RCKakashi14's GT7 Racing Stories: Mistral: Act 5 - Right At Home

[RCKakashi14]

Act 3 - Obligations


Location: Alpine Headquarters, Dieppe, France
Time: 11 am




Meanwhile, in Alpine's headquarters in France, a meeting is also underway. Preparations are done round the clock, as the 24 hour endurance race is a mere two weeks away.


Alphonse, Louis, and Pierre are in the board room. Alphonse is checking on his social media accounts in his phone, Pierre merely plays with his cap and Louis just crosses his arms in wait.


"Time sure does go fast. But not in waiting like this." Alphonse remarked.

"Ah... they will come." Louis replied.



And then the rest came. Alphonse is taken by surprise, by the arrival of Noel Chevalier along with Hugo Deschamps.


"Pardon us for being late." Noel said.


Louis keeps his nonchalant expression, and instead just straightens his seating posture as the meeting begins.

Noel approaches Alphonse, and places his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"How you've been? I hope you are doing okay." Noel said.

"Uh... I'm doing fine, monsieur. To be honest, I'm excited and nervous at the same time." Alphonse replied.

"You don't have to worry about a thing, since I will be your teammate in the race. All you need to do is... race." Noel said.

Louis clenches his right fist, something that Hugo observed.

Noel then returns to his seat, smiling and looking at his son. Finally, the rest of the 24 hour endurance team arrive in the room.
One of them prepares the presentation to be displayed via the projector.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for arriving, and of course we must also thank the presence of both Pierre Gasly and Noel Chevalier who will join us."


The team applauds. Noel then takes the floor.


"Thank you. I am honored to be part of your glorious quest. I am aware of your recent struggles, and we hope that our participation will yield positive results that will encourage the entire company to set into new heights. Let me assure you, that my position as the president of the FIA will hold no bearing on the results. I will participate as a race car driver. So, let us all work together in order to achieve Alpine's possible first victory in the Nurburgring 24 hours. It's a gamble, in my honest opinion, but as long as our minds and hearts are in the right place, then we will be victorious." Noel said.


Another applause ensues. Noel briefly looks at the smiling Alphonse, but then shifts back to the audience.


"I would also like to thank Pierre Gasly for joining us. It is an honor to be part of the team. And of course, the other drivers, Hugo Deschamps, and Alphonse Blanchard." Noel added.

"Now, let us focus on the race itself. It is just two weeks away, and I assume everyone is prepared, no?" Noel asked.

"Monsieur, all the spare parts are accounted for. Tires were inspected and are in their best condition. The twin turbo V6 engine was also personally inspected by NISMO's engineers themselves and necessary modifications were made to ensure longevity. Outside the race matters, social media personnel are ready and security in the paddock is ensured. Sleeping quarters similar to the F1 team will also be available on that race. By tomorrow, we will already be on our way to the Nurburgring, to set up our paddock. Weather is forecasted to have overcast skies, with a large possibility of rain and fog on the race itself." the chief engineer replied.


"Very good. And as the FIA president, I will also ensure that every race team will have top notch security and contingency measures are already taken care of. It will be my responsibility to make sure that the race will have no untoward incidents, despite me being behind the wheel." Noel said.



After an hour of detailed discussions regarding the race proper, everyone is dismissed. Gasly bids goodbye, and Hugo is instructed by Noel to prepare the car.


"Alphonse, go ahead and get in my car. I want to speak with monsieur Cheavlier for a moment." Louis said.


"Oh okay. I'll also turn the engine on and airconditioning." Alphonse replied.


"You do that." Louis replied with a smile.


Now that Noel and Louis are alone in the hallway, the latter's happy face turns into a somber one.


"Is something the matter, monsieur Montagny?" Noel asked.


"I.... know... what you did." Louis said.


"Huh? I did what?" Noel asked, taken aback by Louis' scowl.


"Oh don't play coy. I don't care if you're the FIA president, but you have a MUCH LARGER obligation. You are now a father, aren't you?" Louis replied.


Noel then froze.


"Let me just tell you a short story. Olivia died from childbirth giving life to your son Alphonse. I met Alphonse when he was just 7, very eager to join karting and even tried his very best to convince his grandparents despite their limited finances. They relented and put faith on him. I saw a lot of potential from him, and decided that I will personally raise him, with the approval of his grandparents. I acted as a father, brother and a mentor to him. Where were you? Philandering? Setting your eyes on another prized possession? And you know what? He wasn't even a least bit interested in knowing about his father. All he knows so far is the fate of his mother, and came to accept that.


You can be the daddy dearest for all I care. But don't you... ever... dare lay a finger on Alphonse. And if I ever found out that he got hurt because of you, I will relinquish all my respect I have for you and make sure that hell will be raised, even if that means me going to prison.


YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT. It's not a threat. It's a PROMISE."


Louis then breathes out a sigh, and then walks away leaving a gasping and shaking Noel, a rare reaction coming from an esteemed member of the elite.





**********************************************************************************************



Location: Unicorn Media main headquarters, Germany
Time: 1 pm



Over to Unicorn Media, Barry had just finished his lunch, and went straight to his cubicle, as he has an article to finish before he can focus on the race.


Just as he is to lay his fingers on the keyboard, his phone rings. It's his wife, Sarah, calling all the way from their home in London.


"Hello?" Barry said.


"Hey, Barry, are you busy?" Sarah asked.


"Uh... I'm actually about to submit my article, but I can spare some time." Barry replied.


"Don't worry, it will be brief." Sarah said sheepishly.


"What's wrong? You sound weak... are you sick?" Barry asked.


"I'm just feeling a bit dizzy lately, and then I had to go to the hospital." Sarah replied.


"And... what did the doctor say?" Barry asked.


"Gynecologist. Luca will have a baby brother or sister." Sarah replied with a happier tone.


Barry smiles upon hearing the good news.


"Haha, that's wonderful! I can't wait to go back home after the race." Barry replied.


"Just focus on winning it, okay? You don't have to worry about me. Luca is very happy too. Oh, he is also looking into entering in a karting school. I thought that we have to wait for you since you are an expert on those things." Sarah said.


"You'd better start looking already. Then let me know the options, okay? Just take it easy this time around." Barry replied.


"I will. We will also watch you at home. Good luck. I love you." Sarah said.

"I love you too." Barry replied.


The call ends. Barry shows a big grin, then finally he can start typing. His article is quite overdue...



********************************************************************************************************



Location: Nurburgring, Germany
Time: 2 pm, two weeks later



Race week is on. And although the race itself will take place on Saturday until Sunday, this Thursday is the qualifying session. Even then, there is already a humongous attendance of race fans, more than double of last year.


The racing teams are working all day, starting from the very early morning for preparations.




Alphonse is at the fan zone, and is somewhat overwhelmed by the number of fans. Him signing autographs never seems to cease.


"I'm THIS famous now?!" Alphonse wondered as he keeps on signing using a permanent marker. Pierre obviously has more fans due to his higher status as an F1 driver.


When an opportunity arises to take a breather, Alphonse takes it. He breathes out a sigh and takes a seat.


And then of course, Giacomo arrives.


"You won't give me an autograph?" Giacomo asked.


Hearing that familiar Italian accent, Alphonse smilingly looks up.


"Jacques!" Alphonse exclaimed and then proceeds to give a brotherly hug.


"I miss you, Alfonso! So, we are going to play again?" Giacomo asked.


"Of course. And this time around, I won't lose here. Hehehe." Alphonse replied.


"I'm counting on that." Giacomo said. Then he breathes a sigh.


"Eh? What's wrong?" Alphonse asked.


"Ah... just looking at the Aston Martin Racing team over there." Giacomo replied, pointing his thumb at the people behind him. Alphonse peeks out, and his eyes widened upon seeing familiar faces.



"Se... Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll, Jason Plato.... and FERNANDO ALONSO?! You've got to be kidding!" Alphonse exclaimed.


"You've got an F1 driver in your team, and so do mine. But those three? There's a lot of tension and excitement right now." Giacomo replied. "This is projected to be the most-viewed in the history of all the Nurburgring 24 hour races. Even today, the livestream views have already hit millions before the qualifying begins."

"I'm... going to drive today's qualifying." Alphonse said, quickly turning his reaction to disbelief.


"We can't act like babies anymore. We can't go down a notch. Accept the fact that we are on the much bigger world of racing." Giacomo replied.




Then Alphonse is ordered to return to Alpine's paddock for a brief orientation before the qualifying session begins.



"There will be just three laps. First will be the warm up, and then the next two will be the flying laps, the only opportunities for us to set the quickest lap time. Alphonse here will be the one running today." Noel said.



But upon learning the competition earlier, Alphonse is clouded with too much anxiety, that he can't even respond.


"Are you okay?" Louis asked.



"Uh... yes. Sorry, I just looked at all the cars that will join today. I was so shocked." Alphonse replied.



"Don't let us intimidate you. We F1 drivers are only serious once we get behind the wheel. Off the track, we are just relaxed and friendly." Pierre said.



After that brief meeting, Alphonse returns to his quarters. He suddenly feels a gush of heat in his body, and then his stomach churns.


"Ooh... I think I ate something bad." Alphonse said.


He quickly rushes to Louis who is on the reception area of Alpine's paddock.


"Monsieur, I don't feel good. My stomach hurts. I think this is from something I ate last night." Alphonse said.


"Oh no. Qualifying starts in a few minutes." Louis said.


Noel also happens to be in the same place, speaking to the journalists. But he manages to hear Alphonse's complaints. He immediately excuses himself and rushes over to his son's side.


"Are you okay? If you don't feel well, then we will let Gasly do the qualifying." Noel said.


"I'm sorry, but I can't race like this." Alphonse replied.


"Don't apologize for that. Get all the rest you need for the race weekend. You can count on Gasly." Noel said.


Pierre was then summoned. He then suits up and readies himself as if it's a routine for him.


Alphonse then looks at Pierre, in full race gear. The young man then extends his fist, in which Pierre reciprocates by fist bumping.


"I'm sorry. I'm supposed to run, but..." Alphonse said.


"Don't worry. Just rest up. I'll be on full gas." Pierre replied with a smile.



The cars then get out one by one from the pit lane, with a certain gap placed between them in order for them to qualify safely.


It's now Gasly's turn. He goes on full throttle upon exiting the pit lane.

Not too far behind is Fernando Alonso.




"Seeing that familiar shade of blue in front of me... makes my blood boil." Alonso said.

It's just the warm up lap, and tension has already risen to its highest level. The crowds are already cheering wildly, especially the F1 fans who are also gathered to show support to their idols.





End of Act 3

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 4 - Full Gas (Part 1)

The qualifying session begins. Even though it's just the warm up lap, tensions have already been set at its highest. Formula 1 drivers give their best shots as if they were piloting their open wheeled machines.

And it's also an opportunity for Anthony Argyros to prove himself on a much bigger stage.

Andretti Motorsport makes its intentions very loud and clear - that they will take on the world regardless on what obstacle they would face down the road.


Meanwhile, Barry R. braves through the lower class, production specification category.

Gasly is immediately caught in between the bout of Ferrari and McLaren.

Owen Hatch, the driver of the P1 GTR, overshoots in the chicane.

Gasly's reflexes stemmed from his experiences in F1 sure came in handy.

"McLaren lost control. No damage reported on my end." Pierre said over the radio.



Back in to Alpine's motorhome paddock, Alphonse is watching Pierre's in-cam footage in his quarters, sitting on his bed. He is mesmerized at the sheer precision displayed by the F1 driver, hitting every apex.

But then that awe quickly turned into somber and doubt.



"If I'd been there, would I be even able to inch closer to Giacomo? Am I up to par? Am I... actually prepared for this giant battlefield?" Alphonse mused.



Suddenly, Noel enters, holding a pack of medicine that he acquired from the team's medical crew.


"Alphonse, the doctors told me to give you these. Just take them three times a day. Should be enough until Saturday." Noel said.


Alphonse looks at Noel and takes the meds.


"Oh... thank you, Monsieur." Alphonse said.


Noel notices the rather gloomy expression.


"I can tell you feel bad for not driving this qualifying. These things happen." Noel said.


"To be honest, sir... I'm actually in doubt." Alphonse replied.


"In doubt? Why so?" Noel asked.


"I am now in a much bigger world of racing. I'm going to see these faces more often. More eyes are on to me. Sometimes I'm thinking if I am up to this challenge... or not." Alphonse replied.


Noel crouches down beside Alphonse's bed and lays his hand on the young man's shoulder.


"What you are feeling? That's normal. It's not just in the racing world. That's life in general. When you move up, so does the hurdles. But if you keep in believing and trusting yourself, you will cross over them. Life is not actually a race. Ironic, isn't it? Race car drivers like us think that we should always keep up, but we fail to realize that if you set a pace much faster than you can muster, you'll end up tripping... or crashing instead of overtaking. So... control your pace, just like in driving. It applies to life too." Noel explained.

He then stands up, looking at the race footage on the screen.



"Clear your mind and rest well... mon ami." Noel said, smiling. Then he leaves, closes the door. For a brief moment, his hand grips the handle ever so tightly, shaking. Noel breathes out a sigh, and then sprints down the staircase.


And on to Giacomo Marelli...

He sees the R.S.01 closing in. He puts up a grin, and clenches the steering wheel tightly.


"This is just the warm up lap, Alfonso. Don't be too hot." Giacomo said.


Hearing this over the radio, his strategist De Luca then responds, "That's not Alphonse, I'm afraid."

"Huh? Then who is the one driving? What happened to Alfonso?" Giacomo asked, while he shuts the door as his defense.

"That's... Pierre Gasly. Alphonse got sick and they had to change at the last minute." De Luca replied.


"Pierre Gasly?! Heh, that's a very nice move for the Alpine team." Giacomo said.

Approaching the Aremberg, Gasly takes advantage of the R.S.01's lighter weight to brake late.


Music: FACE DOWN - Hotblade

Easily swoops past by.



"Hey hey. This is just qualifying... but..." Giacomo remarked. "I guess F1 drivers treat this as a routine of sorts."

The Ferrari FXX-K's hybrid system gains an edge on the corner exits, allowing to shorten the gap.

Meanwhile, Takanori is somehow enjoying this, especially when chasing someone as legendary as Fernando Alonso.


"I know this car is in a lower class. But I didn't come here to play either." Takanori thought.

"Dream Alliance Japan is back. I'm doing this for the drivers who want to continue pursuing their dreams. This is their grand opportunity." he added.



Not too far behind is Team Neo, with the AMG GT3 piloted by Dave Lempel.

"Major players came here. Heh, now that's the kind of fun I am expecting." Dave thought.

And then from the Red Bull Ford Powertrains team, Mike is easing up pace on the warm up lap.



"Let the fools play around. I will unleash everything on the flying laps." Mike thought.



Going past Kesselchen, the Ferrari's abundance of power allows it to get closer to the R.S.01.

However, on the Klostertal, the Renault's downforce negates the Ferrari's efforts.

"Hey... pipe down, can you? This is just the warm up lap. You F1 drivers take everything seriously." Giacomo thought, still being intimidated by Pierre Gasly's pace.



Past the Karrusell, Giacomo sees the R.S.01 fleeting away.

"Ah, dio mio! Give me a break." Giacomo thought.

Owen decides to lighten up first, seeing how dangerous the Nordschleife is on a high-powered vehicle.

"I'm glad to have made the mistake on the GP section, at least. But I have to get past these clowns if I am to set up a bloody good time! There are F1 drivers here, for crying out loud." Owen thought.


And on to Barry's end, he sees an accident unfold.

But of course, his wealth of experience under the tutelage of Jenson Button prepared him for even the worst.

Giacomo now settles in the reality that things will be much.. much more grueling.

"Welcome to the real racing world, Giacomo. It's going to be a norm to be outpaced by an F1 driver..." he thought.

However...

"If that's going to be the way things will roll from now on, then bring it! I am not even a bit intimidated. I don't care if you're Alonso, Gasly, or even Verstappen. I WELCOME THE NEW CHALLENGE!" he added. The tiny flame that lit in his heart has turned into an ember.




Gasly has now cleared the warm up lap.

"Okay Gasly, your two flying laps start now. Make them count." Louis said.



"Copy." Pierre replied.

Giacomo is pretty much left alone, now that Pierre is completely out of reach in his sights.

"Just focus on qualifying, Giac. No point in chasing after Gasly." De Luca said over the radio.

"Copy. I don't want to risk everything on the Nurburgring." Giacomo replied.

Meanwhile, in Unicorn Media's paddock...





...a woman walks in among the staff members focusing doing their responsibilities. She wears casual clothing such as a jacket and a pair of boots, prepared for the eventual showers.




Mila Janson has also walked out of the garage on the way to the bathroom, and then she sees the woman. She recognizes her as Mila once interviewed this particular woman in the past.



"Sofia Mendes? Wow, never thought a supermodel would be here in the paddock." Mila remarked.





End of Act 4

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 5 - Full Gas (Part 2)


The supermodel then walks leisurely along the paddock, and having been familiar with Unicorn Media, she stops and just observes the commotion.


Mila, in order to clear the dead air, approaches Sofia and greets her with a handshake.


"It's nice to meet you again, Ms. Sofia Mendes. It's quite a surprise seeing you in the paddock." Mila remarked.


