My Formula 1 System

Race Day: Oct. 17, Circuit du Soleil, Le Castellet, France.

The strongly anticipated Saturday arrived to kick off official action in the 11th round, though the 11th round had officially begun with the qualifying sessions held on Thursday and Friday for Formula 2 and Formula 1, respectively.

The starting grid was determined after a traditional fastest point qualifying session for the Formula 2 teams. Despite getting P3, Luca wasn't happy with his results on Thursday.

The qualifying session was as tough as ever, and with all drivers present on track simultaneously to achieve the fastest lap, it became even tougher—and dangerous.

The grid setup for this session followed the same structure as Riyadh's, where drivers were arranged alphabetically by their last names. However, instead of the usual descending order, this time it was in ascending order, effectively reversing the grid.

For instance, a driver named Zack Butcher, who would typically be in P30, now started at P1 for the session.

The purpose of this format was, once again, to ensure fairness, providing a balanced and transparent competitive environment, especially since the descending order had already been used previously.

Under this arrangement, Luca started at P7, Miles at P6, Max at P5, and Sean Aaronson at P3. Fortunately for Vlad Volyinski, he led the pack by starting first. Haas, however, wasn't so lucky, beginning at P21 simply because of his first name—Erik.

The structure didn't matter, though, because within the first minute of the session, all drivers bunched up with their cars, making it difficult to break away and achieve the fastest lap.

As the thirty-minute clock ticked down, breakaways began to emerge, and some drivers made impressive attempts. A fastest lap was set, only to be outpaced by another, and then outpaced again by a new contender.

The cycle continued until the times grew tighter, with the fastest lap becoming harder to beat. Sean Aaronson eventually set a strong limit of (1:41.456), outpacing Luca in the process.

Determined, Luca found a good opening to slice through the pack and pushed full throttle to attempt another lap. However, Max Addams had the same idea and exploited the same space. In the heat of qualifying, the two ended up dueling rather than focusing on achieving the fastest lap.

A soft contact occurred between Luca's right rear tire and Max's left front tire, sending both cars spinning onto the pristine grass of the beautiful circuit.

Grumbling, they both got back on track, but their momentum had completely dropped. That lap was a waste, and they had to restart fresh attempts.

Unfortunately, time wasn't on their side. As the thirty minutes ran out, the session crowned Sean Aaronson with pole for the French Grand Prix.

Luca learned later that, during that same lap, someone else had even outpaced his earlier score, snatching P2 from his grasp.

Sean Aaronson—1:40.711

Oliver Kristensen—1:40.854

Luca Rennick—1:41.456

After accumulating all results, the French Grand Prix grid had a unique structure, setting the stage for an exciting and challenging 55 laps.

P1—Sean Aaronson

P2—Oliver Kristensen

P3—Luca Rennick

P4—Miles Bellingham

P5—Vlad Volyinski

P6—Max Addams

P7—Benjamin Taubert

P8—Albert Derstappen

P9—Dani Walding Stay connected through empire

P10—Peter De Klerk

Well, Haas was just a fraction away from the top 10, his position on the grid today would be P12.

At the front of the pack, Luca stood out in red and black, surrounded by fierce rivals battling for every crucial point as the season neared its conclusion. While only Squadra, Velocità, and Trampos remained in contention for the constructors' title, the competition between drivers was far from over.

Fortunately for Luca, he had an edge over Miles, starting ahead on the grid, and was also three positions above Max Addams. That positioning could make all the difference. Sean Aaronson, who would lead the pack from pole, wasn't a significant threat in the constructors' race since Hatcherk Motorsport was already out of contention.

However, Aaronson remained a formidable competitor in the drivers' championship, making him a direct obstacle to Luca's personal ambitions.

The French Grand Prix was a race Luca simply couldn't afford to lose. He had to secure either P1 or P2—though P1 was clearly the goal. If he failed to finish in one of those positions, then based on the data he studied on TV last night, Max Addams would clinch the F2 drivers' championship immediately after this race.

That is, if Max finished P5 or higher.

Luca's result today was the only thing standing between Max Addams and an early championship victory—even before the Mega Prix.

This was why he'd been training relentlessly, simulating till his fingers hurt and his eyes ached. Mr. Moritz had to regulate him and ordered he limit simulating before race day.

All Luca was doing was his best, for himself and for Trampos. He hadn't come this far just for Max Addams to dominate and farm the Formula 2 competition.

