Speed ​​God

Chapter 34 The Track in the Rain
The sound of Lu Zhizhou came through the earphones.

"Visibility is fine right now. The rain intensity will remain unchanged for the time being."

"For drivers, being able to handle unexpected situations is also a skill. In our daily training, we try to simulate real-life situations. Now, we don't need to simulate anymore. When real situations occur, we should take good care of them."

"How about I run a few more laps and see what happens?"

Calm, composed, logical, and persuasive.

This is not easy.

In daily life, drivers often fall into the trap of road rage. Under the roar of the engine and the speed of the car, the pounding of the heart, the boiling of the blood, and the surge of adrenaline can easily cause rationality to run rampant, and a normally mild-mannered person may turn into the Hulk.

This is a phenomenon that involves both physiological and psychological factors, and it is difficult to control.

Naturally, one can imagine that in the world of equations, where everything is magnified many times over and constantly chasing the speed limits of machinery, this would be even more true.

Therefore, the drivers often have completely different personalities on and off the track, frequently losing control, swearing, and flying into a rage in radio conversations.

Maintaining rationality under high-intensity, high-speed, and high-density tension is not easy.

However, Lu Zhizhou did not.

At this moment, Lu Zhizhou demonstrated strong psychological qualities and thinking ability. He was still able to communicate clearly and fluently via radio, and in the blink of an eye, he completed a series of actions such as judgment, thinking, counterattack, and persuasion. In the high-speed and chaotic situation, Lu Zhizhou's calmness was even more prominent.

Montfati noticed.

He didn't answer immediately, squinting at the track. The clouds were thick and the humidity was getting higher and higher. The Fiorano test track was winding and twisting. Although it was only three kilometers long, it covered almost all types of corners and braking points in F1 racing, making it a perfect basic skills test track.

With a slight pursing of her lips, Montaffartini finally spoke, "Was it just my imagination? Why did you seem a little excited?"

Lu Zhizhou's hearty laughter came through the radio, "Haha, more than just a little bit."

For once, Monfati's face, which rarely showed a smile, twitched slightly, revealing a barely perceptible curve at the corner of his mouth. "Calm down, young man, calm down. Watch the ground. The track has now formed a water film, and the grip may slip."

"Received," Lu Zhizhou replied crisply.

On a rainy day, the track is like a thin layer of oil on glass; you never know if the tires will be able to hold on or if they will slip and lose control.

The water film acts like a third party intruding between the tire and the ground, preventing the tire from "shaking hands" with the ground.

Under normal circumstances, tires rely on their tread patterns to drain water and on the adhesive strength of their rubber to stay firmly in contact with the ground. However, when it rains, the tire temperature drops and it cannot enter the correct operating temperature range. The tire's own force to adhere to the ground weakens. Once the rainwater increases and cannot be drained, the water acts like an invisible layer of air, gently "lifting" the tire.

At this point, the grip doesn't decrease gradually, but rather suddenly breaks down—

They were instantly lifted into the air.

It's like when you're running and suddenly step into a puddle of soapy water. If you grip the ground with your toes and quickly regain your balance, you can barely control it. But if there's not enough contact area on your toes, you'll lose your balance. At that moment, blindly exerting force will only accelerate your embarrassing fall.

Therefore, it is very important to follow the fixed driving lanes in rainy weather.

Repeatedly traversing the same lanes causes the water film on the ground to dissipate, creating a relatively dry track and improving tire grip. The problem is that different areas of the track have varying levels of water accumulation and different water film thicknesses; in addition, the rainwater on the road surface is constantly flowing, and the cleared lanes may get wet again or accumulate water again. This means that the tire grip may change from lap to lap.

A deviation of a few centimeters or even tens of centimeters can drastically alter tire grip, much like a game of Minesweeper. Even with 100% concentration, it's impossible to predict when you might step on a mine and slide off the track at any moment. This makes rainy days on the track incredibly challenging.

This is precisely why rainy weather is the true test in the world of Formula 1. The inherent advantages of the cars are greatly diminished, the gap between teams narrows rapidly, and anything is possible. This also becomes a stage for drivers to showcase their skills.

The legendary racing legend Ayrton Senna is best known as "Senna in the Rain".

Lu Zhizhou appeared slightly excited.

This is his first time challenging a track in the rain!
He had experienced all sorts of scenes and situations on the street before, but the time was still short and there were many, many situations he hadn't experienced, including rain.

Moreover, since Formula One cars have no roofs, this is like driving a convertible in the rain – a truly unique experience.

A light drizzle hit my face, carrying the biting chill of winter. Although I was wrapped in a racing suit and gloves, and of course a helmet, I was still soaked in the rain. I could feel the cold seeping through my clothes and into my muscles and blood.

However, Lu Zhizhou's mind was perfectly clear.

This feeling is like going back to childhood. Looking at the torrential rain outside, all I could think about was splashing in puddles. Finally, I couldn't control myself, so I put on my rain boots and raincoat, plunged into the rain, opened my arms to embrace the sky, and jumped freely and unrestrainedly between the puddles.

Snap. Snap.

I don't know why, but listening to the sound of splashing water and watching the water spray makes me feel so cheerful.

That is happiness.

No need for game consoles, smartphones, or anything luxurious or expensive; just running freely in the rain, happiness overflows from your heart.

The same applies now.

In the drizzle, Lu Zhizhou not only did not feel the barrier brought by the water film, but it was as if he had taken off his shoes and stood barefoot on the track, using his toes and soles to feel the particles, curves and textures of the ground. With his arms outstretched, the breeze and drizzle fell on his skin, and he became one with nature.

Everything is perfectly natural.

For Lu Zhizhou, this was a completely new experience.

Indeed, there was a tiny bit of excitement. During my time in Maranello, there were new things and new challenges every day, comparable to Alice in Wonderland.

However, the more excited he became, the calmer he became; the more nervous he became, the more focused he became. Now, Lu Zhizhou was completely integrated with his car, as if he were running barefoot on a racetrack.

After the first left turn at Fiorano, there's a combination of short straights and consecutive S-curves. On wet roads, sudden braking and sharp turns are strongly discouraged.

Lu Zhizhou's control remained almost instinctive and fluid. The red streak transformed into a stream of light, flowing swiftly through the misty rain, like a watercolor painting. The vibrant and bright red flowed sharply into large swathes of dark green and light gray. All attention was focused on the red stream, and then they stared in disbelief as the gloomy scene was infused with life, gradually becoming vivid in their vision.

Even the rain and mist seemed to be dancing, with golden notes scattering all over the ground.

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(End of this chapter)