My Formula 1 System-Chapter 485: S3 Austrian Grand Prix. 2

ROOKIE DRIVER CAUSES MASSIVE CRASH—RED FLAG!!

Matteo could already see the news of his desperate lunge headlining every motorsport outlet by nightfall. His desperate braking was late, far too late, and his grip had been waning since the sector began. In a bid to salvage what little confidence he had left, and unaware that Derstappen was already positioned right there, he slammed into the Ferrari. Carbon fibre exploded into the air like confetti in slow motion.

The red flag was waved. Was his race over? Or, as some might phrase it: had his small Formula 1 reputation already come to a sudden end?

No. Surprisingly, Matteo survived the collision. His Red Bull rolled away from the point of impact like something truly wounded, scathed but still with the energy and mechanical strength to go on.

Albert Derstappen, on the contrary, wasn’t as fortunate as the Italian. His Ferrari had taken the full brunt of the impact, an outcome that might have been reversed had he not decelerated quickly the moment he saw Matteo suddenly cut back in. If he hadn’t, then his previous speed might’ve bulldozed Matteo instead, making him the one to limp away instead of lie still.

But in the reality that played out, his 97 came to a complete and sudden stop just past Turn 3. The front wing and front right tire were dislodged the instant of impact, and the front left tire along with the suspension, was struck with unrecoverable damage after the car lifted and bounced briefly.

XXX— Albert Derstappen

"....RED FLAG IMMEDIATELY WAVED! A massive collision at Turn 3 involving the Velocità’s Matteo Bianchi, and Albert Derstappen of Jackson Racing...!"

"...Bianchi went in far too late under braking, and he was struggling with grip all sector long and attempted a cut-in line. Derstappen had already committed to the inside trajectory, and the collision was JUST inevitable..."

"....Well, this is a blow Jackson Racing simply couldn’t afford right now. With Albert Derstappen out of the race after that nasty incident with Matteo Bianchi, all eyes will shift to Buoso Di Renzo, the lone Stallion still in the fight...!"

Indeed, it was a massive blow for Jackson Racing. The silence in their garage after the race-ending collision for Derstappen was a testament to this. Mr. Matthews was stunned and speechless before he reassembled his strategists and technicians to activate their Plan Bs.

Albert Derstappen returned to the garage with his head held low, feeling he had disappointed his new team. But Jackson, just like they had always been, welcomed him formally as though nothing had happened, encouraged him, and helped tend to any physical trauma he might’ve sustained.

"...Our former champions—Jackson Racing. Give some respect.."

"...but their current form has been anything but championship-worthy. Just two points after Bahrain, and now with Derstappen’s DNF here in Austria, that tally won’t be climbing much unless Di Renzo pulls off something special."

"...It’s becoming more and more apparent that losing Luca Rennick was a critical turning point. Jackson’s new lineup is still evolving, and while there’s potential in both Derstappen and Di Renzo, the consistency just hasn’t been there. They needed both cars finishing strong today. Now they’re riding solo—and that’s dangerous in a Constructors’ battle this tight...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

Luca, in P4, wasn’t nescient of what was going on around him. He was fully informed, and as it turned out, none of it concerned him. One driver was out of the race, which was a very good thing, because it could likely give Victor the chance to squeeze himself into the top 10.

[Analyzing Ferrari (Scuderia Z24) and host’s distance from 3rd Position]

[You are 1 seconds away, host.]

**Safety car has retired***

As the drivers prepared to resume the race, Luca reflected on how he and Marko Ignatova had never truly labelled each other as fierce rivals even though, by all accounts, they were.

This was the second time Luca found himself right behind the Russian during a safety car parade, and in that moment, he began to notice just how much he had in common with him.

With the confidence of a strong Grid Launch, a (faster) car underneath him, and a delta that had now been reset to nothing, Luca knew what he had to do. He had to snatch P3 unsparingly, and also make sure it would take Marko more than just five laps before he could even think of reclaiming it.

"...Lights are back green and look at that—AILBEART MOIREACH WASTES NO TIME! The Scotsman’s going for the lead! Right on Antonio Luigi’s gearbox through Turn 1!"

" ..And further ba— LUCA RENNICK! NO HESITATION! No time wasted! He dives on the inside of Marko Ignatova into Turn 2...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone leaned in to watch this one! Unfortunately for Ailbeart, Luigi held firm, once again repelling what was now about the tenth attack across this early 5-lap window.

Antonio did it by placing his Mercedes perfectly on the optimal racing line, with no wavering or signs of panic that Moireach might try a different line—because he knew Ailbeart wouldn’t.

Moireach was forced to back out once more, and Luigi was praised for his stoic defense, described as ice-cold.

In contrast, Luca always moved like fire; hot, precise, and devouring.

A shiver ran through Marko’s spine, but he misread it as just a tremble from the chassis of his Mercedes.

’How did Rennick hold tight on that edge without slipping off?! Urgh! This guy!’

[Gripper +1]

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

[Notifs blocked! Host is in high-performance state. Concentration threshold exceeded — system will queue all updates until further notice!]

"...AND LOOK AT LUCA RENNICK! Daring! Absolutely daring as he banks through Turn 2 like he’s glued to the tarmac...!"

Once Luca emerged from the outside edge of the track, Turn 3 was wide open for him to slip into, and he took it perfectly, without a single flaw. A wonderful overtake, even Mr. Matthews had to stroke his chin and wish things didn’t go the way they had.

[3rd Position]

"...AND THERE IT IS! LUCA RENNICK SWEEPS INTO THIRD! What an immaculate move around the outside—calm, clinical, and completely commanding! The Trampos driver is back on the podium spots, and Marko Ignatova had no answer for that level of F1 veracity...!"

Even though it all happened right before their eyes, no one truly wanted to admit the harsh truth. An emphatic inaugural F1 season last year, ranked the best driver with a TR of 97, and the ability to overtake rivals even with superior engineering on their side—all of these were factors still deliberately ignored by the tattletales obsessed with highlighting only his wrongs.

**You’re a madman, boss! That’s P3! Brilliant!**

Luca heard background claps and cheers through the radio feed, and indeed, Trampos were celebrating just because of a mere P3, even though the race hadn’t even reached halfway.

[Analyzing 4th Position’s distance from host and Ferrari (Scuderia Z24)...]

[4th Position is 1.5 sec away, host.]

[Speed Differential: 0.3 seconds faster]

Looking up ahead at the slight elevation of T7, Luca caught a clear view of Ailbeart Moireach, running with the #2 holographic crown. He bet Luigi was just five metres ahead of that, and he suddenly realized he was so close to the supers, so close he had now become the barrier between the great and the standard.

Then suddenly, the system chime vaporized his focus.

[Ding!]

[Gripper Skill completed!]

[Ding?]

[You have unlocked new skill!]

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