Message In A Bottle // Alex Albon

0.3

24th June 2018. Le Castellet, France.

Walking into the circuit grounds, Danièle felt a strange sense of excitement and nerves pooling, the realisation that it was race day at last. She'd agreed to come along with her friends from Renault, everyone being given a yellow team flag and a french flag on entry to the grandstand. The group had made it just in time for the start of the Formula 2 race, and Danièle knew to be keeping a close eye on the DAMS cars, their striking blue liveries not hard to miss.

Nicholas had managed a front row start for the sprint race, car proudly sitting in the p2 box on the grid. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Alex, their other driver, engine failure demoting him to p17 on the grid. She hoped both drivers could be in the points by the end of the race but honestly didn't really know, Alex needed 9 positions from his start after all, which wouldn't be easy.

The sound of the engines roaring snapped all attention on the grid, the teams running off the grid as the cars departed on their way around the track for the formation. At this moment, Clara turned to face her, perching her sunglasses on top of her head as she turned towards Danièle.

"Isn't this exciting! So glad you could join us Dani!" she yelled out at her friend, trying to follow the drivers on the big screens as they continued to loop around the circuit.

"I was encouraged by one of my friends, he works for DAMS. He said I should come cheer the team, so here I am! I can't wait for the F1 too, Renault need a good result here!" Danièle told her in response, voice starting to become less audible as the roaring engine sounds returned, cars taking their starting spots.

Watching the start felt otherwordly, the 5 lights feeling like forever. And when they released, the acceleration was mindblowingly fast. She could see Alex's car amongst the crowd into turn 1, already seemingly up a couple of positions, and Nicholas looked to be leading up front, which was exactly what she wanted. 

No sooner had the race started though, it was over, the action gone in a flash. Double points were indeed scored, but the shock was Alex scoring higher than Nicholas, something unexpected in all corners of the team, Alex included. The thrill of the race left her riding on a high for the next hour or so, the f1 race only a mere half hour away. Her mind kept drifting back to the overtakes she was Alex get to do on track though, like there was some magnetic force connecting him with her. Danièle brushed it off though, she knew a f2 driver would never want to be seen around someone like her.

The f1 soon came and went, and as she hoped Renault did score well, even running in the podium spots after the first corner chaos. It wasn't to last, but it still filled her with pride to see her country's team running so high at their home race. The experience would definitely be one to remember, and she vowed to keep watching f1 and f2 afterwards, hoping that her favourite dams duo would one day step up to the big league.

Once back at the hotel though, she made sure to message Alex a congratulations for the team's double points, and Alex's fantastic recovery. What she didn't know was a few floors above, Alex Albon was on the receiving end of the exact same messages Danièle had just sent.

~~~

DANIÈLE'S HAD HER FIRST TASTE OF F1 AND F2, AND SEEN ALEX RACE FOR THE FIRST TIME, NOT THAT SHE KNOWS IT YET THOUGH!!

There might be a few time skips in this to keep up with the progression of things in Alex's career but I promise they won't be minor, maybe a month or 2 at most! 

I don't know when my next Dalex installment will be cause uni's pretty crammed atm but I really hope it'll be soon! And if you've got this far, please leave me a little vote or comment, that would really mean the world to me <3