peterschwarze

[leclarifies]

mon ange (CL16)

✰ charles leclerc x !childhoodbestfriend !raceengineer reader ✰

summary: you've been there for charles since day one, even when you think he doesn't notice it, you're always there. supporting him from the sidelines.

wc: 1.6k

genre: lots of angst, drabble

aria's note: short but angsty draft i've had since last year. only gotten around to editing and posting now. not sure if i'll ever extend this or do a part 2, HAHAH. this is also written in third person bc it was from so long ago. no mentions of y/n either. enjoy the angst masochists <3 (also mon ange means my angel)

“are you ready?”

she stopped staring out into the open and finally looked at her colleague, head was elsewhere.

she gave a brief smile, and a nod and the race commenced.

race engineer, not a bad title right?

her mind wanders off a tiny bit to the past as the cars raced off into the distance.

“when i’m old enough, i’m going to race for the top teams in the world!” she could hear charles’ big laugh as she was sitting on the grass.

transported back in time, they were spending time with each other, just the two of them. it was a normal occasion for them to just sit in the dark, together sharing laughs and stories after a karting race.

she just looked over fondly at charles as he zoomed around, pretending he was in his kart, “did you see me, mon ange? i was zooming like this— and WHOOSH, i was like this!”

she cocked an eyebrow, “are you sure? i thought you crashed into a wall,” she joked, pretending she wasn’t there but she was there for every moment of the race. not wanting to miss her best friend’s races.

she was his biggest supporter and he knew it.

time flashes again as you two have your first big argument.

“you don’t get it!” charles yelled as he turned his back to her, “you will never get the pressure of any of this! you just tell me what’s good for me and you never understand! you’re not my anything! you don’t mean anything to me!” as those words left his lips, he instantly regretted it.

he turned around to face her.

the look of hurt on her as she began to turn around and walk off without a singular word, “i didn’t mean it! i didn’t mean it!” charles follows her, tears start streaming down her face. she only wanted what was good for him, racing was taking a toll on him and he didn’t realize it but the more she cared, the more she felt like he pushed her away.“i swear, i didn’t mean it. please-!” he begged as he grabbed her wrist, finally turning her around to see her tear-streaked face, flushed with hurt and anger, “i’m sorry, i’m sorry,” he repeated again and again as he took her into his arms, patting her head as they embraced each other.

“racing has changed you, charles…” she mumbles, sniffling.

“ever since ferrari took you under their wing…”

“i-i haven’t changed… it’s just the stress from all these people and all these investors wanting to see me win-“

“and it’s changed you,” she had said, eyes still red from the crying, speaking the term of endearment softly, “you are no longer the soft and kind-hearted charles i knew before all of this happened.”

“maybe it’s best if i stayed away.”

and as her flashback ended, she heard charles speak on the radio, “radio check,” he mutters, trying to focus on his race but still wanting to hear her voice after what happened earlier between the two of them.

“loud and clear,” she replied back as she monitored the first few laps of his race, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander off again towards their childhood.

after their big argument, she did distance herself away from charles but never missing his races. always there, even though she didn’t make it obvious or even told him that she was coming.

she was still his #1 biggest supporter, he just didn’t know it anymore.

podium after podium turned into win after win and she was there to witness it all.

she distanced herself from charles and he didn’t even try to stop it. it was like he meant what he said when they last spoke to each other.

she didn’t mean anything to him.

but god, did he mean something to her.

her mom had told her countless of times to just go up and talk to him after his race win but she knew to keep her distance. it had been a few months since she had last talked to him, it’d be useless to come up to him now but she made it her life’s mission to continue supporting him from the sidelines. she had dedicated her life to become a ferrari race engineer, one day be his race engineer.

she didn’t notice it either, but charles knew. he knew she was always there to support him, he knew she cared.

he would give anything to just come up to her and just hug her, apologizing a million times but he didn’t want to force her to talk to him when she wasn’t ready.

“hello? is everything alright there?” charles’ voice comes through the radio, she snaps out of it before replying, “yeah sorry…” she silently cursed herself before paying attention to the monitor, realizing what he had asked, for positions and plans, “sainz is behind you. try to keep pace and defend each other,” she had spoke softly as charles listened closely.

following her orders, and finally focusing on the rest of the race, she helped them win a double podium.

she was so proud of the two drivers, she watched from the garage as they celebrated at the stage with the rest of the ferrari crew.

her mind wandered off to their earlier argument.

“all i’m saying is that you have to take care of yourself, get yourself a new hobby,” she had started, “circulating your whole life around racing isn’t healthy—“

“i am nothing without racing!”

“yes, you are a beautiful person without racing, you just have to realize that.”

“no one will love me without racing!”

“i have always loved you even before racing…”

“you know nothing! you have always been like this! since we were kids,” charles threw words at her, eyes sharp, unforgiving, “you always tell me what’s best for me like you know me so well— we haven’t talked to each other in years! what do you know what’s good for me???” he growled as she stayed silent, she shouldn’t have opened her mouth in the first place.

she felt defeated and just sighed and muttered out, “i’m sorry, okay? it won’t happen again,” quietly as she left the hotheaded charles, he always regretted what he said when he was mad to her, ever since he started racing, the anger was uncontrollable. the amount of hurtful words he’s thrown at her was unforgivable at that point.

she was snapped back into reality as she realized that the interview session was over and everyone was retreating for the night, the event was finally over.

her brain was on autopilot the entire day, not being able to focus properly and she wanted to be the first one out of there, she packed her things as she saw the others coming over from their celebration as they talked about going to the party being held by ferrari in a club reserved just for them.

she she was grabbing her things to go, she felt a hand on her shoulder, charles.

“hey,” charles smiled apologetically at her as she packed her stuff, she only glanced at him for a little bit before continuing to gather her stuff, “do you want to come to the celebration with me?”

she shakes her head, “i’m quite tired,” she says simply before finally having all of her stuff and walking away, but charles caught up towards her, “i’m sorry.”

“it’s okay, i forgive you,” she says quietly as she continues walking, she was used to it at this point, charles getting mad at her because she said something that he didn't like and she just took it, but he didn’t want her to go away.

he wanted to talk to her.

“stop walking away, let’s talk, please,” he pleaded as she stopped walking, back still facing towards him, she just couldn’t when it came to him, “what is there to talk about, leclerc?” she asked as she turned around, “you said sorry, and i said i forgive you. there’s nothing to talk about.”

charles felt guilty, she just looked so defeated. so different to the person he knew before shit happened between them.

“i’m sorry for everything, i’m sorry,” he breathes out, he was holding his breath? was he nervous?

“it’s okay, leclerc,” she nods as she tries to walk away again before being held back again by the wrist from a clearly emotional charles.

“it hurts when you do that,” he had a hurt tone to his voice, tears threatening to fall from his pretty green eyes, “when you call me by my last name.”

“everyone calls you that.”

“you’re not just anyone.”

“i feel like just everyone.”

“what happened to nounours?”

“we’re not kids anymore.”

“but you are still mon ange.”

she couldn’t reply back, she hasn’t heard that nickname in so long.

“i love you.”

he choked up, he let his tears out. she didn’t say a peep.

“please say something.”

“what is there to say?” she looked at the ground, away from his eyes. she knew she loved him, more than anything ever since they were kids.

she just didn’t know if she could forgive him even though she had said it earlier.

“tell me you love me,” charles was almost begging, holding onto her hands, “even if you’re lying, just say it back.”

“i love you too,” she knew better than anyone that it wasn’t a lie, it was the furthest thing from a lie, but she didn’t want to appear weak, “is that all? can i go now?”

with those four last words, charles’ heart broke into tiny little pieces.

[leclarifies]

off the grid - I

✰ max verstappen x !driver reader ✰

summary: you strived for nothing but perfection. nothing less was expected from you. being a female formula one driver made it even harder for you to make mistakes. you figured that dating max, your biggest rival yet, wasn't a mistake...right...?

genre: kinda slow-burn? mostly angst, eventual fluff at the end.

wc: 3.9k

a/n: hello! this will be a mini series that i will be working on, so this work is currently on-going! all parts will be uploaded in the masterlist <3 thank u so much for reading

ROOKIE YEAR ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆

“motherfucker,” you cussed under your breath when you’re sent into the barrier because of a certain someone who couldn’t stay on their side of the track when you’re flying on a qualifying lap. you huffed as you shook your head, your race engineer spoke in your ear.

you had to swerve left in order to avoid a certain red bull on the track, making you lose control of the car and crash into the barriers. “are you alright?” anthony sounded out, he sounded worried but you grunt a response as you try to get out of the chassis of your car, he took that as confirmation that you were alright, “the marshalls are coming, just sit tight.”

“it’s fucking ridiculous when i’m having my best lap and this inconsiderate motherfucker can’t even stay in his lane,” you had screamed into the radio, “is it because i am a woman? it’s because i’m a woman is it??” 

the question was a sarcastic rhetorical one of course. you didn’t mean it, it came out out of anger. anthony tried his best to calm you down as the marshalls rushed to get you and your car off the track. even though you were in the gravel, the stewards had issued a red flag.

it’s not long until you return into the garage, harshly taking off your helmet and race gloves but gently handing them off to staff, “it is not because you are a woman, y/n. he made a mistake and you need to calm down,” anthony had greeted you upon your return into the garage.

