I Forzala 1 Imperial Championship

[The Macabees]

"One fucking second!?" Ror roared through his radio. "Where the hell am I losing a full second?"

"We'll talk about it in debrief," replied the race engineer. "For the record, you are four and a half tenths from Viting."

He just hadn't put any of the laps together quite right, and he'd been outqualified by his new teammate. There were inefficiencies in his racing line through the technical section, and Ror knew that. He was losing some hundredths here, some thousandths there. But he was losing a lot of little pieces of time, and they added up to four tenths of a second away from his partner and a full second from pole. Alessandro's lap had been brilliant, of course. But Ror was a bit less aggressive on corner entries, and he hadn't totally mastered the new technique, so the Tango driver knew he had a lot of work to do for tomorrow's race.

What amazed him the most, coming all this way, was that earlier in the season a P4 quali would have been seen as a good result. Now, it wasn't good enough. But a lot more was on the line now, too.

Bringing the car to the teams' motorpark, he went through the customary weight checks and then completed a battery of press interviews. It was Viting getting the most attention today, with what was his best quali after two races. The kid was good. And the driver he had replaced, Marko Meya, hadn't even made it out of Q3 in his upgraded Ekklesson. You could say something about that car wasn't working, but Felix Klasen had split the CAMDEN cars behind Ror. Anyway, Viting was a young talent, and it showed. One of the interviewers asked him about Nero and the new rules for drivers. There was a subdued drama around the question, but for the most part the teams, drivers, and fans all saw the rule update as necessary and good for the championship. The junior Tango driver said as much in his response, ending with, "Ror and Alessandro have already taken advantage of the new rule too, so you certainly can't say it was unfair."

After his own interviews were done, Ror took a long moment to cool down and rest before the debriefs, after which he went to the team dinner and finally to sleep. Tomorrow was race day, and Ror had a tough battle ahead of him if he intended to even try to dispute the drivers' title.

Right before bed, he took out his tablet and texted his wife to see if she and their daughter were still awake. A minute, then five, then ten, and finally twenty went by, and he assumed that, no, the two had already gone to sleep. He finally dozed off, and as soon as he did, the screen of his tablet illuminated, showing a notification of a reply from Meli. She hadn't had her phone with her, hadn't seen his message. Meli even tried calling. But the ringing could not wake him from his slumber, and so it wasn't until the next morning that he saw her messages and missed calls.

They were 12 races in, with four more to go after the Cerfonlande GP, and things were heating up, reaching their climax. His mind was locked in. The team was locked in. But it meant even less time for the family.

He went to sleep that night, the night of qualifying, with one thing at the forefront of his mind: making sure the sacrifice paid off, whether for him or the team.

[Lisander]

"Between WGP2 and AstyF2, I’d rather have a bit of a holiday" Kimi Nasunen bares it all to Turbo
Nasunen criticized over-zealous regulations of WGP2, talked about his relationship with other people in Motorsport, the future of TEAM-MOON and CAMDEN NEXT, among other things.

A man that lives his work, this is Kimi Nasunen. He received us in his apartment, in the penthouse of the building that also hosts Moon Books and Saber Ironworks offices, back in North Soria. A self-appointed "performatic guy", his apartment is just about we seen in high-tech movies. High-end technology is everywhere, with giant glass walls, automated lights, standing tables, big monitors, buttons for everything. "Younger people says I'm an 'aura farmer'... I'm not from this age. I prefer to say I'm a performatic guy, and well, I like to see the performance on the everyday life. You know, I was raised up watching James Bont movies, he always invaded the villain lairs, with all those automatic doors, giant aquariums, long corridors. I like to say I put my little villain lair here." He said, in a friendly tone, receiving us on his big office, with a nice view to a part of Soria Bay. He gave us the exact vibe of a very smart man we always have from him.

TM: Did CAMDEN NEXT suffered a blackout halfway the season? Is there some explanation for the current results, like the meteoric rise of Cooper Motors?

"Well. You already have your answer. It wasn't exactly a blackout of CAMDEN NEXT, it was the sudden join of a team that had access to all of the F1C public data, including all results until their first race, and also pulled out hell of two drivers. Lopez is just in another level, the man is just fearless on the track. I can't simply ask my drivers to do all of that. Nero is 23, Thomas is 21, they have an entire career before them, they don't have that much experience though... I don't want they to be burned like I seen so many before them..."

TM: So, you don't think this is a problem with CAMDEN NEXT car?

"Not at all. Camden keeps putting the most effort they can in the project, pushing for every fraction of second they can. But you know, the world is too big, and maybe our best isn't the best enough."

TM: You seem a little resignated with the results. Do you feel this is over?

"No. Not at all. It's only over when the last checkered flag is waved to the winner of the final round. I admit we're not in the best of the situations, however, the outside noise means nothing when we are working hard. There's still a good number of kilometers to race this season. Keep an eye on us."

TM: Well, good or bad ending, this is already the best result for Lisander Motorsports in international scenario for a while. How do you feel about this? What do you think about the future of the team?

Well, unless Camden terminates the partnership unilaterally, I’ll be staying with them for the next season as well. We’re continuing to do a good job between F1C and AstyF2, and I see a bright future for the TEAM-MOON drivers whilst they’re with Camden.

TM: Speaking of drivers… How do you see the future for Arturia Nero and Thomas Monteiro? After several seasons of coming so close, and with the title hanging by a thread this time… I imagine there’s a lot of pressure on her, especially as she’s in the media spotlight as a likely candidate for the WGP2. Thomas, for his part, applied last season… but wasn’t selected. Do you think he’ll make it this time?

Thomas is a really hard-working chap. He’s racking up a good points tally this season, and he’s developing a lot as a driver too. The more experience he gains, the better for him. Good sponsors will come forward and his career will become more and more sustainable...

TM: You’re always talking about things in a pragmatic way, analysing them from the perspective of sustainability and feasibility… Is that a trait of the entrepreneurial Nasunen?

In a way, yes, but that only really started after TAS Alliance, at WGPC 19. That was a team that went terribly wrong, but financially, we had a great return. I’d say I learnt a lot from Carolina in that regard…

TM: Carolina Lasseps, former team manager at TAS Alliance, former sports director at Eminent, former shareholder in the same team, currently living in Neomaris. How’s your relationship going?

We’re still together, and I’m going to spend some holidays with her in Neomaris as soon as F1C is over. And that’s all I can say.

TM: Does that mean we won’t be seeing you behind the scenes at WGP2? Not with Arturia or Thomas either?

Not at all. Between WGP2 and AstyF2, I’d rather have a bit of a holiday. What’s more, this new season, under the leadership of the folks from Nexus Wardship? They’ve really messed up the whole performance and the whole attitude. This eco-nonsense is a right pain for petrolheads like me. I’m sure you’ve read the regulations. Did you see what it said there? “Events will be supplied with non-alcoholic beverages.” It’s the worst decision ever… what’s motorsport without Champagne? What’s motorsport without a cold beer in the heat of the stands? I think it’s a depressing spectacle. It ruins the atmosphere, the experience of being there. But perhaps the worst thing isn’t even messing that up; the worst thing is that this might become the new normal. Like when cigarette adverts came to an end. I caught the tail end of the cigarette advert era… I’ve never smoked in my life and, honestly, it disgusts me, but even so, there was a certain mystique to it… I believe Thomas could be among the entrants, maybe also Pietra Dassi, she made a reasonable NSSCRA debut, and maybe F3 isn't for her anymore. There's also Lukas Horsch, he was in the same team with Arturia before, and there's Afonso Lanza. Even if Andrea pulled out from international series to an extent, after the final demise of Bitten Heroes, his nephew is still in F3 and could be a new name to follow.

[The Macabees]

RACE
CERFONLANDE GP


CIRCUIT LADISLAS RÉMY, TERRITORY OF CERFONLANDE




Not even the beautiful local women and men, speaking their mesmerizing Pantocratorian tongue, have been enough to distract Cooper Motors from its meteoric charge through the field. Joining the season halfway through, they are contenders for both the drivers' and constructors' championships. And at Circuit Ladislas Rémy they have a front row lockout. Behind them, Tango et Kartuma takes the second row with both drivers. CAMDEX would be behind, but its drivers are split by Felix Klasen starting in sixth. Sam Blaatschapen forms up right after the current drivers' championship leader, Arturia Nero. Emilio Blanco and Karina Monraksha make up the last of the starting grid in the points. Will the Valle Zuma be able to repeat his performance in Vasozia and convert a decent quali into race day points? Kamila Saidova, Laurens Scherpenkate, and Basiv Darjis, directly behind and with mere tenths of difference in lap time, will surely be breathing down his neck.

The blue and orange asphalt at the circuit's edge, abrasive and rough to slow down cars that leave the track, provides a hypnotic burst of color as the cars speed through. Behind the track, the lush green rolling hills of the magnificent Cerfonlandi countryside provide a contrast to the ocean of people making their way up grandstands to take a seat or finding a spot on one of the grass-covered knolls.

As the spectators find their place between revving engines and squealing tires, the sun sits proudly in its highest position. Though nothing can match the heat and humidity of Tarn, it's not cold in this part of Cerfonlande either.

In the distance, the katedral bells ring, the slow, deep vibrations of sound rolling through the city. They can be heard faintly from the track. The crowd goes up in an ear-shattering cheer, because they know that means it's time for the race to start.




RP bonuses included through Lisander's.

Race Results

Position  Start  Driver                    Team                                       Race Time     Fastest Lap  FL Point  Status    Points
----------  -----  ------------------------  -----------------------------------------  ------------  -----------  --------  --------  ------

1           2      Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                              1:39:44.750   1:03.436     0         Finished  25
2           3      Viting Horsele            Tango et Kartuma RMK                       1:39:53.673   1:04.631     0         Finished  18
3           5      Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                                1:39:55.692   1:05.196     0         Finished  15
4           4      Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                       1:40:00.845   1:04.874     0         Finished  12
5           11     Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                                 1:40:12.122   1:05.293     0         Finished  10
6           10     Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                            1:40:16.284   1:04.975     0         Finished  8
7           1      Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                              1:40:21.278   1:00.449     1         Finished  7
8           6      Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                               1:40:24.260   1:06.580     0         Finished  4
9           13     Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                                 1:40:29.879   1:04.853     0         Finished  2
10          12     Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                              1:40:30.679   1:05.856     0         Finished  1
11          7      Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                                1:40:37.474   1:04.275     0         Finished  0
12          22     Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                            1:40:46.174   1:05.606     0         Finished  0
13          15     Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                               1:40:48.174   1:05.223     0         Finished  0
14          17     Marko Meya                Ekklesson F1                               1:40:49.861   1:06.029     0         Finished  0
15          8      Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                              1:40:51.236   1:05.126     0         Finished  0
16          9      Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                              1:40:54.406   1:06.177     0         Finished  0
17          14     Ralf Hülkenberg           Kronenstahl Motors                         1:41:03.217   1:05.886     0         Finished  0
18          21     Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                               1:41:04.511   1:05.647     0         Finished  0
19          19     Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                           1:41:06.597   1:06.064     0         Finished  0
20          18     Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                              1:41:13.381   1:04.781     0         Finished  0
21          20     Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing         1:41:15.533   1:05.760     0         Finished  0
22          16     Sebastian Heidfeld        Kronenstahl Motors                         1:41:15.821   1:05.036     0         Finished  0
23          24     Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                           1:41:27.825   1:05.994     0         Finished  0
24          23     Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing         1:41:35.930   1:06.049     0         Finished  0

Driver Standings After W12

Position  Driver                    Points
----------  ------------------------  ------

