Under the Spotlight

Chapter 128 Under the Spotlight
All was quiet, utterly silent. The whole world seemed to pause briefly, the bustling noise frozen in place, everything frozen in place.

It wasn't just Spa-Francorchamps; the world watched with bated breath, following the movement of the live camera.

Free practice? Rookie? Baby car driver?
so what!

Nothing else matters; one is simply immersed in the performance before one's eyes, pushing limits and chasing speed, like Icarus flying towards the sun. All eyes are focused on that splash of Ferrari red, the heart pounding uncontrollably, yet at the peak moment, it vanishes into nothingness and disappears completely.

Boom, boom.

All that remained in our ears was the roar of the engine, tearing through the green and blue expanse of Spa, leaving a breathtaking trail of crimson.

then.

All the noise and clamor vanished; the extreme madness and agitation finally gave way to ultimate tranquility, and the vanished heartbeat returned.

Plop, plop——

It slammed hard into his chest.

Brendel's admiration was spiraling out of control in the air.

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

"Oh! Jesus Christ!"

"Lu Zhizhou has broken Hamilton's record and set the fastest lap time in the first free practice session at Spa this year. It's unbelievable! I can't believe my eyes!"

"1:45.488!"

"This is Lu Zhizhou's first time stepping onto the official F1 track, and it is also Lu Zhizhou's first time coming to Spa. It has been less than ten months since he entered the world of Formula racing; but now, we are witnessing a spectacular lap, showing courage and boldness, which is amazing."

"and!"

"Furthermore, he even held back a bit. He controlled the car slightly at Blanchemont, and encountered opponents at Bus Stop and Pujon. He wasn't able to fully push the car to its limits, but he still set a new record for the fastest time of the day."

"God!"

"A rookie, a newcomer, stepping onto the F1 track for the first time in his professional career, even if it was just his first free practice session, he has already shown his talent."

"For the first time in history, and perhaps never before, a rookie driver has made it into the top ten of the free practice session."

"Then, we reached the top and became number one."

As soon as he finished speaking, Brendel burst out laughing. Only when he truly heard his own words did he realize how absurd it all was, and a shiver ran down his spine.

Turning his head, Brendel saw Croft, who was completely stunned and dumbfounded. The two had switched places; the usually boisterous one was now silent and trembling, while the usually calm and composed one was now completely out of control. This was the powerful impact of the scene before him.

Unconsciously, the two of them both laughed.

In the silence, Greenwood instinctively stood up, but not knowing why he stood up, he sat back down in a daze.

Greenwood stared blankly at the screen—

A lead in milliseconds, just 0.067 seconds ahead of Hamilton.

But leading is leading. Lu Zhizhou beat Hamilton and Vettel to set the fastest lap time in a free practice session for the first time. The numbers don't lie.

Shock spread in the silence, then transformed into a raging storm, with one or two people clutching their heads and hearts, descending into madness.

"Who is that?"

"Raikkonen? Right, Ferrari No. 7, that's Raikkonen, isn't it?"

"How is that possible! A rookie participating in a free practice match for the first time? Are you kidding me!"

"Who? Who are you talking about?"

"What's wrong? Who's that name that broke the record for first place? I've never seen it before!"

In an instant, it exploded—

boom!
A wave of intense heat spread outwards.

At this moment, Jiang Mo finally came to his senses. Looking at the crowd in front of him, who were excitedly high-fiving and celebrating with each other, he felt a little dizzy amidst the dazzling scene.

Turning to look at Zhang Qiaomu, Jiang Mo sought confirmation with his eyes.

Zhang Qiaomu swallowed hard. "Xiaozhou seems to have done something amazing."

Jiang Mo was stunned. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. All the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat, and finally turned into a bright smile.

"Hmm. That seems to be the case."

Jiang Mo turned to look at the TV screen again. On CCTV-5's live broadcast, exclamations, sighs, and cheers seemed to burst through the small screen.

My heart was enveloped in a wave of heat and began to pound wildly.

