Show off your skills

Chapter 147 Show off your skills
Completely focused and attentive, Lu Zhizhou was fully in the zone, executing a precise late brake at the first Jones turn and beautifully embracing the apex.

However, at that moment, a gust of air suddenly rose from the exit of the second Brabham Bend ahead, and a silver streak spun at high speed, crashing into the wall and fence like a spinning top. Tires, debris, dust, and grass clippings flew everywhere, like a small tornado.

Everything happened so suddenly, without warning. In the blink of an eye, Lu Zhizhou adjusted his direction, changed lanes, and drove along the outside of Brabham Bend through the ruins and chaos. A tire flew over the head of car number 22, casting a shadow.

In front of the television, Lu Cheng suddenly stood up, but couldn't make a sound.

He himself did not realize that his fists were clenched tightly, his whole body was tense to the extreme, his eardrums were ringing, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and his heart stopped beating.

Immediately afterwards, the red car number 22 emerged in the live broadcast, its speed slightly reduced, no longer in acceleration mode, and entered turn four.

Lu Cheng let out a breath, feeling his knees go weak.

Greenwood's voice came through the radio, "Red Flag. Red Flag. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Everything's normal," Lu Zhizhou replied calmly. "How about Walterley? Is he alright?"

Greenwood didn't answer immediately, seemingly confirming, "He's alright. Zhizhou, he's perfectly fine."

Q3 had only been going on for two minutes, and a series of drivers had just finished their out laps and entered their flying laps, when an accident disrupted the tranquility of Albert Park.

Mercedes driver, number 77 Bottas, braked too late at Jones Turn 1, took the kerb too aggressively, and encountered a hidden cone.

Before qualifying began, Albert Park experienced a heavy rain, but it did not affect the race; it was just a shower, and the sun came out quickly. The third free practice session and qualifying went very smoothly, and the track was completely dry.

However, as mentioned before, the semi-street track surface is uneven, with potholes and hidden pits, leaving a small puddle of water where the shoulder meets the grass at the first Jones Turn.

Bottas had the terrible luck of running over a small puddle. The car, which had just entered the flying lap boost mode, instantly lost its balance and ran onto the still slippery grass on the outside of the kerb. The car went out of control and crashed hard into the guardrail of Turn 2, spinning 360 degrees. The car was totaled.

red flag!

The qualifying session was abruptly interrupted, forcing Lu Zhizhou, who had just started his flying lap, and Hamilton, who was right behind him, to abandon their laps and return to the pits.

In Formula 1, a yellow flag means the race is restricted, and speed limits are imposed; a red flag means the track is closed, and cars must not only have their speed limited, but also return to the pit lane as soon as possible.

Bottas stopped in the middle of the track, and it was on a curve, so the race organizers immediately raised the red flag and stopped the race.

As a result, the unfortunate Lu Zhizhou and Hamilton, along with a whole string of cars behind them, all filed back to the pit lane.

The plan was suddenly disrupted.

As is customary, the race will resume after the organizers clear the cars and track, but the wasted two minutes will not be recovered, which means that only ten minutes remain in Q3 qualifying.

The Albert Park circuit is not long, with lap times under one minute and thirty seconds. It takes about four minutes and thirty seconds from the start lap to the return lap. In other words, ten minutes is enough to create two windows and complete two flying laps. The time may be a bit tight, but there shouldn't be any major problems.

However, arithmetic is not that simple. The Q3 time compression means that the remaining nine cars have less room to maneuver, traffic is more congested, and a slight lapse in attention could lead to encountering slower cars during the flying lap. One wrong step can lead to a series of mistakes, and the entire qualifying strategy could be completely ruined.

This is F1, where all sorts of unexpected events are compressed into minutes and seconds, and the invisible pressure keeps rising.

For experienced drivers like Hamilton and Vettel, handling such situations is a breeze, but even they can encounter chaotic situations that disrupt their Q3 qualifying strategies and even cause them to miss flying laps.

