Speed ​​God

Chapter 45 Team Test
"why?"

In the pit lane next to the Fiorano circuit, a young and impetuous voice was expressing his views flamboyantly and vehemently, his thick Portuguese accent unable to conceal his South American heritage.

"Why can they participate in testing, but I can't? I joined Ferrari not to stand on the sidelines and watch; I need to be on the track."

Enzo Fediparti was arguing his case, his baby face, covered in acne and still looking very young, was now completely red and almost bursting with anger.

Montfatini looked slightly troubled.

Fediparti was a young man who officially joined the youth academy in December, just two weeks after Lu Zhizhou; at that time, Ferrari invited five drivers to test, and only two were selected in the end, the other being Marcus Armstrong from New Zealand.

Both drivers are very young; Armstrong is sixteen and Ferdinandi is fifteen.

However, Armstrong was already very experienced; he not only helped Renault test F2 cars but also participated in regional F3 races.

Ferdinandi has only recently left karting and is not even a Formula 1 driver yet; he still has a long way to go before he can conquer the racetrack.

But clearly, Ferdinandi refused to comply.

After all, his grandfather was Emerson Ferdinandi, a two-time Formula 1 World Champion and a two-time Indy 500 champion, a household name and a legendary Brazilian driver who was inducted into the Hall of Fame as early as 2001.

However, Montaffartini was no pushover either, his expression cold and indifferent. "They're ready. You're not."

Without embellishment or subtlety, a single sentence struck Federico Fernandini squarely; in any case, Montfati refused to tolerate these guys.

Ferdinandt felt a lump in his throat and glared fiercely at Armstrong—

This was an opponent I had lost to more than once or twice during the go-karting era. I had become numb to the losses and eventually ran out of steam.

Then, Ferdinandi shifted his focus, pointing to Lu Zhizhou not far away, "What about that guy? Is he ready? Isn't he only given the opportunity because he's Jean Todt's illegitimate son?"

puff.

When Nicholas Todd walked in, he happened to hear that sentence and almost spat out his drink.

Zhou Guanyu looked at Lu Zhizhou with a worried expression.

But Lu Zhizhou remained calm. "Well, it's because Mr. Ferdinandi never drove for Ferrari. Why don't you call your grandfather and complain?"

Haha.

A burst of arrogant laughter came from behind, interrupting the argument. All the students looked over and saw Vasser laughing so hard he was doubled over.

In an instant, all the trainees stood up straight, recognizing Nicholas and Vasser at a glance, their minds filled with a jumble of chaotic thoughts.

Perhaps Lu Zhizhou was the only exception; he couldn't recognize the two people in front of him, but seeing Marchionne and hearing the gasps of shock from the crowd, he could vaguely guess that things might not be so simple.

Today's team test race had four drivers participating: Alesi, Zhou Guanyu, Armstrong, and Lu Zhizhou.

Foucault, Leclerc, and other students who had secured their F2 seats did not participate, nor did Ferdinandi, who was just starting out in F4.

Given the current situation, the answer is obvious: could it be that F3/GP3 teams have come to select drivers?
Zhou Guanyu is hesitating between going to F3's Prima or Motopark, Alesi was unhappy with Trident last season, and Lu Zhizhou and Armstrong are currently without a team.

Everything is correct.

Beside him, Monfati had already received the signal and deliberately refrained from introducing the two big shots, instead announcing the start of the test directly.

"There is no qualifying. Starting positions are determined by a draw, and the race starts directly. The winner is decided in twenty laps."

With just a few words, Lu Zhizhou already had a clear understanding of the situation.

It seems it will be GP3. The rules for F3 and GP3 are slightly different. In 2016, F3 had three races per weekend on the same track, while GP3 had two races per weekend on the same track.

One main race, one sprint race.

First, the main race, where the starting order is determined by qualifying, usually lasts about twenty to thirty laps.

Secondly, the sprint race, based on the race rankings, has the top eight drivers starting in reverse order, while drivers from ninth place onwards start in the order of their race rankings. This race typically covers 70% to 80% of the race's laps.

The reason is that F2, GP3, and F3 use standardized cars with identical engines, chassis, tires, etc. The difference between cars is only determined by the team's setup and tuning, and the difference between cars is very small. In order to increase the excitement of the race, the cars start in reverse order to shuffle the order and truly test the individual abilities of the drivers.

Therefore, in GP3 races, starting position is still important, but not everything; drivers need to demonstrate their all-around abilities on both offense and defense.

As it stands, there is no qualifying, just a draw to shuffle the order; and there is not enough time to formulate a strategy, so the drivers' ability to adapt to the situation is being tested. The two uninvited guests who appeared at the last minute only added fuel to the fire of the chaos.

No wonder Monfati resolutely refused to let Fedinati take to the track.

Obviously, Ferdinandi now realizes that it's impossible for him to play, but without comparison, there's no harm done, and he finds Lu Zhizhou increasingly displeasing.

Ferdinandt mumbled something in Portuguese, ran over to Alessi, bumped Alessi's shoulder, and glared at Lu Zhizhou.

It seems that the second and third generations of car owners have already established a tacit understanding without words. From beginning to end, they have looked down on Lu Zhizhou, that "mud-blooded" guy.

Alessi pulled out a ping-pong ball, a smile spreading across his face as he showed it the number—

Number One.

Ferdinandi clenched his fist and cheered.

Alessi gave Lu Zhizhou a defiant look. Once he started running, none of them would catch up; they'd just be left behind eating dirty air.

Lu Zhizhou completely ignored Alessi and looked at Zhou Guanyu.

Zhou Guanyu's number two and Lu Zhizhou's number four showed off to each other. Zhou Guanyu lowered his voice and said, "Don't worry, I kept up with his pace from the beginning and stuck with him."

Lu Zhizhou grinned. "Ignore him. This is our first head-to-head competition. How about it? The winner treats us to dinner, okay?"

Zhou Guanyu's eyes lit up, "Hot pot?"

The two of them burst into laughter.

Turning his gaze away, Lu Zhizhou secretly exhaled. He had already planned it out. He would go home this weekend to take his final exams, and then sit down and tell his mother about his decision.

So he will leave Maranello, but he will cherish the happy memories he has made here. Let today's intra-team test match be considered the graduation ceremony of the youth academy.

A moment to remember, let loose and run at full speed. No regrets.

Without wasting any time, the four young drivers were already in their cars, lining up on the track, taking their time to circle the track once to warm up their tires and get ready. Finally, they filed into their starting grids one by one, waiting for all the traffic lights ahead to go out.

Snapped.

Lu Zhizhou was completely immersed in racing, feeling a little excited and jubilant, but all of that eventually turned into calm and complete focus.

The clutch and accelerator were coordinated with textbook precision, and the red race car shot off the instant the traffic lights went out—

0.25 seconds.

World-class startup response time!
Lu Zhizhou floored the accelerator, and a streak of red light shot out, instantly closing the distance and about to catch up with Zhou Guanyu in front of him.

Wasserl's eyes lit up slightly. What was that car number four up to?
　A brand new week! A brand new ranking list! Racing is a niche within a niche, which only highlights the importance of each reader. One reader's support is worth two, so we truly need everyone's support! Here, I sincerely thank all readers, thank you all! Believe me, after the book is released, there will be a huge outpouring of gratitude!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)