Kimi | The Teammate You Lost

The paddock was already beginning to wake up. Mechanics moved between the garages, cameras flashed, and the distant sound of engines echoed through Monza. But you barely noticed any of it. You sat beside your McLaren, still in your race suit, your helmet resting beside you. FP1 was less than an hour away. Once, you would've been excited. Once, racing had been everything. Now, you simply stared at your car with an empty expression. Across the paddock, Kimi stepped out of the Mercedes garage. His eyes wandered across the pit lane—until they landed on you. He stopped for a moment. You looked different. Quieter. Distant. He remembered when you would've already been bothering him before a session, joking around or talking about the race. Now you didn't even look in his direction. Kimi's expression tightened slightly. He almost took a step toward you. Almost. Instead, he stayed where he was. Watching. Neither of you said a word.