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„Ladies and Gentlemen! My name is Henry Winter and we are live at Camp Nou in Barcelona. It is in my pleasure to welcome you to the brand-new season of Formula One!"
The three reporters smiled brightly into the lens of the main-camera.
They were standing at a big white studiotable, each of them having a couple sheets of paper laying in front of them.
For the special occasion they wore black suits, which they were probably melting in because of the 27 degrees in the room. And still, their smiles were genuine.
While the ground was also covered in spotless white a panorama streched over the whole background, showing the boxes, the start and finish line as well as a tribune full with fans.
„We're up here in our tower with a perfect view onto the stands and everything happening around it", the second reporter, Sam Wallace, continued, turning around and making a gesture at the panorama, „and we are more than excited to watch this special race live with you viewers all around the world!"
„This is the first race of the season, but the second one will be following sooner than you might think! Here is a list of the following dates you might want to cancel your plans for!", Sid Lowe swapped in.
They continued their dialogue, switching between one another, looking out for the production to give them new topics to talk about.
The official season plan, the teams and everything important got introduced, then, having done all the official stuff, discussions about the track - Camp Nou had many straights and slow curves but also some tricky corners -, the different cars and drivers were held.
„If I'm honest", Sam Wallace scoffed and leaned forward onto his elbows, „I would bet all my belongings on Mbappe! He won the championship last year and he will do it again! Just watch!"
Henry Winter shook his head: „Nope! No! Absolutely not! You forgot an import thing!"
He grinned mischievously.
„There's a car that beats all of them - no matter how bad the driver: Barcelona definitely has the upper hand here!"
„Driver exceeds car!"
„It doesn't!"
For a second they held eye contact.
A small vein started popping on Sam Wallace's forehead and Henry Winter smirked.
„What do you think, Sid? Who's right?", he then brought the last of the commentator-trio back into the conversation.
„Oh, I don't agree with any of you!"
Henry's and Sam's eyebrows furrowed.
„But-"
„You know, I think you're both way to blinded by the shining stars that you forgot someone...", Sid explained. „And I just got the signal from the production that we have him live at the mic down there!"
The three of them turned their view to the monitor in front of the table.
Next to them in the livestream appeared a window with a woman standing on the driveway full with people. She was listening to them for a moment, til her cue came and she started talking.
„The lost son has returned!", the reporter grinned into the camera. „Erling Haaland is right next to me! Erling, welcome back to Formula One!"
„Hello", the blond smiled akwardly into the camera.
Somewhere around the globe a girl just fainted.
Even though their mics were cut off, the reaction of the two first commentators could be seen.
Their mouths stood open and Sam even facepalmed himself.
„How is it to be back?"
„Great!"
The reporter patiently waited for more, but nothing followed.
Quickly she moved on.
„Uh, you won the Champions League three years ago, almost missed another World Championship by just three points in 2020 and then you took a year off? What made you decide that?"
„I did not take a year off. I just went to the Bundesliga. But I was still working hard-"
„Well, okay, but why did you go to Bundesliga?"
„Why not?", Erling looked at her, eyebrows furrowed, not understanding fully.
„We heard Gio Reyna invited you to-"
„Oh yes! Yeah", Erling nodded. „We went for the...the 24-hour-race."
„And how was it? Did you get anything out of the experience?"
Erling took a step back to let through a fast walking, very stressed looking Liverpool-manager. Before the race the whole track and pitlane was overflowing with visitors, crew members and fans with trackpasses. It was loud and chaotic.
„I mean...I learned that I like Formula One more than Bundesliga", he answered with a lopsided grin.
The interviewer laughed.
„So you'll stay for a long time? Perhaps not that long with Manchester anymore after this season?"
That was a very obvious trap.
„Uhhhh-", Erling dragged out, scratching his neck while thinking of something to say his team wouldn't scold him for later.
„Hi Erling!", suddenly a figure in a racing suit went by quickly.
„Gio!", the blond called out quickly and the other driver stopped in his tracks.
„Where are you going?", Erling asked.
„Just brought myself a snack", Gio explained and showed the donut, that looked way too out-of-diet, in his hand.
He briefly looked for something in the crowd around them, then turned to Erling for help: „Hey, have you seen Jule?"
The reporter stood there helplessly, losing control of the interview. The cameraman changed focus onto filming the boys.
Erling shook his head. „No, but did you meet Pep already?", a grin forming on his lips.
„No, why?", Gio started grinning too, sensing something bad coming.
„He bought a new suit, with new tie, everything, for today and he took a bite of a hotdog and spilled ketchup all over his shirt..."
Gio burst into laughter, his hand flying up to his mouth.
Erling nodded, laughing with Gio who had to hold himself up at Erling's shoulder before he could stumble blindly across the track into the people around them.
„NO WAY!", the American exclaimed, gasping for air.
„I'm not joking!"
Gio rubbed his eye where tears had begun to form. „No wayyyy", he cried out.
„And now he has a red spot on his-"
He couldn't even finish the sentence and Gio was almost dead on the ground.
Erling couldn't help but laugh again because of his friends priceless reaction.
The reporter's mouth stood open.
She couldn't comprehend that she had been abandoned so quickly and even less how that akward, tall man had suddenly changed his attitude and was now openly dragging about his famous manager Pep Guardiola.
Gio took deep breaths to calm himself.
„No way", he repeated, wiping over his eyes.
Erling smiled, happy he could cheer him up.
„Oh my lord, don't tell this anyone, he's gonna kill you!", Gio added a little more serious, still not noticing the camera.
Erling seemingly also forgot it, cause he shook his head.
„And he doesn't have any changing clothes??", Gio asked in disbelief and started walking.
Erling grinned. „No, and he got so upset, he was hysterical! Then he went to wash it out, but it only got worse-", he continued in the story.
Gio's laughing echoed through the air as they walked into the buzzing crowd.
After loosing them in the mass the camera shifted back to the reporter, who's arms had fallen at her sides. She looked into the camera, speechless.
„I am at loss for words...", Henry Winter said when the livestream quickly cut back to the studio.
Sam Wallace was slumped on the counter, still shaking from laughing. Even Sid Lowe had a big grin on his face.
„This is your favourite, Sid!? Just to clarify it again...", Henry asked, horrified.
Sam hit the table with his palm repeatedly. „Pep Guardiola is running around with a red ketchup-stain! God, what a story!"
He took a deep breath and then got back upright. He was a serious reporter after all...
„Erling Haaland is back from his little excursion into the German GTM-class, everybody!", he announced loudly, chuckling. "We are looking forward to the first race this season. We are Henry Winter, Sid Lowe and Sam Wallace from Sky Sports and we will see you again after a brief ad!"
Their mics cut off and the camera was backing away from them for a last shot. As soon as the red LED light went off the whole studio broke out in laughter again.