#fem!driver

“math homework?” george raises an eyebrow as he looks down at his rookie. “you’re still in school?”

kimi presses his lips together, nodding. he drops his head and avoids the older driver’s judgemental gaze. “yeah. do you think you can help me later on?” he asks softly. he scratches the back of his neck and looks up. “come on. please?”

george blinks. “mate.”

the back of the truck is starting to get crowded, drivers like max and oscar hopping on as they engage in conversation. kimi notices this and takes a step closer to george, clearly embarrassed at his predicament.

he’d been so caught up with his first race weekend that he’d completely forgotten about his math homework.

“i’m serious,” kimi frowns. “it’s the only condition i had to fulfil to be able to drive in f1 this year.”

george is barely a graduate himself — why is his rookie asking for his help, exactly? george appreciates that his rookie thinks so highly of him. however, it’s just the wrong person to depend on academically. “finish your homework every weekend?”

“yeah, and keep my grades decent,” kimi admits through gritted teeth, “and i can’t do that if i’m barely keeping up with my math homework.”

george purses his lips. surely, there’s someone here that could help with said math homework. but who, exactly? he lifts his head and scans the back of the bus, thinking… and thinking…

“max!” george calls out, before he quickly beckons the dutch over to where he is. “i’ve got a question.”

max exchanges a worried stare with oscar as they cut their conversation short, before he walks over to george. “i swear if you called me over to show your rookie a fight-”

“kimi needs help with his math homework.”

kimi sighs, dropping his head low in embarrassment. sure, he is the youngest on the grid. but not more people need to know about his struggles with math.

“ah, mate,” max hisses as he shakes his head. “i’m not your guy for that.”

he turns around and beckons oscar over to where they stand. “oscar, we need your help.”

oscar hums curiously as he sips on his water bottle. “sure, what is it?”

“math homework,” george simply says as he points at the younger driver now pulling his jacket up to cover his flushed cheeks.

the smile on oscar’s face drops. “you’re still in school?”

“yes, i am. thank you for pointing that out,” kimi grimaces. “seriously? surrounded by 3 men who can’t help me with math homework?”

the longer they surround him, the harder he finds it to believe that not one person amongst them can offer him any aid. it’s just high school math. it might even be easier if they gave him a simple ‘no’.

“i used to get suspended for skipping homework for races,” oscar frowns. “i’m sorry, i’m not your guy for said math homework.”

“math homework?” logan pops up behind oscar, tilting his head. “that’s easy-”

“he will bring your average down,” oscar mutters.

logan rolls his eyes. “not me,” logan grins. he puffs his chest. “i know just the person who can help you with that.”

“sure, let’s let more people know that i’m bad at math!” kimi feigns a cheer, pumping his fists into the air. “should we get the media involved so they can tell the whole world too?”

“no,” logan scoffs, waving off the younger driver’s concerns. “trust me.”

oscar purses his lips and tilts his head. “i doubt you should trust-”

logan puts a hand up to silence oscar. he grins at kimi. “seriously. trust me.”

“oh, come on,” max calls out as he throws his hands in the air. “you can’t say no to this, can you?”

she folds her arms over her chest and nods, a wide smile on her face. “yes, i can.” she turns on her heel and starts to walk away. “watch as i do exactly that.”

kimi starts to get worried. he turns to logan, standing next to him, with a frown.

he is so going to get suspended for a weekend for not doing his homework. and god, it was the only condition for him to start racing so early, too.

he couldn’t even comply with that?

logan pats his back as he rushes forward, blocking off the young girl from straying too far from them. “he’ll buy you ice cream.”

“what?” kimi cried incredulously, arms in the air in despair. “i-”

max shakes his head, cutting kimi off. “do you want your math help or not?” kimi nods. “then be quiet.”

she raises an eyebrow as she keeps her sceptical stare on logan. “udders?”

“he’s a rookie, mate,” oscar finally steps forward, joining logan at his position. “he can’t afford to import ice cream just for you.”

she shrugs. “that’s too bad.”

she starts to walk off again. frankly, she would have helped for free. but with the past couple of weeks she’s been having, she is simply not in the mood to interact with anyone. much less relive the traumas of math homework as a full-grown adult.

it’s just not in the list of things that she wants to do this year.

“you don’t wanna see a good driver benched over homework, do you?” max tries to chase for her, grabbing her arm to gently yank her back. “come on.”

she looks over her shoulder and glances at the teen, awkwardly standing with his hands by his side. “maybe i do.”

“i did not think that would backfire at all,” max mutters under his breath. he takes a step back and sighs.

george nods, “completely understandable. have a good day, mate.”

oscar drops his head and hands in disbelief. has his best friend grown to be so cold over the winter break they spent apart?

“he’ll get you pepsi,” max calls out in a desperate attempt to get the rookie his much-needed help. the girl turns around and presses her lips together. “any soda you want.”

kimi nods frantically, a small smile spreading his lips. “any drink you want.”

she lets a moment pass. she turns around and faces kimi, chewing on the inside of her cheek. “fine. meet me at my garage later with a can of ice-cold pepsi.” she narrows her eyes and turns to start walking off once again. “i will turn you away if it’s not ice-cold.”

kimi turns to the group of older drivers. “where the hell am i going to get that?”

“i’ve got you, mate.”

— bonus

sebastian sighs, walking into the garage. he lifts his gaze from the ground and tilts his head at the sight: his driver is rocking back and forth on her seat, looking intensely at a piece of paper with a pen between her teeth.

he glances at the matt, sitting next to her, who shrugs in return.

“what are you doing, rocky?” sebastian calls out as he approaches her, eyes squinting as he tries to decipher what she’s doing. “is that-”

“kimi’s homework,” she mutters as she promptly writes something down on the paper.

sebastian gasps and opens his mouth to scold her. she waves her hand in the air to dismiss his concerns. “i’m helping solve it so i can teach him later. i’m not doing it for him.”

he audibly sighs. “okay. remember you’re paid to be a driver, not a tutor.”

“it could start to be my side hustle. you know,” she grimaces, "if the driving thing doesn't work out this year."

After Christian Horner was dropped from Red Bull the media lit up in flames, all eyes from around the world drawing directly towards your team.

The news only grew louder the more reporters began reading into the fine print, their hungry fingers releasing article after article. It didn’t help that each new statement was accompanied by fan videos that did nothing but create more baseless rumours. 

It was noisy and for a few days it disrupted everything. Well, for you it did. The attention didn’t affect your teammate, Max, that much. Sure the few stray interviews were distracting but with his priorities lying sturdy with his growing family, he was easily able to let go. But to you, it was a lot.

You already had all eyes on you, the whispers of the paddock reaching your ears long after everyone else’s. Not only because two years ago was your rookie year, having been brought up when you were not yet eighteen- just like Max. but because you made history.

Red Bull thrived in both the 23’ and 24’ seasons. Though, the first year you were more than just overlooked. You were good, really good. But you weren’t the best, not yet. Not when your teammate was the one winning nineteen out of the twenty-two races, with you barely scraping up into points for the first half of the first season.

But then Zandvoort came, your teammates’ home race– and your first victory. You’ve only raced there once before, the year prior in F3. So when you took pole from your teammate with a tenth of a second difference, people started noticing you. 

Before, it was all negative noise. No one cared about you and almost everyone was implying that you were some sort of publicity stunt, that Horner brought you up just to clear his name. 

