Ollie Bearman sat across from Celia, groaning in frustration, "I don't know what to do, C."

"Eat your food," she replied casually, motioning to his plate. Ollie sighed and pouted like a child as he reluctantly began eating.

"It's just one bad race, Ollie," Celia said after a moment, "you'll bounce back."

"Will I?" he asked, doubtful.

"Yes, you will," Celia cut him off, "This is only your first year in F2. Take it slow."

"I can't take it slow," he groaned. "You know I want to get to F1."

"Yeah, everyone does," Celia responded, "but you can't rush these things. F1 is incredibly competitive, and you know that. Instead of focusing on jumping to the next level, focus on proving yourself where you are now."

"I'm trying," Ollie mumbled, looking down.

"I'm not saying you're not," Celia clarified, "but you need to be patient and play the long game. If you rush, you could risk burning out, Ollie."

"Yeah, you're right, I guess."

"You guess?" Celia raised an eyebrow at him as Ollie grinned.

"I mean, you debuted at 17, and now you're like what? 40? It's been a while, so I don't know if your advice is completely accurate anymore."

That earned him a playful kick under the table as Celia rolled her eyes with a smile. Through her role as Prema's Advisor in F3, Celia had become close with many of the younger drivers who were aiming for F1. She had taken on a mentor role, giving them advice like an older sister, especially for Arthur and Ollie, who often turned to her for guidance.

"How's prep for F1 going for you?" Ollie asked curiously. "Nervous?"

"Of course," Celia replied, "but I'm excited too. Not everyone gets a second chance."

"You're getting it because everyone knows how good you are," Ollie reassured her with a gentle smile. "Besides, it's not like you had a choice but to leave before. The FIA wouldn't let you race when you were pregnant."

"Yeah, but I don't regret it," Celia shrugged, and Ollie nodded in understanding.

After a brief silence, Ollie asked, "What about Max?"

Celia looked confused. "What about him?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Ollie hesitated.

"Spit it out, Ollie," Celia said firmly, sensing his reluctance.

"I was talking to Arthur, and he mentioned how Charles told him everything about you and Max," Ollie said quietly. "I think we finally get why you never got back with him. I'm sorry we always bugged you with questions about him—"

"It's okay," Celia interrupted, "but you kids shouldn't be snooping into things like this."

"It's not really snooping," Ollie grinned cheekily. "Charles told Art."

"Remind me to have a word with Charles and Art," Celia rolled her eyes playfully, making Ollie laugh.

"But you're going to be okay?" Ollie asked, feeling protective of her.

"Yes, Ollie, don't worry," Celia smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine. Max isn't a bad guy. He just... has a lot of—" She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing.

Looking at the screen, she saw Max's name pop up. "Speak of the devil," she muttered before answering the call.

"Lia? Where are you?" Max asked the moment the call connected.

"I'm having breakfast with Ollie. I left a note in the kitchen, didn't you see it?" she replied.

"Oh, no, I didn't notice," Max mumbled. "Harper was asking for you, so I thought I'd call. We also need to get to HQ soon for the team briefing."

"Yeah, I know. I'll get a cab from here when I'm done," Celia said. "And tell Harper I'll be back before it's time for Unicorn Academy."

Max chuckled, thinking of the show Harper loved and always made them watch together. "Okay. But just tell me where you are, I'll pick you up—no need to get a cab."

"It's really no issue—"

"Just send me your location, Lia," Max insisted. Celia sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing.

"Alright, I'll text you when I'm finished here."

"Okay, lo—" Max paused, and after a brief silence, he cleared his throat and said, "Be there soon. Bye."

"Hm, y-yeah, bye," Celia stammered, quickly hanging up the call.

"You two are so domestic," Ollie commented as soon as Celia put her phone down, making her roll her eyes.

"Almost like we have a daughter together," she replied sarcastically.

"Is he meeting us here?" Ollie asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, we're heading to Red Bull HQ for a team briefing. I'll meet everyone, including the guy who's going to be my race engineer."

"Sounds fun," Ollie said, then added, "Can I come along?"

"Don't you have training?" Celia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I do, but I don't really feel like it," Ollie shrugged, causing Celia to playfully glare at him.

"Don't make me call your trainer and tell him about the two cheesecakes you just ate," she warned. "You need to train properly."

"Yes, Mom," Ollie teased, earning another kick under the table. The two continued chatting for about 15 minutes before Max walked into the restaurant.

