My Formula 1 System-Chapter 323: S2 Bahrain Grand Prix
"...P5, Jimmy Damgaard...!"
"...P4, Antonio Luigi...!'
"...P3, Davide DiMarco...!"
"WOOOOH!"
"...P2, Ailbeart Moireach...!"
"WOOOOH!"
"...Pole Position, Luca Rennick...!"
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
"…A historic moment for Luca Rennick as he starts today's Bahrain Grand Prix from pole! His first-ever Formula 1 pole position—a massive statement for Jackson Racing, especially with their defending champion, Marcellus Rodnick, down in P7. It's a mixed bag for the team, but for Rennick, this is exactly the kind of breakthrough they've been waiting for..."
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"…Of course, pole position is one thing—holding onto it is another. For a rookie like Rennick, the pressure is immense. Right behind him is Ailbeart Moireach, desperate for points, and just a little further back is Davide DiMarco. And we all know there's no love lost between him and Luca. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a shake-up at the front..."
"…That's a fair prediction, Alex. But if there's one thing we've learned, it's that Rennick isn't easily rattled. Starting the season with a win at Monaco had him right in the mix for the championship fight, but a difficult few rounds have dropped him to 6th in the standings. If he doesn't capitalize on today's pole, getting back into the top five could be a real challenge..."
"…Same goes for Ailbeart Moireach, who sits just behind him in the standings and would love nothing more than to leapfrog Rennick..."
6.
| Luca Rennick
|
26
7.
| Ailbeart Moireach
|
21 (+1)
"…And then there's Davide DiMarco. His season has been nothing short of a disaster so far, and he's not even in the top 10. But make no mistake—he's aggressive, he's desperate, and he's starting close enough to make things difficult..."
"..All three of these drivers at the head have something to prove today, and we're in for an absolutely thrilling race..."
Jackson Racing's strategy set out to help Luca win P1 in the Bahrain Grand Prix was mainly focused on... tires.
How strange, but very important. Starting from pole was a huge advantage, but it was never just about maintaining that position at the start—meaning P1 from the 1st lap to P1 at the last lap. Nope. It was about how Luca would manage the race on his own accord.
Luca would start on hard tires, the same compound he'd used during qualifying. It was a good sole decision because hard tires would give Luca the best durability at the start of the race.
The heat of the desert was unforgiving, and tire degradation would be a huge problem, especially through the long, sweeping corners. Starting on hard tires would give Luca the necessary grip while ensuring they could withstand the early laps. He would gain a lot of distance before he needed to worry about tire wear.
However, this distance wasn't going to be as long as known for hard compounds. Luca was going to take an early pit and catch the rival teams and drivers off.
At this pitstop, he would switch to medium tires. Medium tires were compounds that offered a middle ground between performance and longevity. The medium tires would provide a little more speed than the hard compounds, allowing him to capitalize on the clean air and fresh rubber.
The advantage of medium tires was their ability to offer a balance of durability and grip. This would help him cover a longer stint than the softs, providing the strategic advantage of not needing to pit as frequently as those who went for the quicker but more fragile tires.
At the end, Luca could end up with just a single pitstop, but he would finish the race with tires that would literally be on fire.
P1 was priority. Luca wasn't going to hear otherwise. The rewards from the system's assigned Daily Quest were jaw-dropping. Luca wouldn't know what to make of himself as the host if he failed a race-related Daily Quest twice in a row.
[Reward for Completing Saturday's Daily Quest: (EXP)
-Downforce +1
-Handling +1
-Tire Wear Management +1
Reward for Completing Saturday's Daily Quest: (Tools)
- (5) Catalysts
- (2) Wrenches
[Consequence for Failing Saturday Daily Quest: Punishment
-Rashes.]
This felt like a free gift to Luca that he couldn't fathom. He wondered if he would be rewarded an extra tool or tools apart from these when he won the race.