"Likewise. Actually, I came by to see someone, and of course catch up with my fellow colleagues having a gig." Sofia replied.


"Oh, mind if I ask who you wish to see?" Mila asked.


Sofia smiles and straightens her jacket. She briefly looks up at the forming overcast skies above.


"Mr. Barry Ragdall." Sofia replied.

Mila smiles back, and looks at the screens behind her.

"Well, he's doing the qualifying. He's driving at the moment. But don't worry, the qualifying will be brief, so mind if you can wait for him?" Mila replied.

"Oh I don't mind at all. He's such a very talented asset. You're lucky to have him. Well, I'll return here later." Sofia said, then turning back and go on her way as a thunder is heard rumbling.

"Wow... why did she say that all of a sudden? And the way she described Barry as if she knows him on a personal level." Mila pondered.

Back in the qualifying flying laps. The drivers have turned up the heat, as this is the small window of opportunity they have to set the fastest lap times.

Giacomo's concern over the cloudy skies grows.

"Do you think it will rain during the qualifying?" Giacomo asked.


"According to the weather map, the rain clouds are at 100 kilometers away, and are approaching over on our side. If we rely on this reading, then we should have more than enough time to complete the two flying laps. Just... tread with caution." De Luca replied.


"Thank you." Giacomo replied.


Music: Be My Babe - Jilly

Meanwhile, Louis gives Gasly a reminder.



"Okay, Pierre, just letting you know that rain is coming. We just hope we have enough time to qualify before the showers came." Louis said over the radio.


Pierre then buries the throttle mid-corner, trusting the R.S.01's copious amounts of downforce.



"Copy." Pierre replied.



Music: Get Me Power - Mega NRG Man

Meanwhile, Dave is right on Takanori's tail.



"Not being mean, but you are slowing us down, Takanori-san." Dave remarked.

The FXX-K can eat up the gap the R.S.01 set thanks to the combined horsepower and electric energy, but it is not enough.

"I still can't see that Renault. Gasly only won once in his F1 career. I guess I really am slower than even the laughingstocks of F1." Giacomo thought.

The top tier racing machines enjoy their bout at the Dottinger Hohe straight, with some carrying some of the highest top speeds ever recorded in a racing machine.

The P1 GTR recovers quite effortlessly as it joins the top ranks once more. Now it's their final chance to beat the clock...



....and the showers.



Music: Initial D 4th Stage Soundfiles: Chase II

On the low end, Barry's focus is undeterred. Not even the overcast seems to faze him.

"Mr. Button once told me that lap times are irrelevant in endurance racing. It doesn't matter where you start. Winners are the ones who hold out until the very end." Barry thought.

"But even these F1 drivers have weaknesses. They've never raced for more than two hours in most of their careers..."

"...with the exception of Fernando Alonso. HE'S A THREAT! He won the Le Mans 24 Hours for crying out loud." Barry mused, having been made aware of the competition.




Alpine BWT has finished their flying laps, as the fog settles in. The showers are fast approaching.

Giacomo has also finished his run as well.


"Whew... at least we set the laps." Giacomo said.

And the rest concluded their run just in the nick of time as well.

And what are their best qualifying times?

Alpine BWT - 7:53.804

Storm powered by McLaren Racing - 7:55.350

Aston Martin Racing - 7:55.833

Red Bull Ford Powertrains - 7:56.825

Andretti Motorsport - 7:57.828

Scuderia Ferrari FXX - 7:58.062

Team Neo - 7:58.284


​

Upon hearing the result, Pierre is clearly overjoyed. His first pole, albeit outside of Formula 1.



"WHAT DID WE JUST DO?! MY FIRST POLE!" Pierre exclaimed.


"P1! Pole position for Alpine. Best news we heard all week." Louis said.


Alphonse also got wind of this achievement. He applauds in his room.



"Someday, I'll snatch all the poles in Formula 1. Just you wait, Pierre Gasly." Alphonse thought.




End of Act 5

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 6 - The Good Call





As all the teams return to their respective paddocks, they immediately pore over the footage and telemetry data.

Unicorn Media is no different, despite being a media organization. After all, they have hired a technical team from a well-known racing organization who once won the endurance race.



Barry is wiping off all his sweat using a towel, and he breathes out a sigh as he looks at the data that they have collected for the R8's performance. Unknown to him, Sofia awaits outside, tapping her feet as she observes him.


Barry then looks at his left, and his eyes widened from shock. He immediately recognizes her, and seeing that their brief meeting is over he approaches her.



"Sophy?" Barry asked. "What are you doing here?"


"Watching you, of course. Can't I give some support... and love?" Sofia replied.


Barry shakes his head.


"Look... that night in Cannes... it's just..." Barry said.


"Spur of the moment?" she replied. "Or was that love?"


"No..." Barry said.


"Well, is your wife here?" Sofia asked.


"No, she isn't. Look, Sophy... we're done. That night was one to forget." Barry answered.


"Oh here's something you would NEVER forget." Sofia said, as she inches closer to Barry, with her face mere centimeters away from Barry's.


"I.... am... pregnant." Sophy said, along with a smile.


Barry gasps, and then he grabs her by the shirt. He shakes her vigorously. But Sophy merely smirks.


"What did you just say?!" Barry asked with a raised tone.


"I. AM. PREGNANT. Would you deny your child? You're such a good daddy to Luca, you know? Fate once again found a way to entangle both of us." Sophy replied.


He lets go, and pushes her rather gently. Barry hyperventilates and crouches down, looking at the pavement.


"That should be enough motivation to live through this race. OUR child deserves a good father. Ciao!" Sofia said, and then she straightens her sunglasses.



Barry hits his right fist on the concrete, over and over. He is expecting a 2nd child from his legal wife. And now this? From his former flame? Barry and Sophy were once lovers, but ultimately their differing career paths would prove to be too much of a hurdle that they decided to part ways.


Their long-kept, unsaid feelings would then set a trajectory that Barry would have never expected.


"No! That was stupid. Really stupid." Barry mumbled, and then tears start flowing.


Mila then sees him on that state, prompting her to come over.


"Barry? Are you okay?" Mila asked.


Barry sniffles, and wipes his tears. He then jolts up and takes a gulp as he faces her.


"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." Barry replied.


"I see. We're packing up anyway. Great job." Mila said, followed with a smile.


Barry nods.


"Yeah. We did an awesome job. Hope the weekend turns out to be the best." Barry replied, then follows her back to the paddock. His smile, however, quickly dissipated.



*********************************************************************************************



Location: Blanchard home, Marseilles, France
Time: 7 pm



It's about dinner time, and light showers are present. Soiree decided to cook stew for dinner, just for them both.


After preparation, she calls her husband Jacques and then they waste no time in eating. As she is about to take a spoonful, she gets a message from her grandson Alphonse as she expects one.


"He got food poisoning but he will race on the weekend. He's fine now." Soiree said.


"Germany is too far for us for a drive. And we have a small shop to worry about." Jacques said.


"But Alphonse needs our presence too. We just have to be there for him as much as possible." Soiree replied.


The pair then continue on with their supper. And then they hear a door chime. Soiree stands up and walks briskly to the front door.

Upon opening, a man wearing a brown leather jacket stands in front of her, smiling. Soiree smiles.


"Oh Frederic!" she exclaims, pulling him inside.


"Maman!" Frederic responds.


"Good to see you again. I'm sorry I haven't been visiting you lately. I'm busy in Nice. You know, being a professor." Frederic added.


Frederic Blanchard, the eldest and currently the only surviving son of Jacques and Soiree, is a professor at Côte d'Azur University in Nice. He teaches Biochemistry and is well-respected among peers and students alike, for his charming good looks but with the air of professionalism mixed with empathy.



"We are just eating dinner. Come join us!" Soiree said, as she brings her son in the dining room. Jacques also stands up and hugs his son.


"My son! I missed you so much! How's my professor?" Jacques said.


"Hectic schedule as usual. In the morning I hold classes, in the afternoons I give advice for thesis students, and in the evenings? I check papers." Frederic replied. "I took a day off today to visit both of you. I am truly sorry for not being here more often as promised."


"Don't feel bad. It's not your fault for living the life you desired." Jacques replied. "Come, sit with us. I'm sure you are also hungry from your trip."


Frederic joins his parents, sitting down as his mother places down another plate and utensils.


"Oh, where's Alphonse?" Frederic asked.


"He's at the Nurburgring in Germany. We're actually worried since he got food poisoning, but he said that he is fine now and will race on the weekend." Soiree replied.


"I see. Is this one of those 24-hour endurance races?" Frederic asked.


"Yes. And we can't quite fathom how can humans accomplish these types of races. We just found out that it had a long history." Jacques replied.


"Tell you what, I'll go back here this weekend and watch it together. Time goes so fast, isn't it? Last time I saw him, he was soaring through the small circuits in his go kart. And now..." Frederic said.


"Sure. For that, I'll prepare an extra special dinner for that day." Soiree replied gleefully.


Frederic then looks around, and then for one brief moment, he stares at the framed picture of his sister, Olivia in her younger days.



****************************************************************************************************



Location: Dorint Hotel, Nurburgring
Time: 8 am, the next day



Alphonse wakes up in his room, and then he opens up the curtains and heads out of the balcony facing the main straight of the Nurburgring GP. He crosses his arms to somehow warm himself from the cold, chilly, and cloudy morning.



"I guess it will rain tomorrow." Alphonse said to himself.


He then hears a doorbell chime, and Alphonse runs to the door to open it. It's Louis.


"Good morning, Alphonse." Louis greeted. "So, are you okay now?"


"Ah yes, monsieur. Much better than yesterday. Where's Gasly?" Alphonse asked.


"Probably still in his room." Louis replied as he gets inside the room.


"I want to congratulate him. He was simply... awesome." Alphonse remarked.


"Well, that's an F1 driver for you." Louis said. "And oh, I came here to tell you that we will have a meeting at the conference room at the 2nd floor. 10 in the morning. So, please have some breakfast and get dressed." Louis said.


"Oui. I'll prepare myself now." Alphonse replied.



At 10 in the morning, Alphonse heads over to conference room C. He sees the entire crew present, along with the other drivers and of course, Noel.


Alphonse sits down beside Noel, prompting the latter to ask.


"Are you okay now?" Noel asked.


"Oui, monsieur. I feel so much better now. I can drive this weekend." Alphonse replied. Louis then goes over at the front, holding a microphone.


"Good morning everyone. Let's have our final, pre-race briefing for tomorrow's big race. First off, let's congratulate Pierre Gasly for securing us the pole position." Louis said, and a wild applause ensues. Pierre smiles and waves his hand.


"His first pole in his career. Let's see if he can do that in F1." Louis said, and the everyone in the room laughs.


"Okay. Last night, Mr. Chevalier and I discussed the driver order for tomorrow's race. Alphonse Blanchard will drive first, then Noel, next is Hugo, and finally Pierre. Driver stints are limited to 10 laps each, as Mr. Chevalier recommended. And after their stint, they can enjoy some snacks and meals in the 24-hour cafe in our motorhome, and/or get their much needed rest. Depending on the weather conditions, it can be as long as 150 laps, or as short as 50 when there are red flags and forced stoppages." Louis explained.


"Yes, it's also my responsibility to ensure the safety of all in the race. I can stop the race if it is too dangerous for everyone. A few years ago, it actually happened because the fog was too dense. I was one of the people who voted for that to be stopped. The FIA will check the conditions round the clock. So far, there are only clouds today, but tomorrow there is a high possibility of rain." Noel added.



"And while the car was built to have easily replaceable parts, please exercise caution. While our aim is to have an overall victory, let us still prioritize safety. In an endurance race, cool heads prevail. This is speaking from experience." Louis said.



Everyone in the room show signs of agreement. It's all settled.


Louis then resumes his talk with further details of the race.



********************************************************************************************************


The next day...




One of the biggest days in the motorsport calendar, the NLS Nurburgring 24 Hours kicks off. And as projected, millions of motorsport fans from all corners of the globe have tuned in. With the addition of F1 drivers in the grid, the diehard fans have also joined in the livestreams, even starting arguments as they would in F1 race weekends.

Alphonse suits up, and then he performs his stretching routines. Louis approaches him.


"You ready for this?" Louis asked.


"Yes. Really ready. And I can no longer embarrass myself in front of Mr. Chevalier and Pierre Gasly. I will give my very best." Alphonse replied.


"Just keep your cool, okay? We will be guiding you." Louis said.



Meanwhile, in the Unicorn Media paddock. Mila wears her racing overalls. Barry as well. From his exchange with Sophy last night, however, he still looks downtrodden.


She goes beside the R8, making final inspections.


"Seems we are ready." Mila remarked. "Oh, where's Barry?" she asked.


"He's in the communications area, ma'am." one of the other drivers replied.


She goes to the said area, and sees him testing out the headset.


"Barry!" Mila said with an enthusiastic tone.


"Mila." Barry said, albeit sheepish. She immediately notices his gloomy disposition.


"Oh, what's wrong?" Mila asked.


Barry then perks up.


"Ah! Sorry about that. It's just that I'm worried... you know... clouds and rain." Barry replied with a nervous giggle.


"I've reviewed supercars on the rain too. Don't worry about me." Mila said with her smile, assuring Barry.




Back in the Alpine motorhome, Noel is also finished putting his overalls. He then goes straight to the communications area, looking at the telemetry alongside Hugo.


"Hugo." Noel said.


"I have narrowed down the search of the person responsible for sending the letter and the DNA results. They all came from France, specifically from Nice." Hugo replied, in a discreet volume.


"Very well. Keep at it." Noel said. And then he sees Louis, also about to wear his headset.


"Louis? Mind if I... take over the communication for Alphonse?" Noel asked.


Louis clearly understands the intention, and smirks.


"I don't mind, monsieur. He does need your wealth of experience." Louis replied.


"You can also join in, if you want." Noel added.



All the cars have lined up and had a parade in a warm up lap. All the motorsport fans camping out just outside the track applaud as they see the cars slowly move along. The camping part is just one of the traditions done by the fans. Of course they want to see the action unfold, all day, all night, rain or shine.


As they return to the main straight, Alphonse clasps the steering wheel tightly.



"The world is watching me. Here goes." Alphonse said over the radio.


"You can do this. We believe in you." Noel replied.


And it's lights out... and away they go.

The machinery make their charge. The audience are crying their support for their favorite teams.


Team Storm's McLaren P1 GTR, driven first by Dennis Hatch, takes advantage of the horsepower granted by the combination of engine and electrical sources. It quickly takes the lead.

But then Alphonse lets off, and veers to the inside of the hairpin.

Instantly steals back the pole position. The Alpine team watches the footage, and are already impressed by Alphonse's counterattack.

"Nice move!" Louis said.

Giacomo isn't too far behind, however...

"Argh... I think we have to play a bit later, Alfonso." Giacomo said, eager to have another bout with his French best friend and rival.



Alphonse then makes a remark on the R.S.01's turn in understeer.


"There's a bit of understeer." Alphonse commented.


"Okay, switch to +3 brake bias." Noel replied.


"Copy." Alphonse replied, then proceeds to adjust the brake bias by turning the knob at the dashboard, by three clicks to the right.

Dennis notices the increased yaw of the Renault.


"The Renault turns in better. I'm being left behind in the corners." Dennis remarked.



Music: Initial D Sound Files - Chase II

Mila observes the SP9 class fleeing away.

"No hope catching the SP9 peeps. If Barry's at the helm, however..." Mila thought.




The rearward brake bias seemed to have solved the understeer issue, as the R.S.01 increases its gap.

However, while the grid is feeling the tension...



...there is one who is unfazed by it.

None other than Fernando Alonso. The 43-year old Spanish F1 driver has experienced endurance racing, and he knows very well how to turn the tables.


Even Mike notices the Vulcan's rather laid back pace.


"Alonso is falling back? Mechanical trouble already?" Mike mused.

On the contrast, Alphonse soldiers on the lead, trying to set the gap larger as much as he can, while still being aware of the dangers of the Green Hell.

Alphonse maintains a solid lead.


"Impressive lead. Keep it up." Noel said.

Giacomo sees his rivals far ahead of him. Not even a speck of Alphonse's car on sight.

"I mustn't rush over. Even the KERS has limits. I still have the power advantage even if the battery runs out of charge. There's 24 hours to think of." Giacomo thought.



With the production cars having much less drag than their GT3 counterparts, overtaking the SP9 class on the Dottinger Hohe straight is a common occurence.

Another lap begins, with Giacomo slowly rising through the ranks overtaking Andretti Motorsport's supercharged Corvette ZR1 GT3.

While Alonso maintains 3rd place.

Because of Alonso's intentional limited pace, Giacomo easily caught up to him at the Kesselchen.


But then the Spaniard anticipates it.

Giacomo irks at the Spaniard's provocation.



"Hey, I thought you made it clear to leave the space. Practice what you preach!" Giacomo thought. Then he attempts to make an overtake outside.


But it turns out to be futile as the Ferrari has less downforce than the Aston.

Seeing the predicament, Alonso merely smirks.

Thunder starts to rumble. Even the audience notice the drops of water on their palms.

"It begins." Mila remarks on the start of rain.

