Formula 1: The GOAT - Chapter 161

Chapter 161: Return of the Prodigal Son
“So how was your mental state when you finally returned to the karting track in an official capacity, since your injury had hospitalized you for weeks and kept you out of the track for months?” the reporter asked, as that was the most important question for anyone who was injured from something they regularly did.

There are a large number of people in different sports who have a drop in performance following an injury that keeps them out of the sport for a period of time. For a majority of them, this is diagnosed as the mind subconsciously limiting them from returning to the same mentality they had before the injury as a means of protecting them from suffering from the same injury again.

It is a complicated problem that doesn’t have a single blanket treatment, as it is fully related to the mind, and no two minds are alike, even more so for people in competitive or dangerous environments. As a result, some of them never return to the same peak they were at before the injury, despite having no physically traceable problems at all.

Fatih took a moment to consider how he should answer before he said, “I don’t think I felt anything other than excitement to finally return to the track in a competitive capacity after missing a large competition during my healing period,” a longing smile appearing on his face as he recalled the feeling he had on that weekend, even more so because it was in England, which meant…

…….

“Rain! Rain is expected for the entirety of the weekend, so we will be going on a full rain setup from the start, because even if the rain stops, the track will still be in a wet condition,” Steve said as he went through the race weekend briefing on Friday before Fatih went out for his first session.

They were doing it with much more focus and care, as it was Fatih’s first race back. Nearly all of them had seen him being given first aid before he was taken to the hospital, and for the majority of them, they had also considered the worst, as no update was given for a few hours. Since they didn’t have another driver in the race, they remained on the track doing nothing but letting those thoughts marinate in their minds.

When the crashed kart was returned and they realized that it was the tire that had given up, the mechanics who were responsible for the rapid repair felt a high level of guilt. They knew if they had discovered it during the repair period, they could have fully prevented it and not risked Fatih’s life at all. The level of relief they felt when they received the news a few hours later from Ricky was now being expressed through the extreme due diligence in their preparations and actions.

Steve went ahead and summarized the things they were expecting and planning to do during the race weekend. Once he was finished, he turned to Fatih and said, “If you feel anything is wrong, don’t hesitate to inform us, and we will do our best to deal with it as meticulously as possible.”

“Understood, but let’s worry in moderation, or you might prevent me from joining the track the moment the engine fails to power on the first time,” Fatih said, teasing them for a moment. He knew that it wasn’t only him that was affected by the incident, but those present here were affected as well, so he did his best to lighten the mood.

It was well received, as everyone in the room chuckled at his words when they saw how free of care and worry he was, which also slightly calmed them down. Since the one who had been on the receiving end of the accident was calm, they too calmed down slightly.

Throughout all of this, cameras that were placed in different areas around the room captured everything. Everyone in the room had already gotten used to their presence, as the docuseries had been following him for a few years.

“Okay, we are twenty minutes out from the first practice session, so let’s make sure everything is ready before we send our returnee to the track,” Ricky said, clapping his hands to get the attention of everyone in the room. Everyone nodded before heading off to do their tasks diligently as Fatih picked up his helmet and balaclava and left the academy garage box. This was a rarity at karting tracks, but the PFI International circuit had them, and although there weren’t enough for every team, RFM had managed to book one—for a fee, of course—but the space and layout made it worth the cost.

…..

“Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the first round of the CIK-FIA European KZ/KZ2 Championship. We are only a few minutes away from the first session of the KZ2 category taking the track. Although such a competition coming to the home of motorsport is something for people to celebrate, it is the second-most-expected thing this weekend, with the first one being the return of the prodigy who has been off the track since his heavy injury a few months ago in Italy. It is Fatih Yıldırım, and nearly everyone who knows him is looking forward to seeing him back on the track,” George, the event’s main commentator, said, starting his commentary for the day.

“I mean, it is quite a fast return considering he had a punctured lung, broken ribs, and a broken arm, which many had expected would take more than half a year before he made a full return. Hearing that he is making a return in just half of that time period is remarkable,” Lucas, the second commentator who is also responsible for the technical side of things, said, filling in those who were not aware of what Fatih went through and why many were excited to see him back.

“Although he is back, I hope he is fully healed, both physically and mentally, and that he isn’t forcing himself to return as fast as possible, because you are never the same after such a heavy crash,” George said, talking about the possibility that Fatih might be rushing, which could be dangerous.

“I know that Red Bull is known for its high-pressure environment, but they are not foolish enough to greenlight his return to the track without him meeting their stringent performance conditions. I remember seeing a picture of him landing in Austria, a place he had no history of visiting for any personal reasons, but then I connected the dots because Austria is where the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center is, in Salzburg.

He most likely received a green light from them after they made sure that he is fully healed, so I don’t worry about him rushing on the physical side. As for the mental side, well, all we have to do is watch him on the track, which, without any surprise, has started to be covered by water as the rain started a few minutes ago,” Lucas said, focusing fully on his technical analysis.

“That is true; after all, mental blocks can most of the time only be discovered in real high-pressure environments. In practice, most people’s minds already know that it is not official and there are no consequences. I hope nothing about his driving changes, since the accident was not a result of his driving, but a result of the tire’s structural problem after Vincenzo deliberately crashed into him. But talking about him, what did the organizers decide to do about his actions?” George asked, subtly changing the topic to someone different but still related to Fatih.

“It seems like not only the WSK organizers but also the FIA took the incident quite seriously. Although the second accident was a result of the first crash, and they said they didn’t take that into consideration, it looks like they did. He has now had his racing license entirely revoked by the FIA’s International Tribunal, effectively banishing him from any FIA-sanctioned motorsport event for a minimum of five years before he can request a reexamination of the incident.”

“Well, it makes sense. Had he done this to some other driver, he might have ended up with only a one-year ban. But since he did this to one of the most-watched and anticipated young drivers, and it was most likely not helped by the Red Bull driver academy and the team pressuring the FIA to make sure no one else thinks of pulling the same move on a driver they were heavily investing in and had high expectations for, it looks like Vincenzo was the one used to set an example.

I’m not complaining at all; after all, he had deliberately tried to kill a driver. His telemetry data showed that he was on full throttle for the entire duration, even after the crash as they were sliding toward the tire walls, meaning he was intent on causing harm…” George said, but before he could finish his long rambling, the pit lane opened as the KZ2 category karts started entering the track.

After a few karts, Fatih finally entered the wetting track, his arrival made obvious to everyone as the people in the grandstands stood, clapping and cheering as he crossed the start-finish straight. George immediately pivoted, saying, “And the prodigal son returns to the track after an absence of three months! The attendees are making their welcome clear by standing and celebrating his return. It is a very happy occasion for many people, though a nightmare for the drivers who will be racing against him. Fatih seems to have realized it, as he is waving at them while driving with one hand on the wet track—albeit at a lower speed—thanking them for this emotional welcome. We too are looking forward to what he is going to show us now that he is returning.”