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libraryofloveletters · 2 years

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Yours In Every Lifetime

Carlos Sainz Jr x Teammate!Fem!Reader

Warnings: a few swear words, being sick, throwing up and a slightly gross description of, a bit of tension between Carlos and Daniel, some sort of mystery illness, ignoring feelings, alcohol and the consumption of, confessions of love, few kisses, being tipsy/drunk, Rupert being matchmaker pt.2, the boys being the best secret keepers.

Word Count: 6.8k

Author’s Note: the highly requested part two!! I hope I lived up to y’all expectations :) **also I skipped Hungary straight to summer break, just go with it :) // anyone who showed an interest in part one, I tagged below! hope that’s okay :))

Part One: In This Lifetime Or Another // Part Three: ‘Till Death Do Us Part

----

2022, Sunday @ France

The door knocked, quarter past 9 in the morning and you weren’t set to leave until 10:30. Was Pat already coming to bug you? You call out that you're coming and you head over to open the door.

“Room service,” the man smiled at you, waiting to step in. You let him step by, “I didn’t order anything.” You tell him, watching as he stops the cart and shifts the tray onto the table in your room.

“It’s from another guest.” he says, going to step back out. “Hold on!” You call after him, reaching for your wallet to give him a tip.

The man shakes his head, “that won’t be necessary, miss. It’s been taken care of. Have a nice day,” he smiles at you before leaving you in the doorway.

Your brows pull together as you shut the door and walk over to see what had been sent to you. There’s a large tray on the table, there's all your favourite breakfast foods but when you see the toast with no crust, you realize who had sent you breakfast. There’s a note tucked under the plate and you pull it out.

Good luck Pep.

XO, Chilli

You smile to yourself before finding your phone to send a text to the man.

To Chilli Sainz: Come help me eat all this.

It’s another 5 minutes before there’s a knock on your door and you call out to come in. When you turn, you’re met with a bright red t-shirt screaming at you. “Good morning,” you smile at him, pouring out a cup of coffee before sitting down.

Carlos locks the door and walks over, pressing a kiss to your head. “Morning cariño,” he walks around and sits across from you. You slide the cup over to him and pour out another one for you.

The two of you split the food, eating in comfortable silence. You hadn’t done this since his days at McLaren. It was nice to know that some things don’t change.

He broke the silence first. “Are we going to talk about it?”

“About what?” You hum, taking a bite of your toast and clearly ignoring the tension weighing on you both.

Neither of you had spoken since Austria. Rupert had come back just after Carlos admitted that to you and picked up Harlow, Carlos had left with them.

“Nothing.” He breathes, watching as you take a sip of your coffee. Your hand waivers for a moment before you set the cup down after taking a sip; Carlos notices.

“You okay?” he asks, picking at a piece of watermelon.

“Fine, why?” you ask, passing a hand through your hair and sighing. “You look kinda..”

“What?” you look at him, resting your hand flat on the table. “You look pale, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Just jetlag.” You lie, fully well knowing it was not that.

You had been feeling woozy since Tuesday but you brushed it off and assumed it was the heat and the travelling. You were now starting to think it was more than that and you weren't even sure if you’d be able to drive if you kept feeling like this. Today was an important race, points were needed to bump McLaren up and both you and Daniel needed to be in tip top shape.

Carlos leaves 15 minutes later, telling you he’d see you around the track.

You two arrive 20 minutes after each other and you bump onto your favourite ginger on the way to the McLaren garage. “How are you?” He asks, pulling you into a hug that makes you lose your balance for a second.

“Good, how are you ?” you ask, pulling away.

“Good, hot.” He chuckles, glancing up at the sun shining down on the track. You nod, pulling your shirt away from your torso a few times, giving yourself some cool air. You make your way to the garage, collapsing into a chair when you step inside, the sun and you were not friends today.

“Daniel!” you call for your teammate, making grabby hands at his water bottle. He hands it over to you, leaning on the all next to you as he watches you chug the water down.

“You okay?” He asks and you groan; those stupid words again.

“I’m fine, Dan.” you hand him back the almost empty water bottle and stand. “Ready for today ?” You smile at him.

Daniel’s hands are on your shoulders, giving you a shake. “Let’s fucking get it!” He shouts, making you laugh and you shallow the urge to puke. You excuse yourself to change, making your way to your driver’s room only to empty the contents of your stomach into the toilet.

You hadn't left your driver's room yet and you were sweating through your fireproofs. You changed into another pair and pulled your race suit up to your hips. It’s nearly 40 degrees out today, and you were not built for the heat.

The walk back to the garage which usually took 2 minutes felt like a whole mile and between the heat and the blurred vision you were currently having, you wanted to call out of the race.

You can’t.

They need the points.

You need the points.

You force yourself into the car, putting on your helmet and taking a few breaths before pulling out of the garage.

----

The race was nothing but a mindfuck.

Even completely fine, Paul Ricard did not sit well with you, leaving you dizzy every time. The heat and the blurry vision caused you to swerve a bit, clipping Pierre’s front wing with yours as you rounded turn 4 and you both had to pit for a change. 98% of the race, you weren't exactly sure where you were and you were following whoever was in front of you.

It was a kick in the side to know that you could have done better but you didn’t. You had a few slips, swerving which caused you to drop a few places and end in 7th. When you pull into parc fermé, you lean back and rest your eyes for a few moments as you try to gather the strength to get out of the car.

One tug and you pull your helmet off and your balaclava in another tug. You pass a hand through your hair and lean your head back, catching your breath. Your head is spinning and pounding simultaneously all while your heart is racing and you can hear it in your ears at this point. Someone pats your shoulder and you look over to see your teammate, Daniel.

“P7, not too shabby.” He smiles at you, his signature grin on his face.

You hum, eyes closed. Daniel’s brows pull together as he looks down at you in the car. He crouches down, shifting himself to block you from the cameras.

“Talk to me, what’s going on? You look like you’re gonna pass out, kid.” Daniel loved to call you kid even though you were only 8 years younger than him.

“I feel like it,” you give him a soft chuckle, sitting up to pull your wheel off.

Daniel watches you struggle for a minute before pulling it off for you, resting it under the halo as he gets up.

Daniel grabs your hand, helping you out the car as you two head back to the garage. His arm is over your shoulder; a typical stance from the two of you to the large crowd but to you, Daniel was your only support at the moment. All your weight was being rested on the man as he walked you two back to the garage. Straight past the crew and to your driver’s room before he sets you down on the couch.

No one thought anything of it but Carlos noticed you and Daniel passing by. The way you were leaning on him resembled a very drunk you leaving the club; except he knew you weren’t drunk so what was really going on?

He excused himself from the crowds and followed you two back to your driver’s room.

Daniel rests your helmet on your table, watching as you tug on the strap of your race suit, undoing it before unzipping it. You tug the race suit down to your hips and lay back, Daniel comes over, switches on the fan in your room and holds the drink bottle out for you, resting the straw by your lips.

“Small sips,” he tells you, the palm of his hand pressed to your forehead to feel for a temperature.

“How’re you feeling?” He asks you when you sit up, “light headed, dizzy.” you whisper, eyes closed.

“Do you want to see the doctor? I think you should, kiddo.” “No! I’m fine,” you assure the man.

You weren’t fine. Something was definitely wrong and you couldn't place what it was but you knew it wasn't okay. You probably picked up a stomach bug or it was one of those one day fever stints but the heat and the 2 hours spent driving in circles was not helping.

“Y/n, I'm taking you to see the doctor, come on.” He pulls you up but you drop back onto the couch. “Danny, I'm fine. Just need some rest.”

“You’re so fucking stubborn,” Daniel grumbles, “this is more than needing rest, y/n.”

“Daniel please, I don't want to go.” You finally look at him and Daniel sighs. He goes to speak but there's a knock on your door. He opens it and he’s surprised to see the Ferrari race suit in front of him.

“Carlos ?” he didn’t even have time to say much else when the Spaniard pushed into the room. “You shouldn’t be here,” Daniel says.

He knew you and Carlos were on rocky terms but he also knew that you two had shared a moment in Austria. Daniel was like the annoying big brother that you always wanted and you found yourself opening up to him randomly, telling him everything that was on your chest. He had always been a shoulder to cry on when things go wrong or the same shoulders that lift you up in triumph when you succeed.

Carlos ignored Daniel, now crouched down in front of you. His hands rests on your knees, his eyes studying your pale, sweaty skin. “Qué sucedió? Estás bien?” he asks you softly, rubbing your knee.

You shrug, head back and your eyes closed as you speak. “No me siento muy bien, claramente.” Even when you were sick, you still found a way to give him attitude.

Daniel didn’t know you understood Spanish, let alone spoke it. “Hate to break up the moment, but she seriously needs to see the doctor and Carlos, mate - you’ve gotta go.”

Something in Carlos flips, he gets up and turns to Daniel. “You think so ? You think she needs to see the doctor ?” He scoffs, his arms folded across his chest. “She’s your teammate, Daniel. How the fuck could you let her race in that condition ?” He shouts, now pointing to you and you have no energy to keep up with them and their bickering.

“Me?” Daniel points to himself. “Am I her keeper, Carlos ? Yes, I’m her teammate and I asked her multiple times if she's okay. She assured me she was and she didn't look like that before the race so don’t put this shit on me,” he shouts back at the Ferrari driver.

