Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“I think I’m going to win,” says Beatrice, leaning back deeply into the car seat.

“Don’t be a dickhead. A lot can still happen before the season ends,” Camila replies, shooting her a sharp look over her phone.

Beatrice chuckles, “I know, I’m just trying to hype myself up. More confidence, I guess.”

Camila shakes her head and continues reading an article. “Listen to this: ‘Now that Lillith is only six points ahead, right behind her is Beatrice—her former best friend’ —They seriously need to stop repeating this. Open any article about Formula 1, sport one–anything and there it is, your picture with Lillith with the massive caption underneath—Former Best Friends!” Camila shakes her head again and scrolls further on her phone.

Beatrice slowly turns toward her, watching her friend for a moment. Camila is one of the people she trusts the most in the world. She’s been there for her on and off the track, her biggest supporter, and the best publicity officer who’s always ready to go the extra mile for her. Her dark, curly hair, charming smile, and overall demeanor show her warm side, that’s the surface that’s truly mirroring her as a person. The kind soul she has and shows, the beauty of her actions and smart thinking complete her as a person. But when it comes to work, or those repetitive, ridiculous articles that keep circling on social media, Camila either goes pale with annoyance or flushes with frustration, and in those moments... best to stay out of her way.

She protects what’s hers. That’s one of the many other reasons Beatrice chose Camila to stand by her side in this brutal world. And if you asked Camila, she’d say she could do this forever, as long as Beatrice was by her side. They trust each other to the core, and that's what matters most. Beatrice gave her a chance to shine in this sport, just like Camila’s family gave Beatrice that same chance, and no one else could ever replace her. Likewise, Camila feels she could never represent anyone else. They’ve known this rhythm since childhood, and trusting anyone else would be unthinkable.

Beatrice exhales, then slowly reaches out and takes Camila’s phone from her hand.

“What are you doing?” Camila asks sharply, whipping her head toward her.

“Enough of that crap, please,” Beatrice says calmly, locking the phone and placing it between them. She then turns back toward her best friend and smiles at her irritated expression. “Relax. Look!” she gestured toward the window, “We’re in Mexico. Enjoy it while you can.”

Camila stares at her as if she just slapped her, then turns toward the passenger seat in front of them. “Can I hit her?” she asks.

Beatrice chuckles at her comment, leaning her head back against the seat.

“For the hundredth time, no, you cannot,” Suzanne says.

Beatrice keeps smiling as Suzanne turns to glance back at them. She looks at Camila first, then Beatrice, raising an eyebrow.

“And you,” Suzanne says to Beatrice, “stop smiling and acting like you’re on vacation. You can see nothing’s been normal lately, especially now when we’re about to enter the paddock.”

She wipes the smile from her face, takes a deep breath, and nods.  Although Suzanne is mostly gentle and smiling, especially toward Beatrice, whom she always watched with different eyes, taking care of her in every possible way, she had a bold demeanor that surfaces when she needs to make a point or address others. Her stern expression is ever-present around strangers, with her light brown eyes and striking facial features being the first things people notice. Her head is always held high, exuding confidence and strength. 

Only those who truly know her, the ones within her closest circle, can see that this is all a facade for the outside world, for the media, strangers, random passersby. Around her loved ones, Suzanne’s softer side often shines through. Still, there are moments when she has to bring out that adamant profile to calm situations or reign in tensions. She has mastered in calming the situation, the chaos, with just one look. Having raised Beatrice and providing unwavering love, support, hope to continue with her dreams…has become her mother figure.

Beatrice, after taking a moment, slowly turns to Camila, who is already watching her with a small smirk. Shaking her head, Camila grabs her phone back and says, “Cheer up a little. I know the last race ended badly–”

“At least Lillith didn’t crash into me this time,” Beatrice interrupts, letting her frustration bubble to the surface, trying so hard to not let it take her through this weekend.

“Yeah, yeah. I know,” Camila replies, unlocking her phone. For a moment, Beatrice relaxes back into her seat, staring ahead. She feels a gentle tap on her hand and turns to see her friend’s soft smile, one full of encouragement and positivity. Beatrice returns it warmly, grateful for the support.

Suzanne turns back toward them and adds, “We’ll be there in about 15 minutes. It’s Thursday, which means media day.” She glances at Beatrice, offering a brief but reassuring smile, similar to Camila’s. Then she turns to Camila and asks gently, “Cam, what’s the plan?”

Beatrice listens carefully as her friend outlines the familiar steps: how to answer questions, what Beatrice can refuse and what she should answer without hesitation, who will conduct the first interview, and how long it will all take. No matter how many times she’s heard this speech, knowing the steps, rehearsing them for the eight seasons in a row, it always helps settle her nerves. The trio had made it a habit to go over this routine every Thursday on their way to the track, a ritual that has become second nature to them.

Suzanne listens quietly, nodding every now and then and adding a few comments. Beatrice feels a deep gratitude for having two people she trusts with her whole heart. Suzanne has always been there for her. From the moment young Beatrice lost her mother to lung cancer, Suzanne never left her side, not for a day, not even for a minute. Trying to console her and fill the void of love that had been taken away.

For Suzanne, who had lost her sister, caring for her niece became her way of moving forward, of finding purpose in her grief. Beatrice’s father abandoned their family even before her mother’s death, and Suzanne even in those hard times dedicated herself entirely to her sister and niece. From helping with medications, looking after young Beatrice during the hospitalization, going through hard and difficult times together, and in the end making sure her niece stays with her. Though they both endured significant loss, Suzanne and Beatrice became each other’s security. And that made all the difference.

She celebrated Beatrice’s first grade at school with her. On nights when Beatrice woke up from terrible nightmares, those nights would always end with a smile on her face, snuggled under the blanket in Suzanne’s bed. They endured Beatrice’s first heartbreak together, when a boy Oliver from her class mocked her after she confessed to him that she has a crush. They sat together in the little kitchen, Suzanne doing her best to cheer her little niece up while making pancakes.

Later, when Beatrice casually mentioned over breakfast before school that she might like Emily from the third grade, Suzanne simply smiled and supported her. Beatrice never hid secrets from her, she always felt safe in their little home.

Maybe Suzanne’s hugs could never fully replace her mother’s embrace, but they were pretty damn close. Now more than ever. Beatrice remains forever grateful to her aunt, knowing she can always rely on her. Their love for each other grows stronger every day, their hope and gratitude deepening, turning from something beautiful into something extraordinary.

During the period when 8-year-old Beatrice started visiting the small karting track near their hometown of Harlow more and more frequently, Suzanne was always by her side, cheering her on and attending every training and race. She was Beatrice’s loudest supporter. Even when Suzanne worked two jobs to give Beatrice the opportunity to compete further and provide her with a proper go-kart, she never wavered, always by her side. It was during this time that Beatrice promised Suzanne she would focus on school, maintain good grades while chasing her dreams, winning tournaments, hoping to race in Formula 1 one day, and she kept all those promises.

Beatrice eagerly continued in the karting world and eventually won the British Championship. It was then that she saw Suzanne in tears for the first time, a moment she would never forget. Suzanne always tried to hide the tears, hiding her pain from her niece, not wanting to bother her, always tried to keep a strong face on. Her unwavering support was a constant throughout Beatrice’s life, and Beatrice often felt she could never repay her for the beautiful life she had given her. Through many falls, hardships, pain, and tears, they always stood by each other. Later, Beatrice secured her place in top-level karting, which marked the beginning of her friendship with Camila.

