My Formula 1 System

The beachside meeting with the elusive Asian man was meant to provide Luca with crystal-clear clarity. He thought that after it, he was supposed to be able to stitch together the shadows he had been chasing for some weeks now. In contrast, it only deepened the haze, leaving his mind more entangled with new uncertainties and unanswered questions.

It was as if the man had deliberately fed him crumbs while hiding the bread—which he did. So, Luca was left unsated and hungry for more. He began to wonder about what he wasn't told rather than what he was.

As an F1 driver, Luca understood he shouldn't worry about things that wouldn't bring returns to his career. Surely, anything that didn't translate to performance or podiums shouldn't be worth his energy. But since he felt he was on the right track to success with little improvement left to be achieved, it was normal for human nature to stray and seek the challenging.

Looking at Luigi, Ailbeart, and the rest, Luca strongly doubted that they bothered themselves with anything that didn't thoroughly concern them and their racing. But he reminded himself that he didn't have tags on their lives, so he couldn't come to that conclusion.

It was a heavy and long conversation between both men, with frequent silences that felt like hours. After enough persistent and annoying pressing from the young Italian driver, the man finally yielded and gave his name to him. But it was only the first name: Kim.

Kim also mentioned that he worked in Public Relations for the FIA and also at Mercedes. He was a very big and remarkable staff member there—led many, although beneath many as well. It was honestly an overwhelming detail to Luca for a few reasons he couldn't explain. From where Kim stood, he noticed Luca's demeanor shift a bit, as if he were cautious of something.

Anyone would think the same way Luca did. Kim was working under two colossal bodies: the FIA and Mercedes. Luca was old enough to understand that this wasn't simply a career achievement, but a position loaded with politics and agendas.

From what Luca could see, Kim might be one of the channels of navigation between the FIA and Mercedes—whether good or bad. But regardless, only a fox could pull this off. He would be loaded with secrets, influence, and leverage, each foot on both sides, and no one would know which agenda he was truly serving.

Kim later explained that he held one of those many bridging positions and roles designed not for power but influence between both groups. His job, as he put it, was to ensure Mercedes' interests were never lost or overlooked in the FIA's ocean of politics and regulations.

As Kim spoke, he just hoped the young man would get along and stop inquiring about him specifically. Looking at Luca, he could tell he was the kind who was friendly and could keep a dense secret.

Kim even wanted to be his friend. But after almost pulling a gun on him, the foundation of a possible friendship was already on fractured ground.

About that roadblock encounter, Kim apologized deeply for it since he didn't have enough time after the race on Sunday. He began by clarifying that his men hadn't meant to pull a gun on Luca—they were simply on high alert, suspecting Mrs. Hawthorne might've taken a harsher route. In their eyes, there was every chance Luca could've shown up with a machine gun and executed them on her word.

What truly stunned Luca, though, was the nonchalant way the Asian man spoke of it all, as if such violence was normal for a morning in London. He wanted to know why in the hell the guns and thoughts of bloodshed were even a possibility to begin with?!

Kim told Luca not to take the incident as routine. He didn't just go about pulling guns on tycoons all through London; that was merely a precautionary measure because Mrs. Hawthorne had been increasingly intractable and rough in recent dealings. He explained that Mrs. Hawthorne was defiant and was refusing to submit her empire. This resistance was causing some friction among those determined to see the submission done.

Such tension, Kim explained, wasn't without precedent; matters of this scale had, in rare but real instances, led to the deaths of a few individuals.

That was where Kim ended the talk.

It was an abrupt conclusion, so this was what made Luca remain persistent, wanting to hear more. He was most piqued about Kim's ties with both Mercedes and the FIA, what exactly his role entailed, and why the submission of the Hawthorne empire was even necessary. Most especially—to what cause did Mrs. Hawthorne have to submit?

But Kim reminded him that he'd only agreed to explain why a gun had been pulled on him, and offer a simple basis for the incident—nothing more.

Luca was overwhelmed by the weight of what he'd heard and what still remained concealed. This made him more flushed than even frustrated. While he watched Kim walk away, his mind raced through a summary.

If he couldn't get the full picture of what Kim was facilitating behind closed doors, then perhaps the next best move was to approach Mrs. Hawthorne herself. At the very least, he could find out where exactly they were expecting her to settle her empire. Surely, that alone was far more revealing than anything Kim would ever willingly disclose about himself.

The British GP was behind everyone, so Luca wasn't even sure when next he'd see Mrs. Hawthorne. There was no immediate reason to return to London, making any physical encounter between them uncertain.

But the Monaco Grand Prix was the next round on the calendar. Luca remembered someone like Mrs. Hawthorne would never miss a Monaco Grand Prix. In fact, that was exactly where he'd first met her. She and her equally opulent tycoon women had always sworn to lavish their best every year in Monaco, so her presence was no doubt.

Luca resolved he'd be there waiting for her, and she'd have nowhere to go.