Speed ​​God

Chapter 120 Taking Advantage of the Situation
"baby!"

As soon as he appeared, while still in the parking lot, Lu Zhizhou heard shouts coming from the crowd.

Originally, Lu Zhizhou didn't think much of it.

He couldn't help but smile, imagining a scene from a movie where a playboy calls out to his lover in a crowd, only to have five, six, seven, or eight people respond at the same time, thus giving himself away. The sight of those beauties vying for attention would surely be the talk of the town for a day, and if it were Latifi, it would be even more exciting.

Unexpectedly, a middle-aged man with a beer belly and bushy eyebrows ran up to him, calling out with a big smile.

"baby!"

Lu Zhizhou felt a chill and almost threw a punch before realizing: this treasure is not that treasure.

He was stunned. So what Russell had been planning had finally come true on his home turf. Were these Englishmen here specifically to stir up trouble?

It's obvious that the British don't like Lu Zhizhou, who has so far dominated his teammates Russell and Han Shilong—both of whom are British—so far this season.

However, Lu Zhizhou was no ordinary man. Russell had failed to provoke him, so the riffraff in front of him posed even less of a threat.

Lu Zhizhou raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled. "Thank you. Thank you for the compliment."

The bald man was stunned and didn't react: What are you thanking him for?
Lu Zhizhou continued forward without stopping, his steps light and his smile upturned.

From another perspective, "black and red are still red."

Silverstone Circuit is indeed different. People here are also paying attention to GP3. In Spain and Austria, all eyes are on F1, and F2 and GP3 are not considered important. But in the UK, the audience is fully aware of what is happening in GP3, and the whole atmosphere is different.

This is the first time someone has been able to recognize Lu Zhizhou.

Moreover, Lu Zhizhou wasn't wearing his racing suit, which meant that fans recognized his face—a privilege he didn't even receive back in his hometown.

That's truly rare.

As he walked from the parking lot to the paddock, he was constantly greeted with shouts, some mocking, some teasing, some attacking, and some ridiculing. But to Lu Zhizhou, all of these were compliments. It meant that his threat had been recognized, and he was even more motivated to perform well at the Silverstone Circuit.

Otherwise, wouldn't we be letting down these people's "earnest expectations"?

Using a pass to enter the paddock, outside the railing on the right side of the entrance passage, you can see a large number of enthusiastic fans waiting for the F1 drivers to appear. A voice suddenly emerges from the bustling crowd, tearing through the rolling heat and stumbling out.

“Lu. Zhi. Zhou”

Amidst the mockery and ridicule, a clear spring flowed down, easily catching Lu Zhizhou's ear and drawing him to look over instinctively.

It was a girl wearing a Ferrari No. 7 racing suit, with her long dark brown hair tied in a bun. Like a circus performer balancing a ball on her head, she kept waving the ART team hat in her hand, trying to attract Lu Zhizhou's attention with a groundhog-like jumping posture.

She succeeded.

After all, amidst a chorus of shouts of "baby," this was the first voice to accurately and unmistakably call out Lu Zhizhou's name—

It may not be entirely accurate, but at least she tried.

Lu Zhizhou stopped and walked over.

Rosanna Sepplayton was stunned. She had not expected her strategy to succeed and stared dumbfounded at the figure approaching her.

Tall and handsome, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, he stood in front of her, blocking the sun. The sunlight hid behind his head, and his dark eyes stared intently at her, like grapes soaked in clear spring water, with golden light outlining the contours of his face.

For a brief moment, Sepplayton forgot to breathe, completely stunned, staring blankly at the boy in front of him, his whole being enveloped in his shadow.

Were you calling me just now?

That deep voice could actually penetrate the noise of the paddock, sounding like a cello playing on your eardrums. Sepplayton felt like a fool and nodded blankly.

Seeing that she didn't react, the boy smiled and said, "Do you need an autograph? Or are you just going to shout it out? If you need me to help you get Raikkonen's autograph, I'm sorry, I probably can't help you."

Ferrari No. 7 racing suit, that's Raikkonen's number.

Sepreton just wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it, but he still couldn't say a word. He just handed over the ART hat and the carbon pen in his hand.

