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His family was seated in the back of the garage, watching the mechanics get ready. Each of them had a set of orange headsets covering their ears, both of protection and to hear the commentary.

"Remember, the start is the most important part now that you're starting P2. If you can jump Max early, then you'll have clean air. You're good at defending so it won't be as difficult. Drop the clutch, get a clean start. Carry more speed into the corners and brake later."

"Ok, got it," Alessandro nodded, engraining Dakota's words into his memory.

"I gotta go, but say hi to your family. I'll see you after the race," Dakota said.

"I will," Alessandro grinned, giving her a thumbs up. "No good luck kiss?"

"Oh please, Alessandro Moreno doesn't need a good luck kiss. And even if he did he wouldn't get one from me."

He shook his head, fighting back a smile as she smirked.

"Oi Lando!" she shouted, making the Brit look up.

A grin broke out onto his face and he gave her an excited wave.

"Good luck, you muppet!"

"Thanks!" he shouted back as Alessandro's car roared to life.

She shivered at the sound, making the Italian laugh.

Alessandro lowered himself into his car, flipping his visor up so he could see her.

He gave her a wink to which she rolled her eyes playfully and walking off to her car.

"You got this Alessandro, I believe in you! Good luck!" Zak shouted, leaning down over the halo.

He nodded in response, giving his boss a thumbs up.

Zak tapped his helmet twice before moving to Lando's side of the garage to do the same.

Alessandro watched Dakota give Mark a fist bump and put her helmet on. After exchanging a few words with someone, she disappeared behind the car and got inside.

It felt like a surreal experience to come to a stop at the very front row of the grid after the formation lap. Sitting in the P2 slot and waiting for the back markers to line up on the grid felt like an eternity.

To his left was Max Verstappen's navy coloured Red Bull. In his mirrors he could see Hamilton's Mercedes and a portion of Lando's car in the row behind him.

He wiggled his fingers, stretching the material of his gloves.

The start is the most important part. Drop the clutch, get a clean start.

First red light turned on.

Jump Max early, then you'll have clean air. Defend against him, don't let him pass.

Two lights.

Carry more speed into the corners and brake later.

Three lights.

Turns one and two, get off the throttle and brake. Get a clean exit.

Four lights.

Drop the clutch, get a clean start. Drop the clutch, get a clean start.

Five lights.

Dakota held her breath.

"And it's lights out and away we go!"

The roar of the cars got even louder as they sped off the start lines and down towards turn 1.

C> "Max Verstappen does get away well, but alongside him is Alessandro Moreno! He is inching into the lead! Moreno will have the inside here ahead of Verstappen!"

"Holy shit, holy shit," Dakota muttered, unable to sit still in her seat.

Mark was afraid to even blink, his eyes glued to the screen.

C> "It's Moreno into the first chicane ahead of Verstappen!"

"Yes! Fuck yeah!"

"That's how it's done lad!"

Dakota's heart rate was through the roof, the excitement of the start sending adrenaline rushing through her.

Moments later the yellow flag was waved as an Alfa Romeo spun around at the Curva Grande.

"Aw man, great timing," Mark groaned, knowing the stream would be interrupted as they drove out onto the track.

Thankfully, there was no safety car needed.

"Was there contact between Lewis and Max?" Dakota asked, watching the replays.

"Who gives a shit, Alessandro's P1," Mark replied, making her laugh.

"And you were calling me a fangirl."

He had no response to that.

C> "Alessandro Moreno had a dream start there, immediately gaining ground over Verstappen. Moreno pulling up through the gears, powered through, then had the inside line."

M>"Yeah and Hamilton was able to get around Norris and get a slipstream from Verstappen."

C>"This is the first time Moreno is leading a race in his Formula 1 career. Hasn't led a race since the F2 finale Abu Dhabi 2019.

And here we have Norris's radio."

E>"Hamilton is struggling when he gets close, we have good gaps to the rest of the field- keep this up."

The order was now Alessandro, Max, Lando, and Lewis.

E>"Great job Alé, incredible start. Absolutely incredible."

A>"Where's Lando?"

E>"Currently P3. We're thinking plan A +3. Plan A +3."

A>"Copy."

Alessandro's heart rate was high even as started his 11th lap. He had never led a Formula 1 race in his life, and here he was at his home race in P1.

But he had to focus.

One mistake, and it could all be gone in an instant.

Plan A + 3 meant extending his stint for 3 laps extra before pitting, probably because he was no longer in the dirty air of another car.

"Oh God, he's gaining on Lando," Dakota groaned as Lewis inched closer to the orange McLaren.

C> "Hamilton is a lot closer to Lando Norris. I think with a bit of DRS, as Norris tries to break the two, is gonna go for a move under braking! Lando squeezes Hamilton and very gently stops him from overtaking him."

Dakota let out the breath she was holding as Lando remained in third.

Not even a second later, Hamilton came back at Lando to try and overtake him. For a moment, it looked like the move was done, but Lando went into the next turn ahead.

C>"Good defensive driving from Lando Norris."

Dakota and Mark busied themselves in watching the data screens carefully, making sure they kept an eye out for any incidents.

Lap after lap, the count grew from 12 to 22 and soon Alessandro's radio came to life.

E>"Box, box. Box, box."

A>"Copy."

E>"Strat 12 in the pitlane please Sandro."

