A Battle of Wits

Chapter 149 A Battle of Wits
On March 25, 2018, in Melbourne, at 4 p.m. local time, the opening race of the F1 season was about to begin.

"This is perfect weather for racing. The current temperature is 23 degrees Celsius, and the track temperature is 38 degrees Celsius. As is the case at Albert Park, this will be a tough test for the tires. Although the weather is clear now, the forecast indicates a 16% chance of rain, which could be a factor affecting the race."

"Now, all twenty race cars are ready."

"Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is in pole position, Ferrari driver Lu Zhizhou is in second place, and the two drivers, one veteran and one newcomer, are in the front row."

"Ferrari driver Vettel is third, Red Bull driver Verstappen is fourth. Obviously, Verstappen's start will also be a highlight."

"Unexpectedly, Haas drivers Magnussen and Grosjean finished fifth and sixth respectively, achieving the best qualifying result for the team."

"Seventh is Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg, and eighth is Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo. After qualifying, Ricciardo was penalized with a three-place grid penalty for a foul in free practice and also had two points deducted from his super license. This is a serious blow to the home team's hopes of reaching the podium."

The paddock was as noisy and bustling as ever, with the live broadcast room making its final push for the main competition broadcast, a scene of bustling activity.

On the track, the technical team is making final checks on the cars and drivers. Everything is ready to go, and cars are parked on the starting grid.

It's worth mentioning that Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, who qualified for Q3 yesterday but had no result due to an accident, suffered serious damage to his car and had to replace a gearbox. According to the rules, he had to start five positions back, so he moved from tenth to fifteenth, sharing a row with Sauber's Kimi Räikkönen.

The air was stifling, and the sweltering heat was palpable inside the car.

Putting on his helmet and headphones, Lu Zhizhou closed his eyes, his hearing keenly capturing the noise: the surging air currents, the roar of engines, the intertwining of voices, all swirling and swirling with the rolling heat waves. His heart was beating faster and faster, as if it were about to explode at any moment.

This is F1, the stage in the world of motorsports where people strive for the ultimate.

My wildly beating heart pushed me to my limit, and amidst the surging noise, I entered a state of tranquility, my breathing becoming steady.

Lu Zhizhou was ready.

On the side, Arrivabene looked slightly worried. What should he say in his rookie's first official match?

But after a moment's hesitation, he swallowed his words, crossed his arms over his chest, and stood quietly by his side. Then he turned to look at Vettel diagonally behind him.

The heavy responsibility still falls on Vettel's shoulders.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the tire warming process has begun."

"As seen on the live stream, Hamilton wasted no time; he was accelerating and wasn't going to give other cars any more warm-up time. He was speeding along, trying to finish the warm-up as soon as possible and get off the grid as soon as possible. The defending champion couldn't wait to start the decisive battle of the opening race."

Lu Zhizhou immediately felt the pressure.

Generally, warm-up time doesn't require increasing speed; instead, it's about getting the tires to operating temperature as quickly as possible. However, Hamilton is now shortening the warm-up time.

So, is Hamilton particularly confident in his tire grip, or is it because his tire wear exceeded expectations in yesterday's Q2 qualifying and he needs to control his tires, or is he simply using this tactic to disrupt the rhythm of other drivers?

Especially Lu Zhizhou, this newbie.

The possibilities are not limited to one or two. Mercedes-Benz's ability to achieve four consecutive championships is not only due to its excellent cars, but also to its consistently leading team strategy.

Lu Zhizhou remained calm and refused to be led by the nose by Hamilton; he still needed to stick to his own strategy.

The first corner of the Albert Park circuit, Jones Turn, is a right-angled right turn, meaning the inside right lane is the driving line; however, the pole position is on the left.

In other words, Hamilton has a locational advantage, but Luzhizhou has a route advantage.

The start is a game of strategy.

The warm-up lap is over, and all twenty cars are in the starting grid. There's no time to breathe; the red lights come on.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

The sweltering heat and blinding sunlight momentarily froze, all the noise vanished into nothingness, and the world fell silent.

