After the Hate Has Gone (Sebastian Vettel)

3. Globetrotting

Malaysia 2013

You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. Never had the two Red Bull drivers been further apart. Christian sat between them trying to play peacemaker but it soon became clear to him that this wasn't going to go away.

Seb had defied a direct team order and overtaken Mark to win the race. Mark was rightly pissed off but Seb was Seb. He was a racer, a world champion. He was never going to stay behind his slower team mate. Christian knew that deep down. He just felt like banging their heads together.

"Just get out, the pair of you! Just remember, we are supposed to be a team. About time you two started acting like it." They both stomped out, heading in opposite directions. 

Seb was absolutely seething. He had come out of this looking like the villain. Sure, what he'd done was a bit of pay back for Brazil last season. Another reason he had done it was because he didn't like losing. Especially when he knew he was faster. It wasn't his fault that Webber didn't have the balls to do what had to be done.

He turned the corner and collided with a person heading the other way.  They both ended up sprawled on the floor.

"For fuck's sake, watch where you're going!" Seb shouted.

"Take your own advice you idiot." Oh no, he thought. It really had to be her, didn't it? Of all the people he could have bumped into, it had to be her.

He stood up and held his hand out, offering to help her up.  She glared at him and ignored his hand, getting up by herself.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Does it matter Sebastian? As long as Sebastian is OK. I guess Mark found that out the hard way. "

"You don't approve of what I did?  Why am I not surprised?"

"It was a dick move. Surely deep down inside you you must realise that. "

"I was racing, I was faster, I passed him, I won."

"Keep saying that, maybe you'll believe it."  She walked off. Why did her opinion of him hurt so much? Why did he care what that woman thought. He had been within his right to pass Mark. Hadn't he?

Spain May 2013

China and Bahrain had passed without drama.
Charlotte had managed to refrain from talking to Sebastian. His arrogance never ceased to amaze her. He still hadn't backed down over what was becoming known as the Multi 21 incident, repeating his "I was racing, I was faster, I passed him, I won" mantra to the press.

Away from the track things were fairly decent. She'd become quite good friends with Sophie. It was Wednesday night and they were heading out to meet Joel and his minions, as they been nicknamed, for dinner.

"So, come on Sophie, tell me the truth. Is there something going on between you and Joel?" Sophie laughed.

"What makes you think that?" she asked.

"There's just a spark there between you. It's so obvious."  Sophie blushed.

"Nothing's happened. I do like him though. I don't want to make a move in case he doesn't feel the same."

"Hes crazy about you. A fool could see that. " 

"How about you? Any budding romances back home?"  Charlotte shook her head furiously.

" No way. Can't be doing with it. Men are more trouble than they are worth."

"You're not wrong there. So nobody catching your eye here? Maybe a certain German?" Charlotte looked at her friend with shock horror.