“like is my big red car not apparent enough in his rear views?” y/n rubbed her temples as soon as her helmet was off her head, “for god’s sake, i’m the rookie! why is he in the middle of the track when i’m on a hot lap? it doesn’t fucking make sense.” “you’re fine–” “i’m sorry anthony, but it’s not fine! at best, i am p10, does that look like the best i can do to you?” you had been led to sit down in one of the seats at the back of your garage, but anthony shook his head. “i know you can do better but it’s your first year and second race, you need to be nicer to yourself. you are not going to get anywhere in formula one if you do not calm down, y/n,” anthony brings a reality check as you look up at him, still clearly angry, “you can be angry, you can throw a fit but all you can do right now is to be realistic.” “you have been given such a great opportunity by ferrari, they rarely pick up rookies and when they do, the rookie has a lot of expectations laid on them. i understand that puts a lot of stress on you to perform well,” anthony pats your shoulder, trying his best to calm your emotions and nerves.

he knew you were nervous, it was your first year and your first crash in formula one. the media wasn’t kind to you and he knew that, he’s been there since day one and he knew how harsh you could be to yourself. “i’m fine, i’m sorry for yelling at you. it was misplaced anger,” you buried your face in your palms, you could even hear the casters’ voices in your head. commenting on your crash. unknowingly for you, this would be the start of a rivalry between you and the one and only max verstappen.

“he said what???” 

you were basically bursting with anger, no way in hell max fucking verstappen just blamed you for the crash. all the media training over the years out the window, you were fuming. ironically, all you could see was red.

you replayed the video being displayed on the ipad presented to you by your pr manager.

“she is a rookie and this is her first year in f1, so i wouldn’t expect anything less. she should know better and avoid the people on an out lap on the right of the track, it’s common knowledge. she will gain more experience as she goes through the races this season.”

"oh i’m going to pick a fight and it’s not going to be pretty,” you were about to march up towards him before being tugged by the ferrari sweater you were wearing by anthony.

“y/n. no.”

“he’s on an out lap! couldn’t he be more careful?” frustrations coursed through your veins like molten lava, “like if i made that mistake, it would’ve been understandable. i’m the rookie here, but him? he has eight years under his belt and he decides to blame it on me???”

"okay enough. you have interviews to get through today. you cannot be this riled up,” jessica, your pr manager had advised, “be professional in front of the cameras, ferrari wants nothing but perfection from you in the interviews. no snarky jabs, no shade, you got that?” “yes ma’am..." was the only thing muttered out of your mouth as you got ushered into the media pen.

“so what happened today, y/n? there was a small accident on the track while qualifying,” a reporter asked while he shoved a mic in your face, you wanted to yell at the man. like was he blind? did he not see the shitty quali you had? “unfortunately for me, i had to swerve out of the way because max didn’t keep enough to the right. but it’s alright. starting out p10 for me isn’t bad, considering i am a rookie. i’ve been given a gigantic opportunity from ferrari and i plan to make the most of it, even if i didn’t get the best results from today’s quali,” the words rolled smooth off your tongue but you really wanted to punch someone, preferably the driver with the number 1 on his car.

“starting out p10 is actually quite good despite the circumstances, people were surprised that you managed to reach q3. was this something your team had predicted?” 

“my team had told me i could’ve reached a higher position. today was just unfortunate. i’ll try to prove that i deserve this seat in the race tomorrow,” another perfectly crafted pr response left your lips but it didn’t reflect how angry you were from today.

a few hundred interviews later and you were free for the day. honestly, it was hell.

you just wanted to come up to verstappen and punch him square in the nose but you know that your anger wasn’t what you needed in your first season of f1, so you let it go for now. 

later on in the day as people were trying to pack up and rest up for the night, you were too. today was exhausting, both emotionally and physically. you were about to head home but caught a glimpse of max and his girlfriend, kelly piquet seemingly… fighting?

you didn’t want to touch that with a ten foot pole, so you went and got settled into the hotel for the night. the hotel was nice, courtesy of ferrari of course. all of the drivers were settled into one hotel and it was inevitable that you would run into the others in the morning later on but that was a problem future-you had to deal with tomorrow. 

your social battery was dead, social interactions were not something you were looking forward to and just your luck as you entered the elevator, your teammate approached you, looking to have a small chat before retiring into his room as well.

even though your social battery was dead, you couldn't help but interact with charles. he was always nice to you, giving you guidance where you needed it and encouragement when he felt as if you were being too harsh on yourself.

he's been there too.

“hey, i heard what happened at quali today. you alright?” charles shot you a small smile, he was always polite and friendly with you. you didn’t have a reason to dislike him. he was a pleasant teammate on the track as well.

“hey charles, yeah. i had a little mishap with verstappen but it’s fine,” you shrugged and laughed almost bitterly, thinking back about the crash but charles pat your shoulder, almost seemingly giving you comfort.

“look, you’re still in your first year of f1. crashes happen, even to seasoned drivers. you’ll do fine. you even pulled through to q3 and most rookies aren’t able to do that. the team is extremely proud of you,” charles was kind enough to give you words of encouragement. 

maybe it was the stress of today, or maybe it was just you being emotional but you starting tearing up. charles obviously saw your tears and started panicking. “oh my gosh, i’m sorry. did i say something wrong?” charles asked as he tried to console you, but you shook your head and laughed through your tears.

“i’m just stressed with the day, your words really helped charles. thank you,” you swatted his arms away in a friendly way, not wanting him to worry about you. 

the elevator dinged, signalling that it was there to come and pick you guys up and take you guys to your respective floors.

in a blink of an eye, it was race day and you were behind the wheel once again. “radio check,” anthony sounded out in your ears.

“loud and clear,” your muffled voice responded back behind the balaclava and helmet. you were ready to prove the media wrong this race. you deserved to be here, you fought tooth and nail to become one of the first few female drivers in formula one and you weren’t going to let it go now. 

all you have to do is get in the zone, you told yourself. 

taking a deep breath, closing your eyes for a second before opening them back up. ready for whatever this race threw at you today. 

somehow, by some type of miracle, max had dnfed. rumors were circling around the paddock that max retired not due to engine failure but was not in the right mind to race.

you thought back about the fight you witnessed only yesterday but put it to the back of your mind for now. it was none of your business.

the dnf gave you much leeway for overtakes but you were just a rookie afterall. starting out p10 and only making it to p6. you had so many overtake opportunities but fumbled it because you doubted yourself. “nicely done today, that’s p6,” anthony’s voice rung in your ear to ground you. you were on autopilot, driving the car where it was supposed to go after the cool down lap. 

your teammate had won flawlessly, taking p1 with lando norris and oscar piastri taking second and third respectively. you were proud of him but it hurt not to be able to overtake the mclarens while you were racing today. 

“you alright, y/n?” anthony’s voice sounded out in your ear piece again, you sighed as you parked your car in the pitlane. “i could’ve done better,” you muttered out as the mechanics tended to you and your car, getting out of the car swiftly before walking into the garage to meet anthony. you took off your helmet and balaclava, the sweat dripping from your forehead. “you need to stop being so harsh on yourself, y/n,” anthony pat your back, “considering your starting position, you had near flawless overtakes. just be more confident on the track and trust your gut. don’t doubt yourself. i know you can do better.”

“i need to be better anthony, i have to,” you released your hair from the tight ponytail you had it in, “have you seen what twitter looks like lately? yeah it’s a dumpster fire from the silly crash i had yesterday. i can’t have it happening again.”

you were always tough on yourself, strived for nothing but perfection. the grid deserved perfection from you and that’s exactly what you intend on delivering. every race after the australian grand prix was almost flawless– aside from a few engine problems you had along the way. everything was fine.

your chemistry with charles on the track was starting to bloom, understanding when it was time to put the constructor's cup first before the driver's championship. charles always made a point to remind you not to be too hard on yourself.

you were a driver that was nit-picky. every small detail wrong with the car would always go through to anthony which would be relayed to the mechanics. 

sometimes you wondered if they hated you for it.

it wasn’t something you were interested in finding out now. 

"you do know that us having this yoga session is a chance for us to relax, right?" charles glanced over at you, you were tense. all over.

you were lost in thought, barely paying attention to what you were doing now, only charles' voice snapping you out of your train of thought.

you took a deep breath and looked at charles, "sorry, lots of thoughts going through this tiny little brain of mine," you gave a sheepish smile to charles. you had not been focused on whatever the team was doing at the team bonding yoga session.

the instructor had told you all to take a break after the session.

"you alright? you've been so spaced out recently, it's kinda worrying," charles had said to you but you shrugged it off, you tried to play it casually. not wanting to let anyone know how much you were struggling internally with your own thoughts.

he wasn't wrong, you had a lot of self-deprecating thoughts but nothing you couldn't get by.

"i'm–... i'm fine," you tried to breathe out as you got up from your previous position, "just thinking about the triple header next week. just nerves."

