Lights Out • 1 • Formula One ✔️

Chapter 72

The most perfect start that I could ask for to a race day. The weather was looking good for the entire session - not too hot and not too windy. As long as I can pull away, I will have a real chance at crossing the line first at the chequered flag.

The warmup lap wasn't as nerve wrecking as it usually is for me. Although I was leading the pack, I felt an overwhelming sense of confidence. This could be my time. Before lining up, I slowed down enough so that the pack bunched together to minimise the time that I spent on the grid.

I tapped impatiently as I waited for the red lights to start flashing up. Eventually they did and before I knew it, it was Lights Out. I was quick off the mark whereas Lewis behind me seemed to have struggled and needed to defend against his teammate. Into the first corner, I stayed ahead and successfully held on to my position as I lead the pack through Eau Rouge and Raidillon. The straights are where I'm most likely to come under pressure but Lewis seemed preoccupied with the cars behind rather than me.

T> 'Great start! Yellow flag in first sector but nothing that should impact your race too much. Focus on pulling away now.'

I pushed a button on my steering wheel which let the team know that I had received their message. They also told me the best mode to put my car in that would help me maintain my position, which I followed.

Tyre maintenance is what is most likely to be my demise in the race, if I face any at all, so as soon as I'm in a comfortable gap, I need to save my tyres. I started on the super soft tyres so I'm expected to need to pit between laps 12 and 16 however I'm going to try and go for as long as I can. A two-stop strategy will almost certainly ruin my race so a final stint on the softs or mediums is the best way to go (or so Paula told me).

The laps began to tick away and I had managed to pull a gap of almost six seconds before I noticed my tyres starting to blister. I was in a prime window where I'd come out in third, where the two cars ahead still need to pit as they both started on the soft so could go longer on the initial stint.

T> 'Box this lap. Box this lap.'

A> 'Will do.'

I turned into the pit lane on just before the start of my eighteenth lap. The tyres had lasted longer than expected which played well in my hands as it seemed like some other teams were struggling. The pit stop was over quickly as the team were extra speedy when changing my tyres. Anyone could see that they had a drive to prove themselves as we're technically a new team making its debut. We all want the pinks to do well.

T> 'Okay, Verstappen behind you hasn't pitted but will be this lap and his teammate has retired. Every car behind him has pitted so you are in a comfortable lead.'

A> 'Should I catch the two cars ahead or maintain position?'

T> 'Do what makes you comfortable. Let's try and close the gap by two seconds before they pit.'

It sucked to hear that Daniel had retired again but I didn't have time to dwell on it. I had managed to catch up the two seconds rather quickly because of how fresh my tyres were. The two Mercedes ahead seemed adamant on remaining out for as long as possible, however their window was decreasing and they knew it. Bottas, who was only a couple of seconds ahead of me, was squirming all over the place and I could see severe blistering on both rear tyres. It wasn't a surprise when he pulled into the pit lane on lap 31.