Disclaimers:
I don't own Formula One. I don't own the 11 teams and I don't boss around the drivers. I don't own Pokémon. I do own Keith Terrell, Riley Jenius, Ronin Vertigo and Francois Deletraz, as well as Riley's kid, Celia Jenius. They are all characters of my own creation.
Mario Alvarado's Notes:
This is it!!! The Belgium Grand Prix is here! This will be the first time I have written a giant race scene, not like the Qualifying scene I did last chapter. Ash makes his first F1 start after his hiatus and the battle for the Driver's Championship between Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari and Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams is still up in the air with Montoya, now holding a 12-point lead over the Brazilian. Let's get this party started!!
Ash Ketchum: Formula One Driver
Chapter 20: The Grand Prix Of Belgium
I could tell that Ash was a bit worried about making his first Grand Prix start after everything that happened to him in Kanto. After I had a talk with his head mechanic Sylvie McCallister last night, she told me that Ash will be back to his racing mindset after the formation lap. Now that is taken care of, I have to figure out why that damn Growlithe is following me. I could send an e-mail to that Professor Oak guy, but I heard from Ash that he's still a bit disappointed in him for giving up Pokémon training for Formula One. If I sent him that e-mail, he would probably have Team Rocket hack into my account and send a bunch of them to get my wife and kids. Oh, well. I guess some questions are meant to be unanswered.
A journal entry from Michael Schumacher, made the night before the Belgium GP.
The 11 teams are now making their final adjustments before they let the drivers loose for their reconnaissance lap and head for their starting spot on the start/finish straight. The 30-minute warning was announced and the teams must have their cars onto the grid in 15 minutes or they will have to start in pit lane. The TV crews were now on the air live, ready to broadcast this Formula One event live to fans all around the world. The TV guys from Speed Channel was already on telling the fans of late breaking news from the paddock and their focus was already locked on Keith Terrell's Ferrari as usual and a giant throng of American reporters just swarmed Keith for any comments about the race. 4 drivers were now on their recon laps and are going to take their places on the starting grid. With 10 minutes before the drivers have to be on the starting grid, Ash Ketchum was now in his car, waiting to go out and take his place in the grid. Sylvie was making some last minute checks on the front wing of his car.
"That did it, Ash. We'll see you on the grid." Sylvie said as she gave Ash the order to start up his Toyota. Before he even left his garage, one of the TV cameras spotted a Pokémon that has wandered on the track at Eau Rouge and was about to become road pizza by Ralf Schumacher's Williams, but he saw it and ducked onto the pit lane exit that is used by the F3000 guys.
"I just almost ran over this brown thing on the track at Eau Rogue. Can somebody get somebody over there to get that thing?!" Ralf said to his Williams crew. Ash just caught a glimpse of the Pokémon and left the pits, almost running over Miyamoto in the process. Lucky for her, she leapt out of the way as Ash exited pit lane.
"Damn punk!! Watch were you're friggin' driving?!!" Miyamoto yelled out as she was almost hit by an exiting Minardi Chevrolet to boot. So, she just ducked back inside the Toyota garage. Ash drove for Eau Rogue and spotted the Pokémon that Ralf almost ran over. It was a stray Eevee that made its way onto the track. Being a Pokémon trainer, Ash stopped his car at the top of Eau Rogue, exited his car and picked up the Eevee from the track. Ash has always wanted an Eevee for himself, but he never got the chance to catch one because of Brock and Misty stopping him for some odd reason.
"Hey there, little guy. It's too dangerous for you to be out here all alone. Why don't you come with me? Okay?" Ash asked as he carried the Pokémon to his car. Apparently, the Eevee was very happy that somebody came by to help it. The poor thing has been alone for a long time, so looks like Ash has gotten himself a new Pokémon. Ash placed the Eevee on the side pod of the car as he got back inside it, hooked up his seatbelts and put the steering wheel in place. He took the Eevee in his hands and restarted the car to get to the pit straight. 5 minutes later, Ash finally arrived at his 10th place starting spot with a new companion. Meowth was the first to spot Ash's brand new Pokémon.
"Hey, Ash. Where did you get that Eevee?" Meowth asked,
"I found it at Eau Rogue. Ralf almost ran over it, so I decided to catch it. Sort of." Ash answered as the Eevee leaped out of Ash's car and faced Meowth for a second,
[Well, Ash. You have always said you wanted an Eevee. Now you got one. Looks like we have another Pokémon to take care of, Ash.] Pikachu said as she sat on the front of the car, facing Ash as all the cars were now on the starting grid with 15 minutes before the formation lap.
"The more, the merrier I always say. Are you planning to get an Espeon or an Umbreon?" Meowth asked,
"We'll see, Meowth. And I know that look you have on your face, too. Are we in for some rain?" Ash asked as he pointed out the unsure facial expression on Meowth's face. That usually is a giveaway to anybody that rain is on the way. Meowth has become Toyota's weather cat as of late because Meowth can usually tell if rain is coming.
"You read my mind, Ash. I already told Sylvie and the others about the rain coming. She said they'll be ready to switch to the rain setup when it comes." Meowth said. Ash noticed that Pikachu and Eevee were already getting to know each other by having a casual talk in the Pokémon language.
"Looks like Eevee and Pikachu will get along just fine." Ash said as he and Meowth watched the conversation between the two Pokémon take place on the front of Ash's cockpit. The minutes went by slowly for the drivers as they waited for the start of the 14th race of the 2005 FIA Formula One Season. The teams finally made their final tweaks to the cars and the five-minute warning as up. The crews left the grid as the red lights counted down until they were all out. The 22 drivers revved up their engines to start the formation lap. The drivers made sure they were in their racing mindsets as Olivier Panis led the field through the 4.3-mile track on the formation lap. Moments later, the drivers took their places on the starting gird. Once Felipe Massa, the 22nd place driver took his spot in his Sauber, an FIA official saw that everything was okay for the lights to go on and waved a green flag at the back. The engine revs of the powerful V10 engines were deafening as the five red lights came on one by one. The teams anxiously watched as the fifth and final light was on. Suddenly, the lights went out.
