The Global Racing Championship - Season 9 (2031)

The GRC is now mostly done on a discord server! Whilst this site will continue to recieve updates, the discord server has races uploaded one by one throughout a season, news, other series, awards nights, trivia and so much more! Feel free to join if interested! https://discord.gg/uQqeAqXtgn
Project Overview
The Global Racing Championship (GRC), is a fictional project that I have worked on for over a year now, detailing my own racing universe in a world without the Formula One. The world has been built up and detailed with its own fictional drivers, teams, tracks, brands and car manufacturers, made up for the sole purpose of providing a story. The Championship has evolved to have its own stories and legacies, with every race and storyline in the world being shared here in detail with worldbuilding, and constantly updated to be improved and made better. I hope you enjoy what I have done :)

Season Overview
Preseason
The second year into the new regulations and era of motorsport, and teams were ready to prove their worth as season 2031 found itself underway. Hugh Pierson vs William Turner. Lukas Meyer wanting his 2nd title in the new German team. Tane Mahaki and Keita Tanka proving they are the future. John Marton hoping to defy the odds. Benjamin Harris still kicking around. So many storylines going into the year set the scenes for one of the closest and fiercest title fights the GRC would ever see. 
Aeropulse were the first to make announce a big change, as former TP's glory child and young 19 year old Frenchmen Antoine Lemoine was surprisingly dropped going into the new year, with new boss claiming he wasn't performing to the standard a championship competition team needed. It wasn't the end of the young boys career though, as Lemoine would find a 2nd chance elsewhere at Mertelen, replacing 35 year old GTS title winner Noah Ballenger after his venture into single seater racing proved not to be so successful. Reserve driver Thomas Kowalski would be given a go for now as the team looked elsewhere for a stronger solution, with GRC Jr driver Arthur Leblanc getting the first callup to the main series despite a fairly mid season as he became the new Aeropulse reserve. Perhaps the biggest news of the pre-season though was the finalization of the Asteria-Fintali transition, with Asteria acquiring 100% ownership of the team and moving things from down under in Melbourne to a new base in Greece, with the Fintali name being faded out of the sport, at least for now. Despite Nicolas Baros being their favored driver following last year, his performances where not enough for the team on the rise that they where, and one Greek would go for another as Alexander Galanis got given the spot. GRC Jr champion Matteo de Silva was also added to their arsenal following his championship winning performance in Jr season 1 last year to help boost up the team as their new reserve. Leblanc and De Silva were not the only 2 Jr drivers being handed a promotion in 2031, as runner-up Inuk Olsen would too find a seat at the Vitalite team. Before it was even officially announced however, his contract would be leaked to show that he was getting an actual seat, and with both Meijer and Jackson at the team it lead many to be confused as rumors spread rampant, with many believing Meijer had been dropped. It would instead turnout however, that with a year left on his contract Logan Jackson would retire, with the now 34 year old giving up on the GRC after a long career. One of just 3 drivers remaining from the initial 10 on the season 1 grid, Jackson would depart with 6 wins and 2 top 3 championship finishes to his name, and despite never quite winning the championship after being the favorite multiple times, Jackson would return home to Northern Ireland as perhaps the greatest driver to never win a championship title. Olsen and Meijer would be put to the test against each other to see who could lead the team into the future. Meyer would slot back into his seat at Bauer following his injury late last year, and with no further change Bauer looked pretty much set for the next year. The team that did have a big change though was NuevaEra. After a couple long years in the sport without much, the team would face a major rework. Being one of the most successful GTS racing teams, NuevaEra would move over multi time GTS championship team principle Amelia Partey, who came to make some big changes for the sport. First was the departure of Diego Alvarez, who had his contract cancelled and paid out despite having multiple years left due to years of fairly poor performance. Young Croat and long time reserve Andrej Kovacic finally got his chance to shine in the team after being stuck behind the 2 Spaniards for years. Partey also sought to bring the team up through the purchasing off the ES-Hyochi powertrains, meaning that for the first time in history no team would be using the GRC Standard engines. Also switching engines this year would be NeoImperial, who after becoming the first team to move away from the GRC standard engine and win a title in 2029, would suffer as other teams caught up. Once their greatest weapon really meant not much anymore, and the NeoImperial engine was phased out of the sport for the better, Fortitude engines. The last change on a team front also came from NeoImperial, as after being found to be pretty mid without the dominating car he once had, Luca Rossi was dropped in favour for rookie Zane Smith, who also filled the whole in the sports declining Australian Market. Just like last year, more rumours of the Whitmore Racing Foundation joining the grid arose as the American Giants continued to struggle their way onto the grid, but Michael Harrington had once again shut down this idea.
As usual, sport CEO Michael Harrington announced the calendar for the year, and despite a majorly similar calendar there would be some shake up. Norway's Nordfjordring would depart, making way for a new track in Turkey for the first time. The Scottish GP would switch back to Edinburgh for the year like now usual, whilst the last change would be the famous Italian track at Corsa saying its goodbye. Despite being such an Iconic track, Italy would move to a different track in Sardinia for the time being. With no other changes or announcements, Season number 9 was ready to get underway...

