Chapter Text
F1 news headline: "The young promise of F2—Daniel Ricciardo to begin his journey in F1 racing for Mercedes-AMG Petronas! Will the Australian be able to handle the pressure of being teammates with five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton?"
F1 news headline: "The young promise of F2—Daniel Ricciardo to begin his journey in F1 racing for Mercedes-AMG Petronas! Will the Australian be able to handle the pressure of being teammates with five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton?"
Daniel Ricciardo’s hands trembled slightly as he closed his laptop. Those few sentences alone were enough to rattle his nerves. He had always thought of himself as a confident person, but the reality of being thrown into the F1 circus, head-first, as the inexperienced teammate of the reigning world champion felt overwhelming. It wasn’t just the media attention; it was the legacy, the expectations, the pressure.
He took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. The black Mercedes team suit fit him perfectly, emphasizing his lean but muscular build. His face was clean-shaven, and he still wore the braces that seemed to add a touch of vulnerability to his otherwise composed appearance. He forced a smile at his reflection.
"You're good enough, Ricciardo," he muttered to himself, nodding as if to convince his own reflection. "You can do this. Show them what you're made of."
Daniel squared his shoulders, straightened his posture, and opened the door. The buzz of the paddock hit him like a wave—a mixture of mechanics shouting, engines revving, and journalists murmuring. And at the center of it all, there was Lewis Hamilton, a living legend, preparing for another weekend that would likely end with him on the top step of the podium.
Races came and went, and Daniel managed to secure decent points, even a few P3 podiums. As a rookie, he was making a name for himself, but he couldn't help but notice how Lewis seemed to be in a league of his own. Lewis Hamilton: unbeatable, untouchable. Daniel admired the way Lewis's dark skin glistened with sweat after a race, how his bright smile seemed to light up the podium, and the intensity of his dark eyes when they locked on the track.
Lewis, however, wasn’t exactly a mentor. He kept his distance, his focus seemingly unshakable. He was polite, sure, but he rarely crossed paths with Daniel outside the paddock. His lifestyle seemed lonely, reserved, and private—a stark contrast to Daniel’s naturally outgoing and open-hearted personality.
Determined to break the ice, Daniel sought out Lewis one day before qualifying. He found him in the team lounge, resting with his eyes closed, the calm before the storm. Without hesitation, Daniel sat down beside him, causing Lewis to open his eyes, one eyebrow raised in silent question.
"Can I ask you something?" Daniel said, his tone casual but curious.
Lewis blinked in surprise. "Sure," he said cautiously.
"Why are you always alone?" Daniel asked, his tone straightforward, almost blunt.
Lewis's eyes narrowed slightly. "Excuse me?"
"You’ve been in this sport for so long, yet you always seem to keep to yourself," Daniel continued. "You don’t seem to have many friends here."
"I do have friends," Lewis replied, a hint of defensiveness in his voice.
"Your engineer and Toto don’t count," Daniel said with a grin. "What about Seb?"
Lewis looked away, his expression tightening. "We’re acquaintances at best," he muttered. "Maybe colleagues if you stretch it."
Daniel shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You didn’t answer my question, Lewis," he said gently. "Why are you always alone?"
For a moment, Lewis looked as if he wanted to tell Daniel off, to put the young rookie back in his place. But then he sighed, the fight leaving his eyes. "What do you want me to say, Daniel?" he said quietly. "That I’ve spent so much time trying to be the best that when I look around, there's no one left who wants to be around me? That everyone assumes I'm some kind of jerk? Or that no one wants to get close to the black driver, the outsider?"
Daniel’s eyes softened, and he nodded slowly, absorbing Lewis's words. "I get it," he said. "But maybe if you opened up, you'd find that not everyone thinks like that."
Lewis let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Why, are you offering to be my friend?" he asked, his tone half-joking, half-sincere.
"Yeah," Daniel said simply, meeting Lewis’s gaze head-on. "I am."
Lewis blinked, his surprise genuine. "Excuse me?"
Daniel’s smile widened into a grin. "You apologize a lot" he laughed. "Tell you what," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I know a great vegan place near the hotel. After the race tomorrow, let’s say 8 PM? I’ll be there. Join me if you want to stop being alone."
With that, Daniel stood up, giving Lewis a playful wink before leaving the lounge. Lewis watched him go, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. He didn’t know it yet, but a seed had been planted—a friendship that would grow in ways neither of them could have imagined. Daniel left the room feeling like he said what he had to say. The rest was in Lewis' hands and, if later on that Sunday evening, they were photographed eating some vegan burgers together and laughing; that's nobody's business but their own.