F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 219 Strange People, Strange Cars, Strange Things

The drivers arrived in Bahrain three days earlier with their teams and were taken aback by the sheer scale of the scene as soon as they arrived at the track.

Horner had indeed reminded him that there might be a special welcoming ceremony this year, but Shu Long never expected to be covered in a huge headshot of himself as soon as he got off the plane.

This is a bit...
Bahrain is indeed a special place. In the first year of Toro's debut, Shulong was personally invited to meet by Crown Prince Salman. Later, he even dragged a young royal member, whose identity is still unknown, to run a few laps on Hot Laps.

In addition, the accident that occurred in Bahrain in 2020 was one that will go down in F1 history, and now a kind of fanatical worship of Shulong has become popular in the area.

Last year, Bahrain was temporarily used as the venue for the opening ceremony due to pandemic control measures. Because the plan was abrupt and Red Bull had not officially announced Shulong's return since he was still recovering from his injury, there seemed to be nothing special about it except for the rather surprised and loud cheers.

However, the oil tycoons seemed to have tasted success with last year's opening match in Bahrain, and this year they have firmly held onto the opening match qualification, and have also spent a lot of money to arrange the main promotional activities at the start of the season to be on their side.

When this fervent emotion was materialized into money, even Red Bull, which is known for its grand displays, was taken aback by the spectacle.

According to Horner, if Red Bull hadn't had such a close partnership with Mobil 1, Bahrain Oil Company would have even considered becoming Red Bull's new fuel partner.

It's not really needed right now, but if Geely gets involved, there's a possibility of cooperation. After all, more money is always better than less, right?
The first round of promotion certainly wouldn't consist of just this few activities.

After putting on racing suits and styling their hair like adults, they first filmed the opening sequence in a studio set up by the event organizers.

This is the most troublesome thing for Shulong every year.

Once it's filmed, there's almost no chance to redo it. It's too casual. They'll use this plan for the rest of the season, and then they'll regret it.

He was so focused that he didn't know which pose to choose that was particularly representative, and he struggled with the decision for quite a while.
Compared to Shu Long, a veteran, Zhou Guanyu, a newcomer in his first year, handled things with ease. His confident and imposing entrance with a stylish walk and arms crossed made him look poised and powerful.

Clearly, Shu Long wasn't the only one struggling with filming the opening sequence; everyone had considerable psychological barriers to presenting themselves in a sophisticated way, and in the end, they could only follow the director's instructions step by step.

To summarize, there are roughly three options: crossing your arms over your chest, staring directly at the camera, and following the camera with your gaze.

Shulong has already tried all three of these options.

In 19, he crossed his arms, giving off a comical vibe of a child wearing adult clothes.

Staring at the camera for 20 years, how dull!

I joined the season midway through 21 and filmed a reshoot; it's the kind of shot where the gaze follows the camera and the eyelids lift slightly.

Of course, there are also those with more unique movements, like Zhou Guanyu.

Like the version where Albon zips up his racing suit, giving off a feeling of starting anew; like Uncle Tilting His Head, leaning casually against the background wall; and then there's Russell and Norris's style, like a shy young lady leaning against a wall for a photoshoot.

The first two seemed pretty good, but they've already been registered by others.

Let's forget about the last two; I feel like filming them would really affect my performance in the competition all year.

Of the positions we've used so far, the 21 version seems to be the most comfortable, but we can't keep using the same solution for two consecutive years.
"Cheer up, Shu! You're one of the strongest contenders for this year's world championship. Show more confidence in your eyes!"

"I tried, but I just can't do it! Every time I see you guys bringing the camera close, I just want to laugh!"

"."

The director was speechless, muttering to himself and scratching his head. Suddenly, he punched his own palm and asked someone to find a small platform for Shulong to sit on.

"Spread your legs a little wider, why sit so obediently? And put your elbows on your knees, lean your body slightly forward, and shift your weight to the front side. Yes! That's it!"

"Does this make me stop laughing?"

"No, so you don't have to hold back when the photographer comes to take your picture later."

It sounds impressive but I don't really understand it. Just do it obediently, or the director will get angry and put up the ugliest version, that would be a real pain.

This time, under the director's arrangement, the photographer chose a relatively low shooting position, and slowly pulled up at an upward angle until it was level with Shulong's line of sight.