Let alone a newbie like Lu Zhizhou?
Of the remaining nine drivers in Q3, Lu Zhizhou has the least experience. If you think about it, even in GP3, he only participated in eight races throughout the year. However, they agreed to such a special qualifying strategy, so Lu Zhizhou has to rely on his personal ability to push the car to its limits in Q3.

The situation is slightly tricky.

In the repair area, Cleary was pondering how to ease the tension when, unexpectedly, Megis spoke first, "It seems we were all wrong."

All eyes were turned toward Megis.

"We were guessing who among the rookies would be the first to crash, and many people guessed it would be you, but we never expected it to be that guy Bottas."

"Luckily it was a Mercedes. If it had been Haas, Gene Haas would have been furious after that collision."

Lu Zhizhou remained seated in the cockpit, helmet on, listening to their internal jokes over the radio. "Why? Does Hass have some kind of story?"

Mekis shook his head and joked with a smile, "No, it's just a check. A race car is estimated to cost anywhere from 500,000 euros to 1 million euros depending on the extent of the damage. With Bottas's crash, a million euros have vanished. Haas doesn't have much cash flow; he can't afford an accident like this."

Lu Zhizhou was taken aback. "Ah, so that's why people keep joking about rookies burning through money?"

Hahaha!
Everyone burst into laughter.

Cleary patted Lu Zhizhou's helmet. "Kid, don't be stressed. It's just your annual salary."

Lu Zhizhou, "...more than a year."

The laughter around them grew even more cheerful.

In F1, crashes are inevitable, and a moment's carelessness can lead to a chain-reaction disaster; no one is exempt. But there is no doubt that rookies are prone to making mistakes.

For example, Verstappen's nickname "Tower Cannon" is definitely not just a figure of speech.

What's truly bad is that the Mercedes team has to work through the night to repair a brand-new race car. If they can't make it in time, Bottas will have to miss tomorrow's race, and the losses for Mercedes could continue to mount.

Therefore, team leaders dislike crashes, and never do.

Mekes's little joke eased the tension, the track was cleared, and Q3 restarted.

In the pit lane, the race cars were lined up neatly like toy cars, with Renault and Haas leading the way and taking the lead early on.

Clearly, everyone was worried about time, and to avoid being scrambling at the last minute, everyone wanted to make the most of the time to set a lap time.

However, to avoid traffic jams and slow-moving vehicles, the larger teams were more cautious, with race engineers closely monitoring the track conditions and looking for suitable openings.

Ferrari team principal Arrivabene was on the front lines directing the team, sitting with two race engineers, making decisions in the blink of an eye.

He instructed Lu Zhizhou and Vettel to wait until the first peak had passed before taking the field, to set a lap time first, and then to take the second flying lap in the last three minutes.

Vettel was chosen to take the stage first, mainly because Lu Zhizhou was experiencing these situations for the first time and his rhythm was disrupted. They waited for him to fully adjust before taking the stage.

Finally, after a brief period of tension and chaos, Lu Zhizhou stepped back onto the track, ready to strive for a ranking.

Thump, thump.

Amidst the roar of the engine, the sound of my heart pounding against my chest grew louder and louder, but at the peak of the roar, I fell into silence, completely merging with the car and myself.

He was ready.

……

Boom boom, boom boom boom—

The track was bustling with activity. Bottas's crash disrupted everyone's rhythm. The air was thick with tension and excitement, and the sweltering heat continued to spread.

One after another, they took the stage, creating a series of climaxes that ignited the entire Saturday afternoon in Albert Park.

"Ricardo, beautiful! 1:22.152!"

"First! Home hopes to withstand the pressure and complete a beautiful lap, and the Australians' hopes of reaching the podium at Albert Park continue."

"Oh no, Ricardo's Red Bull teammates obviously have a different opinion."

"Verstappen! 1:21.879!"

"Verstappen ignited the competition in Q3, becoming the first driver in Melbourne to break the 1 minute 22 second barrier this weekend, taking the intense competition to a whole new level."

"However, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari have not yet made a move."

"Hamilton and Vettel are on flying laps, can they break their times?"

