World Grand Prix Championship Season 14: Roleplay Thread

[WGPC]

CUT OFF for race four of the season!

[WGPC]

Race Four: The Grand Prix of Liventia

*Laps: 49
*Conditions: Dry

Pos # Driver               Team	                 Race Time	Behind Preceding car
 1 51 R.L. Crusin                	1:24:57.465	+0:00.000
 2 14 Oliver Bliss               	1:25:18.952	+0:21.486
 3 77 iBen Toralmintii           	1:25:21.034	+0:02.082
 4 46 Reni Sanderson             	1:25:53.600	+0:32.566
 5  6 Alexander Lund             	1:26:13.259	+0:19.659
 6  3 Mateo Oket                 	1:26:14.528	+0:01.269
 7 29 Esteban Guilhermez         	1:26:15.180	+0:00.652
 8 10 Lauren Ashburton           	1:26:17.935	+0:02.756
 9  7 Ethan Ellis                	1:26:30.354	+0:12.418
10 89 Will Madison               	1:26:30.673	+0:00.320
11 18 Louis Krindle              	1:26:31.196	+0:00.523
12 52 Sayono Souzare             	1:26:35.196	+0:04.000
13 42 Alex Dimitrianov           	1:26:36.078	+0:00.882
14 17 Oliver Bachmann            	-1		+0:16.254
15 24 Victoria Gardner           	-1		+0:10.825
16  8 Igne Spupuo                	-1		+0:05.392
17 21 Alexander Kohlon           	-1		+0:28.434
18 55 Asao Nadakei               	-1		+0:01.992
19 20 Marcus Melton              	-1		+0:11.636
20 23 Moisés Delgado             	-1		+0:11.299
21  1 Alexandra Mayari           	-2		+0:44.621

DNF 35 Jac-Irlo Val               	Ret. Lap 34	
DNF 56 Terho Talvela              	Ret. Lap 26	
DNF 12 Vic Convarion              	Ret. Lap 2

Drivers' Championship Standings

Pos	#	Name			Team				Pts
1	77	iBen Toralmintii	VTM				53
2	8	Igne Spupuo		Telaris Racing			35
3	51	R.L. Crusin		Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	29
3	6	Alexander Lund		McPahan Racing			29
5	18	Louis Krindle		MSA-SinVal			28
5	14	Oliver Bliss		MSA-SinVal			28
7	56	Terho Talvela		VTM				27
8	24	Victoria Gardner	SFeG				20
9	7	Ethan Ellis		Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	19
10	12	Vic Convarion		Telaris Racing			18
11	46	Reni Sanderson		McPahan Racing			15
12	55	Asao Nadakei		ENSADRINK GP			14
13	10	Lauren Ashburton	ENSADRINK GP			13
13	89	Will Madison		Fornax Racing			13
15	3	Mateo Oket		Archer Motorsports		7
16	1	Alexandra Mayari	SFeG				6
17	29	Esteban Guilhermez	Cygnus ATR			4
18	17	Oliver Bachmann		MRT				3
19	42	Alex Dimitrianov	MRT				2
20	23	Moisés Delgado		Cygnus ATR			1
21	52	Sayono Souzare		Archer Motorsports		0
21	35	Jac-Irlo Val		Fornax Racing			0
21	20	Marcus Melton		WGPC Motorworks			0
21	21	Alexander Kohlon	WGPC Motorworks			0
21	13	Gunnar Lindstrom	WGPC Motorworks			0

Constructors' Championship Standings

VTM				80
MSA-Sinval			56
Telaris Racing			53
Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	48
McPahan Racing			44
ENSADRINK GP			27
SFeG				26
Fornax Racing			13
Archer Motorsports		7
Cygnus ATR			5
MRT				5
WGPC Motorsports		0

[Dunpa]

Lap 1
All the cars were set to go and Alex was starting 18th. He and his manager had hoped to get a top 10 finishing position.
Lap 2 and on
Nothing really happened after lap 1 except for 3 retirements. Alex had crossed the finish line 17th one lap down, only one spot ahead of his qualifying position.
Alexander and Mike: After the race
"Aw, I wanted a top 10 position." Alex said to Mike.

"Well, at least you finished this time. Anyways, as usual, let's leave all other drivers in thr dust, and get a plane ticket to Frenline Delpha!" Mike told Alex and pit crew.

[Aboveland]

Terho was in a three way battle with Oliver Bliss and iBen Toralmintii on the final straight of lap 25, trying desperately to pull through. Victory was out of his reach; R.L. Cruisin was too far ahead. As the trio entered the first turn, the Abovian rookie was caught in the middle. Into the second turn and he purposely gave Toralmintii some space, to get behind him and leave Bliss behind. On turn 3 he took the outside line, to take the inside on turn 4 and gain the lead. Into turn five he was ahead of the pack, iBen on his heels and Oliver lagging behind, but as he exited the apex of the fifth turn, Terho felt an almighty jolt, and his back began to heat up. Out of his rearview mirror he caught a glimpse of a tower of smoke billowing into the sky, flames tickling the damned particles. Worried, he pulled over to let iBen pass, who'd lost time behind his stricken teammate and been relegated to third.

Jumping and twitching Terho ran out of Chassis Y and left it to burn on the turf, screaming out in emotional agony. His race was over, and his title hopes all but stagnant.

[The Republic Of Arkan]

"Two of Three ain't bad," Oket jokingly said to a member of the crew in the garage while they did what they do. A slight chuckle only came out of two of them. Not that bad.

Makeo Oket finished sixth in the last race, beating out 12 (13 maybe. Suck at math) other racers, including teammate Sayono Sourzare. The six points he grabbed from the race added to his one from Hodori, making his and the team's total seven, leaving him in 15th place overall and Archer in 9th. Personally, he was far above his first expectations of himself. Elsewhere, he may be looked as an underperformer. He didn't care, he was having the time of his life.

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Oket scores Sixth, looks to take higher in Mattijana

Arkanian racer Makeo Oket once again found his stride, finishing sixth in The Grand Prix of Liventia. Oket finished the 49 lap race with a time of 1:26:14.528, his fastest time this season. This finish brings Oket back into the race, as he now sits in 15th in the standings. Oket commented in a press conference post race, "Personally, I think I'm over achieving what I set myself to do. I thought I would have not finished a race yet, much least finish top 10 twice."

