Keep Going Crazy Chapter 1

*The characters, places, companies, and events depicted in this novel are fictional and have no relation to reality.

*For the sake of realism, some parts have been intentionally written without strictly adhering to standard language norms.

*The descriptions of the sports genre used as material for the novel may differ from reality, and some regulations may have been arbitrarily modified.

A profession that only about twenty-odd people in the entire world can hold.

In terms of rarity, there was probably no profession that could rival an F1 driver. That’s why securing the title of ‘F1 driver’ is no easy feat. Of course, holding onto it is far more difficult.

Approaching a sharp corner, Ryeoun pressed the brakes with a hair’s breadth to spare. The tyres left long streaks as they grazed the kerb. It would have been a collision with the wall if he’d been even a second later, but Ryeoun wore a relaxed smile.

‘Good performance.’

Even though he wasn’t yet accustomed to the racing car, he could clearly feel it was a good machine.

His heart pounded fast.

Driving was, for Ryeoun, an activity that gave him more dopamine than anything else.

If asked before he died to choose between sex and driving, Ryeoun was ready to pick driving without a moment’s hesitation.

Speeds exceeding 350 km/h always pushed Ryeoun to his limits. Every time he hit the brakes in situations that felt like being driven off a cliff, Ryeoun felt a thrill that shot right through his spine. A spine-tingling moment incomparable to anything else.

— Sector 2 clear, delta +0.3

The engineer’s voice came through the radio. Ryeoun clicked his tongue inwardly.

He’d managed to improve his lap times over several runs, but there was still plenty to tweak before he could fully adapt to the racing car.

With a roar, Ryeoun’s car pulled into the pit. Stopping in the garage, he lightly extracted himself from the driver’s seat.

The team director and chief engineer approached Ryeoun.

“Feeling any better?”

Rowan Grayston, the director, asked. His expression was nonchalant, but his eyes were full of expectation.

Ryeoun took off his helmet and shook his hair. His dark eyes glinted between the damp strands. He then widened his eyes and pulled a mischievous expression.

“It’s way better than I expected. Even better than the first time I drove it. I don’t think it’ll take long to get used to it.”

Laughter broke out among the mechanic team at Ryeoun’s playful tone.

For this season, ‘Helix Racing,’ the team Ryeoun had newly joined, had opened up an entire afternoon for a driver test specifically for Ryeoun.

The quiet circuit owned by a sponsor was smaller compared to Silverstone, but it wasn’t bad for testing the race car’s performance.

It was a private test conducted before the season began, the result of the team’s biggest sponsor going out of their way for the new rookie driver.

He was confident he could perform well, but feeling that someone was looking out for him was another matter entirely.

Joining Helix Racing was nothing short of a stroke of luck for Ryeoun.

Previously, Ryeoun had been with ‘Horizon Motorsport.’

It was the team that had first given him an F1 seat, and everyone from the director to the engineers and mechanics were good people… but the car’s performance was just too poor.

There was a reason the team always languished near the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship.

Due to issues with sponsors, they faced repeated financial difficulties and struggled with a lack of development resources.

They were, however, proactive in scouting young rookie drivers due to their lack of funds. Thanks to that, Ryeoun had managed to get his first F1 seat there.

But even after Ryeoun joined, their results remained consistently mediocre. Miraculously, Ryeoun had scored points three times, but it seemed there was no way to improve further. The visible limitations were clear.

Then, the transfer offer that came flying in from Helix was like diving into sweet honey.

Even before the Grand Prix season was over, Ryeoun didn’t hesitate to stamp his signature on the contract with Helix.

He wasn’t receiving a massive salary, and the contract was only a one-year seasonal deal, but it felt like an opportunity. A chance to prove himself.

If he gave it his all and produced good results, he could surely extend the contract. Ryeoun had that much confidence in himself.

He was already sick of losing. And it wasn’t just losing. According to Ryeoun’s own words, losing because of a ‘goddamn garbage racing car’ was the absolute worst.

“Will the porpoising be fixed before the Grand Prix?”

Ryeoun asked, squinting one eye towards Allensa, the chief engineer. She hummed, “Hmm,” for a moment, then nodded.

