Speed ​​God

Chapter 160 Home Alone
At the Shanghai station, Pirelli offered three types of dry tire compounds: supersoft, soft, and medium.

In Q3 qualifying, all drivers used supersoft tires; however, at the start of the race, almost all used soft tires, which can last for fifteen to twenty laps.

Therefore, Brendel speculated that the peak of pit stops should occur around the twentieth lap.

After pitting, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the team will switch to medium tires. According to Pirelli's recommendation, these tires can last for 25 to 30 laps. In other words, the team plans to use medium tires all the way through and opt for a single pit stop strategy.

Of course, if the team chooses a two-stop strategy, then there are more possibilities for tire arrangement.

At this point, the importance of pit stop and tire strategy becomes immediately apparent.

During the free practice sessions, Lu Zhizhou noticed that their tire temperature management on the Shanghai International Circuit was unstable, and the tire wear curve was prone to fluctuations.

The situation here is different from that in Melbourne and Bahrain. He believes that Ferrari's strategy should be bolder, taking the initiative into their own hands instead of acting according to the opponent's wishes. Especially after occupying the front row in qualifying, Ferrari can take the initiative to control the situation.

But clearly, Vettel doesn't think so. He believes they should remain unchanged and wait for their opponents to make their moves before making adjustments on the spot.

Arrivabene agreed with Vettel's assessment.

So, what does this mean?
For Vettel, it's enough to leave everyone else in the dust and lead at his own pace; but not for Lu Zhizhou.

After losing position at the start, Lu Zhizhou cannot act rashly or risk rapidly depleting his tires by launching an attack. In particular, with Red Bull and Mercedes-Benz ahead of him and Mercedes-Benz and Red Bull behind him, the three teams form a nested loop, where a change in one can affect the whole. Unable to predict the opponents' strategies, he must remain patient, hold his position, and cooperate with the team's tactics.

Clearly, everything revolves around Vettel, and Arrivabene once again reminds us that Lu Zhizhou is the number two driver.

then.

After the first lap, the race entered a stable period.

In the later rankings, the competition for the points-based spots was extremely fierce, and the live broadcast cameras were simply too busy to keep up; however, the top six teams remained inactive, maintaining a stable pace and restraining each other.

If the gap is slightly increased, there should be about two seconds of space between vehicles to avoid being caught in dirty air and causing unnecessary wear on the tires; however, if the gap increases to three seconds, the following vehicle will slightly accelerate to shorten the distance, ensuring that the gap is not widened completely and avoiding losing the initiative strategically.

The situation reached a stalemate for a time.

In other words, it was a bit boring, so the live stream camera started focusing on the vehicles behind.

In Melbourne, Hamilton, who were leading the pack, widened the gap at his own pace, creating pit windows and demonstrating the aggressiveness of Mercedes' strategy, as they took control of the game.

However, Vettel did not do that, and Bottas's deficit remained within two seconds.

If it's just Bottas keeping up with Vettel, then it might be Mercedes' aggressive strategy: Vettel accelerates, and Bottas follows suit, refusing to let Ferrari widen the gap.

But it wasn't just Bottas; Verstappen and Lu Zhizhou, who followed, also failed to pull ahead, forming a long line like a snake.

So this is Ferrari's conservative strategy; Vettel didn't even try to create a pit stop window.

Before long, after only eight or ten laps, Ferrari's strategy had begun to reveal itself. At this point, Mercedes and Red Bull could be seen whispering to each other almost imperceptibly at the pit stop. On the surface, everything seemed calm, but beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging. The game had already begun, unseen by the audience.

This is a perfect example of how F1 is a team sport, with the track, pit wall, and pit area all interconnected.

Then, on the eighteenth lap, Red Bull launched the first attack—

Both trains entered the station in the same loop.

With Verstappen in third and Ricciardo in sixth, there was a difference of about six seconds between them. Horner chose to take a bold risk and pit both cars at the same time. However, any deviation or mistake could cause Red Bull's advantage to vanish in an instant.

This is Red Bull, or rather, this is Horner; his inherent flamboyance and unbridled nature exude a kind of lawless, unreasonable madness.

Furthermore, Red Bull succeeded. In an orderly and efficient manner, both cars successfully entered the station, taking the lead in the tense and exciting showdown.

