Speed ​​God

Chapter 166 The Power of the Tower Cannon
The only thing that can defeat us is ourselves.

Zhou Guanyu couldn't help but recall the Shanghai race. At that time, he was still deeply in a slump, feeling sorry for himself and unable to pull himself out. However, he witnessed Lu Zhizhou grit his teeth and refuse to give up under extremely difficult circumstances, fighting his way to a second place. This was even more precious and rarer than Ricardo's championship.

At the moment of crossing the finish line, Zhou Guanyu rediscovered his long-lost passion and enthusiasm, and couldn't help but clench his fists and cheer wildly, releasing all his bitterness and repression.

Looking at Lu Zhizhou before me, bathed in the early spring sunshine of Monaco, he shines brightly, making one look up in awe.

Lu Zhizhou is even six months younger than him.

Zhou Guanyu couldn't help but ask, "Why are you always so calm and so resolute?"

Lu Zhizhou tilted his head. "Otherwise, what do you think I have left in the paddock? Talent? Forget it, Stoll would be laughing his head off."

"Haha." Zhou Guanyu burst out laughing, then glanced at Lu Zhizhou and couldn't help but laugh again, "Hahaha. No wonder those rich kids don't like you. You know, Latifi has been talking bad about you behind your back."

Lu Zhizhou shrugged lightly. "Not surprising at all. He looks like a gossipy person who talks behind people's backs, and not a very good one at that."

puff.

Zhou Guanyu couldn't stop until his cheek and abdominal muscles stiffened, at which point he managed to control himself slightly. "Thank you for leading the way."

Lu Zhizhou seemed slightly surprised.

Zhou Guanyu was not joking. "In the past, I was exploring on my own. Everyone said that I was the hope of Chinese drivers, that I might shoulder the responsibility of changing history, and that I should be the first person to break free from constraints, but no one ever told me how to do it."

"To be precise, they didn't know how to do it either."

"But you are different."

“You have no burden, no pressure, you ignore the rules, and forge ahead through all obstacles. Neither Hamilton nor Vettel can stop you. You're not trying to make history; you're just chasing the ultimate speed. So why can't I?”

"Actually, I was the same way at the beginning of everything."

"I simply enjoy the feeling of speed, the feeling of being in control at high speed, like... like I can control the wind, and if I go a little faster I can fly. But slowly, I started to forget that feeling, and just wanted to make history and shoulder everyone's hopes."

"Racing, I'm no longer happy."

"You know what? I've watched your race in Shanghai seven times. I haven't been this happy in a long, long time."

Lu Zhizhou was taken aback, then burst out laughing, "Haha, don't idolize me so much, it puts a lot of pressure on you."

Zhou Guanyu's slight nervousness and trepidation vanished because of Lu Zhizhou's antics. He immediately clenched his fists, pointed his toes to the ground, and assumed a boxing stance. "Come on, let's have a fight."

"Hahaha." Lu Zhizhou just couldn't stop.

Zhou Guanyu rolled his eyes speechlessly, then looked up at the sky with a look of utter despair.

At this moment, Lu Zhizhou finally regained his composure, patted Zhou Guanyu on the shoulder, and said, "A champion needs this kind of mentality. Whether it's Mick Schumacher or Marcus Armstrong, no one can stop you."

"Let me tell you, Mick is actually under more pressure, after all, his father is Schumacher."

"Do you know what this means? In the world of motorsports, if you say Michael, everyone knows who Michael is. In the world of basketball, there are countless people who try to imitate Michael Jordan's name. But here, there is only one Michael. One name is enough to make the paddock turn heads."

"So he stayed in F3 for the second year in a row, and his situation is more difficult than yours."

"If Prima has to chase a champion, why can't it be you?"

Despite his bold words, he spoke them so casually that Zhou Guanyu couldn't help but glance at Lu Zhizhou a few more times. He truly deserved to be the first driver in GP3 history to win all his races.

The two stopped next to Leclerc's car, preparing to unload the boxes, when Lu Zhizhou suddenly remembered something. "GP3, like F3, is all about car tuning. Guanyu, is your car tuning a bit outdated?"