Camila was always around the karting tracks in London, where her father and uncle owned a karting circuit and often allowed Beatrice to train for her tournaments. Camila was never drawn to the racing itself, life at the track never gave her the kind of satisfaction she sought. Later on, she found that life right next to the track suited her the best. Outgoing and quick to make friends, she bonded easily with Beatrice. Camila’s focus was more on culture, media, and later, her studies in communications and media deepened their friendship. Despite their different paths the two best friends ended up pursuing careers in the same field, with different goals. One became a Formula 1 driver, while the other entered the sport as a support figure, working to make exclusive inclusive. Camila has been by Beatrice’s side since the start of her professional racing career and remains so to this day.

Beatrice will never forget the support she received, especially Suzanne’s. The road to securing a Formula 1 seat was brutal, filled with highs and lows, and it remains a part of who she is. The journey to a full Formula Renault UK season was particularly challenging, and Beatrice genuinely believed her dream might end there. Motorsport is harsh and expensive, it wasn’t just about investing in her go-kart and equipment but also covering travel costs for worldwide tournaments. It was during this time that Suzanne decided to take out two bank loans to keep pushing her niece forward, chasing her dream. Beatrice understood the seriousness of the situation, even in that age, and pushed herself even harder to be the best. And she succeeded.

That season, she finished second, and a year later, she won the championship with over 300 points. At the end of that intense and busy season, she joined Formula 3, where she only raced in two events, but that was enough for her to show her skills and speed. A year later, she dominated the championship, winning more than 10 of the 20 races. Following year, she entered Formula 2 pretty fast, where she, once again, dominated. Winning the championship on her first attempt.

By then, everyone in the Motorsport world knew the name Beatrice Hastings. Stories of her talent spread quickly in this fast-paced sport. Vincent, a Motorsport executive and CEO of Stellung Mercedes AMG F1 Team, followed and analysed her every race, and ended up impressed by her extraordinary skill and performance. At that time, his team was in turmoil, with tensions between drivers causing significant damage and creating problems for other employees. Vincent decided to let go of one of his drivers and made it his goal to bring Beatrice in his team.

At 19, Beatrice entered the world of Formula 1, with Gabriela, a two-time Champion, as her teammate. Everyone made fun of Mercedes, the team like that, one of the best and strongest teams in this era, bringing in inexperienced rookie. But, that year, when all eyes were on her, the rookie finished second in the World Championship standings, helping her team secure the Constructors' Championship and marking herself as the rookie with the highest points tally in the debut F1 season. It’s an understatement to say that everyone was shocked. The only news circulating was a mix of praise for the young rookie and subtle, envious comments from various teams and critics. But this is only the beginning.

Her teammate Gabriela clinched her third championship title and happily retired from the sport. The following season, Beatrice finished third in the standings, but in her third year, at just 21 years old, she secured her first championship title. From that point, her career only continued to soar, enriched by numerous victories. With the strongest team by her side, she won four more championship titles, equaling the record for the most titles in Formula 1 history, held by Kiefer, another five-time Champion.

This season is one of the most thrilling and exciting yet. Beatrice is fighting to break the record, to win her sixth title, while Lillith Villaumbrosia is chasing her first one. To say the tension is high would be an understatement—this season has been a battlefield, both internally for the drivers and on the track, showing it to the world.

The sport is brutal, filled with emotions and egos, both on and off the track. With significant money involved, this season has brought in a wave of new fans. One of the biggest issues now, however, is that the sport’s regulators are treating it like a circus, focusing on entertainment value rather than the safety of the drivers in the cars and other participants in the pit lane. This season’s rule changes have been challenging for all drivers, not just Beatrice and Lillith. Tensions are ever-present and always will be, but at this level, they boil over quickly. At this moment, all the teams and drivers can do is remain composed,conserve their strength for the race, and give everything  for the win.

Despite the many faces in the sport, Beatrice is most grateful to have a firm support system. If she senses hatred from others, she’s learned to set it aside, knowing she has her people behind her, love that matters. Her greatest support will always stand by her, keeping pace with her and protecting her back. 

By now, their car has reached the gate of the paddock. Beatrice grabs the door handle, but before she can pull it, Suzanne’s voice stops her. “Tonight, you have an unofficial meeting with Vincent.”

Beatrice rolls her eyes before finally opening the door. Behind her, she can already hear the click of cameras and reporters shouting her name. She slides on her sunglasses, picks up her phone from the seat, and gently closes the car door. She waits a few seconds for Camila and Suzanne to step out before they all start walking toward the circuit entrance.

“I hope you heard me,” Suzanne says quietly from behind.

Beatrice simply nods, her head held high as she scans her card at the entrance. She turns back to watch Suzanne and Camila do the same, waiting for them before they walk side by side once again. “I heard you,” Beatrice says finally, her gaze fixed ahead. “But you’re forgetting that you already know my final answer.”

Suzanne chuckles softly before quickly putting on a serious face. “Tonight at 8, don’t forget,” she says, to which Beatrice only hums in response. They continue walking in complete silence.

Beatrice sits cross-legged in an armchair in the hotel lobby, waiting for her driver to pull up so she can head to dinner with Vincent. A million thoughts race through her mind, along with countless things she’s like to say out loud, but she knows she has to approach this game with a calm and composed demeanor. Her contract with Mercedes is nearing its end this year, and she’s fully aware that everyone at Mercedes, as well as the media, is holding their breath for the day she and Vincent sign a new deal.Both of them know that the contract will be signed this weekend even, but they need to add a little fuel to the fire, play a little game of cat and mouse.

But there was still too much thinking, too many ways to approach the game. After all, for some people in this sport, it’s just a game. Beatrice has always hated that, especially since she’s a driver who knowingly sits in a car that exceeds 300 km/h. The only fun she can prepare for and enjoy before this weekend is the contract one. But she can only afford that when she has five titles behind her. If it were a different story, if those titles didn’t exist, Beatrice believes she would have pissed blood and accept everything they offer.

As she wrestles with her thoughts and strategizes her next move, she notices someone approaching on her right. She lifts her head slightly and raises her eyebrows at the woman standing before her.

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting before this tough weekend?” the woman asks.

Beatrice lets out a quiet scoff, locks her phone, and places it on her lap.Today, she’s prepared for anything except entertaining conversations with irrelevant people and opinions. She narrows her eyes slightly at the woman and replies, “What else am I doing if not resting?” she drops her head, looking at her body. “You can see I’m comfortably seated in one place.”

The woman smiles faintly, her eyebrows twitching as if resisting the urge to cringe and roll her eyes at Beatrice’s remark. “You’re so funny,” she says firmly. “So, have you given your decision some serious thought? No more chances?”

Beatrice remains seated, her expression cold and unreadable, not showing a single reaction. “Don’t do this to yourself, Miss Silva,” she says, tilting her head before adding quickly, “actually, your Honour. Wasn’t one rejection enough?”

Miss Silva, or rather, Honour, just smiles briefly and shakes her head. “What if you regret it?” she asks.

Beatrice only follows the woman in front of her with her eyes, the youngest motorsport executive, the deputy team principal of the Ferrari Salvius Team. She has been the leader of this well-known team in the Formula 1 world for a couple of years, and with her help, the team has managed to stay in the top 3 for four consecutive years. Beatrice admired her morals, her hard work and approach to everything; they've accomplished a lot as a team after the Salvius family became co-owners.

