pairing: platonic!2025 f1 grid x driver!reader
warnings: free soloing (no gore), mild grid panic, everyone discovering y/n is actually insane
A/N: y/n is NOT reckless, she’s just… Alex Honnold-adjacent; this is only a one time thing sinc I literally just finished watching Alex climb Taipei 101 and I also previously watched his documentary of him climbing Al Capitan.
Everyone on the grid knows a few basic things about Y/N.
Rookie.
Fast.
Unsettlingly calm on team radio.
Has never once complained about G-forces, heat, or neck strain.
Smiles like she knows something you don’t.
What they don’t know is that when she’s not driving a Formula One car at 300+ km/h, she’s hanging off cliffs with no rope.
And honestly? That might be worse.
the secret (that was never meant to stay secret)
Rock climbing had always been your thing.
Driving was loud. Chaotic. A team sport.
Climbing was quiet. Personal. Just you, the wall, your breath, and the kind of focus that shuts the entire world off.
Meeting Alex Honnold—your very long-distance cousin—had been accidental at first. A family thing. One of those “oh yeah, we’re technically related” conversations that turned into:
“Wait. You free solo?”
“Wait. You drive WHAT?”
You were about half his age, but somehow just as unbothered.
Alex had watched you climb once, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
Then he’d gone,
“Yeah. You’re one of us.”
And that was that.
Since then, whenever F1 was off-season and your teams thought you were “doing light cardio” or “sim racing,” you were actually free soloing cliffs with Alex, learning control, patience, fear management.
Which—ironically—made you an even better driver.
taipei 101
The invite came casually.
Alex: “Hey. Want to climb Taipei 101 with me?”
You: “Isn’t that… tall?”
Alex: “A bit.”
You: “Cool. When?”
He did tell you it would be livestreamed.
You didn’t care.
You weren’t hiding it out of shame—you just never thought it would come up.
the livestream
At first, the broadcast is normal.
Two climbers. One legend. One younger woman the hosts don’t fully recognize yet.
The chat is going insane.
“WHO IS SHE???”
“SHE’S MOVING SO CALMLY???”
“WHY DOES SHE LOOK BORED???”
You’re halfway up the building when one of the MCs gets a message in his earpiece.
He freezes.
Then laughs nervously.
MC: “Uh—so, fun update for the stream.”
The camera zooms slightly.
MC: “We’ve just been informed that Alex’s climbing partner today is… a Formula One driver.”
Pause.
MC: “…currently on the 2025 F1 grid.”
The internet explodes.
meanwhile: charles leclerc’s house, monaco
Pre-season. No racing yet.
Everyone’s gathered at Charles’ place because of course they are.
Couches. Phones. Snacks. Mild chaos.
Someone has the livestream on the TV for background noise.
Then—
MC (on TV): “—a Formula One driver—”
The room goes silent.
Max slowly lowers his drink.
Lando leans forward.
Lewis squints at the screen.
Charles: “Wait. Pause. Pause—go back.”
They rewind.
The camera zooms in on you, halfway up Taipei 101, chalking your hands like this is a casual Tuesday.
Your face is calm. Focused. Almost peaceful.
Carlos: “…is that Y/N?”
Dead silence.
George: “WHY is Y/N on a BUILDING.”
Lando: “WHY IS THERE NO ROPE.”
Max: “That’s higher than Eau Rouge.”
Lewis: “She looks… comfortable.”
Charles: “She texted me yesterday asking where I buy my bread.”
Someone reads the livestream caption out loud.
Oscar: “ ‘Free solo ascent of Taipei 101.’”
Pierre: “Free. Solo.”
Fernando: laughing slowly “Ah. That explains everything.”
watching you climb
The higher you get, the worse it gets for them.
You move with economy. No wasted energy. No panic.
You pause—not because you’re tired, but because you’re deciding your next move.
Alex (on stream): “You good?”
You: “Yeah. Just enjoying the view.”
The grid loses it.
Alex A.: “ENJOYING WHAT VIEW.”
Yuki: “SHE’S SMILING.”
Lando: “I get scared looking at Turn 1.”
George: “This is worse than onboard footage.”
Max: “She drives like this too. No fear. Just… precision.”
Lewis: “That level of calm is trained. That’s mental control.”
Charles hasn’t spoken in five minutes.
He’s just staring.
Charles: “…she didn’t tell us.”
the top
When you reach the top, the cheer from the crowd below is deafening.
You and Alex sit, legs dangling off the edge of the building like this is completely normal.
You wave at the camera.
You: “Hi.”
The grid collectively dies.
next race weekend
You walk into the paddock like nothing happened.
Helmet bag over your shoulder. Sunglasses on. Same calm expression.
You make it exactly three steps before you’re surrounded.
Lando: “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.”
Carlos: “YOU FREE SOLO.”
George: “WITHOUT A ROPE.”
Alex Albon: “DO YOU FEEL FEAR.”
Yuki: “ARE YOU HUMAN.”
You blink.
You: “I mean. Yeah?”
Fernando claps you on the shoulder.
Fernando: “I knew you were dangerous.”
Max smirks.
Max: “So that’s why Monaco doesn’t scare you.”
Charles finally speaks.
Charles: “…you climbed a skyscraper.”
You shrug.
You: “You drive through the Swimming Pool section.”
Long pause.
Lando: “…that’s different.”
Lewis just smiles.
Lewis: “No. It’s not.”
And from that day on, the grid never looks at you the same again.
Because sure—anyone can drive fast.
But only you finish a race on Sunday and free solo a building on Monday.
Today, Alex Honnold free-solo climbed Taipei 101 in Taipei, a 508 m skyscraper, with no ropes or safety gear, and he reached the top in about 90 minutes during a Netflix live event.
