World Grand Prix Championship Season 16: RP Thread

[Audioslavia]

The Battle for Midway
Oft-maligned Audioslavians McPahan finding their feet

McPahan have always been a memeworthy team, even before entering into the World Grand Prix Championship. The outfit's forays into national and regional racing often produced blisteringly fast, yet devastatingly flimsy automobiles. Their first season in WGPC resulted in the World Driver's Championship for Alec Lund, the death of long-time team boss Linco McPahan in an explosion, an array of smashed engines, front wings and collarbones and damage to a bridge. Since then, the incidents dropped off a little, but so did the laptimes. Last season was an unmitigated disaster for the team. This one, as Alec Lund says, is all about redemption.

"We went into the season not knowing which kind of McPahan car would turn up. A quick, light one that would win races but be pretty much lethal to drive at full pelt, or the McPahan of recent years which has been at the back of the grid while the new boys fight it out at the top. What we've ended up with is a strong car, if not quite as quick as the really quick cars"

Alec was asked who he thought would be taking home the trophy. He snorted.

"It's anyone's guess. It's wide open, just like it was when I won it. I was on 2 points at this point in the season in my title-winning year and I ended up the champion. Right now I'm on a respectable 24, ahead of Franssen, Nadakei, Klianiota, Krupin, people like that. Absolutely everyone is a win away from forcing themselves into the top ten."

When asked who won't win it, Lund chortled again, but noted that Bitten Heroes were struggling more than most for form. As for is own chances, Alec is cautiously optimistic.

"Alex [Dimitrianov] and I are in tenth and eleventh, both a couple of good results away from getting within reach of the top guys. Importantly, the final race is at Crossport, where we should have home advantage. If we can stay within touch by then, we'll be in good stead. Realistically though, we're in a battle with the mid-tier teams. We went into this season saying top six in the constructors would be a good season. We're fighting for that right now. We'll both keep stockpiling the points and we'll see what happens."

McPahan's stock may have fallen in recent years, and their goals have been 'managed', so to speak, but their spirits remain high.

[WGPC]

CUT OFF for Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying

[WGPC]

Friday Practice
Circuit Grandeville

Drivers had ninety minutes to record up to thirty laps of the track (including in and out laps to and from the pits). Only each driver's fastest time is shown in the table below.
Conditions: DRY

Pos # Driver			Team		Fastest		Behind Leader
 1 56 Terho Talvela            	0:01:39.914	0:00:00.000
 2 25 Jessica Franssen         	0:01:39.917	0:00:00.003
 3 23 Jasmin Kranjska          	0:01:39.927	0:00:00.013
 4 42 Alex Dimitrianov         	0:01:39.928	0:00:00.014
 5  5 Juliano Lemos            	0:01:39.931	0:00:00.017
 6 16 Alexander Lund           	0:01:39.950	0:00:00.035
 7  1 Ryker Lane               	0:01:39.956	0:00:00.042
 8  2 Jean Mercer-Daly         	0:01:40.001	0:00:00.087
 9 71 Rustom Ibuna             	0:01:40.012	0:00:00.098
10 10 Jennifer Johnson         	0:01:40.036	0:00:00.122
11 51 R.L. Cruisin             	0:01:40.045	0:00:00.131
12 27 Gregori Krupin           	0:01:40.053	0:00:00.139
13 47 Erica Okumura            	0:01:40.080	0:00:00.166
14 52 Sayono Souzare           	0:01:40.101	0:00:00.187
15 99 Nate Jackson             	0:01:40.107	0:00:00.193
16 77 Juracai Klianiota        	0:01:40.121	0:00:00.207
17 14 Sigur Bjarnason          	0:01:40.125	0:00:00.211
18 31 Cesaro Whittaker         	0:01:40.198	0:00:00.284
19 50 Jang Xiaopeng            	0:01:40.199	0:00:00.285
20 12 Ranveer Singh            	0:01:40.217	0:00:00.302
21 17 Lourdina Westgrens       	0:01:40.291	0:00:00.377
22  7 Ethan Ellis              	0:01:40.328	0:00:00.414
23 55 Asao Nadakei             	0:01:40.679	0:00:00.765
24 64 Moe Himura               	0:01:40.704	0:00:00.790
25 36 Reva Izalio              	0:01:40.865	0:00:00.951
26 20 Mick Schramm             	0:01:41.218	0:00:01.304

[WGPC]

Saturday Qualifying
Circuit Grandeville

Drivers had seventy-five minutes to record up to ten flying laps of the track. Only the fastest lap is recorded below
Conditions: DRY

Pos # Driver			Team			Fastest
 1 25 Jessica Franssen    	0:01:39.981
 2  5 Juliano Lemos       	0:01:40.007
 3 10 Jennifer Johnson    	0:01:40.042
 4  2 Jean Mercer-Daly    	0:01:40.048
 5 23 Jasmin Kranjska     	0:01:40.049
 6 56 Terho Talvela       	0:01:40.052
 7  1 Ryker Lane          	0:01:40.060
 8 27 Gregori Krupin      	0:01:40.074
 9 52 Sayono Souzare      	0:01:40.094
10 14 Sigur Bjarnason     	0:01:40.124
11 47 Erica Okumura       	0:01:40.129
12 51 R.L. Cruisin        	0:01:40.149
13 36 Reva Izalio         	0:01:40.172
14 42 Alex Dimitrianov    	0:01:40.200
15 31 Cesaro Whittaker    	0:01:40.204
16 17 Lourdina Westgrens  	0:01:40.312
17 20 Mick Schramm        	0:01:40.313
18 12 Ranveer Singh       	0:01:40.383
19 64 Moe Himura          	0:01:40.447
20 77 Juracai Klianiota   	0:01:40.543
21 71 Rustom Ibuna        	0:01:40.696
22 55 Asao Nadakei        	0:01:40.926
23 50 Jang Xiaopeng       	0:01:41.125
24 16 Alexander Lund      	0:01:41.297
25 99 Nate Jackson        	0:01:41.418
26  7 Ethan Ellis         	0:01:42.694

Sunday's race will be scorinated late on Monday.

The midweek race in Nekoni next week will be scorinated on Wednesday and Thursday.

Next week's race will be scorinated on Saturday and Monday.

We'll return to the Friday/Sunday system (touch wood) in two weeks time.

[Lisander]

Just before Grand Prix EON de Lisander, Bitten Heroes signs new sponsor contract
Lantis Media Group is the new main sponsor of the team for the next races, BH also signed two minor sponsors

It seems that the Calvary of Bitten Heroes is finally ending. The team is in the last place of the league, with only two points so far, faces a lengthy lawsuit for passive corruption and still has more than 70% of its assets blocked, which led the three key people of the company to beg for the blessing of the princes in an elaborate ceremony full of extravagance. But with the massive support it received from both the Prince of Lisander himself and some local companies as well as anonymous investors, BH arrives at the Grand Prix EON de Lisander with a new car and a strikingly pink new paint!

Lourdina Westgrens new car have number 17 in the Shark Fin instead in the rear spoiler. The spot was opened to the new Sponsor, EON.

The prowess is the result of the contract of the team of Natássia Maud with the Lantis Media Group, agency that produces and distributes multiplatform entertainment and advertising content in TV and web. In addition to this, new contracts were signed. With EON (Sponsor of the GP of Lisander), which now displays two brands in the car: EON itself in the spotlight on the rear spoiler and Atlas, a subsidiary of high-performance computers, on the side and the front spoiler. Atlas is also the supplier of the new computers in the Ladner's team paddock. Hermine Airlines, a subsidiary of Group Harmin, owned by Seu Altezas was the other. The contracts of the sponsors that decided to stay (KB, SGA, SEIGEN DYNAMICS and X-PRO) have been revised, and the last two have gained more space in the fairing. In aerodynamic terms, there are not many changes. The shark's fin has changed slightly, to ensure a bit more stability, but due to poor results, it is not yet known if it will continue for the next year. The tire contract is over, and BH is looking for a new supplier for the rest of the season.

The new car has already been on the track this Friday and Saturday, and will drop in the front row with Juliano Lemos. Lemos said he is confident of a reasonable result, while Westgrens is, like any girl of his age, delighted to finally race at home in the fastest category of motorsport in the world. But unfortunately we do not know how far. Natassia Maud runs to save the season, but the more concrete is that Bitten Heroes will fight just to not stay in last position this season.

---

New car icons:
Juliano Lemos:
Lourdina Westgrens:

[Sorlovia]

Saturday Qualifying
Circuit Grandeville

Eighth was a decent starting position. Perhaps not quite as far up the pack as he would have liked but still a decent spot. A racer's starting position at the beginning of the race did not ensure him a good result. He'd learned as much the hard way in the previous race which had seen him start in third position only to then underperform and eventually crash. A racer's failure or success in a race was decided not by where he started the race but by his skill and speed. A racer from lower down in the pack could just as easily snatch first place from the grasp of the pack leader. At the end of the day a race tested the skills of each driver to the limit and the victory went to the racer who wanted it the most. The racer whose skills and handling was the sharpest.

"I've got to get faster." Gregori thought to himself as he pulled into the pit "eighth is okay but I need to get further up the pack. I need to adjust my handling going into the corners."

Every practice run gave Gregori the knowledge he needed. Every qualifying sessions feed him an invaluable stream of information that he could then use to better himself and enhance his racing skills. He needed a gentler hand on the steering wheel coupled with smoother handling coming into and out of the corners. Better acceleration on the straights and more effective use of the corners to take advantage of the slingshot effect. Take advantage of the slipstream created by the other cars around him to pass and slip through the pack. Accelerate into the corners and then slingshot out the other side to get an increased boost of speed coming out the other side.

