#red bull formula one
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
reckless driver ☆ mv1
genre: photographer!reader, angst, moody!max, yearning, jos hate club
word count: 9.9k
Switching to be Max’s personal photographer wasn’t a planned note on your agenda. Neither was him opening up. A lot of things weren’t, therefore, making his growing crush on you catch him completely off guard.
inspired by reckless driving, lizzy mcalpine !
cherry here!...would it be a regular cherry fic if it didn’t hurt ya just a little bit?

All he knew was how to be perfect.
It has nothing to do with his looks, doesn’t even mean this in a condescending way. The perfect shade of watercolor eyes. The perfect mix of dirty blond hair. The perfect color of pink that taints his lips. The perfect curve of his nose. This had nothing to do with that.
For fucks sakes, Max! Jos grits his teeth tightly, marching closer and closer. The accelerator is there for a reason!
From a very early age, Max’s vocabulary grew an excessive amount, but again, it mainly had to do with how many curse words he could count based on angry verses his dad would often spit at him. By the time he was five, he knew them all, and he knew them by heart. Something inside of him became almost immune to all of that. The hurtful comments, the hatred behind his eyes, the annoyance of not being the best. There was nothing he couldn't handle. And if he remembers well enough, then he can still vividly hear the conversation between his parents.
Just one more, Sophie. Maybe then, if we’re lucky, we’ll have another boy. One that actually has potential.
He swore to be the greatest in that very moment. No matter how much he wanted to give up, he never would. Not when he was constantly put down by his own father, or when the nerves ate him alive, making his skin crawl—no. He wouldn’t give into being a failure. Wouldn’t satisfy them ever.
So, he prayed. He prayed every single night for the new baby on the way to be anything but another boy. Let it be a girl, let it be an alien, let it be anything but a boy. Because even though he was just a kid, he knew that if there was another opportunity for Jos to train another son of his, he’d take it, and Max would be left as some unfinished project.
And lo and behold—it was a girl.
He never really knew true happiness until that very moment. He cried a whole lot when he first held Victoria and everyone thought it was adorable, but no one knew just how much this meant to Max. He would continue to be his father’s main focus, and that’s all that mattered. He would craft himself to be the winner he knew he needed to be in order to get a solid smile from him, even just once. Either way, a few years later his parents wound up getting a divorce, so all was good.
Now, at this very moment—he had finally done it.
Being a World Champion felt the way he knew it would: unreal.
Yes, the fireworks and the cheers were a part of that, but the warm hug from Jos was what really made it all worth it. All the snarky comments, all the panic attacks, all the isolation growing up—it was all worth it.
That’s a good boy! Jos yelled, rustling his sweaty hair before grinning widely. That’s how you do it!
He wishes to remember this moment until the day he dies, and hopefully, if he's lucky enough, a bit after that. Whatever the case might be, he’s content, but now there’s something new.
Higher expectations.
You were born to be the greatest, Max. You were destined to outbeat those who are stupid enough to think they have a chance against you. They don't. No they fucking don’t because you, Max Verstappen, are one hell of a lion. Jos takes a sip of champagne, swallowing harshly and not at all quietly. And you wouldn’t want to fuck that up, now would you?
The answer is no. No way in hell would he let his father’s affection slip away. Not when he’s been dreaming of it for so long. He’s worked—and he’s worked hard—for this. There’s nothing, nor anyone, who would matter as much as Jos Verstappen and being the best driver there could ever be.
But then—just then.
You came along.
-
You should have said no. Looking back at it now, you really should have said no.
And yet. You couldn’t have possibly known that from the very beginning.
Funny enough, you started off as Checo’s photographer. You loved it. He was easy to work with. Not only was he nice to you, but so was his family. The work environment was healthy and fun. Your dream job, really, there was nothing to complain about.
But one by one, from a nearby corner—always a nearby corner—you watched as Max’s photographers rapidly lost their minds and quit. It’d start off with a scowl from him and end with a huff from them, dropping their expensive cameras and leaving without sparing a second glance.
It isn’t until photographer number eight where things really do take an unexpected turn.
For you.
“What do you say?” Christian’s voice booms with need.
You blink hazily. ��I-I’m not too sure. I mean, Checo and I work so well together…”
“No, I know what—and trust me, I feel bad for doing this—but we’re really counting on you. You get along with everyone. Everyone loves you! Who’s to say Max won’t?”
“And what if he doesn’t?” you fight back. “Then what? I quit too?”
“First of all, he will. And second of all, that won’t be necessary because he’ll love you.”
“You’re that confident?”
“I am.”
You sigh, rolling your tired neck before looking back at him. “Well, I’m not. I need to think this through.”
The Red Bull principal nods. “Of course! You need time, of course. But please—you’d be helping us all. Especially Max.”
You’d be a liar if you were to say that his words hadn’t stuck with you. What did he mean by ‘especially Max’? Was it to get the wheels spinning? If it was, then it was definitely working.
Adjusting your camera strap that hangs around your neck, you stare off into the distance as if you might find the answer somewhere in between the clouds. And maybe you did find it. The answer, you mean. You were one hundred percent certain now that you wanted to stay with Checo, you just didn’t know how to break the news to Christian who has done so much for you ever since you started working at Red Bull.
“I heard about the offer,” a deep voice rumbles next to you, making you jump with fear, clutching your camera towards your chest like some sort of secret weapon. The Dutchman remains unbothered, taking in the same sunset as you once were. “Christian tends to do that. Put people on the spot. I hate that about him.”
In a way, you’re sort of surprised by him even speaking to you or that he even knows about your existence. Over the past few years, you’ve only interacted with him a couple of times. Once, when he won his first championship. Twice, when he won his second. And thrice, when he won his, well…third. And they were all due to the awkward congratulatory hug you felt yourself forced to give since everyone around you was doing the same.
Other than that, you had no reason to cross paths with him despite working for the same team. You two always stayed on opposite sides of the paddock, but it was never intentional, it was just the way things played out. Until now.
“You really shouldn’t say you hate the man who's making your dreams come true,” you whisper, struggling to find your own voice.
Max hums. “All I said was that I hate that about him, not that I hate him as a person.” A beat. “And for your information, he isn’t the one making my dreams come true—I am.”
“He gave you a chance—”
“A chance he knew someone else would have taken if it weren’t him.” That shuts you right up, silence lingering. Seeing as you both were standing on the terrace overlooking the paddock, you two watched as Christian and Checo converse with one another, hands on their hips like some kind of businessmen. “I worked hard to get to where I am, so please, don’t give him all the credit when we both know that's not true.”
More silence. “Listen, I think I’m going to—”
“Turn him down and continue working with Checo?”
Your voice catches. “W-what?”
The Dutchman clicks his tongue, like he’s got you all figured out. Three conversations over the past three years and he thinks he has you all figured out?
“I can’t say I blame you. You don’t think we’ll work well together, and quite frankly, I would agree. We wouldn’t. You’re too…nice.”
You have to laugh. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”
“It’s supposed to be the truth,” he’s ricochets.
Turning towards his tall frame, you huff, hair washing over your face before faking a tight smile. “And you’re too…complicated.” Something about the way his gaze darkens at your words makes you want to back down like some shivering dog, but miraculously, you remain still. “And that’s not a compliment.”
“Didn’t sound like one.”
“Well because it’s not.”
He’s not too far from you, and honest to God, that made you shake more than you intended. There was something about him—there always was. Even though you never really worked close to him, you knew there was something there, hiding between the crease of his brows, and now, standing this close to him, you can see it all in a new perspective.
Max releases a breath, bored and unexplainable. Runs a hand through his hair, turns his face for a second before connecting his gaze back to yours. “Look, you appear to be a sweet girl, but…I think you should turn down Christian’s offer.”
“Why?” He’s taken aback. You catch it the moment his lips twitch in the slightest. You tilt your head, urging him to answer. “You must have a reason, so what is it?”
“You’d hate working with me.”
“And you get to decide that?”
Max rolls his eyes. “Have you enjoyed this conversation so far?”
“No.”
“Then you probably wouldn’t enjoy our time either. And I’d just rather not waste my time on you finding out. No offense.”
“No, no, none taken,” you respond sarcastically. By now, Christian and Checo have spotted you both, secretly hoping there was some sort of friendship forming. They wave cheerfully and you mimic their movements.
“I hope we get along—I really do,” you say with a smile as you wave enthusiastically over at Christian who lets out a whistle and sends you an excited thumbs up.
His jaw clenches.
“If not, you’re really going to hate having me around.”
-
By now, you’ve completely understood why every other person has quit on him.
Your blood boils deep inside your veins for the millionth time in the past hour. His large hand covers his face as he continues speaking with his engineers. They all look back at you, half-amused, half-pitiful. They grimace when you try once again to get a picture of him, only to get shut down by him spinning around to make you face his back.
“Unbelievable,” you mutter beneath your hot breath, glaring harshly to the point you feel a migraine growing, pounding the sides of your head. Marching off, you cross over to Checo’s side of the garage, watching as he discusses his strategies with a couple of his crew members. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he responds, flashing a bright smile. “What are you doing here?”
“Pleading for you to take me back?” He laughs, eyes crinkling, freckled nose scrunching with humor. “It feels like I’ve signed my life away.”
“Ah. Come on. It can’t be that bad. Give him some time.”
“It’s been a month!” you exclaim. “What more does he need?”
The Mexican driver’s eyes soften, feeling bad for the swap neither of you wanted, but knew was necessary. Checo knows how patient you can be, how sweet and caring you tend to act towards those you truly care about. And right now? He worries you won’t ever reach that point with Max.
A heavy sigh. “Max isn’t much of a talker, you know that. But maybe—in order for him to get comfortable around you, he needs you to do something that the other photographers didn’t bother doing.”
Your stomach churns. “Like what?”
He smiles warmly. “Getting to know him.”
Maybe Checo was right. Maybe all Max needed was a friend—someone to talk to.
Sliding back to your side of the garage, you sheepishly walk over to the grumpy Dutchman. Currently, he’s sitting down on the floor, back pressed against the wall, scrolling through his phone. “C-c-can I talk to you?” you ask, nervous fingers lacing through the hoop of your jeans.
He doesn’t bother raising his gaze. “Can you even talk to begin with?”
“S-sorry?”
This time, he does look up, looking past his lashes. “Your stutter.”
Lamely, your mouth opens, only for you to find it drier than the Sahara Desert. The crack of your voice is a clear indication over your weak attempt to speak and that just makes you a blushing mess. Fuck him. You took several speech therapy classes to try and get rid of it, but him pointing out a stutter you thought has gotten better over time makes you want to be photographer number nine.
You glare—hard. You mentally go over your dialogue and that itself makes you feel small. Embarrassed. So, instead…you don’t say anything at all.
There’s a reason no one likes to work with him.
And you think you just found out.
-
Some days are easier than others. Some days are harder.
Today?
Today was awful.
“Jesus Christ, Max! What the fuck was that?” Jos yells, nearly pressing his face against the Red Bull driver who stands close by, watching him flinch in the slightest before regaining composure. You’ve heard rumors—plenty of them. Between mechanics, between Checo and a few other bystanders, you heard them all. How Jos’ behavior was unbearable to deal with, especially when it came to him and Max. You just never thought you’d witness it firsthand.
“My brakes weren’t working,” he replies, holding eye contact that would have left you in a coma. “It was never my intention to crash.”
“See, you say that, and yet everytime I come and visit, you always seem to be messing up one way or another,” Jos hisses, face beet red, and a splash of saliva spraying over Max as he grits his teeth, taking a step back. “I’m confused—do you want to lose the Championship this year or what?”
“No,” the Red Bull driver fires back, firm and quick. Blue eyes translate to a darker shade as they look to where his dad wears a mocking smile. “I’m winning that title, don’t worry.”
