[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 139

The atmosphere in the conference room was as cold as a bucket of cold water. Everyone was looking at me as if they couldn’t believe me.

From their gaze, it seemed that most were thinking,

“How can you say that after fainting from exhaustion?”

“What in the world were you hearing during the presentations and discussions up to this point?”

“You know better than anyone that it’s impossible.”

Their reactions were responses that they believed were entirely normal. To be factual, I had fainted inside the race car, and the presentations and discussions were logical and reasonable, leading to the conclusion that it was impossible.

Even though it was a test without variables, the driver couldn’t hold on, and the engine and chassis just barely got through the ordeal, so they had no choice but to think what I was saying was nonsense.

Only Leclerc was looking at me with curiosity. When Enrique made eye contact with me, he nodded slightly.

At that moment, submerged in the aftermath of shock, an engineer who had friction with Won-jin frowned and asked me,

“Is it because of Won-jin? Even though the driver and Won-jin are close, this seems a bit off.”

It was as if he were questioning whether I was throwing myself into a desperate situation to protect Won-jin. His words were full of feelings that could not be hidden towards both Won-jin and me, and he no longer wanted to hide them.

That question was too blatant, too direct, and too rude to come from someone in a meeting room.

However, because of that, the question carried weight. Most of the lead engineers sympathized with his feelings and were demanding an answer from me. This was evidence that there were more than a few engineers who had friction with Won-jin.

Logan and Minoto, who knew that the friction between Won-jin and the engineers was a serious matter, were also quietly watching the situation.

They also wanted explanations and answers from me.

In the overwhelming atmosphere where everyone’s hostile gaze was directed at me, I instead raised my head proudly and answered. In times like this, I had to be more confident.

“I think there is a misunderstanding, and it would be best to clarify it here. That’s absolutely not the case. I merely suggested it for the development of Ferrari.”

I continued speaking without giving others a chance to interject.

“Of course, it is true that I am closer to Won-jin than others, but I have no intention of denying or covering up his mistakes. That would be of no help at all for Ferrari’s development. And… I dislike that above all else.”

I looked each engineer in the eye and asserted. I had to prove that there was not a single lie in my words.

If I didn’t properly resolve this doubt right here and now, the relationship between Won-jin and his colleagues, and, on a larger scale, the unity of Ferrari would be sure to suffer. If division occurred, it would only be a matter of time before Ferrari’s previously good trajectory became meaningless.

Speaking from past experiences, I had never seen a successful team that had divisions among the engineers. In every case, one out of a dozen left the team, leading it to gradually crumble, or teams fought without compromising and ended up stuck in the lower ranks.

No driver would want to see the team they belonged to crumble in such a meaningless way.

Moreover, if a driver was in a crucial period just starting their career, it was even more so.

“… Understood. I apologize for what I just said.”

As intelligent people, they seemed to grasp the true intent of my words, and the mood turned agreeable.

Of course, it was natural. Drivers don’t get a second chance at being on a race car if they ruin their first careers, while engineers do not have such restrictions.

I couldn’t risk my career just to save Won-jin. That would be completely unreasonable, illogical behavior.

So, in any case, it was a situation where they ultimately had to accept my reasoning.

At that moment, Logan quickly intercepted the atmosphere that had almost turned in my favor. He seemed determined not to relinquish the lead of the meeting to me.

“I understand that it’s not a personal feeling. So, what is the basis for your argument that we should apply those two technologies?”

Having finally sat at the table free of prejudice, there was still a long way to go. The table may have been righted, but now it was time to toss down cards that would appeal to the opposing side.

However, persuading experienced engineers wouldn’t be easy. As a driver, I lacked mechanical engineering knowledge compared to them. I had no chance in that regard. In a verbal battle, I would surely lose.

So I would have to fight with the cards that were mine alone.

The only driver to have directly experienced those two technologies.

That was the only card I held.

“I know it may sound ridiculous for someone who fainted in a race car to say this, but the double turn crank and extreme suspension invented by Won-jin had performance that was truly overwhelming relative to its risks. Acceleration, deceleration, aerodynamics – all of those. Although the effectiveness of those two technologies wasn’t mentioned in today’s meeting, their impact on overall performance was more effective than any other technology.”

I gestured towards Enrique, and he distributed the analysis chart of the two technologies I had requested to Logan, Minoto, and Shin Juhyun in turn, before passing it around clockwise.

As everyone received the report and seemed to have read it sufficiently, I opened my mouth again.

“As you can see, you can tell that the performance increase is significant. This is reflected in the lap times as well; we managed to break the record for the shortest lap time in this test. While the comparison may be irrelevant, last year’s record based on the lap time was one minute, seven seconds; this is a record that is enough to place second.”

To be precise, it was 1:01:789. Lewis Hamilton’s record for first place was 1:01:229, a difference of 0.560 seconds.

