Speed ​​God

Chapter 21 Reluctantly
Ahem, ahem!
Marchionne choked on his own saliva. This business tycoon, who single-handedly saved the Fiat Group and dominated the world, was coughing until his face turned red and his breathing became unsteady.

Todd, standing to the side, was all smiles, beaming with delight. He was genuinely happy about what was happening before his eyes, just watching the show.

"Cough..." Marchionne finally caught his breath, glared fiercely at Todd, then turned to the young man in front of him, his tone laced with suspicion, "Do you know what you're saying?"

Lu Zhizhou remained calm. "Yes, I know."

“But, Mr. Marchionne, Formula racing is a game for the rich, not for me.” He paused. “I’m much better suited to the streets.”

“Mr. Todd should have already told you that I came to Maranello simply because…”

Marchionne was so angry that he choked on his words, his face full of impatience, "Yes, yes, I know you didn't do it voluntarily, but when did Ferrari trials become so cheap?"

Marchionne glared at Lu Zhizhou. "Eight thousand euros? That's too cheap. You should have asked for at least twenty thousand euros."

Lu Zhizhou immediately turned to look at Todd, his expression innocent.

Todd, who was watching the fire from the sidelines with glee, never expected to get himself into trouble. He coughed lightly and said, "Once a move is made, it cannot be taken back. We have reached an agreement and fulfilled it; it cannot be overturned now."

Lu Zhizhou didn't press the matter. He spread his hands and shrugged lightly. "No matter what, we should always give it a try." Then, he looked at Marchionne and brought the topic back on track. "That's what I meant. Every step in Formula One racing is paved with money. It's not for me."

That's certainly true.

The key point is that, faced with the invitation from Ferrari's youth academy, Lu Zhizhou remained clear-headed and calm, unwavering and without any hesitation.

This kind of will is truly remarkable.

Marchionne noticed this and couldn't help but admire the young man even more. He took a deep breath and asked, "What if... the youth academy fees are all covered?"

Montfati glanced at Marchionne, but ultimately said nothing more.

While the specific operations and implementation may differ among youth training academies like Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, and McLaren, the overall framework remains the same, and their youth trainees are divided into three types.

The first option is full sponsorship from the college.

The academy pays all training, competition, and living expenses for drivers, including but not limited to simulators, track testing, coaching, Formula One equipment and competition fees, etc. This is limited to top potential drivers and is linked to the academy's long-term strategy, so it needs to be handled with caution.

Generally speaking, this sponsorship is worth between one million and one and a half million euros per year.

Ferrari's Leclerc and Red Bull's Verstappen are examples of this type.

The second option involves partial sponsorship from the academy combined with sponsorship from the driver.

The academy pays part of the drivers' training costs, while the drivers bear the costs of participation and living expenses. Although the academy is responsible for daily training, they need to charge the drivers a "affiliation fee" of 50,000 to 100,000 euros to cover part of the costs. The remaining daily training costs are the responsibility of the academy.

Each driver's situation is different, but generally speaking, they often need to raise around 500,000 to 1 million euros in sponsorship each year in order to continue training.

Of course, the cooperation is also quite flexible. Once a driver achieves good results in F2 or F3 races, it is common for the youth training academy to be willing to increase the sponsorship ratio. Conversely, if a driver fails to achieve good results for a long time, it is not uncommon for the driver to work himself to the bone to raise funds to continue his racing career.

At Ferrari, Alesi was this type of player; at Red Bull, Pierre Gasly was the same, with the youth academy and sponsors splitting all the costs equally.

The third option is self-funded training.

The academy only provides a training platform, and drivers have to bear all or most of the costs themselves; this situation is widespread in the Formula One world.

In fact, it's not easy for drivers to get a trial opportunity. They often need to pay between 20,000 and 50,000 euros to win a trial opportunity. Only by passing the trial can they get the opportunity to enter the academy for training at their own expense; if their performance does not meet the standard, they will be eliminated on the spot.

That's why Marchionne just said that Lu Zhizhou should have asked Todt for 20,000 euros when he came to Maranello for a trial.

In fact, Ferrari rarely accepts self-nominated trials, even if offered money, and is uninterested. Occasionally, an exception is made, but a single trial often costs 100,000 euros. Antonio Foucault, currently at Ferrari's youth academy, is a prime example. He paid for his own trials and training, proving himself with outstanding performance throughout 2016. The academy will now switch to a second cooperation model, providing partial sponsorship, and hopes Foucault will continue to grow.

Overall, the first and third types are relatively few. The most common type in the entire Formula One racing system is the second type, a two-way collaboration.

The academy invests in the drivers, and the drivers also invest in their future through the academy, hoping to achieve a win-win outcome in the end.

Montfati understood Lu Zhizhou's talent, but the tests were incomplete, and there were still many uncertainties surrounding Lu Zhizhou. Marchionne immediately offered full sponsorship, showing his determination to win. His heart couldn't help but beat faster, as if he were witnessing history.

However, what was even more surprising was that Lu Zhizhou hesitated.

Lu Zhizhou! Surprisingly! He hesitated!

Montfati held his breath.

Marchionne also noticed Lu Zhizhou's hesitation. He calmed down and became curious about Lu Zhizhou's reaction.

Lu Zhizhou admitted that he was slightly tempted by the idea of ​​participating in racing training for free.
Don't be too happy!

But upon closer examination, it's not worth it, because the youth training trainees don't have any income. They may appear glamorous on the surface, but in reality, they are still a group of penniless individuals.

Strictly speaking, in the world of Formula racing, everyone is penniless before entering F1.

Lu Zhizhou looked up at Marchionne and asked, "If I enter the youth training academy, will I no longer be able to participate in street racing?"

Marchionne raised an eyebrow with interest. "What, with your skill level, do you feel any sense of accomplishment in beating them?"

Lu Zhizhou shrugged lightly, "I had it when I saw the cash."

Marchionne: ...

Todd could no longer contain himself. It was rare to see his old friend lose the upper hand in negotiations. He laughed wildly and mercilessly.

Marchionne himself couldn't help but smile, taking a deep breath. Since things had come to this, he might as well go further. "There's no need to go to the streets. Just stay in the academy, do simulator test races and track practice races. Every win... two thousand euros."

"I know it can't compare to the quick money from street racing, but you're welcome to challenge all of our students."

Lu Zhizhou's eyes lit up—

Not only is there no danger on the streets, but you can also experience a simulator and constantly explore the limits of racing and yourself, which is indeed a worthwhile deal.

Maybe you get fewer chips each time, but the important thing is that there are no limits on the number of times or the time. That makes all the difference. Isn't this like an unlimited ATM?

The key point is that this time, they've taken advantage of Ferrari, a very fat and large sheep!
Marchionne, with his keen eye, accurately captured Lu Zhizhou's changing expression, his eyes revealing a look of satisfaction.

He said he'd seen it all, from negotiations involving hundreds of millions to billions, so how could he possibly not handle a seventeen-year-old kid?

"Let's sort out the contract details and get ready to sign," Marchionne said casually, a satisfied smile on his face.

However, they found that Lu Zhizhou's smile lingered on his lips, a hint of struggle in his expression, and the image of his mother slowly surfaced in his mind—

That's the real trouble.

"...But what about my final exams?"

　Dear readers, this struggling author is begging for your support! Please be sure to turn to the latest chapter and read it! Read it! Read it! I'm currently working hard to build up my manuscript, preparing for a massive release upon release. The new book urgently needs your support during this period. Thank you!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)