The One That Got Away (Sebastian Vettel)

Prologue

Possible trigger content. Racing accident and injuries. ⚠️

Silverstone, July 2013

The sirens sounded around the circuit. The Formula 1 drivers gathered around in the paddock, talking in worried tones. What had happened? The live video had cut away and the commentary had ceased.  Sebastian Vettel looked at his team mate, Mark Webber. Mark slowly shook his head. He'd been in this game long enough to know that this didn't look good.

"What happened? Who was it?" asked Lewis Hamilton anxiously as he arrived at their side.

"I don't know,"said Seb,  as yet more blue lights flashed up the pit straight. "I just saw at least three cars crash. The cameras rightly cut away from it immediately."

"It was down at Stowe," Nico Rosberg said, joining them.

"Shit. I hope those kids are ok," said Lewis.

Seb hoped so too. He knew three of them very well as they were Red Bull juniors. Luca Bonucci, Will Barnes and Mollie Rashford had spent a lot of time at the factory. He didn't want anyone to crash but he hoped to God it wasn't them. They were just kids. Luca was seventeen, Will eighteen and Mollie nineteen.

The air ambulance came hovering over, finding the nearest place to land.

Christian Horner came running across to them.

"Christian, what's going on? " Seb asked.  "Do you know anything?"

"Seb, Mark, garage now," Christian said urgently.   They looked at each other. This wasn't good at all.

                         ***
Helmut Marko was waiting for them as they arrived in the garage. Also there was Luca Bonucci, the young Italian driver. He was in tears and was being consoled by his race engineer.

"OK, so here's what we know. Both Mollie and Will were involved in the accident. There were five cars involved. Mollie, Will, Riccardo Sanchez, Alexandre DuBois and Jarno Capelli.  Riccardo and Jarno are fine, just shaken. I don't know the situation with Alexandre. Mollie and Will, neither are answering their team radio. Now it could just be the radio has been destroyed, so we are staying positive. "

Seb felt sick. He'd known Will since the boy had been fourteen years old. He was good friends with his brother Joel, who was one of his mechanics. He looked around to see if Joel was there. He wasn't.

And Mollie, no, not Mollie. She was just such an amazing girl. So talented and so beloved by everyone at Red Bull. Everyone expected her to be the next female Formula 1 driver. She and Seb had been growing close lately and he'd been on the verge of asking her out on a date.  The only thing that had stopped him was their seven year age difference.  He hoped to God they were OK, Alexandre too, another nineteen year old.

Mark laid a hand Seb's shoulder. They'd had their differences but now they were united in their worry for their younger colleagues. 

Seb wiped a tear from his face. It was a dangerous sport, he knew that. He'd been racing long enough to know exactly how dangerous it was. He had three world titles to his name but he was still petrified every time he saw a crash like this.

These kids were just at the start of their career in GP3. They had been just laps into their race when something had gone dreadfully wrong. Seb sank onto a stool. He put his face in his hands and he waited. That's all any of them could do.

                        ***

Mollie Rashford headed down Hangar Straight, trying her best to catch up with her fellow Red Bull junior, and Thorne Motorsport teammate,  Will Barnes. They were running fifth and sixth respectively. She never saw it coming. A collision had occurred somewhere in front of them down at Stowe. Will had slammed straight into the wreckage. She'd done her best to avoid it, but Will's car had spun back into her path and she had clipped his front wing. Her car had rolled and ended upside down in the gravel.  Jarno Cappelli behind her had also failed to avoid the aftermath, hitting her stricken car.

Mollie felt a brief flash of pain in her leg and her head,  and then she knew nothing more.

                          ***

Seb and Mark sat in the motorhome waiting. Everyone else had left for the evening. Neither of them wanted to leave until they heard news of Will and Mollie.

"I'm sure they will be ok," Mark reassured the younger driver. He knew Seb had a crush on the young British girl, Mollie. The German had tried to hide it but Mark had noticed the way Seb looked at her.

"It's not fair. They're all so young."

"They knew the dangers. Harsh I know, but we all do. It's a dangerous sport."  Seb nodded. He knew Mark was right.

The door opened and Christian came in, a serious look on his face. He approached the pair, stopping a few feet in front of them, his hands in his pockets.

"OK,  so first off, Alexandre duBois is OK. Broken collar bone, concussion,  but he's OK."

Mark and Seb sighed in relief. Then they looked at Christian, silently begging for news about Will and Mollie.

"Will has broken his leg. He's in surgery right now. He will be fine." Another sigh of relief.

"And Mollie?" Seb said, scared that he was going to hear the worst news possible.

"Mollie was hurt pretty bad I'm afraid. She sustained a head injury and two fractured vertebrae, along with a broken leg. She is in surgery but her parents have been told to prepare for the worst." Christian fought back his tears as he broke the news.

Mark swore, and Seb hung his head, fighting back his own tears. Not Mollie,  no! She was the kindest, funniest, prettiest girl he knew.   Now he'd never get the chance to take her on that date.

"We just have to stay positive guys," Christian said as he headed down the corridor to his office. Mark stood up.

"I'll see you tomorrow Seb." He placed his hand comfortingly on Seb's shoulder. "Try to stay positive. Mollie's a fighter." Then he headed out of the door.

Seb thought of Mollie's parents Darren and Kate.  What must they be going through? And her little brother, Jude, who was only ten years old.

He picked up his phone.  He wanted to call them and tell them he was thinking of them but he didn't know what to say.  So in the end he sent a text.

Sebastian:  Darren, Kate, I am so sorry. I can't believe this has happened to Mollie.  We are all praying for her. She's a fighter. If there's anything I can do, anything at all, just let me know. Seb.

He picked his bag up and headed out to the car park. He guessed it was time to go back to the hotel. He needed sleep. He had a race to win the next day. He was going to win it for Mollie.

                        ***

In the end his gearbox had other ideas and he had to retire. He'd headed off to the media pen, then back to his room.  He'd found a message on his phone from Darren Rashford.

Darren:  Thank you Seb. Mollie certainly is a fighter. Surgery went well. She's been placed in an induced coma. We just have to wait now. The rest is up to her.

Seb wasn't a religious man but he sat on the couch and he prayed. L

"Please let her live God, please let Mollie live."