Chaos on the F1 Grid

Today is the day, Arthurs first race in Formula one. As he sat in his drivers room trying to get into the mindset, he couldn't help but be hit by the enormity of this moment, and everything he worked so hard for. Being a Formula One driver had been his dream since the very first time he sat in the kart at Brignoles Karting Loisir, if he was honest, it had been his dream when he first saw his older brothers karting. Getting to do it himself just sealed the deal and fuelled his determination. It had truly broken his heart when his parents had sat him down to tell him they couldn't afford for him to continue. He didn't blame his brother Charles for it, Charles was older, and so it made sense for the focus to be on him. He also knew that Charles was faster than him – not by a lot, but enough to have impacted the decision. For the next five years Arthur watched from the side-lines, cheering for his brother louder than anyone else, and never once resenting him. How could he? He knew that Charles was fighting so hard for both of them, he had heard Charles speaking with his parents and his uncle, begging them to find the money for Arthur as well. Of course, Charles didn't know that Arthur had overheard those conversations. He knew that Charles had spoken with sponsors about him every chance he got, begging them to watch Arthur and give him a chance. It meant the world to him that even though he couldn't be in the kart himself, his brother never once left him behind.

He watched as the people in his age group progressed through the various series without him, and he was itching to get back into the car. So, when Charles was making enough money and told Arthur he would fund him, Arthur felt as though his dreams were finally going to come true. He knew that it was going to be a battle, he would be racing against younger and therefore lighter drivers. He was also painfully aware that being older meant that sponsors and teams may write him off before giving him a shot. But the faith his brother had in him, and the money he put into his career, gave him the confidence in his ability. Arthur was truly determined to do whatever it took to get to Formula One. He spent longer in the gym training than others, he would pour over data from every session in the kart, and then the formulas with his engineers and teams – even long after the other drivers had left. He followed his brothers example in keeping detailed notes every single day he drove, and reviewing them each evening. Whenever he made a mistake he would go over every single aspect to determine what exactly he had done and how to change it in the future.

Following his brother meant that people would inevitably compare him to Charles, and many people considered him to come up short – but that just made him more determined to prove them wrong. They didn't know what he had sacrificed, or how hard he worked, so instead of getting upset about the comments he decided to let his driving do the talking. He would get to Formula One, come hell or highwater. He would do it for himself, for his brother, and for his dad. His dad, who he missed every moment of every day. It hurt that he couldn't have seen how hard Arthur worked, or how good he was. He knew that his father had been proud of him, but this was different. He also was aware how difficult it was for Charles – though they rarely spoke about it. It was enough that they knew the other understood how they felt. It was part of what made their bond so strong. No matter what the other went through, they didn't have to verbalise what they felt – the pain was shared, felt, experienced by the other. As Arthur sat in his room thinking over everything that happened and how grateful he was for the support his brother showed him, it was as if Charles knew he was being thought of. Arthurs phone beeped and he saw a text from Charles.

Charles: Good Luck today little brother, you've got this. I know you are going to go out there and drive like a champion, because to me you are one. I am so proud of how hard you have worked, and all you have accomplished. See you on the grid, in my mirrors ;)

Arthur laughed at the sign off, it wasn't mean, as Charles was on Pole and Arthur was in P3, so literally in his brothers mirrors. It meant the world to him that Charles believed in him the way he did, and had messaged. He sent a quick reply and then tried to focus on the task ahead.