"nerves?" charles asked, almost as if it was a ridiculous idea, you cocked your head at him, confused, "we've been racing for almost a year y/n, i know when it's nerves and i know when it's not."

"i'm fine charles, just let it go," your voice softened at his concern, "it's seriously just the nerves. we're fighting head to head with red bull and mclaren, i'm just scared i'll fuck it up somehow."

it wasn't far from the truth, but charles being third and you being fourth in the standings wasn't easing whatever self-deprecating thoughts there were in your head.

"the constructor's cup is still achievable," charles pat your back as he got up as well, "we got this, okay? just trust yourself."

you kept his encouraging words in mind. he knew how hard it was to be a rookie in f1, you were always thankful for his guidance.

your relationship with max hadn't gotten better, sometimes even butting heads with eachother in races. in he beginning, he always got the better of you, not used to the type of aggressiveness that he possessed while on the track.

as the season went on though, you adapted fast. understanding that you could use max's aggression against himself.

the triple header was coming fast and you didn't know if you were ready or not.

"welcome to the interlagos circuit!"

the casters were lively and bustling with energy and you were definitely not in the right headspace, fighting on the track seemed difficult for you and you had a bad habit of getting in your own head.

but your hands were on the wheel and the red lights were about to go off, you had no time to think about anything else but the track and battles you were going to face.

you had started second row, third place. with charles taking pole and max taking second. you knew it was going to be difficult but lights out and away you go!

the first few laps, you had held your position. working together with your teammate, charles to try and gain a position but max was being max and it was hard to overtake. he was good at defense, like he said, the best defense is a good offense. his aggression wasn't something you weren't used to.

"stick to plan b, y/n," anthony reminded you, you grunted a response as you tried to hold off norris behind you. you hadn't pitted yet, and the tyre deg was getting worse by each lap you stretched them out.

"time to box!" anthony's voice came on the radio once again and you followed his orders, losing two positions but you knew this was part of the strategy.

with fresh new mediums, you had overtaken russell. now norris was in front of you, but you had the advantage of fresher tyres that were now just heating up.

it wasn't long before you overtook norris and gained your original position.

"how is charles holding up? when he is going to box?" you asked through the radio, it took a second for anthony to respond.

"he should be pitting next lap," anthony confirmed and there you were. you were in the zone. you focused hard, eventually overtaking max and you were p1. this was the highest position you ever held in a race, but you knew it wasn't going to last long if max was going to pit.

as the drivers pit onto fresher tyres. you started to struggle, but you held your place well. charles was p3 and it was back to trying to hold off max as much as possible without losing any positions to the other drivers.

the feeling of finally being a race leader was exhilarating. it felt good and you wanted to win. lap after lap flew by and you were keeping your position well, the tyre deg was starting to get to you. the grip wasn't the best but you put up with it.

max was keeping his aggression, trying to overtake at every turn, trying to use a slipstream with drs activated to take your position, but you clawed your way here. you weren't going to let some guy who ruined your first few races as a rookie take it away from you. you defended him like a champ you didn't know where you got the sudden skills for but you weren't going to guess now, using the help of pressure from charles to maintain your position.

if you kept this up then the win was secured.

you were nearing the end of the race, the high of the adrenaline was coming to an end. you were so near your first win, you could smell it but of course the thoughts from before the race had creeped up unbeknownst to you, at the worst possible timing too.

anthony's voice had sounded out in the radio, "keep it up, y/n. bring it home."

you don't really deserve the opportunity ferrari gave you, all you're going to do is fuck it up and ruin it for yourself.

give up. there's no way you can hold max off for long.

the constructor's cup is on the line, time's ticking.

you didn't know how it happened, the next thing you knew was the wind knocking out of your lungs.

your head was spinning, you didn't know what happened or what just hit you.

"y/n, are you alright? talk to me," anthony's voice sounded worried although muffled, your ears were ringing. you couldn't bring yourself to respond, "y/n?"

fuck, fuck, FUCK!

i told you. you don't deserve the red car.

you don't remember what happened next, you figured that you blacked out. you came to your senses when your eyes fluttered open in the medical center, the bright lights were blinding and god, your head was hurting like a little bitch.

you groaned out and that alerted the other people in the room, anthony, jessica, and verstappen??

"y/n, you're awake. you gave all of us a scare at the garage," anthony shot you a sympathetic smile, you knew that look all too well. you crashed.

you quickly sat up and buried your face into your palms, "i fucked up, didn't i? i fucked up the constructor's cup..." the tears were free flowing now. rolling down your cheeks and you were sobbing into your hands.

"i had it anthony, i was the fucking race leader and–" you choked back a sob as a soft hand landed on your shoulder, you didn't look up to see who it was. too ashamed to show your face.

"it was my fault."

that was unmistakably verstappen's voice but you didn't care at the moment.

the nagging voice from the back of your head returned.

you disgraced the entire female racing community with that performance.

and that's when you finally snapped.

"y/n–"

"i really don't want to talk to you right now max," you had just reviewed footage from the crash, you noticed that max had gone over-aggressive and bumped your rear tyre, making you spin out and crash into the barrier.

it was a high speed crash and the doctors told you that you were lucky you came out of that with a concussion and nothing more serious.

"please, can i at least apologize?" max tried to reason with you as you collected your belongings. the sunset was casting pretty over the track but you've started to resent interlagos.

“i think you’ve done enough max!” you turned around dropping all of your belongings to the ground, your face was angry— red from all the crying you’ve done. he had tried to console you in the medical center but you were unresponsive and wanted to be left alone, so everyone left and you were just there, sobbing your heart out at the loss of your maiden win.

“listen, i appreciate the fucking gesture but if you really want me to feel better right now, turn back time and maybe not rear end me, asshole!” you were really angry and was lashing out, max had his arms shielding himself as you tore him a new one, “you know that our relationship as co-workers is not the best right now and guess what you fucking do, you selfish prick? you fucking rear end me because you just can’t see me win!”

“it’s not like that–” max tried to reason but he knew you were inconsolable and unstable at the moment, he understood and he let you rip him a new one. he understood the pressure of being a rookie, the first female one no less.

“you’re a fucking asshole,” sobs started coming out of your lips, you started hitting him but not hard to do any real damage, his hands still up to try and shield himself but you fell apart and he caught you in his arms.

“i know, and i’m sorry. it was a mistake on my end, and i would turn back time if i could,” max mumbled as he embraced you, hugging you tight because he knew you needed it. 

you sobbed into his embrace because you didn’t know where else to find it from, “i fucking hate you– you’ve made my rookie year hell,” the hands that were hitting him were now limp next to herself.

“i’m sorry,” max whispered softly as he stroked her hair, he continued to apologise the only way he knew how and that was to offer her comfort in her time of anger and sadness. he held her tight, not letting go because that’s the only way he knew how.

in some twisted way, she did feel comforted. 

max had led you inside of the ferrari motorhome, setting himself on the sofa and still embracing you, stroking your hair and whispering apologies. 

soon after, you felt exhausted and you didn’t want to move— you didn't have the energy to move. you felt emotionally and physically drained from today’s activities and the last thing on your mind was how you were laid basically on top of your biggest rival. 

you fell asleep on top of max verstappen that night, and he didn’t want to move even when ferrari staff accidentally came inside of the motorhome to check on you.

[leclarifies]

leclarifies' masterlist ✿

here are all of my fics in one place!

request a fic here & feel free to ask me anything here!

✰ F1 DRIVERS ✰

max verstappen

✿ birthday boy ➜ max verstappen x !bestfriend reader ➜ fluff

max doesn't like it when it's race week and you're not there. he's been trying to convince you to quit your job and just come to his races full-time, offering to pay for the expenses but you've refused every single time. you end up surprising him in the singapore gp for his surprise birthday party the grid had arranged for him.

✿ matchmaker ➜ max verstappen x alexandra's sister! reader ➜ smau & fluff

you're alexandra's sister and charles just so happens to be tired of hearing you complain to be single all the time. good thing for you, charles is sneaky and has a plan up his sleeve.

charles leclerc

✿ mon ange ➜ charles leclerc x !childhoodbestfriend !raceengineer reader ➜ angst, heavy angst

you've been there for charles since day one, even when you think he doesn't notice it, you're always there. supporting him from the sidelines.

max verstappen

✿ off the grid ➜ max verstappen x !driver reader ➜ slow-burn ish? angst, eventual fluff ➜ I ✰ II ✰ III ✰ IV ✰ V

you strived for nothing but perfection. nothing less was expected from you. being a female formula one driver made it even harder for you to make mistakes. you figured that dating max, your biggest rival yet, wasn't a mistake...right...?

charles leclerc ✿ assumptions ➜ charles leclerc x reader smau! ➜ fluff

the adventures of you & charles

max verstappen ✿ smitten ➜ max verstappen x reader

it's no secret that max is utterly in love with you and everyone on the grid knows that. he usually doesn't talk much, but about you? he'll talk anyone's ear off.

all of the dividers used in my fics and masterlist belong to @cafekitsune! all credits go to her, thank you for the beautiful graphics!

