[center][h2]Saturday October 23rd, 2094, 11:45
Muller Cay, Australia[/h2][h3]Qualifying[/h3][/center]The track was a weird thing. At every other circuit, the limit was dictated by the ability to turn without getting thrown off the racing surface. Even in banked corners, there was a top lip one could go over if they screamed in too fast.

Not the barrier Reef.

Here, with most of the track in tunnels with MAG tracking all 360 degrees around, the limit wasn’t understeer, but what the repulsor packs could handle without bottoming out on the wall.

Having to wait for recovery in the tunnel was a very good psychological motivation to not overcook it.

[color=#1EFF24]”Anti-glare is getting its arse kicked today.”[/color] Bea noted as the canopy’s tint - an upgrade over helmet tint to make everything in the cockpit more readable - reacted to the rapid changes in ambient light as her ship ducked in and out of the tunnels on her outlap, the tunnel lighting creating an annoying stroboscopic effect as she rushed past that she barely even registered.
[color=#129914]”Radiators are getting a workout as well. Hot air outside, cooler inside.”[/color]

The circuit was a wild one, the tunnels a nightmare to defend at and making for an additional dimension - literally - to consider when positioning the ship for the next corner.
[color=#129914]”Three.”[/color] Alistair called out, Bea aligning the ship on the tunnel wall according to the three o’clock marker on the ‘clock face’ projected onto her HUD - a software modification developed just for this track, using the ship’s accelerometers to figure out tilt and keep the floor guide in the tunnel always at the 6 o’clock position. Yes, she [i]could[/i] have simply [i]known[/i] which way she was turned through the neural link. [color=#129914]”Exit 12, toward six.”[/color] He kept calling out directions, corner by corner. Carrera Condor was bringing rally-style pace notes into Formula AG, and they would argue ‘til their throats were sore that it was legal because it was the race engineer passing information, not a driving assist.

[color=#129914]”Sector one time is good.”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”Temps within limits.”[/color]
[color=#129914]”Closing radiator cowl is available.”[/color]

[color=#129914]”Sector two purple.”[/color] The small aerodynamic improvement paying off. Same gamble as Singapore, but with less risk.
A double-tap of the mic in reply, the ship winding through a difficult section.

[color=#129914]”Nice one, Bea. Looking like P3.”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”Nice. Oh, I think my head will be spinning tomorrow night.”[/color]
[color=#129914]”Ivan can do a rush job of implanting a gyro.”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”No.”[/color] She snapped back without any heat.

[hr][color=gold][center][h1][i][b]DELTΔ HYPER[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color][color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Episode 16: Diving Deep[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color]
[hr]
[quote]”Beatrix, a solid P3 effort, and while stability may not be Carrera's strong suit, do you think you can hang onto another podium?”[/quote]
[color=#1EFF24]”I bloody hope so.”[/color] Bea laughed, [color=#1EFF24]”Stability is one thing, but the track also doesn’t mesh too well with my driving style.”[/color] It was one thing to make snap defensive movements on a normal circuit. Harder on a track where competition could literally go over her head. [color=#1EFF24]”It’s amazing to run through, but I’ve got my work cut out for me tomorrow.”[/color]

[hr][center][h2]Saturday October 23rd, 2094, 15:30
Muller Cay, Australia[/h2][h3]Carrera Condor Fan Zone[/h3][/center]Compared to the first half of the season, León or Felix seated between Ava and Bea had become the new normal of Carrera Condor press conferences.

“Bea, Australia is one of the less forgiving circuits for stability, yet you’ve put the ship on the second row. Was that a case of adapting your driving, or do you feel the ship is finally meeting you halfway?”
[color=#1EFF24]”The ship's definitely improved, I don't even want to imagine trying to do this with what we started with. If I ever feel masochistic tendencies, I might try it in a sim.“[/color] She grinned, [color=#1EFF24]”With the upgrades over the season, I don't have to spend as much time keeping it pointing in the right direction-“[/color] She caught herself, raising a finger. [color=#1EFF24]”Poor choice of words after Brazil. I don't have to spend as much time keeping it steady and can actually focus on racing.”[/color]

“Ava, P8 puts you right on the edge of the midfield again. Do you feel you’re extracting everything from the ship in qualifying, or is there still something missing on low-stability tracks like this?”
[color=#7AFFAD]”One small mistake in qualifying has big impact, one small mistake in a 45 minute race is barely a footnote. That's it.”[/color] Ava shrugged.

“Bea, after the last two races, did you approach this qualifying with a more conservative mindset, or was this still about extracting everything regardless of risk?”
[color=#1EFF24]”We tried to be conservative in Brazil, didn't work.”[/color] She shook her head. Behind his water bottle, León’s knuckles went white.

