Its the 14th round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship, we're live from the beautiful countryside of Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix, and James "Jimmy" Potter is out on track again in what is expected to be another exciting race.
"Well, good afternoon everyone, summer break is over, the time to relax has all stopped now, and with the allegations of collusion between the AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo teams still in the air, we're here at what was one of the worst races in 2021, the Belgian Grand Prix. Let's hope today is one of the best.
"It's a certain mixed-up grid, and there's going to be an awful lot of action around this classic circuit, which looks a picture today. It is full, packed to the brim, and 44 laps, 7 kilometres long, 2 DRS zones for overtaking, some of the best corners, some of the best straights on the Formula One calendar."
Jimmy Potter was ready, his mind thinking, his car roaring to go.
"3 minutes to go." Al said over the radio.
Watching as the final preparations to his car was being made, he waived to Alison, who was standing to the side of the grid.
"Let's give you a starting grid, and as Martin Brundle said in the grid walk, not one single driver started in the position they qualified. Tsunoda starts in the Pit Lane, Schumacher in 19th, Jimmy Potter in 18th, right next to Lando Norris in 17th."
Seeing the McLaren of Lando Norris to the left and slightly in front, he nodded to the Bristolian, who returned the nod, the two drivers knowing that their biggest competition was further up the grid."
"2 minutes to go."
"Two Aston Martins in the top 10 for the first time this season, with Scorpius Malfoy ahead of Sebastian Vettel in 9th. Ahead of those is Pierre Gasly, who has his best start since Baku."
Jimmy watched as the crew removed the blankets from his tyres, signal for them to come off being close.
"1 minute until the formation lap"
Seeing his crew start to move the trolleys and engine coolers from the car, he knew it was nearly time.
"Good luck Jimmy" Al said over the radio. "And be careful."
"Will do Al. Will do."
"15 seconds to go" the message broadcast by various race engineers to drivers.
"Now, our information in the paddock as we tick now towards 3 o'clock here at Spa, and we're off for the Formation Lap, our information was the soft tyre, in these temperatures of 40 degrees, might not last very long. How much of gamble is this, the leaders starting on soft tyres."
The cars left the grid, heading towards the La Source hairpin, through the Raidillon and Eau Rouge curves, onto the Kemmel Straight
"And then there has been the news over the last few weeks, the allegations about the AlphaTauri team and the Alfa Romeo team, and the announcement that the AlphaTauri team was standing by their incoming Team Principal."
"Yes, I knew Harry Potter when he was younger, and during his Formula One career, and I can honestly say that his integrity is beyond doubt."
"And we see Potter on the pit wall, having been told earlier this week that he would be replacing Franz Tost early. Tost, who has been rumoured to be heading to managing the Red Bull Junior Team under long standing friend and colleague Helmut Marko, has said that he wanted to give his replacement time to get used to the Team Principal role."
As the cars drove through the Bus Stop chicane to return to the grid, Jimmy knew that his chances of getting into the points were slim, having joined what seemed like half of the field in grid penalties for exceeding power unit components.
"Max Verstappen, right in the thick of it in the midfield, the two AlphaTauri cars at the exit to the pit lane, Sergio Perez next to Sainz, and its lights out and away we go, as Sainz reacts quickest to cover off Fernando Alonso, and Perez, and Sainz goes into the La Source. Lewis Hamilton round George Russell, and down towards the back, Jimmy Potter, almost making contact with Lando Norris, Norris losing the place to the Northants born driver."
Jimmy was surprised that he had been able to avoid hitting his fellow Brit, heading into La Source, putting him behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and the Alpine of Esteban Ocon. Climbing up into the trio of curves at Radillion and Eau Rouge, through the Kemmel Straight, he saw an opportunity to overtake Ocon.
Moving off the racing line, he got in line with the Alpine, Ocon on the inside of Les Combes, Jimmy next to him, when suddenly…
His front wing hit the front right tyre of Ocon's.
"Fuck."
"And we have contact. Jimmy Potter and Esteban Ocon touch as Potter tries to get into 14th in Les Combes, and it looks like… yes, it looks like Potter has damage. Potter has damage to his front wing endplate, and Ocon has damage to his tyre."
"Box. Box box." Al called over the radio, as Jimmy was going through Blanchimont.
Jimmy pushed the button on his steering wheel to confirm he was pitting. Approaching the Bus Stop chicane, he kept over to the right in order to enter the pit lane. Ensuring that he kept to the speed limits, he pulled into his pit box.
"And Potter has pitted for a new front wing, Ocon for a new set of tyres. Further up, into Les Combes chicane, Lewis Hamilton… and they make contact, Lewis Hamilton rises up into the air, he's made contact with Fernando Alonso, the second incident on this corner in two laps, and onto the gravel goes Scorpius Malfoy, as Potter makes his way through Eau Rouge, the stewards investigating the incident between Potter and Ocon."