In F3/GP3 racing, the so-called resource allocation is mainly reflected in the team support for car setup.

Previously at ART, Han Shilong and Russell's car tuning team worked very closely together and spent a lot of overtime to complete the car tuning; but Lu Zhizhou didn't care at all. His efficient and high-quality communication often only took half the time of others to complete the entire car tuning.

Simply put, Lu Zhizhou can handle everything on his own without needing any resources. He demonstrated this to the fullest extent after entering F1.

However, not everyone possesses such abilities, and everyone's strengths and weaknesses are different.

Zhou Guanyu hesitated slightly, but finally nodded. "Yes. During free practice, my data collection and information feedback speed is relatively slow. I can't fully perceive the different situations in different positions in time. Therefore, I often need more time to complete the car setup."

This is his weakness, and it has been a problem that has plagued him for years.

So, is this a talent deficiency?
Zhou Guanyu never dared to tell anyone because he was worried about disappointing his parents and team, and because he was worried that the heavy responsibility he was shouldering would not come true.

It's not just F3; with each level you advance in the world of Formula racing, this problem will be amplified and may even become a fatal flaw. This makes Zhou Guanyu start to doubt whether he can really enter F1, or whether it's all just wishful thinking on their part.

This secret remained hidden deep within his heart, repeatedly surfacing during moments of unease and eroding his confidence.

But things seemed to become simpler in front of Lu Zhizhou. Zhou Guanyu didn't even have time to think deeply before revealing the secret he had kept hidden for many years.

Lu Zhizhou gently raised his chin. "Simple."

Zhou Guanyu: Simple?
Lu Zhizhou: "You know Max Verstappen, right? His life is very simple, all he does is race cars, he's practically a legendary Autobot, like a Transformer."

“He immerses himself in the simulator every day, constantly testing and adapting. It’s not just about developing a feel for the car, but also about building a database of all the details of the track and the car, truly evolving into a part of himself.”

"Therefore, when he embarks on a completely new track, he is often able to perceive the situation in the shortest amount of time."

"What you need right now is to build a huge database before you step onto the track and sit in the car, to have a more detailed understanding of yourself and the track. When you actually enter free practice, your body and brain already know what needs to be confirmed, and things become simple."

Zhou Guanyu was taken aback. It turned out that the problem wasn't a flaw, but simply a matter of method!

Before he could finish speaking, a shout came from upstairs, "You two, are you on a date or just slacking off? Why haven't we heard from you since you went downstairs so long?"

Turning his head, Lu Zhizhou could see Pierre Gasly's large chin. He immediately raised his voice and said, "We are protesting that Pierre Gasly is slacking off up there. If you're in a hurry, why don't you come down and help?"

Gasly: ​​"...Take your time, take your time, there's no rush. I just wanted to ask about the lunch menu. What did Antoine say about the pizza?"

Lu Zhizhou's smile froze instantly, and he couldn't smile anymore.

I never imagined that you, Antoine Hubert, would be like this!
……

"Lu Zhizhou! Eat and live in the tail current! Take a cut!"

“Cut inside!”

"No, it was a feint! He was actually overtaking on the outside! Verstappen misjudged the situation, blocking the inside, leaving the entire outside open, and Lu Zhizhou quickly squeezed forward to finish alongside him!"

"Wheel to wheel!"

"Two up-and-coming young drivers engage in a fierce, head-to-head battle on the streets of Baku!"

"incredible!"

"Lu Zhizhou's handling was impeccable. He used the space on the outside to create a smoother line and gain a better exit speed from the corner, leaving Verstappen no chance and completing the overtaking maneuver cleanly and decisively!"

"Pretty!"

"Lu Zhizhou has risen to fifth place!"

They slammed their fists on the table, praising him repeatedly. Lu Zhizhou's clean and decisive overtaking once again demonstrated his courage and ability, leaving the audience in the main stand mesmerized.

The 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix has begun, and Lu Zhizhou is facing his worst predicament of the season, getting caught up in the chaos at the start.

