My Formula 1 System-Chapter 280: Road To S2. 4

The day eventually came to an end, marking the conclusion of the first qualifying session of the season.

With their positions secured, the teams packed up their equipment and left the garages, abandoning all 21 streets and roads to the cold silence of the evening and night.

The following day would be filled with F2 action, but even then, F1 still loomed over the weekend, ready to conclude the first round on Sunday night.

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The entire Jackson Racing crew returned to their facility, eager to rest and recharge.

The once-quiet facility, which had been still since the afternoon, was now alive with chatter and hurried footsteps as everyone settled in.

There was no air of disappointment, even though neither of their drivers had secured a spot in the top five.

Jackson Racing took the qualifications in stride, focusing instead on strategizing how to turn their positions into an advantage for race day.

Luca had qualified P11, while Rodnick secured P6.

"A very strong position," Mr. Matthews remarked, placing a firm hand on Luca's shoulder. "Well done."

Looking at the full list of qualifiers, Luca initially thought about cutting himself some slack, maybe even giving himself some credit for reaching P11 in his first F1 qualifier.

But minutes later, he dismissed the thought.

He needed to believe he was on par with these drivers, not below them. Praising himself for P11 felt like giving himself permission to settle.

Great, he had qualified close to the top ten, but that wasn't a reason to celebrate. It was a reminder to push harder next time.

P1— Antonio Luigi

P2— Marko Ignatova

P3— Ailbeart Moireach

P4— Mark Derfflinger

P5— Davide DiMarco

P6— Marcellus Rodnick

P7— Hank Rice

P8— Elias Nyström

P9— Jimmy Damgaard

P10— Luis Dreyer

P11— Luca Rennick

P12— Alejandro Vasquez

P13— Desmond Lloyd

P14— James Lockwood

P15— Javier Montez

P16— Yokouchi Yūichirō

P17— Mikhail Petrov

P18— Ansel Hahn

P19— Józef Konarski

P20— Erik Haas

In reality, Luca wasn't even supposed to qualify P11. He should have secured P9, maybe even P7, had he pushed just a fraction harder instead of easing off in those crucial milliseconds.

But based on the discussions they'd had about the advantages within this qualifying format, Luca had deliberately slowed down with perfect precision to land himself in P11 instead of anywhere between P8 and P10.

He hoped it would pay off on Sunday.

You see, in F1's qualifying rules, drivers who qualified in the top 10 had to start the race on the same tires they used to set their fastest lap in the qualifier.

As Jackson Racing have predicted, this would put them at a strategic disadvantage, especially if they had to use softer, faster-wearing tires while those outside the top 10 could start on fresh rubber of any choice.

This meant that all drivers—Dreyer, Damgaard Nyström, Rice, and so on—were required to use the same kind of compound they had used in the qualifier for the main race as well.

Qualifiers were well known for the use of soft tires since they provided better grip, enhanced acceleration, and increased speed, though they wore out quickly due to the short nature of the session.

However, in the main race, what would happen to these drivers positioned nearly just above P11? Aren't they supposed to use hards over softs?

Those who had used softs in the qualifier were required to stick with them in the race, which was nearly everyone, except for a rare few.

Meanwhile, drivers starting below P10 had the freedom to choose any compound they preferred.

This gave P11 an inevitable advantage over P10, P8, and P9, as it was highly likely that Luca could overtake them once their soft compounds forced them into an early pit stop.

Inside the facility buildings, the Jackson Racing team resorted to a gathering as someone mentioned to Luca they always held before remarkable races like the first of the season and the last.

Some engaged in simulated races together, a few drank at one side, others opted for simple yet meaningful discussions to end the day, while the sportier ones set up a table tennis tournament.

As someone who genuinely enjoyed table tennis, Luca joined in.

The number of participants was high, so every round felt crucial, with players giving their all to advance.

Luca eventually made it to the quarter-finals, where he faced Di Renzo.

The match was intense, both exchanging quick rallies, their reflexes sharp. But in the final point, Di Renzo executed a flawless inside-out forehand flick.

Luca could see the deception in the flick of wrist and the way the ball responded by an impossible angle, spinning past his bat and landing cleanly at his own edge of the table.

Luca shot Di Renzo a thumbs-up and left the table, telling everyone he was headed to the gym.

And that was where he indeed went for some evening workout, where he solely punched the heavy bag nonstop.

Luca became so focused on the rigidity and hardness of the heavy bag, his thoughts lingering on the fact that he was actually an F1 racer now, that he failed to see how supernatural he looked while in action.

His arms were almost a blur of red, and his light footwork left streaks in their wake. Only the heavy bag could testify to the sheer punishment it received.

Luca took a deep breath and sat on the bench, unstrapping the gloves. "System display."

[SYSTEM ONLINE]

"I now know what to use the Wrench on."

[What could that be, host?]

"The Gripper of course. I have no other Car Skill but it, and I believe I've been over thinking the use. I'll get more Wrenches in the future."

"So, use it on Gripper. Let's take it to (6) for a start."

[Processing request...]

[Applying 1 Wrench to Gripper]

[Gripper: 5 → 6 ]

"Thanks," Luca said.

The glowing interface hovered before him, but his mind was already shifting away from training mode.

With one final look at the swaying heavy bag, he rose to his feet and left the gym, heading back to his room.

The hallways were now quiet as everyone had retired for the night. His footsteps echoed faintly as he navigated to his room.

Luca entered the room and locked the door behind him before pulling off his shirt and tossing it onto the chair.

He grabbed the remote, switched on the TV, and navigated to the F1 news channel, letting the broadcast play in the background as he prepared for a bath.

The glow from the TV screen reflected off the ceramic fixtures in the hotel room, casting faint hues onto the bedsheets as Luca stepped into the bathroom.

Before turning on the shower, he made sure to increase the volume so he could still hear what was being said.

From the sound of it, the broadcast was playing the official introduction for the new F1 season, and Luca didn't want to miss a thing.

As the water rushed over him, the TV continued, its words filtering through the background noise of his shower:

"…Some say Formula 1 isn't really a sport. What sport has stadiums that span cities?"

"…Or revels in driving rain, blazing sun, and the blackest night?"

"…What sport makes the whole world stop and stare?"

"…And our big game, we do it 23 times a year."

"…This is no ordinary sport."

"…This is Formula 1."