Ansel was just as stunned to see Luca as Luca was to see him. He had suspected that Emma might have wandered into Jackson Racing's territory because she hadn't exactly been subtle about her excitent over Luca being at the venue.
Knowing she was still just a child, Ansel held back from scolding her. Instead, he nearly patted her head, but Laura got to her first, playfully biting her nose in her own version of discipline.
Ansel turned his attention to Luca, who was quietly taking in the sight before him. With the unveil just minutes away, searching for his niece had been the last thing Ansel had hoped to be doing. "So, thank you," he said sincerely.
"You're very welco," Luca replied with a nod.
He took a long look at Ansel—his forr teammate, soone he hadn't seen in half a year.
From Luca's perspective, Ansel seed a bit shorter than he rembered, and he had let so of his mustache grow past the usual clean-shaven look. Then, Luca's eyes shifted to Laura. "It's nice to see you, Laura," he said.
Laura smiled warmly, though she was preoccupied with keeping Emma from running off again. "It's nice to see you too," she replied. "How have you been?"
"I've been great," Luca answered before shifting his gaze back to Ansel. "How have you all been?" he asked generally.
Just as Luca thought Ansel looked shorter, Ansel, in turn, felt like Luca had sohow grown an inch, even though that wasn't actually the case.
The atmosphere around them was a hive of activity, a clear sign that their conversation needed to wrap up soon.
"We've been doing great," Ansel finally replied. He took a deep breath, then spoke again. "I haven't had the chance to congratulate you on your victory in Monza. Congratulations on becoming F2 Champion, Luca."
Luca chuckled faintly, shifting his stance. "Thanks," he said. "But that's old news now. Since I'm in F1, I think it's ti to let go of that title."
Ansel understood and nodded, while Luca took a mont to assess the suit Ansel was wearing.
It was Trampos' new Veststar design, but different from the one Luca had worn when he was with the team.
The red, black, and white color sche remained, but the pattern had changed. Instead of the bold, symtrical streaks of the previous design, this one had a more fragnted, angular look like sharp slashes running diagonally across the fabric.
Luca wondered if this would be the last Veststar suit he'd see Ansel in, considering the rumors that Trampos might soon switch to a different racing suit manufacturer, one more fitting for F1.
"Looks good," he admitted, gesturing at the suit. "The new design suits Trampos well. It looks more aggressive, like sharp claws."
Ansel glanced down at himself, running a hand along the fabric. "Yeah, it's definitely a change," he said. "Feels lighter, too. They've been improving their material."
"I could say the sa for yours," Ansel continued, remarking the Jackson Racing new designs. "It fits you really well."
Luca nodded, appreciating the complint before shifting his gaze to Emma, who clutched her pony tightly. He gave her a small wave. "I'll see you around, dear. Just… try not to run off next ti, alright?"
Emma grinned. "I won't!" she declared, though Luca wasn't entirely convinced.
With that, he turned on his heels, stepping away as Ansel and Laura refocused on Emma. "Bye, Mr. Luca!" she called after him, her voice bright despite the noise of the venue.
Luca raised a hand in acknowledgnt but didn't look back. The organized chaos of the event surrounded him once more as he weaved through the dimly lit back corridors, making his way toward the dark booths.
He had undoubtedly missed whatever last-minute words Mr. Matthews had to say, but he'd just get the rundown from Rodnick and Eddy later.
The mont Luca stepped back into the booth, Eddy's voice cut through the noise. "Brother, why the hell are you sweating?! There are ACs everywhere!"
"C'mon. Look at the crowd out there, mate—it was a bit stuffy back there," Luca said, picking up his helt that was hung. "Let's get on with this."
The host's voice bood once again, igniting a fresh wave of anticipation.
"Ladies and gentlen! The mont you've all been waiting for… It's ti!"
A pulse of flashing lights washed over the venue, and the crowd erupted with cheers. Caras zood in, capturing every movent, every angle, every flicker of the spectacular stage setup.
One by one, the massive white covers draped over the cars were lifted dramatically, revealing the ticulously crafted designs underneath.
Jackson Racing's was lifted first. The JRX-88X was used as the chassis for display today, not Luca's, Di Renzo's or Rodnick's chassis.
"Presenting first, the reigning champions—Jackson Racing!"
"WOOOOHH!"
The applause barely had ti to settle before the next reveal.
"Next, the unstoppable forces of engineering—Bueseno Velocità!"
"WOOOOHH!"
Luca and Rodnick burst out into laughter when Velocità's livery was revealed. It turned out Eddy wasn't joking after all!
One by one, all ten teams had their new car designs revealed. Trampos was the last as a beacon of being the newest addition to the competition.
"And now… A challenger reborn! Trampos Racing!"
There were not many cheers because Trampos were technically lacking in spectators at the venue.
But since the machine's livery was quite appealing, people began to clap and then the clap turned into cheers.
Luca smiled, seeing the F2 04 seated next to cars way more powerful than it was. All the cars there were close enough under Professional Bundle to be analyzed, and Luca could tell the sheer difference.
"Alright, it's ti. Head out," Eddy said. "Helts on."
Luca and Rodnick swiftly secured their helts. Across the venue, Luigi and Ignatova did the sa.
DiMarco and Damgaard pulled theirs on with practiced ease, while Ansel and Haas followed suit.
Even Hank Rice, who had voluntarily demoted himself to Iberia Grand Prix after Nevada's ban, adjusted his helt beside his new teammate, Mikhail Petrov.
Nyström and Lockwood, along with the remaining drivers, completed the ritual. All twenty competitors were now fully geared up, their visors reflecting the dazzling arena lights.
The host's voice rang out, signaling the final mont before their grand reveal.
"And now, it's ti to et the stars behind the wheels! Please welco the drivers!"
The spotlights shifted, piercing through the booths like searchlights, illuminating the silhouettes of all twenty drivers.
For a brief mont, the arena fell into a charged silence as each driver took a second—maybe two or three—to scan the space, locking eyes with their rivals from across the vast stage.
Reviews
All reviews (0)