Chapter Text
~Daniel~
He had no idea what he was doing at a Formula 1 event. He was invited by Red Bull, his newest sponsor, to the Miami Grand Prix and it seemed like such a once-in-a-lifetime experience for an Australian (American) Major League Baseball player. Daniel has been a professional baseball player for more than ten years and he has never been interested in motorsports. He lived, breathed, and slept baseball from the first time he was handed a ball as a toddler. Sure, fast cars were fun as a teenager but he could never risk an injury since his body was going to be his ticket to success.
Now, hanging out in the back of the Red Bull garage, Daniel was hyped up listening to the cars vroom vroom around the track for free practice. He had giant headphones around his neck so he could listen to the team chatter but he didn't understand what they were talking about, so left them on his shoulders and kept his eyes on the action.
As a car pulled into his side of the garage, he watched everyone circle it, removing tires, giving the driver water and some kind of screen to look at from his seat. Daniel cranned his neck to try to see what was on the screen but it was too small and he didn't have a great angle anyway. Hands landed on his shoulders from behind, causing Daniel to jump.
"Daniel!" Christian Horner, the team boss, exclaimed. "How are you enjoying yourself?" He moved around to Daniel's right side, keeping his hand hooked around Daniel's neck.
"Christian!" Daniel felt like he had to return Christian's enthusiasm. "This is great, man. I have never seen, or heard, anything like this before. Thank you so much for inviting me to watch."
"We are happy to have you! Now that you are a Red Bull athlete, we needed to properly welcome you to the family. Have you have a chance to meet the drivers yet?"
"Oh, yeah, nah, I don't want to get in the way."
"Nonsense. You're practically brothers. They'll want to meet you." Christian laughed at his own joke so Daniel joined in. "Max!" Christian yelled at the driver who had just gotten out of the car and removed his helmet. "Come meet Daniel."
Max nodded in their direction and turned back to the team member in front of himself to finish their conversation. Daniel watched him as he confidently swung his arms around, obviously explaining something. Daniel wished he could see his face. He could feel Christian getting antsy and a bit annoyed next to him. He had been chattering away the whole time and Daniel hadn't heard a word.
Finally, Max turned in their direction. He glanced up without a smile and walked straight up to Daniel. "Hello," he introduced himself. "I am Max."
"Max! Mate, it's great to meet you. I'm Daniel." Daniel reached his hand out to shake and Max glanced at it a moment before obviously, reluctantly, reaching his own gloved hand out. Daniel's smile got smaller and he said, "well, don't want to keep you! Good luck out there. Not that you need it, I'm sure."
Christian frowned and disagreed. "Oh, we definitely need a bit of luck too. Anyway, we'll make sure you get a full Formula 1 experience. You'll do a hot lap tomorrow, join us for our after party and Max would be happy to have lunch with you today!" Christian turned to Max and glared at him asking, "right, Max? You'll treat our guest well, won't you?" He dropped his hand down on Max's shoulder now, joining the men together through his own arm span.
With his own glare, Max confirmed, "of course Christian. Wouldn't want a guest of Red Bull to be unhappy."
This is awkward. "Uh, I don't need any special treatment. I'm just hear to watch. No worries." Daniel raised his hands up to show he was fine.
Max turned to Daniel and stated, "you are already getting special treatment. You are here, aren't you?"
Stunned, Daniel agreed, "Yeah, I guess I am. Really don't want to mess with the team though so, uh, no need to entertain me."
"Great," Max replied. "Bye," he replied, turning and walking away before Christian could argue.
Daniel let out a slow breath. "Well, that was..." He trailed off, not sure how to finish his sentence.
"Yeah," Christian grimaced. "He is very focused during the race weekend. I promise he will loosen up after the race Sunday. In the mean time, let me introduce you to Checo." Christian pointed him towards the other side of the garage where Daniel could see the driver nodding along with someone as they looked at an iPad.
