The Team // A Formula One AU

Lando

The weather in Dallas is great, even early in the morning. The smell of the suncream on my warm skin and the feeling of the hot tarmac beneath my feet make me more excited than ever to go racing, and listening to the karts in the distance makes it feel even more like home. After five weeks of lying at the bottom of my bag, I finally have a reason to dig out my Fortress cap.

"Nico, do up your buttons. Daniel, your cap has to face forwards. Lando? Please sit still."

I cross my legs on the wooden chair and hold onto my ankles to try to stop them jiggling. Fernando is sitting next to me, leaning back to soak in the sunlight. I guess it reminds him of home too. It's so bright here, especially with the bus behind us, that I can hardly keep my eyes open. The yellow been looking brighter and brighter since it's been in the sun.

"Right, do you know what we're doing?"

"No," we chorus.

"It's a painting challenge," Erik explains. "We're going to film you going against each other in teams and use the footage to promote Fortress."

I look over to where Kimi is sitting like a statue and not even smiling. At least Yuki looks excited about painting.

"What are the teams?" I ask.

"Just as you're sitting. Nico and Daniel, Lando and Fernando, and Yuki and Kimi."

"The two Andos," Fernando grins.

"Can't I go and drive instead?" Kimi asks, sounding annoyed even though the game seems like a lot of fun.

"The track's too short this week for everyone to go out at once, that's why we've split you into smaller groups. Once we're done here it'll be your turn to go and do some testing and some of the others will come to film a video."

My legs jiggle excitedly. Fernando is also sitting up a little straighter now he knows we're doing painting, but everyone knows he's an artist. Not so many people know that it was my favourite subject at school too.

We're sure to win.

Erik sets up the cameras and places some microphones around us, then brings out three easels and a bunch of paints. He explains the rules to the camera then turns back to us, grinning.

"But there's a twist. Only one of you will be allowed to paint, and only one of you will be able to see."

"Blindfolds?" Daniel asks, then mutters something so Nico bursts into laughter. Erik nods as if he didn't notice.

"One of you must guide the other to draw the best possible portrait of our lovely team principal, Tom Jensen. The winner will be decided by a special judge, and you'll have fifteen minutes. Now it's up to you to decide who should paint and who should see."

"I'll guide," Nando says and I turn to look at him quickly.

"Are you sure? You're like a professional painter!"

"I think the most important thing is having a strong guide. I have a feeling you're better at following instructions than you are at giving them. Besides, I can use my artistic eye to tell you what to do."

The idea rolls around my head for a few seconds before I nod. He's right, I should be able to do this.

"Time's up! What have you decided?"

Erik points to each team in turn and we call out who the painter will be.

"Nico!"

"Lando!"

"Yuki!"

"Great, now it's time for the blindfolds. And just to make sure there's no cheating, the instructors will have their arms tied behind their backs. Daniel, you first, come up here..."