My Formula 1 System-Chapter 424: A Top Driver Now

Luca apologized to Rodnick after the race. He did not apologize normally like a standard apology though. After hearing what Rodnick bellowed out loud and how he reacted to his DNF, Luca knew better than to come anywhere close, close enough for an apology. So instead, he headed over to his Twitt account, the box promptly asking him: "What's on your mind?"

An apology to his fellow Jackson Racing Driver whom he unfortunately collided with in the German Grand Prix, but he also incorporated his own honors that he won the race. He fixed in two photos of that wild afternoon in Bergwaldring, gave a quick cliché caption and then went on to the main context which was apologizing to Rodnick for ending his race in the most unprecedented manner ever.

He said it was a moment that, even though unintentional, had consequences he fully understood. He emphasized that he was sorry for the damage caused to Rodnick's efforts and that he recognized how it must have felt for Rodnick to be knocked out of the race so unexpectedly. He offered a humble note of reflection, saying he hoped Rodnick would find it in him to move past it eventually, while also promising to avoid similar incidents in the future. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Then also in that same Twitt, Luca bleakly thanked the home fans for the overwhelming reception they offered him throughout the 14th round. It was an unlively portion of the Twitt. Luca made sure that he specified "home fans" and "Germany," rather than "Trampos" even though the entirety of Germany were Trampos fans with no division amongst derby teams because there was no derby team.

Luca believed this iteration and his downbeat manner was going to get the job done. It would still show his gratitude to Germany for really ventilating their passion in such large scales like the fiesta they had just pulled off, conveying an important message to Jackson Racing that he had no approach to it.

Well, much to Luca's surprise, that Twitt skyrocketed in views, logs and engagement. Within two days, it entered the top 20 most engaged Twitts on the platform.

Why wouldn't it be?

Everyone had been eagerly awaiting this moment, so when Luca posted that Twitt, he was bombarded with both good and enemy. Although no rival driver in particular featured in the engagements, it was filled with Squadra Corse fans, Velocita, Trampos, and Jackson, who were at a loss for what to even advocate here. Apart from being called "traditore d'Italia," there were also more memes that had Mallow laughing when Luca showed him with a despondent face. By the third day, the Twitt broke the top 10 most engaged Twitts, and that was because two drivers had commented under, reviving it with another wave of fervor.

@yokouchiyu: "Impressive comeback, Luca. You handled that incident with grace. Respect!"

@anselhahn: "Bravo, Luca! You know I've been following your form since the start, and this is just the sort of brilliance I expect from you. Accidents happen in racing, but that win was all yours. Keep your head high! you deserve it."

Luca neither replied to them, but he tapped the like button, and decided it was time to let go of the 14th round. Everyone was calling him a fraud because it was unbelievable for a driver to clinch FIVE race wins in his first Formula 1 season. Some big journalists praised him, some criticized. Yet, at the end of it all, no one would take his 25 points from him, could they?

When Luca thought all the Twitt drama had finished and everyone could revert to the anticipation of the Spanish Grand Prix, Squadra Corse dropped another banger Twitt. This one didn't break the top 20 though, but the magnitude it carried sent an outsize ripple in the F1 motorsport community.

It turned out that Marko's DNF carried severe consequences for Squadra Corse, especially the way that Marko had collided with that runoff obstruction. Squadra's twitt was an official statement, announcing Marko Ignatova was seriously injured after his crash in Bergwaldring. He had injured his forearm specifically, the impact tearing the radial bone near the wrist, the fracture running obliquely across the bone and nearly displacing it. The violent jolt also compressed the nerves and tendons in his wrist, making it impossible for him to apply any significant pressure or hold the steering wheel firmly, something crucial in the highly demanding corners and heavy braking zones.

Squadra Corse also stated they were sad to announce it, but Marko would be missing the Spanish Grand Prix. The duration of the injury was yet to be discerned, but it was certain to them that he would miss the first race of the ember months.

A full week of Twitts like never before, as Marko also confirmed this injury with medical photos of himself and a short statement to assure Squadra Corse fans he would be back in a jiffy and perform even much better. But all what this did was break the heart of Squadra Corse fans even more and fuel their anger toward Luca into a boiling point, who was believed to be the cause of this entire dismay.

However, what made Squadra's twitt special wasn't because of Marko's injury announcement. What made it special was because in the same statement, Squadra announced who Marko's replacement in Spain would be. And you wouldn't believe it!

"…we are deeply saddened to share that Marko Ignatova will not be participating in the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix due to a forearm fracture and the subsequent nerve and tendon damage. However, we are proud to announce that Miles Bellingham, currently racing in Formula 2 with Squadra Corse Jnr, will step up to fill in for Marko during this critical round. Miles has shown immense promise and we trust he will rise to the challenge in Spain."

