who would have thought [lando norris]

a bright future

"And this is Lando Norris' 4th win in this 2022 season. The young Briton is certainly showing his talent and it seems McLaren is making it's way up there to soon be fighting for Championship again. Unbelievable!" was all I heard in the background while I made my way to parc ferme here in Monza to congratulate my boy.

I was running to not miss him getting out of his car standing behind the #1 sign. Arriving just in time I had my eyes on him while he stood on the nose of his car with his fists in the air, cheering.

He ran up to the group of his team that had accumulated itself to joyfully jump into their arms and celebrate his win with hugs and pats on this helmet.

When they released him a few moments later he looked around locking eyes with me. I could sense his big smile behind his opened visor.

I welcomed him into my open arms, "you are incredible, I can't believe it. Andiamo!!!"

He hugged me so tightly and swung me around in the air. I was dizzy when he finally let me down again.

He didn't talk much, he never did when he got that excited. 

I grabbed his helmet to look him into his eyes, "Go get your trophy! I'll find you again after!"

He still hadn't said anything but he nodded and got on to make his way to the podium celebrations. I watched with the proudest smile on my face.

Lando finished the second season with 7 wins, bringing home seven beautiful gold trophies which were now all lined up on the shelf in our apartment in Milan, we had moved in together right after the end of the 2022 season.

With Landos success, proximity to the McLaren Headquarters wasn't exactly required anymore, but he kept his home in Woking and would fly out there if needed.

The 2023 season had even more wins for him in store but it really took of in his 5th season.

When the 2024 season had just picked up and Lando battled George in the Mercedes for the Championship race for race, I got to the final spurt of my bachelors degree.

With Lando's career being on a high, not being able to support him at every race was even harder for me, but I never failed to keep my fingers crossed for him whatever I was doing.

I pushed through all of my last exams while Lando pushed himself to the limits on the track.

To my luck it looked like he would actually have time to attend my graduation, which was kind of a big deal to me but I wouldn't admit to Lando, because I initially thought he wouldn't be able to make it. I didn't want him feeling bad because as much as I wanted to have him next to me at all times and wasn't exactly happy that he was currently more focused on racing than on anything else, I knew this was important and it wouldn't change anything about my love for him.

If anything it made the time we had together even more precious and Lando was doing amazing at not having his head anywhere else when he was with me, even though that meant he didn't have his head with me when working, but his success made him crazy happy, which in return made me happy. 

In fact I had never seen him happier. His days were busy but it payed off. All the work was worth it and it showed, on track especially.

"Congratulazioni alla classe del 2024 per la laurea! Auguro a tutti voi un futuro brillante!" the principal of my uni was telling us from the stage in front of us, wishing us a bright future.

After receiving our degrees, I talked to a few of my friends I had made over the course of these three years before searching to find my family who all came to Milan to witness this big moment.