CHAPTER 61: RACE WEEKEND | SUNDAY | THE GRANDMASTER’S GAMBIT

"And as Selçuk comes out of the final chicane, he barrels down the main straight, foot planted to the floor... but did he manage to dethrone Fatih? No, he didn’t!" Süleyman’s voice boomed with finality as the last qualifying times populated the screen. "Despite the significant track evolution, neither Jackson nor Selçuk could find the pace to take pole position. Huzeyfa Taşkin, last round’s miracle worker, also falls short of repeating his heroics, qualifying a very respectable fifth overall as Ayşe Yılmaz secures P4."

Süleyman paused as the official qualifying list appeared, confirming the order. "Though it’s worth noting," Zakir added, his tone analytical as replays of the session’s key moments began to air, "unlike the last three championship rounds where he shattered track records, Fatih didn’t manage to do so this weekend. But in the end, it didn’t matter. He still holds pole position."

"And with that, we bring the final on-track activity for today to a close," Süleyman concluded, his voice warm and inviting for the new spectators the circuit’s city location had attracted. "But the weekend is far from over. Tomorrow, as usual, we begin with three intense qualifying heats, followed by the Pre-Final for those fighting for a second chance, and culminating in the main event. We hope you’ll join us then. Thank you, good evening, and we’ll see you tomorrow."

.......

Inside the pit lane of the familiar La Conca circuit, Fatih could be seen coming to a stop. His four-hour simulation time was nearly at an end, having spent most of his time doing the final practice on how to deal with aggressive drivers.

"It will be difficult tomorrow," Apollo’s voice was a calm, steady presence beside him. "You are currently limited. Your senses are blunted. You cannot rely on the same margins you’ve grown accustomed to. You must be prepared to deal with Selçuk’s aggression without the full, instantaneous feedback of Invictus at its peak."

"I’ll do my best to use what I have to its maximum potential," Fatih replied, the words a solemn promise. He was grateful for the training, for the preparation that went far beyond simple lap times.

"Good. Then repay me with a masterful performance," Apollo said. A flicker of anticipation entered his tone. "How you handle your first encounter tomorrow will set the precedent for the rest of your rivalry. He knows his father will shield him from the consequences, no matter what he does, so long as he appears to be ’fighting for the win.’ He will come at you with the arrogance of the untouchable."

"I will be ready," Fatih said. His expression was neutral, a carefully constructed mask of calm. But inside, a different feeling was taking root. It wasn’t the eager excitement of a competitor looking forward to a fair fight. It was something colder, sharper. It was the quiet, patient fury of a predator whose territory had been challenged, an anger he intended to unleash entirely on the track. After all, that is where drivers settle their grudges.

A moment later, his time expired, and the simulation dissolved into darkness, returning him to a deep and dreamless sleep.

....

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to day two of the fourth round of the championship!" Süleyman’s voice heralded the start of Sunday’s action. "We are just minutes away from the first of our Qualifying Heats, a battle between the drivers of Group A and Group B that will begin to shape the starting grid for this evening’s Final race."

The sun was bright, the sky a brilliant, cloudless blue. On the grid, Fatih sat on pole, with Ayşe Yılmaz beside him. Directly behind them, Huzeyfa, the surprise P2 from the last round.

"The clock hits zero, and we have green flags on this sunny Sunday!" Süleyman announced as the formation lap began. "Fatih leads the pack away, followed by Ayşe. Huzeyfa, currently P3 in the championship standings, slots in behind them. They begin the slow procession to warm their tires and make their final checks."

The two-and-a-half-minute lap felt like an eternity. Karts weaved, engines hummed, and finally, the grid reformed, drivers poised for the start.

"The lights are out, and it’s a drag race to Turn 1! Fatih gets the best reaction time of the front row, a perfect launch that sees him keep the lead from the start! He immediately moves to cover Ayşe, taking the inside line and securing his position. He’s ahead into the first corner, followed by Ayşe, with Huzeyfa already pressuring her from behind!"

The moment the lights went out, all the external pressures and internal frustrations vanished from Fatih’s mind. There was only the race. He felt the lag from his downgraded Invictus, a microsecond of delay between the kart’s behavior and his perception of it, a vulnerability he hadn’t felt in forever. It forced him to drive with a sliver more caution, a conscious layer of focus that had become instinct before.

