Advancement Mode

Chapter 127 Advancement Mode
The first free practice session lasted ninety minutes, though not strictly divided, but basically divided into three segments of thirty minutes each.

Each segment has different testing tasks. In the third segment, the cars often test the rhythm of qualifying and simulate it.

Of course, it cannot compare to the realism of the simulation in the second and third free practice sessions, but it is indeed the first time for the car to enter a brand new track, to get a preliminary look at the car's setup and adaptability, and to understand the car's potential on this track, thus summarizing the first free practice session.

Therefore, unless there are major unresolved problems with the car, almost all drivers will choose to test their rhythm in the last thirty minutes.

Especially the last fifteen minutes.

Today was no exception. After more than an hour of silence, the track seemed to be ignited, and the smell of gunpowder quietly spread between the forest and the mountains, with the low-frequency vibrations of engine roars echoing in the air.

One after another, the excitement is non-stop, witnessing F1 cars chasing each other and pushing the limits at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit is definitely a visual treat.

"Carlos Sainz! Toro Rosso's Sainz has set a new fastest lap time!"

"Vettel followed closely and immediately broke the record."

"Esteban-Ocon... Ah, it's a real shame that time was lost at the bus stop, so this lap obviously won't be able to break the record."

The air is burning.

It was noticeable that the temperature at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit was rising steadily, and as the rankings changed rapidly during the first free practice session, viewers watching the live broadcast on TV rediscovered their long-lost enthusiasm, their hearts pounding and their arms waving in cheers, creating a noisy and exciting atmosphere.

Lap times were broken time and time again, and the surging passion came in layers upon layers, familiar names and changing numbers kept flooding the screen, and adrenaline and dopamine were burning.

Then, the king ascended to the top—

"1:45.555!"

"Lewis Hamilton set the fastest record. After returning from the summer break, Mercedes-Benz performed exceptionally well, and their upward momentum shows no signs of stopping."

Although it was just the first free practice session and no one really cared about the rankings for this warm-up, the fierce competition between the teams was still brewing beneath the surface. It could be seen as a simulation of the upcoming official confrontation, as well as a strategic move to prepare for the battle.

No driver will take it easy.

Vettel, Bottas, Ricciardo, Verstappen completed their flying laps one after another, while the fastest lap time, which had been changing hands repeatedly, remained rock solid. These familiar faces were unable to shake Hamilton's record, and Mercedes once again demonstrated its dominance.

The heated discussions continued, but Zhang Qiaomu raised an obvious question: "What about Zhizhou?"

Yes, where is Lu Zhizhou?

Demons and monsters appeared on stage, but why was Lu Zhizhou nowhere to be seen in the live broadcast? The commentators in the live broadcast room even forgot he was there.

The other commentators were not familiar with Lu Zhizhou and only noticed his appearance today; but even Sky Sports' two commentators who closely followed Lu Zhizhou, Brendel and Croft, did not mention him, temporarily forgetting that a rookie was sitting in the Ferrari No. 7 car.

Croft cannot be blamed. In 2017, it was rare for rookie drivers to run their first free practice session. They usually only represented small and medium-sized teams. Moreover, small and medium-sized teams lacked trust in them and often let them run on medium and soft tires, rather than running on supersoft tires as they did in qualifying.

Even Verstappen, who ran his first free practice session at the Suzuka circuit in Japan in 2014, only finished twelfth.

To date, no rookie driver has ever finished in the top ten in their first free practice session. Never.

In other words, Croft and other professionals believed that Lu Zhizhou's participation in Ferrari's first free practice session was more of a publicity stunt than a practical event. They believed that Lu Zhizhou's role was to conduct tests, record data, and provide feedback, which was no different from the tests in Maranello.

So, when the top drivers in the paddock were setting new fastest lap times, naturally no one noticed Lu Zhizhou, that little shrimp.

Moreover, this was the first free practice session, so there was no need to take it too seriously. After Hamilton ran a good time, he went straight back.

Vettel did the same; after completing two flying laps without setting a new time, he declared the free practice session over and returned to the pits.

However, Lu Zhizhou did not.

Greenwood thought Lu Zhizhou would be eager and impatient to show off, just like his extreme speed at the beginning; but Lu Zhizhou did not. He remained focused, collecting data and completing tests, diligently finishing today's testing tasks.

