OK Number 28 - Blood Sport
With a start for the ages, Lelouch got the jump on Gino into turn one at the beginning of the Grand Prix, but apart from that moment of drama, Abu Dhabi was unfortunately par for its own course. Kallen was only able to reach seventh, scoring six points after slicing through the back of the grid with her amended car. Meanwhile, Lelouch took his third win of the year thanks to his good start and front row qualifying position, joined on the podium by Gino and Suzaku.
With Kallen's streak of wins, Lelouch's post-Monaco lead had been eaten away, and the Franc had begun to trail in the points significantly, almost twenty points behind Kallen when they went to Abu Dhabi. With nineteen points scored over Kallen, Lelouch left the Emirates with a two point edge over his teammate. In turn, he was now seven and a half points behind Suzaku. As they moved to Brazil, these three were the only ones in mathematical contention for the title.
However, the advantage lay with Suzaku, and at this point the title was his to lose. He certainly had no intention of doing so, and so was training harder than ever to prepare himself. His car may have fallen behind from its early season edge with a lack of development, but he would not be found lacking in effort.
As such, he now lived in the simulator, only leaving for meals and rest, learning the laser scanned and digitised replica of the Autodromo José Carlos Pace. The team headquarters had to all intents and purposes become his second home, with a back utility room repurposed for Suzaku's brief stints of sleep and exercise. The rest of his time was spent working with Lloyd, who monitored his inputs and telemetry on the simulator, as the Briton analysed and gave feedback on Suzaku's performance. Carving out his racing line like a valley, he completely immersed himself in the South American circuit, one of the shortest and yet one of the most technically challenging.
It was only through thousands of kilometres sank into the simulated replica that he began to build up his pace, taking a brute force approach to finding his footing, learning every square inch of tarmac, every traction zone, to create a consistent line he could replicate into the race. With the design team hamstrung, it was all he could do.
This lack of car development was attributable to the team trying to save money to tide them over once Schneizel pulled his funding and make sure they would be on the grid in 2019. This meant money that would be spent on improving the car was now being kept behind the couch, and so the Rebellion and the Camelot now had an edge over the Rosenberg. Of course, this was not material to Suzaku. He would deliver a drive worthy of a champion, and these difficulties would be overcome.
Suzaku believed to his core that all difficulties could be defeated through endeavour, and as such the winning championship was simply a case of putting his nose to the grindstone, and victory would be his.
He never questioned it. He knew he would be World Champion. Even after Austria, where he lost his buffer, he was still confident. This would not be a lottery, spitting out a random name; the title would go to the driver with the most focus and will, which Suzaku believed to be himself.
Perhaps it was self-aggrandising, indeed it very likely was, but it served a purpose. If Suzaku could build up his own mental strength and fortitude such that success seemed like a certainty, there were tangible benefits; he would not suffer nerves, or uncertainty. There would be himself, and the chequered flag, and his opposition would be defeated. This self-certainty was self-enforcing, as he would maintain his smooth cool even in the do-or-die race at Brazil. Psychologically, Suzaku felt solid as a rock. Even if the team was unable to solve all their problems, Suzaku would take the flaws of the team and the car on his shoulders and carry them to the finish line, come hell or high water.
Another two hours of training, Suzaku huffed, before he had to pack his things and head to the airport. Sao Paulo awaited, as did success.
"Let's go again Lloyd!"
Lap two hundred and sixty-three, turn one, brake at the fifty metre board.
"Weather reports out of Sao Paulo indicate that the weather this weekend will be extremely wet, with high rainfall forecasted from Friday evening well into Monday, with minor flooding a known risk. In other news-"
"Are you still listening to that brother?"
Lelouch grimaced as he turned away from the radio, propped up against the airport window, to face a concerned Rolo, who took a moment away from Nunnally's wheelchair to check on his increasingly neurotic elder brother.
"I've got to get any edge I can Rolo." Lelouch replied, more in an attempt to justify his fixation on news coming out of Brazil from publicly available sources.
