My Formula 1 System

[Activating Exchange Feature….]

[Exchange Panel Loaded!]

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║ EXCHANGE PANEL ║

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[Current Attributes Displayed Below – Select any Self Attribute to swap with any Car Attribute]

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[ SELF ATTRIBUTES ]

• Strength ▸ 40

• Stamina ▸ 42

• Endurance ▸ 44

• Agility ▸ 40

• Intelligence ▸ 33

[ CAR ATTRIBUTES ]

• Aerodynamics ▸ 30

• Downforce ▸ 34

• Braking Efficiency ▸ 30

• Handling ▸ 30

• Tire Wear Management ▸ 29

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⇨ SELECT ATTRIBUTE(S) TO GIVE:

(◉) Strength ( ) Stamina ( ) Endurance ( ) Agility ( ) Intelligence

⇨ SELECT ATTRIBUTE(S) TO RECEIVE:

(◉) Aerodynamics ( ) Downforce ( ) Braking Efficiency ( ) Handling ( ) Tire Wear Management

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※ EXCHANGE CONDITIONS:

– Swap is temporary and can be reverted by host's command

– Exchange takes effect immediately

— Same values given would be taken respectively

– Cooldown before another swap: 3 races

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Luca's smooth attention was fractured the moment he saw the peremptory cooldown that followed. Three races before he could execute another Exchange felt obtrusive, but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he pressed forward and proceeded to select Strength and Endurance to give to his car.

For the car's receival, however, the decision was tough. Even if this was merely a swap to lend the Z24 some temporary physical might, the car still needed its default Attributes to function effectively to Luca's taste and preferred driving sensations.

So, while Exchanging, Luca had to determine which Attributes were less imperative in this moment, in order to swap some of their values with Strength and Endurance.

'Tire Wear Management should be one of the two.'

'Since I haven't made my first pitstop of the race, I can unperturbedly give up some rubber before I go in for the intended stop.'

[(◉) Tire Wear Management]

'Secondly should be Aerodynamics.'

'Since I'm about to collide or at least brace for impact, it's bound to damage the chassis and disrupt the aerodynamics anyway. So there's no need.'

[(◉) Aerodynamics]

[• Strength ⇄ Tire Wear Management

How many points do you wish to transfer?

(Maximum allowed: 50%)

» ☐ 5

» ☐ 10

» ☐ 15 ]

[• Endurance ⇄ Aerodynamics

How many points do you wish to transfer?

(Maximum allowed: 50%)

» ☐ 5

» ☐ 10

» ☐ 15 ]

Luca's choice was made without hesitation. He selected the maximum points that could be exchanged. This meant he was set to have (15) Aerodynamics and (15) Tire Wear Management—attributes that he wouldn't be using. On the other hand, the car could definitely thank him for (15) Strength and (15) Endurance.

[ Proceed with Exchange? ]

⟦ ✔ CONFIRM ⟧  ⟦ ✘ CANCEL ⟧

[Confirmed!]

[Exchange completed and will expire at the end of this race!]

Luca didn't know how the system did it, but he could feel something shift inside of him. It was subtle but undeniable. He felt... streamlined, almost as if he was physically speeding with the car too. So, this actually was as true as the system made it sound?!

It even made him wonder for a moment if he could attempt human flight.

As for Tire Wear Management... what a joke. What was the point of that on a human body? Unless he was planning to slide his kneecaps across the tarmac, it was useless, and was mainly a filler to complete the swap task.

But for the car, now empowered with its new attributes, it felt more solid than ever before. As Luca barreled toward the intersection, the chassis held firm like reinforced steel, and the sidepods resisted all forms of flex. It honestly felt like the car had grown muscles, and maybe even a bit of sentience!

