Love Story

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at [Link]

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: Formula 1 RPF
Relationships: Lando Norris/Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc/Max Verstappen
Characters: Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, 2025 Formula 1 Grid
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Established Relationship,
Lando Norris Loves Oscar Piastri, Oscar Piastri Loves Lando Norris,
2025 United States Grand Prix, The whole grid might be gay at this
point...
Language: English
Series: Part 8 of Sky News Exclusive
Collections: Anonymous
Stats: Published: 2025-10-19 Completed: 2025-10-23 Words: 10,795 Chapters:
3/3
Love Story
by Anonymous

Summary

A Sky News Exclusive: One of our reporters sits down with McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri
and Lando Norris ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin this weekend. They reveal
the secrets behind their relationship, why COTA has a special place in their hearts, and how
they are navigating romance and a championship battle.

Click here for the full story.

Notes

Disclaimer: These are real people in fictional situations. This story in no way represents
actual reality other than the most public parts of their personas. Please do not post this
anywhere outside of AO3.

See the end of the work for more notes

Chapter 1: Friday
Chapter Notes

This fic is going to be posted one day late for each day of the race this week. I wanted to
get this chapter out yesterday, but ended up in the hospital all night instead (I'm fine
now, just in a lot of pain).

I could have just started this fic from the Sprint (don't talk to me), but I love this chapter,
and I think after today, we could all use some soft Landoscar. I've had that Sky News
article for Austin planned for weeks now, so I wasn't going to give it up.

Sprint chapter tomorrow and Grand Prix chapter on Monday, if all goes according to
plan.

2025 Grid Group Chat

@lance
So that was unexpected, McLaren

What made you decide to do that?

@oscah pastry
Risk mitigation

@lando
Never say those words again, love

Horrible

@oscah pastry
But it's true

After the Constructors, everyone is expecting us to fall apart

So we're trying to control the narrative as best as we can

@lewham
I'm surprised you chose Sky News

They've been so critical of you this year.

@smooth operator
I would have thought McLaren would just release its own article.
@lando
They think that if it comes from a source that doesn't really like us, it will be more authentic

@yuki
that's fucking stupid

@Max
What Yuki said

@oscah pastry

We agree

But at the same time, why not?

Nothing they can say will be worse than what they've already said

@estie
Never doubt their ability to find something and make it worse

@lando
so far, so good though

Love Story: An F1 Affair

Sky News Exclusive

We here at Sky News were surprised to be offered this exclusive, but honored all the same.
When McLaren reached out and offered us an interview with its drivers, Oscar Piastri and
Lando Norris, we didn't know what the catch was.

No questions about their personal lives?

No questions about their rivalry?

Nothing about the public-but-not-public romantic relationship?

Turns out, those were the exact topics they wanted to talk about. Here are the Constructors'
Cup champions, in their own words.

Interviewer: Oscar and Lando, we were surprised to be offered this interview, and even more
surprised to be told that it was about your personal lives. Both of you have been very private
in the past, so what has changed now?

Lando, glancing at Oscar, who nods: We know things are going to be written about us this
weekend, and for the rest of the season. We know that we are unusual in many ways,
something F1 has never seen before, and people are curious. We agreed to do an interview
about us as a couple, and let that do the speaking, instead of rumors and here... here... What's
the word, Osc?
Oscar, smiling fondly: Hearsay.

Lando: Yeah, that.

Interviewer: So, why Sky News? How did you choose us?

Oscar: You've written more about us than any other outlet. And you've been wrong every
time. So we thought we would give you a chance to be right, for once.

Lando hits Oscar on the arm, giggling, which sets Oscar off as well. They do not look like
rivals, or even racers. They look like two young men, desperately fond of one another.

Interviewer: Well, okay then. So, to start, why this weekend? Is there something special about
Austin that made you choose this weekend? Or is it because this is the first race after you
won the team championship?

Oscar: It's good timing that it was right after we won the Constructors', but we probably
would have done it this weekend either way. Austin is important to us, both as a team and a
couple.

Interviewer: How so?

Lando: This is where I asked him out for the first time, almost two years ago.

Interviewer: Wait! You've been together for two years? Most have suspected the relationship
was relatively new, six months or so.

Oscar: Maybe it’s new for you all, but no, Lan's right. He asked me out here in Austin before
the 2023 race. We didn't tell the team until last year. We weren't even going to tell them then,
but we had to.

Interviewer: Had to? In what way?

Lando: Oscar changed his address. He changed it to my address. They were going to ask
questions, so we beat them to it.

Interviewer: You live together?

Lando: We’ve lived together for over a year. He moved in during the summer break last year.

Interviewer: Which one of you is messier?

They both point at each other and then burst out laughing again.

Lando: He never does the dishes. Ever.

Oscar: And his clothes are strewn all over the flat

Lando: Strewn? Is that a word? I think you’re making that up.

Oscar: Yes, love, it’s a word.

Lando: Are you sure? It sounds made up.

They both look at the interviewer, who nods.

Lando: Huh. Weird word. I don’t like it.

Interviewer: So, the big topic, the championship? Is it affecting you both? Your relationship?

Oscar: Yes, I mean, obviously, it's affecting both of us. We're exhausted, emotionally and
physically. It's hard when everyone keeps waiting for us to explode. The number of times I
have seen the phrase "Landoscar divorce" on social media over the last few weeks has been
ridiculous.

Interviewer: But between you two, are things still good?

Lando: Oscar is the man that I love. No championship battle will ever change that. What we
have together will outlast either of our time in Formula 1, so why would I risk this? He is the
love of my life first. Then my teammate. Then my rival. That order is important to me,
because at the end of the day, OP81 may piss me off on track, but Oscar is the best teammate
I've ever had, and Osc is the one person in this world I can always count on. The person who
knows the real me and loves me all the same.

Oscar: I love you.

Lando: I love you too.

Oscar: Yes, sometimes the rival part spills over. We both want to win. And the person
standing between us and winning is also the person whose arms we fall asleep in every night.
It's complicated, and sometimes we fight. But never for long. Maybe a few hours, until we
calm down. Things get said on the radio. Things get said in the media. But by the time we go
home that night, we're just as strong as ever.

Lando: We understand that one of us is going to lose. I think I speak for both of us when I say
we both want the other one to lose, but we both want him to win as well. Seeing Oscar be the
World Champion, something he has always dreamed of, would make me so, so proud. But it
will happen because I lost, and that will take a while for me to get over. The first few days of
the offseason are going to be awkward.

Oscar: Unless Max wins.

Lando: If Max wins, we will never hear the end of it. Not only from the media and the fans,
but from Max.

