Present Day…
"After the most beautifully observed minute silence in memory of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, the Royal Park, here in Monza, now roars to life."
Jimmy had been stunned at the news on the Tuesday evening, that the Queen had died. The FIA, Liberty Media (who were the commercial rights holders for Formula One), and the teams agreed to hold a minute's silence to memorialise the death of the longest serving Monarch in Britain.
As he sat in his car, ready to go onto the formation lap, he took a few deep breaths, ready.
"Welcome along to the 73rd World Championship Italian Grand Prix, at a race track that has staged the most Formula One grand prix than any other in the calendar. It's the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. 3.6 miles long and 53 laps of the most exciting races held in F1."
"3 minutes to go." Al called out over the radio. Jimmy looked from where he was sitting to the Williams of Nicholas Latifi. Jimmy would admit that the Canadian driver was becoming a great friend, and is a great racer.
"Cheers Al." he responded, waving to his grandad, James Potter, who was standing to the side of the grid watching.
"And here's the grid then, which has been altered quite substantially qualifying finished, due to the amount of grid penalty places for those taking new engine parts. Yuki Tsunoda, starting in last on the grid, alongside Lewis Hamilton in 19th, Kevin Magnussen in 16th alongside Valtteri Bottas, Nyck de Vries, in his F1 debut replacing Scorpius Malfoy is starting alongside teammate Sebastian Vettel, the two Aston Martin drivers the first on the grid with no penalties. Nicholas Latifi, in the top 10 for the third time in his career, alongside the Alfa Romeo of Jimmy Potter, the young Brit having had a up and down season so far."
"Two minutes to go." Al called out. "Nearly time bro."
"I just hope I don't get a three into one situation on the chicane." Jimmy replied.
"Good luck."
Jimmy looked as the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and the Williams of Alex Albon were in front of him, in seventh and eight respectively, hoping he could pull a move similar to what he had done in France on them.
"And another pole position for Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, and would you agree, Martin Brundle, with how the scarlet and yellow worn not just by the fans, but the Ferrari crew, would not look out of place in the Gryffindor Institute for Learning."
"Good afternoon, and I will confess I never went to that school, as you well know. I do agree though, that the support for Ferrari could help the team, they need the result that could get them back on track."
"One minute to go." Al called out. "Good luck. We're on Plan B so keep cool, keep calm, have a good race."
"Thanks Al." Jimmy told his brother on the radio. "All of you."
As the lights changed, ready for the formation lap, he waited until Albon started to move, and then followed him around the track.
"It's a long run down to that first chicane, and with Jimmy Potter, Alex Albon and Max Verstappen all in the midfield mix, it will prove to be an interesting race."
"Yes, its really easy, Martin, to get pinched in that chicane. We've seen it lots of times, and they lose ground as they get stuck in a battle in it."
"Yes, and the cars are a couple of meters wide, and 2 of them won't really successfully go through there, and that's when they start bumping tyres, and in the case last year between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, going up into the air, albeit in their case not at the start."
"We're onto the back straight with Charles Leclerc and George Russell, and we've got Yuki Tsunoda on the Curva Grande, there's quite a distance within the field here, and I get the feeling that the front runners are going to be sitting there for quite some time."
James followed Albon and Verstappen along the back straight, making sure that he kept within the mandatory 10 cars length behind the Thai driver, making sure he was careful as he headed through the Variante Ascari, the Ascari chicane, and the Curva Parabolica, one of the most iconic turns on the track.
Stopping at his grid spot, he looked at the cars in front, and knew he was ready to race.
"And we're looking now, from the back of the grid, with many out of place, having to get through the field, we have 5 lights on, and its lights out, and away they go. It's a good reaction for Charles Leclerc, but it's a better reaction for George Russell, and into the first chicane, George Russell going off, and Jimmy Potter, and Kevin Magnussen, the crowd roaring going through the Curva Grande, as into the next chicane, Charles Leclerc, leads George Russell, leads the McLaren…"
Jimmy was annoyed, having had to go through the escape road at the first chicane, otherwise he would have hit the Williams of Alexander Albon, which would have ruined his nice white and red paintwork!
