“It’s raining,” Caleb reports.
I look out through the garage door. The rain is beginning in earnest.
“Copy,” JP says. “Box-box.”
“Copy.”
That’s Caleb’s signal to come into the pits for the tire switch. But the pit crew has already leapt into action, as this is a double-stack pit and Mason is being pitted first. Mason comes in, and the team quickly changes his tires. Catherine’s attention shifts in that direction, and she watches as his car takes off just in time for Caleb’s to come in. The goal is to get Caleb out and back on the track as soon as possible, so a pit stop under 2.5 seconds is ideal. He whips into pit lane, coming to a stop in front of his mark. I watch as the Collings Motors team leap into action again. The sounds of the drill guns securing the new tires can be heard over the rain, and then Caleb’s car squeals as he takes off.
It took 2.2 seconds, according to a comment I heard from the pit wall.
What these mechanics do is incredible. It’s like a hyper-choreographed dance routine, but if one person misses their mark, it can destroy a race.
No pressure,I think wryly.
Now the leader, Xavier, comes in to pit, and Mason takes over the lead. Caleb has moved back up to second, and he’s going to close the gap to his teammate in three laps.
The tension is unbearable. Caleb is gaining, but not in a position to make a move yet.
He finally closes the gap on the long straight between turns one and three. I watch on the screen as Caleb moves down on the inside of turn three, going side-by-side with Mason in the rain, and then he moves out in front as his whole garage erupts into cheers.
Caleb is in first! He did it! He overtook Mason!
Now my attention shifts back to where Xavier is on the track after his pit stop. He’s lost a few positions, but he will start picking drivers off one by one until he’s back at the top. He’s methodical in his approach, sometimes aggressive, but I think the rain will limit how aggressive he will be.
The race continues while the rain comes down continuously, with Caleb still holding on to first, Mason looking for a chance to overtake, and Xavier picking off cars one by one until he’ll be challenging Mason for second.
So. Much. Drama.
And this is why I love Formula 1.
But while all of this is happening, the weather has grown more ominous, the darkness soon enveloping the track. Then the skies open up, rain pouring down even more. Anxiety fills me. It’s raining so hard, it’ssideways.
My God. Surely they have to call a red flag, don’t they?
“Heavy rain is anticipated to be with us for a period,” JP tells Caleb.
“Mate, I can’t see shit,” Caleb says.
My anxiety increases. I remind myself he does this for a living. They’ll stop the race if the rain is this heavy for an extended period.
“Caleb, focus on keeping the car on the track. That’s all you have to do.”
I glance over at Catherine. “They’ll stop it soon,” she reassures me, as if she’s reading the anxiety on my face. “This is awful.”
I nod. She has to be right.
Caleb goes through turn one. The cars on the track are kicking up huge sprays of water—called rooster tails—as they go around, and there’s no way he can have decent visibility.
“This is bloody dangerous,” he snaps on the radio. “I can’t see anything, mate.”
Caleblovesdriving in the rain. Just last night he said he wanted rain today. So if he’s saying this? He’s alarmed.
Fear prickles my skin.
“Just keep your focus on keeping the car on track,” JP says calmly.
Anger rips through me. How? How the hell is he supposed to do that in a freaking monsoon, driving two hundred miles per hour?