Driver's Seat

Chapter 132 Driver's Seat
Horner's brain is working at high speed.

Over the past three months, there has been a lot of internal turmoil within the Red Bull team, with Horner working on things like extending Verstappen's contract ahead of schedule to secure the team's future.

On the surface, he uses Lu Zhizhou to create buzz; behind the scenes, he engages in a war of words with Wolff; within the team, he mediates with Marko and Jos Verstappen.

Multitasking, extremely busy.

Ultimately, Horner prioritized the bigger picture. Although he hoped to secure more support from Red Bull Thailand, the Formula One business remained firmly in the hands of Red Bull Austria. As the team principal, he needed to find a balance amidst the complex interplay of various interests.

Verstappen, that's the answer.

Horner understands that Verstappen and Red Bull Austria are inextricably linked, but the undeniable fact is that if they want to contend for the championship, Verstappen is an indispensable part of the team's roster. Horner can offer suggestions, but he cannot fundamentally change this fact.

Furthermore, in Horner's view, Marko was the primary contributor to Verstappen's entry into F1, but Verstappen was not a product of Red Bull's youth academy, and Marko was intercepted halfway through his development; this means that the seemingly inseparable relationship between Verstappen and Marko is not a solid one.

One hypothesis is that in the next few years, Horner will personally guide Verstappen to become a world champion, playing the role of both mentor and friend. Even a stone can be warmed by his guidance, and he can win over Verstappen and his son from Marco, thus breaking the power structure within Red Bull.

There was no doubt that this was feasible, so Horner chose to take the gamble.

He, along with Marco and Jos, stood on the same side to secure a blockbuster contract for Verstappen, extending his contract ahead of schedule, demonstrating Red Bull's sincerity and confidence.

However, Horner is now wavering slightly—

Lu Zhizhou!
If Lu Zhizhou can develop into a world champion-level driver with the ability to compete with Verstappen, the situation will be completely different.

No longer just a tool, but a true competitor with potential and value, coupled with the backing of the Asian market, this could be the perfect opportunity for Red Bull Thailand to rise to prominence, break the existing power structure within the team, and even allow Horner to completely control the team.

Currently, Marco is completely tied to Verstappen, and he won't risk angering Verstappen and his son by showing too much interest in Lu Zhizhou; in other words, Horner has already gained the upper hand with Lu Zhizhou.

However, it's not without its problems.

In fact, a key reason why Horner chose to take a break from Marco and renew Verstappen's contract was:
Thai Red Bull currently has no intention of vying for power and profits. They are more than happy to hand over all of their racing business to Austrian Red Bull. Horner is more like their spokesperson and supervisor, remaining at the center of power within the team. As long as Horner retains control of the team principal, Thai Red Bull is content.

So, can "Lu Zhi Zhou" become a lever to pry open interests and an opportunity for Thai Red Bull to awaken its ambitions and strive for more control?
If consecutive wins against Spain and Austria weren't enough, then now that he's in Belgium and still going strong, even showing more potential in all aspects, including his amazing lap in the first F1 free practice session, does this newborn driver already have the value to disrupt the balance?
Or should Horner trust his personal charisma, believing that time will tell and he can win Verstappen over to his side and turn him into an asset through close collaboration?
“Lu. Zhi. Zhou”

This should be the first time Horner has truly faced the name, and the face and image behind the name have gradually become more concrete and vivid.

Thoughts surged.

Horner crossed his arms over his chest, caught in a struggle of weighing the pros and cons.

Then, Verstappen came on.

Horner noticed it immediately out of the corner of his eye. Subconsciously, he twitched his fingertips, preparing to turn off the computer screen. After all, they were still vying for Verstappen's contract, and if Verstappen saw it, it would put Red Bull in a disadvantageous position. But after a brief moment of thought, he stopped and did not try to hide it.

"Hey, Max."

Horner remained unmoved, gently raising his chin to greet him. That was all; he neither deliberately sought attention nor tried to conceal anything.

Business as usual.

Sure enough, Verstappen didn't notice anything amiss, busying himself with preparing for today's main race and chatting with the technical team about the torrential rain that morning and the weather forecast for the afternoon's main race.

It wasn't until he came out in his racing suit that Verstappen finally noticed Horner's unusual behavior—his complete absorption and rapture were more impactful than any words could express.

Verstappen walked over, looked at the computer screen, and stared silently at it. He didn't say a word, but you could clearly feel the fire in his veins boiling little by little.

