Chapter 1543 - 565: Dramatic One-Upmanship (2/5 Extra Update)

Chapter 1543: Chapter 565: Dramatic One-Upmanship (2/5 Extra Update)

"A sprint race victory is worth just 8 points after all. If you spot a clear opportunity during the race, go for it. If not, let’s focus on protecting our car and securing the points we’re sure to get."

This was what Frankie said to Qin Miao over the team radio before the race started.

His words made sense. Even if you win the sprint race, it’s only 8 points, definitely not worth risking too much.

Even Qin Miao thought the same; his recent thoughts were also based on this premise.

After the preparation time ended, the staff withdrew from the track, and the sprint race was about to begin.

The audience filled every seat as usual, but due to the rain, they didn’t ignite the signature orange smoke bombs that Red Bull fans typically do.

Speaking of Red Bull fans, it’s worth mentioning that this season when Qin Miao attended a fan meeting at the Red Bull Ring and entered from the crowd, the reaction was better. While there were still some unkind voices directly pointing fingers and swearing at Qin Miao, it was a world of difference compared to last season.

Last season was truly coordinated; every Red Bull fan at the Red Bull Ring was united in shouting "F**k Qin Miao."

It felt like the whole world was against him.

Now, many more neutral Red Bull fans even greeted Qin Miao.

They recognized that Qin Miao posed no real threat to Verstappen’s world championship, and thus showed more tolerance towards him.

Amid the banter, Qin Miao and his team completed the warm-up lap.

They all returned to their starting positions.

Qin Miao glanced around.

In front were two Red Bull cars, and to the right was Norris.

Norris posed a threat too, as the McLaren had made upgrades, which was why he was in this position.

However, Qin Miao didn’t pay too much attention to this.

This season, the real threat to Mercedes was Red Bull, and of the three drivers posing a threat to Qin Miao personally, two were ahead, and the other one was at the back of the pack.

So, as Frankie had mentioned over the team radio, if Qin Miao could avoid mistakes today, he could secure a third-place finish and earn 5 points.

Soon, all drivers were ready.

Oh... except for Bottas.

Because Sauber implemented a very clever tire strategy by putting Bottas on intermediate tires, betting that the rain would stop at the start of the race.

But as the drivers waited for the start, the rain not only failed to stop but intensified.

Bottas had no choice but to return to the pits to switch back to wet tires.

Otherwise, he couldn’t even complete the race.

While others were racing, he was ice skating.

The five red lights went out, and the race began.

Despite starting on the dirty side, Perez, who was adept at controlling his car’s start, had a faster start than his teammate Verstappen.

Verstappen noticed his start wasn’t as good as Perez’s.

Perez’s lead gradually increased over time.

To avoid being overtaken before T1, Verstappen squeezed towards Perez before entering T1.

But even pressed against the track’s wall, Perez did not give up trying to run parallel with Verstappen.

And he succeeded.

Perez was determined because he sensed that some within the Red Bull team believed his skills no longer justified his position.

This sprint race was an opportunity for Perez to prove himself.

Ultimately, the two Red Bull cars headed side by side towards T1.

As for Qin Miao,

he had a faster start than Norris on the inside, but his way was blocked by the two Red Bulls.

At this point, Qin Miao had no angle to find an opportunity on the inside.

So, he took a standard outside line through the corner, allowing him to maintain a bit more speed compared to Norris on the inside.

Though it seemed Qin Miao’s car was performing typically, he couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement.

Because he saw a possibility: the internal rivalry between the two Red Bull drivers at the start.

Perez had an advantage from the start and was on the inside.

Near the pit lane indicator, Perez had already on the inside completed an overtake on Verstappen.

Verstappen, noticing Perez’s speed, realized he couldn’t defend against Perez on the inside, so he reluctantly returned to the original racing line, giving up on defending against his teammate.