Running a hand against his stubble, Jos rolls his eyes before releasing a tired breath. As if he’s the one working endless hours. As if he’s the one who just crashed against the wall at a terrifying speed he couldn’t decrease even if he tried. As if he’s the one with the bruised temple.
Everything was just always about him.
“Don’t bother resting until you figure out how to fix all the shit you’ve caused.” Sharp eyes narrow. “Got it?”
“Got it,” Max whispers, watching as he storms off without even saying goodbye to anyone else that wasn’t Christian himself. So much for having him around. Frustrated, he angrily yanks his gloves off, throwing them against the wall and walking the opposite direction.
Something tells you to leave him alone—let him be. You get why he’s upset, but you checking up on him probably wouldn't help. Also, you're supposed to be mad at him, right?
And yet.
“Wait up!” you gasp, out of breath.
Clenching his jaw, he stops dead in his tracks, turning to look at you with accusing eyes. “Why are you following me?”
“I just…” Coming to a stop as well, you wince at your sudden side stitch. “He shouldn’t have yelled at you that way,” you finish, analyzing the way his body stiffens. “Especially in front of everyone.”
Blue orbs flicker past your figure for a second, then he lets out a lopsided smile. “I bet you enjoyed it, though. You know? Because I’ve sort of been acting like a dick towards you…” The small smile disappears, replaced with a thin line.
“I didn’t,” you find yourself admitting. His brows raise up with surprise, and even you’re surprised to be telling the truth. You should feel good about this moment—someone finally told him off, someone finally put him in his place. But you felt none of that satisfaction. If anything, you felt bad. Swiping your tongue against your lips, you purse them awkwardly. “And you haven’t been a dick. He has.”
And for the first time—he laughs.
You blink, bewildered at the sound, but he doesn’t seem to notice that. “Like father, like son, right?” he jokes, making you feel like this was all some sort of fever dream. He continues, squatting down against the wall until he sits down completely against the cold pavement. “Your perspective about me has suddenly changed, or what?”
Hesitant, you choose to sit across from him, tucking your legs beneath your butt. His eyes close, smiling softly. Though I doubt it, he mumbles. “I just think I had you all wrong, that’s all.”
“Yeah?” he encourages. “Why?”
You swallow. “Well…because—now it all makes sense. Why you’re so cold towards everyone, I mean. You do get it from your dad, but it’s also not your fault.”
“My dads not the problem,” he hums. “I am.” Your legs are slowly becoming numb, buzzing like a thousand ants are crawling on them, but you don’t dare move an inch, scared of ruining the moment of him being so honest despite being allergic to it. “I let him down constantly and he’s just being…candid.” His eyes open, focused like he’s known you’ve been here all along, sitting across from him. “The issue here is that no one seems to get that. And that’s fine, but I do.”
“C-c-can I…” you cringe at the sound of your stutter, biting harshly down against your sore tongue. You expect him to laugh—make fun of you in any way possible—hold it over your head…but he doesn’t. Instead, he waits patiently for you to feel comfortable enough to continue your question. Your chest loosens up, along with your anxiety. You never thought he’d help with that. “C-can I ask you a q-q-que—”
“A question?” he finishes your sentence, you feeling immensely grateful. You nod. “Sure,” he answers.
Repeating the question over a couple of times, you find yourself feeling more and more comfortable around him and it’s only been a couple of minutes. “Why do you belittle me?”
There’s no way of hiding his shame now as his head hangs low, dirty blond hair hugging the sides of his face with a thin layer of sweat, a purple bruise forming due to his crash of high impact. A tsk. “I want you to know that I don’t hate you. Regardless of what you might think.”
You nod, paying close attention.
He shrugs. “But I just don’t think we’ll work well together.”
“That’s it?” you ponder, genuinely lost. “You haven’t-t-t even given me a chance to prove myself. Maybe we can?” A beat. “Or maybe you’re not telling the w-whole truth.”
A playful scoff erupts from this throat, ignoring your comment. “You’re right. I haven’t given this a fair shot.” A calm look paints his normally stoic features. “And it doesn’t seem like you’ll be quitting anytime soon.” Reaching out to swat his race boot, you smile, eyes crinkling. The Dutchman chuckles. “So maybe we should start getting along, no?”
“I agree,” you comment, straightening your shoulders and extending your legs, instantly feeling a wave of relief from the pressure. “I-I-I’d like t-that.” Pause. Your smile stretches. “I’d like that very much.”
What you know now is obviously something you didn’t know back then.
So realistically, you fell into a friendship that ended like most.
Complete, utter disaster.
-
As time went on, Max started to change for the better. His glares turned into soft smiles, his monotone voice turned into something that was more untroubled. He was starting to become someone you consider a friend, and you couldn't help but wish he felt the same way too.
“Come out and have a drink with us,” you say, carefully cleaning your lens with the back of your shirt. He looks up from where he packs his things into a small duffel bag. You nod enthusiastically. “Come on, it’s my birthday and I want you there. Celebrate my birth, celebrate your win—it’ll be fun.”
“I don’t like to party,” he confesses, scrunching his nose like the thought alone makes him want to puke. “Never have, never will. Happy birthday, though.”
“You’re no fun,” you mumble, placing your camera back into your own bag. “I wish you’d be more fun.” A beat. “Wait. What do you do for fun?”
“I don’t have any. I just…live a quiet, peaceful life whenever I’m able to.” He throws his bag over his broad shoulder. “I like it better that way, anyways.” With that, he walks out of his driver's room.
Gathering the rest of your things quickly, you chase after him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. “It’s okay to have a quiet life if that’s something you want, but, I don’t know…” You turn the corner, soft hair whiplashing. “Aren’t you able to…well, put that aside for special occasions?”
“Like what? Your birthday?”
You blush heavily. “Well—no. But maybe yours? I know it’s coming up. What are you gonna do then? Stay home working on a crossword puzzle?”
“Not necessarily. Perhaps I’ll read a book, who knows.” Still walking towards his car, he momentarily turns back to look at you, watching as your cheeks glow bright pink. He smiles before turning back. “I’ll make sure to let you know.” Unlocking his car, he raises a brow. “You coming?”
“Can’t,” you pant softly. “Promised Checo that I’d help him find a gift for Carlota.”
“His daughter or his wife?”
Seeing as they share the same name, you can’t help but giggle. “I’m actually not sure.” Flashing one last smile, you wave sweetly. “I’ll make sure to let you know!”
He keeps his eyes on you, watching as you jog towards Checo who laughs as you trip over a nearby rock, nearly falling. Max laughs to himself, feeling an unfamiliar burst of happiness. But that all flies right out the window as soon as his phone buzzes deep inside his pocket, making him groan.
“Hey, Dad.”
-
He ends up texting for your birthday and you end up doing the same. You end up going out to party and he ends up staying home. Point is, you do exactly what you two said you were going to do, so when a last minute texts comes through at midnight, you’re low key appalled.
Max, 12:00pm
Are you home?
He knows where you live because you once told him. You’re just surprised he remembers.
Yeah? Where are you?
Max, 12:04pm
Come outside. Bring a sweater.
The ocean roars loudly as you two make your way closer towards the shore. The breeze is ice cold, but you aren’t complaining. He is, though.
“Shit. It’s freezing.”
A giggle. “Need a jacket, princess?”
Sending a deadpan expression, he shrugs you off, choosing to sit close enough to see the waves, but far enough to not get wet. “I don’t want you to make a big deal out of this, but…I got you something.”
“Max,” you coo, admiring the film camera he hands you as if it’s nothing. But it’s not nothing because when it comes to him it means everything. “This must’ve cost you a fortune,” you whisper, fingers tracing the rim of the black camera that shines against the moonlight. “You shouldn’t have.”
“And you shouldn’t have stuck around. But you did. So…thank you.” The tides grow louder, making him do the same. “I never really said it, but I’m grateful for having you as a friend.”
You freeze and he seems to notice what he said, too.
“Co-worker?” he tries, cringing.
You relax. “F-f-friend sounds better.”
And there it is again, that warmness that only seems to appear whenever you’re around. It should be alarming, but at this point it's not. If anything, it’s normal.
“Now I feel like shit,” you speak up, bumping your leg against his. He hums. “I didn’t get you anything for your birthday. And if you know anything about friendships, then you’d know that presents are a vital thing.”
“Don’t fret. I don’t need anything else other than…” he trails off. “How was your birthday, anyways?”
You don’t notice his sudden shift. Or maybe you did. Either way, he doesn’t know. You snort. “Got shit-faced, what else do you expect? Though, I faintly remember Abby kissing the bartender, so that was cool.” When he fails to recognize the name, you roll your eyes as if you’re dealing with a third grader. “Checo’s photographer? She’s awesome. Has her own car.”
It’s his turn to laugh now. “And you don’t?”
“Nope. But God, I wish. Maybe one day.” You dig your feet deeper into the sand, twisting your lips before smacking them as if that might help hydrate them. You squint an eye. “I’m barely home, so there’s really no need for one yet. I can sense you wondering.”
“I was,” he admits. Swallowing, he mimes your movements. “I’m barely home, either.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Do you?” he returns with no response.
You ponder. “I know I miss my parents. My sister. But other than that, no—maybe not.”
“I don’t either.”
“But I thought you were a homebody?” you accuse.
“Well, I am, but…I miss my home. The place I paid for with my own money.”
“What home don’t you miss, then?”
“The one my parents tried to convince me and my sister that it was. We had all the family portraits and the typical white picket fence, but it just never felt like home to me. And I don’t miss that.”
“Oh.” Just oh.
“Yeah,” he follows with a raspy voice. “Oh.”
Tugging the jacket closer to your chest, you shiver. Surely your nose is burning bright pink and your lips are chapped, but nothing felt better than this moment for some reason. “I don’t like your dad,” you mumble beneath your breath, hoping the wind would hide your confession, but if it didn’t, you wouldn’t care.
It didn’t.
Scoffing, Max nods. “Yeah. Me neither.”
“I don’t like the way he speaks to you. It’s not—normal.” A beat. “Do you think it is?”
“I do,” he hums, blinking slowly as he watches the way a bird gets caught in the wind, trying to lurch forward but only getting sent back. “You get used to it.”
“You shouldn't have to,” you whisper, brows pinched up with concern. “I know I said you were a complicated person, but you’re not. And—and I just don’t want you to think that it’s true.”
He’s the first to disconnect his eyes from yours, feeling a burning sensation forming in the depths of his throat. It’s not completely unknown, he’s felt it many times when he was a kid. The only difference was that he used to feel it behind his eyes as well. Which is why it catches him off guard this time around—years later.
“You’re not like him, Max,” you say with reassurance. Blue eyes soften up, feeling a rush of emotions. This is something he didn’t even know he needed. Tilting his head, he opens his mouth lamely, words getting stuck like a boy and not a man. You smile tenderly. “And I hope you know that.”
He drives you back home that night despite saying you’d be fine walking back. You fall asleep for the next thirty-minutes, and he overthinks through all of it. Fingers tap against the steering wheel, taking occasional glances to where you breath softly.
“I told you to bring a sweater,” Max groans once you enter his car. “You’re going to freeze to death.”
You wave him off. “I think I’ll survive.”
As soon as you arrive at the beach, you’re quick to rub your hands against your skin, wishing to have some sort of blanket. With a knowing look, the Dutchman rolls his eyes, slipping off his jacket and placing it over your shoulders.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Thanks,” you say, biting the inside of your cheek, suppressing a smile.
Hearing his teeth chatter, he blows his cheeks out, squinting his eyes when a particular gust of wind slaps him across the face. “Shit. It’s freezing.”
“Need a jacket, princess?” you tease, enjoying the way his lips form a snarl.
You giggle.
It’s his favorite jacket, the one you’re wearing.
