[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 179

Ricciardo’s broadcasting had ended, and the Bahrain Grand Prix main event was underway with racing akin to qualifying.

Before Perez swapped with Leclerc, I barely managed to fend him off, only 5 laps in, with a hair’s breadth. Even that was under constant attack, and if my defense slipped, the barrier would be breached in the blink of an eye.

Soon, the promised 6th lap began.

[The 6th lap is starting. The driver will be swapped!]

[Blue Bull: Sergio Perez → Maniel Ricciardo]

[Ferrari: KING → Charles Leclerc]

Somehow managing to block them, I crossed the starting line, feeling as if my soul was being drawn into the race car, and my viewpoint was swapped with Leclerc’s. Now, Leclerc occupied the seat I had been in, and I was positioned where he had been watching me.

“Did you see? I’m not saying you need to copy it exactly, just use it as a reference. Everyone has their own style, and if you can blend that in, it’ll be the best.”

– Don’t worry. I’ve noted everything.

“Then focus. Right behind you, here they come.”

– Okay!

Having directly observed my driving for 5 laps, Leclerc seemed to have gained some strange confidence. Seeing that reminded me of the difficult memories teaching the Kiwich viewers with no answers, but isn’t Leclerc a top-tier driver competing at the world’s highest level?

‘Why am I worrying about him? It’s Leclerc after all… He’ll handle it well.’

With his exceptional talent and unmatched effort, it seemed reasonable to have some expectations for Leclerc.

However, those expectations were soon shattered.

“No, you can pull more in here. In fact, abrupt deceleration causes more tire wear. Hybrid suspension!!! Save those tires!”

“Then why did you drop below minimum speed? You don’t know that a 1km/h difference adds up to 0.1 seconds?”

“Are we really doing it this way? Leclerc, you’re perfect, which is exactly the problem. Just following a standardized racing line won’t lead to improvement!”

“H.y.b.r.i.d. s.u.s.p.e.n.s.i.o.n!!!”

Watching the tire condition drop in real-time, I couldn’t help but yell out loud.

Of course, by the time I shouted, I had already been overtaken by Ricciardo, so it meant nothing.

“Please, just save those tires, Leclerc… Your performance is dropping.”

But then, why?

I was passionately pouring out words to Leclerc, using all the words essential to start a conversation among Koreans.

I wondered if it was too much to demand from him, but since Leclerc asked for it like that, I felt no guilt. Even if he hadn’t asked, I’d have done the same.

The shift from calling him “oppa” to just “Leclerc”… I couldn’t hold back. This country didn’t have that sentiment, and as a Korean living abroad, I still wasn’t accustomed to it.

Well, it was mostly because anger and frustration surged from within that I ended up acting like that…

But that wasn’t what mattered now. It was crucial to save Leclerc’s hyper-perfectionist racing style and somehow rescue the screaming tires.

“Don’t strive for perfection even in practice. The racing line we set will change over time, so there’s no need to obsess over it.”

The racing line that Leclerc and I had brainstormed for hours would inevitably change over time. Be it because V-1 gets upgraded or our skills improve allowing us to carve out new paths, numerous adjustments would take place.

So, the racing line should be considered merely a guideline. It may be the best for ‘who I am now,’ but there’s no need to strictly adhere to it. As the race car changes, and I change, the causes that comprise the result also differ, meaning the best path to follow will change too.

So, what’s important?

What’s important is,

“What we should obsess over are the ‘unchanging things.’ Things that don’t change over time.”

The unchanging things, those that remain constant through time.

What would be that immutable value for Ferrari?

“What could that be?”

Of course, it would be the hybrid suspension developed by Won-jin.

While the engine created by the oldest three heads and the two genius rookies — so five of them working together — would last for several years, that’s just a few years at most.

In contrast, the hybrid suspension is an incredibly innovative technology. Just this one component can significantly increase the overall performance of the race car, and it’s still in a ‘development stage,’ with plenty of potential for improvement.

If tire wear is the major drawback, there are definitely other technologies that contribute to tire wear, and none outperform the hybrid suspension in efficiency.