“Get out.” Carlos says plainly. That caught your attention, you manage to pull yourself up and your hand is pressed to the armrest of the couch to hold your balance.

“What ?” Daniel scoffs, clearly amused at Carlos’ sudden display of interest in you.

“Carlos, stop it.” you whisper, the words barely coming out. “Dan, you don’t have-”

“No, no.” Your teammate sighs, “it’s okay. I’m a phone call away if you need me, kid.” Daniel tells you, stepping out and leaves you with Carlos, who turns to face you and you look at him, the disgust on your face making him sick to his stomach.

“Where's Pat?” He asks, knowing your PT is never too far from you. “Had a family emergency, left mid race.” You hum, sipping on the water from the bottle Daniel left on the couch.

“Okay,” Carlos paces the room for a second, “clearly you can’t go to press like that.” He tells you and you roll your eyes.

“I think I look great.” You say, now sitting on the couch again. Carlos smiles, coming over to brush the hair from your face. “You always look beautiful.” He says, looking around for something.

He grabs your phone off the table, “password?”

“Same as it’s always been.” You tell him, he nods. The two of you had set the same password after a mishap in Japan 2019 where one of you -cough, him, cough- got a little too drunk and couldn’t remember their room number or the password to their phone which had the room number in it. After that day, you set the same password for emergencies like that.

He calls Rupert and tells him he needs a huge favour and within the next ten minutes, Rupert is in your driver’s room with a change of clothes for Carlos and is willing to stay with you during Carlos’s time with the press. You assure both of them that none of this is necessary and that you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. Based on the fact that you were about to fall asleep mid sentence, they both ignored your assurance and Rupert stayed with you for that hour before Carlos came back.

Your team was more than understanding, it was clear you weren’t in the best of conditions right now and needed the rest.

Your health takes priority over any press.

At some point, he takes you out the back and to the parking lot, you’re strapped into the car as he pulls out. You’re in and out of consciousness for most of the drive before the car stops and he takes you up to your hotel room. It’s early in the afternoon compared to when the drivers usually return so you don’t have any paparazzi to deal with before heading upstairs.

You aren't fully sure how you change out of your clothes or how you get onto the bed with a thermometer stuck under your arm but you were. You heard Carlos tell you have a fever before you fell asleep.

It feels like a long time that you had been asleep before you woke up with the sudden urge to throw up. You aren't even sure if Carlos is still in the room but you’re off the bed and into the bathroom in record time. You’re now kneeling in front of the toilet, throwing up for the second time that day; you hadn't eaten anything other than some eggs and toast, coffee and a few pieces of fruit that morning but all of that had been emptied prior to the race. At this point, it was just the water you had been drinking in order to keep yourself hydrated and stomach acid.

It burned your throat when it came up and by the time you were done, you were exhausted.

Carlos knocked on the door, sticking his head in to see you on the floor, leaning on the cupboards under the counter. When he steps in, you’re leaned over and throwing up again. He moves to behind you, pulling your hair away from your face and rubbing your back softly.

You groan, wiping your mouth on the sleeve of your hoodie before leaning back against Carlos. The man props you up for a moment, flushing the toilet before helping you pull off the hoodie. He tosses it off to the side before letting you fall back against him.

“You don’t have to be here.” You whisper to him.

“I know.” He answers, his hand reaching to hold yours.

“You know I’ve never felt this way about anyone else.” You say and he looks down at you, “what ?”

“You always pushed me to be my best, it’s funny because I haven’t found that anyone else.” You admit to him.

Carlos brushes the hair from your hair, writing up your words to sleepy delirium before carrying you to bed. He sets you on the bed, your words running through his mind over and over. He puts the trashcan next to the bed in case you need to throw up again and he sits beside you, rubbing your side softly before pulling the blanket up to your waist.

----

2022, Monday @ France

The next morning, the sun wakes you up. You sit up and stretch the stiffness away as you look around and adjust to the sudden light in the room. You look over to see the man sleep on his stomach, his hands tucked under the pillow and his brown hair sprawled all over. The sight warms your heart when you lean over to kiss his cheek but then you remember the events of last night; you decide against it before getting up to get yourself ready. An hour in the bathroom, two rounds of brushing your teeth and a shower from head to toe and you were finally starting to feel clean.

When you get out of the bathroom, you find Carlos sitting on the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Smells like lavender,” he calls, laying back on the pillows.

“Yeah, my shampoo.” you tell him, looking for your lotion.

The fluffy white robe was wrapped around you as you searched. You climb onto the bed when you find it, stretching your leg out to rub the lotion on your skin.

“How you feeling ?” he asks, looking over at you.

“Better; not wanting to puke so that’s a plus.” you chuckle. Carlos nods, “no more dizziness or anything like that?” he asks you, double checking.

“All clear now; I think it was probably one of those one day fever bullshit.” You shrug, getting up to look for something to wear. “You hungry ?” he asks, rolling over to grab the room service menu off the nightstand.

“Kinda.” you find some shorts and a t-shirt and disappear into the bathroom to get dressed. When you come back, Carlos is on the phone ordering breakfast for you two while you search for your own phone.

You find it and scroll through what you missed as you get back onto the bed. There’s a few emails to answer and texts but one person crosses your mind.

To Danny Ric: I’m sorry for his behaviour yesterday. He’s an ass sometimes

From Danny Ric: An ass that clearly cares about you. All good kiddo, I'll blame it on the heat haha

From Danny Ric: Feeling better?

To Danny Ric: much, needed some rest and meds but I’m feeling better.

To Danny Ric: Still good for Ibiza ??

From Danny Ric: Of course! Gotta get through Hungary first but we’ll head out home to repack and then head out from there

To Danny Ric: perfect :) I know you fly out today, have a safe flight

From Danny Ric: will do, be safe and make smart choices kiddo (use protection!)

To Danny Ric: GROSS!

You laugh at Daniel’s message and toss your phone on the other end of the bed. “What’s so funny?” Carlos asks, you shake your head. “Just Daniel being a weirdo.”

“Food should be up in 15.” He tells you and you nod, laying back beside him. “Any plans for the break?” Carlos asks, making small talk to fill the awkward silence.

“Yeah, headed to Ibiza with Danny for a week or two; undecided how long. You?”

“That’s nice,” Carlos says, “I'm headed there too but going home to spend some time with the family in Mallorca first.”

“Good, good. I know how much you guys love it there.” You glance at him and he smiles, nodding.

A part of Carlos wants to tell you to ditch Daniel and come home with him.

He knows you love Mallorca as much as he does; the two of you had spent one half of the winter break there together before spending he went home to Madrid with his family and you went home to yours. He knew it would be wrong of him to interfere with your plans so he left it as it is, not wanting to push his luck.

He counts his blessing that you let him back in this much so quickly because after the whole Ferrari announcement fiasco, he realized how hard it had gotten for you to trust people. The warm, bubbly side of you slipped away and it had been since before he left McLaren.

Carlos never forgave himself for that because somehow, in some twisted way, he feels like it’s his fault you lost your innocence. You shut out people and showed them some facade when he knows there’s a different version of you buried all of that; a side of you that only he knows.

“Maybe I’ll see you in Ibiza,” he smiles and you nod, smiling back at him.

“Maybe.”

-----

Mallorca, 2022.

It’s the third week into your four week break and you had been in Ibiza for the last two weeks. You had bumped into Max and Charles there but no sign of the Spaniard.

Daniel had called it quits after the two weeks of partying and day drinking, heading back home to Monaco to rest for the next two weeks. You, on the other hand, were not ready to give up just yet. You found yourself in Spain for some of the Spanish sunshine because nothing beats the feeling. Some of your girlfriends were coming to meet you up there but not for another few days.

And that’s how you found yourself on a beach in Mallorca all by yourself. You were laying on the lounger, a beer on the table beside you and your book in your hand as you soaked up the warmth the sun was giving you.

At least you were until something, rather someone, blocks the sun from you. You shut the book and push your sunglasses into your hair and away from your face. You look up and see the tall, slightly tanner ginger standing in front of you.

“Rup?!” You can't help but laugh because it felt so unreal and random to bump into him here of all places. “Hey you.” he smiles, sitting on the end of your lounger.

“What're you doing here?” you ask, “I could ask you the same thing.” He answers.

“Where are the girls?” you look around for his wife and daughter.

“They’re with Alex’s friends today, they kicked me out to have a girls’ day so I ended up. Last I saw, you were on a jet ski at 4am in Ibiza.” He laughed, “how’d you end up here?”

“Daniel headed back to Monaco and I was craving some more sunshine and I ended up here. My friends are coming but they won’t be here for another 2 days.”

“So I take it you have no plans for tonight then?”

“Unless you count wine and pizza as plans but other than that, no.”

“Come to dinner; We’re all at Carlos’ place. I’ll text you the address.” He says, getting up. You shook your head, “I couldn’t impose like that.”

“No imposition, y/n. You’re family too.” He gives you a smile before walking off. A few minutes later, you get a text for him which was the address.

Too late to back out now.

---

The baby blue linen dress sat on your body perfectly and yet you felt like you were overdressed for this. Nonetheless, you knocked on the door and waited.

Carlos opened the door, his eyes widen and his head falls to the side when he sees you. “Pep, what are- hi.” He smiles, confusion on his face. “What’re you doing here?” He eyes the baby blue dress you had on.

