F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 286 Thanks to the underwear, I can show off.
Technical instructions are not technical rules that can be explicitly queried.

This is something that the FIA ​​has always communicated directly with the teams privately, and once agreed upon, it is an additional restriction that must be implemented.

While transparency and fairness remain to be seen, as long as the teams want to remain in this industry, the so-called technical directives will still have a binding force comparable to the technical rules.

Not disclosed.

However, they can use a few authoritative media outlets to relay information to the outside world to a limited extent.

The reason given is to protect the reputation of F1 and both the teams, so as to avoid being accused of cheating like Ferrari was in 19.

Although everyone knows that the opponents are more or less walking in the gray area on the edge of the rules.

Although every team inevitably has the idea of ​​cheating to gain more advantages, and some have even taken action.

Although everyone is aware of these intricacies, they are unspoken rules that have been present since the birth of motorsports and are almost universally accepted.

But once you're accused of cheating, then...
There's no reason to willingly hand over leverage to someone else. Even a team with such extraordinary status and influence as Ferrari has no choice but to bow down and accept the verdict. Red Bull, of course, has no intention of deliberately provoking such trouble.

As someone directly involved in the industry, Shu Long naturally knew what the so-called TD039 was all about, and this was the main issue he had been discussing with the team at headquarters these past few days.

The entire technical directive consists of roughly two parts:
First, an aerodynamic vibration index has been added to limit the impact of excessive car bounce on the driver's health.

There are no explicit requirements for teams on how to reduce the so-called aerodynamic vibration index. For example, the most controversial and contentious issue in the first half of the season was the forced increase of the floor height for all teams. How to resolve this is a problem that the teams need to consider on their own.

Of course, the difference in results is not significant. Judging from the current general situation, it is estimated that the preferred solution for most teams will still be to increase the height of the floor.

The reason is simple: the cost of this solution is extremely low, and it doesn't even require consuming any so-called operating budget. The mechanics can just twist it a few times by hand and that's it.

Conversely, trying to solve the dolphin jump problem by upgrading components is like a bottomless pit. If you're unlucky, you won't find the right solution, and you might burn through a year or two's budget without even getting two relics.

Under the constraints of the budget cap rules, no one would be that foolish. Everyone is feeling their way in the dark, and anyone who isn't stupid should know how to calculate this.

The reason why this is said to be a variable that could affect the competitive landscape in the second half of the season is because this so-called TD039 has the greatest impact on Red Bull.

At the beginning of the season, Red Bull's upgrades focused on weight reduction and addressing engine and suspension reliability issues. However, in the later stages of the first half of the season, the focus shifted back to the overall aerodynamic efficiency of the car, and the weight was reduced again. Now, Red Bull is almost the heaviest car in the paddock.

This is part of the disadvantage, but Red Bull's current advantage on straights and medium-to-high-speed corners is so great that they are now showing signs of surpassing Ferrari to become the fastest car in the paddock.

The problem is that these two advantages are partly based on the premise that Red Bull is currently the most advanced in solving the dolphin jump problem.

Whether Red Bull will retain its current advantage once this technical directive is implemented remains to be seen.

The team's response was that they had found a solution with minimal impact, but judging from the car's performance on the simulator, Shu Long felt that the overall driving experience was not as good as in the first half of the season.

Then there's the second half of TD039, where the FIA ​​refined its measurement of the wear on the "wooden planks" of the race car's floor.

The wear and tear on the wooden planks can be used to comprehensively analyze a race car's bottoming-out performance throughout the race, and it can now also serve as one of the reference indicators for race organizers to determine whether a race car has engaged in excessive dolphin jumps.

The purpose of this rule restriction is to prevent teams from exploiting loopholes to deform planks to reduce wear and tear, thereby gaining additional performance advantages through more aggressive and unethical tuning.

The only saving grace is that Red Bull had little impact from the previous dolphin jump and hadn't done much to it, so this second restriction is practically nonexistent for them.

