Chapter 288: Chapter 152: Mercedes No. 66 Connection
Aside from the sprint race at the British Grand Prix, lacking a trophy, Qin Miao’s trophy from the Austria Grand Prix itself was somewhat incongruous because it was a runner-up trophy.
And the championship trophy from that race was in Zhou Guanyu’s hands.
...
On December 31st, Qin Miao and Qimeng arrived at the Mercedes factory once again.
Today, the media reception hall at the Mercedes factory was buzzing with people, packed to the brim with journalists wielding camera equipment, leaving no room to step foot.
Everyone was waiting for today’s protagonist to make an appearance.
And today’s protagonist, Qin Miao, was getting dressed backstage.
At that moment, Qin Miao was a bit clumsy as he donned a black Mercedes racing suit, with Qimeng assisting by his side.
Sponsor advertisements were plastered over every corner of this racing suit, but thanks to ingenious design and reasonable layout, these ads not only didn’t appear abrupt on the suit but rather fit perfectly, looking very coordinated.
There was no driver number on Qin Miao’s racing suit; only on his waist did his pinyin name and the flag representing his nationality appear.
The data for this outfit was actually obtained when Qin Miao went to retrieve the speech for the FIA award ceremony last time; it had been prepared for him some time ago.
This is a complete racing suit, fireproof and insulated, the kind that you can directly wear into a race; however, without a driver number, the outfit doesn’t meet FIA’s requirements for racing attire.
After putting on the suit, Qin Miao stretched his limbs a bit and took the helmet Mercedes had prepared for him.
It was a red helmet, matching the shade of the national flag, but considering the domestic national flag law, and since Qin Miao’s helmet would feature personal sponsors’ ads along with those of Mercedes, the flag wasn’t painted directly. Instead, the colors of the flag and five yellow stripes were used.
On the helmet’s forehead, a Mercedes logo took the center position, indicating the identity of the driver wearing it.
Embracing the helmet for a closer look, honestly, the design was very good, Qin Miao really liked it.
The helmet, just like the racing suit, was prepared in advance by Mercedes for Qin Miao.
While Qin Miao was closely examining his helmet, Toto, in a white Mercedes team uniform, walked in.
"Ready?"
Qin Miao turned around:
"Ready."
Upon seeing Qin Miao in the Mercedes racing suit, Toto’s eyes lit up.
Qin Miao’s looks could only be considered average, but over time, along with intentional grooming by Qimeng, Qin Miao now could be called somewhat handsome.
Coupled with a purposely styled hairdo and recent enhancements in his own charisma, he seemed full of energy and very confident.
After putting on the Mercedes racing suit, Qin Miao’s overall aura had another level of improvement; in Toto’s current view, Qin Miao now looked really impressive.
"Since you’re ready, let’s go, it’s time to make an appearance."
Nodding, Qin Miao lifted his helmet and followed Toto, the two walking one after the other towards the media greeting hall.
Upon seeing them approach, Mercedes’ marketing director smiled and nodded at them, then proceeded to push the door open, starting the warm-up for the scene.
"Nervous?"
During the waiting period for the warm-up, Toto asked Qin Miao, turning his head.
Listening to the buzzing sounds behind the door, Qin Miao instinctively wiped the sweat on his palms, unsure if it was from nerves or if the suit was too warm.
"A little bit."
Toto comforted:
"This is actually quite similar to the interview sessions after each of your races; just say what you want, and if you’re lost for words, we’ll cover for you."
With that, Toto handed Qin Miao a half-transparent wireless earpiece.
...
Along with the applause from the conference hall, a voice came from the entrance: "Please warmly welcome Qin Miao, Toto!"
"Let’s go."
Amidst Toto’s greeting, Qin Miao and Toto walked out from behind the scenes, stepping to the front of the stage.
The moment Qin Miao appeared with his helmet, all the reporters focused their cameras on him and Toto. Though there were no flashes, the shutter sounds didn’t cease since their appearance.
Even more lenses focused on Qin Miao, the F2 world champion who shone through Ferrari’s youth program and eventually joined Mercedes after all the twists and turns.
It’s interesting to note that to this day, the only genius driver from Ferrari’s youth program serving Ferrari’s F1 team is Leclerc.
Other Ferrari recruits at other teams in the field...
Once Qin Miao and Toto took their seats amid applause, Toto opened with a brief introduction, then announced to all the journalists Qin Miao’s joining and officially activated the contract on the spot.
Then there were photos, with Qin Miao choosing the number 66 as his driver number, sticking it on his helmet and racing suit.
The number 66 didn’t hold much special meaning; it was purely Qin Miao, as a gamer, would often say "6" when others performed well.
So, Qin Miao picked 66 as his number.
It’s intriguing that now Mercedes’ three drivers’ numbers are 44, 66, and 77.
Next came the journalists’ favorite Q&A session.
"Mr. Qin Miao, will joining a team like Mercedes right after graduating from F2 pressure you? Considering Mercedes’ capability, their ultimate goal for the 2021 season is a double championship for the team and driver."