Then Alphonse makes a call.


"I'll box. Box box. Intermediates." Alphonse said.


"Okay, box for Intermediates confirmed." Noel replied.

With the drizzle now becoming more noticeable, Alphonse's right foot is fully pressed on the accelerator on the Dottinger Hohe.

Alonso has also boxed in.

Giacomo enters as well, but decides to use Mediums.

"The drizzle is not as bad as I initially thought. Switch to Mediums." Giacomo said.


The Renault took a long time since a full tank was also requested. Giacomo and Alphonse exit together.

But then... the drizzle turns into showers.


"Argh! Wrong call! Never thought it would rain all of a sudden. I thought it was gradual. Sorry for the bad choice." Giacomo said over the radio.


"Calm down." Luca replied. "Just make it back here in the pits safely. Remember, a lot can change within 24 hours."

Dennis, who has once again taken the lead due to R.S.01's pit stop, also starts to struggle on the increasingly slippery surface.

"You taught Alphonse very well, Louis." Noel remarked, seeing that it was the right call.


"Because he deserves it. Plain and simple. Would you also instruct the same? The same racecraft?" Louis replied.


Alphonse sees the struggling P1 GTR.

And finally gives in.

Giacomo, having no choice but to merely crawl the car all the way back to the pit lane, even sees a yellow flag.

"I hope that's not Alfonso." Giacomo thought.

However, Alphonse isn't the only one who made a clever strategy call.

Noel's eyes widen as he sees the Aston Martin easily eating the gap Alphonse left.


"As expected..." Noel said.

"Fernando Alonso closing in. Prepare for a fight, Alphonse." Louis said.





End of Act 6

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 7 - The Rookies

Alphonse has no breathing room at all, despite the numerous erroneous strategic calls made by the other teams. Fernando Alonso's wealth of experience makes him better prepared for situations like these.

"Alonso incoming." Noel said.


Alphonse would then smirk, but then of course, he is aware of the gap between them... both literally and figuratively.

"Copy." Alphonse replied. "I don't know if I should feel happy or alarmed. It's THE Fernando Alonso!" he thought.

Alonso closes in, takes a look at the opponent in front of him.

"You are that young French karting champion who beat Hamilton once. Well then..." Alonso thought, as he goes full throttle despite the slippery surface.

Seeing that wide opening entering the Nordschleife, Alonso veers to the left and brakes late.

And makes his intentions known...



Music: Fernando Alonso - Carte Blanq

"Argh!" Alphonse exclaimed, as he felt that nudge that pushed the R.S.01 to the outside. He applies opposite lock to maintain his control.

And with the Renault's balance disrupted, Alonso moves in.

"Don't take this as a mockery, young man. I recognize your bravado!" Alonso thought.


Heavy amounts of water are being sprayed on the R.S.01's windshield.

"My way of respecting the competition is by simply not holding back. Anything less than that is an insult." he added.



Alphonse is both baffled and mesmerized by the Spaniard's pace in this severe weather condition.

"He drives as if the road is dry! I'm dealing with a two-time world champion here!" Alphonse thought, and a drop of sweat has flowed.

Noel and Louis gasp at the Vulcan's pace at the course map, enlarging the gap at an astounding rate.

"Alphonse. Fernando is faster than you. But remain calm. The race has just begun." Noel said.

Alphonse is gradually applying the throttle on the corner exit, yet Alonso is fleeing.



"He's driving a front-engined rear wheel drive car on the wet. Shouldn't he be at a disadvantage?" Alphonse asked.


"Rain is the natural equalizer of a race. It doesn't favor any type of car. It's the ultimate test of driver skill." Noel replied. "Keep a cool head, Alphonse. Panic can only bring disaster."

Alphonse breathes out a sigh, heeding Noel's advice.


"Understood, sir." Alphonse replied.


"Do not be discouraged. You have now moved up in a much bigger world. Expect opponents like him more often." Noel added.


The gap is at 10 seconds.

"You naturally have more traction than Alonso's Vulcan. Take that in mind." Noel said.

"So that means I can accelerate better on corner exits? But what about the thing he said earlier?" Alphonse mused.



Alphonse takes heed, despite the confusion. Louis does notice that Noel's words bring weight after all. On the consecutive corners, the gap is cut by at least 1 second.

"You are reducing the gap, Alphonse." Louis said.

But on corners that have straights coming after, the Vulcan's power shines through, negating the traction disadvantage.



"Alonso's pulling away again." Louis said.

Louis observes the live race telemetry. The gap between the two would fluctuate. Decreasing on one hand, and then increasing on the other.

Noel mutes the communications for a brief period. He looks at Louis.



"This will provide a grand opportunity for Alphonse to learn. You did the right thing joining, Louis." Noel remarked.

"Your son's trajectory has been set, forged by his own will and determination. Don't you ever dare ruin it." Louis replied. "Better keep in mind my promise."





End of Act 7

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 8 - Intrusion


The darkness arrives, and with it awaits the showers. Just like the drivers recuperating after their stint, the rain also had a brief respite and then return to join in the chaos.

It's now Barry R's turn. Mila just got off the car along with the tire changes and refuel. The other cars do the same, including the top class.


While Aston Martin Racing and Alpine BWT still command a strong lead, the Unicorn Media team amazed the spectators, as they overtake even some of the top GT3 class cars in the entire grid.


Barry gets inside the car, and straps in with no words being spared. Mila notices this.



"This isn't Barry at all. What's wrong? Even he smiles during the tense moments like these." Mila mused, as she unzips her overalls and let her auburn hair down.


Unicorn Media exits the pit lane along with the other teams.



A set of Intermediate tires will complement the R8's trademark Quattro four wheel drive.


Music: When The Sun Goes Down - Ken Blast

Barry seems to have his focus all prepped.


"The current grid of the top class seems to be overpowered. Mr. Button's right. Rain is truly the great equalizer." Barry thought.

He inches closer to the more powerful machinery. Mila looks at awe at the race footage.



"I expect no less from Barry. Hehehe." Mila said. Then she looks around, and once again she sees Sophy waiting outside the paddock, protected by a black umbrella she's holding.


But then she turns back to looking at the screens.

As he closes in the GT3 race cars, Barry clasps the steering wheel tightly.


"I've got a lot in my mind right now." Barry thought. And even then his right foot his flat down the throttle.

With the traction advantage granted by four wheel drive, the R8 effortlessly exits the corners which would close the gap even tighter.

Isaiah gasps upon seeing the lower class R8 overtaking him.



"A production spec R8?!" Isaiah exclaimed.


And then the next obstacles - the P1 GTR and Red Bull's Ford GT race car piloted by Mike Hackett.



"Is that... an R8?" Mike asked over the radio.



"Yes. Unicorn Media. A production car is hanging behind you. And it's driven by Barry Ragdall." the engineer replied.

Upon hearing that familiar name, Mike smirks.


"Impressive. Or should I even say magnanimous? This is rare in an endurance race." Mike thought.

And then...



...Barry lines up to Mike approaching the Karrusell.

Music: Streak of Blue - Tekken 8 OST



Mike then exclaims, "What the hell?!" as he sees the Audi supercar effortlessly steal the position from him.


And then moves on to attack Team Neo.


"Mila? No wait..." Kiehl said as he can only watch the supercar blaze past.

"You've all got too much power on the 'Ring. Hard to find traction, huh?" Barry teased.


Even the experienced Antonio Giovinazzi wasn't spared.

"Where did all that speed come from? Is it even part of the production class at all?" Antonio wondered.

The R8 flees, using all the traction it has as the rear-wheel driven race cars would struggle to find their footing despite having the correct tires for the job.

As he continues to astound the spectators with his speed, however, all of a sudden intrusive thoughts make themselves known.

"Luca will have a baby brother or sister."


and then Sophy's unexpected twist:

"Oh here's something you would NEVER forget."

"I.... am... pregnant."

"Would you deny your child? You're such a good daddy to Luca, you know? Fate once again found a way to entangle both of us."



​

​

"NO!" Barry yelled, and the radio was on. Mila heard it.



Approaching the hairpin, Barry slams on the brake pedal, but the brake force was rather too strong that it upset the R8's rear.

The loss of control would then prompt Barry to correct it, but the car veered to the gravel trap.

Upon halting, Barry slams his fist on the wheel.


And would then shout profanities.


"F%%$^%^(&^*^*K!!!!" he yelled.


"Barry?! Are you okay?" Mila asked.



Barry hyperventilates, and inside his helmet, sweat is not flowing... but rather tears.



"Sorry. I.... messed up. I was too aggressive." Barry replied, as he sees the other cars go past.



"What about the car?" Mila asked.


"Car's fine." Barry replied, then he presses down the accelerator to start moving out of the gravel pit. He stops to check if there are no other oncoming cars.



Once the track is clear, Barry then accelerates the R8 out.




End of Act 8

​

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 9 - Torch Relay



Darkness falls.


The showers have ceased for the meantime, so this opens up a window of opportunity to make ground.

It's once again Takuma's turn for Team Neo. The Japanese turned British citizen race car driver has recuperated enough for him to stay focused under the cover of darkness.


Not too far ahead is Giacomo Marelli. He is struggling with the FXX-K's understeer.

"Braking is stable, but the car just doesn't turn at all." Giacomo remarked over the radio.


"Copy. Maybe you can dial the brake balance at the back? Try plus 3." De Luca replied.


"Copy that." Giacomo replied, and then proceeds to heed De Luca's suggestion by tilting the small red knob just below the air vent, by three clicks to the right.


However, there's no time for Giacomo to muse over the changes, as Takuma now instills pressure.

"Giacomo Marelli. The Italian driver who put up a valiant fight in the World Touring Car Championship, and now a Ferrari works driver." Takuma thought.

The AMG GT3's large beams of light start to trigger Giacomo.



"Those beams are starting to test my patience. We've been struggling all day." quipped Giacomo.


The brake bias adjustment helps the FXX-K rotate on the turns better. This also allows Giacomo to take the racing line.

Takuma smirks, at what he perceives as a provocation Giacomo's part, as the Ferrari rockets away at the corner exits.


"As soon as I have heard your family name, I made a little bit of research. Add to the fact that you have this tenacity..."

"...you have the makings of a champion. Now... light that flame!" Takuma thought, very much eager to test his opponent's resolve.


Music: Gas Gas Gas - Manuel

The AMG GT3's downforce advantage allows the car to have better momentum on the corners.

Giacomo feels frantic, with the pressure now getting humongous.


"He's intimidating me! Who is he?!" Giacomo pondered.


Takuma buries hard on the accelerator, putting the downforce into good use, allowing the AMG GT3 to slip past.

"Come on, amico mio! Andiamo!" Takuma exclaimed.


Giacomo gasped at that moment, what he saw was just one of Takuma's masterclass in motion. Despite being out of the track for such a long time, he still showed that he still has that flame.


"Who... is that AMG GT3 driver from Neo? He just passed me swiftly like I'm a traffic car." Giacomo asked over the radio.


"That's Takuma Kanonji. Don't be surprised. He's an S-class driver and has once competed in F1. He recently came out from hiatus, but even I am mesmerized on what he did just now. He still got it." De Luca replied.

Takuma keeps on goading.



"That's it... I'm starting to see that little ember. I want to see more!" Takuma thought.



As if responding to the Japanese driver's provocation, Giacomo gets off from that slump. He presses hard on the pedal.

"I don't know what you did. But you woke me up, amico mio. You can be as playful as Alfonso. Fine then, let's dance!" Giacomo said to himself, now that he is agitated.

With the Ferrari drafting behind him at the Kesselchen stretch, Takuma's smile grows larger.


"That's more like it. I knew you and I have something in common!" Takuma thought.



At the Mutkurve, two cars enter at the same speed. The FXX-K gets on to the kerb.

However, the car bounces off... and upon landing it lost its balance. Giacomo veers the steering wheel to the right to countersteer.


"NO!" Giacomo exclaimed.

The Ferrari's right rear quarter hits the barrier. With the excess momentum, the car completely spins out.

Giacomo hyperventilates, bangs his fist on the wheel in frustration.



"I'm okay. Right rear quarter panel got damaged." Giacomo said.


"Copy. Please bring it to the pit lane. We have prepared the replacement part." De Luca replied.

Meanwhile, Takuma breathes out a sigh. He's a little disappointed that their bout ended prematurely.


"We could have danced a bit longer, amico mio. But... I can already tell." Takuma thought.


Then he resumes his thought verbally.


"I have found my successor. He has the same flame as mine." Takuma said.


"What? You said something?" Abel replied, asking for confirmation.


"Oh, that was nothing. Just some intrusive thoughts taking over." Takuma responded.

Back there, Giacomo puts up a gentle pace so as not to add any more damage to the limping Ferrari.


But even then, he tightens his grip on the steering wheel.



"Someday... I'll get you. I have found another worthy opponent alongside Alphonse Blanchard." Giacomo thought.




End of Act 9

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 10 - The Breadwinner




The battle rages on, and the day has started anew. Noel once again takes his turn at the helm, and as he zips up his overalls, he sees his son, Alphonse dozing off on the chair, leaning against it. He briefly stops, taking a look at his son's slumber. He then quickly goes to his son's quarters.


"Hang on a second!"


He then gets the quilt, pulling it away from the bed with great force. Then he sprints back to the sleeping young man. Next, he places the quilt covering his son's body to provide warmth. He then says to himself:


"Rest well. One day, you'll know the truth. Just... give me time."


Then he runs to the car, strapping himself in effortlessly with those proven Sabelt harnesses. He then sets off under the cover of darkness.



Meanwhile, on the other end of the paddocks, Barry helps himself with a bottle of cold water. And as he is consuming the contents, Sophy once again walks close to him. Since it's pretty much dark and the rest of the crew are either resting or monitoring the race, it's the perfect opportunity for the woman to make her move. Barry goes to another direction, but Sophy walks briskly, enough to get ahead of him.

She then pushes Barry, slamming him against the wall. Barry gasps. The woman exudes confidence.


"So... how are you taking this?" she asked.

"You're still here?"

"Of course. I'm very supportive."

"We're through. Ages ago. That night in Cannes was just a spur of the moment. Forget about that too."


Sophy chuckles.

"Easier said than done, my love. My hold on you has gotten tighter. Remember, OUR child is on the way. It will be your problem how to tell your lovely wife and son. Luca will surely love to have little sibling."

Barry's fist clenches, then all of a sudden, Sophy presses her lips onto his.


However, little do they know...



...Mila is also walking close to them, and as she stopped looking at her phone, she gasps at the pair's gesture. And then on a whim...



"BARRY!"

Mila covers her mouth in shock.


Barry pushes Sophy away, and the pair look at Mila. Sophy would then look at Mila with a smile, then walks past her.


Barry's face clearly shows sign of shock, but also a hint of shame as he hyperventilates.


"Barry... how could you...?" Mila asked.


"Let me explain." he replied, but then Mila storms out. Puddles were then splashed by their heavy footsteps as he follows his teammate. They then stop at an empty space.


"Look, Mila... it's hard to..."


Mila turns around swiftly facing him.


"You have a wife and a child, Barry! How could you do that to them?! What... just got into you?!"

"Sophy was my former flame. Before I started my career, we took our relationship seriously until our respective career choices made it impossible to go further. We... didn't part ways amicably.

We met in Cannes more than a month ago, and years of pent up feelings just took over us. And..."



"And what?!"


"...she's pregnant. Even I can't take all of this. My wife Sarah back home is expecting too. And Luca... he's only five."



Mila shakes her head, and even put her left hand on her forehead.


"Oh dear. Look... I am in no place to tell you what to do, but clearly you HAVE to do something about this. You have a tough job ahead."


"I'm sorry you saw this, Ms. Janson. Just for the spirit of this race, let us forget that exchange."


Mila firms her chin up.


"Okay, deal. My lips are sealed. But that doesn't mean I have forgiven you."



Back in the race, Noel is on the hunt as he starts another lap.

"Okay, I've got the Aston Martin in my sights. Ready to attack."


His race engineer then responds over the radio.


"Copy. Weather is fine, the surface is completely dry and there are no other cars ahead. You are clear."

"I know you are in slumber, but I do hope you become proud of me. I know what I did was definitely not to be proud of, but I am doing my very best to be the ideal provider for you."

"I have got plenty to catch up on. Certainly much more than what I'm catching up right now."


Noel has his eyes locked in that Vulcan, currently driven by Jason Plato.

"I show utmost respect to the legends I've trifled with, but that doesn't mean I will yield!"


Music: Turbo -Thomas Bangalter


Noel then goes on full throttle, taking advantage of the R.S.01's impeccable downforce.

It gave him better momentum through the corners, enough to be able to inch closer to the Vulcan and then veering to the left.

"ALLONS-Y!" Noel yelled as he snatches the lead after a long fought battle to catch up to the AMR team after Alonso's dominance at the beginning part of the race.

The Alpine BWT team applauds upon seeing the maneuver. The cheers were loud enough to awaken Alphonse. He even wonders who put the quilt on him.

"Huh? What's going on?"


He sees the jovial crew, and their gestures already provide a good answer for him.


"Are we in the lead?"


Pierre Gasly then approaches him.


"Oh, you're awake, mon ami. We got back the lead." Gasly replied.


