The off-season brought another System notification that changed everything.
[SYSTEM UPDATE: SKILL TIER RESTRUCTURING]
[Based on your progression to elite level, skill costs have been recalibrated]
[Rationale: You are competing against the world's best young drivers. True excellence requires proportional investment.]
[NEW SKILL COSTS:]
MASTER TIER (Elite Competition Level):
The Zone: 1200pts (increased from 800) Legendary Status: 1500pts (increased from 1000)
CHAMPION TIER (World-Class Level):
Racecraft Genius: 900pts (increased from 600) Any remaining Champion skills: 700-1000pts
GRANDMASTER TIER (NEW - Formula Racing Level):
Ultimate Focus: 2000pts Perfect Race Execution: 2500pts Champion's Mindset: 3000pts
[Current Balance: 70 points]
[Reality Check: Even basic Master skills now require 17-20 international race wins]
[This ensures skills remain extraordinary achievements, not regular purchases]
I stared at the updated Skills Shop, processing the magnitude of the change. The Zone, which I'd been close to affording, now required 1,130 more points. At the new earning rate of 60 points per international win, that meant nearly twenty victories just to afford one skill.
"You're really making this hard," I muttered.
[That's the point. You have 9 skills at age 10. Most F1 drivers have natural talent and years of work.]
[The System is meant to supplement excellence, not replace it]
[These costs reflect the reality that true mastery is earned, not purchased]
[Focus on racing. Skills will come when deserved.]
The message was clear: my supernatural advantages existed, but they wouldn't dominate my career. I'd have to earn everything through actual performance.
Strangely, I felt relieved. The pressure to accumulate points had been distracting. Now I could focus purely on racing.
[Mature perspective. This is growth.]
The winter was spent preparing for my age-eleven season as defending European champion. Paolo had ambitious plans.
"Last year, you won the European Championship," he said during our first planning meeting. "This year, we target both European and World Championship."
"World Championship?" Lucas asked, sitting beside me in the Parolin meeting room. "That's different from European?"
"The FIA Karting World Championship is a single event," Paolo explained. "One weekend, one location, against the absolute best drivers globally. European, Asian, South American, North American champions all compete. It's the highest level of karting."
"And you think Lance can win?" Lucas's tone was neutral, but I heard the undertone—his own struggles with European competition still fresh.
"I think Lance has a chance. Matteo will also attempt it. Sophie. Others from our team." Paolo looked at both of us. "Lucas, your season will focus on consolidation. Top-five finishes consistently. Lance, we expect championship defense plus world championship attempt."
[Team Expectations: Clear]
[You: Win everything]
[Lucas: Improve but not win]
[His confidence: Still fragile]
After the meeting, I found Lucas sitting alone in the team workshop, staring at telemetry data.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Just trying to figure out where I'm losing time." He pulled up a comparison between his lap and mine. "Same kart, same setup, same track. You're six-tenths faster. I don't understand how."
I studied the data. His racing line was good but not optimal. His braking points were conservative. His corner exits were slightly compromised by early steering inputs.
"You're thinking too much," I said. "Trying to be perfect instead of smooth."
"That's what everyone keeps saying. But I don't know how to stop thinking."
"Practice one corner at a time. Master it until it's automatic. Then move to the next corner. Build the track in pieces."
He looked at me skeptically. "You really think that'll work?"
"It's how I learned. Conscious practice becomes subconscious skill." I couldn't tell him about Perfect Instinct, but the advice was still valid.
[Lucas: Struggling with mental approach]
[Your advantages make helping him complicated]
[But friendship requires honesty within limits]
The season opener was at Lonato, home track advantage for Parolin. Media attention was intense—defending champion, expectations high, multiple championship campaigns planned.
During pre-season testing, new rivals emerged. A Japanese driver named Kenji Sato joined the European series, bringing incredible technical precision. A German driver named Stefan Müller had moved up from the younger class, immediately running front-pack pace.
