My Formula 1 System

Chapter 701: Dutch Grand Prix. 2

'It's coming...'The sensation was digging its foundation. Inside Luca's mind, he grabbed his very own consciousness and submerged it into a pool of focus.

Slowly, the world changed as he overloaded his senses. ! He was activating Overtaking, Reflexes, Track Awareness, Slipstream Mastery, and Sidebyside King all at the exact same time. Can a normal human brain hold five legendary skills at once? Luca bet their brains might fry.

Today's feeling reminded him of a simulation session he had the night before. Dutch Grand Prix. Unlike the bright, clear sky this Sunday, Zandvoort was gloomy with mild rain.

In the race, Luca was in P7 after getting outsmarted by the AI itself. Recently, he cranks up his difficulty, believing he could tackle any opposition, but it seemed the AI rivals were in good form, plus the track wasn't a good fan of tires.

To climb back into the top five, tapped into this exact Resonance again, but it wasn't exactly it per se. That was the moment he realized something profound. Resonances were unique features in his system. Because they relied on internal comprehension and muscle memory of his skills, they were the only features from his system that he could actually tap into while in a simulator.

Luca seamlessly weaved through the pack like a wraith and took P1, well deserved. The simulation screen even flashed a rare congratulatory message.

Hence, Luca imitated that exact mental state right here, although there were only two drivers ahead of him now. Damgaard in P2 was the first target, and into Sector 2 where the track was twisty and narrow, Luca's front wing threatened to stabilise as Jimmy used his turbulence against him.

could help Luca get some balance but he had a focus to maintain, so he stood his ground and took to the beating, sure he could hear the Norwegian snicker.

As soon as Jimmy tidied his Red Bull for the alley, Luca recovered and paid back the trouble, using to wipe the gap between their chassis and following up with his overtaking skill without any breath separating the actions.

[Slipstream Status: ENGAGING]

Car <— Approaching Slipstream (Minimal aerodynamic effect)

Car <<— Partial Lock (Drag reduction increasing)

Car <<<— LOCKED IN (Maximum slipstream advantage)

[Overtake Window: Optimal]

"...Look at Rennick! He's forcing the issue in Sector 2! He is completely refusing to back down! Around the inside... he's got the traction! HE'S DONE IT! Luca Rennick takes P2 back...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

Krrzt—

Screech!

**Incredible move, Luca! Gap ahead is 1.1**

'Heavy! My head is too heavy!'

Maintaining between two world-class drivers was more taxing than doing it in a simulator. Jimmy Damgaard was already filling his rearview mirrors, fighting back like a hungry wolf. And up ahead, Antonio Luigi's unpredictable driving was putting immense psychological pressure on Luca's Track Awareness.

'No! Hold it! Just a bit longer!'

Snap!

Luca's heart hammered violently against his ribs as he stared at the black car ahead.

He couldn't believe it. He had only used to overtake Damgaard! He hadn't even reached Luigi yet, and his ultimate focus was already completely spent!

**Luca, are you alright?** Mr. Ruben asked. The engineers had heard the spike in his breathing.

"I'm fine," replied Luca. "Just... pushed a bit hard into Sector 2. Car is stable."

**Copy that. Take a breath, mate.**

**Good news. Drop in Antonio's traction out of low-speed corners. Rears are losing it. Still chance for you**

Luigi's tires are going off already?' Luca mused.

That was the best news he could have asked for. A struggling rival was the perfect prey, not to talk of when it's the current F1 champion. Mr. Ruben was right. If Luca could exploit Luigi's bleeding pace, P1 was essentially his again.

But what about the hunter behind Luca?

In his mirrors was Jimmy Damgaard. That driver was arguably the more dangerous person here.

"What's Jimmy's status?" Luca asked quickly as he schooled a left-handed with negligible G-force.

**Hards still optimal. He's fast in Sectors 1 and 3**

What did that mean? That Jimmy was slower in between?

Speak of the devil, Jimmy Damgaard had his own grease monkeys helping him at every turn.

**Track temp drops 28°. Headwind on main straight. Front tire temp in green at 95. Keep managing**

'How did he do it?' Jimmy thought, his teeth gritting together so hard his jaw ached. While his engineers spat data, he was still marinating on that insane overtake by Luca moments ago. 'The inside was covered. No grip on curb. Ah, Rennick. You slick bastard.'

**Jimmy**

**Trampos has likely detected Antonio's tire wear. Luca will be pushing hard to mount an attack on the leader very soon. If he makes a move, expect an opening**

'He's going for it?' Jimmy's eyes narrowed.

Focusing his gaze, he pushed his left foot hard onto the brake pedal, throwing his car forward into the apex. Nothing better than being the third, unexpected vector. Also, Jimmy wanted answers, and the only way to get them was to put the pressure until the Mazerunner broke.

Meanwhile, inside the pit wall of the Squadra Corse team, they had to deal with the problem of Luigi's early tire degradation and also the fact that other teams were well aware.

The laps were climbing rapidly, now hitting Lap 10, and this sudden vulnerability could cost points even though it was still early in the race.

Antonio Luigi was a veteran champion; he could still technically run with these degrading tires by adjusting his driving lines. But the pressure from the two hungry rivals breathing down his neck might force an irreversible mistake.

What else could the reigning champions do other than call in an early stop or encourage Luigi to push hard, match their aggression and extract every rubber from those unfaithful tires?

In Formula 1, teams always did their best to shield their car's state from the rest of the paddock. They used encrypted radio lines and misleading tire management statements over the public airwaves.

Pay attention, these teams are masters of deception, but in front of modern technology, some things simply cannot be hidden.

Other teams could easily calculate your exact tire wear just by analyzing the precise acoustic pitch of the rubber squealing through the microphones, or by looking at the car's hesitation on a corner exit.

Luigi was exposed. There was blood in the water.