BARCELONA, SPAIN. JUNE 2025.

The first day of June marked race day in Barcelona, after his high in Monaco, Jacob was striving for more. He had been on a streak of podiums and was aiming to continue this. He was starting on the grid in third today, the McLaren performing so much better than it was last season.

"Radio check." Jake said after getting into the cockpit of the car.

"Copy Jake." Rick's voice replied. "Let's push as hard as we can in the opening laps."

Jake lowered his visor and prepared for the lights to go out, checking his rear mirrors just before and seeing the Ferrari of Thierry behind him in P5. The animosity between the two was as high as ever, Thierry still bitter about Jake's win in Monaco.

The lights went out, and the race began with a symphony of roaring engines and screeching tires. Jake's start was strong, maintaining his position and navigating the first few corners accurately. Thierry, who had gained a reputation to be an aggressive driver, was already pushing hard to gain ground. By the time they reached the end of the first lap, Jake had settled into a rhythm, keeping his eyes on the car ahead while monitoring Thierry's position in his mirrors - their positions remained the same.

Lap after lap, the race progressed smoothly. Jake maintained his focus, executing perfect laps and holding his position, at one point he held the fastest lap of the race before it was taken away from him by the Red Bull of Verstappen.

Thierry had climbed to P4 and was closing in on Jake but Jake felt confident he could hold him off, there was over a second between the two.

Then, disaster struck.

As they approached the penultimate corner of the track, Thierry made a move. He dove into the inside line, attempting to overtake Jake in a manoeuvre that was as bold as it was reckless. Jake, caught off guard by the sudden move, kept to his line and didn't pull out. He had done so before and that was his fatal flaw but this time, he kept to his line. He knew he had the line for this corner and the position was his.

Chaos. Thierry's car clipped Jake's rear, sending both cars spinning out of control.

The impact was violent. Carbon fibre shards flew through the air as both cars crashed into the barriers. The track marshals waved the red flag, signalling a stop to the race. In the midst of the chaos, Jake felt the jolt of the crash reverberate through his body.

"Jake? Are you ok?" he could hear Rick's voice but he couldn't respond as he was momentarily dazed.

"Yeah...fine..." Jake responded, so angry he couldn't even express it on the radio. His head felt fuzzy as he removed himself from the car.

Despite the shock, Jake's anger quickly flared. As he climbed out of his wrecked car, he saw Thierry emerging from his own mangled vehicle. An ambulance was quick to the scene, paramedics rushing to check on both drivers.

Walking past Thierry on his way to the ambulance, Jake deliberately shouldered him with all the force his frustration could muster.

"Asshole." Jake muttered under his breath, his eyes burning with rage.

Thierry, clutching his arm and muttering curses in French, glared at Jake. "Salaud." he spat, the venom in his voice unmistakable.

The aftermath of the crash was a blur of medical checks and heated exchanges. Jake, though only slightly bruised, was seething. The crash had cost him a potential podium, and he was determined to hold Thierry accountable.

Jake stood in front of the media after his check-up was done, his expression a mix of anger and exhaustion. Cameras flashed and microphones were thrust forward as the reporters clamoured for his reaction.

"Thierry is a reckless and dangerous driver," Jake said, his voice steady but simmering with anger, "he should be punished for that move. He put both our lives at risk out there."

The FIA acted swiftly, handing Thierry a grid penalty for the next race. When asked for his thoughts on the penalty, Thierry's response was defiant.

"It's bullshit," Thierry snapped, "he didn't give me enough room, he needed to move for me. He doesn't respect me on the track."

When the reporter relayed Thierry's comments to Jake, he could hardly believe his ears. "He said that? Respect? I'll respect him when he learns how to fucking drive."

The feud between Jake and Thierry had reached a boiling point, the crash at Barcelona only adding to the fire.

And just as Jake thought it couldn't get worse, it did.

JUNE 2025. HAMBURG, GERMANY.

A flight from Spain to Germany took no time at all so Jake was currently spending his week off with Olivia, currently laying down on her hotel bed with his head on her lap and her hands stroking his brown hair.

After the events of the weekend, what he desperately craved was some time off - a break from the intense season he didn't expect himself to be having. Sure, he knew an F1 season would be tough but all this drama with Thierry made it even more exhausting.

