⭑
𝐍𝐨𝐚
I've spent the past couple of days working at the office in Milton Keynes, since the traveling has stalled. The buzz of the office is beginning to be oddly comforting now.
Red Bull Racing HQ isn't exactly what you'd expect from a billion-dollar operation—sleek, yes, but also chaotic in the way that only a high-performing, always-on-the-edge Formula 1 team can be. People are constantly in motion, voices rising over one another as plans are debated, tweaked, scrapped, and rebuilt within the span of an hour.
I used to hover at the edges of all of this. Nodding. Smiling. Pretending I understood the acronyms and strategy talk while silently googling half of it in the bathroom. But now... now I catch myself having things to say, important things.
"I think this might be an earlier spec," I murmur, pointing at a highlighted cell on the spreadsheet. My voice is careful, measured. I still don't like the sound of authority when it comes from me—but it's there anyway.
The engineer across from me frowns. "Are you sure?"
I nod, shifting the monitor toward him. "The updated rear wings were finalized last week, and this data doesn't match the downforce numbers we were seeing. It's from before the tweak."
He stares at the screen for a beat longer before nodding slowly. "Damn. Good catch."
I blink, surprised. "Thanks."
And he means it. No weird looks. No patronizing smiles. Just a solid, professional thank you.
That's new.
I pull my hair back into a ponytail, roll my shoulders, and move to the next task. There's a meeting in an hour to finalize the media schedule for Miami and a review of sponsorship deliverables I'm supposed to prep for. I open the doc, fully expecting chaos—and find myself half-smiling. I know exactly what to do.
It's like someone flipped a switch. Everything that used to feel impossible, confusing, too fast—it's not that it's easy now. It's just... I know where to start.
I pause, catching my reflection in the dark glass of the conference room window. My expression is focused. Serious. But not out of place.
I don't feel like a fraud today.
Just then, my phone buzzes with a message.
lando norriz: tell the nerds i say hi x
lando norriz: actually don't i still want them to think im mysterious
I bite back a laugh and tuck the phone away.
Maybe I can do this after all.
⭑
Max is in the office later on to mess around on the simulators, and I catch him standing by the coffee machine, arms crossed, eyes scanning something on his phone with that furrowed brow he always gets when he's concentrating. His back is to me, but I can still tell it's him from the posture alone—stiff, unreadable, like he's bracing for impact even in moments of stillness.
"Is it safe to interrupt?" I ask, leaning against the counter next to him.
Max glances up. "Depends. Are you going to make me do another interview?"
I smirk. "Tempting."
"I'm surprised to see you here," Max says thoughtfully.
"I've been helping more around HQ," I say. "Media, sponsors, even some ops stuff."
"Yeah. I heard."
I blink. "From who?"
"People talk," he replies simply, taking a sip of his coffee. "You're doing more than your dad ever expected, huh?"
I shrug, but the weight of the truth in that statement settles somewhere deep in my chest. "Probably. I think he still forgets I exist unless I'm sitting in front of him in a boardroom."
Max's eyes soften, and in that look, I know he understands. We've never had to explain our fathers to each other. That's what makes our friendship so rare. No performance, no pity—just quiet understanding.
"I think you're doing alright," he says simply. "Better than alright, actually."
It hits harder coming from him—someone who never says anything unless he means it.
I sit on the edge of the table, careful not to knock over a stack of papers. "So. How much do you hate Drive to Survive being around again?"
He snorts. "Let's just say I've perfected my escape route. Five minutes before cameras show up, I disappear."
"Teach me," I say. "That segment I agreed to earlier... they want to do it in Miami and I think I already regret it."
His eyebrows lift. "Yeah... that seems like exactly what I'd want to do on my race weekend," he says with sarcasm.
"I know," I groan. "But Netflix is relentless. They want the whole 'Red Bull princess balancing legacy and media scrutiny' angle."
"Sounds miserable."
"It is." I pause, then add, "But Lando said I should do it."
Max doesn't react immediately, but I notice the flicker in his eyes.
"I figured he had something to do with it," he says after a beat, not judgmental—just aware.
"He's been... supportive," I say, choosing my words carefully.
"You don't have to explain it to me, Noa," Max replies, voice low and even. "I know what it's like to have one person who actually sees you. Makes you feel like you're not just a product of expectations."
I glance at him, surprised by how accurately he's nailed it.
"I think I'm terrified of what'll happen if I let myself want that," I admit.
Max gives a soft shrug. "Yeah. But I think you already do."
I exhale slowly. "That obvious?"
"To me? Yeah. But I'm not going to tell you what to do. Just... don't run from something good just because your parents messed you up."
The words settle in the silence between us, heavier than anything either of us says often.
Then, as if sensing we've dipped too deep, Max clears his throat and nudges my arm. "Also, if you do that Netflix thing, make sure they don't shoot you from below. They love the villain angle."
I laugh. "Noted."
And just like that, Max is gone—off to another meeting, another sim session, another layer of his perfectly engineered world.
⭑
MESSAGES
elea 🧸
Sat, Apr 19, 2024, 9am
elea 🧸
GOEDE MORGEN MIJN ZUS!
elea 🧸
ONE WEEK UNTIL KONINGSDAG
2024 GET FUCKING EXCITED! GET
YOUR ORANGE ON! GET YOUR BEADS!
GET YOUR BOAS! GET YOUR HEINEKEN!
elea 🧸
HOERA!!!! 🧡🧡🧡👑👑👑
noa 🩰
WAIT YESSS
elea 🧸
IM SO MOTHERFUCKING EXCITED
elea 🧸
wait...
elea 🧸
if you're going that means there's no race,
right?
noa
yessuh
elea 🧸
NOA PLS PLS INVITE LANDO
elea 🧸
NOAAAAA
elea 🧸
PLEASEEE
elea 🧸
NOAAA PLES PLS PLSSSSSSS
noa 🩰
holy shit are you quite alright
noa 🩰
idkkkkk
noa 🩰
what would i even say?
elea 🧸
ummm wanna come to Amsterdam for
the greatest day of the year?
elea 🧸
Or you can copy my message
noa 🩰
you really think he would fly all the
here just for that?
elea 🧸
bro he wants you so bad
elea 🧸
and that mf is rich
elea 🧸
do it pussy
noa 🩰
omg damn like do you want him?
elea 🧸
NOAAA
noa 🩰
OK DOING IT!
⭑
MESSAGES
lando norriz
Sat, Apr 19, 10am
noa vdb
hey
lando norriz
hello noa
noa vdb
got plans this upcoming weekend?
lando norriz
nothing i cant move around
lando norriz
why?
noa vdb
welll april 27th is kingsday in amsterdam
and its really fun sooooo
noa vdb
u + me + heineken + boat = fun?
lando norriz
i'm no maths expert but you make a
convincing argument 😏
noa vdb
righttttttt
noa vdb
it's my favorite day of the year
lando norriz
okay pause lemme text my assistant
noa vdb
pausing
lando norriz
okay back
lando norriz
flight booked for friday 🙃
noa vdb
PURRRR
noa vdb
send me ur info
noa vdb
EEEEEK SO EXCITED
lando norriz
knew you couldnt stay away from me
noa vdb
oh BYE
noa vdb
bring orange
𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 !
just finished watching saudi arabia
race 😣 lando was amazing p10 to
p4 is so good!! im salty every time
osc beats him but thats just me... any
way HAPPY EASTER!
im SOOOO excited for the upcoming
few chapters to STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!