Secrets || Lando Norris

022

Elianna

If you've ever considered going to a Formula 1 Grand Prix, Monaco has to be one of the places you go to. Everything about it is different and feels amazing to watch. Overall Monaco is just a magnificent place to begin with so that just adds to it.

But I'm not going to lie, sometimes it's also scary to watch. When you think about it, the drivers are driving around at such a high speed, often just millimetres away from the barrier, risking their lives every time they step in the car. Technically the cars are made to be safe but there was still the 'what if?'

But this was what they signed up for. This is what most of them always wanted. They're made for it and are ready to do anything for it. It's the passion that moves them forward.

Genevieve and I were in the Ferrari garage watching the screen as the drivers were prepared to start from their positions. Charles was in second in front, which made his chances to get a win today possible.

As the lights turned off, the drivers reacted quickly and stepped on the throttles, moving fast forward in a matter of seconds and the race officially started.

Lando Norris was in the lead as usual, with a millisecond difference over Charles, who was sandwiched between the two McLarens. Still being quite new to all the information about F1, I didn't understand all the data, but I managed to differ the positions and their time difference.

The weather was clear and the track conditions were said to be good, so together with the strategy that Ferrari chose, both Charles and Carlos had a pretty good race ahead of them. Charles maintained P2 while Carlos managed to move from P5 to P4.

On the final lap we could already tell the ending positions. As the cars in the front moved closer and closer to the finish line, the excitement and cheer roamed around louder. "Charles Leclerc is second in the Monaco Grand Prix!"

Me and Genevieve jumped up and down jubilantly with wide smiles on our faces just like the rest of the Ferrari team as they announced that he claimed second place.

As the first three cars made their ways to park under the podium, Genevieve and I joined the Ferrari crew and walked toward them to celebrate the ceremony. Lando, Charles and Oscar made the interviews and walked up on the podium afterwards.

The smile I saw on Charles's face was priceless. It was the kind of smile when you knew he was so full of emotions but he still couldn't quite process it. As he received his trophy, he observed it with his eyes before throwing it in the air in his arm. He continued looking up in the sky even after he lowered his arm with the trophy back down. Pain skipped through my heart as I realised why he was looking up.

Charles closed his eyes, took a breath and looked down at us. He raised the trophy as we all cheered and clamoured for him. I was looking at him with such a proud feeling. He finally managed to get a podium position in his home race. It wasn't a win, but compared to the previous catastrophic races, this felt kind of like it.

The win is still waiting for him.

The anthem played as people stood in silence and the three drivers smiled, standing proudly on the podium. Right as the anthem ended, they grabbed the champagne bottles, popped them and started spraying it everywhere around.

I noticed that Lando popped his bottle in a different way than the other two drivers, by hitting the bottom of the bottle against the floor. As he sprayed it on Oscar and Charles, he was laughing and shaking his head. When the spray of his champagne ran out, he turned to the crowd and looked down.

And as I looked at him and he - for some strange reason - found my eyes, I remembered what I said to him the previous day.

"Maybe if you'll win I'll consider cheering for you."