World Grand Prix Championship 20 [RP/Results Thread]

[Mlima Kijani]

“GIANT GAPING ASSHOLE!”

“Excuse me, Ms Náttmörðsdóttir?”

In her hotel room in Græntfjall, Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir was prepping for her press conference. She popped the ‘Team Mlima Kijani’ baseball cap onto her head, then off, examining herself in the mirror to decide whether her long blonde ponytail looked better tucked through the back of the cap, or without any cap at all. But she was also scrolling on her phone, and a notification had just come up: ‘Náttmörðsdóttir agrees to test drive with UrGa’.

She stamped her foot. Lillý was barely five feet and this was a hotel built to accommodate the thumping of BFG feet: her little stomp didn’t make much of a sound. But her anger was clear.

“My manager. He accepted a testing offer on my behalf, even though I specifically told him I didn’t want to go with UrGa.”

Thawab Hassan, Lillý’s personal assistant, did his best to bite his tongue. Like most White Kijanis, Lillý was fanatically anti-communist. The idea of driving for what was essentially the state team of the Pridnestrovian DPR-USS obviously riled her.

But Lillý’s call sheet hadn’t exactly been burning up with offers. So far she had testing offers from Sivaleinen, a relatively unknown team of Mertagne, but Thawab knew well how cliquish Anaia tended to be, and it seemed a long shot. Not as long of a shot as the other testing offer from Tropicorp-Colorworks, a team that was – and it hurt Thawab to say it, for he was devoted to Lillý – but far above her pay grade and experience. Now there was this offer to go have a test drive with UrGa. Thawab respected Lillý’s pride, but he also enjoyed being able to afford food. He needed her to find a job.

“It’s just a test drive,” he ventured cautiously. “You’re not committing to anything. And it could be good experience.”

She didn’t seem convinced. Thawab tried again.

“And it’s in Rushmore. Not too far away. You could be there and back in a day!”

Lillý decided it was better without the cap. She tossed the Team Mlima Kijani cap to the side, where it bounced off the bed onto the floor. Not for the first time, Thawab thought it was probably for the best that she was basically unknown in her home country.

“Just make sure I don’t get conscripted onto some collective farm,” she said.

Thawab nodded eagerly, moved to open the door for her.

---

Press conference for Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir

“Ms Náttmörðsdóttir, what kind of experience are you looking to gain should you be given a seat in WGPC?”

“I’ve crashed into walls in Mlima Kijani. I’ve crashed into walls in Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland. I’ve crashed into walls in Græntfjall. I’ve crashed into walls all over Atlantian Oceania. And through OWARS, I’ve had a chance at crashing into walls around the world. But I’m hungry for more. There are bigger walls. More exotic walls. More famous walls. Walls on some of the greatest race courses in the world, scenes of historic Grand Prix drama, that I’ve yet to crash into. And I truly believe, if given the chance, I could prove that I’m capable of crashing into all of them.”

“Mlima Kijani has a life expectancy below 60. 27% of its adult population are infected with VODAIS. Its GDP per capita is barely 1,000 NS$. Is investing in a sports car driver really the best use of the country’s limited resources?”

“I’m privately financed. Believe me, I’m also very concerned by some of the decisions being taken in Ntukabanda. In fact I have some ideas on how…”

Thawab shook his head off the side, then waved his left hand, reminding Lillý to check her own hand. She glanced at the palm, where she’d sharpied a reminder to herself: don’t advocate a paramilitary coup. Right. Don’t.

“Anyway, perhaps putting Mlima Kijani on the map could help attract investment and opportunity in the country.”

“The WGPC is very competitive and there are many talented drivers competing for places. Why should a team take a gamble on someone who, with all due respect, has such a modest record as yourself? Are you really going to help a team win?”

“I think it depends on your definition of ‘win’. If you mean, am I going to win the drivers’ championship? No.”

“…that’s how everyone defines ‘win’, ma’am.”

“But there are other ways of winning. For example, getting notice for your sponsors. WGPC is expensive and teams are reliant on keeping their sponsors happy. Now, picture this. It’s a competitive race, and all the best drivers are up there competing with one another for the finish line, their cars all bunched together. Going to be pretty hard to see the sponsor logos! But then, who’s that, half a lap back, all on her own? Her car so clearly visible, the camera with an extra few seconds, minutes even, to focus on the sponsor logos?” Lillý tapped her forehead.

There’s a lengthy pause as the journalists digest her philosophical musings.

“Assuming your car isn’t a crumpled wreck.”

“Well, yes, admittedly…”

Confirming Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir will accept the testing offers from Tropicorp-Colorworks, Sivaleinen, and UrGa.[/i]

[Diarcesia]

The Melancholy of Sara Luna III

The chances of Sara being a part of Tropicorp-Colorworks for WGPC 20 solely rested on the awaited call with Terho and Edvin.

What's worse, the anxiety of what they'll say got more noticeably-weighted on her. The Charon City exhibition was just behind her. Now the question of under whose team she'll be a part of required intense mental focus and concentration.

Her calendar now cleared up for personal time, she took the Hypertrain from Charon City all the way to Chiyginia City, a journey that spanned the length of the Diarcesian mainland from the southeast to the northwest.

As she walked through the interior of her house a few days later, it was not with a confident stride but one that is straddling the boundary of uncertainty and hope. Her thoughts were on what she would do next. After all, it had been a long time since she last raced in the World Grand Prix.

She knew that her career is not over yet and that opportunities like these are few and far between. She made sure to keep it this way by keeping up with fitness, mental toughness and overall competence as an elite level driver so that when such a chance comes around again, she'll be ready to make the most out of them.

As much as she disliked being away from racing for months on end due to lack of opportunity or worse—being forced out because other drivers were deemed more "worthy" than her—her focus was firmly set on returning at full throttle next season: no matter what team wants her onboard...

Sara recalled her journey in the Hypertrain, where she was joined by her psychologist, Dr. Léofdoena Bennett. The doctor happens to be her boyfriend's sister.

Léofdoena offered some words of encouragement. "You've got this, Sara. Remember your dedication, your passion for racing, and your desire to be the best. Go into the call with confidence, and let your determination shine through. I'll be here, ready to assist you with anything you need."

Sara nodded, grateful for Léofdoena 's support. Every little bit would count.

While waiting for the call with Tropicorp, Sara decided to make the most of her time by utilizing her home simulator. She set it up to emulate the driving characteristics of the cars the teams under her consideration, to the best of her knowledge. Like last season, she wanted to get a feel for each of them and understand how they handle on the track.

Sara spent hours meticulously testing each virtual car, pushing their limits, and analyzing their performance. She paid attention to the responsiveness, handling, speed, and overall feel of each vehicle, trying to assess which one aligned best with her driving style and preferences.

During this time, she received an email from Viska with a contract ready for her signature. The news of their offer to Sara would be publicized soon. Relieved that Viska was interested in securing her services, Sara took a moment to review the contract. However, she decided to hold off on signing it just yet: Eminent could provide a better offer. With Carvenlo already signing other drivers, Sara crossed them off her list of potential teams. It was clear that her path lay elsewhere.

To her surprise, Sara discovered that the Tropicorp car, while initially seeming promising, did not quite match her expectations. Despite their sleek design and reputation, she found the handling to be slightly off, and the responsiveness not as sharp as she had hoped. How could I have missed these nuances last season!?

On the other hand, as she spent more time driving the Viska and Eminent cars, Sara started to notice their strengths. The Viska exhibited excellent handling, providing her with a sense of confidence and control on the virtual track. She enjoyed the responsiveness and overall balance of the vehicle. Similarly, the Eminent impressed her with its speed and agility. The acceleration and top-end performance stood out during the simulated sessions, leaving Sara intrigued by the potential they offer.

Sara reflected on her findings. Tropicorp's platform was aging, others are catching up. Knowledge is power, she thought. The mental arming for the call soothed her soul for the moment.

---

The day of the call with Tropicorp finally arrived. She knew that the team was reluctant to even give her attention at all, but she remained determined to present her perspective and potential contributions. She recalled every last item she prepared to make her case.

...

As she joined the call, she found herself face to face with Terho Talvela and Edvin Pekkanen, the key decision-makers at Tropicorp-Colorworks. Sara breathed deeply, steadied her nerves, and began her pitch.

"Good afternoon, Terho and Edvin. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today. I understand that you may have reservations about considering me for the remaining open driver spot in Tropicorp-Colorworks, but I believe that my inclusion in the team could actually be a net benefit. Allow me to explain."

Sara maintained a confident yet respectful tone as she continues. She tried to articulate her points as clear as she could.

"While it's true that the Tropicorp cars have a solid foundation, it's also important to acknowledge that the competition in the championship is fierce. Other teams are making significant strides and catching up. As an experienced driver, I have the unique perspectives and skill sets to contribute to the development of the AGP002 platform. My ability to provide detailed feedback, collaborate with engineers, and fine-tune the vehicle's performance can help elevate the Tropicorp cars to new heights."

She paused briefly to ensure that her words sink in. As she continued, she grew bolder and more passionate. More like her younger days, when she was haggling for every last scrap of opportunity to race to make a living.

Ahh... so that's what was like back then, uh? How nostalgic. On that day, her icy demeanor melted, if a little, though enough to be noticed.

"In addition to my driving skills, my work ethic and commitment to excellence is vouched for by so many of the teams and staff I've worked with all these years. I am dedicated to putting the time and effort required to improve not only my own performance but also the overall performance of the team. With my experience and determination, I believe I can play a crucial role in helping Tropicorp stay competitive and regain their edge."

Sara was ready to address any concerns or questions raised by Terho and Edvin. She hoped that her sincere and compelling—in her opinion—argument would resonate with the other end of the call. Her potential value was highlighted, hopefully.

As she concluded her case, she awaited their response.

The Disappearance of Samantha Blaatschapen III

The private test session took place at PB Raceway by the company's headquarters, as always. Aldauren was not present due to the ongoing talks with Sam. In his stead, the top technical brass oversaw the goings-on over there. That included propagating the instructions and details regarding the session and setting up the cars for the optimal track condition. The on-site people pulled all the stops to make sure Devereux and the Cocoabo's unique abilities shine with the same car. This, after all, is the long-term goal of the PryForce-platform WGPC vehicles.

Anneliese arrived early and showed enthusiasm. She took the time to familiarize herself with the car and animatedly engaged in discussions with the engineers and mechanics regarding the vehicle. Her determination and willingness to collaborate made a positive impression.

Just in time, Cocoabo #23, known for their speed and experience, arrived with a focused mindset. They quickly get acquainted with the car and begin discussing the setup preferences with the race engineers. One good takeaway was that the cocoabo communication barrier was completely absent. Their technical knowledge and ability to provide valuable feedback demonstrated their understanding of the intricacies of high-performance racing.

As the test session went underway, it was clear that both drivers were fast. They can clearly turn a lap time in spite of the track conditions, even in the stress-scenarios where the car setup was intentionally not ideal for them. As they continued to run more laps, their feedback became increasingly valuable with each pass around the track. It's almost as if both of them drove for the team in WGPC 19...

The team meticulously collected data, analyzed performance metrics, and assessed the drivers' compatibility with the team's goals and the car's characteristics. It was not all about lap times. Rather, it was a combination of the drivers' technical and psychological compatibility with both the car and the team's higher-level objectives combined that mattered.

It was a tough decision that was too close to make on a whim. The arguments presented can persuade a choice between Anneliese Devereux and Cocoabo #23, either way. Hours-long discussions were held where their final choice swayed from one side, to the other, and back again. Eventually, it was decided.

During the test, the engineers noted that straight-line speed was a weak point with the car. The root cause analysis that followed eventually revealed that Cocoabo #23 brought attention to the shortcoming. If the team could manage to harness a higher top speed speed and make it a strength, then perhaps that was one less barrier for Laura's bid to a World Championship. But before they communicate the final results to both drivers who attended the test, the uncertainty regarding Sam Blaatschapen's situation needs to be resolved.

---

Aldauren Ginintella and Gideon Scrivenor, acting as the mediator, agreed to meet in a place Sam designated. It was intended to be a candid conversation. Gideon would do most of the talking. The team earnestly wanted to address Sam's concerns or hesitations. If that hurdle was cleared, then, they would explore the possibility of Sam formally joining PB's lineup for the upcoming season. That would be Sam's graduation from the academy program.

Gideon let Sam make her introductions first. As soon as she signaled that it's okay for him to speak, he began. "Sam, I appreciate your willingness to talk and establish contact. We are hear with an open mind and are eager to listen to your perspective."

Sam acknowledged positively. Getting straight to the point, as was Sam's preferred method of communication, she expressed her frustrations with certain aspects that contributed to her disappearance from the public eye. She shared to both Gideon and Aldauren that in hindsight, it was bubbling resentment that for her part, she did not know how to convey. The most pressing was how events unfolded in Season Five of WGP2. Sam felt that her opinions and suggestions regarding car setup and personal development were not given enough consideration. She felt constrained and forced to be beholden to Aldauren's and Pryfors Bilar corporate's dictates. She desired more autonomy in decision-making processes to have a direct impact on the car's performance.

She also brought up the magnitude of obligations thrust into her in the public relations front. The constant media interactions overwhelmed her, and more importantly, detracted her ability to excel on the track. "I'm paid and got took up under PB's wing to drive their cars and win races. I needed help to reach that goal. I was doing almost everything by myself!" she said. "I didn't want to be a press monkey."

She understood her actions could have been handled better. She did not mean to make it the issue that it became. "And I am sorry for being rude," Sam said as she bowed apologetically, "If I were to come back, we need a clear plan to balance my needs and the team's needs within what I can feasibly handle as a person."

To Gideon's knowledge, Aldauren broached the subject in prior meetings in the office. Sam had brought up a valid concern that needed to be addressed and sorted out before she could consider coming back to the fold. The pressure of public relations coupled with driving duties was too much for one person to handle alone; it required a group effort from everyone involved in order for success. Aldauren resolved to hire PR managers to alleviate some of the pressure and provide more guidance in handling media interactions. Laura could avail of this benefit as well if she doesn't have one.

Sam's other key points were less grave but were concerns nonetheless. She experienced conflicts and difficulties in establishing effective communication and collaboration with some of the staff. She also felt that there were limited opportunities for personal growth and development within the team. She desired a clear path for advancement and felt that her potential was not fully utilized or nurtured.

Sam concluded that her genuine interest in racing for PB stayed, highlighting the positive aspects she experienced during her time as an academy driver. She appreciated the team's approach overall, despite the faults and pressures she observed and encountered, and believes that the team's vision aligns with her own aspirations.

Gideon, as PB's main representative in this meeting, emphasized the team's commitment to creating an environment that prioritizes racing performance and supports the drivers in achieving their goals. He allowed Aldauren to summarize the team's plans, the car's characteristics, and the opportunities for growth within the team that were drawn up recently.

Sam, for her part, appreciated the opportunity to clear some things up with Aldauren and Gideon, but she needed to process what was discussed before she could make a final decision.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The tests had gone smoothly, all four drivers had done well considering they were driving on a circuit none of them had seen in car none of them were familiar with.
For both pairs--Anneliese Devereux and Aaron Deering on Tuesday, Skiia Vialiv and Donny Fitzpatrick the following day--the program was identical: a coin flip to decide which one would go first, with a series of exercises keeping within a particular delta time with a final 10 minutes to take the car to the limit as each driver was comfortable. The drivers who went second had the advantage of higher track temps, and because they weren't running at the same time, it wasn't accurate to compare times relative to the others.

