Le Mans Grand Prix

Seb - Scuderia Ferrari Seb thumps his Ferrari V10 through the gears, fourth, fifth, sixth and still his attacker is on him looking for a kill. It's lap 95 of the Canadian Grand Prix and his fingers are on every hybrid boost system as he redlines the V10 trying to escape. Seb nears the infamous Wall of Champions and still the attacker is in Seb's mirrors. The three time World Champion fighting for his career.

Seb uses every inch of tarmac to maximise his speed through the Wall of Champions Chicane and every inch of serrated kerb he dares. Redlining the motor across the timing beam and another lap record at the Canadian Grand Prix. Only to be beaten by Lewis instantly in his fumes. "Fuck this, I won't be beaten again. Come at me son". The Canadian race fans cheer for their heroes Seb and Lewis. Finally in what's been a dull season of Formula One dominated by Lewis the global fans have a race on their hands! Seb takes Turn One with aggression firmly slamming the door shut on Lewis' superior Mercedes.

Lewis' Radio: "Take it easy Lewis. Driving standard complaints are analysed by the stewards after the race. No five second penalties any more. You need to beat him on the track. I'll call it in if you want to sit through hours of bullshit in the stewards office".

Seb was fast through Turn One, his four wheel power slide keeping Lewis behind. These cars can take a hit but Lewis won't risk damage with 10 minutes to go. Seb feels the opportunity to assert his former role of top dog in the sport and goes for fastest lap after fastest lap to show the world he's superior to Lewis. Bring back the glory days from nearly a decade ago. It's surely his race now. The Ferrari grips tight with molten rubber on tarmac as Seb squeezes the throttle with a surge of power boost from the hybrid system. Approaching Turn Three, "Lewis is still in my fucking mirrors! Shit! I fell for it"! One blink of an eye late. A little distraction from Lewis and Seb misses the apex. He sees the result like his life passing before his eyes. Sliding sideways into the gravel trap. 'There was fucking grass here last year! Do not get beached!' The wheels spin helplessly, kicking stones at the marshals running toward the Ferrari while Lewis drives through the bend with grace and dignity. Lewis takes a moment to give Seb a respectful head nod for another gifted win. "Engine off mate. Kill the electrics", says the marshal. "Yes, of course". He climbs out of the beached Ferrari in time to see his teammate Charles, who surely has a broad grin across his face, cruise at half speed under yellow flags to take second. The Ferrari fans behind Seb witness this and go wild with cheers of, 'Charles, Charles, Charles!' "I want to execute every fucking one of them" Seb mutters to himself as it skulks back to the pits.

Public Announcement - French Grand Prix

Two weeks have passed since the Canadian Grand Prix and once again it's race day.  The tannoy rings out to the one hundred thousand race fans at the French Grand Prix.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. On this circuit the worlds premier race series is ran. From the first French Grand Prix in 1906 at this same famous circuit to the side barging fight for glory between Villeneuve and Arnoux at Dijon the French Grand Prix had a proud tradition of excitement and emotion. Since 1950 Grand Prix racing has adhered to the ever changing rule book known as Formula One and once again the rule book evolves for todays event.

Public announcement - The new rules

Todays Formula One cars are the pinnacle of engineering, speed and imagination. Each of the ten teams create two prototypes, the only component they all share are the standardised FIA homologated 3.0 litre V10 engines. A reliable, loud and extremely fast tribute to the 20th century. A marvel of engineering capable of lasting one whole race weekend at 30,000 revs per minute! The teams develop their own hybrid systems, in collaboration with world famous manufacturers Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Honda, to benefit the cars we drive on the streets. Kinetic energy gleaned  from the brakes provide the driver with a boost of around 50 horsepower in NOS style bursts at the push of a red button. Mercedes are rumoured to be pulling 70 horsepower from their hybrid boost system. Formula One is not afraid to steal a good idea and you'll see at Tetre Rouge a Formula E style activation zone where drivers can activate attack mode. Attack mode provides the car with access to an extra 50 horse power for 5 minutes; available twice in a Grand Prix. The reliability and power of each manufacturers hybrid boost and attack mode systems vary as they push the development of technology which we will see in tomorrows hybrid and electric road cars.

The DRS, or drag reduction system, opens the cars' front and rear wings whenever the driver desires while under acceleration from the green light to checkered flag. They slam shut when the driver lifts off the throttle to give the car cornering downforce. We will see speeds in excess of 250mph today on the chicane-less Mulsanne Straight! Pirelli provide all teams with the same highly durable and drivable compound of tyre. We'll be hearing a lot less about tyres from now on. With a mandatory minimum pit stop time of five seconds and a single compound of slick tyre; pitstop strategy has lost its importance. The race must be won on the track, not in the pits!

