🥰

🏎🏎

My final race weekend.

I left the FIA hospitality with a heavy heart, my lips turned down into a frown. A pair of sunglasses rested on my nose, covering my red eyes. They burned, desperate for more sleep.

Mark greeted me with a solemn look, giving me a meek smile.

"Don't look so sad, Kota. I'm sure you'll be back in no time," he said, patting my shoulder.

"You don't know that," I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"Morning! Are you gu- woah. Why the long faces?" George asked, pausing in the doorway.

"Morning George, nothing just talking about serious stuff," Mark replied, tossing an orange at him.

"Anyways, are you guys ready for the weekend? The Tifosi are back in the grandstands," he said, gesturing to the Ferrari fans on the TV screens.

"Hell yeah, I'm excited to see what the Ferrari boys can do," Dakota grinned, trying to get herself excited.

Outside, the crowd was growing as more people filled into the grandstands. Chequered flags with the yellow Ferrari logo waved in the wind. A sea of red, green, and white was visible from miles away as the Tifosi gathered to watch the race.

I sighed, the nagging feeling of sadness settling in my chest.

Brushing it off, I walked over to the McLaren garage.

"Kotaaaa!" Lando cheered when he spotted me.

"Landoooo!" I laughed, giving him a quick hug.

I spotted Alessandro duck into his drivers room.

Quickly excusing myself, I followed after him.

"Hey," he greeted, shutting the door behind me.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Like I'm going to throw up."

"You're going to be fine, okay? Take deep breaths. Tell me what's bothering you."

"Something's going to go wrong," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

It had been neatly styled, but now returned to its disheveled look, which I honestly preferred.

"No, nothing's going to go wrong. The sun is out, fans are back in the grandstands, you're starting P5 right behind Lando."

"Ok, ok, you're right," he nodded, letting out a breath.

His hands were shaking.

Without a second thought, I gently grabbed his hands in mine.

"Look at me," I demanded, his green eyes meeting mine.

"You're going to go out there, and you're going to do your best. Who gives a fuck what anyone else is doing? It doesn't matter what people are tweeting or what they're whispering about. Because all that matters is you. You're the one driving that car, not them. You control what happens in the car, outside is out of your control."

He nodded his head, swallowing harshly. His Adam's apple bobbed and his jaw ticked as he closed his eyes.

"Ok, I'm ready."

"Tutto bene?"

A smile immediately tugged at his lips as he looked away, nodding his head.

"Tutto bene," he confirmed.

The sounds of the car starting up in the neighboring garages echoed through the pitlane. Wheel guns whirred as the pit crew put tires on the cars, keeping them warm with the tire blankets.

I watched as Alessandro lowered himself into the car and then pulled his helmet over his head.

He flipped up the visor and gave me a wink. I laughed quietly, shaking my head at his antics.

My foot tapped impatiently as the cars started their formation lap.

I was anxious and I had no idea why.

Alessandro had qualified P5, but we had a sprint race format for this weekend.

An 18 lap race to determine the starting grid for the race tomorrow.

The sun was out in Monza, shining down on the track as the cars lined up on the grid.

My heart beat picked up. There was something in the air in Italy. Something different.

And I wasn't sure what it was.

C> "And it's lights out and away we go! Russel gets away well and so does Max Verstappen! Hamilton is losing out trying to cover of Lando Norris!"

"Oh gosh," I mumbled, my foot tapping against the mat on the floor of the car.

Mark's knee bounced up and down as we watched the screen on the tablet.

"Gasly's off," he said, prompting me to put the car into drive.

Moments later, the command came in from Race Control.

"Safety Car, Safety Car. Sectors 1 and 2."

C>"And there's damage there to Pierre Gasly's Alpha Tauri as his front wing comes off and he crashes at Curva Grande!"

M>"And we've got a spinner too, I think it's an Alfa Romeo."

"I think Gasly bumped into one of the McLarens," Mark said as they showed the replay on screen.

A>" Have I got any damage? I felt something hit me before that shunt."

E>"Copy that, we're looking at it. Everything looks fine."

I peeled back into the pits as the number of laps flashed on the digital board.

15 laps remaining.

C>"Max Verstappen has had a very good start behind Russel. Alessandro Moreno is now in third place ahead of Lando Norris!"

"What?"

"Yeah, he came out ahead after the yellow flag."

Dakota squinted at the timing charts and sure enough, MOR +1:460 was displayed third on the list.

Fuck yeah.

M>"This has played right into McLaren's hands. They've done 2 laps less at high speed as the Ferrari's are now down in 6th and 7th."

"Oh my God, what is going on today?" I mumbled, watching as the usual order was completely turned on its head.

I couldn't believe Alessandro was sitting comfortably in third place ahead of Lando.

I watched as Bottas crossed the line and the chequered flag waved. My eyes remained glued to the screens until the papaya coloured car rounded the final corner.

Then, I quickly snapped my head to look out the window as Alessandro's car zipped past on the main straight and crossed the line.

C>"Bottas wins the sprint! Verstappen crosses the line to take second! And Alessandro Moreno, at his home race here in Italy, comes home to take third place!

I couldn't help but let out a small cheer of excitement, clapping my hands. I was surprised when Mark himself let out a big whoop, scaring me in the process.

"I knew you were rooting for him this whole time!"

"Oh shut up, I'm just happy for him!"

We weren't the only ones.

Loud chatter erupted from the McLaren garage.

People were cheering and congratulating each other as the Papaya boys slotted themselves into P3 and P4.

I hopped out of the car as soon I was given the all clear.

My body was itching to run towards Alessandro, his red and green helmet visible halfway down the paddock.

