Chapter Text
Max had been a quiet child. If you asked his teachers, they would call him quiet. If you asked his classmates, they would call him weird. If you asked his parents, his mother would call him kleiner Löwe and his father would call him potential. His Uncle Michael would say he is fun. Max loved Uncle Michael, adored the guy - he was the one who made cooking fun, gave taste tests to his little chef as he was mid-dinner. Michael Schumacher was a renowned chef with 7 years straight of having a 3 star Michelin review to his name when a skiing accident took his mobility and put him in a coma.
No one had told Max until the kids at school were talking about it.
He pretended it didn't matter. Later. When his mama looked devastated and his father looked miserable, he could pretend it had slipped their minds, that they didn't know that Max and Uncle Michael were a law unto their own, in the kitchen. No one gave Max taste tests anymore, and he buried the part of him that reached for spoons to dip into food.
His dad taught him to cook. Jos Verstappen had chased the Michelin star for many years and never received it, and wanted better for his son. Jos was not the kindest teacher, but from this, Max learned many lessons. The ends justified the means. The scar on his finger from when he was chopping onions until his bleary-eyed tiredness had made him slip and cut deep into his flesh was necessary, because it made Max the chef he was. The ends more than justified all of it.
Max had set up his first restaurant at age 17, with his dad's funding and his own knowledge, and he had been off to a roaring success within his first year. When he was 24, he got his first 3 star Michelin review. The kitchen had celebrated, and then they had gone for the next one, and by the end of 2024, Max aged 27, they had held onto that star rating for 4 consecutive years.
Uncle Michael, would you be proud right now?
Visiting his bedside was a trip Max rarely took. The mental torture of seeing the great Schumacher unable to move, unable to smile, unable to be Uncle Michael was too much, usually. Max tried not to feel like a total piece of shit about it, but he usually failed.
Michael would've visited, but the rational part of Max's brain said that Schumacher likely didn't know the impact he'd had on Max. Didn't know why, after every Michelin star, Max had visited Schumacher's bedside rather than going out to celebrate. Didn't know that every victory, Max would privately attribute to Schumacher, not Jos. It was not optimal, this duality, but Max usually tried to ignore that. It was his strong point, after all.
☆★☆
Weary of London's isolation, Max had opened a chain of restaurants, set up a total of four, and opened his fifth - in a little town that coasted in winter time but heaved with the light-driven moths of tourists in the summertime. The town was set in from a beach, like a pearl to a clam, the mouth of a bay protruding from the settlement, and a brand new restaurant was open. The replacement to Seb's Grill following rent hikes was Max's place - Verstappen Kitchens in elegant navy.
From the outset, Max was an outsider. The nature of the town was thus - the prices were high for almost everything, and the summer traffic had to pay for the winter silences, and despite being a picturesque setting, the serene blue of the waves was not mimicked by the business owners. They required flashes of their fangs, sharp-nailed talons and aggressive guerrilla techniques to survive in a place like this. Max did not. His wealth was somewhat obscene as a result of his four successful locations, but somehow, the thrill of the chase of this town was alluring. This town did not require the polished London boy that Max had been forced to adopt the facade of.
No, this place needed a Verstappen, and Max would show them his fangs.
☆★☆
It turned out that this place did not need a Verstappen. While Daniel Ricciardo, who ran Danny Ric’s, had made him feel immediately welcome with proffered snacks and laughs and jokes, the rest of the town was not so welcoming. Max was a London boy, with London habits and a London menu. It did not matter that he was born Dutch. He had been in London long enough for the city smog to seep into his soul, to pollute his hands and mind.
No. This place did not want a Verstappen at all. George Russell and Charles Leclerc made that exceedingly clear, as Charles complained that Max had stolen Seb's place and George complained that Max actually made his chefs do work. “You are too harsh!” George had protested, as Max's chefs glanced at each other awkwardly. “Mate, I think I know how to run my kitchen.” Max had said, mid-tenderising, and George had stormed out, and they had frankly never been civil since.
Well, Max liked an argument. There is something about a world out to get you that made it easier to motivate yourself, made it easier to defy odds and beat someone. George and Alex's Hideaway and Charles and Carlos's creatively named Le Restaurant really had nothing on Max's place, and Max could prove it to them. It would just be a lonely world - him and Daniel on one side, and everyone else on another.
And to think, he thought London was isolating.
