Sure, Julien will be happy to get it all over with, but as they pull up to the paddock together, his gut says today will be unbearably long.
Cameras follow the duo as they pop in and out of each team’s hospitality. Apparently, there’s nothing else for them to do, even though it’s literally media day.
Despite the raging heat of the Texas sun, most of the team principals meet Julien outside. They hold handshakes a little longer than necessary for the cameras, discussing the weather like they haven’t noticed Julien’s skin turning pink over the course of the day.
Once they usher him inside, Julien averts his eyes from the other drivers.
It’s a business. Everybody understands it. There are twenty seats and more than twenty talented drivers. Still, Julien turns away. It doesn’t seem fair that everybody else’s fate rests on his decision.
Each meeting follows the same script—tour, pitch, offer. The contracts range from two to three years, and the salary varies between one and three million euros annually.
Andes makes a strong case for being a French team with sponsors eager for a French driver, but the progress at Wilhelms seems far more promising.
When Pete announces Ashton Marvin is next, Julien stops.
“Really? Ashton asked for a meeting?”
“Is that so strange?”
“One of their drivers is a world champion and the other is the CEO’s son. Yeah, it’s a little strange.”
“Maybe they just want to say they did.” Pete is so American. He has no idea what he’s talking about.
The team principal, Tobias, meets them outside, but keeps looking back, behind himself, at the glass of the building. If he was so worried about being caught, why did he schedule a meeting at all?
In a flash, he reaches out and yanks the door open, welcoming Mr. Gastaud outside.
“Enchanté, Julien.”From a handshake, the billionaire CEO pulls the driver in and kisses his cheeks.
Julien has never met a billionaire before. Well, sans Laurent.“Enchanté, Monsieur Gastaud.”
“Louis, s’il te plaît.”
Informal? But he’s a billionaire.
“Right, right,” Tobias also pulls Julien in for a quick la bise. “So glad we could meet while Mr. Gastaud was in town. Please?—”
For a team principal, the man is very good at holding doors. He steps aside as the other three men enter the building and look around.
While Tobias gives his tour, Julien tries to judge the atmosphere of the place. Hospitality always has a few team members sitting around, either eating or in quick meetings with each other.
The Ashton crew is subdued, almost somber. It’s probably because their CEO is in town and everyone wants to be on their best behavior.
When Julien locks eyes with a furious Laurent, he stumbles into Pete.
“I thought you and my son got along?”Louis says in disappointed French.“He had mentioned racing together online?”
“I thought so too.”Then again, Julien invited Matt to the stream, not Laurent.
Laurent was a pleasant bonus, though. He seemed excited enough to annihilate the streamers who had made fun of him for so long. It felt like a truce, but this look screams something darker than the odd annoyance.
Did Julien run him off the track at some point? He can’t remember battling either of the green cars, though. Ashton and Ferraro aren’t usually fighting for the same places.
In the meeting room, Louis sits at the head while Tobias gives the team presentation. They show off renders of the factory they’re building, their new wind tunnel, and a stack of resumes for the newest recruits.
Honestly, the entire set-up is very impressive.
“I did not buy a team to fuck around,” Louis says with a heavy French accent. “I will win championships. You beat your brother in the same car.”
