World Grand Prix Championship 20 [RP/Results Thread]

[Nico Hulkenberg]

Nepö

---

Alikki-Corra
Vilita

Throughout her time racing domestically, Nepö thrived on tracks where she could really get her elbows out, where she could have the odd mistake without careening into a barrier at full speed. Hülkenberg’s general lack of street circuits had lulled her into a false sense of security, but AOGP dragged her out of her comfort zone and brought her back to reality. Being told to stick to the black stuff with grass and gravel galore was one thing; being constricted by walls was an entirely new ball game - especially with a faulty setup.

Practice

Initial runs proved fruitless for Nepö, with her lack of confidence in the car inhibiting her ability to perfect the setup and get used to the track. The team were left scratching their heads as she came in declaring: ”I’m honestly not sure what’s going on, but I can definitely feel something up with the setup. Something’s dodgy.” The rare sight of an unconfident Nepö sent them into overdrive, and various setup changes were applied with very little success. Of course, it wasn’t just her that was struggling - over on Khalifa’s side of the garage, she could see his mechanics making constant adjustments as well. An easy weekend for the team was not on the cards.

Qualifying

With the Oonaftco Oontaz mechanics unable to diagnose the problem before qualifying, Nepö would have to go out and pray that she could miraculously keep the car between the walls until the finish. Standing over the car, and leaning into the cockpit, her engineer gave her some words of wisdom. ”Best of luck, Nepö. Whatever happens, just finish the lap. You never know when someone else will bottle it.” Heeding the advice from her engineer, and doing her best to mitigate the setup issues, Nepö finished her lap - which, in all respects, was scrappy. If it had gotten her into the top ten, she’d be delighted. Her hopes were soon dashed when one of the team members held aloft a pit board with ‘KIN - P16 - +1.2’. An overwhelming feeling of “Hmph.” was her initial reaction, having not been expecting to get much of a result. P16, however, was a fair chunk lower than anywhere else she’d started all season, so she had a right to be disappointed. From then on, Nepö set her mind on making up for it during the race.

Race

Despite all the chaos and confusion brought about by a multitude of DNFs and a long safety car period, Kinder was unable to make much of an impact but still managed to pull off a P10 - an important point, keeping her at the top of the championship standings. Whether said point would be as important come the end of the season would be a total mystery, but Nepö was happy to take whatever she got. She was a rookie, after all - long as she wasn’t slamming into walls, barriers, and other drivers, she would be fine, and her post-race interview would continue this train of thought.

”Ach, y’know, we came into this weekend on the back of two decent results, so I’m glad we made it three with another point. It was a tough race for everyone at the team - and I’m sure we’ll improve in time for the next race. Being a rookie isn’t easy, but I have to say that I’m loving my time here at Oonaftco Oontaz, and I’m sure we’ll bounce back together as a team next time around.”

She had every reason to be hopeful, with the next AOGP round being at the team’s home circuit - the Rowell Salcedo Commemorative Racing Circuit, which is quite a mouthful to say when you’re drunk. If the team could up their game on their home turf, she would be in a good spot to score some more valuable points. This wasn’t the only thing on her mind, however - as the people at UrGa had decided to give her a call shortly after the race.

Post-Race

[bzzzzzzzt]

”Hi-hi?”

“Nepö, yes, hello! We’ve been keeping tabs on your results, and we just wanted to congratulate you on another hard-earned point.”

“Well, thank you, bu-“

“Shhhh, don’t put yourself down. We’re calling to celebrate you. Oh, and you’ll be doing the mid-season tests after your next AOGP round, so you’ll need to pack your bags.”

“What, for real?”

“Yep! You’ll be taking Donny’s slot for both sessions, so hopefully this little jaunt with Oonaftco Oontaz hasn’t done too much of a number on you.”

“Quite the opposite, actually.”

“Even better! See you there, then!”

[click]

Nepö was ecstatic. Having given the WGPC car the run-around in pre-season driver evaluations, she now had another shot at it with more single-seater experience under her belt. Of course, she still had another race to go, but until then, this was going to be the only thing on her mind…

[Auruna]

Sport Mikuren HQ
Nisko, Auruna

After a long train ride to Nisko, Juno finally arrived at her first steps on becoming a driver like her twin sister Laura, a far reaching goal that she decided to give a shot at. With help from Haru, she managed to get a chance with a team called Sport Mikuren, a relatively small team compared to her other choices but it was the best one for someone like her who is just starting out. As she stepped into the compound, she felt nervous, slowly walking towards the main building. She can feel all the stares coming from the staff and she knew their whispers to each other like "Is that Laura Haukanna?" and "What is she doing here?" It didn't help with her nervousness even though she expected something like this to happen. Reaching the entrance of the main building, she took a really deep breath before entering through the glass doors.

Juno was then greeted by the receptionist who asked her for her name. After she replied, a smile formed on the receptionist's face. "You're finally, here! Welcome to Mikuren Miss Haukanna and you're just in time for your orientation." Said the receptionist. "Apologies for the enthusiasm, we are just excited with getting new drivers and you've arrived in the right time! The meeting room is over there and just have a seat."

Juno just smiled and nodded before heading off to the meeting room without saying much. O-okay, at least I got through that part... right? She thought as she went through the hallway. Upon entering the meeting room, a blast of air-conditioned air hits her. Juno shudders. Nisko people are mad with these air conditioning in the cold. As she takes one of the vacant seats, waiting for her mentor from Mikuren. She nearly dozed off in the coldest room she has ever been until she heard the sound of the door opening and she sat straight upright.

"Aantankaleküttää!" ("Sorry to keep you waiting!") The man loudly said while panting as he entered the room. It sounded familiar to Juno but she didn't give it any thought and looked down as she was so nervous. The man then sat down on a chair infront of Juno and introduced himself. "Ne, miin Kälö Aurinen." ("Now, I am Kälö Aurinen.") And after saying that, it made Juno look up.

"K-Kälö?"

"Yep, missed me?"

"Not quite..."

"Haha, I figured!"

"Err..."

"Anyway! I'll give you the rundown on why you're here and what you'll be doing! Haru told me about your ambitions and so I'll try to help you out with that! It'll be a long way to go before you are ready to be behind the wheel in an actual competition and you'll meet many different people along the way! First things first..." Kälö then started lecturing Juno about everything she needs to know about being a driver alongside some stories from his own personal career. His enthusiasm clearly kept Juno from dozing off. It was longer than expected but it was quite worthwhile.

"As I was informed, you'll be starting off with simulators before getting into an actual car. While it isn't going to be the same experience but it's be similar enough that you can hone your skills in a safe environment. You are expected to not be good on your first try unless you are really one of the most talented ones here. But it just takes some practice. That's it... well, as well as some practical applications on track but it's that simple. Any questions?"

Juno shook her head 'no'.

"Great. And I'm glad to inform you that you've signed up in the perfect time as you'll get to enjoy some experience at a WGPC race track with our partners at Viska Racing. You'll be attending the Mid-Season Test as well as the Aurun Grand Prix at Akresna alongside some Viska Juniors. Meet the drivers and whatever, just enjoy your time there and see what you'll be able to reach in the future."

As Juno was having difficulty to show her excitement, Kälö stood up and paced back and forth infront of Juno. "I'm not sure why you chose to follow Laura's footsteps and take up racing but I commend that. Especially for someone who had a bit of karting experience. That was a brave choice. And so..." Kälö stopped infront of Juno. "I can't believe I'm saying this... Welcome to Sport Mikuren, Miss Haukanna, and I'll be your mentor." As he extended his hand.

Juno hesitantly shook Kälö's hand.

"Heh, by the way... does Laura know you're doing this?" He asked as Juno let go of his hand.

Juno shook her head 'no' again.

"No..? Interesting."

...

I can't wait...

---

Viska Factory
Sterlennau, Auruna

It was the mid-season and after experiencing a different first half of the season, many in Viska took their well-deserved breaks while some opted to stay at the factory. Among the ones who stayed are Jöna, Artur, and Hori, which isn't too surprising at this point. While Hori toiled away at the engine workshop with the Schkeska and AHI-Livanen engineers, Jöna and Artur are at the office discussing about the plans for the Mid-Season Test with several cups of coffee and Aurun snacks.

"While things are looking up, let's see what we can do at the test." Jöna started off. "I've heard from our friends at In Motion that we switch back to the Bluebirds for the test. I liked the idea after running the Phoenician ones for all of the first half. Maybe after that we alternate between the two or just pick one for a certain track. I'll look into it with Hori after the test but it is interesting to say the least."

"We can take our chances there. I just want to see us winning again." Artur said, after finishing his third cup of coffee. "And shall we go ahead as planned before regarding the drivers?"

"What plan?" Before Jöna took a sip from his fifth cup of coffee.

"If you've forgotten, then it's with Kinu taking Aaron's place for the test."

"Ah, right. We'll go ahead with that. I'm quite concerned about his performance but I still have hope. Maybe Kinu could be a good benchmark for the kid."

"I had that in mind. I'll be talking to him after the test... and to the attending Juniors from both us and Mikuren during the test."

"I nearly forgot about that. Looks like you're going to be some kind of lecturer again, taking Kinu's place as he drives around."

"That's right."

"Good luck with that."

"Anyway, regarding our drivers, Sara's all fine but Aaron, I'll be evaluating his performance and I'm also looking into any potential drivers we might consider for the seat... There's no replacing anyone yet but that second seat is really problematic. So far, only Kinu managed to take that second seat to the top. It's quite concerning."

"I agree on that but I'm sure it'll be fine."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, but... 'shit happens', you know?"

"You're right."

"Let's reach the end of this season first."

...

"Then we decide."

---

MNA NEWS
- Viska to unveil a B-spec car for the Mid-Season Test in Astena Asterwynth Circuit, Atheara. The VK-03H/B will feature several changes to the general design philosophy of the car, deviating from Viska's original philosophy of being handling-focused which sacrificed any top end speed causing the Viska to lag behind in the straights and any high-speed corners. Looking to gain some ground in that aspect, a new design was devised with a notable feature of it being the new floor design along with the slight lengthening of the chassis. Sara Luna is expected to run the VK-03H/B with Kinu Luminna (who will be taking Aaron Deering's place for the test) driving the original VK-03H to serve as comparison whether Viska would go ahead with the design in the upcoming races.

---

Haukanna Residence
Karalinne, Auruna

It was a nice time back home before the Mid-Season Test as Laura tries to move on from her disastrous race at Crossbay, a circuit that seemingly hates her for some reason. Now, she was tasked to take care of her younger sister Kata as Juno apparently had something else to do away from home. It was a surprise to Laura but she didn't mind it for now. It was good for Juno to have something else to do after all, she always had to stay home. This time, something different is welcome.

It was a quiet day after Juno left for Nisko, Laura is just at her desktop PC in her room while Kata plays with a console at the living room. Nothing interesting is happening that much and Laura decided to take a break from playing some games and just scroll through the internet looking for something that would interest her for that session. Being bored is nothing new to someone like her but finding something else to do was a bit difficult. She can't hang out with her friends knowing that they are going to be busy at this time as well as Sam who might be doing the same as her - being back at home. Well, it was alright if she couldn't figure it out but after hanging out with Sam in Diarcesia, Laura just wanted to hangout with others more, that itch remained with her.

As she scrolls through the internet, a notification sound went off on her phone. Ping. She immediately locked onto her phone and grabbed it off her desk to check what it was about.

An invitation... it said.

It looked interesting enough. After reading it through, it seemed that Laura, along with the rest of the drivers are being invited to an impromptu bash hosted by Lane Carter. And it was exactly what she was looking for. Finally. Laura thought as she types in a response saying that she will be attending the event and sending it soon after she finished. While she was unsure that her teammate will be able to make it, she will just go and make some new friends and have fun.

And Laura should probably ask Juno for some food to bring when she comes back from Nisko.

Still... this time, let's have some fun!

[Tropicorp]

Sifaka Squad Shown Up by Laukkanen at Crossbay Circuit

WGPC20 Supplier Performance Standings (After Race #5)
[1] - 111 :: Tropicorp Racing Supply
[2] - 96 :: Phoenician/InMotion
[3] - 33 :: Brústeinn
[4] - 20 :: Tabtac

Nimban Grand Prix, Crossbay Circuit Former Citizens of the Nimbus System :: After consecutive victories for Tropicorp Racing Supply the pressure was really on the Phoenician-InMotion contingent as the World Grand Prix Championship drivers and teams headed to the Crossbay Circuit in the Nimbus System and Nexus Racing, the flagship team for the InMotion brand. It was highlighted as a must-win scenario for the brand to keep themselves in the Supplier Championship contention while Tropicorp Racing Supply had extended their advantage with just one race to go before the mid-season break.

Tropicorp Racing Supply would get an outstanding start to the weekend with their own flagship team, Tropicorp Colourworks, snatching an unlikely pole position through rookie driver Ji So-Yeong. While Tropicorp Racing Supply locked out the front row with So-Yeong and Rudy Edwards of Preston Autos, the Nexus Racing machines of Ryker Lane and Janne Laukkanen were immediately behind in 3rd and 4th.

It wouldn't take long for the Nexus Racing duo to make their advance on their home circuit as the fans pulled for local favorite Ryker Lane. However, when Lane retired on Lap 37 the focus shifted to the Abovian driver Janne Laukkanen. After a disappointing rookie season, Laukkanen was promoted to the Nexus Racing driver seat and now all the pressure was on with the weight of a nation rooting them on while four Tropicorp Racing Supply drivers chased them down.

Luckily for the local crowd, the Abovian driver had built up enough of an advantage as Cocoabo #23 did battle with Ji So-Yeong for second position. Laukkanen would hold on to put Nexus Racing and InMotion tyres in victory lane at their home circuit and give the Phoenician-InMotion Supplier entry a much needed boost heading into the mid-season break.

While Tropicorp Racing Supply were bested on the podium, it was still a strong showing for the Sifaka Squad filling out the top 5 with drivers Cocoabo #23, Ji So-Yeong, Skiia Vialiv and Brendan Faloe. With the rest of the top 10 being a mix of Phoenician-InMotion and Tropicorp Racing Supply drivers, it confirmed that despite a strong opening three races for Brústeinn and Tabtac that the Tyre Wars would once again come down to a two-supplier battle between Tropicorp Racing Supply and Phoenician-InMotion. The Nimban Grand Prix was the second consecutive race that both Brústeinn and Tabtac failed to place any drivers in the points.

