F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 180 The Troubles of Having Money

Including Le Mans, this is Shulong's fourth championship since the official resumption of motorsport, a four-peat.

However, the Hungarian team had a lot of luck involved; aside from the opening, Le Mans didn't have many high-quality grappling matches.

As for the last Spa team, they just followed the safety car around for a few boring laps, and then got out of the car, opened a can of Red Bull and took a couple of sips, when the FIA ​​sent someone to inform them to attend the awards ceremony.

Saying it was a victory didn't really feel real, but that was just a way of complaining about the blatant favoritism of the local Dutch fans.

In fact, this championship is definitely the most satisfying one Shulong has ever won since participating in the competition!
He also considers it to be the most prestigious award besides Le Mans!
The intense battles, the close competition of driving skills and on-the-spot adaptability, and of course, the clashes of strategies between the teams.

All of this captivated Shu Long even more than the mere title of champion; the so-called highest podium seemed more like icing on the cake.

After expressing his gratitude to the team once again, Shu Long quietly cut off TR's communication. After all, it was someone else's home ground, and Max and the team should have some private space.

Then he slowed down his pace a bit when returning to the ring. After Verstappen came up, he saw the other player extend a thumbs-up first, and Shu Long returned the favor with a thumbs-up as well.

Fans are fans, but their behavior shouldn't be taken out on the drivers. In essence, Shu Long and Verstappen didn't engage in any excessively malicious confrontations during this race.

In competitive sports, there will always be winners and losers, regardless of whose home ground it is.

But these orange-clad car enthusiasts are really infuriating!

The top three finishers' designated parking spaces were right on the starting straight, separated from the Dutch fans who were already in a frenzy by only a wall. Seeing that Verstappen seemed to want to continue interacting with his home fans for a while, Shu Long went ahead to park his car.

When Shu Long arrived, the main grandstand was completely silent except for the orange smoke still swirling around it. But as Verstappen's car appeared at the end of Turn 14, the entire grandstand spontaneously and in unison began singing "Super Max."

Wow! So there were people here just now!
Shu Long was completely frustrated sitting in the car, while Verstappen, who arrived later, jumped out of the car first and hurriedly went to receive the Dutch flag that the GP had specially handed to him.

Then, as he unfurled the flag and draped it over his shoulder, he turned around and found Shulong standing on one leg atop HALO, spinning around, and finishing with a flashy combo in a very captivating pose.

[Recoome!]

"puff--!"

It wasn't just Verstappen, nor just Gan Mengning who was so ashamed he covered his face; at that moment, all the commentators and viewers who saw this scene on the broadcast couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What is this?! It looks kind of familiar, is it Dragon Ball?"

The strong sense of déjà vu assaulted people's brains. The first to recognize the scene were several young commentators from Tencent Sports. Soon after, Ran Ge, a five-star commentator, and Fei Ge, an older but still stylish commentator, also realized what was happening.

So, this is what kind of person Shu Long really is?

"I'm starting to wonder if the fire has reshaped his personality."

"It's a bit of a surprise. You know, after the accident in Bahrain last year, we actually had some online exchanges with Shulong."

"Including some previous sporadic interactions, he always seemed a bit shy, but at the same time, he had the composure of a true 'race driver'—or rather, I felt he was a bit too composed!"

Bing Ge was about to follow up and make a summary when he saw Hao Ran weakly raise his hand after Fei Ge finished his analysis, as if he wanted to add something.

"Haoran?"

"Um—there's something I'm not sure if I can say it now."

What else is there to say? Five stars are all about creating a good show, so speak up!
Having received unanimous approval from the two senior colleagues, Ran quickly reorganized his words:

"Actually, I've always felt that rather than Shulong's personality being reshaped by the accident and the fire, it's more like his nature being liberated again. Because in all my previous interactions with him, what I could sense, besides his composure, was actually more of a sense of repression."

From my early teens, I ventured into the world of Europeans and Americans almost alone. I was instilled with the idea that I represented the image of my country abroad and had to be careful with my words and actions.

After struggling to carve out a path with an extremely limited budget, they ended up in the Red Bull system, where ordinary drivers are most likely to succeed, but also where the competition is the most ruthless and intense.

If it weren't for Alonso, Shulong would have been nothing more than a rag doll with no foundation, only able to be manipulated and tossed about by others in the paddock.

