The Vaayu GP headquarters buzzed with an air of precision and discipline. Sukhman walked down the pristine halls, his heart pounding with anticipation. The walls bore pictures of legendary drivers, trophies lined up in glass cases—a shrine to speed and excellence. Nandini walked beside him, her presence reassuring yet firm.
"This is where things get serious, Sukhman," she said. "Be confident and answer to the best of your ability. They don't expect perfection, but they do want to see if you have a solid foundation."
Sukhman nodded, inhaling deeply. He had followed Grand Prix racing since childhood, analyzing every detail, understanding the sport's nuances. But now, he wasn't just a spectator. He was about to be tested.
---
Meeting the Masters: Raghav Satyanarayan and Marc Perez
Inside the conference room, two figures waited. One was Raghav Satyanarayan, the esteemed team principal of Vaayu GP. A man in his late forties, his presence was commanding, his eyes sharp with wisdom earned from years in motorsports. Beside him sat Marc Perez, the Spanish sporting director, a former racer turned strategist.
"Sukhman Singh," Raghav said, scanning his profile. "You've got the raw passion. But do you have the knowledge?"
Marc leaned forward. "Let's start simple. Explain the structure of a Formula 1 race weekend."
Sukhman exhaled and began.
"A Formula 1 race weekend follows a structured format. It starts with Practice Sessions on Friday, where teams test setups, tires, and race strategies. There are two sessions, Free Practice 1 (FP1) and Free Practice 2 (FP2). The goal is to get familiar with the track and conditions."
Marc nodded. "Go on."
"Saturday has Free Practice 3 (FP3), the final session for fine-tuning the car before qualifying. Qualifying is divided into three rounds: Q1, Q2, and Q3. In Q1, the bottom five drivers are eliminated, in Q2, another five, and in Q3, the top ten drivers compete for pole position. The grid for the race is set based on the qualifying results."
Raghav crossed his arms. "And how is the points system structured?"
"Only the top 10 drivers earn points. First place gets 25 points, second 18, third 15, and so on. The tenth position gets 1 point, while drivers finishing P11 or lower get nothing."
Marc raised a brow. "Correct so far. Now, let's talk about tire management."
Sukhman straightened up. "There are two types of tires: dry and wet. Dry tires, or 'slicks,' provide maximum grip and come in three compounds: Hard (White), Medium (Yellow), and Soft (Red). Hard tires last the longest but offer less grip, soft tires give the best grip but wear out quickly, and medium tires are balanced. In a dry race, drivers must use at least two different compounds."
Raghav smiled. "And in wet conditions?"
"For rain, there are Intermediate Tires (Green), used for light rain, and Full Wet Tires (Blue), designed for heavy rain. These have grooves to channel water and prevent aquaplaning."
Marc and Raghav exchanged glances. Marc leaned forward. "Alright, let's see how you handle race strategy. Hypothetical scenario: You're in P5 with five laps to go. Your tires are degrading, and your engineer suggests a pit stop. But the top four drivers aren't stopping. What do you do?"
Sukhman took a moment. "It depends on my current tire condition and gap to the car behind. If my pace is dropping significantly and I risk being overtaken by those behind, I'd pit and get fresh tires to push hard in the last laps. But if I can maintain my position without losing too much grip, I'd stay out and defend."
Raghav and Marc exchanged glances.
Marc smirked. "Alright. What if it starts raining mid-race, but only certain sections of the track are wet? You're on medium dry tires, and your team isn't calling you in yet. How do you handle the situation?"
Sukhman replied confidently. "I'd assess the grip in the wet patches—if they're too slippery, I'd drive cautiously in those sections and attack in the dry areas. I'd also radio my team to see if switching to intermediates is viable."
Raghav raised a brow. "What if you pit for intermediates, but the rain stops after five laps?"
Sukhman hesitated but then answered. "That would put me at a disadvantage because intermediates degrade quickly on a drying track. I'd have to either nurse the tires or pit again for slicks, depending on race position and strategy."
Marc leaned back, clearly impressed. "One last question. You're leading the race on the final lap, but the car behind is faster in straight-line speed. You approach the last corner—how do you defend?"
Sukhman smiled. "I'd take the inside line to block their move, forcing them to go wide. If they try to overtake, they'll have a compromised exit, and I can maintain my lead to the finish."
Raghav chuckled. "Not bad, Singh. Your knowledge is solid."
Raghav leaned back, clearly impressed. "86% of your answers were correct. You've been watching GP closely."
Marc grinned. "Not bad, rookie. Let's see how you handle real speed. There's a kart race tonight. You can watch… or participate."
Sukhman's eyes lit up. "I want to participate."
---
A Call to Home
Later, in his dorm room, Sukhman sat on his bed, phone in hand. He dialed Harinder's number.
"Oye Paaji!" he exclaimed as Harinder picked up.
"Sukhman! Kya haal hai?" (Sukhman! How are you?)
"Paaji, main ek race chalane wala hoon aaj." (Paaji, I'm going to race today.)
"Badiya! Chala na, jeet ke aana." (Great! Go for it, win it.)
Sukhman chuckled. "Jeetna mushkil hoga. Par try zaroor karunga." (Winning will be tough. But I'll try.)
Harinder's voice turned serious. "Sukhman, bas ek baat yaad rakh. Hum yahan sab manage kar rahe hain. Tu bas apni training pe dhyan de. Samjha?" (Sukhman, just remember one thing. We're handling everything here. You just focus on your training. Understood?)
Sukhman smiled, a deep gratitude filling his chest. "Haan, Paaji. Samajh gaya." (Yes, Paaji. I understand.)
---
Evening Kart Racing
The karting track is lit up under floodlights, the air buzzing with the sound of revving engines. Drivers line up, wearing helmets and racing suits. Sukhman, dressed in his racing gear, takes a deep breath.
As he slides into the kart, he grips the steering wheel tightly. The seat is low, the engine hums behind him, and the pedals feel sensitive.
Sukhman (thinking): This is different… This isn't a normal car. The speed, the control—it's all in my hands now.
The race begins.
As the lights go out, Sukhman hesitates slightly at the start, losing a couple of positions into the first corner. The kart is much faster than he expected, and the rear slides more than he's used to.
Lap 1-3: Struggle
Sukhman struggles to find the right braking points.
He almost spins out in a tight hairpin turn but corrects at the last moment.
His reflexes help him avoid a collision when another driver brakes suddenly.
Lap 4-6: Adaptation
Sukhman starts to adjust, finding the racing line and carrying more speed into corners.
He overtakes one kart using a late braking maneuver into Turn 5.
His confidence grows, but he's still trailing behind the leaders.
Lap 7-10: The Comeback
Sukhman starts pushing harder, braking later and accelerating earlier.
He overtakes another driver in a side-by-side battle through a chicane.
The last few laps are intense, and he fights for P3 in a wheel-to-wheel battle.
In the final corner, he finds an opening and makes the move, securing 3rd place as he crosses the finish line.
As he removes his helmet, his face is covered in sweat, but a wide grin spreads across his lips.
Marc Perez claps. "Not bad, kid. You struggled at the start, but you learned quickly. That's what matters."
Sukhman nods, catching his breath. "This was... something else. I need more of this."
Marc pats his back. "Good. Because this is just a beginning."