---

SKIIA VIALIV ✓

@Skiia

Felt great to get another solid points finish. Thought we might be able to sneak onto the podium after Fast Cocoabo got past Ji So-Yeong but there just wasn't enough time. Another lap or two and we might have been able to get up into 3rd place. Can't wait to see what Nepö can do as my teammate at the test after tearing up the AOGP circuit thus far!

Tropicorp Team Take Early Exit in Oontaz

Kota Nibabalu Grand Prix of Atlantian Oceania, Rowell Salcedo Commemorative Racing Circuit, Sultanate of Oontaz :: There was no denying who had the fastest cars at the Atlantian Oceania Grand Prix event in the Sultanate of Oontaz - and it was not the local Oonaftco Oontaz AOGP Team. Tropicorp Racing Supply drivers Lilo Adinora and Jaasim el-Rafiq locked out the front row and appeared destined for a banner day that would get them back into the thick of the Atlantian Oceania Grand Prix title race.

Unfortunately for the team, race day would be another story altogether. Adinora would lead for long stretches at the beginning of the event, and would out last el-Rafiq who retired on lap 28 with a mechanical issue. The team would change some settings for Adinora in a hope to prevent against the same issue taking out the race leader, but the Doom Would Come to the #00 car on lap 39, taking Adniora out of the race, out of the lead and out of action. It would be the second consecutive race that Lilo Adinora started from pole position yet failed not only to score points, but failed to finish the race altogether. This time it would be 0 across the board for the Tropicorp Engineering team who now sit just 10th out of 12 teams in the Atlantian Oceania Grand Prix Constructors Standings while the Oonaftco Oontaz AOGP Team, on the strength of a victory at their home circuit by WGPC Reserve driver Nepö Kinder, race out to a huge early lead with 90 points over the first four events.

[Vilita and Turori]

VILITA & TURORI RACER ✓

@VTRacer

The WGPC Teams take a break from the stress of a full race weekend trading that for the multi-session mid-season test in Atheara. While the Race Eelandii VTGP team will be confident with their performance thus far, Vilita & Turorian drivers R.L. Cruisin and @iBen77 will certainly be looking to find some speed at the test that they have yet to find thus far in the season. Cruisin's best finish came on Carvenlo's home track at the season opener and since then, like Toralmintii, the WGPC's Iron Man has been off the mark. Toralmintii - the defending champion, is still looking for their first points of the season, one of just four drivers who have failed to break into the Top 10. Reliability has been a huge concern for Toralmintii and the Colourworks team so far this season and they will be looking to improve on that in Atheara.

#WGPC :: #MidSeason :: #Atheara Test

iBEN's RACE OF STARS ✓

@raceofstars

Race of Stars drivers will get a second chance turning just one direction in Round 3 of the 4th season of competition. Although the NSSCRA Season has come to a close, there is still one more Oval Race to contest as the AOGP heads to The Autocinedrome - a unique venue for an open wheel event. Fender Loving Fans will have plenty to cheer for though as the Stars of the multiverse take chase in the first ever IRoS event at the track that will mark the midway point of the campaign. It is believed that long time AOCAR Stock Car Series driver Hikp Enuts is being considered for the Local Track entry for the event.

#OvalRacing : #AOGP : #iROS

[Mlima Kijani]

Who Are The Bændur?

When Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir announced that she was bringing “my immense meaty sausage for you all to chew on” to Lane Carter’s WGPC party as an example of Kijani food, it may have raised eyebrows. What Lillý actually produced, fortunately, when she “slapped her girthy 9 incher” down on the snacks table, was nothing more troubling than a large sausage, curled into a tight spiral, and made of minced beef, spiced with coriander, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and black pepper. In its own way, her decision to bring a bændapylsa as an example of Kijani food was revealing, though. Because it’s a food that more than 90% of Kijanis would never eat nor call their own.

Kijani cuisine is noted for its extensive use of tubers, the starchy fare supplemented with leafy greens like kale, collards, and cassava leaves; particularly in Southern Mlima Kijani, it shares some commonalities with Banijan cuisine, hinting at cultural exchange with the Kayura people of the region, and their Banijan neighbors. Most Kijanis are not vegetarian, and chicken, lamb and mutton, goat, and fish are all eaten; beef is rarer, and pork even rare even among the non-Muslim population. Mlima Kijani is quite densely forested and there’s little grazing land for cattle; the exception are the plains of the northeast, an area, until recently, dominated by a tiny minority of white landowners, on whose vast lands cattle grazed, and for whom beef dishes, including bændapylsa, rassitunga, and pampalasangkari, are favored.

The name bændapylsa comes from the word bændur, the plural of bóndi, meaning farmers. Pronounced ‘bender’ (they tend to not appreciated being called ‘benders’ however) the word really refers to the White Kjiani minority, descendants of Græntfjaller colonists who claimed the land today known Mlima Kijani, but then known as Ánni. Today, the word Ánni can barely be whispered without attracting controversy. Mlima Kijani’s colonial subjugation at the hands of a distant country is a source of shame and anguish, particularly given the many economic and social problems plaguing the independent republic since its colonizers departed.

Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir is a bóndi, carrying with her the particular culture of that community. They speak more in a Græntfjaller creole called Atlantshafs than they do in any of the native languages of Mlima Kijani; live mostly in gated communities in the cities or heavily protected enclaves in the runnaland; and tend towards a conservative anticommunism that is both fiercely disdainful of Chane Njuguna and the National Revolutionary Movement in private, and deferential to their status as an extreme minority in public. There is no bændur rights movement, and few bændur engage with national politics.

The future of the bændur is uncertain. Chairman Njuguna has periodically threatened land seizures of their farms, sometimes following through; some renegade groups have taken expropriation into their own hands. But the bændur are heavily armed and their private militias are better equipped and trained than the Kijani National Army. Moreover, their farms are productive and contribute to a far from booming national economy. Driving the bændur out, as some extremist Kayura advocate, is never likely to be realized as official government policy. Which does not prevent some extremist bændur darkly predicting such in emotive pleas to right wing groups in Græntfjall. For now, at least, though, the bændapylsa is safe. Everyone can look forward to a mouthful of Lillý’s sausage.

[Aboveland]

CUTOFF

for mid-season test at Astena Asterwynth Circuit

[Aboveland]

Week 8: Mid-season test (AM Session)

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:34.649
Session Length:	75 minutes
Nation:         	AHR
Circuit:        	Astena Asterwynth Circuit

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

POS # ▍DRIVER                           	FASTEST LAP	GAP TO LEADER
 1 40 ▍Adriana Kowalski Lilian          	00:01:42.500	00:00:00.000
 2 14 ▍Skiia Vialiv                     	00:01:42.607	00:00:00.107
 3 10 ▍Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir            	00:01:42.639	00:00:00.139
 4  9 ▍Batu Tüvshinbayar                	00:01:42.666	00:00:00.166
 5 33 ▍Sam Blaatschappen                	00:01:42.668	00:00:00.168
 6 84 ▍Angela Tan Fang Ling             	00:01:42.787	00:00:00.287
 7 51 ▍R.L. Cruisin                     	00:01:42.936	00:00:00.435
 8 88 ▍Ted Pressley                     	00:01:42.939	00:00:00.439
 9 50 ▍Sara Luna                        	00:01:42.953	00:00:00.453
10  5 ▍Rudy Edwards                     	00:01:43.142	00:00:00.641
11 13 ▍Ji So-Yeong                      	00:01:43.143	00:00:00.642
12 27 ▍Dario Nülkeschlager              	00:01:43.325	00:00:00.825
13 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                  	00:01:43.461	00:00:00.960
14 91 ▍Kingston Walcott                 	00:01:43.531	00:00:01.030
15  2 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:43.753	00:00:01.252
16 63 ▍Nepö Kinder                      	00:01:43.816	00:00:01.316
17  1 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:43.898	00:00:01.397
18 37 ▍Laura Haukanna                   	00:01:43.906	00:00:01.406
19 42 ▍Sophie McCreary                  	00:01:44.357	00:00:01.856
20 82 ▍Kinu Luminna                     	00:01:44.458	00:00:01.958
21 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                      	00:01:44.512	00:00:02.012
22 11 ▍Lane Carter                      	00:01:44.642	00:00:02.142
23 96 ▍William Archer                   	00:01:44.754	00:00:02.254
24 12 ▍Darian Vilau                     	00:01:45.189	00:00:02.689
25 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                     	00:01:46.403	00:00:03.903
26 24 ▍Jordan Crowe                     	00:01:46.892	00:00:04.392
27  7 ▍Arturia Nero                     	00:01:47.266	00:00:04.766
28 85 ▍Olivia Stone                     	00:01:49.478	00:00:06.978

Week 8: Mid-season test (PM Session)

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:34.649
Session Length:	75 minutes
Nation:         	AHR
Circuit:        	Astena Asterwynth Circuit

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

POS # ▍DRIVER                           	FASTEST LAP	GAP TO LEADER
 1 85 ▍Olivia Stone                     	00:01:42.497	00:00:00.000
 2  1 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:42.537	00:00:00.040
 3  7 ▍Arturia Nero                     	00:01:42.585	00:00:00.089
 4 13 ▍Ji So-Yeong                      	00:01:42.605	00:00:00.108
 5 11 ▍Lane Carter                      	00:01:42.671	00:00:00.174
 6 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                      	00:01:42.706	00:00:00.209
 7 27 ▍Dario Nülkeschlager              	00:01:42.723	00:00:00.227
 8 42 ▍Sophie McCreary                  	00:01:42.727	00:00:00.230
 9  9 ▍Batu Tüvshinbayar                	00:01:42.868	00:00:00.371
10 40 ▍Adriana Kowalski Lilian          	00:01:42.926	00:00:00.429
11 12 ▍Darian Vilau                     	00:01:42.939	00:00:00.442
12 84 ▍Angela Tan Fang Ling             	00:01:43.053	00:00:00.556
13 50 ▍Sara Luna                        	00:01:43.316	00:00:00.819
14 63 ▍Nepö Kinder                      	00:01:43.350	00:00:00.853
15 82 ▍Kinu Luminna                     	00:01:43.493	00:00:00.996
16 91 ▍Kingston Walcott                 	00:01:43.515	00:00:01.018
17 24 ▍Jordan Crowe                     	00:01:43.790	00:00:01.293
18 14 ▍Skiia Vialiv                     	00:01:43.855	00:00:01.358
19 33 ▍Sam Blaatschappen                	00:01:43.922	00:00:01.425
20  2 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:44.100	00:00:01.603
21 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                     	00:01:44.175	00:00:01.678
22 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                  	00:01:44.909	00:00:02.412
23 51 ▍R.L. Cruisin                     	00:01:45.016	00:00:02.519
24 10 ▍Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir            	00:01:45.059	00:00:02.562
25  5 ▍Rudy Edwards                     	00:01:45.500	00:00:03.004
26 37 ▍Laura Haukanna                   	00:01:45.586	00:00:03.090
27 88 ▍Ted Pressley                     	00:01:45.955	00:00:03.459
28 96 ▍William Archer                   	00:01:46.804	00:00:04.308

[Auruna]

Tarvellanet Aurunaan vär Sÿrä-prii Auruna!
Welcome to Auruna for the Aurun Grand Prix!
In cooperation with the MNA and NDT


Akresna Circuit

Circuit Details
Event: Aurunair Aurun Grand Prix / Aurunair Sÿrä-prii Auruna
Location : Akresna, Auruna
Layout : International
Length : 5.792 km
Lap Record : 1:40.442 (new estimate) | 1:42.211 (AtMA, 1997 - old version) | 1:32.970 (AEC, 2021)
DRS Zones: 2 (Start/Finish Straight & Kaulinta-Entenalla Straight)

Description
Located at the Aurun hills, near the city of Akresna just north of Veratuna, is the most popular, successful, and challenging Akresna Circuit. With an altitude of about 1,350 m above sea level, the circuit is both challenging for both the drivers and cars. After the formation of the Mötoraaroitu Nazyonalla Auruna (MNA), this is one of the circuits that are now government owned and it was saved from closure by the MNA and it is one of the Viska Racing test tracks due to a partnership with Schkeska Motors until recently. First built in 1956, the track features a wide variety of elevation changes and corners, also featuring the Akresna Tunnel that goes down though a hill (Although it is not used in the International Layout). With decent run-off areas and one of the best facilities in Auruna, the circuit is one of the best in Auruna and is a part of the Aurun Trinity Circuits.

Akresna starts off with the start/finish straight followed by a heavy braking zone to Turn 1, Valantov, then a fast Turn 2 that goes uphill. Turns 3 continues the uphill climb where Sector 2 starts at the exit of Turn 4. Sector 2, also called the "Hill Run", starts with a short straight to Turn 5 then followed by a slightly downhill then uphill Turn 6, where an old bunker is next to, then flowing nicely into Turn 7 which heads to the Akresna Sun section where most of the pictures of the track are taken, usually at sunset and during endurance races. At Turn 8, Politov, the Akresna Tunnel is located, it is unused in the international layout. What follows is a series of uphill-downhill corners ending with Turn 12, this is the most challenging part of the circuit where oversteer and understeer are prevalent and demands good throttle control by the drivers if they make a small mistake in this section, they will end up in the barriers. Still going downhill, a straight leads on to Turn 13, Veren Üka, which starts Sector 3, the fastest sector. The fast corners and chicanes of Turns 15, 16, 17, and 18. Cars go though this section flat-out and at this area is where most of the grandstands are located. Drivers usually get caught out at Turns 17 and 18 where they can oversteer into the barriers and ending their race. A final heavy braking zone to the Turn 19, Kaulinta. Another fast straight followed by a fast Turn 20, Entenalla (Similar to Parabolica of Monza) that leads to the start/finish straight which then completes a lap.

History
Akresna Circuit started out as a part of a much larger hillclimb from the then village of Akresna to the summit of the nearby hills. Shortly after a hillclimb, a few smaller paths were built that branched off from the main route and many started racing around the newborn circuit. This then caught the attention of the local racing club that was handling the hillclimb events and decided to start the funding of the construction of a permanent race venue. Construction was finished in 1956 and was a big hit for the local races and once word got out to other parts of the country, more drivers flocked over to Akresna to race at this new permanent race circuit, the third one of its kind in Auruna after Livonsk and Veratuna.

