SIX
‘I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE working for a rival team!’ Maisie exclaims the moment I open my front door.
‘I know.’ I hang my head in mock shame. ‘If you never speak to me again, I’ll understand.’
‘Well, I thought about it …’ She pauses for a moment, before thrusting a plastic tub towards me. ‘But then I made celebratory brownies instead. Congratulations on the new job!’
‘Oooh.’ I lick my lips as I open the lid. Maisie’s chocolate brownies are the best. She says the secret ingredient is sour cream, which doesn’t sound very appealing, but they’re absolutely mouth-watering. ‘In that case, you can come in.’
She pushes the door shut with her foot. ‘Um, not to sound critical, but what are you wearing? Couldn’t you be fired for wearing a Quezada shirt when you work for Rask?’
‘Not if they don’t know about it.’ I suppress a pang of guilt. ‘It’s the Spanish Grand Prix! What else can I wear? Anyway, I can support both teams.’
‘Can you?’ Maisie looks sceptical. ‘What if it comes to a choice?’
‘It won’t,’ I answer confidently. Quezada are in the top two, while Rask are stuck in the lower middle of the pack. No matter how effective their upgrades might be, something dramatic would have to happen for either Leif or Corey to challenge Jaxon Marr or Noa Shimizu.
‘But theoretically?’ She nudges me.
‘Theoretically?’ I arch an eyebrow. ‘My heart belongs to Quezada.’
‘I knew it! You’re just flirting with Rask.’ She laughs. ‘Don’t worry. I won’t tell.’
‘Thanks. Now, come on. Dan’s watching the race with us.’
‘Great.’ She follows me through to the kitchen-lounge. ‘So how’s it going at Rask? I won’t tell Gio, I promise.’
‘I love it!’ I grin at her over my shoulder. ‘I still have to pinch myself every morning to check I’m not dreaming. It’s pretty full-on, but it’s fun and the people in my department are all super nice.’
I sigh because it’s true; I really do like my new colleagues.
After just a couple of days – even though Emika and Yuto left for Spain on Wednesday afternoon – I feel like I’m getting to know them well.
For example, I know that Charlotte loves romance novels about vets and that she’s getting married to a real-life vet in January, during the off-season.
Despite Yuto’s warning, I’ve already had several conversations with her on the subject.
I also know that Emika is an identical twin, is sick of wedding talk and hates the smell of Yuto’s favourite prawn cocktail crisps.
As for Yuto, he’s a huge Warhammer fan and, according to our new WhatsApp group, is prepared to switch to salt and vinegar on the condition he can still have prawn cocktail on Fridays.
In return for all this information, I’ve told them about my degree, my podcast, my friendship with Maisie and Gio and … Well, then I drew a blank. Not that my life is empty, but now that my main interest has also become my job, I guess maybe it’s time I found a replacement hobby.
‘Don’t Rask need you to work today?’ Maisie asks.
‘Not really.’ I shake my head. ‘Media Day on Thursday was busy, but the team at the track handle all the communications stuff today.’
‘Well, I’m really happy for you.’ She looks past me to the lounge. ‘Hi, Dan.’
‘Hi!’ My brother looks up from where he’s slumped on the sofa, watching the pre-race grid walk. ‘I hope you don’t mind me joining you?’
‘Of course not.’ She flings herself down beside him. ‘I didn’t know you were an F1 fan?’
‘I’m not, but my little sister insisted I take her to brunch, so I thought I’d hang out for a while afterwards.’
‘Good idea.’ She smiles sympathetically. ‘By the way, I’m sorry about you and Hailey. Is there any chance of you two working things out?’
‘No. She’s moving to Melbourne in a couple of months.’ He lifts his beer with a grimace. ‘What about you? How are things with your world-champion boyfriend? Shouldn’t you be in Spain cheering him on?’
Maisie bristles. ‘I have my own life, thank you very much. I don’t just follow Gio around the world like some kind of cheerleader –’ She stops, abruptly.
‘Sorry, it’s a bit of a sore subject. He wanted me to go with him this weekend, but I have a big race of my own coming up soon and I need to train.
It’s the regional mountain-bike championships. ’
‘Will Gio be able to come to that?’
‘No, it’s the same weekend as the Austrian GP.
’ She pushes her hands through her hair.
‘I know he can’t just drop a race, even though there are like twenty-four of them, but it feels like our schedules are completely out of sync.
And I don’t see why his career is so much more important than mine, even though he earns more and has millions of fans. ’
‘It’s not.’
