Once Upon A Time In... | Toto Wolff

Chapter Two: Barcelona

Friday AM

Having stayed on in Miami to schmooz sponsors and media partners, you were exhausted by the time you touched down in Barcelona on the following Friday morning. There had been meeting after meeting, followed by dinners and drinks with various business partners. Unfortunately, the red eye was the only flight that worked with the timings you needed and you were feeling it by the time you reached your hotel, the W Hotel right on the marina. Thankfully check-in was a breeze, your Spanish language skills coming in handy.

As you made your way into your room for the week, you surmised that it was nice, not as fancy as the one you had left behind in Miami but it had everything you would need. The panoramic window offered a nice sea view and the marble tub looked like a promising option for later. Once you'd freshened up, you had an hour to kill before you were needed at the track so instead of napping you decided to make the most of the nice weather and take a walk in the sun. Considering you had spent the last week in an incredibly sunny location you felt as if you hadn't had time to make the most of it. You'd caught a whisper of a tan during an outdoor photocall but aside from that, there was no Miami glow to be seen.

Strolling through the lobby you clocked a bunch of kids wearing Lewis Hamilton caps, clearly hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol. It was common knowledge that as the team was sponsored by a hotel chain, you all stayed in hotels under their umbrella, leaving it easy to guess where the drivers would be staying. You hoped that Lewis' room was a little plusher than yours but having spent some time with him, you would not be surprised if he was staying in the same basic room as you were. As part of your responsibility within the team was public perception, you knew that Lewis greeting fans in a hotel lobby could be a double-edged sword. On one hand, Lewis would look kind but on the other, it could encourage more to come and then you'd soon have a situation getting out of hand. Torn on what to do you decided to drop a text to the press team.

FYI, there are some kids down in the lobby waiting for Lewis. My call would be for him to pop by and say hello but no PR, and no social media on our end. What do you think?

You paused as you could see Rosie, the Press Officer, typing.

Absolutely agree. We don't want to encourage this but equally, Lewis loves to meet his fans. I'll send him down shortly.

Relieved that your call was in line with the current strategy you replied punchily.

Great, thanks.

You had a reputation for curt, straight-to-the-point emails and communication, a reputation that you were keen to uphold in your new role. You were not one to suffer fools gladly and you took a stern but fair approach to managing your team. You could already tell that you were inheriting a well-oiled machine and were fascinated by the way that Toto was so hands-on as a shareholder.

Exiting the hotel, you felt grateful for the opportunity, it wasn't every day that someone travelled from Miami to Barcelona, stayed in a nice paid-for hotel and was endlessly wined and dined. Having been through a rough break-up only a few months ago, a change of scenery was exactly what you needed to get over your heartbreak. You had thought you were going to marry your ex-fiancé but when you found out he had been sending racy DMs to other girls you knew in your heart of hearts that it wasn't to be. Even thinking about it made you well up with tears and you took a moment to take a deep breath and compose yourself before stepping out onto the boardwalk.

Wandering in the sun, you soon lost track of time and found yourself dashing back to the hotel to grab your laptop and jump in the car to the track. It was a little less grand than the one in Miami and you found yourself missing Carlos and his slick, professional demeanour.