After waking up at six, I knew that the only way I'd release enough endorphins to numb the ache that is media day would be to jog to work. I was showered and fresh so that I'd look presentable in front of the paddock cameras. Seb was kind enough to offer up his morning to jog into work with me. It was more than I could've expected, especially since he'd also be giving up his evening for my more intimate birthday celebration. Lewis would've done the same but I told him to have a lie-in since his first interview wasn't until the group one at noon.
Several cameras were on us during the journey to the track. I tried not to focus on them or the possible stories that'd inevitably come from just being seen with Seb. The media is ruthless no matter what I do and it's rather infuriating. I seriously don't know how some of the other drivers deal with it. I've been told to just ignore it many times but it's hard to just push aside that feeling you get when people start believing something about yourself that you know is wrong.
We arrived with plenty of time to spare, a relief considering I needed to touch up my makeup before my first interview. Damien met us there (he drove, the lazy git) and didn't hesitate to hand me my timetable upon seeing me hanging with Seb:
09:00-09:45 - WTF1, McLaren Paddock, Room 5
10:00-11:30 - Various, Interviewing Area
12:00-12:15 - Pre-Race Conference
12:20-13:00 - Team Meeting, Mercedes Paddock, Room 1
14:00-15:00 - Netflix, Mercedes Paddock, Room 2
15:30-16:00 - Various, Interviewing Area
FINISHED!
Seb inhaled sharply through his teeth as he peered over my shoulder. "That sucks - you're here all day."
"And I've only got twenty minutes before it all starts." I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "What a great way to spend my birthday!" The sarcasm dripped from every word. Seb sympathetically wrapped an arm around my shoulder and rested his head against mine.
"At least you start with Matt," Damien pointed out. "He's always a laugh."
I looked down at my timetable once again, this time looking for the positives. At least there's a break of some kind between each session so I can have a breather. Also, I haven't had a Netflix interview since pre-season testing. My guess is they'd be focusing on my below-average weekend in Bahrain and how I plan on clawing my way back. I know Lewis's interview last race weekend was about where he finished, and then he had another one after getting the podium. Hopefully I'll be able to make something good of this weekend - last year wasn't particularly great.
"Do you know any specifics for the 'various' interviews?" I asked, looking up at Damien from my timetable.
He shrugged his shoulders, causing me to roll my eyes. "Probably just a bunch of different channels."
"I gathered that much, and do you know why I start my day at McLaren?"
Once again, Damien shrugged his shoulders. "No idea - ask when you get there."
"If anyone causes you any grief today, you come and find me," Seb said in all seriousness. "I'll try and find you during the lunch break but I should probably track down Britta for my own timetable."
"I hope it's better than mine," I replied, leaning against him as he gently squeezed my shoulder.
"So do I. See you later, Lys, and you, Damien." With one last squeeze, Seb then started to head off in the direction of the Ferrari paddock. I mumbled my goodbye before he left.
"C'mon, Lys, smile! Not only are you kicking off your twenties leading the championship, but you also get to spend the whole day with me." Damien grabbed me by the shoulders and shook my entire body. "Look alive!"
Once he finally stopped shaking me, I glared up at him. "Yipee," I said in the least enthusiastic, monotonous voice. Damien obviously wasn't impressed and smacked the side of his head. Whilst it didn't hurt, I couldn't help but frown at Damien and rub the spot of impact with the tips of my fingers. "You're buying me lunch because of that."
"I would've bought you lunch anyway."
"No, you wouldn't've," I pointedly replied.
He sighed in annoyance. "Fine, I wouldn't've. For calling me out, we can start heading to McLaren now. I'm sure the WTF1 crew would like an extra hand setting up."
***
"No we're actually all set up here," Jess reassured. I childishly stuck my tongue out at Damien, feeling relieved that I didn't have to do too much work. "Besides, we're not mean enough to make you do any physical work on your birthday."
"Thank you," I smiled gratefully. "So, why are you in McLaren?"
"We have ties to this team, and we've got some Lando and Carlos content to film later today. I guess it's just easier to have it all in one place," she explained, leading me towards an armchair in front of the camera. I took a seat and nodded my head in understanding.
