Criminal ~ OP81

11. Andrea could tame a bear if she wanted to

Oscar Piastri

The alarm blared at an ungodly hour, jolting me awake from a fitful sleep. For a moment, I lay there, staring at the ceiling of my hotel room, the events of yesterday's qualifying session rushing back.

P2.

One of my best qualifying result yet. I should have been over the moon, but the knot in my stomach told a different story.

Something was brewing, and I had a feeling deep in my stomach that today wasn't going to be smooth sailing.

Toweling off after the shower, I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. The face staring back at me looked more nervous rookie than potential race winner. With no longer being a rookie, you'd think my nerves had settled.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the doubts creeping in. This was my chance, my moment to prove myself. I couldn't let team drama derail me.

As I got dressed, my eyes fell on my phone. Before I could talk myself out of it, I dialed Andrea's number, needing to hear her voice before facing the day.

As it rang I started second guessing. Knowing her, she'd probably still be asleep. But I'm proven wrong when she picks up after a few rings.

"Hey you," she answered softly, her voice still husky with sleep. "Ready for another big day?"

I tried to inject confidence into my voice. "As ready as I'll ever be. How's your morning been?" I ask, wanting her to distract my nerves by just talking.

"I just woke up," she says with a laugh before quieting down, "are you okay? I can feel your nerves from through the phone"

How'd she do that? I don't know, but I'm leaning more towards the denying the problem than facing it right now. "It's nothing..."

"But?" She urges me to talk. I lean against the bathroom counter, wishing she was in front of me to talk rather than other the phone.

I sighed heavily. "Just some... team disagreements. Nothing for you to worry about. I've got to go, but I'll see you after the race, okay?"

Hanging up, I steeled myself for what was sure to be a challenging day. I grabbed my bag and headed out, ready to face whatever the Hungarian Grand Prix had in store for me.

———

The podium ceremony passed in a blur. I went through the motions - the anthem, the champagne spray, the initial interviews.

This was my first f1 win. I should've been ecstatic, on cloud nine, and yet my smile felt forced. The trophy felt heavy but not in the way it seemed fitting, like I wasn't meant to be the one holding it.

I couldn't shake the feeling that this victory, my first in F1, had somehow been tainted by the team's actions. Never mind somehow- it was.

The cool-down room had been awkward, to say the least. Lando barely looked at me, and I couldn't bring myself to celebrate in front of him. Even Lewis being in there didn't help ease the tension that made the room feel suffocating.

As I made my way towards the media pen for more questioning, I felt the weight of the day pressing down on me. Journalists shouted questions, their words blending into a cacophony of noise. I tried to focus, to give the polite, PR-friendly answers I'd been trained to provide, but my mind was elsewhere.

That's when I saw her.

Andrea was weaving through the crowd, her eyes scanning faces until they landed on mine. For a moment, everything else faded away. As we drew closer, I saw understanding and pride shining in her eyes. Just as we were about to pass each other, she reached out, quickly grasping my hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.