A story about girlhood, friendship, grief, and racing, in which various ships haunt the narrative.
MASTERLIST, OC MASTERLIST
Featuring: Nina Reyes (OC), Zoey Valente (OC), Sofia Torres (OC), Courtney Carter (OC), Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Austin Taylor (OC), Alison Reyes (OC), Alejandra Reyes (OC), Maria Estrada (OC), Zak Brown, Andrea Stella, Mark Webber, Laurent Mekies, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, mentions of: Domingo Reyes (OC), basically the rest of the 2026 grid.
In 2026, there's three new rookies on the grid: Nina Reyes, Zoey Valente, and Sofia Torres. Though it is a dream come true, it comes with its many challenges, some of which they're more prepared to face than others. The following chapters see them (and other characters, like Courtney Carter and Austin Taylor) through the 2026 Formula 1 season, seeking to prove that they deserve to stay on for next year.
Switching third person POVs, updates every two weeks!
Prologue
Chapter One: Silly Season
Chapter Two: The Audition (There Goes The Season)
Chapter Three: Let The Games Begin
Chapter Four: Rain On Our Parade - June 19th
Chapter Five:
(expected number of chapters for this season is 18!)
Nova pulled his hand through his hair as he walked after Gale and Max. From the moment he let the house, he’s been annoyed. They’ve been tracking a group of people, that they’ve been contracted to capture and bring back.
Gale was the one tracking the group, him and Max’s just following. Both of them knew how to track, but Gale was the best at it.
While walking, Nova kept track of everything around them.
He clenched his hand, not realizing that his nails were digging into his palm. There was something off about this place and he did not like it at all.
With a quick step, he caught up to Max, catching his arm.
“What’s wrong?” Max asked, looking at his brother when he saw the expression on Nova’s face.
“Keep an eye out” Nova said “I don’t feel good about this”
Max nodded and glanced at Gale. “For Gale too?”
Nova nodded, his bichrome eyes flickering around. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing up.
Just as Gale stepped forward, something caught Nova’s eyes. He shot forward, grabbed Gale’s shoulder and roughly pulled him back.
Blood splattered the ground and Nova staggered back. He gripped his arm as his eyes flickered to where the attack came from. Without hesitation, he lifted his injured arm, blasting the trap to pieces.
“What the hell...?” Gale snapped.
Max cussed as he looked at Nova and the blood running down his arm and between his fingers.
“That hurts...” Nova snapped, his eyes flashing “Fucking hell...”
Gale narrowed his eyes. “It’s bleeding more than it should” he said, “Let me see”
The moment Nova started lifting his hand, more blood flowed from the wound. Gale quickly pressed his own hand harder over Nova’s arm, making his brother groan.
“We need to stop the bleeding” Max said.
“We’re in the fucking middle of no where” Nova growled “Just tie it and go”
“Not a chance” Gale said “Looking at how you’re bleeding... You’ll bleed out. We can’t leave it like that”
Nova winced. He knew exactly what they had to do.
“This is gonna suck...” he muttered.
***
Nova moved his hand over the wound and nodded in the direction they were going. “Gale...” he said “Keep going. We’ll catch up when we’re done here”
Gale studied his brother’s rapidly paling face before he nodded and turned away.
Taking a deep breath, Nova pulled out his dagger and handed it to Max. As Max took the dagger, he held his other hand over it and the steel started to heat up. Nova took a deep breath as he removed his hand from the wound and took of his jacket, so they could reach the wound.
Then he ripped the sleeve of his shirt, bundled the material in his hand, pressing it against the wound.
“Are you ready, Nov?” Max asked gently.
Nova swallowed and nodded. “Do it” he said.
Max took a deep breath, put his hand on Nova’s wrist. Without hesitation he pulled Nova’s hand away and pressed the now red hot glowing blade against his brother’s arm.
The scream was cut shot as Nova pressed his own hand over his mouth, muffling the sound.
The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
Pain tore up Nova’s arm. He could feel his feline side surging forward. The power threatening to go out of control around him.
After a few more seconds, Max pulled the dagger away.
Nova just sank to his knees, holding his arm, gasping.
Max knelt down next to his brother, putting his hands on his shoulders. “Easy now... Easy, Nova...” he said “It’s over.... We’re done”
Nova nodded. “I’m good....” he said, through clenched teeth “Go catch up with Gale... He’s going to need help”
“I can’t leave you here”
“MAX!” Nova snapped “Go! I’ll be fine”
Max clenched his jaw and nodded. “Fine... Just don’t...” he started “Just don’t... do anything stupid”
Nova tisked and shook his head. “Get going...” he said “I’ll catch up”
It took a moment before Max left, following after Gale.
Nova closed his eyes. He pressed his arm against his body, it was numb. Pain pulsed through his arm. His hand shook so badly that he was barely able to pick his jacket up again.
It fell from his limp fingers as he slumped back against a tree.
Clenching his jaw, he tried to pull himself up. He needed to get to his brothers. If anything happened, they were going to need his help.
***
There was chaos as Gale and Max fought against the group. This was a three man job, they needed Nova.
Something slammed into Gale’s shoulder, throwing him to the ground.
Before anyone could moved the people were thrown the ground, Nova landing between them. His arm hung limp at his side, still bloody.
“You know what” Nova growled at the people “I’m really pissed right now... Do you have any fucking idea, how much it hurt almost getting your arm ripped in two?”
Gale sighed, slowly getting to his feet.