It’s his favorite because of that.
“I’m fucked,” he whisphers to himself, grinding his teeth until he feels them squeak. He tries to focus on the road, but that seems to be the most difficult task in the world when he has you right besides him. And he isn’t thinking anything sinisterly dirty—he’s not—but instead, he’s dreaming.
I can be different, he thinks to himself, repeating the same words over and over. I can be someone she likes. If I try hard enough, I can do that. Planning ahead was always something he hated, but just thinking about it now makes his veins rush with excitement. As if the possibility of you might exist somewhere down the line.
You said some things he never thought he’d hear, because to be quite honest, he never thought someone would understand him the way you have. For the longest time, he thought a fucked up person like him could only get with an equally fucked up person or simply he’d have to live by himself for the rest of his life.
And here you came, proving him wrong.
He doesn’t realize how fast he’s going, how he’s pressing hard on the gas. Not until you groan. “Fuck. Are you alright?” he asks with concern as soon as he hears your head thud against the window from his jerky turn at the roundabout.
“Yeah.” A beat, then a giggle. You rub your head. “This is gonna bruise.” He winces, taking a glance. Keep your eyes on the road, you laugh, but he can’t. Not when your eyes crinkle the way they do. Like your eyes have a dimple of their own. He’s never seen that on anyone else. “We’ll be twins,” you state as some sort of lame joke. And it does the job because he’s quick to let out a chuckle.
“Sorry,” he apologizes.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Pulling up to your house, you go in to unbuckle yourself before slipping the jacket off. He shakes his head. “Keep it.”
“That wouldn’t make any sense,” you try. “I’m already home, I’ll be fine. Put it on.”
“Well I’m not cold anymore,” he pushes back. “It’s fine, really. I have plenty—what’s one missing?”
“It's freakishly soft,” you debate, furrowing your brows with concentration. “Okay. Thanks, Max.” Grabbing your film camera, you let out a shy smile. “For this too. Just—for these past few hours. I had fun.”
“Yeah,” he hums gingerly, running his hand along the steering wheel. “So did I.”
This grabs your attention, ears perking up like some German Shepard. “Am I dreaming? Did Max Verstappen just say he had fun? With me?” you interrogate, eyes shining.
He groaned, tossing his head against his seat. “I take it back—”
“You can’t do that—”
“I take it back,” he repeats firmly, but the amusement poured into his accent tells you otherwise. “Now get out of my car.”
You poke your tongue out at him before raising your hands up defensively. “Drive safe,” you shout over your shoulder as you walk towards your house, backward. “Oh! I almost forgot to ask!” Rushing to his side of the car, you signal for him to roll his window. He does, quirking a brow. You grin. “Let me take you out.”
His heart thuds. Pulses. Skyrockets.
It’s a scary feeling.
You beam. “Yes! As your birthday present! Let me take you out. Just you and I.”
“You and I?” he repeats robotically, blinking with round eyes.
A nod. “Yeah. Just like today. You took me out and gave me an amazing gift. Let me do the same for you.” Pause. “Please?”
It dawns on him that this is the first time a girl has asked him to hang out. Whether it’s romantic or not, it doesn’t matter, and the way you bat your cartoon eyes makes him spiral, feeling his breath hitch. “Y-y-yeah,” he finds himself saying. “Sure. Why not?”
“You only turn twenty-seven once,” you hum. Like that might seal the deal besides the fact that he’s already accepted.
The Dutchman chuckles nervously, fighting the urge to just…God.
“You only turn twenty-seven once,” he agrees, sharing a tight smile, hands gripping the leather wheel.
-
Your plans end up getting pushed back due to your guys’ tight agenda. The season is tough on not just him, but the entire team. McLaren is thriving, sometimes more than Red Bull, and that has everyone feeling on edge.
Chewing your nails, you watch as Lando crosses the finish line, nearly a minute ahead from the Dutchman. You know he’s not going to want to talk about it, but he will. He has to.
Because Jos is here.
“You’re getting quite comfortable on that second step,” Jos says tauntingly. He’s not yelling—not like the other times—and somehow, that just makes him scarier.
“I’m not,” Max defends as he rubs a sweaty hand against his face. His hair is longer than usual, so that doesn’t help the awkwardness he feels when he has to push it back. “We still did good—”
“Good is not good enough,” he hisses, pressing a finger against his son's suit, making him take a step back before he regains composure. “Unless it is. For you, I mean.” Silence. “So what? Is it?”
“No,” Max mumbles, fighting the urge to push him back. He’s thought about it—many times. And maybe he’s reached his limit, and maybe he can do it…
But he’d never dare to in front of you.
Blue eyes quietly plead for you to leave. And yes. That would be the wisest thing to do right about now, but your feet betray you. They’re super glued, you begin to suspect. Why else would you not be able to move?
“You used to be so good,” Jos points out, eyes only getting sharper. “What happened? What’s distracting you? Who’s distracting you?”
Max’s eyes flicker for a second—just a fucking second—to where you stand, paralyzed, and he prays he doesn’t notice it. But he does.
Turning to face your small figure, Jos lets out a shallow laugh, a confused expression mapping his wrinkled face. “Are you serious?”
“I—” Max tries, but is waved off by his massive hand.
“A crush isn’t going to get you anywhere, Max, come on, you know this.” Jos rubs his eyes, aging quickly. “Especially with a girl like her.”
“I-I-I,” you stutter, feeling your face grow red. Swiftly, this makes you feel as dumb as when you first met Max, but somehow worse.
A million times worse.
“Y-y-you what?” Jos mocks your stutter, walking closer to where you stand. “You what?”
“H-h-he doesn't like me. So, there’s no need to…w-w-w—”
“Worry,” Max fills in, marching to stand in between you two, and you immediately feel your shoulders relax, but your breath continues to struggle to find its way out of your system. “There’s no need to worry. I just had a bad race, it happens. It’s no one’s fault.”
“Except it is!” Jos finally screams, spraying his saliva with every punctuation, something you’ve come to realize happens when he gets fired up, which nearly occurs every time he's here. The only difference is that this time, you’re caught in between the argument. Jos breathes heavily, chest puffing. “It's someone's fault, and I’ll lay it out for you since you can’t seem to take responsibility—it’s your fault.”
“No, it’s not,” you protest from behind Max, feeling courage quickly expand through your ribs because you knew that wasn’t true. “It’s no one’s fault.”
But someone like you is invisible to someone like Jos Verstappen.
Ignoring you, he gets rid of that last step that separates Max from himself, faces inches apart from one another. And it’s terrifying how similar they are. Their eyes, their nose, their lips. The only thing separating them from being twins was Max’ kindness.
“Say it’s your fault,” Jos orders with a solid and demanding tone. “Say the crash was your fault and that you fucked up.”
You’re breath catches once again, frantic eyes darting to where Max clenches his fists before letting them relax.
“The crash was my fault—”
“It's all your fault,” Jos adds.
The Red Bull drivers lips twitch. “The crash was all my fault…” A beat. “And I fucked up.”
“Max,” you whisper, gingerly grabbing his hand. He flinches at your touch and pulls away as soon as his dads eyes linger down to where you two connect. You wither.
“Get your act together,” Jos threatens with fury before walking out, slamming the door behind him.
You jump at the unexpected sound. No one speaks, no one moves, no one dares to acknowledge what just happened.
Max Verstappen lands second on this week's podium, Crofty announces, pulling you away from the daze you were stuck in. Max’s gaze switches over to the T.V. as he stiffens. Say, what are the chances he wins this year's Championship against Lando Norris who seems to be having the time of his life in that McLaren?
“You did good out there—”
“No. I didn’t.” He looks away. “But that won’t matter because that Championship is mine.”
Mine.
-
You notice he’s reverted back to his old habits the moment he gets snappy. The moment he starts blocking everyone out, including you. You sort of saw it coming, but still—it hurt. And it took you a moment to realize, realize why it burned so much.
You loved Max Verstappen.
He’d always been unapproachable. Spine-chilling, even. But ever since you two started talking to each other as more than strangers, you realize he was none of that. He had once been kind, once been sweet, but this was all Jos’ fault. Weeks went by—months, even—and all you ever really did was snap pictures of him on the stimulator. That’s it.
It’s as if your friendship never even existed.
It came as no surprise when he failed to pick up your phone calls and texts. He was awfully good at doing that. By the time you were a month away from the Championship, you had stopped trying.
Max can feel the awkward tension he had created. It sat there between you two every time you followed after him like a dog on a leash, timidly taking his picture, afraid of getting the wrong reaction out of him. It had happened a couple of times in the past, when you first started working for him, so it seemed you were trying to prevent history from repeating itself. The slight sting in his chest took a jab at him every time without fail.
Vegas was typically a good time for both the drivers and people like you. You’d be the first to admit how easy it is to get lost in the gist of it all.
Except this time around, it was hard to live through it.
-
Hey. You home?
Max groans, rubbing his eyes until they’re wide awake, picking up his phone.
Max, 12:00pm
Are you okay?
A minute scrolls by.
I have your present.
The first thing he notices is his jacket. His initials are sewn onto the sleeve. He didn’t even know that was a thing, but the sight of it made his stomach flip. “Looks good on you,” he compliments as soon as he enters your car. You chuckle.
It’s a nice jacket. The best one I own.
He notes how smooth you drive, like a grandma. You’re precise with your turns, ahead with your signals—extremely observant.
“See how I steer the wheel,” you speak up, wiggling a neat brow. “Unlike you.”
“I said I was sorry,” he laughs, getting a reminder of the last time you two were together. “How’s the bruise?”
“Nearly gone.” A beat. “How’s yours?”
He smiles, remembering about his own. “Nearly gone.”
“Told you we’d be twins.”
You take him to a nearby park. It’s lame, I know, you apologize, wincing shyly. I’m not good at this, but I hope your present makes up for it.
“This is great,” he eases your nerves, seeing how they scribble across your face. “This is my first time at a playground, actually.”
Your eyes widen as soon as you sit down on the yellow swing. “You’re kidding, right?”
He shakes his head. “Nope.”
“Huh.”
He takes a seat on a nearby swing, following your soft kicks against the sand. “My dad preferred to have me on the race track than waste my time on anything else.”
This gets an eye roll out of you, soft wind fanning your face as you kick back and forth. “That explains it all.” He shuts his eyes momentarily, enjoying the silence. Far enough away, he can hear the city—but that’s the least of his worries.
You’re the first and only one to give me a childhood so late in life. Round eyes flicker towards him where he digs his shoes into the sand, not worried about the uncomfort it'll cause. If it weren’t for you, I probably would’ve gone my whole life without knowing what a playground is like.
The thought alone is saddening. Your mind makes up an image of young Max, looking into the distance at every other kid who runs towards slides and monkey bars as he straps his helmet and slips on his gloves, longing to know what it’s like to have a normal youth.
“Don’t feel bad.”
Your lip wobbles. “Don’t make me feel things, then. Why would you say that?”
“I thought we could open up to one another,” he jokes, but you can hear his seriousness in it. That’s all he’s needed, after all—someone to talk to. “Should I shut up from here on out?”
“No,” you reply rapidly, gripping your hand around the metal chain. “Don’t you ever shut up.”
His smile relaxes, eyes opening as he tilts his head, then looks up ahead at the moon. And it’s one of those nights where it’s scarily white—almost too much. One might think it’s a flashlight, by the way it shines, but there’s a clarity to it that makes it easy to admire. “I don’t think I love my dad.”
You try not to let out a reaction. “You don’t mean that.”
“No…” He clicks his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “I think I do.” A shrug. “I respect him. A tiny bit, but I do. But love?” A bitter scoff. “God, I don’t even think he loves me.”
“Sure he does—”
“He loves my success,” he cuts you off. “And it’s embarrassing how everybody knows it.”
