I Forzala 1 Imperial Championship

[The Macabees]

QUALIFYING
INDRAS GP

VASOZIA RACEWAY, TERRITORY OF INDRAS



RP bonuses counted through The Macabees'.

Grid Position  Driver                    Team                                   Qualifying Score
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1              Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                          1:36.343
2              Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:36.433
3              Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                          1:36.730
4              Marko Meya                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:37.052
5              Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                            1:37.894
6              Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                          1:37.998
7              Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                            1:38.627
8              Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                           1:38.672
9              Sebastian Heidfeld        Kronenstahl Motors                     1:38.881
10             Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                        1:38.973
11             Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                             1:38.978
12             Ralf Hülkenberg           Kronenstahl Motors                     1:39.059
13             Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                          1:39.201
14             Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                          1:39.202
15             Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                        1:39.263
16             Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                          1:39.266
17             Karles Jasper             Ekklesson F1                           1:39.284
18             Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                       1:39.542
19             Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:39.619
20             Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                           1:39.669
21             Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                             1:39.728
22             Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:39.851
23             Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                           1:40.149
24             Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                       1:40.689

Race Details

Race Weather Prognostic: Sunny
RP Cutoff: 7/26 @ ~8AM PST

[The Macabees]

Viting Horsele had been driven since the age of two. Four, if you count back to karting. He'd been in open-wheel single-seater racing since 13. The young man was ready for his seat with Tango. There were some nerves, of course, but they were nothing in comparison to the excitement he felt at the opportunity. Smiling, he watched Marko Meya make his run through the track, seeking that pole position which had so far eluded him. But Viting didn't smile for Marko. He smiled at the thought of taking over for Marko as TK's number two driver.

He watched from the pit wall, sitting with the engineers. Ror had just put in a monster lap. Then Lopez had beaten him to pole by just over a tenth of a second. Now it was all on Marko.

The car darted through the chicanes between Turn 7 and Turn 9, powering down that short straight to Turn 10. It slowly rotated through 11, going flat out to Turn 12, which Marko took aggressively as he had the finish line in sight.

"That's P4," said his race engineer, Natán Borlas. He'd be Viting's race engineer soon. "A hell of a lap. You have Di Raffaele just ahead, then Ror, and Lopez in pole."

Viting glanced at the lap data, taking in any information he could on the car's performance, where it was slow, and where there was room for improvement in lap time. TK expected results on par or better than what Marko was delivering, and if Viting couldn't do it, he might not make it to the second season at all. As soon as they put him in the car, he needed to perform. There was great pressure on his shoulders. But it was nothing he couldn't handle.

He hardly noticed Igalo, the technical director, walk up to him, jumping just a little bit when the big man put his hand on the driver's shoulder. "Viting! I see you're doing your homework. Good job, kid. We're all excited for what's to come. Tango has a bright future with you and Ror in the cockpits. And as you see, it's going to take quite a bit of work to maintain the gap against Cooper Motors, without even mentioning any of the other teams. But there's no reason we can't keep bringing home big points through the end of the championship."

"Yes, sir," replied Viting, "I'm ready to deliver."

"Good, good," answered Igalo, smiling. "I'll see you back at the garage." He took his seat in the pit wall.

Viting, for his part, headed to the garage for the post-qualifying analysis and meetings. There would be a lot of discussion around tomorrow's race strategy. The team had a poor track record of defending good qualifying sessions, and with both Cooper cars in the top three Tango would have to put in the perfect race to get away with reasonable results. Of course, the team would develop the strategy to prioritize a win for Ror Rakken, but if Marko started strong off the gates, there was no reason he couldn't claim his second GP victory of the season. It was Marko who inspired Viting the most, because it was Marko's shoes that he was most immediately filling. Viting would have his own rivalry with Ror, seeking his own opportunity to dethrone the senior driver from his preferential seat. And though that lay far ahead for him, the thought of high-stakes, high-pressure competition was already making the adrenaline pump through his veins.

As far as he knew, depending on Marko's race, Viting would be offered the second seat as early as next weekend.

[Diarcesia]

Tomorrow's race was expected to start in 30°C (86°F) weather rising into the mid-30s Celsius, and winds gusting up to 32.19 km/h. There were no cloud cover warnings.

[The Macabees]

RACE
INDRAS GP


VASOZIA RACEWAY, TERRITORY OF INDRAS




Muscle-bound men and bikini-clad women enjoy the golden Indran beach, as just a thousand meters away, 24 cars take their positions on the grid. Hundreds of thousands of fans pack themselves tightly on the grandstands surrounding the track, or on the grassy knolls looking over it. On paper, it's a fight between Cooper Motors and Tango et Kartuma, with the two teams taking the front two rows. But everyone knows that a lot can change over 56 laps, 5.6 km each, and that anyone can win, and anyone can tumble back towards the bottom of the pack. Who will achieve glory and become the inaugural champion of Indras?

Before the race starts, four new GLI-20s scream overhead in a short but spectacular air show. Behind them, blue, white, and gold contrails celebrate the Golden Throne.


RP bonuses included through Diarcesia's.

Race Results

Position  Start  Driver                    Team                                   Race Time    Fastest Lap  Fastest Lap Point  DNF Cause         Incident  Status    Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1         1      Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                          1:38:36.638  1:38.550     0                                              Finished  25
2         2      Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:39:07.018  1:42.545     0                                              Finished  18
3         5      Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                            1:39:19.551  1:41.612     0                                              Finished  15
4         11     Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                             1:39:34.879  1:42.593     0                                              Finished  12
5         14     Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                          1:39:39.308  1:40.722     0                                              Finished  10
6         10     Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                        1:39:40.183  1:42.873     0                                              Finished  8
7         8      Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                           1:39:41.845  1:42.550     0                                              Finished  6
8         3      Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                          1:39:45.347  1:32.750     1                                              Finished  5
9         16     Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                          1:39:48.260  1:42.155     0                                              Finished  2
10        13     Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                          1:39:49.837  1:42.855     0                                              Finished  1
11        15     Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                        1:39:50.857  1:42.742     0                                              Finished  0
12        7      Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                            1:39:53.799  1:40.709     0                                              Finished  0
13        6      Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                          1:39:58.605  1:40.731     0                                              Finished  0
14        21     Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                             1:40:04.227  1:41.343     0                                              Finished  0
15        17     Karles Jasper             Ekklesson F1                           1:40:06.405  1:41.569     0                                              Finished  0
16        9      Sebastian Heidfeld        Kronenstahl Motors                     1:40:19.210  1:42.772     0                                              Finished  0
17        23     Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                           1:40:19.554  1:42.847     0                                              Finished  0
18        20     Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                           1:40:23.269  1:42.813     0                                              Finished  0
19        12     Ralf Hülkenberg           Kronenstahl Motors                     1:40:24.682  1:43.028     0                                              Finished  0
20        19     Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:40:29.867  1:43.111     0                                              Finished  0
21        22     Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:40:38.488  1:43.035     0                                              Finished  0
22        24     Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                       1:40:49.622  1:43.863     0                                              Finished  0
23        18     Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                       1:40:58.600  1:42.942     0                                              Finished  0
DNF       4      Marko Meya                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   Lap 23/56                 0                  Gearbox Failure             DNF       0

Drivers' Standings After W10

Position  Driver                    Points
------------------------------------------
1         Arturia Nero              149
2         Ror Rakken                111
3         Jose Luiz Lopez           111
4         Basiv Darjis              109
5         Marko Meya                83
6         Rouben Veurien            83
7         Laurens Scherpenkate      57
8         Karina Monraksha          57
9         Nassrena Kang Salarzai    56
10        Sam Blaatschapen          49
11        Kamila Saidova            35
12        Thomas Monteiro           33
13        Seárlas Dhomnaigh         28
14        Ralf Hülkenberg           22
15        Felix Klasen              10
16        Lucas Alynbac             8
17        Alessandro Di Raffaele    7
18        Lonán Leanacháin          6
19        Sebastian Heidfeld        4
20        Emilio Blanco             2
21        Karles Jasper             0
22        Santi Balenciago          0
23        Coda Yin Saodah           0
24        Amber Astota              0
25        Gabrielle Figueroa        0
26        Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    0
27        Amber Astota (2)          0

Constructor Standings After W10

Position  Team                                   Points
--------------------------------------------------------
1         Tango et Kartuma RMK                   194
2         CAMDEN NEXT                            182
3         Team Sasha                             144
4         Cooper Motors                          118
5         Lunar Firestorm                        113
6         Pryfors Bilar                          106
7         Lanto Automotive                       91
8         Dunne Motors                           34
9         Kronenstahl Motors                     26
10        Ekklesson F1                           10
11        Valle Zuma F1                          2
12        Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     0

[Retro Caliland]

Cooper Motors paddock, after the race:

The celebration after Jose Luis won felt familiar, yet it never lost its novelty for the team. In the paddock, Trevor, Graham, Ronny, Mila and Kowalski toasted to Jose Luis’s win. Trevor was elated at Cooper Motor’s 4th place standing in the Constructor’s Championship. Graham was astounded that Jose Luis, despite missing the first 5 races of the season was already tied for 2nd in the Driver’s Championship.