However, some are still unimpressed by Oket's racing, calling him out as being a slower racer than he was in Arkan. Oket commented, "Some think I'm underachieving, calling me slow, saying I could be better. I got something to say to them. Try racing on foreign soil, on a car that isn't really yours, only two times. After those two times, you race 23 other racers in the same situation as you. After that, you go train, talk, and listen to people either complain about how you aren't as good. I'm not underachieving, I'm reacting."

This marks the first top 10 finish since Hodori for the young racer, who still continues to look as good as ever.

[Vilita and Turori]

Talbott Autodrome, Talbott, Liventia :: R.L. Cruisin looked out at his crew from atop the podium and took in the moment. Yes, he had proven he still had what it takes to be a Grand Prix winner, and that was important to him. But, he could see by the looks on the faces of his crew members that it meant even more to them than it did to him.

R.L. Cruisin was born in Vilita. His home track was the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course in Rockii Coast. For him, the Grand Prix of Liventia was just another of the 10 stops on the WGPC 14 circuit. It was an important one, of course, especially considering his slow start to the season in the first three grands prix. To him, however, there was not much difference in winning the Grand Prix of Liventia or the Grand Prix of Hodori. It was a Grand Prix.

For Carvenlo-Franklin Racing, the team who Cruisin put his trust in to give him a good car - which they have, the Grand Prix of Liventia was everything. Sure, they'd love to win a championship with Cruisin at the helm - or even with Ethan Ellis. Sure they'd love to finish on the podium in every single race.

But for the crew members on the Carvenlo-Franklin Racing team, Liventia was home. Family, friends, neighbors and ex-girlfriends were all out there somewhere - in the pits, in the grandstands or even just watching from their couch as the home-town team delivered its first Grand Prix victory of the season.

Joining Cruisin on the podium were MSA-Sinval's Taeshani Terror Oliver Bliss and the experienced Turorian undergoing a bit of a racing resurgence, iBen Toralmintii. Bliss and Toralmintii had fought hard for the second position for most of the race. It had been a three car battle for the right to join the runaway winner Cruisin on the podium until lap 25 when another failure struck the Abovian Terho Talvela. Talvela had bypassed both Bliss and Toralmintii prior to the incident but his day would end in flames on the side of the track. The incident would result in a full course safety car event in order to allow track crew the removal of Chassis Y, who's fate it would seem to be uncertain moving forward.

Toralmintii's podium finish allowed him to pull to an 18 point lead over Telaris' driver Igne Spupuo who finished a lap down and out of the points in Liventia. It would be a further six points back to Cruisin, who leapfrogged up over 10 places in the driver standings with his Liventian triumph, and pulled level with the McPahan Racing driver Alexander Lund who had been quietly collecting points to keep himself in the championship picture.

Incredibly, after 4 races, only 5 drivers had failed to claim any points on the season. Sayono Souzare, the Archer driver; Jac-Irlo Val of Fornax who has struggled to see the finish line and the three WGPC Motorworks drivers.

Back in the shop, Vilita & Turori Motorsports shop crew knew that with the damage Chassis Y had taken in the previous two events, it was unlikely to come out of its repairs as fast as it was in Hodori when Terho Talvela triumphed in one of the great motorsports upsets in multiverse history. With the first of the official mid-season testing sessions coming up, they knew it might be time to move on to Chassis Y'.

---

[Taeshan]

Oliver was ecstatic with his performance on the track. Finishing second in the Grand Prix of Liventia was his crowning achievement in the international scene to this point. After finishing fourth the race before a podium finish, and a finish on top of all of the racers save the fastest by far on the day was a big achievement for the Taeshani. From not scoring points in the first race, to second in the fourth. Oliver was beginning to make waves, and he actually beat the only race he was in competition at the end. Of course he was worried about what had happened to fellow racer Terho Talvela, winner of the first race of the season in shock, but he had made the podium and right now it was paramount that he celebrated.

As Oliver climbed out of the car he could see the joy in the eyes of his team, very similar he could tell to the joy in the yes of R.L. Cruisin, and his Liventian based team who had one on home soil. He knew they would party tonight, but for sure their partying would never come anywhere close to the partying he would be doing tonight. If only he could find a way to ditch his girlfriend. He went over to congratulate R.L, and then quickly went back to shoot the shit with iBen Toralmintii whom he had finally managed to better late in the race, pulling what could have been a 3rd place finish into a top 2, he would have likely finished in the top 3 after Talvela's crash either way considering how far back fourth place Reni Sanderson was, but it was a great finish nonetheless.

"Oliver! Oliver!, what does it feel like finishing on the podium for the first time?"

"It is a great feeling, second only to actually winning. The moment I win is the moment my dreams come true. Sure winning some sort of championship would also be great, but winning is everything. Honestly finishing second is like finishing last as well, if you don't win, you are not the best. But this is a start, and I am happy that we can have it like this."

Oliver left the interview and begin really planning the night he was about to have.

[Aboveland]

Yakety Sax echoed on the droplet covered tiles in Terho's bathroom. He'd just gotten in the shower and his phone was ringing. It was bad timing at its finest.

The Abovian hastily grasped a damp towel to dry his hands and hair enough so as to not drip on the phone and answered, shower still running.

"Edvin, not a good moment," he answered.
Edvin could clearly hear the shower in the background. "Whoops. Hold on for a bit, I need to tell you a few things."
Terho began to shiver. "I'm dripping wet and cold! Can't it wait?"
"No. Listen, I'll start with the bad news. The mechanics, as you probably noticed, have decided to call it a day for your beloved Chassis Y. You'll start mid-season practice with Chassis Y'."
"That's a shame... Try seeing if you can get them to bring me the front wing or some other salvaged part as a memorial."
"Um, okay. And now, the good news! Get some clothes on because we're traveling to Pæhkinoot!"
"What could possibly be in Pæhkinoot?"
"A racetrack!"
Terho gasped. He'd heard of plans to build a circuit somewhere in Aboveland, but for it to actually have been done, and so quickly?
He continued the conversation. "What will we do there?"
"They want you to test the track out, just because. They'll provide a Fox Thor for you to set a record."
"Awesome! WIll we make it to the practice in time?"
"Yeah. Head to the airport in a few hours and book a last minute flight. We'll meet at the circuit.
"Good. What's the name?"
"Furuhøytie Virtapiiri. Good luck."

