Chapter 15: We can't miss this opportunity.
"Welcome back, everyone! Today, we have a special guest from the world of F1. Hailing from Barcelona, we're joined by Suzie Wolff, the sole female driver in F1 at present. Suzie, welcome to the show. We're thrilled you could join us. Your entry into F1 is causing ripples throughout the motorsport world. Can you share how this opportunity unfolded?" The CNN reporter initiated the conversation with an upbeat and animated tone, delighted that this scoop had fallen into his lap.
"Well, Coy, it's funny you ask. This is quite an interesting story. Imagine spending a relaxing day at home when suddenly my manager calls me. He was so frantic I couldn't even understand his words. Essentially, Marcus Kennedy wanted me as the first driver for his F1 team. Fast forward one day, and I'm signing a contract for a race seat. Marcus was so excited he couldn't even sit still in his seat. For me, a dream I've held for years was finally coming to fruition. But then this man tells me I can't spread the news. Do you know how I felt?" She exclaimed, vividly recalling her emotions during that time. "Well, anyway, the cat's out of the bag now. The whole world knows." A broad smile graced her face.
While the interview aired, the internet erupted once again:
@RacingQueen17: "Anyone watching CNN? What the hell is going on at Caterham? Marcus is the owner? Suzie is the number one driver? How, what, why?"
@SpeedsterSurprise: "Glad to see Johnny getting a seat. That was unexpected."
@FastLaneFemme: "Let's gooo! I've been waiting for some female representation in F1. Too bad Suzie is driving for a backmarker team like Caterham."
@RacingDreamer23: "Talent always rises to the top. I know Suzie has been grinding to get to where she is now. We can expect good things from her."
@CosmicRacer19: "Can we get back to Marcus being a team owner? Is the universe going to collapse?"
Amidst the social media buzz, Johnny was back in the car, having just received a stern talking-to by Alex. Manfredi and Mark, the team principal and technical director, refrained from piling on. Such incidents were expected; F1 drivers are always eager, and young drivers even more so. Restraining them too much could harm their confidence, and an unconfident driver is not as fast.
"Alright, Johnny. The track is open again. Let's get out there and try again. Don't worry about what happened, and remember to keep it consistent. We need your feedback."
"Copy," was the brief reply. Johnny was fully focused, determined to make up for his earlier mistakes.
As he was sent out of the pit box, he went for it. "Keep it smooth, keep it clean," he repeated to himself in his mind. Lap after lap, he conducted aero testing, running with aero racks behind the front and rear tires at certain points, collecting data all the while. No complaints came from him, and he followed every request, fully restoring his slightly dented reputation.
"Box box, Johnny, that's our session for the day. Good work. We managed to complete our run plan even with the time loss at the start."
"Copy box. Thank you, Alex. I was happy to drive the car. Let's continue building on what we have."
"Let's continue our talk when you get back. Let's keep the focus," Alex responded.
Upon returning to the pits, they proceeded straight to the debrief, where Johnny confirmed all the weaknesses Suzie had mentioned earlier. However, he noticed one thing.
"The car is indeed rough to drive. But I might have found something when trying to keep my lap times stable. If, instead of taking the ideal racing line, you take the corner in more of a V shape, the amount of under and oversteer can be greatly reduced. If we can increase the traction on the rear end, I think it would be a viable way to race this car."
Furiously typing, Alex highlighted that remark. He would pass it on to the data engineers. If it was something they could work with, they would bring it up later that evening when they discussed everything with everyone present.
"That's good information, Johnny. We have a lot we can work with. Go take a break. We'll get together at 8 to further discuss setup changes for tomorrow."
Amidst all this, one person was glaringly absent. Marcus had been in constant contact with the marketing team immediately after the morning interview. The team kept him up to date about everything happening online and in the news. That's how he learned that CNN wanted to interview Suzie. And that was just the start. Their only current sponsor, a small clothing brand that signed for a quarter of the season, was now trying to extend the contract. With more visibility on the car, "Fat chance," Marcus thought.
They were being hounded by sponsors familiar with motorsport, attempting to get in for a low price while the news had not spread far and wide yet. They knew what it meant to have a female back in F1—a whole different demographic, a market not yet exploited. Possibly bringing millions of new eyes to the sport. And with that, they would bring in new money. Who would want to miss out on that? Marcus was not yet ready to accept any offers. He waited, believing the offers would still go up. That's when another call came in from the marketing team.
"Marcus," the young man's voice sounded extremely excited. "We hit it big. Really big. We've just been contacted by Chanel. They want to buy a large spot on Suzie's car. We're not going to let this one go, right?"
"Let them go? Are you crazy! Try to arrange a meeting as soon as possible. We need a large, well-known brand like them. Just being named together with them would help us out immensely."
Marcus was over the moon with excitement, clenching his fist and doing a small celebratory dance. He suddenly stopped and looked around. "Phew, lost my cool there," he thought, not wanting to show that side of himself to others.
"Alright. Let's reel them in. We can't miss this opportunity."
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