Even so, once he secured the lead, he was untouchable. He began to stretch the gap, driving on the clean and optimal lines with his relentless pace. The small advantage he gained at the start became a chasm. By the end of the first lap, he was already over half a second clear of Ayşe, who was now fully occupied with a fierce defense against Huzeyfa.

"From the moment the lights went out, he has been in a class of his own!" Süleyman’s voice rose as the checkered flag prepared to wave. "Without a single mistake, without a moment of lost time, Fatih Yıldırım takes the final corner and blasts onto the main straight for the last time. He crosses the line and wins the first qualifying heat of the day! A stunning return to the norm after the chaos of the last round. And with it, he sends a clear message that what happened before was an anomaly, not the new norm."

As Süleyman’s voice echoed across the track, Selçuk stood in the pitlane, fully kitted out and waiting for his own heat. His eyes were fixed on the white kart as it completed its cool-down lap. He watched Fatih’s calm demeanor, the complete lack of overt celebration, as if winning was simply the expected outcome. A sneer touched Selçuk’s lips before he turned away, his focus shifting to his own impending battle. He had to beat Jackson first before he could even think about Fatih.

.......

"And for the third time today, welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the final and most anticipated qualifying heat of the day!" Süleyman announced. "The drivers are on their formation lap, and it’s a grid loaded with narrative. Fatih Yıldırım once again leads the pack away from the pole. Beside him, Selçuk Aslan, winner of the previous heat, and for the first time since their race-ending collision last race weekend, they will start on the front row together. And right behind them, the ever-patient Jackson Michael, the ’opportunity waiter,’ who through sheer consistency, now leads the championship. He has proven that finishing the race is what earns you points, and he is perfectly positioned to take advantage should the two at the front entangle once again."

As the karts returned to their grid slots. A heavy, palpable tension descended upon the grandstands. Everyone who knew the history between the two drivers on the front row held their breath. The air grew thick with anticipation, and as the red lights began to illuminate, one by one, the collective heartbeat of the crowd seemed to pound in time with them, waiting for the explosion of action.

"IT’S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO! Fatih gets a great start, but he’s not only going forward on the optimal racing line, but he’s also moving sideways and instantly covers Selçuk, pinning him to the right side of the track, giving him absolutely no room to breathe! It’s an incredibly aggressive defensive move right off the line!"

There. The lunge. Predictable, Fatih thought, his mind a vortex of cold calculation. He can’t divebomb if there’s no space, but Jackson can.

"Fatih is deliberately compromising his own line into Turn 1 to squeeze Selçuk!" Süleyman screamed, trying to process the strategy unfolding. "But look at this! He’s modulating his throttle! He’s letting Jackson come alongside on the inside! He’s using Jackson as a wall to contain Selçuk! This is unbelievable!"

The move was a stroke of genius born from pure necessity. By placing Jackson beside himself, Fatih had effectively neutralized his rival’s most dangerous weapon, the super-aggressive divebomb, at the cost of his own momentum.

"AND THE TRAP IS SPRUNG!" Zakir roared, taking over. "FATIH OUTBRAKES THEM BOTH INTO THE APEX OF TURN 2! JACKSON, GIVEN THE INSIDE LINE, SECURES SECOND! AND SELÇUK, CAUGHT ON THE OUTSIDE WITH NOWHERE TO GO, IS FORCED TO BRAKE HEAVILY TO AVOID PLOWING INTO THEM BOTH! HE’S RELEGATED TO THIRD! Fatih used his rival’s aggression and his other rival’s position to orchestrate the perfect defense! AND NOW, WITH THE TWO BEHIND HIM BATTLING FOR POSITION, HE’S ALREADY OPENED UP A ONE-SECOND GAP! WHAT A BRILLIANT, MARVELOUS DISPLAY OF TACTICAL DRIVING! THAT WASN’T JUST A DEFENSE, THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WAS A MASTERFUL SHOW OF CONTROL AND A LESSON TO ALL THAT HE CAN FIGHT AGAINST AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS WITHOUT MUCH TROUBLE!"