"You should've seen some of the looks I got from the McLaren crew," I said with a chuckle. People like to stare at what's different to what they're used to. This just so happened to be me when I walked through the McLaren doors in my Mercedes merchandise. It was weird to me that if Mercedes hadn't taken me on, I would more than likely be driving for the orange team. I'm glad I'm not or else the world would've been denied the beautiful bromance that blossomed between Lando and Carlos. It rivals Max and Daniel.
"Okay," Jess looked down at a sheet of paper, "if there's anything you say that you want cutting, let us know and we will. We also tried to choose questions from fans that didn't sound like assholes. Some interviews were harsh and we don't want to be like that, you know? Instead of criticising the most successful female in the sport, we want to support you - no unfair judgement." As she spoke, she attached a small microphone to the top of my shirt, hiding the box and wires down the side of the cushion so that the cameras didn't see them.
I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much."
"Matt shouldn't be too much longer." Just as Jess said the words, the door to room 5 swung open. A grinning Matthew Gallagher bumbled in, taking the seat across from me after shaking my hand. The chairs were both pointed slightly inwards so that we had a camera on our faces at all times. He was already fitted with a microphone when he entered. After a couple of audio syncs and brightness alterations on the light box, we were good to start.
"Alyssa, it's good to have you here with us."
"It's nice to see you again," I said with a polite smile.
"The last time you featured on this channel was, I believe, Hungary last year?" I nodded my head in response to Matt's guess. "You hadn't even told people you were 'A' at that point and were recovering from that huge crash in the final practice session that saw you take out both Kimi and Charles because of a suspension failure. It's crazy how much can change in less than a year and it's an honour to be able to interview you."
"Aww, thank you."
"Let's get straight into the questions." Matt pulled his phone out from his pocket. "First one is from Emzer01021994 and they ask 'If you could swap cars with anyone on the grid for one race, who would it be and why?"
"Hmm," I paused for thought, "would it be bad if I say Daniel Ricciardo so that I could blame a bad race on the engine rather than myself?" I bit my lip innocently as Matt tried to hold back his laughter. He eventually used his hand to cover his face and gave a funny look directly into the camera.
"And here we have another question from the same person: 'If you were stuck on a remote island, which two people would you want stuck with you? One on grid, and one off.'"
I didn't need to give this question much thought. "Easy. I'd have Lewis because he's a vegan so he'd probably know which leaves taste best, and then also my best friend, Kudzai, since she has some common sense and would be able to figure out a way for us to leave. I also don't think I'd get sick of either of their company since I get on well with both."
Matt smiled. "Do you reckon they'd want to be stuck on an island with you?"
"Oh, absolutely not; I'd be useless." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Damien nodding his head in agreement.
"Okay, next question is from ElaraRosebane. They want to know where you see yourself in twenty years."
"Twenty years?" I asked for clarification, inhaling sharply through closed teeth when Matt nodded his head. "I'll be forty..." I scrunched my face up in distaste at the idea of actually being old, "so I guess, as a standard answer, I see myself with world championships under my belt but I don't know how many. I'd like to still be driving at that age but it's impossible to predict whether fate has any other ideas for me."
"Kids?" I shrugged my shoulders in response. "Fair enough. To be honest, I think we'd all miss you on the grid for the time you'd have to take off. You've quickly become an established and well-recognised face and name in the paddock, and I'm sure the history of motorsport."
"I wish everyone else was that supportive," I said with an awkward chuckle.
"I can feel your frustration through the screen sometimes," Matt said, sounding sympathetic. "To everyone watching this - don't be mean. Anyways, the next question is from twitter: 'How do you normally spend your birthday?' I can hazard a guess that a day full of media isn't ideal for you."
"Definitely not," I replied as I shook my head and scrunched up my nose. "I like surrounding myself with loved ones, or just having a lazy day with a get-together in the evening. Luckily I had my party where I saw everyone on Tuesday, but tonight I'm having a meal with some people I'm close to, which I'm really looking forward to."
"I'm going to pretend I'm not hurt by the fact I didn't get an invite," Matt began, causing me to laugh, "and now for the next question: 'If you could change one thing about your life or career, what would it be?'. This was sent in by Snitrilac."
"The main thing I would change is my parents being able to watch my success. Unfortunately I lost my dad before he could see me race in F2, and then my mum didn't make it to see me win my first race, or get my seat at Mercedes." I swallowed a lump in my throat and folded my hands over one another. "On a lighter note, a less depressing answer would be that I would change media day so that it's spread out across the race weekend rather than a whole Thursday dedicated to it. I would then dedicate the Thursday to either sleeping or exercising to get myself in the best possible mindset as I head into the race weekend."
