"I wouldn't tell small Max anything because small Max was not worried about anything. Small Max was just loving life: driving quadbikes, go-karts, motocross bikes, having fun with his friends, not enjoying school. Honestly? That's the beautiful part of it. You shouldn't tell him anything and just let him live his life. I wish I could see myself with small Max. It was a good time."
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Summary: When Sky Sports puts Cami in charge of the pre season interviews with the newly shaken up grid, it becomes a mishmash of finding chemistry and a rhythm.
Disclaimer: MDNI
Author Note: Haha so once again I put off my polish and assembly of the post. So here we are! Also it’s a bit of a weird experimental chapter this week. Different POV and scene split. Lmk what you think!
ENJOY!! Please comment and like! It makes me all excited for people to enjoy something as much as I do.
Preseason Testing, March 2021, Barhain
~Cami POV~
“Cami!"
The voice cut through the paddock noise, pulling Cami’s attention away from her gear. She turned to find a media coordinator waving from the edge of the center, an urgency to her gesture that made Cami’s pulse spike.
"We moved your slot up," the coordinator called out, her grin suggesting this was a win.
Cami shifted the weight of her equipment bag, trying to steady her breathing. "Good up or bad up?"
"Good up," the woman promised, beaming. "You got first pick."
First pick. The phrase landed with a weight that surprised her, grounding her to the spot. It wasn't just a scheduling change, it was a shift in the way she would live her life for the coming days. One year ago, she’d been clawing for a fifteen minute window with a reserve driver. Now, the schedule was rearranging itself for her. The thought followed her as she continued down the paddock.
A communications manager from Alpine stopped to say hello. A cameraman from Sky nodded as he passed. Someone from Ferrari's media team asked if she wanted the interview room set up differently than they usually did it.
Cami answered automatically, thanking people, making notes on her phone, checking her schedule.
Only when she reached the media pen did it really hit her. Nobody was asking who she was anymore. Nobody was checking credentials twice. Nobody was giving her the polite smile reserved for newcomers trying to break into Formula One.
They knew her.
"Cami!"
Another voice, this time it was one of the Sky producers.
"We've got approval."
"For what?"
"The feature piece for the first race of the season." The producer handed over a schedule sheet. Cami scanned it slightly, that would be a great start to the season. Get people acquainted with the teams.
People always watched the first race interviews, the preseason ones she was going to be filming today were a hit or miss. The producer smiled at her expression. "Nervous?"
Cami folded the schedule and tucked it into her notebook. "Terrified."
"Good." The producer laughed. "The best interviews usually start that way. Think of today as the test drive for the season. Preseason testing interviews are for testing out how we need to attack each team all season. Easy.”
Cami barely settled down into her interview chair before she heard a rather familiar voice.
"Well, well, well." Daniel Ricciardo leaned against the counter, coffee in hand, wearing the grin of someone who had absolutely no business looking that aware so early in the morning.
"The celebrity journalist."
Cami laughed to herself and rolled her eyes, going over her morning schedule, "I think that's giving me far too much credit." McLaren was first on her grid interview call sheet, so Daniel showing up was right on time.
"I don't know." Daniel shrugged. "You've got the fancy set up now, no more chasing us around paddocks, we come to you l."
"It's the exact same questions."
"Yeah, but now it’s on a bigger stage, one that drivers can’t deny. You have stepped onto a bigger stage." He claimed stepping up onto the carpeted stage and giving a dramatic stage bow to camera before plopping down on the couch.
Before Cami could answer, another voice drifted over.
"He's been waiting all morning to use that one.” Lando Norris wandered in, hands shoved into the pockets of his papaya hoodie.
Daniel pointed accusingly, his eyes shifting to Cami for a brief moment, "I have not."
"You absolutely have."
"I resent that statement, I came up with it ten seconds ago."
Lando looked at Cami as he settled down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other. "He did not."
She laughed, each new team pairing in a new year brought different dynamics. McLaren was known to be fun with Lando and Carlos but this just seemed so different but wonderful.
"So... are you two actually going to answer my questions this year?"
Daniel narrowed his eyes dramatically, "It depends."
"Oh?"
"Are you going to hide the answers inside activities again?"
