How Did I Become an F1 Driver?-Chapter 586 - 251: Mercedes or Aston Martin?

Qin Miao didn't go over to greet him, just as if he had returned the favor from receiving a Ferrari 488 from him in the past. Their relationship was more of a transaction than friendship.

That transaction was completed long ago.

The two are now merely acquaintances, not friends, so Qin Miao felt there was no need to go over and greet him given that they weren't on the same path.

On the way back to the hotel in the afternoon, Qin Miao started to recall Li Shufu's "joke" from the morning.

According to Li Shufu's joke, Geely is preparing to take full control of Aston Martin. If a Chinese team were to emerge in the paddock in such a manner, Qin Miao felt he had no reason not to get involved.

Given Qin Miao's current abilities, joining a new team would definitely position him as the team's MVP and the clear choice for the number one driver.

As for the championship that everyone covets...

Qin Miao felt that if he indeed joined Martin, he shouldn't expect a championship in the short term.

So considering Qin Miao's current standings, this season is his best opportunity to fight for the driver's championship.

Because Mercedes, so far, has invested most of its funds into the car development and upgrades for this season.

As for next season's W13, Mercedes' investment is only one-third of this season's car upgrade budget.

The gap between upgrading and developing a new car under new regulations is huge.

So for next season, and likely the season after that, Mercedes is unlikely to compete with teams like Ferrari who have been working on next season's car since this season began.

Unless there's an unexpected turn of events, Mercedes' car will lack competitiveness for quite some time.

If by the end of 2023 Mercedes cannot provide Qin Miao with a competitive car, there really is a possibility of him transferring to Aston Martin for the 2024 season.

Of course, that's on the condition that Aston Martin's car isn't terrible and that Geely indeed manages to oust the Strolls from Aston Martin's board as Li Shufu suggested, becoming the major shareholder of the Aston Martin team.

Maybe even like the acquisition of Volvo, directly purchase the entire Aston Martin company.

Of course, all of these are just Qin Miao's baseless speculations on the road back to the hotel.

Moreover, although Mercedes' investment for next season is small, it's not nonexistent. With Mercedes' development capabilities, it's possible for them to surpass competitors in terms of car performance mid-season.

And given Aston Martin's current momentum, the Strolls have no reason to give up such a lucrative venture.

...

In the evening, Qin Miao returned to the hotel and both he and Qimeng decided not to go out.

As for their flight back to the UK, Fan Yue said arrangements were being made, but due to the broader situation, the application for the flight route needed time. The exact time of departure was uncertain, but the latest would be within three days.

Two days later, Qin Miao and Qimeng departed from Shanghai Hongqiao, taking Qin Yun's private jet back to the UK.

The best thing about a private jet is that on the plane, Qin Miao doesn't need to cover his face, and the space is much larger. Most importantly, a private jet is much quieter than a commercial airliner.

It's also much more comfortable for sleeping.

After landing, Qin Miao and Qimeng drove their car straight from the airport parking lot back to their cozy home.

Once they returned to a familiar place, they didn't have any extra thoughts. They put their things down, took a bath, and went straight to bed.

For once, they slept in, and Qin Miao woke up at around 1 p.m. the next day.

Qimeng, not being as restless as Qin Miao, had woken up in the morning.

When Qin Miao arrived at the dining room, Qimeng had already prepared a sumptuous lunch for him.

The dishes on the table at home were, of course, not made by Qimeng; they were all takeout she had ordered.

Once they finished eating, they could just toss everything into the trash at the door, saving time and effort.

Returning home, Qin Miao also developed a vacation syndrome.

Although Qin Miao's mind knew he should start getting back to his training routine, when Barber came by in the afternoon to weigh him, he found Qin Miao had gained four pounds and reminded Qin Miao to increase his exercise.

Yet Qin Miao just didn't want to move; he just wanted to find a place to laze around.

Setting aside Qin Miao's vacation syndrome, there were exactly seven days left until the start of the Belgian Grand Prix after the summer break.

Mentioning the Belgian Grand Prix might confuse some new fans, but mention the circuit of the Belgian Grand Prix and everyone would know.

The Belgian Grand Prix's track is called Spa, which has a very famous corner, the Elloge corner.

It's the high-speed hilltop blind corner taken at full throttle.

This place is iconic not only for its high cornering risk but also for its dramatic elevation changes and high-speed, full-throttle, sharp bends.

All these challenging elements blend into this corner, attracting countless drivers to it like moths to a flame.

Having raced F2 here, Qin Miao is somewhat familiar with the Spa track.

The skill proficiency is over 600.

So once Qin Miao breaks out of his vacation syndrome, he begins high-intensity practice on this track on his home simulator.