Speed ​​God

Chapter 84 The target of public criticism
In GP3, a dominant victory is nothing special, because such a victory may make the champion a target of everyone's vigilance, a target to be shot at, and surrounded and attacked. With the car difference being relatively small, the champion may be devoured and torn to pieces by the competitors at any time.

Then, he blended into the crowd.

Similar things have happened more than once or twice in the paddock; geniuses have never been rare there.

So what if such a victory came from an outsider, a rookie, a newcomer, a troublemaker who barged into the party trying to steal the spotlight? Whether he's a genius or not, his presence seems to mock these conventional, rule-abiding racers.

They attacked together.

This is how Lu Zhizhou feels right now: surrounded by wolves in front and tigers behind, with nowhere to escape, and sharp, burning gazes like arrows.

Compared to what's right now, the atmosphere at the Ferrari Youth Academy is like a warm spring breeze.

The seventh is Pulcini, and the sixth is Lorandi.

The two drivers spent yesterday trying to catch up with Lu Zhizhou, but they never had a chance to confront him head-on, and they couldn't even see the rear wing.

Today, the two of them began to rub their hands together and immediately set their sights on Lu Zhizhou.

However, what truly alarmed Lu Zhizhou was what followed.

Ninth place. Tenth place.

Starting from here, in the order of the race standings, both drivers are from the Campos team, which is the same teammate of today's pole sitter, Seaman.

In the past, street racing was often a solo operation. Even if there were teammates, they rarely cooperated. Everything was spontaneous and unexpected.

But in Formula One racing, teamwork is essential.

Drivers in the same team are both teammates and rivals. Sometimes they need to compete fiercely, and sometimes they need to unite and fight together against a common enemy.

That's why Vasser spoke with Han Shilong and Russell yesterday, not because they were targeting Lu Zhizhou, but because their competition had caused the team to completely lose its advantage. The drivers were threatening the team's interests for their own benefit, and Vasser had to stop the damage in time.

Put yourself in Lu Zhizhou's shoes. If he were in ninth or tenth place and facing an outsider who suddenly appeared in yesterday's race and overshadowed all the other drivers in the paddock, he would definitely not hesitate to chase him with all his might. Whether it was to prove himself, to protect his pole-sitter teammate, or simply to have a head-on confrontation, he would not hold back at all.

Therefore, compared to the eager Pulcini and Lorandi, Lu Zhizhou believed that the real threat came from behind.

How should he respond?
This scene was made even more vivid by being viewed in full view through the live television broadcast.

Early in the morning, Croft was already in high spirits and excitedly rubbing his hands. "Yesterday in the main race, Lu Zhizhou was far ahead, leaving all the other competitors to fight amongst themselves in the car formation, leading the race like a lone wolf; today in the sprint race, Lu Zhizhou will have to experience the taste of the meat grinder firsthand."

"So, Martin, how do you think Lu Zhizhou will start?"

Brendel squinted, unable to discern anything from the camera alone. "Obviously, it's a secret. But I believe Lu Zhizhou and Pierre have reached a consensus that they're not going to give up easily in today's sprint. They should be ready to create some more waves."

Croft, "Are you sure?"

Brendel, "You don't think so?"

Croft burst out laughing. "No, I believe it. To be precise, I'm expecting it. God, I'm fervently praying for a miracle at the Barcelona circuit. Obviously, we witnessed a miracle yesterday, and now it's up to us to see what happens today."

They worked together seamlessly, exchanging blows.

On the track, everything was ready. After the warm-up lap, all nineteen cars entered their starting grids in turn, waiting for the race start signal.

Roar, roar roar roar—

The stands next to the starting area were not full yet. It was early in the morning, and the Spaniards were clearly not used to it, as they were unable to fill all the seats.

But the focus is on quality, not quantity. Those who arrived at the track early at this moment were undoubtedly passionate fans, willing to cheer for GP3 and unleash incredible energy at a rate of ten per person. A wave of heat surged through the Barcelona circuit shrouded in the morning light.

The red light is on.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

Lu Zhizhou was on full alert, keeping a close watch on everything, but unlike yesterday, he didn't start at full speed. All five lights went out.

0.31 seconds.

With the accelerator and clutch working in unison, Lu Zhizhou had already sped off.

Brendel raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.

Croft went straight to the point, "Oh, Lu Zhizhou got off to a slightly slow start today."

From a purely visual perspective, a difference of 0.1 seconds is almost imperceptible; however, in Formula racing, it can be seen from the start and departure of the vehicles that other cars have already taken off. The 0.1-second difference in reaction time is immediately and clearly presented in the vehicle gap.

Croft looked slightly surprised. "Could it be that you're feeling the pressure?"

Brendel did not speak—

Of course, Croft's speculation is one possibility. No driver can maintain peak performance every time, and occasional deviations and fluctuations are perfectly normal.

But what about the current situation?

Lu Zhizhou knew perfectly well that he was trapped in a predicament, surrounded by wolves and tigers. Under such pressure, he should not back down, but stand firm.

After all, that's how it was on the first lap of yesterday's main race, so Lu Zhizhou looks a little unusual today.

So, is this abnormal?
Brendel was slightly surprised, but his understanding of Lu Zhizhou was limited, so he couldn't make a hasty judgment. Perhaps the young man had just made a mistake due to nervousness?

Brendel kept his mouth tightly shut, focused intently on the track, then his eyes lit up—

Sure enough! He knew it!
Lu Zhizhou deliberately slowed down his start.

To be precise, it's not about slowing down the start, but rather about not pursuing the ultimate start.

In yesterday's main race, his attention was entirely focused on himself, running a good start and controlling the pace; but in today's sprint, he had to devote some energy to paying attention to his opponents and dealing with the dangers lurking all around him.

Then, take control of the overall situation.

As soon as the car started, Lu Zhizhou immediately noticed that the sixth car to start, Lolandi, had tricked him. Not only was his starting speed a beat slower, but he also did not go in a straight line. He immediately turned the steering wheel to the right and cut into the middle lane to speed away.

It was obvious that Lolandi's strategy was to scare Lu Zhizhou. If Lu Zhizhou had started at full speed like yesterday, he might have almost been rear-ended. To avoid the rear-end collision, Lu Zhizhou braked suddenly as a reflex, which could have disrupted his entire sprint plan.

Moreover, Lolandi was not prepared to sacrifice himself. Instead of waiting for Lu Zhizhou to crash and give up his own race for the other competitors, he cut into the middle and found his own line at turn one, not only preventing Lu Zhizhou from getting slipstream, but also eliminating the possibility of Lu Zhizhou taking the middle or inside line.

Kill several birds with one stone.

Furthermore, not only Lolandi, but Pulcini also cut inside and blocked the line.

Pulcini and Lolandi did not collide, but the two advanced at full speed one after the other, completely blocking Lu Zhizhou's plan to switch to the middle lane, and their cooperation was excellent.

To make matters worse, the ninth-ranked Campos rider quickly stepped up, caught Pulcini's slipstream, and followed closely behind, blocking Lu Zhizhou's path as he cut inside.

In other words, Lu Zhizhou had no choice but to rely on outside shots.

If the three of them didn't belong to different racing teams, Lu Zhizhou would almost applaud them.

However, this was precisely Lu Zhizhou's plan. Although he hadn't foreseen the specific circumstances, he had anticipated the predicament of being surrounded by enemies. He knew the start would be fraught with danger, and this was the perfect opportunity to reveal his true weapon—

Adapt to changing circumstances!

　This is the third 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)