RACE 2 - Max Verstappen

101

The Sunday crowd was much better than the past few days. Daniella can feel the support and cheering from the excited audience as she went around the track for the driver's parade. She waved and smiled, and even took a few videos and photos to post later.

The parade soon came to an end and all the drivers hopped off their cars, ready to go warm up and then change into their respective racing suits as the race starts after an hour or so.

"So your dad is a pleasant guy," Max said sarcastically as he stood closer to Daniella.

"I know," She smiled innocently. "Isn't he the best?"

"The best of the best," Max gave a tight smile. "He told me he is going to break my bones if I hurt you again. I take it that you told him we are not actually in a relationship?"

Daniella looked at him, wearing an innocent façade.

"Did you expect me to lie to my dad?" She asked in a mocking tone. "I am not you Max. I am not that good at lying."

Max was about to argue but restrained himself.

"He also told me that you didn't give him the details about what I did.." he cautiously said. "And he thinks it's because you have feelings for me and don't want your family to hate me."

Daniella blinked a few times, not believing what he just said, and then soon looked away.

"Everything okay here?" Carlos looked concerned as he joined Daniella. He was not able to hear the conversation as both were talking in a very low voice.

"Yeah," Max replied without looking away from Daniella. "Everything is fine, which means you are not needed here."

Carlos didn't like the fact that Daniella barely spared him a glance and returned her focus to Max.

"Everything is fine.." she softly replied. "We were just talking about..."

"About how her dad thinks she has feelings for me," Max finished her sentence as he glared at Carlos.

Before Daniella or Carlos could say anything or even argue Lewis interrupted them.

"I don't like what is happening here," he commented before dragging Daniella away.

***

Daniella sat in her car, waiting for the lights to go out and the race to start. She didn't like the fact that she was starting seventh, it will be near impossible to challenge the Ferraris and the Red Bulls. Carlos was starting on pole and Daniella knows he is going to do everything in his power to get his first win and finish ahead of Max.

Soon the lights went out and the race started, but before the first corner arrived the Williams of George hit the side of Daniella's Mercedes and as a result, her car got pushed into the Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu. The three cars went off the track and into the gravel. The front wing of the Mercedes came off and the Alfa Romeo went flying and tumbling before ending up between the fence and the barricade of tyres.

"Oh my God!" Daniella gasped when she saw the state of the Alfa Romeo.

The Williams stopped one a meter away from her.

Daniella tried to take off her seatbelt to go help Guanyu but it was stuck and not coming off.

"Are you okay?" Nate, her race engineer, slight panic in his voice.

"I...this seatbelt is not coming off," She yelled. "We have to help him. We have to help Zhou."

"Daniella, calm down," Nate gently said. "The marshalls are on their way."