Whichever driver can pay gets to race.
In the 2010 season, Japanese driver Yamamoto Zokun paid five million US dollars per race to buy seats for three races to quench his thirst.
This approach is just like the Campos Team selling substitute qualifications to Chen Xiangbei, practically identical.
It’s like saying, birds of a feather flock together...
"Mr. Kalanbant, compared to your arrival, this sponsorship amount lacks sincerity."
Chen Xiangbei replied with a faint smile.
Though the Brawn GP Team has only a tentative contract currently, the board needs to be persuaded for a formal signing.
But a championship contender seat quote is only twenty million US dollars, even considering the "friendship price" elent.
HRT, a bottom-rank team, according to market standards, is worth up to ten million US dollars.
Yet Kalanbant boldly asked for thirty million US dollars; who gave him the courage, Liang Jingru?
It’s like slaughtering a New Year’s pig but not that ruthlessly!
However, when Chen Xiangbei finished speaking, Kalanbant shook his head and said.
"No, we are very sincere."
"Thirty million US dollars not only gets a seat but also twenty percent of HRT Team’s shares."
"Xiangbei, you should understand what this ans."
Hearing this reply, Chen Xiangbei was taken aback.
He really hadn’t thought Kalanbant would directly sell the team’s shares!
Understandably, between drivers and teams, their positions are not equal; teams hold a strong position most tis.
Unless you achieve the results and status of Schumacher, Hamilton, Verstappen to the degree where the team can’t do without you.
Otherwise, like companies and employees, drivers don’t have much negotiating power.
But with team shares, many things beco entirely different.
There’s a famous example in later years: the so-called "Young Master" Stroll.
His dad bought the Aston Martin Team just to let his son race in F1.
No matter how poorly Stroll performs, the team is theirs, they can play as they like, and his seat is solid as a rock.
Twenty percent shares an Chen Xiangbei will beco one of the top shareholders in the team, leaping from driver status to owner.
This condition was completely beyond Chen Xiangbei’s expectations; he couldn’t balance the pros and cons to make a decision.
At this mont, a bystander, Odetto, spoke: "Mr. Kalanbant, how long is your contract’s waiting period? This is too sudden; our team needs ti to consider and discuss."
"Three months, you have ample ti to consider."
Kalanbant gave plenty of ti, in a sense, he doesn’t care much who the driver is, rather the funding they bring.
Chinese capital has been putting in large sums into the F1 paddock these years; he expects Chen Xiangbei to play a bridging role.
"Okay, we’ll consider it."
Chen Xiangbei nodded, understanding Odetto’s implication, which is to wait for Brawn GP Team’s response; HRT Team is only an option.
There’s little else to discuss for both parties, so after exchanging so pleasantries, the group from HRT Team got up and left.
Chen Xiangbei upheld his "hostly duties" by escorting them to the hotel entrance. HRT’s boss, Kalanbant first got into the business car, while Campos used the opportunity for a handshake goodbye and spoke.
"Xiangbei, it’s circulating around the paddock that your friendship with Ross Brown originates from recomnding Staler to participate in the purchase of the Honda F1 Team."
"I wonder how you view the Toyota F1 Team?"
[How do you view the Toyota F1 Team?]
Chen Xiangbei was montarily stunned, unclear about the intention behind Campos’s question.
"No particular opinion."
After hesitating, Chen Xiangbei replied frankly.
Recently, his focus has been solely on racing, and he truly hasn’t paid much attention to the Toyota F1 Team.
Just knowing from historical progression, impacted by the financial crisis, and the lack of performance results.
Toyota would follow in Honda’s footsteps, announcing its exit from the F1 paddock at the end of 2009.
When it returns again, it’ll collaborate with Haas Team in a "Reincarnation of the Filthy Earth" in 2026.
"Our internal evaluation shows the TF110 prototype car developed for next year’s competition is no less than Honda RA109."
"Xiangbei, twenty million US dollars would not only an your stake but also an investnt in TF110."
After saying this, Campos revealed a mysterious smile on his face.
Before Chen Xiangbei could inquire further, he turned and got into the business car to leave.
[TF110?]
Chen Xiangbei murmured this vehicle code, then searched related mories in his mind.
Just saying, Honda and Toyota truly are Japan’s "competitive loving" twin stars.
Their fate and trajectories in F1 are extrely similar, all collapsing on the eve of dawn.
However, at least soone took over the Honda Team, made the RA109 car shine ultimately, proving its king status.
Toyota Team had no one willing to pay for acquisition, they similarly, before exiting, created the next-generation car, code nad TF110!
Compared to RA109 finally hitting the track, TF110 didn’t get the opportunity to show its prowess, only having a farewell road test within its base in Cologne, Germany.
No one knows this car’s ultimate potential.
But many things leave traces; Toyota’s TF109 car built in the 2009 season had already reached the third-fastest speed within the paddock.
Second only to Brawn GP’s BGP001, and the Red Bull Racing Team’s RB5.
Moreover, according to publicly available information in later years, Toyota Team’s final battle car TF110 boasts high competitiveness; equipped with the paddock’s largest double diffuser and the highest nose cone to increase bottom airflow efficiency.
Its nose wing design and side box style are extrely similar to Red Bull’s RB6.
Know this: RB6 was the championship car for the 2010 season, marking the start of the Red Bull Dynasty!
If not for Toyota Team collapsing, this car might have mirrored Honda RA109’s destiny as a championship contender car.
Even if it doesn’t reach championship heights, its minimum speed would be top three in the paddock!
HRT Team had once intended to take over Toyota’s legacy, but unfortunately, due to insufficient financial strength, both parties couldn’t agree on the price.
Campos’s words implied clearly enough, Chen Xiangbei’s twenty million might beco a gamble.
A win would reenact Brawn GP Team’s miracle, birthing the next Mars Rover!
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