Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 165 F1 Official Driver Contract
After hearing Ross Brown's advice, Chen Xiangbei was completely dumbfounded.

He wasn't stunned by what he was told; rather, he was overwhelmed with emotion, feeling as if happiness had come too suddenly.

With the combined technological strengths of "two companies" and the management and R&D expertise of "floral fabric", this lineup is truly formidable!
If this can be achieved, let alone the newly established Mercedes, even the once-dominant Ferrari or Red Bull dynasty would likely be a match for the HRT team.

It's like an "Avengers" team that's come back to the F1 paddock!
Under normal circumstances, it is impossible for a complete technical team, a ready-made prototype vehicle, and a top-notch team manager to coexist at the same time.

Only in F1 after the 08 financial crisis was there a possibility of finding great bargains.

If 09 was a lucky year for Brawn GP, ​​then 10 will most likely be a lucky year for HRT.

Apart from the name, this brand-new HRT team is completely transformed compared to the one in history, and with the investment from the Huali Group, it may not even be able to retain its name.

“Mr. Ross, I know what to do, thank you.”

Realizing that a huge opportunity was right in front of him, Chen Xiangbei no longer hesitated or felt confused, and saw the direction to move forward.

To be honest, Ross Brown had mixed feelings about Chen Xiangbei's gratitude.

In a sense, by giving these suggestions to Chen Xiangbei, he was cultivating his own competitor.

Although Mercedes acquired all of Brawn GP's shares, it did not replace Ross Brawn as team principal. On the contrary, with the addition of Schumacher, the former Ferrari trio will be reunited.

No one understands the value of Honda and Toyota's legacy better than Ross Brown.

Japanese automakers are not lacking in technology. Leaving Toyota aside, Honda alone has entered and exited the automotive industry several times, winning seven or eight world championships as an engine supplier.

What they lack is top-notch operations and a bit of luck.

Briatore's addition will undoubtedly fill the gaps in operations. Chen Xiangbei knows how formidable this lineup is, and Ross Brown knows it even better.

To be honest, if the investors who acquired the team hadn't been Mercedes, Ross Brawn would definitely have gone to take over the legacy of Toyota and Honda himself.

Unfortunately, Mercedes-Benz's status as a long-established European automotive giant makes it impossible for it to lower its proud head to Japanese automakers.

If you two companies can get things done, do you think my Mercedes-Benz technology is inferior?
In addition to this, Ross Brown's inner guilt also drove him to "aid the enemy".

This wasn't directed at Chen Xiangbei, but at his former team members.

Brawn GP's successful championship run is inseparable from the efforts of the three F1 technical teams.

As a result, midway through the season, Ross Brown kicked out the Super Aguri technical team, and now even the remaining Honda team members are going to be sold.

That's the cruel reality of business; if you can't survive, you have to cut costs, or you'll face bankruptcy.

However, from an emotional perspective, it really does seem like "ingratitude".

Honda's motorsports headquarters cannot possibly take in all of these retired R&D personnel; most of them will face unemployment or career changes.

Ross Brown hopes to find them a good home. If Chen Xiangbei can bring in Chinese capital, coupled with Briatore's operations, all problems will be solved.

The only suspense now is how powerful the "enemy" we've nurtured will become in the future!

At this stage of the conversation, there's no need for much formality. F1 professionals often have personalities that are just like racing cars—they're all about getting things done quickly and efficiently.

Chen Xiangbei's original idea was simply to invest in HRT to maintain an equal status with the team and to gamble on the performance of the TF110 "Mars rover".

Given the current situation, there's no need to gamble anymore.

As long as the funding and personnel are in place, even if the TF110 is not up to par, the HRT team can build another Mars rover!

However, since he was preparing to make a big move, Chen Xiangbei would certainly not accept a mere 20% stake.

If the cooperation breaks down, all his efforts will be in vain, as he has no personal relationship with his boss, Carabant.

Moreover, even if there were such a thing, the operation of a racing team is all about business.

Chen Xiangbei's current goal is to acquire at least 50% of the HRT fleet's shares!
He knew very well how desperately the HRT team was short of money. In the F1 paddock, without money, you can't get good results, and without good results, it's equivalent to having a negative net worth.

