The final two races of the European Championship were intense but ultimately conclusive. I won race eleven with a dominant performance, extending my lead to forty points. Race twelve saw Matteo win, but I finished second, securing the championship by thirty-five points.
[EUROPEAN CHAMPION - SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR]
[Age: 11 years old]
[Points Earned: 110 (60 for race 11 win, 50 for race 12 second place)]
[Current Balance: 540 points]
[Final Championship Standings:]
Lance Stroll: 470 points Matteo Ricci: 435 points Kenji Sato: 410 points Stefan Müller: 395 points
The celebration was professional rather than euphoric. Winning a second championship felt different from the first—more validation than revelation. Paolo was pleased but already focused on the next target.
"World Championship is in three weeks," he said during the post-season team meeting. "You, Matteo, and Sophie will represent Parolin. This is the highest level of karting. Sixty drivers, one weekend, single elimination format."
"Who's competing?" I asked.
Paolo pulled up a list on the screen. "European champion—that's you. Asian champion—Hiroshi Nakamura from Japan. North American champion—a driver named Tyler Morrison from USA. South American champion—your former teammate Lucas just won it."
I looked up sharply. "Lucas won South America?"
"Returned home after European season, dominated the championship. Five wins from six races." Paolo showed the results. "He found his confidence again."
[Lucas Almeida: South American Champion]
[He struggled in Europe but excelled at home]
[Will compete at World Championship]
[Your reunion will be interesting]
The World Championship was held at a purpose-built facility in Bahrain, neutral ground where no driver had significant advantage. The format was brutal: practice Friday, qualifying Saturday morning, heat races Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, pre-final Sunday midday, final Sunday evening.
One bad session could eliminate championship hopes. One mechanical failure, one mistake, one piece of bad luck could end everything.
I arrived in Bahrain with Lawrence, Claire, and Chloe—the whole family making the trip for this significant event. Marc came as consultant, though Paolo was lead strategist.
The paddock was unlike anything I'd experienced. Drivers from every continent, all champions of their regions, all believing they could win. The diversity of styles, approaches, and personalities was fascinating.
Hiroshi Nakamura, the Asian champion, had mechanical precision that rivaled Kenji's. Tyler Morrison, the North American champion, raced with aggressive confidence. Lucas looked different—more mature, more focused than when he'd left Europe.
"Lance," Lucas said when we crossed paths in the paddock. "Congratulations on European championship. Again."
"Congrats on South America. Paolo showed me the results—five wins is impressive."
"Needed to go home, race where I understood the culture." He smiled slightly. "Turns out I'm not bad at this. Just needed the right environment."
"You racing to win here?"
"Everyone's racing to win. But realistically? Top ten would be success for me. You, Matteo, the European front-runners—you're the favorites."
[Lucas: Transformed by returning home]
[Confidence restored through regional success]
[Realistic about World Championship chances]
[Relationship reset to friendly rivals]
Practice Friday was chaotic—sixty karts on track simultaneously, everyone learning the circuit, jockeying for position, testing limits. The track was technical, favoring precision over raw speed.
My Practice best: 1:04.2 (P3 overall)
Fastest was Hiroshi: 1:04.0
Second was Matteo: 1:04.1
The field was incredibly tight—the top twenty separated by less than a second. This would be the most competitive racing I'd ever experienced.
Qualifying Saturday morning was pressure-packed. Top thirty from qualifying would be seeded in favorable heat race positions. Bottom thirty would have to fight through from the back.
I pushed hard, using Perfect Instinct to find optimal lines, Setup Intuition to dial in the kart perfectly. The lap felt good, clean, fast.
Qualifying Result: P2 (1:03.8)
Pole: Hiroshi (1:03.7)
P3: Tyler Morrison (1:03.9)
P4: Matteo (1:04.0)
P8: Kenji
P12: Stefan
P18: Lucas
P22: Sophie
[Front of grid: Diverse international talent]
[Everyone competitive]
[Heat races will be crucial for final grid position]
The heat race format was three races across Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Points from all three determined final starting positions for the pre-final.
Heat One: Started second, battled with Hiroshi and Tyler for the lead, finished second behind Hiroshi's perfect defensive drive. Matteo third.
