Speed ​​God

Chapter 88 Sword Challenges the Heroes
Ah, ahhh!
The spectators on one side of the starting line went wild, the speed and passion of Formula One racing exploding right before their eyes, their adrenaline surging.

Huh!
In the live stream, Croft and Brendel both gasped, exchanged a glance, and their eyes were full of surprise.

Just like Russell, they believed that Lu Zhizhou could surpass Yu Bell, but "believing" is just believing, and actually witnessing it with one's own eyes is another matter; and completing it in a short lap time is yet another completely different matter. Beyond the excitement, the two professionals saw much more.

Surprise!

An absolute surprise!

The live stream immediately switched to slow-motion replay, and it could be seen that in the section from turn 13 to turn 15, Hubert's handling on the second lap was slightly shaky, and he braked a little too early, so his exit speed did not pick up. It was just a fleeting deviation.

However, Lu Zhizhou, who was completely focused, caught it.

Lu Zhizhou braked suddenly and pushed Turn 15 to its limit, exiting the turn amidst turbulence and swaying, but without stopping, he floored the accelerator.

A strong exit from the corner.

Hubert and Lu Zhizhou exited the turn one after the other, but Lu Zhizhou's lightning-fast reaction shortened the gap, and everyone saw what happened next.

On the straightaway, catch the wake; break free, overtake, and hold on tight to the apex of Turn 1.

Flowing clouds and flowing water, all in one go.

They gave Huber no chance to fight back, smoothly entering Turn 1 and Turn 2 and immediately increasing their speed.

Wonderful!

Brendel was full of praise, saying, "Judging from the result, Hubert only made a small mistake at Turn 15, and Lu Zhizhou turned the tide."

"But in reality, Lu Zhizhou had been relentlessly pursuing Yu Beier, not only keeping up with Yu Beier's pace, but also constantly applying pressure, ensuring that Yu Beier could always feel his presence in his rearview mirror, leaving no room for mistakes."

"Hubert has never been able to break free, and he has been gradually brought closer by the pressure."

"Then, a window of opportunity appeared, and Lu Zhizhou seized it firmly."

"Now, the same situation continues, but in a different position. Hubert is chasing Lu Zhizhou, and Hubert is trying to keep up with the pace and maintain pressure."

"However, look at Lu Zhizhou's handling. He slightly increased the pace and used the braking points of the continuous corners to control the game. He fully utilized the advantages of the Barcelona circuit. Before entering Turn 10, the gap between car number two and car number four had widened to 0.8 seconds."

"However, that's still not all. In the third time slot, Lu Zhizhou accelerated."

The words stopped abruptly.

Brendel watched Lu Zhizhou drive intently; the driving was like a turbulent yet graceful and fluid river, the roaring engine sounding as turbulent as a flowing stream.

Emerging from Turn 16, the red and black race car transformed into a streak of light, vividly demonstrating the essence of racing speed on the main straight.

A pure visual treat.

"Beautiful!" Croft slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "The gap between Lu Zhizhou and Hubert has widened to 1.033 seconds. Lu Zhizhou's handling of the last two laps was absolutely brilliant and wonderful. He has now overtaken his two teammates from ART and risen to fourth place, and is preparing to challenge for the podium."

"We can now confirm that the collision between Pulcioni and Lu Zhizhou at Turn 2 on the first lap had no effect on either car."

"That's a good thing."

"Because Lu Zhizhou's next target is... Bokolachi."

In yesterday's race, Bokolaci started third on the grid and had a chance to win, but he finished sixth and was furious afterwards.

In today's sprint race, Bokolaci started third on the grid again. He didn't want to repeat his mistake. In the cutthroat world of Formula One racing, wasting any opportunity is a sin against the gods. He couldn't afford to waste it a second time, or he might have to change careers.

More importantly, he didn't want to lose to Lu Zhizhou, that amateur, again!
For Lu Zhizhou, the situation remains far from optimistic.

Borrepell's voice came over the radio, "...The vehicle's balance is currently unaffected, everything is normal; however, the temperature of the left front tire is showing a clear upward trend and needs to be controlled."

Despite Lu Zhizhou's conscious efforts to increase the temperature of the right front tire in an attempt to maintain the car's balance, the Barcelona circuit was causing too much wear and tear on the left front tire. Even at only the fourth lap, the monitoring data was already issuing warnings, and Borrepeller immediately alerted him.

The game wasn't even a third of the way through yet.

This is one obstacle, and the other is the gap. Just as Lu Zhizhou was struggling in the meat grinder of the traffic, the three cars in front had already sped away. They were steadily widening the gap at their own pace. Now Lu Zhizhou and Bokolaqi were about two seconds apart.

This is a GP3. In non-boost mode, a two-second difference might take five to seven laps to catch up.

Catching up is just catching up; overtaking requires additional effort. If you hesitate or get bogged down for even a moment, the sprint might be over.

It's obvious that this will be a severe test for the tires, which explains why it's so difficult to win both the main race and the sprint race in GP3.

And you also need a bit of luck.

Although Lu Zhizhou climbed from eighth to fourth place in just three laps, the real problem and challenge lies in the gap in front of him.

however--

Challenges are what make things interesting, aren't they?

Lu Zhizhou has always believed that street racing is the real thrill and fun, while Formula One racing has too many rules and restrictions, making it dull and uninteresting.

It turns out that Formula One racing has a different kind of fun. This is a completely new discovery.

Lu Zhizhou inspected the tires and said, "They are in good condition so far, with no visible wear. Please keep me updated on the tire temperature changes."

“Pierre, I need to activate the propulsion mode slightly.”

Borrepeller's heart was pounding, and he could only barely maintain his composure. Although this was their first match together, an unspoken understanding had formed between them. "Roger that."

Pursuit was necessary, but Lu Zhizhou didn't blindly charge forward. He slightly increased the pace and paid attention to controlling the vehicle's balance, gradually eroding Bokola's advantage.

Furthermore, they begin setting up their strategy before actually pursuing the enemy into their attack range, much like in the game of Go.

Sometimes it would peek out and slip into Bokolaci's rearview mirror, deliberately startling him; other times it would retreat, creating distance to make Bokolaci relax.

At times, they advanced rapidly, seemingly prepared to go all out and confront each other head-on, even at the cost of mutual destruction, which kept Bokolaci on edge.

The seemingly chaotic pace of progress was actually entirely under Lu Zhizhou's control. In just four laps, Lu Zhizhou kept Bokolaqi on edge and extremely annoyed.

Bokolaci also tried to increase the pace and widen the gap, completely shaking off Lu Zhizhou, and even launched an attack on the two in front, but the Trident team's setup was still not as good as ART. Bokolaci felt that Lu Zhizhou was like a maggot clinging to his bone, and he could not shake him off no matter what he did, but he could not confront him head-on.

A breath caught in Bokolaci's throat, all his deep hatred turning into frustration and resentment.

Amidst the continuous roar of the engine, he no longer cared about anger or rage. At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: it would be better to have a proper and decisive battle, regardless of life or death, than to be toyed with like this, neither alive nor dead.

Like a cat playing with a mouse.

Every punch lands with a vengeance, regardless of life or death, and whatever the outcome, bringing it to a clean and decisive end.

Just then, Bokolaqi saw Lu Zhizhou's race car lurking in the rearview mirror again, rapidly approaching with a wave of heat –

Here we go again. So, is this another feint?

Wait, no, not this time.

The wolves have really come.

Ninth lap!
In the blink of an eye, the sprint race is already halfway through, and the cars and drivers seem to be just getting into the rhythm. The race has entered a fierce and intense stage.

After passing the main straight section, the gap between Lu Zhizhou and Bokolaqi narrowed significantly, falling within one second. Bokolaqi's nerves tightened again.

On the Barcelona circuit, the corners are tight, limiting overtaking opportunities; coupled with Lu Zhizhou's car setup giving him a clear advantage on the straights, Bokolaci naturally assumed that Lu Zhizhou should overtake him near the long straight and Turn 1. Therefore, upon catching another glimpse of that rapidly approaching figure in his rearview mirror, Bokolaci immediately became alert, yet couldn't help but wonder if it was another feint—

In the first four laps, Lu Zhizhou used the "crying wolf" strategy more than once, making Bokolaci anxious and uneasy, but there was never any real threat.

So, this time?

No, it's not.

Bokolaci remained vigilant and immediately noticed Lu Zhizhou's actions. This time it was for real; Lu Zhizhou was preparing to overtake from the outside.

"Caught!"

Bokola was overjoyed; his focused attention had finally paid off, and he had not been fooled, accurately seeing through Lu Zhizhou's trick.

Bokolaci immediately switched to defensive mode, turning left to block the lane and squeeze Lu Zhizhou's overtaking space, but at the same time, he did not completely shake off Lu Zhizhou, thus avoiding leaving any gaps on the inside and eliminating any possibility of Lu Zhizhou taking advantage of the situation. His lightning-fast maneuvering demonstrated his top-level skills.

As expected, Lu Zhizhou was forced to retreat and his attempt failed.

Bokolachi is now fully focused on his battle mode, having suppressed his emotions and endured his pent-up frustration, finally getting the chance to make his move.

At this moment, it is clear that Bokolaci and Lu Zhizhou have slowed down at Turn 1, Turn 2, and Turn 3. Not only have they widened the gap with the vehicles in front, but Hubert behind them is also closing in. Bokolaci's excellent defense has disrupted Lu Zhizhou's plans and put him in a serious crisis.

It must be said that Bokolać's performance during this period was truly outstanding, and Rickroft in the live stream also praised him highly.

Brendel agreed.

While admiring Bokolaci, Brendel subtly noticed something different about Lu Zhizhou. Bokolaci's line, set up with understeer, was incredibly smooth. Normally, Bokolaci's cornering rhythm was his strength, something Lu Zhizhou had to be fully focused on to keep up with. But now, Bokolaci was sacrificing his cornering rhythm for defense. On the surface, he seemed to be repeatedly defending against Lu Zhizhou's attacks, but in reality…

Brendel's intuition sensed something was amiss. In the ever-changing game, his inexplicable intuition made his nerves taut and alert.

Then, at the seventh right-angle turn, Bokolachi and Lu Zhizhou entered the turn one after the other. Lu Zhizhou braked much later, and it looked like the rear and front of the car were about to collide. Bokolachi narrowly escaped, but Lu Zhizhou followed closely behind Bokolachi and quickly left the turn.

Race car number two, with its rear wing swaying, but Lu Zhizhou's steering and throttle control demonstrated an incredible ability to perceive dynamic balance. The swaying car did not deviate from its course or lose speed. Then, it swerved to the right, leaving the Bokolachi's rear wheels in the dirty air and gaining space.

The difference is within a second.

DRS, activated—

At the Barcelona circuit, there are only two DRS zones throughout the race: one on the long straight after Turn 16 and the other on the short straight after Turn 8.

Huh!
Brendel held his breath instantly; it was all premeditated, all part of a plan.

As Lu Zhizhou entered the first bend from the main straight road, he began to make his plans.

He relentlessly pressured Bokolaci into a full-scale defensive posture, which inevitably resulted in a loss of racing line and rhythm in the corners; at the same time, Lu Zhizhou made up for his own losses, keeping up with the rhythm step by step, all for the sake of the DRS area in front of him.

Effortlessly, without any entanglement or crisis, they took full advantage of the track terrain and overtook the enemy in one fell swoop.

Not only patient, but also intelligent, with a comprehensive plan; when they strike, they guarantee a fatal blow.

Please enter the urn.

Bokolaci's brilliant performance was like a swan song, a final act before losing his lead. He released all his energy without reservation, and the moment his emotions plummeted from their peak was the moment Lu Zhizhou turned the tide and overtook him.

Everything was under Lu Zhizhou's control.

Brendel stared wide-eyed at the live stream. Lu Zhizhou, with DRS activated, once again demonstrated his straight-line speed, leaving everyone else in the dust and easily overtaking him. Then, he turned off DRS, sped through Turn 9, completely leaving Bokolaqi behind, and in one fell swoop widened the gap before disappearing into the hairpin turn 10.

Bokolać was completely powerless to retaliate.

After a long and arduous defensive effort with numerous brilliant moments, Bokolaci thought he had shone brightly and won the spotlight.

In an instant, it came to an abrupt end, completely reversed.

Bokolaci was momentarily stunned, even forgetting his anger and frustration, rendered incapable of reacting, and completely bewildered—

So, who is the veteran and who is the novice?
"Entering the corner. Exiting the corner. DRS."

"Pretty!"

"Crisp and decisive, a fatal blow. Lu Zhizhou overtook the car and widened the gap by using Turn 9. Bokolaci was clearly caught off guard."

“Bokolać must be careful, Hubert has caught up.”

"but!"

"Oh, an opportunity!"

The scene was chaotic and overwhelming.

Just moments before, Lu Zhizhou overtook another car in the DRS zone; shortly after, the two drivers currently leading the Barcelona circuit were locked in a tight battle.

The second driver on the grid, Manny, from the Janzer team, is launching a strong attack on pole position sprinter Seaman of the Campos team.

It was obvious that the Campos team lacked mechanical grip and struggled in low-speed corners. Seaman showed signs of understeer multiple times in consecutive corners, barely managing to maintain his rhythm with precise lines; however, Manny's attacks were aggressive and relentless, showing no signs of stopping.

Clearly, the Janzer team informed Manny that Bokolaci and Lu Zhizhou were locked in a tight battle behind him, and he needed to seize the opportunity to overtake, widen the gap, and establish a safe window.

However, Seaman was unwilling to surrender and refused to relinquish his lead. The back-and-forth struggle became extremely intense, and the two sides became entangled.

As a result, at Turn 14, Seaman braked too deeply, missed the opportunity to turn, and his car went straight off the track, losing all his lead.

Manny passed quickly, followed closely by Lu Zhizhou, and even Bokolaci and Huber passed smoothly, while Seaman's ranking plummeted.

A slight difference can lead to a huge error; the ever-changing nature of Formula One racing is on full display here.

The excitement came one after another, and when Croft came to his senses, he unexpectedly discovered—

"Lu Zhizhou has risen to second place, now he's at full speed chasing after Manny!"

incredible!

Everything happened so fast that it was almost too late to blink, and Lu Zhizhou had already followed Manny's footsteps into the main road at lightning speed.

Manny was startled. He hadn't yet recovered from the joy of surpassing He-Man when he saw the red and black light bursting out of the horizon in his rearview mirror.

Manny could hardly believe his eyes. "Wasn't Dorian supposed to be defending him with all his might?"

A response came over the radio, "He has overtaken. Repeat, he has overtaken. Ah Jun, concentrate, keep up our pace. There's no more polluted air ahead, we just need to run to the end. This is our race."

Manny swallowed hard. He spoke simply: that guy had chased him from eighth to second place all the way up. He was a demon. He had activated his annihilation mode. Now there was only one survivor left. Just like the T1000 in "Terminator 2" who kept chasing him, the psychological pressure was off the charts.

Do you know what it feels like to be followed by the devil?
The hunter and the prey have completely different mindsets. Compared to Manny's dry mouth, Lu Zhizhou remained calm.

Rhythm, pay attention to the rhythm.

At this moment, only one target remained ahead, and Lu Zhizhou's mind and eyes were filled with the afterimage of the race car's tail in the distance.

However, Lu Zhizhou did not lose his head. Just like the pursuit of Bokolaci, this required strategy and planning, and he could not waste the opportunity.

The problem eventually surfaced—

The left front tire is severely worn.

Starting from the dirty side, overtaking continuously, and getting caught in dirty air at close range—all these factors wear down the tires, with the left front tire being in the worst condition.

After overtaking Bokolaci and Seaman, Lu Zhizhou steadily closed in on Manny, but Manny was clearly aware of the threat. The Janzer team's car setup was not as good as ART's, and with Lu Zhizhou's Terminator-like pursuit, he had to speed up.

In the midst of their back-and-forth chase, although the gap narrowed to around one second, before Lu Zhizhou could make any further moves, his race car revealed a problem.

Borrepelle closely monitored the data; although the tire temperature hadn't reached the critical point, it was still worrying. "How are the tires doing now?"

Lu Zhizhou's calm voice came through, "It's bubbling."

Borrepeller took a deep breath. "Roger." He paused briefly. "Maintaining the current pace and finishing the race smoothly is the top priority right now."

“Oh, Pierre, so lacking in confidence in me? A little sad.” Lu Zhizhou’s half-joking voice came through the radio.

Borrepeller choked on his breath. He hadn't expected that he would still have the mind to joke in such a tense situation. His mood also lifted, and he smirked slightly. "What are you planning to do?"

Lu Zhizhou: "Not sure. Let's see how things go in the next two laps. But Pierre, don't give up easily. The race isn't over until you cross the finish line."

It was just a casual remark, but Borrepeller couldn't help but want to believe it. He straightened his back slightly, a sense of conviction rising quietly in his chest. "Received."

As mentioned before, each tire has an operating temperature. Temperatures that are too low or too high will affect grip and may cause premature tire wear.

Bubbling is a typical sign of overheated tires, affecting grip and steering stability; in addition, particle formation is another sign of tire wear.

The situation could be minor or major, but there's no doubt that these are signs of tire deterioration.

Yesterday in the main race, Lu Zhizhou was far ahead, running at his own pace without any tire problems. Today, however, the sprint race was different. Lu Zhizhou was trapped in the traffic and had to chase after the cars all the way, resulting in severe tire wear. Even though the sprint race had fewer laps, he still encountered problems.

What should I do if my tires are bubbling or becoming grainy?
If the driver controls the pace and the tire temperature gradually balances out, these situations can be effectively managed, commonly known as "getting through it".

However, if the tire temperature remains uneven or is exposed to changes in air temperature, it may cause irreversible local damage, and the tire will soon completely fail.

At this point, it tests the driver's control ability, and also requires them to pay attention to their opponents, the track, and the weather. There are indeed many uncertainties.

Obviously, this is completely different from street racing, and also different from simulators and training races. You will only encounter this in real, head-to-head combat.

Lu Zhizhou remained calm and focused, controlling the pace while observing his opponents. If the race car itself malfunctioned, that would be the real test for the driver.

It didn't take long for Lu Zhizhou to realize that Manny was probably facing the same tire problem.

In the first half, Manny kept trying to catch up with Seaman; after overtaking, Manny tried to increase his pace to shake off Lu Zhizhou, but his tires were just as worn out.

So when Lu Zhizhou started to control the pace, Manny tried to continue widening the gap, but the Janzer team instructed him to control the pace.

This is good news. They face the same problem, perhaps in different degrees of severity, but it means that drivers still have room to maneuver.

Before long, Brendel noticed the change. "Lu Zhizhou... is entering qualifying speed mode. It's not that he's going full speed ahead, but his line control and braking points are extremely precise."

"It's clear that Lu Zhizhou prefers an understeer setup to avoid an unstable rear wing and tire wear. Instead, he relies on his own skills to find a precise driving line, speeding smoothly through the curves, as if dancing on the edge of a knife. A little too much or too little could result in bloodshed, and a slight deviation could mean being pierced by a thousand blades."

"But he managed to control it, perfectly navigating the edge of the limit."

"He wasn't going full speed ahead; clearly, his tires were under tremendous pressure. Yet, under the same conditions, he was closing the gap with Manny."

“Over the past three laps, on average, Lu Zhizhou was about 0.2 seconds faster than Mai Ni per lap. The gap between the two has not only not widened, but has continued to narrow.”

Brendel, being a professional, saw through the truth at a glance.

Lu Zhizhou is now dancing on the edge of a knife!
The air bubble in the left front tire affects grip, causing an imbalance in the grip distribution of the four tires and resulting in overall vehicle instability. At the same time, the decrease in grip of this tire causes uneven load when entering a corner, resulting in slight vibrations or even slippage of the race car during cornering, increasing the difficulty of control.

Therefore, Lu Zhizhou had to be fully focused, with all his peripheral nerves taut, constantly adjusting his center of gravity and controlling the balance of the race car. It was as if he were controlling a puppet, but the key point was that he had to complete the puppet control under the influence of the typhoon. All the sensory nerves in his body were mobilized, and he was constantly maintaining the critical point on the edge of balance.

Moreover, this is happening at high speeds; any slight deviation could turn into a disaster, or even end the entire race.

However, it is precisely in this extreme state that Lu Zhizhou is challenging his own limits, and he seems to have entered a state of ethereal tranquility.

He not only needs to compete with his opponents, but also with the car, the track, and himself. His understanding of speed evolves into meticulous driving skills, shining brightly in the fierce, head-to-head collisions.

talent!

So this is what true talent is!
The tires did not deteriorate further, the air bubbles were effectively controlled, and the tire temperature did not exceed the warning line. The race was barely under control on the verge of collapse. Not only Lu Zhizhou, but also Borrepeller was completely tense, sweating profusely, but had no time to wipe it off.

Unfortunately, although Lu Zhizhou managed to pull back from the brink and control the situation, the time and space left for him to counterattack were gradually shrinking.

Lap 14. Lap 15.

The finish line of the sprint race is getting closer and closer.

Borrepeller was completely focused, watching the data intently. "Zhizhou, advance the mode. Advance! Advance! Advance!"

On the sixteenth lap, if we don't push forward now, we'll miss our chance.

However, the Janzer team took the lead, with Manny getting into a fast-paced rhythm. He, who was on the defensive the previous lap, suddenly accelerated his exit from the corners, making extremely precise corners in two consecutive turns, temporarily stabilizing his lead and gaining some breathing room.

The gap between 0.4 and 0.6 seconds kept fluctuating, but Lu Zhizhou was unable to overtake him. Manny had pushed the car to its limit.

On lap seventeen, the 2017 GP3 opening race in Barcelona entered its final lap, but the battle for the championship was still undecided.

Calm, patient, and step-by-step, Lu Zhizhou had already started full-scale advance mode, but Manny's driving line tightly blocked all positions, leaving no gaps. After passing the DRS area of ​​Turn 8, Manny was getting closer and closer to the finish line, guarding every driving line tightly and not giving any overtaking space.

Lu Zhizhou remained focused and single-minded, clinging tightly to Manny's tail.

Turn 14. Turn 15.

Manny's movements were fluid and flawless. With Turn 16 just around the corner, he didn't forget that there was still a DRS section there.

So Manny kept delaying, kept delaying, braking to the limit, pushing the entire corner to its limits, only to immediately feel a chill run down his spine—

Oh no, the tires are locked.

In an instant, everything hung by a thread; time and space seemed to stand still.

Incredibly, the suspense lasted until the very last moment, when all the noise and shouts from the stands next to the finish line were completely silenced.

Holding their breath and staring intently.

Borrepell felt his heart was about to explode, the frantic pounding sound pounding against his eardrums; however, Lu Zhizhou remained completely unmoved.

There was no tension, no anxiety, and no distraction.

Lu Zhizhou had only one thought in his mind: on the last set of corners, he wasn't aiming for the second DRS, but rather for the straight-line acceleration after exiting the corner.

The plan is already in my mind, so I don't need any other distractions and can focus entirely on the game.

Regardless of the outcome, he will give it his all and fight to the very end, leaving all his sweat and energy on the track, leaving no regrets.

Then, head held high, back straight, face all victories and defeats with equanimity.

In racing, everything is calculated down to the millimeter, and opportunities often arise unexpectedly. All he needs to do is seize those opportunities when they appear.

Lu Zhizhou mastered the use of corners, his nerves tightly controlling the car. He took off his "socks" and ran barefoot on the track, carefully feeling every vibration and roar from the tires' grip. His body and the car became one, sensing the constant swaying of balance. He maneuvered and sped through the turbulent waters, and before he could even blink, the accelerator had already slammed into the sixteenth turn.

Instead of rashly detaching from the wake of the Manny and activating DRS, he plunged headlong into the dirty air, risking a sudden drop in downforce on the front wing. Before braking, his body had already controlled the car's dynamic balance to tilt to the right, completely squeezing out the entire arc of the corner to accumulate energy for acceleration after exiting the corner.

Braking, shifting gears, accelerating, steering—a series of actions flowed smoothly, leaving no room to breathe. The accelerator was floored instantly, the high-speed turbocharger roared, and it sped away.

The cheetah broke free.

Steadily catch the wake and push speed to its limit—

but!

Just then, Manny, who had been guarding the front line so closely, inexplicably shifted his position, and the tightly closed door seemed to open a crack.

Lu Zhizhou immediately noticed that the front left tire of Manny was locked, and a plume of white smoke billowed out.

opportunity.

In a fraction of a second, Lu Zhizhou made a decisive move, pulling to the right to forcefully break free from the wake. He floored the accelerator, unleashing a surging wave of air, and the roar of the violent engine instantly engulfed the stands. Pairs of eyes watched as that red and black figure overtook Manny at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Manny: Damn it.

Manny had no time to think. An instinct brought the car back on track. He didn't care about the tire condition anymore. He floored the accelerator and followed closely behind the second car on the right. The two cars were neck and neck.

Manny tried to leave the dirty side and return to the driving lane, but Lu Zhizhou obviously refused.

Lu Zhizhou held the lane firmly, unleashing his full speed on the straight road.

boom!
Croft exclaimed, "Contact!"

Brendel completely forgot to breathe, staring intently at the live broadcast camera as Manny and Lu Zhizhou's race cars collided on the straightaway.

However, in the blink of an eye, it was impossible to tell who collided with whom!
The only certainty is that both men were vying for lane position. Manny was extremely aggressive, and Lu Zhizhou was exceptionally tough. At such high speeds, neither had time to react before the collision occurred.

It was clearly visible that Manny veered to the right. Although he was still trying to walk in a straight line, this turn of his head cost him the initiative.

Lu Zhizhou displayed incredible strength, suppressing the impact with his speed. Not only did he not deviate, but his speed continued to increase, turning into a blur, escaping the dynamic capture of the eyes, and rushing forward at full speed, surging with a mighty and magnificent red and black air wave.

The air was roaring.

The engine is roaring.

All that remained in his eyes were colors and lines; "a waterfall plunges three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way were falling from the ninth heaven," and the whole world transformed into a surging torrent.

One after the other, the difference is minuscule, but that seemingly insurmountable gap becomes an insurmountable chasm on the long straight of the Barcelona circuit, and can never be bridged.

Then, cross the finish line.

"Lu Zhizhou!"

"Lu Zhizhou!"

"God! Lu Zhizhou! Champion! Ahhhhhhh!"

Croft, completely carried away, slammed his fist on the table and roared, clenching his fists and howling to the sky, his adrenaline surging like volcanic lava.

"ART's Lu Zhizhou and Zhan Ze's Mani were locked in a fierce battle until the very end. With his tires almost completely losing grip, Lu Zhizhou relentlessly pursued Mani, forcing him to make a mistake at Turn 16. He braked too late, his tires locked up, and he made a fatal mistake."

"Lu Zhizhou didn't miss it!"

"In the rapidly changing collision, Lu Zhizhou seized the opportunity, pulled out of the wake, pushed his speed to the limit on the straightaway, and completed the overtaking in one fell swoop."

"incredible!"

"0.165 seconds! Lu Zhizhou crossed the finish line just 0.165 seconds ahead of Manny, winning the sprint race by a hair's breadth!"

Who foresaw this?

"Who! Foresaw this scene?!"

"Starting from eighth place, he was surrounded and ambushed, but he overtook others and raced all the way, overcoming all obstacles and staging an offensive battle on the Barcelona track. He challenged all the rivals and swept through the enemy lines, finally standing on the highest peak of the podium, writing a miracle and igniting energy. It was an epic race!"

"'The Miracle of Barcelona,' this is the 'Miracle of Barcelona'!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm and passion.

Croft was as if he were drunk, but he didn't care at all. He released all the boiling emotions in his chest incessantly, igniting a raging fire with the force of a machine gun sweeping across the entire scene, and spreading it out in a grand and sweeping manner.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to Lu Zhizhou!"

"In his first professional Formula racing career, he took pole position, the main race, and the sprint race in one go, dominating the 2017 GP3 opening race in Spain with a sweeping victory!"

"This is only the sixth driver in Formula One history to accomplish such a feat! Lu Zhizhou is like a magician, popping out of a crack in the rocks, snapping his fingers, sweeping away all attention, conquering the Barcelona circuit with an absolutely dominant performance, and turning the Spanish Grand Prix into a one-man show!"

"God! God! God!"

Cheers, screams, roars—

A frenzy ensued.

Not only Croft, but Lorenzo in the stands had also gone completely mad, his reason completely ignited and burned away.

However, the brain shuts down, transforming into a relentless screaming machine, its eyes wide as it stares at everyone in the stands, shouting and reveling wildly—

See that? That's Lu Zhizhou! That's my friend!

boom!
The heatwave rolled down, distorting even the sunlight, and the rising steam spread like wildfire.

Borrepeller clenched his fists tightly, his muscles tense to the extreme, as he watched Lu Zhizhou's race car cross the finish line first, and then he lost control, losing all reason, restraint, and self-control.

"First!"

"Zhizhou! Number one!"

Borrepeller also didn't know the reason—

This is just one event, and the season is still long. Even if he wins all the qualifying, main race, and sprint races, there is no need to make a fuss. He is always like this, calm and rational.

But at that moment, he didn't care, he didn't care about anything.

All he knew was that even he was thinking of playing it safe, and finishing second in the sprint race would already be a great achievement; however, Lu Zhizhou did not. Not only did he not give up, but he also turned the impossible into reality and wrote an incredible miracle. He could deeply feel the passion surging from the depths of his soul.

"Zhizhou! Number one! You're that man! Did you hear that? You're that man! Number one!!!"

"what!"

The air exploded above my eardrums.

Overwhelmed with excitement and passion, Lu Zhizhou could no longer control himself. He clenched his fists and roared, his adrenaline surging into his brain.

A massive surge!

"Ahhh, ahhh... haha, hahahahahaha."

As he shouted, the exhilarating release of his emotions transformed into joy and happiness, and laughter burst from his throat. Finally, he could properly celebrate.

"Pierre, we did it! Ha! We did it!"

Sitting on the other end of the radio, Borrepeller was filled with emotion and a mix of feelings. Only at such moments did Lu Zhizhou reveal a hint of the unbridled and radiant spirit of a seventeen-year-old. That pure and simple joy was like a summer heatwave, sweeping his heart up to the sky and embracing the blue sky and sunshine.

Unconsciously, Borrepeller recalled Lu Zhizhou's words again: "It's not over until you cross the finish line."

Borrepeller couldn't remember the last time he felt so youthful and passionate, naively believing that competitive sports were all about striving and fighting spirit, that running wildly to the end would lead to touching the golden sunlight, and that with a long enough lever, one could move the earth.

Indeed, that's true where dreams begin.

The cheers and laughter over the radio were like golden sunlight spilling onto the azure Mediterranean Sea, rippled lightly and fully over Borrepeler's heart, so much so that the smile on his lips turned completely upward. In a burst of impulse and passion, Borrepeler heard his own voice singing.

"Baby, baby, baby, oh..."

One second. Two seconds.

Lu Zhizhou's cheerful and excited voice filled the radio, "Pierre! Pierre! Pierre!"

Immediately afterward, another voice came through the radio, "Zhizhou, this is Fred. Beautiful! A brilliant match. Also, Pierre, I didn't know you had such talent."

That was none other than Vasser.

Borrepeller's entire back stiffened. Only then did he realize what was happening. Goosebumps screamed down his spine. He slowly turned his stiff neck to look back, as if seeing that colossal creature in an "Alien" movie. Despair and pain instantly filled his pupils, and he tightly closed his eyes—

His eternal fame.

All eyes in the P room were on him, and one or two people were struggling to suppress their laughter, looking at Borrepeller as if they were watching a giant panda in a zoo.

The next second, someone in the crowd started to shout, "Oh, the sexy is back..."

Hahaha!
The laughter was deafening, and everyone burst into laughter.

Borrepell, utterly dejected, slammed his head on the table, too ashamed to face anyone.

Perhaps not everyone could laugh. Russell's game engineer was clearly not smiling. He sat there with a forced smile, clutching his hair tightly with both hands, as if he wanted to pluck it all out in one go.

Indeed, human joys and sorrows are not shared.

For Lu Zhizhou, this was undoubtedly a memorable race. He performed a miracle by starting from eighth on the Barcelona circuit, where overtaking was extremely difficult, and went all the way to the top, becoming the undisputed superstar of the GP3 season opener.

But for Russell, his ambitious plans for the new season hit a wall in the first game, which is not the right way to start the new season.

In fact, it wasn't just Russell; it was the same for all the other drivers. The sprint race once again became Lu Zhizhou's stage, which meant that everyone else paled in comparison.

Manny of the Janzer team and Bokolać of the Trident team finished second and third respectively, joining Lu Zhizhou on the podium.

But clearly, neither Manny nor Bokolaci were satisfied with the final result. They were completely relegated to being mere foils to Lu Zhizhou, witnessing the emergence of a superstar. They would be stepping stones in the "legendary narrative" and "wonderful match," while the podium became a humiliation.

Lorandi of the Janzer team, Hubert of ART, Russell of ART, Seaman of Campos, and Sandino Ferrucci of DAMS finished fourth through eighth, respectively, earning points in the sprint.

Hubert was dissatisfied with his performance and was overtaken by Lorandi at the last moment.

Russell was even more dissatisfied with his performance. Both were ART cars, and the Barcelona circuit witnessed Lu Zhizhou's emergence, yet he couldn't even hold onto his starting position in the sprint race.

Without a doubt, Seaman will not be satisfied with the race result, having slipped from pole position to seventh place. Not only him, but all the other Campos drivers also failed to score points. The first weekend of the new season was a disaster for them, and the entire team needs to reflect on their performance.

And that's still not all.

Because he withdrew from the main race, Han Shilong, who started from the last place in the sprint race, tried his best to catch up and overtake others throughout the race, eventually reaching twelfth place, only to be intercepted by Alesi.

Alessi started the sprint race from seventeenth place and also began overtaking. With Lu Zhizhou shining brightly, he needed to work even harder. He couldn't accept being completely crushed and ignored. He needed points, and he needed to prove his ability in the sprint race.

Alesi's aggressive driving style was on full display in the sprint race, and he made it all the way to eleventh place. However, he was unable to continue due to severe tire wear. In the last two laps, he got stuck in the mud with Han Shilong, and neither driver gave up.

In the final sprint, Lu Zhizhou and Manny were neck and neck ahead, while Alessi and Han Shilong were neck and neck behind.

Alessi narrowly defeated Han Se-ryong by a margin of 0.260 seconds.

However, neither of them was happy.

In addition, Pulcini, who performed well in the main race and won second place, tried to surround Lu Zhizhou at the start of the sprint but shot himself in the foot. Starting seventh on the grid, he finished seventeenth, making it a nightmarish Sunday for him and the Alden team.

Without comparison, there is no harm.

It is precisely because of the other drivers' frustration and resentment that Lu Zhizhou's strength is highlighted all the more.

If Lu Zhizhou's dominant performance in the main race can be attributed to ART's car tuning, then his remarkable comeback in the sprint race perfectly showcases his abilities.

A single victory is just a single victory and doesn't define the entire season; yet, it's also more than just a single victory.

The moment Lu Zhizhou crossed the finish line first, the entire Barcelona circuit erupted in cheers.

Only then, as the latecomers gradually arrived at the track, did they realize what they had missed through word of mouth—

In his first professional appearance, he swept the Grand Slam, securing pole position in qualifying, winning the race and setting the fastest lap, and winning the sprint race and setting the fastest lap.

Forty-eight points in one fell swoop!
Everything was perfect, and it emerged with overwhelming force.

Furthermore, the story is full of twists and turns, incredibly exciting, with both offense and defense, strategy and boldness, offering countless highlights.

The Barcelona circuit witnessed a historic moment. This driver was not only the second in GP3 history to win two championships in a single weekend and the sixth in Formula racing history, but also a complete rookie with no records or history, shrouded in mystery.

On the bustling day of the Spanish Grand Prix, the biggest highlight was not the F1 race itself, but a young man named "Lu Zhizhou" who stole all the attention.

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(End of this chapter)