“I uh- I bumped into Rupert at the beach and he invited me for dinner. I hope that’s okay.” You say before lifting your arm slightly to show Carlos the two bottles you were cradling. “I wasn’t sure if it was a wine night or a whiskey one, so I brought both.”

Carlos laughed, stepping aside for you to come in. Rupert was walking to the kitchen when he noticed you. “Y/n! You made it!” he smiles, walking over to meet you. He takes one of the bottles from you and reads the label, he faces Carlos and shows him. “She splurged for the good stuff,” he wiggled the bottle in front of his friend before he led you to the back deck where everyone was.

“Daniel said it was a good one,” you chuckle at the man’s reaction. Carlos’ smile drops. “Is he.. here too?” Carlos asks and you shake your head.

“No no, he’s back in Monaco. I called him from the store.” You laughed.

“Boys! This is y/n, and she brought booze. Say hi!” Rupert sets the bottle down and you follow suit, waving hi to the guys. You knew most of them, Carlos’s cousins and a few of his friends.

“Hope I’m not crashing the party,” you laugh when Caco calls you over next to him.

“You’re always welcomed,” he nudged you, handing you a beer.

Dinner was nice, you hadn’t laughed that hard a long time. Everyone was sitting at the table outside and you were sandwiched between the two Carlos’ as you sipped on your wine. The guys had opened the bottle of whiskey you brought halfway through dinner and are now polishing off the last of it. You watched as Rupert poured the last into a glass, shaking out the last drops and handing it over to Carlos who was sitting to your left.

“Speech, speech, speech!” The guys drunkenly chanted to their friend.

Carlos stands, the glass in his hand as he clears his throat. “To family and friends, to spending nights together, to laughing until we cry, to love and life,” he glances at you with a smile on his face, “cheers!” he lifts the glass, the guys booing at the shortness of the toast and he laughed, sipping the whiskey.

The table is covered in empty bottles and plates, everyone drunk and full, on their way to bed. You and Caco bring in the last of the plates before he kisses your temple, telling you goodnight and heading to bed himself.

Most of the guys had claimed the bedrooms already so you were about to make yourself comfortable on the couch instead of searching for a room when you found Carlos half asleep on the couch.

“Chilli,” you nudged him, sitting beside him. Your tipsiness starting to wear off. “Carlosssss” you call, shaking him and he finally looks at you. “What what whaaaat?” he sleepily smiles.

“Go to bed,” you give him a shove and he topples off the couch from the lack of balance. You cover your mouth, trying not to laugh. Carlos sits up and rubs his arm, “are you okay?” you ask, slipping off your sandals.

“Fine, why are you laying down?” he gets up, looking at you as you make yourself comfortable on the couch. “I’m going to sleep?” You say as if it was obvious.

“Here? No.” he grabs your hand, pulling you to sit up. “Come to bed with me.”

“What ?”

“What- no! I can’t let you sleep on the couch when I have a whole bed to myself.” Carlos is pulling you up the stairs with him to his bedroom.

You toss yourself on the bed, sinking into the soft covers. “Why didn’t you let me stay here last time?” you glance at the man who was getting on the bed.

“You’re the one that suggested different rooms, I told you to stay with me.” He reminds you of your words from the Christmas trip to Mallorca. You ignore him and pull the covers over you.

“I was serious, you know.” He whispers into the silence and you look back over at him. “Serious about?” You ask.

Carlos turns to face you. “What I said in Austria; I miss you.”

“I’m here, aren't I?” You whisper, facing him.

“That's not what I mean, y/n, and you know that.”

You sigh, running a hand over your face. You had sobered up a bit since dinner and so had he but was anything he said true? Did he really mean it or was it just some twisted way of keeping you close? You were all but 22 when you realized you were in love with your teammate.

Is that really even love or was it just the fact that you two spent so much time together that it developed into more?

“What do you mean then, Carlos? What do you want me to say?” You sigh once more.

"Kiss me.” He says.

You look at the man as if he had grown a second head. “What?”

Carlos doesn’t repeat himself, instead he pulls you in for a kiss. He managed to pull you onto his lap, you don’t fight him on that. One hand cupping his cheek and the other on the back of his neck, fiddling with the hair at the nape of his neck.

The way his hands fit against your back or the way you sit perfectly against him, from the moment his lips touched yours, it was game over.

Feelings over complicated things.

No need for that.

Two people can enjoy each other’s company without feelings and strings attached.

Carlos flips you two over, you caged in under his arms as you look up at him. You smile, his cheek flushed and his hair a mess from you running your hand through it. Surely your pink chapstick has smudged all over and you knew for a half that your dress had been pulled down just enough for him to leave a mark or two across your chest.

The man leans down to kiss you again, whispering the 3 words you had hoped to hear since you were 22; “I love you.”

You let out a breath, your eyes meeting his brown ones. “I love you.” You whispered back.

So much for no feelings.

----

The next morning, the balcony door was cracked open to let some air into the room but Carlos was still fast asleep next to you. The house was quiet and surely the guys were still sleeping too; with the amount of liquor they drank last night, there’s no way anyone was waking up before noon. Surprisingly, you woke up with no headache which was a win. It was a little past 10 when you quietly got out of the bed in hopes of not waking Carlos. You peek into the drawers to find something to change into and you find some before changing and heading downstairs.

There’s no one downstairs, the guys were as you suspected, still sleeping. You tidying up the kitchen quietly, washing the dishes before starting on breakfast.

It’s a while before you hear the footsteps on the stairs and you turn to see Carlos coming down, his hair a mess and his eyes puffy from sleep. He sits on the stool by the counter, “cute outfit.” He eyes the blue shorts and salmon colour button up you had on with a smile on his lips.

“Thanks, hope you don’t mind.” You call, your attention on the bacon on the stove.

“I figured you borrowed something - saw your dress on the chair.” He yawns, dropping his head onto his arms on the counter. He looked up again, cheek pressed to his arm, “you don’t have to make breakfast you know, we can just go out somewhere.”

“There’s no cure better for a hangover than some greasy breakfast food; and before you complain, there's still 2 weeks to work it back off so I don’t want to hear it.” You point the spatula at him as he laughed.

He gets up, turning on the coffee machine to make coffee for the two of you, he’s leaning on the counter behind you as he waits, his eyes fixed on you as you hummed whatever song was on your mind as you cooked.

He could get used to this; domestic life with you. A quiet morning, the two of you enjoying the silence before the kids join you or in this case, the guys.

You turn to grab something from the counter behind you and you bump into Carlos. “Hi,” you look up at him, “hi,” he smiles. His hands find your waist, pulling you flush against him.

“The guys gonna be down soon,” you whisper to him, noticing the glint of wickedness in his big brown eyes.

Carlos shrugs, turning the two of you so you’re against the counter before he hoists you onto it. His fingers find the buttons on your shirt, undoing them as he peppers your face with kisses.

“Carlos,” you breathe, his lips on your neck. He hums against your skin, “they’ll be down soon.”

“So?” He asks, moving back to kiss you.

The moment his lips touch yours, you lose all track of time, his hands roaming your body, chest pressed to yours as your legs wrap around his waist. It wasn’t long after that you two were interrupted by the smoke alarm starting to blare, the bacon on the stove had started to burn and neither of you noticed until then. At that point, neither of you had a choice but to pull away and go fix the situation.

Carlos took down the alarm, shutting it off while you moved the bacon off the stove and turned it off before opening the doors and windows to let the smoke out.

You two were looking at each other, laughing. The footsteps start to fill the once quiet hour and Carlos stands in front of you, his back to the staircase as he quickly buttons up the shirt he just undid before the guys come down.

“What happened?” Rupert asks, rubbing his eyes.

“Bacon burnt, accidentally set the stove too high.” you hum, going to the fridge to get more as Carlos made himself some coffee.

The boys pitched in to finish cooking breakfast, all of you scattered across the couches and floor as you ate your greasy food and drank coffee. The promise of no more mixing liquor was spoken just as they begun making plans to go to the club later that night. After that, everyone tidying up the rest of the mess, restoring some order to the house before heading off one by one to shower or go for a run, the guys busying themselves as you sat outside, soaking up the warmth under the Spanish sun.

Someone hands a glass to you, you take it and look over to see Carlos sitting beside you. “Mom’s lemonade,” he tells you as you eye the yellow liquid in the glass. “She made some for us to bring.” he lays back, his arms tucked behind his head.

You nod, taking a sip before setting the glass down.

“I meant it.” He says to you.

“Meant what ?” You know exactly what he meant.

“I love you, y/n. I always have.” Carlos looks at you. “I’ve loved you from the moment I met you, from the first time you walked into the room, from when you won your first race, to the time you spent bothering me; you’re the love of my life.”

“Seems a bit dramatic.” you teased him, making him roll his eyes. “Remember what you asked me in Austria?”

“Which part are you asking about specifically?”

“When you asked if we could have been something else,” he sits up, facing you. You nod, looking at him. “You told me if we had met some other way then maybe we could have been more, in some other lifetime.” He reminds you.

“What about it?” You ask.

“Why wait? Not this one?”

“What are you really asking me, Carlos ?”