So now we are all aware of the ever changing rule book of Formula One all that remains is to enjoy the 88th French Grand Prix at the Circuit de la Sarthe, LeMans.

Penalties are now qualifying ballast

The fearless drivers are on the grid answering questions to the worlds media while signing autographs. It's a distraction from race preparation but often a welcome one. A lot of talk is about qualifying ballast, a new rule this year. Ballast is lead weight added to cars as a penalty for offences in the previous race. It's seen as a fairer method than awarding five second penalties during the race. Five second penalties have become five kilos of qualifying ballast. After qualification this ballast is removed from all the cars ready for the race. Drivers also carry success ballast in qualifying; one kilo for every point earned in the previous race. Lewis earned the handicap of 25kg for winning in Canada in his rapid Mercedes, although he still qualified fifth in France! Seb retired from Canada so had no ballast and put the Ferrari on pole, which now gets him one championship point for pole position.

Grid walk

Seb, you qualified on pole and get a point for doing so. Is this because you had no success ballast after Lewis forced you into a mistake in Canada or do you have genuine pace here at Le Mans?

"Well, anyone can make a mistake. As for pace I'm sure I can win against Lewis otherwise what's the point in turning up here?"

Valtteri, you start second with a strong car. Even faster on the straight than the Ferrari. Is this the day you regain control of the championship after your strong start to the season? Will we see Valtteri 3.0?

"I start second. I'm not here to finish second."

Max, the Honda hybrid package is more reliable this year and you have a new upgrade for LeMans. Can you challenge Mercedes and Ferrari?

"We are still developing with Honda and I'm confident we can improve on our first podium of the season in Canada. From what I've seen working with Honda the future is promising."

Charles, you start fourth, your teammate is on pole and all the qualifying ballast is off every car for the race. Surely you have a chance of your first win?

"My first win was stolen in Bahrain and in every race I get closer to that elusive victory. I'm confident in our strategy today so lets seize the moment. It's my time."

Lewis, your team Mercedes is unbeaten this season and you've won all but two races. Is the title yours already?

"You know, we have to count our blessings. I've been in great positions before at this stage and it's not always enough. Remember when I spun in the Shanghai pit lane and the gift I received from my friend Timo in Brazil? We have a long way to go with half the season remaining. Starting fifth without my 25kg qualifying ballast from Canada I will advance. I'm certain of that".

TV commentator Murray

Formula One has a global audience on TV and online with viewing numbers close to one billion sometimes. Figures have been rising since all races are now free to watch. Today is expected to be one of those record days with the draw of LeMans. Murray is the lead commentator.

"The French Grand Prix at LeMans. The new owners of F1 have really done us proud with this venue and also with changes to the rule book in favour of minimal race interference from the stewards. A return to gentlemanly conduct and hard racing we hope, rather than complaining on the radio to get the other guy a penalty! The only penalties on race day now are for serious black flag level issues, ignoring yellow flags and pit lane speeding."

"The French fans are behind Pierre who starts sixth for Red Bull. It would be great to see him at least match his teammate Max today. Although just in case he dosen't the French have a keen interest in Charles, the upstart from Monaco, who has a shot at his first win. The racing is about to get started as twenty drivers are belted into their cars." "Just one last formality before the racing begins. The new American overlords of Formula One, Eagle Franchise, insist on this. I can only apologise."

Will Smith, dressed in a red, white and blue Tommy Hilfiger suit walks to the mic at the front of the grid. His flamboyant sports suit is from Lewis' own collection, blazoned with inspirational quotes from The Buddha in golden thread.  Will takes the mic and a deep breath, "Gentlemen, for the glory of your nations. Start your engines!"

The drivers press their starter buttons and a chorus of 3 litre V10s burst into song. A symphony from the 20th century lives on. The heroes of motorsport past sound out in the wail of that exhaust note. Having a starter adds unnecessary weight of course but some believe it makes the cars appear more familiar to the average consumer! The ground shakes with pounding horsepower as the safety car leads the pack of twenty around LeMans for the formation lap.

