Speed ​​God

Chapter 89 Perfect Weekend
"...overtaking on the last bend, and on the straight!"

"A hair's breadth. I'm telling you, in the end it's just a matter of millimeters, really."

"Wow, this is mind-blowing! It's been amazing from the very beginning..."

"Seven positions, can you imagine? A full seven positions, except for Seaman who lost his position under pressure, all the others relied on skill."

"...I can hardly believe this is the Barcelona circuit, the overtaking was so beautiful!"

"Boring? How could it be! It was exciting from the first second to the last, full of suspense. I've never seen such a wonderful match before."

“Verstappen? No, no, no, it’s incomparable. If Rosberg hadn’t crashed into Hamilton last year, Verstappen wouldn’t have had a chance at all. Today’s race is the real racing, showcasing the full charm of motorsports.”

"Pole position in qualifying! Race win! Sprint win! Fastest lap! GP3 Grand Slam!"

Chattering and making a great fuss.

Everywhere you look, people are discussing the same topic, with only one focus—

Lu Zhizhou.

Such a scene is truly rare on an F1 race weekend, with the F2 sprint race and the F1 race about to take place one after another, but the track is going crazy because of the GP3 race.

The enthusiastic Spaniards were enthusiastically describing Lu Zhizhou's amazing performance, determined to make those friends who slept in and arrived late regret it. One by one, they did their best to portray today's sprint race as something unparalleled.

The surging passion exploded, and the wildly beating heart burst forth like fireworks. Although it was still early morning and the stands were not yet full, the fervor that permeated the air was still clearly felt, igniting the entire city of Barcelona like a carnival.

Matteo was utterly despondent.

His eyes were vacant, his limbs were weak, and he was even unable to get angry. He looked like his soul had left his body and he had completely lost the ability to react.

He thought that the professional drivers on the GP3 track would teach Lu Zhizhou a lesson. He wanted to see Lu Zhizhou looking dejected. He didn't care about the racing rules or the intensity of the competition; he just wanted to see Lu Zhizhou's arrogant face lowered.

But what was the result?

Not only did he fail to witness the expected spectacle, but he also became a witness to the "Barcelona Miracle." The wounds of the Rome night hadn't even healed before this heavy blow struck again; the "Barcelona weekend" will likely remain a nightmare for him for a long time to come.

If this continues, Malena may never see his existence again.

Matteo sat there blankly, utterly dejected, his mind blank, as if he had been abandoned by the whole world.

Suddenly, a swarm of spectators bumped into Matteo's shoulder. Realizing something was wrong, the person apologized immediately, but Matteo's attention was completely elsewhere. He was oblivious to the collision. It took him a while to come to his senses and regain his composure.

He couldn't let himself sink into despair; he refused to remain so.

The world of racing isn't that simple, is it?
Matteo sat up abruptly, turned and left his seat, plunging into the surging crowd in the paddock, and sprinted toward the DAMS repair area.

Those who had accidentally bumped into Matteo looked at his retreating figure but didn't say much. They turned back to chattering about the morning's sprint race. The GP3 Grand Slam was an absolute must-see! No one should miss it!
But Matteo sprinted on, clinging tightly to the last straw.

Several teams, including DAMS, ART, Trident, and Campos, have both GP3 and F2 teams. At this time, the GP3 race has ended, and the F2 teams are entering the pit lane. They do not have time to dwell on the GP3 results; they must prepare for the upcoming F2 sprint race.

In the crowd, Matteo spotted the figure at a glance: a confident smile on his face, chatting and flirting with a group of slender models.

"Nick. Nick!"

DAMS F2 driver Nicolas Latifi looked up and saw Matteo. He instinctively wanted to turn away and pretend he hadn't heard the guy's shout.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Matteo had already sprinted over. "Nick, your challenger has arrived, and I'm serious."

Latifi, with a helpless yet slightly sarcastic smile, said, "So you're finally getting ready to go on the GP3 track? Did your dad give you permission?"

Matteo, however, didn't care and waved his hand, "No. But he beat me first. I told him that Nicholas and Lance could easily beat him, but he didn't believe me; not only did he not believe me, but he also mocked me, saying that you are all just pretty faces with silver spoons in your mouths, nothing more than empty shells."

Latifi frowned, but didn't readily believe it. "It's all because of you. The number of people who defeated you could fill the entire Colosseum in ancient Rome."

His words revealed a hint of disdain. Despite Matteo's emphasis on his close friendship with Latifi and Stoll in front of others, this young master showed no backbone when actually standing in front of Latifi. Even if they were truly friends, their relationship should not be equal.

Latifi, 22 years old this year, is the son of Michael Latifi, the owner of the food and beauty company Sofina, which is worth more than six billion US dollars. He is a complete rich second generation, just like Lance Stoll, a real rich kid.

Latifi and Stroll are both young people with racing dreams who have been pursuing opportunities in F1 racing.

Unlike Matteo, who is purely good at talking, Latifi and Stol are not willing to become what others think of Matteo.

Matteo didn't argue. "I thought so too. But he came, really, in GP3, and swept all the victories this weekend: qualifying, the race, and the sprint. Perfect weekend! A grand slam!"

Latifi was taken aback. As a legitimate F2 driver, he naturally knew the weight of Matteo's words. "Really?"

Matteo nodded repeatedly, his eyes burning with rage, eagerly fanning the flames. His expression of shared honor and disgrace suggested he was completely devoted to his best friend. "Of course, you can confirm it for yourself. He's here. He's prepared to defeat you and prove you're worthless except for your father."

The paddock was filled with foul language and swearing. Latifi was aware of those gazes and words, but being actually hit in the face with those words was a different matter entirely.

In an instant, Latifi's expression darkened, and he lost all interest in the woman beside him, as well as Matteo, and turned to leave.

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

In just a short while, the rumors had evolved into eighteen versions, spreading like wildfire throughout the hunting grounds and launching indiscriminate attacks.

The story spread like wildfire, becoming increasingly outrageous, truly giving people a taste of the atmosphere in this tiny hunting ground, no different from palace intrigue.

"...Clearly, Max is the same; he's a 'second-generation baby' too..."

"Nepo-Baby" is a derogatory term, more accurately meaning "nepotism baby," used to satirize those second-generation individuals who rely on nepotism but lack talent or ability to seize resources.

The children of the wealthy, the children of celebrities, and so on.

In the world of motorsport, there are also "second-generation drivers," such as Alesi, Fittipalti, and Verstappen.

Verstappen's father is Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver. It was under his father's guidance that Verstappen was exposed to racing at an early age and received many resources.

In 2014, after winning six races over two consecutive weekends in F3 European racing, he burst onto the scene. The following year, Red Bull made a series of moves, allowing the then 17-year-old Verstappen to join F1, which forced the FIA ​​to amend a series of rules to prevent a similar situation from happening again.

Currently, drivers must be at least 18 years old to enter F1, in addition to a series of other related requirements.

As the youngest and most unique presence in the paddock, the "second-generation baby" has never been left behind, and every match is a test.

Max Verstappen caught these words, paused, and without hesitation interrupted them loudly, "What are you talking about?"

The staff who were gossiping immediately ran away with their heads in their hands, and no one answered.

Nevertheless, Verstappen quickly learned of the rumors—

Everything seems to be targeting Verstappen.

The prodigy driver stated that Verstappen's victory at the Barcelona circuit last year was purely lucky, a result of Mercedes' internal strife leading to the retirement of both cars, and was not a true reflection of his ability, so it was not worth mentioning. However, Verstappen's dominant performance this race weekend proved that he is the real genius, incomparable to those "second-generation babies".

Smoke instantly filled the air.

Last season, in 2016, Red Bull once again made an exception and promoted Verstappen from the Toro Rosso team to the Red Bull team. His first professional match for Red Bull was the Barcelona tournament in Spain.

At the time, there was infighting within the Mercedes team, with two drivers, Rosberg and Hamilton, engaged in fierce competition. As a result, Rosberg collided with Hamilton, causing both cars to be eliminated from the race. In this battle of the titans, Verstappen seized the opportunity to win the championship and left behind a series of incredible historical records.

The youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history, the youngest podium finisher in F1 history, and the first Grand Prix winner in Dutch history.

Furthermore, he is the first Grand Prix champion born after 1990.

It appeared out of nowhere!

From 2014 to 2016, Verstappen made a remarkable leap, becoming a unique superstar in the paddock at just eighteen years old.

Without a doubt, this is Verstappen's pride. He has always been proud of his victory in the Spanish Grand Prix, fulfilling his father's long-cherished but unfulfilled dream. The ridicule of being labeled a "second-generation baby" was also alleviated and calmed by this victory, allowing him to prove his talent for the first time.

Accident? Tragedy? Luck?

Verstappen doesn't care. True professionals should know that luck is part of the game, but not everyone can seize it.

Victory is victory, a champion is a champion. All the other whining and complaining is just sophistry born of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

He was proud of himself!

However, now, that so-called genius driver has actually erased Verstappen's victory, looking down on him with disdain and contempt.

Absurd, ridiculous—

That guy is just a GP3 Grand Prix champion, and he doesn't even have a chance to get an F1 seat. Yet he has the audacity to challenge Verstappen's victory in F1.
Verstappen couldn't manage a smile. "What's his name?"

The onlookers on the other side finally realized the seriousness of the matter and shut their mouths, shaking their heads and refusing to speak.

Verstappen repeated, "What's his name? Whoever he is, he always has a name, right?"

The onlookers trembled with fear, trying to dissuade him, "Max, he's just saying that..."

Verstappen ignored him completely, turned and left the pit area, looked at the match screen, and easily found that name—

Lu Zhizhou.

Without hesitation or pause, Verstappen strode towards ART's pit room.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner had just arrived at the pit lane when he saw an angry Verstappen and was filled with questions.

"Max? Max!"

Verstappen simply waved his hand, without turning around or stopping.

Horner was completely confused and turned to the others. "What happened to Max? Where did he go?"

All the staff in the repair area kept their mouths tightly shut and shook their heads like rattles, quickly drawing a line to avoid getting involved.

What was Verstappen planning to do...? He himself didn't really have a concept; it was just an impulse. He wanted to see how that genius could have three heads and six arms.
Thinking this way, I did it.

Without having figured out what to do after the actual meeting, Verstappen had already arrived at the ART team's pit garage.

Verstappen was about to ask which one was Lu Zhizhou when he saw the figure walking side by side with Hubert—

With an Asian face and a tall, slender figure, like a pine tree, he naturally exudes a unique, refined, and bright temperament. His wet, black hair hangs down in a messy and casual manner, and even from a distance, his deep and clear eyes can be clearly seen.

"……Hey you."

While Verstappen was pondering how to pronounce the guy's name, the words had already slipped out before he could finish.

"You're the GP3 double champion this weekend?"

Hubert looked up and saw Verstappen standing angrily before him.

Lu Zhizhou had just been comforting him, telling him there was no need to blame himself too much for some mistakes, because racing is a sport where you have to deal with all sorts of changing situations in a fraction of a second. No one can be 100% error-free. The key is how you deal with the mistakes after they happen, rather than the mistakes themselves.

The coping strategies and mindset are a cumulative process. What they need to do is not to blame themselves, but to learn from their mistakes.

Hubert's slightly downcast mood brightened again, and he subconsciously took a step forward, standing in front of Lu Zhizhou. "Max?"

Vestager glanced at Huber, slightly raised his chin as a greeting, but ignored him and looked back at Lu Zhizhou.

Lu Zhizhou was completely bewildered, not understanding what was happening before him. "Yes, it's me."

Verstappen immediately approached, pressing him relentlessly. "So, you call me a 'second-generation baby,' and you think your victory is superior to mine? If you have any opinions, you can tell me them to my face. I'm standing right in front of you now, so why don't you share your thoughts? Let's have a discussion."

You could clearly feel Verstappen's tension; his entire body was taut, and the force of the storm was overwhelming, as if they were about to collide.

But Lu Zhizhou did not back down. Instead, he took a step forward, ready to meet the attack head-on. However, Yu Beier firmly blocked his position, standing between the two of them.

The tense atmosphere failed to ignite immediately, and the discussion stalled.

Lu Zhizhou looked slightly helpless, and his tone softened, "Excuse me, who are you?"

Verstappen: ...

In an instant, Verstappen's eyes widened, and the veins on his forehead bulged. "What? You're talking badly about others behind their backs, but you don't even know the person in question?"

Lu Zhizhou spread his hands, "Is there another possibility that I don't know you at all, so I didn't say anything bad about you or anyone else?"

Verstappen was taken aback.

Hubert seized the opportunity, "Yes, Max, Zhizhou knows nothing about the paddock, he doesn't even know any of the drivers; and he's been with me the whole time, not saying a bad word about anyone."

Verstappen finally glanced at Hubert again.

He didn't know Lu Zhizhou, but he knew Yu Beier. Yu Beier was a good boy who never spoke ill of others and never lied.

Verstappen hesitated. "Then why do they say he's talking badly about me behind my back?"

Hubert spread his hands. “I don’t understand either. I can’t comprehend their behavior. But, Max, this is the paddock, we shouldn’t be surprised, should we? They’re jealous of you, they’re jealous of the continent, and that’s how those rumors started, without needing a reason.”

Verstappen glanced at Hubert, then at Lu Zhizhou, his lips pursed, seemingly sulking or caught in a dilemma.

Then, without warning, Verstappen turned and strode away.

That's it?

A conflict subsided before it even had a chance to ignite, which was disappointing.

Lu Zhizhou looked at the young, spirited, and dashing figure as he raised his voice, "Hey, aren't you going to introduce yourself? What's your name?"

Verstappen felt a lump in his throat. That guy didn't recognize him? That guy actually didn't recognize him?

Verstappen finally couldn't resist and turned back, saying, "Go do your homework. GP3 life should provide plenty of time to daydream."

hoo hoo hoo!
The people on both sides of the repair area started to cheer, and some even whistled.

Verstappen had already turned and walked away.

Hubert looked at Verstappen's retreating figure with a troubled expression, then turned to Lu Zhizhou, "That's just Max's personality; he didn't mean any harm."

Lu Zhizhou's eyes were full of smiles. "Don't worry, I won't bully him."

When Hubert looked at Lu Zhizhou, he couldn't help but break into a wide smile.

Clearly, at this moment, it wasn't just the drivers who had heard the name "Lu Zhizhou." The paddock was such a small place, and the sharp-eared old man heard the news immediately and grasped the key point from the noise.

For example, Mercedes-Benz.

Toto Wolff: "You won the sprint race too, and you've overtaken George?"

Toto Wolff, a businessman.

This Austrian had a passionate obsession with racing since childhood, but unfortunately, his height of 195 centimeters meant he wasn't suited to be a Formula One driver. His height, an advantage in the world of basketball, became an obstacle in racing, forcing him to abandon his dream and instead utilize another of his talents—

Doing business.

In fact, he was a brilliant business genius who earned his first $30 million at the age of 28.

With ample financial resources, he turned back to his beloved racing industry, investing, operating, and managing, earning even more profits, and eventually entering the world of Formula 1.

In 2012, Mercedes-Benz, which was facing financial difficulties, extended an olive branch to Wolff, inviting him to become the team principal of the Formula 1 team. Wolff agreed, but on the condition that he could become a co-owner of the team. In the end, he acquired 30% of the Mercedes-Benz team for $185 million and took the position of team principal.

In fact, Wolff accomplished an incredible feat, taking over the team in 2013 and leading Mercedes to the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships in 2014. He continued to dominate in 2015 and 2016, possessing the fastest car in the paddock and becoming the target that all teams aspired to surpass.

Without a doubt, Wolff is one of the most successful team principals in F1 history.

Entering 2017, Mercedes-Benz still has no intention of slowing down. Currently, they are engaged in a fierce battle with Ferrari in the drivers' and constructors' championships, aiming to defend their double title for the fourth consecutive year.

However, the situation is far from optimistic, beset by internal and external troubles, and every step is fraught with danger.

In the paddock, pressure and pursuit from rivals are all too normal. All teams are chasing the championship, and defeating the opponent is the only goal. So Wolff is not surprised by the open and covert attacks from his rivals. But this time, the more serious problem facing Wolff is the internal conflict.

Last season, the conflict between Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton escalated to the point of no return, and the situation was completely out of control. This was not only done behind closed doors by the team, but also made no attempt to hide it from the media. The team was determined to help Hamilton defend his driver's championship, but Rosberg clearly had a different opinion and launched a full-scale competition.

And Rosberg succeeded – he defeated Hamilton by five points to be crowned the 2016 World Drivers' Championship.

At the time, everyone was waiting to see what would happen; the Mercedes pit lane would be exceptionally lively in the new season, with two world champion drivers going head-to-head.

But to everyone's surprise, Rosberg made a stunning turn and stabbed Wolf in the back.

He announced his retirement directly.

Before receiving his first Drivers' World Championship trophy, he turned and left without a trace, completely outmaneuvering Wolff and shocking the entire F1 world.

Unlike sports like football and basketball, F1 only has twenty driver seats, one for each driver. If a driver transfers, it can have far-reaching consequences. For this reason, teams often choose to finalize contracts and determine the driver lineup for the following year during the summer break in August.

This is to avoid unexpected situations.

As a result, Rosberg suddenly announced his retirement in December when the season ended, which drove the defending champions crazy.

Regardless of the conflict between Rosberg and Hamilton, Rosberg's ability is undeniable. Mercedes-Benz has one of the strongest driver partnerships in the paddock, which is the key to Mercedes-Benz's three consecutive Constructors' Championship titles.

but now?
During the winter break when all the top reserve drivers had already signed contracts, Rosberg pulled this stunt?
Wolf was absolutely furious.

Even in a crisis, Wolff found a solution—

Williams Racing Team.

In the paddock, which has been completely taken over by commercial capital, Williams is the last privately owned team, created and wholly owned by Frank Williams.

This was also Wolff's entry into the world of F1. He entered the paddock by purchasing shares in the Williams team and eventually helped the Williams team achieve an incredible victory in the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, thus opening the door to the Mercedes team.

Even now, Wolff still holds shares in the Williams team.

In the face of crisis and desperation, Wolff ultimately chose to have Williams driver Valtteri Bottas join him as Hamilton's partner.

But was Wolff satisfied?
the answer is negative.

Mercedes-Benz only signed a one-year contract with Bottas. Wolff never hid his intentions from the beginning. Bottas was just a substitute brought in in a crisis. He was still looking for better drivers in the market. Mercedes-Benz was still aiming for the defending driver and team world championships.

So far, Wolff still has reservations about Bottas.

Despite Bottas securing his first F1 Grand Prix victory in Sochi last week, he lost the championship two weeks ago in Bahrain despite taking pole position, finishing only third. This is one of the key reasons why Mercedes and Ferrari are currently neck and neck in the constructors' championship.

Therefore, Wolff has been observing and exploring, keeping a close eye on paddock news, including drivers whose contracts are about to expire in competing teams, as well as young people trying to knock on the door of F1.

When Lu Zhizhou secured pole position and won the race, Wolff naturally noticed—

A complete novice, stumbling into the world of Formula racing with no idea whatsoever, actually... won? And even defeated Russell, whom Wolff favored?

But he only paid attention; Wolff didn't take it to heart. It was just a GP3 victory, too much of a chance. Besides, there were few overtaking opportunities in the Spanish Grand Prix. After taking pole position, he only needed to hold the line at the start, and winning the championship was not a difficult thing.

However, today?

After winning the main race, they also won the sprint race, which suddenly made things interesting.

At this moment, sitting in front of Wolff was James Walls, Mercedes-Benz's strategist, who was responsible for developing the game strategy.

To the outside world, Wols was virtually unknown; but within Mercedes-Benz, he played a vital role.

"Toto, judging from the data, this young man is very skilled and experienced. His control of the game's rhythm and strategic planning are top-notch..."

As he spoke, Worth showed the data charts on his computer screen. As soon as the GP3 sprint race ended, this tech geek couldn't wait to start studying Lu Zhizhou's various data, as if he had discovered a treasure.

Wolf glanced at the data. "How excellent?"

Wols paused, "Look at the braking points here..."

Wolf interrupted, "Compared to Max Verstappen?"

Worcester thought about it carefully, "We'll have to wait until today's main event is over to analyze and compare the results, but his rhythm control is more mature than Max's, while Max is more aggressive."

Wolf gently raised his chin, pondered for a moment, and did not continue to comment. Just as Wolf was about to continue analyzing the data, he was interrupted again.

"James, if I remember correctly, he's Chinese, right? Perhaps we can use him to open up the world's richest and most valuable market, becoming a part of Mercedes-Benz's global strategy. Does he have any sponsorships right now?"

Wols was taken aback. He was good at analyzing racing data, but when it came to analyzing market data, he was completely clueless. It was as if the seat cushion of his chair had suddenly started to grow thorns.

“…No, I don’t think so.” Worth thought about it carefully, recalling the race footage. “His racing suit only had ART’s official sponsorship.”

Driver sponsorships can be divided into team sponsorships and individual sponsorships. The main difference is that individual sponsorships can only appear on the racing suit, while team sponsorships may appear on both the car and the driver, depending on the contract amount.