He took the hat, lowered his head, and signed it intently. She could even see his long, thick eyelashes and the sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Thank you. You're the first fan to call my name. A message might help and add some value. This is my first autograph; remember to price it higher when you resell it."

For some reason, Sepplayton's lips curled up and he burst into laughter at the slightest joke.

Then he turned and left.

Sepplayton froze, completely speechless.

Actually, she planned to resell them. Her backpack contained hats from all the GP3 and F2 teams. She would specifically ask these young drivers for their autographs and then put them up for auction online, where she could always get a good price.

But how did Lu Zhizhou figure it out?

Moreover, since Lu Zhizhou has figured it out, why doesn't he mind?

Sepreton looked down at the ART hat in his hand and suddenly felt reluctant to part with it.

Lu Zhizhou had already started walking, and he was initially a little happy that someone had finally called his name. But then he noticed the hats from the Trident and Campos teams in the girl's backpack, and he made some bold guesses.

Of course, Lu Zhizhou convinced himself that if someone was willing to sell his autographed hat, it meant there was a buyer's market, and he also had fans.

This is a good thing.

But why does a slight bitterness still linger on the tip of my tongue?

Lost in thought, a voice beside me, trying to remain calm but unable to hide its unease, said, "Looks like someone is enjoying the flowers and cheers."

Lu Zhizhou snapped out of his daze and turned his head to see Verstappen's expressionless, grumpy face, which looked like he hadn't slept well last night.

Lu Zhizhou immediately went into defensive mode. "So, jealousy?"

Verstappen stopped in his tracks. He had only intended to brush past Lu Zhizhou, but now he couldn't help but stand in front of him. "Jealousy? Why would I be jealous?"

"Heh. You're just a clown trying to attract attention. You think you own the world after winning two games, but all that laughter and cheering is contempt for you. Nobody respects you because nobody believes you won with your own hard work. It's just a good car."

Lu Zhizhou raised an eyebrow slightly, unusually refraining from interrupting Verstappen's counterattack, and instead waited with interest for what was to come. "Oh?"

Verstappen remained expressionless.

Looking at Lu Zhizhou's carefree and nonchalant expression, every cell in his body was resisting and rejecting him. He didn't like his handsome and dashing demeanor, he didn't like his nonchalant attitude, he didn't like everything about him. "No one respects you, and no one fears you."

“Fear?” Lu Zhizhou suddenly realized. “So, what you really mean is that nobody likes you, right? The entire hunting grounds don’t like you, not even your teammates.”

A fatal blow, piercing the heart with deadly force.

It was clear that Verstappen kept his mouth tightly shut, using all his strength to suppress his anger, but the lines of his shoulders and neck remained taut.

Although he doesn't usually show it, Verstappen is still the youngest driver in the paddock, still a kid.

Verstappen barely managed to control himself, not letting anger take over his mind, "because I'm a serious person, wholeheartedly dedicated to racing. I go to bed early, get up early, take care of myself, spend time on the simulator, communicate with the technical team, and then go out on the track to beat my opponents."

Lu Zhizhou also looked serious, "You mean you want to crash into the opponent's race car?"

As soon as he finished speaking, seeing Vestapan's expression change, Lu Zhizhou immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt the flowers and plants."

Verstappen stared intently at Lu Zhizhou. "No, I got on the track, I won the championship, so I am the youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history, and you are nothing."

Lu Zhizhou could see the light in Vestager's eyes. He gently raised his chin. "This is all your pride, isn't it?"

Otherwise, he wouldn't have emphasized the keyword "youngest".

Undoubtedly, this is very important for Verstappen, perhaps even the most important entry on his resume, which gives a sense of the pressure he is under.

From the paddock, from the media and public opinion, from my father.

While others see Verstappen's glamorous promotion to F1, no one seems to realize that he was just a seventeen-year-old boy at the time.

Or perhaps, nobody wants to see it.

No wonder Verstappen is so nervous about Lu Zhizhou. He is obviously worried that his record will be broken by Lu Zhizhou. If that happens, his only reliance and pride will be gone, and how will he find his place under the overwhelming pressure?
While Lu Zhizhou's record as the youngest F1 Grand Prix winner is not a concern for the time being—even if he wanted to break it, it would be next year at the earliest—Verstappen's record of six consecutive F3 Grand Prix wins over two consecutive weekends is in jeopardy if Lu continues to win at Silverstone…

In the blink of an eye, many things were answered.

