My Formula 1 System-Chapter 356: Belgium Grand Prix. 3

On that same straight Rodnick thought he was the overtake in the bag, Luca shut him down with a perfectly executed Straightaway Chopping that was even getting better.

[Straightaway Chopping +1]

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

Luca thought he needed a comeback to filling the Sync Bar. The first point to it had come with Spatial Awareness, and back then when he battled against Luigi, he didn't even consciously prompt the skill, but he got it anyways.

[Spatial Awareness +1]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 12.5%]

"...And just when Marcellus Rodnick thought he had the overtake in the bag—Rennick slams the door shut! That was textbook defending down the straight! He's getting sharper and sharper at such a young age and he's reading every move from his teammate....!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

Rodnick was stunned by the defense, but he didn't stop pushing. It wasn't like Luca expected him to either. Luca was ready because he was already moving ahead, preparing for the next engagement.

At the point where Luca executed the Straightaway Chopping, Luigi almost reached Rodnick. The move had slowed Rodnick just enough. Though he managed to regroup quickly, the gap between him and Luigi had shrunk significantly, making Luigi more of a threat to Rodnick's P3 than Rodnick was to Luca's P2.

Now that their P3 was under pressure, Jackson Racing grew concerned. Rodnick's radio suddenly got life with so many instructions and directions.

**Big rival. Antonio. He's coming now. 1 second behind with DRS threat. Forget Luca—defend this spot first."

**Power Mode 3 for you. Go push when you clear Sector 2.Do not give up this position**

In Formula 1, DRS was always going to give one car an advantage over the other, regardless of how good the chassis was. The real test was always down to the driver's skill. It depended on how well the driver could survive or respond to that temporary burst of speed from his rival.

But let's set aside the inevitable DRS advantage for a second in this quick analysis.

Rodnick, on his own part, actually had a chance to kill two birds with one stone simply thanks to what the ThunderKat could do.

His car thrived on open space. It was the fastest-accelerating machine currently in the championship. So now that Luca had created just a little gap, Rodnick could potentially close that space back down while also pulling clear of Luigi just before the DRS zone kicked in.

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

[3rd Position is 0.8 sec away, host.]

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

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

[3rd Position is 0.3 sec away, host.]

[3rd Position closing in]

Rodnick's rear tires had spun the moment he pressed on the throttle exiting Sector 2. Not a chaotic spin, but a high-torque screech, very controlled yet violent.

The chassis of the Ferrari was built with ultra-lightweight composite alloys, honed for straight-line bursts. Underneath, its power unit was a fusion of next-gen hybrid dynamics and raw combustion muscle. Twin electric motors fed instant torque to the rears, while the internal combustion engine roared in perfect sync.

The car surged forward through the straight and immediately bypassed the 1 second delta Rodnick held with Luigi. With the momentum he honed, he caught up with Luca on the sweeping left-hander hence the gap shrinking from 0.8 sec to 0.3.

A corner like this sweeping left-hander was high-speed and only allowed one driver to claim the optimal racing line.

Rodnick wasn't going to give Luca the courtesy of leading through it just because he was technically ahead. Sitting 0.3 seconds behind on the leaderboard, their battle for P2 was basically a draw in the eyes of anyone watching.

Carrying greater momentum out of the straight, Rodnick drifted slightly wider than usual and half-lunged alongside Luca on corner entry. It was almost like he was going to run straight into him and collide, the same way he did with Luigi back in Bahrain.

That movement alone was enough to force Luca into full-on defense.

**Clean race. We're only driving. Clean race**

Luca knew Rodnick was baiting him to leave the ideal path as they hit the apex, but there was nothing he could do. It wasn't like he could hook a latch onto Rodnick's 97 and pull him back.

Rodnick had already seized the tight inside and held it clean. Luca, without hesitation, summoned all his focus and instinct to channel Side-by-Side King, but the moment passed so quickly, it almost felt like Luca whispered to Rodnick instead of a successful Side-by-Side King.

"...OH HE'S DOING IT AGAIN—MARCELLUS RODNICK SQUEEZES IN—"

"...AND THAT is as close as ever. Just inches between them...!"