Entrant Changes
Asteria Fintali-Hyochi GRC   ->   Asteria ES-Hyochi GRC
Serenity Racing  ->   N/A

Driver Transfers
Noah Ballenger:   Mertelen   ->   Retired
Antoine Lemoine:   Aeropulse  ->   Mertelen
Thomas Kowalski:   Rookie   ->   Aeropulse

Logan Jackson:   Vitalite   ->   Retired
Inuk Olsen:   GRC Jr   ->   Vitalite

Nicolas Baros:   Asteria   ->   No Seat
Alexander Galanis:  Rookie   ->   Asteria

Luca Rossi:   NeoImperial   ->   No Seat
Zane Smith:   Rookie   ->  NeoImperial

Diego Alvarez:   NuevaEra   ->   No Seat
Andrej Kovacic:   Rookie   ->  NuevaEra

Team and Driver Line-ups

Calendar

Pre-Season Testing
As always, a 2 hour long testing session was held in London a month prior to the opening race of the season. Teams had 2 hours to perform as many laps around the Silverpark Circuit as they wished, with the position of each driver as per their fastest lap being as follow

1 - Lukas Meyer (BAU)
2 - Tane Mahaki (BAU)
3 - Hugh Pierson (APL)
4 - William Turner (VEL)
5 - Keita Tanka (AST)
6 - John Marton (VEL)
7 - Benjamin Harris (EVS)
8 - Inuk Olsen (VIT)
9 - Oliver Taylor (EVS)
10 - Alexander Galanis (AST)
11 - Jan Meijer (VIT)
12 - Thomas Kowalski (APL)
13 - Jack Allingham (MER)
14 - Antoine Lemoine (MER)
15 - Carlos Rodriguez (NVE)
16 - Thabo Ndlovu (NIP)
17 - Zane Smith (NIP)
18 - Andrej Kovacic (NVE)

Testing results showed that Bauer had early pace, setting things to appear not as close this season at the top as was originally expected. Pierson vs Turner still appear a close battle at the top, whilst Keita Tanka is once again punching well above his weight. Vitalite appear to be back on the rise, whilst Mertelen and NeoImperial seem quite the opposite.

Race by Race Results

Race 1 - Canadian GP (Lakeview Circuit)
Around the Lakeview Circuit and ready to go for season number 9, and despite the promised off the closest, most heated season yet it looked anything but as Bauer kept up their good form from testing and taking a front row lockout by over a second to last years runner up Hugh Pierson in third. Their dominance would continue into the race, and despite a slight hiccup with Hugh Pierson finding himself ahead during a lap 1 safety car following a collision between new Aeropulse teammate Thomas Kowalski and young junior Inuk Olsen, Bauer would quickly resume the lead and stay for in a commanding 1-2 position. The race would continue smoothly through the first half, with the battle for third lighting up come just before the first round of pits as last years 2 championship contenders William Turner and Hugh Pierson would battle for the final spot on the podium. Pierson would lead into the first round of pits, but after a bit of back and fourth Turner came out strong. Heated racing saw flashbacks to the season finale at the end of last year, where the 2, still competing for the top spot, came together, but those memories wouldn't just be flashbacks for long. Coming onto the pit straight, Turner had the lead, and with DRS Pierson would come on hot into turn 1. Turner would make a move to the outside line to block Pierson, and with Pierson attempting a switch back Turner would move for a 2nd time to block Pierson, performing an illegal defensive maneuver which saw Pierson slam into his rear end. The 2 title favorites ended up in the gravel off to the side of T1, bringing out a safety car.  Pierson would be furious at his good friend, kicking Turners car in rage as he trundled back to his garage. Turner was put to review by the racing stewards, but in a fairly controversial move not awarded a penalty for his actions. That wasn't having any affect on the current race now, and with the 2 closest competitors to Bauer out it would look a sure fire 1-2 for the team in pink now. Marton would inherit the third place spot following the safety car, but already passing the pits gave him an unfavorable position. Keita Tanka was p4 in the new Asteria car, and getting to pit first following the safety car would find himself rounding out the podium in this new age for Asteria team, proving he had potential as another face of the future.