"And we have joining us on the AlphaTauri pit wall, their new Team Principal, Harry Potter. Harry, thanks for joining us."
Harry was nervous. He had been briefed on what to do by both his own PR team and the Sky team on what he was expected to do, as well as being given advice from his own former Team Principal, Christian Horner.
"Hello Crofty, thanks for having me." Harry responded, watching the data on his screen.
"First race as Team Principal, having been an advisor for the Red Bull Junior Team, how does it feel to be on the pit wall?"
"Its great. Franz surrounded himself with a great team, and I'm glad to work with them. I will admit I was a bit surprised when I was offered the chance to replace Franz for this race, but I agreed with him that it would be good to do the job on at such a brilliant track."
"14th and 15th, having started from the pit lane, what do you think of Gasly and Tsunoda's performance so far?" David Croft asked Harry.
"They've done good so far, Pierre having had electronics issues before the race started and Yuki having had to have some elements of the power unit changed meaning both of our cars had to start from the pit lane. Admittedly with Hamilton and Bottas both having to retire, and the contact between the other Alfa Romeo and the Alpine of Esteban Ocon meaning they have had to pit as well, its been a interesting start to the race."
"Talking about Alfa Romeo, what do you think is going on in the heads of the race engineers there, with Bottas having had to retire, and your own son having avoided a penalty, with the stewards calling the contact he had with Ocon a racing incident."
"I wouldn't want to speculate, but I do know that the Team Principal there will be making sure that his only remaining car makes it to the end of the race. I would be doing the same if I was in his shoes."
"Talking about Alfa Romeo, what do you think is going on in the heads of the race engineers there, with Bottas having had to retire, and your own son having avoided a penalty, with the stewards calling the contact he had with Ocon a racing incident."
"I wouldn't want to speculate, but I do know that the Team Principal there will be making sure that his only remaining car makes it to the end of the race. I would be doing the same if I was in his shoes."
Draco Malfoy was sitting at the back of the Aston Martin garage, fuming as he had seen the decision on the monitors.
He had been spending the last month trying to discredit Harry Potter, the son of one of the founders of the Flowers of Cokeworth Foundation. The Potter family and Malfoy family had been rivals for what was now four generations, dating back to when Abraxas Malfoy, who had been in charge of the family's investments, had launched Malfoy Investments.
Of course the Potter family, according to the stories that Draco had been told as a child, had to go one better, launching their own investment firm, backing the launch of several business which would go on to be successful, and putting 3 successive generations of Potter men (and in the one case women) through karting, and then open wheel racing driver programmes, investing in their careers.
And then the Potter family went one further, by investing money into a charitable foundation that helped, amongst others, those who had been victims of miscarriages of justice, as well as providing legal assistance to those who were unable to pay for it.
But the Potter family hadn't been done there. To help keep the Foundation funded, they had acquired a number of businesses, some of which had been targets for purchase by the Malfoy family.
Then in 1997, the Malfoy family launched a foundation with a similar aim to the Flowers of Cokeworth Foundation, one they called the Good Faith Foundation.
Business was slower for the Malfoy family, with the Potter family investing in the Sleekeazy Hair Company, which had been a successful choice for the former Formula One driver, James Potter, and purchasing shares in the Cowie Group, making a significant profit when the rechristened group became Arriva and eventually sold to the German state railway operator, Deutsche Bahn in 2010.
It was during that time that the son of Draco and his wife, Pansy, had been in a karting program, as the Malfoy family wanted their share of prize money from motor sports. So Draco's father, Lucius, handed his son partial control of the Malfoy Investments, content to step back to spend time with his wife.
The Malfoy family decided in 2018 to join in the consortium, ran by Lawrence Stroll to purchase the Force India Formula 1 team, then purchasing a majority shareholding in the team in time for the 2020 season (along with joining Stroll in the purchase of Aston Martin.)
By that time, Scorpius Malfoy had been a year out of Formula 2, competing in the Formula E Championship (which Malfoy Investments had also had a minority shareholding in two of the teams) and Draco wanted him in Formula One, the premier motor racing series. So, at the end of 2020, he brought the remaining shares in Aston Martin and its team, dumped Lance Stroll out of his seat, and installed Scorpius in it.
But then, in Draco's eyes, the Potters had to go one better. Harry Potter had managed to get his eldest son a race seat with the Swiss registered Alfa Romeo team, mere days before being declared the 2021 Formula 2 champion, and the second son a post as race engineer at the same team.
And now getting himself installed at the AlphaTauri team as their Team Principal. That could not stand.
So Malfoy had to find a way to prove that the 3 time World Champion was not 'whiter than white'. So he hired a Private Investigator to trail Potter, in order to make it look as though he had intended to pass trade secrets to another team.
And he had managed to get photographs, which he would admit were benign, but at the same time if taken out of context, could have a whole new meaning.
Tapping on the keyboard of his computer, Draco had an email to send. One which could affect the outcome of the season as everyone knew it.