Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 94 Renault European Cup Opens (6K)

After taking a final look at the former Huasai base, Chen Xiangbei and others returned to the hotel.

During the evening break, Chen Xiangbei briefly described to the team members some important experiences in Japan and the precautions for future F1 teams.

Liang Chi and Lu Xiaoman had seen big scenes before, so Chen Xiangbei was not too worried. The main problem was the maintenance technicians Feng Yong and Zhao Lei. They had never even left the country and their English level was very mediocre, so they might not be able to adapt to the situation.

But there was no alternative; they were among the few technicians in the country with experience in Formula One car maintenance and tuning. Another group of technicians with similar experience were in the AGF competition, which was led by the Huali Group.

Feng Yong and Zhao Lei had to overcome communication difficulties and learn the many professional terms and terminology of motorsports. Otherwise, no matter how much Chen Xiangbei wanted to build a Chinese Formula One team, he wouldn't be able to lead his "defeating teammates."

Fortunately, Feng Yong and Zhao Lei were both hard-working people, so they bought an English vocabulary book that night and started memorizing it.

As for how much I can learn, only God knows...

The next morning, Chen Xiangbei boarded a flight back to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, while Zhang Zhicong flew to Hong Kong Island.

The sentimental words had already been said yesterday, and the two said goodbye calmly.

But after getting on the plane, Chen Xiangbei couldn't help feeling a little sad.

He didn't know when they would meet again after this separation.

When he returned to his home in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, his mother Zhao Yumei had been waiting for him for a long time. She couldn't help crying when she saw Chen Xiangbei for the first time.

She hadn't expected the Donghai trial to last this long, and she hadn't expected Chen Xiangbei to go to Japan to become a professional racer. When her son called to tell her all this, Zhao Yumei was completely stunned, and it took her several days to recover.

"Xiangbei, are you really going to Europe to race?"

Zhao Yumei asked back in surprise, her son was becoming more and more exaggerated, and this time he came back and said he wanted to go to Europe!

"Well, I've entered the Formula Renault Eurocup and signed with the Japanese Super Dream Racing team, which will start racing in early March."

"Mom, Suzuka International University has given me special permission to be admitted. I plan to drop out of high school and compete in professional competitions."

At any other time, Zhao Yumei would probably jump for joy when she heard that Chen Xiangbei was admitted to university.

But when she heard the news today, she felt extremely complicated. Even though she had been mentally prepared and was sure that Chen Xiangbei was going to Europe to become a professional racer, she still felt an indescribable sense of unreality.

After a long while, Zhao Yumei slowly said, "Xiangbei, are you sure you are ready?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Then go ahead."

Mother Zhao Yumei replied with tears in her eyes.

From the moment she agreed to let Chen Xiangbei go to Donghai, she had actually made the decision to support her son's dream.

It’s just that some things can be understood rationally, but are still difficult to accept emotionally.

In Zhao Yumei's eyes, Chen Xiangbei is still a child, and he doesn't realize that it is time for the young bird to leave the nest completely.

"Mom, thank you."

Chen Xiangbei is not a person who is good at expressing his emotions, and a thousand words can express everything without saying them.

After staying at home with his mother Zhao Yumei for two days, Chen Xiangbei went to see Fatty Wang and Zhou Yanjing the next day.

When the two guys learned that Chen Xiangbei had become a professional driver and would be heading to Europe to race in Renault events, they were so surprised that all they could say were "Damn" and "Wow".

Indeed, Chen Xiangbei's growth rate has completely exceeded the cognitive scope of a high school student.

Even though they had thought that one day Chen Xiangbei would become a professional driver and stand on the track, they never thought that this day would come so soon.

There aren't many pretentious words between young people. Chen Xiangbei met the two of them this time, on the one hand to say goodbye, and on the other hand to give them some advice.

Zhou Yanjing was a good student and had long been exposed to 3D vehicle modeling and design in automotive forums. If he wanted to apply for a major in automotive engineering, it should be easy.

But Chen Xiangbei's advice to him was to apply to a university specializing in aerospace engineering, and then major in aerodynamics within the mechanics major.

With the vigorous development of automobiles in China, there will actually be no shortage of automotive engineers in the future, but there will be a shortage of top aerodynamic masters like Newey.

Both publicly and privately, aerospace engineering has a brighter future than automotive engineering.

Of course, Chen Xiangbei is just giving suggestions, and the choice depends on Zhou Yanjing himself.

As for Fatty Wang, Chen Xiangbei didn't say much.

This kid's academic performance is terrible. It will probably be difficult for him to get into university, let alone choose a major.

Some things can't be forced...

Finally, after much hesitation, Chen Xiangbei called Dong Yuanxi and the two of them agreed to meet at a milk tea shop on the corner of the school street.

