F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 64 First Battle on Stage? I almost won the championship, sob sob ┭┮﹏┭┮ (10K8-word big update)

The weather was actually quite nice today. Although there was a slight drizzle before the event started, it was generally sunny.

Without considering the possibility of switching to wet tires, this means that the brand-new red tires that Shulong saved in yesterday's qualifying session are very likely to play a decisive role in the final stages of the race.

"Okay, dear viewers, I don't know how many of you have stayed with us until now, but those of you who are still awake can hurry up and wake up your relatives and friends."

"Although it's because he hasn't pitted for tires yet, the one currently leading the race in P1 is indeed our young Chinese driver, Shu Long! Everyone should hurry up and take a screenshot to post on WeChat Moments or something, maybe we'll witness history together."

So what if the tire wasn't changed?
If it weren't for his exceptional ability to maintain a good tire condition, Shu Long wouldn't be leading the race here now. Moreover, because the Interlagos circuit is relatively short, he can even vaguely see the rear ends of the slower cars ahead that are about to be lapped.

With the yellow tires on for thirty-six laps, Shu Long kept his head down and pushed hard for seven laps before finally getting into the window range the team had told him about.

During this time, Verstappen was also busy. Red Bull, now equipped with yellow soft tires, can lap 1.5 seconds faster than Mercedes on white medium tires.

Although Max had a slight problem changing tires during his pit stop, resulting in a slow 3.2-second change that left Verstappen about two seconds behind Hamilton after exiting the pits, he still managed to overtake Hamilton on lap 41.

Moreover, due to the reduced weight of the car caused by fuel consumption, Verstappen, who was fitted with new soft tires, had frighteningly fast lap times and quickly caught up with the window advantage that Shulong had built up in the previous few laps.

Just as Red Bull predicted before the race, Verstappen's Red Bull 2 ​​is currently in P1, and he does have a very good chance of winning the championship in this race.

Shu Long's position just now seemed to give him a good chance of winning the championship, and even the Toro Rosso team had a glimmer of unrealistic hope.

But if you look at his overall lap times in the clean air just now, you'll know that this is the level of the current top race car in the Earth group. His long-distance single lap time is about 0.4 seconds slower than Kimi, who is also on yellow tires and has been running so far.

When Verstappen entered the pits, Shu Long had a 6.8-meter lead over the Ferrari behind him, but now the distance between the two cars is actually in the 3s.

Since there's no chance of winning the championship, it's better to die early. At least we should try to keep the podium we have now, right?
Now, Shu Long's main target is no longer Hamilton and Verstappen; he needs to be constantly on guard against Ferrari's moves to avoid being outmaneuvered by undercutting tactics.

“Waste all your tires! Lewis is now 0.8 seconds faster than us on white tires, we have to pit on this lap.”

"Copy! Where are we approximately located now?"

Hamelin, the temporary competition engineer for Shulong at this stop, hesitated for a moment, then left Shulong with a "wait a moment" before turning to look at Tost beside him.

"What exactly is their story? Who should we prioritize protecting now? Max should be the champion now, right?"

Tost was also rubbing his temples with a great headache. Even if he was covering for Red Bull, he couldn't be too obvious. The explanations given by Horner and Marco were actually vague.

Logically, it should be time to wrap up the race now, but it's still unknown how fast Mercedes' white tires will be in the later stages, so whether Verstappen can hold onto this race win is still uncertain.

If they really wanted to protect Max's championship as Red Bull suggested, Shu Long would have to stay on for another lap or two before pitting. That way, he could help block Hamilton for a while after exiting the pits.

But the Toro Rosso is not the same as the Red Bull, especially on the Interlagos circuit with its many camber angles and low-to-medium speed corners. Lighter oil red tires are not necessarily more durable than heavier oil red tires.

More corners mean lower top speeds. In addition to the downforce provided by the front and rear wings, the mechanical grip provided by the car's suspension system is also very important in the second stage.