Cheers and jubilation! Exclamations of amazement! Unceasing praise!
From the Spa-Francorchamps circuit to the live broadcast studio and to every corner of the world, a frenzy swept through the world. Even viewers who were not interested in the first free practice session immediately felt the overwhelming heat and rushed over to join the celebration with great enthusiasm.

Perhaps it's just a free practice match, there's no need to make a fuss?
But those who truly understand motorsports know that even a free practice session is such a difficult and precious feat, not to mention the continuous surprises Lu Zhizhou has brought to GP3 this season. All these factors combined to create a frenzy throughout the entire motorsports world.

Over the radio, Greenwood finally snapped out of his daze, "First, man, first!"

"Wow, this is a surprise." Lu Zhizhou's voice sounded... unusually calm, even with a hint of teasing. "Excellent teamwork, thank you. I had a lot of fun today."

Greenwood: ... "Excellent work."

At this moment, Lu Zhizhou was happy. The first attempt at an official F1 circuit had come to a successful conclusion, which was something to be happy about. But beyond the happiness, there were also many gains.

It wasn't because "it's just a free practice session, there's no need to celebrate so much," but because "even with all our efforts, we still couldn't push the car to its limits."

For Lu Zhizhou, the first free practice session was about challenging himself. He tried to chase speed, he tried to squeeze out the car's performance and his own potential. He had only one task, which was to see the upper limit of his current ability.

Originally, he thought the GP3 challenge wouldn't be difficult, and the F1 challenge might be slightly more difficult but not too difficult, after all, he had already done quite a few tests in Maranello.

However, the actual track is different, and Spa is even more different. It truly made Lu Zhizhou feel the limits, with an invisible membrane blocking the way to continue exploring the limits.

No wonder people always say that F1 is different, like dancing on the edge of a knife; in Lu Zhizhou's view, it is like a spider wearing roller skates trying to control its body, with its eight legs going in different directions and out of control. He needs to control his center of gravity and balance, and any slight deviation may lead to mistakes.

The real challenge lies in the tension of trying to control the situation at the edge of its limits.

This should be the first time that Lu Zhizhou has truly developed an ambition for F1. Just a little bit. He wants to see the limits of speed, as well as his own limits. He simply wants to experience the moment when machinery breaks through the physical constraints and challenges the limits of humanity. What kind of feeling is that?

Of course, income is still crucial. He's not an unrealistic dreamer, but right now, if the income is just a little bit less—just a little bit less—it seems like it might be acceptable, maybe, perhaps… barely.

The race car, after the cooling lap, slowly drove back to the pit lane, where a bustling sea of ​​red awaited him. Frankie Penny stood at the very front of the crowd, smiling broadly as she led her team, waiting for his return.

Hoo hoo hoo! Ahhh!
Applause, cheers, whistles, screams, and laughter mingled together as everyone raised their arms and shouted, creating a surging and boiling atmosphere, as if Lu Zhizhou had just returned in triumph as a world champion.

It's just a free practice session, nothing special. But if it's a prodigy who's only been in Formula One for six months, a rising star from Ferrari's junior academy, then it's a different story.

Moreover, Lu Zhizhou's excellent performance in free practice means that the No. 7 car has been well-tuned, laying the foundation for Raikkonen's subsequent races at Spa, which is another matter entirely.

The atmosphere in the entire repair area was relaxed, pleasant, and filled with laughter.

A wave of scorching heat rushed towards him. Lu Zhizhou stepped out of the race car, looked at the bustling scene before him, paused for a moment, and then a smile spread across his face behind his helmet.

Lu Zhizhou stood on the race car, taking off his helmet and pressing down with both hands to signal everyone to calm down. He was in complete control of the situation, showing no signs of being a novice.

The Ferrari service area staff looked at each other, joking and teasing one another, but then fell silent, curious about what the young man was going to say.

Then, Lu Zhizhou took off his helmet and pulled off his hood. "Calm down, calm down! Please stop this performance. I know you don't even know my name."

Some people would say something like this with a highly aggressive tone, full of barbs and sarcasm; but when Lu Zhizhou said it, it was with a hint of teasing and self-deprecation, instantly bridging the gap, like two buddies sharing joys and sorrows in the repair area.