In addition to saying a belated birthday wish, Chen Xiangbei also gave a belated birthday gift, which was a Renault racing car model that he drove at the Honda Academy.

Dong Yuanxi held it in his hand and examined it for a while, then asked, "Is this the car you won the championship in Japan?"

"Well, how do you know?"

Hearing Chen Xiangbei's unexpected question, Dong Yuanxi smiled and said, "I told you I know you very well."

"Thank you, I like this gift very much."

Dong Yuanxi put down the model in her hand. She had originally felt sorry that Chen Xiangbei had missed her "coming-of-age ceremony", but now it seemed that at least he had not forgotten it in his heart.

The two then chatted about their recent situation. Since it was their first time being alone, the atmosphere was a little stiff and shy, filled with the haziness and ambiguity unique to adolescence.

As the sun set, Chen Xiangbei glanced at the time and said, "I should go."

"So fast?"

Dong Yuanxi felt that the two of them had not been sitting for long.

"Well, I bought a ticket to Donghai tonight."

This time, Chen Xiangbei did not choose to fly on his return trip, but took a sleeper berth that departed in the evening and arrived the next morning. It was more convenient and saved time as he could get there by sleeping.

"Then...how about I give you a ride?"

"No thanks."

After saying that, Chen Xiangbei stood up.

The two walked out of the store. Dong Yuanxi wanted to say something, but Chen Xiangbei waved his hand casually and turned away.

Although Chen Xiangbei is a very straight man, he is not a fool and can vaguely feel Dong Yuanxi's special feelings.

However, as a driver, Chen Xiangbei must ensure that he focuses all his energy on the upcoming professional competition. The woman will only affect his driving speed for the time being!

……

When Chen Xiangbei arrived in Donghai again, it was already the morning of the next day.

The members of the Donghai Racing Team were already ready, waiting for Chen Xiangbei's arrival, and then they would go to London, England together.

Because the first stop of the Renault European Cup is set at the famous Silverstone Circuit!
During his stay in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Chen Xiangbei considered whether to go to the Suzuka Circuit in Japan to receive training support from the Honda Racing Academy with less than a month left before the start of the race.

After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Xiangbei finally decided to go directly to London, England.

The reason was simple: apart from the physical training that improved his physical fitness, the other racing training on the Suzuka Circuit had little impact on Chen Xiangbei's improvement.

For example, there are many inspiring stories circulating online about professional athletes who train hard. For example, there's a meme about NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant: the sun rises at 4 a.m. in Los Angeles.

But in F1 racing, apart from the legend of Verstappen driving the simulator at high intensity, there are basically no stories about other drivers' hard training.

I haven't even heard about their usual training!

This is in addition to the fact that the FIA ​​maintains the balance of the event and does not allow teams and drivers to conduct private tests.

What’s more important is that the drivers’ technical styles and upper limits have already been established through years of competition.

Most drivers start karting at a young age. Looking at them joining F1 in their early twenties, in fact, others are experienced drivers who have been driving for more than ten years. The benefits of simply practicing hard are minimal.

On the contrary, if F1 drivers want to improve, they rely more on the metaphysics of "enlightenment" and polishing of details!

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei was already vomiting after going to the Suzuka Circuit. As for physical training, it's almost the same anywhere as long as there is a gym.

Instead of staying in Japan, it is better to go to the UK as soon as possible to adapt to the local environment and climate, which may bring greater improvement.

In addition, the headquarters of the former Super Aguri team, now the Mewtwo team, is located near the Silverstone Circuit!
Without further delay, the racing team's style, like the drivers themselves, emphasized decisive action. Almost as soon as Chen Xiangbei arrived in Donghai, he was on a plane to London, England.

After boarding the plane, Lu Xiaoman pulled a briefcase from her bag and said to Chen Xiangbei, "Xiangbei, I've already signed various sponsorship agreements. Considering your financial pressures, I've also secured a few endorsements for you through some friends in the advertising industry."

"Two hundred thousand from the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Light Spot Fleet, and five hundred thousand from Qin Lianjie's Extreme Speed ​​Modification Shop. A total of seven hundred thousand has been deposited into the card."

"This is a sponsorship advertisement for racing uniforms. According to the contract you signed with the Super Dream Racing Team, you will give them 350,000. I suggest that next time, we use the endorsement model for this kind of private sponsorship."

Advertisements on racing suits often represent not only the driver himself, but also the brand power of the team and the added influence of the event broadcast.

If you don't want to share this money, then just follow the example of ordinary celebrities and take on advertising as a spokesperson.

Take Zhou Guanyu, the only F1 driver in China in later generations, for example. Even though the Amul milk on his racing suit was sponsored only for him personally, he still had to share the sponsorship revenue with the Sauber team.

His commercial collaboration with Zeekr Auto is a personal endorsement, and the brand will not appear on racing suits or event broadcasts.