“Vettel, no! Vettel failed to break 1 minute 22 seconds, although he overtook Ricciardo, he was 0.192 seconds behind Verstappen.”

"Defending champion Hamilton crosses the finish line! Hamilton!"

"No, 1:22.051! Second!"

"Even Hamilton couldn't surpass Verstappen's record, wow, unbelievable!"

"Red Bull's Verstappen is currently in the lead, and if this continues, Red Bull will overtake Mercedes and Ferrari to take pole position in the season opener."

"Now, there are five minutes and thirty-three seconds left in Q3, and all drivers have one more flying lap opportunity. Verstappen is trying to take his first pole position in his career."

"Oh, Lu Zhizhou is here, the only rookie driver in Q3 is starting his flying lap."

Smoke filled the air, and bayonets clashed.

The pressure, unseen by the live stream camera, was intense and overwhelming, yet it excited Lu Zhizhou.

Adrenaline is being released rapidly; the more tense and stalemated the situation, the calmer one becomes.

The Flying Wheel is now open.

Calm and focused, Lu Zhizhou further delayed his braking point, three meters later than Q2, and made full use of the track's width.

The stiff suspension tuning clearly transmitted the bumps and undulations of the road surface, slowly unfolding in Lu Zhizhou's mind like a three-dimensional image. He was able to find the precise entry point, braking, steering, and accelerator, everything was just right, like a ballet dancer gracefully dancing on the edge of a cliff, with soft dance shoes testing every edge of the limit.

Huh!
Brendel held his breath as Lu Zhizhou, without hesitation, nimbly skidded past the spot where Bottas had just skidded and crashed.

From the live stream footage, Brendel could even clearly see the small puddle, the red shadow narrowly missing it before drifting away.

So bold, so calm, yet walking on the edge of the limit as if it were flat ground.

At Jones Bend 1, Lu Zhizhou made the entire Albert Park gasp, and Lu Cheng's heart almost jumped out of his chest in front of the television screen.

Brendel completely forgot to breathe, greedily trying to catch that flash of red light, passing through the first combination bend and flying close to the ground towards the second combination bend.

Only now could Brendel confirm that Lu Zhizhou's three qualifying sessions were all well-planned, adjusting his condition step by step. His driving style, which was more aggressive and riskier than in Q2, was like dancing on the edge of a knife, making the most of the track and squeezing out the car's potential.

The potential shown by this Ferrari race car in winter testing is still not all. Not only were the straights and high-speed corners impressive, but it also demonstrated remarkable competitiveness in low- and medium-speed corners today. In Lu Zhizhou's hands, it transformed into a streak of light, chasing the sun in a magnificent manner.

"First time trial, purple!"

Fastest of the night!
Unbelievable, inconceivable, Lu Zhizhou, who had always kept a low profile and steadily advanced, finally revealed his true colors.

Neither Vettel nor Hamilton were able to surpass their previous achievements, which have become a thing of the past under Lu Zhizhou's leadership. Could Melbourne be about to become a contest between Lu Zhizhou and Verstappen, two rising stars?
No! It might!
However, at this moment——

"Damn it! What is he doing!" On the radio, Lu Zhizhou's voice, unusually calm, was filled with astonishment and frustration.

Huh!
Viewers watching the live broadcast on their television screens gasped in disbelief as they stared at the scene unfolding before them.

Turn 7 is a medium-speed transition corner, coming from the high-speed Turn 6. You must brake and slow down before connecting to the high-speed Turn 8. How to control the rhythm in the speed change is crucial, because after Turn 9, Clarke Turn, is the classic full-throttle high-speed corner of Albert Park Circuit.

As a result, Lu Zhizhou arrived and was braking when he immediately saw race car number 44 blocking the lane.

local!

To everyone's surprise, Lu Zhizhou encountered a slow train!

He had just set a new record for the fastest time in the entire race when he crashed into the wall in the first segment. The loss in this medium-speed corner is not as simple as 0.1 or 0.2 seconds.

Not only Lu Zhizhou, but also Brendel, who was staring intently and holding his breath, clutched his head and started pulling at his hair, his already dwindling hair now screaming.

