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ISACK

Isack is sad. Yuki was informed by his coach about the other's emotional return to the pits after the retirement and now is on his way to the other driver's room. He saw Isack for a brief moment before going to the media pen, and he seemed better. However, Yuki is sure that this kind of feeling is hard to forget.
“Come in!” he hears after his knock on the door.
Isack is sitting on the sofa, the phone in his hand lowered on his lap.
“Hey, mate, are you feeling better?”
The rookie's smile lights him up but doesn't reach his eyes.
“Yes, I've calmed down. I'm so sorry for my shit figure out there. Retiring the car before even the first lap was demotivating. Now, I don't even have a race under my name. And I wanted to start my first F1 season so badly. Probably I wished too much...”
Yuki sighs softly and sits down next to his teammate.
“I can't say I understand you, but I know how much effort we put in, and yesterday's great performance in quali probably raised our hopes a bit too much. We both hoped for a better start of the season, but let's look at it from another perspective: it can't go worse, don't you think?”
Isack ponders the Japanese's words and nods convincingly.
“Well, I think you're right. We can only get better!”
“Exactly! This year, the car feels much better than the last, and I'm sure we'll bounce back very soon. We also have another chance right away, so forgetting this weekend will be easier. Tomorrow is another day, and we'll work on the Chinese Grand Prix even more intensely.”
“Well said!” Isack replies, then turns to his teammate. “Thanks, Yuki. I really needed it.”
Yuki smiles: he hasn't yet mastered his role as the team's first driver, and he also had a bad race, but at least he managed to cheer Isack up a bit.
“We still have some time before the briefing. Put on some music, let's hear your taste. It will hardly be worse than Daniel's.”

Lewis is embittered: Ferrari's strategic choices, combined with a terrible setup that didn't help the red team in the wet race, darkened his mood for the rest of the weekend. He speaks to his dad, who helps him get over his first bad experience as a Ferrari driver.
“Lew, give yourself some time. It's been a long since you last changed teams. Changes take time, even if you're the most experienced on the grid. And remember, you've embraced all the pros of driving for Ferrari, but you also have to take all the cons.”
“Thanks, dad. You're right, and I knew Ferrari sometimes has a chaotic race management. I was probably hoping that wouldn't happen in my first race.”
“Well, it's been a while since the last wet season opener.”
“Yeah, that's sure. But you didn't see the look on Charles's face when we met after the end of the race! It was a mix between «I told you so» and «You'd better get used to this».”
“Oh, come on, Lew! Don't be so dramatic. Are you sure you read his expression correctly? Charles was probably just disappointed after a poor performance.”
“If you say so...”

Silence stills the conversation as both men get lost in their own thoughts.
“Did you see the rookie's incident before the start? I think his name is Hadjar. Poor boy, he was disconsolate!”
“Isack? I saw he went out in the formation lap. Was he hurt?”
“No, no: he was fine. But when he was walking back to the pits after the crash, the poor boy couldn't stop tearing up. I had to go over and comfort him. I felt it was the right thing to do.”
“And how did he react to you?”
“Oh, he looked like a mess. I consoled him and told him he did a good job, that the track was wet, and that it happens. The usual stuff, I guess, I don't remember the exact words. He gave me a big hug and thanked me. He was still down when we got to the second Red Bull.”
“The Racing Bull?”
“Yeah, whatever. They change name every two years: I won't learn one for such a short time.”
Lewis laughs. It's not that wrong.

The driver thinks of how social media went wild when he shook hands with Isack on media day because the young Frenchman has always seen the Brit as a role model. Isack was so visibly excited! He couldn't stay in his own skin.
“Do you think I should pay him a visit?” Lewis asks.
“I'm sure this will also help you forget about this race” suggests his father.

