In the Spotlight (Max Verstappen - Book Two)

Chapter Forty-Six

"Yuki, can you please lift and coast more through turns eleven and twelve, don't brake as hard on four either please," I say as I press the radio button on the pit wall, ignoring the curious cameras that were trained on me as I practically took on the shared role of race engineer with Dani. Rather than just sitting and looking at the data and relaying it in ways that Yuki would understand, trying to get him to drive closer to how I would drive it because I needed as much data as possible and currently he wasn't really delivering.

The bad weather had held off thus far for him but he wasn't used to driving an F1 car and it showed, unfortunately. I let out a hiss as he continued to pummel the tires through the turns I just told him to ease off on as I through a frustrated hand at the screen in front of me. "Wave to the cameras, El," Christian's voice says through the radio and I look to my right as he motions to the cameras behind us and I realise that he was telling me to chill out and so I put a bright smile on my face as I wave at them before quickly turning my head back to the screen.

"Hey, Yuki...I love you man, but you gotta leave me some wheels to use this weekend, if you lift and coast on eleven and twelve you won't need to brake as hard! The brake line is beginning to overheat, don't stress out. You know how to do this!" I try and coach the driver down the line, using a softer more explanatory voice and see that on his next go around he does as I suggest.

"Oh, that was better, thanks Elodie!" I hear his voice come brightly down the radio and I chuckle before exchanging a few words with Dani and giving him the next instructions as we carry on like that for the rest of the hour until eventually free practice is over. I stand up and stretch out my back, cracking my neck as I look at the cars being wheeled back into the garage. Yuki wasn't a great example of what the car could do because it had been so long since he was sat in one but Max had done well. Mercedes had once again topped the time sheets but Max only sat four-tenths behind, not six and so it was his debrief between the practice sessions that I was bothered about.

I checked that my race suit was secured at the halfway point and then made sure I was safe to cross the pit lane, jogging over to the garage and giving Yuki a quick high five before making my way out of my side of the garage and towards Max's. I stood waiting next to Bradley for him to get out, nervously jumping from foot to foot in anticipation of the information he was about to give me.

After what felt like an age he was finally properly out of the car and I took a large step towards him, beating Bradley and taking the helmet out of his hands, passing it to the rather unimpressed yet amused coach next to me as I looked at him expectantly and he shrugged. I would have been disheartened given that reaction and the time of the car if it wasn't for the fact that I could see Max's eyes shining and so I bit down on my lip as I tried to hide my reaction and we both looked over to Christian, still on the pit wall, who was clearly waiting for the same assessment that I was from Max. Max shrugs again and Christian just nods his head, giving nothing away as we make our way towards the back of the garage. "You need to shower," I inform Max as I scrunch up my nose, the smell of oil and petrol being minimised the further away from the car we step and Max's natural scent begins to pick up.

"You don't normally complain," he grumbles and I smile as I look around at the public setting.

"I'm normally sweating as well," I point out as I hand him a towel and he accepts it gratefully nodding as he sits down on a seat and I tactically stand in front of him so no cameras can see our conversation. "How was it, like really?"

"Cornering was so good, I feel like I definitely good have taken those at much higher speeds, especially compared to before." He begins detailing the increased handling and speed. "Also that wasn't the top speed," he says grinning, no longer able to contain his excitement in our semi privacy and I can't help but smile back, the familiar love of racing shining through his eyes and reflected in my own as I put all my effort into not rubbing my hands together in delight, passing him the cap that Bradley passes to me besides us.