Both Anneliese and Aaron were virtually inseparable in the data--they ran consistent times within a couple of tenths lap after lap and both showed excellent "race pace" when allowed to run free; Skiia and Donny each had a wobble on a lap where they made an error but recovered, but both were less consistent than the Tuesday duo, although not alarmingly so.

The main issue that was going to keep any of them from being offered a contract was...contractual issues. Deering had substantial backing from a petroleum company in United Adaikes, problematic when the title sponsor of the team was Baker Park's largest petroleum producer; Devereux had cleverly developed her own personal brand and she had the business side of her career structured in a way that would be difficult for OCR to accommodate.

Vialiv seemingly had another potential seat lined up when she arrived in Baker Park, but to her credit didn't cancel the test; Fitzpatrick seemed--from both the observations of one of the mechanics plus Ben "Smitty" Smith, who acted as host on the second day--a bit distracted although he put in a professional performance on and off the track.

On his way to the airport, Lambert discussed the situation with Jill Franklin, Vic Marzetti, Keven Ammaker and Paul Valentini on a conference call.
"Are we agreed that no one was head & shoulders above the rest?" Everyone at HQ agreed.
"If we'd had this same bunch testing before we saw Batu prior to last season, I'm certain we would've snapped one of them up." Marzetti opined before Lambert continued.

"Jill, do we have Jordan's draft contract ready?"
"David and I are putting the finishing touches on it."

"First thing Friday, reach out to him then send the draft for him to look at over the weekend, hopefully we can have a presser Monday to announce our lineup."

________________________________________________________________________
Orange Cow appreciates the chance to utilize the characters mentioned above but confirms that
Orange Cow is offering our second race seat to Jordan Crowe and that he will use #24 or 25 if no conflict with another driver arises

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

"A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear"

It was one in the afternoon when Alejandro Rusegara heard the carols playing inside his head, as he finally woke up and slowly got out of his bed. Being alone in a hotel room somewhere in Downtown Jolbonopolis, presumably with his entourage leaving the bed way before he did, after another night of rowdy partying on that week between Christmas and New Year's Day, Alejandro knew that he's going to have to get used to this lifestyle again, especially with the excitement set to continue until January 2nd, before all would slow down and him getting used to practicing all over again.

Man, what a night it was, thought he, as he rubbed his eyes, before looking around his hotel room, reflecting on what the hell has happened. And it's not even over yet. Of course, it wasn't exactly over for Rusegara, who made sure he would make it to the Baby Shower for his friend, Quebeco-Kirungan footballer and longtime friend, Didier Garnacho Siboyintore.

Sure, they had been friends for long time, with both of them part of a sizeable Kirungan diaspora based in Jolbonopolis, but this occasion was special, especially considering that the Didier's girlfriend, Camilla, happened to be his beloved sister. And while on normal circumstances he'd be the ones to watch, Alejandro, in some ways, was more than relieved that he got to watch the celebrations, with the accompanied gender-revealing ceremony causing some fanfare and flames, without being bothered or noticed and that both him and Didier, good friends of two years' age difference, were able to renew their amity under a similar stature.

To start something anew, thought Alejandro, as the memory film from the previous night slowly came back to him. All of sudden, I'm the less responsible one. That feeling sunk with him all of sudden, though in all fairness Alejandro shouldn't be thinking much of it. Common stereotype exists that sportspeople of certain types - usually this means basketballers and footballers in Quebec - are likely to marry and settle down very early, even for a family-oriented country like the northern Calanian state. Motorsports racers...didn't exactly have that, though it was a well-known knowledge that Alejandro had a girlfriend who he was on-and-off relationship with.

Well...maybe it's time to...

That thought of getting back with Kenzie crept up, as he sighed and took another breath while looking outside his window. The view of the skyscrapers in Downtown Jolbonopolis was nothing special, for it was packed with high-risers and dense rows of plowed snow on the ground level, but it did give him a good reminder of how cold and distant the world could be, even in the backgrounds of his own city. Did he make a mistake taking time off? Was she with somebody new? He knew the answers to both, but didn't exactly want to say back to himself this early in the hour of consciousness.

Fortunately for him, his own thread of thoughts was disrupted when his phone rang. With his phone on the other side of the penthouse suite Alejandro rushed his way, frantically reaching for his Pomegranate PiPhone, before swiping it left to answer it.

'Allo?' Alejandro asked, as he answered in a high-pitched, tenor voice. His own voice, which sounded a bit like that of a mosquito, was a pet peeve that he had on himself.

'Rusegara, this is Kenneth.' answered a deep voice of a veteran in his fifties, which Alejandro immediately recognised as Kenneth Waltman, his manager. 'I'm sure you know why I called you. Were you out partying last night?'

'Um, yes,' Alejandro answered, taking a second to think of his answer before getting back to Kenneth. 'I was there for Didi's baby shower, we did the whole thing with gender reveal and the naming ceremony for young Lionel.'

'Yes, yes, and yes. Everybody in Songak knows that, Montreal Koreana people phoned me over, yadayada, I don't care,' Kenneth answered quickly, to suggest his lack of interest in the latest news and gossip. 'Anyways, I have a good news for you.'

Alejandro's eyes shot up. 'Is it what I'm thinking about?' he asked.

'Yes, you have received a testing offer from Urotovsky-Gatutin and Tropicorp-Colourworks, and will be expected to attend them in coming months. What do you think of them?'

'Well....' He took a while to answer. It was apparent that Alejandro was happy, but was having trouble deciding the right words for it. Neither Didier nor him were good with media, no matter how flashy they may have been on their respective sport. 'Okay, I think I found it. Let's Fucking Go?'

'Okay good,' Kenneth answered without hesitation. 'Just remember that you should not worry a fuck about it all.'

'As in?'

'In any case you don't get signed, don't worry about it. As you've seen with Bo and Char, and a plenty of others, don't stick yourself to one discipline anyway. We've seen the likes of greatness being made by Bo, or Drake Stevenson, making their successes off their positional versatility, and I'll make sure you will be set down the line as well.'

'Dope, thanks Kenneth,' answered he, before he hung up the phone. Not because he didn't want to talk no more with his manager, but it was because at that very moment, he knew he had to go back to his room at his parents' place and pack his belongings.

Alejandro Rusegara accepts his invitation for the UrGa Test, in addition to the previously-accepted Tropicorp-Colourworks Test.

[Delaclava]

KINGSTON WALCOTT ✓

@KWalcott

Feeling good heading into a busy few days! Ready to see what I can do in the #Sivaleinen car in Acerglade. I'll be driving in Turori too, if not as a signed driver, then to have a go in the #RaceEelandii ride. Regardless, grateful for this learning experience so early in my career! @WGPC #WGPC20

[Tropicorp]

Cocoabo Under Evaluation as Seats evaporate Sight Unseen

Cocoabo #23 remains committed to test events and dossier reviews with teams such as GPA Pryfors Bilar Sivaleinen, PB Viska, Scuderia Orange Cow and Eminent Grand Prix, hoping to prove themselves on the track. Of particular interest, it has now been confirmed that the Cocoabo Park Circuit has been added to the World Grand Prix Championship calendar for the first time, increasing the value to any team that should secure the services of the "Fast Cocoabo". The Cocoabo Park Circuit is the track which the Cocoabo was trained just in the fundamentals of driving, no less in how to drive a race car and how to drive it fast. Now, with the Cocoabo Park Circuit hosting a combination AOGP / WGPC race weekend for the first time in its history, a team that could sign Fast Cocoabo and put them in competitive equipment might be looking at a near-assured podium finish at the circuit later this season. Cocoabo #23 has already proven they can deliver results on similar tracks which they are familiar with, including back-to-back 4th place finishes at the Gran Premio de Nekoni during World Grand Prix Season 18 and Season 19.

While the addition of the Cocoabo Park Circuit to the WGPC Calendar is great news for Cocoabo #23 and any team wishing to sign the Cocoabo driver, it has caused some controversy in the Vilitan Cove as the areas recurring date on the World Grand Prix calendar has been moved from a traditional racing community to what some consider a 'Destination Resort'. While Cocoabo Park is an "Educational Resort" - there is no permanent citizen settlement in the Cocoabo Park or Cocoabo Forest areas, other than the on-site accommodations for the full time employees of the park. Some view it as a cash grab to justify the construction of additional resort hotels on the Cocoabo Park property, while others believe it will be an outstanding opportunity in the ongoing quest to raise awareness for the Cocoabo and the Cocoabo Preservation Society.

In order to get on the grid, however, Cocoabo #23 will have to secure one of the remaining seats. While Cocoabo #23 has previously driven for the predecessor to the Eminent Grand Prix Team and performed well, the Cocoabo was left during WGPC Season 19 when the team became a joint entry between Ethane and Lisander. Another geographical option might be the upstart Sivaleinen team, who could see Cocoabo #23's experience and relative geographical proximity to the Cocoabo Forest as a benefit to the relationship. However, Cocoabo #23 is believed to have adapted quickly in a recent private test at the PB Raceway in Diarcesia for Grand Prix Auto Pryfors Bilar. The Cocoabo was able to provide valuable feedback on the car at the test - which many saw as a two-way assessment period, and it is believed that Fast Cocoabo came away with a positive attitude from the engagement, please with the progress that the team made during the test session and optimistic that a partnership with Pryfors Bilar could result in a Checkered Flag performance at the Cocoabo Park Circuit and potentially help the team compete for a constructors title or even a drivers championship in support of its #1 Driver, Laura Haukanna.


SKIIA VIALIV ✓

@Skiia

Going to be a lot of new tracks to race on this season. I think Forest Cross will fit my driving style the best but it will be a while until we get there. Looking forward to getting behind the wheel in Eelandii for the first test of the season. #URGA #WGPC20

[Mertagne]

SIVALEINEN DRIVER TEST

The Sivaleinen driver test day was held at Fen's Hutch, a small race track located in Plitterland, approximately 35 miles east of the factory at Acerglade. The track is 4.275km long and the lap record is 1:32.484 for a race in an WGPC3 style car, and 1:08.957 in a WGPC car. The test was held over the course of one full day.
For the morning session, entrants each took to the track in the standard Sivaleinen car (of which three have been produced so far), three at a time, and performed as many qualifying laps as they felt comfortable with over the course of fifteen minutes, similar in style to an average elimination qualifying session.

QUALIFYING SIM 1

1 Olivia Stone (NIM)		1:10.260
2 Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir (MLK)	1:10.409
3 Kingston Walcott (DEL)	1:10.471
4 Ricardo Schmidt (HUA)		1:11.185
5 Cocoabo #23 (TRP)		1:11.613
6 Ji So-Yeong (CMT)		1:11.704
7 Felix Schneider (MRT)		1:12.103
8 Aaron Deering (UAD)		1:12.151
9 Bronwyn Sayers (MRT)		1:13.157

Vitaly Alltonen was surrounded by a posse of technical staff and heads involved with recruitment, as he watched the timing screen in the garage. “Walcott has surprised me from the off. I will admit I didn’t expect him to set pace in the top half. I’m concerned Deering hasn’t adapted to the car well - while Schneider and Sayers have had some experience with our car, it is their only WGPC-level experience.” he explained to the figure on the other side - Annikki Sivaleinen, who looked unusually out of place in the environment of the garage. While she was no stranger to the inner workings of the factory, here on the track day she had spent much of the morning cavorting with the chaperones of the drivers, seemingly focusing on the networking opportunities of the event rather than the hard data, which Vitaliy’s people had been crunching in the background.

“You’ve put Sayers and Schneider in as a duck test for the other drivers, right?” piped up a member of the technical team.

“Exactly, Richard. If one of the drivers looks like our admittedly inexperienced ducks, and more importantly drives like one…” Aaltonen adjusted his glasses.

QUALIFYING SIM 2

1 Kingston Walcott (DEL)	1:10.309
2 Ji So-Yeong (CMT)		1:10.373
3 Olivia Stone (NIM)		1:10.453
4 Ricardo Schmidt (HUA)		1:10.455
5 Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir (MLK)	1:10.718
6 Cocoabo #23 (TRP)		1:10.743
7 Felix Schneider (MRT)		1:11.056
8 Bronwyn Sayers (MRT)		1:11.092
9 Aaron Deering (UAD)		1:11.147

“A good effort from Schmidt there, that last lap was impressive. Stone did well to beat him to the punch with just a few seconds to go. Indicative of a future qualifying performance, perhaps.” Aaltonen gestured at Stone’s timing on the screen to Annikki.

“Deering is still falling off a bit, though. What was that you said about ducks?” asked Sivaleinen.

“It’s not like something’s wrong with the car. He’s nearly a second off the pace, but the pack is a lot closer this time.”

QUALIFYING SIM 3

1 Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir (MLK)	1:10.100
2 Olivia Stone (NIM)		1:10.298
3 Kingston Walcott (DEL)	1:10.482
4 Cocoabo #23 (TRP)		1:10.752
5 Ji So-Yeong (CMT)		1:11.030
6 Ricardo Schmidt (HUA)		1:11.550
7 Aaron Deering (UAD)		1:11.727
8 Bronwyn Sayers (MRT)		1:12.860
9 Felix Schneider (MRT)		1:13.102

“Náttmörðsdóttir with the fastest lap of the day so far, there.” mentioned Aaltonen. “Stone and Walcott keeping very close behind. #23 has been a consistent midfield threat. Ji So-Yeong didn’t start strong but has consistently improved over the day so far.”

QUALIFYING SIM 4

1 Kingston Walcott (DEL)	1:10.339
2 Ji So-Yeong (CMT)		1:10.411
3 Ricardo Schmidt (HUA)		1:10.451
4 Olivia Stone (NIM)		1:10.668
5 Cocoabo #23 (TRP)		1:11.021
6 Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir (MLK)	1:11.765
7 Aaron Deering (UAD)		1:11.897
8 Felix Schneider (MRT)		1:12.051
9 Bronwyn Sayers (MRT)		1:13.173

“Walcott really seems to be getting on well with the car. Stone is slipping - fatigue, perhaps? It’s not by much, though, she’s still outperforming half the drivers here today. I’m concerned about Deering, however. Perhaps I had overwrought thoughts about his potential with the team.”

Each of the four practice runs was ranked via a points system, in which a driver scored 10 points for getting the fastest lap of the session, with 2nd - 9th place scoring 8 points - 1 point respectively.

