Alex Sun leaned back in the seat of the car bound for Jiading, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the Ferrari youth academy badge in his pocket. His gaze rested on the personnel list Rebecca Lin had handed him.
Rebecca Lin spoke with crisp professionalism as she reported, "Boss, I'll brief you on the current core operational structure of the team. On the operations side, Mr. Rossi is serving as Race Operations Director. He has ten years of experience with midfield teams and specializes in media relations, race coordination, and supplier negotiations. The preliminary FIA liaison framework was built under his lead."
"On the financial side, Ms. Alice is overseeing all team funds. She previously served as a finance director at an F1 team and is highly experienced in race-related financial compliance and budget structuring."
She paused briefly before adding the key financial breakdown. "In addition, XT Fund has allocated 300 million USD in startup capital. Of that, 200 million is paid out as anti-dilution compensation to existing teams in accordance with regulations. The remaining 100 million serves as the base preparation budget. Roughly 60 million USD is currently earmarked for car development, with priority given to new car R&D and technical adaptation needs."
Alex Sun nodded calmly, unsurprised by the allocation. Entry into F1 as a new team came with rigid cost requirements, and this distribution aligned perfectly with the core preparation priorities.
As he processed the information, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:
[Host does not need to urgently repay the 14 million in race prize money. Upon successful completion of the core Main Quest "F1 Customer Team Creation Plan," a 20% repayment reduction will be granted. The reduced portion will not be deducted from the advanced funds and will be credited directly to the Host.]
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. Internally, he noted that the benefit had come at exactly the right time—it eased future financial pressure while also providing additional personal gain.
Alex Sun took the list and skimmed through it. When his eyes reached the technical team section, he paused slightly, his tone tinged with surprise. "The physical trainer and technical mentor from the youth program, plus Mark and the core mechanics from Prema—why are all of them on the list?"
"That was Mr. Rossi's suggestion," Rebecca Lin explained immediately, her reasoning clear and structured.
"He believes that for a new team, the safest approach is to first stabilize the operational framework by bringing in mature management and foundational technical staff. This minimizes integration costs and allows for smoother early-stage preparation.
"The youth academy team is already familiar with your driving habits, and Mr. Mark, as your dedicated race engineer, understands your on-track rhythm. These people can support your F2 campaign while simultaneously laying the groundwork for F1 preparations.
"Rossi has secured everyone at top-of-market salaries with non-compete agreements. All procedures are compliant, and compensation has been fully finalized."
Alex Sun looked at the familiar names on the list, his fingers tapping lightly against his knee as he absorbed the information. At that moment, the system synchronized and updated the team panel. Aside from Team Visibility increasing to 65, all other attributes had risen to 35—except for Technical Development, which remained inactive.
He immediately understood the reason. The car construction approach obtained from the previous side quest couldn't be applied, and the attribute bonuses couldn't be activated because the core R&D team was still missing.
Clarity dawned on him at once. The next priority became crystal clear: the existing youth development and maintenance teams could only support basic racing operations. Only by rapidly assembling a core R&D team could those benefits be unlocked, allowing car development and engine adaptation to truly move forward.
His tone turned firm and focused as he instructed Rebecca Lin. "Rossi's plan is thorough, but the R&D team is still vacant. That's our only core priority right now."
"Tell him to immediately concentrate all efforts on recruiting the R&D team. Positions like Technical Director, Aerodynamics Engineer, and Performance Engineer must be prioritized. We need veterans with experience developing under the new F1 regulations. Speed is critical, and standards must be strict. I want weekly updates on candidate lists and interview progress."
"The team is just getting started. Operations can proceed steadily at the current pace, but without a proper R&D team, engine adaptation and new car development are nothing but empty talk." Alex Sun's voice was decisive, his expression composed.
He understood the principle of "grasping the core and delegating execution." With veterans like Rossi providing a solid foundation, he only needed to set the direction to maintain control of the whole operation. The car development blueprint could then be implemented quickly and efficiently.
For him, the inclusion of the youth academy team and Mark was undeniably the fuel for the team's rapid evolution. With these experienced hands backing him up, he could focus more fully on fighting on two fronts.
A trace of admiration flashed through Rebecca Lin's eyes as she answered promptly. "Understood, Boss. I'll immediately synchronize with Rossi and make R&D recruitment his top priority, locking in core technical positions first.
"We'll confirm the general engine direction first. Once the R&D team is in place, we'll refine the adaptation details. There's no need to rush the FIA evaluation—we should solidify the team's foundation first."
With all preliminary coordination complete, the car arrived at the newly finished team factory and base.
What Alex Sun hadn't expected was the presence of several high-ranking city officials. They not only conducted a detailed inspection of the factory's construction progress and equipment installation, but also expressed strong support and high expectations for this newly established racing team.
