The roaring of the engines was deafening as Henry fought his way through the remaining laps of the second selection race. Each turn, each overtaking maneuver felt like a battle in itself, and with every lap, the stakes grew higher. By the start of lap 9, Henry had clawed his way from the bottom of the grid, moving up from 40th to 23rd, and with every position gained, the pressure on him intensified. But Henry, for the first time in a long while, wasn't overwhelmed. His car had become an extension of himself, and the feeling of synchronization was near perfect.
Lap 9
The pack ahead was tight. Every driver was pushing the limits, but Henry was in his element, no longer just trying to get by, but aggressively fighting for every inch. His hands gripped the wheel with a precise tension, calculating every shift, every turn, every brake. The air was thick with the sound of screeching tires and revving engines, but Henry focused only on what was in front of him.
He passed another driver, a young Italian named Matteo, on the long straight, using a late-braking maneuver to dive into a corner just ahead of him. It was a textbook move. Henry's confidence had grown with every lap, his instinct sharper, and it showed.
System: "Good work, Henry. You're on a roll. Keep that focus."
He was now in 20th place, and the pack ahead of him was visibly faltering. He could see gaps in their lines, mistakes that they were making as the tires began to wear. Henry's pace was steady, and his car was responding better than ever. He was methodical in his approach, not rushing but picking his opportunities with precision.
Lap 10-13
The laps blurred together as Henry fought his way up the grid, passing driver after driver. By lap 12, he was in 15th, and the top 10 was in sight. The crowd in the grandstands, though small, was starting to buzz with excitement. Henry's comeback was becoming the talk of the pit lane.
There were murmurs among the agents, and the cameras in the pits were focused on his car. For a moment, they seemed to forget the race itself and instead focused on the incredible surge of a previously unknown driver from the back of the pack. Even Liam and Nathan, the two drivers who had outpaced him earlier in the race, were starting to notice.
System: "You've moved into the top 15. Keep going, Henry. The finish line is just ahead."
Lap 14
Henry found himself in a tight battle with a few other drivers, including a particularly aggressive French driver named Luc, who had been fighting for the same positions all race long. But Henry was in the zone. He saw an opportunity on the inside of a sharp left-hand turn and took it, narrowly squeezing through a gap that wasn't there a moment ago.
With a sharp turn of the wheel and a flick of the throttle, he passed two drivers in one move, advancing into 10th place.
The crowd erupted into applause, and the cameras started to zoom in on Henry. The agents who had initially written him off were now leaning forward, scribbling furiously in their notebooks.
System: "You're in the top 10. Just keep going, Henry. This is where it counts."
Lap 15
With only one lap remaining, Henry had entered the final stretch. He was now in 6th place. In front of him, Liam Parker and Nathan were battling it out for 4th and 5th place, and they were slowing each other down with every move, trading places in the corners but neither one managing to shake the other off.
This was it. This was the moment that would define everything.
System: "The gap is closing, Henry. You can take them. But it won't be easy. You'll need to get aggressive. Think carefully."
Henry's eyes narrowed. His heart was pounding, and he could feel the tension of the moment running through his veins. He wasn't going to let this slip. He could feel it his car, his control, his mind, all working as one, and he was ready to capitalize on their mistakes.
He took a deep breath and focused. The final corner of the track approached. Nathan and Liam were still fighting for position ahead of him, but they hadn't noticed him yet. The field had thinned out, and now, it was Henry's turn to strike.
As they approached the final turn, Henry's eyes locked onto the gap between Liam and Nathan. It was tight, so tight that if he hesitated for even a moment, the opportunity would be gone. But Henry wasn't thinking about hesitation. He was thinking about the move, the dive, the risk.
The gap was just wide enough for him to slot through. It would be dangerous. He would be entering the turn with the throttle pressed down hard, his car pushed to its limits. But if he could get the inside line just right, he would make it.
Henry slammed the throttle down, diving into the final corner with everything he had. His rear tires squealed, and for a split second, the car was drifting sideways, the rear end just inches away from Nathan's cockpit.
The world seemed to slow down as Henry found himself in the tightest spot imaginable. His car skimmed along the inside of the turn, brushing past both Nathan and Liam as they fought it out side-by-side, completely oblivious to Henry's audacious move.
Then, in a flash of brilliance, Henry powered out of the corner, his rear wing just a hair's breadth from Nathan's car. The momentum shifted. He was ahead of them, passing them both with a calculated precision that left the crowd gasping.
A collective gasp went up from the spectators. Some stood in disbelief, while others shouted and cheered. The move had been nothing short of audacious, and they could hardly believe what they had just witnessed.
In the pits, the agents and sponsors looked at each other, unsure whether what they had just seen was a stroke of genius or reckless abandon. Some took furious notes, while others stared, mouths agape.
Liam and Nathan were left in the dust. They both quickly realized what had happened, and their faces twisted with outrage.
System: "You've done it, Henry. You're in 4th place."
As they came around to the final stretch of the track, Henry held his position. The final laps had been intense, and his move had secured his place in 4th. With a steady hand and calm mind, he finished the race in that spot, the crowd still buzzing with excitement as they watched him cross the line.
Liam and Nathan were still trying to recover, but Henry had already claimed his spot. The battle was over, and the academy's scouts and agents were left in awe. Henry's comeback from the back of the grid, his calculated risks, and that final, daring move had made an impression on everyone watching.
As he crossed the line, the roars of the crowd echoed in his ears, but there was no time to celebrate just yet. He had made it this far, but the real challenge was still ahead.
System: "Well done, Henry. You've secured your spot for now. But don't get complacent. This is just the beginning."
The journey was far from over. But for now, Henry knew he had made an undeniable mark on the academy and possibly on the entire world of Formula 1.