While using a lighter throttle will indeed increase the maximum speed, it will also lead to slightly higher tire wear.

If Shulong's main task is to defend against Hamilton, then after his tires are worn out, he is likely to be overtaken by Ferrari, who also changed their tires to red.

The timing of the pit stop is perfect. As long as the tire change goes smoothly, Shulong should be able to maintain a safe distance of about three seconds in front of Hamilton.

"Don't be so definitive; leave some room for maneuver."

Hamelin nodded, turned around, and pressed the TR button again.

"Dude, we might be in P3 or P4 after we leave the station."

Shu Long frowned slightly, because in his estimation, he should be around P2 or P3.

Wasn't he pushing so hard just now to pull his window in front of Hamilton in white?

Even if Hamilton overtakes them due to a pit stop mistake, they'd only be at best a P3.
Ferrari's Vettel pitted early to change tires and is currently stuck around P9, making it difficult for him to break through. He's the first one to be ruled out.

Could it be that the team included Bottas, who hasn't pitted yet, in their calculations? Or is it that Bottas, with his white tires, is actually incredibly fast?
On lap 43, Shu Long pitted to change reds as instructed by the team.

Because Gasly started on red tires, his first pit stop was actually quite early; he had already pitted for white tires on lap 28 and was ready to run all the way.

It can be said that their strategies at this station did not overlap at all; this entry into the station was entirely prepared for Shu Long alone.

Ironically, under these seemingly foolproof conditions, the worst-case scenario occurred.

Perhaps because of the podium, the tire changers were a bit nervous. After helping Gasly with a 2.3-second tire change, they ended up changing Shulong's tire in 4.2 seconds.

Fortunately, the window he had created for himself was large enough that he landed right in front of Hamilton when he exited the station.

However, an unexpected situation occurred at Turn 2. The pit lane exit at Interlagos was pulled directly onto the straight after Turn 3, and Shu Long, who had exited the pit lane, did not see it.

"Why was the yellow flag gone just now? Was it in front of me or behind me?"

"Don't worry about me being behind you."

After turning off TR, the entire Toro Rosso crew looked at each other in bewilderment.

After Verstappen lapped Force India, who had a blue flag, on the long straight before Turn 1, he was then elbowed away by Ocon, who had his blue flag removed and was trying to get out of the lap, at Turn 2.

Hamilton was only four seconds behind Verstappen, and he took advantage of this huge opportunity to overtake him without looking back.

But who has gotten a bigger bargain than Shulong?
The commentators, both online and offline, almost all jumped up from their seats, feeling that they were about to witness an unprecedented miracle.

Shu Long is currently ranked P3 in the driver standings, ahead of Kimi who has not yet pitted, and Ricciardo of Red Bull who has also not pitted but has climbed all the way from P12 to P2.

However, these two players will definitely need to enter the pit later, which means that Shulong has now completed what is very likely his only pit stop during the entire competition.
The actual ranking now is P1!

How could you possibly explain this?!
With only twenty-eight laps remaining, anything can happen until the very end! And unlike Hamilton, who has already run twenty laps on white tires, Shulong's car is now on a brand new set of red tires!

"Where am I now?"

Unconcerned about the previous failure to enter the station, and without needing to blame anyone, Shu Long was more focused on what he should be doing now.

While the drivers on the track certainly embody the ultimate individual heroism, looking at the entire race, the results of each race are the result of the collective efforts of the entire crew.

A tire change in 4.2 seconds is certainly not fast, it could even be described as very slow. But rather than it being a mistake by the tire changers, it's more accurate to say that they were just a little unlucky. After all, sometimes the screw and the impact wrench just don't match.

In the very current race, Ferrari's Vettel completed a record-breaking pit stop for a tire change – 1.9 seconds!
But before you do, go ask anyone on the street what they think of Ferrari's breathtaking pit stops. Don't make a fool of yourself, bro, the Ferrari enthusiasts will kill you!

Just because Shu Long himself doesn't care doesn't mean that the other people in the crew can be so heartless.

