Page 22 of Formula Chance

Carlos raises his hand to someone across the way and I see a guy with longish, tousled, bleach-blond hair. I recognize him as Reid Hemsworth, the Aussie driver racing for Matterhorn.

Reid’s a new driver in the series, arriving the year after I crashed. His journey into FI has been unusual to say the least. The guy didn’t just climb the ladder… he practically built his own. He started in karting, like most of us, tearing up the local circuits as a kid, winning just about everything in sight. But instead of moving straight into open-wheel racing like the rest of us, he took a sharp left into rally racing.

It’s a crazy motorsport. Dirt, gravel, snow—whatever the terrain, Reid could handle it. He spent years there, throwing cars sideways through hairpin turns and dodging trees at a hundred miles an hour. It’s the kind of racing that doesn’t just test your skill—it tests your guts.

And Reid? He has plenty of both.

It wasn’t until his early twenties that someone spotted him at an event and convinced him to give circuit racing a shot. That’s when he landed in FI2, and man, did he shake things up. He didn’t have the polish most of us grew up with, but what he lacked in refinement, he made up for in raw talent and aggression. He drove like every race was his last, and it got him noticed.

Now he’s here in FI, still carrying that rally edge—fearless, a little unpredictable, and apparently a pain in the ass to race against. But there’s no denying it… Reid’s the kind of driver who keeps you on your toes, and I’m excited to go head-to-head with him. Last year he won two Global Prix races, proving that he deserves to be here.

Carlos waves Reid over. “You’re going to like Reid. He’s good people.”

The Aussie reaches us, giving me a flashy white smile, and sticks his hand out. “Been dying to meet you, mate,” he says as we shake. “Big fan of yours.”

“I’ve been watching you,” I reply. “You had some amazing races last year.”

“Still trying to get my bearings on circuit tracks but loving the speed,” he replies with a laugh.

The guy is instantly likable—easygoing but with a sharp edge to his confidence, and we move into a conversation about racing. I ask him about his transition from rally and he’s open, excited even, about the challenges. He’s passionate, but not in an annoying way. It’s refreshing to talk to someone who hasn’t been burned out by the grind yet.

I hide the grimace when Bernie and Matthieu join us. While there’s a certain level of camaraderie among the drivers as a whole, some are assholes who I don’t vibe with. Unfortunately, that’s both of these guys, and I’m wondering how much of that is my distaste for the way they treat Bex in the strategy meetings. They openly question her expertise, make snide remarks and smirk at her all the time. I want to punch each of them squarely in the face when they do that, but hey… not my place.

Matthieu has that trademark smirk on now, the one he wears like a crown, and Bernie just looks clueless.

Reid offers a fist bump to both and it’s Matthieu who strikes with the first cutting remark. “I see you’ve met Mr. Comeback. The crash king himself, back in action.”

Carlos frowns and Reid doesn’t laugh the way Bernie does. It’s not necessarily in bad taste to rub a crash at someone, but in this instance, Matteo died, and I didn’t.

I strike hard and fast. “Mr. Comeback knocked you out of the number one car, didn’t I?”

Reid snickers, but Carlos maintains a bland look. Matthieu’s arrogant smirk is gone, replaced by red cheeks. I’ve known the guy for years and he’s the type who can dish it out but can’t take it.

“So, tell us, how’s the new female race strategy engineer working out for you?” Reid asks, and my gaze cuts to Carlos. This is exactly what I wanted to talk about… Bexley, but not the way I wanted it to happen. I’ve known Carlos a long time and figured I’d maybe get some intel of a personal nature regarding Bex, but Reid is asking about her in a professional capacity.

I do wonder if he’s biased against her since she’s a woman though. He didn’t ask about our new strategy engineer but about our new “female” strategy engineer. But before I can ferret out his potential bias, he adds, “I followed her work at Bauer. She was top of her field. Not sure the Titans could have picked a better replacement for Collings retiring.”

Okay, so I liked the guy from the start, but now I really like him for judging Bex on her merits, not on her sex.

“She’s emotional,” Bernie says.

My head whips his way. “I don’t know about that. The only one I’ve seen acting like a bitch in these meetings has been you.”

While Matthieu gets shut down easily when you call him on the carpet, Bernie is a hothead and bows his chest out as his fists clench. “Who are you calling a bitch?”

“Calling you a bitch,” I growl, taking a step forward.

Carlos moves between us, giving me his back and facing off with Bernie. “Easy there, Bernie. You pick a fight with Nash here, you’ll find an exit from the team before you even get to race this weekend.”

“Luca’s not going to cut me out of the lineup if I get into a scuff-up,” Bernie snarls.

Carlos pats him on the chest and laughs. “No, I suppose he won’t. But I’m not talking about him. I’m talking about the fact that Nash will wipe this pretty hardwood floor with your face, and when he’s done, I’m going to step in because Bexley Toliver is a friend of mine and I won’t stand for you disrespecting her.”

Bernie knocks Carlos’s hand off him and I glance around to see that no one has been watching us. “Whatever,” Bernie mutters and slouches away, tail tucked between his legs.

“What a wanker,” Matthieu says, nudging Reid in the arm with a laugh.

Takes one to know one, I think to myself, so as not to provoke anyone else tonight.

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