How did I become an F1 driver?

Chapter 304 Chapter 307: The smiling Mercedes crowd (6K, 514 more updates)

Qin Miao's answer was different from Hamilton's. After all, he was a young man and did not have as much cheering experience as Hamilton, so Qin Miao's answer seemed a bit dry: "Phew! It was a difficult game, but fortunately the final result made everyone happy. Satisfied, including me, thank you all."

If you want to say that Qin Miao's words don't contain a bit of resentment at being defeated by his teammate Hamilton, no one will believe it.

But no matter what, after this game, whether it is Qin Miao, Hamilton, or other staff of the Mercedes-Benz team, they will receive an extremely generous bonus.

This is the tradition of the Mercedes team. After winning the championship every year, everyone will receive a bonus. Qin Miao heard this from the buddies in the simulator department.

After all, in the team, apart from his own crew members, Qin Miao has the best relationship with that group of people.

After thinking of this, Qin Miao's uncomfortable feeling eased a lot.

"Let us congratulate the Mercedes team, which won the 2021 team championship three races ahead of schedule." The three commentators from Five Star Sports had already stood up from their positions to applaud Hamilton after he crossed the line.

The three commentators from Five Star Sports also felt gratified by this.

Of course, this sentiment mainly comes from the fact that there is Qin Miao within the Mercedes team.

After all, the Chinese driver Qin Miao they were looking forward to was not buried after entering the Mercedes team. Instead, he shined brightly inside the team that no one could have imagined.

"At the same time, we also want to congratulate Chinese driver Qin Miao. Although he did not bring the championship back in this game, he helped the team win the team championship in the first season of his career and contributed to the team's victory in the championship. An indispensable force, this is enough to make this young driver proud!”

"At the same time, we also look forward to Qin Miao weathering the wind and rain and forging ahead in the final three races as he competes for the driver's championship!"

……

And I don’t know since when, both the three commentators from Five Star Sports and the domestic fans have ignored one thing.

From scratch, in just one year, they have become accustomed to Qin Miao's strong performance.

Even now, they think that Qin Miao's winning the championship is worthy of celebration, and winning the runner-up is just average, and they won't even praise Qin Miao specifically.

This may be the force of habit.

But no matter what, after winning the team championship, it is always worth celebrating.

It is said that emotions between people are contagious. After Qin Miao parked the car and looked at the sincere smiles on Reyes and the others' faces through the mottled goggles, he felt better for some reason. got up.

The regret that was caused by not being able to retain the championship was now wiped away.

No matter what, people have to look forward. Cherishing the present and looking to the future is what Qin Miao should do at this time.

Hamilton was the first driver to park his car. After jumping out of the car, Hamilton rushed directly into the crowd of Mercedes staff like crazy.

This game was a complete victory for Hamilton. Not to mention winning the driver's championship, this game was Hamilton's 100th career victory.

The most important thing is that his [-]th championship was won together with the team's eight championships. There will be a grand celebration on Mercedes' side after the game.

After Qin Miao got out of the car, he didn't bother to put the steering wheel back down. He threw it on his seat and trotted all the way to the staff of the Mercedes team.

Then Qin Miao was dragged into the crowd...

Franky laughed and jumped up and down while holding Qin Miao. Soon a group of people hugged each other, and Reyes and the others soon joined in.

Although Qin Miao was very happy at the moment, he really couldn't hear much laughter at the moment because his helmet was banged by the excited team engineers.

After a little celebration, the two drivers Qin Miao and Hamilton were lifted up by the Mercedes team staff with astonishment on their faces, and they were now constantly thrown into the sky.

Of course, everyone knows that it is just a simple celebration now, and the time for real celebration has not yet come.

So after briefly venting their inner excitement, they released Qin Miao and Hamilton and asked them to pack up and go for the interview.

And during this process, everyone had smiles on their faces.

After coming out of the crowd, Hamilton took the initiative to extend his hand to Qin Miao.

Qin Miao was in a much better mood now and reached out to hold Hamilton's hand.

After shaking hands, the two hugged gently. After the hug, Hamilton patted Qin Miao on the back and said: "Thank you, I also have your share of being a champion."

Qin Miao grinned: "You're welcome, and this championship is in your hands mainly because I really didn't find a suitable coach for this game. When the speed is not enough, it is best to maximize the benefits by letting you pass. s Choice."

