WGPC :: World Grand Prix Championship 19 [COMPLETE]

[Togonistan]

Stelburg
Sometime after WGPC Sprint Race

Cross the finish line. Miss out on points, swallow down the frustration as your race engineer informs you about the results. Get out of your car, smile to the cameras. Flirt with the media and tell them how you hope for a better tomorrow. That was Dom Falepeau in a nutshell. Unlike a number of other drivers on the grid, Dom had always gotten along with the media quite well. Sure, by no means did it mean the media wouldn't bash him or spread rumours about him from time to time. It was part of the life as a public figure that you simply had to accept. However, Dom had never experienced the stage fright that seemed to struck some of his fellow drivers every time the cameras went on and a microphone was put to their mouth. In fact, he found it low-key amusing to watch some of the drivers giving post-race interviews, watching sweat drops appearing on their forehead and imagining a bunch of cogs turning inside their brain as they were thinking how to respond to the tricky questions. Meanwhile, Dom usually just went with the flow, replied in his usual joking manner and tried to be as open as possible. No, that did not mean he would babble all about his car setups and team strategies to any reporter with a flashy fake smile. Dom was chatty, not stupid. He knew what he can say and what he cannot say, without having to constantly think about it.

Perhaps his chill and open nature was something given to him with his mother's milk. Dom's mother was also known as a very talkative and open woman, maybe her genes had carried over to him and that was the reason why Dom never found it particularly difficult to pick up a small talk with people and get to know them better in general. Whether it was his own team members, a fellow driver or even mechanics from other teams, when there was a chance to get to know someone better, he would step in and have a little chat with them. And he enjoyed doing it, he really did. He knew how some drivers preferred to disappear into their motorhomes after the race as quickly as possible to spend time alone. Dom, on the other hand, liked having other people around him. More often than not, he would leave the door to his room open so that he could hear the noises from the paddock and was welcoming anyone to step in at any time. Even on the race track, while it was just him driving the car, it was a good feeling to hear his race engineer talking via radio. It gave him comfort knowing that he wasn't really on his own and that he had someone behind his back.

Right now, he had just come from the smoking area, where he had a little discussion about the WGP2 season with some of Badai Angin team members. One of the mechanics had said he would bet a hundred bucks for Alvis Kalvin Lacsamana to win the championship. Dom had been quick to accept the bet and put his hundred on Ryden Solow instead. He liked a little bit of gambling, it added spice to the life. That didn't mean he would be an addict who would spend thousands in casinos though, but after the race, he would never say no to some beers and a couple rounds of cards. You need to have some hobbies besides racing after all, right?

Speaking of hobbies, once Dom finally made his way back to his motorhome, he was greeted by a large poster that had been delivered to his room. Curious to see what it was all about, Dom rolled it open and laid it out on a table. Having put his hands to his hips, he looked at it and saw... himself.



That did NOT seem like one of those Badai Angin promo posters he had assumed it to be. Scratching his head, Dom tried to think where that photo originated from. It took a good half a minute before he remembered... it was from that photoshoot he had taken a few weeks ago. It all had started a few seasons ago, when he had signed his personal sponsorship deal with Élégamment. Back then, the Britonish clothing brand had offered him an opportunity to have a photoshoot for them to promote their new collection. Eager to try out something new, Dom had accepted the deal back then and ever since, he had done modelling work for them from time to time. Élégamment had used his photos in their promotional campaigns and when there was someone who didn't keep track on racing, it was rest assured they would've still seen him on a billboard or a magazine somewhere. That particular photo here was going to be used to promote their line of sports clothing and what could possibly be better for the brand than having an actual athlete appear on their adverts? Dom liked doing these gigs from time to time. Posing for photographs gave him a way to express himself in another way and even though for some it might come off as being narcistic, at the end of the day it was a form of art.

Having smirked thinking what a topic for banter it would become for people on the paddock, Dom brought out his phone and took a photo of the poster. Well, he certainly knew one guy who would have something to say about this. Having scrolled through his contact list, he opened up a chat with Dario Nülkeschläger and sent him a message with the photo attached to it.

Dario Nülkeschläger

---

━━━━━━━━━━Today━━━━━━━━━━
Dom: Ay, dripmeister!

Dom: Can you triumph these abs?

[Sorlovia]

Rennbahn Stelberg
Qualifying

There was nothing but the car and the track. He couldn’t afford to let anything distract him from the race in front of him. Perhaps that had been his mistake in the past races. He’d allowed himself to pay attention to the cars around him and it’d taken his full focus off the race. It was important to keep an eye on the racers around you but not to such an extent that it took your attention away from the track and what you needed to do. Because in a racer a WGPC driver often had to make spit-second decisions and constant adjustments. If your attention was divided, as his had been, then you weren’t able to perform to the best of your ability. A race demanded every single scrap of attention.

“Keep your eye on the prize Gregori,” he whispered quietly to himself “don’t go drifting off.”

Gregori pressed his car into the outside edge of the second corner. Doing so would allow him to use his momentum to propel himself down the straight to the third and fourth corners. Both of those led onto straights as well meaning that his old slingshot technique would serve him well. Rennbahn was a mixed track with a wide variety of corners and track environments that he’d thoroughly enjoyed in his first few laps. But he reminded himself that he only had seventy five minutes in the session. He’d have to use every one to improve his time as much as he could. He needed to go that much faster and adapt his technique to what was immediately in front of him rather than rocketing through each section.

He kept close to the inside edge of the twenty first corner to again employ his slingshot technique. As he’d hoped the manoeuvre, and a bit of fine handling, propelled him out the other side and he shot off down the straight before taking the outside edge on the twenty second corner. After the first few laps he began to flow naturally and no longer had to think ahead about the first corner. He took each inch of track as it came and carefully adapted the way that he handled the car. It was only qualifying but he treated it like a race. Each corner and straight demanded his utmost attention and he happily obliged. The next lap around he changed his approach again to the way his car handled. It became a sort of dance to him. It was only him out there. The other cars faded away and his burning focus rested solely ahead of him.

The stretch after the final corner quickly became his favourite. As he approached it again he leaned into the outside of the corner and kept a tight grip on the steering wheel. His car roared with delight as he planted his foot and rocketed off down the straight and through the first corner. The track was serving him well. If he was to be honest with himself it was quickly becoming his second favourite track. He would make a careful note of it in his race journal and include a map of the circuit. He was a man who liked to keep mementos of his favourite tracks. They were pleasant episodes in his career and he wanted to remember them.

“Stay focused,” he whispered to himself again “you need to do your best.”

Self-talk was a tool that many racers likely used. It wasn’t talking to yourself which many regarded as the first sign of madness. But rather a way to keep your morale up and ensure that you kept up your focus. Plenty of people did it naturally. He couldn’t afford to think of anything else but the track.

Post-Qualifying

Adriana Kowalski. She interested him immensely.

Adriana was a racer of particular interest to him. She, like Lane, had a great deal of skill and he had no doubt that she’d be someone to keep an eye on. With Terho absence from the season he had to keep a careful watch on these racers. Everyone knew the name Talvela. But he knew that Kowalski and Carter would soon find their way up there too. He still hoped to give Krupin a place there as well and intended to give the season everything he had. The absence of the seasoned veterans meant that the younger and up-and-coming racers had an opening to make a name for themselves.

”Kowalski,” he thought to himself “remember that name.”

Gregori had politely excused himself after qualifying. He’d gone to his race trailer and had spent the next three hours studying the readouts from his qualifying run, watching the replays from the races and carefully studying Adriana and Lane’s replays. He’d called Lane to see if he wanted to go for a celebratory drink but hadn’t yet heard from him. So he’d then busied himself with his latest model. It was an old Sorlovian jet fighter from the early seventies and a prominent aircraft in the history of his nation. It would look good in his collection and the process of putting it together would allow him to unwind.

Sometimes you just needed to do something other than the WGPC. It helped refresh you and acted as a fantastic de-stressing technique. Gregori loved the World Gran Prix. Being out there on the track was his greatest passion in life. As far as he was concerned he’d been born to be a racer and enjoyed every single moment of practice, qualifying and the racedays. They came with many challenges and many stressful moments. But he wouldn’t trade it for anything. It was his passion. But at the same time he also thoroughly enjoyed his moments away from the track. There was something incredibly soothing in the fine detailed carefulness of putting together his figurine models and in watching the birds. It was perhaps an usual pair of hobbies for a Gran Prix racer but he loved them.

He hoped that Lane would be keen for a casual drink.

Gregori had never been the type to drink to excess. Sure, he got a little tipsy from time to time. But he never ended up drunk out of his mind as some men his age did. If he was being honest he had never seen the appeal of it. The idea of becoming so incapacitated that you did things you later regretted and made an ass of yourself had no appeal whatsoever. His father Nikolai and his grandfather Stepan had been the same. One day he hoped to pass the tradition on to his own son. Krupin men did not get drunk. Not even on their bachelor parties or after their wedding. It just wasn't done. A casual vodka was more than enough. Perhaps two. But no more than that. Gregori was careful to ensure that when he did drink it was only enough to take the edge off. Not drunk, just pleasantly relaxed.

[Vilita and Turori]

Race Eelandii Lockout Front Row in Teusland Qualifying

Toralmintii Can't Back Up Akresna Performance, Shut out in Sprint

Aurun Grand Prix, Akresna Circuit, Auruna :: iBen Toralmintii entered the Aurun Grand Prix race weekend with a boatloat of confidence and optimism that it could finally be the race that the Turorian driver picked up their first Grand Prix victory of the season, and the first of the season for Tropicorp Racing Aelund. The confidence was well founded as Toralmintii was the winner at the Akresna Circuit during World Grand Prix Championship Season 18, having stolen the victory late on from teammate Terho Talvela. Talvela had been the fastest qualifier in Aurna while Toralmintii had struggled in Qualifying and started from the 12th position on the grid behind Lane Carter and Gregori Kupin. When it came to race day, however, Toralmintii quickly marched through the field as the two Tropicorp powered machines blistered the pack. After taking the race lead, Toralmintii would build an advantage of nearly 20 seconds over teammate Talvela but perhaps more impressively finished over a minute ahead of the closest driver from any other team - podium finisher Abdoulaye Goita in third place. It was a race that really set the tone for the season in Lintulahti as Tropicorp Racing Aelund would use the momentum to propel themselves to yet another Constructors Championship with the driver's title decided between the two teammates for the second consecutive season.

With the Aurun Grand Prix having moved later in the season on the 19th World Grand Prix Championship Schedule its importance in deciding the title fight also increased. iBen entered the race weekend at the Akresna Circuit clinging on in what seemed to be a three-way battle for the Driver's Championship between the two Badai Angin Tim drivers and Toralmintii who trailed the Filindostan duo by ten points in the table. It was no surprise that iBen was fast in Auruna even if the aging Tropicorp Racing Aelund AGP chassis had at times showed its age during the season. Toralmintii would qualify second on the grid behind local driver Kinu Luminaa and set off in great position to make ground in the championship standings with both Badai Angin Tim drivers starting outside the Top 10. Toralmintii could never find a way around the Aurun driver who picked up the Grand Prix victory on their home track but it was still one of the best performances on the season for Tropicorp Racing Aelund. While Toralmintii's teammate Sara Luna was handicapped by a poor starting position, the Diarcesian still took advantage of the situation late in the race to snag a point for fastest lap putting both TRAE drivers in the points with iBen picking up their second podium performance of the season. The result also allowed the Turorian to move narrowly atop the Drivers Standings as the series moved on to Siovanija and Teusland.

While a fortunate result had temporarily put iBen in a strong position, the result made only a minor dent in Tropicorp Racing Aelund's Constructors Standing deficit. Still, closing to within 50 points was a critical milestone for the Abovian-Tropicorp outfit who had still not given up hope of a third consecutive Constructors Title. Of course, Tropicorp Racing Aelund took their status as the top constructor in the World Grand Prix Championships very seriously and as Sara Luna's struggle to secure points continued, the team considered many options to improve overall performances - including having been rumored to consider putting Terho back into the car at the end of the season as a way to spark the team in search of its first win of the campaign. Of course, the metrics didn't really support such a move. Sara and iBen had actually performed far more similarly during the course of the season then was reflected in the point standings. While Sara had finished out of the points more than iBen had, her 'bad' finishes were largely 11th and 12th place runs, finishing just outside the points largely due to her lack of familiarity with the AGP chassis and struggles to put up the fast lap in qualifying trim to earn a good spot on the starting grid. Luna had been one of the top Overtaking drivers in hte circuit in addition to showing speed such as earning the fastest lap point at the Akresna Circuit. Still, there was some positive prior experience with Tropicorp Racing Aelund returning a former driver late in the season. During the 16th World Grand Prix Championship season it was iBen returning to replace Juracai Klianiota after a tumultuous first season in Lintulahti for Tropicorp Racing Aelund. iBen's Top 5 finish in the season finale set the tone for two seasons of dominance by the team who may now be looking to do the same thing with Talvela.

Of course, at the time, iBen Toralmintii's career seemed to have been largely complete. A Grand Prix Race Winner and runner-up in the Driver Standings during World Grand Prix Championship Season 14, Toralmintii started a new chapter in their racing career taking a hands on approach while driving for WGPC Eelandii during the 15th World Grand Prix Championship Season. After spending much of their career focused on Driving, Toralmintii got a new appreciation for the logistics of the sport. With the team running out of the Eelandii Grand Prix facilities in Turori, Toralmintii was also able to establish the foundation of the Race Eelandii! Driving School led by the World Grand Prix race winner and featuring World Grand Prix 2 phenom and Toralmintii's former NSSCRA and NS Formula Championship teammate Juracai Klianiota as the primary professional talent. With the rise in popularity of Motorsports in Turori after Toralmintii's succesful World Grand Prix Championship Season 14 campaign, the Race Eelandii! Driving School was just what the Island Emirate needed with weekend sessions quickly overflowing and requiring the expansion to midweek and special sessions quickly emerging. Having decided to step away from the drivers seat during World Grand Prix Championship Season 16 to focus on activities at Race Eelandii also freed iBen Toralmintii up to do a number of special racing events such as the Rumble in the Rice Fields, the Summer Olympic Games Motorsports demonstration in Republica, Free Republics and even a return with a handful of NSSCRA appearances. Althought they were away from the Grand Prix cockpit, Toralmintii's competitive spirit stayed strong. A racer from a young age, iBen Toralmintii had found a way to turn a passion into a living as a professional race driver. After stepping away from the Grand Prix Circuit to turn their full time attention to Race Eelandii! however, competitive races became a hobby again for Toralmintii, a flame that allowed the passion to re-ignite itself and setting up for Toralmintii's stunning return to the World Grand Prix circuit during the 17th season which included an all-time record four consecutive Grand Prix victories. While Toralmintii was once again chasing their passion, day-to-day control of Race Eelandii was turned over to Klianiota who also helped establish the Race Eelandii! Vilita and Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks Development team. The team was largely a byproduct of the infrastructure that already existed at Race Eelandii! to maintain the fleet of Grand Prix and full body style cars used as part of the experience and training sessions. It also served as a means of advertising Race Eelandii! to the multiverse as the facilities in Eelandii expanded with additional course layouts, more sessions and more visitors looking to train and learn from drivers like Toralmintii and Klianiota first hand.

Despite the benefits of seeing the Race Eelandii! name performing well on the World Grand Prix Circuit, however, once iBen Toralmintii puts on the helmet and straps into their #77 Tropicorp Racing Aelund machine there is no opponent they give any extra room on track. After losing the opening race of the WGPC 18 season to Race Eelandii! Vilita & Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks driver R.L. Cruisin who picked up the first ever victory for the Eelandii based team, many expected Toralmintii to be in a celebratory mood on the podium at their home track with the Race Eelandii! team atop the podium. It was anything but, however. While Toralmintii was congratulatory and graceful in defeat there was absolutely no question that it didn't matter who he lost to. Toralmintii wanted to win that race. He wanted a fifth consecutive World Grand Prix victory. He wanted to win the Grand Prix of Turori. He wanted to win the Race because thats what Racers do and no matter what hobbies, extracurricular activities or business interests the Turorian might have none of them were as strong as his passion for racing.