Alessandro darted into the pitlane, crossing his fingers fora clean pit stop.

C>"This pit stop has to be good for McLaren. He comes in, hits his mark very well. Tires come off and new tires go on.

That's perfect! Absolutely perfect!"

Dakota clapped her hands as Alessandro passed by the safety car on the way to the exit. She could've sworn he had given her a little wave.

Alessandro had indeed raised his hand in a small wave, hoping she would catch it.

C>"Is Verstappen in the pits?"

M>"No, so that was McLaren avoiding the undercut from RedBull. And he comes out behind the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in P7."

They watched as Max came in to pit for new tires and Alessandro went around for an outlap.

M>"Moreno is tucked up behind Sainz at the moment, but he's done a personal best middle sector and is having a decent outlap."

C> "Lando Norris take the lead, Hamilton in second th- oh it's a slow stop for Verstappen! And he's still waiting!

An 11 second pit stop for Max who will come out in tenth place! He's gone from second to tenth!"

"Shit, Hamilton's passed Lando," Mark muttered, his chin resting on his hand.

Sure enough, Lando was no longer leading the race as the Mercedes began to create a gap out in front. Only a lap later, Hamilton came in to pit but he too had a slow stop.

As he exited the pits, he came out right in between Lando and Max. What happened next was like a scene from a movie.

Max's Red Bull bounced off the kerbs and landed right on top of Hamilton's Mercedes. A collective gasp came from the crowd and the two cars went sliding off the track into the gravel.

C>"In their desperation to get ahead and stay ahead, the two championship protagonists have taken each other out of the Italian Grand Prix!"

"Well shit," Dakota muttered, zipping out of the pitlane as the yellow flags flew.

L>"Did you see that? What the fuck happened there?"

E>"Yeah, unfortunate. But you're P6 now."

Alessandro watched as the red Ferrari in front of him darted into the pitlane to change its tires, leaving him to take the first place spot yet again.

A small smile tugged at his lips when he realized he was directly behind Dakota's car as the safety car led him around the track.

E>"Ale, you are currently P1. Safety car in this lap. You know what to do."

A>"Copy. Open the radio when critical."

E>"Copy. Vamos."

Dakota was itching to get back to the pitlane so she could watch the start unfold. Sure enough, the large flat screen TV displayed the cars flying down the straight.

The Ferrari team watched anxiously as Lando inched closer and closer to the red Ferrari.

C>"They're all trying to break the tow, Alessandro Moreno weaving around a bit. Lando Norris is making a move on the Ferrari! They make contact! But Norris moves ahead into second place!"

"Yes boys! Whoo, look at that!"

The roar of approval from the crowd echoed through the grandstands, the Ferrari fans watching on dejectedly.

15 laps to go.

Alessandro wasn't aware of how many laps remained. He didn't care. He was too focused on setting fastest laps and making sure every single lap was perfect.

But behind him, Lando was in fact the one setting fastest laps.

His radio came to life, and alone with it came a dreadful message.

E>"Invert the cars into turn 5, invert the cars please, Alessandro."

A>"What? No! Why?"

E>"Then you need to pick up the pace, Lando is faster than you at the moment."

A>"Fuck that, I'm the one that's ahead and that's what matters."

The fans were unaware of the radio message as it was never broadcast. To them, a McLaren 1-2 looked sealed. To them, Alessandro would win his home Grand Prix- his first ever in Formula 1. To them, luck was on his side. A rookie who had never even finished on the podium would go on to win a Grand Prix.

C>"For the first time, in a long, long time, we're watching two McLaren's out in front leading the race. As we approach the start of this final lap, they are tantalizingly close to adding to their 182 race wins."

Alessandro's hands shook as he changed from gear to gear. His breathing was shaky, sweat dripping down the side of his face.

There was nothing else on his mind, except winning the Grand Prix.

L>"Alessandro needs to speed up, I can't keep Perez behind."

E>"Copy that Lando, there's only one lap remaining after this one."

L>"Tell him to speed up."

E>"Copy."

Alessandro nearly flinched when the static crackle of his radio suddenly returned. He had forgotten about his engineer for a while.

E>"We need you to speed up, Lando's struggling to keep Perez behind."

A>"I'm going full throttle, this is my maximum pace."

A moment of silence stretched on before his engineer's voice spoke up again.

E>"Engine mode 9, engine mode 9."

Alessandro glanced down at his steering wheel, turning the dial to the right to number 9 and then pressed the confirm button.

As he approached the start finish straight of the final lap, he slammed his foot down on the throttle.

Something was amiss.

His car wasn't going as fast as it should've been in 8th gear. In fact, it was 15 kmh slower.

He panicked.

A>"What did you do? What was the setting change? Fuck! Why did you tell me to change the engine mode?"

There was nothing he could do as he watched his teammate's car fly past him, snagging the first place spot right from his hands.

The chorus of gasps from the Italian fans could be heard from the pitlane.

"No! What the fuck!" Dakota shrieked, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Mark stared at the timing screen as MOR +0.13 dropped to second place.

C>"He joined McLaren as a rookie in 2018, he won in Imola, he was on the podium in Monaco and Austria- Lando Norris wins the Italian Grand prix!

Alessandro Moreno comes home in second to make it a McLaren one-two! His first ever podium in Formula 1 at his home race here in Italy! Start the celebrations for McLaren!"