Speed ​​God

Chapter 53: Unmoving as a mountain
"Lu Zhizhou!"

Marchionne called out, and the young man who was talking and laughing looked over.

His wet hair spoke volumes about the intensity of the past thirty-five minutes of competition. Sweat seemed to have soaked into his eyes, and his dark pupils were like crystal in a clear spring, clear and bright, like the first rays of sunlight at dawn falling on the pebbles of a gently flowing stream. Then, a smile blossomed.

Golden sunlight, carried by a gentle breeze, wafts towards you.

Nicholas's eyes lit up slightly.

Nicholas had only caught a glimpse of it before the test match and hadn't paid much attention, but now, upon closer inspection, he found that the lingering image in his mind was gradually becoming clearer.

He hadn't expected this promising youngster to be so young. Although the youth training academy was full of young people aged fifteen to nineteen, all of them high school students, this baby-faced boy in front of him looked particularly young, not even fourteen years old. This made Alessi, Armstrong, and the others seem "old."

He hadn't expected this young talent to be so handsome. As an agent in charge of marketing and promotion, he knew how important a good appearance was; talent alone wasn't enough. He could already imagine how many young women would cheer and scream for this young man.

On social media these days, true hardcore racing fans are constantly complaining that the casual observers know nothing about racing and only watch it because the drivers are handsome and sexy.

Just as David Beckham's presence attracted female fans to football back then, and just as the Italian team in the World Cup was hailed as the "male model team."

But for sponsors, they don't care whether the revenue comes from actual fans or from casual observers.

In the brief surge of his thoughts, the young man had already come up to him, greeted him politely, and Marchionne took the initiative to introduce them.

Nicholas skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point, "Lu...Zhizhou...right?"

The pronunciation sounded slightly strained.

Fortunately, Lu Zhizhou didn't find fault and remained polite.

Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief. "This season, we are officially inviting you to join the ART team and compete in GP3."

Lu Zhizhou looked slightly surprised and glanced at Marchionne.

Didn't Marchionne tell them that his contract was only for three months and that he would have to go home to take exams afterward?
Marchionne silently shifted his gaze, but smiled without saying a word.

Nicolas was confused. He thought Lu Zhizhou respected Marchionne's opinion, just like a child seeking help from an authority when encountering a problem. "Mr. Marchionne was delighted. He was very happy to see Ferrari's junior academy drivers join ART. Last season, Charles won the annual driver's championship for our team."

"Charles Leclerc, are you friends?"

Clearly, Nicolas has been signing young drivers, and he knows how to work with young people.

Lu Zhizhou looked back, the smile still on his lips. "Xia Er? Haha, I know a little about him. But, Mr. Todd, I'm sorry, I cannot accept the invitation. In fact, I will be leaving the youth training academy next month..."

Nicholas was stunned.

Even Wasser, who had been calmly standing aside and leaving all the negotiation matters to Nicholas, was stunned.

A cacophony of noise filled his ears. Nicholas wondered what he had just heard.
Nicholas glanced at Marchionne, so was that what Marchionne meant?

But Nicolas didn't have time to talk to Marchionne right now. He looked at Lu Zhizhou again and asked, "Do you know what kind of team ART is?"

It's understandable that he doesn't understand the significance of this invitation, having only been involved in street racing for two months. Should he explain it to me?
However, Lu Zhizhou remained calm, saying, "GP3 team, the driver and team champions last season. Xia Er told me that you are very dominant."

Nicholas, who is usually eloquent, actually stumbled over his words. Did Lu Zhizhou know that? If he knew, why did Lu Zhizhou still refuse their invitation?
Vasser squinted at Lu Zhizhou, “So you know you’re turning down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The words carried a hint of questioning.

Clearly, they were not used to this situation, but Marchionne, standing to the side, remained calm and watched the spectacle with great interest.

Marchionne now understands how Todt felt back then—how exciting!

Lu Zhizhou remained completely calm and composed. He showed no signs of nervousness, and instead smiled broadly, his gaze unwavering. "I know I'm not suited for Formula One racing." Nicholas's jaw nearly dislocated. One surprise after another. If Lu Zhizhou wasn't suited for racing, he truly didn't know who was.

Alessi?

“Look, I know this is a money-burning sport. Getting into Formula One requires a lot of financial support, a very, very large amount, but I don’t have any sponsors and can’t help the team.”

“I believe that with such a competitive team as ART, drivers eager to join must be scrambling to get in. You can definitely find drivers who are both capable and have their own sponsors.”

"For example, Zhou Guanyu."

"Believe me, he is a very talented driver. As long as you are willing to give him a chance, he can shine."

Nicholas knew that Lu Zhizhou was serious; his eyes were bright and firm, and he was genuinely trying to connect Zhou Guanyu with someone.

More importantly, there are no regrets or lingering feelings.

This fact gripped Nicholas's heart.

Nicholas remained calm, his thoughts shifting quickly. "But you have Ferrari's sponsorship, right? As long as Ferrari is willing to fully sponsor your participation..."

All problems will be easily solved.

Nicolas turned to look at Marchionne; they hadn't had a chance to discuss the matter yet.

In fact, Leclerc faced the exact same problem: he was incredibly talented but lacked sponsorship.

In 2010, due to a lack of funds, Leclerc had no choice but to give up his racing dream. His mentor, Julius Bianchi, upon learning this, recommended Leclerc to his agent.

Nicholas Todd.

Bianchi was among the first cohort of Ferrari’s junior academy students and began his F1 career in 2013.

It was through Nicolas's connections that Leclerc entered Ferrari's junior academy as a reserve driver, officially joining the academy for the first time in 2016 and winning full sponsorship.

Last season, Leclerc also competed for ART under full sponsorship from Ferrari.

Now, dealing with the same situation again, Nicolas is confident he can persuade Marchionne to secure full sponsorship for Lu Zhizhou.

However, before Marchionne could respond, Lu Zhizhou spoke again.

"But GP3 ​​drivers don't get any income, right?"

Nicholas was taken aback, turned to look at Lu Zhizhou, and tried to speak, but found that his voice was stuck in his throat.

Lu Zhizhou shrugged lightly, unhurriedly, "GP3, F2, these races are all the same. Before becoming an F1 driver, drivers have no income and rely entirely on sponsors for a living."

"These drivers are just 18 or 19-year-old young people. They have to give up their studies, their lives, and everything they might have, and put all their dreams and hopes on racing."

"It's not just the drivers; their families also need to make sacrifices."

“I don’t want to put such a burden on my parents’ shoulders. I love racing, but I won’t sacrifice everything for it.”

"Ultimately, it's just a money game, and I'm not interested. The world is big, and there are many dreams. I believe my life won't be overshadowed by missing out on racing."

　Niche racing games truly need the support of every reader. Their niche status has even exceeded expectations, making the competition on the new book charts exceptionally fierce. With only one week left in the new book season, every single read is crucial, directly determining the success or failure of the book. Therefore, I, the young author, express my sincere gratitude to everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)