Even so, despite having already demonstrated his potential, he still had to gamble with the team and big investors, drifting like duckweed in the rain for two years.

But now the hard times are over. The raging fire not only forged his fearless spirit but also scorched the cage that bound his nature.

"That's true. Only after careful reflection can one truly understand the pressure that Shu Long has always carried on his shoulders. It's something that can't be described simply by typing a few lines online."

Huh?! Who is this soldier targeting this time?

Fei Ge quickly coughed.

"Well, now that he has a platform to showcase his talents, we hope that the young man can rediscover the genuine joy he has always found in racing!"

"Yeah, if it weren't for what happened today, I would have almost forgotten that he's just a kid in his early twenties~ By the way, the thing he likes is called Dragon Ball, right? Maybe I can bring him something like that as a gift next time we meet?"

Forget about fakes.
However, Shulong is now in dire need of collecting all seven Dragon Balls and then wishing that the whole world would forget what just happened!
This guy regretted striking those poses and is now crouching beside the race car, clutching his head in despair, determined not to take off his helmet until today.

It's all Alonso's fault for recently saying that someone's championship celebration was too plain, and even suggesting that he do some more memorable fancy moves like he did when he was young.

And these audience members here!
Shu Long's original intention was to use a less aggressive approach to confront the enemy directly, ideally without causing unnecessary controversy while still venting his emotions. However, he made a rash decision and did something he might regret for the rest of his life.
Blanch!
In the end, it was Verstappen who came over and helped someone up. And after Shu Long's commotion earlier, and Verstappen's public statement to the fans, the cheers that should have belonged to the champion gradually rose in the main grandstand.

"I'm sorry to be playing on your home turf, but the game is on."

"Haha~ I still remember that line! You said it to me on your first competition day?"

"Maybe? Perhaps you told me this in Shanghai?"

"Hey, come on! I'm feeling really down right now, are you serious?!"

The two playfully punched each other a few times before rushing to the barrier and huddling with the team. Just like what Verstappen said to Shu Long after the 18 Brazil race, they are drivers, and once they step onto the track, they only fight to win.

Especially when your teammates are less skilled than others, there's not much to say; you can only try to win the next game.

Marco, who was squeezed at the front of the crowd, first hugged and patted Verstappen on the back, then turned around and hugged Shulong and rubbed his helmet hard a few times, while Horner initially kept his distance.

But this doesn't mean that Shu Long is prepared to let him go.

After finally managing to break free from the old man's embrace, Shu Long shook hands with several mechanics, then saw Horner standing to the side and gave him another bear hug that made a "crackling" sound as it squeezed his back.

"Boss, you said it yourself! I'm counting on you to protect me today!"

Horner didn't speak, but gave a meaningful, bitter smile.

Without needing much explanation, after the awards ceremony, Shu Long and Verstappen were led by the team to a tall, blond man, where they took a precious group photo to commemorate Red Bull's victory and the first return of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Guess who this person is?

The current monarch of the Netherlands is King Willem-Alexander.

Shu Long didn't know how much pressure the king was under, but he knew that Horner was probably under a lot of pressure right now, and he was already sweating!
In particular, the other party intentionally or unintentionally mentioned that the tournament organizers had specially invited the famous Dutch singer Davina Michel, so that she could sing the Dutch national anthem, "Wilhelmine," when their home team heroes stood on the highest podium. However,...
There's really nothing to investigate. It's a fair and square result, and the King is "just" hoping to see Verstappen stand on the highest podium in the Netherlands next time.

Of course, we'll talk about the future later. The main point is that Verstappen now owes Shu Long 1.5 meals.

There's no rush to pay on credit. Anyway, I can't stay in the Dutch Grand Prix for even a second longer. My immediate priority is to prepare for the back-to-back Italian Grand Prix races.

Before heading to the racetrack, Shu Long also visited the apartment he rented near the Red Bull headquarters.

Pack up your things and get ready to send them away.

Back to Red Bull, it would be more convenient to find a place to live in the UK, but now that my income is slowly increasing, settling down in the UK would be a huge loss.

British taxes are even more outrageous than those in China, and without connections or familiarity abroad, legally avoiding taxes is extremely difficult. Therefore, Vestapan suggested that Shu Long consider buying a property in Monaco.