Calm and wise.

It was completely different from the reckless and inexperienced rookie I had expected.

For some reason, Greenwood also became curious about what kind of results Lu Zhizhou could achieve if he entered push mode.

Of course, this No. 7 car will eventually be used by Raikkonen, so Greenwood needs to see how Lu Zhizhou's basic setup is in today's first free practice session, in order to lay the groundwork and prepare for Raikkonen's return in the next two free practice sessions. He needs Lu Zhizhou to run the fastest lap time.

"Advance. Lu, advance."

After a pause, Greenwood subconsciously offered a reminder.

"Don't push too hard, don't reveal our trump cards to the competitors, just enjoy Spa at your own pace, one flying lap."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Greenwood slapped his forehead. What was he worrying about? It was as if Lu Zhizhou could actually push the car to its limits.

In the paddock, it's incredibly foolish for opponents to know the limits of your car beforehand, as it could put your strategy at a disadvantage. Therefore, during the three free practice sessions, the teams won't push themselves to the limit, but will instead conduct some partial simulations based on the rhythm of qualifying and the race.

For example, after collecting data on top speeds on long straights, high-speed corners, and low-speed corners, the team simulates the condition of the car and then predicts its limits, making a simple judgment on the pace of qualifying and the race.

Other teams naturally have no way of knowing how much of the data from practice sessions is inflated.

In other words, progress needs to be made, but it cannot be made at full speed. Greenwood is worried that Lu Zhizhou, that hothead, will recklessly push forward at full speed, thus exposing Ferrari's trump card.

But... does Lu Zhizhou have that ability?

As soon as Greenwood finished speaking, he held his breath and stared intently at the screen.

"Received." Lu Zhizhou's response came through the radio, still calm and composed.

I took a few breaths to adjust my breathing, and that was it. The state of high concentration and tension continued throughout, and my adrenaline was still burning. After the start of the free practice, I was finally able to chase speed again, and this time it wasn't just a moment of passion, but the entire speed lap.

Lu Zhizhou also wanted to see how much energy this red Ferrari could unleash in his hands, and how much potential he could squeeze out of the race car with his current abilities.

As Lu Zhizhou entered the straightaway via Turn 17, his attention was fully focused. He smoothly navigated the slow S-curve combination at the last bus stop, flew out of Turn 19 and entered the straightaway, flooring the accelerator and soaring through the speed.

The focused, dedicated, and proactive approach has officially begun!
The engine roared, overwhelming, like a low-altitude bombardment piercing the eardrums and penetrating deep into the bone marrow. A current of electricity rushed through the spine and into the nerves, reaching every corner of the body before one could even breathe. Muscles tensed slightly, and one used fingers, soles of feet, and the whole body to feel the race car.

Attention, completely absorbed.

A gentle slope, then a continuous ascent.

Without braking, accelerating continuously, the race car transformed into a red torrent and plunged headlong into the No. 1 Laszlo hairpin bend in a flash.

The race car, like a sharp blade, plunged into the apex of the Laszlo Bend. Continuous braking techniques kept the car firmly under control, maintaining speed and throttle, breaking through the corner and cascading down like a waterfall. With a powerful dive, it continued to push the speed to its limit along the straight.

Rolling waves, sword pointing towards the Red River bend—

Boom, boom, it climbed to the top, plunged down to the valley floor, and then once again broke free from the shackles of gravity, riding on a rolling wave of air, and stepped onto that uphill straight road.

It's like a roller coaster with 360 turns.

The accelerator was floored, and the deep, resonant roar sent a shiver down my spine. My internal organs felt jostled together, as G-force, gravity, and pressure surged forth like a tidal wave. My muscles tensed and began to resist, using every ounce of strength to defy the laws of physics, and my adrenaline exploded.

Proceed at full speed.

"...Lu Zhizhou activates advance mode!"

Even though the live broadcast cameras didn't catch it, Brendel kept looking for the No. 7 car through the multi-view camera, and he was the first to spot it.

The red Ferrari began to accelerate at a completely different pace, so much so that the camera started to blur, and Brendel's voice rose involuntarily.

"Ferrari 7! It should be... Yes! Lu Zhizhou, this lap is the flying lap!"

"There were no slow trains ahead, and Lu Zhizhou found a clean window. His line looked very neat and smooth, as if he had completely adapted to Spa."

