[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 167

Vroooom!!!

Screech!!

The two red race cars from Ferrari were scouring every corner of the Bahrain Circuit, truly inspecting every inch.

From the corners with drastic changes in track layout to even the most minute details of the straightaways, the manner in which they explored was not unlike that of a slow-moving deep-sea exploration vehicle rather than a race car.

However, even amidst all the analysis, deconstruction, and inquiry, the astounding speed, surpassing 300 km/h, never wavered. Like everything in life, racing is an inherently practical sport that demands direct proof, leaving no reason to slow down.

So, Leclerc and I. We, who exist at the very edge of the field of racing. We were simultaneously questioning, doubting, exploring, and experimenting with what each of us thought were the answers.

With no limit to the laps, Leclerc and I were like two racers on a Möbius strip, continuously proving each other’s methods, negating them, and infinitely progressing toward what could be called the truth.

It was possibly a frightening path. But I was not walking down this never-ending road alone.

I desperately spoke to Leclerc, who was following closely behind me.

“Don’t stop.”

-Right, let’s go.

To simplify this complex, tedious, and drawn-out process, one could call it an ‘upgrade.’

On a small scale, it’s an upgrade related to tackling the Bahrain Circuit, and on a larger scale, it’s the process of upgrading both Leclerc and myself. Breaking down prejudices, expanding perspectives, broadening thoughts, and restructuring understanding… however one chooses to express it, it is an essential process aimed at shattering and reconstructing our very way of thinking to stand in a higher and broader world.

It’s a challenging process that everyone dreams of but also universally shies away from. I welcomed it willingly.

I understand what the reward awaiting me is. I know precisely what that reward is, which is commonly spoken about but the most difficult to obtain.

I recognized the moments when things that were previously difficult to comprehend suddenly clicked into place, like untangling a knot; I recognized the moments when understanding became the foundation for my body’s actions, allowing for increasingly precise and accurate control; and I realized the moments when, enabled by those developments, I could see higher-dimensional and new paths that I had never been able to perceive before.

The moments when one feels as if they have transcended human understanding to become omnipotent like a god.

In that moment, it immerses one in ecstasy, making it feel as if the entire world and universe can be cradled within one’s being.

I cherished that moment.

We were racing toward that moment together.

Just after passing a corner, Leclerc spoke in a calm voice.

-Back there, let’s reduce our speed a bit more and increase the angle.

“Is it really better to slow down and increase the angle? The straightaway is right ahead; wouldn’t maintaining speed be faster?”

-I think reducing the angle and maintaining speed is a bit slower compared to slowing down and increasing the angle before exiting the corner to accelerate.

He was reflecting on the corner we had just passed. He was contemplating his actions, seeking a better way.

Depending on whether one needed to defend or attack, the approach to the corner would differ drastically…

Lost in thought for a moment, I soon nodded in agreement.

“It may vary with each situation, but that could be better. It would also help with tire condition management… It’s best to keep the basic structure like that.”

Understanding the corner, as well as one’s opponent, is vital, but in racing, everything begins with knowing oneself.

Currently, the Ferrari race car V-1 boasts a perfect balance of all ability stats to the extent of being a flawless shape, yet it still lags a couple of steps behind the overall performance of competing teams’ vehicles. Moreover, this performance boost was only a temporary enhancement due to the ‘Hybrid Suspension’ developed by Mr. Won-jin, and it was barely maintained under the control of Leclerc and me at a cultivated level.

However, the Hybrid Suspension, which is the greatest advantage of V-1, is also considered its greatest disadvantage.

The most significant issue is the accelerated tire wear and balance breakdown that the hybrid suspension inevitably incurs.

As the suspension adjusts pressure at specific positions for the most efficient aerodynamics, it naturally leads to faster tire degradation. As a result, the balance of tire condition crumbles, reducing grip, which in turn leads to situations of unavoidable power loss—those are secondary issues.

Thus, we are faced with the necessity of pathological tire management throughout the main event.

-To be honest… I can’t make any guarantees. Tire management is feasible because it’s what we always do, but doing that will inevitably slow our pace.

The problem is that focusing energy on tire management runs counter to the effort of elevating pace.

In order to conserve tires, we inevitably find ourselves in situations where we have to give up our unique driving styles, which are our inherent competitive strengths.

In other words, we must consider whether to prioritize the race car or prioritize ourselves as drivers.

Although we have not yet faced reality, if a situation arises that forces us to manage tires at such an expense…

We will inevitably be compelled to make a choice.

‘Is conserving tires more competitive for shortening lap times?’

Or,

‘Is abandoning tire management to highlight your strengths more valuable?’—that is the choice we will face.

In this Grand Prix, we will certainly find ourselves in a dilemma of ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?,’ unable to determine what precedes what.

“Is it the race car that comes first, or the driver?”

While I murmured words that could not yield an answer, Leclerc spoke.

-I still don’t know what the answer is. I didn’t even have the option before, so just having choices feels good, but… now that the options are laid out, my head is spinning. Even if it’s not that, managing tires in Bahrain is not easy either.

As Leclerc mentioned, aside from other issues, making the most out of tires was something we had failed to accomplish even after several attempts at the Imola Circuit while at the Italian headquarters laboratory.

To be precise, we have succeeded before, but we’ve never achieved it ‘perfectly.’

Moreover, Bahrain’s high temperatures and surface temperatures lead to much faster tire degradation, and Leclerc’s and my aggressive driving styles are extremely taxing on tires. Balancing tire management with driving styles won’t be an easy feat either.

Considering that point, we will have to approach the race calculation-wise, and the uncertainties that arise during the race will likely create situations where we struggle to be confident.

All things considered, the Bahrain Grand Prix is likely to be a challenging event for Ferrari and all of us.

Perfect tire management. Two irreversible choices that will inevitably arise at the decisive moment.

Not elements from the outside like Mercedes, Renyo, Red Bull, or McLaren. We face two colossal internal walls that we must overcome in this Bahrain Grand Prix.

Even after envisioning the situation multiple times and having discussions, a clear path remains elusive. Neither Leclerc nor I could find certainty at this moment.

Still,

“For now, let’s just give it our all, whatever it may lead to. As we go along, we’ll find an answer.”

But we must act. If we don’t race, we won’t even have a choice.

A true driver must find what they desire through driving. To be born to run means to run, and everything we seek is within the act of running itself.

“Let’s not worry. When the time comes, we will move without hesitation. Surely… it will be so.”

Not knowing what comes first does not mean we cannot choose between them.

We have accumulated time. A length of time spent at the circuit and laboratory that could hardly be called short, and is even the entirety of our lives. Even if we were to choose wrongly, if those moments that made and supported us carry meaning…

At the very least, it wouldn’t lead us to a meaningless wrong answer.

-Right. Let that moment be entrusted to the version of us who will exist in that moment, and let us finish what we were doing now.

“In that sense, let’s reset and start anew. Time to tidy up what we’ve been doing.”

The night in Bahrain has come to an end in reality, but our night in Bahrain is eternal.

It was dark but filled with light, submerged yet brimming with heat.

For some reason, I was not afraid of the darkness.