All the Way - an F1 story

46

13 November , 2021
📍São Paulo, Brazil

(C) Okay, Melì, what else can we do?

(P) Maintain your position, Calì. P3 is perfect for us.

(C) Copy.

Calina couldn't complain about where the team was at. Compared to past sprint races, this one had to be their best one so far in terms of making up positions. She was sitting comfortably in third, with only Valterri and Max out in front. Behind her, she could see Nico a few cars back, catching Lewis.

She couldn't help but think about the championship as she drove around the circuit, the rows and rows of fans in the grandstands cheering as she drove by. Going into the weekend, Calina was only seven points behind Sergio, who was only ten behind Valtteri in third. Natalie had mentioned this during their interview on Thursday, and Henry had confirmed it during their break between FP2 and the Sprint, as they ate with Lella, Gabriel, and the twins. They all believed she could claim third, the best any rookie has finished since Lewis placed second in his debut season.

Calina had known since Monza she had a chance to finish high in the standings for a rookie, but third place seemed unrealistic. She had to admit she was a bit stunned when Natalie first mentioned it, though it slowly began to feel achievable as the season went on. However, with Valtteri and Sergio, two older drivers with much more experience than herself, also fighting for that spot, it was only going to be that much more difficult for her. If Calina could use this sprint race to get herself in the best possible position for the race, then there was only one option: she had full confidence that she could beat Valtteri off the start, but that meant she would have to get past Max now.

As Calina rounded the final corner, making her way along the main straight, the gap between herself and the navy-red-and-yellow car grew smaller and smaller. It was no secret Max had a lot at stake in São Paulo, especially with his girlfriend's family in attendance. She had seen the Piquets earlier on as she and Lella arrived at the paddock, and neither Nelson nor his daughter seemed too particularly pleased to see her. For what reason exactly, Calina didn't know, but she could only walk away with a roll of her eyes, because she had more important issues to worry about.

(C) Can I go for it?

(P) Maintain your position, Calina.

Calina could hear the edge in Melissa's voice, in her tone when her engineer said her full name. Even Melissa could see what she saw from the cockpit: the way Max seemed to hesitate, his jerky movements, how he tried to move into a defensive position that nearly made Calina go off track. He was getting nervous, and Melissa was trying to keep her driver in the race.

(C) Melissa, I got this. Please, let me go for it.

It was so enticing, and Melissa probably could sense that Calina was getting impatient, because a lap later, she finally allowed her to race. As soon as the older woman gave her approval, Calina was off, pulling the full capacity of power out of the Pagani.

Her opportunity came at the turns-six-and-seven complex, Laranja. Calina had the inside line, and she made sure it was clear as day to Max that she had the position. He tried to manoeuvre himself back, almost hitting her rear left, but she was already through, much to her own surprise.

(C) Come on! That was good!

(P) Nice one, Calì. Now focus on the next car.

Calina pulled away from the Red Bull, much quicker than she thought her car could, but she assumed maybe her pass had stunned Max.

After what seemed like forever, Calina came back around on the main straight, Valtteri's Mercedes not too far off. Her pit board was held up against the pit wall, the bright numbers displaying the gap to the car ahead, and a large '1' with a star next to it, signalling there was one more lap. It would be stupid to risk a pass on the last lap during a sprint, so she could take the two points and a front row start for the race.