My Formula 1 System

When selecting Skills to apply the tools to, Luca chose only Straightaway Chopping for all three Catalysts. He remembered he was still 1/3 shards away from unlocking a new Car Skill by accumulating from completed Self Skills. So, by bringing Straightaway Chopping a fraction closer to completion, Luca could count that one as accomplished.

He then distributed the Wrenches in the ratio of 2 to 3 to Gripper and Yaw Flex respectively. Hence, Sync Buff was completed with this sudden boost.

[Processing request...]

[Applying 3 Catalysts to Straightaway Chopping]

[Straightaway Chopping: 16 → 19 ]

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

[Processing request...]

[Applying 2 Catalysts to Gripper]

[Processing request...]

[Applying 1 Catalysts to Yaw Flex]

[Gripper: 21 → 23

Yaw Flex: 14 → 15 ]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 100%]

[SYNC BAR COMPLETE]

[Ding!]

[Level-up failed! Sync Bar is currently filled]

[Host, Sync Buff can now be used]

[Determining Sync Buff duration....]

[Processing: ▓▓▓▓3:00▓░░1:35░░░ 50%]

[Processing: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 80%]

[Finalizing Sync Buff Time...]

[...Sync Buff duration determined!]

[Sync Buff Duration: 5 minutes, 0 seconds ]

It took Luca a much longer time than expected to process the sheer magnitude of the Sync Buff duration. He only acknowledged it swiftly at first, but when the number replayed in his head, his heart skipped faster than the JRX-97's electrical mechanism.

"WHAT ARE THE ODDS?!!"

No, seriously, what are the odds out of a total of 240 timestamps between one minute and five minutes?! He'd just hit the absolute jackpot. This was beyond good RNG; it was practically cosmic alignment!

It felt strange having the entire Sync Buff time available for use. Luca didn't hesitate in choosing the right Skills to buff before blazing his way to the front of the pack. With a full 5 minutes in play, he now had a genuine shot at even snatching P1 here in Germany.

Straightaway Chopping, Spatial Awareness, and Side-by-Side King were his picks from the Self Skills section, while the system, as expected, automatically applied boosts to Yaw Flex and Gripper.

He had full fuel from his system, and Luca wasted not a single second lingering at P8. They could time his run however they liked, but suspecting him of foul play or performance boosting wouldn't come so easily. Sync Buff activation was becoming rare for him, and a 5-minute Sync Buff wasn't just rare, it was legend-tier rare. For them to level any accusations, they'd need to see this level of performance on a weekly basis. After all, the FIA had more reasons back in the previous F2 season, when Luca was performing way beyond what a Dallara chassis was supposed to be capable of.

Luca might wear Jackson Racing colors, but Trampos, and Germany at large, recognized him best when he began his mazerunning activities. The way the crowd roared for him so ruthlessly, even when he overtook their home favorite Ansel, was so bizarre that Jackson Racing fans in the grandstands were left completely silent, unable to process the absurdity. A sharp feeling of sourness hit the tongue of every one of them as rival fans cheered THEIR own driver to a climb up the leaderboard.

Luca remained oblivious to the politics brewing at every corner of the Bergwaldring. Even though he'd just overtaken Ansel with ease, barely a second of effort, no one seemed convinced her German Grand Prix wasn't becoming a propaganda piece in his name. Just look at that crowd.

"...UNSTOPPABLE RENNICK IS UNLEASHED ONCE AGAIN—THE HUNT IS ON! FROM P8 TO WHO-KNOWS-WHERE, THE MAZERUNNER IS ALIVE AND WELL HERE IN GERMANY!"

[6th Position]

".. Denko Rutherford in P7, Luca Rennick in P6...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

**You are moving fast. Keep it up. Keep it up. Jimmy up ahead**

"... Jimmy Damgaard in P6, Luca Rennick in P5...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

How many times would Luca keep outsmarting Damgaard this season before the Norwegian finally accepted that Luca was simply better? With an Intelligence of (50), Luca read moves like a seasoned strategist and countered with an irreproachable dive that left the other driver with no chance to recover. Such was Damgaard's fate at Turn 5, where Luca timed his approach flawlessly, waiting until Damgaard committed to the outside, before cutting in with a surgical inside dive that displaced him cleanly.

Since Damgaard had been running closely with his teammate, DiMarco, Luca was instantly granted a clear path to the man of pure Italian blood. DiMarco, seeing the speed closing in on him, took it upon himself to shoulder the burden of the moment. He was the wall separating the top three from the chasing pack, and if Luca truly intended to break into podium territory, DiMarco was the gatekeeper.

And as if DiMarco's inner monologue was broadcast across the circuit, the crowd roared in response, hyped for their face-off. They were eager to see how DiMarco, without the MkII this time, would fare against Luca, who was riding on astronomical momentum.

Hmmm. If DiMarco had actually been running the upgraded RBioL along with the Tempesta Mark 2 in this race, it would've been the perfect opportunity for Luca to gauge his Sync Buffed self, and his car, against an S-level engine and its premium chassis.

But with Ailbeart up ahead in P1, that comparison was still very much on the table. Luca now had the chance to measure himself against the elite.

As for DiMarco? Luca, perhaps unintentionally, denied the crowd the duel they were yearning for. Instead of pushing then and there, he gave DiMarco a brief moment of breathing space, just enough to lull him into comfort, then waited patiently for the home straight. That's where his completed Slipstream Mastery Skill would shine brightest. Against such precision, even the Tempesta's recovery feature wouldn't stand a chance. Luca took P4 smoothly, grateful for the rare 5-minute Sync Buff duration still ticking away. Casually, he still had three and a half minutes left!