At the end of the four practice sessions, the points table was the following:

Kingston Walcott	82
Olivia Stone		80
Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir	75
Ji So-Yeong		73
Ricardo Schmidt		70
Cocoabo #23		68
Aaron Deering		57
Felix Schneider		57
Bronwyn Sayers		48

Entrants then each took to stock WGPC3 cars owned by the team, formerly used by Lekueder Country Racing, and each had two 90 minute free practice rounds. The driver’s fastest recorded time in each session is below:

PRACTICE RUN 1

1 Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir (MLK)	1:33.698
2 Olivia Stone (NIM)		1:33.703
3 Kingston Walcott (DEL)	1:33.812
4 Ji So-Yeong (CMT)		1:33.936
5 Felix Schneider (MRT)		1:33.973
6 Aaron Deering (UAD)		1:34.108
7 Cocoabo #23 (TRP)		1:34.216
8 Ricardo Schmidt (HUA)		1:34.325
9 Bronwyn Sayers (MRT)		1:35.174

PRACTICE RUN 2

1 Olivia Stone (NIM)		1:33.577
2 Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir (MLK)	1:33.630
3 Ji So-Yeong (CMT)		1:33.707
4 Cocoabo #23 (TRP)		1:33.767
5 Kingston Walcott (DEL)	1:33.837
6 Felix Schneider (MRT)		1:34.090
7 Ricardo Schmidt (HUA)		1:34.565
8 Aaron Deering (UAD)		1:34.799
9 Bronwyn Sayers (MRT)		1:35.378

After these two practices, the results of the second practice were used to seed the grid for a 25 lap race around the circuit.

RACE

1 Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir (MLK)	41:25.081
2 Aaron Deering (UAD)		41:45.099
3 Ji So-Yeong (CMT)		41:51.220
4 Kingston Walcott (DEL)	41:55.271
5 Olivia Stone (NIM)		41:57.378
6 Ricardo Schmidt (HUA)		41:59.391
7 Felix Schneider (MRT)		42:01.219
8 Cocoabo #23 (TRP)		42:06.818
9 Bronwyn Sayers (MRT)		42:28.139

After stepping away and analysing the data, Vitaliy was back in the stuffy boardroom with the team executives, and Annikki.

“Okay, let’s discuss everyone in, just to be cheerful, race result order.” said Annikki.

Vitaliy clicked through some data on his laptop. “From the top, then - Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir. Felt very much at home in the slower cars, but went around a bit like a yo-yo in the WGPC qualifying sessions. Seems that when she’s good, she’s good, but perhaps lacks the confidence to deliver week in week out. A strong option, though.”

“Aaron Deering has surprised me here. His race pace was good, it’s almost as if every lap in that race was a qualifying lap for him. He did well to move up the field. I am disappointed by his pace in our car, though, and I think that that is something we can’t ignore. My recommendation is to not pursue further.”

“Ji So-Yeong was a bit of an odd one, but she showed good consistency. I think that can translate well onto the WGPC circuit with a bit of a helping hand. There’s clearly a willingness to work hard for success. A good option for a second driver, perhaps.”

“Kingston Walcott surpassed my personal expectations. I think with the good business relationship that Sivaleinen currently exhibits with his sponsors, as well as his good performance in our car, he would do well in a race seat.”

“Olivia Stone punched above her weight and was certainly a sleeper hit in my eyes. Her qualifying pace was good but she slid back a bit in the race situation. Under management by a good race engineer she’d get on with, I think the sky's the limit.”

“Ricardo Schmidt showed promise in our car, but didn’t really get on well with the WGPC 3 cars. Clearly used to having a lot more speed than he potentially knows what to do with. I can’t see him in a drive seat, but would be a key choice for a reserve and testing driver.”

“Schneider and Sayers, our ducks, are content with where they are, and have served their purpose. If any of them particularly amazed me I would have sprung to offer them a seat, but they did not, so we won’t.”

“Cocoabo #23 seemed to lack race pace today, but was consistent in the midfield when in our car. Judging on their historical performance, they’d likely get more out of a seat elsewhere.”

Sivaleinen offers a race seat to Kingston Walcott.
Sivaleinen offers a race seat to Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir, and retains an offer to Ji So-Yeong should the former decline.
Sivaleinen offers a reserve driver role to Ji So-Yeong and Ricardo Schmidt.
OOC: This was actually a harder choice to make than I thought. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to be represented here. I wanted to get this in before the pre-season test. This event and the events surrounding it will be expanded upon in future RPs.

[TJUN-ia]

INFORMATION
Lane Carter confirms his position as a racing driver for Race Eelandii VTGP.
Batu Tüvshinbayar signs the contract and will race for Scuderia Orange Cow this season.

---

It did feel nice to finally have those details sorted out in the end. Lane Carter returned to the Race Eelandii factory in Turori for the first time in a long time and even though they were a little concerned that the personal sponsors may cause a few issues with the VTGP brass, that didn't seem to be a factor at all in the matter of retaining the Galarian's services. At the end of the day, Carter was a Top 6 driver last season so it would've been foolish on their part to let a driver like that fly away - not that Lane was pushing for anything in the negotiations anyway. Sure, he knew that his position wasn't going to be challenged - but it still felt nice to be back and preparing for the first test of the year...which just so happened to be in Eelandii. There was a bit of stress within the team that their home track, a track they have done well at in the past, was only hosting a WGPC Test Event and not a full Grand Prix, but testing at this track will certainly help with familiarity and trying to adjust the car to conditions the entire team will be familiar with.

There was, however, one more thing that needs to be sorted out - his teammate. R.L. Cruisin, his 1st teammate in the team, won't be coming back as he's signed for Portland–Carvenlo in Liventia. His last teammate, the Sorlovian Gregory Kruipin, isn't taking part this season at all - which Lane figured due to him focusing more on being a father than anything else. Daryl Mizushima is also not here as Squidroidia has descended further into anarchy...with Lane accepting that the dreams of the past will have to be forgotten. So, in order to determine who will be the next driver to partner with the Galarian in Brown, Eelandii is actually hosting more than just the WGPC Test. iROS is one, but that's an All-Star thing that only Batu will be concerned about (who Lane will be hoping to see when everyone comes here soon). The other one is a Test run by VTGP themselves for any Free Agents who are attending the WGPC Event - which will certainly be used to determine who gets in the 2nd car. Considering the amount of turnover that has happened between now and last season, Lane didn't really know who the hell was going to show up - let alone get the seat. But what he did know was that no matter who this ended up being, human or otherwise, he will certainly welcome them with open arms.

---

Finally. It was done. Of course, Batu Tüvshinbayar knew that Scuderia Orange Cow was more than likely going to re-sign the WGP2 Champion...but press rumours did cloud that a bit and so, there was certainly a relief when the draft of his first WGPC contract was sent via email. It was nice to see Mike Lambert make the trek out to Shinebaishin to get the deal over the line - which was good, as a full report on what had been going on at SOC since the last time he was there (2 months after the WGP2 campaign had ended). The Facilities were certainly looking good and while Batu's new sponsorship with Steppe Zone Drinks did cause a conflict with local sponsor BCEL, it was looking like a deal between the two was going to be reached allowing things to be run amicably between the two - with an AO distribution deal potentially in the works. That gave Batu the full green light to sign on the dotted line and give Mr Lambert a good ol' hug...and then discussions got interesting.

You see, there were actual active discussions about replacing Jordan Crowe with someone else...which eventually led to a test session being held before this meeting took place. In the end, it was concluded that none of the four drivers present was "a cut above the rest" and so, Crowe will be back alongside Batu for the upcoming season. Batu was delighted that Jordan was coming back, as the two of them had actually become good friends during that WGP2 season, but then things got really interesting. Batu wanted to know who these 4 drivers were who attempted to get in...and one of them was Donny. The Donny Batu thought was UrGa through and through. He took part on the 2nd day but seemed 'distracted' during their running and so, wasn't able to make an impression. With that sorted, Lambert bid farewell and Batu started preparing himself for the move back to Baker Park...and from there, to Lane Carter's joint in Turori for the first WGPC Test of the season.

But that testing revelation... just confused him. Donny [i]wanted to be in Orange?[/i] Batu simply felt that we would move up with UrGa instead of trying to go somewhere else...but he figured that if SOC extended the invitation, then Donny must've thought there would be no harm in giving it a shot. Batu did feel that Donny would have better fortunes at UrGa than here in SOC, as the familial dynamic may not have worked considering everything the both of them have been through...but even then, things were confusing. Batu had long ago respected Donny's decision to not pursue a relationship right now, a decision that Batu was matching with great patience and acceptance for his good friend, but why was he 'distracted' whilst testing for Batu's team?

Did Batu do something wrong? Was it 'Who Sung It?' that was a step too far? Was it the calendar? Was it what he said to Donny in Ramba before the TMW 400?
Or was this something on Donny's side? Did he feel paranoid about being in Drummond Vale and potentially having to talk to Batu again? Was it something else that Batu wasn't even considering right now?

These were all questions that filled his head, even as the hype towards the 1st Test in Eelandii begins to ramp up. On the flight to Baker Park, his first trip back to the Commonwealth in a long time, one simple question filled his head - one that spoke of the dread and the confusion that clouded his mind.

Was Batu making Adonis...uncomfortable?

[Ethane]

"Consistency may be key", says Eminent director

Eminent racing is returning to the WGPC, and the team is hoping to make its mark with a strong performance.

However, the team has faced a stepback at the start of this season. The partnership between Bitten Heroes and Fireline Motorsports has changed significantly, with the Bitten Heroes project effectively ending. The team from Lisander is still involved in the organisation of the team and does still play a role but the role is more limited as the project has taken a stepback and released their main driver. This means that a lot of the personnel and infrastructure behind Eminent Racing has been transferred to Ethane ahead of the 20th season of WGPC.

This has meant that Eminent has seen a lot of change during the off-season which has affected the development of the car and research for the current project. The director, Callum Ascander, has asserted this disruption has not impacted the competitiveness of the car for this season, but that is something we will only find out during the upcoming pre-season testing. He is confident the team will be able to advance on their performance from WGPC 19 with their new developments though.

One thing for sure is that Eminent's project car mockup is very attractive. Eminent have stuck to their very distinctive purple colour scheme which pops on the racetrack. The rear wing, front wing and underfloor are toned down with a matte black; the tyre rims have a slightly lighter grey. The front wing of the car has a prominent red stylised Eminent logo - the classic stylised E design which debuted last year. This stylised logo is also seamlessly included on the side of the car in the middle of the full name of the team - Eminent - with the red E popping out from the name written in white. The stylised E is also used repetitively along the back end of the car in lighter shades of purple, adding accenting to the car. It's a strong look, but the question of course is how does it drive? All eyes turn to testing, happening within the next few weeks. The team is confident.

There are fears that all the change and disruption in the team and personnel could undermine the progress they could have made, and may lead to Eminent having a slower start to the season compared to their competition. A source from Eminent suggests they have contingency plans for this, and that they are prepared to be fighting in the top half of the championship table this season. It's a bold statement from a team that was very middling last season.

However, they may have one tactic up their sleeve to settle the disruption and set them up well for the season: consistency. If the rumours are true then while the team is seeing a lot of change off the racetrack, the team may appear to be very similar on the racetrack. Rumours have emerged that Eminent Racing are courting their two drivers from last season, hoping to take their contract options to keep them here for another year. This is more complicated with Bitten Heroes breaking off their own contract with Anneliese Devereux coming into the new season. However, there are options that see both drivers staying on for another season.

Adding to this speculation is director Callum Ascander. In a short interview, we asked Callum about these rumours. Callum "categorically denied the rumours" which also suggesting "the team were in negotiations with a couple of potential drivers for the season ahead." Callum did assert that "consistency is extremely important in our team... even though we have seen a lot of disruption off the track, there are ways we can ensure consistency on the track." It would not be surprising if those two drivers are Anneliese Devereux and Zastępca Strażnika Adriana Krystal Desiree “Cudowny Manipulacja Światłem” Venus Kowalski Faith Stanisława Engelse I. Cherise Krystyna Zaborowska Sztormowska Pamela Alina Re. T. Lillian. However, it is also possible one of those drivers could be Sara Luna, who is also looking for a seat. All we know is they'll be hoping to sort their signings in time for the first test.

In other news around the start of the season, Eminent appears to have made their minds up on their tyre and engine suppliers. The team released the news they have signed a deal with Sidus to provide their engines, and for Phoenician-InMotion to supply the tyres.
________________________________________________________________________
Eminent Racing offer a contract to Adriana Ela Kowalski Lillian for WGPC 20.
Eminent Racing offer a contract to Anneliese Devereux for WGPC 20.

[Esmerel]

CHAPTER 2
“To Rival Dunsfold”

-

May 12

Brendan’s term at college had truly ended.

He’d submitted all his projects, gotten final grades, and received his bachelor’s. It all felt routine to him, even though it was the end of his college journey. He hadn’t really expected much out of it- he could have gone into even further education for a doctorate, or gone searching for a job- Esmerel was always hiring engineers, anyway. Bunch of 20-minutes-into-the-future type engineering.

But it was a little bit strange that he’d instead accepted a role as a Grand Prix racing driver. Of course he’d dabbled in the idea; he was a fan, he’d played racing simulators in his free time at home, and he’d gone as far as to help design a WGP3 chassis. And he had at least some qualifications met for the role; no team in their right mind would pick a complete nobody to drive a fancy tube with ~1,000 brake horsepower for upwards of 3 hours every weekend. But he didn’t expect it to lead to… this.

As Brendan went to the Cygnus facilities again for the day’s important events, he thought about the history he was becoming a part of. Esmerel was a young nation, but they had a rich history in domestic motorsports. All this time, though, their preferred type was somewhat disconnected from the rest- folk racing at short, local tracks in the small scale, and high-performance GT racing at the nation’s many street and permanent tracks in the large scale. There weren’t really any clear opportunities to break into the Versal racing scene, primarily dominated by stock cars and formula cars.

You had to be brave to make your name known- and most Esmerelians didn’t want to risk that. But some did. And now, Brendan was about to.

He didn’t let it sink in. He just went with it.

Brendan went to the main hangar building once again, where he found Dr. Emerson standing in front of two Cygnus C101s. One belonged to Brendan (for racing purposes, anyways), with the number 71 and the trigram FAE. (FAL was in use by another prominent WGPC driver, Dom Falepeau.)

The other was painted in a slightly different livery. It had a yellow stripe on top of the airbox, and its number and trigram were in fluorescent yellow; these were done to make it easier for fans to tell the cars apart. Brendan read the number 84 and the trigram ANG on the side of the shark fin.

“Good to see you again, Brendan,” Dr. Emerson said. “Today’s a big day- our first time running the cars as they’ll be at WGPC regulations. Tropicorp’s sent the engines and tires, so we just need to see how they do at the test track.” He paused. “We did get our affairs in order very quickly; there is both some merit and some potential for criticism in that, but what’s done is done. We move forward.”

“You’re the boss; it’s not that I had anything to say,” Brendan replied. “But I am glad that we’re all set. Is Lianna anywhere?”

“She’s running final checks on the telemetry and analyzing the test track to make sure we’re good to go,” Dr. Emerson answered. “However, there is someone else I’d like you to meet. Angela?”

A woman that Brendan assumed was somewhere in her 30s came forward. She had bright red hair and turquoise eyes, and was maybe 10-15 centimeters taller than Brendan. She looked forward with a smile, wearing a protective racing suit.

“This is our second driver,” Dr. Emerson said- as he then paused to take a deep breath and clear his throat. “Meet Angela Stella Trista Josephine Natalie Rv. E. Tps. ‘The Eternal Explorer’ Bethany Alyssa Valeska Payton Mikayla Gosling Josie Rowan Serenity Chelsea Lynette Hannah Tan Fang Ling, First Captain of the Valentine Z space program.

“…On the shorter side, her name is Angela Stella Tan Fang Ling, or just Angela. She has solid experience in outer space travel up to and including interstellar FTL travel, and knowledge in Valentian domestic racing and WGP2. I have every confidence that with enough experience, she’ll become a fantastic driver, and a solid anchor for you to base yourself on and hone your own skills,” Dr. Emerson finally finished.