Track, with Terho's record (scorinated with Xkoranate)

Orange is VIP area, green is pine trees, gray are grandstands, dash dot line is pitlane, dotted line is tunnel, blue lines are uphill and red lines are downhill

[Dunpa]

Alex wanted to do something about the corrupt (Well, in his opinion) Vilitia and Turori Motorsports.
"It's time to bring action to the World Grand Prix Championship." Alex said excitedly. He got the WiFi from the hotel he was in, and he connected to it. "V&T Motorsports is the absolute :censored:ing worst team on this championship, right? They don't even care about their drivers, they just want the Constructer's Championship and the money." Alex had typed on his Twattir. The callout to V&T Motorsports might be my worst decision, Alex thought.

[Liventia]

Marsh calls for WGPC suspension of Dunpan driver
FOLENISA— Cavenlo–Franklin boss Mark Marsh made a stunning intervention today calling for the World Grand Prix Championship to suspend Alex Kohlon.

The Dunpan driver controversially took to social media to randomly attack Vilita and Turori Motorsports for being corrupt, a charge Marsh described as "completely defamatory and unacceptable to every team competing against V & T".

"His comments do not only attack Vilita and Turori Motorsports, but raise a question against all the other teams. He indirectly alleges that somehow we are complicit in allowing this to happen, and I absolutely refute that.

"Comments like these are unbecoming of a World Grand Prix driver and must put his position as a WGPC Motorworks driver in doubt.

"Carvenlo–Franklin will consider a boycott of the Grand Prix of Dunpa if this is not resolved."

[Dunpa]

"Well, my Twattir post got into the WGPC news." Alex said. "Yeah, about that, the WGPC wants to suspend you from racing, and they want to boycott the GP of Dunpa." Mike told Alex. "OK, I'll do an apology Twatt." Alex said. "I'm sorry about the comment I made against Vilitia and Turori Motorsports. I just let my opinion go through and didn't think about the consequences until later."
Alexander typed on his Twattir. "There, now let's hope the fine isn't too big."

[Aboveland]

Terho rolled the Abovian Ariel Atom-esque machine into the freshly constructed paddocks of the first hopeful WGPC circuit in Aboveland, Furuhøytie Virtapiiri. He'd just posted a blazing time on what was surely his favorite circuit in the universe. It had almost been tailor made for him: fast, flowing corners and twisty, smooth sections. It was his heaven on Earth.

When he grasped his phone to alert Edvin he'd finished, who was checking out the grandstands and seeing his friend's performance, he saw a news notification: Alex Kohlon had accused V+T of being corrupt, cheating, and not caring for their drivers. As soon as Edvin arrived, Terho commented on the matter.

"Look at this guy," he said to Edvin.
"Hah. Twattr suits him"
"I know right? Thought he'd know better."
"You're happy in V+T anyways, right?"
"Mhm. He should get a primary source before spewing bile. Also, how are we corrupt if my car caught fire?"
"And look, they want to suspend him!"
"Chill Edvin. That's a bit overkill."
"Fair enough. So how'd you do out here?"
"Spectacular, best track ever."
"Take in a breath of fresh cement and bask in this glorious place. I'll be going home to catch up on some stuff I have to do. See you round!"
"Wait! How about a sauna tonight?"
Edvin contemplated the idea, and gave in.
"Why not?" He said, grinning.

[Mattijana]

Reliability-tick ; Pace-no tick

After a promising qualifying session, the MRT team was dissapointed when neither car was able to bring home any points despite more reliability from both cars. Alex Dimitrianov was closest to the points in 13th, an infuriatingly close 6 seconds to the final points. Oliver Bachmann finished 14th, a lap down and 16 seconds behind his teammate.

There is hope however. The car's reliability gives the car an excellant platform for an improvement in pace which the team has the opportunity to improve in the mid-season Frenline Delpha test. The focus for that will be aerodynamic performance on higher fuel loads, the factor which should help the team turn position into points.

VTM and Kohlon spat raises interest

A social media post by WGCP Motorworks' Alex Kohlon attacking the "corrupt" nature of Vilita and Turori Motorsports has been attacked by many, with discussions about a suspension of Kohlon and a boycott of the Grand Prix of Dunpa. Inevitably, that led to Johann Struna being asked what he thought of it all.

"It's not the sort of thing you want to see from a driver, especially with no apparent evidence. I think a ban is harsh, but if it happens again, some action should probably be taken. As much as we don't particularly like VTM, we don't believe they are corrupt. We would never consider a boycott of a race unless we were not confident we could not ensure the safety of our employees, so MRT will be travelling to Dunpa unless the event is officially cancelled. Thank you."

[Eastfield Lodge]

Excerpts from coverage of the Grand Prix of Liventia, on ELBC Sport 2:
Commentators: Izarre Batten - long-time racing commentator; Luca Kiani - former double champion on domestic circuit

Batten: "Welcome one and all to Liventia, a country with a remarkable tradition of motor racing. This is Round Four of the World Grand Prix Championship, the Grand Prix of Liventia. We are here at the Talbott Autodrome, which is a quite technical 3.9 mile circuit, with quite a mix of fast sweeping turns and hairpins, but not much in the way of straight track compared to other circuits in the calendar."

Kiani: "Yes, this track will favours cars that are set up for cornering, straight line speed will be less of a determinant."

Batten: "This is how the grid looks ahead of the race, which will be starting in 10 minutes: VTM's iBen Toralmintii is on pole, ahead of MSA's Oliver Bliss. The other VTM of Terho Talvela is in third, with Formax's Jac-Irlo Val completing the second row. On the third row is RL Cruisin, with former champion Alexander Lund in 6th. Archer's Makeo Oket is in 7th, with Alex Dimitrianov in 8th. The other MSA of Louis Krindle is in 9th and Reni Sanderson in the other McPahan rounding out the top 10. Victoria Gardner in the first Fuoco e Ghiaccio is in 11th, followed by Lauren Ashburton in the ENSADRINK. Will Madison and Oliver Bachmann are in row 7, followed by Esteban Guilhermez and Marcus Melton in row 8. Asao Nadakei is 17th, with the second WGPC works driver Alexander Kohlon in 18th. Ethan Ellis and Sayono Souzare are behind them, with row 11 comprising the ICEL Grand Prix winner Igne Spupuo and Moisés Delgado. Propping up the back of the grid are defending champion Alexander Mayari and Vic Convarion. Failing to qualify was Gunnar Lindstrom."