1           Arturia Nero              161
2           Jose Luiz Lopez           161
3           Ror Rakken                141
4           Basiv Darjis              111
5           Marko Meya                83
6           Rouben Veurien            83
7           Laurens Scherpenkate      68
8           Karina Monraksha          65
9           Nassrena Kang Salarzai    60
10          Thomas Monteiro           56
11          Sam Blaatschapen          49
12          Kamila Saidova            45
13          Viting Horsele            33
14          Seárlas Dhomnaigh         28
15          Ralf Hülkenberg           23
16          Alessandro Di Raffaele    17
17          Felix Klasen              14
18          Lonán Leanacháin          12
19          Lucas Alynbac             8
20          Sebastian Heidfeld        4
21          Emilio Blanco             2
22          Karles Jasper             0
23          Santi Balenciago          0
24          Coda Yin Saodah           0
25          Amber Astota              0
26          Gabrielle Figueroa        0
27          Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    0
28          Amber Astota (2)          0

Constructor Standings After W12

Position  Team                                   Points
----------  -------------------------------------  ------

1           Tango et Kartuma RMK                   257
2           CAMDEN NEXT                            217
3           Cooper Motors                          178
4           Team Sasha                             156
5           Lunar Firestorm                        125
6           Pryfors Bilar                          117
7           Lanto Automotive                       91
8           Dunne Motors                           40
9           Kronenstahl Motors                     27
10          Ekklesson F1                           14
11          Valle Zuma F1                          2
12          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     0

[Lisander]

"Great day again, Thomas! P3, bring it home and celebrate! You're skyrocketing! Arturia, better luck next time, we still have four more to go. Not nearly over." The voice of Nasunen offered no comfort. She was cooking inside that car, her silver hair all plastered on her forehead inside the helmet, all sweaty. "Well, back to Parc Fermé" she thought. She was happy that the race had finally ended. All of that again, everything just to see the championship escape between her fingers again. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride... Last time, three years ago, she felt she was framed. Those accidents were too obvious, those guys seemed to have a plan to take her out. But this time... This time there wasn't any plot. There was just her arms failing to deliver, her car failing to deliver... Even her mind seemed to falter.

She parked her car in line, away from the top three as she had been used to. Despite feeling a bit of jealousy, she was happy for him. A car of CAMDEN NEXT going well was CAMDEN NEXT going well. Well she was not happy enough to demonstrate, however. After stepping on the scales and having her weight noted by the official, she took the helmet and the balaclava, trying to put some order on her bangs, and then saw a familiar face approaching. Kevin. He was one of her fan club members. More, maybe. He was a friend. He had turned from a lobby partner to a real life helping hand. Furthermore, he received her in his house. His girlfriend, Luna, braided her hair while they lazed by the pool, emptying the bottle of champagne she had won in Macabea. That moment seemed so far now.

"Bad day today... Here, I thought you would need this." He handed her music player, and she immediately switched the plug from her team radio. She didn't want to listen team communication. One, two, three touches on the screen, and the music started. "Oh? This song? You're becoming like him, very... like they say... performative?"

"I always liked this band." She raised the volume and handed the helmet to Kevin. The suave notes guided her through the pit lane, helping to normalize her breath again. She greeted the fans automatically, waving to everyone and no one. She walked over to the barrier, gave Thomas a hug, trying not to look too much at the cars there, down beneath the podium. Seeing the white Cooper parked behind the number 1 sign, however, left a bad taste in her mouth. Now they were tied with the same number of points. With four races left. She hated how it was consuming her, tormenting her just as much as the heat inside that suit, and she headed straight for the boxes. The crescendo on her ears did little to calm her nerves, and people giving the space she needed didn't helped to quench that frustration. She didn't want to be dealt with that... She didn't knew how to.

"Maybe he's right and I'm becoming a performative one too." The choir just before the chorus landed on her... and she felt she needed to do something. There was a bottle of water right there. She timed her movement perfectly and...

...ZEIT! - the plastic bottle hit the wall perfectly, thrown by a furious Arturia, spilling water everywhere.

[CAMDEN NEXT: For damaging team property, Arturia Nero was fined in $1000]

[The Macabees]

WEEKEND WARMUP
ZARBIA GP

FEDOROGODA AUTODROMO, TERRITORY OF ZARBIA

WELCOME TO THE ZARBIA GRAND PRIX, the first of the "Three Fedors."

Located outside the city of Fedorogoda, a planned city built as the new capital of the territory, the Autodromo is embedded deep in the country's beautiful, lush, green jungle. Fans will appreciate the giant kopeka (kapok) trees ringing the circuit complex and shading many of the grandstands, as well as parts of the grassy areas. The circuit complex sits within a federally owned and protected nature reserve, offering fans a nice, cool break from the fields of cacao, rubber, mango, avocado, and coconut trees, just to name a few of the diverse species of plant life that dominate not just local agriculture, but also the overall Zarbian fauna. During hot summer days when the sun is shining, the tall canopies offer refreshing shade. Unfortunately, fans can expect heavy rains throughout the weekend — drivers will be qualifying and racing in the wet.

Fedorogoda is the first of a series of high-speed tracks that will close this championship. Compared to the Cerfonlande GP, more straights and fewer slow-speed corners will favor overtaking and low-drag setups. DNFs have generally been limited this season, and we expect this to continue into the Zarbian GP, though heavy rain may spice things up with low visibility and reduced grip. Quick, consistent drivers will likely enjoy the track, while setups optimized for slow corners may suffer.

Culturally, fans visiting from outside the territory will notice that díenstadi (the language) is spoken predominantly by Macabéan immigrants, composed primarily of settled military veterans and active-duty military personnel. The primary language in Zarbia remains Zarbian (OOC: Spanish; ICly, also referred to as Mokan in Greater Díenstad), spoken in this part of the empire with a lisp on the C. However, signage is in both languages, as all local signs are required to be translated into díenstadi by law (though the same is not true the other way around).

Fans discouraged from visiting due to perceptions of insurgency in the region should know that violence in Zarbia has dropped to historical levels thanks to the level of security forces present and due to policies such as a recent land reform program. The risk of violence, including crime, is low, especially in Fedorogoda.



ATTENTION: RP cutoff date for the qualifying session is 8/15 08:00 PST. RPs after race results but before this post count.




Key Details

55 laps; 5.7km lap.

• Track Type: Classic high-speed circuit with long straight and flowing secondary sector
• Rewards: Straight-line speed, braking stability, smooth high-speed transitions, strong exits onto extended straights
• Punishes: Drag-heavy setups, inconsistent braking, hesitation in medium-speed flow sections, poor exit discipline
• Overtaking: High; primary moves into Turn 1 and major braking zones following long acceleration phases
• Tire Factor: Medium — balanced load with moderate wear from sustained speed and braking zones
• Setup Bias: Low–medium drag, stable braking platform, confident high-speed balance
• Qualifying Importance: Medium — overtaking opportunities reduce reliance on grid position
• Safety Car Likelihood: Low — open layout and flowing sections limit incident clustering
• Time Profile: Built on straight-line efficiency and braking zones; large gains from exits onto long straight
• Driver Bias: Skill > Qualifying Bias > Consistency > Tire Management > Aggression
• Race Character: Open and pace-driven; overtakes occur through speed differentials and braking confidence
• Notable Traits: Long main straight dominates lap time; flowing mid-sector rewards rhythm and car balance

[The Macabees]

"There are up to 172 points still in play," Igalo, the technical director, said. "We have a 40-point advantage in the constructors'. Viting, two fantastic races, two podiums, so far. Keep it up. Ror, we're going to do everything we can, short of sabotaging Jose Luiz Lopez' car, to get you back on that top step."

Ror would need a miracle for that. The Cooper Motors car was quick, and their top driver was even quicker. Well, technically, Alessandro was faster, but he didn't seem able to translate incredible, unexplainable fast laps into equally mesmerizing race pace. Ror needed a miracle and for the new upgrade package to work out.* The mechanics were working on the upgrades, so he focused on the miracle.

Waking up early in the morning, before the first ray of light had even peeked over the horizon, Ror made his way to the Temple of the Willed. The Díenstadi faith was a pagan one, but if there was a god — better understood as an unknown, or supernatural, force, rather than an entity that mirrors humankind (or vice versa) — that stood shoulders above the rest, it was Will. Will was the power behind the empire. Will, then Fortune. Thus, Ror went to pay his dues, hoping that perhaps he would be Willed to win the drivers' championship.

Almost all major cities in the empire had their own Temple. There were, of course, many places in a city where Will could be supplicated to, but there was only one Temple per metropolis; the others were shrines, though oftentimes these shrines could be just as beautiful and elaborate as the Temples. Anyway, Fedorogoda was no exception and, perhaps relatively uniquely, its Temple dominated the city's skyline. Unlike so many other imperial cities, Fedorogoda lacked the modern skyline of glass and steel skyscrapers. So it was the spires of the Temples and the towers of the Koerts that stood out against an ocean of upscale tenement buildings, their elaborate façades regulated by metropolitan law to maintain what Ror found to be a pleasing aesthetic, combining elements from the east (the core provinces) and the plateresque style that dominates the local historical architecture.

This Temple was dominated by a central rotunda, topped by an enormous dome decorated with multi-color ceramic roofing tiles, creating a pattern of blue, gold, and white. Topped by a bronze spire reaching to the heavens, it was only outgrown by eight spires atop eight towers flanking the rotunda in either direction, like a palisade of stone protecting the keep. Inside, a broad, open space was already busy with visitors, attendants, and priests when Ror got there, despite the early hour. In the middle, beneath the light pouring through a glass-covered opening in the dome, was an eternal flame rising perhaps seven to eight times Ror's height. The flame was Will's, and as long as this flame continued to burn, the empire continued to be Willed.

The driver took his place among the other supplicants, ringing the flame outside of a marble basin that provided quite a bit of distance between the god's subjects and Their — Will was neither a man nor a woman, as Will wasn't human, but rather a universal force — flame. Dropping to his knees, he rested his head against clasped hands, and silently recited his prayer. I beseech You, mighty god, to propel me to victory this weekend. I promise that, should you hear my call and I win the championship, I will donate all of my winnings to spreading Your power across the empire.

He remained there, kneeling, for a long, long moment. Eyes closed, he remained still, paying his respects. The heat of the flame reached his face. It was Will's way of letting his subjects know that he was there with them, or so the tradition went.

Afterwards, as he was walking out, one of the priests came up to him and pulled Ror to the side. "Mr. Rakken! It is good to see you here! What brings you to the house of Will, if I may ask?"

"The championship," answered Ror.

"Ah," said the priest. "May Will hear your call, my son. Though nothing can replace the grace of Will, know that we at the Temple are enthused to have you here and that we look forward to watching your race tomorrow."

"You'll be there?" asked Ror, somewhat bewildered. He didn't know priests to the gods enjoyed motorsport.

Smiling, the priest replied, "Of course, child! Just because I'm old and have dedicated my life to Will's service doesn't mean that I don't like to hear that raw scream of a V10 engine now and then." He chuckled.

"Maybe you can put a good word in with the god, then," said Ror, off the cuff. He regretted it immediately, as that's not how he was brought up to speak to a priest.

But just as Ror was about to course correct, the priest waved away his concerns by seemingly taking no notice of Ror's gratuitousness. Instead, he replied, "Will chooses us Himself. It is by His wisdom that his power flows through us, and that His force propels us toward greatness. He does not respond to calls and prayers in the way you might think. The way He works is beyond our mortal comprehension, of course. Still, I'll keep you in my supplications."

"Thank you, Your Sanctity," said Ror in gratitude.

Stepping out into the light of day, the sun having finally come out while Ror was inside the Temple, he made his way down the many marble steps to the street. There, he flagged down a taxi. The driverless vehicle gently pulled up against the curb, the rear passenger door opening on its own. Before Ror could duck in, a young child came running up to him, shouting, "Mr. Rakken! Mr. Rakken!" in a heavy Zarbian accent.

