My Formula 1 System-Chapter 492: Pre-S3 Qatar Grand Prix. 2

Way before the arrival of the teams that afternoon at the Lusail International Circuit for the Qualifiers of the third round of the season, Haddock Racing and Squadra Corse were very much aware of the clashing situation concerning the potency of the supercars and the unique features of a night race.

They had weighed their options and drafted backup strategies in their quiet halls and digital briefings. They analyzed the risks the cooler desert air and lower track temperatures could pose to the mercurial HiCE-powered machines.

But being the smart teams they were, neither of them voiced their concerns nor disclosed their intentions early. It was a cleverly crafted and cunning move as they made their plans known only moments before the Qualifiers began, right there in the pitlane.

The core goal was to take their main rivals and generally other teams off guard and strip them of the valuable time needed to adjust their race strategies. In doing so, Haddock and Squadra hoped to unsettle the fragile planning webs of midfield and rising teams who might dare to close the gap now that the W12 and .25 wouldn’t be on the grid come Sunday.

So, even though other teams were thrilled that the competitive beasts—the W12 and R.S.25—wouldn’t feature on Sunday, there wasn’t much time to fully compass a new favoring strategy. The announcement had come too late in the day, and with Qualifiers about to begin, most teams had to stick with their original setups and hopes, lacking enough room to adjust their car balance or tyre programs to truly capitalize on the sudden shift.

But Luca, who had all he needed stored in his system, didn’t need a few days to re-strategize. He was fully ready, equipped, and blessed with the mindset to make the best of the supercars’ absence.

This fearlessness and his accompanying vigor, was what claimed him his first pole position of the season that afternoon!

Unchallenged. Untouched. Unshaken.

Luca had a perfect clean sweep by attaining the fastest lap in all three qualifying rounds!

Q1 — Luca Rennick 1:22.540

Q2 — Luca Rennick 1:23.121

Q3 — Luca Rennick 1:24.522

**YES LUCA! YESSS!! THAT’S A BLOODY LOCKOUT!**

**WHAT A DRIVE, WHAT A DRIVE, MY MAN! P1 IN ALL THREE SESSIONS—YOU ABSOLUTE MACHINE!**

**POLE SECURED! POLE SECURED!**

Luca had proven to the world that pure talent could still slice through the mechanical dominance that HiCEs were beginning to force upon the sport. The High-Intensity Combustion Engines had become the dividing line, creating an unnatural hierarchy where only those with super-enhanced machines could compete at the front. novelbuddy-cσ๓

But here he was, in a regular chassis, dragging the soul out of every apex, proving that the man behind the wheel still mattered!

Luigi couldn’t help but stare at him as he performed his signature celebration atop the Z24. Luigi himself had made P5, an outcome that thoroughly shocked him, but he chose not to dwell too much. Since Ailbeart Moireach made P7, schadenfreude overwhelmed him, and he felt he didn’t perform too bad then.

But seeing Luca claim pole so easily with that poor, unimportant Ferrari, Luigi couldn’t help but wonder if he would make P1 in the race and extend his already surprising lead in the standings.

"Hee-HO! Hee-HO! Hee-HO!" RAH-rah, RAH-rah—HEY!"

"Hee-HO! Hee-HO! Hee-HO!" RAH-rah, RAH-rah—HEY!"

Trampos celebrated that afternoon in their garage like they had just won the Qatar Grand Prix. Luca’s pole win was massive and so was Victor’s stunning P12! This was by far one of the smoothest qualifiers ever!

Where were the super drivers now?!

Where were the monster machines and their glowing stats?!

Where was that unbeatable top speed they flaunted?!

-----

Race Day: Mar. 10, Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Doha, Qatar.

"....Welcome to race day in Doha! The sun has dipped, the floodlights are alive, and under the glowing Qatari night sky, the third round of the season is about to ignite! The Lusail International Circuit stands in anticipation, bathed in artificial brilliance, as tension coils through every garage, every cockpit, and every grandstand seat...."

"...Three races in, and already this season is breathing with chaos, brilliance, and backlash. Squadra Corse still lead the Constructors’ Championship on 56 points, but Haddock Racing is now right on their tail with 49 after an incredible showing in Austria. Trampos Racing, the underdog story powered by the unrelenting fire of Luca Rennick, sit third on 40. Bueseno Velocità have pushed their way into fourth, while Outback Performance despite the valor, are slowly slipping...."

"...The landscape of tonight’s Grand Prix couldn’t be more different from what we saw in Bahrain and Austria. With no HiCEs in play, the monstrous speed advantage of the super drivers has been neutralized. For the first time this season, the field breathes on more equal ground—no longer racing in fear of the untouchable few. What we’re in store for... is a FIGHT....!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

"...Expect fierce wheel-to-wheel clashes, closer deltas, and real, grinding competition through the corners..."

"...And quietly, this marks the second missed race for Davide DiMarco following that violent tangle back in the season opener. Matteo Bianchi still replaces and he would hope for a better race unlike the last. Still, no points for the team so far except from Jimmy Damgaard who sits in P2 tonight...!"

The Qatar Grand Prix, the most unpredictable race of the season, had arrived. And honestly, Luca was amazed at the sight of Lusail International Circuit at night!

During the Qualifiers, he hadn’t even been aware that the entire track had been lined with embellishing lights along the barriers, so when viewed from above, the track’s outline would glow alongside the other buildings in the venue.

Like other night circuits, things like arrows indicating lane changes scintillated too, but so far, Lusail was the first circuit Luca had ever encountered to feature floating blue and pink holograms of the drivers in action poses. It was very cool!

Even more stunning was the reactive lighting system installed across the grandstands. Whichever team was leading, that side of the stadium would immediately flood with their primary color, pulsing and glowing as if the fans themselves were part of the live leaderboard!

[Generating track layout...]

[... successfully generated]

[

T4——T5 T7┐ T12—T13

| | | T8 | |

| | | └–T9—T10—T11 |

T3┐ T6—┘ |

┌T2 ┌T15———T14

T1————————T16

]

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