Outside, Alessandro was doing a quick post-race interview with the press.

“How do you feel about your 8th place finish?” asked a reporter.

“I can’t be mad at my best finish yet” he answered suavely. “Just showing the world what I can do.”

Afterwards, he walked over to the paddock, where Jose Luis was waiting.

“Ready to go celebrate?” Alessandro asked.

“You go on ahead. Remember, training starts tomorrow after we get back to Caliland.”

“Seriously? I’m doing better already!”

“The only way to keep that up is with constant training. Racing isn’t something you learn in a week.”

What? I got P8. I know that’s not perfect, but it’s better, no?”

“Your focus is improving, yes. But that’s only the first step. Tomorrow we begin the real training.”

“Can’t wait” said Alessandro, sarcastically.

As Jose Luis walked away, he turned back to face Alessandro.

“Remember, you have potential. If you want to live up to it, you need patience. That’s the only way to be any good in this sport” said the 3-time Grand Prix winner.

Alessandro sighed. More training it was. He wondered how much more of this it would be until he could beat Jose Luis on the track. The answer: a lot more.

[Diarcesia]

Race Day

"How is the ingress system?" The crew member asked Sam as she was assisted into the car.

"This feels different from the last one," she answered.

"Yes. It's slightly different. Came with the setup and the updated seats."

As she got settled in to the car and powered it up, she noticed more changes in her steering wheel. The seat was a lot more comfortable now, the fruit of her relentless lobbying after her complaints about her seating position in the past races. She thought the steering wheel computer had also been upgraded to the future. "And it runs DOOM now!" she exclaimed.

She drove her car to her starting position in the track, and she took a moment to check for anything that needed updating before the formation lap.

"All good! Race preparation complete!" she gave the affirmative radio response. Despite her less than ideal qualifying spot, Sam felt strangely good about today. She hoped this feeling would materialize into reality.

Indras GP
Race Day

Sam's Theohuanacu GP prognostications were shown to be inaccurate, but it was because it came true in the Indras GP.

At the start of the race, Sam felt good about her car's handling and performance. It was smooth and predictable on the straightaway, but it seemed a bit wobbly in turns, especially in the final sector. She wasn't sure during practice if she could handle that or not, but her fears were unfounded.

Her launch was executed well and kept a swift pace to stick several overtakes in succeeding laps. Where it looked like the driver ahead of her had the advantage during a wheel-to-wheel battle, Sam regained it. Her greatest obstacle turned out to be Marko Meya. When Sam caught up with her TK competitor, they were close together for a couple of laps. Soon, Meya began to pull away from Sam. A few more laps later, Meya's car had lost all its momentum and was slowing down: mechanical failure denied Meya a race finish and a decent points haul.

Laurens also felt confident in her car's handling, except for the tyres. The wear rate was faster than she liked it to be, and she didn't want to risk losing traction and going into a spin.

From P14, Sam finished 5^th in the race, one minute behind the race winner, who, despite his late entry in the season, is joint second in the drivers' standings.

[The Macabees]

WEEKEND WARMUP
TARN GP

TARN STREET CAULDRON, REPUBLIC OF TARN

WELCOME TO THE TARN GRAND PRIX, the only F1IC race held outside the legal borders of the Golden Throne.

Known as the "Private Military Corporation Capital of the World," Tarn was a free city of the Golden Throne between M.C. 2018–2031. Though it has since negotiated its independence, as one of the most iconic cities of Greater Díenstad, the F1A signed a 10-year contract with the Oligarchy of Twelve to form the Tarn GP. Called the "Street Cauldron," it earns that epithet from the humid, sweltering heat, pervasive rain or shine. This weekend it happens to be sunny in its entirety, with temperatures sometimes nearing 50 degrees Celsius. Fans will be happy to know that air conditioning and cooling systems are pervasive in the city, including the well-designed metro and light rail systems.

Sitting on a small parcel of land on the Jumanota Isthmus, once occupied by Tarn but ceded to the Territory of Panuli as part of the terms of independence, the city houses just under 83 million people. Today, most of Tarn's people were not born here. Rather, they are military veterans turned soldiers of fortune, or Panul migrants from Panuli, all looking for work. There are also the rich, the capitalists, who live in their penthouses with rooftop pools. It is a forest of glass-and-steel skyscrapers, bisected by a wide canal that opens onto the Port of Tarn and cuts across the isthmus to the city of Voros. Famous for its private military corporations, which form the government, and for its prestigious waterside towers, a testament to their power. Most prominent of all is Orange-Stoner's corporate headquarters, a company that has risen to the pinnacle of its industry's heights. Neither will F1 fans be the only tourists in town, with as many as 75 million people visiting the city every year. Four-fifths of that tourism flows to Tarn's infamous casinos, brothels, and other forms of questionable entertainment. Neither is Forzala 1 the most famous sport, though you can expect half a million fans at the track over the course of the weekend. Still, most famous of all is the city's bloodsport, the power-armored gladiatorial games, including the highly prestigious championship fights at the monolithic Koloso.

This weekend is certainly all about F1, though. The spectacular track cuts through the highly dense matrix of mind-boggling tall buildings, which look down as the cars toil in the unimaginable heat. Drivers, in their padded heat-resistant uniforms and helmets, will feel the temperature most of all. It will be a grueling race. The Tarn Street Cauldron is the track with the highest predicted attrition rate in the championship thus far. Out of all races, only the Berliston Speed Tunnels are more taxing on our drivers and their machines.

With six races to go, everything remains in play. Arturia Nero holds on to her significant lead, despite not scoring points in Vasozia. Jose Luiz Lopez, however, continues his seemingly unstoppable charge. With his third grand prix win in the last five races, he seems easily poised to overtake Ror Rakken as second in the drivers' championship race. Both, in fact, sit level at points, just under 40 points from Nero. Ror remains the only driver to upset Lopez, with two wins. Will he do it again, or will it be another driver who takes it all in the Cauldron? Basiv Darjis will certainly seek to rebound this weekend and score some big points to put himself back in the race. Team Sasha will certainly want to push to overtake CAMDEN NEXT in the constructors', which itself only sits narrowly away from first-placed Tango et Kartuma. Add in Cooper Motors, Pryfors Bilar, and Lunar Firestorm, all of which look like strong teams who can put in race-winning performances, mixed with more taxing conditions for low-reliability cars, and you have the recipe for a potentially explosive weekend. Will we get a surprise? The odds, more than any other race aside from the Speed Tunnels, say yes.




ATTENTION: RP cutoff date for the qualifying session is 8/1 08:00 PST. RPs after race results but before this post count.




Key Details

74 laps; 4.2km lap.

• Track Type: Tight, high-intensity street circuit with mixed-speed technical sectors
• Rewards: Braking precision, rotation in tight corners, adaptability, consistency under pressure
• Punishes: Over-aggression, missed braking points, poor positioning through dense corner sequences, mental lapses over a stint
• Overtaking: Low–Moderate; limited to key braking zones and mistakes ahead
• Tire Factor: Medium–High — varied cornering loads and traction zones create uneven degradation
• Setup Bias: Medium–high downforce, strong mechanical grip, stable braking platform
• Qualifying Importance: Very High — track position is critical in a constrained layout
• Safety Car Likelihood: Very High — tight confines and constant pressure increase incident frequency
• Time Profile: Built through technical execution across multiple sectors; lap time gained in consistency and error minimization
• Driver Bias: Skill > Consistency > Tire Management > Qualifying Bias > Aggression
• Race Character: Chaotic and punishing; sustained pressure leads to mistakes and sudden position changes
• Notable Traits: Sector transitions disrupt rhythm; one of the highest error-rate circuits on the calendar

[Retro Caliland]

Cooper Motors HQ, 8AM:

Alessandro was running laps of the San Clemente Raceway, which doubled as the Cooper Motors test track.

“You took that corner too fast” said Jose Luis’s voice over the headset. Jose Luis was watching Alessandro from the screens in the pit wall, and looking at his telemetry with Kowalski.

“When did you even get here?” asked Kowalski in between yawns.

“5 AM” said an alert and caffeinated Jose Luis. “Paul the janitor let me in. Nice guy.”

“When did Alessandro get here?”

“An hour ago” said Jose Luis, disappointed. Then turned the radio mic back on. “Box this lap, Alessandro. Box this lap.”

Alessandro boxed, and got out of the car in front of the paddock.

“How did it feel?” asked Jose Luis.

“Slow. Like I could go faster but it just wasn’t there. But I know I can reach it. I just need more speed” vented a stressed Alessandro.

Jose Luis pulled him aside.

“Alessandro. I’ve been watching your training laps. It’s not the car. It’s not that you’re going too slow.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Alessandro, incredulously.

“You’re driving angry. When you drive angry, you make mistakes. And when you make mistakes, you feel like the win slips away from you.”

“I don’t drive angry!” yelled Alessandro.

