(Un)Lost: The art of war
Pairing:Â F12022/3!Grid! x Fem!Driver!Oc
Warnings: DNFâs, angst, a little bit of love, episodes of anxiety, Sebâs retirement, harsh words.
DRIVE TO SURVIVE SEASON 5 - EP. 1Â THE NEW ERA
âItâs freezing in hereâ I said while I was puting my cap in my head, my Williams cap, ready to sit in the famous black chair of Netflix. âThank you Netflix for make this possible, Bahrain is being cooking itself nowâ The producer chuckle.
âSo, weâre going to let you introduce you and then make you a few questions. Everything clear?â
âSureâ I look for a better position in the chair and look to the camera âMy name is Charlotte Robyn-Jones and Iâm engineer strategist for Williams Racing Formula One Teamâ I said with a smile on my face. I saw the people in the back laugh and I copy the action
âYou canât lie to Netflix, kidâ
âI think I just did ... Anyway, 1, 2, 3, Monday to Friday, My name is Charlotte Robyn-Jones, Iâm 23 and Iâm a race driver for Williams Racing Formula One Teamâ I tilt my head to one side and laugh âCoolâ
âSo cool. Whatâs for you to be at the top of the game right now?, obviously avoiding the question that you must be bored aboutâÂ
âBeing a woman is fantastic, except for that thing every month but I canât complain. I have to say that itâs not easy. You can dream of some things happening but all the same time, If you really wanted, the answer is get up and look for your better options to make things happen.â I gassped and look down and to the camera. âI remenber when I told my dad that I wanted to give it a try in karting and I wasnât even 6, he looked at me like I was some sort of silly muppet but then he make me promise that I will do great in school and then he will help me with the racing carreer I wanted. The rest is historyâ
A series of videos of her carreer show up, from her beginning in karts, F4, F3 and her successfull 2021 in F2 finishing as champion, smiling faces all around and obviously a very proud Charlotte.
âYou just mention your dad. What about other members in your family? Friends or even a boyfriend?â I look at the producer with a side smile
âYou guys are really something else, right?â they laugh âIâm single ready to mingle. I donât talk to much about my family, I like to be private about that. I almost dropped all this. My family is my priority and two years ago I lost my mom due cancer so...â
âIâm sorry we donât...â
âNo, itâs okayâ I smiled to the camera âSheâs not here but I still talk about her like sheâs just in the back of the house screaming to the dog for being so silly, sheâs still here and I know sheâs proudâÂ
âSure she is. Just to finish ... Any expectations for your team. Everybody wanted to see you in a bigger team like Mercedes or Ferrari, did you hear any rumors about that?â
âWell, certanly I did hear, but the thing is, mmm, I always believe that If you wanna prove yourself is better to start from the very bottom, understand the little things and then youâll find success, almost glory. Being in this sport is so tricky, like, one day you won in Monaco and the next day youâre out of the points or feeling that all your pasion is going out to your bodyâ I see everybodyâs faces like I was saying something fascinating âThis is sport is like war, you better watch out your back âcause even your own team could kill you.â
âSo, this is your year to discover yourself?â
âYes, my bingo card this year will imply me being playing the art of war that is F1âł
âOkay Charlotte, this is all for today. Weâll see you along the yearâ
âThanks and donât spill my secrets. Snitches end up in ditches, they sayâÂ
I go out of the room straight to the Williams garage. Sure thing is that this year is going to be wild, after what happened last year between Red Bull and Mercedes, man, I really donât want to be any member of those teams.
âHello Ms. Jones, everything all right with Netflix?â My PR, Ava asked. She was in Alex side of the garage talking to other people
âYeah, theyâre like school girlsâ She laugh
âYeah, sometimes. Today is media day so since youâre ready with your Williams merch, we can start signing some caps and cards and then continue with your schedule. Or do you want to start with press?â
âUp to you really, better doing the easiest first then Iâll face the sharksâ We walk to a conference room when I found Alex with his girlfriend and his PR. Last year I met the girl in a tournament in the UK and we have been really close since then.