Cami blinked for a few seconds, hiding answers? It was just an interview? "I’m sorry?"
"You know." Daniel gestured vaguely as if carrying on, "Like giving medicine to a dog."
Lando's face lit up immediately. "The peanut butter trick."
The fact they were only a month into being on the same team and were on the same wavelength already was borderline concerning.
Daniel snapped his fingers and pointed at him, "Exactly. See? He gets it.”
"I don't even know what interview you're talking about." Cami leaned forward so the tech coming up behind her could check the mic pack attached to her belt.
"The one where we had to build things while talking."
"That was Lego assembly challenge.”
"It was psychological warfare to force us to do that while drilling us with questions and trivia."
Lando nodded with complete sincerity, "Definitely chaotic, one of my tyres rolled off the table and no one noticed till I was stressfully 30 seconds behind Carlos’s building time."
"You all had fun during that, and it was engaging. More personality and activity driven, people love that."
Daniel looked offended at the concept of people liking those videos, as if he hadn’t just asked for more interviews in that style, “I had to think during that, I had to use my immense brain power."
"You always have to think."
"Not usually on camera, I’m just naturally good. But it was fun.”
Cami pulled her notebook from her bag. "Fine." She flipped to a blank page and scribbled down the request before backing up a page or two. "I've been pitching some new content ideas anyway, think semi grill the grid."
Daniel leaned forward immediately, coffee cup placed on the ground, then elbows on thighs, fingers pressed together like a super villian. “I'm listening."
"What if..." She pretended to think, as if she hadn’t just been staring at a list of ideas she had been writing down during break. "...a karting challenge."
"I'm in."
"I wasn't finished."
"I don't need the details."
Lando shrugged, "I'm in too."
"What if it's endurance karting?"
"Still in."
"What if it's a relay?"
Daniel nodded confidently. "I'll carry him."
Lando snorted. "You've never raced me in karting."
"Mate trust me."
Cami scribbled something onto her notepad after flipping back to the blank page.
"What are you writing?"
"'Daniel volunteers to embarrass himself on television.'"
Daniel looked delighted, "See? That’s the perfect headline. Millions of views already.”
She shook her head amused, "I also had a cooking challenge with-“
"I'm a phenomenal chef."
Lando looked at her, sitting up straighter on the couch as if trying to get more of her attention to interject, "He's lying."
"You have never seen me cook.”
"Earlier this week in hospitality I watched you eat cereal in water.”
Daniel frowned.
"...jail. I’m absolutely not putting you on a cooking challenge now." Cami scratched out the idea from the list in her orange color of her multi pen that she kept tucked in her bag.
Lando was already laughing as they argued about what Daniel defended was perfectly acceptable breakfast substitutions.
Cami watched them bicker back and forth without really needing to ask another question.
It wasn't forced. Daniel filled every silence with another joke. Lando fired back without hesitation. They meshed in with one another well. Then again… she was pretty certain Daniel could have chemistry with a plaster wall. It was hard to read his intensions sometimes.
Daniel caught her smiling down at the notebook in her lap. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Did you write down something else."
"I did."
"What?"
Cami clicked her pen closed.
"You'll have to show up to the interview on media day of the opener to find out."
Daniel groaned dramatically, slumping back against the couch head and arms tilted back to take up as much space as possible "I hate journalists."
"You love journalists."
"I love me on television." Daniel spread his arms with mock humility. "You know, it’s hard being this naturally gifted."
"In what?"
"Everything."
Lando didn't even look up from his phone which he had produced from his pocket a few moments ago. "Confidence, racing, games, take your pick he’s probably claimed it."
Daniel pointed at him, lifting his ankle to rest over his left knee, "See? He gets me."
"I wasn't complimenting you."
"I choose to hear it that way."
Cami laughed, "I'll keep your natural talent in mind Danny. Now how about we channel it towards the interview? Inquiring minds want to know.”
As the red light started to blink down from three Cami took a moment to compose herself, before she started her first interview of the day.
Ferrari's media team was much less… chaotic than McLaren. They were focused. Clearly had a lot going on, because they came in and set up in a rush before either of the drivers even settled onto the couch.
