Online Rivals, Offline Lovers

Chapter 7- A finish to remember

[Lex Pov]

Unfortunately, the spare chassis came with its own set of problems. And despite the team's best efforts they couldn't work out what was wrong with it. I had hoped that they would figure it out eventually, but the problems became glaringly obvious as FP3 started and the team was nowhere near done with the car.

In the end, I couldn't even participate in FP3 due to numerous mechanical setbacks.

Qualifying didn't go much better, well, at least the car held up and didn't go up in flames again or had any other kind of engine failure. But I found myself back in P16, far from where I had hoped to be on the grid. I certainly wasn't happy. I had given it everything I had, but all the other cars just seemed to fly past me.

Then it was Sunday – race day. I pushed myself, determined to make up for lost ground. However, my efforts were thwarted yet again by another engine failure. To say I was frustrated was the understatement of the century. I forced myself to smile through the post-race interviews but left as soon as I could.

Max's reassuring words, later at dinner, did little to better my mood. "It's not your fault, Lex," he insisted. "There's nothing you could have done differently."

But as the weeks rolled on, it became apparent that my string of misfortune was far from over. Each race seemed to blur into the next, with similar outcomes: disappointment, frustration, and a sense of being constantly under scrutiny by the media.

During the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, I was struggling with a slow car, that everyone sped past on the long straights, relegating me to a disappointing P18 finish. The Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka was about the same, a disappointing P17 being the result.

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir dealt felt like another blow as somehow my engine failed again, forcing me into a premature exit from the race, marking yet another DNF on my record. And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah saw me spun into the wall after contact with Logan Sargeant during the very first corner, leaving me feeling frustrated and annoyed.

Throughout this time, Max and I continued to engage in our virtual races online during the evenings. Despite the challenges I faced on the real-world track, the virtual realm offered a sanctuary where I could showcase my talent and competitiveness, with victories alternating between us. It helped me immensely to keep my composure during the day.

And just like that it was time for the Miami Grand Prix. Everyone seemed to have arrived early, tensions running high between the teams and the drivers as all of them geared up for the upcoming race weekend.

Max and I were sitting on the balcony of his hotel suite, which was much nicer than mine, watching the sunset over the ocean, the vibrant hues of the sunset painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. It was peaceful. Only a few people seemed to be walking along the beach below and no one bothered us here.

For a while, we watched quietly, how the sun sank lower and lower on the horizon, slowly dipping beneath the waves, but then Max broke the silence.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired, not looking to me, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

I let out a weary sigh, my recent struggles still fresh on my mind. "I'm fairly sure they're going to fire me," I admitted, my voice tinged with apprehension.

Max snorted in disbelief, turning to me with a knowing look. "No, they won't. Daniel has never been significantly faster than you in any of the races. In fact, he's only finished in front of you what... once? Twice maybe? Your car is just shit."

A wry smile tugged at my lips at Max's blunt assessment. "Pretty sure Mekies won't really accept that as an apology," I remarked, the anxiety still lingering in my tone.