Akresna had a rough start after it was built and soon, it was deemed not to be a profitable circuit due to its location but this all changed right after the formation of the Mötoraaroitu Nazyonalla Auruna (MNA). The circuit, along with Livonsk and Veratuna was then bought by the MNA and in turn, the three are the first government-owned circuits in the country. It was a part of a project to promote motorsport in the country and it proved to be a success that lasted to the present day. This led to Akresna, Livonsk, and Veratuna being referred to as the Aurun Trinity Circuits.

It hosted a variety of motorsport series from the endurance AEC to the touring cars of AtMA, it had a slow rise to the top. A circuit rework occurred in the winter of 1973 where certain improvements to the layout and infrastructure and as a part of that, the now famous Akresna Sun and Tunnel section appeared and was received well by the fans and drivers.

After the success at the WGP2 with Viska's win here, the MNA decided to fund the circuits for the Aurun WGPC project. The MNA held a bid for the MNA International Circuit License where Akresna was chosen at the end over Livonsk and Veratuna. The MNA decided to stick with the International layout used in the WGP2 but there were rumours about using the AtMA or the K1 layouts. There were a lot of upgrades to the infrastructure of the circuit to better suit WGPC.

Soon after the WGPC 18 race, work started on improvements in the International layout with the most significant change is replacing the T6 hairpin with a more flowing corner after criticisms about that certain corner being flow-breaking and not suiting the circuit structure. This change led to the layout being significantly shorter than it originally was. The end result proved to be popular with fans and drivers saying that it's much better than before.

It only missed out on the fourth season of WGP2 but circuit officials and the MNA are persistent and kept entering Akresna where it eventually returned to both WGPC (19) and WGP2 (S5) while having competition from Veratuna for the bid.

Previous Podiums in Akresna

WGP2 III - WGP2 Race of the Hills

1 - Olivia Stone [Schkeska-VSK Viska Racing]
2 - Abdoulaye Goita [SVJ Racing]
3 - Lourdina Westgrens [Bitten Heroes Academy]

WGPC 18 - Sÿrä-prii Auruna (Aurun Grand Prix)

1 - iBen Toralmintii [Tropicorp Racing Ælund]
2 - Terho Talvela [Tropicorp Racing Ælund]
3 - Abdoulaye Goita [Schkeska-VSK Viska Racing]

WGP2 S5 - WGP2 Race of the Hills

1 - Darian Vilau [Kaylan Junior Team]
2 - Adonis Fitzpatrick [UrGa Motorsports]
3 - Ryden Solow [Tropicorp VilBev GP2]

WGPC 19 - Sÿrä-prii Auruna (Aurun Grand Prix)

1 - Kinu Luminna [Viska Racing]
2 - iBen Toralmintii [Tropicorp Racing Ælund]
3 - Rudy Edwards [Preston Autos GP]

Aurun WGP3 S1 - Round 5

1 - Iina Konoa [Viska Racing]
2 - Luke Ochoa [Garnell Tävonte Motorsport]
3 - Aira Ekeränna [Schkeska Racing]

AtMA 22 - Round 7

1 - Ylle Lovim [VSK Racing]
2 - Eva Karkov [Daimaron Allican Motorsport]
3 - Haru Könä [VSK Racing]

AEC 22 - 8 Hours of Akresna

1 - Rasianoara/Watkins/Clifton [Camden Motorsport]
2 - Novoyin/Kiijonen/Köval [VSK Racing]
3 - Gerasimov/Demianenko/Xonaxonov [Billingshurst Motors Team]

---

About: Akresna
The city of Akresna (formerly just a large village) didn't have anything notable before the boom in motorsport apart from being a powerhouse in the Aurun textile industry until it had a slight decline during the early to mid 50s. It started to become a popular destination for the early Aurun hill climbers due to its location and the surrounding hills. The travelling racers also brought money with them where they would purchase any local goods to bring along with them during their travels to these "hillclimb roads". Akresna eventually took the opportunity to embrace motorsport thanks to these travelling racers and start their own local auto club which then led to the discovery of the roads that would eventually form the current Akresna Circuit. This also resulted in the boom in Akresna's economy and the village soon developed into a small city and the growth has been gradual since then.

The city still retains its textile industry although it has been overtaken by motorsport and tourism since the formation of the MNA. Motorsport has since become one of the most integral parts of Akresna culture with festivals and celebrations relating to the sport becoming prominent. Notable places in Akresna include the Akresna Motorsport Museum and the Kiraukahtta Akresna Textile Works. There are several smaller circuits located around the city used for local events with the Akresna-Häätükimi Circuit being one of the most notable ones.

How to get to Akresna
Most traffic to the circuit will be coming from Veratuna. The flights are expected to arrive at either Veratuna Lorukeentteä Airport (VER | EAVL) or Veratuna North / Zuroloyov Airport (VZL | EAVZ) which are located close enough to Akresna, cutting travel times. North Veratuna AFB may accept private flights to Veratuna. Aurunair (and Aurunair Express) and Aviari Airlines flights are discounted until the end of the event.

What follows is a 30-minute trip north by road using the As-1 or As-4 highway from either airports or from the capital area at an average speed of 115 kph. (Note: there are no speed limits at the As-1 and As-4 but please observe road safety as the highway patrol units are strict)
As an alternative, the Gs-21 and the Körinö Pass which adds about 15 minutes to your travel time but there will be fewer traffic in both roads.

Other alternatives include taking the high speed Aurun National Railway line to the city of Akresna from Veratuna and other neighbouring cities. Sterlennau is the most viable option should Veratuna be difficult to travel in with accessible high speed rail and the As-7 highway that connects to the As-4 near Akresna.

[Chromatika]

The Story of Ji and Melani – Part 1

Four Years Ago
Alnio University of the Arts

A gorgeous sunset was setting over the Alnio horizon on the hill known as The Red. A natural hill of clay that hadn’t been taken down by industry (it was actually against city regulations to do so), it was a favorite place for students to gather around, whether they be friends, lovers, or something else. There was a part of The Red that was known as The Precipice – the very tip of it that could only accommodate one park bench, before railings prevented people from unwittingly stepping over the edge.

It was a Friday – meaning classes were over for the weekend. As it was the beginning of April, the first week of the new Quarter had gone by – the students didn’t have too much homework yet, and the weather was too good to stay inside. The two young women sitting at the bench on The Precipice certainly agreed that was the case – and, with one leaning into the shoulder of the other, their hands clasped, it was obvious that they were more than friends.

“Something’s been on your mind all day,” stated the shorter one, a black-haired woman with a distinctive scar that went from her lower left eye to her lip, Ji looked up at the contemplating face of one Anola Melani above her. It wasn’t like Anola to be so contemplative – pensive, sure, but never so strained.

“I got an offer today, So-Yeong-ah,” answered Melani, “You’re never going to believe it, but Comet Motorsports wants me to race for them, full time.” Anola’s voice was soft yet hesitant, as if she couldn’t believe it herself.

Ji raised an eyebrow and chose to sit up. “Full time? As in dropping out of school?” This was a big deal. The two of them had actually met in Motorsports and were already racing in the amateur circuit all the time, trading titles back and forth – they were very good, and they knew it. Up to this point, they had managed to keep the racing on the back burner, turning down offers to be substitutes and whatnot. They had spent many a night talking about what it might actually take for them to quit school, and here Anola was, being put face to face with the first one.

“Have you told your family?” Ji added, knowing how close the Melanis were. Two months after they had started dating – almost a year ago – she had gotten to meet them, and though she had wanted to be jealous of Anola for having a family, the Melanis were so nice and supportive that she couldn’t help but love them. She also knew that the Melanis wanted Anola to get the college degree first before fully committing to motorsports – and Anola didn’t really like going against her parents.

“I haven’t yet,” Anola admitted, “But I think it’d be dumb to decline the offer, don’t you?” Her voice wasn’t sure, but it was asking – and Ji knew exactly what the underlying question was. Becoming a full time driver would mean that they wouldn’t be in the same school all the time, and that they would have less time to spend with each other – being more of a long-distance relationship or a working couple.

“We’ve talked about this before,” Ji reminded Anola, “I’m with you no matter what. This is one of those things that we had decided previously would be worth it. If you want to take it, that’s your call. I love being with you, but we both love racing, and I would love supporting you through it.”

“I thought you might say that,” Anola answered, sighing, “I have a week to figure out what to do, whether I’m going to take the deal or not. They can fit me in when the season starts in the next month.”

“Comet Motorsports, huh? They’re one of the up-and-coming teams on the circuit, right?” Ji turned the subject around. Comet was a new racing outfit in Chromatika, not very well established, but having won some races in the past season. As they had never used temporary drivers, they had never used Melani nor Ji, but the reputation of Erika Polk, the team’s owner, was legendary.

“It’s the perfect fit. They’re not too big for me, and they have what I need – an ownership that knows what they are doing, the cash to make things work, and a long-term goal to win the whole damn thing,” Anola admitted.

“So you have the answer already, don’t you?” Ji countered, “You know you do this, Anola. The answer is staring at you in the face. To ignore it would be the bigger mistake, wouldn’t it?”

Of course, her girlfriend was right. You didn’t get a call-up from temporary or substitute racer to the main driver for a Chromatik Motorsports team very often. Nobody would blink an eye – Anola had been well proven enough at this point, and there had been talk about her making the rosters of some teams for over a year – but for a team like Comet?

“It’s not a call I have to make tonight,” Anola countered, “Tonight, I’m going to spend with you. Tomorrow, I’ll think about how I’m going to tell my folks, and after that, provided everything goes well, I’ll tell Comet and also figure out how I’m going to finish my degree online.”

“You know,” Ji chided, “If you don’t, I’ll know. I don’t forget.”

“Oh, I know,” Anola responded gently, “It’s why you’re so good for me.”

The two continued to watch the gorgeous sunset, finding comfort in each other in the face of an uncertain future. A more exciting one filled with the prospect of grandeur, but uncertainty nonetheless.

It was beautiful. It was solemn. It was the moment that changed their lives. For the better, then for the worse. The beauty. The tragedy.

The story of it all… Which would result in one of the biggest court cases in Chromatik history.

[Tumbra]

.BREAKING NEWS:. Dario Nülkeschläger To Drive For Pressley Racing From WGPC 21

Dario Nülkeschläger, the Hülkenberger WGPC driver and current Pressley Racing test and reserve driver, will fill one of Pressley Racing's two seats in the upcoming WGPC 21 season, setting off a flurry of discussion over the driver market for the next season of the World Grand Prix Championship.

Nülkeschläger, who made his debut for WGPC Motorworks in Season 18 of WGPC, was left without a seat for the current season of WGPC after being let go by GPA Pryfors Bilar. The Hülkenberger, who has a career total of 36 points from 21 Grands Prix, was rumoured to have a contract clause that would have given him a seat on the WGPC 21 grid for Pressley Racing — something that has seemingly been confirmed with the extremely early announcement of half of Pressley's lineup for the season.

"Dario is an extremely talented driver who has proved his chops in the PRE-023 and the PRE-023B," said the press statement that accompanied the announcement. "In his many miles of testing with the team, he has become intimately familiar with the car and the way that the team works. Pressley Racing therefore decided to reward his loyalty to the team and allow for his future to be secure."

The announcement of Nülkeschläger begins the period of time often known as "silly season", where drivers are speculated to move to different teams. Previously, this only started near the end of the season; but Pressley's hitherto unexpectedly early announcement has meant that this year's silly season has started early. Chiefly at risk of losing his spot on the grid is Mertagne's Bryce Yannec, with the driver's contract up at the end of the season. Yannec has been hit several times by what has been described as extreme amounts of bad luck — being unable to convert Pressley Racing's first pole into a points-scoring finish, and has been the main victim of Pressley's mechanical gremlins. Yet, Pressley were seemingly keen to emphasise that no decision had been made on the second Pressley seat, even if the overwhelming favourite to fill said seat is team leader and incumbent driver Sophie McCreary. McCreary herself has not made any statement on whether she will continue with the team in future seasons, leading to speculation that team principal Jack Brook may yet call on names like Olivia Stone, William Archer, or even incumbent world champion iBen Toralmintii to fill the second Pressley seat.

Pressley are currently 6th in the World Grand Prix Championship on 32 points, with Tumbran driver Sophie McCreary having scored all 32. The statement, however, was keen to make sure that Pressley's spot on the grid was by no means guaranteed. "This seat is contingent on Pressley Racing securing a license for the WGPC 21 grid," continued the statement. "Should Pressley Racing fail to make it to the WGPC 21 grid, Dario will be free to sign for another WGPC team and continue his career there."

Speculation has been increasing over the short-term future of some drivers on the grid, such as Viska's Aaron Deering and Sivaleinen's Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir. The move by Pressley to secure Nülkeschläger for the second seat could easily both be construed as a way to not lose the talented Hülkenberger to either of those two outfits, and is a way of getting the uncertainty out of the way early.

---

.WGPC UNLOCKED. Who Could Be Nülkeschläger's Team-Mate? Speculation Abounds

We go through five candidates for Pressley Racing's second seat after the team's announcement of the talented Hülkenberger as the first Pressley driver for next season.

The recent announcement that Hülkenberger driver Dario Nülkeschläger will be driving for Pressley Racing has sparked off speculation over who his team-mate will be. The team have reportedly shown interest in several candidates — including both of their current drivers, one of whom will definitely be leaving the team at the end of the season — but the team are also no closer to announcing their second driver, with no negotiations rumoured to have occurred on any driver's side.

1. THE WONDERKID — SOPHIE MCCREARY

On paper, she's the obvious choice. Sophie McCreary burst onto the WGPC scene with a points position on her first outing, before scoring two consecutive podiums. The pace of the Pressley car has slightly fallen off in recent weeks, and an entirely unforced error leading race-ending crash in the Nexus Wardship proved that there is still a long way to go for the Tumbran wonderkid. But she's the easy favourite to retain her seat — after all, she's the headliner driver for Pressley, and was the cornerstone of the car's development; the PRE-023 was supposedly designed with her driving style in mind.

What might worry Pressley's side is her seeming reluctance to commence contract negotiations; while it was previously established that McCreary had a long-term contract with the team, McCreary herself has established that she could leave the team if an offer from another team came in, and Pressley were unwilling to match or exceed their salary offer. Should McCreary be swept up by another team — the Carvenlos, Viskas or Eelandiis of the grid — then Pressley will likely fall back upon their other options. As of the time of writing, however, she's still the massive favourite to retain her seat.

