Speed ​​God

Chapter 167 Son of the Storm
Amidst raging winds and torrential rain, the world of competitive sports eagerly bared its fangs, revealing the cruelty of reality to the inexperienced Lu Zhizhou.

In the paddock, no one will show mercy to "baby drivers" during their novice period. On the contrary, reality is often more brutal and bloody. This is a life-or-death game in the adult world, like a primitive jungle where the fittest survive. Babies and novices are the first to be eliminated.

Especially now, with Lu Zhizhou firmly holding the top spot on the driver standings, he is a natural target, drawing all the firepower.

In both the Azerbaijan and Spanish Grand Prix, Lu Zhizhou retired from both races, allowing Hamilton to finally reach a turning point in his season with consecutive victories. He not only became the first driver of the season to win two Grand Prix races, but also capitalized on weaknesses in his rivals to overtake them.

In the drivers' standings, Hamilton officially overtook Lu Zhizhou with 92 points to take the top spot, while Vettel also seized the opportunity to surpass Lu Zhizhou with 71 points to rise to second place. After a series of unexpected events at the beginning of the season, things have been set right, and the familiar order of F1 has been restored.

People raised their arms and shouted, "F1 is finally back!", "This is the familiar scene!", "The season is back on track!", heaven and hell have switched places, and the crazy criticism of Lu Zhizhou witnessed Hamilton and Vettel's triumphant return. This is the scene that the vast majority of racing fans have been longing to see.

It's a life-or-death struggle; for every winner, there is a loser. At this very moment, all the zombies are frantically tearing at Lu Zhizhou as he falls.

The long-awaited opportunity has finally arrived.

Amidst the jubilation and celebration, Italy's authoritative sports newspaper, "La Gazzetta dello Sport," was naturally present. As one of Europe's oldest sports newspapers, it remains Italy's highest-circulation and most-read daily newspaper, not only professional and authoritative but also trusted by a wide range of readers.

"La Gazzetta dello Sport" has been closely following Ferrari and Lu Zhizhou, steadfastly making its voice heard amidst the fierce competition.

In their view, Lu Zhizhou's talent is beyond doubt. His perfect record in the GP3 races is an absolute feat, and his brilliant performance in the sprint races proves that he is good at both offense and defense. He not only has racing skills, but also has calmness and wisdom. He is indeed a once-in-a-decade talent.

Since entering F1, Lu Zhizhou has proven his ability and talent with his actions. His outstanding performances in Melbourne, Bahrain and Shanghai are definitely not just luck. Putting aside his final achievements, the potential he has shown so far is indeed comparable to those legendary F1 drivers.

There is absolutely no need to deny everything because of the unexpected events in the two races, or to go from one extreme to another; that would be extremely irrational.

However, when it comes to presenting facts and reasoning, some things still require objective analysis.

Potential is one thing, but a lack of experience is also a fact.

In Baku, is there room for negotiation regarding Lu Zhizhou's assessment of the track, the dynamics of his opponents, and his choice of route? Can a collision be avoided?
The answer is yes, especially when facing Verstappen's reckless attacks. Judging from Lu Zhizhou's performance in GP3, he could have handled it better.

In Barcelona, ​​the power unit failure was indeed a problem that seemed insurmountable. However, it's important to note whether this was a purely mechanical malfunction or a result of hidden problems stemming from Lu Zhizhou's handling and pushing the car beyond its limits. This is a key area for the Ferrari technical team to investigate further.

Let alone F1, the same applies to family cars. The same vehicle can have different lifespans and failure frequencies depending on who drives it. Driving styles can also cause many problems, which are objective realities. In a racing sport like F1 that challenges the limits, these details will be magnified even more.

Just like Verstappen, no one can deny his talent, but the harsh reality is how much time he needs to translate that talent into sustained, balanced, and steady performance on the track, and whether he can realize his full potential and grow into a top F1 driver.

All of these need to be questioned.