Formation Lap

A dry start for two hours of racing at LeMans and there is a possibility of rain later. Because every race is now a two hour sprint refuelling is back for the first time since 2009. Seb is on pole thanks in part to his retirement in Canada. Three wolves are behind him all with something to prove. Valtteri starting second needs a result to reignite his championship challenge. Max in third got his first podium with Red Bull's new engine supplier but can he fight for the win with Honda's hybrid upgrades? Charles in fourth wants to assert pressure on his Ferrari teammate. Don't forget Lewis the runaway leader of the championship. Can anyone catch him? He starts fifth. Don't ever write off the five time champion for this win!

Twenty pilots line up on the grid and raise their revs as the five red lights on the gantry blink on one after the other. There's no fake sound effects required on TV with 20 V10s pounding the earth with vibration. The tremors increase as the red lights turn green.

0:00 Race Start

Seb keeps his lead from Valtteri off the start line. A clean start to a race many drivers can win. Although Williams would still struggle to get points in this equalised rule book with such a flawed car. Robert has jumped the start from last on the grid and moves ahead of his team mate before giving the place back. A honest mistake but a likely penalty for qualifying next race.

At the front Vatteri uses DRS to get along side Seb after the Dunlop Chicane. The field is trading paint and rubber. Taking bites out off each other before the fighting gets serious. At Tertre Rouge Charles gambles on activating attack mode early, running wide to drive over the activator and loses a place to the charging Lewis. Mercedes are fast in a straight line and there's no other straight in the world like this. The Mulsanne Straight without chicanes! Charles feels the surge from attack mode and opens DRS passing Lewis at 200mph. Everyone has DRS open but Charles also has five minutes of hybrid powered attack mode and passes Max for third at 240 mph!

Kevin gets in the side of Lando for ninth painting a black Pirelli circle on the side of the orange McLaren. These cars are designed for wheel to wheel battle with fewer complex and fragile aero parts. Lando repays Kevin with a late lunge pushing him off the track. Some aggressive racing from both drivers with any penalties sure to be applied to qualifying at the next race.

Charles is on a charge with his strategic gamble paying off for now. Banking on an early rain shower his gamble on lap one attack mode helps him scythe through his rivals and pass Valtteri for second. His Ferrari is light on fuel in the hope of an early downpour. At Arnage Charles passes Seb for the lead, the Ferrari number one aware of Charles' strategy. It starts to rain as Charles navigates the Porsche Curves with the last of his attack mode and the downpour begins as he enters the pit entrance. Perfect timing on an eight mile lap! Charles looks like a tactical genius as he leaves the pits with full wet tyres and a full tank of fuel.

Others aren't so lucky.

0:30 Romain - Haas Ferrari

Thirty minutes into a two hour race on an eight mile circuit with the imminent threat of rain has persuaded most teams to time themselves to be near the pit entrance for wet tyres in time for the rain to fall. Some drivers slow down to avoid a full lap in the wet on slick tyres while others use attack mode and all the power they have to get near the pits in time. Romain was driving through the Dunlop Curves near the start of the lap as the rain started to fall hard. His Haas, without any driving aids of course, sliding and fishtailing on slicks with his wet tyres waiting patiently in the pits seven miles away. It took Herculean amounts of skill from Romain to get the Haas back to the pits but he gets there, to the amusement of fans and commentators, a lap down. The fans just don't appreciate the amount of effort and skill required to get that Haas to the pits in these conditions as Charles laps him for a second time.

The rain falls for fifteen minutes then hangs in the air as a decreasing number of cars pull the rain out of the tarmac with aerodynamic might, causing a mist to form above the circuit. A dangerous visibility problem when hunting down the car in front. Half way through the race and the clouds are clearing. The circuit slowly, at first, begins to dry.

1:00 half race distance

This is a masterclass from Charles half way into the French Grand Prix at LeMans. He leads in his Ferrari from Valtteri three seconds behind in his Mercedes. They've been close all day trading places on the Mulsanne Straight. Seb is in third driving through the mist with only red tail-lights to guide him. Lewis is fourth, just holding fire until the circuit is dry enough for a final push on slick tyres. Max is nearby in fifth and matching Lewis. The youngster learning from the five time world champion and preparing for the final battle as the mist turns into spray. Renault are having a strong race at their home Grand Prix with Nico in sixth and Dan in eighth. 1:30 dry line begins to appear

The track is starting to dry in places with thirty minutes left on the clock. The cars are pulling the rain out of the tarmac in trails of dirty spray, creating a fog which hangs in the air. It creates dangerous conditions as the drivers are increasing able to get the power down on the drying tarmac. Despite the increased danger the race continues and the speed increases. Some drivers have come in for intermediate tyres while others choose to wait a little longer on full wets before the track is dry enough for slicks. The excitement and adrenaline keeps the soaking wet Formula One fans in their seats.

