SkFormula1

Charles' "just kill me" expression when Amelia sings 🤣 Waiting for Max to feature on Passenger Princess, if he can ever be convinced.

You look at any other F1 rivalry like Fangio-Ascari, Clark-Hill, Lauda-Hunt, Villeneuve-Pironi, Prost-Senna, Hakkinen-Schumacher, even Hamilton-Rosberg, they don't automatically evoke a sense of romance. Fierce competition, yes. Close friendships too.

But nothing like these two. Leclrec-Verstappen is quite something else. Born 16 days apart, similar motorsports trajectories, fierce rivals in Karting, Max almost manifesting Charles entry into F1 through sheer belief in the latter's prowess, even fiercer competition in F1, hitting really rough patches on track, never real friends but now neither seems to get through an interview without the mention of the other.

Max will fight everyone on track if they crowd him but when it is Charles, it is all giggles. Same for Charlie giggling at Max not lifting and almost getting caught out at a brief yellow flag, while behind Leclrec.

At Spa 2026, Charles doing his bit of manifestation with his "last lap of any race I want to race Max". Post race, Max really laughing about Red Rocket. Cooldown room, Max going "it was calculated" about Charles bumping into Oscar.

The other rivalries had pretty straightforward archs, - on track real fights, off track either friends or couldn't care less. Brocedes went from friends to rivals to can't stand each other to cordial.

Lestappen is enemies to mutual respect but there is the constant yapping, turning everyone into third wheel, "My Max", "Charlie, I have a spot for you", "Yes, Monaco", their eyes always following each other, the deep looks, Max always pulling Charles closer, the Las Vegas 2023 car trip with Checo looking like "somebody let me out".

Couple of race cooldowns ago, Charles' face a stark contrast to George's smiley one when they saw Max's crash. Even George had the decency to sober up. Austin 2025, lestappen side eye for Lando. And who can forget the "Tyre massage" impromptu interview. Max beckons Charles, who hops over big grin on his face. Then is himself taken aback like "what did I just do?" 🤣

Monaco Vice?

Someone had mentioned that Max was running like a policeman in this pic. Made me think of a possible 👮‍♂️ AU. Max would be the by-the-book cop who wants to solve every case and Charles would be the good looking, ladies man detective, drives a Ferrari but is always late to crime scenes, because he had a busy night!

Max doesn't like Charlie one bit, Charles thinks Max is too uptight. But the more they work together, the more Max realizes Charlie is highly intuitive and observant. He is not just a pretty face. Charlie gets to see a less than by-the-book side of Max. Maxie knows just how far to go with the rules, if it means a win for the good guys.

And they both find out that each feels the same tug in the heart, every time they meet. Mmm. Perhaps someone can build a F1 RPF series around this! Cases involving F1 drivers and lestappen solving them, while dealing with their feelings for one another.

And both of them with their bodies turned towards each other when Jacques V was talking to Kimi. "Get a room, guys" would have been apt there.