My Formula 1 System

In due course, the sixth round's qualifying event took place under the bright afternoon sun on the famous street circuit, Circuit de l'Étoile. Although the sky was a bit dull, there was still a radical difference from the main race set to run under the floodlit magic of the night.

In daylight, La Condamine's natural character, without the floodlights and all that shimmer, stood bare for all foreigners and tourists to see.

The circuit's punctilious placement between the two cities of Monaco provided an amphitheater-like appearance from above, even though the track barely had grandstands of its own. The well-known marina there was a beauty to behold, lined with palm trees and promenades that also traced the edges of the track's structure.

The scent of salt, the scent of sea, the caws of seagulls, the bobble of the yachts. The barriers and grandstands might belong to Formula 1, but the backdrop was something else entirely.

[Generating track layout...]

[... successfully generated]

[

┌T1------T2--T3--T4---T5┐

| T6–T7┐

| T8

| T12––T11–T10––––T9┘

| |

| T13–T14

| |

| T16–T15

| |

T19 T17

└T18 ┘

]

Trampos Racing arrived at a perfect time for the schedule, giving them ample time to prepare in all sorts of ways, run through last checks, and get into rhythm before their drivers made it out for Q1.

After arriving, each member moved with an unspoken understanding of their role, passing tools and nodding to one another. Luca thought he felt a bit lightheaded from the briny smell and taste of the sea breeze. Sea breezes are generally sharper during the day than at night, amplifying that salt scent that some people might be nauseated by.

When Squadra Corse arrived—as a horde of individuals from different teams and groups filled the paddock—it seemed every conversation in every corner of the garages shifted to the black swans. Some rival teams made their attention subtle, while a few, like Trampos, overtly stared.

After the uproar in the Canadian Grand Prix, it wasn't unexpected to receive this kind of attention, right? The scandal of the Italian team's tweak that was discovered by the stewards would take quite some time before others would forget about it.

How selfish were Squadra Corse to implement such a system when their driver already possessed the most powerful car in the competition? Many analysts were shocked that Squadra Corse took such a solid route when compared to the minor tweaks they were known for all these years.

#ThechampionsareCHEATERS!

Rival fans from other teams condemned the Italian Kings for their illegal move in St. Lawrence, calling it a blatant abuse of their already dominant position. Social media was filled with accusations of arrogance and greed, while hashtags demanding penalties began trending.

Some even used this as an opportunity to question Squadra Corse's championship win last season, claiming the team must've been cheating within races to gain the upper hand little by little.

What made the entire ordeal more incredulous was the fact that Squadra Corse defended themselves in a press interview later on, with no clear sentences from either Campanella or the President that hinted at an apology. This gave their fans the morale to bite back at the vilification, saying their critics were just sore losers unwilling to accept the price of innovation in high-stakes racing.

"Mr. Campanella, could you clarify exactly when the decision to introduce this system was made? Was it pre-planned before the Canadian Grand Prix or improvised during the weekend?"

"We are always innovating, and the timing of implementation depends on when we feel the conditions are right. Sunday happened to be that point."

"But you were already in possession of the fastest car this season. Why introduce a system that effectively tilts competition even further in your favor? Was there a specific threat you were responding to?"

"We're not here to discuss hypothetical threats. Motorsport is about maximizing potential. If we don't do it, someone else will."

"But surely you understand the optics—introducing a controversial system in the middle of an advancing season, without disclosure to the FIA, mirrors tactics seen in cases that led to rule changes in the past. Were you prepared for this kind of backlash?"

"We can't run a team worrying about optics. We run it to win. Public perception will always lag behind technical progress."

"So, no regrets over the uproar this caused among fans and other teams?"

"Regrets? No. We're proud of our work. And we'll keep pushing boundaries until the boundaries move."

The FIA made it clear they weren't treating Squadra Corse's laid-back arrogance as harmless swagger. The team was hit with a stinging €3 million fine, along with an official notice that any repeat of such conduct would result in a deduction of championship points and a probation period that could cripple their title hopes.

Squadra Corse understood the message loud and clear. There was no room left to slip and tweak to their liking now. Unfortunately, the FIA had placed them on top of thinning ice and ordered them to walk through the rest of it, mirroring the large half of the season that was yet to be covered.

One glance at the Constructors' Standings was also enough to hammer it in that they couldn't fuck up. Any more missteps would hand the blob club, Trampos, the advantage towards the final gold, and leave them eating dust in humiliation.

PROVISIONAL CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (ALL 10)

Position | Team | Points

--------------------------------------------

1. | Squadra Corse | 114

2. | Trampos Racing | 101

3. | Haddock Racing | 89

4. | Outback Performance | 73

5. | Bueseno Velocità | 60

6. | Jackson Racing | 22

7. | Nordvind Racing | 19

8. | Iberia Grand Prix | 15

9. | Velox Hispania | 2

10. | Alpine Swiss F1 | 0

They also couldn't afford to compromise their golden ticket—Luigi's championship run. The Italian ace was already clawing his way back from a points deficit in the Drivers' standings, and any slip from the team's side could widen that gap beyond saving. Every pit call, every setup choice, every on-track decision now carried double weight.

Squadra Corse had to make sure they kept Trampos at bay and also ensured Luigi still had a fighting chance to defend his championship title.

PROVISIONAL DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (TOP10)

Position | Team | Points

------------------------------------------

1. | Luca Rennick | 111

2. | Ailbeart Moireach | 81 ↑

3. | Antonio Luigi | 73 ↓

4. | Jimmy Damgaard | 60 ↑

5. | Luis Dreyer | 58 ↓

6. | Marko Ignatova | 42

7. | Elias Nyström | 19 ↑

8. | Buoso Di Renzo | 18 ↓

9. | Hank Rice | 14 ↓

10. | Denko Rutherford | 9