee shop." He pointed toward a corner café with stripped awnings and a total of 3 tables outside for 2. "Best espresso in Monaco, other stuff isn’t bad either."

It took them a total of 5 minutes to order and be back on their walk with coffees in hand. Monaco was small but Alex had lots to share.

"Harbor." He directed as they breached the end of a street that gave way to the massive rows infront of them on the water. "Very expensive boats."

"Insightful."

"I know."

Toro walked in pace with the two, occasionally weaving between them, his tail swishing in the air, turning his head to watch people pass. Nobody seemed remotely surprised by the giant kitten. Which made a lot of sense considering where they were. 

"Never try driving through this area during race week."

"Noted."

"Actually don't drive anywhere during race week."

"Also noted."

The water glittered beneath the afternoon sun. Slowing to a stop just near a set of benches, they both decided to take a breath, both to finish their coffee and let Toro bound about on the empty benches. 

For a moment neither of them spoke. It was nice and peaceful. Alex was always like that, he kept everyone’s heads on their shoulders while also being incredibly genuine.

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "At least I won't have to deal with traffic this year."

Elena glanced at him. The comment was casual and light. The sort of thing someone said when they didn't want a conversation but he had tried to minimize the situation when it happened, and Elena cared about him too much to not check on him. 

"How are you doing?"

Alex shrugged, "Fine."

"Mostly."

She waited, knowing that he’d continue if she left him in the quiet long enough. 

"Different."

That at least felt honest. Not a bad thing but definitely not great.

"Yeah? That’s a step.” 

He smiled, "I guess it’s not terrible though."

"No?"

"No."

His gaze drifted toward the little yacht on the inner side of a dock. Not small by any means but in comparison with the ones that lined the harbor, it paled in comparison.

"I finally know where my apartment is."

Elena laughed, "That's your silver lining?"

"You'd be surprised how often I forgot."

"Fair."

Alex nudged her shoulder, it was probably rather obvious that she was trying to choose the right words.

"I'll be back eventually."

The confidence wasn't forced, it wasn’t bravado put on to impress. Just a confidence that Elena admired, and she believed him. 

"You will."

They walked another block towards where Alex claimed his favorite restaurant was located. Before they even got there Alex groaned. "Oh God."

"What?"

He pointed toward an old photograph displayed in a restaurant window. Some promotional image from years ago. “The owners have been putting up monthly photos of me since I got into f1. I come here far too much but they make fantastic pad krapow.” 

Elena squinted to see the photo in the window, then immediately burst out laughing.

The haircut. The awful, tragic haircut. Far too short, not doing any favors for his forehead.

"Oh no."

"It was a bad look for winter testing."

Elena shook her head and pointed at the photo “Actually, that was just between your f2 win and your signing with f1."

Alex froze.

Elena froze.

It felt like the world froze for a long moment. Then slowly, very slowly, Alex turned towards had in disbelief.

"What?"

"What?"

Elena's stomach dropped immediately into the center of the earth. The kind of drop usually reserved for roller coasters and realizing you'd sent an email to the wrong person.

 Shit πιάστηκα.

"Nothing."

Alex narrowed his eyes.

"No."

She resumed walking, tugging Toro's leash to move down the street ahead of Alex. The universal signal for this conversation is over. Unfortunately, Alex had known her for years and wasn’t going to take that as an answer.

"Elena."

"Alex."

"How do you know that?"

"Know what?"

"The haircut."

She shrugged, averting her eyes to the skyline above the buildings to avoid staring directly at Alex. 

"It was a bad haircut."

"Everyone knows it was a bad haircut."

He pointed accusingly.

"Nobody knows it was between the seasons and my debut."

She decided to just keep walking, faster. Elena decided that if she continued walking he couldn’t continue asking questions. Maybe if she walked fast enough she'd reach Italy.

"You googled it." Alex sounded unconvinced by his own suggestion.

"Exactly." She jumped on, deciding stalking was better than the truthful answer.

"It wasn’t a time with PR, so it wasn’t online."

"Everything is online."

"It literally wasn't until-“

Elena risked a glance toward him and that was her biggest mistake because Alex was looking at her the way a detective looked at a suspect five minutes before an arrest.

