Mon Chéri

12

CL16:

"Charles, how have you been enjoying the car?" "It's very fast and it reacts very well in the corners. I couldn't ask for more." "Are your sights set on winning the championship this year?" "I'd love to win the championship but I'd be happy to just get more wins than I did last year." "How do you and Max get along?" "We get along great. It is who is the better driver and we both know that. I know what I have to work on and if I was the one winning I'm sure he would say the same thing." "Well thank you, Charles. That concludes this conference." We all stood and left the room in a nice line. I heard Nova laugh and I glanced back to see her and Logan talking. She can be his problem now. "Hey, man." Pierre said slowing down to wait for me. "Hey." I said as he walked side by side with me. "We're having a party at my apartment after the race on Sunday, you down?" He asked. "Sure. Just text me the address before the race or something." I said and he nodded.
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"You're .214 seconds slower than Daniels, think you can make it up?" "How far am I off of Max?" "Urm, .477 seconds." "I can make both of those up." I said and got ready to do another flying lap. Turn one through seven were amazing but then came the castle section and that's where I fucked it last time. I let off and tapped the brakes and made it through perfectly. "Fuck yes." I mumbled and finished off my lap pushing my car harder than I ever had a car here. "P1 Charles P1." "Yes!" I yelled and pumped my fist. I was the last one out to do my laps so I knew I wasn't going to get passed up as the other four drivers didn't think they could improve much more. I drove back around to the paddock and pulled up to the garage. My car got pulled in and I got out. "Fuck yeah, man." Max said coming over to high-five me. "Thank you." I said and he smiled. "Well done Leclerc." Christian said and I smiled. I felt like I was floating. 
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I was finally done with the media and was able to get ready to leave. I ran over to the trailer and into my room and grabbed my phone, wallet, and keys. As I was walking through the garage I bumped into someone. "My bad." The person said as I stopped. I looked up from my phone and it was Nova. "You're good." I said and walked away. "Congrats on the pole." I heard and she slowly talked quieter as I didn't stop walking. She must have been going to see Max.
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As soon as I walked into the paddock the vibe was weird. There was a group gathered around Ferrari and it was super quiet. I walked into Redbull and saw Christian over by the trailer. "What's going on over there?" I asked gesturing towards Ferrari. "Either Carlos or Nova passed out. All we heard was a driver passed out." He said. "Damn, that sucks." I said. I hope whichever one of them ends up being okay. "I'll ask Max when he comes back." He said and I nodded. "Can you let me know?" I asked and he nodded. I walked into my driver's room and put on my race suit.
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"It was Miss Daniels that passed out. She got cleared by the doctor so she's still on the grid in third." Christian said. I simply nodded and walked over to my car. "Both of you be careful. Daniels is a little less than .100 of a second faster in the first sector. Watch the inside she will run it in deep like we saw in qualifying." Christian said to me and Max. "She's got a confidence issue with going deep since she hit Charles," Max said. "How do you know this?" I asked. "She told me dip shit." He replied and I scoffed. "Either way, just because she did at the last race won't mean she does here. Watch your mirrors." He said and walked back to the monitors and all that. "May the best win today." Max said. "May the best win." I replied and sat down against the garage wall. I slipped my headphones in and just went off into my own world. Seeing my race, visualizing each lap.
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"It's light out and away we go here in Baku. Leclerc with a great start, Verstappen not far off, Daniels shooting right next to Verstappen. Into turn one, Daniels late on the brakes and goes past Verstappen, and now she's going after Leclerc. This is gonna be a great race ladies and gentlemen." I look in my mirror and I see the front end of a Ferrari. I held the race line and defended till lap 25 when I had to pit but thankfully they sent in Nova as well for a pit. My pit stop was quick and I was able to get out still ahead of Max and Nova.
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I'd been watching the battle behind me in my mirrors for about three laps now and we only had four more left. Max and Nova were going back and forth like cats and dogs fighting. Neither one of them hit each other but merde were they pushing each other to the limits. Come on Max two laps left stay ahead of her this time. Nova ran it as deep as she could in turn sixteen and she made it out ahead of him. "Bring it home Charles one more lap." I heard over my radio. "On it." I was no longer saving my tires. It was time to pull that damn, Ferrari. Slowly I watched her fall farther back from me but she still stayed ahead of Max as she wouldn't give him an inch of room. ".451 faster than Daniels in sector one." "Copy." I pushed my car and gave it everything I had. I came around the last corner on lap fifty one and I saw the checkered flag. The garage hanging on the wall cheering Max and I on. "Charles Leclerc is the winner in Baku!" "Yes! Woo hoo!" I cheered. I just won't holy shit. Suck it Frédéric.