Battle of The Gods

Due

February 2023

Big shifts were happening in the Scuderia Ferrari, desperately wanting, needing, to bring the titles back to Maranello. It has been a 16 year long drought for the Prancing Horse, but they were determined more than ever to make an end to it. And the shift started from the top.

Mattia Binotto has stepped down from his role as Team Principal, and resigned from the team he's worked at for many, many years. After him followed other members of the team, getting replaced by new prospects with fresh ideas and the determination to do everything to win.

Alessandra had spent the rest of December enjoying her holidays, spending time with her family in Maranello and with her friends in Monaco, where she resided. She went to the Dolomites, joining Charles on his winter training, training herself for the upcoming season, wanting to be in the best shape both physically and mentally. And she also spent a few days in Geneva at her best friend's house, catching up with him and his family like she did a few times every year.

She was also spending many days and nights working. When she was in Maranello, she would be the first to walk in the factory, and the last one to leave, checking the data from the wind tunnel runs and saw what needed to improve to create the best car possible to contend for the championship. She was also showing the ropes to the new members of the team, wanting to make sure that they can do their jobs and avoid any fuck ups. She's making it her mission to bring her team back to the top.

She was also working harder than ever because of the news she got. She was given the biggest responsibility of the team after earning a unanimous vote from management to give her the new role, showing their support towards her and the faith they had in her to be the change the team needed.

She did celebrate her news with Charles, Max and Kelly whilst in Monaco, the Dutch throwing her a celebratory party at Jimmyz, but never mentioned the reason, as it couldn't be announced until the car launch.

On the first day of 2023, she was in the factory, introducing herself in her new role and still overlooked the progress of the new car, analysing more data and fixing the finishing touches until the car produced perfect data from the wind tunnel. She worked with the drivers, wanting to hear what they thought could improve their drive. She was head in to make the project work, and she spent the whole of January making sure she did.

It was agreed that her new position would be revealed during the car launch, and the day to show the car to the world had finally arrived. Alessandra has been so focused on her work, that she had forgotten about the reveal, of both the car and her new job, so when she woke up on Valentines day in her home in Maranello, she got sick with nerves. She barely had the energy to move out of bed, her brain wrecking with endless thoughts that wanted her to overthink, making her drive her head deeper into the pillow.

"ALE!" A loud voice bombarded through her room, which she responded in a muffled groan in her pillow, "Ale, why are you not up? We need to start getting ready for the launch!" She didn't move when she felt the empty side of her bed dip, a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Give me a few minutes," she mumbled, "I'll be down soon to make us breakfast."

"Ale, are you okay?" He asked, as he let his body fall on the bed next to her, "you're always the first one up, ready to conquer the day." She let out a sigh, turning her head, looking into the concerned blue eyes of her best friend.

"Nerves are kicking in, badly," she said honestly, "everything's changing after today. I can't afford any fuck ups under my watch. I'm just scared of the backlash, and I don't mean from the media, I mean from other teams."

He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in his chest, tracing his fingers over her exposed skin under the oversized t-shirt she was wearing. She sighed once more, letting her head fall on his chest, the comfort feeling he always provided her slowly accumulated her, the nerves slowly disappearing in his hold.