The Glorious McLaren

As the busy work in the repair area subsided, the mechanics began their meticulous adjustments, and the noisy atmosphere settled into a highly focused tranquility.

Ron Danny then straightened his polo shirt and walked over with steady steps.

He first looked at Nakayama Takuya, and a rare, formulaic smile appeared on his usually serious face.

"Mr. Nakayama, I hope my team has not neglected anyone."

Regardless, Sega, which Nakayama Takuya represents, is not only a partner but also a financially powerful backer.

Ron Danny had to give them that much face.

"No, we've had a truly eye-opening experience," Nakayama Takuya replied with a smile. "It's an immense honor for us to witness the championship team's preparations firsthand."

"The champion?" Ron Danny repeated the word, his eyebrows twitching involuntarily, his tone tinged with self-deprecation but mostly with resentment. "This year's champion already belongs to Sir Frank Williams."

He changed the subject and led everyone to the MP4/7A that had been assembled and was lying quietly on the ground.

His hand gently stroked the side panel of the vehicle, his eyes revealing absolute confidence in his work.

"However, when it comes to the pedigree of a champion, I think no one is more qualified than McLaren."

His gaze swept over the group of United States with shining eyes, his chin slightly raised, and his words were filled with barely suppressed pride.

"The carbon fiber chassis you see here was first introduced to F1 by McLaren eleven years ago. While others were still using fragile aluminum alloys, our MP4/1 race car was already using this material from the aerospace field. It was lighter and stronger, completely changing the sport."

Kevin, the car enthusiast, was trembling with excitement.

He practically blurted out, "A one-piece carbon fiber cockpit! It saved John Watson's life in the Monza crash!"

The car body was completely wrecked, but the cockpit was intact!

This statement, packed with information, made Ron Danny glance at him again, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

He hadn't expected that among this group of video game enthusiasts, there was a true car expert.

"That's right." He nodded, his tone warming up a bit. "Since then, we've won seven Drivers' Championships and six Constructors' Championships. Especially in 1988—"

He pointed to a huge poster hanging on the wall of the team's back area, which showed two red and white MP4/4 race cars driving side by side.

"That year, we had Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. This car, equipped with Honda V6 turbocharged engine, won fifteen out of sixteen races throughout the year."

Fifteen!

One of the guys on Mark Cerny's team gasped; the sheer dominance of that number was breathtaking, even to someone who didn't know anything about racing.

As Ron Danny recounted McLaren's glorious past with great familiarity, these marketing elites from North America were left with nothing but pure admiration and awe.

Looking at everything before him, Nakayama Takuya smiled and said, "Ron, you pursue ultimate speed and handling on the track, while we pursue ultimate visuals and experience within the chip. In a sense, our goals are the same."

This statement was extremely skillful, instantly elevating the relationship between the two parties from a simple "sponsor and racing team" to the level of "partners in the pursuit of excellence."

Ron Danny's smile became much more genuine, "Well said, Mr. Nakayama. Therefore, I expect your <VR Racing> to become a legend, just like our MP4/4."

As Ron Danny recounted McLaren's illustrious war exploits, the United States present were all deeply moved, as if they had personally experienced that magnificent revolutionary legend.

However, after praising the cars, Kevin, a passionate fan, couldn't help but ask the question that everyone was concerned about, yet which was somewhat of a mood killer.

"Mr. Ron, I heard that Honda is withdrawing from F1 after this season." He carefully chose his words. "Then, which engine will McLaren's cars use next year?"

This question, like a needle, gently pierced the enthusiastic atmosphere of the scene.

Ron Danny's pride subsided slightly. He glanced at the MP4/7A beside him, his tone regaining the calm and resolute quality characteristic of a business leader. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be Ford. But that's not a big problem. McLaren has been through worse times; we can always find a way."

The confidence in his words was undeniable, but Kevin could still detect a hint of helplessness in that brief pause.

Seeing the atmosphere was about to cool down, Nakayama Takuya stepped forward with a smile and skillfully steered the conversation back on track, "Mr. Ron, your and McLaren's boldness in technological innovation is the foundation of the team's enduring success. In particular, the carbon fiber monocoque that you championed has made an invaluable contribution to driver safety, and no amount of praise is too much."

These words were both a compliment and the truth, and Ron Danny's expression indeed softened considerably.

"This is what we should do."

"Yes, you protected the drivers' bodies, securing them firmly in the most robust eggshell on Earth." Nakayama Takuya nodded, but then abruptly changed the subject, "But I keep thinking about one thing: we protected the torso, but the most crucial and vulnerable part—the head—seems to be exposed to enormous risk."

Ron Danny frowned almost imperceptibly.

He glanced subconsciously at the roll cage towering high behind the race car cockpit, seemingly thinking the question was somewhat unnecessary.

Nakayama Takuya seemed oblivious to his expression and continued in a probing tone, "On the F1 track, anything can become a weapon. For example, if the car in front has a tire blowout, a piece of tire flying at a relative speed of two or three hundred kilometers per hour, can a helmet really completely block it? Or, for example, if a car loses control and rolls over, although there's a roll cage to create space, if the car is upside down sliding at high speed in a gravel run-off area, and the edge of the helmet gets caught on the ground, can the driver's neck withstand that terrifying instantaneous torque?"

His description was devoid of any emotion, yet it sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Ron Danny fell silent; he no longer thought this was just an outsider's unfounded worry.

As the team manager, he knew better than anyone just how unpredictable and varied the accidents on the track could be.

Nakayama Takuya paused, then dropped the most fatal point. "There's another easily overlooked situation: a side impact. The race car loses control in a high-speed corner and crashes sideways into the tire wall. The driver's body is tightly strapped to the seat with a six-point harness, but what about their head? Under the immense inertia of tens of Gs generated in an instant, it will swing uncontrollably to one side like a pendulum, slamming hard against the hard inner wall of the cockpit. Cervical spine, skull—the consequences are unimaginable."