“What are we waiting for, y/n? We love each other and we both know that life is so short; we put ourselves at risk with our jobs everyday. I’m not giving that up and I’m not asking you too but why can’t we try?” He reaches for your hand, and you glance down at them before looking back at him.

“You’re serious ? Because I can’t go through this again - us not speaking, us being at odds. I can’t if this won’t work.” You admit to him.

Carlos nods, “I know. So we’ll try. Us against the world, remember ?” he reminds you of what you used to tell him before team meetings.

You smile, nodding. “Yeah.”

-----

Three Years Later @ Barcelona.

After that night in Mallorca with Carlos, things started to fall into place.

McLaren sat in a solid 4th place that year in the Constructors’. The following year, you brought home the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships for the team alongside Daniel. You said goodbye to your beloved papaya team and made the move down the pit line to Mercedes. Your first year there, you won your second Drivers’ championship, adding another win to Mercedes’ impressive history.

You’re now in your second year with Mercedes, with George as your teammate. You’ve got two championships under your belt, you're also one of the top 3 contenders for this year’s championship alongside Charles and Max.

You couldn’t be more than happy with your life.

It's the Spanish Grand Prix, summer break is two races away and there has been talk of a wedding amongst the drivers. The reporters and fans have been swarming like sharks to find out who’s getting married.

Bets are on George and Carmen or even Alex and Lily but no one even so much looked in your direction or Carlos’.

It's known that you and Carlos are both in relationships, very private and your significant other is never at the paddock but yet you two post photos displaying some mystery person in very romantic contexts. You’ve also been spotted with a ring looped onto your chain with your driver’s number on it. No one can confirm whether it’s real or not because it’s all been word of mouth and there’s no actual proof.

The reporters are swarming once again in the press conference, asking what everyone is up to for the break. It's Carlos, you, Mick, Alex, Daniel and Pierre in the afternoon press conference. They had tried their luck in the morning conference with the other drivers, asking if they’d be heading to this mystery wedding only to get a yes and a sly smile.

The man asks the question; “what’s everyone up too for the break?” Starting with Daniel.

Daniel shrugs, “headed home for my nephew’s birthday after the wedding.”

Pierre and Mick had the same answers, “the wedding and then travelling.”

Alex of course, had to tease the reporters. “Well you know, Lily and I have big plans for this break, we're getting.. another dog!” He laughed at their groans and reactions. “Of course we're headed to the wedding too.”

You glance at Carlos who smiles at you and gives you a slight nod before the reporter turns to you. “So, y/n. Will you be at this mystery wedding as well?” He asks and you laugh.

Your leg was crossed over the other, blocking your left hand that sat on your lap. The diamond ring sat snugly on your left ring finger. “I would think so,” you smile and the reporter asks another question, “invite get lost in the mail?” he jokes, earning some chuckles.

“I’d hope not since it’s my wedding.” You laughed, the room went silent for a moment trying to gauge if you’re serious or not. Carlos reaches over to your lap, holding your left hand to show off the big rock. He kisses the back of your hand and sets it on his lap.

The drivers erupt cheers, the reporters instantly put two and two together. You and Carlos’ secret relationships had been with each other and you’re getting married now.

You smile at your fiancé, your hand squeezing his. “Te amo,” you whisper to him and he hums, kissing your hand once again.

-----

Part One: In This Lifetime Or Another // Part Three: ‘Till Death Do Us Part

qué sucedió? estás bien? - what happened? Are you okay? // no me siento muy bien, claramente - I'm not feeling very well, clearly

tagging: @timetoracewrites @diorleclerc @lickmeleclerc @halsteadssneakylink @dragon-of-winterfell @benedictscanvas @elisaa-shelby @hnmaga-blog @czechoslovakiandisco @dr3lover

tags for those who showed part 1 so much love <333: @hayleyy-l @getawayferrari @panicforspec @eve-eh @oneafterdark @jpotterdilf @zefireqq @ihearttheoriginals @yeolsbubbles @alicekepley @guccicloudz @lewispool @hoodjamz @compulsiveshit @potterndiggory @j-onathan-carnahan @loverboysainz @enjoymyloves

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oosaoosaoosa · 9 months

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The Essential USWNT Friendship Series: Kelley and Sonnett

Who you are: a person who has stumbled across this post because you are gay, and/or someone who wants to get into the women's world cup and the USWNT but whose fandom experience requires knowledge of the Narratives And Friendships

What this isn’t: an endorsement of being weird to players in public spaces (in real life or comment sections, or on unlocked Twitter accounts)

What this is: a (hopefully) comprehensive collection and explanation of the (public!) friendship between two fan-favorite members of the 2023 WC squad

I know I’m missing stuff and it’s likely I’ll come back to add to this! Every time I try to add anything to this post the draft editor throws me an error message so consider this a part one. Please note this is a sideblog 🫶🏼

EMILY SONNETT

29 (as of the beginning of the 2023 Women’s World Cup)

Born in Virginia, but raised in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia

Attended the University of Virginia, graduated with a degree in Sociology

Was originally a midfielder, later converted to defense. Primarily plays centerback, but can play fullback on either side, and defensive mid

She is a Sagittarius (this is important)

KELLEY O’HARA

34 (as of the beginning of the 2023 Women’s World Cup)

Born and raised in the southern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia

Attended Stanford University, graduated with a degree in science, technology and society with a focus in environmental engineering

Was originally a forward (and in fact won the Hermann Trophy as college soccer’s top player, as a forward) but converted to play fullback on either side

She is a Leo (I told you it was important. Twin fire signs 🔥)

THE BASICS

Sonnett’s first cap was against Brazil on October 25, 2015–she started and played all 90 minutes as a centerback (beside Becky). Kelley was on the bench.

On Feb 15, 2016 they played together for the first time! They both started against Puerto Rico and Kelley scored!

Kelley was a good mentor to Sonny immediately, her little Georgia peach padawan

They didn’t appear to really get close until winter 2016-2017, when they trained together in Atlanta during the offseason and started to hang out in a smaller group and one on one

Eventually they played on the same team (Washington Spirit in the 2021 and 2022 seasons) and won a championship together! (2021)

It was Kelley's first NWSL playoff run and her first championship, but Sonny's second championship (she won with the Thorns a few years before)

Kelley scored the game-winner in the championship final, in overtime, as a header. She does not typically score, much less with her head (she is like 5'4'' on a good day). It was insane.

------------

PRE-SPIRIT

Once they were friends they were BEST FRIENDS. Kelley loves to annoy Sonnett and has since day one. Couples massage!!, training together with Moe Brian

Typical rookie/vet prank but cuter because they're besties: BOO!

They drink coffee together: Sonnett Sunday, theee Kelley O'Hara,

Sonny is secretly an artist (seriously, she can draw): Lactose Tolerant Cow

They dance together so much. Seriously, so much (bonus Rose). In the car, anywhere.

They hype each other up: Snacks at the beach, blue on navy, flexin, cutest sports girl ever, Sonnett is an undercover singer,

Even their friends have pointed out their similarities. Are they the same or are they the same?

The 2019 World Cup parade was deeply chaotic: please beer and god they drank nonstop idk how they survived, they also napped on the plane back from france with pinoe and ashlyn

they help each other out: cold towel, guest coach kelley,

They threw out the first pitch for the Braves after the World Cup (with Mal, whose husband Dansby played for the Braves at the time)

They also made an appearance at an Atlanta United game together

They were chaotic in every team picture, X,

they took on the Tokyo olympics together (feat many teammates)

they were extremely annoying in the BFF quiz while Kelley and Alex tried to win (link to the BFF quiz episode below in required viewing section)

THE SPIRITS

Sonny's e-bike is their bike, not her bike, but sometimes they biked together too

More coffee adventures, in DC this time, X + X

Mentoring rookies, but this time together

When half the Spirit got COVID in 2021 and had to quarantine at a hotel in Portland, somehow they did not get tired of each other

Exploring restaurants together

Taking pictures of each other (they called each other Rick and Morty for a while which I try to forget), & with their bikes, & with matching orange beanies, more matching orange beanies

more dancing and celebrating, even celebrating carli as a duo, celebrating moving onto the nwsl final

getting jumpscared by their own rookies...together this time

being stinky and sweaty together and generally chaotic

cheering on the braves together on kelley's couch, being very loud and annoying

celebrating the spirit championship together, X + X + schwasted dancing with Kelley's girl together, doing a tiktok with Trinity and the trophy, making memes out of their championship cellies

showing off their championship rings together and celebrating the CBA signing at Audi together

they went to DC pride with the spirits

they developed this weird euopean cheek kissing thing

clowning in huddles together and doing tiktoks with the kids

Being annoying on the player's pod they recorded with Trinity and Andi (link to the pod below in the required watching section)

Still hyping each other up, of course: nice kick!, sonny's soft spirit fingers

POST-SPIRIT

Kelley took a pic of her abs when she got cleated at the CONCACAF tournament in 2022 and in solidarity, Sonny nearly took her shirt off

still taking lots of pictures and videos of each other, mostly Kelley. (I'm putting this in post-Spirit because although we didn't know it yet, Kelley already knew she was leaving DC)

Kelley literally left the Atlanta airport during her layover to hang out with Sonny on her birthday

loving on their Spirit rookies together, even after Kelley was off to NJ, +1 (Trinity's first goal in the 2023 WWC Send-off game)

celebrating Mal's wedding together with Andi and Rose

bringing each other up in every conversation

Being annoying about Taylor Swift

Sonnett almost killed Kelley within the first 30 seconds of them playing against each other for Gotham and the Reign and Kelley thought it was hilarious

