Car Racing without Money

Chapter 119: The Terrifying All-Around Driver


Hearing Ross Brown's idea, Staler's eyes lit up.

As a professional investor, his instinctive thinking was not just about the competitiveness of future F1 seats, but more about the commercial value Chen Xiangbei could enhance and the sponsorship funds that could be obtained.

After all, Staler had invested in Huasi Sports and had even "dared to dream" by creating a Formula racing ladder event for China. It could be said that among foreigners of this era, no one understands the current state of Chinese racing better than him.

The backwardness of Chinese professional Formula racing is due to the late start of the automobile industry and the lack of a mature automotive culture atmosphere, as well as inadequate sponsorship for driver training systems.

It is well known that Formula racing is a money-burning sport, entirely relying on the personal financing from the driver's family, requiring billionaire standards from the start, as even million-level families cannot bear the early expenses.

In contrast, developed countries like the United Kingdom provide high subsidies for drivers. As long as they achieve top-three results in professional events, they can receive a significant "scholarship" almost equivalent to 30% to 40% of their expenses.

Of course, funds in developing countries are not as abundant and often have more important uses, making driver subsidies obviously unrealistic.

At this point, top-tier enterprises or automotive giants are needed to sponsor drivers.

For example, the founder of the term "torpedo," the Russian driver Kvyat, who has a "rivalry with Verstappen over a wife," is backed by the top-tier sponsor, the Russian financial SMP Bank.

And the famous Mexican driver Perez, who recently left the Red Bull Racing Team, comes with a sponsor which is the Mexican telecom giant.

As for Japanese drivers, there is no need to elaborate; as long as the automotive giants Honda and Toyota remain in the paddock, they will always be their strongest backers!

Chen Xiangbei currently does not have any sponsorship from top Chinese enterprises, especially automotive manufacturers. There are reasons such as lack of fame or achievements, but in Staler's view, it seems unreasonable.

The reason is simple: investing in a driver by a rising and ambitious car manufacturer is not an unprofitable venture!

It should be known that F1 is the most top-tier automotive sports event in the world, considered a symbol of high technology, team spirit, driver wisdom, and courage, or to put it bluntly, it has enough prestige!

The global annual viewership reaches 60 billion person-times, with the cumulative number of viewers nearing 1 billion, most of whom are middle-class with ample purchasing power, and from developed countries in Europe and America.

For a rising automotive manufacturer or industrial nation, the quickest way to gain external recognition is to demonstrate sufficient influence in top-tier automotive events, with drivers being a very important part of the communication chain.

In the past, Japanese cars were synonymous with imitation and shoddy manufacturing for a long time. In the 1960s and 1970s, many models were almost one-to-one replicas of well-known European and American brands.

The reason Honda has become a world-class car manufacturer and is reputed for "buying an engine and getting a car" in the era of fuel cars is due to the achievements obtained by participating in F1 events.

The F1 engines supplied by Honda were codenamed "Earth Dream" technology!

The fame gained by F1 extended with a ripple effect to the civilian car field, making the "Earth Dream" engine a synonym for reliability, stability, and performance, leading models like Fit and Civic to be so popular that they were sold at a premium price.

It's not just Japan; there are similar examples domestically.

Huali Automobile once spent a lot to participate in top touring car races to make a name for the sub-brand "Lingke".

The title of WTCC champion team made Lingke a hot topic in the domestic performance car field, instantly achieving the promotion target of brand popularity and recognition, and it turned out to be a cost-effective investment.

Staler, having stayed in China for a few years, is well aware of the development process of local car companies, similar to Japan in the 70s and 80s, being on the eve of a boom. There is an urgent need for consumer market recognition and global fame to shed some negative startup-phase impressions.

Participating in top motorsport greatly enhances a car company's image and status. If Chen Xiangbei can successfully enter F1, he can gain global advertising for the whole year, making the cost-effectiveness astonishingly high.

Since Chinese top sponsors and car manufacturers cannot notice Chen Xiangbei participating in events far away in Europe, then let him go to Australia for a home battle.

Staler believes the Grand Prix will be the best opportunity for Chen Xiangbei to expand his domestic influence and exposure!

"Brown, it's a good idea; no one is more suitable than Bei to participate in the Grand Prix event."

After anticipating future returns, Staler was brimming with joy.

Ross Brown came up with a win-win trick, which might become a turning point in Chen Xiangbei's career!

"Staler, then communicate with Bei to see if he is willing to jump levels and participate in the Grand Prix event."

Compared to Staler's excitement and optimism, the technically inclined Ross Brown gradually calmed down.

Jumping levels in Formula racing has great benefits, but the risks are equally great.

Their entire plan with Staler was built on the premise of Chen Xiangbei's success, even winning the championship.

But what if the results are at the bottom?

In later years, there was an example of being too hasty, where the Liberty Media Group, after taking over the F1 event's operation, forcibly promoted the local American driver Sargent into the Williams Team to boost viewership by having an American driver in the paddock.

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