Head-on Counterattack

Chapter 154 Head-on Counterattack
A blueprint is a blueprint, and a contract is a contract.

No matter how romantic or beautiful sweet words and vows of eternal love may be, in the end, we still need to return to reality and discuss cooperation methods and profit distribution in a down-to-earth manner.

After LeBark left Maranello, Richard Mille began negotiations with Nicolas Todd, a negotiation devoid of dreams and glory, all about numbers.

Overall, when brands choose investment targets, the factors are often complex and diverse, including qualifications, achievements, market influence, brand image, commercial value, and so on. When faced with newcomers whose market influence is almost zero, brands tend to sponsor teams rather than drivers.

Of course, nothing is absolute. An impressive resume, from GP3 to F2, can certainly earn trust for fledglings just entering the world of F1, and there are quite a few brands that specifically choose to invest in upstarts.

After all, rookies are cheap and good right now, and a small investment can get you a lot of exposure in the paddock.

Under such circumstances, established mid-table teams like McLaren and Renault often attract more brand sponsorship opportunities.

Nevertheless, the sponsorship amounts received by rookies are still not high, generally ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million, with less than $1 million being the norm.

However, this time, Richard Mille truly demonstrated exceptional sincerity and unwavering determination, taking the lead and reaching a brand-new personal sponsorship contract with Lu Zhizhou.

Sponsor drivers, not teams.

Three years! Three million dollars per year!

Furthermore, Richard Mier has the right of first refusal to renew the contract upon its expiration! He also has the right to match offers from competing brands.
Richard Mille explicitly stipulated that Lu Zhizhou must wear their watches throughout the competition weekend, especially at press conferences and on the podium.

Anyone with a discerning eye will immediately understand: Lu Zhizhou is currently incredibly popular, and even in the star-studded paddock, his exposure is absolutely top-tier, not to mention that he won the championship in the season opener. Richard Mille, on the other hand, didn't have these detailed regulations and missed out on a golden opportunity for exposure.

This time, we will definitely not miss it again; we will stipulate it in detail in black and white.

Furthermore, Richard Mille's representatives stated that they are planning to collaborate with Lu Zhizhou to design a watch exclusively for him.

Superstar treatment!

Richard Mille has many brand ambassadors, but only superstars like Rafael Nadal can own their own exclusive watch.

But now, it's Lu Zhizhou's turn?
Although it is currently just a plan and Richard Mille has not set a schedule, the subtext is to see how Lu Zhizhou performs next; but you can still feel Richard Mille's attitude, fully cooperating with Lu Zhizhou and cultivating him as the core of the brand's future.

This is a bombshell, an absolute bombshell. Even with Lu Zhizhou sporting a Ferrari racing suit, this sponsorship contract still disrupts the balance and is incredibly enviable.

Not only because the contract was outrageous for a rookie, but also because of Richard Mille's unwavering belief and determination.

In an instant, a commotion erupted throughout the paddock, with one or two people exclaiming, "Has Richard Mill gone mad?"

If this is what "loss of mind" means, then Lebak is not the only one who has lost his mind.

“I need help.” Lorenzo’s tone was different; he smiled and had a cheeky expression. After seeing Lebak off, the two friends headed towards the gym, and Lu Zhizhou prepared to start his afternoon training.

Lu Zhizhou blinked. "Are you asking for a favor?"

“Yes.” Lorenzo nodded crisply.

Because it was so direct and honest, Lu Zhizhou couldn't help but chuckle. "You tell me first."

“I need you to renew your contract with Brembo.” Lorenzo gave a compliant smile. “We can’t be as financially powerful as Richard Mille. The cooperation should still be a three-way collaboration between Ferrari and you. The sponsorship amount won’t be too much, but I need your approval.”

Lu Zhizhou was taken aback. He thought Lorenzo was joking, but looking at his expression, he immediately realized that he was not. He couldn't help but chuckle. "It's my honor that you're willing to sponsor me. You should know my background. I welcome all sponsorships to help me gain a foothold in the paddock. I should be the one thanking you."

