Chapter Text
The hall was bustling with people. It was as if it was the hottest event of the month- people were in every nook. Some with a customary drink in their hands, and some already on their 5th for the day. It wasn’t very noisy, so to say, but everyone was talking.
How could they not? It was such a special event, Max thought.
Everyone was there. Their friend group, Lando, Charles, Carlos, Daniel, Alex, George, Esteban; the younger drivers, Ollie, Kimi, Victor, Isack; Even the retired drivers, Seb, Lewis, Romain. A lot of people from the motorsport world were there- even Will Buxton. There were obviously others- family, friends, old neighbours- and they all had the happy look on their face that tended to be common at such types of events.
The event was private, the news was kept from the fans, there was no media and the invite had been selective. Supposedly. The venue was still so full of people. Max was surprised the news hadn’t leaked
It made sense, he supposed. This would be a very special event of any person’s life and everyone loved Pierre.
Even Esteban had mended differences between him and Pierre after moving to a different team.
He couldn’t help but smile, looking at all the people around. All of them, there in celebration of something, and someones special. He was very happy today.
“Looking bright today?” Kelly teased him, lightly elbowing him in his ribs.
It was Pierre’s wedding. Pierre and Kika had been together for what, 10 years? Nearly forever. Now, with Pierre winning an unexpected, surprisingly late World Championship and Kika becoming a recognisable name in the film industry, both of them had felt settled enough in their careers to get married.
Pierre’s championship had been glorious. He had stuck with Alpine through everything, and then in 2028, this loyalty had been rewarded handsomely. They had made a car that was a front runner. Pierre and Jack became frequent sight on the podium and the French team with their French man came home with a championship 2 years later.
Pierre wasn’t the first amongst drivers their age to get married, Max had taken that honour soon after his 5th world championship in 2025, he thought, smiling again at the thought of the ring on his finger. Several others had followed his lead, scattered throughout multiple years. And yet to Max, it felt like a special occasion, similar to perhaps when Daniel had gotten married, all the way back in ‘26.
“Yes” He beamed at her, taking her hand in his. “It’s been so long since, since the beginning, you know? Pierre and I go way back..”
Over the course of their careers, Pierre had become almost like a brother to him. It is true that they were never best friends, like him and Lando or Pierre and Charles, but there was a sense of belonging and brotherhood between them that he had found with very few people in his lifetime. It wasn't a bond that needed a lot of words or gestures or time. They had naturally gotten along since the start, and the relationship they developed had stayed strong through turbulent periods and days of low contact.
It had been Pierre who Max had gone to for everything, from small issues to fights with Charles or Daniel, for advice about proposing (no one knew france better than a frenchman, right?) and for wine recommendations. It had been Max that Pierre had come to for restaurant recommendations in Amsterdam, and for beating Yuki at FIFA to shut him up. When Charles had been out of town and Pierre was in Monaco for some work, Pierre had stayed at Max’s place. (They had talked late into the night, gossiping and giggling into a bowl of ice cream like teenagers during a sleepover. In their defence, they didn’t often get the chance to talk like this.)
Charles called for attention from the room from his place of honour by clicking his glass. It was time for speeches now. There weren’t going to be many speeches- and naturally, all four of Pierre’s brothers would be speaking, so Charles and Esteban were the, rightfully so, the only drivers that would speak.
Though Max knew that Lewis would definitely make an appearance as a speaker, similar to what Seb had done at Charles’ wedding. He was way too good at it to miss a chance, and was close with Pierre. It would be the perfect thing.
Max settled on a chair as Charles started speaking. Praises of Pierre, as a driver, as a friend, as a baker and as a person. Memories of his amazing on track moments (Max still thought about Austria 2026 regularly, it had been simply lovely what he did), and outside it.
Charles had had a very difficult time selecting memories, those two had so many. He remembered receiving the call from him at nearly 2 am, in a frenzy about what to put in his speech and what not. This panic session had been accompanied by, ironically, cookies that Pierre had gifted Max on the birthday of his twins.
I want it to be perfect, Charles had said, your best friend only gets married once. How did you do it for Daniel’s wedding, Max?
Max remembered his own experience, of course. It had been nerve-wracking. It had taken him 3 days and lectures by 4 people (Kelly, Lewis, Seb and Christian) for him to manage something. He had told Charles this, trying to convey that he wasn’t alone in struggling.
Naturally, Charles had taken this to mean he needs to talk to all of those people.
It had been a funny conversation explaining Christian why a rival driver was trying to contact him. Christian had surprisingly not been mad, and had actually talked to Charles about it. Max wasn’t sure if it was done out of goodness of his heart or if it was an attempt to win over Charles and get him to Red Bull.
But now as he was hearing it, Max really thought Charles did an amazing job. It was sweet and funny and emotional, and judging by the tears in Pierre and Kika’s eyes, they clearly were appreciating it very much. He would definitely point this out to Charles. The Monagasque would appreciate knowing that he did well.
He spotted Seb a few tables away from him and grinned at him. He just knew that Seb was going to brag so much about how it was only because of his help that Charles had done such good work. He was simply like that, extremely brutal in his roasting but an absolute sweetheart to everyone. Lewis perhaps got the worst of his insults though- in his words “the only downside of being Seb’s best friend.”
Charles' speech moved on to a memory from their childhood, the first time he had met Pierre. Max tried recollecting when he had first met Pierre. It must have been in karting, he thought. They had raced in some series together back in 2010. It was so long back, he thought, but he now remembered exactly when they had met for the first time.