The familiar chorus of laughter echoed through Max Verstappen's headset as he leaned back in his chair, absentmindedly scrolling through social media while his friends argued over their game.

"Mate, you've been quiet for like five minutes," one of them laughed. "What're you looking at?"

Max smirked, stopping on another post from an account he'd somehow wandered onto. A slim waist, oversized hoodie, soft lighting... he let out a chuckle.

"She kinda bad though..."

His friends immediately burst into laughter.

"Oi! Max has a crush!"

"Get her number, mate!"

Rolling his eyes, Max swiped to the next photo.

This one showed the person's face.

His thumb froze.

"...No f**king way."

The laughter in the call faded into background noise as Max stared at the screen, eyes widening.

George Russell.

The same quiet kid he teased almost every day at college... was the mysterious person half the internet seemed obsessed with.