A season like no other- Sebastian Vettel

8. A new addition

Another Sunday had arrived and with it the usual feeling of unease that Valeria had worked hard on learning to live with. It wasn't a new feeling, she had always felt worried on race day, but it had got worse since Jules' accident.

She tried to concentrate on the TV screen, just hoping for a clean and safe race and, maybe, a less boring one. Mercedes had seemed to be on a different planet since the start of the season and Valeria had hoped for a more interesting turn of events than the one they had in the last few races.

She had just got up to get a glass of water when she heard that a Ferrari had spun out. She rushed back to the sofa to see Charles facing the wrong way but unscathed and safe, so she took a sigh of relief. She watched as Seb overtook him safely and kept himself in the points.

A couple of laps later, Charles' car was retired, leaving Seb to be the only Ferrari that could bring points home. Towards the end of the race, the German was in P5 pushing on a set of soft he was told he was going to change soon.

'what do you think going to the end with these tyres?' she heard Riccardo ask him on the radio.

'Haha! Fuck sakes, I asked you this before, I have been pushing for three laps'

'Understand, we are just checking'

'it depends. Here's the task for you. What do I need to do to stay ahead?' Valeria couldn't believe her ears, Seb was making his own strategy again.

'Need 23.4 23.5 until the end'

'I can do that. Well, let's try we've got nothing to lose'

Valeria smirked, that's the Seb she knew. She watched, with fingers crossed, as he managed to stay within the points ending the race in P7.

'fucking yes!' she exclaimed, seeing her husband's face on the driver of the day. 'I can't believe I am celebrating this like it's a bloody victory' she uttered to herself, muting the TV as the usual top 3 shared the podium once again.

She turned her laptop on, expecting a call from Sky soon. She was going through some notes she had taken as she waited in the zoom meeting room.

Not long later, Valeria heard a ping in her headphones and looked up to the screen to be met by a face she wasn't expecting.

'Wow, this is a call back to last year.' Nico stated. 'Mrs. Proietti' he nodded.

'oh, Jee. Hello, Mr. Rosberg. Nice to see you again and nice to see I am not a "newbie" anymore' Valeria chuckled.

'Just about' the man smiled. 'where do you want to start?'

'Oh, wow. This is a change from last year, you used to ask the probing questions straight away! Let's talk... Lewis?'

'Not where I thought you'd go straight away' Nico smiled.

'hey, I just don't want to be called biased.' She laughed. 'alright, just cause you asked. I think he did alright.' She joked, as she could spot her husband's figure behind them.

'alright? The cheek' Seb scoffed.

'at least try to be inconspicuous if you're listening in, Seb' Valeria told him, smiling. 'were they a new set of softs? I am sure you had a new set, if my maths isn't wrong'

'No, they were used.' Seb shrugged.

'So how many laps was it?' she asked curiously.

'38, 39... I think' Seb replied.

'definitely deserved driver of the day' Valeria smiled. 'at least I'm not lying when I say talent doesn't just... disappear'