My Formula 1 System-Chapter 338: Brazilian Grand Prix. 7

Luca finally made his first pitstop of the afternoon at Lap 32—a very late stop given the conditions. In fact, he was the last to pit.

Despite his tires holding up better than expected, Luca had started to feel the effects of the wet track. He experienced occasional hydroplaning, and his system kept flashing warnings that the tires were on their last legs. If he didn't pit soon, he risked much more severe consequences.

As the rain intensified, the patter of the droplets growing louder and heavier, Luca could already tell those consequences were fast approaching. The slippery track was only going to get worse.

Mr. Berry commended Luca for his skill in managing the tires up to this point. He acknowledged how well Luca had handled the conditions but reminded him to take the same level of care with the new wets now fitted to his car.

Analysis: Wets ideal for current track conditions—optimal grip for wet surface detected.

P1— Antonio Luigi

P2— Marcellus Rodnick

P3— Elias Nyström

P4— Davide DiMarco

P5— Marko Ignatova

P6— Luca Rennick ←

P7— Luis Dreyer

P8— Ailbeart Moireach

P9— James Lockwood

P10— Hank Rice

Luca rejoined the race in P6, still in a decent position but now far from the top five, which was packed with the big names. The race had reached that familiar stage where the gaps between cars widened—up to three seconds between each, making overtakes more challenging.

As Marko rejoined from the pit lane, he slotted into a gap, splitting the difference between DiMarco and the rest of the pack. Luca did much the same, but even though he was now in P6, the gap to Marko was still significant. And behind him, Dreyer was facing his own struggle to close the distance.

[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host's distance from 5th Position]

[You are 3.5 seconds away, host.]

[Analyzing 7th Position's distance from host and Ferrari (JRX-92B)…]

[7th Position is 2.5 sec away, host.]

The race was stalling, and positions remained static, frustrating for any racer who craved action. But Luca, for now, was actually content. In fact, he was happy! Take a look at that Sync Bar now.

[Slipsense & Rainborne +1]

[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 87.5%]

From Luca's calculations, all he needed was one more in-race Skill EXP to complete the Sync Bar, then he'd have a one-way ticket to the top of the Brazilian Grand Prix leaderboard.

Of all the skills in both his and the car's arsenal, Slipsense & Rainborne had the highest potential for a quick upgrade, thanks to the current track conditions. The wet track had given Luca a golden opportunity to enhance the Skill again and again.

Now it was officially raining. Anyone could call it rain now, because it was raining. The drizzle had stopped, the clouds had opened like a maw pouring down all it had.

"...Oh my, it's now raining—really raining out there! The heavens have well and truly opened at Interlagos! That drizzle we saw earlier? Gone. It's a proper downpour now, folks, and the track is turning into a river! Those clouds have unleashed everything they've got, and it's chaos on the circuit...!"

"...Pneus de chuva são agora obrigatórios para todos os carros devido à chuva intensa em todo o circuito....!"

"...Wet tires are now mandatory for all cars due to heavy rain across the circuit..."

Every driver was now equipped with wet compounds, so the race control announcement was clearly intended to ensure that even during the next round of pitstops, all drivers would swap wets for fresh wets to handle the deluge.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

**Luca, it's pouring out there—stay focused, wet tires are still mandatory next stop** a different engineer urged over the radio.

"Got it," Luca shot back with a grin, marveling at how Slipsense & Rainborne was dominating the chaos. "This rain's my turf—let's dial it up and chase down P1!"

"....40th Lap in this Brazilian Grand Prix...!"

"…40ª volta neste Grande Prêmio do Brasil…!"

[40th Lap]

[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host's distance from 5th Position]

[You are 1.8 seconds away, host.]

This was precisely where Luca's Slipsense & Rainborne was proving to be a game-changer. It wasn't just about handling the slick track from earlier laps, brushing off droplets, or clearing the spray kicked up by rivals clouding his view.

It was this.

While other drivers wrestled with the flooded track, their tires splish-splashing, struggling for grip, and flirting with hydroplaning, Luca was slicing through, closing gaps, and picking off positions.

With S & R now at (11), he was undeniably the strongest performer in wet conditions—his award from last year was proof of that.

