[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 194

Yooihyun, who brought out everything given to him and surged forward with full power, finally reached the entrance of the pit lane where Steven and Leclerc were.

Vroooom!!!

Yooihyun’s V-1 roared fiercely. If there was a regret, it was that he couldn’t run faster than his heart wished.

“Just a little faster…!”

Leclerc, his teammate, had laid out a path, even transferring his own possibilities over to him. In a way, he was forfeiting part of his future and choosing Ferrari’s future instead. It was truly a spirit of sacrifice. As part of Team F1 Ferrari, this was a testament to how much he prioritized the team. Knowing this, Minoto and Ferrari’s leadership would have made him a dedicated driver.

However, Yooihyun had no intention of letting Leclerc sink quietly. If Ferrari were to rise, Leclerc must rise together with it. With that thought in mind, Yooihyun pushed the V-1 even harder.

Using Steven, who was entering the pit lane, Yooihyun brushed past him with a dizzying gap.

Vroooom!!!

The sound of a swift sword. It truly sounded like a sharp cutting sound. The V-1 cleaved through the air. Gaining propulsion from the slipstream, the V-1 surged forward as if it had bounced back. The propulsion was so tremendous that the gap between Yooihyun and Ricciardo widened to a significant level.

Thus, the rankings returned to their original positions. Yooihyun, Ricciardo, and Perez passed them side by side, regaining the 6th, 7th, and 8th places.

‘There is still a chance.’

If he could detach Ricciardo, there would be an opportunity for Leclerc. There were still 41 laps remaining until the race ended, and if they combined the delays caused by a detached Ricciardo, he could make losses in seconds. Whether that time would lengthen or not now depended on Yooihyun himself. In his hands, Leclerc’s possibilities would be either expanded or minimized.

Knowing this, Yooihyun ran like a madman. He ran so insanely that his previous astonishing laps felt insignificant. Just as Leclerc believed in him, Yooihyun also believed in Leclerc. He was certain that Leclerc would not miss his opportunity. Though he was currently in 9th place, his potential had not yet been fully unleashed.

Yooihyun believed this. No, he was confident. Leclerc’s limits were not just this. Having endured numerous defeats while driving the pitiful F1 Ferrari race car, he was plagued by the inferiority complex and feeling of defeat, lacking faith in his driving. If he could shake off those emotions that had been cemented in him for years, he would be able to soar to greater heights.

Moreover, the race car he was currently driving, the V-1, was not the same as that piece of junk race car from before. Although its performance couldn’t be said to overwhelm other race cars, it had solid fundamentals and possessed Ferrari’s unique weapon, the hybrid suspension. Depending on how it was utilized, its performance could vary greatly.

That was a feeling Yooihyun had gained while directly driving the V-1, so it could be said with confidence that it was a verified fact.

‘Leclerc… I believe in you. Please keep up.’

Without leaving even a moment of relaxation for Ricciardo to catch up, Yooihyun ran. He made perilous choices at every moment, as if walking on a kn*fe’s edge. He had to run like this to create opportunities for Leclerc, so he risked maximum danger in pursuit of maximum gain, darting across the circuit.

From now on, it was a battle of concentration. More than anything, this time it wasn’t a fight fought alone. It was a fight waged together by Leclerc and Yooihyun, teammates. One could not win by themselves; both had to continue the race perfectly in order to seize the advantage.

‘It won’t be easy.’

Their opponents, the 7th and 8th places they had to surpass, were Ricciardo and Perez from the Blue Bull team, which, like Ferrari, was in the same league. If they weren’t fools, they wouldn’t be unaware of Ferrari’s plans. The duo from Blue Bull would surely team up to counter Ferrari.

It would be incredibly difficult to break through their strategically moving formations. Thus, while Yooihyun himself had a relatively easier difficulty, for Leclerc, it would become a siege assault on an impregnable fortress.

To put it simply, Blue Bull was a defensive battle, while Leclerc was in a siege; considering that the attacking side would consume more forces and resources, it sometimes seemed like Leclerc’s siege might be impossible. If he didn’t have a secret weapon to capture the fortress, miracles wouldn’t happen.

‘You have to show something, Leclerc…’

The race car, V-1, had shown all its secret moves. In other words, the secret moves had to be drawn out from Leclerc himself.

He had to change, grow, and awaken. He must transcend his own limits. Winning against someone is like that. There is no way to easily beat an opponent who is giving their all. Walking along an impossible path time and again is the only way to seize the singular flag of victory.

Therefore, Leclerc needed to awaken the potential that lay dormant within him. The outcome of this battle depended entirely on that.

Vroooom!!

Soon, Yooihyun, having put aside his thoughts, began to focus completely on his task. Although Leclerc held the key to victory, he was merely a different share of that key; he was still holding the hand of Leclerc, who was grasping the key. When Leclerc successfully finished his part, Yooihyun had to be ready as well. To do that, he had to give his all to open up possibilities.

Red, blue, blue, red.

The four race cars, clearly laid out by their intense colors, were beginning a team battle while walking on thin ice.

* * *

Swoosh!!

Vroooom-!!!

Swish!!!

As the race entered its mid-point, all that could be heard were the engine sounds of race cars and the slicing wind. The audience, who had cheered uproariously, had long since lost their voices, and as time passed, even the commentator struggled to find words regarding the entrenched dynamics between the drivers.

Yet the battle continued on.

Vroooom!!

Leclerc was racing towards Perez, who could be seen up ahead. How many laps had it been, running behind him, just barely on his tail? It felt as if there was an insurmountable wall between them, given the unyielding gap.

‘I’ve caught up a lot. Just a little more…!’

Yes. Looking solely at the situation, it was truly a desperate situation. But, it had been worse before. Not only had he not pressured Perez, but he couldn’t even see him after rounding a corner. Yet now, he could at least see his tail, which meant he had made significant progress.

“What lap are we on?”

-26 laps. 31 laps remaining.

There were 31 laps remaining. Although he had done well so far, it was not enough, considering the time left. Trying to catch up to Perez at this pace would take more than 100 laps.

He had to push harder, to be faster. The V-1 was running at its limits, aiding him, but the one who had to change was Leclerc himself. He was aware of this; Yooihyun, who was in the same race car, was charging past the Blue Bull drivers like a matador, while he could not do so.

He couldn’t ignore it.

However…

‘It’s too risky. Can I make such a gamble in the main event, not in practice or qualifying…?’

The fear of trying to change was immense. He had a lot weighing on his shoulders: the expectations of director Minoto, the belief of teammate Yooihyun, and the passion and hard work of Ferrari engineers and mechanics.

He was not running just for himself. He couldn’t sit in that seat by his own power. He was running on the trust and expectations of countless people, using the bl**d and sweat they had shed as his own support. Perhaps he was unaware that he ruled over them simply because he had a talent for driving.

No, it might be better described as parasitism. How comfortable was that? He merely had to ride comfortably on the efforts they had built up.

‘I absolutely… absolutely don’t know.’

With thoughts like these, Leclerc found it hard to think of anything to attempt. One mistake could drop his ranking or lead to a situation where he had to abandon the race entirely. If that happened, the months and years they had dedicated would turn to dust in an instant. One wrong judgment could shatter everything, leading to despair.

It was painful. Choosing this side bore these reasons that held him back, and choosing that side brought other reasons to hinder him. Unlike at the beginning, his mind was now so engulfed in confusion that it felt resentful.

As he lingered, unable to make a decision…

-Leclerc, Yooihyun wants you to pass on a message.

“…Ihyun?”

Yooihyun had come to find him.

Without fail.