~~

Velocity Sports, Live:

Shayaan Ali: "Ladies and gentlemen, rev up your engines! Welcome to a brand-new Formula 1 season! We are live here at the Bahrain International Circuit for the very first Qualifying session of the year. I'm Shayaan Ali, alongside my brilliant co-commentator, Mike Wilhelm, here on VSN! Mike, it's been a long winter break, but we're finally back!"

Mike Wilhelm: "Oh, and doesn't it feel good, Shayaan? The anticipation is sky-high, and we're about to witness the first true test of speed for the 2024 season. This is where we get our first glimpse at what the teams have in store for us this year.

Shayaan Ali: "Exactly! The teams have put in countless hours refining their cars, and now it's time to see who has the edge under the lights here in Bahrain. We've seen some surprises in the pre-season testing, but as we know, when it comes to qualifying, everything can change in a heartbeat. The question on everyone's mind seems to be will Khai Sylvan, aka The Angel of Death absolutely dominate the season like last year by winning all twenty-four races!"

Mike Wilhelm: "And let's not forget Amaterasu's newest second driver, Odette Rhodes, daughter of F1 legend Dean Rhodes. She has some big shoes to fill because she's not only replacing a phenomenal driver like Peter Alonzo, but is also the first female F1 driver in history! She's under an earth-shattering amount of pressure. Will Miss Rhodes be able to perform, or will she crack?"

Shayaan Ali: "That's the million-dollar question, Mike! One thing's for sure—Qualifying 1 is just moments away, and the battle for pole position starts right here on Velocity Sports Network! So strap in, folks, because Formula 1 is officially back!"

~~**~~

"Breathe, Odette." I told myself. "Just breathe."

My Dad always said that Qualifying was the most crucial part of an F1 race.

Qualifying sessions determined the position your car would be starting the race from at the actual Grand Prix the next day, so the drivers who drove the fastest laps in qualifying would start at the front of the grid, and the drivers who had the slowest times would be racing from the back of the grid. It was important because it was easier to win a race if you were starting ahead, and if you were at the back, you would have to overtake competitors to get to the front, taking up precious time and risking potential collisions.

The roar of engines outside the garage rattled the walls like distant thunder. I sat in the cockpit of my car, my hands resting on the wheel. My fingers twitched, tracing the grooves in the rubber grips, muscle memory dancing across each dial and switch.

I'd only driven this car once before in the pre-season testing session, so I was still getting used to it. My first drive had gone relatively smoothly so that gave me some comfort, but sitting in a Formula 1 car moments away from Qualifying was still unnerving.

I was the last one to go. As of now, Khai Sylvan had Pole Position with his Tsai teammate Ronan Voss in second and then Axel from our team was third, which put a lot of pressure on me because Axel and I had cars that performed the exact same. So if I performed poorly when he had done so well it meant that I was a shitty driver. I knew there were no excuses in this sport. It was ruthless.

A hand suddenly clapped over my shoulder. "You've got this, kiddo." Peter's warm voice comforted. I turned my head to look at him and gave him a smile and a reassuring nod.

"Helmet," Hiro, my engineer, called coldly as he walked up to us.

Peter gave me a wink and a thumbs up before turning to walk towards the garage.

I reached for the helmet, the familiar weight comforting in my hands. The glossy red surface gleamed under the garage lights, streaked with Amaterasu's golden sunburst. I pulled it down over my head, the world around me shrinking to the sound of my own breath and the hum of team radio.

"You're good to go," Hiro's voice crackled in my ear. "Three minutes on the clock. Out lap, warm the tires, push hard on your first flyer."

"Got it," I replied, voice steadier than I felt.

The team rolled me toward the pit lane, and as I stared down the narrow exit, I felt the knot in my stomach tighten. My pulse hammered against my ribs. This was it — my first qualifying session of the season.

I couldn't mess this up.

"Green light, track is clear," Hiro said.

I hit the throttle. The car lurched forward, tires screeching slightly as they fought for grip. The pit lane limiter kept my speed controlled until I hit the exit line — then I punched it.

The engine screamed, and the car rocketed down the straight. My body sank into the seat as the G-force pressed me back. Corners flicked past like lightning flashes. I shifted gears instinctively, foot feathering the throttle to keep the tires warm.

"Temps are good," Hiro reported. "Plenty of space behind. Push on this lap."

I flicked open the DRS on the back straight, feeling the car surge forward. The engine's pitch climbed higher and higher, the speed thrumming through my bones. I braked hard into Turn 1, tires biting just enough to keep me stable.

"Don't fight it — guide it." My father's voice suddenly whispered in my ears.

My chest tightened, but I kept my hands light on the wheel. Through the chicane, I rode the curbs aggressively, feeling the car dance beneath me. My breath hitched as I caught a snap of oversteer, the rear tires threatening to break loose. I corrected it fast, fighting the instinct to lift off.

