Photograph - F1

Chapter 5

2023

"So we've set up the car for what we think is the optimum set-up but if anything isn't working for you let us know and we can change it," John explained to her as she yanked on her gloves.

She nodded along, her strategist Maria made her way over as well. "You better have a magnificent strategy for this race Maria because I'm going big!" Jenna declared cheekily.

"I always have a good strategy," Maria countered, patting Jenna happily on the back. She explained the plan they had for this free practice session. They just wanted Jenna to confirm they were on the best set-up possible.

She pulled her helmet over her head and settled into the zone before climbing over the halo. She sat herself in the car, Jason doing up her belts once again, he gave her a thumbs up and she returned the gesture.

Throughout her out-lap she wasn't happy with the car, the steering felt stiff and she was struggling incredibly to get around turns 9 and 10. She couldn't keep the car on track.

"What's with the steering?" She asked over the radio.

"Try mode 2." John advised, she fiddled with the buttons on her wheel and suddenly the steering wheel was ten times better.

She pressed the gear paddles until she was up to eighth along the start/finish straight, ready to start the next lap with the new steering.

However she still struggled in turn 9, she just couldn't hit the apex and it messed up the corner after that too.

She groaned in frustration.

"Just keep going, you've got it the next lap," John reassured her.

No matter how many times she tried though she never got it perfect, even into practice two she was still struggling. She wanted her laps to be inch perfect and these two corners were fucking it all up.

John had reassured her numerous times that the rest of the lap was perfect and it would be good enough for Q2. But she didn't want Q2, she wanted to be one of the final ten drivers battling it out for pole.

"Good job Jenna, come back to the pits after this lap, the sessions over," John chimed in to inform her.

"It's not good enough John, I need to get those two corners," she complained over the radio.

"We heard you complaining about your performance in both practices today, what are you disappointed with?" Will Buxton questioned her in the media pen.

"Well, I'm just a bit of a perfectionist and I couldn't get turn 9 and 10 right. It's disappointing to be trying all session and still not see any progress," she answered. "But we have practice three still so I have more time to perfect the lap."

Will asked a few more general questions about her experience so far and what the teams plans were for the race.

She met up with Charles once the day was over, they had planned to watch a movie in his room. It was a tradition of theirs from years back.

"Have you picked a movie yet?" She asked as they both climbed into his car. Charles looked at her in surprise.

"I thought you were picking the movie!" He said in confusion, Jenna just sighed, laughing at her best friends stupidity.

"It's fine we can just pick one when we get to your room," she laughed as he pulled out of his parking space and started the journey out of the track.

"There's no way you want to watch a transformers movie in this day and age Charles!" She protested as they made their way up to his room, taking the stairs to get some exercise in.

"What's wrong with transformers?" Charles asked sadly, bowing his head in dramatic fashion. Jenna raised an eyebrow at him, nudging him harshly as he sulked up the steps.

They sat on Charles' bed and scrolled through the list of new releases. Suddenly Jenna yelled for Charles to stop.

"Magic Mike 3! We have to watch it!" She barked at him. Charles rolled his eyes, how did she not know that the answer was going to be no.

"Before you even say it, I know you've watched the first two man." She deadpanned.

Charles couldn't deny it, so he gave up and just let her choose whichever movie she liked. Jenna quickly made herself comfortable, tucking herself in under his blanket. Her eyes were glued to the tv in front of her. Charles did the same, he was quite intrigued by Channing Tatum's gravity defying moves.

"Bro, what do you do round turn 9 and 10?" Jenna suddenly asked halfway through the movie. "You nail them every time and I just have to know what you're doing."

Charles launched into a lengthy explanation, something Jenna could count on him to do, on how he took the corner and even how his teammate took the corner too. She took in every tip he gave her, hoping to use it the next day to finally conquer that section of the track.

Her and Charles always helped each other out like this, ever since Jules funeral. They shared all their tips and tricks for everything, for example, cooking, what Netflix shows to watch and even how to pick up girls.

She couldn't imagine her life without the guy if she was being honest. He was her one and only best friend.

"Oh you know Lando asked me the weirdest question the other day," Charles started as soon as he was finished his teachings. "He wanted to know what you did when you were on your period on race day."

"That guy is so weird," Jenna chuckled, it was a strange question but actually not all that uncommon. She had answered it before.

"You know once I got such a bad cramp I missed a whole chicane in F2, still ended up winning the race though." She bragged to him, earning herself an eye roll and a gentle shove.

"You are so annoying." Charles mumbled, turning back to the tv, trying to hide the second eye roll.

"Oh man, I'm sorry I just have much cooler racing stories than you. Do you remember the time I went from-," she began but Charles quickly cut her off.

"If you talk about the time you went from 'last to first in 8 laps' again I will kill you," Charles warned, mocking her voice as he retold her most iconic story.

"Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc! You watch the tone you take with me!" She mock threatened, throwing the sheets off herself and launching at him. He caught her easily, laughing as she still tried to get at him.

"The full name use was almost scary," he teased as she gave up on her attack.

"Just watch the movie loser," she scoffed, trying to hide her growing smile by turning her head to the tv.