But as always, from the moment he looked into the camera, Shu Long felt an urge to relax, especially when he thought about how he was trying to look cool instead of actually being cool.

When the camera was actually right in front of him, he couldn't help but grin and chuckle like an idiot, his facial muscles seemed to have their own thoughts!
The director yelled "Cut!" again, staring intently at the screen analyzing the shot.

Just when Shu Long thought he was going to have to do another reshoot, the other party suddenly clapped a few times with great excitement and arranged to import the footage on the spot to edit it out and see the effect.

"Great! That's it! Perfect!"

The quick three-part praise combo left Shu Long somewhat doubtful.

Is this for real? You seem so happy. Are you just saying nice things to appease us because you're tired of filming?
The fact is, the results were surprisingly good.

When Red Bull drivers appear, the background light on the LED screen behind them is predominantly cool red, black, and dark blue, which creates a strangely deep visual effect when it shines on their faces.

Shu Long, sitting in the shadows, had half of his face submerged in the shadows. The initial upward angle of the shot gave him the feeling of sitting high in the sky, looking down on all living beings.

The camera zoomed in and cropped the frame perfectly, capturing the silly grin on the face before it could fully emerge, stopping at that frame with a hint of disdain.

This is just a rough cut; it might look even better with background music added later.

Just
"Do I look like I deserve a beating?"

"Nothing!"

The director quickly waved Shu Long away, made the decision immediately, and then began to design the shot for Verstappen.

As it turns out, this guy was even more difficult to please than Shu Long!
From changing his driver number to number one after winning the world championship, getting a gold helmet, and even making his racing shoes gold, all these signs reveal how much Max cherishes his hard-won victory.

At least that's the case for now.

In previous years, he could be said to have done a very perfunctory job of opening the film each year, which was to simply look up, look up, turn his head, and stare at the camera.

Of course, it's also true that the opening sequence was filmed much more simply back then, with almost all of them being close-ups of heads and not a single full-body shot.

Since last year, the recording of the opening sequence has also incorporated more variety, basically setting a camera movement for each person.

After winning the world championship last year, Verstappen seems to want to do something different this year, especially to show his confidence and maturity as a world champion through visuals.

But it's hard to hold on.
Every year before, when Verstappen filmed the opening sequence, he always had a serious expression on his face, as if everyone owed him money. No one ever told the director that this guy would look so silly when he smiled!
"Why don't you be a little more serious? That would make you look more like a champion!"

"No, my dad told me that a smile is a symbol of confidence and strength."

"But I feel it would be more effective if you closed your mouth!"

"Is that so?"

Verstappen then gave the director a closed-mouth smile.

It seems a little better, but it still feels a bit simple-minded, with an added touch of inexplicable kindness.

This feeling is quite complex, even more so than the director's current mood.

No wonder everyone says Red Bull drivers are crazy; they're all insane! Someone save me!
However, Verstappen was quite satisfied with the shot and firmly believed that this was the feel he wanted!

The director covered his forehead heavily and let out a sigh, so forceful that one couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to squeeze out all the frustration in his heart through physical means.

"We need another camera rotation. Do you want to think of another action you'd like to use?"

“I think the overhead view that Long just filmed was pretty good, but I want to stand up. I feel like standing up gives me more presence.”

Then the director shot a quick version for him based on Verstappen's idea, without any camera design or lighting considerations. Verstappen said, "Yes, yes, that's exactly the feeling!"

Well, I misunderstood him just now.

This guy is picky, and he's incredibly stubborn, but thankfully people don't understand him, right?
If the director hadn't felt that the effect of that smiling face was something he couldn't get out of his head, he would have left Verstappen hanging long ago.

It's much easier to serve this old man than Shu Long, who listens to everything you say when you're filming, but no matter how you film, it just doesn't feel right. Quickly, take him away!

After the opening sequence was filmed, before the overall style became too sloppy, everyone seamlessly transitioned to the next set – Grill The Grid.
This is the grilling griddle segment that the audience is most looking forward to.

I heard there are a total of 4 to 5 mini-games, which will be filmed gradually during the second round of winter testing. I also filmed the opening sequence for the show "Baking Grid" while filming the season opening sequence.

This is simple; it's just a pose where you stand at an angle and look at the camera. The grilling grid has a long history, especially since Liberty Media took over the operation of F1 racing, and has been promoting this kind of small interactive format that brings drivers and fans closer together.