However, Verstappen frowned, completely bewildered and utterly confused by what nonsense Lu Zhizhou was spouting.

Lu Zhizhou chuckled, swallowing back the attack that had already reached his mouth. There was no fun in bullying a simpleton.

Lu Zhizhou shook his head. "It's nothing, nothing at all. Keep up the good work, and don't crash again."

Verstappen: ...

He squinted and glared at Lu Zhizhou with deathly intensity, "You're the one who crashes, you crash every single time, every single day."

Lu Zhizhou couldn't help but laugh out loud. He saluted Verstappen, walked past him, and strode forward.

Verstappen could hardly believe his eyes. He was the one who came to cause trouble, but Lu Zhizhou was the one who left first.

Verstappen strode off angrily, overtaking Lu Zhizhou and leaving him behind, then turned and drove away without looking back.

Seeing Verstappen deliberately straighten his stiff back and raise his chin high like an angry bull, Lu Zhizhou couldn't help but burst into laughter.

A short man with fluffy, curly hair hopped towards them, calling out, "Max? Max!"

He saw Verstappen and called out to him, but Verstappen was clearly not in the mood. He waved casually and walked away without stopping, sweeping past like a hurricane.

The short guy didn't seem to mind, shrugged, and then skipped and hopped all the way over, shouting, "Zhizhou! Hey, Zhizhou!"

Even from a distance, the short man greeted them warmly, his friendly and familiar manner making it seem as if they were old friends who had known each other for many years.

However, Lu Zhizhou was 100% certain that today was their first meeting.

In fact, the hunting grounds are indeed a battlefield, and making friends is not an easy thing, especially for a stranger like Lu Zhizhou who has wandered in halfway through.

So far, all of Lu Zhizhou's friends come from the team: Leclerc and Zhou Guanyu are from the youth training academy, while Hubert is from the ART team.

That's all. When other drivers saw Lu Zhizhou, they didn't even bother to greet him; they were already being very friendly by not turning their backs on him.

The facts are clear: they are all competing for paddock seats. Only one or two seats may be opened up each year, but there are forty or fifty young drivers. There are too many applicants and not enough seats. Every additional person means one less chance. Moreover, Lu Zhizhou is an outsider. They would rather their childhood karting friends enter F1 than see a newcomer suddenly emerge and overtake them.

"It's a matter of life and death"—this may sound exaggerated, but that's the reality.

No wonder everyone says that Hubert is an oddball. Strictly speaking, Leclerc in F2 and Zhou Guanyu in F3 European Series do not compete head-on with Lu Zhizhou in the same race, which gives their friendship room to breathe; but Hubert is able to face the competition so calmly.

So, what's going on right now?

This should be the first stranger in the paddock to extend an olive branch to Lu Zhizhou, especially after the events in Spain and Austria.

Even Lu Zhizhou paused slightly, revealing a hint of confusion and wariness.

The short guy was already bouncing over, accompanied by his own electronic music, "Ahhh, Red Bull Ring Turn 4, that time he shook off George was a masterful maneuver, it gave me goosebumps and made me scream all over. I knew I had to get to know this guy."

Crackling and popping, chattering and babbling.

The shorter man noticed the wary smile on Lu Zhizhou's face, which kept him at a distance, and immediately realized what was going on.

He pointed at Lu Zhizhou, then gestured to his face, "Baby."

He then pointed to himself, indicating his height, and said, "Baby."

Lu Zhizhou was stunned for a moment, then could no longer control himself and burst into laughter.

The little guy in front of me was indeed not tall, probably only about 165 centimeters, or even less, like a tiny person who had wandered into a land of giants.

But clearly, he didn't mind; a self-deprecating remark instantly bridged the gap.

Lu Zhizhou stepped forward and extended his right hand, "Lu Zhizhou."

The short man grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. "Lando Norris. I'm in the F3 European Series, but obviously your name has already spread; and when I learned that our birthdays are only two days apart, I thought I had to get to know you, how could I miss this opportunity?"