A wave of nostalgia washed over Luca as he recalled when Slipsense & Rainborne was just at (3). It might be the fastest leap in impact he'd ever seen in any Skill.

"...absolutely stunning driving on the perilous track from Rennick! He's charging out of Turn 3, hot on the heels of Marko Ignatova, who earlier dominated this race. Both drivers are locked in a fierce duel now—!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host's distance from 5th Position]

[You are 1 seconds away, host.]

"...an electrifying battle for the top five as Luca refuses to let the pressure from the opposing fans slow him down. Marko Ignatova seems primed to hold his ground, but everyone can see who's carrying the unstoppable momentum…"

The rain hammered down, turning Interlagos into a glassy maze of reflections and spray as Marko hugged the inside of Turn 4. He barely escaped Luca on the straight.

Marko's tires kicked up a geyser of water that blurred Luca's visor, but Slipsense & Rainborne remedied that accordingly. Luca then swung to the outside, trusting his Gripper to hold the line. His Ferrari tilted just the same time Marko dived into Turn 5.

It was too late now to make any moves within these two turns, so Luca followed behind.

At least, the gap was down to half a second.

**Stay patient, Luca** his engineer warned. **Straight's coming**

Turn 5's exit opened up to the next straight, the same one that cut right through the circuit. Luca caught a glimpse of some of those defaming banners of himself still raised up high. He chuckled, trying to brush it off his temporal memory, though it still disturbed him.

Marko floored the straight, eager to get away from the relentless storm—not the rain, but Luca. However, Luca tucked right into his slipstream, the system flashing.

[Slipstream Status: ENGAGING]

Car <— Approaching Slipstream (Minimal aerodynamic effect)

Car <<— Partial Lock (Drag reduction increasing)

Car <<<— LOCKED IN (Maximum slipstream advantage)

[Overtake Window: Optimal]

The drag reduction was glorious—his Ferrari felt like it had wings. Water sprayed off Ignatova's tires, pelting Luca's helmet, but he didn't blink!

The crowd was a blur in the grandstands, their screams drowned by the engine's howl and the rain's hiss as Luca's rear wings mechanically flipped open.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"

Marko jinked left, trying to block, but Luca was already ready. He feinted right, then darted back left, keeping his line clean.

"You don't have to make this dirty bro," Luca said.

"...He's got him..!" For the first time in a while, Luca heard an English commentator bellow in the distance.

[Turn type: Tight Right-hander ] [Angle: 70°] [Braking Point: 120 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 110 km/h] [Optimal Apex: inside curb]

This was Turn 7 and Luca had slipped to the space beside Marko, Side-by-Side King beginning its work.

Luca knew after Turn 7 came the drop to Turns 8, 9 and 10, all a chicane—the Serpente de Cascata. It was an S-shaped descent, slopy and uneven, with cambers that could spit you out in the dry, let alone in this deluge.

Water cascaded down the hill, pooling at Turn 9's apex, where Yūichirō had wrecked earlier. Barriers loomed close, their steel glinting wetly.

Luca knew he had to take the chicane first. Every driver knew when navigating the chicane, you had to be alone and undisturbed.

Marko knew this as well, so he glanced in his mirrors. Without Slipsense & Rainborne, you can vividly picture the fog and blur in his visor. He could see Luca's Ferrari glued to his side and he had just begun to feel as though the fog in his visor had seeped into his mind.

As a driver with smart Racecraft, Marko decided to save his race.

That chicane was a death trap in this rain. The uneven asphalt, the water pooling at Turn 9, the S-shape tightening into Turn 10's exit—if they went in side-by-side, one of them was kissing the barriers. Maybe both. Ignatova had led this race earlier; he wasn't about to throw it away on a reckless gamble.

Then Ignatova made his choice. His brake lights glowed earlier than expected, just before the descent into Turn 8.

"Smart move, brother," Luca whispered.

"…Luca Rennick's a ticking bomb out there, folks! He's so close to Ignatova, one slip could spark a crash! That's why Marko eased off before that deadly chicane—too risky with Luca hunting him down! This kid's Rainsense is unreal, turning the wet track into his stage! P5 now, and who's next for Rennick's reign....?"

[5th Position]