He nodded his head. "Both sound good. It always confused me why they didn't just put the media day on the Friday. Next, we move onto some quick fire questions, but before we do..." Matt gave a thumbs up to one of the additional team members who hit the main light switch off. Whilst the room didn't fall into darkness because of the light boxes, it was still quite a bit dark since the blinds were drawn. Jess adjusted the settings on the light boxes and brought down the brightness just as someone entered.
"Oh, dear God," escaped my lips as my eyes landed on the cake decorated with candles, and then on the person carrying it. I don't know who trusted Lando Norris with carrying something but they certainly like dangerous risks. On Matt's cue, the whole room erupted into the song 'Happy birthday'. My immediate response was that I wanted to sink into my chair - what else am I supposed to do in a situation like this? My jaw clenched and my lip pursed as I tried not to let out any sort of noise to show my discomfort. The smirk on Lando's face as he approached, as well as the amused expressions from everyone else in the room, told me that they knew I hated people singing happy birthday to me and they simply didn't care.
"...Happy birthday to you!" They all finished with a round of applause as I awkwardly leaned forward and blew out all of the candles on the cake in one breath. Matt returned to his seat and Lando squeezed onto my chair with me. I wanted to push him off but he was holding the cake and I didn't want to make a mess.
"The cake was our idea," Matt began once the room had settled down and the lights had come back on, "but Lando thought that the song would be the icing on the cake. We understand you hate it?"
I glared up at Lando before turning my attention back to Matt. "Very much so."
"So if Lando doesn't show up for free practice tomorrow, we know who killed him," Matt joked, clearly picking up on the daggers I was sending Lando with my eyes alone. The McLaren driver could only laugh and pressed a kiss the the top of my head like the asshole he is.
"Don't be so bitter; you've got cake! It's vegan, too, because I know Lewis is slowly converting you," he pointed out, gently placing the cake in my lap. "Just pretend you don't have a diet because I also brought forks." Lando reached into his pocket and handed both Matt and I a wooden fork that he had probably stolen from the cafeteria.
I held the fork in my hand as Matt didn't hesitate to fork some of the cake into his mouth. My eyes locked onto the camera. "Cut the cameras... deadass."
***
For individual interviews, I've had to learn to hold my tongue. Whilst this does stretch across other interviews, I find that people are more likely to ask the questions that rile me up when it's just me, Damien, and them. After such a nice interview with WTF1, this is definitely going to feel like it drags. I also find that a lot of the questions can be similar from interview to interview so I've had to work on showing as much enthusiasm for all of them.
It wasn't until about the fifth interview where a question caught me by surprise: "What would you say to little girls who see you as a role model and want to be formula one drivers like you?" The fact that some people would consider me a role model was still weird to me. I really shouldn't be considered one.
I hesitated since I didn't have an answer prepared. "I, uh, I would just say to stay resilient. No matter how much someone tells you you can't do something because of your gender, you shouldn't give up. Prove them wrong. Cars aren't just for boys and girls can drive them just as well. If you ask me, I think it's amazing to see women succeed in motorsports and their success is even more special because, more than likely, they've had to overcome a load of shit to get to where they are which makes them stronger. Don't give up when it gets hard, just push harder."
The interviewer then went on to ask some questions that I actually had an answer prepared for before I was moved on to the next. He was a lot taller than me and leaned slightly forward rather intimidatingly. I'm sure it wasn't his intention but I stood a little further back than what I normally would so that I felt more comfortable.
"Hi, Alyssa. Good to see you in good spirits after last week's disappointment." I forced a smile and nodded my head. "I'm Adrian Johnson and I've got a few questions here - nothing too difficult for you, don't worry." I held my tongue and nodded my head again. "Does being Lewis's teammate bring any extra pressures especially since you were so far off the pace?"
I cleared my throat and adjusted my posture so that I was standing a little taller. "Lewis is a legend in his own right and just the opportunity to race alongside him at Mercedes is amazing. I'm not going to be as good as him straight away; I have limited experience with this car and adapting has been a little difficult for me. I'm sure as the season progresses, I'll be able to match his pace better. The pressures to keep up with him are more my own than anyone else's. The team are optimistic for both Lewis and I; we hope to win yet another driver's and constructor's championship."