Hamilton held his lane but wasn't going fast. After leaving Turn 7, Lu Zhizhou overtook him directly from the outside, leaving the defending champion behind.

It was only then that Hamilton noticed Lu Zhizhou and communicated with his race engineer, "Oh, is he on the flying lap? Sorry, I didn't see him."

Buzzing, buzzing—

The stands and the live broadcast room were in an uproar. Not only Sky Sports, but also CCTV and Five Star Sports were in an uproar. The whole world was spinning at high speed.

So, did Hamilton do it on purpose? Or did Mercedes deliberately not tell Hamilton that Lu Zhizhou was on the Flying Spur lap?
Foul! That's absolutely a foul! Shouldn't the FIA ​​have called it?

The discussion exploded instantly.

Opinions varied and there were many different opinions, but there was no time to consider these things in the Ferrari service area; the most important thing at hand was to focus on their own business.

How to do?
This is the dilemma we face: if Lu Zhizhou returns to the maintenance area now, it means he will have no results, and all his bets will be placed on that last flying lap.

Moreover, time is another challenge. How can Lu Zhizhou, who has encountered a series of unexpected events within just three minutes, control his emotions and remain calm to complete the flying lap?

Over the radio, Greenwood was trying to control his emotions and find the right words to comfort Lu Zhizhou. At this moment, the most important thing was not to break down, otherwise the entire qualifying race would be ruined.

However, this was not Greenwood's forte. Having worked with Raikkonen for so long, he had long forgotten how to conduct these conversations.

The description seemed to take a very long time, but in reality it only took three to five seconds before Lu Zhizhou regained his composure.

“David, this flying lap is ruined. I’m not going back to the pits. I’ll run another flying lap right now.” In a flash, Lu Zhizhou demonstrated his decisiveness and courage.

Greenwood paused, realizing that this was indeed a solution. "If we do that, we might not have enough time to do another flying lap. Even if we do have time, the tires might not be in optimal condition."

In other words, you only get one chance. Even if you get another chance, you need to be prepared to burn your bridges and treat it as your only opportunity.

“Okay,” Lu Zhizhou said, his tone crisp and decisive.

The air stirred slightly. Croft was lamenting Lu Zhizhou's recent flying lap; the baby rider had once again surprised everyone, but unfortunately, he hadn't managed to complete it.

So, how should we adjust our ranking strategy going forward?

Especially for inexperienced newcomers, the consecutive setbacks in the decisive third qualifying round could disrupt the rhythm of the game.

As seen on the live stream, not only the commentators and viewers, but also the rookies who were eliminated early in Q1 stopped to watch the broadcast.

Leclerc didn't even realize he was clenching his fist; he was just staring at the screen with a level of focus no less than Lu Zhizhou in the race car.

"...He didn't choose to return to the pit lane, but immediately entered the second speed lap!"

Croft's eyes widened—

So calm, so decisive, in less than sixty seconds of adjustment time, he immediately regained full concentration, demonstrating the courage of a young man.

A surge of emotions—exclamation, surprise, and shock—was overwhelming, but there was no chance to express them. I swallowed them all and immediately got into live-stream mode.

"Let's focus on this circle first! After experiencing a series of unexpected events and setbacks, Lu Zhizhou must go all out, because this may be his only chance, and he must complete the advancement in the most perfect way!"

Calm, precise, and perfectly timed, the race car leaves Turn 16, striving for maximum exit speed, flooring the accelerator, and unleashing all its straight-line speed.

A roar followed, carrying waves of heat and dust. The stands above the pit area erupted in boos and laughter, but these were quickly drowned out by the roar of the engine.

The air was burning fiercely.

At Jones Turn 1, despite Bottas' recent accident and Lu Zhizhou's heart-pounding experience, Lu Zhizhou remained calm and focused as he faced the challenge again.

The braking point was delayed to an almost impossible position, the left front wheel completely gripped the curb, and the shadow of the race car completely covered the small puddle that had disrupted the rhythm of Q3. It brushed past the puddle with a knife-like motion, and with delicate and precise control of the steering, the race car slid right past the apex of the corner.

