Pit Stop [LANDO NORRIS]

6

AVERY

It's late afternoon, and the garage smells like oil and sweat. There's a low hum of chatter and the clinking of tools, punctuated by the occasional burst of laughter. The two cars side by side in the garages being worked on equally by the teams. 

Dad's leaning over Lando's car with the chief engineer, Nick, his arms crossed, his brow furrowed in that familiar way he gets when he's deep in thought. I'm hanging back, watching everything, not wanting to interrupt but not wanting to miss anything, either. It's the kind of environment that feels like it's always moving, always just a little on edge, but also, in a weird way, at home.

"...Lando and Oscar," Dad says, glancing at Nick with a smile. "We've really lucked out with them, haven't we? I mean, you couldn't ask for a stronger lineup."

Nick nods, the corners of his mouth twitching. "They're a great balance. Lando's experienced, aggressive when he needs to be. Oscar's got that fire, that hunger. Pretty ballsy too. You can see it in his eyes—he's pushing hard to prove himself, and that's exactly what we need."

Dad glances over at me, and I catch his eye for a second. He always looks at me like that when he's about to say something important—like he's trying to decide how much he should tell me.

"We're the strongest team on the grid right now, Avery. No doubt about it," he adds, his tone low but proud. "And that means we need to keep pushing the envelope. This upgrade package, it's key for the next race. We've been putting in the work, and if everything lines up, we're going to have an edge."

I nod, though part of me wants to ask more, to dig deeper. This is the stuff that always gets my brain buzzing—the strategy, the numbers, the edge that separates winners from the rest. I feel that pull, that urge to understand it all better. But I feel like it's something that's expected of me. I love it, don't get me wrong, it's something I know I'm good at, but I'm not sure I'm passionate about it either. 

As if reading my mind, Dad turns fully toward me, "You're not just here to watch, Avery," he says, quieter this time, but the weight of his words still hits me. "I want you to start learning from Nick. From the team. You need to get hands-on with the engineering side of things. This is where your future is, if you want it."

I swallow, feeling my heart skip a beat. I've been around the garage my whole life—watching, helping out when I can, and soaking it all in like a sponge—but I've never felt like I was really part of the core of it all, not in the way the others are.

"I know," I say, my voice steady, though there's a flutter of nerves underneath. "I want to learn. I just... I mean, I'm not sure I know where to start, or if I'm good enough for it. Or if it's even...." I cut myself off, realizing this isn't the time or the place. 

Dad raises an eyebrow, that look that says he's about to make me do something a little uncomfortable, but it's always the right thing. "You don't need to worry about being good enough, Avery. You've got the mind for this. It's about the work. Day in, day out. You'll be learning the technical side from Nick, but also the strategy—why we do what we do. The upgrades, the race planning, all of it. This is how we stay ahead. This is how you'll stay ahead."

Nick catches my eye then, giving me a nod. "It's not easy. But I think you've got the right instincts. You've seen how it all comes together from the moment you were old enough to hold a wrench. You've got an eye for detail."

The way Nick says it is almost... reassuring. Like, it's not just something Dad's telling me because I'm his daughter, but because maybe, just maybe, I can do this. I can really do this.

"Alright," I say, taking a deep breath. "I'll step in. I'll learn. But, uh, you'll help me, right? You'll show me the ropes?"

Dad claps me on the shoulder, giving me that crooked grin of his. "Of course I will. You know I wouldn't let you do anything without making sure you've got all the tools you need. We've got a championship to win, Avery. And you're going to be a big part of it."

The way he says it makes my chest feel tight, like there's a knot I didn't know I had. It's exciting, but also terrifying. What if I can't live up to it? What if I mess something up? But I can't let those thoughts stop me. Not now.

Nick starts talking about some of the details of the new package—how they're tweaking the aerodynamics and testing the suspension to get that extra bit of performance on long straights. I listen carefully, picking up words and concepts that don't always make sense yet, but I'm determined to change that.

The conversation flows, and soon I'm more engrossed in the technical stuff than I thought I'd be. Dad's been right all along. I do want to learn this. Maybe I've always known, but now it feels real.

Dad keeps glancing at me, his expression unreadable, but I know what he's thinking. He's not just showing me the ropes for the fun of it. He's planning on me taking on more. He expects me to.

I end up staying way past all the other mechanics, even dad. Nick helped me access the data packs online and I've been mulling through them, reading through all the information and all the details set out for this years car, as well as some of the finer details on the upgrades we plan on introducing in the next race. McLaren really seems to have the edge this year and I can feel that pull in wanting to be apart of it. Wanting to know that when the car performs well, or when a strategy is brought up in the meetings, that I had something to do with it. Maybe, just maybe, I'd get the fulfillment I always thought I'd only get from my art. Maybe I could make a name for myself here. The surname was covered, those were shoes I was going to have to fill, but in regard to being Avery, maybe I deserved a place in this garage too.