In the cramped space, which resembled a sardine can, Force India driver Ocon collided with Lu Zhizhou. As a result, Ocon spun around and crashed into the street guardrail, resulting in his elimination. Lu Zhizhou was slightly luckier, but he still suffered a punctured right front tire and a damaged front wing, and had to pit to change tires and front wing after the first lap.

After leaving the station, they slipped to twelfth place and had to switch to push mode to catch up.

Despite the fierce competition ahead, Lu Zhizhou's valiant performance kept the live broadcast cameras focused on him. He chased down from twelfth place all the way to sixth place, and then overtook Verstappen to continue rising in the rankings. His next target is Ricardo, and the whole audience held their breath.

"Lu Zhizhou VS Ricardo", the battle for the championship at the Shanghai International Circuit is back again! The second consecutive race will feature a thrilling showdown!
But did Verstappen just surrender like that?

No, the answer is no.

The "Lu Zhizhou VS Verstappen" match is not over yet, and Verstappen is determined not to let Lu Zhizhou steal the spotlight again.

Despite Lu Zhizhou's spectacular overtake from the outside, Verstappen maintained his speed advantage and relentlessly pursued Lu Zhizhou, launching a counterattack without hesitation. His aggressive stance immediately put pressure on Lu Zhizhou.

As expected of Verstappen, his entire offensive was extremely aggressive. For drivers unfamiliar with him, it was like a shark following closely behind, with no way of knowing when, where, or how he would launch an attack. That unpredictable sense of the unknown kept their nerves on edge.

Just like in the Shanghai race, Verstappen launched an attack at an unconventional overtaking point.

Lu Zhizhou, who was completely focused, did not make any mistakes. He remained focused and precisely and wonderfully blocked the line, taking the lead in grabbing the apex of the bend and gaining the advantage.

As Lu Zhizhou entered the bend, he had already pulled away from Verstappen.

Just as Lu Zhizhou was about to successfully defend against the attack, in the blink of an eye, without giving him any chance to react, Verstappen charged in and tackled him from the waist.

boom!
Everything happened too fast; the whole world started spinning at high speed.

Lu Zhizhou felt his body lighten instantly, freed from the constraints of gravity. His mind went blank for a moment, and all he could hear was the sound of blood burning. Everything was being stirred into a paste, and a buzzing sound stretched out a long trailing tone on his tongue, sending a tingling sensation through his entire body.

By the time they realized what was happening, the race car had already crashed into the narrow street wall, sending debris flying everywhere and exploding in the chaotic vision.

Amidst the chaos, haste, and sweltering heat, Lu Zhizhou could see that car number 33 had also spun around, but managed to turn around smoothly without stopping. Verstappen had already returned to the track and sped away, seemingly unharmed and ready to continue his assault on the podium.

Grass!
Lu Zhizhou lost control of himself, his anger burning fiercely—

In the world of Formula One racing, friction, collisions, and gyroscopes are inevitable, but this is the first time Lu Zhizhou has been forced to withdraw from a race.

It was absolutely unforgettable!
"Zhizhou, are you alright?" Greenwood's voice came through the radio.

Lu Zhizhou, who was usually calm and composed, suddenly lost his temper. "What is he doing? How can he drive like that? I had already grabbed the apex of the bend and occupied the line, how could he delay braking? Everyone calls him a 'turtle,' does he really think he's a brainless idiot who just crashes around recklessly?"

"Damn it! He can leave anytime he doesn't want to continue the match, but don't ruin someone else's game! His brain's rusted and stuck because he forgot to oil it!"

Not only Lu Zhizhou, but the entire Ferrari maintenance team was outraged and immediately demanded that the FIA ​​launch an investigation.

The live stream was in complete chaos. What could have been a spectacle of Lu Zhizhou recreating his GP3 sprint race feat of overtaking and staging a comeback, and a rematch of his duel with Ricciardo, was abruptly halted by Verstappen's reckless act, instantly turning the tide of the race.

It's Verstappen again.

"From the slow-motion replay, it was a foul by Verstappen, without a doubt."

