Turn one was inches and milliseconds.
Lucas and I entered side-by-side, neither giving ground. Behind us, Daniel dove to the inside trying to make it three-wide. Amy positioned for the outside line, gambling on carrying more speed through.
Four championship contenders, four different lines, zero margin for error.
I held the racing line through the apex, felt Lucas's kart brush mine, heard Daniel's tires squealing as he fought for grip. We emerged in a train: me, Lucas, Daniel, Amy, separated by less than a kart length.
[Lap 1 Complete: P1]
[Gap to P2: 0.1 seconds]
[This will be wheel-to-wheel for 20 laps]
[Championship pressure: Maximum]
My Race Intelligence calculated scenarios constantly. If I won and Lucas finished second, I'd win the championship by five points. If Lucas won and I finished second, he'd win by five points. Daniel needed to win and have both Lucas and me finish off the podium. Amy needed a miracle—win plus both Lucas and me outside top five.
But I couldn't think about scenarios. Only the next corner. The next lap.
Lucas pressured relentlessly. Every braking zone, he was there. Every corner exit, he threatened. His natural speed was a constant reminder that my skills gave advantages, not invincibility.
Lap five, he made his move. Dive-bombed into the chicane, got alongside, and we raced wheel-to-wheel through the following complex. My Consistency Master kept my line perfect, but his raw aggression was undeniable.
We exited the complex still side-by-side. Down the straight, he had momentum. Into the next corner, he took the lead.
[Position: P2]
[Lucas leading]
[If this holds, he wins the championship]
[Fifteen laps to respond]
I didn't panic. Race Intelligence showed me the full picture—Lucas was pushing hard, using tires aggressively. My Tire Management indicated his fronts would fade around lap twelve. If I stayed close, I'd have an opportunity.
Daniel made his own move on lap seven, passing me for second. Now it was Lucas-Daniel-Lance-Amy. My championship hopes required getting past Daniel and challenging Lucas again.
[Position: P3]
[Championship slipping away]
[Stay calm. Execute the plan.]
Lap nine, I used Setup Intuition to adjust my driving style, preserving my tires for the critical phase while maintaining pace. Daniel and Lucas were fighting each other, both burning rubber in their battle for the lead.
Perfect. Let them race. Let them use their equipment.
Lap twelve, exactly as predicted, Lucas's pace started dropping. Daniel closed on him. I closed on both of them. Amy was a second behind me, fighting her own battle to stay in championship contention.
[Tire Analysis:]
[Lucas: Front left 60%, front right 65%]
[Daniel: Front left 70%, front right 75%]
[You: Front left 85%, front right 85%]
[The patience is paying off]
Lap thirteen, Daniel passed Lucas into the hairpin. Lucas tried to fight back but his tires couldn't support aggressive defense. I followed Daniel through, taking second place.
Now Lucas was third, his championship lead evaporating. If this held, Daniel would win the championship by a handful of points.
[Current Race Order: Daniel, Lance, Lucas]
[Championship Implications:]
[Daniel wins if he finishes P1]
[Lance wins if he passes Daniel]
[Lucas needs both to finish behind him—requires them to have problems]
Seven laps remaining. I was faster than Daniel now, my tire advantage clear. But passing him would be difficult—he was defending intelligently, using every meter of track.
My Racecraft and Adaptability skills showed me options. Multiple passing opportunities existed, each with different risk-reward profiles. The question was which to take.
Lap sixteen, I tried the hairpin. Daniel defended perfectly, forcing me wide. I stayed close but didn't complete the pass.
Lap seventeen, I tried the chicane complex. Again, Daniel positioned perfectly. His defensive driving was masterful—he wasn't faster anymore, but he was making his kart impossibly wide.
[Five laps remaining]
[You're faster but he's defending brilliantly]
[Force the issue or wait for him to make a mistake?]
Lap eighteen, Daniel's perfection finally cracked. He went slightly deep into turn seven—just half a meter too deep. I stayed tight, got better exit, pulled alongside on the short straight.
We went into turn eight side-by-side. I had the inside line. He had momentum. For two corners we raced millimeters apart, neither yielding.
Through turn nine, I made it stick. First place.
[Position: P1]
[If you hold this, you're champion]
[Three laps remaining]
Daniel didn't give up. He stayed within three-tenths, pressuring, looking for any opportunity to strike back. Behind him, Lucas had caught back up on fresher tires, creating a three-way battle for the lead.
