Disclaimer
This blog post is a work of fan-fiction based on Wipeout. All rights reserved to Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Background
The FEISAR team have always been left with such a big mountain to climb ever since they participated in the FX leagues. Guess what, FEISAR have never been able to repeat their strong performance of their F9000 days. While both their FX racing craft had such amazing maneuverability, combined with great thrust force and robust shielding, all those flairs were completely overshadowed by their own top speed, said to be nowhere close to the standards of all other teams. Not even the more technical racetracks, especially the ones in Makana, could help the team with that.
As a result, FEISAR had always been left trailing all other teams throughout both the FX300 and the FX400 leagues, by such a wide margin there was virtually no hope to close it. In fact, the FEISAR team always failed to make it onto the podium, and thus finished in last place in each and every season of both leagues with no medals whatsoever. Believing that the medal tally-based standings system is too biased towards teams who perform exceptionally, i.e. consistently finish within the top three, FEISAR repeatedly attempted to appeal to the Anti-Gravity Racing Commission to have it replaced with the much fairer points-based one. Unfortunately, the Commission seemed too stubborn to listen to their plea.
To make matters worse, FEISAR encountered their two worst enemies from their early days of AG racing, AG Systems and Qirex, right at the inaugural season of the FX300. But the misfortune didn't end there. During the 2202 season of the FX300, FEISAR caught wind of an independent new competition emerging from one of its own member states, namely Icaras, based in Great Britain. Although it is still unknown whether or not Great Britain really had broken away as suspected, this gave a devastating impact on the FEISAR team's already-abysmal performance. The team's morale had taken a steep dive too.
In an attempt to keep themselves ahead of this new existential threat, i.e. Icaras, FEISAR opted to compete the FX400 League early on. However, it appears that this strategy had proven futile. The usual nemeses AG Systems and Qirex notwithstanding, FEISAR still had to deal with their craft's low top speed, which continued to prevent them from ever giving their best shot in the league – they had failed to qualify for many races by virtue of qualifying lap time, and even if they did qualify, they would never finish in the top half. Once Icaras came late again sometime later, there was nothing that FEISAR could do to improve at all! Fittingly, before the 2220 season of the FX400, FEISAR pulled out of the league, citing their financial problems related to their underperformance in the league.
The Disaster
Year 2222, Platinum Rush, Greenland. The final round of the FX450 Anti-Gravity Racing League was held. In this round, FEISAR made a surprise appearance, with their last remaining pilot Ezio Di Rosso, who was the team's lead pilot throughout the FX400. Indeed, the FEISAR team had seen most other pilots of theirs defect to other teams since the FX300, while Riley Webb went missing after she was supposedly killed in a race at Outpost 7 in 2217, where her craft was violently nudged by AG Systems and Qirex. Quite why the team made such a seemingly pointless return is unknown, although it is stated that neither AG Systems nor Qirex appeared in that round.
One important thing to know is that with the absence of these two teams, FEISAR could definitely do their best without any pressure. The race was on! Ezio Di Rosso took the lead in split second. One was wondering what happened to FEISAR. It seemed that FEISAR were using their new "super craft", which had such ludicrous top speed, complementing its strong acceleration and abundance of shield energy. But that would never have been possible without trading much of the handling, for which all the team's previous craft were (in)famous.
Final lap, and things were looking good for FEISAR, with Di Rosso still in the lead of the race. However, there came a plasma bolt and... BOOM! A spectacular plasma blast destroyed Di Rosso's craft, and its wreckage failed to make it through the finish line, landing a mere one millimeter short. It's been so near, yet so far for FEISAR. So much for their "super craft"! The other craft passed by the wreckage to finish their race, with Icaras coming first.
The FEISAR fan crowd was utterly shocked as they watched, knowing that their favorite team was so close to victory, only to be ruined by a single plasma projectile. They were left speechless by this disaster. Ezio Di Rosso crashed and burned, literally, before he was able to finish the race. And the worst part... As the race crew rushed to the wreckage of the FEISAR craft when the race ended, Di Rosso was found dead inside!
