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For normal people, Saturdays meant their only day to relax, chill, meet with their friends and family or get shitfaced drunk. However, for a formula 1 driver, there was only one thing that they directly relate to Saturdays. Qualifying. It was needless to explain the amount of pressure I had on my shoulders and the fact that Eloise had warned me that the media will be hungrily awaiting to see my debut only made everything worse, but that was something future Lani had to stress about. First, there was fp3, I was praying that the changes that the team had made overnight are going to improve the pace and make the ride less painful for my back.
I had woken up to my alarm ringing, I dismissed it and got up from bed to get started with my day. Jak had suggested we go to the paddock together so I was going to pick him up from his hotel and then drove to the circuit so we could start with our busy days. Jak had his first race of the weekend at 12:45 and of course, I was going to be there rooting for him and praying nothing goes wrong. After that, he has some media duties and I have to start preparing for free practice 3. He was going to stay in the Red Bull garage after we grabbed something to eat so he could watch both sessions.
I'm on my way. I texted Jak so that he was ready when I got to the hotel that was less than 10 minutes away from the one the team and I were staying in. If there was something Jak and I were opposite poles in is definitely being on time to stuff, I hated being late to meetings or, in this case, to the circuit. I didn't like keeping people waiting for me to arrive, especially Ellie who always manages to be 30 minutes earlier than me every time. Jak, on the other hand, takes his time when he's preparing and I always have to remind him that if he's not ready I will just leave him and go on my own. That being said when I parked in front of the tall building that had more than 30 floors, I texted Jak that I was outside and checked my phone to see that it was 9 in the morning. It was still early and I think there was still some time left for us to have breakfast together in the paddock club before he has to go to his team and I have to go to mine.
'You know you're not supposed to be parking here?'. The voice of the 16-year-old startled me and I gave him a bad look for scaring me. He just laughed at my reaction and opened the passenger door to enter the car and then turned on his place and threw his backpack on the back seats.
'Hello to you too, Jakston'. I said with sarcasm in my tone as I started the engine of the Honda and left the entrance of the hotel.
'You were the one that didn't say hi first with your dry ass text, Josie'. He shot back and I shrugged my shoulders at the mention of my second name.
'You know saying my second name doesn't bother me, right?'. I said moving my hands on the string wheel as I needed to turn right and enter the main road. I gave him a quick look just in time to see him rolling his eyes at me.' Don't roll your eyes at me, o maninho. One day they are going to get stuck'. I joked and he ignored me and I noticed he connected his phone to the car because soon after music was coming from the speakers.
