My Formula 1 System-Chapter 625: S3 South African Grand Prix. 3

Once again, Luca delivered a phenomenal performance, just as he had in the previous race. Even better this time.

If he kept being goated, the racing world wouldn’t get enough of him. And to think that this was only the sunrise of his career, was unsettling.

From P3 to P1 in just two laps was staggering even by Rennick’s own standards, a climb that was so unexpected, many analysts even overhyped it to another ceiling.

What made it truly remarkable was how he did it, and Luca was proud of himself.

Not Sync Buff, but Racer’s Ascendancy.

It wasn’t his car that was faster; it was he who was... better.

This was pure skill comprehension.

At Level 3, Luca achieved the longest and most effective focus window of his career, locking into a state of clarity that allowed him to carve a flawless path from the rear of Buoso Di Renzo to the very front of Ailbeart Moireach.

If he could execute this in 4.556 min, then perhaps there was no real, practical gulf between Sync Buff and a Resonance after all.

Di Renzo and Ailbeart barely touched his air, let alone his wheels. No duel emerged because Luca threaded the lines smoothly and with chilling determinacy.

How deadly would he be at Level 9?

At some point, Luca could become just as explosive as he was with Sync Buff.

P1— Luca Rennick

P2— Ailbeart Moireach

P3— Buoso Di Renzo

[Reflexes +4]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 37.5%]

[Sync Multiplication applied!]

"...You could argue that Moireach and Di Renzo were a little lenient there—tyres worn, pit lane just around the corner, no reason to risk it all in a compromised phase of the race..."

"...But let’s be clear, that context doesn’t erase what happened. Rennick didn’t sneak through—he’d been utterly competent since lights out.."

"...he shut the door on Ignatova completely. Luigi couldn’t answer. Di Renzo couldn’t respond. Moireach didn’t even get the chance. One by one, they’ve all fallen into his wake. He’s at the top now, and make no mistake—Luca Rennick is taking everyone down...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

**Outstanding drive—P1 is yours. That was clinical, exactly what we needed**

**Heads-up, box this lap. Box, box. Target marks are good, brakes forward on entry. Keep it clean on the way in**

Time was of the essence for a quick stop for Luca.

For the past few laps, the Z24’s systems warned of power unit glitch emergence.

This was detrimental to a driver, but fortunately, residual intelligence from his system allowed Luca to manage acceleration and energy deployment, though it wasn’t reliable long-term.

A power unit glitch could lead to sudden torque loss, overheating, or erratic throttle response.

On a high-speed straight, that was potentially catastrophic.

Cause of the problem?

Likely a fault from assembly, a team-side error rather than driver.

Switching into the pit lane, Luca sought refuge in his team’s garage.

Once he boxed, the team jumped into action.

Tires were swapped swiftly, while physical inspection of the hybrid unit, including battery and control electronics, was conducted.

Telemetry engineers also recalibrated the software for manual power mapping. So, the pitstop ran slower than ideal.

Eventually, Luca gripped the wheel and launched out of stagnation, race-focused.

The power unit fix was not definite, more of a restraint than a cure, meaning his race demanded some caution hereof. Still, as he rejoined the order, nothing about his driving suggested retreat. He was back in the order, and he wasn’t slowing down.

P7— Luca Rennick ←

"....Rennick rejoins in P7, and that’s a rare sight when he’s been running at the front. Trampos committing to the early stop here, and you have to wonder if they’re chasing an undercut, or had fixed an issue before it exploded..."

"...The pack is starting to shuffle now, pit windows opening everywhere. Rennick slots in behind Ailbeart. Give it some time, and the race is only getting sharper..."

P7— Max Addams ↑

P8— Luca Rennick ↓

P7 became P8 almost instantly. Luca dropped into the wake of none other than Max Addams.

Cold tyres, weaker momentum out of the pit exit—there was no hiding from it. The car felt numb for a split second, like it needed convincing again.

Luca didn’t fight it, though. He knew how the game worked, and Max had perfectly placed his cards at the right moment.

He focused. Behind, P9 was Denko, and he wasn’t the kind of driver you should ignore.

’Damnit.’

Was the early stop worth it?

In theory, yes. Grant expected Luca to have clean air later and a favorable upfield position in no time. But theory didn’t account for how little pace the others seemed to lose while staying out.

At a point, the balance Luca aimed for would’ve been totally skewed.

[P9 closing in]

Denko began to show his nose. He tried feints first, before attempting quick runs, but Luca defended even while he was tasked with warming his tires and balancing his pace.

This chaos, made it very difficult to find that edge of Racer’s Ascendancy again. Too much noise. Too many threats.

In this race, everyone was competent. Final positions at the end would be well-deserved. At the same time, it would hurt more for those who thought they’d have done better or had been robbed.

[Corner Chopping + 8]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 50%]

[Sync Multiplication applied!]

Down the straight, Luca began to ramp up his speed, finally getting his full pace two laps later, and moving two free positions up. Apparently, others were taking their stops. The plan could be working.

Rutherford stayed glued to his mirrors, but Luca wasn’t as disturbed now.

He used the moment of calm to deduce Trampos’ total points tally from this race—or more accurately, his total points tally from this race since Victor hardly ever contributed.

P6 for Luca

P11 for Victor.

With some elbow grease, effort, and genuinely smart racing, Victor still had a path into the top ten, though he hadn’t made his stop yet.

At least, the pace he was showing suggested he could rejoin right on the edge of points, and that’s all that mattered.

A top-ten finish would be proof, leverage against his own team already planning to phase him out. Through his visor, you could see it in his eyes. He was fighting seasoned rivals, drivers with more years of experience, and he wasn’t yielding an inch.