"Fei, is there anything wrong?"

The phone was connected, and Prost's voice came from the other end. He knew that Zhang Yifei would not call casually without any trouble, so he asked directly what the reason was.

“Boss, is the team’s newcomer test run program postponed?”

"Well, I've asked someone to negotiate with Alonso, and I've selected the second driver, so there's no need to participate in the test drive."

Prost admitted to postponing the test run plan because renting tracks and racing losses are not a small fee. Since Alonso has already chosen, there is no need to spend this money in vain. If Alonso really refuses, it will not be too late to start the test run.

After all, I am used to living a poor life, and now my financial situation has improved a little, so Prost still dares not spend money with bigotry!

"I met Masa in Brazil today. He wanted to get a test drive opportunity for the Prost team to compete fairly with Alonso."

"Masa? He wants to join Prost?"

Prost was just like Zhang Yifei before, and was surprised to hear the news. You should know that in the past, the champion drivers of the F3000 level were not the turn of Prost, who was the bottom-ranked team, and had long been divided up by the wealthy and powerful team.

Unless they have the right drivers, the poor team will try their luck and find a bargain. This year's F3000 champion takes the initiative to ask for a trial. The Suns are really coming out of the west. It seems that the Prost team is really about to rise!

"Um."

Zhang Yifei responded and continued, "Boss, let's do the test drive as usual this year. Although I chose Alonso, if anyone can defeat him, this decision can be changed, because I only have the strongest teammate, no matter who this person is!"

Zhang Yifei made his decision domineeringly. He did not choose his teammates because of his people, but because of his strength!

"But the stronger the No. 2 driver, the more threat you will be."

Prost said this with deep meaning, and he believed that Zhang Yifei should understand this truth.

"Boss, do you think I'm afraid?"

"Of course not, haha..."

Prost on the other end of the phone laughed. It seemed that he was over-concerned. If the newcomers could threaten Zhang Yifei these days, then the upper limit of Prost team might not be just the fourth giant, but to become the world's number one!

This may be good news for the boss.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yifei started to rest. Due to the jet lag, he got up at 7 o'clock in the morning and exercised according to his usual habits.

The breakfast was eaten with Diniz and Sofia. At the same time, Diniz specially arranged a company assistant to assist Zhang Yifei in shooting the promotional film, and officially renewed his contract with Puma's global spokesperson next year.

This endorsement contract brought Zhang Yifei a revenue of 5 million US dollars, which is equivalent to the maximum salary of drivers' advertising contracts in this era, second only to Schumacher of Ferrari team.

In addition to attracting Zhang Yifei's potential, high-value advertising contracts may also have certain "friendly price" components. Otherwise, according to Zhang Yifei's own estimate, the normal price is 300 to 4 million US dollars.

After all, I don’t have a WDC title, but I am just a super star and I still have a long distance from the superstars in the car world.

At the same time, the next day, Zhang Yifei also met the global operation director of Coca-Cola Company and discussed matters about the spokesperson in China.

As the first sports spokesperson of Coca-Cola Group in China, with the recommendation of Diniz, they attach great importance to it, sending global executives rather than regional executives.

However, in terms of endorsement prices, they are not as generous as Diniz, and they give a relatively low price of one million US dollars a year.

Zhang Yifei couldn't accept this offer because he happened to know the offer from two Chinese sports superstars in later generations when they endorsed Coca-Cola, so he could probably guess the other party's trump card.

Liu Xiang signed a contract with Coca-Cola in 2003. The time was terrible, with only 350,000 yuan a year. But you should know that Liu Xiang had not won the Athens Olympic Championship at that time, and he could not be said to be unknown in China, but he was not much better.

After all, the 110-meter hurdle is really an unpopular among the unpopular. If the yellow race had not won the dominant championship in the sprint track and field event for the first time, few people might have paid attention to this kind of sports.

I can only say that Coca-Cola had a very accurate vision at that time and signed a future potential stock at an extremely low price.

But in the Yao Ming era, this price was not the case. Yao Ming signed Coca-Cola in his first year in the rookie season, and he had a one-million-dollar endorsement fee. Later, as Yao Ming gained a foothold in the NBA, he quickly upgraded to five million US dollars a year.

Zhang Yifei is no exaggeration to say that even if he is just a newcomer's season, he can already match Yao Ming's performance at the peak of the NBA. After all, he has created several F1 history, and the influence of F1 in this era is far greater than that of a single NBA.