Olivia, who had watched the race live on television, had the fright of her life when she saw the crash. She watched with fear and anxiety, waiting to see what was happening to Jake. She immediately bombarded his phone with texts and calls once the coverage of the race was over and now that he was with her in person, she was making sure that he was ok.

There were two days until her concert in Hamburg and she spent most of them taking care of her boyfriend. The fear that entered her when she saw the crash brought back the intense anxiety and fear she had before every race Jake had - it had gotten better but Barcelona had brought it all back.

The first day they just rested but the second day Jake had a bit more energy to walk around Hamburg before they returned to Olivia's room, making sure she wasn't out too late the night before a show and got the rest she needed.

"Babe?" Jake mumbled, his voice muffled as he was currently snuggled warmly into the side of Olivia.

"Yes?" Olivia replied, looking away from her phone and down at Jake.

"I'm excited to watch you perform."

"That's random, but I'm flattered." Olivia said, slightly confused.

Jake sighed. "It just helps me forget everything because it's just all about you. I'm not Jake the McLaren driver anymore, I'm just Jake, Olivia Rodrigo's boyfriend."

Olivia gently moved Jake's head so that he was at her before speaking. "But I thought you liked that version of yourself?"

"I do, it's just so exhausting sometimes. I don't know what's going on with Thierry."

"It's never too late to fix things, all you have to do is talk to him." Olivia told him.

"I know, but I feel like he needs to be the one to reach out first."

"He probably feels the same, you're both too stubborn so neither of you will reach out. He probably really misses you."

Jake didn't respond as he was in deep thought, but his train of thought was immediately disrupted by buzzes from his phone before the sound of his ringtone.

Soph 🎥

jake pick up!!!!

pick up!!!!!!!

this is urgent!!!!!

Jake picked up the third time Sophie was spamming his phone. "What is it Soph?"

She had a look that Jake couldn't decipher. It was a mixture of annoyance, sadness, mild anger and the tiniest bit of fear. "I didn't know...I can't believe it..."

"What is it?" Jake's voice filled with concern.

"Look at Sabrina and Thierry's instagram..."

That was not a good sign. Whenever those two names were mentioned it meant nothing happy.

Jake turned to Olivia who already had Instagram open, a look of concern and worry on her face. She found Sabrina's post first and then Thierry's.

"Thanks for telling me Soph...I'll speak to you later." Jake said immediately before hanging up before she could even reply.

There was a link to her new music video and the two clicked on it, anger boiling up in their veins.

This was the last straw. There was no going back from this. So much anger consumed Jake that he couldn't even speak. Olivia looked at him, slightly fearful. She had never seen him so angry to the point he was emotionless.

"Jake...she's just trying to get back at me."

"He shouldn't have done that." Jake said, terrifying calm.

"I know, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter to me. I don't let it get to me, it doesn't affect me anymore. I have you," she brought her hands to caress Jake's face, "that's all that matters to me."

"He's dead to me." Jake spat out. "So much for being a fucking friend."

Everything that had happened this season so far plus this was enough to tip Jake over the edge. Their friendship which had been going strong for almost a decade and a half was gone. Whether it could be saved or not was a different question.

Jake felt so much anger to his once best friend, the boy he once thought they'd rule the world together - be an unstoppable force and win races and championships together - and the person who he once trusted with his life with. This was a knife in the back, Thierry had stabbed Jake in the back, twisted it, pulled it out and left him to bleed out.

The rest of the night was silent, no matter what Liv tried to do, Jake was as emotionless as a rock. He had so much emotion in him that his brain couldn't process it.

Olivia's first show in Hamburg was still good, but you could just tell that something was off. Jake tried to be as normal as possible, interact with fans who spoke to him and cheer on Olivia but deep down he was feeling stone cold, emotionless.

His main priority was to support Olivia right now but in these testing circumstances, it was so difficult. Betrayal, anger, heartbreak was all going through him right now and he couldn't process it all.

He spoke to Sophie and Jaxon who were on his side, they agreed that it wasn't right of Thierry to do what he did. The two were losing hope that this friendship could ever be fixed, maybe this was the end of the road for them.

Two best friends who had the same dream, destined to be each other's biggest rival.