2. THE INCUMBENT — BRYCE YANNEC

Bryce Yannec's season has been beset by bad luck — and the announcement that Nülkeschläger will be occupying one of the two Pressley seats casts a severe doubt over the Mertagnian's future. It hasn't been helped by his poor results — but that's often been put down to mechanical gremlins, rather than actual bad pace on Yannec's part. Where teammate McCreary brought home Pressley's first points and podium, Yannec brought home Pressley's first pole position. The Mertagnian's lack of points is not an indication of his lack of quality; rather, it's an indication of a horrible luck.

The truth of the matter is that Yannec is, more likely than not, to be the third driver in a cut-throat series where each team can only sign two drivers. Should McCreary leave, then Yannec might have a small starting bonus in the stakes to fill Pressley's second seat. By all accounts, Yannec has also been an extremely amenable team-mate, willingly giving up track position to Sophie McCreary as well as being her rear gunner on track. In short, he has been the perfect second driver for Pressley and a calm, collected effort behind the wheel. What could count more against him, however, when comparing him and the other three candidates in this article, is his poor results in the PRE-023.

Yannec's chances of staying at Pressley largely depend on whether McCreary moves on to another team; it's fair to say he has a small, yet significant advantage, in that race should negotiations with the Tumbran wonderkid falls through.

3. THE FLEFTIC — WILLIAM ARCHER

Expectations were high for William Archer at the start of this season. A surprise title charge, including two consecutive race wins in Hapilopper and Vilita, meant that he was widely looked to to lead Preston's title challenge this season. Yet Archer hasn't replicated his form from last season; a solitary fourth place in Diarcesia remains his only points finish this season. Two retirements and a whole bevy of lower-half finishes have meant that Archer lags behind severely at this point in the season; and with rumours that Preston Autos' WGPC program's future is in doubt, Archer could conceivably become a free agent next season.

But why would Pressley go for the Fleftic? Team principal Jack Brook has prized experience and racecraft as the key attributes in his drivers; Archer, while he hasn't shown it this season, has clearly demonstrated both in the past. If Archer can't seem to get the best out of his form at Preston, Pressley could offer a change of pace for the Fleftic — a lower-stress environment in which he could stretch his legs and recapture his form.

4. THE NIMBAN — OLIVIA STONE

Another driver who was caught out by this season's merry-go-round of race seats, the Nimban Olivia Stone was a regular on the grid for Viska until their wholesale turnaround of their driver lineup. Whether Viska's change has worked is a topic for another article, but the drop has certainly seemed to put a chip on Stone's shoulder. While she remains Cygnus' test driver, appearing for the Esmerelian team at the mid-season test, there remains no commitment for a seat for the next season, unlike Nülkeschläger's contract which reportedly guaranteed the Hülkenberger a race seat on the grid if he took a back seat this season.

The WGPC race winner could also be tempted by other drives — a seat at her home team Nexus Racing seems out of the question, since long-term drivers Ryker Lane and wonderkid Janne Laukkanen seem to have those seats locked down — but her hunger to secure a seat on the grid by any means possible could see Pressley cast an interest in the Nimban if she reaches out to them. She has pace, she's fast and aggressive; she could be perfect for Pressley's evolution as they seek to stamp their authority on the grid.

5. THE CHAMPION — IBEN TORALMINTII

iBen Toralmintii might not be a name that may be associated with Pressley, but the Turorian driver is stuck at the bottom of the standings — with zero points and a best finish of eighteenth after five races — and Pressley could offer him a change of pace, similarly to Archer. Questions remain over his level of commitment to the series — the driver embarked upon an abortive NSSCRA campaign at the start of the season before fully focusing on Colourworks' campaign, which has netted the team a solitary third-placed finish courtesy of Ji So-yeong.

Pressley signing Toralmintii would be a coup for a team of Pressley's stature — which is why he's at the bottom of the list. Pressley could also conceivably try to prise R.L. Cruisin from Carvenlo, Laura Haukanna from Pryfors Bilar, or even hijack Skiia Vialiv from Urotovsky-Gatutin. Toralmintii's name on this list doesn't necessarily represent a concrete interest, but more of a "what if" scenario should McCreary leave Pressley and the team does not choose to take up Yannec for a second season.

Any negotiations with Toralmintii, however, look set to begin at the end of the season — the Turorian is understandably committed to not recording the worst title defence for a WGPC driver on record, and even then Toralmintii's long-term future in the series is hazy, with his NSSCRA campaign a possible sign that his interests lie beyond the open-wheel circuit in motorsports.

[TJUN-ia]

WGPC20
Mid-Season Test
Astena Asterwynth Circuit, Atheara

Five races down, five to go...but up first, a well-deserved break. It's the mid-season break in WGPC 20 - a time for everyone to chill, take a break and think about the 5 races that have passed and the 5 races to come. It really is a time to think and rethink, especially with the rumours of a "silly season" making shifts in the driver market for next season, but for most drivers on the grid, their focus would be on a Mid-Season Test in Atheara - which some take more important than others.

Both of TJUN-ia's drivers opted to take part in the session, both due to pure commitment purposes and for data-collection purposes at that. Both Lane Carter and Batu Tüvshinbayar felt like they were doing a good(ish) job so far and both of them entered this session hoping to take some valuable data into the tests to come. Adriana Kowalski Lilian would be the fastest in the morning session over Skiia Vialiv and Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir but Batu wasn't too far behind, 0.166 in fact, in P4. Both of the VTGP cars were doing their own things and so were further down the order, with Fast Cocoabo beating Lane to P21 while Jordan Crowe ended up nearly 5 seconds off in P24.

After a break we had the afternoon session and things would certainly play out differently here as ambitions and focuses changed. Olivia Stone would take the fastest time over iBen Toralmintii and Arturia Nero but VTGP certainly had more of an impact, with Lane up in P5 ahead of the Cocoabo. batu ended up in P9 in #9 while Crowe improved to P17.

Of course, the main highlight of the event actually turned out to be Impromptu Bash II as a bunch of people across the grid actually decided to accept Lane's invitation to the event in a venue that turned out to be a local community center that Lane managed to find and hire out. As expected, Lane managed to provide plenty of drinks while everyone else managed to pride some food as well - including Lilly and her bændapylsa (or the "Apartheid Appendage", a Lane would internally call it). It actually ended up being alright and batu was certainly impressed with what Lane managed to accomplish. while also enjoying a night where he could just focus on himself and not on external factors, while Lane had a good time talking to other people he doesn't usually talk to. He put on a friendly front...though deep down inside, he knew something was still off about himself and that was still in the process of getting healed.

WGPC returns for the Aurun Grand Prix in Auruna's Akresna Circuit...but for now, it is time to relax.

[Diarcesia]

Resonate, Kingly Trumpets!

In the first few laps of testing, Sara managed to set the fastest lap time during her hot run with a gap of almost half a second from the next-fastest driver. It did not take long though for others to surpass that. Viska collected data on the impact of the redesigned floor and chassis lengthening on the car's stability and aerodynamics.

"Okay, Sara. We've got some good data on the car's behaviour this morning. Let's get ready for some more testing in the afternoon and see if we can further improve on its handling."

"Ya, sir."

The following session was another one of those where Sara managed to set a fastest lap time initially. This time around though, there were no large gaps between drivers as everyone seemed to be very close in terms of pace. By the end of it, the Viska driver was in the top thirteen.

"That's a good lap, Sara," said Jan. "However, we need to keep an eye on our tyres too."

She nodded and kept her eyes on the track as she continued driving around for another couple of laps. Once she had finished, Jan added: "We've also got some data from Togonistan that might help us further down the line."

"Great. Sounds promising."

In the meantime, Diarcesian media was reporting on an incident involving reigning AOGP champion Gus Perry in a local nightclub: "The AOGP champion Gus Perry was involved in a fight at the local nightclub. Apparently, after he had been drinking for quite some time, he started acting aggressively towards other patrons and eventually ended up physically fighting with them."

"Oh my God," Sara blurted out upon hearing about it. "I hope that doesn't affect him or his team's performance here."

That aside, the day concluded with with the Viska drivers and engineers debriefing and sharing their findings. Sara in particular discussed about the tyre wear and how she managed to drive around it, which helped her save some rubber for the end of the session.

"All in all, it has been a productive day of testing for us," said Jan. "And if we keep up this pace and consistency throughout the rest of the season, I believe that we can be one step closer to achieving our goal." The goal? Understanding the significance of tire management in achieving consistent performance. Hopefully, this will propel them to better qualifying positions and less engine wear.

The Viska staff expressed their gratitude to Sara for her input. "Thank you Sara. That's very useful to us. Keep it up."

"Will do."

Sara Luna's objective for the second half of the season is to keep improving on her performance and help Viska Racing achieve a podium finish.

Later...

"What happens when you get a bunch of religious leaders together? They fight."

"What do you get when you combine a group of religious leaders with no common ground to stand on and everyone's already at each other's throats? Chaos, that's what."

"If I were to tell anyone about this, I would say it was like watching children in the sandbox fighting over their toys: "Mine! Mine! It belongs to me!" Except these men are old enough and wise enough not only know better but should be able to act accordingly...but they can't. Instead, they bicker back and forth about who does or does not have what right or power--or both--over the people involved in it all."

*changes channel*

"Not again. Why does the TV bring up this lame comedy show? I want more serious matters," Sara muttered to herself. Her fingers repeatedly pressed the remote's channel change button.

"Wait, what's this?" she said after stopping at a news channel that was broadcasting about the situation in Diarcesia. "Looks like I wasn't too far off from my assessment."

The announcer continued: "...and now, it appears to be coming to a head as we speak. Sources say that dieretic delegates from Hylvoria and Chiyginia have arrived in their respective capitals and are reportedly lobbying for stronger support of their positions on the matter with members of both diereses' royal families. In addition, other sources claim that both sides may already be attempting to unite into one family in matrimony. The Abenaki, on the other hand, appear to have lessened their support for Hylvoria's position in this matter."

"What? Lessened? How?" Sara asked herself. She looked at the TV screen intensely as she felt an urge to learn more about what was going on with Diarcesia right now and how it would affect not just them but also those from Viska Racing who are curious about how her country works. "Wait a minute," she said out loud upon realizing that even though they are supposedly "lessening their support", they could still be backing Hylvoria anyway. Maybe there is something I can do after all...

Staying in touch with royal gossip, that is. That hadn't happened in a while. It had been at least a couple of years since she last delved into such things, but the situation could be dire if Diarcesians in the "royal diereses" ends up splitting apart socially or... something even worse. At least the "republican diereses" don't have to worry about these.

Sara then looked at her calendar. She had a few free days coming up and decided to take it as an opportunity to do some research on the matter, just in case.

Elizabeth Aerts and the Bluebirds

Pryfors Bilar has announced that Sam Blaatschapen will participate in the WGPC 20 midseason test with the InMotion-provided Bluebird tyres. Blaatschapen, who currently has 10 championship points, take over Dario Nülkeschläger's as the team's second driver. Blaatschapen has competed in WGP2 last season, with a best result of 9th place in the championship standings. The Diarcesian was previously questionable if she would participate in WGPC at all.

As well as the announcement to test the Bluebirds, it is rumoured that Blaatschapen will also receive a multi-year sponsorship contract extension with Diarcesian company Silvertail after demonstrating her speed and consistency throughout the season so far. If the rumours are true, the deal is said to be worth over $1.8 million.

The midseason test will take place in Astena Asterwynth Circuit and will involve a morning and afternoon session. The test is open to all teams and drivers participating in the championship. Some teams has chosen to utilize the services of dedicated test drivers for the midseason test, however, Pryfors Bilar has ruled out doing it themselves.

The brainchild of PB deciding to outfit Blaatschapen's car with the Bluebirds is Elizabeth Aerts, a senior aerodynamicist. Aerts, who has been involved in designing the cars in WGP2 S4 and WGPC 19, was passed over for a promotion to Technical Director in favour of Emma Anderson.

Aerts asserts that the frustum-shaped Bluebirds, with their unique design and properties, interacts more efficiently with the airflow around the car, reducing drag and enhancing downforce, which can result in better overall handling and cornering capabilities. She will be personally designing the relevant components for Blaatschapen's car to accommodate the tyre type during the test session.

"It's the logical step. Sam has shown to be a fast driver and even if her performance on track does not convince detractors, we can't just leave her talents unsung," said Aerts during an interview with WGPC Fan Zone magazine. "The team needs some sort of experimentation for the midseason test, and why not give Blaatschapen a shot? She might surprise us with what she can do with our tyre supplier's other offerings."

---

After carefully evaluating the test results and considering the logistics involved, the team made the decision to continue with the Blackbird tyre line for the upcoming races. Blaatschapen's results at Astena were so impressive that the team's top technical staff would consider the possibility of switching to Bluebirds in the next season.

The Diarcesian driver was vocal about how being able to contribute to the future of the team felt like an "honour" and how she is ready to step up her game for the second half of WGPC 20, as well as helping out with developing more efficient tyres strategies for the team.

"I have a second chance, and I won't let anyone down," said Blaatschapen. "When you look at it from the outside, you can see that the team is pulling together to get better results. It's amazing how all of this has happened so quickly, but there are still five races left in this season."

[Abanhfleft]

Sigurd Ring, Diarcesia
The weekend of the Ramngardian Grand Prix

Every time William Archer went to sleep, he wished that he would wake up back on the day of qualifying for the Liventian Grand Prix, and the nightmare of the past three weeks had never happened to him at all. But everyday, he woke up still in the living nightmare of having scored zero points total in the 20th season of the World Grand Prix Championship, and every day that he woke up was a day in which he was no closer to solving this particular problem of his. William’s engine had suffered a catastrophic failure in the last two races, and while he still believed that both of these failures were merely a tragic and unfortunate coincidence on his part, there was still a part of his mind that refused to believe that these events weren’t by design. And, in recent days, this part of his mind had been acting up once again and presenting itself to William in the form of the doubter.