However, it was never a particularly formal program before, and the recording time was more scattered and casual. The basic format was to find a small table during the season, bring together two drivers from the same team, and then conduct a series of fun Q&A sessions.

Starting last year, the format has shifted towards more formal, smaller-scale variety shows, with dedicated recording rooms, meticulously designed games, and detailed, standardized rules.

Unfortunately, Shulong missed it last year.

"Hello Shu, is this your first time participating in this kind of format? Are you nervous?"

"I'm nervous! I saw how Seb performed last year. I hope he won't make things so difficult for us this year. I've been a slacker for years."

"But I've heard that your memory seems to be quite good?"

"It's alright, I'm super lazy."

Shu Long put on a horrified expression as if to say, "Don't talk nonsense," and as if to quickly change the subject, turned to look at the board next to him that was marked with scales that looked like a height ruler.

Although it was her first time participating in the new program format, Katie, the female host in charge of asking questions, was already a familiar face at the hunting grounds, and she couldn't help but find Shulong's little actions somewhat amusing.

"Have you guessed what project we're going to do?"

"I wonder if we'll be charged an entrance fee to the paddock based on our height?"

“We’re very close. We have some tiles here with all the drivers’ names on them, so we’ll give you two minutes to sort them by height, from tallest to shortest.”

"Oh—! Has anyone given you feedback that these projects are poorly designed?"

Shu Long took the stack of magnetic stickers from the female host, uttering words of condemnation while grinning broadly.

I quickly flipped through the list and found Kakuta's name first, then pasted it at the bottom of the board, and then put my own name at the top.

Haha, but no offense intended. The new kids who came to Weichang this year, well, those who know, know.

“Let’s start with the simplest one. Oh, Esteban? I remember he was a little bit taller than me?”

"Don't try to bribe me with your pitiful eyes. You have 1 minute and 30 seconds left."

Shu Long shrugged indifferently and began to systematically sort everyone according to his memory. To make it easier to distinguish them, he even dutifully pulled his name tag up to about the height of his head.

No one in the paddock would idly share their height with each other, so even a dragon could make a rough division based on their memory of standing next to each other.

However, he was quite familiar with the Red Bull system members, since they often gathered together for physical training and could see each other's medical examination results.

Let's leave Kakuta alone for now. He's the shortest, no doubt. Let him stay at our feet for now.

Alben Shulong clearly remembered that the other party was the same height as him, while Verstappen was a fist shorter than them, and Gasly was a fist shorter.

First, arrange the height data you clearly remember; the rest is the main event.

Shu Long actually felt that he and Aokang were about the same height when they stood together, but Aokang's control over his weight was more extreme than his and Alben's.

Of course, O'Connor himself is not one to gain much weight, which makes him look very slender and visually appear slightly taller.

Russell seems to be about the same height as them, but because Russell's face is longer, his height appears to be shorter.

The young master seemed to be about the same height as Max, but he was also a big-headed and fat guy, and his body was a little plump, so he didn't stand out as much. Therefore, Shu Long placed him one space below Vistapan.

Next up, of course, is Ricardo with his long neck.

The remaining part was the most difficult to divide, because from Shulong's higher perspective, everyone looked about the same, and it was really hard to tell who was taller and who was shorter. So he just stuck them all together in a dark, messy mass.

There was a slight hesitation when it came to Alonso, who was obviously the shortest in the paddock before Kakuta arrived, but after a moment's hesitation, he was placed above Ocon.

Human Relationships and Social Skills

"Alright, time's up. Are you confident in your answer?"

Shu Long glanced at Alonso at the top, raised an eyebrow, and gave the female host a look that said, "Figure it out yourself."

The answers were announced according to the procedure. Except for Alonso, Shulong's order was basically the same, with only a few people slightly confused in the range of 175 to 179.

But there was one person's answer that almost made him doubt whether the entry was malfunctioning!
"Charles is taller than Daniel?!"

Okay, Ricardo has a small head and a long neck, which does make him appear taller overall.

Although Leclerc is good-looking, it is an objective fact that his legs are a little short, making him appear shorter. However, the problem is that Leclerc is one of the few people in Shulong who know the exact height.

In any case, that year of F2 racing at the Prema in 17 wasn't for nothing.

