Round 05
Monaco

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, drunkenness

Length: 3.7k words

 

 

 

“I hope you enjoyed flying Max Air today.”

 

“Max Air?” Sunmi is snickering when she disembarks Max’s black and orange jet. “That’s what you call it?”

 

“Oh, yeah,” the Dutchman replies, a smile present in his voice. “That’s what everyone calls it.”

 

Max follows her down the steps from his privately owned aircraft, seemingly nonchalant about how ridiculous the world is. While they’re greeted by members of their respective teams, Sunmi is left to her reveries. She has flown on planes before, and she has been here before, but this is her first-time arriving at the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport in someone’s private jet. Somehow, the air isn’t much crisper on the other side. It smells faintly like jet fuel now that she’s here.

 

“Do you always fly private?” Sunmi asks Max when they start their trek to the terminals.

 

“That’s why I have it, of course.”

 

“I should get a ride from you more often then.”

 

“You can if you want.”

 

“What if we get into a fight?” Sunmi ponders out loud.

 

She looks over at Max. He’s absentmindedly running a hand through his dirty blonde hair, jaw squared, blue eyes tuned forward.

 

Like the rest of the world champions that Sunmi has the privilege to compete against, Max has a reputation that precedes him. Accusations of dirty driving, ing, —it’s all there. The bad boy of Formula 1. And there’s also a list of drivers who he has shared bad blood with. Naturally, Sunmi doesn’t want to entertain the idea of her getting on Max’s bad side.

 

“What would you do?” Sunmi continues.

 

“Well, I would never hit you,” Max replies with a frown.

 

“Okay, but I’m not talking about a fist fight, though. I’m talking about… What if we crash into each other?” Sunmi thinks of all the crashes that she’s had. And then she thinks of the ones that Max has had. “What if I take you out of the race like Lewis did in Silverstone?”

 

“You can still go with me,” Max says without hesitation. His blue eyes seem to shimmer. There’s a hint of a smirk on his lips. “But you have to sit on the other side. Where I can’t see you.”

 

Upon hearing this, Sunmi breaks into laughter. Typical Max.

 

“Really?” Sunmi queries earnestly.

 

“Of course. Don’t make it weird.”

 

“I’m not trying to!” Sunmi exclaims with another laugh. She pushes Max on the arm lightly. “I’m just thinking. Sometimes, I…” She pauses. She thinks of Sebastian. Surprisingly, she thinks of Baekhyun too. “It’s hard to know your real friends,” Sunmi finishes after a moment’s thought. “And where the lines are.”

 

“The lines?” Max asks. “What lines?”

 

“You know.” Sunmi shrugs, raising her voice as the chatter of other travelers grow louder. “The line between someone being friends and someone not being friends. How do you know where it is?”

 

“Maybe you talk about it?” Max looks to Sunmi now. “I dunno. That’s a hard question.”

 

Sunmi grins as they make their way through the airport. Perhaps she should ask Max the philosophical questions over dinner instead.

 

“Max! Max!”

 

Both Max and Sunmi turn to where the source of the voice is. Even in the bustling airport, the fan’s voice is unmistakably loud. Sunmi then sees someone running through a crowd, and they’re dressed in orange from head to toe. Orange shirt with Max’s number—33—on it. Orange pants. Orange hat. Even their socks are orange.

 

“Can I have a picture?” the fan asks. He’s sweating like he’s been running around in the airport for this moment. And Max doesn’t deny him of it.

 

“Of course, mate,” Max says amicably.

 

Sunmi smiles and stands back watching. She almost fails to notice someone pulling on her pant leg. When she looks down, she expects a dog, but surprisingly, it’s a girl. Literally. The girl is only a toddler, and she’s so small that her head doesn’t even reach to Sunmi’s hips.

 

“Hi,” Sunmi greets, kneeling down to look at the girl in the eyes. The child is accompanied by an older woman—her mother, maybe—and the woman gives something to the little girl.

 

“Hi,” the girl murmurs, barely audible. Her big, brown eyes are innocent puppy-like when she looks up at Sunmi. “Can you sign my hat?”

 

Sunmi’s heart breaks a little when the little girl shows her a black cap with Sunmi’s driver number on it. 13, the number is stitched in gold.

