CHAPTER 42: RACE WEEKEND | SUNDAY | WEEKEND WRAP UP

"I will keep trying my best until the end of the season," Jackson said, his voice quiet but firm. He shook hands with Süleyman and left the interview area, heading towards his academy’s tent to wait for the podium ceremony. He was to receive the third-place award, but his expression was neutral; he looked neither happy with his position nor particularly bothered by missing his opportunity to get P2.

Fatih was immediately called to the front of the sponsors’ board for his interview. The moment Süleyman saw him coming, a warm, professional smile spread across his face as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"Congratulations on salvaging P2 despite the penalty," he began, immediately getting to the most anticipated question. "How do you feel about it? Do you have anything to say regarding the penalty, or do you think it was deserved?"

’Not happy at all, as I’m pretty sure that I moved only after the lights went out,’ Fatih thought. ’As for the punishment itself, I will be requesting the academy to appeal it and lodge a formal complaint with TOSFED. They should issue an injunction to the race director and either reverse the decision or demand an official apology.’ That is what he wanted to say. But for a child to have such a clear, articulate, and legally-minded response would cause many to look at him strangely and would only make things more difficult. So, he said simply, "I’m not happy. And no, I didn’t jump start."

Süleyman, recognizing that a five-year-old couldn’t be expected to elaborate much further, nodded sympathetically and moved on to his next prepared question. "At the moment, you are still leading the championship with 45 points, followed by Selçuk with 41, and Jackson in third with 36 points. It’s still a championship for any of you in the top three. Do you think you can continue to lead and go on to win the championship?"

"If things remain fair and I don’t have any problems, I’m sure that I can win the championship," Fatih replied, his curated child persona momentarily slipping to reveal a flash of steel before he immediately returned to his innocent demeanor.

The answer momentarily rendered Süleyman speechless. He realized that Fatih had just sent a subtle but sharp jab at the race control officials and the race director. It was something he never would have expected from a child. Not wanting to draw further attention to it and potentially cause an issue for Fatih later, he quickly moved on. "How did you manage to keep your composure and even push to the point of nearly overcoming the penalty’s advantage?"

"I just considered every lap to be a qualifying lap and tried to push more and more with each one," Fatih answered. "I’m happy that I managed to complete the race without making many mistakes."

Following that answer, and not wanting to highlight the race director’s mistake any further, Süleyman asked a few more general questions before bidding him farewell and welcoming Selçuk, who was practically bouncing with excitement as he shook the commentator’s hand.

"How do you feel to finally have the race win you have been chasing since last season?" Süleyman asked.

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Selçuk shouted, turning to wave excitedly at his parents, who were clapping and smiling at his antics. Seeing their joy made him even happier than the moment he had realized he’d won.

The questioning continued for a moment. Süleyman asked for his thoughts on the penalty decision and if he planned to reduce his aggressiveness now that he had a race win under his belt. Selçuk’s answers were vague, his young mind not yet developed enough for nuanced responses, but they all hinted that he had no intention of toning down his aggressive driving style; if anything, he might even increase it.

Following the interviews, the drivers were ushered towards the podium. While Jackson and Fatih went through the motions, Selçuk enjoyed his victory to the absolute maximum. He jumped onto the podium when his name was called, and when he received his first-place trophy, he lifted it up and down constantly, celebrating as if he had just conquered the world.

....

"I will try, but I don’t think the academy is going to do much regarding this situation," Burak said as he walked with Rümeysa and Güldane, heading to the academy tents to collect Fatih after the ceremony. "Since the two drivers are from the same academy, the most they will push for will be a formal apology from the race director."

What he didn’t say, but what both he and Rümeysa knew, was that the situation was incredibly complicated. The top three finishers of these first two rounds were intertwined in a complex web of relationships. Selçuk and Fatih were from the same academy. Jackson, although from a different academy, was having his chassis sponsored by Selçuk’s father, Aslan, which connected him to the other two, as they were all driving Aslan’s karts. And Aslan himself was currently trying to sign a major sponsorship deal with Fatih, with the final signature having been planned for after today’s race.

