Debutant. Chapter 10. Eureka! Part 3

This novel is fictional; there is no need to 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 10. Eureka! Part three. Race

1 round

“When will they appear, when,” Edward Baker danced impatiently on the spot.

– So far only leaders. Don’t interfere,’ Sandra waved her goodbye, holding the stopwatch tightly.

Most cars are painted almost identically, differing only in the numbers on the sides, but Edward obviously recognized his without any identification marks. Infinitely long seconds in which the cars crossed the pit line one by one. This is the very first round, the gaps are still minimal.

– Georges fifteenth, Henry seventeenth. The positions were not regained.

“What did it cost me to get them to start,” Edward grumbled. – Instead of once again convincing all the British to put pressure on the organisers, it would be better if I were once again on the shores of Dunkirk.

4 circle

– Push up! A bit more!

Crocus team owner Charlie Rodwell excitedly waved his fist at Murphy’s green car, as if to help his first driver.

“Sam is driving excellent laps,” noted the team’s first engineer. – Soon he will regain a place, look!

“There was no point in changing car models during practice, otherwise we wouldn’t have started sixth,” Rodwell snapped.

“Sam feels more comfortable this way, but he’s flying in the race,” the engineer noted melancholy.

Charlie just waved it away. Monetti is leading both in the general classification and in the race; he urgently needs to regain.

5 circle

“There’s been an accident,” Adam flew into the pits. – Two or three cars. At the other end of the route.

“Now it is clear where everyone before us has gone,” Sandra said happily.

“Okay, Georges wasn’t hurt,” Baker noted.

– How did Henry manage to stay ahead of him? – asked Sandra.

– It is important? Bakker shrugged his shoulders. “I think Georges drove slower before the accident and Henry took advantage of that.” In any case, I am very happy with both.

“Henry is clearly making progress – we’ve hired a great guy.”

– Who said why we need this shady guy?

– A smart person knows how to admit when he is wrong.

6 circle

Cesare, the manager of the Monetti racing team, kept looking at the stopwatch hands in the mechanic’s hands. Twenty minutes, thirty minutes, thirty-five, forty minutes… it’s time! There they are! Around the bend, two cars flew onto the starting line: green and red, Thomson and Monetti, Bridge and Rinaldo.

“Damn it,” Cesare whispered to himself. The traditionally fast Murphy suffered setbacks in training, but the American managed to take the lead. Where did he come from! During the first laps, Rinaldo never came within attacking distance. And why all? Monetti’s powerful engine allowed him to develop excellent speed on numerous straights, but the stubborn Carlo demanded that the gearbox be modified for better handling in long corners. They say that overtaking happens in corners anyway. Only he couldn’t even overtake Bridge. And time passes! Stubborn Sicilian, like a donkey!

Cesare looked around anxiously to see if he had blurted it out loud. What if someone reports to Mario?!

14 round

“Henry is twelfth, he overtook one, the second seemed to be gone,” Sandra explained after another pass from the stretched peloton.

“The race is still very long,” Edward chuckled happily. – And Henry is great, his car drives much better than Georges’ car.

“And the circle is already inferior to the leaders,” Sandra suggested ruthlessly.

18 round

It seemed like Sam took his hand off the wheel on the straight line for a split second to show the head of the team that everything was fine. The mechanic tried to gently ease Charlie away as he leaned precariously over the low fence between the pit line and the track.

Yes, go away! But why not worry: the competitors are moving forward! What a fast pace Bridge has chosen. Sam showed good lap times, but was not yet able to get close to the leading duo.

27 round

Georges returned to the pits on foot, angry and disheveled:

– The oil stopped flowing, the engine failed for a long time.

“During the process, one of the pipes closed and reached the end of its life,” Adam nodded. – It’s time.

“So don’t put that kind of crap in my car!” – Georges blushed like a bundle of straw. How long will I have to suffer?

“If you become less indignant, pay more attention to the car’s behavior during training and give us information,” Adam responded.

“Yes, you know who I am…” Georges gasped with anger.

– Enough! – Edward snapped. “We weren’t tired of fighting each other.” Where’s the car, Georges?

“The same place where the engine broke down,” Georges said. – Do I have to carry it myself?

– You left the car on the highway?! Ownerless?! – Eduard cried. -Who will guard her? What if she gets hurt?

