My Best Mates Sister

1.

Rosie

"Good morning Fran!" I say as I walk through the reception at the grove "morning Rosie!" She shoots me a smile as I walk as quickly as I can towards my office. I'm not running late but I have a meeting at 9am and I need to grab a coffee before it starts. I drop my bag in the office before practically jogging down to the cafeteria, I catch my breath waiting for the coffee machine "Hey Rosie" I turn round to see Jack Aitken "Morning Jack! In for Sim work?" He nods "new season starts next week, as you know, so trying out some of the potential suggestions" I smile "hopefully we can start moving up the grid" he shakes his head "nice to hear some positivity! If only I could get an actual seat" he jokes causing me to laugh "well things haven't been going too well but I'm feeling positive" he smiles "me too, see you later on Rosie" I say goodbye as I grab my coffee from under the machine and head to the meeting room. Today all of the race team is meeting including the 2019 drivers, one of whom is my brother, George Russell with Robert Kubica alongside him. I'm really proud of my brother getting his seat in F1, I'm a year younger than him but I took an apprenticeship at Williams when I turned 17 in mechanics and I've worked my way up to race engineer in the team and now I get to be my brothers. So I've been with the team now for 4 years and I love Williams and it's great that it's worked out that George is now part of this team too.

I'm one of the first to arrive but Claire is seated with Paddy when I walk in the room carrying my laptop and coffee "Morning Rosie" Claire calls "Morning Claire, Morning Paddy" I greet them both and take my seat towards the middle of the table. I load up my laptop and bring up the data from winter testing "did you have a good weekend?" Claire asks me and I look up from my screen "I just hung out with George at our parents which was nice, you?" she smiles "just hung out with the kids, making the most of it before the season properly starts" I smile knowing she finds it difficult leaving her children so often "I'm sure they loved having time with you" she smiles and is about to speak when a person lands heavily on my shoulders "Morning Rosalind" George "get off of me you lanky boy" I scold him annoyed that he used my full name "sorry" he mutters and takes his seat next to me "this is going to be an interesting pair this season" paddy comments causing Claire to glare in his direction "I reckon it will work as an advantage" she answers and I shoot her a smile.

We sit for about an hour talking through the data from the winter test and about George and Roberts approaches to driving the car. It's been a huge jump already from George from F2 but he is settling in really well. We are off to Australia in a week and I know he is really excited to perform at his best in his first F1 race. I'm also really glad he got promoted to F1 with Alex and Lando, I know having people going through the same transition will help especially as they are his best friends. I grew up from George's first karting race with Alex always at the house and Lando was usual around as well. My parents used to take me along with George to all of his races across Europe so I have met and spent a lot of time with the younger F1 drivers growing up including Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen as we would usually go to the formula two races. This was how I got a taste for mechanical engineering, I found myself with the mechanics while George was racing and I loved every second and that's how I've ended up being one of the youngest female race engineers in F1. Last year I was a race strategist but Claire saw how good I was at analysis and communication and once George was announced she promoted me to be his race engineer as she believed our brother/sister relationship would help George this year. I'm really excited to get going and I cannot wait for Australia!

"Thank you everyone, hopefully this can be a good season for us" Claire says as we all start packing away our laptops and go to get on with our work today. "Rosie cheeks what are you doing for the rest of the day?" I roll my eyes at George's nickname "I've got some data analysis to go through from your sim session yesterday and I need to look at the data Jack is getting today from his time in the sim. Why?" He smiles "well I have invited the boys to ours for dinner before we get too busy and I just wanted to let you know so that you can be home" I smile "what boys?" I ask "Alex, Lando and Jack" he says and I find myself agreeing to be home, these lads are my friends too as I haven't missed a single one of George's races so I practically grew up with them "see you at home" he tells me rushing off for his session in the sim "Rosie can I come talk through some set up changes with you?" Adam asks me as I'm about to step out of the room "of course you can, let's go" Alex is George's chief mechanic and has been super with his ideas for George's set up and I need to know the information in order to help George this weekend. I swing open the door to my office and we take a seat each at my desk "hit me with your thoughts Adam" I say as he starts telling me how the set up should be this weekend.

My afternoon disappears and I only look up from my laptop when there is a knock at the door "Soph?" I ask noticing my best friend/ George's Press Officer at the door "I knew I would need to come and get you otherwise you won't go home" she chirps as she takes a seat at my desk "sorry I just want to be fully prepared for Melbourne" she nods and I know she gets it "come on we are leaving" I sigh and reluctantly save my work and close my laptop "thanks for coming to get me Soph" I say as we step out of my office, it's 6pm so im surprised she is here this late "you're working late" she shrugs "we are both workaholics" and we giggle away as we walk through the halls to reception. I notice Emily is on the desk now "Hey Em! Did you have a good weekend?" I ask as I'm approaching "Hi Rosie, Sophia, I did thanks! You?" I nod "just had to put up with George" I roll my eyes and turn to Soph "good luck with him all season" she gives me a light shove and we say goodbye to Emily and rush to the car as it is pouring with rain. Soph climbs into the passenger side of my Mini Cooper D "British weather is messed up! It was sunny when I left my office" she complains as I pull out of the car park. I drive out of Grove to head towards Oxford where Soph lives and me and George have our house. Our parents suggested we moved in together when George turned 18, it helps both of us with working at Williams.

All of the boys are already at the house, I can tell because I had to park down the road as they all parked at mine before I could! "Hello?" I shout and I see all of the boys lounging on the sofas "Rosie!" George jumps up "you took ages!" He complains at me "some of us have to actually work!" I joke "workaholic" Lando shouts and I turn to him sticking my middle finger up "rude" he shouts "I'm going to get changed" I declare and leave the room. I rush upstairs to my room and strip off my Williams uniform throwing on some gym leggings and an oversized sweatshirt of George's that happened to end up in my wardrobe. I hurry back downstairs and see the boys bickering over what movie to watch, I stand in the doorway giggling and that attracts Alex's attention "Rosie!" I grin at him as he jumps up and makes his way over. Alex is George's absolute best friend and we've practically all grown up together "you okay Albono?" I ask as he pulls me into a hug "I'm good! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever" I nod my head "perks of a new season! With you in F1 as well" he smiles and I can see how excited he is and it's the same as George's expression when I bring up his F1 seat. "How's it looking at Williams?" He asks "fingers crossed it's better than last year, I believe we are making steps in the right direction" I explain "that's great to hear, George deserves a good car" and I know these words are true, George won the F2 championship last year with Alex and Lando just behind him. I loved going to F2 races as all 3 of them were racing against each other and I know this year will be a bit different for them. "Rosie! Come sit with me" Lando calls out and Alex nods as he is sitting with George and Jack on one sofa and I plop myself down next to Lando pulling my blanket over my lap "what are we watching?" I ask him and he shrugs "they've been arguing about it since before you got home" he laughs and motions towards the heated discussion going on "this always happens" I sigh "right put on Avengers assemble and be done with it" I tell them and they agree putting the movie on "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages Rose" Lando tells me "I know it's been busy at Williams, and you've been busy at McLaren!" I explain even during F2 the boys spent time in the F1 garages gaining some experience and meeting their future team. It seems crazy to me that they are all in F1 now "I know it's been a crazy few months! How's George settling in?" I can't help the smile that crosses my face "it's like he belongs in the team! How's your new teammate?" I ask knowing that he can be quite reserved "really funny actually, I think we are going to get along" I'm really pleased "let's hope this season is a good one for all of us"