An extreme battle for P1 could begin there and then between Luca and Aaronson as they dove into Turn 2, keeping good driving delta, the other drivers moving in sync like a snake.
Kristensen, now a second behind Luca after being pushed back, was still recovering from the rapid launch.
For a brief moment, he had expected Luca to receive a penalty for jumping the start before the lights disappeared, but no such penalty came. His team engineers quickly reassured him that Luca's burst was fair and was right on time.
Determined not to lose another podium spot, Kristensen became fully aware of Miles closing the gap.
He had no shot at the final trophy—neither did Retona—but that didn't mean he wouldn't fight for a win or a podium finish just like he had in Qatar.
Every driver had something to gain: bonuses, pride, and personal achievements, even if no trophy awaited them.
So, while the title race had narrowed to just a few contenders, the overall competition hadn't diminished. If anything, it had intensified.
Drivers like Aaronson, despite having no title hopes for his team, would still do everything in their power to keep rival teams from scoring big.
Such was the paradox of sport.
"...Sean Aaronson maintains the lead out of Turn 4, it's a soft race here but the tension is high as Luca Rennick aims to take P1!"
[Analyzing Dallara (F2 04) and host's distance from 1st Position]
[You are 1 seconds away, host.]
**Max Addams in P5** Mr. Colt chimed into the radio, alerting Luca about both he and Trampos' major threat to the championship trophy.
"...Max Addams takes the inside line as well and rounds past Vlad Volyinski! Bad from the Retona boys there! Same fate to both drivers, and Velocità's Max Addams moves to P5!"
[3rd Position closing in]
Luca was certain Kristensen would be bummed and angry because of what just happened at the start. And as they made it into Turn 4, the first straight approaching, Luca anticipated him to make a move.
[Analyzing 3rd Position's distance from host and Dallara (F2 04)...]
[3rd Position is 1 sec away, host.]
[System's prediction: that value might remain constant]
Luca wanted to shrug off Kristensen's looming threat and go straight for an early lead. But deep down, he knew pushing too hard too soon in a 55-lap race wasn't the smartest idea.
He was running on soft tires, and his F2 Dallara chassis wasn't built for the same durability as the more advanced F1 cars.
So, he decided to dial back his aggression, pacing himself carefully. The last thing he needed was to draw unnecessary heat from the entire pack—although, let's face it, he was already in the spotlight after his big return.
Even so, being the collective target of the grid wasn't ideal. Luca needed the others to fight each other just as much as they fought him. Only then could he exploit an opening and make his move.
[420m Straightaway ahead]
"...Aaronson exits Turn 4 still in the lead! The race may have just started, but Luca Rennick is right on his tail, already threatening to snatch P1!"
"...Kristensen, though, isn't backing down either! He's within a second of Luca, and with that first straight ahead, he's got one goal—activate DRS and reclaim what he lost at the start!"
[3rd Position is 1 sec away, host.]
[System's prediction: that value would reduce not in your favour]
"Ah? DRS? It's too early for that, mate, isn't it?!"
Luca held back the urge to engage his own DRS as he sped down the short straight as fast as he could in pursuit of Aaronson, who was tilting into Turn 5.
A one second delta was too close for Luca to hinder Kristensen's offence. He maintained composure as Kristensen's violet Dallara slipped in to his right before the right-hander, and made Turn 5 first.
"...Oliver Kristensen at P2!"
Luca watched as Kristensen's brake lights flashed, his rear wing snapping shut—DRS disengaged.
That was an unnecessary use of DRS this early, Luca thought.
How many pit stops had Retona planned for him? If three, they might need to consider a fourth after that wasteful activation.
[4th Position closing in]
"Calculate distance. That's Miles."
[Analyzing 4th Position's distance from host and Dallara (F2 04)...]
[4th Position is 1.5 sec away, host.]
[System's prediction: that value might remain constant]
A 1.5-second gap was solid for this stage of the race. Mr. Ruben advised him to keep it steady while also praising him for unsettling Kristensen.
Luca had forced him to reveal his desperation, his fragility, his hunger for the front. Mr. Ruben also assured Luca Kristensen won't be in P2 for long.
For now, keeping Miles from claiming P3 was more important than chasing P2 again.
Aaronson and Kristensen's teams were already out of the title fight, but Miles' Squadra Corse Jnr wasn't. Shutting him down first seemed like the smarter play. Once that was handled, Luca could make his move again.
It seemed like a good on-track plan, and Luca liked it.
He followed closely behind Kristensen as they approached the sharp Turns 5 and 6—a chicane that marked the first real test of Solaris' treacherous design.
Luca's eyes sharpened as Kristensen's car veered toward the bottleneck of the curve, his tires biting into the grass and shredding its pristine surface.
For a split second, Luca thought this might be Kristensen's early downfall. But despite the near misstep, Kristensen managed to hold his line, recovering just in time to flow behind Aaronson into the next turn.
Luca, on the other hand, navigated the arc with pure finesse.
He could feel the problems Kristensen encountered with that bottleneck, as if his rear tires wanted to move the opposite and ignore the front tires' direction.
However, his high stats ensured that unless he was caught in a direct battle, being hunted down, or under extreme pressure, no track—regardless of its complexity—could shake him or his car, literally.
If it could be driven, he would drive it.
Luca's smoother navigation had broken the one second gap, bringing him to just under a second behind Kristensen. Still, he made no aggressive moves, keeping both the team's strategy and the upcoming Solaris track layout in mind.
[400m Cliff Straightaway ahead]
**Maintain downforce**
"…Sean Aaronson leads the pack onto the Drop! The track slopes down!"
From the grid up to this point, the track had been gradually rising—so subtly that the drivers barely noticed. Even though they had all Track Walked Circuit du Soleil before the race, experiencing this descent at high speed was another level entirely.
Aaronson was already vanishing from sight, barreling down the slope, while Kristensen had just crested the top. Luca followed close behind, applying his brakes as advised.
[You have reduced speed.]
As Luca reached the peak, a fleeting sensation of standing atop the world washed over him.
In a millisecond, he took in the rolling green valleys and mist-covered cliffs in the distance, the glittering Mediterranean channels below—before snapping his focus back to the race.
Kristensen had finished his descent with blistering speed. Aaronson was already attacking the next curves.
Luca let go of both throttle and brake.
Braking mid-descent could send the car into an uncontrollable somersault—something he had been specifically warned against.
Instead, he allowed gravity to pull him down at nearly 350 km/h.
Yes, this was where many had lost control and scored zero points.
[System detects loss of speed control.]
[Host is involuntarily moving at 310 km/h.]
Luca's car slashed through the air as it rocketed downward. The moment he felt his tires regain grip, he carefully pressed the brake, resisting the urge to slam it down, avoiding the fatal somersault.
By the time he reached Turn 7, his speed had dropped to 210 km/h and he had control. Another track structure mastered.
Trampos crew clapped watching Luca enter Turn 7. The slope straight was a huge problem and they were glad he'd navigated it with no signs of hesitation while at the top.