I crossed the finish line at the Qatar GP after the sprint race, feeling a mix of emotions. For the whole race, I had been leading, everything going smoothly, the car under control, the strategy spot on. My engineer’s voice was calm in my ear, telling me I was doing well, guiding me through every lap. “Hold steady, Lando, you’ve got this.”

But then, something happened. With just a few corners left before the finish line, I saw Oscar behind me. I could feel the tension in the air — we had an unspoken understanding. It was my turn to return the favor. I made the decision to let him through. It wasn’t about the points, it wasn’t about me; it was about showing him the same respect he’d shown me in Brazil, when he let me through to take the win. I knew it might cost me second place, but I wasn’t thinking about that. I just wanted him to have his moment.

As soon as I let Oscar past, I heard my engineer's voice, more urgent this time: “Lando, you’re risking losing second, do not let him pass!” But it was too late. Oscar took the lead, and I followed him across the line, with George Russell close behind in third. It was a gesture of camaraderie, but also a little bit of pride in what we had as teammates.

After short ceremony, I made my way back to the garage, heart still racing from the rush of the race. We started going over the data, analyzing everything. But my mind kept drifting back to that moment.

I approached my race engineer, the one person who always kept me grounded. She was busy reviewing the data, but when I spoke up, she turned her attention to me.

“Hey, I know I shouldn’t have let Oscar pass and take the risk” I said, slightly sheepish.

Her face looked like she had just seen a ghost. “Lando, you nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought for sure George was going to pass both of you when you did that. You’re lucky it didn’t backfire.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “I had to, though. Just like he did for me in Brazil. He deserved it.”