A team like Ferrari, the most famous and most awarded in history, had lost their way, their path after their last win in the late 2000s. Their struggles over the years were seen as some of the toughest in the sport, yet they still had the largest, most loyal fan base, which never gave up on them. The day the world found out that the renowned Jillian Salvius had invested in the team, becoming big co-owner, creating an exciting future for them, many were dissatisfied with this decision. There were various comments, from doubts about whether the famous Jillian could really elevate such a huge team with such a long history to a new level.

Well, long story short, she did.

The last four years have fluctuated between second and third place in Constructors’ Championship, and there’s no doubt they’ll eventually reach the title. Criticism will always follow both drivers and teams, especially when they’re ranked so highly, but there is also a new wave of praise toward the Salvius family for everything they’ve done for the team, bringing in many wins in their era , putting their name at the top of the leaderboard, and signing new and better sponsors, drivers, list goes on and on. It’s an understatement to say they’ve improved both the working environment and the car itself. Everyone wants to drive for a team like theirs; everyone lives for the day they sign with Ferrari, thus completing their careers.

So, when Suzanne announced earlier this year that Ferrari wanted Beatrice as their number one driver, to sit in the famous red car and drive for the new family, it’s safe to say Beatrice was surprised. Everyone in the paddock and in the world knows her contract with Mercedes is ending, and that people are still waiting for news to break in the media. And needless to say, all teams showed interest in signing her. It’s hard to hide anything in this sport, news spreads quickly, but some things do remain under control, between four walls.

Beatrice honestly thought about accepting Ferrari’s offer, but leaving a car like Mercedes behind was tough. Not just the car, but the team. In a way, Mercedes had provided her with a new family, a love that is rarely seen on the track, and when everyone is so united and successful, victories and trophies just keep coming. There has always been, and always will be, hard work that needs to be invested. Not just by the team, but by the driver as well.

Mercedes had given her everything in life; a career, victories, a deeper love for the sport, security, and warmth, and it was incredibly hard to forget all of that. After some thinking, Beatrice had to turn down the people in red and continue where she left off with Mercedes. The conversation went smoothly and professionally, no anger on the surface. You have to accept some things as they are in this sport. But another thing that Ferrari and the Salvius family gave Beatrice was when people in the office said that she would always be welcome in their family, and their doors would always be open for her.

Maybe someday we will see and experience the famous driver of this era in the well-known red car, the duo that everyone wants to see, and Beatrice herself is sure that she will want to drive for them one day. If you asked anyone on the track if they would like to be a Ferrari driver, they would all answer yes. Everyone’s a fan of Ferrari, even if they say they’re not. A team like Ferrari is not to be turned down, and Beatrice believes that one day she will be part of that family, but not next year. Not so soon. It’s hard for her to say goodbye to her current family, and not to mention that she still wants to win more titles with them.

Beatrice’s phone vibrates, and she lowers her head to read the message from the driver who has arrived and is waiting for her in front of the hotel. She takes a deep breath, slowly stands up from the armchair, and stands in front of the woman. “Well, Miss Silva, let’s hope I haven’t made a mistake,” Beatrice says with a tight smile, turning her back and stepping towards the exit.

She takes a few steps, but the woman’s voice stops her. “Oh, one more thing,” she says, and Beatrice turns toward her. “Ask him who is coming next season,” she adds, and the corners of her lips curl into a small smirk.

Beatrice narrows her eyes and frowns, taking a step towards her. “Who?”

“That’s a question for him,” she replies nonchalantly, turning to walk away, but before she turns her back, she adds, “And it’s Miss Silva Salvius, actually.”

Beatrice tries not to laugh at this, trying to suppress any reaction. Although she had been in communication with people and Salvius family, Jillian herself, she had never been in the room with Ava, or Miss Silva Salvius . The only communication they had was over the Zoom meeting, and of course, they would meet in the paddock during, before, and after the race weekend. A few words were exchanged, but Beatrice had always, not just from Ava personally, but from everyone, subtly turned her head. The sport is cruel itself, and so is the business. Mostly, everything revolves around money, especially in the past seven years.This is, after all, the most expensive sport, with the highest investments and the most risks. Everything is part of the game. It’s a business.

It’s hard to trust people, especially someone like Miss Silva Salvius, who takes everything for granted. Every deputy team principal, executive, CEO is just like that. The face of the team, chin held high, the shell life is not existing to them. They’re here, always will be, and they have it all. Her negotiations with the red team had been excellent, as they themselves said, the doors of the team would always be open for her. It was also a hard blow for them to be rejected by a five-time champion, but everyone has their reason, no matter how illogical they may seem to someone, they have to accept it in the end. 

During the contract negotiations with Ferrari, Beatrice had overheard some hesitation from one side of the team, but at first, she didn’t think much of it, as she wasn’t sure about leaving her current team and didn’t care much about anyone’s opinion. During negotiations, you have to put all the chips on the table, all the cards in order, and everyone has to invest something. Everyone must put something on the line, so some hesitation from both sides is normal. But later on when she found out that one person from the team had been continuously rejecting every offer, her confusion was visible, she then had so many questions.

Camila later found out that the main and largest rejections came from none other than the young deputy team principal. The daughter of the CEO. Beatrice didn’t want to give them her reaction, nor could she because she had already rejected them. She just put it aside and didn’t think about the insignificant comments from insignificant people anymore. The truth is, every time they meet in the paddock, of course, they always congratulate each other, some small acts for the media and other members, but Beatrice can feel some tension whenever she talks to her. Beatrice till this day is not sure what’s going on, she cannot quite reach the answers as to why Ava treats her with such a large dose of sarcasm and possibly even hatred. She doesn’t understand it, but somehow doesn’t have to. There’s no need for that,she’s neither in communications, nor some kind of work relationship with her, not driving for her team. Beatrice sees it as some sort of game, a fun way to kill time between events on the track.

The only thing that is not very clear to her, and what she might want to know, is why, even after a few months since declining the contract, a member of the red team would ask her about her decision. The only thing that crossed her mind is that Jillian is backing Beatrice once again, and she's a huge fan of putting her in that red car. She believes that, as the CEO of Salvius Ferrari, she was the one who pushed hardest to sign the five-time champion and that her decision is the strongest. Whatever she says must be done. Ava is the one who follows orders, and sends them on. Whether she likes it or not, she still has to listen to her mother. Maybe that pressure finally made her back down, allowing Beatrice to sign with them, but that’s behind them now, she made her choice. Now, Beatrice has more important things to think about, especially after Ava planted that random thought in her head about who her teammate might be.

Beatrice continues to watch the young, successful Ava Silva Salvius as she enters the elevator with slow, measured steps. Just before the doors close, Ava looks at Beatrice one last time and gives her a thin smile.

Beatrice doesn’t even remember when or how she got to her car. Those million thoughts from earlier have now grown into two million, and new things about the contract swirl in her head. And that sentence that keeps echoing in her mind; who will be her teammate next season? And why hasn’t anyone told her yet if they already know? Her  current teammate, Lucia, has already signed a contract with Aston Martin and will race for them next season—this is old news. The only piece of news that no one knows yet is who will take her place. And why is it still a secret? Or maybe something came up with another driver who didn’t want to sign, so they are waiting for someone else? Second option? And why the fuck are they hiding it in the team?

