NOVPUBHow was Luca's experience in a novel country like South Africa? Luca wasn't entirely sure where to place his marker, but if he considered all factors both before and after the race, he could put it at a 7.
To truly assess it, Luca decided to assay his entire stay in South Africa from start to finish in order to reach a clear conclusion. First was the arrival, then the main event being the race, and lastly, the exit. But there were a few other moments in between, like Isabella's birthday and the Ferrari convention event.
Isabella's birthday was supposed to be a happy one, scheduled two days after the race, a birthday as joyful as any other. But in reality, she wasn't truly happy. The entrance examination into her dream engineering school, which she had taken for the second time, had been released on Monday. Unfortunately, she did not make the 45-student shortlist of those who were going to be admitted... again.
This really downscaled her being, especially with her 18th birthday falling just the following day. The birthday unfolded as a gloomy one, and the solicitous arrangements Luca had made were barely utilized or enjoyed. Her downheartedness weighed heavily on Luca, even though he had just won the South African Grand Prix. He felt genuinely bad for her, because he knew—unlike boys—failing twice in a row was something far more difficult for girls to move on from.
"It's their loss," Luca told her while she was in his comfort. "They don't know they just rejected the same engineer that invented the ThunderKat 2.0."
That actually gave him an idea, one he decided to implement right away. Seeing her cry, Luca understood that waiting another year to take the exam would feel like receiving bee stings over and over again. And by then, she might've lost all passion and possibly abandon her studies altogether. Moreover, changing course didn't seem like an option she'd even consider. So, Luca thought maybe he could do something about it.
This led to the Ferrari convention event, officially titled the Ferrari Engineering Alliance Summit. Luca really had no idea what was going to be discussed at the summit, but he followed through and attended anyway because he had something to do. However, what actually caught him off guard was seeing Trampos personnel already seated at the venue. Starting from Mr. Lemaître, to some foreign faces he didn't recognize, Mr. Fisher, Mrs. Doyle, Mr. Grant, and even Ms. Vallotton.
Luca was extremely surprised. But partway into the event, everything became clear as Ferrari made an official announcement: they were in the final stages of securing an agreement with Trampos Racing. A deal that would see Trampos now operate under Ferrari and gain access to their engineering resources.
The rumors had finally come to pass. Trampos was really becoming a Ferrari-aligned team, ironically replacing Nevada in every possible way. A red team replacing another red team. It was practically going to be like Nevada HanSama 2.0—a nightmare reborn for Bueseno Velocità.
Luca was flushed by the announcement, but chose to express his astonishment by joining the applause. As he clapped, his mind wandered into speculation. What exactly did this mean for Trampos?
Would they be granted Ferrari's top-tier engineering packages? Would they now suddenly be launched into the big five?
Nah. Luca doubted it. Ferrari was too large, too seasoned, and too cautious to hand over the best of the best without solid promise or proof of potential. At best, Trampos would likely receive a decent supply enough to elevate them from total failure to being reasonably competitive.
Plus, Nevada was expected to return in four seasons. And since engine manufacturers could only support a maximum of three teams, Trampos would likely end up being the third and lowest-ranking Ferrari team by then.
The first and undisputed favorite would remain Jackson Racing—the Silver Stallions. In fact, during the summit, Ferrari went on to officially declare that they had completed the full development of the ThunderKat 2.0 now paired with a BRAND-NEW chassis design fully engineered to match its power and structure. They had handed it over to Jackson Racing, and the team could inaugurate its use whenever they saw fit.
A thunderous round of applause followed. Jackson Racing, who made up the majority of the attendees in the hall, cheered and whooped in celebration of their assured future success and growth. The team's managers, along with several owners, were present and even came on stage to offer their thanks, expressing gratitude, pledging their continued excellence, reaffirming their commitment to Ferrari, and sharing aspirations for what the future held.
Luca knew Rodnick was going to be happy because his super engine had finally arrived. It seemed the chassis name was yet to be disclosed, but whatever it was, Rodnick would be heading into the Canadian Grand Prix battle-hardened and honed for success.
As the only Jackson Racing driver in attendance, Luca took it upon himself to fully participate and engage in the summit as much as he could. In fact, that was exactly what he came here for. And during this engagement, he found the opportunity to speak with the Head of Technical Operations at Ferrari, the very person capable of handling the kind of request Luca had in mind.
He initiated the conversation by discussing the ThunderKat 2.0—its prospective nature, its vast potential, and the resourcefulness embedded in its design. Thankfully, since Luca was a Jackson Racing driver, Mr. Scarnecchia felt comfortable and open, freely babbling all sorts of insider information to him. He began by stating their belief that the ThunderKat 2.0 would outperform the MkII. Since the MkII had already been put to use, they'd gathered useful data, run comparisons, and all results leaned in favor of the 2.0's superiority.
Such must be the advantage of not debuting your HiCE first.
Afterward, Luca asked if Ferrari and Jackson Racing truly had everything under control, asking if they really understood all there was to handling the ThunderKat 2.0. When Mr. Scarnecchia curiously asked what he meant by that, Luca finally revealed his true intention.
He suggested that Ferrari hire that one head engineer from the small but fiercely innovative group, the very same group that had initially introduced the ThunderKat 2.0 blueprint to Ferrari's table in the first place.
Just as Luca had hoped, Mr. Scarnecchia didn't dismiss the idea. In fact, he paused with a thoughtful face, seriously considering the suggestion. To him, Luca's words carried wisdom. There were certain scenarios where having the original visionary behind the concept could prove invaluable. Having such a mind close at hand could serve as an intellectual anchor whenever unpredictable complexities arose.
And since this person had singlehandedly evolved an S-level engine, they had to be smart and intelligent enough already to work under Ferrari.
Mr. Scarnecchia thanked Luca for the clever suggestion, an idea that could bring added technical stability and reassurance, even though Ferrari already had some of the best engineers in the world. He assured Luca that he would get this person in as soon as possible. These super engines were costly as hell, and maintenance was required from all angles—mechanical, electronic, and strategic alike.
Even though his plan had worked out perfectly, Luca didn't tell Isabella anything, as he wanted it to unfold naturally for her. She wouldn't feel that thrill and the rush of pure surprise when she received that call if he told her in advance. And so, they returned to England to continue the rest of the year and a very trivial Formula 1 season.