Winner - Lukas Meyer
Pole - Lukas Meyer
Fastest Lap - Keita Tanka

Race 2 - US GP (Miami Street Circuit)
Into the USA, and perhaps for the last time around Miami as rumors started to spread of a potential new track in the US come 2032. Nothing was confirmed now however, and the event at hand looked to be a good one as rain bucketed down around the circuit during practice on Friday. Saturday saw some dry patches which allowed for a dry qualifying session, where hometown hero John Marton managed a fairly good start to his weekend with a p3 in quali, but nothing was good enough at current moment to get ahead of the Bauer boys. The track was wet at the start of the race, and all cars started on Inter tyres minus Marton, who gave it a shot on the full wets to start things off. Polesitter Lukas Meyer took the lead early on, with Marton dropping back fast on the wet tyre. Marton new his strategy though, and as the rain started to come down heavier and heavier he benefitted, pushing a bit in the now improved conditions to see him go from 8th to 3rd in just a couple laps. Some would make the stop to come in on wets, whilst others remained reluctant and stayed out. One of the drivers to stay out past his due was Hugh Pierson, as currently running in second would not want to lose his chance to fight Meyer. The rain was just to strong though, and pushing it to far Pierson would find himself loosing traction with the wets and sliding off the road, recovering to 11th and taking the pit. Pierson would recover to 7th by the race end, and Meyer not wanting to take any risks up top saw Pierson's mistake and came in for his pit, giving John Marton the lead. John would use perform perfectly, and despite his car not being as fast as the Bauer team behind, he would go on to hold off late surges from Meyer behind and take a home Grand Prix win in front of millions and millions of Americans. Despite not being his first win, Marton sure saw it as his best, and getting to climb to the top step of the podium in front of all his friends and family in the states was surely one of the best moments of the Velocity driver's life.

Winner - John Marton
Pole - Lukas Meyer
Fastest Lap - Oliver Taylor

Race 3 - London GP (Silverpark Circuit)
In some of the biggest rumor news of the sports history, social media could not seem to stop with "leaked" rumours suggesting a move for 2x World Champion Hugh Pierson. Pierson, still on the lookout for title number 3, had been seen having a meeting with Vitalite team principle Miguel Santos, and with the on the rise Italian outfit in need of a senior driver following their ultimatum to their 2 young drivers that the worse performer could potentially be dropped for an experienced man to replace missing Logan Jackson, only time could tell what the meeting meant for the future of Hugh Pierson and the sport. Despite not making any comment on the situation, the media attention seemingly had no affect on the driver mental state as in the spotlight he would perform around London, taking the fight to Bauer and placing himself on pole. Tane Mahaki would line up just behind as he set a flying lap good enough to get ahead of teammate Lukas Meyer, and all was set for Sunday's race. Instead of going for an overtake into Turn 1, Mahaki would strategically place his car behind the Aeropulse in order to pick up some slipstream and allow himself close enough for a maneuver into turn 6, getting the pass on the lead. Meyer would lose ground to Turner behind whilst Tanka and Marton would experience a bit of contact on the first lap forcing Marton to pit for a replacement front wing early. Apart from that though the race was fairly stale, and with little overtaking action in the top half of the grid it would be Mahaki taking home win number 3 in race number 3, boosting himself into the championship lead for now.

Winner - Tane Mahaki
Pole - Hugh Pierson
Fastest Lap - Tane Mahaki

Race 4 - Scottish GP (Clydeside Raceway)
It would be a front row lockout for the German team again in Scotland as the two Bauer boys showed no sign of slowing down. Mahaki made the better start off the line, leading the pack into the first corner ahead of his teammate Meyer. A hectic start saw collisions right up and down the grid, including contact between Lemoine and Meijer, as well as Harris and Galanis that saw all 4 of those drivers find themselves lower down the grid with minor damage. Perhaps the biggest collision at the start though was Jack Allingham finding the rear of Keita Tanka after some early overtaking, not being able to stop and hitting Tanka hard, retiring Tanka from the race after he limped back to the pit . Despite yellow flags, the race never had a safety car, meaning all was normal for now. The first round of pits started when Thomas Kowalski came in for his stop, complaining of tyre degradation as he started to slide down the track still struggling in the Aeropulse. Meyer briefly took the race lead as Mahaki came into the pit, but lost in again on the next lap as he came into the pits. The Turner-Pierson rivalry kicked off tensely again as the 2 fought hard for position 3, and following Pierson running Turner off the track all eyes would be on the pair. Turner came back at Pierson harsh, and going off the road to overtake him saw a penalty come to both drivers as they where quickly made to stamp out their fight. Turner got the better of Pierson in the end, but 10 second penalties for each of them saw them end in p5 and 6 instead of p3, with Oliver Taylor picking up his first career podium ahead of John Marton as Tane Mahaki won back to back races to boost his early championship lead.

