| Fan Fiction |
by SeventhStar
Winning Formula One could become the significant factor of the commercial car marketing. For example, Renault team in 2005 and 2006 when they win WDC and WCC championship. Immediately the selling of their commercial car increased almost 50%. Most of the teams in Formula One have a principle like this “We are racing for selling.” Except Ferrari team that has principle “We are selling for racing.”. Ferrari is the one and only car factory that born from racing world. So they use their profit in commercial car selling for racing. Not the opposite.
I didn’t want the mentality of my driver dropped down with this fact. He had to know, we do have limitation here. “I knew you felt disappointed when you saw the other driver’s data. It’s fine. Actually the engine and the car at whole really a big factor here in Formula One. Perhaps you used to be in other competition when car didn’t make any significant differences. But here in formula one, engine and car like have 60 percent from 100 percent factors from the performance of the driver. Here in Formula One, it’s not just about the driver. In modern time, it’s more about the brand of the engine and car. We are just a small team, but we tried to improving.”
I saw he nodded and I knew he understood about our condition. Then I prepared the telemetry board for testing.
“In count of 5 Wu Ji Zun. I believe you could do your best today. Prove it to me and prove it to all of us.”
“I’m ready.”
“5…4…3…2…1…”
He left the garage and in the next 50 seconds he already left the pitstop area.
“As usual maintain your speed below 200 km/hour in the first lap.”
I saw the telemetry board and I knew he followed my instruction. I noticed the way he drove better than yesterday. He should be understand that sometimes speed is not everything in Formula One. Sometimes pushed your speed in the corner is just a dumb action. Beside pushed the speed, braking become one of the main factor in the driving. Michael Schumacher, Seven Times WDC, is the one that had a fabulous left braking ability. Actually the braking ability could be improved by the time you had more laps. Because it’s not just about technical but it included the sense of the driving it self. That’s what made a significant differences between senior driver and the rookie.
“Wu Ji Zun, now pushing as fast as possible.” I told her when he already on his second lap.
I saw the time gap between him and other driver. I could compare now with Robert Kubica from BMW-Sauber team. He is the only driver beside Chun that already on the circuit now.
“What about my lap time?” He asked me through the radio communication.
“Still acceptable comparing to Kubica..”
“Just tell me the time.”
“1 minute and 35 point 352 seconds. Almost one and half second slower than him.”
He started to pushed more. I could see from the telemetry board.
“Remember, safety…”
“Is everything.”
He already knew what I wanted to say. I thought our synchronization is pretty good. Something that I didn’t expect from a rookie like him.
45 Laps. Now he already made 45 laps and I’m quite happy with the reliability of the car. Because the time that he made is consistent. If the reliability of the car is suck, the time that he made will not be consistent.
“The reliability is pretty good Ella.” David, one of my mechanical engineers said to me.
“Yes it is.”
“And the rookie also not pretty bad. I thought he even better than….” David didn’t continue his sentence.
I smiled to him and said. “Yes he is. I could sense from his first day. He definitely someone who has a better emotion control than him. And David, never hesitate to call his name in front of me. I’m okay.”
“I know you are okay Ella. You are a strong woman.”
“Thank you David.”
Once, I ever become a very weak person. Once, I ever showed my weakness in front of my crews. Once.
===Flashback===
I felt so betrayed. Really betrayed. He… my husband, the father of my child announced his new contract with Ferrari in the tv. I have no idea about this. He just left us like this? I mean… he never discussed that with me, with team.
I really didn’t know what I have to tell to my crews. I felt so dumped what about my crew? They will feel it more than me. They will think I knew it from a long time.
I walked slowly on the garage. I saw the whole crews. They seemed so desperate. I knew of course, its our main driver who will left us. The driver who we placed our hope in.
“I’m sorry guys. I also didn’t have any idea.”
I cried. I cried in front of my crew. The first time my crews saw my tears. The first time I showed my emotion clearly in front of them. I cried really hard. My crews hugged me to give me encourage.
“Don’t worry Ella. We knew you don’t have idea about this.”
“I failed David. I failed as a wife and as a race engineer. My own husband even didn’t tell anything about his plan to me. Perhaps he just didn’t trust me. I failed as a race engineer because my own driver didn’t discuss important thing that related on his career. Communication that should be our strength finally turned into weakness.”
“No you are not Ella. Ella please stops crying. We could survive without him. It is just a normal thing when a driver had a great career, he will leave the small team like us.”
