Eloise

Old name Estella. A couple of friends and I imagined OC F1 drivers in different decades and this one is mine! I liked the Obby pose most even though they’re kinda big, but it has the hair thing I was going for :D It’s also an excuse to have an OC focused on Asexuality Rep because we need more celebs to support us. Thank u Skarlette my fren for the drawing of helmet :3

Her familiar is her cat, a little Black and White guy she brings to track with her as a good luck charm (he has the cutest lil yellow harness). There’s no solid black rings that go on the middle claw of the right foot so in artwork she’ll have the ring switched cx

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MOST SERIOUS CRASH:
2004 German Grand Prix (Hockenheimring) - Rear wing loss caused her to lose control and crash into the wall at high speed, ricocheting off of the barriers and spinning across the track. She was then crashed into by Nick Heidfeld, taking them both out of the race. This left her with severe concussion, internal bleeding, lesions and broken bones. She was put into an induced coma for a while due to a post-crash cerebral edema. She was knocked out for the rest of the season and it ended her career with Williams. She had to have extensive physiotherapy following ACL Knee Reconstruction and retained no memories from the crash. Before the beginning of the ’05 season (early Jan), she was approached by scouts from McLaren asking if she wanted to join. She said yes since this was a lifelong ambition and pushed through to join the team at the start of the season in March.


FURTHER TRIVIA:
- Likes to name the cars she drives
- Used to watch the Lotus F1 Team on the TV as a kid
- Father wanted her to be a rally driver (like Michèle Mouton) but she said nah (Mother approved)
- Inspired by Dad and Uncle Ian cos they used to race (banger racing but still)
- Started Karting, moved to Stock Cars then worked way up the Formulas
- Has a Tuxedo cat named Bruce (Wayne, not McLaren) with a lil Collar and ID tag
- Walks Bruce around track in a little yellow harness, my good luck kitty kitty!
- Good sense of humour: go along with whole 'Sherlock sidekick' schtick
- John was started by one of her engineers in Tyrrell and it spread. People get surprised when they’re introduced to her for the first time cos she's a girl.

- Looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you!
- Our Dear Watson: she endeared herself to the masses when she started to do well
- The Ace of Race: she has a playing card in her helmet design
- Gives blunt interviews with a lot of the old British dry humour

- Very outspoken for the LGBT+ community = a public figure for Asexuality
- There was no symbol for Ace Pride until the flag in 2010, so she chose the card design as a play on words + good luck.
- In 2001, she was a big advocate for the launch of AVEN, the website that many in the ace community credit for beginning of their sexual discovery
- In 2005, she started to wear a black ring on her right middle finger in between races, this originated from AVEN

- Even after retiring, she stuck with McLaren as a spokesperson and manager since a LOT of female drivers were inspired by her to join F1
- After retiring, she also takes an interest in Rally Cross - something her ageing father is REALLY excited about.
- Stayed good friends with some teammates as well as the engineers (they call her John)
- Pretty good car control, she only crashes into NON MOVING targets.
- Born in the UK, family from there, moved to NZ when El was 2. Uncle stayed in UK.
- "My Uncle and Dad wanted two boys, one to take up racing and the other to go into aviation. They got me and my cousin instead. Oh her? She starts training with the Red Arrows in January."

- Speaks English, French and German (school + aunt in Germany visited a lot)
- Attempts a bit of Finnish but she's not great at it (ditto Italian)
- F1 Manager: Jackie Stewart
- Personal Manager: Harpreet Kaur (school friends, knows her way around lawyer stuff)
- Rivalry with JP sparked because he made some sort of tone deaf remark about women
- She is very hands-on with her engineering teams in troubleshooting & fixing car problems

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