After meeting a much kinder Checo, Daniel insisted to Christian, and the man himself, that he did not need Checo to accompany him to lunch. He was fine on his own. Daniel thanked them both for their time and escaped out the back door. He needed a break after the intense atmosphere of a pre-qualifying garage. He didn't actually know what that meant, but he could tell that it was important to all of them.
In the Red Bull Energy Station, Daniel found the little cafeteria and an empty table in the corner. The room was buzzing and Daniel wanted to talk them all to understand what part they all played but he didn't want to interrupt anyone while they prepped for the next session. As a pitcher, he knew that the days he had to pitch, he needed space to get his head in the game. He assumed many of them must have a similar mindset. As Daniel was surveying the room, he nodded his head along with the music in his ears. He couldn't just sit there alone without a distraction of some kind and music was always there for him. He was so focused on his music that he startled when he realized someone had sat down in front of him. After a moment, he recognized Max, whose suit looked different. Oh, maybe pulled down. He trailed his eyes down what he could see.
Fixing his eyes back up at his table companion, Daniel explained, "Dude, you really don't have to babysit me. I'm cool." He took his headphones off to be polite.
Max took a breath and looked Daniel in the eyes and responded, "I get in my head in the garage. If I am there, I am thinking about racing. Nothing and no one else is a priority."
It was not an out right apology but Daniel appreciates the sentiment none the less. "Naw, man, it's cool. I get it. In the zone. You don't need to have strangers shoved in your face when you're working. It's really fine. You're a champion, right? You need to have pretty good concentration and passion to do that."
"Yes," Max agreed. He nodded once and started eating his lunch.
"Uh," Daniel started. He didn't know if they were supposed to talk now. Max sat at his table so does that mean he wants to chat or he just feels obligated? Either way, Daniel was not a fan of silence. If he couldn't listen to his music, he needed to talk. "So, I, uh, I get it. I'm a baseball player. A pitcher. So I get all focused on game days, too."
Max looked up with an eyebrow raised. "What is a pitcher?"
"Oh!" Daniel exclaimed, excited. He didn't get to explain baseball to people very often. "I, uh, I throw the ball that the batters are trying to hit. Do you know much about baseball?"
"No. I only played football when I was a kid other than karting." Max looked a little bashful at his lack of knowledge.
"Naw, I get it. I know it's not super popular in Europe. I've been told it is kind of like cricket but I don't know how true that is. Basically, there are four bases and the batter wants to hit the ball far enough that they can make it all the way around. My job is to stop them from doing that." Daniel could feel his excitement bubbling over but recognized that Max may not really care. He would see if he asked any more questions.
Instead of asking more about baseball, Max asked, "are you good at that?"
Daniel burst out laughing. "Naw, yeah, I don't want to toot my own horn or anything but I'm pretty good. At least I used to be really good. Less good now. But in my prime I got the best award a pitcher can get, the Cy Young, and my team won the World Series."
"Is that like the Olympics?" Max asked.
"No, it's just in the States. Well, and Canada."
"Then, why is it called the World Series?" Max's frown was too cute.
"Eh, who knows? Someone somewhere thought it was the only place it was played at the time maybe? Or because the best players in the world usually end up here?"
"Oh," Max responded. He continued to eat his food without comment.
Daniel still can't stand the silence so he asks Max, "what are the chances of you winning this week?" He knows his smile is a little flirty but he's just trying to get the other Red Bull athlete to like him. He has no idea how much they will interact in the future. Not that it matters much to Daniel. He wants everyone to like him.
Looking up from his dish, Max finishes chewing his food before shrugging and answering, "good."
"Man of many words I see," Daniel laughs.
"I do not like small talk. I prefer for it to have a point." Max shrugs and continues eating.
"Me learning about you and your sport isn't small talk, Maxy."
Max looks up sharply and tells Daniel, "do not call me that."