Winner - Tane Mahaki
Pole - Lukas Meyer
Fastest Lap - Oliver Taylor

Race 5 - French GP (Paris Street Course)
Big news heading into France surrounded some potential mid season regulation changes for the first time in the history of the sport. After protest from many weaker teams, Michael Harrington and the governing body of the sport looked into a problem with a slight loophole in the regulations surrounding the rear wing that some teams had been utilizing to gain an advantage. Whilst nothing was confirmed yet, it looked like we could get a little mid season shakeup, with Aeropulse and Velocity being the teams that where speculated to be affected most if such changes where made, whilst the current champions Bauer somehow seemed absolutely fine with the changes, leading many to wonder how they where gaining such speed within the bounds of the regulations. The said speed would be on full display again during Saturday's quali, as Lukas Meyer picked up his 4th pole in the seasons 5 races so far. Meyer initially led from pole as reigning world champion William Turner passed Mahaki for 2nd, whilst a way out of his league Carlos Rodriguez, who managed to qualify 6th in the NuevaEra, jumped Inuk Olsen after the Greenlander made his first every final 5 shootout on the Saturday. Meyer hit some debris on the start of the 4th lap which damaged his underfloor, slowing his progress down for the time being as he came into pit alongside William Turner. This was a good move for Tane Mahaki, who stayed out and benefitted from a Virtual Safety Car following Alexander Galanis hitting the wall and losing his front wing, which needed to be cleared from the track. Mahaki held the lead following the free pit stop, whilst William Turner got around the outside of the slow moving Lukas Meyer on the green flag, however had an unfortunate moment as he hit still remaining debris from Galanis's incident and suffered a puncture, getting beached in the gravel and retiring from the race as his struggles this year continued. The damage on Lukas Meyers car prevented him from making any challenge for his teammate, as Tane Mahaki went on to win his third consecutive Grand Prix.

Winner - Tane Mahaki
Pole - Lukas Meyer
Fastest Lap - Carlos Rodriguez

Race 6 - German GP (Tempelhofring)
The news on the mid season regulation changes where confirmed going into the German GP, as confirmation that a change to the rear wing would come into effect for the Turkish GP in round 11 was made. This sent Aeropulse and Velocity into a mad rush, both the teams that where hypothesized to struggle from the change, as they now had just over a month to get things right. Thankfully for them, their pace wouldn't be affect just yet as both Pierson and Turner made the final 5 shootout alongside the Bauer boys, but perhaps the craziest news of the session was Keita Tanka scoring a maiden pole out of the blue. The still relatively new to the grid driver of Keita Tanka once again dragged the Asteria team up on his back, as he time and time again proved he was worth a shout for a top seat in the sport. Sadly, one good lap wasn't enough to beat the Bauer boys who where steam rolling the entire competition, as Lukas Meyer closed the gap on his teammate with a home Grand Prix win, as his team got a 1-2 in their home Grand Prix, with Tanka securing the podium for his efforts.

Winner - Lukas Meyer
Pole - Keita Tanka
Fastest Lap - Lukas Meyer

Race 7 - South African GP (CapeRing)
A little 2 or so months following first sightings and rumour's of a potential Hugh Pierson to Vitalite move, the 2 times world champion was once again seen with his Agent in Rome just streets away from the Vitalite Team Base, once again sending the media into a mad frenzy. Aeropulse team principle Jackson Hunt shut the idea down in the media, slamming the idea that Pierson would even contemplate a move away from the team after 9 seasons and 2 titles, but when asked about it himself the Englishmen passed it off with no comment, whilst Vitalite team principle Miguel Santos simply just smiled and laughed, telling the media "Its pretty much done". All the media attention seemed to be finally getting to Pierson, as after struggles in practice Pierson would mess up in Q1 and hit the barrier, starting from the back of the grid and looking rather shaken up. Whilst the back of the grid saw some change, the front saw none as Lukas Meyer would keep up his dominant qualifying performance, making it 5/7 poles this season so far. Once again however, his start seemed shaky as his teammate yet again got the better of him, taking the lead off the start and holding it for the entire race in an uneventful show, with the Kiwi winning his 4th race of the season and pushing the championship gap back to a 20 point lead upfront.

Winner - Tane Mahaki
Pole - Lukas Meyer
Fastest Lap - Antoine Lemoine

Race 8 - Japanese GP (Shibuya)
In unfortunate times for Japan, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Shibuya had devastated the city, and with severe damage to the track the 2031 Japanese Grand Prix would join the 2028 Egyptian Grand Prix as just the second scheduled Grand Prix to be cancelled in the history of the GRC.

