How Did I Become an F1 Driver?-Chapter 660 - 281: The Russian Grand Prix Ends (6K, Extra 6/20)

But at this point, the team knew that Qin Miao's outburst of profanity was just a way to vent and wouldn't serve any positive purpose.

So, the team immediately tried to console Qin Miao over team radio: "Calm down, Qin Miao. Data shows the left front tire pressure is normal, so the tire shouldn't have significant damage. However, the hydraulic system pressure in the side pod has increased, though it remains within a controllable range. Please continue to persist on the track and protect your car."

With the team's reminder, although Qin Miao was still very angry, the race had to go on, so he tried to gather his emotions.

Recalling what Frankie said earlier, Qin Miao asked worriedly: "Does the car's damage affect my race?"

"It should hold up until the end of the race," Frankie replied simply. "We'll notify you immediately if any issues arise."

This answer was enough for Qin Miao.

Meanwhile, Hamilton saw through the rearview mirror the collision between Qin Miao and Norris.

Seeing them crash and debris flying in the first instance, Hamilton was almost overjoyed inside.

That sense of happiness was so overwhelming that Hamilton didn't even know how to share it with others.

It was like finding 5 million on the street.

Once there was a 10-second gap between him and Qin Miao, Hamilton inquired about Qin Miao's car status over team radio.

"I saw Qin Miao crash. Is he okay?"

"Qin Miao is fine. The car has minor damage but should hold up until the race ends," Hamilton's track engineer said.

Hamilton clicked his tongue, feeling a bit regretful.

After all, if Qin Miao got knocked out by Norris, Hamilton could surpass Qin Miao on the driver standings, and he would pull away from Verstappen. Everything would be on track.

Thinking of Verstappen, Hamilton glanced at the standings on his steering wheel during his drive.

?

What the heck?

Didn't he start from the back of the grid? When did he get to fourth? Did no other cars block him?

After confirming the data on his steering wheel wasn't wrong, Hamilton suddenly smiled with relief. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Qin Miao continuing to race isn't so bad. At least compared to Verstappen, Qin Miao's car is on par with mine.

Compared to dealing with Red Bull, which could suddenly surge in performance at any time, Hamilton found it easier to handle Qin Miao.

At least their cars are always on the same level, and he could rely on his extensive racing experience to beat Qin Miao.

In the ensuing race, Qin Miao continued to persist on the track with car damage.

The damage to the floor and side pod noticeably reduced Qin Miao's speed, but the most severe impact was on the car's overall balance.

Because of this, Qin Miao's lap times dropped significantly, each lap being 2 seconds slower than Hamilton.

Of course, despite this, Qin Miao wasn't worried about losing his second place because Norris was still struggling on dry tires in the pouring rain.

The gap between Norris and Qin Miao was still over a minute, so there was no threat to Qin Miao's position.

As long as Qin Miao didn't make the same mistake as Norris, Qin Miao was guaranteed at least a second place in this race,

If luck favored him and Hamilton got struck by lightning, maybe Qin Miao could even reclaim the championship.

Of course, that was entirely a joke.

After the crash, the race for these two Mercedes drivers, Qin Miao and Hamilton, was already settled.

Their task now was to complete the remaining 2 laps and safely bring the cars back to the pit lane for the podium.

So the director didn't focus the camera on these two drivers anymore, instead giving more screen time to Norris.

As the unfortunate one, Norris genuinely had a great chance to win the race, but the issue lay in his choices.

It couldn't be said that there was anything wrong with Norris's choice.

Like Norris, other drivers, such as Leclerc, also chose to continue with dry tires on the track.

However, from the moment Hamilton pitted and Norris didn't, Norris's bid to retain the win was destined to endure on the track.

Unfortunately, in the end, Norris's choice was proven wrong.

...

On the same lap, as Norris just entered the pit lane, Verstappen passed him and moved to third place.

In just half a lap, Verstappen caught up with Norris by over a minute.

This shows how much the rain affected the tires in this race.

After pitting, Norris dropped to sixth, behind his teammate Ricardo. Shortly after exiting, he was overtaken by Alonso because his tires hadn't reached optimal temperature.

Considering Norris's strength and McLaren's performance this season, Norris is bound to win a race eventually.

Just not today.

Finally, amid the ecstatic celebration of all Mercedes staff, Hamilton and Qin Miao crossed the finish line one after the other under the checkered flag.