Horner looked up at Verstappen and said in a casual tone, "That kid's really good. This is the third time this season."

Different cities, different tracks; for the third time this season, Verstappen has won both the race and the sprint, finally breaking the record he set years ago.

Verstappen watched quietly for a moment, then said, “I can beat him.”

Horner chuckled, half-jokingly saying, "Of course. Of course." Although the words were affirmative, the teasing tone made it seem like he was being sarcastic.

Verstappen looked at Horner without speaking, his eyes revealing a hint of stubbornness and determination.

Horner paused, his inner turmoil and hesitation seemingly resolved, and looked into Verstappen's eyes. "I've always believed in you, Max. You are the future of this sport, not just Red Bull."

This time, there's no joke.

Horner patted Verstappen on the shoulder, stood up, and walked away.

Turning around, Horner saw Verstappen sitting down in front of the computer, watching intently, completely absorbed in the video in just a second.

So, in the "Verstappen vs. Lu Zhizhou" debate, who should be bet on for the future of F1?
Horner still believed in Verstappen; his focus and obsession always shone brightly, and his recklessness and radicalism were also a kind of purity.

As for Lu Zhizhou... he's just a shooting star.

Whether it's a meteor or a star, there's no doubt that this is a star, and the entire Spa circuit is surging and boiling around Lu Zhizhou.

The convoy, the media, the audience—waves of heat rolled in one after another, leaving Lu Zhizhou dizzy and disoriented.

As he came into contact with more people, all sorts of miscellaneous news began to circulate. The lark delivered some good news to Lu Zhizhou's ears, and Lu Zhizhou pushed through the crowd and rushed to the Prima team's pit area. He found Leclerc preparing for the F2 sprint race in the pit garage.

"Congratulations!"

"Lu, what a fantastic match!"

Amid cheers, applause, whistles, and shouts, the Prima team's pit garage was bustling with excitement. Lu Zhizhou expressed his gratitude with a broad smile, but without lingering, he pulled Leclerc to a corner and whispered in his ear, his eyes bright, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Really, Sober?"

Leclerc was taken aback and blurted out, "How did you know?"

Ultimately, he was still young; he didn't even need to be questioned before he gave himself away.

According to paddock rumors, Charles Leclerc, the current leader in the F2 driver standings, is almost certain to move to F1 next season and join the Sauber team.

Amidst the various rumors, there's a mention of Lu Zhizhou: "If Leclerc advances to F1, does that mean Lu Zhizhou also deserves a seat?"

It was because of this that these rumors reached Lu Zhizhou's ears, and Lu Zhizhou immediately rushed to Prima's P room to congratulate his friend.

Seeing Leclerc's expression, Lu Zhizhou's smile widened completely. "Now it's finally confirmed."

Leclerc: LOL.

Lu Zhizhou burst into laughter, patting Leclerc on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Charles. Congratulations! God, ahhh, this is wonderful news!"

Joy, excitement, and exhilaration erupted all at once, causing Lu Zhizhou to leap high into the air, like a competitor preparing for the triple jump.

A smile also appeared in Leclerc's eyes, but he was still somewhat reserved, cautiously looking around.

Lu Zhizhou then realized what was happening and quickly quieted down, "Haven't we signed a contract in black and white yet?"

Leclerc looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before mouthing, "This morning."

In other words, right before us are the newly announced Sauber drivers for next season.

Lu Zhizhou's eyes widened, unable to believe his ears. His blood surged in his chest, but he still managed to control himself, gently raising his chin in a gesture, a smile appearing in his eyes, "Now, the lie is no longer a lie."

Leclerc was taken aback—

Lu Zhizhou still remembers that when Leclerc's father, Hervé, was seriously ill, he told a white lie, deceiving Hervé by saying that he had already signed an F1 contract.

Now, four months later, the white lie has finally come true and become reality: Leclerc has indeed become an F1 driver.

Because he had been with Leclerc through all of that, Lu Zhizhou knew the significance of this event to him, so he needed to celebrate immediately.

Caught off guard, Leclerc's eyes welled up with tears, and he looked slightly embarrassed. "It's a pity he won't live to see that day."

Lu Zhizhou, “But he knows, doesn’t he? He believes in you, he has faith in you, he knows you will definitely be able to stand on the F1 stage.”

"Hey, Ciel, this isn't the end, it's a brand new beginning. You're not going to be satisfied with just this, are you?"

Leclerc rubbed his eyes frantically. "Of course not. The championship, my goal is the world championship, this is just the beginning."

