My Formula 1 System

[Generating track layout...]

[... successfully generated]

[

┌T3--T2------T1-------=----T16--T15┐

T4 T13---T14

| T10—T11 |

T5 | └T12

└—T6—T7—T8--T9

]

("=" now indicates the grid. Other notations could be added along the way to enhance track layout clarity)

KGP consisted of a single three-turn chicane that encompassed all Turns 10 to 12 as displayed. There were also the T3 and T15 hairpins, gracing the 1st sector and the 3rd sector respectively. The 2nd sector, however, was made up of what were initially considered average turns—T6 to T9—but these were built on the elevated, uneven portion of Kyalami, making them far from average.

When navigating these corners, all drivers including Luca had to be wary of several things: the aggressive elevation changes could unsettle the rear end of the car, the inconsistent camber might reduce front-end bite, and the unlevel asphalt could cause sudden micro-lockups or destabilising jolts mid-turn. Keeping control here was a matter of balance, throttle precision, and trust in one's downforce package.

Good for Luca, he had great Downforce, the highest Attribute in his Car's status. Gripper and Yaw Flex also came in clutch, with Yaw Flex especially helping him regulate his aerodynamics when descending or rapidly ascending through the corners. Such a destructive combo.

In fact, if not for KGP's occasional track complexity, DiMarco and his new pet would have been far, far, far away from the rest of the pack. But the difficult track layout was what still kept him in the sights of Antonio Luigi.

Frankly, the track structure was practically venom to DiMarco and not just some simple, constant setback. Assuming this was a perilous circuit like Serpeggiare or George Park, there was a high chance DiMarco would've lost control and found himself in the barriers.

He was visibly having difficulties through the more complex areas especially the Sector 2 elevation set and the T10–T12 chicane. His car twitched, over-rotated slightly, and even missed apexes by a few inches. But in the smoother parts of the track, like the long run from T15 to T3, he would clean sweep through with masterful speed and frightening ease, regaining whatever he had lost.

Luca was in P5 at the 10th Lap after overtaking Dreyer, a huge reward for emerging victorious after their intense duel. Luis Dreyer felt enraged for losing to Luca, Hungary still haunting him, but Luca couldn't care less. He was just glad to spot DiMarco's Red Bull livery streaking across the field of fine buffalo grass from the apex of T11 in the chicane where he was, all the way to T16's kink. DiMarco was a blur, already rocketing ahead since that sector was his turf.

[Yaw Flex +1]

[Gripper +1]

[Side-by-Side King +1] from his duel with Dreyer.

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

[Aerodynamics +1]

[Downforce +1]

[Braking Efficiency +1]

[Handling +1]

[Tire Wear Management +1]

[Ding!]

[Level-up notice]

[AERODYNAMICS & CHASSIS has moved from 140% to 160% ]

[HANDLING & DYNAMICS has moved from 130% to 150%]

As long as no category had hit 300%, just put a HiCE into the 92B, and boom! Luca explodes like his father.

Luca had a very swift, progressive thought, and he thanked the system for ever making it possible to regain his stats if he ever switched registered chassis.

By the time he might be granted an S-level engine—or if he managed to boost his current one to that level—he might have also uplifted a category to 300%. At that point, his Attributes would be galactic. So, no. Luca had come to a firm conclusion that, with the way he was progressing, he would find no difficulty in handling a super engine and car in the future.

P3— Marko Ignatova ↑

P4— Marcellus Rodnick ↓

"...Oh wow—Marko Ignatova's just taken Rodnick!"

"....There must've been some kind of cornering disruption for Rodnick there at Turn 13. The rear end looked a little unsettled."

"...Ignatova looked almost surprised, but he didn't hesitate. He read the moment perfectly and swooped in, hugging the inside of Turn 14."

"...Soft but decisive from Marko—he made sure that window didn't close."

No one needed to be told because they all had eyes. The Apex Predator didn't strike the apex the way he was famously known to. At Turn 13, his rear tire punched the outer kerb just with just a bit of aggression and it unsettled the car's balance. There was a brief moment of hesitation, pure indecisiveness, right in the heart of a duel, and that was never tolerated by the other driver, so Marko took his chance.

**Marcellus, what happened there? You missed the line—talk to us**

**Sighs... I don't know... just didn't feel right... bit twitchy there. Fuck**

**Copy. Try to clutch and re-sync the bias. And Luca's behind now. Eyes forward**

[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host's distance from 4th Position]

[You are 1.5 seconds away, host.]

Luca was exiting the chicane right as Marko made the move on Rodnick. He got a good back view and he saw everything unfold in real time. All he could think was that Rodnick messed up there. Real bad. Now, the glow of the #4 hologram wrapped around the fellow Ferrari, Luca's system pulsing with urgency and beckoning him to close the gap and strike.

Di Renzo, who had spent most of the race with his face buried in his jacket, finally lifted his head the moment he saw the tension rooting between Luca and Rodnick. This was exactly what he'd been itching for. Di Renzo had ever wanted conflict . And there was no better way to stoke this conflict than regular back-to-back duels between Luca and Rodnick, if there wasn't even conflict already.

"..Oh, and here we go! Luca's gaining—he's got momentum on his side while Rodnick's still shaking off that costly error into Turn 13. We could be seconds away from another big move..!"

Rodnick had endured it the first time back at that slip in Turn 13. He'd forced his mind to register it as something else, maybe just a lapse, a misread corner or maybe tire behavior. But now, at Turn 15's hairpin, where he tilted the wheel sharp and tight to follow the curve's biting edge, he couldn't deny it anymore.

He lifted his left hand from the wheel and stared at his wrist. A collage of unlived memories slipped into his head. One tear escaped his eye as his career flashed briefly in one of them.