Neither of you are swinging anymore. Gathering your thoughts, you look down at your lap, inspecting your dirty shoes. “If it helps, I love you, Max.” In a heartbeat, his blue eyes dart towards you, seeing the way you breathe evenly. “Is that surprising to you?” He doesn’t answer. He couldn't answer. And boy did he want to. Smiling tenderly, you nod. “It’s not that hard, really.” You begin to swing again, as if you didn’t just drop the biggest bomb on him that left his heart in his throat, beating at an abnormal speed. “Not when you’re so patient with me.”
The chain squeaks, making him snap out of his daze, blinking harshly. “I hate my stutter. I’ve had it tugging at my leg since I was eight. Don’t know what caused it, but it’s been there, trust me. So, when you made fun of it a while back, I thought to myself: this guy is a real douchebag.”
Shame pours within him as he recalls that interaction. Checo had told him about his photographer's stutter and how hard it was to hold a conversation with her at first, but the longer they worked together, the more he found it endearing. And that’s exactly what Max felt the moment you became his photographer at a stage in his life where he still didn’t know you all that well other than the fact that you carried your camera like a newborn baby.
“I’m so—”
“Don’t be,” you cut him off. “I don’t hold grudges. Plus, you’re quite helpful now that you’re used to my stammering, don’t you think?”
Guilt fuels him as he apologizes with his eyes. “I shouldn’t have mocked you. Ever.”
“Probably.” A hum. “But the way you read my mind makes up for it.”
He’s been doing a lot of that, without even realizing it. He concludes your sentences without batting an eye about the words you’re trying to get out, trying to express. And in all fairness, you hadn’t noticed it either, not until Checo pointed it out.
That’s how normal it had become.
“My stutter was my number one insecurity growing up.” Connecting your gaze back to where he’s already looking, you draw your eyebrows in with gentleness. “And you made it go away.”
Before he can think his words through, he opens his mouth. “I love your stutter.”
You blink, bewildered at the comment. Then—you laugh.
“Thanks?” Your volume increases. “Never heard that one before.”
Screwing his eyes shut, he shakes his head, grimacing at the sound of his voice replaying inside his crowded mind.
“What I’m trying to say is that I love you,” he rambles, much faster and correctly this time, making you stop your laughter, eyes going wide once again. “Is that surprising to you?” he whispers, awaiting a response with anxiety dripping from his fingertips that clench around the chain that loops around the swing, giving it security.
“You mean as friends, right?” you ask carefully, making his stomach drop.
“I don’t think friends think about each other the way I think about you,” he confesses, out of breath by the sudden shift he’s caused. “I see you differently.”
As soon as your lips part to say something, he pleads silently as if saying: please, just hear me out. And that’s exactly what you do.
He’s standing right in front of you now, pacing back and forth like some football coach as you watch him like a clueless cheerleader who sits on the sidelines. He clears his throat after a lengthy minute.
“I noticed you first when you walked into your interview four years ago.”
Your mind races back to a moment in time where your camera was significantly cheaper and your dreams were larger than life.
He nods, watching as you recollect the memories that were tucked in the far back of your brain, like it didn’t matter for the longest time, which to be fair, it hadn’t.
“You were supposed to be my photographer.”
Your brows furrow, completely lost by his words. “What?”
His large hands run through his shaggy hair from his slumber that you had ripped him away from. “From the very beginning, it was supposed to be you and me. But…”
Neat brows narrow down harder. “But what?”
Max stops his pace, killing his tracks that lands him right in front of you looking up at him with innocent eyes. He sighs. “I said I didn’t want you working with me.”
“Oh.” A beat. “It’s always been this way, then? You not wanting me near you?”
“For a while,” he says quickly before cringing. “But now that we’ve worked together, I realize the mistake I made. How many years it could’ve been us…”
“What’s the real reason?”
Flinching, he squirms under your focus. “What?”
You nod, encouraging him. “You always said it was because you didn’t think we would work well together, and look at us now—we have.” Leaves rustle from the dozen of trees that wrap around the park. “What was the actual reason?”
He’s known the answer to this question from the moment you joined the team, more specifically, Checo’s. He knew the answer to the question the moment he crossed that finish line, claiming his first Championship like the greedy man he was carved out to be by his own father.
He’s just not sure how you’d take it. Coughing awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, he avoids eye contact. “I knew you’d distract me.”
Your stomach twists like a licorice. “Oh God—have I?”
“No!” he yelps, but the defense he guards up like a soldier lets you know that that’s nowhere close to being true. You shrink, increasing the distance between you two. His palms begin to sweat. “You haven’t—”
“Your dad was right,” you whisper. “I have been a distraction to you. That’s why you’ve been having such a weird season compared to the previous ones…”
“No,” he presses firmly. “The car has changed, that’s why I’ve been driving differently, it has nothing to do with you.”
But you don’t seem to engage with his words, instead, you shake your head like an angry child who never gets their way at the candy store. “How can you love me when I’m the reason your dad puts you down every chance he gets?”
It’s like you forced your fingers in at an open wound, one he tends to forget is there when he’s with you, but when you mention it's existence, he remembers why he dreads it so much.
“He talks to me like that because he’s a shitty dad, not because of you,” he says, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. “I liked you the second year I won my Championship. The first time you said my name.”
“Congrats, Max,” you say with an awkward smile after you pull away from an even more awkward hug. “You did good.”
“I was infatuated by you the third year I won my Championship.”
“You can’t keep firing your photographers,” Christian lectured him with a tired voice, making his accent sound ten times stronger. “Especially when we don’t even have their replacement.”
“I haven’t found one I like,” he says as he watches you walk by, heading towards Checo with a bright smile, bragging about a recent setting that puts your old photos to shame. He looks away when you turn towards his garage, as if you felt his eyes on you. “It’s not my fault.”
“No, young man, it is,” the team principal presses, letting out a tired sigh. “You need to mature with the idea of having one, if not—”
“If not what?”
“If not…uh…we’ll…” Christian looks around for a while before turning back to the Dutchman. “We’ll have to take a different approach.”
“Yeah?” Max questions with amusement. “Which is?”
Christian shrugs. “Swapping Checo’s photographer with yours.”
This makes the Dutch physically recoil. “I’ve told you a thousand times already—it would never work out. She’s too…happy all the time.”
“And maybe that’s exactly what you need.”
Max lets out a shaky breath, watching your chest rise and fall as if you find it harder to breathe with every passing second.
“And I haven’t won my fourth,” he begins with a light smile and an even lighter tone. “But I already know that I love you.”
This is it. The last smile of his. Of that soft dimple of his that caught you by surprise the first time you saw it. It's the last time because you know that whatever happens after is going to ruin it all.
“I love you—”
“I don’t.”
His lips run dry, forcing a small chuckle like he didn’t hear you right. “I’m—I’m.” He smiles hesitantly. “B-but you said…” No more wind circles around you. “You said it.”
“I know.” You wince, brushing your hair back, annoyed with it by now. “I know I did, but…Max. I didn’t mean it in that way.”
The blue eyed Dutch takes a step backward, noting the uncomfortableness the sand is causing his feet to feel now that the adrenaline is gone. “What do you mean?” he murmurs with embarrassment. “What do you mean?”
Licking your lips, you focus on a tree that stands behind him, how fucked up looking it was. As if someone stabbed it over and over again until it bled wood chips.
“I do love you—but as a friend.”
“Why, though?”
“Friendships last longer,” you respond, like you’ve had the answer sitting on the tip of your tongue for the longest time now. “Relationships don’t.”
“Ours could,” he tries, feeling pathetic. “I’m good at everything. I bet I’ll be good at a relationship, too.”
“A relationship is not a game, Max,” you argue, your voice slightly raising, making him clench his jaw. “And I’m sure you think it is because you're such a perfectionist, but it’s not that easy. There’s a lot of dedication that goes into it.”
“Then I’ll be dedicated to you,” he says. “Heart, body, and soul. I swear. Just—give me a chance.”
“I can’t…”
“But why not?”
“Because all I see is a friend!” you shout, regretting it instantly. His skin loses its natural color, switching to a ghostlike state. His pink lips snap shut like a bear trap. And his furrowed brows revert back to their usual place. Nibbling on your bottom lip, you massage your temples that suddenly feel painful.
“We’re so different from one another, Max. Your life is written down, from birth to death. And you know you’ll live a good one. And mine—mine is constantly changing. I mean, look at it. A few months ago I was working with your teammate and now…”
He remains silent, patiently watching your lips move with every word that pinches his feelings like the biggest bully. “The love I hold for you is there…but not the same way yours is there for me. Your life moves fast, and I’m barely even able to keep up with a conversation with this fucking stutter that appears most times with others, but very few with you.”
Still nothing. Just his eyes focused on this jacket now, like he's already reclaiming it. “And I really do thank you for that, I do. But I thank you the most for letting me get to know you for who you really are. Not who you pretend to be or what others say you are—and I wish I could reciprocate, but…I just… don’t.”
An eternity passes by, it feels like. He doesn’t even know how long you two have been standing here now, but the sunrise is a clear indication that it’s been forever. And he doesn’t feel tired, nor does he feel upset…
He just feels dumb.
“I get it,” he finally speaks up. “We view each other differently and that’s not your fault.”
“Yeah, but—”
“It's not your fault,” he repeats, wearing a warm smile, hoping you'd believe his lie. That and he doesn’t think he can handle much more. All he wants to do is go back home. “I’m just glad I had someone to talk to for a while. And, well—I’m sorry. I must have gotten confused by the situation. Maybe I don’t love you, who knows. I probably just got excited, you know? Went my whole life without having an interaction like ours, maybe I’m convincing myself to believe in something that was never there to begin with. For either of us, that is.”
I just got excited, is all.
-
He did end up winning his fourth Championship the way he said he would. You did end up taking that perfect picture as he stood on that podium, shining as bright as his golden trophy. Jos was happy, Christian was happy, the entire team was happy, but you and Max?
Blue eyes lock with yours, feeling the differenceness between it all. He still loves you, he realizes. He wasn’t confused after all. But neither were you.
All you saw was your best friend, and now you’re not even sure you have one anymore. You two no longer hang out, you barely even speak to one another despite spending most of your days together. He still smiles at you from time to time, but it’s not the same. Nothing could ever be.
And it was a soul crushing thing to realize.
“Congratulations,” you muffle against his race suit as you hug him without your arms fully wrapping around him and his hardly wrapping around you. “This is your moment, Max.” A beat. “No one else’s.”
You’re talking about his dad. He knows that.
Chuckling, he nods. Like he’s sure of that now. That all his success is his, and his alone. That you have finally managed to matter the most in his life—not his trophies, not his father’s respect.
You.
Pulling away, he still feels your invisible hug linger on him in a way he can’t explain and neither could you. You dig into your pocket, pulling out a silver bracelet.
“Your birthday gift.”
Right. You never got the chance to give it to him after the last real conversation you two ever had. After that, both of you ignored the fact it ever even happened, and in a way, he was grateful for that, but that didn’t stop it from stinging. Looking down at it, he reads the engravement, feeling his heart take a last lap.
To my favorite open book. With love.
He laughs, clutching his fist around it. “I’m nowhere close to being an open book, but…thanks. I love it.”
You giggle, eyes crinkling with tears as you brush them away. “Not at first, but—eventually. It takes time.”
The cheers rise, but neither of you acknowledge them. Not even when they chant his name, over and over.
“You’ve peeled me,” he admits, nearly whispering. “Completely.” Your breath hitches, sucking in that breath that cost to take in. Max shrugs with a gentle grin. “You’ve peeled the lemon,” he jokes with a shaky breath of his own, blue eyes switching to a darker shade that makes your limbs go weak. “So—do your fingers burn?”