The doubter had first appeared to William during a tough weekend in Turori at the Eelandii Course back in Season 19, a track which had never really been friendly to William in the first place. William could not remember ever having had a good or even just a decent race, but it had seemed as though his luck was finally about to turn after he and his Preston Autos teammate Rudy Edwards finished the sprint qualifying session at the track in 4th and 5th place respectively. However, his good luck at Eelandii wouldn’t last that long, and first he suffered through a long pit stop caused by a cross-threaded wheel, and this was then followed by the revelation that one of his new tires had sustained a puncture, and he was forced into making a second “unnecessary” pit stop. It was unnecessary in the sense that it was not part of the strategy for William at all and had been forced on him and his team by outside circumstances. It was in the aftermath of that race that the doubter first manifested himself to William, first as just a sneering and sniveling voice inside his own head before finally taking on a corporeal form after William’s first retirement in Season 20. Most of the doubter’s words to William involved telling him how the Fleftic driver was always going to be second best in the eyes of Preston Autos Grand Prix, the Hapiloppian outfit that had given William his first ever WGPC contract. The doubter was convinced that Preston was doing everything in its power to prevent William from getting his hands on the drivers’ championship, at least not before one of their own, the so-called “golden boy of Preston” according to the doubter, Rudy Edwards had claimed it first.

At least William could recognize that these thoughts were still coming from his own head and that the doubter was merely one way that his mind was giving voice to these thoughts which William normally found difficult to reconcile with his current position. After all, it wasn’t until it came to light that Rudy Edwards was going through his own issues that the doubter disappeared and was immediately replaced by the supporter, a much more happy-go-lucky part of William’s mind that was more receptive to listening to the other side of an argument, except when it came from the doubter. It could be said that the supporter was William's way of countering the intrusive thoughts in his head by presenting logical arguments that made the doubter's points fall apart as soon as they were put under some scrutiny. And the last two weeks of Season 19 had given the supporter plenty of ammunition with which to fight the doubter and keep him suppressed in the deep recesses of William’s mind, a process which would end up lasting for more than a year due to the fact that WGPC did not hold its 20th season a few months after the end of Season 19.

Unfortunately for William, it was precisely that length of time that ensured that the supporter wouldn’t have much left in him to keep the doubter at bay come the new season, and as soon as William got his first bad result, the doubter and all thoughts associated with him came back with a vengeance. Once again, it was about Preston deliberately sabotaging William’s car and engine to make sure that William wouldn’t be able to score Preston’s first points of the season before Rudy Edwards did, a theory that was most definitely not helped by the fact that Edwards got a podium in the very same race that William was forced to retire due to an engine fault. And then, in the very next race, after Preston had promised William that they had taken care of the problem and that there was no chance of it happening again, it did indeed happen again. Sure, one could make the argument that it was a different part that failed in William’s engine in Cocoabo Park this time around, but the core remained the same: Preston had sacrificed William’s race for Rudy’s once again, only this time it ended up backfiring on them because Edwards also failed to score any points.

The week immediately after the Cocoabo Preservation Grand Prix was perhaps as close to hell on earth as William Archer could get, with both the doubter and the supporter appearing at the most inopportune times in order to get their respective points across. The doubter, as always, was trying to convince William to leave Preston at the earliest possible opportunity while also dropping hints that William should make as big of a scene as he could while doing it. The doubter wanted William to insinuate that Preston was doing so good of a job of sabotaging his races and his cars that it was forcing William into cutting short the one-year contract that he had signed at the start of the season since it was clear that there was no longer any trust between the two parties. Of course, the supporter was quick to offer counters to the doubter’s “advice,” most notably stating that doing exactly what the doubter said that he should do would be tantamount to committing career suicide. If William accused Preston of sabotaging him before leaving the team, other teams might make the realization that William would make the same accusations to them should the same thing happen while William was in their team, thus making him too toxic to handle for everyone else. This was the pattern that the two followed during the week immediately after the Cocoabo Grand Prix, and it wouldn’t stop until it was finally time for everyone to prepare for the trip to Diarcesia for the next race.

When William finally went back to Preston’s headquarters in Hapilopper City, there was a hint of tension in the atmosphere. William had already made a little implication that he thought that there was a possibility that something fishy was going on behind the scenes after he had been forced to park his car once again due to another engine part failure, and while he had refused to elaborate what exactly his words meant, it was still safe to say that there were more than a few heads that looked at William in a different way than they had before. But nobody was suspicious of anyone, not yet as far as anyone could tell. At least one person had to have found it strange when William insisted that he was going to personally watch and oversee the repair and fixing of his engine for the second time in the same number of races. William would be the first one to admit that he didn’t have the faintest idea of what exactly was going on while watching the crew remove the failed part from his engine and replace it with a new part, and the doubter immediately brought this up and said that Preston was conducting their sabotage right underneath William’s nose. The supporter was quick to counter that since they were all just figments of William’s imagination, everything that William knew and didn’t know, both the doubter and supporter also knew and didn’t know, so there was no way for anyone of them to tell what was really happening with William’s engine on that day.

William managed to suppress both the doubter and the supporter by turning his attention to the simulator, sinking most of his time into familiarizing himself with the Sigurd Ring in Diarcesia. The track layout looked oddly familiar to him, like some kind of map or country that he had seen in an atlas once before, but he couldn’t really put his finger on it. He spent as much time in the simulator as he could, committing every possible detail of the Sigurd Ring into his mind and memory, all the while knowing that if his engine decided to quit on him yet again, all of that knowledge was not going to mean anything at all. But as long as his equipment kept itself together, William knew he was capable of some good stuff with them, and that line of thinking proved itself true on Saturday as William finally managed to land himself a decent time in qualifying, enough to get him P8 for Sunday, right beside his Preston Autos teammate Rudy Edwards. William knew that he could have gone a little bit faster, but a wonky entrance into the first chicane led to more errors going into the Gauntlet complex, resulting in the eventual seven tenths gap between him and shock pole sitter Brendan Faloe of Cygnus Motorsport from Esmerel. William had to admit that those Cygnus cars with their enclosed cockpits that made them look like a mix of a fighter jet and a spaceship had some speed this weekend, and could very well be the team to beat on Sunday.

“Hey, man,” Adonis Fitzpatrick, the other Fleftic driver currently in WGPC and a close friend of William's, said as he paid the Preston driver a visit on the night before the Ramngardian Grand Prix. “You feeling okay now?”

“Okay now?” William asked back. “Why wouldn't I be okay now?”

“Well, you just went through two DNFs in a row, man,” Donny shrugged. “If I was in your shoes, I would be pissed.”

“Who said I wasn't pissed?” William said bitterly. “I am pissed, Donny! Just because I'm not showing I'm pissed off to the rest of the world doesn't mean that I don't hate what's happening to me right now.”

“Okay, maybe that was a poor choice of words on my part,” Donny admitted. “I didn't mean to say that you weren't pissed that you missed out on points and even a win. Of course you would be pissed! What I really meant to ask you is, are you still feeling okay one week after all of that?”

William sighed and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I don't know, man,” he admitted. “Part of me accepts that it's just part of the damn sport. That's life and all that. But there's also a part of me that just can't help but think that it's very suspicious that the two times a Preston engine failed during a race, I was the one driving with that engine! Don't you think that that's just a tiny bit suspicious?”

“Maybe it is,” Donny nodded. “Or maybe it isn't. Have you talked to the guys over at Preston about this?”

“Dude, are you crazy?!” William spat back, as if Donny had just suggested that they should try to steal the launch codes for Abanhfleft's nuclear arsenal. “This isn't the kind of thing that you just bring up to your team out of the blue! I can't exactly walk up to my engineer and say, ‘Hey, shame about the last race. Hope you guys can fix what went wrong. Oh, by the way, you're not trying to sabotage me at all, are you?’ You just don't talk about that stuff, man!”

“Oh, man,” Donny shook his head. “That bad, huh?”

“What are you talking about, Don?” William asked.

“The last two weeks, they've been worse on you than I thought,” Donny clarified. “This isn't just your usual, Oh, woe is me, I can't score points because my car keeps breaking down on me! I'm so unlucky! You really got messed up by those last two races!”

“Again, what the fuck are you talking about?” William repeated.

“The last two races have really rattled you, man,” Donny said. “You’re talking about the possibility that Preston might be sabotaging you one minute, and then the next you’re telling me that that’s crazy talk! Dude, you really need to get a good result here in Diarcesia! You really need to! Or else I’m pretty sure you’re just going to get stuck in this neverending loop of wondering if your team is actually supporting you or sabotaging you. Goddamn!”

“What the fuck are you talking about, man? You don’t know what you’re talking about!” William said back.

“You better hope your engine holds together this Sunday, William,” Donny said as he started the long trek back to the Urotovsky-Gatutin garage. “And you better hope that you don’t bumble your strategy and your crew doesn’t mess up, because I don’t think anyone here is ready for what you might do next.”

“What do you mean by that, Donny?” William asked, but Fitzpatrick was already getting further and further out of earshot. “What do you mean by that?!” Nobody had an answer for him, not even both the doubter and the supporter.

For once, a lot of things went William Archer’s way at the Ramngardian Grand Prix. For the first three races, he had started on hard tires as part of his “grand” overcut strategy, but seeing how badly all three of those races had gone for him, this time William opted to start on medium tires, and that could very well have made all the difference in this grand prix. William got a great start due to the medium tires, and he was able to get the jump on his Preston Autos teammate Rudy Edwards right from the start. William was then able to get himself up into fifth place at around the halfway point of the race, and after taking advantage of a safety car in the 30th lap, he also moved up one more place thanks to a quick pit stop and an even quicker out lap despite the field still being under the safety car when he came back out. William would manage to hang on to P4 for the rest of the race despite putting on soft tires for his one and only pit stop, and while Sara Luna started to catch up to him, William was himself catching up to Anneliese Devereux, and the brief hopes of claiming a podium flickered in William’s mind, but in the end he decided to keep hold of his P4 and bring home a haul of points that had honestly been a long time coming for him this season.

“Great job today, guys,” William said without any of the enthusiasm or joy that such an occasion would have usually entailed. “I really can’t believe that it took us all this long to finally get some points on the board. I’m just glad that we finally sorted out whatever was going on with our parts back in the factory, so here’s to hoping that what happened in Togonistan and Cocoabo Park won’t happen again. After all, we’re all doing this for the same team, right?”

William Archer finally managed to get a quiet week thanks to getting some points in Diarcesia. Both the doubter and the supporter didn’t pop up to torment William after the race, and it was all that the young Fleftic could really ask for. One other thing that he could ask for was that his good luck would continue on for the rest of the season. The WGPC circus was headed for the Crossbay Circuit in the Nexus Wardship, after all, and though William thought that the local team’s design philosophy (namely, the Chase Cutter of Nexus Racing) was crazy to say the least, William had had his fair share of joy in Crossbay. It wasn’t too out of the world for him to hope that his good luck in Crossbay would continue into this season, right?

Right?

To be continued…

[Liventia]

Carvenlo announces World Grand Prix Championship transition as "new reality" bites
FOLENISA— There will not be a works Carvenlo racing team in the coming World Grand Prix Championship seasons, Carvenlo Motoring Group CEO Mark Marsh announced today in a hastily arranged press conference.

Carvenlo, six-times world constructors champions, have failed to make a notable impact on the WGPC in recent seasons, entering in partnership with Franklin Racing and Portland Racing as well as serving as the WGPC Motorworks team for a few years.

However, with the Carvenlo Motoring Group reporting ongoing losses from its World Grand Prix Championship outfit, the group has announced a "transition to a new WGPC future for Carvenlo Racing", which will see the group withdraw its constructor entry from the championship in coming seasons.

"The new reality for Carvenlo Motoring Group is not in entering a full works team in the World Grand Prix Championship," Marsh read from a statement. "With the lack of recent results, the outfit is a loss-maker for Carvenlo, and one that can no longer be sustained in its current form.

"Carvenlo will, instead, transition to focusing on providing a top-of-the-line engine for use by World Grand Prix Championship teams. We have proven time and again that we are able to produce a reliable power unit, with no recorded engine-related retirements in the last two seasons of participation, and this will be the new reality for Carvenlo.

"Carvenlo remains fully committed to the Portland–Carvenlo team for the remainder of this season, and will be open to provide ongoing support to any future Liventian World Grand Prix Championship entry using our knowledge gained from winning the constructors title six times. However, at least for the foreseeable future, that entry will not be us."

[Auruna]

Viska Garage
Astena Asterwynth Circuit, Atheara
Mid-Season Test

The Mid-season test has always been present in WGPC and it is a perfect opportunity to officially test out whatever new technology and design teams have come up during the first half of the season. For Viska, it is a new car design which, in theory, would help them get the results they are looking for, if the data shows any improvement over the initial design. Alongside the new car is the In Motion Bluebirds, a tyre which the Talon Suspension System was originally designed for. It was part of the team's intensive tests for any substantial improvement on the car's performance as changes were necessary if they wanted to outscore their rivals.

With Sara Luna in the VK-03H/B and Viska Test Driver Kinu Luminna in the original design, the team could then have a good comparison on the performance of both cars, figuring out which aspects of each car was favourable and to decide if the team would continue with the new design. It wasn't just the car that was being evaluated, the performance of the drivers are being observed as well. While Sara Luna was doing her best, however her teammate, Aaron Deering, was a different story with only a single points finish so far and so for this session, Aaron was swapped for Kinu which didn't help the mid-season rumours of a driver change. Even though Jöna has made an official statement to quell these rumours, some still speculate that it will eventually happen in the future.

Behind the wheel of the VK-03H, Kinu managed to impress Artur, providing very useful data for the team and aiding them with the development of the new chassis.

Hori, meanwhile, has the engines to worry about. After working with both AHI-Livanen and Schkeska, she hopes that all of the issues are finally resolved. She was anxious as the cars made their laps around the track, she didn't when will the issues would pop up. She remained like this until the end of the first session where she sighed in relief after receiving news that the engines held up well. Although she had a feeling that they were lucky this time. While the true test of the engine's reliability is in a race, Jöna assured her that the engines would last in the following races. We'll find out then.

At the end, after an entire and exhausting day of gathering data, Viska is quite confident in their work. With their home Aurun Grand Prix being the next event, they want to take every opportunity they have to take a podium or even a win at home ground. High expectations will be placed upon them, it's something to be expected as it's going to be a great spectacle for the local fans if everything goes well for them.

They didn't want to disappoint.

---

MNA NEWS
After a successful Mid-Season Test at Atheara, Viska has decided to run the VK-03H/B for the second half of the season. It is hoped that the new car should overcome the initial design's shortcomings during the first half of the season. And alongside the updated chassis, it is said that the team will alternate between the Phoenician Blackbirds and the In Motion Bluebirds for the second half of the season starting with the Aurun Grand Prix.