"Oh my God."

"No."

"Oh my God."

"No."

His eyes widened like the pieces were starting to connect somewhere in his brain. Infact, Elena could practically see them sliding into place.

"No."

Alex stopped walking entirely, but she kept going. The farther she could get the better. Three steps, four, five- 

“ELENA.” 

People whipped around to look at the commotion and she groaned, turning on her heel to face him. Toro got yoinked back from the abrupt stop. 

"Lower your voice."

"You."

Alex pointed dramatically at her. "Are hiding something."

Really. Genius detecting, all that and he only had figured out she was hiding something. Still didn’t know what it was she was hiding. So Elena continued to play the game.

"I'm not."

"You're lying."

"I'm really not."

"You absolutely are."

She sighed, Alright enough of playing the game. 

"Alex."

"No."

"Alex."

"NO."

He was already pulling out his phone. Which somehow made everything worse because now he knew where he was going to look for proof. Great. 

"What are you doing?"

"Research."

"That isn’t going to help you, do you know how much data is on the internet?”

He didn’t answer, face down on his phone, looking for something very specific apparently. 

"Alex."

It was too late though, his thumbs tapped across the screen and then he switched to his pointer finger to scroll, and scroll, and scroll. Then there was a dangerous kind of silence as he stared. Which meant he found something. 

"Oh."

Elena closed her eyes tightly, so much for three years of covert operations. 

"No."

Alex looked up slowly, bringing the phone up to face her, he jabbed a finger at the screen. 

"You posted the Victorian orphan comparison."

"What?"

"You posted the awful young year photos of George Lando and I."

She laughed despite herself as she pictured the post in her head, because honestly? Any of the young drivers photos had been funny.

"I'm not admitting to anything."

"That was many f1 fans first impression of us. You absolutely did."

"I didn't."

"You did."

"I didn't."

Alex shoved his phone toward her face. The ancient Grid Gremlin post filled the screen. A side-by-side of all three of the rookies, with the caption ‘Just a reminder that these are the rookies for the 2019 season.’

"That's circumstantial."

"Elena."

"That's not evidence."

"ELENA."

She laughed harder, scanning the bottom of the post, oh how her follower count had changed since that point. Alex looked personally offended at her giggling.

"You ruined my life."

"Oh, come on."

"The post has over got fifty thousand likes at the moment."

Toro meowed loudly at the fact they had been standing still for far too long. He started weaving between Elena’s legs which would become hell if she didn’t check the leash before she started walking. 

Alex pointed at the cat. "See, even he is disappointed in your posting behavior."

Toro blinked up at them, just before starting to lick his paws, staying a neutral party. Clever boy.  Alex went back to scrolling.

"Oh my God."

"What now?"

His expression became increasingly horrified , then increasingly delighted, then somehow both simultaneously. Oh no what had he found now. 

"YOU called my haircut a human rights violation."

"It was."

"You can't just say that."

"I did."

"You did."

"I did."

Alex stared at her for a brief moment then burst out laughing. The sound echoed down the street and drew more attention than him shouting her name earlier. Somehow that made Elena laugh too.

Years. She had kept the account mostly secret for years. Besides Cami, and on occasion someone being a bit suspicious she had been successful. And somehow Alex had figured it out because she'd accidentally identified a bad haircut from 2018.

Unbelievable.

"You are unbelievable."

"You looked like a groomed dog in the summertime."

"I was twenty."

"Exactly! And in my defense, I was saying you look way better with your current hair than that haircut."

She covered her face and Alex looked moments away from collapsing. Though she couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment or glee that he figured out his years long quest. 

"You made a bibliography of references for a post about my hair."

"I'm committed to quality."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"No." Alex grinned, shaking his head at her before linking his arm in hers, "I really don't." He started walking again, down towards the gardens, and towards the buildings that most of the drivers stayed in. 

For a while they walked, talking about stories, theories from the fans, Alex brought up many posts, and Elena had to defend herself for every one of them. It felt good to finally get to talk about it, with a close friend. It felt easy, which seemed to be the way things were with Alex.

"You know everyone is going to lose their minds if they ever find out."