"... DAVIDE DIMARCO IN P5, LUCA RENNICK IN P5...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

"...MY EYES MUST BE DECEIVING ME—RENNICK HAS CLIMBED FROM EIGHTH TO FOURTH IN MERE MOMENTS..!"

The German Grand Prix or the Luca Rennick Grand Prix? Where were Germany's flags? Most had been replaced with banners of Luca—not all, but enough to make a statement. It was so overwhelming that it made many, who were once neutral, start to actively dislike Luca Rennick, FIA officials included!

In fact, at this stage of the race, only those openly celebrating Luca actually wanted him to win. Even though Jackson Racing would gain a valuable 25 points, a Luca victory under such biased, riotous support felt wrong. So wrong, in fact, that even his own team didn't exactly desire the outcome. You could even say three-quarters of the stewards in race control might now be operating with a shifted mindset, studying Luca more closely than ever before.

So when it became clear that Luca had gotten caught in a tactical formation by the Squadra Corse drivers, many became hopeful again, hopeful that this wouldn't end up being the Luca Rennick Grand Prix after all!

"... Luca Rennick in P3..!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

[3rd Position]

However, Marko Ignatova had deliberately let Luca take the position. The team had coordinated the maneuver from the start, their objective clear: throw Luca off rhythm. They had labeled his threat as critical, because he was on course to ruin their perfect alignment for maximum team points.

Luca, however, remained unfazed by their L-shaped boxing tactic, where Luigi actively blocked his line of sight, while Marko hovered dangerously close to his rear-bottom side as they weaved through sectors. It was almost as if the ferocity of his ThunderKat had transferred to him, because even under deliberate pressure, Luca held firm. Where most drivers on the grid would've folded like paper when TWO SQUADRA CORSE DRIVERS decide to box you in, Luca didn't even flinch.

"...AND LUCA RENNICK IS UNDER FIRE! MARKO AND LUIGI ARE CLOSING IN—THE SQUADRA CORSE WALL IS UP! IT'S TWO AGAINST ONE, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO LOCK HIM OUT OF THE PODIUM!"

"...BUT LOOK AT THAT CONTROL! LOOK AT THAT RESOLVE! LUCA'S HOLDING HIS LINE LIKE A MAN POSSESSED—HE'S NOT JUST DRIVING, HE'S DEFYING PRESSURE ITSELF!"

[>>

|

|

┌T13–T12 |

T14 | T5--------T6┐

┘ T11--T10---T9---T8-----T7

<<<]

Their little parade began at Turn 5, where Marko smoothly evaded Luca's path that appeared to be an approaching trail of flames he'd left behind in his wake. From that point on, they'd been weaving relentlessly, thanks to the fact that Sector 2 offered no true straight for escape.

But amidst their dance of tension, Luca found a perfect opening to squeeze past Luigi without even brushing Marko. He honestly couldn't believe Marko Ignatova was this smart, because the Russian was deliberately preventing a full side-by-side setup with him. It was subtle, but brilliant.

When Luca finally slid through at Turn 10, he truly thought he had cleared them both. The track structure at that section should have placed him ahead of Luigi by default. But to his greatest surprise, they had somehow swapped positions again like magic! Just like that, the moment he squeezed in, the same track layout that had helped him now handed Marko a perfect route to P2.

So now: Marko was ahead, Luigi was to the side, and Luca was still boxed. The same goddamn position!

Luca couldn't believe it. He wasn't even frustrated, just… astonished. Squadra Corse's strategy was breathtaking. Their execution, flawless. A strange wave of honour washed over him as he realized just how much of a menace he'd become, so much so that Squadra had to break out THIS level of coordination. This wasn't a tactic they'd pulled in a long time.

"... RENNICK THOUGHT HE HAD THEM—HE REALLY DID! BUT NO, SQUADRA CORSE HAVE HIM CAGED AGAIN! THIS IS A MASTERCLASS IN DEFENSIVE DRIVING!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

However, Luca locked in as he realized the Sync Buff was ticking down. This five-minute grace was truly a blessing because without it, he'd have burnt out by now.

The previous track structure performance had him planning perfectly for the next corner with the same layout—Turn 14. But this time, he wouldn't squeeze for the space which he just realized they were clearly and deliberately offering. This time, he'd oppose the direction of the driver ahead—Marko. By doing so, he'd force the challenge onto Luigi for P2. But he'd have to be faster to execute this move, because that line would almost certainly be Luigi's to inherit.

Luigi, Marko, and Squadra Corse's engineers were communicating like clockwork, their strategy built around the name Luca, a name that has been thrown around recklessly all season. As the turn opened up, all drivers snapped their wheels in sharply, each with wildly different intentions. From ground level, it was a gorgeous sight to behold: Luca's Ferrari sliced cleanly between the two Mercedes, sending Marko into a brief spell of confusion, thinking he'd go for the outside line instead.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

With immense Zero Drag and Power Deployment Engine Features both clocking in at (50), Luca truly believed he could steal that line like a thief. But in that very moment, he suddenly realized that he had just caught Marko in a very fierce side-by-side setup... and the Russian's confusion had nothing to do with his trajectory!

[Side-by-Side King +1]

[Ding!]

[Level-up failed! Sync Bar is currently in use]