Under the helmet | Charles Leclerc

~Chapter 1~

"The 2023 season of f1, and I'm in it."

After years of hard-work and dedication to my overall dream of being an f1 driver, I finally get an opportunity to join the Ferrari team as a driver! Well, not the whole season but as Carlos Sainz had a severe crash and wasn't allowed back on track they got a fill in driver. But as a woman in a 'male' dominated sport, I am naturally going to be disliked by the public.

Ferrari had organised a team meeting so that the team could meet me and so that I could get introduced to my new teammate Charles Leclerc. I put on a pair of blue shorts and a ferrari top on which I half-tuck into my shorts and a pair of trainers, trying to look casual-ish. I turn up to the paddock early so that I'm not late to the meeting as it's my first meeting and I intend to make a good first impression.

"Hey, whatever happens, I'm sure you'll shock them all! Go get 'em girly!" Says Rosa, my best friend since school who has always supported me, she dropped me off at the paddock gates just for some mental support.

"I know I'm going to shock them, I mean look at me." I say with confidence hands on hips, mocking my confident persona.

I shut the door to my friends car and move my sunglasses down from the top of my head to the bridge of my nose and strut into the paddock, asserting my confidence, to the paddock. This is where I belong, this is where my dreams are. I Belong here.

My ponytail swishes from left to right as I walk to where I assume the meeting is, which is in the garage in the Bahrain track. I head towards the red ferrari garage, quickly noticing how quiet it is. As I walk into the garage a man which I assume is Fred Vasseur greets me.

"You must be Maeve Walker, our fill in driver? I'm Fred Vasseur." He asks intently with a calm demeanour holding out his hand.

"Yes, that's me, good to meet you Mr. Vasseur." I shake his hand, he has a good firm handshake.

"I'm glad your here early, actually, gives me time to introduce you to a few other team members your going to need to know, come with me Miss Walker."

Fred makes his way around the garage introducing me to a few people such as my PR assistant, Viola and the race engineer who will speak to me over the radio, Albert.

"Nice to meet you both, I'm Maeve." I hold my hand out to both of them shaking their hands.

"It'll be great to have a woman on the team, it'll be perfect for the media giving us more opportunities to show a more diverse team." Says Viola shaking my hand.

"It's always nice to meet a new driver, especially being the man who speaks to you over the radio through the races, it's good for me to know my drivers." Alberts sends a warm welcoming smile.

"Right, it'd be time to start the meeting, just waiting on Charles now I'm pretty sure, mind, we are still early." Fred comments heading towards the back of the garage where there is a larger room with a big round table and projector with a board and plenty of chairs.

The room has a modern atmosphere, clean and neat everything being in greyscale colours, apart from the odd plant in the corner of the room. I sit at one side of the table and Fred sits at the head of the table and Viola and Albert sit on the other side of the table to Fred a few seats further down from me. As the clock hits 10AM Charles arrives through the door and lifts his sunglasses off of the bridge of his nose exposing his gorgeous green hazel eyes.

Charles brings a certain atmosphere that makes me feel competitive, although I haven't even seen the car yet, nor have I even set foot on the track or spoken to him, although I already know one thing, I want to beat him, and impress the team, see if I can earn myself a permanent seat and Charles knows that from the way he walked in and glared at me.

"So, this is who we decided would be a good idea to fill in for Carlos and still earn us points? Or was this a publicity stunt." Charles darts his eyes from Fred to Viola. Instantly expressing his opinion while I roll my eyes, deciding the best response was none at all.

"This isn't just a publicity stunt Charles, she's amazing on track in f2 and it's time we introduced a woman onto the grid." Viola defends her point glaring at Charles.

"So, what I gathered from that is that it was a publicity stunt." He rolls his eyes and scoffs at Viola.

"Stop the pointless back and forth comments you two, it won't get us anywhere. Maeve is here to stay while Carlos recovers, so Charles you need to be her teammate not her enemy." Fred steps into the conversation making the two fall silent.

"Maeve has made excellent progress in f2, and we chose her because of her amazing skill in driving, not a publicity stunt, until Carlos gets better, I expect nothing but respect for each other on and off track between you two. You have to work as a team and a united front to earn us points whether you like it or not." Fred informs, mainly speaking to Charles and he seemed in disagreement.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, she'll have to earn my respect, don't expect me to play nice and let her overtake or undertake me on track." Charles scoffs.

"You won't have to play nice, I'm already better than you. I'll overtake you without your help." I taunt confidently. While Charles glares at me with a death stare, I'm not even looking at him as I can feel a staring sensation, and I call that competitiveness.

"Well, I guess we'll have to see when we get on track, but know this, Walker, I won't be so nice on track." He scolds me leaning over the table pointing his finger at me.

"Good, I didn't come here for an easy race, nor an easy win, but I fear considering your all talk and no action, overconfident of your own skills on the track, so maybe I'll just overtake you on track anyway." I reason with him, not even having the decency to look at him whilst talking to him as I stand up preparing to conclude this meeting.

"We'll see about that." Charles murmurs under his breath, only so that I could hear. While Fred rolls his eyes at the slight dispute between us and concludes the meeting.

"Miss Walker, I'd like a word with you personally before you leave." Fred informs me before I begin to walk away from my chair.

"Yes, Mr Vasseur?" I stretch my arms onto the chair leaning on them.

"I apologise for Charles, he's not too keen with the change as him and Carlos were close. I'll make sure Albert keeps him from doing anything crazy on the tracks this weekend." Fred reassures me whilst I fix my posture standing up straight.

"No need, I enjoy a bit of competition, so long as he doesn't go too reckless, I won't push him off track." I inform him of my opinion of him in a more implicit way whilst turning around towards the door.

"See you this weekend, Mr Vasseur." I wave him off and walk out onto the pit lanes. My body adjusting to the sudden heat outside on the Bahrain track.

I notice that Mercedes had a team meeting too as some people are leaving the garage just next door to us. I also see that the drivers are heading towards me, clearly intrigued for their new competition on track. I instantly recognise that it's George and Lewis, as I don't know anyone who wouldn't recognise them.

"You must be the new driver? For ferrari filling in for Carlos right?" George asks with a warm smile.

"Yeah, that's me, Maeve. It's nice to meet you both." I hold my hand out to shake their hands.

"It's nice to meet you too, get to know who our new competition is!" Lewis hints, shaking my hand.

"That's a good point, we could invite her to a pre-race dinner or something along with a few others, get to know a few others, and I'm sure you've just met Charles? Right?" George kindly offers shaking my hand looking between myself and his teammate.

"I'd love to, just need to know where and when, and inform the others." I inquire whilst we walk out of the paddock.

"Oh, I know a place, I'll airdrop you the address, we can meet there about 8 ish? Sound good Lewis?" George asks his teammate.

"Yeah, we should inform the others as well, see who else can make it, and have a bit of fun before the racing commences." Lewis starts typing on his phone.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both, but I'm gonna head off and get ready for later, my friend is here to pick me up." I wave the two off before walking to the car park outside the paddock.

"See you later Maeve!" They both wave me off.