She thought she had good communication with Vincent, but she admits that from the start of this season, there’s been some shady business within the team. Beatrice has never inquired about what happens behind closed doors,  his team orders, dealings, and management procedures. She’s a driver and never wanted to stick her nose into his affairs. As for whether they were more communicative, were they closer than now? Of course. 

Throughout her entire ride to the restaurant, Beatrice thought about the past, the present, and the future. The season isn’t over yet, there are still five races left, including this weekend, the Mexican Grand Prix (GP). The truth is that Lillith leads by only 6 points, but this is Formula 1. Everything can flip upside down in a second. The end is far from near, from declaring the winner, from deciding who will take the Driver and Constructors' title. Only 28 points separate two teams. That’s a small gap.

This is going to be a spectacle, Beatrice thinks as she enters the empty restaurant, taking slow steps toward the table where Vincent is already waiting. He looks up from his phone, smiles faintly, and stands up, exchanging a brief hug.

She sits across from him, comfortably settling into her chair, leaning back, as her eyes scan the restaurant. “I feel like we’re in some movie. The whole restaurant just for us, huh?” she smiles at her own comment and then returns her gaze to her boss.

Vincent chuckles for a second and nods. “Well, we’ve got business to do.”

Beatrice just smiles at him, but a new spark  ignites inside her. The comment might have sounded completely normal to others, but she didn’t like it. Not with that tone.

The waiter has already brought sparkling water and their food in front of them, as they fall into a light silence, enjoying the food and exchanging a few short comments about the race this weekend. They go back and forth, discussing upgrades and next season, which marks a new era. This is the last season of the hybrid era, and next year, a car with a different design, new over-wheel winglets, a new set of regulations, with a change of the tires, and all the differences of front and rear wings will come into play. Vincent talks only superficially about it, not delving too deeply into the details. Every team, especially as the end of the season approaches, is focused on next season—the detailed work has already started, and a new engineering system is being implemented. There are various opinions in the paddock regarding these changes, many of them predicting that the cars will be slightly slower. Not just Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, and the others on the top, but the entire grid is uncertain about the new cars and their speed. There is a lot at stake .

“So,” Beatrice starts, “how is Mercedes handling the new era?” she asks him, pushing the conversation forward to get a sense of the future he and the team are preparing. What’s coming for her?

“Right now, our biggest concern is the car’s downforce,” Vincent says calmly, glancing at Beatrice then out the window. The atmosphere has now become completely relaxing, but there is still a slight underlying nervousness, some kind of worry between the two dynamics. “It’s a key change, you know, getting perfection with aerodynamics. It’s the main focus for us right now. Not just for us as a team, but for the rest of the grid.”

Beatrice nods, following along calmly and absorbing the news. “So the tunnels are a huge deal now? More than ever, right?” she asks another question.

Vincent hums, “Something like that,” he adds before taking a sip from his glass. He looks back at Beatrice and raises an eyebrow. “Are you going to be here to see that?”

She chuckles and tilts her head to one side, still watching him . Thinking of the right answer, she knows this dinner will end positively for both her and Vincent. Now is too late to think about other teams and drivers. Beatrice and Mercedes, together, they’ve created a history that hasn’t been seen on the track in a long time. Although a team like Mercedes has far more titles in its history, a large number of champions have been part of their family and won with them, but the fairytale of Beatrice and Mercedes is something that people are familiar with, and they currently hate.

Is it some form of jealousy or hatred toward them? Maybe they’re tired of seeing the same person winning over and over again, with the same team, collecting title after title, while no one can stop them. Is it because they’ve created a masterpiece with their car, and another masterpiece has been driving it? Or is it because the other teams just can’t reach their level? Five years in a row? They must be furious.

Because of this, the season is turbulent—for the first time in these five years of just winning titles, Beatrice has come this far into a season without already winning the championship, she’s second in the standings, and a lot of fans have joined the sport because of that. She’s never been interested in hatred, she’s always known how good she is at what she does, with the precision she brings to her work. In this world, there will always be those who cheer for you and those who want to see you fall. And that’s something she’s experienced this season. Now, it’s the right time to show them all what kind of driver she is, how important it is that even in a perfect car, someone calm, composed, precise, and fast has to be behind the wheel. Damn fucking fast.

She knows that Mercedes is a team that can offer her a lot, but they also know how much Beatrice can offer them as well. What’s she bringing to the table too.Not just victories, but also publicity, money, sponsors, the image . With her honesty, charisma, perfect social media persona, determined attitude, as a person who  has always been for the right to equality. Because of these little things that make her the person she is, she’s known worldwide—not only as a driver, but when her name is mentioned, everyone will know who it is. She is currently the face of a big sport, and people on and off the grid want to replace her.

Her decision remains the same, even though a large number of interested parties have contacted her, she wants to finish this battle and start the next one with the same team. But a driver like her has her own desires despite everything. The plans and goals she wants to make her own. And those desires haven’t been promised to her yet.

Beatrice takes a deep breath and agrees with herself to directly ask about the two main issues she hesitated on at the beginning of this contract phase. “Is the one-year contract still in play?” That’s the first main thing.

Vincent looks at her, his pupils slightly widened. He didn’t expect her to be so direct, he lets his gaze linger for a moment, then clears his throat, slipping the answer slowly from his lips, “Yes.”

“Why not two? Or three?”

He smiles lightly and looks out the window again. “This is a fast sport, Beatrice. Literally.”

Beatrice’s only reaction is raising her eyebrows, and she expected this kind of answer. “So… you don’t want to continue with a champion for more than one year?” she asks him. She’s aware of how it sounds now, she has to show her teeth, grab it, even if it means showing a strong ego.

He looks back at her, and she can't read him at that moment because there’s no reaction on his face. After a few moments, he starts nodding and lets out a small laugh, although to her, it sounded more like a mild scoff. “Is this still about refusing to be the team’s ambassador?”

Beatrice holds back from rolling her eyes, because that’s exactly the issue. That’s the second and last main thing. She still doesn’t understand why they refuse to accept it, especially when they know that she’s the perfect candidate for it. They’re fully aware of her dealing with brands, organizations, and products... the list is long. They get to see it with their own eyes. How is she dealing with that type of business. Over the past few years, she’s learned to respect the rules and terms of being involved in such interests. It has never been a problem. But perhaps now she has bruised their ego. Better to say, Vincent’s ego. After all, he owns just over 30% of Mercedes, and later accepting her as the major ambassador for his team feels like a low blow to someone like him.

“I still don’t see the problem with that request,” Beatrice says, looking him directly in the eyes. She has softened her stance, it really is one of her goals to continue with her career while being the ambassador, but for the past two months, she’s seen that it’s going nowhere. 

He only nods his head before deciding to speak. “By refusing, I’m doing what’s best for you and your future.”

Beatrice scoffs, a little louder this time, and shakes her head. “I think you and I both know that I can juggle with that decision.” She takes a deep breath and then adds, “But you and I also both know that it’s like going against you, taking over, isn’t it?”

Vincent’s eye twitches under his round glasses. For a moment, he straightens in his chair,adjusting his glasses with one finger, pushing them up to the bridge of his nose. His face adopts a new expression—one Beatrice has been seeing more and more lately. His eye color seems to constantly shift whenever they get into an argument, especially when her points are particularly strong.

With his right hand, he starts stroking his ash-grey beard, first looking at the table in front of him, then lifting his head proudly, barely hiding a smirk on his face. “Our contract remains the same, Beatrice. Nothing has changed except perhaps the price, which may vary depending on how the season ends. But I know that doesn’t interest you right now, especially when you know we usually finalize that in January anyway.”