In the world of competitive sports, there are countless geniuses, and every now and then we can see exceptionally talented young talents emerge. However, for these young talents to truly grow into superstars, they need to face a long and arduous road, breaking through the odds of one in a thousand or one in ten thousand to achieve greatness.

The situation is the same right now.

Gazzetta dello Sport believes that Lu Zhizhou possesses incredible talent, even surpassing Verstappen, and has the enormous potential to become a superstar on par with Senna and Schumacher; however, he needs more time and more accumulation, and Marchionne's eagerness may be forcing growth and is ruining a potential superstar.

After all, Senna entered F1 at the age of 24, while Schumacher and Hamilton were both 22 when they stepped onto the F1 stage.

Verstappen's controversy and turmoil continue to this day because he was only seventeen when he entered the paddock. But even Verstappen spent a year learning obediently with Toro Rosso after entering F1, while Lu Zhizhou was already wearing the Ferrari jersey and standing in the spotlight when he had just turned eighteen.

Everything is happening too fast. Even though in the age of social networks, everything seems to be measured in seconds and the pace of life is getting faster and faster, it is still too outrageous.

Perhaps, it would be a better choice to hone his skills in F2 for another season after GP3 before entering F1, as this would not only allow him to accumulate experience but also enable him to better integrate into F1.

Now that Lu Zhizhou remains in the hunting grounds, the pressure is immense. The already negligible margin for error has been further compressed to its limit. The slightest disturbance could escalate into a major crisis. One wrong step could lead to another, and Lu Zhizhou might be trapped in an endless cycle of hell.

Therefore, "La Gazzetta dello Sport" expressed deep concern.

"We are torturing a child, and at the same time we are destroying a genius."

Although not explicitly stated, their attitude was clear: they were worried that Lu Zhizhou might fall into despair, suffer a heavy blow, and never recover.

After all, the next stop after the Spanish Grand Prix is—

Monaco.

The most challenging and exciting race on the F1 calendar, Baku's streets are already narrow enough, but Monaco's situation is even more difficult.

At Tiefo Temple, a chorus of wails filled the air.

Some Ferrari fans are beginning to worry that their haste might actually ruin Ferrari's future leaders, while others are strongly condemning Ferrari's premature growth.

Some fans of the Iron Buddha Temple jumped to the conclusion hastily, saying that Lu Zhizhou is not suitable for Ferrari at this stage. Whatever the reason, judging from the current situation, Lu Zhizhou's performance of retiring from two consecutive races has indeed put Ferrari at a disadvantage in the championship battle, allowing Mercedes to overtake them.

Are baby drivers really trustworthy? Will Ferrari's dream of winning the world championship be delayed for another season?
In an instant, the most fanatical and radical members of the Iron Buddha Temple lost control and voiced their righteous indignation.

"Give me back Kimi! Get out, baby!"

As Italy's most professional, authoritative, and popular sports media outlet, the concerns and anxieties of "La Gazzetta dello Sport" also signify a complete collapse in public opinion.

The Iron Buddha Temple was devastated and felt as if life was worse than death.

Even the most enthusiastic and optimistic fans are now immersed in anxious struggles, unable to extricate themselves. At the beginning of the season, they were overjoyed by Lu Zhizhou's strong rise, but now, after hitting a wall head-on, their confusion and panic are so overwhelming that they instantly devour their reason.

All signs indicate that Lu Zhizhou was ultimately unable to shoulder Ferrari's championship glory.

However, the fault does not lie with Lu Zhizhou, who has already done his best; rather, it lies with Ferrari, and Marchionne and Arrivabene should take the blame.

This season, Ferrari's cars have shown incredible competitiveness, even outrunning Mercedes at one point, which instantly ignited the hopes of the Iron Buddha Temple; however, after the nightmare of leading by a wide margin last season and then suffering a reversal, the Iron Buddha Temple really doesn't want to experience another season of going from heaven to hell.

At this point, the "disaster" is just beginning to emerge, and nipping it in the bud and making adjustments is the best course of action.