Which, at present, were his only sources. Rebellion, likely having decided that, although they lacked proof, he was, on the balance of probabilities, the culprit in Kallen's failure to qualify and had stopped sending him updates. As such, Lelouch had had to get a bit resourceful, trawling Reddit for technical updates and stalking Brazilian talk radio for weather forecasts, armed with determination, bitterness, and limited Portuguese.
However, Rolo lacked much of the context, in no small part thanks to Lelouch's conscious efforts to isolate his siblings from his own lack of prestige, and so the younger brother pressed on, emphasising "You've got to get some sleep, it's going to be a long flight to Sao Paulo. If you're not well rested, you won't be able to take the fight to Suzaku!"
Lelouch felt a wide range of emotions, from pride to shame to a twinge of anger. The twinge of anger was easily explainable; Lelouch was responsible for Rolo, and he did not want his younger brother to worry about his sleeping habits. Rolo worrying about Lelouch's health and wellbeing frustrated Lelouch's parental side.
However, this frustration was brief. Rolo was as idealistic and excitable in his view of the sport as was possible, as he hyped up Lelouch's potential to fight for the title. Thanks to Lelouch's efforts, Rolo had a stable platform to simply drive, without having to scurry about in the politics of the motorsports world to scrap his way into the big leagues, calculating and brown-nosing. This was in stark contrast to the cynical Lelouch, who had been eager to ensure his brothers experience was different to his. Given how excited Rolo was, and how much he rated his brothers chances, it appeared Lelouch had done his job properly, hence the pride.
The shame was the most complicated, as Lelouch privately acknowledged he had pre-emptively betrayed Rolo's faith in his driving. However, he wasn't quite ready to dive into that subconscious rabbit hole quite yet, as he tried to spot when his plane was leaving. He spied the timings on the ticker mounted to the roof of the terminal hall, noting that the flight was about half an hour from boarding.
"Let's get going." Lelouch signalled, neglecting to reply to Rolo's encouraging advice to rest. He pointed to Nunnally's wheelchair, instructing Rolo to push her towards the departure point. He followed, however it was not just the three Lamperouges that were flying out of Nice-Côte d'Azur.
"I hope they serve pizza on the in flight meals. This is going to be a long flight otherwise."
Lelouch sighed, and replied "Not least for me, what with your complaining. I'd swear your 10% goes purely to pizza outlets in bulk payments."
C.C chuckled quietly, with a smug edge, as she replied "At least it could be a pretty big 10% if things go your way next Sunday."
Lelouch frowned grumpily as he tugged at his carry bag. Unlike Rolo, the green haired agent was not naïve, and was irritating him with a great deal more intent. He ignored her, and marched on, however he was again molested with a snarky "So, what's the plan for taking the world championship?"
"Quiet." he snapped back, pretending to frown at some point on the middle distance with great focus, as if distracted by some pressing irregularity out on the runway. However, C.C read him well, and replied "Yes, those are some fascinating planes."
Realising he wouldn't be able to play this game for twelve hours, he shook, and replied "I've got a clear understanding of what needs to be done."
Delighted to be getting a rise out of him, C.C pressed "You always did talk about driving to the objective. What is it, seven and a half points?"
Lelouch knew C.C knew what the reality was, but he also knew she would not stop until she had gotten him to admit it. Sighing, he slowly replied, quietly so that Rolo might not hear, "The primary concern I need to operate around is not the seven and a half points I have to gain to Suzaku. That battle is over. My focus is the two points I have to lose to Kallen."
"Kallen, I need a moment. I need to tell you something about Lelouch."
The named woman turned back from the taxi line and removed her earphones to acknowledge her brother, raising her eyebrows in uncertainty, having only heard the ends of his request.
Naoto sighed, and repeated himself. But for his beleaguered demeanour, which could well be expected of anyone who had sat through a flight from Tokyo to Brazil without stops, his health was impeccable, something Kallen, looking back at his full portrait from across the room, had to note as he walked closer. He had affected as near as damnit to a full recovery from his injury a year and a half ago, and there was not a trace of a limp in his movements.
