My Formula 1 System

At the end of the Special Recognition Awards, Luca had three with him at his table, the most for any F2 driver and the most for any driver at all!

Luca ended up winning not just the F2 Driver's Championship award and the Fastest Lap of the Year award, but also the Best Wet Weather Performance award, which he had suspected he had a good chance of securing.

It turned out his climb from P20 to P1 wasn't the best comeback of the year across all seasons, as Ailbeart Moireach had executed something even more outstanding earlier in the season, earning him the award.

However, Luca could tell he was second on that list because the presenters made a remark about how he would have left The Dorchester that night with four awards.

Marcellus Rodnick received a second award for Most Pole Positions, one of the key boosts that helped him secure the championship.

The Overtake of the Year award went to Marko Ignatova, Antonio Luigi's teammate, for his stunning move against both Rodnick and Di Renzo at the British Grand Prix.

He also had the most successful overtakes of the season, leading his own teammate in the rankings, which made Squadra Corse the most fierce F1 team on the track.

The Consistency Award went to Hank Rice, who won two awards, with the second being the Most Positions Gained in a Race award which was an honorary award given to the driver who climbed the most spots from their starting position in a single race.

The award ceremony continued, but Luca never once heard the name Antonio Luigi being called up. So, he isn't that good?

Yet again, Antonio Luigi had finished second in the championship. There was a high chance that he had come close to winning several awards—maybe placing second or third in each—but not securing any of them outright.

Luca exhaled, sinking a little deeper into his seat. His eyes drifted to Sophia, who was amusing herself by making the awards on the table "talk" to each other like action figures.

Then, his gaze moved to his mother's empty chair.

He had insisted that his mother go home early. Not because it was getting late, but because she had been crying nonstop. Thankfully, Sara was in the building and had taken her home.

Earlier, during the ceremony, after Luca had returned with his second award, two more were announced before the presenters called out his third.

A fresh round of applause erupted in the ballroom, but that was when Mrs. Rennick finally broke down.

Luca had anticipated it. Ever since he returned with his second trophy, her eyes had been watery, and she kept wiping away the unshed tears, struggling to hold them back.

But when the announcement came—her son, winning his third award of the night—the emotions overwhelmed her.

Tears of pride, yes. But also of something deeper.

Perhaps sorrow.

Sorrow for how drastically life had changed. How fast time had moved.

Not too long ago, Luca was just a boy who worked himself to the bone, unable to make it further to college and taking on hard jobs to make ends meet.

Now, he was a world champion, celebrated under the lights of a grand ballroom, surrounded by the very people he once thought were untouchable.

Mrs. Rennick had always wanted the best for her son. But sitting there, watching him collect award after award, she couldn't help but feel the weight of responsibility he had endured, some of which were supposed to be hers and her late husband's. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire

And now, as much as she was proud beyond words, a part of her also knew Luca was no longer her little boy.

Luca had felt embarrassed back then, and looking at Sophia almost spilling a glass over made him wonder why he hadn't sent her home as well.

Luca wished the eyes in his direction would look another way. He was far more mobbed than Rodnick had predicted, and all he could do was wait until the broadcast of the new season structure, after which he would leave.

Many F1 drivers were already sizing him up as a potential rival should he make it into Formula 1. And many businessmen and women had begun to see him as a valuable investment, a rising star whose name was already making waves beyond Formula 2.

At 10:30 PM, the stage was set, and the most important announcement that would change the course of racing history was about to be made.

Luca adjusted his suit and locked his focus on the stage, forcing himself to let Sophia do as she liked.

The ballroom, once filled with conversations of varying accents and the clinking of glasses, had now fallen into silence.

Even the most seasoned figures in motorsport—the team principals, engineers, and veteran drivers—wore expressions of quiet anticipation because they knew the weight of this.

The presenters returned to the stage, stepping into the spotlight with a heavier presence this time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is not just a celebration of excellence in motorsport. Tonight marks the beginning of a new era. An era that will push the limits of engineering, challenge the greatest drivers on the planet, and redefine what it means to race at the pinnacle of speed and skill."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Luca had no one to murmur to.

"We have spent years refining this sport, optimizing its machines, and expanding its reach. But now, it's time for evolution."

Luca leaned forward slightly. Evolution...?

"Starting next season, Formula racing will undergo its most ambitious transformation yet—one that will test not only the drivers but the very foundation of the sport itself."

The screen that had displayed the highlights lit up to help convey this information better, as everyone in the room held their breath.

Luca was pretty sure a few already knew what the change was going to be. As long as a dork like Dan knew, then someone more refined would too. And they were probably here just for presence's sake and for the awards.

And then, the future of racing was unveiled as the last activity before the gala concluded.