Kiani: "It is a shame that the defending Constructor's team hasn't made this track work for them. Victoria has done to well to get as high as she did, but things haven't gone well for Mayari, not at this weekend and not during the season so far either. On the other hand, VTM are already looking like they'll dominate this season, they already lead Telaris by 13 points, and both Telaris cars are in the bottom four. A good qualifying result for MSA as well, who'll want to continue this decent start to the season. It's also a chance for McPahan to score some more points in a, so far, forgettable season. Nice dry conditions here, and it looks like it'll stay that way for the whole race. I expect a two-stop strategy here, maybe a couple of one-stoppers further down the grid."

At Race Start:
Batten: "So, 49 laps that will determine who wins the Liventia Grand Prix. iBen Toralmintii leads the parade lap back onto the pit straight, and they begin to take up their positions on the grid. Watch out for Talvela, Cruisin and Lund at this start, they'll want to leapfrog the order as quickly as possible. Krindle and Gardner further back will also want to make up some vital places to grab points. So, the cars are ready, we're ready, and the starting lights are turning on. 3, 2, 1 and here we go! Good starts at the front as iBen and Bliss sprint off the line, Talvela in hot pursuit and what a start by Cruisin! He's on the inside of Talvela and Jac-Irlo Val has fallen behind! Front four all close together as they enter the first corner, iBen still ahead of Bliss and Cruisin has passed Talvela on the outside! Here comes the cars through turn 5, iBen in the lead, Bliss second, Cruisin third, Talvela fourth, Lund fifth, Oket 6th, Val 7th, Sanderson 8th, Dimitrianov 9th, Krindle 10th. Cruisin is chasing down the front two, and Bliss is in trouble here. Around turn 7, Cruisin has the better drive and here he comes! Bliss sticks to the middle and Cruisin goes around the outside of turn 8! He's made the move, can he make it stick? Yes he can, Cruisin is up to second! What a start! Sanderson is up to 6th now, great first lap from him as well."

Kiani: "Cruisin really means business here, the home team really want to win this race and they are really going for it as well."

Batten: "Latter part of the first lap now, and the front four have pulled out a gap to the rest of the pack of about a second now as they finish sector 2, coming up to the turn 16 hairpin. Cruisin all over the back of iBen here, it's only a matter of time before he passes. Around 16 they go, good run off the corner for both of them; through 17 they go onto the back straight, and Cruisin's clearly the faster! He's pulling out alongside iBen know as they brake for turn 18, iBen still in the lead but only just. Cruisin pressuring him though. And Cruisin's ahead! Sneaky move on the inside of 19 forces iBen wide and gives Cruisin the lead! Bliss and Talvela just catching up now as well."

Kiani: "I don't think iBen was expecting that move on the inside by Cruisin, he just had to go wide otherwise the two would have collided. Brave racing there by Cruisin, and it's paid off as he's taken the lead."

Lap 3:
Batten: "Onto the third lap now, and Cruisin is well in control now. He's already opened up a four second gap to second place iBen Torlamintii. iBen, Bliss and Talvela are close behind him. Someway off in fifth in Alex Lund, and Makeo Oket behind him in sixth. We've already lost one driver as Vic Convarion has had to retire, although he was already running at the back of the grid anyways. It's been a dismal weekend for Telaris. Back at the front, we're following the battle for second at the moment. No change from the first lap, despite the effort from Bliss and Talvela. Onto turn 6 now and Bliss has locked up a little and here comes Talvela! Talvela coming around the inside of 6, and he needs to make this stick. He has, and has taken third from Bliss!"

Kiani: "Odd mistake from Bliss there, he couldn't have been carrying too much speed there, just too hard on the brakes. But great awareness from Talvela to react to the mistake and make his move. Plays into the hands of iBen as well, he can get away and now has that buffer from Bliss now."

Batten: "Bliss hasn't given up yet though, and he's pushing hard to close the gap before turn 9. He's right up Talvela rear wing now as the trio come into turn 9. Bliss move to the outside of turn 10, Talvela cuts across to block him off and Bliss darts down the inside! Neck and neck into turn 11 and Bliss keeps his position, Talvela has to back off and slots in behind."

Kiani: "Little bit of inexperience showing there from Talvela, cutting across too far and leaving that gap for Bliss to cut into, but it was a tight call as Bliss nearly clipped the VTM's rear tyre cutting back inside. Great determination from Bliss to get back in front after his earlier mistake though."

Lap 8:
Batten: "Less than a second covering the three drivers here in lap 8, and neither one is giving an inch, as we approach the end of the first sector. iBen coming around turn 6 now, followed by Bliss and Talvela, with Lund a few seconds behind. iBen coming into turn 7, and he slides wide! Chance for Bliss to take the lead! He’s got the better drive off the corner! Bliss on the inside for turn 8, and he’s made the move stick! Oliver Bliss moves up into second place in this amazing battle!”

Kiani: “Great driving from Bliss there, keeping his cool under pressure and not giving way to iBen’s recovery.”

Lap 18/19:
Batten: “Drivers have started to come into the pits now, which of these three will bite first? Here they come around the final corner now, and iBen pulls off into the pits! iBen Toralmintii pits in lap 18, and I’m guessing that he’s going for the undercut.”

Kiani: “That’s certainly what it looks like, and Talvela will probably have been radio-ed to push hard and try and force an error from Bliss as well, he’s certainly looked to attack more in the first corner.”

Batten: “Toralmintii pulls into the VTM pit box, and the mechanics pounce. Clean pitstop and off he goes… 2.4 seconds is a magnificent stop, and he’ll want to get a great lap on these fresh tyres as he comes out just ahead of Reni Sanderson in 6th.”

Kiani: “Talvela’s done it, he’s ahead of Bliss!”
*replay of overtake*
“Both drivers come out of turn 9 with good speed, but Talvela just has the pace and squeezes Bliss into submission. Great overtake from the Abovian rookie.”

Batten: “Here they come now around to complete lap 19, and they both go into the pits. Meanwhile, iBen is making his way back through the field, and he’s currently running 5th. Talvela is out, but mistake in Bliss’ stop! Fumble from the mechanic tightening the new tyre! Talvela is coming out of the pit lane and iBen is right alongside as they head into turn 3! And iBen retakes second place with his warmer tyres! Where’s Bliss? He’s just come into turn 3 now, about 2 seconds behind this pair! What a disaster for the MSA team there!”