Rebuked, Daniel holds his hands up and apologizes. "Sorry, Max it is."
"You do not know about Formula 1?" Max states more than asks.
"Right. Red Bull invited me since I'm a Bull myself now and my team is here in Miami, right up the road."
"I have never heard of a Red Bull baseball player before." Daniel took the statement as a question and answered.
"I drink a lot of Red Bull and I guess it got enough media attention that they decided to offer me a gig. I still don't entirely know what they want from me but I keep drinking the merchandise and telling people about it so I think we're both satisfied. This little invite is just icing on the cake." Daniel offers a friendly smile, hoping Max will relax and open up some.
"Oh," Max responded again, without a smile. He stuffed the last of his food in his mouth as he stood up. "I have to go. I will see you later I am sure."
Before Daniel could respond, Max was already walking away, dumping his trash by the door. Daniel admired the suit that was hanging down around his waist before straightening himself out. He wasn't here to meet guys. He was here to learn a new sport, make some acquaintances, and be seen drinking Red Bull. Which, he needed a refill on before heading back to the garage. There was still time until qualifying would start but he wanted to get a good spot and watch what everyone did to prepare.
Qualifying was way more stressful than Daniel anticipated. He thought he would just sit back, admire the fast cars and be on his way. Instead, he found himself leaning forward and rooting on the Red Bull drivers, especially Max. Why Max more than Checo? He wouldn't examine that too closely. In the end, when Max came in third, Daniel was disappointed he wasn't first, like the garage around him. Although he really wanted to speak to the driver and hear about his drives, he had learned from earlier not to disturb Max after getting out of the car. Maybe they would get some time together later.
Daniel then realized neither car nor driver returned to the garage. He did not understand where they were but he heard an announcer in the distance talking about the two Ferrari drivers "locking out" the front row. Daniel finally spotted a TV on the side of the garage and saw the Ferrari drivers and Max with their helmets off and rotating between the interviewer. It was only then that he noticed all of the Red Bull employees in the background. He looked around the garage and realized most of Max's side was empty.
He wished he had been able to follow the team to the excitement. He would have to ask if this is a thing after the actual race too. For now, he watched the interviews on TV and the remaining mechanics in the garage going about their work.
After awhile, Daniel noticed Checo back on his side of the garage. He was seemingly ok with fourth. He was speaking to his team with a small smile on his face. He glanced up and saw Daniel looking, widened his smile and offered a wave, which Daniel gladly returned.
Daniel turned back and started to take the headphones off his neck that he had barely used again but paused when he realized someone was standing in front of him. Max. Max stood there with a frown, and a slight glare on his face. "Uh, hey Max. Good job out there," Daniel said. He continued to take the headphones off slowly, waiting to see what Max had to say.
"Thank you, Daniel," Max responded with a slight nod. Daniel didn't even realize he actually knew his name! "We are to talk later for socials. I have to go finish media now but I will meet you in hospitality in about an hour."
His eyesbrows shot up. He knew there was supposed to be some social media content created but he assumed it would just be him talking about his experience and maybe some live footage from the team. "Oooook," Daniel responded. "I guess I will see you then." Max again walked away without further comment.
Daniel handed back the garage headphones, grabbed his backpack, and went in search of the spot he was meant to meet with Max. He had a couple of contacts that were meant to stay with him and point him in the right direction throughout his visit but he had told them he was fine once he knew the lay of the land. He preferred to get a more authentic feel of the events without someone pushing/pulling him in different directions. He took his time wandering back to the Energy Station and figured he had probably ask someone where he was meant to meet Max, didn't want him to have to wait.
Luckily, the front desk showed him to a conference room where cameras were already setup. He also noticed some cards on the desk, and being nosy, took a peak to see the names of baseball teams in the US and names of the Formula 1 teams in another pile. Uh oh. He hoped he wouldn't be quizzed. Before he had a chance to think about studying up, he was joined by a Red Bull team member. "Hey there! Just checking out this fancy setup you have here!" Daniel swept his arms wide, to show he meant the room and the cameras.