Lando laughs, and Oscar joins in.

Interviewer: Do you hang out with other drivers when you aren't racing? Any grid gossip you
can give out?

The two share a look that speaks volumes. We here at Sky News would love to hear what
gossip that look contains, because clearly, it's good.
Lando: We play padel with a lot of them. Alex, Charles, George, Esteban, Max. I still game
with most of them, even if we don't stream anymore. Um... I golf with Carlos sometimes, and
we all have the group chat that never really stops. We had most of the rookies over for dinner
at the beginning of summer break.

Oscar: We see some of the drivers that aren't on the grid anymore, too. Logan comes to visit
at least twice a year. We generally see Daniel whenever we go home to Melbourne.

Interviewer: Grid gossip?

They stare at one another again. Lando smirks. Oscar shakes his head. Lando nods. Oscar
shrugs and rolls his eyes. Point to Lando. Whatever that point is.

Lando: I'm pretty sure Lance and Fernando pay people for the emotional damage of walking
in on us making out.

Oscar facepalms at that, groaning into his hand. Lando beams, unrepentant.

Oscar: I'm not sure if that is true or just something they say to embarrass us.

Lando: It's not embarrassing. It's hilarious. I'm trying to get them to pay me.

Oscar: You're emotionally damaged by kissing me? Wow. Feeling loved here, baby.

Lando: No, I'm emotionally damaged by them walking in on me kissing you. That's my Oscar
time. They shouldn't be there.

Oscar: You're so cute.

Interviewer: Well, I'm sure there is more gossip than that.

Oscar: Of course, there is, but we wouldn't share other people's personal lives. They never
tell you anything about us, do they? Why would we do that to them? Next question.

Interviewer: We heard earlier that you're facing repercussions for the incident in Singapore,
Lando. Any comment on that?

Lando: I can't believe I am saying this, but we aren't here to talk about racing. We're here to
talk about our personal lives. Can we keep it to that?

Interviewer: That is something no driver has ever told me before. Alright, what is your
favorite thing about the other one?

Lando: You don't have enough space to print all of my favorite things about Osc. I love the
way he basically folds in half when he's laughing too hard. I love the way that he understands
me. He never laughs at me when I don't know the right word. He is a terrifying driver, one of
the best I've ever raced against. He always pushes me to improve. He is the calm to my
chaotic storm. I love how, when he hugs me, everything else fades away. It doesn't matter
what happened on track, or what you lot in the media are saying, or if our fans are tearing
each other apart on social media. Stop that, by the way. But when he hugs me, nothing else
matters than Oscar Piastri. I mean, most of the time, nothing else matters but him.

Oscar stares at Lando adoringly. He reaches out and takes his hand, bringing it to his lips to
kiss the back of it. The two stare at one another in silence. Our interviewer had to clear his
throat to get them back on track.

Oscar: Lando helps me open up. I'm not the most expressive person in the world, most of the
time. But the fact that no one guessed at our relationship for almost two years surprised us
both, because I'm hardly shy about looking at him like he is the best thing in the world. Lando
is like sunshine personified. I can't not smile when I'm around him. He's hilarious, talented,
sweet, and the driver I both simultaneously hate and love to drive against the most. I love
driving against him because it's fun. Those races where we've been so far ahead of everyone
else, it's like it was just the two of us? My favorite races of the year. But also, he is scary-
good, and sometimes I just wish I could beat him without a struggle.

Lando: In your dreams, baby.

Interviewer: Lando, you said you asked Oscar out. What was your first date? And why did
you ask him here? A spur-of-the-moment thing?

Lando: I think we'd been building to it for a little while at that point. Dancing around our
feelings and all of that. There's actually a video of the two of us, right after I asked him out.
We were getting ready to film something for the team, and I looked over. He took my breath
away. He still does. But he was standing there with that little smile that I now know is just for
me, and I blurted out, "Do you want to go get barbecue? Or marry me? Whatever works for
you."

Oscar: He did. I was stunned at first, but now I laugh when I think about it. He proposed,
technically speaking, before we'd ever kissed. But I said yes, obviously, because we're here
now.

Lando: What he said was, "Both. Both work for me." I almost died on the spot.

Oscar is blushing, but he still nods.

Oscar: Yeah, I did. And they both still work for me. We're going to get barbecue after the
race.

Interviewer: Are you getting married?

Lando: Someday.

Oscar: Absolutely. There just isn't a ring involved yet.

Interviewer: Wait, you said there was a video of you two after Lando asked you out?

Oscar blushes even brighter, if possible.

Oscar: Yeah, it's still on McLaren's YouTube. People still comment on it.
Interviewer: Wait, is it the...

Lando: The Finish the Lyrics video, yeah. The one where I sing Taylor Swift at him and he
stares at me like I am a piece of Kinder.

Oscar: Well, you are sweet.

Interviewer: Was it a coincidence that they had you sing "Love Story" of all things?

Oscar: Yes.

Lando: Well...

Oscar: Wait, what?

Lando: When they said it was country, I asked if they could include it.

Oscar: You never told me that.

Lando: I don't know. You'd just said yes, and we had that whole forbidden love thing going
on, and I really just wanted to make you blush. You're so beautiful when you blush.

Oscar: Lan...

Oscar leans over and kisses Lando, no hesitation.

Oscar: For the record, you're beautiful when you blush, also. Like right now.

Interviewer: Last question, after this season, what are your plans? When you are done, and
one of you or Max is the champion, what do you do next?

Lando: Immediately? Sleep for like a week. Win or lose, I am going to sleep.

Oscar: Same. Next to him, regardless of which one of us wins, in case that wasn't obvious.

Lando: It should be obvious. But after that? I think we're going to Oz for a couple of weeks.
We'll still have some media and sponsor obligations, but mostly, we're just going to relax.

Oscar: Yeah, what he said. We're visiting family, doing the bare minimum of work, and mostly
just hanging out together and with our friends. This season has taken a toll on all of us, so I
think we're all looking forward to the break, whatever way this ends up.

Interviewer: Thank you both. I'm honored to have gotten to conduct this interview. Any
thoughts on the race this weekend?

Oscar: It's going to be rough. I think we're both still a little tense from Singapore, and now
that the team has won, what will that do to our racing? We'll see.

Lando: I think we're probably going to fight. I mean, I don't want us to, but I feel like it's
coming. This is going to be a difficult weekend. But the important thing is that, at the end of
the race on Sunday, I will still be head over heels in love with this man. Even if I kind of hate
him a little every time he is on the step above me.

Oscar: Same. I love you, Lan, but I'm not letting you win.

Lando: Ohh, scary!