All of these thoughts ran though Gregori's mind as he evaluated his practice and qualifying run results. He would not let the anticipation of the race ahead get to him as it did to some racers. No, the precious few hours before the race would be spent training on the test circuit nearby to prepare for the local conditions and the different environment. There was no time to waste and no quarter to be given. He needed a good result in the next race so he had resolved to do all he could to ensure that his car and himself were as ready as they could possibly be. There would be time for socializing later but for now he would devote his time to the track.

After all, he was learning to handle a new beast. An entirely new chassis with multiple upgrades and alterations over his old one. It was of the utmost importance that he put in as many hours in it as he could before raceday. He had almost learned its every quirk and sound but there was still he needed to learn. Once more around the track soon turned into once more. Twice into thrice and thrice into four times. Each time he adjusted his handling and acceleration to give him a range of readouts that he could then look over to adapt his racing style. Faster, smoother, tighter and better. He needed a good result in the next race.

His mind flicked back to the interview with the Vangaziland media following his qualifying run;

PRESENTER: We're here with Gregori Krupin. Vannish Motors Racing's second paid racer who has just finished his qualifying run ahead of the Circuit Grandeville raceday. Gregori, can you fill us in on what's going through your mind?

GREGORI: I certainly can. I've been working on my handling and acceleration to see if there any ways that I can improve. A racer knows that there are always opportunities to learn and improve. Every practice run and qualifying circuit presents a learning experience. My fans have been loyal but I want to secure a good result for them and for VMR.

PRES: Are you nervous about the upcoming race given your recent streak?

GREGORI: I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous. Even the most seasoned racers get the odd twinge of nerves every now and again. It's a natural reaction to a high-paced and high-stress industry. But I know that I have the skills to do well and have been long hours training. But things can be very different on raceday. Everything can change in an instant so you have to be ready to adapt.

PRES: Do you think your streak will hold you back at all?

GREG: Quite the contrary! It inspires me to train as hard as I can to ensure that both my car and myself are as ready as we can be. Yes I've had a few bad results lately but I'm not going to let that hold me back. Ever racer has his or her bad days just like they have their good ones. It's all part of the industry and all you can do is train harder.

PRES: How are you feeling after that spectacular crash back in Aboveland?

GREG: I was lucky to escape with little more than a couple of bruises. But I want to ensure all my fans that I feel great. I had extensive medical tests to ensure that I was properly healed up and in suitable condition before I got back behind the wheel. I'm back in peak health and ready to give it all I've got. Don't worry about me.

PRES: Thanks for your comments Gregori. We'd better let you get to the meeting with your support team. But I just want to wish you all the best for the next race. We're all rooting for you and Jess.

GREG: That is so kind of you to say. I can speak for both myself and Jess when I say that the support of the Vangaziland people means a great deal to us. Fan support is a huge pillar of support to a racer.

[Lisander]

NAME OF CIRCUIT: Circuit Grandeville
CITY/TOWN: Grandeville
COUNTRY: Lisander
NAME OF GRAND PRIX: Grand Prix EON Lisander
TRACK RATING: Ag
QUALIFYING TYPE: Traditional
LAP RECORD: 1:29.443
LENGTH OF ONE LAP: 5.413 Km

BIO:Grandeville is a city in the mountain. Down the mountain, near River Grand, in the outskirts of Grandeville Commune, the Circuit Grandeville is the last thing you see before that road sign "You are leaving Grandeville".

CG, as commonly called, is a circuit known for its contrasts. Long straights and gentle curves like 5 6 and 9 come as a prize to brave ones who endure the hards 3 and 4, square 6 and closed 7. It runs counter-clockwise. Circuit de Grandeville was completely remodelled with funds from EON, the major technology enterprise of Lisander, and will serve as Base to the lisanderian WGPC team.

Start/Finish line is in the main straight, the Grandstand. In the remodel, the grandstand and Paddock changed places. You can see a more detailed graphic of the circuit clicking here. The first turn, to the left, is still easy. After it, the cars pass under a suspended walkway where people can see it in a beautiful angle. The second turn is the opposite of the first and leads to the first breaking point, the turn 3. After it, the turn 4 keep the engines low before turn 5 and the Reta Oposta (Opposite Straight).

Reta oposta isn't straight, but an easy and long turn, allowing even turnovers and battle for positions. A long dive to square 6, a turn composed of three small turns, make cars get together again. The turn 7 brings a slight climb, and again a long curve appears. The 8 is for keep the pace and get in the right way. No one wants problems to itself in the inclined 9. Turn 9 differs from the Reta Oposta, because the terrain is inclined, making cars pass in opposite stand inclined by near 8°. G-Force is strong at this point and any misposition can cost a race or even more.

At the exit of the curve, full throttle again over the open curve 10, until the last close curve. You can make it going to boxes or to the Grandstand again, to complete one of the 54 laps of the race.

[Nekoni]

"11th. You're starting to slip, Erica. Be careful. You can't win the championship this early, but you can lose it." Alexandra Mayari pointed at the qualifying positions of the Polaris drivers from the monitor. "Sayono, good comeback from the last couple of rounds, first top ten in a while." Souzare had qualified in ninth, the same position that Erica had won from earlier on at Crossbay. Although the opening rounds had Sayono consistently beat the newbie, recent events seemed to have taken their toll on her performance, and where Erica found her footing, she had stalled. The difference in the table was pretty staggering: despite having a bad session out in Aboveland, getting lapped of all things, she still managed to come sixth, and with the MRT drivers struggling to even finish, somehow the weekend put Erica in second place, with John Mercer-Daly ahead by just two points. Sayono had just nine, and was barely cracking the top twenty, in 17th.

Grandville, fortunately, looked to be a circuit that had no shortage of chances to overtake. Erica believed that if she could actually nail the start, she could easily make up positions out of the gate. Trouble is, as her ability to qualify well improved, it seemed that the actual starts themselves had declined in quality. Aboveland's was a glaring example: she begin in the fourth position, she ended lap 1 in eighth. She also had very little time to get them sorted out before the one round she'd be expected to make a great start: Round 8. Nekoni. Home.

The team were used to the circuit at Rivoli, sure, but they were nowhere near as used to it as they were on others in the country. Polaris were used to their own Black Diamond test course, obviously. Although it spent 2016 being dismantled and turned into housing, the former great Nekoni International Circuit at Marina Point was the team's second home. In previous years it seemed to be the one place that they were guaranteed to get a good result. Mayari had driven for another team in her first season, but she managed to finish third at it, despite not even driving for the first half, and of course, in the first season with an actual team that could call it home, she won, and was able to use that win to springboard a championship-winning final race miracle at Hodori.

Time would tell if AIR would be the new 'favourite track' of the team. It certainly looked to be one of the most difficult ones to drive, at least.

[Vangaziland]

Jess showed up to her qualifying session feeling refreshed. It felt as if she was starting anew. She finally had fallen into her ritual of pre-track meditation. Before the night of each track session, she mentally drove several laps on each week's track in her mind. Usually she did it for just 20 or 30 minutes, but sometimes she meditated for longer.

Earlier in the season, she'd been a bit too distracted by the lights and fast-paced lifestyle. Her mental routine suffered, much like her early track performance. Her season has been much less polished than her WGPC 14 affair. Her hot streak was bound to fall off since then, especially when testing a new chassis. Her cold streak did not come in the most terrible way. It was mostly do to a few DNF's, often Jess clipping a wheel and twice to a computer issue. Jess could easily have twice as many points this season, good news if her season sticks to it's current trend of turning around.

The #25 car sits tied for 11th. Considering her sluggish start, entering the battle for the top 10 isn't the worst mid-season form. She's looking more like the Jess of old after back-to-back top 5 finishes. It was not solely her wins which helped Jess in her early career, but her overall consistency. She finished 5th at Vulkanas and 4th at Lintulahti leading into this week.

It looked like the mid-season break did her well. She came out of the break with the top 5 stretch, but entered it by suffering to the hands of the Dragon-chassis' buggy computer during the Nimban Grand Prix. Jess used the mid-season break for rest and recovery. Her season had been taxing to say the least. Both Gregori Krupin and she had put tons of work into their track time. The first half was still rough for VMR.

Krupin had a tough time at Aboveland, but he is proving to be what VMR looks for in a driver. Even with such a rough stretch, he still shows up every week to fight it out on the track. This week, Gregori really impressed the team at VMR. Many were watching to see how he would bounce back after a tough burnout.

This brings the team to practice and qualifying at Grandeville. Jess looked great in both sessions. Taking the car around at 3/4th's on friday, things just felt right. They only made the slightest changes for Saturday. The crisp Lisander air was just suiting the chassis well. Jess took a few notes and really worked on her lines. She watched Juliano Lemos for part of the practice session after ending up behind him.

The notes came in handy during qualifying. Jess would qualifying in pole position, with Lemos right behind. "I have to credit Juliano for running such great lines in practice", Jess said. "Greg and I would be keen to watch him on race day. Lemos is sure to make a splash."

Her car did well on the wide turns, especially the inclined part around turn 9. Jess is one who isn't afraid to fight the pressure of G-forces. She has to punch the wheel extra hard considering her relatively small frame, but she's technical enough to know how to use the strength she does have. Fans can see how hard Jess works behind the wheel from the in-car cameras. It's not as simple as driving to the coffee shop. It takes strenth in the upper body, core and legs. It's something Jess works on, especially during the off-season. She knows she has to be strong to compete.

After qualifying first, she was asked how she expects to do on raceday. "I'm hoping for a top 3 finish. That's no guarantee though. A lot of cars are running fast. I'll be in the fight."

She was also asked about Gregori's chances. "Eighth is not a bad starting spot. We saw others do well from similar spots, even last week", Jess said. "Greg has put in a hell of a week and I know he's ready for this track. Let's see what he can do."

Another reporter asked how she felt about having him on the team. "He's a great co-driver. He's got a lot of heart and he'll have success in the WGPC soon. The way he's dealt with adversity speaks a ton about who he is as a driver. There are those who would have slunk away by now. Not Gregori. That's what, I know, Vanessa was looking for in a driver. Someone who could go the full season without making excuses. So kudos to Gregori."

