Lap 16

mick

Devlin walked back over to her friends. She didn't know why she didn't expect a different outcome. She was just trying to be nice and expand her friendships on the grid. Right?
She was somewhat defeated, she hated seeing the look on Charles's face when she stepped away from him.

Mick saw her face as she walked back over to them. He raised an eyebrow at her and she just shook her head. They could talk about it later. Just like that she put a smile back on her face. No one else would know anything had happened in those few moments she was gone. Mick hated how she could do that. It was like she was tricking everyone around including herself that nothing was wrong in her life.

The media this past week had been brutal. When Kimi Räikkönen made the jump in Formula 1 there had never been this much push back. Everyone had been in awe. But when Devlin was moved to the Mercedes seat, people were pissed.

Most people had tried to goad Mick into being mad at her for taking "his" seat as they called it. Enough people hadn't watched her race enough. Mick knew that Mercedes would win with her, that's all he could ask for, watching his team and closest friend succeed.

He noticed her lean up to Kaden and whisper something. He just nodded his head to her, responded quietly before she walked off. A text buzzed through his phone. Dev had texted him to tell him she wasn't feeling well and was headed back to the hotel.

He could understand how she felt after racing today, especially against Max.

Kaden rolled his eyes at Lance once Devlin was a ways away. Estabon shot Mick a questioning look.

"Did her parents not come to watch this weekend?"

Mick knew her parents were in a touchy situation for her currently.

Kaden just shook his head before taking another sip of his drink.

"I dont think she invited them."

Mick soon realized that Kaden didnt know everything he thought he did. He might not even know about the accident.

"She didn't invited them."

"Then who came to watch her?"

Estabon questioned his friend. Ocon knew that Mick knew her well, he left the question very open ended.

"Well Gina came to watch her but she needed to be back at the barn for an emergency right after the podium, then her two friends came and some of the Lauda family. Not to mention most of Lewis's family is in love with her too."

"But like didnt her dad used to race too?"

Lance leaned on the bar behind him.

"Yeah, her parents and her don't necessarily see eye to eye after everything that happened."

"Oh."

Lance and Estabon left it at that. They had all known what happened, especially when rumors were flying around about Mercedes bring in a new driver then not because something terrible had happened.

"What do you mean everything?"

Kaden got defensive but yet had a hint of curiosity in him. Lance glanced at Mick before saying something.

"Just some family stuff that got thrown around the paddock as rumors last year."

Lance wasn't wrong.

Dev's parents had kicked her out. Her mother blamed her for the death of her younger daughter. Her father was pissed when she only took as little time possibly in recovery before racing again.

He defended his wife and protected her but when his daughter got back into a race car it nearly killed him. He had the theory that she didn't care because she was taking unnecessary risks and was going to die just like her sister.