"Lu Zhizhou has already gained the advantage in terms of line and position, and has completed the defense beautifully. Verstappen should stop in time to avoid unnecessary contact."

"However, Verstappen did not. Verstappen acted impulsively again, lost his sense of proportion and failed to control the pace of the attack."

"Verstappen completely ruined Lu Zhizhou's game."

"Lu Zhizhou was in the process of chasing Hamilton's record of consecutive podium finishes in his rookie season, and he was undoubtedly the driver in the best form so far this season. However, his journey to chase the record ended in such a way, which is regrettable. But that's F1 racing, and things can change in an instant."

As expected, after investigation, the FIA ​​ruled that Verstappen had violated the rules and penalized him with a ten-second penalty.

Unfortunately, such punishment was still not enough to salvage Lu Zhizhou's chances in the match.

In fact, Lu Zhizhou understood that collisions and loss of control were part of F1 racing, and even Senna and Schumacher could not avoid them. He had long been mentally prepared. However, crashing and retiring from the race for the first time in his career in this way still felt frustrating and unsatisfying. He lacked a bit of luck throughout the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.

However, even more absurd and ridiculous things were yet to come.

Verstappen and Ricciardo's Red Bull cars engaged in a fierce battle, not only against Lu Zhizhou, but also against Ricciardo.
No one knows what pressure Verstappen put on his son after the Shanghai leg of the competition, but in Baku, Verstappen certainly went all out.

Verstappen and Ricciardo traded the lead three times. On lap 40, they engaged in their fourth exchange, with Verstappen taking the lead and Ricciardo falling behind.

Verstappen's tire grip fluctuated, and Ricciardo had already gained the advantage. He tried to feint and overtake, but Verstappen barely kept up with Ricciardo's change of direction under unfavorable circumstances. He then unreasonably blocked his teammate's lane in a foul manner and then braked suddenly before entering the corner, violating the rules.

As a result, Ricardo had no time to react and crashed into the car, causing a rear-end collision.

And the situation is very serious, with both Red Bull cars eliminated.

Lu Zhizhou, who returned to the repair area and witnessed this scene, was not gloating at all. Instead, he was furious, and his anger reached a new peak.

Even before the game was over, as Verstappen returned to the pit lane, Lu Zhizhou strode up to him head-on, shouting furiously.

"Do you even have a brain? Or do you have one but don't know how to use it?!"

Feeling stifled, frustrated, and dejected, Verstappen was lost in his emotions, overwhelmed by the immense pressure. The new season had begun, and everything was different from what he had imagined.

Not only did he fail to make a breakthrough in the new season, but all his pride was also shattered, which made his position in the paddock suddenly awkward.

The Shanghai Grand Prix added fuel to the fire. Both Lu Zhizhou and Ricciardo seized their opportunities to gain a tire advantage, resulting in a thrilling duel. However, Lu Zhizhou fell into a series of mistakes and failed to capitalize on his advantage. His father's furious roar after the race still resonates in his ears.

So, what's the result now?
Another withdrawal from the competition, and in this way. He couldn't imagine what expressions his father and Marco had. A storm was brewing for him.

This is his fourth season in the paddock. He may still be young, but he is no longer a rookie, and time is running out for him.

Then--

He looked up and saw Lu Zhizhou looking furious. He didn't even have time to understand the words in the roar of the engine before his defense mechanism instinctively rammed back.

Instead of backing down, he stepped forward and rammed straight back, yelling, "Get out of my way!"

Verstappen even raised his hands first, trying to shove Lu Zhizhou's shoulders.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhizhou suddenly accelerated and slammed into Verstappen's hands. Using the force against him, he not only did not retreat, but also made Verstappen take two steps back. His cheeks instantly turned red, and the red racing suit in front of him seemed glaringly obvious.

“That’s my driving line, that’s my apex, I’ve already got my position, what are you thinking!” Lu Zhizhou stared intently into Verstappen’s eyes, refusing to budge an inch.

Verstappen retorted, "You mean the corner where you flew off and crashed into the wall? I think it was the apex of that corner that completely wiped you out."