Ror turned, thinking he had a young fan looking for an autograph. But, when the child came close, the kid just said, "Do you know Jose Luiz Lopez!?"

"I mean, I work with him in a sense, I guess," answered Ror, kneeling to get to the kid's height. He took a pen out of his pocket. He always had one on hand, for moments like these.

With a big, big smile on his face, the child exclaimed, "I hope he wins tomorrow!" And then he ran off, leaving Ror wide-eyed and on one knee on the curb.


____________________________

* Top Speed: 95
Cornering: 90
Acceleration: 90
Energy: 75
Reliability: 50

[Retro Caliland]

Cooper Motors conference room, before qualifying:

Jose Luis was looking over race footage. He was studying Alessandro’s driving style.

“Hmm” said Jose Luis to himself, while he jotted a note down on a notepad. He looked back up at the screen, and paid close attention to Alessandro’s car. He squinted his eyes, as if that would magically make the video resolution better. His DRS train of thought was interrupted by Graham’s entry into the room. Jose Luis glanced up at his boss. “What is it?” He asked him.

“Mila told me you were in here looking over Alessandro’s data. Didn’t think you were the type to trust computers over instinct,” said the Scotsman.

“I’m not. But going through Alessandro’s track record, a clear pattern emerges.”

“And what, pray tell, would that be?”

“He qualifies brilliantly, holds his own in the first few laps, but then he makes key tactical errors around the halfway point, and his refusal to follow team strategy is the final nail in the coffin. Every time.”

“I thought you were teaching him consistency?”

“Consistency by definition, is a skill honed over time. But that’s not his only problem. He constantly breaks with team pit and tyre strategy. If he stuck to the plan, he’d have a podium under his belt by now.”

“What the bloody hell can we do about it?”

“At first, I thought being humbled week after week would make him realize, then I thought the training would help. There’s only one thing left now.”

Graham motioned for him to say it.

“Show him why it matters.”

“And the past 6 fucking Grands Prix haven’t done that?”

“It’s time we put this in terms he can understand.”

“What?”

Cooper Motors paddock:

“And then after that, she never texted me back” said Kowalski, staring at his phone.

“Aw, that sucks. I’m real sorry to hear that,” said Ronny.

“It happens, that’s life” said Alessandro, not noticing that his teammate and his boss were standing right behind him until after Kowalski and Ronny stood up straight and coughed. Alessandro turned around to see Jose Luis and Graham, the former with his hands in his pockets, the latter with his arms folded.

“What’s going on?” asked Alessandro.

“Jose Luis has got a bet for you,” said Graham.

Alessandro raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Since we’ve been having so many arguments about team strategy lately, I figured we should settle them once and for all.”

“How?”

“At this week’s Grand Prix, I’ll race with the team’s strategy, you’ll race with yours. If you win, we run whatever strategy you tell us. If I win, you have to race the official strategy from now on. Deal?”

“Is he mad?” asked Mila, under her breath.

“You’re on,” said Alessandro, shaking Jose Luis’s hand.

“Unbelievable,” said Graham, surprised not that Jose Luis proposed a bet, but that Alessandro was stubborn enough to take him up on it.

“You’re out of your mind!” said an incredulous Kowalski. “He’s out of his mind!” he said to the rest of the paddock, as Alessandro confidently walked off. “He’s gonna lose!” he added.

“That’s the point, Evan, that’s the point.” said Jose Luis, watching Alessandro walk away, knowing full well what was in store. It was time for Jose Luis Lopez to work his magic, once again.

[Urtla]

I want to register for the tournament.

[Lisander]

In an interview to local TV, Arturia Nero showed prowess in the local language. When asked about how she felt being in Zarbia, she shared an interesting story: She adopted a local stray kitten.

Reporter: "Ya que eres Lisanderiana, Arturia, intentaría decirnos unas palabras en Zarbiano? ¿Qué tal ha ido tu estancia?"
Since you’re a Lisanderian, Arturia, would you mind trying a few words to us in Zarbian Language? How has your stay been?

"He llegado a esta ciudad en el último martes y desde que Kimi me dijo que Zarbia y después Nicario son etapas del circuito dónde la gente se habla una lenguaje cerca de mi Portusiano nativo, me quedé impresionada, así que he viajado hasta Zarbia más cedo. Tenía la curiosidad de vivir un poco algo así, lo ves? Y fue todo perfecto hasta ahora, estoy encantada. ¡He mismo encontrado una nueva mascota, una gatita! El equipo está ahora se encargando de los trámites burocráticos para que yo pueda llevar Zeta conmigo."
I arrived in this city last Tuesday and ever since Kimi told me that Zarbia and then Nicario are stops on the circuit where people speak a language similar to my native Portusian, I was really impressed, so I travelled to Zarbia a bit earlier than planned. I was curious to experience something like that for a bit, you see? And everything’s been perfect so far – I’m absolutely delighted. I’ve even found a new pet, a kitten! The team are now sorting out the paperwork so that I can take Zeta with me...

Reporter: Perdón, Zeta?
Sorry, Zeta?

Sí, sí, como la letra. He decidido darle un nombre con la Z, de Zarbia... pero no he decidido uno y se quedó solo Zeta. La he encontrado en la calle, cerca de una panadería, una gatita negra, hambrienta, y tenía los ojos con... no sé como dice, en Portusiano se dice "ramelas".
Yes, yes, like the letter. I’ve decided to give her a name beginning with Z, from Zarbia… but I couldn't decide a name and it ended up as Zeta only. I found her in the streets, near a bakery – a little black kitten, hungry, and her eyes had… I don’t know what you call it; in Portusian it’s called ‘ramelas’.

Reporter: Creo que la palabra es lagañas...
I think the word is "gunk".

"Sí, esta es la palabra. Le han dicho en la panadería también, lagañas. La pobrecita tenía lagañas en los ojos... La rescaté y busqué la tienda de mascotas más cercana en el app de mapas. Ahora están tratando de los asuntos de salud y vaccinas, para que yo pueda llevar ella conmigo."
Yes, that’s the word. They told her that at the bakery too – eye gunk. The poor thing had eye gunk in her eyes… I rescued her and looked up the nearest pet shop on the maps app. Now they’re sorting out her health checks and vaccinations, so I can take her with me.

It's unsure if Arturia was actually telling the truth, but later in the day, a cat box was seen in the pitbox of Camden Next. Likely, she put into the effort to bother Zarbia GP organization to deal with that.

[The Macabees]

QUALIFYING
ZARBIA GP

FEDOROGODA AUTODROMO, TERRITORY OF ZARBIA




RP bonuses counted through Lisander's.

Scorination this weekend might be delayed by a couple of hours. Been Helldiving until the late hours of the night.


A large crowd has come for the qualifying session, and even more will flock to the track tomorrow. Though Ror Rakken and, more so, Tango (and to a lesser extent, given their current poor form, Ekklesson F1) have heavy support among those in the main grandstands and the more exclusive spectating areas, it's interestingly Jose Luiz Lopez and Arturia Nero whose faces fly on flags, decorate posters, and display on t-shirts the most among those in the grassy areas and lower-priced grandstands. The Spanish-speaking drivers have earned themselves a burgeoning fan base in Zarbia, who look forward to either driver humbling the "imperialists." The Mokan team, Valle Zuma F1, also has a significant fan base but, on current form, the locals know that it's the Cooper and CAMDEN drivers who are favorites to win.

Grid Position  Driver                    Team                                   Qualifying Score
--------------  ------------------------  -------------------------------------  ----------------

1              Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                            1:41.013
2              Viting Horsele            Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:42.041
3              Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                          1:42.415
4              Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:42.498
5              Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                       1:43.639
6              Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                            1:44.872
7              Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                        1:45.282
8              Marko Meya                Ekklesson F1                           1:45.957
9              Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                             1:45.958
10             Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                           1:47.074
11             Sebastian Heidfeld        Kronenstahl Motors                     1:47.159
12             Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                       1:47.311
13             Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                          1:47.815
14             Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                           1:48.373
15             Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                          1:48.709
16             Ralf Hülkenberg           Kronenstahl Motors                     1:48.905
17             Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                             1:50.020
18             Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                           1:50.022
19             Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:50.183
20             Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                        1:50.341
21             Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:51.419
22             Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                          1:52.342
23             Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                          1:54.625
24             Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                          1:54.726

Race Details

Race Weather Prognostic: Heavy Rain
RP Cutoff: 8/16 @ ~8AM PST

[The Macabees]

I want to register for the tournament.

Instructions are here. That being said, there would only be 3 races left by the time the team is inscribed.

F1IC plans to come back for a second season, sometime after WGP2. WGP2 is still in the sign-up phase, so you are encouraged to check it out!

[Retro Caliland]

Outside the track, after qualifying:

P13. Unbelievable! All that training for what? thought Alessandro to himself as he left the building.

As Alessandro walked to the team’s rented cars to drive back to the hotel, he caught sight of Jose Luis signing a young fan’s hat. Alessandro was amused, and a bit confused. As Jose Luis waved goodbye to the fans, he walked over to Alessandro.

“Great qualifying, old man. Top 3 isn’t bad,” said Alessandro. “But the bet’s still on. Anything can happen on race day.” He added.

Jose Luis chuckled and shook his head. “Anything can happen, true. But only if you know how to make it happen”

“And you think you can make beating Arturia Nero in the Driver’s Championship happen?” asked Alessandro.

“I’m not too worried about the trophies or titles. I just want to show up, run my best race, and help the team.”

Alessandro stared blankly. He’d heard enough of Jose Luis’s speeches to know when one was bullshit.

“But it would be nice to win a Driver’s Championship for once. I won’t lie.”

Alessandro nodded his head in agreement. “People seen to love you regardless.”

“I don’t do this for anyone’s approval. If it’s people’s approval I wanted, I’d still be in Mexico City working whatever mind-killing job my father wanted me to have.”

“Wait, your family didn’t want you to be a race car driver?”

“Para nada! My family was very poor. I grew up in the slums. So my father wanted me to have a better life than he did. He wanted me to go to university and become a doctor or lawyer or accountant or something like that. When I told him I was going to be a racer, he nearly kicked me out of the house.”

“Yeah, I know what it’s like to have your family hate you.”

“They don’t hate me. Not anymore. It took a while, but they came around. You see, family is important. Too important to throw away just to prove a point.”

“So then why do you race?”

“Because it’s what I love to do. My apa always said that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. I don’t care about the fame or the fortune. The drive, the rush, the feeling of speed. That’s why I do it. It just so happens to pay the bills.”

“Well whatever works for you. Me, I like this life” said Alessandro, getting in the car.

“Good luck tomorrow” said Jose Luis.

“You’re the one who’s going to need it!” exclaimed Alessandro, driving off.

Indeed he would.

[The Macabees]

"The upgrade package feels good," Viting was saying to the press after the qualifying session. "I'm quite proud of P2 today. I was four-tenths quicker than Jose, and I don't think there was anything I could do to beat Arturia's monster lap. She just put in the perfect lap in the rain. It's very impressive. Visibility was so bad out there, so for her to take those corners the way she did took a lot of guts. That's for sure. So, happy to start second tomorrow in the first row. But all the same, with Jose and Ror behind me, it won't be an easy start, and I'll have to be on my A game if I'm going to try to win tomorrow."

"Not support your teammate in his quest for a win?" asked the presenter.

Viting shrugged. "If Ror is in a position to win tomorrow, of course I'll do my best as his teammate to help him. He has a drivers' championship in contention. Regardless, as far as I'm concerned, he's starting behind me. So as long as he's behind me, I'm going to focus on my own race and on winning. We'll see what happens tomorrow, but I'm keeping my options open depending on how it goes. You never know. It's not a guaranteed thing for anyone."

