Lily’s laugh was flawless.“That’s very generous, Ollie.Although, easy to be the star when you’re the only Brit on the grid this year.”
“Oh, come on now—you’re being far too modest, Lily!”Ollie laughed.“You’ve been a star every year.”
A nice little suck-up before the sucker punching begins, I thought.
Georgia audibly groaned next to me, clearly also feeling the bullshit onstage.
“Now, we have some fan questions for you this evening.”He leaned forward.“And after we get through those, we’ll open it up to some Q&A from our audience here.”He gestured toward us with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Lily nodded, her expression attentive but guarded.
“Let’s start with Miami,” Ollie said, all sympathetic concern.“Erin from Austin, Texas, says, ‘Was that crash in Miami on purpose so you could ensure Henri didn’t score more points than you?’”
Lily’s eyes widened fractionally, a subtle twitch—barely noticeable unless you knew her tells.
“That’s absurd.The data showed clear mechanical failure.I mean, in what world would I purposely risk wrecking my car so that Henri might not get some points?Who’s to say I wouldn’t have won that weekend in Miami?”Lily’s voice stayed level, professional, but I caught the slight rise in pitch.
Her chest lifted and fell, and I could tell she was debating with herself on how angry to get.These were supposed to be fan questions, after all.
“Well, it’s good to see you guys can still befriends.”His forehead creased as he squinted at Lily, like he was trying to peer deeply for a different answer.He’d certainly seen that photo of us racing the Beetles.
“There’s only twenty of us on the grid,” Lily said, her voice clipped.“I consider us all friends off the track.”
“Speaking of ‘off the track’…” Ollie glanced down at his notecards with theatrical casualness.“Rachel from Germany asks, ‘You and Henri were spotted at a Valkyrie event together and then racing Beetles.Are you two dating?’”
Ollie looked expectantly at her, but Lily didn’t avoid his gaze.She’d mentioned they hadn’t spoken sinceRacing in Heelsdropped.She’d expertly avoided him, and I guessed this question had been selected as a way for him to pry.
“Well, unfortunately, Rachel, this isn’t aLove Islandpodcast.There is no story or tea to share.We’re friends.”She winked out into the audience, who spared her a few laughs.
He flipped to a card at the back.“All right, this is from the UK.John from Manchester asks, ‘You’ve had some bad luck at Silverstone in the past.The Silverstone curse, as some of us fans call it.Does that leave you a bit hesitant for this year?’”
“I don’t believe in curses,” Lily said evenly, her posture straightening slightly in the chair.“Just like I don’t believe in luck.What I do believe in is preparation and execution.Everything else is just noise.”
There were a few claps from the audience, which Ollie allowed with a small smile before continuing.
“But you have to admit, you haven’t had the best performances on this track.Is there something about this pressure that makes it different compared to other races?Your face is practically all over the crowd on fans’ posters.”
Georgia leaned over, whispering, “Think anyone actually believes these are fan questions?”
I snorted in response.“If they are, he definitely hand-selected his favorites.”
Georgia lightly snickered at the air quotes around “favorites.”
“I’ll let my driving speak for itself this weekend,” Lily said coolly.
“Let’s hope so.”Ollie’s smile turned sympathetic.“All right, next one, and this is a good one.Came up several times in our survey.Your move from Valkyrie to Rennen raised some eyebrows.Some people say Rennen hired you as a symbol for inclusivity.What are your thoughts on that?”
“I was hired because I’m fast, and because I earned my seat through years of results in junior categories.”Lily’s voice was sharp, even, not a smile on her face.
“But did sponsors push for your seat?I’ve heard rumors that sponsors at Rennen wanted a woman on the grid for marketing purposes.”
Lily leaned forward, her green eyes blazing as she looked Ollie directly in the eye.“Ollie, are you asking if I’m a diversity hire?Because that’s what it sounds like.”
“I’m just asking what people are wondering.”He waved the cards at her.
“Then let me be clear.I earned my seat the same way every other driver on the grid earned theirs.Through talent, hard work, and results.If sponsors like the fact that I’m a woman, then great.But it’s not why I’m here, and my results this season speak for themselves.”
The audience applauded again, more claps this time, but Ollie wasn’t done.
