July 2009...
Harry Potter was in the Red Bull garage at the Hungaroring, completing his pre-race preparations. It had been two days since the announcement broke, an announcement which, on the face of it meant that he would be able to spend a bit more time with his family
He was retiring at the end of the season. He'd made the decision before Silverstone and hadn't told anyone until after qualifying. The FIA had been informed immediately, as they always were when a driver announced their retirement. But no one else knew what was going on, apart from his wife, Hermione.
It wasn't a total surprise. Harry had started thinking about it at Interlagos, Brazil, the previous year. He knew he could still race, heck, he was still putting in lap times which were faster than his sister's McLaren, but for some reason this felt right. Like the right time to hang up his helmet.
Mainly because he wanted to spend time with his family, he wanted to spend time with his kids, James, who wanted to follow in his footsteps as a Formula One driver, Albus, who also wanted to follow in the footsteps of one half of the legendary Potter siblings, Rose, who was just like her mother, smart as a whip, and Hugo, the youngest of the kids, the .
"How are you?" asked his Team Principal, Christian Horner.
Harry smiled, "I'm good."
"You look tired," said Horner.
Harry shrugged, "Yeah, well, I've been up all night. Finally got my head round things. You know how it is, once something becomes real it feels different."
"You know Harry, its going to be weird without you on the grid, one half of the Potter siblings. Two World Championships each-"
"Hopefully 3 for me!" interjected Harry.
Horner grinned, "Now that would be a headline, but I think we'll have to settle for 2.5."
Harry laughed. It was always a joy to work with him. He was so genuine, so committed, so driven. Harry couldn't imagine working with anyone better. There was no way someone could replace him, not now, anyway.
"Are you looking forward to seeing your family again?" continued Horner.
"Very much," replied Harry.
"Good man."
They chatted away for a few minutes longer, then Harry headed over to the pits. He walked into his garage and saw a number of people standing around talking, including the special advisor to Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko.
Helmut approached Harry and shook his hand, "You made the right call, mate. We're going to miss you at the track, but I know you need to spend more time with your kids. I watched your two eldest lads last week, and I think they have the chance of becoming World Champions themselves one day. They both are fast as hell."
Harry looked slightly embarrassed by the praise, "Thank you, Helmut, I really do appreciate it."
Helmut nodded, "Listen Harry, I know it's going to be hard for you to give it up. It was for me when I was forced to retire. I have a little idea I think you might like. Why don't you stay with us, part time? We can use you as a consultant, or maybe even a racing manager, but you won't be spending time behind the wheel anymore."
Harry thought about it for a moment. His heart was telling him to say yes, but his head was saying something completely different. He needed time to reflect, time to relax, time to enjoy life outside of F1 and he wasn't sure he was ready to make such a big decision. After all, he'd only announced his retirement two days ago!
But on the other hand, such an opportunity to help guide the stars of tomorrow into the sport, just as his dad and his friend, Martin, had done for him and Athena, was too good to pass up.
"Okay," he replied.
Helmut grinned, "That's the spirit!"
He turned and walked away, leaving Harry alone with the others.
"What did I just agree to?" he muttered quietly to himself.
July 2022…
Sky Sports News was the network that broke the news first…
Harry Potter was to be the new Team Principal for the AlphaTauri team.
"Potter, who had been a Special Advisor for Red Bull Racing, and a former driver at the team, has agreed to a deal with the Italian based Formula One AlphaTauri to be their Team Principal from the 2023 season." the presenter on the television told the audience that was watching. "The 3 time champion, who's son James "Jimmy" Potter races for Alfa Romeo, had said in a statement that he was pleased to be considered to succeed Franz Tost, who has served as the Team Principal for the Scuderia since 2006. We head over to Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz with more on this story."
Torger "Toto" Wolff was annoyed. He had heard the news at the same time as the other Team Principals, that the Red Bull group had managed to get one of the most prolific drivers on the 2009 grid to be the Team Principal for their secondary team.
In a way, he'd happily hand it to Dietrich Mateschitz and Helmut Marko. His fellow Austrians had played a blinder, grooming the oldest of the Potter siblings by having him as their special advisor following his retirement from racing, the voice of experience for the Red Bull Junior Team. A team which had, at one stage, groomed the current Champion, Max Verstappen.
He'd also hand it to Harry Potter. By staying loyal to his former team over the years, working with them as an advisor, he'd had a good payoff. What's more, by getting his son signed with the Sauber Academy instead of Marko's Red Bull programme, he'd avoided accusations of bias.
Wolff knew that the Potter family was financially well off, having put three generations of Potters through driver programmes, and getting good landings for two of those Potters, the Italian team would have a good 2023 season, compared to the likes of Williams, or even Haas.