Moreover, this sentence was spoken in Italian, which had a perfect effect on the Ferrari team.

Hahaha!
The crowd burst into laughter. "Oh, our stroller driver is heartbroken."

"Come on, hand over the pacifier quickly!"

Frankie Penny stepped out from the crowd and patted Lu Zhizhou on the shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll make them practice their Chinese pronunciation a hundred times when we get back today."

Amidst the wailing and howling, Lu Zhizhou's shoulders slumped, his face full of sincerity, "Is this really okay? Is there no one going to help solve the ERS problem?"

Before Frankie Penny could even speak, someone from the crowd immediately stepped forward, instantly adopting a professional demeanor, "ERS' long-distance rhythm isn't good?"

Lu Zhizhou nodded. "Yes, we need to adjust the energy distribution strategy. We can achieve better speed at Blanchemont Bend."

There was no time to celebrate. Lu Zhizhou immediately got back to work. Clearly, he wasn't letting the excitement cloud his judgment and kept in mind that the end of the free practice match was not the end.

ERS, this is not DRS.

ERS is short for Energy Recovery System, a crucial component of a racing car's power unit, comprising kinetic energy recovery and thermal energy recovery.

Kinetic energy recovery systems recover the kinetic energy wasted during braking. Braking does not cut off the engine's power, but rather the power transmitted from the drive shaft to the wheels. When braking, the engine's power is wasted, so the potential and value of this recovery is enormous.

As the name suggests, a heat recovery system recovers heat energy, mainly from engine exhaust. These engines have a huge amount of heat energy, but only 30% to 40% can be utilized. The remaining heat energy is lost through pumping, mechanical processes, incomplete combustion, and exhaust energy. Exhaust heat loss accounts for a large part of the total heat loss. The heat recovery system is designed to recover and utilize the exhaust heat loss.

The role of ERS is to recover this lost and wasted energy, and then use it to meet the engine's stronger power demands when the race car needs more energy.

For example, overtaking.

Therefore, it can be understood that when the ERS is in its optimal working state, the race car can gain more power to overtake on the straight.

The same applies to acceleration, deceleration, exiting corners, and other similar situations.

It seems like a very simple system, and it has long been put into civilian use. However, in 2017, motors with speeds exceeding 100,000 RPM were still a blank slate in the industrial field, and high-temperature working environments posed a significant challenge to motors.

In the 2015 season, McLaren frequently retired from races, a key reason being the persistent problems with Honda's engine energy recovery system, which affected the entire power unit. As it stands, Honda has yet to resolve this issue this season, and McLaren continues to struggle.

Similarly, Mercedes-Benz has mastered this technology, giving it a commanding lead in the hybrid era, and it is currently the target that every team in the paddock wants to defeat.

This naturally includes Ferrari, which has always been in a catching-up position in the era of hybrid vehicles.

In the recent free practice session, during the third 30-minute segment, Lu Zhizhou focused on testing the car's long-distance performance, but the ERS energy release rhythm was not good. This requires adjusting the energy distribution strategy and improving the straight-line overtaking ability, which is crucial at Spa-Francorchamps.

Despite Lu Zhizhou's impressive performance in the first free practice session, where he achieved the fastest lap time, he knew he hadn't fully unlocked the car's potential, and the car's setup was still not complete.

Lu Zhizhou's F1 driving experience is still too limited to make accurate predictions. However, based on his personal experience, a time of 1:45.488 would likely place him around tenth in qualifying. To secure pole position at Spa, he would need to improve his time by at least three seconds and break the 43-second barrier.

So, after a brief moment of joy, Lu Zhizhou got to work and shared everything he had learned from his limited experience with the technical team.

For Lu Zhizhou, this experience was undoubtedly interesting and worth savoring, not only the part on the track, but also the part off the track.

Finally, completely emptied out, his mind was blank, and all his primal energy was released. Lu Zhizhou left the conference room and the P room in a daze. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a crowd of people blocking his view. He looked around, searching for Vettel.

I didn't see Vettel in the meeting room earlier, but now it seems he must be being interviewed by reporters.

The next second, a scorching heatwave erupted, crashing down on us—

"land!"