Although Monaco itself is expensive, its policy of exempting personal income tax has indeed attracted a large number of high-income people from around the world.

Shu Long hadn't really considered this issue before, mainly because housing prices in Monaco are quite high; in some locations, even a small 35-square-meter apartment can cost over 100 million euros.

I can afford to buy it, but the price-performance ratio isn't very high.

In its first year, Shulong's total revenue with Little Red Bull was close to $900 million.

Although Haas only scored over 70 points in his second year, his total income was over six million to nearly seven million dollars due to the double points bonuses from both Red Bull and Haas, plus his base salary and several commercial terms that Red Bull later compensated him with.

Although I've only raced 3 F1 races and 1 Le Mans race this year, my earnings have already exceeded ten million.

However, ten million US dollars can only buy a house of about 150 square meters in Monaco. In comparison, Shu Long would rather go back to China to live comfortably in a big house and spend time with his family.

Furthermore, for him, who insists on retaining his Chinese citizenship, obtaining the tax exemption rights of Monaco tax residency is not as simple as it seems, due to China's global income taxation policy. The conditions to be met are quite stringent.

Perhaps when his income increases further, the excessive tax costs will make him seriously consider this option.

However, the Russian Grand Prix after Monza is two weeks away, and Shu Long plans to take advantage of this break to go back to China.

Last year, Haas faced significant difficulties globally, resulting in virtually no sponsorship. Their contract with Douyin and Toro Rosso didn't expire until halfway through the season, and they later spent a small sum to extend it for the second half of the season.

However, since Shu Long confirmed his return to the Red Bull F1 team this year, many sponsors have approached him, and they all seem very interested in printing their logos on the Red Bull race cars next year.

So Shulong's trip home was basically a non-stop affair, with all his supposed rest being social engagements.

The only problem is that Porsche 911 Turbo S parked in the garage. The cost of transferring it to China is more expensive than buying the car itself, and if I don't settle abroad, it's just a decoration with no practical use.

Shu Long had originally planned to buy an Audi R8, but this is why he put it off.

It's true that having money doesn't mean you're free. Once we know the specific revenue figures Red Bull will provide next year, I might actually have to consider Max's suggestion to buy an apartment in Monaco.

After two days of tinkering in Faenza, Shu Long finally got on the road on Wednesday afternoon in his 991.2, which had been gathering dust in the garage for half a year, and drove to the Monza circuit, less than 250 kilometers away.

After buying it, he's barely driven it more than twice. If it weren't for hiring someone to maintain it regularly, it's questionable whether it would even be able to move now. This poor car was really blind to have him.

The journey of over 200 kilometers actually only took a little over an hour. It's estimated that those reporters didn't expect Shu Long, who always hitches a ride on convoys and planes, to come to work in this way. This time, he finally got some peace and quiet.

Back at the motohome set up by the team, Shu Long didn't see the person he wanted to meet, so he took the initiative to send a message to Horner.

It's not really a serious matter; I just wanted to ask if the team had any way to help him transport the 991 to the UK.

Where he buys a house and lives permanently in the future is another matter, but at least until the end of this season, Shu Long will definitely stay near Milton Keynes for a while, so that it will be convenient for him to go there when the team needs simulations.

Horner didn't find it troublesome at all. On the contrary, he seemed quite happy that someone had taken the initiative to contact him. He patted his chest and assured him that he would help handle the matter so that Shu Long could focus on preparing for the Italian Grand Prix this weekend.

Shulong has already participated in two races in Monza. Last year, he even drove a Haas and came in second place. This year, the track hasn't changed much, so to be honest, there doesn't seem to be anything special he needs to prepare for.

However, this year's calendar introduces a new experimental format, which the FIA ​​officially calls the Sprint. If it proves effective, it is likely to be continued in subsequent seasons.

The entire race weekend will be extremely tight due to the introduction of the sprint race, where drivers and teams will need to find the best setup for their cars in a very short time. The top three finishers in the sprint race will receive 3, 2, and 1 points respectively.

For most other teams, whether or not they get these symbolic points is probably irrelevant.

However, for Mercedes and Red Bull, who are fighting tooth and nail for the double championship, even though the current sprint race format is neither perfect nor reasonable, they can only treat it as if it were the main race and give it their all.

(End of this chapter)