F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 53 Potential Competitors (4K7)

To hear two such clearly pronounced Chinese syllables in F1 during one's lifetime is a very meaningful thing for many people.

Younger car enthusiasts might just think that the Shulong is interesting and to their liking, but many veteran racing fans with more experience have already developed a warm feeling in their eyes. But there is one emotion that is common to both young and old, and that is a sense of pride from the bottom of their hearts!
These distant expectations did not motivate Shulong. Once he began to pursue the limits of speed, his thought process could no longer tolerate any random or nonsensical things.

On the starting straight, turn on DRS and accelerate at full speed, then go straight into turn one. After passing the apex, start easing off the accelerator and braking, while simultaneously shifting to fifth gear.

Because there is a camber angle between Turn 1 and Turn 2 that is higher on the outside and lower on the inside, it can provide higher grip on the outer wheel. In this way, you don't have to sacrifice your cornering speed by taking a "V" line to catch the apex of Turn 2 in order to ensure acceleration on the straight after Turn 2.

Maintaining a normal "inside-outside-inside" U-shaped line, just touching the shoulder of the second bend, Shulong started to accelerate with his accelerator.

The track surface here has a slightly raised bump. If you hesitate, you won't be able to use enough speed to provide enough downforce when exiting the corner. When the car is slightly lifted by the terrain, it is easy to suddenly lose the grip of the front wheels, causing the car to understeer and go out of the track limit.

Use all the outer curbs when exiting the corner. The markings on the track boundaries are very lenient here. Making good use of the curb space can give you at least a 0.2-second advantage in lap time.

Immediately pull to the right and outward, without downshifting, release the throttle and swing into Turn 3. Then immediately lightly tap the brake to complete the weight transfer. Once you've caught the apex of Turn 4, you can continue to accelerate out of the turn and take full advantage of the short straight. Then, release the throttle again to slightly transfer the vehicle's load from the rear wheels to the front wheels as you enter Turn 5.

Because Turn 6 is a right turn with a reverse lean angle on a downhill slope, you need to ease off the throttle a little after Turn 5 and use half throttle to get through the apex of the turn. Before you get close to the highest point of the terrain, you can press the pedal harder to take advantage of this short downhill straight to accelerate.

There's no need to force your way through the exit kerb after the corner. It will cost you a little time, but you can't use the most efficient cornering method for every corner in a combination. The most important thing is to maximize your overall speed.

Because the subsequent sharp left turn on Turn 7 requires a sufficient entry angle, this is a very important acceleration section, far more crucial to the overall lap time than the short straight before Turn 7.

This concludes the most classic and challenging series of consecutive S-curves at the Suzuka Circuit. Precise throttle control is required throughout this section, as the throttle's impact on the car's center of gravity management has a significant effect on lap times.

Having mastered the limits of tire grip, Shulong only lightly applied the brakes before Turn 4 from Turn 2 to Turn 7, shifting more weight to the front wheels, and did not touch the brakes at all.

Before switching to the red supersoft tires, the purple lap time in the first stage was held by Shulong, and even when he dropped to eighth in the overall lap time rankings, no one could take it away from him.

In this extremely complex section with continuous corners, Shu Long's first lap time, combined with the Red Bull's high downforce, was the fastest in the entire race. However, he mainly lost lap times in the latter two sections.

After a long, full-throttle acceleration following Turn 7, the car braked suddenly about 50 meters before Turn 8, slamming it into the turn.

This seemingly ordinary bend is actually quite thrilling.

The main purpose of braking before a turn is not actually to slow down; slowing down is just a side effect of getting the front wheels to have full grip.

Before entering the corner, the car's top speed had already reached 300 km/h, and although it was a sharp right-angle turn, the cornering speed at Turn 8 could reach over 250 km/h.

Neck: "You're so high and mighty."

Including the weight of its own head and the helmet, even with the assistance of the Hans system, the dragon's neck bore at least 35 kilograms of force in that instant.

It's like having three bags of rice swung at the side of your head in an instant; aside from not experiencing the actual pain of being hit, the impact is exactly the same.

With an extremely high cornering speed, it licked the apex of Turn 8, and the car seemed to be thrown directly onto the kerb after exiting the corner, then quickly braked and shifted back into fourth gear to enter Turn 9.

Turns 8 and 9 belong to the second stage, but together with the first stage, this series of turns is the most physically demanding part of the entire track.

With many corners but high speeds, drivers must contend with immense lateral G-forces throughout the race while maintaining precise control of the car.

Under high speed and high downforce, although the F1 car steering wheel is hydraulically assisted and is much lighter than the F2 steering wheel, it still requires more than 20 kilograms of force to control the steering wheel on such relatively high-speed corners.

In fact, if you distribute the force between your left and right hands, each hand only needs to exert about ten kilograms of force. Not to mention specially trained race car drivers, a normally developed adult male generally has enough arm strength to complete the steering action.