Charles - Scuderia Ferrari vs Valtteri - Mercedes AMG

Charles is soaked in sweat with bulging eyes focused on the road at 220 mph. His visor steams up with each fast breath, as is Valtteri's visor along side him. Valtteri aquaplanes alongside Charles, his Mercedes rising above the wet tarmac, almost touching wheels as he fights for control of his car. Visibility is still low with only tail-lights visible as Charles and Valtteri lap the slower Williams of Robert to the left and Kevin's battle scarred Haas to the right. Both Charles and Valtteri need a win to keep their world championship hopes alive and neither want to be second to their championship winning team mates a moment longer.

Speeding away from Mulsanne towards the next string of corners named Indianapolis & Arnage Charles pushes his Ferrari up through the gears. Pushing the Ferrari closer to its limits through the spray on drying tarmac. It's dry enough to open DRS. He looks in his mirrors, vibrating with the engines revs, searching for Valtteri as he shifts into seventh, the vibration from worn wet tyres shaking the mirrors with higher frequency as he accelerates up to eighth gear. These cars can cover a great distance in the short time Charles was looking for his opponent. Valtteri is along side him in the tightest of gaps as Charles' attention snaps forward to the red taillight before him in the mist.

Antonio - Alfa Romeo

Antonio's Alfa Romeo caught a puncture seconds earlier. He might yet score his first points of the season if he can nurse the car home painfully slow to avoid more damage to the car. The Alfa Romeo is balanced on opposite wheels with one front wheel in the air and the punctured rear flaying at the rear wing and floor. Despite this the car isn't badly damaged if he gets slowly back to the pits. Maybe tenth is still possible for one championship point. Charles sees the Alfa Romeo's taillight and turns sharply away with instinct. All within the blink of an eye into the side of Valtteri. The force breakes the suspension on Charles' Ferrari before he knows what happened. Valtteri is barged against the steel barriers at 150 mph. Carbon fibre shreds from each masterpiece of engineering as Charles slides across wet grass and tarmac. The steering wheel violently shaking in his hands as he hits the gravel trap like a missile. The gravel swallows the Ferrari's carcass like quicksand. Valtteri was slammed into the steel barrier hard. The force from Charles broke the Mercedes suspension on his left side then the barrier destroyed the right. He gets thrown from one barrier to the opposite side of the road. The barriers tearing at his once perfect racing Mercedes. In her death throes the Mercedes keeps Valtteri safe. Energy vibrates down the second barrier rather than through Valtteri, the Mercedes rebounding of the second barrier on her painstakingly crafted floor. The million dollar aerodynamic secrets of her wings are now thrown to the wind in a million fragments. Valtteri is just a passenger waiting for the rollercoaster to abruptly stop. A fucking glorious win taken from him! The Mercedes lurches to a shuddering stop against the barriers. Steam and oil pouring out the the remains of his V10 engine. Clutching the wheel with white knuckles Valtteri shakes for a moment as the crash replays in his mind in slow motion, feeling every hit for a second time. A concerned marshal brings him back to reality. He bears no animosity to Charles, even as he sees him rise from the remains of his Ferrari unharmed. The adrenaline will take hours to ease, it felt good to be in a fucking race for once! Antonio gets through unscathed on three wheels and makes it to the pits under the red flag.

1:45 Red Flag

Because heavy lifting vehicles are required trackside to remove what's left of the Ferrari and Mercedes the race must be stopped but the clock keeps ticking down the remaining minutes of this two hour race. As for the red flag, the moment heavy recovery vehicles are required trackside the race must stop and the remaining drivers return to the pits. Formula One cars are designed to act as a survival cell should a driver hit a barrier or another car at high speed. Drivers can roll these cars at 200mph and walk away. But to hit one of these recovery vehicles, at any speed, the danger of grave consequences unnecessarily increases.

1:53 Restart

The clock is ticking down as the remaining competitors pull up to their grid positions from the lap before the red flag. All of them are on slick tyres and fuelled up to the end of the Grand Prix. With the two leaders out Seb is now in pole position for the rolling start with Lewis in second. It's been a quiet race for Lewis yet there he is fighting for the win once more. Max could take RedBull-Honda's first win from third. Then in fourth, possibly with a nose bleed is Nico for Renault.