Her smile faded slightly, giving his arm a little squeeze, "That is exactly why nobody can."

The joking disappeared instantly, Alex understood because despite all the teasing, he knew what the account actually was. A corner of the sport that belonged entirely to her. It was something that she had built all by herself. Not because of team allegiances, of driver favoritism, or because of politics, it was all her and the silly photos she had taken of her friends over nearly 6 years of the sport.

"Alex."

His expression softened, understanding the question she was about to ask "I won't tell anyone."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"Not Lando."

"Okay."

"Not George."

"Okay."

"Not Carlos."

"Okay."

She studied him carefully.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Elena exhaled, feeling like her secret was finally locked away nice and safe between three people now. Her. Cami. And now Alex. "Thank you."

A comfortable silence settled between them. Only to be broken by an idea, Alex opened his mouth, “You know… technically, as the grid gremlin-“ 

"Charles?” The two had rounded the corner of a high rise and ran directly into a familiar face. There were very few people capable of looking suspicious while simply standing still. Charles Leclerc was one of them.

He wore a hoodie, in 23 degree weather, a hat baseball had pulled down, and sunglasses tucked under that. It was the sort of disguise that only made someone significantly more noticeable. The kind that only worked in super hero movies. 

Alex squinted at the figure who Elena could only assume was pretending to be a vampire hiding from the sun. 

"Charles."

"Alex."

Charles nodded toward Elena.

"Elena."

"Charles."

Alex didn’t let the awkward silence hang too long, instead hiding a twitch of his lips. "You look normal."

Charles looked offended. "I am normal. So, incredibly normal. This is how I dress."

"Sure."

"I'm serious."

"Right."

Charles adjusted the brim of his hat, trying to seem like someone who was definitely not sneaking around Monaco. Which naturally made him look exactly like someone sneaking around Monaco.

Elena bit the inside of her cheek, and Alex looked seconds away from saying something. Charles looked seconds away from defending himself. Neither outcome would improve the situation.

"What are you two doing?" Charles asked finally obviously trying to change the conversation away from his escapades. 

Alex answered immediately. "Nothing."

Charles narrowed his eyes, and Elena’s stomach sunk. Had Charles overheard Alex talking about the grid gremlin? Did Charles now know one of her deepest secrets? 

"That sounds suspicious."

"It's not."

Now Charles turned his attention to Elena and repeated the line of questioning.  "It sounds suspicious."

"It's not." She mimicked Alex.  Charles looked between them. Alex. Elena. Back to Alex. Back to Elena. Then finally, something flickered across his face. A dangerous curiosity, the kind that had gotten him into trouble since childhood. The kind that would make him put the overheard conversation together. He was thinking, connecting dots, the exact thing Elena didn't want him doing.

"Right." Charles smiled and then turned his attention to escaping the conversation before the topic turned to him and why he was sneaking around Monaco like some marvel actor on a set. "Well." He took a step backward. "Enjoy your walk." Then another. Then another. Until he was about eight paces away before he turned towards the apartment buildings that overlooked the harbor. The building he didn’t live in. At least Elena didn’t think he did. 

Definitely not suspicious.

Elena watched him disappear, then looked at Alex. "So much for keeping it a secret huh.” She scowled at the man who had in an instant flipped to being a kid being scolded. 

"It slipped out."

"It slipped out."

"It slipped out."

"You are the worst."

"I know."

By the time Elena made it back to her apartment, the sun had disappeared behind the buildings of the beach side French town. The city glittered outside her windows, the golden lights reflected off the windows across the way.

From her deck everything looked impossibly beautiful. Which would have been easier to appreciate if Toro wasn't currently halfway inside a kitchen cabinet.

"Absolutely not."

The kitten ignored her and a spoon immediately clattered onto the floor, then another, then a third. Elena stared at the furball, and clearly he had become immune to her scowl even at four months, because he simply stared back, neither of them moved. 

Then he slowly opened his mouth and grabbed the packet of instant ramen flavoring from the counter and jumped down, sprinting away. 

"Why?"

Toro vanished around the corner and she heard a thud into a wall. Followed by a pause, then the sound of tiny paws running at full speed once again.

