the man- f1

eleven

"yeah?" she said, frowning. "did he tell you something?" she raised her brows expectantly.

"no, but, even if he doesn't like me..." she began as she pulled the balaclava on. "i think i might like him."

"WHAT?" she shouted as the girl put the helmet on.

elias and toto turned confused towards them. they didn't hear the driver, but they certainly heard the trainer.

"cállate, tania!" she said exasperatedly as she put the gloves on. "i have to go, bye!" she waved before practically sprinting to the car where the mechanics were waiting for her.

"i see what you did, tali. this isn't over!" she said from afar before walking towards the screens where tali had previously been standing.

"is everything ok with her?" asked tali's boss.

wait.

did that make him tania's boss too?

probably.

"yeah. definitely. maybe? i'm not sure." tania said, rethinking her answer repeatedly.

toto didn't seem convinced with the vague answer but wouldn't dig further.

tali had just been released to the pit lane and as she sped through her out lap she checked her radio with her engineer.

"radio check?" asked marcus through the earphones.

"loud and clear, marcus." she said, clicking the radio button. and just as she was nearing the last section of her out lap she turned it on again.

"you know what would be so cool, marcus?" she asked him as she took a turn by the apex perfectly.

"what?" marcus asked, amused.

"some music on our earphones. play me getaway car on repeat when i drive and i'll win the championship. they should allow it." she said before turning her radio off as she began her first full lap.

the people in the stands laughed once they transmitted it.

her first lap wasn't as good as she expected since her tires were still warming up.

"damn it." she cursed as she saw her time on the big screens as she passed it. she chose to do another lap to finish warming them up before trying for a flying lap.

she was currently in 15th behind oscar and about to finish her lap, speeding up towards the end to have full impulse from the beginning of her lap.

she had two purple sectors this far and as she reached the last turn, she sped up reaching second place. this obviously didn't last long since other people were finishing their own.

as the practice progressed she reported a problem with the brakes during what was going to be her last lap so marcus told her to stay out and try for another one.

her time was 1.30.771 after 26 laps. she arrived at the garage before lewis so she saw the last bit of his lap in which he landed a position below her.

that was P5 and P6 for the team.

she got out of the car and took off her gloves as soon as she got out of the cockpit, releasing the security pins from the helmet and removing it afterwards.

as she walked towards her trainer who had a water bottle with a ridiculously long regulating straw, she took off the velcro around her neck and zipped down the suit with one hand while removing the balaclava with the other.

hot. elias thought.

her hair was messy and sweaty as she rearranged it so she wouldn't look like a dog that had just rubbed its whole body against the couch.