My Formula 1 System

Qualifying Day. Thursday.

Red—Red—Red—Red—Red

Green—Green—Green—Green—Green

The pitlane was announced free, unrestricted, and the track open to chase the fastest lap for Q1.

Mechanics stood motionless for a second, watching their machines roll onto the Shanghai circuit before hurrying back inside to the telemetry screens.

Elias Nyström was one of the drivers to roll out of their garages first. The Nordvind Racing engineers and mechanics didn't even have enough time to step away before his black, rigid rear tires spat heat into their faces.

Nyström liked to be the first out, just like DiMarco did too. Both of them set out fiercely, as if they planned to use the 5.5 km track for a duel of their own.

Luca took notice of a few fresh faces for the second round of the season. A few teams had made certain changes, knowing fully well that drivers who participated in the qualifying session must be the same drivers starting on race day.

Some strategy adjustments here and there, some tactics learned and adopted, definitely brought about changes—or substitutions, rather.

For example, 58 seconds into Q1, Luca could see Haddock Racing preparing a driver to leave the garage.

He was already in the Renault cockpit, his visor a reflective surface and his helmet as round as the globe. Of course, Luca was not able to recognize him if not for race control and their diligent systematization.

7. Denko Rutherford— NO TIME SET

Incredible! Luca had completely forgotten Denko Rutherford existed as a Formula 1 driver. Now he remembered when Mr. Fisher mentioned he'd gone to Haddock Racing.

Luca then leaned into a crew member and asked him about Denko's progress and success rate in Haddock Racing.

"He's been... alright, I guess," the crew member replied. "Not exactly lighting up the board, but he's getting the Renault around."

"How often do they drive him?"

"Not much compared to Ailbeart, but he conflicts with Mark Derfflinger. He did have a few decent showings, nothing spectacular. Mostly hovering around the midfield, sometimes just outside the points. Consistent, but not a standout," the crew member explained with a shrug. "Guess we'll see what he can do today and on Sunday."

Nodding, Luca also frowned. In a nutshell, Denko's career was stuck in limbo. It wasn't yet a complete failure, but it was damn far away from being termed remarkable and even good.

The crew member even mentioned he had never won a race, never even finished in the top five for that matter.

Luca wished he could infiltrate Denko's mind and read his entire thoughts on the matter. Most importantly, he wondered how he felt about Trampos, his ex-team, being in F1 now, currently sending Ansel onto the track.

10. Ansel Hahn— NO TIME SET

**Luca, you're going out in one minute. Get ready**

A crew member rushed to his side with his helmet, and Luca took it without a word. Another crew member literally reached for his face, pulling the balaclava down into place beneath the collar of his race suit.

Then Luca slipped on the helmet, and they helped him fasten it securely.

The Jackson Racing-decorated garage immediately stretched and dimmed, as if he were looking through a car's windshield while driving at dawn.

Before Luca turned to his Ferrari, he caught a glimpse of Rodnick passing by into another room in the garage, sniffing as if he had a cold.

Luca wondered how Rodnick was such a good driver when he always seemed so nonchalant about the races. Maybe that was just his style. Luca was looking forward to picking up a few things from other drivers to add to his own pre-race preparations.

[SYNCHRONIZING HOST....]

[SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE]

[Host is now synced with Ferrari (JRX-92B)]

**Just a reminder on the procedures: Keep required modes for your out lap to build up temps**

"Understood," Luca replied. He was going out one minute before Rodnick.

**Alright, let's go**

"Rolling!"

The Jackson Racing crew let go of Luca's 92B as the machine jolted forward into the pitlane. The sterile lighting of the garage faded away, and the natural lighting of the sky—a very bright afternoon—opened up broadly as Luca engaged the pit limiter.

Shanghai International Circuit had a unique pit lane design, almost like a tunnel made of blue trampoline. The blue color, intensified by the mild sunlight, cast a harsh hue over the pit lane, bathing everything in its tone.

So just for a second after Luca emerged into daylight did he sneak under that shade, his Ferrari appearing even more fearsome to rival garages as he rolled by.

"..Luca Rennick will be joining now...!"

**Pit exit clear. No traffic behind. You're good to push on warm-up**

"Copy," Luca acknowledged, weaving gently to bring heat into the tires. The tunnel had just spat him out into daylight again, and the hum of the engine deepened as he neared the exit.

