My Formula 1 System-Chapter 364: S2 Hungarian Grand Prix. 2
"…Formula 1 action once again in the heart of June! The race for the title roars back to life! These elites clash again for glory and points! Who will seize Hungary's crown this evening in the champion's absence...?"
[ANALYZING AND COLLECTING TRACKING DATA...]
[DATA COLLECTED]
[DATA DISPLAYED IN REAL-TIME:
-Car Speed: 120 km/h
-Heart Rate: 110 bpm
-Operational Status: 95% (V. Good)
-Breathing: Calm & Steady
-Distance covered: 540m
-Time: 5 sec ]
Lights out in Hungary, and the eighth round of the season was underway. Grid Launch was executed perfectly and effectively well, bringing Luca perilously close to Ailbeart's Renault and clear of Desmond Lloyd's premature pursuit.
In no time, Luca had begun to unleash relentless pressure on Ailbeart as drivers weaved and battled for both tire heat and precious racing space. It was a frenetic dance before Turn 1's tight structure.
[Turn type: Tight Right Hairpin] [Angle: 120°] [Braking Point: 70 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 120 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Late apex, tight inside]
Luca knew Side-by-Side King was often dangerous in a clustered situation like this, trapping any unlucky fellow who managed to stay wheel-to-wheel with him for full effect. This made Luca picture himself like a virus in the midst of others, and they were right—he often sparked chaos when close to another driver, most of his Skills thriving in the fray.
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[7th Position closing in]
[8th Position closing in]
"…Lights out and it's a frantic scrum! The grid's a hornets' nest, drivers weaving, tires screaming for grip in Hungaro Ring....!".
"WOOOOHH!"
Ailbeart was forced to the right curbs of the short alleyway before Turn 2. Luca made sure to be careful and subtle to prevent a warning or penalty, even Ailbeart complained on his radio about the aggression.
P5 was still undecided amongst the both of them, just like most positions ahead and behind, a fierce battle unfolding. But from Turn 2, Luca took the lead with a bold move.
[Turn type: Long Sweeping Left] [Angle: 110°] [Braking Point: 50 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 150 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid to late apex]
**Great job, Luca! P5's yours—stay focused!**
[5th Position]
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
It was only until Turn 4 that the race found a definite structure, starting from Jimmy, who managed to hold fiercely to P1. Luca thought it was just because Marko was consumed defending against his relentless teammate and mentor, Antonio Luigi.
If he hadn't, Luca bet Jimmy's inexperience would have crumbled under Marko's sharper racing craft.
Unfortunately, Marko's defensive skills were no match for Luigi, who surged past and snatched P2 on that same Turn 2 where Luca claimed P5, a masterclass of overtaking.
Now, it was left for Marko to fend off DiMarco into Sector 1's close. But the odds were bleak for the Russian, as DiMarco surged unchallenged from lights out, especially since Ailbeart, tangled by Luca's relentless pressure, couldn't threaten him, leaving DiMarco free to get warmth and to hunt.
DiMarco was strong. DiMarco had the momentum. DiMarco stormed to P3 by the start of Sector 2 with his Red Bull roaring.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
"…What a blistering start in Hungary! Damgaard holds firm, but Luigi's a predator in P2! DiMarco's unstoppable, stealing P3, while Luca's climbing fast!…"
P1— Jimmy Damgaard
P2— Antonio Luigi ↑
P3— Davide DiMarco ↑
00— Marko Ignatova ↓
P5— Luca Rennick ↑
The first lap hadn't even concluded, yet Marko had already dropped from P2 to P4 in swift succession. Now, he sat directly above Luca on the leaderboard. On the track, he was physically ahead, his car flashing the #4 holographic crown—one that looked increasingly fragile to Luca with every corner.
[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host's distance from 4th Position]
[You are 2 seconds away, host.]
Marko tried to maintain rhythm, stabilizing his pace while delivering sudden bursts of speed through specific track sections. Still, by Lap 3, Luca had emerged as a significant threat to him and Squadra Corse. The once small gap had tightened the more.
[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host's distance from 4th Position]
[You are 1 seconds away, host.]
**He's closing in—expect him at the chicane Turn 9 or 10. Don't let him take the inside line**
**Deploy Mode 6 on straights, conserve battery in Sector 2. Block visually if you have to. No contact. Do not let him come alongside. Make yourself wide. Copy?**
"I copy."
Marko obeyed every word from his engineers, committed to fending Luca off by any means necessary. He had been told—warned even—not to let the Jackson Racing driver come wheel-to-wheel with him, and he took that advice seriously. Whatever it took, Luca would stay behind him.
To execute this, Marko skillfully manipulated the rear wings of his Mercedes, swaying with intention to obstruct Luca's line of sight and continuously disrupt his preferred racing line.
