The off-season brought unexpected news: Apex Racing Development had signed two new drivers who would change everything.
"Meet your new teammates," Robert said during the pre-season team meeting. "Daniel Rodríguez from Mexico and Amy Chen from California."
Daniel was ten years old, son of a former IndyCar driver, and had won three regional championships across North America. Amy was eleven, from a racing family, and had finished second in the national championship I'd just won—racing for a different team.
Both looked at me with expressions that were neither friendly nor hostile. Just evaluating.
"Lance Stroll," Daniel said, extending his hand. "The eight-year-old champion. Heard a lot about you."
"Nine now," I corrected, shaking his hand. "Season starts next week."
"I know. That's when I plan to beat you." His smile was confident but not arrogant. "Nothing personal. Just racing."
Amy was more direct. "You won last year because Marcus Whitfield imploded. Different competition this year. I don't crack under pressure."
[New Rivals Identified]
[Daniel Rodríguez: Age 10, three championships, professional approach]
[Amy Chen: Age 11, runner-up last season, chip on her shoulder about losing to you]
[This season will be significantly harder]
[Good. You need real competition to improve.]
The first test session confirmed my concerns. Daniel's baseline pace was only two-tenths slower than mine. Amy was three-tenths back. Both had excellent technical feedback and worked efficiently with their engineers.
Marcus Whitfield, returning for his second season, was now clearly the fourth-fastest driver on the team.
"They're fast," Marc observed, reviewing the timing data. "Daniel especially. His smoothness is exceptional."
"Should I buy The Killer Instinct?" I asked quietly. "Push harder?"
"You have 485 points. What would The Killer Instinct give you?"
"Ruthless competitiveness. Unshakeable confidence. Winner's mentality."
"Do you need that? You're already a champion." Marc looked at me seriously. "Or do you need something else? Something that addresses actual weaknesses?"
He had a point. The Killer Instinct would amplify my competitive drive, but I already had plenty of motivation. What I lacked was...
[Skills Shop Analysis: Weaknesses]
[Your consistency is perfect. Your strategy is elite. Your wet-weather driving is exceptional.]
[But you're still nine years old in a growing body. Physical limitations remain.]
[Consider: Physical Peak (500pts) - maintains optimal condition automatically]
[Or: Adaptability Master (400pts) - instant adaptation to any situation]
[Or: Save for Racecraft Genius (600pts) - see racing as art]
"What if I save points this time?" I said. "See what I actually need after racing Daniel and Amy. Buy skills strategically instead of preemptively."
"Smart. Race first, identify weaknesses, address them specifically."
[Strategic Approach: Approved]
[Points Held: 485]
[Plan: Earn more through racing, make informed purchase later]
The season opener was in New York, a street circuit that was technical and unforgiving. I qualified second behind Daniel, who'd been absolutely flying in qualifying trim.
His pole lap had been perfect—no wasted movement, ideal lines, exceptional exit speed. Only one-tenth separated us, but that tenth felt significant.
"He's really good," I admitted to Robert on the grid.
"Yes. That's why we signed him. You need proper competition to develop." Robert checked his strategy notes. "Race him clean. We want both drivers finishing well."
The start was intense. Daniel's launch was perfect, but my Race Start Mastery gave me equal acceleration. We went into turn one side by side, neither backing down.
He held the inside, took the corner, emerged with the lead. I slotted into second, Amy third.
[Lap 1: P2, gap 0.2 seconds]
[Daniel: Not pulling away but not allowing a pass]
[This is proper racing]
For fifteen laps, we were glued together. Every time I tried a move, Daniel had an answer. His racecraft was exceptional—positioning his kart perfectly, defending without being dirty, leaving no openings.
My Race Intelligence showed multiple potential passing opportunities, but each one required significant risk. Daniel was smart enough to know where attacks would come and positioned himself accordingly.
Lap sixteen, I finally saw an opening. He went slightly deep into turn seven—just a half-meter too deep. I stayed tight, got better exit, pulled alongside on the short straight.
We went into turn eight wheel-to-wheel. I had the inside line but he had momentum. For three corners we raced inches apart, neither giving ground.
Finally, through turn ten, I made it stick. First place.
[Position: P1]
[That was earned. He didn't make a mistake—you forced an opportunity.]
But Daniel didn't give up. He stayed within three-tenths for the remaining four laps, applying constant pressure, looking for his own opportunity to strike back.
I held him off by millimeters in some corners, using every skill I had—Tire Management showing me grip limits, Consistency Master keeping my pace perfect, Setup Intuition helping me feel what the kart needed.
Checkered flag. Victory by 0.4 seconds.
[RACE COMPLETE - VICTORY]
[But barely. That was close racing against excellent competition.]
[Points Earned: 60]
[Current Balance: 545]
On the podium, Daniel looked frustrated but respectful. "Good race. You earned that."
"You almost had me. That defense was brilliant."
"Almost isn't good enough. Next time I'm not making that mistake in turn seven."
Amy finished third, eight seconds back, but she'd been in her own race for the podium with Marcus. The team had swept the top four positions.