You force a laugh. The kind that makes your head tilt just a bit before tippy toeing to give him a proper kiss on the cheek. He goes still.
“I wish they did. That’d make my decision much easier to go through.”
With that, you step away, the Dutch immediately being over taken by journalists, photographers, the FIA, the drivers—everyone except the only person he really wants there celebrating with him.
His mind is racing faster than his Championship winning car. What decision? What could you possibly mean by that—
Christian embraces him, ruffling his sweaty hair as he pours a bottle of champagne over his head, laughing with glory. Max shakes his head, leaning down to ask the only question that ever made his heart break before he ever even got a response.
“Did she quit?”
Christian knows exactly who she is, but what catches him by surprise is how agitated he appeared to suddenly get. The team principal shrugs. “We’ll find you a new one!”
“No,” Max whispers in disbelief as he tries to find you from a distance, but all he sees are flashing lights that begin to cut his patience thin. “No.”
I wanted her.
taglist: @blueflorals @starmanv @coolio2195 @lovrsm @weekendlusting@chanshintien @brune77e @myownwritings @timmychalametsstuff @milasexutoire@alesainz @c-losur3 @darleneslane @togazzo @urfavnoirette @namgification @lpab @d3kstar @anniee-mr @nebarious@notkaryna
#max verstappen#max verstappen imagine#max verstappen smut#max verstappen fanfic#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen x you#max verstappen x female oc#max verstappen f1#max verstappen icons#formula one#formula one x reader#formula one x oc#formula 1#f1 x reader#f1 imagine#f1#formula one imagine#formula one x you#formula one x y/n#formula one fanfiction#f1 x female reader#f1 x you#f1 x y/n#f1 x oc#red bull racing#mv1 x reader#red bull formula 1#red bull formula one#max verstappen angst
1K notes
·
View notes
Text
CONTROVERSIALLY YOUNG GF | PROLOGUE
max verstappen x femalereader
680 words
➛ disclaimer ➛
seven year age gap. please do not read if it makes you uncomfortable!!! completely fictional.



When you began to go out with Max Verstappen you anticipated for the news to make the celebrity gossip pages and cause an uproar among his fans. Afterall, it was Max Verstappen – four time world champion - you could hardly believe it yourself!
Miraculously, you and Max dated for six months without any interference from the media. It's not like your relationship was a secret or anything. Like any other couple you went out to the movies and dinned at nice restaurants. But early on in your relationship you discovered Max was a homebody, like you! So as you grew closer most of your time together consisted of hanging out at his apartment or yours watching movies or talking for hours. Still, everyone in your inner circle was astounded at how long you were able to maintain your relationship out of the media's radar.
Once you hit the six-month mark and it became clear to both you and Max that your relationship was serious you had a discussion about how outside discourse from the media would affect your relationship. Although you had only been with Max for six months you had witnessed how invasive fans and the media could be. You constantly saw articles discussing Max's private relationships with his family and his team. Every word, every action, every glance was examined and scrutinized. Max often joked that the more interviews he did the more he wished to move somewhere isolated and live out the rest of his days with you far from the judgment of anyone else. But you knew he loved driving too much to retire so early on in his career even with all of his success.
As always Max was direct, "The media is going to be annoying. They're going to make up the most ridiculous stories you've ever heard. Honestly, the best thing we can do is try ignore them as much as we can." You both agreed, the smartest decision was to take control of the narrative instead of running the risk of having your relationship leaked. So you decided to attend a beginning of the season Redbull event with Max. It was a well documented event and important media figures and photographers would be present. The timing was a bonus. Everyone was focused on the upcoming season and most of their curiosity was concentrated on the new car rather than the personal lives of the drivers. It was a perfect way to debut your relationship to the media.
That night approached quickly, and it would be a lie to say it wasn't one of the most nerve-racking nights of your life. As someone who wasn't famous it was intimidating to be exposed to that world. Luckily, your boyfriend saved you from overthinking. Max was reassuring and attentive the entire night. On the car ride to the event, he made sure to hold your hand and make casual conversation as if it were any other night. He also organized for you guys to enter through the back, away from the paparazzi. Throughout the whole night he barely left your side and when he did he made sure you were comfortable. These small details helped you stay grounded.
Overall, it was a good night. It was nice to finally meet members of the team who had such close bonds with Max. You loved hearing all the stories about Max's victories and his race weekend habits. It was obvious that his team adored him and that only confirmed what you had felt in your heart since the day you first met him -- he was a keeper. You and Max went home confident that you had beaten the media. What could they even say? Max was in a new relationship and he was happy. There was nothing else to it.
Except you made the mistake of glossing over a detail the media would never forget. Before you, Max had only dated women older than him. And you were seven years younger than Max.
The next morning you woke up with a new identity. Max Verstappen's controversially young girlfriend.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌a/n: happy 2025 everyone 🫧 i had this idea… so i decided to go through with posting the first part. i’m thinking writing + social media posts! what do we think??? i’m open to suggestions so don’t be afraid to comment or inbox me!
#max vertsappen fic#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen#red bull racing#red bull f1#red bull team#f1 smau#f1 fiction#f1 2025#f1 fic#f1 fic rec#max verstappen x you#f1 x you#f1 imagine#f1 x reader#red bull formula 1#red bull formula one#max emilian verstappen
978 notes
·
View notes
Text
Due to recent events: let's all tone it down a bit, yeah?
#i originally wanted to pair them up by team but... yeah#maybe dont send hate to anyone idk#let them live jesus#lando norris#ln4#max verstappen#mv1#mv33#f1#formula 1#formula one#brazil gp 2024#sao paulo gp 2024#my art#fanart#digital art#ari art#norstappen#mclaren f1#mclaren formula one#mclaren formula 1#mclaren racing#red bull racing#rbr#red bull f1#red bull formula 1#red bull formula one#oops just realized i forgot to sign it... oh well not changing it now
860 notes
·
View notes
Text
Valentines | mv1


in which max spends valentines day with his girlfriend
paring: max verstappen x fem!reader
warning: fluff (lmk if there's something else!), not proofread (just wrote and then posted)
finished: 08 December 2024
posted: 08 December 2024
word count: 380 words
My love for u is ever lasting, it will last until eternity ends~
third person pov
Y/n knew at the beginning of their relationship that Max wasn't into celebrating Valentine's Day, and although she loved Valentine, she respected him.
But that didn't stop her from going out with her friends and having a galentines dinner with them.
Y/n is dressed in a short red dress with little bows on the straps paired with some red Mary Jane’s with bows on the front.
“How late will you be back, schatje?” Max asked her as she stood in front of the mirror, applying some lipstick.
“Maybe around 9?” she shrugged, then turned around to face him. “I’ll let you know once we leave,”
Now entering their living room, she picked up her small purse and her car keys.
“Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off?” he asked her.
“I’ll be fine, Max. I promise,” she promised him.
At the front door, they both bid their goodbyes.
“Be safe, okay?” he asked her.
“I will,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and then left their shared apartment.
Once Max made sure she left the building and safely in her car, he put his plan in motion.
yourusername recently added to their story!

The sky was now darker, the streetlights were on and Y/n could see couples, young and old, dining in restaurants and celebrating Valentine's Day.
She smiled sadly, wishing that that were her and Max. But she shook her head at the silly thought.
She pulled into a parking space in front of the apartment building, sighing as she climbed out of her car and took the elevator.
As she reached their front door, unlocking it and stepping out, she froze seeing the sight in front of her.
Their apartment was filled with beautiful roses and some lit candles, and Max appeared in a suit, holding a bouquet of white and pink tulips.
She smiled but that quickly turned into a frown.
“I thought you didn’t like Valentines?” she asked as he walked over to her.
“I don’t, but I like you,” he smiled softly.
“So, will you be my Valentine?”
yourusername


liked by maxverstappen1, yourbff and others
tagged: maxverstappen
yourusername thank you to the world’s best valentine
comments on this post have been limited
taglist ~ @linnygirl09
note ~ i didn't know how to end this 😭😭 but i hope you enjoyed reading
masterlist ˚˖𓍢ִ໋🦢˚
#˚˖𓍢ִ໋🦢˚ rosie's writing#formula 1#f1 imagine#f1#f1 x reader#formula one#max verstappen#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen x you#max verstappen x y/n#max verstappen smau#f1 smau#red bull f1#red bull racing#red bull formula 1#happy valentine's day#happy valentines#valentines day#f1 fic#f1 fanfic#f1 fluff#romantic#f1 scenario#f1 imagines#formula 1 scenarios#formula 1 smau#red bull team#red bull formula one#lando norris scenarios#lando norris
287 notes
·
View notes
Text
First Race Day | max verstappen
Max verstappen x reader
Masterlist
It was the morning of Lilly Verstappen's first Formula 1 race. The air was filled with excitement as the Verstappen family prepared for a day they would never forget. Max, always calm and focused, was buzzing with a different kind of energy today—he was taking his little girl to the race. Y/N, his wife, was equally excited but feeling the usual mix of nerves and pride. Lilly, their six-year-old bundle of joy, was bouncing with energy, dressed in a T-shirt that proudly read “Verstappen” on the back and wearing a Red Bull hat, as if to represent both her parents’ worlds.
Max couldn’t help but smile as he watched Lilly fidget with the cap, her eyes wide with anticipation for what was to come. The family had arrived early at the paddock, the hustle of the Formula 1 world swirling around them, but for Max and Y/N, today was about their daughter experiencing it all for the first time.
Lilly was everything Max and Y/N had hoped for—a curious, energetic little girl who loved being around the track. As they made their way through the crowds, Lilly held tightly onto her parents’ hands, her little legs trying to keep up with the fast pace of F1 life.
"Are you excited, sweetheart?" Y/N asked, smiling down at Lilly as they made their way to the garage.
"Yes! I want to see the cars go fast, mommy!" Lilly said with a grin, her eyes shining with excitement.
Max couldn’t help but chuckle at his daughter’s enthusiasm. “You’ll see that, don’t worry.”
As they made their way toward the Red Bull garage, Lilly’s eyes grew even wider when she spotted someone in the distance. She gasped and immediately pulled away from Y/N’s hand.
"Uncle Lando!" Lilly squealed, running ahead.
Max’s head snapped around, a laugh escaping his lips as he watched his daughter run toward none other than Lando Norris, who was standing near a group of photographers. Lando looked up, and his face lit up with the biggest grin when he saw Lilly.
"Lillyyyyy!" Lando shouted, his arms wide open, and before anyone could react, he scooped Lilly up and spun her around in his arms. The photographers caught the moment perfectly, the two of them laughing and spinning as the F1 world continued to whir around them.
Y/N walked over with a playful look on her face, hands on her hips. “Lilly, I told you to stay with me, baby,” she called out, her tone soft but firm.
Lilly looked up at her mom, her cheeks flushed with excitement, before glancing at Lando. “But Uncle Landooo!” she said, her voice full of innocent defiance.
Lando, still holding her, chuckled and nodded. “You should listen to your mom, kiddo,” he said, his voice teasing but affectionate. “But since I’m the cool uncle, we’ll let that slide. Now, let’s change that hat.”
With a dramatic flourish, Lando took Lilly’s Red Bull cap off and pulled out a McLaren cap from behind his back, placing it carefully on Lilly’s head. “There we go, much better,” Lando said, grinning from ear to ear.
Y/N, looking amused but not too pleased, walked over to them, arms crossed. “Lando, I don’t think that’s what we had in mind,” she said, giving him a playful but pointed look.
Just as Y/N was about to speak again, Max walked up, shaking his head. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of his daughter in a McLaren hat. “No, no,” Max said, reaching over and taking the McLaren hat off her head, replacing it with her Red Bull cap. “That’s better.”