☆★☆
If you asked a friend, they would call Max honest. If you asked an enemy, they would call Max borderline violent. If you asked a coworker, they would call Max terrifying, so long as Max was nowhere near the room. Max had established his reputation through ten years of hardwrought, bloody knuckled experience. Maybe he was a bit intense, especially for the small-town restaurant he now ran, but it was a result of his upbringing, and it had garnered him immense success.
No one would call Max kind, of course. Or friendly.
the cove eateries gc!
george russell (op #11)
Hello 👋. Lewis wanted to lyk that new business is moving into daniels place
max
can lewis not do that himself
george russell (op #11)
he can but he's busy and some of us have community spirit
max
mate what is that supposed to mean
charles leclerc (op #3)
i imagine it's just about the fact that some of us help around the community and some of us stay in our restaurants and are tossers to our staff.
off the top of my head
max
mate. why am i catching strays
charles leclerc (op #3)
they are not stray
they are affecting their target audience
daniel (friend)
charles george wtf ru talking about
charles leclerc (op #3)
i will text you
george russell (op #11)
I don't gossip
alex albon (?)
that is SUCH a lie no offence georgie
daniel (friend)
u guys are being dickheads
max is good fun
max
wtf??? mate ive been minding my business
unlike some nosy people
daniel (friend)
mate.
they are concerned about your kitchen management.
max
well dont be?
i run a good kitchen and we have to serve good food quickly
they would not know how to do it
alex albon (?)
right well this is why they are slagging you off
daniel (friend)
you know that honesty thing we were talking about?
max
ah. yeah.
have i been too blunt
daniel (friend)
just a tad
but they also did start it
lando (?)
wtf? they didnt?
daniel (friend)
leave it mate
lando (?)
u just support max coz h3s your friend
daniel (friend)
i support max when hes lowk right
and im not gonna pass agg just because he took over sebs place
charles (op #3)
i do not care that seb left and now doesnt text or anything
daniel (friend)
convincing mate.
max <- daniel
max
you are leaving
without telling me
daniel
well its not like i wont be around
im retiring man
ive earned enough and i deserve it 😌
max
u will keep visiting me?
daniel
of course.
max
olay
im still mad
daniel
of course im sorry
i shouldve said
So yes. Max was not very welcome in his community, and that was just fine. Daniel had been the first to greet him, had been the first to bring him an apple cake and the first to barge into Max's life without shutting the door, but otherwise, the nature of small-town relationships remained out of reach of Max. With the new tenants came new opportunities for Max to receive hatred, and this chance came from the same location as Daniel had. Without Daniel, Max was alone in the group chat and grew withdrawn. Talking to this hostile group was a bit pointless, and he only did it when necessary, which only seemed only to increase their irritation.
However, the new business did not seem to hate him. It was a group of four guys, Gabi, Kimi, Ollie and Isack, and they seemed to take joy in terrorising the community at large. It was a miracle their business resembled profitable - it was a large menu that all of the boys seemed to have certain things they cooked, resulting in a quarter being inaccessible most days due to their days off. And Max would have insulted that, except the first day, Kimi had brought a bolognese around that smelled frankly incredible, and had forced some down Max's throat.
“Hi!” Kimi had said, waltzing in like he belonged. “I'm Kimi. We just set up, place down the road! You are Max Verstappen?”
“Yeah.” Max said, ignoring the tupperware in Kimi's hand.
“No way.” Kimi said, spooning spaghetti into his mouth. He then tangled one onto his fork and offered it out to Max. “Me and the boys are competing for best chef. You will judge? I assume they will bring things over the days, we are busy.”
“I can imagine.” Max said, raising a brow. “Have you not talked to, like, George or Charles yet?”
“Yeah.” Kimi shrugged, hand still outstretched. “George is my half brother.”
“And you are here?”
“Yes.” Kimi said, and Max at last took the fork, slipping it into his mouth. “Holy shit, mate, this is good.”
“Yeah?” Kimi asked, beaming. “Holy shit. I have to go.” And Kimi took off running into his own shop.
Gabi had not taken long to introduce himself, either, holding feijoda. Max had easily taken it this time, trusting George had given the boys the anti-Max shovel talk, and he had sniffed experimentally. “Brazilian?”
“Yeah.” Gabi grinned. “Taste of home.”
“How does your restaurant function, with that menu?”
“We all do our bits.” Gabi shrugged. “It works.”
“Well, obviously. You are all, so far, good.”
“Isack and Ollie have not visited yet, have they?”