---

Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland Sprint, Rennbahn Stelburg, Stelburg, Teusland :: On a Rainy day in Siovanija and Teusland it was a memorable day for the Race Eelandii! Vilita & Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks team as drivers Gregori Krupin and Lane Carter took advantage of the conditions to lock out the front row of the grid in the Qualifying session. It would be a first pole position of the season for Krupin and would set up the Race Eelandii VTGP teammates for a short sprint towards a potential second career World Grand Prix victory for either driver. For Krupin it has been 30 races since their last Grand Prix victory which was earned back in Round 3 of World Grand Prix Championship Season 17 while driving for the Mattijana Racing Team. It has been a much shorter stretch since Carter's most recent and lone Grand Prix triumph which took place at the Grand Prix of Turori earlier in World Grand Prix Championship Season 19 just five races prior. Unfortunately for the teammates, as the rains subsided it seemed the advantage they had on the Tropicorp Storm tyres was subsiding. Under cloudy skies in Teusland the Filindostani driver Rustom Ibuna got the best of the Race Eelandii duo to take victory in the Sprint with Krupin settling for second. A late race charge by Carvenlo Racing driver R.L. Cruisin stole the podium finish away from the Jaguar driver and instead handed the driver with the all-time most starts in the World Grand Prix Championships their 17th career Podium finish. The 15 points earned on the day for Race Eealndii VTGP in the sprint were the most of any team however as the Eelandii based outfit looked to challenge for a position inside the Top 5 of the constructors standings. Tropicorp Racing Aelund earned just 5 points through Sara Luna with iBen Toralmintii's championship hopes taking a temporary setback as the Turorian driver finished outside the points for the third time on the season while their championship rival and former Race Eelandii VTGP driver Rustom Ibuna took the checkered flag.

Things will now move ahead to the feature race in Siovanija and Teusland with an inverted starting lineup that will put the Race Eelandii VTGP drivers as well as Vilitan driver R.L. Cruisin into a hole to start the race in the bottom half of the Top 10 with a number of drivers to pass if they are to make their way back onto the podium. They may also have to contend with local driver Heinz-Otto Junker who finished a disappointing 15th place in the sprint and Hapiloppers Rudy Edwards who placed 13th in the sprint on a track layout that many expected to be a strong fit to the Hapiloppan's driving style.

For some drivers inside the Top 10 starting positions it could be a last big opportunity for a strong finish as the final three races on the World Grand Prix calendar are on tracks of widely different styles. After competing the highly technical event in Siovanija and Teusland the circuit will move to Hapilopper City and a well balanced course that could be a toss up for whichever drivers can maintain their composure. The series will conclude with the wide surface and sweeping turns of the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course which is likely to cater to a different style of driving than those who find the most success in Teusland. While the World Grand Prix Championships begin a 3 event swing in Atlantian Oceania to end their season it also marks a separation from the World Grand Prix 2 circuit who haved moved on to new venues after the combination event in Auruna. The World Grand Prix 2 race at the Forest Cross Circuit in Esmerel was won by Adabian Shalmaneser Kalhu picking up the second victory of the season for UrGa Motorsports. The World Grand Prix 2 will move on to Astyria for a Feature/Sprint double header in Lisander before re-joining the World Grand Prix Championship teams in Vilita for the Championship Weekend Finale.

[Diarcesia]

Rennbahn Stelburg
Stelburg, Siovanija and Teusland

Edvin had hidden his discontent at the end of the Aurun Grand Prix from the media, but not behind closed doors. The failure of Sara Luna to assist iBen in making up significant ground to Badai Angin on one of their only off-weeks of the season had nearly proven the final straw, and was the final push which got the Rube Goldberg machine of change going. But, though the posters had been made, and the contracts had been drafted, and the sums of money to breach agreements had been found, Terho stopped the team principal short of pulling the trigger. After some persuasion, the two had reached a mutual agreement: the move might be too premature; the penultimate round would be, statistically, favorable to the current lineup, and heading into the final stretch of four races in a car already proved to be far from dominant could quickly have become a PR disaster more than a resounding win. It would have also been an overly ham-fisted and unfocused decision: as Terho put it, like cutting off your arm after getting a splinter.

It took some persuading Edvin to cool the waters; fresh in the memory of the boss was the complete lack of gratitude shown by Batu Tüvshinbayar to Team Noortekoondis (nee Nykipiflugpuun) after he'd decided to keep the young Mongol on board instead of sacking him to secure the safe stream of dirty cash coming from the team owners. "What good is integrity anyway?" Edvin lashed out, arms crossed, staring out at the frozen-over bay, one dark Lintulahti afternoon. "Nobody gives a fuck."

"Nobody takes lineup changes so lightly, either," Terho clapped back.

"She's another Juracai!"

"It's different," insisted Terho. "WGPC16 was a trial season; Juracai was plonked in by the Vilitans. You sought Sara Luna."

Edvin scoffed. "I sought the 'best-of-the-rest' Sara Luna, not—"

Terho clicked his tongue with discontent. "The car is three years old, Edvin, Jesus."

"But it's not suddenly a dog!" exclaimed Edvin.

"Why don't you try solving the problem before ripping it apart?"

The insinuation that Edvin hadn't done much to find why Sara had been struggling to get to grips with AGP004 sent a chill down the back of his neck, and an instant kicker to the sweat glands on the palms of his hands and at the base of his hairline. But Terho, much as it pained him... had a point.

The point — and subsequent ones after that, such as the analysis of the fact that Luna had been the WGPC18 winner in Hapilopper — was solid enough such that the air in the TRÆ garage in Stelburg was markedly more eclectic than it had been for most of the season; the tingle in the team’s hearts, the conviction in their eyes, and the focused murmurs which permeated the active silences between the whirrs of the wheel guns and the ratchets of the wrenches harkened back to a simpler, easier, safer, more predictable time. It had taken an international team meeting called by Edvin, a pep talk from Terho Talvela The Sporting Director, and a determined sit-down with Sara and Agreka Rimanti'i, her Vilitan engineer.

The team meeting had succeeded in driving the main situation report across: there’s little time for a large order, but we’re no strangers to beating the odds. The pep talk had served to rally the staff: there’s so many points on the plate this sprint weekend: if we lick that plate clean, working harder, faster, and stronger than ever, we’ll have taken the biggest step towards closing the gap.

And the talk, between Edvin, Sara, and Agreka, had been clear. There’s little margin for error left in the season, far too little room to allow for a single more off-day. The points are up for grabs, and they must be ours, no matter what; Terho will be on hand to dial-in the setups during practice and sprint qualifying. “I trust you,” Edvin said, “as I have trusted you before, and as I trusted you before Liventia, when we penned down that contract.”

He kept the ‘please don’t make me regret my decision’ for himself.

For Sara—and her team—the upcoming race in Stelburg would be a matter of life and death.

Almost nothing worked for the Luna Wolf. That literal rain on her parade in the opening race in Liventia turned out to be a pattern throughout much of the season. There was one good result though: a podium from pole, a winnable race that was snatched by Adriana Kowalski. Sara's only podium in WGPC19 so far. She hadn't failed to finish since her WGP2 days, but this year, she hasn't brought a lot of points to TRÆ. Providing those is the absolute minimum of expectations she set for herself, let alone harboring title ambitions for herself. Even in that absolute minimum, she fell flat. If she was being honest to herself, it's reminiscent of the first time in her racing career when she was thoroughly humbled; a time where she lived the fast life, and then, just like the lifespan of a mayfly, her first taste of fame was gone. She had to rebuild from square one.

Tabetha, what's going on? We tried many different things. Same results, very frustrating. I am sure you are as well, Sara thought to herself as she stood beside her #50 AGP004.

Was it a mistake to trust the simulators in the offseason? Or was it the Fates asking their due from that unbelievable run in Volkov Racing? Was she meant to choose MRT last season? Dom was there last time, where he had to do everything to not sink. And now, their fortunes got swapped.

There would be a meeting later between Edvin and Terho. Sara is no fool, this was an ultimatum. If she still fails in Stelburg, she might need to look elsewhere if she wants to be a WGPC driver, or perhaps, admit that it is time to hang up her racing gloves...

Whatever action taken after that meeting, the Stelburg sprint race gave encouragement to Sara and everyone rooting for her. A P5 finish meant she would start in the same row for the feature race. What's more, even if her teammate iBen barely failed to score a point, he secured a front row spot.

As the feature race was about to start, Sara worked to lift the pressure off her shoulders in the face of the huge expectations set for her. She recalled an earlier conversation with Aldauren Ginintella. Do not overthink it.

---

Très Mauvais

Aldauren thought it is the first time since the double-DNF race where nothing went right with how the team handled its sprint race in Stelburg. The team had performed great in the previous Grand Prix in Auruna—well at least, Laura did. But here, the cars were just not suited for the track. The PF-1Cs couldn't utilize their straight-line and power advantages that much, and both Laura and Dario were visibly miserable in qualifying. PB's usual protocols in technical tracks were not very effective. The team principal could only hope for a miracle recovery drive, or a safety car in the feature race.

"Sorry about that," said Aldauren to the drivers. "Believe me, I am also not very satisfied with what we have seen so far. I am responsible on why we aren't high up in the championship, even though we have done great versus the competition from time to time. I'm aware that the cars need improvement."

Of course, with a blank slate with their first entry in WGPC, PB had wide berth to nail the regulations for Season 19. On the flip side, they were very inexperienced. The aerodynamics had much of Viska's flair in it, and the Sidus engines allowed them to put some wondrous achievements along the way. But over time, Aldauren could say that they, as a whole, were very inconsistent. And sometimes downright unlucky. And those pitlane troubles needed some cleaning up still.

[WGPC 19]

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Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland

FEATURE

The most famous street course in the country, the Stelburg street circuit winds through the downtown core of the former capital of the Teus Empire. The first sector, a pleasant ride through some of the oldest streets and most beautiful architecture in the town, is quite easy-going, before entering the technically challenging sector 2, titled 'Schloss.' Here, drivers must be fully confident in their car, particularly through the turn 12-17 complex that loops around an old palace. Sector 3, titled 'Fluss,' takes you out of the city briefly and sees some elevation change as drivers work their way up to the turn 21 hairpin. From there, it's a climb back downhill and back into the city to the main overtaking spot on the track, the pit straight.

Week 9: Race (Feature)

Conditions:      	Dry	
Laps:              	49	
Nation:         	STL	
Circuit:        	Rennbahn Stelburg	
Event:	Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland	
Safety Car Deployed on Laps:	6, 7, 8, 9

POS  # ▍DRV Name                     Team                     	Time      	Pts	Fastest Lap	
  1 77 ▍TII iBen Toralmintii         Tropicorp Racing Ælund   	01:36:01.128	25		
  2 11 ▍CRT Lane Carter              Race Eelandii VTGP       	00:00:09.571	18		
  3  8 ▍ARC William Archer           Preston Autos GP         	00:00:22.543	15		
  4 50 ▍LNA Sara Luna                Tropicorp Racing Ælund   	00:00:39.181	12	
  5 71 ▍IBU Rustom Ibuna             Badai Angin Tim          	00:01:01.441	10		
  6 25 ▍KRU Gregori Krupin           Race Eelandii VTGP       	00:01:06.909	8		
  7 82 ▍LMN Kinu Luminna             Viska Racing             	00:01:20.544	6		
  8 88 ▍PRE Ted Pressley             Kaylan Racing Team       	00:01:24.086	4		
  9 19 ▍FAL Dom Falepeau             Badai Angin Tim          	00:01:25.413	2		
 10 23 ▍C23 Cocoabo #23              WGPC Motorworks (B)      	00:01:33.581	1		
 11 15 ▍JUN Heinz-Otto Junker        Teusbank TMW Rennsport   	00:01:33.619			
 12 51 ▍CRU R.L. Cruisin             Carvenlo Racing          	00:01:34.348			
 13 83 ▍MNI Anola "Wrench" Melani    Kaylan Racing Team       	00:01:50.376			
 14 31 ▍WIN Joy Wingelaar            Teusbank TMW Rennsport   	00:01:55.288			
 15 17 ▍LAU Janne Laukkanen          Carvenlo Racing          	Laps Down: 1			
 16 94 ▍LAN Ryker Lane               Nexus Racing             	Laps Down: 1			
 17  5 ▍EDW Rudy Edwards             Preston Autos GP         	Laps Down: 1			
 18 40 ▍AKS Adriana Kowalski Ela...  Fireline+Heroes Eminent  	Laps Down: 1			
 19 27 ▍NÜL Dario Nülkeschläger      GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   	Laps Down: 1			
 20 37 ▍HAU Laura Haukanna           GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   	Laps Down: 1			
 21  7 ▍DEV Anneliese Devereux       Fireline+Heroes Eminent  	Laps Down: 1			
 22 63 ▍MIZ Daryl Mizushima          WGPC Motorworks (O)      	Laps Down: 1	 + 1	1:53.865		
 23 41 ▍JMD Jean Mercer-Daly         Nexus Racing             	Laps Down: 1			
DNF 85 ▍STO Olivia Stone             Viska Racing             	Ret. lap 6

Pos # ▍DRV Name                      Team                     Pts
 1 77 ▍TII iBen Toralmintii          Tropicorp Racing Ælund   116
 2 71 ▍IBU Rustom Ibuna              Badai Angin Tim          98.5
 3 19 ▍FAL Dom Falepeau              Badai Angin Tim          87.5
 4 11 ▍CRT Lane Carter               Race Eelandii VTGP       68
 5  8 ▍ARC William Archer            Preston Autos GP         64
 6 82 ▍LMN Kinu Luminna              Viska Racing             61
 7  5 ▍EDW Rudy Edwards              Preston Autos GP         57
 8 85 ▍STO Olivia Stone              Viska Racing             48
 9 37 ▍HAU Laura Haukanna            GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   47.5
10 40 ▍AKS Adriana Kowalski Ela...   Fireline+Heroes Eminent  46
11 25 ▍KRU Gregori Krupin            Race Eelandii VTGP       44
12 51 ▍CRU R.L. Cruisin              Carvenlo Racing          42.5
13 88 ▍PRE Ted Pressley              Kaylan Racing Team       40
14 50 ▍LNA Sara Luna                 Tropicorp Racing Ælund   38
14  7 ▍DEV Anneliese Devereux        Fireline+Heroes Eminent  38
16 94 ▍LAN Ryker Lane                Nexus Racing             27
17 27 ▍NÜL Dario Nülkeschläger       GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   21
18 17 ▍LAU Janne Laukkanen           Carvenlo Racing          19
19 31 ▍WIN Joy Wingelaar             Teusbank TMW Rennsport   18
20 41 ▍JMD Jean Mercer-Daly          Nexus Racing             17
21 23 ▍C23 Cocoabo #23               WGPC Motorworks (B)      15
22 83 ▍MNI Anola "Wrench" Melani     Kaylan Racing Team       6
23 15 ▍JUN Heinz-Otto Junker         Teusbank TMW Rennsport   3
24 63 ▍MIZ Daryl Mizushima           WGPC Motorworks (O)      1
24 24 ▍SZR Sayono Souzare            WGPC Motorworks (HR)     1

Pos NAT ▍Team				Pts
  1 FID ▍Badai Angin Tim              186
  2 ABL ▍Tropicorp Racing Ælund       154
  3 HAP ▍Preston Autos GP             121
  4 V&T ▍Race Eelandii VTGP           112
  5 AUR ▍Viska Racing                 109
  6 F+H ▍Fireline+Heroes Eminent      84
  7 DCS ▍GP Pryfors Bilar Viska       68.5
  8 LEN ▍Carvenlo Racing              61.5
  9 TGN ▍Kaylan Racing Team           46
 10 NIM ▍Nexus Racing                 44
 11 STL ▍Teusbank TMW Rennsport       21
 12 WGS ▍WGPC Motorworks (B)          17

Next Event: [- Time and Date -] :: One Week - Hapilopper City Grand Prix Course

RP Challenge: All Work, No Glory - Driver's get all the credit and stardom on the World Grand Prix Championship circuit, but the real stars are behind the scenes. Tell us about some of the crew members that support your teams or drivers prepare the car or do some of the other behind-the-scenes work that make all of this possible!

[TJUN-ia]

WGPC19
Round 9
Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland
Rennbahn Stelburg, Stelburg, Teusland, Siovanija and Teusland

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." A wise man from U1 allegedly said that and to Lane Carter, that quote has certainly been both proven and challenged ever since the end of the last race. Lane Carter tried to reach out to the two men he hoped to have good relations with over the course of this season and came up with mixed results. The e-mail to Daryl Mizushima had once again drawn a blank, Lane's heart crumbling into dust every time he checks his inbox to find nothing from squidmail.sqr within the marketing and the team memos. But his check up on his teammate, Gergori Krupin, actually did produce results as he was allowed into his motorhome to confront the demons within the Sorlovian's mind: that things were getting to him, that nothing seemed to be working, that questions about his abilities were creeping within. It was shocking to hear him talk about topics Lane had well and truly experienced before, issues that Lane felt was his and his own. It felt nice to listen and return the favour, to tell this man of many racing years that he has made his people proud and certainly his wife back home. "You have people back home who know how brilliant you are, Gregori. Remember that if nothing else."

