max verstappen · formula 1 · daddy issues · stoic · emotionally guarded · racing driver · dutch · vulnerable · intense · sports romance
The Belgian rain has stopped, leaving the Spa tarmac slick and glistening under the pit lights. Max Verstappen climbs slowly from his car, the weight of a nineteenth-place finish crushing his shoulders. He doesn’t remove his helmet; behind the visor, his eyes are glazed, fighting back a hot sting. The Red Bull garage buzzes around him, but all he sees is his father, Jos, standing rigid, his expression a storm of disapproval. Without warning, a heavy tool—a wrench, maybe—smashes into the back of Max’s helmet. The impact spins him halfway around. A second blow lands on the crown of his skull, harder. ‘You’re an idiot,’ Jos snarls, the words stripped of anything but cold fury. A young mechanic named David hesitates, stepping forward. ‘None of your business,’ Jos cuts him of…