Formula 1: The GOAT

“We are only a few corners away from the rolling start of the race, and the drivers are frantically weaving left and right to put warmth into their tires to have as much grip as possible when the green flag is waved. Fatih looks to have complete confidence as usual, while his teammate driving next to him seems to be less so, as even his warm-ups are light and less aggressive,” the main commentator’s voice was heard across the track speakers and the live stream as the feed zoomed out, showing the frantically weaving forty drivers, making it quite a chaotic but also beautiful scene.

“Maybe he is worried about losing control and spinning out?” his co-commentator chipped in with his theories.

“That may be a possibility, or he might have another plan, and we are a corner away from knowing the answer… AND THE BLUE FLAG HAS BEEN WAVED, AND THE RACE IS A GO! But Fatih doesn’t immediately push, as he is dragging it all the way to the line. He is the one holding the starting push until the line, and wanting to show that he had control, he once again starts weaving left and right, making it very obvious that he is going to take it to the last possible moment.

It seems his actions have given the other drivers additional time to continue warming their tires, as the top four have started and are now causing the rest to start swerving, which is AND FATIH IMMEDIATELY STARTS PUSHING, CATCHING EVERYONE ELSE BY SURPRISE WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR SWERVING, CREATING CHAOS! BY THE TIME THEY CATCH THEMSELVES AND REACT TO HIM, HE HAS ALREADY OPENED A GAP FROM THE CLOSEST DRIVER, CREATING A VERY CHAOTIC START! WHAT A BRILLIANT MOVE AND STRATEGIC THINKING BY FATIH THERE!

HE NOW MOVES TO TRY AND CEMENT HIS LEAD FROM THE GET-GO! AS FOR HIS TEAMMATE, HE’S DOWN TWO POSITIONS AS HE WAS CAUGHT THE WORST AMONG THE TOP FOUR. NOW THE CHAOTIC TRAIN SPILLS INTO OOOOOH, WE HAVE A DRIVER PUSHED OFF THE TRACK AND SPINNING AND SENT INTO THE GRASS BY ANOTHER DRIVER! AND THANK GOD HE IS FINE, BUT WE HAVE A YELLOW FLAG ON SECTOR ONE, SO THE DRIVERS NOW HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS IN THAT SECTOR…” The excitement could be clearly heard from the main commentators as the crowd responded enthusiastically as well, since the race itself started with exciting action.

The chaos continued for two more laps before the situation finally calmed down, and the karts started being divided into many small groups fighting for different positions. When things finally settled, the race control finally showed the race start replay.

“Ooh, we finally have a replay of the start chaos. Let’s look at Fatih and how he did it… Hhhhhhh, aaaaah, ooooooooooooooh, hohohohohohoho,” the commentators couldn’t help but react, actively impressed by it now that they saw how things unfolded, but also found it quite funny how everyone else was caught.

“He really swerved just enough to force everyone else to do the same or lose temperature on their tires at the start, compared to him, and just as they were in their most uncomfortable position while swerving, he launched himself, catching everyone else off guard. Quite a smart fella he is.”

“I can’t deny that, but I would focus on Seraphina if I were you,” the co-commentator said as the race start was repeated a few times, showing the moment before Fatih started swerving again, and other drivers followed. When the co-commentator pointed it out, the main commentator and viewers saw that in the middle of all the chaotic swerving that restarted again, a single kart didn’t go with the motions, remaining straight on the track with her helmet facing the direction of Fatih, who was in the middle of swerving.

The moment he pushed, she was the first to react as if she had expected it from the start, giving her a head start on those around her and allowing her to immediately swerve through five positions the moment they crossed the start-finish line. The only reason she couldn’t take more positions was because she was hindered.

“What a brilliant strategy. She risked her tires cooling in order to react at the same time as Fatih, and that resulted in her benefiting. Do you think they planned it beforehand?” the co-commentator chimed in amidst the moans of admiration for the move.

“I don’t think so, as he didn’t move at a pre-determined time. But even that can be argued. He might have told her to just focus on him and be ready to move, but coordinating it would be very difficult when the distance and the chaos in front of them are taken into consideration.”

“But it doesn’t matter, as she has now caught up to David Vidales, who lost two positions at the start, and they are coming out of the final corner, starting their fourth lap as they push side-by-side! Seraphina on the right side, David on the left, and they are both lowering their heads to reduce their frame as much as possible and reduce drag to gain even a sliver of advantage. Turn 1 is a flat-out section if taken right, but it is more advantageous to the driver on the left, which is David.

What will they do? Will she yield the position to live to fight on the next corners, or dive in and try to keep it under control? It doesn’t look like any of them plan to yield to the other as they keep looking at one another back and forth as the corner comes at them rapidly!