The pneumatic drill operator responsible for the left rear wheel punched his own tool on the spot, because it was the left rear wheel that had taken so long to disassemble.

Shulong had already left the station, but he was still kneeling on the spot with his head down, refusing to get up. In the end, several people patted his helmet and comforted him for a while before he was carried back in by his armpits.

Now all the pressure of defending Hamilton has been put on Shu Long.

If their goal is simply to secure a podium finish, then strategically letting Hamilton pass the podium could be a viable option for the greater good.

But now they're fighting for the championship!

Can we put it in? No, we really can't!

The Toro Rosso with its DRS can indeed keep up with the Mercedes relatively easily, but its top speed margin is not enough to make a turn and overtake. If the Mercedes is determined to defend, the Toro Rosso will have almost no chance.

The last person to win the championship with Toro Rosso was Vettel, and that was a full ten years ago. If you can remain unmoved when facing the championship, are you even human?
To be honest, Hamelin and Tost were both a little unsure how to answer Shu Long's question.

Are you suggesting I say, "Kid, you're currently competing against five-time champion Hamilton for this title!"?
For a young man participating in the main competition for the first time, the psychological burden he carried was immense; it would be impossible for anyone to remain calm under such circumstances.

"I'll talk to him."

Tost took over the communication privileges from Hamelin, took a deep breath, and pressed the TR call button.

"Shu, you are now in P4, but your actual position is P3. Now you will begin to fight for your own podium."

"P4?! Who got ahead of me again?"

"Max and Valtteri are the cars ahead of you now."

"Wait! Bottas? Why was Bottas in front of me? You mean Mercedes' earlier pit stop allowed Valtteri to undercut both Lewis and me?"

Shu Long found it somewhat ridiculous just to hear those words spoken.

They're currently in the top three of the team standings. Oh no, let's say top five.

Ferrari's Vettel and Raikkonen, Red Bull's Verstappen and Ricciardo, Renault's Sainz and Hulkenberg, plus Haas' Grosjean and Magnussen.

In these teams, the two drivers don't have a clear distinction between number one and number two within their respective teams. Most of the time, they are in a state of free competition, and the team's strategy usually favors whoever is ahead.

Of the two Mercedes-Benz drivers, Bottas is practically tattooing "I'm the wingman" all over his forehead, from his strength and achievements to his commercial value.

Unless you're suggesting that Mercedes suddenly had a change of heart after Hamilton secured this year's Drivers' Championship and decided to give Bottas a couple of titles to ease the psychological impact of the "James" name on the Finn, I really can't understand why a strategy would be favoring Bottas.

Of course, anyone with a sound mind would have doubts, but being crammed into such a small cockpit, a large part of the information he could obtain actually came from feedback from the team.

After the last car began to complete its pit stop strategy, Shulong and his team were now trapped in a pile of slow cars that were being lapped, and there was no peace and quiet around them that their ranking should have given them.

For example, in front of Shu Long was a McLaren in a Papaya Orange that had received a blue flag, and behind Hamilton were two white Williams cars.

All the fast and slow trains are now mixed up. If Tost hadn't said earlier that he was actually in P4, Shulong, who was racing on the field, wouldn't even be able to tell whether the cars around him were being lapped or simply hadn't made it to the pits.

But since this is the outcome, there's no point in continuing to complain.

Even if I become a world champion for several more years, it's all for my first podium! And for these four brand new tires on my car right now!

"Stay calm, you actually have a significant advantage in terms of tires right now."

This is what an engineer should do: in addition to ensuring the stability of the race car and maintaining communication with the driver throughout the race, they also need to ensure the driver's emotional stability.

You can't expect a bunch of adrenaline-fueled lunatics to calm down on their own after they've gone wild, just like you can't expect your girlfriend who's been on a roller coaster with you to shut up.

"You don't have DRS right now. If you can't pull away from Lewis after two laps, then you should probably prioritize protecting your tires."

".Copy!"