Heat Two: Started based on Heat One result, had an intense race with multiple lead changes. Won after passing Tyler on the final lap. Hiroshi second, a Brazilian driver named Carlos Santos third.
Heat Three: Started well positioned, raced conservatively to secure points, finished third behind Matteo (first) and Hiroshi (second).
[Combined Heat Points: P2 overall]
[Starting Position for Pre-Final: P2]
[Hiroshi: P1]
[Matteo: P3]
[Tyler: P4]
Lucas had mixed heat races—finished 15th, 12th, and 16th. Would start the pre-final around P15, making the final difficult to reach.
The pre-final Sunday midday was twenty laps to determine the final grid. Top thirty-four would qualify for the final. Bottom twenty-six would be eliminated.
The pressure was visible on every driver's face. One race separated them from competing for world championship or going home.
The start was aggressive—drivers desperate to gain positions, knowing every spot mattered. I held second behind Hiroshi, Matteo right behind me in third.
By lap ten, we'd established a lead group of six: Hiroshi, me, Matteo, Tyler, Kenji, and Stefan. Behind us, chaos as drivers fought desperately to make the final.
Lap fifteen, I made my move on Hiroshi. Passed him into the technical section, took the lead. He fought back immediately but I'd timed it perfectly, had better tire life remaining.
Held the lead for the final five laps. Won the pre-final.
[Pre-Final: VICTORY]
[Pole Position for World Championship Final]
[This is the race that matters]
Hiroshi finished second, Matteo third. Tyler was fourth despite a late charge. Kenji fifth, Stefan sixth. The top thirty-four was determined, and notably, Lucas had finished thirty-second—barely making the final after a brilliant recovery drive from P15 starting position.
"Made it by two positions," Lucas said after the pre-final. "That's all I needed. Now I can say I competed in the World Championship final."
"You're not racing just to compete," I said. "You're racing to see how high you can finish."
"Realistically? I'm starting thirty-second. Top twenty would be amazing."
[World Championship Final - Starting Grid:]
P1: Lance Stroll (pole) P2: Hiroshi Nakamura P3: Matteo Ricci P4: Tyler Morrison P5: Kenji Sato P6: Stefan Müller P32: Lucas Almeida
The final was scheduled for Sunday evening, twenty-five laps under lights. The entire karting world would be watching—this was the race that defined careers, the one victory that elevated drivers to legendary status.
Before the race, I sat with my family in the Parolin hospitality area. Chloe had her camera ready, documenting everything for her scrapbook.
"You're on pole for the World Championship," she said, taking photos. "This is literally the biggest race of your life so far."
"Feels like it."
"Are you nervous?"
"Terrified. But excited."
Lawrence sat beside me. "Whatever happens today, you've already exceeded every expectation. Eleven years old, two-time European champion, on pole for the World Championship. That's extraordinary."
"But I want to win."
"Of course you do. Just remember—this is one race. Your career is decades long. Keep perspective."
[Family Support: Grounding]
[Pressure acknowledged but managed]
[Mental Fortress skill keeping anxiety controlled]
The sun set over Bahrain, lights came on, and the sixty drivers who'd started the weekend were reduced to thirty-four preparing for the final.
I climbed into the kart, Marc and Paolo doing final checks. The grid formed—pole position, best possible starting spot, everything aligned for victory.
But so were thirty-three other drivers who wanted it just as badly.
[Current Skills: 9 owned]
[Current Balance: 540 points]
[Skills Available for Future: The Zone (1200pts), Racecraft Genius (900pts)]
[But points don't matter right now]
[Only the next 25 laps matter]
The starting lights went through their sequence. Five red lights appeared.
Five seconds of absolute focus. This was it. World Championship. Everything I'd worked for since age four, since being reborn, since God gave me this second chance.
Lights out.
Perfect start. Held the lead into turn one. Hiroshi challenged but I defended the inside. Matteo and Tyler battled behind us for third.
[Lap 1: Leading the World Championship]
[24 laps remaining]
[Stay calm, stay focused, execute perfectly]
The race became a masterclass in defensive driving. Hiroshi was fast, constantly pressuring, looking for any weakness. Matteo was right behind him, forming a three-driver lead group.
Behind us, the racing was fierce—positions constantly changing, drivers fighting desperately for every place.