Ollie, who was facing the door, saw him first. He waved, and Max walked over after spotting them.

"Hey, Max," Ollie greeted with a smile as Max stood beside their table.

"Hi, Ollie, how've you been?" Max asked.

"Could be better," Ollie sighed dramatically.

"He finished P12 in Spa," Celia explained to Max.

"Oh, well that's not bad—"

"It's okay, you don't have to lie," Ollie said, making Max chuckle.

"Ready to go?" Max then asked, turning to Celia, who nodded and stood up.

"Wait, what about the bill?" Ollie asked, looking at Celia.

"I thought you were paying?" Celia asked, pretending to be confused, fighting back a smile. "It's rude to make a girl pay, Ollie."

"Yeah, on a date! Not brunch with my grandma," Ollie joked, earning a sharp glare from Celia as Max laughed, enjoying their sibling-like banter.

"I'll get it," Max offered.

"Oh no, I was just joking," Celia said, holding up her hand to stop him. "I'm paying."

"It's fine, Lia. Let me get it," Max insisted.

"Max, there's no n—"

"I'm going to leave while you two argue over who pays," Ollie interrupted, raising his hands in mock surrender. He hugged Celia goodbye before walking out of the restaurant. When she turned around, she saw the waiter walking away with the bill and Max putting his wallet back in his pocket.

"Max, I told you I was getting it," she sighed as he motioned for her to walk out.

"Yeah, but someone once's said that it's rude to make a girl pay," he repeated her words with a smirk.

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The drive to HQ was short and quiet, with only Celia's playlist playing softly as Max focused on the road. When they arrived, Ben greeted them and led them to the conference room, where Christian and another man were waiting.

"Ah, you made it right on time," Christian said with a smile. "Celia, meet Nico. He's going to be your GP," Christian introduced the man beside him. "He's been one of our best engineers for the last two years, and we felt it was time for a promotion."

"Nice to meet you, Nico," Celia said with a friendly smile as they shook hands. "Looking forward to working with you."

"Same here," Nico replied excitedly. "I've been a fan for a long time. I even have a T-shirt with your autograph from 2021."

Everyone laughed at that and continued to talk as a few other Red Bull employees entered the room.

The meeting soon began, and Celia was handed a stack of files to read over. The documents contained detailed information about the car's configuration, down to the smallest components. The team then explained their strategy codes and overall approach for the rest of the season.

Max had been dominating the season so far, with the Drivers' Championship within his reach. Naturally, the team's main goal was to help Max secure that title.

However, Christian made it clear that Celia's role was to bring in additional points to help Red Bull win the Constructors' Championship. Celia understood that there was no chance for her to compete for the WDC this season. She also knew it would take time to adjust to the fast pace of the cars, the intense training, the G-forces, and everything else involved in Formula 1.

So, both she and Christian agreed that the remainder of the season would be her "jumping back" period, allowing her to reacclimate and prepare for the 2024 season ahead.

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After the meeting ended and everyone had left, Max turned to Celia and said, "Think the meeting went well?"

"Yeah, but I have a lot of reading to do," Celia joked, pointing to the piles of files she needed to go through about strategies and other details.

"But the main thing is the driving, so don't worry too much about all this," Max reassured her, and Celia nodded in agreement.

"Do you want to go for a drive today?" Max asked after a moment, noticing her anxious look.

"Max, you know you're not supposed to work during the break. It's risky enough that you, Christian, and everyone else are here right now—"

"The FIA knows about this, Lia, don't worry," Max informed her. "Christian talked to the President, and they understood your situation was unique. They granted an extra week."

"Oh, I didn't know that," Celia responded, relieved, "but I don't think Toto is gonna be happy about that."

"So? Ready to drive?" Max asked with a grin. Celia's face lit up with excitement at the idea of getting back into an F1 car. She loved everything about racing and was eager to return to it.

Max spoke with some team members, and soon, both Celia's and Max's cars were brought out. They tested the mini-track and decided it was a good opportunity to get familiar with Nico as well. Data was set up, and Celia put on a spare racing suit of Max's since hers wasn't ready yet. The suit was a bit loose on her, but it was fine for a few laps.

As Celia settled into the driver's seat and adjusted the steering wheel, a mix of excitement and nervousness surged through her. The familiar feel of the cockpit and the hum of the engine reminded her of why she loved racing so much. She took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline pump through her veins.