Beatrice still doesn’t understand—neither his approach to this so-called game nor the way his tone shifts from day to day. She lets the silence settle over the table, their gazes shifting from each other’s eyes to the window, looking out at the city under the bright stars. 

She decides not to continue with her questions. And, also what Ava had planted in her mind about the potential future teammate has to be pushed aside. She realizes this type of conversation isn't getting anywhere. Not anymore.

Everyone is seated at the long table, chatting about everything from personal topics to strategies and potential developments for the week ahead. Beatrice sits calmly in the middle of the table, exchanging a few comments with Lucia, who is seated across from her next to her race engineer. Before every practice, qualifying session, and race, teams and drivers usually arrive in the paddock at least 4 hours early. This allows everyone to go through possible strategies, analyze the track together, discuss car setups,and review data gathered from previous years, along with a very short debrief of the last race.

The team is already in their places, with only Vincent and a couple of other engineers yet to arrive. Beatrice remains seated quietly, now lost in her own world. She stares at the map of the track on the monitor in front of her,imagining various strategies on her own, picturing herself already in the cockpit. Her eyes follow the track lines on the screen, something she always does before meetings like these. It helps ease the stress that presses heavily on her shoulders, and also to kill some time before the start.

She hears the door open behind her and brief conversations spilling into the already loud and crowded room. The chair beside her spins slightly, prompting Beatrice to lift her head slowly. She smiles when she sees Shannon.

“I was waiting for you,” Beatrice says, turning her gaze back to the monitor. “I was starting to think you’d left or run away from me this soon too,” she adds with a small teasing smile.

Shannon forces a small laugh and rolls her eyes playfully. Beatrice glances back at her, and this time she gives her a more genuine and gentle smile. The tall woman sits down, gathering her dark brown hair into a high ponytail. “You know,” she says through a quiet laugh as she secures the hair tie, “you’re starting to sound more and more like my wife.”

Beatrice leans back in her chair, taking off her headphones. “Ah, there’s a big difference between my comment and Mary’s.”

The older woman fake gasps, her brown eyes sparkling with curiosity for a brief second. “Is that so?”

Beatrice just hums. “Mary can’t wait for you to join her team… and I,” Beatrice turns slightly in her chair toward Shannon once again, leaning back further, “well, I’m very sad that my race engineer is leaving me after all this time.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” Shannon laughs and shakes her head. The two of them exchange meaningful smiles and Shannon breaks the silence between them once again, “Also, what happened with…” she says, nudging her head toward Vincent behind her.

Beatrice just offers her a brief smile and a wink before turning her chair back to face the monitor. Shannon simply laughs, shaking her head at the driver for what feels like the hundredth time, understanding her response without further explanation, then she turns her attention back to the screen in front of her.

Beatrice doesn’t want to talk with Shannon about it, not in front of everyone else. There will be time and place for them to discuss that too. She trusts her race engineer completely. Shannon has been with Beatrice from the very start of her Formula 1 career. She is the one responsible for all trackside communications, talking her through everything on the track and their job with setting up the car was always something Beatrice enjoyed by her side. They communicate the most, and their trust in each other is immediate and unwavering. Sadly, this is Shannon’s last season with Mercedes, after eight years with the team, she signed a new contract with Ferrari.

Many were surprised by her decision, speculating that Beatrice might be moving to the same team too. However, those closest to this circle understood Shannon’s reasons for moving. The story is simple; the red team offered Shannon her dream job—to become the head race engineer for the Salvius Ferrari team. And that is an opportunity Shannon couldn’t turn down. But also, she is going to enjoy her time with her wife significantly more, since Mary drives for Ferrari. And especially since this sport added more races to the next season’s calendar, making the work time longer for all the engineers and drivers.

Beatrice shakes her head, bringing the focus back to the meeting and to Shannon who is tracing with her finger over the screen, pointing out the key corners they need to focus on the most this weekend. Beatrice nods, placing her hand over the microphone of her headset and tossing a comment loud enough for only Shannon to hear, “We need to keep an eye on T1 (Turn 1)... at least during the first free practice.”

Shannon nods in agreement and starts writing in her notebook. Beatrice feels Vincent’s gaze on her and eventually hears him speak, “Do you have anything to add, Beatrice?”

Beatrice lowers her hand from the microphone and leans back in the chair. “I’d like to focus more on the brakes during the first free practice. Even last weekend in Austin, they weren’t working as they should. First, they were overheating, which was expected, but they also felt somehow heavier to the touch than usual.”

Shannon nods, “We need to inspect them before heading out onto the track or at least let the car do a few laps to gather more data.”

Beatrice’s eyes meet Vincent’s, but once again, she can’t read his reaction. After a few seconds, he nods once. “Okay, but let’s keep it to just a few laps. We don’t want to waste too much time on this, we need to check the aerodynamics as well. Everyone’s already familiar with this track, which sits at a high altitude, making it challenging to reach maximum speed.”

“Yes, but…” Beatrice exhales slowly and calmly. “We know that Red Bull is strong here with their power unit–not just here but in the upcoming races as well. However, I think Lucia will agree with me that improving the brakes should be a priority too.”

She doesn’t even fully finish her sentence before Lucia starts nodding, then adds, “Exactly. Last weekend, it was difficult to manage the brake temperatures, and in a few corners, we felt the brake… slip let’s say. We’ll likely encounter the same issue we’re seeing here on the screen. We have a long starting straight, and immediately after that, we enter Turn 1. It's very technical. At that point, we’re already talking about speeds over 350 km/h before that turn, with DRS activation. It’s crucial to minimize any potential risk there so we don’t lose too much time in heavy braking zones.”

“And that’s where we’ll face an issue because, Vincents. As you said,” Beatrice looks at him before continuing, “the high altitude here won’t cause overheating, but instead, we will struggle with insufficient brake warming.”

Vincent doesn’t add anything further, merely nodding before asking a few additional questions about the brakes and tires. The complete analysis will only be available after practice, allowing them to finalize strategies. For a few moments, they go back and forth, asking enough questions and follow-ups. It’s clear to anyone at the table that their boss is dissatisfied with their choice of focus, but the meeting concludes with a decision to prioritize brake setup and tire grip.

Engineers begin to rise from their seats, pushing their chairs back and creating a small wave of noise which Vincent quickly quiets. “We also have some good news, which we’ll officially share with the whole team later,” he says, making everyone pause and turn their attention to him. “I’m very pleased to announce that Beatrice will continue to be part of our family next season,” he adds, his voice louder and face breaking into a wide smile.

Beatrice smiles as everyone cheers and begins clapping. One by one, they approach her, congratulating her, alongside with “I’m so glad you’ll be with us next year,”, “I can’t wait, I’m really happy”. 

Beatrice thanks each person individually,  and then , at the end, says loudly, “Thank you all so much, I’m so happy we’ll continue working together, making new history. As you all already know, we’re like one big family here, and my love for this team will always be so big. I’m incredibly happy that we’ll be spending the next season together, and for this one, I just want to say let’s keep pushing forward. Two titles are ahead of us, and now more than ever, we need to focus on that! I believe in us, and it will be an immense pleasure to achieve and write down new victories together.”