OTHER PHOTO DUMPS / COLLECTIONS

Georgia girls

Glued together in Tokyo

More Spirits shenanigans

NT Camp besties

Kelley's visit to Portland in 2019

Hyping each other up in Instagram comments

General camp/NT shenanigans including the infamous "you're so wiggly" video

2019 WC Parade ridiciulousness

More coffee! Plus a cookie (and a "cookie")

MISC PHOTOGRAPHS THAT I JUST HAVE LYING AROUND

more of Kelley mentoring rookie Sonny on the NT

Kelley and Sonny in Atlanta in 2016 or 2017 (I don't remember exactly, I also cropped Moe Brian out of this but it was 800 years ago, sorry Moe)

A moment caught in the background of a post-2019-final celebration picture

Pre-2021 NWSL championship moments: not impressed with someone's pregame speech, Sonny wore 6 for the Spirit so they were neighbors, something Sonny was saying with her mouth full was very interesting to Kelley ,

Some more Spirit NWSL championship moments: they can't believe it, Kelley was beside herself, tongues out for the gals, I would pay to know what Kelley said here, another moment where I would love a transcript,

REQUIRED VIEWING

Kelley's episode of Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy, where a few of her best friends surprise her with an appearance, including Sonny, Allie Long and Alex Morgan

The BFF Quiz Championship, moderated by Sonnett

The Player's Pod with Sonnett, Andi Sullivan, and Trinity Rodman

1v1 with Kelley O'Hara (pre-camp 2023 WWC)

Throwing the first pitch out with Sonnett, Kelley and Mal

#USWNT #Kelley O’Hara #Emily Sonnett #FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

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afeelgoodblog · 1 year

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The Best News of Last Week - December 12, 2022

1. Big cats: US Senate unanimously passes bill to curb private ownership

A bill to restrict the private ownership of big cats like lions and tigers in the US has passed by unanimous consent in the Senate. The Big Cat Public Safety Act would stop people from keeping the animals as pets and from them being exposed to public petting and photo opportunities.

Efforts to curb private ownership have increased in the wake of the Netflix documentary series Tiger King.

The bill now needs to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

2. New Mexico voted a child care guarantee into its constitution.

New Mexico in May became the first state to offer free child care to most of its residents. Now, after a November referendum, it’s also the first state to enshrine child care funding in its constitution, effectively making the service a universal right – and perhaps offering a model for how other states could serve their youngest residents and working parents.

3. Rare good news from the Amazon: Gigantic fish are thriving again

Thanks to sustainable fishing programs that combine education with strict rules and quotas, the pirarucu, one of the world's largest freshwater fish it's now making a comeback.

"The pirarucu population has recovered," says Ana Claudia Torres, who runs the sustainable fishing program for the Mamirauá Institute, which manages a vast nature reserve covering 4,300 square miles of jungle in northern Brazil.

4. Dog reunited with family 7 days after falling from cliff on Vancouver Island

A beloved pet that went missing in the Highlands area of Vancouver Island was found seven days later by an army of volunteers. Luna, was found desperately clinging to a narrow ledge on a cliff, and was reunited with her owner after a heroic rescue last month.

It's believed that Luna had chased an animal out of her yard and got lost, somehow falling off a cliff and landing on a two-foot wide ledge. She remained there, alone, as her owner and searchers frantically looked for her.

5. Iran Shutting Down Morality Police, Official Says, After Months of Protests

Iran has scrapped its morality police after more than two months of protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's strict female dress code, local media said Sunday, citing a single Iranian official.

"Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary and have been abolished," Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.

6. Condoms to be free for young people in France, Macron says

Young people in France will be able to get condoms free of charge from next year in an effort to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

"In pharmacies, condoms will be free for those aged 18 to 25 from January 1," Macron told reporters during an event about young people's health.

7. One-eared rescue dog Van Gogh paints his way into adoption

A former bait dog in a North Carolina dogfighting ring "paints" artwork for charity and is living his best life in Connecticut.

. . .

That’s it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Have a great week ahead :)

#best news of last week

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aus-wnt · 9 months

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Matildas’ shootout win delivers biggest TV audience since Cathy Freeman

The Matildas have delivered another record-breaking night on and off the field with Saturday night’s penalty-shootout win over France becoming the most-viewed TV event in more than two decades.

The broadcast on Seven was viewed by an average audience of 4.23 million Australians, according to figures from ratings agency OzTAM.

The game’s original slot aired to a five-city metro audience of 2.507 million Australians, rising to 3.045 million during the penalty shoot-out, which ran into Seven’s news slot, with a further regional audience of 1.186 million.

The figure is set to swell even further as overnight OzTAM figures do not account for streaming viewers on Seven’s 7Plus app, which will be released later on Sunday.

The viewing figures eclipse any television broadcast of the past two decades, including AFL and NRL grand finals, Ash Barty’s Australian Open win in 2022 (viewed by 4.1 million), Australia’s 2003 Rugby World Cup loss against England, and Lleyton Hewitt’s 2005 Australian Open final loss.

While data was not tracked at the time by OzTAM, Cathy Freeman’s 400-metre final at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 is reported to have attracted 8.8 million television viewers, making it the most-watched Australian sporting event.

The game, played in front of a packed Brisbane crowd, ended in a stalemate after 90 minutes and extra time, going on to break another record, the longest-ever penalty shootout in both women’s and men’s World Cup history with 20 attempts.

Melbourne handed Seven the biggest share of its audience nationally, 984,000 tuning in from Victoria’s capital, narrowly ahead of Sydney on 931,000, while 513,000 watched from Brisbane.

The fanfare around the Matildas reached new highs this week, the AFL and its stadiums agreeing to air Optus Sport live streams in stadiums before and after Saturday’s fixtures, with crowds in stadiums continuing to watch the coverage as the shootout ran into the first quarter of a Melbourne and Carlton clash at the MCG.

The figure eclipses Monday’s round-of-16 game against Denmark, which was viewed by a metro audience of 2.294 million, and was then the biggest television audience of 2023.

Seven has sublicenced 15 games from Optus Sport, the tournament’s official broadcast partner. The record-breaking viewership figures making the deal a steal for Seven, which picked up for less than $5 million, according to a source with knowledge of the deal who was not permitted to speak publicly.

Optus Sport, the official broadcaster of the tournament on Sunday morning said the World Cup has delivered the platform’s biggest ever four-week period.

Clive Dickens, vice president of television, content and product development at Optus, said the result is a credit to the quality of athletes and football at the tournament.

“Three of the FIFA Women’s World Cup matches have jumped into the top five most-streamed games on Optus Sport, out of a total 6000 live matches in our history.

#matildas #auswnt #wwc 2023

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timetorace · 2 years

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𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲

HI. Just saying. Sofia is the main character here. Dont expect anything else. Im not apologizing for the pain that this can cause. enana= midget // amor=love // corazón=my heart

ship: carlos sainz jr. x fem!reader.

summary: you and your daughter go to Austria to support Carlos.

warnings: smut. Austria 2022 (Carlos DNF). fire. kid crying.

word count: 4.0K.

You opened your eyes suddenly when you felt like something or rather someone hitting the mattress hard and when you heard a giggle; you knew it was your daughter jumping on the bed.

“It’s today, it’s today, get up, get up, get up,” Sofia shouted and you let out a moan of complaint before rolling over to the other side of the bed and leaning against Carlos’ side. His body was always warm, and you just wanted to sleep. You loved your daughter, but waking up two hours before your alarm was not something you wanted on a Sunday. You felt Carlos’ chest move when he laughed.

“Not funny, she didn’t get that energy from me” You moaned in complaint, still with your eyes closed.

“Does that mean she got it from me?”

“She got that energy from you,” you stated.

“Please, I’m sure she didn’t get it from me,” He told you in a mocking tone and you growled back at him, hating that he was right. Carlos was incredibly calm and collected just like Sofia was 95% of the time, the other 5% she had the energy of four kids together and you hated to say that it got her out of you.

“Mom! Dad! WAKE UP!” she screeched, and you moaned again before opening your eyes.

“I swear to God-” You complained in a whisper. Carlos let out a laugh when he heard you before taking Sofia by her hand and pulling her against him. She fell onto his chest with a laugh.

“Why so much energy so early, enana?” Carlos asked her, ruffling her hair, causing Sofia to giggle. You rolled over again to support your back on the mattress and your head on your pillow.

“Cause today IT’S RACE DAY!” she yelled, and you two let out a laugh.

“We know enana, we know,” He replied to her “But it’s still too early”

“Oh” Sofia opened her eyes even wider to look at him “How early?”

“About two hours before the alarm clock rings,” you explained it to her because Sofia still didn’t know how to read the time. She was four years old and just turned five in two months.

“Oh,” she said, and you two let out a laugh.

“Dad has to race today so a softer wake-up would have been better,” you pointed out with a sweet tone. You didn’t want to scold her, but you also had to make her learn.

“It’s okay, enana” Carlos assured him when Sofia made a sad face, you glared at him. How was she supposed to learn if he was always pampering her?