The problem is that driving in F1 isn't just about being able to turn the steering wheel. You also need to be able to maintain a speed of at least 200 km/h while supporting a total load of about 20 kg with both hands and continuously perform precise steering control down to the centimeter level. That's not something an ordinary person can do.

None of these problems apply to Shu Long. From the onboard camera, his helmet appears to be nailed to the chair, and his neck, which looks slightly thinner than other riders', seems to be cast in bronze and iron.

Hamilton's neck circumference is a full 46 centimeters, while Shu Long, who is now 18 years old, has a neck circumference of only about 43 centimeters, which is not even as thick as his arm circumference. However, when Elena helps him exercise, she can lift 50 kilograms with the equipment as if it were nothing.

Gan Mengning weighs less than 40 kilograms. To put it bluntly, even if she took off her shoes and stood on Shu Long's face right now, he could use just his head to lift her up as a set of aerobic exercises.

What does it mean to be "physically strong and healthy"? Do you know what "bone and muscle strength: 93%" means?
Despite having such heavy daily simulator tasks, Shu Long still managed to find time to clear his daily stamina in the game, all thanks to his unwavering daily neck strength exercises.

You do your thing, I'll do mine.

External burdens are unlikely to directly affect Shu Long's operation of the race car. It is precisely because of his superhuman physique that he can withstand the exploitation by Red Bull's R&D department, which treats women like men and men like mules.

Do you really think running an emulator isn't tiring?
To ensure the data obtained is accurate enough, the force feedback on the steering wheel is set to the maximum, making it virtually indistinguishable from driving a real F1 car.

You probably couldn't find another person like Shu Long, who works tirelessly and maintains a high-intensity driving schedule day and night.

Verstappen does enjoy using emulators, but he can't keep doing it forever; people eventually get tired.

Shu Long's current physical condition is somewhat superhuman. Before pushing this lap, he had actually maintained high-speed driving for at least half an hour, but the continuous G-force attacks did not bring him any corresponding negative physical conditions.

There is a large inward camber between Turns 9 and 10, similar to the situation at Turns 1 and 2, allowing you to accelerate out of the turn very early.

After that, except for the low-speed hairpin turn 11, almost the entire section was a high-speed sprint section, where Red Bull's high-downforce car setup was also at a significant disadvantage.

However, the fresh red supersoft tires have excellent grip, and a high grip limit means that the car has good acceleration performance, which to some extent makes up for the disadvantage of insufficient top speed at the end of the straight.

As the only red tire in the entire field, Shulong undoubtedly brought his third purple tire to the finish line once again.

The first stage was the least controversial, with only the first three timing points being green, and the rest being entirely purple. The first half of the second stage was mostly purple, with a few scattered green spots, and then it remained green all the way to the latter half of the third stage before turning back into a full purple lap time display.

1 minute 28.637 seconds!

He achieved the fastest lap of the entire event, directly widening the gap to Hamilton's current fastest time on yellow soft tires by 0.6 seconds, and was more than one second, almost two seconds, faster than his own previous time!
Even if there are differences in fuel levels and tires, this range is simply too exaggerated.

The only thing that could make the drivers and team leaders of the various teams on the track feel a little more relaxed was that Shulong's fastest lap was actually done with old tires that were nearing the end of their lifespan, so it was perfectly normal for him to have such an improvement in lap time, right?
Does this really make people feel relaxed? It seems even more terrifying, doesn't it?!

Damn Red Bull, you're risking your life to pull for cards! Rich guys just buy two gacha pools, so their chances of getting gold cards are higher, right?

The key point is that every upgrade Red Bull's cars have made seems to be very effective. From barely being able to compete with Mercedes and Ferrari at the beginning, to now being able to almost ride on Ferrari's head and shit at the end of the season!
Is there anyone who can do something about this?

Whether anyone cares or not, the Red Bull pit lane erupted in cheers the moment they saw that lap time.

The camera outside immediately focused on Dr. Marco inside. Under such an atmosphere, the old man simply stopped acting, a smug and arrogant smile on his face. Despite his advanced age, he was still nodding along to the DJ's upbeat music in the garage.

Shu Long is indeed quite good. With him around, Max might be able to put some pressure on him to keep improving.

Since Max became the youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history last year, Verstappen seems to have suddenly realized that he can offer his son very little help anymore, and he no longer bosses Max around like he did when he was a child.

This is undoubtedly a good thing. In Marco's view, Max's reasoning and self-discipline do not need those excessive and unnecessary foul language to urge him on. However, he is also afraid that if this continues, Max's living environment will become too comfortable and lax.

After spoiling him for so many years, Marco now finds it a bit difficult to speak harshly to Pan. The only difference between their relationship and that of a grandfather and grandson is that they have different surnames.

In this situation, having someone who can control the relevant degree of influence and has sufficient ability to pose a seemingly harmless threat to Max is likely to be entirely beneficial.