[Team Performance: Dominant]
[But internal competition: Fierce]
Race two the next day was Amy's breakthrough. She qualified on pole—her setup dialed in perfectly for the cooler morning temperatures. I qualified third behind Daniel.
The race was chaos. Amy led strongly, Daniel and I battled for second, and the three of us pulled away from the field.
Lap eight, Daniel tried a desperate move on Amy that didn't work, went wide, and I capitalized to take second. But by then Amy had a two-second gap.
I closed it slowly, my pace slightly better, but she was defending brilliantly. Every corner I tried to attack, she positioned perfectly. She was using my own tactics against me.
With three laps remaining, I was on her gearbox. Lap twenty-eight, I made my move into the hairpin. She defended hard—very hard—and we made slight contact. Both karts twitched but stayed on track.
I didn't complete the pass. She held position through aggressive defense that was borderline illegal but not quite over the line.
Checkered flag. Amy won. I finished second, Daniel third.
[RACE COMPLETE]
[Final Position: P2]
[Points Earned: 50]
[Current Balance: 595]
Amy's celebration was pointed. On the podium, she looked directly at me. "Still think last year was just because Marcus cracked? I'm not Marcus."
"No, you're not. That was an excellent drive."
"It was a perfect drive. And there's more where that came from."
[Amy Chen: Proven herself]
[Daniel Rodríguez: Consistently fast]
[This championship will be close]
The season developed into a three-way battle that was genuinely competitive. Daniel won races three and five. Amy took race four. I won six and seven. By mid-season, only fifteen points separated the top three.
[Championship Standings - Race 7 of 12]
[Lance Stroll: 305 points (4 wins)]
[Daniel Rodríguez: 295 points (3 wins)]
[Amy Chen: 290 points (2 wins)]
[Gap: 15 points across three drivers]
[This is a real championship fight]
During the summer break, I analyzed the competition carefully. Daniel was faster than me in pure qualifying pace sometimes. Amy's racecraft under pressure was exceptional. Both were older, more experienced, and not intimidated by my previous success.
"You're being pushed," Marc observed during a break-week practice session. "That's good. Champions need to be pushed."
"I might not win this championship."
"You might not. Would that be the worst thing?"
"I have a supernatural advantage and I might lose?"
"You have skills that enhance your natural ability. They're not invincible." Marc pulled up data comparing me to Daniel and Amy. "They're both elite talents. You're slightly better overall, but on any given weekend, either could beat you. That's proper competition."
[Reality Check: Your skills are advantages, not guarantees]
[Daniel and Amy are genuinely talented]
[This is what Formula 1 will be like—fighting equally talented drivers]
[Consider: Do you need more skills, or better application of current skills?]
Race eight was the turning point. Wet conditions, my supposed specialty with Wet Weather Expert. But Amy had been studying wet-weather racing obsessively, and Daniel's smoothness translated perfectly to slippery conditions.
I qualified second in the wet. Amy took pole, Daniel third.
The race was tactical warfare. All three of us had different wet setups—Amy aggressive, Daniel balanced, mine conservative. Each setup had advantages depending on track evolution.
Early race: Amy's aggressive setup fastest.
Mid-race: My conservative setup best as track dried slightly.
Late race: Daniel's balanced setup optimal.
We swapped positions multiple times. I led laps 5-12, then Amy passed me. Daniel passed both of us on lap 18 with superior pace. I repassed Daniel on lap 22, chased Amy, caught her with two laps remaining.
Final lap. Amy defending desperately, both of us sliding through corners, finding grip where none existed. Into the final sequence of corners, I was alongside. We went to the finish line wheel-to-wheel.
Photo finish.
Amy won by 0.007 seconds.
[RACE COMPLETE]
[Final Position: P2]
[Margin: 0.007 seconds]
[Points Earned: 50]
[This is the closest finish of your career]
The paddock erupted. Amy's celebration was genuine joy—she'd beaten me in the wet, in conditions where I supposedly had the advantage. Daniel finished third, just two seconds back.
"That was incredible racing," Daniel said to both of us. "All three of us were on the limit."
"Wet Weather Expert didn't help much there," I admitted.
"Because I studied you," Amy said. "Watched every wet race you've done. Figured out your patterns. Adapted to counter them." She smiled. "Skills are great, but other drivers learn too."
[Important Lesson: Skills can be studied and countered]
[Your advantages aren't permanent unless you keep evolving]
[Current Balance: 645 points]
[Decision: Buy adaptation or keep pushing with current skills?]
The championship went to the final race weekend, a double-header that would decide everything.
[Championship Standings - Before Finale]
[Lance Stroll: 450 points]
[Daniel Rodríguez: 445 points]
[Amy Chen: 440 points]
[Ten points separate all three drivers]
[Two races remaining]
[Any of them could win the championship]
I decided to make a strategic skill purchase. Not The Killer Instinct—that was raw competitiveness I already had. Instead, I bought Adaptability Master for 400 points.
