Formula 1: The GOAT
Chapter 50: Race Weekend | Sunday | Plum Last

Chapter 50: Race Weekend | Sunday | Plum Last

"Good afternoon, or good evening, to all the attendees of this championship weekend’s final round!" Süleyman’s voice boomed with energy. "We have been blessed with non-stop action and unexpected outcomes in every single session, making this a truly memorable championship weekend. And now, it is time for the main event."

"On pole position, we have Huzeyfa Taşkin! He finished second in his first qualifying heat and inherited the win in his second after Selçuk, who had overtaken him on the final lap, received a ten-second penalty. That penalty was for the overtaking attempt that damaged Fatih’s kart, taking him out of the qualifying heat and condemning him to a Pre-Final race, which dropped his own starting position for this Final all the way down to P15. On the second front-row grid slot, we have Jackson Michael! He drove a very calm and controlled race in today’s qualifying heats, and despite having a heat win, finishing behind Huzeyfa in the second heat condemned him to the P2 starting position. But if there is anything for him to be happy about, it’s that there is no Selçuk, the aggressive one, on his rear or front, which should give him the peace of mind to follow his own race plan without having to constantly factor in Selçuk’s aggression. And second, there is no Fatih in front of him, a position he has become all too familiar with. Fatih was a nightmare to fight against due to his technical driving and supreme control of the kart. He is starting today from plum last."

Süleyman paused for dramatic effect. "Despite a superb drive in the Pre-Finals that took him from P15 to P1, which should have earned him the P31 starting position, what is often called the ’poor man’s pole position,’ he was unfortunately required to change his chassis due to the damage from the earlier incident. That chassis change comes with a mandatory penalty, and so he is now starting from the very end of the grid. With the track still being dry, despite the heavy clouds covering the sky, it is going to be a near-impossible task for him to recover to a point-scoring position, let alone the top ten. But as he has shown us time and time again, he is a driver you can never count out of contention, no matter where he is on the grid. I’m sure everyone in front of him knows that as well and will be driving accordingly. On P3, we have Ayşe Yılmaz, who picks up the pieces from the chaos ahead..." Süleyman continued his pre-race commentary as, on the grid, the final minutes ticked down. Karts were already in position, with coaches and mechanics going through final discussions, reminders, and check-ups with their young drivers.

"From the look of it, rain is going to be falling anytime soon," Zakir took over, his voice adding a layer of strategic tension. "And I’m sure Fatih is praying that it does rain, and those on the front row are praying for the exact opposite. But ’anytime soon’ could mean five minutes into the race, or two hours after it’s over. With everyone making the sane choice of starting on slick tires, and no one gambling on wets, if it does rain, it is going to be very interesting. It will place everyone on the track in a dilemma: Is pitting and losing a massive amount of time to change to rain tires more beneficial than staying out and trying to drive with slicks on a wet surface? I don’t think anyone has ever been in that dilemma in this year’s championship, so it is going to be a fascinating watch."

"I can’t argue with you on that," Süleyman agreed. "And I’m curious as to what decisions our top three in the championship are going to make, since they are all in different parts of the grid. The beneficial actions are all different for them. This race looks like it is going to be interesting whether it rains or not. And the time has hit zero! We start the formation lap, with Huzeyfa leading the pack around the track to warm their tires and ensure their karts are problem-free and ready for the race. Selçuk and Fatih, for the moment, are hidden among the crowd of thirty karts they will have to overtake if they are eyeing the top positions by the end of this race."

..........

’Okay, you have to focus,’ Fatih thought, his mind a sea of calm. ’A multiplier is on the line here if things go well and you finish on the podium.’

"How about you trigger [Zone], and I’ll guarantee you a P1 finish?" Fatih asked in a teasing whisper in his mind.

"That’s not something I have any control over, and the description says it’s random," Apollo shot back, causing Fatih to have a hint of disappointment. He had been hoping for it to trigger before the start of the race, just as it had during the first championship round the moment he had accepted the mission after being shunted to the back. Apollo added, "Besides, why do you want to take the easy way out when the harder path is more fun to achieve anything on?"

"Fine, I just wanted to see if it would be triggered if we talked about it," Fatih rebutted, as he waved right and left on the track without any worry, as he was the last one.

"You’ve been starting at the front too much, so now it’s time for you to increase your overtaking experience. Plus, if you play it well and have impressive overtakes, that means you will be earning five points for each one, compared to a normal one. The more of those you have, the more points you will have to be multiplied. So, look at it from the bright side." Apollo said, giving him a different point of view

"Talk to you later," Fatih said, ending the conversation. He didn’t have to; Apollo was already fading from his perception as Fatih completed his formation lap and neared his grid position.

As usual, the moment he came to a stop, and since he was the last one to get into his grid position, he immediately once again pushed himself back, unsticking his tires before focusing back on the lights that had started to turn on.

......

"It’s lights out and away we go!" Süleyman roared. "Huzeyfa has a great start, keeping his position from the starting line, but Jackson is closing that distance as they near the corner! Huzeyfa, knowing this, is moving to cover him! Ayşe, behind them, has the best view of all! Into Turn 1, Huzeyfa’s coverage of Jackson works as he manages to keep his position, followed by Jackson, then Ayşe in P3, Bora Demir in P4, and Can Öztürk in P5! And look at what we have here! Selçuk has already gained three positions from the start! But oh my god, Fatih seems to have had a superb start! He is already up to P34 by the time we are in the fourth corner! But he doesn’t stop there! Make that P33 as he finishes an overtake, taking the outside line of the T4 wide left-hander that turns into the inside line leading to the T5 hairpin! A perfect start for all three championship leaders!"