Lorenzo shook his head. "No, that's not how it is."

"Brands are already getting restless. With Ferrari, the Chinese market, and the season opener championship, you're qualified to make your choice."

"You'll see, brands will keep coming to your door until you're overwhelmed with choices. You have many options, but you don't have to cooperate with every one of them."

Lorenzo let out a soft breath and gave a wry smile.

“At home, I’m just a freeloader. Nobody believes I can make something of myself, and nobody expects anything from me. Anyway, it doesn’t cost much to support me.”

"However, I did the right thing by connecting you with this opportunity. My family and the company are now very impressed with me, and the company hopes that we can continue our cooperation."

"Just like Richard Mille. We believe in you, and we also need this contract to deepen our relationship with Ferrari, so I need your help."

Noticing that Lu Zhizhou was about to speak, Lorenzo raised his hand in a gesture to stop him and gently shook his head.

“But we don’t have Richard Mill’s generosity. The old guys in the company want both ways—they want to continue the partnership, but they’re unwilling to spend more money or take risks. They hope I can use my personal connections to persuade you to agree, but I can’t deceive you with sweet words, otherwise I’ll never be able to face you again.”

Open, frank, and honest, Lorenzo showed his true feelings without reservation.

A smile flickered in Lu Zhizhou's eyes, but he deliberately hid it, putting on a serious face. "If I refuse, will we not be able to be friends anymore?"

Lorenzo waved his hand. “How could that be? You can refuse, absolutely. I can ask for help, and you can certainly refuse. We are friends, but you have no responsibility or obligation to solve all my problems. I just want to be honest; there are already too many lies and scheming in this circle.”

To be honest, Lu Zhizhou did not expect Lorenzo to be so frank, or rather, Lorenzo did understand Lu Zhizhou.

Lu Zhizhou stopped joking and said, "Okay. Let's renew the contract."

Lorenzo nearly choked on his own saliva. "That's it? You were just making things difficult for Lucian for so long!"

Lu Zhizhou spread his hands and joked, "How come I didn't know you had masochistic tendencies?"

Lorenzo immediately raised his middle finger.

"Haha." Lu Zhizhou laughed heartily. "Back then, you generously helped me and persuaded Brembo to invest in me. It had nothing to do with the amount on the check; that trust was even more precious. Now that you are willing to believe in my future, I have no reason to refuse an old friend's invitation."

Lorenzo cleared his throat, looking slightly hesitant. "Only one million euros a year."

Not much, but nothing less.

In fact, by raising the initial offer of 200,000 euros to the current 1 million euros, Brembo has already demonstrated sufficient sincerity. Their terms are not as extravagant as Richard Mille's, but they are still within the normal range of industry standards.

Lu Zhizhou patted the table readily, "Not only lunch, but afternoon tea is on me too."

Despite Lorenzo's deep dissatisfaction with Brebbo's caution, the media saw it quite differently—

Following Richard Mille, even the usually calm and low-key Brembo has taken a risk.
Have all of these people lost their minds?
Clearly, this is still not all.

……

Bustling and crowded, layer upon layer, with no end in sight.

Qian Jun has been in and out of the paddock for many years, witnessing Verstappen's glorious first victory at the Spanish Grand Prix and Hamilton's historic fourth world championship title. He's attended countless press conferences, but he's never seen anything like this before—

The sweltering heat outside the press conference hall seemed to break through the building's walls and rush in. The air conditioning was operating weakly and couldn't help at all. In just a short while, we started to feel oxygen-deprived.

Qian Jun was not tall, but he was big, and he was always able to stand firm in the bustling crowd.

However, at this moment, he experienced firsthand the feeling of "going with the flow" and found himself unable to stand firm at all!

Thursday is Media Day. F1 will always arrange three press conferences: one for team principals and two for drivers. Four drivers will be randomly selected to form a team, for a total of eight people to answer questions from the officials.

As for the other team principals and drivers, there will still be opportunities in the mixed zone.