On the one hand, there's the issue of rescuing Lu Zhizhou. Didn't "La Gazzetta dello Sport" suggest that Lu Zhizhou go to F2 to hone his skills for a year? Perfect timing, the new F2 season hasn't even started yet. Lu Zhizhou could join at the last minute, accumulate experience in F2, and have a place in Ferrari's future.

On the other hand, in this season that has saved Ferrari, they are truly eager for the championship and do not want to experience another season where they "missed by a hair's breadth but ended up empty-handed".

In a sample survey conducted on social media, over 100,000 people from Tiefo Temple participated in the vote, and over 70% of the votes believed that Lu Zhizhou should be replaced. Regardless of whether the reason was to protect Lu Zhizhou, to preserve their championship hopes, or simply because they didn't trust him, the answer was the same—

They don't believe Lu Zhizhou can be the piece of the puzzle for Ferrari's championship run this season; Vettel needs a more mature and competitive teammate.

It's still early in the season, and Ferrari has managed to pull back from the brink. There's still time to make amends. If they continue to hesitate, the situation will only get worse.

The remaining 30% of the Iron Buddha Temple is divided into two camps.

Some still hold out hope. They believe in Ferrari's leadership and in Lu Zhizhou. The potential shown in the first three races of the season is not an illusion. Lu Zhizhou does have the ability to compete with top drivers and can even squeeze 120% of the car's potential out of the car. His future is promising.

Part of it was anger, uncontrollable rage. Last season's nightmare seemed to be repeating itself, but months earlier. They had reached their limit with Arrivabene and could no longer tolerate him.

The strategy of abandoning Raikkonen and signing Lu Zhizhou was completely incomprehensible; what's worse, the on-the-spot tactics of repairing the wall in the Shanghai station were a complete disaster. They even need to thank Lu Zhizhou for his decisiveness, who single-handedly saved the game.

If the team's entire strategic hopes rest on a baby rider, what is this but a sign of destruction?
From last season to this season, every decision Arrivabene has made is incomprehensible. The Iron Buddha Temple, which once stood firmly behind the Eagles, has begun to express strong dissatisfaction, and the current mess is all Arrivabene's fault.

"If it were still Kimi, none of this would have happened."

“Seba deserves a better partner. Even if it's not Kimi, there are many better options in the paddock. Why this guy?”

"What happened to Giovinazzi, the hope of Italy? Why aren't we using Giovinazzi!"

"Why this baby driver, an overburdened, inexperienced, and pressure-unable infant? Why? The paddock requires not only talent, but also experience and rationality. Wasn't the painful lesson of Verstappen enough? Why should Ferrari repeat Red Bull's mistake?"

Arivabene was also suffering in silence, watching helplessly as the negative reaction caused by Lu Zhizhou's repeated withdrawals from the competition continued to spread and eventually affected him. He was holding his breath but couldn't say anything.

He was blinking frantically in front of the media; I wonder if anyone could tell that he was acting against his will?

However, nobody cared.

Ferrari's base in Maranello was besieged by more than 3,000 people from the Iron Buddha Temple, who were losing their minds in anger and agitation.

Nobody wants to repeat the same mistakes; last season's nightmare has returned.

"We want victory, not babies!"

"Abandon unrealistic fantasies and return to reality! Vettel needs a mature partner, not a baby."

"It's still not too late to expel Lu Zhizhou before everything falls apart."

"Give me back my Kimi!"

"Lu Zhizhou is not the future of Ferrari!"

"No! No! No! Say no to 'second-generation babies'!"

"We need an explanation as to how Lu Zhizhou joined the team!"

"We are not babysitters; Tiefo Temple refuses to raise the children of billionaires!"

Everything is spiraling out of control. The Ferrari base is facing an unbelievable shock; they haven't seen anything like this in a long time.

Thinking about it carefully, it's no exception. Lu Zhizhou is the first young driver in Ferrari's many years who has no championship pedigree and has never proven himself. Although he comes from Ferrari's junior academy, he has only been a GP3 driver for one year. He didn't even have time to establish an emotional connection with the Iron Buddha Temple before the storm was already raging.