All five red lights are off. The competition begins!
Clutch, accelerator, breathing and movement synchronized, in 0.20 seconds, the No. 22 Ferrari race car had already shot straight ahead, attempting to seize the inside line.

Taking the initiative, the young people displayed the fearlessness of newborn calves.

The high-speed engine roared to life, and Lu Zhizhou could clearly see his car's front end catching up with Hamilton's rear end at a visible speed.

At this moment, Hamilton calmly cut inside, seemingly having anticipated Lu Zhizhou's boldness. The right side of car number 44 was positioned across Lu Zhizhou's front, occupying half of the lane, forcing Lu Zhizhou to react improvisationally.

Of course, the first option is to cut inside to the right, completely dominate the paint, and engage in a fierce battle with Hamilton for control of the apex.

However, in the ever-changing world of Formula One racing, one cannot only look ahead, or one will lose one's position.

Lu Zhizhou didn't forget Verstappen, who started from the fourth position behind him. The nickname "Tower Cannon" was not without reason. If Verstappen also tried to force his way into the paint, Lu Zhizhou's continued attempts to occupy the paint could put him in danger of being surrounded by Hamilton and Verstappen. At best, he would end up on the grass; at worst, he would crash and be eliminated.

A glance in the rearview mirror confirmed it: Verstappen was launching a fierce and aggressive attack, and one could almost see the dust and fumes kicked up by the wheels at high speed.

This was a crucial moment for Lu Zhizhou, who immediately noticed that his rearview mirror was unusually crowded, as Vettel was also vying for the inside position, coming in a large and imposing manner.

Hamilton, Vettel, and Verstappen formed a pincer movement, all firing at Lu Zhizhou.

Lu Zhizhou: ? ? ?

Mercedes is one thing, but what's with Vettel?

However, there was no time to hesitate, not even time for shock or surprise; the first reaction in the blink of an eye revealed ruthless decisiveness.

Lu Zhizhou decisively turned the steering wheel to the left, cutting past Hamilton's rear wing and gracefully slipping out before Verstappen and Vettel could complete their encirclement, crossing the center line from the inside and cutting into the outside.

however!
With the first Jones Turn almost upon them, Lu Zhizhou calmly straightened the car, delayed braking, and swerved along the outer edge of the line, bypassing the larger curve. He first turned the steering wheel to the right to its maximum, and then, at the critical moment, smoothly and fluidly swerved along the curve of the second Brabham Turn, slowly turning the steering wheel back and speeding close to the apex of this high-speed turn.

Speed, transformed into flowing light.

You can see the red and matte blue cars on the right vying for the apex of the corner. They were almost neck and neck with Lu Zhizhou at the first Jones Turn, but they receded like the tide at the second Brabham Turn. The number 22 car had regained the advantage in the driving line and followed closely behind the silver light in front of it as it left the second turn.

Steering, throttle, perfect coordination, engine roars as speed is unleashed, the world transforms into a blur of light and shadow receding, Lu Zhizhou's gaze is already fixed on Hamilton, who is right in front of him.

……

"Lights out, the game begins!"

"Hamilton reacted quickly at the start, making a beautiful cut; Lu Zhizhou was surrounded, Vettel cut inside, Verstappen cut inside, and Lu Zhizhou cut outside to break through; Vettel blocked Verstappen's path, and they entered Jones Bend one after the other, making the battle at Turn 1 completely heated."

Hamilton!

"Lu Zhizhou!"

"Vettel!"

"My God, Verstappen was intercepted by Vettel, and Magnussen overtook him from the outside!"

"Haas has had a dream start!"

The situation was constantly changing and there was so much to keep up with that the commentators in the various TV stations' live broadcast studios were all firing off into machine gun mode, afraid of missing any highlight.

Croft unleashed his signature passionate and eloquent speech once again, and Brendel was ready to take over, detailing the exciting aspects of the starting phase.

He had barely begun to say, "Look at Hamilton's start," when the live broadcast prompted Brendle to change his tune, "Look at Lu Zhizhou, he's launching an attack at Whiteford Turn 3!"

"Lu Zhizhou is preparing to overtake from the outside!"