Everyone claps and looks at her with huge smiles on their faces. Vincent, who is standing next to her, gently puts his arm around her shoulders, slightly squeezing and pulling her closer. Beatrice already feels the small tears beginning to well up in her eyes, but she tries her best to keep her bright smile on her face.  She lets the warm touch engulf her, turning gently toward him and hugs him tightly for a few moments.

“I’m happy you’re here, staying with us,” Vincent says softly to her, and she just nods, taking the moment in.

Maybe Beatrice didn’t get exactly what she wanted, but from the beginning, she knew she would stay with them. This is the team that gave her the greatest opportunity in her career. With them, she has everything she wanted and managed to achieve. As Vincent had told her, this is a fast sport, too many emotions are involved, and you have to think a few steps ahead. Boundaries always exist and will always be there, but they can be pushed a little if you see there’s space for it, that both sides are willing to do so. Her desire to become a champion once again with her team, to extend this fairytale, is the most important goal she believes she can achieve. Both this season and the next one.

There will always be disagreements, everyone fights for themselves, but that’s how it is. A person must be ready to put their ego aside and keep moving forward, fighting for more, and next time, maybe things will be better, bigger opportunities will open up. Everyone has their limit in how much they can fight, how much they can win, how much they can invest in the process of their future, and now it remains to continue the fight. Much can change by next year too. The process may stay the same, but it’s also on thin ice in this world. This is a secure choice, and Beatrice is happy and content with it. Of course, there is much to work on, the fight for this season is far from over, but she also believes that the cards she has laid on the table will pay off, she will get her chips and in the future maybe even double it. If not now, next year.

“How’s the pace?” Shannon’s voice comes through the helmet.

“Agh, It’s not bad, but…” Beatrice responds back as she finishes another lap, moving aside to let the car behind her pass. “I don’t know. I’m losing the rear wing a lot though.”

“Okay, copy.”

“What’s the brake temperature?” Beatrice asks, already slowly entering Sector 2.

“It’s significantly higher in Sector 3 compared to the rest of the track. That’s good. Push for one more lap just to give us additional feedback.”

Beatrice takes the fast Turn 7 and 8, approaching the DRS detection zone. She gradually eases off the throttle and pushes the break before each corner, maintaining her pace and using the drag braking method, at least for now. This helps her keep the brake disc temperature steady, periodically warming them up. Beatrice has already begun pressing the brake while keeping her other foot on the gas pedal during the straight sections. This generates heat for the discs without compromising the car’s speed. This technique is commonly used on tracks like in Mexico.

The soft tires, the fastest and most delicate ones, still have a few laps of life left, and she doesn’t want to use aggressive braking, ensuring they last a bit longer during this first free practice.

“Okay, just watch out for T16. Some already crashed there, breaking the rear wing. Let’s try to avoid that.”

“Okay.”

Beatrice takes a deep breath and lets another car pass, one that’s on a fast lap. Entering the final sector, she glances left and right, checking the mirrors to make sure she’s not driving directly on the racing line. She taps the gas occasionally while mentally recalling the track’s layout, thinking of finding some parts of the track that will help her gain the time. A few more turns, and right after Turn 16, she’ll have to floor the throttle, heading into the straight and the starting line where her fast lap time begins.

“Approaching for a new lap,” she says as she grips the wheel with both hands, ready to pick up the pace and shift gears.

“Copy.”

She passes Turn 16 and, with a slight steering adjustment, momentarily holds her breath to perfectly hit the apex. Steering left, she ensures her left tires brush over that apex, following the racing line.

The grip feels good exiting the corner, though she’s coming out of a significantly slow turn. Her foot is already pressing the throttle to the floor, and she crosses the start line, the display on her steering wheel shows she’s already hitting 270 km/h. The moment she crosses the line, she feels the speed push her back into the seat, as she shifts into eighth gear and presses the DRS activation button.

She can feel the rear wing opening, providing even greater acceleration, which she achieves as her speed reaches 350 km/h on the straight.

This section feels perfectly aligned, and she moves the car slightly to the left. Most drivers avoid getting too close to the edge of the track, but Beatrice can feel, from the car’s position and the tires she senses through her back, that this part of the track is slightly crowned. There’s noticeably more bottoming in the center than near the edge. She sticks to this line, sensing the car bump less, bottoming less compared to staying in the middle of the straight.

Now the difficult part, she thinks to herself as she slowly approaches the first corner.

Turn 1 is a sharp right-hander at the end of a long, fast straight. The problem is that from the cockpit, you can’t really see it well. The drivers are approaching at high speed, and there's no clear view of where the braking point begins. Everything has to be done by feel. The track is memorized, a mental picture etched into the brain. She must anticipate where to press the throttle fully again, where the accelerating begins, and nail a perfect corner.

Beatrice positions the car toward the left side of the track to enter the corner at optimal speed, aiming to hit the right apex with her tires. In her mind, she’s already on the corner, leaning slightly to the right. But as she presses the brake, she feels the pedal stiffen momentarily, and she applies less pressure than intended. A small puff of smoke emerges from the front-right tire. She’s locked up. Instead of turning more toward the right where her wheel is directed, the tires stay straight, causing her to go off track and onto the grass.

“Shit,” Beatrice says to herself, letting out a nervous laugh as she tries to brake harder and steer the car away from the barrier.

“Oh, someone’s gone off in Sector 1…”

Beatrice manages to reduce her speed and regain control of the car as the grass beneath her helps slow her down. Steering back to the right, she carefully rejoins the track over that grass, glancing in the mirrors to avoid interfering with other cars.

“That was me,” Beatrice says to her engineer. “All good. Back on track again.”

“You okay?” Shannon asks.

“Yeah. Small lockup, but didn’t hit anything. All good with the car.”

“Continue the program.”

“Copy.” Beatrice takes a big breath. “Thank you grass, I guess,” she adds with a small chuckle, continuing to drive slowly off the main racing line.

Her radio is broadcasted and commentators chuckle too, “Indeed, and she should be thankful for that.”

“Yeah, that was a small lockup for Hastings, but she’s good to go. However, if she did that during the race or qualifying, she’d have to go even further left, around the bollard at the edge of the track. She wouldn’t be allowed to rejoin the track like she just did.”

“Oh,of course! She would get a penalty for that.”

“For now, she’s good to go. Oh, yeah! See, she’ll continue with her laps. Her car is not damaged.”

Beatrice goes on to complete a few more laps, improving her times and maintaining the rhythm with warmed-up brake discs. Free Practice 1 (FP1) concludes with Beatrice in P4 (4th place), her teammate taking the top spot, while Lillith finishes just behind Lucia.

Beatrice and Shannon continue with working on the car and the pace, analyzing data and fine-tuning the car setup. Despite their efforts, FP2 concludes with her in second place. Still, the session is an improvement, as they managed to identify a few errors in the car’s setup. They continued to look for ways to improve the aerodynamics, which remain significantly weaker than Red Bull cars, giving Lillith the potential to snatch another victory this weekend. A scenario they cannot afford.

FP3 ends with Lillith firmly in control, finishing P1 and giving Mercedes a new set of concerns heading into qualifying and the race itself. Beatrice struggled to find the right balance in the car throughout the weekend, and as qualifying approaches, she’s not particularly excited. The lack  of balance in slow and medium-speed corners has been a major issue, and the gap between her and Lillith is a little over two-tenths of a second. Too significant to ignore.