Therefore, everything is very straightforward, and the market value of the drivers is clearly evident.

Wolf tapped the table lightly, lost in thought; this was yet another unexpected turn of events.

In the world of motorsports, "variables" like Lu Zhizhou, who emerge from the cracks in the rocks, are extremely rare, but not nonexistent. In fact, precisely because they are rare, they often attract more attention with every step they take in the world of motorsports. This is a disadvantage, but it can also become an advantage.

For example, Jack Hughes.

This British driver, born in 1994, didn't start karting until he was sixteen, a full ten years later than other drivers. However, he quickly demonstrated his talent, rising rapidly to prominence and easily standing out among the standardized training programs of young European drivers.

People always love inspirational stories of underdogs achieving success against all odds.

Exposure and traffic came in an instant, so Hughes, who is currently competing in Europe, has a lot of sponsorships. Everyone is curious about how far this late-blooming driver can go and whether he can make a comeback to the F1 level.

Wolf believes that Lu Zhizhou is the same.

However, Lu Zhizhou currently has no sponsors, which reminds him of Zhou Guanyu in the F3 European Series, who also faces the problem of finding sponsors.

Clearly, if you want to open up the Chinese market, one GP3 race is far from enough, not even a double win on a weekend.

Moreover, Wolff did not overlook the Ferrari standing behind Lu Zhizhou.

at last!

Wolf stopped tapping the table. "Keep a close eye on him and see how much potential he has. Also, find out how he's doing in Maranello."

Worth looked puzzled. "Maranello?"

A smile flickered in Wolff's eyes. "Yes, Maranello. Right now, he's too mysterious, we don't know where to begin. We don't know his personality, his team spirit. We need excellent drivers, but every driver who makes it to the paddock is strong. So we need to get more information."

"Including his family, his studies... never mind, don't worry about this, I'll have someone investigate."

"I'll try to get some information out of Fred when I have time. If he didn't have sponsorship, what deal did ART and Ferrari make that made Fred take him on?"

A typical Wolff, he planned carefully before acting, with a long-term strategy. He operated the team like a business project, and at his core, he still used the business management approach to operate the team.

Clearly, Wolff wasn't the only team principal in the paddock to notice the GP3 weekend double win.

Indeed, it's just a GP3 race; but no one has forgotten that this is the Barcelona circuit, where overtaking is extremely difficult, and no one has forgotten that Verstappen made his way into the F1 paddock by winning consecutive F3 European Series championships.

Horner is one of them.

As Red Bull's team principal, Horner naturally wouldn't forget Verstappen's miraculous promotion two years ago, so he immediately noticed Lu Zhizhou.

Red Bull's situation is a bit special. As the only team in the paddock with two teams, Red Bull and Toro Rosso together have four driver seats. In addition, with the booming junior academy in recent years, they have become a team that holds a dominant position in the paddock.

Moreover, the reality is more complicated.

The parent company behind Red Bull Racing is divided into two parts: Red Bull Austria and Red Bull Thailand. Explaining the ins and outs of the entire business empire is rather complicated. In short, Red Bull Thailand holds 51% of the shares, while Red Bull Austria holds 49%, but the two are not on the same page.

Over the years, the Red Bull team's operations have been mainly controlled by the Austrian side. The team's chief of the academy, Helmut Marko, the team's chief technical officer, Adrian Vigny, the team's chief driver, Max Verstappen, and Jos Verstappen, who completely controls his son's voice from behind the scenes, all support Red Bull Austria.

In other words, although Horner is the team principal, he does not have full say and is hampered by both sides. He has no choice but to side with Thai Red Bull.

Over the years, Horner has been constantly playing games and weighing options.

Verstappen's leapfrog promotion to F1, followed by another leapfrog from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, was orchestrated by Marko, who relentlessly pressured Horner.

Therefore, Horner had to promote Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo as Red Bull's number one driver, creating a situation of rivalry.

Of course, that's not all; the Toro Rosso team is also a part of the game.

This year, Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat has had a terrible season, scoring only two points in five races. The team has decided to drop Kvyat, which means another spot will be available in Toro Rosso, and this will be an extension of the power struggle between Horner and Marko.

A single seat is not enough to affect the overall situation; however, whether Horner's faction prevails or Marko's faction continues to be dominant may change the minds of those in the team who are opportunistic.

and so--

When Horner learned that someone had won both the GP3 Spanish Grand Prix weekend titles, he was slightly interested, treating it as a paddock tidbit to pass the time.