Lilly giggled, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth between the two, but she didn’t argue. “But Uncle Lando’s hat is cooler,” she said matter-of-factly, which caused Lando to laugh and Max to raise an eyebrow.
“Maybe,” Max said with a wink, “but you’re my little girl, and you’re sticking with the Red Bull cap.”
Lando gave a dramatic sigh, but he was clearly enjoying the playful banter. “Fine, I guess I’ll just have to stick with the McLaren team,” he said with a teasing smile, sticking his tongue out at Max. “But you know, she could be the best of both worlds.”
Max shook his head with a laugh, finally picking Lilly up and holding her in his arms. “Let’s get you settled, kiddo. You’ve got a front-row seat to the best race in the world.”
Y/N smiled, watching the playful interaction between the three of them. She walked alongside Max as he carried Lilly, feeling so grateful for moments like this—moments that made everything feel perfect. The family was together, enjoying the chaos and joy that only F1 could bring.
As they made their way to the grandstand, Lilly looked around in awe. “I can’t wait to see the cars go fast, Daddy!” she said, her voice full of excitement.
Max leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “You’re going to love it, sweetheart. There’s nothing like it.”
The day was filled with the sounds of roaring engines, the sight of fast-moving cars on the track, and the thrill of a race that brought the Verstappen family even closer together. Lilly, with her Red Bull hat securely on her head, couldn’t contain her excitement as she cheered for her dad. Max, in his element but proud of his little girl, kept one arm wrapped around Y/N while the other pointed at the cars zooming past.
It was a perfect day, full of laughter, love, and the unmistakable bond of family. And for Lilly, it was just the beginning of what promised to be many more race days with her favorite people by her side.
💕💕Remember reblog helps a lot guy💕💕
#max verstappen x you#max verstappen fluff#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen#red bull formula one#red bull f1#red bull racing#f1 x you#f1 x reader#f1 imagine#f1 fanfic
202 notes
·
View notes
Text






I just realized how much chestappen videos and photos I have, I will dearly miss them. He was the best teammate I think the team can ask for and us the fans. He did so many things to help the team succeed. Thank you, checo, for everything you have done.
#f1#formula 1#formula one#max verstappen#red bull f1#red bull honda#red bull racing#red bull team#red bull powertrains#checo perez#sergio perez#sergio checo pérez#sergio pérez#chestappen#perstappen#redbull honda#redbull racing#red bull formula one#red bull formula 1
151 notes
·
View notes
Note
Can you write Seb x driver!reader where driver wins race after race and wins the championship and becomes red bulls prodigy and basically Seb is jealous of her and he basically hates her but she’s kind to him and everyone so he ends up falling in love with her
Little Miss Sunshine
˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚���·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙· ̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙
Requested by: Anon
Request: ^^
Pairings: Sebastian Vettel x F!RB!Driver!reader
Warnings: Seb is a bit of an ass at first (as per request,) typical red bull menace era Seb. Y/n utilized. Kissing. Getting drunk. Angst to fluff. No Danny ric to RB and Hamilton doesn't win WDC that year (for the plot.)
Word count: 5295
A/n: AHHH OMG I LOVED THIS REQUEST! GIGGLED AND KICKED MY FEET WHEN I GOT THIS! Hope you enjoy this :):) P.S. Sorry this took so long, Life got quite hectic haha
Taglist: none (if you'd like to be on my taglist, there's a link to the form at the bottom of the post! :] )
˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙ **•
You had smiled awkwardly at Sebastian when you’d first met him, given him a little wave and greeted him rather shyly. It wasn’t your first year in Formula 1, of course, though, you’d come from a cheaper team, one that hadn’t had a streak of winning like Red Bull. So, naturally, you were a little timid of the new environment and determined not to let your team down or have a sour relation with your teammate.
You were standing in your race suit, your white balaclava pulled over your head as you adjusted your helmet before climbing into your car.
Sitting in the new vehicle had never felt this nerve-wracking. Already, all of their eyes were on you and their expectations were high. You were nervous, eaten to the core by the fear that you might disappoint your new team on your maiden grand prix for them.
Without further ado, you shoved those thoughts down and went through the routine of starting your car. The engine roared to life and emitted a low purr. Carefully, you steered your car out of the garage, entering the pit lane.
After the formation lap, you'd taken your position at your spot on the grid, lining up midway through the lineup. Around you, the roar of the new v6 engines filled your ears as the lights began igniting.
As the lights went out and you pulled ahead of a few other drivers, you managed to keep up your pace, chasing Sebastian for the entire session.
On your maiden Red Bull race, you'd placed an impressive P2, second none other to teammate Sebastian Vettel.
˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙ **•
The previous race wasn't where your success stopped. Not at all. Last grand prix, you'd placed below Sebastian, something you considered a result of your lesser driving skills compared to the 4 time world champion. Yet, it wasn't long before you found yourself surpassing him on many occasions.
You placed higher than him many times, scoring podiums nearly every race. And Sebastian didn't like that he was being out-driven by his new teammate. It left a sour taste in his mouth.
He began to resent you. He loathed the fact that you were new to this team, to Red Bull, a group so closely-knit because of him. The constant reminder that you had penetrated the family-like racing team he had worked so hard to make closer, was impossible to forget when you –in his words– paraded around the paddock with your bright, easy smiles and kind words. He hated the way you smiled so cheerily, sun rays woven between pearly teeth that portrayed a constant warmth. Your smile seemed to never stop shining and it made Sebastian even more bitter about the situation.
Maybe it was silly. A stupid rivalry. But Sebastian was stubborn and he very much liked winning. He liked being dubbed ‘the best’ 4 consecutive years. And you were taking that away from him. He hated you for it.
It was a particularly bad race for Sebastian. Or, atleast, he'd call it bad. He hadn't placed nearly as high as he'd hoped and it made him angry. You on the other hand, had unsurprisingly placed first, which extended your lead over Sebastian and only increased his frustration.
He climbed out of his car, sweating heavily and anger hot as lava beneath his skin. You followed suit before making your way over to him where he stood. He groaned as you approached, his rage boiling.
“That was a tough race, Sebastian,” You said to him, a small, friendly smile on your face, “You did good.”
Something in the way you smiled at him while you said that made him frustrated and irritable. “Save your sympathy for someone who wants it,” He spat angrily, eyes hardened to a glare.
Sebastian didn't miss the small frown that found its way to your lips, and he found himself feeling a small tinge of something in his chest. It almost frightened him at the peculiar nature of the newly discovered feeling.
“I was just being nice,” You replied in a quieter, much sadder tone, “Sorry.”
As you turned and walked away without another word, Sebastian watched. The German driver knew he should do something. Say something. Call you back and apologize. Yet, his mouth remained glued shut and his eyes locked on your retreating form.
“Fuck,” He cursed to himself, a frustrated hand coming up to run through his sweaty strands of hair.
˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙ **•
It was race day again and already, Sebastian wasn't in a good mood. The previous argument had gone forgotten by him and his anger resurged. You'd out-everything'd him. Out-qualified; Out-lapped; Out-fastest lapped; You'd out-raced him entirely, scoring yourself pole position to start the race off.
Sebastian was a few grid spots back. It wasn't his finest performance over the past few days, he would admit that much.
His eyes were locked on the red lights above the grid that slowly began their count.
1..
The first one ignited.
2..
The second light burned a bright red, and Sebastian tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
3..
The third set of lights turned on. Sebastian began to rev his car's engine by pressing his foot on the gas.
4..
The fourth pair of lights lit up, and Sebastian could feel his anticipation growing. He wasn't going to let you win again today. He had to place higher than you.
5..
Finally, the fifth pair of lights blinked on. Sebastian subconsciously squeezed the steering wheel, eyes locked firmly on the red lights as he waited almost impatiently.
The lights all extinguished, and all the cars surged forwards as the race began.
Sebastian was fighting tooth and nail as he moved his way up the race standings. He raced behind you now, your car's tail end visible not far ahead.
You were driving spectacularly. You pulled corners with professional precision, accelerating out of them with the help of ERS to propel you forward, your car following a unique racing line all with a feel that came natural to you.
Sebastian was pushing his car to the limits as he caught up to you, using all of his ability to keep up and attempt an overtake. You were quick to defend when he moved over slightly to pass, your car zipping in front of him to effectively block his path.
It made him angry and want to take first place from you even more. Sebastian just barely managed to get to a point where he was wheel-to-wheel with you on a straightaway. Yet, a corner with a decreased radius was rapidly approaching as your fight for first intensified.
Your car pulled to the outer edge of the track as you followed the perfect racing line into the turn, Sebastian almost parallel with you. The German driver knew he needed to brake soon and get into a better racing line to complete this corner, but he was too caught up in the fact he was neck and neck with you, fighting for first and he didn't want to pull away and give up.
At almost the same time, your cars slowed coming into the corner, and Sebastian steered sharply into the turn as the track narrowed.
It all happened in a flash. One minute, both of you were racing around the corner, determined to obtain first place and refusing to allow the other to simply have it, and the next, Sebastian's car, which was going a little too fast as it rounded the bend at the same time yours did, veered straight into the side of your car. The impact sent both of you skidding out of control. Your car spun a few times, tossed straight off the track and into the gravel before smashing into the barrier, Sebastian's following the same track, only slightly ahead of yours.
The German's head was pounding as he came to a stop, a nauseous feeling collecting in his stomach. Only when his eyes laid on your similarly crashed car did he feel a strange sense of panic. Fighting against his restraints, he quickly unbuckled himself, scrambling out of his car once he'd shut it off. His feet had barely hit the ground before he had taken off running towards your crashed car.
It didn't take long to reach you, and when he did he was met with what appeared to be a very disorientated you, who groaned, your helmet pressed against the back of your seat. He reached over to shut off your car when you hadn’t already. His nerves were through the roof, panic running icy-cold through his veins. “Are you okay?” He asked, trying to keep his voice calmer than he really felt. When you didn't answer immediately, he asked again, “Y/n, are you okay?”
You groaned in reply, your helmet turning slightly to face him, the object obscuring your face from him. “I'm okay. Are you okay?”
Sebastian blinked a few times in confusion. You were the one still sitting in the car, and asking if he was okay? “Yeah, I'm fine.” He replied after a minute, baffled.
A sigh of relief left your lips and Sebastian imagined one of your signature smiles finding its way onto your face.
In a strange moment of what he would call brain-fog, but in reality was clarity, Sebastian felt comforted by that thought. However, he was quick to force that feeling back down to the deepest, warmest pits of his heart and soul. Shoving back down that tiny bit of himself that felt warm and fuzzy at the mention of your name. That tiny bit he never wanted to confront because a part of him knew what it meant.
You got out of your car after that, unbuckling your harness and climbing out. Marshals had arrived on scene and before you knew it, they were giving both of you rides back to the paddock.
When you got back to the Red Bull Garage, both of you had pulled off your helmet and your balaclavas. Sebastian still felt stubbornly bitter, but underneath all that was a strong sense of guilt. He knew it was his fault both of you crashed. Yet, when he looked at your face for the first time since you'd both spun out and hit the barriers, he didn't see anger. He saw a soft smile and a warm look present on your face.
Sebastian didn't understand. Why weren't you angry at him? He was the reason why you both crashed, and he'd subsequently gotten both of you disqualified from the race entirely. Any other person would've been fuming, spitting fire from an angry tongue and steam rolling from their ears. Yet, why weren't you?
For a moment– a split second– Sebastian felt his bitterness ebb away. There was this growing tingling in his chest, and he could feel his stomach knotting itself as it thrashed in turmoil. He found himself staring at you, his anger and so-called loathe of you forgotten, now replaced by a feeling of warm fondness. Again.
The German shook his head to clear those thoughts and feelings. This was the second time today this had happened. What had gotten into him?