Winner - N/A
Pole - N/A
Fastest Lap - N/A

Race 9 - New Zealand GP (Mount Taranaki Circuit)
Redemption week for Tane Mahaki started with pole for New Zealander at home, and after the most heartbreaking off races to lose the lead to a pit error in his home race last season the man only had one thing on his mind... win. There seemed to be nobody who contest the guy as he had the fastest of starts on pole, and pulled away instantly to open a gap of 7 second to Hugh Pierson in second place. Kowalski had a rough start off the line in his highest quali of just 7th, taking the runoff and rejoining the track in p14 to keep up what was sort of becoming a curse in the 2nd Aeropulse seat, with Aeropulse being unable to fill the gap left by Evan Bradley. Stark contrast to Kowalski however would be the American of John Marton, who after having a slow quali on Saturday was a Rocketship, going from p11 to p5 in just the first lap of the race alone. Less exciting up front however was Mahaki, who just soared out front in a moment of excellence. No contest through the first and only round of pits, as the gap never went below 5 seconds for Tane at any point in the race, and even having a moment dipping the left side of the car into the grass the gap stayed at 4 seconds and the win looked just about secured for Mahaki as he pushed the gap back out to 7 seconds with just 4 laps to go. Disaster struck though, and after Jan Meijer and Oliver Taylor collided whilst fighting for p10 in a pretty heavy crash, the red flag was deployed. Half an hour of cleanup went by, and Mahaki had to try keep his mentality right and the momentum flowing through the gap as he got ready to defend his teammate, Pierson and Turner off the line. The cars got back on track, and as they sat watching the 5 lights come on all eyes where on Mahaki. Lights out and away we go, and a relatively good start from Turner saw him from 4th to 2nd, fighting Mahaki into turn 2. Mahaki would hold position down the straight, but going into turn 3 Turner would make another move, and perhaps too aggressive of a move as he clipped Mahaki's rear right tyre and sent the New Zealander spinning into grass. Mahaki would rejoin the track last, and whilst Turner would inherit the lead for now a 10 second penalty for the move gave Pierson his first victory of the year. Fight back would see Mahaki up to 9th to recover a few points, but for the 2nd year in a row heartbreak as he once again missed out on the win in his home Grand Prix.

Winner - Hugh Pierson
Pole - Tane Mahaki
Fastest Lap - John Marton


Mid Season Driver Change
Thomas Kowalski: Aeropulse   ->  No Seat
Luca Rossi: No Seat   ->  Aeropulse
Andrej Kovacic: NuevaEra   ->   No Seat
Juan Ramirez: Rookie   ->   NuevaEra

Race 10 - Australian GP (Brisbane Street Circuit)
Unfortunate news for Kowalski, as after just 9 races in the sport the Aeropulse driver was dropped out of the blue. With Aeropulse struggling and potentially under the threat of not making the top 3 in the standings, only being ahead of 4th by 4 points at current stage, a pretty big surprise call was made as 2x race winner and 12x podium sitter Luca Rossi was welcomed back into the sport and handed the second lifeline of his career by getting another 9 races in the sport to try and re-stake his claim on why he should be given a seat on the grid. He wasn't the only one dropped going into the weekend, as after having an average finishing position of 16th in his 9 races and failing to impress at all, Andrej Kovacic, who waited 4 years as the NuevaEra next-in-line to finally get a chance at the team had it all torn away from him after just 5 months, with NuevaEra once again taking a hopeless stab at a Spanish rookie, with 19 year old Juan Ramirez taking the spot.  After scoring just 3 points all season and being dropped last year, Rossi would start his third stint in the sport off strong with a p4 in Quali, beating his teammate in the final 5 shootout. The same luck wasn't present for other rookie Juan Ramirez, who was multiple seconds off the pace and was making a joke of himself out on track as NuevaEra once again looked to be struggling as a team despite Carlos Rodriguez managing a good top 10 spot on the grid for once. Lukas Meyer grabbed pole in the session, and with a win today placing him top of the standings ahead of his teammate all was to play for. Mahaki started in 6th, however a slow moving Aeropulse pair saw him up to 4th whilst a fast get-away from William Turner saw Meyer down one place. Status remained the same up the top for the first stage of the race as it became a game of tyre managment, however down the back of the grid all was to play for. The Mertelen duo, who up until this point where having their worst season as a team where cutting through the pack like butter, with Allingham up to p7 after starting in 14th and Lemoine in P9 after starting just a spot ahead of him in 13th. Allingham just pushed it a step too hard however, finding himself in the barrier to bring out a safety car and missing out on what would of been a real valuable 6 points to the team. The safety car was much needed for Turner, who had dropped back down to 2nd after his tyres started to give way and was about to drop even further, although now on new softs with a free pit he was clear to work his way back to the lead. The safety car came in and despite Turner and Mahaki both having great starts from 2nd and 3rd, Meyer had an even better jump from the line, going on to win his 3rd race of the year and jumping his teammate for the World Championship lead.