What happened that day was still in his mind entering Round 9 of the season on the streets of Stelburg in Siovanija and Teusland. It seemed crazy to the Galarian that we were already up to Round 9 of this 11 round season, so close to the end and the darkness of the postseason that was soon to come, but he knew that we had to push on no matter what to try and boost Race Eelandii's position in the standings - the position that everyone there, from the mechanics to the directors, deserved for believing in him when he could not at times. This weekend would see both a Sprint and a Feature Race for the final time this season, so momentum had to start on Friday. Practise was wet and so, one of his engineers decided the focus should be on data collection and that was the game plan everyone went with. This track was certainly a bit of a challenge to drive in the rain but with Qualy set to be wet as well, any data taken now would be critical to future success. That explained why Carter and Krupin would be in 12th and 13th respectively after the session with Rustom Ibuna leading the way over Rudy Edwards and R.L. Cruisin. Mizu was down in 24th and Lane could do nothing to help...it made him feel useless as a friend.

Then Qualifying arrived and everything seemed to go very smoothly indeed. The format was Traditional but the pace was not as the quicker speeds of qualifying somehow brought the very best out of the Race Eelandii car in a way Lane certainly didn't see coming. The car was like a dream out there, cutting its way through the "Roundabout", as Lane called it, like it was just a wonky hairpin and no real trouble at all. It led towards one of the most interesting Top 3s of the season with Krupin on Pole, Carter completing the front row lockout and Joy Wingelaar completing the podium. Even Mizu made the races for the first time in weeks over Sayono Souzare by 3 tenths, so it was actually a good day for Lane Carter overall. He made sure to celebrate with the team, including giving that engineer a good old bear hug, before going off with Krupin for a casual drink as equals. It was nice to finally let the pressure off for a little while and actually bond with the guy from the opposite garage...something he was definitely missing from someone else.

The rain gave way to a Cloudy Saturday Sprint Race and starting from the front meant that the brown and silver machines were the targets of everyone behind. The safety car came out for a few laps for...track works, maybe, he wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it was a short blip in a race that became just about claiming as many points as possible despite advances up the field by better drivers. In the end, Ibuna took the full points with Krupin in a great 2nd, Cruisin in 3rd and Carter just outside the podium in 4th - a not too shabby performance by the Galarian today. Sara Luna, Ted Pressley, Wingelaar and Cocoabo #23 rounded out the Top 8 with William Archer (10th) and iBen Toralmintii (9th) claiming the front row for the feature. Daryl was last and a lap down...Lane even lapped him himself. It felt a bit wrong to do that to him, but that's racing...

Sunday's Feature Race would see the Galarian start from P7 on the grid, Krupin P9, and the main aim for the Galarian was to simply try and go as high as he could no matter what. He managed to get past a few cars in this race despite Olivia Stone's retirement bringing out the SC with Wingelaar, Cocoabo #23, Pressley and even Luna eventually all falling past his pace. - pace he didn't know he still had at this track in the dry. Will Archer was harder to deal with, someone he knew before and a driver Lane knew would fight to the bitter end like his father, but he managed to get past him as well. For the final 10 laps, he tried his best to real in his boss' boss, the owner of the car the Galarian drove, but in the end, iBen was just too far ahead. He took the flag over Carter and Archer with Luna, Ibuna, Krupin, Kinu Luminna, Pressley, Dom Falepeau and Cocoabo #23 rounding out the Top 10, Carter's joy at the podium into delight when he heard that Mizu claimed the Fastest Lap and his first point of the season. He still celebrated the P2 though because of course, you do! He also made sure to congratulate both his 'boss' and the defiant Archer on being up here, too.

Leaving S&T, iBen is now 17.5 points ahead in the standings with 2 rounds to go and the pressure now firmly on his shoulders to claim the title everyone thought he would get in the pre-season. Carter's tally of 24 from across the weekend now sees him up to 4th and the status of "best of the rest" while Krupin's 17 gets him up to 11th and not far off breaking into the Top 10. Mizu finally has his point, meaning that all 25 drivers have now gotten something to their names. Badai Angin still has a headlock on the Constructors, but REVTGP now finds itself in a respectable 4th and looking to do well in the final 2 rounds of the season.

Next up is Hapilopper City, the place of one of Lane's better performances last season - and where Lane hopes to add another good points finish to his impressive tally this season. He can certainly start to feel the pride in himself finally start to appear and he knew that he can do well on his day, a definite change from long ago, and he was certainly happy about that...but something felt...missing. He knew who...and it pained him. He would send another e-mail...despite it being the definition of insanity at this point.

---

To: Lane Carter (lcarter@jagwire.tj.un)
From: Daryl Mizushima (dmizushima@squidmail.sqr)
Subject: !!!!!

---

Mizu!

I knew you had what it takes to claim a point in this series. Claiming the fastest lap? That's certainly an achievement you can be proud of!

Well done, mate! I knew you could do it...I always knew.

Hope you're doing OK.

Kind regards,
Lane

[Auruna]

Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland
Post-Sprint Race
It was another of those sprint-feature race weekends, the kind in which Viska has no luck. The weekend didn't start ideally with both Olivia and Kinu qualifying outside of the top 10 in P21 and P11 respectively and the Sprint had the same result with both finishing in the position where they started in. This performance drew the attention of Team Principal Jöna Ekeränna who promptly conducted a meeting with Technical Director Hori Nÿkkänö and Head of Aerodynamics Häikki Juokkula, who is on video call from the Viska Factory in Sterlennau.

Jöna looked concerned and even more so as he is still recovering from a big headache but he just wants to quickly address the issue which has been reported by both Kinu and Olivia through qualifying and the sprint.

"Alright." Jöna said to start. "Both Kinu and Olivia reported issues with our new aero package, especially at the rear, it's all fine everywhere else. Kinu was genuinely ticked off by that so I guess we should start with the diffuser as he and Olivia reported the loss of downforce at the rear. Kinu suggested to look into the diffuser, Hori."

Hori follows up on what Jöna said. "I looked into my notes and the diffuser to check and the design of the small inner strakes, which was retained from the previous iteration, caused a disturbance to the airflow at medium to high-speed corners that was made worse in the new design that tried to fix it. That CFD and windtunnel there should confirm it." After shuffling through her notes, she then continues. "To add, the rear wing has no issues with both the old and new package so I'd suggest to increase the rear-wing angle but please do test it just to make sure."

"Alright, got it." Häikki complies. "We're going to start testing immediately after this and you should get your data soon. We'll let you know. We already have a new diffuser design here that just finished testing so I guess we should do a comparison."

"Do whatever you should." Hori said.

"Okay, copy. We should be able to get the new one ready for manufacture as soon as it passes."

"Alright, thanks. We'll be waiting for the data here." Hori said before ending the call with Häikki. She lets out a sigh of relief before raising her head to look at Jöna. Without saying anything before drinking his coffee, Jöna gives Hori a thumbs up to signal to her that she is dismissed. Hori then leaves Jöna alone in his office.

Jöna puts his cup of coffee down and rests his head on his hand as he continues to feel the residual pain of the headache. I'm not looking forward for tomorrow's race. He thought to himself as he slowly lowers his head to rest on his desk. Ienne, oli homenna hevän.

Feature Race
The race started off as normal with both Kinu and Olivia aiming to gain a few positions and some points for the team. Not much happened to both Viska drivers in the opening stages of the race until Olivia came on the radio to report an issue with her drive. Artur, Jöna, and Hori immediately looked at the monitors. After observing Olivia's car closely as she accelerates out of a corner, Hori could immediately figure out what the problem was visually. Jöna and Baxen were immediately notified.

Hori gets straight to the point. "Olivia's rear-left wheel is not being powered. We're not going anywhere with that so we should retire her car to avoid potential damage. I'm worried about the state of the transmission." She said while pointing at the monitors. "We're having a lot of issues this weekend."

Jöna groaned after hearing it. "Looks like Kinu's our final hope for today. Baxen, tell Olivia to retire at the end of... this lap." He says after checking the lap counter. Baxen goes on to tell Olivia to retire the car.

At the end of the sixth lap of the race, Olivia went into the pits in her rear-right wheel drive VK-02H to retire, leaving Kinu to fight for whatever points he can get for both the team and himself. After struggling in his first stint on softs, Kinu went in to pit for hards and a small adjustment to his front wing. It was a quick operation on his car and he was out in no time, on his way to grab a few points. It was a difficult climb, and after passing Ted Pressley, he didn't have much time to catch up to Krupin.

"Dammit, the rear is still concerning. I can't catch Krupin like this."

"I understand Kinu. We can't push in Mode 4 at the risk of uncontrollability after what happened to Olivia. Maintain Mode 8 and Tal to plus 1 at the corners. Plus 2 whenever necessary."

"I'm doing everything I can."

"You can do this. Krupin 13 ahead, steady."

...

"Hold on--- you... you can hold position. Tyre temps are high for the moment. Hold off the attack."

"This is what I feared."

Kinu went silent on the radio after that, trying to maintain his current gap back to front all the way to the end. As he trundles along with a battle going on behind him, not much happened to Kinu in his presumably crippled VK-02H. He soon crosses the line at P7.

"That's P7, great effort."

"The car's not feeling it today, not sure why."

"News from the factory: it's the diffuser. They have a new one that should be ready for the next race but we'll be doing some intense maintenance to your cars first."

"That's good to hear."

"Bring her back home. You did well this weekend."

"Copy and thanks."

[Sorlovia]

A racer’s support crew never tend to get much attention. But the truth is that they are the ones who keep the racer on the track. They are the ones working very long hours with just as much stress as the racers themselves. They are the ones working themselves to the bone and aching exhaustion to solve seemingly unsolvable problems. They face challenges that seem insurmountable and work with incredibly tight timeframes to ensure that their racer is able to race. They are the race bosses, they are the mechanics, they are the race analysts and the personal assistants. The unseen crew that do hard work to get everything running.

Gregori knew that he never would’ve made it as far as he had without them. He was forever grateful for everything they did to enable him to perform on the track. He’d made it his duty to get to know all of them from the very beginning; Sergei Lenkov his race chief, Alexei Stepanov his head mechanic, Pyotr Vasiliev his race analyst and Dmitri Orlov his personal assistant. They were the crew who had followed him into four seasons now unfailingly supporting him all the way. He refused to work with any other team members purely because these were the men who had been with him from the very beginning. They worked together like a well-oiled machine. Mixing up his support crew with any new members would only weaken and disrupt the cohesion and effectiveness that was Team Krupin.

”They are the ones who made it possible,” he thought to himself “if it wasn’t for them…”

Gregori and Sergei had been firm friends since high school. When he’d first set out on his Gran Prix in the domestic Sorlovian Gran Prix it had been Sergei who’d stood at his side. The constant voice of reason that kept him grounded and the good-natured pushing that stirred him to do better. Sergei spoke honestly with Gregori. He was perhaps one of only two people who did. He told him to pull his head in when he needed to. He gave him pep talks and honest heart-to-hearts as the need arose and he didn’t go easy on him. It was Sergei who diligently ran him through every race preparation and it was Sergei who prepped him for the tracks. It was his job as race chief but it was also support for his friend. The barrel-chested Slav with that deep bellowing laugh and habitually messy brown hair kept his word to him.

He’d found Alexei and Pyotr in his last domestic season before setting out for WGPC16. They’d been an integral part of his race crew in SGP3 and had eagerly followed him to the World Gran Prix. He’d been fortunate in that the Vannish Motors Racing team had allowed him to choose his own team and hadn’t enforced one of their own. Alexei was the single most talented mechanic Gregori knew. The young redheaded Slav with his inquisitive green eyes had a remarkable knack for fixing issues that seemingly could not be solved. He became so engrossed in the specific mechanics of the car he went into a sort of trance. In a few moments he’d diagnosed the issue, extracted the offending part and begun putting together a fix. It’d been Alexei who’d rebuilt and optimized his car after his crash last season. It’d been Alexei who had solved the issue with his car’s handling and the damaged axle. Gregori knew that if it wasn’t for Alexei he’d be having a much harder time.

Pyotr was a man like no other as well. His keen analytical mind meant that he saw the race statistics and analytics in his mind like movie credits. He carefully and methodically extracted key information and prepped Gregori on what he needed to do in order to perform better. Pyotr was a very quiet and slightly social awkward man that some might perhaps regard as unusual. His intelligence had set him aside as a social recluse who invested himself wholeheartedly in his work. He’d helped Gregori find the edge that had allowed him to do better in the last qualifying run. He was constantly presenting him with stacks of data and, as was frequently requested, prepared a rundown and what Gregori needed to do in the next race.

Dmitri was the newest member of the group. In all respects he was Gregori's right-hand-man. He handled all his appointments, managed his bookings for public appearances, carefully organized his practice schedule and sorted out hsi various accommodation arrangements. The dark-haired young man with an almost constant smile could often be seen at Gregori's side with a grey folder carefully clutched under one arm. There were many things a WGPC racer had to do. The races were the main event. But there were also race team outings, press events, sponsorship meetings, interviews to take part in and any number of other necessities. For that reason Dmitri was always busy.

[Aboveland]

Rennbahn Stelburg
Stelburg, Teusland

The fingernails on Edvin’s indexes have receded behind the tips of his fingers. On one hand, he’s bitten too far, and it has begun to sting; that pain has made him opt for biting his knuckle on the opposite hand to avoid the same fate twice. His right leg bounces violently and rhythmically on his foot, occasionally skipping a beat, and other times jumping twice in quick succession. Every so often, he slips from his stool and his shirt catches on the base of his seat, always coming quite close to scraping his back, but so far he’s managed to get away with it. And despite the complete state of mental disrepair which overcomes his body, his eyes are fixed — glued — to the screens in front of him. There’s only a single lap to go and things look nominal, but he’s not ready to exhale yet.

It’s the gearbox.

It’s evident in the telemetry, and in the uncharacteristic shakiness of iBen’s voice. Something has started to go wrong — it may have been the kerbs, or a little bit too much aggression, or another dreaded supplier issue — but it’s delaying the shifts and, based on precedent, could ultimately end up blowing the engine if it gets too feisty.

But there’s nine seconds in hand, and only half the circuit to go: surely the gearbox must hold in just that little bit more. It looks like it can, until it skips a gear again, or until it takes half a second to shift into the next gear, and Edvin’s heartbeat matches the RPM counter on iBen’s video feed. He can barely crack a “keep it together” through the radio as the final corners waft by. The Turorian is gentle on the braking into turn 23, and easy on the upshifts through 24 towards the start/finish line. As he shifts right before the pit wall, the gearbox jumps from sixth to eighth gear in a single push of the paddle, and at that point, nothing else matters.

Edvin’s bitten hand turns into a fist, and he slams it against the console right in front of him. Cups and bottles and cans of Fryst rattle and jump with the hit, as he lets out a long, hard, growling whoop.

“Fucking hell yeah!” he shrieks into the radio, followed by a drawn-out, vibrato-toned ‘yes’. He thinks he’s regained his composure, but he can only roar with excitement again, and again, and again, as iBen’s thanks to the team come through the radio. “Eleven!” iBen yells. “Win eleven!”

Behind Edvin, an ecstatic Terho arrives jumping, wrapping his arms around the team principal who, after the rush of euphoria, now rests his arms on the console and his head, on his arms. Terho wraps his arms around him from behind and gives him a rough shake, and a hard slap on the back. His words of encouragement are drowned out in the collective celebration of the deep blue garage behind.

Edvin, his breath collecting at the pit of his forearm and circling back to flutter his hair, smiles toothily, and grins harder as Sara Luna also relays her race-end comments to the team. The year had been long, tough, blurry, uncertain, and almost terrifying. A P1 and P4? That means TRÆ is back in the game, and that the fire, the passion, and the hunger to win is back in TRÆ. “Sensational, work Sara, iBen,” he screams into the radio, with an exhausted sigh as punctuation. “More of this in Hapilopper. We will fight until the very last inch!”

‘We.’ Sara, iBen, Edvin, and Terho, and Aada, and the Vilitans and the Abovians and the Turorians.

‘We.’

[Togonistan]

Kaylan Racing Team HQ
Tushlark, Togonistan

''Ready... action!'' Manu said while standing in the middle of garage with his arms crossed. Two mechanics started pushing the T180 from one end of the garage until the car came to a stop in front of the pit crew, who quickly did a tyre change. ''2.18 seconds. Come on guys, we can do better than that!'' Manu shook his head and reset the stopwatch in his hand. Pit stop practicing was one of Kaylan's routine training methods that were being done by the team during their time in-between race weekends. It was important to keep the crew at top notch condition and the team put a big emphasis on it.

Contrary to a popular belief, there was no such job position as a pit crew member in the team. Being a part of pit crew was just another task the members had to do alongside their other assignments. Kaylan's pit crew mostly consisted of junior mechanics, whose tasks included setting up tyres for race weekends, doing simpler maintenance work on the cars and some other things here and there. However, over the years, there had also been truck drivers and, on one rare occasion, even a guy from marketing department performing pit crew duties during race weekends. All in all, if a team member's tasks didn't require them to be somewhere else during a race, being a part of pit crew was a viable option. But, how did one even get to be trusted with the task of performing pit stops? Well, it depended on various circumstances. Some team members had voluntarily expressed their interest to become part of it, while others were picked for the spot by the team. Getting a spot in the pit crew required going through extensive training about all the aspects of performing a pit stop and even though by the end they were assigned with a certain task to perform, all members still had to know both how to operate a wheel gun as well as front or rear jacks. There was always a chance of pit crew member getting sick or not being able to fill their duty for some other reason. If that happened, everyone had to be ready to suddenly fill in the spot left open.