They both laugh. Oscar and Lando walk out of the room hand in hand, already chatting
about something. They appear as if they don't have a care in the world, not like they are
fighting for the same championship against one another.

Time will tell what the weekend brings, but after seeing them interact in person, I feel
confident that none of this is a publicity stunt, and regardless of how it may look on the
outside, the two of them are a united team.

2025 Group Grid Chat

@George
That was a lovely article

Nice to see them say something kind about you both for a change

@alex
I can't believe you did it

@lando
We wanted to

But also, this weekend is going to be bad in terms of the racing and the media

If we can put something out nice first

Maybe it will make it less painful later on

@pierre gaslyyyyyy
We all have your backs

We're proud of you both

Hard to be the only ones out

Maybe next year more of us will follow

@Max1
Let me have the championship and I'll come out

@oscah pastry
I think we're doing okay on our own.
We want the championship this time

@liam
and still, only one of you can get it

@lando
We know.

Everyone keeps reminding us

But regardless of who wins, we love each other

And that is enough

@Nando
You say that now

You two didn't live through Brocedes

@lewham
Nando, quiet. Yes, we were bad. But we figured it out.

Oscar and Lando aren't us.

They'll be fine.

@oscah pastry
Thanks, Lewis

I hope you're right

@lando
He is right, love

We'll make sure of it.

Following sprint quali, debrief, and dinner, Oscar and Lando practically stumbled into their
room. The interview had been published, so there was no going back now. The world might
see them as a couple, finally, and not just rivals.

"This really is going to be bad, isn't it?" Lando asked, stripping out of his team kit and pulling
on pajamas.

Oscar followed suit, changing his clothes and laughing as Lando threw his clothes on the
ground, rather than folding them and putting them away. Strewn, whether Lando wanted to
admit it or not. "Yeah, I'm not going to go easy on you. And they aren't going to go easy on
us."
"I know." Lando stepped up and wrapped his arms around Oscar's waist. "But we'll be okay,
right? I know we keep telling people we will, but I don't know. I worry."

"I do too. But the only way we aren't okay is if we let it happen. So we talk at the end of the
Sprint and we talk at the end of the Grand Prix, no matter what. Agreed?"

Lando nodded and then pulled Oscar in for a kiss. Tomorrow, the chaos started for real. A
sprint and a Grand Prix. Regardless of whether it ended up with the McLarens 1-2 or with a
double DNF, he and Oscar would fight for what they had.

Because he wasn't lying to the interviewer when he said that OP81 was his biggest rival and
antagonist, but this man in his arms, his beloved Osc? He was the love of Lando's life. He
would do anything to protect that.

And he knew Oscar would too.

Chapter 2: Saturday - Sprint and Quali
Chapter Notes

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER (updated 26/10/2025)

I have never received more negative comments on any of my writing than I did on this
chapter. They were fair comments and I don’t want anyone to go say anything to them.
The points they made were valid and they were kind. But I can only say I’m sorry so
many times before without it sounding trite.

To (somewhat) defend myself, I wrote this chapter while I was in the hospital and didn’t
proofread it to the extent I normally do. By the time I realized that I missed what I was
trying to do, it was too late. My options now are delete and rewrite (or delete and ignore
COTA for this series), or just apologize here and hope people understand.

Please know, I love both of those men, and I want them both to be happy. I cheer for
both of them in every race. I'm a 481 through and through. That doesn’t come off in this
chapter and for that I’m sorry.

The moment he felt the impact, Lando thanked whoever was watching out for him that he
hadn't turned on his radio. The string of curse words that left his mouth would have resulted
in a hefty fine, to be sure. He'd just made it out of turn 1, on one of his favorite tracks, and
was the closest to Max of anyone. He could have taken the fight to the Red Bull, and maybe
slowed down all the comments regarding Max overtaking him and Oscar. Instead, he could
only watch helplessly as his tyre bounced down the track, along with all the other cars,
continuing with the sprint.

Getting his anger under control, Lando flicked on the radio. "Someone just wiped me out. I'm
out."

"Lando, I'm sorry," was the only message from Will. Lando thought nothing of it at the time.
He'd get the rest of the information when he got back to the garage. But the knowledge that
both Max and Oscar were going to gain points on him gnawed at him.

Going to gain points on him again.

For something that was totally out of his control again.

Lando was starting to think that some racing gods had it out for him.

He jumped out of the car and stood by, waiting for the motorbike to take him back to the
garage. Across the track, he could see Fernando also climbing out of his car and briefly
wondered if Fernando had hit him. Judging by the damage to both of their cars, it didn't seem
likely. It would have been hard for them to come together in those two spots.

The bike pulled up, and he sighed in defeat as they started the short ride back to the paddock.
As they pulled away from his damaged MCL, Lando's eyes went wide when he spotted
another car just a little ways down the track.

A papaya car. His car's sister.

No, he thought to himself. Oscar's out too? What happened to him?

Max was probably laughing his arse off right now.

The bike dropped him off at the paddock, and Lando sighed, walking past all of the other
teams that still had cars on the track. The worst race yet for McLaren? He couldn't remember
the last double DNF for them. Brazil in 2022? That seemed right.

At least it was only the sprint, but those eight points still hurt.

The mechanics rushed around as he reached the garage, getting ready for a complete overhaul
of Car 4. Lando didn't know what kind of damage Oscar's car had, but both sides of the
garage were in a panic, so he figured it was bad.

He didn't slow down, going immediately to his driver's room. He needed to get out of his gear
and then find out what happened.

He changed and took a moment just to breathe. Eight points weren't the end of the world. He
still had a sizable lead on Max, even if he won (and Lando knew he would win). Oscar hadn't
extended his lead, so between the two of them, this was the best-case scenario.

Finally, he made his way back down to talk to Will and figure out how everything had gone
wrong.

As he passed a screen replaying the collision, Lando froze, his blood running cold. "You have
got to be fucking kidding me," he muttered under his breath. He hurried into the garage,
hoping to find his boyfriend and get some answers.

Oscar decided to forgo the garage and headed straight to hospitality. They'd have a debrief
soon enough, but until then, he needed some space. He needed to be where no one would
come to find him.

His entire race was gone in a matter of seconds. Hadn't even made it out of Turn 1. And
worse (or better, depending on which version of himself was thinking at the moment), Lando
was out too.

Oscar's car had taken Lando's out. For a brief moment, Oscar had thought he would be able to
keep going, but no, Car 81 was out. And now he had to face his team.

And his boyfriend.

Oscar wondered if he could just skip the debrief. He rather doubted that would be allowed.

