ALICE Ch 50

“They’re fighting,” Lora reports.

Alice stays focused, although there’s a tremble on the right that has her worried, and that last straight felt especially sluggish. She’s losing power. They knew this was going to happen.

Behind her, Val duels Max Verstappen.

“How’s she doing?”

“Don’t worry about her, Alice.”

“This car’s so slow I could do my nails right now,” Alice snaps. “How is she?”

“She’s holding him off!” Lora sounds frustrated. “She’s being quite bold.”

Of course she is; nothing less will keep Max at bay, and she must be furious about Alice passing her.

“Alice, I think that Flores is going to box to clear the field.”

Alice’s mind processes the tactical implications. Val wants to fight Max, but Freedom does not. Neither does FUTA. Next, Lora will tell her to box and let Max go by. If Alice hits the pit lane before Val does, she’ll have a chance at protecting her points.

“Box,” Lora says. “Box, Alice.”

Alice obeys.

FF1

Erica Bruhl’s knee bounces restlessly as she sits in the Red Bull workshop with the pit crew, watching the screens with her iPad in her arms. Ricciardo moving down. Bottas, Checo, and Darcy moving up.

Nobody cares about any of that. Red Bull and everyone else are fixated on the battle between Valeria Flores and Max Verstappen, which has dragged on for two laps. Their ongoing game of chicken has given Alice Wilde the opportunity to cling to P6 despite her anemic car.

“Oh! And it looks as though Valeria Flores is changing tires!” Alex Jaques says excitedly on the broadcast. “Verstappen looking toward P7!”

Not unexpected by any means. Smart on Freedom’s part, even if it does take all the fun out of the race.

“Wilde is going in as well. That’ll be very tight when she and Flores exit the pit lane. Meanwhile, Verstappen is only a second behind Kirsi Laakso, who also has not yet changed tires! Verstappen will not think twice to push his tires to the absolute limit!”

Erica wants to chew her nails. Max is driving brilliantly, but so is Lewis. He’s passed Lando and Charles and appears to be holding off Fernando without difficulty. She’s fairly certain who will be on the podium this weekend, but in what order? Max is a difficult man to like, but his driving is peerless. She’s glad that she isn’t in Kirsi Laakso’s shoes right now.

Jaques goes on excitedly: “And that is a brilliant overtake from Faye Darcy, who’s now in a position to compete directly with her teammate for P7, although Valeria Flores isn’t going to take this lying down! But what’s that? Flores exits the pit lane, but Wilde is still there! Something’s wrong!”