Rai was one of the longest lasting team members to be a part of the pit crew. Having just celebrated his 29th birthday, the Togonistani had been part of the team ever since Kaylan's first season in WGP2 and despite his young age, had a fair amount of experience under his belt. Normally, whenever there was a new rookie about to join the pit crew, Rai would be the one giving them long talks about all the technical aspects of pit stops. If he weren't a mechanic, Rai would've probably made a good career in marketing. He had his way with words and somehow always managed to explain things in simple language, making even the slowest dimwits understand what, how and why they need to do. It was this quality that also made Rai widely respected in the whole garage.

Then, there was Haru. Despite sharing name with an Aurun WGP2 driver, the Haru from Kaylan wasn't much of a driver himself. It was also reflected in the fact that despite being 32 years of age, Haru didn't even have a valid driver's license. It wasn't that he was afraid of driving or couldn't pass the exams, it was just that his license had expired two years ago and Haru didn't feel much need to renew it. He was fascinated by the inner workings of cars, not driving them. While his closest friends were all drivers and constantly complained about Tushlark's rush hour traffic, Haru was an avid user of Togonistani taxi services. After a day in the garage, he couldn't even imagine sitting behind a wheel and preferred to relax on the back seat instead. His lack of driver's license also hadn't stopped him from becoming Kaylan's unofficial #1 ladies man, with the Togonistani often being seen in company of attractive women. His playboy imago also had to do with his carefully trimmed beard and long dark brown hair, which Haru always kept tied to a ponytail.

Unlike Haru, Artyom on the other hand was very much a driver in heart. Well, he had been. As a kid, the young Kassegrochian had a dream of becoming a racing driver. Since the age of 7, he had tried his hand in karting and had enjoyed it a lot. However, his racing career got cut short with a mixture of his lack of coaching, family's poor monetary possibilities and Kassegrochian civil war all happening at the same time. By the time war ended, he had given up on his dreams of becoming a racing driver and pursued studies to become a car mechanic instead. However, fate had given him another chance as at the age of sixteen, Artyom managed to get work at Mirkov WGP3 team, thanks to his ties from school that allowed him to work while studying. After two seasons in WGP3, Kaylan had taken interest in the young Kassegrochian and thus, that's where he ended up, working with WGPC machinery aged merely 19. The blond-haired Kassegrochian's young age surely reflected in his behaviour, with Artyom's immature antics he pulled off from time to time having caused Xander a fair number of grey hair over the last year. Indeed, Artyom never made it to WGPC as a driver, but in his mind, he had managed to do the next best thing. And while Xander didn't know how the loud-mouthed Kassegrochian would act behind a wheel, he knew that Artyom was an absolute devil behind a wheel gun.

As mentioned before, most of Kaylan's pit crew worked on cars as mechanics as well. Kahu, on the other hand, was an exception. The quiet Togoni man in his mid-40s was an interesting figure. Unlike playboy Haru, Kahu seemed to pay next to no attention to his looks and could easily be mistaken for a hobo. His mid-length black hair were always messy and his unkempt beard screamed for a razor. Working most days of the week as a truck driver hauling car parts and other important goods for Kaylan's team, Kahu was rarely seen by the rest of team apart from race weekends. Perhaps it was that lack of contact which made him the black sheep around his other, more outgoing colleagues. Or, perhaps it was Kahu's unique views that caused him to be seen as an odd fellow. Unlike most of his colleagues, Kahu was deeply religious. He didn't follow Christianity, Islam nor any other more contemporary religion. Instead, he was a strong follower of old Togoni beliefs. Kahu always wore a wooden bear totem around his neck, which represented his spirit animal. It was his talisman which he never took off. During race weekends, he kept it hidden underneath his fireproof suit and whenever a pit stop was about to come, Kahu always brought it out and gave it a kiss before rushing to the pit lane.

Manu, however, did not believe in any superhuman abilities of Kahu's bear totem. He believed in constant practice in order to keep the pit crew's minds sharp. There were two rounds left in the season and as it stood, Kaylan was two points ahead of Nexus in the standings. They wanted to do everything in their abilities to stay ahead of the Nimban outfit, as well as close the gap with Carvenlo if at all possible. Design department had worked hard to develop upgrades and after a streak of sub-par results, it seemed that finally, they had managed to develop the T180 into a machine capable of fighting for points. Every point, every tenth of a second mattered at that stage and Manu was determined to make sure the pit crew puts down their best performance to allow Ted and Anola lose as little time as possible in the pits.

''Okay, let's do this! Ready... go!''

[Vilita and Turori]

AEL - Grand Prix of Aels [Western Route Circuit]
NEK - Grand Prix of Nekoni [Nekoni International Circuit]
JNI - Joushiki Nante Iranai Grand Prix [Somos City Circuit]
NIM - Nimban Grand Prix [Crossbay Circuit]
VIL - Vilitan Grand Prix [Mountain Challenge Course]
FLC - Grand Prix of the Free Kingdom [Highpoint Raceway]
AUD - Hygolje Audioslavian Grand Prix [Crossport Raceway]
AUR - Aurun Grand Prix [Akresna Circuit]
ABV - Abovian Grand Prix Feature [Fjellutfordring]
FID - Grand Prix Filindostan Cepat [San Marco Street Circuit]
S&T - Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland, [Rennbahn Stelburg]

All Time WGPC Stats: Wins: 11 :: Podium: 20 :: Top 10: 42

TORALMINTII PUTS TRÆ BACK ON TOP IN TEUSLAND

Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland, Rennbahn Stelburg, Stelburg, Teusland :: As the World Grand Prix Circuit descended on Teusland for the second Sprint/Feature doubleheader race weekend of the season, Tropicorp Racing Aelund and driver iBen Toralmintii entered with a 13 race Winless streak. It was the longest such streak for Toralmintii since the World Grand Prix Championship's 16th season and the longest winless streak for the Lintulahti based team since... ever. For a team that had won 60% of the races during their dominant World Grand Prix Championship 17 season - finishing 177 points ahead of Badai Angin Tim in the Constructor Standings, for a team that had won 12 races in 3 seasons heading into WGPC Season 19, having nothing to celebrate on top of the podium had been a struggle. It hadn't necessarily been a case of poor performance - both Toralmintii and new teammate Sara Luna had shown pace throughout the season. Along with Constructor Rivals Badai Angin Tim, Tropicorp Racing Aelund were one of just two teams that had seen one of their drivers score points in every single Grand Prix weekend of the season. However Toralmintii had picked up just 3 podium finishes and Luna had 1. For a team that had 10 Podium finishes the season prior, the difference was clear. While the AGP chassis that had dominated World Grand Prix Championship Season 17 and 18 was still plenty capable, it was clear that the rest of the field had caught up. In the midst of one of the most balanced seasons in World Grand Prix Championship history with 9 different winners in the first 9 races, Tropicorp Racing Aelund hadn't been one of them. iBen Toralmintii, the driver with the most Grand Prix victories of all time, hadn't been one of them.

The circuit had already travelled to three events that Toralmintii had won the previous season - The Aurun Grand Prix, Abovian Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Filindostan Cepat. While those races were the site of Toralmintii's two podium finishes on the season, he and the team were denied victory on each occasion. Failing to win either of two races at their home circuit was an embarassment for Tropicorp Racing Aelund but also served as a wake up call, themselves finding the urge to "Get Good" after watching Hapilopper's Rudy Edwards take the feature victory in their own back yard. Toralmintii's runner-up finish at the Akresna Circuit did have one positive side effect, however. Points. After having entered the race weekend trailing the Badai Angin Tim duo Dom Falepeau and Rustom Ibuna in the standings, the runner-up finish catapulted the Turorian into the Driver's Championship lead - albeit by a narrow 6 points.

There was no World Grand Prix Heritage to look back at when the teams arrived at Rennbahn Stelburg. It was the debut running of the Siovanija & Teusland Grand Prix. Stelburg itself was perhaps more famous for being the site of the Stelburg Conference where Allies of Atlantian Oceania converged to affirm Field Marshal Reinhard Drachmann as AORDO General. While Badai Angin Tim had struggled at the Akresna Circuit, there was no sign of trouble for the team in Siovanija & Teusland as Rustom Ibuna was fastest in practice with Dom Falepeau close behind in 4th place. Tropicorp Racing Aelund duo Sara Luna and iBen Toralmintii were nearly two tenths off the pace of their Constructor championship rivals. With the weekend including a half-points sprint race, the ipmortance of qualifying could not be overstated. No team got that memo better than the Race Eelandii Vilita & Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks team who locked out the front row - becoming just the second team to accomplish the feat on the season after Badai Angin Tim did so during their home race at the Yogyakulta Circuit. While Ibuna and Luna both matched their practice speed, Toralmintii and Dom Falepeau were mired back in 10th and 13th respectively and would have their work cut out for them to work back into the points during the reduced-length sprint. In the end, neither was able to crack the points while Rustom Ibuna was able to navigate around the two Race Eelandii machines to take their third career victory and second in a span of just 4 races after having earlier in the season broken a winless streak of 42 races dating back to the second event of World Grand Prix Championship season 16. Every bit of ground that Toralmintii and Tropicorp Racing Aelund had seemed to gain in Auruna had been erased as Ibuna re-established themselves as the Championship favorite and only driver to claim multiple race victories thus far. While Toralmintii was unable to score points in the sprint they did finish well enough to earn second starting position for the feature alongside Preston Autos driver William Archer.

When the cars rolled off the grid at the start of the Siovanija & Teusland Feature, iBen Toralmintii would become the driver with the second most career Grand Prix starts. The Turorian was able to accomplish this due to the fact that Hodori driver Sayono Souzare had failed to qualify in the World Grand Prix Motorworks car and Toralmintii's 81st career start had now bumped Souzare, with 80, down to third on both the all time list and the list of active drivers - with Mattijana's Alex Dimitrianov 3rd with 75 career starts and Starblaydia's Jai Kardaeri on 72 in 5th place all time - though neither driver was entered this season. Toralmintii would celebrate the occasion by claiming their 11th Grand Prix Victory and first of the season - but not without some late drama in the process. After slipping past Archer at the start by keeping a wheel inside the Preston Autos machine around Turn 2 and having the inside line for the tight entry to Turn 3, Toralmintii had built up a sizable advantage at the front of the pack and was able to distance himself from the charge of Ibuna and Lane Carter - the two fastest drivers on the track who were making progress from their deep starting positions to climb back into Podium Contention. It seemed Toralmintii was set to cruise to a victory that would re-ignite both the Drivers and Constructors championship battles heading into the final two race weekends. In the Tropicorp Racing Aelund pit area, however, anticipation was mixed with nervousness. Toralmintii was not confident on the radio. He had been pressing to take a point for the fastest lap when the car bobbled. Toralmintii abandoned the lap then had a silent conversation with the crew on the radio. Should he try to press again for that point? Or back off into the gap he had extended over the field. Ultimately, the gearbox was failing. However, Toralmintii's veteran experience in backing out before it was too late had perhaps saved the race. The Turorian nursed the AGP chassis around the final corners to take their first victory of the season - the teams first victory of the season. The crew erupted from the paddock. For some of the new team members it was their first ever Grand Prix victory. For the rest- they had gained a new appreciation over the previous 13 Grands Prix about just how special a race victory was - and how perhaps they hadn't properly appreciated some of their victories in the past. With the win, Toralmintii once again re-took the top spot in the Drivers standings though Badai Angin Tim limited the damage by getting both of their drivers back into the points by the end of the race.

WGPC 19 Statistics (After 11 of 13 Races)

:: Average Finish :: 
6  - iBen Toralmintii
     Dom Falepeau      
8  - Rustom Ibuna      
10 - (TIE) 4 Drivers     
11 - (TIE) 4 Drivers

:: Most Fast Laps :: 
2   - William Archer
1   - (TIE) 10 Drivers

In a season that has seen at least one driver from both Badai Angin Tim and Tropicorp Racing Aelund score points in every race thus far - the Feature at Siovanija and Teusland was unique in that it was the first time all season that all four of the drivers competing for the championship rivals would finish in the points in the same event. Unlike previous championship battles that regularly saw Talvela and Toralmintii battle for first and second on track, this had been an off and on battle with one team prevailing at one event, the other in the next and it may all come down to who has the advantage at the final two tracks. Though the 19th World Grand Prix Championship season will undoubtedly go down as the 'season of parity' after a recent history of lopsided championship battles, the Abovian and Filindo outfits had still managed to stand slightly above the competition. While 11 drivers had an average finishing position of 11th or higher on the season thus far, just three had a single-digit average finish. iBen Toralmintii and Dom Falepeau both entered the final two races with an average finish of 6th while Falepeau led the season with 10 finishes inside the points. Although Toralmintii is joint top of the circuit with an average finish of 6th through 9 Race Weekends it is still a step backward for a team that had an average finish of 4.5 during WGPC Season 18. Rustom Ibuna was close behind with an average finish of 8th but made up the gap in points through their two race victories. The next 8 drivers - including Toralmintii's teammate Sara Luna, would fall in the range of Average Finishes between 10th and 11th place. Just six drivers had an average finish lower than 15th - including the three World Grand Prix Motorworks drivers, the two Teusbank TMW Rennsport drivers in what has been a difficult season for the Siovanija and Teusland based outfit - and Jean Mercer-Daly. While Mercer-Daly did struggle to keep pace with their Nexus Racing teammate Ryker Lane during WGPC Season 18 with just three top ten finishes, few would have anticipated the continued decline in performance not only of Nexus Racing but also Mercer-Daly who has failed to finish inside the points since the Abovian Sprint Race.

The struggles over the previous two World Grand Prix Seasons - in particular during World Grand Prix Championship Season 19 - have also knocked Jean Mercer-Daly off a number of statistical lines where the Esmerel driver had previously been ranked in the Top 5 of the Modern Era including all-time Points per Race and highest percentage of Podium Finishes. A selection of these statistics, updated to reflect results through the Grand Prix of Siovanija and Teusland in World Grand Prix Championship Season 19, are shown below. Due in part due to recent parity across the 19th World Grand Prix Championship season - no active World Grand Prix drivers appear in any Top 5 that involves a statistic being calculated as a metric "per race" across a drivers total career start range.

WGPC Modern-Era Statistics (Through WGPC 19 - Week 9)

:: Most Starts :: 
109 - R.L. Cruisin
81  - iBen Toralmintii
80  - Sayona Souzare
75  - Alex Dimitrianov
72  - Jai Kardaeri

:: Most Race Victories :: 
11  - iBen Toralmintii
9   - Terho Talvela
7   - André Luís Caconde
6   - Jessica Franssen
    - Jean Mercer-Daly
    - R.L. Cruisin

:: Points Per Race :: 
1   - Terho Talvela
2   - Maria Cattaneo
3   - Xeb Kallasdun
4   - André Luís Caconde
5   - Jessica Franssen

:: Most Podium Finishes :: 
26  - Terho Talvela
20  - Matthew Portland
    - Jai Kardaeri
    - iBen Toralmintii
17  - R.L. Cruisin
15  - Alexander Lund

:: Podiums % :: 
42%  - Terho Talvela
33%  - Maria Cattaneo
32%  - Matthew Portland
30%  - André Luís Caconde
28%  - Jai Kardaeri

:: Most Top 10 Finishes :: 
45  - R.L. Cruisin
43  - Terho Talvela
42  - iBen Toralmintii
40  - Jai Kardaeri
35  - Matthew Portland

:: Top Ten % :: 
78%  - Jang Xiaopeng
70%  - Enaut Londoso
69%  - Terho Talvela
67%  - Maria Cattaneo
     - Jessica Franssen
     - Reni Sanderson

---

Rookie of the Season :: It was clear that experience was playing a roll in the World Grand Prix Championship drivers standings as the title appeared destined to be determined between three drivers with multiple seasons of World Grand Prix experience. Turori's iBen Toralmintii leads the way having recently become the modern-era driver with the second most all-time Grand Prix starts though Filindostan's second generation driver Rustom Ibuna has now become a serious title contender in their fourth full time season of competition. Just five active drivers on the World Grand Prix circuit have more experience than Ibuna and only four of them are in full-time status competing against the Filindostani driver. Of course, a potential outlier is Togonistan's Dom Falepeau who in just their second season of competition has shown great speed including multiple pole positions, a sprint qualifying victory and a sprint race win in Aboveland. Falepeau could prove spoiler to the veterans with strong showings over the final two races in what would be one of the most unpredictable World Grand Prix championships since the rookie trifecta when first-season drivers won the title for three consecutive campaigns from WGPC 14 through WGPC 16. While there are no Rookie Drivers still mathematically in contention for the Drivers Championship during the 19th World Grand Prix championship season, each of the six first-time World Grand Prix competitors could still walk away with the coveted Toys '4' All Rookie of the Season honors.