Sophia and his mother would be present in the grandstands. They had already arrived in Paris, flown to Le Castellet, and would attend the race.

Like before, Luca would visit them after the race, which he planned to win and keep up the streak of winning whenever his mother was in the stands. Never would his mother be present and he'd fall short on track.

The Trampos fans needed something to cheer for—not just Trampos' thin lead in the standings. They would be satisfied and even happier if Luca managed a win today. After all, "25 points for Luca equals twenty-five points for Trampos, right?"

With loose Velcro straps, balaclava and helmet in one hand, phone and headphones in the other, Luca walked into the bustling garage after speaking with Trampos' strategists and his esteemed Team Principals.

Circuit du Soleil was filled to capacity, soft cheers ringing out as fans settled into their seats, bought snacks, and waved their flags under the dull sky. Luca nodded to the engineers fine-tuning the cars after the final Sprint Race of the season—one where Haas finished an impressive P3, though the top drivers hadn't participated, and Victor placed P7.

As for the Sprint Race being the last one, that was true, even though one round remained in the season.

The Federation had structured it that way, ensuring the Mega Prix had no accompanying Sprint Race. The goal was to make the Feature Race the sole focus, with no distractions leading up to the season's grand finale.

Without a Sprint Race, all attention would be on the final showdown, heightening anticipation and ensuring that every discussion, every strategy, and every moment of preparation revolved entirely around the Mega Prix.

Luca walked over to the bench he always used in the garage and sat down.

He set his #21 helmet and balaclava beside him, then connected his headphones to his phone and navigated to his music player.

The crew moved around, focused on their tasks, giving Luca his space.

Once he found the playlist he wanted, he tapped play, set his phone down, and picked up the headphones. Slowly, he placed them over his ears, the ear cups settling snugly against his head. The loud music instantly drowned out the roar of the crowd.

"...good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Formula 2 French Grand Prix!"

"WOOOOHH!"

"…Circuit du Soleil is anything but its meaning today. The sky is gray, and the sun is nowhere to be seen. The past week has been filled with storms and heavy downpours, and while the track is dry for now, there's still a lingering chill in the air. Let's hope we might get lucky in today's Feature Race and avoid any late surprises from the weather."

"...The eleventh round of the season comes to an end this afternoon, and then, onto the grand finale—the MEGA PRIX—the twelfth and final round! Jon, can you believe it? We are really wrapping up this season, and what a season it has been! From breathtaking overtakes to controversial clashes, every race has delivered its share of drama. And now, with the championship battle heating up, today's race could be the deciding moment for some of these drivers!... for Max Addams!"

"...P10, Peter De Klerk...!"

"...You're absolutely right, Steve! It feels like just yesterday we kicked off the season, and now here we are, one step away from the grand finale."

"...P9, Dani Walding...!"

"...P8, Albert Derstappen...!"

"...a beautiful track for racing today! Fifty-five laps, Le Castellet! Don't get fooled by the beauty of the track! Unfortunately, we have witnessed a lot of spinouts and crashes in past seasons. Let's hope this Grand Prix features top action without any danger to our esteemed drivers!"

"...P7, Benjamin Taubert...!"

"...P6, Max Addams...!"

"WOOOOHH!"

"...we have Max Addams at P6 and the Qatari Grand Prix winner, Albert Derstappen, at P8! A surprising grid structure! Whenever the grid looks like this, we always get what we never expected!"

"...Thirty drivers, fifty-five laps, Squadra, Velocità, and Trampos make the headlines. Luca Rennick is back in action in P3! Ansel Hahn, once again, doesn't make the lineup! This is the final GRAND PRIX of the season!"

"...P5, Vlad Volyinski...!"

"...P4, Miles Bellingham...!'

"...P3, Luca Rennick...!"

"WOOOOH!"

"...P2, Oliver Kristensen...!"

"WOOOOH!"

"...Pole Position, Sean Aaronson...!"

"WOOOOH!"

Luca glanced to his right, where a figure in a Trampos Veststar emerged, gripping his helmet tightly.

A wave of nostalgia surged through Luca.

For a fleeting second, he thought Haas was Ansel. But after blinking twice, his brain registered the difference.

Even so, Haas looked physically ready. His head was secured well in his balaclava, and his helmet was the final piece of gear to put on.

The number of people in the garage seemed to increase, and that was when Luca knew the time was nearing lights out.