Brendan was left stunned at the wave of information he had just been given, but it wasn’t as if he was complaining. He shook Angela’s hand in earnest, ready to work alongside her.

“Where did she get that many names?” Brendan wondered aloud.

“When you live in a shared world such as this,” Dr. Emerson noted, “you eventually learn that everything is a ‘thing’. It just depends on who and where you are as to how it manifests. There could be any number of reasons why more names are customary.”

“...Interesting timing for a doctor in engineering to start spouting those words, but if it floats your boat, I’ll ride in it,” Brendan said. “Now, can we get to why we came here?”

“Yes, gladly,” Dr. Emerson affirmed. He walked briefly over to a nearby table, where another race suit (complete with balaclava, gloves, and other technical equipment such as biosensors), Brendan’s size, laid. He picked it up, unfurling it for Brendan to see.

“You’ll want to go and get dressed, of course.”

-

A few minutes later, Brendan was out of the changing room, suited up. His suit matched the coloration of the car- black on the pants, gloves, and stomach, green on the sleeves and chest, and blue on the shoulders and collar. On it were several sponsor logos, mostly Esmerelian- alongside a Yeezie sponsor, as well as Tropicorp- showing off the brave few who were willing to take a chance on the plucky team. The colors signified the national identity of Esmerel, as seen on the flag- black for the deep earth, green for the surface and for nature, and blue for the sky.

As for Brendan’s helmet, he hadn’t yet chosen a design, so it was plain black. Hopefully, he’d find something that worked to both satisfy him and not clash with the rest of the colors he wore.

Brendan walked up to his car, where a technician opened the closed, reinforced polycarbonate windshield. He carefully stepped one foot, then the other, into the cockpit, sliding his legs forward and his upper body down. He worked to put on his multi-point seatbelt and HANS device, with the technician making sure everything was absolutely safe in the worst case scenario.

As all of this happened, he started to let things sink in more and more. It was actually happening. He was being strapped into a race car, mere minutes away from taking it to the track. Mere minutes away from receiving the torch that had been burning tepidly for so long.

Maybe he’d even reignite it. But not quite yet.

The headrest was put in place, and Brendan put on his helmet, attaching it properly as well. Last came the steering wheel, with its countless buttons.

“Radio check, this is Dr. Emerson, radio check, can you both hear me?” Brendan heard in his earpiece.

“Copy,” Brendan said. In his other ear he heard Angela reply the same; the team’s radios were connected in multiple configurations to allow driver-to-driver comms alongside engineer comms. At the moment, Dr. Emerson was the engineer, but the team would have actual (race) engineers soon enough.

Next, Brendan heard Lianna in his ear. ”Engines have been installed into the car without much issue,” she said. ”We’ve run diagnostics, pre-drive checks, and component optimizations; there is also a full tank of fuel in each car. Let’s begin with the startup instructions. Push the large red ‘INIT’ button on the bottom right of the wheel to activate the MFD, then move the four green switches next to where your thumbs should be to the ‘1’ position as indicated on the MFD. Then, finalize with the ‘INIT’ button a second time to start the engine.”

Brendan listened with intent, then followed each instruction. Okay, red INIT for first start, then green switches to position 1… and INIT to start!

Just behind Brendan, the twin-turbo Tropicorp V8 roared awake. He heard Angela’s engine turn on as well.

”Pull either lever by your hands backward to close the cockpit, please, then give the throttle a small kick,” Lianna instructed.

Brendan noticed the two levers mentioned easily in reach of his hands- redundancy in this situation seemed like a solid idea. He pulled on his left side, which also moved the right side lever without difficulty. The polycarbonate window closed down on Brendan, sealing tight.

While he waited, he took a peek at the steering wheel, which crammed all the data he needed onto its MFD. Beyond that, though, the wheel was a bit simpler- four green switches, labeled “ENGINE”, “TURBO”, “CAPACITOR”, and “FUEL FLOW”, flappy paddle gears, a pit request button on the left and a MFD toggle on the right, useful for viewing certain diagnostics, a drink button, a fan button, and two shoulder buttons labeled “DRS” and “DEPLOY”.

Brendan pushed the accelerator pedal beneath his foot just a bit, and heard the RPM rise; he then let go to avoid deafening the technicians around him.

”Ventilation checks are green,” Lianna reported. The hangar doors to the test track opened up in front of the two cars.

”Okay, Brendan, Angela, put it in gear and roll the cars to the designated starting area; let’s do some test runs,” Dr. Emerson directed.

-



-

Brendan and Angela both drove their cars to a strip of tarmac not far from the hangar, where several technicians stood to attend to each car.

In front of them stretched a test track- the Midwood Proving Grounds, which had been built by Cygnus for their WGPC program but also served as a general test track for anyone who wanted to test a car here- such as important car companies or popular media series. Every left and right turn was designed to be unique and test the car in several ways- the same could be said of the straights.

When the track was finished, its designers were so proud, they considered it “a work of art to rival the likes of Dunsfold”. A bold claim? Absolutely. True? That was to be seen, but so far the track was good, whether or not it was that good.

”The test will consist of 10 runs, each a single lap in length,” Dr. Emerson began, explaining the parameters of the test. ”You will start at the first line; timing will begin according to the five start lights, as it will in a race. Jump starts will be retried. Turn in at turn 1 and complete a normal circuit of the track. Afterwards, continue straight past Turn 1 and down the drag strip, stopping after the second line in the designated box. Time will end when the car is at a complete stop. Brendan, you’ll go first, then Angela will go, and we’ll alternate until all runs are complete. We will change tires after run 5.”

A pause followed, and Brendan thought to say “Copy”.

”Yes, thank you, Brendan,” Dr. Emerson replied. ”The results of the runs will be revealed after all of them are complete. As this is our first time running the car, we don’t expect ultra-competitive times; both of you will also need time to settle in. Regardless, go ahead and switch all settings to full and run the fastest times you can. Your shoulder buttons will help- the left side activates drag reduction, the right side is a full deploy mode for the capacitor, regardless of the green switch settings. Let’s go for the first run and see what we can do. Brendan, you’re up.”

Brendan drove his car to the first line, switching all his settings to full. He signaled to the nearby technicians that he was ready to start, parking the car and engaging the clutch.

In front of him, a row of five red lights, like at full race circuits, came on one by one. This was it. The very start of his racing career.

And Brendan Faloe was ecstatic.

The lights went out. The first run had begun.

-



-

Brendan looked at the times as he sat down in the cooldown room. Angela had been faster- consistently so. Six out of ten runs; her best lap was four tenths faster, and her average over the test was over a second faster.

Still, Brendan felt fine. It was his first run in a real formula car, and the C101 was perfect to control. Every corner, the car felt like it just stuck down, and yet it was simultaneously on the edge of losing control- a scintillating feeling. And getting on the power, especially out of slow corners, was phenomenal- at full power the car could reach 250 km/h in mere seconds. Way faster than his personal car- and that still did almost 200 km/h on the highways.

Lianna came into the room.

“That was some nice driving from both of you,” she said to Brendan and Angela, who cooled down nearby. “We’ll analyze the telemetry to see what weaknesses, if any, there were- if we need to adjust anything, where you gained and lost time compared to each other, if the cars had any mechanical issues, et cetera. Go ahead and relax for now, you’ll need it. We’ll be heading to Eelandii over the weekend, and setting up the rest of our travel supplies. The season’s coming quickly; I know you’ll be ready, though.”

Lianna was right- the season, which had only been organized a few weeks ago, was about to start. The first test sessions in Eelandii were on Monday, and the second sessions in Mertagne were two days following.

Nothing was going to be quite the same as Brendan’s old life, or his expectations for what would follow. But it all looked great. Whether or not Cygnus would have to climb a steep hill to reach the top of the World Grand Prix Championship wasn’t clear, if it ever would be.

But it was all but certain that they had a chance.

__________

The Mercer-Daly Debacle, Continued

It was a blip in time.

Max sat in his First City hotel room, thinking carefully about what he- and the rest of the Wardship- had uncovered.

Life had just… happened. Moved on to the point of somehow settling down, in a world where nothing was ever supposed to. To that point, seemingly the entire Wardship had drifted into a state of monotony for seemingly the last few years. Everything that happened was clearly remembered, and yet nobody remembered doing those things.

The question that came to mind was thus: did the same happen to others? To Max, and possibly importantly, to Jean? Were the last few years just a complete write-off? Some fleeting moments in time worthy of success completely surrounded by an endless abyss of anything but?

Max thought to text Jean about the discovery, thinking that it might help explain Jean’s… “tiredness”. But he decided against it. It’s not that he didn’t want to, but it wasn’t critical. Jean probably wouldn’t change his mind about anything anyhow. Not that he could- it was all but confirmed Janne would take the second race seat.

Time was beginning to pass once more. The preseason tests were close approaching, and all was settling into place, ready to start turning like the gears in a clock.

Jean Mercer-Daly was going to be a gear outside that clock- there wouldn’t be any official test drivers this season. Unofficial ones were on the table, however- a perfect opportunity for things to be continued, in a sense.

As for something that Max could continue, he had it in mind. Janne Laukkanen would need a race engineer, after all. And Max would stay with the team, and with Jean- he was one of few people Jean could confide in at this point.

Soon enough- hopefully not too late- it would come together. Max would speak with Gertrude and the others at Nexus without prompting, if he had to go that far.

Whatever everyone needed to move forward at last.

[Aboveland]

See bottom for decision summary

---

Tropicorp Racing Ælund Comprehensive Testing Facility - Tropicorp
Tropicoast, Tropicorp

The ten drivers attending the Invitational — with Benjium's Jonalu Marcelo and Vangaziland's Jenna Vandersen not confirming their attendance — orderly made their way from the CTF's conference room to the paddock of the circuit via the bridge over the start/finish line. where a roster of nine Tropicorp Racing Ælund cars — a mix of AGPs 002, 003, and 004 — and one season 20 spec AGP005, for test driver Vialiv, waited patiently for them. Edvin had given a brief welcome speech to the roster of invitees alongside Terho Talvela, Colourworks Sporting Director; the relaxed latter took the reins of the talk early into the meeting, to save Edvin's stage fright from ever kicking in. Back in his office, organizing the dossiers the team's Abovian interns had written up, the team principal waited patiently for the former champion to finish his short induction to the drivers, as he offered setup tips and a quick guide on how to get to grips with the car's dynamics during the programmed practice laps before the first of the timed sessions of the day began.

As soon as Terho arrived in the office, just before the start of the timed laps, a mere moment passed before Edvin's tablet twinkled into life with a chirp, his face lit up by the bright theme on his email app as the skies outside closed in.

"Alright?" Terho said, his tone rising with one of his eyebrows. "What was that?"

"Nosy," replied Edvin, trying to be cheeky but with a similarly confused look on his face, not parting his eyes from the screen. He curled his lips, his face falling into pensive worry. "Hmm."

Terho paced towards the desk, his steps impatient, his hands jerking open. "Well then! Spit it out!" Slowly, Edvin raised his head towards the standing man, and breathed through his teeth. "It's Olivia Stone."

In three phases, Terho's jaw fell open, his eyes widened, and his hand struck his mouth. "Fuck!" he gasped. "I completely forgot!" The two exchanged complicit looks, both revealing their guilt at their oversight. "Well, shame," he shrugged, after a pause. "It's too late now. We have a wealth of drivers here today; would be a disservice to sign an outsider after all this mess."

Edvin nodded back, his eyes still glued to the screen, as he tapped on the reply button to key out a response. "Agreed. Bye-bye Olivia Stone."

Pulling up a chair, Terho crashed down onto his seat opposite Edvin. "So tell me who you're keeping tabs on," he said, hands intertwined and resting on a stack of papers. "Let's see if our picks match." A bead of sweat collected on his left temple, and his fingers trembled slightly.

Session 1: Layout A

Conditions: 		 Dry
Lap Record: 		 00:01:07.420
Session Length:    180 minutes
Nation:    		 TRP
Circuit:   		 CTF-Tropicorp Layout A

Drivers have 180 minutes to complete as many laps of the track as they like

POS # ▍DRIVER                      		 FASTEST LAP    GAP TO LEADER
 1  4 ▍Maximilano Asphari          		 00:01:19.516    00:00:00.000
 2  0 ▍Skiia Vialiv                		 00:01:19.521    00:00:00.005
 3  9 ▍Dario Nülkeschlager         		 00:01:19.534    00:00:00.018
 4  6 ▍Lillý Náttmorsdóttir        		 00:01:19.549    00:00:00.033
 5  5 ▍Sandro Perez                		 00:01:19.568    00:00:00.051
 6  1 ▍Ji So-Yeong                 		 00:01:19.596    00:00:00.079
 7  8 ▍Julita Lérida               		 00:01:19.630    00:00:00.114
 8  2 ▍Aaron Deering               		 00:01:19.683    00:00:00.167
 9  7 ▍Alejandro Rusagara          		 00:01:19.778    00:00:00.261
10  3 ▍Kinu Luminna                		 00:01:19.784    00:00:00.267

Edvin hummed at the timing sheets Terho has sprawled over his desk, smiling. "That's a surprise!"

"Very close results," added Terho. "I wasn't expecting Asphari to top Skiia."

"Absolutely." The team principal brought his hand to his chin and scratched at his stubble. "Dario... extremely versatile guy. He won Rally Hodori, remember?"

Terho nodded. "Náttmorsdóttir: she's said she feels we're out of her league, but she's been solid. Shame for Luminna and Deering, however; at least the Adaikean has a solid offer on the table."

While Edvin typed the results into his tablet, a low-frequency grumble filled the empty, echo-prone new office. "I'm starving," he moaned. "Should we head down fo―"

Cutting him off ― a grimacing, guilty Terho standing stiffly before his desk ― was an incoming call chime that filled his tablet screen.

Incoming video call: SARA LUNA

"What the fuck?" blasted Edvin, his face morphing beyond confusion, his neck snapping upwards to face the sporting director. "Surprise!" he exclaimed, waving his hands excitedly in contrast to the dread running down his spine.

"I told you she was out!" Edvin groaned, the call chime increasing in volume, and the tablet's haptic engine kicking into action. The glass of water on his table trembled with each ring. "What the fuck did you do?"

Terho leaned over the desk, the ringtone by now blasting into their eardrums. "SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO TALK," he screamed. "MAYBE WE SHOULD GIVE HER ANOTH―"

Edvin's hands flail in desperation, his voice straining to drown out the tablet's speakers. "IF I DIDN'T INVITE HER TO THE FUCKING TEST, THEN I DIDN'T WANT HER AT A―"

bloop

"Good afternoon, Terho and Edvin."

The two men jumped at the sound of their former second driver's voice, the call accidentally answered with a glancing blow from Edvin's outstretched hands. Receiving the well prepared and tidy Luna, the two Abovians' heads looked down on the screen, their hair draping over each other's faces. Quickly, Terho scrambled to the opposite side of the desk, dragging the chair he had sat in earlier over to the other side to sit politely before the camera. "Hello Sara!" replied the former champion. "We've been waiting for you."

