project fd || max verstappen

.12

claire's pov - Match 20th, 2023

the race was the furthest thing from perfect. my car did i full three sixty spin on the fourth corner, along with albon's car, which caused me to drop back down to 15th. i fought hard and long but only managed to place 11th after a bad pit stop, only just missing out on points. 

i stormed into the back of the garage and threw my gloves off kicked walls. i looked up to the screen and saw max taking first, checo receiving his trophy for second, and charles smiling on third. i shook my head and saw lewis peek his head around the wall. "everything good back here?" he asked slowly entering the small cooldown room.

"it was albon that fucktard! it knocked me out in turn four!" i said in an aggressive tone throwing my hands in the air. 

lewis pulled out a chair and sat down with his arms rested on his thighs as he looked down. "well the stewards looked at the footage and claimed you turned into albon. as alex had daniel right behind him, he had no where to go but turn into you. so you have a three second penalty for it, as alex did have to retire the car." lewis explained while i took a deep breath.

"so i've dropped to 13th?" i asked as calmly as possible.

"unfortunately."

i nodded and sat down. "i just need to get a podium before the miami grand prix, and i have that contract lewis. if i don't, all that hard work, all that money, all that pain is for absolutely nothing."

lewis sat down next to me slowly while i covered my face with my hands. "you're only a kid claire. you have so much potential, you just need to have less doubt in yourself." lewis placed a comforting hand on my back and rubbed it while i nodded.

"how?" i asked trying not to cry. "i'm up against the best of the best out there, and i'm the only female on track. i'm weaker, slower and just over all lack the talent you all have."

"don't say that is a way to start. that is doubting yourself." lewis began as his hand left my back and i looked over at him. "when i first began racing i was up against legends like vettel, webber, alonso and räikkönen. i had my doubts, every driver does, but we need to ignore them to get to achieve that dream of finishing first place. the only person from achieving that is yourself claire."

what lewis said made sense, and i tried my damn best to ignore the doubts but its hard. its really hard. just as i was about to say something noah came into the room and lewis gave me a wink before walking back out into the garage. "hey bug. you tried today, and you did your best. that's the main thing." noah's voice in that moment just annoyed me as he sat next to me.

i got up and looked at him shaking my head. "you don't understand noah, you just," i tried to speak but my words got caught along with my breath in my chest. i gasped for air but just couldn't seem to get any as noah rushed to me putting an arm around me. 

"claire, please just breath. you did amazing. no one is going to hurt you." he repeated this a few times while i began to calm down. i held back the tears while the back of my throat ached horribly. "it's okay bug."

i threw my hands up and pulled noah off of me while he stood still and confused. "GET OUT!" i screamed. "JUST GET THE FUCK OUT!" 

noah tried stepping closer to me but toto came back frightened by the screams. "what is going on?!" he asked confused.

"i need him out." i demanded as noah just nodded and walked out while i kicked the sofa and grabbed at my hair. "i need out." i stormed past toto and out the back of the garage, even though i was supposed to be out for the post race interviews. 

i wondered around for a little before my manger found me and looked confused. "why are you back here?" 

i shook my head and kept walking, eventually returning to the mercedes garage and back into the cooldown room. i grabbed my bag and got changed into the team gear, aiming to just get back to my hotel room.

of course i ran into toto on the way out and he pulled me aside for a short moment. "are you okay?" he asked as he covered his mouth with his hand.

"about before, i was just upset with the race. now i just feel a little ill, so i was going to go home. is that okay, or did you want me here for the post race stuff?" i asked grabbing my phone from my bag.

toto said i was clear to go home, so i said bye to all the crew and headed out through the back. opening my phone i had multiple calls from both lily and noah, which i ignored. just as i got out my pass, i saw charles walking up to me looking stressed out.

"what's happening claire?" he asked as i rolled my eyes. 

of course they told him.

"i'm fine now. just leave it, please."

i began backing up as charles kept advancing forward. while i wasn't looking i ran into someone, and when i spun around i saw max, still in his race suit holding an empty bottle of water. "i'm sorry, i didn't you see." i apologised while my phone began buzzing in my hand. it was noah.

charles was still asking if i was okay and coming closer, max was also now asking if i was okay, and noah was still calling me while lily was spamming me. "claire?" max asked as i just reached the boiling point.

i threw my bag at charles, pushed max back and smashed my phone so hard into the ground, both the back and front of the phone came off, along with glass flying everywhere. everything around me fell completely silent for a moment as we all stared at the phone. "fuck." i said while charles softly placed his hand on my shoulder. "please don't."

i grabbed my bag from charles and kicked the phone as i stormed out of the gates slapping my hand against my forehead over and over. the moment i reached the parking zone i realised that i had no way to get home, and was practically stranded. 

i kicked up the dirt on the ground and groaned. the heat certainly wasn't helping either, so i was a sweating mess on top of everything else.