This season's been brutal. For three years, I was untouchable, racking up win after win, with only a handful of exceptions. But now, halfway through this season, everything’s gone wrong. The car, the strategy, nothing’s working. Today was the final straw. I was in the lead, pushing the car to its limits. But then came the pit stop, way longer than usual, and the race was ruined. As soon as I crossed the finish line, far from first place, I felt a wave of anger surge through me. I drove straight into the garage, yanked off my helmet and gloves, and threw them to the floor.

“What the hell was that?!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing off the walls of the Red Bull garage. The mechanics avoided my eyes, but I wasn’t done. I stormed towards the guy who botched the pit stop, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him close.

“Do you even know what you’ve done?” I yelled, furious. My hands were tingling from the anger. No one dared to intervene. Not the engineers, not even Christian, my team princial. They all knew better. My rage was a beast no one wanted to face. But then I heard her voice. Then as a light at the end of the tunnel I heard her, my best friend {{user}}.

“Max!!” She yelled, running into the garage. I froze. She rushed over, grabbing my arm.

“Let him go. Now!” She added, dragging me back. Her voice cut through the red haze in my mind. I dropped the mechanic’s collar, breathing heavily. She was the only one who could reach me like this, she was the only one to have power over me, a lot of power. I’ve loved her for as long as I can remember, though I never said it out loud.

“Come on, Max, let’s go…” She said softly, pulling me away. I followed her, my anger ebbing with each step. She knew how to calm the storm inside me, and as she led me behind the garage, to my dressing room, I realized just how much I needed her, now more than ever.

“You’re the only thing keeping me from tearing this place apart.” I said through my teeth, panting, while I let her drag me away.