[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 73
“What do you mean there’s only one participant? Explain it in a way I can understand.”
Minoto couldn’t help but ask, feeling despair about Ferrari’s current status.
No matter that they finished last year’s season in 8th place, it’s Ferrari.
Still, it’s Ferrari.
It’s the Ferrari, which reigns as the dream of men all over the world, with a muscular wild horse mark on a yellow shield and a red sports car.
It’s true that they’ve been struggling in F1 for years, but how could there be only one applicant for Ferrari, which has become a symbol of sports cars?
Minoto tried to understand as he looked at the hopeless engine that didn’t even last half of the race, but he couldn’t make any sense of it.
As he observed the change in Minoto’s expression filled with despair, his assistant cautiously began to speak.
“Quite literally, the only participant is Ms. Yooihyun. Originally, there were five top F2 users, but after Ms. Yooihyun announced her participation in the test through a broadcast, all of them withdrew their applications.”
“All five canceled? What’s the reason?”
“Well… it’s because of Ms. Yooihyun.”
The fact that there were only five applicants for this prestigious Ferrari was dizzying enough, but to hear that they canceled because of Yooihyun was baffling.
Minoto couldn’t help but think that the reason was overwhelmingly due to the skill gap.
In the KiwiChi Championship, KING had even defeated Charles Leclerc, Ferrari’s first driver.
He showed an unbelievable performance, pushing Max to the brink in the finals despite the unfavorable situation.
“So it’s because they think they’ll lose anyway…?”
They probably figured they could never defeat KING, even for a second driver position.
However, the assistant’s answer was different from his expectations.
“Once news of Ms. Yooihyun’s participation spread, Tifosi united on a site called F1 Gallery. They decided not to participate in the Ferrari test. It’s likely that the five of them were also Tifosi. Well… it’s not like the director hasn’t said anything about it.”
It was hard to believe, but it wasn’t entirely without merit.
The fact that even Fernando Alonso, who was a second driver, declared his retirement shows that these five applicants indeed were Tifosi.
It may sound cold, but joining Ferrari as a second driver right now is tantamount to madness for a rookie driver.
With issues not only with the engine but throughout the race car, and having to serve as a wingman for Charles Leclerc, it was too burdensome a role for a newcomer to handle.
Moreover, if a rookie fails to show potential during their debut, they usually never set foot in F1 again.
In other words, high risk, low return.
While Ferrari has a high name value, its inner workings are anything but, truly a “double-edged sword.”
“In any case, that’s the current situation. There’s still some time left for participation applications, so who knows how it’ll turn out… but I think it’s likely to remain the same. The influence of that gallery is too strong.”
Even if there are users willing to apply, it becomes impossible now that the users of that site have united.
Of course, it’s not like they put any coercive measures in place, so applications could still be made.
However, for a mere driver who survives on the attention and love of fans, going against the wishes of the world’s largest site, which is F1 Gallery, is akin to rebellion.
A driver who is scorned by fans is unlikely to succeed, and the team won’t want them either.
Thus, participating in the Ferrari test under the current circumstances could be seen as social d*ath, or even s*icide.
“Should I say this is fortunate…?”
“If we must argue, it should be considered good news. After all, Ms. Yooihyun is confirmed as the second driver.”
Right. Even though they still haven’t resolved the engine issues, having a competitive driver join the team is good news.
On the flip side, if they can somehow upgrade the engine performance, it could mean a resurgence for Ferrari.
“There shouldn’t be any issues on the driver side, so we can now fully focus on the race car.”
Minoto, who had been struggling amidst numerous adversities, finally let out a sigh of relief over even just one bit of ‘thank goodness’ news.
“And about that person Enrique Tilko you mentioned, I narrowed it down to one name with the characteristics and age you provided, and the name is Enrique Tinko. I have the data ready, should I send it over?”
“First, send it via email. Also, send it to Ms. Yooihyun, since the final confirmation must be done on that side.”
Enrique Tilko.
So, they’ve found the person Yooihyun requested, named Enrique Tinko.
Is it safe to say Ferrari is climbing one step at a time towards the peak?
Although the season hasn’t even begun, and it’s premature to make judgments.
They’re constantly striving for change, so at least it’s not on a negative trajectory.
As Minoto was organizing his thoughts with a deep sigh, the assistant, tilting her head in curiosity, could not hold back any longer.
“But who is this person that she wanted found?”
“I don’t really know either. Judging by her request, it doesn’t seem like they know each other, but she knew a lot of detailed characteristics about him to not be entirely unfamiliar.”
“Hmm… it’s really hard to tell.”
“Whatever it is, she said he’s an automobile mechanic, so I assume he must be someone who could help the team. Let’s just leave it at that for now.”
After wrapping up the conversation with the assistant, Minoto stepped back into the flames of the scene.
*
*
*
Last night, or rather, it should be said early morning.
I had fainted into sleep after a long journey from morning until late at night, but why does the resting time flow so quickly?