Jess was also asked about her own troubles behind the wheel. "The computer has been having a timing issue. I also had a few lapses. I'm working to build from that. VMR has been a really supportive company. I'll keep scrapping to stay in the top 5. I think the season has been exciting. Our missed finishes represent missed oppurtunities more than anything. So as drivers, we need to dig deep and brush off the past. We can't let our cars intimidate us."

Back in the homes of the Vannish fans, the on-track opera that was VMR's season drew in the audience. Otto Varnsen, a truck driver from South Stead, spoke on what made WGPC 16 so interesting for Vangazi. "It always seems like they're so close to doing something big. It feels like one big gamble. And there's the chance they can still put something big. But it's the thrill of chasing that chance that a lot of teams can look forward to."

The truck driver was also asked how he feels about Gregori Krupin. "I like the guy. I bought my kid a Krupin RC car for his birthday. He zips it all around the house. He's an important part in this part of the VMR story. We're all behind him and Jess."

[Savojarna]

The two weeks following the Lintulahti disaster weren't easy for Sigur Bjarnason. Sure, the track there hadn't been his favourite ground for racing, even though he loved to drive on it. Sure, the start was just unlucky with Ryker Lane zipping right by him and the Savojar unable to get any ground on the drivers ahead of him as Jean Mercer-Daly and Ryker Lane blocked him off. Sure, going into the section around the bay with full speed to attack the seasoned Nexus drivers wasn't very intelligent, and he deserved the losses he got from his fast attack. Sure, there were also technical problems with the car. The capacity for excuses why exactly Sigur Bjarnason was a complete disappointment at Lintulahti was immense, and yet coming 20th as the WGPC leader was not acceptable in any way. Mercer-Daly and Okumura were still perfectly in sight, and he should not forget that nobody had yet won two races - the whole championship was incredibly open. MRT was still leading, and most drivers in the field would probably kill for the position that #14 had on the board, especially given that it was his rookie season. But all these thoughts couldn't numb the feeling that there was something more in him and he wasn't doing what he should be doing.

After the race, the team flew right back to Mattijana. Kopylov was even busier than usual, as there were some serious changes required after both Rusty Ibuna and Sigur Bjarnason remained far behind the team's expectations for Lintulahti. Nexus, which still was almost scary in its lack of obvious weaknesses, was creeping up in their slow-but-steady style. Being holed up all day on the track was fun, as he got to drive a lot, but it could also be extremely frustrating. At his heart, Bjarnason was still an instinctive driver, and collecting data for the MRT engineers and Krister Arlund's team of mechanics felt somewhat useless to him. Eventually, he felt like he just zoned out. Lap after lap was completed, the numbers becoming meaningless strings of signs on his time screen, some mysterious entity that had meaning for the engineers that built his car. He missed the simplicity of a Trollan 4x4, and increasingly lost connection to the hightech symphony that was MRT's red, gold and green affair.

With such thoughts, Sigur Bjarnason travelled to Lisander. He got some excitement out of getting fresh tarmac under his wheels, of driving corners he had not driven before, but the excitement was quickly dampened by Krister Arlund. In training, the engineer came to him and delivered the bad news just minutes before the session. "This is quite a difficult course in terms of settings. The nerds have figured out new setup options that we can use, and the telemetry in Kopylov looked nice, but now we'll see if it actually works. They worked quite hard to increase your speed on the straights and your acceleration without losing too much in the corners. You're gonna test it out here". Test it out here. Still no racing, even more testing. His mood fell immediately. "What? Sigur, you're a WGPC driver now. Nobody here just goes out on the track and does stuff, you know?", Krister tried to cheer up his driver, with very... limited success. Coming back into the pit and seeing a 17 next to his number when Rusty was out there challenging Nexus couldn't have been worse for his spirit than if Arlund had told him that he'd have to drive with his mother's LA Dvergar.

As qualifying time came around, Hedgard Jonsdottir's battered blue Dvergar was surprisingly not present. Instead, the same old brightly coloured vehicle with a blue number 14 on its front was standing in MRT's paddock. Mechanically, Bjarnason stepped into the seat. In his disillusion with the daily life of a WGPC driver, he couldn't even be ripped out of his disappointment by the sounds of engines and the smell of petrol that he usually loved so much. Rolling out of the paddock, the wind on his visor couldn't get him going either. Qualifying started to feel like just another day at work. He tried to hit the corners, he somewhat succeeded, he returned to the garage, and he saw his name - right behind three other letters. OKU. Erica Okumura. The Nekoni driver was not only a prime challenger of his in the championship but also notoriously annoying on the track, at least if he got stuck behind her black and orange car. The difference was minimal, not even one tenth of a second. Something about this sparked his competitiveness.

Arlund noticed the sudden change of mind in his driver, but he was also too clever to question why exactly Bjarnason suddenly had found his spark again. He'd rather prepare the car according to his pilot's feedback. Rolling out onto the track again, Sigur still realised that there were problems with the car on this track, that it demanded too much of the engine and it wasn't as technical as he liked it, but for the first time since Lintulahti's qualifying, he felt the car in his hands again. Left, right, forward, braking, passing the vehicle in front of him. Hunting Okumura. The first lap he got her, going up to P5 and ahead of his other rivals for the Championship. But then first Talvela and Mercer-Daly both overtook. Next time Krister talked to him, he had gone down to 9th again. Okumura had taken .08 seconds off him again. One small setup change later he was out there for his last lap when he suddenly saw the Polaris in front of him. Okumura, not on a flying lap, moved to the side immediately, but there was something about the encounter that made him even more determined to beat the Nekoni. About seventy seconds, Krister called him on the radio. "Top 10! You took her by 5 thousands. Well done, Sigur. Come back to the box!". Maybe the race wouldn't be that boring after all.

[Mattijana]

"Not bad." Johan Struna mused after Sigur Bjarnason moved up into 10th, importantly ahead of rival Erica Okumura. The result was another good platform for the race, but their last good platform had descended into an abyss of abject failure. This race would have to be much more reliable and competitive if the team were to maintain their top spot in the constructor's championship.
The team had been back at the Kopylov InternazionRing for a spot of testing in the gap between the Abovian grand prix and the Grand Prix of Lisander. The troublesome engine issues that had plagued their race in Lintulahti would hopefully not return in Grandeville due to an upgrade to the cylinder casings that would be more likely to withstand the stress of a high-acceleration track. The drivers had also both got some extra track time, but without their former test driver and now KISMO driver Kranjska, it was the lead drivers who had to do the legwork.

With a poor run of form on his shoulders, Rustom Ibuna was perhaps happy to spend some time in the car to try and get more out of his machine. Sigur on the other hand was a little less pleased. With his rally background, he was used to out and out racing rather than the regular testing, telemetry and training of a non-competitive WGPC session.

As the drivers went off to do their regular press interviews however, it was someone else who had attracted Johan's attention.

"Who on earth's that?"

"Who?" Replied Maria Jamasova. As deputy principal, it was she who genuinely sorted out the personnel.

"The bloke over there, next to Sigur." Johan pointed at a rotund man with a pair of spectacles.

"Ah, that's Thomas Kjurman. He's a Savojar press officer, they sent him over after all the attention he got following the win in Vulkanas."

"Surely we can't have someone following him around like that. I'll get Lara or someone to do it. It's not exactly busy at the moment."

"Lara? She's one of the most junior people in the office. Shouldn't we get someone who knows their way around a press conference a little bit more to do it."

"I don't think so. It's not rocket science. All she has to do is stand next to him, make sure none of the multiverse's gutter journalists get anywhere near him and hold a tape recorder in his face. Everyone higher is busy doing important engineering and promotional things and it'll be a great opportunity for her to get closer to the action. She's got the right personality for it as well. A quick chat to go through the ins and outs of it and she can get going."

"Flippin heck. Fair enough, I guess interest has gone down a fair bit after the last couple of races, so she'll have a gentle start. I'll get her briefed back at the motorhome once we're done here. She's a nice girl, I'm sure she'll be able to get going." Despite the endorsement, Maria was still a little sceptical. The last thing she wanted was a pr disaster.

"Excellent. Now you mention it I've seen him knocking about Sigur's side of the garage. Seems to enjoy the services of the MRT coffee machine. I was wondering where all my expresso capsules were going."

"Based on the body language, I think Sigur will be happy to get rid of him as well. He doesn't look like the most relaxing presence. Probably from the government or something."

"Yeah. Seems like the overly officious type from here. He's well-fed anyway... I don't know maybe it's the grey suit but the sooner he moves on, the less bothered Sigur is likely to be and every little thing counts in this game. We've got enough on our plate on the track without beaurocrats getting involved."

"Um Johan..." Maria narrowed her eyes. "You don't think that by doing this, we'll end up umm, upsetting the Savojars."

"Well I doubt they'll be thrilled, but it's not exactly cause for a diplomatic crisis. We need to focus on doing what's best for ourselves. At the end of the season, the biggest way of upsetting the Savojars is to run a team that makes a mess of their best driver."

"Shouldn't we at least talk to Julian..."

"Screw Julian. This guy's obviously a distraction to our leading driver and if he is, he has to go. I doubt his people will even notice he's back anyway, he's not exactly Mr charisma."

Maria wasn't going to argue. Her boss would take the flak if the ministry of sport wanted to stick their noses in.

"Alright. I'll get Lara up and running and then it's on with the show I guess."

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
2nd of April

Before Aboveland, MRT had a dominant lead in the Constructors’ Championship race. Nexus Racing, meanwhile, languished in third, trapped in the apparently unsolvable conundrum of decluttering their increasingly unreliable car without losing speed.

After Aboveland, seven points separate Nexus Racing from MRT in the Constructors’ Championship race, singling out the two philosophically opposite teams as primary contenders for the title in a way that simply didn’t happen in WGPC 15.