As long as Carabant is not mentally unstable, he will surely understand what it means to combine the strengths of "two fields" and "floral cloth".

At least judging from his desire to acquire the Toyota F1 team, he doesn't seem like someone with a mental problem.

When the time comes, Chen Xiangbei will not hesitate to take action.

He discussed the matter with Stahler that very day, hoping that the latter would provide funding.

Stahler's investment in the Brawn GP team has been incredibly lucrative, yielding a return of over 200% within six months.

As soon as Chen Xiangbei put forward the idea, Staller agreed without hesitation and even took the initiative to increase the investment amount to 20 million US dollars.

Now that an F1 team with unlimited potential is right in front of us, why would we want to retire!
At the same time, Chen Xiangbei also asked Lu Xiaoman to contact several major domestic sponsors, inform them of the current plan, and hope that they would increase their investment and guarantee medium-term investment.

If we're going to play, let's go big!
For this reason, Chen Xiangbei even gave up the idea of ​​private control. As long as United Capital could control 50% of the team's shares, there would be no need to get involved in management matters.

When drivers take on roles as investors and managers, the disadvantages often outweigh the advantages; F1 has countless precedents of failure.

Currently, China only has Chen Xiangbei as an F1 driver, and it is foreseeable that there will be no second Chinese F1 driver in the next ten years.

With the entry of domestic capital, as long as he doesn't perform terribly, Chen Xiangbei will be the only choice and won't have to worry about the seat issue at all.

After arranging the investment and shareholding matters, Chen Xiangbei spent almost all his time "living" in the racing simulator at the Blackley factory.

Commercial activities distracted him too much, and Chen Xiangbei needed intensive simulator training to maintain his form and improve his proficiency with F1 racing.

Next season, their opponents will no longer be the rookies from the lower-level Formula One teams.

They will be the nineteen most powerful drivers on the planet!

Time passed day by day, and soon it was mid-October 09.

HRT team owner Carabant readily agreed to the request to sell his shares.

This shows that as long as the money is right, nothing is off-limits for sale.

It's worth noting that his securing this spot was essentially a stroke of luck, as it coincided with F1's expansion plan, and the Campos team was fortunate enough to get a racing slot.

If this were a decade or two later, the HRT team wouldn't even be eligible to apply for entry.

Chen Xiangbei's team, Stahler, negotiated with the domestic team and ultimately acquired 67% of the HRT team's shares for $60 million, gaining absolute control of the team.

Although Chen Xiangbei's "United Capital" holds absolute control, the team's management has not undergone a major overhaul, and Carabant remains as CEO.

Many things require patience to achieve the desired results. There is no experience in operating high-level Formula One teams in China, so we need to learn from scratch.

Having secured £60 million in acquisition funds, Carabant fulfilled its initial promise. It purchased the Leyfield Technical Centre in Racing Valley, Oxfordshire, England, the former headquarters of the Arrows and Super Aguri teams, to serve as the new headquarters for the HRT team.

At the same time, it recruited more than 500 former Super Aguri and Toyota F1 R&D personnel, and transported two TF110 prototype cars from Cologne, Germany to the UK.

It can be said that HRT has completed its transformation and become a full-fledged F1 team!

Now all that's missing is the arrival of the team manager, "Huabu".

The Leedfield Technical Centre and the Blackley factory are both located in Racing Valley, less than 20 kilometers apart as the crow flies.

On the day the HRT fleet headquarters completed its relocation, Chen Xiangbei and the Chaomeng team members moved together.

Sitting on the bus to the Lifield Technology Center, Odette kept his face turned towards the window, his mind filled with mixed emotions.

To be honest, when the Super Aguri team went bankrupt, Odette believed his career was over. Given his age and experience, it was impossible for him to compete for a professional spot on any F1 team anymore; his illustrious career ended in a dismal exit.

As a result, Chen Xiangbei appeared, and the Chinese boy persuaded Suzuki Akuri to preserve the skeleton of the Mewtwo team.

At that time, Odette never thought he would return to F1. He stayed simply because he didn't want to see his former team completely disband.

Times have changed, and now he can not only lead his team back to the F1 paddock, but also return to the Super Aguri headquarters that he once sold.