"Squeak... Spider... ZZ..."

"Here! Here! Aa ...

Strange shouts filled the air, but Lu Zhizhou couldn't find Vettel in his field of vision. Instead, he saw Zach Brown and Lando Norris being interviewed a little further ahead.

He was wondering whether he should return to the ART team to prepare for the GP3 free practice, or whether there was still work to be done at Ferrari.
Wait, where did Nicolas Todd go again? Today, Nicolas accompanied Lu Zhizhou to Ferrari.

"Lu! Zhi! Zhou!"

From the crowd, a strong, resonant voice shouted with all its might, enunciating each word clearly and accurately in fluent Mandarin.

He grabbed Lu Zhizhou's ear, thinking Zhou Guanyu had come to Spa, but when he turned around, he saw a chubby, round, strong man in the crowd with a black beard and a fisherman's hat. The image of Lu Zhishen naturally came to mind, and he stood out in the surging crowd.

Upon seeing Lu Zhizhou turn around, Lu Zhishen's first reaction wasn't to continue shouting, but to hoist his large camera and nimbly snap photos in rapid succession.

Flashes of light rained down.

The sight instantly stung Lu Zhizhou's eyes, and the surrounding crowd also stirred, with the bright flashes of cameras and the surging shouts coming at him.

Only then did Lu Zhizhou realize that they were waiting for him.

GP3 and F1 have always raced together, in the same paddock and the same space. Lu Zhizhou has emerged this season and has naturally been interviewed, but most of the interviews were with official GP3 media outlets, and they had never seen such a scene before.

Until today.

The difference in treatment between GP3 and F1 is obvious. It's hard to imagine that all thirty or fifty people in front of them are here for Lu Zhizhou.

His dominance in GP3, seemingly unchallenged and undefeated, didn't seem to make much of a splash, but a F1 free practice session brought a completely different welcome.

No wonder Jean Todt has been integrating racing events for the past two years, unifying the management and operation of F2 and F3 to form a tiered advancement structure, and also integrating media resources to increase the attention to F2, F3 and other racing events, further expanding the overall influence of motorsports.

But it is obvious that there is still a long way to go.

"Lu, how did the free practice match go today?"

What were your special feelings about driving a Ferrari for the first time?

Did you expect to achieve such a result?

As Lu Zhizhou approached, reporters bombarded him with questions, one after another, creating a deafening cacophony of voices. Even though Qian Jun, who played Lu Zhishen, wasn't the target of the pursuit, his heart pounded and his head spun as he was swept up in the storm.

However, Qian Jun noticed that Lu Zhizhou remained calm and composed, handling all problems with ease, which reminded him of Lu Zhizhou on the racetrack.

A voice came from the side, "Zhizhou, how did you handle things at Puhong Bay? You and Max almost collided?"

Everyone turned to look over—

Brendel, a Sky Sports commentator, is also a well-known figure in the paddock, and he appeared with the entire Sky Sports camera crew.

The camera was aimed at Lu Zhizhou, drawing the attention of countless eyes, reminiscent of the infamous British paparazzi.

Qian Jun was worried for Lu Zhizhou.

Lu Zhizhou remained calm, a smile playing on his lips. "Drive."

That's all.

Everyone was stunned. Brendel pressed on, "Is that all?"

"Yes." Lu Zhizhou's answer was also crisp and decisive.

The crowd's eyes darted back and forth between Lu Zhizhou and Brendel, as if watching a tennis match. Only then did they realize that another "cannon" comparable to Verstappen had appeared in the paddock. How come the media hadn't noticed Lu Zhizhou's toughness before? It was a godsend for clickbait headlines.

The air began to burn.

Lu Zhizhou seemed to sense the burning gaze on his skin, hot and sharp. His smile blossomed completely. "I'm trying to complete a flying lap, so my attention is entirely on driving. If I need to overtake some vehicles to complete this flying lap, I don't mind."

Upright and dignified, neither humble nor arrogant.

Just when people thought Brendel might continue his attack, they saw the corners of Brendel's mouth turn up, revealing a big smile, "A brilliant lap."