The woman looked suspicious but moved beyond it to introduce herself as the social media manager for the team who would be leading Max and him in a little getting-to-know-you exercise. "As you've seen, we will let you quiz each other on the sports you are most familiar with and also answer some basic questions about yourselves and your sports."
"Oh, ok, sounds fun," Daniel lied. He wasn't a fan of looking dumb and chances are after this quiz he would. He understood the reasoning behind it though. Bringing baseball fans to Formula One and Formula 1 fans to baseball. Or at least, getting their current fans to continue seeing Red Bull on their screens.
Daniel settled into one of the chairs and pulled his phone out. He hadn't responded to any of his messages all day so might as well take the time now while he waited. There was a home game that night which Daniel would be attending but he was not going to pitch since he had done that the day before. He still needed to attend and support the team, and step up in an emergency. Since he wasn't starting, he ignored most of the team messages, just scanning for anything important. Nothing. Fantastic.
"Alright, what are we doing today?" Max asked as he walked into the room. He was no longer in his race suit, instead in skinny blue jeans, a blue Red Bull polo, and a Red Bull hat. Daniel looked down at his ripped black skinny jeans and his own branded Enchante t-shirt covered in oranges. It was not released yet but figured F1 was a good place for it to be seen. That said, he looked kind of tropical compared to to Max's more muted team colors. He was used to standing out so he's not sure why he felt self conscious about it now.
He ran a hand through his curly brown hair and stood up to greet Max. "A little quiz and getting-to-know each other sesh," Daniel answers. "Hope you know more about baseball than I do about racing!" Daniel teases. He realizes based on their earlier conversation that is a silly response but it's out there now.
Surprisingly, Max chuckles. "I feel like this will not be good for either of us." He sits down next to Daniel and threads his hands on the table. He glances at Daniel and then the social media manager with his eyebrows raised. "Are we ready?"
She laughs as though she is used to Max's impatience. "Yes, we are ready, Max. First, we will have you both introduce yourselves to each other on camera and to our audience for anyone that may not know you."
"Is this not going on the Red Bull F1 page?" Max interrupted.
"It is but it will be posted on the other non-F1 pages too. So not everyone will know who you are." Max groaned. "Just a short intro Max. Reining world champion, etc. You do not need a whole backstory."
"Ok, ok," Max agrees. "Ready?" he asks Daniel.
"Yep, showtime!" Daniel agrees.
Immediately, Max turns to Daniel and starts talking, assuming the camera is already running. "I am Max Verstappen, and I drive for Red Bull Racing as a Formula 1 driver." He glances over at the PR manager and adds, "I am the reigning World Champion and I intend to do it again this year, though I'm currently in second place."
Daniel offers Max a big smile and responds, "nice to meet you, Champ! I'm Daniel Ricciardo and I pitch for the Miami Marlins. I have a Cy Young award and a World Series title under my belt. Oh, and I'm from Australia in case you couldn't tell." Daniel turned to offer a sly smile to the camera. He could see the social media manager was happy with his intro.
"Right, good job lads. Now you are going to answer questions for each other. You each have a small stack here." The social media manager hands over the cue cards and moves back behind the camera.
Daniel reads the first one out loud, "where are you from? Aw, gee, I guess I already gave that one away. I'm from Perth, Australia and I now live in Miami during the baseball months and alternate between LA and Australia during the non-baseball months. What about you, Maxy?" Daniel looks up and grimaced. He has no idea why the nickname skipped out again. Especially on camera where Max is definitely glaring at him.
Max does not respond verbally to the nickname but answers the question, "I was born in Belgium but spent a lot of time with my father in the Netherlands so I am from both. I race under the Dutch flag and I live in Monaco." Daniel finds he loves listening to Max speak. He is not sure if it's the accent or his use of the English language but Daniel is endeared.
