[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 193

The first phase, which the engineers were most concerned about, passed safely. They managed a dangerous start well and operated without mistakes until the race stabilized. Although they were overtaken by Norris and had to pit in earlier than planned while in a fierce battle with Ricciardo, the result remained the same as at the beginning.

6th place. Despite pouring in tremendous effort, it might not sound like good news that it’s the same as before, but considering the competitors, it’s fortunate to still be in the same position.

I heard that Leclerc overtook McLaren’s Steven and almost caught up with Red Bull’s second driver, Perez, who lost a lot of power while focusing on me. Though it might be difficult to overtake with the Blue Bull Duo stuck in 7th and 8th, just having Leclerc behind will bring considerable pressure.

“Things worked out well unexpectedly.”

A situation that could be described as quite favorable. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief as I slowly exited the pit lane at the speed limit.

Then, as if to counter my words, Enrique, with determination in his voice, said,

“Unexpectedly? You made this happen.”

“Well… that’s true?”

I mentioned it downplaying my luck, but to be frank, the situation ended up like this largely because of me. Starting from occupying the 6th grid, getting to 5th place momentarily ahead of Norris, and successfully blocking Ricciardo and Perez created this favorable situation.

If even one of those steps had been missed, Leclerc wouldn’t have been in a position to threaten Perez.

Thanks to my play, Ferrari gained a few options and practically transitioned an impossibility into a possibility. Now, what’s left is to roll that possibility around and finally realize it during the remaining races.

Having laid a foundation worth battling for, I must now push for maximized effort. Mistakes cannot happen. The weight of a mistake from a strong competitor and a weak one is different. If Red Bull takes 3 laps to recover from a mistake, Ferrari would need at least double the laps.

Yeah, even at a minimum, it’s double. In other words, the moment a mistake occurs, there won’t even be a chance to recover.

So it’s still too early to let down my guard. The race has just passed 16 laps.

“Leclerc just passed, and Steven did too. There’s a bit of a gap behind them, so it shouldn’t be a problem if we pit out now.”

Leclerc didn’t pit, seemingly having spare tire life to keep going. McLaren’s Steven King also followed closely behind Leclerc, perhaps trying to catch him.

So the current ranking was 8th. With the two drivers who didn’t pit passing by, my position dropped two places.

However, there’s no need to worry. They will both have to pit soon anyway. By then, it’s expected that the ranking will return to normal.

“It’s a relief that it didn’t overlap ambiguously.”

“Yeah, both Leclerc and Steven have dropped pace quite a bit, so I can catch up quickly. Leclerc will pit in the next lap, and I think Steven will too.”

From what I heard from Enrique, Leclerc would pit in the next lap, and Steven likely would as well. So I need to accelerate as much as possible this lap to catch up with Steven. That’s how my tires will heat up and perform at their best, allowing me to use slipstream from Steven, who must reduce speed due to the pit stop.

However, considering when Steven would pit, the gap was precarious. Even a slight miscontrol could result in me not being able to utilize Steven.

‘I hope Leclerc can hold him back for a moment…’

Feeling impatient, I thought that, but it would only be for a brief moment of slipstream usage, and of course, heating up my tires was something I had to do, so I calmed myself. Moreover, I didn’t want to force a sacrifice on my teammate just to gain a little.

I kept telling myself, ‘If I performed a bit better, it wouldn’t have come to this,’ or ‘If I had reduced my lap time by even a second over 16 laps, I could have gained more.’ It may sound overly self-critical, but it’s actually true. If I had performed even just a little better, it would have resolved the issue.

Of course, a team and a strategy exist to solve problems that individuals cannot handle.

More than anything, thinking this way helps with self-improvement and becomes the biggest driving force. By attributing all the causes of the results to myself, who will I blame? Blaming myself, I reflect on the race that has passed, find mistakes, and improve. In doing so, I end up not blaming others, which also results in a mental ease…

With the mindset of doing as much as I can, as I return to the track, unexpected news came from Enrique.

“Leclerc says he’ll buy some time, so give it your all! He’ll pit next lap and has a big gap to the others, so it won’t matter much.”

“Leclerc said that?”

As if peering into my mind, it seemed Leclerc brought up a topic I struggled to mention first. Since Leclerc is also a driver, he probably understands my feelings better than anyone.

