"Adjust to Mode 1. Pull a gap on Russell. Watch the tire warmup," Gaëtan Jego instructed calmly.
Dominik flicked the switch on his steering wheel. "Understood. Can I increase the high-speed differential? The rears are cold."
He was pushing hard on the Hard (C1) tires, but they were like stones. The FW44 slid through the high-speed sweeps, fighting for grip.
"Negative," Gaëtan replied. "Protect the rears. We are playing the long game."
In the garage, Yeji watched the screens. She sensed the tension. The mechanics weren't celebrating anymore; they were staring at the data with furrowed brows.
Lap 29.
"Box, Dominik. Switch to Mediums (Yellow). Run to the end," Jost Capito ordered.
Dominik dove into the pits.
2.8 seconds.
He rejoined the track on fresh rubber. The car felt alive again. He immediately went purple in the first sector.
Lap 33.
George Russell finally pitted for Mediums. He emerged nearly 10 seconds behind Dominik. The undercut had worked perfectly.
Dominik was flying. He caught and passed Esteban Ocon for position, using the raw straight-line speed of the Williams to blast past the Alpine.
"Gap to Hamilton is 3 seconds. Keep pushing," Gaëtan said.
Dominik was driving on a knife-edge. The Williams was fast, but it was physically demanding. Every braking zone was a wrestling match; every corner exit required delicate throttle control to stop the rear from snapping.
Lap 44.
Pierre Gasly's AlphaTauri suddenly burst into flames on the exit of Turn 3. He pulled over.
VSC (Virtual Safety Car).
Dominik was perfectly placed. He was just entering the final sector.
"Box, box! Box for Softs!" Gaëtan shouted.
Dominik reacted instantly. He dove into the pit lane. He was the first to react.
The team fitted a set of Used Softs (from Q1).
Yeji watched, confused. "Why stop again?" she whispered.
"Free pit stop," a mechanic explained quickly, not taking his eyes off the screen. "You lose less time under VSC."
The Safety Car was eventually deployed to recover Gasly's car. The field bunched up.
Dominik was sitting in P6, right behind Lewis Hamilton.
The Restart.
Leclerc backed the pack up, then bolted.
Dominik stuck to Hamilton's gearbox. The seven-time champion was on older tires.
"Bring the car back safely," Gaëtan warned. "P6 is good points."
"I want more," Dominik muttered.
Lap 54.
Disaster for Red Bull. Max Verstappen, running P2, suddenly slowed.
"I have no power! Steering is gone!"
He crawled into the pits and retired.
Dominik moved up to P5.
The garage held its breath. P5 for Williams on debut? It was a dream.
But the dream was about to get wilder.
Lap 57 (Final Lap).
Dominik and Hamilton were hunting down Sergio Perez in P3. The Mexican driver was complaining of engine issues.
Entering Turn 1, Hamilton attacked Perez. Dominik was right behind them, lurking.
Suddenly, Perez's engine seized. The rear wheels locked up, sending the Red Bull into a spin in the middle of the corner.
Hamilton had to swerve violently to the left to avoid T-boning the Red Bull. He ran wide onto the runoff area.
Dominik, with his lightning reflexes, jinked to the right. He cut the inside line, avoiding the spinning Perez by inches.
He accelerated out of Turn 2.
He was P3.
"OH MY GOD!" Crofty screamed on the commentary. "Perez spins! Hamilton goes wide! And the rookie! Dominik Corvinus is in P3! He is on the podium!"
The Williams garage exploded. Yeji covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with shock.
Dominik was in third place. A podium on debut. History was seconds away.
But Hamilton had recovered. The Mercedes W13 was angry.
Down the back straight, Hamilton had DRS. He closed in on the Williams rapidly.
Dominik defended the inside line for Turn 4. Hamilton switched to the outside.
They exited Turn 4 side-by-side.
Turn 8.
Hamilton attacked again. He had the inside line now.
But he braked too late. He locked up slightly.
The Mercedes slid. Its front wing endplate slammed into Dominik's right rear tire and diffuser.
BANG.
Carbon fiber flew into the air. Dominik's car was shoved sideways. He caught the slide, wrestling the steering wheel, but he was forced wide into the dust.
"WHAT THE FK WAS HE DOING?!"** Dominik roared over the radio, his voice cracking with rage.
In the chaos, a silver arrow ghosted past them both.
George Russell.
Russell snatched P3.
Hamilton recovered and took P4.
Dominik, his floor damaged and diffuser dragging, limped back onto the racing line in P5.
The dream was shattered.
"Car damage! Is the tire okay?" Dominik shouted.
"Tire looks okay. Diffuser is damaged. Bring it home, Dominik! Bring it home!" Gaëtan urged.
Dominik drove the final sector with pure fury. The car was handling like a wounded animal, pulling to the right.
He crossed the line.
Checkered Flag.
1. Leclerc
2. Sainz
3. Russell
4. Hamilton
5. Corvinus
Yeji slumped against the wall, exhausted by the rollercoaster of emotions. The mechanics looked heartbroken. They had touched the trophy, only to have it snatched away.
Dominik parked the car in Parc Fermé. He sat in the cockpit for a long moment, hitting the steering wheel in frustration.
Then, the radio crackled.
"Dominik... Stewards decision," Jost Capito said, his voice trembling. "Hamilton has a 10-second penalty for causing a collision."
Dominik looked at the timing screen.
Hamilton: 1:36.xxx (+10s)
He did the math.
Dominik moved up to P4.
"P4," Dominik whispered. "P4 on debut."
He climbed out of the car. He didn't celebrate. He walked straight to the rear of his car.
The diffuser was shredded. Tire marks were painted on his sidepod.
He looked up at the podium where Russell was spraying champagne. That should have been him.
But then he looked at the Williams mechanics. They were cheering. P4 was their best result in years.
Yeji was waiting at the back of the garage. She looked at him, offering a sad, proud smile.
Dominik took a deep breath. He had arrived. And the whole world knew it.