Alphonse smiles.


"That's nice. Who's driving?"


"Monsieur Chevalier. Sorry we have awakened you."


"That's fine. I'll just... sleep again."


Pierre smiles and gives a double tap on Alphonse's shoulder. He then leaves the young man be.


Alphonse closes his eyes.


********************************************************************************************************


Location: Blanchard residence, Marseilles, France



In the Blanchard home, Jacques and Soiree are still watching the race. Though they see the team where their grandson belongs to currently leading the race, their faces are not showing any hint of enthusiasm knowing who is currently driving.


Frederic takes a pitcher of cold water from the refrigerator, putting the contents on three glasses, then placing them on the tray. Next he brings it to the living room where they are watching.


"You should be both sleeping by now." Frederic said.


"It's okay..." Soiree replied.


"Besides, it's not Alphonse driving that car right now."


Jacques then stands up and gets a glass of water from the tray.


"I know. We just want to see how that man drives." Jacques replied.

"Look at how that car runs. It's as if he's running away... from responsibility." Jacques remarked.


Frederic knows all too well the fate of his late sister and the events that led to her demise. He can only look at the concerned faces of his parents.

However...



...Frederic displays a grin on his face, a complete opposite from his parents' reactions.





End of Act 10

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 11 - Smashing The Ceilings





The sun is slowly making itself known, eager to watch the bouts taking place in the mountains of Eifel.


It also starts the turnaround for Ferrari's fortunes, coming from the setback last night. Antonio Giovinazzi's stint is finished, and Giacomo awaits at the pit lane.

As the FXX-K halts to have its tires changed, Giovinazzi steps out. The two drivers exchange high fives. Giacomo straps in.

He clasps the steering wheel. De Luca once again takes over the communications.


"Giac, take care."

"I will."



A new set of Soft tires are in order, by Giacomo's request.



The FXX-K then storms off the pit lane.



Meanwhile, at Alpine's paddock, Alphonse is doing stretching routines. Noel approaches him.


"You've gotten a good sleep, I assume."

"I might have overdone it. I should have ran a few laps. I'm sorry, Monsieur."

"No no... don't be. Besides, you are still recovering from the poisoning. The rest of the drivers are fine."


Alphonse stands up and looks at the race footage. He then puts his attention to the FXX-K, and he finds out his best friend is driving it.


"Uh... how far are we from the rest of the grid?"


"A minute at least."


"I see."


"I wish I get to play with Jacques... I mean Giacomo Marelli at the very end."


"No problem. You will get to do that. That honor will be yours."

Giacomo looks at the competition ahead.



"I will make sure to catch that Kanonji guy. Time for some payback!"



His heart was clearly set on fire.

The FXX-K's arsenal of horsepower and electrical boost come into play, completely negating the downforce disadvantage it has.

"Out of my way. You don't interest me."

And just like that, he once again encounters Takuma.

"You lit my fire. I am already wide awake before the sun does. Andiamo!"

Takuma hears that familiar, high-pitched V12 engine roar from behind, prompting him to smirk.



"That's it, amico mio. Come, Giacomo Marelli. Let's dance once again!"


Music: Looka Bomba - GO 2




As Giacomo drafts behind, he then moves further to give a tap on the AMG's rear.

"Let's go! You are the Black Dragon that lit the flame in my heart."

Takuma's grin grows larger as he sees the FXX-K finally overtaking him.

"Now that's a worthy successor! I can't wait to meet you in person. Keep that fire burning, amico mio. You and I have A LOT in common!"

Giacomo then poses another question.


"What's the gap between me and McLaren?"



"10 seconds. But please take caution. It's still dark."



"I know what I'm doing, De Luca. But I will make sure that gap will be eaten away."

De Luca is stunned at the FXX-K's sudden burst of pace. He even compares its sector times to its qualifying ones. His eyes widen when he notices that his current run is much faster than the qualifying pace.


"Giacomo is definitely provoked here. He has gotten... reckless now."


Giacomo no longer pays attention on the ones he left behind.

"I only have ONE rival. The one from La Francia! ALPHONSE BLANCHARD!"

"Okay Giac, gap to McLaren is at 7 seconds."


"Got it."

Another lap begins, and the gap continues to be eaten.



"Okay, 6 seconds."


At the Nordschleife, Giacomo now has a clear sight of the P1 GTR.

"All right, McLaren right in front. I'm gunning for it."


"Okay, track is clear."


The McLaren, driven by Martin Neumann, a German racer part of the McLaren young drivers' programme, feels the pressure.

"The Ferrari..."

Seeing its Formula 1 rival on his side, Giacomo then exclaims...




"FORZA FERRARI!!!"

Giacomo keeps his foot steady on the throttle, knowing he's on the outside line of the hairpin, but then he smirks...

...as he now gets the upper hand on the exit. The McLaren had no room.

"Viene in Ferrari! Ha!"


"You sure keep me awake this early, Giac."



"Hehe, adrenaline is pumping all over me."



Giacomo widens the gap at the remainder of the track without incident, and then another lap begins.

"I'm gunning for the fastest lap. Are we still far from Alpine?"


"We are less than a minute away from them. But... a time attack?"


"I want to awaken Alfonso with this. He needs something to work on."

"That's why you chose Softs?"


"Exactly."


"Oh boy... it's too risky. The track is still too dark."

But then De Luca notices a purple-colored number on the first sector.



Music: Dreamin' Of You - Lolita



"Never mind what I said. Just... be careful. Your father will kill me if something bad happens to you."

De Luca looks at the footage, and he is mesmerized at the precision the FXX-K displays. It clips every single apex.

"Giacomo has broken his own ceiling. I hope Benito is awake to see this. No one has gotten purple sectors at this time of day at the Nurburging... until now."

"He definitely fears NO ONE. That is one thing that a racer ideally should have."

On to Alpine's paddock, both Noel and Alphonse are taken aback at the purple sectors the FXX-K is generating.

Louis compares the times to the ones set by Pierre Gasly in the qualifying. He gasps.



"He had beaten Gasly's times by hundreds of milliseconds in every sector so far!"

"Even if they're minor, it means A LOT in a track like the Nurburgring!"

Alphonse couldn't help but gasp at his rival's newfound speed.




"Jacques... what happened to you? Will I even keep up with you when we face?"

Noel chuckles, on the other hand.



"That's the fruits your rivalry bore. Both of you keep pushing up. Someday, your rivalry with Marelli would be the most exciting ever, and I will pay a lot to see it... front row."

"What does it mean? Simple, it means you are doing very well. He felt the need to step himself up."

"And you are feeling the same way right now, am I right?"


Alphonse slightly tilts his head down, putting his right hand on his chest where his heart is.



"Yes. You are correct."


Noel then places his hand on Alphonse's shoulder.



"That's what a rivalry truly feels. It's a neverending quest of reaching and breaking your personal ceilings."

Alphonse then sees the blitzing FXX-K starting another lap at the main straight.



"Jacques... he's on fire."


He clenches his fists. But then he shows a grin.


"I can't wait to play with you again, Giacomo Marelli. WE MUST DANCE!"





De Luca then smiles, and even applauds upon seeing the fastest lap, and all the sectors showing purple backgrounds.



"Giac, you have beaten Gasly's qualifying lap time. 7 minutes and 52.6 seconds. I repeat, 7 minutes and 52.6 seconds."



Giacomo breathes out a huge sigh.




"I hope you're awake to see this, Alfonso. Try and beat that."







End of Act 11

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 12 - Dawn of Fire



"Okay, Alphonse! Your turn!"


That's what Louis yelled, as Pierre Gasly finishes his stint. The sun is finally making itself known.


Alphonse zips up his overalls, then places his helmet on.


The Alpine BWT team commanded a strong lead, but Gasly encountered a brake issue just as he is about to think of finishing his part. So the team now has to be swift at replacing the brake at the left rear of the car. Gasly removes his helmet, and allows himself to catch some air.


"Sorry, got a brake issue."

"It's okay, Gasly. You did an awesome job. You may now rest."


Noel then calls Alphonse.


"Alphonse, your turn now. Please wait for the brake to be installed."


"Understood, sir."

Noel then places his hand on his son's shoulder.


"Take care... okay?"


Alphonse notices a look of concern coming from his still-estranged father.


"Yes, sir."


The pit crew now gives a signal that all is clear to go.

And just behind, is Giacomo stopping for a tire change. He opts for hard compounds this time. He now sees Alphonse getting inside the car, having recognized the man's stature. Giacomo grins.


"All right... what a great way to start the day. Let's play, Alfonso."



The rivals now exit the pit lane, just as the Vulcan passes by them, taking back its lead. Fernando Alonso is at the helm.


Louis then opens up the radio.

"I hope you are well rested, Alphonse. You are starting the day with a big fight. You, Alonso, and Marelli."


"Jacques? This will be fun, then."

Being on hard compounds, Giacomo has to take easy on the corners, while the R.S.01 is on Softs.

De Luca chimes in.


"Don't be too excited, you are on Hards. I know how eager you are to play with your biggest crush."


"Heh! I'm his biggest fan. I want to see him in full form."

"You're doing good against Alonso, put the pressure up." Louis said as he closely looks at the race footage.


However, the pressure is on the French driver too.

"Andiamo, Alfonso!" Giacomo yells as he dives in the inside.


"What?!" Alphonse exclaims, taken off guard by his rival's attack.

Alphonse smirks and even lets out a giggle.


"Okay, nice one, Jacques. I owe you a large croissant."

The two would then go side-by-side...

But for now, Giacomo gets the upper hand at the exit.



Meanwhile, Alonso briefly muses at the two youthful drivers eager to take the lead away from him.

"Ahhh... how it feels to be young again. I am jealous to both of you. I wish I am as young as you are. But my fire is still burning."

At a hairpin, Alphonse sees a wide opening...

...and instantly snatches it.



"Oi oi! What happened, mon ami?" teased Alphonse as he sees the Ferrari understeered.

Little does Alonso realize, he has formed a tow.


And then all of a sudden...


...the R.S.01 is now on his side.


Music: Face Down - Hotblade



"What the?!" Alonso exclaims.

"Don't worry, WE will leave space for you!" Alphonse said. The FXX-K is following suit, as if a team effort took place.

Giacomo feels grateful on that, now that no one disturbs their bout.




"Thank you for the tow, amico mio. Now we can finally play."

Alonso chuckles.


But it's not yet over for the Spaniard, he dives in.

"Brilliant maneuver, Ferrari. But I have some beef with Alpine."

"Tch! Out of my way, Alonso!"



Alphonse begins his full attack, now that he has the lead on his hands.

"I will commence my record run at the next lap. I have to match Marelli's lap."


"Copy." Louis replied, and then he looks at the course map to see if there are no obstructions or cars that have to be lapped.


"Okay, you are clear for the run. Track is clear, no obstacles. Just take care."


"I will, monsieur."



The Vulcan's pace is getting on Giacomo's nerves. It also displays a faster cornering speed than his.

"You are not part of our duel. I am sorry, but get out of my way."

End of Act 12

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 13 - Jacques and Alfonso... Again



And so begins what could potentially be Alphonse's opportunity to prove his mettle against his Italian rival.

Noel monitors the situation. The sun finally makes itself known and greets its denizens. Noel smiles, seeing the conditions fall into their favor, prompting him to speak to his son.


"You are clear for an all-out run with soft tires. Please exercise caution."



To which Alphonse energetically replies.



"Yes, monsieur. I'll take that in mind!"


Music: Comment Faire - Plastiscines

Giacomo, however, doesn't seem to flail at the slightest.


"Hey mon ami, don't run away from me. Let's play!"


De Luca merely chuckles as he heard that from the radio.


"You can play later. You are on Hards."


"Do you always have to be such as a spoilsport?"


"Just keeping you in reality, Giac. That R.S.01 is on softs. You agitated your French lovebird."

In the RS, Alphonse looks at the road ahead, but aware that Giacomo is putting in the pressure.

"Catch me, mon ami. I'll beat your record while you're at it."

Humor has then turned into amazement, as Giacomo witnesses the R.S.01's incredible cornering finesse that made it stand on top of qualifying yesterday.

Noel puts up a grin as he sees his son garnering purple sectors.



"I know I haven't raised him for all his life, but I can definitely say that I am already proud of him. I can confidently say, that this is a facsimile of my younger days as a racer."



Music: Wanna Be Your Emotion - Lolita

"Oh how I wish I can turn back time and focused on looking for Olivia."

"Maybe the best I can do... is to make sure to steer him into the right path. I don't want him to end up like me."

Louis, however, sees some peculiarities in the sector times.

"On high speed sectors, he still is purple, but only a few milliseconds from Giacomo. But on technical ones, he's hundreds of milliseconds faster. The final sector will be crucial. The Ferrari may be faster overall. The Nurburgring is considered as a power circuit."

Noel chimes in.


"Though it is too risky for Alphonse to go all-out after Karrusell."


Louis begs to differ, and chuckles.



"You don't know him at all, monsieur. Alphonse is the Karting world champion. I trained him in the most rigorous, most technical karting courses all over the world. If anything, he should be giving his all in tight sections. Those moments were the only ones I was the most ruthless to him. I even punished him by not giving supper after he lost control in a practice session."

"But then it gave the most impressive results. I swore to myself not to give that treatment to Alphonse ever again, and I showered him with the things you weren't able to give."

And after a few moments, Alphonse ends the lap. The timer recorded 7 minutes and 52.684 seconds, almost identical to Giacomo's, being just .084 of a second slower. A green sector shows up as a result.


Louis then opens up the radio.


"Great job, Alphonse. 7 minutes, 52.684 seconds. You almost got Giacomo... almost."


"What? A green sector at the end?"


"Correct. But still a stellar performance. You have even beaten Gasly's record, so that's something to be proud of."


Alphonse breathes out a sigh.


"Oh.. okay. I guess that is great news. Thank you."


Then, De Luca reports Alphonse's lap time to Giacomo.

"Your friend almost got you. 7 minutes and 52.684 seconds. You are only 0.084 seconds faster."


Giacomo smirks.


"Heh... I'm proud of him. I'm happy that I made him faster. That's what rivals do."



Back in the Alpine paddock, Noel takes off his headphones and heads back to the motorhome accompanied by Hugo.



"You want some coffee too, Hugo?"


"I don't mind, sir."


"How I wish, I can say that I am so proud of him as his father."


"Best for you not to divulge everything for now. Keep playing the part as the dutiful FIA president. Tomorrow, you have meetings in Paris."


"I am aware of that. There are already individuals questioning my decisions."


"And as for the one who sent that DNA result, I have narrowed down the postal offices in Nice where the result came from. However, it turns out, none have matching records of that letter."


"Meaning?"


"It was sent to your office... personally."



"But who could send that? The security won't just let in random people in the premises. And the stamp... it's clearly from Nice."


"Anyone can just buy a stamp and put it on an envelope these days. The person who did this was clever, truth be told. He led us into this goose chase in Nice when in fact there was none to be found."


"We have to find this person at the soonest. I won't harm him or anything, I just wish to talk. If this lingers..."


"If this lingers, he or she will find a grand opportunity to expose you, and that can cost you your position in the FIA."


"Alphonse will be heavily involved if this happens. I have to act."





End of Act 13

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 14 - That's What Friends Are For



Noel and Hugo help themselves with a light breakfast to start the day. As Hugo looks outside, he notices the rather drab atmosphere.


"Seems like it's going to rain."


Noel takes a sip of black coffee. He then places it back on the small plate.


"We've got to get going. A light breakfast is all we can afford for now. A lot of things to think of."


"If I were you, I'd focus on this race. Tomorrow is merely another day."


"Hehehe... you won't say that bit."


"Well, it's a day typical for an FIA president, isn't it?"


"Now I have to add being the daddy dearest to Alphonse. Specifically, how to be one."


The pair then return to the pit garage. Noel checks the weather radar. Rain clouds are about 100 kilometers away.


"Better prepare Intermediates and Wets."



Meanwhile, over to Unicorn Media, it's time for another driver change. Barry once again takes the helm along with a new set of hard tires.


Mila is looking at the telemetry, and is also made aware of the impending showers.


"Going to rain again. Looks gloomy outside already."

Barry blitzes through, with his mind clear for now. There's no space for his personal troubles.

Back in Unicorn Media's pit garage, Mila excuses herself to take a breather. Even she needs a little space after all she saw last night.


And once again, Sophy walks by. Mila clenches her fist.



"Looking for Barry? He's driving now."


Sophy smiles.


"I see. But I came here to apologize, and I hope you put THAT incident behind us."


Mila breathes out a sigh. And then she jolts, taking Sophy with her, forcefully pulling her until they reach the restrooms. She then slams Sophy against the wall.


"Listen to me, I will speak to you not as a journalist, nor a racer, but as a friend. Barry's friend. You will only hear this once, so better keep your ears open."


"What seems to be the trouble, dear?"


"Don't smirk at me like that, missy. I don't care if you're some in-demand top model with a prestigious degree in some university in Nice. None of those can cover the fact that you are a delusional, obsessed homewrecker. And as a woman, I find it disgusting. I do not condone what Barry did, either. In fact, I am repulsed at him right now. But I value my friends so much, that I am willing to risk my job if it means protecting them. You ruined not just his life, but his family too."