But then you started challenging the reigning champion of two years. Your calculated overtakes stealing the spotlight in its own way, your rookie year podiums causing a frenzy amongst fans.

But you didn’t win the 23’ season, coming forth in the championship. But the next year, you stole the narrative back. It was the hardest thing you’ve done– beating the man who was said to be the new Senna. So when you ended his winning streak with your own world championship in 24’ the world paused, their minds frozen as you took hairpins too fast and beat the former champion in equal machinery. 

And then came the applause, your name making waves across the media. But you weren’t called the next Senna. Instead, they called you ‘The Female Prost”. Perhaps it was the media’s own way to bring the past back to life, relighting an old flame. Or maybe they saw something in you that you were still blinded to. Either way, they stopped at nothing to attempt to villainize you and max– the media and fans alike twisting your post-race press conference’s words.

But it didn’t work. Both you and Max were mature enough to recognize that the tension was there on track, and that it was better to keep it nowhere but there. It didn't bleed into the late nights you spent celebrating together, nor the team dinners you had to beg Max to accompany you to. 

So when your new team principal, Laurent Mekies, changed over from the Racing Bulls, he wanted to draw the light away from Horner and back to the two of you. More so, away from the McLarens and their newfound dominance.

And that’s when he came up with the great idea of filming a different type of video right before your multi-week summer break. And by default, he chose you to participate in whatever new videos he and the media team could come up with on short notice. Not that you could really blame him, Max has always been quite vocal about how much he disliked those kinds of things.

And all this brought you to today, your back resting against your pit wall with your wired earphones pressed deep into your ears. You weren’t too worried about what was waiting for you today. Not because you weren’t nervous, but because you simply didn’t know what exactly was waiting for you. 

Your media girl didn’t give you much of an explanation of what was expected from today’s media day, having only informed you that you’d be accompanied by an American celebrity. And the only video you could come up with was some version of a hot lap in between free practices, which happens to line up with your current schedule.

Though, having an American come all the way to Hungary for a video on a random race weekend during their summer seemed a bit… intense. And it was safe to say you were at least a bit curious. Was it an influencer who knew nothing about the sport? Or maybe it was some entitled athlete who only agreed to do a video with you in hopes of being more than just another boy in your DMs– which happens quite often.

But when your media handler came over to get you for the surprise video, you cleared your mind with a small smile directed towards her. “Ready to be stuck in a car for half an hour with a stranger?” She winked at you with her left eye, a small giggle leaving her lips when you played along with her facade. A hot lap, you were right. 

“Oh yeah, I’ve been dreading it all day.” And by the time you reached the small group of Red Bull employees waiting for you at turn three, her charisma had already left its lasting effect on the anxiety you would’ve otherwise been drowning in. 

Everyone turned to look at you with identical smiles, their eyes kind. “Hey, sorry for keeping you guys waiting.” An older employee brushed your concerns off with a swipe of his hand, his lips pursing out with an exhale of air, “It’s fine, we’re just getting Will wired up for your hot lap.”

Your ears perked up at the unfamiliar name, anticipation building beneath your skin the longer you had to imagine who “Will” could have been. You just nodded in response before letting one of the staff put a mic on, your own hands taking it from her to click it onto your team kit. But it wasn’t long before you felt a presence behind you, and a throat quietly clearing itself.

You spun on your heels, your french braided hair swinging against your back. And when you saw the taller man standing in front of you, your breath hitched. His blonde hair seemed brighter in the sun, honeyed strands spread messily over his forehead as if he's been anxiously running his fingers through them whilst waiting. But what caught your attention was the way his blue eyes seemed to see you- and not through you.

You struck your hand out towards him for a handshake, “Hey, I’m Y/n. It’s nice to meet you…”  and even though you already knew his first name you wanted to hear him introduce himself, hear the way his name would sound rolling off his pretty lips. Lips that you shamelessly admired, not that you ever planned to let him know.

But Will, being the gentleman he is, perked up with a bright, friendly smile. His hand was slightly warm as it grabbed yours, his fingers rough as they touched the back of your hand. “Yeah, I know who you are.” he quickly replied before he backtracked, his cheeks warming when he realized what he said. His other hand pushed up to rub the back of his neck, his expression growing shameless. “But I’m Will”

You looked at him from under your lashes, “Will?” you pressed, dragging his name in a questionable tone. He caught what you were putting down and replied with an equally as playful response, “Will Smith, center for the San Jose Sharks.” He laughed when your eyes still didn’t light up with any recognition, “It's a hockey team.” Your mouth opened with a quiet oh, your lips reflecting his smile albeit a tiny bit more shameful.

You dropped your hands when an impulsive giggle left your mouth, your lips spreading in a smile that drew his eyes down to them. “Oh, I don't know if I'm funny enough to entertain Hollywood royalty.” Will jokingly rolled his eyes at your play on his name, his hand leaving his neck to cross over his chest. 

“Well I wouldn't worry too hard, you’re doing pretty good so far.” You both jumped at the sudden voice coming from your sides, both of your eyes wide as if you both just remembered you weren't alone. “The car’s ready when you are.” Two helmets were in his hands and upon further inspection you saw that they both had your number on them- number 46.

“Did you know before I went to the NHL I once used the same number as you?” Your head snapped over towards Will who was casually leaning forward to grab one of the helmets, his eyes momentarily locking onto the staff as he shot them a small thanks. 

“Guess we’re more alike than we think.” His eyes met yours with a small hesitance, his response coming out slower than the others. “Guess we’ll see soon.”

By the time you were both securely strapped into your seats, with him starting with the questions and you behind the wheel, you were already making small talk.

It wasn’t anything worth mentioning, the topic never strayed from a surface-level conversation about his travels from the USA to Hungary. But when your in-ear buzzed with life you knew it was time to go. 

You looked over towards the man who was sitting right beside you with his arms centimetres from yours, and you slightly tilted your head with a carefree smile. Surprisingly, it was genuine. It was easier to like him than most people. 

But when your eyes reached him your eyebrow rose when you already saw him staring at you with his mouth slightly open, just enough for you to see a few of his teeth peaking through his lips. When he realized you were looking at him his cheeks lit up with a blush that, fortunately for him, was covered by his helmet. It was at that moment that he wished that he looked as good to you as you do to him, even with the ridiculously obnoxious helmet. 

“You ready to start?” Your voice still carried the teasing tone from earlier, which he noticed and reciprocated with his own response. “Depends, are you going to go fast?”

You scoffed out loud and when a challenging look entered your eyes Will gulped. You looked up at the camera that was already recording you, the light blinking red, and you adjusted your hands on the wheel.

You gave Will another minute to prepare himself before you went to shift the gear, as the car was already running. But before pressing the gas you shot him a cocky glance, “better hold on, pretty boy. I don’t slow down for anyone.” Before he could respond, your foot pressed down on the throttle and his back went pushing back against the seat.

Your hands moved fluently between shifts, your skills seamlessly bleeding into sports cars just as much as your Red Bull. But when Will still didn’t say anything by turn 9 you quickly glanced over towards him only to accidentally let out a laugh that was a bit too real.

Will, for what it was worth, was doing better than you thought he would. Sure, his eyes were closed and his head was tilted back against the headrest. But he wasn’t green, nor throwing up. 

“You doing alright, Mr Hollywood?” Will finally opened his eyes all the way but couldn’t lift his head far enough from the seat to comfortably look over towards you. But his voice came out deceitful to how he actually felt, it was confident in all the ways he wasn’t. “Yeah, of course. It’s not like it feels like my brain is about to fly out of my head or anything.”

