Julia Erin Wolff is daughter of Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes. As a result, she grew up mostly in paddocks or travelling with her parents and always felt a certain connection to driving and F1. Now, when it's time to be on her own, she deci...
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"Carlos!" I exclaimed in relief as I finally found my Spanish friend. "Where did you disappear to all of a sudden?"
"Oh, some people from the team pulled me to the bar for more champagne, but I had to decline since I'm driving. So, I thought it would be better to get some fresh air instead," he replied, gazing into the distance.
"Is everything alright? Did something happen?" I asked, with a hint of concern in my voice.
"Yeah, ready to go?" Carlos stood up, finally briefly glanced at me, and gestured towards the car with his hand. The tension between us was intense, and I had a feeling that there was something he wasn't telling me.
"Oh, there's so much I need to tell you," I started, breaking the silence in the car. "After you disappeared so suddenly, Lando and I absolutely rocked the dancefloor, and..."
"Juli, I'm sure you had an amazing time," Carlos interrupted me in the middle of my sentence, "but I'm really tired and need to wake up early tomorrow. So, if we could just have a moment of peace and quiet, like we had a minute ago, that would be much appreciated."
I quietly nodded, spending the rest of the ride looking out of the window. It was now evident that something had happened, but for some reason, Carlos didn't feel like discussing it with me.
-☆-
"And for the first time ever in Formula 1, Carlos Sainz is victorious, he wins the British Grand Prix!" came over the loudspeakers as Carlos crossed the finish line. I dashed out of my changing room instantly, ready to celebrate this incredible victory with him, regardless of the events from night ago.
"Carlos, congratulations on the outstanding performance today! You were absolutely amazing out there. How are you feeling?" I asked, unable to contain my excitement for him.
"Thanks! The race was definitely tough, but I'm thrilled to have come out on top. It's an incredible feeling!" he exclaimed, smiling and shining. Seeing him this happy brought a smile to my face as well.
"It seems like safety cars had a significant impact on this Grand Prix. Despite the team's strategies, you decided to rely on your own instincts, and it turned out to be a winning move. Could you elaborate a bit more on your decision-making?"
"Yeah, I was feeling a lot of pressure right from the start. I lost some positions, then Zhou crashed and the red flag came out. The strategies during the safety car didn't really make sense to me because I didn't want to give up my position to Hamilton. But in the end, we made it work, and I'm incredibly happy and grateful to everyone at Ferrari! Bene grazie, forza Ferrari!" Carlos replied gracefully.
I gave him another round of congratulations and then went on to interview Checo and Lewis. Once my work was done, I found myself in the perfect spot to watch one of the best podium moments ever.
-☆-
A/N
Hey, apologies for the delay and shorter chapter, such a busy weekend! Thank you for your support, it means a lot <3
