F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 285 Frowning and Bitter Face

After completing the filming and simulator data testing tasks, Verstappen has many endorsements to deal with all at once.

Shu Long even took a day off earlier than Verstappen, first taking Gan Mengning to Monaco to confirm and discuss the specific renovation plans for the house.

Shu Long and Gan Mengning had discussed the renovation plan many times over the past two months. It was a simple, warm-toned design that incorporated some Chinese elements.

Besides the two small rooms, Shulong had some other ideas.

One room is reserved to house the simulator and to set up Gan Mengning's figure and cosplay outfit, with a rough plan to create a hard sci-fi style reminiscent of the Honkai Impact 3rd bridge; the other room is to be used to set up the fitness equipment, with the aim of creating a steampunk feel.

There are two bedrooms, a master bedroom and a guest room.

The room layout in the previous section also gives us a clue: the guest room is reserved for others to sleep in, most likely Shu Long's parents or Gan Mengning's parents. As for Gan Mengning, Shu Long has no intention of arranging any other accommodation for her.

Now that their relationship has reached this point, many things can no longer be left unresolved and they can no longer pretend to be confused. This includes the shop that the Shu Long family bought in Monaco, which they planned to open as a high-end Chinese restaurant, and the plan was to have Gan Mengning's family manage it on their behalf.

In any case, the main responsibility of this industry is to act as a BVI project under the name of Shulong to receive drivers' income, so it's better to leave the management to professionals.

In short, the two families, who were already close, are now practically one family.

Although it's called a summer break, the actual time that drivers can have to completely relax and rest is not very long.

Some leagues are more lenient, like Red Bull's current policy towards Shu Long, allowing him to return to Milton Keynes four or five days before the start of the Belgian Grand Prix to practice with the simulator, get a feel for the game, and take a few days of physical training to recover his form for work and competition.

All told, the actual vacation time is only 20 days. Even taking into account travel expenses, the actual vacation time is far less than 480 hours (20 x 24), which is especially insufficient compared to the packed schedule in Shulong during the summer break.

The first promise to be kept was to fulfill the previously agreed-upon route similar to that in "Mr. Bean's Golden Week". The renovation plan here had just been finalized when Shu Long drove his Porsche 991 with Gan Mengning to neighboring France, which is just across the border.

Without Mr. Bean's many unfortunate and upsetting events, the two young people spent four days at a leisurely pace on their holy land tour. They also enjoyed two full days in Cannes, soaking up the sun, sand, and sea of ​​Croisette, as well as Gan Mengning's great figure. Only then did the two young people reluctantly get up from the hotel to prepare for their journey home.

During this short and intense summer break, Shu Long had no intention of adding any business engagements to his schedule. However, he had a major life event to attend to during his trip home: his engagement ceremony with Gan Mengning, which was a promise to the future.

As for when they will officially get married?
When Gan Mengning cautiously and tentatively brought up the topic, Shu Long only said to wait until after the season ended. It wasn't that Shu Long was deliberately keeping her in suspense, but rather that Gan Mengning covered her mouth to stop her from saying anything more, as if he was setting a flag.

After a six-day vacation, Red Bull's headquarters officially entered a 14-day factory shutdown period, which meant that Yu Mujie was also officially on vacation. Shen Qian, who had been envious of Gan Mengning's A-B posts, finally sent a message to ask about the progress of the class reunion.

A small face was brimming with the glow of happiness. Gan Mengning was lazily nestled in Shu Long's arms in the waiting room, flipping through precious photos taken over the past few days. A seemingly insignificant message pop-up was like a heavy uppercut, sending the girl flying on the spot.

"Woo——"

The sudden headbutt almost made Shu Long bite his tongue. He blinked and squeezed away the tears that were welling up uncontrollably. When he looked down, he found that Gan Mengning was squatting on the ground, holding her head and sobbing.

"What's going on? Oh dear~ Do I have insurance to cover this?"

They even brought out the dialects.

Gan Mengning quickly waved her hand, rubbing the spot where she had bumped herself, and then rubbed it, wanting to go over and blow on her boyfriend's sore spot.

I've completely forgotten.
Although Gan Mengning didn't have much hope before speaking, knowing that Xia Xiu's schedule was so rushed, Shu Long, being lazy and unwilling to deal with trouble, would most likely prefer to avoid it.

But we can't just make the decision for someone else without mentioning it at all, can we?
Should we invite some friends to our engagement party?

"Support?"

Shu Long scratched his brow, then pulled Gan Mengning onto his lap and made her sit there. He buried his face between her two little pigtails and greedily inhaled the fragrant scent of her hair, humming softly for a while.

He originally planned to keep the engagement low-key, considering it a private matter between the two families.

Living under the public eye for too long often makes one cherish rare private space even more. Not only did he have no plans to publicize or hype it up, Shu Long didn't even initially intend to send invitations to acquaintances and friends.