The entire paddock turned to look at him. Alessandro stood there awkwardly. Jose Luis took a deep breath.

“Ok, tell you what. Training is cancelled for today.”

“Nice, I get the rest of the day off” said Kowalski taking off his headset and getting up to leave. “I have big plans: sleep.”

“Yeah, I could go for some rest too” said Alessandro.

“Not you” said Jose Luis, authoritatively. “We’re going on a field trip, Alessandro.”

“A what?”

“A field trip. Meet me at Albatross Point at 9PM. Wear a hat and sunglasses.”

“What?”

“Do I have to go?” asked Kowalski.

“If you want”

“No thanks, all the international flights are wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule.”

“Fair enough” said Jose Luis. He turned to Alessandro. “I’ll see you there at 9. Don’t forget the sunglasses.”

“At night?”

“You’ll see why.”

Albatross Point, San Clemente, 9PM:

Alessandro saw why. The gathered crowd would doubtless go nuts if they saw an F1 driver in their midst. Especially this crowd. A huge crowd of car nuts all gathered in the parking lot for Albatross Point lookout on the northern shore of San Clemente. The car meet was buzzing with music, neon lights and cars. All kinds of cars. JDMs, muscle cars, drift builds, drag racers. While Alessandro admired a Nissan GTR, a man in a hoodie and sunglasses approached him.

“Nice car, isn’t it?” said a familiar voice.

“What are we doing here Jose?” asked Alessandro, turning around.

“What? You don’t like this place?” asked Jose Luis, rhetorically.

“No, it’s very cool, but I don’t know why we are here. These are amateurs” said Alessandro.

“So you think you can beat them?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Prove it.”

“What?”

“Come on. I want to show you something.”

Jose Luis motioned for Alessandro to follow him. He led him across the car meet to a BMW M3 GTR in the corner.

“What do you think?”

“It’s ok, I guess. It’s no Supra or R34 Skyline, but it’s nice.”

“Glad you like it. Because it’s yours.”

“What?”

“Just for right now. A friend lent it to me. I promised him I’d give it back in one piece, so don’t crash it.”

“Crash it?”

“In the race I signed you up for.”

“What?!”

“Race starts soon, all racers to the start line!” said a voice over a megaphone.

“All right, that’s you. Good luck, have fun, don’t crash!” said Jose Luis, cheery as ever.

“You’re kidding me.”

He wasn’t kidding. Alessandro was lined up on the start line next to a Nissan Z, an Impreza, and an MX-5. A woman in the center of the road held a handkerchief over her head.

Alessandro gripped the steering wheel. He revved the engine. He was focused. Nothing he hadn’t done before.

She dropped her arm, and the race was on.

The cars roared off the line, with the other three cars gaining a head start as Alessandro upshifted too late.

“Damn!”

He raced forward, struggling to keep up with the other cars. As they raced along the winding coast roads, Alessandro caught a glimpse of the moonlight over the water. He turned his mind back to the race, and saw a chance for an overtake at the next turn. He got in position, but the Impreza shut the door on him as the cars turned sharply left, leading to a steep mountain road. Alessandro missed another gear change, and fell behind.

By the time the race was over, he was dead last. He pulled up next to Jose Luis.

“What’s the point of this? Embarrass me?”

“No, the hat and glasses are to avoid that. The point is for you to just forget about winning or loosing, forget about everything else in the world, and just enjoy the race. Just you, the car, and the road. Nothing else.”

Alessandro thought for a minute. “I’ll need some music.” He paired his phone to the BMW’s stereo, and played his racing playlist.

For the next race, Alessandro did significantly better. He pulled off perfect gear changes, and as he drove along the winding mountain roads, the speed began to feel like a dance of man and machine. A symphony of engine noises roaring, Alessandro finally felt at ease. A smile crept across his face as he went in for an overtake, and pulled it off flawlessly. That small success led to another, and another. Before he knew it, he was in the lead. Alessandro laughed out loud, happily celebrating the win.

The rest of the night was just like that. Race after race, Alessandro lost track. He was too busy enjoying himself to realize he won most of them.

People began to wonder who the new guy was. Some whispered he might be a pro. Jose Luis caught wind of the rumors and after the last race, he waved for Alessandro to pull over.

“People are starting to figure it out, we should go” he said to Alessandro.

“Ma dai! Just one more race, come on!” said Alessandro, like a child asking his dad to let him stay up past his bedtime.

“One more race and people will figure out you’re a professional.”

“So? It’ll be cool!”

“It’ll be a mess. People wanting pictures, autographs, all that nonsense. Come on, I know where we should go.”

“Where?”

“You hungry?”

Tacos Don Oscar, downtown San Clemente, 1AM:

The lone taco truck stood out amidst the dark parking lot as a beacon of light, and smell. The scent of grilled meat flowed through the air and hit Alessandro and Jose Luis’s noses as they stepped out the car.

“Tacos? At this time of night?” asked Alessandro.

Jose Luis smiled. “You know, in Mexico, this is the exact time people are eating tacos. They leaves the bars and clubs and grab a few tacos as a snack.” Jose Luis walked up to Oscar, the owner.

“Dame unos tres al pastor, y otros tres para el muchacho.”

“Claro, guey!” Oscar sliced the meat off the spit and into 6 warm tortillas. He handed the plates to Jose Luis along with two sodas.

“Cuanto es?”

“No, hombre. Para ti; gratis, cabron! Eres una leyenda Mexicana! Lo que eres tu, el Memo Ochoa, y Juan Gabriel. Leyendas, cabron, leyendas. Solo gana la próxima carrera y de gana tacos gratis de por vida!”

“Gracias, Oscar! Saludos a la familia!”

Jose Walked back to the bench where Alessandro was sitting, underneath a street light.

“Here. Try these. Best tacos in Caliland. They remind me the most of home. It’s authentic, like the ones back in Mexico City.”

“So you’d get tacos at 1AM back in Mexico City?”

“All the time. I was your age once, you know. I was all about that life.”

“I can’t picture you going to bars and picking up women”

“Hey, back in my day, I could “pull” as you kids say.”

Both guys started laughing.

“Seriously, though, you were cool back then?”

“Back when I was a young up and coming race car driver, I felt like I could have everything. It was fun for a while, but it wasn’t satisfying.”

“So you don’t miss it?”

“Not a bit. My wife is the love of my life, and my kids mean the world to me. I wouldn’t trade my life for that one.”

Alessandro just sat there, eating. As he finished up his tacos, Jose Luis spoke again.

“Alright, I have to get the car back to my friend, see you tomorrow.”

“5 AM?”

“I’ll be nice. 6.”

As Jose Luis drove off into the night, Alessandro pondered the events of the night. It had been fun. He felt happy and excited to drive again, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Something he would need going into the next Grand Prix.

[The Macabees]

DRIVER LINEUP CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT

Marko Meya and Tango et Kartuma have decided to part ways, effective immediately. This decision was reached mutually, as both parties believe the immediate cessation of Meya's contract was in their best interests. The driver will be joining Ekklesson F1, replacing Karles Jasper. The empty seat at Tango et Kartuma will be filled by Viting Horsele.* Sakke Noriega has been promoted to the senior team from Forzala 2, taking on reserve driver responsibilities. He will continue to race in Forzala 2 when not actively driving for the senior team.

Team management and the staff would like to thank Marko for all of his incredibly hard work this season, including achieving Tango's first win of the championship at Fedoroville. He has proven himself an elite driver, helping the team score important points in the race for the constructors' championship.

- Tango et Kartuma RMK



"Wow, that's it, huh," said Ror after reading the short press statement. It had been blasted out on social media. "What a shame, I doubt he would have wanted Vasozia to be his last race, not with that DNF."

Meli shrugged. "I'm sure he'll land on his feet. How do you feel about having Viting as your teammate?"

This time it was Ror's turn to give a noncommittal expression. "I don't know," he said, "from what I've seen, the kid has a lot of talent. He'll be competition, but that's nothing new for me. I'll be okay."

"You're a three-time race winner, baby," she replied, "he has catching up to do, anyway." She always knew what to say.

Bianka was sleeping, and the two of them were watching a romantic comedy. She had a Frommian Sunset and he a Macabea, mixed drinks they had made for themselves to celebrate the time they had together. He'd be on a flight to Tarn in the morning for another race weekend, not back home 'til the next week. Though perhaps these facts would have stirred a bit of melancholy in him in past weeks, his mindset was in a different place in recent days. He was unexpectedly second in the championship, and the idea of catching up to Arturia Nero didn't seem so crazy. Of course, Lopez' performance was absolutely insane, and it was he who was most likely to overtake the CAMDEN NEXT championship contender. Still, things were looking better for Ror than ever, and he was thinking about the weekend, even as they watched the movie.

Tarn was going to be a tough race. It was going to get very hot in the cockpit. Ror had raced in the city before, under different rules, and he knew what to expect. He understood the feeling of illness that the humidity and heat produced, the amount of weight dropped during the race, and the need for water. Despite what awaited him (and the other drivers), he looked forward to it, as well as to the opportunity to win again.