âOh hello you, my girl and my boy rocking together this yearâ Lily said and hug me, while Alex put a false angry face
âNice to see you Lily and yes, weâre going to rock or better than thatâ I said she smack Alex shoulder
âSee, I tould you she has spirit!â
âI know, I think that everybody saw that video of her running along the track after her win in last year championshipâ
That video.
Well, you donât win F2 championship many times in your life, right?
âI donât know what are you talking aboutâ
âEverybody know you doâ
âShhâ I sit next to the pile of merch with my face on it. Itâs 9:45 so I have time âtill lunch and more interviews.
INTERVIEW ROOM @14:20
W/ Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel
âDonât be nervous, ok? Iâm not gonna tell what to answer, youâre smart so answer like a proâ
âLike a pro? So I can say <<inchident>> or even ask about the interviewers plans for the summer?â I showed Ava a side smiled
âPlease donât and youâre going to be in between, your name is on the sofaâ I enter the room and saw the amount of people organized in the back of the room with notepads, cameras and tricky looks.
âSo, welcome everybody to the second session here in Bahrain, we are here with Lando Norris from McLaren, Carlos Sainz from Ferrari, Charlotte Jones from Williams, Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel from Aston Martin. Welcome to the drivers, weâre going to have a round of questions for this sesion, if thatâs okâ I look at the others who nod.
âHello, this question is for Charlotteâ Great. âWe want to hear your first impresions of your new team, if you have the chance to meet the other drivers and expectations for your rookie seasonâ
I tried to smiled but I suddenly felt like I wanna dissapear and the lights weâre too bright so I put on my glasses and I hear Lewis laugh and how he copy my action and take the microphone âItâs sunny outside so thereâs no need to put the light to bright, thanks guysâ And squeezed my hand.
âYeah, lights, mmm, almost everybody saw me in the car last year when I met the team and my teammate. Everything has been great so far, mmm I spent half of the holidays with the Sainz family, there been close to my momâs family so, yeah, Carlos and his trainer just help me to get in better shape for this rodeo, something that Iâm grateful forâ I fist bump with Carlos and laugh âAnd expectations, well, I prefer to see how it goes after the race, I sent my ideas and questions the past month so I know now that the car is fast and letâs see If we can put Williams on the top againâ
Sebastian took the microphone and look at me âDo you know about engineering?â
âYeah, I finished my degree in mechanical engineering last month, obviously online, so...â
âThatâs impresive, kidâ answer Sebastian
âAm I the only one scared now?â Ask Lando to everybody. Everybody laugh at that. The interview session went smoothly and not many questions were to me, since Lewis was in the room, the events of november where reminded. Questions about strategies and upgrades for Ferrari and Aston Martin and the chances of McLaren of getting a podium this year. After that, the session ended, Carlos stopped me.
âWelcome officially, girasolâ He hug me in the process and we heard a cough
âAre you good, man?âÂ
âSince my friend here itâs so disrespectfull, nice to meet you, yo soy LagoâÂ
âNunca le enseĂąaste bien espaĂąolâ I said laughing to the spaniard
âCiertamente ĂŠl fue un terrible alumnoâ
âPlease donât. Back to a common languageâ I smiled to him and oh boy! such beautiful eyes
âCharlotte, rookie, friend of this guy, fan of dogs, chocolate cake and be on my xbox the whole dayâ I shake his hand and he gasp
âMarry meâ
âIn a few years, maybeâ I look to Carlos who look at me with wide eyes
âI donât want him on family holidays, ten moths are too much nowâ As we were walking through the paddock, a few photographers and fans aproach us. Since Carlando were more famous that I am, so I go straight to my motorhome to lay down for a bit.
What a day.
A few headers on instagram and twitter about the conference
2022 ROOKIE READY TO DRIVE AND BEING A THREAT
CHARLOTTE ROBYN-JONES, NEW SENSATION IN THE PADDOCK
IS THIS THE YEAR OF WILLIAMS?