[PURCHASE CONFIRMED: ADAPTABILITY MASTER (400 POINTS)]
[POINTS REMAINING: 245]
[INTEGRATING INSTANT ADAPTATION PROTOCOLS...]
The skill was different from others. It didn't make me faster directly—it made me flexible. I could adapt to car changes instantly, adjust to track evolution mid-race, modify my style based on what was needed moment-to-moment.
[INTEGRATION COMPLETE]
[You can now adapt to any situation within seconds]
[This is the ultimate versatility skill]
[Use it wisely in the finale]
The final race weekend was intense. Both Daniel and Amy knew about my skill purchases—they'd figured out something unusual was happening, even if they didn't know the specifics.
"You're getting better mid-season," Amy said before qualifying. "That's not normal improvement. That's something else."
"Hard work. Good coaching."
"Sure." She didn't believe me but didn't push. "Well, whatever it is, I'm still beating you today."
Qualifying for race eleven: Daniel pole, me second, Amy third. Separated by one-tenth across all three.
The race was the best of the season. Clean racing, three drivers at the absolute limit, swapping positions based on setup, tire life, and split-second decisions.
Daniel won by two seconds. Amy second. I finished third after a late tire gamble didn't pay off.
[Race 11: P3]
[Points Earned: 35]
[Championship: Everything comes down to the final race]
[Final Standings Before Last Race:]
[Daniel: 505 points]
[Lance: 485 points]
[Amy: 490 points]
[Scenario: Any of the three can win championship depending on final race result]
The final race was Sunday afternoon. Winner-takes-all scenario. I qualified second again, between Daniel (pole) and Amy (third).
The tension was suffocating.
"Just drive your race," Marc said. "Don't think about the championship. Think about the next corner, the next lap."
The start was clean. Daniel led, I held second, Amy pressured in third. For ten laps, we maintained that order, each of us managing tires, preserving equipment, waiting for the crucial phase.
Lap eleven, Amy made her move on me. Aggressive but fair, she took second place. Now it was Daniel-Amy-Lance, with all three separated by less than a second.
My Adaptability Master kicked in. The championship required winning, not just finishing second. I adjusted my approach—more aggressive tire usage, accepting more risk, pushing harder than was sustainable long-term.
Lap fifteen, I repassed Amy. Lap seventeen, I caught Daniel.
[Five laps remaining]
[You need to win to have a chance at the championship]
[Daniel leading championship: He can finish second and win title]
[Amy: Needs to win or for you both to finish lower]
[Everything on the line]
Lap eighteen, I tried a move on Daniel into the chicane. He defended perfectly, positioned his kart to close the door. I had to back out.
Lap nineteen, different corner, different approach. Used Adaptability Master to try a line I'd never used before, surprising Daniel. Got alongside, we raced wheel-to-wheel through three corners.
He held position. Barely.
Lap twenty, final lap. One more chance.
Into the hairpin, I tried everything. Daniel defended everything. We were millimeters apart, both on the absolute limit.
Final corner. Daniel ahead by a kart length. I had one desperate move—stay tighter, hope for better exit, drag race to the line.
I executed perfectly. Got better drive. Pulled alongside. We crossed the finish line...
Daniel ahead by 0.03 seconds.
[RACE COMPLETE]
[Final Position: P2]
[Championship Result: Daniel Rodríguez - CHAMPION]
[You: Second in championship]
[Amy: Third in championship]
I'd lost. Given everything—the skills, the System, the advantages—I'd lost the championship by five points.
On the podium, Daniel held the championship trophy. Amy stood beside him in third. I was second, holding the runner-up plate.
"Hell of a season," Daniel said. "You pushed me every race."
"You earned it. Fair and square."
"See you next year?"
"Definitely. This isn't over."
Amy leaned over. "Told you I don't crack under pressure. Good racing, Stroll."
[Season Complete: Second Place]
[Record: 5 wins from 12 races]
[Lost championship by 5 points]
[Points Earned: 550 during season]
[Current Balance: 795 points]
[Lesson Learned: Skills aren't everything. Competition matters.]
That night, I sat with Marc reviewing the season.
"You lost," he said simply.
"I know."
"And?"
"And... it's okay. Daniel was better this year. Amy too, some races."
"You have supernatural advantages and you lost to normal drivers. How does that feel?"
"Like I needed to lose. To remember that I'm not invincible. That the journey matters, not just the destination."
Marc smiled. "That's the right answer. You're nine years old, Lance. Second place in a championship against older drivers who pushed you to your limit? That's success, not failure."
[Character Development: Learning from defeat]
[Skills Owned: 7 (added Adaptability Master)]
[Points Available: 795]
[Age: 9 years old]
[Next Season: One more year nationally, then international competition]
[The setback will make you stronger]
To be continued...
Author's Note: Chapter 15 introduces real competition with Daniel Rodríguez and Amy Chen as named rivals who actually challenge Lance. Despite his skills, he loses the championship by 5 points in a genuine three-way battle. This shows that skills aren't automatic victories—other drivers are talented too. Lance earns 550 points during the season, purchases Adaptability Master, and learns from defeat. Currently has 795 points available.