CLOUD+TV Race stream: West Borean Grand Prix, 31 July 2022. Commentators: Danny Koffee, Mark Barrell, Todd Cabbage (pit lane)
Welcome back, one and all, to the second half of the Series One World Championship! We’re up in the West Borean Federation for the first race around the Caldera Circuit since 2019 - and we’re back with a bang. New drivers, new teams, and we’ve seen some very fast lap times put in around this five-point-three kilometre track.
Rookie driver Kasran is’Vaara put it on pole at his home race in the dying seconds of qualifying, and sits alongside his teammate, Matthieu Soyer, who currently leads the championship by a single point. Tensions have reportedly been high in the Novia garage over the summer break, but they were all smiles and handshakes in the interview pen this morning. Let’s see if that’ll hold into turn one, shall we?
Lap 1
Koffee: It’s lights out and away we go! It’s a good start from Soyer but an even better one from is’Vaara. Pablo Saez has bombed it down the inside of the Spiiker of Haaland Rusnák-- luckily no contact made there, and he’s up into fourth place. Kalming’s got a good exit, he’s hot on the tails of the Novias. And already a yellow flag! (Barrell: Was that a–) I think, yes, Mikal Christoffersen is tumbling down the order. He’s spun off at turn one, luckily he’s kept the engine going, as we see him make his way onto the track, which he’s absolutely showering with gravel. (Barrell: He’s done it again!) Looks like he’s got some pretty big flat-spots on his tyres, he’ll need to come into the pits early to get a new set of boots on.
Lap 3
Barrell: Is’Vaara’s got a healthy lead over his teammate but now we’re on lap three, and DRS will be enabled. He needs to keep that gap over one second or else Soyer’s going to get a big boost down the straights, and-- that’s strange, someone’s coming into the pits. (Koffee: That’s an Eclipse I think) Todd are you awake?
Todd Cabbage, pit lane reporter: Yes, that’s Žydre Glemzaite. And his pit crew is coming out, but they don’t have any tyres to put on him. Are-- (Barrell: Two secs, Todd)
TEAM RADIO: #21 Žydre GLEMZAITE, Eclipse Motorsports:
GLE: Guys, something smells horrible in here.
PIT: Copy, we are looking... Hydraulics leak. Into the pits immediately, we have to retire the car.
GLE: ****
Lap 5
Koffee: And we’ve got another yellow flag, and this time-- that’s Josephina Louzar’s Marchitelli Falcon, and that is a lot of smoke coming out the back between turns eight and nine. Louzar’s out of the race. (Barrell: That’ll need a virtual safety car at least.) And we do get a virtual safety car. It’s a bit early for many, but a few drivers started on their qualifying soft tyres, which would probably start to lose grip in a few laps’ time. (Barrell: The MetroCivs and the Watervalleys especially are going to want to take advantage of this.)
Lap 24
Cabbage: Kasran is’Vaara in for his first stop, they’re putting the mediums on, an aggressive strategy for the young rookie.
Koffee: Kalming goes through, Soyer, Rusnák, Saez, and now is’Vaara comes out on track alongside Wilson, they’re side-by-side going into turn one, but Kasran’s tyres need time to warm up, Pedro Wilson takes fifth place. (Barrell: Oh that’s not nice from the fans there.) Yes, we don’t want to dwell too long on the political situation here and why we haven’t raced here in the past two years, but there are some in the crowd who are booing the Morstaybishlian driver taking the lead. (Barrell: That’s just not on, is it.) Absolutely agree with you there, Mark. And hopefully we won’t have to think about that anymore, because Soyer’s making a move, has a look, and with his rear wing open he overtakes Kalming for the lead on the back straight.
Lap 25
Barrell: And speaking of Novias making moves, as we ride the onboard camera of Kasran is’Vaara, coming up behind Pedro Wilson, and-- woah! (Koffee: Wilson’s engine’s just exploded! Lucky to not take is’Vaara out of the race with him.) He comes to a stop in the runoff road, they’ll probably be able to clear that without any need for a safety car. (Koffee: That’s going to do some real damage to him in his fight for third place of the championship.)
Lap 44
Koffee: Haaland Rusnák defending from Pablo Saez, who’s looking up for the inside line, the Vaklori veteran closes the door-- and Saez locks up and they make contact! (Barrell: That was never going to work, you could see that coming a mile away.) Saez will be needing a new front wing, but he’s sent Rusnák straight into the tyre barriers. And that’s going to need a safety car at least.
TEAM RADIO: #67 Haaland RUSNÁK, Spiiker Squadron
RUS: What is he? Is he an idiot? Does he think he is immune to the laws of physics? Because I'm not!
Lap 58
Koffee: It’s been a rollercoaster of a race, but what a way for Kasran is’Vaara to finish his first ever home race! (Barrell: He can be proud of that performance. Cleanly dominated the whole way through, and he’s held a commanding lead, even over the championship contenders, who will have to settle for the bottom steps of the podium as Kasran enjoys his thirty-second lead.) Couldn’t have said it better myself, Mark. He’s had a bril-- and he’s off! (Barrell: He’s lost it!) I don’t believe it! At the very last corner of the very last lap of his very first home Grand Prix, Kasran is’Vaara has crashed himself into the armco barriers and out of the race! (Barrell: Safety car out.) Heartbreak on Zlovskavaar Island for the rookie who grew up just a few miles down the road.
TEAM RADIO: #34 Kasran IS’VAARA, Novia Racing
ISV: [approx. fifteen seconds of uninterrupted swear-censor bleeps.]
- Since Driver #34 completed more laps of the track (57.92) than all lapped drivers (57.00), he places above them in the race classification.
