Throttled (dirty Air, #1)

The first book in the Dirty Air series opens two years before the main narrative at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the Formula 1 season. Noah Slade, a top driver for Bandini, F1's most prestigious team, holds the lead when young rival Santiago Alatorre clips his car at nearly 190 miles per hour, causing a catastrophic crash that ends Noah's championship hopes. Afterward, Noah confronts his parents. His father, Nicholas Slade, a retired F1 legend who privately funds Noah's career, berates him for losing. His mother sits passively, cold and indifferent. Noah reflects on a childhood of beatings for placing below first and a mother who looked away, recognizing he has built emotional walls as a survival mechanism.

Two years later, Santiago's sister Maya Alatorre graduates from the Universitat de Barcelona with a communications degree. Santiago announces his new Bandini contract the same day, overshadowing her achievement. Despite jealousy, Maya agrees to travel with him for the full race calendar, planning to vlog her experiences. Meanwhile, Noah learns Santiago has been signed as his new teammate and resents the arrangement but resolves to stay civil.

At the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Maya accompanies Santiago to a press conference and is immediately struck by Noah's looks. Santiago clumsily implies the Abu Dhabi crash was Noah's fault, and Noah later confronts him, insulting Maya by assuming she is Santiago's girlfriend. She reveals she is Santiago's sister, and an embarrassed Noah apologizes. That evening at the hotel bar, they share a genuine conversation about their backgrounds, both feeling a strong physical charge. At the Bandini gala, Noah reveals his parents barely attend his races, and Maya senses deeper pain beneath his arrogant exterior.

Noah wins the Australian Grand Prix. Over the following races, Maya's vlog gains traction with behind-the-scenes F1 footage. At the Chinese Grand Prix, she befriends Sophie Mitchell, the college-aged daughter of Bandini's team principal James Mitchell, who warns Maya about Noah's playboy reputation. During the race, Santiago crashes into Noah's car, forcing both drivers to retire. Noah furiously confronts Santiago but professionally defends the team at the mandatory press conference, impressing Maya.

Noah's attraction to Maya deepens as weeks pass. At the Spanish Grand Prix, Santiago's home race, Maya introduces Noah to her parents. Her mother hugs him warmly, and Noah feels sharp jealousy at their loving family dynamic. During the race, Noah deliberately eases off, wanting Santiago to have a victory in front of his family, and lies about a mechanical issue. Afterward, Nicholas backhands Noah across the face. Maya witnesses the assault through an ajar door and brings him an ice pack. He asks her to keep the abuse secret, and she privately realizes she is developing feelings for him.

In Monaco, a charged encounter on a yacht leaves both Noah and Maya aroused. Maya begins avoiding him, enlisting Sophie's help. Sophie arranges a group dinner with Liam Zander, a German driver for rival team McCoy, and his British teammate Jax Kingston. Noah crashes the dinner uninvited. After winning the Monaco Grand Prix, Noah finds Maya alone, locks the door, and kisses her for the first time. Santiago's knocking interrupts them, and Noah slips out undetected.

Shaken, Maya skips the next race and flies home to Spain. Noah, without her present, fails to make the podium for the first time all season. At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Noah takes Maya on a motorcycle ride to a secluded beach picnic. They kiss passionately, but when Noah proposes a casual arrangement, Maya firmly declines, explaining she fears catching feelings for someone who cannot commit. Noah admits he does not know how to be emotionally available, and they part with a bittersweet goodbye.

Devastated, Noah goes drinking that night and takes a woman home. The next morning, consumed by regret, he misses practice and qualifies 14th, his worst placement ever. Maya confronts him after the race, and when he callously dismisses the encounter, she cuts him down and walks away.

During the month-long summer break, Noah begins attending therapy twice weekly, working through his family trauma and fear of commitment. His therapist helps him realize that his jealousy at the thought of Maya with someone else reveals the depth of his feelings. After the break, Sophie sets Maya up on dates that go poorly. At a restaurant in Milan, Noah finds Maya and kisses her, telling her he has changed. She pulls away, conflicted.

At the Singapore Grand Prix, Sophie tricks Maya into attending what she thinks is a group dinner but is actually a private meeting with Noah. He confesses he spent the break in therapy and wants a real relationship. Maya cautiously agrees. Their relationship deepens quickly, but Maya insists on keeping it secret from Santiago until after the championship.

Nicholas reappears and corners Maya, threatening to block Santiago's contract renewal. Maya refuses to be intimidated. Noah, having spent the year securing new sponsorships to replace his father's funding, confronts Nicholas and cuts him off permanently. Noah and Maya exchange their first declarations of love while dancing in an empty ballroom after a gala.

At the Brazilian Grand Prix, a rainstorm creates dangerous conditions. Liam's car clips Noah's, causing his car to flip three times, slam into a barrier, and catch fire while Noah is trapped upside down. Maya listens helplessly to his panicked radio calls before the safety crew extracts him uninjured. She runs to him in front of the entire crew. Nicholas exploits the chaos to reveal the relationship to Santiago, who pins Noah against a wall. When Nicholas makes a crude comment about Maya, Santiago punches him instead. Maya refuses to leave with Santiago, declaring her love for Noah. Santiago, hurt but supportive, accepts the relationship. James mediates the remaining tension, and the teammates reconcile.

Noah calls his mother one final time. When she asks only for VIP tickets and cannot remember his age, he ends the relationship, finding closure.

At the Abu Dhabi season finale, Maya's parents attend at Noah's invitation. During the race, Noah holds second but struggles with fear, hesitating to overtake Liam. James hands Maya the team radio headset, as Noah has specifically requested her voice. She talks him through the final laps, narrating their love story in coded terms and encouraging him to take the risk. He overtakes Liam in one of the final corners to win his fourth World Championship and calls Maya onto the podium, where they kiss amid champagne. Santiago places third overall, and the teammates win the Constructors' Championship, F1's team title, embracing as friends.

An epilogue set one year later shows Noah surprising Maya with a video compilation of their relationship at his Amalfi Coast home. As the video ends, she looks up to find him on one knee with a ring. On their wedding day, Noah presents Maya with a garter made from the checkered flag of the Barcelona race he threw for Santiago, the moment he first realized he was falling for her. He reflects on his transformation from a man who never imagined having a partner to someone eager to build a life with Maya.