Chapter Text
There are a few things in life that come at you unexpectedly. Things that, even though they are theoretically possible, are simply so unlikely that genuinely thinking they could ever occur would be stupid. Ridiculous, even.
So it is, of course, a given that when you least expect it to, those things are exactly what hits you square in the face. Such as qualifying P3 in the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc in P2 and Max Verstappen in P1.
Now, granted, Lance knows that there is a rather high probability that he wouldn’t have remained in P3 had the session not been aborted due to the sudden tropical storm, but here he is, standing in the Aston Martin garage as the announcement that the Q3 session won’t resume reaches him, and he’s instructed to make his way to the safety car garage for post-qualifying interviews and photos. With Max and Charles, which is filling him with a sense of panic and dread he never thought he’d experience after qualifying P3.
In a moment of desperation, Lance opens WhatsApp on his phone and scrolls down to a conversation he hasn’t looked at in months, and one that has been on mute for as long as he can remember. He clicks on the group chat eloquently titled ‘Surviving Being Top 3 With Lestappen Support Group’. He types out a rapid message, all the while making sure there are no cameras trained on him as he does.
Lance Stroll
Guys, what am I supposed to do????
The response from Lando is immediate, and completely unhelpful. As expected.
Lando Norris
Mate, this chat has existed for years
Have you not been paying attention?
Lance Stroll
No, because I literally never thought I
would be in this position!
A hand on the small of his back indicates that it’s time to start moving, and Lance lets himself be guided towards the safety car garage, eyes still glued on his phone.
Lewis Hamilton
There’s no time now, mate. You’ll
have to improvise.
Sergio Pérez
We will help you for the press
conference
Lance lets out a frustrated groan as he hands his phone to his press officer and starts walking through the rain.
As he enters the garage, Max and Charles are already standing by the interviewer, deeply engrossed in one of their trademark debriefs. Next to them, James Hinchcliffe is trying to get Max’s attention for his interview, only for Max to soundly ignore him, as if nothing and no one exists to him outside of the man in red to his left.
Lance doesn’t know which of his emotions is more overpowering; the secondhand embarrassment he feels at how blatantly obvious they’re being, or the fact that watching Max and Charles in their own little world is actually kind of cute.
He realizes it’s the secondhand embarrassment as he watches Max shamelessly grin at James and proudly explain that he was just talking to Charles.
Lance has to resist the urge to roll his eyes, especially when he notices how Charles is quite literally the embodiment of the heart eyes emoji where he’s standing next to Max for his entire interview. And the beeline Charles makes for Max as soon as he hands the microphone to Lance after his P2 interview is even worse than the heart eyes.
He definitely should have been paying attention to that group chat, Jesus fucking Christ.
Approaching the two of them following his own interview almost feels as if Lance is interrupting an extremely intimate moment between them, even though they’re in public. Even though there are numerous cameras trained on them at all times, and it shouldn’t feel this intimate in this kind of setting. And yet, as Lance steps into the space that so inherently belongs to Max and Charles, he feels like an intruder.
It’s not like neither of them are actively ignoring him — in fact, both Max and Charles are making sure to include him in the conversation as they move to where they’ll be taking photos. But those two have such a long and complicated history, two lives intertwined almost since the beginning of time that means they share a connection that is unlike any other. There’s a magnetic pull between them, one that draws them together in a way Lance is yet to see with any of the other drivers on the grid. The way their hands will immediately go to each other’s waist, pulling each other closer, fingers gripping the fabric of a race suit with such force that, if anyone were to really pay attention, it could almost seem as if one was afraid of the other being taken away.
Lance isn’t entirely sure when their rivalry-turned friendship shifted into a romantic relationship, and he hasn’t felt a need to ask anyone about it. It’s not really any of his business, after all. He is of course aware of it — the entire grid is — but asking questions doesn’t feel like it’s his place. They aren’t close enough for Lance to feel entitled to that sort of information and therefore, he chooses not to ask. But the easy familiarity between them is the kind you don’t see with someone who has only recently discovered feelings that go beyond friendship and mutual respect.
At a complete loss of how to properly navigate this situation and deeply regretting his neglect of the support group chat that was created for precisely this type of situation, Lance just smiles. He smiles and tries his very best not to let it show on his face how incredibly out of place he feels even as he collides with Charles in his attempt to take his place to Max’s left, where the P3 finisher is meant to stand. But Charles doesn’t budge, and Max wedges himself between them, leaving Lance confused as he resigns to standing to Max’s right, where Charles should be. He smiles even as he watches Max and Charles grab each other’s waist once, only to let go when they’re told to move further to the left, and then repeating the action once they’re properly positioned for the photos.
