It's lights out and away we go for the 2022 Formula One Season |
Lucía Martinez - 23 year old British Tennis Player on the rise to becoming one of the Greats.
Charles Leclerc - 24 year old Monegasque Formula One driver about to make 2022 his year at...
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Australia- commonly known as the 'Land Down Under', full of venomous creatures such as snakes and spiders, and infiltrated with the friendliest of people. It was home to Daniel Ricciardo and a race that the drivers hadn't visited in the past two seasons. Lucía was beyond excited for the weekend and was ready to join Charles in the paddock Saturday morning for the final free practise and qualifying.
Upon exiting Charles' Ferrari, she walked alongside him until they were sought by a group of fans, which was when she dropped back to let him sigh autographs and take photos. She hung back, smiling at everyone they passed, some even asked for a selfie with her, having known who she was. Seeing Charles so happy in his element made her reciprocate his feelings. She felt her chest swell with pride as he handed a Ferrari cap back to a ten year old boy who ran back to his parents with the most excited grin ever.
Kym Illman, an Australian himself, was a well known photographer to the Formula One Grid. He followed them to every race and took professional photos of not only the drivers but also the other members of the teams. On his Instagram he had a series he named 'Women of the Paddock' where he would take photos of F1 WAGS, content creators, guests, strategists etc. and showcase the women behind the scenes. Today, he was able to seek out Charles and Lucía, capturing a few photos of the two of them giggling as they walked closer to Ferrari's hospitality trailer. He then asked if he could get one of just Lucía, and although while hesitant, knowing they'd end up circling social media, she agreed. It wasn't as if people weren't piecing it together anyways. Kym liked to take photos when his targets were unbeknownst to the camera pointed at them. It showcased their natural smiles and their excitement and enjoyment. So Lucía was told that he'd take his photo when she least would expect it during the weekend, but he promised no embarrassing pictures.
Before free practise began, Charles had something planned for Lucía. He had organised with McLaren for the infamous Honey Badger to take his girlfriend out on a hot lap around the track. Of course it would have to be filmed for content, however McLaren had instantly agreed to the idea without so much as a slither of hesitation. They were a British team and having a British Tennis star film a video with Daniel Ricciardo couldn't sound any better. Of course Lucía had been beyond ecstatic when Charles had informed her of the surprise. What made it better was that Daniel and Lucía immediately hit it off, right off the bat. Their banter bounced back and forth like a professional game of table tennis and the pair knew that a great friendship would become of this video. That was if Daniel didn't crash and kill her.
"How fast does this car go?" Lu asked nervously, buckling herself up before patting the top of her helmet, making sure it was secure and she was safe.
"Fast-" Daniel laughed, prepared to press down as much as he could on the gas.
"I'm going to be sick-" Lu bit her lip nervously as he started the car up.
"You ready?" Daniel was full of smiles and laughter, enjoying the look of fear that spread across her face.