Gan Mengning agreed to the proposal at the time, but upon closer reflection, it seems that Shu Long didn't really consult her opinion; it was more like a rather mild notification than a discussion.
Putting yourself in the girl's shoes, this is a crucial step in deciding a major life event. Wouldn't she want to share her happiness with others?

"Oh my god! But isn't it a bit too rushed to send out invitations to your friends now?"

It's not that I want to hire someone! It's me.
Gan Mengning frantically tugged at the two short braids behind her ears. She hadn't originally planned to discuss this topic, but she couldn't help feeling a little excited and expectant.

Although she wasn't the type to publicize every little private matter, she didn't want such a big event as her engagement to be too quiet. For a moment, she couldn't help but put the important matter aside and started taking stock of things with her beautiful, slender, white fingers.

Friends and seniors from the studio, former classmates, friends, and best friends. Speaking of which, should we ask about our parents and other elders and try inviting them?
The time is indeed a bit rushed, and everyone's schedule and work arrangements may not be able to free up time. Fortunately, we won't have to rush to hold the engagement immediately after returning to China. We will have about a week and a half to prepare.

Huh? No, no!

"Don't you want to invite some former classmates and friends?"

"Friend, you're right. It really doesn't seem right not to tell them. I'll send a message to Teng Weifeng and the others later. Yu Mujie should also be going back to China when the factory stops operating?"

Uh... are you asking me?
Shu Long was a little confused by Gan Mengning's speechless little look, but then he thought of something and chuckled as he gently touched his girlfriend's pink and slightly cool earlobe.

"You can't expect me to bring all these people from the paddock over there, can you? A bunch of international stars running all over the country is bound to cause a huge mess!"

"No, oh dear!"

The girl angrily pushed her boyfriend's mischievous face away. The subtle manipulation of friction had only taken a couple of moments before she was blushing. They were about to board the plane, so they shouldn't get off-topic.

“They are your former classmates! Shen Qian asked me to ask them because everyone is about to go their separate ways, whether for further studies or work, and she wanted to get together one last time before everyone is forced to leave. She probably won’t have many more opportunities in the future.”

It's a reunion of old classmates.
As Gan Mengning had expected, Shu Long sighed sadly as soon as the topic was brought up, and he didn't seem very willing at all.

However, it's not quite the same as complete psychological rejection; judging from his expression, he seems to have just learned the news.

"You didn't know before?"

"What do you know? Nobody told me! This is so sudden! I don't even know if there's enough time. Besides, isn't it a bit strange to turn an engagement into a class reunion?"

"Haven't you been discussing this in your classmates' group chat lately?" "What—oh! Class group chat?"

Shu Long suddenly chuckled a little embarrassedly. He used to find that thing annoying because it kept vibrating incessantly every day, so he turned it off to "Do Not Disturb" mode a long time ago. He probably hasn't paid attention to the group messages for almost ten years now.

I dug out the chat from some hidden corner, swiped through the messages and glanced at them. The familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar names were actually more active than I had imagined.

The number of attendees and the date have been basically finalized. About half of the original 60-plus people in the class group have responded. The gathering will be held about 5 days before the engagement. However, the specific activities and location are still under discussion.

It feels like we've become complete strangers now. Even though we can battle wheel-to-wheel at speeds exceeding 300 km/h on the track, every message in the chat box makes Shulong feel like he can't keep up.

It was just like that feeling of bewilderment and helplessness I used to feel when I first returned to the classroom after winter and summer vacations—familiar yet somewhat helpless.

Some people are reluctant to face this, but after this trip, many may never have the chance to meet again in their lives. Even though he bit his tongue until it stung, Shu Long felt that he couldn't give a very decisive reply.

"Then let's go."

"Are you sure I want to tell Shen Qian?"

"uh-huh."

The exact location of the gathering hasn't been decided yet, but it will definitely be in the Yunnan area. Since some of the engagement procedures require us to come back here, the journey won't be too complicated.

As for the engagement invitation, it's a bit too abrupt. I'll mainly invite a few close friends and mention it briefly at the class reunion.

What should have been a simple matter suddenly seems to have become complicated.
Shu Long, feeling utterly overwhelmed, didn't put down his phone. With about 20 minutes left before boarding, he decided to browse the news in Weichang to relieve his boredom.

The first thing that popped up was a close-up of Leclerc with a worried expression, and the accompanying text almost made Shu Long burst out laughing on the spot.

Although Red Bull faces intense internal competition, the overall management atmosphere under Horner's leadership remains relatively relaxed and pleasant. Ferrari, on the other hand, is in a much worse situation; Shu Long has heard Leclerc complain quite a bit lately.

Binotto recently told the media that they have no reason not to win a lot of races after the summer break to regain their chance to compete for the team's championship. Both drivers must maintain a high level of competitive form, and they can only leave when the factory is shut down. Once the 14-day shutdown period is over, they will have to return to work with the team.

