As the morning light began to break, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya emerged from the mist, signaling the imminent start of a new year of F1 winter testing.
Dominik Corvinus, following O'Connor, stepped lightly onto this track that held the dreams of countless racers.
This time, he was no longer entering this track as an F2 driver, but officially as a Williams driver, stepping onto this renowned circuit in Spain.
On the track, personnel from various teams were busy with preparations; the roar of machinery and the chatter of staff intertwined, creating the unique bustling atmosphere of an F1 circuit. Dominik's gaze swept across the track; every inch of this land was legendary, where countless classic races and unforgettable moments had been born. He took a deep breath, silently telling himself that from today, this would also become the stage for him to write his own legend.
Just then, a familiar figure came into view—it was Zhou Guanyu.
When Zhou saw Dominik, a brilliant smile immediately bloomed on his face. He walked over and clapped Dominik firmly on the shoulder, his voice filled with sincere congratulations: "Congratulations! I didn't expect you to join an F1 team so quickly!"
Dominik's face held a faint smile, "Thanks, Zhou. Honestly, I didn't expect to make the jump this quickly either."
Zhou enthusiastically invited, "After testing tomorrow night, let's grab a meal together! Consider it a celebration for the start of this new season."
Dominik readily agreed without hesitation; after all, Zhou was one of his closest peers from the junior categories, and they were stepping into the fire of their rookie season together.
After they parted ways, Dominik and O'Connor walked side by side, their figures elongated by the morning sun at eight o'clock.
Dominik entered the Williams garage. This was the core area of the team, filled with high-tech equipment and busy staff, the air permeated with a tense yet focused atmosphere.
Jost Capito, the team principal, saw them enter and immediately came forward. He smiled, shook Dominik's hand, and his voice was full of relief: "Welcome, Dominik! We've been waiting for you to join the Williams family, and we're all full of anticipation for you!"
As he spoke, Capito introduced Gaëtan Jego, the race engineer standing nearby, "This is your race engineer, Gaëtan Jego; you two will need to work closely together from now on."
Dominik politely greeted Gaëtan, his heart filled with anticipation for the upcoming collaboration. Dominik knew deeply that on the F1 track, the tacit cooperation between driver and engineer was crucial; every precise strategy, every perfect adjustment, could be the key to determining the outcome of the race.
After exchanging pleasantries, Capito suddenly asked, "Oh, right, Dominik, what car number do you want to choose? During the team principal's meeting today, we need to submit the driver roster and car numbers."
Dominik paused slightly, realizing it was time to make this important decision. In F2, the number 22 he used had already been taken by Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri, which forced him to reconsider.
Dominik pondered for a moment, and the name of a legendary figure in motorcycle racing—Valentino Rossi—came to his mind. Motor racing is a family affair, and Rossi, the nine-time MotoGP champion, had achievements no less impressive than Michael Schumacher in the world of F1.
Rossi used car number 46. A thought struck Dominik, who then firmly stated, "I choose number 45!"
This was because Dominik hoped to be one step ahead of Valentino Rossi and leave his own mark on the F1 track.
Capito nodded in approval, then led Dominik to complete all the procedures for joining the team.
After the procedures were completed, Capito said with a smile, "Tonight, we'll have a team dinner to welcome you to the Williams family!" Dominik still just nodded with a faint smile.
Capito secretly praised Dominik, thinking that such a young driver could remain so humble and composed, and perhaps he would deliver one or two surprising performances on the track.
In the pit garage of the Catalonia Circuit, Dominik stood before two brand-new, deep blue Williams FW44 race cars. Although he said nothing, his eyes could not be taken off the car that belonged to him.
The car's lines were sleek and powerful, and the livery shimmered under the lights, as if it were armor custom-made for him. All of this felt like a dream; scenes that had appeared countless times in his sleep were now truly before his eyes.
A moment later, another familiar face entered the Williams garage; it was Alex Albon.
As his new teammate for 2022, Albon had a warm smile on his face. He quickly walked forward and extended his hand to Dominik: "Congratulations, Dominik! Welcome to the team; from now on, we'll be partners fighting side by side!"
Dominik quickly shook Albon's hand, responding with a smile: "Thank you, Alex! I'll be counting on your guidance!"
Perhaps because both were new additions to the Williams lineup—one returning to the grid and one a rookie—Albon and Dominik quickly became familiar with each other and conversed very congenially.
Dominik and Albon shared their respective racing experiences, discussing their expectations and goals for the new season, their laughter echoing in the garage. But for Williams, with one driver who hadn't driven for a year and another who was a rookie just promoted to F1, how long could this laughter last?
Facing the ten o'clock morning sun, Dominik and Albon rode their bicycles onto the Catalonia Circuit.
The scenery along the track looked exceptionally beautiful under the sun, but both men's attention was focused on the challenging asphalt before them. Dominik pedaled, meticulously observing every corner, every braking point, and every acceleration point of the circuit.
Albon, as the more experienced driver, occasionally shared his understanding of the track and driving techniques with Dominik: "Look at this corner; you need to control your speed well when entering, downshift early, use the braking point to adjust the car's posture, and then quickly accelerate when exiting the corner."
Dominik listened intently, nodding occasionally, committing these valuable experiences to memory. On this passionate and challenging circuit, Dominik was about to embark on his F1 journey.
After returning to the garage, Gaëtan Jego began discussing tomorrow's car setup with Dominik. After they decided to use the second-tier high-downforce package for tomorrow, Dominik got into the cockpit and began adjusting the pedals, steering wheel, and other settings.
Surrounded by technicians, he practiced tire changes. Even though Dominik had been driving open-wheel cars for so many years, this was his first time experiencing 21 technicians servicing his single race car. In previous practice sessions, he hadn't practiced live pit stops, so Dominik's first experience of the sheer speed and violence of an F1 tire change was quite shocking.