Looking at Meli, he admired her beauty. She turned to him and smiled, and he leaned in to kiss her...the rest is their story...

...Nine months later, little Markón was born.



Viting was also at home when he heard the news. He would fly out the next morning, as well, though initially just to drive during the practice sessions. But now that he was taking the second seat in the team, this weekend's meaning to him changed completely. He had finally been given an opportunity to race in F1 and, if he wanted a successful career, he needed to do everything within his power to impress.

Sitting in the seat of his at-home simulator setup, he put in laps around the circuit, learning its twists, turns, and peculiarities. He went on like this into the night, unable to sleep as the adrenaline triggered by the news rushed through him. He'd sleep on the flight, maybe.


_________

* Viting's stats.

Skill: 95
Consistency: 120
Aggression: 40
Tire Management: 100
Qualifying Bias: 45

[Lisander]

Somewhere in the sky, sometime in the dead of the night after Indras GP, while every other passenger in the private jet registered with the number AL-P223 was aslept, Thomas Monteiro was still awake, reading a book.

Amélie felt his arms enlace her waist once more... It felt warmer than last time. Despite they knew each other for no more than twenty hours, she felt that his embrace was safer than any other. She feared, because she wondered why a man so rich and powerful like the heir of Valentino's Syndicate would want with a woman beyond repair like her. Why she was treating her like a Cinderella when she had been mistreated and abused to a point she felt ugly. She was about to find a way to turn and ask him exactly this, when she heard his words.

‘I'm sorry, Amélie... I can't simply forgive this. It's beyond me... It's consuming me, since last night... I need to know. Tell me, who was the man that left those scars in your body?’

She felt a shiver creep up over the marks on her back and arms. She felt like that man could return to kill her.

‘Leon... please, I can't... He can...’ She muttered.

‘I don't think you have understood, Amélie. I want his name exactly to guarantee he won't return to haunt you, never again.’ Leon said, and she could imagine the smile he had on his face.

‘Don't tell me you want to...’ she planned to say 'kill', however she stopped midway. That was obvious. He was in a world where violence was as common as cheap instant ramen was for her.

He completed the sentence, taking from where the words failed her.

‘Kill him? Yes.’ He said, and his tone was confident, unapologetic. ‘Unless... you want to do it and shoot the bastard yourself, güerita. I would even teach you to shoot, if that's the case.’

Those last words made the shiver return, now stronger than before. He was handing her vengeance on a silver tray, if she wanted to.

‘So, I thought you would be more tired after your first podium. It's like to see that you're getting on the good positions too. Man, I crashed from exhaustion this time, where are we... Oh, wait. Princess of the Hood? Isn't your taste in literature kind of... peculiar? Aren't these smut books made for women?’ Arturia looked at him with a surprised look.

‘Well, yeah.’ he smiled. ‘But I'm not exactly looking for the sexy parts. My wife, Sara suggested me to read, saying that I could like since I like gangster movies. So I decided to give a try. I mean, my wife isn't a reluctant prostitute who was saved by a handsome gangster with a special sensitivity to damsels in distress... Neither I ain't such gangster. But it has a nice atmosphere. The scenarios are well described, and the plot is surprisingly good for this kind of book. There are chapters from the POV of the gangster too. Turns out the writer also wrote for some True-Crime TV series, so she had plenty of information about gangs of the United Federation, especially the west.’

‘From TV to paperback smut, this writer went really low. Maybe all these years competing and living in a man's hobby kind of turned me into someone who doesn't like this kind of content directed to women.’ She looked at the book like she wouldn't touch it with a ten-feet pole.

‘Oh, by the way, now that I think of that, judging by the hour...we must have left United Federation airspace some time ago. I must have looked from the window, maybe I would have seen some gangsta boy.’ He joked.

Both laughed. They seemed to have a better relationship after Camden NEXT started to get good results. It was different now, she wasn't complaining because she has been out of the points for the first time of the season.

‘By the way, I thought you would get more excited with your first podium of the season.’ Arturia said, in a playful tone. She was the first driver, she was the one with two wins, two poles and five fastest laps, amassing more points to the team, she had been a constant presence in the top three, collecting champagne bottles from around the empire.

‘And I thought you would be throwing a tantrum after getting out of the points.’ he joked.

‘Come on, now I don't have to worry with money any more. I made a good start, got my share of podiums... Motorsport Lisander is paying me a very generous prize in the end of the season...’ Arturia said, rubbing her thumbs between his index and middle fingers, as referring to money. ‘With today's results you also nearly doubled your prize. Thirty-three thousand Lis... Well, you're in this team not exactly for the money, ain't it?’

‘Well, it's always good to win money and prizes. The idea of winning is attractive independent on what we're winning. It's not like I fear losing, but since I do not depend on this money to make a living... I don't get exactly worried if I fail to earn.’ Monteiro was the son of a venture capitalist and a classic pianist working in the most important orchestra of the nation. He had his own investments and his wife was a famous influencer, so money was, in fact, the last of his worries.

‘Well, same here. Nasunen pays me well and says I can experiment more with my driving. He had always allowed me that amount of freedom in TEAM-MOON, and now that we're working with Camden, Camden needs plenty of data for their AstyF1 Cars, so even if I don't win, isn't half bad if I pull some strange moves to test anything new on the car. He doesn't mind if overwork the engines, the brakes or the tyres, so I can afford to be a little reckless.’ Arturia herself had made her share of money, either working, streaming or racing, but she was different, she didn't race as a pastime, as a gentlewoman driver, she raced as a professional racing driver, who always wanted to take the maximum result from its drive.

Notes:
I apologize for the lack of posts for the last weeks. Creative blocks just get worse and worse as tasks pile up and we don’t get round to reading everything we need to. My plan is to post a few entries retrospectively and provide some
writing about Nero's wins, how she felt and how she plans to put up a fight to keep in the top of the table.

[The Macabees]

QUALIFYING
TARN GP

TARN STREET CAULDRON, REPUBLIC OF TARN



RP bonuses counted through Lisander's.

Grid Position  Driver                    Team                                   Qualifying Score
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1              Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:12.732
2              Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                          1:13.096
3              Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                            1:13.828
4              Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                          1:13.970
5              Viting Horsele            Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:14.123
6              Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                            1:14.225
7              Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                          1:14.405
8              Ralf Hülkenberg           Kronenstahl Motors                     1:15.126
9              Marko Meya                Ekklesson F1                           1:15.146
10             Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                        1:15.179
11             Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                           1:15.219
12             Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                          1:15.222
13             Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:15.257
14             Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                           1:15.402
15             Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                       1:15.557
16             Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                             1:15.659
17             Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                           1:15.680
18             Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                          1:15.695
19             Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                             1:15.707
20             Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                          1:15.710
21             Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:15.794
22             Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                        1:15.948
23             Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                       1:15.962
24             Sebastian Heidfeld        Kronenstahl Motors                     1:16.458

Race Details

Race Weather Prognostic: Sunny
RP Cutoff: 8/2 @ ~8AM PST

[The Macabees]

I'm a family man. I'm a family man. I'm a family man. Ror kept repeating the mantra in his head.

There was just something about Tarn that brought out the basest instincts in man. Between the casinos, the scantily clad women, and the gladiators, it was hard to resist the temptation to sin. To get it out of his system, the TK driver had spent one evening in the Preslaff, its Tour Panoptique (a famous plaza) and Manoir du Montbatten (the presidential palace) replicas based on the actual monuments of the Castillian capital city. The second, on Friday night, the team went out together to see the fight at the Koloso. The title fight was between Roger Brookings, the Stevidian, and Hernando Varón de la Vega, the Zarbian. De la Vega ended victorious, while Brookings was left alive, but just barely. It was the "little" that Ror let himself enjoy the city, with the rest of the weekend, of course, spent focused on the race.

It paid off. "That's pole position," said his race engineer through the radio soon after Ror crossed the finish line.

Could he break the curse of pole? Only one man had so far, Jose Luis Lopez. But Ror wasn't necessarily concerned with that. Tomorrow's job was simply to put in the best time he could.

The heat made it hard to think about the details, anyway. It made it hard to think, in general. It was oppressive. The combination of the high sun and the rising, sizzling water vapor from the tropics created an oven, baking the city and its people. Their only savior was air conditioning, so when not in the cockpit, everyone was in one of the meeting rooms or somewhere inside. Even the garages had been outfitted with extra powerful cooling units and fans to keep the mechanics cool as they worked on the cars.

No wonder almost everyone, from the tourists to off-duty mercenaries, was gambling away inside the casinos, or otherwise spending their money in the brothels, nightclubs, or the myriad other entertainment venues in the city. One couldn't survive outside. But inside, inside where Tarn catered to their deepest, darkest desires, they could enjoy not only cool air but also boundless pleasures. This was the magic of Tarn.

Ror and the other drivers didn't have that luxury. They weathered not just the natural heat, but also the heat radiating from their cars' power units. It was unbearable, though somehow they bore it.

