F1: Starting with a Simulator Master

"Hey bro, let me show you what a GT3 AM driver is all about."

Seeing his younger brother's clumsy attempt, Xu Zihao couldn't help but criticize him.

He felt it was time to showcase his AM driver skills.

AM drivers are also known as gentleman drivers in the country.

The requirements for track lap times are not high; the simplest reason for participating in the competition is that they have money and are willing to spend it.

Many motorsport events rely on AM (Advanced Motorsport) funding. Without AM, there are no drivers, no sponsorship, and without sponsorship, there are no races.

Compared to ordinary enthusiasts, AM drivers usually have more track driving experience and may even have fast lap times.

However, compared to so-called PROs and professional drivers, there are obvious gaps in aspects such as stability under extreme conditions, tire management, brake management, and performance in the rain.

In comparison, Xu Zihao's performance was indeed better.

As an AM driver in the GT3 class, Xu Zihao is quite familiar with clutch and throttle coordination, and he is also quite skilled at starting and shifting gears, and he accelerates quite decisively.

After stalling once, I managed to get the car out of the car, albeit with some difficulty.

But when he returned twenty minutes later, he didn't look much better.

"It's so hot. The engine is right behind me, and my whole back is almost burning," Xu Zihao complained.

In all Formula One cars, the cockpit and engine are almost touching at the shortest distance.

In the most extreme cases, the temperature inside an F1 car cockpit can reach 70 degrees Celsius.

Even if an F4 race car goes out for a short race, the temperature can easily reach 40 degrees Celsius.

Xu Zihao's complaints weren't just being dramatic; it was genuinely hot.

Just then, a flatbed trailer slowly drove into the repair area.

The car was towing an F4 whose front end was completely destroyed.

The front wing is gone, the left front suspension is broken, revealing horrifying metal fragments and a large amount of carbon fiber debris.

The previously excited atmosphere in the P room dimmed.

"Next. Xiu Luo."

Luo Xiu checked his equipment one last time; it was his turn to go on stage.

Unlike Xu Zihang, who was excitedly taking pictures with his camera and microphone, he simply gave up practicing driving and stayed put.

Unlike Xu Zihao, she didn't seem to be struggling to catch her breath.

He simply picked up the helmet, put it on, and fastened the seatbelt.

The moment the goggles were lowered, the surrounding noise of people, engines, and tools all disappeared.

Arriving at the race car, he braced himself against Halo with one hand and slid smoothly into the cockpit with both legs.

Whether it's the angle at which he slides in or the skill with which he adjusts his posture, it's as if the car is an integral part of his body.

The foam seat conforms perfectly to the back.

The feeling of being bound by the HANS system did not make him uncomfortable; on the contrary, it brought him a sense of security, as if he were enveloped by machinery.

Install the butterfly steering wheel and hold it with both hands.

He didn't need to look down; his right hand accurately found the start button on the right side of the steering wheel and pressed it gently.

Deep within the temple of thought, every bend and shoulder of the Sepang circuit comes to life.

The Fiat engine behind me, which wasn't particularly aggressive, emitted a steady roar.

To the average person, it's just the sound of an engine.

But in Luo Xiu's ears, he seemed to hear the piston's stroke, the timing of the valve opening and closing, and the degree of fuel injection atomization.

Engage first gear with the right paddle shifter, clutch engagement point, 40% travel.

Luo Xiu pressed the accelerator with his right foot, lifted his left foot slightly, and then pressed the accelerator again.

The race car seemed to be steadily pushed out by an invisible hand, its tires emitting a very short screech on the rough asphalt surface.

This is a perfect critical point start.

There is no unnecessary idling that wastes power, nor is there any jerking caused by a drop in engine speed.

"Hmmmm..."

The coach next to him raised an eyebrow, realizing that this was an experienced player.

The race cars merged into the main track from the pit lane.

Generally speaking, amateur drivers need at least three laps to warm up their tires and brakes, as well as get used to the track.

The first lap was a slow jog, the second lap was a faster pace, and only after building confidence in the third lap did I dare to try to push forward.

But at the T4 high-speed corner after the exit lap, Luo Xiu had already started to accelerate hard.

His brain doesn't need to warm up.

Because he had run on this track countless times over the past few nights.

It only takes one lap to correct distorted track information from the game simulator.

Then he can roam freely on tracks that his physical body has never set foot on before.

The particle size of the asphalt at every bend, the height of every shoulder, have all been etched into his mind.

For Luo Xiu, getting used to the car and warming up the tires on the first lap was easy, and he quickly mastered the car's temperament.

At the same time, Luo Xiu discovered a strange problem with the race car.

However, this strange problem did not affect safety, so the flight circle began.

We arrived at the T15 hairpin bend, before the infamous shoulder trap.

Luo Xiu braked hard and downshifted, causing the race car to shift forward with a noticeable weight transfer, its front end cutting into the apex of the corner with surgical precision.

After passing the apex of the bend, the steering wheel begins to straighten.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone on the large monitoring screen, Luo Xiu did not avoid the inner shoulder like the others. Instead, he stepped on the gas pedal hard, causing the front and rear wheels on the left side to simultaneously run over the edge of the red and white striped shoulder, barely avoiding the drainage ditch that was lower than the race track surface.

"Oh...no, I specifically warned you about the T15's movements. It's cutting corners too aggressively; it's going to get out of control!"

Inside the pit lane, the instructor watched Luo Xiu's driving route on the monitor and began to complain about Luo Xiu's aggressive route selection, completely ignoring his previous warnings.

boom!

The suspension emitted a dull thud, and the car body bounced violently.

But just as things were about to get out of control, the steering wheel was quickly corrected a few times.

Contrary to the coach's expectations of loss of control, and without any unnecessary sliding, the race car landed smoothly.

With a spark from the chassis, the race car seemed glued to the ground, accelerating continuously after the apex of the corner, filling the entire width of the track, and whizzing past the edge of the track.

The flight path ends after passing the main straight section.

On the monitor in the P room, the light spot representing Luo Xiu turned purple in the first circle.

Lap Time: 2:13.491

On this track day filled with amateur enthusiasts, this result is like Usain Bolt crashing into a kindergarten race.

This is close to the fastest lap in a SEA professional race.

After circling around, Luo Xiu didn't continue, but instead chose to return to the P room, because he was certain there was something fishy going on.

The main straight section has run out of fuel.

In the pit lane, the head coach initially thought that Xu Zihao and his group were just a bunch of racing enthusiasts.

But after seeing Luo Xiu successfully cut through T15 without losing control, his opinion immediately changed.

At this moment, he stared wide-eyed at the telemetry data on the screen, especially the crazy throttle opening of the T15 as it exited the corner.

Which team does he race for?

The technician glanced at the registration form in her hand, then shook her head blankly.

"He seems to be here to take the competition exam."