Croft, who had been watching Verstappen closely, noticed that Verstappen missed his braking point at Turn 5, Lescombe, and that he probably had no chance for another flying lap. He turned his attention away, and the live stream camera shifted from Verstappen to Lu Zhizhou.

“We’ve almost ignored his existence before, but now—let’s see what he can do.”

At the end of the straight road, the ground and sky meet, like a precipice, and you can't see the view beyond the peak. There are no roads, no trees, only an endless gray-blue sky stretching out.

The Red River Bend stretches out beneath your feet, but there's no trace of the Kemer Straight Road here; only true heroes can push open that gate.

Without hesitation, without the slightest doubt.

Full throttle.

In an instant, the car's undercarriage almost scraped the ground, gripping the track tightly amidst fierce downforce and changes in altitude, like a rock climber ascending along a blade, first left then right, weaving along the ground in S-curves, speeding from the abyss to the summit, the peak within reach in the blink of an eye.

The engine roared at high frequency, and a streak of red light cleaved through the air, with rolling waves of air surging backward like a flood, almost as if it were about to take flight.

Croft's heart leaped into his throat, almost bursting out of his mouth. "Full throttle through Red River Bend! Almost zero corrections!"

The words lingered on his lips; he forgot to breathe, forgot his heartbeat, his eyes fixed intently on that fleeting red blur—

Speeding at full speed, without slowing down in the curves, climbing steadily, just where the ground meets the sky, the direction was subtly and smoothly corrected slightly to the left. The high-speed Ferrari 7, hugging the outer shoulder, plunged into the Kaymer Straight like an arrow released from a bow.

Light and agile, the car body is almost invisible to the eye, only a fleeting afterimage can be barely caught. It stretches out in a mighty, electric current-like manner, connecting the Red River Bend and the Kemer Straight. Croft involuntarily straightened his back, as if he could clearly feel the electric current coursing through his spine.

"Perfect!"

"It all comes down to intuition and inspiration. Lu Zhizhou's level of trust and understanding of racing is astonishing; this is not the kind of courage a novice should have."

Vibrant and swift as lightning—

"First time trial, purple!"

The live broadcast camera also noticed this scene, completely locking onto the Ferrari No. 7 race car. Song Bo, who was watching on TV, couldn't control himself and suddenly stood up.

Zhang Qiaomu was confused. "Song Bo, what do you mean?"

Song Bo didn't turn around, "The fastest in the whole event! Zhizhou is setting the fastest lap time!"

Actually, Zhang Qiaomu still couldn't understand, but she didn't ask any more questions because Jiang Mo was holding her right hand tightly, her palm curled up in pain.

Zhang Qiaomu looked at the television screen, watching the increasingly fast-moving red streak of light, and she couldn't help but hold her breath.

The atmosphere was boiling; heartbeats and breaths were out of control amidst the deafening roar of the engines; and the soul seemed to gradually lose itself in the heatwave.

Before you could even react, the Lescombe combination bend was already in front of you—

Without greed or hesitation, Lu Zhizhou precisely applied the brakes, cutting into Turn 5 two meters ahead of time. He sped past the right apex of the turn, turning, braking, and exiting the corner in one fluid motion. He glided through Turn 6, and at the end of the S-shaped line, he slightly delayed braking, hugging the outer apex of Turn 7, making full use of the entire curve of the corner. With a quick press of the accelerator and a push of the steering wheel, he rapidly pulled back the rear of the car that was about to pounce.

boom!
Speed ​​was unleashed once more, leaving Les Compabe Bend with a thunderous roar as it plunged into the main straight, speeding off again towards the next hairpin bend at full throttle.

Pleasant to watch!

Croft almost applauded Lu Zhizhou; the driving line choice from the Kemer Straight to the Lescombe Bend was a work of art.

Out-in-out, the timing of entering the corner, the fine-tuning of the line, the correction of the direction, and the timing of exiting the corner were all perfect.

"He chose a very tight line, without greedily taking up the kerb, and the entire distribution from the initial entry into the corner to the final exit was very smart."

"Obviously, he knew this wasn't qualifying and that he needed to conserve tire temperature; there was no need to take risks."

However, Croft's judgment was wrong this time.

Lu Zhizhou's "scientific choice" is not about controlling tire temperature, but about achieving a balance.