In other words, official press conferences are slightly more formal, but interviews can still be conducted at other times, so there's no need to worry about not being able to complete the work, giving the media ample time to explore every corner of the paddock.

That's why press conferences can accommodate sixty to eighty people, but are rarely completely full.

Today was different. Qian Jun had anticipated that the press conference might be a bit lively, because Lu Zhizhou was prominently featured on the F1 driver roster.

The afterglow of Australia's victory still lingers in the air. The FIA ​​investigation, sponsor signings, and the fervor of expectations and doubts just can't be stopped. Lu Zhizhou continues to stand at the forefront of the storm, with no one able to rival his popularity.

Therefore, Qian Jun arrived at the scene early, but he still underestimated the power of the enclosure.

Crowds of people!

At least two hundred people, or even more, were gathered in the small press conference room, shoulder to shoulder and face to face, sweating profusely. What kind of hellish test was this?

Although the continuous surge in traffic on social networks is already palpable, that traffic is just numbers and ultimately lacks real impact. It can't compare to the heat wave right in front of you, penetrating your pores and making your blood boil. Never before has a driver's every move caused such a commotion in the paddock.

A sense of pride that defies description filled his chest. Despite his disheveled state, Qian Jun's smile continued to rise.

"coming!"

A voice rang out, and in an instant, a barrage of flashes went off, turning the entire world into a dazzling silver, causing a momentary loss of vision.

Qian Jun also pressed the shutter button, and then he heard that familiar voice.

"Haha, as expected of me, I knew it. I'm the number one super handsome guy in the paddock, everyone loves me."

"Calm down, calm down. I treat everyone the same. You all have a chance."

"Come on, let me strike a few poses."

That... isn't it Ricardo?
The silver light screen cooled down slightly, and a set of big white teeth could be seen at a glance.

They were a beat too slow to realize that they were in such a hurry that they photographed the wrong person. In that brief moment, the second figure entered the press conference room.

Tall and slender, with a gentle smile, his warm temperament exudes a low-key and composed air. A cursory glance might not catch his attention, but it subtly awakens his intuition, causing him to instinctively turn back for a second look, and then he can't look away.

The body reacts to conditioned reflexes before the brain does.

After a brief pause, the clicking of the shutter exploded forth, even more frantically than when Ricardo had just appeared. The intense and frenzied clicking of the shutter alone conveyed the passion and fervor within.

The air began to boil.

Lu Zhizhou had never seen such a scene before. The surging, boiling silver light screen rushed towards him with bared teeth and claws. There was no time to react. His vision was instantly cut off, and all he could see was darkness. Only countless points of light flew up and down like insects. Then his hearing was also blocked. After the roar reached its peak, only a buzzing sound echoed straight through his eardrums.

Even more exaggeratedly, the scorching heat was burning on the skin, and the slight burning and stinging were clear reminders that the scene before them was on the verge of getting out of control.

Even when Ferrari announced the signing of Lu Zhizhou in Monza, they didn't receive such treatment.

Now, Lu Zhizhou finally understands why the hunting grounds are hailed as the pinnacle of the top 1%, where every move can produce a continuous series of reactions.

This was Lu Zhizhou's first official press conference in the paddock during his professional career, and he was caught off guard by such a scene.

How to do?
Despite his racing thoughts, Lu Zhizhou remained calm and continued walking, preparing to find a central position to stand and receive the flash of cameras.

However, with his sight and hearing completely shut down, a tsunami crashed into his mind, and he was plunged into crisis before he could even take a good look at the layout of the press conference hall.

The next second, they crashed into an object in front of them—

"Calm down, calm down, please don't throw yourself at me, I'm actually very shy."

That's... Ricardo?

Lu Zhizhou wasn't sure, but his tone and laughter were typical of Da Ya's style. "Looks like you're already quite experienced. You've encountered this situation more than once or twice, haven't you?"

"..." Ricardo, "Don't do this, don't ruin my reputation. No other girl will dare to talk to me anymore."

Hahaha, everyone burst into laughter.