Lu Zhizhou didn't hide his surprise. "So, you came all the way to Silverstone Circuit just to watch my race?"

Norris replied matter-of-factly without any hesitation, "Of course. You have no idea how many times I studied the Red Bull Ring race in the laps leading up to it."

"Part of the reason is that it's not far from my home; and also, I don't want to tell Max that he thinks I came to watch his game."

"but!"

"Dude, it's the Red Bull Ring race. George isn't so easily fooled. How did you do that? I've never seen George look so disheveled."

He danced with boundless enthusiasm, his face beaming with joy, like a little sun, his passion radiating without restraint, making everyone's spirits soar along with his.

This guy, with his carefree and thoughtless demeanor, is a completely different kind of firework.

The entire hunting ground was staring at Lu Zhizhou, and the hostility was growing stronger; but Norris in front of him seemed to be completely unaware, or perhaps he simply didn't care.

It's clear that Norris has studied the Austrian Grand Prix more than once or twice.

In contrast, Lu Zhizhou knew nothing about Norris. The humility of Norris, coming from the land of Eastern etiquette, made Lu Zhizhou a little embarrassed. He tried to find some common ground, "You're in the F3 European Series, so do you know Zhou Guanyu?"

“Of course! We are…” Norris’s grin paused slightly, “We know each other.”

He immediately explained, "I wanted to say we're friends, but to be honest, he's too introverted, and we can't really start a conversation."

Lu Zhizhou raised an eyebrow slightly, and the image of Zhou Guanyu crying and sniffling from the spiciness flashed through his mind. He couldn't help but laugh, "To be able to stump you, a socialite, it seems he must really be introverted."

Norris pointed to himself with a puzzled look. "Me? No way, I'm actually very shy."

"Hahaha." Lu Zhizhou could no longer contain himself and burst into laughter.

A chubby figure wobbled towards us from directly in front of us. "You seem to be having a great time. What are you talking about? Surely you're not talking behind my back?"

He swaggered onto the stage with his hands behind his back. His papaya-orange T-shirt could barely contain his beer belly, which was as big as a watermelon and looked like it might burst open at any moment. It was so eye-catching that people didn't even have time to look at his face and eyes before their gazes drifted downwards.

The man standing before you is none other than McLaren CEO Zach Brown.

Despite his prominent beer belly, Brown is actually very image-conscious. His short, gray hair is neatly styled with hair wax, looking as if it could withstand a category 9 typhoon. Combined with his well-trimmed beard, he exudes the aura of a businessman.

However, compared to Horner and Wolff, he seemed to be pushing himself too hard.

Upon seeing Brown directly, Lu Zhizhou's smile vanished, though the corners of his mouth remained upturned. He offered no explanation, simply placing a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.

it is more than words.

Brown and Norris both laughed.

Brown seemed very happy. "It seems Lando has already made some friends in the paddock."

Norris protested, "Hey, the F3 European Series is also part of the paddock, please don't talk like we live in another dimension."

Brown affectionately ruffled Norris's hair. Norris slumped his shoulders with a look of utter despair and rolled his eyes, which made Brown laugh even harder. "Lando is about to join our McLaren youth training program and will compete in F2 next year. Maybe we won't have to wait until next year; he'll have the opportunity this year."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll be able to fight side by side someday."

As he spoke, Brown looked at Lu Zhizhou. A knowing glint appeared in Lu Zhizhou's eyes; it seemed Norris's appearance today was no coincidence.

Norris stared blankly, then quipped in a comical tone, "Uh, you mean, do I need to defeat him, or don't I need to defeat him?"

Lu Zhizhou looked at him earnestly and said, "You should try your best."

Norris squinted at Lu Zhizhou, "Was I just looked down upon?"

Brown, standing to the side, was laughing so hard he was doubled over. His beer belly looked like a ripe watermelon, ready to explode at any moment. Did he really not need to change into a looser T-shirt?

Just then, a figure quickly passed by them in a race walking style.

Brown smiled and greeted him, "Fernando!"

