All the Way - an F1 story

42

24 October , 2021
📍Austin, United States of America

Sebbie

Why so serious

?
Huh

You look miserable
Look alive
Lighten the fuck up a bit

Even from her peripheral, Calina could see the camera carefully trained on her. She rolled her eyes at her brother's messages, because only he would say that.

I'm bored

Talk to someone then

I am

I dont count
Interact with your fellow drivers
Be a good sport

I-
Leave me alone
Don't you have anything better to do rn?

"He has a point, you know?"

She looked to her left to see Lewis, smiling in amusement, as he looked down at her messages.

"He does, really," Lewis reiterated, chuckling as the younger driver shook her head at him.

"And people think you're a mature adult," she muttered.

"But it's true! You have to look a little alive at these things." They were all huddled in one area, all the drivers, waiting to go out for the driver's parade. It was one of the part's of the weekend that Calina hated the most, which meant the one thing getting her through it would be her phone, her headphones, and the garage crew's shared playlist blasting in her ears. In the ten minutes she had been standing there, she had a quick conversation with Esteban, who then ventured off to talk with Lance, spoke briefly with Nicholas to get out of talking to Lando, was approached by Max who couldn't take a hint that she really didn't want to talk to him, and then occupied herself with her TikTok For You page while absentmindedly picking at the brim of the cowboy hat she was given.

"You think I want to do this? I'm only here because I have to be," Calina replied, looking up at Lewis as they were ushered out by an F1 employee to the truck. Marilena had to practically bribe the younger woman to go to the parade. It was incredibly hot out for the end of October, even more so at track level.. The crowd was roaring as soon as they all appeared, and while Calina loved the energy, she had woken up earlier that day with a massive headache, and this wasn't making it any better.

Calina decided to stick with Lewis towards the front, in a secluded little corner, with Valterri. She couldn't say she was particularly close with the Finn, but the two Mercedes drivers were better company than no one. They passed Pierre and Charles on the way, as well as Daniel, the Australian decked out in an orange Texas basketball jersey and his cowboy boots. It was amusing really, how much he loved the country.

"How are you?"

They were inching closer and closer to the end of the season, and Calina couldn't help but think of the enormous amount of pressure Lewis must have been under. There were only five rounds left after they departed from Austin, which meant only five races more for Lewis to clinch his eighth title, or for Max to earn his first. After the events during Monza, Calina, like many others around the paddock, felt that the Mercedes-Red Bull feud had heated up even more, and one of these days, it was like one team or the other would lash out at any moment. To say the tensions were high would be the understatement of the year.

Lewis shrugged almost passively, but Calina noticed how he glanced very briefly at the Dutch driver.

"Things are getting tense," Lewis replied, flashing a smile as he waved to the roaring fans in the turn four grandstands. "We have to be very careful."