Work Text:
“Why does no one ask Carlos if he will miss me?” Lando complained to himself after they’d exited the Press Conference room. This friendship wasn’t one sided after all.. Or was it that obvious that Lando had gotten that attached to his teammate?
He’d changed teammates before..not in Formula 1, yes, but people move on, change teams, even leave the country. The friendships stay, but is it ever really the same? Work is a good excuse to stay in touch, meetings at the MTC, media responsibilities.. But still, these didn’t feel like duties or work work with Carlos. He didn’t hang out with him because he had to, he enjoyed his time with him.
He joked about it and teasingly refused to say that he would probably miss him, but taking a moment to think about it now, after yet another question about it, what would Carlos be to him next year? An ex colleague? Someone he would pass by on the paddock and just wave at, asking the typical “How are you?” questions? They didn’t have common interests outside racing, really. Would they just inevitably drift apart?
And the question kept floating in his mind: Would Carlos miss him? Or would he throw himself into work in his new team, finding new friendships that would eventually replace theirs? Carlos kept asking him, wanted to make him say that he would miss him. Surely that meant that Carlos knew he would miss him and that’s why he wanted to hear Lando say it first. Right..?
The questions faded away once Friday practice rolled in and then qualifying and the race. The race.. Lando focused on his race as he always did. Carlos, unlucky again, didn’t even start his race. And then the media rounds and debrief and all the usual after race procedures. Lando found his teammate alone in the corner of the garage, looking disappointed but determined at the same time, the fire rarely missing from his eyes.
“Did you miss me during the race? Carlos asked jokingly.
Lando smiled, “I did..” He hesitated, thinking he shouldn’t admit it just yet but then he spoke again: “I will.. Miss you. You know that right?”
Carlos’ gaze softened as he smiled behind his mask, “I know.. Me too”.