Just moments before, Lu Zhizhou had emerged from Brabham Bend 2, shaking off Vettel and Verstappen's pursuit.

Immediately afterward, Lu Zhizhou found an opportunity and launched an attack at the Whiteford Bend without stopping.

Lu Zhizhou had no way of knowing Hamilton's tire condition and car setup, but he knew his own situation. The first and second time slots were opportunities, and he had to seize them to launch an attack. Otherwise, in the low-to-medium speed corners of the third time slot, Mercedes would have the advantage.

Without a moment to catch their breath, Hamilton and Lu Zhizhou left Turn 2 one after the other, and Lu Zhizhou immediately cut to the outside to launch an attack.

Hamilton was startled, taking in all the chaos that followed. He realized that Lu Zhizhou had also escaped death, but he did not hesitate to switch from defense to offense.

So, is this Verstappen's recklessness or Vettel's cunning?

Regardless of the circumstances, Hamilton displayed the prowess of a four-time world champion, with his body responding instinctively even before his brain could process it.

Outward slant —

Whiteford Turn 3 is still a right-angle turn, which should theoretically be used to defend the inside, but Hamilton did not, instead slightly widening the lane line.

Not much, there's no need to block Lu Zhizhou's driving line. It just forces Lu Zhizhou's driving line to expand outward a little, affecting Lu Zhizhou's rhythm in the corner and ultimately affecting his exit speed.

Indeed, Hamilton was right.

In Turn 3, Lu Zhizhou continued on the outside line, completely catching up with Hamilton. His car's front end was able to reach Hamilton's cockpit. The two cars were neck and neck, and it looked like they were about to have a wheel-to-wheel confrontation. However, in the following Turn 4, Hamilton's exit speed clearly suppressed Lu Zhizhou, and he easily widened the gap again, taking the lead and rushing towards Turn 5.

It looks simple, but it's actually quite clever, defusing an attack without making a sound.

"Hamilton remained calm and composed, demonstrating unparalleled driving skills and thwarting the first wave of attacks from rookie driver Lu Zhizhou."

"But clearly, Lu Zhizhou did not waver, nor was he prepared to give up. Car number 22 was tightly tailing car number 44, and entered the straight through turn 5."

"Lu Zhizhou caught the slipstream on the straight, sticking close to Hamilton and refusing to fall behind. The two cars continued their offensive and defensive battle in the next combination corner."

At this point, it was still the first lap, and DRS could not be activated yet. Without an absolute speed advantage, overtaking would be very difficult, and rashly attempting an attack might waste the opportunity. Lu Zhizhou kept a clear head and did not recklessly attack despite Hamilton being so close by.

Nevertheless, the heart continued to pound, faster and faster, with F1-level speed and G-force instantly triggering an adrenaline rush.

Everything seemed the same as the GP3, yet it was completely different.

After navigating the Clarke Turn 9, Lu Zhizhou showcased Ferrari's engine advantage in the subsequent high-speed combination corners, relentlessly chasing Hamilton.

Hamilton could clearly feel the pressure. Lu Zhizhou was completely behind him, and the distance between them was only two or three meters, completely filling the rearview mirror. But Lu Zhizhou was not like a typical rookie who was hot-blooded, reckless, and rough. He was like a seasoned hunter waiting for an opportunity.

The pressure builds up little by little.

Car number 22 followed closely behind, and in the high-speed corners, the impact of the dirty air was less, so car number 22 completely stuck to car number 44, and when it came out of turn 12 and entered the main straight, it completely swallowed the wake of car number 44.

The battle is about to break out.

Not to mention the audience, even those in the live stream were holding their breath, with no time to pay attention to what was happening behind them.

Hamilton's brain immediately sounded the alarm, and sure enough—

Turn 13, the last mid-to-low speed corner on the track that combines a right angle and a straight, is where Lu Zhizhou was waiting for his chance without DRS.

In the rearview mirror, Hamilton could see the baby rider's skillful and steady series of maneuvers: a turn, an inside line, acceleration, and a powerful surge toward Turn 13, with no sign of braking whatsoever.

