Debutant. Chapter 5. Zebra and its parts. Part 1

This novel is fictional; you should not look for intersections with historical events. This is a continuation of “Debutant” by Nikita Savelyev, the first readers of which were readers of F1News.ru…

Chapter 5. Zebra and its parts. Part One

– Dear viewers, there is only half an hour until the end of the last training. World Champion Sam Murphy has been confidently in first place all day; his lead over his closest pursuer is quite large. It is unlikely that anyone will not only be able to beat this time, but even come closer to it. But an interesting battle unfolds for second position between the two pilots Monetti and Peter Bridge. But it is possible that the racers can save their strength and the car’s resources until tomorrow – after all, everything is decided in a two-hour race, and today’s session only determines the balance of power at the start. And with a wave of the flag, everything can turn upside down!

-Henry, are you okay? – Adam stared dumbfounded at the magazine in the newly minted mechanic’s hands.

“I’ve been dreaming about nuts and screws at night, but I need to give my brain an intellectual challenge,” Henry replied.

“Of course it is,” the chief mechanic scratched his head. – Georges on the track. Would you like to take a look? Now everything will be decided.

– Without me. But I’m around the corner. When he pulls into the pits, call me, I’ll be there shortly.

“As you know,” Adam looked worriedly at Henry and rushed towards the symbolic line that separated the entrance to the pits from the starting line itself, where cars were now running along excitedly.

It turned out that in Europe the starting position is determined by the shortest time to complete one lap, as displayed by the pilot during a pre-race training session. As a rule, the drivers only aimed on Friday and showed the best results on Saturday, when they became more accustomed to the track and found the right settings for the car. Now Saturday’s training was just coming to an end – many pilots streamed into the distance in the hope of improving their time and moving higher on the starting grid. The higher you start, the more likely you are to secure a better spot in the race. Something to sweat about. Henry honestly didn’t understand what was being decided specifically for the Baker team. Is it possible that they are losing to the leaders and are “terribly far” or “just far” away from first place? The difference is small.

As for Henry, he sat down comfortably on a makeshift chair made of wheels and began to work closely on his future. And this future has nothing to do with the losers with whom he found temporary shelter. Henry discovered that the prize money that would be paid to them for such an outcome is purely symbolic, and that his share is unlikely to amount to anything at all. The race organizers, of course, can understand: what’s the point of paying outsiders, it’s better to incentivize the leaders by offering them serious sums. Plus, the prize money is probably not rubber. But Henry can also understand: what a pleasure it is to be a mechanic for a team that is barely clinging to the last starting places.

Henry happily leaned on the pile of wheels, stretched out his legs and opened the magazine. Yesterday, after the races, I was so tired that I slept without my hind legs, and today, early in the morning, Edward sent the mechanics to urgently rebuild the car. It’s good for Georges: he’s an old-fashioned pilot, he knows nothing about technology, his job is to put pressure on the gas.

So the announcements are at the very end – the Australian did not deceive. Several teams are actually looking for mechanics. Perhaps it is true that we should rush to Crocus, they are constantly winning, they are unlikely to rob the mechanic either. But how will Mr. Baker respond to the defector? They all communicate closely here – out of spite he will give an unflattering description and ruin it. Moreover, this will not benefit Henry much – he will tinker in the garage at night in the same way, only on the champion’s car, and that’s the whole difference. We need a warmer place.

The beautiful magazine not only published advertisements for racing teams, but also other racing-related vacancies. A British car company needs a mechanic in its motorsport division. Work directly in the factory. The pay is pretty decent. And there are plenty of such ads. There is plenty to choose from. But there is also a problem: there they will of course need recommendations from previous workplaces, or at least ask them to name them. And Henry has nothing special to brag about: he spent three years patching up used cars to sell them to simple drivers. This experience is unlikely to impress the British group or even the Dutch one. Only if you choose the lowest step – a student – ​​in this case they are unlikely to find any errors. Enough for a piece of bread, and at least you don’t have to travel all over Europe.

Henry sighed, resigning himself to the inevitable as his eyes fell on the advertisement at the very bottom of the sheet. Test driver? Tire company? It’s a completely different matter! And the work is dust-free and the place is warm. Of course they will also ask about his experiences. But at least they can be attracted by the fact that he is from America. Say something about his experience with ovals and his excellent knowledge of overseas rubber samples, what if they fall for the exotic? You just need to add something about participating in races, otherwise a three-year empty spot won’t look good. You can tell them all you want, but what if they decide to check? The tire company is serious people. Oh, I have an idea! In America there is a pilot with the same common surname as Henry, but named Harry. What is needed is not a first-order star, but just an average star. By pretending to be him, the risk of burns is minimal; people here have never heard of such a thing, let alone know what it looks like. Spend half a day on the phone getting race reports from the race tracks. Only initials are published. Just wave to the HR department. They will swallow it, they are not an intelligence center.

Henry looked satisfied, folded the magazine onto the right page and put it in the large pocket of his overalls. Immediately after the race and working closely together. After all, at heart he is a racer and not a mechanic. In the meantime, he’ll have to be patient and grit his teeth to do the dreary work he signed up for in the heat of the moment. Judging from the enthusiastic conversations, the training had just ended. Henry reluctantly got up from his seat and walked into the pits. He had to pretend that he was passionately curious about what place they occupied.

Edward measured the garage space with long strides, his hands behind his back, which, given his small size and build, gave him some resemblance to Napoleon. A few subordinates sat together and listened intently to their boss.

– Reaching the starting field is an absolute plus, but the penultimate place and almost ten seconds behind the first position cannot be considered an achievement. But our strength is the reliability of the car, we have a proven chassis and a repeatedly tested engine. Less than a day until the start. Adam, Roy and you, Henry, we need to reevaluate the car’s major components: suspension, gearbox, pumps, check fluids. Not a single detail, even the smallest, should be missed. The race distance is almost three hundred and fifty kilometers, more than two hours, few will be able to reach the finish line, and if we do, we will be in a worthy place. Anything can happen, who knows, but tomorrow we will feel the weight of the laurel wreath. Georges – your task is to carefully go through the start, take care of your equipment, skillfully take advantage of your opponents’ problems…

Edward continued to hum, but Henry was getting quite bored. Today their car lost an entire lead in one lap compared to the first time, meaning they will be about the same amount behind tomorrow. After ten to fifteen laps the race leader has a full lap lead over them. And then another, and another. If you want, go through each bearing, if you want, no, the speed does not increase. Yes, many will participate in the race, but not seventeen people. It will be a real miracle if Georges can at least get into the top six at the finish, for which points will be awarded. What kind of wreath is this, you ask?

== To be continued…