Although the hybrid suspension has the highest risk, it’s the only one that achieves such remarkable efficiency while sharing the same drawbacks.

That’s just my opinion, but I genuinely have no doubt that this technology will lead the future of F1.

I think it’s a given that in time, other teams will analyze us and develop their version of ‘hybrid suspension.’

…No matter how I think about it, Won-jin is indeed a genius.

– Hybrid suspension…

Maybe because he’s been criticized a lot, Leclerc spoke with a somewhat shy voice.

But at least he knows the answer, which made me feel a surge of anger.

“That’s correct! Have you known this all along, yet behaved like this until now? That’s worse! How could you do that knowing the answer?”

– I’m sorry. To make excuses, it’s not that I didn’t do it; I needed time to adapt. Changing details isn’t easy…

That’s true. If I were starting completely anew, that’d be one thing, but changing what I’ve already gotten used to would require many times more time and effort.

Leclerc must be frustrated as well. In attempting to benchmark my style, he had to change multiple details, and even changing one must be overwhelming. It might feel like multiple Everest-like mountains standing before him.

Time is tight, but there’s no need to rush him. There’s nothing more foolish than pushing someone who’s already working hard. The best support is just to trust and wait.

For a horse that’s already running hard without needing to pull the reins, all you have to do is inform it of the right direction.

I calmed my excited heart and lowered my voice to speak calmly.

“…As long as you know that. It’s okay to lose this race, so focus on the details, okay?”

– Thank you. I’ll pay attention and try.

There’s a saying. The egg is the world, and to hatch it, the world must be broken.

Just like I did, Leclerc began to break through the world he had surrounded himself with for so long, continuing a groundbreaking journey. He completely discarded his style like petals floating in the wind and attempted to move freely, even stepping into “the outside” where he had to advance with clumsy actions.

As if stating that if he didn’t, the future wouldn’t come.

He was sincere, desperate, and relentless. The act of letting go of himself to gain a new self was a continuous and painful process.

Throughout the continuous 20-lap relay, Leclerc did not pass Ricciardo, but it wasn’t a waste of time. From the beginning, Leclerc’s goal wasn’t to overtake him.

His goal was to shed the stagnant, standardized version of himself. Feeling that fervent desire from him made me suggest this relay initiative.

[The race is concluding.]

[Winner: Blue Bull]

Though we lost in the competition, it was far better to achieve our purpose and lose than to win with the goal of beating them. Opportunities like this one are limited.

The main event of the Bahrain Grand Prix is right around the corner, and even excluding that, over twenty grand prix await us.

And

“Good job, Leclerc.”

“You must have had a harder time teaching a frustrating student. Thanks to you, I feel like I’ve improved a bit?”

“Improved? What have you improved already? You still seem out of it.”

“I will correct myself, teacher.”

Today, we are the best at utilizing the present to shape the future.

“There’s no need for a formal farewell since we’ll be seeing each other again later, right?”

“Yeah. It’s getting late, so you guys should get some rest. You need a good rest to race tomorrow.”

“Then, see you at the circuit.”

I greeted the Blue Bull Duo, leaving with refreshed expressions as if they had resolved a long-standing wish. Confirming that it was too late in the now-silent Bahrain Circuit, we ended the game to take a rest and exited the capsule.

As I was waiting outside, I saw Leclerc emerging as the round, white egg opened.

“Phew…”

It made me smile, thinking he had emerged in another sense.

As we walked towards our accommodation, trying to sleep pleasantly,

“Yooihyun! Leclerc!”

Someone waiting at the training room door called us out loudly.

“I have something to convey.”

The silhouette of a man walking out of the darkness became clearer. I couldn’t tell the overall silhouette, but seeing the curly hair, it couldn’t be anyone other than Minoto.

We welcomed him with joy, but

“Yooihyun. Lee Hyun, you’ve been designated as the first driver.”

The news he delivered was none too welcome.

“Why? Why does it have to be like that?”

On the surface, I was a newcomer, but deep down, I knew Ferrari’s traditions better than anyone, and I couldn’t contain the surge of emotions.

Really, irritation was rising within me.