Taking a long shower, Oscar stalled for as long as he could. He knew he needed to go back,
but he wanted to be selfish and hide. It wasn't his fault (he didn't think), but still, he needed to
talk to Lando.

Unlike Oscar, Lando usually wanted to talk things out immediately, and Oscar could do that
for him, despite his own discomfort.

Debrief was still scheduled for after the race. The engineers were doing everything they could
to get information out of the sprint, even without their cars on the track. With no long-run
data to go on, McLaren would be at a severe disadvantage tomorrow for the Grand Prix.

But that left Lando with very little to do. He paced around the back of his garage, watching as
the mechanics got to work, trying to get his car back in form before quali. He hated that they
were being rushed like this. It wasn't their fault any more than it was his, but they were all
being punished for it.

Staying out of their way, Lando started to wander back towards the pit wall, but something
stopped him in his tracks. Oscar had finally emerged from where he had been hiding and was
making his way over to Lando.

"No," Lando said, holding up a hand in front of Oscar. "I'm not speaking to you right now."

Oscar blinked, as if the words didn't make any sense. "I just wanted to..."

"It doesn't matter what you want to do, Oscar. This time, we will talk when I am ready." He
turned on his heel and went the other direction, deciding now was as good a time as any to do
media. He'd get through that, then go to the debrief. Then quali. THEN, maybe, he would talk
to his boyfriend.

Oscar watched dumbfounded as Lando walked away. Lando never turned him away like that.

Some of the engineers watched the interaction and stepped backward, trying to make a quick
escape. "What...?" Oscar started to ask, but the looks in all of their eyes told him that he
should know what the problem was. He would have expected it from Lando's team, but his
own team was also keeping a wide berth.

He made it through the media pen as best he could. If anyone asked him what he said, Oscar
didn't know if he could repeat it. Something about not seeing the crash yet, needing time to
review it. He moved from reporter to reporter, doing his best to answer the same question
repeatedly, all while trying to figure out how to make things up to Lando.

Once he figured out why the man was so mad.

Back in the garage, the team told him that the full debrief would wait until after quali, leaving
Oscar with even less to occupy his mind.
Eventually, he found Tom, looking over data now that the race had come to an end. Max was
eight points closer, and the world at large seemed to be laughing at McLaren. "Anything
good? Anything I can use for quali?" Oscar asked, slipping into the seat next to Tom.

"At this point, mate, you're going to be lucky to have a car for Q1."

Oscar swallowed hard. "That bad?"

"They may have to take it apart completely to get that suspension fixed. They're going to try,
but you may be starting from the back of the pack tomorrow if they can't make it." Tom
looked over at him, sympathy in his eyes. "Go watch the tape. Really watch it. Don't watch it
as yourself, but as any other driver. Imagine you were the Sauber, the Aston Martin. Imagine
you were Car 4 and Lando was Car 81. Then come back and we'll talk."

Knowing a command when he heard one, Oscar nodded and made his way back to the
screens where he could watch the replay. Given what Tom just said, Oscar didn't think he was
going to like what he saw.

Lando watched the tape, swore under his breath, and did his best to calm down. There was
still another qualification to get through, and he couldn't go out there and drive mad. Couldn't
be too aggressive. Couldn't be too passive. Always had to be perfect, and even then, it was
wrong.

He'd heard Zak's comments. "Neither of our drivers are to blame. Amateur hour driving out
there."

Neither of our drivers are to blame.

For all the talk of Lando being Zak's favorite, he sure did his best to avoid upsetting Oscar.

Lando loved Oscar with all that he had. Nothing would change that. But right now, he hated
him too. Hated that in Singapore, Oscar could complain about Lando all he wanted, and a
few people raised their brows, but overall, nothing was said. Hated that the team imposed
repercussions on him for something they all agreed was a racing incident. One that resulted in
contact with his teammate, but otherwise, no harm, no foul. Hated that Oscar could walk
through life with the reputation of being calm and collected, of being in control of his
emotions.

Because if Lando had made the radio comments today that Oscar made two weeks ago, he
would have been crucified. Hated that he needed to tow the line, not make waves, all while a
punishment sat on his shoulders, and Zak placed all the blame today on the others.

As he stepped into the car for Q1, thanking all of his engineers for getting it back in time for
qualification, Lando took a deep breath. He would get no favors this weekend because of
what happened that morning. He needed to look out for himself above all else. He needed to
get in the right headspace and beat Oscar so soundly that no one could say anything but that
Lando was better.
He pulled the car out into the pit lane, focused on one thing.

Qualifying ahead of his boyfriend.

Oscar was not having a good day. First, the crash. Then Lando not speaking to him. And now
qualification.

Q1 - eleventh. But Lando was twelfth, so it could have been worse. They were close.

Q2 - eighth. But Lando was third. Less than ideal.

Q3 - sixth. And Lando at P2.

This weekend just needed to end already.

P6 wasn't bad. That was the third row. He still had a chance to win or podium from there. It
wasn't the end of the world. But everything was starting to pile up, and it felt like the end of
the world.

Maybe if Lando had been speaking to him, it would have been easier to take, but he hadn't
even seen his teammate since Lando pushed him away, except as another car on the track.

He pulled himself out of the car, nodding at his team and going to fulfill his media
obligations. He answered the questions and did his best not to let the cracks show. Because he
definitely felt them.

Knowing Lando had the press conference with Max and Charles, Oscar took the opportunity
to go to the driver's rooms to shower and change before heading to debrief early so he could
avoid running into Lando. Again.

Was he prolonging the inevitable? Yes.

But at that moment, he didn't care.

Sitting in debrief, the tension made the air thick. Lando stared at the table in front of him, not
looking up when anyone walked in. Normally, the seat next to him would be occupied by his
teammate and boyfriend, but today, Will sat next to him, a solid, silent presence that he
needed at the moment.

"Alright," one of the engineers said, "P2 for Lando and P6 for Oscar. We can work with this."

Neither of them said anything. Lando knew Oscar had to be in the room if they were starting
the meeting. But Lando didn't look up. Couldn't until he calmed down.

The conversation continued with what tyres to start on, given the limited amount of data they
had. Lando let the words slide over him, waiting for the part where he actually had input.
Oscar stayed silent too, so the conversation continued without any input from either driver.
"Alright, the sprint," someone finally said, trepidation clear in their voice.

"Hulkenberg tagged me and sent me into Norris," Oscar said, voice careful.

Lando finally looked up. "Like Singapore? No contact with the other car, or there will be
repercussions, right?"

"It's not the same,” Oscar responded, his voice too cold, too controlled.