Cami adjusted the microphone clipped to her jacket as a producer counted down into the next interview.
"Rolling in three..."
Carlos and Charles wore matching team polos across from her on the couch. Clearly unity was a major part of the Ferrari team. Charles folded his hands neatly in his lap, meanwhile Carlos leaned back like he'd already forgotten there were cameras.
"...Two..."
Cami smiled as the producer pointed to her cuing her in. "And we're here with Ferrari's newest driver pairing-"
Charles immediately looked toward her, alert, ready, prepared, professional in a way she could only assume wearing the Ferrari red could make someone.
Carlos held up a hand. "Whoa."
Charles blinked, looking at the producer for a note then to Carlos, "What?"
Carlos looked at him with mock disbelief. "You do not even say hello?"
Charles frowned, confused as his eyes shifted around, how was this his fault? "...She already did."
"No, you say hello."
"Why?"
Carlos gestured toward the camera. "Good television."
Charles stared at him for a beat before giving the camera an awkward little wave. "...Hello."
Carlos nodded approvingly, "See?” He turned his attention back to the interviewer as if giving the floor back to her to pick back up where she left off.
Cami was already laughing. "Perfect. Now we can officially begin."
Charles sighed dramatically. "I was trying."
"I know, we can still work on it." Carlos patted him on the shoulder playfully.
Cami glanced down at her notes. "So, Carlos... what's it been like joining Ferrari?"
Carlos opened his mouth to answer. He was always good at giving real but polished answers. Ones that felt like they were unrehearsed, but fit all the guidelines.
Charles beat him to it, "He keeps stealing my food."
Carlos looked horrified, holding up a finger as if asking the interview to pause briefly, before turning to Charles, "That was One time."
"It was my sandwich."
"It looked abandoned."
"You watched me put it down."
"I thought you'd changed your mind." Carlos quickly moved on before it escalated, "It has been a challenge, but good so far. Though I have been competing in more than just simulations.”
Charles nodded, “We tied the first C Squared challenge of the season. Which is going to be on the Ferrari socials.”
Carlos pointed off screen to one of the Ferrari social admin to check the truthfulness of the statement. To which she nodded. "We will not be tied for long, I am planning to win which means..."
Charles immediately knew where this was going. "...Don't."
"If I win the seasons C squared overall..."
"Carlos."
"...he jumps into the ocean in Abu Dhabi."
Charles pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why did I agree to that?"
"You were confident."
"I was."
"And now you're less confident." Carlos smiled innocently before glancing to Cami then the camera “The deal is on tape.l
Cami looked between them. She'd expected carefully measured answers. Instead they were arguing over YouTube challenges before she'd even asked a second question.
"So..." she said, trying not to laugh at the increasing lunacy of her days interviews so far. "...Should I assume the competition is healthy?"
Charles answered first. "I'd like to win."
Carlos followed up by placing a finger in the air as if pausing Charles, “so would I. Not so easy for you.”
There wasn't an edge to it. Good hearted entertaining competition for a non racing related game. After years of working in a paddock, Cami had discovered that it wasn’t just competitive spirits on the track, every good driver had competitive drive in their bones.
She glanced briefly toward her producer, and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod. Keep going. This was working.
For the next fifteen minutes she barely had to steer the conversation. Every answer naturally bounced between them. Carlos told a story, then Charles corrected one detail. Carlos insisted his version was better and Charles rolled his eyes.
Neither seemed particularly interested in "winning" the interview. They were just… Comfortable. Already.
"That's a wrap."
The red tally light blinked off. Almost immediately, Charles reached for the bottle of water sitting beside his chair.
"I talked too much."
Carlos looked at him with an eyebrow raised, "You completed a volley which is good in conversation, natural flow."
Charles laughed, "You know I am media trained, right?"
"You'll thank me later."
As Charles wandered toward the center doors, Carlos stayed behind while Cami changed her microphone batteries out.
"Congratulations, by the way."
She looked up, a bit startled, not having realized Carlos had stuck around. "For what?"
He shrugged like it was obvious. "Sky finally realizing they've got a good reporter on their hands. And letting you do what you do best."