As Lewis approaches the Racing Bull garage, he sees the crew looking at him, confused by his presence. They let him go, though, and the driver looks around for someone to ask.
“Lewis?” a voice calls out behind him.
The Brit turns around to find an equally confused Yuki, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
“What are you doing here?” The curious tone helps Lewis understand that he's not an unwanted presence.
“Hi, Yuki! I wanted to speak to Isack. How are you? I'm sorry for your race: you were fantastic the whole weekend!”
Yuki's face lights up for a brief moment.
“Yes, I hoped I could get some good points. The rain messed things up a bit, unfortunately. Isack is in his room, I can call him for you!”
“I'll go get him!” another man adds, sprinting towards a corridor on their left.
“Thank you!”

Yuki gets closer to Lewis and lowers his voice.
“He's still a bit down about his retirement. I talked to him, but I'm not that good at this kind of things.”
“I'm sure you did your best, Yuki. Don't underestimate yourself!”
“And you? How was your first weekend in red? I'll be honest, man, it's so unusual to see you in red and not in the Mercedes colours.”
“Don't tell me, mate! It's so strange when I look at myself in photos or mirrors. I guess I just need to get used to it.”

Voices come from their left, and the two drivers turn to see the man from before and Isack joining them in the room.
The young driver looks awkward, but Lewis hopes it isn't because of the brief moment the other had with his father right after the retirement.
“Lewis...”
“How are you, Isack? I wanted to check on you.”
The boy is on the verge of tears again, probably touched by Lewis's interest.
“Well, it could have been better, but as Yuki said, it can only get better from here.”
“Well said! Are you guys free now? We can chat a bit!”
The rookie's happy expression tells Lewis that coming here was the right thing to do.

OLIVER

“Hey.”
“Hey, Oliver. How are you?”
“I'm a bit disappointed. I know I should be grateful for finishing the race: even keeping the car on track was a nightmare today. Still, it was a disastrous weekend on my side. And please don't tell me I did better than many other rookies. I know my friends didn't make it to the finish line, but arriving last, even14th, isn't that much of a consolation.”
“Well, I guess I'll have to get used to these long answers then. It's the complete opposite of Pierre's monosyllables I got last year.”
Ollie lets out a small laugh, and Esteban smiles at his succeeded attempt to make the younger less sad.
“How do you think you did?” Esteban looks around, lowering his voice. “Don't forget we had the worst car on track today. We are entitled to be more frustrated with it than with ourselves.”
“I know you're right, mate, but it still hurts to think I probably could have done something better. Maybe we still couldn't do much to finish ahead of the other cars, but I think I could have done… I don't know. After all, I'm not properly a rookie: this is already my fourth race in F1. I have more experience driving this kind of car than my rookie friends.”

Esteban sighs.
“I get you. I hoped the car could do better, but I also think I could extract something more from it. The last time I raced in the rain, I finished second. Well, I got lucky because the strategy turned out correct, but you know, you also think you can do better as a driver, even when the car isn't that much. However, you did a great job out there. A wet race like this is never easy, and I think you did great with what you had. I'm sure this will also help you regain confidence after these last few days.”
“You're right, in a certain way. After spinning so many times and crashing into the barriers, today was surely my best performance of the weekend. But, as you said, I still feel I could have done better and this is hard to let go.”
“The best thing after such a race is to erase it completely from your system. From tomorrow, head on to China, okay?”
Oliver nods and forces a smile.

Esteban drinks from his bottle and looks around, watching the Haas crew move around the garage.
“Esteban, do you think that…?”
The Frenchman shifts his eyes back to his teammate, who is looking around shyly.
“Do you think this will last long? Being the backmarker and having struggles even passing one car in the race? Last year, I followed Sauber's performance and chatted with Zhou a few times. I don't know if I could handle it as well as him.”
“Not exactly what you were hoping for your first season, huh? I totally understand: sometimes I feel the same. We had a very difficult start to the season at Alpine last year, but I saw the improvements over the months, so believe me: we can do it. I have trust in the team, and I have trust in us. We can do it, Oliver: one bad race doesn't mean a bad season. Especially with how the race turned out with the rain and today's tricky conditions.”
“Thank you, Esteban.”