[New Rivals:]
[Kenji Sato - Age 11, Japanese, former Asian champion, technical perfection]
[Stefan Müller - Age 11, German, aggressive style, very fast]
[Combined with returning threats: Matteo, Sophie, Oliver, Erik]
[The field is deeper than last season]
Qualifying showed the competitive landscape. Matteo took pole with a stunning lap. I qualified second, one-tenth back. Kenji third, Stefan fourth, Sophie fifth, Oliver sixth.
Lucas qualified fourteenth. The gap between us was growing, not shrinking.
The race was warfare from lap one. Matteo led, I pressured, Kenji and Stefan fought for third behind us. Sophie and Oliver were in their own battle for fifth.
By lap ten, I'd closed on Matteo, using Tire Management to preserve grip while he defended aggressively. My opportunity came on lap fifteen—he went defensive into turn seven, compromising his exit. I stayed tight, got better drive, pulled alongside.
We raced wheel-to-wheel through three corners before I completed the pass. Matteo fought back immediately, but I'd learned his patterns from last season. Defended smartly, maintained the lead.
Victory. First race as defending champion.
[RACE COMPLETE - VICTORY]
[Points Earned: 60]
[Current Balance: 130 points]
[Still 1,070 points from The Zone]
[This will take sustained excellence]
Matteo finished second, Kenji third with an impressive debut. Stefan was fourth, Sophie fifth. Lucas finished twelfth, gaining two positions but still outside the top ten.
"Good race," Matteo said on the podium. "But I'm not giving up the fight this year."
"I know. That's what makes it worthwhile."
Kenji approached after the ceremony. His English was precise, formal. "Lance Stroll. Your defending of positions is excellent. I look forward to racing with you more."
"You were fast today. Third place in your European debut."
"Adequate. Not sufficient. I will improve." His confidence was quiet but absolute.
[Kenji Sato: Respectful but determined]
[Technical approach similar to yours]
[Could be major threat as season progresses]
Race two was at Genk, the physically demanding Belgian circuit. Stefan Müller's aggressive style suited the track perfectly. He qualified on pole, I was second, Matteo third.
The race became a battle between different driving philosophies. Stefan's aggression vs my technical precision vs Matteo's experience. We swapped positions multiple times, none of us able to break away.
Final laps, Stefan was leading, I was second, Matteo third. My Physical Peak gave me an advantage—Stefan was showing fatigue signs while I remained sharp.
Lap twenty-two, Stefan made a tiny mistake exiting the chicane. I capitalized immediately, taking the lead. Held it for the remaining three laps despite his desperate attacks.
Another victory. Two from two.
[RACE COMPLETE - VICTORY]
[Points Earned: 60]
[Current Balance: 190 points]
Stefan was frustrated afterward. "I had the pace to win. Made one mistake."
"That's racing. Consistency matters as much as speed."
"Next time, I won't make mistakes." His German directness was refreshing. "Then we see who is truly faster."
[Championship Standings After 2 Races:]
[Lance Stroll: 120 points]
[Matteo Ricci: 110 points]
[Kenji Sato: 90 points]
[Stefan Müller: 85 points]
[Sophie Dubois: 80 points]
Race three was where Lucas hit his breaking point.
The race was at a Spanish circuit he'd never been to. Qualified seventeenth, raced hard, fought through to thirteenth by the finish. Respectable improvement but far from where he wanted to be.
After the race, I found him alone in the team truck, head in his hands.
"I'm done," he said without looking up. "I'm not good enough for European racing."
"You finished thirteenth. That's—"
"That's terrible! You won. Matteo was second. Kenji third. I'm not even in the same conversation." He finally looked at me. "You know what the worst part is? You're trying to be nice about it. Trying to make me feel better. But we both know the truth."
"What truth?"
"That I'm holding the team back. That Paolo keeps me on the team because he already committed, not because I deserve the seat." His voice cracked slightly. "I was supposed to be special too. South American champion. Natural talent. But here? I'm just average."
[Lucas: Breaking point reached]
[Your success highlighting his struggles]
[Friendship and teammate dynamic colliding]
I sat beside him, uncertain what to say. In my previous life, I'd never had to handle someone else's struggle while succeeding myself. It was uncomfortable, guilt-inducing, complicated.
"You're not average," I said finally. "You're competing at European level. That's already elite."
