Lacey Reyes is a Spanish F1 driver racing in her first season for Aston Martin. She quickly befriends many of the drivers as she aims to prove herself on the track and off. A certain Mclaren driver takes a special interest, but Lacey has been down a...
I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. 5:06. It was still dark in my hotel room before the sunrise. I cursed my nerves for waking me up this early, two hours before the alarm I had set for myself. It was my first race weekend as a Formula One driver. I had done well in my career so far, winning F3 in 2019 and F2 last season, but I was well aware that F1 would be different. There had only been 5 female drivers before me, creating mixed response from fans, many doubting me, but a few supporting me. I knew I had a lot of work to do to prove myself and that was only made worse by my gender.
It was Thursday, media day. I was more nervous about all the interviews and reporters than actually driving. With my early morning, I had lots of time to spare and many nerves to calm, so I decided to go down to the gym. I changed my clothes, threw my hair into a messy ponytail, filled my water bottle, and took the elevator down to the gym.
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The hotel was quiet and the hallways were dimly lit. I walked into the hotel gym expecting it to be empty, but instead I was greeted by a familiar face. I smiled at him not wanting to break the comfortable silence.
"¿Estás nerviosa?" he asked softly.
"Un poco," I said, trying to convince both of us "¿Y tu?"
He nodded with a shy smile. Carlos Sainz also had reason to be nervous. It was his first day with Ferrari after a few years at McLaren. I had met Carlos before, both of us from Spain. I knew him best out of all the drivers because we had many Spanish sponsors in common. We both went our separate ways in the gym, leaving each other to our thoughts and nerves.
At 7, I headed back to my room, giving a small wave and reassuring smile to Carlos on my way. I slipped out of the room back to the quiet hallway. I stopped at a cafe in the hotel lobby to grab a green juice and a croissant. Once I got back to my room, I jumped in the shower. I showered quickly, wanting to have time to get ready and mentally prepare myself for the coming day. I left my hair natural and applied some light makeup. I was hoping to make a good impression, but I could already imagine me sweating off a full face of makeup in the Bahrain heat. I wanted to fit in as much as possible so I threw on an Aston Martin t-shirt. It was still early in the morning so I could get away with a pair of loose black pants. I picked a green pair of sneakers and gathered my things.
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