"The lights are out! The field is going! The Grand Prix of Belgium is now underway!!" One of the TV announcers yelled out as Olivier Panis and Riley Jenius, as well as the rest of the drivers lighted up the tires as the power was put down to the asphalt by those 780 Horsepower V10 engines. Sure enough, the Grand Prix of Belgium was on.
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The TV cameras focused as the drivers fanned out all over the track, approaching the tight La Source Hairpin. They would have to give and take just to get through the tight hairpin without incident. Unfortunately, two drivers were about to be the day's first victims. Mark Webber didn't get a good launch with his European Minardi Chevrolet from his 6th place starting position and was down in 10th as he tried to get in line for La Source. Takuma Sato on the other hand, got a great start in his Jordan Honda from 13th and he was next to Webber when it had to happen. Sato thought he was clear of Webber when he turned into the left side of the Minardi. Webber's car touched the front wheel of the Jordan with its rear and lifted the back of the Italian car off the ground and slammed down hard onto the pavement, busting up the rear suspension. Sato's Jordan wasn't any luckier. The hit he gave Webber's Minardi totaled the front suspension of the Jordan and ripped off the front wing. The rest of the drivers missed the debacle as the two cars came to rest near some corner workers. The TV cameras zoomed in on the Jordan of Takuma Sato and the Minardi of Mark Webber. It was clear that both cars were out of the race, just seconds after it started.
"OH! Mark Webber and Takuma Sato have collided at La Source! And it looks like it's over for both drivers. This is a big blow for the Australian, who had his best ever starting spot in his F1 career." One of the Speed Channel F1 announcers said from the press box as Sato removed the steering wheel, climbed out of the car and placed the steering wheel back on. He looked to see the corner workers back off with looks of fear on their faces. Sato looked to his left and he saw Mark Webber standing over him, still with his helmet on. The visor was still down, but Takuma swore that Webber's eyes were glowing red with hate. The Australian was pissed off about being taken out after starting in 6th place.
"I'll kill you!!!" Webber yelled loudly through his helmet as he lunged at Sato,
"AAAAAAHHH! HELP ME!!!" Sato screamed as he dodged Webber's first attack and ran for his life across the track to pit lane. The two leaped over the pit lane barrier as Webber chased after the Jordan driver. The rest of the drivers got through the famous La Source hairpin, keeping their speeds at a slow 40 MPH while in 2nd gear. Ash got a good start from his 10th place spot and was up near the points. Olivier Panis and Riley Jenius led the field down the short downhill straight where the speeds reached 180 MPH in 6th gear, before shooting uphill for the most famous kink corners in all of Formula One, Eau Rouge. The drivers usually go through the left, right, left section flat out at 165 MPH before exiting at Raidillon for that maximum blast down the Kemmell Straight. Panis led the field with Riley close behind where the drivers reached speeds of 190 MPH or higher in the draft. Francois Deletraz, filled with confidence with the way his car was set up and with a new spec Ford Cosworth Engine, made his move on Ralf Schumacher after Ash passed him at La Source down the Kemmell Straight. Keith was passed by Ash as the field slammed on the brakes for the Les Combes chicane, slowing the cars down to 85 MPH in 3rd gear. This right, left chicane is the best passing spot on the track. Tomas Scheckter proved that by passing Allan McNish at Les Combes. Scheckter started in 21st spot and was now up to 18th thanks to Mark Webber and Takuma Sato's crash. Nick Heidfeld made good use of Les Combes' wide run off areas as he tried to pass McNish also, but ran out of track. Riley followed his older teammate through this 100 MPH, 3rd gear right-hander called Malmedy.
"Olivier Panis is in the lead as he's being pursued by his teammate, Riley Jenius into Rivage. Rubens Barrichello is in 3rd spot with Juan Pablo Montoya breathing down his neck in 4th." The TV announcer said as Panis led Riley, Rubens and Montoya through Rivage. The field was starting to spread out as Montoya tried to pass Rubens going into the double left-hander Pouhon, but Rubens held him off. Montoya lost 4th place to Keith as he misjudged his braking point for the left-right chicane Fagnes and Ash powered on through in his Ferrari. The double right-hander, Stavelot saw Montoya lose another spot to the fast closing Ash and when the leaders sped through the long sweeping left hand corner Blanchimont, Ash made the pass and was closing on Keith through the Bus Stop chicane and back to the start/finish straight to start lap 2. Ralf Schumacher made a pass on Francois Deletraz to retake 7th place at La Source, putting the BMW power to good use and made the move stick. There has been a lot of action already and this is just the first lap of the race. Juan Pablo Montoya would get those lost places back on lap 3 when he out braked Ash in La Source and passed Keith Terrell at Pouhon. He now has his sights set on Rubens Barrichello, who was having a battle with Riley Jenius for 2nd place. Ash powered his way past Keith down the Kemmel Straight on lap 4 for 5th place and actually took Ralf Schumacher with him. One lap later, Olivier Panis had a small scare as his BAR oversteered big time at Stavelot before recovering to finish the lap. That wiggle from Panis allowed Riley and Rubens to catch up. Lap 6 saw Ash catch up with Montoya's Williams BMW and made the pass on him at La Source. Montoya then blocked his teammate Ralf, who in turn, hit Montoya just coming onto the Kemmel Straight on purpose. Montoya was sent spinning as he tried to regain control. When he did regain control of the car, the engine stalled and he wasted 17 seconds trying to bring the V10 BMW engine back to life, while the track marshals were waiting to see Montoya climb out to get the car away safely. He was now in 18th place due to the spin that Ralf caused. The Williams team threw up their arms in disgust after Ralf nailed his Championship leading teammate. Juan said a few swears in his native language as he fell in behind Jarno Trulli's Renault.