---

Meanwhile, the newest Sport Mikuren junior, Juno Haukanna, is at the Viska garage during the mid-season test alongside other Viska juniors who couldn't help but notice that she looks exactly like Laura. It's alright, I get that all the time. She thought to herself, prepared to explain whenever somebody asks. Anyway, during the morning session, she is sat their at the back, watching the test while Artur Iljakov lectures the group everything about WGPC. They weren't looking forward to something like that but surprisingly, Artur managed to make it interesting for the young ones as the diverse range of cars drive past with the wailing engine noise and the mechanical smell, it wasn't a new experience for Juno being in one before but it felt a little different this time.

Juno tries to enjoy her time there even though she had a difficult time in talking to the others. Bombarded with many questions, mostly about her sister. It was overwhelming but it was nice to see that they are interested in her sister. But for now, Juno needs to have a low profile as she didn't tell anything to Laura. She doesn't know how Laura would react to that and Juno is afraid to find out.

During the noon break, Juno went out of the guest area of the Viska motorhome to explore around the paddock. Her first time having some freedom outside, she wandered around, discovering some stuff that she hadn't seen before. Looking at the different teams' motorhomes, the different personnel as well as the other drivers. Juno tries to avoid attracting any attention to herself although a few team personnel including ones from Pryfors Bilar mistook her for Laura. Juno just shrugged it off for now, minding her own business before returning to the VIska motorhome for lunch from catering.

Juno sat down by one of the tables, eating her lunch that she picked out. Enjoying a peaceful time of eating by herself, a vastly new experience than usual. It was until someone took a seat beside her.

"Quite odd meeting you here." Kinu Luminna said whilst unpacking a sandwich. "Weren't you just out exploring the paddock?"

"Oh.. uh... you're Kinu, right?"

"Correct! And don't worry, I knew that you're just Laura's sister after all!" Kinu said with a cheeky grin. "Your buddy Haru told me everything, before you ask."

"Oh... okay then." Juno says as she turns her attention back to her food.

"Hm, I'm wondering... what made you do this? If it's something personal then there's no need to answer."

"I-it's nothing much... I just felt like I haven't done anything interesting with my life."

"So you just wanted to try something new?"

"I want to commit to it as well."

"Well then, you're in for a wild ride."

The conversation continues as the two eat their respective meals with Kinu motivating the other Haukanna twin to whatever she strived to do with a bit of teasing to get her talking. It was just some good fun to break the monotony of a somewhat serious event. It definitely got Juno to smile for a moment. Shortly after, they were joined by the Viska juniors who then went to ask Kinu about his career and Juno about Laura. It's another one of these sessions. Slowly getting used to it, she tries her best to answer everything. Meanwhile, the professionals were having a breeze, something that she could be jealous of. Then the entire group got to know each other and it was an achievement for Juno, she was slowly getting there. But it's still a long way.

Later, the afternoon session went without any trouble at all and during the quick breaks, Kinu took his time to teach the juniors about the car and the driving with a lucky few getting a few questions off of Sara Luna for a bit. It was a lively experience, something that Juno will eventually grow accustomed to. Juno just listens quietly as the others get really excited. As all of this was happening, Artur approached Juno to speak to her.

"So, how's it going, Mikuren Haukanna?"

"Uhm... I think it's going great. Not my first time inside the paddock but it's a different experience."

"Eventually, you're going to reach this stage if you work for it. It won't be easy but I'm sure you could do it. It's in your blood anyway."

"T-that's true..."

"Besides, the sibling rivalry would be a great sight to see don't ya think?"

"I'm not too sure."

"Well, we'll see how it goes when you go further. You'll feel every emotion along the way but as long as you keep going, you'll surely make it. As we say in Viska, täitä etteremät. Remember that." Artur said with a smile, assuring the younger Aurun before returning to his post.

Juno gave it a quick thought before standing up and joining in with the rest of the group. Pursuing a high level dream was nothing that she would do with her usual self but something had to change. Something new, something different. A new experience if what she is looking for. Jealous of her sister's success, she wants to keep up with her. She will try, starting from the bottom, the Kinari will chase after the Kiirukami.

Täitä... I probably will.

Laura, here I come.

[Lisander]

<< Previously | Next >>

XX. The Princess and the Pauper

Anneliese stopped the car, a pristine black sedan, in front of the Grand Theatre, where large group of photographers and fans were "waiting". Not exactly for her, but for the model.

The one leaving the back seat helped by the valet, was a beautiful woman, with blonde hair and greyish-blue eyes, Irina Oxburg-Monlevade. Half Nassovian, half Lisanderian, Irina was what one could call a princess. To certain people, at least. Her great-great-grandfather had been in fact Prince of Oxburg, a title in the peerage of the Kingdom of Nassovia. Unfortunately for his descendants, he had fallen out of favour in the Great War, for "supporting the wrong side". Exiled from the country, stripped of his title, his descendants came to find a new beginning in the Principality of Lisander, already without any title of nobility. Irina's appearance left nothing to be desired, not even by Princess Armine, sovereign of Lisander alongside her husband, His Highness the Prince. However, her occupation was on a different side of glamour. She was a model, and a little bit like Anneliese, an international one. She also travelled the world to be seen in a "circuit", but instead of tracks, she was on catwalks. Instead of Grands Prix, Fashion Weeks.

"Okay, Anneliese, now you open the door, make a confident face, throw the cap inside and walk to Irina. Both of you smile to the camera. That's the end of the scene." - The director of the video said into the megaphone, behind the cameras.

Anneliese was at Bay City, the capital city of Alice Bay. In fact, the driver was there fulfilling a promise. Among the participations she had made in DRIVE (the TV programme), one of them was being a chauffeur for Splendora, a modelling agency. The original event included scaring the models by driving at high speed and doing stunts, but this time, she was just driving, taking the girls and guys to their photo locations or events where they would be seen, besides, taking some pictures "playing the role" of a chauffeur for the agency's new campaign, "beauty everywhere". It wasn't fake it until you make it, but more like the opposite. First, she had do the job of driving, with some filming being made, and at the end of the day, in the last video, she would be revealed as the chauffeur.

Anneliese made as she was instructed, leaving the car, throwing the cap on the seat and shaking her hair to let it down. She walked around the front of the car and making her way to the red carpet, where she gave Irina a High Five. The camera on the carpet finally got closer to catch the smiles of the two "protagonists" of the campaign.

"And cut. That's it, perfect! You were magnificent! Such powerful chemistry! Anyone would say you're in a relationship!" - the director was delighted.

---

"...And in the end, we were accepted in last moment..." - Drunk as a skunk, Anneliese was complaining about the problems of her "other job", in her hotel room.

"I'm sorry about that, Liese... But in the end, you're going very well, isn't you?"

"Yeah... I mean, they even accepted the other guy's dad's team, and we were almost left... Serves you right, assholes! - Anneliese raised her middle fingers to the direction she imagined that could be Atheara - Bet you didn't expect me in front of Mr Toralmintii, huh? Suck on th..." - her rant against officials was suddenly interrupted by a jolt of vomit. - "Ughhh, sorry. I don't... ugh... I feel bad. I feel awful, sorry, Irina, I'll clean that."

"Surely you're unwell. Go to the bathroom, throw the rest of the dinner out and take a long bath. I'll call the room service to clean it. You're not in a condition suitable to drive back to your hotel. I'll lend you some clothes and make some coffee. This suite is really very comfortable. They even have an espresso machine here."

"Ugh... sorry, I don't drink coffee..."

"Okay, then a cup of tea... They have tea capsules."

"Ohhh... no. I can't let a princess like you make tea for me." - she tried to joke, but that was maybe the worst time to joke.

"You're earning a lot of points since earlier. You're a good kisser, but surely a shitty drinker. You won't make points with me like this. I said it before, I don't like being called princess in that way. Maybe when you're clean and warm again... Like this, you sound like an old fart." - Irina smiled. She didn't look disgusted. It seemed the brunette had done enough to please her, even if she had thrown out the entire dinner.

Anneliese, by her turn, couldn't even smile, not when her mouth tasted that awful. Try another kiss, that was impossible.

"Then... this humble pauper will accept your kindness." - Anneliese couldn't kiss the blonde, but she stood up, still a little dizzy, and patted Irina's head, heading towards the bathroom next.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The break for mid-season had probably come at just the right time for SOC as they were able to put good energy into a dedicated program of further fine tuning the car to gain the extra tenth or two needed to get into the final sessions of qualifying.

Both drivers were getting a lot of experience running in traffic and the fact was they showed the potential the car had by being able to overtake for position against other cars due to good mechanical grip and aero; the disparity was seemingly at the rear with horsepower, although it was really hard to fault the Tropicorp engines completely as they weren't a problem for some of their sister teams in terms of straight line speed.

One of the advantages the the team had was Jordan & Batu had driving styles that were quite similar—Batu had made a few adjustments to his manner of driving that took advantage of the strengths of the GP2 car the previous season—therefore it wasn't necessary for each of them to run back to back comparisons of changes in wing settings, suspension, etc. because what worked for one would probably work for the other; this meant that the engineers could put them on different programs with confidence that they could get much more on track data for relative performance.

Because they would have the chance to do long runs at the Astena Asterwynth circuit, the time back at the factory after Crossbay was a bit less heavy on track time; they didn't even make what was now the usual weekly trip down the 451 to Drummond Vale, instead opting to give the GP team an unexpected half-day off.
On the other side of the factory floor, the AOGP team would be on the road for the fourth round of the series, the first time they would be traveling somewhere other than to the Viltan Cove as the series moved to Oontaz. Both Nick Unger & the team were in 2nd place in the respective drivers & constructors tables with Sammi Carter poised to start contributing to both cars in the points after a fifth place run in Tropicorp. The Rowell Calcedo Circuit was a series of slow corners with short blasts of straight line running in between, making the OCRC factory track seem like a high speed road course.
________________________________________________________________________________
Batu wanted to host the others at his flat in Haskins (not far from where Pedro Carballal lived during the inaugural season) for his turn on the Monday night get together, but he wasn't much of a cook so he'd asked Helena for suggestions on what he should order in; the proximity of the town to the freshest produce in the Commonwealth meant that there was no shortage of options but she did get him to admit that he could do a simple stir fry, so she came by with some ingredients and they did a test run in his kitchen. He had a wok and a saucepot so that was a good start and they together prepped enough to make a single serving; Helena was no great shakes as a cook but she did know enough to be able to help Batu get through the process of tossing stuff in a pan for a couple of minutes. She'd also brought along some pearl barley to serve with the stir fry and got that started on the stove while the pair walked through the steps and the timing.

(as has been mentioned previously, BP does not grow rice so it imports all that is used in restaurants and commercially; in spite of it of being subsidized as a commodity, it's still relatively more expensive for the average consumer than most other countries, so whole grains like rye, wheat and barley are substituted where rice would be used. Unlike rice, wheat & rye berries and peal barley sustain a feeling of fullness over a longer period of time)

A garlic clove and a small red chile were heated up in the oil, followed by onions, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms and broccoli finished off with soy sauce; they both were very satisfied with the result--”we'll make a chef out of you yet, Bat!”--and he was more confident that he could manage on his own.

Helena had prevailed upon Nick to stop by and pick up Batu's favorite BP fast food craving from Richie's Chippy in Kingston where a 'benjy' combo' was often what Hella brought him for lunch; benjys were sausages dipped in a cornmeal batter and deep fried (think corndog without a stick) which was not exactly a good diet for a driver, but she would indulge him every once in awhile. Nick was to bring two of the bratwurst & kielbasa without the the rest of the combo.

The four enjoyed the change of pace from always dining out, and Batu gave a toast to Helena for helping him bring it together.
___________________________________________________________________________

There was a quiet optimism following the trip to Atheara on the return to Baker Park ahead of the turnaround for the 6th race of the WGPC season in Auruna; Jordan and Batu had run well on the track in GP2 finishing 1-4 in practice and JC taking 6th in qualifying but bad luck meant that it was the only time over the final nine race events that neither scored a point.

Jordan had worked almost exclusively on full tank running over the two & a half hours at the Astena Asterwynth circuit, finishing ahead of only two drivers in the early session—both those finished in the top three fastest times at the end of the day so draw from that what you will—while Batu put in far fewer laps over the same period (45 vs 67) while focusing on keeping to specific deltas over a set number of miles. The TJUN-ian actually passed the Parker during one stint, with the pair actually giving a quick wave to one another and acknowledging over the radio:

“Batu closing up on your left”
“I see him...Hiya”

“Tell JC I saw his wave”
“Will do”
“I did wave back but was already past”

JC enjoyed himself at the gathering Lane Carter had organized post-test; some of the drivers he knew from WGP2, while the rest he only knew superficially through interactions thus far in the season, but he felt better having gotten a chance to talk a bit more in depth; he and Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir talked about their unfortunate coming together at the Sigurd Ring, agreeing that both could've done better but with no recriminations, while a few of the vets commiserated with him about some of the bad luck he'd been having and complimenting him on his clean racing in midfield.
________________________________________________________________________________________

A bit of a disappointment in quali worked itself out in Oontaz as Nick got a fourth straight point finish while Sammi nearly came home for the last point.
The team remained second although they fell further behind while Nick also occupied the second rung in the table.
The next round in the Dyrrhonian Isles at the unique Autocinetodrome would hopefully play to Sammi's strength in oval racing.

[Mlima Kijani]

"Yeah... cough cough ... just feeling really unwell ... sorry ... sniffle ... won't be able to make it to the team meeting."

Cole Sewell put the phone down in disgust. If Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir were leading in the drivers' championship, perhaps he'd put up with her diva behaviour. But she was absolute last in the championship and Sivaleinen needed every moment with her to work on the car and race strategy. Still, he wondered why she was pulling a sicky.

Unrelated:

[Vilita and Turori]

Toralmintii Eyes Turnaround at Akresna Circuit

Aurun Grand Prix, Akresna Circuit (International Layout), Akresna, Auruna :: Looking back at performances thus far in the World Grand Prix Championship's 20th season it wouldn't seem as if there would be much of a reason for iBen Toralmintii and the Tropicorp Colourworks to have any confidence in their ability to compete for a podium finish when the mid-season break ends and racing resumes at the Akresna Circuit in Auruna. Toralmintii's season thus far was more resembling that of former teammate Juracai Klianiota than it was typical of the four-time WGPC Top 2 Driver's Championship finisher. Klianiota famously had a "Checkers or Wreckers" record in the NS Super Formula Championship series, finishing just two of the series ten races but winning them both. Toralmintii would suffer yet another retirement in the most recent World Grand Prix Championship event at the Crossbay Circuit in the Nimbus System and many have openly questioned the reliability of the Tropicorp Colourworks package for this season. However, for the first time there was a small sign of optimism for the team as rookie driver Ji So-Yeong managed to claim pole position and hold on at the finish for a podium finish earning the Colourworks team its first points of the season.