Moments later, the same woman interviewed Ror. "Are you concerned that this is two out of three races that Viting has outqualified you?"

"Not at all," said Ror, not entirely truthfully. Of course he was concerned! "Viting is a fantastic driver, and he did a good job today. I was only eight hundredths from Luis and four tenths from Viting. I think those are gaps that we can close in tomorrow's race, especially over the race distance and given the conditions. It won't be about just one lap. We've had very good race pace recently, and I trust tomorrow we'll see something similar, especially with the new upgrades."

"The CAMDEN car looked very fast this quali," continued the presenter. "Do you reckon you can catch up tomorrow?"

Ror nodded. "We'll see. For Arturia, even more so for me, the title is on the line. She and Luis are neck and neck in the drivers' championship, and you can tell that they both really want it. They've both been driving like they want it."

"What does that mean for you?" she asked him.

He answered, "It means that it's going to be tough. I have three quick drivers ahead of me. But I've won before, and I know I can do it again. There are a lot of factors that go into putting together a great weekend, so anything can happen. But between my adjusted driving style and the upgrades, we clearly have as good a chance as we've ever had, so given that, I'm hopeful. I'll certainly be driving with the assumption that I'll be able to push the package to the limit."

Meli and Bianka had flown into Fedorograd that night, after quali. A private town car met them at the airport and brought them to the hotel, where they'd stay with Ror in his exceptionally large suite. Bianka had her own room, attached and accessible through a door, giving Meli and her husband some privacy on their side. But it wasn't until late that Ror got back to the room, having been 'stuck' in debriefs, the team dinner, and other things related to tomorrow's race. By then, Bianka was already asleep, and Meli was waiting for him with a glass of golden, bubbling champagne. Tomorrow, both of them would be watching the race from one of the paddock terraces, looking down from a climate-controlled private room shielded from the harsh rains that had fallen from dawn until dusk, through the night, and into the next morning, with no sign of weakening.

[Lisander]

ARTURIA NERO: AURA QUEEN?
Our editorial head, Mário Verdi, being guided by his 14-yo son in the world of "Aura Farming" and how it reflects in racing drivers.

Okay, maybe it isn't the most clean,
subtle graphic, but one can't deny
it sends a message.

Kids these days says the darndest things. These days, my kids are talking about "Aura Farming", it's all around the internet. Not the sanest of the online trends, but at least not like that one where certain number in the 60s that cause a massive uproar merely by appearing online. Luca, my oldest, is now 14 and he shares my fondness of Motorsports, with a special predilection for Sim Racing. He knows the name of every major PRO_RACER videogame streamer in Lisander. He knows our current Forzala 1 Championship joint points leader, Arturia Nero (or her gaming Alter Ego, "QueenNero"), more than me, and I'm a journalist and a fan of motorsports for more than twenty years, that more than once interviewed Nero in loco. He says she has plenty of "Aura". Back when I was his age, we called it "being cool". To "farm aura", as they say, is to "manufacture moments to be seen as cool", to "play for likes". It felt strange to understand at first, but it started to make sense to me when he showed me a short, twenty seconds videoclip made by a fan, with footage after Cerfonlande GP:

The video had kind of a obviously artificial cinematic lightning, and it captures some moments of her post-race moment of anger, when she kicked the water bottle in a display of disappointment for the 11th place in Circuit Ladislas Rémy. The clip had a very clever editing, complete with a soundtrack of electronic music, with a bass that hit at the exact point her foot made contact with the plastic. Immediately after, a series of photos of her appear in rapid succession, all covered with a maximalist amount of effects and filters, texts like "long live the queen" and "you should see me in a crown", as well as logos, including a "quasi-heraldic" composition of her logo supported by a pair of Camden pegasi. Apparently, she was only trying to vent her frustration with an awful result, but it was seen as a kind of "rebel act" that seemed to amass "cool points" with the fans. Sorry if I'm mixing my old man slang. They see her as real nobility. They would give her a seat in the Chamber of the Lords if they could. They farm all the aura they can for her, to keep her in evidence. Well, WGP2 is coming, and she's among those being expected to apply for a seat.

While we were talking about those moments, after a family trip to the library, I told him about the impromptu interview Arturia Nero offered, in the local language, to the local broadcaster, where she talked about the adopted kitten, and he said: "Oh, I didn't see the interview, but seems the Queensguard is already raising funds to keep the cat on a pet hotel while the vaccinations and health safety liberations are being arranged. I saw it on Teamcord, they share it everywhere..." Oh, that I knew. The Queensguard is Nero's own fan-club, the people who put up the video. She became a famous person on her own, and being a young woman, it's reasonable to say that she has a lot of male fans from many ages. And her fanbase is loyal and eager to please. "A bunch of simps", in Luca's words. Being presented to the concept of what is a "simp", however, I preferred not to elaborate further. Felt a little "cringe". I prefer to believe they're doing that because they have a good heart and are willing to contribute to the animal cause. However, as all the people know, with a solid blend of beauty, performance and friendliness, any woman can win a bunch of simps. Let's hope I'm not cancelled by this statement.

A personal apart: I, Mário Verdi, 44 years of age, Motoring enthusiast since his tender fourteen years of age and for the last eight years a writer on Turbo, admit that I only "simped" one woman on my entire life, Anne-Louise, that became my wife and mother of our three lovely children, Luca, Helena and Lucia.

Thinking about that, this is maybe part of who those who we are, those with latin blood in our veins. Portusians, Costenses, Alcantarans, Aristians, Montesinans, Zarbians... We're a bunch of performatic, beauty-loving, hot-blooded people. We talk loud, we move our body, we want to be seen and this makes us fulfilled. Is it to "farm aura", to "craft the perfect moment"? Maybe. We love to be seen. We want to share happiness and pain alike. We want to show our fondness for the things we like, it makes us proud. From the images we saw in this weekend already, with Nero talking to the reporters and Lopez friendly signing fans' caps, it shows are similar in a sense, and they seemed to appeal to the people in Zarbia because of that. They're passionate. And this passion pushes us further.

So, after this brief sociological reverie, I reached a conclusion: "Aura farming" is not necessarily cringe, as long as it is rightfully done. Wasn't there someone in the Renaissance that said the biggest effort you must do is to completely hide the effort in your task? Sprezzatura, they call it. Nero is filled with that. Let's hope she has enough of it to win Forzala 1 Championship.

---

After the Quali
CAMDEN NEXT Hospitality Unit

"Did you see it, Zeta? I can do it! Pole position, and one entire second! That will show them!" Arturia lounged lazily on the couch of the covered veranda on the team hospitality unit, using a braid of her hair to play with the black kitten, and ignoring the fact people were walking around below. All of her attentions had been dedicated to the little pet. Well, it was a therapy of its own, if we think about that. Despite the movement below, with fans making their paddock tour, that second-floor area was exclusive to team members and drivers, and luckily, for pets. The organizers had even been gentle enough to provide "Zeta Nero" an makeshift badge, with a photo and a clip to pin it to the soft cat bag.

Zeta was still small, but now much less frail. The veterinarians said she was seven or maybe eight weeks old, and probably hasn't been fed for a day before she was found. Arturia had asked in the panadería but no one seemed to see other stray cats around, so the little black kitten had been abandoned to her own devices as soon as she was weaned off. "Maybe the person who abandoned her expected people in the bakery would give it food for it to survive. Or maybe she was just astray, she could have parted from her mom because she hadn't any more milk. Well, at least the kitten wasn't abused or hurt." Arturia didn't wanted to think about sad things, not that afternoon. She was happy. She liked rainy days like those too. The rainy breeze was refreshing. mild afternoons were perfect to cuddle with a small kitty. Sadly, they would have to part soon. Zeta was too young to travel, despite being microchipped, medicated and vaccinated properly, because not a single airline agreed to transport a living kitten under 12 weeks, without all the permits and documents. And since they wouldn't travel back to Lisander, but to the location of the next race, to the east, to Krasnova, she wouldn't be able to follow the development of the little one for an entire week. Keli talked to the pet shop and they indicated a "kitten house". For a fee, a "foster family" would host and carethe kitten for a couple of weeks and deal with the travelling permissions, so en route to round 15, in Nicario, she would add a layover in Zarbia, to finally reunite.

"She's quite the cutesy." A male voice interrupted her play. "I bet my son would love to play with her, when we return to Lisander. She will be certainly stronger by then. By the way, congratulations on the Pole Position." It was Thomas Monteiro.

"Thank you, Thomas, you did good too. After some bad races on my tab... I needed that. Well, if it serves anything, I'm happy you stepped up and kept the points coming. Would be a hell of a problem if both of us failed at the same time. Well, good for us that we're both good. P6 is still good enough to be defined as a good one. What about I pay you dinner on that? I was looking around for some place selling empanadas."

"No way, Turia... Unlike you, I'm not an user of tungsten bars for ballast. I have to keep my weight under control, so I'm eating with the team." Thomas said, ditching the idea.

"Well, too bad. Did you know my tungsten bars were gifted to myself by Anneliese Devereux herself? But since she is even lighter, I do not use all of them."

"Strange thing to be proud of. Well, I'll be around my room here, watch my laps, maybe take a nap. You know, you have one too." Thomas said, rubbing with his finger the head of a defenseless Zeta that rested on the couch, her small eyes closed.

"Nah..." Arturia brushed that idea with her left hand. "To be looking at the rain with Zeta is much more relaxing than staying at that cramped booth they call room."

[The Macabees]

RACE
ZARBIA GP

FEDOROGODA AUTODROMO, TERRITORY OF ZARBIA




It's pouring over the Fedorogoda Autodromo as our racers complete the formation lap and take their positions on the grid. Visibility is near zero; the car ahead is just barely distinguishable through the haze of heavy, nonstop rain.

Arturia Nero starts in first. Her lead in the championship has been gradually whittled down by the human rocket, Jose Luiz Lopez, who starts behind her in third. It's the new young talent replacing Marko Meya in Tango, Viting Horsele, who starts second. His team partner, Ror Rakken, is in fourth. With the gap widening between him and the two top contenders, Ror needs a win today to stay in the running. Lanto Automotive's Rouben Veurien, the chameleon, is back in the top ten, starting in fifth. CAMDEN's Thomas Monteiro is by him, in sixth. In seventh, Karina Monraksha looks to restore the good form she had been seeing earlier in the season. In eighth, Marko Meya also chases nostalgia, seeing a dip in form after the move to Ekklesson F1. He will want to put in another miracle drive in the rain, as he did in Fedoroville. Team Sasha's Basiv Darjis, a driver who everyone thought would be in the mix for the championship, continues his struggles late into the season. And in tenth, Seárlas Dhomnaigh gives Dunne Motors another chance at points.

Despite the weather, the grandstands are packed full of fans. Even the grassy area is covered with humans, who congregate tightly in packs under the scattered tents offering protection from the downpour. The locals, who have taken a liking to Arturia Nero and Jose Luiz Lopez, have come out in force to cheer on their favorites. There are also those hardcore fans celebrating Valle Zuma F1, though the team has few chances of scoring points.

A drone silently hovers overhead, its camera catching the moments just before the five lights turn on, then go out, and one by one come back to life. As the fifth one flickers on, they all go out at once and our drivers are off!



RP bonuses included through Lisander's.