"And Ralf Schumacher nails Montoya just coming out of Raidillon. That was so intentional, it was obvious!! Ralf was pissed that Montoya blocked him after he was passed by Ash. And the Williams BMW team is not very happy about this." The TV announcer said as the TV showed the Williams team's reaction to what Ralf did to Montoya. Ralf Schumacher was closing in on Ash to take him out, but the FIA had other plans.
"I got you now, Ketchum!!" Ralf said to himself as he was about to tag the back of Ash's Toyota to send the young driver spinning into the gravel trap. Then, a voice from one of the FIA stewards came on Ralf's airwave.
"Ralf Schumacher, you are ordered to serve a 10 second stop and go penalty for intentionally hitting your teammate. You must come in to serve your penalty in 2 laps or you will be disqualified from the race and put on probation for the rest of the season." The official said and Ralf wasn't too happy about being called into the pits to serve a penalty. In his mind, Juan got in his way and he had no other option but to hit Montoya.
"Shit!! Fucking official!!" Ralf yelled out in anger as he saw Ash's Toyota get farther and farther away. He decided to come into pit lane as he was on Blanchimont and to get the penalty out of the way. He entered the Bus Stop Chicane and dove to the right where the new pit lane opening was located. Ralf saw all the cars speed by him as he maintained the 50 MPH speed limit and stopped in the Williams pits where an official held him for 10 seconds. Then, Ralf was off and back in the race. At lap 9 however, the race ended for the younger Schumacher as the clutch in his Williams broke at Stavelot. The car couldn't move any farther and he pulled off the track. He finished in 20th spot.
"And that's it for Ralf Schumacher." The Speed Channel announcer said as the TV showed replays of the clutch failing of Ralf's Williams, ending his race. "Looks like the clutch went out of his car." Up front after lap 11, Olivier Panis still held the lead of the race in his BAR Renault as his teammate Riley and Rubens Barrichello in his Ferrari were now breathing down his neck, just waiting for a chance to pounce. The Ferrari guys were watching their two driver's performance at the moment. Ross Brawn was watching Rubens, Michael was keeping an eye on Montoya, who was fighting his was back from his spin and into 15th place, while Jean Todt kept tabs of Keith and constantly radioed the young American on how the car feels. Keith was behind Ash at the moment in 5th place. The crowd was on their feet each time 2 drivers were fighting for each spot in the race. The 6th, 7th, and 8th place points spots were highly contested by Francois Deletraz, David Coulthard, Alex Yoong, Giancarlo Fisichella, Eddie Irvine and Jenson Button. These drivers have been fighting tooth and nail for the past 5 laps for those spots and they were putting on a good show.
"Deletraz, Coulthard, Button, Yoong, Fisichella and Irvine have been fighting for the 6th, 7th and 8th place points spots for a good while now. Besides the fight for the lead, this is the best battle on the track." The Speed Channel guys said as the TV guys kept their focus on the 6-driver battle for 3 points spots.
"These guys are crazy, Ron!! I just had Yoong try to pass me on the grass on Kemmel!!" David Coulthard said to the McLaren crew during his fight with Alex Yoong's European Minardi Chevrolet,
"Try to relax, David. Cooler heads will always prevail in situations like this." One of his mechanics radioed as Yoong tried to pass him again, but slammed on the brakes to miss hitting Deletraz's rear. On lap 13 out of 44 laps, Ronin Vertigo and his Arrows Ford was the next victim of Belgium attrition as the hydraulics system that helps the suspension failed on the Arrows and he was out and he parked his car at Rivage.
"That's it for Ronin Vertigo!! He's out for the 2nd year in a row at Belgium! What a tough break for the Russian who just can't get a good run in Formula One." The TV announcer said as Ronin got out of the car and muttered a few Russian swears towards his car.
"Damn crappy $2 dollar car part!" Ronin said as he waved to his fans and watched as the crane hoisted his stricken car over the barrier. The Domino's Pizza guys a bit disappointed that one of the Arrows that they put their name on was out, but were happy with the coverage that they were getting from Francois' battle for the 3 remaining points spots.
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On lap 17, Keith felt like something was wrong somewhat with his car. The skies have been darkening and Michael mentioned 2 laps ago that a rainstorm maybe on its way to the track soon. Keith has been having a lot of problems with steering and was losing time to the battle up front. The rear of the car was fishtailing a lot. A bunch of drivers, including Francois Deletraz, Juan Pablo Montoya and Eddie Irvine have made their first pit stop, meaning that they are on a two-stop race. So far, the Bridgestone tires have been gripping well on the concrete surface of the Bus Stop Chicane while the Michelin tires don't like the temperature dropping due to the coming rain and have been not gripping well at all.
"Jean. I'm not feeling good with this car. It has too much oversteer past the 1st intermediate and before the end of the 2nd intermediate. And I think there's something wrong with the engine. I'm not sure what it is." Keith radioed to Jean Todt as he fought the car, which was fishtailing a great deal when he puts the power down.
"Don't worry about the engine. It's probably just the traction control at work. As for the oversteer, we'll add some front and rear wing when you come in. We'll have you pit in first in 5 laps so you can make it to the end with one stop." Jean Todt radioed back. At that time, Ash Ketchum dove his Toyota into pit lane and to the attention of his Toyota pit crew. Ash was in 3rd place and came in for some fresh tires. His Michelins were not gripping well at all!!
"And Ash Ketchum is in the pits. Looks like he's on a two-stop pit strategy as well." The Speed Channel guy said as Ash came to a stop. With clockwork like precision, the pit team changed all 4 tires and filled Ash's car up with fuel to make it to lap 32. 7.1 seconds later, the jacks dropped and Ash was off and back in the race. The team switched to the soft compound Michelin tires for better grip in the decreasing heat.
