THE ROOKIE driver ✔

Chapter 11: Silverstone Circuit

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"Matteo! Great race today. How do you feel about your performance?" a reporter asked, shoving a microphone in front of him.

The media pen was alive with the usual chaos—cameras flashing, reporters jostling for position. Matteo felt the familiar rush of attention as he stepped into the spotlight for the first time since the Canadian Grand Prix. It had been a challenging time, with more eyes on him than he was comfortable with. He wans't exactly thrilled about stepping into the spotlight, but he knew it came with the job.

"I'm feeling okay," Matteo replied, keeping his tone steady and even. "It was a tough race. P6 is decent, considering how things have been going. We made some progress, and it's good to see that, but there's still work to do."

Another reporter quickly followed up, "You've been voted Driver of the Day! How does that feel?"

Matteo blinked, surprised, but kept his reaction mild. "Driver of the Day? Huh, that's... unexpected. It's nice, I guess. Appreciate the support from the fans. It's been a rough patch, so that's cool."

He gave a small smile, more out of politeness than anything else. The recognition was nice, but it didn't really change much for him. The last few weeks had been rough, and today was just another race to get through.

The questions kept coming. One reporter asked, "We noticed your team went with a different tire strategy. Can you walk us through that? Did it play out like you hoped?"

Matteo nodded slightly. "Yeah, we started on the mediums. The idea was to stay out longer and avoid traffic after the pit stop. It wasn't perfect, but it worked well enough. The car felt stable, so we could hang in there. Strategy-wise, it was pretty straightforward."

Another reporter probed into the car's performance. "You had some issues in high-speed corners earlier this weekend. Did those get sorted before the race, or were you still struggling?"

Matteo shrugged. "We improved it a bit. The car felt more predictable today, especially in the high-speed corners. Still not where we want it to be, but it was better than before. We're getting there, just takes time."

As the interviews wound down, Matteo spotted Oliver just a few steps away, surrounded by reporters and cameras. Oliver had bagged a well-deserved P2, and the excitement was written all over his face. It was clear that the podium finish had lifted his spirits, and Matteo couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride for his friend.

Matteo lingered on the edge of the media scrum, waiting for Oliver to finish up. He wasn't in any rush, leaning against a nearby barrier with his arms crossed, his thoughts still half-occupied by the race and the whirlwind of the day. Watching Oliver interact with the media, it was easy to see why he was a favorite—he had that natural ease, cracking a few jokes and flashing a smile that made the reporters hang on his every word.

Eventually, the crowd around Oliver began to thin out. Matteo pushed himself off the barrier and strolled over, catching Oliver's eye just as he was wrapping up. Oliver turned to him, a grin stretching across his face, the kind that made it clear he was still riding the high of the race.

"Hey, mate," Matteo said, giving Oliver a friendly clap on the back. "P2, huh? Not too shabby."

Oliver laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, not too bad at all. Feels good to be back up there. You had a solid race yourself—P6, right?"

Matteo shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, it was alright. and I got driver of the day, so that's cool. But hey, today's your day, man. Congrats."

"Thanks, Matteo," Oliver replied, his eyes still sparkling with excitement. "It was one of those days where everything just clicked, you know?"

Matteo nodded. "Yeah, I could see that. You were flying out there. Well deserved."