Racing to Impress (Madison Beer/You)

Learning Curve

Paul Ricard - France

It was hot. Very hot.

I exited the truck and Madison followed closely behind carrying my helmet. The paddock was empty bar the team members rental cars and our team truck, and the confused voice of my girlfriend behind,

"How are you going to see? That sun is blinding" She said skipping cheerfully up beside me, shielding her eyes with the palm of her hand.

"Tinted visor, it's blue for a reason not just for aesthetic reasons"

She lifted the helmet into the air and peered up through the bottom of it and through the visor. "Oh...yeah now you've said it I guess it makes sense"

I laughed and gently directed her in front of me as we entered the doorway at the back of the garages. The Paul Ricard garages were different to most I've seen. There was a room at the back, up some stairs which is where we entered and were now stood. It overlooked the main floor of the garage and was usually where the team bosses, engineers and guests would be situated.

My eyes took a moment to adjust to the change in light but once they did the glass that stood in front of me allowed me to get my first look at the type of car I'd be in this season. A stunning, freshly delivered Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO. Our test car had no livery but sat in full carbon with Bright blue accents. I smiled out of joy knowing I was finally back in an Aston Martin. Winning my First GT championship in one helped land this opportunity. So It came in a full circle.

I placed my helmet down and span it round to the visor. Ripping off my old Porsche Visor sticker and putting on a fresh new Aston Martin Racing one. Porsche allowed me to properly get my foot in the door and I was forever grateful for them, but this signified the start of something new. Something Special.

The news was yet to break but with my championship in Vantage GT4 at the beginning of the year, it put me on Aston Martins Radar. Then with my Carrera Cup championship and the whole media presence and hype I had and apparently still have around me, it made the high ups jump at the opportunity so they snagged me up from the Market and I'm now beginning my journey as an Aston Martin Factory Driver. Being under the Full time payroll of Aston Martin was a first as for my whole career I'd barely made any money. Previously I had mainly relied on external investments which weren't the most reliable but this was where it changed, a point in my life where I could comfortably say my income was enough to uphold myself, my family and not like she needed it, but Madison and her desperate plans to start a family in the near future.

I suited up and slid on my helmet and headed down the stairs onto the Garage floor. There was a quick chat with the mechanic about how the car may feel before being strapped in and lowered off the air jacks, a hiss escaped came from underneath me as they retracted.

"Alright dude so mains on. We ran the engine this morning so we have no need to pre heat so the car should be currently in Ignition 1, I need you to switch over to 2 for me"

I reached over and selected Ignition 2 on the console and threw up my thumb to him.

"Okay that's now running the High Pressure Fuel pump. So give it a few seconds and let me know what you're Fuel Pressure is"

In the meantime I cycled the page on the dash till I found the page with the pressures on, holding back a few seconds for the number to stop increasing before relaying the readings,