Not only did the repair team notice the situation immediately, but Greenwood also informed Lu Zhizhou of it as soon as possible. This was because Lu Zhizhou's cars in front and behind were Mercedes-Benz—Ferrari's main rivals, and their tactical strategy still needed to contain Mercedes-Benz more.

"David, the Beta Project?" Lu Zhizhou confirmed immediately.

In Shanghai, Ferrari developed five strategies, with the Alfa Plan being the highest priority.

In other words, with Vettel and Lu Zhizhou holding first and second place respectively, Vettel pitted first, while Lu Zhizhou stayed on the track to slow down and prevent Mercedes from becoming the leader; then Lu Zhizhou pitted, handing the lead to Vettel, who slowed down to create space for Lu Zhizhou, ultimately ensuring that Ferrari could finish first and second.

But now, the Alpha Project has clearly failed. Vettel's "gift" at the start has led to Lu Zhizhou being caught in a vortex of encirclement and suppression.

Naturally, the strategy needs to be adjusted.

The so-called Beta Plan was to have Lu Zhizhou pit first to avoid the opponent's undercut, using Lu Zhizhou as bait to disrupt Mercedes-Benz's strategy. Regardless of whether Mercedes-Benz followed Lu Zhizhou into the pit, Ferrari's subsequent strategy could be adjusted immediately to ensure Vettel's position.

In Lu Zhizhou's view, the situation on the field is clear: Red Bull has made the first move, and if Lu Zhizhou still hopes to reach the podium, he must immediately respond to Verstappen's pit stop; moreover, Ferrari should make its move before Mercedes, and Lu Zhizhou should pit before Hamilton.

The situation may seem complicated, but they can still take the initiative and seize control, leaving the rest to the drivers to finish the duel on the track.

For Ferrari, this is the best window to pit, especially for Lu Zhizhou.

Lu Zhizhou believed that Wolff was a smart man. If Ferrari didn't pit, Mercedes would immediately seize the opportunity, and it was highly likely that Hamilton would be the first to pit, because Hamilton's position in Mercedes was the same as Lu Zhizhou's position in Ferrari.

however--

“Please wait,” Greenwood replied, seemingly seeking Arivabene’s opinion.

Over the radio, the date seemed endless, and in that brief moment, Lu Zhizhou's worst fears came true.

Hamilton enters the station.

Without needing a radio warning, Lu Zhizhou could see in his rearview mirror that Hamilton had entered the pit lane on lap nineteen.

"Requesting entry, requesting entry. Hamilton is preparing for undercut." Lu Zhizhou responded immediately, and the air instantly tensed.

Although he has already passed the pit lane, he must pit on the next lap. He knows the team strategy isn't working quickly, so he informed them in advance.

“Received. Please wait,” Greenwood said.

And then... no more.

Lu Zhizhou: ? ? ?

It's unbelievable. The situation couldn't be clearer now. Lu Zhizhou should have just entered the pit and secured his position. Hamilton has adopted Lu Zhizhou's pit entry strategy. If Lu Zhizhou doesn't follow up, Mercedes-Benz's subsequent strategy will leave no room for maneuver.

Not only Lu Zhizhou, but even the live stream audience could sense the tension in the air. Just when Lu Zhizhou thought things couldn't get any worse, the ever-changing match was sliding further into the abyss—

On lap 20, Bottas pits.

Ferrari's maintenance wall strategy team reacted slowly, missing two consecutive windows starting with Red Bull's surprise attack, while Mercedes decisively seized the opportunity and took the lead.

Ferrari was instantly put on the defensive, while Mercedes reacted quickly to Red Bull's aggressiveness and decisively took control of the situation.

Who would have thought that Ferrari's biggest weakness would come from the maintenance wall?

Damn it!

Lu Zhizhou couldn't control himself. He gritted his teeth, cursed, and realized that missing two opportunities in a row was a fatal mistake.

Some may wonder why Lu Zhizhou had to apply for entry to the station via radio, instead of acting first and asking permission later.
Putting aside the consequences of going against the team leader's will and breaking the team strategy, entering the pit lane requires cooperation. The team in the pit area must move the tires that are being kept warm with heating blankets out, and the two mechanics with jacks for the front wing and rear wing must also be ready.