Lap 25:
Batten: “No change in the running order of these three, as they move back into 2nd to 4th with the round of pit stops completed. RL Cruisin has got this race in the bag, as long as he stays on the road; he currently leads by 13 seconds and the gap is slowly but steadily increasing. iBen is still in second, but Talvela is hot on his heels and Bliss has put in some great laps in clean air to catch up; he’s currently got the fastest lap of the race. Out they come now to complete lap 24, and we’ve reached the halfway mark of the Grand Prix. Through turn 2 they go, and Talvela makes a move round the outside! iBen has to go wide and around turn 4 as Talvela comes through! What a move by Talvela to take second and … oh no!”

Kiani: “He’s blown his engine doing that move! Disaster for Talvela and VTM, great news for Bliss and anyone else further down. He’s pulled up on the entry of turn 6, so there’s going to have to be a safety car to allow the marshals to put out that fire and move the car.”

Batten: “And indeed there is, the safety car has been deployed, and that isn’t good news for Cruisin, the pack can catch him up now. And it looks like Bliss is ahead of Toralmintii. iBen was too close to the back his fellow VTM and had to pull up, allowing Bliss, who was further behind and had room to manouevre, past him and into second. Talvela has gotten out of the car unscathed, but he’s clearly angry with his pretty poor luck.”

Lap 28:
Batten: “Safety car coming in this lap, and we’re just coming through to the end of lap 27. The one-stoppers had the perfect opportunity to stop under the safety carfor their new tryes, and they have done so. Reni Sanderson and Ethan Ellis have made this work very well for them. Turn 20, the safety car has disappeared and Cruisin in the Carvenlo-Franklin has become the pace car, bunching up the cars as they prepare to sprint down the pit lane. Safety car line approaching on turn 21, Cruisin puts his foot down and starts the restart! Bliss goes with him but iBen doesn’t react! Bad restart from iBen there and he’s got ground to make up! Alex Lund is all over the back of him as well, and Makeo Oket is just behind. Cruisin and Bliss now approaching turn 1! Bliss moves to the outside, Cruisin forces him wide and he has to back off, they go through turn 2, nose to tail! Bliss still tracking Cruisin as iBen fends off Lund! This is great stuff!”

Kiani: “Cruisin is beginning to get away now, he’s got the slighter faster car through the corners and Bliss is struggling to keep pace now. iBen and Lund are beginning to catch up.”

Batten: “Bliss still pressuring Cruisin, tries to plant his car on the inside of turn 10 but Cruisin shuts the door on him. Lund dives down the inside of turn 10, iBen has to take the outside, but gets the better drive and reaches turn 11 first. Cruisin still in the lead, and now he’s putting his foot down through these corners, and is slowly ekeing out a gap at the front. The gap at the 2nd intermediate is now 0.5 seconds between the two, with iBen another second behind, along with Lund… Cruisin just looks unbeatable today, and he crosses the line and has now pulled out another 0.5 seconds, he’s now a whole second ahead of Bliss, and Bliss is starting to look in his rear view mirrors as iBen is approaching fast.”

Lap 33:
Batten: “Cruisin in now long gone again, he’s a whole 4 seconds ahead of Bliss, and Lund seems to have dropped off a little as well, under pressure from Oket and Sanderson. iBen is less than a second behind Bliss now, and this fight could go right to the wire. He’s catching him up fast. Through turn 10 now, iBen takes another 2 tenths out of the gap in that sector. He’s pretty much on Bliss’ tail now, and here they come to turn 16, iBen darts to the inside, Bliss moves across and iBen moves back around the outside! iBen gets much better drive off the turn-in and is level with Bliss now as they exit the corner. Good driving by iBen as they come down through turn 17 and down to turn 18, iBen is slighlty ahead but Bliss won’t let him cut across for the racing line. iBen brakes, Bliss brakes late and sweeps around the outside! He’s got the inside of 19 and 20 now and he’s made that move stick!”

Kiani: “That was a close call there from Bliss, he could easily have locked up his tyres and gone onto the grass there. But he’d kept it on the road and has gotten a reward for his bravery.”

Lap 36/37:
Batten: “Cruisin has gone into the pits from the lead, making his second and final pitstop of the day, iBen has come in as well! Bliss for the moment takes the lead of the race, and needs to make this lap of clear air count before he comes into the pits. Cruisin comes out about ten seconds behind Bliss, but he’s not going to be troubled by that. Slightly slow pitstop from the VTM team there, only 3.5 seconds. They needed it to be quicker if they want this undercut to work.”

Kiani: “iBen will need to drive the lap of his life, because Bliss is lighting up the timing screens, and he’s got his personal best in the first and second sector, Bliss might just have increased the lead to comfortable levels as well. And iBen has come out into traffic, which just makes it worse!”

Batten: “Around comes Bliss into the pits … and yes, he’s come in. As he pulls up into the pitbox, you can see on the mini-graphic that iBen is still nowhere near the pit straight, he’s still back at Turn 17! Fantastic pitstop from MSA as well, 2.5 seconds and off Bliss goes, as Cruisin roars past and back into the lead, much to the pleasure of this capacity Liventian crowd, cheering for their home team. Bliss enters the pit exit, and where is iBen? He’s still at Turn 21! The gap has increased massively now, it’s a whopping 7 seconds.”

Kiani: “It looks very much like poor strategy from the VTM team there, putting iBen into traffic and with that slow pitstop as well. iBen is still behind Oket, but ahead of Sanderson who he would actually be fighting for position. Lund and Oket ahead of him and just behind Bliss, but both of those still need to pit.”

Lap 49:

Batten: “Well, it’s almost all over now, as we watch Cruisin come around Turn 16. He’s been in complete control for this entire race, and that great start very much set the tone for the entire race as took the lead from fifth place in the very first lap. He did have some worries in the restart, with Oliver Bliss all over him and nearly overtaking him as well, but he fended that off and pulled away for a dominant victory. Here he comes through turns 18 and 19, looking as smooth as he has done for the past 48 laps. He’s a good 20 seconds clear of Bliss now, who’s still got some clear air to iBen in third, despite the latter’s best efforts to close the gap after that dismal undercut. Around turn 21 now, and RL Cruisin has won the Liventia Grand Prix! Carvenlo-Franklin have won on their home turf and the crowd have gone ballistic! What a result and what a drive by Cruisin! Ellis has done well, he’s currently in a battle for the last couple of points with Will Madison and Louis Krindle, but it’s a great drive to come from 19th and into the points.”

