New Romantics {Oscar Piastri} (Swift Series Book 1)

Chapter 13

After three successful practice sessions, it's time for qualifying. I walk between the team's hospitality suite buildings before making my way towards the Red Bull garage. I turn into the paddock and walk straight into someone. "Oh my word I'm so sorry." I say to the lady. "It's alright dear. Don't worry about it at all." She smiles at me. "I just wasn't looking where I was going." I say to her. She shakes her head. "Don't worry about it dear." She says again, with a smile. "I'm assuming you're a driver, Goodluck for qualifying." She says motioning to my race suit tied around my waist. "Yes, thank you. Enjoy." I say with a smile before walking off.

After a relatively boring quali session, I jump out the car behind the P2 board. I congratulate Max who qualified pole and Carlos who qualified third. Max goes for his interview and Carlos and I wait for our photo.

~

"25 laps remaining" I hear Gareth say through my headset. I'm currently in first place, with max close behind me. "Slow Ocon ahead. 2.3 second gap so you should reach him before the end of the next two laps." Gareth continues. "Ok, gap to max behind?" I ask. "Gap is increasing as he defends from Leclerc." Gareth says. I focus back on the track as I make my way through the last few corners, I exit turn 16 and make my way down the main straight. I see Ocon ahead of me but he will move out of the way for me so I don't worry as I catch up to him on the straight. I see a blue light flash on the side of the track, knowing it's for Ocon because I'm right behind him through turn one and two. He still hasn't moved over enough as we arrive at turn three. I see a gap on the outside of turn three that I assume he has left for me and take it as I approach turn four. Suddenly the track is no longer in view. I immediately pull my hands from the steering wheel and tuck them close to my body as the barriers come closer. My breath gets stuck in my throat and I hold it. Gravel flies into the cockpit, stones pinging off my helmet as I fly across the gravel. The impact when my car hits the barrier crushes my body against the side of the car.

Oscars pov

"P5, norris ahead, 3.2 seconds." Will says into my ear. I drive through the last couple of corners. The fact that this is my home race is motivating me to push for a podium. As I speed down the main straight, I see a double waved yellow flag warning for sector 1 flash across my screen. "Incident at turn 3." Will says as I immediately slow down. I make it out of turn two and head towards turn three, keeping my delta time where it should be. I spot Lando ahead of me as he disappears around turn 3. I see an Alpine stuck in the gravel and watch as Ocon climbs out. "Thank god I dodged that bullet. What a tractor." I say to myself as a small smile appears on my face. My eyes flash to movement further in the gravel trap as I spot a Red Bull car lodged into the barrier, before I can get a good look at who's car it is, the turn appears in front of me and I take it. "Who is involved in the crash?" I ask. Not sure why my heart is racing at the fact that it could be Hannah trapped in the barrier. I try to force myself to relax, I can't be worried like this. She isn't mine so why am I petrified at the fact that she could be injured, or worse... I shake the dark thought from my head.

"An Alpine and a Red Bull." Will says back. I can tell he doesn't want me to know. "Yes I saw that." I say, my worry showing through as anger as I speed up as I exit the first sector, Lando just up ahead of me. "Who is driving the cars?" I ask again, my voice stern. My stomach churns, worried about the answer I'm about to receive. "Ocon's Alpine and..." Will pauses, his sentence interrupted. "Ok it's a red flag, return to the pit lane." He says and I slow down, following all the procedures before I ask again. "Who was in the Red Bull?" I ask again. My heart racing even though it shouldn't be. She doesn't like me back. She doesn't want to be in a relationship with me because it's all fake. I try to force myself to relax, to be nonchalant about the name I'm about to receive but it's impossible for some reason. "It was Hannah." He says. Immediately my mind jumps to all the different conclusions about a girl I'm definitely not and should not be falling for. Definitely not...

Hannah's POV

I let out a groan as I try to move. I breathe, trying to prevent the panic. Nothing immediately hurts which is a good sign. "Hannah? Are you ok?" Gareth says. I take some more deep breaths."Yes, I think so. Fucking hell, Ocon." I say sounding short of breath as I recover from having the wind knocked out of me. The adrenaline is currently keeping me from feeling any pain as I remove the seatbelts and pull myself up. My ribs slightly ache as I sit on the halo. The Marshalls run over as I see red flags flying at the marshal posts. I sit there catching my breath as the Marshalls run up to me. The Marshalls help me down and I feel more steady on my feet as I continue to breathe. Ocon walks up to me. "Hannah I'm so-" "You idiot!" I yell at him. I pull my arms from the Marshalls grip. I push Ocon as hard as I can and he stumbles back. My adrenaline and anger at an all time high. "How can you be so unaware of people around you! Jou doos!" I yell before storming off. "Stupid idiot took me out of first place. Fok!" I yell to no one in particular. The Marshalls catch up to me and guide me to the ambulance. I sit down and the medic starts to check me out as my adrenaline begins to wear off. Then pain hits me all at once, like a brick wall.