Speed ​​God

Chapter 82 Seeds of Hope
Quietly, Borrepeller gazed at Lu Zhizhou, whose teeth were chattering. The maturity and wisdom revealed in his casual words carried the arrogance and unrestrainedness of a seventeen-year-old, yet also a composure and confidence beyond his years. He inadvertently captured the attention of Lu Zhizhou and couldn't help but stop and stare.

Even Borrepeller, usually calm and even rigid, couldn't help but feel his blood boil and a glimmer of anticipation for tomorrow's match ignited within him.

What surprises will this kid bring next?
It's not just tomorrow; the entire season is worth looking forward to. No one understands the significance of this match better than Borrepeller.

Ambitious thoughts surged within him, and Borrepeller, unusually, prepared to indulge in a moment of lyricism, but...

Glug glug. Glug glug.

Before Lu Zhizhou could answer, a rumbling sound came from his stomach. The severe exhaustion from the intense competition awakened his body's protest, which manifested itself directly.

In an instant, the passionate atmosphere was interrupted, and the atmosphere suddenly became subtle.

Borrepell paused, said nothing more, and silently turned and left, seemingly still pinching his nose.

Lu Zhizhou: ? ? ?

Lu Zhizhou's eyes widened, and he called out repeatedly, "Pierre, I know what you're thinking, but that's not what you're thinking at all."

Borrepeller didn't pause, but simply raised his right hand and waved. From his departing figure, one could see that his shoulders were trembling slightly.

Lu Zhizhou looked up at the sky with a sense of utter despair, pinched his nose, took a deep breath, and submerged himself in the water. He needed some peace and quiet.

The rules for GP3 sprint races are slightly different.

The main race consists of 22 laps, while the sprint race consists of 17 laps. Although the number of laps is similar, the pace is more compact, and the race strategies are slightly different.

Furthermore, according to the rules, in the sprint race, the top eight teams start in reverse order, completely disrupting the order and making the entire offensive and defensive transition even more challenging.

Especially on a track like the Barcelona circuit where overtaking opportunities are limited, the main race and the sprint race are completely different things, and the competition landscape can be drastically different.

F2, F3 European Series, and GP3 all have similar racing rules. The specific details may be slightly different, but the core idea is the same. The organizers hope to bring more variables and highlights by using the "reverse grid start + sprint race" method to stimulate the competition among drivers in all aspects.

Considering the reverse grid start and the fewer laps in the sprint race, the space for strategic planning and the time to overtake are further compressed, making it almost an impossible task to win both the main race and the sprint race.

In 2014, the F3 European Championship featured three races each weekend. Max Verstappen achieved a grand slam in the two weekends of Spa and Norrislin, winning six consecutive races. He made a stunning debut and was spotted by Red Bull, which led to his later exceptional advancement.

In 2015, Verstappen skipped directly from F3 to F1, representing Toro Rosso.

It is precisely because of its incredible nature that Verstappen emerged out of nowhere.

In fact, very few drivers have been able to accomplish such a feat over the years.

In 2012, at the GP3 Hungarian Grand Prix, Antonio Felix da Costa swept both the race and the sprint, becoming the first driver to win both races in a single weekend.

2014, Formula 3 European Grand Prix, Moscow, Esteban Ocon.

2014, GP2, Bahrain Grand Prix, David Vasek.

2016, GP2, Baku Grand Prix, Antonio Giovinazzi.

that's all.

Then, with Verstappen added, there are only five drivers in total, requiring not only skill and ability, but also a bit of luck.

Truly, there are very few. Clearly, Borrepeller understands this perfectly well. Today, Lu Zhizhou led strongly to the championship, but the sprint race is a completely different race; strategies and expectations need to be adjusted. But now, Borrepeller's mindset is quietly changing, and an expectation is quietly sprouting within him.

Perhaps—it's just a possibility, perhaps they can have higher hopes.

It's not just about winning a single race. Race victories are nothing special. Borrepeller has enough confidence in ART's cars this year. Besides Lu Zhizhou, Han Shilong, Russell, and Hubert's performances in today's race also proved that their cars are capable of winning.

The real focus is on Lu Zhizhou, his work ethic and unlimited potential throughout the entire process from his dazzling debut to the qualifying rounds and the main tournament; and also on his mental adjustment after the victory. Without comparison, there is no harm, and the two young players, Han Shilong and Russell, both seemed a little out of sorts.

This aura is the real key, evolving into a seed of hope, quietly planted.

Of course, Borrepeller wouldn't force things to grow too fast, and wouldn't be so impatient as to shout loudly after only taking the first step. He kept these thoughts to himself for the time being, hoping that the little seed would grow into a towering tree someday.

Even Borrepeller himself didn't realize that his steps back to the repair area were a little lighter.

Finally! Lu Zhizhou finished his ice bath, rubbing his rumbling stomach. He was truly exhausted, his chest pressed against his back. He had never imagined that a single main competition would consume so much energy.

After a game, he was dehydrated and exhausted. His adrenaline had subsided, leaving him feeling utterly drained, like a zombie. He was thinking about the taste of everything he saw. He desperately needed to replenish his energy; he was low on sugar, and his fingers began to tremble slightly.

As expected, it was still due to a lack of experience.

Lu Zhizhou hadn't forgotten his water bottle. He gulped down water and shuffled back to the P room, searching for anything he could put in his mouth.

At the same time, I took out my phone and only now finally had time to check the text message.

His first competition, first podium, and first championship in his professional career were all firsts. Everything was chaotic and disorganized. He even completely forgot about his phone, feeling as if the whole world was spinning at high speed. Only now did his phone, which had been lying alone to the side, come into view.

Lorenzo. Leclerc. Zhou Guanyu. Montfati. Rosana.

One by one, familiar faces sent text messages to congratulate him immediately. Zhou Guanyu was full of praise and excitedly asked Lu Zhizhou to treat him to a meal.

Somewhat surprisingly, Armstrong also sent a congratulatory text message. Lu Zhizhou and they entered Ferrari's youth training program around the same time, making them direct competitors. Their relationship had always been neither too close nor too distant, and this was probably the first time Armstrong had taken the initiative to contact Lu Zhizhou.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Zhizhou replied.

Then, Lu Zhizhou saw Lu Cheng's text message—

It was the first one sent, so much so that it was buried among a bunch of congratulatory messages, and the treasure was only revealed at the very end.

Lu Zhizhou was slightly surprised because there were very few GP3 race live streaming platforms, and he couldn't watch it at home at all; plus the time difference, it was already late at night when the main race started. He naturally assumed that Lu Cheng should find out the results from the official news the next morning, which was why he didn't call them.

Unexpectedly, Lu Cheng not only watched the game, but also responded immediately.

The text message began with a series of exclamation marks, and Lu Cheng's expression could be easily pictured in one's mind without needing to say a word.

"Congratulations, congratulations! Lu Zhizhou! You did it! A beautiful match, a perfect match..."

Lu Cheng wrote a long, eloquent essay in just a few minutes, and his excitement was clearly felt between the lines.

The dreams that were quietly buried in my youth have sprouted again without a sound. Perhaps this time, everything will be different.

　This is the first update today. It's the last day of the new book release period, and I sincerely thank all my readers for their support. Thank you everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)