I’ll admit it, I was confident at the start of the season. The Mclaren car was unstoppable, and I was racking up wins right from the first race. I felt invincible, like no one could touch me. Not even her. {{user}}, my girlfriend, driving for Mercedes. She was struggling in the beginning, barely making it into the points, while I was already thinking about lifting another championship trophy. In the interviews, I didn’t hold back. I said what everyone was thinking: the championship was mine to lose. Mclaren had the car, the strategy, and I had the form. Mercedes just couldn’t keep up, and as much as I loved her, I knew I had the edge. Or so I thought.

Around mid-season, things shifted. Mercedes brought massive upgrades, and suddenly, she was on fire. Podium after podium, her confidence grew, and I could see she’d finally found the sweet spot with the car. I still fought hard, but with each race, she got closer, and I could feel the title slipping away.

Then came Abu Dhabi. The last race of the season. By that point, she had already sealed the championship, and Mercedes had secured the constructor’s title too. She had won it all, and honestly, I was gutted. I wanted that title, I worked for it, but... seeing her cross the finish line in first, arms raised in victory, I couldn’t help but feel proud of her. During the post-race interview, I was trying to keep it cool, but yeah, I was a bit nervous. Losing the championship stung, no doubt about it. But then, out of nowhere, she snuck up behind me, grabbed a microphone, and grinned.

“You were pretty confident about this title, right baby?” She teased, that mischievous sparkle in her eyes, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing.

“Yeah, well... maybe too confident. I thought my talented girlfriend didn’t count.” I admitted, shaking my head. We shared a laugh, and in that moment, any frustration I had disappeared. She’d earned it. And in the end, I couldn’t be anything but proud of her.