– The better we buy a new one sooner.

– We don’t have that much money.

– I do not give a hoot. I’m going to the hotel.

32 lap

Cesare glared at the mechanic, who was hastily changing the numbers on the license plate. To be fair, it’s not the poor guy’s fault, but Murphy is already right behind him, and Carlo’s lead over first place is growing with every lap. I said it! We need to let Mario know that Carlo is too stubborn.

Should I let Rinaldo drive? Or should I wait? The most important thing is to stay ahead of the main competitor – ​​Murphy. Oh, what a pity that you don’t know what’s happening on other parts of the route. If only Cesare had been able to see how the drivers completed the entire lap, he would certainly have spotted a weak point in the American’s defense and helped his pilot. Like!

46 circle

“Henry is already ninth, three starts in thirty-five laps – and then we score the first point,” Edward said dreamily.

“We shouldn’t jinx it in advance,” Sandra replied without taking her eyes off the stopwatch.

– It’s not always good luck playing on the other side of the field! The same private traders reached the top six in both Monte Carlo and Austria. Why, you ask, are we worse off? According to probability theory, it’s our turn.

– Are you sure it’s a good idea to go to the starting line hoping for probability theory?

– Honey, what’s wrong with you? Yes, this season has been particularly unsuccessful so far, but you know, the most important thing is not to give up and to believe.

– This is of course the motto of our team.

50 round

Charlie scratched his head thoughtfully. Either Thomson found a secret lever that threw horsepower at the car, or Bridge mustered fantastic courage today. This also happens. Before that, the American showed excellent pace.

If there was radio communication between the team and the pilot, like the pilots do, then we could ask if Sam is at the limit, if he has the ability to add power to the machine. And so suffer in the unknown. Back in the day, before the rules changed, in the era of huge, ravenous cars, refueling and tire changes were practiced. In any case, there was an opportunity to exchange comments with the pilot. Nowadays, low-powered light cars had enough fuel for the entire race, and the tires didn’t wear out as much; in extreme cases they were replaced.

55 lap

At first Edward thought it looked like it, but then the bald spot on the left front wheel became visible to the naked eye. That’s a pity! It was a good race. Or a slow flat tire or suspension problems. If you choose, the first is better.

Henry pulled into the pits and Adam and Roy ran up to him with a spare tire.

“Water,” Henry hissed and sucked greedily on the bottle. – Change the second one too!

“You’re wasting time, there’s only two of us,” Roy squeaks from the effort.

“Maybe I’ll win faster,” Henry threw the empty bottle away in relief. – How many rounds do I lose?

– Two.

Twenty seconds. Twenty-five. Thirty. “Faster, guys, faster,” Edward mentally urged the mechanics. Henry watched their work closely, and as soon as the car fell off the jack he shouted:

– Don’t be bored, I’m going!

61 laps

Sweat poured out like hail, either from the hot sun or from excitement, but Cesare did not dare to take off his thick jacket or undo the knot of his tie. Subordinates should see: he is fully dressed. Discipline breaks down at the slightest slack. Mario Monetti himself always appeared exclusively at the team location in a formal suit.

For the tenth time, Cesare sent the senior mechanic to check on the brigade. He looked aside in displeasure, but of course he didn’t dare to argue. Cesare felt the sleepy looks of the team members, ready to stretch out on the asphalt. Yes, we didn’t sleep half the night preparing the car, yes, everyone was tired, but now the most dangerous thing is to relax. The finish line is near, unless, as Madonna forbids, Carlo has to come along to solve the problem. What must we do?

They are now the tip of the motorsport spear, destroying rivals and have no right to get tired.

63 lap

Charlie knew his car better than his wife and children, and with his trained ears he immediately noticed the incongruity. The sound of the engine has changed, a little, but noticeably.

“Sam started braking more intensively,” the chief engineer reported breathlessly. Charlie sent him running to the first corner to observe how the car behaved.

– What could have happened? – Charlie cried.

“Everything, engine, gearbox, brakes,” the engineer replied calmly. “Sam has changed lanes, he is an experienced racer, the finish line is coming.”

– These are very important points, we cannot lose them! Rinaldo is already in the lead. Take a pair of binoculars and look closely at Sam’s car.

– I am already…

– Take this. Binoculars.

== To be continued…