F1 can be understood as an upgrade model that pushes GP3 to its absolute limit. In pursuit of ultimate speed, it means that every part and every aspect also needs to be perfect. But like a hexagon, if everything is pursued to the extreme, the balance may be broken and the whole game will be lost.

Therefore, finding a balance in the pursuit of perfection is the key to breaking through the limits, and it is also the challenge faced by teams and drivers.

That's the reality at Spa-Francorchamps. Pursuing straight-line speed inevitably comes at the cost of cornering grip. While you can go full throttle 72% of the time at Spa, corners like Laszlo (1), Lescombe (5), and Bus Stop (18) are where you absolutely must brake. Add to that the constant combination corners and S-curves, and cornering grip becomes equally important.

Furthermore, it could become the key to determining the outcome of the game.

In today's first free practice session, the No. 7 car was tuned slightly more for straight-line speed, which meant sacrificing some cornering grip.

Therefore, at Laszlos and Lescombe, Lu Zhizhou made some adjustments to his driving line, firmly maintaining dynamic balance and ensuring exit speed.

Everything is about gaining speed on the straightaways to ensure that the engine potential of the race car can be squeezed out.

It requires not only focusing on speed, but also having a holistic awareness. Only by clearly understanding your position and condition on the track can you unleash your full potential.

Leaving Turn 8 and Turn 9, the road straights again, and we race at full speed, going downhill and diving all the way, like a fighter jet crashing into city buildings. The horseshoe-shaped Puhong Bend is now in sight, with lush trees and red and yellow road barriers indicating the direction of the curve.

At the same time, a Red Bull race car was leisurely entering the first left turn of Pujon Bend.

That was... race car number 33.

Oh no! Traffic jam!

This is a very common situation in free practice. Different teams and drivers have different strategies and rhythms, and their speeds and positions on the track are completely different. If you are not careful, a bunch of slow cars may crowd the track and disrupt a flying lap that is in progress.

Moreover, this is not the main race, so there is no issue of laps, and slower cars do not need to give way to faster cars.

Giving way is polite; not giving way is a right.

The situation is the same right now.

Obviously, Verstappen didn't know that Lu Zhizhou was setting a high lap time, so what should Lu Zhizhou do? Should he just give up on this high lap?
No, of course not.

Look around to make sure there's enough space, build a three-dimensional model in your mind, and look down at the entire horseshoe-shaped Puhong Bend from above.

Then, slightly ease off the throttle, adjust the steering angle, and guide the suspension into its optimal operating state to ensure stability when entering the corner.

He still vividly remembers the overheating of his front tires at Puhong Bend today, and how he needed to make subtle adjustments if he wanted to take the corner at high speed.

Then, I decisively stepped on the accelerator again, and with the steering correction, I sped past the apex of Turn 10 with great danger. The surging G-force pulled my body, heart, and internal organs to the right. In the midst of the enormous inertia and force, I could even hear the sound of bones grinding together.

In that brief moment, man and vehicle became one, free from all distractions, completely absorbed in the moment, and it seemed as if one could clearly hear the gurgling sound of the wind and sunlight flowing through them.

Thump, boom boom.

His heartbeat and the engine were perfectly synchronized. For the first time, he felt the limits of himself and the race car, teetering on the edge of a cliff, on the verge of falling apart at any moment.

The car slid slightly on the edge of its limit, once again revealing its lack of grip. Like a wild horse, it was about to go out of control. But in a flash, he didn't let go of the accelerator—or rather, he refused to let go. Instead, he gritted his teeth and desperately tried to turn the tide on the edge of danger. The tires hugged the edge of the curb, precisely using the track's tolerance to maximize traction, refusing to lose speed. He stood on the steel cable, arms outstretched, riding the storm.

"Unparalleled balance! Elite-level control!"

"Unbelievable! God, unbelievable!"

With a slight correction in direction, I regained my balance amidst the turbulent waves. This incredible dynamic balance allowed me to control my center of gravity and emerge from the No. 10 left turn. I glided through the short straight like a streamlined line, and the second left turn of the Puhong Bend—the No. 11 left turn—was already within reach.

Of course, there's also the tail of Red Bull race car number 33.

He continued to adjust his direction, cutting from the outside to the center line, using the speed difference and a more precise cornering posture to approach Verstappen's inside. He didn't loosen the throttle, and the G-force continued to press against his body like a tide. He could almost feel his muscles being torn apart at high speed before cutting into the inside.