You rolled your eyes “Come on, let dad rest,” Ready to give up your two precious extra hours of sleep, you pulled back the sheets to get out of bed. You were used to giving up your sleep since you had her, but Carlos still had several hours to go before the race “Wanna have some breakfast?” Walking to the other side of the bed, you pulled her off of Carlos and into your arms.

“Yeih,” she said and you let out a laugh

“Yeah, that’s more like it” You looked at your husband and gave him a wink before leaving the room with her in your arms.

Sofia’s vacation had started a few days ago and usually the last races on the calendar before the summer break were a good time for you guys to tag along with Carlos before the vacation officially started. Last year, Sofia had started the pre-kindergarten, so her vacations used to start in July. You had a little regret that she couldn’t be at Silverstone to see him win her first Grand Prix, but at least you could tag along in Austria, France, and maybe Hungary, depending on how Sofia handled it. Between Austria and France, there were two weeks off, but Carlos had to be in Maranello a couple of days after the race at the Red Bull Ring. You and Sofia were going to return home to Madrid before having to go to France.

“Banana or apple?” You asked her. According to the pediatrician, letting her decide apparently was good for her development.

“Apple”

“Apple it’s then,” you replied, leaving Sofia in her seat.

“Mom?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I color, pleaseeeeease?” She asked, lengthening the ‘e’ and you smirked before nodding.

“Sure,” you told her before taking the coloring book and her pencils from your bag. You were proud of the work that you, as parents, had done with her. She was the kindest girl in her class, according to her teacher, always asking permission and using the word "please". Sofia was also very shy, but you thought that maybe when she started elementary school, she would socialize a little more.

After cutting the fruit into pieces and getting a box of juice for her, you placed the plate in front of her. When she finished it, you threatened to take it from her when she stopped you.

“I can do it, mom” Sofia said before getting up to leave it in the sink herself, you let out a laugh when you saw how she struggled to reach the edge of the counter, standing on tiptoes so you approached from behind to lift her from the waist so she could reach the sink.

Sofia and you were sitting at the table again after breakfast. You were with the laptop finishing some details of one of your sketches, and Sofia was coloring and watching the cartoons on the tablet.

“Like mother, like daughter,” Carlos said, leaving the room. You rolled your eyes since Sofia had leaned towards the world of the arts and she had discovered that she liked to paint, draw, and color, Carlos insisted he had gotten that from you because he did not have the slightest idea of how to draw a circle correctly while you had studied architecture.

“Aren’t you gonna sleep a little longer?” You asked him, frowning and looking at the clock. There was still another half hour to go before he had to get up.

“I’m not sleepy anymore, besides I want to spend the morning with my two favorite girls,” He added, giving Sofia a wink that made her smile. You were a little weak from the way he pushed Sofia on his lap to hold her up while she continued drawing, and he took the toast you had made.

Sofia wasn’t expected. Carlos was 23 years old, and you were 22 when she was born. You weren’t even thinking about having children when the pregnancy test came back positive. You guys had been dating since high school. It had been hard staying together all that time mainly because of his job, but you had made it work, regardless. A baby was not planned back then. Carlos had turned 23 just 10 days before Sofia was born and you did it a couple of months later. You had to drop out of college for a semester to give birth, but then you came back and finally graduated.

Raising a kid that young was a challenge for you. There had been many breaking points and more bumps than you could count, with Carlos missing almost all of Sofia’s important marks cause he was traveling the world and you felt like you were a single mom most of the time no matter how present he tried to be. Eventually, as Sofia got older, everything had fallen into place, but that hadn’t been without its challenges. In the end, you were happy with your little family. Neither of you was thinking of having a second child soon, at least not until he retiered and you were more than happy to just have her. Sofia was more than enough.

After finishing breakfast, everything was chaotic. Between having to remember everything to bring to the paddock, getting Sofia ready, and getting yourself ready, you almost forgot to grab your phone.

The paddock was covered with gray clouds but apparently. It wasn’t rain; it had rained earlier for the F2 and F3 races, but in the afternoon the weather was going to be favorable. You had been nervous all weekend, attentive to see what would happen. Carlos had won his first race at Silverstone and you wanted him to continue the streak. The media were speculating on a supposed tension between Carlos and Charles due to what was happening on the track with them and Ferrari’s strategies. Outside the track at least, neither of them took the hint of the rumors. Yesterday in the sprint race Charles had been second and Carlos third and today everyone was eager to know that was going to happen. Carlos had gone with one mechanic to the garage while you were walking into Ferrari’s hospitality.

“Hi Sofia,” Charles greeted her, approaching you and she hid her face in your neck when she saw him “You still don’t wanna be my friend? That’s fine, eventually, we will be” He let out a laugh.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized with a scowl. Sofia was too shy and usually had a hard time gaining familiarity and trust with people.

“No problem,” Charles shrugged.

“Lando!” Sofia exclaimed, pointing a finger at the Brit and you turned around to watch how Lando was going through security to enter the paddock. “Can I go say hi?”

“You can go say hi, go” You agreed, placing her on the ground before she ran towards the British. Lando didn’t see her until Sofia pulled on his pants and he turned to give her a smile and take her in his arms.

“Lando? She doesn’t like me, but she likes Lando?” Charles asked with a hint of frustration in his voice.

“It’s not that she doesn’t like you, she still needs to trust you first,” You let out a small laugh.

“She likes Lando more than me,” He complained “I feel offended”

“She’s known him since she was a baby,” you pointed out.

“Lando or Sofia?”

You let out a laugh “Both”

“You should take advantage and let him be the babysitter,” Charles suggested

You shook your finger “Lando is not babysitting Sofia”

“Why not?”

“Cause Sofia would be the one to take care of him” You told him and Charles let out a laugh “Lando is the kid, he can hardly take care of himself, I am not giving my daughter to him”

“Good point,” Charles agreed before his PR called him “See you later”

You said goodbye to Charles before approaching Lando so that Sofia would leave him alone. She really liked the British driver, so whenever she saw him she wanted to hover around him, and even though you joked a bit about Lando’s maturity, he always paid attention to your daughter.

Usually, when Sofia went to the paddock, she could spend it alone playing a puzzle or coloring. However, when some of the other children were around, she would sometimes end up playing with Sebastian Vettel’s daughters or Sergio Perez’ kids. Since they all spoke Spanish, she got along better with Checo’s children. Sergio Jr. was the same age as Sofia and although Carlotta was smaller, she was always willing to follow the other two, so the three of them always walked together. Yesterday, you had them with you in the hospitality of Ferrari, and today Carola had offered to look at Sofia for a while while the kids played.

“Where is Sofia?” Carlos asked you when you entered his driver’s room.

“With Sergio and Carlotta, Carola is looking at them,” you replied as he untied his shoes to change into his race suit.

“That brat.” He growled, and you giggled. He had a lot to say about how Sofia and Sergio Jr. spent a lot of time together.

“Are you jealous of a four-year-old?” You mocked, raising your eyebrows.

“I don’t care how old he is,” Carlos growled again “That boy better stay put, he’s always on top of her”

“Are you kidding? They are four!” It was not even possible for them to have that in mind.

“It doesn’t matter, you don’t know what goes through the boys’ heads”

“Thank God for that.” You rolled your eyes at how ridiculous the statement he was making “Let me see if I get it. You are worried that a four-year-old will seduce your daughter”

“It’s never too early to start” He pointed “Just look at me with you,” he added, causing you to burst out laughing.

“We were twelve, and that doesn’t even count.” You rolled your eyes. Carlos had given you your first kiss after school and he can’t seem over that “They are four years old”

“I already told you I don’t care,” He growled again, and you giggled getting closer to him.

“I love when you go into protective father mode” Carlos was sitting on the edge of the bed and you stood in front of him before leaning down to give him a brief kiss.

“He better stay on his ground,” He complained, taking you by the waist to push you against him, making you straddle him.

You let out a giggle before resting your forehead against his. “To keep the streak alive,” you murmured before kissing him. That was one thing you could appreciate and love about being with him. Despite the time, the distance, and the responsibilities the spark between you was still there. After all that time, you could still find those things that had made you fall in love with him.

“This is the winner special treatment?” He asked and you let out a giggle.

“You got that the other day,” you murmured, caressing his neck with your lips.

“Can’t I get it again?”

“I don’t know if you’re that lucky.” You clicked your tongue.

“Mhm, I’d like to try my luck,” He replied, playing with his fingers on the edge of your summer dress. Carlos kissed you again. Your hands went to the edge of his pants to unbutton them before lifting your leg so he could take off your panties. You had little time, but quick and secret sex had become something of yours after having Sofia. Carlos moved a little to allow you to lower his boxers and pants enough to free his cock from him. You were on top, so when you finally sat down on it, you almost moaned and he must have seen it coming because your kiss drowned out any noise you might make. You load yourself onto his cock as Carlos pulled up the top of your dress to nibble on your nipples. He slid his hand down to the small of your back to help you up and down. You could feel the moisture building up between your legs and how your pussy contracted, letting both of you know you were close to orgasm. Carlos muffled a moan biting your shoulder when he felt your walls tighten around his. You were about to cum so he kissed you again. You didn’t want to alert anyone of what you were doing. As the orgasm hit you, he nipped at your lips, pulling your lower lip slightly tight as you felt him come inside you. After having Sofia, you got an IUD so as not to have any more surprises. You both took a couple of minutes to catch your breath.

