I KNOW PLACES | George Russell

13. pretend

Australia
Sunday

Ariella's POV

I start p2 today. So close to pole, but Max was able to beat me by almost an entire second. Rocky was so confident that I would get pole. I was more upset that I let him down than anything. Despite that, the 1-2 start is huge for the team. Everyone, including my brother and the band, were celebrating not only his pole but also my p2.

Max apologized to me yesterday for beating me to pole.

"Ariella, I'm sorry for taking pole from you. I know it's your home race." He sounded genuinely upset about it. I shake my head urgently. "No, no! Don't apologize that was an amazing lap. Besides, I wouldn't want that just handed to me, you know? Seems like I wouldn't deserve it that way." His upset demeanor turns around, a smile now spread across his features in place of the frown.

Now sitting on the grid, preparing for the formation lap, I see Max ahead of me turn his whole body around to face me and give me a thumbs up. A feeling tells me his grin is wide beneath the helmet. In response, I give him a double thumbs up, and a huge smile I know he can't see but he will somehow know it's there.

With the formation lap done quickly, I'm sitting back in that p2 spot. Staring at the lights ahead of me, waiting for the moment the thrill begins.

One light

Two

Three

Four

Five

And it's lights out.

-☆-

Lap 29. Max and I still have the lead. He's 6.8 seconds ahead of me. Lewis behind by 1.2 seconds. None of us have pitted yet.

And into turn 1 I mess up. I break too early and turn too wide. Allowing Lewis to catch up to me into turn 2. He's close enough now to activate DRS, and he does. I can see him gaining closer, now almost right next to me before turn 3.

His wheel gets caught on mine, throwing me off the track. Thankfully I recover in time to only have lost one position. Rocky informs me I'm 1.8 seconds behind Lewis now.

Lap 32. They call me into the pits for Hards. "Looks like Lewis will also be pitting." Rocky informs over the radio and I know they will try and get me out ahead of him, being less than a second behind him now.

And somehow, miraculously, they manage to achieve that very goal. "Amazing stop there guys, truly." I thank the pit crew over the radio.

I come out p3. Being one of the first on the grid to pit, this doesn't bother me much.

Lap 35. The gap to Max is 24 seconds now, having pitted set me back a little. Both him and Alonso, who was p2, pit. I come out ahead of Alonso but can't manage to get out ahead of Max, who is now 2.3 seconds ahead.

Lap 45. I have DRS on Max, the instruction to pass, if able, being given to me by Rocky. Closing in on him just ahead of me, the other navy blue car edging closer with every kilometer I drive. I could practically reach out and touch his car. He brakes later into the next turn. I lose the ability to pass him there. No problem, I can catch him in the next sector.

And I do.

The very next DRS sector I manage to pass him cleanly. I refrain from celebrating out of fear I may jinx myself, but Rocky comes over the radio to compliment the move.

Lap 55. I'm still leading. Max was given the order to defend me, Rocky informs.

Lap 58. Max defends me all the way to the finish line. I finish p1 in my home race. My first ever win in formula one and I did it at my home race. I busted my ass to get here and it finally, finally paid off.

Pulling into parc ferme I can already see the team totally beaming at the 1-2 finish, and my win.

I climb out of the car, eager to celebrate with everyone else who got me to this point. I kiss the number 28 on the car before I quickly turn to jump at the team. Helmet pats, hugs, high fives, all physical expressions of their excitement for my win.

"Ria!" The nickname only one person has ever called me carried its way to my ears despite all the other noise around. My head whips in the direction of the source to find the four boys standing not to far from where I stand now.

I break from the team, running up to the boys and embracing them instead. One of the four flips the visor of my helmet up, allowing them to see my glazed over eyes from the overwhelming feeling of excitement.

I pull away from them at the sound of another voice calling my name. It's Parker, who is standing arms wide and inviting. I run the short distance to her, jumping into her arms so forcefully it almost knocks the two of us down. "You did it!" She yells over the noise. "We did it!" I correct her. I wouldn't be able to do all this if it wasn't for her. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. She pushed me to my limits everyday to get the both of us here.

The hug is soon joined by Max, then Lando follows, Daniel appears out of nowhere to join, then Alex, Lewis, Charles, Carlos, Esteban, and Lance. Some of these people I've exchanged only a handful of conversations with, but their support for me means nothing less.

Something unbelievable and probably stupid happens then. George joins the large embrace. I pretend not to notice, I pretend like it doesn't mean a lot to me, I pretend like he doesn't exist at all.

Because if I didn't, I may have just left the large group hug to feel his form against mine. All alone, no one else. And I can't explain why. I can't explain why that desire is present in my mind. I can't explain why that is what I am now focused on, the incredible race result now completely washed away by these thoughts.

(1053 words)

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A/N - 1k reads is kinda wild I didn't expect this to go anywhere so thank you🫶

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