My Formula 1 System

Luca and Sara sought a top-tier London driving school with high-performance vehicle training, manual and automatic transmission lessons, night driving practice, motorway experience, emergency handling, parallel parking mastery, and personalized coaching.

In a nutshell, Luca wanted a solid driving school where he could begin learning how to fully operate a commercial everyday car.

He wasn't doing this because he'd be getting a Jaguar soon, but mostly because he needed to start driving himself instead of relying on Sara for every little trip, no matter the destination.

They chose a school in West London, situated in a well-organized district. The area had well-maintained roads, a mix of urban streets and quieter suburban routes, making it an ideal setting for mastering both everyday and high-performance driving.

Sara stood by as Luca got registered. He filled out the paperwork, chose automatic, and received an orientation bulletin.

He met his instructor, who was thrilled to have a Formula driver in his school, and they scheduled his lessons in a spaced-out manner rather than an intense timetable.

Luca planned to get his license in three months. Fortunately, driving schools allow students to transfer their progress to another institution if needed.

Whether he ended up in Australia or stayed in Germany by then, one thing was certain, and it was that he wouldn't be in London. So, having the flexibility to continue his lessons elsewhere was a major advantage.

Luca waved his instructor goodbye as they left. He'd begin in earnest to make up for the spaced-out schedule—starting tomorrow.

Two lessons per week meant Luca would have four to six lessons left for the remainder of December.

They returned to the heart of London, where Luca began preparing for a quick flight to Birmingham. He had no personal business there, but someone he knew did.

Since he had been meeting everyone in person to celebrate his championship victory, this would be no exception. And with Birmingham not being too far away, the trip seemed worthwhile.

Isabella had mentioned that she also had something to celebrate regarding her innovation group, Grid Edge. She had recently been promoted to head of the group, a position she earned through a vote by the other members.

But that wasn't all to be celebrated. Isabella mentioned she had more wonderful news and promised to explain everything once he arrived. Intrigued, Luca had no reason to delay.

His flight landed in Birmingham at 12:15 PM. Gripping his lone duffel bag, he adjusted his face mask and cap.

He knew Mallow wouldn't approve of his unannounced trip to another city. The excitement and disappointment of the recently concluded season was still lingering, and fans were more reactive now than at any other time of the year.

And... in the world of F2, Hatcherk Motorsport had a strong English following. But in F1, Jackson Racing was England's true powerhouse, with Haddock Racing trailing behind.

That was why Luca felt relatively safe because Jackson Racing were champions. There was no reason for rivalry or hostility, as their success left little room for resentment in the country.

He expected to find more Jackson Racing supporters than those of Hatcherk or Haddock. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

Luca hailed a cab and gave the driver directions to the Custard Factory in Digbeth, where Isabella and her Grid Edge team were located.

She worked from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, balancing her new role at Grid Edge while also assisting her father, Mr. Schafer, who constantly needed help, not just because he was aging, but also because he didn't like his daughter staying away from him for too long.

The drive took ten minutes, and Luca disembarked when the driver parked in front of the Custard Factory. He paid the fellow before standing still to take a good look at the venue.

From what Luca could see, there was no Custard "Factory." Instead, what lay before him was a cluster of beautifully restored Victorian red-brick buildings.

The surfaces of the walls, the facades of the buildings were adorned with murals, contemporary artwork, and paintings. There were cafés, boutique shops, and studios, with a lot of people who looked like students moving around.

Luca approved of the place. It was a perfect setting for a social hub, very creative yet exuding a sense of professionalism and focus.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Isabella, asking which building she was in as he crossed the street toward a flower shop that had just caught his eye.

The shopkeeper, clearly not an Englishman, greeted him in a warm Caribbean manner.

Luca explained what he was looking for and described Isabella's personality. The shopkeeper's face lit up with enthusiasm, assuring him he had just the right flowers—at least, that's what Luca gathered from the strange conversation.

Finally, Luca walked out with a bouquet of white lilies and soft pink peonies. He crossed the street again and began walking toward the third building to the right of the courtyard.

He arrived, barely acknowledging the people scattered across the open area as he made his way straight to the stairs. He climbed up, reaching the door before knocking.

Isabella opened it, instantly recognizing him despite the fact that he was wearing both a cap and a face mask.

Her eyes drifted down to the flowers in his hand, and without realizing it, she let go of the doorknob. The door creaked wider, revealing the vast room behind her.

Luca lifted a hand in a brief wave. "Hi, everyone," he greeted, his gaze sweeping over the fifteen to twenty people behind Isabella, all staring at him.

