F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 143 Closing the Net
Everyone in the paddock says that Toto and Horner both have the typical bad guy face; Toto only needs to hide his smile to look like someone you don't want to mess with.

Horner, on the other hand, always gives the impression that he has something to hide whenever he laughs.

Shu Long will not comment on the specifics for now. He only feels that Toto's smile is just as cunning and wicked as Horner's.

Seeing that Shu Long didn't seem amused by his joke, Toto hummed awkwardly twice, sat up straight, and began to talk about the important matters of the day.

"Of course, if it were just for such a trivial reason, I could have chosen other ways to handle it. The main reason I arranged this meeting today is that I wanted to show you some goodwill on behalf of Mercedes."

"But didn't you just say that?"

"That's for Mercedes now, but as the owner and team principal of a team, I have a responsibility to be open to any driver with outstanding ability."

Lewis is currently at his peak, but even the strongest drivers eventually reach their prime. Sometimes, as the leader of a team, I can't place all my hopes on him alone, year after year.

"That's really cruel."

"Who can disagree? Even if I were to say something that might offend you a little, I would be very glad."

The previous lame jokes hadn't made Shu Long laugh, but this one made him chuckle.

"I don't feel like I've offended anyone in any way. Perhaps I can take it as a compliment from a different perspective?"

“Of course you can! As a rival, I’m glad you didn’t get to drive a car that’s competitive for the championship. In some ways, I might be on the same page as Red Bull, which is that I don’t want to see you driving a Red Bull car for the time being. So when I learned that Fernando was trying to get you a seat on another team, I thought we could help out.”

Shu Long did not expect the other party to be so direct, actually bringing up this dark side of the hunting grounds so openly.

However, Toto's bombshell revelations weren't over yet. He raised his straw and gestured towards the window, pointing to the man haggling over ice cream at the stand. Shu Long recognized him; the man had been loitering around the area aimlessly for quite some time.

“The reporter I contacted is outside. If you’re willing, the news that ‘Shulong and Mercedes-Benz are negotiating next year’ will be all over the place tomorrow.”

"I think even if I don't want to, this kind of news will be all over the place tomorrow, right? These reporters won't let this kind of explosive news slip by."

“You’re right, but if you agree, I’ll try my best to seize every opportunity to express my expectations and appreciation for you in front of the camera. This might not be a good thing for you, so I hope you can think it through.”

Shu Long already had a plan in mind, but he still glanced symbolically at Alonso, who hadn't spoken for a long time.

"Why are you looking at me like that? As your agent, I'm only responsible for offering my advice and creating options for you. How you choose is up to you!"

Upon hearing this, he no longer hesitated and turned to grasp Toto's right hand, which had been lying idly on the table, seemingly inviting him to wait for a long time.

It's ridiculous that Red Bull's own people didn't help him fight for it, but Mercedes, his rival, was willing to take action at this time.

"When I arrive at the paddock tomorrow, I reckon George won't look too happy when I greet him."

"I also have high expectations for George. Perhaps your presence can also motivate him? The driver's seat may always be mixed with a lot of messy things, but in any case, for teams aiming for the championship, the driver's ability is always the most important criterion."

"So you're not worried about me going to another championship-contending team?"

"Haha~ Where else can you go? Besides Red Bull, only Ferrari can provide you with a competitive environment, but based on my understanding of Ferrari, they won't want you for at least two years."

When Toto openly expressed his inner scheming earlier, Shu Long didn't really feel it. But now, these words are truly a direct and painful blow.

"I'm starting to regret it. Since we didn't sign anything anyway, why don't we just void our agreement?"

"We're men, and men keep their word after a handshake!"

Seeing that Shu Long still looked a bit worried, Toto thought for a moment and realized there might still be a chance for cooperation. Before leaving, he didn't forget to offer a few words of encouragement.

"As a pioneer in this field, your lack of roots and connections within the hunting grounds may be your current weakness. But your advantage lies in your ability. Being unattached means you won't have deep-rooted interests with any party. Perhaps you'll become a legendary mercenary in the hunting grounds in the future?"

"Thank you for your kind words. In any case, I appreciate your frankness today, even though I don't know how much of it was true."

Toto didn't take the comment seriously, which seemed to be meant to make fun of him. Instead, he was amused and laughed out loud. He didn't dislike the kid's personality.

With a grin, Toto shook hands with Alonso one last time, picked up his coat from the seat, pushed open the store door, and walked out.

