Amore Mio - Daniel Ricciardo

01

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"I don't think any of us were expecting the change in who's sitting in Aston Martin's seats this season. Noemi, how did you manage to gain this seat?"

"Well, I performed really well in academy, and I was offered a seat based on my good performance, it's that simple."

"That's all there is to it?"

"Yes, there was no drama or scandal involved. I earned this seat just like everyone else, and I had to work just as hard to get it. I have the same amount of training as anyone sitting around me, and the same amount of experience."

"Thank you." The interviewer turned towards Lando Norris, "Lando, what is your opinion on Stroll leaving Aston Martin?"

"I think that Lance had a good run, and he had that seat for a while, it was time to give someone else a shot at it though. That's all." Lando shrugged as he added the last bit.

"Alright thank you." Once again the interviewer shifted his focus onto another driver, "Daniel, You've been having rough patches these past few years, and even needing to step away from the wheel last season. Is anything going to change this year?"

Daniel sat up straighter, "Uh, yeah I think that I'm going to push as hard as I can this year. Make some moves, maybe get farther up there and bring back what my races used to look like, I think I can make a good run of this year with some determination for sure." He paused and took a deep breath, "I just need to find something to give me the boost of motivation I need to get through those hard spots where all I can see is my failures."

"Beautiful answer, thank you." The interviewer nodded at Daniel, he nodded back.

BAHRAIN

The garages in F1 are bigger than the academy's. Everything seemed bigger here than it did in the academy. Everything is the same, yet so different.
Noemi took a deep breath as she gazed at the deep green chassis in front of her, once belonging to Lance Stroll it was now her's. #30 printed on the front and the side showed that it no longer belonged to him. It was Noemi's chassis.
She walked over to her shelvings and looked at her helmet, new and shiny. Different to the one she had been wearing in academy. Similar to her chassis it was deep green, however it bore the Italian flag down the center. The bright red white and green flowing through the Aston Martin green. Her number was shown on the side as well. It wasn't entirely her, but it was her enough for this weekend, she could revise later.
Noemi peered across from her garage at Max Verstappen's she saw his Red Bull car bearing the number one. One day that number will be hers. As she was admiring the number on Max's car someone caught her attention, he was walking out of the other Red Bull team's garage.
Like most of the other men in F1 he was tall, handsome, and brunette, however he was the Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo. Something about him infatuated her. She often caught herself looking for him at press conferences and meetings, just like a little girl with a crush.

"Let's get this quali over with yea?" Her manager asked, walking from behind her.

"Yeah, I think this'll be good, I'm feeling it." Finishing her sentence Noemi zipped up her fire suit, and placed her helmet on her head. She was ready, this is her moment.

She sat down in her chassis and immediately felt at home, just as she does on the academy track. The track feels like her home.