In fact, Hamilton deliberately increased his pace during the warm-up lap, aiming to target the young and energetic Lu Zhizhou and prevent him from finding grip on the first lap.

However, Lu Zhizhou's dynamic balance and on-the-spot adjustment abilities exceeded expectations. He actually made full use of the first two timing segments to increase the tire temperature in a short period of time and launched an attack in the third timing segment.

Hamilton even began to suspect that the attack at Turn 3 was a smokescreen.

In the blink of an eye, after cutting into the inside line, car number 22 was almost neck and neck with car number 44, and was quickly closing the gap in the corners.

However, Hamilton responded.

However, Hamilton made an inside cut, the rear wing slid slightly, and he quickly straightened the car. He should have completed the turn at a 90-degree right angle, but his clean and decisive maneuver resulted in a quick cut at a 60-degree acute angle.

On one hand, they took the lead over Lu Zhizhou in the paint and controlled the inside.

On the other hand, the rear of the car quickly retracts, and after straightening the car body, the throttle is used to gain a higher exit speed from the corner.

"Grass!"

Lu Zhizhou had to brake; otherwise, he would collide with Hamilton.

The brakes came a little earlier than expected, but Lu Zhizhou's steering control was very timely. He stayed close to the inside line and hugged the apex of the corner, without losing speed as he exited the corner.

Despite not being able to secure the desired position, he still clung tightly to Hamilton as he exited the corner, and the trembling chase continued at the approaching Turn 14.

Unfortunately, in low-to-medium speed corners, Mercedes is indeed better than Ferrari. This is the fundamental difference between F1 and GP3. There are no standard cars here, and there are differences between cars. Drivers must overcome these differences to turn the tide. Turn 13 was Lu Zhizhou's chance. After Hamilton withstood the attack, Mercedes' cornering speed was like a fish in water in the following combination corners, and they gradually widened the gap.

As Hamilton exited Turn 16, he was already 0.4 seconds ahead of Lu Zhizhou, and the race seemed to be under the control of the defending champion.

…… oh!
A gasp rippled through the Ferrari service area.

Lu Cheng clutched his head in disbelief, his heart pounding. He was so close, so very close, that Lu Zhizhou was about to overtake Hamilton.

Lorenzo even nearly fell over with an extreme backward lean.

Lu Cheng hurriedly helped Lorenzo up, took a deep breath, and comforted Lorenzo, "There's still a chance."

Lorenzo burst into laughter, "That's right, that's right!"

However, Lu Zhizhou was not in such a good mood at this moment.

"Damn it." Lu Zhizhou turned on the radio. "Was he allowed to do that? Wasn't that against the rules?"

Greenwood's voice came through, "We're investigating. Focus, Zhizhou, focus!"

For once, Lu Zhizhou was a little angry. Even though he was mature and calm, this was still his first F1 race. His adrenaline surged like thunder, hitting his eardrums. His blood started to boil and almost burned. The unfamiliar feeling made his emotions break free of their reins.

In Turn 13, Hamilton's defensive play was suspected of being illegal! He brutally extinguished Lu Zhizhou's chance to overtake.

Greenwood realized this too, hesitated for a moment, and still couldn't bring himself to say words of comfort, "Stay focused, stick with Hamilton."

There was only silence on the radio; Lu Zhizhou's attention had returned to the track.

After yesterday's qualifying session, Ferrari has a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of its situation, and then began to discuss its strategy for the race.

Ferrari's advantage lies in the fact that Lu Zhizhou and Vettel occupy second and third place respectively, allowing them to coordinate tactical plays, while Hamilton, lacking Bottas's assistance, is forced into a solo battle.

However, Lu Zhizhou did not expect that Vettel would launch an attack at the start, almost putting Lu Zhizhou in a situation of being surrounded.

In a previous interview, Vettel stated that he was not interested in competing with Hamilton for a fifth world championship trophy and was only focused on the present. However, it now appears that this was merely an official response. On the F1 track, who wouldn't want to compete for first place?
Fortunately, Lu Zhizhou made a quick decision, averting a disaster.