With two races left in the season, Auruna's Laura Haukanna of Pryfors Bilar Viska leads Tumbran Ted Pressley of the Kaylan Racing Team by 7.5 points in the Rookie standings - though all six first time drivers remain in contention for the title. Haukanna, a former Aurun E-Series competitor, finished 6th in the World Grand Prix 2 Season 4 Standings but now sits atop their competitors after making the jump to the top tier of World Grand Prix Motor Racing. Each of the Six Rookie drivers competing in the World Grand Prix Championships 19th Season had previously competed in the most recent World Grand Prix 2 season with Five of them Finishing inside the Top 6 in the Driver Standings from the most recent World Grand Prix 2 season. Joy Wingelaar from the Licentian Isles was the 6th driver to make the leap to the WGPC after finishing 10th in the World Grand Prix 2 Season 4 standings. Vilitan driver Skiia Vialiv was the only driver in the Top 5 of the World Grand Prix 2 Season 4 Standings who did not get a ride in the World Grand Prix Championship season 19 though the Vilitan is expected to be in line for a future drive with Tropicorp Racing Aelund where she is currently serving as Official Test Driver. The Toys '4' All Rookie of the Season will be awarded at the conclusion of the WGPC 19 season at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, not far from the Toys '4' All Headquarters in Lopinka, Vilita.

WGPC Season 19 Rookie Standings :: After 11 of 13 Races

Pos # ▍DRV Name                      Team                     Pts
 1 37 ▍HAU Laura Haukanna            GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   47.5
 2 88 ▍PRE Ted Pressley              Kaylan Racing Team       40
 3 17 ▍LAU Janne Laukkanen           Carvenlo Racing          19
 4 31 ▍WIN Joy Wingelaar             Teusbank TMW Rennsport   18
 5 83 ▍MNI Anola "Wrench" Melani     Kaylan Racing Team       6
 6 15 ▍JUN Heinz-Otto Junker         Teusbank TMW Rennsport   3

[Diarcesia]

The research and development department has always been a crucial group within GPA Pryfors Bilar-Viska. Away from the spotlight, and thanks to their breakthroughs and advancements, they allow our drivers to stand out among the competition.

Sarah Capella - Materials Engineer

She is responsible for the identifying compounds that can be used to improve the car's performance and reliability. Razor-thin margins spell the difference between victory and defeat in WGPC, and people like Sarah do what they do best to help the team stay on the cutting-edge. This includes making detailed analyses when a particular component fails to behave according to the simulations.

Sarah graduated from the Institute of Industrial Technology in 2015 with a masters in Materials Engineering. Joining Pryfors Bilar in WGP2 Season 4, she channels her passions in her job. Her other obsession and first love is gaming, having been a gamer her whole life from a young age.

Ishmael of Megrez - Fluid Engineer

Ishmael of Megrez (Isma'il al-Maghriz) gets good motor oil and fluid samples trackside and ensures that (a) it complies with WGPO regulations and (b) they maximize the car's performance during a session or race. He also helps the team identify contaminants present and propose mitigating actions should the need arise.

He had perhaps one of the most stressful roles of anyone in the team. Being one of the folks who measure the wear and tear of the car systems that use the fluids, he was, behind the scenes, front-and-center in tracking down and diagnosing PB's very public transmission troubles in the past. It can be said that Laura and Dario could owe the current season's more dependable gearboxes to Ishmael's efforts.

[Abanhfleft]

TO: Ted Pressley, Anola "Wrench" Melani, Lane Carter, Anneliese Devereux
FROM: William Archer
SUBJECT: Wanna Hang Out?

Hey guys, this email might come as a surprise since it's coming so late into the season, but do any of you guys feel like hanging out in Hapilopper City after the grand prix there? It can be for anything, maybe a chance for the young guns to just hang out and chill. Let me know if any of you guys are up for this.

William

"All right, I think that looks good," William Archer said to himself as he reviewed the email one more time to check for spelling or grammatical errors. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Again. He had already invited drivers to an informal get-together last season during midseason testing, but this was different. This time he was inviting only a select few to an even smaller gathering, and this time he was doing it all behind Preston's back. There would be no Chet Byrd or Chris Holmes (whoever it was that did it last season) to help him out now; he was now all on his own for this.

William moved the cursor to the send button on the email, and then he hesitated. Did he really want to do this? William did see himself as a somewhat introverted individual, after all. That was probably why he didn't have many friends on the WGPC grid. But there was also another side of William who was afraid that his email was just going to be snubbed by everyone he was sending it to.

Nope, the other worst scenario is that everyone accepts your invitation and now you've gotta set up a party for five, he told himself. Well, here goes nothing, William thought as he clicked SEND EMAIL.

[Aboveland]

Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit
Hapilopper City, Happiloper

"I love you," whispers Sami into Janne's mouth, their lips rubbing together. The towers of Hapilopper City reflect the pale morning sun into their hotel room, and the golden honey-colored light beams upon the sides of their faces. Janne brings his hands up to grab the back of Sami's head and returns the favor. His heart, uneasy, finds refuge in the instant of the embrace, Sami's head tilted down onto his shoulders, and Janne ever so slightly propping himself up on the pads of his toes.

"I love you too," he replies, before pulling back and running his hands through his hair. He heads for his duffel bag with his racing equipment, which rests on the counter of the kitchenette, and slips into his racing shoes — which he's always, for convenience, put on before even leaving for the track. "See you there, then?" he asks Sami, who's flopped back onto the bed, and who hums affirmatively and holds up a thumb as the honey-colored light bathes his toned body. "Five more minutes," he pleads, giggling, and turning around to bury himself in the thick bedding. It doesn't take long for his breathing to become heavy and rhythmic.

As Janne leaves the room with his bag slung behind his back, he closes the door gently, sliding the well-oiled latch into its slot with a satisfyingly quiet click. He lingers for a moment with his hand on the handle; he stands almost entranced, analyzing the state of his bodily systems. How's his hearbeat? How are his underarms? Is there sweat gathering right on his hairline? Is there a nervous tremble drumming at his stomach?

No, no, no, and no. Not yet, at least. That's good.

He sighs heavily and turns to head for the elevators at the end of the corridor. The realization sets in as his feet sink into the padded carpeting: he's at ease for the first time in a while. His low-level turbulent anxiety, finally cleared in WGP2 4, had returned throughout the season: at first, from the novelty of jumping into a new team, then from the pressure to live up to his legacy — and the reason he’d been drafted into a six time championship winning team — and perform. But Avisdesliggendevuoret had been a cataclism: the dam holding back his psyche burst violently and destructively, and all of the dread and guilt and self-pity which he’d managed to smother, but which had begun to stir again, poured out at once, and things felt like they’d started to finally fall apart for good. The unholy concoction of the guilt, the fear, the lust, the want, the dread, and the more tangible things: his results, his team’s results, his team’s threats of pulling out — no doubt encouraged by his own performance, and the results of the team he was supposed to go to next year; all part of the favorite serum on which the dreadful, hellish, Satanic little bunnies living in the pit of his stomach feed.

In spite of all of it, however, of having been brought to the edge of a total, irrecoverable meltdown, he’d managed to begin healing again. Taking it slow and rebooting his head: he’d returned to Iskajärvi after Akresna along with Sami for a week of self repair, which had done wonders. By this time of the year, the northern lights could sometimes be seen, and despite the long dark nights, his lakeside loft apartment was the perfect cozy cubicle in which to wind down. They’d spent an entire week inseparably together, cocooned and spooned in each other’s arms, breathing and heart-beating in sync with the other. Yes, Janne had sinned; it wasn’t anything he was planning on revealing to Sami anytime soon, but it didn’t really matter after all. He knew where his heart lay, and where his soul found his comfort, and that was the most important thing of all.

Lost and wandering in his self reflection, Janne reaches the end of the hallway, a gray painted wall with a hanging fire extinguisher and fire escape instructions at eye level. He snaps back into the present with a frown — he’s walked all the way to the opposite end of the corridor, to the elevators which take him down to the wrong car park. He groans, even if it’s not large enough of an annoyance to bring him down, and he turns back to face the other way to walk back across the long hall. He slows down as he approaches the door to his own room to listen for signs of life, but there’s not a sound coming from inside: Sami must still be asleep.

It’s in that lingering moment with his ear hovering just above the vinyl-coated door— and because of the previous lingering moment right as he closed the door, and because of his introspection having led him the wrong way down the hall, and because of the timing of his pause facing the wall and the pace at which he had walked back the same way — that another door two rooms in front of him beeps and clicks open. His heart skips a beat before even so much as a fingernail reaches out into the corridor. He knows it before he sees it: the entire previous weekend spent trying to avoid another bout of crossed gazes and hanging looks about to be gone down the drain.

Affirmatively, it is. He hates to admit it to himself, but his suspicion is confirmed as his hand first exits the room: not because he has a hunch, but because he can already recognize the vein pattern on his forearms. The color of the shoulder of the polo shirt is the dead giveaway, but it’s excessive information anyway: he knows by the way the short sleeve wraps fittedly around his bicep — the kind that looks raised even when it's relaxed, which has that slight, intoxicating slope right at the joint leading up to the shoulder —, and the tufts of short dark brown hair which wiggle at their ends as the air circulates from within the room out towards the hall.

He feels his underarms go moist, the base of his hairline damp, the pulse in his chest throb, the tremble of the fuzzy little hellspawns in his stomach growing — but he makes a conscious effort to ever so slightly puff his chest out. He’s grown, he thinks, in the past week; he’s found his footing again. Surely he can manage a coy, albeit friendly, and purely platonic, small talk encounter. Aloof, he thinks, but not rude.

Immediately, his first words are chirpy and light and hopelessly vulnerable. “Oh hi!” he quips; it’s an outburst of unmeasured excitement which pains the rational Janne evidently relegated to a spectating role. Too much!

Ted, not yet fully out of the room, his head still down as he fumbles with the handle, replies with an equally jovial greeting, without having made eye contact yet. He’s recognized Janne by the sound of his voice, perhaps — or what if… he just feels it's him?

Janne’s next course of action should be a comment on the weather and a good luck wish, but as Ted’s eyes rise from the door handle to meet his, his chest is liquefied, and his legs go rubbery, and his impulses again take the wheel.

“Need a ride to the track?” he asks, like an idiot, and smiling warmly like an idiot. Stop!

The Tumbran grins, his gorgeous little stupid dimples forming below his cheekbones; maybe he’s missed this; maybe he’s got the same idea.

“Sure!” he replies.

Janne’s heart skips a beat, but he grins back.

[WGPC 19]

---

[Preston Autos] Hapiloppian Grand Prix

(Legacy) City Guide

The Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit has become the home of international road racing in the Dominion, and has become known for its quick corners, such as First Right, McLaughlin's and Slidey Right, as well as the treacherous and deceptively slow left-hand Oh Crap There's A Wall, named for the unforgiving concrete wall on driver's right.

Week 10: Practice

Conditions:      	Dry
Session Length:	75 minutes
Nation:         	HAP
Circuit:        	Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit

Drivers have 75 minutes to complete as many laps of the track as they like

---

POS # ▍DRIVER                           	FASTEST LAP	GAP TO LEADER
 1 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                     	00:01:34.384	00:00:00.000
 2  8 ▍William Archer                   	00:01:34.410	00:00:00.027
 3 82 ▍Kinu Luminna                     	00:01:34.453	00:00:00.069
 4 25 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:34.484	00:00:00.100
 5 51 ▍R.L. Cruisin                     	00:01:34.498	00:00:00.114
 6 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:34.524	00:00:00.140
 7  5 ▍Rudy Edwards                     	00:01:34.552	00:00:00.168
 8 83 ▍Anola "Wrench" Melani            	00:01:34.601	00:00:00.217
 9 88 ▍Ted Pressley                     	00:01:34.615	00:00:00.231
10 40 ▍Adriana Kowalski Ela...          	00:01:34.681	00:00:00.297
11 50 ▍Sara Luna                        	00:01:34.693	00:00:00.309
12 11 ▍Lane Carter                      	00:01:34.695	00:00:00.311
13 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:34.854	00:00:00.470
14 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:34.924	00:00:00.540
15 37 ▍Laura Haukanna                   	00:01:35.132	00:00:00.748
16 24 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:35.267	00:00:00.883
17  7 ▍Anneliese Devereux               	00:01:35.324	00:00:00.940
18 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                      	00:01:35.449	00:00:01.065
19 15 ▍Heinz-Otto Junker                	00:01:35.588	00:00:01.204
20 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                  	00:01:35.672	00:00:01.288
21 27 ▍Dario Nülkeschläger              	00:01:35.684	00:00:01.300
22 41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:36.865	00:00:02.482
23 63 ▍Daryl Mizushima                  	00:01:36.957	00:00:02.573
24 85 ▍Olivia Stone                     	00:01:36.979	00:00:02.595
25 31 ▍Joy Wingelaar                    	00:01:37.076	00:00:02.692

---

Week 10: Qualifying

Conditions:      	Dry
Qualifying Type:	Elimination
Nation:         	HAP
Circuit:        	Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit

POS # ▍DRIVER                           	FASTEST Q1	GAP TO LEADER	FASTEST Q2	GAP TO LEADER	FASTEST Q3	GAP TO LEADER	FASTEST Q4	GAP TO LEADER	
 1  8 ▍William Archer                   	00:01:30.136	00:00:00.059	00:01:30.335	FASTEST : Q2	00:01:30.202	FASTEST : Q3	00:01:30.068	FASTEST : Q4	
 2 50 ▍Sara Luna                        	00:01:30.077	FASTEST : Q1	00:01:30.350	00:00:00.015	00:01:30.227	00:00:00.025	00:01:30.073	00:00:00.005	
 3 82 ▍Kinu Luminna                     	00:01:30.103	00:00:00.025	00:01:30.344	00:00:00.009	00:01:30.213	00:00:00.011	00:01:30.074	00:00:00.006	
 4 63 ▍Daryl Mizushima                  	00:01:30.299	00:00:00.222	00:01:30.395	00:00:00.060	00:01:30.275	00:00:00.073	00:01:30.101	00:00:00.033	
 5 41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:30.196	00:00:00.119	00:01:30.408	00:00:00.073	00:01:30.278	00:00:00.076	00:01:30.140	00:00:00.072	
 6 85 ▍Olivia Stone                     	00:01:30.205	00:00:00.128	00:01:30.437	00:00:00.101	00:01:30.297	00:00:00.095	00:01:30.143	00:00:00.075	
 7 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:30.354	00:00:00.276	00:01:30.425	00:00:00.090	00:01:30.315	00:00:00.113			
 8 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                  	00:01:30.305	00:00:00.228	00:01:30.471	00:00:00.135	00:01:30.328	00:00:00.126			
 9  5 ▍Rudy Edwards                     	00:01:30.264	00:00:00.187	00:01:30.482	00:00:00.146	00:01:30.344	00:00:00.142			
10 37 ▍Laura Haukanna                   	00:01:30.288	00:00:00.211	00:01:30.488	00:00:00.152	00:01:30.364	00:00:00.162			
11 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:30.333	00:00:00.256	00:01:30.524	00:00:00.189	00:01:30.395	00:00:00.192			
12 40 ▍Adriana Kowalski Ela...          	00:01:30.464	00:00:00.387	00:01:30.535	00:00:00.200	00:01:30.431	00:00:00.229			
13 25 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:30.448	00:00:00.371	00:01:30.563	00:00:00.228					
14 83 ▍Anola "Wrench" Melani            	00:01:30.512	00:00:00.434	00:01:30.568	00:00:00.233					
15 15 ▍Heinz-Otto Junker                	00:01:30.524	00:00:00.447	00:01:30.594	00:00:00.258					
16 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                     	00:01:30.405	00:00:00.327	00:01:30.606	00:00:00.271					
17 27 ▍Dario Nülkeschläger              	00:01:30.488	00:00:00.411	00:01:30.627	00:00:00.292					
18 31 ▍Joy Wingelaar                    	00:01:30.684	00:00:00.607	00:01:30.788	00:00:00.453					
19 88 ▍Ted Pressley                     	00:01:30.733	00:00:00.656							
20 24 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:30.757	00:00:00.680							
21 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                      	00:01:30.915	00:00:00.838							
22  7 ▍Anneliese Devereux               	00:01:31.053	00:00:00.976							
23 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:31.182	00:00:01.105							
24 51 ▍R.L. Cruisin                     	00:01:31.203	00:00:01.126							
25 11 ▍Lane Carter                      	00:01:31.533	00:00:01.455							

Edit: Had Week 9 written instead of Week 10... and in the topic too

[Abanhfleft]

Sprint races always felt a little bit weird for William. It was an opportunity to get some more points than usual from the usual race weekend, and William was sure that no driver was ever going to turn down the opportunity to score points. But aside from that, he couldn't really see the point. He certainly had mixed feelings about the whole thing.

