Ted had never liked being in the company of the media, preferring to let his driving do the talking. The Tumbran media was known for being unforgiving at the best of times, and he'd never enjoyed dealing with them. But his recent performances had made talking to them unavoidable, and he'd want them on his side for the second half of the season, where the tracks wouldn't suit the Kaylan as much. As he was led into the press room for the media to hurl questions at him, he gently smiled at the throng of cameras.
"Ted, how does it feel to have won a second feature race from thirteenth on the grid?"
"It feels good, yeah. A month ago, when I registered that double non-points finish at Drummond Vale, I didn't know whether I was up for this. Now, however..." He let out a gentle laugh, "now I know it's possible. And we're all aiming to keep it going.
"D'you think you're up for a championship fight?'
"It's a bit too early to be in the conversation for any of that. I know half the season has gone, and Anola and I have gotten two wins each — but this season has been nothing short of chaotic. It's all about remaining consistent, and trying to grab as many points finishes as possible."
"Both your wins so far have come in the wet. Is that perhaps a reason for your recent successes?"
"I'd like to think I'm an all-weather driver. Both my wins coming in wet races, though...I can see where that comes from!"
"With your team in pole position in the Constructors' Championship, how's your relationship with your team-mate, Anola?"
"We're very much similar. We get along very well, and we're both focused on helping the team achieve as much as possible this season. Sometimes she helps me, sometimes I help her. It's all about working together."
"Even with the chance you two might find yourself in a championship fight later in the season?"
"Ah...like I said, we're focused on the team. We're more focused on the team. Yeah. The team."
He kicked himself when he said that. Saying team three times? What was he thinking? The reporter shot a quizzical glance at him, perhaps waiting for him to elaborate, but when the response wasn't forthcoming, he shrugged his eyebrow and scribbled something down. He felt the need to say something.
"Eh... Anola's a capable racer, and what happens, will happen. I'm certainly looking forward to it, but we'll always be putting Kaylan first."
Even worse.
"How is the car?"
"It handles differently on different circuits. I won't lie - I had trouble at the beginning, but with the team we've slowly worked our way past these issues. She handles like a beauty, really. Improvements so far have made the car more stable, too, and that's something I especially appreciate, with the number of wet races we've been getting."
"Last question, Ted. Who, apart from Anola, would you say will be right up there with you at the finish?"
"I...uh...ah..." He gulped. Naming his own rivals? That was essentially just asking to be jinxed. The press leered. Trying to flash a brave smile, he tried to think.
"I'd have to say...uh...Janne Laukkanen...he's a very strong racer...and...ah...Heinz-Otto Junker. Thank you."
Satisfied, the reporters' cameras started flashing again as Ted tried to flash a smile. Avidly aware of the beads of sweat that were rolling down his neck, he hoped that the copious amounts of make-up wouldn't run.
God, he hated the press.
On the grid, again. Seventh row, again. But this time, the wrong side of the grid. Vartak to the right of him, Janne in front of him once more. The Abovian was proving to be a bit of a bugbear — or was he a bugbear to the Abovian? He hadn't interacted with the driver, and he didn't really feel the need to. They were on opposing teams, it was a large paddock, and there was enough on his plate already.
A bit of a delayed start for Ted, this time, but he managed to hold 14th as the circus plowed towards the first corner. Surging in front of Vartak, taking the racing line, Ted once again found himself side by side with the Abovian. He caught a glimpse of the driver in the pale blue car side-eyeing him, before the two broke for McLaughlin's, both drivers uncompromising. This was it, now. The two of them were in a fight for the WGP2 Drivers' Championship.
Ted once again got the better exit, speeding out of the nameless kink and going into the Slidey Right, trying to shake Janne off. But just as he did to Janne yesterday, he seemed to be receiving. Janne was proving impossible to shake off, the driver seemingly intent on following Ted through the grid. He tried to stop thinking and focus on the cars ahead, while ignoring the Nexus driver.
"Simon, who's up ahead?
"Gozum. Fichter. Matyivenko. If you can throw them into his path you should be able to shake him."
"Right."
Digging down, Ted steeled himself as he threw the car into corners, trying to overtake the three drivers named. All three of them didn't put up much resistance, save for Taras, who tried to hold Ted through the Triple Diamond — but eventually, he fought his way past. When he'd cleared the last of them, and the Aboveian was nowhere to be seen, he sighed a sigh of relief.
"Nowhere to be seen, aye?
"He's stuck in traffic. Good work. Anola's fighting for the lead.
"Knew she had it in her. She likes these, huh?"
He wasn't really looking for much in these Sprint Races, especially if he could keep up the Feature Race finishes. A good haul of points would suffice, and if he'd be able to weave his way through the grid, he'd be taking home another haul. Another fabulous pitstop saw him go onto the softer tyres, which would see him to the end of the race — and he did manage to improve on his position, overtaking both Valkryia and Armendaritze. Time, however, ran out for him to chase both Junker — his closest championship rival, and Devereux, who had proved to be quite the formidable driver in the PrismRiver. He'd have to settle for fifth, finishing less than a second behind the two drivers out in front. But Anola...she was in a class of her own. A second Sprint Race victory brought her to third in the Championship, just six behind Junker.
After the race, he'd talked to Anola — her elbow had been acting up, a past injury, as she opened up to him — and she was considering getting it checked out during the mid-season break. He encouraged her to do so — after all, they'd struck up a cordial if professional relationship, and he didn't want their partnership to be ended prematurely. He wished her all the best, and hoped that she would be able to finish the season.
All in all, eight points was a solid haul. The gap had shrunk to sixteen points, but it was still a formidable one nonetheless. In the Constructors', Kaylan had increased their lead to 46 points, courtesy of the double win by Kaylan over the weekend. They were in the driver's seat now — Xander, Anola, Ted, Manu, Vladimir, Simon and so many others — and they intended to see this through to the finish. Whatever it took.
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