Kiani: “Reni Sanderson in fourth has done a marvellous job to get 4th despite his bad qualifying, and there have been plenty of high-risers in the field; Sanderson, Ellis, and also Esteban Guilhermez from 15th and fighting for 5th.”

Batten: “Across the line comes Bliss and that’s been a great race from his perspective. Slightly disappointing that he couldn’t take the lead, but Cruisin was just about unstoppable today. That’s still two back-to-back podiums, and barring a massive change over this final lap, that puts MSA into second in the Constructors! Here comes Toralmintii for third place, and that will be a bitter-sweet result for the man on pole position, and for the team as well, only finishing with one car having had two in the top three. It was Talvela’s engine blow-out that gave the advantage to Bliss, and then VTM messed up the undercut to end iBen’s hopes of a second place finish.”

[Dunpa]

"Well, I hope this practice changes my hopes. Especially when I'm the center of WGPC controversy." Alex said to Mike. "The practice isn't till later. How about we go back to our hotel and get some dinner." Mike told Alexander.
"Let's go!" Alex was happy to get some food especially because it was 6:00.

[WGPC]

Mid-season Practice

* Drivers had 90 minutes to complete up to thirty laps of the track.
* Fastest lap is recorded
* Conditions: Dry

Pos # Name		   Car			Time		Behind Leader
 1 56 Terho Talvela                	2:05.518	0:00.000
 2 51 R.L. Crusin                  	2:05.542	0:00.024
 3  8 Igne Spupuo                  	2:05.585	0:00.066
 4 35 Jac-Irlo Val                 	2:05.604	0:00.086
 5 89 Will Madison                 	2:05.616	0:00.098
 6 18 Louis Krindle                	2:05.658	0:00.140
 7 12 Vic Convarion                	2:05.784	0:00.265
 8  7 Ethan Ellis                  	2:05.809	0:00.290
 9 77 iBen Toralmintii             	2:05.815	0:00.296
10 21 Alexander Kohlon             	2:05.858	0:00.340
11 17 Oliver Bachmann              	2:05.924	0:00.405
12  1 Alexandra Mayari             	2:05.955	0:00.436
13 55 Asao Nadakei                 	2:05.968	0:00.450
14  6 Alexander Lund               	2:05.978	0:00.459
15 42 Alex Dimitrianov             	2:05.991	0:00.472
16 24 Victoria Gardner             	2:05.994	0:00.475
17 23 Moisés Delgado               	2:06.037	0:00.518
18 14 Oliver Bliss                 	2:06.056	0:00.537
19 10 Lauren Ashburton             	2:06.067	0:00.549
20 29 Esteban Guilhermez           	2:06.078	0:00.559
21 13 Gunnar Lindstrom             	2:06.304	0:00.786
22 52 Sayono Souzare               	2:06.336	0:00.817
23 46 Reni Sanderson               	2:06.360	0:00.842
24  3 Mateo Oket                   	2:06.635	0:01.116

[Dunpa]

After practice

"Alright, 10th place. I felt like I worked myself too much." Alex said to Mike. "You were one position behind iBen, the points leader." Mike said back.

"Well, I don't want to go to Mattijana just yet. Let's get a smoothie before we go." Alex told Michael.

[Mattijana]

Slithereen Snakeheart Circuit, Frenline Delpha

"Better." Noted Johann Struna. That was in fact a statement of the blindingly obvious. Oliver Bachmann had made it as far as 11th whilst Dimitrianov was 14th. Both cars however, were well within half a second of the frontrunner, Terho Talvela in the VTM car. A promising 20 lap long run had also brought with it some good results that should see race pace improve in time for the team's home Grand Prix in Mattijana.

The Slithereen Snakeheart circuit was not one you would want to drive in a race with a seemingly never-ending series of corners and a pair of fairly monstrous straits that would make it difficult to defend against any chasing car. However, it was a brilliant test circuit, with sections to test every part of the car.
The first was by far the MRT's favourite. It had a series of fast sweeping turns for the car's good aerodynamic setup to get to grips with followed by a couple of medium sized straights where the drivers could step on the gas. This was contrasted by sector 2, a more boxy and certainly slower section that the team used to check up on a previously behind low-speed setup.
The 3rd sector was fast, a sweeping right-hander that could only just be taken flat led onto a huge straight, punctuated only by a couple of small kinks. The braking point for the chicane was a test though. It brought drivers from well over 200mph down to just 50.

Progress was being made.

Meanwhile, in Mattijana...

"Morning Jasmin."
Jasmin Kranška's race engineer greeted her. Having failed to get a drive in the WGPC, she had returned to domestic racing and was currently preparing for the race in Revinka, which was taken early in the season before the warm climate made driving a very uncomfortable business. She was currently a close second in those domestic standings, but was secretly keeping a hopeful eye on proceedings in the WGPC.

"Morning Ales. What's occuring?"

"Not a lot around here, but I've heard rumours that WGPC motorworks are thinking about replacing a couple of their drivers. It might be a good opportunity for us to get a drive for the final two-thirds of the championship."

"What's the car like?" replied Jasmin, who was struggling to conceal her pleasure behind suspicion.

"It's not been up at the top, but they've not been far off the points so far with fairly mediocre drivers, so I think you can still do well and if you do, you'll be celebrated as a great talent. I know you've been interested in the international format, so if you want, I can send a telegram or two enquiring about a potential drive..."

"Alright then, I guess it's probably worth a shot."

"Indeed. If we can get a deal done quickly, we might get you in the car in time for the race at Kopylov. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Ales."

Message to: Team Principal, WGPC Motorworks
Message from: Ales Pusanikov, Race Engineer for Jasmin Kranška
Subject: Potential seat for Jasmin Kranška at WGPC Motorworks.

After the withdrawal of Marcus Melton and the rumoured replacement of Alexander Kohlon and/or Gunnar Lindstrom, we were wondering whether there is a chance of Jasmin Kranška securing a seat for the final two-thirds of the WGPC Championship. If possible, this would be put in place in time for the Grand Prix in Mattijana, Jasmin's home race, where it would be a great advantage for your team to have her due to her knowledge of the Kopylov circuit and the home support.