Elena dropped her forehead against the counter. The evening passed slowly, the walk had taken a lot out of Toro apparently because about an hour later he crawled up on the cat tree she built for him, curled up, and lazily watched her unpack. 

She sorted kitchen supplies, hung and folded closed, found a few things that she had honestly forgot she owned, then lost things she had been holding thirty seconds ago. As is moving.

The apartment steadily became more livable and less like a storage facility. It was becoming more of her home, a place she could imagine spending her off time. 

The thought probably should have felt heavier. The whole moving countries, starting over, leaving England behind, leaving Marco behind, leaving all the ugly memories behind.

Instead she found herself thinking about Alex laughing so hard he'd nearly dropped his phone, about Charles' suspicious behavior, and about the fact that somehow, after years of secrecy, she'd managed to expose herself because of a haircut.

The universe had a cruel sense of humor.

It wasn’t the first time she started over completely, she did it once when she was much younger, when she decided to tell her family she wanted to attend university in England, and not stay where she called home all her life. She did it then, and she could do it now. Only now she didn't just have her families support, she had a whole community behind her.

Her phone buzzed.

Elena glanced down automatically to catch a glimpse of the message. It was Max. Or rather, as she had him in her phone The Child 🇳🇱.

It was the contact name she'd assigned him years ago after one particularly chaotic race, and a story from Charles about yet another inchident.

 The message contained exactly three words.

you're grid gremlin

Elena leaned over on the counter so quickly she almost hit her head trying to get closer to the screen. Even Toro raised his head from his comfy perch. She ignored him and intensely stared at the screen. Then read it again, and again.

There there was absolutely no reason Max Verstappen should know that.

None.

Zero.

Impossible.

Unless… no. No that was a stupid idea. 

Alex? Alex wouldn't, he had promised. Her fingers flew across the keyboard.

how do you know that

The typing bubble appeared, disappeared, appeared yet again, then vanished entirely.

A couple seconds passed and there was nothing. She narrowed her eyes as if demanding that the bubble return. Then as if obeying her demands another message arrived.

who else got a photo of me flipping them off from a window

Elena stared at the message. Well shit. It was just a stupid photo she had taken over a year ago, Max was chucking redbulls out a window. It was a media thing. And she had yelled up to him to ask if she could get one. Got that in response. 

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the cool marble. Today of all days. Right after she had told Alex, and after Charles had potentially overheard and…

Very slowly she lifted her head and started to type again.

you are unbelievable

Three dots appeared instantly.

it was obvious

it was not obvious

it really was

Max 

I’ve heard enough from people to put it together.

Another message came through seconds later. 

some of them are actually very funny

Of all the responses she expected from Max Verstappen, compliments were not one of them. Somehow that felt more alarming than him figuring it out. She and Max had lots of history, but they always had to throw jabs at eachother. It was their thing. Another notification.

don't get excited

Elena barked out a laugh, of course Max could read her mind, sense her disbelief. There he was, back to normal for the most part. She typed back immediately.

you literally complimented me

don't make it weird

too late

Several seconds passed before Max responded with. 

i won't tell anyone

The smile slipped from her face, because despite everything, that is what mattered to her. That she could trust her friends to keep that small however chaotic corner of the internet as hers. 

thank you

There wasn’t a message for a very long time, Then her phone buzzed one final time.

Charles may have overheard you though. 

She paused, what the fuck? That, she decided, was not a problem for Elena today. That, would be next week Elena’s problem. Instead she placed her phone back on the charger and walked back to a couple of boxes. After a bit more unpacking she ended up lying on her couch at midnight wondering how many Formula One drivers knew about her secret meme account.

Which felt ridiculous, udderly ridiculous. And yet? So incredibly entertaining. A list had formed that day of drivers who now knew and she had a feeling that it was going to grow. 

Lord help her. The season hadn't even started yet.

[ehcahache]

Carlos talking about his relationship with Lando and him winning the championship in his latest interview with People

[francolapinto43]

MI CAPITÁN 🩵🤍🩵

[fuckandreastella]

This is in half an hour and I'm commuting back home from class. I hope we win!!

best of luck!!!