And then, things spiraled out of control.

A group of crazy Iron Buddha Temples came to Lu Zhizhou's apartment in Maranello and frantically smashed eggs, tomatoes, and cabbages at Lu Zhizhou's apartment windows.

Lu Zhizhou has moved to Monaco, but the apartment at the Maranello training base remains, resulting in a mess that has turned into a garbage dump. This has even affected the residences of other youth academy drivers, with the entire apartment reeking of stench, turning it into a battlefield for Iron Buddha Temple's venting of anger.

The more they loved, the more they hated; the more passionate they were, the more insane they became. The Iron Buddha Temple members expressed their strong dissatisfaction and resentment towards the convoy through their actions.

This incident immediately made the news and spread rapidly across social media. The paddock was filled with onlookers, eager to witness this spectacle. Ferrari, which usually boasts of its fervent fanbase, claiming it surpasses even Mercedes-Benz and Red Bull, is now seeing its fanaticism backfire.

It's lively, you might as well watch.

Not only in the hunting grounds, but also onlookers gathered, gloating as Ferrari's backyard caught fire. Even without anyone else taking action, the Iron Buddha Temple was already falling apart.

This scene, however, only saddened Rosanna Sepplayton.

She wasn't a car enthusiast, nor was she from the Iron Buddha Temple; she was just a souvenir vendor who had only briefly met Lu Zhizhou at Silverstone Circuit last year and had involuntarily started paying more attention to him.

When Lu Zhizhou was at the height of his fame, Sepreton was simply happy for him; but now, seeing Lu Zhizhou imprisoned, Sepreton couldn't help but pay more attention, his heart slowly sinking, and he couldn't help but feel sad at the sight before him.

"It's easy to support someone when they're at their peak; but what truly gives competitive sports their special power is standing shoulder to shoulder during their low points."

Sepplayton finally couldn't resist.

She still remembers that last year at Silverstone, Lu Zhizhou faced doubts and provocations, surrounded by a clamor, but he always remained upright and smiling, retaliating with his outstanding performance on the track and defending his position on the track with practical actions.

That confidence radiated from within, captivating all who looked at it.

As a Briton, Cypreton's greatest familiarity... is actually football.

Over the years, she has witnessed Manchester United's slump and its desperate situation, surrounded by enemies and condemned by everyone. Not only the opponents, but also the media joined in the kicking and kicking. The die-hard fans were the first to turn their knives on the team. She has felt the cruelty of competitive sports more deeply than ever before.

However, it is precisely because of this that she is deeply aware of the charm of competitive sports beyond winning and losing.

Competitive sports, like life, have highs and lows. There is the bitterness of giving your all but still failing, and the joy of persevering and finally turning the tide. Walking alone in the trough and in the predicament is always the most difficult thing. If someone is willing to fight side by side with you and face the storm together, and do their best to find a ray of dawn in the endless darkness, then it will become an indelible and beautiful memory in their lives.

It's not unusual to gather because of victory, just like adding flowers to brocade; but it's always difficult to offer help in times of need, and true courage lies in sticking together through adversity.

Besides, Lu Zhizhou isn't truly standing on the edge of a cliff, is he? Yet those clowns are already eager to show their ugly faces. Sepreton felt saddened by this; she had witnessed far too many similar situations, but this time the attacks came a little too soon—

After three glorious performances followed by two slumps, those haters and trolls couldn't wait to start celebrating and jump into conclusions.

As expected of F1, even public opinion changes faster than before.

However, Sepreton can't help but recall the scene when he first saw the Land of the Sea at Silverstone.

Full of vigor and vitality, even in the face of doubt and attack, even in the face of storms and encirclement, those eyes remained bright, filled with the stars and the sea.

Unconsciously, Sepreton began to look forward to Lu Zhizhou's counterattack. She was unsure how long it would take, after all, the fierce competition in F1 was far more intense than that in GP3; but she was very willing to accompany Lu Zhizhou through this thorny and dark journey.