Lu Zhizhou shrugged slightly. "Hopefully, this isn't the last lap."

Hahaha--

The crowd burst into laughter, and Brendel also laughed out loud.

Qian Jun looked left and right, overwhelmed with work. He regretted missing the chance to uncover Lu Zhizhou's news story two months ago, but he also knew that there wasn't much he could change.

Qian Jun is a racing photographer who covers not only Formula One racing, but also rally racing, off-road racing, Indy 500, and more; however, he is a freelancer who supports himself.

The fundamental reason is that motorsports still lacks a suitable environment in mainland China. Even CCTV may focus on reporting some events, but if a professional team were to be assembled to track and report on them in depth throughout the year, the amount of money and manpower involved would far exceed expectations, and the market would not provide sufficient returns. Therefore, no media outlet is willing to gamble everything on this niche sport.

Incredibly, there isn't even a single domestic media outlet that can cover all of F1's races year-round. Their reporting materials all come from the FIA, rather than from their own reporters gathering information on-site.

However, Qian Jun loves racing and hopes to dedicate himself to the field.

Forced by circumstances, he became a freelancer, and only he knows the hardships he endured.

Until this year, Qian Jun followed the entire European Formula racing season for the first time, and he also witnessed the rise of young people such as Lu Zhizhou and Zhou Guanyu.

In fact, Qian Jun had always wanted to do a special feature on Lu Zhizhou and compiled relevant news, photos and materials into a book, which he submitted to several top media outlets.

Unfortunately, it was like a stone sinking into the sea; in 2017, the GP3's influence in China was almost negligible.

Although Qian Jun very much wanted to interview Lu Zhizhou up close, or even follow him on camera, without funding, his idea had to be shelved. He still had to continue traveling between different cities for different events in order to make a living, so Lu Zhizhou's project had to be put on hold for the time being.

Hard work is inevitable; but Qian Jun always finds joy in the work he loves.

Qian Jun has always believed that Formula 1 racing, which is ranked alongside the World Cup and the Olympics as one of the world's three major sports, has a strong and deep market potential in China. CCTV has been broadcasting F1 since 2003 and has cultivated at least two generations of racing enthusiasts. Its mass base is far beyond imagination.

This event has the potential to create unlimited business opportunities in Asia.

Everything was just waiting for the right opportunity; quantitative changes could turn into qualitative changes in the blink of an eye, spreading like wildfire across the entire Chinese continent.

Perhaps, the opportunity for the Asian market is emerging?

Looking at that youthful yet radiant face surrounded by flashing lights, I felt a pang of regret—I had been trying to produce a feature since the Austrian leg of the competition, but I still hadn't been able to find a media outlet willing to take it on—but my heart was still filled with happiness.

"Lu, there are rumors that Red Bull is very interested in you. What do you think about this?"

A question was casually posed, yet it caused a huge stir, with people extending their phones and recorders out of their hands to record audio.

Standing under the spotlight, Lu Zhizhou shrugged slightly, his voice rising at the end, "Welcome?"

The word "welcome" can be interpreted as either "welcome" or "thank you," leaving the crowd momentarily unsure of the correct meaning.

"Lu, there are rumors that Mercedes-Benz is also very interested in you. What do you think about that?"

"welcome."

"And... what about Ferrari?"

"Welcome." After saying that, Lu Zhizhou opened his arms wide, like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. "I sincerely welcome all car teams to come and discuss related business. After all, I don't have a choice; they are the ones who have the choice, right?"

Hahaha.

The crowd burst into laughter. Only then did the media realize what Lu Zhizhou meant. They found it hard to believe that this young man could still maintain such a composed demeanor amidst the barrage of camera flashes. Even with the combined bombardment from reporters, including Brendel, they were still unable to disrupt his composure.

Following the racetrack, this baby cyclist has brought another surprise—

Is he really a "baby"?

But looking at the baby face in front of them, whose age was hard to discern, these seasoned veterans were all bewildered and became even more interested in Lu Zhizhou.

The bustling siege finally came to a temporary halt, and Qian Jun quickly seized the opportunity to say in Chinese, "Zhizhou, may I take a picture?"