The crucial upgrade to improve the UHSGV-2’s reliability hasn’t even been implemented yet.

Three races in just over a week, Timothy thinks. If we succeed now, we gain a crucial advantage going into the season’s end. If MRT take the initiative, they could do the same. If another team does so, they will easily be in the title fight.

3rd of April

Victoria enters the final element of her section of code. She sits back, a tired grin on her face. “And that,” she proclaims to nobody in particular, “is that done.”

She glances through the window and to the darkening sky beyond, the clouds stained a dark orange, and yawns. Her vision blurs for a moment. Yep, I need some rest.

4th of April

Jean Mercer-Daly’s UHSGV-2 rolls onto the testbed under the power of five Nexus Racing engineers; Gertrude stands back behind the toughened glass, watching proceedings. Nexus Racing’s Head Designer drums her fingers upon her knees.

Lucia sits on the wall alongside a great many of her teammates. “We are ready to begin proceedings, Gertrude.”

She nods. “Let’s see if this works. Begin stage one.”

With the flick of a switch, the CS-TCCS’ ‘debug mode’ activates. Raising a clamour akin to a swarm of irritated bees, the Chase Cutter’s body begins to shift as though possessed, panels rising up and down in accordance with their electronic mandates. Notably, the rear wing glows at the peak of its upswing - a peak that doesn’t seem to be quite high enough.

Gertrude turns to Victoria, standing at her side rapidly tapping out notes on her tablet. “Yep, I see it too. I’ll sort it.”

She looks tired… I’ll give her half the afternoon off. Gertrude angles her eyes towards the screen bank. “Just the rear wing, Lucia?”

“Nothing else is being reported as having limited function. Shall we proceed to stage two?”

Gertrude’s face contorts into a solemn grimace as she touches her hand to her head, drawing breath. First Builders, please let this work…

One final quick glance around the room makes certain that nobody remains within. She nods again. “Do it.”

With that, about a kilogramme of TNT stored inside Jean Mercer-Daly’s UHSGV-2 explodes. A shockwave of force radiates outward from the blast, rendering the air around it a herald of destruction.

A loud boom sounds from inside the car, which, for a moment, glows with Imagikinetic force.

…

“No reported failures.”

Gertrude slowly, surely, brings her eyes back to the entirely intact marvel of engineering. Only then does she join in with the whoops and cheers of her allies, friends and comrades.

2nd of April

Timothy Guard smiles. Well, then - we’ll just have to perform better than everyone else, won’t we?

[Sorlovia]

April 10th, 2018
Pre-Race

There was always that feeling of quiet anticipation before the next big race. That period of tense waiting and sizzling anticipation that saw many racers become fidgety. It was not unlike waiting on exam results in high school or for some big announcement to be made. You'd spent many long days training hard and now waited to put that training to test on the track. The effects of that waiting period could be seen on the faces of every last racer no matter how hard they tried to remain as well composed as they possibly could. Some fed on it becoming increasingly animated as the sheer excitement roused their blood. Others sat and brooded on the race to come like a lion dwelling over its domain. Others frenziedly ran through last minute checklists and squeezed in final training sessions.

But Gregori simply sat and waited. He'd spent so many long days on the test circuit training as hard as he could followed by long hours in the racing garage pouring over his race readouts. Any further practice would just be excess. Now was the time to rest his car before the race and to gather himself. To quieten his mind and his nerves before the rain. Instead of hanging around the track he'd gone for a walk at a nearby park. Hanging around the racing garage would only bring his nerves up again and spike his anxiety. A nice walk in the park would allow him to quieten the raging in his mind enabling him to mentally prepare himself for the race ahead. Even a brief moment away from the track would allow him some objectivity which would in turn allow him to look at the circuit with fresh eyes. To study its corners and straights in his mind and to rehearse how to best race upon it.

He'd already done his traditional video call with his twin sister Tatiana and his nephew. A small but deeply meaningful pre-race tradition that gave him immense comfort. He'd bought his dear nephew Sergei a toy Franssen car made out of a mixture of metal and plastic in the typical toy car style. The little car was an exact replica of Jess' car on a miniature scale complete with all the colours and badging. There was even a tiny figure in the driver's seat crafted to look like Jess herself. It was a piece of VMR-licensed merchandise that he knew his nephew would enjoy a great deal. He'd watched with a grin as Sergei energetically zoomed it around the coffee table of his home in Novoskaya in Sorlovia during the video call with an enormous smile on his little face.

"Keep calm Gregori." he told himself as he walked through a grove of trees "You've got this. You've trained hard and there's nothing else you can do now. Just wait and relax."

He'd sent Jess a quick email congratulating her on taking on first position in the starting line up. She seemed to be having much more luck than he was but he wasn't jealous. She was a more skilled racer than he was so it was only right. She had much more experience in the WGPC than he did. He'd watched her training sessions and studied her races to learn what he could from her and always found her to immensely inspiring. She was his teammate. There was no harm in learning what he could from her. He in turn welcomed her watching his training sessions and races. Mutual learning was important in a racing team to help both racers learn and grow in their careers. There were always opportunities to learn from one another.

Perhaps after the race, whatever the result was, there would be an opportunity to spend some time with Jess. He regretted the fact that he didn't know her all that well and that he'd never spent any real time with her. Well, he'd soon reconcile that if she was willing. It might give some fuel to the 'romance' rumours perpetrated by the press but what did it matter? The media would always come up with their sensationalist stories no matter what you did. Jess was his teammate and a racer he admired. There was no harm in socializing with her. After all racers on the same teams often did such outings together either to share ideas or to simply enjoy each other's company. To that end he sent Jess a quick email.

Hi Jess,

I just wanted to wish you the best of luck for the next race and a huge congratulations for taking out lead position in the starting line up. I have to admit that it gave me quiet satisfaction to see the indigo and blue in pride of place. You are the most skilled racer I have ever had the honour of racing alongside and I know you'll do well in the upcoming race.

If you have a free moment after the race I was wondering if you wanted to catch up for a beer of something. You've no doubt heard that the media thinks we're apparently dating. I swear they just keep coming up with the wildest things. Anything to build an audience I guess. Next they'll be saying I go out partying every night. My father always warned me to be wary of reporters.

Anyway, good luck in the race!

Your friend and teammate,
Gregori

[WGPC]

CUT OFF

[WGPC]

Raceday
Circuit Grandeville

Conditions: CHANGING
Laps: 67

Start  |  Pos. After 16 laps  |  Pos. After 33 laps  |  Pos. After 50 laps
 1 FRS | 1 KRA Aft. 16 laps   | 1 TAL Aft. 33 laps   | 1 KRA  Aft. 50 laps
 2 LEM | 2 OKU +0.068sec      | 2 FRS +5.967sec      | 2 FRS +6.006sec
 3 JOH | 3 JOH +4.553sec      | 3 KRA +17.892sec     | 3 TAL +11.897sec
 4 JMD | 4 DIM +6.385sec      | 4 WES +19.85sec      | 4 JOH +27.798sec
 5 KRA | 5 JMD +6.645sec      | 5 JOH +20.268sec     | 5 WES +43.546sec
 6 TAL | 6 KRU +8.924sec      | 6 DIM +49.427sec     | 6 DIM +44.927sec
 7 LAN | 7 TAL +9.442sec      | 7 OKU +51.464sec     | 7 IZA +49.704sec
 8 KRU | 8 FRS +13.785sec     | 8 IZA +51.837sec     | 8 SZR +82.205sec
 9 SZR | 9 LEM +14.336sec     | 9 JMD +61.355sec     | 9 JMD Laps Down: 1
10 BJA |10 SZR +28.171sec     |10 KRU +61.958sec     |10 KRU Laps Down: 1
11 OKU |11 WES +32.88sec      |11 WTK +75.684sec     |11 LAN Laps Down: 1
12 CRU |12 SCH +52.626sec     |12 SZR +81.412sec     |12 CRU Laps Down: 1
13 IZA |13 IZA +53.918sec     |13 LEM +82.861sec     |13 SCH Laps Down: 1
14 DIM |14 LAN +55.524sec     |14 LAN +84.069sec     |14 LEM Laps Down: 1
15 WTK |15 CRU +56.129sec     |15 BJA +90.118sec     |15 WTK Laps Down: 1
16 WES |16 WTK +59.5sec       |16 SCH +92.357sec     |16 HIM Laps Down: 1
17 SCH |17 HIM +60.54sec      |17 HIM Laps Down: 1   |17 JNG Laps Down: 1
18 RVR |18 BJA +70.714sec     |18 CRU Laps Down: 1   |18 KLI Laps Down: 1
19 HIM |19 LUN +73.804sec     |19 NDK Laps Down: 1   |19 RVR Laps Down: 1
20 KLI |20 NDK +83.896sec     |20 IBU Laps Down: 1   |20 LUN Laps Down: 1
21 IBU |21 IBU +89.892sec     |21 RVR Laps Down: 1   |21 ELI Laps Down: 2
22 NDK |22 ELI Laps Down: 1   |22 LUN Laps Down: 1   |22 NDK Laps Down: 2
23 JNG |23 JNG Laps Down: 1   |23 ELI Laps Down: 1   |23 OKU Ret. Lap 46
24 LUN |24 KLI Laps Down: 1   |24 JNG Laps Down: 1   |24 BJA Ret. Lap 43
25 JAC |25 RVR Laps Down: 1   |25 KLI Laps Down: 1   |25 IBU Ret. Lap 39
26 ELI |26 JAC Ret. Lap 6     |26 JAC Ret. Lap 6     |26 JAC Ret. Lap 6