Edvin kicked him under the desk, prompting a side-eye glare, as the two of them sat up and cracked their backs for the ensuing call. Edvin, his face blotchy red, could do little to hide the cocktail of surprise and disbelief he withheld. The Diarcesian, her speech very skillfully orchestrated, made a compelling case for her continuation with the team. She cited her experience with the previous iteration of the car; her skillset honed across different teams of the WGPC ― and across disciplines; and convincingly sold her work ethic and commitment to her employers and their projects. From the corner of his eye, Edvin could see Terho's active listening skills respond sincerely to Luna's concerns. Within himself, he struggled to find the exact combination of expletives he would slash his dumbass friend with later, while not quite understanding the rationale behind Luna's set-up. She's telling us all of this as if we hadn't worked with her before...? he wondered.

Once her opening exposition had finished, Edvin heard Terho inhale to muster up a reply, and decided to jump the gun before he conceded another out-of-pocket and unconsulted lifeline to the Diarcesian.

"Sara, thank you for your time," Edvin began, choking Terho on his own saliva. "Unfortunately, I can confirm that―"

"―we haven't yet reached a decision," interjected Terho, still coughing from his aborted inhalation. "If you'll excuse us, we'd like to discuss some things first." He jabbed loosely at the screen to turn the cameras and microphone off, before turning to Edvin to present his own case for the Diarcesian. Though the cameras had effectively been shut off, the microphone had not; and for all of Edvin's rejections against the Diarcesian, there were pleas for consideration from Terho — all audible, inadvertently, to the erstwhile second driver. Suddenly, a flash of lighting outside twinkled the lights in the office, and briefly disconnected the wifi the tablet was connected to.

But the bridges, surely, had been burnt.

Session 2: Layout C

Conditions: 		 Rainy
Lap Record: 		 00:01:11.900
Session Length:    180 minutes
Nation:    		 TRP
Circuit:   		 CTF-Tropicorp Layout C

Drivers have 180 minutes to complete as many laps of the track as they like

POS # ▍DRIVER                      		 FASTEST LAP    GAP TO LEADER
 1  8 ▍Julita Lérida               		 00:01:29.450    00:00:00.000
 2  0 ▍Skiia Vialiv                		 00:01:29.458    00:00:00.007
 3  4 ▍Maximilano Asphari          		 00:01:29.465    00:00:00.015
 4  1 ▍Ji So-Yeong                 		 00:01:29.487    00:00:00.037
 5  5 ▍Sandro Perez                		 00:01:29.495    00:00:00.045
 6  3 ▍Kinu Luminna                		 00:01:29.506    00:00:00.056
 7  7 ▍Alejandro Rusagara          		 00:01:29.542    00:00:00.092
 8  2 ▍Aaron Deering               		 00:01:29.548    00:00:00.098
 9  9 ▍Dario Nülkeschlager         		 00:01:29.572    00:00:00.122
10  6 ▍Lillý Náttmorsdóttir        		 00:01:29.588    00:00:00.138

By the end of the second session, the tension had risen between Edvin and Terho as the latter presented the new set of results. "I'm sorry, okay," moaned the sporting director. "I thought she deser—"

"Shut the fuck up," Edvin snapped, clawing at the timing sheet to tap them violently into his spreadsheet in silence. Terho sighed.

"Now that we have Luna —" the team principal raised his head towards Terho "— definitely discarded; another big surprise this session."

Terho nodded, his shoulders low. "Still close, despite the rain. But Asphari is killing it."

"Ji and Perez are consistent..." ruminated Edvin, tapping his fingernails on the surface of his desk. "Not so much Dario and Náttmorsdóttir, or.... Rusagara. I think this is going to be a tough decision. Let's wait for the final session."

Session 3: Layout D

Conditions: 		 Dry
Lap Record: 		 00:01:00.120
Session Length:    180 minutes
Nation:    		 TRP
Circuit:   		 CTF-Tropicorp Layout D

Drivers have 180 minutes to complete as many laps of the track as they like

POS # ▍DRIVER                      		 FASTEST LAP    GAP TO LEADER
 1  2 ▍Aaron Deering               		 00:01:05.043    00:00:00.000
 2  1 ▍Ji So-Yeong                 		 00:01:05.050    00:00:00.006
 3  0 ▍Skiia Vialiv                		 00:01:05.055    00:00:00.012
 4  5 ▍Sandro Perez                		 00:01:05.061    00:00:00.018
 5  4 ▍Maximilano Asphari          		 00:01:05.064    00:00:00.021
 6  9 ▍Dario Nülkeschlager         		 00:01:05.065    00:00:00.022
 7  3 ▍Kinu Luminna                		 00:01:05.099    00:00:00.056
 8  8 ▍Julita Lérida               		 00:01:05.213    00:00:00.169
 9  6 ▍Lillý Náttmorsdóttir        		 00:01:05.363    00:00:00.319
10  7 ▍Alejandro Rusagara          		 00:01:05.423    00:00:00.379

As the final session came to a close, and the drivers below headed to the conference room to stock up on the remaining coffee and foodstuffs left over from the day's various snack breaks, the time for a decision loomed. Edvin's religious data-mining had not sprung up a result any more sophisticated than the sum of each drivers' times across all three of the day's sessions. The verdict was clear: half of the field were a class above the rest. Deering and Lérida, both a tenth plus behind Nülkeschlager, edged Luminna by another tenth between them, with Náttmorsdóttir and Rusegara languishing a further tenth, and four tenths, further back respectively.

Among the most fortuitous of the field, reaching a decision would prove extremely difficult. Vialiv, the only driver with previous experience in the car — and responsible for direct development work — topped the timing sheets, but it was Athearan unkown Maximilliano Asphari who inched the closest: himself a tenth over Perez and Ji So-Yeong, with Nülkeschlager a further 4 hundredths behind overall.

Ultimately, the decision would come down to the team's needs out of a driver. iBen himself was a solidly reliable number one, and defending world champion: perhaps a solid, points-scoring driver was not precisely what they needed; perhaps, a flat-out, kinda, brainless, very messy, and blisteringly quick driver would fit the bill.

Nülkeschlager had certainly shown his ability in seasons prior, netting a surprise podium in a WGPC Motorworks car and even clinching a win in an entirely different category, in a car spawned from a wad of gum and some sticky spit. Maybe it spoke of a lack of direction, as much as it promised that, when the glimpse of brilliance came, it was almost as good as his dashing hair.

Perez... The Delaclav had the butterflies raging suggestively in everyone's stomach and below the waist, but little did Terho or Edvin expect him to excel. Borne of a nation with little motorsport pedigree — street racing was his claim to fame — he would certainly be the absolute leftest-field pick for the Abovian team, but something about his attitude, his mettle, his pecs…

And speaking of nations with little pedigree: Asphari! The Athearan certainly had more high-profile experience than the Sonnelian, and would climb over him in the rankings on that fact alone… but his domestic career, even in a nation of sparsely recognized talent, hadn’t been extremely stellar either. As it seemed, Asphari had achieved 19 podiums and a single win in a backmarker team — but if he had such a wealth of talent behind him, how come he was never picked up by a stronger outfit throughout his career? Perhaps it had been funding woes...

And how, for that matter, had Ji So-Yeong not shown up earlier?

The Chromatik had been fourth among the runners in the test, in the bottom half of the final four shortlist, albeit a hundredth behind Perez overall. On paper, as the dossier-making interns had realized, she was the worst fit among the drivers present at the test to fill the second seat: reliable and technically superior, but lacking in raw grit on the track. But it was something about Ji: the scar across her cheek; the paralyzing gaze in her pupils, connected straight to her soul; the way she carried herself in the paddock, more worthy of a seasoned veteran than a fresh-faced rookie. Even more, if the story of compatriot Anola Melani was anything to go by, success in Chromatik domestic racing could prove a sign of something on the brink of brilliance.

Edvin and Terho exchanged glances before the former, hovering his finger over the send button, pulled the trigger.

“Are we sure she’s the one?” the sporting director asked.

Edvin shook his head negatively. “But if she turns out a jackpot, I don’t want her anywhere else.”

Tropicorp-Colourworks offers their second seat to Ji So-Yeong, extending the offer to Dario Nülkeschlager should the Chromatik decline.

[United Adaikes]

Two hours after the Sivaleinen test...

"I told you you should've taken that much-needed sleep before arriving here in Mertagne," Jamie returned to the car that drove them to Plitterland from their hotel, "but all you did was play that basketball video game."

"You know that their setup does not match with me well, Jamie," an exhausted Deering strolled towards their car.

"You had six attempts to get accustomed to the car and the track," Jamie slammed the compartment door after placing Deering's stroller travel bag in the compartment of the car.

"And you saw that I placed high when it mattered," Aaron entered the car, sighed, and shut his eyes.

"And that should not happen this coming season, Aaron. You're becoming unprofessional," Jamie replied, entered the car, and spoke to the driver, "Back to the hotel, please, thank you."

Aaron held Jamie's hand and spoke softly after a few minutes of silence, "And you think I was not trying to do what I could to get what I wanted today?" Jamie replied with a sigh.

---

At the hotel after the Colourworks trials...

"So tell me all about it," Logan asked after Jamie accepted his call.

"Scuderia's the only setup that matched well with Aaron," Jamie started. "While Aaron struggled to get the feeling of the cars and tracks in Mertagne and here, he showed when it mattered."

"But you and I know we don't want to put everything in hoping it all goes well in the end," Logan countered.

"He knows it, too, Logan," Jamie just sighed.

"So you think he's quite adjusted to the Viska setup?" Logan asked.

"Of course," Jamie replied, "the 3-hour practices will be enough to get a scan and feel for the track, and we expect him to do better in Qualifying and the actual Race. At least, studying the track is what's left for him to study."

"Then I guess we accept Viska's offer to drive for them, this time in WGPC," Logan told Jamie, who gasped, exhilarated.

"I'll tell him when he wakes up, later or tomorrow morning," Jamie responded, "but I guess he'll learn it first from the news. He seldom looks at our messages first during his wake-up routine."

"Yeah, make sure you fly to Auruna after your lunch tomorrow," Logan suggested, "I'mma tell Jöna now. He'll be happy."

"Aaron will be, too," Jamie reassured.

---

In summary:
Aaron Deering accepts the offer to drive for Viska Racing.

[Diarcesia]

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

A Lull in the Samsara Sea: or, The Returning of Samantha Blaatschapen and Sara Luna

"Just as the river of existence and extinguishment flows, the quest for wisdom weaves through the tapestry of knowledge. Like the ever-turning wheel, the seeker explores the realms of understanding, for true enlightenment emerges from the eternal pursuit of insight and reflection."
- Barathean Proverb

Pryfors Bilar Headquarters
Pryfurium, Dieresis of Chiyginia
Diarcesia

The entirety of the Grand Prix Auto Pryfors Bilar team exercised their patience with bated breath. The result of Sam Blaatschapen's decision was imminent. It would be one step forward in the team's preparations for Season 20, or a blow to their morale and productivity. Aldauren Ginintella, as Team Principal, maintained open lines of communication with Sam through Gideon Scrivenor, ensuring that her questions or additional clarifications can be answered promptly.

As days passed, the anticipation built up, but Aldauren remained patient and optimistic on the potential professional reconciliation with Sam. The team continued its preperations for the upcoming season in general and the first test day in particular. Laura Haukanna was briefed on what was changed between the PF-1C and the PF-2, PB's current challenger. Their offer to Cocoabo #23 was at the ready should Sam decide not to join.

Gideon, back in the team's headquarters, received a message from Sam. She requested another day before she can make up her mind. Aldauren understood that this was not an unusual development; it was common for people to take their time they could reconcile with others or themselves. He told Gideon that he could give Samantha until Wednesday and no longer; if there would be no decision made by then, then they will have to move on without her.

Finally, Tuesday came.

There were knocks on the door to Aldauren's office.

"Who is it?" Aldauren asked.

"It's Gideon. May I come in?" Gideon responded, standing outside the door.

Aldauren went to the door and opened it, "Yes, of course." There was one more person who accompanied Gideon on his side.

"Welcome back, Sam."

"Let's get it over with. Are we gonna sign the contract here?" As in the contract that Sam Blaatschapen will graduate from Pryfors Bilar's academy program and will become Laura's WGPC teammate.

Sara Luna's Residence
Chiyginia City, Dieresis of Chiyginia
Diarcesia

An hour or so's hypertrain ride away from Pryfurium, Sara Luna had just finished the call with Tropicorp, who formally rejected her bid to join their team.

She was disappointed that she didn't manage to convince them of her merit and value as a driver for next season.

"Sara, thank you for your time," Edvin began, choking Terho on his own saliva. "Unfortunately, I can confirm that―"

"―we haven't yet reached a decision," interjected Terho, still coughing from his aborted inhalation. "If you'll excuse us, we'd like to discuss some things first." He jabbed loosely at the screen to turn the cameras and microphone off, before turning to Edvin to present his own case for the Diarcesian. Though the cameras had effectively been shut off, the microphone had not; and for all of Edvin's rejections against the Diarcesian, there were pleas for consideration from Terho — all audible, inadvertently, to the erstwhile second driver. Suddenly, a flash of lighting outside twinkled the lights in the office, and briefly disconnected the wifi the tablet was connected to.

Here endeth Sara's prospects of a future with Tropicorp-Colourworks. What a clown show, as its new name might suggest.

In her home office, she stared at the tablet that had a prominent "CALL ENDED" text displayed. First, the blank and serious expression in her face, then her mouth curled. Then she chuckled. And then, a laugh.

In fact, the most maniacal laugh she had in a long time.

HAHAHAHA! All of this effort, down the drain! But it was SOOO fun! I've never felt this relieved in my life! she thought. At the end of it all, she found this... debacle, very liberating. She wasn't conscious of it, but the receptiveness of the three-time world champion in Terho Talvela made sure that the takeaways weren't completely negative.

The call with Terho and Edvin marked the beginning of a new chapter for Sara Luna. Her return to the WGPC was by no means guaranteed, but she confirmed her place in Viska's garage. The possibility of being the lead driver for the Aurun outfit would be public knowledge.

Three teams in three seasons, it reinforced her image as a lone wolf racer. A mercenary, even. But she was no traitor. Her decision to stay on one-season-long contracts were to keep watch for better opportunities. She fancied herself a rational thinker with calculated precision, but risk-taking is also part of her repertoire. But, her decisions were not meant to be malicious or spiteful in any way. She always ensured that the departing from one outfit would be amicable, respectful of their work in developing her as a driver, and sympathetic towards their future undertakings. She bore no ill-will, even towards Edvin.

Her first WGPC season saw Sara racing under Volkov Racing's banner after famously passing an offer from Mattijana Racing Team (an ultimately fruitful move). However, after she was approached about joining Tropicorp Racing Ælund for WGPC 19, the prospect of being Terho Talvela's successor was observed to be too much for her as that season progressed. Oh, the humanity! That aside though: what stood out most from this new offer was that Viska already had established ties with the Diarcesian Pryfors Bilar team. That is, even if there was very little, an influence of the Diarcesian way of doing things permeated into the organization and vice versa.

For Sara, it was a welcoming change. Even with her age, she continued growing as a person, and so did her outlook on life. In the past season or two, she began to find interest in exploring other cultures and ways of life outside of Diarcesia. Not that she disliked the country: overwhelming familiarity in Diarcesia just wasn't for her at this moment! Maybe, that's why she couldn't bring herself to volunteer her services to Pryfors Bilar (their cars weren't there yet, anyway).