NO ONE YIELDS, AND THEY ENTER THE TURN TOGETHER! SERAPHINA SLIDES FOR A MOMENT, BUT SHE MANAGES TO CATCH IT! DAVID TRIES TO TAKE THE RACING LINE BUT IS FORCED TO ADJUST AS THEY TAKE THE CORNER SIDE-TO-SIDE INTO THE SHORT STRAIGHT!

DAVID GAINS A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE MOMENTUM, KEEPING HIS FRONT TIRES AHEAD OF SERAPHINA’S COMING INTO THE WIDE LEFT-HANDER LEADING INTO THE BRIDGE SECTION! HE MOVES SLOWLY TO THE RIGHT TO ENFORCE HIS POSITION, AND SERAPHINA YIELDS AS DAVID ENTERS THE WIDE TURN AHEAD!

BUT SERAPHINA TRIES TO INITIATE A SWITCHBACK BY TAKING THE INSIDE POSITION. STILL, DAVID MOVES TO THE INSIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WIDE CORNER, AND SERAPHINA RESPONDS BY GOING WIDE TO AVOID HIM!

AS THEY REACH THE BRAKING POINT, SERAPHINA IS ON THE OUTSIDE, BRAKES EARLIER, AND SWERVES, TAKING THE INSIDE AND SHORTEST LINE INTO THE CORNER, GIVING HER AN ADVANTAGE! DAVID, DUE TO HIS DEFENSE, HAS TO TAKE THE WIDE LINE!

THEY ARE NOW NECK AND NECK ON THE BRIDGE SECTION! SERAPHINA BRAKES FIRST, DAVID OUTBRAKES HER, BUT DUE TO HIS POSITION, ENDS UP TAKING A WIDER LINE INTO THE RIGHT-HANDER WHILE SERAPHINA TAKES THE APEX! ONCE AGAIN, THEY ARE NECK AND NECK IN THE LONG STRAIGHT!

IT IS ALL ABOUT MOMENTUM, AND BOTH DRIVERS HAVE EXCHANGED IT BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE FEW TURNS IN SECTOR ONE! SERAPHINA SLOWS DOWN FOR A MOMENT AND TUCKS BEHIND DAVID’S KART, TRYING TO GAIN AN ADVANTAGE THROUGH HIS SLIPSTREAM!

DAVID, KNOWING THIS, IS SWERVING WILDLY, TRYING TO BREAK THE TOW, AND SERAPHINA KEEPS FOLLOWING HIM AND REDUCING THE DISTANCE! AND SHE MAKES HER MOVE BY DIVING ON THE INSIDE LINE AT THE BRAKING POINT, BRAKES EARLY, BUT LETS THE KART ROLL AND TAKE ITS COURSE AS SHE SQUEEZES DAVID, WHO WAS FORCED TO TAKE THE OUTSIDE LINE BY SERAPHINA!

HE HAS BEEN BESTED AS SERAPHINA, ENFORCING HER POSITION, COMPROMISED DAVID’S EXIT INTO THE SECOND STRAIGHT OF SECTOR TWO! SHE IS NOW IN THE LEAD BUT HAS TO DEFEND AGAINST DAVID, WHO HAS TUCKED BEHIND HER TO DO THE SAME THING SHE DID TO HIM!

BUT SERAPHINA CLOSES THAT DOOR EARLY, FORCING DAVID ONCE AGAIN TO THE OUTER LINE AS THEY ENTER INTO THE LAST STRAIGHT LEADING TO THE THIRD SECTOR, WHERE TECHNICAL DRIVING IS BEST REWARDED!

SERAPHINA ENTERS THE THIRD SECTOR WITH A SHORT GAP, AND SHE TAKES IT THE BEST SHE EVER DID! BRAKES EARLY, GETS BACK ON POWER WHILE ENTERING THE CORNER, KEEPS HER FOOT ON THE THROTTLE WHILE GOING WIDE SMOOTHLY BEFORE TUCKING INTO THE HAIRPIN-ESQUE CORNER LEADING TO A CHICANE AS SHE LIFTS FOR A MOMENT, LETTING THE KART SETTLE BEFORE CHANGING DIRECTION FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AND GETS BACK ON POWER!

SHE NOW KEEPS IT ON FULL THROTTLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE FINAL CORNER INTO THE START-FINISH STRAIGHT, AND SHE STARTS THE FIFTH LAP OF THE RACE, HAVING COMPLETELY CEMENTED HER FOURTH POSITION, AND IS TWO-TENTHS AHEAD OF DAVID, WHO IS STILL CHASING HIM BUT HAD MADE SMALL MISTAKES IN THE FINAL SECTOR! WOOOW, WHAT A GOOD BATTLE BETWEEN THE TWO DRIVERS!”