nycdaug Chapter 29 Interview & Business Value
Chapter 29 Interview & Business Value
After finishing everything in the paddock, Tang Che gave an exclusive interview to the Flower Company at the hotel.
Compared to the previous interview, this one is more focused on the competition.
The last interview mainly discussed my experiences before becoming an F1 driver and my prospects after becoming an F1 driver. This interview will focus more on the recently concluded Australian Grand Prix.
Reporter: "Four months later, you're back on the podium. Even though you're runner-up again, the feeling must be different this time, right?"
Tang Che: "There were a lot of surprises this time. Before the race, I was thinking about how to compete with the two Mercedes drivers for P5, but I had a lot of luck in the race."
"While luck certainly played a part in bringing P2 back, your effort was probably the decisive factor, right? If you hadn't gotten to the podium right from the start, and if you hadn't played tough defense, Hamilton, Russell, and Perez wouldn't have made those mistakes."
Tang Che smiled and said, "How can we leave the rest to fate if we don't do our best?"
Reporter: "Rosberg commented that you pushed your car to its absolute limit, that every corner you took was a tightrope walk on the edge of losing control, and that every wheel-to-wheel attack carried a huge risk of loss of control. Most people would be afraid of that kind of risk, but you were almost unaffected. How did you psychologically deal with that fear of risk?"
"I'll answer this question by quoting Senna," Toncher said, reciting Senna's words directly. "You should know that as a race car driver, you're in danger all the time. Being a race car driver means you're competing against other drivers. If you're not fighting to beat others, you don't deserve to be a race car driver, because we're competing. So for all of us, racing is about fighting to win."
Reporter: "Could it be understood that the desire to win makes you willing to take risks?"
Tang Che: "Racing is an extreme sport, and it's inextricably linked to risk. The moment I decided to become a race car driver, I accepted all the risks that might come. And my only goal as a race car driver is to win."
Reporter: "We all know that the car you drive has a certain performance gap compared to those of Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, and other teams. This performance gap makes it difficult for you to compete for a podium finish in a normal race, right? For a racing driver whose job is to win, this must bring a certain psychological gap. How do you deal with this psychological gap?"
Tang Che: "Every driver in the paddock wants to win, but there are only a few cars that can compete for victory. Does that mean the other drivers who can't compete in the championship cars shouldn't compete? To participate in the competition, you must first recognize and accept reality. Even if you can't win, as a driver you must push the car to its performance limits, because your team and factory colleagues are working hard for the competition. You must bring the car to its proper level to live up to their efforts."
……
After seeing off the flower company's interview team, Tang Che immediately headed to the restaurant that Vistapan had booked.
The restaurant was surrounded by fans who asked for autographs and photos.
Tang Che is a rookie driver, but his skills and popularity are beyond those of a typical rookie driver.
A significant portion of its popularity comes from the Abu Dhabi leg of last season.
Tangche's performance in Abu Dhabi last season was amazing. That match was a battle of the century, and he played a decisive role in it, much like coming off the bench and scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final. Naturally, his exposure was maximized.
However, scoring a winning goal in the Champions League final won't make someone an instant superstar, nor will Abu Dhabi's substitute appearance to stop Hamilton's eighth title.
Despite high exposure, her popularity and commercial value remain in the realm of newcomers.
This is normal; consistent high-profile performances are necessary for popularity and commercial value to steadily increase.
What propelled Tang Che's popularity beyond that of a rookie was the two races of the new season.
In the new season, Tangche played in two races, each more impressive than the last, which directly attracted a large number of fans, with his fan base even growing beyond his spectacular fight in Abu Dhabi.
This is quite normal. Putting aside the aura of the Battle of the Century, how can a Red Bull car single-handedly defend against Hamilton be as explosive as a Toro Rosso car single-handedly defending against Hamilton, Leclerc, Perez, and Russell multiple times?
If you drive a nice car, people will always say you're only good because of the car; if you drive a bad car, everyone has to admit you're carrying the car around.
In competitive sports, strength is the core attraction. Once strength is recognized, won't fans flock to the sport in droves?
Especially since Tang Che is also good-looking, his continued exposure and high profile have attracted many female fans whose values are dictated by his appearance.
Some female fans who had never followed F1 before suddenly became longtime F1 fans after seeing videos of Taunter on social media.
Sure enough, female fans made up the majority of the fans who were asking Tang Che for autographs and photos at the restaurant entrance.
Another point worth mentioning is that the total number of spectators at this year's Australian Grand Prix reached 400,000, with women accounting for an astonishing 42 percent. According to incomplete statistics, at least 5 percent of the female spectators came specifically to see Toncher and Leclerc.
Why is Leclerc one of the most commercially valuable drivers in the paddock even without WDC? Ferrari's platform is one factor, but Leclerc's good looks are another.
Although Tanger doesn't benefit from the platform, his commercial value is trending in a similar direction to Leclerc.
Tang Jingqing had already received several collaboration invitations from brands, mostly those in the fashion industry, clearly attracted by his good looks.
Tang Jingqing still didn't like the prices offered by these brands and rejected them all.
Tang Che, who only wanted to drive and not attend any business events, naturally agreed wholeheartedly.
Having won over the fans, Tang Che arrived at the private room.
Verstappen, Leclerc, Russell, and Norris were all present.
Verstappen and Leclerc were chatting and laughing. Norris was scrolling through his phone with a grin. Russell sat there looking at the menu, his face not looking too good, probably still upset about the two cars' retirement from the race today.
Tang Che, always eager for drama, sat down and asked Russell, "You and Lewis...?"
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Bonus Chapter: F1 Meme Guide - Tang Che's One Scheme Harms Three Wise Men
In the 2022 F1 Australian Grand Prix, after Ferrari driver Sainz retired, Tontard aggressively defended Perez, causing damage to Perez's front wing and a 5-second penalty, almost eliminating his chances of competing for a podium finish.
Perez's drop-off gave Mercedes' Hamilton and Russell a chance to compete for a podium finish. The two battled fiercely for a podium position, but ultimately lost control and crashed, retiring from the race.
After Hamilton and Russell retired from the race, Norris of McLaren took the podium, and Perez, behind Norris, also had a chance to compete for a podium position.
In an effort to secure Norris's podium finish, Ricciardo, behind Perez, pushed his car to the limit to frantically restrain Perez, ultimately causing his engine to explode and forcing him to retire from the race.
One of Tontatta's defensive plays led to the retirement of three drivers, which is why fans jokingly call it "Tontatta's one trick that harmed three wise men".