CHAPTER 573: TWO BURNING TITANS

With his heart pounding like a drum, Luca gasped for as much air as he could while he cut his engine power.

The fire licked all around his Ferrari, raising his temperature to a very hot degree.

Luca did his best to remain as calm as possible, though his rival, Luigi, was panicking in his own fiery condition.

The fire had sparked from Luca’s gearbox once they collided with the barriers. From there, it spread through to Luigi’s Mercedes, which, strangely, was more ablaze than Luca’s own car.

After cutting his engine power, Luca unbuckled his harnesses and detached his steering wheel. Detaching the wheel gave him more space in the tight cockpit.

Before finding his way out of the inferno, he disconnected his radio lines. At this point, Luca was choking, but he figured he could make it out in time after being so highly trained for moments like this.

The northwest side of the crash was the safest area to leap out from.

Within seven seconds, Luca’s muscle memory had him grip the cockpit’s edge and swing one leg over the car. His frame was lifted, and he was out of the car without actually touching its boiling surface.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

Street 15 and Street 16 stands cheered as a lone silhouette emerged from the furnace.

The sight was surreal. Luca looked like a humanoid robot stumbling out of the chaos, drawing an ovation from tens of thousands who had feared the worst.

Removing his helmet for a deep breath, Luca staggered a few more steps away from the incident to some figures whom he guessed were marshals.

His suit was fireproof, so he was untouched, but his body could feel every heat and spike in adrenaline.

Turning back toward the inferno, Luca’s eyes reflected the furious orange glow of the fire that devoured his beloved Z24.

The machine was already cracking in the heat, and he could only imagine how this must have felt for his trapped friend, Ansel.

Lowering his gaze to the helmet in his hands, Luca’s chest fell.

Maybe if he hadn’t removed Ansel’s helmet, there could have been a chance Ansel would have survived.

"You alright? Can you breathe?"

Luca glanced at the marshals who had their hands out to him, already guiding.

"Yes, I’m alright," he answered them.

"Good, good. Come on, this way. Keep moving, stay clear of the flames."

As Luca moved, looking around the track and the spectators, he remembered that he wasn’t the only one involved in this crash.

"Is he out?" he asked quickly, turning around.

"Watch your footing—there’s debris everywhere. You’re clear, just keep walking."

"Antonio? Is he out?" Luca asked again.

Even though they were far from the best of buddies, Luca wanted to know how his fellow driver had fared in the fire.

It was a terrible crash—one he wouldn’t wish on anyone, regardless of Ansel’s death trauma or not.

"Haa... haa... haa..." came Luigi’s breathing as he stumbled to his knees, having tripped on his desperate leap out of the cockpit.

Before he could even do anything else, a heavy burst of high-pressure fire-retardant foam from the extinguishers was blasted at him and his Mercedes by the marshals.

The hiss and force of the spray drowned out everything else!

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

"...and that’s the champion too. Out of the blaze. The marshals are all over it, foam everywhere—what a relief to see him moving! What a race, what a heart-stopper...!"

The marshals attended to Luigi the same way they had for Luca, surrounding him with guiding hands.

From where he stood, Luca was able to get a good view of his rival—disheveled, shaken, but safe and sound.

In his own disarray, Luigi was also seen scanning the scene, his eyes darting between the chaos and the smoke as if searching for something—or someone.

It was clear Luigi was trying to get a read on Luca’s own condition.

Eventually, the two titans met each other’s gaze across the track, the extinguishing fires painting their background in flickering shades of orange and white.

For a long second, nothing was said, yet everything was understood.

The silent exchange between Luca and Luigi could’ve meant relief that they both walked away, or the unspoken admission that their duel had gone too far.

Whatever it was, the weight of that moment lingered heavy between them.

Both champions had driven each other past the limit, and now, side by side in ruin, they had taken themselves out of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix!

"...RENNICK OUT! LUIGI OUT! Oh my word—what on earth have we just witnessed here in Riyadh! It’s absolute chaos on the final sector!"

"...you could feel the tension between those two all weekend—and now it’s boiled over in the worst possible way! The rivalry between Luca Rennick and Antonio Luigi just hit its most bitter point yet...!"

"...Both drivers out of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix! What a devastating blow for their teams—Squadra Corse lose their race lead, and with Marko Ignatova down in P7 after that earlier penalty, their points haul takes a major hit..."

"...Meanwhile, Trampos’ Surmann is barely clinging on for a top 10 finish...!"

"...This championship campaign has taken a wild turn tonight—one that’ll be talked about for years..."

"...But the good news, the only good news right now, is that both drivers are okay after that frightening crash...!"

[YOU SUFFERED A CRASH]

[You DID NOT FINISH the race]

Luca couldn’t thank his system enough for that unnecessary reminder.

His crew had rushed over to help the marshals assess him, crowding around with scanners and med kits as the smoke still curled upward behind them.

Squadra Corse crew soon arrived as well, and the moment that familiar black and gold appeared, the atmosphere thickened.

Standing metres apart, the two rival camps had tension and hostility toward each other without even uttering a word.

Both groups dragged themselves back toward their own zones, turning frequently to look at the other, unwilling to show weakness.

In that slow movement, Luca’s eyes met Luigi’s again.

Their rivalry hung heavy between them until Luca was the first to look away, glancing back toward his ruined Z24 one last time.

Sadly, Silent Restore wasn’t leveled high enough to tank the crash. If it had been, he’d still be out there racing now.