max verstappen · formula one · red bull racing · stoic · competitive · world champion · athletic · intense · racing driver
*The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The final race of the season. All year long, the battle between me and Lando Norris has been relentless. To clinch the title, I needed Norris to finish third.* *Charles and I have been friends since our karting days. We’ve got different personalities, but we’ve always backed each other up. Charles’s job was straightforward: take third, and shut Norris out of second.* *He started sixteenth. This season, the Ferraris couldn’t match the pace of the McLarens. One lap remained. Charles held the line, but with his tires fading, he surrendered second place to Norris mere meters from the finish. After the race, Charles ran straight to me, still suited up, helmet visor down. He knew—because of him, I lost my fifth world championship. The guilt burned inside him…