Keeping up with the Thai driver's car, he went through the second chicaine, the Lesmo curves, and into the Ascari chicane, coming quite close to the Mercedes powered car.
Going into the Parabolica, he could feel the bouncing of his Alfa Romeo, which reduced as he went round the curve.
"You've got Albon in front, Vettel behind" Al informed him as he was heading along the home straight. Going into the first chicane on the second lap, Jimmy got close to Albon, and wished he had DRS, as he knew he could have got the position.
Going through the laps, he knew he had plenty of opportunities, however the car in front of him was just too fast.
"And Albon started 8th, currently holding 8th against Carlos Sainz, who has DRS on Jimmy Potter, Potter has been making a number of attempts on Albon, having stayed in the position he started in. And Sainz tries to make a move on Potter, Potter has got to watch, as Carlos Sainz breezes his way through."
Coming round the Parabolica on lap 7, Jimmy was getting annoyed with the Williams of Alex Albon. Albon, who had started ahead on the grid in 8th, seemed to keep thwarting him.
"Sainz has got DRS" Al said over the radio. Jimmy could see the Ferrari in his mirrors and hated his brother, who sometimes seemed to state the obvious.
"Understood".
Going along the DRS Zone in the home straight, Jimmy had DRS himself on Albon and was closing on him on the approach to the first chicane.
Heading into the chicane, he could see the scarlet Ferarri next to him, overtaking him.
"Great." He called over the radio.
"You've got de Vries behind" Al reported, as he was passing through the Curva Grande.
Jimmy knew that the Aston Martin team had got Nyck de Vries in to replace the son of the team's owner, his rival Scorpius Malfoy, who was unavailable during the weekend as he was ill.
"How's Valtteri?" Jimmy asked, going along the back straight.
"P19 still."
Heading along the home straight to start the 9th lap, Jimmy could see the Williams of Albon being overtook by the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz and, having DRS, tried to get close to the car ahead, intent on overtaking him in the next lap.
By time lap 17 had arrived, he was still no closer to overtaking Albon, but he heard his favourite call.
"Box, box. Confirm?"
It was a lap earlier than what the plan had dictated, but he had the feeling that the strategy engineers were hoping for the undercut on the Williams in front of him.
"And so Gasly, Potter and de Vries all pitting. Ted Kravitz?"
"Yes Crofty, and that was a slow stop for the Alfa Romeo of Jimmy Potter, 3.8 seconds. I think the Alfa Romeo team were going for the undercut on Alex Albon in the Williams."
Jimmy was annoyed, despite being able to get back on to the track, he had a feeling that he would end up getting behind the Thai driver when he eventually went for his pit stop the next time round the circuit.
"And I said we'll be getting a chain reaction as Gasly came in, and into the pits comes Daniel Riccardo, and then Alexander Albon, and Yuki Tsunoda also into the pits, it looks like the Williams team are going to try for the overcut on the Alfa Romeo of Jimmy Potter."
"Yes, Jimmy Potter, making his way round the Parabolica, they have tried for the undercut on the Williams team, but it seems like it isn't going to work out for the Ferrari powered Alfa Romeo, as there is a flurry of activity, and there is the Williams of Alexander Albon out onto the track, and it seems that the Williams team got the overcut."
"Damn." Jimmy muttered under his breath.
Coming along the home straight, he saw the Williams of Alex Albon, he knew that he had definitely had a slower stop than the driver in front of him.
Heading into the chicane, he knew that he needed to get closer in order to take advantage of the DRS, the extra 10mph along the back straight and the home straight. At the same time, he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to get the overtake on the Williams.
It would stay the same throughout the race, going through the laps, until lap 32, when he had a new message come through the radio, alongside the constant ones saying he was within the DRS range of Albon.
"Warning, track limits."
Jimmy was getting annoyed. He had tried to find ways round that Williams car, and (not that he would admit) had stretched the definition of the track limits a few times.