The prerequisite for getting a personal endorsement is that the driver must be famous enough. Otherwise, if no one knows your face, then you are useless as a celebrity endorser.

Obviously, Chen Xiangbei lacks this kind of fame now.

However, the sponsorship of Guangdian and Qin Lianjie is, in a sense, private. If they want to avoid the team's profit sharing, they can use the spokesperson model. Chen Xiangbei smiled and did not respond. The team cooperation is a mutually beneficial model and cannot be viewed entirely in a zero-sum commercial way.

If you really don't let Mewtwo earn a penny, why would others spend money to train you?
So he changed the subject and asked, "Sister Xiaoman, can you help me get some endorsements?"

"Boya Skincare and Pepper King Hotpot!"

When Chen Xiangbei heard about these two endorsements, a strange expression appeared on his face.

Even if you are not famous enough and cannot match any big brands, at least choose something related to your industry.

For example, you can endorse auto parts brands, sports brands, or karting brands.

Beauty and hot pot are so different...

"Sister Xiaoman, I want to know what kind of fate led you to meet these two endorsements?"

"I go to that skincare and beauty store often, so I think of it as a friendly endorsement."

"As for the hotpot restaurant, the boss saw that you look like Edison Chen and thought that if you find a certain angle and photoshop a little, you might be able to create a celebrity effect and increase customer traffic."

"Does that mean I've become a knockoff celebrity?"

Chen Xiangbei replied with a helpless smile. He never imagined that one day he would make money with this face.

Being handsome can really make a living...

"Who cares? Two hundred thousand for one, four hundred thousand for two. That's much more cost-effective than regular racing sponsorships!"

Lu Xiaoman was quite satisfied. At least Chen Xiangbei's funding problem for the European competition had been solved.

"By the way, Mr. Peng from Jiuli Sports learned that you made it to the European Renault Race. On top of the previous sponsorship of 80,000, he added 500,000 to sign you as the company's spokesperson. The money was transferred directly to me without hesitation."

"General Peng also specifically asked me to convey that this is his way of paying for your dream.

Hearing these familiar words, a smile appeared on Chen Xiangbei's face.

This is why he doesn't look at team sponsorship from a zero-sum commercial perspective.

It is obvious that Peng Sheng is optimistic about his investment with this 500,000 yuan.

This not only refers to strength, but also recognition of character.

After Lu Xiaoman introduced a bunch of business collaborations, she closed her eyes and rested.

In her words, dealing with people and bargaining is a very brain-intensive task.

After more than ten hours of flight, it was already early morning when everyone arrived at London Heathrow Airport.

However, as soon as he walked into the airport lobby, Chen Xiangbei saw two familiar faces.

Hiroki Sawano and Sho Mizutani had already arrived at the Mewtwo Racing Team base in the UK to carry out preliminary preparations and pick up the plane.

After the two sides greeted each other and got to know each other, Hiroki Sawano led Chen Xiangbei and others to the parking lot, where there was a Honda Odyssey provided by the Super Dream Team for commuting.

As it was getting late, Chen Xiangbei decided to find a hotel to rest for the night.

After several days of traveling, he felt more tired than after physical exercise. He also had to adjust to the time difference and meet the next challenge in the best condition.

The next morning, after breakfast, everyone headed to Silverstone Circuit, a hundred kilometers from downtown London. The former Super Aguri team's UK headquarters, now home to the Mewtwo Racing team, was near Silverstone.

Driving on the highway, it was obvious that everyone's spirits were much better after last night's rest.

Especially Ayong and Lei Ge, they looked around at the scenery outside the window, almost sticking their heads out.

"Ayong, how is it? Is it new?"

Chen Xiangbei joked when he saw this. He only found out later that Ayong was a few months younger than him.

But judging from his mature appearance and stocky build, he seems to be more than five years older!
"Hey, that's quite novel. I've never seen it before."

Ayong responded naively.

"Have you seen the English place names on those road signs?"

Chen Xiangbei asked another question.

"Silverstone is twenty miles ahead."

"Brother Bei, if you want to test me, you don't have to go through so much trouble, right?"

Ayong reacted quickly this time because Chen Xiangbei had been testing them with English words he had seen from time to time in order to strengthen their memory.

You have to know that it is difficult to master English in a short period of time just by memorizing it from books. You have to integrate it with your daily life.

While everyone was chatting casually, Hiroki Sawano drove the Odyssey into a factory on the side of the road. This was the former British headquarters of the Super Aguri team.

Compared with the factory headquarters of other F1 teams, the area and building scale here can only be described as pitifully small.

Super Aguri only stayed in the F1 paddock for a total of two years. They had no time to build their own R&D base, let alone a wind tunnel, which was a huge investment. At best, it could only be considered an assembly plant.

