CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 50: REGRETS

In the intensely focused state of Qin Miao, one minute felt like the blink of an eye.

Qin Miao felt it had been less than twenty seconds when the engineer’s urgent voice rang in his ears: "The qualifying race officially starts now, we have thirty minutes to achieve the best lap times, please ensure your safety."

Huh...

With a long exhale, Qin Miao went through the map of Shanghai in his mind once again and started the engine of the AMG GT beneath him.

The unique low hum of Mercedes’ twin-turbocharged 4.0T V8 engine sounded, and after being filtered through the car’s soundproof system, it seemed even more deep and rich.

But one must admit, although the engine’s roar isn’t as high-pitched as some other cars, the low sound carries a special beauty.

The handbrake of the AMG GT is electronically controlled, with a handle at the rear of the center console that can be pulled back to release the handbrake.

Qin Miao gently pressed the accelerator and drove out of the pit box amidst the engine’s gentle roar.

Then he maintained a speed of 57 km/h to drive out of the pit lane, and Qin Miao asked over the radio, "Can you help keep an eye on slower cars when I do a flying lap later?"

"Huh?" Yu Jialiang turned his head in confusion beside Qin Miao.

"Alright, I’ll keep an eye for you," the engineer replied.

Qin Miao turned his head: "I’m not talking to you, I’m communicating with the engineer."

Yu Jialiang: "Oh..."

What the heck, didn’t you say this is your third time driving on the track? Why are you acting so professional?

Originally curious about what racing would feel like, Yu Jialiang suddenly felt nervous.

Before he could think more, as Qin Miao’s AMG GT left the pit lane speed limit area, Qin Miao immediately floored the accelerator.

Suddenly, a force exceeding 0.9G pressed on both of them.

Yu Jialiang was pinned to his seat by the sudden gravity and instinctively reached for the handle on the car door.

The first lap of warming up the tires, Qin Miao drove relatively gently. Although this car is fitted with semi-slick tires, they are a type of slick tire after all.

So Qin Miao used quite a bit of weaving on the first lap to warm the tires, but the more he drove, the paler Yu Jialiang’s face became.

However, Qin Miao was completely focused and didn’t notice him. Once the tire temperature reached an appropriate level, Qin Miao drove his AMG GT into T15.

Exiting T15 is a full-throttle fake curve leading to T16, which is straightforward, a standard right-angle turn, find the braking point to brake and downshift to second gear, straighten the car and slightly take the curb.

After exiting the apex, it’s full throttle again. Since Qin Miao wasn’t chasing limits or had any big ambitions for this race, he didn’t disable the car’s electronic control systems.

With the traction control system managing, even full throttle wasn’t a worry, unlike the gyroscopic spins seen in F1.

At this point, Yu Jialiang’s face beside Qin Miao began to change as they entered the main straight after the start, Qin Miao’s demeanor underwent a dramatic shift.

If in the tire-warming stage, Qin Miao seemed ordinary, then after exiting T16, he abruptly exuded a sharp, aggressive aura.

This sudden change caught him off guard, quickly stirring feelings of regret within him, wondering, what am I doing up here!

With full throttle charging, the AMG GT’s nose crossed the finish line and Qin Miao’s first flying lap began.

Full throttle into T1, at this point, Qin Miao’s speed can reach 276 km/h, faster than the AMG GT3.

After all, this car isn’t power-restricted like the GT3.

However, in terms of braking points and grip during turns, the AMG GT3 comprehensively outperforms the AMG GT.

Normally, F4 braking points here are roughly 40 meters before the apex, GT3 at 50 meters, but Qin Miao braked early at 65 meters.

Partly because of the extra weight of another person on board, and partly because Qin Miao wasn’t confident in pushing the car to its limits in the first lap.

In Qin Miao’s view, regardless of results, at the very least, completing three valid laps safely and soundly is important.

After entering T1, GT3 can maintain speed by slightly giving gas, but this AMG GT doesn’t possess the same downforce as the GT3, so he couldn’t step on the gas anymore.

Shanghai’s T1 is an uphill, sliding into T2 with the car’s innate speed.

However, after passing T2’s apex, the turn shifts from uphill to downhill, where Qin Miao can slightly give gas to adjust the car’s posture.

Brake 25 meters before entering T3, toss the car into the apex, after passing T3’s apex, gradually give gas, but here patience is needed.

Before downforce builds up, even if your car is equipped with a traction control system, giving too much gas can still lead to slipping.

As speed gradually increases and downforce strengthens, by the T4 apex, full throttle out is achievable.

T5 is a fake turn where even the AMG GT can go full throttle, but for optimal line, keeping to the right is necessary.

The braking point for T6 relies purely on intuition, roughly between the stainless steel scaffolding and the curb.

Directly downshift to 1st gear here, straighten the car at the apex, when exiting the turn the car’s nose realigned.

Full throttle out into T7.

T7 is extremely unfriendly to cars lacking strong downforce.

F1 can go full throttle here, F4 too, GT3 can maintain without braking and rely on inertia to throw the car through.

But Qin Miao’s AMG GT has to decelerate, can only start gradually giving gas after reaching one-third of the apex.

T8, T9, T10 are a set of combination turns, nothing too challenging, and Qin Miao had rehearsed various methods of navigating these turns in his mind many times.

This time, Qin Miao timed the braking and acceleration points exceptionally well, without any mistakes.

The key is, Qin Miao used a new set of semi-slick tires, making these turns extremely easy.

After exiting T10, full throttle into T11, brake and downshift at the farthest end before the right curb, find the entry point then steer, Qin Miao didn’t take too much curb here, not seeking extreme speeds this lap, naturally avoiding risks associated with sausage curbs.

After the apex, full throttle again, full throttle until past the right-side yellow sausage curb marking T12 apex, then let off the gas, relying on the grip from the new semi-slick tires, without giving gas, let inertia carry the car through.

At pressure-demanding turns like this, Qin Miao couldn’t help but think of that F4.

Damn, with an F4 here, I could go full throttle comfortably!

Relying on inertia to position the car, gradually give gas as felt, although it can’t mimic an F4’s pedal-down full throttle leveraging powerful downforce.

Controlling the throttle gently without oversteering can still manage smoothly.

After exiting T13, it’s the back straight where the AMG GT showcases its biggest strength, its horsepower.

In this section, the AMG GT3’s maximum speed can approach 270 km/h, but Qin Miao’s AMG GT can reach 280.

However, T14’s braking point is at least 50 meters earlier than the AMG GT3.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yu Jialiang’s pupils shook at the terrifying speedometer on Qin Miao’s dashboard, those recent continuous turns already discomforted him, and now the impact of 280 km/h sudden braking...

"Uh... ah..."

As Qin Miao floored the brake pedal, at least 2.5G of force weighed on them, Qin Miao was alright, having experienced GT3 and driven F4.

He’s gradually accustomed to this level of G-force, while Yu Jialiang in the passenger seat was held in place by the seatbelt’s pull from flying out of the seat.

He was tugged by the belt so tightly he almost couldn’t breathe...

Is this really his third time racing???

Yu Jialiang felt utterly aggrieved.

Brake at 150 meters, outside-inside-outside for the turn, nothing too difficult, just follow the right line.

After the turn, full throttle, T15 is a fake turn, ignoring it.

T16 is still outside-inside-outside, full throttle out after the turn, these turns exiting into a straight can completely trust the vehicle’s traction control system.

Once Qin Miao floored it across the line, in the engineer’s workspace, the data sheet highlighted three purple segments beneath Qin Miao’s record.

Qin Miao’s final result: 2 minutes 12 seconds 541 milliseconds.