Car Racing without Money

"Xiangbei, that gentleman is Mr. Staler, the co-founder of Huasi Sports. Go say hello."

Liang Chi patted Chen Xiangbei on the back and reminded him.

Staler?

Chen Xiangbei looked over and saw an elderly man in a navy-style coat, his hair slicked back, looking very formal and proper, much like the British gentlemen from the movies.

He was about the same age as Odetto, and they both entered the paddock around the same time, having participated in F1 events since the 1970s.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei had only heard of Staler's name, not much about the person.

After all, when he entered the Huasi base for training, the company was already in the liquidation stage, and Staler had returned to the United Kingdom for more than half a year.

Plus, the era when Staler invested in the F1 team was quite distant, so Chen Xiangbei hadn't heard much about his reputation or achievements in this life or the last.

But that didn't mean Chen Xiangbei was unfamiliar with Staler.

On the contrary, Chen Xiangbei had early attention on Staler and understood his investment experience and personality background through various channels.

The reason Chen Xiangbei did this was that Staler was a crucial part of a large plan of his!

"HELLO, Mr. Staler, I am Chen Xiangbei."

Chen Xiangbei approached Staler and reached out to greet him.

"Bei, congratulations on winning the first race, you did very well."

Staler smiled and shook hands; he had watched the race from the VIP box for two days, and after yesterday's qualifying, he carefully reviewed the driver information sent by Zhang Zhicong, already gaining a preliminary understanding of this Chinese kid.

The track performance and training data dispelled Staler's suspicion that Chen Xiangbei was a "pay-to-drive" driver. Huasi Sports indeed found a potential newcomer in its final stages, which is why he decided to meet personally after the race.

"Thank you, I will continue to work hard."

Chen Xiangbei politely replied.

"Bei, you're a bit different from how you appear on the big screen."

Staler joked, having also casually watched the media reports from Sky Sports the previous night, realizing the real Chen Xiangbei wasn't as arrogant and wild as depicted.

In response to this remark, Chen Xiangbei smiled a bit shyly.

"Bei, it's a bit noisy here. Why don't we go upstairs and talk?"

After the pleasantries, it was time to discuss serious matters.

Staler wasn't just a spectator of this race; he was also entrusted by Zhang Zhicong.

Additionally, more importantly, he was the founder of Huasi Sports, having once fought alongside Liang Chi and Zhang Zhicong for a common goal!

"Alright."

Chen Xiangbei agreed and followed Staler to the VIP box above the pit stop. Liang Chi chose not to join them.

The past path conflict between Liang Chi and Zhang Zhicong made him realize one thing: the technical faction and management faction easily have ideological conflicts.

The content of the discussion between Staler and Chen Xiangbei undoubtedly involved future development prospects and commercial value. He wasn't adept at such matters and preferred leaving it to Chen Xiangbei to decide.

Over more than a year, Liang Chi knew well that despite Chen Xiangbei's young age, his comprehensive consideration was no less than that of an average adult, capable of handling things alone.

The second-floor VIP box was empty, as Sir Williams did not come to watch the main race today.

For management of F1 teams like them, the lower-level Renault Formula didn't focus on results but on the limits and potential drivers showed during the race.

The full-speed propulsion and on-the-spot operations during qualifying had already let Sir Williams gauge Chen Xiangbei's talent, no need for the main race to judge.

This is similar to Odetto's post-race calmness; though Chen Xiangbei's first win was gratifying, it did not reach exuberance, with many things foretold during qualifying.

Standing in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the Silverstone Circuit, Staler spoke: "Bei, you should know the relationship between David (Zhang Zhicong's English name), me, and Huasi Sports."

"Yes."

Chen Xiangbei nodded in response.

"Actually, when you arrived in the United Kingdom, David contacted me, hoping to offer help and care."

"But to be honest, Bei, I wasn't optimistic."

Staler saw no need to hedge in front of a young man; not only was he not optimistic about Chen Xiangbei before, he was downright skeptical.

"I can understand."

Chen Xiangbei smiled nonchalantly, understanding that without achievements, it was normal not to trust an older Chinese driver with no karting records.

As for that CKC (China Karting Championship) champion, fooling other foreigners might work, but as a co-founder of Huasi Sports, surely Staler knows what that's about?

However, Staler immediately shifted the conversation, looking at Chen Xiangbei with a serious expression: "But your performance at Silverstone completely overturned my preconceived notions and perceptions."

"Bei, David was not exaggerating. You truly are a talented driver from China and even Asia!"

On other tracks, the weight may not be apparent, but Silverstone, as a "cornerstone" circuit in the Formula field, can be considered any European driver's "home ground," unfamiliarity doesn't exist.

Without absolute talent and hard strength, you can't secure pole positions and wins at Silverstone!

"Yesterday, during the qualifying, I also recommended you to Sir Williams, the F1 team."