Sophy can only giggle.


"What's so funny?"


"Oh dear, I still have a hold on him. Even firmer now that we have a child coming. I had him first before his wife, for your information. We go way back."


"Oh, so that's how you look at men? The early bird catches the worm? You let that worm slip away. That's not how relationships work, sweetie. Do not hound him like he's your possession. He has moved on. The only thing he can do for you is to raise that child as a responsible parent."


"And who are you now? Some sort of gatekeeper? You are a journalist."


"And so? Do you think I will just sugarcoat how I feel? True journalism does not work that way, sweetie. Truth hurts. And let me remind you, that I am willing to kill for my friends if push comes to shove. I have been intimidated by powerful individuals before and not once did I waiver; you are nothing but a mere trash covered in a Chanel dress with sequins. So, I am already warning you. You'd better back off or else you'll end up more than just bruises. Now go."


Mila lets go of Sophy and then starts to walk away, but then she stops and turns around to look at Sophy once more.


"Oh by the way, how's Bob? I would love to catch up with him too. I heard he's now a motoring journalist in Unicorn Media UK. I think I might have a cup of coffee with him. A casual talk!"



Mila shows a smirk, which then prompts Sophy to hyperventilate, seething.



Back in the race, Barry notices the clouds getting darker.


Music: Lockdown - Logic Ufo

"First thing in the morning, already?" Barry sighs.

What happened last night still leaves a profound impact on Barry. He tries his best to push it aside for the sake of the race, but it's just too strong to resist it.


"I can't let this get to me. I have a race to finish... and Mila is mad at me."



As if on cue, Mila opens up the radio communications.



"Barry? What's your status?"


"Mila? Oh... the tires are fine. No maladies to report."


"Good to hear."

Knowing that she speaks to him, even at least on a professional basis, it is more than enough motivation for Barry. He then applies more throttle input.


"Hey Mila... thank you."


"Thank you for what?"


"Providing motivation."


"We're teammates. Every one of us here in the paddock has to work together. The other drivers owe it to you as well. They were inspired by your driving too."



"Glad to hear."



"Well... I'm also doing this because we're friends."


"Thank you. Really..."


"Just keep focused, please?"

"I will. Don't worry about me."

Barry has renewed vigor.


"I am racing not just for myself. Luca is watching too. I will tell them the truth, even if it will shatter us to millions of pieces. I can take all the time I need to rebuild."

Barry's F1-level driving skills once again overwhelms the class he and his team are competing in.

"I will only look forward from now on. I am not afraid of the repercussions I will face."







End of Act 14

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 15 - Watch Me!

The showers have returned to spice up the morning, but then it was brief. Noel manages to keep the lead with Intermediate tires. The surface dries up.

He then presses the radio button.


"I will box. Prepare Mediums."


"Copy understood."

The team then prepare a new set of Medium tires. Alphonse runs up to see the action.


And in a brief, slow motion-esque moment, Noel looks at his right, aiming his gaze at Alphonse. He then shows a thumbs up.


Alphonse smiles, and reciprocates. The young man would then ponder.


"A thumbs up? Not that I don't deserve it... but we aren't close. But why do I feel some sense of familiarity?"


The R.S.01 rockets away from the pit lane to join the fray.


Giovinazzi and Owen Hatch manage to steal back the top spots.

"My son is watching me. I cannot afford to squander this opportunity. It's the least I can do for him."

It's an effortless task for Noel since the other cars still run on Intermediates. He still exercises caution as the track is still drying up, damp to say the least.

Alphonse and Louis are watching the footage.


"Monsieur Chevalier is truly amazing, isn't he?"


"Of course. He wouldn't be the FIA president if he has no credentials."


At the Aremberg, the P1 GTR's tires gave out, making the car lose control completely.

"Sorry for you, mon ami. But I can't afford to flail around."

As Louis look at the weather radar, he is taken by shock as he once again detects rain clouds in the 100 km radius, approaching rapidly.


"Merde..."


"What is it?"


"Alphonse, it's going to rain again."


Swiftly, Alphonse gets the headset, and turns on the radio.


"Monsieur, heavy precipitation ahead."


Noel notices the darkness once again enveloping the atmosphere.

And then drops of water splash down on the windshield, prompting Noel to turn on the wiper.


"Okay, I will return. Please prepare Intermediates."

"Understood, sir."


Hearing his son making the alert, Noel smiles.



"I guess I should be happy about that. I should really read a book about fatherhood."


That joy was quickly washed away by the sudden downpour, and despite his best attempts to hasten his return, the track has gotten slippery for him to slow down.

"Too late! I have to crawl all the way to the pits, I suppose."

Giovinazzi manages to brush past.

"Just a little more. Their Intermediates are worn out from the damp surface earlier. I have got fresh ones after pitting."

The pit crew, as if on autopilot, switch the tires with such speed and precision close to that of F1 pit stops.

With the precipitation adding to the already treacherous race, Noel just puts his right foot down on the accelerator.


"Maybe they forget, I was once a rally driver. Rally drivers fear NOTHING."


Music: Elements of Trance - ACM

Alphonse is awestruck at Noel's finesse on the rain.


"I could never drive like that on the rain."

Louis chuckles, briefly disregarding the fact that he still holds contempt towards Noel.


"He's a rally driver. Any condition would work in their favor. That's what separates them from F1 drivers."

"If anything, F1 drivers can learn a thing or two from rally drivers and endurance racers on how to adapt to severe conditions."

Noel finally takes back the lead.



"From this point on, I shall be a better role model. One day, Alphonse... one day... I can finally... truly hug you."

"Watch me. Watch how fast your father is... right now. You made me young once more."

"ALLONS-Y!" Noel yelled over the radio, letting his determination known to the team.


Alphonse puts up a grin, knowing that he utters the same catchphrase.





End of Act 15

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 16 - Double-Edged



The rest of the morning went on without any incident, a miracle considering how dangerous the track is. And the weather has finally cooperated, with the heat of the sun completely drying up the surface providing every racer the opportunity to push to the limit.

There is only just one hour left, every team is giving whatever they can to make sure their racers get to the top.


The hyper hybrids - the P1 GTR and the FXX-K - take the top two spots, as the BWT team suffered another minor setback which involves the suspension, costing them the lead by a huge margin.


Alphonse is now at the helm, taking the final stint of the race, hoping to turn the fortunes around.


Music: Comment Faire - Plastiscines

Louis and Noel take control of the communications.



"You are gaining on the hybrids, you're doing great." Louis said as he monitors the race map.


"Okay. Thank you." Alphonse replied, followed by a brief sigh.

Then Alphonse hums on certain notes, and then...

Comment faire si tu fais tout à l'envers
Comment faire si tu fais tout de travers
Comment faire si tu ne te comprends pas et si je t'indiffère
Regarde, regarde, regarde autour de toi
Regarde! Regarde! Regarde pourquoi je ne sais pas
Regarde! Regarde! Regarde tes désires ne sont pas


​

"Is he singing?" Noel asked.


Louis chuckles, having been familiar with the lyrics. It's Alphonse's favorite song - Comment Faire by Plastiscines.


"His favorite song. He sings it when he feels tense or nervous."


"Very fitting."


Alphonse then sings the chorus once more.

Comment faire, comment faire
Comment faire si tu fais tout à l'envers
Comment faire si tu fais tout de travers
Comment faire si tu ne te comprends pas et si je t'indiffère
Regarde, regarde, regarde autour de toi
Regarde! Regarde! Regarde pourquoi je ne sais pas
Regarde! Regarde! Regarde tes désires ne sont pas​

"Never knew you have such a good voice, mon ami." Noel remarked.


"You heard that?! I'm sorry... I just sing when I feel I don't know what to do."


"It's completely okay. As long as it helps you do your task properly, then by all means sing to your heart's content."


"Those hybrid cars are so fast. One minute, I keep up in the corners, then they blast away."


Noel clears his throat.


"Everything has a weakness, Alphonse. I am in the FIA, let me tell you, I see all sorts of gadgets in production and racing cars alike. Those hybrids may be fast, but what makes them rapid is also causing them to slow down."


"I'll keep this brief. Performance hybrids suffer in endurance races, especially with those two track toys ahead of you. They weren't built to last on an endurance race to begin with, yet I am just amazed on how their respective manufacturers modified them to perform well on this one. Despite that, they don't fully charge their batteries no matter how many laps they do braking.

And once they run out on the straight, you have a better chance of keeping up. We have an overall better car, perhaps the best on this grid. Patience will be our weapon here. A lot can happen in one hour."

Alphonse grips the wheel tightly.



"Thank you for the advice, monsieur Chevalier."


And Noel's point is proven correct, Giacomo's FXX-K is within his range.

"Gotcha."


Music: Looka Bomba - GO2

Giacomo sees a speck of the R.S.01 at the rear view mirror. He puts up a grin.


"That's right. I can't wait to play with you again."


And when the two rivals finally meet...

"Ciao!" Alphonse exclaimed.


And then takes the inside, taking advantage of the FXX-K's understeer.

"Oi, amico mio! Don't leave me!" Giacomo yelled.


Alphonse's cornering finesse once again baffles Giacomo.

"Heh! Show off!"

And finally, the lead once again lands on Alphonse's hands. The P1 GTR's battery charge is completely drained out, that even slight charging on the brakes won't be enough to make ground up.

"Those batteries are dead weight now!"

Then on the beginning of the next lap, Owen notices the extreme temperatures coming from the engine. He then slows down.


"Engine overheating. I think I have to retire this one. I'm so sorry, guys."

De Luca then reports the situation to Giacomo.


"The McLaren retires. Yellow flag. Yellow flag."

Giacomo heeds to the instruction, but he also smirks.



"All right... once the flag is gone... Alfonso and I will once again dance. Let the world see this!"




Racing fans all across the world are also aware of the most intense rookie rivalry, making rounds on social media as of late. Now that the two are once again battling it out on the final leg, the spectators... and even the viewers at the comfort of their own homes are hanging on their seats, with some even cheering wildly.

Some even see it as a repeat of their duel on this very track on the final round of the World Touring Car Championship.



In Marseilles, Jacques and Soiree are also watching closely at their grandson taking the lead. But they also notice Giacomo keeping up.



"Isn't Giacomo his best friend and rival? This will be an exciting battle... just like they had before."


"He will win this. I am sure of it, Jacques."



"Regardless of the result, we will hug him tightly once he gets home."


"Agreed, and I will cook his favorite dish."


Frederic smiles as he sees his parents gleefully talk about their grandson. But then his smile disappears as he once again looks at the framed photo of his late sister.





End of Act 16


AUTHOR'S NOTES:


- Next act will be the final part of this race, and then another will serve to close this story arc.

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 17 - Jacques and Alfonso... Again

Giacomo pushes with everything he has, now that there are only minutes left before the race ends.


"How many minutes left, De Luca?"


"30 minutes. By your pace, this is your first of 4 laps."


"Got it."


Meanwhile, Alphonse doesn't even have a room to relax despite knowing he has the lead.

"I'm... the car's starting to understeer."


"We cannot afford to pit, your best friend is right on your tail. If we do so, we have effectively thrown the race."


"How many minutes left, monsieur Louis?"


"Around 30 minutes. 4 laps. Conserve your grip whenever you can."

Alphonse begins to feel the steering wheel fighting back.


"I have to... hold on."

Giacomo catches on to Alphonse's setback.



"So... I'm not the only one having handling problems. It's really the tires."


He then grins, as he takes it as a sign of a no-holds-barred battle.


Music: Project D II - Initial D Fifth Stage Sound Files


"But... I'm even happier. This is another battle to remember, Alfonso! Give that to me!"

The FXX-K powers its way at the Dottinger Hohe straight, taking advantage of the KERS system.

De Luca muses the differences between P1 GTR's hybrid system and the FXX-K's.



"Ferrari built the LaFerrari to have KERS prioritizing performance in mind, unlike the P1's system which can also be used in daily commutes. The FXX-K took that a step further. The system found in Giacomo's car is to ensure consistent power delivery, not just short bursts in acceleration. Once we pit, it's fully charged thanks to FIA's new Supercharging ports for hybrid racers. While the P1 GTR can corner and even exit better than our Ferrari, ours last longer because the system sparingly uses its charge, rather than burst all-out. That's why even after a few laps, our lap times are more consistent than the McLaren's. And now in this case, Giacomo can make up the advantage we lost in cornering, when the engine and the battery work in perfect harmony."

"But... even with that kind of advantage, all KERS systems have limited capacity. The longer we race, the more limited we can capture and reuse that energy. We still have to rely on fully charging the car on the pit stops rather than mere coasting and braking."





And in the footage, it is clear that the R.S.01 has a finer cornering than the FXX-K.

"And the obvious fact: Our car is heavier. The Renault's cornering prowess provides more than enough challenge for the Ferrari.


Giac, I know you want to "play" with your friend, but we have limited time left. Better make your move. And do it wisely."

Giacomo still marvels at his rival's cornering finesse, despite the tire struggles.



"You really do make that car move gracefully through the turns, eh? You want to punish your tires a lot."

Alphonse no longer cares for the tires. He reminisces the last bout the duo had, still fresh in his memory.



"The tires are wearing thin. But..."

"...I HAVE TO WIN THIS TIME AROUND! I want to make this even!"




But it's clear that both cars have a fair share of strengths and weaknesses. And an even fight equals to that of entertainment for the millions of spectators.

Alphonse, meanwhile, also notices the same struggle Giacomo has.

"We're both suffering. It's as if we're two beaten and bruised boxers still trying to outpunch each other, waiting for the last man standing."

Then Alphonse overtakes Giacomo on the outside.

And in the Dottinger Hohe, Alphonse attempts to cover the inside lane under the Bridge, but clearly absolute power rules all.


Giacomo sees a gap.

...and squeezes past, trading metal to metal.



"Don't shut the door, amico mio! Friends leave them open, right?"

"Ayrton Senna once said, if you no longer go for a gap that exists, then you're no longer a racing driver!"

Alphonse smirks, impressed by the Italian driver's maneuver.

Second to the last lap...

The spectators and viewers can't afford to look away at the footage as excitement further escalates, with positions are being traded.

Even Louis is sweating just by watching the footage. Noel has the same level of anxiety, but he covers it up by chuckling.



"Hehehehehe. Oh what a battle to behold, considering the two are considered rookies. Can we still even call them that?"

Alphonse now resorts to slow-in, fast out method to at least conserve what little rubber there is left on all four corners.

"I'm getting away... right?"


"Yes... but not by much. Marelli is still in your range."

And then the final lap... the spectators at the main straight have a standing ovation as they see the two drivers duking it out for one last time.

Music: F1 Theme - Brian Tyler

Both cars are clearly showing signs of struggle, as they veer away from their racing lines.

But the drivers are just as fatigued. Perhaps the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak...

Both drivers are fighting the understeer. The excessive oscillation of their steering wheels are something that hampers their chances.

Then Giacomo sees an opening...



"THERE!"

And buries the accelerator, using whatever that's left in the battery charge.


With the FXX-K fleeting, Alphonse then breathes out a sigh...

"I gotta hand it to you, mon ami..."


But then something came in his mind. A reminder from the past.

"Hey Alphonse, I think this is it. This is the only time we have met. During the race, I already felt that you have that flame inside you, burning. Keep it that way. Don't let others snuff it out. One day, you'll be able to achieve your goal."


"Keep on racing, Alphonse."


"Who knows? But listen. You have a promising future ahead of you. Keep on racing and don't let anything bring you down. I will be watching."


​

And in what seems to be a snap decision, Alphonse buries the throttle, clasping the steering wheel tighter. A single tear sheds from his eye.



"Thank you, Kevin Kern. Thank you!"


Louis hears that from the radio. He smiles.


With renewed vigor, Alphonse resumes his charge. Giacomo, on the other hand, could no longer bear the FXX-K's understeer even on high speed turns.

"I'm no longer driving a prancing horse!"


And in the Klosteral, the R.S.01 charges, as if letting out its last roar.

Giacomo looks to his left, his eyes widened as sees Alphonse on his side one more time.

"That's the fighting spirit! ANDIAMO!"


Despite the vigor of the two drivers, the cars are showing massive understeer on the next right hand kink.

And both are sent off course, prompting the spectators to gasp... even the crews in the pit garages have gotten anxious.

"BOTH ARE ON THE GRASS!"

"This is way too exciting! Never seen a 24-hour race this TENSE!"


Only one makes it out of predicament...

...and that's Alphonse, feathering the throttle.


The FXX-K has completely lost its bearing.

"NO!!!"


Upon seeing Alphonse's successful recovery from the predicament, the entire crew of Alpine BWT's pit garage exclaim and jump for joy, including the other drivers.


"YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!"

A teary-eyed Alphonse then speaks over the radio.


"I did it... I won this time. And.... this win... is also for you, Kevin Kern. Thank you. Thank you very much."



Meanwhile, Giacomo also smiles.

"Grande, Alfonso. Grande. I guess we REALLY are even now."



The checkered flag is then waved. The entirety of Alpine BWT team rush out of the pit lane to celebrate their overall win. This victory is indeed worthy in the history books of the French performance marque, which had undergone countless struggles in motorsports as of late.