Lap nineteen. Daniel tried everything—different lines, late braking, aggressive positioning. I defended using every skill I had, making the kart wide, positioning perfectly, leaving no openings.
Lucas passed Daniel for second with two laps remaining. Now it was me versus Lucas for both the race win and championship, with Daniel in third trying to capitalize if we made mistakes.
[Final lap approaching]
[Lucas 0.2 seconds behind]
[His tires are better now but yours held on]
[One lap for the championship]
The final lap was the longest of my life. Lucas attacked into the first corner—I defended. He tried again at the chicane—I held him off. Through the technical section, we were inches apart, both on the absolute limit.
Into the final sequence, I could hear his engine behind me, feel his kart in my mirrors. He tried one last desperate move into the hairpin, going to the outside, trying to carry more speed around me.
I stayed tight to the apex, maintained momentum, held the inside line. We exited the corner still in the same positions—me first, Lucas second.
Final corner. He was alongside, both of us accelerating hard toward the finish line. We crossed simultaneously, me ahead by millimeters.
[RACE COMPLETE - VICTORY]
[Championship Result: CHAMPION]
[Margin over Lucas: 0.08 seconds in race, 5 points in championship]
[Daniel: Third in race, third in championship]
[Amy: Fourth in race, fourth in championship]
I'd done it. Not easily, not dominantly, but through consistent performance, strategic racing, and executing when it mattered most.
The podium ceremony was surreal. Standing on the top step, holding both the race trophy and championship trophy, with Lucas in second (runner-up in both race and championship) and Daniel in third.
"That was the best racing of my life," Lucas said, genuine respect in his voice. "You earned it."
"You pushed me every lap. Without you, I wouldn't have driven that well."
Daniel leaned over. "Three championships in a row where I didn't win. Starting to get old."
"You'll get yours. You're too good not to."
Amy joined us after the ceremony. "Congratulations, Stroll. Fair fight, best driver won."
"This season? Any of us could have won. It came down to one race."
"Which you won." She smiled. "Enjoy it. Because next year, I'm coming for that title."
[SEASON COMPLETE]
[CHAMPION at age 10]
[Record: 6 wins, multiple podiums from 12 races]
[Points Earned This Race: 75 (victory + championship)]
[Season Total Points: ~600]
[Current Balance: 955 points]
That evening, the family celebration was at Chef Beaumont's restaurant. He'd prepared a championship meal, each course representing a different aspect of the season.
"A champion again," Chef Beaumont said, presenting the main course. "But this time, you fought for it. Last time at age eight, you dominated. This time, you earned it through competition."
"The competition was harder. Daniel, Amy, Lucas—they're all exceptional."
"And next year?"
"Europe. Time to race against the best in the world."
Chloe was quiet during dinner, which was unusual for her. Afterward, she pulled me aside.
"You're going to Europe?" she asked.
"Not permanently. Race weekends, some training periods. But yes, European competition is the next step."
"That's far away."
"I know. But it's necessary for the career path." I saw her concern. "I'm not disappearing, Chloe. You're still my sister. Distance doesn't change that."
"Promise you'll video call? And tell me about the races?"
"Every week. Promise."
She hugged me tightly. "I'm proud of you, Lance. But I'm also going to miss you."
[Family Impact: Acknowledged]
[Chloe struggling with your increasing absence]
[Balance becoming harder to maintain]
[Success has costs]
Marcus (my friend, not the former teammate) had similar feelings when I told him about Europe.
"So you're basically becoming too famous for us regular people now?" he joked, but there was real emotion underneath.
"Never too famous for Mario Kart defeats."
"You still suck at Mario Kart. That's the one thing keeping you humble." He paused. "Seriously though, Europe? That's huge."
"It's the path to Formula 1. Can't get there staying in North America."
"I know. Just weird thinking about you racing in Italy or Spain while I'm here playing video games and being normal."
"You keep me normal. That's valuable. Don't underestimate that."
[Friendship: Strained by distance and success]
[Marcus feeling left behind]
[Another cost of progression]
With 955 points available, I studied the Skills Shop for the next major investment. The Champion Tier skills were within reach, and new categories had appeared after winning another championship.
[NEW SKILL TIER UNLOCKED: MASTER LEVEL]
[Requirements: Win multiple championships, demonstrate elite performance]
[Available Skills:]
[The Zone (800pts): Enter flow state at will, perform beyond normal limits]
[Perfect Instinct (900pts): Subconscious mind handles all technical aspects, conscious mind purely strategic]
[Legendary Status (1000pts): Psychological advantage—opponents feel pressure racing you]
[Championship DNA (1100pts): Peak performance in decisive moments, never crack under ultimate pressure]
These were transformative abilities. Not just enhancements but fundamental changes to how I would compete. The problem was I didn't have enough points for any of them yet.