[leclarifies]

birthday boy

✰ max verstappen x !bestfriend reader ✰

summary: max doesn't like it when it's race week and you're not there. he's been trying to convince you to quit your job and just come to his races full-time, offering to pay for the expenses but you've refused every single time. you end up surprising him in the singapore gp for his surprise birthday party the grid had arranged for him.

wc: 3.5k

a/n: hi there! this is my FIRST ever published fic and i'm super nervous about posting hjawdhbawjhbdbhawd i've had this idea since maxie's birthday in september but kept it in the drafts and re-edited some things around just to make it cohesive. i have requests open and my masterlist is currently an ongoing wip. thank you for reading!

edit: hello, here's my complete masterlist for anyone who wants to view my other work. thank you for 350 notes btw! i really appreciate it <3

a ding rings through your phone and at first, you ignore it. 

it’s usually a work text which is why you’re not more alert. it’s a weekend and you genuinely just want to enjoy yourself while watching the race that your best friend is participating in and starting from pole position. 

then another ding, two more follow after that.

your furrow your brows confused, if it was a work text then they wouldn’t be spamming unless it was an emergency. 

you open your phone and you’ve realized you’ve been added to a group chat. 

lily m: hi guys! i’ve created this gc bc some of the boys wanted to surprise max for his birthday!!!!! so i’ve invited most of the drivers and their wags here in case you guys wanted in as well charles: Yes, hello everyone :) kika: yes! we’re so excited <33 all of the wags and respective drivers should be in this groupchat :D 

seeing this groupchat made you confused, yes you were max’s best friend but you were certainly not a wag and very certain that you weren’t a driver. so, you sent a text.

you: hi guys, i appreciate the gesture but i am not a wag and certainly not a driver HAHA

lily m: oh yeah! alex told me to add you bc we thought that you would want to surprise max  considering you guys are best friends HAHAHAH my bad i should’ve clarified

alexandra: welcome y/n! it’s great to have u here :]

you: no worries guys, but max’s birthday isn’t until almost two weeks from now were you guys planning a big party?

charles: I’m not sure what we want to do but considering it’s Autumn break when it’s his actual birthday, we wanted to start early.

lily z: we *could* plan a big party, but what do u think y/n? u know him best

you: i think a big party could suit him best lots of gin & tonic must i add

carlos: HAHA Of course.

the chats continued to flow in as all of the wags and some of their drivers tried to plan what felt best for max’s birthday party. it was a few hours before the race and you had assumed not all of the drivers had their phones on them which explained the lack of texts coming from them, it wasn’t abnormal. they were usually busy with their last minute content for their social media platforms or doing pre-race interviews.

then your phone rang, it was an incoming call.

“hello?” you spoke softly into the phone after picking up, knowing exactly who called.

“hi,” max breathed out softly, you could hear the hustle and bustle of the paddock in the background. max always made it a habit to call you a few hours before the race start, and it warmed your heart to think that he always thought of you before the races.

you didn’t know when the feelings started, was it his seventeenth birthday where he kissed you before his race? was it the promise that he would always be by your side and support you when you got your first job? was it when he convinced you to move to monaco and helped you move in with your sister? was it the soft glances he would shoot your way when you were at the paddock? or was it the small touches he would give when you guys were watching a movie? you didn’t know. all you knew that he was your best friend and you didn’t want to fuck this friendship up. 

“hey, how are you?” you replied, “the pre-race nerves getting to you maxie?”

“never. how’s it in monaco? how are jimmy and sassy?” max had asked, he had asked you to babysit his cats for you and you accepted. you loved nothing more than to watch over his cats while tending to your work.

“s’good. the cats are well-behaved, and i’m lounging in your sim racing gear about to turn it on and experience the race myself,” you joked, knowing that you were nowhere near the sim racing setup that he had for himself.

“i told you not to touch that,” max warned, you could tell he was walking around just by the sound of him talking and being slightly out of breath, “i miss you being here on the weekends, when are you off work?”

“i’m kidding,” you laughed as you got into a more comfortable position on his couch, “i dunno when i’m scheduled for time off again. i also do not have the money to continue to travel around the world to watch your races, max. i am comfortable with watching your races from monaco.” “how many times do i have to tell you that you can fly with me and stay with me while you’re out?” max reprimanded you for even thinking about the expenses, “you could even quit your job and do nothing and i could still have money leftover.”

you hated when he brought that up, he had always brought up the idea of you quitting your job and him helping you through your family’s struggles. you didn’t want to feel like a leech, you knew that his job was stressful enough, you didn’t want to be a stress on him and affect his job. “i am not a leech–”

“you are not leeching if i’m telling you to quit your job and come accompany me through my race schedule. it’s nice to have a support system around…” max’s voice trailed off, “seeing the other drivers with their girlfriends– friends makes me jealous.”

you were quiet for a bit, you’ve had this conversation one too many times with him before. he had told you to just live life and be with him, to stop thinking about the expenses and just be there for him but something about having your entire life being paid for by an extremely rich dutchman just didn’t sit right with you.

“i told you i’d think about it, plus you can invite all of the friends you want. it doesn’t have to be specifically me,” you sighed, rubbing your temples, “it’s not a nice feeling having to rely on someone 24/7 you know. you should understand how i feel as well.”

“i understand,” max sighed as well through the line, then you could hear him a bit farther away talking to one of the staff walking with him, you were assuming that they were on the way to the motorhome, “anyways, i’m on my way to film some content and i just wanted to see how you’re holding up at home."

you hummed back a response, listening intently to what he had to say, knowing that he would want to talk to you more before having to begrudgingly film content for the red bull racing’s social media platforms, “can you at least promise me that you will give me an answer after autumn break?”

you knew that autumn break was after the race he was at right now, which was in singapore. 

“max…” your voice trailed off, you didn’t know if you could make that decision in less than a month, “look, i said i’d think about it–” “but you’ve been thinking about it for three months, isn’t three months enough to make up your mind?” max cut you off, he hated it when you were stalling even though he knew that deep in your heart you would never come and just live off his expenses.

“we’re not having this conversation now,” you huffed, almost feeling frustrated now from max’s persistence, “how about you focus on the race and we can talk about this when you’re back?” “you always shut me out when it comes to hard decisions,” max replied back with the same attitude, “it’s such a bad habit, it pisses me off and it’s not like i’m asking you for a hard thing–” “just focus on the race. it’s your job. let me focus and enjoy mine, please. we can talk about this later when you’re back and you’ll have your answer then,” you almost begged him, you heard him say his goodbyes before shutting off the line. it was too early in the morning for him to be bargaining with you about your job– it wasn’t even bargaining anymore. he was practically begging you to quit your job to come to races with him full-time.

you didn’t necessarily have a hard job, sometimes you would attend the grand prix because you were working under a marketing firm in monaco and that would enable you to come to the races but it wasn’t all the time. your marketing firm worked closely with formula 1, but they had their main focuses and it didn’t allow you to attend and take time off work all of the time.

you estimated that it would be around 3 pm at singapore, which meant it was 5 hours to go before the main race. 

rubbing on your temples was a habit you had when you got stressed and it made you stressed even thinking about quitting your job. you liked your job and your co-workers and the pay wasn’t bad. 

you had basically promised him that you would give him an answer after he got home in monaco which made you make a decision under pressure. a ding from your phone distracted you from the problem at hand.

lily z: @/you how long would it take you to come to singapore? you: woah so suddenly?

kika: we thought we would just celebrate his birthday after the race, since we all can’t be in monaco at his exact birthday date what do u think y/n?

you: i dunno… okay kinda tmi but max has been bugging me about quitting my job to come and accompany him to the races fulltime but i told him i would give him a decision after the race i don’t think i’m ready to make a decision that quickly

alex: damn… we thought that it would be easier to celebrate in singapore instead of planning the party in monaco

you: it would certainly be easier all around but idk if i can face him so soon

lily m: i mean… is quitting ur job to hang out with us 24/7 rlly a bad idea HAHAH

you: honestly i would love to just hang out with u guys and just make it my job but i don’t wanna make it seem like i’m leeching off of max yk…

carmen: hi! i just caught up w everything but honestly, do what u feel comfortable with doing x if u don’t feel comfortable w cmg to singapore, then we’ll make ourselves available at an agreed date in monaco <3

alexandra: yeah, i agree ^^

lily z: honestly it all comes down to u y/n we all want everyone to b comfortable!

you: i don’t wanna be a nuisance, so i’ll take u guys up on that offer

alexandra: yay! so… book ur flight now..?

carmen: u better be ready bbg  HAHAHAH

rebecca: wait what’s happening i just checked my phone

you stifled a laugh at rebecca’s late response but sighed, you guessed it was now or never. 

you booked the first earliest flight from monaco to singapore, not forgetting about max’s cats and leaving them to your sister who lived together with you a few doors down.

but being on a flight to singapore meant that you had to miss watching the singapore gp altogether, only arriving in singapore at 8 am the next day. 

you yawned and stretched as you got off the airplane, not forgetting to turn your phone back on to see a barrage of texts from max and from the group chat.

maxie <3: P2 Y/n :)  Were u watching? Wish u were here :( 

maxie <3: Hello? Is ur phone off? Why are my texts green?

maxie <3: I’m starting to get worried I texted your sister and she said she had no idea where u are

maxie <3: Can u please answer me, I’m really worried.

you giggled a bit from max’s flood of texts, but you and the girls had discussed that it would be a good idea to surprise him with your arrival in singapore. you told your boss that you were taking paid time off for the week as you knew that you would be traveling with the wags and drivers for the week to celebrate the autumn break.

alexandra and rebecca were the ones to pick you up from the airport, all three of you catching up and gossiping about what happened at the track while you were in the air. 

