"Ben Hodgkinson, Head of Powertrain, welcome aboard..."
"Mike Elliott, Technical Director..."
"John Owen, Finance Director..."
"James Vincent, Strategy Director..."
"Susan Patterson, Marketing Director..."
These are all key figures at Mercedes, and they greeted Qin Miao with smiles upon meeting him.
All Qin Miao could do at this moment was put on his best smile and keep their faces, positions, and names firmly in his memory.
Then it was time to meet other staff members.
But to Qin Miao’s surprise, in the Mercedes crowd, he noticed a familiar face.
Staring at the chubby guy before him, Qin Miao’s face was full of surprise.
"What are you doing here?"
Though the other person wore a broad smile, he seriously extended his hand for a handshake with Qin Miao, saying:
"Trick Frankie, Track Engineer, welcome aboard!"
Qin Miao looked at Frankie, then at his Mercedes uniform, and smiled as he shook his hand.
With no extra time for catching up with Frankie, Qin Miao quickly moved on to the next staff member.
"Vaun Reyes, your dedicated Chief Technician, welcome."
"Hamza Roger, Technician, I handle the air gun for the front left tire..."
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Qin Miao went on to shake hands with each future colleague at Mercedes.
Of course, it wasn’t possible for Qin Miao to remember everyone in such a short amount of time, so he focused on the staff he would frequently interact with.
As for the rest, Qin Miao planned to ask Toto for a staff list after today’s event so he could study it at home.
Once he had met everyone, Qin Miao finally stood before Hamilton.
Seeing Qin Miao approach, Hamilton flashed a broad grin.
"I suppose I don’t need an introduction, do I? Welcome aboard."
With other staff, Qin Miao simply shook hands, but facing the seven-time champion, he held Hamilton’s hand then impulsively went in for a hug. He couldn’t help but think he’d be on track again this season drinking...
Hamilton didn’t refuse; after a gentle hug, they separated, but Qin Miao didn’t let go of his hand.
"Of course, I’ve known about you for a long time, I’m a fan! But I didn’t expect to meet you today."
"Could you sign my helmet later?"
Truthfully, Hamilton initially thought Qin Miao might be trouble.
Considering Qin Miao’s strong performance in F2 and some negative feedback about his personality in the paddock, Hamilton assumed he wasn’t the friendliest. He expected internal conflicts with teammates this season.
Additionally, with Bottas, his seamless collaborator, replaced by Qin Miao, Hamilton speculated the team atmosphere might suffer.
But witnessing Qin Miao’s fanboy demeanor, Hamilton frankly felt unsettled.
Looking closely at Qin Miao’s face and eyes, he didn’t detect any signs of pretending.
The guy before him was either truly a fan or had remarkably good acting skills at such a young age.
Still, Hamilton preferred believing the former, since kids Qin Miao’s age rarely had that kind of deep tactics or skill.
So facing Qin Miao’s request, Hamilton agreed readily:
Qin Miao continued eagerly:
"Can I add you on WhatsApp?"
Just as Qin Miao was about to say more, Toto stepped up to give Hamilton a break:
"Alright Qin, try not to get too excited— you’ll be working with Hamilton for a long time."
Hearing Toto’s words, Qin Miao reluctantly released Hamilton’s hand and held back his words.