Just A Pretty Face - F1 Grid
Just A Pretty Face series - pt 1
Summary: After getting her seat the media, former F1 drivers, commentators and journalists decide before they've even seen her in the Mercedes that y/n is a driver with no talent but a pretty face who flirted her way into F1. Even a couple of the drivers on the grid seem to insinuate that she's not good enough. But she didn't get here letting men think they get to make a judgement and be proven right.
Themes/warnings: Misogyny and sexism within F1, drivers acting out of usual character (for the sake of the plot)
Set in 2026 (Kimi!teammate - bye-bye Georgie) - using the 2025 race calendar for timeline reference
Pt 2
Word count: 1.9k
It had started before Y/n even got in the seat.
Toto had been watching her for a while in F3 and was happy with her progress, she'd already been signed as junior in Mercedes and with George seeming to have some sort of vendetta against Kimi, they decided he was too much a liability to the team.
So out went George and his destructors championship win and in came y/n for the new regs.
The news was not taken well. Not only did people tear apart her F3 second place that was "not deserving of an F1 seat" but the media made a point to suggest that her appearance and femininity played a big part in her getting the seat at all.
It was like a kick to the teeth with the years of blood, sweat and tears she'd poured into her career to get here and at the end of it all she's been reduced down to her physical appearance and worse yet it's being used against her.
Salt in the wound came when a press conference in testing came around where Max, Charles and Lando were asked about their thoughts on the matter of a female driver and much to her hurt they laughed and said she makes for a pretty picture in the sport. As 3 of the most popular faces in the sport right now, their words held power and it hurt.
That really hurt and y/n decided in that moment that she wasn't there to befriend those men anyway. The might be popular and talented but she'd be damned before a man's words meant anything to her. Talented or not.
Kimi has supported her and made his feelings on the disrespect towards his new teammate very clear. Toto and Susie have spoken in outrage about the comments from anyone and everyone about y/n getting her seat for any reason other than her talent.
Media is difficult for y/n, she manages to plaster a smile on her face but she's handed over her social media logins and deleted everything from her app beyond communication apps which is really just with her team or family and friends to contact her. She is in the drivers group chat but she muted it after the derogatory comments.
Right now she's sitting with her team in the Mercedes unit, preparing for the first practice in Melbourne and Toto is making a point to be present especially with her.
“How are we feeling? Are we feeling good?” Toto asks trying to help maintain a positive atmosphere since there has been a slightly dampened mood and the whole team has felt it. The team around y/n seems to hesitate to get too vocal about their feelings and agreement, waiting for y/n to speak up first.
“We’re feeling great, only Friday but we’re going to look good.” Y/n confirms with a smile reliving some of the tension and pressure in the air. “Got a lot to prove and I think it’s going to be great.”
“That is exactly the attitude we want to hear. I will leave you to focus and see you on track.”
-
Y/n didn’t tell a like when she said it was going to be great. She finished P1 for both practices with Kimi right behind her. Though they’re not getting ahead of themselves. Engine modes and strategy for how to spend sessions all vary from team to team and a lot of them keep their cards close to their chest till qualifying.
As she goes to media, she feels her chest get a little tight and her palms get a little clammy as she steps into the media pen. Thankfully if there’s one saving grace beyond her team. It’s Lewis.
“Hey, you looked incredible out there.” Lewis states catching her attention from the ground then frowning when he notices her slightly queasy expression. “Feeling ok?”
“Yeah, just not a fan of speaking to people who think nothing about me but that I’m pretty and talentless.” Y/n comments with a weak nod. She has confidence, actually Lewis knows she has confidence because he was one of the people who talent-spotted her and got her on Toto’s radar before he left the team. He’s spoken out in disgust of the treatment and attitudes towards her but it’s hard to do much for her being in another team. “Don’t worry, it’s not affecting me in the car. It’s only when I have to actually speak to them.”
“I get it.” Lewis nods with a soft smile then offering a hug which she takes despite feeling certain it will be used against her. “For the record, you are the only driver right now that’s making me consider that maybe I am too old and need to retire.”
“Oh god, don’t say that. I don’t want to be blamed for your retirement. I’ll never live it down.” Y/n laughs lightly before she sighs a little. “Thank you…for supporting me. I needed that.”
And she did.
But that doesn’t stop her from later seeing the Sky broadcast talking about how she was “overwhelmed and couldn’t handle” her day in an F1 car without needing to “be held by a man”. The way they spoke about her crossed a line and Toto decided they would not be interacting or speaking with Sky for the foreseeable future.