For a second she just stared at him. Months ago she'd been chasing interviews, and 7 years ago during her internship at DAMS, she was lucky to be doing hair and makeup for the drivers media. During the space between, Cami had put everything towards her goal, late nights, early mornings, writing extra questions, fighting media crowds. Sometimes she didn’t know if it was going to pay off.
Now one of her oldest friends was saying it out loud.
"They noticed, the work is finally starting to pay off and put me right where I want to be," she admitted quietly.
Carlos smiled. "Lo sé, has llegado a donde querías estar.” He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before walking towards the door, in hopes of catching up with Charles before he got to the garage again.
Cami watched him disappear through the doors before looking down at the notebook in her hands. The interview had gone exactly the opposite of how she'd expected. And somehow, that made for the best content.
"...having Pierre as a teammate has made the transition a lot easier." Yuki nodded once, looking every bit the composed Formula One rookie.
Cami nodded, a warm smile on her face as she tapped the book in her lap, "That's actually a perfect lead into my last question."
Yuki straightened in his chair, clearly trying to come across professional and ready.
"What's been the biggest surprise since becoming a Formula One driver?"
For half a second he looked like he was preparing another carefully rehearsed answer. Then he blinked, as if his mind went blank and he was being forced to speak just as himself.
"...Everything."
Pierre laughed beside him.
"I'm serious!" Yuki insisted.
"The apartment is different. The travel is different from f2. The simulator is crazy. The schedule..." He threw his hands into the air. "The food changes every week. Sometimes I don't even know what country I'm waking up in."
Pierre nodded sympathetically. "That part doesn't really change, or get better..."
"And everyone speaks so many languages!" Yuki continued. "Someone starts talking and I'm trying to figure out if they're talking to me or someone behind me."
Cami smiled watching the energy increase throughout his answer, "So it's been..."
"A lot."
"But good?"
Yuki grinned, "The best. I couldn’t be more pleased with the opportunity I’ve been given.”
Pierre glanced at him then leaned forward slightly, "Ask him again after the triple header. The answer may change.”
Yuki groaned at the notion of that many races in a row in diffrent parts of the world.
"You'll survive."
"I know." He sighed dramatically.
"...Probably."
Cami smiled toward the camera. "I think that's the perfect place to end it. Thank you both."
The cameras stopped rolling and Yuki immediately relaxed. Slouching into the couch some and shrinking, making him look even smaller. "Was that okay?"
"You were great," Cami assured him as the PA’s crossed over to get both mics from the drivers.
"Really?"
"Really."
He smiled to himself as if the hardest part of his day was finally over with, "Good." He turned and confidently walked away leaving Pierre and Cami on the set.
"...That way, Yuki."
He stopped, looked around and then “…ah." Without missing a beat, he pivoted one hundred and eighty degrees. "Yes. Garage is that way.”
Pierre watched him disappear before looking back at Cami. "...He's going to be just fine."
Cami couldn't help but smile. “Oh yeah, absolutely."
"Nicholas as a teammate has been really valuable. We push each other every training session." George glanced toward Latifi, who gave a small nod.
Cami smiled, allowing the boys to expand if they wanted to before she cut in, "You've both spoken a lot about maximizing every opportunity this season."
George nodded, "In Formula One, you have to."
She flipped to the last page of her notes."So... last question."
George folded his hands together, waiting.
"What's the goal this year?"
He didn't answer immediately, but it wasn’t because he didn't know. It was because he was choosing the right words. Which George always took so very seriously. "To be ready."
"Ready for what?" Cami tilted her head, prodding just slightly for the answer she was looking for. Being best friends with a top engineer of a team that Williams was a feeder for came with its perks. Every conversation and complaint about work came with interview question material.
George smiled slightly. "Whatever comes next." There was no hesitation in the way he answered, no wink thrown in to be cheeky, no implications that things were in the works, just a certain preparedness.
Cami decided to push once more, reaching for the gossip her and Elena had been speculating on since Toto and James asked Elena to start learning Mercedes as a system. George was in the works. "You think your opportunity is coming?"
George's smile didn't change. "I think opportunities come to people who are prepared."
Nicholas glanced over at him with the smallest eye roll and then smile, like he'd heard that answer before.
"And until then?"