**CLEAN RACE**

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

" ..Oh, wait—wait. Slight contact? Rear quarter panel—Rodnick's front wing just kissed Luca's tire guard...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

[System Alert: Right rear tire guard contact]

Jackson Racing, especially Mr. Matthews, was furious that their drivers couldn't go against each other at such a crucial pre-pitstop stage in the race without making contact. "CLEAN RACE!" Mr. Berry had yelled, yet it fell on deaf ears, Rodnick's especially.

Now, Luca's car was stripped of all momentum and confidence. He was shaken badly but he was still in the race. The crowd in Spae-Ferenchal were roaring loudly, claiming that was supposed to be a penalized action.

Foll𝑜w current novels on fɾēewebnσveℓ.com.

"...That's—wow. That's right on the edge. Rodnick didn't technically do anything wrong, but that wasn't clean..."

"...Legal by inches of tight driving. Moral? That's a different story..."

"He shoved me wide. I'm down here. No damage, so I'm regrouping," Luca said into the radio.

**Copy that. Car integrity stays firm. Stay close. Big rival—Luigi, close to follow-up**

[3rd Position]

P2— Marcellus Rodnick ↑

P3— Luca Rennick ↓

"...And here comes Antonio Luigi, lurking in P4, smelling blood in the water! Luca Rennick's still reeling from that heart-stopping contact with Rodnick—his car remains shaken, momentum gone...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

[4th Position closing in]

Luca had made it into the next turn but that only delayed Luigi's climb to P3.

[4th Position is 0.8 seconds away]

Luca couldn't pinpoint why, but Luigi's Mercedes sent chills down his spine. His body tensed uncomfortably every time Luigi drew near in this race especially during their early duel, and he wondered what was triggering it.

Luca feared no Antonio Luigi. In this championship, he dreaded only rival cars, never their drivers—except maybe DiMarco.

But now, his instincts were practically yelling at him to flee from Luigi, perhaps even to yield the space needed for Luigi to snatch P3 without a challenge.

Luca wasn't about to do that. How could he so easily relinquish a position he could at least defend, all because of instincts that remained frustratingly unclear?

Little did Luca know, his Spatial Awareness skill surged to life whenever Luigi's Mercedes drew near. This was due to the chiseled front wing, secretly sharpened to target none other than Luca Rennick himself.

Spatial Awareness was an extraordinary and unique skill, as noted before. A threat like that wing would naturally ignite such primal instincts.

But the danger was subtle and nearly imperceptible. Even now, deep into the Belgian Grand Prix, only Squadra Corse's orchestrators knew Luigi wielded a hidden weapon.

So, with Luca's Spatial Awareness at 10—only halfway to completion—it offered faint hints of trouble lurking nearby, yet Luca couldn't decipher the source.

The cars screamed by too swiftly for him to spot a sharpened wing, leaving him deeply unsettled. Had Spatial Awareness been complete, it would have instantly pinpointed the cause of his unease, but the skill was unfinished, able only to whisper vague warnings of something as small and concealed as the chiseled wing.

Luigi, on the other hand, sensed this was the ideal moment to execute their plan. He couldn't predict when he'd next clash with Luca in the race. Since chaos had erupted around them, this timing was perfect.

Plus, Luca held firm to the left, clinging tightly. Poor kid. He was aiming for the inside line, which explained his stubborn grip on the left's narrow edge.

"..And they're side-by-side! Luigi's Mercedes surges alongside Rennick's Ferrari—wheel-to-wheel insanity into the tight right-hander..!"

When Luigi drew level, Luca's Spatial Awareness spiked even sharper, but without identifying the cause, he wouldn't earn EXP.

He boldly unleashed Side-by-Side King to seize control of the duel! Luigi subtly felt its weight on his own driving.

[Turn type: Tight Right-hander] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: 80 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 150 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inner line]

The next turn approached and Luca seemed set to claim the duel, thanks to Side-by-Side King's edge!

Luigi couldn't let this opportunity slip. He couldn't fathom why his car felt unsteady, but through the fog, he managed to do what was needed and pulled off the move to graze Luca's soft Pirellis.

Luckily for him and Squadra, the turn's sharp curvature disguised it as deft, choreographed driving, not a deliberate strike.

SSSSKRRR! A piercing, metallic scrape rang out as Luigi's chiseled wing sliced Luca's right-front tire.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

"...Oh my god! Contact! Something's wrong with Rennick's Ferrari—has he got a puncture..?"

What the fuck?

[System Alert: CRITICAL – Right-front tire puncture detected!]