CHAPTER 572: S3 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX. 3

[Turn type: Medium left kink] [Angle: 40°] [Braking Point: N/A (carrying speed from Turn 3)] [Recommended Entry Speed: 270 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Mid-track, line up for straight]

As smooth as silk, Luca made sure he threaded the needle in perfect alignment with the seam of the racing line, his Ferrari flowing through curves, reflecting every light.

The majority of spectators would think this was just another driver doing his job lap after lap, but only Luca himself knew how much precision he applied in all seventeen turns.

With speed of his own, Luca bettered his straightaways, doing his best to cut off at least 0.5 seconds from the average times he had calculated so far.

The track only had four hairpins and two chicanes, and none led directly into the four straights.

Hence, the track was a night playground for pace, letting every driver let loose, but still cautious on brief occasions.

By Lap 35, Luca had the highest pace differential of all nineteen drivers.

The pitstop phases had helped in clearing the field significantly, shuffling positions in such a way that it looked like Trampos had indirectly carried out an undercut.

Luca received the track like an opening curtain.

The advantage supported his hasty rise; without it, his climb would have simply been a chase of pace against pace, with the gaps demanding more laps to close.

Derstappen was the only driver he had overtaken in raw combat. One lap later, after taking P6, a resilient Derstappen was rechallenged by an unflinching Rennick.

Both Ferraris were good, but not on par, much to Luca’s favor.

In addition to that, Luca’s track awareness in night vision on Riyadh’s street gave him an unchallenged upper hand over his former F2 rival.

"I’ve got no grip, no nothing. He has it—he has—the straight was...ah fuck it," Derstappen cussed out.

**Focus, Albert** his team reminded him.

[Turn type: Tight right hairpin] [Angle: 160°] [Braking Point: 125m before] [Recommended Entry Speed: 70 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb, late exit throttle]

[Turn type: Sweeping right curve] [Angle: 65°] [Braking Point: N/A] [Recommended Entry Speed: 190 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Late apex, wide exit]

The next driver, like Nyström, was barely an engagement for Luca.

A fast stop from Nordvind Racing had given Elias Nyström solid morale, doing his best to make it out quickly, but Luca had the raw pace to take his spot before he could even find rhythm.

Even though Nyström managed to stay ahead for the moment, everyone knew his cold tires and the time needed to build momentum would soon fold under Luca’s sharper pace and warmer setup.

And that was exactly the same situation the race presented next—against Marko Ignatova.

In Trampos’ official management suite, Mr. Ojukwu, the Chief Technical Officer, was intrigued by something on the live data feed.

He had to ask his close counterpart, Mrs. Lindholm—the lead data analyst—if the team had actually changed the EI rear wing.

From what he was seeing, Luca was moving fast enough, and seemingly with no support from that adjustment. The man just wanted to be absolutely sure if the team had reverted it properly.

Mrs. Lindholm thought it was a dumb question. Woe to Trampos if they still dared to field that tweak even after being reprimanded by Race Control.

But she shared the agreement with him, saying Luca was doing it all on merit.

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

[You are 1 second away, host.]

"...Rennick is now just a second behind the Mercedes as they sweep through the back half of Sector 3. 40 laps of coming out of that long right curve, both drivers have honed their entrances to perfection...!"

"..but Marko tries to keep that rear end settled, but it’s dancing—he’s fighting the car all the way through!"

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

[You are 0.8 seconds away, host.]

With Marko’s W09 so close, Luca was cautious to avoid contact.

Marko was yet to serve his 10-second penalty, for reasons known to Squadra Corse themselves.

The team had the chance to serve the penalty in the first stop but chose not to. Perhaps they wanted both drivers securely positioned within the top five before taking that time loss.

However, serving it this late in the race could hurt them far more than if they had taken it earlier, especially with the field now much tighter and the margins slimmer.

Luca didn’t care, though. The only thing that bothered him was the possibility that Marko, knowing he had nothing else to lose.

What if Marko might try something reckless, maybe even collide with him, to help Squadra Corse maintain their lead through Luigi’s finish.

He and Marko had shared... quite the wheel-to-wheel racing history.

"...And now—this is where DRS could come alive..!"

"OOOUUUUUUUHH!"

"... Rennick falters. No extra speed on the back straight. Marko leads him fast through the kink, and into street 15, a left-hander..."

Believing this was the perfect moment, Luca committed.

He executed it flawlessly, deploying Gripper as he dived for the inside, navigating his ERS boost into the line, the Z24 snapping forward at his command.

Marko couldn’t contend with that.

They ran side by side for a heartbeat, Marko fighting to cover him off, before Luca took advantage of the final turn, Street 17, recornering with sharp control and sealing his position ahead before the exit.

P3— Luca Rennick ↑

P4— Marko Ignatova ↓

"... he’s through and clear. Rennick takes it. It’s a clinical overtake. One down for Squadra Corse. One up for Trampos..!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

[Straightaway ahead]

[41st Lap]

"...You have to wonder—when will we ever see something like that again..?"