Taking a deep breath, Sepplayton quietly straightened his back and left a message on his social media account.

"When he stands at the top, you swarm to him; when he falls into trouble, you turn your backs on him. Indeed, you can always be on the winning side; but this also means that you can never grasp the true meaning of hope and dreams, let alone understand the true charm of competitive sports."

Twists and turns, ups and downs, are all normal, but what doesn't kill him only makes him stronger. You will all become his motivation to keep going.

Only when you realize whether you simply enjoy the taste of victory or admire a driver who fights relentlessly through both the peaks and the troughs, will you be able to appreciate the beauty of the first glimmer of light at the end of endless darkness.

#ProtectLuZhiZhou#

Clearly, this is not something Sepplayton is good at; she has never gotten involved in these online storms before, and this is the first time.

But Sepreton could feel that tenacious and tenacious vitality, following in Lu Zhizhou's footsteps, taking root and sprouting silently.

She believed she was ready to fight alongside Lu Zhizhou and face the world with a smile.

One by one, the hashtag #ProtectLuZhizhou# quietly spread. Actually, there weren't many, since Lu Zhizhou's fan base was too weak, but we could still see voices emerging one after another, gradually gathering into a small force, steadfastly united behind Lu Zhizhou.

Hardship can destroy a person, but it can also make a person stronger.

This is true for drivers, and it is also true for fans.

However, negative voices still dominate on social networks, and even Tiefo Temple lacks confidence and has failed to unite.

The reason is very simple: Monaco.

Like Baku, Monaco is a street circuit. Baku's streets are already very narrow, but Monaco's are even narrower, with limited visibility.

In Monaco, almost all the tracks are two-lane, which means that overtaking is extremely difficult. At the same time, the tracks are numerous and complex, sharing a similar spirit with Spa's Red River Bend, where visibility is limited and the exit point is not visible. The corners often appear and end abruptly, which means that the margin for error is narrowing. Even if you are fully focused, you can still make a mistake, and a slight carelessness can lead to crashing into the wall.

According to statistics, in the seven seasons from 2008 to 2014, a total of 30 cars failed to finish the race in Monaco due to accidents, ranking first among all tracks; at the same time, the safety car was triggered 13 times due to accidents in those seven seasons, making it the track with the highest frequency of safety car deployments in the F1 racing calendar.

Even in 1999, due to heavy rain, only six cars successfully completed the race.

As of last year, the Monaco circuit had deployed a safety car for eleven consecutive years, living up to its reputation as a hellish track known for its high accident rate and limited margin for error.

No wonder that in F1, wave after wave of drivers consider conquering Monaco a major goal of their careers.

In GP3, Lu Zhizhou had never raced on the street. Entering F1, the street race was undoubtedly the biggest test. Although Lu Zhizhou came from street racing, racing on the street in Formula One is a completely different thing.

Just look at Baku. The cramped and confined space makes it impossible to maneuver properly. Before Lu Zhizhou and Verstappen's collision and retirement, Lu Zhizhou had already suffered a tire puncture due to Ocon's retirement, making it a series of disasters.

Now facing the ultimate street circuit challenge in Monaco, there's every reason to believe that Lu Zhizhou's nightmare will continue. This is why Tiefo Temple tearfully demanded that Ferrari replace the driver as soon as possible. If Lu Zhizhou retires again, Mercedes will further widen the gap.

How can a crippled Ferrari contend for the Constructors' World Championship? And how can Vettel, without tactical support from his teammates, compete against the determined Hamilton?
As if things weren't going to go wrong, even Sepplayton had to admit that Monaco's arrival was ill-timed, coming right after Lu Zhizhou's recent slump. It seemed unlikely that Lu Zhizhou could escape his predicament anytime soon, and Monaco's prospects were bleak. Would he have to wait for Canada or even France?

The days ahead will likely only get worse.

