Formula 1: The GOAT

“…..”

“You see? I told you we should wait and see if someone good showed up,” Aron Michael remarked, his gaze fixed on his son, Jackson. The boy’s eyes were locked on Fatih, who was slowly making his way back to the pitlane after setting a blistering single lap early in Group B’s qualifying session.

“He’s good,” Jackson conceded, his young face attempting a serious expression that made his father chuckle inwardly, “but I had people hindering me on my lap, unlike him. I’m confident I can still win.”

Aron was privately pleased; his son finally had a rival to truly push him. This was Jackson’s third and final year in this category. His assignment as a director in Turkey had brought the family here, and Jackson, already training at a karting academy in England since he was four, had quickly made his mark. He’d been runner-up in his first year at six, the champion then an eight-year-old, and had decisively won the championship the following year. Aron had worried his son might grow complacent, only to be humbled upon returning to England’s more competitive scene. Now, it seemed, a solution had presented itself: a younger, potentially better competitor. This would undoubtedly force Jackson to train even harder.

“Do you want to watch the rest of qualifying, or should we go pick up your mother from work?” Aron asked. Jackson seemed to have lost interest in the other karts, many of which were struggling on the still-damp track, inadvertently highlighting the brilliance of Fatih’s clean, early run.

“Can we go talk to him before we leave?” Jackson asked, a spark of excitement finally lighting his face.

“We can try,” Aron said, slinging his bag over his shoulder, “but don’t be disappointed if he’s not available.” He suspected Fatih would be in high demand or deep in discussion with his team.

To their surprise, they found Fatih still sitting in his kart in the pitlane, his helmet visor slightly raised. His foot remained on the brake, the engine intermittently revving as if he were poised to re-enter the track should anyone dare challenge his lap time.

‘He’s not just doing this for enjoyment,’ Aron mused, observing the boy’s intense focus. They approached Burak, Fatih’s coach, who stood just beyond the divider rope in the designated viewing area.

As Aron introduced himself, explaining his son’s wish to meet Fatih, the track commentators’ voices filled the air.

….

“And it seems there’s no need for Fatih to return to the track!” the first commentator announced as the Group B karts began to file into the pitlane, their qualifying session concluded. “His single lap time is enough to put him on pole for his group and secure the top spot in the current overall qualifying rank! No one in his group came even within a second of his time!”

“I know I’m repeating myself,” the second commentator chimed in, “but this is shaping up to be a very interesting championship! Fatih is the dark horse against two relatively more experienced drivers. I can’t wait for tomorrow! There’s a real chance we could witness the youngest race winner ever in this championship, and on his first official race weekend!” Their voices faded into a lively discussion about karting as they awaited Group C’s session.

….

Jackson, however, had already made his way to Fatih. “I look forward to racing you tomorrow,” he declared, his voice clear and confident. “And winning.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Fatih, visor still open, staring after him.

“…” Fatih appeared speechless at the sheer audacity of the kid who had just introduced himself with a direct challenge. Internally, however, a different sentiment was brewing.

‘I need more people to challenge me,’ Fatih thought, a familiar System prompt flashing before his eyes the moment Jackson had spoken.

[CHALLENGE MISSION!]

The championship title defender has challenged you after seeing that you have the capability to make his title defense difficult. The greats do not back down from a challenge.

Objective: Finish every remaining session in this race weekend ahead of JAKSON as a direct response to his challenge.

Reward: 30 SP

Punishment in case of failure: -50 SP

[ACCEPT] [DENY]

“The prompts only appear for those the System evaluates as talented enough to mount a genuine challenge against you,” Apollo’s voice echoed in Fatih’s mind. His mentor’s translucent form materialized beside him, visible only to Fatih, as he watched Jackson rejoin his father. Aron offered an apologetic smile.

“I apologize for his words,” Aron said to Fatih and Burak. “He’s just excited to finally have someone who can match him.”

“I like a challenge,” Fatih said, a smile touching his lips, hidden by his helmet, as he mentally clicked [ACCEPT]. “See you tomorrow,” he called out to Jackson, who, now slightly less bold, waved from behind his father’s legs. Fatih and Burak then began pushing the kart on its stand back towards their garage, ready to store it for the next day’s battles.

….

“Here comes our pole-sitter!” Rümeysa exclaimed, opening her arms wide as Fatih finally reached the grandstands. He readily accepted her hug.

“Was it exciting, dear?” his grandmother, Güldane, asked as he moved to embrace her too.

“Yes, Grandma,” Fatih replied, taking a seat between them. Murmurs and curious glances still came from those nearby, but the family paid them no mind, engrossed in their own quiet celebration.

“Do you want to watch the Group C qualifying, or should we head home now?” Rümeysa asked.

“I want to watch, to see how they drive,” Fatih said, his eyes already fixed on the track where the next session had just begun. One driver attempted to emulate Fatih’s strategy of leading the pack out slowly for a clean run, but fumbled the execution, misjudging his pace and running into rear traffic, losing over five seconds.

Fatih observed that this group seemed to comprise many amateurs. ‘Perhaps this group was deliberately composed of individual entrants, not those from academies,’ he pondered. ‘It would ensure at least ten independent kids make it to the final races, rather than being eliminated early if mixed with more seasoned, academy-supported drivers.’ It was a shrewd thought, showcasing his developing tactical awareness. The session was punctuated by a few stoppages as karts became stranded, and the tire walls took enough of a beating to subtly alter parts of the track, requiring repairs before the next day.

Once Group C’s chaotic session concluded, the combined qualifying list for all three groups flashed on the main screen.

[COMBINED QUALIFYING STANDINGS]

P1 – #213 Fatih YILDIRIM – GROUP B – Lap Time: 01:19.001

P2 – #200 Jackson MICHAEL – GROUP A – Lap Time: 01:20.149

P3 – #247 Selçuk ASLAN – GROUP A – Lap Time: 01:20.637

P4 – #115 Huzeyfa TAŞKIN – GROUP B – Lap Time: 01:21.472

P5 – #188 Emre KAYA – GROUP C – Lap Time: 01:22.150

P6 – #210 Ayşe YILMAZ – GROUP B – Lap Time: 01:22.880

(Further positions followed, with lap times decreasing accordingly)