"...we have world-class in every sport. In Formula 1, we have Luca Rennick..."

[Analyzing Ferrari (Z24) and host’s distance from 2nd Position]

[You are 4 seconds away, host.]

The reigning world champion, Luigi, was holding on to P2 after losing the lead to a tenacious Jimmy Damgaard by Lap 35. The gap between the two had stabilized, but the pressure from behind was anything but calm.

Four seconds back, Marko Ignatova was meant to serve as the defensive bridge, holding off dire threats like Luca from reaching his teammate.

But he had failed, and that failure was costly.

Luca Rennick was now unleashed, charging forward with intent, putting Luigi’s position—and Squadra Corse’s podium hopes—under imminent threat!

But instead of holding the delta as the crowd expected, Luigi and Squadra Corse opted for their final stop of the night.

This stop was conducted relative to Velocità and the pack leader, Jimmy Damgaard.

"...Luigi into the pits! Squadra Corse pulling the trigger for the final stop of the night...!"

"...Yeah, this hands the position straight to Luca Rennick! Smart timing maybe, but risky, considering Ignatova still has that ten-second penalty to serve.."

[Wear Control +1]

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

Even though his skill, Wear Control, helped him reduce tire degradation significantly, Luca knew it wouldn’t be good to risk it on this high-speed track.

But it seemed others wanted to beat him to it, entering the pits, leaving him momentarily elevated but strategically cornered.

With Jimmy reclaiming the lead and himself sitting now in P2, Luca and engineers reached the same conclusion of boxing on the next lap. There was no sense in waiting any longer.

Down the lane, Trampos Racing was already in full readiness—pit crew crouched, tires prepped, and the bright red pitlane lights gleaming in invitation, waiting for their star.

Unlike the earlier extended halt, this one fully met Luca’s standards, the crew performing in lightning-time as new sets of Softs were attached.

Throughout the entire drive-through, Luca clicked his tongue, calculating the pace of his rivals, especially Luigi’s.

"...there’s tension here through all six kilometers of the Riyadh Zenith Circuit — you can almost feel it through the radio. Rennick’s out, it’s a rapid stop, but that focus..."

[45th Lap]

[Analyzing Ferrari (Z24) and host’s distance from 2nd Position]

[You are 3.5 seconds away, host.]

....

[Tire Temperature: Optimal Range Achieved]

[Grip Level: Stable]

....

[46th Lap]

[Analyzing Ferrari (Z24) and host’s distance from 2nd Position]

[You are 2 seconds away, host.]

"...What a show of pace from Rennick! The team will be absolutely thrilled with what they’re seeing here..."

"..he’s rivaling faster cars, better machinery... he always has! This is what makes the young man special...!"

"...Squadra Corse will have to be careful not to lose that P2. Antonio Luigi struggles to string the corners together as cleanly as Rennick does. Rennick gains gap from Ailbeart Moireach as he does to the champion...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

**Antonio, prioritize track position. Less committing, maintain consistent lines. Keep your toggles methodical**

"Understood," came Luigi’s reply.

The team understood the well-known drawback when the pace difference wasn’t in their favor.

Getting away only heightened the chase, so teams usually devised ways to influence the contender’s pace.

Slowing worked most of the time, as this forced them to brake more than intended, compromising their exits to avoid contact.

Once the driver’s approach had been manipulated, this set up a possible successful defense afterwards.

By Lap 47, Luca was a second and a half from Luigi, and he registered his rival’s team plan from the way the Mercedes was moving.

Lap 48, and Luca was behind Antonio Luigi with a much slower speed than before, Squadra Corse’s plan seemingly working.

But still, Luigi wasn’t as precise through the hairpins and chicanes as Luca, and by the following lap, it was only a matter of time before Rennick found an opening to slip through, the track’s satisfactory width giving him the chance.

"...It’s a tight duel here, folks! Luca closing in, inch by inch, the Mercedes defending, but the Ferrari’s patience and precision could tell a different story any second now..."

As the back straight opened up, Luca was set up with Luigi in the same manner and sector as he had with Marko earlier.

Last time, however, he hadn’t engaged DRS, leaving many to doubt whether he’d use it this time around.

He did.

With DRS engaged and a powerful slipstreaming boost, the W12 appeared like the F2 04 as the Z24 lunged beside it, poised perfectly for the next approaching kink.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

[2nd Position]

Luca officially claimed the position, but he wasn’t yet completely out of Luigi’s reach, the gap still precarious.

A fuming Antonio Luigi, unwilling to yield, fought for the inside line, diving into the high-speed kink and blocking Luca’s preferred racing line.

Both cars whipped through the section, one driver in control of his machine, the other, not!

Luca knew his race was already messed up by Luigi’s recklessness.

He tried to dash away, but the champion’s Mercedes glued itself to his own car, their contact pushing both cars off balance.

Hopelessly and still at high-speed, they began to leave the asphalt and move toward the barriers, sidepods locked together.

The moment both drivers collided with the barriers, a fiery explosion erupted, consuming their machines.