CHECKERED FLAG - c.l [2]

Lights Out

George was already in the car by the time I caught up to him and I knew it would be dangerous to try and talk to him before the qualifying.

I change out of my paddock clothes and back into my suit for the first time in months.

The legs were even baggier on me than they were when I last put it on.

Through grieving I didn't find myself eating anywhere near as much as I used to, skipping out on most meals because the majority of my time was spent caught up in my room.

I was thankful in the sense no one pushed me too hard about it though, but I knew as soon as George or Lewis saw my suit and how baggy it had become, I'd have another thing coming for me.

I slide down into my seat, putting my gloves on as one of the technicians pass me my helmet over the halo rim.

"Breathe," I say to myself as I fasten the helmet under my chin and click my neck brace onto the back of my seat.

They push me to the front of the garage exit, the sunlight bright against my eyes, closing the visor on my helmet as I look across at the pit wall.

Dee was sat with Lewis, looking at me as I give them a nod, letting them know I was okay.

"Just breathe Madeline," I say to myself in replacement for my dad who used to say a quick prayer for me every time I got into the car.

The mechanic gives me a thumbs up, signalising the pit lane was free as I skidded out into the lane, leaving a screeching sound behind in the garage.

"Sainz, Yuki, Albon, Russel and Verstappen are out right now," Lewis says into my comms as I'm edging out the pit lane as Max races on in front of me.

I still held a lot of hate in my heart for Max; everyone but him sent their condolences to me for my dad's passing and he continued to talk badly about me in interviews even after having a meeting with Amanda, him and his assistant about how we spoke for each other in interviews.

I race out after him, deciding I wasn't going to be the nice guy anymore.

He had done nothing but slander me for the past season and this one, I wasn't about to let him take away the WDC from me.

He had DNF'ed twice the past two races, meaning Mercedes was still in the lead for constructors, however I had a little bit of catching up to do if I wanted to take that title at the end of the year.

"2 and half seconds to Verstappen," Lewis tells me as I manage to get up behind him, right in his slip stream.

"Madeline play it safe, we're going for best lap on the next," I hear Dee's voice instead of Lewis' making me ease up a little bit.

Turning into the 7th corner I go in for the inside line, pushing him over on the track so he had to go wider as we launch forward on the straight, wheel to wheel.

I see him raising his hand at me, telling me to move off but I wasn't letting him off that easily.

George was behind me in my wing mirror, cutting it up close behind Max as we turn for the home straight, all three of us side by side.

"Madeline pull away now," I hear Toto over the comms now, his voice stern as he talks to me.

I break late for the first corner, locking up as I do so, almost letting Max get ahead of me as I inch forward ever so slightly.

I laugh in my helmet as I see George over take him too.

"1.18 for Q1 Madeline, keep it up," Toto comes back over the comms, the sound of the garage clapping in the background as I pull away from Max, to the point he was almost out of my side mirror.