Speed ​​God

Chapter 107 Not giving in
Calm. Focused. Steady.

Looking straight ahead, a long ramp slowly extends upwards, cleverly connecting the ground and the sky, soaring into the clouds like a roller coaster curve.

Turn 1 of the Red Bull Ring is a 90-degree right-hand uphill turn that lies directly in front of the starting grid, and the slope extends all the way to Turns 2 and 3, continuing uphill. This means that the car's suspension and tires will face greater loads, and traction performance is key to the car's performance.

In fact, Turn 1 is one of the most famous overtaking points on the Red Bull Ring. It has the first section of the DRS area on the entire track. After the right-angle turn, a high-speed right turn connects to two short straights, where you can basically floor the accelerator. In other words, as long as you get a better exit speed from Turn 1, you can gain an advantage.

Furthermore, the next straight after Turn 2 is the second DRS zone, where you can aim for a better line into the heavy braking hairpin turn at Turn 3. Then, a super long straight connects Turn 3 and Turn 4, where you can reach the highest speed on the entire track before entering Turn 4. After that, you'll encounter a series of slow combination corners.

Simply put, there are overtaking opportunities everywhere before Turn 5.

Of course, there are still plenty of overtaking opportunities after Turn 5. This is the Red Bull Ring, full of opportunities, but also full of traps.

No wonder the Red Bull Junior Academy drivers, who have been training here for years, are all highly competitive and determined racers.

The GP3 race at the Red Bull Ring consists of 24 laps, and the pace is very fast, often finishing in about half an hour.

On the first lap, the tires were not yet at their operating temperature, grip was weak, and DRS was temporarily unavailable, which limited the possibility of overtaking to some extent.

But don't forget that all cars face the same situation, and the GP3 cars are very close to each other, so drivers can rely on their superior driving skills to take over opportunities.

It is foreseeable that the race will be a bloodbath from the very start.

Lu Zhizhou was keeping an eye on Russell, but not only Russell, but also Han Shilong in third place and Bokola in fourth place. He didn't believe that the two drivers behind him would obediently follow behind and eat dust. They would definitely want to create waves and chaos to try to overtake and take the top spot.

However, the Red Bull Ring pole position is quite unique; it's not on the inside, near the first corner, but on the outside of the track—

That is, the visceral side.

The start of the Red Bull Ring has always been one of the most accident-prone stages of the year.

There are two reasons.

First, the straightaway is short, with the pole position only 320 meters from Turn 1. This means that the driver must find a braking position and cut the line before the tires have even fully turned.

Secondly, the pole position is on the left, the dirty side with no grip. This means that the second and fourth pole positions are more likely to grab the inside line first and hold the apex of the first corner. The pole position rider can easily lose the position if he is not careful, and a collision may occur if he is not careful.

Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the Red Bull Ring is one of the courses where you are most likely to lose pole position all year round.

That's why, after the qualifying rounds, following the brief period of excitement and commotion in the paddock, more and more onlookers gathered, eagerly awaiting a good show.

Russell proved himself by taking pole position, but Lu Zhizhou is on the inside with better grip. So, who will have the advantage at the start?

Now, a difficult problem is facing Lu Zhizhou: how should he choose a starting strategy?

The simplest and most direct option is to brake hard in Turn 1, force your way onto the inside line and hug the apex of the corner, and squeeze out Russell.

Alternatively, they could take a different approach, deliberately giving Turn 1 to Russell to induce him to brake early and take the apex of the corner, while they themselves rely on late braking to overtake from the outside.

But is it really that simple?

Russell is a composed and level-headed line master. He couldn't possibly be unaware of his weaknesses, and he would undoubtedly try to seize the inside line and block the shot immediately. GP3 cars are already similar in performance, and ART cars are even more so. With a straight only 320 meters long, it's not just a test of skill, especially after the intense competition in the Spanish Grand Prix main race and sprint race. Would Russell still be foolish enough to not take any precautions or make any changes?

Lu Zhizhou didn't think so.

Furthermore, while corners are important, never forget that corners connect different sections of the track, and the extensions that follow are equally important.

Both Turn 1 and Turn 3 lead to long straights after the turn, which means that exit speed is crucial. If you only focus on the line in the corner and lose speed on the way out, you may easily lose the advantage you have worked so hard to build after the turn, even if you have an advantage in the corner.

They might even find themselves in a passive position.

Therefore, this is a game, and also a contest.

Lu Zhizhou is ready.

Five red lights, all lit up, then all went out—

With the clutch and accelerator engaged and full concentration, I launched myself at full speed in an instant, shooting off like a bullet. Although the tires weren't fully engaged yet, I didn't feel any dirt. Instead, I took advantage of the tire lint that had been continuously accumulating on the track during the two days of practice and qualifying, and sped off at full speed.

Suddenly, I grabbed the ground.

In stark contrast, Russell and Han Shilong reacted swiftly, like arrows released from a bow, their race cars transforming into streaks of light as they shot straight ahead.

Furthermore, Russell was highly focused and immediately cut to the inside, using his pole position advantage to take the lead and squeeze out Lu Zhizhou's space.

If he had just a little more time, half a second would have been enough, and he would have been able to completely occupy the lane. If Lu Zhizhou didn't want to crash, he would have had to brake.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs," not even for half a second.

Russell felt the tires spinning almost immediately. The dirty side of the track prevented the tires from fully gripping the ground. Even though his lane-cutting maneuver was quick and smooth enough, he still missed that precious half-second. He could see the front of car number two rushing up and taking over the track.

In an instant, Lu Zhizhou's left front tire and Russell's right rear tire were wheel to wheel, and they were about to collide.

However, it didn't happen—

Russell did not force his way into the inside, nor did Lu Zhizhou recklessly push Russell, because both young men knew they could not act impulsively. The 320-meter distance passed in the blink of an eye, and Turn 1 was already within reach. Lu Zhizhou and Russell drove into the corner side by side.

In the blink of an eye, things change rapidly.

The cars behind, including Han Shilong and Bokolaqi, surged forward like a torrent, seemingly about to engulf Lu Zhizhou and Russell.

Seeing that Lu Zhizhou's driving space had been squeezed to the limit, he did not continue to recklessly apply the brakes late. On the contrary, he even applied the brakes a little earlier, took the lead and accurately grabbed the apex of the corner, firmly adhered to his line, and smoothly and precisely entered the first corner.

Like a gentle breeze and drizzle.

In an instant, the audience's hearts leaped into their throats, their eyes glued to race car number three—

Is Russell going to lose pole position at the very first corner?
　Second update today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)