Lando took a deep breath. "I agree, it's not. Because I went for a gap that closed, tapped the
Red Bull, and tapped you. We both finished in points. Today, you went for a gap that closed,
got hit so hard you took both of us out of the race. Eight points, Oscar. Eight points that we
both needed."

"Lan, I'm..."

"I know. I know. It wasn't your fault. Zak said it. You said it. And maybe that is true. But, if
that’s true, then it wasn't really my fault in Singapore either. Yet I'm the one who has
secondary priority with qualifying, and that's just for tapping you. Will there be anything for
you knocking us both out of the race, or will I be the only one to face penalties moving
forward?"

No one said anything; all of them were looking anywhere but at the two drivers.

Nodding, Lando took a deep breath and stood. "That's what I figured. I'll be in my room if
anyone needs me. Don't worry, I won't contradict the official story to the press. I know my
place."

He did his best to school his features into something neutral as he left the room, not looking
in Oscar's direction. The last thing he needed was for the story to get out that "overly
emotional Norris" stormed out of the debrief. He knew there would be a talk about him
walking out, but at this point, what more could they do to him?

He didn't want to think about that question too seriously.

Oscar watched Lando go, trying to keep his face impassive. Had Lando ever been that mad at
him before?

Yes, but for some reason, it hurt more now.

"Can we watch the tape again?" he asked coolly.

And so they watched. Analyzed. Looked at it from every angle.

And Oscar curled in on himself a little more each time.

Because he could see that it wasn't Lando's fault.

It wasn't Nico's fault.

It was his own.

He turned too sharply, into a gap that he knew wouldn't be there. Seventeen cars behind him,
but he only had eyes for the one in front and... ruined both of their races, as well as
Fernando's.

No one said anything for the longest time until Oscar finally spoke. "Will there be a
punishment for this?"

Zak and Andrea looked at one another and then shook their heads. "Not for this race. Lando
didn't complain in the media or on the radio. We don't need to do damage control. Maybe
going forward, but for now, no. We race as planned."

"And Lando's punishment?"

"Stays in place. We've talked about it too much in the media to take it back now. Maybe for
Mexico."

Oscar couldn't believe what he was hearing, but at the same time, it was on track with
everything else that had been done this year. Preserve the image of fairness, downplay any
animosity. Protect the McLaren image at any cost.

Even if that cost was Lando's confidence in the team’s support and in himself.

"Are we done?"

"Yes, get some rest, and we'll see you tomorrow. Big race."

Like they needed to tell Oscar that. He was well aware of the importance of the race,
particularly starting as far back as he was. But that wasn't his problem right now.

Right now, he needed to find Lando.

Love Story or Tragedy?

A Sky News Exclusive

When we posted the interview with the McLaren drivers yesterday, we had no idea how
quickly things would fall apart for the two of them this weekend. Starting P2 and P3 in the
Sprint, they both had a good chance at the podium, and maybe even the win. The
championship gap would increase or decrease, but only by a few points.

No one predicted the chaos that would take place at Turn 1.

While the team at McLaren seems to believe that the crash was the result of Sauber's Nico
Hulkenberg, most analysts agree that it was McLaren's Oscar Piastri at fault. His turn to try
to overtake Lando Norris on the inside sent him directly into the path of Hulkenberg, who had
no options, with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso on the other side. The move put Alonso,
Piastri, and Norris out of the race before a single lap had been completed.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen took advantage of the chaos, cruising to an easy win and closing
his gap to the leaders by another eight points.

With all of the talk around the repercussions of Norris's move in Singapore, one wonders
what is being said behind the scenes at McLaren this evening, and if there will be a similar
punishment for Piastri. It seems unlikely, since CEO Zak Brown has already come out and
placed the blame firmly on Hulkenberg and Alonso's shoulders.

And what will this do to the relationship between the teammates? They claim to be strong, but
how will Norris react to being punished for something smaller than what Piastri just did?
Will he take it on the chin as he has done several times this season? Will Piastri admit fault
and make amends? Will McLaren take the unnamed repercussions away from Norris to try
and keep him quiet?

We may find out in tomorrow's Grand Prix.

The music coming from Lando's room was so loud, Oscar couldn't hear himself think. He had
just stopped by his driver's room to grab his things, thinking Lando had already left for the
hotel. Instead, it seemed his boyfriend was still at the motorhome. Oscar hoped to have this
conversation in the privacy of their room, but he didn't want to let it go on any longer.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, loud enough that he hoped Lando would hear
it over the music.

Lando opened the door and then nearly slammed it in Oscar's face the moment he realized
who stood on the other side. Oscar's hand darted out to catch the door before it closed. "Lan,
please. We need to talk."

"Oh, so when you want space, I need to give it to you, but when I want space, that's when we
need to talk. I mean, that seems right considering everything else over the last two weeks."
The ice in his voice cut Oscar deep, and he tried not to shrink away from it. Still, Lando
stepped aside and let his boyfriend in. Turning off the music, he sat on the far end of the
couch, curled tightly in on himself, with his knees pulled up to his chest.

He said nothing else, just sat there, waiting for Oscar to decide what he was going to say.

Oscar closed the door and leaned against it, giving his boyfriend as much space as he could.
"I was at fault today. I'm sorry. I was so desperate to get past you, I didn't see the other cars."

He waited, wondering if Lando would respond, but the silence continued.

"I asked about what punishment I would get," he said softly.

At that, Lando looked up. "None, right?"

Oscar had to nod. "They don't want to cause any more headlines, and since everyone has
stuck to the same story, they're not going to do anything. At least not yet."

"If I whinged on the radio, would you have gotten one then?"
Flinching as if hit, Oscar had to acknowledge that it was probably accurate. "Maybe.
Probably. I don't know. They didn't want to talk about it."

"So, if I whinge, you get punished, but I get torn apart by everyone for being too emotional
and unable to cope with a racing incident. If I don't whinge, you get away with it with
nothing but the loss of 8 points. Is that right?"

"Yeah," Oscar admitted, though the accusation felt unfair. He didn't control how the team and
the media reacted to both of them, but he could see it from Lando's perspective.

Lando looked up. "They're already saying that the reason I got P2 and you got P6 is because
the team sabotaged your car to make up for the sprint. They think that is the only explanation
for how I am four spots ahead. Even when I win, I lose."

Oscar took a seat on the couch, as far from Lando as he could manage. "You and I both know
that isn't the case. You are one of the best drivers that I have ever driven against. You
challenge me every single day. Today, I couldn't compete for pole. Do you know why?"

He looked up at Lando, seeing the sadness in his eyes. When Lando didn't answer, Oscar
sighed. "I was too distracted today. I couldn't stop thinking about you and how you were mad
at me. I wanted to make it better, and my driving suffered because of it."