That was none other than Hernando Alonso, a Spaniard who entered F1 in 2001. He is the most senior and longest-serving active driver, jokingly referred to as a "living fossil of the paddock," a two-time World Drivers' Championship winner, and currently races for McLaren.

However, Alonso continued walking straight ahead as if he neither heard nor saw Brown.

Brown gave an awkward smirk. "Old man, your hearing isn't good."

Brown tried to remain calm and continue chatting with Lu Zhizhou, but he couldn't hold out for long. After about fifteen seconds, he surrendered, saying, "I need to go to a meeting. We'll talk again when we have a chance."

After saying that, Brown turned around hurriedly and jogged to catch up with Alonso.

Some have described Alonso as follows: purely from a driving skill perspective, Alonso is a textbook example, even arguably the best in history; as a Spanish driver, Alonso is also a national treasure, having created countless glories and set numerous records, placing him at the very top of the pyramid.

That's precisely why Alonso has always been arrogant, confident, and demanding. He believes he should chase Schumacher's record of seven world championships and become the best in history. Even if he doesn't win seven world championships, he should at least surpass Senna's three. He has always been chasing the fastest car in the paddock.

Throughout his 15-year career, Alonso constantly changed teams, switching between Renault, McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, and McLaren, experiencing a series of ups and downs.

Of course, changing teams is perfectly normal in the paddock, but for a top driver like Alonso to change teams so frequently is not the norm.

This often means that he doesn't have enough patience and the technical team to build a top-notch race car. He believes in his own abilities and habitually thinks that the reason the car isn't fast enough is the technical team's fault. Every time he fails to win the championship, he easily wavers and changes course to find another fast car.

This year is no different.

McLaren is currently at the bottom of the constructors' championship standings, and Alonso is starting to make moves again.

Rumors suggest that the decision of whether Alonso stays or leaves is not in McLaren's hands.

Based on all the clues and the scene just now, Lu Zhizhou made a bold guess: Brown might not be willing to surrender and be slaughtered at will, and he was also putting pressure on Alonso through various means.

But judging from Brown's reaction, Alonso should still be in the lead.

The tension in the paddock was palpable for Lu Zhizhou. With only twenty driver seats, even a change in one driver's position could trigger a chain reaction in other teams, potentially spreading all the way to F2 and even GP3.

The calculations and gamesmanship between teams, between teams and drivers, and between drivers are constantly changing and undercurrents are surging.

Whether it's Leclerc or Lu Zhizhou, the emergence of these young drivers, attempting to break through the barriers and enter the paddock, is by no means easy. They must disrupt the interconnected chains of interests and make their voices heard in a tightly controlled environment, and track performance is the only bargaining chip for these young people.

That's why, when Lu Zhizhou stood with Norris, he could clearly sense that the gazes cast from every corner of the enclosure were increasing. Now, Lu Zhizhou was truly under the spotlight, and the pressure was mounting. Every move he made from now on was crucial.

Amidst a sweltering heat, the third race of the GP3 season officially took place at Silverstone Circuit in the UK. Even without careful observation, it was immediately noticeable that from qualifying onwards, a throng of eyes, accompanied by the sweltering heat, swept across the track.

The GP3 seems to be quietly ushering in its spring.

……

Silverstone Circuit is not only rich in history, but also a classic and traditional circuit.

Compared to modern racetracks specifically designed for motorsports, Silverstone retains the authentic romantic fantasies about motorsports that people had half a century ago.

"fast and Furious".

Although the film series of the same name has long since deviated from its original purpose and evolved into a science fiction genre, it is indeed a perfect description of Silverstone Circuit.

If the Barcelona circuit tests balance and the Red Bull Ring tests the transition between offense and defense, then Silverstone tests rhythm.

Silverstone Circuit boasts long straights comparable to the Barcelona circuit, but with more corners than both the Barcelona circuit and the Red Bull Ring, totaling eighteen corners. Logically, more corners would limit speed, but Silverstone's circuit is dominated by high-speed corners, showcasing the allure of speed to the fullest.

If I had to summarize Silverstone Circuit in one keyword, it would be—

Smooth.

This track allows drivers to fully demonstrate their understanding of speed, moving with ease and grace, making it a truly pleasing track to the eye.