“honestly, it was crazy to see mclaren finally starting to dominate the track this time of the year. usually we would see ferrari and red bull fighting but i guess they had the better car,” alexandra mumbled as you all sat together in the car.

“i expected max to win, but that’s a bit biased isn’t it?” you laughed, “he complained about the car a couple of times throughout the free practices but i wouldn’t know shit about the car. i’ve never driven one.” “yeah, carlos does it to me all the time and i’m sitting there pretending i know everything about the cars,” rebecca added onto that thought, “like yes babe, i know exactly what you’re talking about because being an f1 wag dictates that you know everything about the car you’re driving.” the three of you laughed.

it wasn’t long before you guys reached the club that you guys planned to have the big surprise party, lily z and m were there with kika and carmen. the boys were keeping max busy for the day.

it wasn’t long before the club was decorated and fit for the surprise party, you had booked out the entire club for the night to celebrate. it was nearing the time that max would arrive with the party of drivers.

“okay, so lando told max that they were celebrating his win again tonight so max shouldn’t be suspicious about what’s going on. considering lando’s quite the party animal,” lily z had told the group as they were sitting around the booth, you nodded and listened along well while guests from the teams were shuffling into the club.

honestly, you were a bit nervous facing max. you didn’t know if you were ready to completely quit your job, but you told yourself that you would talk about it later once the time comes. there wasn’t a point to stress about it now when max was nowhere in sight.

maxie <3: Y/n? Are my texts going through? Where are you?? I’m gonna call your phone flashed to see max was calling you. you picked it up and the first thing you hear was max panicking, “hello? where the hell have you been the past day? why haven’t you returned any of my calls or texts?” “well hello to you too,” you laughed, “i’m sorry about not responding to you, i’ve been busy with work. i’m currently at a work event. congrats on p2 by the way, i couldn’t watch the race because i was at the office.” “don’t ever do that again, you scared the shit out of me,” max breathed out, you could faintly hear the chatter of the drivers behind him.

“what are you doing right now?” you asked, feigning innocence, acting as if you didn’t know exactly where he was and what he was doing right now.

“lando wanted to celebrate his win again tonight so we’re going to a club to party,” max explained, “we’re arriving now, i’ll talk to you again later but you better respond straight away or i’m flying straight home.” “okay, okay. stay safe max,” you clicked the phone off before you signaled everyone to turn off the lights and get into positions to surprise max.

the doors of the club opened to reveal the drivers of the grid.

“why are the lights off–” “surprise!” everyone had shouted as max was front and center, the lights switched on to reveal the birthday balloons and you were there in front of the boys with the wags behind you. his face was priceless, the shock and the realization all hitting him at once. the realization that you were there and you weren’t at a work event but here, in the flesh, in front of him. it made him ecstatic.

you flashed a bright smile to max as he ran and hugged you almost instantly. 

“you’re so sneaky,” max breathed out, you could feel his hot breath next to your ear, making goosebumps rise in its wake, “you made me so worried to only show up here…” you could only laugh and hugged him back tightly, his hug, his touch, it made you feel alive. his touch was electrifying– in a good way. his touches, whether light or full blown hand holding or his arm around your shoulder always lit you up like a lightbulb. 

“i wanted to surprise you– well, everyone did. they thought it would be more convenient for me to come here and surprise you,” you laughed, “so, are you surprised?”

“hell yeah, let’s get this fucking party started!”

“so, about you quitting your job,” max tried to sneak the conversation in as the both of you were walking to his hotel, you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. they just had a really good fucking party and both of you were quite tipsy but sober enough to navigate your way through the streets of singapore (with the help of google maps).

“you’re a very persistent man,” you laughed as you walked alongside max, shoulders brushing against each other. it was almost 4 am, but you didn’t feel unsafe or scared at all. spending the night with max was what you really enjoyed. he made you feel things that you were scared of addressing, so for now you were going  to enjoy the moment.

“seriously, you told me after the race and this is definitely after the race. so tell me, did you decide what you’re going to do?” max grabbed your wrist to stop the both of you from walking, you guys could see the hotel from this distance but he wanted to sincerely talk to you, “are you going to slave your life away, working from paycheck to paycheck and only coming to my races when you have the time? or are you going to agree with me and just ‘leech’ off of me?”

you sighed and turned to look at max, you couldn’t lie that the life he offered was enticing. not having to work a day in your life and still coming to these flashy grand prix and partying almost every week was a dream for most people and you were most people. “i dunno max, i told you i would give it a thought but you know how i feel about me living off of your money,” you locked eyes with max’s bright blue ones and he stepped closer to you, landing a hand on your cheek endearingly. the way he looked at you full of unconditional love, you couldn’t tell whether it was romantic or platonic anymore. you knew max and you knew that max would do anything for the people you loved and you were included in that list.

“if you’re thinking about family back at home, you know i can always send over some as well right? i know that’s your biggest concern,” max looked deep into your eyes and you could almost feel like he was looking into your soul, “i know you’re scared of leaving your work behind because you still need to support your family back home and you wanna know something? they’re my family too, i would send them money even if you didn’t ask.” max’s other hand found its way to hold yours, “please… just do this one thing for me. i always see the other drivers with their significant others and it pains me to see that you’re the only one not there and breaking your back to work. i just want you to support me and have fun while doing it…”

“max…”

“i’m serious,” max’s face grew ever so close to your own, you couldn’t tell whether the heat on your cheeks was from the proximity of the both of you or from the lingering alcohol, “you know i’d do anything for you and i don’t do that for a lot of people– you’re not a lot of people.”

“if i say okay, will that make you happy?” “the happiest man in the world.”

“consider this a birthday gift then birthday boy,” you breathed out and as you finished you sentence, you felt his lips on your own.

the kiss was electrifying– he was electrifying. his other hand that was clasping your hand softly was now on your other cheek, deepening the kiss. your hands found their way wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

to a rare passerby, the two of you were just a sweet couple sharing a kiss at 4 am and maybe, that’s what you were.

“you don’t know how long i’ve been wanting to do that for.” “ditto.”

[leclarifies]

matchmaker (MV33)

✰ max verstappen x alexandra's sister! reader ✰

summary: you're alexandra's sister and charles just so happens to be tired of hearing you complain to be single all the time. good thing for you, charles is sneaky and has a plan up his sleeve.

genre: smau & fluff <3

a/n: hello everyone, taking a small break from writing off the grid. new chapter will be released tomorrow, enjoy this fluffy smau for the moment <33

yourusername has posted!

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, charles_leclerc and 12,950 others!

yourusername great weekend to be a tifosa <3

click to view 3,206 comments

alexandrasaintmleux: thank you for the family picture, i appreciate it 😘

charles_leclerc: hey pretty lady, you free tonight? 😉

yourusername: can yall flirt somewhere else, my single ass is NOT tolerating this type of slander on my page 🙄

charles_leclerc: i can set you up with one of my other friends

yourusername: REMEMBER HOW IT WENT LAST TIME?

alexandrasaintmleux: they call you coffee girl now...

yourusername: JUST BC I SPILT COFFEE ON THE GUY DOESN'T MAKE ME COFFEE GIRL

charles_leclerc: just change ur username to yncoffeegirl atp

yourusername: i hate both of you 🥰

charles_leclerc: the last picture is not true btw

yourusername: i cry everytime u guys don't win, u will lose this fight with me every single time. do NOT start.

charles_leclerc: IT'S NOT MY FAULT WE LOSE, I AM DRIVING A UNPOWERED WAGON SOMETIMES.

alexandrasaintmleux: aww, you guys already fight like siblings. where's the ring @/charles_leclerc?

charles_leclerc: this is where i take my exit ladies and gentlemen

user1: this is so hilarious i love them

user2: the fourth image is so real

user3: WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE SECOND PICTURE IM CRYING

user4: someone send me that banner rq

user5: you guys are so pretty :(

yourusername: please do not give me compliments, it will go STRAIGHT to my head

user6: the best thing the saint mleux sisters have done is unprivate their instagram, i love the content

MAX'S POV

maxverstappen1, alex_albon, georgerussell, oscarpiastri, pierregasly, lilymhe, carmenmmundt, lilyzneimer, francisca.cgomes just followed yourusername!

yourusername has just posted!

liked by maxverstappen1, lilymhe, alexandrasaintmleux and 57,879 others.

yourusername on the wrong side of the paddock this weekend, but i don't really mind. last picture is a bonus for everyone. special thank you to @/maxverstappen1 for giving me a special invitation <3

click to view 12,589 comments.

maxverstappen1: Lovely having you around this Grand Prix, same time next week, pretty?