Nico's voice came through the radio, breaking her focus. "Celia, let's start with a quick radio check. Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Nico," Celia replied, adjusting her helmet.

"Great. We'll start with a few laps to get a feel for the car. Let me know if you need anything," Nico said, his tone calm and encouraging.

Celia nodded to herself and started her first lap. The car felt a bit different from what she was used to, and she struggled to find her pace. By the end of the second lap, she was still a bit off, and Max's car was clearly ahead.

Nico's voice came through again, "How's it feeling so far?"

"Trying to get back into the groove," Celia replied, focusing on the track. "I'm a bit slower than I'd like to be."

"Don't worry, it's all about finding your rhythm. I've seen you race before—once you're warmed up, you'll be back to your usual pace," Nico reassured her.

As the laps went on, Celia started to find her rhythm, just like Nico said she would. By lap 12, she felt more confident and pushed the car harder. She focused intently on Max's movements ahead of her and observed Max's driving style, noting where he was faster and where he might be vulnerable.

As they approached a tight hairpin turn, Celia saw her opportunity. Max had been taking the turn a bit wide to maintain speed, but Celia decided to take a more aggressive line. She dove in closer to the inside of the turn, making her move just as Max started to brake. She pushed on and managed to pull ahead of Max, feeling a thrill of accomplishment as she led for a brief moment.

"Hey Max, how does the back of my car look?" Celia joked through the radio, a playful edge in her voice.

Max's voice came through, amused, "Not bad! But don't get too comfortable up there."

Sure enough, Max was quick to respond. As they approached the next turn, Max's control allowed him to close the gap quickly. He used the extra speed to slip past Celia, reclaiming the lead.

"As I was saying, you'll need more than that to keep me behind," he teased as he pulled ahead.

Celia grinned, not disheartened. "I'm just getting started," she said, her determination renewed.

Nico chimed in with a light-hearted comment, "Looks like you two are having a good old-fashioned duel out there. Make sure you give him a run for his money, Celia!"

"Thanks for the encouragement, Nico," Celia laughed, catching her breath. "I might need a few more laps to perfect that."

"Don't worry, we've got all the time in the world," Nico said with a chuckle. "And if you need any more advice, just remember—I'm your guy in the chair."

"Ah, so that's what you call yourself?" Celia teased. "I thought you were just here to make sure I don't crash."

"Definitely not just that," Nico replied with a grin. "I'm here to make sure you have fun while you're at it."

Celia laughed, enjoying their easy banter and the sense of camaraderie that was forming between them. By the end of the session, she felt much more in tune with the car and was excited about the season ahead.

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celiamorales

Liked by - olliebearman, maxverstappen1 and 1,234,432 others

Tagged - redbullracing

Back, baby! 🏁
@nico_eng23 thanks for taking this

Comments

nico_eng23  Can't wait together to maneuver more overtakes against Max!
↳ celiamorales Agreed!
↳ maxverstappen1 We're literally on the same team now, Lia
↳ celiamorales Oh right. Sorry, old habits die hard 🙃

sukiwaterhouse I forgot how hot you look in racesuits🫢
↳ celiamorales omg stopp🫣

danielricciardo Quoting me? 😏
↳ celiamorales It's just a saying, Danny. Chill out
↳ danielricciardo Oh.
↳ maxverstappen1 She asked "what's the thing Danny keeps saying all the time?" and looked it up to make this her caption.
↳ celiamorales Stop taking his side. He's not your teammate anymore, I am🙄
↳ danielricciardo Ouch.
↳ user1 #Maxiel forever
[liked by danielricciardo, maxverstappen1]

user2 She's so mother😩

olliebearman Definitely would've skipped training and tagged along if I knew you were gonna drive😔
↳ celiamorales Train.

user3 The beginning of Red Bull's downfall
↳ user4 omg stfu, respectfully

christianhorner Great laps today, Celia!
↳ celiamorales Thanks, Christian! Let's keep pushing for better!
↳ maxverstappen1 Quoting me? 😏
↳ celiamorales Don't embarrass yourself.

user5 Her season hasn't even started yet and this is way more #Merstappen interaction than we've gotten in the past 5 years!!!!!!!!!
↳ user4 EXACTLY! I loved their banter back in 2016 and I can't wait for it to be back again wjhsdkjfgndkg

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