Speed ​​God

Chapter 105 Under the Muzzle of a Gun
"Second, the continent. Second."

Borrepeller's voice came through the radio, still calm and composed, without much fluctuation, but upon closer listening, one could still detect a hint of disappointment.

Borrepeller was slightly taken aback. Disappointed? Had he also been led astray by the rumors circulating in the paddock?

Everyone was eyeing Lu Zhizhou, eagerly anticipating his emergence as a genius who would sweep all the pole positions and win all the victories in GP3.

But Borrepeller is professional enough; he should remain calm. This is only Lu Zhizhou's second professional match. Lu Zhizhou needs more matches to accumulate experience, continue to grow, continue to improve, and continue to explore his potential and realize his talent. Forcing growth and having unrealistic expectations will only do more harm than good.

Don't think he doesn't know; those paddock drivers are all smart men. They won't believe the nonsense the news media is hyping up "Leclerc vs. Lu Zhizhou." The key factor that really spurred these young men was the first appearance of the sponsor logo on Lu Zhizhou's racing suit and helmet.

In the paddock, the era of making a name for oneself solely through talent is long gone. They have seen countless geniuses fail to overcome the insurmountable barrier and reach the highest stage of F1 due to a lack of financial support. Even if Lu Zhizhou performs exceptionally well, the lack of sponsorship is still nothing to worry about.

However, things are different now. Not only are there sponsors, but they are Richard Mille and Brembo respectively, which makes for a completely different story.

Therefore, all the paddock drivers put in their best efforts and fighting spirit, deliberately excluding Lu Zhizhou and creating pressure both on and off the track, trying to defeat this rookie.

If Borrepeller also gets caught up in the hype, Lu Zhizhou's situation will only become more difficult.

He had already figured all of this out, hadn't he?
But having just witnessed Lu Zhizhou run a near-perfect lap, only to miss pole position by a mere three-thousandths of a second, I still couldn't hide my disappointment.

It's only three-thousandths of a second. If Lu Zhizhou can take pole position, Borrepeller can foresee the paddleboarders all shutting up in disbelief.

Unfortunately, no if.

Taking a deep breath, Borrepeller regained his composure. He needed to control himself and also help Lu Zhizhou control his emotions.

"An excellent lap, a beautiful job, just three-thousandths of a second difference. You've had another fantastic qualifying session, and it's worth celebrating."

"Second place, starting from the front row."

"Now, we should focus on the afternoon and look forward to a great match."

Concise, clear, and straightforward, Borrepeller is guiding Lu Zhizhou in his own way.

Somewhat surprisingly, there was no response on the radio.

Borrepeller was somewhat worried. Despite Lu Zhizhou's usual maturity and composure, he was still just a seventeen-year-old boy, and it was perfectly normal for him to experience emotional fluctuations under pressure and setbacks.

Then, Borrepeller called out again, "The Continent?"

Finally, a voice came over the radio, "So, there's no celebration performance this time? Looks like we'll have to try for pole position next time so we can have a performance to enjoy."

Borrepeller: ... "When did I agree to a celebratory performance?"

Lu Zhizhou: "Oh no. I didn't fall for it."

Borrepell chuckled. "Looks like you're alright, you even have the mind to joke around."

Lu Zhizhou chuckled softly, "Why should I be sad? 0.003 seconds, right? Regret is regret, but it also proves that we're not that different, right?"

"George is an excellent driver, and he has proven it; Jack is also an excellent driver, which means there will be a fierce battle this afternoon."

“The challenge and test are right in front of me. There’s no time for disappointment or sadness. I can’t wait to get back on the field and have a good match this afternoon.” Borrepeller’s smile widened, and he even cracked a joke, “I thought you would be extremely upset.”

Lu Zhizhou said, "Actually, I had already sworn a lot when I was silent just now. In order to avoid going viral in this way, I switched to silent mode."

Borrepeller: ... "Well done."

"Hahaha." Lu Zhizhou could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

After qualifying, the team returned to the pit lane, and the entire ART team erupted in jubilation.

Despite Hubert's lackluster performance, qualifying only eighth, the team swept the top three positions, demonstrating strong competitiveness for the second consecutive race.

However, amidst the jubilation, a sense of tension could be felt. In the Spanish Grand Prix, ART performed exceptionally well in qualifying, occupying three of the top four spots, aiming for a podium sweep. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, with only Lu Zhizhou managing to win the championship and salvage some pride for the ART team.

More importantly, the competitive atmosphere between Lu Zhizhou, Russell, and Han Shilong is quietly heating up. Not only the drivers, but also the race engineers are becoming more cautious. They avoid direct conversations unless necessary, and even eye contact is decreasing. The invisible tension continues to spread.

In the afternoon, the F1 qualifying session and the F2 race concluded one after the other, and the entire paddock erupted in cheers.

Leclerc continued his phenomenal run since Baku, rising from pole position to the championship with unstoppable momentum, sparking increasingly heated discussions.

Since the start of the new F2 season, Leclerc has performed admirably, quickly adapting to the new level of Formula racing. However, to be honest, he doesn't yet possess such dominance. His strong rise in the last two races has been dazzling, making him the absolute star of the paddock with overwhelming force and attracting countless eyes.

To onlookers, a few exchanged knowing glances. Leclerc must have sensed the threat from Lu Zhizhou, unleashing his full potential and suppressing the doubts and attacks in the rumors with an outstanding performance on the track, proving once again that he was Ferrari's only genius.

There is no harm without comparison.

Here, Leclerc continued his dominance, securing both pole position and the race win; there, Lu Zhizhou lost to Russell, losing his pole position.

Adding one thing and subtracting another, doesn't that mean Lu Zhizhou suffered a complete defeat?

In an instant, all the eyes in the hunting grounds that were waiting to see Lu Zhizhou make a fool of himself were gloating as they searched for his figure. If they didn't kick him while he was down, when would they?

Thousands upon thousands of bullets and arrows were aimed at Lu Zhizhou, preparing to attack.

Then, Lu Zhizhou appeared.

Disdainful, contemptuous, mocking, and sarcastic gazes gathered from all directions, but as Lu Zhizhou walked forward, they all turned into astonishment and embarrassment. One by one, they looked away, looked up at the sky, and wished they could dig a hole and bury themselves. They had really lost face big time.

Lu Zhizhou was heading towards the Prima team's maintenance area.

As they approached, Lu Zhizhou saw Leclerc and opened his arms wide, ready to give him a hug. However, as Leclerc came closer, he deliberately withdrew his arms, causing Leclerc to miss. Then, Lu Zhizhou took the opportunity to punch Leclerc in the shoulder and shouted loudly.

"Are you sure you're not bullying those drivers? Get out of here, I don't talk to bullies."

A teasing remark made Leclerc burst into laughter, throwing his head back and punching Lu Zhizhou on the shoulder. "I didn't bully you, what are you worried about?"

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the two young people are still friends, and the rumors that were circulating have been disproven. The gossip-loving public can finally relax.

　This is the fifth update today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)