Now, the red-tire Shulong can lap 0.6 seconds faster than Hamilton in clean air, especially in the second stage where the new red tires give him a significant advantage in cornering speed.

If it were Verstappen's Red Bull, they would have already started playing.

However, the reality is that the car under Shu Long's rear is called STR13. As a result, no matter how big an advantage he gained in the second stage, Hamilton could catch up again in a DRS on the starting straight, and then even launch a counterattack against Shu Long in the second DRS after Turn 3.

The difference between the Mars Group cars and the Earth Group cars is that obvious.

Mercedes was completely screwed over by Ferrari's Vettel in this race, and Vettel was in turn screwed over by Ferrari's car and strategy team. The race was reduced from hellish difficulty to a human level right from the start.

In addition, Red Bull's cars have an advantage in terms of the characteristics of this track, which allows Shu Long to use the strategy of Tian Ji's horse racing to wear down the red tires with yellow tires and beat the old white tires with red tires in this race.

Even so, without relying on the Mars rover and running its own pace, Shulong actually had very little room to fight back.

Even the commentators unconsciously became much quieter, and everyone held their breath, silently watching the little red bull that was stubbornly putting up a fight.

Like a delicate gazelle being chased by a cheetah, you think it could perish at any moment under the sharp teeth and claws, but it manages to escape by cleverly changing course time and time again.

Shu Long had truly put his "eagle eyes" to the extreme, predicting almost every offensive move Hamilton made, yet he was still sweating profusely while defending against it.

"I can't shake him off! How many laps are left in the race?"

"You're currently on lap sixty-one, with ten laps left until the end of the race. Try to keep going!"

"Fuck! But my tires are almost dead! And my battery is almost dead!"

The defensive line was not the usual racing line, especially the lane change defense at the end of the high-speed straights like the two DRS zones. Shu Long's red tires wore out much faster than he had imagined.

Of course, the wear and tear on the tires is still acceptable. After all, Hamilton's white tires, which he wore for more than forty laps, weren't in much better condition. The most fatal flaw is that in order to minimize the speed difference caused by DRS, the battery at Shulong is now almost completely depleted.

A very difficult choice.

Now, you can either temporarily relinquish your podium position, recharge a couple of times, and then try to strike decisively, or you can go all out against Hamilton today and see whether your batteries give way first or his tires surrender first.

However, just as Shu Long was about to tell the engineers his idea and ask the strategy team for their help, a race car that should never have appeared in the rearview mirror at this time and place suddenly popped up behind Hamilton.

"Wait a minute. Don't tell me that when Red Bull pulled into the station, they had Max and Daniel switch cars. If the one behind me is Max, then who is the one in front of me?!"

"."

"Hey! Hey! Silence won't solve anything! Where the hell am I right now?"

Finally, overwhelmed, Tost answered the microphone.

"Sorry, kid, you're P1 right now. If possible, we hope to win a championship."

".I'm you m&*￥#@!"

A melody of birdsong and fragrant flowers, which wasn't censored by the tournament organizers because it was incomprehensible, appeared in every official live stream. The three members of the five-star live stream were both amused and exasperated. Their chests, which had been sore from the tense back-and-forth battle, felt like they'd been punched, unable to rise or fall.

So everyone on and off the track knew you were competing for a stage championship, but the protagonist of this story thought he was just competing for an ordinary podium.
Oh, I'm sorry!
I accidentally used a very impolite word to describe the podium.

"If he really just found out about this news, then the impact is indeed quite significant. The team probably chose to use such a tactful approach because they didn't want him to experience too much psychological pressure."

"I hope the young people can stay calm! Let's not talk about winning the championship now. If they can use an Earth Group car to stop two Mars rovers for a few laps, that would be a legend!"

"Wow~ But if I don't eat this championship that's right in front of my mouth, even if I win the world championship in the future, I'll probably still have a stomachache when I think about this!"

"But I think the team might be underestimating Shulong's abilities too much, because he's been running with a strategy of just defending the podium until now. Would it have been more reasonable to plan the car's strategy after telling him in advance that they were now competing for the championship?"

