My Formula 1 System

Chapter 195 Opportunity And Scrutiny

Outback Performance, the only Australian Formula 1 team currently in the competition, had been the country's sole representative for generations now.

Just like their unique nationality, their name was outstandingly unique as well, reflecting the vast and tough terrain of the country.

'Performance'—such a distinguished last name—was rarely used throughout all divisions, which inadvertently turned into one of their nicknames.

1x Team World Champions and 3x Top 5 Finishers, Outback Performance really outdid themselves in the last generation, but not this one.

Being the first team to host a Red Bull engine and chassis, it was reasonable their early days were impressive. But as Bueseno Velocità became team number 2 under the provisions of Red Bull, their progress was subtly shortened because they now shared the same F1 car level.

With time, and with money obviously, Bueseno Velocità secured a deal with Red Bull, marking them as the number 1 team using Red Bull products. Therefore, there would be a significant difference between Bueseno Velocità's Red Bull technology and Outback Performance's own Red Bull technology.

Despite this, Outback Performance didn't move away from Red Bull in search of another brand to patronize and affiliate with. They reluctantly accepted this no. 2 role, deeming Red Bull a great brand they couldn't afford to gamble away.

Now there they were, honing a lesser chassis and engine than Bueseno Velocità, but still capable nonetheless.

At the time when Red Bull wasn't yet a dominant force in F1, Outback Performance was the first to fully integrate their power units into their car design. This partnership led to their most competitive years, culminating in their only Constructors' Championship twelve years ago. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

That season, everything aligned—the car was solid, their drivers were aggressive yet consistent, and the team operated with flawless execution.

Luis Dreyer and Javier Montez were their two main periodic drivers now. Both were doing fairly well as Dreyer had now begun to show good signs of progress. Though he was better last season than this season.

Luca knew their Team Principal, Mr. Holloway. He's Australian, and was once the team's engineer before turned into team boss.

Right now in the Formula 1 standings, they sat in 7th.

One didn't need to think twice before understanding why they needed Luca in their roster and every Grand Prix lineup. The team needed a star driver, a driver who could single-handedly elevate their performance, turn midfield struggles into podium fights, and carry the weight of the team when the car alone wasn't enough.

At the moment, Dreyer and Montez could be regarded as being on the same level, and their board could see nothing but a haze, fog, and mist in their future.

For Outback Performance, Luca was more than a potential signing for them, he was deemed a necessity before they fully got blown out of Top 5 discussions.

Luca's take on Outback wasn't that bad.

From his perspective, they seemed like a good team capable of rising to the top once again if he drove well under their standards. After all, they possessed substantial wealth and influence, even giving way to the possibility of Luca driving a Red Bull—something he believed he wouldn't do.

Deep ochre served as the primary color of Outback Performance, complemented by dark green as the secondary, while black and white provided sharp accents to complete the professional finish.

It wasn't the most striking livery on the grid, nor the most admired, but it had presence. It carried the rugged, unyielding spirit of the team, and it certainly looked good draped over their Red Bull-powered machines.

Mallow was satisfied with how Outback Performance approached their initial discussions and saw potential in their offer. He was more than willing to continue negotiations, even putting a pause on talks with Iberia GP, another Formula 1 team vying for Luca's signature.

These developments were causing deep concern within Trampos, especially for Mr. Fisher and the rest of the board.

Mallow had already made it clear that Formula 1 was Luca's next step. It was the goal. And with time, after further discussions with his client, he could very well move forward with whatever team seemed the most promising.

Mr. Fisher was troubled by this. He had hoped that the increased wages and improved contract terms would be enough to keep Luca with Trampos, at least for one more season. But with Mallow actively fielding offers and Luca's future becoming a serious topic of negotiation, there was a real chance that by the end of the season, he would have already agreed to personal terms with another team.

However, at the moment, Luca's and the entire Trampos team had problems far different from the possibility of him leaving the team to an F1 team.

The FIA had just given Luca and Trampos a detailed list of how his substance screening and test would proceed. It'd be a grueling process, one designed to leave no stone unturned.

Luca would be required to report to an FIA-approved testing facility within 48 hours. It'd likely be the same one he visited in order to be cleared for competition when he got his ribs injured.

The FIA made it clear that the testing process would be invasive as Luca would undergo a full medical examination, and the FIA might also inspect Trampos' single-seaters if necessary.

They'd comb through every detail, searching for anything that could explain his performance. And if they found nothing—well, that might raise even more questions.

Luca noticed they added something called Psychological Evaluation, an assessment to determine if his sudden on-track performance could be attributed to mental conditioning or other non-physical factors.

Each of these tests, starting from all medical checkups, would range 2-3 hours per day for two days, for comprehensive tests, 4-6 hours per day spread over two days as well, and psychological evaluation, 3-4 hours spread over 5 days.

Once all tests were completed, the FIA would compile the results and issue a verdict. If cleared, Luca would be free to continue racing. If not, he could face suspension, fines, or even a lifetime ban, depending on what substance was found.

That was if they even find anything.

Time frame would be 2-3 weeks for the final decision. This value in particular was what bothered everyone in Trampos, not even Luca's ongoing talks with F1 teams.