"We're not supposed to let this affect our driving, Osc. Whatever happens between us off
track shouldn't be a factor on track."

"I know that," Oscar sighed, running his hand through his hair. "But...you've never turned
away from me like that before. I didn't know what to do. I still don't know what to do. I don't
control what the team does any more than you do, regardless of what people in the media
say." He took a breath, trying to steady his racing thoughts. "I messed up today, Lan. I know I
did. I was too aggressive and cost both of us the race. I am so sorry for that. You know better
than anyone that us making contact hurts both of us. I didn't do it on purpose. I need to
apologize to Fernando, too, though he's kind of scary."

Lando laughed, just a little, at that, but Oscar counted it as a win. "He's not that scary."

"He looks like he could kill me and not feel any guilt over it."

Nodding, Lando finally started to unfurl, just a little, stretching his legs out. "Fair point. But I
don't think he would kill you. So you have that in your favor."

Oscar smiled tentatively at Lando, who returned the smile. The knot in Oscar's chest loosened
a bit. "Are we good? I am sorry that I hit you. And I'm sorry I didn't give you space when you
asked for it. I don't know how to act when you are ignoring me. It feels wrong."

"Now you know how I felt in Singapore. Which isn't why I did it. I just...I needed to be away
from you. The team is trying so hard to make everything fair that it all feels unfair right now.
And the double standard between our two incidents today and two weeks ago? It's going to
take me a while to get over. Zak was so quick to throw me under the bus in the debrief for
Singapore, but he immediately announced to the media today that you weren't at fault. I
just...I want things to actually be fair."

"They may still do something to me," Oscar said. "I don't know. Zak finally figured out it
wasn't Nico's fault, so maybe?" He didn't know if things would happen or if they would just
glaze over it because Lando didn't get upset like Oscar did. "I shouldn't have been so pissy on
the radio in Singapore. You were so calm about it today, never once placing blame where I
put it on you immediately."

Lando shrugged, sad but resigned. "People just make comments about you not being
emotionless when you get upset. When I get upset, it's the end of the world. I don't have the
luxury of getting mad on the radio. I have to take responsibility if there is even a chance it
was my fault. Some people are even blaming me for today, saying I forced you to make that
move."

The way he said it broke Oscar's heart. He knew the media and fans fixated on Lando and his
reactions. But he never wanted to be the reason for Lando to be upset in the first place.

"I don't know what else I can say, Lan. I am so sorry for what happened. I wish the team
would just let us race like they say they will, and I'm sorry that I put us in this position today.
If I could get them to remove your punishment, I would, but I don't know if they will do
anything like that. They are saving face more than anything else."

Lando finally closed the distance between them, shifting to rest his head on Oscar's shoulder.
Oscar's arm went around him immediately. "We're just pawns, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I think so. They have two strong drivers and no idea how to handle that. If they just let
us race and stayed out of it, I think we would figure things out on our own." Oscar kissed the
top of Lando's head, trying to keep him close.

"I wish you would stop whinging every time I am aggressive. I'm allowed to race you, just
like you are allowed to race me. And sometimes, that is going to be a difficult situation for
both of us. You complaining to the team about me every time really doesn't help."

Sighing, Oscar nodded. "I know. I try not to. For all they say about me being cold and
detached, I see red whenever you make a move. And then I say things that I shouldn't. At
least not where everyone can hear them."

Outside, they could hear the team moving around, everyone getting quiet as they walked past
the drivers' rooms. "They're walking on eggshells around us. Good," Lando said with a
humorless laugh. "I'm not really inclined to make any of them feel better right now. That
includes you, love, just so you know."

"I deserve that, I think. Just...remember that I do love you, even when you are mad at me."

"And I love you, even when you crash me out in turn one."

Oscar huffed, though he smiled at his boyfriend. "I said I was sorry!"
"And you're going to continue to say it all night long. And I get the first shower. You get
preferential treatment on track. I get it at the hotel."

Grinning, Oscar pulled Lando onto his lap. "Or, we can shower together?"

He pretended to think about it for all of two seconds before nodding. Lando stood, pulling
Oscar to his feet. "Come on. Let's go back to the hotel. We'll both take a shower and then you
will find me some Kinder to make it up to me."

"Oh, is that how it is?"

Lando started throwing his things into his bag. "Yes, and we're watching one of my movies
tonight. I don't want subtitles. And a back rub."

"Anything else, my prince?" Oscar teased, making his way towards the door to get his own
things.

"Just this." Lando closed the distance and kissed Oscar soundly, pushing him against the back
of the door. "You're still my favorite person in the world, even when you piss me off.
Just...don't piss me off again."

Oscar gave him a jaunty salute and slipped over to his own room.

They still had a race to get through. They still had a lot of talking to do, between the two of
them and between them and the team. And they still had Max Verstappen breathing down
their necks. But for now, they were good. If a little tired and chippy.

Lando met Oscar in the hallway a few minutes later. "Come on, baby. Shower, chocolate, and
a movie you're going to absolutely hate."

"Sounds perfect," Oscar grinned, falling into step with Lando.

One more day to get through in Texas, but for tonight, they were okay. And after today, that
was all either of them could ask for.
Chapter 3: Sunday - US Grand Prix
Chapter Notes

I didn't really have much to say about this race. As Oscar says in this chapter, it was
fine. So have some cheeky Lando, besotted Oscar, and Lestappen being...Lestappen.

I hope I made it up to Oscar a little in this chapter. I really didn't mean to be so hard on
him in the last one.

When asked about his favorite people to battle on track, Lando always answers "Oscar".
Because Oscar is his favorite opponent. They're evenly matched in driving skill and car, so
when it is just the two of them, they can let go and enjoy it. Those moments when they are
wheel to wheel, and Lando (if he could turn his head) could see the beautiful brown eyes of
his boyfriend right next to him? The closest thing he can compare to flying.

But, when Oscar is three cars back, and not really available at the time for some one-on-one
racing, the next best option is Charles LeClerc. Not because they are evenly matched as
drivers (Lando thinks they are, though he also believes Charles might have an advantage over
him). Not because their cars are equal (because anyone who has watched a race this season
knows that they aren't). But because Charles on track is feral, and Lando loves it.

The man looks like he stepped straight out of a soft boy magazine spread, and drives like the
devil himself. Max is probably the scariest driver Lando has ever faced based on skill alone.
Charles is the scariest because he has no fear. He will divebomb you in a heartbeat if he
thinks it will get him another position. Every time Lando gets past him, he wonders if this is
the moment Charles snaps and sends them both into the wall.