End of Act 17

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 18 - A New Path for Motorsport​

It's a day of celebration for Alpine. Their long drought has finally been ended. The entire crew rush to Alphonse as the young racer returns to the pit garage.

Alphonse's teary eyes are a clear indication of joy, as he finally took the victory. Louis comes over to hug him, and the rest of the drivers including Gasly all applaud.

Noel smiles as well.


"I'm proud of you, my boy. Wish I can tell the truth right now, but I don't want to spoil the joyous air."


"Monsieur... I'm tired. I don't even want to go to school tomorrow."


Everyone laugh at Alphonse's statement, but it was more of relieving all of the stress and fatigue everyone experienced. Louis chuckles at the thought.


"Who says you should?"


Alphonse, as habit dictates, gets his phone to call his grandparents.



"Hello? Hey! I won."


"YES! We know! We watched the entire race along with your uncle Frederic. We have a special dinner prepared for you when you come home. We're so proud of you, Alphonse. We can't wait to see you!"


"Me too... me too... I have no words right at the moment. Another prestigious race. I cannot believe that I have managed to win it."


"Same goes to us. Okay, have fun there and make sure you hold on to the trophy, okay?"


"I will, mémé."


The call ends, and Alphonse breathes out a sigh. He finds a chair and takes a seat. He then breathes out once more. Closing his eyes, he mutters.


"Thank you, Kevin."




Noel passes by the pit garage, and sees his sleeping son. He can only show a smile. Hugo joins him.



"I must assume you are very proud of him."


"I want to tell him everything... but..."


"Don't. Repercussions will be huge."



An hour later, the podium celebration commences. Team BWT stands on the top spot of the podium, with the four drivers smiling in front of the camera. The gold trophy is then handed over, and Noel personally distributes it to Alphonse.


"You earned this. You must hold it."


Alphonse takes the trophy, and raises it up high, with an even bigger smile. Giacomo looks at him, smiling too. And then the champagne shower takes place. He sprinkles it to everyone, and then vigorously on to Alphonse.


"Take that! Hahahaha!"


And after that, all drivers then leave the podium to make way for the other classes. Giacomo approaches Alphonse.


"You did well, man that was rough."


"Agree. Damn you know how to push."


The two then briefly hug.


"Let's play in the next race."


"Absolutely. Oh, mind if I add you on Twitch?"


"I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT, ALFONSO! I'm bored every night waiting for my request to be accepted."


"Sorry! I can only play and stream for a few hours because I have school to deal with."


"Fine. Hey, sim racing only, okay? I hate FPS."


"Okay, and don't show your biceps in the stream. They're distracting."


"I'll keep on wearing sleeveless, amico mio."


"The loser will wear a watermelon suit in the next stream."


"Deal."


********************************************************************************************************




Location: FIA Headquarters, Paris, France
Time: 10 am, the next day



Applause is heard all over the board room, as Noel gets inside. Hugo is standing on the other end of the room. The board room is filled with stakeholders, media representatives, and other FIA high-ranking officials.


"Thank you all for the welcome. But let us now proceed to business, shall we?"


The secretary then flashes a presentation in the middle. The guests pore over the screen, as well as the folders that were distributed to them each.


"As you can see, the Super Formula championship will start in a matter of months. The preparations are complete. Now, let us just go over once again with the structure."



The next slide is then presented.



"The structure is inspired from F1, but of course there will be key differences. Chief of which is the practice. There will be no Free Practice days, and instead teams are given the liberty to test the cars on their own leisure, given that the races will be held every two weeks. The extra time they have will be useful for them to simulate their settings. This way, the F1 races will still be viewed but the Super Formula category will have increased exposure thanks to this new pattern."


A media representative from Sky Sports raises his hand.


"A question. Won't this impact the viewing revenue generated by F1? After all, this is where the bulk of motorsport fans are watching. Provided that F1 has the summer break and a month-long break in fall, F1 fans want to see race days as frequent as they can."

Noel smirks and clears his throat.


"Thank you for the question. As you see, that's where the problem is. F1 is overexposed. The other racing categories are barely even watched by niche followers. I want to make sure that the ENTIRE motorsport is recognized, and provide more opportunities for young and aspiring talents. I even want to quash the notion that F1 is a billionaire's playground. Through this new structure, more sponsors will be able to watch and scout for prospective talents, and ultimately they will achieve that highest level.

Surely you must be aware, that there are other racing categories that mainland European media outlets are happy to cover, such as the FIA GT3, and World Endurance Championship and yet viewership remains low because of the impact F1 is making.

The organizers of Super Formula are very eager to make this global, and they are willing to open themselves up to the much larger stage if it means more sponsorships and driver entries, and the FIA welcomes this idea warmly."


The rest of the FIA officials do nod in agreement.


"Now, if I must resume the topic. The Super Formula championship will have 10 rounds, in circuits across the world, which is a break from the Japan-only race circuits of the past. The races will have a duration of 1 hour each, as opposed to 1 hour and 30 minute racing of Formula 1. The qualifying style will be similar. There will be Q1, Q2, and Q3. And as mentioned earlier, there will be no Free Practice sessions. The rationale is that this will make the SF series more affordable for both the teams, and viewers alike. And as you all know, all Super Formula cars are provided by Dallara, with a new change being, the teams are free to choose on making their own engines or rely on the Honda and Toyota units just as long as they have 2 liter turbocharged engines with push-to-pass systems."


The Super Formula championship is further discussed as hours go by. And then after the snack break, Noel leads the guests to a special facility in the building.


It's a large room used for functions and galas, but no shindig takes place. Instead, they are greeted by this...

Noel then stands in front of the car, showing a smirk.



"What is this car, you may ask? Well... this is the fruit of collaboration with Adrian Newey. He had been working for a decade to realize his vision of the most exciting racing series, raising the bar even higher than Formula 1."


The media then proceed on taking photos.



"In a matter of three or four years, there will come a new racing series... dubbed the FORMULA X!"


Noel pauses as he smiles through the camera flashes of the media. This shall make headlines.


"Major manufacturers have already expressed their interest in participating. Two are confirmed to join, such as Red Bull Racing Ford Powertrains and... of course... Ferrari."




The rest of the day was spent entertaining questions. And at the evening, Noel and Hugo proceed to the office.



"Scotch, Mr. Deschamps?"


"Thank you."


Noel pours scotch in two glasses with ice. He then hands over one to his assistant. Next, he goes to the large window, viewing the glamorous Parisian nightlife.


"What a day."


"Indeed it is. I'm pretty sure people will start to accept this change."


"I want the motoring world to realize that there is more than just open-cockpit single seaters. And I want ACTUAL talent to make it through the highest level. We've had too much nepo babies."

Noel then shakes the glass and takes a sip.


"It's because of Alphonse... he showed that with pure talent, he was able to rise up. He came from humble beginnings. He's like Hamilton or Vettel."


"Well, speaking of... don't take this the wrong way, but it is wise NOT to stay close to him. Especially on the "nepo baby" part. People will start to suspect."


"I know. But the threat is still there, a ticking time bomb. We don't even know who sent it. Better that he gets mad at me for telling the truth rather than someone else doing it and cause a major scandal."



Noel sighs.



"Hugo, keep on investigating. I will be heading to Nice... to Alphonse's apartment. I want to try "bonding" with him."


"Understood. But don't forget my suggestion."


"I will keep that in mind."



********************************************************************************************************



Location: Nice, France
Time: 1 pm, the next day



Alphonse's online classes have ended, and he has the rest of the day to relax and to do homework. He currently settles in a rented home just nearby the university, paid for Louis despite Alphonse's protests.


As he is about to open up the blanket and have a little nap on the bed, he hears a loud, idling engine sound from outside. Curious, he looks out of the window. He sees a red Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR parked across the street. Stepping out of the car is none other than Noel.

Alphonse then quickly heads downstairs, and greets Noel.


"Good afternoon, monsieur. What brings you here?"


"Ah... are you busy? Do you have other online classes today?"


"No, sir. Tomorrow I will be in the university, though. But today I'm free."


"Perfect then. Don't you mind... having a little time together? Well, as a reward for your victory in the race. I will show you how to rally."


"Rallying?"


"Yes. I will give you a free lesson on how to drive on dirt. Shall we go?"


Alphonse smiles at the thought of another drive. After all, school can get boring no matter what method of instruction is used.


"Oh.. okay! I'll get dressed!"


"Great! I will be waiting here."



After twenty minutes, Alphonse returns outside, with a knapsack. He locks the front door and joins Noel. They leave the area.




They then enter in a small property housing a dirt circuit, just half an hour away. Since it's a weekday, no one is in the track.


"We have all the track all by ourselves. Even better. Now, can we switch places?"


"Okay." Alphonse said as he puts his helmet on.


Alphonse takes the helm, while Noel being the passenger beside.


"Okay, let's move."



Alphonse changes gears through the shifter. He then looks at the rough, dirt surface.


"Rallying is a completely different discipline. Your knowledge about racing on smooth, tarmac circuits might be thrown away because of this. You will have an entirely new perspective after this."


The car is at a slow pace at first, as Alphonse listens to Noel.


"You have to brake and turn earlier than the usual. After all, surfaces like this provide little to no friction."

"Got it. Brake and turn early."

The Evo does comply with Alphonse's inputs, it has a slight slip angle on the right hand turn.

"Okay, then turn to the left, and keep your foot buried on the throttle."


Alphonse is completely thrown off by the car's oversteer, which is a far cry from the race cars he has driven so far.


"It's sliding... is this okay?"


"That's the way."

"The best way to have yaw on surfaces like this is to completely let the car slide. That is why you see rally cars drifting often."


Alphonse then sighs, and actually notices something different. It's as if the car is dancing along.


"Wow... this car behaves gently. I don't know how to put it, but if I want it to slide, it will do so."

"This is actually fun! Sometimes I want to get away from the circuit and do this. Hehe."


Noel smiles.


"Mind if I take the helm this time around? I'll show you how to do it."

"Sure. I want to see how you do it. Monsieur Louis once told me that rally drivers have no fear."


Alphonse then pulls over, and then the two men change places. Noel shifts to 1st gear, and slams hard on the throttle. Alphonse gasps on the acceleration as his head is being pushed back against the bucket seat.



"There's a corner coming up! Shouldn't he even be braking by now?!"


Noel just takes his right foot off the accelerator, and yanks the steering wheel aggressively.

"Woah!" Alphonse is taken aback by the cornering speed. Noel then steers to the opposite direction, with the foot now hard on the accelerator.

"Is this... Is this how rally drivers...?"


"Correct. We just throw the car on the corners. We brake differently."


And then his right foot is still planted on the pedal on the next high speed corner.

"I'm seeing almost like a tunnel vision. Louis is right, THEY HAVE NO FEAR!"

"Alphonse, I'm doing this because you are moving up once again. And this time around, it's an unforgiving level in which you cannot afford to be flail and cower. If there's one thing that F1 and Rally drivers have in common..."

"...they are both fearless. They don't mind having to ding their car just to be a millisecond faster. I saw hesitation on your part during that 24-hour race. Super Formula does not welcome any doubts."

"And this is just one of my ways of showing you that I can be a good father. Good parents inspire children, right? I have yet to make up for everything, and I accept that."

"I will let the world judge me on how terrible I am as a man, but I will definitely show naysayers that I can be a reliable provider for my son."

"Alphonse, I hope this will inspire you to be a better driver... no... a much better person than I am."




********************************************************************************************************




Location: Circuit de St. Croix, France
Time: 3 pm, one week later



Alphonse and the BWT team are now hard at work testing the SFA-23. Their recent victory in the Nurburgring 24 Hour race provides them with all the inspiration they need to perform at the highest levels of motorsport.

Alphonse has gotten a completely new outlook in racing, all thanks to that short rallying session with Noel a week prior.

He steps on the accelerator earlier, learning something from that experience. The single seater complies, unleashing copious amounts of downforce on the corners, inspiring confidence for the young man.

"That experience with Monsieur Chevalier taught me a lot of things. I learned that I lacked something. Something that even Giacomo has."

"This time around..."

"...I WILL BE FEARLESS. I will stand up and show the world what an Alphonse Blanchard can do!"

THE END
​

 

[RCKakashi14]

MISTRAL


Alphonse Blanchard now enters the grueling, cutthroat world of single-seater racing. Along with it, comes with life-changing challenges that will set an entire new trajectory for the aspiring French racer.


Aspirations shall clash in this high-octane, high drama story arc.




​

NEW CHARACTERS:

​

Maaya Kumamoto:

Age: 18
Nationality: Japanese

Background: Maaya Kumamoto is the sole female driver who makes it to the Super Formula championship. She made her mark in Japan competing in Formula 4 and 3 championships scoring podiums and wins in the male-dominated sport.

She gained her racing acumen from the same karting academy that Alphonse took part of in France. The two met in the track, first as rivals, then eventually grew closer. However, as she has gained new opportunities back home, she has to leave with a heavy heart, and of course a broken-hearted Alphonse.

And now, their paths shall cross once more...




Lourenço Pereira:

Age: 35
Nationality: Portuguese

Background: Lourenço Pereira made it to the racing world thanks to connections. While his racing skills are above average, it is obvious in his racing circles that it only took him a few nudges and favors to enter in racing series he wishes to partake in.

He shares an intense rivalry with the Spanish driver, Cesar Vasquez. Although he has moved on from the fact that the Spaniard married his former flame, Charlotte, he will stop at nothing to prove that he is a better driver...


...even if he is to use his shady connections.



Frederic Blanchard:

Age: 40
Nationality: French

Background: Frederic is the younger sibling of the late Olivia Blanchard. He doted on his sister so much, inspiring him to be a much better person than he was in his ruffian years. He worked hard to straighten himself up, eventually became a respected professor of health and science in the Côte d'Azur University in Nice, France.

Being close to his sister, he knew very well her sister's personal struggles especially her delicate pregnancy carrying Alphonse in her womb. He got livid after knowing the father of the child - Noel Chevalier - and his well-documented dalliances with women.






Act 1 - Purpose



"Let's go! We have to make it to Paris by night. Uncle Frederic is waiting for us there!"

Alphonse is hurriedly placing the suitcases in the back of their Renault Clio R.S. hatchback. He had planned this trip along with saving up for it for a long time.


His grandparents, Jacques and Soiree are switching off the gas lines, and shut off the main electricity source.


"We're coming! Just let us take care of the gas and electricity." Jacques replied.


"Okay. But it takes eight hours to get to Paris with this car... six if I drive like a madman."

"No no, Alphonse. Please drive safely. We already appreciate you driving for us this time. And you did all the spending too, including the hotel." Soiree said.


The grandparents finally exit the home, with Soiree locking the front door. The trio then enter the car with the rest of their luggage. Alphonse starts up the engine. And once everyone buckles in, Alphonse presses down on the accelerator.


"Thank you, Alphonse." Soiree said as she places down her small bag on the left side of the rear passenger seat.


"I want to pay you back for everything you did for me. This is just one among the many."


Jacques then said, "You don't have to. You should focus now on building a life for yourself. You are 18 now. Don't mind us anymore."


"I see that, but you're like my parents too. Let me make it up to you... please?"


The bright morning sun further livens up Alphonse's mood. He sees the people going about with their usual chores.


"And it's nice to spend a holiday somewhere else... apart from the sea." he adds.


"Paris is chaotic, you know?" Soiree said as she straightens her coat.


"I agree, but monsieur Louis took me there more than once and I think it's also nice to see sights in the city."



"Well, young man, where will you take us next time?" Jacques asked.


"Hmmmm.... well... Monaco is overrated and expensive. What about the UK? Or perhaps go even further? Like Japan?"


Soiree laughs.


"So many plans in the future, I see. Best to enjoy everything while you're young, Alphonse. Especially that you are racing in the higher levels now."


Alphonse grins.


"As long as you're both here to inspire me."


"Oh, when is the first round of Super Formula?" Jacques asked.


"Two months from now, and it's in St. Croix." Alphonse replied.


"We will definitely be there to watch. Your first ever Formula race. We never forgot that promise." Soiree said.



After around nine hours of traveling, they finally made it to Paris by 10 in the evening. Despite doing the driving all day, Alphonse's spirits are still high.

Perhaps the lively vibe of the capital reinvigorates him. Louis used to take him to Paris in numerous occasions in between his karting races.


And speaking of... he makes a call via the car's bluetooth.


"Monsieur Louis, I'm currently in Paris with Pépé and Mémé. I treat them on a vacation."


"Oh really? You could have told me. I want to join, but it seems that the team keeps me preoccupied. Enjoy the trip, mon ami. See you the week before Round 1, okay? And take care."

"I will. Ciao!"

Next on the call is Frederic.


"Hello, uncle? We're here in Paris. Sorry for a bit of a delay. We had plenty of stopovers."

"It's okay, I'm already in the hotel, and I have already checked us in. Head straight here and have a good night's sleep. We will just eat together tomorrow instead and have some sightseeing, all right?"

"Got it."


The trio finally arrives at a luxury hotel. Soiree gasps at the opulence even from the outside.

"Oh dear, Alphonse. Are you sure you're able to afford this?"


"Don't worry, mémé. Both of you deserve this. I have saved up a lot since my karting championship and promised to pay you back. So this trip is one of those. Let's get inside."