Boom, boom boom boom!
Car number 7 and car number 33 are now driving side by side.

"Wow!"

"Lu Zhizhou felt the limit at Puhong Bend. He made slight corrections to the car body, demonstrating superb control."

"Cut the inside line from the outside!"

"Attack! Lu Zhizhou encountered Verstappen's slow pace, but he was not prepared to give up and launched an attack without hesitation! He showed an unparalleled tough stance!"

"Car number 33 and car number 7 are paired wheel-to-wheel!"

The engine roared, turbulent currents surged, and the continuous, layered G-forces were dragging Lu Zhizhou's body away relentlessly.

However, Lu Zhizhou was extremely focused, displaying incredible courage and determination. He never let go of the accelerator, relying entirely on delicate and precise steering control. Taking advantage of his inside line, he overtook others in the corners, slowly catching up and running alongside car number 33 wheel-to-wheel.

With a turn of their heads, the two young men exchanged glances through their helmets, and amidst the dazzling, surging waves, they collided violently.

Verstappen was taken aback: a murderous aura!
He could clearly feel the burning killing intent, even though it wasn't rushing towards him, he was still full of questions.

Damn it, this is just a practice match, okay? Calm down, man, calm down!
In a brief encounter, in the blink of an eye, their line of sight was severed, and Lu Zhizhou, who had taken control of the inside of the bend, had already sped away from the curve.

A billowing red shockwave crashed down, instantly engulfing race car number 33.

Verstappen, "Damn!"

"Is he out of his mind, or is he just a born idiot? Does that moron even know what he's doing? Does he think this is some kind of championship battle?"

"How did he overtake at Puhong Bend? Damn it!"

Cursing and swearing, Verstappen's profanities erupted from the Red Bull radio.

But nobody cared.

Because everyone's attention was completely focused on the Ferrari No. 7 race car, not only the professional commentators and the audience at the scene, but also Zhang Qiaomu and Jiang Mo in front of the TV.

Just as car number 33 and car number 7 were wheel-to-wheel, Zhang Qiaomu's heart leaped into her throat. Completely oblivious, she gripped Jiang Mo's right hand tightly, her whole body tense as she stared intently at the television screen, experiencing the unprecedented clarity and realism, truly feeling the ultimate speed.

"Second time slot! Still purple!"

"The fastest in the entire event!"

The CCTV commentator's voice was filled with shock and excitement; even though it was only the first free practice match, his blood was already boiling.

"incredible!"

"Who could believe that this is Lu Zhizhou's first time driving an F1 car in an official race, and that it's right at the hellish Spa circuit?"

The shock came like a tidal wave, one after another.

On the F1 stage, a seventeen-year-old Chinese boy made his debut, igniting the brilliance of Ferrari red and attracting the world's attention and frenzy.

At breakneck speed, Lu Zhizhou remained focused and concentrated, maintaining his offensive momentum. This was not a contest between him and anyone else, it had nothing to do with Verstappen, the Ferrari team, or any other drivers in the paddock; it was solely about speed. He yearned to challenge the limits of speed.

Let's push the limits of the race car's performance and see how high this Ferrari can go in our hands.
This is a battle he has with himself.

Of course, Lu Zhizhou wasn't the only one on the track. As Lu Zhizhou sped through the Fangs combination corner, Sainz made way for him, allowing him to pass at high speed.

As the car sped through the Stavelott Bend, I could even see out of the corner of my eye that Ocon, who had cleared the lane, raised his right fist to cheer him on.

Then--

Another legendary high-speed corner of Spa-Francorchamps, Blanchemont, is now in sight. It is a double left-hand corner, with turns 16 and 17.

The left turn is indeed a left turn, but it is only a high-speed turn of about 18 to 22 degrees. While you need to pay attention to the lane markings, you can still pass through at full throttle. The lush trees unfold slowly along the Blanchemont Bend like a painting, which is undoubtedly an absolute visual treat.

Should I release the accelerator or not?

On an experiential level, the nerves and muscles that have been subjected to continuous pressure from G-force are telling him: he is still not familiar enough and needs to be more cautious.