All the muscles in my body were tense to the extreme, and the G-force was released. There was no time to adjust my breathing. The tires gripped the ground firmly, and the power poured out.

Tear!

The car kicked up a cloud of dust at the rear, precisely hugging the apex of the corner – a truly perfect maneuver.

"Late braking! Extreme cut-in! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Steering, shifting gears, and fine-tuning the throttle were all done in one smooth motion. The car remained as stable as a rock amidst the bumps and swaying. Cutting from the outside to the inside, the No. 22 race car cut a red arc like a sharp blade gliding across the water, emerged from the corner, floored the throttle, and the turbo whistled through the air, leaving only a blur.

Brabham Bend 2 is already behind us.

The speed continued to climb, reaching 250 kilometers per hour, then 280 kilometers per hour, soaring all the way up. This time, Lu Zhizhou no longer held back.

The high-load G-force pressed down with the force of a hurricane, tensing all the muscles in the body to the extreme, and the gear shift was crisp and clean, instantly reducing the speed to below 150 kilometers per hour.

Lu Zhizhou made the most of the track width, quickly cutting into the right angle. This was the first time he had used a cut-in approach to attack Turn 3 on the Albert Park street circuit. His left tires were pressed perfectly against the curb as if he were standing on a steel cable.

The racetrack is used to its limits; the same goes for racing cars.

At high speeds and on bumpy roads, the stiff suspension setup plays a crucial role, perfectly locking in tire grip. This precise control maintains balance and stability amidst rapidly changing conditions, allowing the race car to smoothly glide from Turn 3 to Turn 4, the rear end sliding slightly but firmly held in place by precise and nuanced throttle control.

Like a swimming dragon, graceful as a startled swan.

That splash of red seemed to have just entered the third Whitford turn, its afterimage still swirling at the entrance; the next second it was already at full throttle, speeding out of the fifth turn, with only the surging, boiling red remaining, churning in the combination bend, the slowly dissipating light and shadow outlining the smooth, flowing curve of the bend.

"First time trial, purple!"

Fastest of the night!
Mekis lost control of himself; his fist clenched, his heart pounded in his throat, and his body involuntarily leaned forward slightly, but he managed to regain his balance.

Despite the chaos and unexpected events, Lu Zhizhou remained unmoved and performed flawlessly in the first timeout. He pushed himself to the limit in both the accident-prone Jones Turn 1 and Whitford Turn 3.

Unparalleled!

However, the first timing segment is not the difficult part; the real challenge lies in what follows.

Just now, Lu Zhizhou had already demonstrated top-notch performance in the first time segment, but was interrupted by a slower car, so he was unable to complete the flying lap; now is the real moment to decide the winner.

But then I saw—

The Ferrari race car sped along the curb, its suspension shuddering briefly in the vibration zone, like the tip of a cheetah's claw touching the ground—

Fast, accurate, and ruthless, wasting no energy, it races and speeds along, the surrounding scenery turning into waves of color rushing backward, the world disappearing into the cacophony of the wind and evolving into chaos, the brilliant gold exploding into the dazzling red, and a symphony instantly playing.

"He's making the most of every centimeter of the track! Every vibration zone is squeezing out the speed! The speed of Albert Park is being unleashed!"

Croft was accelerating, soaring higher, completely unaware that, amidst the flashes of light from the race car, he was gradually standing up, trying to keep up with the speed of number twenty-two with the ferocity of a machine gun, as if chasing the sun—

Even knowing it's futile, I still can't stop.

After Clarke Turn 9, the next section of the track is the highlight of Albert Park, and also home to the largest grandstand outside the pit lane.

Lu Zhizhou could already feel the frequency of the car's suspension bouncing shortly on the vibration strip, and the advantages of the stiff suspension were pushed to the extreme at this moment.

He didn't loosen the throttle; instead, he braced himself against the steering wheel as the car bounced, cutting into the sharp right-angle bend at high speed. The distance between the apex and the guardrail was so close that everyone held their breath, as if they were watching the number 22 race car hurtling towards the guardrail in a grand and spectacular manner, their hearts stopping for a moment.

