My Formula 1 System-Chapter 200 €8m And Counting. 2

Mallow patiently waited for Luca to conclude his workout session, standing by the side as Luca pushed his body upward, rounding up the last set of Hanging Knee Raises.

It was no easy task—not because of the strain of lifting his knees to chest level while being suspended above the floor, but because of Mallow's presence.

Luca tried to keep his gaze ahead, looking through his window as he heard Mallow whisper another monkey joke to Amir, who couldn't help but laugh.

Finally, Luca's legs dropped, and his feet hit the tiles to end the day's gym time.

[Good job, host. All exercises assigned have been completed.]

[You can head over to the next phase of your Daily Routine. Your time in the gym today is over.]

"Bravo!" Amir congratulated, tossing him his bottle of water.

Luca caught it and drank until it was empty before glancing at Mallow, who was now staring out one of

Mallow took his time, allowing the room to settle after Luca's workout. But Luca, eager to get straight to the point, didn't wait.

"I, the messenger, have come with news," Mallow finally said, turning to face him.

"Good news or bad?" Luca asked, reaching for his towel.

"News is news, Luca," Mallow replied with an exaggerated eye roll. "Whether it's great or terrible depends on the ears that receive it."

Amir chuckled, dragging a floor rag with his foot to wipe up some of Luca's sweat. "Alright then, let's hear this neutral news," he said, amused.

Mallow tapped the folded white file against his palm before pointing it at Luca. "You, my man, might just be on your way to becoming a millionaire."

Luca took the file, scanning its cover. "What is this?"

"Outback's proposal for your personal terms," Mallow said, settling onto the bench. "Not the contract—just the breakdown of what they're offering. It's quite the read, so take your time with it."

Luca flipped through the first few pages, his eyes skimming over the dense, tiny font. It was packed with details, and judging by its size, it wasn't something he could rush through.

As he studied it, Amir straightened up and stretched. "I'll make coffee for everyone," he offered.

After a month of training in the new house, Amir already knew his way around the kitchen and living room. He didn't need to ask for permission anymore, and Luca was more than fine with that. Without waiting for a response, Amir left to get the drinks ready.

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Luca glanced at Mallow. "Just give me the summary."

Mallow crossed his fingers and leaned back slightly. "Five years. 2.3 million per year. Periodic driver."

Luca's jaw practically hit the floor. He shut his mouth, swallowed, then scoffed in disbelief. That was big—way bigger than he'd expected.

"2.3 million?" He blinked. "Isn't that, like, double what we were even hoping for?"

"Bang on."

Luca carefully placed the file on a nearby weight bench, resting his hands on his hips while his towel hung loosely over his shoulder. "This is great," he said, exhaling in satisfaction. "If everything else checks out as well as you just said, I'd definitely sign. They're not a bad team after all."

"Yeah, you're right. Red Bull's a solid path," Mallow agreed, nodding. "And don't worry—nothing in that file will make you frown. But landing this deal won't be easy." He hesitated before adding, "I predict they'll run into problems with Trampos."

Luca's brow furrowed, curiosity flickering in his eyes. He took a few steps closer. "Really? How?"

Mallow exhaled, preparing to break it down in a way Luca would fully grasp. This wasn't just another contract negotiation—this was Luca's future. A future being decided by three forces, two of which weren't Luca or even him.

"Look, Luca. I've seen this setup before," Mallow began. "Outback's offer for you is strong, but their proposal for Trampos won't be nearly as generous. They're unlikely to go beyond what we originally expected and meet Trampos's demands at the same time. That means they'll push for a price cut—your price cut—and I highly doubt Trampos will go for that."

Mallow studied Luca's face. "You get what I'm saying, right?"

Luca hesitated before nodding quickly. "Yeah, yeah, I get it," he said, though his words came out a little rushed. He ran a hand through his damp hair. "Basically, they're offering me a sweeter deal to lure me away, knowing Trampos won't budge. If Trampos refuses, it forces my hand, and I end up looking defiant," Luca stated as a matter of fact, in the way he believed affected psychologically.

"Exactly," Mallow said, snapping his fingers. "Outback's playing smart, but I don't want us caught in the middle of a mess and a feud."

Luca nodded slowly and understandingly. The situation Mallow just described wasn't new to him. In fact, it was a common tactic in sports where teams, agents, and sponsors strategically manipulated contract negotiations to force movement in their favor.

In this case, Outback was offering Luca an undeniably attractive deal—far higher than even his most optimistic expectations. The goal was to make the offer so enticing that he'd feel compelled to pressure Trampos into negotiating his release.

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But the real trick was what Outback was offering Trampos. Instead of matching Luca's actual market value, they were presenting a lower figure—one that significantly undervalued him from a team's perspective.

This put Trampos in a bind. If they refused to sell at the reduced price, they risked keeping a driver who was now openly considering another team, potentially causing friction. If they agreed, they'd be letting go of Luca for less than what he was worth, a financial loss they'd struggle to justify.

"You mentioned another team was interested. Iberia?"

"Yes, for now. Iberia Grand Prix—Spanish team, they drive Audi. Do you like it?"

"I need to be in F1."

"I've paused our talks for now, but so far, they've offered 800k with options for increases. Five years, periodic driver," Mallow explained.

"And they'll likely pay Trampos my full price?"

"Exactly. A perfect example of give and take."

At that moment, Amir returned with the coffee, setting the cups down on the table with a slight grin. "Here you go," he said, handing Luca his coffee first.

Mallow took a sip of his tea, then set it down casually. "Don't worry, just stay focused on winning the championship for now. I wanted to keep you motivated during this rough patch. I hear it's common for athletes to experience what I call 'accusation depression' during times like this."

Luca chuckled briefly, tapping his neck to check his temperature. "Maybe even sickness. I think I'm close to that point. One more week without my results from the FIA, and I might hit a breaking point."

Mallow laughed heartily, his voice filling the room. "But they'll have to release it soon, for their own sake. If they drag it out much longer, the backlash and conspiracy rumors could spiral out of control."

"Whatcha mean?" Luca asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Have you seen the news today? Read the papers?" Mallow asked, his tone turning more serious.

"No... I'm yet to," Luca replied, concern creeping into his voice.

Mallow shrugged and gestured toward his tea. "Your loyal Germans are planning protests. In Berlin, Bad Rauenberg, Munich and Hamburg."

"What?!" Luca exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yeah, it's dragging on longer than necessary. Here in Berlin, they'll gather at your team's headquarters. In Bad Rauenberg, at the circuit. In Munich, at the Olympiapark. In Hamburg, at the Reeperbahn. They'll even march toward any FIA facilities or buildings nearby."