Seven kilometers of driving, nearly ninety seconds of tension and concentration, the body and mind are subjected to a continuous surge of adrenaline, and you may subconsciously want to take control of the situation. The overheated front tires are also giving you a warning, but you just need to ease off the accelerator a little and control the situation slightly.

However, Lu Zhizhou did not. He let the pedal reach its limit, recklessly testing the extreme edge of danger and conservatism, putting aside all reason and experience, trusting only his intuition, and sprinting at full speed.

Thump, thump.

His heart pounded wildly, but at the peak of his power, he vanished into nothingness. Even the roar of the engine disappeared, leaving only him and the race car in his hands.

Sprint, run wildly, run with all your might in the storm.

He said he wanted to see where his current limits were.

Speed ​​continued to soar, and the scenery on both sides of the track transformed into a streak of light, surging and surging forward, instantly igniting everyone's frenzy.

"Hey!"

"Full throttle and go all out!"

"Lu Zhizhou is not conservative!"

Croft felt a tingling sensation on his scalp and his palms were sweating profusely. He could hardly believe that he was witnessing a rookie's F1 debut.

However, amidst the frenzy and excitement, Lu Zhizhou remained remarkably calm, maintaining 100% focus without the slightest lapse in concentration.

Turn 16, entering Blanchemont Bend!

A papaya orange color appeared in my field of vision; it was number fourteen.

This is Alonso's car, currently being driven by Norris.

It's clear that Norris is also trying to fly laps, but McLaren is still struggling. Even with Norris's best efforts, he couldn't increase the speed. At Spa, this means they may face a bad situation, lacking competitiveness in both qualifying and the race.

Despite McLaren's lack of straight-line speed, Lu Zhizhou relentlessly pushed the car's energy to catch up. However, even on the flying laps, it was still a very difficult task for Ferrari to overtake with absolute speed. In the race, it often required one or two laps of intense competition to achieve this.

However, Lu Zhizhou remained calm and not greedy. In any case, both race cars were on the flying lap and would not interfere with each other. It would be fine for them to cross the finish line one after the other.

If the opportunity arises, that's a different story.

Lu Zhizhou quickly caught up with Norris, and in the first left turn, he plunged into Norris's wake, effortlessly increasing his speed.

Norris noticed it immediately, seeing that splash of Ferrari red in the rearview mirror.

Norris grinned, not trying to shake off Lu Zhizhou, but instead helping Lu Zhizhou create a trail, and the two race cars sped through the Blanchemont Bend one after the other.

It whizzed past, leaving a trail of dazzling light.

Air currents, surging.

The high-speed, all-out drive led to a wide, straight road. Lu Zhizhou didn't hesitate to veer off to the outside, completely ignoring Norris, who was holding the inside line and preparing for the next bend.

The straight ahead leads to Spa's second DRS zone, the second fastest section of the track!

Lu Zhizhou unleashed the full power of the Ferrari engine, catching up with Norris at a speed visible to the naked eye, keeping pace with him, and even slightly peeking out from the outside to overtake him. At this moment, it was clear that the Ferrari engine's performance had been proven at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, completely outperforming McLaren's Honda engine.

Following Verstappen, Lu Zhizhou and Norris then faced off in a round-robin match.

Norris was slightly different; he was also racing in circles and had no reason to give way, so he engaged in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Lu Zhizhou without yielding an inch.

The straight road gradually ascends, showcasing the steepness and difficulty of the climb, ending at the slowest bus stop in the entire area, presenting yet another challenge.

One after the other, one outside and one inside, car number seven and car number fourteen entered the bus station side by side.

And, it continues to climb uphill.

Lu Zhizhou, with his advantageous position, was the first to enter the bend.

Norris had the advantage on the line and blocked the inside lane.

At the moment when the speed reached its limit, Lu Zhizhou slammed on the brakes, steadily decelerated, and precisely cut into the apex of the curve.

The slight increase in gradient added a bit of braking pressure, but also made the timing of entering the curve more difficult to control. He was a fraction of a second late, but completed the turn perfectly.

A slight turn of the steering wheel, followed by precise acceleration!
Lu Zhizhou hadn't forgotten that they were still on the hillside, with a heavier load on the rear of the car, so the traction had to be perfect. On the right, they could see Norris's number fourteen car slowly overtaking them in the corners.

But Lu Zhizhou ignored Norris and firmly maintained his line. In the S-curve, after the first right turn, the next one was a left turn—

From outside to inside.

