Unexpected

Part 55

I test drove the Lexus LFA during the break in between races. It was simply a-maz-ing. Good thing I have plenty of photos and videos to remember it by. If I leave Formula One then I'll try to be a driver of Toyota at the 24 hour Le Mans race.

On Thursday Esteban and I are scheduled for an interview with Will Buxton, for Formula One's YouTube channel. "It's Grill the Grid time!" Will exclaims.

"Yes!" says Esteban at the same time that I say "Oh, no!"

"I apologize in advance," I tell my teammate. "I don't know a lot of F1 trivia."

"You're in luck," Will continues. "This year we're doing something different, called Truth or Lie. I'll be reading statements and you'll let us know if they're true or not." He hands each of us a stick with a piece of paper on it. One side reads Truth, and the other Lie. "Are you ready?"

We nod.

"I have been given a speeding ticket."

I show Lie to the camera. Esteban shows Truth.

"How many did you get?" Will wants to know.

"Me?!" asks Esteban in amazement. "No, I never have. I thought you."

I crack up. After we go over the rules again, Will reads the second declaration. "I have faked an illness to get out of a PR appearance."

We both hold up Lie. "Really? Never?" Will questions us.

"I'm a good guy," says Esteban.

"I have cheated on a test."

I hold up Lie. "I test well. It's the long term remembering I have a problem with."

"I have bought takeout, but claimed I cooked the meal myself."

Lie. "I'm a good enough cook."

"I sing in the shower."

Truth. "And in many other places."

"Your husband's songs?" asks Will.

"Sometimes."

"Can you sing now?" requests Esteban.

I'm about to say no, but change my mind. I should promote Snuper. 🎵"Baby, why don't you follow me?"🎵

"I have peed in my cockpit."

We both hold up Lie. "I know some drivers do, but I never have," says Esteban.

"I've ignored a call from my team boss."

Lie. "He doesn't call that often. Probably because I'm at the factory two or three times a week."

"I google myself."

Truth.

"What's the worst thing you've found?"

"There was more than one. The comments from fans expecting me to suck big time and those that hate my reality TV show are the top two."

"You've proved the haters wrong," Will assures me.

"There are plenty that keep writing it off to good luck or some such, and still expect me to fail."

"Ignore them," says my teammate.

"I've been in a proper fist fight."

Lie. "Just aikido, karate, and boxing. Hi, Sangmin," I tell the camera. That's Sangil's younger brother, with whom I sparred in Korea. This part will probably be cut from the YouTube video.

"I make mistakes on track and blame it on the car."

Lie. "The engineers have all the data and know if it was you or not, so why lie?"

"I have been trapped somewhere."

Lie. "Unless an escape room counts?"

"I have broken up with someone via SMS."

I hold up Lie as Esteban holds up Truth. "With all the traveling we do, it happens."

"You should at least have the decency to call," I tell him.

"You never have?" he counters.

"I've only ended the relationship once. Usually I get broken up with."

Esteban shakes his head. "So sad."

"Player," I teasingly respond.

"I have used my fame to get freebies."

Lie.

"I have eaten out of a bin."

"Out of a what?"

"A trash can."

"Who came up with these questions?"

"You'd be surprised at how many people have," Will tells us. "I use cheesy pickup lines," he continues.

Truth. "Tell us your best ones."

"They're Japanese puns, they don't translate. But I can tell you the worst one I've been propositioned with: Are you from Japan? 'Cuz I'm tryna get in Japanties."

After Esteban gets it, he dies laughing. "You are from Japan," he wheezes.

"That was an automatic no. I don't mind cheesy pickup lines, but not sexual ones."

"I have broken a bone."

Lie. "But I have broken someone else's."

"Spill the beans," Will encourages me.

"It was when I was performing CPR. You could hear the sternum break away from the ribs. I almost stopped. But that actually often happens. It's a sign that you're doing it right."

"You performed CPR?" asked Esteban, impressed.

"Yeah. Heart attack."

"I have lied to my teammate."

Lie. "Not that I remember. But maybe I have about some little insignificant thing."

Esteban holds up Truth. "To me?" I ask him.

"No, no," he assures me. "In Formula 2."

"Su~ure," I drag out the word.

Esteban had eight truths and nine lies. I had three truths and fourteen lies.

"See? You are a liar," he tells me. "You probably lie to your teammate all the time."

"That's not what this means at all!"

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I wanted Esteban (and Sergio Perez) on Grill the Grid, but F1 has blocked it  so here's a meme of grill the grid.