CHAPTER 60: RACE WEEKEND | SATURDAY | A STATEMENT IN WHITE

July 4th, İzmir

"Hello and a very warm welcome to the fourth round of the TOSFED Mini Kart Şampiyonası!" Süleyman’s voice, filled with its characteristic energy, boomed across the sun-drenched Pınarbaşı Karting Track. "We are live from beautiful İzmir for what promises to be a pivotal weekend. We have officially crossed the halfway point of this incredible season, and the championship picture has been turned completely on its head. This is one of the most technical circuits on the calendar, a formidable combination of complex, flowing corners and a long, power-hungry straight, a track that truly separates the good from the great."

The familiar roar of two-stroke engines began to fill the air as the pit lane exit light turned green, signaling the start of Group A’s first free practice session.

"You are absolutely right, Süleyman," Zakir’s calm, analytical voice took over. "And the drama from the last round in İzmit has left us with a new, yet familiar, championship leader. Jackson Michael, through sheer consistency, has retaken the top spot he held last season. The previous leader, Fatih Yıldırım, was unfortunately taken out of the final race in a collision with his academy teammate, Selçuk Aslan, an incident that saw both of them score zero points and opened the door for their rivals."

"A collision for which Selçuk received only a warning from the stewards, a decision that has been the talk of the paddock all month," Süleyman added, a note of incredulity in his voice. "I’m still stunned he wasn’t given a race ban, which is the typical punishment for such a repeated offense. I don’t know what arguments were made in that appeal, but I need those lawyers on my side."

"If it were a one-off incident, I might have understood," Zakir began, his tone measured, "but for it to happen twice in a single weekend, with the same driver on the receiving end..." He trailed off, his attention suddenly captured by the main broadcast screen. A kart, stark and unfamiliar, was rolling onto the circuit. "Well, it seems we may have a visual answer as to the potential cause of that lenient penalty."

The camera zoomed in. The kart was a brand-new chassis, but it was pure, unadorned white. There were no sponsor logos, no academy branding, nothing but the mandatory number stickers, #213, gleaming in the sun. The driver’s race suit was the same, a simple white design one he wore for the first time as well, devoid of the prominent "Adam’s Karts" branding that had covered it in the last round.

"And that is Fatih Yıldırım," Zakir stated, his voice carefully neutral. But it was very clear that there had been a significant change in his sponsorship situation. For those who understand the politics of the paddock, his new unbranded kart and his reversion to a sponsor-less racing suit made it very easy to deduce that things are not well behind the scenes. As his new gear strongly suggested that Selçuk’s father, the sponsor in question, was most likely involved in the reduction of his son’s penalty.

"This adds an entirely new layer of intrigue to an already dramatic championship round," Süleyman concluded, a hint of amusement in his tone.

As the commentators focused on the unfolding practice, Fatih began his work. He completed a single, methodical reconnaissance lap, his senses, now slightly dulled by the `[Invictus (Genius)]` downgrade, working overtime to internalize the track’s layout and grip levels. He could feel the difference; the instantaneous, almost precognitive feedback was gone, replaced by a high-speed but distinctly mortal perception. There was a lag, a fraction of a second between the kart’s action and his mind’s full comprehension, a gap he knew he had to respect.

Then, he pushed.

The timing screen lit up.

[P1 - #213 Fatih YILDIRIM - GROUP A - Lap Time: 01:48.003]

He didn’t lift. He immediately began his next lap, weaving through the slower traffic with a cold, calculated precision.

[P1 - #213 Fatih YILDIRIM - GROUP A - Lap Time: 01:45.982]

Nearly two seconds carved off his previous time. He was already adapting, finding the limits of the track with his nerfed ability.

[P1 - #213 Fatih YILDIRIM - GROUP A - Lap Time: 01:44.821]

Another full second vanished.

[P1 - #213 Fatih YILDIRIM - GROUP A - Lap Time: 01:43.461]

He broke the 1:44 barrier, his time now a full four seconds clear of the provisional P2. But instead of continuing his charge, he lifted his foot from the accelerator, raised his hand, and steered his kart towards the pit lane entry. The camera followed him as he came to a smooth stop in his pit box. Burak, caught completely off guard by his student’s premature return, hurried over, a look of confusion on his face.

...

"Is there a problem with the kart’s setup?" Burak asked, his voice laced with concern as he knelt beside the kart.

