the IT girl

The McLaren Family Event

the McLaren headquarters buzzed with energy as Lando Norris prepared for his speaking engagement with the McLaren family—a gathering of staff, engineers, and fans. He stood backstage, adjusting the cuffs of his crisp blue shirt, which paired neatly with his dark jeans. A small, relaxed smile graced his face as he took a sip of water.

Meanwhile, Lily sat comfortably in Lando's car, parked discreetly near the entrance. She had insisted on waiting there to give Lando his moment while keeping close enough to join him after. With her phone in hand, she scrolled through photos of their recent beach day, smiling at Gemma's sandy face and the castle she'd built with Lando.

She rested her hand on her growing baby bump, feeling a soft flutter. "You're already a little racer, aren't you?" she whispered, her tone affectionate.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Lando Norris!"

The applause was deafening as Lando stepped onto the stage. The room was packed with McLaren employees, fans, and even a few special guests who had been eagerly awaiting his appearance. He waved at the crowd, his easygoing charm lighting up the room.

"Thank you, thank you," he began, adjusting the microphone. "It's always great to be back here with the McLaren family. You guys make the magic happen—on and off the track."

The audience cheered, and Lando launched into his speech, sharing insights about the past season, his goals for the future, and some funny anecdotes from the grid.

"So," he said with a grin, "you know that moment when you're racing, and your engineer tells you, 'Lando, we need you to manage tires,' and you're thinking, 'Mate, I'm already doing my best!'?"

The crowd burst into laughter, the engineers nodding knowingly.

Lily laughed softly to herself as she watched a live stream of Lando's speech on her phone. "Classic Lando," she murmured, shaking her head.

She looked up briefly, watching a few fans walk by the car, their McLaren merchandise proudly on display. She adjusted her seat and turned up the AC, glancing at the time.

"He'll be done soon," she said, glancing at the empty passenger seat.

Back on stage, Lando was wrapping up his speech and opened the floor for questions.

"Lando, what's it like being part of the McLaren family for so long?" someone asked.

He smiled. "It's like being with your favorite group of friends every day—except they also happen to be absolute geniuses who make a fast car! It's been an amazing journey, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Another fan stood up. "Lando, what's the biggest challenge of balancing racing with family life?"

His expression softened. "That's a good one. I think the biggest challenge is making sure you give enough time to both. I'm lucky to have an amazing wife and daughter—and another baby on the way—who are so supportive. But, yeah, it takes effort to be present and make sure they know they're always my priority."

The audience cooed and clapped, clearly charmed by his answer.

As the event wound down, Lando thanked everyone for coming and made his way backstage. He grabbed his jacket and quickly exited the building, knowing Lily was waiting.

He spotted the car parked near the entrance and jogged over, opening the door with a wide grin. "Hey, love," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"How was it?" Lily asked, sliding her phone into her bag.

"Good crowd," Lando replied as he hopped into the driver's seat. "Lots of laughs. They asked about you and Gemma."

"Of course they did," Lily teased. "You're everyone's favorite family man now."

Lando chuckled as he started the car. "Speaking of family, let's swing by Gemma's school on the way home. She'll want to hear about the event."

"Only if we stop for ice cream first," Lily countered playfully.

"It's a deal," Lando said, turning the car toward the exit.

As they drove off, Lando reached over to rest his hand on Lily's, feeling the warmth of their connection. For all the glamour and chaos of his career, it was these simple moments with his family that meant the most.