---

GPA Pryfors Bilar signs Sam Blaatschapen as their second driver
Sara Luna accepts Viska's offer

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Mike Lambert arrived in Shinebaishin feeling good about where things were heading with the team. He'd gotten word from Ed O'Malley about the crash and safety tests on the new chassis while en route to Mongolia, and when he landed, Paul Valentini had emailed him that all of the mechanics were on notice to come to the factory Sunday so that the cars could begin to be readied for testing.

Batu was in a buoyant mood and Mike took that as a good sign, but wanted to talk about everything else before they got down to the contract.
“So, we had four drivers in to test this week. We liked all of them, all of them performed well. But we're not going to bring in anyone. Jordan will be your teammate, if he approves of the changes to his contract terms. So we're going to build on what we know and what we have.”

He went through the most recent info he'd received on arriving and what he anticipated the upcoming schedule would look like.
Another item was Helena, Batu's closest confidante and protective 'big sister'; Lambert explained that she was going to give up being his Media Liaison on race weekends, but continue to handle his other affairs. He stressed that she was going to be involved in more areas of the overall team, responsibility she'd earned from her time with Batu.
“She already has your flat rented and both you and Jordan are going to get to drive the newest model series from CAC, the Antelope 'T' class, since we're going to have them on the cars as a sponsor.”

After a couple of hours of explaining all the news, gossip, and stories from around the facility, it was finally time to get down to the business at hand.
“So, you've read over what we've proposed. Jordan's terms are the same. A bigger cut of the image & licensing revenue from the main team sponsors, we're asking for just 2% of your personal sponsors tied to the team, and of course prominent space on your car and the two places on the nose that both of you will run. And BCEL has informed us that they've reached a distribution agreement with Steppe Zone Drinks, which I know is important to you. So, questions? Changes that you'd like made?”

Lambert's goal for the upcoming season was to get Batu a proper manager or agent to handle his business affairs; while he knew his champion wasn't naive, Mike really wanted him to have someone to give him good advice in matters like this.

Batu pronounced himself satisfied with the agreement as it was, and eagerly took the pen offered to him to sign on the 'X', followed by Lambert himself co-signing just below. The two men stood up and shook hands before engaging in an embrace.

“Can you be in Haskins Monday, we'll set it for 2pm. Hopefully JC will agree to terms and we can have a big presser. Otherwise it'll just be you.”
_______________________________________________________________________

Statement from the Commonwealth Motorsport Federation

We thank the WGPC for their consideration of Drummond Vale Race Circuit as a possible venue for the upcoming WGPC season; while we are disappointed that the Championship Course was not selected to host the top tier of open wheel racing this time, we look forward to hosting a second edition of the AO Grand Prix of the Commonwealth when that schedule is announced.

[Tumbra]

Principal Sponsors: EvEv.tmb | Metcalfe Systems | Hayward Breweries | Blackstone | Kaylan | Brústeinn Tyres
Additional Sponsors: Northern Gas | Sunwell Oil | EdgeMaster | Choo Acoustics | Gemstone Confections | Oleksandr's Finest | Centurii Foods

PRESSLEY RACING ENGINEERING is proud to present their challenger for the upcoming landmark 20th season of the World Grand Prix Championship, the PRE-023.

The car marks Pressley Racing Engineering's first attempt at the World Grand Prix Championship, and marks a new step in the long-term Pressley-Kaylan partnership that has been ongoing for the past two years. Kaylan will be providing its Taika-1 1.6 litre V6 engine to the team, and for the forseeable future as the team attempts to aim for an upper mid-table finish in its debut season of WGPC. CEO Charles Pressley was present at the launch where the car was unveiled, as was a host of other key staff members from the team. Presented below are a summary of their comments at the car launch.

CHARLES PRESSLEY, CEO OF PRESSLEY RACING: I'm very pleased to be at the car launch of our first ever WGPC challenger. Believe me — This is a big step forward for our team and for Tumbran motorsports in general, and I'm very happy that Pressley are ahead of the rest of the chasing pack when it comes to entering WGPC. I think the team's put in a lot of effort, and I look forward to being at every race this season to support the team's endeavours when it comes to challenging in this competition. Excited would be an understatement; our team has put in a ton of work to get the PRE-023 out the door for the first test in Turori, and we'll be looking to challenge right from the off.

JACK BROOK, TEAM PRINCIPAL: Our expectations for this season are relatively modest; I think we'll be happy if we challenge for the midfield. We've got a lot of work to do, but with a team that's committed to improving day-by-day, I believe we'll be able to make our expectations. We've got a great engine supply partner, two talented drivers, and an amazing chassis; we really hope that we'll be the dark horses of the season.

STEPHEN CHEUNG, DEPUTY TEAM PRINCIPAL: I'm glad to be able to be working with Pressley Racing's WGPC project as their Deputy Team Principal. I think that the car represents a great leap forward for Tumbran motorsports ambitions, and with the right amount of success, we should be able to reap the benefits of a successful campaign that could go to set up a dynasty in not just Tumbran, but international motorsports. We're all very excited to see the car out on track; and finally see the promising results that we've seen in our simulations.

KELLY PATEL, CHIEF DESIGNER: This year, the PRE-023 has interpreted the design regulations to include a substantial amount of ground effect. We're confident that this increased downforce will be able to make our car more aggressive when turning into corners, while allowing us to focus on the car's acceleration on the straights. The PRE-023, being our first effort at a WGPC challenger, will be by no means perfect; but we hope that it'll be a solid base for future campaigns as well as the foundation for something great. Regardless of the results, the PRE-023 will live long in our memories.

SOPHIE MCCREARY, FIRST DRIVER: I'm truly glad to be allowed to spearhead the Pressley Racing effort at WGPC. There's been a lot of preparation, and a lot of work to do; but I'm so very happy to finally be here with my team. I'm extremely excited to get down to grips with the PRE-023; and I believe that with me and Bryce at the wheel, we're going to do great.

BRYCE YANNEC, SECOND DRIVER: I'm very happy to have been approached by Pressley Racing to drive for them this season. I believe the environment here is extremely conducive to improving not just as a driver, but as a person. Everyone here is extremely determined to put their best foot forward for our effort, and throughout my very short time here, I've become confident that I'll be well-supported in my racing endeavours this season. This season marks my first season in WGPC; and I have high hopes that with Pressley, it'll be fruitful.

The livery unveiling was followed by a shakedown of the car, where two PRE-023 chassis were taken out for a live test by the two drivers around the Grantfeldt Motorstone Circuit. In total, McCreary completed 23 laps, while Yannec completed 29. With the team still being extremely new, it is expected that Pressley Racing will be on the look-out for a third driver with WGPC experience to help the team test the car during non-race weekends, with the position set to be offered to drivers who miss the WGPC 20 grid.

[Valentine Z]

Part 2 – Choices and Decisions.

1st Cpt. Angela Stella Trista Josephine Natalie Rv. E. Tps. “The Eternal Explorer” Bethany Alyssa Valeska Payton. Mikayla Gosling Josie Rowan Serenity Chelsea Lynette Hannah Tan Fang Ling was the first to be called upon for the internal testing, by the folks in Cygnus University. She has already shrunken herself down to the WGPC-compliant size – just enough so that she would not get safety violations for herself and more importantly on the team which has picked her as one of the very first choices, and even doing so without a preliminary trial run. At the same time, she did it just enough that she would still be towering a lot of the people around her, it's a tradition of Valentians. Angela walked into the facility, her usual outfit having been taken off and soon wearing the protective racing suit courtesy of the team itself. Thank goodness was her thought, because otherwise it might have been a little hilarious to see her getting mistaken for one of the staff, perhaps thanks to her wearing a lab coat of her own for the most parts. Still, her red hair, the turquoise eyes, and the aforementioned height are definitely the features that makes her stand out from the rest. Walking somewhat confidently but humbly and slowly towards one of the gentlemen – who introduced himself as Dr. Emerson, the one replying to her emails – Angela got quickly acquainted with the rest of the team. “… However, there is someone else I’d like you to meet. Angela?” Dr. Emerson answered to another gentleman, Brendan as he is called. Angela walked forward with a smile, then followed by offering to shake hands.

Her first impression was that, well, she felt extremely respected. Naturally, she knew that the other teams will also treat her well, but Cygnus University has been a lot more formal, and perhaps even more research-oriented. After all, they took the time to read about her somewhat of a biography, alongside her obvious CV that she has submitted in that email. Heck, he even took the time to pronounce her full name, along with her title of the First Captain of the Valentian Space Program (and of the primary Valentian Defense Forces known as The Sixty, if needed be). Dr. Emerson then went on right after mentioning her short name. Experience in outer space, interstellar FTL travel, and knowledge in Valentian domestic racing and WGP2. There was also, of course, her expertise in interdimensional traveling, between other worlds beyond her own, but she does not like to show off, and that the idea of a multiverse might be something to not talk about for the time being. As of right now, she got a meeting and some orientations to attend to, along with possibly a small simulation or a test, provided that they have enough time for themselves.

Brendan seemed a little eager to get straight to the point, to which Angela simply nodded and followed along as the two talked amongst each other, her listening intently, but not saying anything unless she has something to say; the Valentians have learned that if there is nothing much that they need to say, then they would rather keep it quiet and listen to someone, for they might learn something at the end of the day. "Let the silence do the talking with the others while they are talking as well; only when you need to, then you break the silence," as clichéd as it might be, is the way the Valentians go with. Brendan got dressed up in the racing outfit, while Angela simply waited a little bit more patiently, perhaps another time then she might strike a conversation with Dr. Emerson; she wanted this to be a bit more casual, but at the same time, seeing as how they only started to get to know one another, she would wait until they are maybe a few more races in. Informality, not rudeness, is the key, and Angela knew how to get about on doing this. Leaving those thoughts for a while, it was time for her and Brendan for a bit of testing.

Angela was no stranger to the procedure in climbing into the cat – getting into the seat first, then the headrest, helmet, and finally, the steering wheel. Nearly the same as the ones that she has seen before, but she was not going to be cocky about the whole thing and brush them off; that is not only a bad start with the team in terms of relationships, but it really does pay to know about the details of the car that she will be driving in, one that is different to that from WGP2 a few years back. Then came the radio check from Dr. Emerson, to which Brendan and Angela replied back with a solid copy. There were a series of instructions, as well as reassurance, from a lady that she later learned was Lianna, "Push the large red 'INIT' button on the bottom right of the wheel to activate the MFD, then move the four green switches next to where your thumbs should be to the ‘1’ position as indicated on the MFD. Then, finalize with the ‘INIT’ button a second time to start the engine.”" So far so good, no problems, she thought to herself, the engine roaring with life. Then there were a few more instructions such as to close the cockpit, to give the throttle a small kick, and so on. From what was said on the radio, everything was green, and so Angela, along with Brendan, rolled the cars to the designated starting area for test run on the place called Midwood Proving Grounds.

Dr. Emerson explained the rules this time, about the test consisting of 10 runs, each a single lap. The idea is to start from the testing start line, make one normal lap around the track, and finally stop at the designated box part Turn 1. Simple enough, she thought to herself. She was excited, perhaps even a little nervous, but for the most parts, her nerves calm and cool. "This should not be as bumpy as that spaceship test drive," she thought to herself, referring to that time where she tested out a nuclear bomb-propelled ship. It was terrifying as it sounded, and there was the problem with radiation fallout, so they used a smaller model consisting of conventional explosions. It would have been smooth had the ship been scaled up to its normal size, but on a smaller prototype, the turbulence was nigh-unbearable. Shaking off her thoughts and focusing on Dr. Emerson's words, she then replied back with a solid "Copy!" and then off they went. Angela gripped the steering wheel, her fingers all spread out evenly on the buttons and making sure they are comfortable, with her legs also in positions to break or accelerate accordingly. She went around the laps as she normally would do, without a thought of beating Brendan. To be honest, she did not really know who he was supposed to be – on whether or not he was a starting driver just like her from another place, or him being a recent graduate from this university, or that he was supposed to be a "ghost driver" of sorts, to make sure that Angela knew what it takes to be a driver. Those questions would be answered later, she thought, so for that moment, all she needed to do was do her best, and do her really best at that. After what felt like perhaps half an hour to her, the 10 laps are done, and the results were out. For her efforts, she was faster for six out of ten runs.

Inside, she was jumping with joy. Outside, she simply nodded and smiled, perhaps walking over to Brendan to offer him some non-condescending and non-patronizing consolidation – to congratulate him for his efforts, and that, as Lianna said, that really was a nice driving from him as well. Lianna would then go on about the telemetries to do more evaluation, which is more than all right with Angela. After all, her space missions, even with the advanced Valentian technology, does not allow for a lot of leeway, and just like what that strategist said, "Every detail cannot be overlooked in the battlefield." She wanted to work together with Brendan, to make sure and for him to know and to be aware that she was not going to compete and fight with him, and instead would try her best to work with him both in and out of the race course. For this new season, Angela might have found herself in a learning mood.

Zastępca Strażnika Adriana Krystal Desiree “Cudowny Manipulacja Światłem” Venus Kowalski Faith Stanisława Engelse I. Cherise Krystyna Zaborowska Sztormowska Pamela Alina Re. T. Lillian took exactly 0.001093 seconds for her to wake up, right after receiving a notification in her email address. "Gasp! Could it be?" she thought to herself, all the excitement buttoned up in her. Was she going to drive for Eminent again? She had to be, right? Sure, she was not exactly the best driver for the past seasons, but she did what she could, and the Eminent / Bitten Heroes / Fireline Motorworks have been more than accommodating to her. Surely they might offer her once again, or even ask her to try out for the trials if the signups were getting hectic. She filtered through her emails, to learn that… it was not that email she was looking for. The email that she got in question was regarding the road course, one that Valentine Z has submitted as a nation. The email was CC'ed to her as one of the higher-ups of The Sixty, the officials of WGPC citing that they did not choose to pick the track for this season, and wished them luck for the next one. "Ahh, that's fine, I guess," Adriana thought to herself, "The course and the team are not too important, I mean at least right now. What about my application? Did they receive it? Did it get filtered into junk mail? Oh dear me, I may-"

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by another notification of email, this time she showed a bit more excitement. This HAD to be it, no one else was going to chat up or spam her via email. Steadily getting a hold of herself, she navigated through the email and then looked at the subject and then the body of it. She smiled, ever so greatly. She was elated, she was joyful, she knew that she was going to make it, and she was going to waste no time with the other teams; it was not so much that she does like the other teams, but because of sentiment. The sentiment that she has over Eminent is just immeasurable. Adriana signed the digital document, confirming her spot in Eminent.

[Chromatika]

Ji So-Yeong signs with Tropicorp-Colourworks.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, the First City, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
2nd of May

“I do not mind, in truth.”

Gertrude’s mind took a moment to catch up with what she had heard. That could be forgiven, laid back, scalp being massaged, in the lap of her sofa-sat husband.

Her husband.

“You don’t need to say that, Verti,” she finally says. “You’ve never lied to me.”

Vertilan Thompsonas chuckles. “You can be so sure? Perhaps I have been deceiving you all this time. How else would I have charmed you?”

Gertrude’s only response is a reverberating sigh of relaxed tiredness.

“In any case, I do not mind. It is simply good to be with you.”

