My Formula 1 System

It was 6 PM in Barcelona, and Mandalora was prepped for the qualifying activity. Both F2 and F1 teams were present at the circuit, creating an eerie tension among everyone. The Formula 2 teams had one hour for their qualifying session, while the Formula 1 teams had the rest of the night to use as they wished. Not all F1 teams were present, some were yet to arrive—only senior teams like Squadra Corse, Bueseno Velocità, and a few others occupied a more secluded area. They were either prepping their single-seaters and crews or simply there to cheer on and mingle with their juniors.

There were no fans, no spectators, no commentary, and no announcers. This was a private affair—a rare occurrence in the racing world—designed to allow teams to focus without the usual distractions.

The circuit's floodlights bathed the track and the empty grandstands in artificial brilliance as the evening sky grew darker by the second. All fifteen occupied garages buzzed with activity, the noise spilling into the pit lane and echoing across the track. Federation representatives were present, as were sharp-eyed marshals, ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Luca found it fascinating to see all the registered drivers from the top two divisions of motorsport gathered in one venue. Antonio Luigi, Marko Ignatova, Marcellus Rodnick, Buoso Di Rienzo, Hank Rice—the list of twenty elite drivers and their reserves went on. Even F2 legends like Denko Rutherford and Dante Reyes were present. Luca noticed Denko in particular because Ansel had gone over to meet him a few minutes earlier. Denko, a former Trampos driver and Ansel's old teammate, gave Luca the odd feeling that he was stepping into the man's shoes.

There wasn't much time for rapport as the marshals announced the start of the F2 session. The atmosphere was cold and quiet, filled with soft, measured chatter. Any loud voice would instantly resonate across the 6km circuit, so everyone kept their tones subdued.

Like every other F2 driver, Luca and Ansel were determined to secure good positions today. Now more than ever, a strong starting position on the grid mattered immensely—especially in F2, where all engines and chassis were on the same level. Maneuvering to the top with just skill and intuition was often a monumental challenge. Starting further up the grid wasn't merely an advantage; it was a necessity.

To ensure fairness and avoid any bias in the qualifying process, the drivers were scheduled to participate in the session in a structured alphabetical order—first by their team names and then by their individual driver names.

For example, the session would begin with the team whose name starts earliest in the alphabet. APX, for instance, would kick off the qualifying activity for the day. Their first driver, Conor Philips, would take to the track, completing his laps and posting an average time. Once Conor had finished his stint, his teammate, Sven Larsen, would follow suit. This sequence would continue with each team, moving down the list alphabetically, until the final team in the order, Vital Velocità, took to the circuit.

Luca appreciated this arrangement, as Trampos Racing was the second-to-last team to participate. By that point, some F2 teams might have left, or the tension in the paddocks could have eased, giving him a slightly more relaxed environment to work in.

All teams settled into their paddocks as the session began, watching Conor Philips roll out his green-and-black Dallara to initiate the event. The roar of engines soon filled the empty circuit, steadily building in intensity as each driver participated in the Triple-Lap Qualifying.

This qualifying activity provided all the drivers with the unique opportunity to observe their rivals firsthand, watching how they handled the track and pushed their cars to the limit, all without the intense pressure of actual race conditions. It was a chance for every F2 driver to showcase their skill and make a statement to the F1 teams who were present, eager to prove just how competitive they were and why they deserved a shot at the big leagues.

As the session progressed, Velocità Jnr took to the track, with Max Addams and Dani Walding representing the team. Max, who had always shown consistent promise and ambition to be in Velocità's F1 team, was determined to set a blazing pace. His laps were smooth and precise, with a calculated aggressiveness that pushed his average time to an impressive 1:39.842. Obviously, that was the most impressive so far. Dani Walding finished his 3rd lap and got an average of 1:40.540.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

With time, the calm competition heated up when Retona, Squadra Jnr, and Trampos Racing took to the track consecutively, following the alphabetical order. The three teams brought a tough sequence, each driver pushing their limits to outperform the others. The back-to-back display of talent and skill created a tense atmosphere, with every lap scrutinized by rivals and team strategists alike, knowing these teams often set the tone for the midfield battle.

[SYNCHRONIZING HOST....]

[SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE]

[Host is now synched with Dallara (F2 04)]

Luca set out onto the track for his turn right after Ansel completed his stint. Ansel had clocked an impressive average time of 1:40.256. Though Luca was genuinely pleased for his teammate, he aimed to surpass that with an even lower average time.

Once permitted, Luca left the pit lane for a free lap to heat up his tires. As he crossed the grid line, his timed laps officially began.

[Host is attempting a Racing Task]

[ANALYZING AND COLLECTING TRACKING DATA...]

[DATA COLLECTED]

[DATA DISPLAYED IN REAL TIME:

-Car Speed: 300 km/h

-Heart Rate: 107 bpm

-Operational Status: 90% (Good)

-Breathing: Calm & Steady

-Distance covered: 4000m

-Time: 55 sec ]

The laps were quiet for Luca, filled only with the whooshing of his Dallara and the steady hum of his SomberCore reverberating through the empty stands. Mr. Moritz didn't speak much through the radio at all, even the System hardly notified anything as Luca drove as fast as he could with perfection, gliding through straights and hugging apexes tightly.

As he approached the finish line on his third lap, Luca applied calculated pressure on the brakes.

[Activity completed]

[Third Lap: 1:39.360]

[Average Time: 1:39.210]

**Good job, Luca! You were faster than Max by miliseconds. You got pole, no doubt!**

Luca peeled his car into the pit lane, where the Trampos crew greeted him with applause. While one team still had yet to complete their laps, it seemed unlikely that any of their drivers would beat Luca's time.

"Yeah! Another Pole position!"