Now, his own son and his soon-to-be-sponsored athlete were at the center of a controversial incident. This put Rümeysa in a very difficult position. Should she petition for the penalty to be lifted, proving her son’s innocence but risking the sponsorship deal that would remove all her financial worries about sustaining his career? Or should she let the unfair result stand, securing the long-term sponsorship at the cost of a single race win? If she chose the latter, she needed to figure out how to explain it to her son.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to make the decision immediately. Aslan had postponed the signing of the contract until the next day, citing the need to celebrate his son’s first race win. But she decided to postpone her own decision-making for later that night. She saw her son running towards her, his arms wide, and she spread her own to welcome him.

"Was it fun driving?" she asked, putting him back down as they started walking towards the track’s exit to return to the hotel.

"Yes, I enjoyed it," he said, taking both his mother’s and grandmother’s hands, jumping happily as they walked.

"Do you want me to complain to the academy to have them take back the decision?" she asked, wanting to gauge his perspective. Despite him being a child, which could lead to shortsighted reactions, she needed to know his feelings before deciding on a course of action.

"Not really," he said, his tone surprisingly nonchalant. "I can just win next time." He had already realized the deeper implications of the question.

To other kids, this category might seem like a matter of life and death. But for him, someone who had already lived a full twenty-five years in a past life, he knew there were far more important categories and championships ahead. Losing one race in the starting rounds of this championship was not a problem, at least not yet. The sponsorship was far more important than a single race win. Although he didn’t win the race that was considered their final test, his driving had already proven that he *would* have won without the unfair decision. By not pursuing the matter, it would put Selçuk’s father in an indebted position, which could be to their benefit in the long run.

"Okay," Rümeysa said with a smile, a sense of relief washing over her as she finally came to a decision. "But make sure you beat them next time."

After arriving at the exit of the track and calling for a taxi, they bid farewell to Burak, who returned to the academy tent to do the final count of things before they started packing for the return journey to Istanbul.

Fatih and his family returned to the hotel, washed up, had dinner, and spent some quality time together before they went to sleep. The moment his head hit the pillow, Fatih immediately logged into the Simulation to finally collect his race weekend rewards.

---

[RACE WEEKEND DEBRIEF COMPLETE]

[SEASONAL MISSION: THE FIRST CROWN (WEEKEND 2)]

STATUS: COMPLETE

Milestone 1 (Participation): +10 SP

Milestone 2 (Pole Position): +10 SP

Milestone 3 (Fastest Lap): +5 SP

Milestone 4 (Race Finish - 20 pts): +20 SP

Milestone 5 (Driver of the Weekend): +5 SP

Additional Rewards (Per-Action):

* Overtake: none = 0 SP

* Defense: 3 successful defenses = +3 SP

Perfect Weekend Bonus: NOT ACHIEVED

["THE FIRST CROWN" SUBTOTAL: +53 SP]

[URGENT RECOVERY MISSION]

STATUS: FAILED

PUNISHMENT: NONE

[FINAL CALCULATION]

TOTAL SP GAINED: +53 SP

[Current System Points: 713 → 766 SP]

As he looked at the final tally of SP gained, a quiet sigh escaped him. The 53 points were a respectable amount for a single, dominant race weekend. But the massive 5X multiplier from the previous round had spoiled him; a single, chaotic event had given him enough to purchase a major upgrade.

"Haaaah... looks like it’s going to take the rest of the championship before I gain enough SP to upgrade again," he murmured to himself, the reality of the long grind ahead setting in. At this rate, accumulating the 2,600 SP needed for his next target, [Sponge Brain (Excellent)], would take nearly the entire remaining season of steady, near-perfect performances and even that might not be enough without urgent missions.

There was no shortcut for this. Only work.

He dismissed the system screen, the brief flicker of disappointment already fading, replaced by a familiar, quiet resolve. He materialized his Bambino kart on the familiar tarmac of La Conca and began his nightly practice, the four hours of focused effort ahead of him the only real answer to the problem.