[powered-by-sparkles55]

Just got home in time for the start of the match

[fuckandreastella]

anyway I'm not a little virgin mary 81, i think sex is great and awesome and healthy and so long as it's safe and consensual, i hope lando norris is truly living his best "sex demon" life.

[fuckandreastella]

new year, same battle of trying to get puritanical 81s to understand that:

a) nobody's morality is tied to how many sexual partners they have. you can be a virgin or only have 1 sexual partner your entire life and still be a massive piece of shit (many such examples in that fandom alone). you can consentually fuck 10 adults in 1 weekend and be a selfless, kind person. YOUR MORALITY IS NOT TIED TO HOW MANY SEXUAL PARTNERS YOU HAVE. (nor is your cleanliness or worthiness or whatever other kind of "purity culture" bullshit these bastards are spreading).

b) no woman who has consentual sex with a man is his "conquest" or whatever other misogynistic term you label lando's partners as simply because you don't like him.

what kind of time period are your asses living in to be this puritanical, misogynistic, and backwards? the damn 50s?

[tracksidemongoose]

SMAU 31. Unofficial Promotion

Pairing: Carlos Sainz Jr x OC (Elena Vasilakis)

Summary: Coming back to the paddock with a new position and a newly single status creates a host of awkward situations not only for Elena but also Carlos, as he faces a fear he didn't know he had.

Disclaimer: Mentions of Cheating, Minors DNI

Author Note: The way I create my SMAU's is they will usually give a deeper insight to a characters motivations, more than what was just given in the chapter! If you have any additional types of media you think could be good down the line feel free to DM or Comment! Along with the website I should use to make said fake media screen shots.

See the masterlist for AOTA.

[tracksidemongoose]

AOTA: Chapter 31. Unofficial Promotion

Pairing: Carlos Sainz Jr x OC (Elena Vasilakis)

Summary: Coming back to the paddock with a new position and a newly single status creates a host of awkward situations not only for Elena but also Carlos, as he faces a fear he didn't know he had.

Disclaimer: Mentions of Cheating, Covid, Minors DNI

Author Note: So... I know i dropped off the face of the earth for a bit but I got to fly across the country to see 5 Seconds Of Summer in concert and then came home and did a roadtrip to my summer job. I am back on track now. However, Y'all pray for me, i am trying so hard to get things cleared for a potential abroad study trip in august but it means so much stress for now. If anyones ever worked with CIEE Please DM me because I am starting to think they aren't even real LOL.

Alsoooooo this is the end of the McLaren Era!!!!!

See the masterlist for AOTA here.

ENJOY!! Please comment and like! It makes me all excited for people to enjoy something as much as I do.

November, 2020

The next Tuesday came with an awkward silence.

Since the breakup there had been no dramatic apologies from Marco. No flowers. No attempt to explain himself beyond the half finished voicemail she’d deleted sometime around two in the morning.

Honestly, Elena preferred it that way.

The apartment was still dim when her phone buzzed across the kitchen counter. Unknown internal Mercedes extension.

She frowned and answered immediately. This couldn’t be very good, who had touched her perfect outlines for the race weekend. “Hello?”

“Elena.” Toto’s voice.

She straightened instinctively. “Toto.”

“You have a moment?”

“Of course.”

Another voice joined the line, James Vowles this time, warm and familiar. “Morning, Elena.”

Now she was definitely awake.

People did not casually call engineers together before eight in the morning unless something had gone very right or catastrophically wrong. Certainly not those two people specifically. 

“Elena,” Toto began, direct as always, “James and I have been discussing restructuring support on Lewis’ side of the garage for next season.”

Her stomach tightened.

“We want to keep you where you are, but Bono requested you apprentice some, just keep eyes on how he runs things, learns things.”

For a second, she said nothing. But it wasn’t because she didn’t understand, it was because she did. It was an unofficial promotion. Not simulator support. Not data overflow. Not backroom strategy. Directly under Bono. It meant some things were in the works that she wasn’t sure about yet.

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter. 

Sure, Elena’s previous engineering roles had been working side by side with Lewis, and she would continue with that, but he had 4-7 engineers working on his car at any given time. This was a request to learn the role of a head engineer, on top of what she was already doing.

“Oh,” she managed softly.

