Chapter Text
Usually, whenever the world had just been perfectly fine in the way it was, somebody had to go and mess up the steady rhythm of the universe. The calculated back and forth that had been there ever since the Big Bang. That was how it worked, because when everything seemed just perfect, nothing was perfect. Just like how when everybody was successful, nobody was truly successful anymore.
On Friday, the 13th of December 2024, the world of Formula 1 had been too good to be true for exactly five days. Five days ago, Max Verstappen had successfully claimed his fourth consecutive world title. Five days ago, Lewis Hamilton had driven his last race for Mercedes. Five days ago, he had started over, entering a whole new era of his motor sport journey, its final chapter, one might say, in a careful whisper behind closed doors. Five days ago, a strange man had sat on the couch in his apartment and debated whether to make Fondue or Raclette on Christmas Eve, watching with only half of his attention as his old rival once again failed to win the championship.
However, that did not matter now, because no matter what had been going too well for these past five days, the FIA had decided that a little bit of negativity was needed to keep things even, to ensure that the carefully constructed bubble did not burst.
And so, just five days after the season had ended, an email had been drafted.
Dear Drivers, Teams, and Manufacturers,
I hope this message finds you well and energised as we gear up for the much-anticipated 2025 Formula 1 season. As we prepare to take on new challenges on the racetrack, we are thrilled to introduce an innovative new program aimed at enhancing our sport's growth and fostering the development of our younger drivers.
We are excited to announce the implementation of a Mentor-Mentee system that will kick off during the pre-season testing in Bahrain. Starting this season, drivers aged 28 and above are invited to step into the role of mentors. They will be responsible for guiding and nurturing the next generation of talent within our ranks. This initiative aims to create a supportive environment where our more experienced drivers can pass on their knowledge, skills, and insights to those who are building their careers.
For our mentees, all drivers under the age of 28 will automatically be considered for this program. However, we encourage everyone over the age of 24 who feels ready to take on a mentorship role to also express interest in becoming a mentor. However, drivers over 24 and under 28 who have been chosen as mentees in the initial selection process will not be able to become a mentor, even if there is a need for more mentors, as that would not align with the values of the program. This creates an exciting opportunity for personal and professional growth across all ages. The Mentor-Mentee system promises to be an invaluable partnership, fostering an atmosphere of collaboration, learning, and shared experiences.
Mentors and Mentees are advised to spend a lot of their time on and off the track together, to build a close relationship with one another, and to make the most out of their experience in Formula 1.
As a mentor, you will have the unique opportunity to select your mentees based on shared interests, skill sets, and compatibility on and off the track. This one-on-one relationship will not only help guide younger drivers through the intricacies of racing but will also help you refine your leadership and coaching skills. We believe that this program will significantly contribute to the personal and collective success of our sport as we strive for excellence.
In the coming days, I will be sending out a follow-up email detailing the next steps for the selection process, including guidelines for mentees to express their preferences for mentors. We aim to ensure that each mentee is matched with a mentor who aligns with their aspirations and professional growth. This matching process is designed to be as inclusive and empowering as possible, creating an environment where feedback and mutual development can thrive.
We encourage everyone to approach this new initiative with enthusiasm and an open mind. This is not just an opportunity for growth; it's a chance to strengthen the bond between drivers across generations, create mentorships that inspire confidence, and ultimately elevate our team to new heights.
Thank you all for your continued dedication and hard work. Let’s make this season unforgettable as we embrace this new journey together!
Best regards,
Mohammed bin Sulayem
FIA President
He was absentmindedly scrolling through his friends’ latest Instagram posts while lounging on his white leather couch in his Monaco apartment when the notification of an incoming email popped up, accompanied by a short ding sound. For a short moment, he considered simply ignoring it; surely it could wait, couldn’t it? They had sent so many emails these past few days. For every little inconvenience, there had to be an email now. Couldn’t people just talk to each other? But then curiosity won out (as it usually did when it came to the man on the couch), as he found himself skimming over the contents of the email.
Interesting, really interesting, the man thought to himself, a slow smirk spreading across his face. This was clearly out of the ordinary, but then again, thrilling in its own way. He had been curious, upon reading the first few sentences, though he was not quite convinced yet.
However, as he continued reading, the man was becoming more interested in the matter. This was something he would usually consider weird, but when he thought about his colleagues and who he would be able to choose to take under his wing, a small spark of satisfaction started growing within him.
He set his phone aside as he let his eyes wander. They stopped at the ceiling. If his neighbour in the apartment above him had already seen the news yet, the mysterious man on the white leather couch asked himself.