"Ash, we put on softer tires due to the decreasing heat. So, go ahead and go flat out in the turns." Sylvie radioed to Ash as the Pokémon trainer drove flat out through Eau Rouge. From the way the car handled at that part of the track, seems like the team finally got Ash's car the way he wants it.
"Hey, Sylvie. The car is much better today. I think I can have a chance to fight for the win." Ash said back to the team. The following laps saw a few more cars come in for pit stops, but everybody kept watching the sky to see when it will rain. Lap 20 came around and Riley Jenius inherited the lead from his older teammate, Olivier Panis. The Frenchman came in for the first of his 2 stops on lap 18 and Riley still has to come in for his only stop of the race. The BAR team planned that on Lap 23. Rubens Barrichello was still on Riley like the Ferrari was the BAR's shadow and was planning to come in when Riley came in.
"Ross. Are you guys all set? Because when Jenius comes in, I'm following him." Rubens radioed to the Ferrari pits as he and Riley blasted by the pits to start lap 21, heading for the La Source hairpin.
"The team is ready when you are. Do you need anything?" Ross Brawn asked,
"Just keep tabs on Montoya. If he gets more positions and into the points, we'll have no shot of gaining anything back." Rubens answered as he tried to make a pass on Jenius, but didn't have enough speed down the Kemmel Straight. Panis was starting to get really pissed off. The lapped car of Nick Heidfeld was not letting him by. Panis was clearly the faster car, but the Jaguar driver was not pulling over, despite all the blue flags that the flagmen were displaying. Panis was in 5th place after his stop.
"LET ME BY!!" Olivier yelled out as he tried to pass Heidfeld on the inside of La Source, but he blocked him once again. Panis had enough and decided to take matters into his own hands. When he made another pass on Heidfeld at Eau Rogue, Nick blocked him again. This time however, Panis slammed his BAR right into Heidfeld's Jaguar at Raidillon. Heidfeld's Jaguar slammed into the Armco as Panis drove off with no damage.
"Olivier Panis, the long time race leader, has just taken out Nick Heidfeld!! He just deliberately made the jaguar driver crash out of this Grand Prix!!" The TV announcer said as Heidfeld got out of his totaled Jaguar, threw his helmet to the ground and stormed off, ignoring the officials and medics.
"That's what you get for blocking me you damn punk!!" Panis yelled out as he was back in pursuit of the leaders. Little did Panis know, that altercation he made with Heidfeld would come back to haunt him later in the race. The FIA stewards were already planning something for both Panis and Heidfeld. Just two laps after the altercation between the BAR and the Jag, Riley Jenius dove onto pit lane with Rubens Barrichello in pursuit. This was to be the only pit stop these two drivers would need for the race. Rubens stopped in the Ferrari pits and the Italian team got to work changing the tires and refueling the car in very little time. Riley came to a perfect stop in the BAR pits and the British team went to work changing the tires and refueling the BAR Renault. The winner would be determined by how fast the teams can finish the work and get their driver back out. Just 8.5 second later, Rubens Barrichello off and away from his stall and passing the BAR garage, as Riley's team finished their work at a time of 9.3 seconds. The Ferrari team has done it again. With their faster pit stop, they have put Rubens out front of Riley. While all that was happening, Ash Ketchum sped past them to take the lead for the first time today. The soft compound tires were helping Ash greatly and he was building up a giant lead.
"Rubens Barrichello is now in front of Riley Jenius after their only pit stops of the race. Now, Ash Ketchum in the Toyota is now the leader of the race!! The Toyota team really have dialed that car in for the young man from Japan." The Speed Channel guy said as Ash was pulling away, adding seconds to his lead with every lap. But the threat of rain was still looming and every team had to call their drivers in at the right time to get those rain tires on.
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Lap 25 saw the end of another driver's race. This time, the unexpected happened. After 3 years of no engine failures, one of the Ferrari engines done blowed up. And the victim was Keith Terrell. As he headed for Rivage, having a good dice with Juan Pablo Montoya for 7th place, the American heard the engine blow up big time.
"AW, SHIT!!! The engine blew!!" Keith yelled out as the engine blasted out oil smoke and many engine parts, which were splattered on the track. The parts missed Montoya's Williams as he went for the left side of the road. Keith pulled the stricken car over onto the right side of the road and climbed out. Last year's winner was out.
"It's Terrell!! The winner of last year is out of the race!! The Ferrari engine has let go!! This is a big blow for the American who was running very well today. I think a lot of Americans are groaning and turning off their TVs to go back to bed right about now." The Speed Channel guy said as all the American press members groaned and decided to leave the track. Keith hooked the steering wheel back on the car and was about to walk off. He stopped and headed back to the car, where he plugged in the radio. He was going to let one of his bosses have it.
"Michael?" Keith said,
"Go ahead Keith. I hear you." Michael answered as he kept his eyes glued to a monitor, which was showing all Montoya, who was now gaining on David Coulthard for 6th place.
"About your word, Michael. It ain't worth fucking shit, you Nazi!!!" Keith yelled out as he disconnected his radio. He was at the worst place to be stranded in all of the track. The pit paddock was at the other side of the track, which was a good 2 miles from where he was.
"Who was that?" Jean Todt asked as he looked at Keith's past lap times before he ended his race,
"Keith's out with a blown engine. I told him before the race that the engine is brand new." Michael said bluntly as he saw Coulthard pull away from Montoya,
"And you forgot to tell him that we were still working on that damn thing, Michael. The Americans are leaving by the hundreds." Jean Todt said as he pointed to all the American fans leaving the track, because Keith's out of the race. The race was about to get interesting because, on lap 27 the rain finally came and caught every team off guard. Almost as the rain started to fall hard, the teams got out the rain weather tires and the pit teams were ready for their drivers to come in and make the switch.