In his previous life, he had been just an ordinary person. Faced with such a scene, he felt a brief moment of surprise but remained calm and unflustered, showing no trace of nervousness.
He knew very well that Formula 1 wasn't simply a sport of driving in circles, nor was it something propped up by spectacle alone. Results were the only true currency. That confidence allowed him to handle the reception smoothly. After seeing the officials off, he immediately headed to the team base.
The base sat adjacent to the factory and right next to the Shanghai International Circuit, an exceptionally advantageous location. Daily training, race preparation, and logistical coordination were all remarkably convenient.
Designed in a minimalist industrial style, the base featured silver-gray exterior walls and large expanses of glass, echoing the outline of the Shanghai circuit in the distance and projecting a distinctly professional feel.
Under Rebecca Lin's guidance, Alex Sun quickly toured the base. The technical and maintenance areas were fully equipped and neatly organized. Prema's core mechanics were already adjusting equipment and familiarizing themselves with the environment. After a brief look, he nodded in approval.
When they reached the first-floor lobby, a row of empty parking spaces caught his eye. Rebecca Lin explained, "Boss, this entire row was deliberately left empty. In the future, every championship-winning car the team earns will be displayed here—both as a showcase of honor and as motivation for the team."
She then updated him on the remaining key points. "All base hardware has passed compliance inspections. The simulators and wind tunnel equipment required for the new car are fully calibrated. FIA entry procedures and guarantee deposits have been completed.
"Our next step is to finalize the team lineup. We can proactively engage with evaluations later—there's no need to rush. Rossi is currently fully focused on the preliminary work for R&D recruitment."
Alex Sun nodded, his response concise and decisive. "That's the right approach. Evaluation can wait until the R&D team has basically taken shape. Our priority remains recruitment."
"Yes, Boss!" Rebecca Lin replied immediately, her fingers moving swiftly across the tablet as she logged priorities, marking R&D recruitment as the top action item.
The group then headed straight to the third-floor executive office, where Alice was already waiting. When Alex Sun entered, she promptly handed him a thick stack of documents.
"Boss, these are the complete evaluation reports from the four major engine suppliers, including technical specifications, supply terms, cost breakdowns, and compatibility analyses. Please review them and make your decision."
Alex Sun took the documents and frowned as soon as he opened the first page.
The pages were packed with technical jargon, complex power curve charts, and lengthy contractual explanations, enough to make his head spin.
As a driver, he understood car handling, but his grasp of core engine parameters was superficial at best. There was no way for him to judge the pros and cons from this report alone.
He set the documents down on the desk, rubbed his temples, and called out to the system in his mind. "This is too complicated. I can't make sense of it. Just simplify the core data for the four engine suppliers into two attributes—power and durability—and give me a reference for selection."
[Received. Core data for the four major engine suppliers simplified into Performance and Durability (out of 100), plus annual supply cost:]
[Mercedes: Performance 90, Durability 90, Annual Supply $33 million.]
[Ferrari: Performance 96, Durability 97, Annual Supply $40 million.]
[Red Bull Power Unit (Honda Technology): Performance 90, Durability 81, Annual Supply $29 million.]
[Renault: Performance 83, Durability 82, Annual Supply $23 million.]
Looking at the clear, simplified data, Alex Sun immediately saw the picture. Taking into account the new ground-effect regulations and his own youth academy background, he weighed the pros and cons and made a decisive call.
"We'll go with Ferrari. Best overall performance, proven experience adapting to the new regulations, and a mature support and adaptation system. It's more friendly for a newly formed team and helps reduce adaptation costs. Coordination will be smoother for me as well. After all, no one can refuse a race car powered by a Ferrari engine."
He paused, then turned to Rebecca Lin and added, "Tell Alice to strictly manage all funds according to the detailed breakdown. Anti-dilution payments must be handled in full compliance. That 60 million R&D budget should be focused on new car development, floor optimization, and engine adaptation, all aligned with the new regulations."
Rebecca Lin responded immediately, recording everything. "Understood, Boss. I'll coordinate with Alice right away to align on funding controls and update the budget breakdown. The engine's annual supply cost will be included in the 100 million base preparation fund, and we'll prioritize spending toward new car development, floor optimization, and engine adaptation."
Alex Sun leaned back into the sofa and issued his final instructions in a calm, measured tone. "The engine selection is settled. Let Rossi take the lead on negotiations. You assist by reviewing cases and identifying contractual risk points."
"There's no need to keep pushing on the R&D team. Rossi is experienced—he likely already has core candidates in mind. Now that the engine direction is set, he'll move quickly to launch recruitment and efficiently implement the adaptation work."
Rebecca Lin nodded firmly. "Understood, Boss. Rossi has already shortlisted a group of R&D talents experienced with the new regulations. He was just waiting for you to finalize the engine direction. I'll relay the instructions immediately and have him start the recruitment process."
...
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