After Qin Miao finished speaking, Hamilton reached into his helmet and scratched his nose in embarrassment.

Qin Miao did not find suitable training for this game. In fact, it has a certain relationship with Hamilton. In the recent games, Hamilton has not shared training settings and data with Qin Miao.

But Hamilton doesn't feel regretful or guilty about this. At most, he was a little embarrassed when Qin Miao mentioned it.

Friends come and go, but the pursuit of a championship never changes.

"But no matter what, I still have to say thank you."

After the two of them finished chatting, a tall figure wearing a white shirt emerged from the crowd of people in the Mercedes team.

With a height of nearly two meters and a white shirt exclusive to the leadership of the Mercedes-Benz team, you don't have to think twice to know who this person is.

Toto Wolff, the owner and shareholder of the Mercedes team and also the team manager, is a toilet wolf.

At this moment, Toto's face was also full of smiles, even the wrinkles were squeezed together because of the smile, and the highlight was a happy smile.

Qin Miao and Hamilton walked over together. Toto Wolff hugged Hamilton with his left hand and Qin Miao with his right hand. He held the two Mercedes drivers in his arms and smiled, as if he was hugging the whole world.

After briefly celebrating for a while, Toto reached out and patted the two of them on the back hard, and then reluctantly let go of the two of them, letting them pack their things for the interview.

After all, their celebration had already run out of time, and the host of the post-race interview also waited for a while after interviewing Verstappen.

Qin Miao and Hamilton also knew that they could not delay any longer, so they quickly cleaned themselves up.

But Qin Miao is much simpler after all. He doesn't have as much idol baggage as Hamilton.

As soon as he took off his helmet, he wiped the sweat on his face with a towel prepared by the local event organizer. Then he put on the hat prepared by the Mercedes team to cover his hairstyle that was ruined by the helmet and sweat, and then he could go for the interview. .

And Hamilton had to take off his helmet where no one else could see, put on his hat, and then walk back.

"Qin Miao, in today's game we can clearly find that the speed gap between you and your teammates is a bit big. Can you tell us what happened? How did this gap come about?"

Qin Miao thought for a moment with his hands on his hips, and then said helplessly: "Yes, there is indeed a speed gap between me and Hamilton in this game, but I don't know the specific reason yet. I guess it's because the trainer didn't find it." Okay, but whether this is the case specifically, we have to wait until after the game is over and take the data back to the factory for analysis before we can get the results.

But being able to maintain second place under such unfavorable circumstances is enough for me. "

"We won the 2021 team championship three races ahead of schedule. Your contribution is indispensable. Will there be any celebrations when returning to the team after the race?"

Qin Miao smiled: "There will definitely be one, but I don't know exactly what it is. I just hope they won't pick me up and throw me into the swimming pool."

The host also smiled after hearing Qin Miao's answer.

“Last question, after this race, the points gap between you and Verstappen increased from 8 points to 11 points. It seems a lot safer. Do you think you can maintain this position at the end of this season. "

“It is undeniable that whether it is Hamilton or Verstappen, they are both extremely good drivers and very strong opponents.

To be honest, I am not confident that I can win the final championship in the hands of both of them, but I believe that both me and the crew members behind me will try their best to help me achieve this.

There is a saying in my hometown: Do your best and obey fate. I think this sentence can just describe my current situation, and I will do everything I can.

Whether we can get a satisfactory result in the end depends on God's will. "

"Okay, finally, congratulations to the Mercedes team for winning the 2021 team championship. I wish you a happy weekend." The host finally said the concluding remarks to Qin Miao.

Qin Miao also smiled and thanked the host.

After the interview, Qin Miao left the interview seat, and Hamilton was interviewed next.

However, Qin Miao did not listen to Hamilton's interview. After the interview, he took his helmet and gloves and went upstairs to the preparation room where the drivers stayed before the awards were presented.

After entering the preparation room, Qin Miao saw Verstappen who was not in a good mood.

This is not difficult to understand. After all, Verstappen led four-fifths of the race in this game, but failed to hold on in the last fifth of the race, allowing Hamilton to overtake.

The most important thing is that Qin Miao relied on his signature long-distance ability to get second place.

Red Bull really lost this game completely.

However, after seeing Qin Miao come in, Verstappen took the initiative to reach out and shake Qin Miao's hand: "Congratulations."

Qin Miao smiled: "Thank you."

