My Formula 1 System-Chapter 482: Pre-S3 Austrian Grand Prix

Bueseno Velocità finally released their much-hoped-for official statement regarding Davide DiMarco’s injury during the Bahrain Grand Prix. Public silence had become their lore throughout the days following the incident. There had been a few encounters with the media, enough to give the world a whiff of what had betided Davide DiMarco.

But in a general sense, the team chose not to fully engage with the media storm or the surging public speculation about the red-flag-causing crash. This left the world curious, frightened, and unsated.

However, as the Austrian Grand Prix and its constituting events approached, the statement finally arrived with both medical clarity and emotional weight. It confirmed that DiMarco had sustained a compound rib fracture, a partially dislocated shoulder, and internal bruising that required extended rehabilitation. His expected absence from the grid was estimated at six months—if not longer.

"Davide sustained a fractured rib and a dislocated shoulder and he’ll be out for six months, and while that’s a heavy blow to our campaign, his recovery is priority now; when he returns, he’ll return with fire—fire and blood."

Bueseno Velocità acknowledged the gravity and lasting impact of the crash, calling it "one of the most harrowing moments in the team’s recent history." There was no explicit mention of fault or rivalry, but it was clear the team viewed the event as a deeply personal vendetta by someone. Hence, the smart and deliberate choice of words.

There were also released images of DiMarco in a hospital bed, and also out of the bed in what looked like a rehabilitative clinic. In most of the photos, he wore a Velocità cap or an Italy cap or anything intended to reflect a symbol of their campaign and their reverence toward him.

Luca, seeing this, understood very well that it was also propaganda and an attempt to project DiMarco as the hero and himself, the one who put him in that condition, as the antagonist.

And the agenda worked perfectly. Social media and even natural, in-person conversations worldwide were kindled with a newfound spite toward Rennick.

Better still, Luca also had a multitude that stood firmly by his side.

DiMarco also had something special to say.

"He better win every race while I’m gone. Because when I’m back, I’ll take more than my seat back. I’ll take careers. And I’m very good at it."

Luca had to turn into a slithering snake just to escape the web of microphones, flashing cameras, and swarming reporters that lunged at him the moment he was spotted in Spielberg. DiMarco’s words were plastered across every screen and trending on every sports channel, and naturally, the press was ravenous for a response from the man at the center of it all.

However, what they met was silence because Luca refused to utter a response. He was only going to speak when the time came for that particular interview segment directed at all drivers on the grid, the one where they’d be asked to send get-well messages to DiMarco, or something along those lines.

Luca knew that if he engaged in a verbal war with a rival who now had nothing else to do but sit in a hospital bed and recover, then he’d be lowering himself to the level of someone who currently had no races to win, and no other battles to fight.

He had no need to trade words with a sidelined driver. His answer would be written in lap times, podiums, and a trophy eventually.

"WELCOME TO AUSTRIA"

Manuela clapped with happiness and joy.

"This place always gets me emotional, Mr. Rennick. You know, my parents met in Austria. My mother was running away from a choir rehearsal, and my father was hiding from his ski instructor because he hadn’t paid. They collided in a bakery of all places, and he spilled Apfelstrudel on her dress. It was love and custard at first sight!"

Luca simply hummed and nodded. Manuela continued, speaking as if she were dreaming like a child. Sometimes, Luca wondered how she was as smart as she was, because she often didn’t act like someone with a high IQ and other times, she did. fгeewebnovёl.com

"And now look at me. Back in Austria to win a Grand Prix. If I can steal some time while we’re here... maybe I’ll go find that ski slope. Possibly even that same bakery. Just to see if it’s still there. Y’know... something sentimental."

Eventually, Luca felt her gaze. Her tone dropped to a plea. He almost grunted when he realized it had all been a gradual setup.

"Only two days. I swear—half a day, half a day. I’ll still handle everything."

The defeat didn’t sting much because he understood he still had the power to say no. But she did a very good job by building her request around that family story as the premise. Besides, Luca also realized he hadn’t been awarding her any leisure days lately, and she truly deserved some.

"Sure," he said. "Two days."

Manuela jubilated.

The world had a strange way of balancing joy and grief, as if every place was a stage for someone’s triumph and someone else’s ghost all at the same time.

Austria was a playground of warm nostalgia for Manuela, a land of her parents’ old adventures, of ski slopes and bakeries with cinnamon in the air. But for Luca, it would always carry the cold weight of a father lost to the same circuit he was now returning to. While she spoke of memories that made her smile, Luca remained silent as he recollected history.

This was actually going to be Luca’s first time competing in the Austrian Grand Prix. Last year, he had a chance, but the feud that erupted between him and Ferrari had hindered his performance availability. This year was another opportunity again.

All teams made haste to settle in quickly before the press sessions, technical briefings, and the layered structure of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend began to unfold. All across the country, the people of Austria were happy to welcome Formula 1.

Team transporters were unpacked and offloaded at their respective facilities, and even motorhomes and motor camps were erected in rows, either on the outskirts of their facilities or somewhere even farther away from the base, just to span wider for the feel of it.

Visiting the RBR Circuit, Luca asked the system for the track analysis.

[Generating track layout...]

[... successfully generated]

[. ┌————T4┐

T3 ┌—T5┘

| T6 ┌T8———T9

| └—T7—┘ |

└T2┐ |

| |

| ┌———=———T10

└–T1┘

.]

The RBR Circuit was a very small circuit in Luca’s opinion, yet one of the most thrilling on the calendar. The track was just 4.2 km long and its structure patently testified to a fast race.

It had only ten turns, and even fewer of them were what you’d consider "difficult." But therein lay the trap. Because those corners, as sparse as they were, came in high-speed sequences and demanded absolute precision—if not, it would lead to disaster.

Luca observed each corner and noted how many things reflected the old racing style, because the RBR Circuit was one of the few circuits that did not undergo the restructuring that came with last season.

The track was placed right in the middle of the Styrian mountains of Spielberg, just like how Interlagos looked. In that case, the track also featured elevation imbalance, so there was more to note. The only difference RBR had with Interlagos was that there were more trees on the hills; forests, in fact. And the climate was always fairer.

In conclusion, Luca walked quietly to the home straight and stood in the middle of it. He stood at the exact spot where he believed Aldo exploded.

As the warm sun threw his shadow on the asphalt, Luca turned around to take in the empty stands that would host just 105,000 people. He wondered how that day was like 16 years ago.

People were cheering, his mother was there in the grandstands, Formula 1 was at its stage of worldwide recognition and awe.

Luca didn’t know why, but at that moment, he felt glad to be part of this story.

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