Risking it all (Lando Norris)

Chapter 54

Lando

The roar of the crowd was nearly drowned out by the deafening sound of the engine as I navigated the tight corners of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The sun was blazing overhead, making the track shimmer like a mirage. 

I was currently in second place, with Max Verstappen ahead of me. He was pushing hard, and I was doing everything I could to keep up, but the car wasn't behaving the way I needed it to.

The rear end kept slipping out, making the car feel like it had a mind of its own. Every time I went into a corner, I had to fight to keep the car under control, adjusting my steering and throttle with precision. 

It was frustrating, knowing that the car had the potential for more, but not being able to extract that last bit of performance.

"Come on, baby," I muttered to myself, urging the car to hold steady as I powered through another corner. The steering wheel vibrated in my hands, the tires screaming in protest as I pushed them to the limit. My engineer's voice crackled through the radio, giving me updates on the gap to Max and the cars behind me.

"Gap to Verstappen is 1.2 seconds. Hold steady, Lando. You're doing great."

I gritted my teeth and focused on the track ahead. Max was pulling away, but I wasn't going to let him get too far. There was still a chance, but I had to be smart about it. One wrong move and I could lose everything. The car's instability was my biggest concern, but I had to find a way to manage it.

Lap after lap, I stayed on Max's tail, waiting for an opportunity that never seemed to come. The car's rear end kept twitching under braking, forcing me to be extra cautious, especially in the high-speed corners. 

I could feel the sweat pouring down my back, my muscles tense as I wrestled with the steering wheel.

Then, finally, the last lap. The gap to Max was still around a second, and I knew I wouldn't be able to catch him unless he made a mistake. 

But I wasn't going to let anyone else take this position from me. I fought hard to keep the car under control, focusing on hitting every apex perfectly, managing the tire wear, and keeping my speed as high as possible.

As I crossed the finish line, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and frustration. Second place was a great result, but I knew we could have done better if the car had been more stable.

Still, I was proud of the race I'd driven. I had fought hard, pushed myself and the car to the limit, and secured another podium.

"P2, Lando! Great job, mate. Well done!" My engineer's voice was filled with enthusiasm, and I could hear the team celebrating in the background.

"Thanks, guys," I replied, my voice a little strained from the effort of the race. "The car was a handful, but we made it work."

As I pulled into the Parc ferme, the cheers from the crowd washed over me. I could see the team gathered around, clapping and waving as I brought the car to a stop. I unclipped my helmet and climbed out, raising my arms in acknowledgment of the support.

But the first person I looked for was Lily. She was standing just outside the garage, a big smile on her face despite the lingering fatigue I could see in her eyes. 

She'd been feeling off for a while now, but she was as supportive as ever, always there to cheer me on and manage the behind-the-scenes chaos that came with being a Formula 1 driver.

I walked over to her, pulling her into a tight hug. "We did it," I said, my voice muffled against her hair.

"You did it," she corrected, looking up at me with a proud smile. "Second place is amazing, Lando. I'm so proud of you."