Lu Zhizhou, who was about to leave, stopped and turned back to look at her. "Of course."

I agreed without hesitation.

Qian Jun picked up his camera. As a photojournalist, this was his eyes and his voice. He wanted to use his lens to record the shining moments of Weichang.

He was waiting for Lu Zhizhou to strike a pose, but he never expected that Lu Zhizhou would walk straight over, getting closer and closer. The pressure from Lu Zhizhou's height, build, and racing suit was overwhelming. At this moment, he felt unprecedented pressure from this young man.

Qian Jun was taken aback and involuntarily took a small step back. What was he trying to do?
But it was obvious that Lu Zhizhou had no intention of explaining his actions.

Approaching. Approaching even closer.

Lu Zhizhou came straight at us, and the crowded space was instantly compressed, with pressure crashing down on us.

Instinctively, Qian Jun protected his camera. As a freelancer, he had an animal instinct to protect his equipment at all times. Although he wasn't a paparazzi, when a driver was in a bad mood, he would bare his teeth and look fierce when he saw a photographer, and might even resort to violence.

If necessary, he doesn't mind using his body as a weapon, pretending to be pushed and shoved while actually ramming into someone. This tactic always helps him carve out a way out in the tense atmosphere of the paddock.

But why Lu Zhizhou?
Qian Jun was completely bewildered and instinctively took a half step back, only to find himself surrounded by layers upon layers of people, with nowhere to escape.

Then, Lu Zhizhou was already standing in front of him.

Qian Jun was stunned: ...

Lu Zhizhou smiled and said, "Let's take a photo together."

Qian Jun: ? Huh, what?
Lu Zhizhou's eyes were full of laughter. "You guys have had enough of taking photos of yourselves standing in front like idiots. You don't want to keep repeating them, do you?"

"Judging from your accent, you must be from Shanghai? Since we're from the same hometown, let's skip the tearful formalities and take a photo together as a souvenir?"

Qian Jun's brain stopped working. He only remembered that he thought Lu Zhizhou's words made a lot of sense. Then, in a daze, he picked up the camera, only to find that it was a professional telephoto lens, not a digital camera or a mobile phone. How could he take a selfie?

Another photographer nearby gestured to him, and Qian Jun, looking rather clueless, handed over his camera.

"eggplant!"

"Shall we make a victory sign?"

With a couple of quick clicks, Qian Jun and Lu Zhizhou's headshot photo was complete. Lu Zhizhou patted Qian Jun on the shoulder and said with a big smile, "I hope we can meet often in the hunting grounds in the future."

Qian Junyun stared blankly at Lu Zhizhou's departing figure, then looked down at the camera that had returned to his hand—

What...what's going on?
The camera was his lifeline, so why did he hand it over so carelessly? Moreover, he was a photojournalist, so he should have been the one photographing Lu Zhizhou. Why did it suddenly turn into him taking a photo with Lu Zhizhou?

So, was he just completely fooled?

It wasn't until Brendel squeezed in from the side that he said, "Hey, buddy, you guys are friends? How do you pronounce his name? I mean, pronounce it accurately."

Qian Jun was still in a daze, looking over in a daze. After recognizing Brendel's familiar face, his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

Brendel said, "I have a feeling that we'll be seeing him frequently for some time to come."

The words, though brief, were quite meaningful.

The next second, Qian Jun noticed the noisy gazes around him, one or two people craning their ears, and a warm current that could not be accurately described in words gradually filled his chest.

Qian Jun took a deep breath and straightened his back slightly. "Lu. Zhi. Zhou."

He pronounced each word clearly and precisely, ensuring that all the surrounding media could hear him clearly.

The noise and heatwave still raged in the air, but finally stopped swirling around Lu Zhizhou. His burning head finally cooled down, regained its grip on gravity, and he walked forward with uneven steps, as if walking on clouds.

"vomit."

A vomiting sound came from the side, making Lu Zhizhou's stomach churn. He looked in the direction of the sound and immediately saw the little flea.

"Hey, Lando, are you still standing firm?" Lu Zhizhou called out jokingly.