George shrugged, "You keep working. Making every car you drive faster, communicate with your team, improve.” It wasn't flashy or dramatically cocky in a way some drivers were, just secure in his belief that something was coming.
The cameras stopped rolling and the PA’s swarmed the set, "Thank you, both."
Nicholas stood first, offering a quick thanks before heading toward the Williams garage.
George unclipped his microphone, lingering for a moment, "Good questions."
"Good answers," Cami replied, trying to keep her mouth shut from blurting something, anything that her and Elena had spoken about involving George.
He smiled politely. "I'll try to keep giving them." With that, he turned and disappeared into the paddock, already checking something on his phone.
Cami watched him go. Most drivers who got interviewed talked about this weekend, the season, or the session. George always sounded like he was preparing for the next five years.
The camera wasn't even set up yet when Max dropped onto the couch across from her.
For whatever reason, Sky Sports had dubbed him a solo interview. Whether it was because Checo was preoccupied, or unwilling Cami was not told, but when she saw just Max on her sheet she knew it would be a short interview. Most interviews with Max were, it was rare that people got an enthusiastic reaction from him.
He looked over the assembled lights before settling his eyes on Cami. "Sky couldn't find anybody else?"
She didn't even look up from checking her audio levels. "You keep giving me good interviews for whatever reason."
"Sounds like your problem."
"It keeps getting me sent back. I’m starting to think you actually like answering my questions Verstappen."
"Hmm." He shrugged, "I should probably stop then."
"You won't."
"No, yours are at least intelligible."
A producer called out from behind the camera. "Alright prepare for tape."
Max reached for the microphone waiting on the table, clipping it onto the collar of his Red Bull polo with practiced efficiency.
"You've done this before."
"Once or twice." He snorted.
The producer counted them in. "...Three..."
The familiar ease between them disappeared, not because it was gone, but because both of them knew it was time to work.
"...Two..."
"...One."
The tally light turned red.
"We're here with Max Verstappen ahead of the opening race of the 2021 season." Cami smiled for the camera before turning to the driver, "Max, you've spent the last few seasons watching Red Bull close the gap."
He nodded, folding his hands on his lap, fiddling with his thumbs.
"This year... what are your expectations?"
There wasn't even a pause before he answered, "To win."
It was simple, matter of fact, confident.
She held his gaze, a little taken aback by the boldness of the answer, Cami blinked rapidly thinking of a follow up but only managed, "The drivers championship?"
A small smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "That's the goal."
Cami glanced at her notes before asking the next question. "Does that change how you approach a race weekend?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because the work is the same." His answer came as quickly as the first. "You prepare." His hands moved as he spoke, like he was over explaining and showing the steps, "You execute."
Max let a silent moment linger before he shook his head, deciding he needed to explain it farther, “during every race, the target is different. Target being the track. But the process isn’t. It stays the same.”
For a moment neither of them spoke. It wasn't awkward, just... complete. Cami didn’t push Max like she did other drivers, some days he was talkative and Maxplained, as coined by the fans, and some days you got this, quick, fufilling answers.
The producer gave her a subtle nod, it was satisfactory. She smiled toward the camera. "Max, thank you for your time, and best of luck this season."
"Thank you."
The red light clicked off. Almost immediately, Max reached up to unclip his microphone.
"So," Cami said as she gathered her cue cards, "same time next month?"
"If you're still asking decent questions."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should."
Once Max had walked away her producer closed in next to her, “That was one of the better interviews we’ve gotten from Max this year. That’s why we pay you the big bucks.” He joked taking her notebook from her to place on a table so the technicians could help her get all unhooked from mics for the day.
max: “well, I’m not an aerodynamics specialist nor can I design a suspension. I just drive with what’s given to me. And of course i’ll always give my feedback on it but I can’t tell you how to design a front wing.”
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Mattia Binotto said Carlos and Charles could have gone faster, but they asked them not to because their car has issues with tyre management, like the French GP had shown. So in the end it worked out since their tyres didn't get a puncture and they managed to make a bigger gap between them and McLaren in the end.
I can just say that I'm happy as a Ferrari fan, but also sad for Lando. Now only 1 point between him and Charles, so the next couple of races will be really interesting for them too 👀