Lu Zhizhou snorted coldly, "That's blatant suicide. You not only ruined your own match, but you also completely destroyed mine. What are you doing?"

“Ha, but I didn’t quit the race, did I?” Verstappen squinted and stared intently at Lu Zhizhou. “What, are you scared? Did you wet your pants? This is F1. If you don’t have the courage and guts, you’d better leave as soon as possible and go back to GP3 to show off your talent.”

"Oh, poor baby, first crash of your career, still weak in the knees, right?"

with full force!

Clearly, Verstappen is not only straightforward but also sarcastic; he's not afraid of anyone.

Then, Lu Zhizhou smiled.

Verstappen was taken aback, confused and not expecting this turn of events. "Are you out of your mind, or are you just scared out of your wits? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

Lu Zhizhou remained unmoved, staring straight at Verstappen.

"Heh. So what? And then what? Was your only highlight in today's race just using fouls to turn the F1 car into a bumper car and knock me out?"

Verstappen: "That's because you fouled and closed the door!"

Lu Zhizhou said, "Since you have such determination and perseverance, even if it means committing a foul, you should keep going and sprint to the end, shouldn't you?"

Verstappen was stunned and didn't react.

Lu Zhizhou, "So where are you now? Another incredibly stupid foul has ruined Daniel's game, and also ruined your own."

"Is this what you call courage?"

"Hit others, hit yourself, recklessly and irrationally charging ahead? If this is what you call talent, I'm very glad it's not in my genes."

After a brief moment of stunned silence, shame and anger surged up all at once, instantly consuming all reason, but Verstappen found himself unable to move.

Lu Zhizhou snorted coldly, "If you want to win, then win all the way to the end, instead of giving up halfway like an idiot."

After saying that, Lu Zhizhou didn't linger and turned to leave.

Verstappen was completely stunned, unable to refute or throw a punch. His anger continued to surge and burn, but he just stared blankly as the guy turned and left.

It took them a full beat to finally realize what was going on with that guy's arrogant and presumptuous remarks, and what gave him the right to boast about his arrogance and conceit.

He blurted out a string of profanities, only to have them swallowed up by the roar of passing engines. He stood silently amidst the clamor, unleashing all his fury.

"Holy crap!"

Although the match was still ongoing, the live broadcast cameras still managed to catch a glimpse of Lu Zhizhou and Verstappen's little incident in the pit lane.

Undoubtedly, "young rookies" remain the focus of controversy in the paddock. They are young, inexperienced, reckless, lack experience, and have difficulty adapting to the pace of the paddock, etc. Every move of Lu Zhizhou and Verstappen, standing under the spotlight, can become the focus of heated discussions in the paddock.

The future of those young drivers has quietly fallen on the shoulders of these two young drivers.

Amid chaos and accidents, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix came to a close, with a record seven drivers failing to finish the race.

It's worth mentioning that Sauber rookie driver Charles Leclerc finished sixth, not only securing Sauber's first points of the season but also Leclerc's first points in his professional career.

After the match, Lu Zhizhou immediately went up to congratulate Leclerc, even pretending to be a fanatic to present him with a bouquet of flowers and champagne. Leclerc, completely bewildered and overjoyed, had no idea what was going on until a reporter reminded him that he recognized the fan's true identity.

Although Lu Zhizhou's race ended in disappointment, thanks to Leclerc's incredible breakthrough, the Baku Grand Prix was at least not a complete failure.

In Azerbaijan, Lu Zhizhou experienced the unpredictability of F1 racing for the first time. His streak of consecutive podium finishes for the season was broken, but little did he expect that his good luck seemed to have run out. Things took a turn for the worse, and he began to face a series of misfortunes, followed by another nightmare in Spain.

Power unit malfunction!

On lap 25, Lu Zhizhou withdrew from the race again due to force majeure, failing to complete the race for the second consecutive time.

Nightmare, absolutely terrible!

In fact, such situations are quite normal in F1, and can be said to be commonplace; it is simply part of the competitive nature of Formula One racing.