In any case, as she heard the repetition of his statement, she acknowledged it had little to do with legs, and so dropped the thought and replied "Sure, I'll just get a cab and we'll talk in the back. Can't imagine too many taxi drivers speak Japanese."
Naoto seemed satisfied with this compromise, as Kallen, donning a cap and cotton face mask to avoid recognition, continued her attempts to hail a taxi for some time, finally gaining the attention of a tatty microcar. Squeezing into the back, Kallen gestured "Autodromo Interlagos, obrigado.", which got an enthusiastic nod from the driver, before he stamped the throttle and, in the Brazilian tradition, shot out into the road as fast as the tappets of first gear would allow.
Trying to ignore the immense danger whizzing past them, Kallen and Naoto shared an exchange in Japanese, as Kallen tried to hear out Naoto's concern about her team mate. She sat back, while he explained.
"I didn't want to try and push you into anything, not after Brazil last year. If we've learned anything, it's that my sense of things and ability to predict your success is pretty haywire. Ergo, I don't want to, sorta, push or pull the way you thought and decided about things. So, when you brought Lelouch into the fold, I kept my trap shut. However, right now I need to give you a warning."
Kallen, surprised by this turn, sat upright and paid very close attention. Naoto's tone was very grave, and demanded Kallen's fullest focus, as he stared straight across into her eyes.
"In 2015, I was driving in GP3 before I debuted in F1. I was in the title fight with Lelouch going into Brazil, with Lelouch having a six point advantage going in. I would have to finish ahead of him to get the title."
Kallen put together the pieces in her mind, as Naoto completed the thought, explaining "To all intents and purposes, he would win the championship if I failed to finish."
Kallen felt a sudden coolness, like a chilling presence had joined them in the back of the Italian microcar. Progressively, the muddy heat of the Minas Gerais was replaced by an iciness, as she appreciated the inevitable conclusion of the story.
"So, on lap one, he made certain of it that I failed to finish. He crashed into the back of me at the first corner and that was all she wrote. Lelouch was champion. Be careful on Sunday."
"And of course, so if you could state your name and publication before you ask a question that would be fantastic. With all that sorted, I would like to welcome you all to this Thursday press conference. On panel we have Suzaku Kururugi, Lelouch Lamperouge, and Kallen Kōzuki. We'll start with the gentleman down the back, in the dark shirt."
"Kallen, do you think you can cope with the pressure of fighting for your first title in your second year?"
The question was straightforward, and put Kallen in quite the positive mood. Since Canada, pressure had been a non issue, as Kallen had entered a groove of form. The Abu Dhabi disqualification and pursuant argument with Lelouch may have shaken her cool somewhat, but she felt as good as gold out on track, and in the interests of putting on a show of confidence for Suzaku and Lelouch, was eager to show it.
"Absolutely. I'm at the peak of my career, at the height of form, I've just won six out of the last eight races, and have a great car. If I wasn't in a position where there was pressure, what would I be doing? Ultimately, performing under pressure is part of what makes a good driver, and in case you've not heard, I like to consider myself a good driver."
It was a bit cocky, but given the chuckles across the room it went down well. Buoyed by this success, Kallen decided to go on, continuing "Moreover, I've nothing to lose. I'm chasing him down, and it's on him to bottle it from his position of advantage. Let's see if the bookworm can handle the pressure, hmm?"
This light teasing prompted the same man to then ask "Mr Kururugi, do you feel the pressure?"
Suzaku was more straightforward in his answer, lacking Kallen's boisterous attitude, replying with a straightforward "No."
He didn't provide anything more than that, much to the amusement of the press corps, who waited in silence for a moment before realising that that was all they were being treated to and laughing. Pressed further, Suzaku spoke softly, but affirmatively, with little volume, but equally little hesitation.
"It is very easy to talk about momentum when you start the year with three finishes from six races. The truth is, I have been the more consistent driver all year, I have been faster where it counts, I have worked harder, and have driven the far better season. As a result, when we meet again on Sunday afternoon I expect I will be World Champion."