Continuing to the next question, Max asks, "what is your favorite city to play in?" He looks at Daniel expectantly, recognizing that it is for him specifically based on the wording.
"Well, a home town is always great so I have to start with Miami. Atlanta is also a former home town and I have a lot of great memories there. Baseball fans have long memories and they're still so nice to me. Now, outside of the fans, I enjoy a trip to LA. They're not so nice to me at the stadium but I love the atmosphere when I go out to dinner or hit up the beaches."
"You have beaches here," Max comments.
Daniel nods. "Yeah, yeah, of course. And the water is actually warmer here. It's just a different vibe, you know?" Max does not look like he knows but he nods anyway.
Shuffling through his cards, Daniel decides these questions are boring and he doesn't want to ask them. He settles on his own question instead. He looks at Max and asks, "how old were you when you felt like an adult?"
Max frowns and is staring at Daniel as though he is trying to understand the question and more importantly why he asked it instead of the approved ones on the table in front of him. He shakes his head and answers, "uh, I guess 17. That is when I joined Formula 1 and got my own place."
"17?!" Daniel is shocked. "At 17, I didn't know how to do laundry! I definitely didn't know anything about taxes, or saving for retirement. I could barely keep myself alive. That is something else, Maxy. Wow." Oops. It slipped again. Max could yell at him after the session if he wanted.
Daniel realized Max looked kind of bashful at his response. "I did not know how to do laundry then either. I had someone cooking for me and someone helping me with money. Actually, I still do. Does that mean I am not yet an adult?"
Daniel couldn't help but laugh. "I guess being an adult is more than knowing how to do chores. Let's say, I didn't feel like an adult until I got to the big leagues so it is like you, just older, 21, but I spent the years in the minor leagues living with families that took care of me. I had the team support of course but it wasn't until I reached the Bigs that I realized it was all up to me then. Even if the team fed me lunch and dinner, I had to sort breakfast. And not just a pop tart like I wanted. I had to make decisions to make myself better, stronger both physically and mentally." Daniel stopped and realized he had said much more than he meant to. He just didn't want Max to feel bad that he didn't do his own laundry when he felt like an adult. Max had a small smile on his face. Daniel thought he looked grateful so he returned it with his own small smile.
Max glanced down at the cards in his hands but did not read the top card or shuffle through them. He looked as though he was concentrating. He finally asked, "what is the best animal?" He looked up at Daniel, as though asking if his question was ok.
Daniel was pleased. "Oh, well. That's easy. The honey badger, obviously. It's not even a contest really. What do you think?"
"What is a honey badger? I remember the YouTube video but I am not sure what it actually is." Max puts the cards down and turns to Daniel to give his full attention.
"Honey badgers are ferocious little fuckers," Daniel turns back to the social media manager and cameras to say, "oops! Sorry!" He turned back to Max to add, "Honey badgers don't care. They can take down anyone or anything." He leaned back in his seat and touched the hairs on his chin. "Technically they're related to like otters and skunks."
"Um, otters and skunks are nothing like each other," Max argues.
"Opposite sides of the family. You know, like your mom's cousins are nothing like your dad's cousins, right?" Max responds with a big laugh at that. Daniel thinks it's an over reaction but he can feel his eyes sparkling in delight. Maybe there really is another side to World Champion Max Verstappen. He's kind of adorable actually.
They wrap up the interview with a few more personal questions before the social media manager reminds them about the quiz. Max groans and says, "we will both be bad at this. Let us study first. We will try again later. Besides, you got a lot of content already."
The social media manager frowns and takes a deep breath before agreeing. "Tomorrow, you are both coming back to do the quiz." She points at both of them and then turns off the camera.
"Guess I'll see you tomorrow, Max. Have a good rest tonight." Daniel smiles and waves at the other man as he heads out.
He hears a quiet, "bye, Daniel," as he leaves.