‘Nathan actually looked happy for once in his life. You made his whole year.’
‘Who gives a fuck about him? We did it, not him!’ I probably shouldn’t be saying that too loud when there are so many cameras around, but who cares what he feels when it’s all about the money for him and I just bought him in a shit tonne.
‘I can’t believe my boyfriend is a world champion. How lucky am I?’
‘You, lucky? It’s me that’s lucky, I couldn’t have done without that big analytical brain of yours and your velvet voice.’
‘Velvet voice huh?’ I want to lean into him and kiss him, but we’re probably pushing our luck already. This is Abu Dhabi after all.
‘I have to get to cool-down, but go get all wrapped up here so we can leave tonight.’ We have a grand European break with our closest friends to attend. He shoots me a captain salute and because there’s still press around I have to laugh him off before I make my way to find Harper and Elijah.
I don’t even remember what I say when I’m interviewed. I’ll watch it back on a sports channel at some point this week. I hope I’d stopped crying by that point. But standing on that podium, the German national anthem playing behind me as I receive the ultimate accolade in racing? That’s not something I’ll ever forget.
There’s a thick, fresh batch of tears dripping down my face as I raise the trophy for the whole world to see. It’s mine. I get to take it home. Maybe I’ll actually go home, to Germany. Maybe it’s time to make a place for myself there too.
I did it though, I made it to the top in the hardest season of my life. I never gave up, no matter how much I really wanted to at some points. On the days when I didn’t think I’d get out of bed, on the track when I couldn’t keep up with the car, at Harper’s wedding when everything fell apart. This never felt possible on any of those days and yet I persevered and here I am.
Harper slams a bottle of champagne on the floor and the spray of it going everywhere pulls me from the top of the podium. They drench me, before I even open my own bottle and glug a hefty amount. It is my celebration after all. I spray my team, all the engineers, analysts, strategists, Nathan and of course, Caleb. Everyone cheers and whoops and screams my name. We get photos with our trophies and then it’s time to go speak to the press and celebrate.
‘Don’t forget, we have to be at the airfield at 10 p.m., so keep the answers short and sweet, okay?’
A member of the team guides me from press station to press station, giving me a quick brief of who which interview is with so I can moderate my answers, but at this point they’re all asking the same thing. ‘How does it feel to be world champion?’ I’m not even sure what answer I haven’t used at this point. I try to find as many different words as possible for amazing and incredible, but without a thesaurus I’m slowly running out.
‘There was a point in the season when you were struggling to stay in the points and it looked like Harper was going to race home with the championship, can you pinpoint what changed to bring you back into the game?’ Beth from Sky Sports asks.
That was the easiest question ever, but simply saying ‘Caleb Hughes’was not an acceptable answer. ‘We spend nine months a year in this sport, and I think it’s easy to forget that drivers do have a life outside of the car. We go through hard times and sometimes that reflects in our drive, but I just had to figure out what I wanted and where I was going. Once I had that down, I was nothing but determined to win this season.’
‘Even at the expense of your best friend?’
‘Yes, of course. He will always be my best friend, but on the track we’re like any other competitors. That’s how it’s always been for us.’
‘Your race engineer went viral in Texas. How much of a part did he play in your win?’ I feel the PR guide’s hand on my shoulder tapping me to say move on, but I have to say something. It’ll look weirder if I don’t.
‘Caleb Hughes is a genius. He’s one of the smartest people I’ve met in this industry, but he also really cares about the sport and us as drivers. He went out of his way to keep me calm in Texas, when I’d just found out about the crash between Harper and Nils. This sport is lucky to have him. Thanks, Beth.’
‘Congratulations, again,’ she says with a nod, pulling back her microphone like she knows this interview is over. Thankfully, I’m at the end of the press line and I’m now free to leave. Everyone else already seems to have gone, so I’m finding someone to get me a car to the airstrip so we can get the celebrations started.
I’m not sure who booked the private plane, but it’s the nicest one I’ve ever seen and there are more people on it than I ever imagined. Kian and his sister, who came all this way to support Harper, climb up the stairs, followed by Elijah and his wife, who’ve left the kids at home with Elijah’s parents for a few days. Then Cole and Ash and my Caleb, and of course, Nils. This gang is my absolute favourite thing to come from this sport. We’re a mix of teams and experiences, but we all come together because we love one thing: racing.
The drinks are flowing before we’ve even taken off and somehow there’s a whole catered buffet set up for us. I guess that’s what happens when you put five millionaires on a plane together.
‘Where are we even going?’ Nils asks, hugging a bottle of champagne to his chest with his good arm. I wasn’t sure he was going to show today. I even told him it would be absolutely fine if he didn’t. From my one missed race with those broken ribs, I know how shit it is to have to watch when you just want to be out there so desperately.
‘Prague, maybe? I don’t think we ever actually all agreed. I’m just going with the flow.’ I shrug. I’m sure we’re in for a hell of a celebration, and I can’t wait.
I pick at the food, before being pulled into multiple conversations about the race today. I can’t wait to watch it at some point when we’re in our hotel room tomorrow.
‘How are you feeling?’ Caleb asks as I walk the aisle, half a spring roll hanging out of my mouth.
‘Mmm, bit drunk. But, you know, I won.’
In our seats, Caleb pulls at my hand until I’m straddling him. I’m not sure this is what he intended but here we are. I swallow down the rest of the spring roll and he pries the bottle of champagne out of my other hand. ‘You did, and I’m so proud of you.’ He leans in to kiss me and yep, I can get on board with this. If we could just push everyone else out of the emergency exit, I’d ride him right here.
‘Get a room!’ Harper calls out from where he’s using Kian’s lap as a pillow. He can hardly talk. I shoot him the middle finger, before kissing Caleb one last time and turning myself round.
I sit in his lap, enjoying our little party in the sky, but all I really want is to be curled up in bed with the man I love, enjoying our own little celebration. That might have to be tomorrow night, though.
‘The hotel room I’ve booked for the next few days is incredible. There’s a jacuzzi in the bathroom. It can fit four.’ I’m glad I left him to plan stuff, because outside of deciding to go somewhere in Europe with everyone after the race, I hadn’t got much further.