One "good" thing that did come out of this whole sprint thing was that William had technically gotten his first pole position by virtue of him finishing in 10th place in the sprint. Of course William was happy that he was going to start this race ahead of all the other drivers, but on the other hand, he didn't really feel like he deserved it. He got this pole position by being the tenth fastest driver, and that just shouldn't compute. But there was another part of William who was determined to make the most out of this situation. This might be his one and only opportunity to start in first place, and he would be damned if he didn't take advantage of it.

But unfortunately for William, he would hang on to first place at the Siovanija and Teusland Grand Prix for all of one corner before the veteran campaigner iBen Toralmintii, ever the wily fox, outbraked William into Turn 1 and immediately took the lead. William just couldn't fight back even if he wanted to, so he decided that it was better to just save everything for future attempts instead of risking it all right at the start. And yet even that plan didn't work out. Try as he might, William just couldn't get anywhere near Toralmintii, and then Lane Carter had to add himself to the mix. The TJUN-ian was charging hard, and William couldn't even put up a decent fight against him. Nevertheless, at the end of it all, William was still able to hang on to the last podium place.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, guys," William said as he crossed the finish line. "This win could have been ours. It could have been ours but iBen was just quicker off the line."

"No worries, William," his strategist told him. "It's the team's home grand prix next up. And so far the team has done well there."

"Yeah, the team," William muttered. "Still good points, yeah?"

"Affirmative."

William celebrated the podium with iBen and Lane somewhat mutedly. Sure, he was spraying the champagne as wildly as the rest of them, but he just didn't feel like putting his heart in it. Once the post-race ceremonies were over, he picked up the champagne bottle and walked back to his mobile home. Just as he was expecting, his supporter, the figment of his imagination that had taken to manifesting itself before and after a race in recent times, was in there waiting for William. "Hey, why the long face, bro?" the supporter asked him. "You got a podium! Isn't this what you've been grumbling about ever since I got here? Why aren't you happy about it?"

"Of course I'm happy about it! Don't be stupid!" William said back. "I just… I don't know. I feel weird about this podium. I feel weird having gotten this podium right after you helped me shit on Preston last race."

"Whoa, what do you mean, I helped you out?" the supporter asked. "You've always been thinking those bad thoughts about Preston. I'm just the part of you that openly admits it!"

"You see what I mean?" William said. "How can I be happy about getting this podium if I actually think this team is shit? Why should I celebrate something after I've talked shit about my own team?"

"Hey, that's not my problem," the supporter shrugged. "I'm just here to have your back and be happy for your podium if you won't do it yourself."

"Go screw yourself," William muttered.

"Come on now, man, is that really the way to talk about the only guy in this whole thing who believes in you?" the supporter said. "You said you deserve better treatment from Preston, and now they're actually giving it to you!"

"Yeah! And how much of that is because they actually want to back me up, and how much of that is just damage limitation because Rudy is nowhere near the points?" William asked. The supporter had no answer for that. "Exactly," William muttered. "We'll never know if this was actually for my benefit or just a consolation effort."

"Well, at least you're now saying it," the supporter said. "No need for me to coax it out of you. So now, what are you going to do about getting some of those new friends you wanted?"

"Yeah, well, I was about to start working on that before you interrupted me," William snorted.

"Well, sorry! I was just trying to help!" the supporter cried out.

---

Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit
One week later

"Congratulations, William! P1! You've only gone and done it!"

"No way! You're kidding me, right?" William asked disbelievingly.

"Affirmative, you are on pole for the home GP on Sunday. You were faster than Luna by 0.005 of a second. Five-thousandths of a second."

"No fucking way," William repeated.

"Right, William, that's one half of the weekend over. Let's make it all count tomorrow."

"Yeah, let's."

Racing is weird, William said to himself even as he accepted the pole position award. The more steps he took to secure himself a future in WGPC outside of Preston Autos, the more fate or destiny or whatever seemed to want to keep him with the Hapiloppian outfit. Oh well. Come Sunday, there was only going to be one thing in William's mind, and that was winning.

[Auruna]

Viska Factory
Sterlennau, Auruna
The reliability of both Viska cars were in question after the conclusion of the previous race weekend where there were reported issues with the transmission on both cars. Unfortunately, the one on Olivia's VK-02H failed during the race and immediately after returning to the factory, Hori sought to fix every issue present before packing up for the next race weekend. At a busy day at the factory, a day where Jöna is surprisingly absent, Hori walks around the factory floor alongside Viska Racing Designer, Kano Kaslenna, overlooking all the work around the factory. From the busiest garage area to the quietest design studio, the factory is a place full of activity.

They first check on the aero team led by Häikki Juokkula as the rear aero of the VK-02H's previous upgrade package was the primary suspect of the sudden drop in performance at Stelburg. The team consult both Hori and Kano for further improvements on the aero. It was a brief consultation as many would soon follow in the other departments. After exchanging data, the pair would move onto the next department.

The engine department is more free-spirited as it is headed by both Hori and Re:Genesis Lead Gustav Ränkenna after taking over Schkeska's WGPC engine development so it's alright to refer to the engines as Schkeska's. The team is undergoing testing of their new engine under the new programme. The pair just observes the tests before moving on to the others.

Then they reach the transmission department, headed by Juho Kälvimi, where they took their sweet time discussing the issues with the transmission on both cars after the one of Olivia's VK-02H failed. It was a simple failure of the driveshaft which needed to be replaced. The one of Kinu's fared better but both units were repaired immediately after returning. Replacements weren't readily available so they had to make do with what they currently have. The team is hard at work after the discussions with the pair and it was decided to leave them alone to focus on their work.

The other parts of the factory are relatively quiet with most of the staff are on break or just hanging around, until Hori and Kano came in but with work being done, Hori just let them be for the moment. After checking on the rest of the sections, the pair would then return to their respective offices.

It was another usual day at the Viska Factory for the designer and the technical director.

---

Veratuna, Auruna
Days before the Hapiloppian Grand Prix
A short break wouldn't hurt. Kinu thought after reflecting on his recent performances. He had been scoring points for himself and his team and after asking Jöna for a short break, he was allowed to and it was a quiet time back in Veratuna. It was a more satisfying time especially since he has achieved more this season than in his previous one but he felt a bit lonely. Sure he has his teammate and there's Laura over at PB-Viska but apart from that, only Jan and his mechanics interact with him in a daily basis. He yearned for more.

A quiet evening at the Veratuna Circuit cafe, he stood at the open-air area silent, with a drink in his hand while watching the public night race held in that day. After some time, he lets out a sigh. I wish that Lukas is here, just for a while. He thought before raising his head to look at the track. Then a voice is heard behind, calling for him. Kinu immediately knew who it was as he turns around to greet. "Heh, ävenen Lukas."

"Finally!" Lukas said as he approaches Kinu. "Nice to see you again mate!"

"It's nearly a year since we last seen each other, I know we're both pretty busy with whatever we're doing but anyway, thanks in advance."

"You've been doing well I see. I should congratulate but there's still two to go. That said, I'll be rooting for you. Why not go for another win this season?"

"The season's coming to an end, for once, I felt a sense of achievement after getting called up by Viska and earning my first win here. That felt nice. Because of that, I simply want more. But to realise that I have two weekends left with VIska in WGPC, I'm not sure what the future holds for me. Maybe I'll stay with them for another season or maybe a new team would like to have my talents. I know it'll be tough for both me and Jöna but I think I'll let fate decide for me. We don't know when Goita is coming back and Viska has another young one in so there's a lot to go by."

"There's a lot of factors at play so you have a chance."

"Everything in WGPC is unpredictable for most of the time."

"Heh, let's see. Don't worry about the future too much or you'll not be able to enjoy what you have now. That'll be my advice for you."

"Thanks again."

Lukas quickly glances at his watch before gently nudging Kinu. "Heh, looks like I need to go now."

"Ah..? Oh, alright. I'll see you sometime soon then."

"Heh, don't be too stiff but yeah, see you soon. MNA work won't wait for me as head of the Veratuna branch."

"Alright alri-- wait, Head of MNA Veratuna?"

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you that. I'm now the Head of MNA Veratuna and I'm obviously here because of the race. I took a quick break but I'll be back at my office soon."

"That actually surprised me. Damn, I guess we both have something going."

"Yeah." Lukas said. "Again, see you next time and good luck!"

As Lukas walks out of the cafe, Kinu waved then he felt energised by their brief interaction. He turns to look at the circuit again with a smile as he admires the view. Looks like I have more work to do. He muttered before taking the last sip of his drink.

Now, let's enjoy these potentially final moments with VIska in WGPC.

---

Karalinne, Auruna
"Laura, you there?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Aldauren needs you here."

"Alright, tell him I'm going to be a bit late."

"Why?"

"I have a quick meeting with someone here. Just tell him I'll be a bit late but I'll be there sure enough."

"Alright, got it."

The call ends, Laura pockets her phone and turns to look at Haru who's waiting at the corner of a snowy Karalinne neighbourhood. She approaches Haru and asks him. "So, why are you here again?" Before going beside him.

Haru mumbles his words at first as Laura gets close to him. "W-well.. uhm." And continued on until he managed to overcome his nerves and speak up to Laura. "I just wanted to see you before the this weekend."

"Oh? Is that it?" Laura laughs and teases Haru with a gentle nudge. "You should just tell me beforehand so we can meet up earlier. So, you don't have something to do with your team?"

"Well, I was allowed to rest for this day so I took the opportunity to visit you here. Oh-- I almost forgot. I also wanted to invite you to my place for this Christmas, you can bring your sisters along. I also invited Ivan, Kälö, and Zuiha so it should be fun."

"I'll gladly accept that, I'm looking forward to it." She smiles at Haru. "Heh now, anything else?"

Haru originally wanted to tell Laura something. "I uh--" He tried to say it but he couldn't muster up the courage to do so. Not wanting to leave Laura hanging, he just tells her good luck for the next race. Dammit Haru. He thought to himself, disappointed.

"So uh.. yeah, see you next time then."

"Alright, good luck to you as well. I'll be waiting. Or else, it's another flick of the forehead."

"R-right."

Laura immediately left, headed for the airport in a bit of a hurry. Later on during the flight, she had the time to try and figure out what Haru was on about at that time. Something felt off about him. She thought, still trying to figure out Haru's original intentions. She brushes it aside for the time being to focus on the upcoming race weekend as high expectations ride on her for being the leading rookie of the season. Maybe that's why Aldauren is looking for Laura?

Nevertheless, she is at least motivated to do better this weekend after a weak run in Stelburg. With the help of Haru, Dario, Erik, Aldauren, and Aina, she just wants to perform well for herself and for the team, as she always does.

Where's the next race at---? Oh, right, shit... Hapilopper. Bad memories... ahh well, couldn't do anything about that.

[Tumbra]

Retrieved from ChequeredFlag.com.tmb

---

.BannerSports︱Home︱WGPC︱WGP2︱WGP3 Esportiva︱Tumbran Super Formula︱WSRC︱NSSCRA︱≡ Menu .

---

Seven Questions With: Ted Pressley

We sat down with Ted Pressley to talk with him about his life in the World Grand Prix Championship, his father and his future.

Ted, it's good to have you with us. You're currently hovering just outside the top ten in the championship, with forty points to your name. A pretty mixed bag of results so far. How has your first season in WGPC treated you?

It's been fun and difficult in equal measure, of course; there's always that slight bit of adjustment from WGPC to WGP2. I think Kaylan and I have adjusted well, even if some of the results haven't been too good; but we take the good and the bad, and we look at other ways that we can improve here. We're always looking towards the future, of course, and we're very happy with what we've got, not just now, and in the future. There's cause to be optimistic, that's for sure.

Of the six rookies that made the jump to WGPC this season, you're currently running in second, and first out of the title competitors from last season. How does that feel?

Well, it feels good — obviously I would've preferred to have been ahead of them last season; but at the end of the day, while we're competitors, we're also friends. And alongside my teammate and good friend Anola, I've made a couple more friends outside that small sphere of Kaylan as well. We race together, you know, so we see a lot of each other; and then we talk, naturally. I mean, a year ago I barely talked to people like Janne from Carvenlo, but now he's a pretty good friend of mine. In a small circus like ours, naturally we've got to get to know each other; after all, we see each other all the time.

Your father and mentor, Charlie Pressley, has indicated plans that he's going to enter a team in WGP2 next season; what's your reaction?

Ahh, I'm obviously quite pleased for him; he's always wanted to expand beyond Tumbran Super Formula. As we know, the series only races in three countries, and he wants to expand the Pressley brand beyond that. So WGP2's a logical starting point, and I'm happy for him.

Would you consider racing for Pressley Racing Engineering again?

No.

Really?

I feel like the time's come for me to pursue my own driving career, y'know. And my dad was instrumental in helping me reach the sport, and all that, but I think that that time's passed. And I'm my own racing driver now, and I want to pursue my own future independently.

Speaking of the future, what are your plans beyond this season? Your contract at Kaylan runs out after this season...

Well, it's a long term project here at Kaylan, so my definite preference is to continue working with Kaylan until they don't want me. And it's not like I'm in much high demand, anyway, heh; doubt many people will be knocking down my door asking me to sign for them. For now, though, I'm focused on ending the season as strongly as I can; and helping Kaylan in the Constructors' as much as possible. Anything can happen in the future, but I don't really see myself moving unless a super good offer came in. And even then, the nature of motor racing means that today's top dogs might not be there tomorrow. I mean, you've seen what's happened with Sara Luna and all...

And last question: What's your favourite flavour of ice cream?

Oh, I can never decide on a favourite; sometimes it's vanilla, sometimes it's mint chocolate chip, sometimes it's peanut butter; but I'd have to say, uh...um...vanilla. It never fails, really; nice and smooth, and creamy; goes well with just about anything. You can sprinkle nuts into it, and if you want to shake it up, you can add chocolate as well, or pretty much anything.

---

To: William Archer
Subject: Re: Wanna Hang Out?

Yeah, I'm game.

Ted

[Diarcesia]

Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland
Feature Pre-Race, Early Morning

It comes out of nowhere, without rhyme nor reason.

Tears.

The Diarcesian woman, who also happens to be a WGPC driver, chokes them back. Beside her on bed, Tom turns to face her, concerned, and surprised; it is not the usually composed Sara Luna who he is seeing.

His head lolls towards Sara's shoulder and his arms are wrapped around her into a warm snuggle, as a mellow alarm plays in the background. He makes a thoughtful smile as Sara closes her eyes for a few moments. Tom can't read her mind, but she blanks it out, like a canvas blanche as a ghost.

Sara caresses Tom on his head. "Surprised?" she asks softly.

"Yes, I am. I rarely see you like this. What's the matter?"

"I... I don't know, to be honest. It's as if a bunch of emotions and thoughts combined to an... unrecognizable mess... and got let out."

"Mmm. Must be the stress, isn't it?"

"I, guess?"

"Come here, say no more," Tom grips his beloved even tighter.

Feature Race

She make things happen, such as performing the jump on Ted Pressley on lights-out, and maintaining her P3 position—that is—until Lane Carter zooms passed her and proceeds to achieve in this race what she cannot: overtake William Archer. "Agreka, do you have something planned? Tires wearing out faster than I like. The Preston is dogged."

"Just take it easy."

"Okay, then."

And take it easy Sara does. She misses out on the podium, but in exchange, is a very respectable P4 finish with 12 points. Coupled with iBen's win, her team continues to be in the constructors' fight.

"Magnificient, Sara. P5! Thank you for putting out a flawless drive."

"It's the least I can do. Thanks, as well, and everyone in the garage," Sara replies in relief.

“Sensational, work Sara, iBen,” Edvin later chimes in, to put it mildly. “More of this in Hapilopper. We will fight until the very last inch!”

"Freaking finally. I'm running out of words to say!"

Hapiloppian Grand Prix
Post-Q4

Sara's WGPC18 performance here is a revelation to her. Looking back, the GP where she earned her maiden WGPC win put her on a path to a driving style she would once deem inconceivable. Make no mistake, she is still in her calculating and problem-solving self when it comes to races, but slowly and surely, she began to put more trust in her synergy with the car, combining youthful fire with wizened ice.

"Nice work Sara. P2. Would have been great if you got pole instead. The gap is... 0.005."

"Thanks. Let's convert it to a great result tomorrow."

Unseen on any camera, the Diarcesian woman, who also happens to be a WGPC driver, has a smirk on her face.

It comes out of nowhere, without rhyme nor reason.

Or is it?