Then, the flashes finally subsided, but Lu Zhizhou's eyes still felt uncomfortable.

He simply closed his eyes. "I should have worn my Ray-Ban sunglasses."

Ricardo's eyes widened. "I never expected you to be this kind of guy. Tell me, how much did Ray-Ban pay you? I, Tyrannosaurus, will pay double!"

The entire press conference room was filled with laughter and excitement; these two guys could practically be performing a comedy routine.

Upon witnessing this scene, Raikkonen and Sainz, standing at the door, were unsure whether they should come in, as they were the other two drivers at the first press conference.

Raikkonen was alright, with his hands crossed over his chest and his face expressionless.

Sainz kept peeking around curiously. Seeing this, Lu Zhizhou called out to break the silence, which allowed them to reunite.

Sainz said in heavily accented English, "I thought I was in the wrong room. What happened here?"

Ricardo put his hands on his hips, looked up at the sky, and laughed, "They all came because of me. Don't worry, they won't hurt you."

Sainz asked earnestly, without any hidden meaning, "Because you missed the podium in Melbourne?"

Life is tough, please don't expose it!
In an instant, Ricardo collapsed onto the sofa like a punctured balloon, while Raikkonen, who had just taken his seat, quietly moved to the side.

Then, the reporter could no longer contain himself, bared his fangs, and eagerly launched an attack.

"In the past week, Richard Mill and Brembo both signed with you. What happened?"

"Some say Richard Mill made one of the dumbest decisions in paddock history. What's your opinion?"

"The FIA ​​is investigating Ferrari's rear wing. Are you aware of any racing violations? Some believe Mercedes' complaint is a conspiracy against you. Do you agree?"

Crackle, a sudden downpour, and it aimed directly at the most fatal point.

"Lu, how would you rate your performance in the opening match? Do you think the final victory was just a result of luck?" Sitting to the side, Ricardo watched the scene unfold with a grimace, his teeth chattering.

This storm was completely out of control; it wasn't even as frenzied as when Verstappen was attacked by a group of paddock drivers after a series of crashes.

Actually, there were quite a few key points at today's press conference—

Ricardo narrowly missed the podium at home, Sainz suffered a heartbreaking defeat in Melbourne despite a fierce battle with his compatriot and idol Alonso, and Raikkonen lost his debut for Sauber to Leclerc.

There are no small matters in the hunting grounds.

Even if it's just a small matter, the reporters would exaggerate and fan the flames, turning it into a big deal. Everyone was carrying a target, but today, the reporters didn't care at all. The dark muzzles of their guns were all pointed at Lu Zhizhou, launching a full-scale attack.

Is this really a good idea for a newbie?

However, Lu Zhizhou, standing at the eye of the storm, appeared calm and composed.

"Luck is also a part of strength. Now let's see if luck can lead me to good results in Bahrain."

Instead of offering any explanation, he continued to mock himself, echoing the reporter's words.

"Judging from today's situation, I may need—a lot, a lot, a lot of luck."

Hahaha, Ricardo clapped and slapped his thigh, laughing so hard he almost fell over, applauding Lu Zhizhou's witty response and making a self-deprecating joke.

Sainz looked puzzled. "Lu doesn't need luck. He wins the race entirely based on his strength. In Bahrain, he and Ferrari will be the most competitive opponents."

Audience:...

That is to say, the honest guy Sainz didn't catch Lu Zhizhou's teasing.

But Lu Zhizhou still gave Sainz a fist bump to show his support.

Sainz was completely confused, but instead put down the microphone and started talking to Lu Zhizhou, marveling at Lu Zhizhou's outstanding performance at Albert Park.

Here, Lu Zhizhou and Sainz whispered to each other, while Ricardo chuckled and cracked jokes. As a result, Raikkonen was left out like a lonely old man, but he remained calm and composed, showing no sense of defeat whatsoever. He stared blankly at the floor, tracing the patterns on the tiles.

What's going on!
The reporters in the press conference room were all speechless, unsure of what to do. They had been stirring things up for ages, but the person in question remained calm and composed, defusing the attack with a swift and effortless move.

