My Formula 1 System-Chapter 290: S2 Monaco Grand Prix. 10

[40th Lap]

[Tires are in bad condition, host. Engine temperature is optimal. Brake wear at 60%.]

[Heat Management +2]

[Telemetry reports rigid handling. Aerodynamic efficiency indicates slight performance drop. Recommend an immediate pit stop to optimize tires and fuel strategy.]

"I know. We're deciding when," Luca replied positively. "And thanks for the Engine Feature EXP."

40 laps. 40 whole laps on Circuit de l'Étoile with its expanded track, and Luca had yet to visit the pits.

He couldn't believe how long the tires had lasted on the 92B, especially with the insignificant (+1) addition to his Tire Management attribute earlier in the race.

Luca doubted it would have been possible with the F2 04, especially considering how tough the driving had been so far.

This made him wonder how many pit stops Ansel had taken for his F2 04 to remedy Haas' DNF.

**Tires are falling off. Grip levels are low. We recommend boxing next lap**

"Understood. We still stick to the strategy?"

**Yes. We'll swap to softs, refill, and push hard for the final stint**

Luca nodded, even though they couldn't see him. "Alright."

He then glanced briefly around the track to assess the race's progress before shifting his gaze to the leaderboard display on his dashboard.

P1— Marko Ignatova

P2— Antonio Luigi

P3— Ailbeart Moireach

P4— Luca Rennick

P5— Marcellus Rodnick

P6— Luis Dreyer ←

It was crazy when one realized that there were a lot of missing names who had walked away from the track tonight.

Fifteen drivers on the track out of the starting twenty. Historically speaking, this Monaco Grand Prix might make it as one of the most attritional races, and likely the most, as the season opener.

Since the pack had been thinned, there'd be more hunger and aggression from those who remained. Every position now carried greater weight for each driver, and every maneuver would have higher stakes.

It was well known that the fewer the competitors, the fiercer the battle.

Luca feared he might lose the P4 he had so strenuously fought for to Rodnick and the rest when he made his pit.

But after much thought, he realized that he might inevitably get it back or wouldn't even lose much in the first place.

Firstly, Luca remembered he had Pitstop Prodigy at 20 (+3), which could just make him the fastest pitter in all of Formula 1 history.

Secondly, he was currently driving on hards and would switch to softs as discussed over the radio.

Other drivers were already on softs and were yet to make their presumed second pit of the night. So, Luca foresaw some openings for himself.

"...It is a rough battle at the head of the pack as Ailbeart Moireach fights for P2! Antonio Luigi holds on, but it's looking slim for the Blackstriker...!"

"...After 40 long laps, Ailbeart now pushes for greater points for Haddock Racing, with his teammate, Derfflinger, half the pack down. Sam, I do think his confidence for P2, or maybe P1, might be because of DiMarco's leave. What do you say...?"

"...You are very right, Alex! It boosted not only Ailbeart's morale but everyone else's. It's a delight for rival teams seeing Velocità tallying ZERO points in the first round of the season. Absolutely stunning...!"

After DiMarco's DNF, Bueseno Velocità was slammed with the grim fate of zero points in the race.

Jimmy Damgaard had already left the track in the opening lap, and now their star, Davide DiMarco. Their fans were now silent, some leaving the stands, and most switching off their TVs.

It was all Luca Rennick's fault.

Even if Dreyer had caused Damgaard's tire delamination, they all believed Luca was responsible for DiMarco's loss of control.

The Italian team, Bueseno Velocità, who already disdained him, as we know, were not going to let this slide.

[System Update: Pitlane Entry Detected]

[Speed Limit: 60 km/h]

[System's prediction: 12 sec—15 sec]

"Calculate distance. Car front and car behind."

[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host's distance from 3rd Position]

[You are 3 seconds away, host.]

[Analyzing 5th Position's distance from host and Ferrari (JRX-92B)...]

[5th Position is 2.8 sec away, host.]

Luca could already see his fate of dropping down the pack again as he entered the pit lane, the fluorescent lights zooming over his chassis.