‘Tea?’ I interrupt, carrying a tray laden with mugs and brownies over to the coffee table. Listening to them both bemoan their love lives, I’m wondering if it was such a good idea to bring Maisie and my brother together. This afternoon was supposed to cheer them both up, not depress them.
‘Yes, please.’ Maisie looks at me, suddenly changing topic. ‘I saw your “First Day at Rask” video. It was really good.’
‘Thanks. It was my boss’s idea, but I think it went OK.’
‘You got Leif Olsen to smile on camera. I’ve never seen that before.’
‘ Urgh .’ I roll my eyes. ‘I don’t know how. He still hates me.’
‘I’m sure that’s not true. I know you said he was weird with you in Monaco, but Gio says he’s a really nice guy.’
‘That’s what everyone keeps telling me. I guess I just bring out the worst in him.’
‘Give the guy a break,’ Dan objects. ‘You’d be moody too if your car kept breaking down.’ He points a finger at me. ‘If you want him to smile, tell your engineers to give him a better engine.’
‘Hopefully they already have. Rask are introducing some new upgrades this weekend.’ I give him a double look. ‘How do you know about his car anyway?’
‘They’ve just been talking about it.’ He gestures at the television before tipping his head back. ‘Ava, why is it so dark in here? What happened to your light?’
‘What? Oh.’ I look up to where some capped wires are dangling from the ceiling.
‘There was something wrong with the fitting so I had to take it down. I’ve bought a replacement, but I need somebody qualified to install it properly for me.
Maybe somebody who did an electrical apprenticeship with their dad before they decided to change career direction? ’ I bat my lashes at him.
‘Fine.’ He chuckles. ‘I’ll bring my tools over next time.’
‘Look!’ Maisie starts waving at the screen. ‘There’s Leif now.’
I turn my head quickly to see my least favourite driver standing next to his car, a towel round his neck and his overalls rolled down to his waist, as an interviewer shoves a microphone into his face.
He had another impressive qualifying session yesterday, putting him in P9, with Corey only three spots behind in P12, but whether his gearbox will last the race is another matter.
I cringe as the interviewer asks Leif about that, waiting for a terse reply, but to my amazement he only nods his head like he’s processing the question, then gives a long – two sentences!
– answer about how the team have been working hard and how they – we – are all giving 100 per cent.
He even manages a small curve of his lips at the end.
‘He did it again!’ Maisie points at the screen. ‘That’s two smiles.’
I beam back at the television, feeling a surge of professional pride. Leif might not like me, but at least he’s doing what I tell him.
‘You know –’ Maisie tilts her head as an orchestra starts playing the Spanish national anthem – ‘he’s actually pretty good-looking, if you like the brooding, strong-jawed Viking type.’
‘I guess.’ I tilt my head too, pretending the idea has never occurred to me before.
‘Maisie, did you bake these?’ Dan mumbles through a mouthful of chocolate brownie. ‘They’re really good.’
‘I know.’ She looks pleased. ‘Biking and brownies are my twin talents.’
‘Leave some for the rest of us!’ I smack his hand away as he reaches for another. ‘I thought you were getting healthy?’
‘I changed my mind.’ He reaches past me. ‘What’s the point of a break-up if I can’t even drown my sorrows in sugar?’
‘You can’t drown them in sugar and beer. Pick one.’
‘Fine.’ He puts his bottle down, swapping it for a mug of tea. ‘One at a time.’
‘They’re about to start!’ Maisie sits forward on the sofa. ‘Usual deal?’
She flicks a look at me and I nod. We made an agreement at the start of the season not to cheer in the event of a Quezada car overtaking Gio or vice versa. That way there’s no risk of damaging our friendship.
The lights go out and the cars speed away.
Gio keeps the lead, with Marr close behind him, but Louis Cooper in one of the Chilterns manages to overtake Shimizu on the first corner by diving up the inside.
I’m surprised Shimizu allows it, but maybe the pressure of driving in front of a Quezada home crowd is getting to him.
The grandstands are a sea of vivid yellow, like a field full of sunflowers.
Just the sight of it causes a pang in my chest. It would be so amazing to be there, yelling and cheering along, soaking up the atmosphere.
Maybe next year … In the meantime, it’s probably better that I’m watching at home.
I meant what I said to Maisie about supporting both teams, but I don’t want anyone at Rask to know I have divided loyalties, and it would be hard to conceal my love for Quezada if I were there.