"And how do you deal with that pressure in addition to being a female in the sport?" Mr Johnson asked, holding the microphone slightly closer to my face.
"I just... deal with it, I guess," I replied with a shrug. "I've got to make sure that the pressures don't start having an impact on my performance. I keep in close conversation with members of my team and my friends so that I'm not overwhelmed."
"Thanks. Here's my next question (ElaraRosebane): 'There's quite a few stories circling around the paddock about your dating life, and that your relationships with some of the drivers are having an impact on your ability. If it's so frustrating to hear things like this, don't you think you should be more mature and/or cautious with your private life so rumours like this can't spread?'"
Once again, I was taken by surprise. Was I being blamed for all of these rumours? Damien gently placed his hand on my back out of sight of the interviewer as a reminder to keep my cool when answering the question. I took a deep breath. "I'm friends with most of the drivers, and as are they with each other. It's not my fault that media outlets like to twist these into false stories and relationships whenever I'm seen with them. Even if I were to be involved with one of them, which I should clarify that I am not, not only would it not be anyone else's business but mine and theirs, but my loyalties would never be crossed. My driving ability isn't affected by who I'm involved with and never has been or will be. I shouldn't need to be cautious when nothing scandalous is going on. A woman can be friends with guys without the urge to sleep with them; when people start realising that, the rumours will stop, however that probably isn't going to happen. Let people talk about me, I'm sick of arguing against it at this point. I'm Alyssa Archer and that should be interesting enough without the speculations about which guy I'm dating. Satisfying answer for you?" I finished with a raise of the eyebrow, almost daring him to argue against it. He seemed slightly shocked at my mini-rant and swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Uh, we're done here," the interviewer managed to get out. I didn't even bother to say goodbye, wanting nothing more than to head off and get the rest of these interviews done.
***
"Someone's a little tense," Lewis mused upon spotting me as I entered the waiting room before we needed to head onstage. My arms remained tightly folded across my chest as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Birthday been rough?"
"Why did it have to fall on the media day," I groaned, leaning into him with a scowl on my face. His chest vibrated with laughter as he rubbed my back. "I've still got Netflix to do after this and then more interviews."
"Try and look like you've enjoyed yourself because we're needed on stage."
I pulled away from Lewis and showed him my fakest, most over-the-top smile, causing him to laugh and shake his head. He linked his arm with mine before leading me towards the door that lead into the conference room. The other drivers taking part were Pierre, Carlos, and Lance (ew). To make it even better, I found my name on the seat next to Lance's. Luckily, Pierre was on my other side and Lewis was on Lance's, with Carlos next to Pierre (I'm in the middle).
I kept my smile tight in front of the cameras, determined to not let them know about the hostility between Lance and I. Ever since he admitted to deliberately crashing into me last year in Mexico, I've been cold towards him. Something like that isn't forgotten easily.
The slot for the conference was only short so they didn't hesitate to start the questions once everyone was ready. A reporter stood up and introduced themselves before speaking. "Hi, all. My question is for Alyssa: Bahrain was disappointing for you given your pace in the first race. Do you think you'll be more competitive this weekend and keep the lead in the championship?" (Marieke_FZ )
I leaned forward and adjusted the cap on my head as I quickly tried to think up a response. "I've been working hard with the team and by myself so that we head into this weekend in the best possible position. Obviously my Bahrain result wasn't where I should be, so I'm going to be pushing extra hard this weekend to produce results. As for the championship, I'll try and hold off the Ferraris for as long as I can. I want to win as much as anybody else so I won't just hand over the championship lead. If others want it, they need to fight for it."
Thankfully, I was able to zone out for a bit as the other drivers were asked questions. My attention was drawn back when my name was brought up again. "Alyssa," I hummed in acknowledgement and smiled at the female reporter, adjusting my posture, "How do you manage to keep your head down and keep yourself motivated in a male dominated sport in addition to everything that's going on in your personal life?" (Jhawker123)
"Uh, I guess I just try and keep my personal and professional lives separate and don't bring problems from one into the other. I try my hardest to ignore the rumours. Oh, and I also find that keeping comparisons of myself to others on my grid to a minimum helps, however it's impossible to not do that at all. Knowing that I'm doing something that hasn't been done before is inspiring, the fact that all of my competitors at this moment are Male doesn't have an impact on my determination in a negative way. If anything, it pushes me harder."