“Weddings are a big deal to plenty of people.” She knows it happened. Knows how the events occurred. Knows her parents were there – fielded any number of questions from them a couple of days ago.

Knows she was happy.

“And I am saddened that I cannot recall it. But the result is that I am here, with you. I am content.” There is a moment of stillness; then, Vertilan’s hands cease in their ministrations. Gertrude grumbles, adjusting and looking up to meet her husband’s concerned eyes. “Are you upset with it, Gertrude?”

“I…” She gives it thought, just to be sure. “I’m same as you, I think. Shame I don’t remember, but… This is good.” She begins to relax back again, then snorts. “Could do it again, if we wanted.”

Vertilan laughs with her. “We could. Expensive, of course.”

“Depending how.” Gertrude sighs, smiling this time. “Maybe. Could work after this season’s finished. Students should still be off by then, right?”

Vertilan hums. “I cannot say… This whole thing is a horrible mess for them. Some have returned to consciousness, some have likely not, an entire year’s group may have to come back.” A slight jostling, as he shakes his head. “In truth, I do not know how much time we might have for a while.”

This time, Gertrude does not correct him, simply offering a hand back to hold. After a moment, she feels the gentle warmth of another upon it.

“I don’t know how they can trust us, anymore,” she says, finally. “You know there are people who’ve lapsed back into it?” She closes her eyes. “First Builders…”

Gertrude lifts her head, then tugs on Vertilan’s hand; by unspoken understanding, he tenses it and she pulls herself up onto the sofa beside him. She leans into him. “I talked to Janne today, laid everything out to him, the risk he’d be taking. He told me he didn’t care – that he wouldn’t wait for his chance to race with us again, after all these years. He…” She squirms in place. “The whole situation with him, Ryker and Jean made me feel guilty even without all of this on top of it.”

Vertilan hums again. “If those are their choices, then you cannot control that. Not without wounding them,” he continues, even as Gertrude tenses in preparation for a retort.

Instead, she burrows closer into him. “You’re right, of course you are,” she grumbles, finally slumping down. “But what can we even do, Verti? There’s no way of…”

“Our best,” he answers, after a few moments. “And have faith that that is enough.”

Nexus Racing confirm Janne Laukkanen as their remaining driver and Jean Mercer-Daly as test driver.

[Mlima Kijani]

Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir accepts a seat with Sivaleinen

[Auruna]

Harkku Park
Narukka, Auruna
Sometime after the Colourworks Trials

Somewhere at Harkku Park sits Kinu Luminna who is on a quick stopover at Narukka before continuing to return to Veratuna after the Colourworks Trials in which he failed to impress. Maybe his driving style didn't suit the Colourworks car or maybe after a while he became rusty and the previous season was his prime? There's no definite answer yet but he couldn't keep these thoughts out of his mind as he became anxious of what's to come.

As the trees sway with the wind, the sound somehow eases Kinu reminding him: it's not yet over. And it's right, as there's still the UrGa test, his last chance before his search comes to an end. Maybe at the end he will get a seat or maybe he will watch from the sidelines but he could probably enjoy it while it lasted. Meanwhile, nature called to him. As someone born and raised in the snowy north to a culture that appreciates nature, being in a park was refreshing. As he was about to fall asleep in this peaceful place, enjoying the flowing sensation, he was woken up by the sound of cars driving past and the noise of an airliner passing overhead. Maybe it's time to go. He thought but after a quick coffee break then it's off to the train station.

While at the cafe, he pulls out his phone to check on the current WGPC developments and as he expected, he missed a lot. While he wasn't on during the test, he felt a strange sensation that he needed to immediately check the news and as it turned out, both Viska seats were filled. It wasn't a surprise to him anymore as he knew that it was eventually going to happen. Huh, Sara Luna and Aaron... what an interesting combination. After a sip of his coffee, he reviews the remaining teams.

I'm guessing Nexus is locked out. Eminent had made their choice. Sivaleinen as well.

He then crosses them off the list.

Kaylan is open but there's no chance for me there. Eelandii will be difficult to get into. And lastly... UrGa.

There's only one realistic chance and hopefully this time, he could impress. Although he is willing to accept whatever fate befalls upon him, ready to return to Viska as a reserve but hoping that this is the only time this happens.

Well, that's it for now as he needs to prepare for the upcoming test.

Heh, na'v Pridneštrovije. He whispers in an Aurun-accented *Marešan before leaving the cafe.

It's back to work.

*Marešan is a Slavic conlang.

---

Haukanna Residence
Karalinne, Auruna
Sometime before arriving at the PB Headquarters

After seeing Haru off at the train station, Laura makes her way back home hoping to meet with her siblings before focusing on WGPC. It has been a long time since she went home ever since she became busy with other motorsports-related work. For the young Aurun, this is what she signed up for. As she approaches the house, she notices an unfamiliar car parked infront. Somewhat alarmed, she increases her pace and upon reaching the door, she knocks.

To her relief, it was Juno who answered the door.

"A-ah... I'm back."

"Yo, welcome back sis!"

She sighs then enters the house and to her surprise, there's an additional person that greets her. As Kata runs toward Laura, the distinct voice of Lauri Vorlen is heard. "Is that Laura?"

"Ah--- it was just you. Whew... you guys made me worried there."

"I was trying to tell you but I guess you didn't see my messages." Juno says while helping out with her bags.

"Oh, I guess that's on me but why is he here?"

"Uncle Lauri is here---"

Lauri suddenly chimes in, cutting Juno off. "Kälö told me that you might need some help so I am here to support you in whatever you need and perfect timing as I just got here."

"Is it alright if I decline as I don't need help right now."

"No, no... this is necessary for your growth."

"But.."

"Come on, let's sit down and talk about it. I can even teach you stuff that your mother taught me in case she didn't pass it down to you."

"But.."

"It'll be worth it! Trust me!"

Laura looks at her siblings and even they are encouraging it and at the end, she was defeated and has another person to come along during race weekend. Additional load, sure, but it doesn't hurt to try being taught by her mother's main rival back then. Maybe he could help out sometime and offer valuable information. But for now, Lauri's mouth kept running through different kinds of stories about his time in the ARC and other minor series.

This is going to take a while.

---

It was hard replacing a driver with another but something had to change within the team. Now after official news broke out of Viska's finalised lineup, people called it risky, stupid, and a regretful one but change was necessary after years of being grounded. An experienced and notorious driver alongside a rookie, an untested duo but it was a risk worth taking. Jöna and Artur understood the consequences, and understood what it meant to reach what the future awaits for them. This decision brought a change in philosophy. It brought brand new ideas, new challenges, a new outlook, and new understandings.

A new beginning.

Viska's Regenesis.

To: Sara Luna, Aaron Deering

I'm sure you are familiar with our operations so I'll keep it brief.

As official Viska drivers for WGPC20, I hope you can perform as expected as our goal for this season is to remain competitive while pursuing the top honours of the championship building upon our momentum from the previous season. Our competition is numerous from established champions to WGP2 graduates, a variety of challenges will come our way. You may have your own fights, your own goals for this season and we'll do our best in to support you.

And we'll continue to fight.

Tarvellanet Viskaan.
Welcome to Viska.

- Artur Iljakov

Unfold your wings...
Together, we will fly...
Lentaru, lentaru, lentajaamme.

[Delaclava]

So as to not bury the lede:
Kingston Walcott accepts the offer from Sivaleinen.

Kingston Walcott was a ball of nerves as he walked into the Fen's Hutch facility on the morning of Sivaleinen test day. Even though he'd been racing karts and then open-wheel cars all his young life, he could feel how inexperienced he was as he sized up the other drivers preparing for the day - WGPC veterans like Olivia Stone and Cocoabo #23, Aaron Deering who seemed poised for a spot at Viska, or a driver like Ji So-yeong who had fast become a perennial champion in Chromatika. Walcott's rise through the ranks had been more deliberate, and although he certainly had a wealth of skills behind the wheel, he had yet to even prove himself in Prix del Á.

Sivaleinen was running qualifying sessions three drivers at a time, and just his luck, Walcott got drawn in the first group for Simulation 1, alongside Cocoabo and Felix Schneider. Walcott was relatively sure that Schneider was there to fill out the field, yet that compounded the butterflies, as Walcott knew it would bode rather poorly if he couldn't even keep pace with the Mertagnian. He was practically shaking by the time he strapped into the car and exited pit lane for his first laps of the fifteen-minute session.

Yet as soon as Walcott entered the track and made his way through the opening sector, it all evaporated. This Sivaleinen car felt great; it allowed a supremely technical and calculated driver like Walcott to shave off every wasted millimeter in the turns without losing too much speed. Emboldened, Walcott made his first qualifying attempt after just over a lap around the track. 1:11.489, good for an early lead for the day. Now Walcott was having fun, seeing how the car would respond as he brought more pace through the turns and getting used to the track, before ripping off a 1:10.471 to finish his first session - well clear of Cocoabo and Schneider. Walcott brought the car back into pit lane, pumped both fists and quietly hissed, "Yes" - which, in all honesty, was a giant display of emotion for the young lad.

It was time for Walcott to wait and watch before he got more attempts. The lightly regarded Kijani, Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir, got on surprisingly well with the Sivaleinen car and edged Walcott's performance, while the experienced Stone beat them both for the first qualifying session. Regardless, those three were head and shoulders above the rest of the field, and Walcott's confidence only grew from there. As the morning progressed, Walcott would win the second qualifying session; drop behind Stone and Lilly in an otherwise solid third session; before bouncing back to top the field in the final simulation. Walcott was slightly dismayed that he had not managed to duck into the 1:10.2, 1:10.1 territory that Stone and Lilly had managed, but he was hopeful that his consistency would shine through.

The afternoon session was a bit more tenuous for the kid. The entire field was outfitted with WGPC3 cars for two 90-minute free practice rounds. Walcott, ever the perfectionist and the student, suddenly found his work in learning the Sivaleinen car. Slightly daunted, Walcott nevertheless methodically worked through the practice session, feeling at least that he had the technique to get the most out of the slower ride. Yet at the end of 90 minutes, Walcott looked up at the leaderboard for the lap times, and although he wasn't far off, he saw 1. NAT, 2. STO, 3. WAL.

Uncharacteristically, Walcott thought, I've got to get one back. Yet it showed somewhat in the second session that Walcott had abandoned his more deliberate ways, that he was starting to press, and it was not suiting him. Walcott was too careful to fall apart entirely, but he had just a few too many wobbles to get the faster lap times he needed: to his dismay, he saw that he even lagged behind Ji and Cocoabo, and would be starting the 25-lap race in fifth.

The drivers had some time in between the second practice and the race, and Walcott wandered around the paddock, struggling to take some deep breaths. Ashley suddenly appeared and managed to catch up with him.

"Hey!" Ashley got Kingston's attention. "How's it going out there?"

"Not great!" Kingston replied, kind of throwing up his hands.

"Hey. Kingston. Relax." Ashley grabbed Kingston's shoulder for a second, his strong hand easily reassuring the young, nervous twink. "The morning was strong, I think you really impressed them with how you worked with their car. So take a deep breath. Don't try to burn it all up. It's a short race, just show that you can work your way through a field and I think you're there. Come on, you're so close."

Kingston nodded. "Yeah." He walked back out towards his car, trying to steady himself. Yet Ashley's intervention had been successful. It was apparent that Walcott was much faster than the uneven Cocoabo #23, and although Walcott grew slightly annoyed at how long it was taking to find a good window, as Lilly and Stone and Ji began to pull away, Walcott eventually found his way past the Tropicorp veteran around lap 12. Walcott was somewhat surprised to find Aaron Deering rattling up behind him soon after, the Adaik'sian with everything to gain and nothing to lose. Walcott himself didn't feel there was much to gain trying to defend his position too insistently—and plenty to lose by getting caught up in a wreck in an exhibition—and let Deering on.

He was more surprised to see Olivia Stone just in front of him with a few laps to do, recalling that Stone had taken the pole for this race. Almost too easily, Walcott managed to find an inside pass on Stone on lap 23, and his heart leapt hopefully into his throat, wondering if that pass would be the one to secure a Sivaleinen seat. He knew too that he was drawing closer to Ji and rued that this was not a longer race, where surely he'd be able to pass her. Nevertheless, he was hopeful that his caliber in the morning drives and his steady, effective race performance would be enough.

***

Sidley Walcott owned a small estate in the foothills of Plitterland, not all that far from Fen's Hutch. Kingston took his familiar place in a corner bedroom upstairs, far too exhausted from the day to wait with his father and the business team. He knew that the Sivaleinen executives would need some time to discuss what had happened. Kingston tried to sleep, even though it wasn't close to nighttime yet, but he had been up all night and very early leading up to today.

Walcott wasn't sure how long it'd been when there was a knock on the door. "It's me," the voice of Ashley said.

"Yeah," Walcott replied.

Ashley walked in and closed the door, standing before Kingston. Kingston looked back quizzically. "Just you?"

"Your father thought the news should come from me," Ashley shrugged.

"Oh." Kingston looked down, feeling that this was not leading in a good direction. "Ok."

"Kingston," Ashley said insistently, eliciting Kingston to look back up. "You got the offer."

"What?"

"Sivaleinen made you an offer." Ashley couldn't contain the smile on his face anymore. "You did it!"

Kingston stared back in disbelief, putting his hands on his head. "That's... wow! Oh my god!" He shook his head. "I can't believe it!"

"Well, believe it!"

Kingston then thought for a second. "Still... why just you? Are you here to convince me of anything?"

"Do I need to?"

Kingston was silent, so Ashley continued on. "I know the things that went into this, and I understand of those things might make you uncomfortable. But it's different now. You were the fastest in the Sivaleinen car. You beat experienced drivers, GP winners. You had a blip in the afternoon but did really well in the race. This isn't a gift. You were the best driver today."

"Yeah. Yeah." The first one was acknowledgement; the second one, belief.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. This team is invested in you. They always wanted you on the business side, and I know the more technical executives believe in you as a driver now. Don't get hung up on this over some notion of principles, because it's not necessary, and it's certainly not true. So... do I need to convince you of anything?"

Kingston grinned. "No, definitely not. I'll do it!"

"Okay! Well, come down so we can share the good news, pop the champagne!" Kingston stood up and moved to walk alongside Ashley out of the room, but Ashley gave him a big hug first. "Congratulations," Ashley said softly in Kingston's ear.

"Thanks," Kingston replied quietly, calmly. They embraced for a few seconds, until Kingston suddenly felt very self-conscious and backed away.

"Alright, let's go!" Ashley said, and they left the bedroom to celebrate.

[United Adaikes]

A few hours after the last scene, after the Colourworks trials...

"So you're still awake," Logan asked Jamie, surprised upon receiving her call, knowing the current time in Tropicorp.

"Aaron just found out about Viska's offer and us accepting it and decided to call Tomaš," Jamie replied, "The last thing I heard before I went out of the room to get a glass of water was Aaron sniffling."

"Oh, poor boy," Logan said, "this must really be hard for him saying goodbye to VSK and now going over to Viska Racing for WGPC."

After being silent in both lines for a few seconds, Logan said, "I nearly forgot about UrGa's trials. I remembered when I was looking for a non-racing-related email and saw the invitation email, so I just told them in the nick of time that we won't be participating."