Overwhelming and obscuring the sun, the pressure is relentless and overwhelming.

So, what about the person in the eye of this ever-growing storm? Are they restless, unable to sleep, and about to make a haggard appearance with panda eyes?
……

The nights in Monaco are never peaceful.

Neon lights and twinkling lights shimmered in the harbor, parties raged on the yacht decks, and luxury cars and beautiful women dazzled the casino entrance. The lingering roar of engines, laughter, wind, and waves rippled slowly in the humid, sultry night, as people sang and reveled to their hearts' content.

However, there weren't many cars coming and going on the street. Only occasionally could you see brightly colored sports cars whizzing by. The cheers of young people raising their hands high to feel the wind scattering all over the ground could not be affected by the light and even footsteps in the night. That figure was jogging.

Take your time, control your breathing, and maintain a rhythm.

The media, the internet, and the outside world were abuzz with excitement as a massive storm was brutally sweeping towards Lu Zhizhou.

But this person walked briskly and focused intently on their daily routine, keeping all the distractions locked away on their phone and left on the sofa in their apartment. They were completely unconcerned and unaffected, continuing their training methodically without any apparent impact.

Because Lu Zhizhou understands the cruelty of competitive sports, he cannot make everyone like him, nor does he need to worry about the attacks from keyboard warriors. In this fiercely competitive world, the best response is victory. There is nothing that a victory cannot resolve.

If one victory isn't enough, then two, three, until they all shut up.

He doesn't need to waste time and energy off the field; focusing on himself and the track is the only important thing.

For Lu Zhizhou now, Monaco is the issue at hand.

A storm was brewing, but Lu Zhizhou found an unbelievable quiet and became completely focused.

This narrow and winding street, described by the media as a "hellish maze" during the day, now resembles a calm sea under the cover of night.

He deliberately slowed down, carefully feeling every section of the road, every subtle undulation, the curvature of the bends, the almost invisible slopes on the road, the position of the turn, and the road conditions after the bend, and so on.

I've been living in Monaco for a while now, but I'm still getting to know the city. I imagine my neighborhood as a racetrack with roaring engines, and it's a really strange feeling.

Tap tap, tap tap tap.

Footsteps approached rapidly from behind. Lu Zhizhou stepped aside to give the other person room to overtake, but unexpectedly, the figure controlled its speed when it reached him, and the two jogged side by side.

It's Leclerc.

"He didn't even call me before going for a night run," Leclerc complained.

Lu Zhizhou joked, "I thought you didn't need to familiarize yourself with the track anymore, after all, you've been familiar with it for eighteen years longer than us."

Leclerc didn't seem to mind at all. "Oh, wait, are you scared? A coward?"

Lu Zhizhou said frankly, "Yes, I was terrified, trembling, and my knees wouldn't straighten. You know, everyone was watching you closely, observing your every move. Everyone was eagerly hoping that you could create a miracle. That feeling was unbearable, truly unbearable."

In the first half, Leclerc was chuckling; but the second half sounded off. Was he complaining about the pressure of playing at home?

"Please, Zhizhou, don't join in the fun." Leclerc said, utterly dejected.

Lu Zhizhou's lips curled into a wide smile. "I heard that members of the Monaco royal family came to watch the main competition."

Leclerc looked up at the sky, "Ah...ah!" The rising tone eventually turned into a release of pressure, and he roared out.

Lu Zhizhou had his own pressures, and Leclerc wasn't much better off; he was more eager than ever to achieve good results here.

Last year here, Leclerc missed the race despite qualifying for the main event, due to his father's serious illness. That remains a regret.

In fact, Leclerc's situation was worse than Lu Zhizhou's these past few days, because Lu Zhizhou was facing external pressure, while Leclerc was making things more difficult for himself.

Lu Zhizhou increased his speed slightly, ran ahead, turned around and looked at Leclerc, "Hey, Charles, whose name is pronounced 'Charles' in French, I'm catching up with you now. I really, really, really need to beat you. You're not going to just hand this match over to me, are you?"