"Probably not? I think if Shu Long knew he was competing for the championship, he might have run even more aggressively than before. This is a race, you can't expect them to still have any rationality left in their minds."

This was also Shulong's response to the team.

"Just leave me alone! I'll fight them to the death!"

Max catching up to him might actually be a good thing.

Previously, Hamilton only needed to focus on launching endless attacks on the dragon in front of him. Now, he has to spare some energy to deal with Vestapan, who is waiting for an opportunity to strike from behind. This gives the dragon more room to form alliances and maneuvers.

His initial strategy against Hamilton mainly involved using tricks in the DRS area around Turns 1, 2, and 3. Despite his numerous laps of defending Hamilton, Shu Long actually stole at least half of the DRS in that section.

The first DRS detection zone is at the end of Turn 2. Shu Long usually stays on the inside line at Turn 1, and then makes a line variation before entering Turn 2, all to allow Hamilton to pass the DRS detection line first.

In this way, by taking advantage of the inside line at Turn 3, Shu Long will not only avoid falling too far behind in position, but will also be able to take advantage of this DRS section to enter his advantageous section first.

With so many years of racing experience, how could Hamilton not see through Shu Long's little scheme?

That must be impossible.

If his opponent only has a Red Bull, then this trick might fool him once or twice, but if he manages to get back to Shulong even once, he will have no chance to recover.

The problem is that its main competitors are not only the Little Red Bull in front of it, but also the Big Red Bull, which is also eyeing it covetously from behind.

The pointless battles described above are completely meaningless. Besides causing extra wear and tear on your tires, they also disrupt your lap time rhythm.

Hamilton believes his most effective strategy right now is to use the DRS (Driving Rear System) in front of him to keep things in check, and only use his real killer move once on the last lap. He even has time to recharge his car a little to prepare for Verstappen's possible attack from behind.

As for the last place in the current championship contender group, Verstappen doesn't need to think too much about it. If he wants to win the championship, he just needs to overtake all the cars in front of him. Just go for it!
This is exactly what Shulong needs now, and it can fill the gap where he was most powerless in the third stage of the race.

Since it's impossible to give up the time advantage gained in the winding second stage for no reason, Shu Long will definitely pass through the DRS detection line at the end of Turn 13 first, so he can only endure the DRS zone after Turn 14.

But now that Verstappen is here, things are different.

Shulong's strategy began at Turn 1, with a late brake on the outside line, going against the grain. This time, he even moved closer to the center line during the braking process.

Hamilton wisely chose to give way for the time being, but this undoubtedly gave Verstappen an opening to insert himself.

A familiar variation before Turn 2: This time, Shu Long chose a cross line, first letting Hamilton pass the DRS inspection area while simultaneously pointing the front of the car directly towards the apex of Turn 3 on the inside line.

With Verstappen there to help exert pressure, Hamilton, even knowing it was a trap, couldn't just let Verstappen go. Even if he couldn't get the DRS, he had to keep Verstappen firmly behind him.

Just like how the Toro Rosso was powerless against Mercedes, Mercedes was equally powerless against the Red Bull in this race. If they were allowed to pass, they might not even last three laps before being completely thrown out of the DRS zone.

However, this meant that the two people besides the old man both received the first DRS at the same time.

Next up is the dazzling collaboration between Shulong and Hamilton.

Even with low battery, the Dragon, equipped with DRS, doesn't suffer a significant disadvantage in top speed. The two players then crisscrossed the track, effectively blocking Verstappen from behind.

Then, in the second stage, Shu Long, who had been working seamlessly with Hamilton, suddenly turned on him. He was the first to enter the second timed section from the inside, and then decisively squeezed Hamilton's line out at Turn 4, also making way for Verstappen, who was about to follow him onto the inside line.

The three cars drove side-by-side through Turn 5 at full throttle, and the tires were so close together that just looking at it made one's throat tighten.

