Chapter 516: S3 Canadian Grand Prix. 2
In a sport measured by milliseconds, Luca had just experienced the longest second of his season.
His delay off the line lasted roughly a second, but in Formula 1, especially at the start where every inch counts, that single second was an eternity. His sharp recognition of the anti-stall trigger and lightning-quick reflexes helped him recover before further damage was done, but the cost was immense.
Luca lost four positions before he could even take Turn 1. In an untrackable succession, he was passed ruthlessly by Di Renzo, Ignatova, Nyström, and Rice. None of them hesitated to capitalize on the Mazerunner’s falter.
By Sector 2, Derstappen managed to squeeze through as well, exploiting the final beats of Luca’s destabilized rhythm. But Luca knew that was where the bleeding stopped, not because his car was back in shape, but because the next driver in line was Victor.
Victor, being his teammate, knew exactly what to do without being told. Luca, his mentor and the main driver, was experiencing a peril. It was his job to assist Luca’s recovery as much as he could. So, he eased off in clear respect and aid, and Luca was able to regain his edge—P10.
It was, in the end, a successful save for Trampos Racing after such an unfortunate start. Luca had dropped positions, but thanks to Victor’s timely support, the damage had been contained. For Victor, however, the sacrifice came at a cost.
Max Addams, who’d been behind, showed no mercy and swept past him without a blink, seizing the moment unforgivingly. Still, Victor had no regrets. He had helped his teammate regain control, and now Max would have to deal with the fully reawakened wrath of the Mazerunner himself.
"...For the king of grid launches, Luca Rennick to be caught sleeping at lights out must be fiction! In the blink of an eye, Rennick loses four positions, then a fifth! For Trampos Racing, this is a horrible nightmare! They have fumbled their start, and they know it...!"
The stigma of the start continued through Trampos’ garage. Mr. Grant and Ms. Vallotton began to recalibrate their race strategy because of it. They read each other’s minds without even exchanging words, knowing Luca might find it difficult to climb up with the powerhouses saturating the lead.
Head Engineer Mr. Ruben remained the calm in the storm. With a steady voice Luca and Victor listened to, he did everything in his power to keep both drivers mentally locked in and untouched by the misstep.