Turbulence [𝗠.𝗩.]

Canada, Race Day

"Here's some good news for you all: the rain has blown away!"

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CANADA
8TH RACE OF THE SEASON
JUNE

My chances are good. I'm in P6 still, after penalties were dished out for all the impeding that went on during qualifying. Mick isn't far behind me, in P9, after a penalty for someone else bumped him up a spot. We're looking strong. The upgrades to the car that we had to bring in at Monaco have begun to really show their worth, and according to Oliver, we have better upgrades on the way, possibly as soon as Austria if they can push them through fast enough. If not, one car will get them for that race, the other will get them at Silverstone.

I take my chance during the period before the grid has to empty out to talk to Esteban again. Despite Otmar's bullshit, we're getting along quite well. I don't think we're friends yet, because it's hard to be friends when your bosses are gunning for each others' throats, but we're not bitter enemies or simply tolerating each other. He'll be the first person trying to sneak past me when the race starts, given he's in P7. For now, though, we're two pals, having a chat about how crap qualifying was and how we reckon it's gonna be another Red Bull victory.

Before long, I've wasted my chance to talk to any other drivers; I can only wave quickly at George ahead of me, and once at Lando behind me, because it's time to get in the cars and get to work. I'm at the biggest disadvantage here out of myself and Mick: he's raced here. I haven't. I've had a few hours to get used to the track. But I can try to use the formation lap to try and lay down some rubber just off the expected racing line. It'll benefit me if I go off slightly, but it'll also benefit others. It's a risk that may well be worth the reward.

The cloudy skies above don't seem to be threatening any further rain, and we're not expecting it to become a wet track again.

I get off the line just a fraction of a second before Ocon, pushing ahead to try and get a cheeky overtake in the first corner. It doesn't work at first, but after the third corner, I've jumped up to fifth after forcing my way past Vettel; Ocon has followed my slipstream to stay on my rear. I'm once again stuck between Russell and Ocon. But that's fine. We have seventy laps. We have time.

"Anyone reporting damage?"

"Negative."

Okay, so no hopes of an early safety car that I could use to my advantage.

I'm taking the chicane relatively smoothly, copying what I've seen on replays from other drivers. By using the orange kerb to help lift and smoothly bring me over, without taking me out of the track limits, I can fling into the second part of the chicane and bolt out of it, into the next lap with a better speed than the Frenchman chasing me.

If I stay on Russell, I could maybe exploit the DRS zone that's right before that final chicane... I'll have to give it a shot at some point, but not yet. I can't play it too risky, not when I'm comfortably high in the points. And judging by the way the Mercedes in front of me bounces so hard at those final turns, I reckon my chances are good for overtaking him.

Lap 7 slows as the flags go up.I fly past a stopped, smoking Williams at what I think is turn 8.

"Who is that? Are they okay?" I ask, as the virtual safety car comes in, forcing us to slow down or get a hefty penalty.

"Sargeant. He's fine. No idea what happened, looks like he was told to stop or had a failure of some kind."

"Poor guy."

The virtual safety car ends within the same lap; this means we get DRS back immediately. I try to use it to pass Russell but he's aware of my tricks and moves before braking. We're both close to Alonso, and I might be better off staying in DRS to keep me away from Ocon, whilst letting the two ahead fight each other.