"We got reports coming in that the rain has finally come!! This totally changes everything for the teams. But, this benefits the drivers that have yet to come in for their second stops!! Business is about to pick up!!" The announcer said. Sure enough, the teams got on the radio with their drivers and getting out the rain tires. Meowth on the other hand, was the first one to now that the rain's coming. He quickly got in contact with Ash through his small Pokémon radio. Pikachu doesn't like the rain that much and hid inside the jacket of one of the Toyota team bosses.
"Ash, this is Meowth. The rain's here! Get in here as fast as you can to switch to rain tires." Meowth said as the team got ready for Ash to dive in for the switch,
"I'm trying, Meowth!! Even with these grooves, these tires are not good in rain!! Just be ready for me to come in!" Ash radioed back as he was now at Stavelot, fighting for what little grip there was at the moment. All of the drivers were slipping and sliding as they waited for word to come in and get the rain tires. Ash was the first one to come in for tires. Since this was his final stop, the team didn't need as much fuel to put in Ash's car and he can go all out. Ash stopped in the Toyota pits and the team got to work replacing the grooved slicks with rain weather tires. In less than 6 seconds, Ash was back out and he still held onto the lead of the event. Rubens Barrichello and Riley Jenius came in as well to change to rain tires. But, there was a giant problem at the BAR garage. As Riley came into the pits, Olivier Panis was already there for his service. Riley had to wait 2 seconds before the team was done servicing Panis before Riley was allowed in. The team ran to get new rain tires, but those were the monsoon tires. Those tires are reserved for really heavy rain. The team didn't know about this and went ahead with the service. Riley cursed out every swear word in history as the team finally got him out, in a horrific 30 seconds, an eternity in F1 time.
"What a bad stop for Riley Jenius, the young Canadian!! There's no way he can catch up to Rubens and Ash at this point!!" The TV guy said Francois Deletraz came into the Arrows pits. He was having a great day, running all day in the points and looking good for a good finish for his new sponsor. He left the pits with his Bridgestone rain tires and was around 7 seconds behind Riley, still running in the points. Ash now had a 14 second lead on Rubens and was closing in on the drivers that decided to stay out on slicks to build any lead on the nearest competitor before pitting. One of those drivers was Ash's teammate, Allan McNish. On lap 28, McNish's plan would fail badly. He was running in 2nd place at the moment, 12 seconds behind Juan Montoya, who still had to pit for his rain tires. As Allan tiptoed his Toyota through Rivage, the European Minardi Chevrolet of Alex Yoong, who made his stop for rains and was already a lap down, tried to pass McNish on the high side.
"Get out of the way, Yoong!!" McNish yelled out, but he squeezed the Minardi to the grass and all Yoong could do was to knock Allan's Toyota out of the way.
"Sorry!! I didn't mean it!!" That was all Alex Yoong could say as the red and white F1 car hit the right side barrier, breaking the right front suspension. McNish was out of the race and Yoong continued on with no damage to his Minardi. As the laps wound down, the excitement of the race was at a fever pitch. The skill of the drivers was on full display as they handled their cars through the rain soaked corners. Even the Keith Terrell fans came back to see the rain race. On lap 32, Ash Ketchum would provide another act of bravery that would only add to his popularity. Kimi Raikkonen's Jordan Honda, which was actually running in 7th place and was having a good battle with Eddie Irvine and Tomas Scheckter for the last two points places, lost control and spun out at Raidillon. Ash was closing fast, trying to get away from Rubens. Raikkonen got the car restarted on the right side of the track, but the Honda engine done blowed up in a giant cloud of smoke!!! The smoke covered the whole length of the track and Ash was heading right for the smokescreen. The flag marshals waved the yellow flags like crazy, but Ash was determined to get through to lose Barrichello!!
"Raikkonen's Honda engine done blowed up and its creating a smokescreen!! And Ketchum isn't slowing down!!" The TV announcer said as Ash powered his way to where Raikkonen blew up. He didn't bother to close his eyes as everybody, the whole Toyota team, the fans, the FIA officials and the others teams, held their breaths as Ash sped into the smokescreen and came out the other end safe and sound! The crowd cheered loudly as Ash sped by with a determined Rubens behind, trying to play catch up.
Man, I just love doing that. Ash thought as he went through Les Combes, trying to build his lead over 2nd place Barrichello. The two leaders were making 3rd place Riley Jenius and 4th place Francois Deletraz eat their dust. They were 12 seconds behind, but the two friends were having a great battle of their own. Riley has yet to know that he was monsoon tires that will wear out fast and leave him fighting for grip. They were in turn, trying to outrun Juan Pablo Montoya and David Coulthard, both drivers were in 5th and 6th places and closing in!!
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The crowd once again was brought to their feet on lap 34 as the fight between Jenius and Deletraz, became a 4-way fight for 3rd place. David's McLaren Mercedes and Montoya's Williams BMW closed in on the BAR Renault and Arrows Ford and was making this the battle of the race. The drivers were racing like madmen, despite the falling rain.
Here I go! Get past these two idiots and I'll be in hot pursuit of Rubens. He's not gaining any points on me if I can't help it. Montoya thought to himself as he chased down Deletraz at Pouhon. As the group headed for Fanges, Montoya made his move, but didn't realize that David Coulthard's McLaren was making a move on him.
"Looks like Montoya has Francois Deletraz in his crosshairs!! But wait!! Coulthard is making his move on Montoya at Fanges also!!" The TV announcer said as Montoya and Coulthard were on the left side of the track, while Deletraz was on the right as they entered Fanges. There was no way that 3 cars can go through side by side. So, Francois did the smart thing by slamming on the brakes to avoid being involved in a wreck. He did the right thing as Coulthard and Montoya both slammed into each other, busting up each other's front wheels and went into the gravel trap. Both drivers were now out of the race. Because Deletraz had to slow down a lot to miss being in the wreck, this allowed Riley to gain some precious seconds on the 4th place driver Francois.
