Catch Me If Ya Can!

First Event - Monaco

The very next day after the presentation event we had to leave to Monaco for the first event in the calendar.

We were told to be at the hotel's lobby at 8.00 in the morning, Raisa wouldn't wake up and it was a problem to get her up. she wouldn't get dressed so she traveled on the shuttle on her pj.

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"So what now?" Raisa asked me.

We had just got out of our hotel in Monaco after 4 hours of traveling in train from Paris. We were walking to the team's site, where they fix the car and other things.

"It's Tuesday." I replied.

"So?"

"What? You don't know how the week is structured?"

"Nope! I was a rally fan but I never really knew how it was structured or the point system or anything, I just liked to see the speed."

"Let me explain you, it's Tuesday, it's reconnaissance day. We get to take the car on a slow ride around the stages to get to know the layout of the track, you know? Which actually turns out to be pretty useful for you as you are the one who gives me directions while I drive."

"Oh, I see!"

"So come on! Let's go." I said as I got into the car.

Raisa got in, I turned it on and went onto the track for the first time.

The ride was fine, we didn't talk much, we only paid attention at the track's layout and looked at how the car was doing mechanically to see if there was something needed to be fixed.

Right after we got out of the car, some journalists approached me to interview me.

"How is the car looking on your first time driving it?" One of them asked.

"It's pretty fine, we tried to look for things that would maybe need to be fixed but there was almost none. Car's great!" I replied.

"How is the pressure for you going into this first event?"

"Massive. But I feel confident at the moment, I think the team could easily be one of my tools to success."

"How is it for you to work alongside a good friend of yours like Raisa?"

"It certainly makes our chemistry as teammates better. I've known Raisa for 2 and a half years, I think we could make a good team and get good results." I said. "That's it." I said as I noticed I had to leave.

I walked then back the team's garage and waited as the mechanics corrected the few flaws in the car.

"Ready Raisa?" I asked her.

"For what?" She replied.

"Yes, I forgot you don't know how the week's structured. This event lasts 4 days, starting tomorrow. the qualifying shakedown is today." I explained.

"What's that?"

"You know about Formula 1? -she nodded- Well, it's like some sort of qualifying, some sort of first stage, we do our best so we can have a good starting position tomorrow."

"I see. Yeah, I'm ready."

"Bring your pace notes." I told her, she went and brought the maps that she'd use to guide me around the track and we walked together towards the car.

When it came our time to start I told Raisa.

"You know, there's a reason why I thought you wouldn't like this job." I said as I put on my race glasses. Not that I needed them to see but it's so that my eyes are protected if we crashed.