Luca practically jubilated when his system unexpectedly rewarded him with a point to his Intelligence attribute. It felt surreal, though perhaps he might have anticipated it. Seated at the desk in his cozy hotel room, Luca resembled a diligent steward, his attention laser-focused on the same Mandalora MP—this time, that of F2's replay. Lap after lap, he immersed himself in the intricacies of the race, predicting and refining his assumptions of every driver's maneuvers, even though the final winner was no mystery to him. What truly captivated him was mentally mapping out the obvious and subtle strategies, movements, and formations, since he had intimate knowledge of the capability of F2 04s and SomberCores. Unbeknownst to him, his Intelligence attribute had been on the cusp of leveling up. Now, it was proudly valued at 19.
Now it seems you're playing games with me, System, Luca mused, his thoughts briefly halting the race replay as his attributes displayed on the screen. Hmm, Strength must be getting close too. After everything I've been through this week, it can't be far behind.
Luca nodded as if to confirm his own theory. "This means I'll keep rotting my brain with all this," he muttered aloud, his gaze shifting to the left of the table where the massive telemetry book sat, its massive weight was a physical testament to the profound knowledge it contained.
Earlier that evening, Luca had joined the team for dinner in the hotel's expansive dining hall. A hearty dinner that everyone participated in to give a brief jubilation for holding the lead on the table this far. It was the first ever for Trampos Racing in its history. The air had been filled with jubilation, though not everyone shared the moment. Some weren't at the dining table. Ansel and Haas, for instance, were conspicuously absent. Haas's absence was a predictable occurrence, and Luca figured Ansel was probably too tired to make the effort to come down. He had briefly considered heading to Ansel's room to call him down but ultimately discarded the thought. Ansel's older than me, Luca rationalized. He's no child, and any action taken should be his decision. Resolving this in his mind, he had returned to the table, letting the team's cheerful energy pull him back into the moment.
Now, in the quiet solitude of his room, Luca sighed at the memory of the lively dinner. Rising to his feet, he prepared himself for what he knew would be a long night ahead. He was determined to push further in his Intelligence attribute, and what better way to fuel his focus than brewing a fresh pot of coffee?
Luca asked his system to fully list his profile while he wandered over to the small kitchenette to prepare his coffee.
[Hosts status generating....
[..... Generation completed]
[Personal Information:
Nationality: Italian ]
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[Physical Information:
Weight: 71 kg / 154 lbs
Body Fat Percentage: 10%
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Status: 2 year contract
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[Skills & Techniques: Total Grade - B
Straightaway Chopping:5
Spatial Awareness : 4
Slipstream Mastery: 3
Luca sighed, pouring the steaming coffee into his cup and gripping it firmly. Skipping any extras, he turned and walked back to his chair. He wanted more stats before the season ended—his grading needed to hit an A, with more skills mastered and maxed out. The season was nearing its conclusion, with only four GPs remaining.
Picking up his phone, Luca decided to check where he stood in the driver standings. Every now and then, he believed he needed to focus on his own progress, striving for personal victory.
PROVISIONAL DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (TOP5) Scroll for more.
Position | Team | Points
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1. | Max Addams | 127
2. | Ansel Hahn | 107
3. | Luca Rennick | 99
4. | Miles Bellingham | 82
5. | Sean Aaronson | 81
Max Addams still held the lead, while Luca had climbed from fifth to third after Ansel's and Miles' DNFs. Winning the next race could move him further up, though he'd still need Max to drop points to catch up. Luca sighed again, switching off his phone. This isn't easy, he thought.
Taking a quick sip of coffee, Luca reached for the telemetry book filled with detailed data from the last Mandalora MP. Flipping to the required pages, he restarted the race replay at lap 45. As the single-seaters wove skillfully around the track, Luca immersed himself in the analysis, cross-referencing the live footage with the telemetry charts. It was a demanding task requiring sharp focus and precision, but Luca found it engaging. He worked meticulously, unraveling the intricate relationships between driver movements and performance metrics.
By the end of the 72 laps, Luca exhaled heavily as he watched Dante Reyes cross the finish line first, claiming victory at Mandalora MP. Sean Aaronson followed in second, with Max Addams taking third.
Rubbing his tired eyes, Luca gulped down the rest of his coffee, then closed the hefty book and shut down his laptop. Rising from the chair, he slid it neatly under the table and walked across the room to draw the curtains. With his nightly routine complete, he prepared for bed. Within thirty minutes, he was sound asleep, slipping into a subconscious dream of winning the F2 Spanish Grand Prix. The following day was race day, and Luca knew he had to make the dream a reality if he truly wanted a shot at becoming the Formula 2 World Champion on the final race day of the season.
The Sprint Race was set to begin at 11:30 a.m., with drivers expected to arrive an hour or two beforehand.
Before 9 a.m., Circuito del Barca–Raval was already filled to 85% capacity and was sure to reach full attendance before late morning.
The roads leading to the circuit were crowded with people and strings of flags that traveled down deep into the city.