When you slowed down to take turns 12 through 14 he finally had a chance to look down at the cue cards gripped in his hand and at the first question the team prepared for him.

Will’s lips pulled up into a smile when he read the first question, which he knew you would get wrong. He didn’t know who wrote these questions because they clearly weren’t aware that you had no idea who he was, or what he did for a living before today.

You looked over at Will at his sudden laugh, your interest piqued at the amused expression on his face, “what?” you questioned. Will shook his head before looking up at you, “You’re cooked. These questions are all about me.”

Your jaw dropped, “You’re joking.” He shook his head, “Nope. This one is asking when I joined Red Bull.”

Your head shook at him in disbelief, your mouth opening and closing as no answer came to mind. “How am I supposed to know any of those questions when we just met today?” Will shrugged in agreement before he paused and backtracked, “Actually, I bet I will get all yours right.”

You gasped in shock at his claim, your eyes flickering between him and the track in front of you. “No shot, Mr Hollywood.” But Will wasn’t going to give up, “I swear I will! Unlike you, I knew who I was meeting today.”

You pretended to flinch in pain, removing your hand from the wheel to clutch at your chest for dramatics. “You’re not supposed to kick me when I’m already down.” Will looked up from the next cue card only to also gasp– except his was real.

“Whoa! Both hands on the wheel, please. You said it first, you have Hollywood royalty here.” He reiterated your words from earlier with his best attempt at your voice and accent– which was a mixture of a few due to how often you travel. 

“Right, my bad. Forgot I had precious cargo to get back to San Jose.” At the mention of the city Will lives in his head shot up with a bright smile, his voice coming out excited when he laughed at your accidental correct answer. “You literally would’ve gotten the next question right!” 

“No way-“ you played into the overexcited act with your voice coming out higher-pitched, to which he responded the same way, “Yes way, it was asking what city I play for.”

When you went to respond again the producer's voice came into your ears, his statement clear. You only had one more full lap until it was Will’s turn to drive. “Speed run round?” Will nodded at your words, his hands already shuffling through the deck for the easiest ones. 

“What year did I start playing hockey?”

“2014?” Wrong.

“What’s my number?” 

“46.” Wrong.

“What team do I play for?”

“First of all, I should get a half point for 46. But this one’s easy, San Jose Sharks.” Correct.

“Wow, I’m surprised you remembered. What position do I play?”

That question forced your attention away from the road to send him a bewildered look, “Position? Are we allowed to talk about that kind of stuff?” 

Will’s head tilted back with a laugh, his eyes and smile bright, “Like center, defence, goalie.” He started listing off all the positions, to which you just nodded along. 

“Right, yeah obviously that’s what I was thinking of too.” He nodded, “Definitely believe you.”

“Goalie?” You stressed the word, stretching it out longer than you should’ve due to the time nearing its final seconds. And by Will’s silence as you passed the final corner you knew you got it wrong. Which was proven when you parked and looked over at him only to be greeted with him tsking whilst disappointingly shaking his head.

“Goalie? Really?” You shrugged in defence, your hands releasing the wheel to throw up in front of you, “I mean, maybe? What’s wrong with being a goalie, Mr Hollywood? Do you hate goalies?” 

Your bickers didn’t stop between seat changes, your voices coming out loud enough to pull a laugh from the staff around you, and a few headshakes from the ones who were fastening your seatbelts. And as you sat confidently in the passenger seat with the cue cards already prepared, Will was the opposite.

He knew how to drive but having you, someone who drives for a living, sitting beside him made his heart race. He wanted to impress you, he did, but he wasn’t sure how he could do it. 

Instead, he looked at you for guidance, his eyes wide and excited as his palms rubbed against the ribbed wheel. Your pretty eyes were looking at him all patiently, your eyelashes long and fluttering against your eyebrow bone due to your slightly downturned head. 

“Full throttle?” You excitedly nodded at his question, your lips pulling up into a wide smile. “Of course, wouldn’t want anything else.” He nodded to himself as he psyched himself up for it. Full throttling seemed easier in hindsight, but now that he was actually about to do it he had no idea where to start.

“Hold on tight.” You rolled your eyes at his tone but gripped the door handle just to humour him. But right when he released the clutch pedal the engine stalled and the car started rolling.

Will’s head snapped to you when he felt the car move on its own, his eyes wide in shock. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, whether it was from fear or embarrassment he wasn’t sure. 

But when you saw it you broke out in a loud laugh and reach over from your side, your arm brushing his, and ordered him to press the brake whilst you shifted the car into neutral, a small huff left his lips before they pulled into a smile.

“What happened to full throttling, Mr Hollywood?” Will groaned at your playful diss, his eyes fluttering closed as his head tilted away from the camera– which was his attempt to hide his flustered face.

“I’m a hockey player for a reason.” You nodded at his words with a hum, your eyes squinting as him whilst you pulled back and sat back up in your seat, “right, at least I don’t need to worry about Red Bull dropping me for you.”

An offended gasp left Will’s lips at the same time you winked at the camera, “Okay wow, maybe I should wear Max Verstappen’s number this weekend instead.”

He bit the inside of his cheek when you dramatically side-eyed him, his heart fluttering in his chest at the look in your eyes. “I’m not sure how well Max will take someone who can’t throttle a car to wear his number…” You trialled off as your in-ear once again went off. 

Will shook his head, “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” You shrugged with an easygoing laugh, “Well, Mr Hollywood, he’ll definitely be hearing about this later.”

This time when Will started the car he didn’t take off right away, opting to have a slower start compared to yours. “Oh yeah, the McLarens would eat you alive.” Unlike Will, you didn’t have any issue freely moving your head, your neck supporting far less g-force than you were used to. 

“Okay, let’s see if you live up to your own expectations.” You clapped your hands together once before clearing your throat to read off the first question. 

“How many times have I finished out of points since moving up from Formula 3?” 

Will didn’t hesitate to answer, his voice coming out confident and sure, “eight, with only one DNF.” You nodded your head all impressed, your mouth opening with a quiet wow, “Do you know how I DNFed?”

Will nodded, “Kimi Antonelli hit you whilst leaving the pit lane which caused you to lift and spin out in Austria.” He could see you looking at him with an unfamiliar expression on your face as he flawlessly explained what happened. Well, as flawless as he could without knowing all the different racing terms.

You could feel the emotion building in the back of your throat at the remembrance of the crash so you cleared your throat and tried to steer the conversation away with a new question, “I’m assuming you keep up with F1?” He shrugged a bit shyly, “mainly you but yeah sometimes when the races don’t clash with my schedule I’ll watch with Mack.” he admitted in a small voice. 

You cocked your head to the side at the unfamiliar name, “Mack?” You weren’t sure why the name caused your stomach to stir but you didn’t like it. You didn’t like the way your eyes narrowed at the idea of Will having a girlfriend, even if you just met him today. 

“Yeah, he’s my teammate.” You’ve never been more thankful for the man sitting beside you’s fear of looking away from the track,  thanking the universe that Will didn’t catch on to your slight change of tone.

“Righ, um…” You cleared your throat as you shuffled the cue card to the back of the pile to read the next one aloud, “Okay speed run. Am I a world champion? If so, what year did I become one?”

“Last year you got your WDC.” Correct.

“What’s my max position’s lost from pole?”

“None.” Correct.

“What Formula’s did I participate in?”

