Formula 1: The GOAT

“He really knows the perfect timing to make his entry,” one of the docuseries cameramen stationed on the first floor of the pit lane building said as he zoomed in with his long lens, placing Fatih and Alex at the center of his screen and making sure to capture everything.

As this was a very important milestone, and knowing Fatih’s tendency to deliver an absurd performance whenever he did something new and motorsports-related, they had gone all out, even bringing in a professional motorsports crew to shoot the entire track session. This would ensure the footage was captured as if it were an actual race. Having three drivers in the same cars on the same track at the same time created the perfect opportunity for the docuseries team to have a comparison. The three of them being rookies also served the purpose perfectly, as it would allow them to see who learned and adapted the fastest.

And as for permission from the other two…

……

“I’m not here to make someone else look good. I’m here because I believe I’m the best in the world, and if I have the right resources, I can prove that,” Jack Doohan said while looking towards the camera, still leaning on the balcony of the first floor of the pit lane building.

Upon hearing that the real-world test was going to happen with all three drivers, the docuseries team immediately reached out to the other two drivers’ teams to see if it was possible to receive permission to shoot and include them. Under the clause of not being biased, and considering the audience of Fatih’s previous docuseries, the two drivers’ teams ended up agreeing to the request, filled with confidence that they would be able to outshine the main character of the series under equal machinery and conditions.

Most drivers who knew Fatih believed that he was a generational talent, but they also believed that his accolades couldn’t all be attributed to just his talent, but also to his equipment. Starting in the second year of his international career, he had always driven top-of-the-line, next-generation experimental chassis equipment from Tony Karts, which many drivers believed was what complemented his talent and allowed for the domination he had managed to achieve and maintain throughout his karting career. As a result of that, they also believed that should they compete under equal machinery, they had the confidence to beat him.

That belief was what led the two drivers to accept the offer to be included in the docuseries, because they believed that under equal machinery, and if everything was going to be judged fairly in the editing room, they could finally be able to show their true talent against someone everyone knew was good and, through that, show their worth by outshining the main character of the docuseries.

“Does that mean you are confident that you will be able to beat him in the third day’s final race?” the cameraman asked in a light tone, as if having a conversation and not an interview.

“Yes, I am,” Jack Doohan said with full confidence.

“Do you think the same?” the cameraman asked once again, while at the same time shifting the focus to Dennis Hauger.

“I also believe the same,” Dennis said after a short pause, as if he was contemplating his answer and the ramifications it was going to bring with it, but the hesitation was only momentary before it disappeared.

“Who do you think will come out on top?” Jack Doohan, living up to his fourteen-year-old mentality, asked the cameraman, with the full expectation that he was going to be the name coming out of the cameraman’s mouth.

“I guess we will have our answer on the final day,” the cameraman said, gracefully sidestepping the question without showing bias. Deep down, he already knew the most likely answer, and it was an answer obvious to many who knew Fatih. But to the two fourteen-year-olds in front of him, they were fully confident in their ability, and he saw no need to kill that, because who knows, they might actually back up what they said.

“It is time for a joint briefing, so let’s gather,” a man in an Arden Motorsports kit with large headphones said while peeking from the door to the balcony, calling the two drivers, who immediately acknowledged the call and returned inside, heading to the briefing room.

……..

“They got everything perfect,” Fatih said as he tried on his new race suit inside the small driver’s room. It was the first time trying it after they had taken all of the measurements, so he was worried that he might have grown taller since that day, but thankfully, that didn’t happen.

“They are calling us to the briefing room,” Alex said, peeking from the door after knocking on it for a moment.

“Okay,” Fatih said as he removed the top part of the racing suit to rest on his waist, leaving his top fire-retardant undergarment that stuck to his body to act as his shirt for the moment. As a result, his well-toned muscles were slightly visible from the undergarment as he rushed to the briefing room with a bottle of water in his hand.

……..

“Sorry for being late,” he said as he rushed to the empty seat, which placed him right next to the other two drivers. He gave a slight nod before taking a seat and focusing on the projector.

“Okay, since everyone is here, let’s start. I’m James Holton, Fatih’s race engineer, but for this test, I will act as the race engineer for all of you until one is assigned to you by the next test.”

When he introduced himself as Fatih’s race engineer before saying that he was going to be the same for the other two drivers, both Jack and Dennis side-eyed Fatih, as once again they were indirectly reminded that Fatih was still being given priority in everything, even a race engineer—one they didn’t have as of yet and now had to share. But their looks didn’t last long, though their feelings did, as they returned their gaze to James to listen to what he was saying.

“The three-day test is set as follows. Today will be for you to get introduced and accustomed to the feeling of the car and test everything you have learned in the simulator. Each driver will have a total of two hours alone on the track, though not consecutive but staggered, so each of you will have a twenty- to thirty-minute practice before returning to the pit lane to report what you were feeling and receive feedback on what you can do better and where you can improve.

Tomorrow, due to starting early, each driver will have three hours total on the track, but this time we will sometimes have two drivers on the track at the same time in order to reach the three hours for each of you. To prevent contact, we will have each of the drivers on the track start with at least half a lap gap between the two of them, which should ensure no one will be near another.

And on the final day, we will have a simulation of a semi-race weekend. We will start with two one-hour free practice sessions for each of you to make all of the setup adjustments to your cars. We will then have a qualifying and finally two races: one with a normal grid position and the other with a reverse grid position according to the winner of the first race, before the first test day comes to an end.

During this time, you will learn by experiencing everything you have previously only learned in theory or in the simulator. Don’t be afraid to crash by pushing yourself, but push yourself gradually as you gain experience and confidence in the new cars. Don’t feel down if you see others improving faster than you, as you will have enough time and help from your team members to solve any possible problems hindering you. Any questions before we move to the next part?”

The moment he asked, the two drivers immediately raised their hands, causing a smile to appear on James’s face for a moment.

“Jack,” he said, choosing Jack to go first.

“Is there a reward for winning the races?”

James took a moment to think about it before he said, “There is none at the moment, but it is a good suggestion. I will report it to the higher-ups for them to come up with one,” before immediately following by saying, “Dennis.”

“On the second day, what if the two drivers find themselves in the same position? Can they battle?” Dennis asked while looking at Fatih for a moment.

“Yes. If a driver can catch up to the other one, either due to pure pace or a mistake from the other driver or any other reason, we will not stop the session and will let it proceed as is.”

“So we can fight each other?”

“Yes, you can. Fatih, do you have any questions?”

“I have none at the moment,” Fatih said without wasting a moment.

“Good, then let’s move on,” James said as he resumed the briefing, while the other two drivers looked at Fatih, thinking that he was just showing off. “We will also simulate different scenarios, like a pit stop, safety car, yellow flag, red flag, and more, randomly during the three days to give you experience in dealing with them, so have all of that in the back of your mind while driving…”