Damn it!

Upon his initial appearance and after a brief but shocking experience, Lu Zhizhou immediately realized that his situation might be worse than Frankie Penny had anticipated.

So he quickly calmed down and regained his footing. He knew that the attacks would not disappear easily. No matter how perfect his answers were at the press conference, the doubts and provocations would haunt him for the rest of the weekend and even for a month or two.

Everything will be decided on the track; actions always carry more weight than words.

Therefore, once Lu Zhizhou had established himself, any attacks or provocations from reporters were exposed as meaningless and worthless, amounting to nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

As Lu Zhizhou had predicted, the entire hunting grounds were in an uproar after the press conference ended, and social media turned into a chaotic mess, with all sorts of strange and eccentric characters making their appearances.

Whether it was his leapfrog entry into Ferrari or his career debut where he beat Hamilton and Vettel to the top, Lu Zhizhou's very existence instantly drew a lot of hatred. The fervent fans of drivers number 44 and 5 saw him as a thorn in their side, wishing they could tear him to pieces. Then Richard Mir and Brembo's meddling only added fuel to the fire, making it seem as if the whole world revolved around Lu Zhizhou. This was simply intolerable.

"See, Bahrain is about to reveal its true colors."

"After midnight, the magic will wear off, the princess will transform into Cinderella, and the horse will turn back into a toad."

"One fan is worth ten haters. Please, those mindless sycophants, shut up, it's so annoying."

At such a crucial moment, the FIA's investigation was a killer weapon, implying in every way that Lu Zhizhou's victory was achieved through cheating.

Those critics were even more vocal, insisting that Lu Zhizhou and Ferrari cheated and used unfair means to defraud Hamilton of the championship.

Some voices are even calling for the FIA ​​to strip Lu Zhizhou of his race title.

Amidst billowing smoke and a hail of arrows, Lu Zhizhou's situation had never been so difficult, not even when he was condemned by everyone in Mengza last year.

Before they could even catch their breath, the online flame war had escalated into a full-blown condemnation, with one or two people, their faces flushed, rolling up their sleeves, ready to teach Lu Zhizhou a lesson in Bahrain.

"Give that stroller driver a good lesson and let him know his place."

The 2018 Bahrain meet kicked off against this backdrop.

In fact, a small number of fans are still focused on the "Hamilton vs. Vettel" showdown between two four-time world champions. How Vettel will fight back against Hamilton and how Mercedes will fight back against Ferrari are the focus throughout the year. No one would easily think that Lu Zhizhou can disrupt the competition just because of one race in Australia.

However, that's how the social media age works. Irrational netizens, caught up in the frenzy, became dizzy and hot-blooded, exploding out of control. Adding fuel to the fire, Wolf and Horner showered Lu Zhizhou with compliments, and things gradually spiraled out of control.

In Bahrain, during the free practice session, Red Bull emerged out of nowhere, disrupting the balance and demonstrating exceptional competitiveness. Unwilling to let Ferrari and Mercedes steal all the spotlight, Red Bull was eager to return to the championship race. This brought some rationality back to the paddock, making people realize that the competition in F1 is still inseparable from the cars.

People initially thought Mercedes-Benz's race cars were better suited for Bahrain, but Red Bull's tuning and setup seem to have caught up in just two weeks!
Indeed, there's a reason why Red Bull, together with Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari, is known as the "Big Three".

And Lu Zhizhou?

He seemed to be struggling a bit!

After hovering around tenth place in all three free practice sessions, the rookie had to start from scratch again after moving from Melbourne to Bahrain to adapt to F1.

A small group of people have learned their lesson and are not jumping to conclusions. Who knows if Lu Zhizhou is hiding his true abilities and throwing out one smokescreen after another? They have learned their lesson.