Mind clear and then start proving myself.
Iâm a girl, yes, but right now I feel that I have a chance to be like them, itâs ny time.
A champion, one ready to fight.
I finished my day with more media duties, to 6 pm I was going to wait for Carlos who offer a ride to the hotel. While I was waiting in the parking lot, the papaya pair waved at me.
âHiya, you must me Charlotte. Iâm Daniel, the one with good looks in the teamâ He said with a smile.
âNice to meet you Daniel, how you guys doinâ?â
âAll good, weâre heading to the hotel, ready to kick asses tomorrow?â I saw how Lando seems certanly interested in the question
âIâm feeling normal, but yeah, letâs see tomorrow. My driver arrived so... see yaâ I waved at them when Carlos opened his car. Daniel and Lando saw the couple leaving the parking lot when the australian looks at the youngest
âSay itâ
âWhat?âÂ
âWhy do you look so shock around her? I mean, even Max who lives in a rock knew about herâ
âIâve been friends of Carlos and I never see her around, itâs weirdâ
âOoow, the kid is jealous of the newieâ Daniel started laughing and going to his car
âMan stop... Iâm not jealous and also Iâm a man!â
BAHREIN CIRCUITÂ @13:45 - FP1 & FP2
âRadio check, pleaseâ my race engineer said. Williams had the chance to start fourth in the two practices after Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Red Bull and Alpine.
â And I thought my heart was detached, from all the sunlight of our past, but she's so sweet, she's so pretty, does she mean you forgot about me? Yeah, yes, Iâm going to send you my playlist for the race, what dou you think?âÂ
âWeâll evaluate that after practiceâ
âItâs not a no, I wil take itâ
âOk Charlotte, 30 seconds to start heating the tyres and whenever you ready, your flying lapâ
âCopyâ
âNow, weâll have Williams coming out the pits to start practice, first our rookie Charlotte, fresh out the oven as F2 champion. Sheâs heating the tyres and has 15 minutes to do a few laps and see how that car goesâ
On the broadcast, the faces of the team principals were on screen, with their expectations on the girl and see how she start.
âOk Charlotte, you can start in the next lap with Leclerc and Ocon in front of youâ I pressed the copy bottom. Here I go.
One thing about me itâs that I brake late but my left foot likes to keep itself on the throttle. A girl have to give it all, right?
âI feel like Iâm watching the Mercedes W11 all over again. Wow! I can see a future world champion, multiple times If she wanted tooâ
âThat car is fastâ said Christian Horner looking to Maxâs engineer âWhat the hell?âÂ
âDefinitely it isâÂ
âToto, even when she brake the car doesnât go below 170 km/h. what?â Lewis and Bono stand beside the team principal of Mercedes.
âI think that your eight championship have to wait a bit, I canât believe my eyesâ
âThat girl is the real Toretto, don´t you think?â asked Yuki to the french man
âI wanna throw myself down a hill to be honestâÂ
âWhat the f***?, which car is that?, I almost get dizzyâ asked Charles over the radio
âThat was a Williams, the rookie, sheâs 3 seconds faster than youâ
âThis is going to be a long season. F***â
âWell done Charlotte. With his pace you can certanly win every race this seasonâ
âHaha, good job to everybody from those in the factory to the ones in the garage. What about Alex?â
âAs good as you, the difference is 0.337âł
âThatâs goodâ
âYes, weâll wait for you in the garageâ
As I parked, I could heard the applauses from my team and the people around the garage.Â
And yes.
A very long season ahead.
--
intro
That was fun.Â
For those who doesnât speak spanish, here the translation:
Girasol: sunflower.
Nunca le enseĂąaste bien espaĂąol: you never taught him Spanish well.
Ciertamente ĂŠl fue un terrible alumno:Â He certainly was a terrible student.
Hope you liked it :)