“I know David. I know. But could he just at least tell us? Tell me.”
They kept encouraged me. Even they knew It will just bring a zero result.
Perhaps our team indeed could be surviving without him. But me? I’m not sure.
===End of the Flashback===
I laughed in my heart when I remembered about that time. I laughed my stupidity after that incident, I still forgive him. It’s simple because I was not sure I could survive without him. Hana could survive without him or not. I was not sure. But that’s the decision that I regretted. Because that’s not his last betrayal. He hurted me more and more after that.
Finally all of the testing is done. I saw Wu Ji Zun came out from his cockpit and immediately approached us in the telemetry board.
“How is it?”
“Very good. We are still in behind. But that’s okay. At least we are not the last team out there when we supposed to be the last. You are doing great. We are at 6th position from 10 drivers that doing test today.” I told him while checked my note.
He seemed so exhausted. I could see from his face. “You need to do more work out.”
He looked at me on a confused expression.
“Stamina is one of the most important thing that driver should be has. Have you ever look Michael Schumacher with sweats and pale in his face in his more than 35 years old came out from the cockpit? No, I never saw him like that. He always has the same enthusiasm, from the first time he entered the cockpit and came out from the cockpit. Because he has a great stamina. Can you imagine this? In F1, you should do more than 1 and half hours non stop in race with more than 60 laps. And you must maintain your concentration at the same time. Without stamina, it will never be perfect. I suggest you to hire a trainer. Do you think you could do that?”
He nodded and said. “Yeah I could manage that.”
“That’s very good.”
Then I gathered all the crews. “Well… today is the last day of our testing here. We will do another testing is Barcelona after 1 months of Christmas break. David and Max, I wanted you to do a technical analysis of our car based on this testing. And I will resume all the analysis and report it to John. Thanks for your hardwork.”
After that all the crews prepared to go home. I prepared my stuffs. Laptop and my note. I saw Wu Ji Zun still play with Hana. Hana seemed so close to him. At the time I want to join them, Baron came and asked Hana to go out with him. I forgot, tomorrow is Saturday and Hana will be with him in a whole weekend.
“Ella, where is Hana?” He asked me.
“Daddy!!!” Hana ran from Wu Ji Zun’s lap to his father’s arm.
“Remember. I will go home to Taiwan in Monday so make sure you bring Hana in Sunday night.” I warned him.
“Don’t worry.”
“And you know the rule.”
“Yes I know.”
Hana looked at me with her puppy eyes. “I want to kiss Mom first.” Then she kissed me on the cheeks.
After that, Hana hold her father hands and went with him. I cried when I saw her back. I always cry when I knew I will be alone without her at the time she with her father. I forgot the rookie still at the garage.
“Uhmm… how about a dinner as a treat for my first race engineer?” He asked me suddenly. I knew he must be pitied me after he saw I cried.
The problem is I really didn’t have any idea what answer should I give to this rookie.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[Author’s Note]: Nothing much that I need to say this time. I’m not in a very good mood. I forced my self to write this chapter. So if you see this chapter more awful than usual, yes it is. I have to prepare more energy to write the next chapter. Hope my mood getting better and better. Perhaps your comments needed here.
[Comment’s Reply]: As usual really appreciate you who always comment in my chapter. I’m so happy I have loyal readers. I hope it’s not your pity to me that make you comment here lol ^^:
- CE_lover aka Leen: Thanks for your comment dearie. No, its not that great LOL. This story just my wildest dream ho ho ho ^^. I thought it will need morrrrreeee time for her to fall for Chun. But Chun has undeniable charisma ha ha.
- jowyn: Thanks to xue, lol. Yeah… he is 22 years old and a famous enough to have a celebrity gf. I’m sorry I have to reveal bit my bit ^^
- Jasmine: hey jas… your German is winning!! LOL. One of the reason I felt down today but not the main reason LOL. I still have a faith in Russia. Hey hey… I also never watch the real race before (live) just always watch on TV. I’m just too fanatic until I knew detailed thingy. LOL. Glad to know you like it ^^
- Valentina: Iya val, buat poster gw... wakakakaka. I used Charlene because yeah... AZ just out of the date lol. For your question, you should wait.
- aggy: gak usah dijawab lagi ya… ha ha
- charycvbjs: nice to see you again dearie lol.
- xue: gak usah dibales ya… kan udah puas tadi malem… wa kakakaka
- ixie1504: ha ha… all people is Ella fanatic fan here…. lol. Yes she is… she is really a free spirited person.