“Only 3 and 1, and you won in both.” Correct.

“What’s a formation lap?”

“Uhh, the very first lap of the race?” You looked up at him with a gleam in your eyes, “Not necessarily but I guess I’ll give you a point.” You held a finger up to him, “Just this once though, can’t let you get a big head, Mr Hollywood.”

He nodded in agreement, “Right, gotta keep my ego down somehow.” You hummed in agreement, your hands dropping the cards to turn more toward him, “I’m glad you agree.”

It was nearing the last lap and Will was still barely hitting 100km/h. So in a last attempt to push him to go faster, you decided to do what you’ve been doing best, tease him.

“I’ll let you win the challenge if you manage to go 200Km/h on the main straight.” Will looked over at you like you were insane, his eyebrows furrowed in shock, “What do you mean let me win? I literally got all the questions right?”

You shrugged and kept your facade up, “Yeah, but you were also only going like 50 around the chicanes.” Will shook his head at you all bewildered, “And I thought 50 was being generous.”

Your laugh cut through the slightly humid air like an arrow, and it hit him right where you aimed, “Maybe for some teams, definitely not Red Bull though.”

Before you could save face for the camera you forgot was there until now Will’s foot pushed down on the gas as you felt your body getting pulled back. Will knew that lap was supposed to be the last one but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to hear your cute giggle one last time.

And he didn’t regret it one bit when you made him reverse all the way back down the straight and towards where the staff were standing waiting for you, his manager and yours both looking more impressed than anyone else. 

When you both left the car you rounded the front to pull him into a small half-hug, which he reciprocated the second his mind began to work again. His lungs refused to breathe when you looked up at him, your eyes wide and still bright– clearly riding off the adrenaline from earlier. 

“It was nice meeting you, Mr Hollywood.” You strung out his nickname a bit longer than usual, your right eye pulling down in a farewell wink.

“Bye.” He mentally kicked himself when he raised his hand into a nerdy wave, his eyebrows coming together when he realized that you might’ve actually been laughing at him when you saw it. But you didn’t say anything, only sent him one last nod.

And right when your back was turned to him with your braid still swinging with each step he called out your name in a singular breath, his hand clenching by his side when you looked over your shoulder with knowing eyes. 

“Your summer break is next week, right?” At your nod he kept going, his voice shaky, “How would you feel about coming to San Jose? Maybe I could show you around the ice instead.” You smiled at him and fully turned to face him, but your feet kept walking backwards. 

“I suppose I could make a stop at San Jose.” You didn’t offer any other details, and only turned back around– and he didn’t move from his spot until you disappeared around the corner. 

It wasn’t until now that the 12-hour flight felt worth every uncomfortable shift in his seat. Because it led him to you, and he wasn’t prepared to let you go anytime soon. 

—

yourusername

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yourusername no better good way to start off the summer break with p1 in budapest. see you soon San Jose ;)

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redbullracing Another Budapest win for L/N 🙌

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maxverstappen33 🍾🎉❤️

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↳ yourusername thanks maxie

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mackcelebrini @_willsmith

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_willsmith see you soon

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↳ yourusername looking forward to it, Mr Hollywood 💋

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↳ mackcelebrini @yourusername i think you killed

him

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user1 did anyone else see the way that one hockey player hugged y/n after her podium?

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user2 SHES ACTUALLY GOING TO SAN JOSE?

40 mins ago 12 likes reply send

user3 is anyone else wondering who took that photo of her? just me?

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user4 why are my two worlds colliding rn?

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user5 WHY ARE SO MANY HOCKEY PLAYERS IN THE LIKES? @rutgermcgroaty if you see this can you follow me?

40 mins ago 71 likes reply send

user6 was that video a hot lap or a hot date because what was that tension?

40 mins ago 2.5k likes reply send

user7 am i the only one who still ships her with Kimi?

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OliviaRodrigo Thank you so much Antwerp you were a dream! Amsterdam here we come!

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Conangray She’s on the moon!

OliviaRodrigo 🌕🌙

SabrinaCarpenter Pop princess

OliviaRodrigo Says you

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Yourusername Loved seeing you! Liked by author

User1 I GOT TO SEE YOU!

User2 Anyone saw Y/n’s deleted comments?!

User3 OMG YES! I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME!

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User5 Wait Y/n went? How she has a race tomorrow?!

User6 multitasking queen

User7 I love you💜

User8 I love her friendship with other singers💕

User9 How does she know Y/n? I am genuinely curious because I love them both.

User10 They met through Gracie because Gracie and Y/n went to the same school and then Gracie introduced them. Now they are really good friends

User12 I LOVED THE SHOW!

User13 you killed it!

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Liked by OliviaRodrigo and 2.736.936 others

Yourusername Had a great time at the GUTS Tour! Thank you so much for the invite liv!Also some pictures with Ferrari stud bc I drive cars or something…

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OliviaRodrigo I’m glad you enjoyed it! Liked by author

OliviaRodrigo You are so hot

Charles_Leclerc …Driving cars or something????

Charles_Leclerc also don’t we have a race tomorrow?

Yourusername Yes! But I can multitask!

Scuderia_Ferrari … were glad you enjoyed your time…? And good that you wore the jacket and posted your car…?

Yourusername Exactly!

User1 OMG YOU ARE A LIVIE?!

Yourusername YES! Always and forever!

User2 LIV?!?! WHAT IS THIS?!

User3 OMG I STOOD NEXT TO YOU!!

User4 Love the outfit!

User5 anyone see Olivia’s deleted comments liked by 1.837 others

User6 Not the thing about the cars😂 so unserious🤣

User7 I love you!

User8 Aren’t you tired? You have media day tomorrow and the day after FP1 and FP2

Yourusername As I said ✨multisasking✨

User9 I love her friendship with Olivia!

User10 SHE WENT TO THE TOUR?!

User11 she really is a girls girl

User12 not the work with fun😂

User13 IM IN LOVE WITH YOU!

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Instagram

Liked by OliviaRodrig and 1.173.736 others

Yourusername Forza Ferrari! A little photo dump of Imola before Monaco. Saw a lot of red, but it suits me so that’s a plus.

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Scuderia_Ferrari Forza Ferrari!

Charles_Leclerc Red!

User1 gorgeous

User2 Why is Olivia liking a post that has nothing to do with her?!

User3 prolly because they are friends

User4 Good luck in Monaco!

User5 ❤️

User6 P5! In the points!

User7 So happy to see more women in motorsports!

User8 What do you think about Charles adopting Oscar?

User9 You’re so pretty!

User10 Red does really looks good on you!

User11 good luck this weekend!

User12 I love the GenZ energy

User13 Favourite driver ever

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Instagram

Yourusername posted a story

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Twitter

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Instagram

Liked by OliviaRodrigo and 2.836.837 others

Yourusername P3🏆 happy with the results and very happy for Charles and the team! Congratulations!

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Charles_Leclerc couldn’t have done it without you!

Scuderia_Ferrari A grat race again Y/n!

OliviaRodrigo Great job! Liked by author

User1 P3!

User2 Great job! Ready for the next posium!

User3 Olivia is earlier than me and I have notifications on?!

User4 so true! I love their friendship!

User5 Our racing queen!

User6 💜💕❤️

User7 not her petting a picture of her and Olivia in her racing post😂

User8 she’s so pretty!

User9 She looked so happy!

User10 Anyone know why she was giggling on her phone so much?!

User11 maybe she has a boyfriend?!