Lando lives for the chaos, the adrenaline. With Oscar, it's like driving against a more
controlled version of himself. With Charles, it is like driving against the spirit of Senna,
reincarnated into a caffeinated raccoon with a driving license.

Not that Lando would ever tell Charles that.

He valued his life, thank you very much.

So, while the weekend was not going according to plan for him or Oscar, at least Lando got
to race Charles. A lot.

Like, a lot.

Watching Charles get past him on Turn 1 frustrated him, but he made it out of the turn and
into the rest of the race, so Lando counted it as a win. "Is Osc through Turn 1?" he asked
Will, the moment the pack started to spread out.
"Yes, Oscar's currently P5."

Not ideal for Lando and his championship bid, but Lando hoped it was helping Oscar's
confidence. Yesterday had shaken his boyfriend more than Oscar wanted to admit, but there
was little Lando could do for him, other than share his chocolate and cuddle him to within an
inch of his life. Which had been exactly what they'd done the night before.

But now? Now, Lando needed to win.

Or get P2, more likely, considering Max was already gone.

If only I could have kept Charles behind me, he thought. That was quickly followed by the
thought, "If my mum had balls..." and Lando laughed to himself in the car. He'd need to
remember that for when he inevitably got asked that question in the press conference.

Because there was no way he wasn't making the podium. Not after yesterday. Not after the
repercussions. Not after finally realizing the team didn't have his or Oscar's best interests at
heart. McLaren was looking out for McLaren, the brand, not McLaren, the drivers.

Lando was determined to run the cleanest race of his life.

So, of course, he had a black and white flag by lap 21.

Now he didn't just have to be clean.

He had to be perfect.

The race was fine.

The race was okay.

The race wasn't bad.

It was just...a race.

Oscar got past George on the first lap and was ready to take it to Lewis, determined to chase
down his boyfriend and their friends. Yesterday had been awful, and Oscar was going to put
it behind him.

But, in the end, nothing happened.

His left front tyre gave him issues. George was in place to undercut him with a pit stop.
Lando and the Ferraris were far enough ahead that even pushing as hard as he could, Oscar
felt like he wasn't making any progress.

Honestly, Oscar thought maybe he should take this as a win. He'd gained a position. He was
still driving. After yesterday, this was definitely a win.
"Lando is P3, Oscar," Tom told him, surprising Oscar a little. He'd seen Charles go for the
overtake at the beginning, saw Lando hug the inside line and give up that place, but he rather
thought Lando would have taken it back by now. "Also, Lando has a black and white flag for
track limits."

Oh, he's not going to like that.

With the early pit stop, Oscar needed to focus all of his attention on his tires. Softs for
twenty-six laps? Not impossible, but considering the way the weekend was going, Oscar
knew he was risking a second stop. And that would derail everything.

So he needed to be perfect.

Oscar pitted first. Lando didn't know why. Maybe they knew that he was doing fine, and
Oscar needed the stop more. Will had been very quiet about the other MCL, so while Lando
knew he was still in the race, that was about all. Lando didn't know if that was a good thing
or a bad thing, but as long as Oscar was behind him, that was all that mattered. "Osc's
position?" he asked, just after he boxed. Another long one, of course. If he got stuck with the
second pit stop for the rest of the season, he'd lose the championship for sure.

"P5 still. Focus on your own race, Lando."

"What if I'm just curious about the other drivers? How about Stroll? What position is Lance
in?" Lando smirked to himself as he closed in on Charles once more.

The exasperated tone in Will's voice had him cackling. "Stroll is sitting at P12 currently."

"Didn't he start last row? Seven positions? Good for him." Lando had just picked the name
out of thin air, but that was actually good information. "Anything else I need to know about?"

"Carlos is out, so maybe postpone golf until after Mexico City. Tsunoda and Hulkenberg are
both in points. You still have twenty laps to go, Lando. Focus on attacking LeClerc and
defending Lewis."

"I'm in a Ferrari sandwich!"

"FOCUS!"

Pulling into P2 at the end was the best feeling of the weekend. If Charles hadn't gotten past
him at the beginning, Lando thought he could have taken the fight to Max. But as it was, he
was thrilled with P2.

Eighteen points. Eighteen beautiful points put him only fourteen back from his boyfriend.

His boyfriend, who, despite the championship and the points and everything, Lando really
wished was on the podium with him. Because as he sat in the cooldown room, awkwardly
three-wheeling a Lestappen yap session, Lando was lonely.
He opened his water and watched the replay, letting the other couple Maxplain and Leclerify
to their hearts' content. He figured he and Oscar had done that to several people, including the
two he currently shared the podium with, a number of times this year, so maybe it was fair.

"That corner was... not nice," he commented, on one replay, watching him fight Charles. The
other two finally remembered that he was there and laughed when they saw what he was
talking about. "But I just wish it was easier," Lando continued.

Lando rolled his eyes in amusement as they both looked at him, glad the camera was at his
back. The double side-eye from his best friends was going to be memed to hell and back
again. He already knew it.

Oscar didn't like staring up at the podium from the ground level. After the season they'd had,
anything short of a trophy felt wrong. But after the weekend he had, just getting points could
be considered a win. He'd gained a position, so that's two more points than he would have
received if he had maintained P6. For this weekend, that was good enough.

Standing with the other drivers, Oscar watched Charles step onto the podium. Somehow,
despite having just raced for two hours, Charles looked ready for a photoshoot. Those
LeClerc genes were truly unfair.

But all other thoughts left Oscar's mind when he saw Lando step out onto the podium. He
couldn't look away from Lando's bright smile, the slight bounce in his gait as he climbed up
to the second step. As beautiful as Charles was, he would never compare to Lando in Oscar's
eyes.

Most of the time Oscar's been on the podium this year, Lando was right there with him. And
he loved sharing that with his boyfriend. However much P5 stung, though, there was
something monumental about watching Lando from down here. He looked larger than life,
more in line with his personality than his short stature generally let on.

Oscar was still annoyed about his weekend, still frustrated with the lack of points, pissed at
how the team was handling everything, and just unhappy with how difficult everything had
been.

But at that moment? All he could think about was Lando.

As the Dutch National Anthem began to play, Oscar kept his eyes on his teammate. And
when Lando looked down at him, Oscar was blown away by the sheer amount of love and
affection he saw reflected back at him.

"I love you," he mouthed at Lando.

"I love you too," Lando replied, just as the anthems came to an end.

Oscar knew he had to go to the media pen, go answer all of the questions about his lack of
pace. And he would.
He had something else he needed to do first.