Therefore, it's not just because of its long history, but also because it's a highly scenic retro racetrack that attracts countless spectators every year to experience the pure charm of racing up close.

Undoubtedly, the FIA ​​meticulously considered all aspects when selecting tracks and setting the schedule for GP3. So far, the three tracks have distinct styles, testing the different abilities of young drivers and laying the groundwork for their advancement to the next level. Then, they move on to F2, and with the addition of city street circuits, they are building a path to the ultimate test step by step.

really!

Silverstone Circuit lived up to expectations, with the highly anticipated GP3 once again delivering surprises.

The qualifying matches were exciting and full of climaxes.

ART team remains superior and maintains a commanding lead, with their excellent car setup keeping them ahead. Coupled with the fact that the Trident team, Bokolachi, is currently the only team that can challenge them, the qualifying session was a fierce battle with the two teams neck and neck, eliciting gasps from Silverstone.

At one point, Bokolać broke the ART team's blockade, setting a stunning time of 1 minute 47.052 seconds, taking the lead amidst the cheers and applause of the crowd.

And for a long time afterward, when almost everyone thought Bokolaci had a chance to break the shackles and overturn the competitive landscape of the season, the ART drivers once again defended the team's honor.

First up was Hubert, whose fastest lap time of 1 minute 46 seconds broke the 833-second barrier for the first time. After honing his skills in the first two races, this young driver is shining brightly.

Russell then showed no weakness, finishing in 1 minute 46.714 seconds, overtaking his teammate by a mere 0.119 seconds to temporarily take the lead, sending Silverstone into a frenzy.

It's home ground, after all. Even though it's just GP3, Russell won a cheer, with passionate fans shouting his name at the top of their lungs.

Then Han Selong took the stage. Han Selong, whose plans have been completely disrupted so far this season, has been holding his breath. He did not join the ART team to become a stepping stone. Britain is also his home ground, and his desire to prove himself on home ground is no less than Russell's.

Now, he's driving the fastest car in the paddock, yet he still can't win a single victory. Who can he blame?

He needs to prove himself, and the sooner the better.

As expected, Han Shilong demonstrated his speed, setting a new record in both the first and second timed periods, making him the fastest in the entire event, and sprinting towards pole position.

However, at the 15th turn where the super long straight connects to the right angle bend, the braking point was too late, causing the tires to slip slightly and half of the car to leave the track, losing time and completely ruining Han Shilong's fastest lap. He couldn't even squeeze into the top five, let alone the top three, and the whole stadium was filled with groans.

After the qualifying match ended, Han Shilong sat blankly at the entrance of the pit room, looking utterly hopeless and confused. He still couldn't figure out what had happened.

There was no time for mourning, no time for complaining; all eyes on the track were focused on car number two, the last car to perform its flying lap.

Now, there is only one competitor left, and Russell is just one driver away from taking pole position at home.

In the previous race in Austria, Russell edged out Lu Zhizhou by a mere three-thousandths of a second to take pole position, proving that he could defeat Lu Zhizhou.

This also gives the home crowd hope that Russell will defeat Lu Zhizhou again and take the lead in the main tournament, sounding the horn for a comeback in the season.

In the first timeout, Russell was faster.

In the second time slot, Lu Zhizhou was faster.

Judging from the results of the first two time periods, the two were neck and neck, and the entire audience held their breath, focusing their attention on the final third time period.

Just now, Han Shilong made a mistake and ruined his pole position hopes. So what about Lu Zhizhou now?

The strokes flowed like dragons and snakes, like mercury spilling onto the ground; the unrestrained and elegant driving lines were a pure pleasure, making the entire Silverstone circuit hold its breath.

Third time slot, purple buff, fastest overall.

1: 46.608!

Pole position belongs to Lu Zhizhou, who overtook Russell by a mere 0.106 points in the final moments of qualifying to secure his second pole position of the season.

That was thrilling, absolutely thrilling!
Once again, ART performed strongly, with Lu Zhizhou, Russell, and Hubert taking the top three spots in qualifying. However, this time, the criticism that Lu Zhizhou had a fast car was noticeably less intense, given the performance of the Silverstone qualifying session.

