THE CORE FOUR

Jax 🏈
Good luck on your first F2 race this weekend, where you off to?

Thi 🏎️
We start in Bahrain, then go to Jeddah, Melbourne, Imola, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Baku, Silverstone, Spielberg, Le Castellet, Budapest, Spa, Zandvoort, Monza, Yas Island.

Soph 🎥
Busy busy, so what's the game plan this season

Ideally we do well, make an impression on the big teams' academies. Start in the F1 development programme, make it to F1.
How's your first year in the States been?

Jax 🏈
Nothing too new from what I've told you in the calls, I love it here. Football is so much better than rugby. Wish we had a football team...

It's basically the same as rugby though no?

Jax 🏈
It's nothing like rugby, apart from the contact everything is basically different

Thi 🏎️
F1 >>> superior sport

Soph 🎥
It's great here, I've made so many connections at Julliard already. I haven't told anyone yet but guess what...I got a call-back on one of my auditions!!!

Holy shit no way Soph!! That's amazing!!

Thi 🏎️
What's it for?

Soph 🎥
This High School Musical spin-off, I'm auditioning for the main lead Nini

You'll smash it Soph! Let us know how it goes, so proud of you

Soph 🎥
Thanks, love you guys ❤️

SAKHIR, BAHRAIN. MARCH 2022.

Scrolling on his phone, Jacob saw the tweet and he frowned. It sucked that his best friend hadn't got a role, if anyone deserved their break into Hollywood and acting, it was her. She had been working towards the same dream ever since he'd met her. He swiped off the app and proceeded to FaceTime Sophie. He quickly realised that there was a time difference, he was currently Bahrain and she was in New York but those worries disappeared when her face appeared on his screen.

"How you doing?" Jacob asked with a kind smile.

"I'm guessing you saw the tweet?"

The boy nodded. "That sucks, I'm sorry Soph."

She shrugged. "It's just the hard reality of acting isn't it, sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. I met the girl who got it though, she was really nice. We've hung out a bit ."

"What does she look like?"

"Searching out for your next potential victim after Elizabeth?" Sophie laughed with a cheeky grin.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I'm just curious."

Him and his girlfriend had broken up not too long after everyone had parted ways from school. She was struggling with the distance and the constant travelling that Jacob did to pursue his passion. She didn't understand and would often start arguments with him, claiming that he didn't love her enough. In Jacob's mind, there was only one simple solution and that was to break up with her. If she couldn't support him and resented him for following his dreams, she had no place in his life.

"Her Instagram's @oliviarodrigo."

Jacob swiped off FaceTime and went onto the app to search up this girl's profile. He clicked on her most recent post.

"She's pretty popular."

Sophie nodded. "Yeah I think she might've been in another show as a kid. Not entirely sure though. She's a good singer as well."

Jacob hummed in agreement, still looking at the picture. He couldn't deny that she was quite attractive.

"Stop staring at her Jake."

Sophie's voice snapped Jacob out of his thoughts. "Shut up Soph, I wasn't."

"Whatever," Sophie chuckled, "I gotta go anyways, I have a class soon."

Jacob waved at his screen. "Speak to you soon."

After they hung up, Jacob continued looking through Olivia's profile, she'd been in a Disney show named Bizaardvark and Sophie wasn't wrong, she could sing.

"Shit! Shit shit shit!" Jacob exclaimed after accidentally liking a post from a couple years ago.

He immediately swiped off his phone and prayed that she wouldn't notice from the other notifications she got. He chucked his phone on the bed and walked out his hotel room, making his way to Thierry's room.

He knocked gently on his friend's room who swiftly let him in. "What's up, I need to get my beauty sleep for quali tomorrow."

It was the qualifying session of their first Formula Two Grand Prix tomorrow and Jacob was feeling confident, the car he was racing in felt good during practice and he was sure he could deliver some big results, immediately making an impact.

"Just wanted to see if you wanted to watch a movie before tomorrow."

"Can do, just make it a quick one." Thierry replied, jumping onto his bed and grabbing the remote for the TV.

Just then, a notification pinged on Thierry's phone, causing the younger boy to take a look before he let out a laugh.

"Soph told me to tell you to keep it in your pants."

Jacob, who had just made his way next to Thierry on the bed, groaned and covered his face with a pillow.

"For fuck's sake."

"What happened?"

Jacob explained that Sophie had sort of become friends with the girl who beat her in the High School Musical role and that he found her mildly attractive when he went on her Instagram profile.

"Oh you're down bad for this random girl already." Thierry teased.

"Fuck off, I haven't even met her yet." Jacob protested.

"Yeah but stalking her posts...learning about her acting history...listening to the songs she writes...sounds pretty down bad to me."

"Whatever mate, let's just watch a film."

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. APRIL 2022.

His debut Formula Two season had gotten off to a decent start, Jacob was happy with how he was performing. In between races, he had the rare opportunity to be able to take some time out and he chose to go back home. With all the traveling he did, it wasn't often he could just go home and relax. Any time he could spend with his parents he would never take for granted. Since the age of six, he had been halfway across the world, away from his family, away from what he knew. It was definitely hard at first, but with the help of the three friends he met not so long after he moved, it definitely made it a lot easier.

Jacob was just sitting on the sofa in his living room when a notification pinged on his phone, Sophie had sent him a Snapchat. Reaching over to the other side of the sofa where his phone was, Jacob opened the snap only to roll his eyes at what the girl had sent him.