Pos # Driver               Team			Race Time	Behind Preceding car	Points
 1 25 Jessica Franssen       	1:47:34.672	0:00:00.000	25
 2 23 Jasmin Kranjska        	1:47:44.941	0:00:10.270	18
 3 56 Terho Talvela          	1:47:55.062	0:00:10.121	14
 4 42 Alex Dimitrianov       	1:48:17.992	0:00:22.929	10
 5 10 Jennifer Johnson       	1:48:18.124	0:00:00.132	8
 6 17 Lourdina Westgrens     	1:48:18.623	0:00:00.499	6
 7  5 Juliano Lemos          	1:48:37.931	0:00:19.308	4
 8  2 Jean Mercer-Daly       	1:48:56.054	0:00:18.124	3
 9 52 Sayono Souzare         	1:49:04.185	0:00:08.131	2
10  1 Ryker Lane             	Laps Down: 1	0:00:20.605	1
11 27 Gregori Krupin         	Laps Down: 1	0:00:10.519	
12 20 Mick Schramm           	Laps Down: 1	0:00:08.898	
13 51 R.L. Cruisin           	Laps Down: 1	0:00:12.145	
14 36 Reva Izalio            	Laps Down: 1	0:00:04.193	
15 77 Juracai Klianiota      	Laps Down: 1	0:00:02.903	
16 50 Jang Xiaopeng          	Laps Down: 1	0:00:17.009	
17 64 Moe Himura             	Laps Down: 1	0:00:06.050	
18 16 Alexander Lund         	Laps Down: 1	0:00:17.107	
19 12 Ranveer Singh          	Laps Down: 2	0:00:08.147	
20  7 Ethan Ellis            	Laps Down: 2	0:00:02.956	
21 31 Cesaro Whittaker       	Laps Down: 2	0:00:02.416	
22 55 Asao Nadakei           	Laps Down: 2	0:01:03.801

DF 47 Erica Okumura          	Ret. Lap 46		
DF 14 Sigur Bjarnason        	Ret. Lap 43		
DF 71 Rustom Ibuna           	Ret. Lap 39		
DF 99 Nate Jackson           	Ret. Lap 6

Current Drivers' Championship Standings

Pos	#	Name			Team			Pts	Wins
1	56	Terho Talvela		TRAE			61	1
2	2	Jean Mercer-Daly	Nexus Racing		56	1
3	47	Erica Okumura		Polaris			51	1
4	14	Sigur Bjarnason		MRT			49	1
5	25	Jessica Franssen	VMR			47	1
6	71	Rustom Ibuna		MRT			46	1
7	20	Mick Schramm		Omni Racing		37	0
8	1	Ryker Lane		Nexus Racing		36	0
9	42	Alex Dimitrianov	McPahan			32	0
10	64	Moe Himura		Arada			31	1
10	50	Jang Xiaopeng		Omni Racing		31	0
12	16	Alexander Lund		McPahan			24	0
13	23	Jasmin Kranjska		Kissan Motorsport	23	0
14	55	Asao Nadakei		Arada			18	0
15	10	Jennifer Johnson	WGPC Eelandii		16	0
16	77	Juracai Klianiota	TRAE			12	0
16	12	Ranveer Singh		TIF 13			12	0
18	52	Sayono Souzare		Polaris			11	0
19	27	Gregori Krupin		VMR			10	0
20	22	Kyoko Fujisaki		Kissan Motorsport	9	0
21	17	Lourdina Westgrens	Bitten Heroes		8	0
22	99	Nate Jackson		TIF 13			7	0
23	31	Cesaro Whittaker	MSA-SinVal		5	0
24	5	Juliano Lemos		Bitten Heroes		4	0
25	36	Reva Izalio		WGPC Eelandii		1	0
26	51	R.L. Cruisin		MSA-SinVal		0	0
26	7	Ethan Ellis		Kissan Motorsport	0	0

Current Constructors' Championship Standings

Pos	Team			Points
1	MRT			95
2	Nexus Racing		92
3	TRAE			73
4	Omni Racing		68
5	Polaris			62
6	VMR			57
7	McPahan			56
8	Arada			49
9	Kissan Motorsport	32
10	TIF 13			19
11	WGPC Eelandii		17
12	Bitten Heroes		12
13	MSA-SinVal		5

[Vangaziland]

Jess started her defensive effort from the beginning. There were different situations a driver could find themselves in at the start of a race. For example, a driver could be in the middle of the pack and be looking to pull a few points with a top 5 finish. Jess found herself in the most envied position, that of defending the pole.

Grand Prix EON Lisander would be Jessica's first time starting at the front. She qualified 2nd three times at Serizawa, Mount Salt and Lintulahti. The #25 car has become known for consistently fast times in practice as well, constantly pulling top 3 and top 5-10 times. The question for WGPC 16 has been 'can Jessica finish on race day?'

Dashoze Circuit - 16th
Serizawa Racing Circuit - DF
Mount Salt Raceway - 7th
Crossbay Circuit - DF
Rykinsvik City Circuit - 5th
Lintulahti International Circuit - 4th

A close look at Jessica's record shows some consistency, despite adversity. Besides two scrubbed finishes, she has finished in the top 10 all but once. That came in Hodori, which was also 1 of 2 times she didn't qualify in the top 10. It all came down to a place called Lisander. Jess seemed relaxed after securing pole position.

"Pressure? There's a lot less of it because most drivers haven't won from the pole", Jess said. "Terho did, but he's a vet. He knows how to manage a race." She said this on the day of the race at Grandeville, before getting into her car. She seemed laid back and calm. There was a relaxation in her voice similar to that of a surfer. The air around her seemed quiet and still, as if the Lisander climate was suited just for her.

The weather would not be so gentle forever. It would change throughout the race, forcing the drivers to contend with some wetness. A damp drizzle was responsible for Jess falling back soon after her start. By lap 10, she had fallen to 8th. It looked like a touchy start as the conditions forced Jess into more conservative lines. She was less likely to contend with the others who fought to speed past her in those early laps. Her lack of aggression held her back until she adapted.

"Timing is always the key", Jess has said on multiple occasions.

She would fight her way back into the top 3, getting back to 2nd by lap 30. She would hold that spot for some time, even after lap 50. She fell back to 3rd for a short time before taking the lead on lap 60. Just as in the week's previous track sessions, the Vannish car was dug in. The twitchy Dragon chassis had found it's mark under the guiding hand of J-Fran. It's engine constantly let out it's high pitched whirring notes. Jess had studied this track's lines well, bolstered with her observation of local Juliano Lemos in earlier sessions.

She felt more comfortable with the car now than she had earlier in the year. That made the difference in securing pole and in what happened next.

Jess had to pass Jasmin Kranjska to get the fnal lead. It was no easy task. Vanessa Hattieson had been tracking the time and told Jess when it was time to go for broke. She went from being 6 seconds down, to bearing down on Kranjska's tail. The cars ripped from corner to corner. Jess tried twice for a pass but was held off.

The #25 car was looking aggresively close coming into turn 10 on the lap 60. It was matching the red & gray machine move for move. Both cars changed their engine notes, winding down just slightly as they came into turn 11. The Vannish car's shifting came with audible pops on each gear. The turn made for a swift change in direction that left both cars' engines in the whine of a coasting note holding an RPM.

Then each car shifted with a pop as they prepared to pull onto the final straight. Jess shifted a little earlier and began her run to inside just fast enough to sneak inside Kranjska's corner. It would be unsafe to block with the way Jess was gaining ground. The indigo & red sped past as the turn straigtened into the main stretch. The crowd reacted with cheers and jeers as they witnessed Jess taking the lead she would go on to hold at Lisander.

As Jess walked to the podium with her crew, Jang Xiaopeng ran into her and gave her a yellow bow tie from a team event he had to wear at Omni. She laughed and wore it as a joke. Xiaopeng even stood below the podium to cheer for Jess as the crews celebrated. Newspaper photos even captured the Tanese-Vangazi racer's red & yellow helmet being splashed by Jess wearing the bow tie.

Jess was clearly teary-eyed as she spoke. "I'd like to thank Vannish Motors. REDUP for the refreshment..." She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "And Van-Bands for sponsoring me from the start. Shout out to Gregori. He really put in so much hard work over the week. Even if he doesn't get the results, I hope the fans, executives and other drivers see how hard he's working."

She later went on to quip, "If there was a consolation prize for hard work and making a team proud, it would be called the Gregori Krupin award."

After Jess went through her long list of thanking companies, friends and family she eventually got into the race. "Well, I had to get used to the surface. It was slippery at some points, but then it almost started to feel sticky. It's getting warmer, which is nice. It took some getting used to, but I was confident in my lines."

A reporter asked her if she was feeling more like her old self after the win. "I think I've done well to stick to the top 10 before pulling this win. If I can keep making the most out of each race, this season will be a success in my book."

She hasn't kept up her record of winning half of her races, but Jess has shown she can still have bright moments after the WGPC's latest event. It comes on the back of hard work leading up to the season's halfway point.

"From here I have to keep pushing", she said. "I have to keep climbing, point-by-point. It's no easy task. This is one of the closest fields in a long time. I'll put the prep time in before each race, trust that. I'll also relax and do what I have to in order to stay fresh and loose."

Jessica and VMR don't seem to be dwelling on the car's two DNFs and are looking at the dogfight which led her into the top 5. On the topic, a reporter asked her what her next goal is. "From the top 5, now I have to work on breaking into the top 3. Easier said than done, again. But I trust the Vannish Motors machine. It'll be an exciting season." She looked into the camera. "Stay tuned, fans."

[Nekoni]

"I had a good battle with the Savojar yesterday. I think today's task is to beat them off the line."
"You're right, Erica. The task is also to beat the other nine guys in front of him. Although try to not drive into Sayo when you try it."

On the start line at Grandville, Erica was for the first time in a while in the midpack. Not too difficult to deal with, after all, this was a circuit where you absolutely could take positions in the first part of the lap, if you were brave enough to go full pelt until you reached turn 3. It was also nice seeing Souzare ahead of her. She didn't particularly want to make it a regular habit, but it was good to see her out of her little slump, it seemed.

