The Blackout ⤖ George Russell

F I F T Y F I V E

Nora sat down on the middle stool, placing a microphone around her head. She looked next to her, facing George. "The last time we sat here, just the three of us, was two years ago," she said to him. "Still think this is gross."

The three people went to the post-race conference straight after the podium ceremony. They didn't have time to change, so they all sat there in their race suit, what was full of sweat and champagne.

"We just had an upgrade," Alex widely smiled and winked. "An upgrade we all needed."

"Now we can officially say we have sat here, just like the people who sit here all the time," George brought in. "They were holding the seats warm; reserved for us."

Both Alex and Nora smirked. After a few minutes, the conference started. The first few questions were for Alex, on the race, and how it felt to start from pole position.

"It was a good race, we had a strong pace. I'm really satisfied with the result, and I think we couldn't end the season in a better way. I'm very proud of my team and what we have accomplished this year. And of course, starting from pole was amazing, and I surely know this won't be my last," Alex summarised. "But sadly enough I couldn't keep my spot to this muppet." He leaned towards Nora and gave her a small poke. She shyly smiled and looked down. "But we had a strong pace, but unfortunately Mercedes was stronger at the end," he said, what made Nora look at him. "We like to add some spice to the last rounds, gives it sensation."

More questions were asked to Alex, mostly about the race itself, his car, and the upcoming season. There were small jokes every now and then, little words were shared between Nora and George.

"Nora." She looked up when she heard her name. "This weekend must be a rollercoaster for you," an interviewer asked. "How was this weekend for you? How did Toto approach you to replace Lewis? And how did it feel to race here after two years?"

She was nodding and took a sip from her bottle of water. Small pearls of sweat formed on her forehead, she couldn't wait to shower. "Yeah, it was really impressive," she answered. "I...erm...Toto announced the situation around Lewis to the team, so I had to stand stand-by for the weekend. And this afternoon he came up to me, telling me I had to drive. There wasn't much time to freak out or be happy, since it was a last-minute call." She swallowed hard when the crash flashed through her mind. "And, you know, driving on the track where you almost had a fatal crash is never easy, especially when you have to show what you can. The first few laps were tough, turn seven kept being a tough one throughout the race, but I'm here now."

George looked at her, he noticed how she tried to keep her emotions under control. The smile she was showing was fake. He bit on the inside of his cheek and put his hand on her knee under the table, to let her know she was not alone.

"It...erm...it was a pleasure to drive here, for Mercedes, and I am thankful for the opportunity they gave me. My goal was to not to crash, and I won instead. So that's positive, although I wanted Alex to get his first win. It was a good race, strong pace, lots of good fights, Alex on P2, George on P3, Lando on P4. I'm satisfied and happy." Nora lost her words, she had no idea what to say, so she made up things. She was losing herself in a panic attack. She took a deep breath and looked away.

"Are there plans of getting a seat in 2022?" Was another question.

Nora parted her lips and looked around. Do I want this? "Not that I know of," she answered and cleared her throat. "Today was unexpected, and I enjoyed it." Her eyes filled with tears, and she struggled to keep her breath under control. "I will wait for the call, and I will see what happens next." She pressed a smile on her face while her heart was racing in her chest. She had to fight not to break.