The most important thing to be wary of is how Ferrari will respond, and what potential Mercedes' "zero sidepod" design can unleash after eliminating the impact of the dolphin jump.
The warm breath from Gan Mengning patted his cheek again and again, and the rumbling white noise of the plane created another layer of tranquility. After studying the rules document sent by the team for a long time, Shu Long's eyelids fluttered a few times, and he gradually became a little sleepy.

After thinking it over, it seemed there was no need to resist, so he simply pulled down his blindfold and surrendered.

I don't have much time to rest anyway, so why worry about so much? I'll find out how fast the car is after I drive it at the end of the month. It's really not worth ruining my good mood.

When I opened my eyes again, the plane had already landed at Baiyun International Airport.

This was a schedule arranged before departure, so this sudden classmate reunion is a bit rushed, and Shulong is now in a bit of a scramble.

Two of the kittens I reserved at Deng Feng's place have now found homes. They are said to have excellent coat color and breed, and are about a month old. If you like them, you can go and adopt them as your own.

One of them is a British Shorthair blue and white cat, one of their main breeds. It has a clingy and gentle personality and has the potential to grow from a Talking Tom to a chubby Doraemon.

The other one, though more expensive, was slightly easier to find. It was the milky white Devon kitten that Gan Mengning had been longing for. Her pair of clear blue, jewel-like eyes added a lot to the kitten's value.

These little things would turn any tough guy into a cleaver the moment he saw them, let alone the top-quality ones that were carefully selected. Even if they had a slight flaw, Shu Long would find it hard to say "I don't want them".

Gan Mengning had long been eyeing the word "want," and even the short, British-style mops running around on the ground were tempting. However, considering how difficult these little troublemakers were to manage, she could only give up reluctantly.

As for American short cheese, since it's not their main product, you'll need to use connections to find it, just like you would with Devon.

Although the complex patterns make most of these cats look pretty much the same, it's not so easy to find one with perfect markings. For a big customer like Shu Long, who has a special status and spends a lot of money, the word "perfunctory" doesn't exist in Deng Feng's cattery's dictionary, which always pursues perfection.

Anyway, there's no rush.

Let's get used to what it's like to be a stay-at-home dad first, so that we can be more at ease when picking up new kids in the future.

The money had already been paid, and the price was supposedly close to half price. Moreover, their cat food and supplies were free to use, and there was no need to do any special advertising. All I had to ask was for Shulong to appear in the vlog when picking up the cat.

Well, given Shulong's current status with its sponsors, this "small request" seems a bit like pushing its luck.

But not everything in life needs to be measured in terms of price. From the perspective of an ordinary person, this is indeed a very small request, and Shulong, whose heart had just been healed by the furry child, readily agreed.

After carefully learning the precautions and techniques for caring for a kitten through the camera lens, I was able to move everything along with my bags and then leave it at Gan Mengning's house.
The schedule was too tight, so she had to ask her uncles and aunts from her childhood, who are now her future father-in-law and mother-in-law, to take care of her for a while. After Gan Mengning packed her things, she set off for Yunnan again.

Because they didn't want to attract too much attention, the entire engagement process was kept as simple as possible while respecting tradition. This was the result of discussions between the two families. Of course, a small scale doesn't mean being perfunctory, so some more commemorative formalities are still worth going through the trouble of making a special effort.

The process roughly reconstructed the journey of Shu Long and Gan Mengning from their first meeting to their eventual decision to be together. They started from Yunnan, the place where they first met as children, and finally returned to the woman's home to complete the entire ceremony.

I was a little nervous, it felt like I was dreaming. As the reunion approached, I realized that it was nothing at all.

Gan Mengning had clearly misunderstood something. As if to help calm Shu Long down, she pulled out a class graduation photo that Shen Qian had sent her on her phone and begged Shu Long to introduce each student one by one, so that she could prepare in advance and avoid embarrassment later.

"This is Yu Zijing. He was a prodigy when he was a child. We all called him the English teacher killer because he would drive away every English teacher he encountered."

"Really? Haha~ Oh, I remember you mentioned to me, is he coming this time?"