“I- I've got to go find Sofia.” You gasped, and he nodded before you parted ways. Your legs were shaking, so you took a few seconds to lie back on the bed and regain your composure. Carlos approached you with a wet towel in his hand and gave you a brief kiss before cleaning you up “I don’t think I can walk properly,” you muttered and he let out a laugh.

“I feel flattered, amor”

“I’m happy to feed your ego” You rolled your eyes. You got up from the bed and took your panties off the floor to put them on. You also adjusted your dress and hair a little. “I’ll see you after the race, amor” You said goodbye, and he gave you a chaste kiss on the lips.

You left the room and headed to Red Bull Hospitality to check on Sofia. She and Sergio were playing hopscotch with Carlotta. You stayed chatting with Carola until the drivers got into their cars. Sofia usually liked to watch the start from the garage and then you used to take her back to the hospitality or Carlos’s driver’s room because it was too noisy for her and she used to get tired or fall asleep.

The start went smoothly and after the first half of the race, just as you predicted, Sofia asked if you guys couldn’t go to Carlos’ driver’s room. That was usually the time she slept, so you wouldn’t be surprised if she fell asleep.

“Mom, can I have some apple juice, please?” She asked you. Sofia was coloring on the floor with her pencils, looking up to watch the race from time to time while you were lying on the bed.

“Sure” You replied however when you approached your bag you realized you had previously shared Sergio Jr. and Carlotta the ones you had in your bag “I’m going to go look for the hospitality, stay here, don’t go out,” you said and Sofia nodded without looking at you, concentrating on her drawing.

You left the garage and trotted to the hospitality of Ferrari; you asked the girl who attended the buffet if she could give you a glass of apple juice. When the girl handed it to you, you thanked her before listening to how the TV commentator started talking about Carlos. You turned to watch the TV and saw that he was trying to get out of the car that was on a hill rolling backward. Before you could even process that information, you saw how the back of the car caught fire. Oh my God. Carlos. Oh, no. Sofia. The TV was on.

You ran back to the garage, but when you opened the door to his driver’s room, your soul almost left your body when you saw Sofia wasn’t there. Oh no. Where was she? You walked down the hall until you reached the garage. You leaned over to see if she was hiding between the tires and you bent down to see if you saw her hiding in a corner. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw on the monitors how Carlos was already out of the car and sitting on the side of the track. You let out a relieved sigh. At least he was fine. Now, where was Sofia? She couldn’t have gone very far. You didn’t want to ask anyone if she had seen it because everyone was focused on the race. You could feel the cold sweat running down the back of your neck as you jogged back to Carlos’ driver’s room.

“Sofia?” You asked in the space, and surprisingly, you heard an almost inaudible sob in response. Where was she? You frowned as you looked around before bending down to look under the bed. There was Sofia, curled up like a hidden ball. You could never have seen her down there when you walked into the room. “corazón, what’s wrong?” You left the apple juice on the table.

“Dad,” she simply moaned in response in the middle of a sob.

“Dad’s fine, corazón” you replied sweetly, stretching to get a better look at her.

“He was on fire!” She cried. What surprised you was that she wasn’t screaming after seeing that.

“He wasn’t, his car was, he’s fine I promise you, do you want to get out of there for me, corazón?” Sofia gave you a quick nod before crawling out from under the bed. You took her in your arms, and you realized she had a red face and that she was runny. You leaned over to leave her on the bed, but Sofia didn’t want to take her arms out from around your neck, so you looked in your bag for a tissue to blow her nose.

“I want daddy” she groaned before letting out a sob again. He shrugged at you.

“He’s coming now, corazón, okay?” You didn’t think that Carlos was going to take so long to come back because he was definitely not finishing the race that day.

About ten minutes later, Carlos came through the door and Sofia started crying again.

“Daddy,” she cried, stretching out her arms for Carlos to take her. He looked at you a bit confused as he scooped Sofia up into his arms before you nodded to the television as an explanation of what was going on.

“Are you okay, enana?” Carlos frowned, stroking her back.

“You were on fire,” Sofia moaned with her head buried in his shoulder.

“No, my car was on fire but I’m fine, see?” He responded by repeating a little what you had already told Sofia, but you knew she needed to see him know that he was really okay “I promise you”

“Pinky promise?” She asked, raising her little finger.

“Promise,” He replied by touching his pinkie to hers. Even though he had already stopped crying, Sofia still had her head buried in his shoulder. You passed another tissue so that he could blow her nose. When he finished, he gave Sofia a kiss on the top of her head.

Now it was your turn to move a little closer to him to give him a kiss on his lips before caressing his neck with the tip of your nose.

“You smell like charred,” you told him wrinkling your nose “I thought the fire hadn’t reached you,” you murmured softly so as not to alert Sofia, who seemed to doze on his shoulder.

“It didn’t but I think the seat or something was too hot,” He explained before kissing your forehead.

“I’m glad you are ok” You sighed against his neck and he simply wrapped an arm around you. You guys just huddled there. Your little family.

The next few hours flew by. Sofia didn’t want to separate from Carlos, so except for when he had to change his racing suit, she stayed on top of him the whole time. When he went to the garage to talk to the engineers, when he went out to celebrate Charles’ victory, when he had to take his cold bath, and when you went back to the hotel, Sofia was always on top of him.

Finally, about four or five hours later, you were already on the plane that was supposed to take you and the engineers back to Maranello. In the end, you two had decided that it would be better if you and Sofia just went with him to Italy, it wasn’t the original plan but seeing that Sofia wasn’t willing to get too far away from him after the scare she had that day. You didn’t want to have to scare her more.

You sat in the back of the plane. Sofia was already asleep against Carlos’s chest even before takeoff.

“I’m sorry” You started breaking the silence between you. You felt guilty about leaving Sofia alone “I left for a second so I could go get some apple juice and she-“

“amor, it’s okay” Carlos reached out to stroke your leg comfortingly.

“She was so terrified,” you murmured.

“She would have been scared, anyway.” He put his arm around your shoulders and pulled you to his side.

“I’m just glad that you are ok,” you repeated.

“Yes, that could have gone wrong,” Carlos agreed “The car just wouldn’t stop”

“At least you got out in one piece”

“Yes,” He said. You two remained silent for a moment until Carlos turned to see you again with a smile “I’m glad you came”

“Me too,” you answered, watching Sofia stir a little in his arms. Despite everything, you loved little family.

#carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz fluff #carlos sainz imagine #carlos sainz drabble #carlos sainz one shot #carlos sainz jr x reader #carlos sainz jr imagine #carlos sainz jr one shot #f1 imagine #f1 one shot #f1 fluff #f1 smut #f1 x reader #f1 x oc #f1 x you #formula one x reader #formula one imagine

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chibrary · 5 months

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ARTICLE: AS A ROOKIE IN THE SHIFTER CLASS (AT 15 YEARS OF AGE) HE WON THE WINTER CUP… WITH A FEVER! (2022)

source: mattia livraghi, tkart series: karting, 2013

Among the classes of international karting there is one that represents the arrival point in the career of a professional kart driver: KZ. First it was called Formula C, then KZ1, but the name matters little, the essence is that we are talking about the top class, in which super experts race, even at 20-30 years of age. People who have practically nothing more to learn and who by profession demolish the new recruits, the rookies, until these, based on many overtakings and after a lot of competitions, cut their teeth and enter by right, in turn, in this small circle of drivers who are referred to as "the senators". But every now and then, to tell the truth, very rarely, particular rookies appear on the karting scene capable of overturning this practice. As in 2013, when in the opening round of the season, the Winter Cup at the South Garda Karting in Lonato, a teenager from Monte carlo showed up who, despite being physically KO, decided that certain habits ... were not his cup of tea.

It is 17 February 2013 and it is cold, as it should be on a winter Sunday when you are near Brescia, precisely at South Garda Karting in Lonato, for the Winter Cup. KZ was not scheduled for that weekend, so all the top drivers of the premier class poured into KZ2, which had something like 70 entrants. Among these, names that have marked or would go on to mark the history of karting: Davide Forè, Marco Ardigò, Paolo De Conto, Arnaud Kozlinski, Bas Lammers, Anthony Abbasse, Ben Hanley, Patrik Hajek, Roberto Toninelli, Fabian Federer, Yannick de Brabander, Flavio Camponeschi and Rick Dreezen, just to name a few in no particular order. However, there was also a boy from Monte Carlo born in 1997. His name is Charles Leclerc and he had already made himself known globally for his excellent results (above all by winning the 2011 CIK-FIA World Cup in KF3, the junior class of single speed karts at that time) in the other classes in which he competed. After a 2012 in KF2 (the year in which the now famous long-distance bickering with Max Verstappen occured, which we talk about in the article "Editorial - Leclerc vs Verstappen: the true story of the first clash in the days of karting"), his manager and Charles's team manager decided that the time had come for him to gain experience with "the seniors", in KZ and KZ2.