“No.” Max said, taking another bite as proffered.
“Well, Isack cooks most of our pub food, we all vetoed escargot, so… and Ollie does our baking. He is fantastic. Not as fantastic as me, of course…”
“Of course.” Max said.
The next visitor was Ollie, holding two slices of cake. “Max! You are not busy?”
“No. You are the first one to check.” Max said, and it's true - the restaurant had its light dusting of customers, but his chefs and waitstaff were well-trained and fantastic, so Max wasn't concerned. Ollie grinned. “So, I have this Victoria sponge in case you are boring. Try.” He ordered, and Max opened his mouth obediently as Ollie jabbed cake at his lips. “Fuck. Yeah, that's nice.”
“You are boring. Now, this is strawberry and elderflower cake in case you are actually intrigued.” And Max opened his mouth again, taking the fork to taste Ollie's work.
“Holy shit. Mate. This is fantastic. The flavours pair so well together, mate. Oh my God.”
“Thanks.” Ollie said bashfully. “Hey, this is weird, but… You knew Schumacher?”
“Yeah.” Max said, voice suddenly cold. “Yeah, Uncle Michael.”
“Oh. Shit, sorry, I didn't know you were actually… close. He just was a huge inspiration, is all, I just…”
“Mate, it's…fine.” Max said, feeling the fraught tension. “It is fine. Tragedies happen. He was an inspiration to me, too.”
“Yes. Sorry. I will bring more cake to make up for it!” Ollie said, rushing out.
“Mate you don't- well, he's gone.” Max murmured, and went to hide behind a counter for most of the rest of the day.
His fourth visitor comes in the form of Isack, a Tupperware of fries, nachos, and a bite of burger on a cocktail stick in hand. He did not speak at first, just offering Max nibbles that he took equally silently. “Cool. You will tell the others I am the best?”
“No.” Max said. “It is difficult to do pub food well, and you have done it excellently, and you make the restaurant more… easy and accessible to people, I imagine, but Ollie is my favourite.”
“Knew I liked Lewis better.” Isack said with a scowl. “I will let the others know.”
“Isack! Same time next month?”
“Yes.” Isack said. “You will deem me the winner.”
“Yeah. Charles does escargot at his place, Le Restaurant. I know Gabi said they refused, and Charles is Monegasque, I think - he's also a dickhead, fair warning.”
“Oh. Thanks, Max.” Isack said, and he trotted out into the four's restaurant.
On his way home, for once, Max slipped into the Global Quartet, the boys’ restaurant. Inside, Daniel was sat at a table next to the bar, eating cake. Max easily settled next to him, stealing the fork and having a bite. “Vanilla and raspberry.” Daniel said easily. “Very nice.”
“Yeah.” Max agreed, taking another bite. Daniel groaned and stole his fork back as Kimi skidded to a stop by the table, pointing a pen at Max accusingly. “I made you bolognese and Oliver Bearman is your favourite? Evil.”
“Mate, Ollie brought me elderflower and strawberry cake. I am not going to apologise for being right.”
“I'm telling George.” Kimi declared, crossing his arms. Max groaned, stealing another bite of Daniel's cake. Kimi pouted. “Fine. What can I get you?”
“Cake.”
“Which cake?” Kimi said, rolling his eyes sassily. “We have lemon and blueberry, chocolate, Victoria Sponge, strawberry and elderflower or raspberry and vanilla.”
“Can I have lemon and blueberry please?”
“Fine. Any bruschetta? I'm making you some bruschetta.”
“Kay.” Max shrugged.
tourist town businesses
george russell (op #11)
why does kimi like max more than me
kimi
sybau
because max is better than u?
gabi
max did train under MARCO and wirh SCHUMACHER
george russell (op #11)
wowww
not all of us are fancy ass london chefs
max
i am dutch
george russell (op #11)
WOW
THAT MAKES IT ALL BETTER
max
okay :)
george russell (op #11)
NOT REALLY
max
oh
okay
isack
@kimi ur brother seems like a dick
kimi
half brother
george russell (op #11)
Andrea Kimi Russell Antonelli
kimi
u r lowk being a dick
🩷
george russell (op #11)
i am not
i am worried about you
max is rude
kimi
not to me
gabi
or me
ollie
or me :))
isack
i mean…
he told me where to get escargot
even if he is a dickhead (not srsly tho yall seem to hate him and that feels wrong)
charles (op #3)
but he didnt tell u i sell it
isack
he literally did???
