🏁 𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐂 | formula one

#006

LIFTING MY HELMET ONTO MY head, i knew the net time i'd be taking it off qualifying would be over. it was weird to think. all of this build up only for it to feel like it's going by all so fast.

"remember kid, you know how to pedal but aren't completely comfortable with your shoes off touching the surface of 'em" richard's words greatly confused me, something he was good at doing. maybe it was a distraction technique of his.

i shook it off, climbing up into the seat as a mechanic double checked the connection between my helmet and the chassis.

kaylea handed me steering wheel and i connected it to the car, sending her one last look before seeing the tires have their covers pulled off of them and mechanics begin to check last minute details.

i controlled my breathing and tried organizing my thoughts, an attempt at some calm before the storm.

"it's now or never, vernon"

i held down the comm button, "yep, let's do this"

i felt the car start to move from under me, the mechanics giving it a slight push as their way of saying good luck.

i pressed down on the acceleration and steered my way to the track from the pit lane.

i was slightly more comforted when i looked back in my rear view to see kimi's car right behind mine. he seemed to notice my small gaze as he nodded slightly towards me.

both of our cars had made it to the track and we each began increasing our speed, my car pulling further from kimi's and eventually loosing him at a turn.

my time wouldn't start until i had already done my initial lap around the circuit, so i was able to loose some of the nerves that had built up throughout the day.

"coming up on the last turn before the lap, remember to stay wide and—"

"—'don't take it too seriously'. i know, i know"

i didn't get a response, knowing i only would if they were going to say something different from what i did.

the last turn came sooner than i would've liked to admit, giving me no choice but to start my lap.

i pressed down on the accelerator more than before and could feel the chassis grow slightly closer to the ground with all of the added force that was acting on it. coming around the first and second turns i stayed wide, keeping up a good time with the rest of the drivers who had already completed their first laps.

the second set of turns has came and went, allowing me to gain traction with the small straight that fit in between turn 4 and 5.

the turns the led up to the first main straight of the circuit went by just as fast as i had reached them, making for the first radio of the lap to come through.

"let's really push em, vern! we've got the power i want to see it in use today!"

i nodded, even when i remembered they couldn't see the action, and pushed the car to go as fast as it could.

the straight finished and i didn't have to slow down as much as i thought i would to make it safely around the next few corners, happy i could keep some speed and not have to sacrifice too much.

before i knew it i was hearing from the radio again as i passed the finish, "you know how i said to take it easy today?"

my voice was a bit hesitant, "yeah..?"

"guess who just beat schumacher's record for fastest lap on this circuit?"

i couldn't contain my smile, "really? please tell me you aren't fucking with me right now"

i heard laughs on the other side, "i kid about a lot of stuff but not this. schumacher had a time of 1:24.125, you clocked in at 1:21.375"

i had a mini celebration in my car, lifting my hands off the wheel momentarily as i clapped them together.

"and when i said don't take it too seriously, i did not expect my words to turn into 'go out and beat a 15 year old record', but touché"

i laughed again, joking back to the team about taking another lap and going for an even faster time.

the idea, although not directly opposed, had not received an answer.

"lennox! everyone cannot stop talking about the lap record you had set earlier in quali, how does something like this make you feel leading up to your irate race tomorrow?"

i was standing out in the australian heat along with many of the other drivers, us all scattered around the area with different interviewers and media outlets.

the hand that was keeping the sun out of my face was quickly replaced with a trucker hat, my water bottle being placed in my hand by kaylea.

i unscrewed the lid as i started to answer, "uhh, we'll for starters i think i've definitely gotten a confidence boost going into tomorrow. if you told me even 10 minutes before qualifying that i was getting pole for the race tomorrow i would never believed you,"

i took a quick drink from my water before using the back of my hand to wipe away any excess water from my mouth.

"but in the aspect of the team i think it's a big achievement to not only get something like this done but just show up with good results in general. leading up to today all of us on the team have had these thoughts lingering in the back of our heads, 'how are we going to compare to the other teams?' and stuff like that."

the interviewer nodded along, offering my to hold the microphone after he could see how much i had been leaning over to it. i gladly took it, smiling even wider when it made me feel appreciated.

i continued, this time into the mic i was holding, "but yeah, after today, being able to end with results like that, i think it shows other teams not only what we have to bring to the table but also what standards eve held ourselves to leading up to this point. it just goes to show them that we aren't coming to play games, but to win races."

the man nodded along again before asking another question, "for you personally, with it being your debut weekend, getting pole position must be one hell of an experience. what did it feel like when you first found out you'd be starting front row?"

my smile grew even wider, making it slightly difficult to speak normally. i had to calm my happiness down a bit before answering, "it was, surreal almost. my team principal had told me that we'd beat the lap record and i thought he was like lying to me,"

the interviewer laughed, "oh yes! i was talking to him earlier and he brought up the radio when he told you!"

i nodded, "yes! when he first told me and i actually believed him for a second i was like 'maybe all of the cars are just going to be beating the record this year' or something. but no, it's—" i searched for the right word to describe how i was feeling, "unbelievable, really. i woke up this morning wishing that something like this would happen but those were in like my wildest dreams, i didn't think they'd actually be happening"

"well, congratulations on pole, the new record, and good luck in the race tomorrow!"

i handed the extra microphone back to the interviewer and nodded my head in departure, kaylea leading me to another interviewer who was going to be asking very similar questions.

i could totally get used to this.