JACK

At Alpine, the crew looks like they've seen a ghost. Jack remembers the atmosphere that permeated the garage last year, and he can read the same worried expressions on the team members. He knows for a fact they are much further ahead than the past season: the performance – at least Pierre's – showed a good race pace, even in the rain. However, the mechanics and engineers pacing hastily around him are not the only ones facing their ghosts. Jack is trying his best not to think about it, but Franco's looming presence lingers even though the Argentinian is in their factory in Europe.
Jack sees Pierre walking speedily in his direction, probably heading to his driver room. He cracks a smile at his teammate.
“Hey, Pierre.”
“Jack, how are you?” asks the other, stopping before him.
“You know, finishing the first race of my first season in F1 on the first lap wasn't on my bingo card. But I guess it is what it is.”
“I know. It was an unlucky race, huh? I hoped I could hold on to those few points at the end, but a single spin made me lose three positions in one go. Damn, it was so close!”
Jack senses Pierre's downcast mood and offers him a hand.
“At least the pace was good, no?”
“Yes, the performance was there today: we're far from where we were at the start of last year. Don't worry: I'm sure with a dry race, we'll score some points!”
“I really hope so” sighs the Australian.
“Trust me, mate! We'll forget today in less than a month. And don't worry about your crash: you saw it was tricky even for experienced drivers. Fernando doesn't usually go out like that: it was an unfortunate first race of the year, but it won't affect our whole season. Erase today quickly: Shanghai is already here, and it's the perfect opportunity to start from scratch! I'm sure we'll score some points and leave Haas behind. And maybe some other teams too.”
“Yes, you're right. Thank you, Pierre.”
“Don't worry, Jack, it will pass. See you later, huh?”
“Yes, later.”

Pierre walks towards the back of the garage, and Jack remains alone again, only slightly relieved after his teammate's words. Pierre is still visibly involved with Esteban and the whole ex-friends ex-teammates dynamic. Will they ever stop biting each other's asses?
He sighs, trying to focus and figure out what to do next. He thinks he needs more reassurance after his poor first race of the season, especially his home race. He knows how the media will react and, even though his fandom is fierce, nothing can erase those harsh comments.
Esteban has taught him a thing or two, but Jack hasn't made his skin thick yet, and he's afraid he will stumble under the pressure and negativity. He should definitely pay the other Frenchman a visit.

It's not that far: Haas and Alpine garages are right next to each other. Maybe that's also why Pierre can't cut off his thoughts about Esteban as quickly as he thought.
He sneaks in as he did on Thursday during media day. He finds the door to Esteban's driver room slightly ajar and listens if he can get in without interrupting something he shouldn't hear.
Esteban is talking to Ollie, and the two seem relaxed. Green light. He's happy the other rookie has his former teammate to talk to: Estie has always been empathetic and caring towards Jack in his years as a reserve driver. He really enjoyed spending time with the tall driver. Pierre is a little less sensitive and may be more straightforward when he speaks, but he's not a bad teammate either. It's just that Jack knows how riled up the other driver can be after a bad race.
Jack knocks and waits for a word before opening the door a little wider and sticking his head in.
“Hi, guys. Can I come in?”
“Jack! Hey, what brings you here?” Oliver says, lighting up.
“Well, I was hoping to have a chat” the Australian replies as he steps inside after the two Haas drivers wave him over.
“How do you feel, Jack? You guys were really unlucky to have such a tough race as your first one” Esteban asks.
“Well, technically it wasn't either of you's first one but- you got me, I hope.”
“Yes, Estie, don't worry. Honestly, it felt like my first. Even if it lasted very short.”
“Oh, Jack. I'm sorry you had to retire so soon. Believe me, no one has gone off track more than me this weekend, so I totally get it.”
“Well, at least you finished the race, Ollie. Good job, buddy.”
“Thank you!”