"Good save," Hiro said, almost sounding impressed. "Two-tenths up. Keep pushing."

The final sector was a blur — fast corners, barely a moment to breathe. I punched the throttle out of the last turn and bolted down the main straight. The finish line streaked beneath me, and I glanced at the dash: P3.

Third Position.

My heart did an excited flip. I had a faster lap than Axel Reinhardt. I had beaten my teammate. Axel was now at P4.

"Beginner's luck," Hiro said before the radio cut off.

I let out a shaky breath, my heart still racing. Not pole, but not bad.

"Nice job," I muttered to myself, gripping the wheel tighter. "I'm still in this."

~~**~~

"I'm so proud of you!" Aubrey squealed as she pulled me in for a tight hug. "See, I told you, you had nothing to worry about!"

I pulled away from her, and a laugh burst out of me when I saw what she was wearing. "What on earth is that?" I gasped at the T-shirt that she was wearing; it had a huge shot of my face over her chest and read "Odette Rhodes #1" at the bottom.

She gave me a sly grin. "I got it custom-made. Like it?"

I was about to respond, but the sight of Axel approaching us made me halt.

His blue eyes were hard, "The only reason you managed to beat my time was because I wasn't in the right head space today. Just wanted you to know that you won't be this lucky at the actual race tomorrow."

My eyebrows arched up in surprise, but before I could even think of a suitable response, my best friend was already in sizing him up.

"Listen here you pea brained dick head! Don't you dare speak to her like that!" She glared up at him. At five foot two, she barely even reached his chest, but I knew if anyone was in danger in this situation, it was definitely Axel.

Axel looked absolutely stricken for a moment to have a tiny she devil screaming at him. I watched when his eyes lit up in recognition, and I watched as his eyes did a slow perusal of her, stopping at the front of her shirt.

"Aubrey Alonzo." Axel drawled leisurely. "Fancy running into you here. Always a pleasure of course..."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes at him. Her lips thinning in annoyance. "I'm afraid I can't say the same." She retorted.

I had to press my lips together to keep from laughing.

Axel's eyes dropped to Aubrey's shirt again, and his lips curled into a devious grin. "What will it take for you to wear one with my face on it?"

My hand flew to my mouth in shock, and for once, my best friend seemed at a complete loss for words.

Thankfully, she regained her composure quickly. "I wouldn't, even if you paid me a million dollars." She snapped.

Axel's grin only grew wider. "Good thing I'm a Billionaire then." He winked, and just as he was turning to walk away, he paused. He fixed Aubrey with an intense look, "O,h and Miss Alonzo, next time you want my attention, no need to leave hate comments on my photos; you could just slide into my DM's instead." With that being said, Axel swiftly turned to his heel and left.

Aubrey's mouth opened and closed wordlessly for a moment before her hands curled into fists and her entire face turned red.

"I fucking hate that asshole!" She seethed.

"Miss. Rhodes!" An unfamiliar voice suddenly interrupted. I turned in time to see a blonde news reporter rushing towards me. She held her microphone up to my face as she questioned me excitedly, "For your debut, that was one heck of a Qualifying! You managed to get the third fastest time and beat some of the biggest names in this sport in your first go, your teammate being one of them."

I stood there, frozen for a moment. "Thanks," I responded after a while.

"How does it feel to prove all those people who were doubting you wrong?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. "I still have a lot more to prove," I told her honestly, then my lips split into a wide grin. "But for now I feel pretty damn good."

~~**~~

The race was chaos — fast, brutal, relentless. I'd been holding my position well, fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the points. The Tsai Racing car was just ahead, its sleek black frame gleaming as it defended fiercely.

I'd managed to overtake Ronan's car in the previous lap. I was currently in P2, only Khai's black Tsai stood between me and Pole Position.

Winning pole in their debut race was every rookie's dream, and I was this close to having it, but time was running out; just two laps were remaining till the race ended.

"You're closing in," Hiro's voice instructed. "Keep the pressure on."

I held my breath as my car aligned with Khai's. In the next turn, I would overtake him. As the turn corner came into view, I lined up a move on the inside, foot hovering over the brake as I prepared to lunge.

Then — disaster. The engine sputtered, my throttle pedal going limp beneath my foot.

"No! No, no, no!" I shouted. The car lost power mid-straight, and suddenly, I was coasting, helpless as the field flew past. I frantically tried to restart the engine, toggling switches and cycling modes. Nothing.

"What's happening?" Hiro's voice came back, panicked.

"Power's gone! I can't —"

Before I could finish, a flash of black filled my vision. The Tsai Racing car was right there — too close. My dead car was rolling straight into its path. I yanked the wheel hard to the right, tires screeching as I barely avoided the collision. Khai swerved wide, narrowly missing me by inches.