At this moment, standing at the door of the factory was Daniel Odetto, the leader of the Super Dream team, and behind him were a dozen former Super Aguri team engineers.

Since the Renault car is a standard-issue racing car and is not involved in research and development, this group of engineers will not currently serve Chen Xiangbei. They are merely welcoming the driver out of courtesy.

Odetto, with his head full of white hair, looked to be in his sixties or seventies. He greeted everyone in a very kind and polite manner, without any of the arrogance of many veterans in the F1 paddock.

Entering the factory, it also seemed very empty. After Super Aguri ran short of funds, it sold a lot of equipment and even mortgaged its former racing cars to the bank. It was ready for a complete withdrawal.

As a result, things went against one's wishes. With the appearance of Chen Xiangbei and Suzuki Aguri's unwillingness, he finally wanted to make one last gamble!
After the brief tour, Odette asked Mizutani Sho to lead Liang Chi and other maintenance technicians to familiarize themselves with their posts. As for Chen Xiangbei, he was called into his office alone, and Sawano Hiroki followed him in.

"Bei, I've seen your race videos and racing data at the Suzuka Circuit. You're indeed an excellent driver."

"But Europe has the strongest drivers on the planet, and you need to put in more effort and preparation to beat them."

After saying that, Odeto took out a pile of CDs and documents from his desk.

"I've been with the Japanese for a long time, and I remember an old Chinese saying: Never fight a battle without preparation."

"The disc contains data analysis of all the corners on the Silverstone Circuit, combined with footage of F1 drivers' cornering trajectories. The file also contains information on your opponent in this race."

"You have three days to memorize this. No mistakes are allowed."

Odetto didn't waste time talking to Chen Xiangbei. He had been working in the paddock since the 1970s and had seen countless top drivers and talented young people.

Historical achievements and past talents are worthless in front of him. Odetto only cares about the driver's current performance.

Moreover, European tracks are different from Asian tracks. The FIA ​​has extremely strict supervision over drivers' private testing. Even for entry-level events like the Renault European Cup, it is impossible for Chen Xiangbei to use the Suzuka Circuit as a daily training track as he did on the track.

This means that until the practice session, Chen Xiangbei had no chance to familiarize himself with the Silverstone Circuit!
"Okay, leader."

Without any doubt, Chen Xiangbei agreed.

In his previous life, Chen Xiangbei had almost all the F1 track maps deeply imprinted in his mind through racing simulators.

This does not mean that he does not need to look at the track information.

The reason is very simple, that is, the track layout and corners are not static!

You should know that most tracks will be changed according to the needs of the event and the degree of danger.

For example, if certain corners are prone to accidents, then slow down the speed at that corner, or simply straighten the corner.

Or if some tracks are too difficult to overtake, the track layout will be overhauled or the track will be widened.

As for minor changes like modifying the shoulders and buffer zones, it goes without saying that there are changes almost every few years.

The Silverstone circuit map in Chen Xiangbei's mind may not be suitable for the current Silverstone circuit, he still needs to learn it again!
Odette's expression did not change at Chen Xiangbei's "obedient" behavior, but he felt a little surprised and appreciative in his heart.

His qualifications were there, and it had been a long time since he had come into contact with low-level Formula One drivers. In his impression, those young European guys were all full of "rebellious" spirit, and basically no one would readily agree to memorize such boring track information.

Many young drivers even think that instead of "memorizing", it is better to go to the track or run a few more laps on the simulator.

But Odetto is very clear that if a driver wants to improve himself, it is more important to have a learning process.

You may have the fastest line and speed at a certain corner, but you will never be the fastest at every stage of the entire track. There will definitely be someone who can take a more perfect route.

This is like the F1 qualifying race, where the track is generally divided into three timed sections. If a driver takes the section he is good at, he will get a purple score, and if he takes the section he is not good at, he will have a chance of getting a yellow score.

"Well, get out then."

Odeto also didn't say much, indicating that Chen Xiangbei could start now.

As Chen Xiangbei left the office, Sawano Hiroki showed a playful smile on his face and said, "Leader, you still underestimate Xiangbei-kun. This is not a difficult problem for him."

Hiroki Sawano had contact with Odette when he was racing in Super Formula in the early days, so they were quite familiar with each other.

It was obvious that Odetto wanted to show his strength and dampen the young driver's enthusiasm, but unfortunately he chose the wrong opponent.

"Zawano, ever since you arrived at Mewtwo Base, you've been praising this new Chinese rider. There are so many talented drivers in Europe, I don't think he's anything special."

After finishing speaking, Odeto added: "Being obedient just now can be considered an advantage."

"I'm not praising you, I'm just telling the truth most of the time."

"Leader, it won't take three days, at most two days, or even tomorrow, and Xiang Beijun will give you a surprise."

(End of this chapter)