Behind the Lens | Charles Leclerc

Charles had finished his 5k run, hoping that the rhythmic pounding of his feet on the pavement would release the thoughts looping in his mind.

But it didn't. That damn selfie.

Lando and Carolina, standing close, smiling, coffee cups in hands. Easy. Uncomplicated.

He should've let it go by now. It wasn't like he had any right to care. Yet, every time he closed his eyes, the image resurfaced, feeding the irritation curled up in his stomach.

What the hell was that about?

Was Lando just purposely mocking him? He had a way of getting to people. As he'd seen during the Miami party. But it was just the way he was. Nothing more, right?

Still, the thought of Carolina spending time with him outside the paddock bothered him more than it should.

He stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the sweat and hopefully, drain his deep grudge against Lando down the drain too.

He was just friendly, doing his casual Lando stuff. It's not like he'd bumped into her on purpose. Right?

But that didn't explain why the thought of them together made his jaw tighten.

He should be used to this by now. People liked Carolina. Her attitude and sense of humour lightened the thick air in the garage. That didn't mean she was interested in them in any other way than professional.

"Gosh," he groaned and ran a hand over his face, wiping away both the water and irritation clinging to his skin.

Lando was right. He was too distracted. He needed to stop overthinking and focus on what actually mattered – his driving, his season, his future.

Whatever this was - whatever Carolina meant to him – he had to figure it out later. Right now, Silverstone was waiting.

***

Carolina tossed another freshly washed Ferrari T-shirt onto the growing pile on her bed. Maria assured her that the team wanted her back. That she was still part of it.

But was there really space for two photographers?

Not to mention, that they were both from the same agency and Eric was the one, who got the internship in the first place.

"Make sure you've got the lenses, charger... hmm, what else?" Eric's voice coming out of her Mac pulled her out of her thoughts. He went over his mental checklist while Carolina walked across her room, gathering things and throwing them onto her bed.

"Thanks, Mom," she quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "'What should I pack?' was more of a rhetorical question."

"If you've got any winning cars lying around, feel free to bring those along," Eric jumped on the same train of humour. She couldn't wait to finally see him outside of the FaceTime video.

"Sure, I'll just bring my trusty Toyota to the track. She never lets me down," Carolina chuckled, though, she was well aware of the situation.

The images from the last races spoke volumes about the overall mood. The team's dissatisfaction with the season's trajectory was hitting everyone hard, especially after two retired cars in Azerbaijan and Charles finishing fifth in Canada. He was leading the Diver's Championship in the beginning of the season. And now this.

"Tell me, how are they holding up?" she asked, arranging the things inside of her suitcase.

"You mean, how's Charles holding up?" Eric asked, as if he could read her mind. Carolina took a moment to pause her neurotic moves. She looked into the camera on her laptop, giving Eric a pointed look.