In my field of vision, everything slowed down, like a tenfold slow motion. I witnessed the No. 22 race car brushing against the guardrail, with almost no gaps visible to the naked eye, gliding past with light, silky smoothness. The flying dust and sunlight condensed into a beam of light, and the red afterimage burned wildly within it.

And then, just like that, it cut through Clarke Bend 9.

Accelerator, floor it, and speed away at full speed.

Right before our eyes lies the strength of the Ferrari SF71H: high-speed stability combined with a firm suspension allows the power unit to unleash its full potential.

The spectators in the stands beside Clarke Bend gaped, speechless, watching the red blur hurtle towards them from afar. They didn't even have time to react before it swept away, engulfing the green trees, blue lake, and golden sunlight. They forgot to blink, completely lost in the thrill of speed and passion.

Croft screamed at the top of his lungs, the urge to scream turning into a full-blown release of passion. Goosebumps and shivers rose from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and a tingling sensation ran down his scalp.

"Second time slot, let's get another purple!"

Theoretically speaking, a stiff suspension on the Albert Park circuit would sacrifice comfort in low-to-medium speed corners, making driving more sensitive and difficult; however, on the other hand, it would allow drivers to perceive more direct road information, while also providing more rear-end stability and allowing for pushing the braking point to its limit.

This tuning allows the Ferrari SF71H to maximize its strengths and minimize its weaknesses in the third time slot, making the most of its advantages on straightaways and high-speed corners.

In other words, the stage ahead is where Lu Zhizhou can truly showcase his talents.

Turns 11 and 12, a combination of high-speed curves, fully unleashed the advantages of the stiff suspension. Lu Zhizhou barely eased off the throttle, cutting in at full speed.

There was only a brief friction sound between the tires and the track. Car number 22 swept through the apex of the corner like a red arrow, its rear end firmly locked to the ground.

The speed continued to climb unbelievably, approaching 300 kilometers per hour. The red light and shadow flowing through the curves fully ignited the charm of Formula One. Not to mention the audience in the stands, even Croft in the live broadcast room was stunned and completely lost his ability to speak for a while.

The only sound in the world was the roar of the engine crashing against his heart.

From Turn 13 to Turn 16, a series of right-angle turns and short straightaways, the high-speed rhythm and braking are compressed to the extreme, this is the real test.

Braking until the last meter late, accelerating until the last second after exiting a corner—every inch of the track was snatched away.

Megis stared intently at the screen. He had been worried that the stiff suspension would be difficult to control, but he never expected that it would simultaneously showcase Lu Zhizhou's inherent toughness and delicacy, completely squeezing the Albert Park circuit to its limits in the third time slot.

The slightest deviation in the alternating control of the brake and accelerator can undo all the previous efforts, leaving you with that lingering feeling of something stuck in your throat.

however--

The mercury poured onto the ground, all in one smooth motion.

"Precise! Detailed! Powerful!"

"Lu Zhizhou displayed a completely different side compared to the previous two qualifying sessions, showcasing his speed talent to the fullest and even demonstrating a level of control that hadn't been seen all weekend, pushing the track and car to their absolute limits!"

"incredible!"

Just as he was about to succeed, emerging from Turn 15, Lu Zhizhou remained focused. With a beautiful drag brake, he swept through the last vibration zone, leaving Turn 16 behind. He straightened out of the corner, regained his balance, and with just the right amount of throttle, he unleashed the full speed and power of the race car.

My heart stopped, I held my breath, my gaze fixed on that red blur, which swept past in a mighty rush, leaving only a fleeting afterimage.

In the stands above the pit lane, all the boos and jeers instantly fell silent. Staring dumbfounded at the bright red car, their minds went blank, forgetting to think and speak, they just stared blankly as the number 22 race car turned its neck from left to right.

Cross the finish line!

The engine roared to its fullest, and the turbocharger shot straight into the sky!
The air still carried the smell of melting tires and the distant rumble of the engine. My heart finally started beating again, the roar almost making my spine buckle.

