Connected | Olivia Rodrigo

19. Rookie Of The Year

LAS VEGAS, UNITED STATES. NOVEMBER 2024.

The third-to-last race rolled around like nothing and after the consistency in Mexico and Brazil where Jacob was a contender for podiums, he was ready for this race in Vegas.

Olivia had been in the studio day-in-day-out during the month they were apart where she stayed in LA after Jake's race in Texas.

It was exciting, her album was ready to be announced early 2025 with a tour accompanying it. Jake did have his concerns but it was truly what Olivia wanted and she was happy to do it, plus she reassured him that she would wait a tiny bit longer before her next studio album.

For more exciting news, both Olivia and Sophie had nominations in major awards. Jacob was on call with Olivia when he found out that she had been nominated for an incredible seven GRAMMYs. SOUR was nominated for Album Of The Year and Best Vocal Pop Album. 'drivers license' was nominated for Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, 'good 4 u' was nominated for Best Music Video and Olivia herself was nominated for Best New Artist

"That is fucking incredible." Jacob announced when he found out on call and he celebrated her achievements again when she was reunited with him in Texas. He was so happy to find out that he would actually be able to attend the ceremony with her as it was in the beginning of February, meaning he was still in the season break.

For Sophie, Euphoria was nominated for a variety of awards with the second season's release looming in the near distant future. For Sophie, the most impressive one to her was being nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actress at the Emmys.

In terms of awards for Formula 1 drivers, the FIA had a prize giving at the end of the season where trophies such as the World Drivers Championship and the Constructors' Championship was to be presented. This event was to be held in Baku at the end of the season and Jacob was no stranger to it. He had been before to collect his trophies from Formula 2 and Formula 3. He had invited Olivia to be his plus-one at the event to which she gladly accepted.

"Good luck today," Olivia said to Jacob giving him a gentle kiss as he prepared for the race ahead, "you'll be amazing."

He had qualified P7 which was poor for him but he knew he could easily work his way up and finish higher than he started. Olivia was extra motivation for him to perform well and whenever she was there, he found himself more at ease.

The bright lights of the Strip reflected off the sleek cars as the end of the formation lap saw the drivers line up before the lights went out. On the grid, his best friend, Thierry, was just behind him in P11, ready to battle it out on the neon-lit streets.

The race began under the dazzling lights of Vegas, and the opening laps were intense. Jake held his position, navigating the tight corners and high-speed straights with skill. Thierry, however, was on a mission, quickly catching up to the back of Jake's McLaren. With his seat secured at Ferrari, Thierry wanted to prove to everyone that Ferrari made the right choice in signing him. Even in the Sauber car, Thierry showed everyone why he was a bright prospect for the future.

By the fifth lap, Thierry was right behind Jake, the two friends and rivals locked in a fierce battle. Thierry saw an opportunity to overtake on a particularly tricky section of the track and went for it. Jake, determined to defend his position, held his line, forcing Thierry to go wide.

The aggressive move left Thierry with little room to manoeuvre, and he had to swerve to avoid hitting the barriers. The manoeuvre cost him dearly, dropping him to the back of the field. Jake pressed on, his focus unwavering despite the incident.

"I just held my line," Jake explained into his radio, "I was within track limits and I held my line, Thi should've backed out."

"Understood Jake," Rick responded, "it's currently under investigation by the FIA."