"Oh, no!! The Championship Leader Juan Pablo Montoya is now out of the race!! And he took David Coulthard with him into the kitty litter!! This retirement will cost Montoya big if Rubens can catch Ash and take the win!!" The Speed Channel guy said as both Montoya and Coulthard exited their cars. The Columbian was now out for blood and he wanted to kill D.C. for what happened.
"Get back here, D.C.!! I'll kill you!!!" Montoya yelled out as he threw his helmet to the ground, but he should know not to pick a fight with David, being the bar room brawling champion in Scotland. David threw off his helmet and delivered one hell of a haymaker on Montoya and knocked him out with one punch.
"Juan. You should know better than to go against me in a fist fight." David said as he waved to his fans and ran to the right side of the track to catch a ride back to the paddock. Just as D.C. hopped on a motorbike, the FIA stewards had finally come to their decision about what to do with Olivier Panis, after he slammed his BAR into the Jaguar of Nick Heidfeld on lap 21. They decided to disqualify him from the race due to dangerous driving. Panis had more problems on his hands as he was in a battle with Jenson Button and Tomas Scheckter for the final 2 points paying places. As Panis was approaching the start/finish line to start lap 35, the team boss at BAR, David Richards contacted the experienced Frenchman with the bad news.
"Olivier. The FIA race stewards have disqualified you for taking out Heidfeld on lap 21. You have to come in and park it this time by." David Richards said, delivering the bad news. And Panis wasn't too happy about that.
"WHAT?!! FUCK!!! Goddamn punk!!! Son of a bitch!! Those fucking officials are blind!! He was blocking me!!" Olivier was yelling out every bad word he knows as he let Jenson Button go to continue his battle with Scheckter. At the end of lap 35, Panis drove his BAR Renault into the garage, exited the car, punched out 3 reporters and stormed to the FIA stewards office, wanting to give them a piece of his mind. With the race winding down, the drivers were now concentrating on finishing the race. The rain steadily came down and giant rooster tails were following the cars at high speeds. Up front, Ash Ketchum in his Toyota was still leading the event with a persistent Rubens Barrichello in his Ferrari, still in pursuit in 2nd. Riley Jenius' BAR Renault, despite losing grip in his tires, still held onto 3rd place as Francois Deletraz's Arrows Ford closed in fast in 4th. These two are 14 seconds behind Ash at the moment. 5th place belonged to Eddie Irvine in the lone Jaguar in the race. He was 50 seconds behind. Tomas Scheckter's Renault was holding onto 6th place as he was being challenged by Jenson Button's Sauber Petronas, the 7th place driver. They were 1:20 behind Ash. Alex Yoong's Minardi was a lap down and was the 8th place and final points paying position. Jarno Trulli in his Renault, was 2 laps behind Ash and was praying for anybody to have a failure so he could move into the points. Jenson's Sauber teammate, Felipe Massa lost control at La Source and slammed into the barrier on lap 40, ending his race and continuing a horrid season for the Brazilian.
"And that's it for Massa. His season continues its downward spiral towards nothingness in 2005." The Speed Channel guy said as Massa shrugged off the medics and just went back to the garage, disgusted as usual.
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The Toyota team and the fans watched Ash turn into the famous La Source hairpin with 3 laps left in the 44-lap event. He had a 5.6 second lead on Rubens' Ferrari, but the Brazilian was closing in fast. Ash barreled into Eau Rouge, blasted onto the Kemmell Straight, sped past the first intermediate at high speed and raced through Les Combes and Malmedy. He had too much speed though and locked up the brakes going into Rivage. The first part of Spa is Ash's best part of the track. Rubens' Ferrari was in hot pursuit of Ash's Toyota. He shot out of Rivage like a rocket, made the quick left-hander, powered down the short straight and through the double left-hander Pouhon. The Ferrari had powerful acceleration going into Fagnes. This second part of the track is where Rubens is best. With some of his time shaved off by Barrichello, Ash drove out of Fagnes and into Stavelot like a bat out of hell! The two leaders put the power down out of Stavelot and charged into the long, sweeping left-hander Blanchimont, where the cars reached 190 MPH. Ash's car was fast, but Rubens and the famed Ferrari horsepower was faster. Ash and Rubens slammed on the brakes for the Bus Stop Chicane before racing into the start-finish straight to race for 2 more laps. The Toyota team showed the pit board to Ash as he raced by with Rubens on his tail. The board said, 'Move your ass!! Barrichello closing!!! 3.5 lead!' Ash didn't think it was funny at all.
"Oh, ha ha. That was real funny." Ash said sarcastically to his crew,
"I'm not kidding!!! Move your ass, Ketchum!!" Sylvie replied sternly. Ferrari put out their pit board for Rubens as he passed by. It said, '2 left. +3.6 Ash.' Rubens was still putting on the pressure on Ash, but he has yet to know of Montoya's retirement from the race.
"Keep putting the pressure on Ash. He may be good, but he's still a kid." Ross Brawn said,
"Understood. As long as I gain points on Montoya." Rubens radioed back as he chased Ash through La Source. Jarno Trulli, who was in 9th place, was praying for a retirement up front. Well, he got one as Jenson Button's Sauber had a fuel line failure. The V10 engine wasn't getting any fuel and the car coasted to a stop at Les Combes.
"It's Button!! Jenson Button is out of the race!! What a tough break for the young man!! He was in 7th place and looked to take home 2 Points for the Sauber team!! In two laps, the Sauber team lost both cars!! This means that Alex Yoong will get 7th and Jarno Trulli will get the final point in 8th if nothing else happens!!" The TV guy said as Jenson just say down on the side of his car, thinking about what might have been. At the Renault pits, Renault boss Flavio Briatore saw Trulli's name move into 8th place. That meant 1 more important point for the team!
