Adrenaline: A Lestappen Story

𝟏𝟗 - 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐳

DUTCH GRAND PRIX

QUALIFYING DAY

"Ladies and gentlemen, here at the Zandvoort Circuit, the rain has cast what promises to be a riveting F1 qualifying session for the Netherlands Grand Prix. As of now, Max Verstappen has yet to make his appearance, leaving fans eager for the local hero's arrival," said the main Sky Sports reporter.

The absence of Verstappen and the readiness of the Ferrari duo added a layer of intrigue to the unfolding narrative, inside the Ferrari paddock as the strategy for the qualifying session was revised, Carlos did not spare glances at Charles, who sat beside him.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Carlos asked him as they made their way to the pits.

"Nothing, just going to stay back at the hotel and rest up for tomorrow," Charles kept his answer to Carlos short and sweet, his eyes not meeting the brown ones and instead scanning the rainy scene in front of them, waiting for any signs of Max. It was an unusual scene to be this close to qualifying and not have the Dutch driver ready to go, even more so now that it was his homeland.

"We should have dinner together," Carlos commented, his eyes fixating on Charles' body while the boy was distracted. The Spanish driver was already hungry for his younger teammate, lacking any subtlety in glancing him over. His girlfriend had not accompanied him, and Lando, for some reason, was not in the mood for some fun these days. So, having Charles to keep him company was something Carlos wanted to get around to as soon as possible.

Charles didn't have the mindset to keep humoring the conversation, his mind already being split between the strategies he'd double-checked moments ago and Max's absence. The Ferrari driver had promised himself to push away all emotions and keep his eyes on the prize, but he was quickly realizing that it wasn't a quality one develops overnight.

"Maybe," Charles answered, always avoiding being rude even when he knew what he wanted his real answers to be, "depending on how today goes." With that being said, Charles offered his teammate a polite smile before walking away towards his car.

The boy situated himself into his car sooner than most, wanting to get a proper feel of it and focus all his energies into ensuring there was not a single fault. Since the loss of their strategist, the car had been having a smoother run, and Charles knew that it had the potential to battle a Red bull if it came down to it. The car wasn't the problem this time around; it was the man inside the other one that created the biggest challenge.

"All set, Charles?" he was asked, to which he nodded, accepting his helmet and securing it in place before doing the same to his steering wheel.

"Is Max here yet?" he asked, worried as he was moments away from the thumbs up to hit the track.

"Unsure. Will call it out to you in a moment," was the response he received.

Five minutes before the qualifying session began, whispers of Max Verstappen's presence echoed through the Ferrari paddock. The once serene and anxious atmosphere of the circuit transformed into a lively spectacle, with chants and screams erupting from the thrilled crowd. Their hero had come, after all.

Max, stoic and composed, revealed little emotion. His focus consumed him as he quickly readied himself for the qualifying session. Despite being the last to arrive, he emerged as the first to hit the track, like a racing machine perfectly crafted to race. No problems could seem to shake him.

On track, like always, Max did one perfect lap after the other. His teammate was no match for him, barely making it past Q2 and being eliminated after that. By the end of qualifying it was only up to him and his two other contestants for pole — Charles and Carlos.