"But, Zhizhou..."

Lu Zhizhou was puzzled, looking at Leclerc who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, full of questions.

Even Lu Zhizhou was a full beat slow to react, "Me? Are you worried about me?"

"Wait, when you went to the P room to celebrate just now, you kept hesitating and didn't say anything. Was it because the news was not yet public and needed to be kept secret, but because you were worried about me?"

Leclerc seemed a little awkward and stammered, "I just... about your situation... I think..."

He stammered for a long time but couldn't come up with a coherent answer.

Lu Zhizhou chuckled. "Xia Er, you haven't been led astray by those rumors from the hunting grounds, have you? You are you, and I am me. We each have our own rhythm and path. You don't need to worry about me, and you certainly don't need to apologize to me for your success."

Leclerc's expression remained reserved. "But you won again, didn't you?"

Lu Zhizhou tilted his head. "So you should also go all out in today's sprint race, right? Not because of me, but because you guys are chasing the championship."

A smile crept onto his lips. "Charles, don't worry about me. We should be happy for you. Sober struck gold. They made the right choice. Those big caravans will regret it."

This is Leclerc's moment. The spotlight should be on Leclerc. There has been enough noise surrounding Lu Zhizhou lately. This moment should belong to Leclerc. After realizing his talent in GP3 and F2 for two consecutive years, he has finally ushered in his own breakthrough.

Worth celebrating!

Leclerc finally relaxed, and he could feel the sincerity in Lu Zhizhou's words, "Those big teams are watching you closely now, maybe they are planning something big."

Lu Zhizhou raised an eyebrow slightly. "The interests that the large car teams need to weigh are obviously not that simple. They are not as sincere as the small car teams. As things stand, they are all putting on an act."

Leclerc's eyes widened, and he almost choked on his own saliva.

Lu Zhizhou nodded. "McLaren and Renault are the ones who truly showed their sincerity. To be honest, when Zach came over to celebrate just now, he was genuinely happy. It wasn't because I promised him anything, but simply because he saw a great game and confirmed his judgment."

Leclerc, "You're an excellent driver?"

Lu Zhizhou: "Top-notch. Please use adjectives, okay? It's not just excellent. Zack is absolutely certain he's struck gold."

Leclerc couldn't help but chuckle at that matter-of-fact look. "Your arrogance could be sold by the pound."

Lu Zhizhou, however, felt no sense of defeat. "Perfect. If we're hungry, we can still sell some things. We shouldn't have to resort to street performances."

"Haha. Hahaha." Leclerc laughed so hard he almost fell over.

At Spa, the heat was intense and the air was thick with the sweltering heat. GP3 witnessed history as Verstappen's record, once considered impossible to replicate or break, was actually shattered. The whirlwind that began with the first F1 free practice session finally reached its peak in the rain at Spa.

Moreover, this was just the beginning. This tropical storm, centered on Spa, spread rapidly across the globe.

When Song Bo got home, he habitually turned on the TV and switched to CCTV-5, but instead of watching TV, he took out his phone and started working on it, treating the TV as background noise. However, he inadvertently caught the sound of sports news.

"...In the Formula 3 race that just concluded at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Chinese driver Lu Zhizhou made history, winning both the main race and the sprint race, becoming the first driver in history to win all three races in a single season..."

Song Bo was startled, put down his phone, and stared blankly at the TV screen.

The next second, Lu Zhizhou, dressed in an ART racing suit, appeared on the screen—

"what!"

Song Bo screamed in shock. He never imagined that he would see Lu Zhizhou on CCTV-5's sports news.

"Mom! Mom! Ahhhhhh!"

"Our boss is on CCTV!"

Song Bo's shouts erupted, shaking the entire residential building and causing it to sway.

Despite it being just a GP3 event, and just a single race weekend with two wins, Lu Zhizhou still received special treatment from CCTV for the first time.

"Before the Formula 3 race, Lu Zhizhou made his Formula 1 free practice debut for Ferrari, and topped the timesheets with a lap of 1 minute 45.488 seconds, becoming the first person in history to achieve this feat on the Formula 1 circuit..."

The television broadcast a steady and authoritative voice, indicating that this was not just a five-second news flash, but a full-fledged one-minute news report with supporting footage and detailed explanations.

In front of the television, Song Bo, Zhang Qiaomu, and all the neighbors stood still, their eyes glued to the small screen in complete silence.

Only now do I truly feel that this is not just an information bubble on a trending topic on social media.

So, does this count as going viral?