"Five, four, three, two, one." The green lights dropped, and Erica went for it. Foot to the floor, almost one thousand horses screaming under the bonnet, as she rode the outside line around the first two turns. Looking in her mirrors, she saw Sigur's amazing techicolour racecar slip away, caught in the traffic. "Well, that wasn't much of a battle," she thought to herself, as she slotted herself into the pack at turn three, neatly ahead of Mercer-Daly, the car almost appearing to mockingly spray the light rain picked up off the tarmac at his front. "Fourth place, Eri! You wanted a clean start, you got one! Great move!"

With the three cars ahead, she figured that she realistically could take them and get an early lead. The rain would subside soon, so if she could take the lead by the first tire change, strategically she could have the upper hand. She gritted her teeth and eyed Dimitrianov's rear spoiler. Three laps in, she was still behind him, Alex's defensive driving giving her all sorts of trouble. She'd need some help from outside.
"Alex, I can't find an opening to take Other Alex. You got a better viewpoint?"
"You're not facing Other Alex. Other Alex is Lund, he's in 21st."
Erica sighed. "Other OTHER Alex, then. The one with the long surname. THE ONE I'M BLOODY BEHIND."
After a couple of minutes of analysis, she got a response.
"Your times are better than his in the slower sections. Begin your attack turn 6...and chill, Eri. You're doing fine."

Tactics in play, at lap seven Erica was able to attack. Outbraking Dimitrianov at the end of the straight, she was able to neatly slot between the McPahan and the inside line, diving into the turn just that bit better, and exiting very much in front, right behind Johnson. "Take her too, you got this." One lap later, at the same point, she repeated her manoeuvre and got the same result, to the delight of the pit crew.
"You're five off Kranjska. You deal with her and you've got the lead. Still a lot of the race to go, about 30 laps before the rain stops, and we'll be fitting a pit stop in the middle, it looks like."

The next few laps were all about chasing the leading Kranjska. With five seconds as the gap, she could see her, but unfortunately wouldn't be close enough to take advantage of the slipstream. It was about telegraphing her lines and doing them just that little bit better. Eating into the lead, her next couple of laps were consistently quickening, the gap read out at the end of each lap to her, the dwindling number being the drive to keep going. "Four nine, four one, three five..."

Eventually, there was no reason to count the gap. "You're within one. Get into her slipstream and take her at the pit straight." As the two cars completed turn 11 for the fifteenth time, Erica's purple and orange car filed neatly behind the black and red KISMO, both hurtling down the straight, almost neck and neck for the lead. Both of them knew exactly where the other driver was, and knew that it was a straight-up battle. The fight was on.

Erica was in full-on attack mode, attempting to trick Jasmin into a lock-up or a mistimed brake, but she was having none of it. Even at the Turn 6 complex, she was too wily for Erica. One lap down, Erica had just managed to pull ner nose ahead, only for Jasmin to snatch the lead back at the very next turn. The next lap, it happned again, Jasmin keeping the Nekonian just at arms length. It was frustrating, and yet, at the same time, exhilirating. She'd never had a battle in motorsport quite like this.

Unfortunately, it didn't end well. Lap 23, the eighth lap of the battle. The fight was just as hot as it was at the beginning, and the cars were tackling the sweeper at turn 9, full throttle. Erica went right, clipped the kerb at 10...then skidded right, slamming her front left tire into the wall. The car's rear skidded hard, slamming the back right into the opposite wall, the surrounding audience being able to hear Erica full-on screaming profanities in Italian in between the sounds of the metal colliding into the walls. Fortunately, she was OK, and even more fortunately, she was facing the right way.

"Shit! Erica, you OK?" Alex yelled into the team radio. What Erica responded with probably wasn't translateable, a mangled scream of about fifteen different words at once.

The car was still functional, but clearly damaged. A minute ago, she was going to be challenging for the lead, and now it seemed that she'd be fighting just to finish. She left the pit, now in sixth.

---

A couple of laps passed.

"You calmed down yet?"
"I think so. Car's not doing great, but you knew that already. Think I'm gonna end up with a couple bruises, too."
"You gotta walk it off, sixth is still a good position to keep."

She was nearly thirty seconds ahead, but with a damaged car, she'd have to work for it. The next few laps were a tricky attempt to get back up to speed. A difficult task, but it seemed that she was succeeding. Despite the handling being compromised, she was still somewhat competitive, until about ten laps in, when she saw Dimitrianov in her rear view. The battle wasn't even close, and Izalio was coming up next, too. "Keep fighting, I know it's hard, but I think you've built up enough of a lead that you can still take some points home, and just one's better than zero."

Ten laps later, she pitted in to change the tires, as the rain subsided. On the way out, Mayari gave her some good news. "Either way, you've won the fight with Bjarnasson. He's out of it. No points for MRT this weekend, too." The new tires felt good. Much better than she thought. The handling was still not exactly great, but now Erica thought that with the increased grip, she could start to attack again. Maybe gain the two positions she lost back? It was only ten seconds.

Sadly, on lap 46, she skidded again. It turned out the track wasn't completely dry, and the rogue patch of standing water on the middle of turn 9 met her right wheel, she planed off the course, and collided again with the wall. This time, she couldn't get it back on the island. "Fuck. I'm out. Sorry, guys."

Of course Erica was dejected. After such a strong start, in the space of half an hour she was now faced with her first retirement. Alexandra knew that feeling.
"Everyone remembers their first one. Even me, and I had, like, fifteen of them. The point is that you come back fighting, it's our home one next week, and with an audience like ours behind your back, you can't let this get into your head."

Despite it behind her first failure to score in a long while, the results were actually kind to her title prospects. Terho's podium meant that he'd leapfrogged her to the top of the standings, with a lead of ten. Mercer-Daly had increased his lead, finishing in eighth, but not by much. MRT's goose-egg had meant they had failed to capitalise on her position, and Franssen's win got her sandwiched between the two. It was an amazingly close season so far, and looking positively, Erica would be expected to do well at Rivoli. Should she win there, and the results went her way again...she could start to really build a gap.

[Vilita and Turori]

EON Grand Prix Lisander, Circuit Grandeville, Listander :: R. L. Cruisin got out of the #51 MSA SinVal machine and nearly cracked a smile at the conclusion of the EON Grand Prix Lisander. No, Cruisin wasn't the winner of the race. No, Cruisin didn't finish on the podium. In fact, for the Tenth consecutive Grand Prix event, R.L. Cruisin didn't even earn a single point. The last time R.L. Cruisin earned a point on the World Grand Prix Championship Circuit was Race 10 of WGPC 15 when the Vilitan driver finished in 6th place at the Krytenian Grand Prix.

R.L. Cruisin entered the WGPC 16 Season needing just 14 points to eclipse the 300 point mark in their Grand Prix racing career. It seemed like it would only be a matter of when - not if - considering that even while underperforming expectations during Season 15 Cruisin accrued 29 points.

10 Race Weekends into the 16th World Grand Prix Championship season, however, Cruisin was still looking for their first point on the season, no closer to becoming the next driver to break the 300 career points mark. In fact, Cruisin was even further away with Alexander Lund and Terho Talvela having already broken the barrier during the season - Talvela scoring their 300th career point at the Grand Prix of Lisander, dropping Cruisin to sixth in the all-time total points list and perhaps wondering if they would ever score another point.

Perhaps thats why there was a partial crack of a smile on the Vilitan drivers face after the Grand Prix of Lisander. Sure, R.L. Cruisin didn't finish in the points. Heck, Cruisin didn't even complete all the laps finishing one lap down to eventual winner Jessica Franssen of Vannish Motors Racing. What Cruisin did do, however, was finish. Finishing had been a struggle for Cruisin and the MSA-SinVal team to this point in the season. More importantly, perhaps, was that Cruisin finished within reach of the points. Save for a mistake on a pitstop early in the race, the #51 machine may have been right there competing with Ryker Lane for the 10th position.

So, perhaps it was a step in the right direction for Cruisin who bypassed Jai Kardaeri as the driver who has competed in the most Grands Prix when taking the grid for the 64th time in their career at the Nimban Grand Prix.

The following week at the Mid-Season test at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course in Rockii Coast, Vilita; Cruisin was honored by long time personal services sponsor Vilaye Energy Drink for his accomplishment of becoming the World Grand Prix Championships 'Iron Man'. Something of a journeyman throughout his career, Cruisin had raced for teams throughout the multiverse to keep the streak alive but perhaps it was also that constant change of scenery that was holding Cruisin back from being more competitive on a week to week basis. While Cruisin enjoyed the award recognition from his sponsor, there was no doubt there was some despair in the drivers mind about the future of the relationship despite Vilaye's Lifetime Contract with the #51 driver.

While Cruisin was the face of Vilaye in the build up to the World Grand Prix Championship season, doing both solo spots for the Energy Drink Maker as well as spots with fellow Grand Prix driver and Vilaye associate Juracai Klianiota, the tides had seem to shift throughout the season as struggles mounted for both Cruisin and Klianiota while another Vilaye driver began turning heads in another series. By the mid-way point in the World Grand Prix Championship season the only place you would see R.L. Cruisin's name or likeness on or about Vilaye Energy Drink products were at the Grand Prix tracks themselves. Back home in Vilita, River "Shark" Suzgar had become the face of the Energy Drink brand. Competing for the Vilita & Turori team in the re-vamped Nationstates Stock Car Automobile Racing series, River Suzgar II had the Vilaye brand squarely on the vehicles quarter panels and more importantly had taken the Vilaye Energy Drink name to victory lane twice, earning a berth in the NSSCRA's Championship Playoff series. With virtually no hope of Cruisin reaching the same level of competition in WGPC, and neither Cruisin or Juracai Klianiota putting in performances worth boasting about, Vilaye was quick to switch strategies to the young Stock Car driver making waves on the full bodied circuit.

