My Formula 1 System

Luca was still fascinated by the workings of Silent Restore after his graze with the barriers at Lap 15, Turn 14. The way it had mended minor damage in mere seconds, as though it had never existed, was something he marvelled at, making him reflect on just how effective the skill could be at max level.

Luca also found himself replaying the moment in his mind, wondering how the act of repairing might have looked from the outside. How did Silent Restore work visibly?

Had it simply overlapped the blemish with perfection, or perhaps assembled itself in that sleek, sci-fi fashion, like an octagonal grid of light knitting reality back together?

Regardless of the manner, Luca thought Silent Restore was a remarkable skill, and he was eager to spam it at every opportunity.

Not only would it keep him alive through damage that might otherwise cripple him, but successful executions also rewarded him with Sync Buff points.

But Luca knew he'd have to be cautious, which had always been his approach with this skill.

Throwing himself into reckless danger just to trigger Silent Restore could be a double-edged sword. Whatever damage he received would need to match the value and prowess of the skill. So, this required a balance between boldness and exactness.

Starting from P2, Luca Rennick's performance so far hadn't been the most impressive for a driver of the calibre he had created for himself. His pace lacked the fringe expected from the Mazerunner in big races. Perhaps it was the track's rigorous nature that demanded more, or it wasn't Rennick's night.

If his mind was still tangled in past personal encounters and unresolved matters, he needed to shove them aside fast. This was no place for mental distractions at all.

Qualifiers had been a different story, though. Luca was a beast in that session, pushing through even as the salty scent from the marina churned his stomach. Trampos were proud of his valiant display, and the result spoke volumes—a hard-earned P2.

Luca raced so well in the qualifiers that P1 was within his grasp, yet he was ultimately outwitted by Monaco's master of single-lap magic—Antonio Luigi.

Luigi broke quite the record at the qualifiers. He made history by securing five consecutive Monaco Grand Prix poles! That's unbelievable! Although he had won two out of these five poles over the years, it was still more than praiseworthy. That's like telling the stewards to always prepare the pole box for him whenever it's Monaco on the calendar.

The outcome of the qualifiers was a bitter pill for Luca to swallow because he had been relentless that day. With sharp pace and clean lines, he dominated P2, where he earned Tokens, before Luigi's unshakable precision stole the spotlight in Q3.

[Current Inventory:

—Catalysts: 3

—Wrenches: 1

—Tokens: 2.0 ]

And the same Luigi held P1, still maintaining his consistency while Luca had wavered. Perhaps Luigi was here to prove everyone wrong, to defend his championship by winning the sixth race of the season—his first win—in what all critics had pointed out was a campaign without a single victory so far!

**Antonio? Ailbeart's in the lane. We're staying out, repeat, we're staying out. Target plus five laps. Push now**

Luigi crooned deeply when he received the team's vocation. His was the team's plan, and the team's plan was his. Right now, they wanted him to stay out five laps after the expected pit time.

"Copy, tyres are feeling a bit heavy through hairpins. How's the wear looking?"

**Data says you're fine. Balance is holding, fronts still good. This is the advantage window. Luca hasn't shown signs of coming in. If he misses this second stop window, he won't stop at all**

'Oh? Running long in this race?'

**Let's make it count. Keep the exits clean and hold that gap — this gives us the advantage when you come in**

"Understood. I'll keep the pace up. Let me know the gap."

**Gap to Ailbeart on cold tyres after stop will be plus two-point-five. You're doing it perfectly. Overcut is in play**

Squadra Corse's plan was to execute an overcut. That was just the polar opposite of an undercut, meaning staying out longer on track while rivals ahead or behind pitted. This would allow Luigi to use the advantage of warm tyres and clean air to build a gap before making his own stop.

With Moireach in P2 already diving into the pits and Damgaard in P4 following suit, the main wildcard was Luca in P3, who chose to stay out. That made him the real threat, as always.

Trampos' star was notorious for refusing stops or taking early stops. Luca's pit stop pattern couldn't be tracked—always uncertain—and if he kept this trend, he could seriously rechallenge for the lead in this Monaco Grand Prix.

Knowing this, the Italian kings opted to mirror Luca's approach for Luigi, keeping him on track while their second driver, Marko, headed into the pit lane.

"...Luigi stays out again—misses the pit lane lap after lap, no signs of coming in. That's a big call, especially when this pack of supercars usually jumps at the early stop, just like Ailbeart and Jimmy Damgaard have already done..."

"...AND RENNICK'S IN THE SAME BOAT! Both of them are stretching this stint to the absolute limit! BIG GAMBLE FROM THESE TWO...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

[2nd Position]

P1— Antonio Luigi

P2— Luca Rennick ↑

P3— Ailbeart Moireach →

After all those laps of relentless scuffling, Ailbeart finally yielded into the pit lane for service, and Luca slipped into P2 without the slightest resistance, his tyres still looking fresh and ready to go.

[Analyzing Ferrari (Scuderia Z24) and host's distance from 1st Position]

[You are 2 seconds away, host.]

Although Luigi was a bit far ahead, Luca could still clearly make out the black silhouette of his rival's Mercedes in the night, and its red brake lights. Seeing Luigi so far in the night's fade was an easy feat thanks to how finely tuned his Night Mastery was.

The Black Dread earned some respect from the Mazerunner for daring to stay out this long in an attempt to outwit him. But the true answerable question that gnawed here was—whose tyres were healthier?

Luca knew the answer, obviously.

He had Tire Wear Management at (31), and Wear Control at (6), though little, was still better than nothing.

Luigi was the opposite of this. His car was built to deteriorate rather than thrive.

A HiCE-powered supercar simply couldn't endure such punishing wear for this long, and Luca knew he'd be more than satisfied to watch Luigi's gamble backfire, sending him plummeting toward peril.

Eventually, Luca won the cold war.

Luigi, still leading but now at the mercy of fading grip, had his team poring over telemetry that screamed of imminent disaster. They could no longer ignore the tyre wear, and the inevitable call came for him to pit.

**Box this lap. Box this lap. No second call**

'Damn you, Rennick!'

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

"....AND THERE IT IS! Those tires have been chewed to ribbons! There's nothing left to give! ANTONIO LUIGI IS HEADING FOR THE PIT LANE WHETHER HE LIKES IT OR NOT...!"

A wave of applause and cheers came from spectators throughout the city's region of the circuit. Even the multitude watching from broadcast had to rise to their feet in excitement.

The moment Luigi surrendered the lead to Luca by diverting into the pit lane felt tectonic. Even VIPs had their interest sharpened on how Trampos Racing emerged victorious with a masterstroke of strategy in the cold battle.

Furthermore, how Luca's tyres remained so astonishingly pristine after such relentless pace became the burning question. This reality added an extra layer of mystique to what now seemed like his uncontested march toward P1.

A strange tremor purled through the W12 as Luigi barrelled towards Squadra's garage. Immediately, he was filled with dread, and he tightened his grip on the wheel to remain in control.

His eyes flicked desperately between the garage ahead and the blur of the main track, where the bitter truth that his hard-earned position would just be snatched away struck.

THWUMP-SSST!

Suddenly, the pop of a tyre blowout echoed through the bright pit lane.