"Henry, P3!" Laurent's voice crackled through the radio, jubilant and slightly exasperated. "Fantastic job, mate. But I swear, you're the riskiest driver I've ever worked with. What were you thinking?"
I chuckled as I slowed the car on my cooldown lap. "Thinking? I was winning."
"Laurent is correct," the system chimed in, its tone dry. "Your overtake had a statistical success probability of 37%. However, it was… effective. You are fortunate the gap was sufficient."
"Come on, system, live a little," I replied, grinning as I drove toward the podium staging area.
As I pulled up to the third-place spot, I could see my team already gathered, their excitement palpable. They waved me in, cheering as I stopped the car and shut down the engine. Pulling myself out of the cockpit, I raised both arms in triumph, the crowd's cheers mixing with my team's celebration.
The celebration was short-lived as Liam Hargrave stormed over, his face twisted in fury.
"Calder!" he bellowed, his voice cutting through the noise.
I turned to face him, staying calm as he approached. His crew was jogging behind him, trying to keep up.
"What the hell was that move?!" he shouted, stopping inches from my face. "You nearly took us both out! Reckless doesn't even begin to cover it!"
I crossed my arms, keeping my expression neutral. "It was clean, Liam. Risky, sure, but clean. You left the door open, and I went for it. That's racing."
"You're a damn rookie!" he spat, jabbing a finger toward my chest. "You don't make moves like that unless you're trying to kill someone!"
The crowd around us began to quiet down, their attention now drawn to the confrontation.
"Look, Liam," I said, keeping my tone steady, "if you're upset, take it to the stewards. But you know as well as I do, that was a fair overtake. You're just mad I beat you."
That did it. His face turned red, and he balled his fists. "You arrogant…"
Liam lunged forward, but his crew was faster. They grabbed him before he could get close enough to throw a punch, dragging him back as he struggled against them.
"You're a joke, Calder!" he shouted as they pulled him away. "A goddamn joke!"
I smirked, raising a hand to wave at him. "Good talk, Liam. See you tomorrow!"
The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers as Liam was hauled back to his paddock, still fuming.
Turning back to my team, I shrugged. "Guess not everyone enjoyed the show."
They laughed, and one of the engineers handed me a bottle of water. "Forget him, Henry. That was a legendary move."
I grinned. "Thanks. Now, let's celebrate properly."
We continued our celebration, my team patting me on the back and cheering as we walked toward the podium area.
Standing on the third step of the podium, I felt a rush of pride as the crowd cheered below. Luca stood on the top step, grinning ear to ear, while Ayumu occupied the second step with a nod of respect in my direction.
The medals were handed out, and I held mine up for the cameras, basking in the moment. Luca leaned over, clinking his medal against mine. "Nice work, Henry. That move was wild."
"Had to give the crowd something to talk about," I replied with a smirk.
The champagne sprays began, and I laughed as Luca aimed directly at me, soaking my suit. I retaliated, the three of us laughing and celebrating under the lights.
After the podium ceremony, we returned to the ART paddock, where the celebration continued. The team had gathered, cheering and congratulating both Luca and me on a successful sprint race.
Camille stepped forward, her presence commanding the room's attention. She raised a glass, her smile proud but measured.
"First of all," she began, her voice carrying over the chatter, "congratulations to Luca and Henry. A win and a podium in our first sprint race, this is a fantastic start to the season."
The room erupted in applause, and I felt a swell of pride as my teammates clapped me on the back.
"But," Camille continued, her tone shifting, "let me remind you all, this was just the sprint. The real battle begins tomorrow with the feature race. Let's not get complacent. We still have a long season ahead."
Her words resonated, a reminder that while today was a success, the journey was far from over.
As the celebration began to wind down, I found a quiet corner to reflect. The system spoke up, its tone unusually soft.
"You handled the race, and the confrontation with Hargrave, well today. Your calm under pressure was commendable."
"Thanks," I replied. "But we've got a long way to go, don't we?"
"Indeed," it agreed. "But with performances like today's, you're proving you belong here. Keep building, Henry. The best is yet to come."
I smiled, feeling a renewed sense of determination. Tomorrow was a new day, and the real test awaited.