F1, a sport where things are calculated to the thinnest margins. Even finances.
It was Y/N's dream to race in F1 one day. He was the quickest driver in junior categories. However, his F1 dreams was shattered by a driver with huge financial backing...
Gary Gannon: Mode push before you start your flying lap. Enjoy it out there dude and bring the car home in one piece.
Given the green light, I rounded the final few corners and went for it. I had two flying laps and I need to make the most out of it. The results will be calculated by averaging the two laps. While pushing it to the limit, I made sure I also had time to enjoy this experience, my first ever experience in a Formula 1 car.
I followed Kevin Magnussen's advice of not pushing the tyres too hard on the first lap, saving up rubber for the second lap while also putting in a respectable flying lap time, trying to be consistent over the two laps. However, with me not getting used to the car at all, I was still struggling at the high speed corners. But the advice from Kevin Magnussen seemed to work because at the end of my second flying lap, I could still feel the tyres with me meaning that I hadn't pushed too hard on the first lap and used up all my rubber. I didn't know if the lap times were ideal but I certainly enjoyed my two laps. Like many good things, this experience had to come to an end and the two flying laps went by really quickly. As I crossed the line to finish my second lap, Gary Gannon came over the radio again to give me instructions about what to do on the cool down lap.
Gary Gannon: Ok slow down dude, well done on the laps. Mode recharge, slow button on. If you can go to engine 1 position 4. Engine 1 position 4. That will be on the MF-A rotary to 4 o'clock position, then press 1 before moving the MF-B rotary to 3 o'clock position.
Y/N: Copy, thanks Gary, this was something else.
Gary Gannon: You did well out there dude, slow button and box. Slow button and box.
After my lap, I tried my best to follow the instructions that Gary Gannon gave me. It wasn't easy as there were about a million different buttons on the steering wheel of a Formula 1 car. It was so much more complicated compared to the Formula 2 and Formula 3 steering wheel. I tried my best to navigate the cool down lap while trying to press the correct buttons and select the correct rotary switch. It wasn't easy even when I'm driving at such a slow speed, I wonder how Formula 1 drivers do it while driving at 200 miles an hour and battling with other cars on track.
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(For those who doesn't know how an F1 wheel looks like)
Once I got back into the garage, I was desperate to see how I've done on my two flying laps. I quickly got out of my car and joined the engineers and Kevin Magnussen where they will give me a debrief of how I did on my laps.
Gary Gannon: So, Y/N your lap times are decent but if we compare it to our drivers, you are still a bit too conservative on the brakes and acceleration. You don't need to lift off before every time you brake, just stamp on the brakes straight after releasing the gas pedal.
Looking at the data, it doesn't look too bad to me. I was only one second slower than Romain Grosjean's qualifying lap here for the 2017 British Grand Prix. A 1:30.429, I will take that happily given that I am not running in qualifying mode which means the power would be down. I analysed the data with Gary Gannon a little bit more to see how I could improve when given the opportunity again while I waited for Louis Deletraz to finish his lap.
A few minutes later, Louis Deletraz came back into the garage and it was time to announce our lap times. I was extremely nervous, even though it wasn't a competition I still like to be the best out of the three drivers.
Simone Resta: Right boys, hope you all enjoyed that experience. But we will announce how you did compared to each other. I think it safe to say nobody beat Romain's qualifying lap time here which I'm proud because if you did then we will be questioning what strat mode you were running haha. Anyways, the results are here: Pietro Fittipaldi - 1:30.721 Y/N - 1:30.429 Louis Deletraz - 1:31.683 Well done to all of you and thank you for participating in this private testing. We look forward to see you soon.
Today was certainly my happiest day so far. I get to drive a Formula 1 car and to be the fastest out of the participants in the private session was a bonus. I couldn't be happier. Before I left, Simone Resta stopped me when I was alone.
Simone Resta: Y/N, I wanted to speak to you alone for a while.
Y/N: Sure what's up.
Simone Resta: Well, I've been keeping an eye on you and I got to say your performance are really good in Formula 2 this year. We are looking to change our whole driver lineup next season so keep this up and you might have a shot at the seat for the next season.
Y/N: Oh thanks Mister Resta. I'll try and do my best.
Ending the quick chat, I took the train back to my house at Guildford. When I got home, I lied down on my bed because I was so tired. I was extremely tired and completely worn out. The two flying laps has really tore me apart. Even though it was fun driving a Formula 1 car, physically I was not ready. The G Forces I experienced in the simulator is nothing similar to the real thing. My neck was completely sore from all the G Forces I felt around the corners, especially Maggots Becketts and Chapel section. Going through that section on a flying lap feels like my head was being thrown around by someone. Also, Copse, it felt like my head was going to fall off my body when I chucked the car into that corner at speed.
Reflecting on the day, what a day it had been. First I get to drive a Formula 1 car, then I was the quickest in this private test session and to top it all off, I got tapped up by Simone Resta saying that I could potentially drive for Haas next season. This had been a very good day for me. It was fun but also tiring. If I really want to make it to Formula 1, I still have a long way to go until I am physically prepared for the challenge.
Yes another update today. You are welcome. This is part two of Y/N's first experience of F1. Some of you readers might get the driver default part and might even find it funny. But if you don't it's ok. I promise there will be less technical terms later on in the book and it will be interesting.
Finally, please don't forget to vote for this chapter and vote along as you read. Share this book if you can, it will help me reach a bigger audience. Also, if you don't want to miss any new chapters, add this book to your library. Follow me if you like my work and would like to get updates of when I publish a new book. Thank you very much for all your support it really means a lot to me.