User12 OMG THAT WOULD BE SO AMAZING!!

User13 Were up for a great season!

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Instagram

Liked by OliviaRodrigo and 4.736.836 others

Yourusername Had a fun time. Met this girl, she kept following me around, her name is Olivia or something… she is cool I guess. Did some cool things, visited some cool places. Being aesthetic and all…

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OliviaRodrigo Mean?!

Yourusername Who are you again?

User1 I love their friendship your honour

Charles_Leclerc I am just going to be silent and not ask what is happening in those pictures

Yourusername That’s great

User2 the caption😂

User3 Very aesthetic indeed👍

User4 I love them😍

User6 Hotttttt

User7 Paris and Ferrari, the best combination!

User8 museum twice, painting picnic AND Paris?! What is going on?!

User9 is it just me or does this look like a date…?

User10 OMG YOURE RIGHT! AND ALSO THE INSTA STORY!

User11 Seriously? They’re just friends and they both don’t like girls

User12 they’re so pretyyyyyyyy

User13 💕💜❤️😍

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Twitter

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Instagram

Liked by OliviaRodrigo and 4.936.836 others

Yourusername I alsways love hanging out with the best people in my life. And this is an other instance of that. I loved hanging out with you @OliviaRodrigo. Thank you for being there for me💕

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OliviaRodrigo I love hanging out with you too💕 I will always be there for you💜❤️

Yourusername 💕💜❤️

User1 Them using each other’s colours😭😭

User2 I love their friendship!

User3 awwwww

User4 they are friendship goals

User5 so pretty

User6 friendship dates are the best!

User7 so cute

User8 why does this kind of look like a soft/hard launch?!?!

User9 It really doesn’t. They are just posting about their friendship, she even said it in the caption!

Charles_Leclerc 🤦‍♂️

Yourusername shut up

User10 wait what happened?!

User11 why does this kind of look like a couple??

User12 gorgeous women liked by author and OliviaRodrigo

User13 In love with both

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Twitter

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Liked by Yourusername and 5.735.836 others

OliviaRodrigo A little break between shows and city’s 💜💕❤️ happy to be home

View all 18.735 comments

Yourusername 💜💕❤️ liked by author

Yourusername You’re so hot🥵

SabrinaCarpenter Hope you enjoy your brake! Liked by author

User1 Friendship goals!!

User2 They are the cutest friends ever!

User3 Her wearing red is so cute! Girls supporting girls!

User4 I love them!

User5 the 5th picture🥵

User6 anyone saw Y/n’s deleted comment???

User7 I thought it was just me’

User8 Again this really looks like a hard/soft launch!!

User9It doesn’t!!!

User10 I hope you enjoy your brake! You deserve it!

User11 not her calling Y/n her home 🥲

User12 the 4th pic is so cute!!

Yourusername 🤦‍♀️ liked by author

User13 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!

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Liked by OliviaRodrigo and 8.986.836 others

Yourusername I had an amazing time with MY GIRLFRIEND and I really enjoys the break. You are my person, my others half. Even if the entire word things we are just best friends EVEN WHEN WE SOFT LAUNCH AND HARD LAUNCH. I love you very much and I am very happy to have you in my life. 💜💕❤️

View all 125.736 comments

OliviaRodrigo Gorgeous girl, my girl, MY GIRLFRIEND

Yourusername always and forever

Charles_Leclerc Finally!! It took long enough!

Yourusername so true!

SabrinaCarpenter So happy for you two!

Yourusername Thank you Sab - me and liv

GracieAbrams Don’t forget you met through me!

Yourusername We could never

OliviaRodrigo Yeah cause Gracie keeps telling us

User1 I love them already

ConanGray Now I can finally post all the photos of you two!

OliviaRodrigo Please do!

Scuderia_Ferrari so happy for you two!

Landonorris does this mean I can get tickets??

Yourusername no

Lilymhe Why wasn’t I informed about this? I thought we were friends!

Yourusername we are! I’m sorry but almost no one on the grid knows! Can I make it better with GUTS tickets…?

Lilymhe …yes. You are forgiven after I have gone to the concert

OliviaRodrigo and where is my opinion in this?

Yourusername with mine

OliviaRodrigo Of course my love

Lilymhe I love y’all already

User2 ONG WHAT?!?!

User3 So they were trying to tell us this whole time???…

Yourusername yes

OliviaRodrigo yes

Charles_Leclerc yes

SabrinaCarpenter yes

ConanGray yes

GracieAbrams yes

User3 OMG HI!

User4 SO CUTE!

User5 Hottest couple for real

User6 wait so how long were you two together??

Yourusername Around 1 year. Our anniversary was on the 3 year anniversary of SOUT

User7 WAIT. so you got together on 2 years SOUR?! Cute!

OliviaRodrigo Yes!

User8 I was right!!!!!!

Yourusername and the only one at that

User9 I’m so sorry!

User10 your girlfriends hot

User11 cutest couple ever

User12 I DID NOT expect this

User13 THIS IS WHY THEY USE THE EMOJIS! Red is for Y/n purple is for Olivia and the pink hards of two is for them together! Liked by author

User13 SHE LIKED

She wasn't sure if this was better or worse than she anticipated. She vividly recalled her first press conference last year when she was still driving for ART Grand Prix. They asked her ridiculous questions like whether it was professional to wear skirts in the paddock (yes), who the most attractive driver was (herself, obviously), and even if her father was disappointed that she reached a milestone in motorsport before her older brother (Dudu, who raced with their father in Brazilian Stock Series. And no, he had already made it clear he was proud of both of them).

In the first few minutes, she assumed it was because she was a rookie. But then Oscar Piastri answered a fair share of questions while looking at her as if he didn't understand why people were treating her like an invisible presence. She would shrug her shoulders and the australian reluctantly answered reporters' inquiries.

She was sandwiched between Lewis, who seemed impatient as time dragged on without any questions directed towards her, and Max Verstappen, who quickly responded to his own questions and showed his eagerness to leave. Two rookies, two world champions, but only three drivers deemed important enough for interviews.

The world-renowned champion's frustration peaked when asked about his recent vacation activities.

"Is this a joke?" he asked. "Do you really want to know what I did on my vacation more than asking her interesting questions?" He gestured towards the girl beside him.

"It's alright, Lewis-"

"With all due respect, Hamilton," one of the reporters interjected with a sarcastic smirk on his face. "I can't imagine what kind of questions we could ask Miss Barrichello besides her makeup preferences or favorite clothing brands."

"How about the fact that I won four championships in a row as a rookie?" She responded with a fake sweet smile plastered on her face. She could accept to be ignored, but she refused to be underestimated. "Or maybe any questions about Porsche joining the grid this year?"

"I don't think winning a championship by such a small margin of points is anything to be praised." The reporter retorted. His expression implied that he wasn't expecting the young girl to comfort him, but he couldn't hold back.

"Really? So we should just say that the battle between Max and Lewis in 2021-" she indicated towards them "-was nothing worth celebrating? Such an uneventful year for this sport."

Verstappen leaned forward, observing the interaction between the girl and the reporter. This press conference just became much more interesting.

"Strong words from someone who has never stepped foot in a race car." He chimed in, agreeing with the youngest person in the room.

"That's not what I meant." The reporter stuttered, noticing the security chief slowly approaching him. The middle-aged man was one of many security guards in the paddock that had known the driver since she was a child, and she knew that one look in his direction and the man would be escorted out.