“I’ll do my best. I think it’s probably possible.”

“Then all I have to do is drive well.”

That was answer enough. She was currently the most sought-after engineer in the Formula One industry.

It was unclear how much money Helix had poured in to bring her here, but as long as she didn’t leave, Helix’s racing cars would be consistently upgraded.

“Need an energy drink?”

Younghoo, his manager who had worked with him even before he got his F1 seat, came over with a large tumbler and asked. Ryeoun shrugged his shoulders.

“Sure.”

“…So, how is it?”

Younghoo subtly steered Ryeoun to a corner of the pit and spoke in a low voice. Ryeoun nodded and answered honestly.

“It’s fucking great.”

“How great?”

“Like when you first drive a newly released hybrid after riding around in a rattling van?”

That was something Younghoo had actually done. As Ryeoun’s earnings rapidly increased and his own salary rose, Younghoo was the first to buy a brand-new sedan. The rattling van was promptly sent to the scrapyard.

Younghoo burst out laughing at Ryeoun’s answer.

Whenever Ryeoun drove the Horizon Motorsport car, which was struggling with financial issues, he’d spew an endless stream of curses and complaints.

Just the fact that they’d escaped from that made Younghoo feel like his lifespan had been extended by about five years.

“Where’s Aiden?”

Li Wei’s voice, the chief mechanic of Helix, was heard. Even from a distance, the name ‘Aiden’ made Ryeoun’s ears perk up.

If there was one driver who had contributed the most to Helix Racing achieving its current fame, it would be the team’s current first driver, ‘Aiden Seunghyun Carter.’

A man whose name alone could make the hearts of countless Formula One fans race. A man who, despite his 189cm height, drove a racing car the fastest. The current era’s greatest driver, with three consecutive World Championships to his name.

That was Aiden Carter.

As his middle name ‘Seunghyun’ suggests, he is a quarter-Korean British man of Korean descent. Because of this, Aiden was immensely popular in Korea compared to other F1 drivers.

Ever since he joined Helix Racing, the team had soared to success as if they had grown wings. Compared to their past, hovering in 4th or 5th place in the Constructors’ Championship, it was as if they’d strapped on a rocket booster.

Helix Racing is a long-established, traditional F1 team based in the UK. In the past, Helix used to command Formula One, but just as the sun rises, there comes a time when it must set.

For several years, Helix had been disappointing fans with sluggish results.

As the team name suggests, Helix Racing emphasized the bond between the three elements—’driver + engineer + staff’—but unfortunately, a series of unfortunate events had occurred internally.

There were political issues and financial problems, but… in any case, the scattered issues quickly subsided with Aiden’s arrival.

To them, the person called Aiden Carter must have seemed like a savior who suddenly descended one day.

“Hey, you okay?”

Younghoo asked, his face full of concern as he brought his own face right up in front of Ryeoun’s.

“…Get your mug out of my face.”

“What’s this ‘mug’ talk to your hyung?”

Leaving the grumbling Younghoo behind, Ryeoun, with a fluttering heart, desperately tried to comb back his disheveled, messy bangs as neatly as possible.

“Getting nervous?”

Younghoo asked in a teasing voice. Ryeoun glared at him.

Every rookie driver in F1 admires Aiden. He’s the driver who shattered so many records that could be set at a young age.

Ryeoun loved Aiden’s races so much that if anyone asked who his favorite driver was, he could answer ‘Aiden Carter.’ He’d even watched several highlight reels showcasing his performance multiple times. So it was only natural for Ryeoun to look forward to meeting Aiden.

Of course, during the two years Ryeoun had driven for Horizon, he’d run into him in the paddock and exchanged brief pleasantries a few times. But becoming teammates and facing each other as such was a completely different matter.

Since he didn’t have even 0.1 grams of what could be called a personal connection, Ryeoun had been eagerly counting down the days until they would meet up close after becoming teammates.

“Aiden!”

Someone called Aiden’s name in a high-pitched voice.

Simultaneously, Ryeoun and Younghoo’s heads turned in that direction.

It was the appearance of the Aiden they had been waiting for.