Of course, this large factory isn’t filled with race cars from recent years, so there’s still a vast empty space.
After they finished the tour and were about to leave the entrance, Toto suddenly said:
"Qin Miao, you know what? I hope that someday we’ll see a race car here with your driver number on it."
Qin Miao was taken aback and then turned to look at those empty spaces.
"That day will come, Boss."
After leaving here, Toto took Qin Miao to the place Qin Miao mistakenly thought was a factory.
As they got closer, Qin Miao discovered it was actually a large parking lot, reminiscent of those high-rise parking structures in GTA5. Follow current novels on novel[f]ire.net
They didn’t go up to look since there wasn’t much of interest in a parking lot. Toto just said:
"When you leave, register your license plate number at the gatekeeper’s office, so you won’t need to register again and can come straight in next time."
At this point, Toto paused and then asked:
"Ferrari gave me a 488, but when commuting at Ferrari, I usually ride an electric bike."
On the outside, Toto nodded but was already considering what type of car would be best to gift Qin Miao; it’s likely going to be an AMG GT.
Toto then took Qin Miao to see the Mercedes factory, the design department, CNC workshop, engineering workshop. Qin Miao even personally input a set of commands under an engineer’s guidance on the CNC machine, which then crafted a fingernail-sized part based on Qin Miao’s instructions.
Next was the testing department, which mainly tests the durability of race cars, focusing on chassis and suspension strength.
Then came the information technology department, paintwork studio department, data analysis department, engine department, and finally the simulator department.
Upon Toto’s invitation, Qin Miao climbed into the Mercedes simulator for a try.
Actually, the general structure of the Mercedes simulator is the same as Ferrari’s, a monocoque serving as the simulator cockpit to enhance driver immersion, accompanied by a huge projection screen.
However, since the simulators are independently developed by each team, even with standard vehicles, the driving experience might differ between teams’ simulators.
From the outside, the Mercedes team’s simulator looked ordinary, and Qin Miao even felt that the visuals and lighting of the Mercedes simulator were not better than those of the game "F1 2020," but the driving feel was extremely realistic, and the feedback from the simulator’s monocoque was almost the same as the real thing.
Qin Miao didn’t stay on the simulator for long; after all, he was here to tour, not to work. After testing the feel, he left the factory and headed to the administrative building of the Mercedes factory.
"Let me show you your office."
While walking towards the administrative building, Toto remarked.
Qin Miao was surprised:
"Of course, everyone at Mercedes has their own office, though not all are in the administrative building."
Qin Miao nodded, feeling curious and expectant about his office.
Then, the two entered the administrative building of Mercedes, one after the other.
Upon entering the reception area, another Mercedes F1 race car appeared in front of Qin Miao.
Without waiting for Qin Miao to scrutinize it, Toto thoughtfully explained:
"This is the 2019 W10, and this is the actual car. Lewis drove this car when he crossed the finish line at the end of 2019. After extracting the internal oil and fuel, we placed it here untouched."
Qin Miao knowingly nodded. Both Ferrari and Mercedes liked displaying their achievements openly.
Then Qin Miao followed Toto into the interior of the administrative building.
Notably, due to Qin Miao’s arrival, many Mercedes staff still working gave Qin Miao curious glances.
Qin Miao’s joining Mercedes wasn’t a secret, so these staff had known he would come; they just didn’t expect him to come so early. In their minds, Qin Miao should report to the team after the winter break.
Simultaneously, they were also curious if Qin Miao, the new F2 champion, would really be as rumored in the paddock—a self-conceited egotist.
However, from their distant observations, Qin Miao seemed more like a curious youth, filled with an inquisitive nature for anything new.
Soon, Qin Miao followed Toto to the second floor of the administrative building, to a section by the window.
This area had several rooms separated by frosted glass, and Qin Miao immediately saw one room with his name spelled in Pinyin: Qin miao. Below that was even his Chinese name, Qin Miao.
Inside, he found that the office wasn’t large, about 40 square meters, but it was well-equipped with a desk, computer, water dispenser, fridge, some artwork, a reception sofa, and even the view outside.
"How do you feel?" Toto asked with a smile.
Qin Miao swallowed; this was his first office ever, and honestly, he didn’t expect Mercedes to prepare such:
"Couldn’t be better."
"As long as you’re satisfied. Our company’s goal for offices is to provide as much comfort as possible for the person using it. If you want anything added, feel free to let us know."