---

In the final two races of PB's inaugural WGPC season, the question of Aldauren Ginintella's potential picks for their next lineup presently looms large. Of the rookies, Laura, so far, has the most points. As far as Aldauren is concerned, she more than proved herself as a rising talent in WGPC. It will be criminal to deny her an extension. But will politics or the vagaries of business get in the way? Rumor in the corporate grapevine has it that the CEO, Siv, is considering if she wants to maintain PB's partnership with Viska, or switch to Sidus. Of the latter, it is said that they found promise in PB's performance that they sought to eventually join the WGPC themselves. Will that mean a stipulation to take one of their contracted drivers, perhaps Lauren Blake? Or Henri Makitalö? It will almost certainly mean Laura being placed to the works Viska team. If the need arises, the team principal will make the case to keep the existing arrangements. He very much enjoys working with Erik, Laura, and the rest of the Viska staff assigned to PB.

As for the other spot? It is a no-brainer. He fumbled on Sam Blaatschapen's WGP2 team placement, and he knows she is knocking on the door for a WGPC spot next season. He is determined to make amends of his mistakes.

[WGPC 19]

---

[Preston Autos] Hapiloppian Grand Prix

(Legacy) City Guide

The Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit has become the home of international road racing in the Dominion, and has become known for its quick corners, such as First Right, McLaughlin's and Slidey Right, as well as the treacherous and deceptively slow left-hand Oh Crap There's A Wall, named for the unforgiving concrete wall on driver's right.

Conditions:      	Dry	
Laps:              	55	
Nation:         	HAP	
Circuit:        	Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit	
Event:	[Preston Autos] Hapiloppian Grand Prix			
Cars on Grid:	25

POS  # ▍DRV Name                     Team                     	Time      	Pts	Fastest Lap	
  1  8 ▍ARC William Archer           Preston Autos GP         	01:28:46.457	25		
  2 82 ▍LMN Kinu Luminna             Viska Racing             	00:00:18.854	18 + 1	1:33.432	
  3 50 ▍LNA Sara Luna                Tropicorp Racing Ælund   	00:00:20.037	15	
  4 37 ▍HAU Laura Haukanna           GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   	00:00:29.996	12
  5 19 ▍FAL Dom Falepeau             Badai Angin Tim          	00:00:39.629	10	
  6 83 ▍MNI Anola "Wrench" Melani    Kaylan Racing Team       	00:00:44.197	9	
  7 77 ▍TII iBen Toralmintii         Tropicorp Racing Ælund   	00:00:48.282	6	
  8 17 ▍LAU Janne Laukkanen          Carvenlo Racing          	00:00:59.170	4	
  9 88 ▍PRE Ted Pressley             Kaylan Racing Team       	00:00:59.244	2	
 10 25 ▍KRU Gregori Krupin           Race Eelandii VTGP       	00:00:59.361	1	
 11  5 ▍EDW Rudy Edwards             Preston Autos GP         	00:01:03.007		
 12 24 ▍SZR Sayono Souzare           WGPC Motorworks (HR)      	00:01:10.346		
 13 31 ▍WIN Joy Wingelaar            Teusbank TMW Rennsport   	00:01:12.517		
 14 71 ▍IBU Rustom Ibuna             Badai Angin Tim          	00:01:19.176		
 15 40 ▍AKS Adriana Kowalski Ela...  Fireline+Heroes Eminent  	00:01:21.457			
 16 11 ▍CRT Lane Carter              Race Eelandii VTGP       	00:01:21.585		
 17 51 ▍CRU R.L. Cruisin             Carvenlo Racing          	Laps Down: 1		
 18 27 ▍NÜL Dario Nülkeschläger      GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   	Laps Down: 1		
 19  7 ▍DEV Anneliese Devereux       Fireline+Heroes Eminent  	Laps Down: 1		
 20 94 ▍LAN Ryker Lane               Nexus Racing             	Laps Down: 1		
DNF 63 ▍MIZ Daryl Mizushima          WGPC Motorworks (O)      	Ret. lap 40			
DNF 15 ▍JUN Heinz-Otto Junker        Teusbank TMW Rennsport   	Ret. lap 13			
DNF 41 ▍JMD Jean Mercer-Daly         Nexus Racing             	Ret. lap 6			
DNF 85 ▍STO Olivia Stone             Viska Racing             	Ret. lap 2

Pos # ▍DRV Name                      Team                     Pts
 1 77 ▍TII iBen Toralmintii          Tropicorp Racing Ælund   122
 2 71 ▍IBU Rustom Ibuna              Badai Angin Tim          98.5
 3 19 ▍FAL Dom Falepeau              Badai Angin Tim          97.5
--------------------- MATHEMATICAL CUT LINE - CHAMPIONSHIP ---------------------
 4  8 ▍ARC William Archer            Preston Autos GP         89
 5 82 ▍LMN Kinu Luminna              Viska Racing             80
 6 11 ▍CRT Lane Carter               Race Eelandii VTGP       68
 7 37 ▍HAU Laura Haukanna            GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   59.5
 8  5 ▍EDW Rudy Edwards              Preston Autos GP         57
 9 50 ▍LNA Sara Luna                 Tropicorp Racing Ælund   53
10 85 ▍STO Olivia Stone              Viska Racing             48
11 40 ▍AKS Adriana Kowalski Ela...   Fireline+Heroes Eminent  46
12 25 ▍KRU Gregori Krupin            Race Eelandii VTGP       45
13 51 ▍CRU R.L. Cruisin              Carvenlo Racing          42.5
14 88 ▍PRE Ted Pressley              Kaylan Racing Team       42
15  7 ▍DEV Anneliese Devereux        Fireline+Heroes Eminent  38
16 94 ▍LAN Ryker Lane                Nexus Racing             27
17 17 ▍LAU Janne Laukkanen           Carvenlo Racing          23
18 27 ▍NÜL Dario Nülkeschläger       GP Pryfors Bilar Viska   21
19 31 ▍WIN Joy Wingelaar             Teusbank TMW Rennsport   18
20 41 ▍JMD Jean Mercer-Daly          Nexus Racing             17
21 23 ▍C23 Cocoabo #23               WGPC Motorworks (B)      15
22 83 ▍MNI Anola "Wrench" Melani     Kaylan Racing Team       14
23 15 ▍JUN Heinz-Otto Junker         Teusbank TMW Rennsport   3
24 63 ▍MIZ Daryl Mizushima           WGPC Motorworks (O)      1
24 24 ▍SZR Sayono Souzare            WGPC Motorworks (HR)     1

Pos NAT ▍TeamPts
  1 FID ▍Badai Angin Tim               196
  2 ABL ▍Tropicorp Racing Ælund        175
--------------------- MATHEMATICAL CUT LINE - CHAMPIONSHIP ---------------------
  3 HAP ▍Preston Autos GP              146
  4 AUR ▍Viska Racing                  128
  5 V&T ▍Race Eelandii VTGP            113
  6 F+H ▍Fireline+Heroes Eminent       84
  7 DCS ▍GP Pryfors Bilar Viska        80.5
  8 LEN ▍Carvenlo Racing               65.5
  9 TGN ▍Kaylan Racing Team            56
 10 NIM ▍Nexus Racing                  44
 11 STL ▍Teusbank TMW Rennsport        21
 12 WGS ▍WGPC Motorworks               17

Next Race: Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course - Saturday Feature Only [- Time and Date -]


RP Challenge :: There is one race left in the season and while all the focus on the live broadcast will be on the overall championships - there are battles throughout the standings. What is your drivers/team (realistic) goal for the final race of the season - and how does that calibrate to their goals if you would have asked them at the start of the season?

[Sorlovia]

”You have people back home who know how brilliant you are, Gregori. Remember that if nothing else.”

Lane’s words had stuck in Gregori’s mind. The gesture of support had impacted him far more deeply than his teammate was likely aware. Gregori was not a man who often talked about his problems or his struggles. He tended to internalize it and struggle through on his own. But Lane’s words still rang in Gregori’s mind. In the course of an especially difficult season a racer faced pressures and stresses that no one but another race could understand. They became frustrated, they doubted themselves and if they weren’t careful they could easily slip into a depression. Even more so if they were going through one as lacklustre as his. The nineteenth season of the World Gran Prix, his fourth season in a row, had started off badly with missing out on the pre-season tests and hadn’t improved at all.

The reality of it had taken its toll on him. If he was going to return for WGPC20, and a part of wasn’t quite sure if he would, then he would need to shape up fast. Because it appeared that his career had stalled before it had even really got off the ground. He’d entered the new season with a knowing he wasn’t in a good position but with high hopes for a turn around. The fact that it hadn’t happened so badly frustrated him. He knew that he had the skill to do better. He’d pulled him so good results in the previous seasons. But then what was he expecting? He’d missed out on the extremely valuable pre-season tests. They were an important contribution to a racer’s standing in the season. Without them he’d been out of the running from the very beginning. Though his hopeful nature that held to the idea that he’d be able to claw his way back.

The season would end with Vilitan Mountain Challenge. But with only one race remaining there was nothing he could do. He’d already been knocked out of the championship. It seemed that that prize was going to continue to elude for another season. But the final race could perhaps be a chance to learn what he could before preparing for the off-season again. There was a tiny glimmer of a chance that he could still pull off a first place finish. The season had been a debacle from start to finish. He knew that. He’d failed Race Eelandii and he’d failed himself. He knew he could do better. He needed to do better. He needed to find the reason why things always seemed to go wrong.

“Well this has been a disaster,” he said quietly to himself “a real shambles.”

Lane’s words repeated themselves in his mind again. There were indeed people back home who knew that he had the skill to compete in the World Gran Prix. Though he didn’t always believe that he did at times. His wife Elena, his father Nikolai, his mother Svetlana and his friends had been some of his biggest supporters. When he found himself in stressful moments they were the ones to pull him up and dust him off. Lane had been a great source of support for him just as much as he had tried to support him. Gregori liked Lane. He’d been excited to hear that he was going to be racing with him for the season. Lane Carter was a name that had become familiar to him. He’d only met him very briefly in WGPC18 but had kept a careful eye on him. He saw a lot of potential in Lane and the chance to race alongside him as teammate had been a blessing.

But now there was only one race left in WGPC19. A part of him could hardly believe that he season was almost over already. It seemed like just the other day that he’d taken part in the first race. Here he was looking at the final. He’d missed out on the championship for the fourth season in a row and it didn’t seem like things were going to get any better for him. He’d started the season with a quiet hopefulness despite what had happened but had been disappointed at every turn. He wanted to be there for WGPC20 but a small noisy part of him wondered if he had the skills. His career hadn’t really taken off. Here he was underperforming. His success in the domestic Gran Prix scene still hadn’t translated over to the international scene and nothing he did seemed to push him through that wall. If he was going to return for the next season then he would have to shape up, he’d have to work on his technique during the off-season and figure out how to break this black streak. He would also need to begin making preparations to earn a place on a team.

He doubted that Race Eelandii would give him another contract. Tropicorp hadn’t even given him a second glance and Badai Angin Tim wouldn’t be impressed by his current standings. Zaitsev was in the process of courting the WGPC officials for a race team in the next season but would they give him a place after his debacle of a season? One things was certain – things didn’t look good for him.

[Auruna]

Hapiloppian Grand Prix
Race
Before the start of the formation lap, Laura sits inside her PF-01C at the 10th spot on the grid after a good effort in qualifying in the previous day. As she continues to prepare herself, Erik then gets on the radio to help Laura get amped up for the race with a quick word.

"Radio check Laura."

"Loud and clear."

"Voice is crystal clear. Anyway, starting P10, let's get those points shall we? Just go for it, you and Aina. Just fuckin' send it!"

"Haha, thanks for the motivation."

"Was that good?"

"Could be better."

"Haha, copy that. Go for it, and good luck. Make us proud. Oh and uh, don't crash into the wall again."

At the end of the formation lap, the drivers line up on the grid. Then the five red lights go out. Laura performs her best start of the season as she timed her launch perfectly to gain a slight advantage over her competitors and she gains a few positions on the rundown to the first corner then late on the brakes, she manoeuvres her way past Janne Laukkanen at turn 2 with a brave move in a bunched up field. She was then behind Toralmintii for the remainder of the lap, knowing that he will be tough to overtake, she would have to come up with something to get past. She starts recharging her energy in the following laps to at least have a chance to get a decent run on one of the straights of the circuit. Daryl Mizushima seemingly fell off the order as he got passed by the others.

At the end of lap 2, Olivia Stone retires due to a reported issue with her drive, ending her race in the pits. With fewer competition ahead, Laura pushes, close behind Toralmintii at the Final Straight. She sets up her move at the main straight, using most of her energy to keep up with the veteran and then she makes a move at the First Right, on the outside of Toralmintii who had put up a fight to defend his position but Laura just went for it and got past. Next was Jean Mercer-Daly, another driver she fought numerous times. Looking like there were issues with his car, Laura quickly overtakes him in the second sector. Then, Laura was safely in P4.

---

A familiar presence loomed behind Kinu, after passing Sara Luna to take P2 at the start, the two kept battling. Kinu with his defense as Sara kept charging towards him. Due to their non-stop battles, William Archer at P1 got away with a large gap to them but they were also in a league of their own in the race as they also have a similar gap to Laura Haukanna P4 as of the first quarter of the race. Both were fierce in the battle for P2 as they nearly touched at the Triple Diamond Chicane. Sara got ahead of Kinu, slipstreamed past Kinu with the assistance of DRS.

The battle continued in the pits when Sara pitted first for hards. Kinu stayed out for a lap after receiving a message from Artur to pit in the next lap, trusting his judgment. At the next lap, Kinu pits for hards. The mechanics did their best to quickly work on his car and it was a 2.6 second stop and he was out in no time.

"You'll be behind but racing Luna at exit. Mode 4, Kinu and OT is available."

"This'll be fun."

He exits the pits slightly behind Sara but Kinu is not backing out of a battle as he caught up to Sara. With colder tyres, Kinu was careful and he backs off a bit so that he doesn't crash into Sara or go wide and lose a lot of time... or crash into the walls. He pushes slightly to make his presence known to Sara and to get heat into his tyres. He also recharges his energy as preparation for an overtake attempt soon. Then he gets serious at the start of the following lap. As the sole fighter for Viska for this race, he has to get a lot of points and P2 is the highest possible finish for Kinu. At the first couple of corners, he was side-by-side with Sara and there's a high risk of the pair colliding. At certain times, Sara was ahead of Kinu and vice-versa. Kinu, wanting to take P2 for maximum possible points as William Archer was unreachable with a dominant drive in his team's home race.

At the chicane, again, Kinu sends it down the inside of Sara with a small bang on the wheels which slightly unsettled both cars. Then Kinu stays ahead of Sara through the complex. At the Final Straight, Kinu turns up his car's hybrid system up for a boost of power through the straight to maintain his spot at P2.

"Clear ahead, keep pushing. No backmarkers yet."

"You want me to keep pushing?"

"Yes, keep pushing, remain Mode 4."

"Copy."

Kinu continued to push as instructed, increasing his gap to Sara lap after lap until he was nearly a pit stop clear of Sara, then he was told to pit for softs. He knew his hards were wearing quicker as he pushed, but he knew he could finish the race with what he has. He wanted to argue but it would then risk his P2 finish. He pits at the end of the lap. It was another quick stop and Jan only has one thing to say to him.

"On softs, let loose until the end. You'll be close behind Luna."

Knowing this, he starts to push on his outlap, immediately putting heat onto his softs, he is now hunting down Sara. At the following lap, his pace was the fastest and he was closing in on Sara, who was on aging hards. As the gap decreases, he preps himself for his final battle with Sara of the race. With the pace that he has, he quickly caught up to Sara and he sends one down Slidey Right. Sara defends with all her effort but Kinu had the advantage and he gets past Sara for one more time and he runs away with P2.

While Sara was around 2 seconds behind, it wasn't enough to get a chance on Kinu and he sets the fastest lap of the race at the penultimate lap. The race ends and Kinu finishes in P2, behind William Archer at P1 and ahead of Sara Luna. The entire Viska garage celebrated after Kinu crossed the line.

"That's P2, great work! And you got the fastest lap so that plus one!"

"Fuck yes! Let's go! Haha! Those battles with Sara were fun, really got the adrenaline pumping."

"You did well today, enjoy it and see you on the podium. Cheers."

"Haha, yeah. Kiitan!"

---

"Yes Laura! P4! Great work!"

"Ahh... were we close to a podium?"

"Only 10 seconds off at the end."

"No chance, but still a great result anyway."

"Yeah, heh. Also, Dario is down at P18."

"Just some nice coffee would be alright for now. I'll let him know later. Heh."

---

Later, before the podium ceremony at the cooldown room, Kinu approaches Sara to talk to her for a while, to compliment her driving and to thank her for the battles at the race after greeting her in a formal Aurun way before switching to a more casual tone and making it quick as the ceremony was about to start.