“Are you sure you’re ok?” Her trainer, Dakota asks as y/n flops down on the ground deciding to have some floor time to try and distress herself.
“It’s going to be like this forever, isn’t it? I could win every single race this year and they’d just say that the other drivers let me by or let me win to be a gentlemen. Nothing I do will be good enough in their eyes.” Y/n sighs closing her eyes to let her tears pool but not fall before she digs her fists into them and rubs at them violently. “I just wish I didn’t have to speak to any of them. What does media have to do with driving a car? I fucking hate every one of them.”
Using spite as motivation probably doesn’t sit well with most people but y/n has decided it’s the best means of using up these emotions.
“Go get some sleep. We’re both going to need good rest if we’re going to make it through this weekend and the rest of the year without murdering someone.”
-
She didn't make a statement getting pole but she did manage to get P3 which isn't a bad position to be in for the starting grid and earned plenty of praise from Toto and the team.
Now she's climbing back into the car after the anthem and getting ready for her first race. Everything felt good on the grid laps.
There's already been a lot of unreliability predicted for the 2026 season as teams all come to terms with the new regulations. Reliability tends to be unpredictable but Mercedes, especially with so many teams relying on them for engines, has made the effort to completely extinguish the chances of that happening.
"Radio check." Dez states into her ears.
"Yep, radio check."
When they get around and back to the grid, the crews have cleared and it's just her and the drivers around her. This part is all down to them.
Which is why when Charles' car in pole doesn't move, y/n has to swerve to get around him and takes P2 with Oscar in P1. An image that y/n is sure the Australian's love but she doesn't waste time thinking about it.
At least karma got the man in pole who in her opinion deserved a bad start with the comments he felt comfortable to make about her.
But off the line means nothing, you don't win the race or stand on the podium going into the first corner. Even if internally she feels some victory over seeing someone else's massive failure.
"Head down, you could take this win." Dez states which even y/n feels like it might be a little eager and overly optimistic to say she could win.
"Y/n's engineer seems to think she can win. That would be quite a tall order to ask of a rookie they just threw in the car." Crofty comments while Martin hums not approving of Mercedes' decision to ignore Sky exists including him on his track walk so in his own petty revenge he's making a point to not commentate on them.
Y/n does lose the P2 to Lewis after they make their pit stops but she keeps the P3. She maintains the podium, though admittedly Max, Liam, Lando, Nico and Charles were all within the DNFs who retired with reliability issues which obviously made it worth it. Oscar won the race which is no doubt the best moment of his life with it being his home race.
"You are incredible. Be proud. Be very very proud." Dez chuckles through her radio as she does her in lap. "Podium on debut."
"Thank you. Thank you so much." Y/n sighs then smiling when she sees Lewis driving by her side and waving at her with a thumbs up.
The team makes sure to make an especially big deal, actually challenging McLaren's celebrations for Oscar's home win as she climbs out the car and moves to them.
The hands slapping and patting her actually make her exhausted body ache but she knows every slap and pat is out of love.
It's when she gets up into the cool down room that Lewis congratulates her.
"You know a podium debut is a good omen from my experience." Lewis smiles as he hugs her and she smiles hugging him back almost a little too tightly but she can't help it.
She makes sure to congratulate Oscar on his home race win, though he only briefly thanks he before counting to talk to the McLaren team member, which is fair enough.
But when she goes down to media all she hears is that she got very lucky and the podium was great work by the team. Which it was, but it wouldn't be the worst thing to just give her a little credit for her driving that got her to the podium.
"Come on, we are going out for dinner and drinks-on Toto, he's meeting us there." Dez states appearing with some of the team.
"Alright, but I want to dress up. I'm not going like this."
-
Y/n might not always feel like her looks are something to make a big deal about but celebrating isn't something she's ever taken lightly so when she appears after having sent out a text that she has chosen a restaurant and will be footing the bill, it's no surprise that she's dressed up and she smiles giving a small shoulder shrug to Dez as he waits for her.
"Gold?" He smirks making y/n shrug a little.
"A wins a win. Take them where you can." Y/n smiles before she takes his hand. "Anyway, they keep saying I'm just a pretty face, but I think the world needs reminded that actually the rest of my body is pretty fucking amazing as well."
"Are you...embracing the headlines?"
"I just don't care anymore. They don't want to give me any praise or credit. I'll get my achievements do more with my life than they will."
