F1: Starting with a Simulator Master

Chapter 127 Special Interviewer

The flight loop has ended.

The violent roar of the engine subsided like a tide the moment the throttle was released, and Luo Xiu's tense nerves gradually relaxed as his breathing became easier.

"P2! Luo Xiu! P2! An absolutely extraordinary lap!"

In the headphones, the competition engineer, who always maintained absolute composure, spoke with barely suppressed excitement.

"You achieved the exact same time as P1! However, because we exited the pits later, our actual ranking is P2! After the return lap, you need to park your car in the designated area for the top three finishers and prepare for an official interview!"

P2!

Front row departure!

However, this TR broadcast, which was enough to make Ferrari headquarters boil over, did not excite Luo Xiu much.

After politely thanking the team briefly, he didn't say anything more.

P2?

There's nothing to celebrate.

In his view, tomorrow's main competition is the key.

However, their current tuning style has exposed obvious shortcomings; their top speed is not fast enough compared to Red Bull!

This means they won't gain any advantage in long-range grappling.

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the steering wheel knob, Luo Xiu switched to return lap mode and soon returned to the closed area, parking his car steadily in the designated parking area for the top three cars.

Bright lights shone on the bright red No. 55 race car, and the iron fence a few meters away seemed about to be crushed at any moment by countless media reporters carrying long lenses and microphones. The continuous sound of shutters converged into a blinding wall of light.

Even while Luo Xiu was still sitting in the cockpit, he could feel the intense gazes around him.

As Luo Xiu prepared to get up, he reached for the steering wheel, only to find that this usually simple action had become slightly sore.

He hadn't felt this way in a long time since his physical fitness reached Grade A.

With a click, the steering wheel was pulled off and rested on the edge of the cockpit.

As he unbuckled his six-point harness and braced his arms against the edge of the monocoque structure in an attempt to stand up, another unexpected event occurred.

The second foam material seat, which was rushed to be made overnight, also collapsed and deformed unsurprisingly under the previous heavy load. Not only did it lose its normal enveloping feel, but after the stress accumulated, it formed sharp protrusions that made Luo Xiu's back ache.

Just as Luo Xiu was propping himself up with his arms and before he could stand up straight, he felt as if his lumbar spine had been struck by a powerful electric current.

There was a noticeable delay in getting up.

The pain in his back continued, and the moment he managed to stand up straight, he involuntarily reached out to support his lower back on one side.

This seemingly painful compensatory movement was immediately captured by hundreds of cameras nearby.

A reporter on the sidelines reminded his assistant, "Did you get a picture? History always repeats itself! Doesn't this scene just look like when Hamilton suffered a severe chassis dolphin jump and struggled to climb out of the cockpit clutching his back?! — You know what I mean?!"

"I understand! I'll put these two together in the accompanying pictures tomorrow!"

"Brilliant! Hamilton, a seven-time champion, has struggled to compete with Verstappen in the era of floor-effect pitches. Rosicky, on the other hand, this newcomer, did it in his very first qualifying session!"

"So what should we write as the headline tomorrow?"

"Just write: A new king is crowned, the era of jazz ends!"

"This is just qualifying; the main competition hasn't even started yet!"

"We're not just making one version, we're also making a Plan B!"

"What is that?"

"If Luo Xiu doesn't perform well in tomorrow's main tournament, we'll still use this map, and the title will be: 'A fleeting moment of glory; a single qualifying match has already mortgaged his future!'"

A few seconds later, Luo Xiu recovered, stood up straight, and got out of the car.

Pain is a normal thing for a professional driver, and Luo Xiu doesn't care about it at all.

Verstappen, the P1 winner of this qualifying session, strode over, smelling of sweat, carrying a bottle of Red Bull's signature energy drink and sipping it through a straw.

This new king, who ruled the hunting grounds, had no interest in the insincere pleasantries of social gatherings.

He simply stepped forward casually, grabbed Luo Xiu who wasn't quite standing properly, and gave him a big, solid hug that reeked of sweat.

Verstappen's voice was slightly hoarse with excitement.

"Haha, I knew it! You're a complete monster!"

Luo Xiu's back, which had just recovered, suddenly ached again when Verstappen hugged him like that.

But this time, Luo Xiu did not push him away.

Luo Xiu gritted his teeth, enduring the spasms in his back, and stretched out his arms to pat the back of the Dutch madman, who was taller than him, twice.

"It's just P2 —"

He paused, not bothering to say those clichéd polite words.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Xiu was about to say, "I'll be taking your P1 away soon."

"Alright, alright, stop with the threats. With me here, you'll still be P2 next time! Hahaha————"

Verstappen laughed and took two steps back. Being able to preemptively mock his opponent, who had the same qualifying score as him, made him feel like he had won P1 all over again.

He proudly waved the beverage can in his hand, and the arrogance and mutual respect that belonged to a top genius collided and sparked under the lights of the Jeddah racetrack at night.

The night breeze finally dispelled some of the rigid rules and regulations prevalent in this commercial arena.

On the other side of the fence, an even more conquest-inspiring scene is slowly unfolding.

Normally, the Ferrari engineering team and mechanics, who are most particular about pedigree and the most arrogant in this paddock, spontaneously formed a long red human wall at this moment.

They stood in unison against the iron railing, offering the warmest and purest applause through the cold metal barrier to the Chinese rookie who had saved Ferrari's entire qualifying weekend.

Unlike his enthusiastic embrace with Verstappen, Rosicky did not run over to greet him with raised arms and cheers like traditional Western drivers, nor did he touch the Prancing Horse crest on his chest to show his loyalty.

Under the flashing spotlights, the young driver, who had just conquered the Jeddah circuit, simply turned around calmly.

He raised his hands, left hand in a palm shape and right hand in a fist, and placed them against his chest.

Through the iron bars, Luo Xiu slightly tucked his chin and returned a crisp, standard Chinese fist salute to the group of arrogant European engineers.

No superfluous words, yet they speak louder than a thousand wild pronouncements.

This is a composure and pride unique to Easterners, carrying a restrained sharpness.

After a brief weigh-in, there were official on-site interviews with the top three finishers in the qualifying rounds.

At this moment, the area surrounding the interviewee's location resembled a pot of boiling engine oil.

The media outlets, who were being held back by security on the outer perimeter, were frantically pushing forward, their cameras flashing and shouts in multiple languages ​​mingling together.

The fence was already overburdened, yet miraculously it remained standing and did not collapse.

However, in the very heart of the broadcast area, where the cameras were focused, order in the interview area was strictly controlled.

Only the main broadcast crew and former F1 world champion Nico Rosberg, who was invited to be a special guest of Sky Sports for this on-site interview, were allowed to stay.

The interview is about to begin.

Luo Xiuqiang mustered his spirits and racked his brains for a few universally applicable official phrases, preparing to handle the upcoming routine with the most standard demeanor.

However, Verstappen, standing beside him, had no intention of playing by the rules.

This thrilling battle for pole position has clearly put the Dutch maverick in a state of excessive excitement and unrestrained by worldly constraints.

Just as Rosberg put on his signature professional smile, holding the official microphone that connects to hundreds of millions of broadcasts worldwide, and was about to elegantly deliver his opening remarks—

Verstappen strode forward with the self-assurance of a track bully, snatching the microphone from the former world champion's hand.

The Dutchman eagerly approached Luo Xiu and volunteered to be the temporary host for this live online broadcast.

Rosberg, who was originally the official interview guest, didn't even have time to utter a single syllable before he was awkwardly left out in the night wind at the Jeddah circuit, along with his frozen smile.