CHAPTER 580: S3 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX. 3

When Luca saw the unfamiliar prompts, he was surprised.

He wondered what it could mean because the system had never mentioned anything like it before.

[Racer’s Flow (LV.1): a realization of driver aptitude and dynamic. In this state, instinct replaces thought as the host becomes one with both car and track]

The description was pretty much in the name, Racer’s Flow. It sounded simple, but of course, Luca could tell it might just be the most complex acquisition so far.

He read it a couple of times, trying to grasp the concept of this new Resonance before he asked his system for clarity.

’What’s this Resonance?’

Quickly, he received a reply:

[Resonance is the fusion of multiple mastered self and car skills into a single, higher-state ability, a comprehension of their shared category.]

[Every Resonance enhances all contributing skills beyond their limits as one attunement for a limited concentration phase according to level.]

After understanding what it was, there was no way Luca couldn’t be excited.

He attempted his newly acquired Resonance with a swollen chest, ready to challenge with confidence.

[Analyzing Ferrari (Z24) and host’s distance from 6th Position]

[You are 0.6 seconds away, host.]

Never had using multiple skills felt easier for Luca.

Though there was a brief struggle in adjusting to the sudden harmony of senses, he had his entire driving at his fingertips, and the fate of Ailbeart Moireach in his hands!

P6—Luca Rennick ↑

P7—Ailbeart Moireach ↓

"...Rennick up into P6! And now we can’t say we didn’t see that coming..!"

"...Haddock Racing, second place in the standings, but Ailbeart Moireach doesn’t look too interested in keeping them there."

The commentators were right about Moireach’s declining form, even with the .25 he was equipped with.

Luca’s newly awakened Racer’s Flow only exposed just how limited the Scotsman had been all along.

With every lap that passed, it was only a matter of time before Trampos not only reclaimed second place in the Constructors’ standings but also surpassed Haddock in the prediction table that placed the English team in third and them in fourth.

’System... what happened?’

Luca asked when he felt as if the accorded feeling of Racer’s Flow had faded away.

’Is it timed like Sync Buff??’

He hoped it wasn’t. It didn’t feel right if that was the case.

[Host lost concentration. Resonance requires sustained focus. The deeper the comprehension, the longer Racer’s Flow can be maintained.]

It took Luca a couple more laps to rediscover that state again. He was both excited and nervous throughout the process, learning to hold without losing focus.

During that stretch, Derstappen moved ahead of him into P5 after falling to Damgaard and Luigi, who had overtaken in succession.

Just 2.4 seconds away, it seemed Derstappen’s Ferrari was suffering some sort of mechanical problem, as the roar of the crowd told the story; they wanted him to falter completely.

That made Luca’s ascent easier, and with every skill within Racer’s Flow reaching its zenith, he smoothly closed the gap, overtaking Derstappen so cleanly that he risked zero contact with the struggling 97.

P5— Luca Rennick ↑

P6— Albert Derstappen↓

"...Since his P5 finish in Belgium, we’ve seen Rennick driving better than ever..."

"...Hopefully he gets rewarded here in Italy, because remember Riyadh? That was a crumbling story for what could’ve been a spectacular drive through those streets..."

**Luca, that’s a fastest lap— correction, you just lost it to Damgaard by a hair**

**Keep it up, good driving out there. You’re up in the top five now**

Luca grumbled softly, but his eyes lit up again the moment Luigi’s silver Mercedes flashed briefly at the far corner before vanishing down the straight.

He found it hard to concentrate and hold on to Racer’s Flow, the state slipped away each time his focus wavered, even for a heartbeat.

He wondered when and how he could take this Resonance to the next level, because the feeling was singular, nothing like he had ever experienced before.

**Luca, we’re seeing early signs of fuel insufficiency. You ran too rich at every sector before the first stop**

**At this rate, there’s a fifty percent chance you won’t make it to the end on current settings**

**We’re adjusting the strategy—expect a fuel top-up at the next stop. Yes, a fuel top-up. Hold pace, conserve where you can**

’Hmm... I don’t have any fuel-conserving skill,’ Luca thought.

’In fact, almost all my skills are fashioned to consume more fuel...’

The fuel issue was one to be looked at with one eye, since it happened often enough in races, but it was never something to be taken for granted.

The FIA had long imposed restrictions on mid-race fuel top-ups, allowing them only in cases of dire emergencies or evident mechanical faults.

Ordinarily, the cars were required to be filled to a regulated level that ensured they never ran out mid-race.

If the problem stemmed from a team’s own error or disobedience to fueling protocols, no service or replenishment would be permitted.

Trampos must’ve gotten the stewards to review their telemetry data, and from that, the cause of Luca’s low fuel was understood.

They had earned a conditional allowance.

But Luca wasn’t willing to cooperate.

The thought of waiting stationary at his pit box for a refill, watching precious seconds drain away, was unbearable.

He’d rather gamble with fumes in his tank than hand away his chances of winning the race.

Fifty percent chance? The Mazerunner wanted the other half.

He didn’t speak his mind until he was already on the pitlane, guiding the car toward the Trampos garage.

Apart from the tires, the Trampos crew already had the fuel rig, the jacks, and the wheel guns ready, a perfectly choreographed dance about to begin.

"No refill. No refill. No refill," Luca sang into the radio as he braked into the box. "Don’t connect nothing to my car. No refill."

"... this is certainly not something you see every race weekend. Rennick’s Ferrari flags low fuel here at Monza. We haven’t seen a mid-racd top up in two seasons, so this is a massive call.."

"No refill."

**Luca, what do you mean? We’re reading low fuel here—repeat, low fuel warning**

"No refill,’ Luca repeated.

The entire Trampos engineering crew stood frozen at Luca’s radioing words, disbelief flashing across their faces as the pitlane cameras focused on them.

Time was moving too fast for hesitation. The tires were already swapped, and the next half-second decision was either to drop the jack or initiate the forbidden refill.

But Luca’s persistent voice through the comms forced the team to subconsciously accede.

He jerked as the car slammed down from the jack, tires screeching as he accelerated out of the box and down the pitlane, passing other garages full of wide-eyed engineers who had been watching the entire tense scene unfold.

"...Oh my, what just happened...?!"

"...Rennick REFUSES a refill! He refuses team orders for a refill! Is that even team orders or a matter of necessity?! This is unbelievable from him...!"

"WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

P9— Luca Rennick ←

"...And he rejoins in P9—oh, what a wonder of where he would’ve been had he still stayed on the box..!"

"...That decision alone might’ve just saved him seconds—or cost him the entire race, we’ll see!"

"...Trampos don’t look happy at all with Luca’s defiance. He could be playing with fire here—maybe even a DNF for the second race in a row if the fuel doesn’t hold..."

"...The radio comm’s on your screens now, and Luca doesn’t sound neutral. Let’s hope nothing’s happening behind the curtain in Trampos Racing...!"