You really like it, huh...

Barcelona, Spain,
February 2022

🏎️

On the morning of February 23rd I found myself in Spain, this was the first trip I took part in with the team. The official pre-season practice had just begun and all the cars were taking to the track.

The paddock was full. People in their team uniforms were going back and forth to make sure everything was perfect. The first of the two drivers of the day would have been Charles.

In the corner of the small complex there was a table, a helmet with a Monegasque flag had been placed on top of it and intent on looking at it, I realized that someone was taking it to put it on. The number 16 finished fastening his suit and got into the single-seater with the help of some colleagues.

Andrea came up to me: "How do you feel?" He asked me, inspecting every single inch of the car.

"I try not to get anxious." I giggled, looking up at the screens and taking the headphones that the boy was handing me. He assured me that everything would be okay and went to sit in the chairs positioned in the center of the room.

I watched Leclerc, who was looking at the computer resting in front of him, but after a few moments he seemed ready and turned on the car.

I was reminded of the power that certain sounds caused people. For some it could have been a chaotic, annoying noise, but my mind isolated it; He made me listen to it clearly, almost as if it were the only important thing to hear.

I saw the Monegasque overtake me, the melody increased and followed suit, disappeared around the corner and I stepped back to be able to observe the progress on the screens.

Several directives came from the pit wall for the driver, he would have to perform long runs, run laps in race conditions, with a high fuel load and a basic set-up.

"That sounds good." Charles Leclerc commented on the radio and I realized I hadn't heard his voice since the presentation.

The images on the screen showed his speed, accompanied by some parameters about the car. Everything seemed to be going in the right direction, when after exiting a corner, a swaying movement began to be created in the car. In radio communications I heard the pilot talking about it with the pit wall and Andrea, who was next to me, lowered a headset: "I think it's porposing..." He confided in me and then continued to listen to the indications given by the team. Looking at the replays of the scene, I noticed how on the straight the car almost jumped.

Although that problem affected most of the cars, Charles seemed quite convinced of the performance. The rest of the day certainly did not go worse, on the contrary there was talk of a way to limit the problems.

Porposing could not be verified either in the simulator or in the wind tunnel, so it was decided in the following days to raise the car, even if this would have caused a loss in everyone's performance.

It was now March, when they warned me that I would have a few days off before the start of the season. Vittoria, from the marketing department, whom I had met in the last month, had asked me if I wanted to go home during the break, but I had made the decision to stay in Italy.

"How about watching a movie tonight? Shall we do it myself this time?" He proposed me referring to the week before, when we had happened on the same day off and we had spent the evening on the sofa with a pizza and the third season of Drive to Survive, where you could see my figure for a few seconds in the Haas paddock.

A few hours later I entered the apartment of my friend, who had the bad habit of leaving the door ajar.

"Abigail, is that you?" He screamed from the other side of the apartment, that it was not in the same building where Andrea and I lived.

"Come and see the photos I uploaded on social profiles of the latest tests!" I arrived in the living room, where I found her lying on the sofa, with the PC resting on her legs. I took a seat in the opposite free corner and handed me the computer.

I looked at the photographs and a very smiling Carlos Sainz appeared in front of my eyes, I changed my image and many of the number 55 followed. I pressed again to go forward and Charles' green eyes appeared in the foreground. It seemed like a déjà vu to me.

"I have to say that the tests were satisfactory, the car seems very reliable to me." Vittoria commented, after I returned the device to her.

"Exactly, we have collected all the necessary data and the drivers also seem very happy with the result. The Grand Prix is less than a week away, and honestly I've never been so excited about something." I said resting my head on the sofa cushion.

"You really like it, huh..." He left the sentence hanging and my mind visualized the wrong image.

"I've always dreamed of working in Formula 1, with Haas I had already achieved my dream, but working for Ferrari means something different to me." My friend motioned me to continue.

"I spent my entire childhood watching races with my stepfather. He has Italian origins, so even living in England, he led me to support this team. I've been studying in connection with this all my life, and I'm here at last." I concluded and looking up at Vittoria I could see that she was smiling.

We spent the evenings keeping each other company, sometimes at my house, sometimes at her place. We also often went out with Andrea, going into town to eat in some restaurant.

Two days before the trip, the team organized a dinner, so that we could all thank each other for the hard work before the start of the season.

My friend forced me to dress elegantly and not having planned this evening, I found myself with only two black dresses in my suitcase. I decided to wear the longer one: it had a single sleeve that also tightened the shoulder together, covering it. The opposite arm was bare and in the length of the dress, a split started from the same part without fabric.
Nothing too exaggerated, but elegant.

Someone knocked on my door forcing me to hurry up my bag and go out. Andrea was waiting for me in a suit in front of the door and once the lock was closed we went down, until we reached his car.
He had offered to accompany me, Vittoria and a mechanic friend of his who was already waiting for us downstairs, living in the same building as us.

We arrived at the house of the last missing person and he made us wait a few minutes before reaching us.

"Sorry for the delay, we can go." She laughed once the girl got on board, in the seat behind mine.

The restaurant was spectacular. From the entrance, an arch led to the general atrium, where tables with white and burgundy decorations were arranged at every point, but with the right distance.

In the center of the room there was a larger table, which made me deduce that it was ours, given the presence of some colleagues who had already sat down, others were talking standing near it, among themselves.

We slowly approached and I noticed some place cards leaning in front of the plates, so that everyone knew where to sit. I made a quick turn around the table and found my card, next to me would be Vittoria and on the opposite side Charles Leclerc.

I had to reread the name several times to realize that it was really written. In front of me I read Carlos' name and in the seat next to his would sit Binotto, followed by the rest of the Ferrari pit wall.

I decided to go to the bathroom to rinse my hands quickly and once they were dried with paper, I went out. Returning to the room, the team principal was intent on sitting down and both seats on either side of me turned out to be occupied.

Uncertain but euphoric, I walked to the table, pulling back the chair, and then sat down and adjusted the folds of my dress.

"Abigail, there you are! They have all arrived." My friend informed me, screaming far too much, so much so that a little smile behind me made me turn around.

"What do you find funny?" I whispered to the boy next to me.

🏎️

We are finally entering history, I hope you like it!👀👀

Ire