……

"Boss! Ahh ...

Even over the phone, Lu Zhizhou could clearly sense Song Bo's excitement, and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Doctor, it's been twelve hours already, haven't you calmed down yet?"

Song Bo was panting as he shouted, his mind clearly picturing him jumping around. "Of course! Twelve hours isn't enough. Even the social media frenzy hasn't subsided that quickly. How could I possibly have processed it all? I still feel like I'm in a dream."

"Boss! How about that? Do you feel the reality now? Even CCTV reported the news! Aaaaaaah!"

As he spoke, his voice lost control again, eventually turning into a continuous cheer, just like Hubert's, which also made Lu Zhizhou's lips curl up.

"It feels real, a little bit." Lu Zhizhou thought for a moment.

Song Bo didn't give Lu Zhizhou a chance to speak at all, "Have you seen your number of followers on social media? It's skyrocketing, skyrocketing all the way up. Every time you refresh the page, you can see the numbers soaring."

Lu Zhizhou: "Zombie fans. They're all zombie fans."

Song Bo: "Even if they're zombie followers, there are still tons of zombies. My god, I just glanced at it, and my Weibo followers have already surpassed 500,000! Wait, boss, how many followers did you originally have? Three hundred? Or five hundred?"

Everything is just as Song Bo said—

A surge in online traffic.

Whether in China or overseas, Spa-Francorchamps truly became the opportunity for Lu Zhizhou to stand in the spotlight and enter the vision of motorsport enthusiasts.

Domestically, with the support of trending topics and CCTV, his influence was off the charts; the same was true overseas. Lu Zhizhou's photo wall originally only had a little over 700 followers, all of whom were friends he had accumulated face-to-face with during street racing over the past few years. Most of them knew each other's real names and could match their faces. Now, overnight, his followers skyrocketed to over 200,000 and filled his inbox in one fell swoop.

Last night, Lu Zhizhou casually opened the photo wall and saw the inbox with the number "999". The desire to open it vanished instantly, and he immediately swiped away.

The noise and fervor filled the internet, making everything seem real. Just yesterday, Lu Zhizhou was a young GP3 driver; in the blink of an eye, he was standing at the center of a media frenzy, with a storm raging.

But as soon as you put down your phone, the world becomes quiet again—

Maranello is still Maranello, the dormitories are still dormitories, and it seems that nothing has changed.

Lu Zhizhou may need some time to adjust to this change in circumstances. He didn't sleep well last night, which is unusual for him, and he had a lot of dreams all night.

So, Lu Zhizhou went for a morning run very early this morning, but he didn't call Leclerc because he was more than an hour earlier than usual.

He needs to continue testing Ferrari today and tomorrow, so he needs to clear his mind and stay focused. He cannot let his guard down during the Fiorano circuit test.

As a result... Song Bo called, and it was clear at a glance that the guy must have been too excited to sleep all night and couldn't calm down.

Unconsciously, Lu Zhizhou smiled, still with the spirit of a young man, "Doctor, shouldn't you update your video account? Seize the opportunity!"

"Ah!" Song Bo exclaimed. "Right, right, how could I forget? I'll make a video right away, catch the trend, and attract some attention."

Lu Zhizhou was about to make a joke when his phone vibrated again. He glanced at the caller ID—

"Doctor, please continue making the video. Call me if you need any help. I have a call coming in." After a brief explanation, Lu Zhizhou hung up on Song Bo and answered another call. "Good morning, Mr. Brown. Are you up so early?"

"Haha. Sorry, I hope I didn't disturb your morning exercise." A hearty laugh came from the other end of the phone; it was none other than McLaren CEO Zach Brown.

Clearly, while the racing world was spinning at high speed because of Lu Zhizhou's performance at Spa, Zach was also working as diligently as a bee.

The phone call couldn't last long, so Brown got straight to the point, showing complete sincerity and laying out all his cards on the table—

McLaren cordially invites Lu Zhizhou to join their youth training program and compete in F2 next year alongside Norris!

To this end, Brown has developed a comprehensive plan, with McLaren fully sponsoring Lu Zhizhou's race expenses and paving the way for his future.

If Lu Zhizhou can finish in the top three in the 2018 F2 driver standings, he will secure a McLaren F1 reserve driver position, or at least a reserve driver position, and possibly even a better one; if Lu Zhizhou wins the championship, he will secure a McLaren F1 seat.

Of course, this is the basic framework; the specifics will require them to sit down at the negotiating table and have Nicholas Todd negotiate with them.

