Icon Status (formula 1)

6

Brùna hadnt spoken to Daniel for weeks, everytime he was in the room she shut down. She doesnt know why but having that conversation with him with really eye opening for her that maybe he didnt know her as well as she thought he did. She only saw him for media reasons or engineering meeting but they didnt talk to each other. People could see that there was tension and that they were ignoring eachother but no one knew the reason why, they both refused to speak to anyone else about what happened.

It was now the German Grand Prix and Christian had called Brùna up to his office on the saturday evening. She finished her training with Ky and went straight up there. When she walked in she paused and started to walk out again when Christian stopped her.

"Get back here now Brùna!" She signed and reluctantly sat down in front of his desk next to Daniel who looked just as miserable to be there as she did.

"Now i dont know what has happened between yout two and i dont need to know but it needs to stop. People are starting to notice and question the moral of the team and its not good for the media team. Sort it out please. You guys told me that when you got together that nothing would change but something clearly has and now it's affecting our image."

"I want to end my contract." Daniel came out with it. No hesitation, no emotion.

"What? Daniel you cant end your contract because of an argument you had with Brùna, thats a bit dramatic Dan." You could see the internal panic in Christians face.

"Its not because what happened between us, ive been thinking about it for a while. I want a new challenge, ive been with the team since i was 18 and i feel like i need to move on I cant be here until i retire. Renault have reached out and i feel like it would be a good chapter in my life, in my career. I need to find the passion and motivation again and i think a new team would help me find that. Im grateful for all youve done for me, i started my career with redbull bit i think its time for me to move on and for you guys to have some new talent like Max to have a chance at a top team."

The room was so silent you could here a pin drop.

"Right okay... Im really sorry to here that you dont feel motivated here anymore. We have loved having you here and you have done wonders for the team, you will always have a home here and we will always be rooting for you at whatever team your in.  Renault will be lucky to have you."

"Thanks Christian, i will obviously put in 100% effort until the very last second im here."

Brùna was scarily quiet staring at the floor with a blank face on. She looked up at Daniel and she broke down. She started sobbing into her hands, she felt an arm wrap around her and she was pulled into a chest. She knew it was Daniel, she could pick him out of a lineup blindfolded. She didnt know why she was crying, she knew Daniel was going to leave deep down, brùna had seen the lack of passion and motivation she just didnt know where it went, truthfully Dan didnt either.

Her sobs subsided and she was breathing a lot more clear.

"Im sorry."

"No no no, don't apologise it is not because of you, you here me? It is absolutely not your fault. You and Christian were the only two reasons i wanted to stay. Im the one who should apologise, ive been the worst boyfriend ever and the worst friend. We have all been awful to you and we should of apologised. We will make more of an effort to make you feel welcome with us as you should as well. You been here longer than any of us and for us to make you feel alienated here is just wrong, this is your home and you family and we made you feel like an outsider and im sorry."

She started crying again.
"I have no idea how you have stayed here for 9 years." Now she was laughing Daniel smiled at her laugh.

Christian was watching on with them with a soft look. How he hadnt seen his drivers struggles he doesnt know, he feels like he failed them. Daniel shouldnt have to leave to find the passion and he didnt know the extent of Brùnas lonliness he always tried to see how she was but he was so busy he didnt check in on her. Toto was right, these drivers a just traumatised little kids inside. Driving right on the line of life and death.

"I guess i need to talk to a certain dutchman about signing a contract."

"Really?" Brùna looked at him with her big green eyes shiny with hope and fresh tears. She knew that this would make Max so happy and complete, it almost extinguished the pain of Daniel leaving. Almost. She was still absolutely devastated Dan was leaving.

"Hes the only one that has the potential to fill Daniels shoes."

"Can I tell him please? I have an idea"

"Ofcourse you can but after the Grand Prix we want him focused and you guys focused as well."

Brùna looked at daniel who was still crouched in front of her and pecked his lips. They still had a lot to talk about and they both knew it but she wanted to let him know that she wasnt mad at him anymore.

——

Looking out at the German Crowd on the second step of the podium while the British national anthem played Brùna was thinking about the future and how it would all change. Dan leaving to Renault, Fernando retiring, Kimi moving team, Charles moving to the Tifosi and new rookies joining, next year would be fun and Brùna was looking forward to it.

She got off the podium and went straight to her hotel she needed to go back home in Brazil, she needed the break, see some of her childhood friends maybe. Reconnect with her father in her childhood home. Its a place where she feels so close to her father, she never felt alone in her childhood home almost like he was their with her but it was very melancholic to be there in a way but she liked that, she has always had a certain sadness about her but people understood.

She remembers first getting into formula 1 and she just felt sad for the first year because that was where her father made history, became the 'wizard' and Mr Monaco and she felt the need to be there because if she didnt she wouldnt be connected to her father, her whole career was based on making him proud and everytime she reached the podium she felt a little closer to him. That was her driving force. She was hard on herself, thats probably why she has not a lot of friends, she went through karting having no friends apart from Sebastian but that was only when they werent around the other boys. The others were either intimidated because she was a Senna or they thought that she shouldnt be there.

Her first friendship was Jules Bianchi. He always made her feel happy and safe around the other guys, when she got to F1 they sort of disconnected a bit but they were always their for eachother. Her second heartbreak was his death, that was the only time she ever seriously considered leaving formula 1 but after a good talking to from Christian and Kimi she found it a good reason to carry on going, for Jules and her father. Now Charles was here to take on his legacy and everytime she looked at him all she saw was Jules and that made her love Charles and want to protect him more.

Touching down in Brazil and getting off her private plane was so calming for her. She felt like all of the stress and worries of her job just melted away as she stepped inside her childhood home. This was where her and her father made all their memories. Where Alain Prost babysat her when Ayrton was away doing some event or something. Where Brùna said her first words, took her first steps and the only house she has ever called home.

When she turned 18 she inherited the house, when Aryton died the house was given to the Sao paulo state until Brùna turned an adult as she was the only person written in his will, and she still had all the money she inherited in savings. Brùna wants to open up a karting school and she was thinking of doing it with her fathers money and in his name. Try to encourage kids to get into the sport was what her father always wanted and that what she wanted to do with his legacy and she wanted to do something good in her life something that people could say that she did right in her life and not just race around the world for points and money. She has alot of influence in the sport especially on young girls, of all ethnicities and backgrounds as a biracial girl in formula 1 she was bound to be a role model and she feels that she could do something amazing with the karting school, Fernando did well with his school in Madrid so why couldnt she? She will definitely get started on the process of building it sometime soon she just needed to enlist some hel first.

This was what she wanted, something to fulfill her and bring her even closer to her father. And with this school she could fulfill the dreams of little boys and girls across Brazil.