While Logan was telling this, Jamie opened the door to their room again to check on Aaron. His back is still facing the door, bent over, his left hand rubbing his temples, his right hand supporting his phone to his right ear, and still sniffling.

"I know you can be good there, Aaron," Jamie hears Tomaš's voice, "just believe in yourself. Just do what you did with me and the VSK team when you were here. Look what it did for the team! I'm always proud of you, boy. I won't forget being able to coach and run with you last year."

Jamie had to grin and proudly stare at Aaron.

When Jamie had to close the door again, Logan told her about the new Race Engineer Aaron would have in Viska Racing.

"Viska gave Aaron Esko Mirošu Viruvahtta," Logan started, "everyone calls him Esko there, so it should be fine calling them that. Jöna said Esko previously led the Viska Academy, so he is experienced at handling rookies while being a former driver. Jöna expects Esko to be a great mentor to Aaron."

"I'll make sure that we visit him when we arrive at the HQ tomorrow," Jamie replied, "I also look forward to meeting Sara Luna."

"A combination perfectly designed by the heavens, if I might say," Logan added.

"Oh, you and your fascination about the heavens," Jamie laughed, "stop it, Logan."

"Well, I can't force you to believe what I believe. Regardless, I look forward to this coming season."

[Togonistan]

Kaylan Racing Team HQ
Tushlark, Togonistan

''So, what are we doing with that second seat?'' Niko asked as he walked down a hallway with Xander.

The Togoni team principal scratched his chin, taking a moment to reply: ''We give it to Darian. He deserves it.''

''He definitely does, but... Xander. Are you sure you want to have a WGPC rookie on board again?''

''Rookie?'' Xander perked an eyebrow, ''You're talking about a driver who has been with us right from the start. You're talking about a driver who is both a WGP3 champion as well as a WGP2 runner-up. Darian was our official reserve driver last season and, if you were to ask me, he did a damn fine job at it! Right now, this team needs to stick together more than ever if we want to even have a chance of staying in the championship.''

''But Xander,'' Niko protested, ''this is WGPC! We could give Darian another year to get comfortable as a development driver and hire someone like Dario Nülkeschläger for this season. Sure, he might not be an A-list driver, but he has two seasons worth of experience. Also, the sponsorship coming with him-''

''We are good on the sponsorship front,'' Xander cut Niko off, ''last night, we struck a deal with Rexor Technologies. They are going to pitch in a decent sum which allows us to fill that gap we had in our budget before.'' The duo opened the door and walked outside into the parking lot. ''Our driver development program, Niko. That's one of the few things we can really be proud of. It's what Kaylan is known for the most. More importantly, Niko,'' Xander stopped walking and looked right into Niko's eyes, ''it's your baby. Who was the man to build it all up from the scratch? You! And, correct me if I'm wrong, but Darian is our first junior to climb that far through the ranks. I'm telling you again, he has a WGP3 title, he's a WGP2 runner-up, he has been part of Kaylan for five years. If we don't give our most successful prospect a seat in our top team after all that, then we really need to ask ourselves... why are we even doing all this?''

Niko sighed in defeat and nod a few times. ''No Xander, you're right. I mean, to be honest, our binding contract is the only thing keeping him still with us.''

''Exactly! And I am not going to sit and watch how our rivals end up snatching him from us!'' Having made it to his car, Xander opened the door and took a seat behind the wheel, ''I want our drivers to be ready for tomorrow. Both of them. We need to start preparations for the first pre-season test.''

Having shut the door, Xander turned the ignition key as realisation hit him. Having rolled his window down, Xander shouted to Niko who was already on his way back to the HQ building: ''Hey! About Nülkeschläger... offer him Darian's old position. It's a long shot but he might be interested.''

Niko flashed a thumbs up to Xander, with the latter taking off. The head of Kaylan's scouting department brought out his phone and dialled a number: ''Congrats Darian, you're our man!''

---

Kaylan Racing Team signs Darian Vilau as their second driver
Kaylan Racing Team offers a reserve driver seat to Dario Nülkeschläger.

[Trans-Dniesters]

“How many drivers have responded positively to our offers of a test, Taras Gavrilovich?”

“A lot of them, Vasily Semyonovich,” Taras Gavrilovich Matviyenko, chief driver relations officer and former race driver of the Urotovsky-Gatutin Motorsports Division, said in reply to the question posed to him by the team principal, Vasily Semyonovich Gatutin. “Now, because we have decided to limit our invitations to only those drivers whom we believe to be the ones most capable of improving our team for the coming season, the numbers will obviously be down compared to the previous season. But the number of drivers who actually responded to our invitations, to me, is quite promising. Perez, Kinder, Luminna, Deering, Asphari, Nattmordsdottir, Rusegara, and Stone have all stated their intent to take part in our test.”

“Stone?” Gatutin said. “Olivia Stone? You're telling me that Olivia Stone has agreed to take part in our test?”

“I cannot believe it as well, Vasily Semyonovich,” Matviyenko nodded. “We both talked about how getting Stone, even only to participate in one of our tests, was going to be a long shot. However, it would appear that we have landed our shot.”

“What was it that that Western ice hockey star said according to that Western television series?” Gatutin remarked. “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take, Taras Gavrilovich. This time, we took our shot at Olivia Stone, and we landed right on the bullseye.”

“Now, how about drivers asking for an invitation to a test?” Gatutin asked. “There are always those drivers looking to make an impression by approaching the teams themselves rather than the other way around. Taras Gavrilovich, have you received any emails from such drivers?”

“Vasily Semyonovich, I am sorry for interrupting this,” said Marina Vladislavovna Smirnitskaya, chief public relations officer of Urotovsky-Gatutin. “But I have to come clean and admit that I have played a part in what you are about to learn.”

“What? What are you talking about, Marina Vladislavovna?” Gatutin asked in confusion.

“Vasily Semyonovich, originally I would have said that I did not receive any emails or communications from other free agent drivers looking to join our test,” Matviyenko explained. “However, as it turned out, we did receive a couple of emails about that, but they didn't arrive in my work inbox.”

“As it turned out, I had placed my work email on the contact information of our promotional materials instead of that of Taras Gavrilovich,” Smirnitskaya continued for Matviyenko. “Instead of sending their intentions to take part in our test to Taras Gavrilovich, those emails arrived in my inbox instead. And I have to say, the senders are an interesting bunch indeed. I don't know if you're going to believe me for this one, Vasily Semyonovich, but one of the senders was none other than Sara Luna.”

“Sara Luna?” Gatutin repeated. “The Sara Luna? WGPC driver Sara Luna? That Sara Luna?”

“Yes, indeed it is,” Matviyenko nodded. “I've looked at it myself, and so have the tech people, and that is indeed Sara Luna's official email. It's legitimate and not a scam. Sara Luna expressed interest in a possible seat with UrGa.”

“Good God,” Gatutin muttered. “Could it really be?” Then he seemed to regain his bearings as he shook his head and turned back to Smirnitskaya to ask her, “How long was that message sitting in your inbox, Marina Vladislavovna, before you saw it and showed it to Taras Gavrilovich?”

“It might have been in there since the first week of the preseason,” Smirnitskaya replied after thinking about it for a few moments.

“That’s unfortunate,” Gatutin muttered again. “If we had only known about this at the start, we might have sent out an offer to her already. But now, who knows how many offers she’s received already? Who’s to say that she isn’t already committed to a seat in another team by now?”

“Unfortunately, that does appear to be the case,” Matviyenko said calmly. “There are already reports that Luna is looking to sign with Viska sometime within this week. Sure, we can try sending her an invitation to the test, Vasily Semyonovich, but I am afraid that the only response we will get is ‘‘no thank you, I already have another team in mind.’”

“That is truly unfortunate indeed,” Gatutin muttered. He then turned back to Smirnitskaya and asked her, “I remember, Marina Vladislavovna, that you said that there was more than just one driver who accidentally sent emails to you instead of Taras Gavrilovich. Who are these other drivers, may I ask?”

“Actually, Vasily Semyonovich, it was only one other driver other than Luna that sent an email to me,” Smirnitskaya replied. “And it’s from someone claiming to be a defense minister representing… Danielle Bugatti Johnsilvaturr.”

“Who?”

“Exactly,” Smirnitskaya nodded. “This one would have been much easier to dismiss as a scam simply because of the contents of the email, such as introducing oneself as the ‘Prime Defense Minister,’ and I have to admit that I have never heard of this Miss Johnsilvaturr before. If I hadn’t brought this to the attention of Taras Gavrilovich, I don’t think I would have even given this a second thought.”

“I don’t think anyone can fault you for that, Marina Vladislavovna,” Gatutin said. He then turned to Matviyenko again and asked him, “So what do we know about this Danielle Johnsilvaturr?”

“Here is what we currently know about Johnsilvaturr, Vasily Semyonovich,” Matviyenko said as he handed a folder over to Gatutin. Gatutin opened the folder and saw, to his surprise, only a single sheet of paper inside. “Is that it? Is that all that we know about her?” he asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Matviyenko nodded. “I searched far and wide for as much information as I could possibly get about her, but it appears that all of the relevant information that we need to know has already been delivered to us in the form of her representative’s email to the team.”

Gatutin raised an eyebrow at Matviyenko, a subtle hint at his skepticism about the whole affair, and then he gave a short glance at the document in front of him. “45 Jonjastani Mario Kart Championships from the age of 10 to 16,” he muttered as he read the document. “She actually appears to be quite the successful driver.”

“Yes, Vasily Semyonovich, it would appear to be that way at first,” Matviyenko said. “However, I took a deeper look at that aforementioned championship, and it turns out it’s not an actual karting championship.”

“It’s not?”

“No, sir,” Matviyenko shook his head. “It’s a video game. A video game about kart racing, sure, but it’s still a video game at the end of the day. Yes, Johnsilvaturr—Nini to her friends—won 45 championships, but none of those were won with her driving a single meter on an actual physical track.”

“Incredible,” Gatutin muttered in disbelief. “And she somehow managed to get a Super Licence in spite of that?”

“I do not claim to be an expert on such matters,” Matviyenko shrugged yet again.

“Well then, if she can qualify for and get a WGPC Super Licence then Sal Kalhu should most definitely qualify for one as well!” Gatutin remarked. He was referring to Shalmaneser “Sal” Kalhu, the Adabian driver whom UrGa had signed to drive for them alongside Adonis Fitzpatrick in the 5th season of WGP2 a few years ago. “To be completely honest, I’m surprised that Sal or his representatives hadn’t applied for a Super Licence this season.”

“Maybe they would rather he hone his craft in a less stressful environment in WGP2 before finally making the leap to the big leagues,” Matviyenko offered. “I also don’t claim to know what either Mr. al-Taghlabi or Miss Kaykali thinks of this.”

“And what in the world is a Bratz?!” Gatutin wondered aloud. “Some kind of previously unknown demographic or what?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea, Vasily Semyonovich,” Matviyenko shook his head. “When I searched for the term on the Internet, all I found was some sort of Western doll collection or something like it.”

“That brand does ring a bell,” Smirnitskaya added. “I believe my granddaughter is quite infatuated with those things. She loves everything with big heads and big eyes.”

“I still can’t believe that someone with literally no experience on an actual physical track managed to get herself a Super Licence,” Gatutin muttered in disbelief. “But what the hell? If she wants to try out for us, let her try out anyway. We’ve still got some time left before the official start of the season.”

“I’ll take care of the arrangements, Vasily Semyonovich,” Matviyenko said.

“Now what about Vialiv?” Gatutin asked. “We sent her a draft of our proposed contract a few days ago, da? Has there been any response on her part?”

This time both Matviyenko and Smirnitskaya smiled. “I finally have some good news for you on that particular front, Vasily Semyonovich,” Matviyenko said. “Skiia Vialiv has responded positively to our contract offer, and she says she’s ready and willing to sign any time that we wish to do so.”

“She’s more than just receptive to the idea of working with us, Vasily Semyonovich,” Smirnitskaya added. “She’s already made a post which all but confirms that she will be joining our team for this season.”

“Finally, some good news,” Gatutin said with a smile. “We finally have one seat filled, ladies and gentlemen. Now it’s time for us to see who will get the other seat. This is the moment that we’ve been waiting for, my friends. Urotovsky-Gatutin is finally in WGPC, and we’re just one driver away from making our presence felt in this series. This may not have been how we all envisioned us getting here, but we are here nonetheless, and that is all that matters. All right, now we have to get ready to welcome our guests, so I suggest that we all get back to work to give them a proper Pridnestrovian welcome.”

While the UrGa staff leaders walked out of the conference room, Taras Matviyenko approached Gatutin and said to him, “I’ve only just received word of this, but I don’t believe Aaron Deering will be joining us in the test anymore. He said that he will be accepting a seat with Viska.”

“That’s a shame, but what can you do?” Gatutin shrugged. “Oh well. Looks like we will need this Nini girl to take part in our test after all.”

At that moment, a staffer rounded the corner of the hallway and approached both Gatutin and Matviyenko. “Yes, Ilya Yevgeniyevich? What is it?” Gatutin asked the man.

“Adonis Fitzpatrick, sir,” the man replied. “He’s here. He’s back.”

---

[Urotovsky-Gatutin offers Danielle Bugatti Johnsilvaturr a place in their private testing session.]

[Dod Rava]

Julita Lérida house, Rawa, Dod Rava
Sometime after the Colourworks Trials

Julita looked despondent, with her head tucked behind her hands, when she heard the words from her Agent.
"Fucking hell." choked out Julita, expressing her disappointment.

Michał tried to keep her spirits up. "Julita, it's not the end of the world. You did decent. Yes, you had some problems on the dry track, but..."

Julita interrupted him abruptly and looked him straight in the eye. "But what? To hell with it, I messed up." Her tone was full of resignation, and she expressed her disappointment with a movement of her hand.

The agent was not discouraged by her pessimism. " You should be a little more optimistic, you know? There are still a few places left for test driver's."

Julita mused for a moment, glancing sideways. "Well you're right, I guess."

"Anddd that's what I wanted to hear. I'll try to figure something else out. And if nothing else works out, we can always try AOGP." Michał looked at Julita again and noticed that she still had an annoyance after the failed Michał
"Come on, Julita, give it a rest."

"I know, I know. It's just that there were so many things I botched on the track."

"I don't want to hear it anyomre!" The agent interrupted her complaining, wanting to change her attitude.
"Look at the things that you did right. You were unbeatable in the wet. Even Ji So-Yeong didn't manage to overtake you."

But Julita was not convinced. "But he got the contract and I didn't. He was better than me."

The agent reacted confused. "Oi what are you talking about, I think you just had a bad day."

"Okay, Michał, enough already, stop sucking up to me."

The agent seemed undeterred and replied: "I'm not sucking up to you, but fine, I'll give you a break. If anything shows up, I'll call you."

"Fine." Julita sensed that Michał was ending their meeting and approaching the exit. Once Michał was at the door, Julita added: "And thanks for everything, Michal."

The agent turned around, smiled and nodded. "No problem, Julita. You are a talented driver and I believe in you. Remember, you can always count on me."
With these words, the Agent left Julita's house, and she was left alone with her thoughts. Although the tests were difficult, words of support from Michał made her feel a little better. She knew that she had to take the plunge, regain her confidence and continue to pursue her racing career.


Julita Lérida is still open for any trail invitation's and offers.