Bahrain
Qualifying
Ariella's pov
The free practices were okay. I managed to stay within the top 6 with my times, and everyone was pretty happy about it.
I pace in my driver's room. Qualifying starts soon but my nerves are taking over my entire body.
A knock on my door is followed by James, my trainer, peeking his head in the door.
"Hey qualifying is soon and I need to work with you on some things really quickly."
"Yeah, okay." Oh my god my voice is shaking. I sound like I'm about to cry.
"Woah, are you okay?" James opens the door fully now, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.
I nod. "I'm fine just nervous is all." I try to shake the nerves. Literally shaking my entire body as if it'll do anything.
"I have a feeling you're going to do great out there today. Your free practice times were amazing, you've got it." James has been a friend of mine for more years than I can remember.
"Okay. That training?" Maybe it'll ease some of my nerves.
It didn't shake my nerves. It helped some, knowing my reaction times were still in check, but my nerves were still very much there.
James makes me do breathing exercises with him, convinced it will help.
"This isn't working."
"Not with that attitude it's not. Now cmon, in through your nose... hold it... and out." I follow his moves. "It's only qualifying, you'll do fine."
"It's only qualifying." I mock him, walking away to my car sitting in the garage. He laughs, following me.
Getting into the car, the engineers triple check the car to make sure everything is as it should be. James taps the helmet twice as a way to say good luck, before he walks off to a place behind me I cannot see.
"Okay Ariella, Q1 in 2 minutes, just try your best. You've got it, good luck." My engineer, Rocky, speaks through the radio that was just connected.
"Copy, thank you."
Q1 starts good. My first time bumps me into pole but it doesn't last long, quickly getting outdone by multiple other drivers, including my teammate. But I make it through Q1 safely.
"Nicely done, keep it up." Rocky encourages after the end of Q1.
"Thank you, Rocky. Couldn't have done it without you." Which is true, Rocky was a huge help in telling me other racers positions and how much I needed to push.
"That was amazing Ariella. Way to get out there!" Christian is the one speaking over the radio now.
"Thank you Christian, that means a lot."
Q2 went similarly to Q1. My nerves have lifted off a little. I feel more comfortable in the car now compared to this morning.
Now I'm into Q3. This one I really need to get some good results on, since it decides where I start tomorrow.
"Okay, that lap put you at p6 with 10 minutes left in the session," Rocky says after the lap I just did. "let's give the next few all you've got." Rocky sounded very enthused saying that second sentence.
"Copy."
I push myself and the car as much as I think we are able to, but I'm still careful not to push the car too much.
"You've just set the fastest sector one." I can tell Rocky is trying to hide his excitement, afraid to celebrate too early.
"Copy, thank you."
I break too late on the next turn and go too wide, probably messing up my second sector, but I manage to stay within track limits.
"Sorry." I speak over the radio quickly. Not sure why I apologize it just happened.
"Second sector is green. Managed to shave off .4 seconds from previous. Keep it up."
I push the car as much as possible. I need this sector to be purple. I need to get something good.
I block out any other thoughts that may come. Focusing solely on my steering and breaking turn after turn.
"p2 Ariella. p2 great job keep it up."
"Yeah, copy thank you."
Nearing the end of the straight, I'm hit by a car exiting the pits, causing me to lose control of my steering and hit a barrier off-track.
"Shit! What the fuck was that?" I glance at the radio button making sure my radio is off. It is, thank god.
"Ariella, please confirm you're okay. Engine off." Rocky's voice is flooded with a mixture of concern, frustration, and urgency.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Who was that?" I'm sure the tone of my voice will upset Gemma again but I don't really care right now.
"Russell has already been penalized for the unsafe pit exit."
George? Seriously?
"Copy."
I'm taken back to the garage where Rocky meets me instantly.
"Are you alright?"
"Physically? Yes." My frustration is causing me to walk faster than I normally would. I just want to get to my driver's room and be alone.
"Well, luckily your previous lap still counts so currently you are still p2 for tomorrow but there is still 6 minutes left in Q3." Rocky says the second part carefully.
"Brilliant!" I yell the word sarcastically and probably louder than what is socially acceptable.
At the door of my driver's room, I turn to face my engineer. "Sorry, Rocky. Thank you. Really you were a big help today. Update me with my position when Q3 is over please." He nods, telling me he will and I slip into my driver's room.
Rocky comes back about 6 minutes later.
"You'll be starting p4 tomorrow, behind Max in p1, Hamilton in p2, and Alonso in p3." He sound's disappointed and I don't blame him.
I follow Rocky back out into the pit lane, where I spot George. I know I probably shouldn't confront him, but no one is currently stopping me from doing so.
He spots me walking up to him and smiles at me like he didn't cause cost me a possible pole position.
"What the hell is your problem?" I ask him in a low voice when I'm close enough. The tone of voice used still conveys my feelings towards the situation, though.
"What are on about?" His face drops and he has the audacity to look confused.
"Are you serious? Your unsafe pit exit caused me to retire from the session!" My voice raises and multiple people turn to look.
"Information was given to me in an untimely manner. I didn't mean for it to happen." His voice is level and he refrains from speaking too loudly.
I lower my voice to the level it was originally.
"Yeah well it still did and it fucked up my position so thank you for that." I don't let him get another word in, I just turn and go back to the Red Bull garage.
(1141 words)
☆————————————☆
A/N - updates will be super slow sorry about that. It's finals week so hopefully updates will be more consistent and frequent after.
(not proofread)