Graining Heart | Lando Norris + George Russell

01 | Formation Lap

Formation Lap, Abu Dhabi 

"The front row consists of the two championship contenders, head-to-head in a very tense battle. Faith King is the underdog here, it's her third season in the sport and her best ever chance at winning the drivers' championship and the constructor's championship for Ferrari. There's a lot of pressure riding on her shoulders. The young Londoner already has thirteen wins to her name can she make it fourteen and, in the process, put an F1 world championship title to her name or will it be George Russell who takes his first title tonight. Let's find out, as the 20 drivers makes their way to the gird, we've got sixty-three laps of racing ahead of us. Buckle in everyone."

Faith King and George Russell, two names that have been paired together for the past 5 years both on and off track. The two British racing drivers have been in the world of racing together for countless years, noting each other's last names on the timing screens when watching each other's races and more recently when racing each other in F1. Just like they started paying attention to each other on track they started to pay attention to each other off track, starting off with small greetings in passing, to spending the nights together relaxing on race weekends. What used to be hanging out on strictly race weekends turned into off weekends, seeing each other every day their calendars would let them. It took a year of secret meetings, stolen kisses and race weekends away together for the British couple to become official in April of 2018. Despite the strain of travel the two where never too far apart, Faith making her rise in the ranks in the junior categories just behind George and fellow friends and drivers such as Lando and Alex. The start of 2019 brought a number of changes for King and Russell, one was making their debut in F2, the other debuting in F1 and their relationship becoming public.

It was three years of bliss, the couple got to travel the world together and support each other including reaching their dreams together as they competed in Formula 1 alongside each other. Their first year in F1 together was what dreams where truly made of, the golden couple took the paddock by storm. Fans became invested in their developing race careers and relationship, no one ever knowing different from the two of them dating. Racing in the same series was a little different to the previous years, their once shared house in London slowly became a house occupied by one as Faith spent more and more time in Italy working with Ferrari. It was hard but there was effort put in from both sides to make it work, the media calling it the perfect mix of Ferrari red and Williams blue. Eventually as the couple moved into their second-year racing together the blue was traded in for the silver of Mercedes. The commitment and focus that was once put into their relationship shifted to focusing on their individual teams and charge for the title, with both in a position to fight for the world champion title. Time together decreased, with race weekends being the only guaranteed time to see each other. It wasn't the competition on track that caused a strain on their relationship like many thought it would be, but rather their dedication to their second love of racing with that second love almost replacing each other as priority.

In the 4 years they spent together this was the least amount of time they had been with each other and at first Faith put it down to George being with a new team, needing to put in the work with them. But as the 2022 season went on things didn't balance themselves out like she hoped, work came first then their relationship came second. Text messages were left on read, calls left to go to voicemail, nights together turning into rushed moments in drivers' rooms. In front of the cameras the young lovers where as popular as ever, the idea of them captivating the media and the truth is the moments in front of the media where often the only moments between the two. However, to those around them the growing distance became obvious as the season went on, but no one said anything because who where they to question the 4-year long relationship, they all turned a blind eye. Even Faith turned a blind eye to the 4 messages that were left on seen, the 3 ignored calls, the 2 excuses that he couldn't see her tonight and the 1 rushed kiss she received all weekend.

Eventually the 2022 season came to an end and it was like a switch flipped, the couple back to being Faith and George as they knew it. Back to living under one roof, spending the days together out with friends and intimate evenings at home. In George's mind this is how the whole year was spent, not noticing the lack of time together during the season. In Faith's mind this is the love she dreamed of, forgetting the loneliness she felt during the season. They lived in their own little world, where work and home life where perfectly balanced, living their dream together. A holiday in the Bahamas where the only thing that mattered in the world was each other, sharing an embrace on the beach watching the sun set.

Watching the sun set in the Bahamas together soon turned into watching the sun set in London and Maranello alone for each of them. The bliss of the winter break in their own little world came to an end too soon for Faith as she sat in team meeting, the only reminder of the time away being the countless photos and fading tan. George switched over to work mode the moment he landed back in England, turning off his alarm and heading straight into the factory without acknowledging the 'good morning' text under the contact 'My Rose'. Every year together brought a different challenge and there was just this sinking feeling that this year would be the year where they would either decide to spend the rest of their lives together or say goodbye. For the sake of her heart Faith truly hoped that like for all the challenges before they could overcome it.

[I'm not going to lie when I first came up with this idea it was going to be a happy, comical, sexy love triangle and now I feel like it is going to be a depressing love story with a sprinkle of happiness curtesy of baby Sharl. Next chapter will be longer as this is more of a setting the scene chapter. Anyway, thanks, love ya.]