But I was close. One good season in Europe could easily earn 1000+ points if I performed well against world-class competition.
"I'll save the points," I decided. "Go to Europe with current skills, earn more points there, then buy a Master-level ability that will be truly transformative."
[Strategic Planning: Approved]
[Current skill set is strong enough for competitive European racing]
[Master skills will be the difference-maker at highest levels]
[Patient approach: Wise]
Robert called a team meeting before the off-season. All four championship drivers present, plus team engineers and management.
"Exceptional season," Robert began. "Four drivers within twenty points in the championship. That's never happened in series history." He looked at each of us. "You're all ready for the next level. The question is where."
Daniel spoke first. "I'm staying in North America one more year. Age eleven feels too young for European intensity."
Amy nodded. "Same. One more year here, then probably move to European competition at twelve."
Lucas grinned. "I'm going to Europe. Already have offers from Italian teams. Time to race against the best."
Robert turned to me. "Lance?"
"Europe. I've already done testing. Parolin Racing offered me a position. I'm taking it."
"You'll be teammates with Lucas then," Robert noted. "Parolin signed him last week."
Lucas and I looked at each other, surprise and anticipation mixing.
"Teammates in Europe," Lucas said. "This will be interesting."
"Very interesting," I agreed.
[Decision Confirmed: European Racing, Age 10/11]
[Team: Parolin Racing Kart]
[Teammate: Lucas Almeida]
[Competition: World-class European drivers including Matteo Ricci]
[This is the major step toward Formula 1]
The winter was spent preparing. Physical training intensified under Sandra's supervision, though Physical Peak made recovery automatic. I worked with Marc on European racing tactics, studying videos of international competition, learning the differences in style and approach.
Chef Beaumont's sessions continued every Tuesday, though he knew they'd become less frequent once European racing started.
"You're going far from here," he said during our last session before Christmas. "But remember—cooking is meditation, creativity, art. When racing becomes too intense, come back to the kitchen. It centers you."
"I will. Thank you for everything you've taught me."
"You've taught me as much. That talent isn't about age, that passion transcends circumstance, that excellence comes from dedication." He handed me a chef's knife, professional quality, perfectly balanced. "For your future kitchen. Wherever that may be."
[Life in North America: Coming to close]
[European chapter: About to begin]
[Age: 10 years old]
[Skills: 8 owned, 955 points available]
[Next Goal: Master European competition, earn enough points for Master-tier skills]
[Long-term Goal: Formula 1, unchanged]
[Status: On track, progressing rapidly]
Christmas morning, I found a wrapped package from Chloe under the tree. Inside was a scrapbook—not her ongoing racing scrapbook, but a new one.
The title page read: "Lance Stroll: The European Years - A sister's perspective on her brother chasing dreams."
"It's for your European races," she explained. "I'm starting a new book for this chapter. The North American book is complete now."
"You didn't have to—"
"Yes I did. Someone needs to document this properly. Might as well be me." She smiled, though her eyes were watery. "Besides, when you're in Formula 1, people will want to know the whole story. I'm making sure it's recorded correctly."
"Thank you, Chloe."
"Just win a lot so I have good material to write about."
[Family Support: Unwavering despite distance]
[Chloe's project: Documentation of the journey]
[Everything is being recorded, remembered, preserved]
The new year arrived with plans finalized. February would bring my first European race weekend with Parolin Racing. Matteo Ricci, Oliver Hayes, and dozens of other elite European drivers awaited.
Lucas texted me from Brazil: "Ready to face the Europeans together?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied.
"They think we're just fast North and South Americans. Let's show them we're the future."
[European Campaign: Beginning]
[Competition: The highest level youth karting in the world]
[Teammates: Lucas Almeida]
[Rivals: Matteo Ricci, Oliver Hayes, dozens more]
[The real test begins now]
To be continued...
Author's Note: Chapter 17 resolves the championship battle with Lance winning by 5 points after a dramatic final race. Beat Lucas by 0.08 seconds in the race and 5 points in the championship. Season earned ~600 points, bringing total to 955. Master-tier skills unlocked but too expensive to buy yet. Lance and Lucas both move to Parolin Racing in Europe, setting up the next arc. Family struggles with the distance but remains supportive. Next chapter will begin European racing against world-class competition like Matteo Ricci.