Esteban shifts further on the sofa, leaving some space for Jack to sit next to them and asks him about the fans.
“I think they were a bit disappointed. But I still felt the immense affection towards me. They were cheering for me and yelling happily even after the race. It was a real shame, though. Perhaps I would have been stronger here in Melbourne if we had started the season in Bahrain like in previous years. I guess it wasn't meant to be.”
“No, Jack, don't talk like that! You saw how many people didn't finish the race. I get that it was your home race, but this doesn't speak of your qualities. I'm sure you'll show everyone your worth in a normal race. Got it?”
Jack smiles shyly but still feels a faint shadow on his back.
“Thank you, Ollie. I only hope they think the same of you.”
“Alpine knows your value, Jack. I heard the team rave about you after we agreed not to renew my contract: they were very happy about you, and I know they will help you reach your best form.”
Jack's eyes sparkle, but his smile doesn't match his expression.

“I'll talk to Franco” Oliver blurts out of nowhere.
Jack looks like a deer in the car lights, eyes wide and a shocked expression.
“You… why? How do you…?”
“I'm sad that he doesn't have a seat this year: we got along great in the last season, he's a nice guy. But this has nothing to do with your seat. I've read some posts on social media, and it's not fair to you, Jack. Therefore, I'm talking to him.”
Jack takes some time to reply, but in the end, he closes his eyes with a sigh.
“Thank you, Ollie.”

“What does Pierre say about it? Did you two talk after the race?” Esteban chimes in.
“Pierre told me not to worry and that he has my back. It was nice to hear that, even though he doesn't have the final say.”
Oliver smiles. “I'm glad to hear that.”
“We didn't talk much today, though: he told me it was a difficult race for everyone, with many drivers out, so my DNF wasn't a big deal. And he told me the next time we'll score points cause the car is good this year and I am a good driver. He was kind and helpful despite being quite pissed about his race. I think he went to vent after talking to me.”
“I guess I'll talk to him, then. Don't get me wrong: I enjoy spending time with you, Jack, but I need to be sure that Pierre will help you when I can't. He can't leave you like that because his race went badly. He's got plenty of experience to handle a bad race, he should have focused on you.”
“No, please, Esteban” Jack pleads, taking the older driver's hands in his own. “Let this slide, please: I don't want you two to argue, and more importantly, I don't want to be the butt of it.”
Esteban meets Jack's shiny eyes. He swallows and smiles: he didn't think the banter between him and Pierre had affected the Aussie this much, but he's more than willing to let it go for the younger's sake. “Fine.”
He then spreads his arms. “Come here, Jack. I'm sure Pierre hasn't given you a proper comforting hug after today.”
Jack moves closer and embraces Esteban, calming down immediately.
“Yay! Bear hug!” Oliver shouts before joining them in a friendly hug.

GABRIEL

Yesterday's great performance was completely washed away by the end of today's race. Reaching Q2 in what should have been the worst car on the grid as a rookie and beating his more experienced teammate was a nice calling card for Gabriel in the adult world of F1. Unfortunately, the wet race claimed its victims, especially among the rookies, and he was one of many retirements in this season opener. Everyone in the team was still raving about his mega work in the car on the track, but not finishing the race was a bigger blow than Gabriel expected.
“Hey, buddy! Can I talk to you?”
The Brazilian looks up from his lap to meet his teammate's sparkling green eyes. Nico, Hulk, has been really supportive and friendly in their first weeks as teammates, and Gabriel has sometimes thought of him as his grid dad. The thought sometimes makes him cringe, especially when he sees Nico with his real daughter and notices the many obvious differences between said daughter and Gabriel. However, he's sure Hulk knows even better how to deal with him after a bad race since he's a father.
“Sure, man! Take a seat!”

