Team Principal | Carlos Sainz

chapter fourteen

Antonia W.

The race was over and it was a shame that Carlos hadn't had a chance to finish it. But Checo did a great race and he ended up fourth with was a really good result considering our weekend. But there wasn't a real celebration for it, because we still had a DNF.

After all the discussions with the engineers and mechanics I looked around for Luca. When I didn't find him in the eating area nor in the garage I started to worry. Normally we said that if something was happening and I was busy and he lost, he should go to my office so that was the next place I went to.

When I opened the door I was just met with my dark silent office and my heart beat started rising and I became a bit stressed out. Everything is fine, he's probably just sitting in a corner of the hospitality, I said to myself to calm me down.

As I walked past Carlos drivers room I directly remembered how much my son liked the Spaniard and I was not impossible that he was here so I knocked on his door. Nothing came from the inside so I slowly opened the door and was met with the same as in my office, darkness and silent.

Maybe they had gone somewhere together I told myself and it calmed me down a bit as I knew that Luca would be safe with Carlos by his side. It was awkward cause I normally wouldn't trust any person with my son, not after such a short time, but with him it was different.

"Do you guys know where Carlos and Checo are?" I asked some team members as I came back to the ground floor of the hospitality.

Honestly I just asked about the Mexican because it would be weird only caring for one driver, but at the moment I did, to be more specific I cared about my son. In a completely new environment even though he had seen some paddocks this season, but it was still different.

"Checo is in a meeting with his engineers and Carlos is doing and interview right behind the garage." one lady said and I quickly thanked her, before nearly running out and behind the garage.

As I stepped around the corner I saw Carlos and a man with a microphone and some cameras, but my son was nowhere to see so I started panicking again.

"Can you help me finding Luca, I don't know where he is." I asked Thomas as he was standing in front of the garage eating some kind of bread.

"Sure, where have you looked already?"

Quickly I told him everything and we then started searching the nearby paddock. As Luca wasn't in Audi he was probably walking around here so I hoped to find him. After some minutes that felt like hours Thomas shouted my name and I quickly ran over.

"Mama!" Luca shouted and ran in my arms.

"Oh honey, where have you been?"

"I was with Carlos and then he had work to do and I was running around and then got lost. I was so scared mommy."

Tears were falling out of his eyes and I tried to calm him down before I quickly thanked Thomas, who walked back to the garage. Because Luca was tired and agitated I decided to go straight back to the paddock, after telling Ricky what had happened.

One hour the situation had calmed down and Luca was peacefully sleeping in his bed in our hotel room. I just had showered and was now sitting on my bed in my sweat pants and shirt, my heart beat still running incredibly fast.