The outcome of qualifying proves disappointing for both Beatrice and Mercedes. Despite her hard work with her race engineers, Beatrice secures second place, while Lillith takes pole position, an unsurprising result given the pace they showed over the weekend. It’s clear their car can’t match the performance of the Red Bull. Even though Beatrice and Lucia managed to be faster in certain sections of the track, Lilith managed to be faster, showcased her strength and speed in Qualifying 3 (Q3), securing the pole position. This sets her up for an excellent start in Sunday’s race.

“There are so many, so, so, many mistakes in that final sector,” says Beatrice, turning to Shannon, who's practically glued to the monitor. As if she might merge into the screen.

Shannon nods and lowers her gaze to add further notes in her notepad. “Too much sliding–not just for you but for Lucia as well.”

The driver continues to look at Shannon, or perhaps through her, she herself isn’t sure anymore. Nearly two hours have passed since qualifying, and she stayed in the paddock with her engineer, reviewing analysis after analysis. They went over where she’s losing speed, where the car has the best grip, and countless assessments of braking points and strategies for the next day’s race.

Shannon remains fixated on the car data, particularly the braking performance in each corner, her sharp features on her face becoming even more defined. The crease between her brows deepens with every  moment of concentration. Beatrice wonders if Shannon has blinked at all in the past two hours, and the thought of having to come in early again tomorrow churns Beatrice’s stomach a thousand times over.

“Do we know anything about the pit stop strategy?” Beatrice questions after a moment of silence, which, admittedly, has been welcome.

“We’ll go over the pit stop and changes in detail tomorrow, but for now, based on all this data… I think starting on medium tires is the best choice. I suspect everyone else will do the same,” Shannon says, finally leaning back in her chair and stretching her back after what feels like an eternity. “Mediums are good for balancing speed and durability, and I think we’ll switch to hards toward the very end.”

Beatrice takes a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling slowly. Shannon looks at her and raises an eyebrow.

Shannon sighs, “We knew, Bea...we knew that-that they’d be better on this track.”

Beatrice shifts her gaze back to her race engineer, her friend. Shannon looks at her with slightly softer eyes, not avoiding her gaze, letting her have a moment to open up or at least calm down after a turbulent weekend that still isn’t over.

“I know, I know… it’s just…” Beatrice sighs heavily. “I guess I have a bad feeling.”

Shannon raises an eyebrow again. “About what? This race?"

“Not just this race, but in general.” Beatrice rests her elbows on the table, burying her face in her palms before rubbing her eyes with her fingertips. “Whatever happens tomorrow, happens, right?”

She stays in that position for a moment, not even noticing when Shannon gets up from her chair and steps behind her. She gently massages her shoulders, going over a couple of times. “Go sleep. Take a rest, Bea, it’s a long day tomorrow.”

And that’s exactly what she decides to do. Beatrice heads to her room in the motorhome where Camila is already waiting for her. She gathers her things, packs everything into her bag before they leave the room.

They walk straight to the private parking lot, avoiding the reporters gatherers in the main paddock area. Beatrice has already done her post-interview and wants nothing more than to avoid the cameras and questions. All she’s looking forward to is finally getting to her room, taking a cold, long shower, and collapsing onto her bed.

Camila is walking slightly ahead, while Beatrice trails behind, scrolling through her phone and replying to messages. At that moment, Ava steps out of her motorhome, heading in the same direction as Beatrice. The driver slowly lifts her head and looks ahead, noticing her just a step away.

“Ah, Miss Silva Salvius ,” Beatrice says, causing Ava to turn her head and raise her eyebrows. “Good job today,” Beatrice adds and Ava pauses for a moment, adjusting her pace to match the driver’s, her eyes still locked onto Beatrice’s.

“What?” Beatrice asks with a small chuckle.

Ava slips her phone back into the pocket of her red pants and shakes her head.

“I mean it,” Beatrice repeats.

Young deputy principal glances at her again, this time with a furrow between her brows. “Should I praise you back or?” she asks, a glint in her eyes shimmering briefly as a small smirk tugs at the corners of her lips.

Beatrice narrows her eyes, her brows furrowing in turn. “If you want to,” she replies with a shrug. “I am telling the truth, though.”

“Are you implying that I’m a liar?”

Beatrice laughs and shakes her head in disbelief.

Ava keeps staring at the driver, her dark, glossy eyes betraying the fact that she clearly hasn’t given up on making additional comments.  “Oh, and is it time for me to officially congratulate you, or what?”

Mercedes had already announced before the qualifying, both to the media and on their social media profiles, that Beatrice would be with them for the next season. Since this morning she’s been receiving messages and congratulations, while Camila has spent the entire day deciding who to approve for interviews after tomorrow’s race, planning with Mercedes team some form of a content for their social media.

Beatrice simply nods, her expression settling into a neutral smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.They’ve already entered the parking lot, and Beatrice scans the area, searching for Camila, who’s already in the car with their driver, waiting for her. Beatrice shifts her gaze back to Ava. “I guess you can.”

“So…” Ava starts again, “does that mean you still don’t know who’s joining next season?”

“Why does that even matter? And why care so much?”

Ava scoffs, glances back at her car, and waves at the driver to wait a minute. Before she can speak, Beatrice interrupts, “Are you seriously still upset that I turned you guys down?”

The shorter woman scoffs again, louder this time. “Here we go, you and your ego.”

“I just don’t get it. You’re the one who didn’t seem too thrilled about me possibly joining your team,” Beatrice says directly, tilting her head forward as if trying to coax or read Ava’s thoughts at that moment.

Ava’s eyes widen slightly before she quickly masks the reaction that was all too visible on her face. She takes a deep breath and shrugs, “Yeah, let’s go with that. Why not.” 

Her upper lip trembles for a second, as if she wants to add something else holding it back on a thread. Her red shirt seems to have lost its color, clinging to her skin. Within seconds, her neck flushes red—whether from anger or frustration, Beatrice doesn’t care. She can see the comment provoked her, drawing some visible reaction, and in that moment Beatrice felt good. Finally being able to extend the sparring match for her own benefit.

Beatrice shakes her head and finally says, “What do you have against me? I really don’t get it.”

“There’s a lot you don’t get,” Ava annoyingly replies.

Beatrice isn’t sure whether to laugh at this ridiculous back and forth between them, so she once again just shakes her head and adds, “And you do?” 

“More than you, that’s for sure.” Ava shrugs, already moving backward.

“Or maybe it’s your ego at play here.”

Before turning her back to her, Ava smirks. “Is that a question?”

The driver just stares at her, the line between her brows getting deeper and deeper.

“Good luck tomorrow, Champ!” The shorter woman winks at her and finally steps into the car.

Beatrice doesn’t bother answering back, she will accept a sarcastic good luck comment with a slight eye roll. In the end, she'll need any kind of luck going forward. The day was already too long to continue arguing with her here in the middle of the parking lot. Ava’s car passes by, and Beatrice catches a glimpse through the window, the last thing she sees is that amusing smirk on Ava’s face. She scoffs, then heads back to her car and opens the door. Settling into the back seat, she cracks the window open slightly and leans back.

“What was that all about?” Camila asks from the front seat, slowly turning toward her friend. Beatrice closes her eyes and shakes her head, prompting Camila to softly say, “Okay...”

They pull out of the paddock, and Beatrice is already shifting into her preparation mode, her mind running at full speed about tomorrow’s race and the overall situation, which seems less clear with each passing second.

