My Formula 1 System

[5th Lap]

By the 5th Lap, Luca had tested the Scuderia Z24 to a level of aggression that caught the stewards' attention. In his repeated attempts to keep up with the R.S.25 that Ailbeart Moireach piloted expertly, Luca pushed too hard to reclaim ground, and he made the mistake of channeling that ruthless driving into the duel.

Race Control marked this dark grey legally and issued a warning flag to his number, citing "excessive offensive movement on throttle." The violation was announced on the third time Luca attempted to snatch P2 from Ailbeart using that manner. Race Control made it clear it wouldn't be tolerated if repeated a fourth time.

**Luca, warning from race control: too much aggression into the hairpin. Find another way through; keep it clean**

A scowl framed Luca's face. He knew he was guilty, but he was just clinging to the hope that the stewards would overlook things like they often do.

"Understood," he replied, backing off respectfully from Ailbeart, who grinned with an exhale of relief. But it wasn't over yet. Fifty laps still lay ahead, and if Luca was able to stay this close to a super car now, he had a great chance of eventually overtaking him.

"...Oh, and there it is—Race Control has waved the warning flag to Rennick! That's excessive offensive movement—he's being told to cool it down, or the next attempt could mean a penalty...."

"...Ailbeart Moireach holds firm! That's championship-caliber defense from the Haddock veteran. Luca Rennick needs to rethink his attack if he wants to break this wall...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

"I'll bait exits instead of forcing it," Luca informed Trampos before he reclaimed offense. His eyes realigned with the arithmetic racing HUD of his system's interface, his Overtaking Skill so agitated that Luca had to repress another urge to just go for it.

Since he had confirmed to himself that he wasn't as slow in comparison to the super cars like before, Luca had to be more calculative than the two drivers in the cockpits of the cars ahead of him. This, he believed, was the upper hand he knew no one could ever have on him.

He had practically unlocked and maxed out everything within the system, and what was left was to implement them in perfect harmony and combination. If he did not, it would become a constant battle of speed—more faster cars could be produced, more noxious engines—and Luca wouldn't be able to sit down one day and nod to himself—I dominated.

Three positions behind was Elias Nyström. Still stuck with Denko Rutherford, but visibly at his weakness. Renaults had far better sustenance!

Every time Nyström tried to breathe on the straights, Denko came biting back through the corners, making it nearly impossible for the Audi to establish dominance! The constant weaving and throttle bursts were draining Nyström's rhythm, and he could feel the fight starting to tilt in favor of the Englishman's superior car BALANCE.

The two had already traded positions twice since lights out, a duel that was astonishingly entertaining. It was full of late dives, brakes, the smooth aerodynamic crafting of their single-seaters putting up a spectacle greater than their standard. Nyström obviously had experience—he knew Stadhaven better than Denko could dream of—but every lap felt like trying to outrun a shadow.

He had also been trying to execute what he planned, but that was proving maddeningly difficult. F1 drivers required astronomic focus to drive, so Nyström couldn't just easily maintain pace while simultaneously scheming for a perfect lure.

Unfortunately, Nyström had little room to 100% pull off his tactical manipulation. To make matters worse, Denko had already survived two of the very spots Nyström had managed to set as traps! Everyone saw an unpaused duel, but Nyström saw a moment of incredulity that should have sent Denko wide.

Nyström had to rethink his approach before he was swallowed whole. Nordvind Racing counted on him and him alone.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!" For a better reading experience, visit M(VLEMPYR).

"..ADDAMS AND DERSTAPPEN MAKE CONTACT...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

"Stupid. Stupid. Very stupid! Absolute clown driving. Fucking amateur," Max cussed freely without a sign of restraint as he rolled away with spinning tires from him and Derstappen's point of contact.

"...SOFT RUB BETWEEN OUTBACK AND JACKSON...!"

"I gave him space—I gave him space. And he rammed up like a child. This is no bumper cars," Albert Derstappen complained to the Silver Stallions pit wall. Everyone could see him gesture with frustration for just a second with one hand before he reclaimed his wheel.

"...Addams and Derstappen HAVE come together here in the UK! That is some elbows-out while racing...!"

Sector 2 of Stadhaven had a reputation for luring ambitious drivers into trouble even though it was the safest sector topographically. This was because T8 and its subsequent long straight, the longest, was a golden finger for any driver who hit it first. Hence, over the years, drivers saw it as a challenge to dominate Sector 2 in order to hit the straight, T9, the next straight, and the complex with confidence and undisturbed rhythm.

[>>>>

T6-T7┐

| T8

| |

··T5 |

|

|

T12--T11--T10--------T9

<<<<<]

Both Addams and Derstappen knew this very well, and so, their duel even got tougher, the tension higher. Max had taken P8 at Lap 1, and he had retained it since then. But Derstappen refused to hold back, never to the same Max Addams he sparred with on Saturdays back in Formula 2.

As they charged out of T5 down the alleyway, Derstappen tucked into the slipstream of Max's Red Bull. This gave him extra speed, Outback warned, but Derstappen swung left to the inside line, aware that T6 favoured the inside line too.

Max Addams, the Canadian golden boy, remained stubborn and squeezed back with a ruthless cut toward the middle of the track. Derstappen was left with no clean space, and both cars thundered in a blur at a steep, unsafe side-by-side angle!

There was no clear man to shoulder the full blame. Race Control ruled it a racing incident but warned both drivers, noting Derstappen's late dive and Addams' aggressive squeeze into T6.

Max and Albert were rattled by their contact, and became a fraction slower than their original running speed. Just ahead, Denko Rutherford was informed by Haddock about the scuffle. He was immediately encouraged to use the space as fuel to press even harder on Nyström's Audi!

But little did he know, Nyström had already set him up. Denko was checkmated, and Nyström had his breath hooked to see if rookies truly belonged in this pack of hounds.