Wen | Emperor xia pigeon
Figure| Night's Watch, Network
Motorsport started late in China. In addition to Han Han, there are no more national-level racing drivers, and the well-known ones are "crash maniac" Gao Huayang and the crazy Liuyi he played in "Riding the Wind and Waves".
In general, regarding professional drivers, and even professional events, the melon-eating masses are of little interest, compared to Guo Xiaodong, who may prefer to watch the movie "8000 rpm, 2 miles". After all, there is no Chinese in top competitions like F1, so why get them excited. At this point, we can't help but ask, why can't we train a decent racing driver? The answer, perhaps, is a lack of money.
It is superficial to measure the growth of a racing driver with money; but without money, it is impossible.
This was said by Jiang Tengyi, a driver of the SAIC Volkswagen 333 team. After the end of this year's CTCC Sheshan station, asked what is the necessary condition for a racing driver, he said: "In addition to having a car-loving dad, better family conditions are also needed." ”
Most people may only see the sponsorship of manufacturers and gold owners on the field, and the racing driver seems to only need to compete for the first place; who has ever thought that the racing driver's mental journey and bank flow behind it?
So how much does it cost to develop a racing driver?
I know that an old driver has given a rough idea - "30w to buy a car + 20w to practice + 30w to participate in the competition = 80w".
However, the starting point of this number is the situation of "becoming an adult and then participating in the event".
But in fact, in addition to the genius of "halfway out of the division" like Han Han, many domestic drivers have been trained in the karting arena since childhood. While their peers were still playing Glory of Kings and watching Bear II, these kids were already pushing the limits of speed.
I've seen kids like this in the karting yard, and the calm performance of these little drivers driving high-horsepower karts makes me feel ashamed of myself. Sudden and unexpected repetition, cutting into turn one and bending directly to give oil, recklessly exhausting the shoulders, and not afraid of the G value brought by the turn - it is difficult to imagine that a 10-year-old can do it.
Last week, I made a special trip to the Streamers Karting Club in Fengxian, Shanghai. They often host various karting events and are very successful in the development of young karting, where many young drivers are trained.
This is currently the most professional go-kart track in the Far East. In the minds of some players, the speed of light may be more professional and exciting than the go-kart outfield of the Shanghai Audi International Circuit. Because their go-kart uses the motorcycle's 4-stroke engine K4A, the displacement has reached 150cc, and the speed has exceeded 10,000 revolutions.
The young drivers who came out of this racing track, and even those who stood out, competed in the CTCC level. So, I asked the head of the Streamspeed Club, NW, some questions about the development of domestic drivers:
What kind of training do young drivers receive on the karting track?
NW: Our club's training programme is aimed at the enlightenment of the go-kart sport. We match the right engine and group for the child according to his age, and our resident instructors will also provide some basic driving skills and teach him enlightenment. When children open for 1-2 weeks, they will have a preliminary understanding of the sport. Next, we will consult with the children's families, and there are two paths for them to choose from – one is to cultivate as a hobby, and the other is to move towards a career.
If you take a career path, what resources will children get?
NW: If the intention to become professional is confirmed, we have more professional instructors to train children in driving skills, physical fitness, rules and deeper driving experience, and to let them participate in some national-level events according to the age and group of young drivers. We also have dedicated channels for them to choose and go to a higher level, such as a big event like CTCC.
Who bears the cost of the training?
NW: Regarding the cost of training, it is basically all borne by the child's family. Of course, the club will also have some irregular commercial sponsorship, but compared with the actual costs incurred in the process of driver training, it can only be said to be a drop in the bucket. Vocational training has high requirements for the economic conditions of the family, so we will also repeatedly confirm whether the children's family conditions are suitable for taking the road of professionalization.
Train a young driver to become a professional driver,
How much does it cost in total?
NW: That's pretty huge. Our karts should be considered entry-level in all races, and the cost is relatively low. But just driving a go-kart is already a big expense. But if you still have to go up, to the stage of F4 and GT3, ordinary families absolutely can't afford it. At this time, there will be sponsors who will stand up and choose their favorite drivers and help them realize their dreams.
"Absolutely unaffordable" – a good summary of the financial cost of becoming a high-class racing driver. Although no specific numbers are given, from the NW's words, I almost understand: to train a professional racing driver, the price is sky-high!
In fact, in addition to the basic expenses of buying a car and renting a track that everyone takes for granted, the cost of fuel, logistics, tires, maintenance and other consumables in motorsport is also a big head.
We look at the CTCC arena, such as the evergreen changan ford. This is the self-introduction of Changan Ford Team: "In the past twelve years, it has continued to participate in the China Touring Car Championship, not only the results of the nine crowns in eleven years are unmatched, but also spares no effort in racing promotion and event marketing." At the same time, Changan Ford has also continued to invest heavily in racing technical support and young driver training, and is one of the top manufacturers of motorsport in China. ”
That's why in high-level events like CTCC, the Super Cup is won by the factory team; the competition for the championship and runner-up of the China Cup is also the performance of Liangfeng, and the club can only compete for the third place. Without the financial resources and scale of the main engine factory, who can afford to play the money-burning sport of professional racing? In the race field where a car is 6 million and one part is 6 figures, ordinary consortiums and clubs really can't make up for this hilarity.
Therefore, in order to popularize the sport of racing, it is more dependent on the intervention of car companies. I believe that the day when car companies pay more attention to the development of young racers, we should be able to start asking a new question: "Who is Michael Schumacher in China?" ”