Jasmin also carries sponsorship from a Mattijanan banking agency, Novošpark, which could easily be transferred from her current domestic team to your team as the current deal was made at the start of the season when Jasmin was looking into potential WGPC seats.

I hope you are willing to seriously consider our proposal.

Yours sincerely

Ales Pusanikov.

[Vulkanas]

PRACTICE - 37 minutes left in the session

Time for another flying lap. "This should show my true pace" Gunnar thought to himself. It had been a difficult session so far, with a water pressure issue delaying the start of his session and a lack of balance making the car difficult to drive. The engineers said they had fixed all issues now, but it meant that Gunnar was left with little time to gather all the information needed for the rest of the weekend. Nonetheless, he would do his best. First was the one lap pace.

He exited the pit lane, accelerating from the 40 mph limit as he passed the line. This was a long track, so he wasn't too worried about heating his tires quickly. He was taking his out-lap slow, being careful to stay out of the way of a few other drivers setting timed laps. By the time he reached the final chicane, Gunnar was ready to give it his all.

A smooth exit out of the final corner, taking the outside and easing on the throttle. He felt the G Forces push him back into his seat as he accelerated down the straight to the first corner. It was a heavy breaking zone for a hairpin, and he took the apex well and managed to get good traction for the next high speed left hander. After that was a series of S curves at high speed, which he had struggled with earlier but the new setup allowed him to follow the racing line more easily. Now there was a series of 90 degree turns with long straights. He adjusted the brake bias as he went, in an attempt to prevent locking up in the short area to break before a second hairpin. Then he felt a jolt and found himself spinning in the opposite direction into the gravel - he hadn't made the corner, that's for sure.

Gunnar went on the radio "Guys, I'm in the gravel. I don't know what happened, but I'm OK". He then got out of the car quickly to inspect what had happened. Nothing wrong with the right side or the car, even the front wing was fine. The left though... not so much. The left rear tire had exploded or something, as it certainly wasn't there anymore. The rim itself was bent, and there were a few bent elements of the rear suspension. Did he hit debris? Take too much kerb? Gunnar had no idea.

He walked off to the side of the track and got a marshal's moped back to the pits. He could see the red flags come out as they needed to clear his car and bits of tire from the track. He was shaking his head the whole way back, and still hadn't taken his helmet off. This wasn't what he needed. He wasn't looking forward to today's debrief.

[The Royal Barangay]

Rudolf Ibuna found himself out of a WGPC seat after a sub-par season. He was not able to help his teammate Asao Nadakei win the Drivers' Championship after he failed to catch Alexandra Mayari as the Hodoran won the final race of the season. The end result was expected, with Ibuna not being retained in the team.

Along with what happened to his homeland, he sought refuge to the nation at the northeast of The Royal Barangay, Aji No Moto. There, he rarely got out of his house, which was in the outskirts of Joshuyo, far from the city centre. The routine for him was usual - wake up, eat, watch TV, sleep. This kept him out of shape for months and thus gained 15 kilos in two weeks alone.

While glancing through the channels in his TV, Rudolf saw a coverage of the current season of the WGPC. It was the qualifying session in the Grand Prix of Hodori, no less. Upon seeing his former teammate take pole position, he stuttered. His tears began to flow. "What if I was in that position? What if I maintained my spot in the team?" Thoughts like those ran into his mind. He wiped his tears, turned off the television set, grabbed his wallet and went outside.

Upon his return home, he brought with him a set of weights and a gym membership card. He needed to get back into shape. He wanted to go back to racing.

---

It was one of his gym sessions that he was seen by the Kismo (pun to RL Nismo) VP for Racing Operations, Teruko Nakajima. "Isn't that Rudolf?" He noticed that the Barangayan gained weight, but it can be seen by his efforts that he wanted to cut some weight off. The next week, Teruko approached Rudolf and gave the Barangayan an invitation to spearhead their WGPC effort for next season. Rudolf said, "I'll think about it."

The next month, Rudolf finally was in shape again to drive one-seaters. He needed to shake off the rust first, and went to the private test track at Kismo's headquarters. Here he met Teruko again. Teruko said:

"Hi Rudolf. I heard there's an opening at WGPC motorworks. They seemed to need a driver, and could also possibly replace their other drivers. We need your WGPC experience to spearhead our Kismo efforts next season. Our CEO is prepared to splash the needed cash for you to take that seat. We already missed midseason practice for you to take out butterflies from your stomach, but I know you can do it."

"OK Mr. Nakajima. I'm aware I also needed race experience after missing months and getting out of shape. I'll owe it to you guys."

Rudolf Ibuna begins his bid to return to WGPC by declaring an interest to take Marcus Melton's place at WGPC Motorworks.

[Dunpa]

"This is a good smoothie. Anyway, WGPC says that they want to get rid of you and Gunnar." Mike said unenthusiasticly. "What? Is this because of my Twattir post. I even made an apology post and they don't even acknowledge it." Alex said in a ramble. "Well, also about that, Alexander, 2 people have applied for Marcus Melton's spot, so that means if the WGPC accepts both of them, either you or Gunnar leaves the team." Mike told Alex. "Well, if they think I'm not good enough to be in this championship, I'll show them. I'll show them all!" Alex said with an evil grin.

"Well, let's go to Mattijana before you become truly evil." Mike whispered to Alex. "Well, I'm not going to be fully evil." Alex said back.

[Aboveland]

Terho's eyes were wide open and a grin began to creep out of his worried, serious face. He'd been struggling the past races, and was desperate for a good showing in the mid season practice session. His old friend was at risk of getting fired for his poor performances and Aboveland was at the brink of intervention in an international conflict. He was prone to mood swings and emotional vulnerability, but so far he hadn't let them affect his results.

His "win" of the mid season practice session came as a welcome surprise, and a hefty ego boost at that. The track was one he'd never place himself at the top of his mental podium on, as it was littered with sharp turns. However, his pressure might have helped him, as he felt his hairpins and technical corners were better than ever before. Shame it wasn't an actual race.

Edvin approached him, laid back as always, to ask him for his personal feedback, careful not to alter him. Terho seemed calm nevertheless. In fact, he could feel his happiness brimming within himself.

"Everything okay?"
"Spectacular! I can't believe I did so well here."
"Well, start believing it! It'll become more frequent for sure."

