My Formula 1 System-Chapter 279: First Round Qualifier. 2

[SYNCHRONIZING HOST....]

[SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE]

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

Luca gripped the steering wheel and took a steady breath, the cockpit of his 92B humming softly around him and steadily growing warm.

Four minutes had already ticked by since the green light had signaled the start of the qualifier, and the track was alive with action.

Zip!

A blur of yellow swiftness shot past on the streets, followed by another streak of blue.

Rivals were already on the track, some still in their garages searching for the most ideal entrance to pursue the fastest lap.

**Everything's set. You'll be heading out soon** Mr. Berry's voice crackled through.

**Rodnick's set to go in later. You're going in first, so get a feel of the track**

"Okay."

Luca exhaled, his eyes narrowing as he visualized his approach to the action that was already unfolding on the track.

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Notable early runners like DiMarco and his teammate, Damgaard, Nyström, Rice, and Ignatova had already started pushing through their laps on Circuit de l'Étoile, fighting for clean air.

Even though some teams—like Jackson, for example—were trying to be smart and strategic, everyone knew that in qualifiers, the strategy was simply to get out, warm up the tires efficiently, and then commit to a flyer.

**You're good to go in sixty seconds. Final check—everything feeling right?** another engineer chimed in.

"Yeah, all good," Luca confirmed, keeping his eyes on Street Turn 1 that Nyström had just rounded.

**The track is evolving very fast. Others have already put in times, but you've got the advantage of a better read on conditions—and Marcellus, even more. Keep it clean on the out lap, then push**

Luca flexed his fingers. His heart rate was steady, his mind locked in. He would enter late, but before Rodnick, and that meant he had to deliver something strong enough to hold weight on the board.

Rodnick had been advised to take advantage of the fallout on track, while Luca was the one expected to push.

It might have seemed as if Luca was creating the opening for Rodnick in the final minutes of Q1. But in reality, after much thought, Luca realized it was the opposite, and Rodnick was at risk of not having enough time to get a good flying lap.

Luca recalled Jackson Racing's default primary strategy as Mr. Matthews had explained.

He had called it the Parallel Drive Strategy, a rare approach Luca had never encountered before, and the explanation was even more surprising.

The strategy dictated that neither driver would hold precedence over the other while on track.

Both Driver A and Driver B were free to compete once they came into contact, with no restrictions or team orders favoring one over the other.

Mr. Matthews specifically pointed out that this was the complete opposite of what had happened between Luca and his teammate in Riyadh, where Luca had been graciously granted P1.

In such scenarios under the Parallel Drive Strategy, neither driver would be privileged for both would be free to fight for position.

Jackson Racing saw this as a way to push their drivers to their absolute limits and extract their best, ensuring success was earned rather than handed over.

Luca understood the intent behind it, but he also saw the many disadvantages it could bring.

But who was he to dislike such a strategy?!

Jackson Racing was literally giving him a free ticket to prove his worth instead of forcing him to stay under Rodnick.

This made Luca wonder just how good Rodnick must be to hold onto his No. 1 Silver Stallion status, not because it was handed to him, but because of his sheer ability on the track. And, of course... with his 100 percenter.

With time, Luca thought, I might even push this FiveSix to a HiCE level, and this 92B to a 300 percenter.

"With time," he repeated.

**Luca, it's go for you** Mr. Berry called.

Luca flicked the switch as the crew uncrowded him.

The engine snarled in response. Time to hunt the fastest lap.

"...And here comes Luca Rennick onto the track! Jackson Racing's latest addition is finally making his entrance, six minutes into the session. Let's see what he can do around the streets of Monte Carlo..!"

Luca released the limiter. The limiter was a button designed by a few F1 teams to regulate the speed limit automatically instead of manually. His JRX-92B surged forward as he exited the pit lane.

[Host is participating in a Racing Activity]

[ANALYZING AND COLLECTING TRACKING DATA...]

[DATA COLLECTED]

[DATA DISPLAYED IN REAL TIME:

-Car Speed: 240 km/h

-Heart Rate: 110 bpm

-Operational Status: 90% (Good)

-Breathing: Calm & Steady

-Distance covered: 245m

-Time: 6 sec ]

Luca could already feel the acceleration this car honed. The F2 04 could never make it to this Turn 1 in under six seconds.

[Turn type: Tight Right-hander] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: 100 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 180 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb]

The system information was very useful, even though his engineers had given some extra hints on navigating the first turn while ensuring the tires were warm.

However, Luca noticed something else. "I see you've changed the system info when driving, system."