Winner - Lukas Meyer
Pole - Lukas Meyer
Fastest Lap - William Turner

Race 11 - Turkey GP (Istanbul Yaris Pisti)
The pre-season regulation changes finally came into affect in the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix, and the affect of it on the 3 teams Aeropulse, Velocity and Asteria where made clear right away. Alexander Galanis came last on Saturday in the Asteria with Keita Tanka only a couple spots forward, whilst Pierson and Turner lined up 6th and 7th just a spot ahead of their respective teammates in 8th and 9th. This gave the EvoSync team a much needed pick up as they managed to lock-out the 2nd row to help their push for a top 3 constructors finish, but it was Bauer who locked out the row ahead of them as the Regulations had little to no affect on the team that are currently double everyone else's points. Their race pace wasn't at all changed either, as the duo in pink stormed home for an 5th 1-2 of the season with Lukas Meyer on top, whilst the first podium of his season saw Benjamin Harris picking up strong points in the EvoSync ahead of his teammate in p4.

Winner - Lukas Meyer
Pole - Lukas Meyer
Fastest Lap - Benjamin Harris

Race 12 - Sicilian GP (Cagliari)
From Corsa to Cagliari, the Italians had a new Grand Prix and a new track to show to the world this year, but that was from what anyone was interested in this week. The news many had been expecting and many thought would never happen was confirmed. Hugh Pierson was confirmed for Vitalite in 2032. After 9 seasons, 2 Driver Titles and 3 Constructor Titles with the team, the 2 where parting ways, with the 2x champ switching to crimson as he hoped to bring Vitalite their first constructors title in season number 10. This put both Inuk Olsen and Jan Meijer's seat at risk, and with neither driver being confirmed, nor wanting, to be replaced the pair where on top of their game in Sicily. Taking advantage of the now slower grid, qualifying would go great for the team as Jan Meijer got the first win on Inuk Olsen, qualifying just a single spot ahead of him in 4th place. Tane Mahaki had pole position, but a slow start for him allowed Benjamin Harris to take a the lead, even building a gap in the EvoSync as Meyer and Mahaki scrapped for 2nd, but the bigger news would be Inuk Olsen who came from no where to steal third place right off Mahaki. He couldn't stay there for long, but the Greenlander still commandeered the car home strong for a p4 finish ahead of his teammate in p6. Up front however, the time gained whilst those behind him fought for position proved to be valuable for Benjamin Harris, as the season 5 champion picked up his first win since the season finale last year, and just his third in the last 43 races.

Winner - Benjamin Harris
Pole - Tane Mahaki
Fastest Lap - Tane Mahaki

Race 13 - Spanish GP (Circuito del Sol)
It would be anything but ideal for the 2 Spanish drivers and the Spanish team in their home Grand Prix, as Juan Ramirez once again qualified last whilst an blown power-unit left Carlos Rodriguez without a car to qualify in, seeing the team lineup last on the grid at home. The 2 Bauer's went quickest in the first stages of the final 5 shootout, and after Benjamin Harris lit up the timing sheets in the first 2 sectors it looked like we may get a non Bauer pole for the first time in 5 races, but a mistake at turn 12 saw the EvoSync car spinning backwards and lining up 5th on the grid, giving Lukas Meyer yet another pole. Meyer got away well at the start, fending off teammate Mahaki's attack into the first couple of corners. Harris had a bad start, finding himself down and fighting Jan Meijer for 7th, however upon touching the Dutchmen's car he was left with a puncture and had to come in to the pits at the end of the opening lap. Meijer got away without damage after saving his car and held down p6 fairly well whilst the Bauer cars built their gap out front as they exchanged fastest laps, with Turner and Pierson once again fighting hard and dangerously for 5th place. Thankfully they managed to keep it clean this time around, with Turner being the first of the front-runners to pit on lap 16. Olsen remained the only driver not to pit in the first round of stops as he tried to extend his tyres lifespan, however this turned out to be a bad call as losing grip on the final chicane saw him spin around, puncturing 2 tyres which saw him hobble back to the pits and rejoin the race last.  Harris worked his way back up to 7th following his first lap incident, but another spin into turn 8 saw him undo all his progress, complaining about the tyres on the radio as he did so. The 2 Bauer boys up front where left to fight for position, but Mahaki would be given team orders to lay it off, angering many fans of the sport due to the title battle for the constructors already being locked up for the team. There was seemingly 0 reason to keep them from fighting, and whilst calls of favoritism for the German driver from the German team came through, Mahaki reluctantly agreed to step off and give Meyer the win, giving Meyer a 17 point lead over Mahaki going into the final 3 rounds.

