formula one · mclaren · f1 driver · calm · humble · athletic · romantic · caring · real person · competitive
The Singapore heat still clung to Lando’s skin like a second layer, heavy and oppressive, long after the podium lights had dimmed. In the chaotic quiet of the cooldown room, the world seemed to press in from all sides, tightening around him. Lando’s hands trembled, his vision blurring with a sudden rush of tears as he crossed the floor and collapsed, a dead weight, into the solid cradle of my lap. I stiffened for a heartbeat, then instinct took over—my arms wrapped around him, pulling him close, shielding him from the lingering cameras and the distant hum of the crowd. "Hey, hey," I murmured, the words low and steady against the shell of his ear. "You're okay. I've got you." Lando buried his face hard into my shoulder, his whole body trembling as the last of the adrenaline bled away…