In other words, if the pit area is not ready and the driver forces his way in, the time wasted inside could be more than just a second or two.

Therefore, prior communication is necessary before entering the station so that the maintenance area can prepare in a timely manner.

at last!

Greenwood's voice came through the radio, reminding Lu Zhizhou that Vettel would pit on the next lap, while he would remain on the track.

Lu Zhizhou was not surprised by this. Ferrari was not worried about Hamilton undercutting Lu Zhizhou, but about Bottas undercutting Vettel. After all, Vettel and Bottas were competing for the championship.

Then, on lap twenty-one, Vettel pitted.

"nervous!"

"This will be very, very close. The Mercedes repair wall is reminding Bottas to go full speed ahead—"

"Ladies and gentlemen, Bottas is here!"

"Bottas and Vettel are now trying to gain the first turn! Bottas! God, Bottas is the first to enter turn one!"

"Unbelievable! Mercedes-Benz's undercut was a success!"

"Bottas successfully overtook Vettel! The timely reaction and correct judgment of the Mercedes pit lane turned the tide of the game."

In the blink of an eye, the situation turned around—

Bottas suppressed Vettel, the positions were reversed, and the thing Ferrari least wanted to see still happened. Arrivabene held his head.

It wasn't a slight difference, but a significant gap. Bottas was a full two and a half car lengths ahead of Vettel. In just one lap, Mercedes pushed forward with all its might, effortlessly turning the undercut into reality without encountering any danger, and without giving Vettel any chance. It even quickly widened the distance and kicked Vettel out of the DRS range.

A resounding victory!
Mercedes-Benz defeated Ferrari strategically through calm and wise judgment.

“Zhizhou, Bottas undercut successfully, now he's 7.1 seconds behind you.” Greenwood had no time to be upset; he had to get back on his feet immediately.

Lu Zhizhou frowned slightly, immediately catching the information from Greenwood's voice, "Why are you telling me about Bottas's deficit?"

“Jesus Christ, David, you’re not planning to let me stay on the track and try the overcut, are you?” Lu Zhizhou immediately caught the hesitation between the lines.

After a pause, Lu Zhizhou did not immediately press the issue, giving Greenwood room to refute. He was waiting for feedback and explanation from the wall repair team.

Unfortunately, there was silence on the radio.

Lu Zhizhou: ...

He could hardly believe it. “David, this isn’t Melbourne. It’s completely different. I don’t have a lead, and I don’t have a tire advantage.”

"Are you asking me to widen the gap between Bottas and the soft tires I've run 27 times on, which Bottas has just run 1 lap on, which is medium tires? What was Bottas' lap time after his undercut? You should be thinking not about whether I can find a pit window, but how long this seven-second lead can last."

“If I can’t control the pace of Mercedes, there is no chance of an overcut. Even if the safety car comes out now, it’s still not enough for a pit window. So I shouldn’t stay on the track and waste time.”

"Or do you want me to deliberately slow down, close the gap, and stay ahead of Bottas to create an opportunity for Seba to overtake?"

“If not, I should go into the station. Only God knows where I will end up after I come out.”

"Pull in! Now!"

Talking away, endlessly—

Lu Zhizhou was furious, truly furious. His repeated hesitation and indecisiveness in repairing the wall, his desire to win and fear of losing, and his serious misjudgment of the overall situation were nothing short of a disaster.

Not only was the repair wall a chaotic scene, but the Ferrari service area was also filled with the noise of a beating heart.

With every second counting, Bottas had just successfully undercut, and Lu Zhizhou would only be able to reach the pit lane entrance after completing this lap, which would take about a minute. With conversations and communication taking place, time was ticking away, and there was no room for hesitation.

Greenwood turned to look at Arrivabene. As the race engineer, he needed to make decisions, but in reality, the truly crucial judgments had to be made by the team principal.

Arivabené's brows furrowed, a hint of struggle in his expression—

He was still hesitant about whether he should keep Lu Zhizhou on the track, even though the overcut was unlikely to succeed, Lu Zhizhou could at least keep Bottas occupied for a while.

One second, two seconds—amidst the cacophony of roaring engines, one could almost hear the sound of time passing.

