Milton Keynes ... ASAP!
“Come here.” Esteban said, hugging Logan. Logan leaned against his chest, tucking his head under Esteban’s chin. Esteban had his arms wrapped around his shoulders and laid his cheek on his hair. Logan pulled back a little a minute later, looking at Esteban, his arms still wrapped around him. Logan let his eyes switch between his eyes and his lips a couple of times.
“I need to go to bed.” Logan then abruptly said, pulling out of his arms and quickly walking away, closing the door behind him. Esteban stood in the middle of the room for a moment before laying down to sleep.
Logan went into the little room, pacing up and down a couple of times before sitting down on the bed, rubbing his hands over his face. He fell asleep sometime later.
His phone was ringing and it rang and it rang.
“Shit” Logan exclaimed, throwing around and looking for the phone. “Hello?” he groaned into the phone.
“Hello Logan, where are you?” someone asked.
“In France, who’s asking?” Logan yawned, falling back on the bed while the door opened a little bit, Laurent, peaking in, but leaving immediately when he saw Logan on the phone, saying something in French in the hallway.
“Helmut Marko. I hoped you put in my number.” The man grumpily said.
“Oh my god, yes, I did, I just wasn’t looking, it’s so early and I’m sorry, sir.” Logan panicked.
“Stop with the sir, we are not in America. We need you in Milton Keynes ASAP, where are you exactly?”
“Do you know what ASAP means? I’m driving for Williams.” Logan said, still confused.
“Yes, I do know what as soon as possible means, I’m old, not dead and you are still part of the Redbull Junior Programme, even though you are driving for Williams. Where are you?” Marko asked grumpily.
“In Evreux, in Normandy.” Logan said, yawned again.
“You at Ocon’s house by any chance?”
“Yes, why?”
“Someone will pick you up, get dressed.”
“But why?”
“Things are changing up, we need you in Milton Keynes, be ready for pick up.” Marko said and hung up. Someone knocked on the door.
“Yes?” Logan moaned, pulling on his socks. Laurent opened the door and stepped into the frame.
“Morning, is everything okay?” he asked worried.
“Yes, they want me at work, that’s all. I’m sorry for waking all of you.” Logan said, opening the closet and pulling his clothes out.
“It’s all good, we just thought something bad happened with the phone ringing this early.” Laurent calmed him, saying something in French towards the hallway.
“Do they want you to go right away?” Sabrina asked from the hallway.
“Yeah, they said they are sending someone for the pick-up, but they didn’t give me a time they just said to get dressed.”
“Do you drink coffee?” she asked.
“Yes, why?” he asked while stuffing his phone and tablet into the backpack.
“I’ll make some. You should change before leaving. With milk?” She said while Laurent left the room. Logan nodded and looked down while shouldering his backpack. Still in his sleeping shirt and boxers.
“You really have to go right now?” Esteban asked walking in and immediately turning around, looking into the hallway.
“Yes, it seems. Marko called, I’m still part of the Redbull Programme and apparently, they need me like now now.” Logan said while pulling a new sweatshirt over his head. “I’m sorry, I really would have loved to stay longer.” He added, pulling on some jeans.
“It’s okay, it’s not your fault. Can I help with the suitcase?” Esteban asked and grabbed it to carry it down the stairs. Logan went to the bathroom shortly before walking to the kitchen.
“You should all just go back to bed, it’s barely 4 am.” Logan said. “Who knows when they will come.”
“We will see you off.” Laurent said firmly when the doorbell rang. “For real?” he asked no one in particular and left for the door. “They are here!” he yelled back after a couple French sentences.
“How did they get here so fast?” Sabrina asked.
“Well” Laurent started while Logan just stared towards the door “It’s the police.”
“What?” Esteban asked, looking around the corner.
“Good morning, we apologize to interrupt your night, but we are here to escort Mr. Sargeant to the base.” The policeman said.
“The base? What base?” Logan asked confused.
“There is an air force base a little outside of the city. There is a flight waiting for you to bring you to England.” The policeman explained.
“Here take this.” Sabrina said, hugging Logan quickly, kissing him on the cheek and handing him a paper bag and a coffee to go cup.
“We will do this vacation another time.” Laurent said with a smile and hugged him as well. Esteban looked at Logan, not saying anything.
“I will wait outside for you.” The policeman said with a nod and walked back outside while Laurent and Sabrina went into the living room.
“I really would have loved to stay longer.” Logan said again.