"Of course, of course," she replied sarcastically. "You mean it's not worth celebrating because a woman won, right? Please, if you're going to insult me, at least try to make it believable. Or better yet, don't speak if you have no idea what you're talking about"

The tension in the room was palpable as another reporter spoke up, "But Y/n, let's be real here. The races were mostly dominated by your teammate, Frederik Vesti or runner-up Felipe Drugovich. Your victories were purely tactical."

She leaned back in her chair with a smug smile playing on her lips. "Is that so? Yet somehow I managed to come out on top every time."

Verstappen nodded in agreement, "She's definitely got a point there."

The press room fell into an intense quiet, causing y/n to regret her decision to do this interview. She knew that this type of situation would become more common as her fame grew in the coming year. She also understood that Lewis would be praised for defending her while she would face criticism for simply standing up for herself against a man who was only doing his job.

The silence was broken by a female journalist in the back, hidden behind the larger, more muscular bodies of her male counterparts. But y/n could never mistake that blonde hair for anyone else. Mariana Becker was a veteran sports reporter, an icon in Brazilian journalism, and a role model for any woman breaking into a male-dominated field.

“I wish I had raised my hand earlier; I didn't realize it would take so long for someone to ask you a question,” she chuckled. "I don't think anyone will object to two questions, right?" The woman looked around the room, and the other interviewers avoided making eye contact with the veteran.

"So, y/n, you've been asked countless times about being a woman in a male-dominated world and the difficulties you face because of it. However, with such a successful junior career full of records, I honestly don't see the need to ask that question again. Instead, I'd like to focus on the positive aspects. What does it mean to you knowing that a new generation of girls can look up to you as an inspiration and be motivated to pursue their dreams?"

The girl's face lit up with gratefulness for the refreshing question and relief that she wouldn't have to answer the same question she had already answered countless times before.

"It's incredibly inspiring for me as well. Growing up in this environment, surrounded by racing cars, I was also discouraged from pursuing this career. But I can only imagine how much more difficult it must have been for young girls who were ridiculed just for dreaming of driving a go-kart. To know that I can play a role in encouraging them to follow their dreams without fear of judgment is truly exciting."

Lewis subtly raised his thumb in a gesture of approval while she chuckled.

"Excellent," said the reporter with a smile. "One more question, how did your father react when you told him you were entering the world of Formula 1?"

"He cried," y/n answered quickly, eliciting laughter from those in the room. "He's quite the crybaby, so I waited until we were together to share the news of my contract with Porsche. At first, he cried tears of joy, then fear, and eventually a mixture of both. That's when he realized that all three of his children were following in his footsteps as race car drivers and that he'd have to pay for everything he put his own father through."

The reporter chuckled along with y/n. Mari had interviewed Rubens back when he was in Formula 1, and remembers clearly how emotional the man always was. The conference went on like this for another half an hour, with y/n answering everything from her expectations for the upcoming season to her favorite tracks and how she dealt with pressure.

The balaclava, damp with sweat, clung tightly to her face as she stood at attention. Her race engineer, a tall black man with a buzzcut and a calm expression, waited patiently beside her. She smoothed down the folds of her crisp, red-and-black uniform, adorned with her country's flag on the sleeve.

"How was the conference?" Jasper asked.

The girl muttered something that Jasper couldn't make out. "That bad? Did they bring up the issue with wearing skirts in the paddock again?"

"They didn't ask anything at first, but then one guy made a comment about me winning the championship by a narrow margin of points not being worthy of praise. Except it wasn't even a narrow margin; Felipe finished about sixty points behind me., and Fred was more than a hundred points behind, despite driving the same car as me" She complained.

Jasper winced. The relationship between the engineer and the driver had been amazing during pre-season tests with the man acting like a friend and a mentor, and they had found a groove to envy.

"You'll need to come up with a strategy for dealing with these reporters," Jasper advised.

"I already have one."

"Really?" He glanced at the clock on the track and realized that time was running out. He handed her the helmet with both hands. She grinned and smoothly put it on. The colors of her country's flag stood out against the black and red of the car, making it impossible to miss.

"Yes. WWJD."

"What does that stand for?"

"What Would Jenson Do. Originally, it was "What Would Kimi Do," but I quickly realized that Kimi would just tell everyone to go fuck themselves, and I can't exactly do that yet."

The garage was a whirlwind of activity, with mechanics frantically making last-minute adjustments and drivers strapping into their cars. The scent of gasoline and burning rubber wafted through the air, adding to the excitement and tension that crackled in the atmosphere.

Everywhere she looked, there were people moving with purpose, each one focused on their individual tasks to ensure a successful first qualifying session of the season. The roar of engines being revved and tools clanging against metal filled her ears, drowning out any other sound. It was a chaotic but exhilarating scene as the countdown to the race began.

"Why not "What Would Rubens Do"?" He asked.

She chuckled. "My dad is too nice. In his only fight in his entire Formula 1 career, he told the mechanic who wanted to fight him to get someone else because he was too small."

Jasper's phone buzzed insistently, jolting him out of his thoughts and reminding him that only five minutes remained until the start of Q1. After the last few adjustments from the mechanics, y/n managed to squeeze into her car and secure her seatbelt. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest, a mix of nerves and excitement coursing through her body as she prepared for the intense competition ahead.

Jasper rested his arms on the halo. "Don't forget what we discussed earlier," he reminded her. "In Q1, six cars will be eliminated, followed by six more in Q2. This means that the top ten fastest cars will battle for pole position. Based on our data, we are definitely faster than Alpha Tauri, Alfa Romeo, Haas, and Williams - a total of eight cars."

The girl nodded eagerly, her eyes glued to the man as he continued. "At the very least, you and Mick should be able to make it into Q2. We're not sure how Alpine and McLaren are doing, but they don't seem to be as quick as us." He gestured towards the track outside where the other teams were busy with their own preparations. "But we can't let our guard down. Anything can happen during quali." The tension was palpable as they both waited for their turn on the track.

"So, we're trying for Q3 then?" She inquired, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity and determination.

"Officially, I was instructed to tell you that Q2 is sufficient, but we can't know our full potential until we're on the track."

A sly grin appeared on her face, hidden behind her helmet. She pushed down her visor, ready to give it her all. "Well, I say let's aim for Q3 then. I want to see what this car can really do."

A gentle laugh escaped Jasper's lips, his eyes shining with admiration. "That's the spirit, echo. Show them what you're made of."

With one final nod, y/n shifted her focus, tuning out the noise and commotion of the pit lane. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, using all her senses to ground herself in the present moment. The smell of burning rubber and gasoline filled her nostrils as she visualized the track ahead. The deafening roar of the engine drowned out all other sounds, sending shivers down her spine.

Jasper's voice crackled through the radio in her ear, sounding like a distant robot. "Radio check," he said, his tone serious and business-like.

She adjusted gloves as she responded, "I hear you loud and clear." Her hands were tightly gripped on the steering wheel as she followed Logan Sargeant's Williams out of the pit lane. It was a tight squeeze with the Porsche garage being the newest addition to the grid. She bit her lip, hoping that their placement in the pit lane wouldn't cause any trouble in the future.

"Great. Warm up your tires and then do a flying lap. We want to get a better idea of our potential and avoid any possible disruptions from a Red Flag," Jasper instructed.

"Roger that," she replied, trying to keep her breathing steady as cars started to move around her. She prayed that the onboard camera wouldn't catch her trembling hands as she prepared for her first real lap on the track.