Race Results

Position  Start  Driver                    Team                                       Race Time     Fastest Lap  FL Point  Status                    Points
----------  -----  ------------------------  -----------------------------------------  ------------  -----------  --------  ------------------------  ------

1           2      Viting Horsele            Tango et Kartuma RMK                       1:41:53.876   1:45.951     0         Finished                  25
2           3      Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                              1:42:47.998   1:45.978     0         Finished                  18
3           1      Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                                1:43:08.575   1:45.698     1         Finished                  16
4           5      Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                           1:43:27.512   1:48.977     0         Finished                  12
5           4      Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                       1:44:16.633   1:49.216     0         Finished                  10
6           7      Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                            1:45:01.508   1:49.525     0         Finished                  8
7           9      Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                                 1:45:35.150   1:49.135     0         Finished                  6
8           10     Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                               1:46:42.982   1:52.089     0         Finished                  4
9           12     Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                           1:46:44.532   1:52.697     0         Finished                  2
10          8      Marko Meya                Ekklesson F1                               1:46:54.155   1:51.849     0         Finished                  1
11          14     Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                               1:47:26.358   1:50.855     0         Finished                  0
12          11     Sebastian Heidfeld        Kronenstahl Motors                         1:47:26.396   1:51.496     0         Finished                  0
13          18     Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                               1:47:53.007   1:52.544     0         Finished                  0
14          17     Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                                 1:47:57.510   1:52.298     0         Finished                  0
15          20     Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                            1:48:14.379   1:53.460     0         Finished                  0
16          6      Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                                1:48:19.334   1:53.717     0         Finished                  0
17          15     Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                              1:49:10.690   1:53.955     0         Finished                  0
18          19     Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing         1:49:49.867   1:53.827     0         Finished                  0
19          21     Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing         1:50:14.146   1:55.785     0         Finished                  0
20          22     Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                              1:52:48.428   1:56.660     0         Finished                  0
21          23     Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                              1:53:31.411   1:57.680     0         Finished                  0
22          24     Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                              1:54:17.459   1:56.449     0         Finished                  0
DNF         13     Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                              Lap 48/55                  0         Severe Tire Degradation   0
DNF         16     Ralf Hülkenberg           Kronenstahl Motors                         Lap 38/55                  0         Tire Puncture             0

Driver Standings After W13

Position  Driver                    Points
--------  ------------------------  ------

1         Jose Luiz Lopez           179
2         Arturia Nero              177
3         Ror Rakken                151
4         Basiv Darjis              117
5         Rouben Veurien            95
6         Marko Meya                84
7         Karina Monraksha          73
8         Laurens Scherpenkate      68
9         Nassrena Kang Salarzai    60
10        Viting Horsele            58
11        Thomas Monteiro           56
12        Sam Blaatschapen          49
13        Kamila Saidova            45
14        Seárlas Dhomnaigh         32
15        Ralf Hülkenberg           23
16        Alessandro Di Raffaele    17
17        Felix Klasen              14
18        Lonán Leanacháin          12
19        Lucas Alynbac             10
20        Sebastian Heidfeld        4
21        Emilio Blanco             2
22        Karles Jasper             0
23        Santi Balenciago          0
24        Coda Yin Saodah           0
25        Amber Astota              0
26        Gabrielle Figueroa        0
27        Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    0
28        Amber Astota (2)          0

Constructor Standings After W13

Position  Team                                   Points
--------  -------------------------------------  ------

1         Tango et Kartuma RMK                   292
2         CAMDEN NEXT                            233
3         Cooper Motors                          196
4         Team Sasha                             162
5         Lunar Firestorm                        133
6         Pryfors Bilar                          117
7         Lanto Automotive                       105
8         Dunne Motors                           44
9         Kronenstahl Motors                     27
10        Ekklesson F1                           15
11        Valle Zuma F1                          2
12        Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     0

Edit 8/22: Corrected subheadings from W12 to W13.

[The Macabees]

STATEMENT ON KRONENSTAHL MTG'S BARRING FROM THE VIKAR OF KRASNOVA

F1F and the F1A are aware of the Fedorogradi government's decision to ban the Ordenite motorsport team Kronenstahl MTG from the likutat's territory. As a result, Kronenstahl MTG will be unable to participate in next weekend's Grand Prix.

The city's decision comes as a result of a vote by its legislature, which concluded with the ban by 214 votes in favor. There were no votes against. The bill cites the ongoing war in Chernova and argues that the likutat's* national security is put at risk by the presence of Ordenites who can report back to their government as spies. Kronenstahl MTG has made both organizations aware of its intentions to appeal the decision, seeking reinstatement or monetary compensation in terms of potential prize money lost. The F1F and F1A stand by our team's rights to participate in the empire's legal process for appeal, though we also respect the decision of the Fedorogradi Deoma.

Kronenstahl MTG will be reinscribed for the Nicaroan Grand Prix in Fedoria.

We deeply regret any inconvenience that this political decision has caused to the team, its employees, and the fans. Thank you for your understanding.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Neither the F1F nor the F1A hold any liability, monetary or otherwise, for losses endured by any team participating in I Forzala 1 due to political forces outside of its purview and control.



______________________________________

* For those interested in the lore and background:

A likutat, which roughly translates to "free city," is a city that, while federated to the empire, has its own legislative system independent of the empire's or a larger region's. Fedorograd's legislature is the Deoma, a díenstadi transliteration of the local term Duma. The Vikar of Krasnova, which is the "territory" next weekend's race is hosted by, is composed of several likutats recently liberated from Ordena by the Golden Throne after a relatively short but intense war. These legislatures govern not just the city, but a hinterland of other cities, towns, villages, etc. There is a shared executive, known as the Vikaro, whom the emperor appoints. The standing vikaro is Díeg Hahk-Lorán, a former advisor to the emperor (known as kríerlords) who is also staunchly anti-Ordenite and seeks to launch an invasion of Ordenite Krasnova in the coming months.

Krasnova sits on an island shared with Chernova. Krasnova itself has been the subject of four wars over the past ~eight IC years. All of them have involved Ordena, who has been condemned by the WA Security Council, as the antagonist (he plays a great bad guy). Hopefully this provides context for the city government's decision.

There is a spectre of war, to some degree, over the island. There is significant tension across the region between Ordena and a loose, fragmented coalition of other powers, as they've tried to contain a new wave of Ordenite expansionary militarism. Krasnova is just a powder keg ready to blow.

A map of the geopolitical situation:

[Retro Caliland]

Zarbian Grand Prix, lap 48:

Alessandro was locked in, he was going like the wind, and he knew it. Even as the rain was pouring down, he wasn’t fazed. He set what was up to then, the fastest lap time of any driver out there.

“You see that? I know what I’m doing!” he said over the radio.

“Alessandro, your tyres are almost gone dude! You need to box!” yelled Kowalski.

“One more lap! I can hold it for one more lap!” he said, putting all doubt aside. He didn’t need distractions right now.

“Alessandro, dude! You have to box!”

“I can make it!”

He couldn’t. As he prepared to take a late apex on Turn 1, he felt it. The tyres went. When he felt it, his heart sank. As the car began to roll, it was like time slowed. All he could think to do was brace. His car rolled 3 times before landing upright near the barrier.

Jose Luis drove past, and seeing the car flip his mind went right to one thing…

24 Hours of Daytona, 2011:

Jose Luis was behind the wheel of a Ferrari 438, well into the night portion of the race. That didn’t bother him, as he was gunning for the lead, contending with the leader. As they turned, Jose Luis though the could take him on the outside.

He couldn’t. He lost control, and his car flipped through the air before crashing in the circuit’s infield.

Zarbian GP, present day:

As the marshals cleaned up the track, and the race got back to normal, Jose Luis wondered what Alessandro would have to say in the paddock.

Cooper Motors paddock, after the race:

“Mannaggia!”

“Hey man, sorry about the-“

“Oh, ti dispiace! Non è colpa mia se le maledette gomme sono sgonfiate, hai almeno visto quella vergogna!”

“Uh, si?”

“Questa è una stronzata!”

“Yeah, I have no idea what you’re saying” said Trevor.

Then Jose Luis walked in. Normally, a driver taking the lead in the Driver’s Championship would be cause for celebration, but the mood today was much mellower. Jose Luis knew that.

“Are you injured?”

“No.”

“Are you dead?”

“No.”

“Then consider yourself lucky. It could’ve been worse,” said Jose Luis.

Alessandro just glared at him. Then he sneezed.

“ACHOO!”

“Bless you!” blurted Ronny

“I can tell the mood in here is kinda tense,” said Heather, clearly anticipatory. “But, I have something that might cheer you up, Alessandro”. She pulled a kitten from behind her back, and shoved it in Alessandro’s face.

Alessandro quickly pulled back, and sneezed again, this time harder.

“ACHOO!”

“Bless you!”

“Heather! I’m extremely allergic to cats! What the hell!”

“Oh come on! Arturia Nero just adopted a kitten and internet is going nuts over it. As the team’s social media manager it’s my job to make sure we’re keeping up with the other teams! Just think of how many views this will get on TikTok!”

“Heather, no!” said Alessandro, stepping back further. “ACHOO!”

“Bless you!”

Then Melissa walked in. “Sorry I’m late, I got caught up, the track’s security team was questioning people, apparently somebody’s pet cat went missing. None of you know anything about that do you?”

“No.” Said Heather nonchalantly, as she hid the cat behind her back.

“meow”

“Heather!” bellowed Melissa, like an angry mom when her kid did something they shouldn’t have.

“Oh, come on! It would’ve gone so viral!”

“Return the cat now, Heather!” she ordered.

“Ok ok, so maybe we’re not gonna beat Nero on socials,” interrupted Trevor. “But our boy Jose Luis is sure as hell beating her in the Driver’s Championship! So to celebrate, and to cheer up Mr. Grumpypants over here, I thought we could all hit the club tonight! Yeah?”

“Yesss!” exclaimed Heather.

“You can only go if you return the cat” said Melissa.

Upon hearing that, Heather promptly hurried out, cat in tow, much to Alessandro’s relief.

“I have to work on this Air Caliland deal” said Melissa.

“Aero package” stated Mila.

“Ok, fine, boys night!”

“Amigo, I’m a married man, I left that life behind years ago. You go on ahead.”

“I’m too old for that shite, you lot have fun.”

“I’m with Graham on this one, y’all have fun.”

“Ok, fine the COOL people will go to the club. Sound good?

“YEAH!” shouted Kowalski, Alessandro, and Heather, having returned from dropping off the cat.

A nightclub somewhere, that night:

The night was a blur of drinking, dancing, flirting and neon lights. Between Heather tearing up the dance floor, Trevor getting into a drinking contest, and Alessandro acting as Evan’s wingman picking up women, everybody had a blast.

The morning after would prove to be a very different story.

To Be Continued…

[Retro Caliland]

The morning after, a hotel room somewhere:

KNOCK-KNOCK!

“Go away” muttered a deeply hungover Trevor, laying in bed.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

“Go away!”
“Trevor!” exclaimed the voice from the other side of the door.
Trevor groaned and got out of bed. He put on some sunglasses to shield his eyes from the light. He stumbled over to the door, and opened it to see an angry, sober Melissa standing there.
“Trevor! Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“Too damn early. What do you want?” he responded, tired as hell.
“Where the hell’s Alessandro?”
“I dunno. Last I saw him we were at the club.”
“Damn it! You’re just as useless as the other ones!”
“Other ones?”
“Kowalski and Heather. Kowalski’s in bed with some woman, and poor Heather drunkenly called me at 2AM asking me to pick her up because she “doesn’t trust Uber”. They’re both hungover out of their minds, without a damn clue as to where Alessandro is!”

“Ok ok calm down. First of all, Kowalski’s name is Evan. Second of all its really nice of you to pick up Heather like that. Third of all, Alessandro’s probably at some other hotel or something. And fourth of all, you’re being way too goddamn loud. Can we take down a notch? Please?”
“This is serious Trevor! We need to find Alessandro before the sponsor event today!”
“What sponsor event?”
“Oh for God’s sake! The Air Caliland sponsor event! They want both drivers to make an appearance!”
“Oh shit, is that today?”
“Yes! It is! Now get ready to go out because we’re finding Alessandro, sobering him up, and we’re going to that sponsor event!”
“Can you just like, stop screaming?”
“Meet me in the lobby in 10 minutes.”