“Ah, should I sleep for just five more minutes…”
When I opened my eyes again, it was already morning.
Checking the time on my phone, it was well past 11 AM.
Definitely not a time that could be called morning.
However, it was the weekend, and since I was jobless, the meaning of typical weekdays didn’t apply to me.
Whether I sleep for a few more minutes, or even a few more hours, there wouldn’t be anyone to say anything.
Besides, there was no one around to say anything to me, since my parents weren’t around, so the premise was completely wrong.
To put it briefly,
Yeah, I should just sleep more.
I had resolved not to resist the heavy eyelids as I justified my laziness.
An hour ago, a message from Kang Ho-yun caught my attention.
[Hyun-a, I have something to discuss, so come out to the living room when you wake up / Sender: Kang Ho-yun]
Given the context, the only thing to discuss would be the move.
“Ugh…!”
I managed to lift my heavy body and successfully made my way to the living room.
Kang Ho-yun was sitting on the sofa, and in front of him were more than ten paper bags of various sizes laid out on the table.
Even though the bags were made of paper, they exuded a luxurious feel, and upon checking the brand names, they were all high-end goods.
Balenciaga, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton…
These were all brands that were definitely more famous for women than for men, but he wouldn’t just buy these out of nowhere…
“Senior, what’s all this? Is today the day I move?”
“Yeah. I thought it would be better for you to get out as soon as possible. This is a gift.”
As expected, it was a moving gift.
But is it common to buy so many luxury items as a moving gift?
Having more than ten strange gifts is odd enough to get just one.
“What kind of person gives luxury items as a moving gift? I’m grateful, but you could just give me something like tissue paper.”
“Is that so? I’ve only ever done gifts like this before…”
While it’s indeed a somewhat burdensome gift, I guess it’s a different world when you’re a rich kid.
“Since it’s a move, and you made it to the finals of the competition while confirming your involvement with Ferrari, consider this a celebratory gift.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll gladly accept it. But we haven’t even started the tests yet; what confirmation are you talking about?”
“You didn’t check F1 Gallery yesterday?”
“Why F1 Gallery?”
What the heck is F1 Gallery?
I couldn’t understand how the news of me becoming a Ferrari driver was confirmed.
Well, ignoring the money…
Do they even have the power to influence that?
The story Kang Ho-yun told completely overturned my simplistic view of F1 Gallery as merely a crowded gallery.
“They said that once you announced you were being scouted by Ferrari on the broadcast, all the other applicants canceled their submissions? The Tifosi are dead set on making you a Ferrari driver, and as you know, there are countless Tifosi. It seems there was quite an uproar in the gallery.”
“…So you’re saying the gallery users created a campaign to make me a Ferrari driver? Did I get that right?”
Even though F1 Gallery has users in the hundreds of thousands, I still wondered if that was really possible.
“Exactly. More accurately, it’s the F1 fans worldwide. F1 runs on fan devotion, and if the atmosphere is like this, who would dare to apply? Even if Hamilton were to try the tests, he’d be vilified.”
“I get it somewhat, but I still don’t…”
As Kang Ho-yun said, F1 is a sport that cannot exist without fans.
Mechanics, drivers, engineers, and directors are all the same.
It’s because there are fans watching that they can operate a race car worth over 15 billion, and each team can employ anywhere from dozens to hundreds of people.
It’s a universally applicable truth across all sports, including F1.
But this was a moment when I couldn’t help but realize again that “sports exist because there are fans.”
If a driver falls out of favor with fans, it’s all too clear they’d be expelled from F1.
Thinking that far, I had no choice but to accept the fact that Formula 1 had indeed become a sport enjoyed by the world.
“Anyway, I’ll help you move, so let’s head out now. I’ll give you a ride.”
“Okay. I just need to grab my clothes, so please wait a moment.”
Since I moved into a place fully equipped with furniture and necessities, I had very little to pack.
I threw a few clothes into a big bag and quickly cleaned up the room before coming out.
Kang Ho-yun was waiting at the entrance with shopping bags in both hands.
I thought I wouldn’t feel anything as I put my shoes on and left the house.
But after spending a few days here…
As I stood at the entrance, my feet wouldn’t move.
With a complicated emotional state, I turned to Kang Ho-yun.
“I owe you a lot during this time, senior. Thank you very much.”
“Thanks? I enjoyed my time with you too. I learned a lot.”
“You said it’s just a 10-minute drive, right? Let’s see each other often. I feel like I don’t want to eat alone anymore since I’ve had meals with you while I was here.”
“Uh, sure… I mean, that’s good for me.”
I casually threw in a comment as I watched him stammer for some reason.
“No, I’ll just cook for you while I’m here. Senior would prefer that, right? You always say my cooking is good.”
“…Do you want to just live here?”
“I’ll decline that offer.”
Only then could I finally laugh and close the door.
Now it’s time to move forward.
Be it F1 or my life as Yooihyun, it’s time to carve out my own path.
New challenges always begin in new places.
A driver has no choice but to move forward.