Turbulence [𝗠.𝗩.]

Miami, Pre-Race

While that wasn't the way I wanted it to go, I have nothing but love and support for @Charles_Leclerc on his P3 finish today! You deserve it! - @JessicaBond57

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MIAMI
5TH RACE WEEKEND OF THE SEASON
MAY

The paddock is filled with noise, a different kind compared to other places. Each country, each set of fans, bring their own atmosphere and sounds. Azerbaijan had anticipation. Miami is filled with sheer excitement at the thrill of high-speed motorsport.

The Miami Paddock is weird. It's in a football stadium. I know Americans do things differently, but even this is a bit much for me to take in. From what I've been told, a team called the Dolphins play out of this ground, and if I can at least make a little reference to them when asked about the feel of the paddock, then I'll score some points with fans.

The sun is relentlessly glaring down on the people around me. I'm glad that I'm wearing a white shirt and light blue jeans instead of my usual dark colours. I don't think I'd survive in this heat if I wore all black. I don't know how the team are going to manage— Oh. Wait. My damn race suit is black. Fuck.

"Vittu mikä läjä paskaa!" The distinct heavy cadence can only belong to Kimi. I look up sharply, seeing him and Sebastian only a few steps ahead of me, deep in conversation. I've no idea what Kimi's saying, but I do know at least one word. It's a swear word. I can't remember what it translates to exactly.

"What's wrong?" I call out, stopping their conversation dead as they let me catch up. Kimi looks fed up, while Sebastian's chuckling to himself.

"Uh... what?" I say rather lamely, earning a smirk off the Finn.

"I said: What a piece of shit." He says slowly, gesturing vaguely. I'm still completely lost. I glance at Sebastian, and he chuckles, patting my shoulder.

"He's on about his car."

Ah. That makes sense. His past three races have ended prematurely, twice due to mechanical issues, once due to the absolute carnage in Australia. I don't blame him for ragging on his car. It's frustrating when things go wrong. I don't have anything to say, I would offer up the old it could be worse phrase, but what could be worse than three DNFs in a row?

Fingers snap in front of my eyes, bringing me back to reality. The dumbfounded look I know I have present makes the two men laugh. I feel stupid. Were they trying to include me in whatever they were talking about?

"Sorry, away with the fairies. It's been a long week. A pretty shit one, really." It's been hell. In F2, I'd have a few longer breaks between races, but here? We're lucky if there are two weeks between races. I'm still struggling to get used to the gruelling schedule, with so much packed into such short periods of time.

"Can't be worse than Kimi's week." Sebastian doesn't seem at all offended by the fact I'd zoned out. He gestures for me to walk between the two of them, and I comply silently, letting them talk over my head whilst I continue to take in our surroundings.

There's a lot of room. Enough space between everyone's hospitality units that you could find a private place to speak, but the open-area plan means you haven't got full privacy unless you're in your team's hospitality unit. It's clever. My eyes wander to the Williams unit, where Alex appears to be busy answering questions from a small TV crew.

A tap on my arm once again reminds me to pay attention to my immediate surroundings. Sebastian's signing someone's cap; Kimi's the one who tapped my arm. He gives me the tiniest of smiles, right as the cap is passed to me. I sign it quickly, passing it off to the Finn.