Nico sits in front of Gabriel and smiles sympathetically.
“I know that probably it is not at the top of your wishes right now, but I'd like it if you could come to the mini party we're having this evening with the team. I've been in your position many times, so I understand if you don't want to be cheerful and happy after not finishing the race, but I hope you will at least listen to me.”
Gabriel nodded along with Nico's words, and he's fine with listening to his older teammate. He's sure even in moments like these, when they are not discussing cars or strategies, he can learn something from the other man's experience.
“You did great this weekend. Running out of the track because of the rain and the tricky conditions we were in doesn't affect your performance, nor the fans' impression of you. Yesterday's quali was amazing: beating me and the golden rookies of Mercedes and RedBull didn't go unnoticed, believe me. As for today, if even Fernando Alonso, two-time world champion and F1 driver since before you were born, also met your same destiny, it could have gone wrong for anyone. You have to consider your inexperience, Gabriel: you still have a lot to understand and live before having the full picture. My advice is to quickly erase from today the negatives you can't work on, remember where you or the car can improve and work on it, and take in with both hands the many positives we had this weekend as a team and the personal ones. Got it?”
Gabriel nods understandingly and smiles.
“Okay, Nico. Thank you for speaking with me!”
“For so little! It's been a pleasure. You have to excuse me, though: I'm not that used to being teammates with new drivers, I'm a bit rusty. Feel free to ask me whatever you want. If I can help, I surely will.”
“Thanks.”

“As for the other thing, I'd be happy if you can come at tonight's small party. The team is also over the moon with your performance: your work has played a big role in these first few months' improvement. Besides, sometimes the best you can do to forget about the negatives is to do something else. Don't drink too much, though! Believe me: starting a race week with a hangover is not as helpful as it looks. I know you're young and will probably end up doing it sooner or later – I'm not blaming you: we have all been young and wild… there's a lot of anecdotes I could tell you, but I'll save that for another time.”
Gabriel laughs wildly at Nico's words. The young Brazilian is really glad the other man has reached out to him.
“I'm sorry for the long spiel, but I had to tell you in quality of the older teammate.”
Nico looks up over Gabriel's shoulder and smiles. “Speaking of old drivers, I think your mentor has arrived to check on you. I'll leave you to him, then.”

Hulk stands up and heads over to the other driver.
“Nico, great race today, huh?” the other says while shaking hands with the German.
“Thanks, Fernando! Yes, it was totally unexpected, but I'm so happy.”
“And they said we're too old for this job. Pfff! How's my rookie?”
The two turn towards Gabriel, who smiles embarrassed and hints at a wave with his hand.
“He's really good. He probably needs more reassurance after his DNF, but I think he will recover quickly.”
“Thanks, man! And be careful: I'll make sure to finish ahead of you next time.”
“Well, I guess we'll see” Nico laughs as he leaves Fernando to his teammate.

“Gabi, come here! I've heard great things about you this weekend!”
The Brazilian stands up and reaches the older driver.
“Thanks, Nando! I think it wasn't our race, though.”
“Oh, don't worry, kiddo! There are plenty of races this season. I'm sure our time will come! But now, come with me: I have something to show you.”
Fernando takes Gabriel's arm and walks with him towards the pit lane. They reach the pit wall, and the people start screaming with joy as they spot them.
Gabriel turns towards Fernando, confused.
“Wait… what is this? Why are they cheering? Why are they still here?”
“Some fans usually stay a bit longer to wait for the main crowd to dissipate, and sometimes, if they're lucky, a few drivers get out from their garage and wave at them. Try it!”
Fernando's expression is happy despite his DNF and the rain, so Gabriel decides to give in.
As the young driver raises a hand and waves to the crowd, a cheer erupts from the stands. People go crazy just for this?
“This is for me?” Gabriel asks in awe.
“Yes, Gabi. Just for you, you better get used to it. People won't stop cheering for you just because of an unfortunate retirement. Especially in your first race and in this rain. Your fans won't stop being there for you: remember this!”
Gabriel's eyes sparkle with emotion, and Fernando decides to join him with his hand. The crowd explodes again, making the two laugh with joy.