Thinking about the issues he had raised about the Red Bull budget cap breaches with the FIA, he knew he'd have to step carefully with this news…
…and maybe hire a new special advisor for the Junior Team.
"We welcome you to the blistering heat, here at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France, for what promises to be an exciting weekend. The shocks have already started this morning with the news that former Red Bull driver and special advisor to their Junior Programme, Harry Potter, has agreed to be the new Team Principal for the AlphaTauri team. Welcome to Formula 2, and we've reached round 9 of the season…"
The screen showed the track layout and was talking about the various happenings in 2019 and 2021.
"And side by side with your teammate, James "Jimmy" Potter made a brilliant overtake on turns 10 and 11 last year up against Théo Pourchaire, the now Alfa Romeo driver going on for the 2nd place in the feature race."
Jimmy was watching the preparations that his former Formula 2 team had been making to the car of Théo Pourchaire, a few minutes to go until the practice session was set to begin, when he heard his Team Principal, Frédéric Vasseur, call him to the back of the garage.
"I just wanted to check on you kid." Vasseur said, "It's been a couple of weeks since your crash, and I know that you've been talking to Valtteri and to your dad and your aunt, as well as putting in a fair bit of simulator time and keeping up with the training. I just want to know if there's anything we need to do?"
"I... I'm just looking forward to getting out on the track and giving it a go." Jimmy said, glad of the support that he had been having. "I mean, the doc has declared me fit, and George has been taking time out to talk to me as well. I've been watching the tapes of my last few races with the strategy team and Al, finding where I could better myself."
Sighing, Jimmy looked at his boss. "I…I think it helps that everyone has been so supportive you know, and I'm… I'm happy to race."
"That's good to hear. Anyway, I have a surprise for you might like."
Turning around, the rear door of the Alfa Romeo garage that ART were using opened, and a blonde bullet headed straight for him.
"Lis?"
The next day…
Harry was sitting in the studio that Sky Sports had brought to the Circuit Paul Ricard, watching as the camera crew were doing the final set up before they did the live segment discussing the previous days news.
Trying to get comfortable on the chair that had been supplied for him and the interviewer, Jenson Button, he could see his wife Hermione, standing beside a blonde woman that was his new spokeswoman and head of Public Relations, a lady called Luna Lovegood.
"How does it feel Harry?" the former Mercedes driver had asked him, "Martin was saying to me the other day that he had heard some rumours about you, but when the news broke yesterday before F2 went on the air we were all shocked."
"I know. Even Athy was surprised that I hadn't told her!" Harry said, remembering his sister's face when the news had come out about her brother being the new Team Principal at the Italian team. "To be honest, I was honoured that Helmut and Dietrich wanted me to work full time with the team."
"I see your new spokeswoman has been doing the rounds, getting the media on side. Well, apart from that Skeeter woman from the gossip magazines."
"Yeah, she is a pain in the backside." Harry chuckled. "In fact, I'd say she's been bugging me ever since Hermione and I had our first date."
"We're live in 1 minute" the director called into the studio.
Counting down the seconds, Harry took a sip of water, ready for the first of the days press appearances.
"3…2…1"
"Thanks Natalie. It's great to be here in France and I'm joined by the incoming AlphaTauri Team Principal, Harry Potter."
"Hi Jenson, thanks for having me here." Harry said, a lopsided grin on his face.
Jimmy was standing inside of the Alfa Romeo garage, watching as the preparations for his former ART teammate, Théo Pourchaire, to compete in the qualifying session for this year's Formula 2 race in France were underway.
Théo had been someone Jimmy could honestly call a friend, ever since the Frenchman had signed to the Sauber Academy. Having grown up seeing the exploits of Athena Potter on the track, the Frenchman had been awed when he had first met the nephew of the three-time Formula 1 champion.
Despite his awe of Jimmy, they had quickly made friends, and had been glad of the chance to team up for the 2021 Formula 2 season at ART.
Seeing Théo come over to him, Jimmy smiled.
"I bet you're looking forward to the Free Practice session next weekend?" Jimmy asked his friend. "Frédéric told me this morning that you was going to be taking my car out for a spin."
"Oui, I had the paperwork come through yesterday for it, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the Alfa is like! Talking about taking things out for a spin, how was your date last night?"
"It…it was great. Taking Lis out last night, it was magical. We went to the cinema, and she wasn't like all those fangirls, trying to throw themselves at me… she… there was more than a spark, there was a connection between us." Jimmy said, sighing, the memory of the kiss that they had shared coming back to him. "And then when I took her back to her hotel room, she… she asked if I wanted to go on another date. Our fourth date in two weeks!"
"Your copine sounds a lovely girl. I hope when the wedding happens, you'll have me as your garçon d'honneur!"
