Behind the Pit Wall: Jamie Albon's Challenge // Lando Norris // F1

Chapter 24: Unfinished Business

The Bahrain Grand Prix had come to an end, and the teams were busy packing up their gear for the next race in Saudi Arabia. The paddock, once teeming with energy, now felt subdued as engineers, team principals, and drivers prepared to head back to their respective headquarters. For Jamie, the race weekend was far from over.

She had made a decision to stay behind with a few remaining staff members, tasked with cleaning up the track and making sure everything was sorted and ready to be shipped to Saudi Arabia. It was the perfect excuse to avoid the long flight back with Alex, Lily, Logan, Oscar and—most importantly—Lando.

As she drove Alex, Lily, and Logan to the private airport where their jet awaited, Jamie kept the conversation light, masking the exhaustion and the emotional turmoil that had been building up since her confrontation with Lando. Alex sat in the passenger seat, stealing occasional glances at his sister, knowing something was still off.

"You sure you don't want to come with us?" Alex asked as they neared the airport, his voice filled with concern.

Jamie smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll be fine, Alex. Besides, someone has to stay back and make sure everything's sorted for Saudi Arabia. You know how chaotic these transitions can be."

Logan, seated in the back with Lily, leaned forward. "We're gonna miss you on the flight. Who's going to keep us entertained?"

"Don't worry, Logan," Jamie replied with a smirk. "You've got Lily and Oscar for that."

They arrived at the private airport, where the jet was already prepped for takeoff. Lando and Oscar stood outside, waiting with the staff to collect the luggage. The sight of Lando made Jamie's heart skip, but she quickly buried her feelings, determined not to let him get under her skin.

As Alex, Lily, and Logan unloaded their bags, Lando and Oscar approached, expecting to see Jamie's luggage as well. When they noticed one bag too few, Lando's eyes immediately found Jamie's. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"Jamie's not coming?" Oscar asked, his tone light but curious.

Alex turned to the McLaren drivers and nodded. "She's staying behind to help out with the cleanup and getting everything ready for Saudi Arabia."

Lando's frown deepened as he watched Jamie move around the car, her attention deliberately elsewhere. He knew their talk from the previous night was far from finished. He hadn't been able to apologize or even have a proper conversation with her. The frustration gnawed at him, but Jamie's cold demeanor made it clear she wasn't ready to listen.

Jamie busied herself with hugging Alex, Lily, Logan, and Oscar, deliberately skipping over Lando. She offered them a bright smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes, before waving them off as they boarded the jet. Lando stood back, arms crossed, watching her intently.

"See you in Saudi," Jamie said with forced cheerfulness as the others began to board.

"Take care, Jamie," Logan replied, giving her a quick hug.

Oscar smiled at her. "We'll save you a seat for next time."

Lily gave Jamie a lingering look, sensing the unspoken tension, but chose not to say anything. Instead, she pulled Jamie into a warm embrace. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Jamie nodded, squeezing her back. "You too."

As Jamie turned to walk back to the car, she could feel Lando's gaze burning into her back. She didn't look back, refusing to acknowledge him. The door of the jet closed behind the drivers, and as the engines roared to life, Lando couldn't shake the feeling of unfinished business.

He stared out the window as the jet took off, the distance between them growing with each passing second. Oscar, sitting beside him, noticed his friend's distraction.

"You okay, mate?" Oscar asked, trying to read Lando's expression.

Lando snapped out of his thoughts and forced a smile. "Yeah, just thinking about the next race."

Oscar nodded, accepting the answer, though he wasn't entirely convinced. "Saudi Arabia's going to be intense. We need to be on top of our game."

Lando's thoughts drifted back to Jamie, the memory of their last conversation replaying in his mind. "Yeah, definitely," he muttered, though his mind was miles away.

As the jet soared through the skies, the conversation inside revolved around the race in Bahrain and the upcoming one in Saudi Arabia. Lando tried to participate, but his heart wasn't in it. He couldn't stop thinking about Jamie and how everything between them had spiraled out of control.

Back on the ground, Jamie watched the jet disappear into the sky before getting back into the car. She took a deep breath, pushing away the lingering unease that Lando's presence always seemed to stir. As she drove back to the hotel, she focused on the tasks ahead—anything to keep her mind off the McLaren driver.

When she returned to the track, Jamie threw herself into work. She joined the remaining Williams crew, helping to pack up equipment and organize everything for shipment. The hours flew by as she moved from one task to the next, her mind mercifully occupied.

But even as she worked, Lando lingered at the edges of her thoughts, a constant reminder of the unresolved tension between them. She didn't want to think about him, didn't want to care, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the gnawing feeling in her chest.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the empty track, Jamie finally took a moment to rest. She leaned against a stack of crates, wiping sweat from her brow. The paddock was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the bustling energy it had just hours before.

She let out a long sigh, staring up at the sky, which was beginning to darken. The next race was only two weeks away, but it felt like the tension between her and Lando might last forever. She had tried to push him out of her mind, to forget the things he'd said, but it wasn't working.

For now, she would focus on her work. She would keep her distance from Lando, avoid any unnecessary interaction, and hope that eventually, things would go back to how they were before everything got so complicated.

But deep down, Jamie knew that was unlikely. Some things, once broken, couldn't be fixed. And maybe, just maybe, that was for the best.