“I know, I would have, too.” Esteban said with a little smile. Logan thought for a couple seconds, then quickly hugged him.
“Yesterday, I – I will explain, just – just not now, not like this.” Logan tried to explain.
“It’s okay, see you in Miami.” Esteban said.
“See you in Miami.” Logan agreed, smiling once more before making his way out of the house. A private jet was waiting for him at the base and took off almost immediately after he boarded. He opened the paper bag Sabrina gave him and saw two baguette sandwiches, one with cheese and one with jam, as well as an apple and some grapes. He ate one sandwich right away, together with the grapes and the coffee. He had time for a little nap before the plane landed on the little airport in Cranfield, not far from Milton Keynes. A car was already waiting to bring him directly to Redbull HQ. He should leave his luggage in an empty office before being led down a bunch of hallways into a conference room. Helmut Marko, Christian Horner, the head engineer Adrian Newey, head strategist Hanna Schmitz and Max were there. Max was sleeping, his head on the table and snoring slightly.
“Good morning, Logan welcome back to Milton Keynes.” Christian said with a smile while Adrian pushed Max’s shoulder, waking him up.
“Thank you, good morning, everyone.” Logan said. “What is going on?”
“Well first, settle down.” Christian said, pointing at a chair. “Do you want to drink or eat something?”
“Water? I had coffee and a sandwich on the plane, Sabrina made some before I was … picked up.”
“Yes, I apologize, I didn’t think Helmut would take my request to get you here ASAP this literal. That goes for all of you, by the way.” Christian said while getting Logan a bottle of water and a glass.
“Alright, bad things first. Checo will not be coming back anytime soon. They were very optimistic after the crash, but reality is, that his spine is severely bruised and that he broke a vertebra in his neck.”
“Fucking hell.” Logan exclaimed.
“Yeah, exactly. He currently is here in the UK, he will have surgery today, his mate Carola is with him. He knows that he will be temporarily replaced. His contract runs until the end of this season and we don’t intent to end it prematurely. Of course, we still need a second driver for our team. We don’t really think that any of our replacement drivers would fit long term, because we are talking about until at least summer break. Logan, as part of our Junior Programme we still have some access to you and thankfully Williams agreed on a little trade. For as long as needed this season, Liam Lawson will be filling in your seat at Williams and you will be filling in Checo’s seat at Redbull.” Christian said and some silence followed.
“WHAT?!” Logan asked.
“You will be still racing in Formula 1, just like you did the last 5 races, only difference is that you will be in a Redbull instead of a Williams, okay?”
“Uhm, okay. Are you sure? I mean … me? Why?” Logan asked.
“Did you see yourself race this past races?” Christian questioned.
“No, I was the one driving.” Logan said, still a little confused, making Helmut laugh. “But I’m … I don’t know, are you really sure?”
“Logan, you stayed calm when your steering wheel turned off and you had no control over the car. You have amazing speed and instinct and we are sure you can do it. Now, I’m not going to lie, it will be hard. A Redbull car is vastly different to a Williams car. We have an appartement for you here and we will need for you to spend as much time as possible preparing for Miami, getting you used to the car and such. I’m sorry, vacation is over. Also, I have to ask you to keep this to yourself, there will be a press release this evening.”
“Okay, do I have simulator time?” Logan asked.
“Of course, starting today, the team is already setting up. I’ll give you a little tour and get you some clothes, but first I’m going to need you to sign these.” Christian said, sliding an NDA and a contract adjustment towards Logan.
“I’m getting paid more?” Logan asked when reading the contract.
“You’re a Redbull driver now, Logan. More money, hotel suite, private car. Do you have your passport with you?”
“Yes.”
“Good, take that with you, we can make a stop at the travel office, then they can arrange everything else.”
“Travel office?”
“To organize your flights, transports, travel in general. It’s not her job to plan your vacation though, she organizes travel to and from the track or HQ from where or to wherever you want to go.”
“Alright.” Logan said, sliding the documents back over the table.
“Well then, let’s go.” Christian said, closing the folder with the documents and got up.
“What?!” Max exclaimed “I had to get up to listen to that?!”
“Pretty much … yes.” Christian said. “We actually thought you would say some things, that’s why wanted you to be part of this.”
“Welcome to Redbull, Logan.” Max mumbled. “I’m going to take a nap in my room, I’ll be back for the meeting.” Max said, trotting out of the room.