CHAPTER 20 || Austin race (not the real one)

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Lost in thought, Max stares at the floor and opens a chat on WhatsApp without realizing it.

~○~

Alright, love you poika, take care!

Love you too isä! I miss you :(

Aww don't do that to me.
You know exactly I would fly
to Austin just to give you a hug

See you on Tuesday?

Ofc, we will wait at the airport!

Okay, love you and Papa <3

We love you too <3

~○~

Max sniffles and wipes the tears from his face. Checo is not in the mood either. In general, the drivers are very unfocused.

2 minutes until Max has to get into the car. He quickly runs and gets stickers from GP. On his car he sticks a big 5 as well as a 7, a German and a Finnish flag. Seb doing the finger and Kimi saying Bwoah are on his car aswell.

His helmet and racing suit are pitch black. Even the visor is black. Only a single sunflower adorns his helmet.

He sits in his car with a beating heart. He drives from second place. Lando has pole position. When the race starts he goes into his RBR mode.

The race is exciting, but McLaren has no chance against the Red Bull. Lando has to settle for second place, while Charles finishes third, followed by Lewis.

There will be no anthem played on the podium. The drivers have told the FIA that they don't want it. When Max climbs onto the podium, there is a flag around his shoulders. It is half Finnish and half German. The other half of the flag is flown at half-mast.

He stands on the top step and raises the flag in the air, closing his eyes while several tears run down his cheeks. Lando just stands there silently while Charles holds the trophy limply in his hand.

They quickly leave the podium, the champagne standing there untouched and wobbling slightly from the momentum of the step.

The interviews were hell. Max and Charles are asked several times why they have stickers on their cars. The rest are also asked about the mental situation, how they reacted and so on.

"Max, why do you have a sunflower on your helmet?" Jack asks empathetically from Ziggo. "I gave Kimi a single sunflower for Father's Day when I was 4 years old. He's been my isä ever since." Max explains and Jack nods thoughtfully.

The drivers are glad that they can go home. Because this is probably the worst race weekend in a long time. They fly straight home, no one stays longer in Austin than necessary.

The sun dips low on the horizon as the Formula 1 drivers prepare to depart after the grueling race. The air is heavy with sorrow, as the news of Sebastian and Kimi's tragic demise still lingers in everyone's mind. Charles sits quietly in his seat, his usually cheerful demeanor subdued by the weight of the loss. He flips through his phone, scrolling through the countless messages pouring in, filled with condolences and disbelief.

Meanwhile, Lewis, the 7-time champion, stares blankly out of the window, the reflection of the clouds mimicking the turbulence within his own mind. Memories of past races with Vettel and Raikkonen flash before his eyes, each turn and overtake etched into his consciousness. He clenches his fists, struggling to contain the flood of emotions threatening to engulf him.

Lando, usually the one to inject humor into any situation, now sits with his head bowed, lost in his thoughts. The vibrant energy that once surrounded him has faded into a somber stillness. The camaraderie that existed among the drivers feels incomplete, the absence of two greats leaving an irreplaceable void in the heart of the sport. As the plane lifts off, their shared grief accompanies them, a silent companion in the darkening sky.

The mood itself is even sadder and gloomier than on Friday. Because now everyone has fully realised that Seb and Kimi are no longer there.

The rest is also quiet. No one talks the entire flight, no one plays. Everyone listens to soft music on headphones or sleeps, cuddling up to their seatmates for protection, like Kevin. In this case, Nico.

When they are finally in the UK, they hug their families tightly. As Pascal, Mick, Charles and Max hug each other, without one of the older ones in the middle, who is almost crushed, tears come to the others' eyes.

A man stands some distance away, his hood pulled low over his face, his lips forming a sardonic smile. "It worked. They were destroyed and I eliminated two of them as well. Jackpot!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Next one

There will be one more part!! Next part the murderer will be revealed! Who do you think it is?? 👀

Completely different topic:

CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT LOGAN?! THIS MAN IS BOYFRIEND MATERIAL PURE 😩😩

Yeah, that's it :)

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