Im a driver!

🏎 14 🏎

Today is the day of the race, also the day that people will find out who I am. My parents have invited the whole family and friends to watch the race. They made a lot of space in the living room and with a beamer they are going to put the race on a big screen.

And then my mother will also film everyone's reaction. She has already thought of all the reasons why she is inviting everyone and why she is filming the reactions so that no one will know anything until I take off my helmet.

With my friends, I have made the agreement that we will all film ourselves the moment I take off my helmet. They still don't realise anything either.

We have now arrived back at the circuit. The race will start in an hour, and the nerves are really running high right now.

I walk onto the paddock and tap the bar in the small hallway. I do this with a small jump because I am actually too small.

I walk into the garage and give all the engineers a fist bump. I walk to Lando's garage and give him a hug.

I walk back and then we prepare ourselves completely for the race. And after an hour the moment has come, I climb into the car and the engineer tells me I can go onto the track for the formation lap.

"Radio check" I hear in my ear. "Have a holly jolly Christmas" I sing. "Loud and clear" laughs my performance engineer. "I can't wait to see who's behind that helmet" he says. I laugh for a moment. "You'll have to wait a little longer" I say. "You're right, have a great race first" he says. "I will" I say.

All the drivers drive to their grid spots and the lights come on one by one. The nerves in my body are very high but as soon as the lights go out they all disappear.

I step on the gas hard and have a good start. In the first corner I take the inside and pass Lando. I am already in fourth place, and it is only the first lap.

After 20 laps I had to pit, my mediums were starting to lose grip and now they've put me on hard tyres. I drove into the pit and we had a quick stop of 2.3 seconds. I drove out of the pit again and I am now on p6. But it wasn't long before Lando and Lecrec also pitted, which put me back in fourth place.

After 15 laps I start to get closer and closer to Bottas, my engineers think that my tyres can do another 15 laps. Then I have to pit again.

On the straight I get DRS on Bottas, I go faster and pass Bottas just before the turn. I ended up on the outside but managed to overtake Bottas. I am now in third place.

"That's p3! Come on keep this up! 9 laps to go!" Says my performance engineer.

"My tyres are losing grip, I don't know how long I can keep this up" I say as I steer into the corner with difficulty. "Come into the pit" says the performance engineer.

At the end of the lap I went back into the pit and went on softs. I drove out of the pit again and am now on p5 behind Lando and Bottas.

But Lando had also overtaken Bottas.

After one lap I overtook Bottas again and Lando had to pit as well. I am now back on p3, and if all goes well my tyres will last the whole race.

The last 3 laps have arrived. Max is on p1, Lewis on p2, I am on p3 and Lando on p4.

Then my performance engineer starts talking. "Lewis his tyres are not holding up, he really needs to pit. So keep on driving and it will be a double podium for McLaren" he says. "Understood" I say.

And indeed Lewis enters the pit. I try to brake as late as possible every time to save time.

The final corner arrived. We drive into the corner and the finish line is coming closer and closer.

First Max, then me, then Lando.

"P2! P2! Good job! First race and what a good one! We're proud" I hear my performance engineer. "YESSSSSSS! WE FUCKING DID IT!" I shout while waving my arm in the air.

We park our cars in front of the good signs and first Max gets out. We hear cheering. I unbuckle my steering wheel and lift myself up by the helo. I climb out of the car and loud cheering sounds over the track. I wave a bit and then Lando gets out of the car. I look over and he runs towards me.

He hugs me and I hug him back. "What. A. Race! I'm proud of you little one" he whispers. I give him another hug and then walk towards Max. I give him a fist bump and a hug.

"Are you going to take your helmet off yet?" He asks. I shake my head and point towards the podium. "On podium only? You're going to leave an impressive first impression" he laughs. I give him a soft push against his shoulder and then run towards the team.

I throw myself into the group and thank everyone.

"Time for the podium" says Charlotte. I nod and we walk up together.

First Lando is called on to the podium. Then I come. I run onto the podium and stand on the right spot. Meanwhile I wave to some people.

Then Max comes on podium. Someone hands me my trophee and I wave it high in the air. Cheering sounds again. Then the moment is there. Before the champagne arrives, I have to take off my helmet.

"But first the mystery driver of McLaren is announced," says a man with a microphone.

I turn around and take off my helmet. Slowly I pull it off my head. First my long blonde hair, which I have curled, falls down. I hear everyone fall silent.

I turn around and see everyone looking surprised. "A girl? I've been overtaken by a girl?" I hear someone shout. Everyone laughs for a moment.

Max comes running up to me and gives me a high five. "You did great, uhm?" Says he searching for a name. "Julie, Julie Adams" I say.

"Nice to meet you Julie" he says. Lando walks up to me and gives me a hug. "Champagne time!" Calls out Christian. "Wait" calls Zak. He walks up to the stage with 3 bottles of alcohol free champagne. We laugh and then pop the cap of the bottle.