Little Maxie

Chapter 49

Lewis looked at his watch, a bit irritated at the sudden change of plans and now losing more time because they had to wait for the third driver. The noise in the room was growing and though he was a media friendly person, he wanted to get his interview over with.

"Who was coming as well?" he asked Fernando, the man smiling and waving at a journalist before turning his attention to Lewis.

"It's Max," Fernando said, a grin on his face, "we're going to be spared this round,"

Lewis snorted, shaking his head at the older driver.

"As if Max is going to waste too many words on this," Lewis said, knowing the younger driver well enough.

"As long as he doesn't swear," Fernando said, shrugging and then waving to the side where Max just appeared, Brad staying behind out of sight. Lewis immediately sat up a little straighter, glad to see the little and hoping that the interview would go well.

"Here Max, why don't you go in the middle," Lewis said, scooting over to make some place. His caregiver side wanted to have the little close by and protected from the sides against the journalists.

"Thanks," Max said, siting down and hiding a yawn behind his hand.

"So, now we're all here, let's get this round going," one of the staff said, handing them all a microphone, and pointing to the first journalist, eager to ask a question.

"First question, for Max Verstappen," the man began, Max shifting towards the man to better hear the question, "seeing your current little status and the way your father has been banned from your side, how do you see your future with Redbull? I heard there were talks of you going to another team now that you're a little,"

"I've always been a little, mate," Max said, frowning at the question, but earning a laugh from the audience, "and I don't know who you were talking to, but I'm not planning to leave Redbull yet. I don't know if you've heard, but my contract does state a few more years. So, to answer your question: my future with Redbull will be the same as my present with Redbull,"

"Yes, well, seeing your young headspace, how does it combine with training for the races...." The journalist continued, but Max got an annoyed look on his face and interrupted the questions.

"You know, if all questions are going to be in relation with me being a little, then I'll just give you one answer," Max said, sounding irritated, "me and my team have discussed this, nothing changes, and I'll still win races,"

A murmur broke out, and Max frowned, hating the attention everyone put on his little status, and the feeling that he got that the journalist suddenly didn't think him capable anymore, even though it was still him.

It reminded him of when Lando had just started driving in F1 and the amount of doubt he had received about being the first known little in the sports, and how much he had to work to proof himself. It made Max wonder what they reaction would have been had they known from the start.

The youngest driver ever, and a little on top of that.

The journalist looked a little unhappy, and Max saw that he was poised to ask another question, probably trying to get a rise out of him, but before he could speak, Fernando was ruffling his hair.

"Ha, that's our Maxie," Fernando said, with a grin, distracting the audience, "feisty as ever. That certainly hasn't changed,"

"Thanks grampa," Maxie said, smiling back at the other driver, glad to have some support from that angle.

"Grampa?" Lewis asked surprised, a smirk on his face while Fernando grumbled at the name. He had known that it was a possibility that Max would call him that, but he had hoped it wouldn't already be now.