"Jarno. Jenson's out and you're now moved into 8th. Just don't do anything and bring this home." The Renault boss said and Jarno didn't answer. He knew what to do. Just bring the car home. Back to the fight for the lead, Ash Ketchum and Rubens Barrichello passed the start/finish line and drove into La Source hairpin one last time and were making the run to Eau Rouge. This was going to be a good finish. 17 seconds behind the two, Riley Jenius' BAR was trying his best to hold off Francois Deletraz's Arrows at the Bus Stop Chicane. The monsoon tires on Riley's BAR were all but gone and he was losing a lot of traction in the corners because the BAR team goofed big time. Francois on the other hand, made two stops and came in when the rain started to fall. For Francois, he now had a chance to get his first ever podium finish. He just hoped that Ford Cosworth engine doesn't blow sky high. Francois could see himself on the podium, hoisting the 3rd place trophy and spraying the champagne all over the place.
"Nigel!! Am I closing on him?!!" Francois Deletraz asked excitedly. His Arrows Ford was closing in on Riley's BAR Renault. The white and black and orange cars whizzed by into La Source as Nigel Mansell looked at the latest time split between Riley and Francois. Nigel Mansell didn't want his young French driver to screw up now!! They had to finish this race good while the Domino's Pizza guys were watching back in the states.
"Calm down, Deletraz! You're 1.6 seconds behind him and closing. Don't break your concentration!! And no risky crap!!! I don't want the guys to repair your car again!" Nigel Mansell answered harshly, trying to calm the young Frenchman down. Francois' Arrows was like Riley's shadow as he stayed within 3 car lengths of the BAR Renault on the Kemmell Straight, through Les Combes and Malmedy. Francois couldn't even see Riley's car because of the giant rooster tail the car was making, but he had to be patient and wait for the golden moment to pass his friend. Riley accidentally locked up the brakes once again at Rivage, totally missing his apex. With his worn tires, he had no chance of holding off Deletraz.
"Fuck!!! Gotta get back in line!!! NO!!!" Riley panicked. Francois saw Riley's error and made the apex perfectly, passing the BAR and moving into 3rd place and on the podium. The Arrows crew cheered as they all saw Deletraz enter and exit Rivage perfectly. He was now pulling away from Riley with his better tires as they entered Pouhon, and headed for Fagnes. His patience paid off!!
"Excellent cornering at Rivage, Francois. Now keep your focus and let's bring this shit car home on the podium." Mansell said as he watched Francois go into Stavelot. Riley chocked back a few sobs as he watched his 3rd place drive off. He had no grip left and reluctantly decided to just coast home. Up front, Ash saw nothing but red in his mirrors as he and Barrichello were full throttle out of Blancimont and on a beeline for the Bus Stop. Rubens saw a window of opportunity to take Ash, but he couldn't do anything with his worn Bridgestone rain tires. Ash drove into the Bus Stop Chicane for the last time and Barrichello didn't have anything left for the young Pokémon trainer/Toyota driver and that was all she wrote.
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The Toyota crew ran out of their garage and leapt onto the pit wall to cheer Ash on. They waved their Toyota flags, pumped their fists in the air, yelled out in excitement and hooting and hollering like mad as he crossed the start/finish line to take his 4th Grand Prix victory of his early Formula One career. This win is the 2nd of the year and 2nd win with Toyota. Meowth and Pikachu were elated that their trainer pulled it off and they let Eevee in on the celebration.
"He did it!! Ash did it!! We won!!" Meowth said cheerfully as he and Pikachu danced happily on the pit wall,
[You know what this means, Meowth!! Celebration time!!! And you're welcome to join in, Eevee.] Pikachu said as she extended her paw out to Eevee,
[If you guys act like this all the time, where do I sign up?] Eevee said as the two Pokémon shook paws. The radio traffic was full of Ash screaming at the top of his lungs. He's always excited about winning a race or getting on the podium.
"YEAH!!! I DID IT GUYS!!! I won!!!!" Ash cheered as he pumped his fist into the air, almost losing control of his car.
"Great race Ash!! You earned this one!! Come on back here and let's get this party started!!" Sylvie said before she started celebrating with the rest of the Cologne based team. Rubens came home in 2nd place and the Ferrari team saluted him for a job well done. It was a tough race, but Rubens was glad that he had a good finish.
"Well done, Rubens. You ran an excellent race. Don't be ashamed of losing this one. Ketchum was just too tough today. The rain helped him out greatly. We'll get them at Monza." Ross said,
"Thanks, Ross." Rubens said. As he and Ash drove to Parc Ferme, Michael came on the radio with good news about his battle for the Driver's Championship.
"Hey, Rubens. Congratulations. You just gained 8 Points on Montoya. He crashed with David on lap 34. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier. You were too focused on Ash." Michael said as he and Ash in his winning Toyota took their places at Parc Ferme,
"I don't blame you, Michael. I don't blame you at all, my friend." Rubens said as he saw Ash just ready to leap out of that Toyota. He let out a small chuckle as Ash got out of the car and started to do a happy dance on it. Ash and Rubens had to wait until a very ecstatic Francois Deletraz arrived. The Belgium track has Parc Ferme and the podium located at the support pit paddock. So, the drivers stop at the support race starting line instead of driving the 4 miles around. The Arrows team was the most happy as Francois Deletraz drove his universally crappy Arrows Ford to a 3rd place finish. This marks the team's first podium finish since 1997 Grand Prix of Hungary with 1996 World Champion Damon Hill behind the wheel. He might have won if the gearbox in the Arrows didn't get stuck in 2nd gear with one lap to go. The fans could actually hear Deletraz cheer loudly as he made his way to Parc Ferme. When he did, the 3 teams ran down to the podium area and Ash spotted his crew.
"Yeah!!! I did it!!!" Ash yelled out and jumped into the arms of the Toyota crew, which pushed him over their heads for some crowd surfing. Rubens just stood there and watched as a very happy Francois was going absolutely NUTS!!!! The whole Arrows team was whooping it up as well. Even Nigel Mansell was getting in on all the excitement.
