BERKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM. OCTOBER 2017.

"So where are you two off to this weekend?" Jaxon asked the two boys who were currently head to head on the F1 simulator. They had their consoles with the full set up, steering wheel, pedals, everything. Sim racing wasn't just for fun, it was a form of practice. Practice for the future tracks the two boys would hopefully be racing on.

Fourteen-year-old Jacob spoke without looking away from his screen. "Junior National Karting Championships."

Thierry nodded, he still had his French accent but it wasn't as strong as it used to be after years of living in England. "Final round at Whilton Mill. We're hoping we do well and get an offer for an F4 team next season."

The two fourteen-year-old boys had been searching for a way to get into F4, they had to work their way up and prove themselves worthy of a Formula One seat.

When all four of them were fatefully sat next to one another in their third period English class when they were six years old they struck a conversation with each other and from there they never looked back. Jacob and Thierry got on tremendously well, bonding over their love for Formula One and their aspirations to get into the sport. What all four of them shared was determination to achieve their dreams and follow their passion. Jacob and Thierry wanted to be drivers in the world's fastest sport, Jaxon wanted to be a Quarterback (claiming that schoolboy rugby was far too boring for him) and Sophie wanted to be an actress. Big dreams for kids their age, but once these four had their minds set on something, there was nothing stopping them.

Both Jaxon and Sophie had agreed to come support their best friends at their race, Jacob and Thierry were undeniably the best in their age group but when it came to who was the better racer out of the two of them, it was a toss up.

Right now, Jacob was more skilled at being aggressive, pushing hard and overtaking however Thierry defended like no one else. If he was first, there was very little chance you were getting past him.

So this race for them was big, they both needed to put on a performance if they were to impress anyone of importance.

"Who are you rooting for?" Sophie asked Jaxon, the day of the race.

The boy looked towards the paddock where the karts were being lined up for the start of the race. "You know I never root for just one of them, it's both of them or neither of them."

Sophie nodded. "It's a tough sport, one of them has to lose."

"It's the way it goes with sport. It's like how it's so competitive for me to get a scholarship to a college in the States to play football." Jaxon sighed. "Even though I'm from there."

"We've all picked difficult careers to get into," Sophie said with a dry laugh, "should've picked something simpler like an accountant or something."

Jaxon let out a laugh. "Yeah but then what's the fun in that."

Over by where the karts were, Jacob was putting his gloves on before he placed his helmet on his head. He had already wished Thierry good luck but he couldn't help but glance over at his friend who was starting to get into his kart. The two boys had made a promise to each other that they wouldn't approach or talk to each other just before the race began. They needed time to focus on themselves and get into the right mindset. Jacob could see his competitors still all talking to their parents or their friends but he wasn't like that, he needed to be solely focused on the race, and only the race.

He climbed into his kart and made sure that everything was correct before he stared forwards. The track was clearing now and it was now just him and the other racers. He was starting in P1 with Thierry right behind him. The race was about to start and Jacob's gaze was solely focused on the starting lights, waiting for them to turn green. In that moment, everything had slowed down, he could feel the nerves racing through him. He wasn't nervous that he was going to finish in a low position, he was nervous that he wouldn't make an impression that would send him to Formula Four.

In his head he knew he had it harder than Thierry. Despite growing up with the boy, Jacob knew that Thierry was meant to be a Formula One racer. All he needed was for his father to make one call and the boy could probably get a seat in any big team's academy. Jacob was different, he had to prove himself, he had to work his way up there.

When the lights finally turned green, Jacob's foot was immediately on the accelerator, charging towards the first turn, he controlled his kart with ease as he manoeuvred onto the straight, he had gotten used to this kart that it felt like second nature handling it. He could hear the karts behind him try to catch up with him, but he was only focussed on himself and what he was doing. The track conditions were dry so there wasn't much for him to worry about in terms of the weather but Jacob could see Thierry creeping up behind him in his peripheral vision.

In the opening laps, Jacob and Thierry were at their best, their karts darting and weaving around the corners with calculated precision. The tight corners and sweeping bends of the circuit posed a formidable challenge, testing their skills with every lap.

