Chapter Text
Saturday 19th August 2017, Le Mans Test Day 1
After three years, the feeling I get when I'm on the pit apron at Le Mans hasn't changed. The sight of cars being prepared, the sound of the engines warming up, the smell of oil and fumes... Surprisingly, that smell isn't bad at first – I've come to associate it with the anticipation to get out onto this monster of a circuit. Though I wasn't taking part in this session, I could feel how eager everyone was.
Then Nagisa came forward, fully geared up. Rei told him the plan for the first stint, and he actually listened closely. Quicker than Nitori, more present than Momotaro, who also has to look after his swimming career, Nagisa is the team leader, and he's taking responsibility. I think Rei's happy to see him do that too. When the siren sounded in pit lane to start the session, Rei went back to his station and Nagisa got in the car with Nitori's help. The Maserati is a good-looking and good-sounding car. I had never paid attention to it when I was racing the Chrysler, but it's definitely nice. Nagisa waited for a couple of minutes, letting the others spread themselves out over the track, then went.
When he got back from his stint however, Nagisa reverted to his usual personality. He had the sparkle in his eyes, the ear-to-ear grin, and the somehow endless supply of breath to fuel his chatting. Acceleration, slipstreaming, braking, grip through the corners, more understeer on exit (he's happy about that): he was saying so much about his new car compared to the one we raced together last year. He then said that the changes were bigger for his co-drivers, as Samezuka's old Mazda had much less power and much more aero for the corners to compensate. Not that Nitori seemed to be struggling for pace though...
It was difficult to get a word in for well over ten minutes, Nagisa's only pauses were for short swigs of drink, but it's always great to see him so enthusiastic. It's contagious, even. We all know it is. Because of him, I've been reconsidering what I said to Sosuke on the plane to France. He suggested I drive, but I declined. It's not my race, I shouldn't impede Nagisa, Ai and Momo's preparation. Sosuke did drive today, but he needed to, as he is the substitute. Even if I said I had wanted to, Rei and Gou were quick to point out that it was too late to add me to the line-up. And that you can't have more than four drivers in one car for the whole test. I accepted all that.
However, since the morning session, I've been tingling excitedly inside, wishing I had the chance to drive out there again. So when I was offered to sit in the car during the lunch break, I could not refuse!
“It's today or never”, Sosuke pointed out. The seat in the car today is his size, but he's not driving tomorrow, so the mechanics are going to change it. Nagisa, Ai and Momo are much shorter and slimmer, so it would be very uncomfortable to try to sit in something moulded around them! Sosuke and I, however, have a similar build, and the seat was fine. The Maserati's cockpit is much smaller than the Chrysler's though! The roof and window seem much closer to my head, despite the driver sitting further towards the middle of the car. Nagisa put the steering wheel in, and I grabbed it. Then, without me asking for it, the door came down – perhaps Nagisa thought he'd be scaring me, but he wasn't! I was impressed at how snug the driving position was. I sat still, moving only my eyes to scan the interior, exactly as I would do if I was driving and had to concentrate on the road. There's no central console to speak of. Instead, more buttons and knobs are placed on the steering wheel. Haru would like that, he always hated having to reach out for things. I wondered whether I would get told off if I tried to turn the engine on...
Sosuke opened the door, which broke my focus. He'd been watching from outside the garage and said I was grinning. I hadn't realised. How long had I been in the car? I didn't dare ask, I'd have sounded stupid. It was probably longer than it felt! “It's configured more or less like the Mazda”, Sosuke went on to remark. “Yeah, it's like being in a fighter jet, huh, Mako-chan?”, Nagisa smiled. I had no answer to that, I was speechless. Then he asked Rei if we could fire the car up for a moment. Denied, the crew was working on all four corners, looking at the brakes and suspension, I guess.
On that note, I asked if I had to get out. Rei and Sosuke said there was no hurry, so I stayed for a little longer, with Nagisa explaining some of the controls and how the car handles. He was very precise with his words, something I wasn't used to when I drove with him! He's more knowledgeable about the car, yet he hasn't lost any of his speed and his ability to take up a challenge. He's definitely changed. He's more complete, that's it. Which probably makes him better and easier to work with – everyone I talked to said expressed great pleasure at having him on the team.
Right now, it's the night session. The cars are roaring by with their headlights blazing. I want to go to pit wall, but I'm not allowed to. Still, I can imagine it, and it reminds me of so much: my first attempt at a triple stint; waiting for a scooter next to a broken-down car; the view from the Ferris wheel; watching Haru lead a race; just driving and hoping that the car will make it into the morning and beyond.
Tomorrow night, Rin and Haru will arrive. We're all going to the Gala on Tuesday, and we'll be driving some prototypes from the previous decade. But it'll be different to being inside a competitive team. How would they have reacted to a day like I've just had? Surely I wouldn't be the only one that realises they miss the sights, sounds, atmosphere and emotions of an event like this. Though I wouldn't return to do the whole series, there's undeniably something about Le Mans, as Spirou-san said not long after we met him, that's irresistible, and that makes you keep coming back... even after you think you've reached your goals.