My Formula 1 System

The most cinematic photograph in all of Formula 1 history was captured that day at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Antonio Luigi stood atop his wrecked Mercedes, his fists clenched so tightly that his gloves strained against his fingers. Frustration burned through every vein in his body as he glared down at Rodnick, the man responsible for this disaster.

Rodnick, walking past under the escort of the marshals, turned his head just enough to meet Luigi's glare.

The wreckage of their cars loomed behind them as a smoldering background of shattered carbon fiber. Smoke coiled into the desert sky, thick and suffocating, the last remnant of the fire that had been hastily drowned in extinguisher foam.

It was a horrific crash. It was far worse than Luca and DiMarco's clash in China.

Luigi's car had taken the worst of it, but that hadn't stopped him. He had ripped himself out of the cockpit with a furious urgency, climbing onto his ruined Mercedes like a warrior mounting his fallen steed. His helmet tilted down and his visor fixed on Rodnick, clearly showing he was provoked.

Rodnick, the provocateur, didn't look away. He thought it was best not to, so he returned the stare.

This wasn't new for them. This wasn't the heat of the moment. This rivalry had existed long before Luca even entered the sport, much older than Luca's career in fact.

The second-highest-rated driver in F1, staring down at the highest-rated driver in F1.

Luca had made sure to study every single driver's F1 Monoposto Driver Card that day. He knew Rodnick was a two-time F1 World Champion back-to-back, but a part of him had expected Luigi to be the better-rated driver.

┌──────────────────────┐

│ F1 MONOPOSTO DRIVER CARD │

├─────────────────────┤

│ ANTONIO

│ LUIGI 🇮🇹

│ Squadra Corse Mercedes

├─────────────────────┤

│ Experience: 90

│ Racecraft: 92

│ Awareness: 86

│ Pace: 94

├─────────────────────┤

│ Total Rating: 93 ⇑⇑│

└──────────────────────┘

The double upward arrows definitely meant Luigi had improved even more compared to last season.

Luca wondered how his own card would stack up against Luigi's.

He knew he'd rank much lower in Experience and Racecraft, but when it came to Awareness and Pace, he was confident that he just might be close, or even surpass him.

┌──────────────────────┐

│ F1 MONOPOSTO DRIVER CARD │

├─────────────────────┤

│ MARCELLUS

│ RODNICK 🇺🇸

│ Jackson Racing Ferrari

├─────────────────────┤

│ Experience: 93

│ Racecraft: 93

│ Awareness: 87

│ Pace: 91

├─────────────────────┤

│ Total Rating: 95 ⇑⇑│

└──────────────────────┘

A TR of 93 and 95 wasn't much in Luca's eyes. Even DiMarco, rated at 90, wasn't far behind.

"...Rodnick sent it into Turn 4, got ahead of DiMarco, but the momentum completely carried him into Luigi—"

"...And look at the result! That is a massive, massive shunt! Both cars are out...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

XXX— Antonio Luigi

XXX— Marcellus Rodnick

**What the hell was that?! Marcellus just threw away our points!**

**Rodnick went too deep, hit Luigi—it's a full-blown incident. You're P3 now, Luca, stay focused**

"...Safety Car deployed. Safety Car deployed. Maintain delta...."

Despite the frustration this caused for both teams and the drivers involved, Luca knew the rest of the pack was… glad.

Yes, they had every reason to be glad! The top two heavyweights of the competition had just thrown themselves out, ensuring that zero points would be added to their already significant totals.

1. | Marcellus Rodnick | 55

2. | Antonio Luigi | 46

Even Luca couldn't hide a bit of satisfaction at the outcome. Though it would have consequences for Jackson Racing, a small part of him was relieved. The crash had pushed him up to P3. Now, a few of his rivals, just like he did, would walk away with zero points while others still in the race made gains.

[3rd Position]

This was the opening everyone had been waiting for. With the reigning champion and runner-up out of the race, the field was wide open. It was a golden opportunity for anyone willing to seize it.

When the red flags were lifted and the wreckage of Luigi and Rodnick's cars was cleared from the track, the race resumed with sharp intensity.

Every driver, now two spots higher, was hungry for more. Luca could feel it too—the tension, the hunger, the realization that the race wasn't just about survival in their reserve positions. It was about taking full advantage of the chaos.

[Spatial Awareness +1]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 62.5%]

Half of Jackson Racing's garage surrounded Marcellus Rodnick, offering him support and trying to calm his frustration, while the other half immediately shifted their focus entirely to Luca, the sole driver left on track, as the laps began to tick past the midway point.

The tension was palpable. Everyone knew the importance of the upcoming pitstops, and as the first round of routine stops approached shortly after the incident, the pressure was mounting.

Ailbeart Moireach and Davide DiMarco were forced to pit in laps 22 and 24 respectively.

But the most unexpected turn of events came just moments after their stops.

With both top contenders off the track and out of the running, Luca Rennick—quietly fighting his way through—managed to reclaim the lead, his long-lost P1 position now firmly back in his grasp!

[1st Position]

The crowd roared as Luca's name flashed on the timing screens and at the top of the leaderboard. It was a surprising twist. After everything that had happened, Luca found himself at the top again!

"...Luca was doubted by so many. His early pitstop looked like a desperate move—but now, it's looking like genius...!"

"...Unbelievable! Just... unbelievable..!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

"...Luca Rennick in P1..."

P1— Luca Rennick ↑

P2— Ailbeart Moireach ←

P3— Davide DiMarco ←

**Luca, we've got the lead! You've done it—you're in P1! Keep it cool, we're in a great position now. We need all points**

"Understood!"

[Analyzing 2nd Position's distance from host and Ferrari (JRX-92B)...]

[2nd Position is 3 sec away, host.]

A very satisfying position to have at a crucial time in the race, which was gradually entering its last quarter.

Luca suddenly remembered that he was on medium compounds, and soon, the second round of routine pit stops would follow.

The team had planned for him not to pit again, instead finishing the race on the same set of mediums. It was a very risky call, as tire wear could become a serious issue at the worst possible moment.

If the spectators thought Jackson Racing's decision for his early pit stop was a gamble, they had yet to fathom what was coming.

[DATA DISPLAYED IN REAL-TIME:

-Car Speed: 300 km/h

-Heart Rate: 112 bpm

-Operational Status: 80% (Good)

-Breathing: Calm & Steady

-Distance covered: 165000m

-Time: 45 min. ]