"YEAH!!! WHOO-HOO!!!!! YEAH, BABY!!!! 3RD PLACE!!" Francois yelled out as he hugged every member of the Arrows team. He even kissed Nigel for the hell of it. The 1992 World Champion didn't like that very much as he asked for anything to rid himself of Deletraz's mouth!!
"This isn't an F1 race, it's a rock concert. Look at them!!!" Rubens said to Michael. The German just laughed for a minute as Ash jumped down to the ground and was greeted by Pikachu, who was perched on Sylvie's head. The mouse Pokémon leaped right into Ash's arms. Meowth was busy calling the team boss back in Germany to tell him the good news.
"Pikachu!! I won again!!! Ha ha!" Ash said cheerfully as he hugged Pikachu. The Pokémon just loved it when Ash won a race. Rubens saw an FIA official waiting for them.
"Well, if you young men are ready, the FIA guys need us to be weighed." Rubens said as he came up to Ash and Deletraz,
"Sure thing, Rubinho!! PARTY!!!" Francois yelled out as he went into the garage to be weighed. Ash nodded and walked over to Michael and handed him Pikachu as usual before going to be weighed. Not everybody was happy, though. A very disappointed Ronin Vertigo watched as his teammate hogged all the glory.
"It ain't fair!!! I had more points than him, sir!!! I thought I was the one who got the first podium!!" Ronin said,
"Well, them's the breaks Ronin. Just because you got more points than our French pizza eating friend, doesn't mean the luck will shift your way." Nigel Mansell said,
"You're right, sir. I'm going to find Keith and drown our sorrows in some of my family's vodka collection." Ronin said,
"Go ahead, Ronin. Have fun getting smashed with Terrell." Nigel said as Ronin walked to his motorhome to change his clothes and find Keith. Nigel's cell phone started to ring and he answered. "Hello? What?!! Your people just watched Francois finish 3rd today?!! You want to sponsor the team for the rest of the year and 2006?!!!" Nigel asked, a look of pure shock was written all over his face. Bernie Ecclestone congratulated the 3 podium finishers on a great race before he made his way to congratulate Mansell for his team's achievement. The first thing the Formula One supremo saw was Mansell's shocked face as he finished the cell phone call from the Domino's Pizza guys.
"I do say, Nigel. You look like you've seen a ghost." Bernie said,
"WE GOT A SPONSOR FOR 2006!!! We got Domino's on board!!! WE SIGNED WITH DOMINO'S!! We're saved!!! WE'RE SAVED!!!" Nigel yelled out as he and the team cheered loudly. All of a sudden, the Japanese national anthem was played in Ash's honor. Shortly, big wigs from the Belgian government gave Ash, Rubens and Francois their podium trophies. As expected, Francois took his and leapt in the air. As the very important people left the podium, the three drivers let loose the non-alcoholic champagne. Both Ash and Rubens drenched the young French driver in the bubbly as Francois sprayed it over the heads of his team. Then, the three drivers hopped on top of the top podium step for a photo-op for the photographers and TV cameras. Bernie Ecclestone had a smile on his face. This has been one of the best races this season. And he was smiling for the Arrows team. After having so much bad luck in past years, Nigel Mansell turned that team around. They got a 3rd place and a new sponsor all in one day.
"Ash Ketchum winning after a race off, Juan losing points to Rubens, Francois Deletraz getting 3rd place, the daughter of Riley Jenius almost killing me, controversy with Olivier Panis and Nick Heidfeld, Arrows getting a new sponsor and an exciting rain race. What more can the Formula One Supremo ask for?" Bernie asked himself as he made his way to the pressroom to hear what top 3 finishers have to say about the race.
To Be Continued...
Well, how about that? Ash pulled it off!! After being away from the car for a month, Ash comes back and takes the victory over Rubens Barrichello. Add the fact that Francois Deletraz scored a 3rd place over Riley Jenius in his Arrows, some rain and you got the making for a wild race. If you're wondering where all the drivers finished in the race and who was in the top 8 points paying positions, the results of the Grand Prix are below.
Have anything to say about this giant race chapter? Any reaction to Ash's win? And questions? Or to give me any feedback? E-mail me at Hornet19us@Yahoo.com with your comments. Look for Chapter 21 shortly!! Ash, Rubens and Francois tell the press about their race and find out what happens if all of Kanto hears about Ash's victory. Be seeing ya!!
Mario Alvarado
2/4/2003
Grand Prix Of Belgium Race Results
1st: Ash Ketchum, Toyota (44 laps, finished)
2nd: Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari (-.543 behind, finished)
3rd: Francois Deletraz, Arrows (-18.644 behind, finished)
4th: Riley Jenius, BAR (-20.637 behind, finished)
5th: Eddie Irvine, Jaguar (-53:324 behind, finished)
6th: Tomas Scheckter, Renault (-1:31:632 behind, finished)
7th: Alex Yoong, Minardi (43 laps, finished)
8th: Jarno Trulli, Renault (42 laps, finished)
9th: Giancarlo Fisichella, McLaren (42 laps, finished)
10th: Jenson Button, Sauber (42 laps, fuel pick up problems)
11th: Felipe Massa, Sauber (40 laps, crashed into barrier)
13th: Olivier Panis, BAR (35 laps, parked by stewards)
14th: Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams (34 laps, spun in gravel trap with Coulthard)
14th: David Coulthard, McLaren (34 laps, spun in gravel trap)
15th: Kimi Raikkonen, Jordan (32 laps, engine blow up)
16th: Allan McNish, Toyota (28 laps, contact)
17th: Keith Terrell, Ferrari (25 laps, engine blow up)
18th: Nick Heidfeld, Jaguar (21 laps, contact)
19th: Ronin Vertigo, Arrows (13 laps, hydraulics failure)
20th: Ralf Schumacher, Williams (9 laps, clutch failure)
21st: Mark Webber, Minardi (1 lap, contact)
22nd: Takuma Sato, Jordan (1 lap, contact)