My Formula 1 System

Chapter 388: S2 British GP. 3

[Retrieving pitstop info...]

[Service Time: 1.91 seconds]

[Front Tires: Intermediate ? Soft]

[Rear Tires: Intermediate? Soft]

1.91 seconds—now that was a commendable stop. Even as the memory of the 1.80 from the last race flashed through his head, this was still something to be proud of.

But time in the pits is never just the service, it's the whole process. And by the time Luca had fully exited just the pitbox, he had already spent a total of 7 seconds away from racing speed. His lead was hanging by a thread now. The driver in P2 was already thundering toward the pitlane's exit, ready to snatch away the throne.

And sure enough, Elias Nyström was now firmly in P2. Luigi, just out of the pits and still wrestling with cold tires, couldn't hold him off. Nyström surged past confidently, leaving Luigi behind to face the wrath that was storming forward.

**Elias is closing in fast—he's got pace, Luca. Be ready when you merge back in**

"...FROM P7, ELIAS NYSTRÖM IS WRITING A FAIRYTALE OF HIS OWN OUT HERE!" The commentator couldn't hold back the thrill.

"...From the shadows of the grid into the fight for the lead—this is the rise of a man who refused to be forgotten! And now, he's only one car away from tasting the air at the top!"

Nyström gripped his wheel tighter and his Audi responded with a deep growl that resonated from the back to the tires that clawed the tarmac.

Every rev of the engine screamed with urgency as he surged forward, the pitlane exit looming in his peripheral. He could see the faint movement of Luca's rear wing beginning to slide into view. Luca's nearness to the intersection compared to him instantly created some doubts, but Nyström knew he just had to push and push.

[Trajectory Assessment: Pitlane disadvantage detected. Line integrity at risk from 2nd Position's approach.]

[Recommended Action: Enter at 60% throttle; maintain intersection apex trajectory. Anticipate 2nd Position's outside pressure.]

"...Luca Rennick just coming out of the pitlane now—but Elias Nyström is thundering down the main straight like a man possessed!.."

"...HERE WE GO! HERE WE GO! IT'S THE MOMENT—THE CROSSROADS—THE SHOWDOWN RIGHT AT THE EXIT..!"

Luca inhaled deeply when he slightly drifted back into the race.

[1st Position]

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

[2nd Position closing in]

The moment he got back, he felt his cold tires attempt to grip the asphalt close to the curbs, but they failed entirely, and he wobbled right on entry.

"…OH, he's lost traction! Cold tires—no bite—and Luca wobbles on the rejoin…!"

[2nd Position closing in]

Elias Nyström saw it instantly. He had been tracking Luca with razor focus, and the moment that wobble hit, Luca left him no choice but to strike.

Diving to the right as Luca veered left, Nyström planted his Audi clean on the racing line, engine growling, tires heated and firm. They ran wheel to wheel for a heartbeat, the tension throbbing through their chassis, neither of them giving an inch.

Luca felt like he was losing the battle, and in that blur of speed, he saw a fleeting vision of himself, losing the grip on P1.

**He's coming through, Luca... you're losing it**

Attempting a successful Side-by-Side King, Luca almost made his tire unbalance worse because he moved to dragging the lane with Nyström instead. The moment he realized it was a bad idea, and that the tires weren't warm enough for that move either, he reverted quickly, opting instead to make Turn 1 first.

[Turn Type: Hairpin Right] [Angle: 160°] [Braking Point: 120 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 70 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Late exit]

Luca commended himself for being able to dive into the turn first and brake late, especially under the shadow of Nyström's intense pressure. But Nyström, with nerves of steel and eyes fixed on the line, braked early right at the apex. It was a smart and well-calculated move, a clear evidence of superb Racecraft, because he knew Luca didn't have the tire grip to challenge him on exit.

Braking late would've just placed him behind Luca again. Braking early, though risky, gave him all the advantage, since Luca was clearly on the weak side.

And as they screamed out of the hairpin into Turn 2, Nyström cut in from Luca's right flank—his Audi slicing through—and claimed P1 in one swift, glorious move.

The #1 holographic crown instantly blossomed above his chassis.

[2nd Position]

"...AND THERE IT IS! From the depths of P7 to the top of the world—Elias Nyström is your new race leader! He saw the window, tore it open, and stepped into his moment! The Swedish prince has ascended—and he's done it with fire in his rearview and ice in his veins...!"

All Nordvind Racing grandstands erupted with fervor, waving their flags, the Swedish flag, and flags bearing Nyström's face and number. They were jumping to their feet, roaring over the comms delay. They weren't even cheering but outright screaming.

It was the same in the garage. They all tried to mellow their celebration, to keep it professional, but happiness possessed them, and their garage became just as wild as the grandstands.

This was a team that rarely ever had their driver sitting at P1. The rarity, the sweetness of it made Luca briefly wonder how crazy Trampos would go if, by some miracle, Ansel found himself at P1 in some race to come.

P1— Elias Nyström ?

P2— Luca Rennick ?

**Alright, confirmed. Let's just stick with him for now. Tire temps rising, we'll get him back. Let's stay clean, stay sharp**

[System's prediction: 13 sec—16 sec]

[Host's pitlane Entry and Exit: 12.4 sec]

[You have received:

(1) Catalyst]

Earning one Catalyst, Luca had the option of investing into his car Attributes, but he realized he was really lacking on Sync Bar bars in this race, and he'd need to make up for it systematically if he couldn't do it naturally.

"Alright, system. Use it on Spatial Awareness. I guess I'd get a point then."

[Processing request...]

[Applying 1 Catalysts to Spatial Awareness]

[Spatial Awareness: 12 ? 13]

[Successfully applied!]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 25%]

[Inventory:

—Catalysts: 0

—Wrenches: 1 ]

"It's true. I got a Wrench from winning pole position on Thursday. I planned to use it in this race for the same Sync Buff plan as well."

Luca thought about which to use the Wrench on. Should it be Yaw Flex or Gripper? Either of them would add a single bar to the Sync Bar, so it came down to which one he preferred more in this situation.

However, as he thought deeper on the dynamics of Cs & Ws, Luca's eyes widened as he realized he had just discovered a major loophole in the system's functioning.

The system had once explained that 1 Wrench equals 3 Catalysts and vice versa. They were two different entities: one for his personal arsenal, and the other for the car's. It reminded him of school, mostly economics—about trade, and how certain currencies lose or gain value when converted into another, possibly because of what commodities could be bought with them or something close.

Here, Luca realized that if he used just (1) Wrench on a Car Skill, he would get just a single addition to the Sync Bar.

However, if he converted that (1) Wrench to (3) Catalysts and used them on Self Skills, he would get THREE additions to the Sync Bar.

"How amazing!"

[That is a brilliant inference, host! Your mind races just as fast as your car!]