CHAPTER 40: RACE WEEKEND | SUNDAY | A TERRIBLE DECISION

"This is going to be a very exciting race," Fatih murmured to himself. He watched as the last of the coaches and officials cleared the grid. Only thirty seconds remained before the formation lap of the weekend’s Final race was set to begin.

Even though his kart lacked rearview mirrors, he could feel Selçuk’s presence a short distance from him. It was more than just proximity; it was an aura of pure aggression radiating from the kart in P2. He could sense it in the sharp, impatient blips of Selçuk’s throttle. This was not a bluff. Fatih knew, with absolute certainty, that Selçuk was going to be incredibly aggressive at the start and might even risk taking both of them out. He was sure of this because he knew that, other than himself, the rest of the drivers were too young to think of using pre-race aggression as a sophisticated mental game to unsettle a rival without actually intending to follow through. Selçuk’s aggression was genuine.

Normally, Fatih wouldn’t be worried. He could handle a straightforward attack. The real problem, the variable that turned this into a complex strategic dilemma, was Jackson, sitting calmly in P3. Jackson was perfectly positioned to benefit from any chaos Selçuk created, just as he had in the last qualifying heat. This put Fatih between a rock and a hard place.

He could defend aggressively against Selçuk, which would compromise his own line and almost certainly allow the opportunistic Jackson to benefit. Or, he could do nothing, let Selçuk by, and risk losing a position he might never get back. The Bambino kart was neither powerful enough nor large enough for him to strategically "park it" on an apex to block both of them. He had to choose which threat to prioritize. The contrasting driving styles of his two rivals only compounded the problem; they complemented each other perfectly. Selçuk’s raw aggression created openings, and Jackson’s calm, calculated driving style was perfectly suited to exploit them. What worked as a defense against one would likely fail against the other.

"That’s good," Apollo’s voice resonated in his mind, cutting through his thoughts. "You should feel excited to be put in challenges like these. They will forge you in ways that mere practice is incapable of."

Fatih smiled inside his helmet as the timer hit zero. The official waved the green flag, signaling the start of the formation lap. "I know," he replied to Apollo as he lifted his foot from the brake pedal and began to lead the thirty-kart train around the circuit. "That’s why I’ve been racking my brain on how to deal with this situation ever since the qualifying heats ended."

"I am curious to see your answer," Apollo said, before ceasing all communication. Although Fatih’s [Sponge Brain] ability gave him the mental capacity to converse during a race, Apollo wanted to prevent the formation of a bad habit. Once Fatih reached a level of competition that required one hundred percent of his mental focus, he couldn’t afford to have a portion of his mind subconsciously reserved for a conversation with his mentor. It would be a difficult habit to break later on.

Fatih weaved left and right, scrubbing his tires to build as much heat as possible, careful not to open too large a gap to the karts behind, which would only mean a longer wait on the grid. As he exited T8, he slowed to a crawl, causing a concertina effect behind him as he waited for the last driver to catch the tail of the train. Once the pack was compressed, he got on the power for the final time, a tad more aggressively than necessary to induce a brief wheelspin, cleaning off any debris that had stuck to the hot tires when he had slowed down. He rushed to his grid slot and came to a stop, his eyes immediately locking onto the starting lights. He repeated his clever trick from the heats, pushing his kart backward a few centimeters with his hands on the rear tires, unsticking them from the tarmac. This time, nearly all of the top ten drivers did the same, showing that their coaches were paying attention. Those without coaches simply imitated what the front-runners did.

BIP... BIP... BIP... BIP... BIP...

One by one, the five red lights illuminated. All thirty drivers held their breath, waiting for the moment they would go out.

VRROOOOM!

The moment the lights went out, Fatih’s [Catlex (Excellent)] ability showed its benefits. He was the first to get on the power, his reaction seemingly instantaneous. He launched off the line and barreled towards T1, knowing full well that Selçuk was coming for him.