The moment for Sebastian didn't last long as soon enough your team principal came out and had a stern talking to both of you, but overall you both got let off easy.
˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙ **•
It was the finishing night of another race week again. One of the many breaks in the season was starting and everyone was in good spirits. Especially Sebastian, as for the first time in awhile this season, he came out with an impressive P1. After a few interviews you were finally free and you went back to your hotel room, feeling particularly exhausted and more than ready for this break.
You opened the door, pulling off your shoes with sluggish movements. The moment your head hit the pillow, you fell into a deep sleep, your body more than happy to receive its much-needed rest.
It was the middle of the night when your phone rang, stirring you from your sleep. You groggily read the contact: Sebastian. Why was he calling you? “Hello?” You yawned into the speaker, using your free hand to wipe your eyes, hoping to wake yourself a bit.
“Hiii,” Sebastian slurred, his voice unusually cheery, “how are you?”
Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It was obvious now that he was drunk. “I’m good, how are you? What’s up?”
“I’m gooood,” He replied, and you noticed the stretching out the syllables of his words when he talked. “Nothings up, I just wanted to talk to you.”
You hummed. “Okay. You’re drunk. Do you need a ride?”
Sebastian was quiet for a few minutes, the only sound being a hiccup, followed by a soft, “Yeah..”
Sighing, you had already started to get out of bed, getting ready to go pick up Sebastian. “Where are you? I’m coming to get you.”
Once Sebastian managed to spit out his location through his slurred speech, you were on your way. Pulling up to the boisterous club, you noticed Sebastian standing outside on the sidewalk.
You parked and climbed out, knowing damn well he'd need help if he really was anywhere near as drunk as he sounded over the phone.
Sebastian smiled when he noticed you, something you were definitely unaccustomed to after these past months. What surprised you even more was his arms wrapping around your waist as he took upon his drunk self to hug you.
“Have you always looked this nice?” He asks as he pulls away, and you are forced to shake off the shock of the clinginess when he compliments you.
“Good to see you too,” You say, chuckling in embarrassment at his words, his unnatural actions not going unnoticed by you. “Here, let's get you into the car.”
Sebastian, lucky for you, wasn't one to fight the idea of going back to the hotel and almost eagerly followed your instructions. Your hands guided him in as he plopped unceremoniously down. Watching from the open door, you observed Sebastian struggling with his seatbelt, trying hard to click it in securely but failing miserably. Sighing, you bent over and did it for him before closing the door and crossing the car to get in the driver's seat again.
As you began driving, you imagined the car ride to be quiet, but Sebastian had other plans.
“Thank you for driving me,” he hiccuped, starting the small talk easy.
“It's no big deal,” You replied, glancing at him in the passenger seat. You were a little shocked to find him looking right back at you, his gaze shamelessly wandering your features.
“Look, I'm sorry for being really mean all the time,” Sebastian said suddenly, breaking your distracted train of thought.
“It's okay,” you replied, gazing back at the road. He was drunk and you weren't sure if his words were as true as they would've been had he been sober.
“But it's not okay,” Sebastian hiccuped, “You're nothing but nice to me and I'm always so angry with you. Don't you ever get upset with me?”
You swallowed a little nervously, staring out the window. When you'd first joined Red Bull at the start of this season, you'd heavily admired Sebastian, but over time your opinion of him was altered through his harshness.
“I..” You mumbled, unsure how to state your view without possibly offending him, “Sometimes.”
Sebastian took a long time to respond after that, and the silence seems to shove you into the spotlight. After an awkward momentary pause, you find yourself blurting out your true feelings to Sebastian in a desperate attempt to end this silence that eats you up. He wouldn't remember this conversation in the morning, anyway. “I just wanted to be as good as you. I saw someone who was a great racer, and I strived to be like that. But then, when I did get to that level, I was met with nothing but resentment. And I'm not even sure I know why.”
More silence. The only noise is the sound of the car as it drives and you wish nothing more than the radio to be on to take away some of these unpleasantly long pauses.
“You probably think I hate you,” Sebastian slurred finally. From your peripherals, you saw him hang his head in shame and sit forward again.
That took you off guard. Through his harsh words, his angry glares, and the countless times he'd displayed his very obvious disdain for you, he'd made it clear that he did hate you, and quite vehemently. If not hate, then a strong distaste. Hell, you were partially certain you’d remembered him saying something in a press conference once. Now, drunken and lost from his wits, he was telling you he didn't feel that at all? That his appearance was not as it seemed all this time? “You don't..?”
“Me? Hate you? No. Quite the opposite, actually.” Sebastian exclaimed, drunken head snapping up to meet your gaze.
Oh.
A beat of silence. A confession that feels like a mouthful too big to swallow. “What?” You ask, mind spinning with what he could possibly mean.
“I don't hate you,” Sebastian repeats. “Not anymore.”
This doesn't make sense. None of it does. Why does he tell you this now? And here, of all places? “Not anymore?” You repeat, a plea for him to elaborate.
“No,” he sighs, “I've been so stupid.. and stubborn. You threatened my reputation as the best Red Bull driver and I really didn't like that.. And, you were always so.. nice. So kind and cheery all the time. The cameras seemed to be attracted to you, you were press eye-candy and they took full advantage of that. I envied how carefree you were and how much you stole the spotlight off me. How perfect you seemed.”
For a minute you forget he's drunk. Forget that maybe he might not mean a word of this. That he's so out of his wits that he probably doesn't know what he's saying. And it's blissful when you do. To live in ignorance and take his words as they seem. The inebriated lack of clarity he experiences not once crossing your mind, even for just a moment. You allow yourself to think he means it.
“I–” you mumble, not entirely sure what to say, “What made you change your mind?”
Sebastian didn't speak right away, but you could see the way his face portrayed the internal battle he fought. “When I crashed into you and you didn't move. Not an inch.” He pauses, gulping before continuing on quietly, “I thought I’d killed you. I got out of my car the quickest I've ever before and fought to get to you. Something told me I had to see if you were okay. I'd never been so scared in my life.”
His admittance was something unexpected. You wanted to believe him, a small voice in your mind whispered repeatedly ‘drunk words are sober thoughts.’ Now, in your mind, you wonder what he could have possibly meant when he said he didn’t hate you, instead claiming to have felt something ‘quite the opposite.’ What was that opposing thing? It made you wonder if that soft twinkle in his eyes when he looked at you was just your imagination, or if it was really something to consider.
Silence settles like death over the car. Maybe it’s your lack of response, but it doesn’t matter because soon enough, you’re pulling into the hotel parking lot and helping Sebastian back up to his room.
It’s quiet as you lead him down the long hallway, passing many rooms before finally stopping at his door. He uses a keycard to unlock it, and he stumbles in as soon as he does. You walk into his hotel room, bringing him to his bed. You leave for a minute, going to the bathroom to grab the garbage bin and filling a glass with water from the sink. “Here,” You say, extending the glass to him, “Drink this,” You pause, setting the bin on the floor by the bed, “And use this if you need to throw up any time in the night.”
Sebastian nods, finishing up his glass of water.
You sigh, heading to the door and deciding your work is done. “Goodnight Sebastian,” you say to him.
“Goodnight Y/n,” He replies and you leave.
In your own room, you lay restless for a while, pondering everything Sebastian said to you, and for a minute, you like to believe something has changed. That this feeling in you is real and things are really different than they were.
˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙ **•
Months pass from that night, Sebastian never brings up the topic. Yet, things don’t fall back to how they were. You haven’t had any quarrels with the German since then. His words, albeit not at the front of your mind, still ring in your ears from time to time. By now, It’s the end of the season- The last race. And, you’ve won.
The feeling of parking your car at the first-place marker and climbing out onto its long body, hearing the crowds shouts of congratulations while the full weight of your accomplishment began to set in, produced an indescribable emotion. The jumps of joy you denied fighting against as you shouted and screamed in a disbelieving glee, your feet leaving the ground as you leapt around in a craze. As soon as you stepped off your car, you’d jogged across the tarmac and leaped at the fence, straight into the warm embrace of your team. Their acclamations washed over you while they patted your back and shoulders in celebration. When you had finally separated from your team and found yourself walking that short bridge- which, in comparison, had felt much longer and slower than it really was and stepped onto the podium for first place, the sounds of the crowd below you roaring in celebration, their loud cheers filling the air and ringing loud in your ears, made you realize they were cheering for you. As you stood in front of the world, on display, the national anthem for your country playing proudly for the winner, you could feel tears of joy start to well in your eyes.
You’d done it. You’d won the World Drivers Championship. The first female driver in history to ever win a WDC, and you had done it. Through years of hard work in karting as a child, pushing yourself all the way up into the formulas, you had accomplished it. When you’d made your debut into Formula 1, you could hardly believe it then. You never imagined you’d have made it this far into the sport. Of course, you’d dreamed of winning a WDC, as every other driver did. Ever since you were in karting it had been an unimaginable feat you always reached for, striving to one day achieve. A feat many drivers never got a glimpse of. To be dubbed the greatest in Formula 1 was something unbelievable. But here you were, standing atop the podium, being handed the first place trophy of the season’s final grand prix, securing your position as the World Champion. A constant reminder in your mind of ‘you were the champion- the best,’ made your happiness only increase.
As you held the trophy in your hands, lifting it high over your head, you let the tears fall. There was a wide smile of joy plastered across your face, stretching from ear-to-ear. You held the trophy in the air, a silent echo of your words that screamed ‘I’ve won’ being conveyed through the simple act.
Eventually, you set down your trophy, careful not to break it, the champagne bottle now held in your hands as you popped the cork. You felt the sticky spray from the other podium members as they pelted you with the bubbly drink, while you took a short turn blasting either of them with the liquid. After a moment, you turned and faced the crowd, shaking the bottle and shooting champagne over them with a smile on your face.
Suddenly, there was a wet feeling of champagne being poured over your head, soaking your hair and running down your race suit, it had you turning to face the other podium winners, one of them being none other than your teammate Sebastian Vettel. He was smiling broadly at you, holding his champagne bottle above your head, dumping the rest of the yellow liquid over you in congrats. You couldn’t care less about it, rather enjoying the celebration more and more as it progressed. You still could hardly believe the fact you’d won the WDC.
˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙ **•
The 2014 Red Bull team went out to party that night, the whole group hitting one of the team members' houses that was coincidentally not far from the location of the last grand prix, upon arrival, booze was promptly handed out.
You, on the other hand, strayed from partaking in the drinking of alcohol. Tonight was your celebration night, and you much preferred to spend it remembering rather than drunk off your wits.
You'd found yourself seeking an isolated place. Somewhere to go to regain your thoughts, almost as if you were relishing in your own victory but with silent regard.
There was a peacefulness on the quiet balcony that made admiring the sky easy. High above your head, the night sky stretched across the horizon like a blanket. Stars looked like pin pricks amongst the great ebony expanse. There was a slight chill to the evening air, but not one great enough for you to retreat back into the mansion. Inside, the party raged on, with loud music blasting loud enough you could hear it from your place on the balcony.
The sound of the sliding balcony door opening caught your attention. Reluctantly tearing your eyes away from the beautiful night sky, you found yourself face-to-face with none other than Sebastian.
“Hello,” He greeted, “Whatcha doin’ up here?”
Sebastian was drunk. That much was obvious with the messy onslaught of slurred words and the slight stumble in his step as he joined you in leaning on the balcony.
“I wanted some time alone.” You answered. It wasn't a lie. You really did get away purposefully to be alone.
“Why? It's your party,” he hiccupped, his drunken gaze swimming with confusion.
You sighed. Yes, it was your party, but you just wanted to be alone for a bit to truly celebrate your victory without a full-blown party. “I know it’s my party.”
Sebastian didn’t say anything after that, instead choosing to just stand silently beside you. Naturally, your gaze was drawn back to the sky, but this time Sebastian joined you.