Greenwood clenched his fists, his palms sweating. They had already missed two windows, and they really couldn't afford to miss a third.

The scales tipped slightly amidst the extreme tension, suffocation, and frenzy.

"Enter the station. Enter the station. Enter the station," Greenwood commanded without waiting for Arivabené's response.

Even before Greenwood could gesture towards the service area, the service area staff had already sprung into action, their hearts pounding so hard they felt like they were going to jump out of their chests.

“Ferrari!”

"On the twenty-second lap, Lu Zhizhou has finally entered the pit!"

"But clearly, they have lost their positions. Bottas undercut Vettel successfully, and Hamilton undercutting Lu Zhizhou should be a foregone conclusion as well."

"The current focus is whether Lu Zhizhou can get ahead of Ricardo after leaving the station."

"Oh, God!"

"Ferrari pit stop! 3.3 seconds! This is not a satisfactory pit stop. The tire change was not clean enough, and they seem unable to find their focus. They have faced such a bad situation for the second consecutive pit stop."

"On the straightaway, Ricardo is here!"

"Ferrari vs. Red Bull, this was an unexpected showdown, but—"

"Daniel Ricardo! Brilliant positioning! Ricardo is ahead of Lu Zhizhou! Lu Zhizhou is trying to overtake!"

"Lu Zhizhou accurately judged the track position in the first instant and launched a counterattack on the spot without any hesitation!"

"Ricciardo! Beautiful late braking! Ricciardo unleashed his trump card, skillfully using his brake pads to defuse Lu Zhizhou's counterattack in Turn 1! Lu Zhizhou's brand-new tires hadn't even warmed up yet, and Ricciardo made a decisive and successful defense!"

Ricardo is in the lead! He's in fifth place!

"Lu Zhizhou has slipped to sixth! For Lu Zhizhou, playing at home, it was a nightmare five minutes, with Hamilton and Ricciardo undercutting them in succession! Ferrari's chaotic strategy and panic in the pit lane seriously dragged them down, almost completely destroying their hopes for the home team."

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

Things were spiraling out of control; a single pit stop had cost Ferrari its entire advantage due to a misjudgment of the situation.

Pain, despair, struggle—the entire Ferrari maintenance wall was silent, desperately trying to control itself and avoid exposing any vulnerability to the Mercedes and Red Bull on either side.

However, the mask of indifference could not conceal the sense of loss seeping from the depths of his heart, a kind of slump as he slowly fell into the abyss.

Jiang Mo also sensed it.

She knew nothing about racing, and had no concept of undercut or overcut, but precisely because of this, she was able to remain objective.

"They missed their chance. Mercedes had the right timing, and Ferrari lost the initiative."

Jiang Mo frowned slightly.

She knew that feeling—when you haven't done anything wrong, and you're even giving it your all and in great form, yet you're dragged down into the abyss by the chaos of a team project. That sense of powerlessness and frustration could be even more devastating than a poor performance. Right now, Lu Zhizhou was experiencing that very feeling.

Standing in the paddock, she seemed to be able to truly feel Lu Zhizhou's breath and heartbeat, and seemed to truly merge into the race car and begin to chase the end of time.

Jiang Mo couldn't help but turn to look at Lu Cheng, "Is there still a chance to turn things around?"

Lu Cheng sighed softly, "Difficult."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there will be no more pit stops; it all depends on the track performance.

But this isn't the GP3. Now, standing in Lu Zhizhou's way are Red Bull and Mercedes-Benz, neither of them easy opponents. To replicate the GP3's meteoric rise to the top is virtually impossible.

All the words in the world eventually boil down to just one word.

Lu Cheng paused for a moment, "Completing the season with points is also a remarkable achievement. What's more, Xiao Zhou has scored points for three consecutive weeks; no rookie has been able to do that."

Lu Cheng tried to comfort Jiang Mo, but Jiang Mo took a deep breath and said, "The competition is not over yet. Xiao Zhou will not be satisfied with just finishing the competition with points."

As they were talking, Lu Zhizhou's radio conversation appeared on the live stream screen: "Come on, the game isn't even halfway through yet, and the party hasn't even reached its climax. David, give us some noise."

puff!
Zhang Qiaomu couldn't control herself for a moment, "Xiaozhou just 'made a little noise'?" She didn't understand the other English, but this sentence was fine.

