My Formula 1 System

The long-awaited day had arrived. After a few weeks in January filled with confirmation and preparation, Luca Rennick officially returned to where it all began—Germany.

Stuttgart, Germany was the designated location for the signing ceremony, so he touched down there with the Hawthorne 3 at noon. He was quietly escorted under the radar, despite the fanfare that had been waiting on his presence for hours.

There were little to no interviews or cameras at the airport, so he was carried away in a professional, discreet manner like always.

The signing ceremony was held later that evening in a tall, stout structure, standing proudly as one of the few motorsport-related buildings in Stuttgart. Luca learnt it was a Ferrari subquarter building, designed to accommodate personnel from both Ferrari and Trampos under their existing partnership.

Inside, the ceremony unfolded in the executive boardroom; a long, vaulted space with catholic views of the city skyline. The attendees were Trampos' executives, their legal representatives, and the Team Principals. Alongside them was a screened group of journalists and reporters, gathered merely as spectators while the formers circled a polished black table at the center.

At 6:14 PM sharp, Everything that was incorporated within them, he agreed to fully. None of the drama from last year had transpired. This one was smooth.

Pen down, it was done. He was a Trampos driver again.

"Congratulations."

"Congratulations, Luca."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

Luca shook all their hands: happy Mr. Lemaître, formal Mrs. Coastfield, and the still-stunned Mr. Grand and Ms. Vallotton.

[Career Status updated!]

[Status: 5 year contract

Salary: $4,000,000

Team: Trampos Racing]

--

Disbelief cloaked the entire world. Everyone on social media was awestruck, even though it had been clear up until now that Luca would be signing.

The news blew up: "Luca Rennick, the golden boy of German motorsport, has returned home." Rennick this, Rennick that. Analysts, commentators, and just about everyone else had something to say regarding the tectonic transfer that Trampos had just pulled off.

Even Jackson Racing, his former team's delegated representatives, kept silent. But their faces said enough, as the cameras occasionally cut to their row during the ceremony. They had been reprimanded openly and beyond belief. A prodigy they had helped polish and prime had now returned home, and they got nothing from it but a damning hole in their team.

[Congratulations, host. You have officially signed with a new team: Trampos Racing.]

[Best wishes on your integration with your new engineers, teammates, and overall team dynamics.]

After all the ceremonies and interviews had died down, Luca finally had time for himself. They took the flight to Berlin to see what could become a final home.

In one of the government-owned land stretches on the city's outer arc of residential homes, the property stood there with the closest neighbour almost a kilometre away.

It was gated, well ornamented with trees, and very private. The façade followed Germany's architectural modern style; light and warm, with a mix of slim and wide windows and sandstone in harmony with render. This complexity gave it a beauty that, in turn, made it appear as though it wasn't complex at all, which it was.

In general, the house resembled the villa in London due to its true nature as a villa too. The only difference was that the structure itself was greatly bigger in size, even taller, and there was a more defined gate and premises. As for the surrounding nature, the grass was darker in its shade of green, even the white paint was paler, nothing was as resplendent as the villa in London.

Inside, it was equally refined. Open-plan in design but intentional with its boundaries. A massive atrium welcomed him in, with a spiral staircase edged in bronze that rose like sculpture. Most of the wide windows lit up every inch of the house without need for electricity. The kitchen ran along a polished stone slab under a matte-black lighting rail, while the living room stretched with luxurious furniture and a hovering fireplace suspended in glass.

There were many things he would have to change to suit his taste and also bathe the house in the essence of Luca Rennick. For example: Hawthorne furniture and decorations instead.

He took out his phone, dialed Isabella, and lifted the screen to show her.

"This is the house. It's very similar to the one in London in every way, but more nuclear," he said, walking slowly as he showed her around the house. "What do you think?"

Isabella smiled broadly as she took in the live survey, her hair still wet from a shower. "It's big and spacious. It's beautiful. Wow, that kitchen..."

"What about it?"

"It's massive for a kitchen. The cupboards are very high. I don't think my hands could ever reach."

Luca was glad she could already see herself in the kitchen. His idea for this as the final home wasn't far-fetched. If his career with Trampos turned out exactly as he planned—full of stability, titles, and a sense of belonging—then there'd be no real reason to uproot again. Germany had always felt somewhat like home, so this could become the permanent and final one.

Still on the call with Isabella, Luca glanced at the time on the corner of the screen. "Alright. I will be heading to the HQ to officially start up the next chapter."

Isabella nodded understandingly and the call ended. Luca then stepped outside and closed the main door gently before looking down to the base of the sloped drive. There stood a black Toyota with Vance behind the wheel and Manuela in the back seat.

Luca walked steadily down the driveway, admiring the expanse of fields that promoted lots of wind. After reaching the car, he entered the passenger seat and they drove off after a brief conversation.

The ride was silent for a stretch. Snow-dusted trees passed by, and the horizon slowly filled with hints of structure. After a long drive, Luca began to drown in nostalgia as familiarity divulged his senses with every passing landmark.

He suddenly remembered every single goddamn moment Sara drove him past the very lane they were currently on. He even remembered his last drive, which was with that taxi driver who figured out his residence.

Eventually, Trampos HQ loomed just ahead, larger and somehow even more clinical than he remembered.

Luca leaned slightly forward and looked around at the posters of Ansel's death that filled everywhere. Some had fallen to the ground, sullied by dirt and gravel, while some were barely hanging to the walls and tree barks.

Luca's chest fluttered with nerves as the big gate appeared in the distance and the security spotted their sedan.