We are like diamonds in the sky

step back!

*Helia*

The last few days had flown by. I had been prescribed a few days of rest after the concussion and had hardly been able to keep my feet still. Max and I had been in Milton Keynes and had had the chance to work a little in the simulator.

Max had done most of the simulator work and I had done more of the social media stuff.

Since the accident, we kind of got along better. He didn't seem so dismissive anymore and we had noticed some similarities. Most importantly, we had the same bad sense of humor, which really made the whole thing easier between us because we could laugh at the same stupid jokes.

But now we were finally back in Bahrain and the first race was right around the corner.

We had already shown in qualifying what the Red Bulls were capable of this year, so Max had taken pole and I was right behind him in third. Sebastian started next to Max and Charles next to me.

So my goal was to leave the Ferraris behind me already at the start and then have Max's back.

"Ready, Heli?" asked Nio, my pulse going through the roof.

"Yes. Ready.", I assured him, my hands shaking.

"You'll be on your own from now until after takeoff. I'm not allowed to talk to you until then.", he explained to me again.

It was nothing I didn't know, but I felt a sudden bit of nervousness move through my body. What if I had one more question? What if something unpredictable happened?  What if I screwed up the start?

At that moment, so many thoughts were racing through my head that I felt like I was suffocating under my helmet. Training was one thing, qualifying had been a bit more exciting, but now it really came down to this.

I really had to prove myself.

My heart was beating up to my throat.

What if I failed now?

"Before we get going, Max says to relax and have fun. He's watching you in the rear view mirror." said Nio "We all know you can do this." he assured me, then there was silence.

I stood in my starting box, ready for the start. I turned off every thought. It was just the car and me.

The beast and me, the name had somehow caught on.

I took a deep breath, then my eyes went up to the traffic light.

I could do this. I could do it.

I knew I could.

And then in my head I heard Crofty's famous line "It's lights out and away we go." I shot off. Max had a great start, but so did Sebastian. He slid in next to him while I pushed from behind.

"You can't drive in front of Vettel like that!", Nio's voice almost rolled over.

"As you can see, I can! It works, doesn't it?", I returned and glanced in the rear view mirror. He had to be pulling off.

"Suprisingly yes. But please don't kill yourself."

"I wont. Max needs me second place, I will defend second place.".

It had been a daring maneuver, I had known it before I had started. But Sebastian had fallen for my feint and I had been able to overtake him. Not only had I gained a place, but I could now spread out and Max could push forward. As long as I was behind him, he wouldn't have to worry about what was happening behind him.

"Brilliant maneuver, Helia. Keep it up," Christian Horner praised over the radio.

I couldn't suppress the grin.

"And now step on the gas. We're faster than the Ferrari. Max will give you DRS, then you can drive out a good gap," he instructed me.

I stepped on the gas pedal a little harder.

"You heard the big boss, step on the gas Heli. Show them how fast the beast is.", Nio cut in again "The next three rounds we'll unlock a little more power for you. Get everything you can out of it.".

The engine growled. I started to get goosebumps. Shit, the speed was so much better than in the Indy Car.

"And that's the end. Second place Heli. Great defense.", Nio laughed.

A thousand tons of weight fell off my shoulders "Whoo!", I yelled into the radio and raised my fist in the air.

The Ferrari had really given me a hard time and I had had to give it my all to keep them behind me.

Max slowed down a bit in front of me and let me catch up. He drove next to me and gave me a thumbs up. I returned the gesture and flipped my visor up a bit. The wind whipped at me, but I just had to let out the cry of joy. God it felt good.

We drove side by side into the parc fermé.

Every muscle in my body was screaming in pain, but it didn't matter. All that mattered now was that we had won the as a doubleheader. Something that hardly anyone had expected. I had followed the reports about me as little as possible, but they had not escaped me. Especially after the crash in training, the anger and resentment towards me had boiled up.

It had been emphasized again and again that I only had the job because I was a woman and because my last name was Webber. Very few reporters had bothered to watch even one of my Indy Car races. I had had some triumphs there. But they never talked about that. They always talked about me not being able to drive a Formula 1 car. But shit, that was me.

Sure, it was only the first race and I didn't know what was to come, but it was a good start and hopefully it would get some critics to focus more on what I was doing instead of who I was.

I released the bar, pulled the steering wheel out of the bracket, and undid my seatbelt before climbing onto the nose of my car. Max stood on the car next to me. The mechanics applauded us. I glanced over at him and as if we had agreed, we both raised our right fists in the air at the same time and lowered them again at exactly the same time before Max jumped off his car and put his steering wheel back in. I did the same and was then pulled into a hug by him.

"Shit, good job!" he patted me on the back.

"I did my best," I laughed.

Nio was next to pull me into a hug, then I felt Dad pull me into his arms.

"I'm so proud of you." he whispered as he gently stroked my back.

I didn't get to enjoy this moment for long, though. I had to go to the weigh-in, then to my first interview with Jenson Button.

"Hi Helia, nice to finally welcome you to the grid," he smiled.

I had met Jenson a few times before. He had always been nice and smiled at me with that British charm even now.

"Thank you.", I smiled and stroked my face.

"Your first race and a pretty successful one right away. You went from third to second place and left a world champion behind you. Some consider your overtaking maneuver against Sebastian almost arrogant. What do you say to that?"

"Arrogant? It was a normal racing maneuver. No matter against whom. And I wont apologize for winning over anyone.".

I could see Jenson's features slip briefly. I knew exactly what I had just said. I knew that many had certainly understood.

And I was sure Seb had understood it.

It was a declaration of war. He had justified with this words then by making my father look like an idiot.

Now I was turning the tables on him, and it wouldn't be the last time I challenged him to a fight so clearly.

"That's an announcement.", Jenson laughed a little nervously before continuing the interview.

Max patted me on the back as we made our way to the cool-down room "Clear announcement." he smirked "But I wouldn't have done it any differently if I were you." he put his arm over my shoulder "This is going to be our year.".