As the only full-season driver yet to record a single point on the Grand Prix season, there wasn't much to boast about associating with R.L. Cruisin. With seven events left in the WGPC 16 season, R.L. Cruisin may have just seven more races left in their Grand Prix career - that's if they aren't replaced by a Fast Cocoabo in the drivers seat first.

Cruisin spent the latter portion of the Grand Prix of Lisander battling two other Vilitan and Turorian affiliated drivers - narrowly beating WGPC Eelandii driver Reva Izalio to the line while Juracai Klianiota put in another disappointing run in the Tropicorp Racing Aelund machine with some wondering if the top five finish Klianiota recorded in Aboveland was a fluke as teammate Terho Talvela took the lead in the Drivers Championship Standings while Klianiota's slim 12 points were not doing teir part to aid the team in the Constructors title chase where TRAE sat 22 points behind MRT.

One team performing above expectations once again at Lisander was the iBen Toralmintii led WGPC Eelandii Motorworks team whose lead driver #10 Jennifer Johnson recorded a top 5 finish to leaprog past the well funded Klianiota in the Drivers Championship Standings, leading to continued swirl about Klianota's future and the quality of relationships within the team.

[Aboveland]

Terho swerved from left to right on the formation lap, frantically attempting to warm his intermediate tyres under the gloomy, sobbing skies. The lines he left in his wake would sure be quite interesting on the first lap, the undulations occasionally interrupted by violent juts of dry tarmac as Nanna fishtailed under her footing. He violently pulled at the steering wheel from side to side, fixing his gaze on the stealthily colored KISMO machine ahead of him, the silver blur of Jean Mercer-Daly's car now irrelevant. Terho was in the best mental state he'd ever experienced in his career: focused like a bird of prey, yet as relaxed as a rocking chair dweller on a Sunday evening. He hadn't lost the piercing, icy glare obscured behind his electric blue reflective visor, nor the raging internal fires of passion within him, or even a hint of his apparent accessibility to the world outside his head. He was a new, improved, rejuvenated Terho, with an almost unrecognizable maturity. The climatic handshake he'd received on the Abovian podium from his then arch-nemesis rewired his head in an instant. His desire for success was no longer a malicious want to prevail over an enemy; he no longer needed to prove a point, play a character or follow a storyline. For the first time in many, many months, his prime objective wasn't specific.

Thus, now burrowed in his sixth grid place, Mercer-Daly's sleek silver supercar directly in front of him, the patter of an alternating intensity drizzle drumming against his helmet, fresh off a win and a practice session P1, Terho was ready. He had no plans, no Byzantine strategies, no glares or fingers or smirks or sighs of disgust directed an any other driver occupying his thoughts. The final red light turned on, and within a second the quintuplet disappeared. Terho had nothing else to do but drive.

***

In keeping with his iffy wet start record so far, Terho's race start wasn't so much a launch off the line as it was a desperate struggle to maintain position going into turn one, a baby deer's sprauchle to stay upright. Fortunately enough, the Imagikinecitcigicey devices on Ryker Lane's car behind hadn't resulted in as dominant a start as they advertised, and apparently the first and second grid places were slippier than those behind. This meant that while Terho failed to hold sixth on his way around the outside of turn two, Kruipin lunging down the inside after a magnificent start from eighth and later blockading the Abovian into the turn 3 hairpin, his start hadn't been abysmal, and the rain seemed to have subdued into a misty blanket of moving fog.

Somehow, polesitter Franssen and second placed grid dweller Lemos fell back in the first quarter of the race, from their stupendous qualifying places to just below Terho in eighth and ninth places, respectively. By lap 12 the rain had begun to torment down on the tarmac more heavily, but the passing storm cloud meant that lap 19 saw the bare asphalt dry line begin to soften under the glow of the sunshine. The crackle of the team radio cleared up to communicate an unusually composed message from Edvin, now a more composed, confident character, on lap 19: "Terho, the weather's cleared enough for softs now. Pit as soon as you can and we'll start our aggressive push to the front."

Terho withheld jokes for the signing off. "Just one more lap around the damper bits and I'm going in," he said.

He pulled into the pits from sixth, comfortably behind and ahead of the cars around him, his heart beating to the rhythm of the blinking pit limiter light on his wheel. His eyes locked onto the position marker, watching dreadfully on as the six became a seven, an eight, a nine, his heart pounding harder with every addition. He yanked Nanna onto her designated spot, felt the jolt from the jacks rattle his helmet, and the thump onto the ground from the release. Her V10 insides wailed out of the pitlane in ninth, a few seconds clear of Souzare. In just two laps, religiously sticking to the dry line on the circuit, the Abovian had slightly bridged the gap to the drivers ahead on inters; miraculously, all of them pitted on the same lap, exiting the pitlane mere seconds ahead of the Abovian.

Nanna, her sneakers grippy in the dry, let rip.

First in line was Kruipin. Just a second ahead of Terho, and with a clear line from the pitlane to the apex of turn two, the Sorlovian blurred past the Abovian, his pupils dilating at the sight of imminent danger. Cutting Nanna off, Kruipin dove at the turn to just nose into Mercer-Daly's path, attempting to set up an overtake for the next hairpin. As Kruipin began his aggressive lunge down turn three, Terho entered the corner wide, his exit glued to the inside of the turn and paving the way for a perfect trajectory around turn four. His vascular system bursting under his overalls, the Abovian emerged from a plume of lock-up smoke from turn three to go into turn four three wide, Mercer-Daly on the inside line, Kruipin in the middle, and Terho on the outside of the next corner. In a hand fan motion, the Esmerelian was the first to give way to the increasingly aggressive Sorlovian, leaving both him and Terho on the damper portions of the circuit. Jean was cut off by Kruipin, receding to the bottom of the three drivers, while Terho stumbled Nanna on the damper outside of the turn and lost traction into turn five. Out of the corner of his eye a gray glove waved maniacally in the air, in Kruipin's general direction, obscene gestures aplenty. Terho reserved himself to a quiet "maniac" on the team radio, his facial expressions agreeing with Mercer-Daly's reactions rather than expressing disgust. Rivalries were toxic.

Gregori hugged the dry line on the entry of turn five, and Terho slotted in behind him and just ahead of Mercer-Daly going into turn six. As sparks flew from Nanna's titanium underside, showering the Chase Cutter in glorious shards of incandescent metal, Terho swerved toward the inside of turn six, pushing Kruipin onto the wet off the outside of the corner, his car fishtailing for traction into the second part of the corner and turns seven and eight. P7 was his again.

The tussle between Lemos and Franssen just ahead became clearer with every passing sector, the fueling adrenaline of on track battles narrowing the drivers' sights to winning the dogfight. Into turn nine, both drivers fiercely engaging for their positions, Terho glided past them on the dryest patch on the outside he could manage, narrowly missing the pink engine cover draping Lemos' car. His passive aggressive slices through the field were working wonders.

On the sweeping turn 10, as Dimitrov and Johnson attempted to one up each other, a pillar of mist blinded the pair and the chasing Terho behind, a tyre squeal piercing his ears and the thud of a tyre wall impact resonating through the track. Minimal shards of carbon fiber swept across the racetrack as the damaged, yet beautifully decorated, Polaris chassis skidded down the grass beside the straight. Terho swerved left to avoid a collision, Nanna's left tyres grazing the grass on the outside of turn 10, her rear stepping out just enough to put Dimitrov and Johnson in immediate danger. An overly optimistic move from Dimitrov saw him and the Krainian drift onto the outside of turn eleven, the dry line now paved for Nanna to hammer down the pit straight with ease. Ninth to second in a single lap was worthy of a heavy, visor clouding sigh.

Putting on a drive worthy of a champion, Terho climbed to first, and by lap 37 he found himself at the top of the leaderboard, another race win very much possible. A slightly different tyre strategy to both Krainin, race leader turned lead pursuer, and Franssen, polesitter turned gladiator, meant however that Terho would tumble down the order to the final podium position by lap 50, his dry line advantage no longer existent in the final stages of the event. Ultimately, he pulled away from the Vangazi and the Mattijanan by the race's end, his gargantuan effort from ninth to podium an exhilarating result for him and the whole team.

"YES, TERHO!" Edvin yelled through the radio, the punches against his table clearly audible. "P3, you magnificent bastard! Say hello to the lead of the championship!"

"Whooooo hooo hooooo!" Terho replied, exalted. "Thank you all so much! Spectacular effort! I'd never imagined I'd be where I am three races ago! Thank you all very, very deeply!"

Jumping just above the protruding 3 on his step, careful not to rattle the bottle of champagne at his feet, Terho thrust his arms into the air on the podium, his beaming smile looking very much like the celebration of a win. He sprayed the fizzy drink all over the team below, drenching himself in the golden liquid, letting it sting his eyes, licking his lips to savor the bitter elixir, feeling the cool foam run down his spine. He couldn't remember the last time he'd scored two podiums in a row, the last time he'd led a championship, or the last time he was so worry free about rivals and drama and car woes and improvements.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt so alive.

[Esmerel]

Grandeville, Lisander
Sunday, 8 April 2018

It seemed like every week was shorter and shorter. The rain had decided to come down for this race, and Nexus immediately knew what was going to happen- they weren't winning. So Jean didn't try to win. Think of it like a hand of poker. Why try to win when you have a pair at best and it's basically guaranteed your opponents have something better? Frankly, it was a miracle that Nexus got any points in the first place.

Halfway through the season, though, and both Jean and Nexus were in good positions in both championships. All they had to do was keep it consistent. No celebrating yet. And... at the same time, Jean was unsure how to follow up. Why? Why must Nexus have prioritized straight line speed when a lot of tracks on the calendar didn't have good opportunities for that? And why did Jean not practice more on cornering?

Well, he just didn't. He knew what he was getting himself into and didn't fully take advantage of it. But there was no reason to cry over spilled milk. There was work to do with the car, and ensuring things would only get better with it.

