Not My Sister - Charles Leclerc

Chapter 31

As the lights went out and the car started to run, Max immediately led the race. It must've been thrilling for him because it was the first time he ever started on pole position in his F1 career.

The first laps are always the heart-clenching ones because all of them were so close to each other. Both Mercedes tailed behind Max and fought for the second position and Charles was right behind the two on the fourth position, also fighting his teammate, Vettel.

"Oh, I think they touched?" Michel guessed as he thought he saw Charles nudged a bit of Valtteri's front wing. Clarisse bit her lip worriedly. Hoping there's not gonna be too much damage for those two.

"Okay, that opening laps were intense," Clarisse breathed out.

Michel and Clarisse constantly grabbed each other's hands tightly whenever there's a thrilling moment throughout the race. Including when the two Toro Rosso cars were fighting with each other. "Look at Albon and Kvyat!" Michel exclaimed. The two let out a girlie scream when Albon slipped out of the track a bit on the 4th turn.

"Did you even hear how you scream though?" Clarisse covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter. Michel smiled thinly, "Yeah, I know that's one of those rare moments of un-manliness. Just stop," he jokingly said.

The battle between Hamilton and Verstappen was fiercely on. The Dutchman was defending for his life for a couple of laps and Michel cheered like the biggest fanboy he was. Clarisse also found herself rooting for Max.

It was already half of the race and they had run out of their snacks. But there's no room for more snacks in their minds because the race itself stole their focus.

It was in lap 49 when suddenly Hamilton took a gamble and pitted once again for the medium tyres. Clarisse and Michel exchanged glances. "What are they planning to do?" Clarisse asked and looked back at the screen, hugging her pillow tightly.

"I think they're trying to fight Max on fresher tyres." Michel said and took a large gulp of his beer.

While Leclerc was still cruising calmly in 3rd position, forty seconds away from the race leader, all the screen times fell on Lewis and Max. "Is it working? Their strategy?" Clarisse asked worriedly.

The expression on Michel's face answered it. "I think it works." Just then they showed the pit crews in the Red Bull garage, all looking devastated. A few of them were even crying. "Okay, that is depressing." Clarisse felt her heart clench.

Right on the 67th lap, exactly on the first turn, Hamilton finally claimed the first position and overtook Max. Clarisse and Michel said nothing, only their sighs could be heard. "That was one hell of a battle." Michel said.

"Max led almost all the laps and it got taken away last minute just like that," Clarisse commented. And there were only 3 laps left. There's no way he could chase him back with those dead hard tyres. What a heartbreak for Max... and also Charles.

On the last laps too, his podium position was taken over by his teammate, Vettel. Charles ended up in 4th position. Michel was feeling like a deflated balloon and melted into the soft cushion. "I want to get angry with the result but I also can't," Michel said jokingly and chuckled.

"You know how to fix it?"

"How?"

"With more food, of course. Let's get cooking. I need to prepare food for supper anyways." Clarisse hummed and rose from her seat. Michel followed after her and left the laptop screen open with the podium ceremony still on. It was Hamilton, Verstappen, and Vettel in order.

"So what are you gonna make?"

Michel stayed by her side and helped her with cooking. It was funny to watch him trying to peel the garlic and cut the onion. The guy acted tough but she could hear him sniff every now and then and a glimpse of tears pricked the side of his eyes.