The bell service takes care of their luggage as the trio head to the front desk to give their identification papers and check in vouchers for confirmation. They were then given the keys to their rooms - the grandparents having their own room while Alphonse has his own. Frederic's room isn't too far from them either. The four of them meet and greet together in the corridor, then Frederic helps them with their luggage.


"Ma... Pa... I'll see you tomorrow breakfast, okay? I have a meeting afterwards but then I'll join you again by the afternoon. Please rest now, the three of you."


The three nod, and then settled in their respective rooms. Frederic smiles. Then he heads to the parking lot and gets in his Citroen DS3 Hatchback. He then drives around, takes in the calmer traffic now that the night dominates the cityscape.


He then goes a certain corner, then parks his car facing the Seine river.

He gets out of the car, then wraps his scarf around his neck shielding himself from the cold, spring wind.


Frederic looks up at the night sky.



"The Super Formula series is about to start, but I don't really care. I will now set my plans in motion."



He briefly looks down at the cobblestone surface, then looks back up. Next, he walks himself closer to the water.


"I will make sure my sister gets her justice. No way in hell Noel Chevalier can just get away with this. I ALREADY PLANTED THE SEEDS.


I am the one...


...I am the one who sent the DNA results in the FIA office. But of course I didn't just drop off the letter. The other seeds I've planted? The evidence I gathered. More than enough to bruise that man's ego. Guess I have to thank fate for letting a certain British MI6 agent visit my lab and asked for the test."



"I don't plan to kill. Murder is definitely wrong. But my best revenge would be to destroy that man's ego and everything he built, to the point that he will wish he wanted to die instead."



"Forgive me, my sister. Your son will be caught into this. But I'll do everything to set everything right. People getting away from responsibilities is the worst crime in life."




And now with the cool air having let him breathe and think clearly, Frederic returns to his car, with a scowl in his face symbolizing his determination to go through his plans. He reverses his car back to the street and makes his way back to the hotel.



********************************************************************************************************

Location: Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy
Time: 10 am, the next day



With the Super Formula series coming to a close, teams are now using whatever liberty they have to finalize the settings for their cars. Without the Free Practice sessions unlike those in Formula 1, they can actually use their racing breaks to further test the cars during the season.



Ferrari has made it clear that they are taking this new venture seriously. Testing sessions are done in Monza, Imola, and even in their very own test track at Fiorano, treating this similarly to their F1 program.

Giacomo and Pietro are testing the cars since early in the morning. Various setups are being utilized.

Pietro, however, falls behind at the Seconda Variante chicane.

Which Giacomo easily notices.


"Pietro suddenly fell back. What's wrong? He wasn't like this a while ago, let alone in previous testing runs."

While Pietro is keeping pace, it would then drop in either entry or exit of a corner.

Giacomo muses on Pietro's performance.


"Something's off. Could it be in his car?"

As on Pietro's end...




"I don't know why I suddenly feel demotivated. Is it because of how pumped up Giacomo is in regards to the championship? Alphonse Blanchard will be in the races."

"Look at his pace... it's getting faster and faster. While I.... stay the same."

"And those racing lines, he takes them with precision, yet with grace...

However, his train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a radio call from De Luca.


"Okay, time to box, both of you. You have to take a break. We also need new telemetry data."


Giacomo then responds with, "Copy."

The two drivers take a breather.

They remove their helmets. Pietro is taking in the fresh spring air, then places his helmet on the front cowl.


Giacomo, concerned, approaches his teammate.


"What's wrong, Pietro? You were two seconds off the pace."


"Nothing. The car was actually great. It's a personal problem I'm dealing with."


"What is it? You can tell me anything. I'm your teammate, amico mio."



"I'm quite jealous of you, to be honest. You have a rival, while mine just died. It's as if I lost a sense of purpose."



Giacomo edges closer, and pats on Pietro's back.


"Well... I've been there too. I know how you feel. There was a time that I didn't know what to do after my father's reputation went down the hill. My inspiration went along with it. Don't forget that because of him, you are here. And... I am here as well. I can be your benchmark if you want to. That's what teammates are for, right?"


"Do you think... Kevin Kern is watching? I'm not really a believer of the supernatural."


"Well, just think that he is always rooting for you. The people we meet and befriend, they become part of our hearts too. Maybe he is watching from your heart. As long as he is there, you will remain inspired."


"Thanks. Well, there's still a few months left to think and rewire my focus. I can't give Kevin the liberty of laughing at me seeing like this."


"Yeah. That's the spirit. And take all the time you need."



The two men then enter the pit garage together, helping themselves with cold bottles of water.







End of Act 1

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 2 - Monopoly


Location: Paris, France
Time: 4 pm, the next day






The Blanchards continue to enjoy their holiday, all expenses paid for by Alphonse. Yesterday they get to see and take in the beautiful yet chaotic atmosphere of Paris.

And for today, Alphonse gets to have time for himself, as Frederic volunteers to take his parents for further sightseeing.


Alone in the hotel, Alphonse suddenly gets an SMS from Louis, as he is killing time browsing social media on his laptop.


"I'm in Paris now. Are you free? I also want to see your grandparents."


To which Alphonse replies:


"Yes I am. Let's meet around the Eiffel Tower. I'm kinda bored, to be honest. Pépé and Mémé are with Uncle Frederic."


Then Louis responds with:


"Okay then. Let's hang out. We'll meet your grandparents later, is that okay?"



Alphonse then puts on his hoodie. It's around 18 degrees Celsius outside, so that should suffice for him. He then walks to the meeting place, a small newspaper store right across the square where the Eiffel Tower stands.


He won't wait for long, as he sees Louis' flashy Bugatti Chiron approaching. Smiling and waving his hand, Alphonse enters the car. They then leave immediately.

"Did you... modify this car?"


"Oh... you noticed? I like your keener eye."


"Well... that wing at the back is fixed, right?"


"Indeed. I sent the car back to Bugatti to have it turned into a track day car. And voila."


"Enjoying the perks, I see."


"Well, not for long..."


"Why?"


Louis breathes out a sigh as he focuses on the traffic ahead.



"I will be taking my racing school business to a global scale. So, I can no longer be Bugatti's test driver and works race car driver."


Alphonse instantly remembers Louis' condition.


"Oh yes... I almost forgot. Well... where are you going to build your next branch?"


"Japan. I've got plenty of contacts there pleading for my expertise."


"That means... soon enough you'd no longer be my..."


"Stop right there. I will still be your race engineer and mentor... only difference is, I'd be less involved. I am already gathering manpower for the Japanese branch so that they can run the school even without me."


"I see. Well, I'm already 18... I can do whatever I want."


"True. I can leave you to your devices, but that doesn't mean I won't punish you when you make your shenanigans."


Alphonse chuckles.


"I think you've really embraced the "father" role. Though sometimes I am wondering... what my real father is doing. Is he even alive, I ponder."

Hearing this makes Louis raise an eyebrow.


"Are you actually curious? I thought you have no interest."


"That's true, because he isn't part of my life and has no right to speak to me. But even I would wonder... you know, my intrusive thoughts."


"I see. Well... wherever he is, I am sure he's having a good life out there without you, unaware of your very existence. Let's not talk about that, shall we?"


"Yeah, I'm already bored in the hotel, so let's go somewhere worthwhile."


"You know, I can reserve a table at this restaurant in Champs-Elysees that's ALWAYS fully booked. I got a voucher."


"Sure. Aren't we trying to get one back then but always fail? Haha."


Louis pulls over and makes short clicks on his smartphone. He smiles as he sees his reservation being confirmed.


"C'est parfait. Let's go."


The pair make it to this hyped up restaurant with a noticeable queue outside. Louis shows the reservation confirmation which easily grants them the table. Alphonse looks around the lively interior, with people's voices dominating the atmosphere. The inside gives off this family restaurant vibe, with the yellow light illuminating, giving proper respect to classical paintings and portraits of well-known French celebrities. There is even a wall with signatures of famous individuals who have dined in this restaurant.


After settling in, they immediately made their orders. Then the waitress gives a permanent marker to Alphonse.


"Huh? For me?"


"Yes, monsieur. You are considered a celebrity in this country now."


Louis chimes in.


"I agree. Look at some people here paying attention to you."


Alphonse, bewildered, stands up and takes in the attention he gets.


He then mumbles, "I'm not even starring in a movie or something... but I guess a Twitch streamer is considered a celebrity."

He goes to that wall, and imprints his signature there. Along with that, he stands and smiles at the camera for the restaurant's social media post.



He returns to the table, still a touch embarrassed.



"You'd better get used to the limelight. This is the consequence of your hard work."



Without any further incident, the two enjoy their lunch, with occasional SMS message sending to his grandparents to let them know where they are.


About an hour later, the pair leave the premises after paying a rather hefty bill.


"That's quite an expensive place. My grandparents will scold me."


"I love your humility. It's rare among people like us nowadays. But sometimes you have to enjoy the spoils of your hard work too. You deserve it."


As Louis gets to the driver's side of the car, and Alphonse about to open the door, the latter suddenly freezes, as if having seen a spectacle.


Alphonse lays his eyes on this familiar young woman, with white skin and with Asian facial features, wearing a navy blue puffer jacket and jeans.



"Alphonse? Alphonse?"


That call immediately breaks the immersion, with Alphonse getting in the car.



"Sorry..."



"What happened?"


"Nothing... I.... just saw a familiar face."


"Who?"

Alphonse then points his finger to that figure he saw outside. Louis gasps for a bit.


"Oh... it's her. Maaya Kumamoto isn't she?"


"Never thought I'd see her again."


Louis then starts up the engine. Alphonse places his hand on his chest.


"My heart suddenly beat a lot faster."


"I know you two have a history. Well, let's just say I'm a witness of it all. Hahahaha."


"But we were much younger back then."


"And you two were inseparable as if you're lovebirds, yet too young..."


Alphonse shakes his head vigorously.


"That's in the past now. Let's just go somewhere else."


They leave the Champs-Elysees, with Alphonse peering through the window looking for that young female Japanese driver.


********************************************************************************************************



Location: Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Time: 3 pm




In the afternoon, somewhere in Italy...





Giacomo is pretty much idle for today, having granted a day off due to his extensive testing of the Super Formula car. He played some video games in the morning but then leaves at around lunch time to catch some fresh air.


As he strolls around browsing in the shops for a leather jacket, he then gets an SMS message from Filippo De Luca.


"Are you free today, Giac? Let's meet up. Where are you?"


To which Giacomo responds with:


"I'm in the city center. Just shopping for a leather jacket."


De Luca replies back:


"Oh good. I'm in the same area. Let's have some coffee, and I have a special guest with me."

Giacomo then enters at a cafe that De Luca mentioned. Not much people are inside, so the serving time was rather quick. He helps himself with a cup of hot caramel macchiato.


Then a few moments later, De Luca and...




....Takuma Kanonji enter the cafe. The latter's presence makes Giacomo taken by surprise, with his eyes widened.



They then join him in his table.



"Good afternoon. And, Giac, this is Takuma Kanonji, and you have raced him before at the Nurburgring."


Giacomo stands up and the two men perform a brief handshake.


"Takuma-san... it's a surprise."


"Sei sempre molto forte, amico mio." (Looking sharp as always, my friend.)


Giacomo smirks upon hearing Takuma's knowledge on Italian.


"La tua presenza sarà sempre terrificante." (Your presence instills fear on me.)


De Luca also chimes in.


"Voi due siete esattamente la stessa cosa." (You two are the very same.)



"Anyway, what brings you here, Takuma-san?"


"Takuma Kanonji here will be more than willing to be YOUR manager, Giac."


Giacomo's eyes widen, and places down his cup on the small plate.


"MY manager?"


"You heard that right. Your performance and credentials intrigue me to no end."


"And besides, Giac, I have too much on my plate arranging your affairs. I can only perform my best as your race engineer."


"Sorry about that, De Luca. I know I've been asking too much from you."


"No big deal. Just make sure you always catch on to your responsibilities."


Takuma smirks.


"Not only I'd arrange your scheduling and affairs, but I also voluntarily take on the responsibility of mentoring you. There is something that you still have to awaken."


"What is it that I have to awaken?"


"That race we had on the Nurburgring, I felt that there is a flame burning... tiny, but I can sense that it will be much, much larger."


"I'm never into theatrics, but you did push me back then. I was... alive like a live wire on that night race."


"Precisely. And I aim to bring that out from you. Don't forget, your French rival is moving up as quick as you are. You don't want to be left behind."


"But hang on a minute, I have seen the Super Formula grid, and your adoptive son is part of it. But why choose me?"


"I know my son well enough and he follows a completely different path. I trust that he makes the best decisions. But you...




...you remind me of my heyday. Plus, De Luca has a keen eye for talent and knows the right people. I'm surprised as you are when he first contacted me."



"I won't let you down, Takuma-san. It is such an honor to be working with you."


Takuma smiles.


"Likewise, Mr. Marelli."


"Please call me Giac from now on."



********************************************************************************************************


Location: Paris, France
Time: 7 pm




Back in Paris, Noel leaves the FIA headquarters as the day has ended.


He gets in his sports car and leave. After half an hour of contending with traffic, he arrives at the Pont de Bir-Hakeim - a bridge that connects the 15th and 16th arrondissements, passing through the narrow Ile aux Cygnes.

He alights from the vehicle, taking in the cold breeze and observing the tourists taking pictures of the Seine River.


Then he looks at his left, seeing a man in a black trenchcoat arriving. It's none other than Hugo Deschamps.



"Just in time, Hugo."


"I have gathered more information, hence the need to meet on such short notice."


"So what have you collected?"


"I have successfully recovered the CCTV footage of the headquarters. It was corrupted to the point of almost no return, but the tech experts managed to salvage it. The file in question is the day that the letter was delivered."


Hugo then shows a copy of the video through his smartphone. It shows the footage of the corridor leading to Noel's office. It then shows Frederic Blanchard walking through that empty location and crouching down to slip that letter.

And then he turns back, and the camera gets a clear shot of his face. Hugo pauses the video.


"Do you know this man?"


"Wait... I remember. That was the day I invited some health experts for a talk on paddock health and safety when I was organizing the Super Formula series. The guests were given only limited access. But how was that man able to reach through the executive offices?"


Noel once again takes a look at the man's face.


"Is this... Dr. Frederic Blanchard?!"


"Dr. Frederic Blanchard?"

Hugo then makes a quick search on the internet using that name. The man's profile comes first on the list of results, leading to the Cote de Azur University's website.


"I see... he's a professor of health and sciences, but not just that, he's a vice dean."

"Dr. Blanchard... I know that man. I encountered him once when Olivia and I were dating. We didn't interact much, but the man's demeanor made an impact on me. Hence why I can actually recognize him from here."


"It all starts to make sense now. The origin from Nice. And also... the fact that he owns testing laboratories as his business throughout mainland Europe and UK. But we have another question."


"Which is?"


"How did he manage to get DNA samples, in particular, from yours?"



Noel shakes his head.


"It doesn't matter how he got them. It makes sense now who did it. I've known that Frederic is close to his sister, and I believe he must have done it out of..."



"Vengeance? This is rather too simple, if you ask me. Something tells me, he is planning much grander."



"You are going to be Alphonse's teammate. Please keep that young man from knowing, while you track down Frederic's movements. We are not going to make a move on him... yet. We can't risk both of our careers exposing that man."


"Understood."




********************************************************************************************************



Location: Circuit de St. Croix, France
Time: 2 pm, two months later.




Months have passed by, everything is all set and finalized. The Super Formula series officially begins. Various media organizations from across the globe provide exposure to the racing series as much as F1, as planned by the FIA.


Noel is at the press conference, answering each and every question the media would throw at him.


Today is the qualifying session. And the chaos is pretty much a facsimile to that of Formula 1. Drivers are being briefed by their respective teams, and then meeting their fans in the fan zone.


Alphonse isn't the one too keen on exposure. Moreover, the cameras induce anxiety on him. He can only smile for photoshoots, but then he would reply short answers when being asked.


He was able to duck through the media and goes back to the paddock. He speaks to both Louis and his teammate Hugo.


"Whew... the media are vultures."


"You'd better get used to it, mon ami." Hugo replied.


Louis then says, "Oh, by the way, your grandparents have called. They have checked in the hotel nearby this track. Tomorrow, they will come to watch you, as promised."


"Great news. Whew... thank you, Monsieur Louis."


"Today is qualifying, just focus on setting the fastest lap time. We have to make it to Q3 for this."


Hugo and Alphonse nod.



The teams are now in action. The appearance of not one, not two, but THREE Red Bull teams stun the crowd knowing their reputation in the world of sports.


The spectators are discussing among themselves as they see the cars blitz past by.


"THREE RED BULL TEAMS?!"

"Well, that's the dark side of business."

"It's like a monopoly!"

"It IS a monopoly. Don't you get it? Red Bull is everywhere, even on E-sports. Their young driver program is vast and they have an aggressive approach in attracting prospective drivers... and sponsors as well."

"I've also heard that one of the drivers in this current Super Formula season is coached by Max Verstappen... personally."


"It'll only be a miracle if the other teams put a dent on Red Bull's domination."

