This was, by far, the best Daily Quest Luca had ever received from his system. Right on time was an excellent way to describe it.
Luca had always secretly wondered if the Formula 1 System had a skill that could help him handle all aspects of wet-weather racing and reduce the risks of spinouts or other potential dangers that might come his way.
And just as the drizzle began, just as all the single-seaters were prepped to roll out, his system assigned him a remarkably timely Daily Quest with an equally impressive skill attached.
Slipsense & Rainborne? Luca thought. Nice. I have a strong guess about what it's for, but can you give a better description?
[Description of Skill will be available to host upon unlocking.]
"Okay." Luca sighed inwardly.
To unlock it, he needed to earn six Overtaking Skill points. That would require approximately 10–14 successful overtakes, according to the Advanced Bundle.
It'll be tough, but fair enough, he thought.
Normally, the rewards for Daily Quests were Attribute Points, but this one came with a surprising bonus—a skill that would undoubtedly help him navigate any rain-related challenges in this race and future ones in his career.
Yet again, the track was getting wetter even with the slight drizzle. And he'd have to drive first to attempt the Daily Quest.
"Thank you," Luca said to the crew once his suit was ready. He and Haas climbed into their cars and stayed put while the team worked to secure them tightly.
[SYNCHRONIZING HOST....]
[SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE]
[Host is now synced with Dallara (F2 04)]
After assessing and analyzing the car, Luca's system confirmed it was ready to be driven and operating at optimal performance. Seconds later, he synced seamlessly with the machine that housed a powerful B-level engine.
Luca shot the crew a thumbs-up before gripping the wheel as he and his teammate were towed out of the garage.
"Let's go!!!!!!" McCauley hyped up the crew, his voice rallying them into loud cheers.
"WOOOOHH!" The crowd erupted as all thirty cars rolled out of their garages and onto the pit lane with an ominous grace, their engines growling like beasts ready for battle.
Almost immediately, Luca felt the first droplets of rain tapping against his car's frame and helmet. It was a light drizzle—the kind that crept under your skin no matter how thick the Veststar was—and left a lingering chill.
"...Sean Aaronson starts at pole today, leading the drivers to the grid, proudly in orange and black! A tough fallout for Hatcherk Motorsport, but their top driver begins this French Grand Prix at pole, and who knows? He might just have a shot at the ultimate prize—the Formula 2 Drivers' Championship!"
As the pit lane opened, the towing cars peeled away, leaving the drivers to navigate the grid on their own.
Through his visor, Luca spotted Kristensen's bright violet Dallara and instinctively followed it toward the first row, stopping just behind the pole box where Aaronson was already stationed.
The marshals moved efficiently, waving each driver into position and ensuring every car was perfectly aligned. And then, the moment came—that brief, haunting silence before the red lights began to flash.
The radio crackled to life, and Mr. Ruben's voice came through, loud and clear. **Sixth sense application, boys. Seconds to light, full focus**
Luca exhaled softly, his breath briefly fogging his visor before it cleared. His upper body still felt the creeping chill, but the heat from the chassis had already warmed his lower half. "Are we set?" he asked Haas, who responded positively.
"...What do we expect from Luca Rennick upon his return? Starting at P3, can he convert and make up for lost points?! Luca Rennick and Erik Haas are on the grid for our table leaders in this French Grand Prix!"
Luca's mind wandered briefly to Ansel.
Was his friend watching this race? Probably.
He could picture it clearly: Ansel in his living room, Emma asleep in his arms, Laura resting her head on his shoulder, the lights-wait sequence glowing on their TV. The image felt too vivid to be anything but real.
If Ansel was watching, Luca hoped he felt a pang of regret. He should have been the one on this grid, not Haas.
Tiered Pursuit strategy, Dual Advanced strategy—none of it mattered as racing to secure high points for the team was the priority, especially in Formula 2 .
The first red light flashed on, and Luca revved his single-seater, determination surging through him. He was set on a mind-blowing start. Grid Launch. Oliver Kristensen would never even see it coming.
Before the rest of the lights appeared, Luca stole one last glance at the grandstands, scanning the blurred masses of roaring fans. Then, he locked his focus on the slick track ahead, watching the drizzle scatter in tiny beads against his car's frame. By now, the heat in the cockpit had spread through his body, warming him completely.
All five lights went out.
It was time to get back to winning.
Luca slammed the throttle, his body jerked back in response. And with an already tight grip on the wheel, all he had to do was swerve violently and voilà, he brought himself alongside Kristensen already!
[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 12.5%]
"AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT IN FRAN—!"
"...Luca Rennick with an absolute ROCKET OF A START! He's already alongside Kristensen before they've even cleared the launch zone!"
**VERY GOOD** Mr. Ruben praised, already seeing what Mr. Moritz and Mr. Colt had been telling him about Luca's driving.
This was the first official race he'd radio with Luca, so he was determined to see and witness for himself.
Look at the spike of that telemetry!
Miles, sitting at P4 and plotting an early, unexpected overtake on Luca, was left jaw-dropped as Luca's Dallara surged out of immediate reach. Luca dragged P2 alongside Kristensen, their cold tires struggling for grip but refusing to falter.
The track wasn't wet enough yet to trouble the tires, but every driver found themselves grappling with the challenge of weaving out of the launch zone after clustering tightly together.
Circuit du Soleil featured twelve turns and five distinct straights. Of these straights, the longest stretched 820 meters, while the shortest was 350 meters, primarily used to connect the middle turns and provide a brief reprieve from the continuous curves.
The home straight ranked second in length, while the other two straights served similar purposes as the 350-meter one.
This was a good track for racing if you wanted to test and find the best drivers out of the lot. But at the same time, this track had been petitioned to be shut down countless times because of its high crash count.
Crashes were already a part of its reputation, and now the wet track added a whole new layer of danger.
The rain wasn't letting up, and with the dark clouds and thunder rumbling above, it felt like it was only going to get worse.
Was this really the track these drivers wanted to take on today?
The first turn had a warning sign indicating steepness near the inner lane, one of many precautionary measures put up after multiple petitions due to past accidents.
Luca knew the risks of taking the steep inside line, even on a dry track. But today, he felt confident he could pull it off.
As Aaronson led them into Turn 1, Luca stayed behind Kristensen for a moment before making his move. He tilted, bent, and dove for the inside line.
By the time they reached Turn 2, Luca smoothly emerged, his car naturally transitioning to the outside lane as he moved into P2, smoothly relegating Kristensen.
"...Luca Rennick in P2!"
Trampos crew had to clap in their garage for that magnificent overtake.
[DATA DISPLAYED IN REAL TIME:
-Operational Status: 95% (Very Good)
-Breathing: Calm & Steady
-Distance covered: 600m