A glint also appeared in Jiang Mo's eyes as he glanced at Lu Cheng.

Quietly, Jiang Mo straightened her back and sat upright. No matter the outcome, she would fight alongside her son to the very end.

There was no response from Greenwood on the radio; only silence.

The part that wasn't shown in the live stream was followed by another comment from Lu Zhizhou: "Don't force me to sing."

Greenwood: "...Zhizhou, stay focused. You're right, the game isn't over yet. What do you need?"

Not just Greenwood, but everyone working on the wall rallied, especially Ariwabene, whose eyes showed a hint of surprise.

"The gap. How far are we from Ricardo and Hamilton respectively?"

"Ricardo, 1.666; Hamilton, 4.891."

"Received. Please keep an eye on the tire temperature for me."

Are you angry? Frustrated? Resentful?

Of course, all of that was true. Lu Zhizhou used all his strength to barely control the urge to curse. Today's race was completely ruined; it hadn't gone well from the very start.

Despite not having taken the pressure of playing at home to heart, Lu Zhizhou now sees his lack of experience being magnified under pressure. The more he tries to perform well and strive for the top, the less he can truly relax and fully enjoy the game.

He had to admit that Shanghai was different from Melbourne and Bahrain.

However, things have already come to this.

He can wallow in anger and frustration, wallowing in self-pity, or he can turn setbacks into motivation and try to turn the tide in the second half.

He chose the latter.

Now, he needs to plan ahead, take it one step at a time, and not aim too high for the podium. Instead, he should start with his immediate rivals, one by one.

First Ricardo, then Hamilton.

At this point, there were 34 laps left in the race. The lifespan of this set of medium tires was 25 to 30 laps, which meant that they could not recklessly sprint at full speed, otherwise all the grip would be lost before the end of the race, and even if they chased and climbed all the way, they would have to give it all back later.

Therefore, he should first follow Ricardo's pace and look for opportunities.

Especially after Lu Zhizhou confirmed the pace of Ricardo and Hamilton with Greenwood, he knew that Ricardo was closely following Hamilton's pace and was slowly and steadily eroding the gap. This meant that as long as Lu Zhizhou kept up with Ricardo's pace, he would not be left behind by Hamilton.

Another major feature of the Shanghai International Circuit is its exceptionally strong slipstream effect. By fully utilizing the slipstream on the starting straight, turns five and six, and the long straight after turn thirteen, Lu Zhizhou can effectively control tire wear and gain more advantages when attacking later.

At this point, the Ferrari repair wall was temporarily divided into two parts.

Some attention was focused on Lu Zhizhou, who was closely following Ricciardo. The two cars were gradually closing in on Hamilton, and before they knew it, the gap had narrowed to four seconds.

However, Lu Zhizhou is not the focus; Vettel is.

The other focus is on Vettel, as he is closing in on Bottas at full speed, with the difference between the two hovering around one second, and they are about to enter DRS range.

Ferrari's chance to turn the game around is within reach.

The tension was only lingering for a moment before it returned to normal.

On lap 29, Sauber's Leclerc braked too late at Turn 1, causing him to understeer off the track and into the gravel pits, almost forcing him to retire. However, Leclerc reacted quickly, successfully escaping the gravel pits and returning to the track, a close call.

On the thirtieth lap, at the very end of the track, in the third timing segment, at the hairpin turn 14 and the high-speed turn 15, which is also the final crucial position before entering the starting straight, the two Toro Rosso cars engaged in a fierce battle in the hairpin turn. Gasly attempted to overtake from the inside, but Hartley held his position firmly. As a result, Gasly's front wing slammed into Hartley's right rear wheel, sending debris flying everywhere.

Hartley transforms into a spinning top, spinning in place!

Yellow flag!

The situation changes suddenly!

However, the yellow flag lasted for less than five seconds because neither Gasly nor Hartley retired from the race, and both cars returned to the track to continue the race.

Green flag!

The game resumed; it was a false alarm.

Before they could even exhale and their hearts had just calmed down, race leaders Bottas and Vettel, locked in a close battle, appeared at Turn 14.