yourusername: as long as ur the one giving me the paddock passes, might not come if charles gives me ferrari passes

maxverstappen1: Come to another date, yeah? That's the only way I'll forgive you for posting the last picture

yourusername: you're threatening me with a good time max <3

user7: MY BOYFRIENDABLE MAX CRUMBS

user8: y/n and max flirting on the tl? we love to see it

user7: WAIT I JUST READ THE COMMENTS THEY'RE FUCKING FLIRTING WITH EACHOTHER

charles_leclerc: weren't u the one that was raving about ferrari JUST LAST WEEK? ur crazy

charles_leclerc: AND THIS IS HOW I FIND OUT Y/N HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO THE DARK SIDE? SHE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE HEART TO TELL ME HERSELF?

yourusername: weren't you the one to set this one up?🤨

charles_leclerc: wow im so happy for you converting into a red bull fan!

yourusername: yeah that's what i thought

user9: you guys are crackhead energy siblings, i love it

alexandrasaintmleux: you need to come stop by the ferrari garage next weekend, me and rebecca miss u!

iamrebeccad: sending love all the way from the ferrari garage!

francisca.cgomes: <333

user10: is this.... a soft launch.............

user11: wait i kinda see it

user12: im waiting for max to post something before i believe in it :(

user13: I'M DELUSIONAL SO YES THIS IS A SOFT LAUNCH

user14: seeing y/n in navy feels so weird after seeing her in red for so long

user15: wait am i delusional or........

user16: no see, you get it.

user17: THEY'RE FLIRTING IN THE COMMENTS GUYS. PLEASE. THIS IS A HARD LAUNCH

user18: i am a delusional bitch who likes seeing max happy so i will take this as a hard launch :D

maxverstappen1 has posted!

liked by yourusername, charles_leclerc, alexandrasaintmleux and 546,908 others.

maxverstappen1 And that's P1, flawlessly done for the team this weekend. Looking forward to next weekend!

tagged yourusername.

click to view 27,986 comments

user19: what happened to hello? hi? good morning?

user20: SO THIS WAS THE HARD LAUNCH WE WERE LOOKING FOR

user21: wait is that y/n

user22: so we all weren't being delusional about y/n posting max last week, nice to know

yourusername: it was nice being in the red bull garage this weekend <3

maxverstappen1: I only won because my good luck charm was in the Red Bull garage and not in the red team's one

charles_leclerc: MY TEAM NAME IS NOT A CURSE YOU KNOW.

redbullracing: @/yourusername <3

yourusername: what are you doing here redbull admin 😭

user23: THE REDBULL ADMIN COMMENTED, IT'S OFFICIAL GUYS!!!

user24: DABHDHAWD IM SO HAPPY FOR THEM

user25: did we all realize how many of the wags and grid members followed y/n over the course of this weekend and last weekend????

user26: i think we all noticed it but we were waiting for the hard launch

oscarpiastri: Congrats on the race man, nothing less than perfection from you

georgerussell: hm...

charles_leclerc: you lost the bet, you owe me $20

georgerussell: oh cmon man

yourusername has posted!

liked by maxverstappen1, alexandrasaintmleux, lilymhe and 107,593 others

yourusername hot girls get kissed by hot f1 drivers <3

tagged alexandrasaintmleux, maxverstappen1

click to view 50,938 comments.

maxverstappen1: You look so good in Red Bull merch.

yourusername: you look good in my arms :D

charles_leclerc: just so you know, i made this happen

yourusername: NOW ur taking credit, asshole

alexandrasaintmleux: actually *i* take credit bc i was the one who convinced her to continue to pursue max

maxverstappen1: Everyone say thank you Alexandra

user27: "thank you alexandra!!!" we all shout

user27: CHAT THEY'RE FLIRTING AGAIN

user28: they look so good together, i might actually die

user29: EWWWW (god when will this happen to me)

user30: yall have been speculating so hard on the bird app the other day and they go and do this in front of our salad

user 31: i'm so happy for you!

alexandrasaintmleux: so i'm assuming no more red merch from now on?

yourusername: max has thrown every single ferrari merch out the window :D he banned me from using a red article of clothing ever again

maxverstappen1: You have to assert dominance, you know?

redbullracing: It's nice to have you on our side of the garage now @/yourusername!

yourusername: you really gave me a jumpscare with that notif, redbull admin

scuderiaferrari: And another one of our soldiers lost to the dark side...

yourusername: I'M SORRY, I'LL COME VISIT OFTEN THO. I STILL LOVE YOU

maxverstappen1: 😡😡😡

charles_leclerc: i'm so happy for you guys. i can finally stop hearing my sister in law complain about being single everytime i take her sister out

yourusername: HELLO? WHAT DO YOU MEAN SISTER IN LAW? WHERE IS THE RING?

alexandrasaintmleux: oh you really can't keep a secret to yourself, can you?

yourusername: HELLO? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? ANSWER MY TEXTS??????????????

user32: did i see charles accidentally post an engagement announcement without posting an engagement announcement...?

user33: IT'S A GOOD DAY FOR LESTAPPEN GIRLIES

user34: the comments section is on fire btw

very short but sweet, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this <3

[leclarifies]

off the grid — II

✰ max verstappen x !driver reader ✰

summary: you strived for nothing but perfection. nothing less was expected from you. being a female formula one driver made it even harder for you to make mistakes. you figured that dating max, your biggest rival yet, wasn't a mistake...right...?

genre: kinda slow-burn? mostly angst, eventual fluff at the end.

wc: 5k

a/n: hello everyone! sorry for the slight delay in posting this part, i was super busy yesterday and couldn't proofread this part. please do let me know if there are any spelling / grammar errors in this part. all of the other parts of this fic will go in the masterlist <3 thank u so much for reading

“nothing happened in the way i wanted, every corner of this house is haunted.” - gracie abrams, ‘i miss you, i’m sorry’

——— ₊ ⊹ BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 

"kelly, stop it. we're in public— what are you doing?" max was exhausted with his relationship with his girlfriend. she always made his personal life quite tiring with all of her demands. she harshly pushed him away, not wanting to hear anything else from her boyfriend.

max always tried his best in his relationship with kelly, always listening to her demands, always trying to make him happy, always trying to appease whatever demon that was inside of kelly for the day. but it seemed like his actions were not enough for her.

"no max, i'm done. if you don't want to put a ring on my finger, then it's over," kelly had tears in her eyes before she turned her back on max.

with those last words, she stormed off.

and max didn't bother to chase after her anymore because he, too, was done with their relationship. it was his last straw.

he didn't really understand how it started but kelly started becoming obsessed with the idea of marriage. he had told her in the middle of their relationship that he wasn’t looking for someone to marry. personally he didn’t really want to get married, it came with too much legal issues that he wasn’t looking forward to in case their relationship fell apart.

"what if we got married max?" kelly rubbed her dainty fingers over max's knuckles, max stiffens up at the question before looking at her with a sigh, his look was all that she needed for her to roll her eyes and look away, snatching her hand that was lovingly holding his own.

max didn't understand where this was coming from, he had explained his boundaries very early in the relationship, that he, himself, didn't really understand the concept of marriage or want it.

"love, we talked about this. i don't want to get married, i like things how they are," max touched her forearm, but she moved away from him, a bit too harshly for his liking.

the comfortable atmosphere built around their shared apartment had shattered, and all there was left was the fragments of that comfortable space.

"what if p grows up and she asks, 'mommy, why do you not have a ring around your finger?' then what max?" kelly snapped, standing up with her back faced towards him, not wanting to be near his proximity. max looked away from her, anywhere but her.

"p will understand as long as you explain it to her, why are you so worried about that? she doesn't understand other than the games you install on her ipad and coloring. i seriously don't understand where this is coming from," max tried to stand up and touch her shoulder but she turned around roughly and glared at him.

"it does matter if she understands, what were you thinking?" kelly raised her voice, now getting angrier by the second, "i'm going to be forty soon and still no ring on my finger max, time's ticking and i'm going to have what i want or it's over."

he had caught wind about people on social media bullying her, how they called her a groomer when she approached him when he was young and he didn’t know how to feel about it. 

they all called the relationship "inappropriate" and kelly preying on a young driver, but he didn't think it was at the time. now, he was starting to realize that maybe it was.

maybe she wanted things from him a man her age at the time couldn't give her.

max's mind was clouded when he got in that car at australia, it was hard for him of course. he had a long relationship with kelly but he knew when to stop when he felt tired.

the dnf made it harder on max, fucking engine failure. there were rumors going around, as per usual, on why max decided to dnf that day. a lot of people had assumed it was because of his breakup with kelly but that wasn't the reason but it sure as shit added onto his sour mood.

the season went past and he tried his hardest, scoring points, getting poles, wins. he felt hollow though, he still couldn't get over the break up which was uncharacteristic of him.

max scolded himself sometimes, for loving too much. for giving the people who didn't deserve the love he gave. but sometimes he knew that he was a bit rough around the edges, his personality was a lot and he knew not a lot of people were willing to put up with it.

that included you.

he felt horrible for causing you that much heartbreak but he didn't know how to properly show remorse to you, it was his fault and he knew it. both accidents were his fault now that he looked back and actually thought about what actually happened.

then the incident with you and him, sleeping on him just to find some semblance of comfort.

and for once in his life, he was scared.

not scared that you might hate him even more for trying to comfort you, but more so of the fact that how comfortable he felt when he was comforting you.

but after months of heartbreak, that was the first time he didn't think about kelly.

your rookie year ended on a positive note at least, ferrari had managed to overcome all odds and win the constructor's cup with charles becoming the driver's champion.

on the off-season, as soon as he got home. he entered his apartment he shared with kelly, with her sitting there as if she was waiting for him.