Winner - Lukas Meyer
Pole - Lukas Meyer
Fastest Lap - Tane Mahaki

Race 14 - Northampton GP (Heatherton Park)
NuevaEra make an unfortunate announcement heading into round number 14 at the Heatherton Park, being that after a disappointing 5 season stint in the sport they would withdraw their GRC entry going into 2032, departing from the grid to put their full attention and resources back to their entry in the Grand Touring Series (GTS), where they have currently won 9 of the past 15 seasons. This also meant that Carlos Rodriguez would bid farewell to the sport after 93 races and counting with both EvoSync and NuevaEra, as the 27 year old Spaniard confirmed he would remain with NuevaEra and join their GTS Team in hopes of becoming a world champion there. Following the crazy call for team orders last week and still no comments from the team themselves despite outrage from many fans of Mahaki and even just neutral fans, Mahaki would put himself on pole to try and make sure team orders couldn't affect him. A good start meant the Kiwi kept his lead ahead of Meyer, and as the 2 pulled away no sign of team orders where made in the opposite direction. Mahaki would ask if Meyer would be asked to hold positions like he had been told to do last race, but no answer came through, and Meyer would make a move just seconds later into turn 5. Mahaki would defend the divebomb, and come on his radio asking what gives, where the team would make their stance clear. "All clear to race". Many where up in arms at this, and not even Meyer's own fans could defend the favoritism call anymore. Mahaki wouldn't say another word on the radio for the whole race, instead digging in deep to defend attack after attack from Meyer. Perfect defence after perfect defence saw the New Zealander keep on top, and eventually he formed a gap to take Meyer out of the race. A statement win for Mahaki and a clap back at Meyer and Bauer, as Mahaki stood on the the top step of the podium. The tensions where high at the team now though, and perhaps the greatest teammate rivalry of the sport was brewing right in front of all to see with just 2 races and 10 points splitting the duo on top.

Winner - Tane Mahaki
Pole - Tane Mahaki
Fastest Lap - Tane Mahaki

Race 15 - Brazil GP (Carioca)
Hectic downpours of rain in Brazil saw conditions worsen as fears that the Grand Prix would be cancelled arose. CEO Michael Harrington reassured fans that the race would go ahead, and following some delays on Saturday the cars finally took to the track on the full wet tyres in some hectic rain. The first highlight of the day came from Keita Tanka, but it wasn't a good one. Sliding off the track, Tanka would find himself in the barriers, as his rear wing came clean off, resulting in the Japanese driver lining up from the back of the grid in the race. He wasn't the only one to struggle on the wet tyres, as Pierson found himself way below his normal standard in p11 with his close rival in William Turner only a couple spots ahead in p9. The Bauer boys would also struggle in p7 and p5, with the EvoSync driver of Oliver Taylor to impress, making the most of the shaken up conditions to secure pole out of no where in the shootout, with wet weather specialist John Marton just behind him. Carlos Rodriguez was another driver no stranger to the rain, and in his second last race and possibly final chance to make an impact on the sport he would pick up P3 in what was a farewell to the GRC for both him and his team. Inuk Olsen also had a strong quali in the wet, with the Greenlander finishing p4 in a race that was so crucial for him and his teammate as the Vitalite team was still yet to confirm which of their 2 drivers would part ways for Hugh Pierson next year. The rain continued bucketing down on Sunday, and for the first time in the sports history the race would be a rolling start under the safety car. Three laps under the safety car moved enough standing water off the track to allow for the race to get underway, and the very first corner after the safety car came in would be hell. Starting far back on the grid, Tanka would make a risky and insane move into a busy turn 1, locking up on the inside of the right-hander and slamming into the side of Thabo Ndlovu and Luca Rossi, taking all 3 drivers out and causing a red flag. Tanka had a 10 place grid penalty for the season finale following this incident, whilst all 3 drivers involved in the crash would retire alongside Antoine Lemoine, who picked up damage in the scuffle. The 2nd race restart would once again be under the safety car, and by the time it cam in John Marton was itching to get a move done on Oliver Taylor, going around the outside of Turn 1 and getting the job done to take the race lead, whilst Tane Mahaki would work his way up to 3rd. After a couple laps of status quo, Turner and Harris would come together following Harris spinning in the wet, with both drivers out and another safety car. For the third and final restart, all remained relatively stable as the drivers focused more on surviving instead of fighting for positions, meaning for the 2nd time this season John Marton would master the wet weather and take home victory. Mahaki's p3 over Meyer's p4 kept the title fight alive going into the finale, with a 7 point gap in Meyers favour.