“Question for Bea: You’ve now qualified ahead of ships that, on paper, should be stronger here. Do you see this as proof that Carrera Condor’s upgrade path is working, or was this more about execution than raw pace?”
[color=#1EFF24]”I think it's execution across the board. No offense intended to my teammate,“[/color] She quickly clarified, sounding honest but detached. [color=#1EFF24]”But if it was ship pace, we'd be closer together. If you look at the qualifying order, the only team where both drivers are close together are SuperCat and that's because they're P19 and P20, because Kofi and Vladimir are driving actual rubbish bins.”[/color]

“There have been concerns about funding if further accidents occur. Does that affect how aggressively you allow your drivers to race?”
[color=#7AFFAD]”As if Bea would ease up if ordered.”[/color]
Bea snickered at that. [color=#1EFF24]”Never have I been more offended by something I agree with this much.”[/color]
[color=#FFAA00]”This is something we've addressed after Argentina, and trust our pilots to stay on top of it. Brazil was by no means insignificant, but Bea kept the ship in one piece.”[/color]

“Ava, with the second seat still officially undecided, do weekends like this feel like auditions, even if the team says otherwise?”
[color=#7AFFAD]”Every race is an audition. You're only as good as the last one.”[/color]

“Bea, given the ship’s known weaknesses, how confident are you that P3 is defendable over a full race distance?”
[color=#1EFF24]”Pfff... I don't even know how I put it into third in the first place to be honest.“[/color] She shook her head and León’s peace of mind. [color=#1EFF24]”This place is Hell to defend at, it's not like Monaco where you can drive the speed limit and people will still struggle to pass you, your biggest asset here is the person behind the person behind you. I guess I've shown the ship does have the single-lap pace here, add Ava's better consistency over the race duration and a good result definitely seems possible here.”[/color]

“Cassie Neves was spotted touring the Carrera Condor factory this week. Can you clarify the nature of that visit? Furthermore, with Elise’s Junior Series performance exceeding expectations, is the team prepared to promote from within?”
[color=#FFAA00]”We're still weighing our options. Our PR department will likely have more for you in the next weeks.”[/color]

“Looking ahead to high-speed circuits like Bonneville and Wadi Rum, do you see those races as opportunities to reset the narrative around this team?”
[color=#FFAA00]”That's three races where we have a leg up on Zygon. We hoped for that to be where we break away from them and secure P5, but at least we can use them to close the gap.”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”Unless they try a Montreal again...”[/color] Bea murmured loud enough for the mic to pick up.

“For Ava: Your race pace has often been stronger than your qualifying this season. Is that something you’re consciously leaning into, given the characteristics of this circuit?”
[color=#7AFFAD]”Same answer as the first question.”[/color]

“There’s been a lot of talk about mistakes lately. Bea, does a result like this change the internal mood, or is the pressure still very much on going into the race?”
[color=#1EFF24]”Pressure's always on. The only time there isn't is when you're driving a shitebox.”[/color] She shrugged.

“Ava, you’ve been praised internally for consistency. Is consistency enough right now, or do you feel you need a standout result before the end of the season?”
[color=#7AFFAD]”I would prefer a standout result.”[/color]
[color=#1EFF24]”She doesn't cost the team money, that's a pretty big plus in her favor right now.”[/color]

“For the whole team, how did the wall callouts come about?”
“They have to babysit Ward because she keeps fucking up!” Someone yelled in the back.
[color=#1EFF24]”Argentina happened because of a communication breakdown. Now we’re communicating and you’re still whining.”[/color] Bea shrugged, [color=#1EFF24]”You’re such a woman, make up your mind.”[/color]

As everyone packed up, Ava lingered. [color=#7AFFAD]”If other teams start pushing us because they think we’ll back out rather than risk damage, I’m blaming you.”[/color] She said to León, Bea nodding along in agreement as she passed.

[hr]
[b]ChadJPete:[/b] Bro, she didn’t have to call the cats out like that.
	[b]Xinny:[/b] [[url=https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQAHllnh9HfHJuSqus_dezzZFsR1b7GUO3QsA&s]link[/url]]
[b]Cookiesaurus:[/b] poor TP looked in mental pain the entire time. 😀
	[b]Sol_de_Mayo:[/b] You could see a piece of his soul die when Bea said she doesn’t know how she put it in P3.
		[b]Mate0:[/b] That’s either a flex or a call for help and I have no fucking idea which it is.
[b]Briat77:[/b] If she wants masochism, she should try being a CC fan.
	[b]Xinny:[/b] [[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_distribution]link[/url]]
		[b]Briat77:[/b] [[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Verstappen]link[/url]] This guy didn’t need it.
			[b]AndesAG:[/b] That doesn’t count, that was a robot. 😀
[b]Javi[/b]: “Every race is an audition. You're only as good as the last one.” Shots. Fired.
[b]CloroxEnjoyer:[/b] I am SO fucking confused by the relationships in this team, someone please explain.
	[b]User420:[/b] A love-hate relationship? They love to hate each other? 😀
[b]Hotstuff:[/b] not leon having neves over to get villarosa to get her ass in gear
[b]SuperCatUnofficial:[/b] @MadBea A wheelie bin can still finish a race without incidents. 😛
	[b]MadBea:[/b] That’s fair, you get this one.

[hr]
[center][url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TrLdbYUu7LJQf9_6F1zblN3WfwvCU8R3W8Xskd8b3vI/edit?usp=sharing]Carrera Condor NPCs[/url][/center]