"Yes, Leclerc's official height is 180cm, while Ricardo's is 179cm."

"No, no, impossible! I was his teammate back then. He was already twenty years old. How much taller could he have grown? I mean, 180 and 172 are both very delicate numbers."

You all know that, right?

172是实际身高在170以下又差的不多的人最喜欢报的数字，而180又是177到179这个范围的人又是最喜欢报的数据。

Don't ask why!
Just like how girls often exaggerate their height, as if it makes them seem cuter, this is nothing more than a small, insignificant competitive urge on men's part.

After all, within the mammalian species, males are generally larger than females, and the most direct measure of strength between males is often their size.

In fact, Shu Long was not the only one who questioned Lock & Lock's height.

Alonso bluntly stated that if Leclerc is 180cm, then he must be 178cm. Others, such as Sainz and Vettel, who have been Leclerc's teammates, also expressed their doubts.

Let alone outsiders, even Leclerc himself, when he learned that Riccardo was shorter than him and had honestly stated his height as 179 cm, showed obvious panic and guilt on his face.

Whether he misrepresented the information or someone else made a mistake, only Leclerc himself probably knows the answer.
In any case, Shu Long had no intention of letting this issue go so easily. A malfunctioning entry was a very serious accusation, and he felt he had to get to the bottom of it!
As everyone walked onto the track together to take a group photo at the start of the season, he followed closely behind, repeatedly measuring Leclerc and Ricciardo's height with his eyes.

However, Leclerc was also very cunning. He seemed to have anticipated that everyone would have doubts about his height after this game, so he always kept a certain distance from Riccardo.

The key point is that he also cleverly wore a baseball cap!

Then the amount of water that can be visually estimated is huge. It's very easy for the hat to leave a gap of 1 or 2 centimeters between the hat and the scalp, which is even more insidious than height-increasing insoles.

Just as Shu Long was about to encourage Ricardo to move closer to Lock & Lock, almost everyone's attention was drawn to the Mercedes on the track.

The reason is simple: this Mercedes, restored to its silver arrow livery, is just too strange!
No side boxes?!
To be precise, it's not entirely without side cases; rather, it's more like a design concept for a miniaturized, upright, flat side case.

Upon closer inspection, the W13 still retains the air intakes on the side cases, but the design has been changed from the horizontal air intakes used by most teams to vertical air intakes, resulting in a significant reduction in the overall frontal area.

Shu Long had not studied aerodynamics systematically, but based on his common sense and worldview, he believed that a car with a smaller frontal area would have less drag, and subconsciously he would feel that the car was faster!

This is bad.
It's not particularly surprising that teams would bring out two completely different versions of their cars during the two rounds of winter testing, especially under the budget cap. It's also understandable that teams confident in their own designs would want to use this to delay the progress of their rivals in copying them.

In fact, the reason why Shu Long believes that Red Bull still has great potential to win the championship this year is because Mercedes' performance in the first round of testing has been lukewarm, as if they have already stumbled on the ground effect rules.

But now that they've come up with a design that's completely different from any other car in the paddock, it's really hard to question the seven-time champion team's R&D capabilities.

The last thing they brought out was a strange thing that no one else had ever seen before, called DAS, or Dual Axis Steering System. Undoubtedly, this thing created a super space car that was invincible at the time.

Given this precedent, who can guarantee that Mercedes-Benz will come up with some kind of cutting-edge technology that no one else can understand?
Of course, it's not to say that not having side cases necessarily makes you run faster. Although I haven't done professional research on aerodynamics, as a driver, Shu Long at least knows the relevant basics.

Side cases do more than just introduce airflow to the radiator; their structure and shape are also part of the aerodynamic kit, which can also help to manage turbulence and provide some downforce.

But it was precisely because of his limited understanding that Shu Long felt uneasy.

Unfortunately, this year's ground effect car regulations are the least focused on the downforce provided by the car's surface aerodynamic components, with over 70% of the downforce coming from the floor.

Even without considering the impact damage to the strength and the underbody, the Venturi effect alone can provide nearly 80% of the vehicle's downforce.

Currently, all the designs revealed for racing cars only cover the surface. The undercarriage is a heavily guarded area, and no one knows what tricks their opponents have played in this part.

If Mercedes does find a "super floor" solution, then their visibly low-drag "zero-side box" might become a killer weapon in every game.
(End of this chapter)