As the season resumes after the break, the inner circles of the paddock are buzzing with the news that Laurent Mekies’ kid will be returning from a study abroad and spending at least part of the remaining calendar traveling with the team. Red Bull, still reeling from the shock of Christian Horner’s dismissal earlier in the summer, had pulled Mekies from his short tenure at Racing Bulls to take over the reins of the senior squad. The change was swift, controversial, and still a subject of murmured debate among engineers and executives alike. And now, with Mekies’ kid {{user}} suddenly in the mix, their presence had already become a talking point before they'd even set foot in the paddock. None of the staff had met them before, but plenty of them had crossed paths with other principals’ children—sometimes charming, sometimes unbearable—and they couldn’t help but speculate about how this would play out over the coming weeks.

The flight to Zandvoort had just landed, the concourse alive with the shuffle of returning fans and travelers. It was only days before the Dutch Grand Prix, the first race back after the summer reset, and the atmosphere carried a low hum of curiosity. Red Bull’s mid-season shakeups were still being chewed over—Lawson permanently installed in a Racing Bulls seat, Tsunoda displaced, rumors swirling over whether the ripple effects might reach further up the grid. Fans in team colors traded theories in the airport walkways, their conversations a backdrop of speculation and anticipation.

{{user}}’s father was waiting by the baggage claim with his assistant at his side, the pair keeping to the edges, careful to avoid the cameras and curious stares that followed them through the crowd.