At this time, Qin Miao didn't feel that he should say anything more, because no matter what Qin Miao said, there would always be a feeling of superiority. Even if Qin Miao had no thoughts in this regard, Verstappen would naturally think in this direction. It’s just that Qin Miao didn’t want to speak, but Verstappen had a lot of questions that he wanted Qin Miao to answer for him.

"How were your tires in those last few laps?"

Qin Miao, who was reviewing the race in his own mind, heard Verstappen's question and replied: "We have passed the cliff point and the speed has begun to drop significantly. I feel that if I run five more laps, the tire will burst. risk to the fetus.”

After hearing this, Verstappen said regretfully: "If I had known this, I would have left more room for both parties when Hamilton and I were fighting."

Qin Miao was also a little curious: "Why didn't you attack me in the last two laps? You were in the DRS area behind me."

Verstappen shrugged helplessly: "The condition of my tires at that time was similar to yours. They kept slipping when exiting the corner. The tires simply couldn't give me enough grip when exiting the corner."

Qin Miao understood when he heard this.

It was actually very early to refuel on the start straight at the Interlagos circuit in Brazil.

If the downforce is strong enough, drivers usually start accelerating at full throttle after passing T12.

However, due to tire wear, Verstappen's tires would slip after he drove T12, and he would not be able to accelerate at all. Naturally, he would not be able to pose any threat to Qin Miao.

Speaking of this, Verstappen said with some emotion: "Your ability to protect the tire...how should I put it, it's incredible. How did you do it?"

This was the first time Qin Miao had heard others ask him such a question.

But Qin Miao had no way to explain this matter in detail. He could only say as he explained to other people who had doubts before: "It's like you can't explain to other drivers why you enter the corner so accurately." , why is the routing around corners so smooth and natural?

I can't explain to you why I can do this.

This is as normal to me as eating and drinking.

I think you can understand this feeling, right? "

After hearing Qin Miao's words, Verstappen took off his hat and scratched his hair: "Yeah, it's like instinct..."

When the two of them were talking to this point, Hamilton also walked in happily.

After Hamilton came in, Verstappen stopped talking. Instead, Qin Miao and Hamilton started chatting.

However, the two of them didn't even exchange a word. The staff in the lounge informed them that they were going to go out to receive the award.

In order, the first driver to go out was naturally Verstappen who finished third, followed by Qin Miao, and finally Hamilton, the winner of this race.

At the same time, because Mercedes won the team championship in this game, the team staff who came to the stage to receive the award unanimously elected the team’s technical director Mike Elliott.

Afterwards, everyone present listened to the British national anthem.

Next is the awards ceremony.

Because the Brazilian Grand Prix is ​​sponsored by Heineken, the trophy after the game is also the same as the red star of Heineken.

The person responsible for awarding awards to the drivers is naturally a high-ranking local official or influential figure in Brazil. After all, such a session is also a good opportunity for them to show their faces and improve their political achievements.

While the drivers were receiving their awards on the stage, the staff of the Mercedes-Benz logistics department also brought out more than ten bottles of beer from the team house and distributed them to the team's technicians and staff one by one. Toto's hands were stuffed. Got a bottle.

Qiu Meng, who was looking at Qin Miao with admiration in the audience, also held a bottle of beer in her hand.

Soon, as the awards ceremony ended, that familiar song sounded.

Qin, Miao, Hamilton and Verstappen all started shaking champagne to celebrate...

The scene after that is not difficult to guess. As a representative of the team, Mike Elliott, who has a good relationship with Qin Miao and Hamilton, was poured with champagne, and his white shirt was completely attached to his body.

However, he didn't feel embarrassed at all. He smiled and cheered and interacted with the Mercedes team technicians who were also drinking beer in the audience.

After the celebration for the drivers ended, Qin, Miao, Hamilton and Elliott raised the champagne in their hands and toasted to Yaoyao, the Mercedes team staff member below the podium.

Soon, the celebration was over.

However, because the Mercedes team won the driver's championship, the organizers allowed the Mercedes team technicians to celebrate on the track for a while, while Qin Miao, Verstappen and Elliott took the He left the podium with his trophy smiling.

Next, there will be an extremely grand celebration for the Mercedes-Benz team.

It's just that these will not appear in the broadcast screen.

After Qin Miao and the others finished their celebration, the director gave the driver rankings and scores after the game:

1: Hamilton +25
  2: Qin Miao +18
  3: Verstappen +15
  4: Perez +13 (fastest lap)
  5: Leclerc +10
  6: Sainz +8
  7: Gasly +6
  8: O'Connell +4
  9: Alonso +2
  10: Norris +1
  11: Vettel
  12: Kimi
  13: Russell
  14: Giovinazzi
  15: Yuki Tsunoda

16: Latifi
  17: Ma Zeping
  18: Mick

19: Ricciardo (retired)
  20: Stroll (retired)
  Regardless of the drivers of the two teams, Mercedes and Red Bull, Ferrari's performance in this game was indeed good.

Both drivers pushed the limits of the Ferrari car.

This game can be regarded as confirming Ferrari's position in the team standings.

At the same time, the overall driver standings is as follows:

1: Qin Miao 333
  2: Verstappen 322 (+8→+11)

3: Hamilton 320 (+20→+13)

4: Perez 164
  5: Leclerc 153
  6: Norris 129
  7: Sainz 115
  8: Ricardo 91
  9: Gasly 78
  10: Alonso 53
  11: Vettel 49
  12: O'Connell 40
  13: Stroll 20
  14: Tsunoda 14
  15: Russell 10
  16: Kimi 7
  17: Latifi 3
  Compared with Verstappen and Hamilton, Qin Miao can reach this position purely because compared to these two drivers, Qin Miao is more stable and does not make so many mistakes on the field.

If you are careful, it is not difficult to find that as the game continues, the time gap between Qin Miao and Hamilton is shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The specific reason is naturally because of Qin Miao's growth this season.

But it is still an objective fact that Verstappen and Hamilton are stronger than Qin Miao.

Qin Miao is not that fast now. In addition to the driver's personal ability, there is more of a gap between the crew.

Hamilton's crew has been helping Hamilton adjust his car since he entered Mercedes.

After so many years of running in, everyone is basically in a state of knowing the basics.

There is no need to even remind others how to choose when faced with two settings and different data. Hamilton's crew members can help Hamilton make the most comfortable choice for driving or using based on his understanding of Hamilton. .

Not to mention Hamilton’s track engineer.

The two have also been working together for a long time, and they have gotten along quite well, and the chemical reaction between them is also very strong.

As for Qin Miao, although the work efficiency of the crew members is indeed much better than that of teams such as McLaren, Alpine, and Aston Martin.

But it is meaningless to compare Mercedes-Benz staff with those teams. The comparison is also with Qin Miao's teammate Hamilton.

Compared with Hamilton, the work efficiency of Qin Miao's crew members is not high enough, and their subjective initiative is not strong enough.

This is mainly because they don't know Qin Miao well enough.

Although French is the track engineer who has worked with Qin Miao when he was in F2, he, like Qin Miao, is also in his first year in F1.

He was also in a hurry for a while after entering F2 from F1.

In the five races before the start of this season, even Qin Miao's car was adjusted by Reyes, while French was just helping Qin Miao check the weather and analyze the threats posed by other drivers to Qin Miao.

It was not until the sixth race in Azerbaijan that Frank began to help Qin Miao debug the car as a whole. But at that time, Qin Miao's crew also had the help of Hamilton's crew data, so the problem of poor subjective initiative and low efficiency did not Not exposed.

But now that he has lost Hamilton's data support, Qin Miao has obvious problems with car tuning.

This game is also a proof.

Of course, even if they know where the problem lies, Qin Miao and Qin Miao's crew cannot solve it immediately. This already involves a problem of experience and background.

If he wants to improve his team's abilities in this area, all Qin Miao can expect is that Reyes and the others will grow next season.

At the same time, after this game, the team’s overall standings are as follows:

1: Mercedes: 653
  2: Red Bull: 486
  3: Ferrari: 268
  4: McLaren: 220
  5: Alpine: 95
  6: Red Bull: 92
  7: Aston Martin: 69
  8: Williams: 13
  9: Alfa Romeo: 7
  10: Haas: 0
  Because there are still three games left in the season, and even if all points are obtained in these three games, only 132 points will be obtained in the end.

And even if all 132 points are won by Red Bull, and Mercedes-Benz does not score a point in the next three race weekends, then Red Bull's total points will only stay at 618 points, and there is no way to catch up now. Mercedes Racing Team.

(End of this chapter)