Considering it was last year’s record, one could feel disappointment that it had not yet been overcome, but changing the perspective could allow one to see that Ferrari, which had been in the lower ranks, had caught up this much in a short time.

This result was not solely due to Won-jin, but the engineers were not unaware of the effectiveness of his technology.

However, things wouldn’t unfold so easily. As expected, the engineers counterattacked.

“I agree that Won-jin’s technology is very effective. However, attributing all of these results solely to Won-jin’s contributions is a stretch.”

“What was the simulation lap time of the FR3 with Won-jin’s technology excluded?”

“It was one minute and four seconds, meaning it reduced by four seconds after applying the FR3.”

I seized the opportunity and relentlessly dug into the weaknesses of the other side.

“A three-second difference is a significant gap.”

“Of course, it’s true that it doesn’t reach the figures with Won-jin’s technology, but this is merely a test excluding the actual race. We cannot guarantee durability or sustainability. In fact, the engine performance deteriorated during the latter part of the test. Moreover, both technologies are fundamentally unstable, and the extreme suspension is too advanced a concept to be perfectly implemented.”

“I agree. The results of today’s meeting will determine the development direction going forward, and investing time in uncertain technology is something that needs careful consideration.”

After my response, two engineers spoke in succession.

Uncertain stability, unclear development potential.

These two factors were the engineers’ opinions that required the complete abandonment of Won-jin’s technology.

As that was an undeniable fact, I shifted my gaze elsewhere.

“It is true that the engine performance deteriorated in the latter part, but ironically, I believe I renewed the lap record in the last 63rd lap, right?”

“I understand that was achieved based on the skills of Driver Yui-hyun, regardless of the engine.”

“Not entirely unrelated. Even if the engine performance decreased in the latter stages, the technology of Won-jin was more effective than ever.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Now! It was time to play my card as a driver.

“Any technology or function requires a process of adaptation and mastery for the driver. Only then can we fully extract the performance of the race car.”

“…”

The engineers shut their mouths firmly. Even if they had never sat in the driver’s seat, they would surely understand how important it was to adapt to equipment.

I seized the momentum and poured out my passionate speech.

“As this test aimed at performance analysis, I focused on understanding the characteristics of the race car in the early to middle stages. I adapted to the newly changed FR3 engine and concentrated on feeling the completely altered aerodynamics physically. It may sound presumptuous, but the feeling and perception cannot be ignored.”

The sensation and perception may seem trivial at a glance, but they are very important factors.

This is not only applicable to drivers. For soccer players, it’s soccer shoes; for basketball players, it’s basketball shoes; for badminton players, it’s badminton rackets.

Haven’t you experienced this?

That feeling when your soccer shoes perfectly fit your feet and hold you tightly, or that sensation when the badminton racket fits your hand perfectly.

Such minor differences can affect not just an athlete’s condition but also the outcomes of victories or defeats. Moreover, these differences tend to become more pronounced as one approaches the pinnacle.

Even the mood of the day can influence performance, so how much more significant would be the equipment that accompanies athletes throughout the competition?

Engineers, even if they haven’t sat in the driver’s seat, would fully understand how crucial it is to adapt to equipment.

“So I spent the early to middle parts adapting to the race car and getting it to fit me. As a result, despite the engine performance declining, I was able to continually renew the fastest lap time in the latter part when I caught a feel for it. To summarize, the early to middle parts were about making Won-jin’s technology my own, and the latter part was where Won-jin’s technology met that process to showcase its potential. The crucial point is that I have not fully adapted to that technology yet.”

The main counterpoint was that while the performance was good, the risks were equally high.

Conversely, one could also say that while the risks are high, the performance is certain.

Won-jin’s technology has not yet shown all the potential it possesses. I struggled with adapting during this test, and I myself haven’t yet fully adapted. It was only in the latter part that I barely got a grip on the controls.

“Once the technology is refined and experience is accumulated, it will show much higher performance than now.”

So,

“Are you really going to abandon a technology that shows this level of performance even when not fully utilized?”

“Do you have a better alternative than this?”

“If so, present it. I would gladly abandon and accept Won-jin’s technology.”

That was my strong stance.

In reality, the changes brought about by Won-jin’s double turn crank and extreme suspension exceeded my imagination.

Having tasted even a bit of the technology’s enormous potential, I didn’t want to give it up.

“I’m not saying we should implement it immediately. As you engineers mentioned, concerns about engine durability exist with the adoption of the double turn crank, and the extreme suspension is inherently incomplete and in the unknown realm. We should take our time and gradually introduce it. However, I believe we must aim to adopt these two technologies going forward.”

Now, it was time for the finale to conclude the discussion. The finale always needed to touch on emotions.

“And… I understand that Ferrari is known for challenging the uncertain.”

The room sank heavily.