Under the spotlight of the home crowd and amidst the turmoil in the paddock, with Russell displaying superb skills and Han Se-ryong making crucial mistakes, and with only one lap left in qualifying, the pressure from all sides reached its peak, and a suffocating heatwave spread throughout the region.

However, Lu Zhizhou, who was only seventeen years old, still managed to ignore the noise and withstand the pressure, concentrating on running the fastest lap and taking pole position.

In an instant, the entire venue erupted in cheers.

Unlike the previous two races, this pole position showcased Lu Zhizhou's composure and focus under extreme pressure, proving that he rises to the challenge when facing strong opponents.

Whether you like Lu Zhizhou or not, his performance in this sprint was truly amazing!
Furthermore, Lu Zhizhou continued his strong performance on the main competition stage in the evening.

In the world of competitive sports, there exists a type of athlete who performs exceptionally well on the biggest stage, in crucial moments, and under the spotlight.

They not only possess a strong heart, but also an incredible will and belief, and they were born for such a grand spectacle of decisive victory.

Lu Zhizhou seemed to feel the same way, feeling the pressure and the attention, his fighting spirit soaring, igniting 200% of his passion and enthusiasm.

In the race, the 0.19-second start reaction time and perfect clutch control, from the start to the line and then to the corners, left no flaws in any of the operations.

Everything was perfect.

Russell shook off his slump in the Red Bull Ring sprint, going all out and refusing to give an inch, launching a decisive attack from the very first corner.

Moving forward side by side! Two stars shining brightly!

However, there was no chance, not even a sliver of a chance.

Having honed his skills in the Spanish and Austrian legs, Lu Zhizhou seems to be continuing to grow and improve, using a perfect start to block all of Russell's attacks.

Furthermore, they dominated the competition, leaving no gaps or weaknesses, firmly holding their position and successfully turning pole position into final victory.

The entire venue erupted in cheers!
Flowing smoothly and seamlessly—

A pure visual treat.

This is Silverstone Circuit, where you can truly appreciate the drivers unleashing their speed and passion, and deeply feel the charm of racing.

And Lu Zhizhou did it once again. From the final lap of qualifying to complete control of the race, he perfectly embodied the word "smooth". He led and dominated the entire race without leaving any flaws, leaving everyone in despair and decisively extinguishing all suspense.

In fact, Russell and Hubert also did not make any mistakes throughout the game, but precisely because of this, Lu Zhizhou's excellence was all the more impressive.

Despite Russell making no mistakes and pressing relentlessly throughout the game, constantly trying to overtake Lu Zhizhou, he couldn't find any opportunities and followed Lu Zhizhou across the finish line just 1.222 seconds behind, demonstrating Lu Zhizhou's incredible control of the pace.

The race has ended, and the ART team has secured a podium finish for the second consecutive race.

Lu Zhizhou. Russell. Hubert.

Rarely seen, the paddock remained bustling with activity even after the GP3 main race had ended.

The stands remained packed, with over 80% of the spectators staying until the very end of Saturday. Other teams in the paddock did not leave immediately either, with many staff members and even team leaders watching the race live. GP3 has never garnered so much attention.

Actually, it wasn't just GP3 ​​that deserves credit; F2 also played a part.

In the afternoon's F2 race, Leclerc continued his strong performance, dominating Silverstone once again, from pole position to the championship, eliminating all suspense.

After missing the Monaco Grand Prix due to personal matters, Leclerc displayed incredible dominance, winning three consecutive races. Although various unexpected events and situations occurred in the sprint races, preventing him from winning all three, his strong upward momentum remained unstoppable.

His popularity is no less than that of Verstappen when he won six consecutive titles in two consecutive weekends, and the buzz surrounding Leclerc is spreading far and wide.

Currently, Leclerc is competing in F2 and has a very good chance of becoming the first driver to win the championship in his first F2 appearance. His next step is undoubtedly F1. More than one or two teams in the paddock are interested in him, and major teams such as Mercedes-Benz and Red Bull have been mentioned in the rumors.

However, Ferrari has an exclusive contract with Leclerc, which includes a priority signing right. This means that if other teams want to sign Leclerc, they either have to pay a penalty or wait for Ferrari to give up on him. So these old foxes haven't revealed their hand yet.

