The fourth round of the championship was fast approaching as the month neared its end. The calendar marked the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, set in the heart of its capital, Baku. Luca had no idea such a country even existed, and he was eager to discover what it looked like and how its people interacted. From the television screens, one could hardly grasp how vast the cities were that hosted these races.
Baku National Circuit was the venue—an average track in the opinion of most. With its 50 laps, the climate was mild, with precipitation that was relatively average and predictable. Luca couldn't help but wish he could race on such a track.
But he would not. Number 21, Luca Rennick, would instead be in the paddock that afternoon.
Before the voyage to Azerbaijan could begin, Luca dove into the program set out by his System, training rigorously under Mr. Grant's guidance and continuing his morning exercises with Amir. His first task was to learn about the current Formula 2 generation before moving on to hours of race footage.
A quick, effortless search yielded detailed information about all fifteen teams, their sponsors, and drivers. It was a surprisingly extensive list, featuring over 60 Formula 2 drivers, many of whom Luca could now identify easily after participating in two races.
Luca's gaze lingered on the most prominent teams as he scanned through the profiles, absorbing every face, name, age, team role, and, most importantly, their personal achievements.
Bueseno Velocità Jnr.
Out of everyone, the most decorated driver was Max Addams, as the data made clear to Luca. The Canadian had built an impressive record to reflect on. Over his four years in Formula 2, the 24-year-old had amassed 30 podium finishes, secured 14 race wins, and placed in the top five of the championship standings for three consecutive seasons. Overall, Max Addams was the powerhouse of Bueseno Velocità. His consistency in securing pole positions always worked to his advantage during races.
Recollecting the fact that he had outpaced such a veteran made Luca smile. The reigning F2 champion, no less.
After studying the data intently, Luca formed a personal hierarchy of the most decorated drivers currently competing. Notable names like Denko Rutherford and Dante Reyes had already transitioned to the main division, but among those remaining, Luca placed Max Addams at the top of his list, followed by Aaronson, Derstappen, and then his own teammate, Ansel.
This ranking wasn't based solely on last season's final standings, which were indeed similar. Instead, Luca meticulously considered the drivers' achievements and concluded that these were the very best in the field.
In the previous season, Bueseno Velocità had clinched the championship title with a commanding 70-point lead over Hatcherk Motorsport. Both Addams and Aaronson had carried their teams to such heights. Surprisingly, third place hadn't gone to Squadra Corse, which finished fifth that year. Instead, third place was claimed by Retona, thanks to Dante Reyes—a major asset they had lost after his six-year tenure with the team. Fourth place went to Nevada Jnr, and fifth to Squadra.
Trampos Racing had failed to crack the top five. The last time they had managed it was two years ago, finishing fifth with a slim three-point margin over sixth. That result explained why Ansel had ended the season in eighth place. Still, Luca couldn't blame him entirely—it had been a highly competitive season. He was here to change that. After all, many of the drivers here were losing their form. Aaronson and Derstappen, in particular, were no longer performing at their peak. Rumors were circulating that their teams had begun scouting for solutions—better, younger drivers.
Luca was determined to capitalize on this shift. He was becoming a machine in his own right, and the timing couldn't have been better.
A sigh escaped Luca's lips as he realized he had been submerged in his thoughts. Blinking himself back to focus, he moved on to the next piece of information he planned to study.
Luca had managed to obtain past public telemetry data from other teams. Accessing such data was completely legal and surprisingly easy and straightforward. All it required was a query into F2's shared resources and databases, coupled with publicly available data from official FIA releases during steward screenings.
The telemetry data from the top five teams of last season's Dutch Grand Prix caught Luca's attention the most. He had overheard the Trampos crew discussing that race at length, particularly its suspenseful moments and the three DNFs.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Luca set the hefty book of thin pages and blue-printed layouts in front of him. His eyes were drawn to Bueseno Velocità's data, focusing on Max Addams and Dani Walding. He was eager to understand, graphically and analytically with the help of annotations, key metrics and charts, how they managed their cars and engines to fend off Aaronson's attacks—ultimately forcing Aaronson to spin out of the track. That race had been a turning point, with Max Addams clinching a win that significantly bolstered his championship campaign.
Good at navigating his System's interface, Luca found the telemetry data straightforward to decode. The more he analyzed, the more absorbed he became, with the sun dipping lower in the sky.
Max Addams' race strategy, when broken down visually, was as fascinating as it was on the track. Luca learned much from analyzing two races, ensuring he studied Ansel's performance as well. The data brought the race to life in his mind—the ups and downs of the graphs mirrored the tension of each lap, the echo of team radios filled his ears, and he could almost feel the engines' heat and the speed fluctuations reflecting each strategic decision.
It was both sad and amusing to see Aaronson's data flatline to zero once his car came to a halt, vividly detailing his inability to continue. His aggressive accelerations on the straights stood out to Luca as reckless unless there was a clear overtaking opportunity. Based on Aaronson's data, it seemed first place was always the priority.
It sure is, Luca thought, stifling a yawn as the room filled with the warm glow of the setting sun.
After spending an hour behind a strength-straining single-seater earlier that day, Luca could feel fatigue creeping in. His eyes were heavy from scanning endless alphanumeric data and graphs.
Closing the weighty book, Luca rolled off the bed and walked to the window to shut the curtains. Outside, the open area of the headquarters was mostly empty, with only distant chatter breaking the evening silence.
Drawing the curtains brought a satisfying darkness to the room. He wanted one thing now—food. Stepping out, he grabbed a can of Fijee before the cool evening breeze greeted him, his hair shifting lightly in the wind.
The fizz of the energy drink sparkled as he cracked open the can, releasing a sharp citrus scent into the air. Luca took a refreshing sip as he walked down the steel stairs.