Walking into the busy paddock for the first race of the season is just pure excitement, the buzz, the atmosphere everything about it just makes you feel happy.
This is my second year working with McLaren, second f1 season and I was ready.
Bahrain was beautiful, it was warm, thank god the uniform was easy.
I had my jeans on with my vans and the McLaren orange polo shirt and my identification badge around my neck.
"Alex, my favourite press officer" I walked into the hospitality trailer to find Lando to get him into the press ring for some interviews.
"I'm the only one you have Lando-" I sipped the drink I had just picked up before continuing "-And where is Daniel?"
"He's in his room, have you met him yet?" We walked out into the paddock towards the McLaren trailer
"I haven't, not properly. Obviously I know who he is" I replied.
Daniel Ricciardo, had moved to McLaren for this season, I'd already worked with Lando last year. I was responsible for getting them to conferences, meetings, prepping them for media all those bits and pieces, and now I had to look after Daniel, I knew he was a funny character, a great driver, but not spoken to him or seen him myself properly. But here we are.
We got to the trailer where the drivers rooms where and headed up, as soon as I had knocked on the door, it swung open and I was greeted by a tall man that wasn't Daniel.
"Hello, I'm Michael, Dan's personal trainer" the man reached out to shake my hand, his voice loud and thick with the Australian accent.
"Hi, I'm Alex, all things communications,
media, friend, advisor all that jazz" I said shaking Michael's hand.
He opened the door and myself and Lando walked in the room.
Lando and Daniel were already good mates and gave each other a hug,
Daniel turned to me and smiled, "g'day, Alex was it?" He asked, before stepping towards me and swallowing me up in a hug.
Lando was already laughing behind me as I failed to return the favour and stood with my arms pinned to my sides.
"She's not a hugger" Lando chuckled.
"With me around she will be" Daniel laughed letting me go
"We'll see, anyway guys we got to get going, the media waits for no one" I said, turning towards the door with both drivers in tow.
We walked down towards the media pen and I could tell these two were going to be a handful, they didn't stop messing around and laughing the whole time. I had a schedule I had to keep them to, and something told me it was going to be more difficult than just dealing with Lando. I directed them both to some reporters and stood back but listened in, overseeing what they were saying.
Once they all finished up I gathered the boys up and we walked up to the conference centre.
"Right, you've both got the drivers conference in about 10 minutes, then you can grab some lunch, then we've got some prep and some bits to do, then get you changed and then you're going to the garages for practice" I listed as we walked. Making some notes and not even looking up to see if they were still with me.
"Busy day, do we have time to piss?" Daniel laughed
"Don't get on my bad side Ricciardo" I scolded while laughing, I ushered them into the building and we stood waiting outside the room, again they were messing about, I rolled my eyes and took out my phone responding to some emails and checking in with any issues we might have to address.
"Daniel, number please" I said, knowing I'd have to contact him to sort things out here and there
"Oooh moving a bit fast this is" he replied in his thick Aussie accent, enough to make anyone swoon. I stared at him holding out my phone, "this better be your personal phone" he continued
"Sorry honey, just the work one"
Lando, was a silly child half the time. It's how he kept as carefree and stress free as possible. Daniel was a bit older but seemed to be the exact same. So I knew I would get on well with him as well.
You end up travelling and living with these people for majority of the ear, you had to get on. But it was always nice when you could really rely on your team to be one unit.
Daniel tapped his number into my phone before handing it back to me.
YOU ARE READING
Something Gained
Fanfiction*Currently Editing* Alex is a young girl brought up around formula one. There's trauma and heartbreak in her life. She lands a job with the McLaren team and travels the world. Her second year she's swept up in a whirlwind from the word go, you can'...