But there is no doubt that McLaren is very sincere. Brown has revealed his hand and handed the decision-making power to Lu Zhizhou. He sincerely hopes to cooperate with Lu Zhizhou.

The surprise came just like that. Lu Zhizhou pushed open that door with his performance and could take the next step in the world of racing.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Zhizhou gathered his thoughts, dialed Nicholas's number, and relayed everything that had just happened to the agent.

Nicholas was slightly surprised. "As far as I know, Norris brought a three million pound investment to get the F2 seat, and McLaren is willing to sponsor it in full. It seems that Zach Brown is really determined."

Unlike major racing teams like Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz, McLaren has been struggling in recent years, with poor performance in the paddock and worrying profitability, making their investment situation less than optimistic.

When Zach Brown took over as CEO, he inherited a mess and was strapped for cash. Although he wasn't quite as frugal as Williams, he was not far from that situation.

Therefore, Brown's willingness to fully sponsor Lu Zhizhou's Ferrari contract and potentially pay the penalty for breach of contract is indeed a testament to his determination and grit.

However, this is precisely what puzzled Nicolas: why go to such great lengths just to have Lu Zhizhou run F2 races?

not worth it.

Like GP3, F1 teams also have sponsorship partnerships in F2 racing, rather than being their own teams.

If Brown's decision to invest in Lu Zhizhou was for an F1 driver's seat, it would be understandable; but for a mere F2 seat, it's not a wise investment.

Nicholas couldn't believe Brown would make such a mistake; there must be a reason behind it.

Sure enough, after some investigation, Nicholas found out that although McLaren's internal information was very tight and airtight, he could not find out the specific situation. However, from the clues, it seemed that the matter was related to Alonso.

Nicholas has good reason to believe that Brawn originally offered Lu Zhizhou a McLaren 2018 F1 driver's seat contract.

In that case, everything makes sense.

McLaren, trapped in a predicament and struggling desperately, urgently needs a glimmer of hope, an opportunity to overturn the situation and make a comeback, and to turn the tide in one fell swoop.

Furthermore, Zach Brown believes that Lu Zhizhou is the one for this opportunity.

Track performance is one aspect, but the Spa-Francorchamps circuit is the decisive factor. Lu Zhizhou's ability to adapt in the rainy weather was impressive, and his maturity and composure far beyond his age were the real key.

On the other hand, there is the Asian context. McLaren is in a state of poor management and needs to open up the market. Asia, with its great potential for development, is undoubtedly the best choice. The Chinese mainland market, represented by Lu Zhizhou, is a highly sought-after market that no one wants to miss.

So, despite the risks, Brown was prepared to take the plunge.

However, things took an unexpected turn—

Fernando Alonso.

It wasn't that Alonso opposed Lu Zhizhou, but rather that Alonso decided to stay.

Outsiders may not be familiar with this, but those in the know understand that Alonso wields absolute power within McLaren.

A promise is a promise!

Even Brown couldn't directly refute Alonso's opinion. Alonso had strong connections on the board, and those laymen who knew nothing about racing almost blindly believed in Alonso.

This season, Alonso's contract expired, but his future was not decided by team principal Eric Buril or CEO Zak Brown, but by himself.

Whether you stay or leave, it's all up to Alonso.

Furthermore, if Alonso wants to stay, he also has the power to make decisions regarding the other driver's seat; he also has a say in the appointment and dismissal of personnel within the technical team.

Therefore, even Brown has to be mindful of Alonso's feelings.

Perhaps, deep down, Brown also desperately wanted Alonso to leave voluntarily, but he couldn't say it out loud, or even show any sign of it, otherwise, who knows, he might be the one to lose his job first.

Previously, Alonso had been hesitant and wavering between joining another team or retiring altogether.
But in the end, Alonso chose to stay, not only in the paddock, but also at McLaren.

Brown had no right to refuse; in fact, he was required to express his welcome enthusiastically and thank Alonso profusely for staying to lead the team. Then, Brown would explain his plans for the continent, which required Alonso's support to pass the resolution.

Alonso doesn't dislike Lu Zhizhou. Having worked in the paddock for nearly twenty years, he's long been used to seeing wave after wave of young drivers.

Including Verstappen. Other drivers complained, but in Alonso's eyes, he was just a kid, nothing to make a fuss about.

However, Alonso still suggested that Lu Zhizhou go to F2 to hone his skills for a year before advancing to the next level.

The reason was not out of consideration for young drivers, but because Alonso was quick-witted and saw through the FIA's strategy early on.

