[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-did-i-become-an-f1-driver":3,"chapter-how-did-i-become-an-f1-driver-how-did-i-become-an-f1-driver-chapter-51":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","How Did I Become an F1 Driver?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1718793,2195,"Chapter 51 - 45: A Small Shock of Money","how-did-i-become-an-f1-driver-chapter-51",51,"\u003Cp>Apart from the first 911, three other GT3 race cars appeared in the auction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These GT3 race cars sold for a minimum of 5 million, with the highest being a Lamborghini Huracán GT3, bought for 6.1 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the person who bought it was seated far from Qin Miao and the others, so Qin Miao couldn’t see what the buyer looked like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, there were many supercars at the auction, such as Bugatti, Pagani, and Koenigsegg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As everyone knows, the most important items at an auction are often saved for last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time went by and it got closer to dinner time, luckily the organizers provided small snacks, so Qin Miao and Qimeng didn’t feel hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final item was pushed onto the stage amidst great anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the curtain opened, a car covered by a red silk cloth appeared before everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car was very low, with a low chassis, but the body was quite long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Qin Miao’s judgment, the car was at least five meters long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the raised part in the middle of the car, it seemed to be a Formula race car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Qin Miao couldn’t tell which team’s car it was, since the red cloth was covering too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Qin Miao’s confusion didn’t last long, as the staff quickly uncovered the cloth on the race car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the car under the cloth was revealed, Qin Miao was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because what appeared on the stage was a Mercedes-Benz F1 car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black side boxes and roll bars, silver shark fins, along with the iconic silver paint above the nose wing of Mercedes and the triangular symbol of Mercedes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance, Qin Miao recognized it as a Mercedes W09, an F1 Formula race car that was still active last year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the number below the shark fin: 77.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the car of Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this car still racing last year? Why is it now on the auction block?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouldn’t cars like this have some undisclosed technology? How can it be sold directly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, there are many elements of the W09 on this year’s W10; if the competitors buy the car, wouldn’t Toto explode on the spot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This already counts as a leak, doesn’t it? Doesn’t the FIA care?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, a heap of doubts filled Qin Miao’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But while he was pondering, the auctioneer on stage had begun to introduce the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was indeed a Mercedes W09, and it could be started to run on the track right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, buying this car came with a requirement: signing a 15-year contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The contract was legally binding and extremely strict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It generally meant protecting the technology of this car as much as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the person who purchased the car could store it as an expensive collectible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or they could drive it on the track occasionally; Mercedes would provide an engineer team to support the car, but costs like tires and racing fuel would be out of pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it couldn’t be handed over for research and analysis to others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, those invited to attend the auction and have the means to obtain this car are unlikely to give it to Red Bull or Ferrari for research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Partly because of the contract, and partly because those with spare cash to buy such a wild big toy to keep at home may not even play with it once a year, lack the incentive to hand it over to Mercedes’ competitors for the small return they’d offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The auction quickly began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the starting price, Qin Miao lost track of the concept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because an F1 car’s starting price was 100 million RMB...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Qin Miao knew this was basically the cost price, including all R&D and transportation expenses for the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But 100 million to someone like Qin Miao, who hasn’t even seen 100,000 cash, already has lost concept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Miao even wondered if one hundred million was a little low, after all, this might just be the material cost of building this F1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is, after all, a Mercedes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the price began to soar at a speed that Qin Miao and Qimeng couldn’t comprehend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within just five minutes, the car’s price reached 430 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, fewer people were raising their paddles to bid, but the auction was far from over, as people kept raising their paddles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than ten minutes of bidding, the final price of the car was pegged at 640 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who bought it was an average-looking middle-aged man in a suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Miao and Qimeng didn’t show much emotional reaction to the price because they couldn’t understand what exactly 640 million meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as the auction heated up on stage, Qin Miao began to look up the price for the most expensive F1 sale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon he found that the most expensive was a 1954 Mercedes W196R.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This car was bought in 2013 for 19.60 million British Pounds, which was about 180 million after currency exchange at that time...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same Mercedes, but compared to the W196R, the price of the W09 was almost triple...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Qin Miao began to suspect whether other recent F1 cars were being sold like this too, since selling these could bring a lot of funds back to the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the cars of driver number one could be kept, to exhibit or do other things when the technology on those cars is no longer confidential in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, with the hammer falling on the final item, this auction was completely concluded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The host appeared once more to thank the guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, the organizers gave each guest a small gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And these little gifts were all different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ladies received exquisite necklaces or rare perfumes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Men received watches or wristbands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These gifts were all valued at no less than 30,000.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Miao and Qimeng also received gifts prepared for them by the organizers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Miao’s gift was a bracelet made of intertwining black and gold hard lines woven using a special technique, and it wasn’t light, weighing about 200 grams, but it didn’t feel heavy to wear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qimeng also received a bracelet; the craftsmanship and technique were identical to Qin Miao’s, but hers was red and gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were clearly a pair designed for couples in love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qimeng liked the bracelet quite a lot, and from the weight and gold threads woven into it, Qin Miao determined it was real gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding this valuable gift, Qin Miao felt a bit anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t done anything and didn’t have the ability to spend here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just received such a valuable gift from someone’s goodwill, making him feel uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, for the organizers, a few tens of thousands was akin to a few cents in a regular person’s digital wallet; it was merely a token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, more effort went into preparing the gift than the gift’s actual value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With so many people on site, there was generally a staff member assigned to each guest, observing the needs and analyzing what gifts the guest might like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff’s salary was higher than the gift’s value.\u003C\u002Fp>",1197,"2026-06-06T15:23:01.429Z",1,"novelbin.me","dd07a7bf3da41609a985f75bca5a922c9561312c65b60b94063e6a6c8412db2a","how-did-i-become-an-f1-driver-chapter-52","how-did-i-become-an-f1-driver-chapter-450",1086,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-did-i-become-an-f1-driver-cover.jpg"]