Formula 1: The GOAT

“We will check the replay later to be sure of it, but for now, let’s see if he has learned the track enough and still has the confidence even after facing impediments on all the push lap attempts he has made,” Justin said just as Fatih came out of the final corner into the Senna straight, barreling down the straight as he moved up through the gears, crossing the start-finish line in fifth and rapidly shifting into sixth.

“On this straight, drivers need to reach sixth gear as early as possible to gain more time while moving to the left as the corner approaches. You’re just going to tap the brakes, downshifting to fifth before getting back on the power nice and early, cutting through turn one. Carry all that speed as you line up the braking marker for the Wilson hairpin, all the way down to second gear. It’s a long trail before you get back on the gas and over to the right-hand side.

Just left through turn three, stay in fourth gear, feel the power back on the exit, nice and wide. Lovely use of the track limits there. So we come into the next hairpin, turn four. You can take a slightly wider entry into this so that when you get on the gas, you can start applying that power steadily, just like he is doing. He is really making me look like I’m breaking down a ’how-to’ video on driving this track and not commentating a live race, haha,” Justin said when Fatih perfectly executed all of the things he was describing.

“Yeah, it’s going to be used by the other drivers for reference, so keep going,” Brad, who was laughing at Justin’s words, said, encouraging him to continue with his new style of commentary.

“We’re gonna go flat through turn five. The key is to change up to fifth before the corner, which he is doing; he knows the track very well. You will feel like you’re cutting it, which is quite scary, but you will be fine. But on the following corner, you will have to brake heavily for a moment before downshifting to third gear.

You can cut that corner, but not too much, just like how he did there. For turn six, only a light lift is needed. He is driving the track perfectly because the problem most people have is they brake in corners that usually require just a lift. And now we’re coming to Brundle and Nelson, a very tricky chicane where he had been impeded previously in the OHHHHHHHH!”

……..

A few corners before the start of the new push lap, Fatih had just avoided a car that impeded him and ruined his lap. He slowed down, looking at the driver who had impeded him as he overtook him at a slow speed. With the Halo protection not yet implemented, it was very clear that he was looking at the other driver, and he was not in a good mood at all.

It was the third time this had happened to him on a push lap, and with each new impediment, something was becoming very clear: it was not a mistake. It was now looking like a deliberate move.

“What are you thinking?” Apollo asked him as Fatih turned his head back to the front and planned to just go for another push lap.

“Something you said in one of our training sessions.”

“What exactly? I said a lot of things,” Apollo asked as Fatih was setting up and already on approach for the new lap, having entered the straight.

“’Avoiding crashes is good,’” he said, stopping there as he focused on upshifting into fifth gear.

“’…but depending on the situation,’” he continued, just tapping the brakes and downshifting into turn one, “’…crashing might be the best outcome.’”

“’A crash can be used as a warning to all the drivers on the grid that if they don’t have a certain level of awareness around you,’” he paused as he took the hairpin, “’…they will know with certainty that you are not crash-averse.’”

“’It is a strategic weapon, and like any strategic weapon, the more it is used, the more it loses its value, so make sure you use it in the most impactful situation if that were ever…’” he continued repeating what Apollo had said word for word whenever he was on a straight where he could breathe, but he still retained his focus on his driving.

Apollo, who had materialised behind Fatih to not disturb him, had a wide smile on his face. He saw Fatih enter the Bentley straight, the car going up through the gears easily and at optimal times, while another car could be seen entering the chicane slowly but still on the racing line, just like the previous impediments.

The driver was one of those who had impeded him before. Fatih showed no sign of worry or fear at all, keeping his foot to the floor. Apollo smiled. This advice was given in the same period that ended with Fatih suffering a punctured lung in La Conca from Vincenzo’s actions. Despite all of that, he was still differentiating the teachings from the outcomes.

With unwavering confidence, Fatih dived into the chicane, unconcerned that there might be a car in the corner.

…….

“OH MY GOD, THEY CRASH, AND WE HAVE A RED FLAG! THE SESSION HAS BEEN RED-FLAGGED AS FATIH GETS INTO A VERY HEAVY CRASH, LEAVING THE TRACK COVERED IN CAR PIECES!” Brad shouted, his voice carrying worry and fear as the feed that was currently broadcasting Fatih’s T-cam feed immediately changed to something else to avoid showing the possible death of a driver.

The next feed showed the accident area, revealing only a plume of dust that was spreading. The cars that were approaching the area were driving very slowly, adhering to the red-flag rules, their radios all on, asking their race engineers for an update on the situation and if the drivers were okay.