Luca had no idea that a junior team driver could be called up to race in the senior team. He had just inquired and researched, and it was only now that he was realizing this.

Junior team and senior team haven't truly been a thing since the start of Formula racing. It only evolved when the feeder series was founded and the need for teams spiraled. Big teams didn't really want to split administration, so an agreement was made with the FIA that some teams could have the privilege to participate in both F1 and F2, but with different structures; a senior team and a junior team.

The rule was that both teams would compete separately with different drivers. And technically, all drivers in the junior team were part of the senior team's roster, but think of their names as if they're in grey, unable to be fielded unless they were… promoted.

Miles wasn't promoted here, though. Rather, he was drafted in as a stand-in. Promotions must happen pre-season, while stand-in assignments happen midseason. This was another scenario where a current F2 driver could race in F1, in the case of an injured driver or a team crisis, just like Squadra claimed they were in now. However, the FIA only allowed one chance at this per driver, meaning the F2 driver could only be drafted in as a stand-in once per season. But if promoted, he would become an F1 driver permanently.

So, the Spanish Grand Prix was the only race Miles would partake in. Even so, it didn't make Luca any less stunned.

Miles?

A good old friend.

Miles was doing well in Formula 2, although it was already obvious Max would win the championship. Miles was currently sitting in P3, just a handful of points below Sean Aaronson in P2 and above Albert Derstappen in P4. Luca understood what Squadra meant by "immense promise."

But Luca wondered why the heck they didn't consider replacing Marko with one of their other drivers in the reserves. They had Milošević and Ranieri, yet they dipped their hands into Formula 2 and pulled out that scumbag. Was Miles all of a sudden better? Would they promote him next season?

Miles could actually come in and cause some trouble though, with Marko's Mercedes W15R BlackHalo in his hands. But he could only affect the Team Standings, since the points he would gather in Spain—no matter how big—wouldn't affect the Driver's Standings because it'd be his only points attainable.

Luca wondered how Miles felt anytime he saw or heard F1 news, with Luca's name dominating every channel and every source. Right now, many were discussing how he had just clashed with Luigi again for first place and how this could actually mean a title loss for the defending champion, Marcellus Rodnick.

Luca's 25 points in the German Grand Prix didn't secure him first place, but he came so close that he had just reminded Luigi he was a force to reckon with. Luigi might now need extra pillows and some teddy bears to hug tight when sleeping.

PROVISIONAL DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (TOP10)

Position | Team | Points

---------------------------------------

1. | Antonio Luigi | 186

2. | Luca Rennick | 184 (+1)

3. | Davide DiMarco | 161

4. | Ailbeart Moireach | 160

5. | Marcellus Rodnick | 134

6. | Luis Dreyer | 113

7. | Hank Rice | 96

8. | Marko Ignatova | 94

9. | Elias Nyström | 92

10. | Jimmy Damgaard | 82

Ansel finished in P8, Denko finished in P9 while Rice agonizingly made P10 again, his luck completely exhausted.

Ansel's P8 finish, which rewarded 4 points, was enough to lift Trampos away from the bottom of the standings to P9, sending Alpine to the depths. Haddock Racing were doing their best to hold on to the top five, particularly 4th place, since Outback was breathing down hard. But since they had the .25 now, it seemed Outback wouldn't match their pace anytime soon, and they could look forward to maybe breaking through Bueseno Velocità. It might seem impossible, but it was.

Still sitting at 1st place, the Silver Stallions. This was an accomplishment to be elated for; however, the Silver Stallions have not been happy for quite some time, Luca included.

PROVISIONAL CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (ALL 10)

Position | Team | Points

---------------------------------------

1. | Jackson Racing | 331

2. | Squadra Corse | 294

3. | Bueseno Velocità | 241

4. | Haddock Racing | 183

5. | Outback Perf. | 140

6. | Iberia Grand Prix | 118

7. | Nordvind Racing | 95

8. | Velox Hispania | 8

9. | Trampos Racing | 5 ↑

10. | Alpine Swiss F1 | 2 ↓

Amidst this drama, drear and melancholy, Luca found bliss in his system.

The Luca Rennick Grand Prix had marked his fifth official F1 race win, which in turn unlocked the Top Driver Bundle.

After receiving 2 Catalysts as his race win reward, the system proceeded with the level-up panel to transcend to the next stage of his endeavor.

[Mission Completed!]

[Host has accomplished 5/5 Official Formula 1 Race Wins.]

[Ding!]

[System Unlocking Activity Panel...]

[Activity Panel Unlocked]

[System Commencement In Progress...]

[System Activity Commenced!]

[Do you accept Top Driver Bundle?]

[Y / N]

[(YES) selected!]

[SYSTEM ONLINE...]

[ANALYZING DATA AND ATTRIBUTES...]

[Welcome.]

[Congratulations! The Top Driver Bundle will now be embedded into your Activity!]