[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 153

Vroom!! Vroom!

Twenty drivers entered the pit with their colorful race cars. The overheated race cars emitted ripples of heat above the engines, and the drivers emerging from them showed obvious signs of fatigue.

Finally, the practice session at the Bahrain Circuit that opened the 31st season came to an end.

[With the conclusion of FP2, the practice session has ended.]

[Was there ever a practice session this intense? Today’s practice session felt more like a race than mere practice.]

The commentators raised their voices, generating tension akin to the main event. Usually, practice sessions, which are often seen as boring tactical battles, would have a calm commentary, but today’s practice at the Bahrain Circuit was different.

[There has never been a practice session as fun as today.]

[Yes, Ferrari, who pushed until the end, was at the center of that change.]

[Leclerc from Ferrari and Mr. Yooihyun showed such passionate driving today that it could rival the main race.]

Since the inception of F1 until now, the legendary performance of Ferrari, a symbol of F1, ignited enthusiasm among the commentators and the entire audience.

This was because Ferrari, having lost its honor and strayed from victory, returned as a champion ready to raise the flag of honor once again.

Among them, the two young drivers shouldering Ferrari’s heavy fate, Charles Leclerc and Mr. Yooihyun, had the most significant contribution, and no one was unaware of that.

Their driving today was something beyond mere driving. Their will to give their all every moment, constantly challenging their limits, ignited a significant fire in the hearts of all those who had been asleep.

Watching Ferrari’s race car being squeezed to its absolute limits evoked something indescribable.

Desire, passion, courage, responsibility… Just gazing at the race car stirred a whirlwind of complex emotions that weighed heavily and heated the heart. The sharp pain and tingling sensations quickly grew, engulfing the audience.

The source of the bubbling emotional turmoil was…

[Todays applause is for Leclerc and Mr. Yooihyun. It was truly a wonderful ‘race’.]

[I completely agree with you on calling it a ‘race.’ Today was indeed a race, not just practice.]

The determination to succeed at all costs, a will hardened by the prospect of d*ath, fueled their performance.

Sincerity manifests in various forms without needing words, and just seeing it can make one feel enchanted. The driving at Ferrari was regarded as a mission, a fate, a predestined calling. That sincerity was conveyed to the commentators and the audience.

The wildfire ignited in the fields quickly spread everywhere.

Their sincerity, which excited everyone, didn’t end there.

[Actually, in the last ten minutes, the emotions among the drivers were genuine as they all raced with sincere efforts, so it seems the term ‘race’ is not out of place.]

[Perhaps it’s the influence of Ferrari’s drivers. In the end, even Mercedes was pushing to the limits.]

[That must be it. Hamilton’s and Verstappen’s pace was completely different from before.]

[Is there ever going to be an opening round like this? This is the first time in ten years of commentary that I’ve felt this passionate about an opening race. This is the true opening of F1!]

The sincerity that enveloped everyone outside the track quickly filled the space, returning to the track multiplied by hundreds or thousands of times. This outpouring of sincerity even absorbed the drivers.

It ignited their primal instinct, stronger than any competitive spirit, breaking them free from the thoroughly strategized and calculated driving.

Perhaps it was a surge of pure desire that was more significant than finishing first in a race.

The heat, spreading wildly like madness, became a massive current. Just as the flow of time cannot be reversed, neither could each team resist the rising atmosphere. Even the team directors, who should control the situation calmly and rationally, seemed enchanted, leaving the drivers to race freely.

If the leaders of the teams were in such a state, it was natural for the team members to lose themselves in the race itself rather than be bogged down by strategies and other distractions. Everyone issued aggressive commands and moved decisively.

The director granted freedom, the race engineer converted that freedom into an aggressive approach, and the drivers transformed that aggression into their driving.

The ripple effect, never realized before. The overflowing power from the directors flowed downwards, maximizing organizational synergy.

In racing terms, it could be likened to a perfect lap. They had been engaging in an indirect battle to reduce their lap times by even 0.1 seconds, executing a perfect lap that went unnoticed beneath the surface.

This was a new facet and era that had emerged in F1.

An era, which, on a smaller scale, was represented by the tens of thousands of spectators filling the Bahrain Circuit, and, on a larger scale, the entire world watching F1.

[Can the flow of practice sessions, long seen as exploratory, change like this?]