Meanwhile, Mike Hackett from the Red Bull Ford Powertrains is also eager to prove his mettle against the sister teams.

"That Benjamin Kanonji from Oracle Red Bull Racing had gotten pointers from Max Verstappen, huh? As if that would intimidate me."

"That young man better deliver. Verstappen isn't going to teach someone even within Red Bull on a random basis."


"The entire Red Bull organization loves putting their drivers on some sort of a boot camp. If you don't live up to their expectations, you're simply out. No second chances."


"And honestly, they need someone to give them a wake up call. I'd be happy if someone did."






And finally, it's now Alphonse's turn. Alpine BWT team is ready to qualify.

Louis is now in position in the pitwall, with his communication system fully functional and his headset on.


"Okay Alphonse, qualifying begins."

"Copy. I'll definitely make it to Q3... and snatch the pole."

The tension-filled qualifying will just turn into an even more grueling one as others are just as determined as he is. More on the next act.





End of Act 2

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 3 - Hole in a Needle

High pitched roars of single seater machines dominate the serenity of the St. Croix region. Views from official livestream channels are rising at the level equating that of F1. Noel's plan seems to have paid off.

Brushing through Q3, Alphonse feels a mixture of anxiety and determination.


Louis provides him with constant updates in regards to sector times.


"Okay Alphonse, purple sector 2. You're doing great."

Meanwhile, his teammate Hugo proves himself to be a match.

"Purple Sector 3, Hugo."

He also blitzes through Sector 4, beating his teammate's time by a small margin.


"Purple Sector 4."



However, there are more contenders for the pole...

...such as Barry Ragdall. He is quickly becoming a fan favorite especially among the British fans due to his impeccable defense in touring car races, garnering him the alias "Barry R." which is a play for the word "Barrier".


But even then, defense isn't only his forte.

"Barry, Purple Sector 1."


His concentration is at its peak. Though none can deny how much burden his heart carries.

Entering to the tricky corner leading to the bridge can cause cars to lose balance due to its uneven nature, Barry merely floors the throttle.

And applies a slight countersteer. The momentum is preserved, hence gaining him another purple colored sector.


4th sector is another purple. The rest of the teams can't seem to get their eyes off the screens as purple markings go to different names.

And then his race engineer reports.


"Okay Barry, provisional pole. 2 minutes, 49.55. Repeat. Provisional pole. 10 minutes left on Q3."

"Copy."


On to Scuderia Ferrari, Giacomo is facing some struggles on the brakes.



"The brakes lock, but on the next they don't. They feel weird."


De Luca replies, "Okay, copy."

"Green sector 1."


"Damn... Q3 is much tougher than I thought. Who is leading?"


"We are checking. Please wait."

"It's Ragdall, Giac. Barry Ragdall."


"I see."


"Barry may have competed in the lower class at the Nurburgring, but he's not to be dismissed. He was under Jenson Button's tutelage."

"Figures. I mean, the Brawn GP team is a big hint."


"For now, at least we made it in Q3. We'll get the brakes sorted."


However, with only 1 minute left, someone has broken Barry's lap time.

Benjamin Kanonji sets the fastest lap time of 2 minutes, 49.1 seconds. His teammate, Cesar Vasquez isn't too far behind with only .12 of a second slower.



But Mike Hackett manages to slip in between them, locking the entire front row with Red Bull teams.

Top 5 Qualifying:

1. Benjamin Kanonji (Oracle Red Bull Racing) 2:49.155
2. Mike Hackett (Red Bull Ford Powertrains) 2:49.165
3. Cesar Vasquez (Oracle Red Bull Racing) 2:49.178
4. Alphonse Blanchard (Alpine BWT) 2:49.320
5. Barry Ragdall (Brawn GP) 2:49.450



​

End of Act 3

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 4 - Bull Slaying


The next day is a big day for Alphonse. It's the day he will finally step on one of the highest levels of motorsport, the Super Formula series. His grandparents will definitely fulfill their promise of watching their grandson in his first ever Formula race.


Alphonse and Louis arrive the track at dawn, since it is imperative for the teams to attend a pre-race briefing and set up their cars.


As the pair walk along the parking lot, they hear a noticeable rumble slowly creeping up to them. It is then followed by a horn, prompting the two to look.

It's none other than Giacomo Marelli in his personalized Enzo Ferrari he bought from the Ferrari Classiche department. He then rolls down the window and smile at his French rival.


"Ciao!" Giacomo exclaimed.


"Show off!" Alphonse replied.


"Where's your Bugatti, amico mio? Hahahaha!"


"You're ugly, it said! That's why it won't come out!"


Giacomo and Alphonse laugh, while Louis smiles at their banter.


"Ti voglio bene!" Alphonse said.


And in response, Giacomo uttered, "Je t'aime!" then he rolls up the window and move away to find a parking spot.



"I miss that kind of banter." Louis said.


"Really, huh?"


"Yeah. A banter like that always breaks the tension. One tends to forget a network of support when it comes to competition and delve too much into it. Hence why such conversation is needed."



"You miss those days trifling with the Dream Alliance, huh?"


Louis grins.


"I do. I really do."



They then finally enter the track's premises. Since it is the morning, foot traffic inside is not as dense, giving the opportunity for some drivers to do some jogs along the paddock and pit lane.


As they enter their respective paddock motorhome, Alphonse is already surprised at Hugo already coordinating with his crew. His momentum sparks some jealousy from the young driver.


"Wow... look at Hugo. Already in action."


"Well, we can't afford to slouch either. Get dressed. And, you should know, your grandparents will arrive much later."


"Yeah I know. I can't make them wake up too early."

As Alphonse heads outside to catch some morning breeze, he sees Giacomo approaching him. The men then have a brotherly hug.


"Ready?"


"Yeah... more or less."


"What's wrong, amico mio?"


"I'm... anxious again. Like, I never imagined I would see this day. I thought I would have a "normal" teenage life. Even my high school friends in Marseilles seem to have a different view on me."


"Hey. It's not your fault to work on your dreams, Alfonso. You will meet different people along the way, and lose some friends in the process. Everyone has their own priorities. You shouldn't lose yours just because of some sentimentality, am I right?"


"I guess you're right."


Then Alphonse looks at the Toyota Gazoo Racing pit crew, with a brief glimpse of Maaya Kumamoto speaking to her manager.



"Sigh..."


"Eh? What are you looking at?"


"Her..."



"Oh... the first ever female Super Formula driver? What's her name again?"


"Maaya Kumamoto. She and I had..."



"...a what?"


"Well, let's just say it's one of those hormones kicking and we just recklessly fell in love. Or some sort of that thing."


"Oh, teenage love life, I get it."


"But then we just decided to call it quits since we were too young back then. And her parents in Japan are affluent. She had other priorities."


"Well... fate does have a way of playing tricks on us, doesn't it? Good luck, Alfonso."


Giacomo then pats Alphonse's shoulder then leaves.



Meanwhile, in the Brawn GP garage...

Barry is inspecting the car, even sitting in the cockpit to get the feel and adjustments needed. He nods when he finally settles in.


"Okay, I'm in most comfortable in this position. Please take that into mind."


Then he exits the cockpit. He grabs his smartphone and calls his wife, Sarah all the way to the UK.


He can only hear the ringing and then a voicemail prompt followed. Since it is early morning, he assumes she might be asleep since France is one hour ahead of the UK.


He once makes another attempt of a call. No answer. Voicemail prompt follows again.


"She would normally answer. But I guess she really is asleep. I'll call again later."



Hours later, at 10 am, a pre-race briefing then takes place. But before Alphonse can enter the building, he calls his grandparents.


"Hello? Are you on your way?"

Soiree, in the passenger seat, is the one speaking.


"Yes, my dear. We are on our way. Your grandfather is much more excited than I am."


"You can stop by at the motorhome to get some drinks later. I requested for your special access."


"And yes, we also have our special passes."


"Good. Well, I gotta go now. Pre-race briefing. Bye! I love you!"


"We love you! See you later."


The call ends.


Then all of a sudden...



...Jacques suddenly clenches his chest. He writhes in pain, while his foot being in the accelerator and can't even bother to steer at all.


"Oh no! Jacques!"


Soiree then gasps as shes their car veering on the opposite lane, and then faces an oncoming car. She tries her best to steer the wheel.

"OH MY GOD!"


Metal and shattered glass can be heard loudly clashing.




**********************************************************************************************



After an hour of pre-race briefing, the drivers are now heading back to their respective pit garages for final checks. Alphonse sees Louis repeatedly making calls, but then he stops.


"What's wrong, Monsieur?"


"I've been calling your grandparents, but they don't seem to answer. Perhaps they can't answer as one of them is driving. They should be here."


Alphonse looks at the watch. It's 11:30 am, and it should be the time they have arrived, as the hotel isn't far off the race track.


"You're right. I'll call them."


He then gets his smartphone and presses the number of Soiree. But that too, had no answer.



"No answer."



"They will come. Don't worry. We have to prepare. The race will start."



A ceremony ensues as the cars line up the grid. The spectators cheer.


Alphonse grasps the wheel tight, seeing the three Red Bulls ahead of him.

"This is it. I'm sure both are here now to witness this grand moment. I've worked so hard and sacrifices were made in order for me to reach here."

"The competition has turned up another notch. To think our qualifying lap times have only marginal differences."





Meanwhile, Giacomo is just as anxious, but at the same time determination flows through.

"Don't let up, Alfonso. This is no longer the point in which we can merely play around. This is the Super Formula, what more if we step foot into Formula 1?"

"I may be the only best buddy you could have, but when I am behind the wheel, I am an entirely different beast."



The countdown begins. The green light doesn't have a set duration to show up, meaning the drivers have to pay full attention and react accordingly. False starts are penalized.


3...


2...


1...



Alphonse has his eyes glued on to the lights, the green light seems to be an eternity...


...and then it flashes just as Alphonse blinked. That may be a mere triviality for the untrained eye, but for race car drivers, a late reaction can have dire consequences.


And he fell victim to that. The Alpine had a laggy launch, with Barry even immediately taking his spot.


"Dammit!" Alphonse exclaimed.

Louis then makes a comment on that setback.


"You only lost one place. Don't fret on that start."


After clearing the gentle left kink that is Turn 1, they then brace themselves fully on the next turn, which an impeccable braking technique is required to get through.

In which Alphonse clearly understood. He moved up to third place, much to the surprise of Red Bull's Cesar Vasquez.

"That Frenchman quickly recovered from that terrible start. I am genuinely getting more impressed by him, ever since we last faced in the Ferrari F8 Challenge."

"Benjamin, I think we have found a suitable rival for you. And it may come as a surprise in the form of an Alpine."



Meanwhile, Giacomo drops his position as the braking issues once again get in his way.

"Argh! The brakes are locking up randomly again! I am dropping positions!"



De Luca would then reply, "Understood. The only thing you can do is to modulate the brake pedal for now. We will check the issue once the race is over."


Takuma, now Giacomo's manager, also has his headset on and hears the exchange. He can only cross his arms and observe the Ferrari pit crew talking among themselves. He is slowly warming up to the atmosphere of the company he once had apprehensions with.



"Well, I gotta give Ferrari credit for cleaning up their acts in recent victories such as Le Mans. Of course, no one gets it right when one does things for the first time. But I must say, this Super Formula team is well-organized and have benefited so much from their lessons learned in F1."


"Giacomo now faces a hurdle. But that's nothing compared to, let's say, an erroneous tire choice in the start which will bite you much later on."

Opposite of Giacomo, Alphonse has a strong pace, putting pressure on the Red Bulls. That is something unprecedented given Alpine's recent misfortunes in motorsport save for their recent victory in the Nurburgring 24 Hours in which he brought upon. He is seen as a beacon of hope of sorts.


Noel observes the race through the large screen inside the premium lounge in the paddock. He grins at the prospect of his son showing promise at the early stages.



And now back in the action, Mike Hackett is now the target of Alphonse's pressure game.

"Never knew a laughingstock would be right up my alley. I would be expecting Ferrari or McLaren... but an Alpine?"

"And he even isn't part of any family with racing connections. A self-made man, and full respect should go to people like him."

Now on the wide, back straight, this provides an exciting and grand opportunity to turn the tides of battle.


"Okay Alphonse, you are clear to use the Boost button."


"Copy."


Alphonse first lines up behind Mike Hackett's car, riding in the draft.


Then he presses the Boost button on the multi-function steering wheel. The increase in speed from slipstream is amplified by that push-to-pass system.

The system increases fuel supply by leveraging the fuel flow restrictor, granting additional 5 percent of the engine's power. Once the boost duration has ended, the LED lights seen on the roll hoop will decrease by one, until all five of them have disappeared.

Unlike F1's DRS rules, the Overtake System of the Super Formula is limited by 5 uses only, and each have a 20-second duration with a cooldown time. However it can be used anywhere in the track not like F1's DRS Zones. This makes overtakes arguably more exciting than Formula 1.

Alphonse now secures the 2nd spot, with Benjamin Kanonji left standing on his way.

Meanwhile, far behind the pack is Maaya Kumamoto, who had an unfortunate qualifying session yesterday as her car suffered engine troubles.


Being aware of the fact that fate made her meet her former love interest, she decides to pour her focus on finishing the race to add some merit to her portfolio.

"Who would've thought we'd cross paths again... mon cherie... Yeah. Those are the only French words I've learned from you."


"But I gotta face reality. Being the only woman in the grid invites more pressure. Finishing the race is all that matters... for now."

"I'm sure both of us will have a world of our own in the confines of the race track. Wait for it, Alphonse."



Back to Giacomo's end, De Luca's advice pays off. His modulation on the brake pedal seems to have lessened chances of sudden lock ups.

"De Luca's advice works. But it's either I end up braking too early or too late. I have to keep guessing on the braking distances!"

"I'll catch you on the next rounds, Alfonso. For now, focus on dismantling Red Bull's fortress."

End of Act 4

 

[RCKakashi14]

Act 5 - Right At Home

Benjamin now meets an unexpected rival in the form of Alphonse Blanchard. He had prepared everything right to the last detail.


"Dad told me that competition is stiff in Super Formula. But I'd never expect Alpine to pop out of nowhere!"


Alphonse finally snatches the lead just at the 2nd lap, which prompts the French crowd to cheer loudly. Their national pride is well-known in any form of sport after all.

"Okay Alphonse, great job taking the lead."


"The car feels great! It's perfectly balanced."

But suddenly... something looms over Alphonse. He then feels something ominous. It weighed down all the excitement he had pent up so far.


"Something feels off... I should be feeling happy and adrenaline rushes down. But why do I suddenly have this negative energy?"

Benjamin continues to observe the Alpine's movements.



"I have heard the name Alphonse Blanchard before in the karting circles. But I never thought he'd climb up to this level this QUICKLY!"

Mike also deduces this newfound threat.


"Red Bull had a fair share of rivals, and usually it's the McLarens and Ferraris playing right behind us. Even in sponsorships, the brand stokes the flames of rivalry of those two. But Alpine? I never heard of that brand even at home. I only know about its past rallying legacy. We must have miscalculated. People truly are unpredictable."

Alphonse still fights this anxiety, despite the lead on his hands.



"I'm in the lead. But right now... I feel something is wrong. Argh! I can't let this gut feeling ruin the race!"

The Alpine SFA23 continues to mesmerize both spectators and drivers alike.


Benjamin thought, "It's nothing new to have a home course advantage, but the Alpine's speed far exceeds expectations!"

Mike inches closer to Benjamin.


"Hey, you all right? I know we're technically opponents, but don't let the Alpine faze you. There will always be someone coming up with surprises."

His eyes widen as he sees the Alpine turn into a mere speck in the horizon.


"He didn't just... outrun me, did he?"


Benjamin then presses the boost button to at least inch closer. But with only 5% increase in power as mandated, the difference is negligible.



"The boost works best when drafting. And I'm out of his range!"



Meanwhile, at the mid field...

...Kiehl Muller seems to be unfazed at the competition in front of him, despite placing 10th.

"This is a good start. A lot of people told me to take up Super Formula ages ago, but back then I was brought down with depression, with a huge part being Kevin's death. He was my inspiration. Now that I'm here... I can no longer look back. I don't want Kevin laughing at me again. Heh."

And others have seemed to have met unfortunate circumstances, such as Jun Kamiya, Maaya's teammate in Toyota Gazoo Racing.

This prompts a yellow flag...

Then out of the blue... Alphonse poses a question to Louis.



"Monsieur... are Pépé and Mémé here now? Have they arrived?"



Louis looks around, and now dawning on him that they haven't arrived for such a long time, anxiety also starts to sink in.



"They... aren't here yet. Look, I can't get out to look for them. I'm sure they're here, watching on the bleachers. Just... please focus."



Back in the race, McLaren and Ferrari are still in the mid-field. Dennis Hatch has made a full recovery and is fit enough to partake in any race.

His brother Rob made sure that Dennis was guided enough to be able to be both physically and mentally prepared for this championship.

And Pietro Guidicelli, surprisingly performs better than Giacomo. He is now 8th.

A queue of Super Formula cars form a spectacle for onlookers and photographers. The competition continues to heat up.

While it is normal for a leading driver to feel relaxed, composed, or even fully focused...



...Alphonse still has this uneasiness looming over him.




End of Act 5