Chapter 514: Fifth Round. 2
Jimmy Damgaard had been piloting the upgraded RBioL for some time now, a HiCE-powered beast of all-rounding excellence. This made up 90% of his new rigorous regimen, designed to harden his reflexes, condition his muscles, and align his senses with the car’s rhythm. This was Jimmy Damgaard’s path to becoming a certified super driver.
Davide DiMarco’s injury and crash did not enfeeble the upgraded RBioL in any way. That Red Bull still remained as charging as it had always been, even with small tweaks and slight improvements along the way. The Tempesta MkII was no ordinary engine; it was designed to shred corners and, in demerit, strain the human body past comfort.
After the FiammaVeloce of Mercedes, the MkII was next in line with the most relentless g-forces. Yet, when it came to cockpit heat, it was the most disciplining, capable of wilting lesser drivers in minutes.
For a few months now, Damgaard had at least completely cleared the survival tests, not even control tests. To begin with, the survival tests were evaluations that determined whether a driver could even physically endure extended runs inside the RBioL without blacking out or losing control. Passing them didn’t mean mastery, but it did mean he could finally stay in the cockpit. Damgaard was close to proving he could fully command the beast, and that’s what Velocità wanted to safely confirm before St. Lawrence.
After weeks of training, Jimmy learned how to enter the super F1 car calmly. During his first days, he was mostly anxious and fidgety. Knowing how deadly such a machine was could instill that kind of fear. Velocità’s crew moved around him and the RBioL and strapped him in tight when it was time. Final checks and sharp reminders were quickly offered through the radio to Jimmy, and also straight up verbally from those close.
Jimmy Damgaard placed his hands on the wheel and let his fingers recognize its unique contour, and also the special buttons. After a few more confirmations, the crew let go of the tire cloths. They stepped away, and the sleek supercar was released onto the training track.
In compliance with Jimmy’s navigation, the Red Bull rolled out for its outlap, to bring warmth into its tyres and systems before the team got to the main business of mirroring in-race performance.
Jimmy took the outlap with courage. He guided the RBioL through the irregularly-shaped training track with smooth and confident inputs. During the outlap, the upgraded RBioL felt like the standard model; it didn’t jolt him to the level of a supercar yet, but it was enough to demand his focus.
It was a 3 km training track, and the RBioL flowed under his administration like water through a canal. The team enjoyed the clean rhythm and seamless synchrony so much that he was ordered for a second warming lap before pushing to the main action.
Eventually, the tone shifted as commands for speed-ups crackled through the radio, calling for more race-like intensity. The Norwegian complied and started leaning sharply into corners as if he were dueling with Luca. The Red Bull was forced to take the straights much harder, and as a result, the MkII began to surface itself.
Only just a few laps, and Jimmy Damgaard found himself in the situation of High-Intensity Combustion duress. His arm and chest muscles began to tighten—as if he hadn’t been working out for this very endeavour—and his breaths were stolen in little portions. But as a man on a mission to become the best, Jimmy Damgaard held strong and kept the RBioL steady, determined not to falter.
Finazzi happily pumped his fist while the lead strategists and others in the circle nodded heavily to themselves, sharing satisfaction. Jimmy was holding up impressively, meeting the standard they’d only ever seen DiMarco reach during his own attuning period. Finally, someone was rising to the moment.