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2019 season, post-race airport chaos
The heavy fog had rolled in like a stubborn guest who refused to leave.
Flights were delayed indefinitely, runways hidden behind a pale wall of nothing, and the Formula 1 drivers — usually scattered across private terminals and carefully managed schedules — had been herded into a VIP lounge that was, frankly, far too small for the occasion.
Two compact sofas, carpet thick underfoot and a handful of tired world champions or future ones.
Kimi and Sebastian had claimed one sofa with the quiet confidence of men who had been together long enough to know exactly where they belonged.
Kimi occupied half of the seat, arms spread on the back of the sofa, gaze drifting toward the fogged-up windows.
Besides him, Sebastian sat with one leg tucked beneath, Charles sat at the leg of the sofa, leaning comfortably against Sebastian’s knee like a content, slightly overgrown cat.
On the opposite sofa, Lewis sat cross-legged, eyes closed, back straight, as if the airport lounge were a meditation retreat instead of a small waiting room.
Max and Daniel had taken one corner on the floor, backs against their bags, talking easily despite no longer sharing a garage.
Lando sprawled nearby, head resting on Carlos’s thigh, while Carlos sat against the wall pretending not to enjoy it quite as much as he did. George and Alex stood off to the side, arms folded, united in their shared opinion that Verstappen was far too comfortable around everyone — especially Lewis.
Valtteri stood by the window, saying nothing, which was on brand.
No one knew when the planes would take off again.
Which, inevitably, meant someone opened YouTube.
“Alright,” Lando announced, sitting up suddenly. “Important question.”
Everyone looked over.
“What’s the worst commercial any of us has ever done?”
Daniel grinned immediately. “Now this is a productive use of time.”
“There’s a hierarchy,” George said seriously. “Cars at the top. Fashion next. Food at the bottom. Alcohol’s in a separate category.”
“Correct,” Alex nodded.
“Hey,” Carlos protested, “my food ad was classy.”
Max barely looked up from his phone. “No, it wasn’t.”
Lando’s thumbs flew across his screen. “I have discovered something legendary. Check this out.”
Lewis reached into his pockets and sighed. “My phone’s still with Angela.”
Before George could even react, Max was already on his feet. “You can use mine,” he said, a little too quickly, holding it out.
Lewis blinked, surprised — then smiled warmly. “Thanks, Max.” Max sat down beside him like this was completely natural.
George stared at the ceiling in silent exasperation.
The group leaned in as Lando's link loaded.
And the video began:
First came the sleek Lotus F1 car, cutting through a pristine white background.
"To win, every Lotus part needs to be in peak condition," the dramatic voiceover announced.
Suddenly, the car began to disassemble in a beautiful technical display, parts floating around.
"Including my scalp," the voiceover continued, as a helmeted driver emerged from the deconstructed car.
"Wait for it," Lando whispered, barely containing his excitement.
The driver reached up, pressing a button on the helmet. The visor lifted to reveal —
Kimi. Unimpressed expression. Perfect hair. Not a single strand out of place.
CLEAR - 100% DANDRUFF PROTECTION appeared in bold letters.
Silence.
Then the room exploded.
Daniel collapsed onto the carpet laughing. "The dramatic REVEAL! Like your hair is the final component of the car!"
Lando wheezed, clutching at Carlos. "Your SCALP? Why would anyone say that with a straight face?"
Charles covered his mouth, eyes wide. "The helmet button! As if it's a... a transformation sequence!"
Sebastian tried and failed to maintain a straight face. "The engineering was very precise."
Lewis chuckled, shaking his head. "Man, they really made your hair the hero of the story."
Carlos wiped tears from his eyes. "I've never seen hair so... aerodynamic."
Max couldn't stop laughing. "Did they make you do multiple takes of the helmet reveal?"
Kimi crossed his arms. "Seventeen takes."
The laughter paused momentarily.
"They wanted the hair to look perfect when the helmet came off," Kimi elaborated with deadly seriousness. "The director kept saying 'more impact, more drama.' I told them it's shampoo, not a diffuser.”
This set off another wave of laughter.
Kimi shrugged. "The engineering team spent three hours designing the helmet release. The shampoo part took five minutes."
"That's the most Lotus thing I've ever heard," Lewis said, still smiling.
Valtteri agreed. "Finnish hair is naturally aerodynamic. No product needed."
Kimi's lips twitched in the barest hint of appreciation.
George rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The messaging is quite clever though—equating dandruff protection with car performance."
Alex elbowed him. "Only you would analyze the marketing strategy."
"Your scalp is clearly in peak condition," Daniel called out to Kimi, mimicking the voiceover with dramatic flair.
Kimi stared back. "It sold more shampoo in Finland than any other campaign. They sent me lifetime supply."
Sebastian mused. “I might still have the poster somewhere.” then he blinked. “—Not that I meant to say that out loud.”
Charles’s eyes lit up. “Is that why you skipped the ‘first crush’ question on Grill the Grid.” Seb blushed and Lewis tried to help change the subject. "I'd actually love to do a hair product ad." he gestured at his braids. "But no one's asked."
Max stared at him. "You'd look good in any ad," he said earnestly. "If you did a shampoo one, I'd buy a whole box."
Everyone laughed again.
Max did not.
Kimi caught Sebastian's eye. "Some people are obvious."
Sebastian smiled softly. "Not everyone can be subtle."
Lewis studied Max for a moment, something shifting behind his eyes — surprise, perhaps, or curiosity. He glanced at George, who was pretending extremely hard to be fascinated by the ceiling tiles, then back at Max.
"That's..." Lewis paused, choosing his words carefully, "really kind of you to say." he handed the phone back, their fingers brushing momentarily. "Thank you for letting me use this."
Max nodded a bit too eagerly, pocketing the device like it had suddenly become precious.
Daniel caught Carlos's eye across the room, both raising eyebrows in silent communication.
The airport announcement finally crackled through the lounge.
"Visibility has improved. Boarding will begin shortly."
The group slowly gathered their bags, stretching stiff limbs and brushing carpet fibers from their clothes.
"That commercial was nearly seven or eight years ago," Kimi murmured, only loud enough for Sebastian to hear. "Long time to remember the poster."
Sebastian smiled, private and soft. "Guess some impressions last a long time."
Kimi leaned toward Sebastian.
"Your first crush," he confirmed, not a question anymore.
Sebastian nodded, their hands brushed and fingers interlacing — golden rings catching the light, identical patterns etched into both.