The moon was a creamy ball of light against the charcoal of the sky, shedding its milky rays on the both of you and illuminating your faces beneath its glow. There was a gentle stillness to it all, a serenity to the scene, with the only sound being the whisper of the wind as it danced near-silently through the trees in the yard. The warmth from Sebastian lingered on your bare arms, his own skin so close to your own.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” you said, admiring the stars.
Sebastian merely hummed, and it caused you to glance at him. His eyes weren’t to the sky, instead, they were transfixed on your figure.
You turned to stare into his eyes, neither of you broke the contact. You could’ve sworn you’d seen a twinkle of warm fondness in his gaze. No, actually, you were certain you had.
The shared glance had sparked something within you. A shift that altered the feelings you experienced. Maybe it was all just a hoax. Confusion. But not even you could deny the whispered nothings screaming that maybe what you felt was most definitely something. Something scary. Daunting. Both too scared to traipse through the thick hazy smoke that stung the eyes and invaded every sense, but what neither of you knew was that cloud was protecting the hot embers and warm flames from within. The parts of them that yearned for each other deeply. However, everything was on the verge of coming undone.
You'd hardly realized you and Sebastian subconsciously closed the gap between each other until you felt the warmth of his booze-ridden breath fan your face. With that train of thought, your gaze had lowered to his candy-coloured lips. It took you a minute to process your action, and it was only another second before your gaze returned to his eyes embarrassedly.
Sebastian doesn't seem to notice– or mind– the longing look. His hand reaches up to brush a piece of hair from your face, and you can feel your stomach erupt in swarms of butterflies at the act. He doesn't let his hand fall, instead it moves to tentatively cradle your cheek.
Sebastian leaned in even closer, his lips just above yours. You didn't miss the lingering stare he left on your lips for a little too long. You knew what was about to happen if you didn't move soon. Something deep inside you had you glued to your spot. And for a moment, a split second, the realization that maybe you wanted this struck you.
“May I kiss you?” He whispered, soft slate blue eyes meeting yours, gaze gone unbroken with the sheer intensity of the moment.
Warm fondness rises through you, bubbling softly in your chest. Apprehension courses through your veins, hot like lava to warm your skin despite the late November chill. You won't deny Sebastian the right to kiss you, because deep down you know you want this. You need this. Forever since you'd met him, you've yearned for clarity, for him to draw that line in the sand. To you, this would either spell it out for you or leave you second guessing everything. And that was a risk you considered worth taking.
“I won't say no.” You replied at last, solidifying everything on your end. A wide range of emotions run through your veins, but you don't feel an ounce of regret or unwillingness to taste and feel his lips on yours.
That's all the permission he needs, as he closes that gap to press his lips to yours.
His lips are tender, gentle and soft in a way that makes your knees wobble and your chest tighten. Sebastian's other hand finds its way to your hip, his fingers curling into your skin.
You find he tastes faintly of liquor, a reminder of his previous drinking. Yet, part of you chooses to ignore it. He wants this too, right?
Your head spins as you stand frozen to the spot, lips linked together. Sebastian inevitably pulls away for air, and you find yourself chasing his lips for a short moment. He notices, a soft smile gracing his features while his hand slides from your cheek to rest on your neck as he pulls you in for a second kiss.
The second kiss ends with both of you pulling away. Sebastian rests his forehead against yours, and it takes a while before you open your eyes again.
Your breaths mingle in the air between each other, soft smiles present on your faces. High above, the moon observes in awe.
“Will you go out to dinner with me?” Sebastian asks.
Nodding, you reply, “Only if you promise to remember this when you're sober.”
The German’s grin widens, “I don't think I could forget.”
˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙ **•
ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ || ᴛᴀɢʟɪꜱᴛ || ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝!
#f1#f1 x reader#f1 fanfic#sebastian vettel#sebastian vettel x reader#sebastian vettel x you#sebastian vettel fic#formula one#formula 1#red bull racing#red bull f1#red bull formula 1#red bull formula one#sv5#sv5 x reader#sv5 fanfic#sv5 imagine#oracle red bull racing#▪︎Asks#♤ Requests
349 notes
·
View notes
Text

Toro Rosso Max
#f1#formula 1#formula one#max verstappen#toro rosso max#toro rosso max verstappen#toro rosso#redbull racing#red bull f1#max verstappen meme#max verstappen one shot#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen imagine#redbull#red bull formula 1#red bull racing#red bull formula one
166 notes
·
View notes
Text
it’s been one (1) day and i’ve already seen about fifty thousand different perspectives of the first lestappen yap session
we are so starved
#we are so back#we are so fucking back#f1#lestappen#charles leclerc#max verstappen#f1 funny#formula 1#formula one#lefosi#tifosi#ferrari#scuderia ferrari#formula 1 funny#red bull formula 1#red bull max#red bull formula one#red bull team#red bull f1#red bull racing
124 notes
·
View notes
Text
Damn Max, no holding back
Max on George during the meeting with the stewards:"I've been in the meeting room many times in my career, I've never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard, and then I lost all the respect
#f1#formula 1#formula one#red bull racing#red bull#max verstappen#redbull racing#red bull f1#red bull honda#red bull team#redbull honda#redbull f1#red bull formula 1#red bull formula one#red bull powertrains#george russell
144 notes
·
View notes
Text










Max and Checo podiums!! 💙
#chestappen#max verstappen#mv1#mv33#sergio perez#sp11#red bull f1#red bull racing#red bull formula 1#red bull formula one#red bull team#f1 drivers#f1 team#f1#formula 1#formula one
126 notes
·
View notes
Text
God help us the drivers you put on the earth to brutally fight each other for a world championship are beating down doors for his cats, working through his big feelings by playing piano for his puppy, and scrapbooking holiday pictures of his friends
#f1: the sport full of Manly Men doing Manly Things#max verstappen#charles leclerc#lando norris#formula 1#formula one#f1#mclaren#ferrari#oracle red bull racing#red bull f1#red bull racing#red bull formula 1#red bull formula one#mv1#mv33
84 notes
·
View notes
Text
“I know we’re in a shitty position, but it’s still important” “Papaya rules. Don’t worry Max, we can sleep to the championship now”
McLaren is getting clowned by everyone 🤡
#f1#formula 1#formula one#formula 1 meme#formula one meme#f1 memes#mclaren formula 1#mclaren formula one#mclaren racing#lando norris#ln4#oscar piastri#red bull formula one#red bull team#red bull racing#red bull f1#max verstappen#mv33#mv1
129 notes
·
View notes
Text
Horner talking about letting Yuki go because you “can’t have a driver on the B Team for five years” and they “can’t create opportunities” for Yuki like they didn’t just have an opportunity for him to join and shot him down.
#f1#formula one#formula 1#red bull racing#red bull f1#red bull formula 1#red bull team#red bull formula one#yuki tsunoda#fuck you#christian horner
56 notes
·
View notes
Text
Young, Hot, and in Love |max verstappen
Max verstappen x reader
Masterlist
The sun was high, casting a warm, golden glow over the crystal-clear waters of the private beach. Max Verstappen leaned back in his chair, sunglasses perched on his nose, his tanned skin soaking up the sunshine. His girlfriend, Y/N, lay next to him on a matching lounger, a soft breeze teasing her hair as she sipped on a cold drink.
It was one of those rare days where neither of them had to worry about the pressures of the world—no races, no media obligations, just the two of them, the sound of the waves, and the endless stretch of blue skies.
Max let out a content sigh, glancing over at Y/N. She was scrolling through her phone, her lips curling into a soft smile every now and then. He couldn’t help but grin; even on their days off, she had this effortless beauty and charm that left him in awe.
Breaking the comfortable silence, Max stretched his arms overhead, his muscles flexing in the process. "You know," he said, his voice light and teasing, "I’m young, I’m hot, and this—" he gestured to the idyllic scene around them "—this is called heaven."
Y/N burst out laughing, lowering her phone and raising an eyebrow at him. "Oh, is that so?" she teased. "You think pretty highly of yourself, don’t you?"
Max smirked, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. "I’m just stating the facts, liefje. Young, hot, and living my best life with the most beautiful girl by my side. What more could a man want?"
Y/N rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. "Well, I can’t argue with the last part," she said playfully, leaning over to steal a quick kiss.
Max hummed in satisfaction, his hand moving to rest on her knee. "Exactly. And here’s the thing—you make this heaven even better."
Y/N laughed again, shaking her head as she leaned back in her chair. "You’re so full of it, Max."
"Maybe," he admitted, his grin widening. "But you love me for it."
She didn’t argue. Instead, she reached for his hand, lacing her fingers with his as they both sat back and enjoyed the peaceful rhythm of the ocean waves.
---
Later, as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, painting the horizon in hues of orange and pink, Max suggested a walk along the shore. Y/N agreed, and soon they were strolling hand in hand, their feet sinking into the cool, wet sand as the waves gently lapped at their ankles.
Max swung their joined hands lightly, his free hand occasionally reaching out to skip stones across the water. Y/N leaned into him, enjoying the quiet intimacy of the moment.
"You know," she said after a while, "I think you might be onto something."
Max looked down at her, his brow raised in curiosity. "Oh? About what?"
"This," she said, gesturing around them. "Being here with you, just the two of us, no distractions... it really does feel like heaven."
Max’s expression softened, and he stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "I’m glad you think so," he said, his voice low and earnest. "Because for me, heaven is wherever you are."
Y/N’s heart melted at his words, and she stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You’re such a softie," she teased, but her eyes glimmered with affection.
"Only for you," Max replied, leaning down to press a tender kiss to her forehead. "You’ve made me realize that no matter how fast life moves, moments like this are what really matter."
They stood there for a while, wrapped in each other’s arms as the sky continued to shift through its stunning array of colors. Eventually, Max pulled back slightly, his playful side returning as he tugged Y/N toward the water.
"Come on," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Let’s see who’s faster in the water."
Y/N squealed in protest as he took off running, splashing through the shallow waves. "Max! You know I’m not racing you!" she called after him, laughing as she tried to keep up.
Max stopped a few feet ahead, turning around with a wide grin. "I’ll give you a head start," he offered, his voice full of mock seriousness. "I mean, I’m young and hot, but I can be generous too."
Y/N groaned, shaking her head but laughing as she finally reached him. She shoved him lightly, sending a small wave of water splashing against his legs. "You’re impossible," she said, but the fondness in her tone was undeniable.
Max laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground. "And you love it," he said, spinning her around before setting her down gently.
"I do," Y/N admitted, her hands resting on his chest. "I really, really do."
Max’s gaze softened, and he leaned in, capturing her lips in a slow, passionate kiss. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the sound of the waves and the warmth of their love.
When they finally pulled apart, Y/N rested her forehead against his, a content smile playing on her lips. "This is definitely heaven," she said softly.
Max smiled, his eyes shining with love. "Then let’s stay here forever."
And as the stars began to twinkle in the sky above, Max and Y/N continued to enjoy their little slice of paradise, knowing that as long as they were together, they could create their own version of heaven wherever they went.
#max verstappen x you#max verstappen fluff#max verstappen x reader#max verstappen#max verstappen imagine#f1 imagine#f1 fic#red bull formula one#f1 fanfic#classic f1#red bull f1#f1 x you#f1 x reader#f1
298 notes
·
View notes
Text


the king with his queen ❤️
#f1#formula 1#formula one#red bull racing#red bull#max verstappen#redbull racing#red bull f1#red bull honda#red bull team#redbull honda#red bull powertrains#red bull formula one#red bull formula 1#sergio checo pérez#sergio perez#sergio pérez#checo perez#chestappen#perstappen#mexican grand prix#mexican gp#mexican gp 2024#mexican grand prix 2024
89 notes
·
View notes