Connections (F1 story)

Chapter Sixty Two: Connections

It was time to sit back and spectate the final round of the season, one last final push.

Of course, I was only focused on one car in particular.

The countdown began and it was lights out and away they go.

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Daniel:

Finishing forth from staring in the pit lane exceeded all expectations, as did the season as a whole.

Pulling up at Melbourne back in March we didn't know how things would turn out. Completing the Australian Grand Prix seemed incredibly unlikely, but we did it- as a team, as individuals...as a pair.

The year has had ups and downs, that's for certain, but I am happy with how things have played out- even if I handled things rather badly at times. I've only got myself to blame for that though.

I do the same routine that I have been doing for, well, since a kid- only now I couldn't race anything more powerful. I had come a long way since karts, a very long way.

I jumped out and gave the crowd a wave; fans had been extraordinary this year and they have helped a lot too. I knew the noise this time round was for the championship winner, Lewis, yet I couldn't help but grin from underneath my helmet.

Nodding as I went to be weighed, I bumped into Sebastian and he gave me a slap on the back. We had got on well throughout the year, and working with Daniil in 2015 would be interesting.

I hopped on the scales before Simon greeted me; he was the second person I noticed though. Saskia had managed to sneak her way through, either that or Christian had spoken to the security team. Which he probably had done.

Still with my helmet on, I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her up slightly. Hopefully the media would be too busy paying attention to Lewis and Nico to bat an eyelid.

I didn't have a problem with the media knowing, for the cat had to have been out of the bag by now. Yet, it was for Saskia's sake, I didn't want to create more work for her, and I definitely didn't want her to become a gossip magazine target. Paparazzi can be right bitches.

"Well done," she shouted above all the noise as other drivers walked through the space. I was pretty damn certain that I heard Jev whistle...yup, it was definitely him. "I am so bloody proud of you."

And then Saskia pulled away. She was smiling and her eyes were lit up. I would have taken off my helmet then, but truth be told I had come over a bit emotional. Scrap that, very emotional.
This year had been pivotal, with gaining respect from the big names to finding someone- someone that I had a genuine connection with. And that was with Saskia.

"Thank you." I said, and I meant it. With an attempt to pull myself together and man up, my helmet came off as did its liner. Now I was grinning just as much.

We walked towards the garage and Paul met me there armed with a drink and a towel. Abu Dhabi was ridiculously hot.

"Great drive, man." He then gave me a slap on the back and ventured off to collect the weigh in data. It was a shame we had another few days of testing for I was ready to order the whole menu, and then eat all of it at the team meal.

"Cheers Paul, I'll see you tonight." I replied and turned back to face Saskia.

"Come on you, let's get this over and done with." she spoke and threw the towel in the bin for me, she was bloody brave touching that.

"I'm having a bath first though." I chuckled but immediately wondered why I had just said that. There was a separate shower in the bathroom.

"I think you need one." She laughed and we started heading in the direction of the media pen. That was another thing I loved about her, her sense of humour. She also laughed at my jokes, which, of course, was a bonus.