 

“She’s your biggest fan,” the mother says.

 

“Really? Then I guess have to sign her hat now,” Sunmi replies, trying not to get choked up.

 

The little girl’s mother has a silver pen, and Sunmi uses that to sign her name into the cap’s brim. When she stands up, more time has elapsed than she remembers. Max is waiting for her, his luggage in hand, and a little crowd has formed around them.

 

“Are you ready?” Max asks Sunmi. She nods to him, and she looks back at the little girl.

 

The girl is clutching the signed cap in her little hands, and she looks at Sunmi with wide eyes and an open mouth. Although Sunmi doesn’t think she’s famous or anyone particularly special, she recognizes that starstruck expression.

 

“I can’t believe I have fans,” Sunmi remarks to Max as they continue making their way to the pick-up zone. “How crazy.”

 

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ARTICLE

Max Verstappen and Lee Sunmi spotted together in Nice Airport

Max Verstappen, the current Formula 1 world champion, was spotted with Lee Sunmi at the Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport recently.

The two F1 drivers were accompanied by members of their team as they headed to the Principality Monaco, the site for the annual Monaco Grand Prix. Fans captured photos of the two appearing friendly.

Could the two possibly be in a relationship? Verstappen, 24, parted ways with now ex-girlfriend Kelly Piquet, earlier this January. Lee, 23, has confessed that she’s “too busy” for a partner, but the fast world of Formula 1 is always quickly evolving. Perhaps she makes an exception for the young Dutchman, who still holds the prestigious crown as Formula 1’s defending world champion.

Verstappen is currently fourth in the championship standings, just three points behind Lee herself, but the tight race to first didn’t seem to deter the pair from flying together on Verstappen’s $15 million private jet.

Not much is known about their relationship. They’ve been spotted together earlier this year in Barcelona. Prior to that, they were first seen together in March 2021 for a charity karting event. Fans have speculated that the two have known each other for much longer, starting when Lee was first tied to a Formula 1 drive when she attended the 2018 Japanese Grand Prix.

This article was written by Vivian Laurent for Entertainment Now.

 

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COMMENTARY

2022 Monaco Grand Prix

Channel 4 Broadcast with Alex Jacques, David Coulthard, and Mark Webber

Qualifying – Q3

JACQUES: Only thirty seconds until the qualifying session is over, and it’s looking good for three-time world champion, Byun Baekhyun.

WEBBER: This is it. This is the lap. Look at the way he’s storming these streets. He owns them.

JACQUES: A two-time winner around here, Byun has gone purple in the first sector.

COULTHARD: Look out for Vettel. His time in the first sector was only a hundredth slower than Byun’s. He could still be on for pole.

JACQUES: Speaking of pole, you know who else is trying to hook up a fast lap? Lee Sunmi! The rookie is currently on provisional pole! The checkered flag has fallen, so she will not be pursuing another lap, and the times are tumbling!

WEBBER: Look at Byun. He’s on a blistering lap! Through the Nouvelle Chicane heading to Tabac corner and then the swimming pool chicane—woo! He’s on a real flier here!

JACQUES: He’s on the limit indeed. He did a 33.7 in the second sector.

COULTHARD: Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel has crossed the line, and it’s provisional pole for him!

JACQUES: Porsche is looking at a front row lockout, but one man—this man, the man flying in the scarlet Ferrari—could stand to spoil the Porsche party. Charles Leclerc was only good enough for P3. It’s looking tight… And it’s pole! Byun Baekhyun has snagged pole position for Ferrari!

COULTHARD: Wow, wow, wow. Now that was spectacular!

WEBBER: Really shows you how serious of a driver he is. He came into this weekend tired of all the questions asking him if he was “washed,” and now, he’s telling them that he’s always been here.

JACQUES: Byun Baekhyun, now waving to the crowd, has secured his 28th career pole!

COULTHARD: He was three tenths ahead of Sebastian Vettel too. That’s a big margin in Monaco.

WEBBER: Huge margin. The driver really does make the difference in Monte Carlo.

JACQUES: So that’s Byun Baekhyun P1, Sebastian Vettel P2, and Lee Sunmi rounding out the top three!

 

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ARTICLE

REPORT: