Speed ​​God

Chapter 16 A Glimpse

Surprises kept coming one after another.

Originally, Marchionne only hoped that Lu Zhizhou could bring some ripples to this stagnant pool, but now he could no longer tell how much of that original intention remained.

Without thinking, Marchionne turned to Todt, his excitement barely concealed, "Is it normal to be lapping laps on my first time using a simulator? Or am I just not professional enough, or am I inexperienced?"

Todd didn't answer, but a slight smile played on his lips as he tilted his head, his eyes never leaving Lu Zhizhou and the screen.

If you didn't see things clearly last night, and it was all just a sudden whim, then inviting Lu Zhizhou was just a convenient move, a bit willful and rebellious. The focus was never on Lu Zhizhou, but on the Ferrari Youth Academy. As for Lu Zhizhou, it was just a one-off deal.

Simply put, a tool, a tool with a daily wage of eight thousand euros.

Now, Todd realizes that his intuition might be correct, or even contradict his own assumptions, that Lu Zhizhou, who was originally unimportant, should be the real protagonist today.

Todd said in a deep voice, "Something's not right."

As soon as he finished speaking, Todd's lips curled up, his good mood involuntarily showing. It wasn't just because he had unearthed a treasure for the Ferrari Junior Academy, but simply because he had once again felt the joy of racing through Lu Zhizhou, a pure, simple yet intense joy.

"But he knows what he's doing. He's reading the track and the car in his own way, or rather, he's letting his imagination run wild and giving it his all. He's not setting lap records, he's just... enjoying the speed."

Lap 21.

Everything went smoothly and effortlessly ahead, and Lu Zhizhou seemed to have found his rhythm.

however!
Just before the final medium-speed compound corner leading into the straight, Lu Zhizhou surprisingly adopted a very risky strategy of crossing the line, with almost the entire right front wheel going onto the curb, causing the car to bounce slightly as a result.

A mistake? Impulsiveness? Rushing things?
Generally speaking, the typical entry speed of an F4 simulator should be around 120 kilometers per hour at this point, but Lu Zhizhou's speed has already exceeded 140 kilometers per hour. At high speed, even the slightest deviation or change can have a huge impact, much like the butterfly effect.

It's a real nail-biter.

Monfatini was also slightly disappointed and couldn't help but make excuses for Lu Zhizhou. He was a young man, so it was understandable that he was a little impulsive. Moreover, the time was too short, and Lu Zhizhou had not mastered the car's performance limits. Some flaws and mistakes were understandable.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhizhou used this slight lift to merge his entire being with the virtual vehicle, moving with effortless grace and fluidity to "swing" out an inertial angle.

The front of the car swayed slightly! The rear of the car locked onto it precisely!
The simulator platform is shaking violently!
The next second, the camera shot out of the corner like an arrow, achieving the best cornering speed of the entire event!

Pull the trigger, and speed skyrockets—

160 kilometers!
It smoothly cut into the straightaway, its speed continuing to climb. The F4 car unleashed its full performance, accelerating faster and faster until it became a red afterimage, leaving a long trail behind it. The roar of the engine ignited the air, and the whole world was engulfed in a red flame, making everyone's blood boil with excitement.

Almost simultaneously, the lap time on the main screen refreshed!
1: 34.206!

All purple laps, today's fastest lap time!
In an instant, the air froze, all sounds disappeared, even the sound of breathing vanished.

Monfatini immediately looked at Leclerc, "F2?"

Leclerc shook his head. "F4."

Leclerc is the most promising young driver in Ferrari's junior academy, hailed as a genius, and will be promoted to F2 next year.

Monfatini assumed that Leclerc had just set a lap record on the simulator in F2 mode, so Lu Zhizhou's record in F4 mode was nothing to be surprised about; he probably hadn't surpassed Leclerc's fastest lap time.

But Leclerc denied it.

This also means that... in less than thirty minutes, a newcomer who was using the simulator for the first time actually broke Leclerc's warm-up record.

With just a glance, both Montfattini and Leclerc realized what it truly meant.

Marchio's heart was surging with excitement. He lowered his hands, which had been crossed over his chest, and couldn't help but step forward, glancing at Todd with barely concealed excitement. Todd, on the other hand, remained calm and didn't respond to Marchio, his eyes fixed on Lu Zhizhou.

Lu Zhizhou hasn't stopped yet. Does this mean... they can still have hope?

Todd is right.

Now it's time for Lu Zhizhou's performance. Like a dolphin entering the sea, he freely displays his abilities, riding the waves and chasing the storm.

On the 25th lap, Lu Zhizhou broke the 1 minute 34 second barrier for the first time: 1:33.931.

Huh!
Leclerc's gaze sharpened. Laymen might not know the difference in lap times, but professional drivers know that in F4, the difference is not significant, and improving the fastest lap time by 0.2 seconds is far more difficult than imagined.

The fastest lap that Lu Zhizhou just surpassed was only Leclerc's warm-up lap this morning, nothing special. But Leclerc himself knows that if he wants to break the 1 minute 34 second barrier, it will take some time for him to stay focused and get into the zone. Things are not that simple.

However, Lu Zhizhou only took four laps.

Even more incredibly, Lu Zhizhou still hasn't stopped his pursuit of breakthroughs.

Then, twenty-six laps, twenty-seven laps, twenty-eight laps...

Not only was it fast, but it was also stable. Lu Zhizhou demonstrated his consistency, completely erasing his previous performance of making mistakes and fluctuating wildly.

The lap time remained consistently around 1 minute and 34 seconds. Although there were some deviations, considering that this was Lu Zhizhou's first time trying Formula racing, it was enough to surprise everyone.

If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, no one would believe that in just half an hour, you could witness a novice transform into a pro.

Reborn!

Then, the record was born—

1: 33.572!

This is the fastest lap time on this simulator. And it's not just today; it's the best ever!
Everything was unbelievable. In just ten laps, after setting today's best, Lu Zhizhou was able to continue to improve his personal best, improving by a total of 0.634 seconds.

This is an F4 race car! Even in a simulator, it's still just F4! After breaking the limits, it can even leap further!
This is probably the limit, a perfect lap!
Who would have thought that Lu Zhizhou would run a perfect lap in less than an hour? What kind of ability is that?

The simulator's engine noise had fallen silent, and the last red afterimage disappeared at the edge of the screen, as if it had never existed.

However, there was silence in the air, and no one spoke.

It's not that no one wants to speak, but rather that no one knows what to say, and no one dares to break the silence.

1: 33.572.

In the world of Formula One racing, people always say, "The stopwatch doesn't lie." All the answers and the truth are hidden in the numbers on the stopwatch, revealing the quality of the car and the strength of the driver.

The same is true right now.

This set of figures, laid out before us, is like a stone thrown into a deep pool, creating not splashes, but ripples—a shock and lingering impact that defies description.

Only true professionals understand what these numbers mean, and what it means that Lu Zhizhou created such numbers in less than an hour.

And everyone present was a professional.

　This racing novice is desperately seeking support! It truly needs the nurturing of all readers. Keeping up with the story is crucial, absolutely crucial. Thank you all so much!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)