Really good-for-nothing!

After a short drive of just over ten minutes, the bus stopped at the entrance of the Leedsfield Technology Centre.

At this moment, the square in front of the headquarters is filled with a dense crowd of R&D personnel, who have come from Campos, Super Aguri, and Toyota.

Now they all share a common name—HRT!

When Chen Xiangbei led Odette and other core members out of the car, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. These R&D personnel knew very well that their ability to remain in the F1 paddock and return to their former jobs was thanks to this Chinese driver who single-handedly brought in Chinese capital and "saved" them.

Without Chen Xiangbei, there would be no HRT as we know it today.

Hearing the applause around them and seeing many familiar faces in front of them, many members of the Super Dream team were moved to tears.

Even Odette, who always maintained a tough image, had bloodshot eyes at this moment.

"Odette, most of your old colleagues are still around, right?"

Chen Xiangbei's original intention was to make a sarcastic remark about the old Italian man.

Upon hearing this, Odeto replied with utmost seriousness, "North, thank you."

Chen Xiangbei was a little uncomfortable with Odette's serious demeanor, and he subconsciously turned his head to take a look.

But when Chen Xiangbei saw Odette's tearful face, he realized that this seemingly cynical Italian old man actually had a lot of emotions hidden in his heart, and he had never let go of the former Super Aguri team.

"North, on behalf of the brand new HRT, I welcome you!"

Karabant opened his arms and welcomed Chen Xiangbei.

"I think the word 'return' is more appropriate."

Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile and gave Karabant a warm hug.

This Spanish CEO is outwardly greedy, willing to negotiate anything as long as money is involved.

But their business reputation is impeccable; at least they haven't done anything like cashing out and then abandoning their responsibilities.

With the Liffield Technical Center before him and these hundreds of top F1 R&D personnel, it's estimated that he'll have to spend most of the $60 million he received.

"Of course, welcome back!"

Carabant was well aware of the connection between Mewtwo and Mega Aguri, and he had also received a discount from Honda Group to buy the Leedsfield Technical Center; otherwise, the price would have been hundreds of thousands of dollars higher.

On the other hand, Odeto, Hiroki Sawano, and others from the Toyota team also had connections with Aguri Suzuki and Satoru Nakajima to speak directly with high-ranking officials at Toyota's Tokyo headquarters, which made the takeover much smoother.

The HRT team's combination of Toyota and Honda's strength is no joke; Chen Xiangbei has successfully extracted the essence and core of Japanese Formula racing!
Meanwhile, Huali Auto was not idle either. By delegating authority to Carabant, it exchanged the convenience of learning everything.

The top management has already transferred a group of top automotive engineering personnel from China to the Liffield Technical Center in the racing valley. How much they can learn from each other depends on the abilities of the domestic engineers themselves.

"Bei, I want to show you something good."

After a brief greeting, Karabant pulled Chen Xiangbei into the center.

Compared to the hundreds of engineers outside, it appeared to be a formidable force, resembling the beginnings of a large fleet.

The Liffield Technology Center was completely empty. The research and development equipment had long been sold by Super Aguri, and it needed to be repurchased and reassembled, which would not be completed in a short period of time.

However, at this moment, two race cars have been placed in the very center of the hall. They are the Toyota TF110 prototype cars!
These two race cars have no paint job and retain the natural color of carbon fiber. However, their exposed engine parts and pleasing aerodynamic shape all demonstrate the top-level technological content.

Chen Xiangbei once saw the Honda RA109 prototype at the Blackley factory.

Now, at the Liffield Technical Centre, he saw the Toyota TF110 prototype again.

The two completely different race cars brought Chen Xiangbei the same shock and awe. They brought together the most advanced technology in the automotive industry. They didn't need any embellishment or hype; they were just that elegant, charming, and powerful!

"Mr. Carabant, have you obtained the test data for TF110?"

Chen Xiangbei countered with a question: all current information about the TF110's performance is based on speculation about its aerodynamic shape.

Only solid test data can ensure its competitiveness.

"We obtained test wind tunnel data from Toyota, and this race car has very high aerodynamic efficiency. In addition, according to technical director Pascal Vassellon, the TF110 is also equipped with a blower diffuser technology similar to that of the new Red Bull race car."