"That was close," Hiro breathed.

I slumped back in my seat, pulse racing. My car sat dead on the side of the track, a lifeless husk. The marshals waved yellow flags as the race continued around me.

~~**~~

"What the hell happened?" Mei demanded as soon as I stepped inside the garage. The tow truck was bringing my damaged car in.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Hiro beat me to it. He filled me with a furious glare. "Driver error," he said flatly. "I've analyzed the data with Brady. The car was functioning properly until the moment she over-revved the engine."

"I don't think-" I started to say, but he cut me off,

"Miss Rhodes, don't make excuses for your failures. You made countless errors during the race; for instance, you failed to maintain tire temperature and didn't engage the clutch properly during your pit stop, which cost us precious time. The only reason you were able to maintain your position was because you got lucky in the Qualifying." Hiro snapped.

My throat went dry, and I fought the urge to hang my head in shame because he was right. Even before my car had stopped, I had made a bunch of unnecessary mistakes.

"It was her first Formula 1 Grand Prix. Cut her some slack, Hiro." Mei suddenly spoke up in a much softer tone.

"Would you still be saying that if it was a man in that car instead of her? Her father won his debut Grand Prix with us."

Mei looked like she was about to argue, but I cut her off with a grateful look. "It's okay, Mei. You don't have to defend me. Hiro is right. I screwed up."

I wasn't going to earn the team's trust by hiding behind the team Principal every time I made a mistake. I needed to acknowledge my shortcomings and improve from there.

Mei pursed her lips, but she gave me an understanding look. With a final nod in my direction, she turned to leave.

I turned to Hiro. "Look, I know this must be hard on you," I told him, my voice quiet. "You worked with Peter for almost seven years, and he was a phenomenal driver. And now a moon faced rookie is driving a car you've worked you're ass off perfecting for a year." My voice filled with determination. "But if you just give me a chance I promise that will work my ass off and I won't let you down."

I glanced at my now damaged Amaterasu car parked a couple of feet away. "You know, the engineer who worked here before you, Nico, worked with my dad for almost a decade. They were great friends." I said softly.

Hiro scoffed, and it actually made me chuckle. "I'm not saying we need to be best friends, but I'm hoping we can have a sustainable professional relationship at least."

Hiro crossed his arms over his chest and studied me for a moment before giving me a subtle nod.

I felt my shoulders sag with relief.

"If you don't mind, I would like to stay back and work on the car with you," I said hopefully.

I held my breath as I waited for him to respond. Finally, he gave me a nonchalant shrug and muttered. "Up to you."

I bit my lip to keep from smiling.

I was finally making progress.

"I'll just change out of my Race suit and meet you back here in ten minutes!" I jogged out of the garage, scared that he'd change his mind and ask me to get lost.

I'd been too lost in my own thoughts to pay attention to what was in front of me. I'd barely made it a couple of feet away from the garage when I ran into a solid wall of flesh. I lost my balance and started to go down, but suddenly, strong hands grasped my waist to steady me.

I looked up and was just going to apologize, but the words died down on the tip of my tongue when I saw who it was.

Khai Sylvan.

My eyes locked with his stormy gray ones, and I could feel my heart flutter in my chest with nerves.

He changed out of his Overalls into his casual clothes and was now wearing a back hoodie with the hood drawn over his head.

His wet hair was plastered to his forehead, and he smelt like fresh soa,p indicating that he'd just showered.

Of course, he had showered. It was tradition for whoever won the top three positions to be showered with Champaign on the Podium. Since Khai had won P1 or Pole position, he would have had to shower post celebration after being under the downpour of so much alcohol.

"I'm sorry!" I blurted out suddenly and then winced when I heard how loud I'd been.

His eyebrows furrowed together as he eyed me stoically.

"I'm sorry for crashing into you right now, and I'm really sorry for almost crashing into on the track," I added, hoping my voice conveyed my sincerity.

I heard his sharp inhale. He looked almost shocked at my words. A flash of an unreadable emotion crossed his face. For a moment, he just stared at me wordlessly.

Just when I thought he was about to say something, a familiar voice interrupted us.

"What the fuck are you doing sniffing around our garage Sylvan?" Axel's angry voice called out.

I watched as Khai stiffened. His face was stone cold once again, all traces of emotion gone.

"Hello, Reinhardt. Congrats on P3." Khai drawled, and although he hadn't worded it that way but something about the way he said it made it sound like an insult.

Axel must have felt that too, because his face drew into a scowl.

"What are you doing here?" Axel asked again, completely ignoring me.

Khai's eyes met mine for a split second. "Leaving." He muttered before turning to walk away with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Word of advice," Axel gritted out and even though his gaze was shooting daggers at Khai's back I knew he was talking to me, "Stay the fuck away from that asshole. He tends to destroy everything he touches."