The hotel lobby, 10 minutes later:

Trevor, Heather, and Evan sat on one couch, wearing dark sunglasses and sipping cold water. Across from them sat Ronny and Mila, confused and sober. Melissa walked in and began barking orders.

“Alright, we need to find him before the event at 1, so here's the plan: Trevor and I will meet Jose Luis at the event, and stall for time. Ronny and Mila will guard the hungover ones while you retrace your steps from last night and find Alessandro. Yes?”

Evan raised his hand. “I’m like, totally not hungover” he said, rubbing his eyes.
“You were literally complaining about how loud and bright everything is” said Mila.
“That’s cause it is” replied Evan.
“Whatever, just get a move on!” exclaimed Melissa
“Please stop yelling” asked Heather.
“Thank you!” said Trevor.

Somewhere in Fedorogoda:

After a while of trying to retrace their steps, the gang had made no progress. Unfortunately for Ronny and Mila, the task of babysitting three hungover idiots was often a distraction from the search party.

“You guys, this is just like that movie The Hangover” said Ronny.
“That makes me Bradley Cooper, right?” asked Evan.
“What are you talking about, I’m obviously Bradley Cooper!” responded Ronny.
“Oh, come on! You’re not even hungover!”
“Boys, boys, you can both be Bradley Cooper, just shut up, and stop yelling!” said Heather, rubbing her head.
Mila sighed exasperatedly. “We’re never going to find Alessandro at this rate.”
“Y’all tried callin’ his phone yet?” asked Ronny.
“Tried that already. He’s not picking up” said Evsn.
“Do any of you have his location on the app?”
Evan and Heather just stared blankly at Mila.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Are you shitting me?”
“Sorry” they said, meekly, staring at the ground.

A park in Fedorogoda:

Alessandro sat alone on the bench. He was staring at his phone. The battery had died hours ago. He still remembered the last voicemail he had received.

Alessandro’s paddock room, before the race:

Alessandro was trying to focus. He had his music in, and was imagining the race. The car, the track. He kept visualizing every corner, every apex. He could feel it. Then his concentration was broken by the buzzing of his phone. He decided to let it ring. He went back to his mental preparation. Visualize the race. The gear changes, the braking zones, the-

BZZZZZ

Damn it. Alessandro checked his phone. He saw he had 1 missed call and 1 new voicemail. He knew who this was. Curiosity got the better of him and he opened the voicemail.

“Alessandro! Abbiamo grandi notizie! Tuo fratello si sposa! Siamo così felici per lui! Ti chiamiamo solo per invitarti al matrimonio. Questo è importante per noi e vogliamo che tu ci sia”

Alessandro just threw the phone on the bed. As he was processing the news, he was called away to take position on the grid.

Zarbian Grand Prix, lap 47:

Alessandro couldn’t get his mind off of what he’d heard. While he was obviously happy for his brother, he couldn’t belive that his brother’s wedding was more important to his fanily than Alessandro’s F1 career. Luca really was the favorite. Unbelievable.

“Alessandro, your tyres are fading, you have to box!” said Evan Kowalski over the radio.

Alessandro was going to box. But something within him held him back. Something that wanted to prove everybody wrong. He could manage a few more laps. He didn’t need people to tell him what to do. He knew he could prove he was worth caring about.

“I’m staying out!” Alessandro said over the radio.

He was locked in. We know how that went.

A park in Fedorogoda:

Alessandro was wallowing in his own misery. How could his family not care about his career? They always held up his brother as the golden boy. Now they were acting like his wedding was more important than anything Alessandro had accomplished in his racing career. After the crash, Alessandro had spent the night trying to forget his worries. He had left the club early with a random tourist he met whom he went back to her hotel with. Now he just felt weird. Not bad, not guilty, just weird. He had a weird feeling in his gut he couldn't shake. He had spent the morning wandering around town, stopped by the occasional local asking if he knew Jose Luis Lopez. He had taken a seat in this park to collect his thoughts. As he did so, a random dog walked up to him and sat down right in front of him. Alessandro pet the dog, who was very friendly. Alessandro looked around for the dog’s owner, but there was no one.

“Guess you’re lost too, si?”

The dog tilted his head and stared at him. He laid down at Alessandro’s feet. As Alessandro picked him up and set him on the bench, he head a familiar sound; arguing.

“That’s stupid! If he’s Bradley Cooper, that makes me Andy from The Office-”
“Ed Helms.”
“Which makes you Zach Galifan- Galiflak- Gafifak- the guy with the beard!”
“Ok ok, what if I’m Brad Cooper, you’re Ed Helms and he’s Zack Galifalakinakis?”
“That’s not his name.”
“No no no no! Stop trying to make yourself Bradley Cooper! Ok!”
“Guys shut up!”
“Thank you Heather.”
“Is that Alessandro?”

The gang ran over to where Alessandro was sitting.

“Are you drunk?”
“Did you get kidnapped?”
“Is one of your kidneys missing?”
“Ohmigod! Is that your dog?!”

Everyone stared at Heather, who was getting out her phone.

“What? It’ll be great for TikTok.”

“Okay, um to answer your questions; no, no, no, and I don’t know he just came up to me randomly in the park.”

“We need you to adopt that dog right away! I always knew you were a dog person!” interrupted Heather

“Like when you shoved that cat in my face?”

“Guys! We need to get Alessandro to the sponsor event! My aero package fund-, I mean, our funding depends on it!” Mila snapped.

The rest of the gang got up and prepared to leave.

“What the hell, man?” said Evan.

“Sorry about that. My phone died.” responded Alessandro.

“No worries bro, it’s all good.”

“Ok ok, I just need to get a video of you rescuing this stray dog and it’ll go so viral!”

“You found him!” said a child’s voice from behind Alessandro. “You found my lost dog! Thanks mister!”

“Oh, you’re welcome. Happy to help.”

“Goddammit!”

Air Caliland sponsor event, across town:

“And that’s how the goat got on the roof. Crazy story right?” said Trevor, as his little audience burst into laughter. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Melissa waving for him to come over. “Excuse me guys, just a second.”

He walked over to Melissa. “What’s up?”

“Alessandro’s here” she whispered. “Best of all, he’s not hung over.”

“Alright, awesome! Let’s go!” Trevor walked back over to the gathered airline execs. “You guys wanna meet our drivers?” He showed them the way to where Jose Luis and Alessandro were.

After what felt like an eternity of glad-handing and pretending to want to be there, the airline execs talked to Melissa and Heather.

“I have a good feeling about this sponsorship deal,” said Air Caliland’s Head of Marketing. “You know, we’re really trying to expand our motorsports presence. We’re even offering to fly Arturia Nero’s kitten for free, after she went viral. No other airline will.”

“Goddammn Arturia Nero” whispered Heather under her breath.

On the other side of the room, Jose Luis was talking to Alessandro.

“Are you alright?”
“Yeah. I’m ok.”
“So you’re not.”
“It’s none of your business, old man.”
“You’re right, it’s not. But when it affects your racing, when it affects this team, then it becomes my business.”
“Who said it’s affecting my racing?”
“That,” Jose Luis pointed to a TV screen playing footage of Alessandro’s wreck.
“Accidents happen. I guess you won your stupid bet.”
“It’s not about the bet. Don’t worry about it,” said Jose Luis, walking away. “Just know that this life is about more than winning.”
“Whatever you say.”
“See you at training tomorrow?”
“Bright and early.”

[The Macabees]

WEEKEND WARMUP
KRASNOVA GP

FEDOROGRAD VELORING, VIKAR OF KRASNOVA

WELCOME TO THE KRASNOVA GRAND PRIX, raced on a track memetically known online as "the tongue" for its shape.

Fedorograd is an exotic host for a Forzala 1 Grand Prix, having, literally a few years ago, been little more than a walled-in naval base serving as a leased enclave within Ordena-occupied Krasnova. In the aftermath of the Fourth Krasnovan War, during which today's likutats were liberated and politically reorganized, Fedorograd has grown into a major metropolis and an important port city, both militarily and commercially. It connects to the other likutats, including Pezlevko, Rubino, Sofiatsyn, and Chernaya, through a network of conventional and high-speed rail. While much of the freight tonnage is used for military logistics, a growing share is being taken up by commercial and consumer goods being imported into the interior from the rest of the empire.

Thus teams and fans can expect a burgeoning metropolitan complex of the port city and its many suburbs, as well as satellite villages that have already shown signs of one day achieving contiguity. While a significant portion of the local population is composed of both settled military veterans and current active military personnel, there is also a much larger percentage made up of migrants and refugees from the interior, as well as from Chernova. Few Ordenite Krasnovans cross to the vikar, as they are jealously guarded and suppressed by the Berlina-based government as a source of prison labor. But there are nevertheless millions of Krasnovans, Kysetians, Chernayans, and migrants of the countless other local ethnicities, who all seek work in a budding urban economy that at first catered to the sizeable military presence, but has since then evolved into a much more complex, interconnected, and diversified economic system. Fedorograd also has a considerable administrative presence, being one of the vikar's two capital cities. It shares that status with Jonaksburg, also a major naval base on the other side of the vikar.

Fedorograd and the vikar, in general, have enormous security resources at their disposal that ensure the safety of the teams, their staff, and the fans. There are no concerns regarding the ongoing war in neighboring Chernova, and zero incidents of spillover. The vikar finds itself in a period of peace, and the diplopalatio rates Krasnova as "green," the safest security level in its five-color system. Pezlevko and Rubino are, by comparison, rated yellow, for the threat of pickpocketing and other property crimes. Chernaya is rated orange, and fans are not advised to visit this Zenitharian (OOC: Islamic-adjacent) enclave, which is considered a military zone in its entirety and shares a long frontier with Ordenite Krasnova.

The Vikar of Krasnova is in many ways exotic to the Golden Throne's other subjects. And it's not only because of the various distinct languages spoken in the area, the most common of which is Krasnovan (OOC: Russian-adjacent). Historically, the only "free city" has been Tarn (the GP host of week eleven's race at the Tarn Street Cauldron). In liberated Krasnova, the empire has used the system to reorganize the area's administrative and tax infrastructure. Eight major cities have been granted the legal status of likutat, which means they have the right to form their own legislative assembly that wields enormous influence over the day-to-day administration of their home cities and assigned hinterlands. This hinterland comprises of hundreds of other cities, towns, villages, hamlets, et cetera, which have local voting rights, participate in the political process, and are governed by the home city. In Fedorograd, that legislature is the unicameral Deoma, a recently coined díenstadi translation of Duma, the term used in the majority of other Krasnovan free cities.

Enough of boring politics. The Veloring promises spectators speed, the theme of this final championship leg. The track consists of a long straight with a slow corner at Turn 1, heading to a short pair of corners before entering another straight that takes us through a long sweeping segment of the track marked by a series of minor turns until reaching the opening straight of sector three. A short technical section completes the lap, as the drivers find themselves at the start line after turn 15.

Though we can put the drenching rain of Fedorogoda behind us, this weekend will be quite windy. We can expect medium winds during quali, high winds during the race.

The drivers' championship remains tightly contested between Arturia Nero and Jose Luiz Lopez, with only two points separating the two. Ror Rakken has lost some ground to the main contestants, but remains viable should he be able to put three good weekends together. However, his new teammate, Viting Horsele, has already stolen some of Tango's number one driver's thunder, with three podiums in three races, including a win in Zarbia.