James laughed lightly. “That good, huh?”

“I just…” She exhaled once, trying to regain composure. “I thought perhaps I misunderstood.”

“You didn’t,” Toto said. “It may be lots of work, but you have a team behind you, and great things ahead. You’ve earned this.”

There it was, the inevitable Earned. The word should have made her feel proud. But she was instead faced with an uncomfortable burning crawling up her chest, because the timing was impossible to ignore.

Monday the closest in the paddock found out about Marco.

Tuesday Mercedes offered her the biggest unofficial promotion of her career.

Elena stared out the apartment window toward the gray morning sky. “This isn’t because of my personal life, is it?”

There was a dead silence on the call and for a brief moment she wondered if the line had dropped. Then James said, genuinely confused, “Your what?”

She blinked, and Toto spoke next. “Should we know something?”

Heat immediately crawled onto her cheeks from behind her ears.

“No,” she said too quickly. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“Elena,” James said carefully, “this decision was finalized almost three weeks ago.”

Three weeks. That meant it was before the breakup. Before the humiliation he put her through. Before the pitty the paddock would shower her with come race weekend. She had done her best to keep it quiet but subtle is not a word the boys did well. 

Toto continued, matter of fact. “You are one of the strongest performance engineers we have. Bono specifically requested more direct involvement from you after Mugello and Sochi.”

Her throat tightened unexpectedly. Toto wasn’t talking out of pity. It was out of Respect.

“You’ll begin shadowing responsibilities in Sakhir,” James added. “Assuming you accept.”

Elena laughed softly under her breath, still overwhelmed. “I think you already know the answer.”

Toto hummed approvingly. “Good. Then congratulations are in order.”

This time, when she smiled, it was real. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

After the call ended, Elena stood alone in the kitchen for a long moment, staring at her reflection in the dark microwave glass.

For the first time in days, Marco was not the first thing on her mind. Work was… and it was her work.

She was getting pieces of her life back on track and better than before.

ᯓ★๋࣭⏱ ⭑ᯓ★๋࣭⏱ ⭑ᯓ★๋࣭⏱ ⭑

Turkey, November, 2020

Turkey was bad. But it wasn’t because people were cruel, it was because they were kind. Far too kind, and that somehow made it worse.

By Thursday afternoon Elena had perfected the polite smile she used when someone approached her with that particular tilt of sympathy in their eyes.

“I heard what happened.”

“You okay?”

“Honestly? You deserve better.”

Every conversation became a version of the same thing. Marco’s name floated through the paddock like smoke she couldn’t escape.

“Congratulations, Elena!” Daniel Ricciardo called across the paddock Thursday evening.

Finally, something normal, talking about her new position, her steps towards her future. Elena smiled for what felt like the first genuine time all day. “Thank you. I’m very excited.”

Daniel blinked. “About… the breakup?”

Her smile froze, “Oh,” she said flatly. “Right.”

To his credit, Daniel immediately looked horrified. “No no no, I mean obviously not congratulations for being cheated on, that sounds insane-”

“It does a little, yes.”

“I meant congratulations because Marco sucked.”

That startled a laugh out of her before she could stop it.

Daniel pointed at her immediately. “There. That. Keep doing that instead.”

By Friday, even Lewis had noticed. “You look tired,” he said quietly between sessions, pulling off his gloves.

“I am tired.”

“You want me to tell people to stop asking?” 

The offer alone nearly undid her. Lewis, a man on the precipice of locking in yet ANOTHER world championship, took notice enough to make her want to sink into the floor.

She shook her head. “No. They mean well.”

Lewis gave her a long look over the top of his mask. “Sometimes people make themselves feel useful by turning somebody else into a tragedy.”

“You don’t owe anyone details,” he added softly.

His words rung in her ears, she couldn’t see his face under the mask but she could practically imagine the friendly smile, the gap in his teeth as he patted her shoulder.

You don’t owe anyone details She tried to remind herself of that later that afternoon when another engineer cornered her near catering with a sad smile and said, “At least work is going well, right?”

At least… that made her feel like her career was a consolation prize.

By Saturday qualifying, Elena was dangerously close to losing patience entirely. Half convinced she would snap the fingers off the next person who offered condolences or questioned her decisions. 