But when Horner learned that the young man actually came from the ancient civilization of China, his eyes lit up.

Chaleo Yoovidhya, the big boss of Red Bull Thailand, was born in Hainan and is 100% of Chinese descent!
Currently, there is a British-Thai mixed-race athlete named Alexander Albon competing in F2 at the Red Bull academy. He carries the hopes of Thai companies on his shoulders, and Horner has been keeping a close eye on him. However, in a competitive environment, having more competitors means more urgency, and only then can the strongest athlete be selected.

A sudden idea struck Horner; he had already devised a plan.

Rather than saying they truly admired Lu Zhizhou, it would be more accurate to say they were part of the overall strategy.

Horner was simply promoting Thai Red Bull, since the job of training young drivers has always been done by Austrian Red Bull. Thai Red Bull has been criticized for failing to develop Asian drivers over the years, and now Horner is giving Thai Red Bull a gift.

If it works, all the better; but if it doesn't, it doesn't matter, even if it just annoys Marco a little, it's still worth it.

In the past two years, Marco has become increasingly arrogant, constantly interfering with Horner's work and acting like he's the only one who matters. Horner has to fight back.

He didn't even read the data in detail or watch the race. Whether it was GP3 or F2 didn't matter. He was good at stirring up trouble. In the pre-race interview on race day, he casually chatted, "The track is unusually lively today. I heard that a mini Verstappen has emerged?"

All the reporters perked up their ears. Sure enough, when you need a juicy story, you should go to Horner.

Who pays attention to GP3 races on F1 race day?

Once you pay attention, it's a big deal!

F1 weekend, race day, all the focus is on the ultimate showdown. Not to mention GP3, all other news can be temporarily put aside. The FIA ​​and the Spanish Grand Prix organizers do not want to blur the focus, and the media will not blindly talk about it going off track.

However, Horner did not play by the rules and casually threw a grenade, putting GP3 in the spotlight.

The scene was chaotic.

The reporters, like sharks smelling blood, had no reason to miss the opportunity and swarmed forward one by one to intercept them.

Horner, far from panicking, flashed a bright smile, his expression one of genuine appreciation for talent. "Of course, this is an incredible feat."

“What I mean is, this is the Barcelona circuit, and even for F1 drivers, overtaking isn’t easy. Winning two championships here this weekend is undoubtedly commendable. I have full confidence in motorsports, and excellent young people continue to emerge. I’m very much looking forward to his future development.”

Horner went on and on, showering Lu Zhizhou with praise and compliments.

Furthermore, when the reporter reminded Horner that "Lu Zhizhou came from Ferrari's youth academy," Horner didn't care and continued to add fuel to the fire in a nonchalant manner.

Clearly, Horner knew Ferrari's consistent nature: they weren't interested in non-star drivers, and their youth academy was practically non-existent. He still hadn't forgotten that.

In 2015, Ferrari poached Red Bull's four-time World Drivers' Champion Bastian Vettel, putting Red Bull in a difficult situation. They had no choice but to promote Daniil Kvyat from Toro Rosso to fill the vacancy, but Kvyat's performance was inconsistent and he failed to establish himself. This gave Marko the opportunity to squeeze Verstappen into the team.

Faced with the complicated situation, Horner blamed Ferrari.

Therefore, Horner didn't mind taking advantage of the situation to mess with Ferrari, dragging them into the fray with an air of wanting to stir up trouble.

"Of course I know that, but in the paddock, you never say it's impossible, right?"

"If Ferrari is not interested in young players, Red Bull is very willing to welcome them. We have always had high expectations for young players, and I believe that if he comes to Red Bull, Max can be his partner and lead us to defeat Mercedes and regain the Constructors' Championship."

Everyone has a mouth, and bragging costs nothing, so Horner uttered those words effortlessly. But a truly observant person would notice a detail:
Horner never directly said "Lu Zhizhou's" name from beginning to end. Either he didn't know how to pronounce it, or he simply didn't remember the name. Anyway, the name didn't matter. In Horner's hands, Lu Zhizhou was just a tool, created specifically to cause trouble. He never really cared who the winner of the GP3 weekend double championship was.

However, Horner's casual action threw the entire news media into a hot potato.

It exploded instantly with a sizzling sound.