From the moment Ava planted the idea of a new teammate in her head, Beatrice had immediately told Camila to look into who it might be, but even she couldn’t find any information about it. Beatrice tried not to dwell too much on the stranger’s words,attempting to push them aside, but they haunted her in ways she didn’t want to admit. She had nothing against any driver. If someone had the chance to join her team, they were more than welcome. Whoever it might be wouldn’t bother her. Well, maybe except for Lillith, but Beatrice was pretty damn sure it wasn’t her. Lillith had signed a new contract with Red Bull even last summer, and with the speed she’s shown this season, there’s no doubt she’d stay with them for a while. No one else came to mind, rhere wasn’t anyone she disliked.

She even thought about the drivers from the lower categories, but everyone in F2 was incredibly talented, and if one of them joined, she’d be perfectly fine with it. Even if someone from the current grid came into her team, she wouldn’t have a problem.

Beatrice took a slow, steady breath, filling her lungs in a calm rhythm. She tried to push the thoughts away, but as soon as she erased them, the image of this weekend’s race took its place. Thinking about both was weighing heavily on her mind. She knew that even after arriving at the hotel, she’d need to run the track through her head a few more times, think about whether there was any section where grip could be stronger, where her tires could cling even more to the asphalt. But that was the trouble with this circuit. Outside of the main racing line it was dirty and dusty, especially in the first few laps, slowing everyone down.

As soon as she gets to the hotel, she knows she’ll mentally picture herself in the cockpit, replaying lap after lap in her mind. She’ll leave the other exercises for the morning before the race, going over the start process, which will be tricky, and there’s also Lillith starting right next to her.

The last thing she needed right now was another issue, like the brakes not working as they should. And Vincent’s open reluctance to address it, or even focus on it properly, wasn’t helping. Beatrice and Shannon had to go through every analysis secretly, like little kids hiding some mess from their parents. She just hopes they'll manage to find a solution before the race.

“This is all going to shit.”

And everything really did go to shit.

Beatrice finished the Mexican Grand Prix in second place, while Lillith took the victory, as expected after all the gathered information throughout the weekend, and with that extending her lead by 19 points. Overall, the race didn’t go well for both Mercedes drivers. But Lucia took the biggest hit. She had contact with another car right after the first corner at the start of the race, spinning on the track and dropping to the back of the field. That completely disrupted and destroyed their strategy. Her race was essentially ruined, and Mercedes then decided to experiment with her car, calling her into the pit lane twice. In the end, Lucia managed to set the fastest lap, stealing it from Lillith and her additional point.

With Beatrice, they attempted an undercut strategy, but that didn’t work either. They also faced issues with the other Red Bull driver, Mareen, who caught up to Beatrice in the last 15 laps and put enormous pressure on her. Beatrice managed to hold her second position, but in doing so, she lost sight of Lillith ahead. By then, Beatrice already knew that a victory was out of the question.

She struggled the entire time with tire management and brake regulation, trying to get them up to the right temperature. The only saving grace was that she didn’t slide off the track or end up in an accident with the other 19 drivers. The brakes, while not ideal, were somewhat balanced by her and Shannon in the small window of time they had before the race. But Beatrice still secured a large number of points, but the gap between her and Lillith continued to widen in favor of the Red Bull driver.

But all of that seemed trivial compared to what Beatrice went through five days after the Mexican Grand Prix. If she had known what awaited her, she would have celebrated that second-place finish like it was the greatest victory of her career.

Right after the weekend in Mexico, the race in Brazil followed. And as the weekend began, Mercedes, especially Beatrice, was on the verge of a breakdown. She did mention having a bad feeling, not just about Mexico but about the season in general. Deep in her gut, she felt a massive wave of anxiety, even before media day for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

This week is also featuring a sprint race, one of the few circuits this season with that format. Qualifying for the sprint race took place on Friday. The sprint itself is very short, usually around 100 km, and has no mandatory pit stops. The finishing order of the sprint determines the starting grid for Sunday’s main race.

It’s an exhausting and long weekend, but the news from the stewards, which quickly spread throughout the paddock and the world, only made it more difficult for her, shaking up the Brazilian race this season even further.

“Vincent, do you think the stewards’ decision was fair?”

Vincent tries his hardest not to roll his eyes. “We all know very well that we have to accept the stewards’ decisions, but… I have to honestly say that lately, I’m losing trust in their consistency. This season, especially in these turbulent times, some incidents have been treated differently, and you have to understand our frustrations.”

“What do you think—how will this situation impact your team and Beatrice this weekend?”

“Well, I think it's a hard blow, but we won’t give up that easily,” he answers slowly. “Beatrice is motivated. This weekend, we don’t just have the main race on Sunday but also a sprint race that will help us achieve good results despite everything.”

A large group of journalists gathered outside the paddock and in front of the Mercedes motorhome after Friday’s qualifying. Following her team principal’s statements, Beatrice also steps out to answer their questions herself, providing additional insight and emotions immediately after the biggest slap in this championship battle.

Beatrice stands calmly in front of the cameras and journalists, waiting for Camila to nod so the questions can begin.

“Beatrice, have you spoken to the team about this? What happens next?”

The driver takes a discreet deep breath, adjusting the cap on her head before turning to the girl who asked the question. “I believe in my team, and I know they would never harm me or intentionally break the rules.”

“We’ve already talked about the situation in detail,” she continues, “and I’m confident that, in the end, we’ll come out of this stronger. What happens next is focusing on the sprint race and the main one on Sunday, and of course, getting the best possible results out of this.”

“This decision puts you in a very difficult position in the championship title. What’s your opinion on the possibility that Lillith could extend her lead if she wins this weekend?”

“Of course, the situation isn’t ideal, but honestly… I’m not going to think too much about the points. Not until the race is over,” Beatrice replies, flashing a confident smile, though inside she’s screaming already. “I’ll stay focused on this weekend. The fans here are amazing and their support means a lot to me in these moments. My-my team’s support is visible and I’m also thankful for that too. The one thing I can say right now is that I’ll stay focused on both races and on my driving. I will give everything I have, my absolute maximum, and I’m ready to fight till the very end.”

“Do you feel the pressure?”

Beatrice chuckles. “Of course. The pressure is always present. Not just today, but in general. It comes with the job, you know. It's a very intense season, and I know everything will be decided on the track, not in moments like this. I’m ready for the challenge.”

Even she doesn't know anymore if she’s lying to herself with these answers. This is going to be tough until the very end, and she knows it. She really is ready to fight, and the only thing she has to lose now is…herself.

“What do you think about the reasons behind this decision?”

“As I already said–I trust my team. I know we would never intentionally break the rules, especially now when we have so, so much to lose. I know the team doesn’t have any intent to violate the regulations. As for the reason itself, like Vincent mentioned, it’s about a damaged wing and a manufacturing error. But we all have rules to follow…and the FIA has to react in cases like this.”

“One last question, Beatrice,” says a journalist in front of her, and Beatrice nods for them to continue. “How did you feel when you found out you were disqualified after qualifying?”

Deep breaths. She keeps telling herself that what feels like the hundredth time today. 

“To be honest… ah, when I heard the news, my heart skipped a beat then sank,” she laughs lightly. “But I quickly refocused on the challenges ahead. Starting from the back of the grid, especially on the track like this…yeah, it is going to be extremely challenging and hard,” she takes a quick breath, “but…I’m ready to give it my all, and I know my team and I will fight to the very end. That’s all, thank you guys.”