“I saw his name on the list. He's all grown up now, so he shouldn't be as neurotic as he was when he was a kid, right? Anyway, his comments in the group chat seem pretty normal.”

Gan Mengning chuckled, stretched comfortably in Shu Long's arms, and began searching for the pretty female classmates in the photos.

"Speaking of which, you haven't seen each other for so many years. You must all look very different now. If we meet again, will you still be able to recognize who is who?"

"I don't know. You've changed a lot since you were little. When you took off your mask that time, I almost didn't recognize your face and expression! The moment you tried to snatch my phone, I knew it was you instantly!"

What should I do? Is he angry or not?

Shu Long felt that his girlfriend should now be called his fiancée, and his eyes still held a hint of amusement. His brain raced as he tried to find a way to make amends. A quick glance at the photo revealed a face that was all too familiar to him.

Compared to the long, narrow forehead that gave him the appearance of a long face, his features were almost all crampedly positioned in the lower middle part of his face, bearing a striking resemblance to a cartoon version of Frankenstein. The biggest difference was probably his slightly thick, protruding sausage lips. "Look at this guy, Zhang Jinhua! Even if he were a few years older, I would definitely recognize him at a glance!"

Upon hearing Gan Mengning softly hum "Hmm?", Shu Long knew that his tactic of changing the subject had been remarkably successful.

"I remember this name. It seems like you, Shen Qian, Teng Weifeng, and Chen Tingya have all talked about this name. That annoying big mouth, right?"

"You remember him? Yes, it's him!"

To be honest, I still find myself quite annoying even now, but as I've grown up, I've come to understand that kind of unusual personality that seems to have been triggered by a reverse reaction of low self-esteem.

That primary school at the time, well, it was a gathering place for many children of high-ranking officials, grandchildren of retired high-ranking officials, and many children from well-off families, as well as students from ordinary families.

Although the school has always emphasized opposing comparisons, many of the ideas that originate from parents still subtly influence children.

Zhang Jinhua comes from a family that is slightly better off than average, but whose parents have a materialistic mindset and whose family atmosphere is quite anxious.

As a result, Zhang Jinhua became the person in the class who loved to compare himself to others the most.

Shoes must be Swoosh, water bottle must be Tupperware, and fountain pen must be Parker or Lamy. My favorite thing to do every day is to critique other people's clothes and appearance, and then assert my presence by spreading gossip and acting like a know-it-all.

While I understand the situation, the traits that she exhibits are objectively quite unlikable.

It just so happens that Shu Long and Zhang Jinhua were classmates for a longer period of time than anyone else. Neither their childhood friend Yu Mujie nor their later best friend Teng Weifeng were classmates for nine consecutive years from elementary to junior high school like Zhang Jinhua.

I went from hating someone to developing feelings for them, and looking back after all these years, my feelings are still quite complicated.
"Speaking of which—who were the girls he gossiped about back then?"

Gan Mengning's casual question immediately caused several veins to bulge on Shu Long's forehead.

I definitely feel more dislike for this guy!
Looking back now, given this guy's awkward personality, could it be that he had feelings for someone but was too shy to ask, so he used this method to find out if the girl had someone she liked?

Anyway, Shu Long was upright and had nothing to fear, so he raised his hand and circled a whole row in the group photo, and then randomly pointed to five or six other people in other places.

"."

"Oh right, and Chen Tingya, you know her."

Without a hint of guilt, not to mention anything, half of them hadn't even spoken to anyone during their entire six years of primary school.

During junior high school, because he frequently flew to Europe to participate in go-karting competitions, there was less gossip than in elementary school. Zhang Jinhua could only rehash old stories when he was being relentlessly exploited by tutoring classes.

But then again!
"What about you?"

He didn’t believe that Gan Mengning hadn’t been targeted before, since she could break through Shu Long’s steel defenses in an instant. Otherwise, wouldn’t it make him seem like he had strange taste?
I had previously heard Gan Mengning admit that she had experienced two explicit confessions between elementary and high school. In high school, there was also a male classmate who never confessed but kept trying to win her over through various actions.

