Adrenaline: A Lestappen Story

𝟏𝟐 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐞

Still dazed from the previous night, Max found it difficult to focus on the next day's media events at the track. His eyes constantly scanned the crowds, searching for Charles amidst the bustling activity. It wasn't until he was set to participate in the press conference, joined by a few other drivers, that he finally caught sight of the Ferrari driver. To his delight, they had been paired together, along with Lance Stroll and Oscar Piastri.

As he took his seat at the couch, Max patiently waited for Charles to join him, creating an unspoken agreement to ignore the fact that they weren't the only ones in the room. Charles was the last to make it into the conference room, giving both Lance and Oscar a quick greeting and little nod before reaching for Max's hand to greet him, letting the touch linger a little longer than usual— taking anything he was able to get.
The space between him and the Red Bull driver was noticeably smaller than the one between him and Oscar who sat to his right but it was the best that Charles could do, if it was up to him completely he'd be close enough to feel Max's breath on his skin and continue where'd they'd left off the night before.

"Did you sleep well?" Max whispered to him, covering his mouth when he spoke to avoid any lip reading coming from the spectators of the live conference.

Max's question, as simple as it was, brought forth a blush on the apple of the boy's cheeks, his smile showing his dimple instantly and he gave a little nod before covering his own mouth. "I got into bed and just passed out. Had a quick workout beforehand and you know what that does to somebody," He said, giving Max a little wink before putting his hand down now that he didn't have to cover what he was saying.

For most of the conference he was able to keep his eyes on the other man without suspicion as a lot of questions had been directed at him but everytime he was asked a question himself, Charles hated to break away from the sight.

"Charles, the implementation of team strategies is pivotal in the pursuit of championship titles. However, there have been instances where calls are made that even standard audiences know is a bad decision yet you follow through and it costs the race at times. In such situations, do you find yourself questioning the rationale behind strategic decisions, and have you ever contemplated deviating from team orders intentionally?"

Taking the microphone, Charles gives himself a second to think out his answer his eyes lingering on Max for a moment too long but playing it off as being lost in thought before answering:

"It is a very complicated thing and there are moments where I may disagree but at the end of the day these guys are fighting for the championship as much as I am and I follow through with the orders under the hopes that they're seeing a bigger picture I simply cannot. When this ends up not being the case, of course it can be a bit frustrating but it's all a learning process and we're feeling confident that we won't be making the same mistakes twice. Everyone on the team wants me, or Carlos of course, to bring home the title and trust in the team is important so I don't ignore their input," he finishes, looking down while Oscar was called for the following question.

After a couple of questions directed to Oscar or Lance, the attention was quickly turned back to Max. After all, every single press member in that room was desperate for a special quote coming from the world champion, something that could make it to the headliners. "Max, pursuing a championship often demands sacrifices and strategic decisions. Hypothetically, if it meant securing the championship,which you're very close to achieving, would you be willing to employ unconventional or controversial tactics on the track? How far are you prepared to go to clinch that title?"

"I don't-" Max began, only to be interrupted by another reporter pointing out that he already had the championship in the bag.
Laughter erupted from the Red Bull driver before he could finish his answer. "I think I would be willing to drop some bananas behind me to send this guy spinning if I had to," Max playfully pointed to Charles, seeking a glimpse of his laughter before turning to a more serious answer. "No, honestly, I think that winning a championship is the ultimate goal for any driver, and sometimes you have to be bold and take calculated risks to come out on top. But I prefer to focus on my skills, the performance of the car, and fair competition to get the championship. If my team delivers, then so will I."