64: Mini Sebastian

Wednesday

Sienna's point of view

My dad was released from the hospital this morning, nothing bad going on at all.

I look next to me and two blue-greenish eyes meet mine.

'Good morning, sweetheart', he whispers.

'Good morning, my dear', I chuckle.

'Let's check the Instagram post', he giggles as he opens the app.

'We have so many likes', I gasp.

'That is because we made a huge announcement', he kisses my cheek. 'Look, f1fan2003 approves of our relationship, that's great because otherwise, we would have had to break up'.

I laugh. 'Shut up'.

'Excuse me?', he asks in awe. 'Shut up yourself'.

'Make me'

His eyes move over my body.

'Oh gosh, you're gonna wish you never said that sweetheart', he smiles.

Maeve's point of view

'Maeve, did you see the F1gossip account? I don't think I've ever seen them this nice', Max turns his phone to me.

I scan the article, they are indeed really nice.

'These pictures are adorable, but how did they manage to get them within 2 hours?', I say to Max.

Max puts on a weird expression, a guilty one.

'Max, what did you do?', I ask.

'What if I told you I already knew?', Max laughs awkwardly.

I shake my head. 'What?'.

'I have a friend who works at this magazine, an F1 magazine and these photos were going to be published. I saw the work in progress when I was at his house and I paid him to keep quiet', Max says. 'I would hate to ruin Lando and Carlos' friendship, especially since Lando looks so happy'.

My heart melts. 'That is actually the most thoughtful thing I ever heard'.

'It's nothing, if it was the opposite I'd expect the same, you know?', Max smiles.

'Max, we kinda have to express the elephant in the room', I shrug.

He lowers his voice. 'You mean the almost-yet-nothing-happened kiss?'.

I look around in awe, what if someone placed microphones? This building is full of tv people, people can be lured everywhere trying to secure a headline.

'No, Max! The Ocon thing', I whisper. 'Not here tho, can't you come to my hotel tonight? We'll order takeout?'.

'Sounds like a good plan, but it has to be Italian', he says demanding.

'Fine, now let's get this PR day over with'.

Max's point of view

So first we have PR training, they'll tell us the dos and don'ts of f1. Maeve and I are perfectly good at it, fortunately. Although Horner says we sometimes are a bit harsh.

'Okay, so an interviewer asks you something about your love life, what do you say?', Gemmy asks.

Maeve and I each have our own PR manager, I have Gemmy and Maeve has Luis.

'I'll just tell them it's none of their fucking business', Maeve says seriously.

'Maeve, we don't say it like that', Luis responds.

'Why? How dare they ask about our love lives when our whole life is just one Google away?', I back Maeve up.

'Don't be like this guys, just answer the question like a good driver, Maeve you first'.

'Okay, so I would say 'My love life is something I and only I have insight on, and the person my love life is with, if that's the case, which in this case, it's not', Maeve says

'Bit unclear but steady and confirmative, now you Max', Gemmy says.

'I don't have a girlfriend, my love life is me marrying my car', I sigh.

'Great answer Max, one for in the books', Luis smiles.

'Now, you two had an accident, what would you tell the interviewers that happened?'

'Nothing just an 'inchident'', I smile

Maeve tries to hide her laugh, but based on Gemmy and Luis' strict faces she doesn't succeed.

'For real this time', Luis hisses.

'Accidents happen, just like when your parents were fucking and the condom broke', Maeve smiles.

'Mrs Vettel!', Gemmy says shocked.

'It's Miss Vettel, what did I do wrong?'

Gemmy and Luis look at each other. 'We've got a long way to go'.

Maeve's point of view

Max and I walk into the room.

Since AlphaTauri, or VCARB, is the 'child' of RedBull, Danny Ric and Yuki are also here.

I walk up to the podium and I give Daniel a hug. 'Hello, bestie', I smile.

'Yelloww Maeve! Howdyy', he laughs. This man, I can't with him.

I walk to Yuki and I hug him too, to his surprise.

'Come on, Tsunoda, we've known each other long enough, we can hug', I smile.

'I will never pass an opportunity to hug Maeve Vettel'.

I smile at the interviewers and give them a wave. One of them hands me a microphone. When I scan the room I see no familiar faces... unfortunately. I always get scared during interviews, I feel like people will judge me for my answers, no matter what the answer is. That's why my mom always attended my interviews, my dad wanted to but couldn't because my F2 interview and his F1 race were lapping a lot of times. When I got into F1 and my dad retired he had always been here. Yet now he's not.

The interviewer welcomes us all and I hear someone stumbling inside the room.

When I look at the door my eyes meet with his, and my mind immediately relaxes.

I feel my mouth curling.

My favorite person on earth is finally here.

My awesome dad.

'So Maeve', the interviewer says. 'We all know RedBull is one of the big three, always has been. How do you feel racing with them?'.

'It's such a big honor to race with them, you know. RedBull is strict with their drivers and to realize I fit in their 'strictness' is mindblowing'.

'Yes, because you were only in F2 for two years before entering F1, is that correct?'.

'Yep, correct. You know I was 18/19 in F2 which is younger than most of the F2 grid so that really was a mind game for me but I never would've hoped only to drive F2 for two years and then get into F1. It has always been my dream, I just didn't expect it to fulfill so soon'.

'Do you think that has anything to do with your last name?', she asks.

The question everyone thinks yet only rude people ask.

'I don't know. In my first year of F2, I became champion, then in my second year too. I worked my ass off for it and they didn't just hand me the trophy because my name is Maeve Vettel. If RedBull thought they signed a mini Sebastian they were wrong. I am much different from my dad, I am of course a woman, who in motorsports already has a disadvantage, also my driving style is different. But in a lot of cases, I'm the same, the desire to win, the need to succeed. If that answers your question'.

The crowd gives me a loud applause, including my dad.

I smile at him and he gives me a thumbs up.

'Thank you, Maeve. So Max...'