That momentum would continue further into the mid-season test where Toralmintii and teammate Ji So-Yeong were the fastest among full-time World Grand Prix Championship drivers in the second testing session - with only test drivers Olivia Stone and Arturia Nero, the slowest two drivers in the morning session, incredibly making up the difference to post top times in the afternoon. Of course, it was just a test. From top to bottom, everyone had different goals for the event. However, for the Tropicorp Colourworks team, the goal was fairly straight forward. Suck Less. In fact, that is probably the Tropicorp Colourwork teams driving motto for the remainder of the season. They know they Suck, they want to Suck Less.

Of course, for Toralmintii, there are few circuits better to attempt to suck less at than the Akresna Circuit. The Aurun Grand Prix will be featuring for the third consecutive season in the World Grand Prix Championship schedule and only one driver has finished on the podium in both previous runnings of the Grand Prix: iBen Toralmintii. The Turorian won the inaugural Aurun Grand Prix during WGPC Season 18 while leading the circuit in race victories. Toralmintii would ultimately lose that championship to the runner up that day, teammate Terho Talvela. During WGPC Season 19, Toralmintii was beaten to the checkered flag by the popular driver from the local team, Viska Racing's Kinu Luminna but still posted a solid second place finish earning critical points that would help them stay ahead of William Archer in the final drivers point standings.

It is perhaps no surprise that Toralmintii considers the Akresna Circuit one of their best. On paper, the international circuit in Akresna is the most technical track on the World Grand Prix circuit and Toralmintii is one of the most accomplished Technical drivers in the field. While that Technical Prowess did little to help the reigning champion overcome their reliability issues during the Technical-heavy first half of the schedule, it would not be surprising in the least if Toralmintii could overcome the issues and pick up a third consecutive podium finish at the Aurunair Aurun Grand Prix.

Nimban Grand Prix, Crossbay Circuit, Former Citizens of the Nimbus System :: After seeing little change at the top of the order in the Toys '4' All Rookie of the Season Standings for much of the first half of competition, there would be a change at the top right at the seasons half way point when Skiia Vialiv of Urotovsky-Gatutin picked up her second Top 5 finish of the season with a 4th place showing at the Crossbay Circuit to climb above Pressley Racing's Sophie McCreary after the Tumbran driver finished out of the points for the second consecutive race. Two rookie drivers would finish in the points for the first time in their career; one would be pole sitter Ji So-Yeong of the Tropicorp Colourworks team who impressively qualified on pole position and then drove a strong, consistent race to finish on the podium and move from off the board entirely up into the 5th position among all rookies at the mid-season marker for WGPC Season 20. The second driver would be Angela Tan Fang Ling of the Tropicorp-Supplied Cygnus Motorsports Team who has shown flashes of speed throughout the campaign but only just snuck in with a 10th place finish.

Halfway through the WGPC Season 20 the Rookie Drivers have put in a strong showing with 11 of 14 first time competitors securing at least a point. Additionally Rookie Drivers have posted the fastest time in the twii.tur Time Trials in 4 of the 5 Grand Prix races thus far needing just 1 more pole amongst them to ensure at least a level majority with the non-rookie drivers. Of course, with half of the World Grand Prix 20 field being rookie competitors it is perhaps in line that they might be able to achieve half or more of the pole session, especially as it is one thing to have speed on a single lap and another to have that speed and consistency not only throughout an entire race, but throughout the entire season as well. After a fast start to the season, just three rookie drivers find themselves in the Top 10 of the Drivers Championship Standings and two of those drivers have failed to score points in consecutive races. It looks for now as if the momentum has swung back in favor of the veterans as the second half of the season begins.

Pos # ▍DRV Name                      Team [Engine]                                        Tyres                    Pts
 1 14 ▍VIA Skiia Vialiv              Urotovsky-Gatutin [Preston]                          Tropicorp                35
 2 42 ▍MCR Sophie McCreary           Pressley Racing [Kaylan]                             Brústeinn                32
 3 74 ▍FTZ Adonis Fitzpatrick        Urotovsky-Gatutin [Preston]                          Tropicorp                24
 4 71 ▍FAE Brendan Faloe             Cygnus Motorsports Team [Tropicorp]                  Tropicorp                18
 5 13 ▍JSY Ji So-Yeong               Tropicorp-Colourworks [Tropicorp]                    Tropicorp                14
 6 33 ▍BLA Sam Blaatschappen         GPA Pryfors Bilar [Sidus]                            Phoenician-In Motion     10
 7  9 ▍TUV Batu Tüvshinbayar         Scuderia Orange Cow [Tropicorp]                      Tropicorp                8
 8 91 ▍WAL Kingston Walcott          Sivaleinen [Preston]                                 Tropicorp                7
 9 28 ▍DEE Aaron Deering             Viska Racing [Viska]                                 Phoenician-In Motion     4
10 84 ▍ANG Angela Tan Fang Ling      Cygnus Motorsports Team [Tropicorp]                  Tropicorp                1
11 12 ▍VIL Darian Vilau              Kaylan Racing Team [Kaylan]                          Phoenician-In Motion     1

---

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
13th of June

“So, how are you feeling?”

Victoria considers that. She’s comfortable in the chair – well-cushioned, better for relaxation than the highly practical extending disc stools that Gertrude and Lucia brought in. She tests her weight on it for a moment.

You’re relapsing. Victoria reaches up to fiddle with a long strand of hair. Her fist clenches on the nothing that is actually present, cut away somewhere in that shortest of years.

She looks up into the face of one Thomas Clares – kind, open. It’s remarkable – the famous psychologist and therapist is only here for a short visit, commitments across the Wardship pulling at him. Yet Victoria, for all Ryker has praised her insight in the past, sees no stress or tiredness in his gaze, only attentive care.

Then again, perhaps that’s part of why he’s quite so well-renowned.

Victoria sighs. “Mixed, I guess? Most things are good. Tiffany and Alex have been good at getting my spirits up. We’ve been working together on something big for this weekend, too – all of us have. That’s exciting.” She smiles, the eagerness welling up inside her despite herself. It is something big – Lucia wanted to focus and reinvigorate the engineering and design team with a single, major project. The Imagikinetic Redirection System for Complex Inertial Handling was just that. More intelligently positioning the secondary Imagikinetic convertor’s thrust, concentrating it in certain parts of the car at times and massively expanding the current capability to add to the car’s downforce by allowing for a full 360 degrees of impulse generation.

She almost giggles. The programming task, trying to lay out the sheer scope of concept, had been Exeterean in scale. But she and her cadre of programmers had done it. And those working on the chassis had ensured that the car was strong enough to take the new forces, and the sub-team on aerodynamics had done extensive testing to ensure that the changes to corner approach would still work well with the current bodywork and ordered fabrication of new elements where necessary… The result is an Imagination convertor that can pull and push on individual sections of the car rather than just the whole – say, to slow down the inside to rotate the car through a turn. That familiar nervous glee rises even further, now, Victoria’s mind full of anticipation for the time when all of it can be proven in on-track competition.

According to Ryker’s feedback in preliminary testing, at least, the Chase Cutter cornered like a dream.

The glee turns… Painful, at least a little, before it fades.

“Why do you say that it’s been mixed, then?” The question snaps Victoria back to the present. Thomas’ expression is just as steady, just as kind.

“I… It’s not selfish to take up time with ‘relationship troubles’ here, is it?”

“Not at all.” Even Thomas’ shake of the head is assuring, gently authoritative, as if the world itself would bend to his surety. “If it causes you stress or upset, my presence here is to help identify ways through that.”

“Right. Gotcha.” Victoria nods, slightly more confident. Slightly. “I’ve been… Well, dating Ryker for four years, now.” A fact that she’d had to rememorise. “And it’s been wonderful. If I have any complaint, it’s that he shows me too much affection sometimes… Showers me with praise, same as everyone – all honest, all of it. It… It makes me feel I can conquer the world,” she near-whispers. The joy-pain flares up again, stronger now.

She takes a sharp breath, pushes past it. “The last year was difficult for us. We… Broke up, while we were sleeping. And I don’t even know how or why!” The ache, both in mind and body, is overwhelming now, augmented by a rush of anger that she can’t remember feeling since she let go of her envy for her sister. Victoria gasps for breath.

Suddenly, the sound of the sea is about her, gently caressing the cliffs outside. “You are doing well, and you are safe. Breathe with the waves.”

She nods rapidly. Takes a breath in, sea foam rushing about her. Out, as the waters recede. In… Out. In… Out. In…

The anger washes away with the waters, and Victoria notices a soft blue light fade from about her ears. She lets out a quiet laugh. “Neat trick.”

Thomas bows his head. “Are you alright to continue or shall we take a moment?”

Victoria closes her eyes. Her mind is about clear enough. “I’m close enough to done.” She nods. Holds. “It’s the fact that I can’t remember – neither of us can. I just know that we talked less, half-heartedly fought a few times – what you’d expect. And then we called it off. And now we’re in our minds again, we both want to try, but it scares me so much that there’s something that ruined our relationship that could happen again and we don’t even…” She takes another breath, then opens her palms, expression apologetic.

Thomas smiles reassuringly. “Thank you for your explanation, Victoria – that was informative. I do think that auxiliary mental capacity could be useful for this, if you would like to try. It will not restore the memories, sadly, but perhaps bringing more to bear on what your mind does know will help.”

Victoria nods, just a touch more eagerness bubbling up than she was expecting – distinctly lacking in sorrow, this time. “Like the Thinking Caps in the OU, right?”

“The principle isn’t dissimilar, yes.”

No consideration needed. “Then let’s do it!”

This time, Victoria definitely sees a smile on Thomas’ face. “Very well. A reminder that this can sometimes feel unpleasant.” He takes a flask of Imagination from his hip. Drinks it. Then he stills, centring himself, Victoria waiting in anticipation. After all, this is the reason for Clares’ fame.

For a second, there is only stillness and focus. Then, suddenly, a burning light: a web, expanding outwards from Thomas’ form, blue light racing across it. She knows that this web is connected to his brain, effectively an extension thereof, for greater capacity of thought. In this moment, he does what Victoria, Gertrude and so many others dedicated years to with the creation and programming of their Imagination convertors.

Her awe is only slightly comingled with jealousy.

And then, suddenly, the light across the web accelerates – and there is the same all about her – and –

Clarity. Victoria feels her mind expand, the world seeming to open up before her in all its magnificence. Possibilities explode into being – a half-dozen thoughts on the convertor array, placed on hold since this morning, dash to the forefront for consideration…

But she has a priority, and her will is similarly expanded. And so she focuses. Victoria considers her knowledge of everything that had happened last year – and now the things that were locked behind a lack of remembrance come to her in stored fact. She searches them methodically, carefully, leaving no piece of information of potential relevance untouched.

Nothing. Nothing but the same quiet spats and awkward conversation.

A wave of despair washes over her. And then her mind, flashing with connection, presents one memory. She knows exactly what it is, seared into her mind from an afternoon long before a year ago.

“I think that you’re so in-tune with yourself that you’re picking up something that isn’t there.”

Oh.

I’ve been an idiot.

[Tropicorp]

SKIIA VIALIV ✓

@Skiia

I had a great time with @URGA_Motorsports_ENG at the mid-season test in Atheara. We were fast in the morning session which is a huge credit to the engineers for getting the car set up perfectly without any input from the practice laps. At the suggestion of Yakov we really spent a lot of time in the afternoon trying to help @AOGP driver Nepö Kinder find a little more speed in the WGPC car. Yakov was really insisting we put all our energy getting Nepö faster. (1/2)

@Skiia

-- @Skiia

(2/2) I wish we could have gotten to run a few more laps in the afternoon to challenge the top times on the leaderboard but in the end it was great to meet Nepö. Clearly they are doing great in the AO series and have a great future ahead of them. Hope @donnyfitz74 enjoyed the time off and see you back at the track in Auruna!

---

TROPICORP RACING SUPPLY ✓

@TropicorpRS

Welcome to the @TropicorpRS family Olivia Stone! Great to see that Cygnus Motorsport entry topping the charts in the PM session at the Atheara Mid-Season Test with five of the top six fastest drivers of the day set their times in Tropicorp Sifaka Tyres. The Whole Tropicorp Campus can't wait for the second half of the WGPC Season to get rolling again in Auruna!