Fatih opened his visor, his expression calm and unreadable. "No," he shook his head. "The setup is good. I can drive on it." He made a move to unbuckle his harness. "I’m just done with practice."

Burak gently placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "What do you mean? Fatih, there are still twelve minutes left in the session. Why are you withdrawing?"

"I have already memorized the track," Fatih stated, his voice matter-of-fact. "Any more driving would needlessly wear out my tires. They are better used in qualifying and the races." He went ahead with unbuckling himself, the finality in his tone leaving no room for argument.

What he didn’t say, the thought that echoed in his mind, was far more complex. *’In the past, I could drive for the sheer joy of it, because the academy covered the cost. Now, every lap is an expense. Every millimeter of rubber scrubbed from these tires is money my mother has to spend. I will only use what is absolutely necessary to win. The joy drives are a luxury we can no longer afford.’

Burak stared for a moment, stunned by the cold, pragmatic logic. If any other six-year-old had said that, he would have dismissed it as childish boasting. But this was Fatih. Burak, who had witnessed his talent firsthand, knew that what he said was not a bluff; it was a calculated assessment. By the time he processed the answer, Fatih was already climbing out of the kart.

As he watched Fatih walk towards the grandstands to join his family, Burak could only shake his head, a mixture of amusement and a profound sense of sadness filling him. He grabbed the kart stand, retrieved the pristine white kart, and began the lonely walk back to the academy tent, the weight of his student’s newfound burden settling heavily on his own shoulders.

...

"And it appears Fatih Yıldırım is not planning to continue with this free practice session," Süleyman observed, the broadcast showing Fatih taking off his helmet in the grandstands. "But I can’t say I see a problem with that. He is currently ahead of the second-place driver by more than four seconds. Even if that gap is reduced by the end of the session, to pull out such a time in just a handful of laps is a clear statement. There’s no need to risk a crash." He subtly emphasized the last word, an indirect jab at the events of the previous weekend.

With Fatih out, the session continued. The other drivers chipped away at his time, but by the end of Group A’s practice, the gap to P2 was still over two seconds. It wasn’t until Group C’s session, with the benefit of a fully rubbered-in track, that Jackson and Selçuk came close, but neither could match his time.

When the second and final free practice session began, Fatih didn’t even put on his helmet, remaining in the grandstands. It was only then, at the very end of FP2, that Jackson finally managed to beat his time by a mere two-tenths of a second.

Finally, the main qualifying round arrived. As Group A’s session started, Fatih remained in the pitlane, watching the clock. He only joined the track when ten minutes remained, a clear strategy to use the peak of track evolution for a single, decisive run.

.....

"And after a long wait, Fatih is done with his warm-up lap and is about to begin his one and only qualifying run! Zakir, please, take us through it!" Süleyman exclaimed as the camera locked onto the white #213 kart coming through the final corner.

"Thank you, Süleyman," Zakir began, his voice focused. "He starts his flying lap, pushing to the limit as he barrels down the main straight. He moves to the left side of the track before throwing the kart right, taking the fast Turn 1 flat-out. He enters a short straight before a heavy braking zone for the tight T2 left-hander. His braking is perfect, carrying as much speed as possible before making an S-line through T3, going wide to set up for T4.

He threads the needle through the mid-straight chicane, taking it flat-out and gaining speed before the fast, sweeping Turn 6. He does the same for Turn 7 before the next heavy braking zone into the tight, technical Turn 8 hairpin. He trail-brakes deep into the corner, rotating the kart perfectly. He goes wide on the left for Turn 9, getting on the power early and threading the kart through the bend of Turn 10 as if it were a straight. Another heavy braking zone for Turn 11, he goes wide on exit to immediately set up for the T12 chicane.

Now for the final complex. He takes the T13 left-hand hairpin as if it’s a double-apex corner, a unique line that seems to be faster as he’s already on the power, rocketing towards the final Turn 14 hairpin. He gets on the power early again, flooring it all the way to the start-finish line! AND HE RETURNS TO HIS RIGHTFUL POLE POSITION ON HIS FIRST ATTEMPT! HE’S A FULL SECOND CLEAR OF THE PROVISIONAL P2! BUT HE HASN’T STOPPED! IT SEEMS HE’S GOING FOR ANOTHER LAP WITHOUT WASTING A MOMENT!"

Zakir’s voice was filled with a cathartic excitement, a release of the frustration he felt over the potential collusion between a parent and TOSFED. But now, it didn’t seem to matter. The disadvantaged had come out on top, refusing to back down.