𝚂𝙷𝙾𝙾𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙸𝙻𝙻 ,, formula 1: drive to survive

38

2021 Season

AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN

WHAT HAPPENED IN BAKU

PART ONE

Pierre Gasly had done it. A P3 finish in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and Dakota had coached him to it over the radio. As soon as he had crossed the line, Mac was over the fence, Franz and Jake yelling at her to come back before penalties were given out as she threw her arms around the Frenchman once he was out of the car.

Now, four hours later, they were in a dive bar, the entire team taking up the back corner, other drivers and mechanics scattered throughout. The bar was closed to the general public, but some fans had been gathered outside when they arrived, drivers more than willing to sign autographs.

Dakota was dancing under the lights, drunkenly screaming the words to 'Spice Up Your Life' by the Spice Girls as she danced. She wasn't drunk yet, just tipsy as she danced with Carolyn.

Yuki was watching her from across the table, his chin in his hand, elbow resting on the table as he watched her in complete awe. He'd been in love with her since they first met at the factory in Faenza, the first day that he showed up to run simulator time.

"I can't believe none of you are dancing!" Dakota scoffed, turning towards one of the other tables. "Nobody wants to dance with me?"

"It's on principal!" Pierre insisted. "Christian Horner's wife is signing this, so I'm not gonna do it."

Jake Volkov roared with laughter. "Good man, Gasly. Good man."

"All right, all right!" A voice shouted from one of the nearby tables. "I'll bite. Let's do this thing."

The entire Aston Martin table cheered as Lance Stroll got to his feet, crossing to the empty floor where Dakota was and taking her hands in his, backing the two of them away from the AlphaTauri table. 

"So, when are you going to tell Yuki how you feel?" Lance asked quietly, lazily attempting a half-assed salsa dance while his mind was somewhere else entirely. "You can't just not say anything. How long has it been since you went on a real date?"

"You know the pandemic stalled every single aspect of my life."

"Is that a gentle way of saying that you were depressed?"

"Fuck you, Strulovitch."

"I regret telling you my real last name."

"It's on Wikipedia, Lancelot."

"Not my name."

From the other end of the AlphaTauri table, it was obvious to anybody in a ten foot radius that Yuki Tsunoda was madly in love with Dakota McManus as he stared in wonder at the Australian as she danced, and the way her body moved in the tight black dress that she was wearing.

"Dude, why don't you just say something?" Pierre remarked, exhausted at watching his teammate flounder in affairs of the heart. "I can tell you for a fact that she likes you too."

"But what about her job? What if the FIA fire her or something? Obviously it's like, a conflict of interest, especially if we break up."

Pierre raised an eyebrow. "Do you plan on breaking up with her?"

"No!"

"Then what is the problem?!"

Back on the dancefloor, Lance and Dakota were having a much quieter, and much more serious version of that conversation as the song changed, blasting Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC.