My Formula 1 System

Contrary to Luca's expectations, the Bahrain Grand Prix was the smoothest official race he had driven in his life. No F2 race had ever been this peaceful for him. As the laps kept ticking by, he found himself sinking deeper into utter disbelief.

All three sectors unfolded before him again and again, a repeated pattern with the most eerie calm he had ever experienced. The pressure of navigating corners and the pressure of aggressive competitors were nowhere to be found for Luca, even as the race crossed a quarter.

The quietness of it all made him more aware of the situation. The crowd seemed to roar louder and the heat of the desert appeared to be more intense now, conflicting with his Heat Management feature.

It was rare for things to come so easily in F1, especially for a rookie. Even Mr. Berry and everyone in telemetry were stunned at how unchallenging Luca's race was, while Rodnick, now in P6, was in the midst of the most intense battles.

A strange good sign. Though everyone knew the race might turn at any moment, for now, the serenity of Luca's laps gave Jackson the time to focus on Rodnick, who was literally losing his temper.

"...This has been an unbelievably smooth race for Luca Rennick...!"

"...Not a single moment of struggle so far—a strategy holding up, a pace so consistent, and he's completely in control...!"

"...Compared to the chaos we've seen in past races, this is almost too easy for him... but we know Formula racing doesn't stay quiet for long...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

[15th Lap]

P2— Ailbeart Moireach

P3— Antonio Luigi ↑

P4— Davide DiMarco ↓

P5— Jimmy Damgaard

P6— Marcellus Rodnick ↑

P7— Elias Nyström ↓

While Luca's rivals were locked in their own battles, shuffling positions with every lap, he was up ahead, untouched, dialing into his rhythm and advancing the Sync Bar.

It was now at 37.5%, creeping closer to 50%. Yes, he was having a smooth race, but it was definitely because of the consistent defense he had executed against Ailbeart Moireach early on.

That wild, incredulous move Ailbeart carried out in the opener wasn't his last. He had attempted many other times in between laps 2—8, only for Luca to shut him down with Corner Choppings and Straightaway Choppings, so much he got a point for them each.

[Corner Chopping +1]

[Straightaway Chopping +1]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 37.5%]

From Ailbeart's desperation to clinch P1, it was as if he knew the position would be as free as the wind in this Bahrain Grand Prix for the driver who got ahead.

[Heat Management +4]

"That's a big one," Luca remarked. "But I guess the tougher the problem, the stronger I adapt."

[Tire Wear Management +1]

[Longevity +2]

[Gripper +1]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 50%]

[Tires are in good condition, host. DRS is unavailable. Engine temperature is optimal. Brake wear at 5%.]

[Telemetry reports smooth handling. Aerodynamic efficiency optimal. Recommend maintaining current pace.]

Everything was still a green light for Luca. Tires, check. Engine temperature, check. Brake wear, check. Aerodynamicity, check. Steering, check.

There was absolutely no reason to consider a pit stop. No strategist, engineer, or even a casual fan would recommend it at this point. The car was in peak condition, and the race was unfolding perfectly in his favor.

However, if teams strategized based on obvious data alone, their races would be too predictable for other teams. This was definitely not the first time a driver was having a smooth racing up ahead in P1, and every F1 fan could give you a detailed account of past scenarios and how it all came crashing down at the end because they stayed out so long and were scared of throwing away their golden opportunity.

**Luca, box coming lap. I repeat—box coming lap**

"Copy. I'm coming in."

Ailbeart's gap to him was 4 seconds—astonishingly impressive for a race where many had predicted tight delta from start to finish.

Actually, that prediction was correct, because in the middle of the pack, the average distance between the cars now was 1.2 secs.

[Straightaway ahead]

[You are picking up speed]

[... , ----T13--,

/ |

|

T12

\\

'------,

\\

T11

/

-------------' ...]

After the second straight was Turn 11.

[Turn type: High-Speed Right-hander ] [Angle: 45°] [Braking Point: 180 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 200 km/h] [Optimal Apex: inside curb]

No much brake was needed to be applied for a good entrance into this Turn 11. So, Luca just continued using the same momentum he gathered from the straight and entered the turn.

[Turn type: High-Speed Left-hander ] [Angle: 45°] [Braking Point: 160 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 195 km/h] [Optimal Apex: inside curb]

[Smoothly taken!]

[Turn type: Tight Right-hander ] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: 120 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 130 km/h] [Optimal Apex: inside curb]

[Perfect Handling!]

[600m Straightaway ahead]

Exactly how Luca's Bahrain Grand Prix had been going. It was just him and his system calculating his personal racing progress without the unnerving alerts of the threats of rivals. How pleasing this was!

Turn 4 and Turn 15 were up next—the last turns before the home straight.

[Turn type: Tight Left-hander ] [Angle: 80°] [Braking Point: 90 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 130 km/h] [Optimal Apex: inside curb]

[Turn type: Medium Right-hander ] [Angle: 60°] [Braking Point: 110 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 140 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Outside curb]

[1km Straightaway ahead]

Bahrain International Circuit's home straight was on the list of the longer straights in the F1 calendar, but not close to the longest yet despite its stretchy appearance.

Luca's tires clawed out of Turn 15 after a fluid outside line. He felt his FiveSix hiss at the straight ahead before powering the chassis with the necessary energy to take it on.

"...AND LUCA RENNICK STORMS DOWN THE HOME STRAIGHT WITH A COMMANDING LEAD...!"

"...THE 19TH LAP IS ABOUT TO BEGIN, AND HE'S BEEN IN COMPLETE CONTROL SO FAR!"

The crowd's cheers blended into the deep growl of his Ferrari as Luca surged onto the straight, the DRS detection zone flashing past.

He glanced at the cam display, quick enough to see Ailbeart rounding Turn 15, #2 on top of his Renault like a blue crown.

To carry out this pitstop and somehow reclaim P1, whether immediately or after, Luca needed to know what he was dealing with.

[Analyzing 2nd Position's distance from host and Ferrari (JRX-92B)...]

[2nd Position is 4.5 sec away, host.]

There was no doubt Ailbeart Moireach would take P1, and perhaps Luigi could squeeze in for P2. But Luca needed to make sure he would rejoin the race as fast as possible and into P3.

"...OH, WE'RE SEEING SOME ACTIVITY IN THE JACKSON RACING GARAGE...!"

"...IS IT LUCA RENNICK OR MARCELLUS RODNICK GETTING READY FOR A STOP?!"

Luca had a definite lead, comfortably ahead, while Rodnick was still tangled in a midfield battle. Surely, a pit stop wouldn't fit both drivers at this moment—so who was it going to be?

Jackson Racing spectators and fans immediately experienced some concern.

"...IF IT'S LUCA, HE'LL HAVE TO EXECUTE THIS PERFECTLY TO REJOIN WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE..!"

"...IF IT'S RODNICK, THIS COULD EITHER SAVE HIS RACE—OR COST HIM EVEN MORE TIME...!"

**Team is more than ready. We will have you back in—in no time**

"Okay."

C4 Mediums. Tire compounds not commonly used such as the hards and softs, but still important on their own part.

The crew was already in position, the lollipop guy standing firmly. Once Luca's Ferrari came into view in the far distance, his eyes lit up and he informed the others.

"..LUCA RENNICK, FROM A COMMANDING LEAD, HAS DIVED INTO THE PITLANE FOR AN EARLY PIT! THIS IS A THROWAWAY OF P1—OR IS IT A MASTERSTROKE OF STRATEGY...?"

"..this is going to hand his rivals the lead. It could be difficult climbing up again. A slow pitstop might have him thrown into upheaval in the middle of the pack..."

This wasn't the first time Jackson Racing had implemented a strange strategy. And whenever they did, they had a reputation for emerging victorious.

So, for the rival teams, this wasn't just a routine pitstop but a threat.

One by one, team principals withdrew into their garages, abandoning their trackside watch to reassess their own strategies, recalculate and make up some contingencies.

Meanwhile, in the pit lane, Luca's Ferrari came to a precise stop—perfectly aligned, ready for a lightning-fast tire swap. The crew lunged into action, C4 Mediums already in motion.

Right jacks up. Left jacks up.

WHEELS OFF. WHEELS ON.

Luca exited cleanly. 2.5 seconds. "Urghh," escaped his lips. The strain of G-forces never really hurt like this ever since Endurance was taken so high.

**We're good. Things go well, this is first and last**

That mechanical sound of Ailbeart's Renault was wailing through the circuit's air like a siren. Luca knew he had absolutely no chance to slip in before that. The Renault's body was already a blur of motion and all Haddock Racing fans had just jumped to their feet.

"...And there it is...!"

"...Luca Rennick has lost the lead to Ailbeart Moireach! And with the pitstop gamble now in play, he might just lose P2 to Antonio Luigi as well...!"

Sure enough, as if the race had just flipped on its head, Antonio Luigi's Mercedes was closing the gap with unrelenting speed. The silver arrow surged forward, slicing through the track with the grace of a predator.

It was as if Luigi enjoyed how he did what he did.

"...Antonio Luigi moves up into second place, and now, Luca has fallen to third—this is not what he had planned after that early lead...!"

**Keep eyes on Davide. P3 before him, c'mon**

Luca's ears perked up at that information. He cast a sharp glance to the home straight where DiMarco's Red Bull was devouring the track, meter after meter.

[Calculating intersection....]