My Formula 1 System

That evening, Luca had the courtesy of speaking with Mrs. Hawthorne over the phone, starting with genuine pleasantries on the progress and state of things.

When he asked her about her thoughts on George Park's shooting, Mrs. Hawthorne admitted that she was low-spirited by the haunting news that almost took the life of a very good business friend.

Mrs. Hawthorne even mentioned that she feared it could have been her if she had travelled to attend the Australian GP.

Laughing, Luca waved that away, assuring her that there was no chance that she could be the target of anything. And if she were, the assassin wouldn't care if she was in Melbourne or not.

The thought of her bloodshed sent a cold shiver through Mrs. Hawthorne's fragile bones. French was a good business ally and a confidant in trade. Although she couldn't say he had never done anything bad, Mrs. Hawthorne believed murder was too extreme for anyone.

From the way Mrs. Hawthorne was immensely considerate about Vaughan French, even talking about flying to Australia to see his condition for herself, Luca just hoped she didn't have a thing with this man too.

If that were the case, then Luca would definitely begin seeing Margot Hawthorne under an entirely different lens.

It seemed Mrs. Hawthorne sensed Luca's silent suspicions over the phone. Immediately, she began to retrace her words, clarifying that Vaughan was an esteemed counterpart, an industry friend who helped her successfully permeate herself into motorsport.

So with him nearly assassinated, she felt open, vulnerable, and exposed in what had become a volatile world of motorsport.

After a while, Mrs. Hawthorne admitted to Luca that she truly felt as if this had to do with the "business issue" she was entangled in.

Remembering the night at the Prince's Palace in Monaco, Luca wasn't surprised by her confession.

Mrs. Hawthorne had mentioned two groups: a group that wanted her to continue her devotion to Ferrari, and the other that wanted the opposite.

Truthfully, it wasn't difficult to see that the failed assassination of a man tied to Ferrari and her happened just within this time phase.

Luca was seeing the bigger picture here, and he felt bad for Mrs. Hawthorne because she appeared weak to handle the entire conundrum.

Feigning ignorance, he asked her what she was going to do about the fact that the second group had not only requested withdrawal from the Ferrari partnership, but also termination of Rennick's patronage.

"Luca, don't be ridiculous. Do you think I can just throw away a sponsorship like yours, or burn bridges with Ferrari overnight?" Mrs. Hawthorne snapped.

Wryly, Luca countered, "If it would stop more lives from being endangered… Or are both sides capable of gunfire?"

"You guessed right!"

Sighing, Mrs. Hawthorne proposed that she would host a broad meeting in her biggest mansion in Norfolk, inviting every group within her empire, representatives from outward influence, and every soul whom she believed needed to be present.

Mrs. Hawthorne told Luca that he was also invited.

The date of the large-scale meeting would be announced to him when official arrangements were made.

At the end of the call, Luca felt a small spike in dopamine.

~~~~~

Before the weekend, Trampos had a day of recalibration to gather and acknowledge another successful round this season.

The entire team was present in the HQ, where a homely presence filled the atmosphere; warm lights, familiar chatter, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the corridors.

Most of the time, the headquarters often felt like a stern workplace, but this time was one of the few that felt like a family home, where everyone belonged and every success felt shared.

Although it was Velocità who took victory at the Australian GP with Jimmy Damgaard's stunning P1 finish, Trampos still carried themselves in celebration as though they were the true winners.

Luca's podium in Melbourne was certainly worth raising a toast to, but the true cause for Trampos' euphoria was the usurping of Squadra Corse from the top spot and their own rise to the summit of the Constructors' standings.

That single shift in hierarchy carried far more weight than any race trophy, for it signified that Trampos had finally wrestled themselves into the role of pace-setters, proving their strength over Ferrari's powerhouse outfit.

They also had to bear in mind that this was an accomplishment some teams could only dream of, like Nordvind Racing.

Nordvind had been on the grid for over a decade and never once touched the top of the standings, yet Trampos had managed it in only their second season in Formula 1.

Their nickname, the Rising Suns, was truly deserved.

With the air buzzing with a mix of relief, pride, and the faint aroma of fresh coffee, the headquarters was soon enveloped in activity.

From celebration to business, the team reviewed every detail of the last round, mapping out their race strategies and performance objectives for the next Grand Prix.

Belgium Grand Prix*

Location: Stavelot, Belgium

Date: May 18

Time: 4 PM

Track: Spae-Ferenchal (Spae)

Track Length: 7.1 km

Total Laps: 44

Track Type: Permanent road course

Lap Record: Antonio Luigi 1:39.345

Luca arrived at HQ in that in-between hour of late and early, his car rolling into the lot drenched with drying dew. His presence amplified both the seriousness of the work at hand and the quiet gladness of having their lead driver among them.

In due course, a management meeting was convened as was customary after every regathering from a race weekend. All departments took their places in the routine hall, where important topics were discussed for over sixty minutes.

After the dismissal, Luca trailed behind McCauley through the corridors and into the lower wing of the facility, where crates of brand-new training equipment had recently been delivered.

From there, McCauley also took him to the open grounds behind the HQ, near the distant valley, where an active expansion site buzzed with workers and scaffolding—all evidence of Trampos's rapid growth, with new sections of the complex being raised to match their rising stature in Formula 1.