The two racing drivers chuckled, with Jimmy going red. "Not you as well. My great aunt is already planning the wedding you know!"
"Well, us Frenchmen are meant to be incurable romantiques!"
"And what am I meant to have? A stiff upper lip?" Jimmy asked, knowing the likely answer.
"Non, something else instead!"
Athena Potter was happy. The first Free Practice session had just finished and she had seen the improvement of her nephew on the track after the events two weeks ago.
Watching the lap times that he was putting in, she had to admire how, in a way, Jimmy was as stubborn as her brother, yet at the same time she could see the tenacity of his grandfather, the elder James Potter.
But she wasn't at the session to see her nephew. She was there to see the person who had been her teammate at McLaren back in 2007. A young man named Lewis Hamilton.
Standing at the back of the Mercedes garage, she saw as the number 44 car was brought back in. Watching as the driver got out to talk to his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, she remembered the first time she had met the driver who would be hers to mould into a seven-time Champion.
It was the first day of an extension to her contact at McLaren. Her brother had wished her luck that morning, just as she had wished him luck for his first day as a driver for Red Bull.
Despite being on different teams during their Formula 1 careers, she was still close to her older brother, with them pushing each other to be their best on the track.
Heading to conference room where she had been told the meeting was going to be held, she had sighed. 'You wanted this Athy. You wanted the extension with McLaren, and you got it.'
Since her rookie year as a Formula One driver, one in which she had had a fair year compared to her brother, who had ended up taking a reserve and test position at Jaguar, the press had described Athena Potter as a force to be reckoned with.
Having been ill with suspected appendicitis, she had been forced to miss the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, which had been fortunate in a way, as her replacement, Cristiano da Matta, had been one of the ones to fall victim to the aquaplaning on the Curva du Sol. But he had been fortunate, especially compared to what had happened to her brother.
But Harry had bounced back thanks to the support of his wife, Hermione, and the Potter siblings ended up with a spirit of friendly rivalry, culminating in three Championship titles between them. (Although Harry would often joke that Athena had only won the 2005 Championship because he had won the previous year!)
As she stepped into the conference room, she saw the GP2 Champion sitting at the table, looking nervous to be in the same room as one of the Potter siblings, but she soon put his mind at ease.
Watching as her former teammate talked to Toto Wolff, she knew that Lewis had been destined to be greater than herself, the younger driver eventually winning a record breaking seven World Championships, including the one in her last year as a driver.
Athena was watching how at Lewis was celebrating the race win with his team, his move to the Mercedes-Benz team the previous year having had been a successful choice for the Stevenage born driver. It was her last race as a Formula One driver and where better to end her career but Abu Dhabi and the sight of her student becoming the master.
Suddenly Lewis had ran from where his crew had been standing by the fence surrounding the podium winning cars over to her, wrapping his arms around her, hugging her.
"I'm going to miss you Athy," he whispered into her ear. "You remember what you said to me in that conference room on our first day."
"Of course I do, rookie." Athena said quietly to him. "I told you that you would be a great driver, greater than me. And you are. Now go celebrate with your team!"
"Yes ma'am," Lewis replied cheekily, knowing that the only times that he had called her 'ma'am' was when she had called him 'rookie', times when they were trying to take the mick out of each other.
As Athena gave him a kiss on the cheek, Hamilton saluted her, her old rookie loosening the hug, going back to where the Brackley based team were still cheering on the person who would eventually become the seven times World Champion.
Seeing as the Stevenage born driver came over, she smiled, glad he was doing well.
"Athy, you look good. How have you been?"
"Busy, as always. What about you? It seems like ages since we spoke properly."
The pair looked at each other, both remembering their days at McLaren.
"Yeah." He said.
They chatted for some time before Lewis excused himself and returned to talk to his race engineer, when the Team Principal of the Mercedes-Benz team came over to her .
"Athena Potter, 3 time champ, brother of the new AlphaTauri Team Principal. And hopefully my new special advisor to my Junior Team."
She laughed.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Toto. I am only here to chat to Lewis. Sometimes I miss my old rookie teammate. We used to have so many laughs together."
"Hey, I was never really your rookie teammate. You were always the big fish in the pond for us. Even back then." Lewis shouted from the other side of the garage.
"True." Athena said, laughing. Turning to the Mercedes Team Principal, she added: "And don't think I'm not interested in what you do with your team, its just that I'm McLaren through and through. And besides, I've got my Sky job as well as working for McLaren. There isn't much free time left for me."
"We'll see how things work out. If you're interested, I could use a new special advisor. We need all the edge now your brother has joined AlphaTauri full time. " Toto said, hoping she would say yes.
"Well..."