Lu Zhizhou could feel the lack of grip in the curves. With continuous extreme maneuvers, driving the vehicle became increasingly difficult, and the feeling of standing on a knife's edge and teetering on the brink of collapse became more and more obvious.

Therefore, he had to ease off the accelerator a little earlier in the braking zone, sacrificing a bit of speed, and firmly hold onto the inside apex of the bend. He then chipped away at the disadvantage again in the second part of the bus stop, with the two cars almost touching each other, and only a fingertip's width between the wheels and wheel arches.

Confrontation! Suppression! A pincer movement!

Lu Zhizhou suppressed Norris and rushed out first.

Narrow, compact, unyielding, bayonet charges.

The most difficult part about the bus station was that it was not only slow but also narrow, with almost no space between Lu Zhizhou and Norris.

A real bayonet fight!

Furthermore, as Lu Zhizhou exited the corner, he inevitably cut outwards, squeezing Norris's racing line. His car slid slightly, the rear end sweeping at an angle, tightly hugging the outer edge of Norris's car.

Slight scratch!

Huh!
Heart, stop beating!
Not only Croft and Brendel, but also the Ferrari and McLaren teams in the pit lane, Zhang Qiaomu and Jiang Mo in front of the TV, and others in the paddock.

Haas team principal Steiner was stunned. "Damn! That idiot has caused trouble!"

He swore and blurted it out.

The whole world seemed to press pause at that moment, and everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Fortunately, this was the slowest section of the Spa circuit, and both of them were a bit clumsy, so the collision didn't cause any injury, but it did put them on edge.

At the critical moment, Norris slammed on the brakes. In the intense close-quarters collision, Norris instinctively chose to take control.

But Lu Zhizhou didn't. His nerves were on edge. In the blink of an eye, he seized the opportunity to accelerate, and at the perfect moment, he dragged the slightly sliding rear end of the car out of the bend, instantly shaking off the car. The roar of the engine burst forth again, and the speed began to climb to its peak once more.

Boom! Boom boom boom!

The roar of the engine instantly engulfed Norris; in a mere flash, the No. 7 race car, with the throttle fully depressed, had already sped away.

Before they could even blink, the red and papaya orange lights had already shifted positions, and the distance between them increased instantly and continued to widen at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The air ignited, burning fiercely like flames, and the buzzing, buzzing noise engulfed the stunned audience like a tidal wave.

Timer, stop!

"1:45.488!"

Stunned, breath caught in their throats, mind went blank, and the entire arena fell silent as everyone stared in disbelief at the red Ferrari silhouette that vanished into thin air.

The collision of speed and passion transformed into a raging heatwave that swept across the entire venue, spreading like wildfire. The entire Spa circuit came to a standstill, everything was put on pause, and it completely lost its ability to react.

Brendel blinked, paused, and then asked, "Lu Zhizhou... broke the record for the fastest lap?"

The last syllable rose slightly, carrying uncertainty, as if she couldn't believe her own judgment. The words came out instinctively, but her brain couldn't keep up with the reaction. She turned to Croft for confirmation, her eyes full of astonishment. She had witnessed it with her own eyes but still didn't understand what she had witnessed.

And that's how it happened.

In front of the television, Zhang Qiaomu and Jiang Mo looked at each other, completely bewildered and trembling, yet they did not understand what had happened.

Jiang Mo hesitated for a moment before asking, "Doctor, what does this mean?"

Song Bo, who had been standing there in a daze, slowly turned his head, thought seriously for a moment, and tried to regain his composure from the shock, "Fastest lap time."

"The leader has surpassed Hamilton's record, setting a new fastest record in the first free practice session."

After muttering to himself, he shuddered and raised his hands high, shouting wildly.

"Fastest lap time! Fastest in the entire event! Boss is the fastest in the entire event! Ahh ...

Song Bo jumped up, overjoyed and lost in ecstasy, bursting with happiness, wanting the whole world to hear his shouts and let himself go.

Not only Song Bo, but Brendel was in no better shape. The surging thoughts in his mind exploded instantly, and surging passion burst out of his throat.

"Three-stage purple brush! The fastest in the entire event!"

"I can't believe it, I really can't believe it! What has this child accomplished?"

"God! What are we witnessing?"

What exactly are we witnessing?!

(End of this chapter)