My Formula 1 System

On the 55th Lap, Luca got the call to box for his final pitstop of the race.

[Tires are in average condition, host. DRS is unavailable. Engine temperature stable. Brake wear at 35%.]

[Telemetry reports satisfactory handling. Aerodynamic efficiency optimal. Recommend maintaining current pace for the next few laps]

[Longevity +2]

Luca's tires were still in decent enough shape to grip the wet Interlagos track for maybe five more laps without too much trouble. But Jackson Racing wasn't about to roll the dice on a gamble like they did in Bahrain.

Back then, Luca would've smashed into a wall if he'd been anywhere but the final home straight at the Bahrain International Circuit when his front left tire gave out.

He'd just been lucky his Ferrari limped and scraped across the finish line, clinching a win for Jackson in what could've easily been a pointless Grand Prix for the team, especially since Rodnick had already DNFed in Bahrain.

To dodge a repeat disaster, Jackson called Luca back to the pits no matter how much tread he had left—or whether he was sitting pretty in P1.

"...Luca Rennick em P1...!"

"...Luca Rennick's just peeled into the pits from P1, and that's handed the lead away—it's a gut-punch to lose a position like that after dominating in the wet! Jackson Racing's playing it safe after Bahrain's scare, but you can feel the sting for Luca, who's been untouchable here in Brazil...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

Luca had gotten to P1 on Lap 52 when Luigi finally had to pit, no way around it. Even though Luigi was way out front, that P1 spot slid right to Luca without him needing to swing past the pitlane himself.

In the end, Luca closed the gap fast and roared by, fully overtaking Luigi just as Squadra's pit crew hollered "Release!" after nailing a lightning-fast stop for their guy.

But it was already too late for Luigi—Luca, The Reckless Maverick, had swiped the top spot on the leaderboard for Jackson Racing, leaving no room for debate.

[1st Position]

Then, sitting happily in P1, before the team radio crackled with news to prep for his pitstop, Luca's mind started racing with visions of victory.

He figured holding P1 all the way to the checkered flag would pave a clean road to winning Brazil, especially if he could fire up Sync Buff to supercharge him and his Ferrari for the final push.

That'd be one heck of a way to wrap this race. But then came the team's call, forcing him to hand over his hard-earned spot to the hungry F1 vets circling like vultures.

P1— Luca Rennick →

Luca couldn't help but wonder if he'd climb back to P1 again. With close to 10 laps left, and the crowd already starting to buzz with low-key pre-podium celebrations, it wasn't over yet.

[System Update: Pitlane Entry Detected]

[Speed Limit: 60 km/h]

[System's prediction: 12 sec—15 sec]

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

[2nd Position is 2.5 sec away, host.]

**Team is ready**

Wets. Nosecone. Adjustments.

Luca eased into the rectangular box, mentally crossing his fingers—though he kept his hands steady on the wheel, no actual gesture needed.

He let out a heavy sigh as he caught the roar of more than two cars streaking by, their engines echoing through the drizzle-soaked pitlane.

**Good to go!**

"1.8 sec baby!"

That is.... fast.

"…and Luca Rennick will surely rejoin in P4, folks—what a blistering stop by Jackson Racing! That 1.8 seconds is unreal, but the wet track's kept things tight, and he's dropped from P1 with those rival machines roaring past! But he's back out and the fresh wets screaming...!"

P1— Davide DiMarco

P2— Marko Ignatova

P3— Marcellus Rodnick

P4— Luca Rennick ←

P5— Elias Nyström

P6— Antonio Luigi

[Retrieving pitstop info...]

[Service Time: 1.80 seconds]

[Front Tires: Wet → Wet]

[Rear Tires: Wet → Wet]

[Nosecone: Replaced]

[Setup: Adjustments Applied]

[System's prediction: 12 sec—15 sec]

[Host's pitlane Entry and Exit: 12 sec]

"Darn."

Within the first sector, Nyström pounced on Luca's less-than-perfect momentum, seizing his chance with a sharp move. At Turn 2, the slick right-hander, Nyström dove inside as Luca's Ferrari twitched on exit, stealing the line and surging past with a spray of drizzle.

[5th Position]

For Nyström, this was a massive W in his book. It was his first time ever getting one over on Luca in a duel, even if Luca wasn't at full throttle for it to really count as a fair fight.

Nyström didn't give a hoot about the details—he'd finally left Luca in the dust this season, and he was hungry for more. A spark of glee lit up his face as he realized Luigi was gearing up to pile on Luca's misery next.

It didn't take Antonio Luigi long to latch onto Luca's slipstream down the 900m straight, his FiammaVeloce roaring like a beast. Luca tried to block, but that engine's raw power was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

It got him thinking about what the S-level version of that engine might bring. From what he knew, these HiCEs weren't built from the ground up—they were enhanced, amplified, fine-tuned versions of hybrid engines already tearing up the grid.

So, when Squadra Corse finally unveiled theirs, it'd surely be an upgraded version of the FiammaVeloce. FiammaVeloce Pro? FiammaVeloce 2.0? Something wilder?

[6th Position]

"...what a blow for Luca Rennick! Down two positions after the pit, Elias Nyström takes P4 at Turn 2 and Antonio Luigi utilises DRS at the straight....!"

"...Elias Nyström em P4, Antonio Luigi em P5, Luca Rennick em P6..."

**Luca, P6 now—keep it tight, plenty of laps to hit back**

Luca checked his mirrors. Luis Dreyer sat in P7, and he needed to know if he was near enough to pose any serious danger.

[Analyzing 7th Position's distance from host and Ferrari (JRX-92B)...]

[7th Position is 3 sec away, host.]

No immediate threat, Luca decided. He turned his attention back to the track ahead, noting his tires were already gaining solid warmth on the damp surface.

[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host's distance from 5th Position]

[You are 1.8 seconds away, host.]

Luca understood this was the critical moment. This was where the race's true battles were set to unfold. Every driver in the top ten had completed their final pitstops, all now running wet compounds on a track that had settled into an intermediary level of wetness.

Most drivers had likely cemented their positions for the afternoon. That meant every move from this 55th Lap onward carried heavy weight—overtakes, precise control, and staunch defense.

Luca glanced at his Sync Bar, fully charged, brimming and glowing with steady vivid green energy, ready to unleash.