Only when he draped the clothes over his body could Shu Long vaguely discern the traces left by the accident years ago on the man's slightly sloping, uneven shoulders.

Seeing that Shu Long was staring blankly at Toto's back, Alonso was worried that the young boy would be deceived by the sweet talk of the old paddock veterans, so he got up and took a few steps to stand next to Shu Long.

"You were right about something you just said. In the paddock, it's best not to trust anyone too easily, and always leave yourself a 30% margin for error."

Does that include you?

"It might not be included now, but who knows in the future."

"But just as I trust you now, at least a large part of what Toto says is true, isn't it?"

The champion team is very efficient, or rather, the team leader of the champion team is very efficient.

The next day, Shu Long had just crawled out of bed when his phone was flooded with messages asking if the rumors were true. Luckily, he had returned to Red Bull's motohome yesterday, otherwise he probably wouldn't have been able to even get into the paddock today.

With the race about to begin, he didn't want to continue acting like a child and throwing a tantrum. Focusing on his job as a driver was the most important thing.

The reason for choosing to return to Red Bull's motohome was not only to save the trouble of traveling back and forth between the hotel and Weichang, but also because I anticipated how exciting Weichang would be in the next few days, and I didn't want to be disturbed while resting in the motohome.

But the thought of being interrogated on Media Day reignited Shu Long's laziness and reluctance to go to work. He dawdled through his washing and grooming, only to be startled by Verstappen standing rigidly in the doorway as soon as he opened it.

"When did you arrive? Why didn't you knock?"

"I'm not sure what time you went to sleep last night, and you didn't reply to my messages, but here, take this back."

Shu Long stared at the large box that Verstappen handed him with dead fish eyes, feeling both annoyed and amused.

It was his fault for not replying to the messages. He had received a lot of messages these past two days, and he didn't have the mood to read and reply to them one by one. He just didn't expect Max to take it so seriously.

"Could it be that what I'm thinking of inside?"

"It's exactly what you're thinking of. I can't change the tournament's decision, but this trophy is burning my hands with heat."

"Have you ever considered that—it might actually be too hot for me to handle?"

"Then consider it a gift from me. Keep it as a souvenir. At least in my eyes, this trophy should belong to you." After saying that, Verstappen pouted, looking somewhat pained, and shoved the box into Shu Long's hand before turning and running away.

As a gift to commemorate the occasion.
If it weren't for Max's second half of his sentence, Shu Long felt he could have easily interpreted this behavior as mockery.

This kid's straightforward emotional intelligence is really worrying; it must be all thanks to his tiger father, Verstappen!

Old Verstappen, standing at the door of Marco's room, sneezed and announced his arrival to the old man inside before even knocking.

Marco was already annoyed, so he got up and opened the door to let old Joss in.

Ever since Shu Long stood on the highest podium, this guy has been running to the Red Bull team every day, chasing them all the way from Germany to Hungary.

The good news is that this guy and Horner naturally don't get along, and he's firmly on Marco's side.

The bad news is that Verstappen didn't side with Marco this time either. Like Tajniu, he doesn't want Shulong to take over and compete with his son for resources.

Then, without a word, they started making a scene, saying that as long as it's either Shu Long or Max, it's either him or her, and as long as Shu Long joins Red Bull, he'll take Verstappen, Runmei, and Benrun Ferrari.

Now look what's happened. The news is spreading like wildfire: Mercedes didn't come looking for your son, but went to find the person you fear most.

Why aren't you busy hiding under the covers having fun right now? Why are you bothering the old man again?

To be honest, when I saw this Breaking post this morning, Verstappen actually chuckled for a moment, but upon closer inspection, something didn't seem right!

If Verstappen has any regrets now, it's probably that he shouldn't have meddled in those trivial matters when Shulong was still a nobody.
As a result, Shu Long can now drive a small Red Bull and still beat a big Red Bull. If he were to actually drive a Mercedes, what would happen? Would Max still have a chance to win the championship in the next few years?

Therefore, the ideal solution is to firmly lock the dragon in the location of Little Red Bull! Don't let it go anywhere else, only when you can see it will you feel at ease!
However, this is the last thing Marco is in the mood to discuss right now. Toto hasn't officially come to him yet, which means that yesterday's rumors about Shulong being confirmed to go to Mercedes next year were probably not true.