"i'm taking the apartment, you have a lot of money. get yourself a new one."

the words coming out of her mouth were cold, and as if that wasn't enough, she had already packed his things into boxes, thankfully they were labelled and not just strewn about without care.

the first night he had settled into his apartment, he was in his feels. he felt upset, rightfully so. he just got kicked out of his own apartment that he paid for, taken by his, now, ex-girlfriend to live in.

and just his luck, the convenience store down the street (which he thought was going to be open around the clock) was closed.

'why the fuck do these things happen to me when i'm already feeling shitty?' he thought to himself before begrudgingly trudging up the street back to his apartment, letting his feelings out in the elevator, when the elevator doors opened, he was caught off guard by a pretty ferrari driver.

max greeted her with as much warmth as he could muster up, "oh, hi y/n."

"what are you doing in my apartment complex?" were the first things out her lips.

SECOND YEAR ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆

you and max never really talked about whatever the fuck happened in that ferrari motorhome that night and you didn't want to. your mental health was already fucked as it is and you didn't want to make it worse for the second season, if you were even getting a seat in the next season.

thankfully, ferrari saw the potential in you and resigned with you for a multi-year contract, up until 2027. surprisingly, you had offers from different teams but refused to meet up with them as you were already signed to the iconic red team.

it was finally the winter break and everyone was off races until next year, it felt good. not having to attend multiple parties every month and socialize with people that you really didn't give a fuck about but needed their networking in order to boost your career.

being a female in motorsports was hard, you had never shared your hardships with anyone. knowing that they probably didn't have the same difficulties as you getting through the ranks.

you remembered the taunts, the teasing looks from the boys you were competing against in the karting days but those looks and the taunts gave you enough to propel you to the spot you had now.

"oh look, it's the girly girl driving today. must be an easy race for you ey?" one of the friends of the boy that you were competing today taunted you near enough so you could hear.

it hurt. hearing those words hurt.

you were 14.

and was just discovering the world of misogyny that the motorsports world was filled with.

the competing driver just laughed and shrugged him off.

your dad had looked at you softly before bending down to look you in the eye, he had heard all of the taunts, seen all of the looks and knew how down you felt in your career, but he always encouraged you to push forward.

"you got this champ, ignore them. you are miles a better driver than he is, go wipe the floor with his ass."

and that you did.

you continued to wipe the floor with his ass that race, the smug look on your face was priceless as you saw him look at you angrily and storm off to cry to his daddy about how a girl just beat him in a race.

the plan was stay at home in monaco until someone dragged you out, but a late night snack sounded nice.

begrudgingly listening to your grumbling stomach, you decided to get up and head to the convenience store down the street of the lavish apartment complex you lived at in monaco.

it felt refreshing just to be out and about in monaco without a care in the world what strategies and what upgrades ferrari would bring the next weekend. it wasn't the hardest job in the world but you told yourself that you deserved this long-needed break.

you exited your apartment and locked it, making sure to bring all you needed, your phone and apartment keys and access keycard. your eyes travelled to the door in front of you with lots of folded but used boxes in front of them.

you wondered if someone had moved in but pushed it to the back of your mind as you heard your stomach grumble again.

okay maybe ramen doesn't sound too bad right now...

you walked over to the elevator and pressed the button, but before you could, the doors opened and you were surprised to see who you were faced with.

"oh, hi y/n," max breathed out, his eyes were puffy and face was red as if he was just finished crying, you were genuinely concerned as he exited out of the elevator, the words stuck in your throat. you didn't know what to say, so you blurted something out.

"what are you doing at my apartment complex?" it sounded stupid, and you quickly reprimanded yourself for it inside.

max locked eyes with you before letting out a laugh, despite the despair that was lingering in his eyes, "you do know that multiple people can live in an apartment, right? that's what they're supposed to do."

you internally smacked yourself on the head before letting out a small laugh as well, the elevator doors closed as it dinged to another floor. you looked away from max, trying to press the button for the elevator to come back but it was useless.

"were you heading out?" max asked as you didn't answer his last question, getting distracted from the elevator going to another floor. you finally looked back at him and nodded.

"sorry for the stupid question, i just didn't expect you to live here. on the same floor as me, no less," you spoke gently, as if not wanting to stir any unwanted drama off the grid in the off season, "but yeah, i was quite hungry so i wanted to go to the convenience store down the street to get a bite."

"it's not open 24 hours, i just left to go see myself," max shot you a small smile, "i mean, if you don't mind, i have some instant noodles if you want any?"

you wanted to decline, just go back to your apartment, sleep the hunger off but your idiotic self blurted out another stupid response.

"sure."

you were settled into his apartment and on his sofa, turns out it was the one right across from you. he just moved in. you also didn't know that max was a cat dad. having two cats lovingly named sassy and jimmy, named based from clubs located in monaco. you wanted to laugh at the stupidity of the names.

max was in his kitchen cooking up the instant noodles that he promised earlier. his cat, sassy— or was it jimmy? it was hard to tell them apart, they looked the same— was curled up in your lap, purring to its heart's content.

you pet the cat gently, liking the way she— or he?— purred. they sounded a little bit like an f1 car which made you giggle a little.

the sound of two bowls being set down in front of you on the coffee table broke you out of your little trance with the kitty, you looked up to see max's soft smile, sitting on the floor across from you.

"which one is this?" you ask as you point to the cat snoozing on your lap, max looked up from his bowl of instant noodles, before responding.

"that one is sassy," max spoke, grabbing a pair of chopsticks that he left on the table as he set the bowls down earlier, "come eat."

you nod as you sit on the floor, still across from him to take the chopsticks as well and start to dig into the instant noodles. it wasn't the best thing in the world but your stomach thanked you for it.

you both ate in a comfortable silence before jimmy approached you and started playing with the drawstrings of your hoodie, pawing at it and making you smile, "hi there, you like my hoodie?" you giggled as you pet the cat gently pawing and biting on the strings.

"excuse him, he's quite the playful one," max said in between bites of his noodles, you paid it no mind. the cute little bugger already stole your heart.

you continued eating in silence with him before thinking back to how you found him in the elevator, puffy eyed and red faced, you wanted to ask but was scared that it might come off as intrusive.

"if you don't mind me asking, are you okay?" you asked, going against your gut, assuming that he would probably do the same for you if he had found you in the elevator crying, "you looked like you had been crying earlier, is everything okay?"

max, who had his eyes locked onto you when you first asked the question now looked away to another part of the apartment, he took a pause before answering your question.

"i moved into this apartment because i broke up with my girlfriend and... it's just hard," max breathed out, as if the answer was tight in his chest, "we were in a relationship for four years, it's hard to let go of something like that, you know?"

you nod before finishing up your noodles, not really knowing what else to say. max also didn't add on top of what he said earlier.

it was only when you were getting up and go and excuse yourself back into his apartment when he said something, "thank you for the instant noodles max, i think it's time for me to head back to my apartment though."

"i- uh— do you want to watch a movie–? with me? or i mean if you're tired you can head back... i just need a little human company tonight if that's fine with you," max stuttered over his sentences and you couldn't help but find it cute for a moment.

you scolded yourself for a second before making another stupid decision for the night.

"okay."

testing the car felt great, no big problems whatsoever. lap times were more than satisfactory and it was time for bed. you were tired. being an introvert meant that there was limited social battery for people and it meant that it was time for bed.

"what are your thoughts on the car?" charles came up to you after you got out of yours, taking off your helmet and balaclava, you shot him a small smile.

"it feels better than last year, i think it's fine. i just have a small issue with the brakes, but so far it's alright. we'll just have to see in the first race," you spoke to him and he agreed with you about the brakes. they were kind of slow to respond to the touch, you had to tell your mechanics about that.

you off season had spent mostly with your friends and family. the occasional dinner at either your apartment or max's but that was it. you haven't contacted the other drivers, and they didn't either.

you had speculated that maybe it was because you were a woman and they were scared of women— that was a joke.

this round of testing was done in barcelona, catalunya wasn't one of your favorite tracks but you managed. you were excited to try out the car in abu dhabi though, one of your best tracks. scoring good lap times even when you were a rookie.

as you retired the car for the night, you took off your racing gear, gloves, suit and all. you wore a simple sweater and some shorts to get back to the hotel, but what you didn't expect was max to come up to you and talk.

"hey," he waved you over as you were about to leave the track, he was seen in some red bull gear.

of course he was.

"hey max," you waved at him, you didn't know whether to feel comfortable in his presence or awkward, considering you did spend a bit of time with him in the off season.

