Speed ​​God

Chapter 108 Keeping pace
Boom boom boom, boom boom boom—

With engines roaring and a barrage of engines, all the vehicles surged toward the Red Bull Ring's first right-angle turn like a turbulent torrent.

Lu Zhizhou was calculating.

He noticed Russell's blocking, and although Russell didn't completely block the position, he could use late braking to forcefully hold the apex of the corner and maintain his line advantage; but at the same time, he might also lose his position. Russell's driving was very aggressive, and under the pressure of his opponent, Lu Zhizhou's right front tire might leave the track and run off the kerb.

The result is that they lose their exit speed from the corner, and then lose the position they worked so hard to gain on the straight and in the second corner; in addition, the tires suffer unnecessary wear and tear due to heavy braking, not to mention the possibility of slippage or other unexpected situations that may occur before the tires have reached their operating temperature.

Therefore, in the blink of an eye, amidst a fierce clash, Lu Zhizhou did not play by the rules—

He lightly applied the brakes a little earlier, combined with the understeer line control, and controlled the cornering angle. He hugged the apex of the corner like a gentle breeze, lightly brushed it, glided through the arc, and gracefully turned out of the corner. He firmly controlled the line, using the inside line to force Russell to widen his turning radius, forcing his opponent to leave the ideal line. He refused to lose his rhythm in the corner, lightly and agilely sticking to Russell, using the inside line advantage to chip away at Russell's starting advantage as he turned.

Russell is also calculating.

According to the plan, Russell would seize a starting gap, block the inside line, squeeze out Lu Zhizhou, grab the heart of turn one immediately, and quickly exit the turn.

Then, it galloped away, leaving everyone else in the dust.

However, the plan clearly went awry, by a mere half-second or even 0.2 seconds, and Lu Zhizhou's car had already squeezed into the inside line between Russell and the apex of the corner.

Russell remained calm and unsurprised, making decisive decisions and adapting to changing circumstances, demonstrating the young driver's composure and precision to the fullest.

Russell immediately closed in on Lu Zhizhou, maintaining a three-quarters car length advantage. However, Russell knew that Lu Zhizhou would not back down; in fact, he would be exceptionally aggressive. If Russell also went head-to-head with him, the outcome might be that both of them would leave the track and perish together.

Such a tactic, which results in the loss of a thousand enemies but also eight hundred of your own, is not in line with Russell's character.

However, Russell also knew that if he braked late and went for the outside line, he might put himself at a disadvantage at Turn 1. The terrible grip on the dirty side, coupled with the short acceleration zone at the start, could cause the rear wing to wobble, and he might not be able to get the ideal exit speed and lose his pole position advantage.

In the world of racing, things change in an instant, and there is often not much time to think. In a fraction of a second, you may miss the braking opportunity. At this time, the only thing you can trust is your instinct and intuition.

That is why confidence is especially important for racing.

The moment he saw it was proof enough. Russell believed in himself and, without hesitation, braced himself against Lu Zhizhou's race car, slamming on the brakes almost simultaneously.

Focus on maintaining your position, not your lane; prioritize speed.

Russell didn't force a late stop to grab the inside, but instead held his position, letting Lu Zhizhou occupy the inside, and instead maintained his own rhythm.

And then, this scene unfolded—

Keep pace with each other!

In the live stream, Croft and Brendel held their breath, their eyes wide, completely focused on the screen. The fierce battle that unfolded in just a second or two was so intense that there was no room for commentary. All their thoughts and souls were caught up in this red and black storm, with only the sound of their hearts pounding against their eardrums echoing in their ears.

"Lu Zhizhou has occupied the line."

Russell is in position.

"ART's two race cars are neck and neck!"

Directly behind, Han Shilong was trying to catch Russell's slipstream and break through from the middle, but Lu Zhizhou and Russell blocked his position tightly. With a close stop, Han Shilong had to brake, and the momentum and energy he had painstakingly built up at the start were instantly cut off.

Damn it!

Han Shilong immediately realized that he was not alone; Bokolaci had also been feeding on Lu Zhizhou's tail, trying to squeeze out through the gaps in the paint.

Han Shilong had no idea what Bokolaci was thinking. How could he possibly squeeze out of such a narrow space inside the paint? But Bokolaci was now cornered. If he didn't want to damage his nose, he had to stop. In that brief moment, Han Shilong noticed Bokolaci slightly tilt his head. In an instinctive movement, Han Shilong turned the steering wheel to the right—

One squeeze.

Before Bokolaci could even gasp, he swerved to the right to avoid the obstacle, and then he was off the track and onto the grass.

"Grass!"

Not only him, but also Pulcini, who started fifth from the back of the grid, from the Alden team, was eager to try and take advantage of any openings. However, the space from the starting grid to Turn 1 was too narrow and crowded, and there was little room to adjust. A bunch of people rushed to the inside line, and the scene was chaotic.

Then, Pulcini's right front wheel slammed into a hard object—

Bang! Crash! Splash!

The scene was chaotic.

Dazzling and overwhelming, with almost everything happening at the same time, Croft had no time to cover the whole scene. He kept his eyes fixed on the two leading cars, giving no inch and fighting tooth and nail to perfectly control his line in the first right-angle turn.

It was immediately apparent that Lu Zhizhou's control and driving were truly a beautiful experience. A slight understeer, combined with a smooth, silky driving line, meant that before you could even blink, the rear of the car had already quickly regained stability with perfectly timed throttle input, and surged forward in one fell swoop—

A strong exit from the corner.

Everything was just right, wonderful beyond words.

If it were a different opponent, Lu Zhizhou would have already overtaken at Turn 1.

However, Russell did not lose his position.

Despite lacking a line advantage, Russell held his position firmly and relied on the slight speed advantage accumulated from pole position to maintain his lead.

With a turn and a sway, Russell effortlessly navigated the curve with a smooth line, as if a hot scalpel were cutting into butter, instantly increasing his speed.

Russell has suppressed Lu Zhizhou!

Relying on composure, adaptability, and control, Russell gained a faster exit speed from the corner, taking half a body length ahead of Lu Zhizhou and entering the straight ahead first.

The accelerator was floored, the engine roared and swept into the howling wind. Golden sunlight and lush greenery intertwined, rushing towards us like a raging torrent. Two red and black afterimages left long trails on the straight road, trying to squeeze and fight each other, pushing the tension to the extreme.

Close combat!

Russell used his exit speed to slightly increase the distance, turning a half-car advantage into a full-car advantage.

Immediately afterward, Lu Zhizhou precisely regained grip on the ground at the end of the corner, his rear end smoothly adhering to the track. Like a slingshot, he gathered power at the end of the corner and decisively bit Russell's rear wheel again.

A chase ensued, a bloody confrontation ensued—

Neither is superior to the other!

Brendel stared in disbelief and utterly captivated at the scene unfolding before him. A rare sight in Formula One racing was the two outstanding young drivers locked in a fierce battle, their wheel-to-wheel collisions tearing through the air with a whoosh.

The heart stopped beating:
Who will be able to seize the initiative?
　This is the third update today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)