At the end of the session for F2, the grid for Saturday was set, and it had this structure. There was some familiarity from previous grids, but this one came with surprises. Some new faces would be starting ahead in this Spanish Grand Prix, meaning fresh competition.

P1—Luca Rennick

P2—Max Addams

P3—Albert Derstappen

P4—Sean Aaronson

P5—Ansel Hahn

P6—Oliver Kristensen

P7—Miles Bellingham

P8—Benjamin Taubert

P9—Peter De Klerk

P10—Dani Walding

Mr. Grant and Ms. Vallotton were really crestfallen after Ansel narrowly missed out on surpassing Aaronson's and Derstappen's average times. However, Luca's triumph in securing pole position quickly lifted their spirits, filling them with anticipation for a promising points haul after the Grand Prix.

With the grid officially determined, F2 teams were required to vacate the circuit within the hour, following brief press interviews and answering the many queries on teams' and drivers' minds heading into the weekend.

Luca couldn't suppress his happiness as he walked down the pit lane toward the press area, his broad grin infecting everyone who passed him. The tent-like tunnel buzzed with media activity, but something distracted him before he reached his destination.

Passing by Haddock Racing's garage, the team's distinctive yellow livery gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights, drawing Luca's gaze. His attention locked onto one of their cars, partially visible amidst the bustling crew. One thing was certain—it wasn't a Dallara. A Renault? Honda?

Luca had learned that Haddock Racing had been planning to switch engine and chassis makers. They had claimed the championship in the last two seasons with Renault, leaving Luca puzzled as to why they would consider making such a change. Was the plan merely a rumor, or had they actually gone through with it? To satisfy his curiosity, Luca edged closer to their garage and the mysterious machine, masking his approach under the guise of a friendly greeting.

He addressed the crew members he could see, introducing himself confidently. "I'm Luca Rennick," he said, all the while inching closer to the car, gauging its proximity as per the Advanced Bundle's parameters.

As expected, the team wasn't particularly welcoming. Their guarded demeanor was understandable—after all, it wasn't every day that a junior driver boldly walked up to inspect a rival team's car. Despite the chilly reception, Luca lingered just long enough to gather a solid assessment of the vehicle.

[VEHICLE BEFORE HOST HAS BEEN DETECTED...]

[ANALYZING VEHICLE'S DATA]

[Vehicle's status generating...]

[... Generation complete]

[Vehicle Specifications:

Brand: Renault

Model: R.S.16

Engine Type: VY-08 Hybrid Power Unit (Rotterbad)

Weight: 620 kg ]

[Performance Metrics:

Top Speed: 380 km/h (0 km/h)

Acceleration: 3.5 sec

Max Power: 720 HP

Aerodynamic Efficiency: 1.5 ]

[Operational Status:

Fuel Level: 90%

Tire Condition: New

Telemetry Status: Active

DRS Availability: Not Engaged ]

Hmm? Still the Renault? Luca thought, narrowing his eyes as he inspected the car. His gaze trailed over the vehicle until it locked onto the emblem of the engine makers. R.S.16? Hmm. It must be an upgraded version of the R.S.11 I drove, he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Turning to leave, he waved a casual goodbye to the Haddock Racing crew.

"System, can you describe this Rotterbad engine? B-level or A-level?"

[Host has not been previously synced with VY-08 Hybrid Power Unit (Rotterbad)]

[So data on Hybrid Power Unit (Rotterbad) cannot be retrieved]

Luca frowned. You can analyze the chassis, but not the engine? Why's that?

[System needs to sync with host to the chassis in order to gain access to the engine's details and capabilities. However, with Professional Bundle, host would be able to retrieve engine data without prior syncing.]

"Right," Luca muttered, shaking his head. Guess I'll have to figure that out later. He moved on, stepping into the press area.

His steps faltered as he saw Antonio Luigi heading his way. The Italian F1 driver looked up and immediately recognized Luca—the F2 driver who had just claimed pole position that evening. That was all Luigi knew him as, and not the teenager he hit with his car four months ago.

Antonio merely nodded curtly, not bothering with words, and continued on his way, heading out of the press area and back into the cool night air.

Luca took in a deep breath and resumed his walk, heading over to the booth that awaited him. Questions came flying in, and he responded smoothly and confidently. Confident replies were expected from a pole sitter, even Ms. Vallotton shared the same camera with him as they informed what would be expected from Trampos and Luca on Saturday; a victory at the very least.

Ms. Vallotton introduced Luca to Mr. Marcial Lugo, the head Team Principal of Bueseno Velocità Jnr team, whom she had worked with before she was discarded with her group. Luca exchanged official pleasantries with the man, although he could tell the man hated his guts. After all, Luca was responsible for Bueseno Velocità Jnr not currently at the top of the table. Luca disliked the man too, but the cameras made him smile.

Just as the marshals had announced, all F2 teams prepped themselves for leave around 7:15 pm as the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix qualifying session was about to begin. Dallaras were dismembered, and garagers were cleared. Luca was able to meet up with Harry at the front of Section 1. The two hadn't seen each other in a long while, so one could imagine how much they had to talk about.

Harry, always creative, suggested that they hit the beach after the GP, suiting the current summer climate, and Luca accepted, wondering why he never thought about it. He also believed it'd be a good way to spark some life into Ansel. After his P5 qualifying, Ansel had a cloud over his head, a thunderstorm cloud. Beaches were fun, bright and sunny, everything that contrasted to his teammate's mood. Luca loved the idea.

He greeted and dabbed Harry goodbye before walking out of the section to the exterior of the circuit, the security leading the way.

Luca entered the bus, right after Haas and Victor. He sat next to Victor while he operated his phone under the bright illumination of the bus's interior light. The bus staggered and began its return to their accommodation in the city.