Chapter 292
[45th Lap]
Luca finally completed his Sync Bar after the system rewarded him with another point to Night Mastery Skill in the race twenty-five laps after.
[Night Mastery +1]
[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 100%]
Truthfully speaking, Luca didn’t think the last bar of the Sync Bar was filled cinematically, but he still accepted nevertheless.
Now, all he had to do was to focus on finishing the race with all the good ticks he currently had—Sync Buff, Soft compounds, and a single pitstop advantage.
[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 100%]
[SYNC BAR COMPLETE]
[Host, Sync Buff can now be used.]
45 Laps seemed too early for Sync Buff, Luca thought. And also too late to consider making two Sync Buffs.
In the Italian Mega Prix last year, he remembered filling his first Sync Bar at the 30th Lap and the other, around the closing 70 laps.
But here in Monaco, he just completed his Sync Bar at Lap 45, and just 60 laps in total. So this was going to be his only Sync Buff this race, and Luca knew he had to use it wisely.
Of course, if he’d have to use it now, it might elapse even before Lap 50, and all these savage drivers would swarm him again and eventually reset the leaderboard.
Luca had to take his Sync Buff’s advantage strategically—like when they’d be taking their pits or at the last laps.
But drivers could choose to take their pits at different laps, making it difficult to calculate and predict. And what if the last laps were actually too late to make a difference?
For instance, Luca was in P6 now. Unfortunately, Dreyer had wasted no time surpassing him with his loss of momentum after that failed overtake on Luigi.
So, Luca was gazing at a climb from P6 to P3 if he just wanted to make the podium, or the climb from P6 to P1 if he wanted the silverware and all 25 points.
After much thought, Luca just remembered how far he could go with Sync Buff was no longer a definite prediction.
Whether he wanted to make the podium or win Monaco itself, it all depended on the system since it drastically nerfed Sync Buff.
[Determining Sync Buff duration….]
[Processing: ▓▓▓▓3:00▓░░1:35░░░ 50%]
[Processing: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 80%]
[Finalizing Sync Buff Time…]
[…Sync Buff duration determined!]
[Sync Buff Duration: 4 Minutes, 12 Seconds]
“4 Minutes, 12 Seconds,” Luca repeated after. “This is charitable for a change. Just 48 seconds less than the 5.”
[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host’s distance from 5th Position]
[You are 1.3 seconds away, host.]
When Dreyer overtook Luca, Luigi had gained a mind-blowing 3-second lead from him. And now, Luca could only imagine how much it was now.
He hoped his 4 minutes, 12 seconds (252 seconds) would be enough to overturn all the drivers ahead because Luca wasn’t just going for the podium, he was going for the win itself.
He waited calmly until the drivers on softs would begin to take their second pitstop of the race. That would eventually clear the track and even make the climb easier.
**Dreyer will box. We have P5 again**
[46th Lap]
“…A crucial phase of the race now as the pit window opens for the second round of stops! Luis Dreyer makes his way in, and Luca Rennick INEVITABLY TAKES P5…!”
The moment Dreyer peeled into the pits, the gap in front of Luca evaporated, and the Ferrari JRX-92B surged forward as if the car itself had been waiting for this exact moment.
[5th Position]
“…Luca Rennick in P5!’
“WOOOOOOOOOOOHH!”
P4— Antonio Luigi
P5— Luca Rennick ↑
00— Luis Dreyer →
“…Luca’s still on his first pit cycle! That single-stop advantage is playing out beautifully…!”
**We have a clear road ahead, Luca. Good job**
Luca now had the direct delta to calculate his and Luigi’s distance.
The Mercedes wasn’t that far away, so Luca was strongly hopeful. He wanted to engage with Luigi again. This time, not just for an overtake, but to fully… study.
[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host’s distance from 5th Position]
[You are 4 seconds away, host.]
Luca had learnt one thing from his first encounter with the Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 and the FiammaVeloce powering it.
He realized if he kept engaging, Luigi would eventually be forced to reveal all his engine’s capabilities.
Since Luca couldn’t access detailed specs directly, firsthand observation was his best option.
The sooner he uncovered the full range of his rivals’ engine features, the faster he could adapt by enhancing his own car attributes, refining any of his status categories, and sharpening his skills to counter their strengths.
If he could decode them early in the season, the rest of the championship would become a game of calculated checkmates in his favor. Each engagement would fuel his upgrades and tighten his grip on the competition.
[47th Lap]
**Luca, heads-up—Luigi might be pitting soon. His team’s on standby, and his pace is dipping slightly. Stay sharp**
**If he boxes, you’ll have clean air. Keep it steady, stick to delta**
**Things are looking smooth for you right now. Just keep this rhythm, mate**
Things were indeed running smoothly. Luca owed a great deal to Mr. Berry, who had advised him to qualify in P11 rather than anywhere between P7 and P10.
At first, it sounded like a risky move, but now it was proving to be a masterstroke.
P11—and even P12—had just turned out to be the most advantageous positions on the grid. Luca had a clean path through the race, free from the dirty air of slower midfielders, and the flexibility to execute a one-stop strategy without getting tangled in early and late pit windows.
He wondered how long it would take before other teams caught onto this qualifying loophole.
A free pass to lead Luigi in the race, but Luca wondered if the Italian was going to be a very fast pitter.
It didn’t matter though because he was never going to be that fast. Luca watched as the sleek Mercedes veered into the pitlane, and then he took his ground.
“…AND ANTONIO LUIGI HEADS INTO THE PITLANE! THE MERCEDES CREW IS READY—BUT LOOK AT THIS! LOOK AT THIS! LUCA RENNICK NOW TAKES P4!”
The crowd exploded as Luca flashed past the pit entry, past Luigi’s peripheral vision.
“…WHAT A MOVE IN STRATEGY FROM JACKSON RACING! LUCA RENNICK, WHO STARTED FROM ELEVENTH ON THE GRID, NOW FINDS HIMSELF A POSITION AWAY FROM THE TOP THREE…!”
[4th Position]
**Attaboy. We are running in formation now**
“Running in formation” meant both teammates were now aligned in position. Now Luca was at P4 and Rodnick at P3.
[Turn type: Tight Right-hander] [Angle: 90°] [Braking Point: 100 meters before turn-in] [Recommended Entry Speed: 180 km/h] [Optimal Apex: Inside curb]
[Analyzing Ferrari (JRX-92B) and host’s distance from 3rd Position]
[You are 3 seconds away, host.]
Luca decided to use his momentum to boost forward and win the race.
[ACTIVATE SYNC BUFF?]
[Y / N]
Luca selected Yes. It was time to claim Monaco.