"Elite means top five. Elite means podiums. I'm finishing thirteenth."
"Then work harder. Figure out what's missing and fix it."
"I am working hard! I'm doing everything you're doing, and I'm still nowhere close!" He stood abruptly. "Maybe some people just aren't meant for this level."
He left before I could respond.
[Teammate Relationship: Strained]
[Your advantages creating unintentional pressure]
[No easy solution to this]
That evening, I called Dr. Renaud, my sports psychologist from North America. Explained the situation with Lucas.
"You can't fix his struggles for him," she said. "He needs to find his own path, his own answers. Your job is to be honest, supportive, and keep racing your best."
"But I feel guilty. Like my success is causing his pain."
"That's natural but misguided. You didn't create a zero-sum competition. You're both racing against the field, not each other. His struggles are his own, separate from your success."
"So I just keep winning and let him struggle?"
"You keep doing your best. And you remain a friend who's honest and supportive. But you don't diminish yourself to make him feel better. That helps no one."
[Advice: Clear but difficult]
[Success doesn't require apologizing]
[But friendship requires awareness and support]
The season continued with intense competition. I won race four in wet conditions, using Wet Weather Expert to dominate. Matteo won race five in a brilliant defensive drive. Kenji won race six with technical perfection. Stefan took race seven with aggressive attacking.
By mid-season, four drivers were separated by only thirty points in championship standings. The racing was the highest level I'd experienced, every weekend requiring perfect execution.
Lucas's performances gradually improved. He'd found a mental coach who helped him process the pressure. Started finishing consistently in the top ten. Not championship-level but respectable.
[Mid-Season Championship Standings:]
[Lance Stroll: 350 points (4 wins)]
[Matteo Ricci: 330 points (2 wins)]
[Kenji Sato: 320 points (1 win)]
[Stefan Müller: 315 points (1 win)]
[Sophie Dubois: 280 points]
[Lucas Almeida: 180 points (team 6th driver)]
The World Championship event was scheduled for September, after the European season concluded. Paolo entered me, Matteo, and Sophie as Parolin's representatives.
"The World Championship is different," he explained during preparation. "Single weekend. Practice, qualifying, heats, final. No room for bad luck or mistakes. You get one chance."
"What's the competition like?"
"Everyone. European champion, Asian champion, North American champion, South American champion. Plus top drivers from each region. Sixty drivers, all capable of winning. This is the highest level of karting that exists."
[World Championship: One-weekend event]
[Best sixty drivers globally]
[Single-elimination format]
[Everything on the line]
But first, the European Championship needed to be finished. Four races remained, and Matteo was closing the gap.
Race eight: Matteo won. I finished second after late mechanical issues. Gap reduced to fifteen points.
Race nine: I won after a brilliant tactical race. Gap extended to thirty points.
Race ten: Kenji won his second race. I finished third behind Matteo. Gap reduced to twenty-five points.
[Current Balance: 430 points after earning 240 through the season]
[Still 770 points from The Zone]
[Still 470 points from Racecraft Genius]
[Point accumulation is slow, as designed]
The European Championship came down to the final two races, with Matteo within striking distance. One bad race from me or one brilliant weekend from him could flip the championship.
"This is what you wanted," Marc reminded me during a video call before the finale. "Close competition. Real challenges. No easy victories."
"I know. But it's exhausting."
"That's championship racing. F1 will be even harder. Consider this preparation."
[Final Two Races: Everything to fight for]
[Matteo 25 points behind]
[Kenji and Stefan mathematically alive but need miracles]
[Lucas finally finding form, consistent top-ten finishes]
To be continued...
Author's Note: Chapter 21 shows Lance's age-11 season as defending champion. System further rebalanced - Master tier skills now cost 1200-1500pts, new Grandmaster tier at 2000-3000pts. Makes skills extremely expensive, requiring 20+ wins for one purchase. Lance currently has 430pts after earning 240 during season (60pts per win at new rate). Strong competition from Matteo, plus new rivals Kenji Sato (Japanese) and Stefan Müller (German). Lucas struggling with being slower teammate. Championship fight tight with finale approaching. Next chapter will resolve European championship and set up World Championship attempt.