Regardless, Ferrari has developed four strategies around Lu Zhizhou and Vettel, and has also prepared three additional strategies for various potential contingencies.

Judging from qualifying, Ferrari attempted to compensate for their disadvantage in low- and medium-speed corners by sacrificing some straight-line speed. This strategy cannot be considered a failure, as they secured second and third place. However, Mercedes' advantage in straights and high-speed corners is too obvious, and Ferrari must take heed. If they fall too far behind in the first two timeouts and fail to close the time gap sufficiently in the third timeout, the race will be a disaster.

Therefore, the car setup needs to be slightly modified.

On car number 22, the suspension stiffness was slightly relaxed to reduce the impact on the tires in corners, sacrificing a little cornering precision in exchange for smoother tire wear; the rear wing angle was slightly adjusted to ensure competitiveness on straights and high-speed corners, but still to maintain grip performance in low-to-medium speed corners.

Simply put, regain some speed on straightaways, while cornering relies more on the driver's skill to keep tire wear on a consistent, even curve.

It was under these circumstances that, on the very first lap of the race, Lu Zhizhou closely followed Hamilton on the straights and high-speed corners, and then tried to overtake him using his personal skills in the corners; but as it turned out, during Hamilton's peak, his skills and abilities were absolutely top-notch in the paddock.

In the third timed segment of the first lap, Hamilton unleashed his best skills, showcasing Mercedes' stability in low-to-medium speed corners with seamless transitions and driving.

In terms of time difference, the lead only increased from 0.2 seconds to 0.4 seconds, but the rhythm in the corner was better, and the advantage in exiting the corner immediately became apparent. On the long straight at the starting line, the lead continued to widen, and the team took the lead into the second lap.

No one has forgotten the impressive performance of Mercedes in the first two qualifying sessions yesterday, with their speeds on the straights and high-speed corners being comparable to Ferrari's.

Then, the 0.4-second gap widened to 0.6 seconds.

Numerically, they seem almost identical, but visually, the No. 22 and No. 44 cars were previously almost side-by-side; now, the gap between the two cars is about ten meters, giving Hamilton valuable breathing room.

Therefore, Lu Zhizhou had no time to continue complaining. He immediately refocused his attention and followed Hamilton step by step. Otherwise, once the gap widened, it would be difficult to catch up later.

In GP3, all cars are standard-spec and do not require pit stops, so tire wear is generally at the same level.

But F1 is different. Different cars have different setups, and the difference in tire wear can be very obvious. In addition, they have to pit. So how to use tires reasonably is the key to the race. Lu Zhizhou can't be like GP3, where once he starts attacking, he can just chase after the enemy without any regard for anything else.

On the very first lap, before the tires had fully reached operating temperature, Lu Zhizhou quickly heated them up and launched a deadly attack at Turn 13.

After the attack failed, the tire temperature became too high. If Lu Zhizhou didn't want the tires to enter the degradation period prematurely, he couldn't recklessly push forward.

As it turned out, Lu Zhizhou's decisiveness was correct, because after investigation, the race organizers determined that Hamilton had not violated any rules regarding the incident at Turn 13 on the first lap.

Therefore, the duel will still be completed on the track.

In the following laps, Lu Zhizhou noticeably tightened his driving, trying to keep up with Hamilton while avoiding excessive tire wear.

There are no perfect solutions.

Hamilton noticed what was happening behind him and once again displayed the flair of a world champion, slightly suppressing Lu Zhizhou's rhythm with extreme control. He seized this window to widen the gap, and the time difference between the two cars gradually increased from 0.6 seconds to about 2.5 seconds. Although Hamilton was still within Lu Zhizhou's field of vision, it was impossible for him to create an attacking opportunity in a short period of time. What followed was a battle of strategy.

It wasn't just Hamilton and Lu Zhizhou; after the initial close battle on the first lap, all the cars behind them entered a phase of controlling tire wear.

Vettel is in third place and Magnussen is in fourth, but the pace has already been widened.