Because Leclerc was in the lead, Lu Zhizhou's popularity also soared, which brought GP3 ​​a rare amount of attention.

However, after the GP3 race, Leclerc's name almost completely disappeared, and all that was said about him was Lu Zhizhou.

The reason is that although people realize the possibility of Lu Zhizhou continuing to win, and one or two people jokingly talk about it, no one denies the possibility; but deep down they do not really believe it, and even subconsciously deny the possibility, treating it as just a topic of conversation.

Three years ago, Verstappen achieved a six-peat in two weekends, which shocked the entire motorsport world and created an opportunity for him to rise to the top.

Undoubtedly, this is a miracle, unprecedented and likely to remain so; but as astonishing as it may be, no one can overlook a key point—

The so-called six-peat was actually achieved over two weekends and two races, but the F3 European Series simply had three races scheduled for one weekend.

In the world of motorsports, different cities and different tracks can be vastly different. Track design, weather conditions, and car setup can all be completely different. It is extremely difficult for a car to completely dominate all tracks. Moreover, for cars like F2 and GP3, which are standardized and have such small differences, changing tracks can mean a completely new race. Maintaining dominance over different weekends is very difficult, even more so than in F1.

Back then, after Verstappen swept all the championships in the F3 European Series for two consecutive weekends, he went to Moscow, where he finished third, retired, and finished second in the three races. Then he went to the Red Bull Ring, where he failed to reach the podium in any of the three races.

In fact, the 2014 F3 European Series champion was Esteban Ocon, while Verstappen finished third at the end of the year.

The case is right in front of us.

Naturally, they arrived at Silverstone Circuit, the third city and the third circuit. No one thought Lu Zhizhou could continue to win; those discussions were just idle chatter.

As a result, Lu Zhizhou won.

Not only did they win, but they completely dominated the game with a convincing performance.

Three tracks, three styles—Lu Zhizhou showcases his skills, abilities, and talents in all aspects, emerging as a force to be reckoned with.

Indeed, judging from the number of consecutive wins, Lu Zhizhou's five-game winning streak has not yet broken Verstappen's record. However, the five victories span three tracks, and on tracks with very different styles. From this perspective, Lu Zhizhou has already written a new chapter in history and stolen all the spotlight.

Like Leclerc, he won three consecutive main draw titles at Baku, Red Bull Ring, and Silverstone.

Lu Zhizhou went even further than Leclerc, winning not only the main race but also the sprint race, a feat that caused a sensation throughout the paddock.

Verstappen? A thing of the past.

Leclerc? Slightly inferior.

The entire hunting grounds were abuzz with talk of Lu Zhizhou; he was the sole focus, and no one was an exception.

This young man, who seemed to spring from the cracks in the rocks, turned the entire hunting ground upside down with overwhelming force, leaving everyone unable to contain their excitement.

Previously, those labels that drew criticism, such as "lack of experience," "unknown," "latecomer," "Asian driver," and "street stylist," have all transformed into components of a mysterious aura in the face of victory after victory, making everything that is happening before our eyes even more legendary.

Verstappen and Leclerc's excellence is traceable, having grown under the watchful eyes of countless people in the racing world; but Lu Zhizhou is different, emerging like a hurricane, breaking frameworks, breaking rules, breaking habits, and forging a completely different path.

So much so that it caught everyone completely off guard.

So, should the team leaders gamble on Lu Zhizhou? What will Lu Zhizhou's next move be in the paddock?

Of course, these discussions are not so simple. Everyone knows that the hunting grounds are a place of intertwined interests and fame, where unseen battles are constantly clashing.

The paddock is not what it was ten years ago. Back then, Hamilton, who was penniless, was able to become a McLaren driver, but now the paddock has been thoroughly eroded and infiltrated by capital. It can no longer easily make such bold and risky moves. Everything is a game of strategy.

The future of Leclerc and Lu Zhizhou remains uncertain; but at least one exciting and thrilling topic is right before their eyes:

Who can defeat Lu Zhizhou?

This scene was probably something no one expected before the start of the GP3 season.

(End of this chapter)