fast lane - c.leclerc

chapter one

LAUREN

'LAUREN, HOW DOES IT FEEL to have a Red Bull seat?' asked one of the reporters. 'Do you think you're worthy of it,' asked another before Lauren could take a seat alongside of Christian Horner.

'Guys, I'd appreciate it if you asked your questions one by one,' said Lauren sharply. She had to assert dominance early. There was no room for a soft woman in motorsport. Definitely not in Formula One. She knew that the media would step all over her if she came across as too kind. 'I didn't expect any of this to be honest. Checo had a great start this year. He's a good driver, but so am I,' 

It was a crazy 24 hours for Lauren Evans. She was in the comfort of her home when she received the call that changed her entire life. Sergio Perez had been severely injured in a car crash and she was asked to take his seat while he was recovering. She flew out to Monaco for a last-minute press release before the race weekend, in which she had to prove herself worthy of the seat. 

'If I could add something,' said Horner, 'We have selected Lauren as our reserve driver for a good reason. She's proven herself in Formula Two. We all know she has got the skills and the ability to challenge the rest of the grid,'

'That's good to hear. Lauren, do you think Max should feel threatened by your arrival? We've heard complaints from previous teammates about your competitiveness,' asked a Sky reporter. At this, Lauren chuckled.

'It's simple. I race to win. If I'm underperforming and I can help out my teammate who is doing better, I will. If I can and want to move out of the way, I will and if I won't, I won't,'

'That's a bold statement. Sounds like we have a fresh wind in the Red Bull garage. Alright, thanks for your time. We wish you the best of luck. Lauren Evans everyone,'

After about fifteen minutes of press bits, Lauren and Christian made their way back inside the garage. 'You did great, Lauren,' said Christian. 

Lauren exhaled loudly. 'Thank you,' In her head, she was replaying everything she said. All questions asked were the same. It all came down to her being a woman, currently the only woman in Formula One. How was she going to show she was worthy of the opportunity? Was she equal to her male colleagues? And Max. All everyone seemed to be curious about was whether she'd challenge him. 

'Max should be in by now as well. You'll finally get to meet him,' Lauren tossed her hair over her shoulder and rubbed her hands together trying to collect herself.

The Red Bull garage was gorgeous. The combination of navy and maroon made Lauren's heart beat faster. She was pretty sure she could hear her dad turn around in his grave the second she signed for Red Bull. She didn't have much time to admire as she came to stand eye to eye with the two-time World Champion.

'Good afternoon, boss,' Max greeted Christian as he took Lauren in. She was a sight for sore eyes. Tall, brunette with eyes one could only dream of drowning in. She reminded him of his girlfriend in a way. The way she carried herself and how very radiant she was.

'Hi, Max,' said Lauren, extending her hand to greet him properly. Max shook her hand before pulling her into a hug.

'Who are you and what did you do to Checo?' he asked jokingly. Lauren was glad he broke the ice. A chuckle escaped from her throat.

'I'm still Sergio, man. They just swapped some parts,' Max grimaced at her. 

'Alright, this is getting weird. Max, show her around and play nice. Don't scare her off with your weirdness,' Christian walked away, shaking his head.

'Well, Lauren, I have to admit I had a lot of fun watching your interviews. I'm almost intimidated,' said Max.

'Mission accomplished then,' Lauren smiled. He shot her a funny look.

'How do you feel about all of this? Aren't you a little nervous? Tomorrow is your first qualifying session,' Max pointed out.

'To be honest, I'm petrified from within. I keep thinking about possibly wrecking the car and turning into a laughing stock, but then I remember how well I did in Formula Two and it is no longer scary,'

'I get that. It's good you kept up the facade with the press though. They're like wolves. They can practically smell fear and they sure love to twist words,' Max pointed out.

'Yeah, you're living proof of that. You're not half as scary as they portray you,'

'Wait till you see me on track. I won't go easy on you just because you're a girl, just so you know,' he winked, elbowing her playfully. 

'And for that, I am grateful. It's going to make beating you so much more fun,'

'I'll hold you to that, Lauren,' 

After chatting with Max some more, Lauren decided to call it a day. She couldn't wait for the challenge awaiting her. She caught a quick glimpse of what would be her car and she was instantly infatuated with it. She was incredibly excited to drive one of the most dominant cars on the current grid.

The Red Bull team was staying at Hotel Hermitage. Lauren couldn't hide her excitement when her driver dropped her off. There was a massive crowd awaiting her in front of the building. The crowd consisted of men and women all draped in Formula One team colours. The amount of Tifosi surprised her though. What were they doing there? She got out and she was escorted by her temporary guard. His name was Lucas and he'd spent the majority of the drive to the hotel talking Lauren's ears off about his daughter. Lauren didn't mind.

She greeted the fans and signed their merchandise. She suddenly felt very aware of her existence. She couldn't help but wonder when the hype over her would die down. Lauren was no wallflower, but having the whole world watching her every move had a large impact on her way of getting around.

'I'll take it from here, thank you, Lucas. Send your daughter my regards,' she smiled at him kindly as she scanned the lobby for an elevator. After the receptionist appointed her to it, she pressed the button to take her to the third floor. The elevator came to a stop on the first floor and a man she knew all too well entered the small space. His tall frame, muscular arms and annoyingly beautiful face brought her back to her karting days.

'Leclerc,' Lauren grunted. Now she knew why the Tifosi had gathered outside.

'Evans, what a nice surprise,' Charles smirked, 'didn't know they allowed pets in this hotel,'

Lauren felt her blood boil. 'I know men tend to mature later than women, but I didn't know one could get stuck at age twelve. The only thing that changed is that you can finally grow facial hair now,'

Charles ran a hand through his hair which was already messy as it was. He looked like he'd rolled out of bed. His eyes slowly skimmed her from the neck down. She was wearing a Red Bull polo.

'Blue isn't your colour,' he retorted, also pressing the button for the third floor.

'Good thing this is navy,' 

'It doesn't matter, smartass. I don't know who you sucked off to get in here, but I'm sure you'll get kicked out even faster,' he said as the elevator slowly came to a halt. The doors open while Lauren internally fights the urge to strangle him. 

He was about to turn away from her when she called him back, grasping his arm tightly. 'Leclerc,' Lauren hauled him towards her, looking him dead in the eye, 'I'm gonna fuck you up so bad tomorrow, you'll wish you never got into racing in the first place,' 

Charles grinned at her, practically laughing in her face before ridding himself of her grip with terrible ease. 'I'll look forward to it, Evans,' 

He gently pushed her away before turning around and walking off to his room. Lauren went in the opposite direction, desperately seeking the comfort of her own room.