Team Principal | Carlos Sainz

chapter seven

Antonia W.

I hadn't really spoken to Carlos since our little conversation on that corridor in Bahrain. When he was at the head quarter last week in Germany we had never been alone and only spoke in a group with others. I was glad about that I wasn't sure what to say to him, after he had seen my in sweat pants at three am at the hotel corridor.

Now, two weeks later, it was race weekend in Australia and today was a team principal conference, my first one actually. Last time I had been at the media pen doing some interviews but this time it was my turn for the press conference.

"Okay Toni relax, it will be fine, you do a great job." Ricky tried to make me feel better as we were standing in front of the room.

Before I could answer a deep laugh was to hear and I turned around to see Toto Wolff and his media manger coming through another door. We quickly greeted us in German and he asked if everything was fine, which I answered with a quick nod.

Suddenly the door to the press room opened an a young woman said where we should take a seat. I gave Ricky one last nervous look before I went over and took my seat next to the Mercedes boss. A few minutes later the interviewer started.

"Welcome here in down under and I will start with the new face here, Antonia Winter, the team principal for Audi here on my right. Tell me, how hard is Formula one, how hard is it against all these men next to you."

Of course he had to say something about me being a woman. I sighed and quickly looked next to me, where Toto Wolff, Guenther Steiner and Christian Horner were sitting. As I turned my head back to the interviewer I saw how Ricky gave me a warning look, he wanted me to be nice, despite this question, so i put a smile on.

"It's hard there is no doubt, but being a woman doesn't make it any harder. We are the new team so everybody is looking at us and of course the other teams and their principals are good, they wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Yes that's tue but you and your team aren't that bad either. Carlos scored your first podium two weeks ago, at your first race. I think this is pretty decent, or were you expecting that?"

As soon as I heard his name my mind gave out for a moment and I saw him in front of me at that corridor. His look and his hand that had hold mine as he had helped me up. A small giggle of Christian got me back to reality and luckily I was perfectly trained for such situations.

"Yeah, to be honest we expected the win." I said and the whole room started to laugh as I saw how Ricky gave me a little thumbs up.

"Maybe this week, we will see what Checo and Carlos can do. Next onto you Toto, where would you say your team stands at the beginning of this season after the first race?"

I didn't really listened as the rest of the press conference went over. Only in the end I got some question of the reports but the mainly asked what I expected from the car and the drivers and how Formula one was so far for me.

Ricky had left a couple of minutes before the end of the press conference and I assumed that he got an important call or something so I was walking out alone.

"You really did great in there, your first press conference and I would say you have smashed it." someone said to me in German and I immediately knew who it was.

"Thanks Toto." was all I could answer as my thoughts were already at my office and at all the things that had to be done.

"Do you maybe wanna grab a coffee later."