For you I'd risk it all

flying Bulls

*Luisa

"I swear, if I have to listen to him for five more minutes, I'm going to burst!" my water bottle flew through my driver's compartment, Max took cover laughing.

"Honestly? I've never seen you like this before. Didn't think you and Seb couldn't get along. Actually, I thought it was a good fit. You guys are pretty similar."

I flopped down on my sofa in frustration. Tired, I clasped my hands over my head and closed my eyes.

Actually, this was my dream. When it was announced that Red Bull was going to start with a third team, „Flying Bulls", for the new season and they had made me an offer to drive for them, I had been completely surprised. I knew that Max, one of my closest friends, had had a hand in it. He had always been one of my biggest fans and when he had seen the opportunity, he had taken it for me.

And I also knew that it was good for their marketing to have one of the first women in Formula 1 on the team, but if it meant that I then got to drive Formula 1, I was happy to put up with that. Red Bull had made some rather unwise comments about women in motorsport and it was probably an attempt to rehabilitate that image by hiring me.

Because I didn't expect that I would ever get this chance. I was already 28 and thus actually already too old for a rookie.

But I had been lucky and would do anything to take advantage of this opportunity.

However, when I found out that my teammate would be none other than Sebastian Vettel, I almost fainted.

Sebastian Vettel - one of my greatest role models, one of my greatest idols, one of my heroes.

But what's the saying? Never meet your heroes. And for me, that was so true.

I had first believed that we were quite sympathetic to each other, but somehow before the end of the first day in training we had completely clashed. It had completely escalated.

And since then, we couldn't have a conversation without it ending in an argument.

It frustrated me. No more than that. It hurt. Every time again, because actually I had hoped to be able to learn from him, to build something together with him, but every word from him was like a slap in the face.

He hated me so much that I could read it in every look. And every day it felt a little bit less like the biggest dream of my life.

Max sat down next to me and gently nudged me against my shoulder. I let myself fall against him.

"That bad?" he laughed almost pitifully.

"I cared so much about his opinion. He's one of my favorite drivers and now everything I do is wrong in his eyes. Every word I say is stupid and all we do is argue. It's like a constant battle.", I opened my eyes and looked at him "It's so... draining.", I gasped.

"You're not telling me you're going to give up, are you?"

"Are you crazy? I need your help to beat him! I need to beat him on the track and show him what I can do. Maybe then he'll finally shut up.".

Max laughed and put his arm around my shoulder "I know you like that." then he nodded "Well Seb isn't flawless either. Find his mistakes and make them work for you.".

I immediately started grinning. If you needed someone to help you plan revenge or screw up or, and I hadn't used that point yet anyway I was sure Max was there too, make a body disappear, then Max was the first person to go to.

"I'm not doing anything tonight, so if you want to find some weaknesses," he grinned.

"Max, I love you. Have I told you that before?"