"Oh dear, that's too dangerous! I'd better be careful!"

"The allure of the championship has almost driven everyone to the brink of madness! Young people will have many more opportunities in the future, so it's crucial to stay calm now!"

The thrilling scene of three cars battling it out is quite rare. This scene is almost guaranteed to be the top highlight of the year. The three people are going at speeds of over 300 km/h and they are not giving way to each other. Any mistake would have unimaginable consequences.

Gan Mengning, on the other side of the world, has been staying up all night, huddled in her dark bedroom with her tablet in hand. Even though it's past 2 a.m., her heart is pounding as if she just ran 800 meters downstairs, and her pajama pants are almost worn through from scratching them with her little hands.

She knew that He Xuanyi next door was also watching the game, but amidst such a passionate atmosphere, the night seemed unusually quiet.

When you're really nervous, you can't speak. If you still have the energy to shout, it means you're not nervous at all!
This is the true essence of track and field sports!

The speed far exceeding ordinary people's perception and the fragile, brittle race car blended together to create a mysterious symphony. Every person's movements were savage yet imbued with a gentlemanly sense of restraint.

That's what it means to walk on the edge of the limit!

Even if you know that one wrong step will lead to an abyss, at this moment, even just letting go of the accelerator is a betrayal of the belief in speed!
Anyone who can stand on the F1 stage, as long as they still have the ambition to win the championship, will not hesitate for a moment!

Turn 6 is a right turn, which seems to favor Hamilton, who is currently on the far right and on the inside line, but in fact the situation is quite the opposite.

Turn 6 has a large arc, and at first glance it looks like a slow turn that requires you to slow down. But actually, you only need to ease off the accelerator slightly before the turn, and then hold onto the apex of Turn 6 with slight braking. You can then keep the accelerator full all the way through Turn 7.

Therefore, compared to the slight advantage of the inside line, what they need before entering Turn 6 is precisely to create a more sufficient angle for entering the corner, where Verstappen on the outside actually has the greatest advantage.

Shu Long was actually very calm. Even though the surging blood in his ears made it almost impossible for him to hear what the team's TR was saying to him, he was very clear about his next step.

In the second time slot, Red Bull is the fastest, followed by Little Red Bull. Here, he will not be left too far behind by Max, but will instead have a natural excuse for Max to carry him to the second DRS.

However, the DRS zone in the third stage is very long, and Mercedes is unstoppable there.

Hamilton, firing at full power, managed to catch up with Shu Long with a late stop, but instead of rushing to attack Verstappen ahead, he followed Shu Long's previous tactic and let Verstappen carry him to another DRS.

This time, Shu Long turned around and grabbed Hamilton's leg. With DRS on and the long straight full of slipstream, he still managed to get a top speed that was comparable to Max's.

He just kept alternating between hugging the two legs, and somehow managed to carry the Mars rover on a single Earth rover until the last lap.

This was the limit of what he could do.

If the two Mars rovers are left to fight, given the performance difference between them, it won't be long before Shulong experiences "American bullying" on the track.

We had a great competition for seats, and guess who didn't get invited?
It's you!

The only way out is to think of yourself as a child whose parents are getting divorced, and to sabotage both sides as much as possible, making the situation as chaotic as possible.

"Any chance?"

"I don't know, it's up to fate!"

After several rotations, the final order before Turn 13 on lap 71 was Verstappen in the lead, Shulong in second, and Hamilton in third.

Is there really any hope?
Twenty-eight laps on red tires, including ten laps of intense fighting, and now the surface of the tires clearly shows the cut and ripped rubber strips, like they've been made into a tassel shape.

On the three consecutive high-speed curves of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth turns, Shu Long barely dared to accelerate; if he pressed the accelerator even slightly harder, the rear of the car would start to spin.

He's dead!

"Max Verstappen is leading all the way up to the final corner!"

"The five-time world champion behind him has deployed his tail fins. Can he overtake him?"
Yes! He can! Lewis Hamilton has regained his lead!

