Formula 1 | One Shots

When The Night Changes | George Russell

Author's Note: fluff, forced proximity!!

Done in George POV 😎  
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As I strolled past the Mercedes hospitality area, all I could think about was how exhausted I was. I wasn't paying much attention until a burst of laughter rang out, catching me off guard. It was Lewis, leaning casually against the counter, chatting with someone I didn't recognize. Her laughter was bubbly and easy, like she was knew him. I slowed down a bit, curiosity getting the better of me, and glanced over, trying to recognize her her. She definitely wasn't one of the regular team members, maybe she was a friend of Lewis's?

She turned slightly, catching my eye for a moment. There was something about her, a kind of mysterious appeal that drew me in. Her smile was still lingering as she looked my way, and it made my stomach twist unexpectedly. My thoughts wandered, and suddenly the side of my body collided with the wall just outside the entrance. My heart jumped, but I forced a smile, trying to keep it cool.

I stole a quick glance back, but she was already speaking to Lewis again, hopefully unaware of my little incident.

The day had been a whirlwind of press conferences and endless media duties, cameras in my face. It's part of the job, but by the end of it, all I wanted was a quiet moment to myself before our team debrief. As I headed towards our conference room, I heard footsteps fall in sync with mine, and I looked to the side. Lewis had joined me, looking just as worn out from the day as I felt.

"Long day, huh?" I offered with a small smile, trying to push through the exhaustion in my voice.

He let out a tired laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Mate, you're telling me. My ears are still ringing from the noise in there." He gestured back towards the media room, and I couldn't help but laugh.

We walked side by side, letting the silence stretch for a moment as we made our way through the paddock. It was nice, having these quieter moments between the madness of race weekends. 

"By the way mate, uh who as that girl you were talking to before? I've never seen her before."

"Don't even think about it George."

"What?"

"She's off limits mate, trust me."

I threw my hands up in surrender, "I just wanted to know who she was, I'm not trying to date her, christ."

He chuckled, "mhmm sure, hat's what they all say."

We continued our walk in silence, heading into the team meeting. Toto was going over all the data in preparation for the race on Sunday, discussing each of our strategies. We were finally performing well and had a fighting chance in the Constructors Championship since Checo wasn't doing Redbull any favors.

Toto was already there, waiting for us, the table cluttered with printouts of all the data. He didn't waste any time, diving straight into the analysis. "Alright, boys," he began, his tone all business as he flipped through the screen. "We've been making progress, but we can't afford any mistakes. Red Bull might have the edge, but we have a real shot this weekend."

I leaned back in my chair, trying to focus on the details as Toto walked us through the strategy. For the first time in a while, it felt like we were within reach of good results. Lewis and I exchanged a glance when Toto mentioned the standings. We both knew what was at stake, getting the Constructors' Championship back to Mercedes meant everything to the team.

"And with Checo and Max struggling, we've got a window of opportunity to slide past the bulls," Toto continued, eyeing both of us with that crazy look of his. "They're not untouchable anymore, so every point counts."