The Limit (Sebastian Vettel)

79. Deluge

Lily was eager to get out on track. Joel had informed her that the rain was due to start in few minutes.   Everyone else had already gone out, but Joel had told her to hang back for a minute.   Whoever was the last to put in a lap on slicks would most likely be on pole for the race the following day.  

Of course it might go totally wrong and it might start raining before she posted her lap, but that was a risk she was willing to take.   She was assured of tenth place, and if this gamble worked she'd be starting from pole for the second time in three races. 

"Ok Lily, let's go for it."  She flipped her visor down and edged out of the garage.   As she joined the track she kept off of the racing line as she made her way around.

"Everyone has posted a time apart from you and Norris, he abandoned his first lap and is just coming to the last corner ready to start another flying lap."

"Who's pole?"

"Currently Verstappen, then Ricciardo. Charles is P3."

"Ok. Going radio silent now."

"You know what to do Lils."

She took a deep breath as she rounded the last corner to begin her final lap. To her horror it had begun to rain.

"Please don't get any faster," she muttered under her breath. It just had to hang on for the next eighty five seconds or so.

In the end it seemed like a lot longer than eighty five seconds. The rain slowly grew heavier but not heavy enough to impact Lily's lap. As she crossed the line she waited to hear from Joel.

"Ok Lily, great lap. Come on back in. That's it for the day. Rain is getting heavier."

As Joel spoke, the heavens opened and the rain became torrential.

"Ok, but where did I qualify?"

"Oh, yeah. You're on pole," Joel replied nonchalantly.

"Yes!!!"

"Norris P2, Verstappen P3, then Ricciardo, Charles, Vettel, Hamilton, Russell, Ocon and Alonso."

Lily carefully made her way back to the garage. There were still officially ten minutes left of the session but it was clear that the rain wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon.

Tomorrow's forecast was much the same, which would be interesting. Could she make it three in a row? She felt confident. Tomorrow was another day though. She still had a lot to do today.

She had to meet with the engineers and strategists to talk through their plans for the race, then she was having dinner with Joel, Amelia, Poppy and Pierre.

The bit she was really looking forward to though was getting back to her room where Seb would be waiting for her.

The sneaking around was stressful, but she loved sleeping in his arms. It would be even better the next race weekend.

They'd be staying at the Scott mansion for the British Grand Prix, although Aston Martin thought Seb was staying in his motorhome with Antti at a private campsite.

And that's where he would end up staying if Damon decided that he was going to stay at the mansion, but he hadn't stayed there for years so Lily thought they were pretty safe on that account. 

He might turn up for the barbecue, which was being held on the Sunday after the race this year, as it was Seb's and Lily's birthday, but otherwise it would just be the three Scott siblings and their partners. 

Lily got out of the car, her crew applauding her.  She took her helmet off and thanked them all.  Now she just had to wait for the clock to tick down so everything was official, but that was just a formality.  She was starting on pole, and her confidence was sky high.   She liked leading the championship, and wasn't going to give the lead up without a fight.    She smiled at Joel as she walked over to him outside the back of the garage.