Faced with the choice of a base technical approach, Alex Sun carefully recalled how things had played out during the 2022 season, weighing his options in silence.
On the chassis side, with three advanced concepts already in hand, as long as the R&D team continued to refine and push development steadily, by the time the 2022 season began, their chassis performance would be strong enough to consistently rank among the upper tier of the eleven teams.
As for aerodynamics, although they didn't have any dedicated development concepts, the 50 attribute points from the Team System would keep them from falling too far behind once the season started. At worst, it would just mean a narrower setup window, but it would still be enough to handle the early phase of the season.
That left two areas. The engine was backed by Ferrari, and durability didn't even factor into his considerations.
After all, if a race car didn't even have speed, yet you worried about durability first, wouldn't that just turn it into a reliable tractor?
So… should he keep investing in the chassis?
Alex Sun hesitated slightly. If he poured the base concept into the chassis as well, it would further strengthen their biggest advantage and make it even more solid.
But just as he followed that line of thinking and recalled the 2022 season from his past life, a sudden realization struck him.
The engine.
Ferrari's engine for the 2022 season had indeed been explosively powerful at the start, easily the best in the paddock.
But its fatal flaw was terrible reliability. Engine failures happened frequently, forcing retirements and throwing away strong leading positions. It even affected the overall points standings for the season.
Alex Sun made his decision without hesitation.
Power.
If they could further optimize the engine and improve the stability of the power system, they could increase their finish rate. As long as they consistently secured points in every race, that would be enough.
As for durability, he shook his head dismissively.
Who cares about durability? So what if they took a few grid penalties from changing parts?
Their new team was starting from the back anyway. Starting 16th or 20th made little real difference. Either way, they would have to fight their way forward.
But as long as their car had superior power, they would have a pure speed advantage. Even with penalties, they could make it back through performance alone.
With his mind made up, Alex Sun issued the command without hesitation, assigning the base technical concept to Power Calibration.
On the table in front of the sofa, faint projections of two portable hard drives appeared. Next to each was a downward arrow with a transfer percentage displayed.
As the percentages climbed rapidly, the projections became clearer and more solid. In just moments, the two hard drives containing advanced chassis development concepts fully materialized on the table.
But at the same time, where the power-related base concept should have appeared, there was only a faint outline. The progress bar beside it was stuck at 0%, completely frozen, with no sign of movement or completion.
Alex Sun frowned slightly and immediately asked in his mind:
"System, what's going on?"
"The chassis concepts are done. Why isn't the power side moving at all?"
The system's mechanical voice responded at once.
[Host, Ferrari has not yet completed development of its 2022 engine. Power-related development concepts can only be extracted and generated after Ferrari finalizes its engine development.]
Alex Sun fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help complaining inwardly:
"You've got to be kidding… So picking the power concept this time was basically pointless?"
"Being a customer team really is frustrating. We rely entirely on the factory team for engines, and even our development concepts depend on their progress."
The system added:
[However, Host, there is no need for concern. Since the power concept cannot currently be extracted, it will be upgraded by one tier as compensation.]
[Similarly, if future power-related concepts cannot be extracted due to incomplete engine development, equivalent compensation will be provided.]
Hearing this, Alex Sun's expression eased slightly.
"That's more like it. At least it wasn't a wasted choice. Not a loss, overall."
After settling the matter of the power concept compensation, Alex Sun didn't delay. He immediately picked up his phone and called Rebecca Lin, his tone crisp and direct.
"Rebecca, how's our team's R&D progress right now? Any updates from Matteo?"
On the other end, Rebecca Lin instantly recognized it was work-related. She straightened up, quickly opened her notes app, and began recording before replying in a careful and respectful tone.
"President Alex, rest assured. All R&D is progressing as planned, and the core members are fully focused on refining the technology. There's also a new development in aerodynamics."
"Just now, Matteo sent you an email. His team has come up with a new idea for the front wing."
"With this optimization, airflow can be better organized, guiding more air into the floor's Venturi channels. That will further amplify the ground effect and significantly increase downforce."
A hint of approval appeared in Alex Sun's eyes.
"Nicely done. I also have two advanced chassis development concepts here."
"Contact the team immediately. Have them take these materials back to our Shanghai base and hand them to the R&D department to begin work right away. This is critical for our new car's chassis development."
Rebecca Lin quickly noted everything down, her tone efficient and respectful.
"Understood, President Alex. I'll contact the team immediately and ensure the materials are delivered safely to the base. The R&D team will begin work as soon as they arrive. There won't be any delays."
Not long after the call ended, Rebecca Lin arrived at Alex Sun's hotel suite with several team members. After a brief exchange,
Alex Sun handed over the two hard drives, carefully explaining the handling procedures. Only after confirming everything was in order did the transfer officially conclude.
The staff wasted no time. They immediately headed for Baku Airport, moving nonstop without rest.
Their sole goal was to deliver the hard drives to the team's R&D base in Shanghai as quickly as possible, ensuring the research could begin without delay.
As for why they didn't transfer the files online?
Simple. No one could guarantee that cloud storage wouldn't be compromised. Besides, with Alex Sun on the road, the time it would take to upload and download wasn't much different from physically transporting them.
After the staff left, the room fell quiet. The tension and busyness of the past few days gradually faded along with the completed handover.
Alex Sun gestured for Rebecca Lin to sit, then listened as she formally reported on the team's progress. She opened her notes and methodically went through R&D updates, personnel arrangements, and other details, her tone respectful and precise throughout.
Once she finished and confirmed nothing had been missed, the tightly structured briefing came to an end.
The tense workplace atmosphere dissolved, replaced by a rare moment of ease.
Rebecca Lin gradually shed her professional restraint, her expression softening as she moved a little closer to Alex Sun.
A quiet, gentle shift beyond the boundaries of boss and subordinate had begun.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (20 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.