But deep in his mind he was thinking, after tomorrow's race I'm going back to the Preslaff. I deserve it, after all of this. But only if he had a good race, he told himself.

[Lisander]

CAMDEN NEXT prepare updates for the challenger
Despite Nero leading the drivers' table and Monteiro getting its first podium in Indras, Tango et Kartuma and Cooper Motors are on sight

It's been a good moment for the stable of the pegasi until now. Despite the 12th place for Arturia Nero in Indras, CAMDEN NEXT still had a good weekend, with the first podium finish for Thomas Monteiro. To Tarn GP, both Nero and Monteiro are expected to bring good results again, to keep the dream of the constructions championship alive.

Camden NEXT has, at the moment, two missions. First, don't let Tango et Kartuma get too comfy on the lead. Second, brace for the torpedo named López, that is set to hit any time soon. The meteoric rise of the Mexican-Calilandian driver put the R&D department of Camden in red alert. The rise of new rivals mid-season heralded a change of plans, diverted efforts that were currently in other projects back to the yellow team. They needed an update pack.

First, to find more ways to cut drag without compromising downforce. Second, to further lower total car mass, as any kilogram cut is beneficial to improve both initial launch and out-of-corner recover. Third, to improve the electric system to grant more energy through MGU.

The fact the new specs are not yet being enforced by the organization before the new season opened Camden the possibility of pushing them even more to its limits. Camden decided to push their luck with two main sectors in the first moment. First, the carbon fibre parts, proposing a little thinner fairing by reassessing the polymer composite construction, reviewing both the fibre weaving and the ratio between resin and fibre, as well as stripping more of paint and leaving more fibre visible in flooring, bargeboards and diffusers. It's expected that these modifications reduce around two kilograms in the car mass, what would theoretically award them with nearly a tenth of a second. And the other area the team decided to work was the electric, coming up with a re-tuning of the hybrid battery, to better integrate it to MGU-H and MGU-K. It is expected that more power will be drawn from the hybrid battery, which should also improve performance by fractions of a second, but of course at the expense of the equipment’s service life.

These updates are expected to be brought to light in the final races for both cars. Means to say that, with everything to lose, Camden NEXT is polishing its bullets to go all-out in the shoot out.

Notes:
I would like to have, if possible, minor modifications on my stats:
I want to update Camden NEXT car Acceleration stat from 80 to 90, and Energy stat from 65 to 55, to match the narrative of the "car updates" described in this last RP.
Likewise, I want to update following stats for Arturia Nero, to match the current narrative where she says she can be a little reckless, even if at expense of the car:
Skill from 115 to 120 (+5), Consistency from 105 to 115 (+10), Aggression from 35 to 40 (+5), Tire management from 60 to 40 (-20)

[Diarcesia]

Using what they learned during the season so far, PB decided to increase the power output of their V10s to slightly increase the PK-FIC-710N's top speed. With the most recent double points finish, it looked like the drivers generally took well to it and both were in good form.

Tarn GP Qualifying

Sam Blaatschapen's qualifying session had a couple of problems at the start. Her car was not as tuned for the track conditions as she would have liked. The track itself was very busy, with many cars out at the same time to try to log their time. as a result, Sam and her car were both slowed down. She still got off into Q2, but she ended up not able to finish a proper lap and had to settle to start at P12. Her teammate, Laurens Scherpenkate, went on to set a 1:14.405 lap time. With the rest of the field also getting their own upgrades online, the quest for the championship remained very alive.

Sam later commented on her post-qualifying interview that she had fun driving the car this time. "It's disappointing I didn't make it into Q3, but the car performed well despite not having been in its optimal setup. Driving it is fun."

When asked about her own performance, Laurens answered, "I opted for a more clinical and technical approach for the qualifying. Thanks to the pit crew, we Identified very good windows to release in the crowded track. I was able to get very good times."

[Retro Caliland]

The grid, before the race:

A reporter walked up to Jose Luis and Alessandro as they were getting ready to get in the cars.

“Alessandro, how does it feel to have beaten Jose Luis in qualifying?” asked the reporter.

“The student has surpassed the teacher,” said Alessandro with a laugh. “But no, it feels good. Like I am improving.”

“How do you feel, Jose Luis?”

“I’m proud of him.”

“Do you think he can beat you in the race?”

“I’m more worried about the other drivers.” answered Jose Luis.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the race. Maybe I beat him, maybe no,” added Alessandro. “But I think I can.”

“Optimism is a hell of a thing,” said Jose Luis. “At the end of the day, I’m sure it’ll be a good race for the team.”

“Yeah, of course, the team” said Alessandro.

“Well thanks for taking the time to talk to us.” said the reporter.

[The Macabees]

RACE
TARN GP


TARN STREET CAULDRON, REPUBLIC OF TARN




The streets of the Cauldron sizzle beneath the resplendent sun, its rays reflecting off the gigantic glass panels of the skyscrapers rising over the track like heavenly walls. Below, squeezed between towers and spectator seating, the circuit narrowly winds through the city. Misters spray a steady stream of water to keep hundreds of thousands of watching fans cool, the mist still vital despite the enormous outdoor air conditioning units plugged into the city's nuclear power grid that tried to keep the temperature in the fan areas bearable. On the side of the track flanking the canal, a giant díenmaxx-sized cargo ship lumbers toward the east, seemingly unaware that race 11 of the I Forzala 1 Imperial Championship is about to kick off.

Ror Rakken takes his place at the head of the grid after a brilliant quali session. Alessandro Di Raffaele occupies the other half of the first row, in second. Can Rakken protect his lead and take the race win? Behind him, in the second row, are two imposing drivers. Arturia Nero starts in third, Jose Luiz Lopez in fourth. Lopez is on a hot streak. Will he continue his unstoppable run? Or will Nero rise to the top again and consolidate her lead in the drivers' championship? Viting Horsele, starting fifth on the grid, faces his first competitive test in the championship after replacing Marko Meya in the second TK seat. Next to him, Thomas Monteiro will seek another good result this weekend, helping his team catch up and overtake TK in the constructors'.

The first three rows are thusly locked out by the top two podium sitters for the constructors' — Tango et Kartuma and CAMDEN NEXT — and the up-and-coming Cooper Motors, which seeks to displace Team Sasha in third place. For these teams, it's not just about which driver will win, but which pair will score the most combined points. Behind them, the drivers for Pryfor Bilars, Lunar Firestorm, and Team Sasha will hope to make up places on the track as they look to get back into the competition.

Hot, sticky air shimmers and waves over the asphalt as the last cars take their position on the starting grid. Behind them, a marshal waves two green flags as she crosses the track. Before them, the first light of five flashes on and the drivers begin revving their powerful engines. Around them, the fans roar.




1. RP bonuses included through Retro Caliland's.

2. CAMDEN NEXT car upgrades implemented.

Race Results

Position  Start  Driver                    Team                                   Race Time    Fastest Lap  FL Pt  DNF Cause                           Incident    Status     Points
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1         4      Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                          1:39:38.773  1:15.681     0                                                    Finished   25
2         1      Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:40:00.050  1:17.814     0                                                    Finished   18
3         5      Viting Horsele            Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:40:04.916  1:16.974     0                                                    Finished   15
4         3      Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                            1:40:08.487  1:16.907     0                                                    Finished   12
5         7      Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                          1:40:10.686  1:17.588     0                                                    Finished   10
6         6      Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                            1:40:12.144  1:17.730     0                                                    Finished   8
7         14     Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                           1:40:17.356  1:17.649     0                                                    Finished   6
8         10     Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                        1:40:27.780  1:17.533     0                                                    Finished   4
9         2      Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                          1:40:31.181  1:11.526     1                                                    Finished   3
10        8      Ralf Hülkenberg           Kronenstahl Motors                     1:40:33.977  1:18.905     0                                                    Finished   1
11        16     Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                             1:40:35.838  1:17.426     0                                                    Finished   0
12        19     Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                             1:40:40.281  1:18.171     0                                                    Finished   0
13        9      Marko Meya                Ekklesson F1                           1:40:40.675  1:18.266     0                                                    Finished   0
14        17     Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                           1:40:44.903  1:18.417     0                                                    Finished   0
15        21     Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:40:46.495  1:18.162     0                                                    Finished   0
16        22     Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                        1:40:49.439  1:18.387     0                                                    Finished   0
17        18     Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                          1:40:58.750  1:17.920     0                                                    Finished   0
18        23     Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                       1:41:05.632  1:18.091     0                                                    Finished   0
19        13     Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:41:06.785  1:18.339     0                                                    Finished   0
20        24     Sebastian Heidfeld        Kronenstahl Motors                     1:41:09.634  1:18.253     0                                                    Finished   0
21        15     Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                       1:41:14.928  1:18.584     0                                                    Finished   0
22        20     Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                          1:41:30.988  1:17.267     0                                                    Finished   0
DNF       11     Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                           Lap 25/74                 0      Collision with Sam Blaatschapen   R11-INC01   DNF        0
DNF       12     Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                          Lap 23/74                 0      Collision with Seárlas Dhomnaigh  R11-INC01   DNF        0