**We're ready**

First official pit stop as a Jackson Racing driver.

It was interesting to see how it would unfold with a pit crew as seamless as a perfectly choreographed dance, especially when he had Pitstop Prodigy greater than ever.

The Jackson Racing crew was already at their positions—men and women, boys and girls awaiting Luca.

Once he glided into the box, they all leaned in, and Luca felt the car raise, the bright lights coming from the interior of the garage illuminating the right side of his helmet.

"Great driving, brother!" Eddy yelled as his Ferrari dropped.

The Jackson Racing crew clapped for themselves as they watched Luca bullet out of the box and back onto the pit lane.

2 seconds. Very nice!

[Retrieving pitstop info...]

[Service Time: 2.00 seconds]

[Front Tires: Hard → Soft]

[Rear Tires: Hard → Soft]

[Wing Adjustment: +0.5° Front Downforce]

[Downforce +1]

[Aerodynamics +1]

Luca was eagerly awaiting a Pitstop Prodigy notification like he always received, but he didn't get any, meaning his Sync Bar was still at 62.5%.

Luca reckoned that now Pitstop Prodigy was completed, notifications would rarely come from it.

"... Marcellus Rodnick in P4...!"

"WOOOOHH!"

Rodnick had taken P4, but Luca was very lucky to rejoin the race in P5.

[System's prediction: 12 sec—15 sec]

[Host's pitlane Entry and Exit: 11.7 sec]

[Ding!]

[You have received (1) Catalyst]

"???"

Luca was speechless at the generous reward for beating the system's pit lane prediction. But now, his senses spiked as he perceived a rival's approach from the home straight.

[Trajectory Assessment: Pitlane disadvantage detected. Line integrity at risk from 5th Position's approach.]

[Recommended Action: Enter at 60% throttle; maintain intersection apex trajectory. Anticipate 5th Position's outside pressure.]

[Risk Factor: High (collision potential with 5th Position). Adjust for slight traction loss at exit to regain position.]

Luis Dreyer was really pushing his Cosworth PJ2005, moving as fast as a train.

And since Luca had sensed him even before his team engineers alerted him, he gained a rise in Spatial Awareness for all he had accumulated since the race.

[Spatial Awareness +1]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 75%]

The Sync Bar was now at 75%. Great. But Luca had to defend his P4 like his life depended on it.

**Dreyer approaching** his engineers informed him late.

Luca cleaved to his system's recommendations, adjusting his car to weave smoothly into Turn 1. With that, he was able to keep a fierce rival behind him into the street complex.

How things have turned, Luca thought. Now, he was ahead of Dreyer, defending against him with cold tires and poor grip.

Of course, Dreyer knew this. That's why he was so unrelenting, silently threatening to smash into Luca's rear wing.

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When they reached the first straight, Luca had no doubt he would be overtaken.

"System. Does Gripper help warm up cold tires faster? Is it part of its function?"

[Yes, host]

[Gripper enhances host's tire adhesion by optimizing surface friction and accelerating thermal buildup. It improves cornering stability and traction, reducing tire slip by 5% up to 30%, allowing for better control in turns and quicker recovery from cold tire conditions.]

Luca sighed. At (7), he wasn't sure if it'd make a huge difference, but it was better than nothing.

Still, to defend against Dreyer and successfully execute Corner Chopping, he needed good grip. So, Luca made a very tough decision.

He decided to ease off a little. He wasn't going to just let Dreyer have P4, but he would stop defending.

Luca didn't want to end up like DiMarco, who had struggled in this same part of the circuit against poor grip and a hungry rival—him.

It'd be an omen if he DNFed in the same spot as DiMarco did. So, Luca calculated Dreyer's chances of pitting again since he was among those who started on softs.

And when he did, Luca would take back position with better tire grip!

However, before Luca began to drop his telemetry data, he noticed a change in the leaderboard that made him INSTANTLY change his mind.

P2— Ailbeart Moireach ↑

00— Antonio Luigi ↓

P4— Marcellus Rodnick