[Filindostan]

Rusty felt the chances of him winning the WGPC Drivers' title are slowly getting grim by the races.

The race before the Lisander round saw his gap from the top of the drivers' standings widen after being the final retirement in the Abovian Grand Prix. Make it two DNF's in a row, as he failed to finish the race in what is seen to be his worst race in a while. Only placing as high as 20th after a disastrous qualifying session saw him start 21st, and despite the changing conditions, they weren't able to take advantage of the situation.

To compound the misery to the MRT team that saw both their drivers take the top step of the podium in two of the seven races this season, Savojar driver Sigur Bjarnason also retired from the race, four laps after mechanical gremlins ended Rusty's race prematurely.

Rusty and the gang have the next three rounds in Esportiva, hoping that his fortunes turn around after the dismal showing they had at Lisander. Maybe he wouldn't visit Kyoko for a while, who is still recovering from her injuries in her homeland in Aji No Moto - he could maybe visit her once she comes back to the KISMO garages. Her ride is most likely effectively taken by Mattijanan rookie Jasmin Kranjska, who almost brought the Ajian team's first vicotry, only to be beaten by VMR's Jessica Franssen in the last quarter of the race.

For now, it's back to the drawing board for Rusty to get back on track in a tight battle for supremacy. The good thing is that MRT is still in the lead of the constructors' championship, despite scoring no points in Circuit Grandeville. But just in the lead, as Nexus and TRAE are coming close at them.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System

Ryker Lane strides through the corridors of his team’s headquarters. The Nimban does his best not to recall the race that he had participated in yesterday.

He doesn’t succeed.

I… He winces. The tyre timings had been fine, as had the strategy overall; the team’s initiatives had clearly not been disadvantageous either, given that the DIADEM certainly hadn’t inhibited performance at the Abovian Grand Prix and that the new ISISU - Imagikinetic Structural Integrity Sustenance Unit (though Gertrude had said that the acronym also paralleled an ancient goddess of protection) - both was located outside the car and had undergone testing to ensure that the UHSGV-2’s other systems weren’t inhibited by it.

No, the problem in Lisander was Ryker himself. I can’t get lazy like that again. Coming off the high of that win, I just… I let go. As a result, the Nimban hadn’t known the circuit nearly well enough by the time he got to Grandeville, a circuit where he had claimed the podium’s lowest tier in only his third race. He’d had to learn the track again through Practice and Qualifying, even in the earlier stages of the race, and it had shown.

Thus he decisively opens the door into the simulator room. Ideals, determination and mastery of my vehicle can only get me so far. I need practical experience, too. As he settles down in the seat and grasps the wheel, he feels that thrum through his body that tells him that he’s doing something right.

“Select Circuit: ‘Autodromo Internazionale del Rivoli’! Conditions: Dry, Wind North-East Twenty KPH! Opponents: On! Grid Position: Two Six! Laps: Unlimited!”

I am going to learn this track. I am going to go there tomorrow. And, when I’m there, I’m going to do well.

[Vangaziland]

Jess was watching a movie in her hotel room a few days after the race. Her phone beeped, as she got a new email. Opening the software, she found out the newest email was just spam. But it returned her attention to an email that was a few days old. It was from Gregori Krupin. She read it quickly before opening a new message.

It was getting late and she was tired, so she felt groggy as she typed.

Hey!

Don't think I forgot about hanging out. This week turned out to be busy. Family flew in from Northton and I got caught up. After this race, we'll be back in Vangaziland for awhile. The event after the next is there, in the capitol of Emeros. We'll make sure to hang out during that stretch. Track life has been busy!

I know it might be frustrating with your string of rough finishes. Just keep pushing, keep making a name for yourself. This season is not your end all nor be all. Winning is not everything. But still, you've had some solid starts from qualifying. Your place in driver standings would be different if not for the car's touchy issues.

The season is only half over. There is a lot of time left. Every driver has the choice to push on or fold it in. Keep your fire. How? Remember that winning isn't everything, like I said before. Make yourself known. Be a star. Have fun. I know you're a work-a-holic with all of the time you put into preparation.

Just remember to enjoy the drive!

-Jess
P.S. And yeah, the media delves into a lot! There are always rumors.

She hit send before turning her attention back to the TV. She couldn't focus on the show like before. Now the season kept drawing on her focus. She didn't know how her season would shape up from this point. The season was a dogfight.

She had spent hours going over the next track, mentally running her lines about every other day. She looked at overhead diagrams and even old footage online. This was nothing new. She prepared every week, as did Krupin and the rest of the VMR staff. They work hard and party hard. It speaks to one's character when you can balance business and pleasure, as opposed to shutting yourself off of one to manage the other.

Having said that, Jess was having more of a quiet week. After taking a season off, each race took a lot out of her. She reached for a tall water bottle and took a long swig. Her mind tried not to worry about future races. Instead she focused on the movie. Her mind needed the relaxation. It was set in a steampunk world and based around the life of a truck driver. It was a quirky movie that was supposed to be serious, but came out accidentally funny.

Jess barely let out more than a giggle. She was too tired to commit to deep laughter. She was too tired to do much of anything, eventually falling asleep on the sofa.

[Mattijana]

Lara Kasparova was another member of MRT from the north-east of Mattijana. She had graduated from Snezn university with a first in engineering, specialising in automotive work and had joined the team in a junior role, mainly involving data recording, watching stuff in wind tunnels and putting graphs in the right places. She had expected close ups of engines, sticking her head around the underneath of cars and intellectual conversations about airflow.

All that kept her reasonably under the radar, so it came as a big surprise when Maria Jamasova told her to come to the MRT motorhome after qualifying. The fact it was about something that might "be of interest" to her had soothed the nerves, but meeting one of the management team in her first season was not an experience she had anticipated.

Having packed up her computer equipment in the garage, she wandered through the back of the MRT garage into the paddock. The dark green and yellow trailor stood in front of her. Nervously hopping up the steps, she slipped past another team member and through the door.

The good news was that Maria was waiting just inside the entrance. She was sitting at a small round table with a wad of papers in front of her. The odd thing, on closer inspection, was that the wad appeared to be made up of a mixture of broadsheets, tabloids and trashy gossip magazines.
The 23 year old got a smile from her older superior as she took a seat. Even the deputy principal appreciated the bizarre nature of the meeting.

"Hiya Lara. Good to see you. You're probably wondering why I've got half the nation's media outlets in front of me, but I'll clear everything up in a minute. Thanks for all your hard work for the team. We've been really impressed up here."

Lara nodded and thanked her. She was still none the wiser. Maria nonetheless continued.

"Anyway, I've got a new role for you. You'll still be doing the engineering stuff at the moment, but we need someone to go round with Sigur after the sessions and oversee the media interviews. We think you've got the right kind of personality to do it and most of the other team staff are up to their necks in work. Obviously you don't have to do it, but if you do, I'll show you through everything you need to get going and it would be a massive help for us."

Lara wasn't going to say no if it meant getting up close and personal with some of the WGPC's top drivers, including Sigur Bjarnason. She still wondered quite what they'd seen in her to get this particular gig, but she wouldn't moan. She was young and giving the team a big helping hand might just be a good kickstart for her own career.

"That's absolutely fine. What's with the literature?" She asked.

"Ah yes. I thought I'd take you through some of the people you'll probably come across. There's certain outlets who it's a very good idea to talk to and some who are best to avoid. First up are MFO. As you'll be aware they're the national broadcasters, so you'll get a sensible interview from them. There's a lot of well-respected people following the WGPC, so they should be fine."

Lara nodded. MFO at least would make her life easier.

"The same goes for the main national papers. Occasionally you might get something a bit pushy, I'll tell you how to handle that later, but they should be pretty sensible. It's the tabloids and the goss-rags you'll have to watch out for. They should have fewer people out here than the main papers and broadcasters, but they'll be lurking and looking to catch us out. I'll give you the sheet of recognised interviewers, but it's media convention to declare your outlet before you ask any questions so you should be ok. MattiGoss are the ones you really have to watch out for. They'll use pretty underhand tactics to get information out. Remember you have the right not to answer any questions if they don't declare their outlet and you can choose not to answer a specific question. It's mainly down to Sigur as well of course, so you can consult with him about the specifics. We also don't talk to Kunig by matter of principle, but they know that, so they shouldn't bother you."

Lara nodded again. The idea of consulting with a WGPC driver was a daunting one however.

The pair went through some of the Savojar and international media outlets before exchanging papers. This was one hell of a development.

Maria was significantly cooler.

"Excellent. You'll start tomorrow after the race. Be aware that if our session ends esrly for whatever reason, you'll need to do the rounds mid-session. We really hope it doesn't though. It would mean something had gone pretty disastrously wrong."

Talk about being thrown in the deep end...

"Have you got any questions at all?" Asked Maria finally.

"Just one." Said Lara with a wry smile. "Haven't you got someone better to do this."

"As a matter of fact we do. He's called Thomas Kjurman, he's from the Savojar government. Plump, glasses, grey suit, lives off our coffee machine. He's also absolutely useless in every way and the sooner he gets sent back to Savojarna, the better for Sigur and the team. It's a win-win for you, all you have to be is better than him and frankly my cat could achieve that."

Lara thanked her superior and picked up the tape recorder she would use to record Sigur's interviews. When she had entered the room, she had expected to be told about some kind of engineering course that she's be enrolled on during the off-season. This was something completely different.

Maria had said she had no pressure upon her shoulders, but the prospect of the noisy and occasionally awkward media paddock still terrified her slightly. The opportunity to embarass herself on behalf of the team by getting their lead driver into a mess with some obscure tabloid was worryingly potent. All this when she was used to a laptop at the side of the relative safety of the MRT garage.

"Oh don't worry, said Maria, we've upped your pay a bit...and you're very welcome to all the coffee you want. It's good to be alert."

[WGPC]

CUT OFF for Practice and Qualifying in Nekoni