Then she saw Carlos.

He was halfway into his gloves near the McLaren garage when he looked up and spotted her approaching.

And immediately his eyes brightened, the mask covered the smile but something deep in her chest knew the smile was there. 

They had been cordial throughout the pandemic, but warmed as they chatted on I-racing, occasional conversations in the paddock, she even found him to congratulate when Charles let it spill that Carlos was to move to Ferrari. 

It caught her off guard enough that some of the tension left her shoulders before she even reached him. Then she shifted the credentials that hung around her neck with her thumb. “Do you have a second?”

“For you? Always.”

“Do you have a second?” 

~Carlos~

He almost kicked himself for the way he responded split in half, body trying to be nonchalant, fastening his gloves, while his words found a way to undo all his work. “For you? Always”

“I have big news.”

Something in her tone made his heart stutter.

Elena had Big news. His mind went straight to it before he could stop himself. Marco, of course.

It had been two years, more or less. Solid, stable years. The kind of years she deserved.

And after the amount of congratulations floating around the paddock this weekend…

He could already see it, a ring, a quiet proposal, her soft smile when she said yes. The way he better have knelt shoulders straight, and she would collapse into his arms after he slipped the ring on, like a perfect fit. Because of course it fit perfectly first time. 

She’d told him once she wanted something steady, someone who wouldn’t burn her.

Marco was that. A sponsor guy. Clean cut. Polite. Safe.

Not like him, who had lost his chance long ago and still tried to make it work. 

Carlos was grateful he didn’t have to fake a smile under the fabric, swallowing the sharp pinch of jealousy before she could see it. “That is incredible. Tu verás deslumbrante el día de tu boda.” he said, squeezing the heartburn that clawed at his throat “I’m happy for you both. You and Marco deserve-“

Her expression changed, just slightly, but enough.

It wasn’t anger or excitement, but exhaustion. His stomach twisted immediately.

“What?” he asked carefully, still smiling though it already felt wrong. “Elena?”

Her thumb hooked on the small metal loop on her badge tugging as it pushed into her collar. “Carlos… Marco and I aren’t together anymore.”

The words hung in the air like static, and for a second his brain simply stopped.

“Oh,” he said, voice catching. “I- I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t tell many people.” She gave him a small, tired smile. “Though apparently Lando and the boys have chatted enough for people to know to congratulate me for it.”

The embarrassment hit him all at once.

Dios.

Of course that was why everyone had been acting strange around her.

And he’d just joined the list.

“No, I just…” He rubbed hard at the back of his neck, face heating up beneath the mask. “I thought-”

“That I was getting married,” she finished quietly, a tiny smirk tugging at her mouth. “You’re not the first one.”

He let out a breath somewhere between a laugh and a groan.

“Kill me now.”

That earned a small laugh from her, it felt real, despite the exhaustion behind it. Then she pushed up onto her toes before rocking back to her heels.

“But the actual news is that Mercedes promoted me,” she said. “Unofficially. But I have been shadowing Bono, learning the ropes of a race engineer.”

For a moment, all he could do was stare. The sentence took a second to fully reach him through the rush of humiliation from before.

Of course.

Of course that was her news.

And suddenly all he could think about was how easily he’d assumed the most important thing in her life had to involve a man. “Elena,” he said softly.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting.

“That is perfection.” He meant it, it was not polite excitement or fake encouragement.

An unofficial promotion to learn under Bono wasn’t a pity move. Mercedes did not hand out trackside roles working with Lewis because somebody got cheated on.

“You earned that,” he said immediately, “That’s one step closer to your dream position,” he continued, pride warming through the embarrassment now. “Though Bono will die before he loosens his grip on Lewis. Maybe it is Valtteri who will be needing a new engineer.”

A real smile finally broke across her face. He remembered, of course he remembered how badly she wanted to be a vehicle dynamics engineer someday. Still a long ways off, but it was a step.

“It is,” she admitted softly. “Thank you.”

For a moment neither of them moved. The noise of the garage faded strangely around the edges,  mechanics moving tires, radios crackling, distant engines screaming down pit lane.

