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shoot to thrill, play to kill, too many women and too many pills . . .
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"i did something really stupid, lewis. something that could end my relationship with yuki, and something that could end my career in formula one."
DAKOTA MCMANUS HAS HAD A ROUGH START TO THE 2022 SEASON. With multiple mechanical failures, ever-pressing medical concerns regarding the migraines that have plagued her since her youth, as well as the tumultuous waters of navigating her budding romantic relationship with AlphaTauri rookie Yuki Tsunoda, and did she mention the threat of missile attack in Jeddah the day before a scheduled Grand Prix?
It's all Koda can do some mornings to get out of bed regardless of what beautiful senic location awaits outside the hotel room window. She feels worn down, something she never understood until she took her promotion. If only her team could have one good race, function as well as Yuki did in Abu Dhabi last year. It's tough to get excited about going to the races everyday when it's obvious that your team isn't going to win, and there is nothing you can o about it except forge onward with a little bit of hope. AlphaTauri is nowhere near as well-funded as sister team Red Bull, or current season favourites at Ferrari.
So when a job offer comes in from McLaren, by way of former Red Bull racer Daniel Ricciardo, who never failed to make Dakota feel at home while she was settling in during her first season with Toro Rosso (which later became AlphaTauri), she doesn't know what to think. At least McLaren were having a good year: Both Daniel and teammate Lando Norris were actually finishing races, and scoring higher than both AlphaTauri racers. She thinks: God, it would be good to work for a team that wins once in a while. But AlphaTauri is in her blood, it's her family legacy. Her grandfather put so much work into the Italian team, and he worked so hard to make sure his granddaughter didn't slip forgotten down the rank ladder, elevating her to a position no woman has ever held in a Formula 1 garage. Taking the pay rise from McLaren would feel like a betrayal to the people who did nothing but make Dakota feel at home since she started in the sport.