Of course, Luca could feel the dip in Aerodynamics, along with a noticeable drop in his own physical strength. But these were the stats:

[SELF]

[Strength: 25]

[Endurance: 29]

[Aerodynamics: 15]

[Tire Wear Management: 15]

[CAR]

[Aerodynamics: 15]

[Tire Wear Management: 14]

[Strength: 15]

[Endurance: 15]

As much as Luca could remember, these were still solid stats for an F1 driver and for an F1 car too! The 92B at its default was even poorer than this when it came to Aerodynamics and Tire Wear Management. And regarding his reduced Strength and Endurance, he was still strong enough to pilot an F1 car without becoming toast from the heat and g-forces.

Luca was still good to go. With his eyes set on Davide DiMarco fast approaching, and the intersection growing nearer, he powered himself and the Z24 with confidence, the crowd roaring for either the moment of a desperate swerve to escape each other or possibly the moment of impact, if both drivers proved defiant!

"...AND HERE THEY COME—INTO THE INTERSECTION—LOOK AT THAT GAP—NO WAY—NO WAY—..."

"....I CAN'T WATCH...!"

DiMarco rolled in with a level of speed that testified to the MkII's insane capabilities. As he angled toward Luca's opening, a crooked smirk twisted onto his face.

"Rennick. Rennick. Rennick. It was nice having you participate."

"Let me give you a real injury to recover from."

DiMarco was confident because physics was on his side. Luca was still straddling the runoff—his speed slower, downforce compromised as well. DiMarco, however, was on the pristine racing line, and he knew exactly what that meant: traction, momentum, and complete supremacy.

If contact happened, it was highly likely that Luca would be the one to bounce away in destruction, while he would merely spin or skid. Red Bulls were confirmed more durable, and his MkII car was faster in every relevant field.

But what DiMarco didn't know... was that Luca had done something unthinkable. The Z24 had changed, and was now literally carrying 3x the strength of a normal F1 car, 2x more than the vainglorious Red Bull (RBioL).

[Trajectory Assessment: Runoff disadvantage detected. Line integrity at risk from 4th Position's approach.]

[Recommended Action: Enter at 60% throttle; swerve away from intersection apex trajectory. Anticipate 4th Position's outside pressure.]

[Risk Factor: High (collision potential with 4th Position). Adjust for slight traction loss at exit to regain position.]

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

The crowd roared, the VIPs leaned in with widened eyes as both Ferrari and Red Bull met at the intersection. It was quite obvious to the naked eye that Davide DiMarco had deliberately gone for the Trampos driver, Luca Rennick, instead of attempting to at least lean away for his clean re-entry from the runoff.

——WHAMMMMMMM!

"Urgh!"

Luca jerked violently in his cockpit as a tremendous vibration ripped through the Z24's chassis, ricocheting across his limbs, spine, and skull in a single jolt. His body seized against the harness straps, and in that split second, the world folded sideways.

The hit was devastating.

His head flung forward and snapped back just as fast, the sheer g-force compressing his chest like a crumpled can. Blood burst from his right nostril, streaking down the inner foam of his helmet and leaving a crimson smear across the lower half of his visor.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

"...OH MY GOODNESS!"

"...OH MY GOODNESS!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

All that training, all the fortification of body he had earned in Switzerland, and the Herculean muscle he'd built, none of it showed now after such a deadly contact.

Luca had never felt this dizzy before right after a collision. His head throbbed, his shoulders were shuddering uncontrollably, and he was strangely tasting metal. For about two seconds, he had some kind of bizarre flashback—him and his family, back in their two-bedroom ratthole of an apartment in the middle of London.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

"... UNBELIEVABLE...!"

A shadow fell over Luca's cockpit, blocking out the scorching Bahrain sun. Luca looked up in terror, blinking rapidly through the haze that clouded his vision, trying to make sense of what was threatening to land from the sky.

However, it wasn't a UFO, a spaceship, or any apparition like he momentarily feared. It was his bitter rival—Davide DiMarco. More specifically, the RBioL itself, the very Red Bull car said to be untouchable, powered by an S-level engine.

The Red Bull was still airborne, twisted and ruined. Shards of carbon fibre and several dislocated parts were still leaving it, breaking away even while it remained aloft.

Luca stared in awe and disbelief. He couldn't believe he had truly demolished it.