Bottas spotted the remaining track debris immediately, right in the regular lane, and had to cut inside to avoid it, almost losing his position.

Vettel was preparing to launch an attack when he discovered the debris and had to quickly stop. He was furious on the radio, expressing his strong dissatisfaction with the situation. The opportunity that was so close slipped through his fingers.

As Bottas and Vettel entered the starting straight one after the other, the race organizers finally took notice and made a decisive move—

Safety vehicles were deployed, and yellow flags were raised.

The race organizers had to clean up the remaining debris from the race cars, otherwise it could cause an accident. Instantly, the tense atmosphere in the entire arena froze!
Phew, Bottas crosses the starting line.

Whew, Vettel crosses the starting line.

Greenwood immediately heard Lu Zhizhou's voice over the radio, "Enter the station! Enter the station!"

A crisis can also become an opportunity.

……

Chaos reigned, eyes were filled with confusion—

Ferrari's pit lane was overwhelmed with activity. The fierce chase between Vettel and Bottas was breathtaking. Just as Bottas was about to expose a weakness, he was caught off guard by track debris and failed. Vettel's furious voice came over the radio, but there was no time to calm him down before the safety car was deployed.

One wave after another.

Whether it was Arivabené or Greenwood, even when they were fully focused, their thoughts were still a little out of sync. Then, a voice came over the radio.

"Entering the station. Entering the station."

It's Lu Zhizhou!

Greenwood was taken aback. A pit stop? What pit stop? Didn't Lu Zhizhou just pit? Nine laps ago, they were planning to run with this set of tires until the end. What was the plan for a second pit stop? This wasn't mentioned at all in the pre-race strategy meeting. What nonsense is Lu Zhizhou spouting now?
However, at that moment, a race car passed by Greenwood from behind.

Reflexively, I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye—

Verstappen!

Verstappen, who is currently in third place, pitted for tires on lap 18. As Bottas and Vettel both passed through the pit lane, Red Bull team principal Horner displayed killer instinct in just two to three seconds, decisively announcing a pit stop.

Arivaben was taken aback. What was going on?

The time was far too short, only two or three seconds. His mind, already swamped with thoughts, couldn't process it all, and Arivabene had no idea what was going on.

In fact, Greenwood was the same; his mind went blank and he couldn't keep up with the pace.

But the key point is that this is not the first or second time. In today's match, this is the fourth time. Lu Zhizhou's judgment was correct in the previous three times.

So, what should he do?
In a flash, Greenwood didn't have time to think it through. He glanced at Arivabené instinctively, and the words slipped out, "Pull in. Pull in."

Following his instincts, Greenwood turned and gestured toward the pit lane.

Immediately afterwards, what could be seen in the field of vision was—

Whew, Hamilton crossed the starting line. No pit stop.

This means that Mercedes-Benz, like Ferrari, was caught off guard and didn't realize what was happening.

If Wolff didn't act rashly, shouldn't they also refrain from taking any hasty actions?
However... Lu Zhizhou's performance today was already terrible. He started in second place and has now slipped to sixth. It was an utterly awful performance, and continuing to play conservatively will not change the situation.

Greenwood glanced at the computer screen; Haas's Magnussen was currently ranked seventh, a little over fourteen seconds behind Lu Zhizhou.

On the Shanghai International Circuit, the normal pit stop time is 21 to 23 seconds; under safety car conditions, it is 12 to 14 seconds.

In other words, Lu Zhizhou now has a complete safety vehicle entry window, and even if he enters the station, he will not lose his position and will not suffer any loss.

Then-

Want to take an adventure?
Amidst the turmoil of his thoughts, Greenwood had already asked, "Neutral fetus?"

“…Soft tire. David, soft tire! The yellow one.” Lu Zhizhou remained calm, every second counted, now was not the time to lose his temper.

Greenwood nodded repeatedly and quickly switched channels, "Soft tire. Repeat, soft tire."

Unbeknownst to him, the initiative had completely fallen into Lu Zhizhou's hands. Greenwood didn't even look at Ariwabene, nor did he have the time or space to observe Ariwabene's expression. In just two or three seconds, everything had to be swift, decisive, and resolute, just as Lu Zhizhou was demonstrating at this moment.

