Baby, just say ... yes? | Landoscar <3

Shake It Off

Qualifying starts soon and I am a bit nervous. After the third practice I am not very hopeful but I know I have to performe now if I want to keep my seat. That’s why I put my  thoughts about Lando aside, I was more or less rejected anyway.

Changed into the race suit I went to my race engineer who stands in the garage looking at the data again. We had a briefing about our strategy shortly after lunch but everyone is checking the car and the data again and again all the time. "Hey mate, everything good?“, I ask him. "Yes, ready for Quali. Ehm, what did you do to your neck?“, he says which confuses me. Then I see my reflection in a switched off computer screen and understand.

Instinctively, I look at Lando, whose presence I had noticed immediately when I came in. He is not far away and probably heard what my engineer said which is why he looks pretty shocked now too. Then I realize that it's arguably the worst idea to look at the person who gave you the hickey you’re being asked about so I quickly look away.

I try to gather myself which is difficult when you feel yourself blushing and sweating, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "Ah Mhm, it was just a small dumbbell that fell on me while exercising“, I answer rather pleased with my explanation.

But my engineer smiles "A dumbbell? Sounds very interesting.“ "Shut up“, I say jokingly and turn away to find my focus für Quali again. I'm just wondering why I didn’t see the hickey earlier, I must have been so lost in thought. It is very clear about who and speaking of him, I hope nobody noticed we looked at each other…

I sat in the car, ready to go. There were a few cars ahead of me in the pitlane but they were quickly released to the track just like mine. At the beginning of Q1 everybody struggled with the still damp conditions. The soft tyres needed a lot of warming up and that’s why the decision to drop out was made in the last lap for each.

I was at the end of mine when I heard loud roars from the grandstand. A hope that it was because of Lando flickered in me although I should feel the opposite. He drove in front of me the whole time and must have finished his last lap already. If he got P1 so far it is no wonder that the british fans are cheering.

After finishing my last lap my engineer told me I was P5 but when I was back in the garage I dropped down to P14 which meant I was safely in Q2 however, it is pretty tight. That’s why I give everything to improve myself now. As strangely happy I am for Lando, who actually drove the best time in Q1, as keen I am to be a real competitor to him too.

Over the radio I was told that Lando got the fastest time again so far. I took it as a motivation and really pushed the car to its limits. My last lap felt fantastic: The pressure turned into hyperfocus and so every corner seemed perfect, the car floating on the track like water finding a few hundreds of a second every now and then.

I saw the checkered flag and just knew I made it to Q3 but I couldn’t believe what my engineer told me. I am P2 behind Verstappen and in front of Norris! Finally, finally, finally I could show my team and everyone else what I am capable of and that I deserve to be here.

I know it’s just Q2, not the final Qualifying results nor the race, but it’s the start I have been waiting for so long and from which I can develop further. In Q3 I tried to hold on to this thought and not let the crippling feeling of pressure come back to me.

At first, I, as well as Lando, struggled a bit. According to my engineer I‘m P4 and Lando is P10 at the moment but I know my position isn’t safe because of everyones strong pace. The time in Q3 always flies by, so suddenly I was on my last lap. The adrenalin pumped through my veins and the hope of a top placement drove me forward.

Again, Lando was right in front finishing his last lap just before me. I heard the roars from the grandstand once more but this time even louder, Lando must have taken pole position. As soon as I reached the checkered flag too, my engineer told me I was P3 and I couldn’t be happier. All this Ferraris and Mercedeses are behind me now, they can’t take that away anymore. I just made it, I qualified for a second row position in the race tomorrow for the first time.

In the end Lando got P2 because Verstappen took pole once again but the team wasn’t less happy. All the engineers, all the mechanics, Lando, Zak and me were celebrating in the garage after Lando and I gave a few short interviews. Because everything was so busy, I couldn’t congratulate him yet. But just as I saw him he saw me too and we stepped towards each other.

"Congratulations, well done“, we said at the same time which made us laugh. I looked into his face and saw his bright smile, the little grudge I hold against him falling from my shoulders entirely. Fuck, those dimples are simply disarming. "Okay then, I have to go now unfortunately, press conference“, he said with an apologetic look. He walks past me but turns around again, "and Oscar, don’t drink champagne yet, we do that tomorrow when we stand on the podium together, right?“

"Yeah, right“ I say with a big smile. I hope it really comes true and I can share this moment with him and all the other moments that are yet to come.