In 2006, at the Neon Grand Prix, Schumacher was leading all the way and the championship seemed within his grasp when his engine blew up, forcing him to retire from the race. He not only lost the Grand Prix title but also his eighth world championship, watching helplessly as Alonso successfully defended his title.

Of course, Lu Zhizhou is not yet at the crucial moment of the championship battle, but the sense of powerlessness is real. This is part of F1. When racing cars are pushing their limits, they will always face various problems, which may sometimes even be beyond the control of the driver and team.

Not only the power unit, but other parts of the race car may also face many challenges.

It's frustrating and heartbreaking; reality is cruel. But all they can do is compose themselves and look forward to the next race.

After reaching the pinnacle of the world stage in the first three races of the season, Lu Zhizhou was unable to complete the next two races, not only returning to reality but also falling into the abyss, which immediately plunged him into a media storm.

Haters are having a holiday.

"A genius, this is what you call a genius. Withdrawing from two consecutive races, hahaha, that's hilarious."

"I've said it before, Hamilton's rookie season is still an unsurpassable benchmark. That baby rider should stay out of the way and not try to cause trouble."

"A flash in the pan! It didn't even need to wait until the end of the season; its true colors were revealed after just three games."

"The Shanghai race was truly exhilarating, but now it seems... did the media overhype it? The F1 season is long, so we need to look at the long term. A true champion should be able to score points even with bad luck."

"The truth is out: luck! The first three races were purely luck! There's no need to keep blindly praising it. Now, doesn't it hurt to be proven wrong?"

"No exaggeration or bias. To be honest, Lu Zhizhou driving a Ferrari to the podium isn't that impressive, but Leclerc driving a Sauber tractor and scoring points in two consecutive races makes him the undisputed number one rookie."

"Keep being stubborn. I just love seeing those overconfident idiots slap themselves in the face. It's just fireworks, fleeting and not even a shooting star. There's no need for them to pretend to be the greatest genius of the last half-century. Their arrogant attitude is disgusting."

"Stop washing it up, withdrawing from two consecutive races is just rubbish."

"The higher you're lifted up, the harder you fall. Now you see! Your face is all twisted!"

The vast and overwhelming force, blotting out the sun, was a sight to behold. Everyone inside and outside the hunting grounds was stunned, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Previously, from Melbourne to Bahrain and then to Shanghai, there was a constant stream of negative voices. Lu Zhizhou, who had no foundation, actually became the leader in the driver standings for the new season, which offended all the passionate fans of the paddock drivers. The unanimous praise from the media further stirred up the rebellious spirits of netizens. The louder the praise, the fiercer the criticism and attacks, as if they wanted to push Lu Zhizhou into an endless abyss of darkness.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. One spectacular match after another left the haters feeling hopeless and demoralized, helpless in the face of Lu Zhizhou's overwhelming momentum.

However, now the whole situation has been completely reversed. They don't care whether the reason for the withdrawal is someone else's fault. The fact is that Lu Zhizhou has not won any points in two consecutive races, and that is enough. As long as they can attack Lu Zhizhou, they are willing to pay any price and enjoy everything before them.

Haters are having a collective celebration.

In fact, not everyone is like that. There are quite a few netizens who have persisted in defending Lu Zhizhou amidst the overwhelming negative voices.

"Why is everyone so negative? He's only eighteen years old, and his entire F1 career only consists of these five races. Almost every driver has experienced consecutive retirements, so why keep harping on it?"

"Please. The power unit failure is a problem with the team, why blame him? Haters, stop it, there's no need for mindless bashing."

"It was clearly Verstappen who deliberately rammed into Lu Zhizhou, yet no one is criticizing Verstappen for still being brainless? Haha."

"Hate fans, shut up. Your gloating and opportunistic behavior is disgusting."

"You can continue. Anyway, Lu Zhizhou's performance of reaching the podium in the first three races has already gone down in history. You can only talk about it."

It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow.

The more difficult the situation, the more you can feel the unity of true fans. Even though Lu Zhizhou's professional career has only included five races and he has no fan base, most of whom are just opportunists who blindly join in the fun, you can still see a rare sight.