"By fully utilizing the exhaust gases from engine combustion to increase downforce and enhance cornering ability, this is a prototype car capable of competing for the championship!"

Carabant's voice became somewhat agitated as he spoke.

He had previously deduced from internal assessments that the TF110 race car had very strong performance.

Now that we have the wind tunnel test data, we realize just how powerful it is!
When Chen Xiangbei heard the term "blowing diffuser technology," he knew he had made the right bet.

If the Honda RA109's cutting-edge technology was its dual-layer diffuser, then the Red Bull RB6's cutting-edge technology in history was its exhaust gas splitter.

This technology is so outstanding that it has prompted the FIA ​​to intervene.

In 2011, strict controls were implemented, but it was found that there was no way to suppress the Red Bull team, so a complete ban was imposed in 2012!
Toyota and Red Bull share almost identical technological development directions, which destined the TF110 to be extraordinary.

Are they going to compete for the championship?

Odeto, standing next to Chen Xiangbei, murmured something, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

The Chinese kid's predictions were incredibly accurate! He already predicted the incredible performance of the RA109, and now he's also correctly bet on the performance of the TF110.

Is this destiny?
"Mr. Carabant, do you have actual vehicle test data now?"

Odeto pressed further, saying that wind tunnel data only represents theoretical performance, and the actual speed could be determined through real-world testing.

"No, this is a semi-finished product; the engine hasn't even been able to ignite yet."

Carabant shook his head.

This is why Toyota did not undergo "resurrection".

The RA109 brings together the technical strength of three wind tunnels and four teams, and its development speed is ahead of other teams.

Ross Brawn knew the real-world test data of the race cars very early on, which is why he went ahead and raised funds to acquire the Honda F1 team.

The TF110 is being developed solely by Toyota, resulting in a noticeably slow pace of development. To date, only theoretical data is available, and even the actual vehicle ignition has not yet been completed.

“Mr. Carabant, we need to speed up the research and development process so that we can at least catch up with this year’s winter testing.”

The miracle of the Honda RA109, a Mars rover that didn't undergo winter testing, is hard to replicate. Normally, testing is needed to identify design flaws and development loopholes in new race cars.

The FIA ​​has also strictly prohibited private testing of new racing cars, with the only opportunity for verification being winter testing.

"I will try to find a way, but the team is currently lacking a lot, especially wind tunnel equipment."

After saying that, Carabant looked at Chen Xiangbei to see if the Chinese kid could get some more sponsorship.

The reason why HRT racing cars were so bad in history was that this struggling team was so poor that it didn't even build a wind tunnel, and the development of racing cars relied entirely on assembly!
The chassis was designed by Dallara of Italy, the engine was sourced from Cosworth, and the transmission was manufactured by X-trac.

As for the crucial aerodynamic shape, it is entirely simulated using CAE simulation software.

That's right, HRT racing cars never use wind tunnels; they rely entirely on computer-generated randomness!
The cars built with this thing are predictable; if they're a second or two slower per lap, you have to praise the computer's performance.

“The team has one seat left, and I believe you can get a good price, Boss.”

Faced with Karabant's suggestive look, Chen Xiangbei replied with a smile.

They've got their hands on a sheep and are treating themselves like an ATM.

Since they're going to sell seats anyway, and HRT was such a disappointing company before, they managed to sell seats for ten million US dollars.

Now that we have a strong team, a promising start, and a solid foundation, selling it for 20 million US dollars shouldn't be a problem. That would be just enough to buy a wind tunnel.

Seeing Chen Xiangbei's bluntness, Karabant could only give a sheepish smile.

After viewing the TF110 prototype, Carabant led everyone to the team's meeting room.

At this moment, a document has already been placed on the table in the conference room.

Carabant picked up the document and handed it to Chen Xiangbei, saying, "Bei, this is an official F1 driver contract."

"Sign your name and you will become a full-fledged F1 driver, representing the HRT team in the new season next year!"

Looking at the driver's contract handed over by Carabant, even though Chen Xiangbei had been mentally prepared before coming, he couldn't help but feel his heart pounding wildly.

My dream from two lifetimes has finally come true!

(End of this chapter)