Against all odds

Chapter 2

Considering Sergio is 20 cm taller than me the car would have to be adjusted so I could drive safely. Unfortunately, my plane had been almost 2 hours delayed due to bad weather we had to fly around I missed FP2, and I could only hope that everything would go smoothly in FP3.

Grabbing my racing stuff, I didn't even take time to change my clothes before rushing downstairs again and hopping in the waiting car to take me to the circuit.

during the short drive, I was starting to get seriously nervous. which showed in the excessive bouncing of my knee and the shaking hands constantly fiddling around.

"You'll do perfectly fine. Don't worry. And even if you don't no one will be mad because it's your first time driving an F1 car. Just be calm and as long as you are confident in your skill and don't wreck the car the team and Christian will love you. I promise." Ian said from the driver's seat.

"Sorry. It's just a little bit much to cope with. I mean twelve hours ago I was at home studying and now I am here about to set foot in an F1 car that isn't even mine or even close to anything I would be assigned to drive." after a short moment of silence I sighed, "sorry didn't mean to dump those things on you."

"It's okay. As long as you are here, I will always be by your side and stand with you. Against all your problems."

"Thanks, man. Knowing someone will have my back means a lot right now."

Arriving at the track he handed me an entry card which I used to go through the security gate. Heading straight to the garage I got introduced to the team.

"Hi! It's so good you're here. I'm Simon Checo's race engineer. I'll be on your radio at all times when you're on track. I see you met the rest already so let's get to work, shall we? We have a lot to do till the last practice tomorrow."

"Nice to meet you. You can call me Alex. I think that will be easier. Let's get this show on the road!"

Before leaving Ian chimed in: "I will come and get you for the Press conference. You will be paired with Verstappen so you can meet him before going in there. See you later!"

Fitting the seat and trying to find a way that I could reach the pedals when driving we worked for a few hours before my PR manager came back to get me.

Following him to the Room the conference was to be held I soaked up the last tips he gave me for dealing with the reporters. I saw the tall Dutch driver standing in the distance talking to another man in Red Bull gear.

Walking up to him the two men turned around and we made eye contact. I could see the confusion in Max's eyes as he saw my 1,55 m frame coming closer to him.

"Hi! Ik ben Alexandra. Leuk je te ontomoeten. Hoe gaat het?" (I'm Alexandra. It's nice to meet you. How are you?) I asked smiling reaching out to shake his hand.

He looked at me with wide eyes: "What the fuck?!"

"I'm here to drive instead of Sergio. We're supposed to do press together in a few minutes right?" I asked smiling at him, but he still looked at me like I had just grown a second head.

"So, you're not going to say anything? That's cool too. How about we act as we get along in there to keep your image as good as possible and afterward you can go back to ignoring me again. Deal?" I asked disappointedly.

"Wait a second. You're the Duman guy everyone talks about? I thought you were a guy! Holy shit!" he burst out in surprise.

After a short conversation, we entered the building and walked through the halls to the interview room. taking a deep breath before entering I put on a smile not too big so it would look as I was trying to be fake or overly excited and not too small so it wouldn't look like I was a bitch.

Being a woman in the racing industry it was very hard to maintain a neutral or good image. so, I tried to be as nice as possible without showing too much emotion.

After going through the first questions about who I was it was an English interviewer's turn to ask a question: "Hello everyone. My question is for Miss Duman. How do you plan on keeping your emotions in their place for the race on Sunday considering the high chance of accidents in formula one and following up on that how will you thank the other drivers for letting you overtake them, and do you think there will be any sexual favours in effect?"

The question knocked the wind out of me like a hit in the chest. "Wow okay, that was a long question. Let's see, I'll try to answer it as well as I can for you. I have been racing for a very long time and I was the formula 2 champion in the last two years, so based on that I think I have been confronted with many accidents and risks that I can keep my emotions in check just as well as the other drivers. I do not think that any driver will give up their place for me even if I would include favours which I will definitely not. Any performance on Sunday will purely be based on our ability to race, the condition of the car, and the track."

The next question made my blood boil: "As you just said you have experience in Formula 2. but will you be able to perform in a male-dominated garage or do you think you are going to be distracted by them? What will you be doing to prepare for that sort of distraction?"

"As you just said I don't have experience in F1, but I am going to be in the garage as much as possible to get to know the car and the team around it. I don't think that I will be distracted as I was previously working in a male-dominated field also. And even if I wasn't working with many men, I don't think the driving is about them, but more so about the team and teamwork. I think the team and I will be prepared for Quali and the race on Sunday."

"My question also is for Miss Duman. I am from the magazine the telegraph. I want to know considering you are the only girl on track will your weight make a difference and how did you prepare for the race diet-wise? What will you be wearing under the race suit keeping in mind you have other proportions as male drivers and what did the team have to adjust on the car to make you fit in Perez's seat?" another man asked.

"You know what? the last few questions were for me why doesn't Max answer this one? so he doesn't feel left out? would that be okay for you Sir?" I asked the reporter.

"No. this question is only for you. The people don't want to know about Max's diet and weight, only yours."

Max's eyebrows almost met in the middle of his face as he said: "That's quite rude. Don't you think?"

"I do actually! You know what? If the people don't want to know them maybe someone will. Ian? how about you? do you want to know?" I asked turning to the PR manager who just nodded smiling at me, "Well then don't keep them waiting and go for it!"

I looked at the reporter who asked the question who shot me a pointed look and I got worried. What would the press write about me now that I clapped back so passive-aggressively? what would I read tomorrow when I opened my phone?

The remainder of the conference was filled with some mildly sexist questions and me trying to answer them without being rude but also expressing some sort of discomfort towards them.