Winner - John Marton
Pole -  Oliver Taylor
Fastest Lap - Antoine Lemoine

Race 16 - Saudi Arabian GP (Yanbu Corniche)
One race to go and so many storylines to finish. 15 races and just 7 points separating 2 teammates and newly heated rivals. Lukas Meyer looking to come just the 2nd driver to win multiple titles, Tane Mahaki looking to write his name alongside Pierson, Meyer, Harris, Colt, Turner, Bradley and Metcalfe as champion number 8. Hugh Pierson in his 126th and final race for Aeropulse as he aimed for one last win with the team that have given him everything. One last chance for Inuk Olsen and Jan Meijer to make their claim as to why they should the one remaining seat left at the team for them next year. One final dance for Carlos Rodriguez and NuevaEra. All to be resolved here under the lights of the Yanbu Corniche. Meyer and Mahaki both knew that Saturday would define their race, and both made it through to the final 5 shootout with ease. Meyer was first in the shootout, and he set an astounding lap time to beat the circuit record, as he returned to the garage smugly, eyeing down Tane Mahaki as the Kiwi hopped in his car. Harris was next but fell short of anything amazing. Then came Taylor who went even slower than his EvoSync teammate. Pierson was next and despite setting a good lap time in his final qualifying lap with the team in blue he fell short of Meyer, and next was Mahaki. Meyer sat back smugly on the pit wall as he watched Mahaki set his lap, but the New Zealander was cool under pressure. Purple sector 1, green sector 2, just 1 final set of corners to determine who would start on pole in an ever so crucial race. Onto the main straight and across the line - purple sector 3. Mahaki breaks the lap record just a few minutes after Meyer set it, Mahaki lines up on pole much to the frustration of a no longer so smug Lukas Meyer. 5 lights went out on Sunday as the final race of the season came underway, and 52 laps was all that was left to decide to 2031 season. Meyer came on strong from second place,  going wheel to wheel with his teammate and getting his nose in front heading into the the high speed turn 2. Mahaki kept it strong though and not wanting to be outdone sent it around the outside in one of the overtakes of the season, cutting harshly in front of his teammate and placing Meyer in the wake of a hungry Hugh Pierson behind. Meyer would come on the radio demanding a penalty be given to Mahaki for the move, claiming he dangerously cut in front of Meyer on the racing line, but the stewards saw nothing wrong with the move and the race went on. Pierson, eager to end his 9 year venture with Aeropulse on a high used the slip stream to try get a look on the inside, but Meyer shut it down as he looked on to chase down Mahaki. Mahaki couldn't pull the gap past 0.9 seconds, keeping Meyer within DRS through the first stages of the race coming up on the first round of pits. That's when team orders would strike again at Bauer, as Meyer was given pit priority. Upon hearing this Mahaki was furious, but he couldn't do anything but except keep pushing. Mahaki tried to overcut to counter the threat of a looming undercut of his own teammate, but his tyres hit a cliff, and a slow in lap saw him rejoin the race in 5th, as Meyer inherited the lead. Mahaki was furious, but he maintained his usual calmness and raced on. Time and time again Mahaki had proved he was a gun under pressure, and he set his sights forward. First came Turner who could do nothing to defend a rampant Mahaki on fresh softs, then came the second Velocity of John Marton. Pierson put up a better fight, slowing the Kiwi's run for the lead down, although eventually Mahaki got by for second, setting his sights on his teammate ahead. With 10 laps to go the gap was down to 3 seconds, by lap 49 it was 0.9. 3 laps to make the move, with DRS now in play. Mahaki gets an incredible exit coming out the back straight. The 2 went side by side through the tight turns 11-12, but Meyer started going wide, squeezing Mahaki into the wall and forcing the Kiwi to lift for a split second, slowing him down. Mahaki said nothing over the radio as Meyer somehow went on without a penalty. Lap 50, Mahaki goes again, this time staying with Meyer into the final turn 13, attempting a switch-back. He'd get his nose ahead momentarily but Meyer would survive for another time around. Lap 51, the penultimate lap. Mahaki had another go, but this time had a slower exit and nothing came off. Time was running out for the Kiwi, the final lap to come. One final run down the back straight, lining up Meyer into turn 11, but nothing. He'd have one last try into turn 13 but couldn't make the move stick. Lukas Meyer was a 2x champion of the world. The German boy had won races with EvoSync, a title with Mertelen and now he added his second championship trophy with Bauer. Mahaki despite a strong season would be denied of his first title as he remained clearly hurt by his teams decision, however with the fastest car on the grid he'd be an idiot to look elsewhere for next season. Meyer vs Mahaki was far from done, and this, this was just the first step of a long rivalry ahead...

Winner - Lukas Meyer
Pole -  Tane Mahaki
Fastest Lap - Tane Mahaki