“I’m not going tocalm downuntil you explain to me why you nuked one of your drivers!”
The three of them are tucked inside the team principal’s office, away from prying eyes, but Matt can tell just by looking that the walls are definitely not sound-proofed.
It’s nice, however, to be on the same side as Robert in this particular argument.
“It was a strategic decision based on our available race data.” Sylvain sounds so gentle when he's talking to Robert. Usually with Matt there’s an undercurrent of ‘Just shut up, I’m the boss.’
“Did theavailable race datatell you our team was prepared to handle a double stack?”
“Your tires were degrading, but your fight with Matthew pushed you to be faster. It seemed like the smartest idea to keep you together.”
“Then box him a lap or two later! I just don’t understand how?—”
“Robert, let it go.” It’s cute to see him so upset, but after seventeen races, Matt’s used to terrible Andes team orders. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not fuckin’fine, you idiot!” Robert turns to point his accusatory finger towards his teammate, and Sylvain relaxes. “They should be supporting you!”
“It’s just politics.”
“It’s not just politics,” Sylvain cuts in. He always needs the final word when it comes to Matt. “It was an honest mistake.”
Robert ignores the team principal, his attention solely on Matt. “What politics?”
“Because I was fired.”
“You were fired because you were talking to Kaas.”
Is that what he was told? “I only talked to KaasafterAndes told me my contract wouldn’t be renewed.”
“If that was really the case, they signed you suspiciously quick,” Sylvain grumbles.
“Yeah, it’s almost like I’m agood driver.” If he wants a fight, Matt can give him a fight. He’s not as explosive as his teammate, but he’s been much more frustrated for far longer. “I tested better than both Dimitriou and Khoza, and they weregratefulto have my knowledge and insight.”
Robert interrupts, “but how does all of this fit in with what happened today?”
“Well, you’re the future of this team.” Matt fidgets in place. He kicks at the cheap carpet—pushing the pile back and forth. “I can’t do better than you, they won’t allow it.”
Sylvain scoffs, the sound mocking. “That has nothing to do with what happened today.”
Robert continues to ignore him, his focus refusing to leave Matt. “You think the team is out to get you? That I couldn’tpossiblybe a better driver than you?”
“If you look back on our entire racing history, we push and pull, but we always finish pretty equally in the results. Why would this year besodifferent?”
“Why would the team?—?”
“Because if I do poorly in the standings, then it looks like Andes made a good decision to not renew my contract. If the team makes a good decision, the board is happy. If the board is happy, everyone keeps their jobs.”
Matt tries not to flinch under Robert’s burning stare. He blinksas he takes it all in.
“When you said you’d be told to give up your position, is that normal? Do you usually give me the overtake?”
He didn’t know?
“You didn’t know?” Matt pulls back with confusion. How could henotknow? “Why else would I drive off the racing line whenever you approached? Did you think I just forgot how to race?!”
“I don’t know, maybe you were testing a new line?” Robert shrugs with his entire body. “I didn’t ask ‘cause I didn’t really care.”
“You’re asking now.”