I watched as he found Aaron in the crowd, giving him a hug.

He then turned to Lando who had just gotten weighed and the two embraced.

I could feel their excitement from where I was standing.

Removing my helmet and balaclava, I unzipped the top half of my race suit.

I knew it would take a while for the boys to congratulate everyone and say their thanks, so Mark and I quickly finished up our checks for the evening.

Prep for tomorrow's race could be done later.

Sure enough, about 7 minutes later I heard Lando's loud voice echo through the FIA garage where the cars were being weighed.

"WHO'S STARTING ON THE SECOND ROW TOMOROOOOWWW!"

"MORRISSSSS!" I cheered, coming out of the garage.

"Get it, Moreno and Norris. Morris," Mark grinned, giving Lando one of those weird hugs that guys do.

I grinned as Alessandro pulled off his balaclava, opening his arms.

It was the first time he had ever asked for a hug, and I wasn't about to say no.

Throwing my arms around him, I couldn't help but squeal in excitement.

His arms wrapped around my waist and I felt my feet leave the ground as he spun me around.

He smelled like his usual cologne, faintly mixed with the scent of sweat and fuel.

"I can't believe that just happened," he breathed, covering his face with his hands.

His cheeks were flushed pink, sweat lining his hairline. His hair was sticking up from his helmet, some parts damp with sweat.

His green eyes sparkled with life, a completely lighter shade of green I felt like I'd never seen them before.

"Do I not get a hug?" Lando pouted, interrupting us.

I shook my head, moving to give him a hug.

A hand pushed Lando's chest, making him take a step back.

Alessandro gave him a look that made the Brit snicker.

"Getting possessive, are we?"

I rolled my eyes at their antics and gave Lando a hug anyway.

Suck my dick.

"The fans are going to have a field day," Mark pointed out, nodding his head to a camera that was trained on them.

Dakota froze, taking a step back.

"How long have they been there?" she asked, maintaining a smile on her face.

"I just noticed them," Mark replied, his back facing the cameras.

"Don't worry, they probably just showed up."

Dakota nodded, brushing it off.

"I'm so happy for you guys, go freshen up so you can go rest up for tomorrow."

"Ok, mom," Lando rolled his eyes, walking backwards out of the garage.

"Watch out!" Alessandro and I warned, but it was too late as Lando tripped over a water bottle that had rolled out onto the pitlane.

And then he fell flat on his butt.

I couldn't help but burst into laughter as the camera trained on him, his fall no doubt being broadcast live.

He didn't even care that the camera was filming and flipped all of us off, limping into the McLaren garage.

🏎🏎

Alessandro stared blankly at the floor, chewing on the straw of his water bottle.

Around him, the McLaren crew was rushing around to prepare for the race. Mechanics checked the cars and put on a set of soft tires.

The Temple of Speed.

Monza was the fastest track on the calendar. Every year, thousands of Ferrari and motorsport fans flocked to the circuit just outside of Milan. It was Alessandro's favorite track on the calendar. Nor because it was his home race, but because it was always unpredictable.

Ever since he was a kid, his dream was to race at this track. His entire family was attending the race, excited to watch him race. 21 years later, Alessandro could finally race for his country.

Sure Ferrari were the preferred favorites, but Alessandro had massive support as well. He had barely managed to get into the paddock this morning. Hundreds of fans lined the entrance to the circuit, waiting to get a glimpse of the Italian driver. His wrist was sore from signing so many things.

The atmosphere was electric and it filled him with a renewed sense of motivation.

Aaron could tell Alessandro was feeling much better about this race. As they did their warmups together, he could see the focus and concentration on his refresh face.

And Alessandro had never felt this prepared for a race in his life.

"Knock, knock," a voice called, Dakota's head poking into the room.

"Hey," Aaron greeted, waving at her. He put away the tennis balls that Alessandro was using to warm up his reflexes.

He curiously watched the two young adults interact. Alessandro seemed relaxed and at ease as he smiled at Dakota.

She leaned against the wall, Alessandro leaning against the massage table. They mirrored each others actions without even realizing it.

"I'll be outside," Aaron said, slipping out the door.

"I have some good news," Dakota smiled as Zak appeared in the doorway of his room as well.

Alessandro raised his brows in surprise, motioning for her to continue.

"George had a engine change so he's starting at the back of the grid."

"Which means you're starting P2, Sandro," Zak grinned.

"You're joking? I thought that was a rumor?"

"No, they confirmed it last night but I forgot to tell you."

"Holy shit," Alessandro muttered in disbelief.

"Now, are you ready for the race?" Dakota asked as Zak left his drivers room.

"Yes, but I still feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Excitement butterflies?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Probably," he sighed, zipping up his race suit.

There was a nagging thought in the back of his mind that something was going to go horribly wrong.

"Are you scared?" Dakota asked.

He stayed silent, thinking about it for a few moments.

"No," he replied truthfully, running a hand through his hair.

"I believe in you Alessandro. Zak believes in you. All of McLaren believes in you. But that doesn't mean shit if you don't believe in yourself.

"You're right, but I can't help but feel like I'm going to have another round of bad luck."

"Remember what your dad used to say? Take care of the car, and it will take care of you."

"You're right. I can do this," he said, nodding his head after a few moments of silence.

"That's what I'm talking about. Now go out there, give your car a big fat kiss and then make everyone else kiss your ass."

Alessandro laughed, shaking his head and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're an annoying little shit, but I think I can tolerate you," he chuckled, draping his arm around her shoulders.

"You better," she chuckled, patting his chest.

"Time to get in the car, Alessandro. It's go time," Aaron said.