#WGPC : #Tyres : #MidSeasonTest

[Tumbra]

CUTOFF

for Practice and Qualifying at Akresna Circuit

[Tumbra]

Week 9: Practice

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:40.442
Session Length:	75 minutes
Nation:         	AUR
Circuit:        	Akresna Circuit

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

POS # ▍DRIVER                           	FASTEST LAP	GAP TO LEADER
 1 37 ▍Laura Haukanna                   	00:01:48.680	00:00:00.000
 2 33 ▍Sam Blaatschappen                	00:01:48.727	00:00:00.047
 3 50 ▍Sara Luna                        	00:01:48.798	00:00:00.118
 4 24 ▍Jordan Crowe                     	00:01:48.972	00:00:00.293
 5 71 ▍Brendan Faloe                    	00:01:49.009	00:00:00.330
 6 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:49.012	00:00:00.332
 7 13 ▍Ji So-Yeong                      	00:01:49.164	00:00:00.484
 8 28 ▍Aaron Deering                    	00:01:49.459	00:00:00.780
 9  1 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:49.557	00:00:00.877
10 84 ▍Angela Tan Fang Ling             	00:01:49.669	00:00:00.990
11 11 ▍Lane Carter                      	00:01:49.689	00:00:01.010
12 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                      	00:01:50.106	00:00:01.426
13 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                     	00:01:50.123	00:00:01.443
14  7 ▍Anneliese Devereux               	00:01:50.645	00:00:01.965
15 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                  	00:01:50.737	00:00:02.057
16 74 ▍Adonis Fitzpatrick               	00:01:50.852	00:00:02.172
17 51 ▍R.L. Cruisin                     	00:01:50.893	00:00:02.213
18 96 ▍William Archer                   	00:01:50.901	00:00:02.221
19 42 ▍Sophie McCreary                  	00:01:51.256	00:00:02.577
20  9 ▍Batu Tüvshinbayar                	00:01:51.438	00:00:02.759
21 10 ▍Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir            	00:01:51.552	00:00:02.872
22 88 ▍Ted Pressley                     	00:01:51.682	00:00:03.003
23  5 ▍Rudy Edwards                     	00:01:51.889	00:00:03.209
24 14 ▍Skiia Vialiv                     	00:01:52.383	00:00:03.703
25 91 ▍Kingston Walcott                 	00:01:52.539	00:00:03.859
26 12 ▍Darian Vilau                     	00:01:55.693	00:00:07.013
27 87 ▍Bryce Yannec                     	00:01:56.951	00:00:08.271
28 40 ▍Adriana Kowalski Lilian          	00:01:56.977	00:00:08.297

Week 9: Qualifying

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:40.442
Qualifying Type:	Traditional
Nation:         	AUR
Circuit:        	Akresna Circuit

POS # ▍DRIVER                           	FASTEST LAP	GAP TO LEADER
 1 71 ▍Brendan Faloe                    	00:01:42.485	00:00:00.000
 2 50 ▍Sara Luna                        	00:01:42.557	00:00:00.072
 3 28 ▍Aaron Deering                    	00:01:42.826	00:00:00.341
 4 11 ▍Lane Carter                      	00:01:42.837	00:00:00.352
 5 91 ▍Kingston Walcott                 	00:01:42.890	00:00:00.405
 6 13 ▍Ji So-Yeong                      	00:01:42.933	00:00:00.448
 7 88 ▍Ted Pressley                     	00:01:42.948	00:00:00.463
 8 33 ▍Sam Blaatschappen                	00:01:43.173	00:00:00.688
 9 51 ▍R.L. Cruisin                     	00:01:43.197	00:00:00.712
10 14 ▍Skiia Vialiv                     	00:01:43.371	00:00:00.886
11  9 ▍Batu Tüvshinbayar                	00:01:43.656	00:00:01.171
12 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                  	00:01:43.676	00:00:01.191
13 37 ▍Laura Haukanna                   	00:01:43.784	00:00:01.299
14 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                      	00:01:43.809	00:00:01.324
15 74 ▍Adonis Fitzpatrick               	00:01:43.897	00:00:01.412
16 24 ▍Jordan Crowe                     	00:01:43.915	00:00:01.430
17  1 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:44.006	00:00:01.521
18 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                     	00:01:44.241	00:00:01.756
19 84 ▍Angela Tan Fang Ling             	00:01:44.350	00:00:01.865
20 96 ▍William Archer                   	00:01:44.441	00:00:01.956
21 42 ▍Sophie McCreary                  	00:01:44.669	00:00:02.184
22  7 ▍Anneliese Devereux               	00:01:44.929	00:00:02.444
23  5 ▍Rudy Edwards                     	00:01:45.459	00:00:02.974
24 10 ▍Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir            	00:01:45.492	00:00:03.007
25 12 ▍Darian Vilau                     	00:01:45.602	00:00:03.117
26 40 ▍Adriana Kowalski Lilian          	00:01:45.834	00:00:03.349
27 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:46.283	00:00:03.798
28 87 ▍Bryce Yannec                     	00:01:46.471	00:00:03.986

[TJUN-ia]

WGPC20
Round 6
Aurunair Aurun Grand Prix
Akresna Circuit, Akresna, Auruna

Welcome back to the 20th season of the World Grand Prix Championship! After a well-earned break for everyone involved, it was now time for the business end of this season to kick off - where soon, we must decide our new World Champions. Heading into this weekend, Cocoabo #23 leads the Driver's Championship by 2 points over Anneliese Devereux and by 9 over current top rookie Skiia Vialiv with Lane Carter in Tied-6th (-16 points), Batu Tüvshinbayar in Tied-18th (-36 points) and Jordan Crowe one of 4 drivers yet to score a point - alongside Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir, Bryce Yannec and defending champion iBen Toralmintii. In the Constructor's, Race Eelandii VTGP lead the way by 8 points over Eminent and 9 points over Nexus Racing with Scuderia Orange Cow down in P12 (-64 points). It's a situation that has seen both positives and negatives for both Lane Carter and Batu Tüvshinbayar, with Lane winning a race but falling behind his teammate while Batu has points on the board but wants more to be up there. Now that we're back...what happens now?

The Akresna Circuit in Auruna welcomed everyone back as the Aurunair Aurun Grand Prix will mark our return. Practice on Friday was a chance for everyone to get back into the groove of things and it would be Pryfors Bilar who seemed the most awake as Laura Haukanna won the day over Sam Blaatschappen and Sara Luna while Crowe pulled off a great session to end up in P4 and only 0.293 down. Both VTGP were over a second down, with Lane in P11 ahead of Fast Cocoabo while Batu was 2.7 seconds down in P20, which goes to show some of the gaps we ended up with in this session. Adriana Kowalski Lilian, in P28, was over 8 seconds off Haukanna's time - which seemed almost unthinkable back at the start of the season.

Then came Saturday Qualifying which, for the first time this season, would be using the Traditional Format - where everyone sets a lap and the grid is only set once the clock hits zero. Without all the pressure of One-Shot or the Elimination formats, this session became a Time Trial where the only friend was the stopwatch...and in the end, it would be Brendan Faloe who was the best friend of that clock as he took his 2nd pole of the year over the Viska duo of Sara Luna and Aaron Deering. Lane would end up doing well for himself, 0.352 off in P4 in a great setup for tomorrow while Batu was 1.1 seconds off and will start in P11. Fast Cocoabo won't be too far behind in P14 while Jordan Crowe won't be either in P16. It seemed like a good day for everyone involved...but tomorrow is where the points are scored, of course.

Tonight, both Lane and Batu are preparing for what they hope will be a good day tomorrow....but will it be? Is it ever that simple?

[Vilita and Turori]

"Let Them Race" Chants Influence Action at Autocinetodrome

The Autocinetodrome, Rhamnasis, Dyrrhonian Isles :: Just before the World Grand Prix Championship circuit headed out to the Akresna International Circuit in Auruna to resume action with the second half of their season, the Atlantian Oceania Grand Prix and iROS circuits headed to a very different venue, the Autocinetodrome in the Dyrrhonian Isles for a tight turning old school show down on a flat Hippodrome circuit. For Turorian driver and reigning World Grand Prix Champion iBen Toralmintii, the race at the Hippodrome went just about as their season on the World Grand Prix circuit had gone, Toralmintii was the first car to retire from the race after an accident on lap 24 leaving them with 0 points for their effort on the week and dropping down to 7th place in the overall Race of Stars drivers standings with two races to go. The race had started off well for Toralmintii after the leaders overcooked the entry into the first turn, the brown and black #77 was able to scoot in and lead 3 laps before being punted back out of the way by Naomi Keretene. Eventually Saint Kanye's Thea Alvarez, the reigning iROS Champion, would fight her way back to the top spot and hold on to the lead for the remainder of the event to claim victory. Turori's former World Grand Prix Championship driver and current AOCAR Stock Car Series driver Juracai Klianiota would finish the race in 3rd position while OWARS NSGP Champion Tisthe Season would be the final car to retire from the race on lap 96 giving them credit for 13th position and 3 points in the standings.

It would be a very different sound and flavor of event when the open wheel Atlantian Oceania Grand Prix cars took to the circuit and there was big news on they day as TEST DRIVER set the fast lap in each of the two-teired Qualifying sessions. The popular Test Driver who even has a fan-run parody account @TestDriver on twii.tur has yet to reveal their true identity - or identities and has only been photographed at the track with their helmet and race suit already on. TEST DRIVER has been piloting a spare AOGP Motorworks car during practice and qualifying sessions on the AOGP circuit throughout the season but the #55 car has never previously taken the grid. That would change in the Dyrrhonian Isles as the mysterious motorpilot topped the charts earning pole position and the crowd went wild, chanting "Let them Race" as the teams went back to prepare their cars for race trim. Team and Race officials would acquiesce to their desires and the all-white unmarked #55 car would lead the field off the grid. The race itself would go off with surprisingly little incident which allowed the lead cars to pull off and open up a gap over the field. When the checkers fell it was a local team, White Unicorns Racing and their Lacfroid based driver Sebastien Dupont to dominate the field and take a first career victory. The two White Unicorns Racing cars would actually cross the line side by side, though defending AOGP Champion Gus Perry was 1 lap down to the race winner in 4th place with the plain white car of TEST DRIVER just behind with AOGP Motorworks placing 3 cars inside the Top 10.

Vilitan driver Tomii'i Lopinka would pick up their best result of the season for the Vilaye EnergySport AOGP team by finishing on the podium in second position. Lopinka's teammate Rokksin Lavalhi was one of the few retirements from the race making it only through to lap 116 before dropping out of contention. It has been a struggle of a season for both Vilaye EnergySport AOGP and the newly former Race Eelandii AOGP team who are falling behind the opposition in the constructors standings with Race Eelandii VTGP Test Driver Nini Johnsilvaturr's 10th place finish at the Autocinetodrome marking just their second point of the season. The conclusion of the Dyrrhonian Isles Short Track Challenge marks the final Oval track race of the season for the Atlantian Oceania Grand Prix circuit that will conclude its campaign with 4 consecutive Road Course events, starting with a combination event with the World Grand Prix Championship circuit at the Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit next week.

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Over the first half of the World Grand Prix 20 Season, two drivers have clearly shone above the rest in terms of overtaking and improvement from their starting position on the race track.

The PaKaMo Outdoor Gear company, a popular provider of Winter Sports Equipment, Gear and Fashion based in the Parra Kala Mountains (Pa-Ka-Mo), has leveraged the synergy between their corporate abbreviation P.O.G. and the performance of a driver in a WGPC race (Positions Over Grid) to track the PaKaMo Outdoor Gear Positions Over Grid (POG PoG) award to the driver who improves their position the most from grid to finish across the entire WGPC 20 Season.

Of course, having a positive Position over Grid tally requires not only a fast car and a skilled driver on race day, but perhaps also provides a benefit to those drivers who don't perform as well in Qualifying, as a driver who qualifies on the pole position but finishes in 3rd place will have a Positions over Grid score for that race of -2 while a driver who qualifies in last position and only improves to 24th will have a Positions over Grid score of +3 for that event.

The Tropicorp Colourworks team will certainly not want to be tracking the Positions over Grid standings for World Grand Prix Championship Season 20, not just because of the fact that both of their drivers - Ji So-Yeong and iBen Toralmintii are firmly at the bottom of the Positions over Grid standings, but also because the driver that the Abovian-Tropicorp team eschewed in the offseason, Sara Luna, is firmly planted at the top of the table averaging over 10 positions gained from the start per race in the first half of the season. Just one other driver, current drivers championship leader Cocoabo #23 has a double-digit (positive) Positions over Grid factor through the first five races.

No driver has either improved or decreased their position from grid in every race of the season thus far although Aaron Deering and Janne Laukkanen have come the closest with each scoring a positive position over grid in 4 of the first 5 races and then dropping just a single position in the lone race they finished lower than they started. At the other end of the table, Angela Tan Fang Ling had been at a loss of nearly 15 positions over grid per race heading into the Crossbay Circuit but was able to move up on the grid for the first time while scoring her first career World Grand Prix points to snap the downward trend. The seasons most consistent driver on the campaign so far is Diarcesian rookie Sam Blaatschappen who has finished within 4 places of their starting position in every event thus far meaning that bettors may be wise to wager on a finish between 4th and 12th position for the Pryfors-Bilar Viska Racing driver at the Akresna Circuit.

WGPC 20 :: Positions Over Grid (The Good) 1 :: LUN +10.2 2 :: C23 +10.0 3 :: DEE +5.6 4 :: TUV +5.4 5 :: CRT +5.2 6 :: WAL +3.8 7 :: LAU +3.6 8 :: DEV +2.8 9 :: MCR +2.4 10 :: FAE +2.0 11 :: AKS +2.0 12 :: FAL +1.8 13 :: VIA +0.8 14 :: BLA +0.4 15 :: JCR +0.2

WGPC 20 :: Positions Over Grid (The Bad) 16 :: HAU -0.2 17 :: PRE -0.4 18 :: VIL -1.0 19 :: FTZ -1.2 20 :: CRU -1.6 21 :: LAN -3.6 22 :: YAN -5.0 23 :: ARC -5.4 24 :: NAT -5.4 25 :: TII -5.6 26 :: EDW -7.0 27 :: JSY -8.4 28 :: ANG -11.4 . .

About PaKaMo Gear :: Based in the Parra Kala Mountains, PaKaMo is a popular provider of Winter Sports Equipment, Gear and Fashion and is the primary choice for outerwear and sports equipment for many AOlympians particularly in ski and snowboard sports. PaKaMo got its start in a cabin in the Parra Kala Mountains and has expanded as demand for Winter Athletic Gear and Equipment has risen in the Vilitan Cove region, particularly following the unexpected success of Vilita's performance in the Arcon Olympic Games in Saugeais. While PaKaMo maintains its presence in the mountains they have two locations in downtown Yeaddin in addition to the company offices. Fans in the area for the can visit the nearby PaKaMo build house to view the process involved in creating PaKaMo's handcrafted Snowboards.

PaKaMo is the major sponsor of the Parra Kala Overnight, A Ski-Sports competition traditionally held in Vilita after the first major snowfall (If it occurs) in the Mountainous region in a given season. The company has sponsored other major sporting events including the XIV Winter Olympic Games, Vilitan and Turorian driver Skiia Vialiv at Rumble in the Rice Fields event on the IRACT Circuit in the Sherpa Empire and Vilita and Turori Motorsports NSSCRA Driver Islago Tizilna. PaKaMo was also the official sponsor and gear provider of World Cup 92 Group C Matchday 3 which saw Zwangzug and Farfadillis square off at the Hothi'icei Battleground at Wamtaun Peak in nearby Terrarokka.

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VILITA & TURORI RACER ✓

@VTRacer

@RaceEelandii driver Lane Carter will be confident at scoring points for the team after earning a Top 5 grid position at the Akresna Circuit. Veteran Vilitan driver R.L. Cruisin struggled late in the second half with the future of the Portland-Carvenlo in question but will be starting in the points and looking to hold on to give the struggling team some momentum heading into the second half.

#WGPC :: #AkresnaCircuit :: #2ndHalf