Lap ten, Hiroshi made his first serious attack. Dive-bombed into the hairpin, got alongside. We raced wheel-to-wheel through the following corners, neither giving ground.
I held position through better tire management, my preserved grip giving me the edge through corner exits.
[Lap 10: Still leading]
[Hiroshi 0.1 seconds behind]
[Matteo 0.3 seconds behind Hiroshi]
[This is the highest level of racing I've ever experienced]
Lap fifteen, Tyler passed Matteo for third, bringing fresh pace to the front group. Now I had three different drivers with three different strengths all hunting me down.
My Race Intelligence calculated constantly—who was using tires aggressively, who was managing for late-race pace, who was vulnerable to counterattacks.
Lap eighteen, Hiroshi's pace started dropping slightly. Tyler closed on him. Matteo was steady in fourth.
[Tire degradation analysis:]
[Hiroshi: Fronts fading from sustained attack]
[Tyler: Fresh pace but tires wearing quickly from aggression]
[Matteo: Conservative management, dangerous late-race threat]
[You: Optimal balance, preserving grip while maintaining pace]
Lap twenty, Tyler passed Hiroshi for second. Now the North American champion was my immediate threat, bringing aggressive style and fresh motivation.
[Five laps remaining]
[Tyler 0.2 seconds behind]
[Must defend perfectly]
Tyler attacked hard—tried the hairpin, tried the chicane, tried different approaches every corner. I defended using every skill available, positioning the kart perfectly, leaving no openings.
Lap twenty-three, he tried his most aggressive move yet. Came up the inside of turn seven, forcing me defensive, compromising both our exits.
Matteo capitalized, passed Tyler for second, now hunting me with fresh tires and tactical patience.
[Two laps remaining]
[Matteo 0.2 seconds behind]
[Tyler 0.5 seconds behind Matteo]
[Everything on the line]
Penultimate lap, Matteo tried everything. Multiple corners, multiple approaches. I defended desperately, using everything I'd learned across two European championships.
We went into the final lap separated by millimeters.
[Final lap of World Championship]
[Matteo right behind]
[One more lap for the title]
Through the first sector, he was on my gearbox. Through the second sector, he tried a move but couldn't complete it. Through the final sector, he had one last chance.
Into the final complex, he went to the outside, trying to carry more speed around me. We raced side-by-side toward the finish line.
I had the inside, the racing line, the momentum.
We crossed the line...
[RACE COMPLETE]
[Winner: Lance Stroll]
[Margin: 0.04 seconds]
[WORLD CHAMPION]
[Age: 11 years old]
I'd won. The World Championship. Against the best sixty junior drivers on the planet.
Matteo finished second, Tyler third. Hiroshi was fourth. Kenji fifth. Stefan seventh. Lucas, remarkably, had fought from thirty-second to finish twentieth—an incredible recovery drive.
[WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - COMPLETE]
[Points Earned: 75 (championship victory under new system)]
[Current Balance: 615 points]
The podium was surreal. Standing on top step, world champion trophy in hands, looking at Matteo (European rival) and Tyler (North American champion) beside me. The international anthem playing, cameras flashing, the weight of achievement settling in.
This was the peak of karting. There was nowhere higher to go in karts.
Next step would be cars. Formula 4. The ladder toward Formula 1.
After the ceremony, Paolo announced plans.
"Next year, you're twelve. We transition to cars. Formula 4. European championship. This is the beginning of your journey to Formula 1."
[Career Path: Confirmed]
[Age 12: Formula 4]
[Age 14-15: Formula 3]
[Age 16-17: Formula 2]
[Age 18-19: Formula 1 target]
That night, celebrating with family, Chloe made an observation.
"You're world champion at eleven. You know what that means?"
"What?"
"You're officially out of excuses. Everything from here has to be earned against the absolute best. No more 'I'm young' or 'I'm learning.' From now on, you're expected to win."
She was right. The karting chapter was closing. The car racing chapter—the real path to Formula 1—was about to begin.
And with it, new challenges, new rivals, and eventually, a future in streaming and a connection with someone named Valkyrae that I couldn't even imagine yet.
But that was years away. Right now, I was eleven years old, world champion, and about to transition to the next level.
The journey was accelerating.
To be continued...