Page 35 of Overtake
He turns away from the cameras as he scowls. He’s that well media-trained. “Head games? You know me better than that.”
I open my mouth to say something that’s probably quite stupid, but the first young drivers arrive, saving me from myself. Their excitement cuts through the afternoon’s tension, their eager questions about racing lines and apex choices reminding me why we’re really here. It’s impossible not to be energized by their enthusiasm.
“Ready?” Nico starts toward them.
“To hang out with kids? Always.” I match his stride. “To pretend this isn’t about politics? We’ll see.”
He studies me for a moment, grey eyes serious. “Not everything is politics and head games, Petra.”
“In this sport, Nico?” I look at him. “Everything is about money and politics. Even good intentions.”
The kids range from twelve to fifteen, that perfect age where they’re both trying to look cool and completely failing to hide their excitement. One girl, maybe thirteen, sports pink streaks in her wavy brunette hair. When she spots me, her eyes go wide.
“You’re really her,” she breathes. “You’re Tenacious P.”
“That’s what they tell me.” My smile is genuine this time. “Nice hair.”
She beams, then notices Nico and promptly turns scarlet.Interesting.I file that reaction away for later teasing.
No, stop it. You’re pissed off at him, Petra. We’re here because he shoved his nose into your business, and now you have to feel shitty becausehe’sbeing penalized andhis teamis being penalized.
But Wyn isn’t.
Of course.
Graham’s camera ops position themselves as we gather the kids for initial instruction.
“Okay.” Nico smiles at the kids. “Let’s start with?—”
“Is it true you punched Wyn Pritchard?” A boy in the back bursts out.
Lovely. Even teens follow F1 drama.
“Thomas!” His mother looks mortified.
“What? Everyone saw the pictures from The Blue?—”
“We’re here to talk about clean racing.” I look directly at Graham’s camera. “And competing safely.”
“Like in Singapore?” Another voice pipes up.
Nico steps forward. “Exactly like?—”
“Yes, like Singapore.” I’mnotletting El Conejo speak for me. “Where we saw exactly why safety protocols and clean racing matter. Now who wants to learn proper racing lines?”
Several hands shoot up, including Pink Streaks in the front. Good. Focus on the racing. Not the politics. Not the way Nico’s watching me with something that better not be approval.
We split the group so we can work with individual karts. The cameras follow us, but the kids’ genuine excitement makes it easier to ignore Graham’s people. Almost easier to ignore the fact that I should be reviewing data from the Driver-in-the-Loop sim. It’s gathered by our test driver back in PNW Nitro’s UK headquarters, and I’m sure Bowie’s cursing me for creating this whole situation.
“Miss Hayter?” Pink Streaks—“Lena, short for Magdalena” according to her nametag—raises her hand. “Can you show me that line again? The one you used in Baku?”
I blink. “You watched that race?”
“She watches your T-cam foreveryrace,” her friend says. “She has your posters and everything.” She means the main TV camera mounted on my car’s airbox, above and behind my seat.
Lena blushes. “Savannah!”
“What? It’s true. She’s gonna be the first woman to—” Savannah stops, apparently realizing who she’s talking to. “I mean, the second woman to?—”