Drivers' Standings After W11

Position  Driver                    Points
------------------------------------------
1         Arturia Nero              161
2         Jose Luiz Lopez           136
3         Ror Rakken                129
4         Basiv Darjis              109
5         Marko Meya                83
6         Rouben Veurien            83
7         Laurens Scherpenkate      67
8         Nassrena Kang Salarzai    60
9         Karina Monraksha          57
10        Sam Blaatschapen          49
11        Thomas Monteiro           41
12        Kamila Saidova            35
13        Seárlas Dhomnaigh         28
14        Ralf Hülkenberg           23
15        Viting Horsele            15
16        Lonán Leanacháin          12
17        Felix Klasen              10
18        Alessandro Di Raffaele    10
19        Lucas Alynbac             8
20        Sebastian Heidfeld        4
21        Emilio Blanco             2
22        Karles Jasper             0
23        Santi Balenciago          0
24        Coda Yin Saodah           0
25        Amber Astota              0
26        Gabrielle Figueroa        0
27        Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    0
28        Amber Astota (2)          0

Constructor Standings After W11

Position  Team                                   Points
--------------------------------------------------------
1         Tango et Kartuma RMK                   227
2         CAMDEN NEXT                            202
3         Cooper Motors                          146
4         Team Sasha                             144
5         Lunar Firestorm                        117
6         Pryfors Bilar                          116
7         Lanto Automotive                       91
8         Dunne Motors                           40
9         Kronenstahl Motors                     27
10        Ekklesson F1                           10
11        Valle Zuma F1                          2
12        Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     0

[The Macabees]

REGARDING ARTURIA NERO'S SIM SESSION USE

OOC: This is in reference to the change of points request for Arturia Nero. For clarity, the stats were not updated for R11, as there is no live mechanic for driver stat changes. But there is a planned mechanic for season two that we can introduce late-season to test it out. Hopefully it's okay that I use it as an opportunity to recreate some of the drama that's standard to the RL FIA. I'm coloring it with a team lobbying component, which, with Arturia Nero in first, I thought would trigger complaints from rival teams and conspiracy theories from the fans.

TL;DR - starting today, players can redistribute up to 20 driver points. Since there are four five races left, players can do this once. Arturia's new stats will go into effect now, as well.


After considerable deliberation within the F1A, and after meeting with the teams, Arturia Nero and CAMDEN NEXT will receive no penalty for unauthorized mid-season simulator session use. Though not within the rules of the championship, it is clear that it is also not outside of the rules, as there is no extant rule to govern mid-season simulator sessions. Such a rule is slated to become active upon the conclusion of the current championship.

We have determined it propitious to introduce the new rule earlier, ahead of the Cerfonlande GP. Early adoption will allow us to test the rule and further change it if needed before the start of the next season.

The F1A would like to express its gratitude to the teams for their cooperation, and to the fans for their support.

[Retro Caliland]

A hotel somewhere:

Alessandro was woken up by a pounding on the door. He got up out of the bed where a supermodel lay asleep, three on some pants and a shirt and fumbled towards the door. He opened it to see a fully awake Jose Luis, wearing a facial expression of excitement, something Alessandro had never seen on the old man’s face.

“What the fuck?” asked a groggy Alessandro.

“Come on, let’s go! Training time!”

“I’ve been reviewing your race footage, I know what your problem is. You need to learn how to more consistent. Remember when I said you are a good driver, but a bad racer? Today you will learn to be a real racer. Come on!” Jose Luis said.

San Clemente Raceway:

Jose Luis drove alongside Alessandro, in another F1 car, watching his technique, and critiquing him. His voice came over the radio.

“Too wide here”

“Not enough speed into this corner”

“Watch your braking”

Inside, he would explain why he gave Alessandro the pointers he did. How and when to brake in a corner, how to deal with dirty air, what to look for when going for an overtake. Not just “don’t do this”, but “this is why you don’t do that, here’s what to do instead”. Finally, it was tome to see if Alessandro could master a lap on the high tech simulator at the Cooper Motors HQ.

This wasn’t the video game setups in the offices upstairs, the ones Alessandro and Jose Luis had raced on earlier. This was a room-sized, multi-million dollar machine that simulated cornering, acceleration, braking and had an actual cockpit designed to be as realistic as possible.

Once Alessandro climbed in, and got going, it became clear his training had paid off.

“He’s still rubbish” said Graham, watching from the simulator control room upstairs.

“Maybe so, but it’s real improvement” said Jose Luis.

This was shaping up to be a hell of a season finish for Cooper Motors.

OOC: Alessandro now has only 130 Aggression points, and 70 Consistency points.

[The Macabees]

WEEKEND WARMUP
CERFONLANDE GP

CIRCUIT LADISLAS RÉMY, TERRITORY OF CERFONLANDE

WELCOME TO THE CERFONLANDE GRAND PRIX, held in the Pantocratorian-speaking (OOC: French-speaking) namesake territory of the Golden Throne.

Cerfonlande is a land of a proud people who have long considered themselves independent, despite always living under the yoke of one of their stronger neighbors. For centuries, it was ruled from Hoogensboch, the capital of the powerful Guffingfordi state. But following this country's decline and administrative collapse during the War of Golden Succession, it has come under the power of Fedala and the Golden Throne. It is a unique territory — a recent category, after its administrative separation from Guffingford and becoming its own autonomous federal state — not only due to its language, which it guards and proudly speaks as the majoritarian daily language of social life, but also because of its customs, norms, and the pervasive cultural undercurrent of separatism.

The track is named after Ladislas Rémy, a famous Cerfonlandi who served in the Guffingfordi army as a cavalry commander in the 21st century. Later, after returning home from campaigning in Theohuanacu, Rémy led a rebellion against Hoogensboch in one of the region's many bids for independence. This one had the distinction of being successful for many years, during which Rémy governed Cerfolande as its first (and only) president. Fans are likely to come across his name quite often in Cerfontaine, the territory's beautiful capital city.

A technical track, the circuit is distinguished by a long straight, leading to a tight turn immediately leading into a fast corner. A chicane acts as a speed bump toward Turn 5, after which there is a technical section until reaching Turn 11. Despite some overtaking opportunities, quali will be important this weekend.

It lies just outside the city, where metropolitan urbanity turns into the green, rolling Cerfonlandi countryside. The track site can be reached via light rail, train, bus, and, of course, by road. Fans will be treated to La Sainte-Karine, a local tradition where unmarried women wear orange and light blue hats to worship. It has in recent decades become a much more extravagant tradition, with a parade showcasing dancers, costumed performers, and music. The streets will be filled with youth, and all are encouraged to experience the festival. Those who need it, and those who want it, are encouraged to drink an espresso shot after dinner, as the party in Cerfonlande goes deep into the night.

Jose Luiz Lopez is now second in the drivers' championship after winning his fourth race, including three consecutive victories. The Cooper Motors driver seems genuinely unstoppable. Arturia Nero looks to protect her lead. Will her F1A-approved intensive simulator session translate to a new burst in her on-track performance? It's not just Nero who needs a boost. Two-time race winner Ror Rakken has more often come out second-best or worse. He will need to change something to stay in the fight, too. His new teammate, Viting Horsele, has impressed with his debut podium finish in Tarn, under difficult conditions. But will this strong first race turn into intolerable pressure to perform? With five races left, the Cerfonlande GP is the start of a last offensive for any team and driver that wants to dispute the championship.

Most teams remain able to introduce upgrade packages. How many will take advantage of the new F1A rule on intensive simulator sessions?

Cerfonlande is followed by the "Three Fedors" — Fedorogoda (Zarbia GP), Fedorograd (Krasnova GP), and Fedoria (Nicaroan GP) —, all high-velocity tracks favoring overtaking. This ode to speed culminates in the final race of the championship, the dangerous subterranean Berliston Speed Tunnels (New Empire GP).




ATTENTION: RP cutoff date for the qualifying session is 8/8 08:00 PST. RPs after race results but before this post count.

1. Confirming that the driver's points for Alessandro Di Raffaele have been updated in the scorinator, reflecting this post.




Key Details

88 laps; 3.5km lap.

• Track Type: Compact balanced circuit with long straight and tight technical sector
• Rewards: Straight-line efficiency, braking precision, traction out of slow corners, clean technical execution
• Punishes: Poor braking control, compromised exits onto the main straight, inconsistency through tight sequences
• Overtaking: Moderate; primary opportunity at end of main straight, with limited secondary chances
• Tire Factor: Medium — mixed corner profile with traction zones stressing the rears
• Setup Bias: Balanced with slight emphasis on low drag and braking stability
• Qualifying Importance: High — short lap and limited overtaking increase importance of track position
• Safety Car Likelihood: Medium–High — tight technical section increases incident risk
• Time Profile: Built on main straight performance and technical sector execution; exits onto straight heavily influence lap time
• Driver Bias: Skill > Consistency > Qualifying Bias > Tire Management > Aggression
• Race Character: Compact and pressure-driven; small mistakes have amplified impact over short lap distance
• Notable Traits: Short lap compresses field; technical mid-sector disrupts rhythm and defines consistency

[The Macabees]

Through his racing suit and into the seat, Ror sat thoroughly drenched in sweat. He'd depleted his water by lap 63, leaving the final 11 to his will alone to complete. He thought that if he was, for whatever reason, trapped in this machine that he'd eventually burn to a crisp, the heat was that unbearable. But four kilos lighter later, the senior TK driver had managed to cross the finish line in second place.

