Ansel took one backward glance at his wrecked car before grumpily letting the marshals guide him off the track to safety. His right elbow ached after the sickening hit into the barricade, but it didn't hurt as much as the pain in his heart.
Murmurs filled the crowd, though there were distinct chants from Bueseno Velocità Jnr and Squadra Corse Jnr fans. After all, traveling all the way to Hungary and witnessing a rival's Dallara crash was more than a thrill.
Luca was still right behind the safety car, weaving slightly to maintain tire temperatures and alternating brake applications to keep the brakes warm. He couldn't shake the image of the collision, replayed on the big screen for everyone to see.
It was obvious Ansel aimed high at that moment, and Miles had no choice but to keep driving forward into the path where Ansel's trajectory was meant to cut through. The screech and thud followed.
The safety car led the pack through the circuit at a controlled pace while the track marshals worked swiftly. The barricade was deeply dented, and it took some time to detach the car, clear the shattered carbon fiber, and reset the barriers.
**Safety car coming in this lap** Moritz announced to Luca, his gaze moving to Ansel, who was approaching their garage with the medical wardens. **Get ready for the restart. You'll control the pace until the line**
Luca nodded silently, his focus sharpening as he noticed the subtle shift in the safety car's movements. He took a quick glance at his car's Operational Status and overall data. Everything was good to go, considering this was still just the first lap.
With Ansel's DNF, Trampos' strategy was out the window, and it was now down to Luca to defend and maintain P1 for the next 61 laps—if that was even possible.
Luca had one less ally on the field and was left to fend off every rival behind him. The only driver in red and black, his chassis screamed insecurity, and even the most mediocre drivers would be eager to exploit that.
"...and the safety car is slowly peeling away into the pit lane. Luca Rennick will now take over the field and guide the drivers through the finish line. Let's resume this Grand Prix, shall we?"
"...most certainly. With a good driver like Hahn out of this race, we can expect more faces battling for that top five, and I think that's what we might enjoy the most here..."
Luca was now in control, dictating the speed of the pack. Behind him, Max Addams calculated his attack, ready to pounce once the grid cleared. Miles wasn't far behind either, poised for any opportunity to reclaim lost ground.
Meanwhile, the Trampos team crew rushed to meet Ansel as he neared the paddock. One of them offered him a seat, and though his first instinct was to kick it aside in sheer frustration, he clenched his jaw, swallowed his irritation, and dropped heavily into it.
His hands trembled slightly as he fumbled with his gloves, tugging them off before tearing his helmet free. Without a second thought, he hurled the helmet to the side. The loud thud it made on the concrete echoed through the quiet paddock.
That didn't stop the medical wardens from carrying out their job as they attended to his elbow meticulously and gave him some glucose solution. After applying abrasions, they cleaned the area with antiseptic, administered more glucose solution, and provided instructions to Trampos' medical crew on what to do afterwards, before they quickly took over.
"...and we've resumed here in Hungary...!" The English commentary broke through the silence, followed by other excited commentary in other languages, snapping Ansel's attention to the screens. "...a begrudging first lap; let's hope for a much safer race..."
[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 37.5%]
Luca had just realized that his Sync Bar was already nearing the halfway mark, and it was only the second lap. While things weren't looking great for Trampos as a whole, his own prospects in Hungary were shaping up well.
The next notification from his system made his heart leap with joy.
[Host has maxed Track Awareness Skill!]
[You have unlocked a Skill:
-Slipstream Mastery: 2 ]
Luca's eyes widened in excitement. Oooooh, that sounds effective.
[Slipstream Mastery is a skill that enhances your ability to utilize the slipstream effect more efficiently, allowing you to close the gap between yourself and the car ahead with minimal drag. It increases drafting efficiency by 10–50%, enabling higher acceleration and speed gains while in the slipstream.]
[Additionally, it reduces ERS consumption during by 5–15%, preserving power for overtakes, and enhances your ability to unsettle the opponent ahead by 5–15%, pressuring them into defensive errors or compromising their racing line.]
Wow. This is quite a great skill, Luca thought aloud. The higher the value of Slipstream Mastery, the more efficiently he could use the air resistance—or lack thereof—created by the car ahead. With it, Luca could tuck in behind a rival, shaving off drag and gaining speed without wasting extra energy. It wasn't just about being faster, though. The skill also meant he'd use less ERS while in the slipstream, saving valuable power for important overtakes later on.
"Any special steps on how to execute it?" Luca asked.
[Retrieving Data on Slipstream Mastery...]
[Execution of Slipstream Mastery:
–Position your car directly behind a rival to reduce drag
–Maintain a consistent gap to maximize speed gain
–Monitor energy usage to conserve ERS while drafting
–Prepare for an overtake by timing your exit from the slipstream
–Use aerodynamic advantage on straights and long curves
–Avoid turbulence when exiting the slipstream to maintain control]
Luca nodded, taking in the information. He had managed to hold onto P1 for as long as he could after Ansel's crash, managing to even unlock a new skill.
[2nd Position closing in]
Luca's defense in Hungary was just getting started. As they hit the first short-lengthed straight, Max Addams capitalized on his slipstream and even boosted himself with DRS. Upon the next curve, their cars intertwined, Luca losing P1 but reclaiming it easily within the same turn as they exited.