There always needs to be someone to play the bad cop, and Shu Long is undoubtedly a perfect fit for that role.

Red Bull is putting pressure on itself, but this pressure has already affected many other teams.

The only team without much pressure is Mercedes, which has dominated for several years. Shu Long's lap time is more than a second slower than Hamilton's pole position last year. Given the car's upgrades, they will definitely be able to go even faster this year, barring any weather issues.

However, apart from the dominant Mercedes and Ferrari, which seems promising every year but then falters every year, most of the smaller team leaders have actually started to have some ulterior motives regarding Shulong.

According to Red Bull's usual script, Shu Long will most likely get a spot on the Minor Bulls next year to gain experience. If he can withstand the test, he should soon have the opportunity to be promoted to the Major Red Bulls.

However, Niu's motorcycles are currently inconsistent, and this year, due to continuous testing of Honda engines, they have been lacking competitiveness most of the time, often falling to the back of the pack.

Ultimately, racing is about the car, not the driver. If the car is faulty, it's useless no matter who you put in charge. Even a young man like Shu Long, who has obvious potential, might not be able to withstand the wear and tear of a broken car.

There are many drivers who perform well in the lower classes, but not everyone can adapt to the brutal competition of F1. Every year, countless people come and go, but in the end, only a few familiar faces remain in the paddock.

While Red Bull offers the most opportunities, it is also notoriously precarious. Apart from a very few individuals, most drivers are constantly on the move, and very few can secure stable, multi-year contracts.

Right now, both Red Bull and Big Red Bull are in a bit of a tight spot. According to reliable sources in the paddock, the driver who will replace Ricciardo for Big Red Bull next year is very likely to be Gasly or Kvyat, who is currently sitting on the bench.

Kvyat has essentially been kicked out of Red Bull's squad. He's only being kept on this season because Hartley replaced him on a temporary basis, and his contract hasn't expired yet.

There is indeed a ceiling. In the year he played alongside Riccardo, although there was an element of luck involved, Kvyat actually scored more points throughout the year.

But when they're bad, it's truly appalling, with all sorts of inexplicable and basic mistakes popping up one after another. The nickname "Torpedo," given to him by Uncle Tilted Head, isn't just a random name; it's a term officially recognized by all the drivers in the paddock.

However, one thing must be admitted: Kvyat's extremely reckless and aggressive driving style makes him a qualified enforcer.

It's really strange. When you have hope for him, he always manages to pull you up big, but just when you're about to give up, he always manages to score unexpected points for the team under many difficult circumstances.

It's tasteless to eat, a pity to throw away, and keeping it is just a waste of money.

The key issue is that they're not selling! It's fair to say that the torpedo contract is essentially a liability for Red Bull.
Russian drivers aren't exactly popular in the paddock, and other big teams don't think much of Kvyat's abilities. Smaller teams lack a strong driver who can score points, but their already limited budgets can't withstand his crashes.

It's fair to say that among the current back-row teams, only McLaren and Toro Rosso can afford to take on Kvyat, but McLaren actually has better options, so in the end, Red Bull has to handle it internally.

The main reason is that this guy has some incredible luck with women. This year, he's been free but has managed to snag the daughter of three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet.

This father-in-law, who has extensive connections and extraordinary influence in the racing world, now seems to be dedicated to helping the young Torpedo regain a place in the Red Bull system. At this moment, he is standing next to Marco, frowning as he looks at the data of the Torpedo on the computer.

Next year, the Mavericks will have to reserve at least one spot for Albon, who suddenly received support from the Thai Bulls. As for Shu Long, who has not yet been tested in the regular season, his future is still uncertain.

After all, F1 is not only a business world, but also a world of personal relationships. The young Shu Long seems to have nothing to offer except for his ability. Without Red Bull, his network of connections in the paddock is practically zero.

If he ends up being sidelined by Red Bull, there will be plenty of room for maneuver.

While some people waste resources, other teams desperately want them but can't get them!

Although mid-range teams are not very competitive, they have the advantage of a stable life. Whether they want to hone themselves through high-pressure hardship or choose a quieter and more gradual path to growth is up to Shulong himself.

　Thank you to Huang Shang Zai Shang, Bie Yi Shi You You Wo, Xiao Qu 12, 240803, WaltHK, Ben Tian Shi, Sui Yuan De Chi Huo, Shu You 100805134033153, Mao Zhai Meng Meng Da, limitlesss, and Shan-Gui Da Lao for the monthly tickets.

　　Thank you so much, Ffortress, for the generous donation! You've gone to great lengths.

　　I'm not a full-time writer, and I'm under a lot of pressure from being urged to update more every day. I've been quite busy lately, so I'll try to save up as many chapters as possible these next few days so that the book can be published on Friday. The book should be published around the time of the first main competition. As for whether there are any standards for how many extra chapters are appropriate, I'll ask my editor. I can't write more than that, so I can only say that I'll do my best.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)