The commentators thought it might completely overturn the predictable flow of practice sessions that had long been rigid and unbreakable.

[I can’t see any way to utilize that just yet, but… it might be worth keeping the possibility open. Ferrari wouldn’t reveal everything carelessly after coming fully prepared for this season.]

[That’s right. Although we can’t know for sure how they’re benefiting from this method, there must be a good reason behind it.]

Of course, laws are maintained throughout time due to their exceptional utility, so they don’t change easily. However, simply presenting possibilities is enough to nurture expectations.

The once dull practice sessions had evolved into a new strategic approach for ten F1 teams and more entertaining content for the audience.

Currently, while Ferrari may not hold first place, they found themselves standing at the center of changing the game’s dynamics, as they always had.

[I look forward to seeing why Ferrari made the choices they did today in qualifying.]

[It seems we must closely watch the remaining Grand Prix. Should we wrap up today’s commentary here?]

[Yes, thank you to everyone who came and watched the Bahrain Grand Prix today, and we’ll take our leave now.]

[Thank you!]

As the commentary concluded, the practice session ended completely.

“Ferrari fighting!!!”

“Tifosi, let’s rise!”

“Mr. Yooihyun, Leclerc, I love you!!”

Somehow, the heat in the grandstands seemed to rise even further.

The name ‘Ferrari’ resonated throughout the night sky of Bahrain for a long time.

***

“It was impossible. V-1 couldn’t hold on. I’m sorry.”

I bluntly said to Enrique, who took my sweaty helmet as I exited the race car.

It wasn’t my fault; it was the race car’s.

This wasn’t a statement born from arrogance. It was simply the truth. I could have gone faster and longer, but technically, the incomplete durability and performance of V-1 didn’t allow that.

I helplessly had to manage my pace in the last ten minutes, so naturally, I couldn’t pass Hamilton.

No, rather than passing Hamilton, I fell further behind and even lost my place to Max, who I had already overtaken. I didn’t stop there; I also gave way to Renyo and McLaren trailing behind.

Thus, the final results were 1st and 2nd for Mercedes, followed by Renyo and McLaren in 3rd and 4th, respectively.

Then came McLaren and Renyo in 5th and 6th.

Ferrari had Leclerc and me finishing 7th and 8th, respectively. I was 7th, while Leclerc was 8th.

It might sound like an excuse, but the drop in ranking was inevitable. No matter how much we improved our race car by bringing in talented individuals and implementing brilliant ideas…

Mercedes, Renyo, McLaren, and Red Bull… These robust teams, with powerful subsidiaries and sponsors, were full of top talents competing at the highest level. They had already built a unique technical prowess over the years by consistently placing in the upper ranks.

To think that it could be toppled by just a few successes would be an insult to them.

Ironically, because of this, today’s achievement by Ferrari shines even brighter. In just one month, a relatively brief time, they managed to shake the sturdy tower they had built over years.

“I’m sorry. The telemetry has been excellent lately… It’s all the car’s fault. Truthfully, you gained much more because of the situation, so don’t beat yourself up.”

This was a sincere apology to my engineers, but I had no room for self-blame.

I chuckled softly and said to him.

“Not really. Maybe that’s why I feel a bit disappointed.”

Yet, feeling disappointed was something I couldn’t help as a driver.

Next time, I should aim to do better with the resources available to me.

Complaining about our team would only sour my mood, so I redirected the conversation externally.

“By the way, I wonder what they all ate, as everyone suddenly raised their pace.”

“Oh, that was the case. In the last ten minutes, Mercedes and all the teams in the top ten engaged in a full-power battle.”

“What’s up with hiding it for 110 minutes only to carelessly reveal everything in the last 10 minutes? I dropped in rank while they all exposed their full power. They should have just raced like that from the start. That was truly a double loss.”

“Indeed, indeed!”

As I exchanged lively banter with Enrique…

“Hyun.”

A deep, low voice accompanied by a firm yet gentle hand tapped my shoulder.

A tall figure clad in a white racing suit, with hair slicked back and a neat finish, wore a name tag reading ‘Hiss.’

I slowly turned my head to meet him. His smile revealed whether he was soaked in sweat or something else as he slowly parted his lips.

“Have you been doing well? I’ve missed you a lot.”

It was Kang Ho-yun.