"But let's look at the young Chinese driver. We hoped to see him create a miracle in this race, but unfortunately, his tires look worn out."

"And then who was that?! The Iceman Raikkonen! He took advantage of the skirmish between the first three cars to sneak up on us without us even noticing! Are you trying to destroy a young man's last hope of winning the championship? Like a ruthless killer?"

"But ShuLong didn't give up! He deliberately lowered his DRS endplate, just to add a last bit of downforce to his dying tires! And then he crossed the finish line!"

"Yes! P3! He retained his podium position! He also achieved the same feat as the world champion! Congratulations, young man, and welcome to F1!"

The English commentators on site launched into a barrage of praise, showering the champion with compliments on this promising young Eastern driver.

Regardless of international perspectives or political stances, I believe no one who watched this match could remain unmoved. The flame of fighting spirit never went out after the lights went out; they gave their all to fight until they had no regrets.

Shu Long remained silent for a long time after crossing the finish line, simply switching his racing mode to return to the track and completing his final task of the race—picking up the tire poop.

Despite a perfect record of winning all the way from P5 to P3, the world is unpredictable and ever-changing. Now, Shulong feels that the podium is a testament to his failure.

The team must be feeling the same way, after all, they once really had hope of winning the championship, and now the disappointment is immense.

"Uh"

"cough!"

Shulong and the team's TRs turned on almost simultaneously, each uttering a syllable before falling silent again.

"Anyway, P3! Excellent result, thank you for your hard work!"

"This honor also belongs to you. The car is very good, it just lacked a bit of luck. I also thank you for giving me this opportunity."

Once Tost opened up, Shulong finally felt relieved.

His P1 was actually a replacement for Verstappen's car after his accident; objectively speaking, it wasn't meant for that particular race car at all. Some things simply can't be forced; being too fixated on them only adds to the trouble.

"Speaking of which, do I have to give some long-winded explanations? Does the team have any fixed templates?"

"What long-winded speech?"

"It's just thanking the team, the fans, my parents, and so on. By the way, do we need to thank the sponsors? Right now, all I can see are the ones printed on the HALO. If they care, I can record a message after the race."

"No, no, no! There's no such thing. My God, you just need to say whatever you really feel!"

So, does that mean I can actually just not say anything?

Wait a minute
"Could that TR clip have already been broadcast?"

"Very likely."

This time, I really don't want to talk.

Shu Long didn't make much of a fuss; he simply waved to the audience, just like Hamilton and Verstappen had done, and lingered a little longer in the stands where the five-star red flag was visible.

However, he was soon urged by the team to hurry back. The top three cars needed to park in front of the small signs that had been reserved for them in front of the pit lane, and now they were waiting for him there.

Some people are happy that someone is worried.

Based on the results of this race, Mercedes secured Hamilton's individual driver's championship and the team's championship one race early, making it a triple crown with this race win.

The parking area was already packed with Mercedes employees, making the two Red Bulls seem like out-of-place outsiders.

The excitement belongs to them, while we have nothing.

It's really interesting. There were three podiums in one competition. How did they manage to make only one person happy?
In fact, Verstappen was more than just unhappy. If they didn't have to finish the interview and weigh in first, he would look so impatient that he wanted to find someone to give him a piece of his mind.

"Um, are you okay?"

Shu Long cautiously probed, but judging from Max's expression upon hearing this, it didn't seem to be because of the trouble he had caused on the track.

"It's nothing, it's just because of a brainless idiot!"
The match just now was exciting, with very strong offense and defense. But as you know, neither of us can give up our hopes of winning the championship, so... I'm sorry.

Upon seeing that it was Shu Long, Max's expression softened slightly, but he only managed a forced smile and exchanged a few pleasantries.

He naturally knew what an achievement it was for a newcomer to stand on the highest podium on their debut.

What happens off the track is another matter, but on the track, especially between different teams, drivers should absolutely not be overly polite to each other.

Compared to losing the game in frustration without even having a chance to fight back, the intense struggle just now actually gave Verstappen an outlet for his emotions.