‘Olsen got a good start,’ Dan comments.
‘Yes.’ Maisie and I answer at the same time, both of us staring fixedly at the screen.
He’s right, Leif has already overtaken two cars and is causing problems for Zaragoza in the Gold Dart.
He’s driving really well too, closing the distance so fast it won’t be long before he’s in the DRS zone and can overtake.
‘Oh, shit.’ Dan jolts forward suddenly, and I see Maisie wince as Marr overtakes Gio on the straight. It’s a brilliant move, a completely amazing piece of driving, and the Quezada crowd go crazy.
Meanwhile, Leif has gone up another place, but the cameras have been so focused on the leaders that we’ve missed it. I hope they show a replay later because overtaking three cars in one lap is impressive.
I settle back in my armchair, sipping my tea as the race settles into a steady rhythm.
I generally watch races twice. The first time so I can fixate on the Quezada cars, the second time for all the others so I can give them equal attention in my podcast, but today I find myself uncharacteristically distracted, my gaze drawn towards the middle of the pack.
It’s a strange feeling, like my heart is pulling me in one direction and my head in the other.
The cars start pitting on lap 13. The track at Barcelona is notorious for tyre degradation and, by the look of it, all the teams are on a two-stop strategy.
Leif is one of the first in, which puts him back half a dozen places until lap 18, when suddenly he’s in fifth place.
As if that isn’t enough good news, Shimizu also manages to leave the pit-lane ahead of Cooper, putting him back in third, while Corey is up in tenth.
I can hardly believe it’s all going so well.
‘What kind of upgrades did Rask give their cars?’ Dan sounds impressed.
‘I have no idea.’ I find myself grinning. ‘But I guess Bastian knows what he’s doing.’
Lap 60 and I give myself permission to start getting excited.
There are only six laps left, and Leif and Corey are still going strong, with no sign of any mechanical issues.
That’s a win in itself, but if they can finish where they are, in fifth and tenth places, it’ll mean eleven points for the team.
I rest my hands on my knees and lean towards the screen. This could be the perfect result: Quezada occupying the first and third spots on the podium, with Gio between them, and both Leif and Corey scoring points. Just six more laps …
I’m still envisaging it when Cooper, in fourth place in front of Leif, understeers at the third corner, hurtling into the tyre barrier at high speed, flipping his car over and sending one of his wheels flying towards the track.
It happens so quickly there’s no time for a red flag before Leif and Zaragoza both swerve and brake.
But Matti Erikkson in the other Gold Dart is close behind Zaragoza, too close, as he runs straight into the back of him.
He’s going so fast, almost two hundred miles an hour, the impact launches him straight up into the air.
The car flips, corkscrewing over the top of Zaragoza to land …
I shoot a hand out, gripping Maisie’s arm, as my heart leaps into my throat.
‘No!’
‘Is that …?’ Maisie gasps.
I hold tight, watching in horror as the Gold Dart lands on the back of Leif’s car, causing it to rear up and spin off into the gravel too.
‘Shit!’ Dan is on his feet.
We all stare at the screen, waiting for the drivers to get out of their cars and prove they’re OK.
The race has been red flagged and the medical car is speeding towards the scene, but everything seems to be happening in slow motion.
I can’t move, can’t speak, can’t do anything because my heart is hammering so hard.
Cooper climbs out, then Zaragoza and Erikkson, then …
I press a hand to my chest, heaving a sigh of relief as Leif hurls his steering wheel over the side of the car and pulls himself out over the top.
‘Phew.’ Maisie collapses against me. ‘That was scary.’
‘It probably wasn’t as bad as it looked,’ I say, though I hear the quiver in my voice.
‘It’s still horrible to watch.’
‘Shame – Olsen was in fifth place.’ Dan sits down again. ‘If he’d just been another second ahead, he probably could have dodged the whole thing. But at least Corey Hammond is still out there.’
‘I guess,’ I say, trying to sound positive as my phone buzzes.
Gutted! Charlotte’s WhatsApp message comes with a string of crying-face emojis.
Cooper had better get some kind of penalty. Emika joins in from the media centre in Barcelona. The stewards are looking into it now.
I send a disappointed face back, then put my phone down and grab a cushion, wrapping my arms around it as the stewards clear the track and the race restarts. Marr, Gio and Shimizu cross the finish line a few minutes later, sending the Quezada fans wild, but I can’t seem to cheer any more.
Maybe my heart is a little involved with Rask, after all.