Seeing what felt like yet another opportunity to overtake on that lap, he cruised up to the back of the car, just as the Williams took the inside of the first part of the chicane, Jimmy opted for the outside, nearly getting neck and neck.
Going into the left hander of the chicane, having the inside line, he found himself being forced to the kerb of the corner.
"What the fuck?" he shouted through the radio, annoyed with the way he had been forced the way he had, having lost yet another opportunity to gain a place. "I had the corner!"
"We've noted it." Al responded through the radio. "No damage, we're watching the telemetry."
"No shit Sherlock." Jimmy responded through the radio. "Just… don't talk to me."
"No **** Sherlock. Just don't talk to me."
"It seems that Jimmy Potter is a bit annoyed with his race engineer at the moment, Paul, down at Sky Race Control."
"Yeah, looking at the replay, it seems that he had tried a late lunge into the first part of the chicane, and having the advantage of being on the inside into the second part, he was close to getting ahead of Albon, who was still ahead at the time. Normally, listening to Potter's communications on the radio, he's calm, cool and collected, but I think with being stuck behind the Williams, he has lost some of his calmness, even snapping at his race engineer, Al Potter."
"Could this be a sign of things to come over the next few races for the son of three-time champion, Harry Potter, do you think?"
"I think its just a blip. A worrying blip, but with what we saw at Spa, I don't know if this new version of Jimmy Potter is going to be a good thing… or a bad thing!"
"Thanks Paul, and if you're a Sky Glass or Sky Q customer, you can see highlights of what has gone on, alongside the main action, as Fernando Alonso has entered the pits."
As the race went on, Jimmy started to wish he hadn't snapped at his brother, as the radio transmissions from him were becoming more to the point, and shorter.
By lap 40, as Nyck de Vries retired, Jimmy was beginning to seriously regret snapping at Al, the only one of his siblings who had shared his love of racing. Coming along the home straight to start his 41st lap, he made his choice.
"Al. You there?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
Navigating the chicane, Jimmy sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."
Coming round the Lesmos, he heard his radio spring back to life. "Yeah, I know. Just do your best."
Heading down the back straight, he could see the Williams in front of him was within DRS Range. "I was an idiot, wasn't I?"
"Yeah, you were… but you're my big brother, and that's all that matters." Al responded over the team radio.
Lining his car up along the Parabolica, he got his car into position, getting it off the racing line, ready to enter the DRS Zone…
"And Potter overtakes the Williams of Alexander Albon. Potter has been trying for the past several laps to get into 10th place, and he manages to get ahead of him in the DRS Zone. Into the chicane they go, and Potter keeps the place. Jimmy Potter, who had a bit of a slump earlier in the race is now back into the points paying positions.
"Yahoo!" the team radio from Jimmy's car played out.
"Keep it up!"
"Will do"
"Going back to the head of the race, Max Verstappen, leading Charles Leclerc, leading George Russell on the hards. And driver of the day, the vote for driver of the day is still ongoing, as Max Verstappen takes the fastest lap.
"We're on board with Jimmy Potter, as Alex Albon overtakes him on the Lesmos to retake 10th place."
"Yes, Potter left himself open to that move by the Williams, but that leaves Potter with the ability to use the DRS, worth an extra 10 miles per hour, which he tries, he gets closer, closer, but he fails to overtake Albon."
"Blue flag, Verstappen" the radio squawked as he came around on the next lap. Moving off the racing line to the side, as he went through the DRS Zone, he saw the Red Bull go past him.
Moving behind Verstappen, Jimmy tried to follow the Red Bull Powertrains powered car past Albon, who saw the move and cut him off.
"Don't worry" Al said over the radio. "You'll still have DRS."
The only problem was a few laps later, the safety car would come out, the McLaren of Daniel Riccardo failing on one of the tighter sections of the track. Despite being permitted to unlap himself, the race ended up under the safety car, meaning that Jimmy would not be able to get past Albon, leaving Monza pointless.