As the marshals finish sweeping the carbon fibre from the road the drivers get belted into their cars ready for the imminent restart. There's no ten minute warning or toilet breaks. Two recovery trucks race back to the pits with cheers from the fans. The carcass of Charles' Ferrari beats Valtteri's Mercedes back to the pits. The track is given the green light from the marshals as the safety car leads the drivers out of the pits to the grid. With such a long lap at LeMans the cars are lead the wrong way down the pit lane to the back of the grid! All lapped cars are towards the back of the field in their appropriate positions rather than mixing in with the leaders. This gives the leaders a clear sprint in the short time remaining. Antonio made the restart and lights up his tyres in eleventh.

1:55 Safety Car

All drivers activate attack mode at Tertre Rouge ready for the restart with five minutes on the clock. The safety car leads the drivers around LeMans at close to 150mph on the fastest straight. The road legal Mercedes SLS safety car of previous years is now in the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart. This new safety car is loaned from the current constructor champions, the same Mercedes F1 car Lewis drove to honours last year. Painted fluorescent yellow and with flashing hazard lights bonded aerodynamically into the side pods this car is capable of much higher speeds than the old SLS. It enables a safer restart as the competitors can get more heat into their slick tyres. Much more appropriate than the Renault Clio used briefly in the 1990s. The engine in the safety car is the same tried and tested 3-litre V10 as the cars behind, only detuned for longevity and with the hybrid boost systems removed to lower the running costs of using such a machine as a safety car. The neutering of this beast is only temporary until it returns to Mercedes at the end of the season for restoration to its former glory and to sit on display eternally at the Mercedes museum.

1:58 restart

The lights on the safety car switch off half way around the lap to tell the world that the race is about to restart. Two hours will reach zero during the first lap so there's only two laps remaining. The race distance being two hours plus one lap. The drivers are side by side in grid formation as the safety car pulls into the pits. No more slowing to a near stop then gunning it. Seb leads the pack with Lewis alongside keeping at the limited restart speed of 100mph waiting for the red lights to turn green. All five red lights are bright in Seb's eyes as they turn black then glow green in an instant. He accelerates on the dry line with his DRS system clearing the air and hybrid boost pushing his Ferrari forward into the lead.

1:58 penultimate lap

Lewis spins his wheels for a moment as he opens DRS on the greasy track. Seb is pulling away in the lead with Max up to second. Lewis holds onto third with Nico grateful for fourth. Looks like there's three competitors fighting for the win as the clock counts down to zero on the penultimate lap.

Seb has pulled out a led on the Mulsanne Straight. Max is too far behind in second to gain an advantage in his aerodynamic wake. Lewis is fighting to stay with the RedBull as Max redlines his engine desperately to catch Seb. Lewis is keeping Max near, taking care of his Mercedes and charging the hybrid boost system while Max pushes his RedBull-Honda to the redline once more. Seconds ahead Seb is in flow state with his Ferrari accelerating through the Porsche Curves when an explosion drags him back to reality. A rear tyre blew out sending him into an uncontrollable spin. The force and speed of the explosion brakes his suspension as the Ferrari spins violently to the side of the road. Seb's luck just goes from bad to worse. On three wheels and wet grass his beaten Ferrari luckily slides to a safe point far enough from battle to not need recovery. Seb is defeated and silently sits in his Ferrari. Lady Luck is spiteful towards Seb these days. The young maverick Max takes the lead from Seb followed by veteran champion Lewis with Nico and Renault in third.

2:00 final lap

Across the line to start the final lap and Max is driving the wheels off his RedBull-Honda. With eight miles to go he leaves a trail of molten rubber through The Forest Esses. Two wheels on the grass trying desperately to win this Grand Prix. Looking in his mirrors he sees Lewis in his slipstream as they enter the Mulsanne Straight one last time. Max had DRS open at Tertre Rouge and shoots all of his hybrid boost like it's NOS. He reaches 250 mph in a heartbeat halfway down the straight with Lewis in clean air underneath his wing. "Too soon buster!" The Mercedes hybrid gives an extra 70 horsepower compared to 50 from Max's Honda. Lewis pulls out from beneath Max's wing into a shockwave of turbulence at 260mph. The Mercedes screaming as every temperature gauge and warning light flashes red. Lewis is alongside Max then ahead as they turn at Musanne towards Indianapolis & Arnage.