Ultimately, he dared not even dream of competing for the overall driver's championship. Even with Leclerc, who is currently the leader in the standings, there is still a 106-point gap between him and Shu Long. He would have to dream and fight hard in the next nine races to have any hope of catching up.

But if it's the team championship...
When evaluating the performance of each team's car in the first half of the season, many people might think that Ferrari's ceiling is higher than Red Bull's, and in terms of pure speed, Red Bull often finds itself at a relative disadvantage.

Although the results of each race don't seem to tell the whole story, a little analysis of the pole position comparison between Red Bull and Ferrari reveals some clues. Before the five red lights of the race are turned off, there is no race that makes people feel that Red Bull can win for sure.

Unfortunately, the person driving the Red Bull was just too much like a supermodel!
Even in a race where you don't have an advantage, you can create one yourself. And in a race where you do have an advantage, as long as the car doesn't make any mistakes, you can still win.

Of the four cars from the two championship contenders, Red Bull and Ferrari, in the first half of the season, it seems that only the Shulong had the fewest retirements due to malfunctions. If we really want to count, only the Canadian car was forced to retire because of a gear jam. Imola's starting program bug can only be counted as half a retirement.

In reality, Shu Long's car had just as many problems, big and small, as Verstappen's. Overall, both of them encountered far more issues than Ferrari.

I originally wanted to describe Shulong's performance in the first half of the year as "machine-like stability," but in reality, this person seems to be even more stable than a machine.

Many times, the car seemed to be on the verge of breaking down, but it didn't dare tell Shu Long. Like a wronged little wife, it cried and sobbed while diligently doing housework despite bearing two big handprints on its bottom.

To be honest, this year's SF-75 definitely has the potential to compete for the championship. If it weren't for the fact that the team and the driver consistently made the wrong choice in the face of every correct option, the situation might not be as passive as it is now.

It's unclear how determined Binotto is in this endeavor, but the name "Binotto" has already resounded throughout the paddock. If Ferrari's two drivers can be ruthless in targeting either Verstappen or Shullon in every upcoming race, then Ferrari's Constructors' Championship still has a theoretical possibility.

However, it is theoretically unlikely, mainly due to the current operating budget cap imposed by F1 on each team.

This is a very troublesome topic, especially for a "super" luxury team like Ferrari, which has a bloated structure, extremely low management efficiency, and is almost more famous than capable.

There are many factors that have enabled Haas to so easily align itself with Ferrari.

In order to secure the connection made by the company, Alfa Romeo decided to gradually divest itself from Ferrari's operational strategy, as well as Ferrari's compromises in order to resolve the so-called budget cap.

The decision to build a "Haas Center" right next to the headquarters in Maranello is not simply Ferrari being kind and wanting to give a handout to its only remaining subsidiary. The primary purpose from the beginning was to share some of the budget cap and the pressure of managing a bloated team with Haas.

Of the three powerhouse teams (Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, and Bull) in the first half of the season, Ferrari made the fewest upgrades to its cars, and the upgrades were the slowest.

Haas's problem is that they are too poor, while Ferrari's problem isn't that they lack money, but rather that every 0.1-second improvement in their car's performance requires a much larger budget than other teams.

Ferrari's SF-75 is a car with a very perfect foundation. From its inception, it proved that Ferrari was definitely the team that understood lap times best under the ground effect rules, but it was by no means the team that understood the ground effect rules best.

These two statements may seem like contradictory nonsense, but they are not. In fact, the team that understands the ground effect rules best is Red Bull.

Formula 1 is a system where all teams build the fastest car under the same set of rules and restrictions, based on their own understanding.

Ferrari has indeed built the fastest car, but since the budget cap is also part of the regulations, it should naturally be taken into account as part of the car's competitiveness.

While Red Bull's RB18 may not have the most solid foundation, they have made a good trade-off between mechanical grip and aerodynamic efficiency.

While the front-pull, rear-pull suspension has a disadvantage in terms of mechanical grip, this design allows Red Bull to achieve better aerodynamic efficiency with less time and money, thus saving a lot of resources to improve the car's performance in other ways.

Also due to budget cap restrictions, other teams did not gain a significant advantage over the unconventional Red Bull in terms of mechanical grip. On the contrary, since the ground effect regulations place much higher demands on aerodynamic performance than mechanical grip, they had to invest more resources to catch up with Red Bull.

Racing is a sport that plunders time resources, both for the drivers on the track and for the researchers and developers off the track.

If a team makes a crucial mistake along the way, then Mercedes' struggles this year serve as a cautionary tale for all teams.

Given the current competitive landscape of all teams, even if other teams in the paddock belatedly adopt Red Bull's design approach, the gap will likely not be closed in a short time due to budget cap constraints.

The only variable now is the new technical directive that will be officially implemented at the Belgian Grand Prix in the second half of the season, namely TD039, which is the FIA's intervention in the dolphin jump phenomenon by teams and has already reached a mature solution.

The simulation test task before Shulong's vacation was actually mainly centered around this change.

(End of this chapter)