There was silence, and it stretched until Isabella finally spoke. "Hi. Welcome," she said, breaking the tension.

Luca handed her the flowers. "Keeping their stems in water will help them last longer," he advised.

She accepted them, letting him inside before quietly shutting the door behind him.

Luca pulled off his cap, freeing his hair, then removed his mask, inhaling that sharp nostalgic scent of paper, office work, and wood. His eyes roamed the space.

It was a massive room, almost the size of a parking lot, with a carved-in staircase descending to the next floor right from the center of the room.

There were desks everywhere, some neatly arranged with paperwork and blueprints, while others were scattered with supplies like measuring tools and all that.

A few chairs were pushed aside, and many heavy telemetry books were stacked to the side.

While Luca was scanning the room, he counted the people present. They were 17, and including Isabella, they were 18 in Grid Edge—that is, if no one was absent today.

Luca also censused fifteen girls and three boys, including Isabella. He wondered when girls had started outnumbering boys in places like this.

He had always thought of anything related to formula racing and technicality as being more balanced—or even male-dominated—but here, the numbers told a different story.

It was clear that Grid Edge had been founded by a girl, someone who likely intended to keep it female-dominated, using that dynamic as both an identity and a driving force in their competition against other innovation groups.

"Everyone, this is Luca," Isabella introduced, standing beside him as she brought the lilies to her nose for a gentle sniff. "Luca, this is us—Grid Edge."

Luca had already greeted them earlier, so now, he simply waited for their response.

It didn't come in unison. Instead, all seventeen members responded at different moments, their greetings overlapping in a scattered, disorganized way.

They were all still stunned that Isabella hadn't been bluffing after all, and that it was really F2 World Champion Luca Rennick standing before them now.

Luca nodded after their reply and joined Isabella at her table.

Isabella got a glass mug, filled it halfway with water, and carefully placed the flowers inside.

"So," she said, turning back to Luca. "What do you think of Grid Edge so far?"

Luca's eyes lingered on her table. It looked just like everyone else's, with no distinct difference, even though she was now President.

"It looks like you guys are handling government work rather than tech study," Luca remarked.

Isabella giggled as she sat down. "That's because this is where we study, plan, and think. The next floor down is where all our practicals are held; the few parts and computers we have are all there."

Luca watched as she picked up a pen and swiftly jotted things down, clearly rounding up her work. Just as he expected, she began clearing her table.

"And the good news is, our efforts have been recognized."

"Pardon?"

"Nevada or Jackson? Which do you think we should go for?"

"Isabella, I'm lost."

She sighed, taking a deep breath to temper her enthusiasm. "We've been approached by Nevada HanSama and Jackson Racing. They want to acquire our intel, pay us a huge sum in return, and offer us positions under their engineering departments."

Luca was taken aback. "Why?"

Isabella stood and walked across the room, her fellow members quickly returning their focus to their work as if they hadn't just been staring.

She returned with a long blueprint, spreading it on the table before Luca, then walked to his side so they could share the same perspective.

Luca immediately recognized what was on the blueprint, it was a Formula racing engine.

A Ferrari Tipo 052/A/C. Also known as ThunderKat due to its raw power and dominance. It was Marcellus Rodnick's engine.

But as Luca examined it further, something felt off. It looked like a ThunderKat, it featured like one, but—but, it showed far more potential than a hybrid engine should. This wasn't Marcellus Rodnick's engine.

Luca turned to Isabella, a flicker of concern in his eyes. "How did you get your hands on a HiCE blueprint?"

Isabella smirked, clearly amused by Luca's reaction. His expression had changed, it was as if he was uneasy about this kind of engine. And she believed he should be.

"It's an old blueprint. Twenty-five years ago," she said, neatly folding it back. "It belonged to Nevada HanSama when my father was still Team Principal. I found it in our basement three years ago."

Right. Nevada drives Ferrari too.

"To be honest, I never thought they'd legalize HiCEs," Isabella continued. "But ever since I found this print, I've plotted for it and earlier this year, I brought it to Grid Edge, and we've been studying and planning how to make it even better."

Luca stared in bewilderment as Isabella retrieved another print and laid it before him. This one had more edits, more scribbles, more mistakes, but its information was crystal clear and legible.

"We've managed to theoretically recreate an upgraded version," Isabella explained, pointing at the differences. Not that she needed to, Luca had already spotted them himself.

"Hmm. A HiCE that's better than a HiCE?" Luca asked.

"Exactly," Isabella confirmed. "It's still under the criteria of a HiCE and not another category, so it's likely to be titled ThunderKat Pro or ThunderKat 2.0. This is the theory Nevada and Jackson want to buy."