However, while balancing her studies, she was also busy with her side job as a content creator and couldn't spare much energy. In addition, although she and Shulong didn't like each other when they were young, Shulong raised her standards for appearance and aesthetics. In the end, fate brought them together and she and Shulong became each other's first love.

What's this called, the truth or dare game before the engagement?

Shu Long didn't mean to make trouble, but at this stage of life, he was naturally curious about which scoundrels had ever coveted his cabbage.

Yeah, I don't care, but calling someone a "diao mao" (a derogatory term for someone who is shameless
I wonder if everyone has this kind of engagement ceremony. After such a heartfelt conversation, Shu Long felt like he was clinging to Gan Mengning and didn't want to let go. Shu Xiong, who came to pick him up at the airport, couldn't help but wink at him.

"You guys are going to a class reunion?"

"Yeah~ My head is killing me!"

Shu Xiong glanced at his silly son, who was snuggling in Gan Mengning's arms and whimpering, in the rearview mirror. He seemed to recall something interesting, and a mischievous idea popped into his head.

When has the date been set?

"Dad, do you think I should keep a low profile tomorrow?"

"Tsk tsk, you should really keep a low profile. Have you thought about inviting your classmates to our family's go-kart track?"

Uh, you call that being low-key? Isn't that just showing off?!

Shu Long also wanted to try to distance himself from his identity as a driver, but after thinking about it, everyone knew that compared to the many titles he now held, a karting track that was just a part of his childhood memories didn't seem high-profile at all.

But.
On the second day, even though it was not yet 10 o'clock, there were already 8 or 9 people gathered in the square of Nanping Pedestrian Street.

As the two class monitors who were mainly responsible for organizing this reunion, Shen Qian and Yu Mujie naturally waited there early on, acting as eye-catching landmarks to attract the old classmates who were gradually gathering.

It was just a get-together with old classmates, so there was no need to go to a high-end place. Since some people wouldn't arrive until the afternoon or even the evening, Shen Qian arranged a murder mystery game activity for the morning.

The goal is to find a reason to get everyone talking, and as they chat, the awkwardness of being apart for several years will fade away.

"Squad leader!!!"

Shen Qian's brows twitched involuntarily a few times. She waved to an SUV waiting at a red light in the middle of the road, then quietly gave Yu Mujie a shove.

Many people actually feel the same way about Zhang Jinhua; Shen Qian feels that she really can't handle this type of person.

Fortunately, the red light ahead had already started its countdown, and Zhang Jinhua, who was still wearing sunglasses, only had time to pat the Toyota RAV4 under his vehicle and shout, "I'll go find a parking spot first!" before he didn't argue any further.

Unfortunately, the peace and quiet didn't last long. There were plenty of parking spots nearby, and soon the man staggered over.

"Oh my! Quite a few people have come. Hey? The other class monitor is here too?! Are you two here now?"

As he spoke, Zhang Jinhua casually moved closer to Yu Mujie and made a subtle gesture of touching his two thumbs together.

Not to mention Shen Qian couldn't handle it, even Yu Mujie, who was so popular back then, couldn't get along with Zhang Jinhua. He just nodded demurely.

Just as I was struggling with how to change the subject, the other person smacked their lips meaningfully twice and changed the subject themselves.

"Holy crap, parking is such a hassle these days. I wish I hadn't driven! How did you all get here?"

How else could it have come about?

Everyone here has just graduated, and how many of them have their own income? I don't understand what's so great about it. Two of the guys drove their own cars, while others came by shared bikes. Naturally, there were also a few girls who came by carpooling with each other.

Shen Qian couldn't stand the stench of the cheap stuff anymore. Just as she was about to call everyone to find a shop and start a game, a low, humming engine pulled everyone's attention.

What is needed at this time?

At this point, we need a big mouth named Zhang Jinhua to introduce him to everyone:

"Holy crap, a BMW M4! There are so many rich people out there!"

(End of this chapter)