But if you hold back, you'll only get angrier; if you back down, you'll only feel like you've lost out.

If it weren't for that idiot, none of that fighting would have happened at all.

After Shu Long hastily finished his interview and handed the stage to Hamilton, the real protagonist of the post-race event, he followed the other drivers to the weigh-in area, where a highly competitive brawl had just ended.

It seems that the mysterious guest who just knocked Max out must have been O'Connor.

Of the twenty drivers currently on the track, Shu Long is only relatively familiar with the Red Bull drivers, plus Leclerc and Stroll.

Shulong doesn't actually know much about Aokang.

All that is known is that his internal strife with teammate Perez was extremely serious this year, coupled with the preconceived stereotypes that Gasly had given him, making him seem like a complete scoundrel who would do anything to win.

However, when Shu Long first came to the training session at the Japan station last time, Aokang was one of the few people who took the initiative to greet him with a smile.

It's pretty complicated, isn't it?

So when Shu Long arrived at the podium waiting area and heard Max pointing to the crash video and vehemently denouncing someone, Shu Long simply maintained an awkward smile and did not agree.

The main responsibility for this incident certainly doesn't lie with Verstappen; if it were Shu Long himself, he would only be even angrier.

As a fellow race car driver, he could actually understand Ocon's mindset at the time. Why not seize the opportunity to get out of trouble?
Of course, Max is still acting too impulsively.

It's not about the fight after the game. To be honest, being wronged and losing the championship, he only pushed and shoved a few times, which was already very restrained.

It's still about the choices he made on the track.

Just like Hamilton's advice to Max when he arrived late: "He has nothing to lose, but you're fighting for the championship."

Liu Verstappen stood aside, seemingly reflecting or sulking. Old Liu, who had just achieved a perfect year, was in high spirits, repeatedly praising Shu Long's handling of his defense on several corners while watching the replay.

"Yes, yes, you've really clevered this place. The circuit is very compact and precise."

You must have noticed that my tires were too old back then, and you had a good grasp of my psychology. If you had been a little more aggressive, I might have been willing to sacrifice some tires just to get past you first.

The British praise was a bit too direct. Although that was indeed what he was thinking at the time, it still made Shu Long feel quite embarrassed to have it so openly stated.

Fortunately, the event staff came to inform them that they should prepare for the awards ceremony, which finally freed Shulong from the embarrassment.

As a P3, Shu Long was the first person to come out of the waiting area and step onto the podium.

The audience was already packed with excited fans, who seemed even more thrilled than he was on the podium. His nervousness seemed to have vanished under the warm glow of the crowd.

"That's right! Young man, you need to be more confident when you step onto the podium. Third place is still a remarkable achievement. You should know that you fully deserve this honor!"

At this moment, whether it was the official commentators or the individual streamers, almost everyone's tone was choked with emotion. The scene on the screen was something that many people could only dream of.

The golden bubbles of champagne shimmered in the afternoon sun, and as the cork popped open, it was a declaration of the new generation challenging the old.

　感谢明空勿六、adonisowen、书友160728175755786、书友20181126152402338、无心无眠无爱、pmy、莫高窟行者、谁给我一片雾霭、草长莺飞白露蒹葭、看尽世间繁华、WaltHK、书友20220316073555147、读者1440554696250396672、菊花太丑、书友20221212132635835、载澜、明空勿六、MadScientist、兜兜转转过分了、书友20230831221754500大佬的月票投喂。

　　Thank you to Cat House Cute, Ffortress, and Star Dye Cloud for your generous donations, and also to the cat buried in the sea of ​​flowers, Little Renren, and WaltHK for their huge donations.

　　What does it mean to experience pain and pleasure at the same time? Waaaaah~
　　I can't express my gratitude for all the remaining monthly passes and tips, so I'll make a separate thank-you note for that later.

　　Consider this an extra chapter. I currently owe three chapters for monthly votes and four chapters for donations. Help!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)