33.017. This was the number of seconds that separated Fernando Horta from the rest of the grid when the checkered flag waved at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It is not a typo, nor is it another mathematical mystery cooked up by the paddock computers. It is simply the distance between a properly set up Viper Competition Coupe and a very frustrated purple car. After several rounds of head-scratching results and suspicious math, the Lotus FD Team finally found the top step of the podium in California, hauling in 11 massive points and putting Horta just one point behind Juliano Flores in the drivers' standings.
Fernando Horta (Driver): The Viper is not a car that you drive; it is a heavy block of American metal that you politely negotiate with at every corner. Especially at the Corkscrew. If you get the negotiation wrong, you do not just spin; you slide into the gravel, then into the tires, and then you have to explain to the team why the radiator is shaped like a pancake. This weekend, luckily, the negotiation went well. Driving the number 01 Viper around these seventeen laps was more of a physical workout than a race. We had the pace from the very first session. To be honest, I was expecting a much closer fight, but when I looked at my pit board on lap 5 and saw the gap growing, I thought there must be a mistake. I even asked the radio crew if Juliano had stopped to buy hot dogs at the turn 4 spectator stand. But no, he was still there, just struggling with his own set of tires. My best lap of 1:29.719 felt incredibly solid, almost too clean for a car that behaves like an angry bull. I served the mandatory drive-through penalty on lap 9, keeping the pit limiter strictly engaged to avoid the wrath of the council. I came out still in the lead, which is a luxury I am absolutely not used to. From there, it was just a matter of managing the rear tires and making sure I did not lose focus while watching the birds over the dry lake bed. It is a good result. We took the maximum points possible with the win and the fastest lap. But the championship is still a long road. Juliano of Scuderia Libra is still leading with 23 points, but we are breathing down his neck with 22. The team standings are also looking slightly better, though we have a mountain to climb against their purple machine. One point of difference in the drivers' table means the next race will probably be a complete disaster of epic proportions, because that is how things usually go when we get too close to the lead. For now, we enjoy the quiet. No weird calculations, no strange penalties, just a clean trophy on the shelf.
The Radaxian People (Pit Crew): Beep beep.
Ps. Dave, we are still waiting for you. The garage feels empty without your apologetic radio messages.