When kids are in charge, things get all messed up!
The repair area was also in a state of confusion, with everyone scrambling around like headless flies.

"Grass!"

Megis took a step forward.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down!"

Inside the paddock, the engines roared deafeningly, so they had to wear noise-canceling headphones and communicate via radio; shouting directly was completely ineffective.

But now, Mekis didn't care about anything else. He took off his headphones and shouted at the top of his lungs, his face flushed, not caring whether the staff could hear him or not. At the same time, he used hand gestures, his right hand spinning rapidly like a windmill, taking control of the situation in just three to five seconds.

Racing cars have already appeared at the entrance to the pit area.

Ricardo!
Sure enough, Red Bull is a bunch of lunatics; Verstappen and Ricciardo actually pulled into the pits at the same time again.

Following closely behind was the Ferrari No. 22 race car.

The Mercedes-Benz vehicles at the entrance to the service area were stunned, unable to believe their eyes, and all looked in astonishment at the two service areas behind them.

Compared to Red Bull's methodical and well-trained maintenance efficiency, Ferrari appeared visibly flustered and disorganized, and had not yet regained its focus.

Ricardo, tire change in 2.5 seconds.

Lu Zhizhou changed tires in 3.7 seconds.

In the brief moment of changing a tire in the repair area, Lu Zhizhou had already lost a second.

Fortunately, the safety car is now in the lead, so this one-second difference is insignificant and can be erased once we get back on the track. The important thing is to get through it smoothly and safely.

Lu Zhizhou followed closely behind Ricardo and safely left the repair area.

Inside the Ferrari pit lane, everyone looked at each other, panting, still completely bewildered. What exactly was going on with the second pit stop?

Suddenly, Megis remembered, "Soft tires? Right? You're sure? They're all yellow soft tires?"

Their bewildered gazes met, and after a moment of panic, they finally nodded. A huge weight lifted from their hearts, and only after receiving confirmation did Megis's tense nerves finally relax.

Wolff, Horner, and Arrivabene, the three old foxes, were thinking a lot. The Mercedes-Benz, Red Bull, and Ferrari service areas returned to calm in the blink of an eye, but the radio was already noisy.

So, what exactly happened just now?

Simply put, tires.

During the previous winter test races, all teams noticed that there was a significant difference between Pirelli tires of different compounds this year. Even on the same car with different tires, the lap time difference could be more than 0.4 seconds or even 0.8 seconds.

In other words, under the same conditions, a soft tire can easily overtake a medium tire, while a medium tire has virtually no chance. It is difficult for a driver to stop an opponent for a long time by relying solely on their skills, unless there is a fundamental difference in the performance of the cars themselves.

Currently, the track is entirely covered with medium tires. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the race will be relatively uneventful, relying entirely on the individual skills of the drivers. The battle between Vettel and Bottas will determine the champion.

Even if Lu Zhizhou has divine assistance and performs exceptionally well, he can at most surpass Ricciardo and Hamilton. Whether he has a chance to challenge Verstappen for the podium depends on the time it takes him to overtake Ricciardo and Hamilton, as well as the condition of his tires.

However, an unexpected event occurred: the safety car was deployed, and the entire situation was suddenly disrupted.

If Lu Zhizhou were to switch to soft tires at this point, he would have a clear advantage over his opponents who were still using medium tires, opening up all possibilities for the rest of the race.

According to the rules, Pirelli will provide each driver with thirteen sets of dry tires for the Shanghai race. Four sets of tires will be returned after the free practice session and two sets will be returned after the qualifying session. This means that they can take seven sets of tires into the race and must use two different tire compounds.

Lu Zhizhou started on soft tires, changed to dry tires, and everything met the rules. When the window appeared, he seized the opportunity without hesitation to switch back to soft tires.

All the possibilities have returned.

Therefore, even though the medium tires had just been put on on lap twenty-two, and less than ten laps had passed, Lu Zhizhou still keenly grasped the key point—

Decisive and ruthless.

However, somewhat surprisingly, Horner was more decisive, and it seems that great minds think alike. He not only changed Ricciardo to soft tires, but also Verstappen.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there are still 26 laps left in the race, and it will be a "Lu Zhizhou and Red Bull team up to fight against the world"!
(End of this chapter)