16 Turns and 4 Straights.

[Turn type: Long, tightening right-hander] [Angle: 270°] [Braking Point: 50-75 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 260 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid-to-late curb]

A fresh track for Luca, meaning he would face some unfamiliar challenges navigating the tightness of Sector 1.

From the aerial footage, Turn 1 and Turn 2 formed a backward C, leading into the tight arc of Turn 3. Afterward, the track eased smoothly into the gentler Turn 4, which opened onto the first straight.

In the end, Sector 1 simply looked like a crooked number 2, drawn by a kindergartener with an extra-long baseline.

[Turn type: Tight right-hander (continuation of Turn 1)] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: N/A (carrying speed from Turn 1)] [Recommended Entry Speed: 150 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb]

[Turn type: Tight Right-hander] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: 100 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 130 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb]

[Turn type: Sweeping left-hander] [Angle: 70°] [Braking Point: 50 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 160 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb]

[Straightaway ahead!]

[You are picking up speed]

Air pressed against the Ferrari's marvelous bodywork once Luca picked up acceleration. Since he wasn't on his flying lap and was simply building up heat and momentum, he decided to waver his focus a bit.

The grandstands were empty and silent. There were just very few people, not substantial enough to be called a crowd.

The track smelt fresh and new, the sky vast and endless with a warm sun planted right in the middle. It oozed a golden glow, but the golden glow naturally spread out and lost its hue to just a simple soft breeze that fluttered the F1 banners.

Luca flexed his fingers on the wheel, his eyes narrowing toward the upcoming Turn 5 and the driver that was navigating it.

Sector 2 of the circuit was the easiest. After the first straight, Turn 5's sweeper barely even made a difference and the track still looked a bit straight regardless but gently tilted toward Turn 6 which was one of the sharpest hairpins in the world.

It made Sector 2 look like a nose and the curve of the upper lip for Turn 7.

Turn 8, Turn 9 and Turn 10 were average turns of racing standard and so was the next 400m Straightaway, the second of the track's.

Then came turn 11, giving a clear 90° view of some skyscrapers far away. Before Luca took on the turn, he glanced at the leaderboard to know who had set the fastest lap so far.

1. Rice ⬩ 1:32.238 (+0.000)

2. Luigi ⬩ (+0.427)

3. Lockwood ⬩ (+0.883)

Luca could feel the sheer determination behind Hank Rice as he topped Q1. After a DNF in the last race, Rice would do anything to secure strong points in China.

[Turn type: Medium-speed right-hander] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: 80 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 170 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb]

[Turn type: Sweeping Right-hander] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: Custom (Light)] [Recommended Entry Speed: 210 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid-to-late curb]

[Turn type: Long, sweeping right-hander onto back straight] [Angle: 180°] [Braking Point: None] [Recommended Entry Speed: 250+ km/h] [Optimal Apex: Late curb]

[Finely executed!]

[1200m Straightaway ahead!]

"1200 freaking meters! Damn!" Luca exclaimed as the long straight stretched before him.

The crazy part about it was that it wasn't even the longest!

But here it was, a river of asphalt, a highway itself, a long untrodden path to the abode of the gods. Luca watched his speedometer rattle as he took it head-on.

The world blurred at the edges of his 92B, the perimeter trees shrinking, the empty circuit and its barriers spaghettifying into color as if a black hole of velocity was behind Luca, devouring them all.

The straight took 14 seconds. And the braking zone approached for the last turns of the track.

[Turn type: Heavy braking right-hander (hairpin)] [Angle: 180°] [Braking Point: 120 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 80 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb]

A hairpin right after a straight was just pure malevolence, forcing the drivers to kill the precious momentum they had just built.

Luca's 056 growled deeply like a SomberCore as it fell drastically in speed, honing deceleration instead.

[Turn type: Quick left kink] [Angle: 30°] [Braking Point: None] [Recommended Entry Speed: 250+ km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid curb]

[Turn type: Medium-speed right-hander onto main straight] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: 50 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 200 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb]

[Good job, Host!]

[Home straight ahead!]

Luca's tires, now at full warmth, screeched as he guided the car through the final corner. The car tilted under the forces at the inside curb before straightening up onto the home straight.

**Alright, let's chase it. Fastest lap attempt. Go!**

Luca dropped his right foot, and the car surged forward toward the Start/Finish line, where he'd mark the start of his flyer.

He felt as if the Shanghai circuit wasn't even that big, so it was time to course it again while chasing the fastest lap among his rivals.