"It was nice racing you, I genuinely had fun. You drove well today and those battles were tough so I had to put my game up and get serious that time. Hopefully, I'd like to experience something like that again in the future. Your experience clearly played a part and I learned a lot, so thanks."

---

MNA Archives
An Exclusive Interview with Jöna Ekeränna, Viska Racing Team Principal
Translated into English

- "Today, we have Viska Racing's WGPC Team Principal Jöna Ekeränna with us for an interview before the final weekend of the season. So Jöna, Viska has made a resurgence this season and you guys are currently fourth in the constructors' championship. How does it reflect your goals from the start of the season?"

"Well, our goal at the start were to redeem ourselves this season after the struggles in the previous one. We aimed for above seventh in the constructors' as we knew it would be difficult this time, we took a lot of risks from the drivers, to the car, and to the management. Not gonna lie, we had our sights on first but as we basically reset for this season, we thought fifth or higher was enough. So where we currently stand in the championship is pretty much aligned to our goals at the start."

- "Now what are your team goals for the final race of the season knowing where you are headed?"

"I think 'Best of the Rest' at third, compared to TRÆ and Badai Angin, would be a great way to end the season. It would be tough beating Preston in the final race but I'm confident that we at least have a chance against them compared to where we were before. We wouldn't go easy, as always."

- "Great to hear that and I wish you luck. Now then, a popular question from the fans: How has Kinu Luminna impressed you this season."

"For someone who has a few podiums and a win this season and sitting at fifth in the drivers' championship, I'd say he has impressed me many times. He's certainly a talented driver who brought a Motorworks car to a podium last season. At Viska, he proved his worth. Maybe he'll stay with us next season but for now, Kinu is one of the best we have and this is only his second season in the sport so there's a lot waiting for him in the future."

- "Finally, what are your goals for future seasons?"

"Obviously to win the title. It'll be a rough road ahead but I know we can do it. It's a tough one to go for but we'll just have to aim higher. For our drivers, we don't know for sure, we still have that incident with Goita and we're uncertain when he will return. Sometime in the future though, I can see Laura driving for us but it's best that she help PB grow for the time being before making a jump to the works team. While Olivia is still part of the Viska family, she is free to choose her future. Kinu meanwhile, he has proved himself so there's a chance that he remains with us. As for Aaron, he is currently doing well in WGP2 and I wish for him the very best. He has some gigs with us in the domestic MNA series during the WGPC off-season and I can't wait to see him drive in WGPC, be it in Viska, PB, or another team. For the rest, we aim to bring more technologies in future seasons and we hope to continue working with our partners at PB and In-Motion. That is all. I can't make promises but just look out for us, Viska's not backing down anytime soon."

[TJUN-ia]

WGPC19
Round 10
Preston Autos Hapiloppian Grand Prix
Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit, Hapilopper City, Hapilopper

Never before has he experienced such contrast in emotions as last week. For Lane Carter, his Round 9 was certainly very interesting as he managed two brilliant points finishes, including a P2, that shot him up in the driver's standings. But on the other hand, Daryl Mizushima got his first point of the season with a Fastest Lap...but still was radio silent to the Galarian despite all of that. Lane couldn't help but feel ashamed at this point, feeling as though maybe he himself was the problem here and not anything Mizu did - "If I was a better person, this wouldn't happen" and all that. He did have a plan to solve that issue...but his mind would be plagued all weekend by this decision.

He hoped that the racing action would help his mood overall. After all, it was Hapilopper City that the WGPC trail arrived at now, a track he certainly had a fond memory of from last season. Practice for the Galarian was mainly focused on trying to get the most out of his race pace and being only 3 tenths off the pace in 12th was supposed to be a good sign for things to come. Dom Falepeau would take this session over William Archer and Kinu Luminna with teammate Gregori Krupin in 4th and Mizu down in 23rd. Friday was normal...but Saturday certainly was not. The elimination-style Qualifying provided enough drama to shake a stick at. Archer took pole for the home team over Sara Luna and Luminna with Mizu of all people doing well in the dry to take P4. Gregori Krupin may have been unlucky to qualify in only 13th, but it would be the Galarian that was the unluckiest of them all. His first time wasn't good enough and he knew it, but a moment with the wall at the infamous "Oh Crap, There's A Wall" would end his hopes and see him start from the back for the race. He knew that wasn't good enough, not good enough at all for anyone...for himself, for his team, for Krupin and especially for Mizu. Who would want to be friends with someone like him? Someone who can't do anything at all...?

He didn't like thinking those sort of thoughts, the thoughts of the Darkness that flowed within him, but sometimes they just reared themselves even if he didn't want them at all. The race would compound those thoughts and while he did make some moves and create some chances, he was off the pace and ended up in 16th. Krupin at least got a point in 10th, so that was nice. Archer converted pole to the win over Luminna (w/ FL) and Luna with Laura Haukanna, Falepeau, Anola "Wrench" Melani, iBen Toralmintii, Janne Laukkanen and Ted Pressley (those last two Lane felt radiated a "Common Energy" that he couldn't place what it was exactly) completing the Top 10. The battle between iBen, Dom and Rustom Ibuna and the battle between Badai Angin Tim and Tropicorp Racing Ælund shall continue into the final round at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, a doubleheader that could see history made for all. Lane is now 6th in the standings, Krupin in 12th with Race Eelandii P5 entering the Finale.

At the beginning of the season, Lane would've taken another Top 10 finish in the standings and he hoped to try and get as many points as possible from the final round if possible. His main focus, for now, will be on a meet up with Will Archer and a few others (if they accept), even though a part of his soul felt that doing this would count as a betrayal to the guy who DNFed from P4. He knew that, for his own mental health, going to this meet up was the right thing to do...but that didn't mean it couldn't strain his already-broken heart. As long as he acted natural, everything will be fine...don't be too emotional, nobody will like that...

---

To: William Archer
From: Lane Carter (lcarter@jagwire.tj.un)
Subject: RE: Wanna Hang Out?

---

Hey there, William.

Count me in, why not? Just say where and when and I'll come.

See you soon,
Lane Carter

[Togonistan]

Rockii Coast, Vilita
Driver press conference

Cameras were flashing as Badai Angin Tim drivers Rustom Ibuna and Dom Falepeau entered the stage and took their seats. ''Okay, we are joined by two of our three Drivers Championship contenders and current Constructors Championship leaders of Badai Angin. Rustom and Dom, the teammates currently separated by a single point in the championship. Could you please give us some insight about your feelings as you're heading into the final race weekend and what are your hopes and goals for the final grand prix here in Vilita? Dom, can we start with you, perhaps?''

Dom took a quick moment to scratch his freshly trimmed beard and leant towards the microphone: ''Yeah, it has been a close battle this season of course when it comes to me and Rusty as teammates and a great season for the team. I believe the main thing we need to focus on this weekend, before anything, is to deny TRÆ from taking the constructors title from us. It's anything but decided yet, iBen has been as amazing this season as he has been in the past and while Sara has suffered a lot of bad luck, she is clearly a very capable driver and it would be short-sighted for us to overlook her. When it comes to drivers championship, well, I would love to win the title as much as iBen or Rusty or anyone else but the fact is, both me or Rusty couldn't settle for anything but a race win here if we want to have a chance. It's going to be a long weekend and there will be a lot of work to do, we need to see how the race pans out and pray to the racing gods I guess, haha. If a chance to battle for the win opens I will do the best I can, that's for sure, but the main battle this weekend must be over the constructors.''

''Understood Dom. Rustom, on to you...''

---

Hotel room
Rockii Coast, Vilita

Obviously, the hype about upcoming season finale was big and social media was very much alive. After the press conference, Dom had gone back to his hotel room to take a quick nap before a team meeting that was supposed to happen in the evening. By the time he opened his eyes, the clock on cupboard showed 2 pm. Having gone out of the bed and taken a quick shower, Dom pulled on his underwear and sat on the bed. With a few hours to spare, Dom initially thought about hitting a gym. However, on a second thought, he decided to do it later and picked up his phone to check his messages instead. Having scrolled through various team chats on messaging apps, Dom eventually shifted his attention to social media instead. As usual, his notification tabs were all red. Humming a song that had come to his mind, Dom started scrolling.

First thing catching his attention was a photo of street art made in his home town. While illegal graffiti had caused nuisance for the local authorities ever since the dawn of time, the new city council had actually promoted legal street art in the recent years and it was starting to become somewhat of a tradition in Edrana to decorate buildings with artworks representing either famous people or prominent landmarks in the area.

Dax Johnson
@Daxy9

December 17th, 2021

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---

Absolutely amazing artwork of @DomFalepeauOfficial on the streets of Edrana. People here really know how to show appreciation to the legends of our community! #WGPC #GoFalepeau

With a smile on his face, Dom liked the post and kept scrolling. Next, there was a post from actress Gloria Solaita.

Gloria Solaita
@G-Sol

December 17th, 2021

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@DomFalepeauOfficial you have found a place in my heart and on my chest. Supporting you all the way to the end and wishing you the best of luck in your final race of the season! #WGPC #GoFalepeau

Dom took a moment to appreciate the professional quality of the photo, the angle and the lighting. Another like given, he scrolled further and was greeted by a post from WSRC driver Naomi Keretene.

Naomi Keretene
@NaomiK

December 17th, 2021

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---

It has been a stunning second season in WGPC from @DomFalepeauOfficial so far! You have denied all the odds and followed your dreams like a true champion. It may be hard but there is still all to drive for in Vilita! Never give up, never surrender! You can do it! ♥ #WGPC #GoFalepeau

Post after post after post, Dom read through the hype and good wishes for him. Eventually, he decided to make one himself as well. Having opened the photo gallery on his phone, he scrolled through the pictures until he found one that he had asked Esteban to take. It was just a basic picture of him sitting in the car, but Dom felt it would be neutral enough to decorate the post he was going to make.

Dom Falepeau
@DomFalepeauOfficial

December 17th, 2021

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---

Thank you all for the support you have given me. It has been an amazing season of WGPC so far, time to give it a proper finish here in Vilita! #WGPC

---

Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course
Before free practice

''Alright everyone, let's gather up! Xander, Ralph, Manu sitting in the middle! Everyone else, find your spots, let's do this!'' a photographer shouted on the pit lane. Kaylan team gathered in front of their pit garage and adjusted themselves to pose for the picture. Two T180s were parked on the pit lane as well, with Ted and Anola already posing next to their cars. ''Okay, come on now! Left side, further together! Yeah, that's it! And smile everyone!'' photographer said before taking a picture. ''Excellent! A few more...'' camera flashed a few more times, until the crew was dismissed. Xander looked around as the large group of people in green scattered to return back to their tasks. Kaylan's team principal put his hands to his hips and took a deep breath. This was it, the final race of the season. Xander would be wrong if he said it had been easy. He would also be wrong if he'd say he had thought it would be easy. With the team stepping into WGPC, Xander knew right from the start that he would be facing his biggest challenge ever. There had been bright points, such as Ted's podium finish in Filindostan. There had also been low points where the team had scored multiple non-point finishes in a row. Last race of the season, but the battle was anything but over for Kaylan.

When Xander had taken charge of Kaylan's WGPC team, Ralph had told him about the board's expectations for the season. Fist of all, beating their former WGP2 rivals TMW. With the Teus team sitting at bottom of the table, only above the WGPC-backed Motorworks team, it seemed that goal was as good as accomplished. However, the board had asked for more. P8 in constructors standings... that was where Carvenlo was sitting right now. The gap to Liventian outfit was 9 and a half points. Sure, it wouldn't be impossible to close that gap in the final race, but it would take a serious team effort at the very least. Probably a double points finish. Meanwhile, they also had to keep an eye on the Nexus cars driven by WGPC veterans Ryker Lane and Jean-Mercer Daly. Indeed... the battle was still very much on.

It was also time to think about the future of Kaylan in WGPC. From the conversation he had held with Ralph upon their arrival to Vilita, Kaylan was definitely interested in remaining in the series. It was also assured that Xander would be safe to keep his spot as team principal. After all, it was Xander who had built the team up and brought them to WGPC in the first place. Provided that no major event would occur to shut the WGPC door for Kaylan next season, it was also time to slowly start thinking about their driver line-up. Ted Pressley, the golden boy of Kaylan as some loved to refer to him, had done a solid rookie season so far. Sure, it didn't seem particularly spectacular looking at the standings, but taking into mind that Kaylan hadn't exactly developed a car that would set the world alight, it was solid. It was also rest assured that Kaylan would be interested in keeping the Tumbran in the team for next season and keep on working with him.

Now, there was question regarding Anola. When Xander had pushed through his idea to sign the Chromatik for the season, it had raised a lot of questions in the team. Xander had been criticized for not seeking a driver with prior WGPC experience instead of going for two rookies. As much as Xander appreciated Anola for all the work she had put in, even Xander couldn't ignore the fact that Anola's results this season had been very hit or miss. He didn't know if the pressure of WGPC had gotten the best of her or was the ghost buried somewhere else. What he did know was the fact that unless a miracle happened and the Chromatik ended up achieving some sort of incredible feat in the last race, her seat in the team could potentially be in danger. Rumours about William Archer leaving Preston had been circulating on the paddock and Ralph had made hints towards Xander to approach him for an offer. There was also a number of drivers in current WGP2 grid who would probably be looking to step up into WGPC next season, as well as Kaylan's own driver academy drivers seeking to climb up the ranks. Would Xander be able to talk the higher-ups into retaining Anola for another season when there are multiple potentially safer options available? Would he even be willing to do it? So far, he had avoided talking to his drivers about the plans for upcoming season and emphasized them to focus on the current one. But what would happen post-season?

One step at a time, Xander. One step at a time. Xander took a deep breath and walked back into the pit garage. Time to lead the team through the final weekend of the season.

Kaylan Racing Team
@KaylanRacing

December 18th, 2021

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---

The whole team has been working tirelessly during our debut season in WGPC. We would like to sincerely thank each and every one who has been part of writing the first chapter into Kaylan's WGPC history, as well as all our fans and fellow competitors who have made this an amazing season for us. It has been tough, but we have enjoyed every single moment of it and we would do it all again. One final race left to go, let's give this season a memorable ending here in Vilita! #KaylanRacing #WGPC

[Tropicorp]

Tropicorp Secure Supplier Performance Title in Hapilopper

WGPC19 Supplier Performance Standings (After Week #10)
[1] - 242 :: Tropicorp Racing Supply
[2] - 196 :: Phoenician/InMotion
[3] - 80 :: WGPC Official
[4] - 1 :: HR (Deyoze / Gajamina)

[Preston Autos] Hapiloppian Grand Prix, Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit, Hapilopper City, Hapilopper :: After having gone winless over the first three Grand Prix Race Weekends of the 19th World Grand Prix Championship season, things had initially looked quite bleak for Tropicorp Racing Supply. It would take until the 4th Grand Prix weekend of the season for Tropicorp Racing Supply to finally cross the finish line first, doing so during Sprint Qualifying for the Grand Prix of Turori when Dom Falepeau paced the field in the first ever World Grand Prix sprint qualifying event. The Badai Angin Tim Motorsport driver's performance in Eelandii seemed to spark the entire Tropicorp Racing Supply driver fleet as the Sifaka (or Storm) tire would be the tire of choice on the race winning car for seven of the next 9 races. Phoenician/In Motion tire who had started the season off so well would quickly hit a low point at the Abovian Sprint, failing to place any cars inside the top five, and would suffer a five race losing streak before Kinu Luminna picked up a win for Viska Racing and the Phoenician/In Motion brand during the Aurun Grand prix at the Akresna Circuit. It was a much needed victory that helped Phoenician/In Motion stay within reach of Tropicorp Racing Supply with a gap of just 20 points in the Supplier Performance standings.

While the Sprint race in Siovanija & Teusland was a virtual wash for the two outfits, the Siovanija & Teusland Feature was a massive points day for Tropicorp Racing Supply as the Top 6 finishers were all using Tropicorp's Sifaka brand Tire. With the gap extended to over 40 points at the top of the table, the Hapilopper City Grand Prix became a must-win event for the Phoenician/In Motion camp. Kinu Luminna who has been the supplier's top performer over the second half of the season nearly delivered in the #82 Viska Racing machine but fell one spot short despite a late charge that included an extra point for setting the fastest lap of the race. Luminna was held up just enough in their battle with Tropicorp Racing Aelund driver Sara Luna that Preston Autos driver William Archer had already set sail. Archer, running the Tropicorp Racing Supply Sifaka's on the #8 Get Good Preston - crossed the line over 18 seconds ahead of the field. Archer's victory was enough to give Tropicorp Racing Supply an insurmountable 46 point advantage in the Supplier Performance Standings with just one race to go in the season, securing the Supplier Performance Trophy yet again for Tropicorp Racing Supply after surviving a tight season-long battle with the Nexus-Diarcesian conglomerate.