Vettel tried to catch up with Lu Zhizhou, and did not slow down completely. He kept a distance of less than two seconds from Lu Zhizhou and followed closely.

However, Haas' Magnussen was worried about the tire wear, so he slowed down his pace. But his beautiful driving line gave Verstappen, who was in fifth place, no chance. In addition, his Haas teammate Grosjean, who was in sixth place, kept pressuring Verstappen. Verstappen was trapped by pressure from both sides and was unable to overtake Magnussen.

As a result, the gap between Vettel and Magnussen gradually widened, increasing to more than five seconds in just six laps.

However, without unexpected events, it wouldn't be F1—

Williams' rookie driver, Slokin, slowly parked his car in the safety zone next to the track. For reasons unknown, he chose to retire from the race. Although it would not affect the race, the race organizers deployed a double yellow flag because the parking position created a blind spot on the track.

One yellow flag means slow down, two yellow flags mean you must slow down and be prepared to stop or make a U-turn.

With Slovin eliminated, the double yellow flag slowed down the pace of the race, and the gap between the cars began to narrow. A fierce battle may be staged again after the double yellow flag ends.

opportunity!

Lu Zhizhou noticed the double yellow flags immediately, slowed his speed, and approached steadily. His attention was already locked on Hamilton, ready to launch an attack at any moment, like a cheetah silently approaching its prey.

In F1, an attack needs to be gradual. If two cars are two seconds apart, you shouldn't close the gap in one lap, but rather make up for the difference over each lap, spreading it out over three to five laps to bring the gap within the DRS range before launching an attack. This ensures that the tire wear curve decreases evenly, rather than plummeting.

Otherwise, even if they manage to overtake in a short time, the tires will be severely damaged, and they will lack the strength to continue, ultimately forcing them to relinquish their lead.

Before him, two yellow flags appeared, indicating speed limits everywhere. This created an opportunity for those lagging behind, and Lu Zhizhou immediately got into the zone—

Close the distance first, then wait for the yellow flag to be removed.

However... the double yellow flags only lasted for half a lap, and before the drivers could close the gap completely, the race had already returned to normal.

"Be patient, stay patient." Greenwood's slightly tense voice came through the radio. Rookies often tend to be too hasty at times like this. "Take care of the tires, we'll look for another opportunity."

But Greenwood soon realized that his worries were completely unnecessary.

The opportunity had just appeared but was quickly extinguished. Faced with this situation, Lu Zhizhou remained remarkably calm and composed, steadily maintaining his own pace.

This mindset is remarkable, no wonder he has been able to create miracles and win championships repeatedly in the GP3 sprint races. This hunter's calmness and patience are the key.

Without comparison, there is no harm.

Compared to Lu Zhizhou, Verstappen, who is in his fourth season this year, still appears impatient, extremely aggressive, and unable to control his temper.

After losing his position at the start, Verstappen was constantly sandwiched between Magnussen and Grosjean. If Verstappen wanted to win a podium finish, he had to overtake Magnussen first and then chase Vettel. So Verstappen was looking for an opportunity.

On lap ten, Verstappen could no longer contain himself and launched an attack on Magnussen at the Whiteford corner. However, due to braking too late, he understeered off the track and onto the grass, his tires slipped, and he spun 360 degrees, instantly losing his position.

But Verstappen still demonstrated top-notch control, incredibly finding directional control and balance amidst high-speed spin, and returning to the game.

Unfortunately, they lost three spots and slipped to eighth place.

Sure enough, comparing people to each other makes people angry.

Actually, Verstappen cannot be entirely blamed for being impatient, because at this point the tire wear had already begun to show, and the changes in grip were particularly noticeable.

Today, all twenty cars started on supersoft tires. The difference was that the first fifteen cars used the same tires used in Q2 qualifying, while cars from sixteenth to twentieth used brand new supersoft tires.

After the ultrasoft tires were worn out in Q2, Pirelli's official data for the main race, which doesn't involve full-speed driving, is a lifespan of ten to fifteen laps. However, the actual lifespan may vary depending on the car and driver.

In other words, by lap ten, the supersoft tires have begun to wear off, and at this point, a watershed moment will occur, where differences in car setup and driver ability will become apparent.