The GP3 opening race has barely ended, and the team is already in the eye of the storm, becoming the focus of much discussion.

Originally, everything was limited to a small group of enthusiastic fans; but Horner broke the deadlock, making the GP3 Spanish Grand Prix a little bit of mainstream attention.

Some agreed, some disagreed; some cheered, some complained—a wide range of opinions erupted, turning the usually "boring" Spanish Grand Prix into a hot topic.

"Obviously, this is a remarkable achievement. Just look at F2 and F1, which are uneventful and unremarkable."

"In both the F2 main race and sprint race, and in the F1 main race, all the winners were pole position, which is no surprise at all. This further proves the absurdity of GP3."

"A genius! Without a doubt, a genius!"

"Personally, I think he's better than Max Verstappen; at least he doesn't randomly fire and crash when overtaking."

"Has no one noticed the key point? He has no Formula One or go-karting experience, which is even more impressive than Jack Hughes."

Admiration, amazement—

There is no harm without comparison.

In F2 racing, race champion Leclerc finished fourth in the sprint, a massive 9.177 seconds away from the podium.

In the F1 race, Bottas (third), Raikkonen (fourth), and Verstappen (fifth) all retired from the top six in qualifying. As a result, the top three in the race were the same as the first, second, and sixth place finishers in qualifying. It was a smooth and uneventful result, befitting the Barcelona circuit.

That is why Lu Zhizhou's feat of coming back from eighth place to win the sprint race once again proved the value of his double victory this weekend. Despite being only a GP3, he still received a lot of praise, and Horner's words won over many fans.

However, not everyone agrees.

Obviously, a single GP3 race is not enough to convince everyone.

"They were just lucky, and they're all bragging about it."

"Please don't try to drag Verstappen into this, okay? Verstappen has won six consecutive titles in two weekends, there's no comparison at all."

"It's just one race, and they've already made such a big splash. Is the next step to have Schumacher reborn and Senna reincarnated? Christian Horner has been talking nonsense for a long time. Just forget about it and don't take it seriously. If you take it seriously, you'll lose."

"It's just a lucky break for a newbie. He popped out of nowhere, nobody knew him, and they were caught off guard, so the whole team collapsed. He won't be so lucky next time. One more game, at most one game, and his true colors will be revealed."

"ART is a Mars rover; it doesn't matter who drives it, there's no need to keep whining about it."

"To be honest, the opponents are too weak. There isn't a single GP3 driver who can compete with us this year."

"It's just GP3, why are you all so excited? It's hilarious."

Blah blah blah, full of sarcasm and ridicule.

Most of them did not watch the GP3 race, but they didn't care, because those netizens who were just patting them on the back and bragging also hadn't watched it. How many people would be so devoted as to stay in front of the TV to watch the GP3 race live?

Not watching the game doesn't stop these keyboard warriors from pointing fingers, passionately expressing their opinions, and their words are full of disdain for GP3. Not understanding the game doesn't stop them from treating GP3 as a lowly amateur tournament and launching a comprehensive critique from a superior position.

However, whether you like it or hate it, whether you disdain it or despise it, it all makes sense. When the bustling conversation revolves around Lu Zhizhou, the traffic still surges.

Black and red are also red.

In fact, most onlookers, like Horner, didn't care about the name of the GP3 Spanish Grand Prix double winner, or even know his face. The image that appeared on social media platforms was just a second rider wearing a helmet, and no one was willing to take the time to learn more.

Only a very, very small percentage of people noticed the protagonist's name:

Lu Zhizhou.

You can tell at a glance that this person is Chinese.

Then, not only Chinese people on overseas social media platforms, but also some small ripples could be seen on domestic social media platforms—

What is GP3? What level and standard is it? What is the significance of a double victory over the weekend? What is the meaning of "making history" in Formula racing?
Also, who is Lu Zhizhou?

Whether we admit it or not, this was indeed a breakthrough, appearing out of nowhere without warning, drawing a swarm of attention. Onlookers cast curious and inquisitive glances, even though no one knew exactly what had happened, none of that mattered.

Among the active search and hiding algorithms, an account called "Dr. Song" appeared in the field of vision on a video website. He enthusiastically introduced GP3 and the recently concluded Spanish Grand Prix in detail. His words showed that he knew Lu Zhizhou very well, like an oasis in the desert, answering their emerging questions.

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(End of this chapter)