In the Spotlight (Max Verstappen - Book Two)

Chapter Twenty

The next day I was excited for media day for once and just wanted to get to the track so it could be over asap. I put on some short exercise shorts and just a simple team t-shirt to go to the track in today because it's so damn hot outside and being a more liberal country I don't feel as worried to do so as I did in the weeks before. I pull on simple running trainers and pull my hair through the back of my cap as I check myself in the mirror, happy with the no-makeup vibe today and head out the door to where I'm meeting Liv and Nick to go to the track.

"Hey, shorty! What's got you in such a good mood?" Nick asks as I skip over to them.

"Nothing, it's just a good day! I want to get media done so I can try on all the pretty dresses!" I tell him and he chuckles as we head out to the car, me waving at the fans gathered outside the hotel as we do so.

"No, we're busy, we can't stop!" I hear Liv say as I look towards the fans again, stopping in my tracks.

"We're ahead of schedule...quick stop!" I promise before jogging over to the group, smiling brightly at them and chatting about the race weekend. I'm in love with how many female fans are always at the hotels because it feels like no matter what team they support, they always seem super excited to see me.

"Whose your best friend on the grid?" One young fan asks and I pause as I sign her cap.

"Ooh...difficult...probably Daniel or Max...or Lewis...Pierre as well! To be honest they're all great, I get on well with all the drivers but that's the top few." I tell her and she nods, seemingly happy with my answer.

"Whose the hottest?" Another one asks and I pause.

"Er, that's subjective you know." I tell them avoiding the question and when she pushes again I just shrug. "I hope you can appreciate that I can't answer that question - so many rumours would start..." I tell them before I get a sound of agreement from the group.

"Best driver?"

"Oh my gosh, you guys know I'm headed to answer questions all day today right?" I joke lightly as I get to the end of the group. "Me? Can I say me? That feels like the safest answer!"

"How do you pick yourself up after something goes wrong?" The youngest of the group asks me and I smile at her, crouching down to reach her height.

"Do you kart?" I ask her softly and she nods her head rapidly causing my smile to widen. "Well, if it's my mistake that caused something to go wrong I give myself one day to think about it. I let myself question why it happened and how to stop it from happening again, then after that I don't let myself dwell on it because there is always another race. If it's the car then I just remember that that's racing, sometimes it's not perfect but it is always what I love to do." I tell her softly, patting her head lightly as I stand up and address the wider group. "Plus TikTok is an amazing motivator, I'm deep on F1 TikTok and when I have a bad day I'm not ashamed to say that seeing either fan art or video edits of epic moments to music is extremely motivating for me, so thank you to anyone that does that."

"You're on TikTok?" One girl asks with clear amusement on her face and I notice the camera in her hand.

"Yep, I see everything!" I say mischievously and wink at the camera. "Alllllll the edits! But keep them coming, especially the ones with epic songs! They genuinely motivated me to drive the last couple of races! The perfect pick-me-up when I felt awful! People forget I'm 21, I think...of course I'm on TikTok. Just like you," I say and they smile and laugh.

"Well not quite the same," she replies and I shrug.

"In the ways that matter, I think so, or at least I hope so," the girls around me all nod and thank me as I sign the last cap before saying goodbye to them.