Lewis vs Max

Both Mercedes and RedBull are screaming in agony. Glorious machines giving everything to get to the chequered flag first. Max now has the slipstream on Lewis ignoring the oil warning light and the smell of burning brakes. Max feints to the right at Indianapolis then dives to the left. Locking up the wheels for the sharp left bend with Lewis on his right. They collide wheel to wheel with shards of carbon fibre showering Nico behind them. Still they continue. With only one mile to the finish.

Send it!

Lewis gains on Max through the Porsche Curves breathing in the oil fumes of the RedBull-Honda. Both cars are damaged but they can take hits, victory is expected to be fought for. The RedBull cockpit glows red with warning lights as Max continues to redline every ounce of horsepower out of his engine. Just the sharp Ford Chicanes to go before the checkered flag. This is Lewis' last chance for victory as he waits for Max to brake into the final corner. He waits and waits. Then he sees the RedBull-Honda DRS slam shut as Max brakes impossibly late. Lewis aims for the closing gap between Max and the kerb then slams on the brakes. There's just enough space, half the width of his Mercedes as Lewis paints black rubber along the side of the blue RedBull. He feels the Mercedes' agony through his spine as the serrated kerb tears at the cars floor beneath him. The track opens up to reveal the checkered flag within touching distance and furious Max alongside him.

Checkered Flag

It's a drag race to the line. Max was pushed wide from Lewis' lunge and pushes his hybrid boost button hoping he has some power left. He pulls ahead of Lewis by a nose when Lewis uses his remaining boost. The technique always works for Dom Toretto and works just fine for Lewis! Both V10s scream to the redline and the checkered flag wheel to wheel as Lewis inches ahead to win the French Grand Prix by 0.1 seconds!

Nico - Renault

Nico finishes third for Renault and celebrates like he won it! His first podium in 167 Grand Prix and feels like relief rather than elation. Has Nico finally shrugged the weight of the world of his shoulders? With all of the talent he has it's amazing it took so long to get on the podium. He's in tears as he heads for the podium room. His scream of released tension is so loud the grid girls take a step back in fear! Antonio - Alfa Romeo Antonio brings his battle scared Alfa Romeo home in tenth for his first point of the season. He inherited tenth from Seb's misfortune and celebrates with his team who pin him down so the boss can shave his head! The young Italian always keeps his promises. Antonio has long flowing Mediterranean hair any red blooded woman would love and he promised the boss he could shave him when he gets his first points of the season. So his team dutifully pin him to the floor and the boss buzz cuts his head then soothes his scalp with a spray of champagne!

Lewis - Mercedes AMG

Lewis punches the air as he crosses the finish line, releasing the tension and aggression from two hours of hard racing. His engineer, James, congratulates him on the radio, 'Get in there Lewis. Another great victory champ...'. Lewis already has his reply on his lips and waits a few moments for James to finish whatever he's saying rather than listen. 'I feel so blessed! Max and the Ferrari's nearly had us today. We have to keep pushing and developing this car.' Mercedes have won every race so far this year and Lewis all but two. Lewis jumps out of his car and celebrates with his pit crew. He runs toward the fans who invade the track to see their heroes. Mad Max Max's RedBull expired after the checkered flag. The oil that was the blood of his V10 is now smoke filling the cockpit and a slick streak on the tarmac after the finish line. Max vents his anger on the radio, 'He fucking cheated me! This was my win. Two wheels off the track in the last corner, I would've done the same thing, but I want to punch his teeth in. Don't care who he thinks he is I need to talk to this bastard.' Max gets his car back to the pits on hybrid power and thumps the silver second place marker as he petulantly parks and leaps out of the RedBull. He pulls out the radio wire with his fist and jumps out the car in a blind rage. He doesn't notice Nico extend his hand for a handshake as he hulks off looking for Lewis. Lewis The fans chant Lewis' name as he shares his victory with them. He's shaking hands and taking selfies when he spies Max storming towards him in a furious mood! 'Look at this little shit, who does he think he is?' Lewis' grinning fans are expecting to see a fight which he would most certainly win if it comes to blows. Max feels outnumbered the closer he gets to his rival and his horde of smug fans so he slows his approach to a stop within shouting distance. Lewis has no appetite for a fight with Max after beating him already where it matters, and he can't hear the boy's complaints over the cheering of his fans. Lewis looks Max straight in the eyes and raises his hand to give him two fingers! The universal signal for, 'Fuck off mate', and laughs at the sight of him with a winning grin. Max the teenage boy wonder trying to become top dog against Lewis the living legend. Not today. As long as I'm number one all is good in the world.