He replied with a photo of him looking pretty unimpressed, since Sophie had told Thierry, naturally Jaxon also found out and the three of them would relentlessly tease him about a girl he hadn't even spoken to, yet alone met.

His attention diverted back to the TV, which had replays of a recent F1 Grand Prix. He had been monitoring this season more closely than he would've usually, purely because there was that chance he could get called up. All he needed was to impress an F1 academy and then he could have his opportunity should anything happen. Jacob had seen it happen all before, Formula One was a ruthless sport. If you weren't delivering the results your team wanted to see, then you would likely be replaced. Jacob's goal was to get his seat, and then keep it for as long as he could.

Beyond racing, he wasn't sure what he would do with his life. Yes he had three A-Levels but there was nothing else in the world that vaguely interested him apart from sitting in a vehicle going around 200 miles per hour.

He was so close to his dream now. Since he made to Formula Two, it was a big step up from F3. With the impressions Jacob was making, the media had been quick to label him as a future F1 racer. This meant that he had to make sure he was ready for all aspects, apart from racing. This involved media training given to him by Prema and an agent who would manage his contracts and all that admin stuff. His father was pretty involved in that sort of stuff for Jacob, he would often fly out and almost act as Jacob's agent.

The same applied for Thierry of course, but naturally his father took on the role of his agent and he was a bit more prepared than Jacob. Thierry was born to become a Formula One driver, and ever since the incident with his godfather Michael, Thierry was determined more than ever to continue his legacy.

BARCELONA, SPAIN. MAY 2022.

Race day came around quickly, and after successful practices and a good qualifying, Jacob found himself in P4 with Thierry on pole position after an extraordinary lap from the Monegasque-British boy.

The track buzzed with anticipation as Jacob, in his racing suit emblazoned with his team's logo, stood beside his sleek car. The Spanish sun cast a warm glow over the track, and the scent of burning rubber and high-octane fuel filled the air. Fans from all corners of the globe had gathered, their excitement palpable as they awaited the start of the race. Formula 2 races often acted as a pre-show to the F1 races.

Jacob felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he strapped himself into the cockpit. The roar of the engines reverberated through the paddock, drowning out the excited chatter of the spectators.

The tension mounted as the cars lined up on the grid, the drivers revving their engines in anticipation.

The signal was given, and with a deafening roar, the race began.

Jake fought tooth and nail for every inch of track, pushing himself and his car to the limit. The circuit was unforgiving, its twists and turns testing the skill and bravery of even the most seasoned drivers. But Jacob was in his element, his focus unyielding as he navigated the challenging corners with precision and finesse.

As the laps ticked by, Jacob found himself locked in a fierce battle for the lead. His heart pounded in his chest, he was currently third in the race, catching up to Thierry who was a few seconds ahead of him.

The race continued but then half-way through, a safety car had to be brought out. Two racers had been involved in a crash, causing them both having to retire. The top three were in a comfortable lead from the rest of the pack, but the use of the safety car brought everyone back together.

As the safety car peeled into the pit lane, signalling the resumption of racing at the Spanish Grand Prix, tension mounted among the drivers.

Liam Lawson, who was in fourth place, was determined to overtake, after spending so much of the race out of reach of the podium. The second the safety car disappeared, he surged forward recklessly, Jacob could see him in his wing mirror as he made his way to the side of his car. Sensibly, Jacob didn't fight back knowing that he would be able to catch up before the race ended.

As Liam made his way closer to Thierry and to the upcoming corner, he darted out from behind Thierry, attempting a daring overtake.

The move was audacious, bordering on absolute stupidity, as the gap rapidly closed between the two cars. With nowhere to go and no time to react, disaster struck in a split second. Metal clashed against metal as the two cars made contact, sending them both careening off the track in a cloud of smoke and debris.

Jacob's heart skipped a beat as he watched the chaos unfold before him, his instincts kicking into overdrive. With lightning-fast reflexes, he swerved to avoid the wreckage, narrowly dodging the tangled mess of twisted metal and shattered carbon fibre.

"Is he ok?" Jacob asked his engineer, a hint of panic in his voice. "Is Thierry ok? Liam is fucking stupid."

It felt like hours for Jacob before his engineer responded on the radio. "Thierry's ok, he's coming back to the pits now."

But even as he breathed a sigh of relief, Jacob knew that it was far from over, he still had the rest of the race to go. He had claimed first position now, and was desperate to hold it until the end.

He was successful as he saw the chequered flag wave, the cheers of the crowd echoing in his ears.

He climbed out of his car, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. This victory was more than just a race win; it was a testament to his skill, his dedication, and his unwavering passion for the sport he loved.

But amidst the jubilation, there was a shadow looming over the paddock. Frustration and anger were written plainly on Thierry's face as he stormed back to the garage, his dreams of a podium finish dashed in an instant.

Jacob watched as Thierry slammed his helmet down on the workbench, his hands trembling with rage. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that fate had dealt his teammate such a cruel hand. Thierry had been on top form in recent races, consistently racking up points and proving himself as a formidable contender.

Jacob approached Thierry, placing a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of solidarity. "Tough break out there, mate," he said, his voice tinged with sympathy, "but you'll bounce back stronger than ever. I know it."

Thierry's jaw was clenched. "What a twat, what an absolute fucking twat."

Jacob looked in Thierry's eyes and couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"It's ok, you'll get them next time."