The Team // A Formula One AU

Daniel

Two years ago my biggest problem was convincing my parents to let me move out, fly to the other side of the world and race in these dangerous speed machines. That was just the start of it. Since then I've endured the reality of leaving everything and everyone I knew behind, endless hard work with little payoff, and the disappointment of realising I have to work even harder if I want to be the best. Sometimes I wonder if the only reason I'm still here is because I can't bear the thought of it all having been for nothing.

Then I tell myself, I'm here because all of this is my destiny.

"I'm born to be a racer," I tell the reporter sitting in front of me. "It's in my blood, it's in my soul. Every time I feel like giving up I just realise there's nothing else I'd rather be doing."

"Even if it isn't working out?"

"There's nothing else I'd rather fail at."

The man smiles and writes something in his notebook, giving me a moment to check what else is going on in the garage. Nico is changing the tyres on his kart and Valtteri is squatting in the pitlane with his hand pressed against the hot asphalt. Driving here has been so different to the rest of the season, with the weather conditions not only affecting our karts but our own bodies too. Phil's been trying to get us acclimatised but for some of my teammates all they've gotten is a sunburn.

"Just a couple more questions, then. What do you think about the future of Fortress World Karting?"

"The future?" I ask.

"After this season, I mean. You're a kart-racing team, but I get the impression you're all planning to make the jump to formula cars sooner or later."

"We are..." I nod. This is an interesting question. "I guess this is a bit of a trial season for us, we haven't got the money for formula cars since we're a new team. The end goal is certainly for as many of us as possible to make it to Formula One, and I hope that as the team grows we can get the experience we need here."

"Wow," the reporter raises his eyebrows. "I know this project has already captured the hearts and minds of a lot of people in the US, so it's only a matter of time before those in Europe start taking notice as well. So you're saying we'll be seeing more of Fortress World Karting in the future?"

"I hope so," I grin. "I know there are no plans for Fortress to be just a one-season thing. Our principal Tom Jensen wants us all to get to the top, and he wants to get us there himself."

"Thanks, Daniel."

I shake the reporters hand and say goodbye. I love giving interviews. I find it kind of like my session with Gina, where it helps just to get all my thoughts into articulate sentences and bounce them off another person, even if it's nothing too serious.

Qualifying is in half an hour so I still have time to prepare as I usually would. It's too hot to put on my race suit just yet but I change into my fireproof base layer and try to stay in the cooler spots of the garage as I devise my game-plan.

It's a short track, so Tom's devised a different format to stop us from crashing into each other. He's split us in half, and in our groups we each get two laps to set the best time possible. The bottom five then get a third chance to make it into the top half, and then so does whoever they knock out. The top five from each group go through to a regular Q2.

For my tyres' sake, I want to make it through without a third lap.

My name was drawn as part of the second group and although we're not allowed to work on our cars while the first group are driving we still get the advantage of being able to watch them qualify. While they're warming up their engines and checking their neck restraints, I follow Valtteri to the garage's second floor.

"Are you not too hot in all this?" I pat him on the helmet and he glares at me before closing his visor. I turn to Nico and make a face. I guess Val's busy getting in the zone.

Our teammates are let out ten seconds apart to ensure they don't get in each other's way. Max is first, setting the first time and topping the leaderboard the whole way through the session. George makes a mistake but pulls it back with his second lap to go through comfortably. Pierre and Kimi both go through on their third lap and I smile faintly, remembering Max's bet with Tom about the hotel.

"Second group! It's your turn, now you've seen what you're up against," Tom calls us back downstairs and I pull on my race suit and helmet. Valtteri goes out first and I'm at the back due to not being ready beforehand, but it isn't a problem.

I close my visor. It's time to show what I can do.