But the two sides must have reached some kind of agreement. Marco felt that if he didn't find Shu Long and ask him about it as soon as possible, he probably wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep for the next few days!

On the way into the paddock, we happened to see Toto surrounded by reporters. When questioned by the reporters, he neither denied nor confirmed anything.

But whenever his opinion on Shulong is mentioned, he expresses praise and anticipation, while subtly implying that the presence of a convoy in the hunting grounds is a waste of resources.

She didn't say how much she craved it, she just looked like she was drooling.

Why are you so tacky?!

Marco cursed inwardly, then turned and headed straight for Toro's pit shed, deciding to avoid the sight and the trouble.

Forget about any after-get off work chats on Motohome; he wants a definite answer right now!
"Hmm? It's not as serious as the rumors say. Mr. Toto did say he thinks highly of me, but the contract still has to go through the team."

How come you've become so tacky?
Did she go out for a trip and start learning bad habits from Toto?!

However, the hints in Shu Long's words reminded Marco, which calmed him down a bit.

Shu Long now holds the contract in his own hands, which means he still has some room to maneuver and prevent the situation from developing to the point of no return.

The afternoon press conference for the team leaders had just ended when Haas's team leader, Steiner, with a chrysanthemum-like old face, cheerfully turned into Red Bull's motohome and plopped down next to a frowning Marco.

"What are you doing here again?"

"Of course I have something to do! Why would I come if I didn't?"

After saying that, Steiner looked around at the surrounding environment. Red Bull still maintained its extravagant and wealthy style. Thinking about Haas's current impoverished situation, he felt a pang of unease.

In the first year after Jaguar was sold to Red Bull, Steiner took over as Red Bull's Technical Operations Director. However, not long after, Horner poached Newey, who was down on his luck at McLaren, and directly ousted Steiner from his position.

Fortunately, Mateschitz delegated authority and suggested that Steiner go to the United States to help him build a competitive NASCAR team. Thanks to this opportunity, Steiner was able to get in touch with Gene Haas, the current owner of Haas.

They were kicked out of the house empty-handed back then, so they're bound to come back and take something with them.

"Doctor, you should know why I'm here. After all, I came to see you for the same reason last year, didn't I?"

"Keep dreaming. Long is my driver, and I won't let him go to anyone!"

"But can you really keep him? Mercedes seems quite interested in him. And what happened last week, I don't believe he hasn't developed any resentment towards you."

Steiner once again hit the old man's sore spot, silencing Marco instantly.

"It still won't work, I don't agree!"

"What if we just want to rent him out?"

"Rent? What price are you willing to pay? Why should I lend them my person? What if they run away with you?"

"It's better for him to run away with us than with Mei, right? You know what Haas's financial situation is right now. We definitely can't afford the contract for Shulong. We're just borrowing it to tide us over. Do you really think our little temple can accommodate him?"

Marco, who was about to continue refusing, suddenly paused.

If Tai Niu still insists on promoting Alben, it's easy to imagine that Shu Long would be very upset even if he stayed in Little Red Bull. Letting him go out to avoid the storm might not be a bad idea.
Haas itself didn't have any background in the paddock. Even though it was a Ferrari customer team, it didn't have the deep connection with Ferrari that Arroy had. Given Shu Long's ambition, he definitely wouldn't be able to stay there.

The question is whether Shulong himself actually wants to go.
"Let me think about it. We'll talk about it after the match."

Marco had never felt that a competition week had passed as quickly as this one; in the blink of an eye, the checkered flag for the main event had already fallen.

Verstappen secured another P2, while Shulong eliminated Bottas and Gasly, whose performances were severely affected by seat anxiety, and successfully earned a P5.
It can be said that the better Shu Long's performance is, the more anxious Marco becomes. In addition, Toto added fuel to the fire after the match, so the old man gritted his teeth and called Shu Long out after the match.

"This is Steiner, the team leader of Haas. You should have had frequent contact with him in the paddock."

In the darkness, Shu Long and Mr. Steiner exchanged glances, without revealing the fact that they had actually reached some verbal agreement beforehand.

"So this means I have no chance with Red Bull anymore? What am I being done now, exiled?"

Ahem! Steiner coughed awkwardly.

While Haas's current performance is indeed abysmal, describing it as being exiled is a bit of an exaggeration!
However, Marco was not in the mood to care about these details at the moment. He was just explaining to Shu Long that nothing was set in stone and that he was just helping Shu Long find a backup option.

(End of this chapter)