“Nice timing asshole” he said.
Nova growled and flipped his brother off. “You people stay put, or else I’m going to rip you limb from limb” he snarled when it looked like one of the men tried to get up.
Max walked up to Nova, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Dami...” he said “Are you alright?”
“Just perfect” Nova growled “Now get these bastards out of here... before I kill them”
Max pulled his phone out before dialing a number and handing it over to Nova.
“Yo Princess” he said “We’ve got a pick up for you”
They waited until Amilia and the her sisters arrived. Nova just dropped his power and Max shot forward, catching him, when he swayed on his feet.
Nova had went completely ashen as Max lowered him to the ground. He trembled as he watched Amilia taking away the group.
When everything were done. Amilia knelt in front of Nova. “How are you feeling?” she asked softly, looking at his bloody arm and the rough bandage around it.
“Like death...” Nova muttered.
“What happened?”
“Just a small hole in my arm...”
“You cauterized it” Amilia said softly.
Nova just nodded.
“It’s going to leave a mark...”
“Like I don’t have enough scars already” Nova muttered and Amilia smiled slightly, shaking her head.
(Important note - F1 Academy started about 5 years earlier than in real life)
Nina has been surrounded by the world of motorsports since before she was born. Paddocks in various countries were her second home. Drivers who raced with her dad, Domingo Reyes, looked at her fondly whenever she was at a Formula 1 race with the rest of her family. The same happened with Formula 3 when her brother, Alison Reyes, made it. Her best friends drove karts with her, and she was set to break into the formulas just as her brother had.
That changed when her dad died in 2016. The Reyes name began to hang over Nina like a curse, her mother determine to continue Domingo's legacy through one of their children. With Alison quitting and her sister, Alejandra, showing no interest in racing, Nina was the only vessel for this dream. This consumes most of Nina's teenage years until Alison takes over her management in 2020 at the tail end of her first Formula 3 season.
Now Nina can be herself without the Reyes painted on her back like a target, but the media hasn't let go of the narrative just because she has. She is commonly referred to as "The Princess," a jab at how they think her name is the only way she's gotten this far as if Alison hasn't been fighting for contracts almost every season. The fond looks turn to somber ones and she can never hide from the tragedy of May 1st, 2016.
With the McLaren Formula E team dissolving after 2025 and no one in Formula 2 looking, Nina has no choice but to look to Formula 1 for anything, even a reserve seat. With a retirement and Cadillac coming in, she may just have a shot at being on the grid.
Fun Facts:
She, Sofia, and Zoey live together in London. During the summer, they take a road trip from Miami (Nina's family) to Mexico (Zoey's family). Sofia says she really doesn't want to bother visiting her family in Portugal.
She stress bakes. It's nice until you've got a fridge full of pastries and three women who are sick of eating said pastries.
Since he was good friends with her dad back when they raced together, Alonso is basically one of her uncles.
Has a black stray cat called Spoon. He's very well trained and attends the European leg of her seasons.
Her dad's side of the family mostly live in Miami, which is where she and Alison spend the time between seasons.
Career Summary, relevant years:
teammates are mostly undetermined because they WILL haunt the narrative :)
2018 - moved from karting to F1 Academy. She only restarted karting in 2017.
2019 - F1 Academy, McLaren (winner)
2020 - GB3 (Carlin) and into Formula 3 (Prema, Oscar Piastri + Logan Sargeant) halfway through the season (Constructor’s Win)
2022 - Formula 3 (winner), Trident
2024 - Formula 2 (Constructor’s Win) Invicta, Gabriel Bortoletto
2025 - Formula E + McLaren Reserve
Featured in:
And All The Stars Aligned - MAIN CHARACTER
(Only You Know) I'm Only Me When I'm With You - MAIN CHARACTER
4, 14, and 30, for your main girls pretty please? 👀
4) What song describes your OC and their partner/love interest?
Okay so! Only Nina and Courtney have love interests that you guys know (Oscar and Lando) and I don't want to spoil what happens with Zoey and Sofia and their respective love lives, so I'll leave those two out for now!
NR13 x OP81/piastreyes/ninoscar (to be loved is to have your friends come up with ship names): Dancing With Our Hands Tied, Taylor Swift. In general they are incredibly Reputation coded at the beginning.
CC89 x LN1: Dear God, Tate McRae. Genuinely unironically the song that even gave me the idea for these two and how they start :).
14) Who's a character your OC cannot stand! It's on sight when they see them!
Nina couldn't stand when Stroll was racing cause he had her dad's number (18) but she hardly met the guy.
Zoey is wary of everyone and she's a very good judge of character, but there's no one she really dislikes. Just people she keeps at a distance.
It is very hard to get Sofia to dislike someone so honestly I'm going to say her parents? But she's very good at just blocking it all out and not reacting.
Then there's Courtney who genuinely thinks everyone hates her but in reality no one does. She does glare at some interviewers though.
30) My OC and your OC are friends. This isn't a question. I'm not asking. (How do they respond?)
OMG OMG I'm gonna do this for Vivi cause I know her best but I'm so down to do them all if you want to discuss!!
Nina is intimidated in the sense that she doesn't know how to be a role model but she's also the most protective out of all of them.
Zoey isn't protective but that's because she sees her as an equal, especially once they're in F1 together.
Sofia thinks she is adorable. Absolutely ruthless on track, but adorable.
Courtney actually may be a little insecure/afraid that Vivi will "replace" her but she gets over it quickly lol.
