TRAILBLAZER | M.VERSTAPPEN

10

"F1 history has been made! Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you to the first female F1 driver to ever score points in the history of this sport...Maeve Drucker!"

I cross the finish line after my first F1 race, I begin to laugh happily but also in relief as I realize that I didn't crash out. Adrenaline coursed through my veins so much so I didn't even know where I ended up, just that I wasn't last.

"Maeve that's P8! Maeve motherfucking Drucker you've done it you've scored points in your debut!" My race-engineer excitably yells over the radio.

"NO FUCKING WAY NO FUCKING WAY" I scream back in reply.

I can't help but scream like I have just won the lottery and am set for life. If you told me this morning that I would be scoring my first points today I would have laughed in your face, I was ecstatic it felt like nothing could have brought my mood down.

I pulled into the pit lane and parked the car in the designated spot, just as I was uncliping myself from the seat to hop out of the car I felt someone thud softy on my helmet. I looked up to see Danny there, his face was covered by his helmet but his eyes showed everything he was feeling. I pulled myself out of the car with the help of Daniel who was pulling me out of the car like his life depended on it. I stood up in the cockpit and leaped up into his arms.

"Fuck yes, Fucker!" Danny yelled continuously although it was quite muffled from his helmet.

Daniel puts me down and we start jumping around like little kids. To anyone on the outside it may have seemed like we had just gotten a 1-2, but to be completely honest a 7-8 finish for AlphaTauri was about as close as you got to that. As we both settled down the other drivers came up to me and began congratulating me, patting me on the back, or giving me small hugs. All except Max, I had almost expected him to say something but instead, he ignored me...just like I asked.

"You've just changed the game completely for female racers Maeve, you should be proud of yourself," Seb said while patting my back.

I tried to breathe through my increasing excitement as I came to terms with what had happened, and the fact that Seb had just complemented me like that. I began to walk over to where we needed to be weighed and began talking to Oscar and Charles about the race.

"That overtake on Estaban was pretty good Maeve," Charles says.

"Oh come on not as good as yours on Alex"

We lined up and continued to chat away before we were called forward for weighing. Looking down at my helmet to readjust my grip while walking towards the scale I accidentally knock shoulders with the driver coming off the scale. I quickly look up and turn to see the person,

"Shit sorry" I quickly apologies

They continue walking off into the distance, the Red Bull suit tells me all I need to know about who it was I collided with. I breathed out knowing that what he was doing was not rude, but rather something I had asked him to do.

At that moment I realized that I didn't necessarily like the situation we were put in, pretending we both don't exist. Before, when Max would still talk to me I felt angry that he couldn't just do what I asked. However, now that he was ignoring me, something just felt off. I remind myself that I must do what I have to do to succeed in this sport, despite the feelings of uneasiness I get from my decisions.

I quickly weighed myself and headed back to the AlphaTauri garage so I could watch the podium. When I enter the garage I am hit with another round of celebration and congratulations by the team. Things began to settle down as we watched the TV in the garage, tuning into Max, Checo, and Nando as they entered the frame and stood in their corresponding place on the podium.

I watched intently as they received their trophies, watching this motivated me to get there soon. I need to hear the Australian anthem playing as people from below cheer me on, the feeling of that must be incredible.

🏁🏎️

"Now Maeve tell me, how does it feel to place eighth in your debut race?"

"I mean it's an incredible feeling, words seriously can't explain it. I still have a lot to work on and I'm excited for next week to improve and hopefully end up closer to a podium finish" I reply to the presenter.

Before being able to leave the paddock I had mandatory post-race interviews that I had to attend.

"As the first female in history to receive points, what do you say to those little girls everywhere who are watching the TV right now wishing they could be like you?"

"Uh-You are so much more capable than what others categorize you as, you put in the dedication and hard work and you can do anything you put your mind to. Don't let people fit you into a box because you exceed it in so many ways"

"Well said"

🏁🏎️

Following the interviews I opted to just go straight back to the hotel rather than go out with the others, still traumatised from my last night out.

I place my stuff on the kitchen bench and walk over to the window to look out at the view below me, I watch as people walk the streets. I wonder how their day was? Was their day as good as mine? Sonder is a weird feeling.

I hear a knock at the door, unsure of who It could be, especially at this time of the night I walk to the door and peer through the peephole. No one was there. Probably just some kids playing 'ding-dong-ditch'. Just as I was about to leave the door I spotted a colorful object that sat at the bottom of the door, still cautious of what it could be I slightly opened the door to see what it was.

A beautiful bouquet sat on the floor accompanied by a note, I picked up the flowers and admired them. They were beautiful, with a color scheme of varying purples, they were stunning, and they even had one of my favorite flowers, hydrangeas. Back home Mum used to have a small garden on the farm, it was her pride and joy, the garden was just outside of my room and I used to spend quite a lot of time just staring out watching her when I wasn't put to work. Hydrangeas were one of her specialties, she had them in every color from white to purple to blue, I miss seeing her working away in that garden.

While reminiscing I realized I was unsure who they were from, but I guessed it was some sort of congratulations on today's results. I entered back into the hotel room put the flowers into a vase and placed them in the kitchen, somewhere where I could constantly see them. I rearranged them to sit in the vase nicely, taking in the nice smell when I remembered that they came with a note. I quickly went back to my door and grabbed the note that was still sitting outside my room. Maybe this note will entail who they are from and I could thank them tomorrow for them.

I sat down at the kitchen bench, looking at the flowers momentarily before opening the note.

To Fucker,

Congratulations on your debut race, scoring points on your first race is an achievement in itself regardless of your gender. However, becoming a history-maker is a nice little touch.

-M.V

MEDIA

Max Verstappen wins the first F1 race in the calendar and Maeve Drucker scores her first points in her debut race. Beginners luck who knows? all this is discussed below.

Twitter

Max is the only person to not congratulate Maeve, previous lovers now becoming bitter rivals.