If so, the man hoped that the other wouldn’t have the same idea as him, because he was interested in a certain young blond man who definitely needed to learn a thing or two about maturity and attitude. And the man would make sure he would learn all about those, one way or another.
The man in the apartment above was indeed not even in the apartment, as his neighbour from below stared up at the ceiling, which was the only thing that separated them from each other. No, Lewis was on a walk with his beloved bulldog Roscoe, the old dog trotting aimlessly alongside the Monaco bay, tugging softly at the leash that Lewis had wrapped around his right hand whenever he got interested in something. A totally normal afternoon for a forty-year-old man without a family, Lewis thought to himself, slightly bitter even in his own thoughts.
But then again, 2025 should be a good year for him. Capricorns were promised a reward for their work ethic and a stable relationship with their loved ones, and that was everything Lewis needed right now. Even the Chinese Horoscopes had promised stability under the sign of the Fire Ox for the beginning of the year, and Lewis trusted his astronomic knowledge enough to be certain that when Zodiac and Chinese Horoscopes told him the same, it obviously must come true. Maybe he should get a Tasseography –a tea reading, as his brother liked to call it– though, once he would return to England in a few days.
Lewis let his gaze glide over the countless yachts in the harbour until he found a black and white catamaran somewhere near the end of the harbour. Nobody was on it today; weird, he thought to himself, it was such a nice day, wouldn’t the owner want to use that? But he was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, two things happened at the same time. Someone had sprinted past Lewis, just as his phone vibrated in his left hand. Out of routine, his eyes first fell to the phone, before tearing them away from the screen and searching the landscape ahead of him for whoever had just run past him. But the only thing still to be seen of the runner was his RedBull T-shirt and his fluffy, sweaty dark blond hair. Odd, Lewis thought to himself, who on earth went running in a dark T-shirt when the sun was out?
Lewis stared at the man who was getting smaller in the distance for a second longer. He had seemed familiar, in an odd way that Lewis couldn’t really describe. But then again, he wouldn’t be able to tell who it was from this distance, and Lewis surely didn’t know anybody who could run at that pace for more than a few minutes. So with that being said, he came to the conclusion that the stranger must have simply been that, a stranger.
Lewis focused on the notification that had distracted him a minute ago again, his eyes falling back down to where his phone still laid securely in his left hand. It was an email, probably the thousandth he had received since the season had ended. There, apparently, were all kinds of things to organise before the new year even started. This was probably just another one of them, but still, Lewis decided to skim over it.
Okay, maybe not as boring as the other ones, he decided as he walked over to a nearby bench overlooking the harbour. He sat, Roscoe lying down at his feet. Lewis absentmindedly scratched the dog between his ears as he turned his phone off.
So he was going to be a mentor. That was.. A lot to take in, it would be a great responsibility after all. Almost like having a child; well, maybe not exactly like having a child, but still. He would basically have someone with him at all times whom he needed to be a good role model for. He imagined it to be exhausting but thrilling at the same time.
The next issue at hand was that Lewis had no idea who to choose as a mentee. Actually, that was not entirely true; he did have an idea, but he had pushed that name to the back of his mind, for now, at least.
One of the rookies would be the most sensible choice. Maybe Kimi; he already kind of knew the boy from the latter's years in Mercedes Academy, and he had always found the boy with his easy wit and charming personality quite entertaining and enjoyable to be around. Or perhaps Isack. Lewis did not know Isack as well as he knew Kimi, but he knew how much the boy looked up to him, and that surely would be perfect for bonding between a mentor and a mentee.
However, through it all, one name kept on circling back into Lewis’ mind, one that had no right at all to be there. For once, he was far too old at 27, and while that was technically still young enough to qualify as a mentee, Lewis was almost sure the other would want to be a mentor himself instead of being fussed over and ordered around. And then there was the fact that their relationship could not exactly be described as peachy. They respected each other on track, sure, Lewis did that with almost every driver. But off the track, Lewis barely knew him and frankly thought that the other could learn a lot when it came to acting mature and adequate. That wouldn’t play out well, Lewis was certain of that. And still, he wanted to get his fingers on the young man he couldn’t stop thinking about. To be the one to teach him a better attitude and how to respect his elders.
Lewis' thoughts circled back to the runner, and suddenly he knew exactly who it had been. But no, that couldn’t be. Because the younger definitely wasn’t sporty like that, the last time Lewis checked. No, it definitely had been a stranger, hadn’t it? If not, then it at least would have been quite impolite of the other to simply sprint past Lewis without as much as a simple “hello”.
Intriguing enough, he thought to himself, an intriguing person really. Certainly intriguing enough for Lewis to wait impatiently for the next email to arrive, the one where he could finally claim his victim as his, and only his.