Charles did not hold back. To the contrary: "He was very motivated and eager to start his journey in shifter karts - Marco Lombardi told us, his mechanic in ART Grand Prix, the brand and the team for which Leclerc was racing at the time, also because he always wanted a more performing vehicle. He was thrilled to have the sensation of feeling closer to racing cars”. Leclerc had his first race ever in a shifter kart two weeks before the Winter Cup, in Muro Leccese, on the occasion of the first round of the WSK Master Series, where he finished in sixth position. His team manager Armando Filini, a historical face in karting, as well as one of the best chassis builders in the sector, was not that surprised by the disarming naturalness with which the young driver form Monte Carlo took his first steps in the new class: "I have known him since he was little, because Jules (Bianchi, editor's note) was his mechanic in France in the MINI class and brought him to me in Maranello Kart for his debut in the Junior class. Charles was very smart: he quickly adapted to everything. At any race he participated in, with any type of tyre, there was no need to spend a lot of time studying the track or anything else: he was already racing strongly at 90%, so it was much easier to get good results with him."But it's the difficulties that make certain stories worth telling.

Charles Leclerc heads to the track together with his mechanic Marco Lombardi.

Leclerc talks to Lombardi and Piergiorgio Ballarini, another mechanic who was working with him at the time, while he is leaning on his kart (ART GP - TM Racing), just outside the ART Grand Prix team tent.

Do you think that the Winter Cup, in the rookie class, could represent a fairly intense and arduous challenge? You would be wrong. In fact, another factor complicates things for Leclerc, the absolute co-protagonist of this story: a fever. That's right, Charles Leclerc showed up at the Winter Cup with a 39°C fever. "From the first days it was clear that he was not in great shape and from Friday he was not at all well", admits Lombardi. “He had flu and was physically weak. At the end of the day, after having raced, he was completely down and out”. A physical condition for which most mere mortals would stay in bed to rest, the most daring, perhaps, on the sofa watching TV. Instead, the fifteen-year-old from Monte Carlo was on the bends of a kart track taming a vehicle with a weight/power ratio comparable to that of the best road supercars. But on one condition: "I told him, Lombardi remembers, 'Look, if you have a high fever, at least skip the last free practice session', but he replied with an endless series of 'No'. He wanted to get on the kart and race to the last, regardless of everything". In the end, a short trip to the pharmacy, accompanied by the engineer of the ART Grand Prix, to buy some medicines was a must. But the real therapy for Charles seems to be another, as Lombardi explains: "When driving adrenaline kicked in, it was so intense that it gave the impression that his fever had passed". This allowed the young driver form Monte Carlo to work at it and improve during free practices: “His driving was quite clean. The problem arose when the track was a bit more slippery, like in the early rounds and he, despite this, wanted to see the time, even if the track was 'slow'. He complained if they gave him two tenths, not considering that there were more experienced drivers who knew how to adapt better to those conditions".

Leclerc laughs with Lombardi before entering the track.

Leclerc celebrates, together with Lombardi, the success he achieved, with a fever, at the 2013 Winter Cup.

It goes without saying that when Charles sets the 11th best time in the qualifiers, with his TM Racing powered ART GP, he was anything but satisfied: "He had suffered at the beginning because the track was was not rubberizing quickly and he loved grip", explains Marco. "He was a driver who tended to always keep his foot down, so in the first races in KZ he found himself in difficulty in slippery track conditions: he forced too much and wore the tyres a lot". But Charles does not lose heart: “he was demoralized, continues Lombardi, but he motivated himself as soon as he got back on the kart the following morning. When he was unable to do something, he was even more motivated and in any case it was enough to explain things to him once: he immediately took everything literally and put it into practice". In fact, Charles performed very well in the various heats, winning a second place as the best result and climbing up to eighth place in the general rankings. Thanks to his driving style, more and more effective with an increasingly rubberized track, and to excellent teamwork, Leclerc continued to progress and, as the weekend continued, managed to take fifth position in the pre-final. Marco Lombardi recalls that he “always earned at least one or two positions at the start. It helped to have the driver in front as a reference point, which always pushed him to say: 'I have to go and get him, I have to overtake him". While the performances on the track improved, the same cannot be said of Leclerc’s physical conditions, still with flu and feverish.

In fact, on the day of the final, looking at his face, which was pale and suffering during the parade of the drivers, anything could be predicted except what would actually happen. Charles still managed to stay calm on the starting grid: "I always told him, Marco says, 'You already have a heavy foot, but in the race you have to use your head, especially when overtaking: study your opponent, identify the right moment to pass and be firm. Don't pretend, because if they take advantage of the driver behind and, with him, the group following him, five of them will take you". In short, a fifteen-year-old in a cage of lions: Leclerc dashed from the third row, while the first was occupied by his teammate Ben Hanley and the Birel De Conto standard bearer. “We had more of a chance with Hanley, admits Armando Filini. “With Charles we still didn't have the certainty of the final, we didn't know how he could behave over the duration”. Only a phenomenon can surprise even a long-time karting figure such as Filini, who had already seen it all… But he could not have imagined what he was to witness that day. Ready, go and already the first surprise: the driver from Monte Carlo darted off and, overtaking the entire row in front of him, moved into third position. The spectators were almost stunned seeing that cat-like leap and Armando reveals that it was not only Charles' skill that allows him to do certain things, but also his attitude: "When he had his teammate in front of him, he had to go and get him, even at the cost of trampling over others".

Ever since the traffic lights went out, the race was of an incredible sporting intensity. However, after an excellent start, Leclerc seemed to be in trouble: in fact, he was overtaken first by Ardigò and then by Forè. However, the driver form Monte Carlo maintained an impressive coolness and was not intimidated, even when he happened to miss a gear and risk being "devoured" by those behind him. "It was difficult to give him advice", Armando specifies. "He was very instinctive, so we also let him do his thing a little bit. Especially because he was a youngster and you couldn't think that he already had the mentality of a 30-year-old professional". Charles still asserted himself in the midst of more experienced and titled drivers, so much so that he took back third position towards the middle of the race, thanks to two masterpiece manoeuvers: the first against Forè, the second against Ardigò (two multiple world champions). Leclerc thus found himself in the wake of his teammate, who in turn was staying very close to the leader De Conto, but a few laps from the end Forè tried another attack on the driver from Monte Carlo and went far forwards, hitting Charles. Ardigò took the opportunity to overtake and the young driver of the ART Grand Prix team returned to fourth position, also losing some ground against his rivals in the lead. When the chequered flag was just around the corner, in a situation like this and in a class like KZ, most people would naturally throw in the towel and accept that the gap with the podium was now unbridgeable, especially if they then suffer a "blow" like this as a fifteen year old, in his second experience in the highest class of karting, with a 39°C fever.

The helmet that Leclerc used at the 2013 KZ world championship and with which he became vice world champion. Charles gave it to Lombardi, autographing it and referring to the nickname that Marco gave him: “Sgrintela”, which means “lizard”. The driver for Monte Carlo made a small mistake and wrote "Sgrintera".

Instead, Leclerc still managed to amaze. A few metres to make sure there was no damage and the driver from Monte Carlo went back to pushing himself, without being discouraged: "I had five or six drivers like Leclerc, including Bianchi, Barnicoat, Harvey and Hanley, but in my opinion Charles was the one who was hungrier, he wanted to achieve results as soon as possible”, Armando reveals. "The others had a little patience: they knew they had to learn and were aware that sometimes someone else could simply be faster and therefore there was little to do. On the contrary, he refused this possibility. Even when he knew that drivers from other teams were more incisive on a certain circuit, he had to find something to stay ahead. With this goal, therefore, he tormented everyone: me for the chassis, Franco Drudi of TM Racing for the engines and the telemetry operator. He was obsessed”. And Leclerc proved this determination precisely in the last rounds of that Winter Cup. In fact, the driver from Monte Carlo firstly got back into third position, taking advantage of a spin by Ardigò, caused by a rear-end collision by De Conto. Then, following a contact between De Conto and Hanley for the leadership of the race, he managed to overtake his teammate thanks to an extremely shrewd manoeuver: after receiving a body blow, Hanley was forced to widen and Charles dived right into that space: “It was a crucial moment of the race, he managed to take advantage of it (taking second place behind De Conto, editor's note) without coming into contact with anyone.

However, he then began to have some fears," admits Marco. The driver born in 1997 was one step away from completing an unthinkable feat and it was natural that even he would be a bit insecure: "He kept looking back, watching who was chasing him and I kept signalling him to look forwards" . But in the end Leclerc kept up the pressure and crossed the finish line in second position. The young driver from Monte Carlo let loose his joy, while the spectators started rubbing their eyes to understand if what they had seen was true: "I knew he could do well right from the start, but I honestly wasn't expecting a podium and it surprised me" Lombardi confides. “He didn't expect it either, considering the fever problem too. But he never gave up, he gave 100% to the last. He had gained confidence in seeing himself improve constantly over the course of the weekend and in the final he drove with a knife between his teeth”. A great effort that deserved a great prize. If, in fact, Charles was already enthusiastic about the silver medal and having kept his expert teammate behind him, the icing on the cake came when, after the award ceremony, he learned that De Conto had been given a penalty of five seconds for his manoeuver on Ardigò.

Leclerc thus inherited the victory and was over the moon: "he was really happy and didn't even seem sick anymore" remembers Marco. "It was his first really important race in shifter karts and there were all the drivers participating in the world championship. That Sunday evening, he had so much adrenaline in his body that he wanted to stay and eat with us, but at a certain point his father told him that it was time to go home". As a winner.

#series:karting #format:article #year:2013 #charles leclerc

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