First had been a position too far, it seemed. Despite a good start and a stubborn defense of his lead in the first stint, Lopez opted for the undercut and succeeded in overtaking Ror as the latter was leaving the pits. The mechanics had put in a good show, putting in a clean 2.4 seconds on the board. But José Luis López' outlap was quick, his fastest lap being two seconds faster than Ror's, and Ror was already seeing the man's energy harvesting light by the time he exited the pitlane. Still, Ror stuck on him, following the Cooper driver closely through the technical sector. Their car was much faster on the straights. It was also faster in the corners, and out of them as well. But on a good day, if the temperature in the tires was just right, the TK-01 had magnificent race pace. That day in Tarn was a good day. It just wasn't good enough; Lopez was just too good. A pity.

The car weaved, picking up on marbles as it made its cool-down lap. Then it coolly entered the pits for weigh-in.

Ror took his place on the podium, Viting standing on Lopez' opposite side. The Coopers driver stood the tallest, celebrating his victory, his fourth so far. The fans roared. They had taken a liking to Lopez, who made for a good sports bet. And in a city like Tarn, there was hardly a fan who didn't have money on the race. Ror's odds had been good, of course, as pole sitter. But José by now always had the highest odds, that was almost a given.

"That was a hell of a race," said Igalo, the technical director. 'Hell of a race' was all Ror heard all day. From the team. From the press. From Viting, who himself also put in a hell of a race, per all of the same sources.

But behind the scenes, in the debrief and in the strategy sessions, it was clear that a lot of work needed to get done before the next race. That meant that Ror would see his family even less than usual. Earlier in the season, that fact may have bothered him, but not anymore. This championship had reopened something in him that Ror had forgotten he had. It had regenerated that unquenchable thirst for victory and competition that he had felt when was younger. It was a feeling that had dissipated over recent years, as Ror grew older and his career began stagnating. But the TK F1 seat had given him something unexpected: the opportunity to be the best again. And there was nothing more powerful than that to generate an unstoppable drive to succeed. So it was with convinced determination that Ror went through a focused, intensive simulator training program designed to fix some of the weaknesses in his driving style.*

It wasn't just Ror who was busy. All hands were on deck that week at the garage and at headquarters, as the team made a massive effort to get the pieces in place for a second upgrade package. The plan was not to introduce the new parts in the Cerfonlande GP, but rather wait for the Fedorogoda GP to better understand Ror's performance impact. There were also doubts as to whether the team truly wanted to possibly sacrifice long-run race pace in favor of improving the car's direct overtaking potential. All of this meant that everyone — mechanics, engineers, strategists...everyone — would be working sleeplessly in a final push to secure the constructors' championship, and if possible help Ror take the drivers'.

In the mornings and evenings, he connected with Meli and Bianka over video call, and though it wasn't the same as having them next to him, seeing them at all helped Ror through the process all the same. Half the time, he couldn't keep the race out of his head, anyway.

There was a moment during the race at the Cauldron that Ror had closed the gap with Lopez, late in the race. Lopez had put in monstrous laps, increasing the gap between him and Ror to 5 seconds. But slowly, and inconsistently, the TK driver managed to whittle away at the Cooper driver's lead. Inside the cockpit, Ror felt as if he were sitting in a sauna with how hot it was. His stomach fell ill in bouts. But he forced his mind to focus on the race. The Tango's overall race pace was good, the car was balanced, and Ror was making the tires last. By lap 84, he set himself up for an overtake opportunity to regain the lead of the race. He tried into Turn 11, but Lopez was too fast out of the corner and onto the straight. It took two more laps to line up another opportunity. This time, on lap 86, Ror swept Turn 5 to lunge on Lopez' inside at Turn 6. But the Cooper driver managed to close the space in time, questionably cutting the TK driver off at the apex. Nose-to-nose, it was difficult to tell who was ahead. But Ror pulled out, avoiding a collision. The decision cost him the race, and he could not stop replaying it in his head.

The press had jumped on it, of course. Ror "didn't have championship material," they said. "Wasn't willing to take the risks." He'd have to prove them wrong.

It wasn't just the championship that drove him, though. Viting was young, and it remained to be seen whether he could take the pressure for constant results, but his debut race had been very good. A podium? That bode well for the next season. Ror had to make sure he was keeping up with the young prodigy, too.

At night, before sleep, Ror meditated. First the incantations, second the gratitude. In a hotel room, he sat cross-legged on the floor, his back perfectly straight and his eyelids closed in peace. In this state, he no longer thought about the race, no longer cared about missed chances, and that feeling of homesickness was completely gone. He spent some time that way, letting time lose meaning, focused on nothing and everything at the same time. A state of flow. Just like the one he'd have to be in Sunday afternoon in Circuit Ladislas Rémy if he had any chance.


OOC: Ror Rakken's updated stats: aggression - 20 (85 -> 65); skill + 10 (90 -> 100); consistency +5 (85 -> 90); tire management + 5 (70 -> 75).

[Lisander]

Tarn, the day after the Grand Prix
‘Damn vague book.’ Nero said, sitting on the back seat of the sedan, after leaving F1A association hearing. She was really annoyed. That was the result she wanted the less...To be behind both Tango et Kartuma and Cooper. And to make things even worse, her Sim sessions had been challenged. ‘Do you expect me to read every line of the sporting code and understand it? When this was written, 1932? Aren't we even allowed to train outside the circuits? What's next, a week-long Parc Fermé?’

‘Well, we just got off-the-hook because it was a grey area. I mean, I would never consider you having a simulator back home these days would count like you had more laps than anyone else? Doesn't every big racing driver in Lisander already has one?... I got myself wondering if this isn't because of those circuit files for PRO_RACER that your community made? By the way, since we're on that, let me tell you this: Nonetheless, your fans are crazy. They impress me more everyday. Is it true that one of them even drove to the Golden Throne Empire to visit the circuit locations?’ Nasunen asked.

‘Oh, no, nothing like that. This "hoax" was spread by Thomas' wife, Sara Vitti. They invited me for dinner earlier in the season and I took my laptop, to give Thomas the circuit files for his rig too. Sara was so impressed with the quality of the textures that went live on WhoTube, and the title was "Husband Sim Racing training for F1 Championship. It's too realistic!" In the end, people thought those data must have been from a travelling fan, however it was all from satellite photos and street views. Keli is certain a very talented designer and modder.

"Well, if this Kelly is so good on what she do, why don't you bring her to the team? I would like to know her. There's always space for talent in Team-Moon..."

"Oh... don't say that. It's not Kelly. Keli is a man. It's K-E-L-I. And you know him. By the way, you're late already. Keli was scouted by Camden. Short for Kevin Lima, he's already at an internship in Camden R&D team, and part of Camden analysis team. He brought us coffee this morning, man. How do you think I get my adjustments so good? Theoretically, my car and my rig have the same exact setup, from seat angle to wheel buttons..."

"Oh, that guy? Didn't imagined he's so skilled. By the way, you are responsible for pushing Thomas career too? You gave him all of these files?"

"Well, in fact, my community usually do this for free, so it was only matter of keeping the wheel spinning."

Notes:
My apologies. I completely forgot that the scorinator used in this competition is not software available to the public, and I mistakenly assumed that the process would be the same as for other software, where data is input, analysed
and generated in the same interface and/or workflow.

[Retro Caliland]

Avalon International Airport, 4AM, two days before the start of qualifying:

The team made their way through the terminal. They were no strangers to international air travel, and today was no different. Jose Luis was walking through the terminal when he caught sight of the paparazzi waiting for him. He ducked behind a gaggle of American tourists commiserating their casino losses, using them as cover to hide from the ravenous press. The emerged from behind the tourists at the other end of the concourse, where Alessandro was staring at a giant Rolex ad.

“What are you doing?” asked Jose Luis, walking up to his protege.

“That should be me,” said Alessandro, pointing at the man featured in the ad.

“Ay, por Dios”

Alessandro turned to face Jose Luis. “Why are you coving your face?” he asked.

“Because I don’t want the damn paparazzi to bother me,” answered his mentor.

“Why not? It’s fun.”

“It’s a waste of time. When the fame gets to your head, you forget why you race. Never do it for the fame.”

“Do it for the drive, right?”

“Exactly.”

“Besides, it’s not like Alessandro has to worry about being chased by the paps, he’s not a good enough driver for people to care!” chimed in Melissa from behind.

