Lights Out • 1 • Formula One ✔️

Chapter 31

It may be 23:31 but it's still Sunday so I'm technically still on schedule (whoop whoop). Finally back to some racing! This will mostly include Quali as I tend to skip over free practice.

My brother made sure that I face-timed him this weekend. Monaco was his favourite circuit because of how easy it was to crash, and because his favourite driver usually excels here despite awful circumstances. For me, however, I was bricking it. The tight circuit would put me under a lot of strain both mentally and physically, if I lose focus at all I'd end up in the wall.

First practice on Thursday was the first time I had driven my F1 car since the accident in Baku. I had to take a couple of slower laps to begin with to ease my neck and mind into the track. It was clear from the start that I had lost some confidence, my lap times barely getting me into the top ten which was frustrating.

"I just want to do well!" I exclaimed during the break between FP1 and FP2. I was sitting in the Force India garage with my engineers and strategists going over where I can improve and how. "I'm so slow."

"Hey," Cal placed a hand on my shoulder, "You're going to be fine. You still have two more sessions to practice and you haven't crashed yet - that's got to account for something. Seven other drivers have cocked up so far yet you haven't."

I let out a sigh and put my head in my hands, kicking my helmet on the floor with my foot. "Why can't I match the others?"

"I think you're forgetting that you haven't raced in three weeks after a serious accident - Lys you could've died!"

"It's pretty hard to forget when people keep bringing it up everyone ten seconds," I shot back, folding my arms across my chest. I knew I was being childish and had no right to take it out on him all the time; sometimes you just get so frustrated that you need to let it out.

"You want to improve?" Cal questioned and I nodded in reply. "When you start going downhill, don't press so hard on the breaks. Have a little faith that your car isn't going to run wide at the hairpin because otherwise you'll create overtaking opportunities for the other drivers. Also, through the tunnel you're two tenths down, you can attack the corner at a higher speed than what you are currently doing which should decrease your time."

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Uhh..." Cal looked at the screens which displayed all of my times compared to other drivers along with temperatures, pressures and other important information in my car. "Not that I can see, no. After second practice we can go over your numbers with strategists and other engineers to see what'll be best for qualifying and the race."

"Thanks." I left the garage and walked into my changing room, putting my helmet on the bench next to me. Soon after I had put my head down into my hands, there was a knock on my door.

"'A'? It's Kudzai." I immediately opened the door and pulled her into the room before anyone outside could see who I was. "Woah, you alright?"

"I'm just stressing," I sighed, running a hand over my hair. "Not only have I got the race and many people putting their faith in me, but I can't keep postponing the dinner with Max's Dad forever."

"You're still worrying about that?" Kudzai chuckled, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"It was easy for you and Esteban because you're on the same team. Max's Dad is known to be critical of the teams, and we're rivals!"

"You're overthinking it, Lys. He seemed alright with you in France and I doubt that his opinion has suddenly changed in a week." Kudzai took a seat next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Besides, I doubt what Jos thinks will have any sort of affect on the way Max feels about you."