Leclerc was taken aback, then a smile involuntarily spread across his face. "Ha. Ha. Daydreaming."

Without needing any more words, Leclerc took a deep breath, opened his shoulders, and instantly started moving, overtaking Lu Zhizhou and sprinting forward. "Let's bet on who gets to the port first!"

Without even mentioning the stakes, Leclerc charged forward headlong.

Lu Zhizhou didn't argue. He turned around and started sprinting as well. The two rookies, under immense pressure and facing the reality of the paddock, ran wildly through the Monaco night, releasing all the energy in their bodies without reservation.

The dim lights couldn't illuminate their eyes, but their eyes remained bright in the night, like a sea filled with stars.

……

Boom, boom boom boom, boom boom.

The noise and roar surged in from all directions, the Mediterranean Sea in early summer shimmered with golden light, the collision of champagne and music stirred up rolling heat waves, the air was filled with laughter and cheers, the boiling blood could hardly be quieted down, and every face was filled with joy and fervor.

The most anticipated and exciting Grand Prix weekend of the 2018 Formula 1 season has begun, attracting a star-studded lineup of celebrities and dignitaries.

Monaco, the crown jewel, is a place no one wants to miss. You don't even need to wait for the main race; the qualifying rounds already offer a glimpse of its vibrant atmosphere.

Frederic Arnault arrived early in the VIP area, searching through the crowd.

Sure enough, I saw Richard Mille's Lucien LeBark.

Lu Zhizhou is caught in the storm, and Richard Mille, as a major sponsor, is crucial to their attitude. Arnault is very curious about their reaction.

Of course, Arnault was also curious about Lu Zhizhou's performance under pressure—

When things are going smoothly, it's only natural to perform well; but when you're in trouble, how you face it and fight back is what defines a person.

In the VIP area, the eyes that were closely watching this baby stroller from the East were probably not limited to Arnaud and Leback.

The noise and heatwave rolled in, baring its fangs and claws, seemingly more frenzied than ever before, and the whole of Monaco began to spin.

At this moment, Lu Zhizhou, standing in the eye of the storm, sat calmly in the cabin, drinking water and communicating with Greenwood on the radio, preparing for the upcoming Q2 qualifying race.

“Verstappen is out of qualifying. Out of Q1. That means 107% failure to qualify.” Greenwood delivered the first major news of this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.

In short, to ensure fair and safe competition, the FIA ​​stipulates that each car must achieve a lap time within 107% of the limit in Q1 in order to participate in the main race.

For example, if the lap time is set at 1 minute and 30 seconds, then the 107% rule means that all drivers must achieve a lap time of 1 minute and 36.3 seconds or less in Q1 to be allowed to participate in Sunday's race; otherwise, they must be eliminated because the cars are simply too slow and could be dangerous.

Of course, there are exceptions. In case of bad weather, mechanical failure, or failing to achieve a time due to a red flag in Q1, an exemption can be granted even if the target is not met, allowing the participant to continue competing on Sunday.

Verstappen shouldn't need to worry about missing the main tournament, but the key point is—

Verstappen's elimination in Q1 and failure to meet the 107% rule is undoubtedly the first major blow of this year's Monaco Grand Prix. For Red Bull, who are eager to bounce back after the elimination of both Baku cars, this is a heavy blow, and the situation is beyond Horner's control.

Not only Red Bull, but also the rivals in the paddock, who were eyeing the situation, sensed something was amiss and bared their fangs like wolves.

A buzzing, rustling sound is stirring up a brand new storm.

However, Lu Zhizhou didn't care.

His attention wasn't on his competitors, but on himself. Qualifying also requires strategy, especially on a special track like Monaco. His brain was already racing: "What's the passing mark for Q1, and how far behind am I?"

Greenwood also turned his attention back to Ocon, "Ocon, 1:13.028. He's the only driver who didn't break the 13-second barrier. He's within 0.6 seconds of you."

"Zhizhou, what are you thinking about?"

(End of this chapter)