wtf is this
i just didnt go because u kinda seem mean?
kimi
💀
daniel (friend)
OH GAGGEX
knew there was a reason u kids were my successors
charles (opp #3)
daniels still here? no one kick him
daniel (friend)
👍
george russell (op #11)
guys focus
the newbies and max
kimi
jfc
get a grip george
george russell (op #11)
wdym im worried abt u
max
me causing family strife: >:)
(i am evil)
ollie
funny joke but as ur favourite i will have to kill u for max slander
george russell (op #11)
SEE
A WEEK AND THEY'RE THREATENING MURDER
kimi
yeah bearman the butcher
the most terrifying killer here
charles (op #3)
does seem like u r overreacting a smidge georgie
alex (?)
maybe let's all cool off 🩷
hi newbies
kimi
ALEX!!!!
alex (?)
KIMI
kimi
tell george he is being a tit
alex (?)
already did kiddo
kimi
cool ty
alex
anytime
So Max found himself in a new rhythm, one where his work was interrupted by one of the newcomers offering him spoonfuls of whatever dish they were in the middle of. They spent their days off in a corner of Max's, or the Global Quartet, eating the dishes that Max cooked wrong, and Max, unconcerned with the price of waste, started cooking extra items. His chefs slapped his back when he entered the kitchen, and they told him to go sit with his kid, whichever one was hidden in the restaurant. (His staff were glad. Max's particular nature made him a great chef, but the kids were instilling in him the ability to express that less callously, and to fall back in love with the art of food).
Ollie is in the middle of giving him samples of chocolate orange cake and Kimi's new pesto pasta when George stormed into the restaurant for the first time ever. He levelled a finger at Ollie, who innocently turned to look at George. “You. You are here again?”
“Been stalking me?” Ollie replied. For all that Ollie was incredibly sweet, being around Isack, Gabi and Kimi had definitely given him a sassy streak. “No! I have to deal with Kimi talking about it.”
“Okay.” Ollie shrugged. “Max, try this, it's my new mango cake.”
“Mate. You do shit with cakes, this is mental. The flavour profile is genuinely incredibly balanced.” Max said after taking the proferred fork. George looked between them and stormed out.
Ollie grinned. “Dunno what his deal is.”
“Oh, he does not like the way I run my restaurant.” Max said. “I am too London for him.”
“Wait, what?” Ollie asked.
“I am too particular.” Max shrugged. “My food is too fancy, I am not Sebastian Vettel, I do not struggle to make rent, I am too blunt or direct… There is an endless list of faults.”
“That's dumb as fuck. We only come to you because you're the best.”
“You do?”
“Well, Isack thinks Lewis is great because Nico, Lewis's mate, coached him at football and went on and on about Lewis's cooking.”
“Nico Rosberg?”
“Yeah.”
“Biased source.” Max scowled. Ollie laughed, and Max stole another bite of pesto pasta. “George fucking loves that man.”
“Well, George sounds dumb as fuck, no offence to Kimi.”
“George is not that bad, he is only opponent number 11.” Max said.
“You have your enemies numbered? Gabi will think that's so cool.”
“It is good to have priorities.”
“I guess.” Ollie agreed, eating a steak that was totally too medium for a customer that wanted medium rare. “This is really good, Max, I can't believe they didn't want it.”
“Yeah mate, we are good at our jobs.”
“Well, obviously.” Ollie said.
And the days kept passing, with the newly dubbed rookies growing closer to Max, until, like pasta left alone, the whole thing boiled over.
☆★☆
Max had wandered into the GQ for he and Daniel's regularly unscheduled catchup, slid into his seat and everything and ordered a coxinha from Gabi's side of the menu. The place was heaving, which was nice to see, especially in the Autumn half term. Usually, holidays got busier, but Autumn could be a real quiet time if it so chose. The boys didn't exactly start at the right time, with it having just passed summer. Then again, if they went out of business, Max could hire them all as chefs and revamp his menu.
George and Charles had walked in together, afterwards. Had settled on the bar stools under the vines and flowers hanging from every shelf and the top of the bar. Kimi groaned as he walked to take their order, and George had pouted. “No way to greet your big brother, ay?” and ruffled Kimi's hair. In turning, he made eye contact with Max, and furrowed his brows. “Kimz, why's Max here?”
“Because we make great food, I imagine.”
“Yeah, but… it's Max.”