But another group of people couldn't wait to burst into laughter. This is F1. Every race is completely different. After changing the track, even the top teams and top drivers have to start from scratch. Lu Zhizhou, this rookie, thinking that he can conquer Bahrain just because he won in Melbourne is just wishful thinking. He's embarrassing himself!
After three free practice matches, the haters were almost certain that Lu Zhizhou had no chance. A barrage of unpleasant comments followed, such as "his talent has run dry," "his meteor has fallen," and "a toad is just a toad." They even gave Lu Zhizhou a brand new nickname—

“One-Hit-Wonder-Baby”.

Simply put, it refers to celebrities/works that become famous overnight but disappear just as quickly, enjoying a brief period of fame for about fifteen minutes before their popularity fades and they vanish.

In short, "Meteor Baby".

"At best, we'll make it to Q3. But it's very possible we won't even make it to Q3. Winning the first race and being eliminated in Q1 of the second race—that's history."

However, under the cover of night, the qualifying rounds began, and the desert temperature in Bahrain remained like an oven until the end of Q3.

Lu Zhizhou, second, the second consecutive stop to depart from the front row.

The world fell silent, with only the desert winds making the flags flutter in the wind.

……

The qualifying session for the Bahrain Grand Prix was fiercely competitive and full of suspense, lasting until the very last moment, with Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes-Benz showing particularly intense rivalry.

Ultimately, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel narrowly defeated his teammate Lu Zhizhou by 0.042 seconds to take pole position. After a slight struggle upon arriving in Bahrain, Ferrari once again perfectly deceived their opponents, only revealing their true colors in qualifying, securing a front row dominance for the first time this season.

The entire paddock erupted in gasps of surprise; no clue had been found during the free practice session!
It was only then that people realized that Ferrari had deliberately used Lu Zhizhou as a smokescreen, with the two drivers completing a brilliant teamwork to deceive the other team leaders.

Mercedes' Bottas finished third, just 0.104 seconds behind Lu Zhizhou, Hamilton fourth, and Red Bull's Ricciardo fifth.

The gap between the top five drivers is only 0.496 seconds!
Following Hamilton's incredible pole position advantage at the Melbourne Grand Prix, history has once again been made at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

This is the narrowest gap between the top five finishers in F1 qualifying history!
The tension between Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Red Bull is palpable, foreshadowing a fierce battle in the main race.

Under such pressure, driver performance becomes increasingly important, and the margin for error is narrowing.

And now, Red Bull's Verstappen is in the eye of the storm.

In Melbourne, Verstappen's most prized and cherished title of "youngest ever Grand Prix winner" was snatched away. His pride and confidence suffered a head-on blow, and he tried to launch a counterattack as soon as possible. His eagerness to prove himself grew stronger, and his hunger for victory was higher than ever before.

However, in the heat of passion and impulsiveness, a fatal mistake was made in the ranking match.

Q1 eliminated!

A sigh escapes.

This is Verstappen's fourth season, and pressure continues to play a key role. He has repeatedly veered off course at crucial moments, which is the focus of Verstappen's criticism and attacks. Now it seems that the challenges Verstappen faces are intensifying.

This is especially true for teams eager to win the championship.

The time has come to test the drivers' ability to withstand pressure, especially for a rookie who has just entered the paddock.

After qualifying, Meteor Babes secured the front row for the second consecutive race, proving that their victory in Melbourne was no accident. The haters were immediately annoyed, grumbling and complaining that "the race decides the outcome" and "there are no points in qualifying," their envy and resentment completely undisguised.

But from another perspective, they weren't wrong either. Turning a qualifying advantage into a race result requires not only courage but also strategy.

It's 100% certain that Mercedes, starting from the second row, won't give up without a fight, especially Hamilton, whose qualifying performance was below expectations.

A fierce battle was inevitable.

And the facts have proven this to be true.

In the main race, Lu Zhizhou felt the pressure immediately from the very start.

However, the actual situation was slightly different from what was expected.

He thought it came from Hamilton behind him, but he didn't expect it to come from... Vettel beside him.

The starting line of the Bahrain circuit is a long straight of over 1,500 meters, where cars push their speed to the limit after starting and plunge into the first low-speed hairpin bend.