[Affirmative, host.]

"Even the interface," he observed, glancing around. "It now has Jackson's colors instead of Trampos'."

[System adapts to the color scheme of the chassis currently in operation. Presently, host is driving <Ferrari JRX-92B>.]

"Nice," Luca acknowledged, settling the car into the rhythm of the recommendations and smoothly navigating through.

He had just left the sights of the garage and had now delved into the streets, people cheering from the tops of buildings.

Street after street, cars already going for their fastest lap were flying past him. Even on the straight where Luca remembered Straight Chopping Max Addams last year, a particular driver had used his slipstream as if he were some kind of spring tool.

Tsk! Luca cast a glance to his side as a Red Bull roared past into the next turn.

It was Davide DiMarco, and for some reason, DiMarco reminded Luca a lot of Max Addams.

[Turn type: Hairpin] [Angle: 170°] [Braking Point: 200 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 90 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Outside Late]

[400m Straightaway ahead]

[Turn type: Sweeping Left] [Angle: 60°] [Braking Point: 50 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 210 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid lane]

[Turn type: Sweeping Right] [Angle: 75°] [Braking Point: 70 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 200 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid lane]

[Chicane Ahead]

[Turn Type: Three-Turn Chicane (Right → Left → Right)]

[Approach Width: 8.0m → Tightens at Apex: 6.5m → Widens at Exit: 7.6m]

[Good job, Host!]

[Turn type: Sweeping Right] [Angle: 75°] [Braking Point: 70 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 200 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid lane]

[Home straight ahead]

While Luca was driving, his dashboard displayed the sector updates from competitors, but he wasn't concerned about them just yet.

Rice would pass him, Ignatova would flaunt his Mercedes, DiMarco would double-pass him again, but Luca was focused on when his own opening would come.

Yet, as he drove, he still couldn't fathom how great the 92B was!

It felt like he was piloting a hovercraft! It was unlike anything he had ever driven. The responsiveness, the seamless energy transfer, the way it clung to the circuit like it was part of the track itself!

Luca wondered if the 92B had some silent perk because he was certain other engines were louder than this. There was a distinct smoothness to its roar, a controlled power that didn't scream for attention.

And if it were the F2 04, by now, he would already be as hot as a furnace—okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but the difference was undeniable, and Luca was enjoying the 92B.

"The car's great," he had no choice but to admit into the radio.

**Indeed, Luca. Now you got laps ahead of you. Marcellus is coming in. Seven minutes left**

With warm tires, Luca joined the rest of the drivers in setting the fastest lap, weaving through the streets at an unsafe speed as people watched from above.

Stellar was nothing like it was supposed to be during the day, as there was no nightly glow and lights, just the modern buildings of Monaco, beautiful city scenes, and the raw, unilluminated roads that the FIA notoriously turned into a track.

Luca glanced at the dashboard:

1. DiMarco— 1:20.903 (P)

2. Nyström— 1:19.561

3. Damgaard—1:19.143

His eyes moved down the real-time list, searching for his name.

9. Rennick— 1:15.764

"Damnit," he said, snapping his focus back to the track. But just before he looked away, he caught a quick change in the standings.

1. DiMarco— 1:20.903 (P)

2. Nyström— 1:19.561

3. Ignatova—1:19.522

**Five minutes left till Q1 ends**

Luca knew he didn't have to top the leaderboard in Q1 to advance to Q2, which would eliminate the 16th to 20th place drivers.

But at the very least, finishing high in Q1 would give him the confidence to place even higher in Q2.

The problem was, as he kept shaving time off his personal best, pushing for a higher score, the other drivers weren't stagnant.

They were doing the same, resetting their bests and dragging the high score further out of reach.

Eighteen minutes elapsed, and Q1 came to an end

6. Rennick— 1:18.231

The teams whose drivers finished 16th and below shook their heads as all competitors coasted back to the garage to prepare for Q2.

Luca removed his helmet and pulled off his head sock, glancing around and shaking out his hair as the team helped him out of the cockpit.

"Well done. Get a quick rest," Eddy said, giving Luca a firm tap on the back before turning his attention to Rodnick, who had just rolled in.

Luca ran a hand through his hair before stepping into the garage.

P15 to P11 for the first grid of the season would be determined next, but for now, P16 to P20 had been set. Luca didn't dwell on it.

P16— Yokouchi Yūichirō

P17— Mikhail Petrov

P18— Ansel Hahn

P19— Desmond Lloyd

P20— Erik Haas