Alaric
For a few seconds after the chequered flag fell, I forgot how to breathe.
The roar of the crowd still thundered around the circuit, vibrating through the cockpit and into my bones while fireworks exploded above Bahrain in violent bursts of red and gold. My hands remained locked around the steering wheel even after I crossed the line, fingers trembling slightly beneath the gloves from adrenaline and exhaustion.
Second place.
After two years away from Formula One, I had finished second behind Nico Park. Honestly, I thought I would end the race in P3 behind Kelvin or maybe even further down the grid, but somehow I pushed myself harder than I thought possible and still made it here.
I closed my eyes briefly inside the helmet as I guided the Ferrari through the cooldown lap, trying to steady the chaos inside my chest.
Goodness.
