so happy for lando and luisinha!!
anyways, enjoy the chapter and stay safe!! love you all xXx
Sunday. Midday. Race day. Day where I start ahead of my teammate. Day where I then have to let my teammate through and sacrifice my own race. Day I'm probably going to want to forget.
Lando and I were up at 9, showered and ready by 10, and at the track at about 10:10 in the morning. Fair enough the race didn't begin until later, but we all had meetings etc. to do.
However for me, the race came around all too quickly. I hadn't seen Max all day, so we hadn't spoken at all about the plan for later. My personal plan, unbeknown to the team, was to drive my heart out and not let Max catch me.
The lights had just gone out, I made it through the first turn safely. The straight after three proved to need a little defending, but Max couldn't catch me up because we were all slipstreaming off of each other, all 20 of us cars. I managed to hold my position until Lap 7, when Aid came over the radio. "Sky. We need to let him past."
"Why? My onboards says I'm lapping quicker than him." I shot back.
"You are, but team orders."
"No. If Max wants me to let him by, tell him to speed up. Because if I'm the quicker car, I need to stay out front."
"Ok." was the only thing Aid said. I could already tell he would be straight on the radio with Christian and GP - Max' engineer.
I didn't hear anything so I kept on driving, Max getting slightly more aggressive behind me. He was impatient and wanted to pass me, but I wasn't giving in.
By Lap 12, I was still holding an advantage over Max. 0.4 seconds quicker than him. Aid had told me to keep this pace up for now, and to charge down George, who was P1. I tried my hardest, I was very slowly catching him. Until Christian came over the radio, "Sky I don't care if you're quicker right now. Let Max past."
I didn't reply, I didn't hit the okay button, I just carried on driving, until we got to one of the last straights, I slightly moved off the racing line, and left just enough space for Max to pass. All I needed to do now was to keep up with him.
"Thanks." said Christian. I didn't reply to that either. We have two races left of the season and the championship is important, but so is the constructors. Mercedes are beating us. I stuck close on Max' heels for the next few laps, 0.9 seconds between us, I could overtake him, so I just wasted at the opportunity to use DRS, until I was almost like magic when Christian came back on the radio.
"Max is having engine problems. Overtake him safely, and push ahead."
Of course he did. It was music to my ears, I glided past Max as he reluctantly pulled off the racing line and I hit the throttle down, in charge of George.
"Come on Sky, go easy on the curbs, and watch the walls. Engine mode 4 please. Mode 4." asked Aid.
"Copy."
Typical this, the minute Max isn't winning or out in front they are so nice to me and encouraging me to push ahead. But when Max is in front, I get jackshit from them. But I still drove on, with Max basically out of the race, I was the leading Red Bull. On the run for another podium. I couldn't win this race, I knew that, the team probably knew that. But it was bloody well worth a shot, what did I have to lose? Well, a lot, but thats not the point.
Coming up to the last few laps, I could see George in front, Valtteri was in front of me, gaining slowly, he wasn't lapping much quicker than me, only by a couple hundredths. I managed to make it to the last lap still in P2. I was actually very surprised with myself and how I had coped under the pressure. But this was good points for the team, and we deserved it.
"Well done Sky! Amazing job. Thank you, you deserve it." cried Aidan over the radio, clearly happy I managed to make it.
I pushed my radio button down, "Thanks guys. Good points. Well done."
Don't get me wrong, I was over the moon to be on the podium, but I didn't like how I was being treated. But to be fair, this was the first time we had ever been in a position like this. Even when I won in Baku it wasn't like this. However, the team deserved this, and the points, Mercedes still had a lead in the constructors, but Max just held onto the Drivers Championship by a total of 6 points. As long as he won in Abu Dhabi, he'd win it all. Max deserved it to be fair. A world championship under his belt, especially as Lewis got his eighth last year.
I headed for the pit lane, where I parked up in front of the number 2 spot. I got out and headed straight over to George who was also walking in my direction.
"Heyyyy! Congrats George!" I cheered, hugging him.
I heard him chuckle under his helmet, "Thanks Sky! This is just what I needed right now. Congrats on P2, thought you were gonna catch me by the end."
"Don't worry I'll get you next week. On the last corner." I taunted, punching him in the arm before fist bumping Valtteri and going to get weighed. After being weighed, I had a quick celebration with the team before heading to the interviews hosted by David Coulthard.
"Congratulations Sky on P2, we heard you weren't very pleased when asked to let Max through, why is that?"
Wow, straight in, okay.
"Well no one wants to let their teammate past, especially when I was lapping quicker than Max. My time was getting quicker and quicker each lap. But team orders were to let him past, I stuck with him for the laps he was in front for and then he had engine problems so I was back in front of him." I answered, straight faced and all. I could see the team in the corner of my eye too.
David nodded his head, "I understand, been in that position myself, but besides that, it was an amazing drive so a big well done to you!"
"Cheers!" I fist bumped David, waved to the crowd and then walked off to find Jules waiting for me. She didn't look impressed.
"What?" I asked.
She rolled her eyes as we walked through the building, "You made the team sound horrible back there."
"Well they weren't the nicest, making me let Max past despite me being quicker than him. Its wrong. The quicker car should stay in front, I stuck with Max the whole time he was in front of me, but I couldn't overtake him. I should've really." I blandly replied.
Jules scoffed, "Mind your attitude Sky, you say that to Horner and you'll find your contract ending quicker than you think."
And with that, I walked up the stairs to the podium, leaving Jules waiting for me at the bottom.