It was curt, snippy, and easily clippable, and matched Kallen's confidence with an understated quiet thunder. It could well have been one of the famed casual utterances of a certain Austrian. All it was missing was a frustrated grunt and irritable lisp.
It would do. There was some shuffling and jockeying, before a new questioner stepped up to the plate. She was reportedly Belgian, and spoke with clear practice in passable Japanese.
"Suzaku, what is your understanding of the situation with finances for the Rosenberg team?"
He did not take this question in his stride quite as well as he did the previous one, Kallen observed. Certainly, he was likely more prepared for questions regarding the world championship. In any case, he adapted, and with a slight sniff, answered "Obviously, there's a lot of talking going on, there's a lot of speculation about. I'd rather not add to the rumour mill without a reason, but suffice to say that we hope to impress with our performance on Sunday, and show that our outfit is a great platform for sponsorship and advertising."
"So you're looking for money?"
Suzaku realised he was backed into a corner, however he played it off well, trying to play it off as a joke by commenting "Well, I think every team always wants more money. You can't point to a team on the grid that wouldn't make good use of a few extra quid."
It was a good dodge, and it seemed to work, as the attention of the room shifted, and a new questioner rose, this time to ask a question to the elephant in the room.
"Lelouch, yesterday Taizo Kirihara admitted to being in the market for a new driver. It does not appear as if Kōzuki is currently likely to be the driver to lose out. What is your knowledge of the situation, and do you think your time at Rebellion is limited?"
If Suzaku had frowned at the awkward question he received, Lelouch initially would have had license to positively squirm. Kallen moved her eyelids sideways, stealthily examining the Frenchmans temperament, but was surprised that he was not too shaken by what was a rotten question, though, in Kallen's view, not undeserved. After a moments thought, he spoke, though with a very careful and deliberate choice of words, enunciating each one very particularly.
"Of course, there would be the issue of the two year contract I signed at the start of this year… neither I nor my agent have been addressed by Kirihara on this, which, given that he would have to pay a breakage clause, leads me to believe that action will not be taken in the near future. I think Taizo is a very smart man, who will be watching closely to see which of his drivers can finish higher in the drivers championship. I am in prime position to win it outright, and am ahead of Kallen in the standings at the moment. I doubt he wants to make premature decisions, which I respect. I believe I have driven the better, more consistent season, costing the team less points in incidents and failures to finish, and that is borne out in the current points standings. So… to answer your question, I'm very confident."
It was a serviceable answer, however Kallen did not appreciate the inferred minimising of her performance, and shot across the table "How many poles did you get, hm? How many wins? I was an average of four tenths ahead in qualifying, in fact the only times you outqualified me were Monaco and Abu Dhabi."
"Points are not paid out on Saturday, Kallen, you do know that, mm?" Lelouch snarked, with a wicked smugness about him. "You lost somewhere in the region of seventy points to crashing and driver error, while I've finished every race I've started this year."
"Yes, which shows I'm faster than you, given that despite that, you're still only two points ahead-"
Kallen was more than willing to continue this tract at length, however she was interrupted by the FIA man running the press conference, who insisted "C'mon now, this is fun, but lets get back to the questions."
Kallen paused, before shaking her head and dropping the argument, but not without a scowl. The next question was from Diethard Reid, who cleared his throat before speaking in a dramatic fashion.
"Lelouch, do you think you can win the championship?"
Lelouch looked uncharacteristically thoughtful, before responding "I'm mathematically in the fight. We'll see what happens in Qualifying."
He would not add anything more than that.
So close to the final scrap of the 2018, it's so tense! Who do you think will take it? Will Lelouch be driving for Rebellion next season? Will Rosenberg be on the grid next season? Please be sure to review, it's been ages without any feedback, and it really helps me examine what ye think of the direction I'm going, as well as giving a hell of a motivating kick! In any case, see you soon.
~Eth0