Verstappen's decision to launch an attack on lap ten was debatable, as his teammate had moved up to seventh and was making a full-fledged chase on Grosjean, allowing for tactical coordination within the Red Bull team; however, considering the wear and tear on the tires, Verstappen's intuitive judgment was sound.

After one lap, Hamilton also began to accelerate, which meant that Mercedes-Benz was starting to create a window for pit stops to change tires.

The pit stop window, simply put, is where race engineers must accurately determine the position of their drivers after they enter the pit area to change tires.

Everything can be calculated. All cars entering the pit lane must be limited in speed. Based on the length of the pit lane and the time it takes for the teams to change tires, the time required to enter the pit lane can be easily calculated.

At Albert Park Circuit, the pit lane is relatively short, with a normal pit stop time of 20 to 23 seconds.

In other words, race engineers need to closely monitor the overall situation, choose pit stop times for drivers, accurately predict the driver's position when they start the race, and try to avoid drivers getting stuck in a traffic jam when they start the race, which not only requires them to constantly overtake, but also causes dirty air turbulence that is very bad for tires.

For example, Hamilton right now.

Currently, Hamilton is about two seconds ahead of Lu Zhizhou, Lu Zhizhou is about two seconds ahead of Vettel, and Vettel is about six seconds ahead of Magnussen.

If Hamilton pits now, 20 to 23 seconds later, he will be behind Verstappen, in roughly ninth place, with a long line of competitors ahead of him.

Not only are there cars like Haas and Renault that are slower than Mercedes and Ferrari, but there are also two tough young Red Bull drivers.

Even if Hamilton is exceptionally capable, he cannot surpass everyone in a short time, which may expose weaknesses and give Ferrari a chance to strategically overtake him.

However, if Hamilton were to accelerate and push forward at this point, trying to get out of the pit window and widen the gap between him and Magnussen to more than 20 seconds, so that when he pits to change tires he could come out behind Vettel and ahead of Magnussen, then the entire race situation would be completely different.

And so, this scene unfolded before our eyes—

When the tires are at the tail end of their operating temperature range, before they fully enter the degradation phase, Hamilton activates Propulsion mode to unleash the full speed.

It's not just about getting rid of Lu Zhizhou; the real purpose is to create a strong entry window.

Lu Zhizhou noticed the situation immediately and said, "Request that we proceed."

Greenwood's response was very timely: "Allowed. Plan A, repeat, Plan A. We'll proceed according to plan and maintain the pressure."

Lu Zhizhou did not speak, but answered with his actions.

In the live stream, Croft and Brendel both noticed the intense atmosphere at the track.

"Hamilton just set a new fastest lap time, but Lu Zhizhou immediately followed closely behind."

"In the first time slot, Lu Zhizhou achieved a purple score!"

"Hamilton is trying to create a window of opportunity, but clearly he can't shake off the persistent defenders behind him. Lu Zhizhou is showing excellent control of the rhythm."

"Precise and fluid, just like his ability in Q1 of qualifying, the smooth lines of his car are a true visual treat, and he achieves speed with incredible handling."

"In the second time slot, Lu Zhizhou has gotten another purple score!"

"The rookie is putting constant pressure on the defending champions!"

The game is getting exciting.

For Wang Lin, a mere spectator, the most obvious and direct evidence was the constant stream of purple flashes, his heart pounding back and forth between the ever-increasing speed of the fastest timer.

Throughout the three time slots, Hamilton and Lu Zhizhou took turns increasing their pace and continuously setting new fastest lap times. These numbers created a powerful impact in the most direct way, making people feel the fierce competition among the leading group.

Although Hamilton began to accelerate, the gap between him and Lu Zhizhou narrowed to two seconds and remained around two seconds without widening further.

Even without live commentary, one can clearly feel the mounting pressure; the invisible smoke of battle continues to billow.

Then, a cry of surprise rang out—

"Vettel! First timeout goes purple!"

Ding! Another four-time world champion, Vettel, has joined the battle!

(End of this chapter)