Chapter 276
It was a bright day at the Jackson Racing headquarters. The sun was full and was halfway high up in the sky, bathing the entire place with its warm midday light.
The air was thin and cool at the same time, bringing about a soft breeze now and then. The trees bordering the headquarters swayed lightly to this breeze that seemed to be controlled by the few scattered clouds drifting lazily across the pale blue sky above.
Luca received wholesome news earlier that day that he would be racing with Rodnick in the season’s opener, the Monaco Grand Prix.
This was a result he’d been inwardly doubting since, but now he was glad it had been resolved—even though it meant the disappointment of another, Di Renzo.
So, the drills leading up to the first action Sunday of the year would focus on Luca and Rodnick, though Di Renzo and the rest would still participate.
The garages were now abuzz. The Jackson Racing crew was so large that Luca first thought some would have nothing to do but ogle while others worked.
But that wasn’t the case. The more he saw, the more he realized that every single person had a role to play. Jackson Racing’s orderliness and structurization categorized each person under a group, and each group under a larger group.
Ultimately, this umbrella brought about fluidity, efficiency, and productivity in the handling of work.
A comical part of Luca began to absurdly accuse Jackson Racing of cloning humans to become their crew members.
He realized the team’s theme was sci-fi, and in sci-fi, such a thing was possible.
He chuckled to himself.
Rodnick, who was in the uniform room with him, raised a brow. “You laughed to yourself?”
“Yeah. I do it all the time,” Luca replied. “Telling jokes to yourself is the best way to make sure you always have a good audience.”
Rodnick frowned thoughtfully as he nodded.
“Do you find it weird?” Luca asked after a moment.
“No, no, no. I don’t,” Rodnick said. “My sister doesn’t just laugh to herself, she talks to herself. I’ve heard that people who do this are quite intelligent. I think it’s supposed to be a sign of high cognitive reasoning.”
Luca bowed his head slightly. “You’re not wrong,” he said with a hint of pride. “I even do it while I’m on the track.”
“While you’re moving at 300 km/h?”
“Yes. While I’m moving at 300 km/h.”
Rodnick finished suiting up before Luca. He grabbed his helmet, ready to head out. “We’ll see, then.”
Luca watched him leave before returning to his own dressing. The training suit was different from the main one, so today, he was in black, with blue as the secondary color and accents of white.
“System display.”
[SYSTEM ONLINE]
—–
In Jackson Racing’s cars, the chassis in particular, there were vast differences from the F2 04.
And this wasn’t just the statistical difference that the system had just compared and contrasted with the Chassis Comparison Feature.
These differences were unique features that a few F1 teams had adopted and incorporated—still accepted under regulation—to help improve their chances of winning and enhance their drivers’ experience on the track.
For example, they had this feature called the drinks system. It was a built-in hydration system that allowed any driver to take small sips of fluid through a tube connected to their helmet, helping them stay hydrated during long races.
Luca didn’t know who came up with that idea, but whoever it was must be a freaking genius. Or perhaps necessity brought about invention, and no one just woke up one day and decided to fix in that.
Luca realized he hadn’t really felt “dehydrated” before in long races due to his impressive stamina. So, he might just be taking those sips if he ever felt like, y’know, sweetening his tongue.
Another impressive feature was the Seat Cooling System, where cooling elements had been incorporated into the seat to help manage cockpit temperatures, especially in hot conditions.
The Cooling System was said to be more prominent in the Ferrari JRX-92B than in any other car in Formula 1, further supporting its engine’s feature.
Luca also liked the Helmet Ventilation System, which was also integrated to reduce overheating in general.
His best preference, no doubt, was the Rearview Camera System!
Instead of relying solely on mirrors, Jackson Racing had installed small cameras that provided a clearer view of rival cars behind.
[SYNCHRONIZING HOST….]
[SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE]
[Host is now synced with Ferrari (JRX-92B)]
Luca was shown how to operate all these features, ensuring he was fully familiar with the systems that would aid him on the track.
They walked him through it all—demonstrating, explaining, and also letting him practice and experiment for himself.
In no time, Luca was able to learn the enhancements, still awed by how advanced F1 cars were.
At the moment, he was seated in the cockpit of the 92B, his head held steady by the U-shaped HANS device as his eyes scanned the beauty of the Ferrari.
The metallic black and silvery blue color scheme gave the interior a sleek yet aggressive look, everything glossy and reflective.
The black wheel was packed with many useful buttons and dials, all bearing different colors to give them some distinction to the driver. And the paddles on the wheel sat firmly in Luca’s hands, though he had begun to caress them.
For some reason, Luca had gendered the F2 04 as a girl, and now the JRX-92B seemed like a boy ready for battle!
The time he’d been waiting for had finally arrived, and now, he could begin his new leveling-up journey.
When the mechanics and engineers moved to the side to discuss, Luca began.
[Ding!]
[Car, chassis, and engine detected.]
[Would you like to select <JRX-92B (Ferrari Turbo-Hybrid 056)> as your designated car?]
[Y / N]
“Yes,” Luca answered confidently.
[Successfully selected!]
[Ding!]
[You have received (1) Wrench]
“!!!”
Before Luca could react to the generous gift, one of the engineers leaned into the cockpit, filling his visored view with a clipboard that had details of today’s drills.