Page 45 of Double Apex

“I acknowledge it’s completely reckless, Cos. But if anyone could keep it casual, it’s a womanizer like you. And… I need the distraction right now.”

I recognize the truth in what she’s saying. And I certainly cannot begrudge her a “distraction” during this painful time, however much her words may sting.

If I’m to win her, I must be in the race.

Timing. Strategy. Tenacity. Focus. Every moment, hunting for the opportunity for advancement.

And so—despite having told her moments ago that I never say things I don’t mean—I toss the words between us like a dice roll.

“Certainly I can keep it casual.” I lean across the empty space between us to kiss her. “Consider me your scandalous secret.”

The Monaco Grand Prix is nearly a hundred years old, and if it weren’t already considered the crown jewel of international motor racing—the most prestigious, glamorous, and iconicevent of the Formula 1 calendar—it wouldn’t exist, due to its demanding and dangerous track layout. It’s the only circuit with a race-length exemption… 260 kilometers, rather than the minimum-required 305 kilometers.

A street course, it’s narrow, winding, and bumpy, with elevation changes and corners “as tight as a nun’s budget,” as Owen says. It also has a tunnel section, in which the light-dark-light change is a blinding adjustment, and downforce on the car is temporarily altered due to the aerodynamic properties of the enclosed space.

Despite the slower average speeds at Monaco, racing incidents and the resultant presence of the safety car are common. There’s almost no room for overtaking on the track, so qualifying in a strong position and executing clever pit strategy are critical. It’s a highly technical race… and highly unforgiving.

Since Wednesday night, Phaedra and I have spent every possible stolen moment in each other’s presence. Interestingly, we devote nearly as much time talking about the upcoming race as we do making love (a term she loathes, but which I cannot help using in my head). Our communication is curiously relaxed now that we’ve settled on our agreement.

“We should’ve been having strategy meetings naked all along.” She laughed as we lay tangled together Friday night, sweaty and drifting on a tide of post-sex bliss, chatting about the upcoming qualifying session.

“I think,” I replied, rolling her beneath me again, “this is a brilliant but impractical plan. Though I confess, many times in meetings, I’ve pictured you in nothing but the headset.”

Race morning, Sunday, there’s anxiety over the weather, with possible intermittent rain approaching. A street course is already tricky for grip—the surface isn’t the same as on a track engineered specifically for racing, and road traffic means the presence of dirt and oil. Throw in a bit of rain and things become perilous. The tunnel section also complicates tyre choice, as it stays drier inside while the main part of the track is wet.

In the morning meeting, the team discuss multiple permutations of what could happen. Klaus notes—with an expression both approving and a bit sly—that Phaedra and I seem to be quite in tune, jumping into each other’s sentences with intuitive ease. She does a convincing job of claiming it’s nothing more than the result of an accidental, impromptu meeting over coffee yesterday, during which we discussed the race.

Already, after only a few days, I can read her expressions better for having seen them unguarded in bed. On the tail of Klaus’s praise, I spot immediate—though subtle—signs of her relief. The coolness I’ve noticed in their dynamic since the Chinese GP appears to be thawing.

I’ve qualified third on the grid. In the reconnaissance lap, Phaedra and I discuss adjustments to the three systems that combine to supply rear braking. The balance feels excellent, but factors such as tyre degradation and the changing weight of the fuel load will cause this to evolve during the race. The right touch is essential. If things are off, understeer causes the car to feel lazy and unresponsive; too far in the other direction creates oversteer that could send me into a spin. The brakes arenearly as important as the steering wheel in controlling the direction the car is pointed.

A one-stop strategy is best in Monaco—it’s imperative not to lose track position on circuits with such slim opportunity for overtaking. I’m starting on soft compound tyres and will make one stop to switch to hard compound for the rest of the race. This could change, should there be significant rain.

As the race begins, I maintain position through the scrum of the first corner. Phaedra is calm and encouraging, delivering periodic updates on weather radar along with her invaluable engineering input. Things are going beautifully until lap 21, when the beginning of rain asserts itself. Within three laps, a sprinkle becomes a steady drizzle.

“How long might this last?” I ask Phaedra.

“Could be twenty minutes,” she replies easily. “How’s it feel? Lot of chatter about switching to inters. Thoughts, Legs?”

It’s probable the drivers ahead of me will watch and wait too, pushing a decision as late as manageable.

Phaedra and I discussed many possibilities last night. Aside from the team’s plans A, B, and C, we bandied about our own informal plan D (as one might imagine, there were plenty of jokes about that particular letter of the alphabet).

The rain gets heavier in the next sector of the track, and before I reply to Phaedra’s question, she speaks again: “Powell’s boxing for inters.”

“Radar?”

“Not ideal.”

I creep through the hairpin at what feels like a snail’s pace,round turn 8 and head into the tunnel, where the dry track buoys my optimism. I brace for the flare of bright sky as I emerge. The light quality, in that moment, feels more relevant than the weather forecast—the difference between theory and experience.

I tell Phaedra, “Feeling confident.”

“Understood. Ollson boxing for inters now as well.”

“Copy.”

I’m questioning my gut feeling—the rain is quite heavy. But something tells me to wait longer and see if I can stick to a one-stop. My soft tyres are at least better under the current track conditions than mediums would have been.

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