Around early February, Nevada was found guilty on all charges. The court had ruled decisively, leaving no room for appeal. Fraud, corruption, regulation breach, and the deliberate siphoning of Aldo Rennick's wealth had all been proven beyond doubt.
Every punishment was carried out accordingly. Though Luca had no idea to what extent the punishments should have gone, the press described Nevada's sentencing as a slap on the wrist.
Many argued that the FIA had been lenient with Nevada HanSama, taking it easy on them due to the team's deep-rooted history in the sport. Permanently erasing them would mean losing a significant financial and cultural contributor to Formula 1.
In general, Nevada HanSama were too important to be given severe punishments. Despite this, the penalties imposed were devastating and effectively dismantled the team.
Heavy fines as we had mentioned were imposed as part of these punishments, and asset seizures took a toll, but nothing compared to the final, most crushing blow which was a five-year ban from all motorsport activities.
The media debated whether this punishment was justified or if the ban should have been even longer. Regardless, Luca knew just how severe it was.
This meant that Nevada HanSama would be completely absent from the motorsport world for half a decade.
There would be no races, no sponsorships, no development projects, nothing.
Luca had singlehandedly brought down an entire team—the very team he was, technically, a part of.
When Nevada and Trampos had struck an agreement, the deal was already financially secured. Nevada had been eager to acquire Luca and integrate him into their ranks as early as possible.
This meant that, even before officially signing a driver contract, Luca was already tied to Nevada HanSama. All that was left was his signature.
This signature was the one that would solidify his status as their driver and link his merchandise, branding, and entire name to the team.
Now, with Nevada HanSama facing a five-year ban from all motorsport participation, the consequences would ripple through every level of the organization.
From the technical staff to the management, to the sponsors and fans.
For the drivers, those already contracted with Nevada HanSama would be forced to seek other teams if they wanted to continue racing. Some, particularly junior drivers, might never find another opportunity at all.
At this moment, Hank Rice found himself in a difficult position. As the team's top star driver, he faced two choices.
He either move to a rival team and continue competing at the highest level (which was unthinkable due to his deep loyalty to Nevada) or settle for a lower-paying contract with a non-rival team. Neither option was ideal.
Luca, on the other hand, was still a fresh addition to Nevada. And to make matters worse, after suffering a catastrophic financial collapse in just two months, the team now had to figure out what to do with him
He was the driver they had just signed for $10 million!
Some bitter fans went as far as suggesting that Luca be released immediately, claiming he was unwanted and should have no place in Nevada anymore.
Despite the overwhelming resentment within Nevada's management, they knew better than to make rash decisions during such a critical period. Their focus now was damage control.
Luca's market value remained the highest in the sport, a rare asset even in the middle of the chaos.
If they could successfully persuade and negotiate a transfer deal with another team, Nevada could recoup some of their losses and begin laying the groundwork for a stronger comeback after their five-year ban.
Luca wasn't even granted any form of communication with "his own team" as everything unfolded.
The only way he could track what was happening was through the news, making it feel as if the entire world had suddenly turned upside down.
Then, in the midst of all the chaos, an abrupt and unprecedented revelation stunned Luca to his core.
It was Sara who informed him—Mr. Lemaître, now the FORMER co-owner of Squadra Corse, was officially a co-owner of Trampos Racing, holding a 15% stake in the team.
Luca was speechless.
Mr. Lemaître had stepped down from his position at Squadra Corse before his fellow stakeholders could even realize he was making moves elsewhere, blindsiding everyone.
His sudden departure had sent shockwaves through the entire organization and even the rivals'.
But what baffled Luca even more was how Mr. Lemaître—a Spanish businessman—had managed to convince the German government and become the first private individual to secure a stake in Trampos.
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Luca couldn't wrap his head around it.
What kind of move was this?!
First, Lemaître had played a major role in facilitating Nevada's prosecution. And now, he had secured ownership in the very same F2 team Luca had just left?!
Luca had been expecting a call, and when it finally came, it was from Mr. Lemaître.
He answered immediately.
Luca started by congratulating the man on his new position, and Mr. Lemaître responded humbly, thanking him.
So, the conversation shifted.
Mr. Lemaître asked how Luca was holding up amidst the ongoing scandal, and Luca reassured him that he was coping well.
However, he admitted his biggest concern about how Nevada's ban could put his F1 career in serious jeopardy. He was no longer an asset of Trampos, but rather stuck under Nevada HanSama.
"Ha! Ha!"
Mr. Lemaître laughed it off like it was nothing and told Luca there was no need to worry. He would make it to an F1 team this year; he just had to be patient.
Luca couldn't tell if it was confidence or just typical businessman optimism, but Mr. Lemaître's words turned out to be more than just a prediction.
Soon enough, Nevada HanSama's longtime frenemies, Jackson Racing, stepped forward.
They framed their approach as helping out their struggling neighbor, but in reality, they were capitalizing on the chance to snatch up a promising young driver like Luca and add up to their stack.
Without much effort, they completely overshadowed Outback's proposal, offering Nevada a deal they couldn't refuse. Nevada, desperate to recoup their losses, welcomed their rivals with open arms.
In just three days, the deal was finalized.
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Of course, it was going to be a huge drop in Luca's market value, but still substantial enough to make the transfer worthwhile.
Now, with Jackson Racing having settled terms with Nevada, there was only one thing left to do, and that was to approach the driver himself.
And just like that, in the blink of an eye, Luca and Mallow found themselves staring at another set of Ferrari-backed documents on their table.