How Did I Become an F1 Driver?-Chapter 147 - 103: Privileges of a Genius
"Ah, I knew it would be you arriving first." Seeing Qin Miao push the door open and walk in, Lawson’s face was full of an expected understanding, along with a comforting smile at seeing an outstanding junior.
Although Qin Miao hasn’t had races to participate in like other Ferrari youth team members do, where race rankings and data could showcase their skills.
But compared to those youth trainees, Qin Miao never misses a day training in Ferrari’s internal gym, not slacking off even once in these four months.
Training for a day is nothing special; going for a month with grit is doable for most people.
But rain or shine, not missing a single day over four months takes perseverance and character which Lawson finds precious.
Moreover, Qin Miao’s performance on Ferrari F1 team’s simulator has noticeably improved, and even the upgrade of an aerodynamic kit by Ferrari owes quite a bit to Qin Miao’s contributions.
So, Qin Miao’s growth and efforts during this period have been seen by many, and Lawson is naturally among them.
But Lawson also found Qin Miao’s weakness, which is his somewhat reclusive nature.
Even though Qin Miao hasn’t worked with other Ferrari youth team members, the Ferrari training camp holds a regular monthly gathering for all trainees and staff, aimed at broadening networks and enhancing relationships among Ferrari’s reserves.
Yet during these gatherings, Qin Miao always appears solitary.
Once the banquet begins, he always finds a plate of food, grabs a bottle of juice, and finds a quiet spot to eat and drink like an outsider.
Initially, Qin Miao was quite interested in the gatherings, even asking Qimeng to help him pick out a suitable suit, eagerly attending the meet-up among peers.
Then, Qin Miao was disgusted.
It’s not exactly that the plot from a novel mirrored reality, because these people didn’t mock or ridicule Qin Miao.
Those players whose names Qin Miao barely knew reacted mostly with indifference to his friendly exchanges and polite greetings, blatantly ignoring him.
No matter what Qin Miao said, they acted like they didn’t hear him at all and simply ignored him.
After trying with three or four people, the attitude remained the same.
Soon, Qin Miao roughly understood the reason behind it.
They thought of him as powerless and without performance, yet ironically this seemingly powerless and unaccomplished person became a tester for the Ferrari F1 team’s simulator, making them dissatisfied, yet unable to challenge the Ferrari F1 team, so they redirected their resentment toward him.
Qin Miao accurately guessed they were trying to give him a hard time.
However, they didn’t want to take it too far; they expected Qin Miao to come and bow down, pay homage, behave meekly, and just follow these "seniors."
But who is Qin Miao? As a young person with innate talent, he inevitably carried some arrogance.
While he wouldn’t look down on everyone with disdain, there’s still undeniable pride embedded within him.
Damn, you bunch of worthless bastards want me to bow down and admit wrong? Forget it.
You play your games; I’m not catering to you.
I came here to learn and hone my skills, not to kiss your feet.
Since that gathering, whenever Lawson invited Qin Miao to another, Qin Miao wouldn’t actively engage with these people anymore, and his attire became rather casual—just a Ferrari work shirt and simple sweatpants. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Chat among yourselves, I’ll just take this monthly gathering as an opportunity to eat more.
Rather than being isolated by others, it’s more accurate to say Qin Miao isolated himself.
This point caused some headaches for Lawson; he tried advising him but it had no effect, or rather, had no effect at all.
Qin Miao was resolute: I really dislike their arrogant, seniority-pressuring stance, we are simply not on the same path, it’d be best if we never intersect.
Lawson thought it over, since Qin Miao’s relationship with other Ferrari youth team members was competitive, it wasn’t worth meddling, so he just left it be.
"Mr. Lawson, do you need me for something?" After arriving at Lawson’s office, Qin Miao casually found a spot to sit.
Just like how good students often have priviledges with teachers, Qin Miao—a clearly gifted driver—naturally received special treatment from Lawson, clearly seen in how Lawson dealt with Qin Miao’s relations with other young drivers in Ferrari’s training camp.
"Lubos should’ve informed you." Lawson took a sip of tea, "The season is nearing its end, everyone’s busy, and we’re no exception.
A week from now, we’ll hold an internal race at Fiorano; it’s quite important, as your performance determines whether you get a high-level formula seat next season. Of course, if you’re aiming for the Le Mans 24 Hours, we have connections with a decent team. Choose a GT3 model for this race, and we’ll present your results to those teams. With your abilities, our influence, securing a driver position in a Le Mans 24 Hours team shouldn’t be too hard."
