The Team // A Formula One AU

Alex

"Media isn't just a side-job anymore. All of you need to put your best faces forward if you want to make it to the higher series, that's what Formula One teams want to see. Charisma. Insight. Personality."

Erik stands before us in the classroom he's created at the back of the garage, and for once he has everyone's attention. He's spent an hour talking about corporate personas, unacceptable jokes and revealing team secrets, but all of a sudden he seems very serious. So it's true what Max said. The only way this team will survive is if we get ourselves some sponsors.

"What if you don't have a personality?" Esteban guffaws and elbows Lance who shuffles his chair to the side.

"Yeah Erik," Valtteri says with fake concern, "people like Esteban could really do with some advice."

Erik gives them both a stern look and snaps his notebook shut.

"You'll have a chance to practise better attitudes soon. I've set up interviews for all of you in the afternoon."

"All of us individually?"

"Yes, some are just video calls online but others will be meeting reporters in person. Check this list to see when and where your interview will be. And remember, you're representing the whole team, not just yourselves."

Erik pins the list to the wall and I stand up, anxious to know when I need to be ready. I crane my neck over Fernando and Checo's heads and see I have the very first interview, meeting with someone from a British sports magazine in half an hour. I such in a breath. Hardly even enough time for lunch.

I wolf down my chicken pasta and end up jogging to the little white gazebo where a bald man in a Ferrari shirt is tapping away on his laptop. He stands up as I approach and shakes my hand, beckoning me to sit across from him at the small table.

"Nice to meet you, Alex! My name's Greg."

"You're British!" I exclaim when I hear his accent. He laughs deeply.

"Yes, there are some of us even out here. I'm really glad I was assigned to interview one of the British drivers."

"It's my pleasure," I smile bashfully. Greg sets up his microphone and gathers his notes then starts the recording and clears his throat, right on time.

"Okay Alex, seeing as we can't have the whole team here, we're going to be playing a game to get to know you all better. How does that sound?"

"What's the game?" I ask.

"It's called 'who's most likely to'. I'll describe a scenario and you just tell me who out of your teammates is the most likely person to be doing this."

"Sounds good," I nod. Most of these scenarios probably won't be half as bad as the things we actually get up to.

"Alright, lets start. Who's the most likely to be late to a race?"

"Hmm..." I lean forward, resting my chin on my hand and running through my teammates in my head. "Probably Esteban, he has a very extravagant beauty routine."

The reporter laughs. "Interesting, does he take a long time to get ready in the mornings?"

"Well I don't share a room with him so I'm not sure, but I can imagine he would."

"Okay, next, who's most likely to change careers to be an engineer?"

"An engineer? Probably Charles, he spends the most time in the garage."

"Who's most likely to spread rumours?"

I laugh. These questions are actually pretty funny actually. I'm enjoying the interview without too much pressure or nervousness.

"Lando. But not because he's a gossip, he just talks way too much."

"He's British too, isn't he? How do you get along with the other British drivers on the team?"

"Really well," I grin. "Lando's the funniest guy I know and George is one of the nicest. Then there's Lewis, too. He's pretty quiet and I'm not very close with him, but he's a good guy."

"I guess having so many Brits around helps you not to miss home, or is it the other way around?"

"No, I'm not missing it too much yet. It's actually great to have new friends I can hang out with when we're back in the UK, maybe go to a karting track together or out for lunch."

"It's interesting that you all get on despite being competitors. Have there been any fallings out in the team?"

"Well... We don't always get on. But I wouldn't say there's any bad blood between anyone at the minute. We separate things, so Sunday-Alex is a completely different person to Monday-Alex, if you get what I mean."

"That's very interesting. Alright, let's get back to the game."

"Let's." I rub my hands together and lean back in my chair.

"Who's most likely to embarrass you in public?"

"Definitely Daniel! He's always singing or dancing, and if you put him together with Max or Nico you've got a very bad combination."

"Sounds like you guys really do have fun together! Now an important one... Who's the most likely to make it to Formula One?"

The question catches me off guard and I find myself staring at Greg for a few moments as I replay it in my head. There are so many people here who could make it, it's hard to work out the most likely.

Then I remember the whole point of this. Sponsors.

"Me," I grin.

"Confidence, I like it!"

"I guess if I didn't believe I could make it then I wouldn't deserve to be here. But looking around I've got some very tough competition."

"And who's most likely to crash over a race weekend?"

Now alarm bells ring in my head. Erik warned us not to answer questions like this, not to make light of crashes or metaphorically throw our teammates under the bus. I need to think of a decoy answer.

"Well if we're talking about MarioKart then it's definitely Pierre, he's so bad you wouldn't know he's a racing driver in real life."

Greg laughs and I relax a bit.

"And finally, who's most likely to win this weekend?"

"I have to back myself," I shrug. "But after last week I wouldn't rule out Charles either, as well as Max and George. To be honest, we all have the potential. One good week from anyone and they're on the podium."

"Well thanks for our time together today, Alex, it was great getting to know you and the team." Greg stands up and shakes my hand.

"Thanks for having me, it was a lot of fun!" I say. I check my watch and find out it's already been half an hour, but still most of the others won't have started their interviews yet. I guess I can spend the rest of the afternoon doing practice laps and working on my kart.

I say goodbye to Greg and head back inside. Hopefully the other's interviews go as well as mine and we can get some sponsors before the end of the season for whatever it is Tom's planning next.