Norris turned around, about to retort, but then turned back to continue vomiting, his back to Lu Zhizhou, and extended the middle finger of his right hand.

Lu Zhizhou burst into laughter.

Norris can't be blamed. In fact, Lu Zhizhou is in a similar situation. He feels completely drained, dizzy, and the whole world seems to be spinning.

The first free practice session lasted 90 minutes, but in reality, the drivers spent half of that time in the pit lane, and the time spent on the track was generally around 25 to 30 laps, which seems similar to GP3. However, once you experience it firsthand, you'll know that it's a completely different story.

Speed, G-force, pressure, and temperature come crashing down on you relentlessly, wave after wave, keeping you under constant pressure and requiring your nerves and body to be on edge. Spa-Francorchamps is no exception; it's like dancing with death, allowing no room for relaxation whatsoever.

And that's not all. Racing is more than just racing. They need to feel the feedback from the race car, their minds must be constantly working at high speed, and they need to communicate with the entire technical team. Data, information, and dialogues are constantly roaring in their brains like a waterfall, intertwining and swirling with the sound of the engine.

Ninety minutes was equivalent to three hours of continuous burning.

I was in a state of constant tension while working, with my adrenaline surging continuously, so I didn't feel anything for a while. Now that my nerves have relaxed, dehydration, high temperature, and fatigue have all come crashing down on me. I feel that every muscle in my body is sore, and I'm not exaggerating.

After a long while, Norris calmed down, wiped the mess from the corner of his mouth, and turned around to walk over. "If anyone ever says again that F1 isn't a sport, that it's just sitting in the driver's seat and driving, I'll definitely punch them right away."

Lu Zhizhou pursed his lips. "What if it were Cristiano Ronaldo?"

Norris looked Lu Zhizhou up and down, then gestured with his own head and shrugged. "If it were Messi, I would have swung."

Is this a self-deprecating joke about his height?

As expected of Norris, Lu Zhizhou burst out laughing, but then changed the subject, "Sorry about just now."

Sorry.

Simple, direct, and straightforward; there was no explanation or complaint, everything was just as frank as it could be.

Norris was slightly taken aback. He looked up and saw frankness and sincerity in Lu Zhizhou's eyes, a picture of uprightness and integrity.

A smile crept onto Norris's lips as he patted Lu Zhizhou's arm. "It's alright, don't worry about it. Besides, there's no need to apologize for that."

Lu Zhizhou shook his head. "No, I took a risk. You were on the flying lap, and so was I. I forced my way overtake, causing a collision. Although you didn't leave the track, it was indeed my responsibility."

Was Norris disappointed?

Of course, he was disappointed. He was also on the track, eager to earn a place with an outstanding performance. He was also a competitor with an insatiable competitive spirit.

On the track, everyone is chasing the ultimate speed, and everyone is eager to beat their opponents and cross the finish line first. If it weren't for this, they wouldn't have chosen to sit in the driver's seat of a go-kart in the first place.

Today, as he steps onto the F1 track for the first time, he has countless fantasies and expectations.

Unfortunately, reality gave me a harsh dose of reality.

Although he couldn't be sure if he could break his own fastest lap time without Lu Zhizhou's offensive and defensive entanglement, his youthful arrogance inevitably led to disappointment.

But now, seeing Lu Zhizhou's sincere expression, that little bit of disappointment vanished. Norris grinned and said, "What, planning to make a good impression on Zack? Oh no, Zack might favor you. My spot has been taken."

It was just a sarcastic remark, but Lu Zhizhou understood that Norris seemed remarkably candid.

Lu Zhizhou stopped teasing and took out a towel from his pocket, handing it over to Norris, pointing to the corner of his mouth where there was still some vomit.

Norris took it while complaining with a look of disgust, "Did you just use this to wipe your sweat?"

Lu Zhizhou said with a straight face, "No, of course not, who do you take me for?" Norris took the towel, "This was just used to wipe the stools and tables."

Norris was taken aback.

"Hahahaha." Lu Zhizhou's unrestrained laughter burst forth, echoing beneath the orange and green sky.

(End of this chapter)