Charles and Max were still up on the podium, doing their thing, completely unaware of
everyone else around them. Lando couldn't fault them for it. If Oscar had been there, they
would have done that too. As it was, Oscar was down with the other drivers, smiling up at
Lando as if he were the most amazing thing Oscar had ever seen.

The look Oscar gave him made Lando feel like he'd already won the championship, and he
practically skipped down the steps, knowing he needed to go to the press conference. If Max
and Charles didn't stop chatting, Lando would be the only one in there at the beginning.

He paid no attention to anything else as he reached the bottom step and turned in the
direction he was being pointed. But after two more steps, something ran into him and pushed
him against the wall. Thankfully, Lando Norris would recognize Oscar Piastri anywhere;
otherwise, he would have been very confused who was pressed against him and kissing him
like he was the oxygen Oscar needed to live.

"Sorry about your race," Lando mumbled against Oscar's lips, confused but not complaining
about this sudden burst of PDA from his boyfriend.

Oscar smirked and kissed him again. "Don't care right now. We can talk about it later. Proud
of you." Lando wrapped his arms around Oscar's waist, pulling him closer as Oscar continued
to kiss him. Neither cared about the other drivers, staff, or media around them. "You taste like
champagne and home."

"Osc, you can't say things like that when I need to go to a press conference. They'll know
what I've been doing." If he went in with kiss-bruised lips and messy hair, that was one thing.
If everyone could see how aroused he was, that would be a problem.

"Good. I'm sick of them saying we're breaking up over this."

Lando ran his hand through Oscar's hair, guiding him back just a little. "I love you so much.
I'll see you after media, yeah?"

"Yeah, we have barbecue to go eat."

Grinning, Lando pressed one last kiss to Oscar's lips and slipped from his grasp. If he stayed
there any longer, they were both going to get fined.

2025 Grid Group Chat

@liam
Anyone going out tonight? Max? Lando? Charles?

@oscah pastry
We're going for barbecue, if anyone wants to join.
@estie
Isn't that a date?

The article said it was a date.

Why would you want us to come with you?

@lando
Because we have a ton of dates all the time

We only get this one weekend to eat barbecue, so why not share it

@yuki
Pierre and I will be there.

@pierrrrre gaslyyyyyy
We will?

@yuki
Yes, I already said

@George
We have another race in a week.

Barbecue is not on anyone's meal plans

@alex
Georgie, shut up.

We'll be there, Oscar.

@lewham
Mind if I tag along?

I feel like I'll be the seventh wheel with three other couples.

@oscah pastry
We are always happy to have you there, Lewis.

@isaak
Can I come too? I've never had barbecue.

@lando
You are about to experience something magical

@Max1
Charles and I will not be joining, but we will see you all in Mexico.

@FrancoCola
Texas barbecue cannot be as good as home
@oscah pastry
Good thing Logan isn't in this chat

That would be a declaration of war

@lando
Do not come between that American and his barbecue

I learned that the hard way two years ago

@oscah pastry
We'll see most of you there.

"You don't mind that I invited everyone, do you?" Oscar asked as he pulled on more casual
clothes, something in a shade other than papaya.

Lando tugged one of Oscar's hoodies over his head, despite it being 25 degrees still. "It's fine.
It's not like this is a romantic dinner. Just tradition at this point. And if Isaak has never had it
before, then we need to be the ones to teach him."

"Logan would be so proud." Oscar grabbed his wallet and his keys, ready to drive them to his
favorite place in Austin.

"Just what I always wanted, to make him proud of me," Lando quipped. "We're good, right?
Anything we need to talk about from the race?"

For once, Oscar didn't think there were any issues for them to discuss. "We both had fine
races. Yours was more exciting than mine, but overall, I don't think we have any room to
complain. I'm good with it if you are."

Lando slipped his hand into Oscar's, giving it a light squeeze. "I kinda like these races where
we're both content. It feels nice."

"It does, but I don't think we're going to get many more of these. Five races to go, and it's
only going to get more intense. Are we ready for it?"

If he was honest, Lando didn't know for sure. It was going to be a very long few races, filled
with tense conversations, media criticism, and fan backlash, regardless of which one came
out on top. Everyone had been so excited about Max making this a three-person race, but
now that he was winning again, Lando had even seen hatred towards him. They couldn't
make the rest of the world happy, and he needed to remember that.

"You'll tell me if you're not okay, right?" he asked, knowing that he'd put a lot on his
boyfriend the day before. Tensions had been high, he'd been struggling with his third DNF of
the season, and he said some things he regretted. He knew the fans and media were just as
hard on his boyfriend as they were on him. Oscar just appeared to handle it better.

Lando didn't know if he actually did or if he just kept his discomfort hidden.
Oscar nodded. "I'm not happy with the number of points I scored this weekend. I'm frustrated
that I couldn't get comfortable in a car that I've been driving for months now. I'm annoyed at
everyone who keeps saying this is the end of us, or the end of my championship bid, or the
end of McLaren dominance. Particularly since those people don't really know what goes into
any of this, so why should they get an opinion? But there isn't anything either of us can do
about it. So I'm going to ignore them, focus on driving, and focus on us. That's really all we
can do, isn't it?"

"It's hard, though. I wish we could just race and not have to worry about the rest of it."

"Yeah," Oscar agreed. It was a sentiment they had both shared many times over the season.
"But we both had an idea what would happen when we reached Formula 1. Any scrutiny we
got in the lower Formulae was nothing compared to this."

Lando pulled him closer, running his hand through Oscar's hair, just to mess it up a little. "I
love you, Osc. I know we're going to fight, and I'm going to be selfish, and I'm probably
going to cause more harm than good some weekends. But I will always love you, even when
I'm being a twat."

"To be fair, Lands, you are usually a twat."

"Rude!"

Laughing, Oscar took Lando's hand, leading him to the door. "But yes, it's going to get bad,
and we're going to fight. We're going to say things that we don't mean. Or things that we don't
mean in the moment. But I think as long as we talk and remember that at the end of the day,
we are on each other's side, I think we're going to be alright." He squeezed Lando's hand,
smirking. "Even when you are an arse."

"Remind me why I love you?" Lando pouted, though his mouth turned up at the corners.

"Because you have a thing for Aussies? A thing for competent drivers? A thing for men
dressed in papaya?"

Lando smirked. "Ah, so Daniel!"

"I hate you."

Letting go of Oscar's hand to wrap an arm around his waist, Lando leaned against him. "I
have it on good authority that you don't. Quite the opposite. You said so in that interview."

"Damn, you mean Sky News was right for once?"

Lando's laughter echoed down the hall. "Had to happen at some point, right?"
End Notes

My other F1 fics:
McLaren LIVE
Speak Now
Luminescent

Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!