At around the halfway point in the race, Thierry made his move, executing an overtake that left Jacob momentarily stunned. He had gone on the inside of Jacob - a favourite move of his - and if Jacob hit the brakes just a millisecond later he could have fended off the overtake. The thrill of competition ignited a fire within him, driving Jake to fight back with all the intensity he could muster. This was what it was all about, this is what he lived for. For the next few laps, the two friends engaged in a fierce battle for supremacy, their karts locked in a tense head-to-head duel that had the crowd on the edge of their seats.

Even Sophie and Jaxon watched in awe, they had only ever been to a couple races but they had never seen something like this before. There was evident determination in both boys to show off their potential.

As the race entered its final stages, Jacob found himself trailing Thierry by around a second. With each passing moment, the pressure mounted, the weight of expectation bearing down on his shoulders. If there was one thing Jacob hated, it was losing. This was it, he had to give it everything he had. He saw the kart in front of him as a rival, not his best friend, but a rival threatening to take everything he had worked for away from him. This was Jacob's moment to show what he had.

With a burst of adrenaline, Jacob pushed as hard as he could. Thierry was exceptional on defence but Jacob's offensive prowess when it came to racing was unmatched. His kart chased down Thierry's as they approached the final corner and the home straight. He feinted going on the outside of Thierry before cutting inwards, the two boys' karts just marginally touching each other. The seconds stretched into eternity as they hurtled towards the finish line, head to head.

As time seemed to have stopped and his kart moved in slow motion, Jacob surged past Thierry with a burst of speed. As they crossed the finish line in a blur of motion, Jacob's heart soared with triumph, his hands trembling with the sheer intensity of the moment.

"COME ON!!!!" Jacob cheered to himself, raising a triumphant fist as he brought his kart to a stop. As everyone stopped and the announcer named Jacob the winner, he felt euphoric. He turned to his best friend who was getting out of his vehicle. He was giving Thierry his space, the boys were competitive and whoever won in their fierce duels would let the loser approach the winner as one might've needed the space to reflect on the loss.

So Jacob left Thierry be but as he stood atop the podium, the weight of victory resting heavy on his shoulders, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for his friend Thierry. He looked slightly down at his friend who was stood on the runner up's podium and Thierry had a small smile on his face. Despite his disappointment, Thierry wore a smile of genuine happiness for Jacob, his loyalty and sportsmanship shining through even in defeat.

"That was intense." Sophie breathed out when the four friends reunited after all the formalities.

Jaxon agreed. "Bloody hell...it must be crazy being in one of those karts."

"Tell me about it." Thierry said, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

"You alright mate?" Jacob asked his friend, not having a chance to speak to him about the race.

Thierry nodded, giving Jacob a smile. "Good race Jake, I should've seen the fake coming."

Jacob let out a laugh and the two boys exchanged a hug.

"Mr Thompson, Mr Arquette, a word?" a voice behind them spoke.

The two boys turned around a saw a man who they didn't recognise but wore a polo shirt with the logo that looked like a motorsport team's logo.

"I'm with Carlin, you may have heard of us."

Thierry nodded. "You won the F4 championships with Lando Norris."

The man nodded. "He's moved up now so we're looking for new racers to take his place. I just saw your race, it was impressive. We could do with talent like you both."

"Are you offering us a Formula Four seat?" Jacob asked, his voice ever so slightly filled with glee.

He nodded. "We want you to race with us for next season's ROKiT F4 British Championship next season and who knows what might come after that. What do you say? Both of you?"

Thierry looked at Jacob and looked at him back. Both boys had the same thing in their minds. Jaxon and Sophie stood there proudly, seeing the boys get one step closer to their lifelong dream.

"Yes, we'd love to!"

The man smiled and handed them both a business card. "Give me a call and we'll smooth out the details with you. We're looking forward to next season with you."

Once the man left the four erupted into cheers.

"You did it! Well done!" Jaxon cheered.

Jacob smiled. "I can't believe it."

He was ecstatic, who wouldn't be. But what made this even better was that he could share it with his best friends and embark on the next chapter of his racing journey with his best friend who was simultaneously his biggest rival.