Lu Zhizhou is indeed winning over racing enthusiasts with his track performance.

Unfortunately, the quantity is still not enough.

Faced with difficulties and setbacks, anti-fans revel, and online traffic evolves into an offensive weapon, becoming the mainstream voice on social networks with overwhelming force.

In fact, while the complaints and attacks were excessive, they were still not outrageous. What is truly frightening is that some keyboard warriors hide behind the internet and launch personal attacks without a care.

They crossed that boundary, revealing the twisted and profound nature of humanity. They shouted loudly for Lu Zhizhou to leave the paddock and get out of Ferrari, and even suggested he should take a piss and drown himself. They wished they could completely erase Lu Zhizhou's existence.

Not only are they ferocious, but they are also brutal.

They're not haters, they're just trolls.

In their view, Lu Zhizhou's fate was sealed. He should never have become an F1 driver. He had no experience, no qualifications, no talent, and no strength. He simply relied on selling his body to suddenly appear in a position that did not belong to him. If he had any dignity left, he should have slunk away and disappeared on his own.

"A power unit failure is a signal to get out of the car as soon as possible, otherwise you'll be stuck inside the race car next time."

Is this considered a death threat? Or is it just a malicious joke in their eyes?

However, these details are no longer important, because not only social networks, but also mainstream media have rushed to get involved in this media storm.

The paddock is a tiny circle, a life-or-death struggle where every move can be fatal. It's not just about the drivers and teams; the sponsors and various interests behind them are also at play. Even the slightest disturbance can escalate into a major upheaval if amplified behind the scenes. That's the truth about the paddock.

For years, Verstappen has been at the center of the storm of attacks, and now it's Lu Zhizhou's turn, with major news headlines launching a full-scale assault.

The Times of London: "A tale of heaven and hell. Behind Lu Zhizhou's two consecutive defeats lies Hamilton's two consecutive victories!"

Sky News UK: "A prodigy driver who suddenly appeared out of nowhere finally faces the harsh truth of F1. Does he really deserve to enter the paddock?"

The German newspaper "Der Spiegel" asks, "With consecutive withdrawals and controversies, will Lu Zhizhou become the next Gutierrez?"

The New York Times, "Lu Zhizhou: A Myth Created by the Media—Beneath the Glamour, Is There a True Genius Behind the Myth?"

French newspaper Le Figaro asks, "Genius or a dud? Is Ferrari's all-or-nothing gamble a failed attempt, or a sacrifice made in a costly trade-off?"

Swords flashed, blood gushed.

Although not as blunt as netizens, traditional media are sharper and more incisive, piercing the heart and stirring up a storm of public opinion.

This is the world of competitive sports—cold-blooded and ruthless, turning on each other as easily as flipping a book.

Just a month ago, Lu Zhizhou was still standing at the top of the world, surrounded by flowers and applause. He was hailed as a "change in the Asian racing landscape," a "strong contender for the championship," and a "once-in-a-decade genius." In a turn of events, lightning flashed and thunder roared as all the dark muzzles of guns were aimed at Lu Zhizhou and pulled the triggers without hesitation.

Zero experience, skipping levels in GP3, exceptional promotion, Chinese drivers, etc.—when everything is going smoothly, these keywords are synonymous with miracles, and one or two people lament that they shouldn't be blinded by prejudice; when things start to fluctuate, they all become "obvious causes of failure."

Some even confidently asserted, "I told you long ago, he's no good."

A torrent of public opinion surged forth, with media, experts, car enthusiasts, and trolls all converging from all directions, plunging Lu Zhizhou into an endless abyss.

A crash that forced a driver to retire from the race, and a power unit failure—what should have been unfortunate events—turned into a collective celebration on social media. It seemed everyone had been waiting for this moment, and when it happened, they could no longer control themselves and unleashed their pent-up emotions without restraint.

Demons and monsters, evil spirits and monsters, sang and danced wildly with bared teeth and claws.

(End of this chapter)