KIMI

“It was incredible!”
Everyone in the Mercedes garage is elated and cheerful. It's been a couple of difficult years, especially the last one, with the Lewis affair and the undriveable car in the first half of the season. Kimi sees the joy and pride in everyone's eyes but secretly knows that the happiest in the whole team is himself. He didn't think he could finish fifth after a disappointing weekend. Starting sixteenth in a Mercedes was a shock, even though it was his first F1 race, and he's still 18. Luckily, the rain helped him, and the race setup was perfect, allowing him to make up positions in the race and cross the finish line in fourth. Fifth with the penalty, but that doesn't affect his result.
His dad and sister had travelled down to Australia with him, and that made everything perfect.
“Kimi, mega job in the car today!” Toto says to him before giving him a tight hug. Kimi should probably remind the man he's just a tiny boy when his boss is a 1,90m man with two impressive broad shoulders.
“Thank you, Toto. The car was fantastic, I'm very happy.”
“As you should be!”
A wild applause announces George's return from the post-podium interviews. The whole garage starts cheering and chanting the other's name. After an unimpressive Friday, George's great qualifying has raised hopes for the race. Kimi is sure that no one would have expected such a race, in general, and for them.

When the two drivers are finally alone to share their feelings and sensations about the race and the car, George welcomes him with a big smile.
“Kimi! You've been incredible today! That was an impressive comeback! Where did you learn that?”
Kimi laughs and returns George's hug before replying happily.
“Wow! It's been a tough race.”
“Definitely! Keeping the car on track was difficult enough, but you also delivered all those overtakes.”
“Thank you, George. You and the whole team have helped me so much in these first weeks here.”
“And you repaid us with such an amazing performance! Did they tell you about tonight's party? You need to come: you were part of this amazing result!”

The boy smiles shyly. His coach has told him about the party, but Kimi isn't sure if he can handle all the people and the chaos after such a race.
“I don't know if you're a party animal, but I assure you there are many drivers who are not, so you don't have to feel ashamed. In any case, it won't be a huge thing: we need to stay focused on the next race, so it won't be anything exceptional. And you can leave whenever you want: I probably won't stay that much either.”
Kimi feels reassured and nods happily.
“Okay, I'll be there. Thank you, George.”

LIAM

Even though he's technically no longer a rookie, these first weeks behind the wheel of a RedBull have made Liam wonder if he probably is. Aside from the shrieking difference between the two sister teams, it's been clear at first glance that this is the bigger one. Max Verstappen is just the tip of the iceberg in dealing with the whole RedBull world. As his predecessors said, and as he witnessed with his own eyes last year in Visa Cash App Racing Bull Team – he was so excited to drive in F1 that he even learned the whole stupid name – the most difficult person to deal with isn't his bulky and very strong teammate.
It's Helmut Marko.
Last year, he dreaded the old man's attitude towards Checo, but Liam always lied to himself that it had to do with the Mexican's poor performances. Now he realises that was all bullshit: Marko is really a shit to deal with. He doesn't know how Christian can stand him after so many years. Liam is kinda afraid the two are basically made of the same stuff, only Christian is more diplomatic – as a team principal should be.

Liam thought he was strong enough to handle this kind of thing, but after hearing Marko's words about Isack's emotional retirement, he's not so sure. To be fair, even Liam got a bit teared up when he hit the barrier, sensing the old Austrian's piercing blue eyes trained on his helmet. As if he hadn't been under constant scrutiny from everyone even before the first race here in Melbourne.
It's only March, and he already feels like he has let everyone around him down. The fact that Kimi put in a mega job and a great recovery in today's race didn't help.

After finishing the briefing, he went to his driver room, but hearing the celebrations inside the garage over Max's second place didn't help him calm down, so he's now hiding under an unbranded umbrella in the middle of the paddock, his eyes scanning the rest of the garages. He suddenly misses the cosy, relaxed mood of the Visa Cash App Racing Bull Team, where his mistakes weren't pointed out with harsh criticism and expectations were high but not unattainable.

