That's Racing Baby | Lando Norris

Chapter 20: Race Six

"How did you know that?" Brilliant Emilia brilliant. Instead of covering it up, confirmed it. What an idiot  she told herself.

"The way your face lit up at the mention of his name." Charles explained. Emilia didn't realise her face lit up when Lando's name was mentioned. In fact, she didn't realise she reacted to Lando's name being brought up at all let alone give it away that she likes him. Emilia's face suddenly felt a lot hotter.

"Yeah, he talks about you a lot to me. You are a lovely person but it does get annoying sometimes." Carlos laughed. Emilia was flattered that Lando spoke to others about her.

"Yeah I'm sorry about that. His Spanish yesterday was adorable though." Emilia gushed to the two drivers in red racing suits.

"What Spanish? Carlos you taught him Spanish? Honestly, I am your teammate now you need to be teaching me not him." Charles laughed. He didn't seem to be mad that Carlos still preferred his ex-teammate but then, their bond was unbreakable even if they were in separate teams.

"He asked for what little duck was in Spanish so I told him, I presume he wanted a cute nickname for Emilia." Carlos grinned at the kindness of his best friend. Emilia blushed again at the mention of Lando without him being here. She quickly glanced around for him but couldn't see him.

"Aw that is so sweet." Charles admired. Emilia suddenly had an idea.

"Yeah don't tell anyone there's anything going on yet though because nothing's official yet and we don't want everyone knowing. Also, you speak French right?" Emilia queried and Charles nodded in response. "Can you teach me a bit?" Emilia requested with a smile.

It seemed like no time at all before Emilia had to be back in the car after the national anthem. She put her helmet on and prepared herself for the start of the race moving her steering wheel as if she was driving around the track but without pressing the accelerator. John gave her the warning that the formation lap was about to commence so she slid her visor down and got her head in the zone. The light switched off and formation lap began with Emilia weaving her way round the tight circuit.

"You're starting P5 today. Keep it clean; no dive bombing into turn one, it won't help you at all. Stay cautious of crashing into George, he's being told the same." John informed as Emilia whipped through the tunnel.

"Copy." Emilia briefly replied fully focusing on getting round the Nouvelle chicane without clipping the barriers. She completed the rest of the lap as smoothly as it started with no issues. Twenty cars were parked up on the grid so the light sequence began. They all turned on and then off again signalling that the race was underway.

Emilia had a better start than George and caught up with him by the time they had gotten to turn one. From the late breaking, her tyre locked up and caused a plume of smoke to appear from her right front. It allowed George to slide in front of her and Emilia was now under pressure from the McLaren of probably Daniel Ricciardo.

Luckily for Emilia, Monaco was a track that rarely fitted two cars side by side so she would be safe for the most part. DRS wouldn't be enabled until lap three either meaning she would have time to extend the gap.

While considering her tyres, Emilia pushed to extend the gap to longer than a second which she succeeded and was within DRS of George but the straight just wasn't long enough to catch him. She got inside three tenths but lost six tenths in the dirty air of the corners. It was a constant battle with George holding the position and Emilia being a comfortable distance away from Daniel or whoever else was behind her.

As Emilia started on the softs, the pit window would open around lap thirty but lap forty was the aim providing she didn't wear out her tyres too much. Her tyres felt fine but by lap thirty the flat spot was causing vibrations that began to give Emilia a headache. She requested to pit and they told her it would have to be a bit longer so she could be fed back out into a good gap. Eventually she was called in and pitted for hards as mediums definitely wouldn't last until the end.