**He's trying to block your line. Prep for the dummy (feinting) at the chicane**
**DRS will open next straight—harvest in Sector 2, strike in Sector 3**
At Sector 2, Turns 6 and 7 formed a challenging chicane. While not considered the deadliest on the calendar, a chicane was still a chicane, and every chicane required exceptional grip and precise handling to navigate properly.
Finding the perfect balance between braking and throttle control was the most important thing because a small mistake here could throw a driver off balance and lose valuable time or possibly a position.
[Turn Type: Two-Turn Chicane (Right → Left)]
[Approach Width: 6.8m → Tightens at Apex: 5.9m → Widens at Exit: 6.6m]
Marko had to abandon his rear wing-blocking technique, something he had used so effectively to defend against Luca. Holding his car in a defensive posture through the chicane would only turn against him.
The technique of keeping your car in the direction of the rear and not the nose would cause unwanted rigidity and friction, impeding the car's ability to handle the tight turns smoothly. A chicane demanded flexibility and aerodynamic flow, and fighting against the car's natural flow would only invite mistakes.
So, Marko couldn't afford anything that would hinder his handling with Luca at his tail.
As they exited Turn 5, Luca noticed Marko had dropped his defensive feat. The door was open so he wasted no time and accelerated, pushing the nose of his Ferrari toward Marko's side. He moved quickly, just enough for Marko to catch him in his peripheral vision.
"...This is what we've been waiting for! Rennick is all over Ignatova now, and he's making his move through the chicane! The tension is palpable as they head into the tight left-right sequence...!"
"WOOOOHH!"
[Turn type: Left-Right Chicane] [Angle: 70° each] [Braking Point: 80 meters before T6] [Recommended Entry Speed: 100 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Tight inside for both turns]
Luca wanted to go for the inside, but Marko beat him to it. He sliced into Luca's view, nearly causing contact that sent the crowd roaring.
"WOOOOHH!"
Luca was left with nowhere to go but take the mid lane, so he hurriedly took the option by swerving hard to his left and correcting his line. He was fast, but by then, Marko was already rounding the inside to move to Turn 7 of the chicane, stealing the advantage.
The winds of Budapest whipped fiercely against his Ferrari, the mid-lane current unintentionally pushing him outward. Eventually, Luca felt his tires scrape the outside curbs, a dire warning his car was threatening to spin out!
**Luca, stay calm. Back off and hold your line**
"…He's on a knife-edge! Luca's flirting with catastrophe at the chicane—can he pull it off? The crowd's roaring!…"
"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
Fortunately, Gripper came to Luca's rescue as he barely held on with his right tires. The lefts had already left the asphalt and kicked up sand, very close to disaster.
Right at the apex, Luca tilted his wheel as sharply as he could. He had Reflexes maxed, Agility at (31), and Handling at (22), 7 points higher than its original (15). Luca would be bummed if he failed to make his save.
Squadra team radio was about to say congratulations to Marko for fending Luca away when their mouths fell open at how Luca saved his race from a spinout, defying the odds.
"…Unreal! Luca yanks it back from the brink, still hunting P4! Great guts!…"
"WOOOOHH!"
Definitely if that was another driver who edged out at a chicane, the yellow flags were meant to be up and waving by now. However, Luca did not only recover and prevent his DNF, but he had also rechallenged for P4 with relentless fire!
**Hell yeah, Luca! That was epic—go get P4!**
[Handling +1]
[Gripper +1]
[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 12.5%]
[Yaw Flex +1]
[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 25%]
Having been at the apex, Luca fiercely held the inside through the tight transition from Turn 6 to Turn 7, mastering the chicane's brutal flow.
Marko bellowed loud in his mind as he realized this. Luca's car was a blur a second ago, teetering on disaster's edge, yet now his grip had perfectly thrust him ahead!
[4th Position]
"....Sensational! Luca storms into P4, snatching it from Marko in a chicane masterclass! That is beautiful driving at the toughest sector...!"
"WOOOOHH!"
"...Luca Rennick in P4, Marko Ignatova in P5 ..!"
P4— Luca Rennick ↑
P5— Marko Ignatova ↓
**P4's yours—absolute magic! Keep it pinned!**
"YES!" Luca yelled as he powered through the rest of Turn 7 toward Turn 8, his adrenaline surging high.
[Turn type: Right-hander] [Angle: 60°] [Braking Point: 25 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 195 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid to late apex]
[Downforce +1]
[Braking Efficiency +1]
[Downforce Attribute requires 1 extra point to get to (30)]
[Ding!]
[Level-up notice:
HANDLING & DYNAMICS has moved from 105% to 130%
AERODYNAMICS & CHASSIS has moved from 101% to 115% ]