As he gives his best, definitely not most strained smile for the cameras that flash from every direction, the voice of Skipper the penguin from Madagascar appears in his mind.
‘Just smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave.’
***
When he opens the group chat as he waits to be summoned for the post-qualifying press conference, he’s met with judgement. Lots of judgement.
Lando Norris
Mate. That was awful
Sergio Pérez
Ai ai ai, Lance
L ewis Hamilton
Rookie mistake, mate. You always have
to wait for them to take their place and
then you can move.
Lance Stroll
But I was P3! P3 always stands on the
left of P1?
Lewis Hamilton
Not according to the Lestappen rules, mate.
Sergio Pérez
Ah, Lewis is right, not with Max and Charles.
There are no rules with Max and Charles.
Lance Stroll
I’m so confused
Fernando Alonso
This is why we pay attention to this
group chat, Lance
George Russell
That was actually painful to watch.
Carlos Sainz
So painful
Lance Stroll
You told me to improvise!
Oscar Piastri
You’re not very good at improvising
Lando Norris
Awful at it, actually.
Lance Stroll
You realize none of you are being
helpful, right?
Lance Stroll
How about you give me advice instead
of judging me?
Lewis Hamilton
Just wedge yourself between them, and
give Charles a warning look. You’ll be
fine then.
Sergio Pérez
Or interrupt their conversations by
including yourself in it
Fernando Alonso
I just change the topic of whatever
conversation they are having
George Russell
I tend to focus on Max and get him to
Maxsplain something to me before Charles
can join in. If you just get him going, he’ll
be too distracted to stop when Charles arrives.
Lando Norris
Or throw something at them. That always
works.
Lewis Hamilton
Maybe don’t listen to Lando.
Carlos Sainz
I just go to planet Carlos
Lance Stroll
What?
Lance Stroll
Carlos, what does that mean?
Lando Norris
There’s no point in asking, mate. He’s
already on Planet Carlos.
George Russell
It means he just zones out whenever he’s
around them. Or thinks about being around
them. I think it might be a PTSD response.
Lando Norris
That’s a bit dramatic, George
George Russell
But am I wrong, Lando?
Lando Norris
I suppose not
Fernando Alonso
And if all else fails just smile and wave,
Lance. Just smile and wave
Lance Stroll
That’s really not helpful, Fernando.
Fernando Alonso
I do not care. 😁
Valtteri Bottas
Just ignore them
Lance Stroll
As much as I appreciate your insight, guys,
how am I meant to use any of this for the
press conference?
Valtteri Bottas
You can’t. You are fucked
Lance Stroll
Jeez, thanks Valtteri.
Valtteri Bottas
You’re welcome✌️
Lance Stroll
That was sarcasm.
Valtteri Bottas
😘
Lewis Hamilton
Honestly, mate, Valtteri is right. There’s
not much you can do about the press conference
except hope they’ll be getting most of the
questions so they can’t focus on each other.
Carlos Sainz
Go visit planet Carlos, Lance. I will meet you
there
Sergio Pérez
Good luck!
Lance Stroll
Fuck.
***
The press conference itself isn’t that bad, but the walk out of the building absolutely is. And Lance doesn’t want to talk about it.
He’s kind of starting to understand what George meant by Carlos having a PTSD response to the two of them.
***
After qualifying, Max, Charles, Lando, and Carlos are hanging out in Max’s hotel room. Charles and Carlos are playing FIFA, sitting on the edge of Max’s bed, deeply engrossed in a match that neither of them are winning as they’re both absolutely awful. Max is lounging in the armchair by the window, and Lando is sprawled out on the small couch across from the Dutchman, scrolling through Instagram.
The Brit barks a laugh at a reel and leans forward across the small table between them to show it to Max. Max puts his own phone down and leans forward to look at Lando’s screen, taking the phone from him with a snort. Lando grins, always pleased whenever people laugh at things he shows them.
The familiar sound of a new WhatsApp message drowns out the sound of the reel and Max’s expression shifts into a look of confusion, eyebrows furrowed together in a frown, and Lando realises all too late that it’s the custom notification sound for that particular group chat.
The Brit doesn’t get to read Lance's message, but Max does.
Lance Stroll
You guys told me they weren’t
going to be THAT bad! You LIED!
“Lando,” Max begins, voice deceptively calm, eyes never straying from the screen of Lando’s phone. “What the fuck is ‘Surviving Being Top 3 With Lestappen Support Group’?"
Lando’s face turns pale, and Carlos whips his head around to stare at the Brit in horror. Next to him, Charles just looks confused. Lando doesn’t look at either of them, wide eyes locked on Max, who is looking at him expectantly.
“Oh, shit.”