Formula 1: The GOAT-Chapter 51: Race Weekend | Sunday | A Gamble

"A perfect switchback! He improves his position now to P27, having gained thirteen places in just three laps!" Süleyman’s voice was already sounding a bit strained, despite it being just the third lap of the final race. "The fights ahead are helping him, compressing the groups and pushing them back towards him for the picking! And ooooh, he has to brake heavily as the driver in front nearly takes him out in a clumsy attempt at defending! Haaaa, this is going to be a nightmare for Fatih. Everyone is fighting tooth and nail to keep or increase their position, and with the track now dry, it makes it even more difficult for him to make progress."

"I think things are about to change, Süleyman," Zakir interjected, his tone suddenly urgent. "I’ve just received a message from our trackside reporter. There is light rain already starting to fall a few kilometers away from here, and it is heading directly towards the circuit. It looks like Fatih’s prayers have been answered, but it’s going to take a few laps before that rain reaches us." He took over for a moment, allowing Süleyman to hydrate before continuing with the commentary.

On the track, Fatih, oblivious to the approaching weather, continued his relentless charge. He was a predator, cutting the distance to those in front of him before catching up and attempting to overtake. He succeeded most of the time, but the driving standards at the back of the pack were a world away from the clean, precise racing at the front. He was forced to be more careful, constantly on the lookout for aggressive defense, reckless maneuvers, and the simple driving mistakes of the backmarkers, any of which could end his race prematurely.

..........

Tak... tak, tak, tak...

Burak, who was watching the race intently from the pit wall, lifted his head. He had felt a single drop tap the brim of his cap. The moment he looked up, his face was pelted by a dozen more.

"Let’s prepare for a pit stop. Change the tires to wets," he said, his voice sharp and commanding as he turned to the other coaches and mechanics of the Fatih Karting Academy. They had more than five karts in the competition, meaning if they were all to come into the pits, they needed to be a well-oiled machine. They immediately started their preparations.

With a high probability of rain forecasted for the race, they had already brought the wet tires from the academy tents to the pitlane in anticipation. Now, all they had to do was put on their clear, waterproof raincoats, place the tires in their designated areas based on which driver they were assigned to, and prepare the pit boards that would be used to call their drivers in.

"So, what’s the order? Who are we calling in first?" a mechanic asked, wanting to know which number to prepare for the board.

"We wait for now," Burak said, his eyes scanning the track. "The rain is still only a few drops. We’ll call them in based on their position on track and how beneficial a stop would be for them at that moment."

But immediately, before the mechanics could even nod in agreement, Selçuk’s coach interjected. "I disagree. We go from those in front to those in the rear. It’s only fair to those who qualified better," he argued, clearly trying to get a strategic advantage for his driver, who was the leading driver of the academy at that moment.

"What do you mean, ’unfair’?" Burak countered, not wanting Selçuk’s coach to mess with their overall team strategy. "If we pull them in based on the optimal situation for each driver, it will give the entire team a greater advantage. Won’t all of them benefit from that?"

Just before Selçuk’s coach could rebut with a counterargument, the heavens opened. The few drops suddenly intensified, turning into a heavy, driving rain. As they all turned their heads to the track, they immediately saw the results of the downpour. A few drivers were already sliding off the track, their slick tires offering no grip on the now-treacherous surface.

"Call for Selçuk to pit!" Selçuk’s coach shouted, grabbing the pit board and slapping Selçuk’s number onto it before rushing to the pit wall to signal his driver. Burak just watched for a second before he took another board, placing Fatih’s number, 213, on it, preparing to call him in as well.

...........

"As expected, the rain has finally come, with nine laps already on the board!" Süleyman announced, his voice filled with excitement. "And it looks like the teams have come up with a plan ahead of time in expectation of it, as drivers are now being called to the pit to change their tires to wets! Huzeyfa, still leading the race, is the first to enter the pits, followed by nearly everyone behind him! This is going to be interesting! Based on how fast the teams can change the tires, positions are going to be gained or lost! And with the rain still increasing, completing the overtakes in the pitlane is going to be a huge advantage, as overtaking on the wet track is now incredibly dangerous!" Karts began to stream into the pitlane, drivers raising their hands to acknowledge the call from their teams.

"I wonder if there is anyone brave enough to remain on slicks in these conditions," Zakir mused. "But it looks like no one wants to take that gamble at all... and Fatih goes and proves me wrong! He shakes his head and continues with the race, denying the call to pit! It seems like he is the only one who is taking the gamble!" Zakir’s voice, which had started normally, immediately became excited the moment Fatih was shown on the screen, shaking his head at Burak on the pit wall as he sped past.

"It can either be a call that makes or breaks his entire race!" Süleyman shouted, captivated by the unfolding drama. "And from the look of it, it seems like everyone else disagrees with his decision! At this moment, he is the only one on the track, which immediately catapults him into the lead of the race!"

"Now, it is all dependent on how he is going to drive," Zakir cautioned, reminding everyone of the immense challenge Fatih had just set for himself. "Although he has benefited by staying out, he is going to be constantly losing time to those on wet tires. He can’t drive with the same confidence as those on the wets while he is still on slicks, or he risks sliding out of the race entirely. Now, everything is dependent on his talent. This will be his first time driving on a wet track with slick tires, and if he can adapt and keep it on the track for the next eight laps, it will decide if he makes an unbelievable comeback and wins the race, making it the second time he has recovered from last to win. Or, he gets overtaken by everyone and ends up not getting even a single point. But with the massive gap he has gained due to not pitting, it is going to buy him a few laps. He can use that time to decide if he is going to pit and lose only a few positions, or remain in the lead and risk losing time with every passing corner."