Alonso's exceptional position at McLaren is not simply due to the board's support. His years of experience in the paddock have given him access to almost everyone in the FIA, allowing him to stay informed and stay on top of the situation. This has earned him a special place in the paddock.

This time, it's no exception.

阿隆索知道FIA准备进一步收紧超级驾照的颁发条件，也知道FIA一直在试图整合F2、F3不同级别的赛事，根本原因就在于明确通往F1的晋级道路，要求年轻车手必须经历F3、F2的考验之后再进入F1。

Knowing the FIA's strategy, Alonso will naturally not go against it and will help to push things along, playing a leading role in the paddock and winning the FIA's praise and support.

Therefore, Alonso suggested that McLaren would be better off aligning with the FIA, which would be the wise choice.

Of course, that's just the surface explanation; what's the real intention?

The fundamental reason is that Alonso did not want to lose his technological leadership within McLaren and refused to risk introducing a variable.

He used his age as an excuse to further bolster his argument, suggesting that McLaren should focus on Lu Zhizhou's future and expect him to become Alonso's successor after his retirement. There's no need to rush things or force his development; his experience in F2 can help him better integrate and realize his potential.

then--

Although Brawn is very willing for Lu Zhizhou to join the team next year and bring a fresh look, he is still too young to openly oppose Alonso.

Moreover, Alonso's arguments were well-reasoned, well-prepared, and highly persuasive.

And that's how it ended...

After gathering information, Nicholas told Lu Zhizhou to calm down and not to rush into agreeing or refusing, and to leave everything to him.

On one hand, Nicolas maintained close contact with McLaren, discussing contract details; on the other hand, he deliberately leaked the news, spreading it beyond Ferrari to other teams in the paddock, stirring up trouble; meanwhile, Nicolas was also secretly busy with other matters—

Overall planning.

Nicholas understood that the game of the paddock was not as simple as it seemed on the surface; it involved not only interests but also power struggles, where a single move could have far-reaching consequences.

“You’re the driver, in charge of the track, so leave all these things to me,” Nicholas said.

however!
Nicholas had just gotten busy when, on the third day after Brown called Lu Zhizhou, another bigwig in the paddock dialed Lu Zhizhou's cell phone.

"Hey, Cyril."

On the other end of the phone was Renault team principal Cyril Abitebol. Lu Zhizhou had always thought that Abitebol was all talk and no action, but clearly, Lu Zhizhou was still too young. He still had a lot to learn from these cunning foxes.

Abbitbol actually kept his word; this phone call was specifically to fulfill his promise.

Actually!

"Zhizhou, you don't have a super driver's license yet, right?" Abbitbol tried very, very hard, but his strange retroflex consonants still made it difficult to pronounce Lu Zhizhou's name.

Lu Zhizhou's lips twitched slightly, but he controlled himself and didn't let his attention wander. "Yes, I haven't applied yet."

“Hmm, this is a bit tricky.” Abbitbol paused for a moment, “But we can handle these things. Would you like to come to Renault and race for us?”

Lu Zhizhou: ...

Startled, his brain didn't quite catch Abbitbol's speed, and he instinctively said, "Next year?"

“No, no, no, not next year, this year, I mean this year, this season.” Abbitbol casually dropped a bombshell.

For once, Lu Zhizhou was completely stunned on the other end of the phone, and even had an absurd thought for a moment: Is this a prank by Lorenzo Moretti?

Abbitbol seemed completely unaware of how startling his words were: "Your birthday is in November, right? That means you'll only turn eighteen in November; however, we hope you can make your debut as soon as possible. Singapore is obviously too late, Malaysia is the best option, and the latest would be Japan."

Big news, one after another—

After the Belgian Grand Prix, the next event is the Italian Grand Prix, followed by a two-week break in Singapore, and then another two-week break in Malaysia and Japan.

In other words, Abitebol is currently planning for Lu Zhizhou to step onto the F1 track in five weeks, that is, in October, to represent Renault in official races.

This is all so crazy, even Verstappen wasn't this crazy back then, because it's so outrageous that it's almost comical.

However, Abitebol didn't seem to be joking. "By the way, you're now a Ferrari junior trainee. Have you signed an exclusive contract? Does it involve F1 clauses?"

Wait a minute, isn't something... a little off? Is this happening so fast?
As the saying goes, the most beautiful mushrooms are often the most poisonous, and the free ones are the most expensive.

So, are these old foxes playing a long game?
(End of this chapter)