I felt a mix of gratitude and guilt and tried to refuse his offer. Although he said it wouldn’t matter to him, saying that it is genuinely fine isn’t entirely true. It’s the way of the world that when someone benefits, someone else must incur a loss.

For me to gain, Leclerc would need to slow down, but while he said there’s no danger of being caught by the ones behind, that’s viewing the situation too simplistically. Leclerc isn’t focusing on the back; he’s aiming for the front. Slowing down would distance him from Perez. While there’s no danger of losing, the opportunity for gain disappears as well.

From the team’s perspective, my solid defense of my position offers benefits, but from Leclerc’s individual perspective, it’s a clear loss. He’s willing to endure that loss to help me.

“Hmmm…”

At that moment, my head became a jumble, but Enrique spoke up firmly.

“Mr. Yooihyun, don’t think about anything else; just race. This is Leclerc’s decision.”

Leclerc’s decision… Right. This is a resolution Leclerc made after considering all factors and deliberating with the race engineer. Refusing his offer here might be dismissing his true intentions. Accepting the suggestion and doing my best would be the only way to repay his sincerity.

I signaled to Enrique that I would go along with it and added with a smile,

“You sounded like a race engineer just now, Enrique.”

“Does that mean I didn’t before? I’m starting to feel a bit hurt.”

“No, it’s not like that…”

“Haha! Just kidding, just kidding. But it’s true. No one knows better than me how insufficient I am.”

Ah, I’m sorry for suddenly coming off as self-deprecating.

When I hesitated, unable to find my words, Enrique continued.

“Honestly, I was thinking of quitting because I felt too guilty towards you. After all, a parachutist should perform better, and a lack of insight into racing is a fact… I feel bad for not just you, but the entire F1 Ferrari team.”

Seeing him speak seriously, it seemed he carried a significant burden or guilt as a race engineer. The position of a race engineer is undeniably a heavy one. Leclerc’s race engineer has a staggering 14 years of experience, being a veteran. Even if I don’t want to compare, I will inevitably.

However, Minoto’s decision to place Enrique in that position must have its reasons, though I can’t fully understand it. The insight of a director is a realm that even a mere driver like me can’t fully grasp, but Minoto isn’t someone to just pick anyone randomly. He must have seen potential and talent for Enrique to emerge as a successful race engineer.

So,

“Enrique, don’t think about anything else; just do your job. Does it look like the director would just let anyone sit in that position? Not at all.”

…

When I reflected his comment back to him, this time Enrique fell silent.

It’s easy to give advice to others, but it becomes challenging when the same direction turns toward oneself. No matter how correct the advice may be.

“And considering they paired me with an ultra-rookie like me, it speaks volumes. My race engineer isn’t just anyone, you know?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Now don’t worry about me and concentrate on the race.”

“I will do so. Leclerc is waiting.”

Having navigated the situation pleasantly, I began to refocus on driving. I cannot waste the sacrifice Leclerc has made by holding up ahead.

V-1 roared, seemingly returning to its initial condition with a new set of tires. RPM surged wildly above the mid-ten-thousands on the dashboard. Speed quickly surpassed 300 km/h,

Beep—

【 DRS ON 】

With the DRS opening and the rear wing leveling out, the hybrid suspension worked in tandem to boost acceleration.

After passing the first stint, my finely honed senses allowed for far more precise maneuvers. The engine was pushing out every last bit of strength, offering performance beyond its typical capacity. As Won-jin said, it was a masterpiece, and witnessing its ability to endure while providing excellent performance through such intense driving surely verified that a masterpiece is indeed a masterpiece.

Zoom!

I utilized the curbs to their full extent around the corner. As I exited, I exploited the curb on the straight to the maximum. With the conviction of losing not even 1 km/h of speed, I didn’t press the brake pedal anywhere except in the corner.

Just ahead, I spotted the entrance to the pit lane along with two race cars. The red race car of Ferrari and the orange race car of McLaren. Even with Leclerc buying time, the timing looked precarious.

“Go full throttle!”

Boom!!!

Having spotted them, I immediately floored the accelerator and surged ahead. To cover the loss Leclerc incurred, I needed to use Steven to create distance, preventing Ricciardo from benefiting behind me.

Though they probably didn’t expect that far, I’m sure Leclerc hopes I do just that.

It’s getting boring to go alone. It’s time to repay the favor.

Let’s go together, Leclerc.

As if folding space, V-1 began to surge forward.