The Culprit
Apparently, the plasma was shot from none other than the Icaras craft. It was piloted by a certain Siebrand Vansaur. This pilot, now also known as "The Evil Dutchman" by his enemies at FEISAR, was previously a pilot for FEISAR during the FX300 League. However, Vansaur is such a rebellious kind of person. In fact, he really hates his days when he was racing for FEISAR, which, he feels, was like working as a slave. While in the FEISAR craft during each race, Vansaur often refused to follow orders and tried to wreck his craft by grinding on the wall or intentionally getting into mines and bombs. Miraculously, he always survived all those deliberate crashes with no injuries.
In 2201, after the end of yet another disastrous round for FEISAR, where they failed to finish the race, Vansaur was locked in his room at FEISAR's base as punishment for having deliberately destroyed his own craft at that round. He was visibly distraught that he would not be able to get out until the final round of the season. Suddenly, he saw some people talking outside the base, so he took interest in them. Curious about what they were talking about, Vansaur jumped out of his room through the window, and proceeded to introduce himself to those people, who turned out to be longtime fans of the Icaras team, who welcomed him, much to his surprise and delight. Vansaur then demanded that he be taken to the Icaras HQ in London.
The next year, the FEISAR team's management staff discovered that Siebrand Vansaur had gone missing. They could not say anything about it, only to find out Vansaur had been listed as a pilot for Icaras when they attended the announcement for the 2202 season. They were aghast to hear it. How could Siebrand Vansaur do this? Why yes, he is now officially a traitor to FEISAR! And that was yet another blow to the FEISAR team's critically low morale.
The race at Sebenco Climb in the 2202 season was an absolute disaster for FEISAR. Their craft was lagging behind the pack, but fortunately, it was able to overtake the Icaras craft at the last corner into the finish line. Then, a plasma projectile hit the rear of the FEISAR craft. And the craft was toast! As the wreckage went ablaze, the race crew rushed to it to check it. There they found a body, a lifeless body. Oh no! It looked like the pilot was dead!
Turned out that plasma did come from the Icaras craft, as shown in the quick replay. Much to the FEISAR team's horror, Siebrand Vansaur was indeed inside that Icaras craft! Ever since then, FEISAR had witnessed the defection of their pilots to other teams, mainly Icaras. The defection flow could not be stopped! Then and now, FEISAR could not help but blame Vansaur for this. They would never forgive him for his betrayal!
Aftermath
A funeral for Ezio Di Rosso was held in his hometown the day after the final round of the FX450. The attendants mourned the death of FEISAR's last pilot. The gloomy scene ended with the burial of the unfortunate pilot. On the next day, FEISAR's director of Anti-Gravity Racing operations announced that FEISAR would quit AG racing for good... Or so it seems.
It's been such a sad story from FEISAR. Unfortunately, the only time they could ever shine was during the F9000 League, which was doomed after the exposure of illegal activities by the league's director, the Overtel Corporation. Elsewhere, the team have never been any successful. Even then, FEISAR have proven too stubborn to change their own way, especially in regards to how they develop their craft, instead blaming their own poor performances on AG Systems and Qirex, neither of whom had anything to do with that. Moreover, the FX300 League and onwards has been such a disastrous run for FEISAR, with the rise of their worst nightmare yet, the newest incarnation of the Icaras team. It's clear that the glory days of FEISAR are already over.
But of course, the FEISAR team can never afford to let AG Systems and Qirex, their very sworn enemies, have all the glory. Furthermore, FEISAR can definitely not allow Icaras to stand in the way. Unfortunately though, given their horrendous records in the FX leagues, it's already safe to say that FEISAR will remain by far the worst overall performers in the FX era. So much for their craft's outstanding maneuverability, right?
Team Profile
Full Name: Federal European Industrial Science And Research
Year Founded: 2036
Country of Origin: European Federation
First Appearance: Anti-Gravity Racing Championship
Most Recent Appearance: FX450 Anti-Gravity Racing League
Number of Podium Finishes: 87; all were before the FX300 League, with 70 of them in the F9000 League
Number of Race Wins: 21; all were in the F9000 League, including Daniel Johnson's five consecutive race wins in the 2164 season
Number of Team Championships: 1; the 2164 season of the F9000 League
Number of Pilot Championships: 1; by Daniel Johnson in the 2164 season of the F9000 League
Rivals (or rather enemies): AG Systems, Qirex, Icaras (from the FX300 League and on)