In the constructors', Tango remains the favorite, with its 59-point lead. But CAMDEN will seek to claw back on that advantage as much as they can, with up to 129 points in contention. 132, when including the fastest lap point.



ATTENTION: RP cutoff date for the qualifying session is 8/22 08:00 PST. RPs after race results but before this post count.


Week 14: Fedorograd Veloring, Vikar of Krasnova



Key Details

52 laps; 6km lap.

• Track Type: Power-focused circuit with extended straight and long high-speed arc
• Rewards: Top speed, aero efficiency, braking stability, sustained high-speed confidence
• Punishes: High drag setups, weak braking zones, instability through long-radius corners, poor exit onto main straight
• Overtaking: High; major opportunities into Turn 1 and heavy braking zones following long straights
• Tire Factor: Medium — long straights allow recovery, but sustained high-speed corners load tires consistently
• Setup Bias: Low drag, efficient aero platform, stable high-speed balance
• Qualifying Importance: Medium — overtaking opportunities reduce dependency on grid position
• Safety Car Likelihood: Low — open layout and flowing sections minimize incident clustering
• Time Profile: Dominated by straight-line speed and long-radius corner commitment; large gains from sustained acceleration
• Driver Bias: Skill > Qualifying Bias > Consistency > Tire Management > Aggression
• Race Character: Expansive and speed-driven; overtakes occur through pace and braking differentials
• Notable Traits: One of the most power-sensitive circuits; long straight and sweeping lower section define lap time

[Solisian Union]

The cold, salty wind off the Fedorograd straits whistled through the open garage doors of the Veloring pit lane, snapping the gold-and-crimson pennants of Lunar Firestorm against their steel stanchions.

For the Solisians, Fedorograd felt less like a typical glamorous racing stop and more like a fortress that had hastily built a metropolis around itself. Beyond the paddock grandstands, the gray silhouettes of destroyers sat moored in the harbor, while the railheads hummed day and night with military freight. The banishment of Kronenstahl MTG by the local Deoma had cast a strange, tense hush over the garages, reminding everyone that politics and the shadow of potential and active conflicts with the Ordenites was never far away.

And deep inside the Lunar Firestorm bay, Karina Monraksha sat on an equipment trunk tucked away near the rear tire stacks. She wore a heavy team windbreaker over her fire suit, her traditional Ayr scarf tucked tightly beneath the collar to keep out the chill, her glasses slightly fogged by her breath. Beside her, a bottle of water and a blister pack of antacids lay on top of a tablet. She had pushed through the damp heat of Zarbia with a solid sixth-place haul. That was good, but now that she was staring out at the expansive, sweeping arc of "The Tongue," she knew the challenge was entirely different.

"Wind is picking up off Sector Two," Karina said as she tracked the digital wind vectors sweeping across the tablet display. "If the gust catches the rear wing while we're flat through Turn 8, the active flap won't trim fast enough to stop the snap."

Nassrena Kang Salarzai stepped up beside her while she was holding two steaming cups of spiced tea. She handed one to Karina with a brief, warm nod. Nassrena looked relaxed, her face free of the bruises that had haunted the early summer, carrying herself with the quiet composure that had anchored the team across their hardest weeks.

"We trim the floor instead of the wing," Nassrena suggested, taking a sip. "The Veloring punishes drag down that four-kilometer combined straight, but Turn 1 and Turn 15 are where you actually lose your lap time. If we let the car wander too much under heavy braking in these crosswinds, we won’t even make the apex."

A few paces away, Jeanne was crouched beside Juzui’s exposed front suspension, wrench in hand and a smudge of grease across her forehead. She stood up, wiping her palms on a rag, and looked toward Canzal, who was parked at the edge of the timing console. "We still have that final upgrade in reserve, Canzal," Jeanne called out. "If we improve top speed and shave down the high-downforce floor pack, we can match Cooper and CAMDEN on the long arc. But if we touch it now, we're locked in for the season finale."

Canzal slowly tapped her fingers against the armrest of her wheelchair, watching the telemetry stream from the morning shakedowns. Her dark eyes flicked from the wind gauge to her two drivers. "That's great, but I think we can hold the upgrade," Canzal said firmly, leaving no room for debate. "Our cornering advantage is what keeps Juzui and Egamela alive through the technical complexes. The wind will hurt the straight-line runners just as much on race day. If we keep the aero platform stable, set the active suspension for maximum lateral stiffness in the sweeping mid-sector, and let the drivers do the work, then I think we will be okay."

She looked at Karina and Nassrena. "The news from the border with Sishia came through this morning," Canzal added quietly, her tone dropping so the surrounding mechanics wouldn't hear. "The Union is doing their best against the Sishians and the KNR, and they're gaining ground, but everyone at home is watching how we carry ourselves out here. We run clean. We don't chase ghosts, and we don't beat ourselves before Saturday qualifying."

Karina set her tea down and pulled her Ayr scarf snug. "Understood," Karina replied, a rare, faint smirk touching her mouth. "Juzui feels ready. Let's see what she does in the gale."

Nassrena smiled, setting her empty cup aside and pulling her gloves on. "Right behind you."

---

The high-pitched shriek of Juzui and Egamela flashed past the pit wall outside, rattling the corrugated sheet metal of the garages before fading down the 400-meter straight into Sector One. But inside the Lunar Firestorm bay, none of the telemetry screens were getting full attention. Instead, a half-dozen mechanics stood clustered around a portable satellite display perched on an upturned flight case, their tools resting idle in greasy palms.

The feed was overlaid with raw combat camera uplinks stamped with military censorship bands. Across the flickering monitor, the reality of Operation Climb Mount Ranyas was unfolding in jagged, high-definition terror.

Footage showed the 3rd Army Group "Eternal Flame" under General-Marshal Sofia del Carmen Velez hammering across the Tharparkar border. Dense columns of Solisian Eclipsar heavy armor and mechanized infantry tore through muddy forward trenches, crushing fortified KNR checkpoints beneath their tracks while heavy artillery pounded supply routes into burning craters. Further along the coast, Special Naval Landing Forces were surging off assault craft under the cover of offshore naval bombardments, clashing viciously with Sishian-backed defensive lines to carve open corridors for the Free Armies of Kebab.

"Look at the sky over Kalutara," a young Elizaran mechanic whispered, her knuckles whitening around a torque wrench.

The screen cut to grainy gun-camera footage: Solisian SAF-7 Yellow Novas swirling in deadly, low-altitude knife-fights against Sishian Chevalier interceptors, trading missiles through thick pillars of black smoke rising from burning fuel depots. It was the Union’s furious answer to the Xialaki Temple attack and the air attack against Gurutala.

Jeanne stood with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, a smudge of dark graphite grease streaked across her temple. Her jaw worked slowly as she watched the ticker tape at the bottom of the screen report casualty counts and mass mobilizations across the southern provinces. "My brother is with the 9th Guards near the border," Jeanne muttered, her voice rough and stripped of its usual bravado. "They’re not stopping at the river. They’re going all the way into the interior."

Canzal sat motionless in her wheelchair just behind them, her dark eyes fixed on the live footage of Solisian strike aircraft dropping ordnance along the frontline. She didn't flinch at the explosions on screen, but her grip on the chair’s wheel rim was tight enough to strain the tendons in her wrist. "They won't stop until Sishia and the junta are broken, Jeanne," Canzal said quietly, her voice cutting clean through the ambient roar of the paddock. She glanced over at the secondary timing monitor, watching Karina and Nassrena’s purple delta sectors lighting up the board on their flying laps.

Canzal reached over, clicked the broadcast volume down, and pointed toward the telemetry racks. "The Union is doing its duty in the mud," Canzal told the room, her gaze sweeping over the shaken mechanics. "Our duty is on the tarmac. Get the dry tire blankets heated and check Nassrena's brake pressure sensors before they box. We don't drop our heads today."

---

The post-practice debrief wrapped with the usual clatter of unzipped fire suits and the heavy hum of cooling fans. In the corner of the motorhome, Nassrena collapsed onto a bench and cracked open a cold bottle of water, downing half of it in one long pull before reaching into a tin of Elizaran street snacks. The Elizarans made really good and tangy, coconut-crusted shrimp cakes and dried, seasoned squid crisps that tasted like the coastal docks of Magadanga. Karina sat across from her, adjusting her glasses with grease-smudged knuckles, thoughtfully chewing on a sweet rice bite as they scrolled through their Sector Two deltas on a shared tablet.

"Turn 8 is eating our entry speed, but the balance through the arc is okay, I think," Nassrena observed between bites, tapping the telemetry trace. Karina nodded in quiet agreement, setting the screen aside.

With the engineering notes logged, both drivers took their permitted window to contact home.

Nassrena took her phone out to the balcony, her expression softening into immediate longing the moment her sister’s face appeared on screen. Her family in the Free Rasur State were surrounded by the endless flat ranchlands, but the background was filled with the rumble of heavy military freight trains heading south. Nassrena listened with a tight chest, missing the loud, crowded warmth of the family homestead, her voice wavering slightly as she begged them to stay indoors and keep the livestock away from the main transit corridors.

Karina, meanwhile, leaned against the equipment wall inside, her call to the western foothills of Azynia brief and stoic. Her aunt answered, speaking in clipped, calm Azynian tones. The Ayr clans had already shifted their youngers and secured the valley homesteads without panic or fuss. After all, the clans of the Ayr were mountain people used to enduring harsh seasons and sudden conflicts. The other tribes of the Azynian territories of the New Solisian Union were also making their own adjustments here and there, but nobody was the same as the Ayr. Karina simply nodded, exchanged about eight or nine sentences confirming she was eating and managing her stomach, and ended the call with a respectful bow of her head.

When Nassrena returned, eyes slightly reddened from homesick worry, Karina said nothing. She simply slid the rest of the Elizaran snacks across the table and pushed a fresh bottle of water into Nassrena's hands. Nassrena managed a faint smile, sitting down beside her, and the two shared the remaining food in quiet, grounding companionship.

Out in the bay, Jeanne was cursing under her breath beneath *Juzui’s* left sidepod. Telemetry had flagged an intermittent voltage drop in the active floor's hydraulic trim actuator during the high-speed sweep.

"Pass me the optical calibrator and a five-millimeter hex," Jeanne snapped, her boots sticking out from under the diffuser as mechanics scurried around her. "The sensor’s catching grit from the salt wind. If we don’t clean the housing before Saturday quali, the floor will bind and dump her downforce at two hundred miles an hour."

Watching the commotion through the glass of the trackside office, Canzal sat motionless in her chair. Her dark eyes drifted from the busy mechanics to Karina’s quiet profile through the window.

The technical gremlins were easy, and their job was easy because they had manuals for that. What made Canzal's stomach twist into an icy knot was what waited back in Solisia once the season closed. When the flags came down and the shipping crates were packed, she would have to travel into the Azynian interior with Karina to stand before the fierce matriarchs of the Ayr. She had no idea what words could possibly explain how the fire in Coda’s blood had burned the young woman to ashes in a Macabean hotel room, or how a team manager was supposed to ask for forgiveness from a family that had sent their daughter away expecting glory and received only a coffin.

[The Macabees]

Ror's golden hair fluttered in the wind as the driver stared out at the bay's blue waters. Large cargo ships sat anchored off the coast, waiting for their turn to dock at the commercial port. Farther in the distance, he could see the large aircraft carriers in the city's principal naval base, but even from here he could see that the port was emptier than usual. The local news was alive with stories of the various naval exercises taking place off different coasts of the island.