Lost in his thoughts, Liam doesn't realise he's walking toward someone until he hits them with his umbrella.
“Sorry! I was a bit… sorry!”
“Liam!” the other man replies, and the Kiwi sees he has bumped into Alex.
“Oh, Alex, sorry. I was lost in my head, I didn't see you.”
“Don't worry! It was nothing.”
“Oh, by the way! Great race, mate! You did so well today. I bet everyone at Williams is elated!”
“Thanks, man. Yes, I'm so excited now. And you? Don't tell me they're already at your throat!”
Liam doesn't answer. Apparently, he doesn't need to.
“Of course, how could I forget! Well, I'm sorry to break it for you, but I spoke a lot with Pierre and Checo, and believe me: we all wanted someone to be honest with us from the beginning and not sugarcoat it as everyone else did. It only gets worse, so prepare yourself and make your skin thick if you want to resist. They'll drain all your energy – as if we had any left after an exhausting race – so cut as much social media as you can: online fans are horrible. And, please, try to please Marko as much as you can. Of course, don't change yourself for him – he doesn't deserve it – but make sure you don't end up soon and repetitively on his blacklist. Christian is good at dealing with him, but only to a certain extent.”
“I think I need a moment, Alex.”
“Oh, sorry Liam. Too much information, I guess. Come with me: let's have a tea or something in my driver room! People at Williams will understand.”

The two drivers return to the pits, and Alex sneaks Liam into his room. The silence is broken only by the boiling water in the kettle.
Liam sips a few times and swallows the warm liquid, feeling instantly better.
“I know you're friends with Yuki” he blurts out, suddenly. “I'm sorry RedBull didn't give him a chance, but I thought if I could prove my worth, he probably wouldn't be irritated by my promotion.”
Alex lets slip a small smile.
“Yuki isn't mad at you, Liam. He's mad at that scumbag of your second-in-command, who still lives in the past centuries and thinks he can make statements about one's performance if one wasn't born on the right continent. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't hire Yuki because of his birthplace. You should be careful too: I don't know what he thinks of Kiwis. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even know New Zealand is a real country.”
Liam looks horrified at Alex's implications. The thought that he got promoted because of racism is making him sick.
“Sorry, Liam. I didn't mean to speak to you like this. I just can't stand the man. I'm sure they would never have hired you if you weren't fast and good enough. I didn't mean to say you didn't deserve the promotion. After all, they hired a half-Thai and a Mexican before you. So, if you hadn't been good, I guess being Japanese wasn't a big deal to Yuki. I believe we didn't come here to talk about him, though: you're on the front lines now, fighting against RedBull's higher-ups. And you need all the support possible.”
“Thank you, Alex. For helping me even though you probably wanted Yuki in my place.”
“I think we should stop talking about Yuki, Liam. I really hope he gets out of that toxic environment as soon as possible. I can name one or two drivers who have benefited from changing air. But the one in the eye of the storm is you now, so let me focus on you.”
Liam can't reply, stuck by Alex's selfless attitude towards him. What did he do to deserve this?

“I've been in your exact position a few years ago, Liam. I know the feeling” Alex says, almost reading his mind.
“This is only the first race, and the rain made the track slippery and almost impossible to drive, especially when you're in a new car. People will gloss over it, at least online. You need to erase this weekend from your memory completely, cause your bosses won't. Take it as a test of what a race weekend at RedBull is like: your new race engineer, the mechanics, Christian and everything else. Now that you have this knowledge, the next race will be smoother.”
Alex chuckles. “Sorry, I think Carlos's influence has been stronger than I thought.”
The last comment makes Liam laugh too.
“See? You just need to divert your attention from the negatives and focus on the things that help you. In China, you'll have fewer variables to consider: the new team won't be new anymore, and you'll be able to focus more on racing.”
Liam's phone rings, breaking the quiet mood Alex's last words had instilled in the younger driver. Christian's name appears on the screen.
“One more thing: never, ever, for any reason, miss one of Christian's calls. Most of the time he's with Marko, and they want you to be somewhere. Marko doesn't usually call: he lets Horner do this sort of things. You better take it.”
“Yeah, I noticed” Liam replies with a half smile before swiping the call button.
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes, I'll be there in a bit.”

Liam turns off his phone and turns to Alex.
“Duty calls, I guess. Thanks for the tea, Alex. And for your support. Really.”
“Duty! Let's prove them wrong!”