Page 61 of Overtake
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Then… lights out.
His start is clean, but Petra’s is perfect. They drag race to turn 1, neither giving an inch. A glance in his left-side mirror shows Reece slotting into third, protecting the inside line.
Through turns 1 and 2, Nico’s finding the pace, pushing Petra, and watching for opportunities.
“Wyn’s pushing hard from P5,” Roxana warns.
Right. Because some complications can’t be ignored at 300 km/h.
“He’s taken P4,” Rox updates.
Of course he has. Sprint races reward exactly the kind of driving Graham’s been pushing for; all attack, no conservation. This is Wyn’s M.O. Push hard early, force errors, create opportunities.
“Gap to Hayter two point one, Nico.”
There’s a flash of blue in his mirrors. Wyn’s found a gap and muscled past his elder brother. Now there’s nothing between Nico and a fight.
“Heads up,” Roxana says. “He’s in push mode.”
Nico doesn’t need the warning. He knows exactly what’s coming. Graham’s pre-race “pep talk” is driving Wyn to push harder, take risks, and provesomethingto his father.
“Pritchard’s closing fast,” Roxana says unnecessarily.
Ahead, Petra’s driving her own race, perfect lines and controlled power. But she knows who’s behind her and what’s developing. Bowie will make sure of it.
Eleven laps to go. No tire management needed. No playing the long game. Sprints call for pure balls-out racing.
And Wyn Pritchard is carrying too much emotional baggage.
“Wyn has DRS,” Roxana announces.
The car’s handling changes as Nico’s teammate closes the gap behind him. It’s basic physics—the turbulent air from Wyn’s car affects the airflow over Nico’s, reducing the downforce that keeps it stable on the track. Through turn 13, the rear of his car loses grip and it’s like driving on ice as it slides around. Every instinct says defend the inside line, but that means sacrificing speed on the next straight where Wyn’s DRS advantage will be strongest.
They’re playing a high-speed chess match at 320 km/h, complicated by team hierarchy and Graham’s ego. One miscalculation and carbon fiber parts will be scattered across the track.
“Are we ignoring team orders today?” Nico knows the question is facetious. Wyn always ignores the order to protect Nico’s lead.
“Gap to Hayter now one point eight seconds,” Rox updates. “Wyn within DRS range of you. Marcus says?—”
“I know what Marcus says.” Team orders. Championship points. The bigger picture. All of which Wyn can’t seem to see anymore. “Let me drive, Rox.”
Wyn feints left, testing, taking the same aggressive line that put Petra into the barriers in Singapore.
They take the hard right-hander at turn 20 and accelerate into the straight.
DRS open. Attack mode engaged. Seven tenths gap.
Time to find out what it’ll take to keep his teammate behind.
Petra widens the gap while Nico defends his position against his own teammate. He manages to keep Wyn behind going into the hairpin at turn 1 and opens a little breathing room through the rest of sector 1.