“Ha-ha, very funny” said an unamused Alessandro.

“Were you standing there the whole time?” asked Jose Luis.

“Come on, lads, Cooper’s waiting for you in the Air Caliland VIP lounge.”

“What?”

“Yeah, the whole team’s waiting. We’ve got a surprise for you.”

“What kind of surprise?”

“You’ll see” said Melissa motioning for the drivers to follow her.

Once they got there, they saw Graham, Mila, Heather, Ronny and Kowalski, and other tram staff, all gathered around Trevor. Trevor waved at Alessandro and Jose Luis.

“Guys, guys! You made it!” exclaimed Trevor. “Ok nice! So, you’re all probably wondering why you’re here” he continued.

“To catch our flight” interjected Graham, bluntly.

“Yes, but, specifically, we’re at the Air Caliland VIP lounge because, thanks to Melissa’s great marketing and PR work, Air Caliland is considering sponsoring us next season!”

A gasp of pleasant surprise spread amongst the team. Mila’s eyes lit up at the possibility of her aero package becoming reality with this funding.

“Now, the deal’s not final yet, but as a token of their appreciation, and to convince us to say yes, they offered us free first class seats for the flight to our next Grand Prix!” exclaimed Trevor.

“Yeah! Nice!” said Kowalski. “I’ve never flown first class before!”

“Me neither!” said Ronny.

“Trust me, guys: it’s awesome!” said Trevor, before being interrupted by a PA announcement.

“Air Caliland Flight 232 is now boarding”

“That’s us!” said Trevor.

Air Caliland Flight 232, Airbus A380, First Class Section:

“You guys! They have a bar?!” exclaimed Kowalski, causing Graham to turn his head.

“Y’all, the chair is like a bed! It’s got it’s own TV!” said an excited Ronny.

“Oh. My. God. This is soooooo comfortable, I could literally live here” said Heather, making herself at home in her little cubicle.

“I just want a nice place to get my work done,” said Mila, opening her laptop as Graham walked past.

Declan Graham just walked right up the bar, unimpressed with the rest of first class.

“What can I get for you sir?” asked the bartender.

“You’ve got whisky?” asked the gruff Scotsman.

“Yes sir, we do.”

A slight smile crept across Graham’s face. “I’ll take a glass of whisky, on the rocks,” Graham turned to Trevor, and said; “Oi Cooper! This first class lark might not be so bad after all!” He said as he raised his glass of whisky.

“Cheers” added Jose Luis, raising his beer, before going back to reading his book, a biography of Juan Manuel Fangio. Despite the excitement of his coworkers, first class proved to be a surprisingly quiet place to read a book. The silence was broken up only the low giggles of a flight attendant Alessandro was flirting with.

Across the cabin, Melissa and Trevor were going over Air Caliland’s marketing department’s sponsorship proposal.

“This deal would make Air Caliland our title sponsor,” said Melissa.

“I know, it’s great. Their color scheme matches our livery, and their logo would go hard on our sidepods,” said an excited Trevor.

“Well, I suppose ‘Air Caliland Cooper Motors Racing’ does have a nice ring to it” added Melissa.

“We need the cash, Melissa. Especially for next season,” said Trevor, taking a sip of his complimentary champagne.

“I imagine those changing regulations are going to incur some expenses for the design and fab teams” said Melissa, pouring herself a glass of said champagne.

“I’m not talking about Forzala,” said Trevor, looking both ways, before leaning in. “Word on the street is the WGP is back.”

“What?” Melissa whisper-exclaimed, before realizing her volume level. “What?” she whispered, this time properly.

Trevor leaned in a bit more. “They’re just running the second-level series for now. But there’s a chance they’ll run the top level soon thereafter,” whispered Trevor.

“Wow. World Grand Prix, the pinnacle of motorsport. That’s huge. But why keep it a secret?”

Trevor looked at the team, then looked back at Melissa. “Because I want to get there with this team,” he said, as Kowalski, Ronny and Heather explored the first class cabin like giddy kids.

“And?” asked Melissa, missing a piece of the puzzle, leaning in.

“We spilling tea over here?” asked Heather, popping her head into their little nook. “Who we gossiping about?”

“Nobody” said Trevor, looking at the drivers, Jose Luis still buried in his book, Alessandro and the flight attendant still flirting. “Let’s all try and get some rest, we got a big weekend ahead of us.”

Indeed they did. As the team settled in for the flight, Trevor looked out the window, contemplating the future, short-term and long-term. Cooper Motors had an interesting road ahead. Damn shame he didn’t know what it looked like.

[The Macabees]

QUALIFYING
CERFONLANDE GP

CIRCUIT LADISLAS RÉMY, TERRITORY OF CERFONLANDE



RP bonuses counted through Caliland's.

Grid Position  Driver                    Team                                   Qualifying Score
--------------  ------------------------  -------------------------------------  ----------------

1              Alessandro Di Raffaele    Cooper Motors                          1:01.191
2              Jose Luiz Lopez           Cooper Motors                          1:01.461
3              Viting Horsele            Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:01.698
4              Ror Rakken                Tango et Kartuma RMK                   1:02.147
5              Thomas Monteiro           CAMDEN NEXT                            1:02.413
6              Felix Klasen              Ekklesson F1                           1:02.540
7              Arturia Nero              CAMDEN NEXT                            1:02.657
8              Sam Blaatschapen          Pryfors Bilar                          1:02.900
9              Emilio Blanco             Valle Zuma F1                          1:03.144
10             Karina Monraksha          Lunar Firestorm                        1:03.174
11             Kamila Saidova            Team Sasha                             1:03.294
12             Laurens Scherpenkate      Pryfors Bilar                          1:03.390
13             Basiv Darjis              Team Sasha                             1:03.423
14             Ralf Hülkenberg           Kronenstahl Motors                     1:03.505
15             Lonán Leanacháin          Dunne Motors                           1:03.638
16             Sebastian Heidfeld        Kronenstahl Motors                     1:03.651
17             Marko Meya                Ekklesson F1                           1:03.656
18             Santi Balenciago          Valle Zuma F1                          1:03.658
19             Lucas Alynbac             Lanto Automotive                       1:03.687
20             Amber Astota (2)          Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:03.733
21             Seárlas Dhomnaigh         Dunne Motors                           1:03.801
22             Nassrena Kang Salarzai    Lunar Firestorm                        1:03.835
23             Gabrielle Figueroa (2)    Neon Void Energy Aftershock Racing     1:03.859
24             Rouben Veurien            Lanto Automotive                       1:04.048

Race Details

Race Weather Prognostic: Sunny
RP Cutoff: 8/9 @ ~8AM PST

[Retro Caliland]

Cooper Motors paddock, after qualifying:

“A ONE-TWO! Are kidding me! YEAH!” exclaimed Trevor.

“I don’t believe it” said Graham, taking in the moment. “I mean, I knew Jose Luis could do it, but Alessandro in pole position. Bloody hell.”

“Do we think he can keep P1?” asked Trevor.

“I doubt it. But he’s shown improvement in his training with Jose. Anything could happen tomorrow” responded Graham.

Once Alessandro and Jose Luis entered the paddock, they high-fived and the team gathered around the drivers to congratulate them on Cooper Motors’ best qualifying result yet.

“Congrats, guys!”

“Yeah!”

“Looks like all that training paid off.”

“Not yet it hasn’t,” said Alessandro. “Not yet.”

Jose Luis simply nodded in agreement. “We’ll see if he can defend, or if he’ll just drop back to the middle of the pack again.”

“Don’t bet on it, old man” replied Alessandro, cocky as ever.

“Some things don’t change” mumbled Melissa under her breath.

Alessandro walked back to his room in the paddock, followed by Heather.

“Hey,” she said.

Alessandro turned his head and plucked out his headphones. “What?”

Heather smiled. “It’s working,” she said. “Told you so.”

“You’re gloating?”

“I’m just saying maybe once in a while, it’s ok to trust the team. Not just yourself.”

“I do trust the team. I trust them to do their jobs, and to let me do mine.”

Heather sighed exasperatedly. Melissa was right, Alessandro could be stubborn and headstrong sometimes. As Alessandro put his headphones back in, and walked into his room, Heather wondered what it would take for Alessandro to become a team player. Only time would tell.

[McNernia]

CCL SPORTS-FORZALA 1 WIRE

---

Social media is a thing which has caused issues. This reporter believes that the recent disputes over the reason why the team isnt doing so hot has come down to CCLs lack of television coverage on Prime time as the Wire report has been the only thing which has been covering and that has impacted driver morale.
The team leadership has been adamant that the mission is technical evaluation but the corporate leadership has been looming over that with contrary views at the appeal of the win in promoting Lanto Automotive products at home with SUVs being the mainstay and expansion into supercars and crossovers along with sedans. Here in a warm part of The Golden Throne it seems that this coverage with its reactions back home encouraging the drivers onward means that the Wire has become popular.