On and Off the Track

S I X T Y S E V E N.

The next day, I woke up to the sound of engines revving in the distance. It was practice day at Monza, and the energy was already buzzing around the circuit. Charles had left early, but not without pressing a soft kiss to my forehead, his whispered "see you soon" lingering in the air as I stirred awake. By mid-morning, I made my way to the Ferrari hospitality lounge. The air was warm, but there was a cool breeze running through the open, sunlit space. The red Ferrari banners flapped gently above me as I took a seat, sipping on a cappuccino while watching the screens that showed Charles and the other drivers zipping around the track for their practice runs. The lounge was bustling with activity—team members coming and going, other people mingling, and the occasional sponsor representative checking in on the Ferrari experience. I found myself a little lost in thought, my eyes trailing over the track on the screens when a familiar voice interrupted my reverie.
"Bronte," I looked up, surprised to see Carlos Sainz's girlfriend, Isa standing beside me, a warm smile on her face. We used to spend a lot of time together when I was with Lando, but now, after everything, we haven't really had the chance to properly talk.
"Oh, hey!" I replied, standing up to greet her. Isa smiled
"I thought I recognized you. Mind if I sit?"
"Not at all, please!" I gestured to the chair beside me. Isa slid into the seat, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she glanced at the screens.
"Looks like the boys are having a good day on track." I chuckled.
"Yeah, Charles has been buzzing all morning. He's been so focused, it's like nothing can distract him." Isa grinned knowingly.
"I swear, Carlos is the same. The moment it's race week, he's in this completely different mode. It's like he's mentally on the track before he even gets in the car." We shared a laugh, finding common ground in the intense dedication of our boyfriends. The conversation flowed easily after that, talking about everything from the races to travel plans. Even though the conversation flowed there still was a looming curiosity I could sense from her. I knew she wanted nothing more than to talk about me, Lando and everything that was going on. Carlos and Lando were, are, still good mates so I could only assume she knew Lando's side.
"How is everything though, you know after everything" Isa said after a while, sipping her iced coffee, as she chose her words carefully. "I don't mean to pry, but we used to spend so much time together. I just checking that you are handling everything okay. " I nodded, feeling comforted by her words.
"Yeah, it's been a bit of a whirlwind. It's hard when all eyes are on you. But honestly I'm happy. I'm happy for Lando and whatever he is doing now. But most of all I am so happy being with Charles" Isa gave me a knowing look.
"He's a good guy, isn't he?" I laughed softly.
"He really is." Isa reached out to my arm, her touch comforting.
'I really hope I didn't offend you at the french gp. I wasn't thinking when I brought her up. I felt like such an idiot,' I smiled warmly.
'Oh my god, do not worry. Honestly I didn't mind. I'm happy he has moved on, like I have.' I reassured her, smiling as warmly as I could.
'Yeah...' her tone was unconvincing. I instantly sensed that she wanted to say more. I was desperate to ask her more but I decided not to. Instead I decided to move to a lighter topic.
'The tifosi are so passionate, I mean I've seen it but now that i'm actually a part of it. It's insane.' "They are," Isa agreed, "I think they must be the most passionate fans. I love it but you probably understand it's weird to have all those eyes on you" I nodded, understanding what she meant completely
'Yeah, I understand that more than you know.' I laughed lightly. We spent the rest of the practice session together, chatting about fashion, Isa's love for vintage finds and my experiences with modelling, and the upcoming events in the F1 calendar. It was refreshing to have someone who understood the unique pressures of dating a driver but who also knew how to laugh through it all. As the practice session came to an end and the drivers began filtering back into the paddock, Isa stood up, stretching her arms.
"I'm going to catch Carlos before he heads into debriefing. We should grab coffee sometime, just us girls."
"I'd love that," I said, standing as well. "It was really nice talking to you."
"Same here," Isa said with a smile. "Good luck for the rest of the weekend. I'm sure Charles will do amazing."
"Thank you, and good luck to Carlos too!" I replied.