As he approached the braking zone for Turn 1, he didn’t brake at his usual, absolute-limit point, nor did he brake excessively early. He chose a point in the middle, moving slightly to the right side of the track before turning in, perfectly covering the inside line. The move completely thwarted Selçuk, who was barreling in, planning to out-brake Fatih. Fatih’s early turn-in forced Selçuk to brake ahead of his own plan, or risk a collision. This allowed Fatih to not only keep his lead but to open a small, crucial gap to the two chasing him. He went through Turn 2, got on the power, and plowed through T3 and T4 as if they were a single, continuous straight, entering the back straight with as much speed as possible. He tucked his head forward for the mini-DRS effect, determined not to lose any time, knowing his rivals would be benefiting from his slipstream.

He maintained his speed masterfully through the triple hairpin complex, increasing the gap between himself and those behind him. As he exited T9 flat-out, he saw a flag being waved from the marshal post. He turned his head slightly. That’s when he saw the penalty board, his own name and number displayed in stark black and white.

[FATIH Y. #213 - JUMP START - 5 SECOND TIME PENALTY]

As he read the board, he tilted his head in genuine confusion. He didn’t lift at all, keeping his foot planted as he took T10, T11, and T12, his head still locked on the board, his mind racing. *When the heck did I jumpstart?*

......

"OOOOH! A five-second penalty has been issued to Fatih for a jump start! Oh my god, is this real? I don’t think he did!" Süleyman exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and disbelief as the live footage showed Fatih tilting his head in confusion while navigating the final corners. "His reaction was fast, that is true, but not jump-start-level fast! Or am I misremembering?"

"I think a jump start might be a possibility, but the speed at which that punishment was announced is what’s truly surprising," Zakir said, providing a technical explanation. "I don’t think they even had time to visually investigate it at all. They must have just gone with the raw sensor data from the starting grid."

"But is the sensor data to be trusted? As you can see, even Fatih himself is tilting his head in confusion!"

"Although they can malfunction, it’s very rare," Zakir explained. "They are generally very reliable and are tested before the Final race. But even if it turns out to be a mistake, a one-in-a-thousand situation, a jump start time penalty cannot be rescinded. It is considered final, and the regulations do not allow for it to be taken back."

"That’s why I’m surprised at the speed of the decision!" Süleyman argued. "They could have taken their time, since the penalty can be added at the end of the race! And here is the replay of the race start. Let’s watch carefully and come to a decision on our own."

The screen changed from the live race to a replay of the start, focused on Fatih. The camera angle chosen by the student broadcast director was perfect, showing both Fatih’s kart and the starting lights in the same frame. The replay, slowed down to a crawl, showed Fatih’s kart moving just a few frames *after* the lights went out. When played at normal speed, however, the movement was so immediate it *appeared* to be a jump start.

"AAAAAH, I don’t think that is a jump start," Süleyman said as the scene was replayed again and again, getting slower with each repetition.

"I agree with you," Zakir said, leaning forward. "It looks like either the laser sensor on the grid malfunctioned, or Fatih’s reaction time actually exceeded the data transfer speed between the timing tower, the sensor and the control station. The system registered his movement before it registered that the lights had gone out, making it appear as if he had jumpstarted."

"But unfortunately, it doesn’t matter," Süleyman lamented. "The penalty is out and can’t be taken back. That’s why they should have checked if the video matched the sensor data. They have now just completely altered the complexion of this race. The penalty has resulted in Selçuk reducing his aggressiveness. He’s just focusing on maintaining the distance now, not even trying to overtake, since that guarantees him a race win if he just remains within five seconds of Fatih."

"Thankfully, the penalty didn’t rattle Fatih, as he is still driving at the same incredible pace," Zakir observed as the broadcast returned to the live race. "But the pressure on him has just increased tenfold. He now has to open a five-second gap to Selçuk if he wants to win this race. And both Selçuk and Jackson know that. They are now just keeping pace with him, content to sit behind him, as the gap between the top three is not even two seconds..." He trailed off, wondering how much pressure Fatih must be feeling, having just received a massive confidence blow from a penalty he didn’t deserve.