"how was your car? i saw you flying with charles earlier," max chuckled, you shrugged with a smile on your lips, the car did feel great. he wasn't lying when he said you were flying with charles.

"yeah, great speed and control for this year," you told him, fiddling with the strap of your bag, "how was your car? you got your problems from last year fixed?" you asked him, you had heard him complain about his "wagon" a few times when you guys were spending time with eachother in his apartment.

"unfortunately no, i told them that we're still having the same problems as last year. i guess it's better but it's still not 100%," max had told you before gesturing to the exit, "you wanna walk with me to the hotel?"

you nod and just listening to him talk the entire time you guys were walking to the hotel. you didn't feel like talking and he was the yapper in the dynamic so you let him talk your ear off, you didn't mind though.

"—and imagine! sassy was there, behind the door. staring at me like i did something wrong but she was the one that locked themselves inside of the room. i had a punch a hole in the door to get them. it was ridiculous," max shook his head as you guys entered the hotel lobby.

you just laughed and made your way to the elevators, thinking back to that time when you had found him in your apartment building, puffy eyed. i guess that was the start of the healing in your relationship, no longer angry at him but still feeling a little bitter about your could've been maiden win.

"your cats are adorable, i would forgive them," you had spoken softly to max while pressing the button in order to go to the floor you needed, max rolled his eyes.

"they're lucky i love them," max had scoffed sarcastically, "well, what about you? you don't really talk much about your personal life..."

"there's not much to talk about," you shrug and shove your hands in you pockets, your family dynamic was complicated. people who knew you on a deep personal level knew that and you didn't know whether you were ready to spill that particular can of worms to max just yet.

"my family life is not great, but i have friends to help. that's all i can say for now," you glance at max who had his eyes on you, but he nodded. he knew a thing or two about an unstable relationship with family.

"which floor are you staying at?" you ask him as the elevator dinged, trying to change the subject but not being subtle about it, signaling that it was at the current floor you guys were at, ready to pick you guys up and deliver you to whatever floor you desired.

"the twelfth, you?" max had asked as he stepped into the elevator as soon as its doors opened, you followed suit.

"i am too, i guess the drivers are all put in the same floor for ease," you shrug but max shook his head, objecting your statement.

"usually, it's the teams that decide which floors to put the drivers. it's based off of room availability. coincidentally, we just stay at the same floor," max had corrected you, you didn't say anything back to that. social battery more than dead.

you had thought it would be funny if you guys were placed right across from eachother just like at home. the elevator ride was filled in comfortable silence, you appreciated that it never felt awkward being silent for a period of time with max.

as the elevator dinged once again, you and max exited.

"well, i'm off to bed, goodnight max," you wave him off as he went right and you went left, "i hope you rest well, we have a flight to catch tomorrow."

you had walked away and he had too, but you heard something that made you turn around.

"you wanna fly with me?" max had almost blurted out, now you fully turned to look at him, you guys were quite far from eachother.

"what..?"

"i have a private jet, do you want to fly with me?"

"max, what the hell? why do you have a private jet?"

"just answer the question."

"i'll double check with my manager and give you an answer later," you shook your head, him having a private jet was definitely not something out of his character, but you didn't know. he never brought it up on the late nights you would spend with him.

"alright, goodnight y/n," max had a small smile toying on his lips, he was waving before you rolled your eyes playfully and waved back, turning back around to rest up.

he's insane.

there you were the next day, on a flight straight to abu dhabi sat with max verstappen. no one had asked for a ride with him, so it was just the two of you on the plane with flight crew.

you didn't know whether to thank the gods or to curse them out for ferrari not having booked a flight for you yet last night.

you were chatting with him, about and anything except for your cars or the race upcoming in abu dhabi. you didn't want to think about that right now, you had told him at the start that you were feeling anxious about it and he respected your wishes and didn't talk about it.

as you landed in abu dhabi, ferrari staff were awaiting your arrival. max was hot in pursuit behind you, you figured it would've been nice to talk and say thank you for the flight but one of the ferrari staff present, your pr manager jessica had come up to you to interrupt your train of thought.

"so, y/n. we have some media coverage to do today, you have a few things to say and address," jessica had explained but you looked up at her confused, what did she mean by 'address'?

max was right behind you and gave you a teasing look that said, 'being bombarded with work already?'

you wanted to roll your eyes and laugh.

when did your relationship get that casual?

"can i at least thank max for the flight before you throw me into media duties?" you rubbed your temples as jessica handed you over an ipad filled with things you needed to answer and address.

jessica lets you go with her hands up held in the air, like she was a guilty criminal.

you turn and look at max who was now next to you, "thank you for the flight max, it was nice chatting with you," you told him before he gave you a small smile.

"no problem, call me if you need another flight. i need a new jet buddy anyway, last one told me to fuck off and stole my apartment," he waved you off before walking away, you really wanted to laugh now. he was so silly.

you finally looked over to the ipad before gasping.

address relationship rumors with max verstappen.

what the fuck was happening?

you were on the press conference line up for today, and of course pr responses rolled off your tongue as if you gave a fuck.

you just wanted to drive, why were press conferences so necessary for you to drive?

"last question for l/n before we end the press conference," one of the journalists spoke up as you nodded, mic up on your mouth, ready to give whatever bullshit they wanted to hear, "what is your current status with max verstappen?"

you wanted to vomit.

"sorry, what do you mean by that? can you clarify?"

"rumors are spreading around that you were spotted boarding his private jet, do you have a comment?"

"well, all i can say is that if i was a man, this news wouldn't be happening. i'm just friends with verstappen, nothing more, nothing less. please refrain from asking me ridiculous questions like these, i just want to drive," you had shot back, thinking that the question was ridiculous, all because you were on the same flight as him?

the press conference wrapped him and charles nudged you, a teasing look on his face.

"'i just wanna drive', ey?" charles laughed and you smiled at his teasing look, knowing that it was all in good fun, "nice job at shooting down the journalists. they have no boundaries sometimes."

"thank you, just because i'm a woman," you joked back and charles laughed, "let's make this testing worth it because i want to beat his ass now."

the abu dhabi grand prix weekend was in full swing, the paddock being filled with people here to watch the race or staff from respective teams trying to wrangle their drivers or trying to fetch important people crucial for the race.

fireproofs were on and a ferrari cap was sat atop of your head, waiting for the go ahead of the engineers for you to sit in your car and finally drive.

quali day today, and you were starving for a fight.

"you look so serious, amour," a soft voice spoke up as you tore your gaze away from your car, looking up at the owner of the voice. it was alexandra, charles' girlfriend.

"oh hey, alex," you laughed, stood up and greeted her, "how are you doing? i haven't been seeing you around the paddock," alex hugged you and smiled at you, she was always nice to you, much like her boyfriend.

"yeah, i've been busy with dealing with things at home, how are you? you seem quite eager for today's quali," alex had asked as you laughed, apologizing for your seriousness today.

"i was quite angry at the journalist the other day for bringing up me and verstappen's relationship status. i just want to take pole today. don't mess with an angry woman, right?"

alex would only laugh at your statement, knowing full well that you were right.

"AND WITH THAT L/N MAKES A STATEMENT TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DOUBTED HER IN HER ROOKIE YEAR, SHE TAKES POLEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"let's fucking go anthony!" you screamed into the radio as he informs you that you start first place in tomorrow's race.

"you deserve this, you worked so hard to get up to this point. i'm very proud of you kid," anthony spoke to you through the radio before you pulled into the pits, your side of the garage was awaiting you with full smiles on their faces.

and this is why i race.

you exit the car and you're immediately swarmed with hugs and cheers.

"l/n takes pole, l/n takes pole, l/n takes pole!" were the cheers of your engineers as they lifted you on their shoulders and screamed, the screams in the crowd mixed with the adrenaline of the pole made you smile the widest.

"I TAKE POLE THIS WEEKEND, LET'S FUCKING GO!" you yell on the top of your lungs, your engineers were so happy. everyone was happy.

you were rewriting the history of motorsport by force, whether they liked it or not.

you were one of the first few women to enter f1 and the first woman to take pole ever.

this was your break. this was what you deserved– no, this was what you worked hard for. all those years of people doubting you, telling you that you had no place in the sport, that you didn't know how to drive, that you didn't deserve to drive all because you were a woman. to prove all of your doubters wrong. to tell the world that, hey. i'm here, i'm here to prove every single person wrong.

and as if a weight was lifted off your chest, tears freeflowed onto your cheeks.

i fucking took pole today and i'm gonna win again, and again, and again.

you exhale deeply, it was refreshing to not see any cars in front of you for the first time ever. starting front row, on pole no less was exhilarating.

you weren't going to let this go to waste. you were going to take this opportunity by the balls and turn into your first win.

you felt it in your bones.

"AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON, IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!"

————————————————————

hi there, an anon had recently informed me that y/n being the first female driver in formula history is actually not accurate in real life, so i edited the parts for off the grid from this point backwards to fix any mistakes in my writing. so sorry for not doing my due diligence and actually researching the history of women being in this sport. looking forward to do better in the future.

- aria 🤍