For now, these 5 Catalysts and 2 Wrenches were enough to take him to the next tier of Professional Bundle.
[SYNCHRONIZING HOST....]
[SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE]
[Host is now synced with Ferrari (JRX-92B]
Before hopping into their cars, Luca could see the cloud over Rodnick's head. It was clear that he wasn't happy with the qualifying results, having qualified for P7, away from the top five.
Luca thought that was indeed selfish. This was the same driver currently leading the driver's standings and his team—their team—leading the Constructor's standings.
It would be an act of self-consciousness and understanding to let the stark reality of competition surface once in a while. Luca began to wonder if Rodnick believed his title defence would be as smooth as sliding over tiles.
Even the possibility of one driver finishing in the bottom five in all races from the first round to the final round was very low. So, the same goes for the upper part of the grid.
"...here in Sakhir, the tension is palpable as the cars begin to roll out onto the grid for what promises to be an exciting race ahead...!"
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
Luca cracked his neck and flexed his fingers on the wheel, fully claiming his spot at the front-most gridbox. The marshals waved him into place, nodded, and he returned the gesture.
Seconds later, he felt Ailbeart's presence beside him, his Renault emitting this kind of mechanical growl, not really deep. Luca didn't look to his side; he only stared at the mirrors, watching others line up down to the horizon that met the blazing sun.
The crowd roared as the first red light flashed on. Luca's focus shifted like a lion that spotted its prey. He moved his butt into the most comfortable position, the third light appearing within seconds.
Before the whole motorsport community knew it, the fourth round of the season was underway—the Bahrain Grand Prix.
[Grid Launch +1]
"...the lights go out! And Luca Rennick rockets off the line with a monstrous start! The Mazerunne surges forward, leaving everyone in his dust. Ailbeart Moireach is left reaching for nothing but air as Luca blazes into Bahrain...!"
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 12.5%]
**Good start, mate. Good start**
[Turn type: Tight Left-hander ] [Angle: 70°] [Braking Point: 120 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 130 km/h] [Optimal Apex: inside curb]
Luca expertly took the inside line of the left-hander. Bahrain was strange with its left-sided track when most tracks were right-sided.
It was an open track, no chicanes, no real track danger, but navigating it might cause some peril.
Out of Turn 1...
[Turn type: Medium Left-hander ] [Angle: 60°] [Braking Point: 80 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 150 km/h] [Optimal Apex: inside curb]
"... Rennick holds the lead, but Ailbeart's Renault appeared to be faster on that brief connection between Turn 1 and Turn 2...!"
[2nd Position closing in]
Luca's Spatial Awareness spiked like a voice graph, seeing Ailbeart Moireach throw his car into Turn 2 like he did to Miles Bellingham in the Italian Mega Prix.
What the heck! This is just the first lap!
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
The crowd erupted in a roar as Moireach launched his car into a wild move, snatching the second position away from Luca in a heartbeat. It was a ruthless, calculated maneuver.
"... AILBEART MOIREACH TAKES P1...!"
"...CAN HE MAINTAIN IT....?!"
For a moment, it seemed like Ailbeart had it all under control. But the pressure of the move quickly caught up with him. The momentum of his aggressive dive forced him wide, and Moireach's rear end swung out of track boundaries. Such an unforced error that would cost him.
Luca watched in surprise as Moireach slipped, his Renault leaving an opening that was too big to ignore. With the track clearing in front of him, Luca didn't hesitate.
He rocketed forward, taking advantage of the misstep. The leaderboard shifted again as Luca, now with the racing line open, retook P1 from Moireach.
"... AND RENNICK RECLAIMS HIS POSITION...!"
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
The leaderboard snapped back to its original state, Luca at the front where he had started, but the battle for the lead had only just begun. Meanwhile, the middle of the pack was already seeing significant movement.
[2nd Position]
[1st Position]
[Turn type: Medium Right-hander ] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: 110 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 130 km/h] [Optimal Apex: inside curb]
