DNN1

"Okay, wrap things up for us for today, Bob. A heck of a qualifying session?"

"Another blinder, there might be all sorts of nonsense outside the races this year, but you can't argue with the flying."

"Would you have predicted Nikita Coro to take pole position here?"

"Well I certainly didn't, but ze was always going to be close, any of the top five in the championship could have had it going in."

"Phoebe Tenryuu pushed zir very hard, just a tenth between them on the last runs. But mistakes for both Lucia Aelschu and Feran Andoal. What do you make of them today?"

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"Nothing to worry about, everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even the best. Small mistakes too."

"Can they win from fifth and sixth?"

"It'll be interesting to see. If Lucia can get past Feran then Royal Hermeia will have to instruct Arden to let her through. That's cruel, but Lucia's twelve points ahead. Gerry Ipemas punched well above his weight for third, I'd expect him to fall back in the race but you never know. By the time all that plays out, Niki and Phoebe could be ten seconds up the road. On the other hand, the rookies could fight themselves to a standstill and give up places to all the veterans."

"It's finely poised. What do you think it all means for the championship?"

"It could be absolutely critical, Sam. It's probably going to close things up even tighter, and with the rookies duelling at the front, the current and former champions behind them, it's a real momentum setter. Whoever wins here is in with a really good chance of carrying that energy through to the end of the season."

"Bit early to be picking a champion, isn't it?"

"Who could pick? But if you put a gun to my head and forced me to make a bet, I'd bet on whoever wins today to take it."