The engine roared to life as she pressed down on the accelerator, gripping the steering wheel with determination. The car surged forward, its tires screeching against the asphalt, leaving a trail of smoke behind. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, heightening her senses as she focused on the task at hand.

The wind whipped through, carrying with it a symphony of sounds—engines revving, tires squealing, and the distant cheers of the crowd. Her heart pounded in sync with the rhythm of the track, each beat pulsating through her chest.

As the cars whizzed by, she made a conscious effort to stay out of their way while completing her out lap. It was her first Grand Prix, and she wasn't about to receive an impeding penalty. She could feel the engine roaring to life and her car responding with precision, its tires getting ready to set a time that would hopefully secure her from elimination in the initial round.

Jasper's voice crackled through the radio once again. "Alright, you're good to go. Try your best," he encouraged, his voice filled with unwavering support.

"Copy." She smirked.

The pre-tests and free practice had prepared her for what was to come, but nothing could have truly prepared her for the exhilaration of sitting behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. The engine purred like a fierce beast, ready to unleash its power at any moment. The sleek body of the car hugged the track, cutting through the air with precision and grace.

As she approached the first turn, she braked hard, shifting her weight to navigate the corner with precision. The G-forces pressed against her body, threatening to tear her away from reality. But she held firm, refusing to let anything distract her from the objective ahead.

She feathered the throttle, feeling the car respond to her slightest movements. The tires gripped the track, providing a sense of stability as she accelerated out of the turn, leaving her the other car trailing behind. Y/n's focus was unwavering, her eyes fixated on the next set of corners, mentally calculating her approach.

The flying lap was over in an instant, and the sound of the cheering crowd filled her ears as she crossed the finish line and set her initial time.

"Way to go, girl!" Jasper's voice crackled through the radio. "You've got P8, I repeat, P8. We're safely into Q2, but stay on track just in case. Prepare for another quick lap."

"How did Mick do?" she asked eagerly.

"P10, 0.78 seconds behind you," Jasper's voice was filled with pride as he responded. Despite his efforts to maintain professionalism, they were both rookies in the Formula 1 world, even if in different roles. "I got a great feeling about us, Barrichello. This could be the beginning of something legendary."

The minutes seemed to stretch into hours as she waited for the race to begin and she started to feel claustrophobic inside her cramped driver's room.

Finally, unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer, she stepped outside into the bustling garage. The sight of her team, clad in matching uniforms and working tirelessly on their cars, brought a small smile to her face. As she made her way through the maze of mechanics and equipment, she was greeted with reassuring smiles and words of encouragement.

This was not just her first race, but also the team's inaugural race. In a way, they were all rookies, feeling the pressure and nerves just as she was.

Standing outside, it was clear that several eyes were on her. Some, like the veteran Ferrari mechanics who had known her since she was a little girl, flashed comforting smiles and gave her thumbs up, wishing her the best of luck. Others raised their eyebrows with skepticism, as if they believed her presence on the grid was some sort of elaborate prank that hadn't been revealed yet.

Amidst a sea of red and black uniforms, the bright green outfit of the two-time world champion stood out prominently. Fernando paid no mind to the curious glances from his mechanics as he made his way confidently towards the girl.

"You're not allowed in here, Alonso." She teased, playfully crossing her arms in a gesture that made her seem much older than she was.

"Is that how it is now? You qualify in the Top 10 in your first race and all of a sudden I'm just Alonso, not Nando?" He responded with a chuckle. Clutching his heart dramatically, he leaned back as if struck by sudden agony. "What happened to all our pizza days? They meant nothing to you?"

The character she was playing no longer felt right to her, and the words she spoke didn't align with the expression on her face. She fought to suppress a smile as she continued, "That person you knew, Alonso? She is gone now."

As the man approached, she couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity wash over her. His dark hair and intense brown eyes were etched into her memory, but it was his infectious smile that brought back a flood of childhood memories.

Fernando rested his hands on her shoulders and held onto his helmet, which puzzled her. With only a few minutes left before the race began, he could have easily stored it in his own garage rather than carrying it around. But she pushed those thoughts aside as his gaze softened and he spoke.

"You were the size of a flea when I met you," he said with a chuckle. She smiled at the memory of their first encounter. She had been just six years old at the time, tagging along with her father to one of his races. She remembered being mesmerized by the speed and energy of the cars on the track, but also feeling a little intimidated by the loud noises and bustling crowds.

But then she saw him – Alonso – standing tall and proud in his racesuit. He had noticed her watching him from behind the fence and had flashed her a tight smile. Somehow, from that one interaction, she had become a fan. From then on, whenever she visited the track with her father, she would always seek out Fernando.

Initially, the Spaniard couldn't comprehend why the young girl found him so intriguing. He knew he was talented and quick on the race track, but children were not his forte. Alonso would often try to distance himself from the girl, offering only friendly waves and smiles. However, when she presented him with a drawing of himself on the podium with a trophy (which he still keeps today), everything changed.

"You used to avoid me like the plague," she recalled.

"That's not entirely true," Fernando denied, but quickly changed his tune when the girl raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I wasn't too fond of being followed around by a little girl. Can you blame me? If anything happened to you, I would have to deal with your father, Michael, Kimi, and all the mechanics that you had wrapped around your finger."

He became somewhat of figure between an older brother and a father figure to her, always ready with words of encouragement and advice.

Now here they were, both grown up and about to race against each other for the very first time.

"I can't believe we're finally racing against each other," she said with a mixture of excitement and nerves.

"It's about time," Fernando replied with a smirk. "I've been waiting for this moment since you beat me in go-karts."

A smile tugged at her lips as she recalled the moment. During one of his trips with her family to cheer her on during her junior career, they decided to have some fun and race go-karts. She had managed to beat him by mere thousandths of a second, and she made sure to remind him of it constantly afterwards.

"What's on the agenda for today, Mija?" He asked, looking around at the girl's garage.

"Hah, like I would share that with you. I love you, Nando, but now we're competitors." She narrowed her eyes playfully. "You're just trying to take advantage because we're close."

"You got me." He chuckled, knowing it wasn't entirely true.

She sighed and crossed her arms with a hesitant expression. "Rule number one is to not crash into Mick. Number two is to avoid crashing into anyone else. Our team isn't expecting a stellar performance, so if we can maintain our starting positions, both cars will score points. That's our main goal."

"Oh, come on. Don't you want to try overtaking someone?" he prodded.

Y/N laughed. "Why? You want to see me in your rearview mirror?"

"Of course I do," he admitted. "Competing for a win with you would be incredible."

He pushed his helmet towards the girl, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Confused, she tilted her head in question. “I appreciate the gift, but I think you’ll need it today.”

Fernando laughed, memories flooding back to him. “Remember when your dad retired and you started coming to races with me?”

The memories flooded back, of her father's days in the high-stakes world of Formula 1. Though he had since retired, Fernando still managed to convince Rubens to allow her to travel with him to races closer to her home, and sometimes even to the grand prix in his homeland.

She quickly caught on to his request and playfully darted away from him before snagging the helmet. It had become a tradition since she was ten years old, and Fernando had unofficially taken on the role of her godfather. She used to do this same routine with her own father, so it felt natural to continue with the spaniard. He stood there, slightly perplexed, wondering if he had said or done something wrong. But just moments later, the young girl returned with her own helmet in hand.

"Wouldn't it be fair for you to do the same for me this time?" she asked playfully.

