How Did I Become an F1 Driver?-Chapter 791 - 320: Dawn of Victory

If Hamilton continues to tangle with Verstappen here, he can forget about competing for the championship position in this race.

So upon noticing Verstappen slowing down, Hamilton eventually chose to overtake Verstappen from the outside at normal speed.

And Hamilton's maneuver was exactly what Verstappen hoped for.

Both had passed the Red Bull before reaching the braking point at T27.

After reclaiming his position, Hamilton was taking the usual outside line to enter the corner.

Verstappen made his signature late brake on the inside line.

With that late brake, Verstappen not only passed the DRS detection point behind Hamilton but also entered the corner faster.

In the middle of the corner, Verstappen squeezed Hamilton towards the outside line, depriving him of the optimal exit route from the bend.

Returned, but not fully returned.

So after exiting T27 and reaching the main straight, Verstappen moved ahead of Hamilton once again, even utilizing his DRS after passing the designated activation point.

Watching Verstappen's actions, Zhou Haoran was incredulous: "He shouldn't be doing this, it's against the rules!"

"Verstappen can't immediately counterattack after returning the position!"

Even domestic fans aware of Hamilton's rivalry with Qin Miao felt indignant for Hamilton, as he was still Qin Miao's teammate.

They thought Verstappen was insane, willing to do anything for the championship.

The broadcast then shifted to the Mercedes garage.

The camera focused on Toto Wolff.

Unlike the hysterical scene after Verstappen and Hamilton collided, Wolff now sat with his arms crossed, smiling angrily at Verstappen's move.

Right after they reached T3 in this lap, the FIA presented its penalty for Verstappen.

A five-second penalty for Verstappen.

This five-second penalty was given because Verstappen didn't return the position after cutting the corner past Hamilton.

On seeing this penalty, not only commentators, but also Mercedes and Hamilton fans, even some neutral spectators found it too lenient.

Considering Verstappen's ridiculous actions on the track, strictly speaking, this penalty seemed far too light.

Toto understood that now the FIA didn't intend to hide their intentions; they simply didn't want Hamilton to achieve his unprecedented eighth championship.

They don't want Hamilton to become the first in F1 history, even if this record will eventually be broken.

Toto even felt that the FIA wouldn't object as much if Qin Miao won the championship this year.

But compared to Qin Miao, it was apparent they preferred Verstappen as the champion.

Came lap 43, again in the T27 corner.

Hamilton utilized DRS to catch up with Verstappen ahead and braked on the inside before T27, overtaking Verstappen.

Exiting the corner, Verstappen still struggled, attempting to reclaim the position from Hamilton.

But Hamilton wasn't in the mood for banter; using his advantage of the racing line, he forced Verstappen off the track.

Finally overtaking Verstappen after exiting the corner.

Even though Verstappen had DRS on the main straight, his tires had lost their initial grip after prolonged use, giving Hamilton's hard tires better traction.

So despite Verstappen having DRS, his exit speed was clearly inferior to Hamilton's. Ultimately, Hamilton maintained his position.

Ironically, this wasn't due to Verstappen stepping aside; it was Hamilton's sheer strength in overcoming Verstappen's lack of tire grip.

By lap 44, the gap between Hamilton and Verstappen had widened to 1.4 seconds.

By lap 45, the gap reached 2 seconds.

The gap between Qin Miao and Hamilton shrunk from 4.3 seconds to 3.7 seconds.

Hamilton chased Qin Miao by 0.5 seconds in one lap, and judging by Hamilton's speed, his damaged nose wing end plate wasn't affecting his pace—he remained fast.

Everyone shifted their focus from Verstappen now.

It was evident after Hamilton overtook Verstappen that Verstappen couldn't keep up with Hamilton's rhythm. In the final laps, Verstappen's medium tires were indeed overwhelmed.

Plus, even without tire problems, Verstappen still had a five-second penalty hanging over him.

So strictly speaking, the race wasn't much about Verstappen anymore. The audience's main focus shifted to whether Hamilton could catch Qin Miao, who didn't appear too fast, in the next five laps.