Perhaps the only thing that is lacking is the accumulation of influence brought by time. If Zhang Yifei is given a few more years, it will be no problem to become a global star.

So even if Zhang Yifei doesn’t have to pay five million US dollars in endorsement fees, at least three million US dollars cannot be reduced. This is his bottom line.

Of course, Coca-Cola Company could not know that Zhang Yifei had already understood their historical bidding rules. Therefore, this business negotiation was destined to be unfair from the beginning.

Even if Coca-Cola is a world-wide giant group, when the trump card is leaked, Zhang Yifei can always take the initiative!

The negotiations lasted for three consecutive days, and the tough and stubborn attitude of the Chinese driver completely exceeded the previous presets of Coca-Cola. Moreover, the three million US dollars of endorsement fee reported just stuck their internal bottom line price.

Even the Coca-Cola operation director once doubted whether the other party knew his reserve price.

After several rounds of negotiations, the endorsement contract for Coca-Cola was finally finalized, and preliminary promotional photos were taken in the studio in Rio de Janeiro. After all, with the arrival of New Year's Day and Lunar New Year and other festivals, it will be a peak period for beverage promotion.

Coca-Cola wants to seize the initiative and use Zhang Yifei's influence in the Chinese market to completely suppress its old rival Pepsi Cola!

With the completion of the advertising endorsement contract, Zhang Yifei did not need to stay in Brazil. Moreover, it is now mid-November, and the test time for the F1 newcomer will soon be ushered in. Zhang Yifei is still thinking of witnessing the showdown between Alonso and Massa with his own eyes.

So Zhang Yifei said goodbye to Diniz and Sophia and bought a plane ticket to China. He planned to use the last leisure time before the test drive to go home and have a good look at the old man and Uncle Lu.

At Rio de Janeiro International Airport, Diniz and Sophia entered the apron directly from the VIP channel and said goodbye to Zhang Yifei.

"Fly, although Embraer's cooperation was not successful this time, I still firmly believe that you will become a very influential national superstar in China."

In the last few days, Diniz actually wanted Zhang Yifei to lead the needle and contact more senior personnel to achieve regional aircraft of Embraer Industrial Airways, sales and even joint venture production in China.

However, Zhang Yifei firmly refused this kind of cooperation because he had a good degree of his ability. This kind of business communication involving high-level officials is not something he can access at his current level.

Even if he has a way to find relationships at all levels, he does not have the ability to control the situation.

Things that you can't control may become a time bomb in the future, and he will not lay such hidden dangers for short-term interests.

"Thank you for your praise and thank you for your hospitality these days."

Zhang Yifei replied politely, he actually kept a distance from pure businessmen like Diniz and did not dare to have too much heart-to-heart contact. After all, he could not play with such a cunning business tycoon.

At this time, Sophia also walked up and said to Zhang Yifei: "Fei, have a good rest during this period. I hope to see you standing on the highest podium next year!"

"I will work hard, and this is my dream!"

Zhang Yifei replied with a smile, then spread his arms.

Faced with Zhang Yifei's sudden action, Sophia was stunned. In the past, she was the only one who teased Zhang Yifei, but Zhang Yifei always maintained a gentlemanly distance.

This time, Sophia was much more serious because of Diniz's presence, but she didn't expect Zhang Yifei to open her arms.

"Don't you say goodbye if you don't have a hug?"

After hearing this, Sophia no longer had any worries and hugged Zhang Yifei and said goodbye.

The reason why Zhang Yifei did this was actually because that night, he saw the other side of Sophia, behind the hot Latin girl, the dream side of an ordinary little girl.

Maybe this is another more real Sophia, and he is also in love with Sophia for helping him during this period.

"Fei, you are my superman"

Sophia leaned her head rest on Zhang Yifei's shoulder, and after whispering this game, she let go of her arm and took a step back.

“Goodbye~!”

“Goodbye~!”

Zhang Yifei also waved his hand and said goodbye, then turned around and walked towards the gangway of the plane. When he sat in his seat that day and looked out the window again, Sophia and Diniz had already left.

After calming down the turbulent mind before, Zhang Yifei had another kind of expectation in his heart at this moment.

That is the eight million US dollars on the bank card, which was not prepared by Zhang Yifei for his own luxury, but that he will give this money to Uncle Lu. The previously stopped kart club can finally usher in a "rebirth" again.

Zhang Yifei never forgot in his heart that any motorsport needs to start from the "cradle". This is the first kart club in the mainland and the seed of future Formula drivers.
Chapter completed!