Edvin's kind words began to sink in, and as Terho proceeded to check up with his fellow racers and head home, he felt an empowering feeling that filled him with confidence. He'd just been fastest on one of the hardest circuits of the calendar. It couldn't get much harder from now on.

[Banguela]

”Hmm… I like the smell of burning rubber in the morning.”

Galicio Palembe theatrically sniffed the Mattijanian air as if he was coming home from a nine-year pilgrimage. In practice he did not have a long beard from spending years on the road but a nicely trimmed moustache, according to the latest fashion in Banguela. In some sort of ecstasy, he spread his arms like wings and with a glare, he looked across the scenery. Today would be marked in history books as a unique moment. A divider, allowing racing fans across the globe to mark their discussion either in the era before or after Palembe. If he closed his eyes, he could see the flags in red and black waving along tracks across the multiverse whilst the speakers boomed the anthem. A moment of…

”Mmm, Lici, I think the baggage handlers would appreciate it if you’ld step aside,” Afonso Ruiz da Kavenge mumbled before returning to his phone call.

No surprise as it seemed that in the morning, Afonso would put on his thick glasses, attack his mobile to his ear and walk around for hours before putting them both on the nightstand and go to bed. Being a youth pal could have given him the free pass to calling him ‘Lici’, but one who would know the delegation that strolled across the tarmac of the Petrovijanka International Airport figured out a better reason. Although it was Palembe who held his hands at the wheel, it was Ruiz da Kavenge who decided which wheel that would be. His relationship to the president was something about which he remained explicitly vague all the time, but the vague air of acquaintance opened already a great deal of doors. His cunning nose for business did the rest of the deal.

Delegation had been the word we used, but that might be a bit too much honour for the three men who tried to locate the conveyor belt. Although all wore spotless costumes, it wasn’t too hard to spot whom of them fell it was an itchy affair. Hernando Quarela would prefer his tracksuit over a tuxedo any day of the week, but was well aware that he needed to join the collective expression. After all, they had to… Actually, he didn’t fully understand why they had dragged him along on this trip but you don’t refuse when the man who pays your wage tells you to fly intercontinental, even if the idea of hanging in the air made his knees collapse. Speed, well, no problem with that. Even if his role officially comprised the mechanical part of affairs, no one could pass on a test drive every once and a while.

“So…” Hernando hesitated, “where do we go from here?”
“Glory,” grinned Galicio, rather unhelpful.

Although it was a burst of his thinly veiled self-assurance, it did also mask that he had nearly no idea what the answer to that question could be. Obviously, their presence was related to the upcoming fifth heat of the WGPC but, according to a very extended group of scholars, owning a seat in one of the cars tends to be advantageous towards your chances of winning, or just racing. This thought had been dripping through the grey mass of Galicio for quite some time now, but the pondering glance from his mechanic gave a clear shape to this all. That didn’t halt him from voicing it aloud with his usual bravado.

”What’s step one in the battle plan, Afonso?”
”Talking.”

A dry reply that left his comrades puzzled, but at the same time made very clear who would be pulling the strings. In all fairness, Afonso didn’t know either but he would rather starve to death than admitting that. There was too much at stake for that. Something in his gut told him that there were options, as small as they were and as vague as they presented themselves. But that the atmosphere in and around the WGPC team was grim, was a fact and these drivers were not the only ones to be underperforming. His future, his career was clung to the prospects from the racer at his side and even if the attitude from Galicio might make him sink like a brick, drowning was no option.

”Talk a lot,” Afonso repeated, more to reaffirm himself rather than his compatriots.

Galicio Palembe makes his entrée to the WGPC scene, aiming to secure at least a test driver seat. Don’t hesitate to interact with the three characters featuring in this RP or shoot me a TG to discuss a storyline. Glad to join the party.

[The Brand New Salvatagard Republic]

Can I join?

[Aboveland]

Terho was in the security line in Porthis for his flight to Mattijana, eagerly awaiting Edvin's face. He'd said he would meet him at 5PM, and it was already 8. If he didn't move mountains to arrive he'd no doubt miss his flight. His absence didn't worry or concern Terho, it just occupied his mind. He needed fuel for thought.

As his passport was requested by the security official, his phone rang. It was a hidden number and Terho dismissed it. A few minutes later the hidden number called again. He set his shoes and carry-on aside and answered. A gentle yet empowering voice spoke.

"Hej?" the woman said.
"Hej, who is this?" Terho inquired.
"I'm President Kaisla Saari. You must be the one and only Terho Talvela."
Terho was shocked. A call from the president? What could she possibly want?
"Y-ye-yes, I am! I'm surprised you've just called me!"
"Oh please. Before I get to what I need to tell you, I'll say that I congratulate you for your efforts worldwide and that Aboveland will continue to support you and the WGPC, and that what I am about to tell you will come as a bit of a shock, but that the government is working on it."
Sweat ran down the racing star's cheek. The president of Aboveland continued speaking.
"Your, as I understand it, representative and lifelong friend Edvin Pekkanen has been detained in a new, hostile, officially unrecognized by Aboveland nation in what they claim as their waters under smuggling charges. He was traveling as a passenger on board the Voyager yacht, after being invited to a sketchy press event on it. We believe it is simply a case of mistaken identity. The government of the overseas nation has reported to be taking 'good care' of our compatriot, but we can never be sure."
"What can I do?" Terho asked.
"For now, nothing. Pekkanen will not be able to travel with you to the next race, in case you were wondering by this point. Feel free to contact the government department at any time and I will speak with you personally regarding any questions you might have about the situation. Sit tight, and good luck in your next race. Aboveland loves you, and a breath of good news would come in handy right now."
"Alright, thank you Mrs. Saari."

Terho hung up.

The news he'd just received was terrifying. His friend was held captive in a breakaway state somewhere near home for something he surely hadn't done. It was an unnecessary blow to his happiness. Regardless, he tried hard to push the negatives away. Sure, he'd be without his best friend in his first mid season race, but he could still pull off a win, for sure. The track in Mattijana was similar to that of Frenline Delpha, only easier in his eyes. He'd put his newly found wisdom to the test in the next GP, and race it thoughtfully but simply. No need to overthink. No need to overdo. All he needed was harmony with his car. Confident, he stormed to the shower rooms in the international terminal of Porthos International Airport and soaked for a while, heading to the sauna to finish off his exhilaration process. He boarded the airplane and got comfortable in his business class seat, ready to get some sleep. No frills, he mumbled. No frills.