The two exchanged helmets and planted a kiss on the part of the helmet that would soon cover each other's foreheads.

"Stay safe, Nando"

"You too. Give us hell"

"It's an easy overtake for Barrichello in the Porsche, and she takes the position from Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin!" David Croft's voice rings across the circuit, and the crowd roars, the flags from her country and Germany flying around.

"Great job!" The voice of her race engineer appears in her ear, breaking through her intense concentration. "Russell is 1.2 ahead, close the gap to be able to use DRS when it is enabled."

"Copy" she nods, instinctively, her eyes never leaving the track ahead. She knows what she needs to do, and she pushes her car to its limits, weaving through the curves and straights with precision and skill.

As she closes the gap between her and the british driver, she can feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She's in her element, in the midst of the intense competition that she lives for.

"0.7. Go for it, elbows out" Jasper said again.

The cheers of the pit crew resounded in her ears as she used the extra boost to overtake the Mercedes. It was a challenge to defend against George's attempts at whiplash and reclaim her position, but once they were off the main straight, she managed to create a considerable gap between them.

The rest of the race flew by in a blur. The girl lost track of her position, constantly overtaking some cars only to be overtaken shortly after. However, Jasper's encouraging words kept her going.

Jasper's voice crackled through the radio as she approached the final stretch of the race. "Virtual safety car, slow down," he instructed.

She quickly checked her rearview mirror, looking for her teammate. "Is it ours?" she asked.

"No, it's Leclerc in the Ferrari," Jasper replied, "which puts us in fifth place."

She could see Hamilton was more than five seconds behind, and the yellow flag meant that Alonso was slowing down ahead of her.

"As soon as the VSC is lifted, you'll have a clear shot to overtake," Jasper added.

Who would have thought that she would be right on Fernando's heels after all?

After a few laps of caution due to the previous incident, the green flags were waved and she wasted no time in accelerating towards the Aston Martin driven by the Spaniard. She steadily closed the gap between them until she was right behind him. However, just as she was about to make a move to pass him, he outmaneuvered Carlos Sainz's Ferrari.

In a swift and calculated maneuver, she positioned her car on the inside of Sainz, who seemed too focused on reclaiming his position to check his mirrors. Taking advantage of his momentary lapse of attention, she quickly overtook him.

Jasper's voice was filled with excitement as he shouted, "That's it, echo! What a fantastic move!" She could almost hear the smile in his tone. "Alonso is already ten seconds ahead, so concentrate on defending now."

The final laps seemed like a blur, the girl steadily increasing the gap between her and the Ferrari with each lap.

"It's a flawless performance from Porsche, with both cars scoring points on this historic day. Mick Schumacher equals his best career finish with an incredible P6, and Y/N Barrichello takes fourth place, becoming the first woman to score in a Formula 1 race since Lella Lombardi and achieving the highest position for a woman in history!"

The sound of the bustling cheers from the Porsche garage fills her ears as she struggled to park the car with trembling hands. “Unbelievable! P4, y/n, P4! We scored 21 points and Mick got the fastest lap. What a start,” Jasper exclaims over the radio.

She stepped out of the car on shaky legs and is immediately greeted by Carlos, who had parked his car behind hers. “Where did you come from?” he asked with a chuckle. “I was trying to overtake Fernando, and suddenly you were right beside me.”

She took off her helmet and balaclava, her hair damp with sweat and sticking to her forehead and neck. She culdn't help but laugh. "Next time, check your mirrors," She teases her good-naturedly.

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace. The sweat that coated both of them didn't matter, nor did the fact that she still needed to weigh herself. She squeezed Mick even tighter and they both seemed too overjoyed to let go.

He took a step back but kept his arms around her. "Fourth place in your first race! I told you not to worry," the German exclaimed proudly.

"And look who's talking with the fastest lap!" She laughed in agreement. "We did it, Mick. We fucking did it."

A bottle of water suddenly appeared in her line of sight, and she turned to thank the person who handed it to her. To her surprise, it was Lewis with a smile on his face.

"If you had just overtaken one more person, you would have joined the club," he joked, pointing to Kevin Magnussem, who appeared to be deep in conversation with his teammate. "It was quite a race for the two of you."

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting to end up anywhere higher than where I started, so P4 is already a great achievement," she replied with a laugh as she took the cold bottle from him. The girl then turned to Lewis again and asked about his own race.

"P7. Mick managed to pass me on the last lap," he responded, glancing over at the young driver who chuckled in response.

The adrenaline was still pumping through her veins as y/n made her way to the weighing machines. She couldn't believe it, a P4 finish on her debut race. It seemed like a dream come true.

She stepped onto the scales, trying to calm her racing heart. The number flashed on the screen, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, just made it," she muttered to herself.

Grabbing a towel to wipe off the sweat from her face, she quickly discarded her race suit at her hips, and made her way to her garage in her white fireproofs.

To an outsider, it might have seemed like the team had just won a world championship, not a P6 and P4. People were clapping her on the back and embracing Mick, and she struggled to decipher the various voices exclaiming with joy.

Jasper appeared in front of her with a bottle of champagne in hand. "Congratulations y/n, you did amazing out there!" he exclaimed before popping open the bottle and spraying champagne everywhere.

She laughed as some of the bubbly liquid hit her skin. "Thanks Jasper! I couldn't have done it without your perfect strategy. Great call with the tyres"

He grinned at her before turning serious. "But seriously y/n, you did a great job out there. We're all so proud of you." The rest of the team joined them in cheers and congratulations.

Before they could continue their conversation, Adrian, the team principle, arrived at their garage looking ecstatic. "Great job everyone! A double-points finish for our debut race, this is just the beginning." He raised his glass of champagne before taking a sip.

Y/n looked around and couldn't help but feel proud of her team. They had come a long way since their first tests together. And now here they were, competing in one of the most prestigious racing championships in the world.

Adrian turned to her with a smile. "Y/n, I must say you exceeded all expectations today. You have proven yourself as a valuable addition to our team." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Keep up the good work."

She couldn't help but blush at his words and nod gratefully. This was everything she had ever dreamed of - to be part of a successful racing team and make her mark in the sport.

As the celebrations continued, y/n couldn't help but think about how far she had come. From fighting for sponsorships to competing against some of the best drivers in the world, it felt like a dream come true.

But amidst all the excitement and joy, there was still one thing weighing on her mind - her family. She missed them terribly and wished they could be here to witness her success.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

"Muito orgulhoso de você filhota. Eu sabia que você ia arrasar! Me liga quando acabar tudo aí" — PAPAI. (so so proud of you, baby. i knew you would rock it! call me once you're done with everything there.)

Soon after, her older brother's name appeard on her phone as well. A quick congrats was followed by a video. Tapping on it, she couldn't contain the tears as she watched her father by the TV, holding tightly their flag and exploding in joy as the checkered flag was waved and his daughter finished in fourth.

He erupted with happiness, leaping and embracing her siblings and close friends who had gathered to witness her debut. He would excitedly point towards the television, shouting with pride, "There she is! My little girl!"

A big smile crept onto her face as she quickly replied back with an update on how things were, and a promise to video call her family as soon as she was cleared from the media.

"Time for the boring stuff now. Ready for the interviews?" Mick pulled her out of her thoughts. He had his phone on his hand, and she imagined he was also communicating with his family. "I can go first, if you want."

She took a deep breath, and smiled. "It's okay, i'll go. There's nothing they can say that could ruin my day. Not anymore."