How Did I Become an F1 Driver?
Chapter 36 - 30: Entry-Level AMG

Chapter 36: Chapter 30: Entry-Level AMG

"Don’t say that, it makes me sound like a complete idiot who doesn’t understand anything."

Qimeng didn’t insist. Since Qin Miao wanted to know, she might as well tell him.

"It’s mainly about social interactions. After all, we’re in a society that values relationships. Holiday greetings and gifts can’t really strengthen relationships with people you rarely see throughout the year, but they can maintain the friendships. In the future, if something comes up, someone in this network might just be able to help us."

"After making many friends, you’ll find yourself benefiting in ways you never expected."

Qin Miao nodded thoughtfully.

If Qin Miao had to handle this task, he could do it but would find it stressful. He wouldn’t know which gifts are appropriate for others. His holiday greetings are often mass messages, and sometimes he doesn’t even send them at all.

So, seeing Qimeng handle it all so effortlessly, Qin Miao had genuine admiration.

"Awesome!"

Although Qin Miao had accepted Qimeng both mentally and physically, he still couldn’t talk like a lovestruck couple and utter cheesy words.

It was still too soon, so in the end, he only managed to blurt out the awesome thing.

Qimeng didn’t mind; a compliment was enough.

Besides, for guys, saying something is awesome is already a high compliment.

At this point, the only person Qin Miao and Qimeng really owed a favor to was Boss Zhou. So after Qimeng recorded all the information she knew, she turned off her phone.

During this waiting period, Qin Miao and Qimeng engaged mostly in casual conversation, mainly about school.

After all, their shared experiences mainly revolved around things that happened when they were in school.

Qimeng gradually became the conversation leader, and as they chatted, their relationship steadily grew closer.

More than half an hour later, they received a notification from the team staff.

"The car is ready!"

The moment Qin Miao heard this, he stood right up from the cozy chat they were having.

Qimeng followed his lead, standing up as well. She was curious about racing cars.

It wasn’t that she liked racing as much as Qin Miao, but she was curious about why these million-dollar toys attracted him and other men so much.

Guided by the team staff, they went to the side of the pit near the track.

As they walked through the corridor, they heard the idling sound of an engine coming from upfront.

Once they passed through the pit’s passage and reached the parking area, a GT3 race car came into view.

The iconic large rear wing and the long hood that nearly takes up half the car’s length — a classic AMG stood right in front of them.

An experienced racer like Qin Miao instantly recognized it as a Mercedes AMG GT3.

Qin Miao wasn’t too familiar with this AMG. For simulator racers, adapting to a new car can be challenging, so in games, he only frequently drove three cars: the Ferrari 488 GT3, Porsche 911 GT3, and Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

The main reason Qin Miao often chose these three cars was that they matched his aesthetic preferences in racing cars.

Although the R8 and Aston Martin are visually appealing, Qin Miao simply didn’t have the extra time to practice with these cars. Familiarizing oneself with a car demands time.

After weighing his options, Qin Miao decided to mainly use those three cars.

However, regarding the Mercedes before him, Qin Miao still knew some tidbits or gossip.

This Mercedes is one of the pricier GT3 race cars, priced about 450,000 euros excluding tax, roughly 3.32 million RMB.

In terms of GT3 car prices, it ranks second, alongside the Ferrari 488 GT3.

One AMG GT3 can cost as much as three similarly-leveled Ginetta G55 GT3s.

Yet, despite its high purchase price, this Mercedes is the cheapest to operate among all GT3 race cars.

It’s more cost-effective than the Ginetta G55 GT3, which is priced at only 150,000 euros.

The look of this car may not suit everyone’s aesthetic. Its appearance lags behind Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini.

But the AMG has low wear and tear! Plus, parts are readily available domestically, no customs duties, and low time costs.

Take Ferrari, for example: If a driver makes a mistake and crashes, getting new aero kits means shipping them from abroad, which incurs delays, postage, and customs inspection time.

These are all costs.

As for my AMG? Parts are made domestically, so they’re inexpensive. If something breaks, just a phone call and express delivery, by tomorrow morning, you can reinstall it and get back on track.

The initial cost is high, but the main expenses in racing aren’t in buying the car but in the wear and tear during competition.

No wonder people often say they can afford to buy a car but can’t afford to maintain it. This ’can’t afford’ is due to the high wear and tear while driving.

In summary, those are some of the trivia Qin Miao knows about the AMG GT3 race car before him.

"Are you ready?"

The driver seeing Qin Miao approached, asked.

Seeing Qin Miao nod, the driver handed him a pair of earplugs.

Qin Miao knew that the environment inside a real race car is anything but comfortable. To reduce weight, teams and manufacturers skimp out, even thinning the chassis by a few millimeters if they could.

Soundproofing is obviously non-existent, so to avoid deafness, you have to plug your ears.

He turned around to look at Qimeng: "I’m going."

"Go! Enjoy the experience."

Nodding, Qin Miao inserted the earplugs, and then Qimeng helped him put on the helmet.

The Hans System was fitted around his neck. After making sure everything was ready, Qin Miao sat as the passenger in the AMG.

To be honest, the seat was quite uncomfortable — hard as a rock. Plus, Qin Miao was thin, so the seat didn’t snugly envelop his body.

No worries, the five-point seatbelt would do the trick.

Even if the seat was a bit larger, the five-point seatbelt could securely lock Qin Miao in place.

The only issue was his legs not being gripped by the seats, meaning he might get tossed around by the G-forces in fast corners.

But he was already there, and Qin Miao didn’t plan on backing out due to such minor inconveniences.

Right now, his heart was full of excitement.

After playing simulated racing games for so long, this was his first time sitting in a real race car; how could he not be excited?

Everything in the car felt both unfamiliar and familiar to Qin Miao. He could name and knew the function of nearly everything, but it was his first time seeing them in real life.

This transition from virtual to reality was endlessly intriguing for Qin Miao.

He reached out and grabbed a soft handle of unknown material on the car’s ceiling, mentally preparing himself to be whipped by the G-forces.

Since Qin Miao bought the most expensive package, not only would he be experiencing the ride with the team’s fastest driver, but also in their fastest car.

GT3 cars need weight penalties if they’re performing well, and all the usual added weight was removed — Qin Miao was the only weight.

Thus, the car was in its optimal state.

It was about to provide its patron a small dose of G-force thrill.

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PS. Prices for different brands of GT3 race cars vary depending on the specific model, options, and customizations. Here’s a rough pricing order based on base prices from some major GT3 brands (data sourced from their official websites, for reference only):

Ginetta G55 GT3 - 150,000 euros

Aston Martin Vantage GT3 - 300,000 euros

Porsche 911 GT3 R - 450,000 euros

Audi R8 LMS GT3 - 400,000 euros

BMW M6 GT3 - 425,000 euros

Lamborghini Huracán GT3 - 425,000 euros

Mercedes-AMG GT3 - 450,000 euros

Ferrari 488 GT3 - 450,000 euros

Bentley Continental GT3 - 500,000 euros

Note that these prices are base prices, and the actual cost may vary with options and customizations. Additionally, these prices are in euros, and different countries or regions might have varying prices.

(Data Source: ChatGPT)

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