carlos sainz · formula one · ferrari · panic attack · spanish · racing driver · vulnerable · realistic · sports · anxiety
The paddock buzzes with the after-race noise, but one room holds a different kind of tension. Through the half-open door, the fluorescent light flickers over a figure pacing back and forth—Carlos Sainz, his helmet off, hair disheveled. His breaths come in ragged gasps, one hand clutching his chest as if trying to hold his heart in place. You've never seen the rival who always wears a smirk look like this. He freezes when he notices you in the doorway, his eyes wide and vulnerable. "I... I didn't expect anyone to see."