And all Carlos could think was that she looked lighter talking about work than she had in months. He wanted to reach out, to bring her back into his world like she hadn’t left. Then someone from Mercedes called her name farther down the paddock.

Reality returned instantly.

“I should go,” she said quietly.

Carlos nodded too fast. “Yeah. Of course.”

She took a step backward before pausing again.

“You were the first person this weekend I really told about it,” she admitted.

His eyebrows lifted immediately. “I feel honored. Even if it is technically Unofficial.”

“Yes, but I’ll take unofficial over having all the weight on me for the season.”

A laugh escaped him before he could stop it. God, he’d missed this.

She turned and disappeared back into the paddock, and the silence she left behind felt heavier than before.

Marco and Elena were not together anymore.

The realization slammed into him all over again now that she was gone.

Not together.

For months he’d forced himself to live with the idea that she was happy. Stable. Safe. Loved by somebody who deserved her.

He’d told himself that story because it hurt less than wanting her.

Now suddenly she wasn’t with him anymore.

And worse- something had happened. 

He wasn’t stupid, long relationships never just end because they fizzle out. Something bad enough happened that the entire paddock knew.

Carlos turned sharply toward hospitality.

“Where is he?”

Lando, halfway through a sandwich, froze mid-bite. “Mate, hi- you okay?”

Carlos pointed at him, eyes wild. “You. You were supposed to tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“That Elena and Marco-” he threw his hands up, “-they broke up!”

Lando blinked. “Oh. That.”

“Sí, THAT?!”

Lando slowly lowered the sandwich. “Okay, I see how you could be upset-“

“Upset?” Carlos stared at him incredulously. “Lando, I just congratulated her on getting engaged. Engaged. I made a fool of myself in front of her.”

Lando made a noise somewhere between sympathy and laughter. “Oh no.”

“Yes, oh no!”

“Okay okay okay, in my defense-” Lando scrambled to his feet as Carlos stalked toward him, still half in his fireproofs. “Things were chaos! There were boxes everywhere, Cami yelling, Max showed up with a cat-”

“A cat?”

“Massive cat. Very judgmental. Name’s Toro.”

Carlos stared at him flatly. “You forgot to tell me Elena broke up with her boyfriend because Max Verstappen had a cat.”

“When you say it like that, it sounds bad.”

“It is bad.”

Lando’s smile faded slightly.

“How bad was it?” Carlos asked quietly, voice becoming gravely serious as he realized he could have been there for her earlier if he had simply been more online, and not had gotten off Instagram months earlier to focus on the season. 

Lando hesitated, then, “She thought she found a ring,” he admitted. “Turned out it was another girl’s necklace.”

Carlos blinked once, and then his heartbeat was suddenly loud in his ears.

“He cheated.”

Lando nodded.

Carlos didn’t move. For a second he just stared at the floor, jaw clenched so tightly the muscle twitched.

Because for months he’d pictured Elena happy.

Thought maybe Marco was what she wanted- someone steady, someone safe, someone who wouldn’t burn through her life like Carlos always feared he would.

He’d used that thought like anesthesia. A way to survive, to subdue his yearning. 

But now all he could see was her face when she’d said I have big news. And how quickly he’d assumed she couldn’t possibly be talking about her professional goals.

“She deserved better,” he said quietly.

“Yeah,” Lando replied softly. “She did.”

Carlos ran a hand over his jaw, exhaling hard through his nose. Then, despite everything, another thought pushed through the anger.

“Secondary race engineer under Bono…” he muttered.

Lando snorted softly. “Mental, right?”

A small smile tugged briefly at Carlos’ mouth. “No,” he said. “That sounds exactly like her.”

“You okay?”

Carlos looked away. He wasn’t okay, not even remotely, but he forced a brittle smile anyway.

“Fine.”

Then after a beat he looked back to his friend, “if I see Marco come into McLaren I’ll- ”

“-you’ll congratulate him politely and move on with your life?” Lando offered hopefully.

Carlos shot him a look. “I’ll break his nose.”

Lando sighed heavily. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

[powered-by-sparkles55]

Albon is back??

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Went to the bathroom and when I got back, Alonso and Albon were out. Can someone tell me what happened?

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Damnit!!