He had been just a small lad when the Stevidian nuclear strikes occurred off the eastern shore of the Díenstadi peninsula — not far from the site of the F1 Díenstad Grand Prix. But he remembered the more recent Ordenite missile strikes, and the distant but godly thunder of the empire's nuclear-tipped air defense systems that intercepted these missiles before approaching the northern imperial coast. Ror was already a racing driver at that time. A younger one, but an adult who remembered those terrifying months vividly. It was as if yesterday when families started to pack up and move into one of the many nuclear shelters built below the subterranean layers of the old Díenstadi royal capital. The streets above became deserted. At dinner, people hardly ate. Not because of a lack of food, but because of a lack of appetite. The spectre of nuclear war hung low, like a sword of Damocles hovering over the heads of each person, looking as if it were going to fall upon them at any given moment. Ror didn't want to live through something like that again. But geopolitics had now seeped into Forzala 1, and it was all too real once again.

But it wasn't war that occupied his mind at that moment, as he gazed into the distant sea. Rather, it was how not even Will had been sufficient to promote Ror to victory. Though it appeared that Will had favored Viting. Indeed, the new Tango rookie had put in quite the drive to earn his first F1 Grand Prix victory. It was fantastic news for the team, which registered 35 points in the constructors'. But it was pitiable for Ror, who finished the race fifth and even farther away from the dream of the drivers' title.

In fact, the younger driver had put in a series of great weekends. Three podiums in three races. Marko's early exit had turned out to be a blessing.

But Ror forced himself to focus. He meditated, finding his center and unifying his thoughts to clear his mind for this new weekend in Krasnova.

In his brain, he visualized the track. Ror had spent countless hours in the sim, driving the circuit. On paper, the Tango didn't seem to have the power that this course called for. The Veloring had the longest straights to date, though the next two tracks would have even more. And the technical section, which suited the Tango car, was short. Neither was Ror as talented as some of the other drivers. But he had good tire and energy management, so he would focus on the long game.

The wind picked up just then, and a spray of ocean salt water brushed his face. It made him miss home and the golden Díenstadi beaches, which for a few select months of the year were beautiful and chockful of sunbathers. Soon, he'd be able to enjoy Meli and Bianka in full, without interruption. Just a few more races, he thought. Three more. Then I'll rest. He smiled to himself. Rest? He knew that was wishful thinking. Well, maybe a little rest. A man could dream, after all. But the 24 Hours of Kuapem Heights beckoned him and, before he knew it, it'd be time for Forzala 1 again.

This time, the wind carried that high-pitched drone of a V10 engine, reminding Ror of where he was. Standing, he looked out to sea one more time, and sighed. Then, he turned, and headed back to the garage.

[The Macabees]

QUALIFYING
KRASNOVA GP

FEDOROGRAD VELORING, VIKAR OF KRASNOVA




RP bonuses counted through The Macabees'.

Grid Position  Driver                    Team                                   Qualifying Score
--------------  ------------------------  -------------------------------------  ----------------

1               Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                            1:40.463
2               Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                          1:40.510
3               Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:41.293
4               Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                          1:41.436
5               Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                       1:42.263
6               Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                            1:42.863
7               Viting Horsele            Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:43.533
8               Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                        1:43.546
9               Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                             1:43.559
10              Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                             1:44.229
11              Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                          1:44.376
12              Marko Meya                Ekklesson F1                           1:44.730
13              Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                          1:44.907
14              Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:46.188
15              Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                           1:46.242
16              Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                        1:46.431
17              Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                          1:46.570
18              Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                           1:46.660
19              Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                          1:46.675
20              Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                           1:47.073
21              Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:47.333
22              Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                       1:47.482

Race Details

Race Weather Prognostic: Heavy Winds
RP Cutoff: 8/23 @ ~8AM PST

[The Macabees]

A bill blocking "foreign recruitment of Chernaya's youth," passed yesterday by the likutat's Consultative Assembly, or the Majlis al-Shura, was vetoed early morning by Vikaro Díeg Hahk-Lorán. His Lordship cited that the Majlis al-Shura has no jurisdiction over matters of foreign affairs, as those political rights are the Imperial Bureaucracy's by treaty. Though the Chernayan political body is expected to appeal the veto, experts say that the koerts are unlikely to reverse Mr. Hahk-Lorán's decision. The local bill was a response to an increase in the number of religious agents sent to the likutat from New Empire, where millions of zenitharian refugees from southeast Ordena were settled by imperial authorities, and Mahdah, the emirate in the far west. These agents have been recruiting the local youth, both men and women, into a holy war raging and expanding in Barjaanistan, Potthan, and Asadabad, which neighbor Mahdah.

Local political and religious leaders argue that the recruitment drive is being organized by the Imperial Bureaucracy to export Chernayans of warfighting strength, in a bid to dilute resistance to permanent imperial federation. But imperial authorities note that the recruits volunteer to deploy to the far west and that the armed forces are involved in training, arming, and funding this program only as a means of indirectly resisting the rooting of Ordena's occupation of Potthan.

Díeg Hahk-Lorán publicly admonished the Majlis al-Shura in a televised speech given in Fedorograd, where he publicized his veto action. He criticized the local legislative body for turning their backs on their zenitharian brethren resisting true evil, reminding them that the same Ordena sat directly along the likutat's borders and noting the armed forces' role in defending Chernayan autonomy.


Ror turned the TV off. Sitting in his hotel room, he stared at the wall for a second before grabbing his laptop from the side table and opening it. He searched for a program titled STRATEGIKO, clicked it, and a small loading screen opened.

It soon went full screen, and the game's introductory video began to play after an initial round of company and corporate names. A menu occupied the left-hand side now, with a moving image on the right showing gaming footage that rotated to another predetermined scene a minute later. He paid that no mind, quickly clicking into a saved game. A board loaded up, with pieces distributed across a number of squares that comprised a grid covering the entire surface area. There was terrain overlaid on the grid in 3-dimensional representations, affecting each piece's movements. The pieces were of two colors: his and the opponent's. Each one had a rank as a title, borrowing them from the empire's Ejermakt (ground forces). It looked like Ror was winning, but the AI controlling the opponent was not doing too badly either. The initiative could very well turn.

TK's number one driver had already gone through the debriefs, thought through his qualifying laps, and thoroughly prepared himself for tomorrow's race. He had spoken to his manager, listening to his pep talk. Earlier, he had a video call with his wife and daughter. All his t's were crossed, and i's dotted. The late-night Strategiko session helped clear his mind of all that information that he had processed. He'd recall it tomorrow, but for now it was important to sleep, and that meant resetting his brain.

It was his turn. He moved one of his komsargénts, eliminating an opposing soldat prim. Then it was the computer's turn. One of its pieces moved, slotting into a square abutting a river. Ror had a piece on the opposite bank.

Back and forth they went for 30 or so minutes. Then Ror shut it off, turned off the lights, and went to bed.

Tomorrow was a big day. He would need to figure out how to shave a second off his average lap relative to the qualifying lap times over the next twelve or so hours if he had any hopes of disrupting the Arturia-José party up ahead.

[Retro Caliland]

Cooper Motors paddock, conference room:

Trevor sat at the head of the table, flanked by Graham on his left and Mila on his right. At the other end of the table stood a nervous engineer and an annoyed analyst.
“Whenever you’re ready.” Trevor said, with a motion of his hand as if he were a king holding court.
“Well, uhm, I-um, you see” stammered Gary, the engineer.
“Oh for God’s sake, you said you can make the car quicker, tell us bloody how!” said Graham.
Gary took a deep breath. “Right, ok. I figured out a way to make the car, like, 10% quicker.”

Graham’s eyebrows shot up. Trevor furrowed his brow and tilted his head.
“Only 10%?” asked Trevor.
“Oi, in F1, 10%’s a fucking lot, mate.”
“Yes, exactly. You see, I figured we could make the batteries 10% smaller and make the chassis 10% lighter. That would be enough weight redistribution to allow for an engine that can make the car 10% faster.”
“Would our cornering or acceleration be affected?” Asked Graham.
“They’d stay about the same.”
“Still, we’d get the boost we need to beat Camden and Tango,” said Trevor.
“That said, this upgrade is an unnecessarily risky gamble,” interjected Anna, the analyst. “Changing our car’s setup this late in the season is an unnecessary risk. Not to mention it might jeopardize our late race pace as well as our reliability.”
“She has a point, Cooper. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Our formula got us this far, there’s no sense changing it now.” said Graham.
“I’m talking about an upgrade that will improve our best driver’s strengths and try and make up for our worst driver’s weaknesses. Two birds, one stone!” said Gary, getting excited about his plan.”
“And if it makes the car worse?” asked Graham.
“Our drivers will make up the difference,” argued Trevor.
“Both of them?” asked Graham, rhetorically.

Trevor leaned back in his chair, pensively twirling a pen. He turned to Mila.
“You’ve been awfully quiet this entire time. More than usual. What do you think?”
Mila thought for a moment before responding. “The next three tracks all prioritize speed. It’s a reasonable area to invest improvement in.”
“That wasn’t the question,” Graham stated. “Do you think this is a good idea?”
“You want my honest opinion?” asked Mila, rhetorically.
“This is a no-judgement space.” stated Trevor, waving his arms about.
“I think it’s a shit idea.”
“Fuck you!” exclaimed Trevor, before collecting himself and then softly saying “fuck you” in a calm manner.
“I thought you said it was a “no-judgement space”, Trevor?” said a now-sassy Mila.
“It’s no judgement if you agree with me!” said a petulant Trevor.
“Oi! Both of you! This is still my team, and it’s still my call!” interrupted Graham.
“And what’s the call, boss?” asked Mila.
Graham sighed. He rubbed his forehead. “I’ll let you know after the race,” he said.
“After the race!? You mean after we’ve lost the lead in the Driver’s?!” exclaimed Trevor.
“Jose Luis can hold his own. Long enough for us to decide if this is a good idea or not,” Graham elaborated.
“But-!”
“That’s final!” barked Graham, getting up and leaving.

Trevor, dejected, followed suit, along with Mila, Anna, and Gary.
As the four walked along the corridor, Graham pulled Gary aside.
“Oi, you sure this upgrade will increase our chances of winning a title?” Graham whispered.
“Definitely,” said Gary, nodding his head excitedly. “I can show you some simulations we ran and the data we used, as well as the proposed specs. I think that’ll really show how important this upgrade is.”
“No need,” stated Graham. He looked both ways, before leaning and lowering his voice further. “Sod it. If Jose loose the lead in the Driver’s Championship, you’ve got your upgrade. Understood?”
“Yes sir!” exclaimed Gary, before running off.
Declan Graham, for his part, walked into the main paddock area. He looked at Jose Luis, then at the CM-01. Graham hated this backroom deal shit, but in this case, this was the best way to decide the future of the team. Let the drivers decide. Not knowing, obviously. It would now come down to Jose Luis’s performance on Sunday. And he didn’t even know.

[McNernia]

CCL SPORTS-FORZALA 1 WIRE

---

The Lanto Engineering department is impressed. As the nation watches its two heroes on the track one has wondered at the fact that Alynbac has heen struggling. Live streamed from the drivers seat the amount of chatter indicates to social media at home is Alynbac needs a car that is able to respond quickly as cardio monitors indicate that Alynbac seems to favor taking the opritunity. According to the engineers watching from the race center in Archinia there is concurrence. The conferences were something which is a definite thing.

Vourien and his teammate sit in the office trailers with the numbers on the table before them, both of these have met with success in StockCar racing and they articulate to the various sorts of people who are responsible and the cars are soon rebuilt. The Lanto corporation is a part of Archinias livelihood with many owning Lantos it is hoped that the success going forward in the International racing secene the Lanto market share will increase.

---

Current Stats:
Top Speed: 75
Cornering: 75
Acceleration: 100
Energy: 75
Reliability: 75

---

[I]New Stats
Top Speed: 85
Cornering: 85
Acceleration: 85
Reliability: 75
Energy: 70