Page 68 of Overtake
Nico frowns. “That was different.”
“Was it?” Esteban eases off on the pressure and studies him. “He saw something wrong in the sport and tried to change it. He paid the price but kept fighting anyway.” He pauses. “Sound familiar?”
“What exactly do you think I’m fighting here?”
Esteban reengages the band, pulling even harder on Nico. “What I think doesn’t matter, but you need to stop, because Petra can fight her own battles and if she thinks you’re stepping in to protect her, she’ll cut off your balls.”
“What are you talking about?” Nico resists the pull of the weight, gravity dragging him inexorably forward. This is why all F1 drivers are bull-necked.
“You know what I’m saying.” Esteban’s voice turns careful. “It’s why you look at her like she’s something you need to protect but can’t quite figure out how.”
“I don’t—” But the denial dies at his friend’s knowing look. Nico stops fighting the pull and slips off the harness. “Shit.”
“Finally, he admits it.” Esteban sits beside him. “Look, Conejo, I get it. She’s brilliant, she’s fierce, she’s beautiful.”
“But nothing can happen. I know.” Admitting that sucks.
“That’s not what I’m saying. You just need to move carefully. Graham’s looking for ammunition. Junior’s waiting for you to slip. And with both championships in play, there’s too much onthe line to make a move without being certain of your intentions. And hers.”
“Politics and points. Always. Why is everything so complicated?”
“Because money.” Esteban squeezes his shoulder. “Just be smart and intentional about this. Whateverthisis.”
As they’re finishing the workout and stretching, Nico’s phone buzzes with a message from Carlos:
In your driver’s room. See me before you go to the hotel.
Esteban heads back to the Fairmont, while Nico returns to WolfBett’s team building and finds his father working in his driver’s room.
“What’s up?” Nico drops his gym bag and flops into a chair while Carlos closes his laptop.
“I received a call from Emil Krastev after the FIA decision.” Carlos leans back in his chair, his face lined with weariness.
“And?” Nico braces for bad news. It’s rarely good when the FIA calls your father and manager, especially on the eve of a race.
“And he had a warning for you to be careful about ‘negative publicity’ after the mess at The Blue Wall.”
“What mess? A wall punched Wyn.”
This earns him an intense look from his father. “This is what happens when you inject yourself into another team’s affairs, Nico.”
Says the man who took on the entire racing world.“I was in the gent’s room.” Nico meets his father’s gaze. “That’s all.”
This isn’t the first time they’ve had this kind of conversation, and they both know the pattern. Carlos drops a hint about boundaries, Nico defends his actions, and they reach a stalematethat lasts until the next incident. After all, Nico is his father’s son and always sides with the underdog in a fight.
“You were there, and now you’re covering for someone.” Carlos picks up a pen and rolls it between his fingers. “Graham Pritchard’s calling for sanctions. The FIA’s watching. And somehow I doubt they’ll appreciate the official story if they decide to dig deeper.”
“There’s nothing to dig for. Wyn was drunk and hit a wall. If the story was different, he would’ve said so.”
“Except a man’s ego can be more powerful than a woman’s right hook.” Carlos’s expression betrays nothing of how he feels about Petra’s act of revenge. “Standing up for what’s right is admirable, Nico.” He leans back. “I spent years fighting the FIA over safety regulations. It cost me positions, opportunities, and relationships in the paddock.” He pauses. “I made enemies and, yes, I’d do it again.”
“Then you understand my choices.”
“I do.” Carlos sets the pen down. “But I also understood exactly what I was choosing to fight for andwhat I was willing to lose.” He meets Nico’s gaze. “There’s a reason Petra’s the only woman on this grid, and the only woman in the history of F1 to stand atop a podium. This sport has cracked open its doors begrudgingly.”
“Which is exactly why?—”
“Everything you do matters.” Carlos leans forward. “Every defense of her gets scrutinized. Every incident gets twisted. People are looking for reasons to say she doesn’t belong, that she’s a distraction, that female drivers bring drama.” His voice hardens. “And they’ll use you to prove it if you’re not careful.”
