Lights Out - F1 Life

⭑Chapter 2 - 'Name?' 'Hamilton, I forgot my pass sorry'⭑

A/N- Sorry guys this one might be a bit crazy I am going to try from a different POV but hopefully it works and it is something that helps to deepen the story and continue to lay the foundation for the rest of the book, sorry if this stuff right now is a bit boring I promise things will get better along the lines. Well, enough said let us get moving in this chapter because I am 100% procrastinating getting this chapter done.

Brackley, UK - 1st December 2022 - Mercedes HQ

Lewis Hamilton POV

If you had told me at any point last year during the 2021 season that I would be back in Brackley a week after the end of the 2022 season without a win, I would call you stupid and block you. But that is exactly what happened. 

At the start of the season, we were all shouting to the rooftops and the haters that Mercedes had a slip of a moment allowing Max Verstappen to win in 2021 and that we would be back better than ever in 2022. Well, that idea was out of the window about 10 laps into pre-season testing. Not only has it been an unusually tough season for Mercedes, but also for myself. With a new teammate this season in George Russell and the departure of Val at the end of the 2021 season I made it my mission to beat George who only just graduated from Williams and I am a seven-time world champion so simple, right? Right? No, not easy George bet me whoops. As much as I love racing I mean don't get me wrong racing is my love and passion and something that I have given up so much for and it has all been worth it with seven world titles, I am ready for a break.

After the end of the season in Abu Dhabi, Toto gave George and I a week off to rest and relax after a stressful season, so I went sky-diving. My week was spent doing normal Lewis things, beaches, friends, a bit of basketball, and my annual sky-dive (not really a Toto-approved activity). But now my week of fun is done and I am on my way to HQ to go into a season debrief with the team and find out where we stand for next year, no doubt the elephant in the room will also be talked about. 

Since moving to Mercedes and actually winning WDCs consistently, I have had Ange as my physio. Not only has she been an amazing support at race weekends, especially when I can be a bit of a dick after tough races, but also an amazing friend off-track. Ange has become someone I can talk and confide in, but also my club buddy, my dog-sitter, and just an amazing person and friend. I know that Ange has to move on eventually, I mean she can't stay with me forever, but I am really going to miss Angela come the end of the two-ish weeks I will spend here in Brackley before leaving for Christmas break. Finding a new physio honestly sucks, because if you make the wrong call it can be really difficult to focus on racing and a comeback season for us when you are worrying about trying to nurture this relationship. It needs to be an immediate click without having to worry about keeping the bond strong, but also someone who is positive and I can have as a friend off-track. I can imagine that at some point in the next two weeks, the topic will be brought up and we will start to look at candidates for the job with John Smith who is our head of employment. I am honestly sort of dreading it, having to find the person you will spend more than with than your family over the next year is a big decision and I always worry I won't find the right person, I am just hoping Ange has some input into that and can maybe provide some good option, I trust her judgment so that is the best case scenario.

After the 30-minute drive from the apartment I stay at whilst at Brackley I finally pull in my Merc into the Brackley HQ. As I go up the drive a camera recognises my license plate and opens to let me in. Should I be lazy and park right up by the door? or park a bit further away so I can think alone for a bit longer before taking up my position as the team social butterfly? Far away that sounds better, then I can stretch my legs and figure out where I have to go first and who to say hi to first. I step out of my car and walk around to the front of the car to get my back out of the front hood which is a car boot, lock the car, and start my three-minute walk to the front doors. One of the most draining but nice things we have to do when coming back to the factory after a while is going around and saying hello to everyone. With about a thousand people working at Brackley at any time that is a lot of hi, hello, how are the kids. I mean I enjoy being able to acknowledge I guess all the people behind the scenes who aren't with us every weekend as well as those who are. By the time I have finished thinking about where I shall start my quest of hellos, I am at the doors and ready to scan my pass to get in. Wait, scan my pass? Oh, shit. I always forget, outside of the season where Brackley is a semi-public facility with guests and visitors we are out of season and you need your ID pass to get in, which I have left at my apartment, my apartment which it took me 30 minutes to get here from. I have meetings and things to do, I can't waste an hour going back to get my pass. I scan the walls next to the doors trying to find any way to contact the receptionist inside the doors, I really don't want to have to call Toto of Bono to let me in because that is embarrassing. As I am looking around I notice a small black box mounted on the wall, as I get closer I realise it is a speaker with a button, maybe it is to talk to the person inside. I click on the button and say "Hi" waiting for a response.