Croft swallowed hard to ease the dryness in his throat. His thoughts, which had been floating in outer space, finally returned to the ground, where gravity surged upwards.

"Third time slot, purple!"

The Ferrari service area suddenly erupted with astonishing energy—

Ahhhhh!
He raised his arms and shouted, his roar like thunder.

One by one, people were cheering, celebrating, and hugging. Mekis couldn't control himself and jumped up, slamming his fist heavily into the air.

A beat too slow, Megis realized his lapse in composure and regained his composure, only to inadvertently witness the frenzied scene in the entire repair area. Even the usually calm and collected Cleary was beaming with joy. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a high-five in perfect unison.

It wasn't just the Ferrari service area; when Leclerc raised his arms in celebration, he realized that the adjacent service area was also in an uproar.

Clearly, it wasn't just the rookie drivers; the entire paddock was watching Lu Zhizhou.

"incredible!"

"God, unbelievable!"

"1:21.728!"

"First! Three-stage purple buff, fastest in the entire event, Lu Zhizhou temporarily takes the top spot in Q3!"

"What have we just witnessed!"

"Lu Zhizhou, a rookie, delivered a perfect performance in his first F1 qualifying session after experiencing situations such as red flag suspension and encountering slow cars!"

"Calm, restrained, bold, brave, and decisive."

"What Lu Zhizhou just accomplished was not just a spectacular lap, but a response to those doubts and attacks with his actions. The baby driver is not here to be a supporting actor and watch the show; he is here to compete and challenge all the other drivers."

"If you underestimate his existence, then this is the result."

"1:21.728! He is the second driver to break the 22-second barrier this weekend, after Verstappen, and he is 0.151 seconds faster than Verstappen."

“Before qualifying, we even doubted whether this young man could make it into Q3. Obviously, he needed more time to adapt to the pace and pressure of F1. But now it seems that we were the fools who were worried. Sergio Marchionne had already seen what we didn’t, and that’s why he was able to represent Ferrari.”

"Wow!"

Shock, impact, wave after wave.

Croft turned to look at Brundl. He had previously thought Brundl's deduction was nonsense, even though they had watched Lu Zhizhou step onto the Formula One stage together and witnessed the young man's growth. Croft still thought it was too far-fetched that Lu Zhizhou would dare to take risks in qualifying for his first F1 race, and that it was just Brundl's wishful thinking.

However, it now seems that he was simply too inexperienced.

"Aaaaaah!" Lorenzo could no longer control himself and roared out.

Turning to look at Lu Cheng beside him, Lorenzo shouted like a madman, "Pole position! Jack! Pole position! Even if it's temporary, it's still number one!"

However, Lu Cheng only felt his knees go weak and he almost couldn't stand up.

Beside him, someone patted him on the shoulder. Lu Cheng looked up and immediately saw Marchionne's smiling face. He gestured for a chair behind him, and Lu Cheng sat down. His tense body relaxed slightly, and a surge of genuine happiness began to well up inside him. He looked up, seeking confirmation in his eyes—

Was everything that just happened real?

Lorenzo nodded vigorously, "Jack, the fastest in the entire arena!"

Lu Cheng was taken aback, then his smile blossomed into a wide grin.

The heatwave spread across the entire world, making it feel like the world was spinning.

Greenwood's heart had never been pounding so fast. He truly hadn't expected that such a daring and crazy qualifying race would actually succeed.

His palms were drenched in sweat, but Greenwood still managed to control himself. "Zhizhou, number one. For now, number one!"

Despite his best efforts, Greenwood's voice still trembled slightly, betraying the turmoil within him.

"Received." Lu Zhizhou's response came through the radio, calm, composed, and decisive, without cheers, celebrations, or even any further comment.

Lu Zhizhou wasn't blinded by the brief adrenaline rush. This was just his flying lap; the other drivers would likely have a second flying lap, and that would be the key to determining the winner.

So calm it was that Greenwood was momentarily stunned, and for a fleeting moment he even thought the person on the other end of the radio was still the battle-hardened Iceman—

That's it?

(End of this chapter)