Pole position is located on the left side of the track, which is the dirty side of the outside.

Vettel had the advantage in position, while Lu Zhizhou had the advantage in line, and of course, there were two Mercedes-Benz cars lurking behind them.

As soon as they started running, Vettel made a decisive right turn without hesitation, immediately blocking the middle and cutting off Bottas and Hamilton's overtaking lanes.

If that were all, everything would be normal; but Vettel veered further to the right, narrowing the lane and squeezing Lu Zhizhou's space, putting Lu Zhizhou in a difficult situation.

Lu Zhizhou: ?

Lu Zhizhou's attention was entirely focused on Hamilton and Bottas behind him, preparing to join forces with Vettel to withstand Mercedes' attack. In the pre-match tactical meeting, the two had already assigned responsibilities. It wasn't that they weren't paying attention to or wary of Vettel, but rather that they were prioritizing in a crisis situation.

As a result, Vettel resorted to underhanded tactics and showed no sportsmanship!

Of course, Lu Zhizhou was no pushover either. He merely downgraded Vettel's threat level, but deep down he remained vigilant and wary of him.

After all, Melbourne has already suffered a setback once, and failing to learn from its mistakes will come at a price.

On a whim, I went with the flow.

Seeing that Vettel had gained the upper hand, and that continuing to force a straight line would likely result in a rear-end collision or leaving the track, Lu Zhizhou simply abandoned the standard "outside-inside-outside" driving line for the hairpin bend, and instead firmly guarded his own driving line, firmly holding the inside position, temporarily concealing his strength in the close combat.

Furthermore, one must be observant and attentive to all directions, and not just focus on Vettel, otherwise one may find oneself in a passive position.

Sure enough, chaos ensued.

Bottas started quickly, closely following Vettel's line of play. Taking advantage of Vettel squeezing Lu Zhizhou, he quickly shortened the vertical distance between third and second place, preparing to seize the advantage. He overtook Lu Zhizhou at the first hairpin turn.

So, what about Hamilton?

Hamilton, who started fourth, was surrounded. His start was a little slow, which was a fatal mistake in the millisecond-by-millisecond world of F1. With Vettel switching and Lu Zhizhou blocking his way, Hamilton was trapped in the cage inside the grid and lost the initiative.

Before Lu Zhizhou could even look in the rearview mirror, Hamilton had already been swallowed up by the surging traffic.

It was later discovered that Hamilton had slipped to ninth place.

For Lu Zhizhou, this was a good thing. Although he hadn't found Hamilton, Ricciardo, who started fifth, was now attacking him and Bottas.

This means that the distance between the race cars has increased slightly.

Ricciardo was exceptionally aggressive, flooring the accelerator and launching a powerful attack. Unfortunately, the car in front didn't leave much room. Bottas and Lu Zhizhou entered Turn 1 almost side-by-side, wheel-to-wheel, completely blocking the line and forcing Ricciardo to brake.

At this moment, Lu Zhizhou and Bottas were engaged in a fierce, hand-to-hand combat.

Lu Zhizhou blocked the line, and Bottas took the position.

As Bottas entered the corner, he was already half a car length ahead, but Lu Zhizhou held on tightly to the apex. His excellent coordination of steering and braking kept him firmly on the line. Before the tires had fully reached operating temperature, he inexplicably used advanced throttle release techniques to control the slightly erratic car body.

The entire audience held their breath.

In the intense close-quarters combat, Lu Zhizhou displayed an exceptionally tough and calm demeanor, with the fierce wheel-to-wheel engagement in the bend directly determining the winner!
Bottas entered the corner first, but Lu Zhizhou was the first to exit!

In the first hairpin bend, Lu Zhizhou overcame his disadvantage and regained his position.

But this is still not the end—

Number one is a right turn, and number two is a left turn.

After leaving Turn 1 one after the other and side by side, the two silver and red lights still entangled in the S-curve, and Lu Zhizhou and Bottas switched positions.

Bottas currently holds the advantage in the paint!

(End of this chapter)