“Woah. Isack, cancel the opticians, I can just get George to tell me everything I can blatantly see.” Kimi said sassily. “You want your usual?”
“Yeah. And elderflower cake.”
“Fine.” Kimi said, snapping his order pad shut. “Charles?”
“Your bruschetta, please, Kimz.”
Max wondered when everyone had got to know Kimi so well. It felt almost like he'd missed out on this, but Ollie and Gabi had moved down recently, and Isack had only lived in the town for 10 years. George, however, had not taken the silence well.
“What are you doing here?” He asked, the picture of British politeness. Max smiled sweetly after Daniel kicked him lightly under the table. “We are having dinner?”
“But… here?”
“We are having good dinner.”
“You never eat at restaurants here.”
“I ate at Daniel's.”
“Because he forced you!”
“Well, he was not as talented as these four. Is that the honesty thing again?”
“Yeah. A little. It's okay though, I really wasn't.” Daniel replied. George let out a groan.
“You don't believe that.”
“Okay.” Max shrugged. “I do, but sure.”
“No, you don't.”
“Yes, I do.”
“But you're… Max.”
“Wow, Kimi was right, I could cancel the opticians.” Max said drily.
“You don't do nice.”
“No. Probably not.” Max said.
“Why are you being nice?”
“I am not. I am honest.”
“You said my soup was shit!”
“Your soup was shit. It had misbalanced flavours and they were still too weak, and it was clumpy.”
“There was not a single clump!”
“Okay. That is not true, but okay.” Max shrugged. “Mate, can you go? Our food is about to arrive and it is Gabi's cooking, so I would like some space to enjoy it.”
“What's so special about Gabi's?” George snapped, arms crossed.
“It is the only one I have not tried yet this week.”
“Careful, you'll break his brain.” Daniel said, and George stormed away again.
“Does he ever walk away normally?” Max asked, tilting his head. Daniel laughed, and their food did arrive and Max absolutely devoured it.
☆★☆
THE DUCKLINGS
gabi
okay i still dunno why they hate max
ollie
transplant? but im also from london 😔
kimi
apparently rude
isack
oh
is it not coz max is autistic
kimi
george wouldnt hate someone bc theyre autistic
and is max autistic
isack
idk man
there r signs
ollie
i thought we knew???
kimi
💀
wait
does george hate max coz h3s autistic
ollie
what if we ask daniel????
gabi
🧠
kimi
kimi
yeah yeah on jt
daniel <- kimi
kimi
hey
does george hate max coz hes autistic
daniel
okay feels weirdly like we havent oassed the bechdel test
its a long story that doesnt rlly revolve a lot around george ig
kimi
i have time
daniel
i cba to type hang in
VOICE NOTE - 5:16
[VIEW TRANSCRIPT…]
-> “so, hey, kimi. I don't really know. Max kind of moved down here and replaced Seb, and Seb was like. Cool. As hell. I mean, he was scary to work for, but he chilled out by the time Charles was working with him, and then Charles left to make Le Restaurant. Seb closed the same year at the same time rent was hiked, but I don't actually think it was related? I think Seb was just done and Charles leaving meant he didn't feel like he owed anyone staying open. So, yeah, Seb closed, Max moved in. Max was in London for a while, and every chef knew Max, right? Him coming down was gonna be shit for business and everyone knew it. And then Max is maybe a little bit on the spectrum, so he's being blunt and everyone else is interpreting him as this corporate monster, and George is always like… trying to keep Alex, and you, afloat and comfortable, and here's this guy leeching business and calling everyone dickheads when they act like dickheads. It's not all valid, but it's not as simple as George hates Max because he has autistic traits, it's more… George hates Max and his autistic traits mean they don't resolve shit ever. Okay. Hope that helps. George isn't a bad guy, it's just… complicated.”
kimi
kay
thank you
what would senna do
daniel
cook
🔥
kimi
:*( my goat
why is cooking riddled with tragedies
daniel
because chefs have intense souls
and we must be sated
you are an excellent chef
kimi
thanks dan
daniel
srsly anytime retirement is lowk dull
THE DUCKLINGS
kimi
daniel the goat sent me a fat vn
george stressed abt business + max being big chain money stealer + max taking over sebs + max being perceived as rude due to the autistic traits => mad falling out
gabi
i hate when opps are sympathetic
kimi
that is my big brother
isack
YAWN
DRAMA. NEED.
kimi
ugh
u guys suck.
gabi
so whats the plan?
[Three people are typing...]