I wasn't able to zone back out as the next question was directed to everyone, however it seemed as if I was the main focus. "Does your relationships with the other drivers impact your performance on track? Alyssa, you first."
"No." I bit my lips together before pursing them. There was nothing more to say. The interviewer stayed silent, clearly wanting me to elaborate, but I just shrugged my shoulders. What more could they possibly want me to say? If I were to say any more, someone would find a way to twist my words into a scandal involving me and someone else. I stayed quiet as the other drivers gave their answers, all of them quite short in comparison to our other answers.
The final reporter of the session stood up once all of the responses had been given. I was silently hoping that I would have to answer another question, but luck wasn't on my side. "Alyssa - firstly, I would like to wish you a happy birthday," she smiled, and I mumbled my thanks with a similar smile, "and secondly, do you think that now you're a successful F1 driver it will be easier for other women to get into the sport?"
"I honestly don't know, but I really hope so. I see so much talent amongst the lower ranks, girls everywhere defying gender stereotypes and criticism. It's stupid that I had to get into the sport the way that I did, but I'll see it as a career success if more women join me in Formula One."
The host of the conference walked onto the stage once I was done with my answer. "Thank you everyone for your questions and time."
***
"You ready for the interview?" The interviewer for the Netflix show 'Drive to Survive' asked. My makeup was being touched up, with powder being applied so that I looked presentable underneath the box lights and cameras. The makeup artist nodded her head and I was guided to the chair. The interviewer was sat behind the camera with some questions written down on a piece of paper. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.
I sat up a little straighter as the mic was held above my head, just out of shot. I smiled politely as I looked at the interviewer.
"Okay, we've only got a few questions here so we shouldn't be keeping you for too long. You know the procedure, right?" She asked, to which I nodded my head in reply. I knew I needed to look at her rather than the camera, and avoid saying things like 'um' and 'uh'. "What do you do to cope with a disappointing race like Bahrain, and how does a race like that impact on how you look forward to the next race?"
I turned the corners of my lips up a little more to give the appearance that I was in a good me when, in reality, I was exhausted. "Once a race is over, no matter good or bad, it's super beneficial to just focus on the next race. Of course it's impossible to just push away the disappointment, but I've learned to use it to my advantage. I don't want to feel that emotion again which motivates me to up my game and ensure it doesn't happen again."
"Do you think your chances of winning the championship are less now and what will you do to claw it back?"
"It's a long season ahead and nothing is certain. I'm not going to stop pushing if I fall behind, just as I don't stop pushing when I'm leading. Obviously a bad race can impact your position so it's vital that my next few races are good if I want to stay ahead. I'm going to give it my all, like I always do." I bit down on my bottom lip as she nodded her head.
"Fantastic. Now this question doesn't really relate to the last race: do you rely on fate to get you to your destination, or skill?" (Snitrilac)
I chuckled slightly at the question. "I would definitely say skill, with a little bit of luck to get me to where I am now. If my identity hadn't remained hidden for as long as it was, my skill wouldn't have mattered because the opportunities wouldn't be available. Now, it's all skill. You can't rely on fate."
"That'll be it for today but we'll be in contact with your PO later on for more."
I nodded my head. "Thanks for having me."
"I hope you have a nice rest of your birthday," she said as I stood up.
"Thank you!" I shook her hand gratefully. I hope it's good, too.
~***~
also, huge thanks to everyone who submitted questions! this includes:
f1lovesme angeliiina3 newromantic123 GabsPizzaQueen steakpieisnice woundedpride
this chapter is v v long which is why it doesn't include the dinner, that'll be next chapter. i'm well aware this is a very messy chapter and i apologise. also sorry if the tags didn't work, wattpad doesn't let you tag on my laptop so i've had to do it on my phone and it's easy to miss things
i'm going to expose myself - i'm dragging out these chapters because i have no clue how i'm going to write zandvoort and am waiting for more info lmao sorryyyyyyyy
any scenes in particular you'd like to see? i'm thinking of doing more max and lys to develop their relationship further, but i want more friendships between her and other drivers (like pierre)
qotc: if you could see anyone in concert (any era) who would you see?
aotc: i would've loved to have seen queen live with freddie (i mean, who wouldn't?), also one direction as a band together bc i never had the money to do it when they were a group and now i'm paying 4x the amount for four different tours smh